Diane Flynn, a multi-talented professional and author of two books and two popular courses on Udemy, Growth Mindset and Communicating with Confidence, has been working with her company, Reboot Excel, for the last decade. The company aims to help women feel current with technology, connected with a professional network, and confident in their return to work. She has had thousands of people go through their programs and continues to offer resources on their website and coaching workshops.

Diane talks about her experience of returning to the workplace after taking a long hiatus, and how she became aware that many women wanted to return to careers but found it difficult to do so for a variety of reasons. She observed that many women returning to work are immensely talented and capable, but they often face a confidence crisis when trying to get back into the workplace. Consequently, she was inspired to start Reboot Excel with four friends. The company was successful, and through her work, she found that many people in the workplace also needed the same leadership skills. She launched her own company and started working in the B2B space. Today, she coaches executives to build more inclusive workplaces and empower people to do their best work.

Helping Women Return to the Workplace

As a stay-at-home mom, Diane met many intelligent, skilled, and immensely talented women who had been successful in their prior careers but had lost confidence.

To help women regain confidence, she encourages them to reframe their achievements and skill sets based on what they have done, whether they received a paycheck or not. Many of these women have since landed amazing careers, and some have even held significant roles at Stanford University.

Diane also worked closely with Carol Cohen, founder of I Relaunch, who works with companies like McKinsey, JP Morgan, Morgan Stanley, and Goldman Sachs. They offer a return-ship program, similar to an internship for someone returning to their career, which is usually three months long and provides extra mentorship. Diane uses this program daily to help women navigate the latest workplace technologies and navigate the culture they'll be working in.

Typically, 80% or higher of the women who go through these returnships are hired into full-time roles. Diane recommends checking out I Relaunched.com for more information on their work in this area.

Working As an Instructor at Modern Elder Academy

She mentions that Chip Conley, an instructor at Modern Elder Academy, founded the program to help people stay relevant, purposeful, motivated, and energized in midlife. She shares what motivated Chip to start the program or, as it is also known, the first modern wisdom school. The course is designed for women aged 45 to 70, but can accommodate older and younger individuals. The focus is on helping participants identify their strengths, sparks of joy, drains, impact they want to have, and who they want to work with. The most important aspect of the program is focusing on core non-negotiable values, as they are crucial for finding fulfillment in one's job. The program includes various exercises, one-on-one coaching, and meals together. The alumni program has thousands of people who come back for reunions and support each other. Chip is also launching his newest book, Learning to Love Midlife, which shares his story.

Women Helped by the Program

Diane talks about some participants who have found their purpose and passion and decided to pursue new career paths, such as a corporate executive who wants to become a coach. Another participant, a young woman in her mid-30s, decided to start a new type of university and seek funding and advisors. This is an exciting example of how people can take time to reflect on their goals and motivations and explore opportunities outside their current career. Many people are going through transitions, such as divorce, widowhood, or moving geographically, and it is essential for them to take time to reflect on what they can bring into the world and what impact they want to have. By taking time to reflect on their goals and motivations, companies can better serve their needs and create a more fulfilling and fulfilling life.

How the Program Helps Women

Diane discusses the exercises he uses to help people find their purpose and passion at home. She recommends that anyone interested should visit her website (see below) and where they can find two-pages of questions to take personal inventory and help them start the process. She talks about aspects of the inventory, including identifying what fills your tank, what drains you, your non-negotiable values, strengths, and many other areas for development.

She encourages people to ask their friends what they think they do well and what they do not. This exercise helps them understand their strengths and weaknesses, which can help them develop their skills and pursue opportunities in their chosen fields. Diane also emphasizes the importance of getting feedback, as it is crucial for growth and development.

The conversation revolves around personal inventory, reflection exercises, and the importance of having a north star and a mantra Diane shares her mantra, which is to engage in creative collaboration with people she respects to change lives and build community. She describes what’s important to her and how she applies it to work. This is a creative process that she finds fulfilling and helps her say yes or no to opportunities.

Diane suggests that after completing these inventories, individuals can gather insights and advice on how to find their purpose and passion. She suggests finding an accountability partner, hiring a coach, attending workshops, or using the Japanese concept of Ikigai to help move forward in the right direction.

The Growth Mindset Course

One of Diane's courses on Udemy, "Growth Mindset," focuses on the importance of changing one's mindset and getting out of their comfort zone. She describes a fixed mindset as defined by playing it safe, not taking risks, not asking for feedback, and worrying about failure and goes on to explain how this limits growth, on the other hand, a growth mindset is an uncomfortable space that requires stepping out of one's comfort zone to make great things happen.

The course covers six key roadblocks that hold people back from having a growth mindset. These include fear, lack of confidence, fear of failure, fear of success, perfectionism, inertia, and not knowing what to do. By addressing these barriers, individuals can tap into their passions and find meaningful activities that bring them joy, after which, through the course they develop strategies to overcome these barriers.

In conclusion, Diane's personal inventory exercise and Udemy course on growth mindset offer valuable insights for individuals and organizations seeking to improve their lives. By addressing the six roadblocks and tapping into the joy that comes from finding meaningful activities, individuals can find their passion and purpose in their lives.

Timestamps:

04:13 Rebooting careers and hiring experienced professionals

08:42 Modern elder Academy and finding purpose and passion in midlife

13:54 Finding purpose and passion through self-reflection exercises

19:16 Self-awareness and personal growth

25:11 Self-reflection and career development

29:23 Growth mindset and overcoming obstacles to achieve success

Links:

Company website: https://www.rebootaccel.com/

Modern Elder Academy: https://www.meawisdom.com/

Udemy Profile: https://www.udemy.com/user/diane-flynn-2/

Books on Amazon

Unleashed is produced by Umbrex, which has a mission of connecting independent management consultants with one another, creating opportunities for members to meet, build relationships, and share lessons learned. Learn more at www.umbrex.com.

552. Diane Flynn, Coaching a Growth Mindset

Unleashed - How to Thrive as an Independent Professional