UpSkill Talks

The UpSkill Community recently had a fireside chat with Colleen Stewart, who discussed the importance of storytelling to branding. Colleen, the founder of Perfect Pitch Consulting, is now an effective storyteller. However,  she remembers a moment where a prospective customer fell asleep during one of her presentations. That experience is what led her to her current role. When we try to sell a prod...

During our discussion with Peter Wilken we touched on the idea that you do not own your brand. Your brand is shaped by other's perceptions of you. As we continue our discussion on branding, we want to explore how you can gather the feedback that will be useful to uncovering your brand and its reputation. This will require identifying the right people to receive feedback from and putting our e...

In this episode we wrap up our discussion with branding expert Peter Wilken. Wilken takes us through the main qualities of distinctive brands and how brands come to dominate a territory in the mind of their consumers. Wilken shares the five components of what he calls the "brand blueprint." We also examine three reasons why brands fail. Hopefully this episode can also help you tweak your...

In this episode of UpSkill Talks branding expert Peter Wilken continues the discussion on branding.  As Wilken said in the previous episode, branding is often overcomplicated by the people who control the information. Peter delves more into the idea of "Who owns your brand?" As Jeff Bezos says, "Your brand is what people say about you when you're not in the room." Wilken m...

For the first episode of season two, we dive into a discussion of branding. We often hear the terms "brand" and "branding," but how many of us can really explain it?  We know it relates to self-marketing, but we might not view it as relevant for us if we don't own a business or if we're not a public figure. As Jeff Bezos says, ""Your brand is what other peop...

This episode marks the end of Season One of Upskill Talks, and Michel uses it to share her gratitude with loyal listeners for helping the podcast grow so much over this past year. The community has been a key part of Upskill Talks, especially the highly-requested discussion of Imposter Syndrome. To our followers, thank you for stepping out of your comfort zone with us and exploring new ways of loo...

In the final episode of our discussion of imposter syndrome, we focus on how imposter syndrome affects branding. For those suffering with imposter syndrome, the concept of branding, or even self-marketing, can be intimidating. Michel personally knows industry leaders with decades of experience who are hesitant to publicly post their thoughts on forums such as LinkedIn. Sometimes there may be a pro...

In this episode we bring up three key things that can help you to reduce your imposter syndrome: Mentoring others, career clarity, running your own race. Mentoring others helps to reinforce your own knowledge and demonstrate to yourself that you have expertise and value.  Mentoring does not need to be done in a formal role, where you have a job title or expectations to lead others. You can mentor...

In the third part of our discussion about imposter syndrome, we  explore its connection to organizational structures, power, influence, vulnerability and collaboration. Hierarchical structures in our workplaces or academic environments can often leave those who aren't at the top feeling powerless. As an employee we don't want to challenge the manager. As a student we don't want to c...

In part two of the Upskill imposter conversation, Michel, Cadeem, Diana and Tiffany focus on the concept of psychological safety.  The concept was developed by Amy Edmondson and the Upskill group focuses on how it can help people feel more secure in their workplaces. When psychological safety is present,  people feel safe to take the interpersonal risk of presenting their ideas and seeking clarifi...

In this episode, Michel invites you to join the conversation she is having with fellow UpSkillers on imposter syndrome.  It's a frank conversation with leaders sharing personal stories on how imposter syndrome impacts them, how it's showing up in their lives and their feelings about it.  In addition, they share openly about how our their work environments are fostering the feeling of imp...

In this episode Michel discusses the ways in which the imposture actually gets in the way of our progress without us even realizing it. There are specific consequences imposture syndrome can have on our lives, such as making us feel like we are unworthy of having more in our lives: promotions, better relationships etc. You stay in your comfort zone because you doubt that you will succeed, or that...

Seven out of 10 people experience imposter syndrome at some point. Additionally,  25% to 35% of high achievers also struggle with it.  You are not alone in your journey to rid yourself of imposter syndrome.  At its core, imposter syndrome is only a way of thinking. But it is very important way of thinking that can affect our well-being, and our success.  To defeat imposter syndrome we must form a...

Whether you are a student or a seasoned professional, you likely have a skill. Not just a skill, but an area of expertise that you can help teach others.  When we have imposter syndrome, we don't acknowledge these areas. We can receive compliments and plaudits but we will always try to downplay them.  Phrases like "It's not that big a deal," or "Anyone could do it" mi...

Susan Albert of the Cleveland clinic defines imposter syndrome as the feeling that everyone else knows exactly what they're doing, but you feel lost. Whether you are a student, recent graduate or experienced professional, imposter syndrome can affect your perception of yourself and your abilities.  Imposter syndrome may not show itself in every area of your life. It may only be among friends,...

According to psychology today, "people who struggle with imposter syndrome, believe that they are undeserving of their achievements. They feel that they aren't as competent or intelligent as others might think. They think people will discover the truth about them and this truth will be the opposite of what the people actually believe. Those with imposter syndrome are often well accomplis...

People have values. Organizations have values. We have to be mindful of the values of our organizations. And likewise or organizations need to be mindful of the values of its people.  In this episode, Michel tells a story of horses on a farm who avoided the electric fence. As the horses approached the fence, they began to feel the energy and so they avoid the fence because they don't want to...

Whatever you think, say, decide or do in life is based on your values. Values are the things we believe deeply. They affect how we live and work with others, how we treat others and how we allow ourselves to be treated by others. They impact the quality of leader that we can ever be and the quality of outcomes we will be able to get from our people.  In the episode, Michel provides clear steps to...

Michel encourages leaders to be mindful when communicating, particularly because of the power positions you hold that sometimes your intent and your impact are not the same.  Intent is how you think or feel and impact is how your words, decisions, actions, make others feel. We are not communicating to blank slates and the processor that the other person uses is shaded by their own experiences, by...

You are the part in partner. You are part of something bigger than yourself. Part of a team, an organization, part of a community, part of something much bigger. And so when you recognize yourself as part, then you understand the importance of partner in because you do not complete the puzzle. In this episode, Michel shares that as a leader you're going to be held accountable to create, to cu...

Communication Rule #1: Communicate with others they way they want to be communicated with. You wouldn't communicate with a child the same way you communicate with an interviewer. You should not communicate with everybody the same way.  In this episode Michel shares that your capacity to communicate is often seen as an indicator of ability, intelligence, competence, confidence. It's one o...

The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place, according to George Bernard Shaw. In this episode, Michel shares that sometimes you think you've communicated your point, but the message has not been received or understood, the meaning has not been transferred because what you said is not what was received. Communication requires us to exchange information...

The ground shifted! It shifted for you, for me, for all of us.  People became more aware of some of the social issues, mental health, social justice, wellbeing, care community, a sense of belonging, more awareness of the importance of those at work. More awakenness about the inequities around us. Different attitudes, emerged about all of the things that became more clear. People began to hold us m...

In this episode, Michel discusses five lessons that loss can teach us about how to lead. She shares that last July, she lost her mom to stage four cancer. In December, she lost her aunt in law to stage four cancer and then in May she lost another aunt in law to stage four cancer.  Just three of the painful losses she chose to highlight. This episode could be entitled how cancer took so much from h...

In this episode Michel encourages us to run our own race, walk our own path and pursue our own journey. She shares the story of a pregnant elephant and a dog to highlight why we shouldn’t compare our journey with others. This episode is jammed packed with tips and motivation to helps us run our own race including these: Define the race you run based on who you are, don’t compete with anyone else M...