Integrating Seasonal Wisdom into Leadership -42

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Marli Williams [: 00:00:00

Hey, everybody. What is happening? I would love to welcome you back to the Marli Williams podcast where this week, we are having a powerful conversation with 2 amazing epic facilitators, Cynthia and Taryn, where we dive into the seasonality of leadership and how to lead by really honoring the different seasons of where we're at in our life. So that we can lead with more ease and less effort and have more grace and compassion for ourselves on the journey of leadership. This is such a rich conversation, and I cannot wait to dive in with them. So let's do this. Hey, everyone. What's happening? I am super stoked to welcome you to the Marli Williams Podcast where we will explore authentic leadership, transformational facilitation, and how to create epic experiences for your audiences every single time. I am your host, Marli Williams, bringing you thought provoking insights, expert interviews, and actionable strategies to unlock your potential as a leader, facilitator, and speaker.

Marli Williams [: 00:01:14

Thank you for joining me on this journey of growth, transformation, and impact. Let's lead together. The Marli Williams podcast begins now. Let's dive in. Hey, everybody. What is happening? I'd love to welcome you back to the Marli Williams podcast where this week, I'm hanging out with some of my facilitator friends. And we have Taryn Laxko, who is a conscious leadership coach, and Cynthia Jean as well. And they are both phenomenal facilitators in their own right, and they have a very, very cool and unique approach to leadership and really looking at it from the ancient wisdom of the seasons.

Marli Williams [: 00:02:02

And I'm very excited to geek out and dive into this conversation. So thank you. Thank you. Thank you so much for being here on the podcast today. I'd love to give you both an opportunity to just share a little bit about your background, your story, and kind of what brings you to this work that you are doing in the world, and we'll start from there. We'll kick things off.

Taryn Laxko [: 00:02:26

Okay. Yay. Thanks, Marli. This is Taryn. So you can get all of it to know my voice here. And the journey that led us to today, roller coaster. Right? That's what I'm just gonna put out there. The image of the roller coaster, it's never been a straight line from a to z.

Taryn Laxko [: 00:02:43

There's some twists and turns and upside downs. And really, it's been about my own evolution. You might even describe it from a roller coaster to a spiral. Right? Just a constant growth and change around learning new things, under sitting under expectations in a season of my life where I was going to take a lot of risks and then shifting over time to being a mother, then going through a lot of life disruptions, going through divorce. But there is this common thread through the of being in service of women. I've been very curious about how women's bodies work. Having a degree in psychology and women's studies and being lit by the psychobiology of women, how we function and how we work, and bringing that into my career as an HR software consultant, helping mostly human resource clients or mostly women, not all, but most of them. And being immersed in that energy of working with women leaders and being a leader myself as a mother, as a consultant, and in partnership in my relationship, leading the way in different thinking patterns.

Taryn Laxko [: 00:03:54

And so that's really landed me today in this arena of facilitation, coaching, and really unlocking the wisdom of women in their leadership.

Marli Williams [: 00:04:05

I love that so much. Right? Like you said, the roller coaster and then I love the idea of the spiral. Right? How we evolve as leaders and coaches and facilitators and, like, almost coming full circle. Right? Like, being drawn to, like, the women's studies work and then connecting that to, like, personal development, professional development, leadership, and then, like, connecting the dots and saying, like, how do I serve women in the most powerful way? So thank you for sharing that. Love that. Cynthia, what about you? Your journey to this moment in time?

Cynthia Jean [: 00:04:39

Journey. That is exactly what it is, this journey. Let's see. I can start with that. I was raised by a grandma who was very influential in my life and she had a lot of emotional distress that she didn't know how to identify. So I was always looking to her just to help guide me through developing my own wisdom. And what it is to have emotions and have feelings and not have shame around it.

Cynthia Jean [: 00:05:09

So that's something that she never could identify for herself. So that really set the stage for me exploring what that means as a mom and as a woman as I came into that season of my own life. And I was always looking to balance this need to show up really big in the world and also be really present with my family and the people that mattered most. So it's kind of been this ebb and flow and struggle sometimes, like, what matters most in this moment in time and how I'm showing up with the people that matter. And so that really formed this need to be an entrepreneur throughout my entire life. I've always just kind of fit this into whatever it is that has a seasonal cycle too of about 5 to 7 years, which I've identified is a great neurodivergent trait. So that's been like the last 5 years of of recognizing that in myself. So that's looked like becoming a sign language interpreter.

Cynthia Jean [: 00:06:07

It's also looked like being part of multilevel marketing where I would rise to the top of the top hundred people in sales. And it also looked like becoming an event planner. So many different seasons that I've embraced and built upon along the way. And so what I'm recognizing now over the last probably 7 years or so, and this is sticking around for a little longer, is it showing up in this way of coaching? Because I really am noticing how my grandmother's wisdom is infusing in me how to lead women to be really, really present with their season in life. And that we also can identify that maybe we're changing and how we used to be is no longer how we want to be in the future. And there's really great tools that we bring into this work. Tara and I love working together and presenting to midlife women and just how to be the best lead her ship that you could possibly be. So that's a nutshell, if you will.

Cynthia Jean [: 00:07:18

I'm just I sat with that question for a second. I'm like, oh my gosh. A nutshell. What does that even look like? Because there's so much, and they're all related to each other, and yet here's how we're showing up today.

Marli Williams [: 00:07:29

Well, thank you for sharing that. And, yeah, I think we all are on a journey, right? And sometimes it can feel hard to, like, wrap it up in a nice little tiny bow and really looking at you know, I think about this, our unique constellation of experiences that allow us to be prepared for the service that were meant to the gifts that were meant to share with the world. And I think that our dharma is really about the connection between the gifts that we have and the need of the times. And there's a book by Stephen Cope, the great work of your life. And he talks about that. And it's like the need of the times and really meeting women in this moment of redefinition, redefining what it means to be a woman, what it means to lead in your own life, in your family, in a career. I think giving ourselves permission to change course, like when we look back and say, though, how I've been, isn't how I wanna be and isn't necessarily in alignment with who I am anymore and this narrative. And I I really do think that we're at this, like, pivotal moment in history.

Marli Williams [: 00:08:38

It's pivotal moment in time. Like, what is happening in the world? And almost like the age of Aquarius, like, what all of these shifts. And I think so often I see, you know, I work with women as well, and they get to this place where they feel that that tension of letting go of where I've been and knowing, like, I meant for more, built for more, or something is shifting, but I have no idea what to do about it. I have no and oftentimes, they feel like they are the only one that is going through something like this. And I went to a women's gathering last night for the full moon, and I said something there that I've really been reflecting a lot about. You know, we can go to therapy and we can seek 1 on 1 healing and support, right? Whether that's coaching, counseling, therapy, all great tools. But there is something that I truly believe that women specifically heal in community because so many of them, it's like they realize I'm not alone. I'm not the only one who's navigating, having kids and then dealing with aging parents or divorce, shifting careers, whatever it is, this kind of this midlife space that women are in, that you are helping them navigate.

Marli Williams [: 00:09:56

So when women come to work with you, where do you begin that process of helping them kinda reimagine or rediscover themselves in a new way? How do you invite them? What is the beginning of that journey look like when you're working with them?

Taryn Laxko [: 00:10:13

Great question. Well, we start off asking questions around what season might you be in right now? What season of your life might you be in? And so when we talk about seasons, they're spring, summer, fall, and winter. And imagining there's different strengths and attributes to each of these seasons, and so we have a seasonal assessment that gives them a peek into where they might be right now, whether they're answering from their lifetime or the course of the year, we shift in our seasons. Or for some women, it's our biological seasons that shift over the course of a month based on our. So we're all biologically wired. So we start with where might you be right now and where are some of these friction points that you're starting to notice? Our midlife women are coming away from a season of life where they are giving so much, giving of their time, their energy. They're just a lot outward focus. They're doing a lot of things.

Taryn Laxko [: 00:11:16

And they're starting to notice, like, man, I am either over functioning, I'm exhausted, I'm overwhelmed, I'm burned out. And so we start going, okay. Well, maybe you're starting to recognize that there's a shift and you wanna start receiving. I don't know about the 2 of you, but I sometimes have a real hard time receiving. And that's been a big growth opportunity for me to allow other people to gift me and ask for what I need. So that assessment is just like, where are you at right now? Where do you want to be? And guiding them through that journey of asking for what they do. So, Cynthia, what would you like to share on the starting point?

Cynthia Jean [: 00:12:00

The way that I kind of identified in my mind the answer to that question, Yes, the seasonal assessment. And we start with conversation and community to your point, Marli. We've got this innate need to be in community and connection with other people, and yet it's lower on our totem pole because of this season of giving that we have found ourselves patterned to this tipping point where we don't even know how to identify how we have fun or have friendships or connect with ourselves first. And I actually felt myself getting a little emotional with your question and your pondering about being in community as you explored this last night with your women's circle, I believe, around the full moon. And this is the thing, the thing that we're missing. We're missing connection with ourselves and with others in an intimate way that is, I see you, I hear you, I feel you. And how do we actually frame that connection in a way that that feels replenishing? And so we have regular workshops that are just introductory workshops on a specific topic like this, like how to be your own inner leader first. So that way you can resource yourself and really be at your best any other time.

Cynthia Jean [: 00:13:23

But we curated it in a 90 minute segment for people to reignite that. Oh, wow. I need this. I need to be with others. I need to be in sisterhood. I'm not alone. Yeah. And that's really I mean, the umbrella of all this comes together with being in community.

Cynthia Jean [: 00:13:43

Yes. We could put out these courses and go send people to be alone again on their computer, but no, we don't wanna do that. Because why? This is what's missing. This is the secret sauce to humanity is connection and community.

Marli Williams [: 00:13:58

It's so true. I Brene Brown. I'm sure lots of Brene Brown fans out there, right, were wired for belonging and connection. And I actually get to speak at a conference with her next month, which I'm very, very stoked about. One of my life goals is to play pickleball with Brene Brown. So fingers crossed that that's gonna happen. I'm gonna manifest that.

Cynthia Jean [: 00:14:16

You're putting it out there. Right?

Taryn Laxko [: 00:14:18

Absolutely. Right? You gotta give it over to the universe. Right, Marli? Like, universe, help me play pickleball with Brene Brown. And can I be your cheerleader on the side?

Marli Williams [: 00:14:28

Everybody out there help me manifest that you can envision us playing pickleball in, San Antonio next month. So, yeah, I think this idea of the importance and the power of community in our healing journey and our leadership journey. Right? Like and having that sense of that, I'm not alone. I'm not the only one. And you said something really important, Cynthia, around kind of just the inner work of leadership and how do I lead myself? How am I showing up for me so that I can show up for others? And like you said, Taryn, with this idea that women, I think, tend to be that natural caretaker and nurturer and giver that leaning into the receivership can be challenging for someone and to, like, actually let themselves show up for themselves, but also and also to ask their friends, their partner, their community for what they need in order to feel nourished. And like you said, Cindy, like, connecting to our joy and our play and our sexuality or sensuality, like fun. How my friend, Britney, who I was at her goddess circle last night, it's like she talks about, like, pleasure is a portal, essentially, like and and how disconnected women can be from their own bodies, their own like and I think that that's such a brilliant question of what season of your life are you in right now? And this idea of kind of assessing that and living our life based on the season we're in, and especially I'm sure you work with, like, very high powered driven women. And it's kinda like, I'm a 7.

Marli Williams [: 00:16:13

I'm an Aries. I'm an ENFP. I'm like,

Taryn Laxko [: 00:16:15

go, go, go, go, go.

Marli Williams [: 00:16:17

And like, just tell me what to do. And like, it is very action oriented. And so that kind of slowing down, stepping back, receiving, surrender, like that is not my go to. But how, if we don't take that time to really honor where we're at, that is oftentimes I think when we burn out and when we build up, resentment builds in our relationships because we aren't, we're, we're just energetically depleted. So once someone, so it sounds like the beginning is really understanding where are you at in this season of your life? And then from there, where does it go from there with your folks on their journey? And if you wanna say more about each season too, like breaking that down a little bit, you're welcome to. Like, really, I think it'd be awesome if people were listening to this and can say, like, okay, I'm in spring or I'm in summer. Like, again, not necessarily like the season it is outside, but the season of your life. And if we can help people, like, maybe identify for themselves where they're at and then what they can do with that information, how that can support them in showing up in a more aligned and authentic way rather than just like forcing and going through the motions and overriding their own needs was which is what often happens.

Taryn Laxko [: 00:17:40

Yeah. So I'll offer this to our listeners. Imagine you're getting a piece of paper out and you're drawing 4 quadrants and a circle. So a circle with 4 quadrants on it and put 1 quadrant lit as spring, another quadrant as summer, another one as fall, and another one as winter. And, Cynthia, I'm gonna offer this one up to you. Do maybe do you wanna describe the first two seasons and I'll take the last two seasons and the strengths? This is something we share in our workshop and we'll do the quick overview of the workshop, and we'll do the the quick overview of the strengths that we see in these seasons. So we really are offering a strength based approach to our unconscious leadership where we're tapping into the feminine wisdom. So these are all strengths that we get in these seasons rather than seeing them as deficits and recognizing and honoring them.

Marli Williams [: 00:18:31

I love that.

Taryn Laxko [: 00:18:32

You have it up. Yeah.

Cynthia Jean [: 00:18:33

I do.

Taryn Laxko [: 00:18:34

Cool.

Marli Williams [: 00:18:35

Yeah. I drew my picture.

Cynthia Jean [: 00:18:38

You saw me searching around.

Taryn Laxko [: 00:18:38

Hey. Awesome. Look at that.

Cynthia Jean [: 00:18:40

Oh, great job, Marli. Taking notes. Amazing. Okay. Well, if we were to think of the spring season of our life as this entry onto the earth, You know, it's the beginning of the year. Also, you start with this springtime energy, and the core element to this energy is play. We can draw this from the birds and the bees and the flowers, and everything's kind of dancing and playful, and it also has this energy of connection. If you think about the Q1 of your life being this springtime, there's other really wonderful things that are available to us, like experimenting and self discovery.

Cynthia Jean [: 00:19:26

Can you identify like, think in your mind of someone you know in that kind of Q1 of their life where they're resilient also. They fall down and they get up quickly. They're like, oops. No biggie. And they're super present. They take these risks and they're creative and just identifying their own leadership style. I've got a couple teenagers in this season of life, and so I can definitely recognize there's not a whole there's very short planning. Like, oh, what's gonna happen today and what I'm gonna do now? And I don't really care about what might happen in the future according to whatever it is that I do right now.

Cynthia Jean [: 00:20:02

Okay. It's all about play. And so we call this also the maiden season, if you will. So drawing from ancient wisdom.

Marli Williams [: 00:20:09

Beautiful.

Cynthia Jean [: 00:20:10

When has you transition from the spring season into the summer season, you can also think of how our environment works in the summertime. The core element is give. Mhmm. So that second quarter or so of your life as a human on the earth, you do a lot of giving. You do a lot of immunity stuff, because cause you're starting to identify where your interests are. You're like, okay. This is the type of work that I'm gonna do, and this is the type of play that I'm gonna do, and this is how I'm gonna build community. And it just naturally happens. You start volunteering in these places. And if you also identify that the days are long in the summer, get up early, go to bed late. Do you remember the summer season of life? I'm just thinking of a story within myself where I would get up, I'd go to work, I'd hang out with people in the evening, and then I'd party all night, and then I sleep like 3 hours, and then I would go and do it again. Mhmm.

Cynthia Jean [: 00:21:06

No biggie. And there's just this endless charisma that tends to happen. You've got lots of stamina. It's all about fun. If you think about it, there's a whole lot of likely exploration with sex coming into play. It's just this give, give, give. Like, that's the essence of summer. And we can draw on those strengths something that we might embody to when we're in that summer season.

Marli Williams [: 00:21:32

Love that.

Cynthia Jean [: 00:21:33

Dress, dance. Who am I? This is how I am. This is what I do. This is how I show up.

Marli Williams [: 00:21:38

Beautiful. Love that.

Cynthia Jean [: 00:21:39

I'll add in there.

Taryn Laxko [: 00:21:40

We also might be giving a lot to our profession and our career or giving both professionally and in mothering. So there's a lot, like, we could handle that large capacity of scope of responsibility. There's a lot of outward energy. And then I was we start thinking about this 3rd quadrant of fall. The key marker of this one is receiving. And so there's gonna be this friction that starts happening because we recognize, like, I am exhausted. I used those terms earlier, exhausted burned out. I've landed on this term of over functioning.

Taryn Laxko [: 00:22:18

I'm doing too much. And then I'm like, but I'm so tired. I need more sleep. So now we're coming into this energy of the wild woman where we need to be setting more boundaries for ourselves and those that we're in relationship with. And maybe I need more of a calm environment. My nervous system needs more rep in this phase. My ability to handle stress has lessened in this because I don't have I'm stretched too thin, so I'm more reactive in these areas. But if I'm journaling, if I'm taking care of myself, if I am setting those boundaries, taking break, then I can nurture myself and harvest.

Taryn Laxko [: 00:23:03

And so if we think of fall is the phase, harvesting of all of the things, the energy that we've been putting out there, we get to receive from that birding.

Marli Williams [: 00:23:12

Love that. Cool.

Taryn Laxko [: 00:23:14

And then we start shifting into this 4th season of life, winter, where the key essence of this one is rep and staying relevant. So I I think that's a big message that we're understanding from women that were working in this last quarter of their life is they still want to stay relevant. And they know a heck of a lot more. Right? So being very discerning on where they're showing up in the world. So values matter. Doing things that are very restorative, being out in nature more. Intuition is off the chart because they've lived a life that is longer in duration. And they also know how to delegate.

Taryn Laxko [: 00:23:56

They're like that. Or we're teaching them, like, if there is a conflict of energy, like, but I've been doing all this other stuff, but I'm exhausted. I was like, well, where can you delegate more of these things in your life? Where can you let things go and take care of yourself and just bring your wisdom? And so this is the wise woman phase. Like, all the wisdom of the world is available to you and where can you share that and stay relevant with that work. So I'm interacting with women who still want a career. They still wanna stay relevant. So it's shifting their perspective of, like, they were doing this at one point. Where can they transition, how they're showing up professionally or in their home life, but not doing as much?

Cynthia Jean [: 00:24:39

I love that.

Taryn Laxko [: 00:24:40

Really focusing on what matters.

Cynthia Jean [: 00:24:42

Yeah. There is a key piece I noticed also. The essence of summer is the mother season. And what's so beautiful about this, it's so innate because we are embodying this essence that mother Earth gives. It's that nurturing, that mothering.

Cynthia Jean [: 00:25:01

So whether we're a biological mother or mothering our our community, it's just that essence is the same. Team members. Right?

Taryn Laxko [: 00:25:10

Professionally, if you have a team or you're with colleagues, you tend to, like, show up and you're doing, like, the organizing of things or your project. You're mothering that project.

Marli Williams [: 00:25:18

Yeah. So in spring, what was so the I have wise woman for winter and mother for summer. What were the other kind of archetypes for spring and fall?

Cynthia Jean [: 00:25:28

We got the maiden in the springtime.

Marli Williams [: 00:25:30

Maiden. The maiden. Okay.

Cynthia Jean [: 00:25:32

Mhmm. And the wild woman in the fall.

Marli Williams [: 00:25:34

Oh, I love that.

Cynthia Jean [: 00:25:36

I say it just like that because that's how it feels. Wild.

Marli Williams [: 00:25:39

Wild woman. Yeah. You know, thank you for sharing that. And for those out there listening, I would really invite you to reflect on where you're at in your life. And, again, this isn't necessarily based on the season. It is outside. It's the season inside and in your life. Right? Like, are you in a place of rest and wanting to share your wisdom in this way, delegating, discerning, using your intuition? And really, again, like, as you go through each of these seasons, I think it almost to me, what comes up is like, oh, I I have permission to honor where I'm at instead of, like, if my go to is, like, being in summer all the time, give, give, give, go, go, go.

Marli Williams [: 00:26:28

And I don't allow myself to receive rest, play, do all of these other things. And, like, again, where do we tend to find that we burn out? And we all and we don't always need to stay in rest. What if we do honor that time, then we have more to give.

Taryn Laxko [: 00:26:45

You just nailed it, Marli. You when you rep, it's absolutely critical to allow yourself to rest in your mind and your body because intuition is can surface more often in those moments when we're pausing. And the rest of the cycle gets to be easier. That intuition can lead to better decision making, and you need that time as a season. The mother nature breaths in winter. There's nothing growing in that season. And so the earth can replenish itself, get the vitamins and the nutrients it needs so that it can grow and flourish in the spring and summer, and you're harvesting the abundance of what's been grown. You can apply that to your business, your professional career. If you're not honoring these times of rep, you don't have the energy to continue going forward.

Marli Williams [: 00:27:42

Yeah. I just think that that's so important for everyone to hear because I think we do live in a culture, in a world, in a society that values productivity over everything else. And where my value is as a woman, as a person is, like, how much of my to do list can I get done in a day? And so I think part of this work is, like, rewriting that narrative and valuing rest just as much as we value productivity and that it is part of the cycles of nature. It is part of the cycles of life that like, we do need that period of rest and restoration in order to continue to give. And I think giving everyone, giving ourselves permission to do that, you know, and looking at where can we do more of that more often. It's not always easy for a lot of, again, like people that.

Cynthia Jean [: 00:28:36

It's not. Yeah. Well, we have this patterning that we've had for however many years that summer and summer's the only season. It's not. But that's kinda how the world plays is because Mhmm. That's what's gets celebrated. The extrovert gets celebrated. The summer gets celebrated.

Cynthia Jean [: 00:28:56

All day long, the productivity gets celebrated. And there's just this innate need that we have to have balance in all things so that way all things can emerge. And I'd love to be playful with this cycle, these seasons of life, that they also replicate themselves on this annual basis. So you can draw from like, oh, maybe January 1st is not when I'm supposed to be summering and putting all these rules in place of how I want to have a resolution.

Marli Williams [: 00:29:29

Right? Yeah. It's so interesting that we have this, like, yeah, New Year's resolution in January 1st when it's, like, just after the winter solstice, it's dark out, it's cold out most of the places, And that is not the time where we're supposed to, like, hit the ground running with, like, all these new intentions and goals and all of that. So when is the best time to do that?

Cynthia Jean [: 00:29:53

Yeah. The best time to think about those things is in the winter to think about them. To think about them. Yes. To assess what has happened and reflect and start thinking about what you want to be different or the same. So think about your goals and then draw inspiration from the seasons, and maybe March 1st is the best time to start actually implementing the things because that's when, guess what, things are emerging out of the ground. So that's the best time to start putting things into action. Yeah.

Cynthia Jean [: 00:30:30

Really just drawing on the seasons. It's pretty simple. Is it easy? No. It's simple. Yes.

Marli Williams [: 00:30:36

Yeah.

Cynthia Jean [: 00:30:37

We see it every year. People make New Year's resolutions, and by February 1st, they're gone. Why? Because you're not supposed to implement them yet.

Marli Williams [: 00:30:45

Yeah. And so it's like when we can align ourselves with the seasons, I think it sounds like there can be more ease and not as much as I wanna say more ease and less effort. It's not that we don't put effort in. It's just like, where are we kind of going against the grain of reality, like against the, against the seasons, like kind of feeling like we're we're going upstream versus, like, we are going with the flow of the tide. We are going with the flow of the seasons. And so, again, like, I think less effort, more ease if we align ourselves with the seasonality. I think maybe it's easier if you're in a place that has seasons, or like, you know, you live in LA and it's like, it's 70 degrees and sunny every day, you know? And yeah. What else were you gonna add to that, Taryn?

Taryn Laxko [: 00:31:40

I was gonna add, we are learning this ourselves as we go. We're doing a lot of research, and we're recognizing this summer. We're trying to offer some things out programs and people are playing. They're not interested in sitting down on a Zoom call or doing some coaching. So they're doing their outward stuff And so we're seeing a shift now. People are coming into fall. So as maybe some of your audience are coaches or they're delivering programs, facilitators, if you're doing the planning in the winter, thinking about what you wanna put out in the world and then doing some planning in that spring season and then putting some outward energy of promotion, then shifting to delivery in fall, you get to tap into people's innate desire to wanna learn and you get to teach. So it's the perfect of thinking of your business with seasons and recognizing your strengths in each one of those.

Taryn Laxko [: 00:32:40

So you're nurturing yourself and others at the right time and not getting the inner critics that pop up. Like, why is no one showing up? Why is no one paying attention? I'm no good. Like, all of that stuff gets really, like, wild and crazy. Mhmm. So giving yourself permission to do some different type of planning. And we love talking to small business owners of Altus around planning your business, around your seasonal strength.

Marli Williams [: 00:33:06

Yeah. Oh my gosh. I love that. And I think that it's thinking about when it feels again, like we're it's like an uphill battle where we're going against the flow of, like, yeah, it's summertime. That might not be the best time to, like, launch a new program. But as we move into fall and people are coming back inside and doing that introspection, they're open to receiving your offers in a different way than they are in the summer. And so again, that awareness and that mindfulness of like, where am I putting my time and energy and effort based on the seasons and where people are at on their journey. So I'm curious, you know, what are some of the other tools that you have used in your work that you think would be valuable to share with the crew today around really helping them use this idea of seasonality in their life or in their business or any other kind of golden nuggets that you want to share about this? I know you've been doing a lot of, like, me search and research really around how to help other people use this concept to empower them in their journey.

Taryn Laxko [: 00:34:13

Wanna jump in, Cynthia, like, where we would have them start off?

Cynthia Jean [: 00:34:17

Yes. So it'll all starts with that seasonal assessment.

Taryn Laxko [: 00:34:21

Mhmm.

Cynthia Jean [: 00:34:21

That's such a wonderful gift because you get weekly messages from us about one particular season. I think we even offer a recipe that's relevant for that season, and there's all kinds of yummy goodies for you to contemplate and some questions and some tips and tricks for each of the seasons. So over a month or so, you get a little revelation like, oh, what's happening with me? I can understand myself a little bit better. I can lead myself first so that I can show up for others. So that's the thing. As we, as women, especially, we've got this never ending to do list. It's always gonna be there. That's okay.

Cynthia Jean [: 00:35:02

What we can do with it that's different is grab on to this idea that we're human beings first, not human doings. And there's a time in our seasonal shifts that it will be easier to prioritize these to do items. So if you can look at your to do list as a monthly list instead of a daily list, it's so much easier to recognize that we have these and Taryn showing her to do list. Like, we've got these natural energies that come kind of on a weekly basis in rhythm with the moon. If you wanna start there recognizing where your energy peaks and valleys are, you can really ask yourself, what's the best thing for me to do today on my list that's alignment with my energy so it's easy? That ease, that sense of ease is there. And then you'll notice over that monthly cycle that everything probably we will get done.

Taryn Laxko [: 00:36:02

Yeah.

Cynthia Jean [: 00:36:02

It will, just not on a daily basis.

Taryn Laxko [: 00:36:04

Right.

Cynthia Jean [: 00:36:04

So that's where I'm.

Taryn Laxko [: 00:36:06

I assume, Marli, you'll share with the audience a link to the seasonal assessment and they can take it.

Marli Williams [: 00:36:11

You got it. Yeah. We'll put that in the show notes for sure. Yeah. So definitely, if you're listening, check that out.

Marli Williams [: 00:36:18

The right season you're in.

Cynthia Jean [: 00:36:19

You can follow us on LinkedIn and Facebook too because we offer free workshops. So that's where you can get in connection with community and really start exploring these. And we have a way of asking questions that unlocks the wisdom in the room, so it allows people to share their wisdom. It's not a webinar where we're sitting there preaching the whole time. We probably talk about 20% of the time because it's about connecting with each other. And then we also move into, like, how to build new habits through 6 to 8 week challenge, if you will, and an experience that helps you build those new neural pathways. So that way you can recognize, oh, maybe my summer season is no longer serving me. How do I shift into my fall season and create new habits? Then we've got a beautiful community to welcome people into if they want to do this on a regular basis and connect with themselves, connect with others

Taryn Laxko [: 00:37:13

Yeah.

Cynthia Jean [: 00:37:13

And be in community. Yeah. I love that. I love that.

Taryn Laxko [: 00:37:17

And then for those that are like, well, I just wanna do a one day thing. We offer quarterly, seasonal, virtual retreats. So we've got one coming up to support the fall season, this transition. We move our bodies. We get into community and we explore what does it look like this transition into fall. So we like to host those every quarter and it's a small investment and you get to being nurtured for a half a day and people walk away. They're like, how did that that was the fastest 4 hours I've ever spent on Zoom.

Marli Williams [: 00:37:50

That's that epic facilitation training right there. It's like, again, creating that energy, creating that engagement. And I love that idea of that quarterly transition. Right? Like, I just think there's so much value in I was a wilderness therapy guide for a while and, like, just really using the idea of, like, rites of passage, transition, these moments that, like, we don't acknowledge and we don't honor because it's just like like you said, we live in a world where it's summer all the time. And so to have like an intentional reflect and reset moment of like, what is this to honor the transition of the seasons? You know, like the fall Equinox, the winter solstice, like these moments that we have. And I think for 1000 of years, like you said, like, I think there is something that is hardwired into our biology where we our biology knows that, but we live in a world that doesn't. And so it's like reminding ourselves of what we already know at kind of this like intuitive, deep, selves of what we already know at kind of this like intuitive, deep and knowing, like our the wisdom of our ancestors and where we've come from of like, this is how we lived our lives for 1000 of years before it was summer all the time. And so I think that my hope for those of you out there listening, that this really gives you an insight into your life, into this, your business, and really honoring where you're at and knowing that again, this kind of permission to rest, this permission to receive, to play, to give, to really look at the ebb and flow of that instead of feeling like we constantly have to be all the time.

Marli Williams [: 00:39:38

It's like, we need that in order to give from a really, like, well resourced place. So thank you so much to both of you for sharing your wisdom with all of us today. I'm excited to take the assessment. So I hope that all of you go out there. We'll, again, we'll have the link in the show notes. Is there any other final thoughts that you would love to leave people with today as they go back out into the world and take what they learned here today and really apply it to their life and their business. Any final thoughts you'd love to leave people with?

Taryn Laxko [: 00:40:13

Taking that pause, just like what are the final words I would share on this? What keeps popping up for me and reiterates what you were just talking about, Marli, was this shift of our society from an agricultural to an industrial means we've locked our inner wisdom with mother nature. And that is why we use this term unlocking in a lot of our work is because we're unlocking what's already within us. And it's just bringing awareness, bringing consciousness to what is already here. It's not brand new. It's just pausing long enough and being curious enough to open that part of us and tap into the strength. So that's what I would say is the community and conversations and the awareness will unlock so much potential for everyone that is open to looking at this part of their life.

Marli Williams [: 00:41:08

Beautiful. I love that. Any anything to add, Cynthia?

Cynthia Jean [: 00:41:11

This has just been such a delight. I'm sitting with it, and I think for the people that taken the time to listen in on what this seasonal aspect might mean for them, if they're curious, there's just so much opportunity for conversation and connection and revealing of maybe something that has felt out of alignment for a while. That is a human thing. It's totally acceptable. There's no shame around that. So if you could just leave with asking yourself, what has been happening that is no longer serving me now, and how might I want to move forward? What's the smallest thing that I could do for myself to recognize that I am a human being first, not a human doing? And what do I wanna do about that?

Marli Williams [: 00:42:04

Beautiful. I love that so much. Well, thank you both for spending time with us today and thank you all of you out there who taken the your precious time to listen to this podcast. And again, information does not change our lives. It's the integration of that information. So I really, again, invite you to take that assessment, to learn where you're at, to use the resources and tools that they have so generously shared with you, check out their fall virtual retreat. We'll have all those links in the show notes. And my invitation is to really give yourself the gift of honoring where you are at in this season of your journey, the season of your life or your business, to give yourself permission to be right where you are and to let go of the need of perfection, the need of getting it right, to do all the things, to trust that it will all get done.

Marli Williams [: 00:43:01

There's a quote about nature that says nothing is hurried, but everything is accomplished. Right? This idea of natural cycles, it's like nothing is in a rush. We're not in a rush. It's like the point of life is not just to get to the end as fast as possible. Nothing is hurried and everything is accomplished. How much can you trust that everything that you on your to do list will get done? It will get done when it's meant to get done. Because if you've made it this far, you have what it takes to do that. We know that.

Marli Williams [: 00:43:33

But do you also have what it takes to rest and slow down and honor yourself? So thank you. Thank you. Thank you, everybody out there. Feel free to love this, like this, share this, rate, review, all the things. And again, Taryn and Cynthia, thank you so much for sharing your wisdom and go out there and honor yourself and the season of life that you are in. Until next time. Take care. Thank you for joining us on another inspiring episode of the Marli Williams Podcast.

Marli Williams [: 00:44:03

We hope you're leaving here with renewed energy and valuable insights to fuel your leadership, coaching, and speaking endeavors. I'd love to invite you to subscribe, rate, and review this podcast to help us reach more aspiring leaders and speakers like you. We have more exciting episodes and remarkable guests lined up, so make sure to tune in next time. Until then, keep leading with purpose, coaching with heart, and speaking with conviction. This is Marli Williams signing off. See you next week.

NOTE:

We feel it is important to make our podcast transcripts available for accessibility. We use quality artificial intelligence tools to make it possible for us to provide this resource to our audience. We do have human eyes reviewing this, but they will rarely be 100% accurate. We appreciate your patience with the occasional errors you will find in our transcriptions. If you find an error in our transcription, or if you would like to use a quote, or verify what was said, please feel free to reach out to us at connect@37by27.com.

Marli Williams [: 00:00:00

Hey, everybody. What is happening? I would love to welcome you back to the Marli Williams podcast where this week, we are having a powerful conversation with 2 amazing epic facilitators, Cynthia and Taryn, where we dive into the seasonality of leadership and how to lead by really honoring the different seasons of where we're at in our life. So that we can lead with more ease and less effort and have more grace and compassion for ourselves on the journey of leadership. This is such a rich conversation, and I cannot wait to dive in with them. So let's do this. Hey, everyone. What's happening? I am super stoked to welcome you to the Marli Williams Podcast where we will explore authentic leadership, transformational facilitation, and how to create epic experiences for your audiences every single time. I am your host, Marli Williams, bringing you thought provoking insights, expert interviews, and actionable strategies to unlock your potential as a leader, facilitator, and speaker.

Marli Williams [: 00:01:14

Thank you for joining me on this journey of growth, transformation, and impact. Let's lead together. The Marli Williams podcast begins now. Let's dive in. Hey, everybody. What is happening? I'd love to welcome you back to the Marli Williams podcast where this week, I'm hanging out with some of my facilitator friends. And we have Taryn Laxko, who is a conscious leadership coach, and Cynthia Jean as well. And they are both phenomenal facilitators in their own right, and they have a very, very cool and unique approach to leadership and really looking at it from the ancient wisdom of the seasons.

Marli Williams [: 00:02:02

And I'm very excited to geek out and dive into this conversation. So thank you. Thank you. Thank you so much for being here on the podcast today. I'd love to give you both an opportunity to just share a little bit about your background, your story, and kind of what brings you to this work that you are doing in the world, and we'll start from there. We'll kick things off.

Taryn Laxko [: 00:02:26

Okay. Yay. Thanks, Marli. This is Taryn. So you can get all of it to know my voice here. And the journey that led us to today, roller coaster. Right? That's what I'm just gonna put out there. The image of the roller coaster, it's never been a straight line from a to z.

Taryn Laxko [: 00:02:43

There's some twists and turns and upside downs. And really, it's been about my own evolution. You might even describe it from a roller coaster to a spiral. Right? Just a constant growth and change around learning new things, under sitting under expectations in a season of my life where I was going to take a lot of risks and then shifting over time to being a mother, then going through a lot of life disruptions, going through divorce. But there is this common thread through the of being in service of women. I've been very curious about how women's bodies work. Having a degree in psychology and women's studies and being lit by the psychobiology of women, how we function and how we work, and bringing that into my career as an HR software consultant, helping mostly human resource clients or mostly women, not all, but most of them. And being immersed in that energy of working with women leaders and being a leader myself as a mother, as a consultant, and in partnership in my relationship, leading the way in different thinking patterns.

Taryn Laxko [: 00:03:54

And so that's really landed me today in this arena of facilitation, coaching, and really unlocking the wisdom of women in their leadership.

Marli Williams [: 00:04:05

I love that so much. Right? Like you said, the roller coaster and then I love the idea of the spiral. Right? How we evolve as leaders and coaches and facilitators and, like, almost coming full circle. Right? Like, being drawn to, like, the women's studies work and then connecting that to, like, personal development, professional development, leadership, and then, like, connecting the dots and saying, like, how do I serve women in the most powerful way? So thank you for sharing that. Love that. Cynthia, what about you? Your journey to this moment in time?

Cynthia Jean [: 00:04:39

Journey. That is exactly what it is, this journey. Let's see. I can start with that. I was raised by a grandma who was very influential in my life and she had a lot of emotional distress that she didn't know how to identify. So I was always looking to her just to help guide me through developing my own wisdom. And what it is to have emotions and have feelings and not have shame around it.

Cynthia Jean [: 00:05:09

So that's something that she never could identify for herself. So that really set the stage for me exploring what that means as a mom and as a woman as I came into that season of my own life. And I was always looking to balance this need to show up really big in the world and also be really present with my family and the people that mattered most. So it's kind of been this ebb and flow and struggle sometimes, like, what matters most in this moment in time and how I'm showing up with the people that matter. And so that really formed this need to be an entrepreneur throughout my entire life. I've always just kind of fit this into whatever it is that has a seasonal cycle too of about 5 to 7 years, which I've identified is a great neurodivergent trait. So that's been like the last 5 years of of recognizing that in myself. So that's looked like becoming a sign language interpreter.

Cynthia Jean [: 00:06:07

It's also looked like being part of multilevel marketing where I would rise to the top of the top hundred people in sales. And it also looked like becoming an event planner. So many different seasons that I've embraced and built upon along the way. And so what I'm recognizing now over the last probably 7 years or so, and this is sticking around for a little longer, is it showing up in this way of coaching? Because I really am noticing how my grandmother's wisdom is infusing in me how to lead women to be really, really present with their season in life. And that we also can identify that maybe we're changing and how we used to be is no longer how we want to be in the future. And there's really great tools that we bring into this work. Tara and I love working together and presenting to midlife women and just how to be the best lead her ship that you could possibly be. So that's a nutshell, if you will.

Cynthia Jean [: 00:07:18

I'm just I sat with that question for a second. I'm like, oh my gosh. A nutshell. What does that even look like? Because there's so much, and they're all related to each other, and yet here's how we're showing up today.

Marli Williams [: 00:07:29

Well, thank you for sharing that. And, yeah, I think we all are on a journey, right? And sometimes it can feel hard to, like, wrap it up in a nice little tiny bow and really looking at you know, I think about this, our unique constellation of experiences that allow us to be prepared for the service that were meant to the gifts that were meant to share with the world. And I think that our dharma is really about the connection between the gifts that we have and the need of the times. And there's a book by Stephen Cope, the great work of your life. And he talks about that. And it's like the need of the times and really meeting women in this moment of redefinition, redefining what it means to be a woman, what it means to lead in your own life, in your family, in a career. I think giving ourselves permission to change course, like when we look back and say, though, how I've been, isn't how I wanna be and isn't necessarily in alignment with who I am anymore and this narrative. And I I really do think that we're at this, like, pivotal moment in history.

Marli Williams [: 00:08:38

It's pivotal moment in time. Like, what is happening in the world? And almost like the age of Aquarius, like, what all of these shifts. And I think so often I see, you know, I work with women as well, and they get to this place where they feel that that tension of letting go of where I've been and knowing, like, I meant for more, built for more, or something is shifting, but I have no idea what to do about it. I have no and oftentimes, they feel like they are the only one that is going through something like this. And I went to a women's gathering last night for the full moon, and I said something there that I've really been reflecting a lot about. You know, we can go to therapy and we can seek 1 on 1 healing and support, right? Whether that's coaching, counseling, therapy, all great tools. But there is something that I truly believe that women specifically heal in community because so many of them, it's like they realize I'm not alone. I'm not the only one who's navigating, having kids and then dealing with aging parents or divorce, shifting careers, whatever it is, this kind of this midlife space that women are in, that you are helping them navigate.

Marli Williams [: 00:09:56

So when women come to work with you, where do you begin that process of helping them kinda reimagine or rediscover themselves in a new way? How do you invite them? What is the beginning of that journey look like when you're working with them?

Taryn Laxko [: 00:10:13

Great question. Well, we start off asking questions around what season might you be in right now? What season of your life might you be in? And so when we talk about seasons, they're spring, summer, fall, and winter. And imagining there's different strengths and attributes to each of these seasons, and so we have a seasonal assessment that gives them a peek into where they might be right now, whether they're answering from their lifetime or the course of the year, we shift in our seasons. Or for some women, it's our biological seasons that shift over the course of a month based on our. So we're all biologically wired. So we start with where might you be right now and where are some of these friction points that you're starting to notice? Our midlife women are coming away from a season of life where they are giving so much, giving of their time, their energy. They're just a lot outward focus. They're doing a lot of things.

Taryn Laxko [: 00:11:16

And they're starting to notice, like, man, I am either over functioning, I'm exhausted, I'm overwhelmed, I'm burned out. And so we start going, okay. Well, maybe you're starting to recognize that there's a shift and you wanna start receiving. I don't know about the 2 of you, but I sometimes have a real hard time receiving. And that's been a big growth opportunity for me to allow other people to gift me and ask for what I need. So that assessment is just like, where are you at right now? Where do you want to be? And guiding them through that journey of asking for what they do. So, Cynthia, what would you like to share on the starting point?

Cynthia Jean [: 00:12:00

The way that I kind of identified in my mind the answer to that question, Yes, the seasonal assessment. And we start with conversation and community to your point, Marli. We've got this innate need to be in community and connection with other people, and yet it's lower on our totem pole because of this season of giving that we have found ourselves patterned to this tipping point where we don't even know how to identify how we have fun or have friendships or connect with ourselves first. And I actually felt myself getting a little emotional with your question and your pondering about being in community as you explored this last night with your women's circle, I believe, around the full moon. And this is the thing, the thing that we're missing. We're missing connection with ourselves and with others in an intimate way that is, I see you, I hear you, I feel you. And how do we actually frame that connection in a way that that feels replenishing? And so we have regular workshops that are just introductory workshops on a specific topic like this, like how to be your own inner leader first. So that way you can resource yourself and really be at your best any other time.

Cynthia Jean [: 00:13:23

But we curated it in a 90 minute segment for people to reignite that. Oh, wow. I need this. I need to be with others. I need to be in sisterhood. I'm not alone. Yeah. And that's really I mean, the umbrella of all this comes together with being in community.

Cynthia Jean [: 00:13:43

Yes. We could put out these courses and go send people to be alone again on their computer, but no, we don't wanna do that. Because why? This is what's missing. This is the secret sauce to humanity is connection and community.

Marli Williams [: 00:13:58

It's so true. I Brene Brown. I'm sure lots of Brene Brown fans out there, right, were wired for belonging and connection. And I actually get to speak at a conference with her next month, which I'm very, very stoked about. One of my life goals is to play pickleball with Brene Brown. So fingers crossed that that's gonna happen. I'm gonna manifest that.

Cynthia Jean [: 00:14:16

You're putting it out there. Right?

Taryn Laxko [: 00:14:18

Absolutely. Right? You gotta give it over to the universe. Right, Marli? Like, universe, help me play pickleball with Brene Brown. And can I be your cheerleader on the side?

Marli Williams [: 00:14:28

Everybody out there help me manifest that you can envision us playing pickleball in, San Antonio next month. So, yeah, I think this idea of the importance and the power of community in our healing journey and our leadership journey. Right? Like and having that sense of that, I'm not alone. I'm not the only one. And you said something really important, Cynthia, around kind of just the inner work of leadership and how do I lead myself? How am I showing up for me so that I can show up for others? And like you said, Taryn, with this idea that women, I think, tend to be that natural caretaker and nurturer and giver that leaning into the receivership can be challenging for someone and to, like, actually let themselves show up for themselves, but also and also to ask their friends, their partner, their community for what they need in order to feel nourished. And like you said, Cindy, like, connecting to our joy and our play and our sexuality or sensuality, like fun. How my friend, Britney, who I was at her goddess circle last night, it's like she talks about, like, pleasure is a portal, essentially, like and and how disconnected women can be from their own bodies, their own like and I think that that's such a brilliant question of what season of your life are you in right now? And this idea of kind of assessing that and living our life based on the season we're in, and especially I'm sure you work with, like, very high powered driven women. And it's kinda like, I'm a 7.

Marli Williams [: 00:16:13

I'm an Aries. I'm an ENFP. I'm like,

Taryn Laxko [: 00:16:15

go, go, go, go, go.

Marli Williams [: 00:16:17

And like, just tell me what to do. And like, it is very action oriented. And so that kind of slowing down, stepping back, receiving, surrender, like that is not my go to. But how, if we don't take that time to really honor where we're at, that is oftentimes I think when we burn out and when we build up, resentment builds in our relationships because we aren't, we're, we're just energetically depleted. So once someone, so it sounds like the beginning is really understanding where are you at in this season of your life? And then from there, where does it go from there with your folks on their journey? And if you wanna say more about each season too, like breaking that down a little bit, you're welcome to. Like, really, I think it'd be awesome if people were listening to this and can say, like, okay, I'm in spring or I'm in summer. Like, again, not necessarily like the season it is outside, but the season of your life. And if we can help people, like, maybe identify for themselves where they're at and then what they can do with that information, how that can support them in showing up in a more aligned and authentic way rather than just like forcing and going through the motions and overriding their own needs was which is what often happens.

Taryn Laxko [: 00:17:40

Yeah. So I'll offer this to our listeners. Imagine you're getting a piece of paper out and you're drawing 4 quadrants and a circle. So a circle with 4 quadrants on it and put 1 quadrant lit as spring, another quadrant as summer, another one as fall, and another one as winter. And, Cynthia, I'm gonna offer this one up to you. Do maybe do you wanna describe the first two seasons and I'll take the last two seasons and the strengths? This is something we share in our workshop and we'll do the quick overview of the workshop, and we'll do the the quick overview of the strengths that we see in these seasons. So we really are offering a strength based approach to our unconscious leadership where we're tapping into the feminine wisdom. So these are all strengths that we get in these seasons rather than seeing them as deficits and recognizing and honoring them.

Marli Williams [: 00:18:31

I love that.

Taryn Laxko [: 00:18:32

You have it up. Yeah.

Cynthia Jean [: 00:18:33

I do.

Taryn Laxko [: 00:18:34

Cool.

Marli Williams [: 00:18:35

Yeah. I drew my picture.

Cynthia Jean [: 00:18:38

You saw me searching around.

Taryn Laxko [: 00:18:38

Hey. Awesome. Look at that.

Cynthia Jean [: 00:18:40

Oh, great job, Marli. Taking notes. Amazing. Okay. Well, if we were to think of the spring season of our life as this entry onto the earth, You know, it's the beginning of the year. Also, you start with this springtime energy, and the core element to this energy is play. We can draw this from the birds and the bees and the flowers, and everything's kind of dancing and playful, and it also has this energy of connection. If you think about the Q1 of your life being this springtime, there's other really wonderful things that are available to us, like experimenting and self discovery.

Cynthia Jean [: 00:19:26

Can you identify like, think in your mind of someone you know in that kind of Q1 of their life where they're resilient also. They fall down and they get up quickly. They're like, oops. No biggie. And they're super present. They take these risks and they're creative and just identifying their own leadership style. I've got a couple teenagers in this season of life, and so I can definitely recognize there's not a whole there's very short planning. Like, oh, what's gonna happen today and what I'm gonna do now? And I don't really care about what might happen in the future according to whatever it is that I do right now.

Cynthia Jean [: 00:20:02

Okay. It's all about play. And so we call this also the maiden season, if you will. So drawing from ancient wisdom.

Marli Williams [: 00:20:09

Beautiful.

Cynthia Jean [: 00:20:10

When has you transition from the spring season into the summer season, you can also think of how our environment works in the summertime. The core element is give. Mhmm. So that second quarter or so of your life as a human on the earth, you do a lot of giving. You do a lot of immunity stuff, because cause you're starting to identify where your interests are. You're like, okay. This is the type of work that I'm gonna do, and this is the type of play that I'm gonna do, and this is how I'm gonna build community. And it just naturally happens. You start volunteering in these places. And if you also identify that the days are long in the summer, get up early, go to bed late. Do you remember the summer season of life? I'm just thinking of a story within myself where I would get up, I'd go to work, I'd hang out with people in the evening, and then I'd party all night, and then I sleep like 3 hours, and then I would go and do it again. Mhmm.

Cynthia Jean [: 00:21:06

No biggie. And there's just this endless charisma that tends to happen. You've got lots of stamina. It's all about fun. If you think about it, there's a whole lot of likely exploration with sex coming into play. It's just this give, give, give. Like, that's the essence of summer. And we can draw on those strengths something that we might embody to when we're in that summer season.

Marli Williams [: 00:21:32

Love that.

Cynthia Jean [: 00:21:33

Dress, dance. Who am I? This is how I am. This is what I do. This is how I show up.

Marli Williams [: 00:21:38

Beautiful. Love that.

Cynthia Jean [: 00:21:39

I'll add in there.

Taryn Laxko [: 00:21:40

We also might be giving a lot to our profession and our career or giving both professionally and in mothering. So there's a lot, like, we could handle that large capacity of scope of responsibility. There's a lot of outward energy. And then I was we start thinking about this 3rd quadrant of fall. The key marker of this one is receiving. And so there's gonna be this friction that starts happening because we recognize, like, I am exhausted. I used those terms earlier, exhausted burned out. I've landed on this term of over functioning.

Taryn Laxko [: 00:22:18

I'm doing too much. And then I'm like, but I'm so tired. I need more sleep. So now we're coming into this energy of the wild woman where we need to be setting more boundaries for ourselves and those that we're in relationship with. And maybe I need more of a calm environment. My nervous system needs more rep in this phase. My ability to handle stress has lessened in this because I don't have I'm stretched too thin, so I'm more reactive in these areas. But if I'm journaling, if I'm taking care of myself, if I am setting those boundaries, taking break, then I can nurture myself and harvest.

Taryn Laxko [: 00:23:03

And so if we think of fall is the phase, harvesting of all of the things, the energy that we've been putting out there, we get to receive from that birding.

Marli Williams [: 00:23:12

Love that. Cool.

Taryn Laxko [: 00:23:14

And then we start shifting into this 4th season of life, winter, where the key essence of this one is rep and staying relevant. So I I think that's a big message that we're understanding from women that were working in this last quarter of their life is they still want to stay relevant. And they know a heck of a lot more. Right? So being very discerning on where they're showing up in the world. So values matter. Doing things that are very restorative, being out in nature more. Intuition is off the chart because they've lived a life that is longer in duration. And they also know how to delegate.

Taryn Laxko [: 00:23:56

They're like that. Or we're teaching them, like, if there is a conflict of energy, like, but I've been doing all this other stuff, but I'm exhausted. I was like, well, where can you delegate more of these things in your life? Where can you let things go and take care of yourself and just bring your wisdom? And so this is the wise woman phase. Like, all the wisdom of the world is available to you and where can you share that and stay relevant with that work. So I'm interacting with women who still want a career. They still wanna stay relevant. So it's shifting their perspective of, like, they were doing this at one point. Where can they transition, how they're showing up professionally or in their home life, but not doing as much?

Cynthia Jean [: 00:24:39

I love that.

Taryn Laxko [: 00:24:40

Really focusing on what matters.

Cynthia Jean [: 00:24:42

Yeah. There is a key piece I noticed also. The essence of summer is the mother season. And what's so beautiful about this, it's so innate because we are embodying this essence that mother Earth gives. It's that nurturing, that mothering.

Cynthia Jean [: 00:25:01

So whether we're a biological mother or mothering our our community, it's just that essence is the same. Team members. Right?

Taryn Laxko [: 00:25:10

Professionally, if you have a team or you're with colleagues, you tend to, like, show up and you're doing, like, the organizing of things or your project. You're mothering that project.

Marli Williams [: 00:25:18

Yeah. So in spring, what was so the I have wise woman for winter and mother for summer. What were the other kind of archetypes for spring and fall?

Cynthia Jean [: 00:25:28

We got the maiden in the springtime.

Marli Williams [: 00:25:30

Maiden. The maiden. Okay.

Cynthia Jean [: 00:25:32

Mhmm. And the wild woman in the fall.

Marli Williams [: 00:25:34

Oh, I love that.

Cynthia Jean [: 00:25:36

I say it just like that because that's how it feels. Wild.

Marli Williams [: 00:25:39

Wild woman. Yeah. You know, thank you for sharing that. And for those out there listening, I would really invite you to reflect on where you're at in your life. And, again, this isn't necessarily based on the season. It is outside. It's the season inside and in your life. Right? Like, are you in a place of rest and wanting to share your wisdom in this way, delegating, discerning, using your intuition? And really, again, like, as you go through each of these seasons, I think it almost to me, what comes up is like, oh, I I have permission to honor where I'm at instead of, like, if my go to is, like, being in summer all the time, give, give, give, go, go, go.

Marli Williams [: 00:26:28

And I don't allow myself to receive rest, play, do all of these other things. And, like, again, where do we tend to find that we burn out? And we all and we don't always need to stay in rest. What if we do honor that time, then we have more to give.

Taryn Laxko [: 00:26:45

You just nailed it, Marli. You when you rep, it's absolutely critical to allow yourself to rest in your mind and your body because intuition is can surface more often in those moments when we're pausing. And the rest of the cycle gets to be easier. That intuition can lead to better decision making, and you need that time as a season. The mother nature breaths in winter. There's nothing growing in that season. And so the earth can replenish itself, get the vitamins and the nutrients it needs so that it can grow and flourish in the spring and summer, and you're harvesting the abundance of what's been grown. You can apply that to your business, your professional career. If you're not honoring these times of rep, you don't have the energy to continue going forward.

Marli Williams [: 00:27:42

Yeah. I just think that that's so important for everyone to hear because I think we do live in a culture, in a world, in a society that values productivity over everything else. And where my value is as a woman, as a person is, like, how much of my to do list can I get done in a day? And so I think part of this work is, like, rewriting that narrative and valuing rest just as much as we value productivity and that it is part of the cycles of nature. It is part of the cycles of life that like, we do need that period of rest and restoration in order to continue to give. And I think giving everyone, giving ourselves permission to do that, you know, and looking at where can we do more of that more often. It's not always easy for a lot of, again, like people that.

Cynthia Jean [: 00:28:36

It's not. Yeah. Well, we have this patterning that we've had for however many years that summer and summer's the only season. It's not. But that's kinda how the world plays is because Mhmm. That's what's gets celebrated. The extrovert gets celebrated. The summer gets celebrated.

Cynthia Jean [: 00:28:56

All day long, the productivity gets celebrated. And there's just this innate need that we have to have balance in all things so that way all things can emerge. And I'd love to be playful with this cycle, these seasons of life, that they also replicate themselves on this annual basis. So you can draw from like, oh, maybe January 1st is not when I'm supposed to be summering and putting all these rules in place of how I want to have a resolution.

Marli Williams [: 00:29:29

Right? Yeah. It's so interesting that we have this, like, yeah, New Year's resolution in January 1st when it's, like, just after the winter solstice, it's dark out, it's cold out most of the places, And that is not the time where we're supposed to, like, hit the ground running with, like, all these new intentions and goals and all of that. So when is the best time to do that?

Cynthia Jean [: 00:29:53

Yeah. The best time to think about those things is in the winter to think about them. To think about them. Yes. To assess what has happened and reflect and start thinking about what you want to be different or the same. So think about your goals and then draw inspiration from the seasons, and maybe March 1st is the best time to start actually implementing the things because that's when, guess what, things are emerging out of the ground. So that's the best time to start putting things into action. Yeah.

Cynthia Jean [: 00:30:30

Really just drawing on the seasons. It's pretty simple. Is it easy? No. It's simple. Yes.

Marli Williams [: 00:30:36

Yeah.

Cynthia Jean [: 00:30:37

We see it every year. People make New Year's resolutions, and by February 1st, they're gone. Why? Because you're not supposed to implement them yet.

Marli Williams [: 00:30:45

Yeah. And so it's like when we can align ourselves with the seasons, I think it sounds like there can be more ease and not as much as I wanna say more ease and less effort. It's not that we don't put effort in. It's just like, where are we kind of going against the grain of reality, like against the, against the seasons, like kind of feeling like we're we're going upstream versus, like, we are going with the flow of the tide. We are going with the flow of the seasons. And so, again, like, I think less effort, more ease if we align ourselves with the seasonality. I think maybe it's easier if you're in a place that has seasons, or like, you know, you live in LA and it's like, it's 70 degrees and sunny every day, you know? And yeah. What else were you gonna add to that, Taryn?

Taryn Laxko [: 00:31:40

I was gonna add, we are learning this ourselves as we go. We're doing a lot of research, and we're recognizing this summer. We're trying to offer some things out programs and people are playing. They're not interested in sitting down on a Zoom call or doing some coaching. So they're doing their outward stuff And so we're seeing a shift now. People are coming into fall. So as maybe some of your audience are coaches or they're delivering programs, facilitators, if you're doing the planning in the winter, thinking about what you wanna put out in the world and then doing some planning in that spring season and then putting some outward energy of promotion, then shifting to delivery in fall, you get to tap into people's innate desire to wanna learn and you get to teach. So it's the perfect of thinking of your business with seasons and recognizing your strengths in each one of those.

Taryn Laxko [: 00:32:40

So you're nurturing yourself and others at the right time and not getting the inner critics that pop up. Like, why is no one showing up? Why is no one paying attention? I'm no good. Like, all of that stuff gets really, like, wild and crazy. Mhmm. So giving yourself permission to do some different type of planning. And we love talking to small business owners of Altus around planning your business, around your seasonal strength.

Marli Williams [: 00:33:06

Yeah. Oh my gosh. I love that. And I think that it's thinking about when it feels again, like we're it's like an uphill battle where we're going against the flow of, like, yeah, it's summertime. That might not be the best time to, like, launch a new program. But as we move into fall and people are coming back inside and doing that introspection, they're open to receiving your offers in a different way than they are in the summer. And so again, that awareness and that mindfulness of like, where am I putting my time and energy and effort based on the seasons and where people are at on their journey. So I'm curious, you know, what are some of the other tools that you have used in your work that you think would be valuable to share with the crew today around really helping them use this idea of seasonality in their life or in their business or any other kind of golden nuggets that you want to share about this? I know you've been doing a lot of, like, me search and research really around how to help other people use this concept to empower them in their journey.

Taryn Laxko [: 00:34:13

Wanna jump in, Cynthia, like, where we would have them start off?

Cynthia Jean [: 00:34:17

Yes. So it'll all starts with that seasonal assessment.

Taryn Laxko [: 00:34:21

Mhmm.

Cynthia Jean [: 00:34:21

That's such a wonderful gift because you get weekly messages from us about one particular season. I think we even offer a recipe that's relevant for that season, and there's all kinds of yummy goodies for you to contemplate and some questions and some tips and tricks for each of the seasons. So over a month or so, you get a little revelation like, oh, what's happening with me? I can understand myself a little bit better. I can lead myself first so that I can show up for others. So that's the thing. As we, as women, especially, we've got this never ending to do list. It's always gonna be there. That's okay.

Cynthia Jean [: 00:35:02

What we can do with it that's different is grab on to this idea that we're human beings first, not human doings. And there's a time in our seasonal shifts that it will be easier to prioritize these to do items. So if you can look at your to do list as a monthly list instead of a daily list, it's so much easier to recognize that we have these and Taryn showing her to do list. Like, we've got these natural energies that come kind of on a weekly basis in rhythm with the moon. If you wanna start there recognizing where your energy peaks and valleys are, you can really ask yourself, what's the best thing for me to do today on my list that's alignment with my energy so it's easy? That ease, that sense of ease is there. And then you'll notice over that monthly cycle that everything probably we will get done.

Taryn Laxko [: 00:36:02

Yeah.

Cynthia Jean [: 00:36:02

It will, just not on a daily basis.

Taryn Laxko [: 00:36:04

Right.

Cynthia Jean [: 00:36:04

So that's where I'm.

Taryn Laxko [: 00:36:06

I assume, Marli, you'll share with the audience a link to the seasonal assessment and they can take it.

Marli Williams [: 00:36:11

You got it. Yeah. We'll put that in the show notes for sure. Yeah. So definitely, if you're listening, check that out.

Marli Williams [: 00:36:18

The right season you're in.

Cynthia Jean [: 00:36:19

You can follow us on LinkedIn and Facebook too because we offer free workshops. So that's where you can get in connection with community and really start exploring these. And we have a way of asking questions that unlocks the wisdom in the room, so it allows people to share their wisdom. It's not a webinar where we're sitting there preaching the whole time. We probably talk about 20% of the time because it's about connecting with each other. And then we also move into, like, how to build new habits through 6 to 8 week challenge, if you will, and an experience that helps you build those new neural pathways. So that way you can recognize, oh, maybe my summer season is no longer serving me. How do I shift into my fall season and create new habits? Then we've got a beautiful community to welcome people into if they want to do this on a regular basis and connect with themselves, connect with others

Taryn Laxko [: 00:37:13

Yeah.

Cynthia Jean [: 00:37:13

And be in community. Yeah. I love that. I love that.

Taryn Laxko [: 00:37:17

And then for those that are like, well, I just wanna do a one day thing. We offer quarterly, seasonal, virtual retreats. So we've got one coming up to support the fall season, this transition. We move our bodies. We get into community and we explore what does it look like this transition into fall. So we like to host those every quarter and it's a small investment and you get to being nurtured for a half a day and people walk away. They're like, how did that that was the fastest 4 hours I've ever spent on Zoom.

Marli Williams [: 00:37:50

That's that epic facilitation training right there. It's like, again, creating that energy, creating that engagement. And I love that idea of that quarterly transition. Right? Like, I just think there's so much value in I was a wilderness therapy guide for a while and, like, just really using the idea of, like, rites of passage, transition, these moments that, like, we don't acknowledge and we don't honor because it's just like like you said, we live in a world where it's summer all the time. And so to have like an intentional reflect and reset moment of like, what is this to honor the transition of the seasons? You know, like the fall Equinox, the winter solstice, like these moments that we have. And I think for 1000 of years, like you said, like, I think there is something that is hardwired into our biology where we our biology knows that, but we live in a world that doesn't. And so it's like reminding ourselves of what we already know at kind of this like intuitive, deep, selves of what we already know at kind of this like intuitive, deep and knowing, like our the wisdom of our ancestors and where we've come from of like, this is how we lived our lives for 1000 of years before it was summer all the time. And so I think that my hope for those of you out there listening, that this really gives you an insight into your life, into this, your business, and really honoring where you're at and knowing that again, this kind of permission to rest, this permission to receive, to play, to give, to really look at the ebb and flow of that instead of feeling like we constantly have to be all the time.

Marli Williams [: 00:39:38

It's like, we need that in order to give from a really, like, well resourced place. So thank you so much to both of you for sharing your wisdom with all of us today. I'm excited to take the assessment. So I hope that all of you go out there. We'll, again, we'll have the link in the show notes. Is there any other final thoughts that you would love to leave people with today as they go back out into the world and take what they learned here today and really apply it to their life and their business. Any final thoughts you'd love to leave people with?

Taryn Laxko [: 00:40:13

Taking that pause, just like what are the final words I would share on this? What keeps popping up for me and reiterates what you were just talking about, Marli, was this shift of our society from an agricultural to an industrial means we've locked our inner wisdom with mother nature. And that is why we use this term unlocking in a lot of our work is because we're unlocking what's already within us. And it's just bringing awareness, bringing consciousness to what is already here. It's not brand new. It's just pausing long enough and being curious enough to open that part of us and tap into the strength. So that's what I would say is the community and conversations and the awareness will unlock so much potential for everyone that is open to looking at this part of their life.

Marli Williams [: 00:41:08

Beautiful. I love that. Any anything to add, Cynthia?

Cynthia Jean [: 00:41:11

This has just been such a delight. I'm sitting with it, and I think for the people that taken the time to listen in on what this seasonal aspect might mean for them, if they're curious, there's just so much opportunity for conversation and connection and revealing of maybe something that has felt out of alignment for a while. That is a human thing. It's totally acceptable. There's no shame around that. So if you could just leave with asking yourself, what has been happening that is no longer serving me now, and how might I want to move forward? What's the smallest thing that I could do for myself to recognize that I am a human being first, not a human doing? And what do I wanna do about that?

Marli Williams [: 00:42:04

Beautiful. I love that so much. Well, thank you both for spending time with us today and thank you all of you out there who taken the your precious time to listen to this podcast. And again, information does not change our lives. It's the integration of that information. So I really, again, invite you to take that assessment, to learn where you're at, to use the resources and tools that they have so generously shared with you, check out their fall virtual retreat. We'll have all those links in the show notes. And my invitation is to really give yourself the gift of honoring where you are at in this season of your journey, the season of your life or your business, to give yourself permission to be right where you are and to let go of the need of perfection, the need of getting it right, to do all the things, to trust that it will all get done.

Marli Williams [: 00:43:01

There's a quote about nature that says nothing is hurried, but everything is accomplished. Right? This idea of natural cycles, it's like nothing is in a rush. We're not in a rush. It's like the point of life is not just to get to the end as fast as possible. Nothing is hurried and everything is accomplished. How much can you trust that everything that you on your to do list will get done? It will get done when it's meant to get done. Because if you've made it this far, you have what it takes to do that. We know that.

Marli Williams [: 00:43:33

But do you also have what it takes to rest and slow down and honor yourself? So thank you. Thank you. Thank you, everybody out there. Feel free to love this, like this, share this, rate, review, all the things. And again, Taryn and Cynthia, thank you so much for sharing your wisdom and go out there and honor yourself and the season of life that you are in. Until next time. Take care. Thank you for joining us on another inspiring episode of the Marli Williams Podcast.

Marli Williams [: 00:44:03

We hope you're leaving here with renewed energy and valuable insights to fuel your leadership, coaching, and speaking endeavors. I'd love to invite you to subscribe, rate, and review this podcast to help us reach more aspiring leaders and speakers like you. We have more exciting episodes and remarkable guests lined up, so make sure to tune in next time. Until then, keep leading with purpose, coaching with heart, and speaking with conviction. This is Marli Williams signing off. See you next week.