Design Yourself

Milestones matter. They build momentum, create a chance to pause and reflect, and mark an important moment. Join us in this podcast to celebrate a personal milestone: 250 episodes of Design Yourself!  Together we explore 10 lessons learned in 250 episodes spanning 2016-2024: Use Your Voice Stories Matter Say It Again It's Fun to Connect You Will Be Surprised By Where Connections Lead This Podcast Made Me Better All Leadership is Human People Matter Most Ideas, Tools, Frameworks, Mindsets Unlock Us There is Nothing Stopping You Please note that Sharon and the Design Yourself Team are taking a podcast sabbatical to digest these lessons learned and explore new ways to shape meaningful content for our dear listeners. Stay tuned and subscribed for more information!   Links and Resources: For show notes: https://pointroadstudios.com/podcast/business-unusual-celebrating-250-episodes-of-design-yourself/ To connect on Linked In:  @Sharon Lipovsky @Point Road Studios  To connect on Instagram: @pointroadstudios Rate,

Have you ever sensed a change is called for and needed to summon the courage to take action? Have you ever grappled with making life moves when you weren’t sure exactly what your new end destination was? Then this episode is for you. Join host Sharon as she shares the details about the upcoming Design Yourself podcast sabbatical.   Links and Resources: For show notes: https://pointroadstudios.com/podcast/taking-a-break-podcast-sabbatical-coming/ To connect on Linked In:  @Sharon Lipovsky @Point Road Studios  To connect on Instagram: @pointroadstudios Rate, Review & Subscribe to the podcast on Apple & Spotify

Step into the new year with intention and purpose! In Shine Your Light in 2025, we explore the profound questions that guide your journey: What kind of light do you shine? How can you embrace the gifts hidden in your shadows? And what will empower you to make the impact you envision? Join us for thought-provoking conversations and practical insights to help you illuminate your path and inspire those around you. Let’s make 2025 your brightest year yet!   Links and Resources: To connect on Linked In:  @Sharon Lipovsky @Point Road Studios  To connect on Instagram: @pointroadstudios Rate, Review & Subscribe to the podcast on Apple & Spotify   Ideas Shared 5 prompts to invite you to shine your light in 2025 What kind of light do I imagine myself as in 2025? A midcentury lamp? The sun? A star? A crystal chandelier? A beeswax candle? What sparks your light? What brightens your spirit? What gifts are available to you in your shadows? Where do you want to shine your light in 2025? What will help you radiate t

Wintering is a season in the cold. It is both literal and figurative. It acknowledges those times where we move through a fallow period – cut off from the world. What is the power of wintering? How can we learn to call in the dark and the cold? In today’s encore episode on wintering we discuss what wintering is, borrowing from the brilliance of writer Katherine May; we speak to the power of wintering, specifically the power of the dark, the cold, letting go and resting; and we close with reflection questions to spark your own best thinking on how to integrate this practice. “So that is my wish for you – that you may be unburdened by the cold and dark of wintering. And more than that. That you can embrace it. Call in the dark and the cold – don’t run from it. It is through learning how to sit in this discomfort that we build our resilience for when the unexpected winters arrive.”   Links and Resources For show notes visit: https://pointroadstudios.com/podcast/wintering-3/ To connect on Linked In:  @Sharon Lipo

We can’t change what we don’t see. So how do we sense a new consciousness? What tools will support us? How do we keep it simple and accessible? Cue this episode where we discuss the simple tenants of a life-changing practice. Listen in to learn all the how-tos of Journaling.   Links and Resources: For show notes: https://pointroadstudios.com/podcast/building-a-journal-practice/ ‎ To connect on Linked In:  @Sharon Lipovsky @Point Road Studios  To connect on Instagram: @pointroadstudios Rate, Review & Subscribe to the podcast on Apple & Spotify   Ideas Shared How-To Build a Powerful Journal Practice Use what works for you. I used to think journaling needed to be in a particular kind of notebook and sound a certain kind of way. Not anymore. Try different formats. “Morning Pages;” Bullets in a word document. Letter to Love. Haikus. Handwritten prose in a bound journal. My own “journal” is written on loose paper and placed in a file folder to keep it in one place. Leverage prompts. These can be questions

Holiday letters aren't the only tradition during the close of the year. Cue the tradition of the Annual Letter to Yourself. What have I learned this year? How have I grown? Who has made an impact? What do I want to remember? Join Sharon as she reflects on these questions and more in reading her 2024 letter.   Links and Resources: For show notes: https://pointroadstudios.com/podcast/sharons-annual-letter-2024/ To connect on Linked In:  @Sharon Lipovsky @Point Road Studios  To connect on Instagram: @pointroadstudios Rate, Review & Subscribe to the podcast on Apple & Spotify

As we the close of 2024, it is a natural moment to take stock of lessons learned and goals for the year ahead. Join us in this Design Yourself episode as we consider what we are celebrating and what we are calling in as we learn the art and ritual of how to write a year-end letter to yourself. Rate, Review & Subscribe to the podcast on Apple & Spotify Ideas Shared Year-End Letter Prompts Paragraph One: Take stock on past year. As I look back on this year, I wanted to let you know that… I am celebrating… I worked really hard to… I learned… Paragraph Two: Reflection on what got you here. The thing that supported me most is… The values that have guided me are… The challenge I faced is… The thing that made all the difference is… Paragraph Three: Curate the lessons learned that will guide your year ahead. As I look to the year ahead, what I want to carry with me… What I want to leave behind is… The advice I want to hold onto is…   Links and Resources: For show notes: https://pointroadstudios.com/pod

Meaning-making is a very human endeavor. We are quite good at coming up with what we believe the unspoken clues and loud declarations mean. What are ways to challenge our assumptions? How can we stretch our understanding to see a situation with a fresh perspective? That’s what we get into in this Design Yourself episode on Seeing with New Eyes. Ideas Shared Prompts to See with New Eyes Ask someone who knows you well for a trusted take Ask someone who doesn’t know you well for their hot take Get clear: Clarify your questions and reflect on your answers Expand your own perspective through consciousness-raising activities that feel right-fit for you. A tool we really enjoy using on retreats is tarot… Step back and take care – walks, facials, hikes, delicious food, not sitting in front of a screen all day. Resources and Links Get to know Sharon’s business besties, Catherine and Elena of StoryMine Listen to this Design Yourself episode on Living in the Question   Links and Resources: For show notes: https://po

Hope is a choice. It's about gifting your attention to the light. Perhaps a simple concept, but one that's not always easy to execute. Particularly in inevitable moments of intensity - whether in our culture, around the board room table, in family text chains, or our own inner life. How do you get grounded in the midst of it all? How do you resist joining the whirlwind? Even when facing a wave of turmoil, how do you tap into finding hope?  In this episode Sharon dicusses the following practices and prompts to help you come back to your own light: Ideas Shared Practices for Finding Hope Meaningful Partnerships (at work, in my creative life, with loved ones)  Setting Boundaries  Prayer  Doing good work Singing Reflection Prompts  What is needed now? What has brought a smile to your face this week?  What (or who) gives you hope right now? What is the gift of the shadows you see? What quiets your despair? What is needed now?   Links and Resources: For show notes:  https://pointroadstudios.com/podcast/finding-

When the world gets intense, it's important to take breaks. Join Sharon as she does that by reading three beloved and personally connected poems. We start with a beloved poem by Meditation at Lagunitas by Robert Hass, who Sharon had the opportunity to study under in Berlin. We then turn to Saskia Hamiton and her poem Then. Saskia was another great teacher in Sharon's life and the person who first introduced Sharon to Hass' poetry. We close things out with the physician and poet Willam Carlos Williams and his poem The Red Wheelbarrow. May you find grounding and a little inspiration in the words of these writers.   Resources and Links Robert Hass | “Meditation at Lagunitas” Saskia Hamilton | “Then” from Divide These William Carlos Williams | “The Red Wheelbarrow”   Links and Resources: For show notes: https://pointroadstudios.com/podcast/take-a-break-with-three-poems To connect on Linked In:  @Sharon Lipovsky @Point Road Studios  To connect on Instagram: @pointroadstudios Rate, Review & Subscribe to the

Our bodies are incredible sources of wisdom. They are an important resource for ushering our ideas, dreams, and impact into the world. What happens when our bodies signal distress? What insights might we glean from the unlikeliest of places? That’s what we get into in this Design Yourself podcast, Lessons from the Emergency Department. In this episode Sharon shares some of the insights that emerged during her own recent trip to the hospital, including: Lessons from the Emergency Department Own Your Value (and Put on Your Oxygen Mask First) Cherish Your Support Network Ask for Help Demand the Attention You Need (with Neutral, Observable Facts) Delightful Surprises are Everywhere   Links and Resources: For show notes: https://pointroadstudios.com/podcast/finding-joy/ To connect on Linked In:  @Sharon Lipovsky @Point Road Studios  To connect on Instagram: @pointroadstudios Rate, Review & Subscribe to the podcast on Apple & Spotify

Joy is a light-filled anecdote to volatility, grief, and complexity. What different flavors of joy do you experience? How might you invite more of that into your life? That's what we discuss in today's podcast on Finding Joy. Sharon shares 5 flavors of joy that she has been experiencing recently, including: Lighthearted Joy - Like a easy, breezy, predictable romance novel. (She's been loving Emily Henry's  books like all the other readers creating this explosive growth of this genre.) Joyful Connection - Like holding hands with a loved one. Taking part in meanful traditions that connect you to history and the present. Heart-centered Joy - Like deep, soul-baring conversations. Joyous Anticipation - Like the fun of looking forward to an exciting vacation. Cornell University did a cool study showing how we gain more happiness from anticipation experiences versus object. The Joy of Knowing - Like when you have a clear budget, sense of priorities, even knowing what you are going to eat. Links and Resources: For

It’s easy to let momentum take hold. Our expectations drive us to continue without letting up. Our desire to please or gain approval might do the same. But at what cost? What are the different ways that we can step back and rejuvenate ourselves? And what happens when we do? In this episode of Design Yourself we invite you to give yourself a break. Links and Resources: For show notes: https://pointroadstudios.com/podcast/worst-job-ever/ To connect on Linked In:  @Sharon Lipovsky @Point Road Studios  To connect on Instagram: @pointroadstudios Rate, Review & Subscribe to the podcast on Apple & Spotify Ideas Shared Celebrate when you take breaks Distinctions and lessons on types of breaks: Time Off: Sabbatical | Work Pause Time Away: Retreat | Getaway Down Time: Walk | Dance Party | Massage All the Time: Rhythms, Routines and Rituals Journal Prompt: What is my relationship with breaks? For myself? For others? What kind of break might I offer myself this week that could make all the difference? Reso

What is the worst job you’ve ever had? And why? What made it so? In today’s episode, Sharon discusses her answer to those questions along with some prompts to inspire you never again to have the worst job ever.   Links and Resources: For show notes: https://pointroadstudios.com/podcast/worst-job-ever/ To connect on Linked In:  @Sharon Lipovsky @Point Road Studios  To connect on Instagram: @pointroadstudios Rate, Review & Subscribe to the podcast on Apple & Spotify   Ideas Shared Reflection Prompts to Avoid Having the Worst Job Ever What makes my professional light shine? What environments delight me? Both physically and in the type of leadership and collaboration? If you were to do something wildly different, what would it be? What else? What else? What are dealbreakers for you? What makes you feel out of integrity with yourself? What makes me feel safe to leave a job? What conditions will allow me to be able to stay OR leave a job? How can I take small steps to have make sure I have these conditions

Big change rarely happens in an instant. Transitions are a natural part of the process. Transitions can feel uncomfortable. How do you build up resistance to stick with it? What supports you in building momentum toward a new destination? That’s what we get into in this Design Yourself episode on Sitting in the Messy Middle.   Links and Resources: For show notes visit: https://pointroadstudios.com/podcast/sitting-in-the-messy-middle/  To connect on Linked In:  @Sharon Lipovsky @Point Road Studios  To connect on Instagram: @pointroadstudios Rate, Review & Subscribe to the podcast on Apple & Spotify   Ideas Shared 3 Tips to Sit in Messy Middle Be clear on your why. Partner on the HOW. Stay present to what’s needed now. Resources and Links Design Yourself podcast on Partnering

Rarely can our dreams be realized in isolation. Partnering with others is a natural consequence of ambition. That doesn't mean it's easy. What makes for effective working relationships? What are the conditions that steward us to powerful teamwork? How do mutual accountability and productive conflict fit in?  We explore these questions and more in this episode focused on partnering and productive conflict.   Links and Resources: For show notes visit: https://pointroadstudios.com/podcast/partnering-and-productive-conflict/ To connect on Linked In:  @Sharon Lipovsky @Point Road Studios  To connect on Instagram: @pointroadstudios Rate, Review & Subscribe to the podcast on Apple & Spotify   Resources Shared Marie Kondo’s book “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up” Patrick Lencioni’s model highlighting the conditions needed for effective teamwork: trust, conflict, commitment, accountability, results

Deep listening can change the world. Listening impacts so many things: Our understanding, our questions, and our connections to those around us. When we listen deeply, we light a spark for transformation. But listening isn't easy. There are habits and culturally accepted practices that hold us back from really listening to understand. The good news is that you can create simple shifts to improve the quality of your listening and inspire others to do the same.  This Design Yourself episode highlights 12 habits that prevent us from listening – including rehearsing, daydreaming, and placating. We invite you to see with a fresh perspective where your listening gets derailed and to make simple shifts to bring your attention back to listening to understand.   Links and Resources: For show notes visit: https://pointroadstudios.com/podcast/how-to-be-a-great-listener/ To connect on Linked In:  @Sharon Lipovsky @Point Road Studios  To connect on Instagram: @pointroadstudios Rate, Review & Subscribe to the podcast o

How we spend our days is how we spend our lives. Routine matters. It is a foundational building block that shapes what we do and how we do it. It seems simple enough: Make a choice each and every day to align with what matters. But it is not always that easy. How do you balance the short—and long-term priorities? How do you shift long-held routines that involve other people? We get into these questions and more as we discuss routines reimagined.   Links and Resources: For show notes visit: https://pointroadstudios.com/podcast/routines-reimagined/ To connect on Linked In:  @Sharon Lipovsky @Point Road Studios  To connect on Instagram: @pointroadstudios Rate, Review & Subscribe to the podcast on Apple & Spotify   Ideas Shared Reflection Questions How do we cultivate the eyes of a traveller when we don’t go anywhere at all?   How can we make mindfulness a way of being, even amidst habit and routine?   How do we remind ourselves of the unspoken choices we have everyday?   How do we act with courage as we

Leadership is an embodied act. When we feel good, it shows. So it is perhaps not surprising that many executives are curious about personal style. Some people savor the act of dressing as an opportunity for individual expression. Others prioritize efficiency and ways to save time in the morning. No matter what the motivation, there is one person Sharon refers her clients to time and time again: Natalie Tincher and her team at BU Style. So in this season of back to school and the changing of seasonal wardrobes, we take you back to this throwback interview with Natalie from 2018. We discuss everything from fast fashion and personal styling tips to how love and empowerment fuel everything Natalie does. We also learn about what some of the investments Natalie has made to scale her business including hiring her first employee and rebranding her business. This episode is a great fit for anyone who has ever wondered how to put your whole self into a thriving entrepreneurial business. It’s also a must-listen for anyo

Whether you have dreams of building your own home, are in the process of moving through a life transition or are just curious about Sharon’s new life in the woods, this week’s episode is for you. Sharon begins by sharing a glimpse into the reality of life in her new two room cottage in the Catskill Mountains of New York and then shares the connection she sees between designing a physical space and designing a life and offers the 5 key lessons that she has learned through the design phase of her building process. We’ll explore everything from the power of welcoming change, how trust is a key priority in getting great results (with sanity in tact!) and how building something from scratch isn’t the secret to perfection.