Refining and Polishing My “Why”
I started my new business, Catapult For Change, six months ago. So far so good. The upside is that I can decide how to spend my time. I love the freedom and the flexibility. I can intermix my work with my life in a more balanced way. It is rewarding to feel helpful and see progress from my clients. I do not spend all day on Zoom calls and enjoy the mix of attending in-person events, writing and preparing deliverables, and joining online meetings. The downside is that I can decide how to spend my time. How should I spend my time? What activities are the best return on my investment of time for business development? And while I am doing fine financially — I sure do miss working on a team and the regularity of a paycheck every two weeks! I am adapting to being a solopreneur. And time is a double-edged sword — my greatest asset and my greatest liability.
I titled this blog Refining and Polishing My “Why” because it is top of mind. My why, or my purpose, is to improve the quality of life for people and the planet. I find that I often ask myself — “Why am I doing this (fill in the blank with whatever activity it is)? How does it fit in with my purpose? Stay focused, Eleanor!” Time is my scarcest resource and I want to make sure that how I spend it creates a positive impact for as many people as possible. That is why I continue to refine and polish my why— to make sure I am using my time wisely.
I spoke to a friend recently about what I have been doing with my new business. He said that he thought my purpose was quite clear. As I described what I was doing in my “portfolio career” phase of life, he pictured a four-legged stool. I like that analogy, yet I see myself more as a tree with branches. I asked ChatGPT/DALL-E to draw me as a tree with four branches. This is what I got. It made me smile!
The trunk is my “why” and the branches are my “how”: who and what I am supporting to improve the quality of life for people and the planet: 1) executives through my coaching, 2) companies through my board service, 3) organizations through my consulting, and 3) nonprofits (Water For People, 350Colorado, and the National Academy of Engineering) through my volunteering.
A few more things that I have done lately to attemp to polish my “why”:
1. Spending more time with my family.
· Eating lunch (almost) everyday with my husband and continuously discovering new cycling routes in Colorado together is pure joy. Our summer motto is to never ride the same road or trail twice! So far so good.
· Cheerleading and supporting my older son through his first year as a fully employed adult working in DC for a US Senator (he is loving it — and what a time to be in DC!).
· Celebrating my younger son’s high school graduation while he gets ready to start music school. His latest hits are available on Spotify, Apple Music, and Amazon Music (cover art photos taken by his fan mom!).
· Commemorating my mother’s 95th birthday with a family party. What an incredible life, person, and role model!
2. Continuing to support women in engineering. I love mentoring and coaching individuals and also supporting mid-career women in engineering through ReSoLve and Frontiers of Engineering. Of the small number of women that start engineering careers, even smaller amount stay in them. It isn’t always easy. I can relate. I would like to try to change this statistic by supporting future female engineering leaders.
3. Reducing my carbon footprint. I am consciously doing this through planning less air travel, getting ready to downsize to a smaller house, and trading in our two cars for one hybrid.
4. Developing short courses to teach online. I am inspired by the requests and feedback I am getting from friends and clients that are asking me to share more about my life experiences so they can learn from me. Since I am in pay-it-forward mode, I would like to do this. I have bucketed the interest in three areas, and I am developing short courses for each. Sign up here to be added to my mailing list to stay in the know and learn more.
· How to be an Awesome CEO — advice and lessons learned from the trenches. This short course will be for existing or aspiring CEOs and will touch on the most important things I learned after 10 years in the role. I have been successfully testing material with my popular TikTok account — Exec Coach Eleanor!
· From Burnout to Brilliance — building a flourishing organizational culture. Data show that companies the prioritize wellbeing enjoy higher employee engagement and retention, and lower burnout. It takes takes intention by leaders to make these shifts. We’ll deep dive into the three concentric circles that lead to organizational brilliance — individual wellbeing, team wellbeing, and organizational wellbeing.
· Living the Third Chapter of Life to the Fullest — It is possible to thrive in your third chapter by actively managing menopause. This course is for women (and allies of women) that are in perimenopause, menopause, and post menopause. We have all suffered in silence for too long. Our bodies and brain change dramatically in the third stage of life and yet the multitude of impacts from menopause are rarely discussed. Let’s support each other, learn from the latest data, and proactively be our best at work and in life while going through this inevitable change.
5. Being with friends. I am aware of the importance of friends in life for emotional support, community, and a sense of belonging. I am fortunate that I have many. What I didn’t realize until recently is that engaging in conversations and activities with friends stimulates the brain, helps maintain cognitive functions, and potentially reduces the risk of cognitive decline. I have taken note!
With friendship in mind, my husband and I are looking forward to heading to Oregon soon to spend two weeks with some of our best friends. It will be 14 days of cycling, playing pickleball, talking, board games, cooking, eating, and drinking. A true dopamine hit on extended play. Hasta pronto!
