Penny Casselman:
I would invite you to think about influence and the impact you have had on others. Maybe it's a word of encouragement, but are you living aligned with your values? Because when you live in alignment with your values, people notice whether you're talking or not. You are influencing people with your actions as well as with your words, and people notice. Welcome to the Pivot with Passion podcast. Hi. I'm Penny Casselman. I believe everyone is deserving of a phenomenal life. Regardless of where you came from, life is what you make of it.
Penny Casselman:
And when you learn to pivot with passion, your world explodes with opportunities. Go grab your favorite beverage, and let's shake things up as we explore how to pivot with passion. Hello, director. I mentioned this last episode, but we're starting a trend. What are we celebrating today? I am celebrating reconnecting with a friend. This past weekend threw me a slight curveball, but this thing happened called life. And given the circumstances, it was an easy choice for me to pivot and focus my attention on personal matters rather than anything else that I had on my to do list. So I'm celebrating that unexpectedly and pleasantly.
Penny Casselman:
I was able to spend hours with a friend that I hadn't seen for months, And it made my heart happy. My cup was filled with reconnection. What are we celebrating for you? What magical thing, whether it be from this past week, this weekend, yesterday, today. What are you celebrating? Because you have something. As always, I would love to hear what you are celebrating because I wanna celebrate with you. The more people you can bring along this magical journey of life, the more exciting, joyful, enriching, fulfilling life you will have. If you are new to this show, you may notice that at the top of the episode, I called you director. And here's a little glimpse into what that means.
Penny Casselman:
The reason I address you as a director is because you have the power to direct your life. Whatever it is you want your life to look like, however it is you want it to unfold starting today, you have the power to make that happen. And hence, the term of endearment that is director. Now director also goes hand in hand with a red marker moment, and that is that pivotal choice that you make when three things collectively collide. And that is your belief in yourself that not only do you deserve what you are going after, but that you have the power to figure it out. You also are willing to take bold action, and you hold a vision for what that something looks like. Today, I wanna dive into influence. Let's unpack this just a little bit.
Penny Casselman:
It's not about volume. Right? Having influence doesn't mean you're the loudest, most boisterous, most flamboyant person in the room. I'm also not talking about the people on TikTok or Instagram, because in those social instances, they want to be loud. They want to be the one that you can't take your eyes off of, but truly influence when it's applied as a high performance pillar. It's about how you resonate with other people, how you leave that lasting impression, even when you don't know that you're doing it. Therein lies the nuance. Influence doesn't mean you're the loudest. It's not volume.
Penny Casselman:
It's about resonance. And sometimes you will never know when that moment happens. However, you could have left a lasting impression with someone. Earlier this year, after I finished delivering a keynote address, I was fortunate that I could stick around and speak to some of the people in the audience. And as everyone filtered back to work and I was packing up my things, the tech guy came out and pulled me aside to share with me his moment hearing about a red marker moment. And he said six years prior, he was selling insurance. And he never had envisioned his life anything beyond selling insurance. But along that path, several of his colleagues would always come to him with questions about tech.
Penny Casselman:
And one day, one of those colleagues said, why aren't you in the IT department somewhere? You're so talented, and you clearly have a passion for this. But he dismissed it because he didn't feel he had the education, the quote resume experience that would allow him to go out and get a job like that. But as time went on, and more people continued to share that idea with him, he thought, why not me? You see, those people had influenced him and challenged him to really think about where he was going in life and what he was doing, and so he pursued it. And after my talk, he said, when I raised my hand and applied for an IT job, that was a red marker moment for me. But up until today, I didn't have a word for what it was that I experienced. And that hit me hard, because in that moment, he felt seen by me, even though we had never met. And now he is carrying that idea of a red marker moment forward. That is something he latched onto, resonated with, and I guarantee he shared it with at least one person who may have paused after hearing what he shared and thought about their own red marker moment.
Penny Casselman:
That is the moment when I saw firsthand the power of quiet influence, of that moment that I had no idea that it happened, but that I had touched another human and made an impact in their life. And I share that as full illustration that your influence doesn't always need a microphone. It could simply be an interaction, a thought, an idea that you share. It could just be you showing up with a smile That could alter the course of someone's moment, of someone's day, or the way that they move forward and believe in themselves, take action, and hold a magical vision for something they never thought would be possible before. It's time for a clarity cocktail. Today's clarity cocktail comes from Salvador Dali, and he shares, the secret of my influence has always been that it remained secret. Whew. I could not have picked a better quote for what I have shared thus far in the episode.
Penny Casselman:
For this entire idea behind influence, this quote flips our assumption that real influence isn't always seen, it's felt. How deep is that? At the top of the episode, I mentioned it doesn't mean that you're the loudest, it doesn't have anything to do with volume. Influence is also something that someone can feel. Think about if you have ever gone to a museum, stood in front of a painting, and found yourself captivated by the image, or the colors, or the genre, the topic, and got lost in exploring everything about the piece of art. That is secret, quiet influence by the artist. You probably never met the artist, will never meet the artist, but somehow looking at the work that they did influenced how you move through the world after experiencing it. And when I think about how influence can be felt through looking at a piece of art or admiring nature, heck, influence can also be you walking through the grocery store and smiling at someone. You don't know what kind of day someone is having, but that simple act of you smiling might be the reset that person needed to turn their day around into something positive.
Penny Casselman:
And you didn't say a word. You simply smiled. I often think of this podcast and how it is similar, but so different from me showing up on stage and delivering a message. On stage, often I do have the opportunity to hang around before or after and actually talk to the people who heard me speak and get feedback. Whereas this podcast kind of feels like that secret influence that Salvador Dali shared. I may not have ever met you before, but the words that I share, the ideas, the thoughts, the metaphors might spark something inside of you that helps turn your day around, your week. Heck, even alter the future vision that you have for a phenomenal life, which is why I keep showing up, why I'm passionate about the work I do as a high performance coach, because I know influence can sometimes be a subtle nudge based on how I show up in the world. I would invite you to think about influence and the impact you have had on others.
Penny Casselman:
Maybe it's a word of encouragement, but are you living aligned with your values? Because when you live in alignment with your values, people notice whether you're talking or not. You are influencing people with your actions, as well as with your words, and people notice. So I'm gonna share the quote from Salvador Dali one last time. The secret of my influence has always been that it remained secret. And now back to the episode. Cheers. Circling back to the idea of mastering influence, how you can be heard without being loud. You see, let's identify the big issue here, is that many people believe that they need a big platform, a loud personality, or millions of followers to be influential.
Penny Casselman:
And in thinking that, they don't show up authentically. If at this point, you're thinking, one, I don't think I really have that much influence, or two, maybe I could get better at influencing others, Because in order to achieve success, this is one area you have to get good at. You must invest some time to hone your influence skills. So here are a few strategies that I want to share that might help you in not only recognizing where you can insert some influence, but also give you some ideas on how you can enhance your influence in situations. First one is audit your presence. Think about the environment in which you are in. What energy are you bringing to that scenario? I talked about smiling at someone in the grocery store. But when you walk into the grocery store, are you moping around? Are you staring at the floor just ruminating over something that happened earlier? Or are you thankful that you can go to the grocery store? Are you appreciative of all of the things on the shelf in the produce section that are just waiting for you to select them? If you bring that good energy with you as you cross the threshold of the grocery store, people pick up on your positive attitude.
Penny Casselman:
And in doing so, a simple smile from you could change the trajectory of someone's day. Another strategy to increase your influence is to lead with curiosity. Don't assume that you know exactly what someone meant when they shared it with you, or assume that you know what someone is going through based on a past experience you've had. Get curious. Ask the questions. In asking questions, it forces you to pay attention to the other person, having them feel seen and heard and valued in that moment. Imagine the influence that you will have with someone else when they feel you are fully attentive, paying attention, and curious about what they are doing. I love that one.
Penny Casselman:
I continually work on leading with curiosity. As a coach, that is my entire job, is to be curious why things happen, ask the questions. Because in those moments are when people grow. A third strategy that you can employ is model what you value. Simply put, people remember how you made them feel, not necessarily what you said. And that is powerful because that lasting impression absolutely influences their perception of what is possible for them. And the fourth suggestion for recognizing and increasing your influence with others is be consistent. Because quiet integrity over time speaks volumes.
Penny Casselman:
When you are consistently bringing the energy, showing up, staying in alignment with what you believe, people notice. And when you are consistent, the influence that people see in your actions leaves a lasting impression. Remember, influence is less about control and volume and more about clarity and consistency and curiosity. You never know who is watching you. Had I not stuck around after I gave that keynote and talked to the IT guy, I would have never known the influence and impact I had on him and his life. And because we don't know when we influence someone, live like someone's red marker moment is on the other side of you showing up authentically with curiosity, with kindness. Because that spark, that idea, that influence that you quietly and maybe secretly wield could alter the trajectory of someone else's life. Director, if this episode resonated with you, would you please share it with someone who needs to hear it? Maybe it's someone you just wanna talk about the episode with.
Penny Casselman:
Have a conversation. Be curious as to what other people think about influence. And maybe you will find a partner who can help challenge you to grow your influence in any and every aspect of your life. There are so many instances where we probably miss noticing that we were influential in someone's life. And director, if you are looking for support in becoming more influential, if you are looking to make some big bold moves in your life, knowing that influence will help you achieve that, reach out and let's talk. I would love to chat with you about how you can grab your red marker, have your red marker moment, and create the phenomenal life I know is waiting for you. Director, thanks for listening. I look forward to sharing more thoughts and ideas with you next week.
Penny Casselman:
Friend, thanks for listening to this episode of Pivot with Passion. If you've been feeling stuck, exhausted, or frustrated, this is your permission slip to go grab a red marker and claim the life you desire and deserve. If you enjoyed this episode, share it with a friend, and then hop over to rate and review the show on Apple Podcasts. Because my goal is to put a red marker in everyone's hand, and I need your help to spread the word and make that happen. Until the next episode, go grab a red marker, get excited for your future, and make your first move to pivot with passion.
