From Iron Man to Stronger to Serve: Teri Schmidt Says Make it about More than You

So many gems from this conversation.  I can’t wait for you to listen.My guest is Teri Schmidt who is the founder of Stronger to Serve, a start up that supports women in leadership.I started the conversation by asking Teri about the Iron Man competition that she completed where she swam two miles, biked 112 miles and then ran a marathon–all in the same day!She said that seemed impossible to her, but she was able to do it by taking consistent daily action.But first she had a conversation with God because she did not know how she could do the yearlong training with two small children at home.God’s answer:  Make it About More than You; Make it about being your best as a family.So, Terri created a training program that included her husband and children.  And, she was able to do the competition and elevate her family at the same time.When I asked Terri what’s her “impossible” today, she said creating workplaces that are compassionate and just where each person discovers and reaches their potential.Sounds kind of impossible right?So I asked Terri how she goes about taking consistent daily, small actions in this regard.She says for her it starts with one leader in the workplace at a time.She also recommends that each leader (and you are one if you’re reading these show notes), start by noticing your strengths and values and then building teams with folks who have different strengths so they can fill in where you don’t excel.Every leader needs communities of support where they are not strong especially if you can’t afford to expand your team.  That could include a skills community, friends, a coach, etc.Most importantly, make your “impossible” about more than you.We also discuss Teri’s decision to lay down the non-profit she started and how she is moving through the grieving process.  At first she felt like a failure, but she’s coming to see that her non-profit was like a piece of art.  When it’s complete, you can still appreciate it but you don’t have to keep working on it.Building her own business, Stronger to Serve, is allowing her to focus on women leaders at work, and to bring into reality her impossible:  “Compassion and Justice in the workplace.”You can get more info from Teri by going to Strongertoserve.com.You can download Teri’s Values & Strengths Workbook for free by going to  https://www.strongertoserve.com/leadershipvoiceworkbook.Teri Schmidt is passionate about human connection and the leadership potential within each of us. Her career has weaved through the educational, corporate, and nonprofit sectors but has had a consistent thread throughout: In each role, her focus has been either on developing the potential in others or working to remove barriers toward people expressing their potential. Using her 20+ years of coaching, leadership, and performance improvement experience in the corporate and nonprofit sectors, she transforms overwhelm into impact.Teri's Bio​Teri is the CEO of Stronger to Serve Coaching & Teambuilding where new and mid-level leaders hire her to gain the clarity and confidence they need to unleash potential, drive team performance, and become changemakers in their organizations and communities.​She also hosts the Strong Leaders Serve podcast inspiring leaders to make their workplaces more compassionate and just through their leadership, without burning out.​Teri is an Ironman triathlete and loves to be in nature backpacking, camping, and doing some occasional rock climbing.  She currently lives outside of Dallas with her three favorite people, her husband Jeff and her two teenage kids, Tyler and Megan.Support the showMother tree Network Podcast--Where  Earth Wisdom Meets Racial Justice and Women's Leadership. Want to become your unlimited self and evolve the planet?Go here to get the Mother Tree podcast + Show Notes sent to your inboxhttps://www.dramandakemp.com/podcast