Day 136: Linda DeLuca
“… it’s really just having that conversation, getting out there and being active, and you know, you’re never the same person after you’ve had an interaction with someone. They have affected you in some way, and to me that’s very powerful.”
.
.
.
Toni Reece: Thank you so much, Linda, for agreeing to take part in the Project today, and before we get into the interview, can you please introduce yourself?
Linda DeLuca: Sure. Thank you, Toni. I’m really honored to be part of the Project. I’ve looked at it for several months now, and I think it’s a fantastic Project.
Toni: Thank you.
Linda: A little bit about myself; I’m an executive coach and organizational consultant, and I work with virtual people to help them stay connected and collaborative and productive.
Toni: Fantastic. Well, let’s go into that very first question, because it sounds like you may be doing this a lot in your professional life. When you think about inspiration, Linda, who do you inspire and how do you do that?
Linda: And you know, you’re very clever. Yes, I definitely do that for a living, and that’s what I love doing is inspiring other people. So I work with people who are working virtually, and a lot of times when you work virtually, there’s a little bit of isolation in there, and so I try to stay connected with the folks and help them stay connected. I work with them to keep them motivated and inspired.
Toni: How do you do that?
Linda: Well, a lot of the times it’s just about the conversation. I find, you know, there’s definitely a theme through the questions, and I find that the conversations are really the key. A lot of times what we do is we brainstorm together. Sometimes it’s just listening; having someone there to listen to them is very helpful, encouraging them. I provide a different perspective that they maybe didn’t hear or see before, and so a little bit of challenging, as well, to help them kind of get out of their comfort zones.
Toni: When you are working with people in this way, what do you do to help them explore their potential then?
Linda: Well that’s great. I’m all about action, so what I like to do is get them out and doing things and experiencing things firsthand. And, of course, a lot of that comes back to conversations. So a lot of times what I like to do is have them go out and talk to people that are doing things that they’re interested in or maybe read about things that they’re interested in.
The conversation can happen either face to face, over the phone, or I find that books … when you’re reading a book, you actually can have a conversation with the author, albeit, you know, not real time. You know, you’re kind of crossing dimensions there, but that author has a story there and they’re sharing their thoughts with you.
Toni: I would imagine the people that you’re working with that are in this transition that may not be used to working virtually, as you describe it, and they may feel that they’re isolated, to have someone like yourself reach out to them, give them a voice, allow them to have those conversations, I would imagine that that’s pretty powerful stuff.
Linda: It is. It’s very powerful. I think one of the biggest things that’s helpful for someone is the fact that I’ve done it, and so I’ve been there. I’ve experienced it, so I know emotionally, intellectually, physically what they’re going through; and I think that in and of itself is helpful. But the fact that they see people are successful at it, I think, is an inspiration as well. They’re not alone, first of all, and they know that people can be successful at it.
Toni: I think that “not alone” piece is pretty critical, isn’t it?
Linda: It is. Absolutely. It is all about the conversation. It is all about connecting with other people and it’s just really finding your group of people that you can connect with and tap into that community. That’s really very powerful.
Toni: Do you help them find that community that they can tap into so that the work that they’re doing with you … You provide them with that support and that confidence, but then do you also help them connect to another community of like-minded … whether it’s like-minded people or like-minded industry, do you do that as well?
Linda: Absolutely, and that kind of ties into tapping into their potential, because we’re most comfortable with the people that really are going to help build our strengths and then help us use our strengths, and we feel that we’re kind of in the flow when we’re doing that. And so yes, depending on what their comfort zone is or what they’re looking for, I do help them find the tools to connect with these people, what the right group is, help them interpret those experiences that they’re having when they’re searching for those different groups.
Toni: I just had a visual when I’m listening to you of someone who’s incredibly shy and at a dance and you make sure that that person doesn’t stand against the wall, that you help them come into the mainstream and enjoy themselves and live to the fullest and not be the wallflower against the wall. That’s just what came to me.
Linda: That’s a great visual, I love that. I’ll have to use that.
Toni: So Linda, what do you need to be inspired?
Linda: Well, you know it works both ways. Having this conversation with other people inspires me because, even though I might be there to help them, that interaction that we have helps me. They have some successes. They have a great story. They have inspiration to share and, you know, just having that interaction does that for me.
You know, it’s really all about getting into the conversation, and to me that is what life is all about. So the more people that I can connect with, the more ideas and inspiration that I have, and it’s really just … no matter what format it takes, you know, it could be face-to-face, it could be social networking. I’m big on Twitter; love it. I’ve met many people there. Or it could be, like I said, through books or, you know, anything. Any medium that you want, you can have that conversation.
So you know, it’s really just having that conversation, getting out there and being active, and you know, you’re never the same person after you’ve had an interaction with someone. They have affected you in some way, and to me that’s very powerful.
Toni: It is very powerful. I can tell you, we are on day 119 of the Get Inspired! Project [as of this recording date], and I feel as though I have been through a 119-day boot camp with these conversations including yourself that have been incredibly life-altering and changing, so I believe very much into what you just said.
Are there tools and techniques that you tend to reach for when you are in a place, you find yourself doing “Gosh, you know, I need to be inspired, I’m looking for a little inspiration here” – what do you tend to reach for?
Linda: You know, that’s very interesting because it really … sometimes it depends on the mood I’m in, but I do jump into the conversation, like I said, on social networking. Sometimes that works for me because there are, you know … I have a community of people that I have conversations with and just seeing what they’re up to, you know, and following that kind of stream of consciousness. Even though you’re literally following links on the internet, it’s really the thoughts that you’re following. The internet is really just the tool to get you there.
So a lot of times I’ll just go out and just see what everyone else is up to, and sometimes that, you know, gives me a great idea. Other times I’ll just need to kind of sit and reflect, and sometimes that might be with a book. So the author and I sit there kind of in our different dimensions, and I’ll sit and just reflect on some ideas. You know, getting away from work sometimes is the best medicine, the best technique that you can use to let yourself just kind of be open to new ideas.
Toni: Absolutely. So what do you do then or what do you need to continue to explore your own potential so that you can continue to do this fantastic work that you do?
Linda: You know, I was thinking about that, and I don’t think it’s a thing. I think it’s more of a frame of mind. It’s really just the curiosity and the courage to go out and learn something new, meet someone new, try something new. Just experiencing new things, I think, is really what’s helpful to stretch. For me, it helps me stretch outside of my comfort zone and explore the possibilities of what I can become. I help my clients do that as well; that’s what we do. So I kind of use my own medicine.
Toni: Actually, I heard that very loud and clear that getting in that frame of mind to explore your own potential and that courage, meeting new people, that is what you provide as a service. It’s very interesting that what you need is what you do.
Linda: Yes, and it’s, you know … I know I’m not the only one, and so I think if I do that I am fulfilling my own needs as well as other people’s, and so it’s really again that relationship that we have. You know, we’re very much connected to other people.
Toni: Absolutely. You have given so much information in just this short amount of time about how important it is to have these conversations with others, whether they’re in a virtual transition — which is the work that you do — or just being there for them and supporting and helping someone through that fear; but then also what you need to be inspired and how you stay in that frame of mind for your own potential to help others. That’s pretty amazing stuff!
Linda: Thank you. I enjoy it. I’m very happy to be living my dream, following my dream, and you know, the idea is just helping other people to see that you can do that. That’s why I like your Project, because it’s helping people see that they can do that, too.
Toni: Well thank you so much, Linda, for your time today, and we will have links at the bottom of your interview as to how to get a hold of you; and for your time today, we can’t thank you enough.
Linda: Thank you so much. It’s been great.
___________________________________________________________
For more information about Linda DeLuca: www.Azione-Scopo.com
.
Post Comment