Today, you’ll hear from workplace performance expert and author Henna Pryor about her book "Good Awkward: How to Embrace the Embarrassing and Celebrate the Cringe to Become the Bravest You." In this insightful conversation, Henna and Heather delve into the nuances of awkwardness and embarrassment, the importance of self-awareness, and the role of reframing negative experiences.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

1. The Difference Between Awkwardness and Embarrassment: Henna clarifies the distinctions between these two social emotions, emphasizing that while they share similarities, embarrassment tends to be more fleeting and shared, while awkwardness can be adopted as an identity.

2. The Power of Reframing: Learn how to shift your perspective on awkward moments from contamination stories to redemption stories, enabling you to embrace challenges and grow from them.

3. The Importance of Self-Awareness: Discover the difference between self-consciousness and self-awareness and how cultivating self-awareness can empower you to navigate uncomfortable situations more confidently.

4. Overcoming Social Muscle Atrophy: Understand the impact of technology on our social skills and how to combat the tendency to retreat into our phones. Henna encourages listeners to practice social interactions in small, everyday moments.

Guest: Henna Pryor, workplace performance expert, executive coach, and author of "Good Awkward"

Podcast: The Elegant Warrior Podcast

Topic: Embracing awkwardness, self-awareness, and reframing negative experiences

Key quotes:

• "There is no such thing as a factually awkward person."

• "It's the start that stops. Most people don't even give themselves a chance to become publicly self-conscious."

• "We have small moments that we can practice giving ourselves a social push-up."

Henna Pryor's book: "Good Awkward: The Self-Consciousness Scale”

Henna’s book choice is Say What They Can’t Unhear by Tamsen Webster.

Her song is Damn It Feels Good to Be a Gangster by Geto Boys

In this episode, Heather and Henna uncovered:

[0:00] Introduction

[0:49] Introducing Henna

[2:22] awkward versus embarrassing

[6:48] Easily, empathetically embarrassed

[14:57] Self conscious and. Self aware

[26:29] Social push up

Connect with Henna Pryor:

• Website

• Chat with Henna

Connect with Heather:

• Get Heather’s 8 Beliefs to Change Your Life here

• Schedule a call with Heather

• Follow Heather on Instagram

• Website

• Watch Episodes on Youtube

• Heather’s TikTok ‍

The Elegant Warrior Podcast and content posted by Heather Hansen is presented solely for general informational, educational, and entertainment purposes. The use of information on this podcast or materials linked from this podcast or website is at the user’s own risk. It is not intended as a substitute for the advice of a physician, professional coach, psychotherapist, or other qualified professional, diagnosis, or treatment. Users should not disregard or delay in obtaining medical advice for any medical or mental health condition they may have and should seek the assistance of their healthcare professionals for any such conditions.

Heather talks to Willie Pietersen about his book "Leadership: The Inside Story" They discuss the transformative power of asking the right questions and how storytelling can elevate leadership practices.

Willie Pietersen is a seasoned consultant for CEOs and teaches at Columbia University.

In this insightful episode, you'll learn:

• How Evolution, Philosophy, and Astrophysics Influence Leadership

Willie shares how his interest in evolution, philosophy, and astrophysics has influenced his leadership, thinking and approach. Willie explains how these fields have helped him understand the importance of continuous learning, adaptation, and humility in leadership.

• Learning and Memory

Willie discusses the importance of writing down and reviewing learnings and shares research on memory retention. Willie also shares his experience of keeping a learning journal since he was 16 and how it has helped him retain knowledge and insights.

• Asking the Right Question

Willie shares a historical example of how asking the right questions can lead to breakthroughs. He emphasizes the importance of framing questions correctly in leadership and how it can help leaders avoid getting stuck in a particular mindset or approach.

• Storytelling in Leadership

Willie shares the power of storytelling in leadership. He highlights the importance of storytelling and how it can help leaders convey complex ideas and values simply and memorably.

In this episode for Libsyn:

[0.00 - 3.24] Introduction and Background

[3.25 - 7.28] Influences on Leadership Thinking

[12.34 - 16.03] Learning and Memory

[20.00 - 28.32] Asking the Right Questions

[28.33 - 34.54] Storytelling in Leadership

Connect with Heather:

• Schedule a call with Heather

• Follow Heather on Instagram

• Website

• Watch Episodes on Youtube

• Heather’s TikTok ‍

The Elegant Warrior Podcast and content posted by Heather Hansen is presented solely for general informational, educational, and entertainment purposes. The use of information on this podcast or materials linked from this podcast or website is at the user’s own risk. It is not intended as a substitute for the advice of a physician, professional coach, psychotherapist, or other qualified professional, diagnosis, or treatment. Users should not disregard or delay in obtaining medical advice for any medical or mental health condition they may have and should seek the assistance of their healthcare professionals for any such conditions.