[00:00:00] Hello, and welcome back to talent management truths. I'm your host, Lisa Mitchell. And in today's solo episode, I'm taking you behind the scenes here at green apple consulting. This is a bit of a sneak peek into our world and the work that we do. So I'm going to answer some questions that people ask me when I'm first getting to know them.
[00:02:14] So there are questions. What exactly do you do again? And who are you? Who do you work with? What's it like to be an entrepreneur after all that time in the corporate world. And would you ever go back, you know, how big is your team and so on? So all these different little questions I thought, you know what, I'm just gonna put it out there and share a little bit about me.
[00:02:34] You may not know. You know, it seems like good timing on top of it to talk about my business and my team given that this month I'm recording in June, 2022, actually on the last day I'm celebrating the birth of green apple consulting Inc. Five years ago, you know, and I think about it and it's, that's wow.
[00:02:51] Five years of, of business, five years of learning, five years of transformation and, With something that I call five years of this strange entrepreneurial mix of heady freedom and intense vulnerabilities. So some of you may have been entrepreneurs before most of you are working in, in organizations, but you may kind of connect to that, that last description.
[00:03:13] it's not that I work more or less than I did when I was in corporate. It, it just feels different. It's a little scarier, but for different reasons you don't always know where that next paycheck is coming from. So you're always trying to manage that flow. and yet I have this different kind of flexibility, particularly around my time, which is really important to me.
[00:03:33] Again, I don't work less hours necessarily, but I do work very differently and I'll, and I'll touch on that a little bit today. . So let me attempt to answer some of these, these questions that I mentioned earlier. So I'm gonna start with an easy one. Who am I? And I know many of you personally, that may be listening today, but firstly, I'm a mom to my teen son, Patrick.
[00:03:54] I'm a partner to my wonderful husband, Rob. I'm a proud dog mom to our senior puppy, Jessie she's 12 and a friend to some really amazing people who I love very much in my life. Secondly, I'm the CEO of green apple consulting. That's what we're gonna focus on mainly today. But thirdly, some of you may not know that I'm also a real estate investor.
[00:04:17] We own several rental properties that we take exceedingly good care of. And we treat our at tenants very, very well. We property manage ourselves I'm a stock options trader and I'm also reason. Director of communications from my neighborhood association. So what can I say? I like lots of variety, lots of stuff going on.
[00:04:34] it's quite quite a ride some days. So how did I end up being a business owner? Because I'll tell you it wasn't something I ever set out to do or wanted to do. I started out as a, as a teacher, some of you know that and you know, after 25 years in corporate always in leadership roles, I decided it was time to leave five years.
[00:04:54] And I just, at the time, I, I was really unhappy. I was feeling bored. The, you know, it's not anybody's fault necessarily. It's it's the business was in a different place from when I had first come in when it was kind of cart blush, and I was able to build everything teams, programs, the whole kit and caboodle.
[00:05:12] And I'm just, I'm not a status quo kind of person. I need variety. I need change. I need autonomy and flexibility. So, you know, I was also at a point in my career where it felt. gee, I, Hmm. I wonder if people might actually recognize me and, and the expertise that I, that I bring after so many years.
[00:05:31] And so that's how I wound up here. And, and in 2017, when I started out, it was all a really vague idea. And now clearly that idea has more shape and substance. initially I, I was kind of a facilitator for hire. And I did some consulting work. I did a lot of design and development for leadership development courses for other people, for other training firms and a little bit on my own.
[00:05:52] But during that time I was studying to become a certified coach. And, and so it worked for me, you know, and I focused on networking, but now here I am and, and. And I've got many things in place. And I'll, I'll tell you a little bit about those. sometimes when I think about my life today, it feels like a, a dream, a beautiful dream because I get to design my own days and weeks, and I, I take six weeks vacation and I know some of you're sort of maybe gulped or don't believe me or.
[00:06:21] Maybe feel jealous, but that's part of what this is all about. I work really, really hard the rest of the time so that I can have that time off and come back refueled. I work only with amazing clients. I get to decide who I work with and, and I choose not to work with, with people that aren't going to hold up their under the bargain and, do the work.
[00:06:42] As we say, in, in coaching and consulting, That's a real freedom that I enjoy. I focus on work that gives me energy versus drains it, and that's become more and more apparent as I I've hired people into my team to take on stuff that, that doesn't give me energy. I also. Something that's really important to me was able to escape the meetings, meetings, meetings, treadmill.
[00:07:04] Now this is something that I I'm a little sensitive about bringing it up because I know a lot of you listening are on that treadmill right now. my heart goes out to you. I know it's, it's tough when you feel like you, you're not quite in control of your own time. if that's the way you're feeling, I would offer.
[00:07:20] Even if you stay, there's still ways to start to gain some control back over that it may seem hopeless and it isn't necessarily, it's just when you're in that, that overwhelm and that swirl of, of meetings and, and feeling so time crunched, it can be hard to see any kind of possibility, but I can tell you that I've worked with many clients where we did get them there.
[00:07:42] so I've talked about some of the things that make. Being a business owner, being an entrepreneur great. In my particular situation. But I will tell you, I don't want you to think that it's all, rainbows and unicorns, as they say, sometimes it feels like a scary nightmare, not a beautiful dream.
[00:07:57] For example, back in March, 2020, when the world shut down, you know, I lost. Thousands tens of thousands of dollars in booked facilitation revenue in one day, one single day, everything got canceled all the way through to the end of September. Cuz organizations were immediately going, wow, okay. We're going home for a while.
[00:08:16] Who knew it would be two plus years? another time that it was really scary was my, my dad got sick and, and he lived with me and. Took care of him. And, and I had to take two months off to deal with that. And then he passed away and then I had to take another two months pretty much fully to deal with his estate and just, just the grief.
[00:08:34] And that put the breaks on. Revenue and business development, but it didn't stop my expenses. Those were still going. so that was a, a frightening thing. So I managed to get through it, but in the end, it's a blend really of ups and downs and a combination of these kind of dreams and nightmares.
[00:08:52] But I wouldn't change anything about the journey. I've really, I've fallen on my face a few times and I've also said sort above those clouds, you know, I've really learned a lot. About myself, about business, about people. And I think I've, I've contributed to helping make the world a better place in terms of the work I do.
[00:09:12] And, and, and I'm not trying to be braggy or less than humble. I just, the work that I do helps other people be better in their life and at work. And that makes me feel. So would I ever go back to corporate? Well, I would say it's unlikely, but never say never. I love what I've built and the flexibility I enjoy.
[00:09:32] And if, and when that changes, I reserve the right to head right back into corporate life. So another question that I get asked is why do I focus on talent management leaders specifically? And well, essentially it's because I get you cuz I was you and I, I believe that you're really unique because I I've often said.
[00:09:56] that talent leaders find themselves in a, in a kind of strange spot in organizations you're in that sticky organizational middle, and you're often the shoemaker's children where you're supporting everybody else and sending them to training and setting up coaching rosters. And, and you may not be getting the learning, the support, the mentoring that you really want and need.
[00:10:17] And you do need and deserve support and a thought partner. The other thing that I think, see it getting in, in talent leaders way is they're often seen as the resident expert or they were hired in as the resident expert. And so they either aren't giving themselves permission to go get that support.
[00:10:35] or others feel that they shouldn't need it. Right. So, so there can be this feeling of needing to figure it all out yourself. So that interests me. That intrigues me. I feel like that's not fair. And so I wanna do something about it. So that's another reason why I focus on people. Like you. the other thing too, and this is really, really critical.
[00:10:54] And I, and I really want you to tune into this piece. You, as, as a talent management, HR OD learning people, leader, you are multipliers. So it's this idea of when you're supported, then all of those people, those hundreds, thousands of people that are depending on you for support.
[00:11:14] Oh my goodness. When you are properly set up for success, then you can help them be at their best. So this is a huge domino effect and a multiplication sort of exponential effect. So I figure let's let's, you know, take it one step further when I support talent leaders, their better positioned to.
[00:11:34] The many, so all of this impacts on organizational wellbeing, engagement productivity, diversity, equity, inclusion, all of those things. So it makes me, makes me feel good because at this point in my life and career, having a purpose in my work is more important than ever before. And I know many, if not, most of you are resonating with that, right.
[00:11:59] So seeing all of that potential with talent leaders really informed my mission, my company's mission, which is to transform the working lives of 10 million north American professionals by unlocking the potential of talent management leaders. So, I'm very proud of that, that statement. It took me a while to, to kind of get there, to nail it down and now it really, really makes sense for me.
[00:12:22] So let's move on to another question. So who is on my team? You know, am I all by myself? Behind the microphone, in my little home office? Well, a lot of the time I am and when I first started out, I was everybody on the team. I did it all. And That's kind of tough when you've been used to managing big teams and, you, you had people who were expert in different things, but over those five years it's changed.
[00:12:46] So I've evolved. My company's evolved. So now I, I get to work with some really stellar people who are experts and I'm not all alone. So I have my, my virtual assistant, Colleen who's F fabulous. she does things. schedule my social media and newsletters. She books and supports podcast guests and updates my website and keeps things running.
[00:13:06] I have my podcast producers Emily and Kelly. Fantastic. My business coach, Sheila Cummins, who I adore. My accounting team. I have my accountability partner, Olivia, and you know, then there's some very talented coaches and facilitators that I collaborate with when, when I need to, to skill it for bigger projects either, you know, for their companies or for my own.
[00:13:28] speaking about projects and, and, and, you know, the work that I do for clients, what is it that I do exactly? There's that, that question I get asked by people, especially when I, when I tell them about talent management, a lot of people outside of our, domain, they don't. They don't really know what that means, even HR or learning or employee experience.
[00:13:47] So it's sort of mysterious for a lot of people that aren't in it. so let me dig into what I do. So don't worry, by the way, , I'm not going to get into detail about my property management duties or my chief lawn dress duties. And you know, that kind of thing. I'm just gonna focus on what I do here at green apple consulting.
[00:14:04] So in a nutshell, I'm a thought partner and I'm a champion for talent management. And the companies you serve. So there's several ways that I do that. So for one, I provide a podcast, so thought leadership content for you to enjoy and learn from. You're listening to it right now, talent management truth.
[00:14:24] So it's for, and by talent leaders. And it's where we get to dig into the different learnings, different challenges and best practices in our space across industry. And you know, I, I started that back in October, 2021, and we're now almost to 45 epi episodes and wow. It's, it's one of my favorite things to do in my business.
[00:14:46] I get to have these incredible conversations with. now I also offer free monthly talent talks, and this is where you can come and meet and chat meaningfully. Okay. Not just sort of awkward network chat at a conference, but you can chat meaningfully with like-minded peers around relevant and essential topics.
[00:15:05] And they're one hour they're they're they're quick in the morning they fly there's breakouts and large group discussion. And. People love them. So really, really thrilled with with how those are going. I also offer private one on one and group coaching. my specialty is really focusing on clarity and, and results.
[00:15:25] I figure, you know, there's no point going into a coaching engagement. If you are not. Looking for results. So I really help clients get clarity around their goals, how they're gonna measure those goals and stay accountable to them over, over time. Now, one thing I should note too, is, is my private coaching.
[00:15:43] I don't work solely with talent management leaders. So I, I will tell you that because part of supporting those leaders is supporting their organizations. So I'm supporting sales leaders, marketing, you know, CEOs people in operations customer service all over the place. I'm not niche down in that particular area because a good coach is gonna help.
[00:16:03] Doesn't have to be an expert in a particular area. They have to know how to help their client be the expert and tap into their own resourcefulness. All right. Moving on. So in terms of thought partner work. So again, outside of our space, I find some people are kind of like, what does that mean? Well, it simply means I'm not trying to be.
[00:16:24] The expert where I'm, you know, giving all the solutions. I certainly bring a whole lot of those with me, but it's this idea of working elbow to elbow with a client who could be a leader at any level, really in, in the talent management space who needs help on a one time project, for instance, like a five year strategic talent plan.
[00:16:44] So over time, you know, we, we work together. You know, a half day or a few, two hour blocks. And, and we work through that. We puzzle through it together and I bring my tools and I help my client tap into what they need and figure out their next steps. I also do thought partner work on a more sort of fractional talent consultant basis so that that's often.
[00:17:06] You know, six months or a year. So this might be where it's a compliment to an existing team where there's perhaps not enough need yet or enough budget to support a full-time seasoned expert on staff. So, that kind of looks like a combination of half day or full day strategy days, you know, regular coaching mentoring could have team facilitations for, for an overall talent or learning or HR team.
[00:17:28] I really enjoy that kind of work. I design and facilitate leadership and communication development programs. So I really specialize in, the art of the diff difficult conversation or what I call the clear and kind conversation. So I help people figure out how to navigate those.
[00:17:43] Strategic thinking is another area that I love. I also use a wonderful assessment. Some of you are familiar with it either. You know, I use it with all my private client coaching, but it's called true tilt. And I use that for, for self and for team awareness in workshops. So it helps people create greater agility, really around how they wanna show up and have better impact.
[00:18:06] So it helps them align their intent with their impact. It's a really powerful tool now, you know, my favorite part of the, of my business. And this is one that you. Took me a while to work towards and, and develop. But I have group programs. So there's, there's two you reframed and the talent trust so quickly.
[00:18:25] You reframed the difference here is you reframed is more of a, quicker, faster paced intensive. It's not ultra fast paced, but it, it moves at a weekly pace over six weeks. With small group discussions, it's truly coaching. It's not mentoring or advising, and it focuses on clarity and personal and professional goals.
[00:18:45] So this one you reframed is really meant to kickstart your ability to reframe to self coach and to learn what you can control through reflection and intentionality. It's a really powerful reset. It also comes with two private coaching calls. You can check that out on the website, if you're interested.
[00:19:01] The next cohort is starting in September. Then there's the talent trust, which is. It, it's, it's a bit of a different animal, so it's a six month program and it can continue. People can re-enroll for another six months. So it's six months to a year. And it's a coach-like approach to peer learning, sharing, and mentoring.
[00:19:20] So it really leverages the power of the group. As well as giving you access to me, almost like a, a talent consultant on speed dial through that six month period. So, so we meet as a group every two weeks, and then there's also three private coaching sessions. So every other month, approximately where you work with me to get detailed.
[00:19:42] Laser focus on your initiatives and where you're getting stuck and what you need to work through. And you can always tune into episode 24 of this podcast. It's called the number one challenge for talent leaders. If you are interested in the talent trust, it gets into a little bit more detail on what that program entails.
[00:19:59] the final question that that I get asked often is what does a typical day look like for you? Because, you know, people, people like to. Visualize, I think, you know, what is that person doing all day? Is she just sitting there recording podcasts nonstop? And the answer is no . So the typical day really depends.
[00:20:17] I'm very, very intentional in how I plan and design my days and weeks. So for instance, Mondays are design or planning and, and business development days. So I, I do have two meetings. I meet with my accountability partner and friend and with my virtual assistant briefly, but that. then Tuesday through Thursday are really power days.
[00:20:38] I'm facilitating the talent trust or you reframed, or maybe I'm leading a leadership workshop for a client. I'm coaching clients on zoom. I am recording podcasts and I'm chatting to leaders who are, are curious, have reached out, are looking for support and they wanna explore how I might help them Friday.
[00:20:57] I love Fridays, they're kind of a catch up day. So I might have a meeting or two in the morning. But afternoons are for quiet catch up either for green apple stuff or personal things that I wanna get done. So, you know, you can see that there's a framework, but it's very flexible, which is how I like it.
[00:21:12] Weekends are for me and my family and my friends. I rarely do any work on the weekends. And that's a real shift after. 25 years of regularly doing weekend stuff, but now it's there. The, those are recharging time. My job is to recharge on Saturday and Sunday. So there you have it. Questions asked and questions answered, sneak peek complete.
[00:21:33] if you're curious about how I might help you live into your true potential, let's talk. you can go to my website, green apple consulting.ca. Click on contact and then you can book a clarity catalyst call now, please know, there is no cost and there is no obligation. You know, this is just a conversation between professionals.
[00:21:52] I'll help you get clarity around what's going on for you, what you're needing to accomplish. I really add value in these calls. They're not just empty calls or heavy duty sales pitches at all. I listen really actively deeply, and I work in collaboration with you to figure out how we might work best together.
[00:22:14] All right. Thank you so much for being here today for listening. I want to wish you a beautiful rest of your day and take care.
