Unlocking Authentic Creativity With Pia Mailhot-Leichter

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Skot Waldron (00:05.538)
I’m Skot Waldron, and when I’m not hosting Unlocked, I’m speaking at events all over the globe, helping leaders and teams communicate better, build trust faster, and actually, enjoy working together. I know. Who would have thought? I’ve spoken for companies like the Home Depot, I’ve spoken at national architectural firms, at their sales training, off-sites for major pharmaceutical companies and industry associations, have thousands of attendees who have read my sessions with 99% of them saying they found the sessions valuable 97% saying they’d actually attend again. I’ve had caterers come up to me afterwards and thank me because they actually got something they could use when they went home or when they went back to their own jobs. I mean, if every keynote delivered those types of numbers, nobody would secretly be refreshing their email under the table. And let’s be honest, that’s a little bit of my nightmare. Maybe a little bit of yours. Yeah, something that keeps me up at night.

If you’re an event planner, looking for a speaker who’s easy to work with and delivers actual value that people can take away and use on Monday. Let’s make your event unforgettable.

Just get those creative juices knowing everybody. But wait, am I really creative? Am I really, I don’t know, like that creative thing that’s, that’s for my marketing team or that’s for those creative people over there, those people that come up with whiteboarding sessions and I don’t even like those things and those types of dialogue or thoughts are things that actually hold us back from the creativity that is inside of all of us. Because I guarantee you when you were young and you didn’t have the pressures and viewpoints of culture and life and all those other things, I’m talking like you were five years old, four years old, and you were putting things together and building things and playing. That creativity was part of all of that. And now, I bet you don’t do that as much because of so much fear, fear about certain things. And I don’t know what the fear is about for you, I know what the fear is about for me sometimes, and I know that it holds me back.

So, Pia is going to be on the show today, and she has written a beautiful book, and it’s called Welcome to the Creative Club. And I want to be a part of that club, and I hope you do too. We all deserve to be part of the creative club but making sure that we reveal how we build that creativity and how we understand who we are and being the creative directors of our own life as she puts it is what is crucial.

Pia is a creative partner, published author, she’s a certified coach, and entrepreneur. Her path has been anything but ordinary. She’s a recovering nomad. She’s reported as a journalist in Sri Lanka. She’s graduated summa cum laude from NYU and worked as an award-winning creative director for some of the biggest brands in the world. And now, as the founder of Kollektiv Studio, she’s uniquely positioned to co-create wild visions and ventures just for you.

And she’s going to do that on the show today. We have a great conversation. So, get ready.

Goodness, Pia, it’s been a long journey getting here. Just this morning, it’s been a long journey getting here. So, thanks for hanging out with me. I appreciate it.

Pia (07:12.662)
It’s been a pleasure. We’re traveling together. Yeah. Yeah. I think sometimes when we go through challenges, we get a chance to see how we show up for ourselves and others, know? Grace in space.

Skot Waldron (07:14.539)
Has it been though? Has it been?

That’s it. And you know what it tells me is like struggling to get on this just makes me realize how much we need to have the conversation. know, something’s trying to keep us back, but we are not going to falter. Yeah. We got this and, just, if people just read and understood, I mean, after your bio, but go read your website and read about the things you’ve done.

Pia (07:37.154)
Yeah. Nothing’s going to hold us back, Skot. Nothing.

Skot Waldron (07:52.685)
You’re not, I don’t think somebody that gets held back easily anyway.

Pia (07:56.5)
No. Things happen. This is one thing, actually, I tell my husband, we’re probably going to hurt each other. Things will happen because we’re human and it’s part of it comes with the territory. It’s not the thing that happens that matters. It’s how we respond to what happens. That’s what matters for me because things will muck up, you know? Things will happen. It’s life. It’s part of life. We’re going to get faced with challenges. Things will go wrong. things will be miscommunicated.

The internet won’t work, but it’s not those things that matter. It’s how we respond to them. It’s how we are after the fact. Are we still kind to each other? Are we holding space and realizing, can we have a laugh about it, even better, and then talk about it if needed deeply? I think that shows a lot about how we can be together in the community because that’s when we need each other the most, when shit hits the proverbial fan.

Skot Waldron (08:55.745)
And that it does quite often, quite often. And sometimes the fans on low, sometimes it’s on high and it makes a bigger mess and that’s not too much fun. So.

Pia (08:57.098)
It does. It sure does.

No, but we can try to turn it around, maybe throw some of that mess at each other and just have a laugh for a moment.

Skot Waldron (09:12.825)
Yeah, never thought about that. That’s fantastic. Okay. Sorry. Sorry. Clear my throat. So, this call creativity angle that you’re, you’re taking, and honestly, when I go to read your website and when I go and look at your branded profiles and things like that, like, so I’m a brand dude, I brand nerd. come from that whole world and my background, I don’t do as much of it now.

Pia (09:16.622)
You

Skot Waldron (09:39.605)
Externally, visually and whatever I do it more as like internal leadership brand development and, how people can develop who they are and make it build a reputation. But what I want to understand from you is because I see and feel who you are. Like I almost knew who you were before we got on this call. Okay. Because you do such a good job. Your writing is exquisite. Okay.

Pia (10:06.576)
Thank you.

Skot Waldron (10:07.453)
and so I think that that just portrays something that I’m just receiving now in person. Well, video person that I already kind of understood. that is brilliantly done. How, how do you go about that? How did you develop that? How did you learn about that? Who you were and how to show that to the world.

Pia (10:33.178)
That’s such a fantastic question. Well, I spent many years working as a creative director slash copywriter slash creative strategist, doing that for brands. So, like figuring out how to capture their voice, how to express it in a way that deeply resonates with their audiences. And often, you know, if you work for an agency and you’re hired by companies, you will inevitably have rounds of feedback. What doesn’t work? What needs to be edited?

And you know, it comes with the territory. It’s how it goes. But when I started my own business in 2021, I started Launch Kollektiv Studio. I had a fire under my peach just to be able to express myself in a way for my business and for myself that felt really raw and true to me. And I just, yeah, it felt like such freedom. It felt like such a gift to be able to do that with no rounds of feedback from myself, no censoring, no editing, no trying to, you know, really get to the heartbeat of someone else’s voice, but really try to get to the heartbeat of my own. And I think the only way that you find your voice is by using it. So, from when I started and launching my business and then creating newsletter and thinking about what my story is and how I want to show up in the world and who I want to serve and just writing.

Practicing and coaching, know, being coached, coaching other people, getting to the heart of what matters, what’s my big why and also my how. I think how is just as important as why and we forget that. It’s only why we do things, it’s how we do them and how we work with people to achieve X, Y or Z because life is 99% process. 1% outcome, so I really want to enjoy that and hey, it’s short, let’s have a good time of why we’re doing it, why we’re co-creating. So it’s not a very precise answer, but writing the book helped a lot, you know? And so just showing up from the work, getting curious about my voice, finding it by using it, and getting under the skin through some powerful questions of why I was doing what I’m doing and who essentially

I work with and, but really started with myself because I feel my people will find me easier when I’m actually just, you know, being true to how I work, what I stand for and what it is that I’m offering.

Skot Waldron (13:12.013)
So, we’re getting in the.

Working in that brand space, oftentimes clients, clients would come to me or I’m sure they’ve come to you too. And they try to build something and they try to talk to you about something that isn’t truly right who they are. And they want it to look like this to the public and to their clients and customers. But we really understand the internal brand, like what their employees are saying and what their culture is about.

Really truly authentically who they are, but they’re trying to make it be something externally. And there’s only a matter time before people eventually find out what’s on the inside. I say you can make the outside look like whatever you want, but until you really work on the inside, people are just going to figure it out. So I talk about that from a company standpoint, cause I always tie it back. Cause this is what I do in my coaching practice, right? Is always tie it back to the individual, the individual leader, the individual person, whoever’s living their life of sometimes we want to portray some image of ourselves to the world because we think that that’s what is great or good or what they want to see. For you, how did you make sure it was authentic? How did you make sure it was like truly you? And how do we kind of do that too? Is there any tips or tricks you learned along the way that was like useful for you that was like, yes, this is my essence of who I am. And I think other people could learn the same thing.

Pia (14:40.468)
First, you have to get closer to who you are. There’s no shortcuts. You have to spend time with yourself and there are different modalities and ways of meeting yourself daily. For me, that looks like a meditation practice, that looks like movement, that looks like journaling, free writing, checking in with myself, like, where am I? What am I feeling? What am I going through? Like understanding oneself, self-awareness. And we can also heighten self-awareness through in a variety of different ways, but even coaching and therapy. What makes me who I am? What are the stories that drive me? What fuels me? What stops me? What gets in my way? What do I really dream of? What kind of world do I want to be a part of shaping? It’s asking the questions, not necessarily always finding fixed and firm answers, but at least you’re getting wildly curious about yourself. Because how can we show up authentically and rawly and express from that place

If we don’t create the space and time to actually get to know where we are, who we are in this moment. And incidentally, we’re, you know, fluid, changeable beings. So this is not a one and done. It’s not like, great, sort it. It’s, it’s, you know, remaining curious as we continue to grow and change. and having a certain, I guess, vulnerability, courage to be vulnerable, courage to share the bits that we normally feel compelled to hide because that vulnerability creates connection. It’s universal. It’s pretty vulnerable being on this planet spinning at a thousand miles per hour across the Milky Way with a hidden expiration date. Being human is a vulnerable place. And I think when we kind of connect to our own vulnerability and where we show our beauty marks and our bruises, that creates connection and that feels very authentic because we’re not self-censoring. We’re not like, I’m just gonna, and I know I’m a recovering shapeshifter. So I know what it’s like to self-censor, right? To like curate a version of myself that would feel palpable or accepted or to succeed in different environments, especially as someone who moved around my whole life. So I get that and there’s no judgment in it. It’s just, there’s a time to come home to your original shape and to show up with all parts of you, with you.

You don’t have to like put it all on the table and be buck naked, but you know, got to be prepared to reveal some shoulder and some rawness. And I think that goes a really long way. And that’s also part of what I think, I didn’t think that writing my book would be such a transformational sort of process, but it was because that’s what I had to do. If I wanted to invite people to reclaim and to access and apply their own creativity to the design of their lives.

I needed to share examples of how I lost and found my creative power. And the examples of losing my creative power is not very pretty. And there are parts of myself that I realized I needed to welcome home and I needed to hold instead of push away and to be brave enough to share those parts in service of. So a lot of words to answer your question. All right.

Skot Waldron (17:50.563)
Can you, so many words, but they were good words, good words. Can you elaborate on that losing creativity part? Like, can you just kind of briefly tell us about your experience and what that was?

Pia (18:07.426)
Well, I think the way we define creativity in our own kind of collective cultural narrative is very much artistic expression, right? So people think if you’re creative, you must be an artist, a dancer, a filmmaker, a fashion designer, et cetera. But creativity is much more than that. Creativity lives in virtually every single domain from science. Actually, I read this, and I was doing research for the book.

And in an academic journal article and said, from, you know, to also crime, crime is very creative. I was like, yes, it is. That’s actually quite true. Crime is very creative. It’s just all these challenges and stuff. Not that I’m advocating to get creative with crime. I’m just saying it was an interesting reminder that it’s found everywhere and in everything. It’s an innate part of who we are as humans. It’s what enabled our survival as a species. It’s how our brains are wired.

I mean, creativity is a fundamental part of being human. And when we, you know, relegate it to the realm of beret wearing artists, then we kind of start to lose touch with our own creative power, I believe. Or sometimes as well. So that’s just how we define it. And then we find ourselves saying, well, I’m not creative. I’m not a creative type. I can only draw stick figures. It’s like, creativity is so much more than that. And so, part of reclaiming your creativity is to say like…

Hell yeah, I’m creative. Look at how I solve that challenge in such a unique and novel way. Look how when I’m connected to that unique frequency or energy of who I am and I create and write and express and move from that place, there’s no one else like you and there’s nothing more original than that expression. I mean, that is all creativity. So those are beliefs that kind of hold us back from our creative power, if you will. And then there’s life. I think when we’re young, being creative is just a part of how we do things. We play, we imagine, we build stuff. We don’t start building a Lego castle and start thinking, my God, if it’s not perfect, then I won’t be able to share it. And then what if someone, it doesn’t look like Johnny’s castle and none of that, we’re just playing. It’s just fun. We’re not attached to a specific outcome. And I think we start to lose touch with some of that playful, imaginative joy of just making stuff because we feel moved to as responsibility and responsibility and routine start to overshadow risk and awe. Our creativity starts to get a little stumped or blocked up.

And we also, when we lose touch with who we are, when we forget that it’s like there’s no Skot Waldron in the world. There’s no other Skot Waldron in the world like you. There’s only one. So when you create and make and shape from that place, it is going to be inherently creative because that is a definition of creativity, right? It’s creating something novel, original, and useful, sometimes delightful solutions to everyday challenges.

Skot Waldron (21:25.049)
And when you’re talking to your clients, do they get that? do they, I mean, do you have to beat that into their heads? That, that is there. mean, as I’m what’s holding them back from believing that thing. They do believe that they’re not creative or they’re, they’re not original or whatever.

Pia (21:44.11)
Guess it depends on the client, but I’ve also worked with people who’ve had creative blocks, right? And so often the block has to do with fear, is the core of everything, right? Every block is fear. And it might manifest as comparison, perfectionism, fear of judgment, not feeling worthy to being seen and heard. That’s also something. And getting sort of stymied or frozen from creating. Like, I don’t know what if this happens, what if that happens, what if I’m this. And just reconnecting to the joy of creating. Just try. Run experiments. That’s what I love to say. Run experiments. Experiments? it’s such a beautiful frame. Because an experiment is also meant to fail. That’s the whole point. You run an experiment; you want to get data. You want to see what worked, what didn’t work. So, an experiment is not made to succeed necessarily or to win, it’s just to gather data, to get information. So I say, what would be like a series of experiments you might run to figure out what it is you’re interested in creating? And just have fun with it. Like, what could it be? I think I’m gonna get back into cooking, or I think I’m gonna like to see, do the thing and then get feedback, own internal feedback.

I didn’t really like making that mac and cheese. That wasn’t for me. I much prefer doing that. Great. Don’t do that. Do something else. Just allow yourself the space to dream and to play and to make it again. Because often we don’t allow ourselves that space. If we start to create something, it’s like, well then it needs to do something for us. It needs to deliver something. We need to have a specific outcome to warrant the fact that we spent time doing it. And that’s all kind of…

Productivity, my worth is connected to what I produce stories, and we can start to unwind some of those and say, creating for the sake of discovering yourself and maybe touching one person or just enjoying the process of doing it is enough.

Skot Waldron (24:02.615)
That’s really, that’s really good. And I, I hope that people hear that. I’m going, when I’m, I’m working with people, I’ll have some individuals that will, you know, approach me and they feel like they’re so put into this box of.

Who they have to be in this role and it’s hard to admit or I guess the word, what’s the word I’m looking for or really understand or embrace who they really are as opposed to who they’re trying to be. and they’re trying to work on some other things and try to develop themselves. And I get that too. but sometimes we tell ourselves lies about things that just hold us back, I think, from really doing things. What do you believe are some of the lies that people tell themselves when it comes to creativity or comes to developing who they are?

Pia (25:05.208)
That’s a great question. I’m going to answer it a little differently and then I can come back to it if you want. I can talk about myself. That’s always easier than other people. But when I left my agency role to start my own business, I had sort of an epiphany moment of like, hey, wait a minute. I don’t need to only channel my creativity into building someone else’s dream or someone else’s brand or business. I can channel my creativity into building my own.

For some reason that felt like an epiphany to me, right? And then two and a half years into my business, I got the call to write a book. And when that call came, it was literally a call. It wasn’t a calling, it was a call that… Yeah, no, no, no. Someone on the phone, like, he was very talented and also a great salesman, but the founder of the hybrid publisher reached out to me and said, which like, did you ever…

Skot Waldron (25:47.543)
I was like, that a spiritual call or like somebody on the phone like all

Pia (26:01.838)
think about writing a book and I said, yeah, I’ve thought about it. I have no idea what I’d write about. And they was like, why don’t we hop on a call? So, I did. And when that opportunity presented itself, I had another aha moment of, hey, wait a minute. I don’t only have to channel my creativity into building commercial ventures. I can also channel my creativity into just making something to hopefully make an impact in someone’s life. Now, why is this relevant to your question? I didn’t even realize that I had those beliefs operating somewhere in the background. There must’ve been a belief in the background, otherwise why would it be an epiphany that my creativity had to have commercial value. It had to be directed into something that could generate profit, income, et cetera, et cetera. So that belief was kind of hidden until the opportunity came. And then I said yes. And I was like, yeah, hell yeah. Why wouldn’t I do that? And I was like,

I didn’t even realize that was operating in the background. So sometimes I think it’s not the lies that we tell ourselves. It’s more insidious. It’s the beliefs that somehow get so encrusted that it’s difficult to even become aware that they’re operating in the background that can hold us back. And I think the way to break through that is through action. Right? So you do the thing.

Opportunity strikes or there’s a chance to try something. You might feel scared. I did feel scared before writing. I’m like, shit, this is a big investment on many levels. But I took a step. And when I took the step, the realization or the belief kind of stepped out of the shadows and I was able to go, my God, okay. I didn’t even know that was there. And then I could choose differently because we can’t really make a real choice unless we’re aware of what we’re choosing or what the beliefs are in the background.

So that’s my answer to your question.

Skot Waldron (27:59.821)
That’s a great answer. I love the taking action part. I mean, I need to hear that over and over and over again. was just talking to somebody yesterday that I’m working on. I’m working on another podcast show. and I’ve just, and I, like, I, I’ve recorded like 10 episodes. I’ve developed all the graphics for it. I’ve written the overview, like they’re in the can. They’re like done. And I haven’t launched the show, you know,

Pia (28:27.298)
What’s up, you?

Skot Waldron (28:29.509)
and we keep, we keep that, we kept asking ourselves that yesterday. was, I was talking to her and I’m just like, you know, she’s kind of my, my media partner. And I’m just like, what is going on here? Like, why am I not pulling the trigger on this thing? I think it was just because I keep dreaming about possibilities and my internal perfectionism like holds me back from really like putting it out there the right way. You know, like.

Pia (28:56.366)
What possibilities?

Skot Waldron (28:58.935)
The future possibilities of what it could evolve into. Cause I have, I have visions for what I want this thing to be, you know, or grow into, or how offshoots of it could produce this or that. And so, my brain just goes in all these different directions. I’m like, that would be good. Or that would be good. Or that would be good. But.

Like none of it’s going to happen if I don’t actually do something in the first place, right? So, the take action thing is something that I’ve really tried to work hard on because I’ve experienced that in my past and in the past of like, I just think about stuff a lot and I don’t take action on stuff a lot. And it rocks me, you know?

Pia (29:42.542)
Here’s what I’m hearing. And I raise my hand to be guilty of this as well. And it’s not even guilt, but just I do this as well. Sometimes I think what gets in the way of creativity is a very specific attachment to an outcome. So, hoping that if I do this just in this way, then I will be able to actualize X, Y, or Z possibilities.

So, for me, the antidote for that is to let go and to say, you know what? I don’t know what’s possible. What if life has even a more, a wilder imagination than me? And some other possibilities might emerge that I couldn’t even fathom, right? But there’s only one way to find out. But I’m ready and open for whatever might come from this. I don’t know what’s going to come. I’m open. I might have hopes and sure, that’s just human, but I’m open. I’m going to release the outcome, like the idea that it has to be a specific way. I’m just going to go for it and get really curious about what comes my way. And that is a really powerful, creative place to be in. Because imagine the possibilities when anything is possible versus one specific outcome or one, like I need it to be just like this.

Well, what if the opportunity or the possibility is wearing a different outfit? What if you imagine Tom Ford, know, possibilities, know, rocking a Nike tracksuit is a really, really cool one, but you just, it just walks right by you because you just want it. You’re just looking for Tom Ford, you know? And so it’s really to me just about letting that go and getting wildly curious. Cause that’s what makes life exciting. It’s the not knowing. Mean, when so.

Skot Waldron (31:38.229)
Isn’t that, isn’t that what also makes people really nervous though? Like the not knowing thing. It’s like that’s, that’s like the lack of control, the anxiety and being seeing feelings that we get in life and in business. I don’t know if that’s acceptable. Yeah. don’t like to have a unknown, like, is that what I’m going to tell the board? You know, like.

Pia (31:41.422)
Absolutely, it doesn’t absolutely. Yes!

Well, it depends what context we’re talking about. In this particular context, we’re talking about a creative venture, right? And there are knowns. It’s not all unknown. You have the first 10 episodes, you’ve done the branding, you have a vision for what it could be. It’s like holding the vision for what it could be. I’m not saying let everything go, but then open up, like opening up to the potential of what it might become that you might not be able to fathom.

It’s holding both. It’s not neither or. So, it’s like, I have this vision, but…

I’m ready, I’m open for something else, for whatever might emerge. Because maybe something else is meant to be. And yes, uncertainty and the unknown could be the realm of knee-knocking angst that it keeps us small and like, I’m not going to try anything because I have no idea what could happen. Or it could be the realm of infinite possibility. We get to choose what perspective we stand in.

And we can also be kind to ourselves if our knees are knocking in the realm of infinite possibility. It’s okay. That’s, that to me is the meta lesson for entrepreneurship. You come face to face with the unknown, uncertain all the time. And you know what? That’s life. Life is unknown and uncertain.

We just try to create illusions of certainty because it makes us feel safe and that’s, that’s all right. But if we can build our capacity to be in the unknown, uncertain, whoo, that’s an exciting creative place to exist in, or at least visit.

Skot Waldron (33:39.669)
Hmm. I kind of like that. I kind of love that. And I, and I think that that’s freedom. Right? I mean, if we think about how freeing that can be, I’m going to read something to you. how we live is our heart, the purest form of creation made in Egyptian cotton sheets and inside stars before earth was born.

Holy crap. I just gave people a little taste of your art, like of your brain, of your creativity, of your essence. That’s the art. That’s you label this the RSVP in your book, like right at the beginning. You wrote that and I read it I was like, I read things like that, and I go, how in the world did that come out of a human being? Like that. And there’s a ton of it all over your book.

Like that. What, why did you, what does that mean to you? What I just read, like, why did you write that in here? What do want people to get from that?

Pia (34:47.95)
Well, what do want people to get from that? Mean, first of all, my dad’s an abstract painter and he used to get so angry. Don’t worry, I’m not going to get angry, but he used to get so mad when people asked, what does this mean? I mean, I would, that would really irk him as well as anyone say, using the word interesting. He would say it’s such a BS word. Well, this piece is so interesting. It means they don’t like it, they don’t understand it, or they’re not given their space to it.

So, I think that’s a piece of, I have poetic interludes in the book because I think there’s some things that I want to bypass the analytical brain and try to hit people in the heart. And sometimes that requires a little of a poetic interlude. So, there are chapters in those. So for me, what’s most important is what that meant to you.

Skot Waldron (35:42.379)
When I, and I, and I do this when I listen to music too, I hear the vocals is just another instrument. Oftentimes my wife’s like, did you know the kids are listening to this? And did you hear that what they just said? was like, no, I did not hear anything that they just said. just hear the music, right? And the vocals is just another form of music to me, a musical instrument. And when I read the words, I don’t even digest them deeply about their meaning as much as I see and hear the rhythm and the artistry of how they’re created and formed together that caused me to feel like a little bit of awe. I mean, you talked about risk and awe before, but I read, I look at that and I go, that’s a little bit of awe for me is when I read those words and I feel that.

I don’t even know, sir, know what they mean. And I don’t even necessarily care. And the essence of what they mean, like I’m not going to have some 30 minute book club all about like the deepest meaning of what these words mean to me. I’m just like, that is art. Like the way that that’s created. And so that’s what I think about.

Pia (36:56.424)
I loved hearing your take on it and it’s beautiful. And I think that’s the power of art and also poetry that maybe it’s not about understanding analytically exactly what it means, but it’s about feeling it and made you feel something. I mean, and that’s really the invitation is to feel something. We are all made of stardust, and we were conceived and created and that is that’s in our nature and that’s kind of the background of those few lines, right? It’s like, it’s always been a part of us. We’re a part of everything and it’s a part of us. Creativity, life, mean, life is a creative process. I think that was in another epiphany I had.

That’s a long story, I don’t know how much time we But was another epiphany I had about, you know, creativity is not just something we do, it’s a way of being in the world. And that was a big shift for me. It’s not just something I do, it’s a way of being. And I get to be in creative response with life. I get to creatively direct my next scene.

I’m the creative director of my life. And that’s what the book is. It’s an invitation to become the creative director of your life because we all have that creative power. We just forget. We get disconnected. And so, the book really is a reminder for those who have forgotten. God knows I was one who also had forgotten, and I packed creativity into a box and forgot about its true meaning. I think life is creative and we are life and we are creative beings.

And there’s so much freedom in that reclamation.

Skot Waldron (38:41.401)
All right. We’re just going to wrap this thing up because let’s tie this back to. I’m a CEO listening to this podcast right now. And I’m like, okay, this creativity, fluffy, whatever stuff I’m in the Stardust, whatever kind of stuff. That’s, that’s great, but I still need to build something, and I still need to tap into something to build a future of my company. What is your biggest word of advice you would give to me as far as somebody who’s trying to tap into that and tap into how do I grow my people and grow my company to be what I think I can make it.

Pia (39:29.912)
So, is that the question? How do I grow my people and my company to be what I want?

Skot Waldron (39:36.129)
How do I tap into my own creativity, my own ability to maybe envision or to create something so that my company can be what I think it can be.

Pia (39:51.138)
Well, there are two parts and maybe people listening might not like it, but it’s going to be, I believe it’s very, very important. One is to create space. Oftentimes when we’re really busy, we don’t have space. We don’t have space to imagine or envision or to get curious. And I think it’s business critical to be able to also create the space to imagine and to envision. To envision like, okay.

This is the vision I actually have for my company and my people. This is what I want to be part of creating. That’s also a creative act. And there’s neuroscience research that shows that daydreaming and rest are closely linked to creativity. So is the control network, which is prefrontal and analytical, but also the default mode network, which comes online when we’re at rest, there’s space.

It’s the thinking that happens when we’re not intentionally thinking. So there’s science that proves this. It’s not just me talking, creating space to really envision what it is that you’re looking to build and what do you want to leave behind? That’s always a powerful question, maybe an obvious one, but what is the legacy in a hundred years, just like the CEO of Patagonia? I love his approach. I have a vision for what I want the company to be in a hundred years. It’s like, what’s the legacy?

And to create the space to actually think about this. And the second thing, part of that is, like, do I need to be in order to make that a reality? So, how might you be getting in your own way? Who do you need to be? Or what are some of the attributes and skills you already have that you can, you know, 100x, 10x, whatever it is, to move closer to that vision?

And then who do you need to be to also inspire and connect with all of the people who will be on that journey with you?

Skot Waldron (41:58.677)
I, I’m taking all this in because I’m going to use it all. So, can I steal it? Right. I mean, I think that there’s, there’s a gift that you’ve given me not only through your beautiful words of your book, but just that knowledge right there.

Pia (42:09.118)
Absolutely, absolutely.

Skot Waldron (42:24.215)
I think it’s so critical because I’m just now thinking and internalizing how, what some of my clients need because of what you just said. and S and a lot of them, a lot of them are so burnt out and so just running the rat race and the hamster wheel of life and the work and they don’t get the time or make the space or make the time to dream and to build and to envision. They’re putting out fires all the time, right? And that is holding them back.

Pia (42:58.637)
And it’s such a vicious cycle. And I’ve lived in that cycle too. And I still catch myself going back into that cycle when there’s so many things to do. And there’s like, my God, the list feels endless, right? It feels more, it feels counterintuitive to say, I’m just going to stop with the list. I’m going to take a beat. I’m going to take a rest. I’m going to clear my head. I’m going to do X, Y, or Z that’s not related to my list, I’m gonna slow it down, right? And then in that slowing down, in that beat, in that space, I would imagine half of the things on that list will change because you’ve changed, the way you see it changes. But if we’re constantly in this kind of firefighting mode, the list never ends, we never get out of it. And it’s just really counterintuitive when you’re very busy.

I think for me at least it’s like, okay, well, if I just get this done, right, then I will have the space. But that’s a fallacy that then never comes because there’s always more things to do. And what’s really needed is to have, in French, there’s a beautiful word, recule, is to have the ability to take a step back in order to see the bigger picture. It’s the ability to be able to go inside the helicopter and to look down at all the pieces.

Because as a CEO, it’s really what you need to do. You need to be in the helicopter, look at it all, and you start to get a different perspective on what’s going on. You start to see things differently because you’re on the helicopter and get out of street view. Street view, it’s just going to keep leading you down the same road. So, think it’s about having confidence and the courage to say, I’m going to take a beat, I’m going to take a step back and see what happens in that space.

Give yourself permission to do it and then get curious. Like I would get curious for anyone listening. Like if they’re, oh, I can’t, I don’t have time. Okay. I’m challenging you. Take, take the time. Maybe it’s an hour. It doesn’t have to be a two-week holiday. Take, take an hour, go to a park, go somewhere else and just, you know, maybe you don’t even think about anything.

Just allow things to percolate. Just sit with things, sit with yourself. And then what’s the impact of that? It’s a big ask. I know. It sounds like a small ask, like what’s an hour? But when you’re in the hot seat, every moment counts, every minute counts, and it feels like you just can’t do that. Well, you can. And get curious about what happens when you do. Also, to the work, to your perspective. Because at the end of the day, it all comes down to us, which sounds very obvious, but our nervous system, our perspective, the energy we bring, our ability to see, and you can’t really see much when our heads down on the page.

Skot Waldron (46:09.757)
Welcome to the freaking creative club, everybody. With Pia has just introduced you and welcomed you because, that’s what we do. And I think you’ve; you’ve done that here. Thank you so much for being on. This has been awesome. I’ve gotten so much. I don’t know if anybody else got anything out of it, but I sure did. So, if you’ve served at least one person today, it’s been me. I.

Pia (46:32.28)
Oops-o.

Skot Waldron (46:38.017)
I really appreciate it. Like that’s amazing. So, thank you. Thank you. Yeah.

Pia (46:40.31)
I appreciate you having me on. I appreciate you having me on and I have a question for you. When are you going to launch your other podcast?

Skot Waldron (46:50.553)
I think the way we’re planning yesterday, I’m doing some audit stuff today and tomorrow. And I, next 30 days, I believe is our, our deadline.

Pia (47:04.206)
Give me a date.

Skot Waldron (47:06.764)
Gosh. What’s today? So, we’re in like mid-July when we’re recording this thing. Yeah. So, when we’re recording this thing, I’m probably going to say.

Pia (47:13.762)
We’re July 17th.

Skot Waldron (47:24.58)
July 31st. Does July have 31 days? What’s the last day of July? I do my knuckle thing. January, February, March, April, May, June, July. Okay. Yes. 31. There’s 31 days in July. So.

Pia (47:34.818)
to July 31st.

Skot Waldron (47:37.813)
No, August. No, August, August. That’s what I meant to say.

Pia (47:39.456)
August, August, August, August 31st. Is that what you meant to say? It’s funny that you said July. Isn’t it? Is there a reason you said July 31st? I’m kind of feeling there’s a reason. That’s two, what is that? That’s two weeks away.

Skot Waldron (47:45.579)
I know it is because I was looking at the word joy. I don’t know.

Yeah, it is.

Pia (47:59.374)
So what’s stopping you from doing it in two weeks?

Skot Waldron (48:04.275)
my media partner, making sure that it’s in line with what she needs me to do and getting my sponsors on board and other stuff.

Pia (48:12.814)
Okay, so how about August 29th, which is a Friday? Because this 31st is a Sunday.

Skot Waldron (48:17.987)
Okay. All right, everybody. It’s, it’s, Pia’s making me do stuff, which is what good coaches do. So.

Pia (48:30.766)
Are you committing to the August 29th in front of all of us so we can get excited and prepared for your next podcast? All right. There you go.

Skot Waldron (48:37.817)
I am. So, for all you coaches out in the world that are needing help, that’s who it’s for. For all you coaches that are looking to build something great and just figuring out how to do that, this is for you. Okay.

Pia (48:52.918)
I can’t, I’m so excited. That’s a good thing to remember too, whenever you feel stuck to launch or to do anything is the impact that you’re going to have on people. So who are you not to do it? Who are you to hold back and to wait when someone out there needs exactly what you’re going to be sharing in that podcast?

Skot Waldron (49:00.397)
Mm-hmm.

Yeah, I agree. So, thank you for pushing me. That’s what I need. I love coaches because they push me. I’m definitely a coach who needs a coach. I really, I really need it in my life. So thank you for sharing that with me.

Pia (49:43.522)
I can’t hear you, but hey, we lasted almost until the end.

I can’t hear you at all. No. But you’re muted.

Skot Waldron (49:58.325)
Well then let me unmute my microphone and now I will ask you where people can get your book and where people get a hold of you. I gotta stop hitting my, I was coughing so I’m sorry. Go ahead.

Pia (50:08.162)
That’s okay. Homebase is kollektiv.studio. That’s where you can find out more about my work, book a chemistry call, sign up for newsletter, also find out everything about my book. The audio book also just launched a couple of weeks ago for an audible for those people who love the spoken word. I narrated it. That was another wild creative project. And the book is available on Amazon, on bookshop.org, on Barnes and Noble. Wherever you probably, wherever you prefer to bub.

Skot Waldron (50:42.637)
Well done. Well said. All right. Go out there and kill it. Keep doing your thing because it’s amazing. We need people like you in the world.

Pia (50:50.69)
Thanks, and ditto. can’t wait to listen to that new podcast and thanks so much for having me on.

Creativity, and I hope you understand this now, does not mean artistic expression. It involves that in some essence and some spheres in some environments and whatever, but creativity is inside of all of this. And we deserve to be able to share it and use it. All of us, we deserve that, it’s there. So, it’s a strength that we need to learn to develop, I think, and learning how to use it. It’s already there waiting to be unleashed, but we keep holding ourselves back with that idea of fear.

Do we have the ability inside of our cultures to take risks and to experience awe? I love that risk and awe. And if we truly experience awe, that is where transformation happens. That’s where transformation of our viewpoints happens. That’s where transformation of our mindset happens. All types of things happen when we experience awe, but awe only comes from the idea of execution and creativity.

Now, we’re not talking about abstract thought. We’re talking about implementing processes and different systems of building things and how we communicate effectively with each other. There’s all types of creative ways to execute creativity. So I hope that you will take that to heart. And two things that she suggested. Please do these things. I’m going to start implementing these with a lot of my clients. Number one, creating space. Creating space. Are you creating space for this thing that you think you need to develop and that we all need? And who do I need to be to make that thing a reality? Who do I need to be? What kind of person do I need to be? The kind of person who does blink. That’s what we need to be and that’s what we need to think. Thank you, Pia, for planting these seeds of brilliance and creativity in all of us.