2022 Interview Recap 2

Biggest 2022 Podcast Takeaways Pt. 2

In this three-episode series Julie breaks down her biggest takeaways from each interview she did in 2022 for this podcast.

Here is part two of a three-episode series where I break down my biggest takeaways from each 2022 interview. Julie has had some great guests on the show this year and she will reflect on her biggest takeaway from each.

Hey there, this is Julie Bee, and you’re listening to They Don’t Teach THIS in Business School. Happy New Year! I’m so glad to kick off 2023 with you tuning into this episode. Thanks for being here today. In part two of this three-part series, I’ll continue to reflect on the interviews from last year and the impact they continue to have on me.  

This group of interviews had a lot of overarching themes that were helpful, so let’s get into it. 

When I interviewed Jenny Moates, she said something very powerful that has stuck with me. Jenny said that – “Being in community with others is about being of value to others.” We often talk about having a community, but I think there’s a distinction between having a community and being a part of one. Jenny hit the nail on the head when she said being in community with others is about bringing value to the table. 

This year, I’m more focused on being in community than having one – if that makes sense. There’s a balance to find there, and I think I’m still in search of it. But I’m focused on being of value to others this year. 

In Trish Saemann’s interview, she really highlighted for me the magic that happens when two people are willing to be vulnerable in conversation with each other. Her interview is full of nuggets of wisdom, but the overall theme there was vulnerability. Trish is an open book, and being that way has helped her navigate quite a lot in business. The stories she shares, like her burnout story where her right arm didn’t work for 2 and a half years, or how to get comfortable with discomfort, are worth listening to again. But overall – take away the significance and value of vulnerability when you listen to that interview. 

Moving onto Sergio Castello’s interview, I learned how to always be curious and teach others to be curious, as well. Sergio is the Dean of Wingate University’s business school, so he was especially fun to have on a show called They Don’t Teach This in Business School. But the main theme I took away from his interview was having a high level of curiosity – about what’s possible – not just for yourself, but for those you lead. Curiosity is often stifled by stress, burnout, and life in general, but I think we all – especially business owners – need space to be curious. This year, I’m going to continue my practice of planned thinking time. But instead of trying to solve a problem during that time, I’m working on being more curious about the problem in the first place. 

When I interviewed Mercedes Austin, she said something that succinctly summarized about 20 of my solo episodes over the years. She said that, “Being clear and direct with your team is caring for them.” I talk a lot about how compassionate leadership includes clarity, feedback, and constructive criticism. In 2023, I’m going to work on being clear and direct. One of our core values is clarity – and I need to strive for that a bit more myself. 

And finally, from Jim Young’s episode, I learned just  how hard high-achievers try to avoid being labeled as burned out. We discussed this in depth, but what I’m taking into this year is that being burned out does not mean you failed, or that you are a failure. It means there are stressors and challenges, often from expectations and assumptions, that need to be untangled and sorted out so that you can move on and leave burnout behind. In 2023, I’m going to focus on spreading this message specifically – that burnout does not mean you’ve failed. 

And that’s it for the second, 2022 wrap-up episode of three. Stay tuned next week for the final installment, as I finish my learnings from 2022’s guests and look forward to this year!

I’m Julie Bee, and They Don’t Teach THIS in Business School