The Causey Consulting Podcast
The Causey Consulting Podcast
Guest: Sue Guiher + Finding Your Core Essences + Plate Spinning + What is Marketing Really?
My guest on today's episode is Sue Guiher, a coach and business communications expert with more than 20 years of experience. If you've been feeling overwhelmed in your business, you're struggling to find the right tone or the best way to communicate in these trying times, or you're curious to know more about how your own values and beliefs impact your business, this is definitely the episode for you!
Key topics we cover:
✔️ Discovering your own Core Essences-- and why it's like "an inner DNA fingerprint."
✔️ Why do people start strong and then lose motivation?
✔️ Are you taking responsibility and ownership for the wrong things?
✔️ What exactly is focus?
✔️ Are you a business leader who runs too hot? Or too cold?
✔️ What is marketing really? (And why it's not trying to be all things to all people.)
You can find Sue online at: https://thrive4success.com/
And on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sueguiher/
To find the bonus tool Sue mentions in this episode, please go here: https://thrive4success.com/core-values-audio/
Hello, hello and welcome to today's episode of the Causey Consulting Podcast. I'm your host Sara Causey and I'm also the owner of Causey Consulting, which you can find online anytime at CauseyConsultingLLC.com. I'm very excited to welcome Sue Guiher as the guest on today's episode. For more than 20 years, Sue has worked with leaders from solopreneurs to executives in fortune 100 companies. She has a unique ability to combine intuition with strategy so her clients can move forward in a clear, focused way that's specifically tailored to them and the business or career and life they desire. Sue has also taught communications for over a decade for MBA and exactly MBA students at the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, Georgetown, and Rider University. She also helps leaders present effectively on the local, national and international level. She's passionate about helping leaders at all levels, implement the aligned action steps needed to create more insight, influence and impact. So so welcome aboard. I'm so glad to have you today.
Unknown Speaker :I'm excited to be here with you, Sara, thank you so much for having me.
Unknown Speaker :Yeah, absolutely. So first and foremost, I want to know about your entrepreneurial journey. How did you get started?
Unknown Speaker :Oh, my goodness. So it's been over 20 years, which when I say that, I'm like, wow. So I was a corporate workaholic, come out of healthcare. I was an executive. At one point I had 85 staff, nine supervisors, and healthcare was changing. I had just finished helping merged three companies. We were bought out twice in two months, the company I work for. And I gave birth to my first son. And I was blessed during my maternity leave to have a month in Geneva, Switzerland. My husband was working there for a month at this massive big conference in 1999. And I was Madonna deck, baby. All I needed to be for a month. And it really had me experiencing life. I always say my life changed having seen the moon on the other side of the world.
Unknown Speaker :Yeah.
Unknown Speaker :It had me stepping back and saying what was important to me. At the time, I was going to have to be commuting about 90 minutes each way. Yes. So I started interesting. I we came back from Geneva. I started back on November 1 1999. Back at work was sitting in a management meeting looking around going still doesn't feel right. You know, this doesn't feel the place. And that night was the first night I also had my first coaching class. Oh, I'm a board certified coach. I've had 800 plus hours of coach training. And I was like, Wow, I've been doing this for at least the last 10-15 years. It was like putting on an old coat. I thought, This is what I really am supposed to be doing. And so fast forward, I've run multiple coaching schools over the years, I have worked with high level leaders at all levels, made a lot of mistakes, which is good for my clients because I can share the mistakes that I've made. learn a lot about both coaching. So I always have a month. I get coaching. I have a minor in psychology. I did a lot of neuro psych when I did my doctoral work. I mentioned the coach training, and I also get business so I can blend both. So I know that's my journey has Like most people gone many paths over the last 20 years.
Unknown Speaker :Gosh, that's awesome. So you have a process called Core Essences. And I'll pull the curtain back a little for the listeners and say, I have gone through this process myself with Sue, and found it very, very enlightening. There are things we think we know about ourselves. But it really does help to go through an exercise like this. And if you're scratching your head thinking, Well, you know, Sara, there's a lot of personality profiles and tests. They're everywhere on the internet, why would I want to do this? I want to give Sue the opportunity to talk about her Core Essences Process because it really truly is a different kind of thing. So walk us through that, Sue.
Unknown Speaker :So it is I started to describe it as a values exercise on steroids, because it is many people said Oh, I've gone through values, exercises. This is a deep dive. So values change over our lifetime values are important. They have our mission, they drive what we want to do. But there is about 15 years ago that I started discovering there was a level beneath some people called their soul level. I like calling it your innate operating system. It's like an inner DNA fingerprint from what your values come, but it's the essence, which is why I started calling it essence and your core essence of who you are. And then when I started to research, other people identified this level as your essence. And I work with three core components of your essence, that's my paradigm, and one is your oxygen, or some people will call it their fuel. It's your driver. It's what motivates you. Sometimes it's connected to your purpose. It's really that what you have to be getting up and doing every day. And then there's your lens, which is how you See the world. It's your filter. It's what allows you to have clarity around vision. So I often find that when people all have clarity, a lack of clarity about their next step, something's out of alignment with their lens. If they've lost motivation, probably something's out of alignment with their oxygen. And then the last level is your anchor. And that's your grounder, that's what gives you the most power and makes you the most confident. And I always say when all they all three work together, and when they're all in alignment when you're living your you know, those times, Sarah, when you've been in flow. And as you know, we've we work together. So your questions, when you're in flow, when you know, gosh, this is what I'm supposed to be doing. I'm passionate about it. I've clarity about the next steps, and I have the confidence to take those actions. And I know I'm on on point. That's, that's what the core essence gives to people. Plus, there's a whole bunch of other stuff that because of the intuition that comes up that we get to clear out And it's different for every single person. But I've had a lot of people who refer others just for that session, as you know, the first session I do with all my clients because it gives such clarity around business model, right? marketing language, every relationship, how to communicate, I've done it as part of board of directors, or teams, and allows people to understand each other. Like, why is that person so triggered when this happens, probably the rancor, you know, and I do a chamber of commerce about two years ago and they always come back to me and go, Oh my gosh, our meetings are so different. We got along really, really well. And this is took us to the next level of understanding each other's perspective in a different way. So I love as you can hear my passion, love doing core essence I want to be able to create because it allows you to make those little corrections You're feeling off in one of those areas, and we can always pinpoint what's off and get you right back on track. you right back on track. And if you're having communication difficulties, it allows you to communicate from a different perspective with others, the relationships improve.
Unknown Speaker :Oh, absolutely. It's something that not only helps you in your business and the way that you might be relating to prospects, clients, colleagues, but something that helps you in your personal life do.
Unknown Speaker :Absolutely I've had I've had a fair number of husband and wives or business partners. I love doing business partners because it's really important for their working relationship and their connection. And as I mentioned, several people have changed their business model because they something was just not quite right. I had one gentleman. unbeknownst to me, we had done the session. And then he I knew he had moved newly a change. Six months later, he sent me A video saying oh my gosh. So I changed my career I change who I work with, I now found the person I'm in love with about to get married and changed my life. It was just amazing. And I just wanted to reach out and thank you about it. So yeah, to me, it's that is my dream work to do with people is to help them connect to the essence of who they are, and live into that every single day.
Unknown Speaker :Oh, that's beautiful. I'm all warm. And my heart chakra is like all lit up right now. Yeah, I felt that I really did. You also talk about focus. And I think there's a lot of societal pressure for people, not just women, but for people to try to be all things to everyone work and lean in and all of that. How do you help people who they want that focus, but right now they're just suffering from overwhelm-ment?
Unknown Speaker :Yeah. So it's And it's funny that you say be all to all people. My as you know, I'm very big into thriving in my first book was all about the heck with balance, let's thrive that's been a mantra because you can't do everything and try and balance everything as a to do item. And so focus is one of the key pillars that I work on with everyone so that they focus on the right things, the right things that are allowing them to take one step forward to whatever goal or dream they have. Focus on the right things at the right time. And overwhelm usually happens not because they have too many, you know, things going on, it's because you have a lack of clarity about what are the things that are important. And so people sometimes take on responsibility for things that they don't need to take responsibility for. I always say so the book was called stop spinning plates to lose your balance. Yeah, I'm about is about 10 years old about to do an update probably next year, the stop splitting plates how to lose your balance become a thriving mother. But all the tools in there I've used with many people and many people read that because what talked about is that there's plates that maybe we just need to put down. We own things that maybe aren't ours to own because of whatever perspectives It is because of the feeling that others won't help us the feelings that we just take in response. So I think oftentimes, lack of focus comes from lack of clarity around what is yours to own. What's the right thing to do right now? For the right people. And it goes back to I think what you talked about earlier about, we are not meant as business owners to serve all people Right, we are not meant. That's why there's many different flavors of ice cream. For my there's, you know many different consultants who do the same thing. We are not meant to serve everyone. And when you try to you become in that state of not being able to help anyone.
Unknown Speaker :That's a great way to put it now, I love that. Yeah, you also have a strong presence in the business communication space. And I'd love to ask you what are some of the top business communication sins that you're seeing nowadays?
Unknown Speaker :So I just finished teaching crisis communication, which is I want I love teaching and teaching every spring and but no more has. This is at such a time it has been so relevant. Yes. And I just wrote a LinkedIn article as a matter of fact, and now it's on my blog, but it was the end of March. It was called Goldilocks And the three leaders how to communicate just right, in times of crisis. And really, it applies all the time. And so the the two I connected it to when Goldilocks was trusting the porridge and the first was too hot, there's a leaders that are too hot. They're always in reactive mode. They're not listening. They go off a new. And so what happens is when they communicate, it's often loud, sharp words, you're also creating a communicative environment where people are on edge because they're worried that the leader could go off at any moment. They feel like their opinion is always right. So they're not looking at other opinions as possibilities. So that's the leader that's too hot. On the flip side of that is the leader To cold. And so when they give information or they communicate, it's devoid of any emotion. It's just the facts is a very narrow window. They're not inviting empathy, and they're not sharing anything personal about themselves. So you don't feel a connection to them. So when people don't feel a connection to somebody who's communicating, it's really hard for them to feel a connection to what's being said. Right? Because they don't release because there's a question in the listeners mind like, does this person really believe what they're saying? If they're not connected? How can I get connected?
Unknown Speaker :Right? Yes, if the person sounds like a robot, and you just cannot get any read on what's actually happening.
Unknown Speaker :Yeah, it's very confusing to the listener. And so the ideal, the just right. communicator is the one that uses facts that uses a strong logical way of presenting, and also establishes trust and credibility with the listener. So I trust you. They manage any ethical considerations. And they communicate what they know. And they're transparent. And they communicate with warmth and empathy in their voice. They may share stories to illustrate, but they're a person that you can lean in, even if they don't have all the answers and leaders. Leaders is one of the biggest fallacies that leaders have all the answers. Actually leaders are scared most of the time.
Unknown Speaker :Yeah.
Unknown Speaker :Because their support systems, the higher you go become less and less. And they're scared most of the time. Not in a way of Am I doing the right thing constantly thinking through the ramifications and everything not weak. I'm not talking weak. I'm just talking that they are trying to figure it out. As well, they don't have all the answers, and the leader that you can lean into and go, Ah, I believe what you're saying, I'm on board with you, let's figure it out, is the most effective way of communicating.
Unknown Speaker :Mm hmm. You know, I would sort of draw a comparison between, you know, when you're a young child, you think adults have all of the answers and then when you grow up and you become an adult, yourself, you realize, Oh, we you know, we're all just doing the best that we can in any given moment. But there is no magical age of adulthood where you suddenly get handed a book of all of life's answers.
Unknown Speaker :Oh, wouldn't that be nice?
Unknown Speaker :I know if only that book existed,
Unknown Speaker :That would be awesome. I would sign up for five to 10 copies of that.
Unknown Speaker :Yes. Speaking of your blog, you also recently wrote a post that I really enjoyed, and I wanted to ask you about it here. It's about marketing myths. And in particular, this notion that a lot of I see it a lot in the entrepreneurial world that marketing automatically gets you clients. So tell us more about why that's a marketing myth.
Unknown Speaker :Yeah, absolutely. It's funny because it comes from first learn that with my, one of my mentors, Michael Porter, who wrote Book Yourself Solid, and I ran his school for a year as Director of Education. And it's, it's so funny because people say, I'm so afraid of marketing, not really, they're not afraid of marketing. They're afraid of sales. And people think that marketing and sales are the same thing. They are not. Marketing is all about creating awareness. I just had this conversation today earlier today. So it's so funny that you bring it up. Marketing is all about having people become aware of who you are, so they can trust you to establish your own thority and credibility is how you do it through articles through speaking through podcasts like this through blogs, and you want to create this connection and relationship and awareness of who you are, and what you offer, but really who you are first, and then how you solve people's problems. And once you have that awareness, then you move on to the sales sales is really easy. But you should be marketing all the time, you should be creating awareness for who you are. But it doesn't mean that somebody that's aware of you, again, going back to the we're not right for everyone, I'm marketing to you. If you have a problem and I'm the right solution, then we'll move to sales and we'll have that sales conversation and then you choose to work with me or not. But it's not where automatically because I'm marketing every single person who's aware of me it's gonna be right. Right, not right for them. They're not right for me and I'm not right for them. Yes, that's okay. You still need to be marketing all the time.
Unknown Speaker :That's really well said and I think sometimes because of all of the tools that we have at our disposal, I mean there are so many automation software's there's so much technology social media, I mean we we get into I think this instant gratification syndrome, where we believe everything ought to be automatic like someone should just watch one video that I post on YouTube or read one blog post that I put out on my website and then hand me the check right then.
Unknown Speaker :And you know, what an absolute and they might but the thing is they've been and it goes back to the old standby and so this is interesting. Technology are all tactics. It goes back to there's there which tactics change, and they change constantly because algorithms change me believe people's by change, technology changes tactics change all the time. There are people look for tactics without understanding strategy. So first people need to understand strategy. And it might be Sara that they saw you. But the number than, you know, the magic number of seven to 12 touches before somebody makes a decision. You might have been the 12th person that gave a solution to a problem they've been thinking about. And so they've been watching different people, and then they came to you. And they're like, you know what, I'm ready. And yes, I'm going to buy from you. But that's probably because somewhere along the line, you've won, you've established trust and credibility, but to they have been working in the background. Yeah, this is a problem. Yes, I'm looking for a solution. Yeah, I'm gonna start, I'm thinking about it. And on average, people are exposed to the idea seven to 12 times now there's people that go I have a problem I'm really gonna find find a solution. But that's rare. It's really this seven to 12 times which is why you need all those marketing touches and It's not that seven to 12 touches from you. It's just in general. Right?
Unknown Speaker :Yes. Gosh, this has been extremely insightful. I knew that it would be I knew this was gonna be a great conversation today and if the listeners out there are thinking the same thing and they're like I have not had enough Sue Guiher, I'm interested in what she has to offer. I'm curious about the Core Essences process. Where can someone find you online?
Unknown Speaker :Absolutely. So my website is thrive. T h ri ve 4 success.com and if they want to do the first level of the the core essence processes to levels you know i'm going to give all of them they only have to sign up the the first values exercise and they can get that at thrive4success.com backslash core co r E dash values with an S dash audio So my desk, comm core dash values that audio, and just a secret in there. So I have embedded a code in there. So Sarah, if they want to unlock some additional resources, they can just submit the code. And there's a lot around us, you know, I do a lot of work around aligning values and businesses and people to their businesses. So I'd love for them to be able to experience that as a free gift from me.
Unknown Speaker :Excellent. everyone listening take full advantage of that there are so many things that you will learn about yourself. It is extremely eye opening. And even if you're listening to this and you don't own and operate a business right now, I promise you, it is something that will help across the board in all of your interpersonal relationships. So please take Sue up on this offer.
Unknown Speaker :Awesome. Thank you. Thank you. Gosh, it was so fast is to connect with you.
Unknown Speaker :Yes. I really appreciate you taking the time out of your day to be with us today.
Unknown Speaker :Thank you.
Unknown Speaker :Once again, our guest today has been Sue Guiher. You can find her online at thrive4success, the number 4: thrive4success.com. Thanks for listening, and be sure to tune in to our next episode. Transcribed by https://otter.ai