Marie Curie said:’Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood’. Fear is what mostly keeps us going from where we are today to where we want to go in our personal and professional lives. We can plan all kinds of things, have big or small goals but never get to accomplishing anything, primarily because we are scared of making mistakes or what the unknown future might bring and so forth. But not acting keep us right where we are and away from living our best life ever.
In order to delve more into this subject, I wanted to invite someone who has the experience and the knowledge to share with us on how to eliminate fear, end indecision, so we can create the life we desire.
Please allow me to welcome a dear colleague – Libby Gill to the Wise Leap. Libby is an International speaker, Executive Coach, Brand Strategist and Best Selling Author of You Unstuck. She has shared her success strategies on the Today Show, The Big Idea with Donny Deutsch, CNN, NPR, Oprah & Friends Radio Network, Fox News, CBS Early Show, and in Time Magazine, the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, O Magazine, Good Housekeeping, Self and many more. Libby’s clients have included Microsoft, Warner Bros, Siemens, Cisco Systems, Comcast, Celebree Learning Centers, Deloitte & Touche, Hewlett-Packard, Natural Products Association, The Boeing Company, Triad Hospitals, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Healthcare Businesswomen’s Association, International Association of Administrative Professionals, Cadbury Schweppes, PitneyBowes, State Farm, Financial Women International, Andrews-Kurth Legal; Parsons Brinckerhoff, National Kitchen & Bath Association and more.
I want to thank Libby for taking the time and stopping by as well as for sharing her wisdom with us today. Appreciate you very much.
1.Welcome to The Wise Leap, please share a little bit about yourself and your work?
LG-I’m delighted to join you on your blog. My first career was working as a Hollywood studio executive, heading up media relations, corporate communications and promotions – basically all the elements of brand strategy and implementation – at Sony, Universal and Turner Broadcasting. Twelve years ago, I left the corporate world to found Libby Gill & Company, a business coaching and brand strategy firm. Because of my corporate history and current coaching role, I continue to work with corporations on leadership skills and executive presence, as well as speaking on all of these topics. I love the opportunity to help guide a range of clients to success – however they define it!
2.Before we move to talking about your book – You Unstuck, I would love for you to share a little bit about your career re-invention journey with our audience? How did you know what you wanted to do and what pointers would you like to share with someone who maybe where you were?
LG -After nearly twenty years in the corporate world, I felt as though I’d done what I set out to do and wanted to dig in deeper into guiding people to create lives that addressed their personal passions as well as their professional goals. The coaching profession was in its nascent stage, so mostly I worked off gut instinct and trial and error until I discovered where I brought most value to others. I was 47 when I left the corporate world, started my own business, published my first book and also made a number of changes in my personal life. It wasn’t easy, so I recommend that people find a coach, expert or trusted advisor who’s been there and done that and can guide them on the path.
3.I loved the title of your book – You Unstuck – please share with us what this book is about?
LG-You Unstuck is about identifying and removing the self-perceived limiting assumptions that hold us back in work and life. As one reader said, “It’s one of the most complex and also the simplest book” he’d ever read on the subject of life change. I worked very hard to make some complex concepts, like how our brains can actually stop us from making positive changes, very do-able for people to implement.
4.Why do people get so excited about their ideas and then fail to follow through?
LG – The newness of an idea can raise anxiety (like butterflies in the stomach) or it can get us excited about possibilities. But as we continue mulling an idea over, the actual doing of it versus the thinking about it can become more daunting. That’s why we all know people who have complained about the same work or relationship issue for 20 years but failed to take any new action. If it were easy, we’d all be rich, healthy and wildly successful.
5.Why do people choose mediocrity over excellence?
LG- Fear often stops people from taking risks. It’s safer and easier to stay comfortably stuck in mediocrity than it is to rock the boat at the office or at home, or even in our own heads. In You Unstuck, I give lots of great ways that you can transcend that fear or resistance, like having an Accountability Partner.
6.In your book, you talk about Riskophobia, what do you mean by that?
LG- As we think about going after a promotion, or looking for a new job, or asking someone on a date, our brain can release chemicals like adrenalin and cortisol that give us that rush of anxiety. What we’re experiencing is perceived danger rather than actual danger (that is, we’re not actually in harm’s way) and we often trigger what I call the Immediate Negative Response, or INR. When we give into the INR too often, we create a habit of avoiding risks and may become a Riskophobe. In You Unstuck, I have a quiz that measures how stuck you actually are and what you can do about it.
7.So if someone wants to get unstuck, what can they do? Would you please share 3 tips that they can apply right now that will help them move forward in their career, life and relationship?
LG- First, they need to clarify the vision of what they want. For example, if they want to improve their career, they must ask themselves exactly what that entails. Is it making more money? Being involved in more exciting projects? Learning new skills? Getting a promotion? Or, perhaps, it’s all of those things. Next, they need to simplify the path to reaching that vision. That means, removing all the obstacles (real or imagined) that are in the way, getting whatever help and support they need, and creating an actionable plan. Finally, they need to execute that plan with factors for accountability and measurements for success along the way. It’s common sense, just not common practice.
8.And finally how can people contact you and where can they buy your book?
LG- I welcome everyone to purchase my book on Amazon.com, your favorite bookstore, or on my website (I can send you an autographed copy). And feel free to sign up on LibbyGill.com for my newsletter or email me direct at Libby@LibbyGill.com. Thanks for letting me share with your readers!
























