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It is my great honour to introduce you to my friend Lisa Borden. I’m sure that most of you who are reading this blog are quite familiar with this beautiful human and the work that she executes with Borden Communications. (@bordencommunications)
The fact is, for over 15 years, Lisa has been a strong and positive influence in my life, especially when it came to producing my book Get Up.
Just before COVID hit, we had a meeting in her office. My request? I wanted to continue writing for young adults. Her suggestion? Let’s write a book!
Two years later, with loads of revisions and non-linear progress – because no progress is ever linear – we have a resource that is bursting with wisdom, functional exercises, and meaningful stories to reflect upon. Get Up feels like one big hug.
And due to the fact that Get Up was published in the middle of COVID, a “proper” launch party couldn’t be had. So I chose to produce a continuous launch, so to speak. Twice a month, I take the opportunity to interview the mentors that I featured in Get Up and share their answers and stories with you. In Get Up, each mentor answered the question:
WHAT WOULD YOU TELL YOUR TEENAGE SELF?
And now, it’s Lisa’s turn because you bet your booty we both wanted to share some of her wisdom with the world!
Here is my friend Lisa, in her own words!
I’m an instigator with a big heart. I am married to an amazing human (Rob) who I have known since grade one. My 3 kids (Ryan 22, Joey 20, and Andy 15) fuel me in all of the ways possible. I am a creative entrepreneur who cares a lot about a lot. Being a part of a community and creating a community is something that I love. I am An Empathic Economist, farmers’ market enthusiast, eight-time published author, learner/unlearner, Reiki Master, chocoholic, lifeaholic, and hopeaholic. Not in any particular order.
I don’t like to think of my “job” as a job … or according to the time of day. I believe that putting time constraints and scheduling everything causes unneeded stress and disconnection from creativity and wellness and productivity. Especially as a creative. My life’s work? Authentic, Strategic, and Empathic Human and Business Development. Making healthier futures possible with strategy, drive, intuition, energy, and community since 1994.
How is that for a title?
I’m not big into titles defining us. 🙂 When people ask me what I do, I often answer by saying, “I help people who give a shit make money.” and “I create the conditions for people to discover their Wellness Intelligence.” Then a conversation flows from there.
My favourite is to be able to nimbly switch hats and sometimes wear many at a time. Everything is connected … I love supporting others in their growth. If they have goals, I’m in for supporting them!
A mother: That kids teach us way more than we teach them if we pay attention.
Partner/wife: Doing everything to support and foster your partner’s hopes and dreams makes the sum of the parts explode! To be great together, you need to be true to yourself, and loved for just that!
Friend: To never hold onto a friendship that isn’t reciprocal. To deeply treasure friends who don’t try and change who you are.
Business owner: To never care about someone else’s business more than they care about it.
I don’t know if any one movie or book changed my life more than others … I had read Mindset by Carol Dweck because I had to for a course I took and then was gifted another copy of it by Ellen Schwartz and Mastermind when we co-chaired a fundraiser for Jacob’s Ladder. This is a book that I refer to all of my clients as a life-changer.
Have you seen the over 100 practices in The Self-Care Studio in The Wellness Intelligence Collective? I’m always in pursuit of things that make my nervous system happy. Why don’t we learn THAT in school? I am enjoying the process of learning to relax … and find calm … flow.
“Be brave to suck at something new”
Imagine living by only doing what feels comfortable. Where is the growth and the expansion? Why did I share this quote in Get Up? As youth (and really at any age), we might choose to look cool in front of peers to fit in. Knowing that others may laugh, mock, gossip, and criticize you for “sucking” at something is a challenge in this modern world, within these systems. But, this is where we can discover ourselves, a new passion, or even unlock new ideas! And, those that cheer us on when we try new things with curiosity, vulnerability, and a good spirit? Those are our friends. There is so much discovery in exploring and being brave at sucking at new things. It ties into my book suggestion above … growth mindset and the Power of Yet!
My friend Lisa has a life’s purpose that is full of meaning and hope. I am one lucky human to have such a force of good in my life, especially one who helped me create a book that will accomplish the latter for all the world to read.