Design Yourself

We are half way through 2017, which makes now the ideal time to check in on how things are going and get focused for the second half of the year. In this week’s episode, Sharon offers up 9 questions to reflect on how your year is going and shares what’s she been noticing about her own New Year’s resolution to “let rest.” This episode is perfect for anyone who is ready for a quick time out to reflect and refresh before moving through the second half of the year. It’s also a good fit for anyone who wants to know how to reboot because circumstances have changed and call for a new approach. This is exactly where Sharon finds herself and you will hear where she is struggling and how she is changing things up.  IDEAS SHARED Questions to inspire your New Year’s Check In What was your new year’s resolution (or theme/intention)? What inspired this resolution in the first place? How has this resolution shown up in your life so far? How’s it been going? What have you learned from your resolution? What’s different today

It’s easy to get caught up in what we are doing, isn’t it? This week’s episode is designed to help you lift out of the daily grind and celebrate your “champagne moment” successes. Whether finally hitting send on a big proposal, getting great feedback from a colleague or client, or finally seeing that passion project come to life, it’s important to carve out time to celebrate. These celebrations can take many different shapes and sizes. The tips offered in today’s show are designed to help you integrate celebrations into your way of doing business and living your life. Because taking time to appreciate and bask in what we have done is a critical step in keeping on doing. This week’s episode is perfect for anyone looking for new ideas about how to high five what’s going well and even for figuring out how to identify these milestones in the first place.  Here I am with one of my nearest and dearests, Kate, who always reminds me to kick back and celebrate! Don’t forget to join the giveaway celebration this week

Today we close out Season One of Design Yourself with the celebration of the podcast's 50th episode! Leadership Coach Sue McLeod joins host Sharon to reflect on what she's learned after her first year of podcasting and to model a process for evaluating progress. Whether you are wondering how your own passion project is going or are ready to take stock on a work initiative, this week's show offers questions to help you see how you are doing. This is also a great show for anyone interested in what it takes to start and stick with a podcast and learn what happens behind the scenes at Design Yourself.  “For Sharon there’s there’s this and – as opposed to an or – that guides her life.” – Sue McLeod “I do not hold myself up as THE model…but I do feel like having the specifics of what’s real for someone makes the feedback or tools or advice more tangible.” – Sharon Lipovsky “A lot of my leadership is just living my life and sharing that with people.” – Sue McLeod Resources and Links Here’s the Vision Action Plan

If you’ve ever wondered how you can make not just a living, but a life, this week’s episode is for you. Nate Shearer is a thoughtful, funny guy who doesn’t let work define him. His pursuit of play has led him to race bikes professionally, learn the welding trade, explore skate and surf culture, move out to the country and then return to the city - and the list goes on. He is also one of Washington, D.C.’s great hair stylists; he apprenticed under the world-renowned Orlando Pita. Tune in for inspiration on how to follow your passion and let the magic of curiosity unfold.  “My primary focus in life is mostly, for lack of a better word, playing; I’ve always gravitated towards jobs that I could just take off whenever I wanted, jobs I didn’t take home with me.” – Nate Shearer “I feel like I work best when it’s approached like a collaboration.” – Nate Shearer “That’s how you should try to form your life. You should just do these passion projects. If you are passionate enough about it and you just keep doing it, th

Facing the Monday Blues? Feeling antsy at the idea of taking a vacation for fear of all that work that will pile up while you are way? This week’s episode is for you. Drawing from what she has learned from re-entering her work routine after maternity leave, host Sharon explores what you can do before, during and after a “break” to making getting back into work as seamless as possible. Learn about how to get yourself (and your team) organized, techniques for limiting your priorities like the kanban method and why optimizing your schedule for time isn’t the most effective approach. Taking time away is as critical for the health of our businesses as it is for our own sanity. Here’s to setting ourselves up to do it in a way that works.  IDEAS SHARED Tips for Getting Back to Work Before You Go Capture everything that you are tracking for when you return Delegate what you don’t need to do While You Are Away Allow yourself to really be away when you are away Create meaningful vacation boundaries for yourself Whe

Ever wonder who makes our pretty and original cover art each week? It’s today’s guest, the designer and printer behind the Cincinnati-based studio Cryptogram, Jon Flannery. Jon shares with our Design Yourself community what motivates him in his work as a designer and entrepreneur. You will learn the mix of science and art that integrates in his own creative process and how having creative entrepreneurs for parents influenced him growing up. For anyone curious to get inside the head of a thoughtful, introverted creative or who is wondering how to make the jump and launch a business, this episode is for you.  “I don’t think I’ll ever stop learning…I’m frustrated a lot by what I don’t know.” – Jon Flannery “Always be mindful and openminded about where you are and where you are going…I want to always be able to change and make changes.” – Jon Flannery Resources and Links Here’s a post I wrote about Jon’s process for creating the There Is Nothing Stopping You poster. Jon’s beautiful home. Yeah, it has it’s own

Changing jobs. Moving. Getting married. Having a baby. If you’re preparing for or experiencing a transitional time in your life, this episode is for you. This week’s guest is a high school English teacher, bride-to-be, and host Sharon’s “birthday twin” sister. She’s also one of the most giving and caring people we know. Philly has been a font of ideas for show topics since Design Yourself launched nearly a year ago. One topic that she suggested for a solo show early on was resources for moving through transitions. Especially “happy” transitions - like getting married or having a baby - whose growing pains are often ignored as the focus is on the “big event” instead. Rather than approach this topic on her own, Sharon invited Philly - who is in the midst of one such transition herself - to come share her ideas for what it’s like to be living through transition and what resources and mindsets might help along the way. Hear how Philly has wended her way to becoming a teacher and listen to these sisters talk about

Host Sharon isn't afraid to admit she loves a good organizing fest. Ever since she was a little girl, she's been famous (erm, sometimes infamous) for her love of taking everything down off the shelves so that she could pick it back up in a new and improved order. So you won't be surprised that when organizing consultant Marie Kondo's book The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up hit stores in 2014, Sharon began playing with these principles in her own life. Today's episode uses the KonMari method as a jumping off point for discussing how and why to find focus in your work. Learn about the problem of stretching our efforts too thin, common reasons we do this anyway, and a 5 Step KonMari-inspired process for bringing focus to your own work. IDEAS SHARED WE HAVE A PROBLEM We are scattering our efforts on the many at the cost of what making anything truly great. Over and over and over again. It doesn’t come from a bad place We may be risk averse so we place lots of bets  We may not be ready to make the decision abo

This week’s episode is all about the simplest of tools for getting stuff done: The To Do List. This week Sharon geeks out on the best times to tap into this tool, her favorite 4 variations on the To Do List, and 4 tactics to make sure that you leverage this resource to best effect. Here’s the basic theory, one size fit all solutions simply don’t work. But that doesn’t mean you have to begin every solution from scratch. Sharon offers these templates and strategies to arm you with some best practices to customize your own approach.  IDEAS SHARED 5 REASONS TO WRITE A TO DO LIST To stop feeling overwhelmed To let yourself dream up something ambitious To achieve something you’ve never done before To bring your big ideas into fruition To get stuff done 4 TYPES OF TO DO LISTS The Comprehensive List – Whether you write it all out on pen and paper or capture it in an online tracking tool, the Comprehensive To Do List allows you to put down everything in your head in one place. Bonus: It usually lowers your stress le

Sharon is back with her first solo show as a mama of three. She shares what she learned by setting a 40 day boundary for extreme rest post the arrival of her new son. No matter your life circumstances, all of us can benefit from finding ways to carve out rest in a way that works for us and our life circumstances. This episode is great for anyone who is feeling ready to take a break, is wondering about the value of stepping back or who is just curious about what Sharon’s been up for the last few months.  IDEAS SHARED What I learned from taking 40 days to rest… It was easier than I thought to jump right in Preparation helps  There are lots of ways to rest  Rest made me happy Timing matters  Having a boundary helps I could have done it for longer Maternity leave isn’t the only cause for a period of rest RESOURCES AND LINKS The First Forty Days Design Yourself Episode 33: Setting Boundaries National Novel Writing Month (“Nanowrimo”)

Melissa Sanabria is one of those rare people who is both super creative and super organized. She is the designer and blogger behind Pretty Little Rowhouse and she is a consultant with a Big Four accounting firm. She is a natural at dishing out great design solutions and she is just as comfortable directing projects and managing clients engagements. This week we get to hear the story of how she developed these twin skill sets and what she learned along the way. In the process, we hear many great examples for how knowing what you want can really catalyze you to take actions that move you towards that reality. Melissa has made a series of intentional choices that I think will inspire all of us, especially anyone who is wondering how to launch a business that comes from the heart. “All of a sudden the wave carries you and then you’re like, what happened?” – Melissa Sanabria “I’m at the point where I need to decide: Am I going to be all in on [my job] or all in on my business. I like to work and I like to be chal

Aimee Rowe returns to the show this week for the second half of her Camino de Santiago discussion with Sharon. In episode 40 Aimee and Sharon share how they prepared to walk this ancient pilgrimage route through Spain. This week they share what the experience of walking was actually like. Hear Aimee and Sharon’s favorite Camino adages, what they loved about the journey, who some of the memorable characters were that they met along the way, and more. Whether you are curious about walking the Camino yourself or just want to hear two friends reflect on what they learned when they stretched their limits, this episode is definitely worth a listen. Buen Camino!  “The Camino provides.” – Aimee Rowe Aimee and Sharon taking one last picture together on the Camino before their paths diverge. A favorite food on the Camino – bocadillos de huevos. Holy hiking appetite, right?! Remember how excited Aimee and I told you we were about finding a washing machine. Proof! Ideas Shared Sharon and Aimee’s Camino Adages The Ca

Aimee Rowe joins us on the show this week for for the first in a two-part series on the Camino de Santiago, an ancient pilgrimage route through Spain. Aimee is a doctor, an adventurer, and a long-time friend of Sharon’s. Sharon and Aimee walked this pilgrimage route together nearly 5 years ago and this week they are discussing how they both prepared for this walk, including how they went about making and honoring the commitment to walk, how they were able to carve out 6 weeks from their regular routine to - despite work and family obligations, and how they readied themselves for the experience itself. If you are trying to figure out how to carve out the time and space for a passion project or are gearing up for a life transition, this episode is for you. Hear about how small conversations can catalyze big change, tips for prioritizing what you really want and lots of laughter shared between two good friends.  “Don’t let perfect be the enemy of the good. Just do it.” – Aimee Rowe Resources and Links Listen

Life is too short not to spend your time doing what you really feel called to do. In today’s encore episode Sharon offers up tips and resources for just letting go of the excuses and going for it - whatever it might be for you. Learn 5 simple steps to move from where you are today to where you want to be. Ideas Shared: This week I had fun playing with Adam Kurtz’s new book Pick Me Up: A Pep Talk for Now & Later. It is a fun book-journal-workbook-guide thing with pages of prompts for you to fill out. One page in the book offered the space to “write some good advice.” Here’s what I was inspired to scribble down: There are two tracks that I see people on as they set out to go after the things they really want in their lives: Track 1: If you already know what you want Track 2: If you don’t know what you want Track 1: 5 Steps for Going For It…if you already know what you want… Be present Name the prep/steps required to get you there Do the leg work Name and cultivate the emotion that will serv

This week we meet the husband wife team behind Forty Third Place, the umbrella under which all of the creative projects and collaborations of Jonaki Sanyal and Blake Sloane live. Woodworking, carpentry, photography and design are among their specialities. (Blake just built beautiful custom desks for Sharon’s home office!) Listen to learn the story of how this pair has always prioritized their creative pursuits and how they continue in the work of figuring out what a well-designed life looks like for them. Theirs is an inspiring story of continuous iteration and evolution. And one where family serves as a strong grounding force. This is a great episode for anyone whose ever wondered how to meld their passions and their work into one place. It’s also a great case study into how you can throw out the idea of work-life balance and see work-life integration in action. “That’s what our relationship has always been built on: Being able to work together on things.” -Jonaki Sanyal “All of our clients come to us becau

Meet Clara Muggli-Toyloy, the mom and entrepreneur behind Fuzzy Logic Wool, a brand new company that produces gorgeous, handmade, sustainable clothing and cloth diapers for infants and toddlers. Clara is just starting out with Fuzzy Logic (her Etsy shop launched in late 2016), but she’s not new to the world of working for herself. Early in career, she set up her own landscape design company operating in the San Francisco Bay Area. Hear Clara discuss everything from taking small steps to get her business started, what it’s like to balance her creative pursuits with life as the mom of two toddlers, and how she recognizes and moves past fear when it shows up. For anyone whose been itching to stop thinking about that passion project and just get started, prepare to be inspired by this remarkable woman. “I get so depressed thinking how much stuff is out there…that nobody wants…The thought that I could create and make something new not using new materials made me feel good.” – Clara Muggli-Toyloy Resources and

“Wealth consists not in having great possessions, but in having few wants.” So says Epictetus. In this encore episode Sharon discusses money, money, money. Learn about the difference between operating from a sufficiency (“there is enough”) vs. a scarcity (“there isn’t enough”) mindset and explore the 5 guiding steps to ensure that money isn’t what holds you back from going after what you really want. Money ultimately only has the value that we give it; learn how to make sure that your values and your spending are aligned.   Ideas Shared There is a lot of chatter out there on money. Here are some quotes that really struck me as I was doing research into this topic… “Anyone who lives within their means suffers from a lack of imagination.” ― Oscar Wilde “If you want to know what God thinks of money, just look at the people he gave it to.” ― Dorothy Parker “As much money and life as you could want! The two things most human beings would choose above all – the trouble is, humans do have a knack of choosing pre

Today we meet adventurer-extraordinaire, Aimee Rowe. Learn about how she wended her way from being a humanities major in undergraduate (religious studies with an environmental studies concentration to be specific!) to completing her medical residency today – nearly 15 years later. Aimee’s path is filled with many unusual twists and turns from sailing tall ships on both the Atlantic and Pacific, teaching young students about the wilderness in Maine and water conservation along the Mississippi River, and somewhere along the way deciding that she was meant to be a doctor. And then going for it despite all odds. For anyone whose ever wanted to think beyond the conventional way to get things done, this episode is for you. “You have to not take things personally, which is hard.” – Aimee Rowe Resources and Links Dr. Ifeoma Ikenze inspired Aimee in her talk on healing  Learn about the tall ship Aimee worked on after graduating from Kenyon College(where she and Sharon met). She later worked on the Tabor Boy before

In today’s Design Yourself, we meet Catherine Orr and Elena Rue, the filmmakers and storytellers behind StoryMineMedia. Learn about how they launched a business that defied industry standards, created a unique perspective on how to tell stories that create impact, and pushed themselves to continue growing and learning along the way. This one is for anyone who has a story to tell. (Elena and Catherine would tell you that’s you. Yes, YOU!) “If we are going to do it, we are going to do it.” – Catherine Orr Resources and Links Elena and Catherine generously offered to share their Story Strategy Guide with Design Yourself listeners Independent film Overburden that Catherine and Elena edited and produced (directed by Chad A. Stevens) about coal mining Editor’s Note: This film was awarded Honorable Mention from the Nicholas School Environmental Award Jury at the Full Frame Documentary Film Festival in 2015. Sharon misspoke in her intro saying that Overburden won the main award. The full list of 2015 winner’s can

In today’s Design Yourself, we meet Ericka Leighton-Spradlin, the artist and entrepreneur behind Continuum, an eclectic bazaar//concept shop in Cincinnati, OH. (This happens to be Sharon’s favorite place to shop!) Learn how Ericka created her vision for the space and then followed her instincts to make her dream a reality. From sourcing trips to Japan, an artist commune in Maine, and balancing the demands of a growing business, Ericka’ story weaves a beautiful mix of the creative spirit and entrepreneurial mindset.  Resources and Links Watershed Center for Ceramic Arts History of Over the Rhine Julia Lipovsky DAAP White Helmets for Aleppo Interview with Grace Bonney on the Young House Love Podcast (interview starts around minute 10):  Paula Greif ceramics (based in Hudson, NY) Learn More About Ericka continuumbazaar.com insta: continuumbazaar facebook: Continuum Bazaar Visit Continuum: 1407 Vine Street Cincinnati, OH