IAM485- CEO Transforms People Transforming the Planet

When Fast Company interviewed her, they dubbed her “the CEO whisperer”. Here’s the rest of the story: as she works with CEOs and other top performers, the herd becomes more totem than saddle: evidence of our primal instincts in action as Lisa pursues her mission to transform the people who are transforming the planet. The upside is when you become a better, more advanced human being, you become a better leader.

• CEO Hack: Ask yourself, ‘What is driving you?'
• CEO Nugget: Feel 100% safe inside of yourself
• CEO Defined: Bringing reality to life, Trusting in people and responsibility for that trust

Website: https://vistacaballo.com/

LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/arielisa/
YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/user/lisaarie
Instagram – https://instagram.com/vistacaballo/

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Transcription:

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Intro 0:02

Do you want to learn effective ways to build relationships, generate sales, and grow your business from successful entrepreneurs, startups, and CEOs without listening to a long, long, long interview? If so, you've come to the right place. Gresham Harkless values your time and is ready to share with you precisely the information you're in search of. This is the I AM CEO Podcast.

Gresham Harkless 0:29

Hello, this is Gresh from the I AM CEO podcast and I have a very special guest on the show today. I have Lisa Arie of Vista Caballo. Lisa, it's awesome to have you on the show.

Lisa Arie 0:39

Thanks so much, Gresh, it's wonderful to be here.

Gresham Harkless 0:42

No problem. The pleasure is definitely all mine. What I wanted to do was just read a little bit more about Lisa so you can hear about all the awesome things that she's doing. When Fast Company interviewed her, they dubbed her “the CEO whisperer”. Here's the rest of the story: as she works with CEOs and other top performers, the herd becomes more totem than saddle: evidence of our primal instincts in action as Lisa pursues her mission to transform the people who are transforming the planet. The upside is when you become a better, more advanced human being you become a better leader. Lisa, are you ready to speak to the I AM CEO Community?

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Lisa Arie 1:14

I am sure I am.

Gresham Harkless 1:16

Awesome. Let's do it. So to kick everything off, I want to hear a little bit more about what I call your CEO story. What led you to get started with your business?

Lisa Arie 1:25

Oh, well, let me get started with my businesses that I was sort of carrying on in my very, super-achieving way in my life. I had a great time not knowing that there was anything to be concerned with except reaching the next milestone, which I was very good at and loved. I received a very unexpected moment in one of those days when I was told that I had a terminal disease. It was a bit of a shock to my system. It made me really take a step back, crash, and realize that I hadn't been living my life. I had been surviving, albeit at a very high level, it may not have looked like a survival story from the outside, but it was from the inside. So it was a series of achievements very, very high achievements.

Constantly raising my own marker was really a way to stave off the fear that was driving me that I didn't know was driving me until it started killing me. When I got to that moment, and was facing my own mortality, eyeball to eyeball, I had this realization as I said that I wasn't living life, I was surviving it. So I decided with whatever life was left, that was given to me, I would change that I would transform that. I would start living life fully. However, I didn't really know what that meant because my life was very planned and structured. But I decided to just go for it and sort of follow my nose and I did. It led me to build and create this ticker bio and led me to a herd of horses who taught me everything I needed to know everything that was missing from leadership, I wouldn't consider myself a horse person before then. So it was all very sort of serendipitous.

It led me to the truth and it led me to an understanding of how to connect to life in a completely different way which miraculously, seems to have recalibrated my entire system. Here I am some 25-plus years later, and healthy is one of the horses that I live with. With all of that in my rearview. That's what caused me to open Vista Caballo, I thought, well, if it worked for me, maybe there were some others that might have that same call. You don't have to face mortality, to have that realization that maybe there's something more. Are you fulfilled? Does everything feel harmonious? Do you feel connected on every level? If you don't, chances are you may be in that sort of achievement trajectory. I set this to Caballo, to give you an experience, it's a living simulator, so you can feel what it feels like outside of that hamster wheel of going to the next, to the next, to the next to really experiencing life.

Gresham Harkless 4:39

Absolutely. Well, obviously I'm sorry, that you had experienced that but I sometimes think that things happen so that allows you to be able to help out so many different other people because it definitely, I'm sure people that are listening to this are definitely shaking their head at being those high achieving type people that are driving for the next goal. The next goal, the next goal, and the goal after that, that sometimes we don't get that opportunity to I have that space and that opportunity to find out like, what our purpose is what we shouldn't be doing and make sure that everything in all aspects of our life are definitely in alignment. So I definitely appreciate you for obviously being able to hear yourself but also heal some other people.

Lisa Arie 5:14

Yeah, thank you, as am I.

Gresham Harkless 5:16

Yes. I also I know, we talked a little bit offline about, like, I had a friend that talked about how horses or even animals can be very, very therapeutic. So I know you touched on it a little bit, but I wanted to hear a little bit more about exactly what you're doing and how exactly that provides the therapy and help for people.

Lisa Arie 5:34

Oh, gosh, well, I'll do my best to keep that in a nutshell. First I wanted to say Vista Caballo, it's not a Therapy Centre. There are some amazing therapeutic centers out there that work with horses, and they're incredible. They're absolutely incredible. We focus specifically on personal and leadership development, that's my sweet spot. That's who I can help the best the most. I can give you a little bit of insight about the power of horses, and why they can help recalibrate us in such a short space of time. What that looks like Gresh is first of all, we have energy fields, in us and around us. If anybody wants to know more specifically about that the HeartMath Institute's got some wonderful research on it.

The energy field around our hearts is significantly stronger than the energy field around our brains, for example. The only way that we can get new information into these wonderful human bodies, is through our hearts we can learn it on a cognitive level. For real new information to come into our bodies, it comes in through our hearts, which is also considered a brain. So there are 40,000 neurons that go from our heart, to a specific part of our brain, a part of our brain that's very creative, that is very good at imagination is very good at consciousness. That's the part of the brain that a lot of these mindfulness courses are helping us develop now.

When you're with a 1200-pound animal, their energy fields are just a little bit bigger than ours, and more powerful than ours. So when you get in that field, no pun intended, but when you get in that energy field with the horses, and your energy connects to their energy, because you're in the same space, that energy literally can recalibrate the energy around your heart, and then it affects your brain. I've had we've had some initial research and scientific research done, and it's very, very exciting because it showed that when you are interacting with the horses, you actually activate the Delta Brainwave in a conscious state. The Delta brainwave is the brainwave that's usually activated when you're in deep, restorative sleep. So it's one reason why you look and feel fabulous after you've worked with the horses. Yeah, because you're actually activating a different brainwave in a conscious state. So that's just a little bit of what happens.

Gresham Harkless 8:25

Oh, nice. Well, I definitely appreciate you for breaking that down. I think that a lot of times, we have to get help in so many different ways. I think that to be able to kind of break down and understand scientifically, exactly like what's happening, but sometimes I know, when we were talking about before, we're just talking about dogs, but just the animals and how great, they are to be around just how much energy and everything positive that comes from them. That kind of helps us out and sometimes ways we don't even know.

Lisa Arie 8:55

Correct, correct. And it teaches us empathy. I mean, there are so many different aspects of ourselves, that we can learn when we when we interact with a different species. The other reason I love working with horses is because they're honest, they're 100% honest. They've got nothing to protect as far as their self-identity, their prey animals. The only thing they have to do is be honest about how they feel and be honest about what they're reading in the environment to stay safe. Now, we don't do that, as humans. We have lots of different filters and mechanisms and all kinds of things to help us with our self-preservation when we're interacting with it, another species that is experiencing life in a completely different way. It affords us the opportunity to do the same. This is what I love about them is that they ask some very simple questions, are you real or Are you honest? Are you present? If you are, I'm happy to connect with you and perhaps even let you lead me and if you're not, I can't really put myself in your hands.

If you really look at that Gresh, isn't it the same for us? I mean, one don't we want to be those type of leaders, the type of leaders that invoke that type of trust that exude that type of honesty that are reachable that you can actually really connect to? Isn't that what people follow? So it's wonderful to develop certain skills as a leader, of course, but what I love about this is it sort of just drops you right into the middle of it. I mean we all came here to sort of do something and get on with it. For me, if I can get back in in a couple of hours or a couple of days, yes, please. If I can touch a part of myself in a way that recalibrates me in a way that I then embody that and carry that forward with me, and people can feel that through my energy in my presence. I mean, sign me up, which is what I did, I was my first client.

Gresham Harkless 11:12

There you go. Yeah. Now you have so many, many more. Is that usually what happens? Or I guess how exactly do you work with clients? Do they just have that aha moment? Or is it something that happens? Or they can kind of signal that to know to reach out to call that SSC and work with you?

Lisa Arie 11:30

Oh, yeah, I mean, I think it's both. I think a lot of people are called here the people that are listening to this interview, the people that resonate with them, they get it and they'll reach out and say, tell me more, and that people that it doesn't resonate with it, it doesn't resonate with you. That's okay, too. I mean, there's lots of different avenues but the people that, know it, feel it, and then they contact us.

Gresham Harkless 11:56

Yeah, that makes so much sense. I would hope that everybody that's listening definitely wants to be a better leader. There are different ways that we can go about trying to achieve that. Just like you said, like, it's when you break it down like that, it definitely is everything that we want to be as leaders, we want people to follow us, we want to be authentic, and we want people to have that connection with us so that we can lead them. I think it's a lot of things that we as leaders, definitely want to take into account. I appreciate you for doing that with clients and organizations and helping people to do that as well.

Lisa Arie 12:25

You are so welcome, it's my pleasure, because like I say, we all, we all came here to serve in our unique way. Again, what I love is that this is now a simulator that leaders can put themselves into and experience it and feel it and when they feel it they don't blow up. Then they can take it forward. They can find their edge, they feel their edge, and then they experience themselves past their edge, and they love what they experience. Then they can take that forward back into their companies, then their companies can go past their edge and have a greater impact on our world. As far as my perception right now we we need all the help we can get to get there as quickly as possible. So come on.

Gresham Harkless 13:23

Yeah, absolutely. I definitely appreciate that. I think a lot of times we forget that as leaders, when we're leading people, we're empowering people and we're able to do that not only are we affecting our teams and our organizations, but we're affecting the world on a greater level. That creates that energy that we kind of spoke about a little bit that just it's kind of like a domino effect throughout the entire world. I definitely appreciate that. You might have already touched on this, but I want to ask you for what I call your secret sauce, it can be for your organization or yourself, but what do you feel kind of sets you apart and makes you unique?

Lisa Arie 13:51

I would say that my secret sauce is that I have faced the ultimate edge of my comfort zone.

Gresham Harkless 13:58

I appreciate that. I wanted to switch gears a little bit and I want to ask you for what I call a CEO hack. So this could be like an app, a book, or a habit that you have. What's something that makes you more effective and efficient?

Lisa Arie 14:12

Well, here's my hack. My hack is to ask yourself, what is driving you? That's my hack.

Gresham Harkless 14:19

I appreciate that. Now I want to ask you for what I call a CEO nugget. And this is a word of wisdom or a piece of advice. Or if you could happen to be a time machine, what would you tell your younger business self?

Lisa Arie 14:28

For me, facing myself, I would say feel 100% safe inside of yourself because this gives you a clear lens to look at and lead through.

Gresham Harkless 14:40

Nice. Now I wanted to ask you my absolute favourite question, which is the definition of what it means to be a CEO and we're hoping to have different quote-unquote CEOs on this show. So Lisa, what does being a CEO mean to you?

Lisa Arie 14:50

Being a CEO means that I have the trust of people and am very responsible with that trust. That means that I'm in a position to bring a new reality to life and to me Make sure that it's reality that causes no harm, but brings great benefits to all of life.

Gresham Harkless 15:06

I appreciate that definition and I appreciate your time even more. What I want to do is pass you the mic so to speak, just to see if there's anything additional, you want to let our readers and listeners know. And then of course, how best people can find you and reach out to you to find out about all the awesome things you guys are working on.

Lisa Arie 15:22

I say the only thing additional is just to trust yourself and thank yourself for doing what you're doing. It's not everybody that wants to be a leader. So just celebrate yourself every day. It's really easy as a super achiever to focus on maybe what we're not doing right. But it's equally important to focus on the courage that we have to get up every day and be a leader. If anyone wants to get in touch with me, I'd love to hear from you. You can reach me at lisa@vistacaballo.com and I'll spell that for you, it's v i s t a c a b a l l o .com, The Vista Caballo from the perspective of the horse and I'd love to hear from you.

Gresham Harkless 16:08

Awesome. Well, thank you so much again, Lisa. We will have the links and information in that show notes. Thank you for empowering us as leaders and giving us so much of your time to learn about how we can be better and of course the work that you do. So I appreciate you again and I hope you have a phenomenal rest today.

Extro 16:22

Thank you for listening to the I AM CEO Podcast powered by Blue 16 Media. Tune in next time and visit us at iamceo.co I AM CEO is not just a phrase, it's a community. Be sure to follow us on social media and subscribe to our podcast on iTunes Google Play and everywhere you listen to podcasts, SUBSCRIBE, and leave us a five-star rating grab CEO gear at www.ceogear.co. This has been the I AM CEO Podcast with Gresham Harkless. Thank you for listening.

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