July 10, 2025

Mother Nature: Our Wise Counsel and Coach in Aspirational Leadership

Mother Nature: Our Wise Counsel and Coach in Aspirational Leadership
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Nature has evolved over millennia to showcase her extraordinary power that gives and nurtures life. If only we humans can pause long enough to take in her wisdom and look for ways to apply it in our everyday lives and as leaders seeking high impact in the world. In this episode, two African business women usher us into the abundant wisdom when we learn to see the lessons Nature has to offer along the journey to becoming wiser and more complete as leaders aspiring to lift others to new heights.

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WEBVTT

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The topics and opinions express in the following show are

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solely those of the hosts and their guests, and not

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be directed to those show hosts. Thank you for choosing

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W FOURCY Radio.

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What's working on Purpose? Anyway? Each week we ponder the

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answer to this question. People ache for meaning and purpose

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at work, to contribute their talents passionately and know their

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lives really matter. They crave being part of an organization

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that inspires them and helps them grow into realizing their

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highest potential. Business can be such a force for good

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in the world, elevating humanity. In our program, we provide

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guidance and inspiration to help usher in this world we

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all want working on Purpose. Now here's your host, doctor

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Elise Cortes.

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Welcome back to the Working in a Purpose program, which

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has been brought to you with passion and pride since

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February of twenty fifteen. Already, thanks for tuning in again

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this week. Great to have you. I'm your host doctor

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at Least Cortes. If we have not met before and

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you don't know me, I'm a workforce advisor, organizational psychologist

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to management consultant, LOCO therapist, speaker and author. My team

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and I, Augusta now help companies to enliven and fortify

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their operations by building a dynamic, high performance culture, inspirational

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leadership and nurturing managers activated by meaning and purpose. And

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did you know that inspired employees outperform their satisfied peers

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by factor of two point twenty five two one. In

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other words, inspiration is good for the bottom line. You

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can learn more about us now. We can work together

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at gustodashnow dot com or my personal site at last

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Cortes dot com. We have with us today two amazing women.

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We have Funke Michaels, a dynamic leader with a rich

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cultural heritage, seamlessly blends her Nigerian and Kenyan roots with

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global perspectives. As an MIT Slung Fellow and Harvard Mason Fellow,

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Funke remains committed to fostering development through academia, entrepreneurship and innovation,

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making her a sought after voice in international forums and

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educational settings. She joined today from Newcastle in the United Kingdom,

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also with us IS Absining. She is a seasoned entrepreneur

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and technology enthusiast with global leadership experience. She's a Senior

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Innovation Platform Officer at the African Development Bank, where she

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manages the Innovation and Entrepreneur Lab Entrepreneurship Lab. She's also

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the founder of jeter a DO Bank. I love that

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DO Bank, not a think tank, but a do bank,

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empowering growth entrepreneurship in twenty five plus African countries. She's

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also a content creator behind Productivity Planners, Serendipity and Spiritualies

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podcasts showcasing your dedication to innovation, education and social change

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in Africa. She joins it today from Senegal. Decar Ladies

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a hearty welcome to Working on Purpose. I'm so happy

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to have you. Bothy's slightly slightly enthusiastic to have you here. Now,

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let's just let's celebrate this beautiful thing that the two

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of you brought into the world. Look at this beautiful book.

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It's gorgeous.

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Ah.

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We'll get into.

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More of really why I think it's so clever and

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special and distinctive as we go. But let's just first

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let our listeners and viewers who haven't met you or

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known you quite yet the way that I have, just

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get a little bit of glimpse of each of your backgrounds.

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If you could just talk a bit about your early work,

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your leadership experiences, and why they.

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Contribute to you.

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Wanted to write a book that is anchored in what

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we can learn from mother nature.

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I always say that I've been fortunate to work with

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amazing women, and our presence here is a testament to that,

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because I used to work without that, and we work

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together on the team at chams On and learning from

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people is the key to leadership. Really, no matter where

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you find yourself, whether you're sitting on the floor of

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the market in Canoe or you're sitting in a boardroom

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presenting you know your brand's plan for the next year,

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you need to understand people.

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And I believe that all the places.

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I've worked in, at one point or the other, I

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have been fortunate enough to be in.

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The company of amazing women.

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Out my hand, They've given me shoulders to lean on,

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They've given me shoulders to climb on to get ahead,

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and many of them are lifetime friends.

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As well, I says here to testify.

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So I think that for me, this book came out

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of what I've seen, what I've received, and what I

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sought to give every class that I taught, I looked

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up for women like myself, people who wanted to do

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something and do it differently. And I think that's why

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Outside and I became friends, because I walked into the

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office and I saw someone that I could relate with.

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And it makes all the difference in the world.

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Sure does.

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Yeah, and Egoing, what's fun? She just said, you know,

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there is an amazing journey that we also need to

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start developing right now. It's that in a conversation with

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oneself as women, should we be in business, or as

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a mother, or as a woman or as a wife,

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we tend to doubt a lot. And I think it's

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always good to be reminded of how strong we are,

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and that in a conversation needs to start early enough,

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because at no point of time at school or even

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within our own families, we are told or reminded that

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we need to have that conversation with ourselves to be appreciated.

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And it's a tough conversation, by the way, and you'll

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discover that in the book, but it starts with that

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beautiful if I were to use that anology with the

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mother nature, you know, the caterpillar transformation is very tough.

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It's not easy. You know, we see the butterfly and all,

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but it requires that we ask ourselves the real question.

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And I hope we'll have the opportunity during this podcast

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to also develop feel of the techniques we use during

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that journey Thanky and I that we are mentioning in

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the in the book.

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I want to celebrate something that's in your book as

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well that I just experienced as well. Last week, I

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had the opportunity to mc a women's conference called Thrive

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in twenty five. It was in Chicago last week and

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our out speaker is a woman named Aaron Gallagher, and

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she her whole thing is she has a book coming

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out in October called Hype Women, and it's something about

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spearheading the karma economy. And essentially what she's putting forward is,

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you know, we as women have an opportunity to support

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each other and also to influence each other in terms

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of how it is we choose with whom we choose

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to do business, and when we choose to do business

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to support other women. Now we strengthen their economies and

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give a greater voice to them. And I think that

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also speaks to a lot of the spirit of what

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I got from your book. Yes, more to come on,

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Aaron Gallagher. She's amazing.

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Okay.

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So one of the things that I thought was really

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interesting up so you talk about when you were working

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at PNG, it was an extraordinary experience for you, and

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you said it was one of your very first journeys

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through human capital development. And I really appreciated, because I

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do so much work helping organizations build their culture and

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their leadership, that they had a motto that they really

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stood behind, that you that really meant something to you

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and shaped you, and that motto was Promises Made Promises.

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Yeah.

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Yeah, how that experience formed you and why it was

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so important to you.

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No, starting with P ANDNG, and first of all, I've

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had the chance and me made where's the extreme honor

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of working for companies that are centuries right, one hundred

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years in avolve, which means that ethically we're talking about

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sustainability and working for PNG has been an extraordinary experience.

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I mean, my very first journey as a professional, and

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I get in that office and I see that you know,

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the sentence promises made from it is kept. To me

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didn't mean much until I started embracing the value of

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the company. It went beyond a motto. Really it was

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really it was not a slogan. It was something I

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really wanted to leave by and I saw how the

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company was honoring commitments and how we were developing people.

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How beside the fact that we were trying to sell something,

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we were also trying to have a huge sense of

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response sabity in the countries that we were covering. And

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for me, it goes back to that connection. I was

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talking about how do you connect to values and purpose,

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these values that drive you in a way or in

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a context that you can even strike beyond the storms

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and feel of the crisis that you might be going through.

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And for me it was important because I was extremely

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young when I joined Procterian Gamble and that's how my

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leadership journey started with integrity and commitment. And now that

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I'm working for the public sector, I'm dealing with government

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now more than ever, I can really value the sense

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of having promises made from it is kept even to

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the citizens that we are trying to serve in the

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countries and the governments we are trying to support, And

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life is all about that at the end of the day.

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If we don't have valuies, if we don't nurture ethics

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in this world, so what do we have at the

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end of the day.

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I really got it as a through line. This is

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like the heartbeat of the company that you all could

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feel connected to it. You know, it informed how your

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heart actually worked. And I think that's so powerful And

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I just couldn't help starting our conversation by celebrating that

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because so many organizations are missing that and they have

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an opportunity to create that anchoring force. The way you

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experienced it abs absolutely. And I don't know which of

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the two of you this was. I think it might

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be you two apps. But that whole story that you

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talk about, and this is the value. This is the

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other thing about pulling from talent from across the globe

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that has had wildly diverse experiences and their work experiences,

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how they grew up. But that story of you know,

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being working in this city for your new job and

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being under your bed because there was a robbery going

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on next door. Your mother actually called and you were,

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you know, slowly enough to be able to you know,

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not to not to concern her and just simply passed

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it off as fireworks. And you say that it really

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forged you as a leader and made you tough. I

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should say, who was that which with the two pie?

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Was that experience?

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That was me? Again?

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You know.

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The reason why this this story is quite funny is

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because I was telling her and she was laughing about

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us again and saying, you you're not serious. But to

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be very honest, I think it. What it tells us

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is that we will have to leave top situations and

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going through the storm. As Funkie was mentioning, we tend to,

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you know, with the social media, to put it all

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out right, living in a sense of drama. You know,

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let me make it concerning so that people can get

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on me and I'll be the show in the town. Here,

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it was a bit different. I was going through a

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situation which I know that if I was to tell

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my mom she would just ask me, oh, girl, take

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the first plane and get back home, right. But I

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was like, she's my first she's my supports system as

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of today, by the way, but I'm learning to take

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care of her emotions the way I would want her

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to take care of mine. And it goes back that

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exchange between women. We don't necessarily want to hurt. We

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don't necessarily want to be in a position where I'm

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adding a burden on your shoulder. As my sister, I

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want to be a relief.

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And I have to say so before you continue. Part

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for interrupting you what you experienced that evening. That was

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my life growing up.

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That's my snity. The city that forced me wow.

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So it takes a lot to scare me because not

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what aara normal. By the time I met Upster, it

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was so Nigerian that we could convert and we could

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converse in several languages and people couldn't tell the difference

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because we could make the same references. She could talk

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about places in my city. I took got places in

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our city. And that helped us to work together over

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the years. And I'm talking almost twenty years now.

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Right absolutely, And you know that chapter when I'm starting

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by telling the story and by saying that I didn't

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need I needed my mom to be there for me.

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So if I was to scare her, no one would

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listen to me when I would come and cry at

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the end of the day. So I needed to keep

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her safe so that when I'm coming back in the evening, tired,

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sick and tired and really willing to get out of

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this down, she would still be there, calm and quiet

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enough to you know, bring me back to where I

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mean it to be. So I needed her to be

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one hundred persons available for me. So I needed to

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protect her. Now the other side of the story that

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Funky has brilliantly presented, and I wanted to invite her

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at some point. You know, I learned to be a child.

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When I came back in that car, I came with

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an accent, an English accent. They call it broken English

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because I had to break my perfect, you know, UK

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style of English. And my manager called me after I

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want to see you. I say, okay, and as motawakia,

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I'm saying hi. By the way. He said this would work.

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I said, what wouldn't work? Say the way you're speaking?

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So how am I speaking? You're you're speaking English or something,

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but we don't get it. You know. Remember I'm leaving

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the car, so it's a front compone country. I literally

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had to adapt and forget about my English, my French

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and embrace agility, embrace the culture that I was living

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in in order to be able to survive. Did I

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like it? Not at all? Did I do the job?

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Of course I did. So That's why I came back

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home with all the glory and all the glory and

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all the status. But it was tough. And that paragraph

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is meant to teach us that for us to be

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able to surrender and be a Chile, we need to

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protect our support system my mom in this case, but

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we need to be a child and embrace the environment

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that we're living in.

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That is so powerful, abscess so powerful. And then I

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want to take it another step further and just sit

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to it. I'm going to I want to read from

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a little bit from the forward of your book here

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because I want our listeners and viewers to understand just

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how much richness and depth your book and its content

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polls on. So I want to read that really quick

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for our leaders or our listeners and viewers and then

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let one of you or both of you comment on it.

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But so this is from Amina Gurub Fakim. She is

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a PhD. And she's the president of or maybe the

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former president of the Republic of Maritius. She says, I

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have always been passionate about sustainable development and women empowerment.

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I have used my scientific background to add value to

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our rich heritage that has been handed over to us

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by our elders. Phototherapy, medicinal plans, especially indigenous ones in

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our region, and our unique biodiversity have all helped to

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forge my career pathway. I've always believed in operating at

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the intersection of science, environment, and leadership, and this is

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the reason why I believe that this book provides invaluable

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insights for any woman seeking to develop her leadership journey.

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It offers a refreshing perspective on how aligning with nature

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can inspire authenticity, innovation, and a deeper connection to both

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ourselves and the world around us. That is so incredibly beautiful.

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Thank you, thank you.

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Yes, and we're also taking Liseo ortunity to thank her,

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because you know, I've had the privilege and the honor

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of meeting. Also, I was posting it on LinkedIn this morning.

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Missus Ellen Erlis Johnson excellence. She was the very first

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president women president in Africa the Way. Also missus Aninazi

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Vakim has also paid the Way in Mauritius. And what

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it tells us is that we have something in common.

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Should we be women in power, women in leadership, women

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leading in general. We have that inner sense of responsibility

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and we are driven by purpose. And I love the podcast.

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I'm like, this is exactly the podcast we need.

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To part of right.

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We work in purpose and that's part of who we are,

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our identity as women. And if there is one thing,

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one thing I would want our listeners to think about

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and start thinking about as we go through this podcast,

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is how can I develop that inner strength in me?

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That deep power I have that is just waiting to

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be awakened and to be understood or to be utilized.

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That is sleeping now. And I think Fanky had the

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same aha moment when we decided to write this book.

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And thank you to Veneicia Gino, the lady who introduced

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us to her excellence I mean of good facing.

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I have to say that then writing that book was

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not deliberate. It was a rather difficult.

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Time for me.

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I had packed up my family, we left Boston and

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the US and we moved to Kenya to do two things.

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I had written an agricultural education policy strategy document during

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my Harvard days with the guidance of professor one of

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my professors who we have lost now and it's still.

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Very very painful to us.

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Callista's Juma was his name, and Callistus encouraged me to

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go back to Kenya. When we went back, we didn't

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anticipate the antagonism that we were going to meet, and

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we got there and so.

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We essentially lost everything.

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And in that moment, I realized that losing that investment

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and we took our four O one k.

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We took everything.

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It set us at a point where we needed to

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understand that this was a paradigm shift. We could not

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use Harvard knowledge, we couldn't use Mit technology. Here we

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have We had come to the land and I had

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to pay respects to the land and its people, understand

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it sculture before we could begin to build.

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We needed to make that social foundation first.

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So then I decided to take my skills and invest

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them in the people. I went to teach, and technically

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I thought for free. While teaching, I met people who

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were entrepreneurs, young starters, restarters of scalers, and.

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They would ask for help.

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They couldn't afford marketing help, but I gave it to them.

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Now at least some of these people would come and

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pay me in yogurt, in kegs of yogurt, in onions,

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in corn, in potatoes, and they were always welcome up

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my home. I had Massie who would bring me fresh milk.

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They'd bring it in the mornings. And I got a community,

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I got people.

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I became a Kenyan.

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It became possible for me to start to build, and

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I began to build around that knowledge when I began

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to teach people. By the time COVID nineteen happened and

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we were all grounded, I had already been teaching online

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for about two years, and in that time I was

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able to gather all of these things into pieces that

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were well. They made sense to me, but they also

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needed to make sense to someone else who would get

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me and whom I needed to complete this, and that

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woman was absent because during that time I was also

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gathering women together and helping them raise funds to keep

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their businesses alive in rural Africa.

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So if you had a.

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Business that was supported by your community, you could come

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on that.

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Platform and we would vote and give you five.

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Hundred dollars, and to many people it was a lot

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of money. So Absa came on and she wowed everyone.

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She didn't just give the five hundred dollars for that session,

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she also gave them knowledge. She took those women onto

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Jedda and she transformed many mindsets. Even today, there are

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women that you know are in our network from that group. Now,

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this brought all of that ideas, those ideas together, and

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so we sat down and I would write and send

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it to Upsa.

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She would fill up and send it back to me.

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I'd be like, oh wow, And then I'd write some

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more and send it back to her and You're like,

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oh yeah, we forgot to put that and they should

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send it back.

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It was such fun to do this work. While we

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were doing it, we were also.

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Having children and at some point moving countries.

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It's taken us three years to get to this point.

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Three excruciatingly painful for both of us in certain ways,

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yet very happy years because this book is like a

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child in and of itself. It's seeing it develop and

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form and be birth and be sin and being appreciate it.

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No, that is so beautiful.

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I'm so grateful to know both of you. Let us

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grab our first break and let our listeners and viewers

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00:22:08.680 --> 00:22:10.680
just let us sink in just really who it is

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that they're keeping company with for this particular almost hour.

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I'm your host, Doctor release Cortez. We've been on area

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with Funke Michaels and also Absa Ning Ningye. There are

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two dynamic women who have been up to all kinds

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of things, and they're decades long careers and are tapping

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into some really amazing knowledge and expertise that we're gonna

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learn more about it as we go along in the show.

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We'll be right back.

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Doctor Elise Cortez is a management consultant specializing in meaning

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and purpose. An inspirational speaker and author, she helps companies

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visioneer for a greater purpose among stakeholders and develop purpose

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00:23:00.960 --> 00:23:05.319
inspired leadership and meaning imfuse cultures that elevate fulfillment, performance,

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and commitment within the workforce. To learn more or to

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00:23:08.480 --> 00:23:11.519
invite Elise to speak to your organization, please visit her

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00:23:11.559 --> 00:23:14.799
at Elisecortes dot com. Let's talk about how to get

417
00:23:14.839 --> 00:23:23.640
your employees working on purpose. This is working on Purpose

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00:23:23.759 --> 00:23:27.000
with doctor Elise Cortes to reach our program today, or

419
00:23:27.039 --> 00:23:29.799
to open a conversation with Elise, send an email to

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00:23:29.880 --> 00:23:35.400
Alise A Lisee at Eliscortes dot com. Now back to

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00:23:35.559 --> 00:23:36.680
working on Purpose.

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00:23:41.519 --> 00:23:43.279
Thanks for stating with us, and welcome back to Working

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on Purpose. I'm your host, doctor Elise Cortes. As I

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00:23:45.839 --> 00:23:48.680
am dedicated to helping create a world where organizations thrive

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00:23:48.720 --> 00:23:51.000
because there are people thrive and they're led by inspirational

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leaders that help them find and contribute their greatness. And

427
00:23:53.759 --> 00:23:55.960
we do business at Betters the World. I keep researching

428
00:23:56.000 --> 00:23:57.839
and writing my own books, so one of my latest

429
00:23:57.920 --> 00:24:01.039
came out. It's called The Great Revitalization, How activating meaning

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00:24:01.039 --> 00:24:03.400
and purpose can radically and live in your business. And

431
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I wrote it to help leaders understand the lay of

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00:24:05.599 --> 00:24:08.799
today's very diverse and discerning workforce. What do they want

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00:24:08.799 --> 00:24:10.519
to need to give you their best and want to

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00:24:10.519 --> 00:24:13.160
stick around? Then I give you twenty two best practices

435
00:24:13.200 --> 00:24:15.799
to fold into your culture to create that for them.

436
00:24:16.200 --> 00:24:18.359
You can find my books on Amazon or my personal

437
00:24:18.400 --> 00:24:21.400
site at least quotes dot com if you're just now

438
00:24:21.480 --> 00:24:24.960
joining us. My guests are Funke, Michaels and Absining. They

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00:24:25.000 --> 00:24:27.880
are the authors of Modern Leadership inspired by mother Nature.

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So on that note, I really want to applaud you

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00:24:31.119 --> 00:24:32.880
as I did just before we got on air together.

442
00:24:33.079 --> 00:24:36.680
Is just I'm so delighted by the unique way that

443
00:24:36.720 --> 00:24:38.880
you've crafted your book and the message in it, and

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00:24:38.920 --> 00:24:43.440
you're celebrating or I'm celebrating with you this idea of learning,

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00:24:43.559 --> 00:24:46.960
learning and leading toward aspirational leadership. And so you provide

446
00:24:46.960 --> 00:24:52.960
an awful lot of different personas, perspectives scenarios in your book,

447
00:24:53.079 --> 00:24:56.839
and then you also situate them around you know, I

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00:24:56.839 --> 00:24:59.319
think it's ten different animals, and then each of your

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chapters and has five key learnings that you can apply

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00:25:02.319 --> 00:25:04.920
to remember and corporate incorporates in your everyday life. It's

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00:25:04.960 --> 00:25:08.200
so it's so clever and so unique. So I just

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want to start by celebrating that where did this idea

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come from? Why would you go about this?

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00:25:14.640 --> 00:25:17.640
I'm a teacher's daughter, Okay, okay.

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This granddaughter, and I was taught things by five because

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00:25:22.960 --> 00:25:27.839
it helped with strategy and with planning ys iver plans.

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00:25:27.839 --> 00:25:31.039
Thanks to a tenure plan, it's easy for a child

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to learn things in fives. And if a child can remember,

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00:25:35.519 --> 00:25:42.119
a grown up can remember. Now, ABSA should take all

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of the credit for the work in that workbook because

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00:25:45.799 --> 00:25:49.079
she's done something similar with Jedda. It was easy for

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her to transfer that skill and distill from everything we've

463
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written together the key lessons and then put them in

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00:25:57.079 --> 00:25:59.960
such a way that for those who've read the book

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00:26:00.039 --> 00:26:02.799
and just you know, read through it, they can take

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the workbook and work through it. So we find ourselves

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00:26:08.319 --> 00:26:13.119
straddling two horses very beautifully. You have the easy read,

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but you also have those who are serious and want

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to do some work with this. For them, that work

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00:26:19.000 --> 00:26:21.480
book is like a strategy template that you can use

471
00:26:21.480 --> 00:26:22.720
to develop your own strategy.

472
00:26:24.119 --> 00:26:26.880
And I think thank you is completely right. It always

473
00:26:26.920 --> 00:26:29.119
helps to come back and see who you were five

474
00:26:29.200 --> 00:26:32.359
years ago. The persons of it all is also to

475
00:26:32.480 --> 00:26:35.440
compile it all. So on the website that you're seeing

476
00:26:36.519 --> 00:26:40.200
on the on the banner here, we've compiled them all

477
00:26:40.440 --> 00:26:42.880
for you to be able after reading the book to

478
00:26:42.880 --> 00:26:45.839
come back again maybe two, three, four, five years time,

479
00:26:46.039 --> 00:26:49.240
ten years time and check the answers you had given

480
00:26:49.359 --> 00:26:52.759
back then and see how you are growing up. Because

481
00:26:53.160 --> 00:26:55.680
at the starting point, I was mentioning the importance of

482
00:26:55.759 --> 00:27:00.160
having that in a conversation with yourself without fear, without question,

483
00:27:00.720 --> 00:27:05.640
without judgment, but just yourself, asking yourself simple questions and

484
00:27:05.680 --> 00:27:09.799
responding to them. And there is that funny thing, and

485
00:27:09.839 --> 00:27:12.480
we'll come to that. When you mentioned the ten person is,

486
00:27:12.880 --> 00:27:14.880
a lady came to me and say, this book is

487
00:27:15.000 --> 00:27:20.000
just transgenerational. I'm like, what do you mean? She said,

488
00:27:20.480 --> 00:27:23.359
I went through the book and I thought I was

489
00:27:23.400 --> 00:27:27.599
done with it. But my daughter, she has three daughters,

490
00:27:27.920 --> 00:27:33.519
came in and started coloring the person. Yeah, and then

491
00:27:33.920 --> 00:27:37.480
the two other daughters started competing, and now they asked

492
00:27:37.559 --> 00:27:40.559
to their mother to explain what the book was about.

493
00:27:40.920 --> 00:27:42.640
Wow, and she is.

494
00:27:42.680 --> 00:27:45.720
Telling me now see me, see me going through the

495
00:27:45.759 --> 00:27:49.119
book and now explaining what the book is to my daughters.

496
00:27:50.680 --> 00:27:56.680
I'm like, wow. I could have ever imagined that this

497
00:27:56.799 --> 00:27:59.839
book could speak to different generations all at the same time.

498
00:28:00.079 --> 00:28:03.359
It comes partially, I guess from the relationship we have

499
00:28:03.480 --> 00:28:10.759
Thankie and I, you won't feel the age difference. But

500
00:28:10.839 --> 00:28:13.640
what you didn't mention is that it's also a call

501
00:28:13.720 --> 00:28:18.920
for sorority because she was my second line manager, and

502
00:28:19.599 --> 00:28:24.920
that's a crazy part part of it. I'm like, well,

503
00:28:25.960 --> 00:28:29.200
we knew each other because she was sitting in South Africa.

504
00:28:29.799 --> 00:28:33.079
I was sitting in Senegal. We were both working for

505
00:28:33.160 --> 00:28:36.000
a Korean company. You'll see which what's the name of

506
00:28:36.039 --> 00:28:41.160
the company. Then now I'm sitting in Victoria, South Africa

507
00:28:41.599 --> 00:28:45.799
and she's sitting in the UK. But two lessons here.

508
00:28:46.039 --> 00:28:49.839
Number one, what it does take from a manager to

509
00:28:49.880 --> 00:28:53.880
recognize the value of people she works with. It's not

510
00:28:54.039 --> 00:28:56.880
very common, so I think it's something commendable that we

511
00:28:56.960 --> 00:29:02.920
need to remind. And the second thing is sorority. It

512
00:29:03.039 --> 00:29:07.839
was not easy to work together. Three she had her

513
00:29:08.200 --> 00:29:10.240
I'm like, Frank, know what you got. We gotta finish

514
00:29:10.319 --> 00:29:14.400
this book. You are going to finish this book. I know,

515
00:29:14.599 --> 00:29:17.319
excuse I don't want to hear anything. You're still born.

516
00:29:17.359 --> 00:29:20.359
I'm still born. I've been in Nigeria. You will finish

517
00:29:20.400 --> 00:29:25.519
this book. And you know there were challenges, you know,

518
00:29:25.839 --> 00:29:30.200
health issues here. When I was promoting the book, I

519
00:29:30.279 --> 00:29:34.119
was heavily pregnant. She was at the hospital. You know,

520
00:29:34.200 --> 00:29:38.799
it was kind of a crazy environment. But I think

521
00:29:38.839 --> 00:29:41.640
it's also important in each of these personals to see

522
00:29:41.680 --> 00:29:45.880
that sorority is also important and humility is important in

523
00:29:45.920 --> 00:29:46.680
the learning past.

524
00:29:48.079 --> 00:29:50.400
Yeah, and what was that you Funke who drove yourself

525
00:29:50.440 --> 00:29:53.519
to the hospital to deliver your child. You're at Harvard,

526
00:29:53.559 --> 00:29:55.720
and you're like, I don't want to disrupt anything, and

527
00:29:55.759 --> 00:29:56.759
I'll destructed anything.

528
00:29:57.039 --> 00:29:57.519
I got this.

529
00:29:57.759 --> 00:29:59.720
You know you're in labor on driving yourself.

530
00:30:00.079 --> 00:30:01.400
Yeah, Okay.

531
00:30:02.200 --> 00:30:05.000
Of twin girls they are now, there'll be eleven in

532
00:30:05.039 --> 00:30:08.079
about a month, and they did read the book actually,

533
00:30:08.599 --> 00:30:13.720
and then we have that conversation because at the age

534
00:30:13.720 --> 00:30:17.000
that they are now, I began my womanhood training, and

535
00:30:17.079 --> 00:30:21.359
I was raised by agreet On, a sage who raised.

536
00:30:21.079 --> 00:30:22.720
Me in five languages.

537
00:30:23.640 --> 00:30:26.839
She was my paternal grandmother and she sat on the

538
00:30:26.880 --> 00:30:31.640
seat of Yaami in her generation. So for many reasons,

539
00:30:32.039 --> 00:30:38.039
we are trained beyond our academic qualifications up sir and eye,

540
00:30:38.400 --> 00:30:42.599
and these things pass on to our children and incidentally

541
00:30:42.720 --> 00:30:45.519
to those around us one way or the other. If

542
00:30:45.559 --> 00:30:48.200
you're friends with me or you're my colleague, you all

543
00:30:48.319 --> 00:30:50.400
find that my culture will touch you one way or

544
00:30:50.400 --> 00:30:51.319
the other beautifully.

545
00:30:53.559 --> 00:30:55.480
This is so stunning. I know I'm never going to

546
00:30:55.599 --> 00:30:57.519
let you to go, but let's do this. Let's take

547
00:30:57.519 --> 00:31:01.359
our last break now, because I want to finish the

548
00:31:01.400 --> 00:31:04.160
conversation by really focusing on just some of the beautiful

549
00:31:04.240 --> 00:31:07.240
gems about what we can learn from the different animals

550
00:31:07.279 --> 00:31:09.480
that you showcase in your book. It's just so beautiful.

551
00:31:09.480 --> 00:31:12.200
So let's grab our last break really quick. I'm doctor

552
00:31:12.200 --> 00:31:16.680
release Cortez. We've been on the air with Michaels and Absining.

553
00:31:17.079 --> 00:31:20.119
We've been talking a bit about just have the richness

554
00:31:20.160 --> 00:31:24.200
of what informs this book's message and their own experiences

555
00:31:24.240 --> 00:31:27.279
and really the idea of we're empowering women. We're helping

556
00:31:27.319 --> 00:31:29.839
to develop a sorority for them to connect into and

557
00:31:29.880 --> 00:31:32.559
grow from and draw strength from. So after the break,

558
00:31:32.640 --> 00:31:35.359
we're going to take you into this very rich experience

559
00:31:35.839 --> 00:31:39.480
of how they have derived key learnings for aspiracial leadership

560
00:31:39.759 --> 00:31:42.200
from the various animals so that they showcase. We'll be

561
00:31:42.279 --> 00:31:42.720
right back.

562
00:31:58.400 --> 00:32:01.960
Doctor Elise Cortez is a man consultants specializing in meaning

563
00:32:02.039 --> 00:32:05.839
and purpose. An inspirational speaker and author. She helps companies

564
00:32:05.920 --> 00:32:09.720
visioneer for greater purpose among stakeholders and develop purpose inspired

565
00:32:09.799 --> 00:32:13.759
leadership and meaning infused cultures that elevate fulfillment, performance, and

566
00:32:13.839 --> 00:32:17.079
commitment within the workforce. To learn more or to invite

567
00:32:17.079 --> 00:32:19.839
a lease to speak to your organization, please visit her

568
00:32:19.880 --> 00:32:23.119
at Elisecortes dot com. Let's talk about how to get

569
00:32:23.160 --> 00:32:31.960
your employees working on Purpose. This is Working on Purpose

570
00:32:32.079 --> 00:32:35.319
with doctor Elise Cortes. To reach our program today or

571
00:32:35.359 --> 00:32:38.119
to open a conversation with Elise, send an email to

572
00:32:38.200 --> 00:32:44.240
Elise Alise at Elisecortes dot com. Now back to Working

573
00:32:44.279 --> 00:32:44.960
on Purpose.

574
00:32:50.839 --> 00:32:52.680
Welcome back to the Working on Purpose program. This is

575
00:32:52.680 --> 00:32:55.359
Atlas Cortez, your host. As you know by now that

576
00:32:55.400 --> 00:32:58.160
this program is dedicated to empowering and inspiring you along

577
00:32:58.240 --> 00:33:00.599
your journey to realize more of your potential. If you

578
00:33:00.599 --> 00:33:02.160
want to learn more about how we can work together

579
00:33:02.319 --> 00:33:05.720
and see into about the Gusto Now Academy, which we've

580
00:33:05.839 --> 00:33:08.480
just now stood up, you can go to gustodesh now

581
00:33:08.720 --> 00:33:11.559
dot com and then go to the training tab to

582
00:33:11.599 --> 00:33:13.519
learn more about the academy and what we're doing there.

583
00:33:14.000 --> 00:33:15.799
If you are just joining us. My guests are fun K,

584
00:33:15.960 --> 00:33:19.759
Michaels and Apsining. They're the authors of Modern Leadership Inspired

585
00:33:19.799 --> 00:33:21.559
by Mother Nature, which is what we're going to talk

586
00:33:21.599 --> 00:33:24.839
about next. So we have to first talk about the

587
00:33:25.440 --> 00:33:29.160
unassuming bee. And I like how you really focus on

588
00:33:29.279 --> 00:33:31.200
what we can learn from bees in terms of their

589
00:33:31.240 --> 00:33:34.240
cooperation which is not competitive, and also the way they

590
00:33:34.319 --> 00:33:34.960
use information.

591
00:33:35.680 --> 00:33:38.759
Yes, absolutely, I believe that.

592
00:33:39.119 --> 00:33:41.039
Sorry, darling, were you going to go ahead?

593
00:33:41.519 --> 00:33:42.519
No? No, no, go ahead.

594
00:33:43.640 --> 00:33:44.680
I believe that my.

595
00:33:44.680 --> 00:33:52.680
First conscious lesson in cooperation came from MIT and Steven

596
00:33:52.799 --> 00:33:54.160
Saka was the name of my.

597
00:33:54.160 --> 00:33:56.279
Director during the soone Fellows program.

598
00:33:57.160 --> 00:34:03.079
Since Stak looked at one hundred plus young, unimaginably smart people.

599
00:34:03.599 --> 00:34:05.319
If you thought you were smart, you got into that

600
00:34:05.359 --> 00:34:10.400
class and you got quiet because these were smart people.

601
00:34:10.679 --> 00:34:13.079
And he said to us, you don't need to prove

602
00:34:13.159 --> 00:34:14.239
anything to anyone.

603
00:34:15.000 --> 00:34:17.519
You're here to learn to cooperate with one another.

604
00:34:18.000 --> 00:34:22.000
So it's not about competition, it's about cooperation because you

605
00:34:22.039 --> 00:34:24.920
cannot influence and affect the world if you do not

606
00:34:24.960 --> 00:34:27.960
cooperate with one another. It doesn't matter how brilliant you are.

607
00:34:28.320 --> 00:34:30.920
If you can't work together, then the world is in trouble.

608
00:34:31.400 --> 00:34:35.440
And so we've taken that. In that analogy, we found

609
00:34:35.480 --> 00:34:41.760
a Bees. They have such similars hierarchy, and everyone knows

610
00:34:42.039 --> 00:34:44.760
what everyone needs to do, and everyone supports the other.

611
00:34:45.119 --> 00:34:47.800
It's what I've I was talking about in this sense

612
00:34:47.840 --> 00:34:49.559
of sorority. Now.

613
00:34:49.599 --> 00:34:54.800
When I was during my Harvard degree a period I

614
00:34:54.880 --> 00:34:56.440
had to decide whether I was going to go to

615
00:34:56.480 --> 00:34:59.760
school or be a mother, and it was not an

616
00:34:59.760 --> 00:35:01.280
easy decision to make.

617
00:35:01.800 --> 00:35:03.719
My husband was working full time.

618
00:35:03.880 --> 00:35:05.480
And I had to go to school full time because

619
00:35:05.519 --> 00:35:08.679
you don't do half classes with Harvard. But my father

620
00:35:08.800 --> 00:35:11.679
came through for us. My dad flew in from Nigeria.

621
00:35:12.239 --> 00:35:13.960
He took care of my son, who at that time

622
00:35:14.039 --> 00:35:16.440
was nine, and he took care of the babies when

623
00:35:16.440 --> 00:35:20.639
they came. So I wasn't just driving to the hospital.

624
00:35:20.960 --> 00:35:24.159
I was driving to the hospital with my father sitting

625
00:35:24.159 --> 00:35:27.760
next to me. At that time, he was in his

626
00:35:27.880 --> 00:35:31.000
mid seventies and he was with me all the way

627
00:35:31.000 --> 00:35:34.360
as I was willed in before my husband arrived. In

628
00:35:34.480 --> 00:35:39.119
that part where my classmates as well, I am talking

629
00:35:39.159 --> 00:35:44.519
about dozens of people who came together and cooked in

630
00:35:44.639 --> 00:35:48.400
their homes as their families, and then brought the food

631
00:35:48.719 --> 00:35:52.400
every single day so that I didn't have to worry

632
00:35:52.440 --> 00:35:55.519
about cooking. In fact, we had friends who would just

633
00:35:55.519 --> 00:35:57.039
call and say, what do you guys feel like for

634
00:35:57.159 --> 00:36:00.920
next week? And that's the kind of support that helped

635
00:36:00.960 --> 00:36:05.199
me to get through a rigorous Harvard degree with three children,

636
00:36:05.519 --> 00:36:09.239
two of whom happened to be premi twins. Because the

637
00:36:09.280 --> 00:36:13.760
twins came prematurely, we had no breaks, We had no holidays.

638
00:36:14.119 --> 00:36:16.440
We took care of our babies, and we were only

639
00:36:16.480 --> 00:36:18.400
able to do it because we lived like a hive.

640
00:36:19.199 --> 00:36:24.519
Our neighbors, our friends, We had caretakers, caregivers everywhere. My

641
00:36:24.559 --> 00:36:26.800
classmates would come to the house and come wash babies

642
00:36:27.000 --> 00:36:28.679
and feed them and do laundry.

643
00:36:29.119 --> 00:36:30.639
It was a beautiful time.

644
00:36:30.960 --> 00:36:35.039
It could only have been that way because we were bees.

645
00:36:35.960 --> 00:36:39.519
No, that's beautiful, is saying. And while going through this chapter,

646
00:36:40.079 --> 00:36:44.880
I think it's important to ask yourself two questions. Who

647
00:36:44.920 --> 00:36:49.840
are you nurturing and who nurtured you? Yeah? As women?

648
00:36:49.920 --> 00:36:52.519
You know, I'm an advocate of women empowerment, but I

649
00:36:52.599 --> 00:36:55.519
need to pay this through. Yeah, most of us women

650
00:36:55.599 --> 00:37:00.639
do not support other women and it's just the brutal

651
00:37:00.679 --> 00:37:02.960
truth and we need to accept it. I do accept

652
00:37:03.000 --> 00:37:06.000
the truth. That's how I get, you know, to perform

653
00:37:06.599 --> 00:37:09.039
and to succeed what I'm doing. And the truth is

654
00:37:09.079 --> 00:37:13.039
that it's not common to see women supporting women. And

655
00:37:13.840 --> 00:37:17.320
after this chapter, the reason why I'm mentioning specifically the

656
00:37:17.440 --> 00:37:22.559
Nana Benz story, I consider them as an icon. Nana

657
00:37:22.639 --> 00:37:28.679
Bents were saleswomen in Toto and they were called bends

658
00:37:28.760 --> 00:37:31.159
because you know, they were driving methods tents and I'm

659
00:37:31.159 --> 00:37:36.079
explaining the whole story. But they did write history in

660
00:37:36.119 --> 00:37:38.320
the sense that they were one of the first women

661
00:37:39.280 --> 00:37:45.679
becoming entrepreneurs in Africa and having that power and that empowerment.

662
00:37:45.679 --> 00:37:50.119
Who are really trying to build a game decades after

663
00:37:50.599 --> 00:37:56.039
you know, their generations has done. And to me, if

664
00:37:56.119 --> 00:38:00.559
after this paragraph, the listener or I'm saying listener, but

665
00:38:00.679 --> 00:38:07.119
the reader is through, identify two or three people they're

666
00:38:07.119 --> 00:38:12.320
supporting and two or three people they've supported, or you know,

667
00:38:12.519 --> 00:38:16.719
mentors and mentors type of relationship, it would be amazing

668
00:38:17.519 --> 00:38:21.079
because we don't take enough time to recognize the ones

669
00:38:21.559 --> 00:38:25.079
who did lift us up, and as women, we need

670
00:38:25.119 --> 00:38:27.920
to identify them and say, oh, you know what, doctor

671
00:38:27.960 --> 00:38:30.800
Allis gave me that opportunity when I need a little more.

672
00:38:33.519 --> 00:38:36.440
And we also need to be able the way funk

673
00:38:36.480 --> 00:38:38.440
you was also selling that story of the women we

674
00:38:38.519 --> 00:38:42.119
support it with five hundred dollars and mentorship to say

675
00:38:42.880 --> 00:38:46.039
I don't remember everyone. To be very honest, you know,

676
00:38:46.159 --> 00:38:49.639
we are thousands and thousands of volunteers and Jeter has

677
00:38:49.639 --> 00:38:52.679
supported such a lot of people starting the age of

678
00:38:52.760 --> 00:38:56.119
eight so that they can grow up with that entrepreneurial mindset.

679
00:38:56.840 --> 00:38:59.679
I can't recognize them all and they can recognize me

680
00:38:59.719 --> 00:39:03.159
when I you know, going out on TV, etc. But

681
00:39:03.239 --> 00:39:10.079
what you keep in mind is this impact the same.

682
00:39:10.320 --> 00:39:15.400
It remains. They'll never ever forget. They will never ever forget.

683
00:39:15.840 --> 00:39:18.159
And if we're able to have that ripple effect, And

684
00:39:18.199 --> 00:39:21.400
that's why we're talking about the hive and how structured

685
00:39:21.440 --> 00:39:24.800
the hive is, how structure is that I'm not competing

686
00:39:24.880 --> 00:39:27.480
with you. You're good at what you're doing. I am

687
00:39:27.519 --> 00:39:30.360
your first supporter, but recognize that I'm also good in

688
00:39:30.400 --> 00:39:32.480
what I'm doing, and support me when I need you.

689
00:39:32.920 --> 00:39:35.039
So that's the type of message we want to drive

690
00:39:35.079 --> 00:39:38.519
in this in this spetific paragraph, I.

691
00:39:38.440 --> 00:39:43.559
Think one thing, sorry Elise, and just quickly odd. One

692
00:39:43.840 --> 00:39:47.559
thing that we've noticed is that people, because we speak

693
00:39:47.599 --> 00:39:52.599
as women and we address a primarily feminine audience, people

694
00:39:52.639 --> 00:39:55.800
assume that we're speaking only to women, but we're not.

695
00:39:56.480 --> 00:39:58.679
The truth is I am who I am because I

696
00:39:58.679 --> 00:40:01.840
am my father's daughter. This is how he raised me

697
00:40:01.920 --> 00:40:04.000
to be. And it's the same thing with Upset because

698
00:40:04.000 --> 00:40:06.559
I know her story. In spite of the fact that

699
00:40:06.559 --> 00:40:12.119
we're from matrilineal families and from very strong matrachial communities.

700
00:40:13.079 --> 00:40:14.920
We are our father's daughters.

701
00:40:15.440 --> 00:40:19.440
It takes a man to stand behind a young woman

702
00:40:19.840 --> 00:40:23.159
and say this one, let's go. I'm right behind you,

703
00:40:23.239 --> 00:40:26.719
and she'll have that confidence. So I ask people, don't

704
00:40:26.760 --> 00:40:29.639
wait until it's your daughter. It could be your knees,

705
00:40:29.679 --> 00:40:31.559
it could be the girl next door, it could be

706
00:40:31.880 --> 00:40:34.880
you know, someone at church, someone at school. Give a

707
00:40:35.000 --> 00:40:38.079
girl some steal in her spine, she'll not forget it,

708
00:40:38.239 --> 00:40:39.480
and you'll be helping the world.

709
00:40:40.920 --> 00:40:43.719
Yeah, and that's why we start with bees and we

710
00:40:43.840 --> 00:40:48.800
slightly move to the next animal. That's the end. Amazing animal.

711
00:40:49.679 --> 00:40:52.840
Well, I learned so much about nature, and I revere

712
00:40:53.039 --> 00:40:54.639
nature too, But just a couple of things about the

713
00:40:54.760 --> 00:40:57.079
end that I thought were interesting. Just I love that

714
00:40:57.119 --> 00:41:00.280
the message in there that you are not too small,

715
00:41:00.920 --> 00:41:03.360
and that ants can carry things on their head and

716
00:41:03.400 --> 00:41:06.920
they can carry four times their weight. It just all

717
00:41:07.000 --> 00:41:09.440
kinds of amazing things that you think about this little

718
00:41:09.480 --> 00:41:11.960
humble ant can do. So let's hear a bit about

719
00:41:11.960 --> 00:41:13.159
what we can learn from the ant.

720
00:41:14.920 --> 00:41:17.079
I think for me the biggest thing is the sharing,

721
00:41:17.639 --> 00:41:22.840
the fact that I can regorgitate of my knowledge, of

722
00:41:22.920 --> 00:41:28.559
my financial power, of my counsel good advice, the benefits

723
00:41:28.599 --> 00:41:31.119
and harvests of my education, and I can share those

724
00:41:31.119 --> 00:41:35.559
with my sisters now, because often say this to women

725
00:41:35.599 --> 00:41:38.599
that I meet, Because people like myself have walked through

726
00:41:38.639 --> 00:41:41.119
those like Mit and Harvard, the rest of you who

727
00:41:41.159 --> 00:41:44.920
are home can also walk through. So we have come

728
00:41:45.039 --> 00:41:47.800
with all that we've learned. Because Alsa has walked in

729
00:41:47.840 --> 00:41:49.840
all of these places and learned from all these places

730
00:41:50.039 --> 00:41:53.599
and gained all of this knowledge. Those who come behind

731
00:41:53.920 --> 00:41:55.559
also have it because she does.

732
00:41:56.440 --> 00:41:58.840
If we are the ants that we're supposed to be,

733
00:41:59.679 --> 00:42:00.519
then what I.

734
00:42:00.480 --> 00:42:03.639
Have learned is what you have learned. It should then

735
00:42:03.719 --> 00:42:09.880
benefit us. It should be a quantum benefit to all

736
00:42:09.920 --> 00:42:10.480
of us.

737
00:42:10.360 --> 00:42:14.719
Who are within this ecosystem.

738
00:42:14.760 --> 00:42:18.159
And really two lessons here, really echoing what Funky has

739
00:42:18.239 --> 00:42:21.920
just said. You're not too small means don't let people

740
00:42:22.000 --> 00:42:24.920
to judge you based on what you look like physically

741
00:42:25.320 --> 00:42:30.239
or what you think or there is no ridiculous idea.

742
00:42:30.400 --> 00:42:35.679
I'm into innovation, and what I learned first was there

743
00:42:35.719 --> 00:42:39.440
is no good or bad idea. There are just ideas

744
00:42:39.480 --> 00:42:43.519
that you can turn into something amazing or into impact.

745
00:42:43.760 --> 00:42:47.440
That's one. So don't worry about how you're seeing. You

746
00:42:47.679 --> 00:42:50.480
are as great as you see yourself when you look

747
00:42:50.519 --> 00:42:53.280
at yourself in the mirror, you're not too small. And

748
00:42:53.320 --> 00:42:58.480
the second lesson when we started with the bees, we

749
00:42:59.480 --> 00:43:02.800
did put an emphasis on the importance of identifying who

750
00:43:02.880 --> 00:43:05.800
is doing what the structure, who is in charge of what,

751
00:43:06.119 --> 00:43:10.239
who is good at what? Who is wake up what? Here?

752
00:43:11.360 --> 00:43:14.800
The lesson is to measure the weight of the burdens

753
00:43:15.559 --> 00:43:19.079
from it yourself to carry, so that you know what

754
00:43:19.599 --> 00:43:21.880
this one can take. You remember the support system with

755
00:43:21.960 --> 00:43:25.639
my mother, I know what she can carry. We can't

756
00:43:25.800 --> 00:43:31.920
carry hearing, you know, guns around her daughter. So I

757
00:43:32.000 --> 00:43:34.360
was like, let me handle that part that I know

758
00:43:34.480 --> 00:43:37.320
I can still keep on my shoulders and let me

759
00:43:37.400 --> 00:43:39.559
ask her to do the rest, meaning to remind me

760
00:43:40.159 --> 00:43:43.880
of why I am in this journey, to keep cheerleading me.

761
00:43:45.039 --> 00:43:48.119
It's important. We carry too much on our shoulders and

762
00:43:48.159 --> 00:43:50.760
we tend to forget to find a leading hand or

763
00:43:50.800 --> 00:43:54.639
someone who can really support us.

764
00:43:54.679 --> 00:43:56.960
So so powerful ladies, and we of course there is

765
00:43:57.039 --> 00:43:59.320
ten different animals that you showcased, and we only talked

766
00:43:59.320 --> 00:44:03.000
about two. I would love I have to talk about

767
00:44:03.039 --> 00:44:05.280
octopus and if we have time, owls a bit about

768
00:44:05.280 --> 00:44:07.519
each because those are two animals that I just really

769
00:44:07.559 --> 00:44:09.960
really revere. Which one would you like to talk about?

770
00:44:10.039 --> 00:44:11.880
Owls are octopus, I'll take the owl.

771
00:44:11.880 --> 00:44:14.880
I'll let also take the octopus again, because she has

772
00:44:14.920 --> 00:44:17.880
the three hearts of the octopus, and I have the.

773
00:44:17.880 --> 00:44:22.440
Sight of the owl. Okay, Now, the owl is my

774
00:44:22.599 --> 00:44:25.400
favorite of all of this because from.

775
00:44:26.679 --> 00:44:31.079
Times before us, the owl has been revered as a

776
00:44:31.119 --> 00:44:36.079
symbol of wisdom, of foresight, of knowledge beyond the ordinary,

777
00:44:36.599 --> 00:44:39.639
of ability to you know, swivel that neck and see

778
00:44:39.679 --> 00:44:43.079
all around you. And these are gifts that Mother Nature

779
00:44:43.119 --> 00:44:46.159
made to the owl for a particular reason. Because the

780
00:44:46.239 --> 00:44:50.360
owl straddles both the day and the night. This is

781
00:44:50.400 --> 00:44:55.280
the character that I see wherever I might find myself,

782
00:44:55.960 --> 00:44:58.320
whether it's a bright, sunny meadow or it's in the

783
00:44:58.400 --> 00:45:01.639
dark of the valley. I need to understand that my

784
00:45:01.880 --> 00:45:05.679
site allows me to see beyond where I'm at and

785
00:45:06.039 --> 00:45:09.199
zero in on what I want to achieve, and achieve

786
00:45:09.239 --> 00:45:10.639
it by focusing on it.

787
00:45:11.400 --> 00:45:13.119
Now, what do I do differently?

788
00:45:13.639 --> 00:45:18.920
I surround myself without like people, people who can also see,

789
00:45:19.119 --> 00:45:21.440
and who can tap in when they don't see what

790
00:45:21.480 --> 00:45:24.320
they see that I see. They can tap into my

791
00:45:24.480 --> 00:45:27.920
side and get to see what I'm looking at now.

792
00:45:28.159 --> 00:45:29.239
I believe that the.

793
00:45:29.159 --> 00:45:33.199
Perfect example is when I first met Absa, she didn't

794
00:45:33.199 --> 00:45:34.599
know what kind of person I was going to end

795
00:45:34.679 --> 00:45:38.280
up being, but I knew the kind of person she

796
00:45:38.400 --> 00:45:40.480
was gonna end up being because I could see the

797
00:45:40.519 --> 00:45:43.800
beginning of that amazing person. And today I feel I've

798
00:45:43.840 --> 00:45:46.920
been proven right everything I've seen and watched her do.

799
00:45:46.960 --> 00:45:49.679
And I've watched her over the years, sometimes in her face,

800
00:45:50.000 --> 00:45:51.400
telling her you need to do this, you need to

801
00:45:51.400 --> 00:45:53.079
finish this, you need to sign up for this, and

802
00:45:53.119 --> 00:45:56.960
sometimes just behind just you know, chilling, and sometimes I'm

803
00:45:56.960 --> 00:45:59.000
the predictor. I say to her, this is going to

804
00:45:59.039 --> 00:46:03.440
happen to you, and she's amazed because.

805
00:46:03.199 --> 00:46:03.840
It does happen.

806
00:46:04.639 --> 00:46:08.000
Now, I need people like that around me who can

807
00:46:08.079 --> 00:46:11.199
key into my dream and into whose dreams I can

808
00:46:11.239 --> 00:46:11.960
also key in.

809
00:46:12.599 --> 00:46:14.360
And this is where it comes.

810
00:46:15.000 --> 00:46:19.800
It becomes from inside of one to the outside of all.

811
00:46:19.840 --> 00:46:23.679
I'll let her take the octopus from there, perfect and.

812
00:46:23.639 --> 00:46:26.280
We've got maybe two minutes max. Maybe it's a mine

813
00:46:26.280 --> 00:46:26.719
and a half.

814
00:46:26.840 --> 00:46:29.800
Yes, perfect. Now. The only is my is my best

815
00:46:29.800 --> 00:46:33.400
friend's favorite animal. I've never understood that. And I got

816
00:46:33.400 --> 00:46:35.760
to love the old things To thank you but she's

817
00:46:35.800 --> 00:46:39.679
completely right, you know, with octopuses, I wanted to explain

818
00:46:39.800 --> 00:46:43.280
how we as women were very unique in our way

819
00:46:43.320 --> 00:46:48.280
of feeling things. Octopusons have three herds. So sometimes we

820
00:46:48.400 --> 00:46:51.400
love something, sometimes we down't, sometimes we hate it. We're

821
00:46:51.400 --> 00:46:54.760
not easy to understand. But that's what is the beauty

822
00:46:54.880 --> 00:46:59.280
of us being as a whole, with our nine brains

823
00:46:59.320 --> 00:47:04.880
as octopus. Very important point here is really to learn

824
00:47:05.159 --> 00:47:09.920
to understand your emotional intelligence. The whole paragraph is about

825
00:47:10.000 --> 00:47:14.400
emotional intelligence. And I had someone phoning me today and saying,

826
00:47:14.440 --> 00:47:18.079
you know this Octopus's chapter, you know that paragraph. I

827
00:47:18.199 --> 00:47:21.320
just I went through it and I really again and

828
00:47:21.360 --> 00:47:23.360
I went back and read. I'm like, I asked you

829
00:47:23.400 --> 00:47:26.239
three weeks ago, you were still at this octopus. What's wrong?

830
00:47:27.000 --> 00:47:30.000
And she said, whenever I'm reading it, I'm having a

831
00:47:30.039 --> 00:47:32.760
post it and I'm explaining a story of me doing

832
00:47:32.800 --> 00:47:35.800
something I didn't understand, and now I understand why I'm

833
00:47:35.840 --> 00:47:41.840
doing it. I'm just an octopus. I'm like, okay. So

834
00:47:42.280 --> 00:47:45.760
the beauty of it is also to understand that emotional

835
00:47:45.800 --> 00:47:49.480
intelligence doesn't happen overnight. You need to call the experts.

836
00:47:49.519 --> 00:47:51.679
You need to call people like you know and I

837
00:47:51.679 --> 00:47:56.800
love what you do with Gusto. Now, doctor Alian, that's

838
00:47:56.840 --> 00:48:01.159
exactly that's how do you pick within the personalities that

839
00:48:01.199 --> 00:48:05.519
you have, what's to strengthen, what to develop, how to

840
00:48:05.880 --> 00:48:09.679
level up the strength that you have and you know,

841
00:48:10.159 --> 00:48:13.679
evolve into a community. But also as a human being,

842
00:48:13.679 --> 00:48:17.239
it's important that you know what you want, what you

843
00:48:17.280 --> 00:48:21.159
want to do in your career, and that starts now.

844
00:48:21.320 --> 00:48:24.960
And it's important that you start nurturing that emotional intelligence.

845
00:48:26.400 --> 00:48:28.519
This is so beautiful, ladies. I could go on and on.

846
00:48:28.960 --> 00:48:31.039
Let's do this. Let's let each of you just close

847
00:48:31.079 --> 00:48:32.760
with a little something that you just want to share

848
00:48:32.800 --> 00:48:36.760
or say. In about fifteen twenty seconds, ooh.

849
00:48:36.079 --> 00:48:36.400
Thank you.

850
00:48:37.360 --> 00:48:41.719
Right, this is a class I teach. For me, life

851
00:48:41.840 --> 00:48:46.320
is about legacies. It's about the stories that reached into

852
00:48:46.360 --> 00:48:49.320
me and got me where I am today, and the

853
00:48:49.360 --> 00:48:51.639
stories that come from within me and will get other

854
00:48:51.679 --> 00:48:55.480
people to where they're going tomorrow. I believe that for

855
00:48:55.559 --> 00:48:58.440
each one of us, especially those who actually pick up

856
00:48:58.440 --> 00:49:01.440
this book and read it, we will realize that we're

857
00:49:01.440 --> 00:49:04.159
on a journey, and this journey is the most giventful

858
00:49:04.159 --> 00:49:06.000
one that we could ever be on. It's a journey

859
00:49:06.039 --> 00:49:08.199
of life. And Mother Nature is giving it to us.

860
00:49:09.159 --> 00:49:10.079
That's my little piece.

861
00:49:10.559 --> 00:49:14.480
Beautiful, beautiful. Now I plead them with three verbs, really

862
00:49:14.599 --> 00:49:23.920
three simple verbs. Align, Adapt, amplify, Align with yourself, adapt

863
00:49:24.000 --> 00:49:27.920
with the ecoses steps, and amplify your impact so that

864
00:49:28.039 --> 00:49:32.000
it's a ripple effect. It's just not you, it's so many, many,

865
00:49:32.039 --> 00:49:33.519
many other people around you.

866
00:49:34.679 --> 00:49:37.760
Oh Asa. It is such a complete delight to know

867
00:49:37.880 --> 00:49:40.119
both of you. Two have been inspired by you, to

868
00:49:40.159 --> 00:49:42.480
be educated by you. I thank you so much for

869
00:49:42.519 --> 00:49:44.559
coming out, working in purpose and sharing who you are

870
00:49:44.559 --> 00:49:47.199
and what you've learned over your decades of life. It

871
00:49:47.280 --> 00:49:48.679
is an honor to know you both.

872
00:49:48.719 --> 00:49:52.400
Thank you, honor, and thank you for having us.

873
00:49:53.280 --> 00:49:55.559
For sure, listeners and viewers, you are going to want

874
00:49:55.599 --> 00:49:58.719
to learn more about fun Ke, Michaels and Absa Ning

875
00:49:59.000 --> 00:50:01.960
they and their book Modern Leadership Inspired by Mother Nature.

876
00:50:02.480 --> 00:50:04.440
Just to start, just to get acquainted, I want you

877
00:50:04.519 --> 00:50:08.880
to go to their website. It's Women Wisdom Nature dot com.

878
00:50:09.159 --> 00:50:12.119
Women Wisdom Nature dot com. You can find both of

879
00:50:12.159 --> 00:50:15.519
them on LinkedIn as well, so check them out. Last

880
00:50:15.559 --> 00:50:17.360
week you've missed the live show, you can always catch

881
00:50:17.360 --> 00:50:20.000
it be a recorded podcast wherever you get yours. We

882
00:50:20.000 --> 00:50:22.920
were on air with Rich Fernandez and Carolina Lasso talking

883
00:50:23.000 --> 00:50:26.559
about their book Purpose Reset, How connecting to what matters

884
00:50:26.840 --> 00:50:30.880
Most drives fulfillment and performance. We talked about how individuals, teams,

885
00:50:30.880 --> 00:50:34.280
and organizations benefit from a purpose Reset to align what

886
00:50:34.320 --> 00:50:36.320
they are good at, why they do it, and who

887
00:50:36.360 --> 00:50:38.840
they wish to impact. Next week will be on air

888
00:50:38.840 --> 00:50:42.320
with Wendy Liptendibner talking about her book What Matters Most

889
00:50:42.559 --> 00:50:46.840
How leaders build impassioned engagement, unrivaled loyalty, and boundless growth

890
00:50:46.840 --> 00:50:49.840
by measuring real world impact. In other words, her message

891
00:50:49.840 --> 00:50:52.840
and book are about enabling leaders to help individual team

892
00:50:52.840 --> 00:50:55.559
members see the through line of their performance and contribution

893
00:50:55.920 --> 00:50:58.679
to what really matters to them. See you, then, remember

894
00:50:58.719 --> 00:51:00.639
work is one of the best adventure and means of

895
00:51:00.679 --> 00:51:03.639
realizing our potential and making the impact we crave and

896
00:51:03.719 --> 00:51:06.320
give us to new business and that betters the world.

897
00:51:07.119 --> 00:51:08.559
So let's work on Purpose.

898
00:51:11.760 --> 00:51:14.400
We hope you've enjoyed this week's program. Be sure to

899
00:51:14.440 --> 00:51:17.480
tune into Working on Purpose featuring your host, doctor Elise

900
00:51:17.559 --> 00:51:21.440
Cortes each week on W four CY. Together we'll create

901
00:51:21.480 --> 00:51:25.599
a world where business operates conscientiously. Leadership inspires and passion,

902
00:51:25.639 --> 00:51:28.719
performance and employees are fulfilled in work that provides the

903
00:51:28.760 --> 00:51:32.079
meaning and purpose. They crave see you there. Let's work

904
00:51:32.199 --> 00:51:32.880
on purpose.