Try a TRIBE TRIP WALL instead

Every year on News Year Eve or New Years Day, a group of my girlfriends and I get together and spend the night vision boarding. What is vision boarding you ask? Well, in addition to an excuse to get together with friends to eat, drink and discuss the latest Netflix show (seriously, have you not seen Bridgerton yet?), it is the process of selecting and pasting visual images of what the next year is hopefully going to look like for you onto a poster board. It’s an exercise that forces you to seriously consider the goals that are really important for you this upcoming year, and create a visual depiction of those that you hang on the wall as a constant reminder. Lots of pics from magazines, coloring books, word cut outs, stick on letters and numbers…whatever your inter-artist self imagines. It is something I highly recommend.

You can think of it as the modern day version of setting your New Year’s resolutions, except for maybe the food, alcohol, laughing, and group sharing that goes on in this version. While on the surface it seems like an easy exercise to continue this year, the real spirit of the exercise is the annual gathering of your tribe of besties who you can count on to tell you exactly what they see as good or bad about your vision. It often times forces you to build it bigger, accelerate it quicker, or even rethink it completely. COVID has made that gathering impossible for many of us this year. Just another reason to kick 2020 to the curb. We can add it to the list!

I’m not suggesting, however that you allow COVID to force you to abandon the vision board concept this year. Instead let me share with you what my version of that activity looked like. Instead of attempting to replace my tribe with a Zoom Happy Hour…(why am I the only one actually drinking at those?)…I decided to create a Tribe Trip Wall instead. Because my vision for 2021 includes reconnecting with all my tribes (yes I have many), I took an empty wall of my upstairs loft office and turned it into my Tribe Trip Wall. I printed out a bunch of 4 x 6 pics of all the great trips and special get togethers with my tribes, put them in frames, and hung them on a wall. Now everyday, I will look at it as I walk by on my way to my desk. It will be a constant reminder that my vision for the 2021 year is to travel, and hug, and laugh, and bitch about 2020 with the people that matter in my life someday soon. Yes, I have work and health goals too. But this year, my people goals seemed more important to feature front and center. So while ALL my goals are on paper, my tribe goals…they’re on my wall for all to see.

SIP Series: Dime- Nickel-Quarter Circle of Friends

Excerpt from SIP TIPS Season One, Episode Three (click her to view)

Authored by Casey Steinbacher

Believe it or not, there is a lot of social science around the concept of relationships; specifically about how our brain is actually wired to accept and manage relationships in our life.

We all intuitively know that FRIEND relationships are important in our lives. In the work that Jes and I have done with many women in our workshops, the circle of support and influence that women have cultivated in their lives has clearly become one of the most important indicators for their success.

We’ve all heard the saying “your circle of friends”. We know that all of the friends we have in our life don’t fall into one big circle but instead into different levels of friend circles. In our “Finding Your Next” program we help you understand the difference and importance of each those friend circles so that you can intentionally curate each in a way that provides the most impact for your life and theirs.

We refer to this as your dime, nickel, quarter circle of friends.

For most of us, there are a few, very close friends that are the most important to us. They are with us through thick and thin. And their intensity doesn’t diminish with time or distance. These are our Dime Circle; our smallest but closets circle. Our ride or die squad.

The next circle is our Nickel Circle. This group is larger but still impactful and we work at maintaining a relationship with each of them. They may not go as deep or long as the dime squad and they may come in and out of our life at different times, but the Nickel Circle is always full of our raving fans.

Then finally, our largest circle is our quarter circle. A little more directly removed from our life, they still value the relationship. They provide support and influence, but more on an as needed basis. Their contribution, although more occasional, is provided with the same helpful intent and willingness as our other two circles.

I often times use this example to help people understand a little more clearly the difference between each of these circles. Picture something happening in your life that ends up with you in jail. And while in jail, you are told that you are allowed one phone call. If you chose to use your one call to call someone in your quarter circle, they would tell you not to worry because they know the very best defense attorney in the country and they will call them right away. If however, you chose to use your one call to call someone in your nickel circle, they would tell you that they’re running out the door, jumping in the car, got the cash for bail and they will have you out of there in the hour. BUT if you chose to use your one call to call someone in your dime circle…you would have wasted your one call, because your dime circle is already sitting in the jail cell with you. Ride or Die Squad, remember? Co-conspirators in everything.

So, ask yourself. Who’s in your jail cell with you right now? And if you can’t answer that question, let us help you discover and curate your Dime…at our Finding Your Next workshop this Fall.

Catch Episode 3 here. And register today for the upcoming fall workshop Finding Your Next before it sells out.

The SIP TIP Series: Sipping in Place while Sheltering in Place.

An introduction to a five part video series to help you think about Finding Your Next

An excerpt from SIP TIPS Season One; Episode One with Jes Averhart and Casey Steinbacher.

Normally, the three of us, Jes Averhart, Casey Steinbacher, and Esther Campi, would be putting the finishing touches on our two-day women’s empowerment workshop called Finding Your Next. But like everything else in this COVID moment in time, we’ve had to push the workshop back until September. Finding Your Next is a one of kind journey of self discovery, specifically designed for high performing women looking for what’s next in their lives. As the founders and instructors for this experience we know first hand the value of a guided process of reflection that challenges you to embrace your authentic self and encourages you to level up and Find Your Next.

So rather than wait, we decided to create a series of short, informative and conversational videos that will share some of the program’s content. And why not. You’re sheltering in place. We’re sheltering in Place. We might as well do it together.

And if we’re gonna SIP, we might as well really sip, and enjoy some wine while we’re at it.

Today we thought’s we’d introduce the concept and give you a quick high level look at episodes 2 through 5. In our next episode we’ll begin by giving you an overview of Crucible Moments: those moments in your life that you might not realize help create the next best versions of yourself. We help you find the Lessons Learned and the Lies You Tell Yourself in those moments.

Episode 3 will take a few moments to help you remember the importance of your tribe. Everyone needs that circle of friends that help shape and influence their lives. What most people don’t understand is that there are multiple circles of people and influence that are important for you to have. Understanding the difference in those circles is beneficial in helping you curate the people who will be part of them.

Episode 4 is a great lesson in personal branding. Many of us are extremely good at articulating the brand of the company or organization that we work for. But very few of us are comfortable at describing our own personal brand. Self promotion when done correctly is not arrogance but confidence. The kind that everyone wants on their team.

And finally episode 5 will try and get you a little bit more comfortable with this whole concept of the new normal. Uncommon times call for uncommon solutions. So getting comfortable with uncommon is critical to your success. Join us for tips on how you might get there.

We hope you join us for the rest of the series.

Here is a link to this episode 1 and to the registration link to the September Finding Your Next Program. The program is designed to be intimate and intense so slots are limited. Please register today to ensure you have a seat.