Here at CUltivate we have been busy behind the scenes exploring professionals outside of the credit union industry that have really made an impact on young professionals and our generation. Lindsay Boccardo is a keynote speaker, a coach, a nationally recognized Millennial expert, and we absolutely love her content. We were bursting at the seams to interview Lindsay and hear more about how we can further connect as young professionals.
As a professional coach what has your journey been like and what is the most challenging thing in your day to day (non COVID related).
I believe that we get one short life and then the game is over. I want people to come in contact with me and re-evaluate how they spend their time, what types of relationships they have, and what they want most out of life. To really be a catalyst for those that are aching for more. I've been doing this now for 8 years and I still get excited when it's time to connect with a client and I still feel the deep meaning in my work. I'm really lucky in that way.
The most challenging thing is managing my energy and my time. I love what I do, and I can get pretty absorbed in it so I have to be mindful of other things in my life that matter too!
I’ve never thought of the over involvement of it but that does make a ton of sense. Entrepreneur life is hard, how have you adjusted, pivoted, and grown over your lifespan to propel you to the level you are at today.
Haha, ain't that the truth!I have had to do major personal growth and professional growth around owning a business. Everything from how to talk about what I do, to client care, to managing my budget and my team. It has been a steep learning curve for me, and I've had coaches and trainers along the way the whole way so thankfully, I’ve never been in it alone.
As someone who works with, coaches, and teaches young professionals what are our advantages in the workplace and how can we help each other peer to peer to ensure we are all connected as the future of the workforce.
I think there's three areas that we can all help each other: communication, self-awareness and self-advocacy. Almost everyone I have surveyed has said they are hungry to grow more at work. I love working with companies who want to help their employees GROW.
I'm driven to create practical solutions for companies that are trying to recruit and retain young talent. If you’re a leader and you're having a hard time getting your mind around generational differences or if you’re a young employee trying to understand your boss, I'm your person.
I found your work on LinkedIn via a mutual connection, Kizzy Dominguez and I was really impressed with how authentic you were, and that you really dig into the neuroscience of things. What do you feel is the biggest struggle our youth struggles with?
I'm not sure exactly what youth struggle with most but I see a lot of them struggle with isolation. Having social anxiety. Ultimately self-awareness takes time and youth typically don't have a ton of it before they're 25.
What are the biggest disadvantages of being a young professional?
Lack of awareness. You just haven't had a lot of time in the field yet! I also see less stress tolerance in young professionals. The three areas we typically need to focus on the most are communication, self-awareness, and self-advocacy skills.
What are kids today struggling with and how can this improve overall?
I think it's really important that kids feel like they belong somewhere. It looks different for each kid but helping them feel like they belong to a little tribe of their own can help them develop social skills and build confidence. They need love and belonging (and so do we!)
I definitely pick up that unity vibe you have in your work, what is your favorite story about helping other people.
I trained a handful of managers who cared a lot about their young staff but could not understand how to have meaningful check-ins with them. I taught them coaching skills, I taught them the types of questions to ask to understand the productivity of their employees, and over the course of six months those managers transformed the way they treated their team and they were less stressed! I'm so proud to work alongside leaders who want to grow.
Who are people you follow or work with that really motivate you?
I watch Gary Vaynerchuk like a hawk. I think he's got a lot to offer. Great character, highly motivated, a HAPPY leader. I listen to him almost daily to help me continue to shape my perspective as an entrepreneur who's not afraid to try new things.
Gary Vee is as authentic and hardworking as it gets. What has been your biggest struggle with COVID-19? On the flipside, what have you learned throughout COVID-19 that has made you better?
My biggest struggle with COVID-19 has been feeling the momentum I had worked so hard to build… just fizzle out (especially as a speaker who is supposed to be on event stages). I had to consciously release that and not spend too much time daydreaming about what could have been.
I've learned to take better care of myself to manage and monitor my stress more closely and to give compassion to myself when I'm really not feeling it. The normal get up and grind doesn't work when your body is experiencing high levels of stress.
Although I am not sure what will be next for me exactly, I will continue to do my work of training and consulting inside of companies and hopefully get back to traveling and speaking with groups from stage once it’s safe to all be in the same room again.
Be sure to link up with Lindsay on all social media outlets and her website www.lindsayboccardo.com, State Leagues we encourage you to consider booking Lindsay for your speaking events, training's, and conferences.
CUltivate is people helping people with our mission to spread the word, connect the people, and give an outlet to share your stories. Know someone in the industry we should interview? Drop us a line at CultivateYP@gmail.com