Are you living to work, or working to live? In this episode of Legendary Leaders, Dr. Rana Al-Falaki joins host Cathleen O'Sullivan to share her incredible journey from being a successful but stressed professional to finding true joy and authenticity. She opens up about overcoming trauma, breaking through unhealthy patterns, and discovering genuine self-love - all while building a thriving career helping others find balance and fulfilment. Dr. Al-Falaki explains the critical difference between "being" versus "doing". She reveals how understanding your unique stress response can transform your resilience, and offers you strategies for creating sustainable success without burnout. Tune for a conversation that will help you shift from external validation to internal peace while still performing at your highest level.

Episode Timeline:

00:00 Introduction

11:19 Accessing your intuition when you're truly busy

16:21 Overcoming fears with holographic thinking

25:14 The benefits of living with authenticity

35:23 Defining human energy: what does it mean?

46:19 Living with a false mask and learning how to trust

51:32 Dr. Al-Falaki's life-altering diagnosis transformational journey

01:13:10 Empowerment through self-reflection

01:20:07 Navigating menopause and personal growth

Key Takeaways:

• Dr. Al-Falaki emphasises the importance of creating silence in your life to access intuition. During busy and hectic times, prioritising silence helps in making more conscious and effective decisions.

• Both Cathleen and Dr. Al-Falaki discuss how the definition of success evolves over time. In their experiences, it shifted from external validations and material achievements to internal peace, joy, and self-love.

• The conversation touches on how trust and empathy are foundational for effective leadership and creating a high-performing team. Vulnerability is about expressing true needs and emotions, which fosters a healthy, open, and supportive work environment.

ABOUT Dr. Rana Al-Falaki

Dr Rana Al-Falaki openly talks about her past life struggles and traumas and is passionate about making an impact on every person she meets. She claims this as her purpose and gives meaning to all events in her life. She describes her first 40 years of life as OUTWARDLY SUCCESSFUL BUT INWARDLY STRESSFUL. Having perfected how to reach a state of flow where everything happens - laser focus, high productivity, financial wealth, powerful leadership, loving relationships, high energy, motivation, feeling at ease, in peace, joyful and present - she works with professionals and teams to do the same, be that through coaching, speaking or training.

Connect with Dr. Al-Falaki:

Website: https://nail-it.uk/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-rana/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rana.alfalaki

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nailit_drrana

Connect: 


Find | Cathleen O’Sullivan

Business: cathleenmerkel.com

Email: cmc@cathleenmerkelcoaching.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cathleen-merkel/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/legendary_leaders_cathleenos/

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Are you ready to transform your approach to customer success and discover how aligning your leadership with customer needs can drive sustainable growth? In this captivating conversation on Legendary Leaders, Cathleen O'Sullivan sits down with Thomas Voigt, founder of TV Consulting and the Customer Success Academy. Thomas shares his remarkable journey from corporate leadership to entrepreneurship. Tune in for an episode filled with inspirational insights and practical strategies for driving success and growth.

Episode Timeline:

07:50 Struggled with solopreneurship, returned to employment at GWI for five years.

13:50 Learning from discomfort enhances leadership and personal growth.

16:15 I questioned what truly sparked joy beyond societal expectations of success.

27:37 Career ambitions thwarted by poor job market; led to self-reflection and acceptance.

33:55 Embraced entrepreneurship for freedom, launched TV consulting and Customer Success Academy.

48:58 Practicing daily routines like breathing exercises helps manage stress and maintain wellness.

53:28 Leverage fear and joy to drive ambition on LinkedIn by consistently engaging and adding value, fueled by a love for routine and exploration.

56:03 Embrace life's challenges, prioritise values over achievements.

01:10:23 Outsourcing customer success can work if teams are properly onboarded.

01:11:34 AI enhances customer success by streamlining admin tasks and enabling efficient outsourcing, with AI Copilots improving work processes.

Key Takeaways:

• The power of understanding and accepting your inner critic (whom Thomas named "TED") rather than trying to silence it completely

• How implementing a human-first approach to customer success can transform business relationships and drive sustainable growth

• Practical insights on integrating AI and technology in customer success while maintaining the human element

ABOUT Thomas Voigt.

Hey there, I am Thomas! I'm passionate about helping scale up businesses and unravel the mysteries of creating the perfect product/market fit. My adventure kicked off in advertising in Germany, where I honed my skills and guided media companies and advertisers in decoding consumer insights. I helped build new TV channels targeting high-value viewers, generating 8-digit revenue in their first years. In 2011, I moved to London to help Discovery Inc. understand its global audiences, set up intelligence tools, and build its digital businesses. After this, I took a sharp turn and dove into growing revenue for scale-up companies, scoring 140% net retention and building Customer Success teams that generated 8 digits in annual recurring revenue. Fast-forward to today, I'm a revenue leader and consultant, steering companies into their customers' loving arms and fine-tuning their revenue engines for sustainable growth.

Connect with Thomas:

Website: www.tvconsulting.net

Social Media Links:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-voigt/

Connect: 


Find | Cathleen O’Sullivan

Business: cathleenmerkel.com

Email: cmc@cathleenmerkelcoaching.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cathleen-merkel/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/legendary_leaders_cathleenos/

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Have you ever wondered what it takes to lead effectively in an uncertain, ever-changing world? Your host Cathleen O'Sullivan sits down with Graham Wilson, a distinguished leadership expert and author of Wabi Zugi: The Art of Resilience for Everyday Warriors. Together they uncover the essential strategies and ideas that will help you thrive as a leader in complex environments. Learn why embracing uncertainty and fostering a culture of experimentation is vital for modern leadership. Let's explore how moving beyond traditional management can empower your teams and spur innovation. We'll be rethinking performance management to create a more empowered, innovative workplace. As you listen, consider reflecting on your own leadership practices. Are they helping your team to adapt and thrive, or are they holding them back? Tune in and get ready to transform your approach to leadership!

Episode Timeline:

07:22 Authentic and context-driven leadership skills

18:03 Challenging traditional education norms

22:28 Military Training vs. Corporate Standards

28:40 How values guide behaviours

40:06 Success doesn't require a degree, it requires work

43:25 Dedating research-based leadership in an ever-changing world

59:06 Focus on simplifying work by guiding essential skills and daily actions

01:11:57 Why authenticity and individuality drive success

01:24:22 Empowering and motivating teams

Key Takeaways:

Embracing Uncertainty in Leadership: Graham emphasises the importance of leading without having all the answers. Embracing uncertainty and fostering a culture of experimentation is essential for leaders navigating today's unpredictable environments.

Moving Beyond Traditional Management: Traditional micromanagement and rigid structures stifle innovation. Graham explains that leaders need to empower their teams by focusing on inclusivity and collaboration rather than controlling every detail.

Rethinking Performance Management: Graham highlights that many organisations are over-managed and under-led, and he advocates for focusing on what truly adds value to the customer and the business.

ABOUT Graham Wilson

Driven by the conviction that today’s turbulent business landscape demands extraordinary leadership, Graham Wilson crafts bespoke programs that empower leaders to achieve unparalleled results from both themselves and their teams and drive profound organizational change. At the heart of Graham's approach lies a deep understanding of the evolving nature of leadership in the modern world. By decoding the essence of effective leadership and championing a paradigm shift away from 'over-management', Graham equips leaders with the tools and mindset necessary to navigate complexity with confidence. Graham's passion for peak performance was cultivated during his military service and global corporate career and culminated in the founding of SuccessfactoryTM.

Connect with Graham:

Website: https://www.thesuccessfactory.co.uk/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SuccessfactoryTraining/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leadershipwizard

Buy his book: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Wabisugi-resilience-everyday-warriors-Leadership/dp/0993139027

Connect: 


Find | Cathleen O’Sullivan

Business: cathleenmerkel.com

Email: cmc@cathleenmerkelcoaching.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cathleen-merkel/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/legendary_leaders_cathleenos/

FOLLOW LEGENDARY LEADERS ON APPLE, SPOTIFY OR WHEREVER YOU LISTEN TO YOUR PODCASTS.