The Focus Bee Show

Kate Strong, world champion in triathlon, has proven that our mind is the greatest part of our performance. Loved my conversation with Kate, which illustrates that so much is within our possibilities, and we can achieve so much more than we realise!  Some of the magic: The drives that carried her towards her goals The physical, mental and emotional sides of world-class achievements Why cleaning toilets helped Kate more than positive affirmations in a challenging phase of her life How to deal with being discouraged – building resilience Key tools to reframe your beliefs ‘Success is 80% in the mind’– Kate  And so much more!  ABOUT Kate Strong Kate Strong leads by example in attaining peak performance whether that’s climbing Mont Blanc, developing a globally reaching sustainable business or founding a charity, Limitless Foundation. She is a widely sought-after coach, enabling individuals and teams to redefine what’s possible and introduce flow into their daily way of being.  Kate has lived and travelled all over the globe, earning a double Masters in Engineering while living in France & Italy, She’s set up micro-businesses in indigenous communities in Guatemala, Cambodia and Vietnam as well as taught diving in Spain & Mexico and found a hospitality business in Australia. It was during her time in Australia that she discovered a triathlon while recovering from a toxic relationship. Within 14 months of taking up the sport, she was crowned age-group World Champion and later went on the break of 3 cycling world records.  Yet, she has also faced her fair share of difficulties from being trapped in a toxic relationship to working herself out of a million-dollar debt left by her ex. These challenges don’t define her, and she uses these darker days to fuel her to always be the best version of herself. Always seeking the next ‘glass ceiling’ to break through, in 2023 Kate is attempting the Limitless Challenge, cycling 3,000miles around the circumference of the UK and swimming the English Channel and summiting the 3 Peaks. CONNECT with Kate Strong Website Instagram LinkedIn Twitter FacebookVIDEO of this episode: YouTube VideoABOUT Katie Stoddart: Katie Stoddart is an award-winning, international, high-performance coach. Katie started her career as a hydrographic engineer working at sea and she now supports founders and executives to thrive in their life & business. As a keynote speaker, Katie frequently speaks at summits, conferences & podcasts. For her weekly podcast ‘The Focus Bee Show’, Katie interviews thought leaders, speakers and authors.  Katie works primarily with entrepreneurs & executives through 1-1 coaching & corporate workshops on Focus, Leadership & Performance.   CONNECT with Katie Stoddart, aka 'the focus bee':  PODCASTLINKEDINTWITTERFACEBOOKBLOGINSTAGRAM

Widening our perspective and horizons increases our opportunities, and reduces our struggles. Perhaps one of the easiest ways to overcome a challenge is to change our perspective! Stuck thinking is the opposite of flexible thinking – being stuck in one way of proceeding.  Being open-minded and listening to other people’s input might be all it takes to create a new way of thinking and looking at a problem.  Changing your environment, moving, walking, going somewhere different – this can contribute to a change of thought, an epiphany or a different perspective.  Asking yourself powerful questions – never underestimate the power of questions! Sometimes one question is enough to shift all of your thought processes.  Flexible thinking is a powerful way to unblock new ideas, be innovative and think ‘outside the box’ – challenging yourself to look at situations and problems from another perspective shows open-mindedness and a willingness to change your approach.  Mentioned in this episode: Thinking hats, De Bono VIDEO of this episode: YouTube VideoABOUT Katie Stoddart: Katie Stoddart is an award-winning, international, high-performance coach. Katie started her career as a hydrographic engineer working at sea and she now supports founders and executives to thrive in their life & business. As a keynote speaker, Katie frequently speaks at summits, conferences & podcasts. For her weekly podcast ‘The Focus Bee Show’, Katie interviews thought leaders in peak performance. Katie works primarily with entrepreneurs & executives through 1-1 coaching & corporate workshops on Focus, Leadership & Performance.   CONNECT with Katie Stoddart, aka 'the focus bee':  PODCASTLINKEDINTWITTERFACEBOOKBLOGINSTAGRAM

Stephanie Figueira is an actor, voice artist, performer and founder of the Barcelona Improv Group. We covered so many different topics in this conversation – it was a real joy to re-connect with Stephanie, having met three years prior in Barcelona! Some of the magic: How to embrace your creative path The importance of play and how to add fun and joy to our life Enneagram: self-reflection and how to accept all of our nature How challenging times best contribute to our growth! And so much more!  ABOUT Stephanie Figueira Stephanie Figueira is originally from Toronto, Canada and worked as an actor, emcee, acting coach and voice artist in Barcelona before moving to Austria last year. She is one of the founders of the Barcelona Improv Group and performed improv with them for over a decade. She was the producer and host of ¨Frank¨ and ¨Vent,¨ a monthly affair of true stories told live and has hosted large events for Revlon, HP and the MWC.  Starting her career in theatre and stand-up comedy, Stephanie was the first female comic to win the Funniest Ficer championship in Spain. She has spent the past several years focusing on film and television, giving her the opportunity to work with directors such as Woody Allen, Mariano Cohn, Gaston Duprat and Billie Woodruff. She is currently shooting the new Vampire Academy TV series for Peacock television. Her plan for the near future is to move to the countryside and learn a whole new approach to life. CONNECT with Stephanie Figueira LinkedInVIDEO of this episode: YouTube VideoABOUT Katie Stoddart: Katie Stoddart is an award-winning, international, high-performance coach. Katie started her career as a hydrographic engineer working at sea and she now supports founders and executives to thrive in their life & business. As a keynote speaker, Katie frequently speaks at summits, conferences & podcasts. For her weekly podcast ‘The Focus Bee Show’, Katie interviews thought leaders, speakers and authors.  Katie works primarily with entrepreneurs & executives through 1-1 coaching & corporate workshops on Focus, Leadership & Performance.   CONNECT with Katie Stoddart, aka 'the focus bee':  PODCASTLINKEDINTWITTERFACEBOOKBLOGINSTAGRAM 

When it comes to peak performance, there are two main ways to reach it: the yin approach and the yang approach.   Peak performance entails reaching your goals and aspirations in your work and life, all while maintaining balance in all areas of your life.  Yang Peak Performance comes from a place of forcing and pushing. Often it is fuelled by a lack of self-worth and a need to perform to prove to ourselves that we are worthy. The downfall with this approach (aside from the forcing self-talk!) is that no matter the results achieved, it never feels like enough.  Many high achievers are driven by a lack of self-worth and a need to prove themselves. You can also check if you are a high achiever by doing the saboteurs of positive intelligence.  Yin Peak Performance, on the other hand, comes from a place of self-acceptance. Knowing that you are already whole and striving for your goals for the enjoyment of the journey, to contribute to others, and to be aligned with your vision.  Though the yin approach is gentler – ironically, it yields the best results! You are more likely to stick with your habits, processes and goals if your self-talk is encouraging, compassionate and kind!  To transition from yang to yin, start to notice the self-talk you use and re-adjusting to a more compassionate version. Don’t worry you won’t become lenient, and you will still reach your goals even if you are kind to yourself!  The reason I am so passionate about yin peak performance is that it not only contributes to great achievements but also enables greater levels of inner peace. Inner peace and well-being are fundamental aspects of leading a fulfilled life. Yang peak performance goes against well-being and can add extra stress to your life. Reaching high performance through a yin approach is really the most beneficial way forward!  Mentioned in this episode: Saboteurs, Positive Intelligence Mindful self-discipline, Giovanni Dienstmann VIDEO of this episode: YouTube VideoABOUT Katie Stoddart: Katie Stoddart is an award-winning, international, high-performance coach. Katie started her career as a hydrographic engineer working at sea and she now supports founders and executives to thrive in their life & business. As a keynote speaker, Katie frequently speaks at summits, conferences & podcasts. For her weekly podcast ‘The Focus Bee Show’, Katie interviews thought leaders in peak performance. Katie works primarily with entrepreneurs & executives through 1-1 coaching & corporate workshops on Focus, Leadership & Performance.   CONNECT with Katie Stoddart, aka 'the focus bee':  PODCASTLINKEDINTWITTERFACEBOOKBLOGINSTAGRAM

Joanna Lott, a business strategist coach, goes through the intricate world of positive intelligence: from dealing with her pleaser tendencies to re-wiring our brain through positive intelligence boosts (PQ reps).  Some of the magic: How to stop being a pleaser and be more assertive Positive Intelligence, Saboteurs etc.  Using PQ reps to reset your mind and brain And so much more!  ABOUT Joanna Lott  Joanna shows coaches how to build their coaching business with honesty vs hustle so they gain consistent clients and income.  She has over 20 years of experience within various businesses, working in different roles and directly with the leadership team so she’s had great exposure to the challenges that arise. She’s led work on recruitment, employee engagement, culture and values and is passionate about supporting people through those challenging transitions that we all face at times in our lives. Joanna is co-author to a #1 bestselling book ‘Your Dream Job Toolkit’, a proven guide for anyone who wants to get into work they love but have no idea where to start. Joanna’s qualifications include ICF Associate Certified Coach, ILM Level 7 Certificate in Executive Coaching & Mentoring, CIPD Certificate in HR Practice.  CONNECT with Joanna Lott LinkedIn: Joanna Lott ICF ACC | LinkedIn Instagram: Jo ACC | Values-led biz mentor (@joannalottcoaching)Mentioned in this episode: Positive Intelligence: https://www.positiveintelligence.com/  Saboteurs test: https://www.positiveintelligence.com/assessments/ Positive Intelligence test: https://www.positiveintelligence.com/pq-score/ Viktor Frankl, Man’s search for meaning  VIDEO of this episode: YouTube VideoABOUT Katie Stoddart: Katie Stoddart is an award-winning, international, high-performance coach. Katie started her career as a hydrographic engineer working at sea and she now supports founders and executives to thrive in their life & business. As a keynote speaker, Katie frequently speaks at summits, conferences & podcasts. For her weekly podcast ‘The Focus Bee Show’, Katie interviews thought leaders, speakers and authors.  Katie works primarily with entrepreneurs & executives through 1-1 coaching & corporate workshops on: Focus, Leadership & Performance.   CONNECT with Katie Stoddart, aka 'the focus bee':  PODCASTLINKEDINTWITTERFACEBOOKBLOGINSTAGRAM   

Too often we feel disconnected from our future selves. This leads us to indulge in the present moment and ignore the consequences. Reconnecting to our future selves makes it easier for us to be disciplined and follow through with our commitments to ourselves.  When I was reading ‘mindful self-discipline’ (by Giovanni Dienstmann), the passage on the connection between our present selves and future selves really struck me. How often had I postponed/procrastinated/ignored something, only to pay the consequences later? Does that feel familiar?  It seems that we are biologically wired to favour short term gratification over long term fulfilment, but this does not serve us well! We end up feeling guilty, misaligned and dissatisfied with the way we are leading our lives.  To change this, we need to think more clearly and visualise what the consequences of our actions will be. Not theoretically speaking but fully living the experience as if it was happening now. This can be one method to reconnect with our future selves.  Writing a letter to yourself (using futureme.org) can also be useful and help you to remember and honour your commitment.  Simply remembering and fully visualising how our decisions and actions affect us, in the long run, can be enough to bring us back on track. Not just understanding this intellectually speaking, but really feeling the future as it was happening now. These different tricks can enable you to reconnect with your future self and be more mindful when you act and make decisions.  Mentioned in this episode: Mindful Self-discipline, Giovanni Dienstmann VIDEO of this episode: YouTube VideoABOUT Katie Stoddart: Katie Stoddart is an award-winning, international, high-performance coach. Katie started her career as a hydrographic engineer working at sea and she now supports founders and executives to thrive in their life & business. As a keynote speaker, Katie frequently speaks at summits, conferences & podcasts. For her weekly podcast ‘The Focus Bee Show’, Katie interviews thought leaders in peak performance. Katie works primarily with entrepreneurs & executives through 1-1 coaching & corporate workshops on Focus, Leadership & Performance.   CONNECT with Katie Stoddart, aka 'the focus bee':PODCASTLINKEDINTWITTERFACEBOOKBLOGINSTAGRAM

Paula Garzon, a negotiation trainer and conflict resolution trainer, joined the show and dived into the fascinating topic of negotiation!Some of the magic:The misconceptions of negotiationSome key tips on how to be a better negotiatorCross-cultural aspects of negotiationAnd so much more! ABOUT Paula Garzon Born and raised in Colombia, passionate about cross-cultural issues from an early age, Paula has acquired a keen interest in language learning. She is fluent in Spanish, French, Italian and English.She started her career and worked for several years as an economist and in 2019 she decided to have a career shift and to focus on negotiation. Trained and currently working with former French special forces negotiators, she is also a negotiation lecturer at IRENE ESSEC business school negotiation chair.   Paula has currently an independent consultancy practice. She works as a negotiation trainer, conflict resolution trainer and negotiation advisor CONNECT with Paula GarzonInstagram LinkedIn  Mentioned in this episode:Jonathan Powell books on negotiation Paul Ekman: emotions & micro-expressions The culture map by Erin MeyerVIDEO of this episode:YouTube VideoABOUT Katie Stoddart:Katie Stoddart is an award-winning, international, high-performance coach. Katie started her career as a hydrographic engineer working at sea and she now supports founders and executives to thrive in their life & business.As a keynote speaker, Katie frequently speaks at summits, conferences & podcasts. For her weekly podcast ‘The Focus Bee Show’, Katie interviews thought leaders, speakers and authors. Katie works primarily with entrepreneurs & executives through 1-1 coaching & corporate workshops on Focus, Leadership & Performance.  CONNECT with Katie Stoddart, aka 'the focus bee': PODCASTLINKEDINTWITTERFACEBOOKBLOGINSTAGRAM

Dopamine detox or dopamine fast is a trendy tendency! Everywhere, we seem to read about the importance of dopamine detoxing. What is it really all about and does it work? The concept of dopamine detoxing is to reduce the number of stimuli in one or several areas for a given amount of time. The idea is that by reducing it, we become less dependent or addicted to this behaviour. The term dopamine detox is misleading as it suggests that it reduces our dopamine levels. In fact, it does not impact our dopamine but rather gives us the opportunity to be more mindful about the way we engage in these activities. By taking a conscious break from addictive behaviours (such as phone, emotional eating etc.), allows becoming aware of what triggers these behaviours and how we can change them. In this sense, dopamine detox does ‘work’ as it helps us to rewire our behaviours, be more mindful and give ourselves a break from unhelpful habits. The term is misleading but the actions (or breaks) are helpful! To take a dopamine detox: simply take one or several days, during which you don’t indulge in the behaviour you want to change (phone/social media/ internet/ etc.). After your detox, observe how it has changed you and continue to be mindful about your behaviour. The benefits of awareness and mindfulness are tremendous. Yet the term ‘dopamine detox’ sounds more elaborate. The idea stays the same: increase our awareness about our behavioural patterns so that we don’t indulge in an automatic/habitual way but are more mindful about how we spend our time and energy!VIDEO of this episode:YouTube VideoABOUT Katie Stoddart:Katie Stoddart is an award-winning, international, high-performance coach. Katie started her career as a hydrographic engineer working at sea and she now supports founders and executives to thrive in their life & business.As a keynote speaker, Katie frequently speaks at summits, conferences & podcasts. For her weekly podcast ‘The Focus Bee Show’, Katie interviews thought leaders in peak performance.Katie works primarily with entrepreneurs & executives through 1-1 coaching & corporate workshops on Focus, Leadership & Performance.  CONNECT with Katie Stoddart, aka 'the focus bee': PODCASTLINKEDINTWITTERFACEBOOKBLOGINSTAGRAM

Max Frenzel, co-author of the bestselling book Time Off, explains why rest is a prerequisite to well-being and how we can build a rest ethic. So many key insights in this conversation!Some of the magic:The journey that enabled Max to discover the power of time offHow to implement rest to prevent overwhelm and burnoutSome key reflections to shed the light on the right balanceYudemon: use of HRV to reduce anxietyAnd so much more! ABOUT Max Frenzel Max Frenzel is the co-author of the international bestseller Time Off A Practical Guide to Building Your Rest Ethic and Finding Success Without the Stress. His ideas have been featured in Fast Company, Financial Times, Thrive Global, Entrepreneur Magazine, and other publications. After receiving his PhD in Quantum Information Theory from Imperial College London and working as a postdoctoral research fellow at Tokyo University, Max has been involved in several tech startups, focusing on the intersection of AI research and product design. Most recently he has been interested in the applications of AI and deep learning to creativity, design, and music, particularly in the context of wellbeing and performance optimization. Some of the AI-art Max has been involved in was exhibited at places like the Barbican Centre in London, and he is a regular public speaker on topics such as AI, creativity, and the future of work. As a consultant, Max has helped companies like Deloitte, Gitlab, and Amdocs build their rest ethic. In his time off, Max enjoys good coffee, tries to perfect his bread baking skills, and produces electronic music and performs around Tokyo. You can find him online at www.maxfrenzel.com.CONNECT with Max FrenzelInstagram LinkedIn Website  VIDEO of this episode:YouTube VideoABOUT Katie Stoddart:Katie Stoddart is an award-winning, international, high-performance coach. Katie started her career as a hydrographic engineer working at sea and she now supports founders and executives to thrive in their life & business.As a keynote speaker, Katie frequently speaks at summits, conferences & podcasts. For her weekly podcast ‘The Focus Bee Show’, Katie interviews thought leaders, speakers and authors. Katie works primarily with entrepreneurs & executives through 1-1 coaching & corporate workshops on Focus, Leadership & Performance.  CONNECT with Katie Stoddart, aka 'the focus bee': PODCASTLINKEDINTWITTERFACEBOOKBLOGINSTAGRAM

Be proactive is the first habit of the seven habits of highly effective people (Stephen Covey) and there is a reason for this! Being proactive can transform your life! By taking full responsibility for your actions, you can no longer blame external circumstances for your situation. This empowers you to take control and action to change/ improve your life. Being proactive comes down to taking aligned action: not taking any action but being aligned with what matters to you most and then having the courage and discipline to follow through with it. The 5 seconds by Mel Robbins is a tangible way to live proactively. Every time you hesitate to take aligned action, you count to five and then do it! By taking full responsibility and living proactively, it can have huge transformational impact on your life and work. My coaching career began thanks to this. I remember taking one specific action (signed up to coaching training) and from then on, my entire life pivoted. It was as if I was taking back control of my life and future, and no longer drifting with the current. This is why I so strongly believe in the impact of being proactiveMentioned in this episode:The seven habits of highly effective people, Stephen Covey The five seconds rule, Mel RobbinsVIDEO of this episode:YouTube Video: https://youtu.be/3oIplNDay9cABOUT Katie Stoddart:Katie Stoddart is an award-winning, international, high-performance coach. Katie started her career as a hydrographic engineer working at sea and she now supports founders and executives to thrive in their life & business.As a keynote speaker, Katie frequently speaks at summits, conferences & podcasts. For her weekly podcast ‘The Focus Bee Show’, Katie interviews thought leaders in peak performance.Katie works primarily with entrepreneurs & executives through 1-1 coaching & corporate workshops on: Focus, Leadership & Performance.  CONNECT with Katie Stoddart, aka 'the focus bee': PODCAST: https://thefocusbeeshow.buzzsprout.com/LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katiestoddartINSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/thefocusbee/TWITTER: https://twitter.com/TheFocusBeeFACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/thefocusbeeBLOG: https://thefocusbee.com/blog/