Mixtapes were the love language of my youth. I’d spend entire afternoons sifting through albums that sat beneath the turntable in our living room, scattering plastic tape cases across my bed so I could pick just the right song to add to the playlist I was curating in my mind. I’d spend what seemed like hours fast-forwarding and rewinding those tapes to just the right position between songs so I could successfully transfer my target song from one tape to another with perfect timing. I’d sit with anticipation as I pressed “record-play” buttons on the tape recorder and sit to listen to the song play out- knowing I was one cut closer to completing my mixtape.
I’d make them for my best friends, for my crushes, and when someone made one for me? Whoa, it was a big deal. A love letter in audio form.
All the songs I’d select were ones that meant something to me, that captured a feeling or a lesson about life or had a lyric that expressed something special. It was meant to capture something I wanted to say or to share. I wanted my mixtapes to have an impact.
A MIXTAPE FOR 2024
Making a mixtape is no longer a full day's commitment. Instead, it’s light work assembling a playlist. But the short time it takes doesn’t make it less meaningful.
I’m here to help you get where you want to go by leading with who you are. It’s not always easy- to do it “your way”. So I’ve assembled this little mixtape (ahem, playlist) of the best podcast episodes from our Podcast, Lead With Who You Are, to help you lead with who you are in 2024 and beyond.
Some of these episodes are “How To’s” and others are folks sharing their journeys in ways that give credit to their experience. I hope you’ll find this list helpful as you go to speak powerfully in your leadership and life.
“And Then Moments” with Taylor Doe: Nobody does it alone. This episode gives recognition and credit to the folks who have helped us get where we are and where we’re going. We bust the “self made man” myth and remove the shame of getting help from others.
“Friendship” with Shasta Nelson: This one was so good we re-released it. While we are hyper connected, we are also lonely. In this episode Shasta shares a model for making and deepening friendships. It’s simple and actionable and will help you build the connection you need to do the hard things and not feel alone while you do.
“Spark Innovation” with Carla Johnson: You don’t just need ideas; you need a way to pitch them with your powerful voice. In this episode Carla shares her perpetual innovation model and my favorite part? Carla live coaches me on the show so you get to see first-hand how her pitch framework works.
“The Platform Map Part 1 and 2” with me, Dia Bondi: How do you find your voice and lead with it? With the Platform Map- a four-part framework for developing a leadership voice you can use to have more impact. These two episodes will get you thinking about your voice as a leadership tool, not an information transaction tool. Why? So, you can align and activate people, teams and cultures in a way that is uniquely YOU.
LISTEN HERE for Part 1 and LISTEN HERE for Part 2
“Ask Like an Auctioneer” with me, Dia Bondi: When you ask like an Auctioneer, you can ask for more and get it. Listen in on this 30 min virtual talk I gave and in it you’ll quickly understand how you can ask for more this year.
“Look back, look forward” with me, Dia Bondi and our Producer Baby A: It’s important, at any point along your journey, to stop and take a look back and a look forward. We get too caught up in the challenges of the everyday, we can lose touch with how far we’ve come and what we want next. In this episode you’ll hear us look back and forward and get a prompt you can use to do your own reflecting so you can continue to lead with who you are.
Or listen on Spotify HERE
Find more resources to develop your voice on our resources page HERE.
