Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Julie Lee. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Julie, so great to have you with us and we want to jump right into a really important question. In recent years, it’s become so clear that we’re living through a time where so many folks are lacking self-confidence and self-esteem. So, we’d love to hear about your journey and how you developed your self-confidence and self-esteem.
I started making the conscience choice to believe the good things people said about me. When I was given a compliment, instead of responding, “No” or “Oh, whatever”, I started saying “thank you.” Period. The more I accepted and. believed the positive feedback I received, the truer it felt.
Some of us believe that being humble is putting ourselves down or disregarding the kind things people say. I disagree; that is self-sabotage, which is the thief of confidence and self-esteem.
Years ago before my speaking career, I was speaking to a group of women as a volunteer. After the presentation, a woman approached me and said, “You’re incredible at this. You need to do something big in life with your ability to connect and to teach in a way that is so palatable. Every time I hear you speak, I’m sitting in a folding chair, but I feel like I’m cuddling up on a couch with a cup of cocoa.””
While I wasn’t exactly sure what the cocoa meant, I could feel the sincerity of her compliment and the intensity in her hug that followed. Instead of brushing it off, I chose to believe her. I chose to trust her. That day was a pivotal moment when some of my natural abilities came into focus for me and I began to develop them more seriously.
Becoming a professional speaker, who gets paid to speak to audiences all over the country, has brought more fulfillment in my life than I thought possible. And just like all skills, the more I do it, the better I get, and the greater confidence I gain.
As Brene Brown says, I know well the mistake of “hustling for your worthiness.” I remind myself often that my worth as a human being in this world is unchanging, no matter what I choose to do with my life. Understanding that concept has supported my self-esteem. I can create from a place of strength instead of scarcity, because I know my worth is intact before I take a stage or any other endeavor in life.
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?
My love the work I do with my speaking business, I See You Leadership. I speak and train primarily leaders about how to utilize the power of human connection up-levels their work culture. I get excited to help organizations develop a work environment where people feel seen, appreciated, and trusted, because I was forever impacted by leaders who did this for me in my own life.
And there’s not time to waste.
We live in a time when the mental health of our people is needing more attention and support than ever. Current research shows that over half of employees struggle with anxiety and/or depression. What’s the most stressful part of their jobs? 75% of the participants in a recent study answered that it’s interacting with their immediate boss.
With a world-wide pandemic and increased divisiveness in our society at large, our people are suffering from the effects of isolation. Isolation is the mistress of poor mental health; how do we help our people heal from its effects? By doing exactly the opposite of isolation.
We make connection a top priority in our organizations. We become the kind of leaders our people want to follow anywhere.
There has never been a more important time to grow into the kind of leader people know they can count on. People need authentic leaders who can shape a work culture that fosters authenticity, trust, and connection.
I have several projects in the work that I’m excited about, including brand new keynotes and workshops to help bring human connection into work culture at a whole new level.
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?
1. Learning to ask for help. To develop trust in a relationship, you have to be willing to both give and receive. I learned this first hand through my 20’s when my mental health fell apart and I took the step to reach out to my leaders. Those conversations and experiences created trust in our relationship, and they knew they could ask me for help in return.
2. Developing empathy.
Growing through challenges has been a great reminder to me that most people deal with things personally and professionally, they never expected to. All of us our living this life for the first time, and we all need support. Remembering what matters most is key in keeping ourselves grounded in our core values as leaders.
3. Setting and keeping boundaries.
To keep yourself healthy, it’s paramount that you can make and keep personal boundaries. Knowing when to say “yes” and “no” can make the difference between burnout and success.
All the wisdom you’ve shared today is sincerely appreciated. Before we go, can you tell us about the main challenge you are currently facing?
Patience-which has been unexpected. I think I’m an unusually patient person as a parent and any many relationships. But developing patience for life to turn out as it should, that’s been a struggle for me. I remind myself often to live one day at a time and that things will happen how they should. I have so much good I want to do in this world and somedays I’d like to do it all at once. I am learning patience.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.julieleespeaks.com
- Instagram: @julieleespeaks
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/julieleespeaks/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/julieleespeaks/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@julieleespeaks
