Sales, Leadership and Life Lessons From the Tea With Rich Podcast
Top takeaways from our first year of episodes
Happy first anniversary to the Tea With Rich podcast! TJ and I have made it through 23 episodes, and trust me, we’re just hitting our stride. Tune in so you don’t miss out on any of the fun! True story, here’s a real comment that we received on our very first episode:
“What an authentic dialog... The spicy TJ and calm Rich create a contrast, synthetic energy. Love the authenticity. You two made the commerce agency a better world.”
It’s been such a blast to engage in these wide-ranging conversations with a co-host and friend that I know so well. I love that we keep things light and let the discussion go wherever it needs to with our guests. As TJ likes to say, we “get real” and keep it real. We’ve also had some amazing guests who have opened up to us, which we’re grateful for.
It’s funny how many of life’s biggest lessons are super simple at their core. We’re all smart enough to know what they are and what they mean. The difficult part is actually living them out.
While reflecting on our episodes and the hours of conversations we’ve had, I had the idea to pull out some of the top ones. Well, that list got pretty long pretty quickly, but I did my best to keep it to five of the top takeaways to aid others in their work and life journey. Enjoy!
Takeaway 1: Invest in people
This comes from our most recent episode on November 4th with Michael Janiak, although I’m sure I’ve said it a handful of times before as well. You empower others when you share knowledge, support, and time. Be present and curious, ask questions, and listen to others’ needs and wants. When a leader helps others build confidence, gain new skills, and achieve their personal goals, guess what? It benefits the overall business. I believe in karma and that what goes around comes around. But also, it just feels darn good to help others.
Takeaway 2: Lead with purpose
Our guest Marko Bon stressed the importance of being an intentional leader. Have a plan for developing and growing your employees. Build a culture that values communication, development, and camaraderie. Do what you say you’re going to do. The small details matter because they create the bigger picture. Transformational leadership means caring about and for others. Leading with purpose is a powerful thing and will impact others more than you can even imagine.
Takeaway 3: Ask for and get support
Our discussion with Rob Garf stemmed from having a professional purpose and drive. Do not be too naive or proud to ask for what you need. There is no reason to go at something alone. Even after I had built a successful company, I continued to pursue coaching to help me improve as a leader. A big part of my desire to coach others is to prevent them from making the mistakes I did, so they can get to where they want to go faster. Whatever your goal is, find resources and people who can jumpstart your journey. Reach out to others for help, connections, etc., and then pay it back when you can.
Takeaway 4: Level up your Social-Emotional Intelligence
I truly believe that SEI is a game-changer in life, and our guest Dylan Runne agreed as we got into the impact it has on building relationships, specifically from a mentorship point of view. As the world gets more complex and more digital every single day, those who have developed high SEI will be able to cut through the technology and meet people where they are as humans. Also, understanding yourself better is key to understanding others. Do the work to get to know who you are and what your unique gifts are. Embrace and be aware of your feelings in all situations because otherwise they can leak out and create unanticipated results..
Takeaway 5: Take care of yourself
This is a conversation TJ and I have often on various episodes because it's always relevant. Whether you call it grinding, hustling, striving (my preference), or something else, it will take its toll on you. It’s great to have that drive and work your tail off—but make sure to balance that out with self-care. If we don’t take care of ourselves, how can we expect to show up and be our best for others? Self care has nothing to do with being vain or superficial; it’s a necessity for wellbeing. Practice proper physical, mental, and emotional health to keep your battery charged. And overall, be kind to yourself.
Take action now!
The Tea With Rich podcast is such a perfect example of everything I’ve learned throughout my career. I was nervous about whether I’d have enough time, energy, insights, etc., but I’m so grateful to TJ for asking me to take on this project with him. All of a sudden, you look back and see a year of great work to show for the effort, and hopefully, many people have been positively impacted by it.
There will always be voices in your head making excuses not to do something, even if it’s something you have a legitimate interest in doing. As always, just take action and go from there. One step at a time. No judgement, no pressure. I truly believe all good things in life come from taking action!
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