IAM097 – Speaker & Author Provides Inspiration to Lifestyle Entrepreneurs

Danielle Watson is a TEDx Speaker, Accidental Author, and The World’s Most Unlikely Anthropologist. Her uncommon mixture of infectious enthusiasm, unconventional ideas, and spectacular smile have made this pint-sized lady a popular inspiration to a global audience of lifestyle entrepreneurs. Her book: Dear Self, I Love You! Keep Going!, is available on Amazon.

• CEO Hack: Yoga & Meditation, LastPass
• CEO Nugget: Taking something embarrassing and shameful and finding a new way to tell that story that's empowering / Develop self-awareness and do this by (1)throwing yourself in a situation and go to people that don't know you and test out your ideas and thoughts and get their feedback
• CEO Defined: Making decisions and being accountable and responsible for the outcome

Website: https://www.danielle-watson.com/
Book: https://amzn.to/2q4ix1q
FB: https://www.facebook.com/thedanielledaily/
IG: https://www.instagram.com/the_danielledaily/

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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 0:28

Hello, hello, hello, this is Gresh from the I AM CEO Podcast and I have a very special guest on the show today. I have Danielle Watson of Daniellewatson.com. Danielle, it's awesome to have you on the show.

Danielle Watson 0:38

Thanks, Gresh. I'm glad to be here.

Gresham Harkless 0:40

Awesome. I'm super happy and excited to have you on the show. And what I wanted to do was read a little bit more about Danielle so you hear about all the awesome things that she's doing. And Danielle Watson is a TEDx Speaker, Accidental Author, and The World’s Most Unlikely Anthropologist. Her uncommon mixture of infectious enthusiasm, unconventional ideas, and a spectacular smile have made this pint-sized lady a popular inspiration to a global audience of lifestyle entrepreneurs. Her book: Dear Self, I Love You! Keep Going!, is available on Amazon. Danielle, are you ready to speak to the I AM CEO community?

Danielle Watson 1:17

I am ready.

Gresham Harkless 1:18

Awesome. Let's do it. So the first question I have is just to hear a little bit more about your CEO story and your book and what led you to kind of get started.

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Danielle Watson 1:24

Yeah, well, for me, what led me to write my book was grief. I was in the middle of building a business. And like a lot of people who become entrepreneurs, life happens, right? And I ended up finding myself in the middle of a divorce, which was super painful, a big depressing life event. But I knew that I had to keep going. And I knew that I couldn't pretend everything in my life was okay, and continue to build my business, I didn't have the inner fortitude to where everything's okay with me mask, and do what I needed to do to continue to build my business.

So, what I ended up doing was just being very open about what was going on with me in the form of writing little encouraging notes to myself each day, and I publish those on social media. And after several months of publishing them, I realized that if I wrote them each day, for a year, I'd actually have a book.

And so through one of the most painful experiences in my life, divorce, and grief, I ended up fulfilling a lifelong dream of becoming an author, which is why I call myself an accidental author, because I didn't start out to do it. But I did have the intention in the back of my mind, and life put me through something that I would not have chosen to go through. But would that end up fulfilling a dream for me?

Gresham Harkless 2:46

Awesome. Well, obviously, I'm super sorry to hear that, you went through all those times, but seemed like something really great came out of it. And definitely, you were courageous, and being able to not only make sure that you're writing those stories, writing those notes to kind of heal yourself but also kind of sounds like a lot of that experience will help you others.

Danielle Watson 3:03

Yes, I've had so many people who have read that book. And it's like, having somebody write something in real-time rather than retrospectively. Here's the neat, tidy story of how I got through all that. It's a really refreshing sort of thing, especially if you're in charge of things. If you're an entrepreneur, if you're a decision maker, seeing how people go from one place to the other, rather than just giving the example of well, I was in a deep, dark place. And now I feel better, but actually showing that process over a year's time of what that looks and feels like on a day-to-day basis.

Gresham Harkless 3:37

Yeah. And that's really powerful, like you said, because it's a process whenever you're going through any difficult times or even good times, it's a process in order to get there and to get out of there or to kind of processing, and go to the next step. So, you have been able to kind of document that so people can kind of understand that it's not an overnight thing that happens is something that's super powerful sounds like.

Danielle Watson 3:57

Yeah, and it's not abnormal to have those ups and downs. It isn't all up into the right trajectory.

Gresham Harkless 4:06

Yeah, exactly, exactly. It's a roller coaster sometimes. So I wanted to hear and dig a little bit deeper and hear a little bit more about your book and everything that you're doing with that and how that helps people.

Danielle Watson 4:15

Yeah, so the book is something that I wrote for myself, but I published it for other people. And as I've been going out and talking and sharing about the book, what I found is that it's really pushed me to become better at being a public speaker to be better at talking to people about difficult subjects. It's not something that I ever thought I'd be doing in my professional life. I very much saw myself as somebody who had all the answers, and there are ways to get through things.

And what I've noticed is that as I'm talking to people about my book and helping people as I'm having to acknowledge and recognize that sometimes I don't have the answers, and sometimes there isn't an answer is a wonderful thing when I can help somebody or when I can make a connection for somebody to somebody else who can help them. But it's been a really great experience for me personally, to come to a place where I recognize that, hey, you know what, you're not equipped to handle everything, you can't do all of the things.

But here are the things you can do. You can talk to people, you can relate to people, you can offer them help and mentorship, and you can guide them in giving them tools to help themselves, but there are plenty of things that you're just not good at.

And that's okay. And that that has been a huge personal struggle of mine throughout a lifetime is not being the know at all, when you're in the position of being a charge that you're an entrepreneur, you're CEO, it's really not an easy thing to just look people in the face and say I don't know. And getting to a place where I can do that has been extremely empowering.

Gresham Harkless 6:00

Yeah, I was, I was gonna say, I feel like that has definitely sounds like it's been powerful, but maybe even peaceful as well, too. Because you get peace and understanding. You don't have to know how to do everything, you have to have the answer to everything.

Danielle Watson 6:11

Oh, my gosh, that's such a great point. I've never thought about it that way as being very peaceful. But that's so well said. And I definitely feel that

Gresham Harkless 6:18

Awesome, awesome, awesome. Now I wanted to ask you for what I call your secret sauce. And this could be for you or your book or your or any talks that you've given before. But what do you feel kind of makes you unique or kind of sets you apart?

Danielle Watson 6:30

Well, what I found really takes me and puts me in a different category is that I'm really good at taking something that seems like it doesn't go together or something that's broken and fragmented, and taking it and making it whole and exceptional. So we didn't talk about it, because we're talking about my book today. But I have a background in archaeology. And if anyone sees my picture on your Instagram feed, I'm a huge girly girl.

And I just have this history of taking something that doesn't seem to belong together like archaeology and being a girly girl. And being able to make something magical out of it over and over. And my book is an example of how I took something that was a really painful experience. And I made something magical out of a book. So, that is definitely my secret sauce, being able to be open about how things don't go together, and then taking things that seem like they don't work and making them into something that really shines.

Gresham Harkless 7:29

Yeah, that's an incredible kind of example of a secret sauce. Because a lot of times, kind of like making lemons into lemonade, and being able to produce and create and do alchemy, so to speak, where you're able to create things out of sometimes where things are not able to be created. It seems like.

Danielle Watson 7:46

Right

Gresham Harkless 7:46

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

Danielle Watson 7:57

Yeah, so I've got a couple and you said the word habits. So for me, yoga and meditation are habits that I've had for about 16 years now. So having the self-awareness that comes through that is incredibly valuable. If you want an attack, hack LastPass when I discovered that a few years back just changed my life, the amount of time I was wasting, trying to remember lookup passwords instantly evaporated, and I just can't recommend it. Enough. If you're not already using LastPass. Give it a go.

Gresham Harkless 8:29

Yeah, I would definitely agree with that. Especially you're juggling every password has to have a certain amount of spaces, a certain amount of commas, and all that extra stuff. You don't have to worry about all this stuff. You keep it in one place, and it takes care of everything.

Danielle Watson 8:41

Yes. And gosh, have you ever sat there in front of the computer trying to come up with a password that not only can you remember, but uses all those components, and you just feel like your brain turns to mush? Well, LastPass will generate one for you, which I think is just the best thing ever.

Gresham Harkless 8:57

Exactly, exactly. Because yeah, each of the different sites has different rules. So, you have to find seven different passwords, seven different master passwords. That's just so awesome. So, now I wanted to ask you for what I call a CEO nugget. And this is a word of wisdom or a piece of advice you might give for entrepreneurs and business owners or something that you might tell your younger business self.

Danielle Watson 9:17

Yeah, so gosh, for me, taking something that you find embarrassing or shameful about yourself or your experience and finding a new way to tell that story that is empowering is probably the most useful CEO skill that I have learned it. It is something that will not only set you apart, but it is something that will allow you to relate with your customers, clients, employees, and whomever it is taking that part of yourself that you think gosh, no one would like me if or Oh, if anybody knew and if you can find a way to take your power back from that and tell that story in a new way that will free you so much. And will free so much mental and emotional energy.

Gresham Harkless 10:05

Yeah. And I felt like even as a result of you writing your book as well, too, it also sounds like it also kind of develops a connection with people that have and are going through things. And maybe they have some type of connection with you being able to say it and kind of communicate exactly what you're going through.

Danielle Watson 10:20

Yeah, I could not agree more. And as people, there's more noise out there, because there are more people getting on social media and advertising and marketing themselves. That is the piece that will really set you apart is your ability to tell a story that other people can connect with. That's really, really real.

Gresham Harkless 10:40

Exactly, exactly. Authenticity is the key. So, all right, Danielle. And now I wanted to ask you my absolute favorite question, which is the definition of being a CEO, and we're hoping to have different, quote-unquote, CEOs on the show. So, I want to ask you, what does being a CEO mean to you?

Danielle Watson 10:54

For me, being a CEO means making decisions and being accountable and responsible for the outcomes. I know, that's not very creative, but that is the one that really sinks into my heart. I feel like as this top decision-maker, I need to be willing to make decisions. And I need to be responsible and accountable for what happens because of those decisions.

Gresham Harkless 11:17

Danielle, I truly appreciate you for taking some time out of your schedule. What I wanted to do was pass you the mic, so to speak, to see if there's anything additional you want to let our readers and our listeners know, and then also how we can get a copy of your book.

Danielle Watson 11:28

Yes. Oh, gosh, anything I want to tell people? Well, I think that one of the most valuable things that you can do for yourself as an entrepreneur, business person, or CEO, really develops self-awareness and get to know yourself. And there are two ways that I figured out that are very effective for doing that. And one is to throw yourself into situations where you don't know what you're doing and observe how you respond. Take notes and analyze those notes.

And the second way is to go to people who don't know you and test out your thoughts and ideas and see how they respond. Take notes and analyze that data. Those to me are the two most effective ways to develop awareness about how you're coming off, how you're communicating how people see you, and it gives you new ways that you can start to see yourself and as far as how people can connect with me and how they can get my book. My book Dear Self, I Love You! Keep Going! is available on Amazon. You can also find it on my website, danielle-watson.com/thebook. I recommend you just go straight to Amazon or you can find me on Instagram @the_danielledaily.

Gresham Harkless 12:44

Awesome, awesome, awesome. Well, thank you so much, Danielle. And for anybody listening, we're gonna have those links in the show notes so they can click through and follow up but I appreciate you so much for being so courageous and telling your story and also helping out so many people and I hope you have a phenomenal rest of the day.

Danielle Watson 12:58

Thank you, sir.

Outro 12:59

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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