IAM547- Business Coach Believes in Service as a Way of Life

When it comes to choosing a coach or speaker, there are loads of contenders that talk a good game, but Keren Eldad – a former C-level executive at a billion-dollar company herself – actually knows what you need. As a business coach & speaker, Keren Eldad (“Coach Keren”) is a trusted advisor to industry-leading executives and superstar entrepreneurs, working with premier business organizations including: Luxxotica, J.P. Morgan, LVMH, YPO– and more. Having served in the Israeli army and emerging into coaching from suicide counseling, Keren believes in service as a way of life, and comes in focused on adding value and making things better and easier in yours.

• CEO Hack: Focus by prioritizing
• CEO Nugget: Be easy on yourself
• CEO Defined: One in charge of their own destiny

Website: https://www.kereneldad.com/

Facebook: Facebook.com/LiveWithEnthusiasm
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/coachkeren/?hl=en
Twitter: https://twitter.com/coachkeren?lang=en

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 it 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, hello. Hello, this is Gresh from the I AM CEO podcast and I have a very special guest on the show today Karen Eldad of kareneldad.com. Karen, it's awesome to have you on the show.

Keren Eldad 0:38

Hey, Gresh, it's so much fun to be here.

Gresham Harkless 0:40

Yeah, absolutely. We're definitely gonna have some fun. But before we get started, I wanted to read a little bit more about Karen. So you hear about all the awesome things that she's doing. When it comes to choosing a coach or a speaker.

Loads of contenders talk a good game. But Karen Eldad, a former C-level executive at a billion-dollar company herself knows what you need.

As a business coach and speaker coach Karen is a trusted adviser to industry-leading executives and superstar entrepreneurs working with premier business organizations, including Luxxotica, J.P. Morgan, LVMH, YPO– and many more.

Having served in the Israeli army and emerged into and coaching from suicide counseling, Karen believes in service as a way of life and is focused on adding value and making things better and easier. So, Karen, are you ready to speak to the I AM CEO community?

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Keren Eldad 1:26

I sure am. And I'm very, very touched by that very moving introduction. Thank you.

Gresham Harkless 1:30

Yes, absolutely. Well, you're doing some phenomenal things. So I wanted to hear from the very beginning. I wanted to hear about your CEO story. What led everything to get started with all the awesome things you're doing right now?

Keren Eldad 1:39

Sure, can I ask you a question first?

Gresham Harkless 1:41

Absolutely.

Keren Eldad 1:42

I use profanity.

Gresham Harkless 1:43

Absolutely. Go for it, let them fly.

Keren Eldad 1:45

So the only reason I am the CEO of my own company today and started it was because my life went down in a giant shitstorm.

Gresham Harkless 1:53

Ahh

Keren Eldad 1:54

In my mid-30s, after having done everything, quote-unquote, right in my life, the right school, the right marriage, you know, I was married to a tall guy, everybody knows that you marry a tall guy. That's like the standard.

Gresham Harkless 2:06

And tall guys are 5'9, by the way.

Keren Eldad 2:09

Uh, well, you know, as long as it's taller than me, I was okay with that. That was my holy grail. And who always had the right job. The right job, of course, led me to become a C-suite executive at a billion-dollar company at a very early age 31.

Gresham Harkless 2:25

Hmm

Keren Eldad 2:26

Everything started to collapse system after system after system. It wasn't working. It's not just that it wasn't working. I was blowing it up myself. There was a divorce. I knew the career was good. Like, I knew that I was good. And it was solid.

But it was never anything that fulfilled me and made me feel like I was living on my potential. It always felt like I was doing what I was supposed to do, and what I really truly wanted to do. And I didn't go for what I truly wanted to do, because I thought, and I'm being very honest here.

But it wasn't profitable. I wasn't going to speak for a living. I had to marry somebody who was technically rich, because how could a little girl like me make money by yourself? And so many of these beliefs just stood in my way. Luckily, God sent me what I like to call that shitstorm.

And after the divorce, by the way, all of my stuff also burned to the ground. So I literally lost all my things and a fire, lost my job. I was unemployed for five months. And for a person who was used to a very high spending level, I also went broke very, very quickly.

Luckily, when all of those systems collapsed around me, I got to ask some really big questions like what do I really want to do? That's how I created with enthusiasm coaching, and found this to be the devotion of my life through suicide counseling. And, here we are, here we are.

Gresham Harkless 3:41

Here we are. Well, I'm super obviously sorry to hear that. But I think sometimes when those bad things happen, I always say a lot of times, in order for you to know Don, for you experience great things.

Sometimes you have to you have to hit rock bottom and experience those really horrible things. But a lot of times that shows who we are, it gives us that opportunity to kind of rise like the Phoenix, I guess.

Keren Eldad 3:58

You know, that's my experience. But I also say that the truth is, that that's usually how most of us change. For most people, I just read Stephen Schwartz's book, which is called “What It Takes”. Obviously, that's a very Stephen Schwarzman title. And he says, he makes two very good points in it.

The first point is, that has nothing to do with what we're talking about, but you're gonna like it, it's just as easy to build a big company as it is to build a small company. So you might as well expend that energy in the big direction.

But the second great point that he makes, and that really kind of validates what I'm saying here is, when things are good, when things are solid and stable and comfortable. People don't want to make a change. And it is exactly at that moment.

He says that they should be as flexible and as innovative as possible. Unfortunately, most of us are not. And therefore, we get censured storms, and that's why I do agree with you. You were actually very, very lucky.

Gresham Harkless 4:52

Yeah, yeah, absolutely. And we'll definitely do you feel like in sometimes I say this, you know, and shitstorm that I've had, where a lot of times I knew what to do.

And I didn't do when I got those small signs, it was just a little bit of shit. And then when I didn't kind of do what I was supposed to do, it blew up exactly.

Keren Eldad 5:08

It blows up, it has to blow up. You should start to get very fine-tuned to it after a while, you just start to understand this is about to unravel. Why is it unraveling?

And of course, by the time you're quite coached and certainly have been a CEO for a long time, you always see that as a sign of grace, rather than as a big problem.

Gresham Harkless 5:27

Yeah, absolutely. It's definitely a sign and it's it can be a blessing as well, too, especially if you're able to see it. Or even if you don't see it, you have to go through it. If you look at it as a blessing, then it could be that opportunity to bounce back even stronger, and better.

So I know you touched on it a little bit, and I touched on it. When I read your bio, I wanted to hear a little bit more about how you work with clients. Can you take us through that process and some of the things that you do?

Keren Eldad 5:47

Sure. So there are really two things that I do. The first is private coaching. I offer private coaching for usual executives, and I like to call them the most intense personalities on the planet. It's not because they're very talkative like me, or have that energy.

A lot of very intense personalities are very quiet. But it is in their focus, the sharpness of their focus, the clarity of their vision, and people who basically understand that what got me here is not getting me there, I need to get to the next level.

We work in a 14-week program to really change the way they look at things to work on their mindset game and up the ante and create a much larger vision as a result of that.

The second way I work with people is group coaching or motivational speaking, which is really speaking and workshops for groups. And that is exactly what it sounds like.

Gresham Harkless 6:32

Awesome. Yeah, that makes so much sense. And do you find like, there's some, I guess, is it noticing, you know, a little bit of that shit that we talked about earlier that is coming up, that is a sign for somebody to you know, call you or just start work with you is that usually what starts everything or is it just kind of happened?

Keren Eldad 6:49

Well, usually people do call you when they're in the midst of a problem. And that's an interesting thing. I believe that coaching is not for people who are going through a problem there for people who are ready to go to the next level, and you can be ready to go to the next level.

When you're already a superstar Olympic champion, and I've had the privilege of coaching three Olympic champions, all Olympic champions, novice coaches are there to hold you to your vision show you your blind spots, and get you further ahead.

So actually, the ideal coaching clients do quite well. And I'm very lucky in that sense because a lot of my clients are doing quite well. But there are very common reasons that are not so well for which clients will reach out.

The first one is time management productivity, the problem is overwhelm, overwhelm stress, I'm not properly maximizing my time I am experiencing as a result, anxiety.

The second most common issue is a lack of meaning. And that's again, usually caused by the force with which superstars live such force and such attention to detail that you get disconnected from the big picture in picture, you don't ask the big questions.

And as a result, you're living life by default. You're living a life that doesn't feel good to you.

Gresham Harkless 8:05

Right.

Keren Eldad 8:06

That's something that's really up to the individual, they have to get real honest to come up with that, you know, it's not easy for any of us to admit, as I had to admit.

Gresham Harkless 8:14

Yeah.

Keren Eldad 8:14

It's just not working.

Gresham Harkless 8:16

Yeah. That's actually exactly what I was gonna say. And it kind of probably definitely helps. I don't want to put words in your mouth.

But I know sometimes it helps to go through an experience to be able to see it in somebody else, especially because it kind of sounds like the latter was definitely something that you went through where you know what you were hitting all the marks you were super successful.

But that fulfillment is really hard to kind of measure to be honest unless you're looking in the mirror and saying, Hey, this is not actually fulfilling me.

Keren Eldad 8:40

Yeah, and you have to you have to get very honest, it's actually about being willing to lose face and being willing to say, help me. And that was very hard for me to do, it's gonna be very hard for other people to do.

I looked perfect on Instagram. Like, in my marriage, we always dress to match, and a lot of women would come up to me and tell me how lucky I was. And I was in a sham of a marriage like a painful sleep in the library marriage that's when I knew what was really going on.

You always know when you're truly miserable. The money didn't matter because I couldn't spend it fast enough because again, I was constantly trying to cover up and cover up those feelings, and again, while the job was satisfying, it was nowhere near this kind of satisfying doing what you love waking up eager every day.

That's that's a different feeling. And everyone out there to at least accept that it is possible to live this way because when you do you're not going to be able to tolerate this for much longer.

Gresham Harkless 9:38

Yeah, absolutely. You know once you see all that light it's hard to kind of go back and I think it kind of like along the lines of You know, given up the good for the great.

So I think a lot of times when you have that good, you know that there's a different level but you have something so good.

Why would you want to take it to the next level because you could maybe not go back to the next level? Maybe you go backward and it's not as good as you thought it was. So it kind of leaves us in that same spot.

Keren Eldad 9:59

Well, if Marshall Goldsmith then, of course, the famous Jim Collins has spoken about the concept of Good as the enemy of great. As Marshall Goldsmith always says, What Got You Here Won't Get You There one day, you will wake up and say This got me all this stuff.

And this isn't what I want. I want to get to the next level, a spiritually happy level, a satisfied level a level of contribution beyond myself. There's gotta be more. And that's when you start calling the coaches.

Gresham Harkless 10:26

There you go, that makes perfect sense. So what do you feel kind of sets you apart and makes you unique? Or is it kind of like what I like to call your secret sauce?

Keren Eldad 10:34

Thanks for asking. Aside from this disposition, and I think a particular brand of humor, a particular way of speaking, which of course speaks to other people that do things that most of my clients find appealing is that I'm like them in two ways.

The first is, that I'm kind of a giant nerd, I went to the same schools as they went to I read a lot. I'm properly accredited, this is a very big deal. I'm a big behavioral assessment science nerd.

Most people who would then who would otherwise be deterred by personal development, or self-help and disqualify it as snake oil, or Google will see this as scientifically valid and sound when it's coming from someone to whom they can relate. And the second I really think, is an unusual, behavioral style, which is intense and focused.

And in that response in that universe, very responsive to other people who are intense and focused. I think that something that's a little bit more wishy-washy, gentle, and slow, and let's talk about your mother for three sessions is very different from the style that my clients respond to. And that's where the secret sauce lies.

Gresham Harkless 11:43

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

Keren Eldad 11:52

Okay, super, it's the silliest tech in the world, but it's changed my life. The secret to time management productivity is focus. The only way you focus is by prioritizing.

The only way you prioritize is by learning what really matters and what doesn't matter. And most of us cannot tell the difference. We just puke everything onto the to-do list, like everything matters equally.

But that is never ever, ever the case. So the way I write my to-do list is absolutely breathtaking and was stolen. And that's right, I am taking credit for a tip that is not mine, from Abraham Hicks.

Gresham Harkless 12:26

Okay.

Keren Eldad 12:27

It's basically I write my to-do list on two sides of my notebook, all my notebooks or notebooks that open up. So there's one side and then there's the other side. On one side, I write things I need to get done today. On the other side, I write things I need the universe to do for me today. I know that that sounds hokey and woo-woo.

But listen, once you start moving all of the follow-ups that need to get done all of the people you're hearing from little things like I need to order new cups for the office, nonsense stuff to need the universe to take care of one of two things will happen either it will get done by itself. And this is remarkable how it happens.

That nonsense, that email chain crap, that always resolves itself. And number two, the stuff that still needs to get done, but it's not the most important will still get done. But it'll get done after you do what actually matters. This is the easiest and most basic hack that will completely change everybody's game.

Gresham Harkless 13:21

I love that hack. And now I wanted to ask you for what I call a CEO nugget. So this could be like 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?

Keren Eldad 13:30

So what I tell everyone on the suicide hotline at the end of every call, and every one of my CEOs told me that they suffer from panic and anxiety attacks, which I have to tell you are much more common than you think. Be easy on yourself. You're doing extremely well.

Gresham Harkless 13:48

I truly appreciate that as well. And so now I wanted to ask you my absolute favorite question, which is the definition of what it means to be a CEO. We're hoping are different, quote-unquote, CEOs on the show. So Karen, what does being a CEO mean to you?

Keren Eldad 13:59

I believe that a CEO is the person in charge of their own destiny, whose ultimate power is in inspiring and uplifting others.

Gresham Harkless 14:07

Absolutely, yeah, that brings everything you know, back back in alignment. And a lot of times, we forget that everything we do is not just for ourselves, it's for people who are watching us, it's for our clients, it's for our customers.

And every time we do something, we are kind of building up our brand, and inspiring others and we hope or do something on opposite ends. So we always want to make sure that we push towards that.

Keren Eldad 14:27

It's true. And I'll give you just one concrete example. I was working with a great CEO who was the nicest guy ever and told me that everybody in his organization was screwing up.

Then I observed the company for a little while and realized that he just didn't come to meetings on time and he certainly wasn't on the up and up when he did attend those meetings can affect anything around you to change until you look at yourself first.

Who is really living that way when you live in that place? It's not just your clients, we're gonna get inspired, it's children. Everyone around you will be lifted and that's the ultimate role of the CEO.

Gresham Harkless 15:02

Absolutely. And it's such a great reminder because we can do that in so many different ways that we have in our lives because we can be the CEO in so many different aspects.

And I think Gandhi said, you know, be the change you wish to see. So if we don't start with ourselves and create that change, then we shouldn't expect to see that from anybody else or the world around us.

Keren Eldad 15:19

Also, Gandhi was alluding to the fact that we are the only thing we can change.

Gresham Harkless 15:23

Absolutely, control what you can control.

Keren Eldad 15:24

Wise Man.

Gresham Harkless 15:26

Absolutely. Definitely a wise man, and you're a wise woman. So I appreciate you for jamming with us for a little bit.

What I wanted to do was pass you the mic so to speak, just see if there's anything additional, you can let our readers and listeners know, then, of course, how best they can get ahold of you to find out about all the awesome things you're working on.

Keren Eldad 15:40

Thank you. I really appreciate it. The only thing I'll add to that is that yeah, I'm always available on coachkaren.com. And I throw the country with my talks and do lots of corporate seminars.

So I hope that everyone out there will get a chance to meet me at some point. But the most important thing that anybody can ever start with this by listening to podcasts like these reading and staying in that passionate enthusiasm that got them started in the first place.

Gresham Harkless 16:05

Absolutely. Well, thank you so much. Again, Karen. I truly appreciate it. We will have those links and information in the show notes and thank you for reminding us as well to to continue to sharpen the saw to continue to be our best selves to take in books and content so that we can continue to be our best selves and live the life that we were basically put here to do so. Appreciate that. And I hope you have a phenomenal day today.

Outro 16:23

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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