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The People Gardener Podcast with Rhonda Delaney
The People Gardener Podcast with Rhonda Delaney
From Cautious to Courageous Unlocking the Leader's Spirit of Adventure
Imagine the sheer, unbridled joy of a 16-month-old as she takes her first, fearless leap off the living room couch. That's the kind of enthusiasm and daring I, Rhonda Delaney – the People Gardener – am bringing to the conversation about decision-making and risk-taking in our latest podcast installment. My youngest granddaughter, Ella, inspired a heartwarming exploration into why we should approach life and leadership as she does: with excitement for every adventure. This episode isn't just a story about my family weekend; it's a treasure trove of insights for small business owners, budding leaders, and anyone yearning to master the fine art of making bold choices without being held back by fear.
Let's face it, decisions can be daunting, especially when steering the ship of your own venture. But as I reflect on my own upbringing, I shed light on how early decision-making practice can lay the groundwork for a decisive, proactive leadership style. Together, we'll confront the analysis paralysis that too often grips us, explore how to harness the vitality that comes with taking risks, and share practical advice that will have you feeling more alive with every tough call you make. If you've been hungering for a way to feel invigorated by the risks rather than overwhelmed, this episode promises to be an invigorating jumpstart to your leadership journey.
Well, hey there, welcome to the People Gardener podcast. I'm Rhonda Delaney, your host, also known as the People Gardener, thrilled to put this podcast together to help small business owners, new business owners, frustrated business owners and aspiring leaders, whether they're inside business or outside. Each week, we bring you some actionable steps so that you can actually improve your skill as a leader. That's what we're about. We're here to help you become a better leader by giving you access to lots of different perspectives. The guests are varied. We're thrilled to have them. Get out your pen, get out your paper and be ready to learn Every single episode. You're going to be able to take something away that you can implement. Are you ready? Let's get to work. Well, hey there. Welcome back to the People Gardener podcast. I'm Rhonda Delaney, your host, happy to have you here.
Speaker 1:We just had the most amazing weekend with our youngest daughter and her family. She's got three little kids and Ella is our youngest grandchild. We have eight of them. They're all wonderful little beans, but this weekend, ella, she just brought smiles to my face the whole time we're there. I'm in awe of her spirit. She's 16 months old. She started walking, I don't know, maybe when she was 11 months old something like that. There isn't anything that she's not up for. She was watching her siblings jump off the couch onto a bunch of pillows on the floor. So her siblings are seven and almost five, so considerably larger than her. But she gets up there and she does the whole knee thing and she's thinking that she's jumping and then she lands on her butt on the couch until she figures out how to launch herself. And here she is, like she thinks it is the most hilarious, so much fun. And yet I'm, I'm watching, right, the things are, the pillows are spreading and I'm thinking, oh no, she's going to hit the floor. None of that happened, mind you. I did shout a few instructions to the other grandkids to move things around, but she was just all in. Mom and dad have a cold plunge outside and she's convinced she's got to be in there. So it's like like, okay, in, she goes for a few minutes and then she just starts splashing and playing and then, when it comes to food, she just thinks food is the greatest. And I just marveled at the joy and the fun that she experienced in her risk-taking and for her, at 16 months old, there was a lot of risk involved. Yes, it was all manageable and there were adults around. But when's the last time you actually took a jump that was risky, that you made a decision that was risky? When was the last time that you felt joy in the risk, felt invigorated and felt alive?
Speaker 1:When you think about all of the decisions that you have to make as a small business owner and how often you sit in paralysis for fear of making a wrong one? You know, I grew up in a house where my dad he told us often that any decision is better than no decision, because if it's not the right one decision, because if it's not the right one, then you fix it, you just change, you make another decision. So having to make a decision was never I mean, I'm not going to say it wasn't a fearful thing, that it was sometimes wasn't fraught with anxiety, but we started practicing making decisions as kids. So it became a very comfortable thing and we didn't always make it right. And the beautiful part is our parents gave us the opportunity to practice as kids while we were at home. So when we screwed up and didn't make the right one, they were there to help, guide and help us see that it wasn't the right one. They gave us the gift of making a decision, so there wasn't a fear in what could have been a risk. So sit for a minute and think about okay, in the last week, what decision have I made that I actually felt was risky? How long did it take me to make it? What about last month?
Speaker 1:As business owners, you're constantly having to make decisions about things, and are you spending too long ruminating and worrying and fussing and fits and fuming about the outcome? Or are you just going? Give me the facts? Okay, got the facts, this is where we're going. And you jump and there's that sense of adventure and joy in the jumping. That's where I want to live, and joy in the jumping. That's where I want to live. And if you want to live there, then you need to channel your little being.
Speaker 1:You know, you think of these little kids. All of a sudden, they're tasting all these different foods, they are learning how to crawl, learning how to walk, and they're not stopping until they master it. Yeah, they fell and they might have banged their nose or they might have banged their head, and it's not like they stop and say, ok, well, that's it, I'm done trying to walk, I'm not going to do that again. No, they pick themselves up and they try again. They might be a bit hesitant, but they keep going. They keep making the decision to. I'm going to get from here to there. I'm going to learn how to walk.
Speaker 1:So for you, when it comes to making decisions, where are you at in the fight to make them quickly, to have a process about what it is that's important to you, where it is you want to go and is this decision going to serve where it is that you want to end up? And if it doesn't, then be okay, say nope, we're not going there. Or if it's a, maybe, nope, I'm going to go for it anyway and off I go. Or if it's a, or if it's a, yeah, absolutely, this is a no-brainer then jump on it and get it done.
Speaker 1:So often, success is related to the speed in which we make the decisions and we move forward, because that energy, that frequency, that vibration if you want to call it the excitement that's what fuels it on and that's what gives it the greatest potential to be successful. If you're sitting back in fear and you're just worrying and going over and over and over, that is not a feeling or a frequency that lends itself to moving forward. It's the one that's the stuck, so working at getting yourself to the place mentally that, hey, bring it on, give me all the information and let me make that decision, not hiding your head in the sand and hoping that it will pass by and you won't actually have to make a decision. So, anyway, all this from this beautiful little 16 month old, there is joy. No, let me rephrase that there can be joy and excitement and fun in risk-taking. Not the risk-taking that doesn't have any consideration, but risk-taking in a careful, practical way. I mean that it makes sense. The upside is there. I have to tell you too, we what day is today. Today is the 14th, so you're going to get this on the 16th.
Speaker 1:On the 13th, we, Trev and I, closed on our 40 acre piece of land in Arizona, and this is something that has been a vision, I guess you would call it. In fact, I posted about it today that I painted this family compound that I had dreams of, and we signed, we were down there. Nope, this is it. We put in an offer, accepted and now it's closed, and it was. Would I say it was a risk? I don't. I don't really think so, but what it does mean is big change because within the next year or two, we are going to be moving from where we are to a completely different state and away from our kids and our grandkids. So, yeah, that, but that was part of the calculation creating something that they could come to, that all the families could be together, a place that all of the grandkids could come and spend summers, free up mom and dad from having to find daycare and all that kind of stuff. So, yeah, there were all sorts of thoughts and reasons for getting into it. So we are very excited and it's something that I'll probably be talking about for the next year or two.
Speaker 1:How things happen, risks take risks. They are invigorating and when you take calculated ones, more often than not they are exactly what you expect, or even more as far as the outcome is concerned. So find that inner child, find that one that just jumped into the mud puddle and embraced the excitement of being sopping wet and thought it was really cool excitement of being sopping wet and thought it was really cool. Or maybe it was the kid that was pedaling down the hill like crazy and going off the ramp and sticking the landing, or maybe crashing, but getting up laughing because it felt so cool to soar in the air. You want that in your business. You want to have fun. Hire the people, delegate right. That in itself is this freeing and liberating thing, and you can experience that. So take risks, have fun.
Speaker 1:I'd love to hear about them. So feel free to send me an email at Rhonda, at RhondaDelaneycom. That's it for this week. We'll talk to you again next week. Well, thanks for joining me today. Just a quick reminder if you are not on my email list, go to my website, rhondadelaneycom, and there's a place there that you can subscribe, keep you up to date on all things people, gardening and leadership and also a reminder that the Raving Fans Society app is available on the Apple Store and the Google Store. I do have a free membership in there that you'll be able to access some of my material, and then there's also a paid membership, and right now it's $49 a month and you will receive access to all of my material, all of the teaching content, including a resource library that will really help you along, as well as group coaching every month and then quarterly bringing in guests that will talk on topics that pertain to small business owners and leadership. Thanks again for listening and we'll see you again next week.