Speaker 1: 0:07

Welcome to Aging with Purpose and Passion, the podcast designed to inspire your greatness and thrive through life. Get ready to conquer your fears. Here's your host psychotherapist, coach and empowerment expert, beverly Glaser therapist, coach and empowerment expert, Beverly Glazer.

Beverley Glazer: 0:37

What if the key to thriving in life means breaking the unconventional rules and getting back to just plain conventional rules, Making rules on your own terms? Welcome to Aging with Purpose and Passion. I'm Beverley Glazer, a transformational coach and catalyst dedicated to empowering women with strategies to take bold steps and create the life they know they deserve, and you can find me on reinventimpossiblecom. Dr Alison Schmidt is the founder and CEO of Unconvention, a company that offers transformative executive coaching and organizational consulting. She is the creator and host of Unconventions, a podcast featuring CXOs and pioneers who share bold, unconventional decisions that sculpt their lives and businesses. If you've ever felt stuck or uncertain about your next chapter, or if you're questioning your purpose, Alison's story will show you how to trust yourself, embrace change and reinvent yourself after 50. So just keep listening, Welcome.

Alison Schmidt : 1:50

Alison. Thank you, Beverley. I was honored that you asked me to come on this podcast and I am thrilled to get into our discussion.

Beverley Glazer: 1:59

Yeah, you told me that you were a middle child growing up, and you also said that you were black sheep. What did you mean by that?

Alison Schmidt : 2:11

All right. So let me see, we're just going to dive into it right now. Right, dive, right in. Yeah, yeah, my therapist would be very proud of your question.

Beverley Glazer: 2:21

You do know I come from a very strong therapy background right.

Alison Schmidt : 2:26

Yeah, well, I think that's sort of where you and I sort of started our conversation together was around that. I too come from a clinical background, so I think the black sheep was. I've always I am the middle child and they do say sometimes the middle child is the sometimes the youngest child, where you sometimes don't get the kind of the attention that you hope that you're going to to get. So that's kind of where I felt like I was the black sheep. I think I was driving my parents crazy by not going down a path that they would maybe hope that I would go down, and I always question things, I always challenge things, I question things. I really always wanted to know why, why something was this way, which I think that's what brought me to the clinical path and then to kind of where I am today.

Beverley Glazer: 3:23

Yeah, path, and then to kind of where I am today? Yeah, but when did you realize, though, that you always had a passion for helping people, and business as well, because sometimes that path doesn't cross, so it's both business as well as people?

Alison Schmidt : 3:39

You know, I think it started when I was a. It started when I was a, I'd probably say. I mean I was a camp counselor and I loved kids and I was a competitive swimmer, I was always involved in sports and I, even though I was a black sheep in my family, I do feel that I was fortitude, a lot of things that I would probably say other people I mean going, being able to go to college, being able to travel the world. You know, I'm very, I'm very grateful for those things.

Alison Schmidt : 4:14

But I think it was my clinical work when I worked with gang kids and that, to me, was really inspiring and but I also became a very hard person through that process, just because you had to protect yourself. And then I did a lot of clinical work with, with families and still adolescents. So when I was going to decide if I was going to do my PhD in clinical work but I always had a passion my, my parents always taught us about the stock market and that really fascinated me in companies and how companies do what they did and how they became bigger. And so I decided that you know what I love the path of organizational psychology, because it really blended my passion for people and my fascination for companies and how impactful companies can contribute to communities and to the world.

Beverley Glazer: 5:13

But turning 50 was a real game changer for you. How did that shift your perspective on everything, what you were doing, what happened to you then?

Alison Schmidt : 5:24

perspective on everything, like what you were doing. What happened to you then? Well, covid, that's really what I can say I turned 50. My birthday was supposed to have been done in a very different way and I turned 50 during COVID. And so, I think, for me, my business I had another company that was called ALS Group. We did, I was doing executive coaching, I think before it became very popular.

Alison Schmidt : 5:56

I was working with boards, I was doing strategic planning work, I did some mergers and acquisition work and the whole world stopped and my business completely stopped. I was traveling nonstop and all my contracts came from flourishing to zero and my first words was holy shit, like everybody else. And I was like, okay, well, this sucks, I'm turning 50. I have a thriving business that completely came to a halt and my wife she and I were now under kind of the same roof, working, and so her job was now here, working from home, and here mine was. Am I going to still be doing what I'm doing?

Alison Schmidt : 6:58

And I took some time to after the panic and going how do I do what I've been doing in person and still make the level of impact via Zoom, via any other platforms? And then I'm an avid cyclist and I took about two weeks and I just rode my bike. And I just rode my bike and I said you know what my bike? And I just rode my bike and I said you know what, even if this does change, are you still happy with what you're doing today?

Alison Schmidt : 7:31

And there was a lot of no's to that and I decided at this point that I was going to really start digging deep within myself and going okay, what is it about you that you don't like doing? And so, during COVID, I really revamped my company, I revamped my offerings and, as you mentioned earlier, I started a podcast called Unconversations that we certainly can get into, but it really is something that was so kind of like wow, what is it like? You couldn't even put words into. It Ended up being probably the best thing that happened to me from redefining who I am and where I wanted to go now that I turn 50.

Beverley Glazer: 8:29

Yeah, and you created Unconvention why?

Alison Schmidt : 8:35

Why that? Well, it was an homage to myself really, and I don't mean that from. It was an homage saying you know what? I think ALS group was very successful, but I don't think it really represented the depth of work that I really wanted to do with founders, ceos, other people that really wanted to do purposeful work, and I felt what was missing. Beverly, what was so important was the human side of my work and it was very money-driven from what the clients wanted to achieve. It was very process improvement. Achieve it was very process improvement. It wasn't really focused on building and helping people who wanted to be unconventionally excellent in the work that they do, and this gave me the opportunity to really be clear and focus on the type of clients that I wanted to collaborate with, if you will.

Beverley Glazer: 9:46

Yeah, that's excellent, so it gave you purpose as well.

Alison Schmidt : 9:53

I felt the work that I did was purpose. It gave me that real laser clarity on the type of work and that's what really excites me is really the clarity now and the creativity and the passion that I now have and the excitement that I have for my business. So, yes, I would probably say I'm even a changed CEO myself than where I was when I started ALS Group 20 years ago.

Beverley Glazer: 10:34

Let me ask you, when you're talking to women over 50 and they say that they're stuck, what helps them to overcome that? Finding their own purpose later in life? Because there's a fear. You know and and you went through it and COVID stopped you and you in your biking journey, which is contemplative you can come up with what's right for me. So what would you tell someone who feels exactly there? You know they're doing well in their work, their purpose really is their work, they're thriving in their work, but there is that feeling of what's next. And why am is that feeling of what's next? And why am I even complaining about what's next? You know it's like I shouldn't be complaining, I should be grateful and thriving, but it's still that feeling of discomfort. What would you tell those people about taking that risk, that unconventional risk?

Alison Schmidt : 11:44

Well, I can answer that in a few ways for you. The first answer is you know, when people were telling me, you know you need to find your passion and what makes you, what makes you happy, I was. I didn't understand it. I didn't really understand it at all until I really did my own internal work to figure out what that really means for me. There's a lot of people out there that will tell you what it is you're supposed to be.

Alison Schmidt : 12:16

We're very much influenced by other podcasts, social media and I needed to quiet the noise for me. That was so important for me to quiet the noise and figure out what was important for me and what felt right for me, and 50 really helped me with that. It really helped me go. I really now don't kind of give a shit what everybody else really says. I really felt like I needed to get to this place and not be bombarded by what other people think I should be, could be. It was really giving me me and myself that time to figure out what that is and I coined something that I took myself through this process and I think if anyone is listening to this, it may sound a bit corny but it's very impactful and I bring my listeners and clients through this as well and I call it the un-word effect and I have people think of three words that begin with un and usually un, and it's all over my branding for a specific reason, because we even just take unconvention.

Alison Schmidt : 13:34

People think if you look up that word that it's weird or it's not comfortable for them weird or you know it's not comfortable for them.

Alison Schmidt : 13:47

But in fact a lot of these unwords really can be so impactful and powerful and it actually can give you insight into yourself that maybe you didn't even think about.

Alison Schmidt : 13:57

And it's really a process that I actually went through and I wrote down my three young words. I defined them not with what the dictionary said of what it should be. I looked at it from both a personal, professional and even a combination and going through that process was like wow, and I'm a PhD with two masters, so I feel if something really resonated with me, I think it can resonate with other people and how they look and even talk about themselves, and because it's impacted so many people, that is why I use it and I would encourage people to sort of have some fun with going through that process because it really could unlock in finding your passion and it can also unlock help with that fear that you brought up. Because that fear, you may realize that that fear is coming from you and if you're able to put words to it and you're able to define it, it may not be as scary as you think it really is and that can help you move forward.

Beverley Glazer: 15:10

Right, and what's a lesson that you learned from speaking to other leaders that could help women face their own challenges?

Alison Schmidt : 15:20

From other leaders, other leaders. Yes, well, I will tell you, uh, I am going to release a, a podcast this month. Uh, and the person that's going to be on it. It hit me, and there's been many leaders and very impactful leaders that have inspired uh me greatly, uh, but one of the things that she said, and I will paraphrase, is effort is free to all of us, and meaning it's us, and once we know that we can make things happen, there's people that will support us. But we need to believe in ourselves, that we're the tool, it's us, we can move ourselves forward. It doesn't mean we don't need anybody else, but we need to trust in ourselves and especially as to realize where we are and what we can do. And so, when she said that, I was like, wow, that was really amazing. Because we do, we have as much effort, and the more effort we put towards something we want, we can get it, we can achieve it. Yeah, for sure, we can achieve it.

Beverley Glazer: 16:43

You're for sure, we can achieve it. You're talking to someone that has converted. Yes, I'm on that page, yes, well, let me also ask you what about a woman that is afraid? Because it's not only her, it's her family, it's her children. She's 50 years old. What if she fails? What would you tell her?

Alison Schmidt : 17:09

Well, I will tell you, I have the most amazing wife. We've been together for 14 years and we'll be married 10 years this year and she married an entrepreneur, so you know, and she has always been working in corporate America. And so you know, when I, after being really secure in my first company and being a contributor to our family, and then COVID hit and we're like, oh my gosh. So and here I am going, you know what? I'm going to build even a better company, and she could have said, no, we're not doing that again, exactly. But she knows me and she knows that when I put my mind to something, that it will be better, it will be bigger and it's probably going to make me happier than I probably have ever been, and I have been. But I would, if you're wanting to go down this journey of entrepreneurship and especially as a woman, it is not for the faint at heart, it's hard work and having a support system and the right support system is extremely important. And, you know, adding a podcast on top of running a company, beverly, I don't need to tell you that that has a whole nother component to things. But we're educators and we want to have a platform for people to support them.

Alison Schmidt : 19:02

And I would just say if you're fearful, identify what that fear is. It's important for us to identify what that word really means because sometimes we say it. And one thing I learned in therapy I would say words, and my therapist always said to me put a sentence to the word. And because that was helpful for me to understand what the fear really is. And I think that's really important because sometimes that fear we want to use that maybe as the excuse not to move forward. And when you can identify what the fear is, what is causing and it could be your family, that could be. You know, doing entrepreneurship could put stress and weight on your family, but it's important to have those discussions. And that's what I would say to women we can have it all, but we definitely need to have a trusted support system around us.

Beverley Glazer: 20:09

I second that for sure. Support is wonderful, particularly at times that you really need the support. There's somebody there that says, yes, you could do it when you really feel, says, yes, you could do it when you really feel. Maybe I can't, you know, and that's a tip right there. You need support, we all need support. What's another tip that you could give to a woman over 50 to inspire her own transformation? And it may not be entrepreneurship say, go for it.

Alison Schmidt : 20:41

I mean, you know I really would. I, you know, I have always been a competitive athlete. I was a competitive swimmer and I ran competitively. I just love it. And I cycled a lot when I used to live in San Diego and I picked it back up again, as I said, during COVID, and I'm an addict. I'll just tell you right now I'm an addict too and I just I love it. But I just bought my first racing bike and I am ready to start getting in there racing.

Alison Schmidt : 21:25

And some people could be like, oh my gosh, you're 54. You're now just going to get into it. And I'm like, yeah, why not? And so that's the thing. I think age is a number. I don't think age needs to define. Age needs to define who we are. And so, for me, I felt really revived at 40. And then 50 scared me a bit. I will admit that it scared me just because I was like, wow, there's so much more I want to do. And it always scared me from that standpoint. And so, instead of being scared about it, I said I just need to do it. And so that's why I decided that this was going to be the year I was going to buy my first racing bike and I was going to start training and start getting into those races.

Beverley Glazer: 22:24

Perfect Wise words Just do it. Just do it. If you want to do it, don't wait, don't wait. Thank you so much, allison.

Beverley Glazer: 22:35

Dr Alison Smith is the founder and CEO of Unconvention, a company that offers transformative executive coaching and organizational consulting. She is the creator and host of Unconventions, a podcast featuring CXOs and industry pioneers who share bold, unconventional decisions that sculpt their lives and businesses. Here are some takeaways from this episode Embrace change and define success on your own terms. Challenge your limiting beliefs and silence that self-doubt, and you can always redefine your purpose and create a life that excites you. It is never too late If you are wondering what's next for you. Think of one small step that you could do right now to move forward. Perhaps it's to identify a thought that's holding you back, or saying no to something that drains you, or reaching out to someone who can help you figure things out.

Beverley Glazer: 23:47

For similar episodes on questioning your purpose and making a change, please check out episode 109 and 112 of Aging with Purpose and Passion. And if you love traveling, I have a treat for you the Ageless Traveler podcast. Take a look at that and please subscribe to their Travel Tuesday newsletter, because the Ageless Traveler is the number one resource for active travelers 60 plus. It's hosted by Adrienne Burke, whose mission is to ensure you that you'll never stop traveling. All links and information are in the show notes, so where can people learn more about you and your podcast and everything that you do, alison? What are your links?

Alison Schmidt : 24:36

Yeah, so people can find me at wwwunconventionllccom slash podcasts, but just the link itself will take you to all of our coaching and consulting as well. It has our podcasts. We're also at YouTube at Unconversations Don't forget the parentheses around the UN, forget the parentheses around the UN. And we're also on Spotify as well, where you can get an audio version of it, which is also don't forget the parentheses around the young conversations. And if you want to, you can actually contact me on LinkedIn as well. I have my professional LinkedIn account there and that's at Allison L Schmidt, phd, bcc.

Beverley Glazer: 25:30

And all of Alison's links are going to be in the show notes and they're also going to be on my website, that's reinventimpossiblecom. And now, my friends, what's next for you? Are you just going through the motions or are you really passionate about your own life? Get my free checklist from stuck to unstoppable and have a quick, actionable strategy that works for you. And that link, where do you think it will be? It will be exactly in the show notes, right below this episode. You can connect with me, beverly Glazer, on all social media platforms and in my positive group of women on Facebook. That's Women Over 50 Rock, and if you're looking for guidance in your own life, I invite you to explore reinventimpossiblecom. Thank you for listening. Have you enjoyed this conversation? Please drop a review, share it with a friend and always remember that you have only one life, so live it with purpose and passion.

Speaker 1: 26:42

Thank you for joining us. You can connect with Bev on her website, reinventimpossiblecom and, while you're there, join our newsletter Subscribe so you don't miss an episode. Until next time, keep aging with purpose and passion and celebrate life.