The Audacious Living Podcast

Why Successful People Struggle With Authentic Leadership | Anne Candido & April Martini

The Audacious Living Podcast

Show Notes

You can be great at what you do and still reach a point where the very things that made you successful no longer seem to work.What if becoming a better leader isn't about becoming someone else, but understanding more deeply who you already are?───Signature Quote“Audacity is having the courage to do something big and not play small.” — Anne CandidoAnne's definition comes directly from the Fearless Fast Round.───Why This Quote MattersThis captures the heart of the conversation because authentic leadership requires the courage to stop measuring yourself against somebody else's version of success. Growth isn't about playing a role. It's about becoming more intentional with what is already within you.───Episode DescriptionWhat happens when you're a high performer, you've done everything that got you this far, and suddenly it isn't enough?Anne Candido and April Martini join me for a candid conversation about authentic leadership, personal branding, self-awareness and the uncomfortable transition from being great at doing the work to becoming responsible for leading others. Their approach starts from the inside out: understand yourself first, then consider how that clarity affects your team and ultimately the business.We get into the temptation to copy other successful leaders, the hard work of examining your own patterns, and why consistency matters so much when you're trying to build trust. Anne and April also share some leadership lessons they had to learn themselves, including relinquishing control, bringing people along and recognizing that healthy conflict and boundaries can actually make you a stronger leader.Maybe the next version of your leadership doesn't require you to become someone different. Maybe it starts with discovering what's already there.───This Episode Is For You If...you're a high performer discovering that leadership requires a different set of musclesyou've caught yourself comparing your leadership style to someone else'syou're questioning whether you have what it takes to reach the next levelyou want to build greater trust and alignment with your teamyou're ready to do the sometimes uncomfortable work of understanding yourself better───Guest BioAnne Candido and April Martini are the co-founders of Forthright People, a leadership performance company that helps develop leaders from the inside out. Their work connects three important pieces: the individual leader, the team around them and the business they're trying to grow.Together, Anne and April bring more than 45 years of experience. Anne spent 20 years at Procter & Gamble, while April built her career on the agency side working with major brands and Fortune 100 companies. Eventually, both reached a point where they wanted their next chapter to be less about bringing products to market and more about helping people become better leaders.They're also authors and hosts of the Strategic Counsel podcast, where they continue exploring leadership, business and personal development.───Guest Links🌐 Forthright Peopleforthright-people.com⁠📘 Book: The Power of Your Personal Brand: A Playbook for Struggling Middle Managers Who Want to Do Big Things🎙️ Podcast: Strategic CounselAnne notes that their website provides access to the book, downloadable workbook and podcast.───Listen on Major Platforms🎧 Spotify → https://open.spotify.com/show/2jVR6V7X2kRiCCDXE0FTyl?si=IR3TsfEWR3WA6BzfBRnVXQ⁠🍎 Apple Podcasts → https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/the-audacious-living-podcast/id1547447345⁠📦 Amazon Music → https://music.amazon.ca/podcasts/9f7902bb-dec8-4bd9-918d-d1fef21b7c67/the-audacious-living-podcast?ref=dm_sh_pGv57yQvAmAQVp2IIaXoDwtFt⁠───Call To ActionEnjoying the show?Share this episode with someone who needs to hear this.⭐ Leave a review:👉 https://ratethispodcast.com/audacious⁠

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You have an idea. Maybe you have had it for years, sketched on a napkin or sitting in a journal. The difference between you and the inventor on QVC is not talent. It is knowing the right way to move. Signature Quote "Do not share your information until the ink dries." Lisa learned the hard way that an unprotected idea is a vulnerable one. This line from her book is the rule she lives by, and the one she wants every new inventor to hear first. Lisa Ascolese, known as The Inventress, has spent decades turning everyday frustrations into products that sell. Her first invention came from being embarrassed to breastfeed in public, so she created the Bosom Buddy nursing cape. A sock she used to tie her hair into a church-ready bun became the Bun Tie, her first product on QVC. A lost pair of scissors while wrapping gifts became the Wrap and Store organizer, which sold out on QVC. In this conversation, Lisa shares what inventing the right way actually means. Do your due diligence. Build a working prototype before you ever call a patent attorney. Do not add so much to a simple product that it can never get made. And keep your idea close until it is protected, because the naysayers will talk you out of it before it has a chance. She also talks about the audacity it took to pick up the phone and call buyers and celebrities, including a 30-year relationship with Dionne Warwick that started with one cold call, and why she founded the Association of Women Inventors and Entrepreneurs to lift other women up. This is a practical, no-fluff conversation for anyone sitting on an idea. This episode is for you if... - You have an idea sketched somewhere and no clue what to do next - You have wondered whether to patent first or prototype first - You want to get a product onto QVC, HSN, or a store shelf - You have been burned before and want a trustworthy guide this time - You believe inventors should lift each other up Lisa Ascolese is known as The Inventress, a name her publicist coined years ago and one she has since trademarked. Born in London and raised in Brooklyn by West Indian parents, she was inventing as a child, taking things apart around the house and making them work for her. Her first product, the Bosom Buddy breastfeeding cape, sold nationally and internationally, and she went on to sell multiple products on QVC, including the Bun Tie, the Wrap and Store organizer, and the Perfect Pockets organizer, which she later redesigned for HSN. Today Lisa helps inventors go from a napkin idea all the way to the marketplace, teaching them to do it the right way with due diligence, working prototypes, and protected ideas. She is the founder of the Association of Women Inventors and Entrepreneurs, now celebrating its 13th year, and host of The Inventors Podcast. Her book is "The Inventress Guide to Inventing the Right Way: All or Nothing, Now or Never." Her mission is simple: lifting each other up two hands at a time. 🌐 Website: https://inventingatoz.com/ Her podcast, The Inventors Podcast, and her social channels are all linked from her website. Listen on Major Platforms 🎧 Spotify → https://open.spotify.com/show/2jVR6V7X2kRiCCDXE0FTyl?si=IR3TsfEWR3WA6BzfBRnVXQ 🍎 Apple Podcasts → https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/the-audacious-living-podcast/id1547447345 📦 Amazon Music → https://music.amazon.ca/podcasts/9f7902bb-dec8-4bd9-918d-d1fef21b7c67/the-audacious-living-podcast?ref=dm_sh_pGv57yQvAmAQVp2IIaXoDwtFt Enjoying the show? Share this episode with someone who needs to hear this. ⭐ Leave a review: 👉 https://ratethispodcast.com/audacious

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