Description:

Episode 7- Let me count the ways

Introduction:

Susan Scott: She is a best‐selling author and leadership development architect. She has enabled top executives worldwide to engage in vibrant dialogue with one another, their employees, and their customers for two decades. With nearly 1 million books sold, Susan Scott makes it clear what gets discussed in a relationship and how it gets talked about determines whether a relationship will thrive, flat-line, or fail. Through courageous, passionate storytelling her new book provides an entertaining, relevant, and optimistic approach to relationship building that will connect couples at a deeper level. Fierce Conversations — Achieving Success at Work and in Life, One Conversation at a Time was published in 4 countries and, shortly thereafter, was listed in The Wall Street Journal and was one of USA TODAY’S top 40 business books of 2002. Her much anticipated second book — Fierce Leadership: A Bold Alternative to the Worst “Best” Practices of Business Today hit The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times best-seller lists. Susan and her company are committed to large‐scale and individual transformation through the principles set forth in Susan’s books and her company’s customized corporate training programs. For 13 years, Susan ran think tanks for CEOs and designed and delivered training to peers working with CEOs in 18 countries.

Gina London: She is an award-winning former CNN correspondent and anchor who is now a renowned expert on the language of leadership. Based in Ireland, she coaches executives and elected officials on how to improve their engagement through deliberate communications. It's not a soft skill, it's a critical skill. Gina is a high-energy speaker, moderator, and emcee. She's a regular media analyst on national radio and TV and writes a regular column called the 51st State for the Sunday Independent, Ireland's largest circulation newspaper.

Highlights of the Episode:

This conversation is all about appreciation and staying current with your partner. In Ken Blanchard’s One Minute Manager, he says that the best way to give feedback is in real-time. I wholeheartedly agree and believe that in order to have a fierce relationship, giving feedback three hundred and sixty-five days a year and face-to-face (if possible) is required. When your partner is doing something you love, tell them! Let giving them one minute or less of gratitude be your default setting instead of regularly resorting to negativity. What are some things you appreciate about your partner? When was the last time you told them that?

Giving moments of gratitude in the moment can take your relationship deeper than a thoughtless “I love you” because the specific and unique reasons we love our partner are often the most meaningful. This holiday season, in what ways can you offer positive feedback to your partner? Are they all-stars at packing for the whole family? Do they thrive being around your relatives? Let them know and watch your love grow!

Description:

Episode 6- How are we really?

Introduction:

Susan Scott: She is a best‐selling author and leadership development architect. She has enabled top executives worldwide to engage in vibrant dialogue with one another, their employees, and their customers for two decades. With nearly 1 million books sold, Susan Scott makes it clear what gets discussed in a relationship and how it gets talked about determines whether a relationship will thrive, flat-line, or fail. Through courageous, passionate storytelling her new book provides an entertaining, relevant, and optimistic approach to relationship building that will connect couples at a deeper level. Fierce Conversations — Achieving Success at Work and in Life, One Conversation at a Time was published in 4 countries and, shortly thereafter, was listed in The Wall Street Journal and was one of USA TODAY’S top 40 business books of 2002. Her much anticipated second book — Fierce Leadership: A Bold Alternative to the Worst “Best” Practices of Business Today hit The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times best-seller lists. Susan and her company are committed to large‐scale and individual transformation through the principles set forth in Susan’s books and her company’s customized corporate training programs. For 13 years, Susan ran think tanks for CEOs and designed and delivered training to peers working with CEOs in 18 countries.

Gina London: She is an award-winning former CNN correspondent and anchor who is now a renowned expert on the language of leadership. Based in Ireland, she coaches executives and elected officials on how to improve their engagement through deliberate communications. It's not a soft skill, it's a critical skill. Gina is a high-energy speaker, moderator, and emcee. She's a regular media analyst on national radio and TV and writes a regular column called the 51st State for the Sunday Independent, Ireland's largest circulation newspaper.

Highlights of the Episode:

Relationships that fail or flat line do so because they didn’t take a temperature check throughout the relationship. They didn’t check in with each other. They let too many “gradually” become one big “suddenly.” When you aren’t consistently checking in with each other, couples can break up because they’ve lost their ability to tolerate each other. In this conversation, you face the facts. In what ways are you different from your partner and how much does that impact your relationship?

A study done in Australia concluded that “communication problems” were the number one reason couples divorced. Communication is critical. What topic are you avoiding with your partner? Whether it’s your finances, sex life, or even addiction, you must talk about it if you want your relationship to survive!

This conversation is a great start. In Susan’s upcoming book, Fierce Love: Creating a Love That Lasts – One Conversation at a Time, she’ll give you step-by-step instructions on how you and your partner can get to know each other’s similarities, differences, quirks, negotiable, non-negotiable, fears, dreams, and behaviors. Avoiding this conversation in your relationship is not going to do you any favors.

Susan Scott: She is a best‐selling author and leadership development architect. She has enabled top executives worldwide to engage in vibrant dialogue with one another, their employees, and their customers for two decades. With nearly 1 million books sold, Susan Scott makes it clear what gets discussed in a relationship and how it gets talked about determines whether a relationship will thrive, flat-line, or fail. Through courageous, passionate storytelling her new book provides an entertaining, relevant, and optimistic approach to relationship building that will connect couples at a deeper level. Fierce Conversations — Achieving Success at Work and in Life, One Conversation at a Time was published in 4 countries and, shortly thereafter, was listed in The Wall Street Journal and was one of USA TODAY’S top 40 business books of 2002. Her much anticipated second book — Fierce Leadership: A Bold Alternative to the Worst “Best” Practices of Business Today hit The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times best-seller lists. Susan and her company are committed to large‐scale and individual transformation through the principles set forth in Susan’s books and her company’s customized corporate training programs. For 13 years, Susan ran think tanks for CEOs and designed and delivered training to peers working with CEOs in 18 countries.

Gina London: She is an award-winning former CNN correspondent and anchor who is now a renowned expert on the language of leadership. Based in Ireland, she coaches executives and elected officials on how to improve their engagement through deliberate communications. It's not a soft skill, it's a critical skill. Gina is a high-energy speaker, moderator, and emcee. She's a regular media analyst on national radio and TV and writes a regular column called the 51st State for the Sunday Independent, Ireland's largest circulation newspaper.

Highlights of the Episode:

There are conditions to love and it’s important to define them. The question you’re asking yourself (and then eventually with your partner) is “what conditions are necessary for us to both stay committed and happy in this relationship?”

Define these conditions for yourself, and then define them with your partner. Is monogamy a must? What are your deal breakers? What do you want for yourself and your relationship? What areas will you need to compromise?

Clarifying your conditions is how you can create a relationship that actually lasts and this conversation can even be energizing. When you align your goals and values, you start to believe in what you can achieve together and are able to have deeper conversations like this more often.

This conversation tends to bring couples closer together because it allows a depth of understanding that didn’t once exist. When your understanding is deepened, you pave the way for a long-term, healthy relationship that enriches over time.

Description:

Episode 4- Do I want this relationship?

Introduction:

Susan Scott: She is a best‐selling author and leadership development architect. She has enabled top executives worldwide to engage in vibrant dialogue with one another, their employees, and their customers for two decades. With nearly 1 million books sold, Susan Scott makes it clear what gets discussed in a relationship and how it gets talked about determines whether a relationship will thrive, flat-line, or fail. Through courageous, passionate storytelling her new book provides an entertaining, relevant, and optimistic approach to relationship building that will connect couples at a deeper level. Fierce Conversations — Achieving Success at Work and in Life, One Conversation at a Time was published in 4 countries and, shortly thereafter, was listed in The Wall Street Journal and was one of USA TODAY’S top 40 business books of 2002. Her much anticipated second book — Fierce Leadership: A Bold Alternative to the Worst “Best” Practices of Business Today hit The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times best-seller lists. Susan and her company are committed to large‐scale and individual transformation through the principles set forth in Susan’s books and her company’s customized corporate training programs. For 13 years, Susan ran think tanks for CEOs and designed and delivered training to peers working with CEOs in 18 countries.

Gina London: She is an award-winning former CNN correspondent and anchor who is now a renowned expert on the language of leadership. Based in Ireland, she coaches executives and elected officials on how to improve their engagement through deliberate communications. It's not a soft skill, it's a critical skill. Gina is a high-energy speaker, moderator, and emcee. She's a regular media analyst on national radio and TV and writes a regular column called the 51st State for the Sunday Independent, Ireland's largest circulation newspaper.

Highlights of the Episode:

Do I want this relationship?

As you’ll hear me say often, all conversations you have are with yourself first. That is especially true for this conversation. Eventually, you’ll engage your partner, but first, you must be honest and real with who you are and what you desire in a relationship. This conversation helps you define your own idea of a successful relationship and life, starting with you. Alignment with others comes when we are living in the way we want to live. Bettering your relationship with yourself is the most important relationship to work on. If you don’t enjoy the relationship you have with yourself, you aren’t going to create an enjoyable relationship with others.

Ask yourself: “Am I who I am meant to be?” Being who you are meant to mean living with integrity. This conversation helps you to find your integrity, take action on it, and live it. It helps you get clear on where you are going, why you are going there, who is going with you, and how you will get there. When you’re ready to consider your partner in this conversation, ask yourself: “Is this the person I want to go through challenging times with?”  When you bring your partner into the conversation. You can discuss each other’s values, gain knowledge on how best to support each other, and discover conversations worth diving into deeper.

Description:

Episode 3- It’s Not Me, It’s You

Introduction:

Susan Scott: She is a best‐selling author and leadership development architect. She has enabled top executives worldwide to engage in vibrant dialogue with one another, their employees, and their customers for two decades. With nearly 1 million books sold, Susan Scott makes it clear what gets discussed in a relationship and how it gets talked about determines whether a relationship will thrive, flat-line, or fail. Through courageous, passionate storytelling her new book provides an entertaining, relevant, and optimistic approach to relationship building that will connect couples at a deeper level. Fierce Conversations — Achieving Success at Work and in Life, One Conversation at a Time was published in 4 countries and, shortly thereafter, was listed in The Wall Street Journal and was one of USA TODAY’S top 40 business books of 2002. Her much anticipated second book — Fierce Leadership: A Bold Alternative to the Worst “Best” Practices of Business Today hit The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times best-seller lists. Susan and her company are committed to large‐scale and individual transformation through the principles set forth in Susan’s books and her company’s customized corporate training programs. For 13 years, Susan ran think tanks for CEOs and designed and delivered training to peers working with CEOs in 18 countries.

Gina London: She is an award-winning former CNN correspondent and anchor who is now a renowned expert on the language of leadership. Based in Ireland, she coaches executives and elected officials on how to improve their engagement through deliberate communications. It's not a soft skill, it's a critical skill. Gina is a high-energy speaker, moderator, and emcee. She's a regular media analyst on national radio and TV and writes a regular column called the 51st State for the Sunday Independent, Ireland's largest circulation newspaper.

Highlights of the Episode:

1. When someone says, “That’s not me,” after doing something or saying something hurtful, they are mistaken. That is them. That is exactly them or at least a part of them and it may be a part of them that you do not want in your life.”

2. “When someone apologizes, it’s amazing how much fresh air enters the room.”

Susan Scott: She is a best‐selling author and leadership development architect. She has enabled top executives worldwide to engage in vibrant dialogue with one another, their employees, and their customers for two decades. With nearly 1 million books sold, Susan Scott makes it clear what gets discussed in a relationship and how it gets talked about determines whether a relationship will thrive, flat-line, or fail. Through courageous, passionate storytelling her new book provides an entertaining, relevant, and optimistic approach to relationship building that will connect couples at a deeper level. Fierce Conversations — Achieving Success at Work and in Life, One Conversation at a Time was published in 4 countries and, shortly thereafter, was listed in The Wall Street Journal and was one of USA TODAY’S top 40 business books of 2002. Her much anticipated second book — Fierce Leadership: A Bold Alternative to the Worst “Best” Practices of Business Today hit The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times best-seller lists. Susan and her company are committed to large‐scale and individual transformation through the principles set forth in Susan’s books and her company’s customized corporate training programs. For 13 years, Susan ran think tanks for CEOs and designed and delivered training to peers working with CEOs in 18 countries.

Highlights of the Episode:

1. “You Complete Me!” No one completes you, you complete yourself. Many women and men in love say that their partner is their “missing piece”, “other half” or “better side.” Some people even go out looking for this in love. This almost always backfires.

2. “True Love is Unconditional!” This myth can come as a shock to many and can be a very hard pill to swallow for most. Why? Because this is the baseline of almost every romantic movie you’ve seen. We’ve been conditioned to believe that this is true! “True love will always find a way”, “True love conquers all”, and “True love means never having to say you’re sorry”. This is all wrong!

3. “You Must Fulfill My List” I had a friend show me her list of ideal characteristics in a partner and when I saw it, my jaw dropped. Not only was the list exceptionally long, but it was also unrealistically detailed. The problem with lists is they actually limit the possibilities that can come to us. We might think we are getting “real with ourselves” when we make a list, but we’re really just putting expectations on the next person that enters our lives romantically. These lists are a symptom of perfectionism. You’re chasing a fantasy person that does not exist. How could they? Your list of demands is totally made up!

4. “If You Loved Me, You’d Know” How many times have you said or thought, “If he or she loved me, they’d know I’d need … fill in the blank (a hug, to be held, a cup of tea, etc.)”. The truth is, your partner doesn’t know! Because guess what? As Miles Davis said, “If you understood everything I said, you’d be me.” You aren’t dating your clone… So speak up!

5. “Love Is All You Need” Love is not all you need because as humans, we have many needs. And just because you’re in a romantic relationship does not mean that love is all you can survive on, let alone thrive. Sometimes what we need is difficult to pinpoint, so we might “leave it up to love” to give us what we don’t know we want yet, but here’s the truth: Love can’t give us what we want if we don’t know what we want.

Susan Scott: She is a best‐selling author and leadership development architect. She has enabled top executives worldwide to engage in vibrant dialogue with one another, their employees, and their customers for two decades. With nearly 1 million books sold, Susan Scott makes it clear what gets discussed in a relationship and how it gets talked about determines whether a relationship will thrive, flat-line, or fail. Through courageous, passionate storytelling her new book provides an entertaining, relevant, and optimistic approach to relationship building that will connect couples at a deeper level. Fierce Conversations — Achieving Success at Work and in Life, One Conversation at a Time was published in 4 countries and, shortly thereafter, was listed in The Wall Street Journal and was one of USA TODAY’S top 40 business books of 2002. Her much anticipated second book — Fierce Leadership: A Bold Alternative to the Worst “Best” Practices of Business Today hit The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times best-seller lists. Susan and her company are committed to large‐scale and individual transformation through the principles set forth in Susan’s books and her company’s customized corporate training programs. For 13 years, Susan ran think tanks for CEOs and designed and delivered training to peers working with CEOs in 18 countries.

Gina London: She is an award-winning former CNN correspondent and anchor who is now a renowned expert on the language of leadership. Based in Ireland, she coaches executives and elected officials on how to improve their engagement through deliberate communications. It's not a soft skill, it's a critical skill. Gina is a high-energy speaker, moderator, and emcee. She's a regular media analyst on national radio and TV and writes a regular column called the 51st State for the Sunday Independent, Ireland's largest circulation newspaper.

Highlights of the Episode:

1. Conversation is a relationship.

2. Love is beyond physical relationships.

3. Gradually leads suddenly

4. Conversation myself, “Am I the person I was meant to be?”

5. Why it is important to have alignment between who we are or wish to become and what we live?

6. The importance of conducting a “check-in” with yourself

7. Why do we need to write a “stump speech”. What should this include?

8. Do you keep this same “stump speech” your entire life?

9. Every couple has “the conversation”. What should they talk about? And once they have this conversation, what happens next?