Design Yourself

The idea of doing something on purpose carries with it a feeling of positive authority. I've chosen it. I've selected this option. It's mine. But how do you actually figure out what your purpose is? That answer is often elusive. In this week's episode, Sharon offers perspective and a framework to help you navigate your own path forward. On purpose. Learn how to figure out what matters most to you and a simple way to make thoughtful decisions to align with your values. This is a great episode for anyone trying to figure out how to move through the world with a feeling of, "yes, I chose this." "Here's my perspective. Your reason for existing will likely shapeshift over time. That's okay."   Ideas Shared 5 Steps to Clarify Your Purpose Check In With Your Current Awareness Notice What Others Want Your Purpose to Be Observe How Your Actions Indicate What's Important (or not) Let Go of Unnecessary Move with Your Purpose

Radical self awareness is worth chasing. It is through expanding what we see that we expand our sense of what's possible. In today's episode, Sharon shares a simple and powerful practice to help you do just that: be the observer of your actions. Gain clarity on how to step back from being in the action to seeing yourself in the doing. Learn how to notice patterns and expand your perspective on you in action. And finally get some tools to help you interpret the data you are collecting. This is a great episode for anyone who has been feeling like they need to grow in their leadership capacity, but are unsure about how to make a change. It's also great for anyone who is curious about pushing their own boundaries on what's possible. Enjoy!   Ideas Shared How to Be The Observer of Your Actions Stop and Step Back (See More) Step above the fray Disrupt your habits Partner with an accountability partner Breathe and other simple pauses Notice Patterns and Insights (See Deeply) Pace Story Questions vs. Statements Wh

Happy Valentine's Day! And welcome to Design Yourself's new release day, Thursday! (If you are wondering why we moved from Mondays to Thursdays, go check out last week's episode where I dish on this shift.) This week's episode talks about two seemingly distinct topics: love and leadership. How many times have you considered the role of love at work? For many of us the topic is taboo. In today's episode, Sharon talks about the importance of leading with love. She shares vignettes of how she has seen leaders and teams transform with this approach and offers four key actions on how you can lead with love. She closes things out with a short meditation to get you in the practice of growing and embodying love. Enjoy! Ideas Shared 4 Actions to Lead with Love Radical Self Awareness - Start by noticing what emotion shows up when you lead. Are you calm or anxious? Delighted or frustrated? Angry or sad? Simply notice without judgement what emotion/s show up when you lead. Set an Intention - Whether love is already pres

We've talked on the podcast many times before about story - specifically that we are all writing our own stories every single day, usually unconsciously. The stories we tell impact how we lead at work and at home. Today we are going to zoom in on a particular story we tell that often massively influences our willingness to take risks, value our worth and grow our businesses or bank accounts - yes, my friends, we are talking about our Money Stories. In today's episode Sharon discusses the impact that our money stories have on us and offers a series of reflection questions to empower you to see the story you are currently telling, adapt what's not working and make sure your Money Story is working for you.

This week’s episode is a little like grabbing coffee with an old friend. Sharon shares her word of the year – simplify! – and all the ways she’s holding this theme. How can she simplify her building/renovation project upstate? How can she simplify and slow down life at home? How can she help her clients simplify their approach to leadership? How can she simplify her own approach to scaling Point Road Studios. She also talks about why she stopped setting annual resolutions or intentions or words of the year in the past and why she felt called back to this practice in 2019. You’ll also learn about how her Design Myself Experiment in 2018 has turned into a monthly intention setting practice. This is a great episode for anyone looking for simple structures to bring more joy and intention into the way you lead your life. It’s also a good one for anyone wondering what Sharon’s been up to lately. Enjoy!

As of publishing this episode, the US partial government shutdown is into its fifth week. If you or someone you know is expectedly out of work, this episode for you. While the inspiration for the 4 tips shared are the many individuals who are effected by the shutdown, these are lessons gleaned from coaching many individuals through various interruptions from work-as-planned. Sometimes the interruption is undesired, like a layoff or a furlough. Other times the interruption was sought after, like a sabbatical or a pause between jobs. No matter how you landed in a space without work, this episode walks you through 4 ideas for how to shape your time off.

In 2018, Sharon conducted a little experiment - Design Myself. The Design Yourself method that she'd honed through personal reflection and lessons learned through her executive coaching work had taught her how to support individuals and organizations to get really clear on what they want and then move towards making that vision come to life. She'd podcasted for nearly 100 episodes on the topic to boot. But it had been awhile since she went inward and really asked herself those same questions. Thus Design Myself was born. She took a simple approach with big, BIG results. Tune in to today's episode to hear what Sharon learned and to consider what might serve you as you move towards your own dream, wishes and ambitions.   Ideas Shared 5 Top Lessons from Design Myself Experiment Strike the balance for this season between structure and flexibility Focus on self first and the rest will follow Strengths Can Get In Our Way Magic is real Habits change with our assessments (e.g., beliefs, judgements, stories) Monthly

It’s the last day of 2018 and a perfect time to take stock. What has 2018 brought you and what are you really wishing for in the coming year. In this week’s episode Sharon shares common new year strategies (e.g. word of the year, intention setting, resolution making) and pairs those ideas up with whimsical and dreamy approaches to unleashing your own inner wisdom and vision. What do you really want in 2019? Let’s dive in!

December is a month filled with family traditions for so many of us. Hopefully these traditions are experiences that you enjoy and that are aligned with what matters most to you! But don’t worry if that’s not the case. For many of us our traditions carry with them a weight that can be downright burdensome. It’s what we’ve always done and therefore we keep on doing it – without really thinking about it. In this week’s episode, Sharon looks closely at family traditions. (And yes we mean family in whatever way YOU define that community of loved ones around you.) What’s working for you? What’s missing? What’s getting in your way and how can you adapt or let go? Here’s to embracing what you love about your traditions and changing what you don’t. Life holds too much delight and wonder to carry anything less. Ideas Shared Steps to Re-energize your Family Traditions Take stock of the traditions you are holding. What’s working? What’s missing? What’s holding you back? Include all the important people in your traditio

It’s the end of the year and the holiday season is in full effect. Today Sharon shares 10 questions designed to help inspire you to move through the holidays with intention and choice. Explore your own answers and hear Sharon’s personal reflections for each of these inquiries. Learn about everything from how slowing down is shifting Sharon's approach to the holidays to why she chose to post the podcast "late" this week. Get inspired to create happy new memories and celebrate old traditions! From Sharon and the whole team at Point Road Studios, we are wishing you a peaceful and joy-filled holiday season.

Point Road Studios is the business Sharon founded back in 2012. It is a coaching and leadership development business that focuses is on helping businesses and creatives bring intention and choice into their work and lives. As Point Road celebrates it's 6th birthday this month, Sharon reflects on the key business lessons she's learned over the last year. She also offers up simple questions for your own personal reflection as you crest over important milestones fo your own. This is a great episode for anyone curious about a behind the scenes look into running a business. It's also great for anyone looking for some inspiration to learn from your own leadership experiences.

December is here! It's both inevitable and always a little surprising. This week on the podcast Sharon introduces the final theme of her 2018 Design Myself challenge, Slow. This challenge has been all about finding a way to both achieve results AND feel good at the same time. You'll learn what appeals to Sharon about a slower pace of life, leadership and general way of being (pssst - it's because it's a good counter to her natural fast moving tendencies). Sharon discusses the connection between living slowly and leading slowly - how slow leadership, zero waste and mindfulness all intersect. You'll hear the four ways that Sharon's embracing slow in an intentional way this month and prompts for you to reflect on what pace will serve you right now - and how you will choose it. This is a great episode for anyone looking to find some balance and joy this holiday season. What's important to you in this season? Love the podcast? Join the conversation! Don’t miss out on this free webinar series, Design Your Work. 

To speak with ease, authenticity and full command of your personal power and beliefs. This is what it looks like to own your voice. In this week’s podcast episode Sharon discusses how to overcome common pitfalls and step into the practice of discovering and owning your voice. From deepening your own self awareness to tapping into someone else’s perspective to clarifying what you want and more. This is a great episode for anyone who wants to speak up and out in a way that feels perfectly you. Love the podcast? Join the conversation! Don’t miss out on this free webinar series, Design Your Work.  Ideas Shared 5 Steps to Practice Owning Your Voice Start By Noticing Get Another Perspective Be Clear on What You Want to Say Welcome in All the Feelings Keep Going + Keep Growing Resources and Links What Do You Want Me to Say by the Dismemberment Plan A vision meditation from episode 5 of Design Yourself

We are all writing our stories every day - but how many of us are conscious of it? I'm a hard worker. (Story.) I'm a rules follower. (Story.) It is what it is. (Story.) There is nothing stopping you. (Story.) In this week's episode Sharon shines a light on our unique roles as storytellers. She discusses the importance of getting clear on our stories so that we can let go of what's holding us back and amplify what's working. She shares questions for reflection and framing to guide you through this process. This is a great episode for anyone who is looking to clarify what matters most and feel a sense of alignment between what was, what could be and what is right now.

May you each be filled with gratitude and peace as we move into the end of year holiday season. In today’s episode, Sharon shares 10 questions to inspire you to step into the Thanksgiving season (and beyond!) in an intentional way. She also offers up her own personal reflections for each question, just as she did in the original Let Us Give Thanks episodes (episodes 22 and 70). In additional to having space for your own reflections, you will also learn about the power of repetition and sitting with one thing over an extended period of time (whether a question, a physical practice or an idea). This is a great episode for anyone who is looking to reset before the holidays, who is curious to know more about what Sharon is up to or who is game for some personal reflection.   Ideas Shared 10 Questions to Get into the Thanksgiving Spirit As you reflect upon the 2018 year, consider… What makes you happy? What have you overcome this past year? What are you most proud of professionally and personally? Consider someth

Love the podcast? Join the conversation! Don’t miss out on this free webinar series, Design Your Work.  * This week on the podcast Sharon dishes about lessons learned throughout this year’s Design Myself approach where she sets a theme each month. She also shares why she chose “savor” as the theme for November. No it’s not just because delicious Thanksgiving awaits those of us in the US at the end of this month. It’s also because she sees the benefit and power of delighting in each present moment. She shares three ways that she’s thinking about savoring this month and invites you to do the same. This is a great episode for anyone looking for support in getting centered and appreciating what’s right here right now. It’s also fun for anyone curious to hear a behind the scenes look at what Sharon is up to these days. Ideas Shared 3 Ways to Savor the Month Slow Down Be Present Appreciate Resources and Links “Mindful” by Mary Oliver Catch up on each monthly theme for 2018: January – Rituals; February – Focus; 

Love the podcast? Join the conversation! Don't miss out on this free webinar series, Design Your Work.  This week’s show reflects on what it means to lead with purpose and alignment. Sharon discusses the differences between creative and reactive leadership borrowing from a favorite 360 tool (The Leadership Circle Profile). She also notices the pull to the proactive vs. reactive framing and why she prefers the creative/reactive interplay. We then get into how to tell and own your own story before moving into reflection on a) reactive tendencies to be aware of and b) reflection questions to help you amplify your own creative leadership. This a a great episode for anyone looking to lead with authenticity and impact. Ideas Shared 5 Questions to Reflect on your Creative Leadership What does my creative leadership look like? When I am at my best how am I showing up?What is my purpose? What are my values? How do I take actions aligned with my values, purpose and talents? When I'm leading with authenticity/integrity

This week Sharon talks about the power of compassion and love - for ourselves, our colleagues and our communities. Inspired by a recent gathering of colleagues focused on compassionate coaching, Sharon shares her reflections from the day. Hear about the importance of beginning this process with yourself, ways to play with shifting the mood of your team and how love can positively shift the workplace conversations you are having. This is a great episode for anyone needing a healthy dose or positivity. It's also spot on for anyone looking to spark cultural change.

This week Sharon shares why her October Design Myself theme is “Care.” You’ll hear about the importance of taking care of what needs attention, pausing for self care and how you can still scratch your Type A itch by bringing an active approach to caring. Learning about the seasonal connection Sharon attaches to this theme now that autumn is in full effect in upstate New York, the place she’s felt most stuck through her recent relocation and the reason she likes to “do care” more than be cared for. Finally she shares a simple reflection exercise to prompt your own thinking about how to bring more care into your life and work.  “A transition necessarily means you are going from one thing to another…the trick is to not get hung up on what was and really appreciate what it.” Ideas Shared There are 3 buckets of care that Sharon explores this month… Take Care Focus on what needs doing. For Sharon this includes, preparing her temporary quarters (cottage in the woods) for winter, clearing the dead wood on her prop