We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Kelly Gordon. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Kelly below.
Kelly, we’re so excited for our community to get to know you and learn from your journey and the wisdom you’ve acquired over time. Let’s kick things off with a discussion on self-confidence and self-esteem. How did you develop yours?
Confidence comes from competence, and as a yacht captain, the more time spent at sea, the more you learn. Navigating challenging waters, managing crew, handling complex mechanical systems, and ensuring passenger safety all require a high level of skill. Over time, these experiences reinforce your abilities and make you more sure of yourself in difficult situations. Each successful docking or storm you navigate builds your sense of mastery.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
Captain Kelly J. Gordon is an accomplished motor yacht captain, public speaker, social media influencer, and the 2022 recipient of A Crew Yachting’s Master 500-GT award. The former chemistry professor grew up on a farm in a small town in Indiana, where she developed the work ethic and drive that have made her successful. Her thirst for adventure has led her to become one of the busiest and most respected captains.
Captain Kelly enjoys sharing her story, teaching through her own experiences, and providing personal insight to her 29K+ social media fans. She also frequently hosts seminars and speaking engagements. Captain Kelly recognizes that many of the lessons she has learned at sea are just as applicable on land, which is why she has expanded her reach to people who want to learn about leadership, empowerment, motivation, entrepreneurship, and more.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
Looking back, the most impactful skills or qualities on getting me to where I am today, which is the happiest I have ever been, was most definitely first and foremost my dedication to self improvement. I put a lot of work in on developing myself and putting in the work for my mental and physical health, my education and more.
Another skill is positive self talk. It’s important to be kind to yourself as the conversations that we have with ourselves are the most important conversations we will ever have.
Also, I have always been very determined and that quality has helped immensely as it gave me the mindset that when someone doubts me to use that as fuel to prove to them and myself that I can.
Lastly, being able to flip the script and make positives out of negatives. There is always a silver lining, sometimes you just have to look for it.
Any advice for folks feeling overwhelmed?
When I feel overwhelmed I stop and take time for myself. I often find that when I am overwhelmed that is when I need to relax and take time to recharge to tackle what it is that I am actually overwhelmed about. I also take the time to make sure the conversations that I am having with myself are kind. I remind myself of all that I have accomplished up to the point and when I do that it usually settles me right down. And I ask for help. I like to do things myself but the reality is that no one ever gets where they are going alone. Sometimes that help can be in the form of a conversation and sometimes help getting a task done. Really though, when I am overwhelmed is a key indicator that I need to stop and take extra care of myself, even just for a few minutes.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://captainkellyjgordon.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/captain_kellyjgordon
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/captainkellyjgordon/
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