Authentic Achievements with Special Guest Eric Lazar
Unveiling the Blueprint of Authentic Achievements with Eric Lazar In this captivating episode of Authentic Achievements, hosted by Kim-adele Randall, we explore the journey of Eric Lazar, a true embodiment of authentic success. Join us as we unravel the intricacies of Eric’s path to prominence, from his extraordinary tenure as a U.S. Marine Corps Intelligence Specialist to his current role as the visionary owner of SpeedPro Chicago Loop, a pioneering digital printing enterprise. Eric’s story is not just about success; it’s about the challenges, setbacks, and triumphs we can all relate to. Eric Lazar’s narrative is a testament to the transformative power of resilience and determination.
As we traverse his story, listeners will be inspired by his unwavering commitment to excellence and innovation. With numerous accolades under his belt, including the prestigious ‘Franchisee of the Year’ title bestowed by The International Franchise Association and a coveted spot on Inc. Magazine’s esteemed list of Fastest Growing Companies in the Midwest, Eric’s journey serves as a beacon of aspiration for aspiring entrepreneurs and industry stalwarts alike.
Throughout the episode, Eric shares invaluable insights from his life and illustrious career, offering profound reflections on leadership, adaptability, and the essence of authentic achievement. His profound expertise and unwavering dedication to his craft underscore the importance of integrity and passion in navigating the complexities of the business world. As the episode draws close, Kim-adele Randall invites listeners to embark on their quests for authenticity and success. Whether you’re an entrepreneur charting your entrepreneurial course or an individual striving for personal growth, Eric’s story resonates with universal truths that transcend boundaries.
To learn more about Eric and his business or strike up a conversation to go more in-depth on any of the discussion points, please connect via LinkedIn [ / ericlazar ] and mention this PodCast
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Transcript:
Music]
0:07[Applause] hello and welcome to today’s authentic achievements episode where I’m delighted
0:13to be joined by The Fabulous Eric Lazar Eric welcome thank you very much for having me hello I’m so looking forward
0:20to this conversation but before we get into it let me share with our audience a little bit more about you so Eric’s the
0:25owner of Speed Pro Chicago Loop which is a large format digital printing company
0:31which specializes in custom graphics for corporate offices retailers and trade show space is a respected thought leader
0:37within the industry with many articles to his name and his award-winning company has been distinguished as the
0:43international franchise association’s franchise of the year it’s been Inc Magazine’s 2023 list of the fastest
0:50growing companies in the midwest including a slot on the top 150 lists of
0:55largest printing companies in North America in 2024 and also a US Marine
1:01corpse veteran where he served as an intelligence specialist what an amazing journey you’ve had I’m really excited to
1:08learn more so can you tell me a bit about your journey to where you are today please oh um you know it’s been I
1:16think a lot of stops and starts um you know the probably the the biggest most
1:21formative one um as you mentioned I’m a Marine Corps veteran uh I think that really set set the Baseline and made me
1:29who I am changed who I was um is absolutely a part of my
1:36DNA um I think the the the second part was was probably my time in television
1:42um used to you know uh run sales for uh
1:48for several TV stations throughout the Midwest and worked in television ad sales for a number of years is you know
1:55both as a salesperson and as leadership and I think that was one phase and then you really it was my second foray
2:03into uh into entrepreneurialship um when I left television and started a business
2:09in mobile marketing and then it’s been what I’m doing now with Speed Pro so
2:14there there are a couple of different things um that I and they’re all I look at them as very separate components and
2:22parts of the life cycle they while they blended into each other they they are distinctly different experiences
2:30yeah I love that I think so often life is a bit like that isn’t it where you have um I guess I guess it always
2:37reminds me a little bit of the um The Green Mile uh film because that was originally six books um that was the
2:43first time Stephen King had done it in in a in in that way and each book on stood up on its own but you put them all
2:49together and it made even more sense and I guess that’s kind of what you’re saying isn’t it with with life is each
2:54part made in of itself total sense and was a compartment but they build on each
3:00other and and you build on the character that you become as a result of them yeah
3:05unbeliev they’re yeah because I wouldn’t even say that there were different chapters is like I I I look upon that
3:13and it’s you know I think sometimes it’s a little said that I distinguish Myself by the jobs that I had or what I was
3:19doing at that point but I think they they Al my my personality shifted or it
3:24shifted my personality depending on what role I was fing and what I was doing um and so
3:32they’re you know I look at them as very you know very distinct parts of my life and they they they probably could on its
3:38own it’s pre-tv post TV pree pro post Speed Pro um and certainly you know pre
3:47and post Marine Corps yeah bet that was I imagine that was a a definite changer of kind of who
3:55you were and and and how you were because that’s got to be a particular
4:02unique situation I guess you you’re doing particularly doing the role that you were doing that yeah and I think you
4:08you adjust you adopt based on one your age uh to the the responsibilities and
4:18the authority that you’re carrying with you at that time um so there there there are a few different things and and then
4:24the wisdom you’ve gained so you know who you are at the beginning of the journey is definitely not who you are at the end
4:29of the journey um despite the other two factors yeah yeah so yeah well I guess that’s often
4:37with a lot of life isn’t it yeah we where we end up isn’t where we start but as they say life is the journey not the
4:43destination isn’t it yeah 100% I I would agree it’s yeah
4:51it’s it’s making sure that we that we take the right parts of it with us into the next bit of our journey isn’t it and
4:57leave behind the bits that we no longer need that no longer serve us so when you’ve made and you’ve made as you say
5:03four real transitions in your life what would you say has been the greatest lesson you’ve learned in making those
5:10changes oh the greatest lesson that I’ve learned I think it all it all depends
5:17um you know and and whether you’re looking at business or not is like if I’m looking at you know certainly if I
5:24look at the Marine Corps uh which I think is the the first one it was really
5:30it was about leadership and my what I believe to be good leadership or what I
5:37held in high esteem um it was also very different than actually what the truth
5:42was and how to be a leader and um I look at myself at that point as being a
5:47terrible leader I I was the worst I had ever been I you know I understood the skill sets but I interpreted them to be
5:54something different is it was sort of you know of this very aggressive very
6:00you know somebody the bravado the intimidation is what you picture of you
6:07know sort of the quintessential Marine Corps drill instructor and wanting to be that and when I had the opportunity was
6:14to to treat people in in that manner um and the lesson I learned is when
6:21somebody who was a bit senior to me we had gone to the Philippines for a period of time had taken me aside um just a few
6:30weeks before we had gone to the Philippines and told me like Eric he’s like you know and that time you know it
6:35was Corporal Lazar um when you get off base you’re there’re these guys are GNA
6:41beat you up like you may not come back is you really need to straighten it up
6:46and with with some very very strong words is you have you know basically you have alienated everybody they absolutely
6:54can’t stand you um and I was at a rank that I was you know I wasn’t Untouchable by any stretch imagination it’s like I
7:01was just you know was a young punk kid that had you know some Authority um and that was a very that was actually very
7:07scary um and that was that was the first time that I really had to to wake up to
7:14the impact um of what my leadership style or
7:20skills you know could uh could invoke um so that you know that was certainly
7:26impactful and I think the next impactful thing was probably in that
7:31era and and this is the one that’s probably carried with me the longest was
7:39watching my dad die um and not to be sad but it was you know he was he was a
7:44school principal young guy 53 U and I never really understood him
7:50nor his way of leadership he was definitely you know walk soft and carry a big stick and at that time I was in
7:57the Marine Corps and I again sort of as I explained I understood leadership to be very different is that it’s by brute
8:04force and you just it’s dictatorial um and I never really understood him as a school principal and
8:12seeing some of the what I thought was a you know the abuse he would take and that he was not just putting his foot
8:19down um but he was he was much smarter and much more delicate in his leadership
8:25style and as a result much more effective and to see the people that came out for his funeral that were 2500
8:323,000 4,000 people I mean it was just huge it was you know standing room only
8:38um and it was really who came out were people that when he was a camp counselor
8:44in his teens in his 20s kids that you know this is 30 years ago or students
8:49from 30 years ago and this was well before the day of social media this is when you were reading obituaries in the
8:56newspaper um had all come out and had written letters about the impact that he
9:02had and that really was it was much more about
9:07leadership um it was it was it was about the impact and the Legacy that I wanted
9:13to lead in life and I think that really changed who I was and who I wanted to be
9:18as a leader is that that was somebody that I wanted to emulate that I wanted people you know whatever 30 years from
9:25now saying oh I used to work for this guy um I was friends with this guy you
9:32know or just this guy helped or did or whatever and they would remember those stories and they would pass them on to
9:38their child um because even today I still people that I didn’t know as you
9:44know back then I’m friends with on Facebook PE you know students that he had impacted uh are you know still
9:51connecting me and and as early as you know last week they they sent me a t-shirt you know or sent sent me a
9:58photograph of a t-shirt from back when he was a junior high school principal so it’s amazing and that that’s that I
10:05think those are the two things that were probably most impacted me oh wow your dad sounds like he is an amazing man and
10:11clearly left a massive Legacy and an impact and and that shows through what
10:17you’re now trying to do which is being more conscious of what Legacy you want
10:23to lead would that be fair oh 100% it’s it’s it’s probably how I lead my life if
10:30um you know and it’s it’s funny I I I never my dad was 53 I mean a young guy
10:36and but I never look back upon his life as being tragic and I know that it’s
10:42it’s a very self-centered way of looking at because you know he because I gained so
10:48much from his death there there I gained more from his death unfortunately than I think I would have gained from him being
10:56alive and it sounds really weird and it it I know that it it doesn’t read real
11:01well um but the there’s there’s something in there is that I I I think
11:08in his sacrifice and his in his passing um that I I grew so much more as a
11:15result which I don’t know if I would have I would have appreciated him or had
11:22the benefit of those gains just carry on his legacy and a legacy that I never I
11:27never really understood appreciated or or liked as he was you know when he
11:33was alive it’s it’s it’s sort of strange it really wasn’t until you know maybe
11:38the few weeks leading up to it and the weeks in his passing that I really understood the the the strength of his
11:46character and you know what I wanted to
11:52be I think I think sometimes when people do lead um with kindness and with
11:58empathy it we can dismiss that as being weak and yet actually it takes more
12:04courage to lead that way than to lead in a more authoritarian right to do this
12:10because I’ve got the title that says so um and I think sometimes we we can misinterpret that can’t we as as
12:17weakness when in actual fact There’s real strength and depth of character that when you really have some time to
12:24reflect and look at it comes to light oh I I I would totally agree with you it’s
12:30you know it was something that I certainly wasn’t comfortable with you know in my teens or really as a young
12:38adult and I wouldn’t even say that I I fully appreciated it or adopted it right
12:44away at 21 you know it still it struck me I mean
12:50I I think anybody that was there was all struck uh but it probably still took me
12:55a couple of years to really absorb the importance of what happened there yeah
13:03you know what that and what that meant and the you know truly understanding the generations of people that he impacted
13:10and that his legacy did live on that there was a little bit of his DNA in
13:16everybody that he touched um and boy it’s I don’t know that that that sort of
13:22that ability to live on forever um and you know with that people
13:28really wanted to sort of take your soul forward uh carry it on for the rest of
13:34their lives and impart that to their children I mean that’s that’s incredibly powerful um and I don’t mean that in you
13:42know I know that could be interpreted sort of weird also is a little bit cultish but it’s it’s like wow that you
13:48can really have that effect because you always think that you’re just here for a moment um and I feel you know it’s like
13:55it’s it’s really cool to truly see somebody to you know to see their goodness live
14:01on it must be an amazing thing to to have seen and and you’re right I think sometimes we do think that we’re here
14:08for a moment but the impact we have can be so much greater than that right both positive and negative you know 100% we
14:15you know if we are driving from from a positive um Legacy then we then that ripple effect H can be amazing and it
14:23always strikes me as well that to remind myself of that that it can be equally bad if you’ve come at it not from a
14:30position of trying to add value and I you know make so making sure in every
14:35moment I’m trying to be really conscious of of how I’m being and leading in the
14:41kindest way I possibly can right hopefully ensure that that the ripple effect is a good one um but to have to
14:48know that that that you know your father impacts not just you and your family but all those other families and their
14:55ongoing Generations because we pass those kind of learnings and stories on don’t we pass on the things that
15:00impacted us and made us feel something more deeply um to the people that we
15:06live and care about and and they will get passed on for generations to come I’m sure yeah I I I I totally agree I got to
15:13imagine that there’s you know somewhere somebody that that has integrated one of
15:19his practices you know um you know into their daily routine whatever it might be
15:26um you know I mean I know for sure it’s there’s a lot of me in him and I think
15:32it does you know it does good um you know maybe it’s just you know s my my
15:37co-workers how I interact with them is that he was a big teaser he was a big Joker
15:43um and I W you know I watched that and I watched how you know teachers staff
15:49members kids interacted with him you know I think it’s it’s something that’s that’s passed on it and it may have been
15:56passed on regardless or not if I had this appreciation for him and just you know that’s a personality trait that’s
16:02more nurture than uh or that’s more nature than nurture um but I I think I I
16:09I think I am conscious of how that worked for him uh you know I there just
16:15they’re just they things and you know I’m sure there are other people like that it’s like oh yeah you know Larry
16:21Lazar used to do this and I feel comfortable doing it as well and it worked for him and um I would trust that
16:29I’d like to think that I’m I’m sure it did and I think you know one of the biggest gifts I think that we can give
16:35people is belief and it sounds like that’s something that your father did the people around him he gave them his
16:40belief in them so that they could use that to add to their own and give
16:46themselves the courage to take that next step would that seem fair oh yeah absolutely I mean that’s that was that
16:52was his thing is you know I he loved the underdog kids so you know that that that was that
16:59was his favorite thing it’s you know the the kids that were doing great you know he I think he was wonderful with them
17:06but the stories that I used to hear as a student were the underdog kids yeah
17:11that’s that’s who really lit up his heart and to see them be successful and
17:17you know their challenges were greater their successes were smaller but the successes meant a whole lot more yeah
17:24that’s amazing because I I think you’re right it’s it’s that they’re the ones that really need the belief yeah that’s
17:30often the thing that they’re not given um and therefore you we can head them down the wrong path can’t you but
17:36somebody like your father stepping in it will have really changed that trajectory for them and that impact will
17:42be ongoing and and ever last and we always remember the people don’t we that
17:47that impacted us positively I think it was Meer Angelo who said that one thing she’s learned is people will forget what
17:55you said people will forget what you did but people will never forget how how you made them feel and that one always
18:00resonated with me which is actually good thing to remember that they’re always going to remember how you
18:06make them feel and therefore try and make that a positive feeling and hopefully everything else will go well
18:14oh 100% I mean I I I could certainly think back to a number of people that yeah I’m not even sure they remember me
18:21and I think it was the fact that you know there was such a big difference you know again just easy reference point is
18:29the Marine Corps um they they they might not remember me just because there was
18:34such a big sweeping difference in our ranks and our experience but boy do I
18:40remember them to this day is because they did something you know what I thought was uniquely
18:46special um or they had a much bigger impact on my life than I think they would give themselves credit for um and
18:54so much so that even when the opportunity comes up it’s like you know everybody’s connected again on LinkedIn or Facebook I do take the opportunity to
19:01say hey you might remember 37 years ago um you know I want you know that
19:09whatever happened or you know maybe it wasn’t anything specific but you know you really impacted my life and I want
19:16to thank you as I celebrate this year you know being you know whatever 35 36
19:2237 38 years out of the Marine Corps is what an impact you made during that time
19:28um where I don’t think they could have possibly appreciated I was one of many
19:33marines that they had in their charge I love it makes it but it makes a big difference that Mak a really massive
19:41difference then that you took the time to reach out and tell them to to let
19:46them know I think it’s important I think because I think people as you get towards the tail end of your life is
19:52sort of like you know I think for me it’s that midlife crisis of being in the
19:57mid-50s you know these guys are certainly older probably you know what between 60 and 70 you know and not to be
20:05an agis but certainly the the time on the earth is less and at you know and
20:11probably in term many of their good years in terms of the ability to have an impact they are probably looking at as
20:19you know as being gone I think it’s important to have that reaffirmation and I say and part of what
20:26I say is that you know if you ever questioned whether you impacted somebody’s life I want to let you know
20:34that you did and I appreciate what you did you know it’s like like that is very
20:39much part of like that that’s that’s the note that I send um to a couple of
20:46people every year and you know it’s like you need to know that you made an impact
20:51and I remember it and I want to thank you um and never question whether your
20:56time here was important or if you you know if you if you made a difference
21:02um I don’t you know I I I think it’s I appreciate it so it’s like I I feel like
21:07I compelled to say it I I love that you take the time and actually what striking
21:12me is that you’re doing for those people almost what um the people that came to
21:18your father’s funeral and reach out to you are doing you you’re not just telling them thank you you’re giving
21:24them something to share with their families about the impact they had um and the lessons that they could that
21:30their children can learn as well which is a real gift it’s I I think you’re I think
21:37you’re 100% right in your assessment I mean that’s you know obviously that wasn’t what I directly learned from that
21:44I mean there was any but it was I think taking the the letters and what people said and I think it was unfortunate I
21:51believe my dad knew it because I’m sure there were people that said it to him while he was living I just think it’s so
21:57much more to say while they’re living than to their family when they’re dead
22:03and I wanted to give these people that benefit because I think they were all I
22:09think they were all equally important in that respect um and some you know
22:15certainly some more than others but I I I I reme I remember them you
22:22know and I remember looking up to him saying I want to be you know like Terrier I want to be like Frank or I
22:29want to be like Len I mean there were there were there were those guys that I was like got it that’s who I aspire to
22:36be and now when the opportunity comes up it’s you know I want to make sure that I
22:42that I’m telling them that that they you know and and they’ve done great things and have wonderful credentials and they
22:48don’t me need me to tell them but I do think it makes a difference and you know because those might be
22:56those might be business credentials that think gone on to get they may have had plenty of military awards but I think
23:03there’s something different you know it’s something as simple as is what I’m sharing and maybe maybe not maybe it
23:09just makes me feel good I don’t know I think I I think it’s a lovely thing that you’re doing and I think it’s you know
23:16it’s nice to when people tell you about something where you impacted them for a
23:21positive because we can we can tell ourselves well they don’t need to hear it from me well they don’t need to but
23:27they might like to because it’s nice to know that we all have those moments of Doubt don’t we where we worry that we
23:34haven’t been impactful enough or we haven’t um made a big enough difference so when people do take the time to come
23:41and tell you about something that you did it’s always nice to hear is it’s always it’s always a blessing you one of
23:48the things I try and do with my my little girl is you if we see if we see something and you think for example if
23:56someone’s looking particularly nice or H as done something kind we always go over and share the feedback because it’s like
24:01we’ve stopped doing that we’ve stopped going and telling people and isn’t it
24:07lovely when somebody does just put that smile on your face for five minutes and makes your day and everybody you
24:13interact with have a much better day as well if you’re coming at it from a positive space and I think um having
24:19that gratitude for the for the what you’ve learned from them but having it and sharing it back with them feels to
24:25me almost like um return learning the gift in your you gave me the gift of
24:32allowing me to learn this and I’m giving you the gift of letting you know I learned it um and it and it impacted me
24:38and it was helpful and it’s helped you know shape where I’m going I think that’s a lovely thing to do and I think
24:45a lot of the time we don’t do it we don’t take that step we think about it but the fact that you actually don’t
24:51just think about it but do it go and have those conversations I think talks to the Legacy you’re leading
24:59thank you and I’m striving for it and it’s it’s funny it’s like I I’ve done a lot of
25:05mentoring over you know probably more in the the
25:10last 15 years than ever before and maybe it was just a matter of having the
25:16credentials the maturity um to to be able to do that and
25:23you know like I always try to be helpful but I think maybe my my impact is is so much that you know so much more now that
25:30I’ve just hit you know hit later stages in my career you know so let’s say you know Post 40 is you know and and even as
25:39recently it’s like there are people that that have come back to me and have said like oh this conversation made so much
25:47of a difference or do you remember when I can’t even remember like and I would
25:53never like these are not you know and it’s sort of like when I I think it’s like when I look at some of the guys
25:59that I was thinking it’s like I think it was just part of their nature it was you know simply just that you know that that
26:07was the you know what they what they thought they were expected to do or it
26:12was just you know again it was it was part of their nature of course of you know just the course of you know course
26:17of their job and you know as now as these guys are coming back these guys
26:23and gals are coming back and like do you remember helping me you know do this or
26:28you know your words then like I I don’t have retention for it but their level of
26:37appreciation and the impact that they say I had is really unbeliev and like
26:44that’s that just warms my heart I mean back in November there was a guy that
26:50wanted to you know sort of begin getting into um also a Marine
26:58finances want but really wanted to take it down an entrepreneurial path and he
27:04came up for one of the annual Marine Corps balls that I work on and he took
27:09me aside and he started telling me about all of his success and the money that
27:15he’s making and the team that he’s building and you know he was saying I don’t know if you remember us going out
27:22and you sitting with me and giving me all these you know tidbits and really
27:29helping me formulate this plan and honestly I didn’t remember any of it like I knew the guy you know I remember
27:36talking to him but I don’t really remember sharing any you know incredible you know
27:43I don’t know nuggets of knowledge that would have you know changed his life you
27:48know that would have created this paradigm shift in his world um but evidently it was there and I and I
27:54literally found myself at this party in tears like like I can’t believe like
28:00this is this is wonderful um but yeah it’s like that to me it’s like all right
28:07it’s like I’m doing the right thing it’s like this is the that’s that’s the best
28:13affirmation um and the greatest source of energy that I get and it’s just um I
28:20think it’s a result of you know being authentic having Integrity um and really giving a crap
28:27about about people yeah you know like it’s it’s there there’s it’s nothing there’s nothing difficult I mean I think
28:33anybody can do it I I I completely agree but I think
28:38sometimes we we don’t value highly enough the things that come to us for free so being
28:45kind to people giving them our time being authentically ourselves we can do
28:51for free therefore we often don’t value it as highly as something that cost us a
28:57lot of money but until and I I wonder whether you maybe it’s my midlife crisis
29:02as well as I’ve got older that has become so much more apparent to me that
29:07the thing that that I value more um is authenticity is kindness it it’s more
29:15than anything anybody could give me if they give me if they give me their authentic self then that is a gift and I
29:22appreciate that but that must have been an amazing moment when they when there were sh in the impact that you’d had and
29:30so I can imagine I would have equally found myself in floods of Tears if if I’d been there because it’s lovely to
29:36know that you’ve had such a positive impact and that it’s made a difference to somebody yeah and it’s and I don’t
29:44know how you certainly I strive to have that positive impact as much as I
29:50possibly can um I I know I fail often also it’s like I’m you know those are
29:56the things that I am least proud about but I’m you know I’m aware that I have
30:02the ability to revert back to what I’d like to you know is Eric
30:071.0 um you know I I I I try to avoid that but it’s I that’s that there’s a
30:13natural inclination and you know I go back there but it’s you know I try to be
30:19I try to be the new and improved version which I think I’ve probably been for you
30:24know the better certainly the better part of 15 years um and again it’s like you know we got
30:31our faults and we you know we we cycle back there it’s you know it is familiar place not that I like it but I go back
30:38there um but yeah it’s like that’s that’s who that’s who I hope to be and
30:45you know I don’t know how many more people I’ll be able to impact it’s like if I you know there I think I’ve I think
30:51I’ve touched enough people and some in a more dramatic way than other
30:56but I I think dayto it’s like just my team it’s like if that was one of the
31:02reasons I wanted to have a business was because I wanted to Pro provide you know a safe healthy environment not for
31:09anyone in particular but for anybody who was going to be basically in my charge in my care that I could help that that
31:17may be that might be the end of it it might be the three or four or five people that work for me but that’s fine
31:25it’s like those are three or four or five people that hopefully like I provided them a really great
31:34experience that they can look back on and you know they were paid a wage that
31:40was fair that allowed them the freedom to do things for themselves or their family that they learned you know they
31:48they learned not necessarily a new skill but you know a new way of interacting or
31:53they felt healthy about their time there that I was you know my business partner
31:59I were able to alleviate stress but it was but it was different than going to
32:05another job that we gave them a unique enough experience that it was positively
32:11memorable and that that may be all that I impact for the rest of my life but
32:16that’s fine also it’s like I you know I don’t think I have any expectations of you know being you know Schindler and
32:23you know 1,00 families is you know that that might might be you know a little
32:30you know aggressive to think that but you know in my own little way it’s like yeah if I can if I can have just a you
32:36know a sufficient positive impact on a couple of people along the way great you
32:44know and we should all strive for that in whatever way we can we don’t all own businesses but we you know we’re leaders
32:49in different ways it’s how do you treat your family how do you treat your friends you know sort of do one to
32:54others is you know pay it forward or all of that kind of stuff yeah you know
33:00that’s all leadership so true and and we we lead in so many different aspects of our life
33:07even if we’re not per se the leader in ination yeah you I always say to my
33:13little girl the you’re always the leader of yourself as well so you you get to
33:19set the right expectations for yourself and hold yourself to account and you’re you’re right you know we we are
33:24perfectly imperfect and we will go and we will get things wrong but but I think it’s not the mistake that defines us
33:30it’s what we do about it it’s what we whether or not we recognize oh look I circled back our best stop and head back
33:36where I want to but because that’s going to be how we grow isn’t it and if we can impact I always thought if I can impact
33:42just one person positively every day then that’s a good day that’s a day that I can be proud of and if I can do more
33:50than that even better but if I start small at least you you’re giving
33:55yourself something you can achieve right and I think you know you do it very consciously
34:01is and you take I think greater risks
34:07than I would be comfortable with and maybe that’s you know not to sound sexist but I think maybe you’re you’re
34:13afforded some Liberties as woman to maybe say something to somebody that you
34:18don’t know where they’re not going to see it as a threat where you know and there are times that I get in the elevator and I see somebody that is like
34:25oh man it’s like I love those shoes or I love that outfit um or you know like I
34:32think if I was to say what’s that perfume it would that might get to the point that it’s like slightly creepy it’s like I don’t know if I’d go there
34:38but it’s like I really want to ask it’s like oh my God that smells so good um so you know I’m I’m a little more cautious
34:45I’m a little more cautious with that but like it’s it’s in my heart like I you
34:51know I you know in our previous conversations like you know going up to somebody and saying I love that outfit
34:58it’s I would love to be able to do that without getting smacked or somebody thinking I’m a creeper um but I think
35:04that’s terrific because when somebody does that for me it lights my day up like I feel really good it’s like wow
35:11it’s like I you know it’s like I still look good to somebody it’s like I just feel like I’m going gray and I’m bald
35:17and my Skin’s wrinkly it’s like I didn’t realize anybody could find me attractive any longer Bless you that’s not true but I
35:24think I think you’re right sometimes we we do hold ourselves back from from that you know that that fear of like how’s
35:31the person going to how’s the person going to respond you know right I spent many years joking that I’ve got
35:36hairdresser face because people will tell me anything and I started off as a hairdresser but then I realized actually
35:41it’s probably because if I see that somebody’s not looking happy I’ll do my best to make them smile because like
35:47it’s really hard to stay unhappy when someone Just Smiles so it’s like if that’s all I can achieve right is I’ll
35:53make you smile and that might just make today a little bit better and the amount of people people that I now have as
35:59friends that that was because when I saw them they were having a really bad day on a train um and I was like I could
36:04leave them they’re really bad day or I could interact and see if I can make it make it better and it’s amazing where
36:11those friendships come up from isn’t it if they started from the place of trying to leave things better than we found
36:18them Eric it’s been an absolute Delight to tat you as it always is I can’t believe time’s
36:24just there with this one last piece of advice yeah go back and give your
36:29younger self um a lesson that you learned later on what would it
36:35be you know it’s I I feel like I’ve already said it and it seems so corny because it’s in the title of your show
36:41but I think it’s it’s truly about authenticity
36:47is I became so much better when I dropped the
36:52bravado and allowed myself to be vulnerable and so it’s it’s you know I think it’s two-part it’s it’s it’s being
36:59authentic is so much of my life was caught up in trying to be the image of
37:07something that I don’t know I thought would be respected um and but it wasn’t true to
37:15who I was and I always felt like I was I was an actor you know dressed up as
37:21someone else is being authentic and I think the the the vulnerability is
37:28is when I got comfortable with and it’s very difficult when to to be vulnerable it’s that’s not hard and
37:35there’s that has its own emotional stresses because you you are sort of
37:42walking around without a shield um but people appreciate it I think both
37:49the you know I don’t like to use the you know I’ve not found a really great word for subordinates but you know whether
37:56it’s the people that you’re leading or the people that are you know that you’re serving
38:01um is when they see that you’re vulnerable and that you’re open and that
38:08you’re I don’t know willing to discuss your faults and the
38:15opportunities to change to move to Pivot I think there’s a greater appreci and
38:20that they can see that you’re that you you have the ability to be sad um I
38:26think that made such a difference in terms of how everybody around me
38:31responded um and when I first started getting comfortable with
38:37it and I think it was probably around 2019 that I started 20 late 2018 late
38:442019 that I really started getting comfortable with it myself um it was
38:50like a rush of emotions and it may have been too much it’s like I just sort of like I open the gate here I am um and I
38:58don’t know if everybody was quite ready for that um so you know
39:06maybe I don’t know I think I everything had been i’ it had built up for so long
39:13that needed somewhere to rush to but after I got the flow of those that
39:20vulnerability and the requisite emotions under control
39:26um I think think people I think people enjoyed being with me more yeah um I
39:34think there was a certainly from my team I think they appreciated me more is they
39:40I think there was there was a comfort that they had um that they could talk to
39:45me about you know anything and everything which I’m not really quite sure every leader is comfortable with
39:52that some leaders just like nope keep your private at home and we’re not talking about it me I don’t know we’re
39:58small and we’re intimate and that’s what I hope we can do and you know without treading on any HR lines um but yeah I
40:06think it’s the authenticity and I think it’s the vulnerability those are the like I I wish I had I wish I had been
40:12more honest with myself and more honest about myself with others when I was
40:18younger although I don’t know if I would have had the the emotional
40:24maturity to do that as do that at that time time so maybe it’s just like the you you
40:30know youth is wasted on the young I don’t know if I would have been able to I don’t know if I would have had the
40:37maturity to to allow myself to be authentic to allow myself to have been
40:42vulnerable at a younger I don’t think I was that I don’t think I was that evolved so it’s hard to say it but it is
40:50great advice about you know being authentically you and I think it is hard you know as we were younger you’re desperately trying to fit in to what you
40:58think is is expected and and I think with social media that’s even worse look
41:04at these seemingly perfect views of everybody else’s life and look at the messy reality of our own and find it sadly lacking um but you know I always
41:12and say to scholar you’ve got to You’ got to be willing to dance your own dance yeah and do it your way and not
41:19worry because actually when you get it’s by age older H you suddenly realize that
41:25that’s the bit you wish You’ done sooner wish you taken that leap of faith in
41:30being who you were meant to be earlier as best you can and I think as long as we get there I guess it doesn’t matter
41:38when we get there but doing it as soon as you can is really the yeah you know getting there
41:45is when you can it’s like that’s nice and that’s you know the goal and maybe you know certainly it takes some people
41:50longer to run the race but boy I wish I had found it earlier and I wish I had
41:57the sense of peace that I do now and not that there’s not things that are unsettled in my life
42:03but I wish I I wish I had found my core and embraced it earlier
42:12yeah than than now it’s like I feel like there may have been a few years you
42:19never say wasted because you grow during that hopefully you’re growing during that time anyway and maybe it just took me longer to grow and that’s why I am we
42:27but I wish I wish I had you know I wish that path was a little bit shorter um
42:32and I got to the place that I am now that I think there were probably a few
42:38years in between that I could have used it but maybe it was only because of what I went through during those years that I
42:44got to where I am now it’s it’s just it’s hard to differentiate you know what
42:49was what was part of the journey um and what was sort of an you know sort of the excess you know Side Road I don’t know
42:57but um no but I think I think that is it isn’t it as as we go go through life and
43:03and we evolve these these things come into view more more often I mean and I
43:09always think if you don’t learn the lesson life repeats it for you I had to I had to repeat a few
43:15lessons a few too many times until until I learned them so I I totally get that there sometimes you think could I not
43:22have got there a bit faster did I really have to go through the lesson three times before I worked out what it was I
43:28was supposed to learn and grow I think you’re right you know we as long as we’re all learning and we’re we’re
43:34growing and we’re trying to be you as I said Scarlet the only goal that you need
43:40to have is to be the best version of yourself and to be a better version of yourself today than you were yesterday
43:46right and that you do that and that’s success um because that’s going to give you peace and Harmony and gratitude and
43:54appreciation for things whereas if you start trying to be like everybody else they’re already
44:00taken they’re already them they don’t they don’t need a kind of CopyCat of them they but there’s only one you so be
44:08the best you that you can be and hopefully that will make life
44:14easier Agreed 100% it’s been an absolute Delight Eric all mine very much um I’ve
44:22really enjoyed chatting to you as I always do I look forward to our next conversation and I’ll make sure that um how to get in touch with you is included
44:29in the notes below until next time thank you so much thank you
44:34[Music]
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