by Andrea Goeglein, PhD
So how are you feeling about 2021? We are in the home stretch and I will be the first to admit. I
feel as though I have been running an endless marathon. I keep waiting for the supposed 20
mile high runners get, yet what I keep feeling is that I am stuck at the 19.9 miles mark. It is
from that frame of mind that I thought it was time to revisit some of my tried and worked
favorite techniques for getting over the finish line. Posing, Walking, and Creativity —- my PWC
for short.
Posing
Do you know about the impact of “superhero posing” (or as I have renamed it, superher-o)? Well, I did not before a client mentioned it during a session. True to my love of learning strength, I immediately did some research. The television show Grey’s Anatomy has been credited with making the self-confidence technique popular in recent years, but the actual research on the impact of posing is that of Amy Cuddy.
The technique is simple enough. Think Wonder Women Stance. Put your hands on your hip, stand with legs wide and strong to the ground, look up and state your current purpose succinctly and out loud. Cuddy’s research actually does not even include the out loud part. Just take the stance. Granted, like all things that get too close to self-help, the technique and research are disparaged by some, but whenever a technique falls into the category of free and causes no harm or damage, I say who cares. Try it! As is my process when I try a new technique, I gave it 30 days. In the end, I felt it not only fell into the no harm no foul category, I felt it was a good, in-the-moment technique to use and suggest to others.
Walking and Creativity
Then there is my favorite way to hold a client meeting especially early in my work with a client: walking. The research is solid, walking to achieve creativity and greater clarity is the way to go. The thing I like about walking to establish clarifying goals is that increased movement in a day is always good! It is the only multitasking I actually support!
Another benefit of walking is that — for me at least — I get to eat more. My motto is “I walk, therefore, I eat!” Notice I did not say I cook. My idea of cooking dinner is making a great reservation. This is exactly what I did at Tom Colicchio’s Riverpark restaurant on a recent trip to New York. Tom is the first man to be on the Hey, Boss Lady! Podcast. You make know Tom because of his Top Chef fame. But as I learned he is that and so much more.
Listen to the recent Hey, Boss Lady! episode to hear about what incredible person Tom is. In addition to his 18 seasons on Top Chef, he and his team created the Crafted Hospitality group of restaurants, and he is a social activist for his industry. If that was not a valid enough reason to have him as our first male guest on HBL, he is a supporter of my beloved FEAST and he is married to the documentary filmmaker, Lori Silverbush, whose work in part inspired the creation of FEAST.
During Season 2 of Hey, Boss Lady! Tom will stand side-by-side with some of the most extraordinary female leaders the restaurant industry has to offer. In the meantime, strike your most powerful superher-o pose, get walking to creatively plan the end of 2021 on a high note, and make a reservation at your favorite restaurant to celebrate.
