Why I RSP

Our Last Happy Hour was a perfect expression of RSP's WHY in every story, each wave of support, and every celebration of the spirit of change.

-- by Hilary Bilbrey

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RSP is not a networking group. We don’t come, titles and elevator pitches in hand, waiting for someone to make the right connection for us.

We are a group of bold, unapologetic, growth-oriented, kind-hearted, service-driven, badass women. Do some of those terms seem contradictory? They very much are. We are beautifully complicated, amazing women. And in RSP, we show up for one another as we navigate change.

Last night, in our monthly happy hour, I was reminded again about women do so well – build relationships that matter. Our members were promoting each other’s books, connecting them to jobs, cheering one another on, offering guidance and different perspectives, but most of all filling each other up with the energy we need to go out and have the courage to find our next best thing.

Our guest speaker, Mary Younggren, CEO of Advent Talent Group, asked us to consider our gifts – not our job titles, as we consider radical pivots. What do we bring forth that no one else does? Can we be flexible enough to transfer that skill into another industry?

Maybe I can sell you the best bed you have ever slept on in your life, but what I would rather do is sell you on becoming the best version of yourself. In the former, I'm in retail sales. In the latter, I am a coach and speaker. In both cases, I need to gain your trust, listen, and help you find what you need. Our skills are transferable if we give ourselves credit for what we do well. And if there is passion in why you do are doing it.

We also heard from three RSPers, each of whom generously shared her own personal story of a radical career pivot. Each had some very actionable advice:

• Tell your story based on your skills, not your titles. (RSP's Let’s Get Ready to Get R.E.A.L. class can help.)

• Never turn down a coffee. You don’t know where it might lead. Have your networking brief with you when you go. (Looking for support in building and telling your story? RSP's Pitch Perfect and Networking Beyond Your Networking classes will guide you.)

• Know what you want your life to look like, so you can choose a job that meets YOUR criteria. Maybe it is about being present for your family, traveling, or protecting me time. Not all measurables are money and title related. (Redefine your own non-negotiables with RSP's My Scorecard. My Rules class)

You know what? I left last night filled up - ready to build momentum in my own path forward. I had actionable steps. I had courage and inspiration from my fellow RSPers. And I know I have a place I can return to again and again for direction. The RSP community is the GPS to my next best thing.

Ready to plug in to that same GPS for your own change journey? Watch for our 2022 class schedule (to be posted soon), and join more than 75 RSP members and guests at the RSP 9-Hour Challenge on Saturday, Nov. 6th. Consider it your first step on your own great migration. And, of course, never miss an RSP Happy Hour. You will never meet a more amazing group of women who will always show up for you.

Flying with Your Superpower

By Heather Boschke

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Do you Kolbe?

We started August’s happy hour with Erin Werde walking us through the power of the Koble Index and her path of leaving her day job to transition to unleashing her own superpowers and those of others. As President of The Instinctive Advantage, focus of Erin’s work is helping people operate as the best version of themselves through the Koble Index.

The Kolbe A Index (Instinct Test) is unique in that it measures the instinctive ways you take action when you strive. Your customer Kolbe A Index Results allow individuals to be more productive, less stressed, and unlock joy at work, with family, and all of the places in between. RSP’er Susan McBeth shared how the results of her Kolbe not only affirmed what she innately knew about how she works in her zone of genius, but also how it’s helping her forge a new path forward. The power of the Koble is real folks…

And you may be thinking, I have no idea what my super power is. The tricky thing about super powers is that they hide in plain sight, since they are the things you do so effortlessly and easily that you often take it for granted. Every single one of us has a special gift that no one else can express like we can. These natural skills and passions are our superpowers.

They are also key to finding meaningful work you love… because when you do something that you easily excel at and enjoy, it means you are operating in your zone of genius.

So if you don’t know what your superpower is, there are four simple ways of figuring it out:

#1) Pay attention

Observe what people acknowledge you for. Go through your linkedin recommendations, reread the emails of thanks and praise you’ve receied… what words keep showing up? And what themes are you seeing?

#2) Feel the flow

Flow is when you are effortlessly and unselfconsciously immersed in an activity. It’s when your focus is completely on what you’re doing, and time disappears. What are those activities for you?

#3) Listen to the asks

What do people come to you for most? Is it organizing, is it help planning an event, is it pairing the perfect wine with dinner? These are often examples of you being sought out for your superpower.

#4) Phone a friend

Drop a note to 4-5 people in your life and ask them what you are best at and what your strengths are. And when people tell you what you are best at, believe them!

If you do these things… themes will emerge which will point you towards your super powers. And then tools like the Kolbe help to ensure those superpowers are able to shine.

Resources that can help you navigate and maximize your superpowers:

· The Big Leap, Gay Hendricks

· The Kolbe Assessment

· How to Ikigai, TedTalk

· Build Your Own Superpower, Podcast

And with that – happy flying you badass warrior queen!

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Heather Boschke is a founding Lead Voice of RSP. She is also a marketer and professor who uses her energy and optimism to ignite the best kind of fires within people. A leader who is passionate about lifting up women so that we can collectively earn more, challenge the norms of society, and live life on our terms. You can find Heather leading RSP classes and cohorts, on the board of directors at Breakthrough Twin Cities, and see her bird drawings at BuddhaBirdie.

10 Lessons from Rim 2 Rim

by Hilary Bilbrey

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I’m not going to lie. Much of my childhood and well into my adulthood, I was held back by a crippling fear of, well, everything. There was head trash around not being enough, being too much, not being an athlete, getting hurt –- I could keep going. Any of this sound familiar?

A few years ago, I decided I was exhausted from being afraid all. The. Time. That’s when I remembered a conversation on an airplane 10 years earlier with a man named Paul. He was an adventurous entrepreneur changing the world through his innovation and philanthropy. He was on his way to hike rim to rim in the Grand Canyon. That's leaving from one rim, hiking all the way to canyon floor, then ascending to the opposite canyon rim.

It sounded incredible. And like a massive reach. Only 5 percent of Grand Canyon visitors venture below the rim at all, and only 1 percent tackle the full "Rim 2 Rim" challenge. Not to mention, at the time I was deathly afraid of heights. But the seed was planted. Here was the thing to jolt me out of my stasis.

I put my stake in the ground -- public commitment! -- and invited everyone on my social media feed to join me on this hike in November of 2019. Twenty people raised their hands. Only four kept the commitment, including RSP's very own Wendy Wiesman.

We did it.

This trip made me a believer in how pushing yourself physically creates clarity, confidence, and honest-to-god life breakthroughs. Here are my top 10.

1. Be curious and connect with others. Listen. People’s stories will inspire you. Without Paul on the plane, there would have been no R2R for me.

2. There are people in your life who will always show up – no matter the challenge. Love them hard. Thanks, Wendy!

3. Once you set a goal, accept no excuses, no back doors. Training was just hard work. No way around it.

4. 20 started; 5 went. Keeping your commitments leads to higher self-trust and confidence.

5. Fear is a matter of perspective. Decide to grow out of it.

6. Beauty is all around. Take time to breathe it in. From sunrise to sunset, be filled with wonder.

7. Anyone can start. The guts are in the finish. The last 6-mile ascent in the GC is why we show up. It tells us what we are made of.

8. Incredible people with incredible stories are found doing incredible things. I met AMAZING hikers along the way: a recovering alcoholic who now runs adventure challenges for families in recovery. A woman who lost 100 pounds after battling cancer twice and hiked to celebrate. A man who was suicidal and in pain the year before and trained to find hope.

9. We don’t leave people behind when they are willing to try.

10. Your body is amazing. Fuel it and treat it with respect.

I can honestly say my life has dramatically changed for the better since I completed R2R. Accomplishing this hike, overcoming my fear of heights, and connecting with people and nature on such a profound level: I returned a more confident, badass woman, ready to claim the life that was always meant to be mine.

There is of course much more to the story, and I'll tell you over a glass of wine sometime. But for now, keep setting your own goals. Crush them. Then set the bar higher.

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Hilary Bilbrey is a founding Lead Voice of RSP. She is also a life coach, mentor, and leader who helps women, girls, and company talent find and use their superpowers, amplifying -- and getting! -- what they want most from their work and lives. You can find Hilary leading RSP classes and cohorts, asking the poignant questions at Happy Hour, and cohosting the Decided Heart video series.