Ep 079: You Can Put Success in a Pineapple ENCORE

You ever wonder what success actually means? How do you get it? And how do you keep it?

We all want it yet sometimes it feels only some of us get to have it.

Hi, Teresa and Blair here we are to badass entrepreneurs, best selling authors, coaches and business mentors who have had success, built success, questioned our own success and reclaimed it. Let's be real for a hot minute. 2020 has been a roller coaster ride, and many of us a start to wonder if the loser things that made them successful. So we got curious, Ron real about what success is truly about?

Can you put it in a box?

How can you get it?

Can people take it away? Or are you the one with the power?

Does it mean the same to all of us? Or are we the ones that create it?

From PGA golf pros to doctors, CEOs, entrepreneurs and spiritual mentors. We get together to meet with successful people from around the globe to dissect success for vibrant conversations and interviews. Make sure you click the subscribe button on the app store because each week we will drop a new episode to bust through the myths around success and dissect its true meaning.

So Blair, Kaplan Venables and Teresa Lambert back here to talk about dissecting success. How's it going, Theresa?

It's great. You know, it's great. And it's really funny as we approaching bit to approaching business I was gonna say, as we're approaching Christmas, and by the way, Miss Miss talking is one of my genius skills. As we're approaching Christmas, I've been thinking a lot about can you put success in a box?

Yeah, like, can you? Like, I mean, can you put success in a box and wrap it up and put a little bow on it and put under the tree? Like, wouldn't that be nice? Hey, for Christmas, I'd like some success. Please. Dear Santa, bring me success. Love Blair. I mean, that wouldn't fly. I'm Jewish Santa doesn't visit me. But like, can you put success in a box? Like what? Like, everyone we've talked to so far on the podcast and out of the podcast just sees success as something different. Right. And like lately, lately, what does success mean to you? You've been doing a lot of really great things a lot of creating, you told me the other day that you're making candles, you did a really beautiful photo shoot. You know, you're in this process of creating and like people are buying into your programs and like so what is success to you right now? Like what is indicating if you've achieved it?

You know, VD it's a feeling. It's a feeling of pure contentment and joy, and actually just being me like that, is it because I think that, you know, that even with this idea of putting success in a box, right? Like, we try and put ourselves in boxes, and we put labels on things and, and you know, we want it all to be shiny and pretty, but really, none of it has any meaning if we don't feel it in the moment, and so this whole idea of feeling in the moment and doing things that connect me to myself that connect me to joy. You know, that might sound cheesy to some people, but seriously, like, how awesome is that? Like, I can feel it not see it?

It's like there's a curse. Sorry, I interrupted because but I think I'm hearing from you is that success isn't a badge of honor. It's a feeling inside of you. And there's a direct correlation between happiness and success right now for you.

Yeah, to me there is but I think too, you know, if we want to put success in a box, then we've got to build the box ourselves. Right like we can put success in a box but what are you going to put in the box that defines that success is in it

you know what I don't even want my I don't want success in a box Santa I take back my letter. By the time you guys listen to this, it's probably well into the new year and I can't wait to see what the future holds. So but I think success can't be put in a box because it means so many different things on so many different levels to so many different people like if something's broken like for example today, my mouse ran out of batteries I tried to fix it and eventually I just left in the rain went to the gas station bought some really expensive double A batteries, put them in and literally had that feeling of success I can keep doing what I'm doing right but then there's okay I just published a book I became a best selling author success. Oh, I just landed this client success and there's all these little uh you know, like dopamine and adrenaline put like rushes when I have that achievement, but different like feeling like oh, I can be productive now. My batteries. Sorry. My remotes work out. I'm not my remote, remote, my most my most is working and like, you know, landing a client. They're all things that relate to happiness. I mean, some people might not want to work, they might be like, Oh, it's dead a day off. Yay. But like, putting success in a box. I think the box needs to be malleable. Maybe it's a gift bag. Like, if you give

back I mean, the thing is to right, like, I think that, you know, this whole idea of our own success, right, and us being able to create success, right? I think, you know, that's sort of where for me, it's like, if we could create success, then maybe we could put it in a box. But if you say, Okay, well, success comes naturally, when you are at, you know, when you are in those moments where you're like, Yes, right. Like those. Yes. The most walks again. Yes. Have it myself a green smoothie this morning? Yeah. So worked out. Yes, I led the decline, right? Like, yes, I met candles, then. It's like, it just comes right. Like you didn't, you weren't focused on the success, you weren't focused on creating the success. It's a result of you going all in and showing up? And wait,

maybe we should even go a little deeper tree. So what is success?

See, that is such a hard question to answer, isn't it? Right? Because we go back to what you said earlier in on what's coming out of this whole, you know, dissecting success podcast is that success is something different to every single one of us, to all of us. It's like,

it's like, it's like this, like, Narnia, this place of elation, that there's many roads to write many doors to this portal. This universe, this this place, and different levels of feelings happen. Because success of my remote working, why keep saying remote, I guess I just want to watch TV, the success of my most working and my remote like no one wants to remote to not work TVs don't have buttons these days. But like the success of having your most working and the success of landing like a six figure client, different goals were achieved there. But still that elated feeling so like success is obviously in relation to a goal. Like is it like the feeling you have when you achieve a goal?

Yeah, I mean, you know, it's, it's such a valid question, right? What is success? Because it's such a hard, you know, thing to even define, right? Because as you just said, we use the word your success related to such different goals, right. And it's so personalized, but you know, I think success is really rooted in you, right? Like, it's really deeply rooted in ourselves. So maybe in itself, what is success? We have success if we choose to see it.

Ooh, I like that. We are success. We are all successful. It's about how we execute and perceive. It's about how we navigate the feelings. Yeah. And there's like, I think there's feeling successful and being successful. Are those two things the same?

Well, I think that if you're, you know, feeling successful, then the being successful is accessible, right? Because if I don't feel successful, then does it really matter at what goal I can achieve? Will that change? Right? Like, if I don't feel successful? Can I truly be successful?

So I think therefore I am.

I think therefore I am.

Yes. And so I don't think success belongs in a box.

No, it does. As much as I would like, Santa to bring me a box of success. I mean, it doesn't sound so bad, you know? Yeah. No, no, it does not belong in a box. And you can't box it in neither

so can you gift people like just you know, like, on this box theme I just keep picturing like the gift emoji. Can you give people can you gift people success? Can you give people success? Can you take away people's success? Are you only in control of your own success and you have no control over anyone else's?

See, that's more what I believe I believe that we are in control of our own success only. So we are the ones that choose if we are successful. Right. And if we choose that we're not successful. I think the only time that someone you know someone taking away your success. Other things, you know, things that happen. I think that is again, right. Like when we change our perspective, and we almost give our power away, right, like giving your success away because someone else, right has taken it. It's like, but if success is a feeling, and you are successful, if I sit you and I'm like I am successful, then VT, no one can take that away from me, nothing got away from me,

right. And I think that's important for the listeners and viewers to understand like, you are in control of your own success, because you're defining what success is to you. So you can't use other people as a scapegoat when you don't achieve your goal. Because it's your job to reach that destination. Is your job to achieve that success. You have the GPS to your success. Embedded in Yes, yeah.

You have to GPS embedded in you to success, I love it,

that GPS to success. Maybe that's what this episode is going to be called

the GPS to success wouldn't be so bad.

You know, I think it's true, though. Because you follow your intuition. Like you set goals, you follow your intuition, sometimes that leads you down a dark path. And then you have to pivot, which is part of your lessons learned. And we all go through that. And along the way, you have little milestones that you succeed at. And then those little goals achieve one bigger goal, right? Like, let's talk about, this has nothing to do with business. But let's talk about fitness. Maybe your goal is to run a marathon, by the way I don't run. So this is not my example. But you know, maybe you don't run. So you start by running, going for walks and running for five minutes, and then you work your way up to 10 minutes, then 15. And eventually, you're running the length of what the marathon or the race would be. And but the thing is along the way, you're celebrating like, wow, today, I ran five minutes, the next week, you're celebrating while I did 10 minutes, and you're celebrating those little milestones of success, and to achieve that bigger goal of success. And it all comes together as one big feeling of, you know, achievement. But I think it's important to acknowledge those little wins, too.

Oh, I think it's so important, because it's all little steps, right? Like, I think, too, that's, you know, so much what we're talking about, and our podcast is that you can't label success, right? It's not about the money. It's not about the title. It's not about, you know, the achievement, but rather the journey, right. So if we feel successful along the way, then every time you are, you know, hitting 5k 6k 10k 20k, you know, 30k and then the 42k isn't full full?

Geez, I don't know, I only run for the bus. And I haven't even done that one.

But it's the journey, right? Like if we feel successful along the way, as we're preparing for this achievement, right? This this goal, this one, you know, cornerstone that we use to continue to feel the fire of success that's already within us, then, you know, how much more powerful is that?

So you know, what I was just thinking about, and I actually was just out for a walk with a girlfriend, and we're talking about like, being hard on ourselves how we're all very hard on ourselves, and you feel like, you know, like, Am I good enough. And Teresa, when I first met you, you and I did a coaching session together. And you had me make a brag bank. And so I realized that I'm someone who's always chasing the next high of success like I wrote a book became a best selling author now what's next instead of basking in that glory, and I'm trying to slow down so I can feel that feeling of success and marinate in it. But then when I'm feeling not so like I'm like, oh, like down on, you know, down in the dumps? Or like hard on myself in a business sense. I pull out this thing you had me create called a brag bank. And I think we should maybe talk about the brag bank because I've even used it with some of my clients obviously giving you credit. And it's I talked about it this morning with my friend because we were talking about being hard on ourselves, even though we're accomplished women. And I think that's a really great keepsake for success. That's not in a box but on your phone. Yeah, well

Mine's actually in my pineapple behind me. Literally, yeah, well vase and it has like well,

let's let's talk about it. Let's talk about what's a brag bank.

Okay, so brag bank is is basically it's us sitting down and literally taking some time like putting some music like getting a vibe and write down all the things that you have accomplished over your lifetime. Everything, everything everything and like

when I was 12 I had about mitzvah that one. Like it doesn't

freakin matter, right? Like we make it complicated, right and We label it but if you don't label it you get to put everything in there right like put everything in here like what are you proud of islands when I was 20 like awesome going brag bank right

like like I lived in Greece I could speak Hebrew I got married really proud of that. I got anything to

university I didn't

the things that could be little things too like I mastered making tiramisu, I did not do that. But like if I did I put it on the list,

I made cams and 2020 my own candles,

like you made the cans or you canned the candles, okay? Like you also can,

like so they've never made a can but

so what I did was I put this brag bank on my phone on in the notes section on my phone, and my computer, my iPad, and when I'm feeling kind of blah, and I need to remind myself that I am a powerhouse and I am successful, and not, you know, an imposter. Because imposter syndrome is a whole nother thing that we're probably going to talk about later on in this series, I pull up my brag bank. And so I challenge you listeners to pull out a piece of paper, pull out a notebook, open up Word, go to Google Docs, you know, get a stone in a with a chisel and start writing out a brag bank, like what are you proud of that you've accomplished. And it could be the little things like I cut out coffee, and that's a big thing, actually. But it can be anything at all you're proud of that you've always done. And I thought it was gonna be a hard exercise. But there are so many things that I've done that I'm proud of. And you know what, you can't put success in a box, but you can definitely put it in the list. And you can pull that list out when you're feeling not successful.

I totally agree. And, you know, unlike you, I found it difficult to write a brag bank. And I think that, you know, there's many of us that that struggle to allow us to go there, but it's about starting right because once I started writing, then it was like a floodgate open and I was like, oh, and I've done this and I've done that and like and actually you just reminded me that there have a few things need to go and my success pineapple. My brag bag that I keep findable, and that's like things like you know, publishing a book and becoming a best seller and like those were some milestones and we share those in 2020 Well, why don't I read my Karoly?

Why don't I redo some stuff on my brag bank and you pull out your pineapple and we wrap up this episode with some things that we are proud of. I love that you have a brag pineapple. Your pineapple of success. Okay, so let's talk about Lily. So this list I made this July oh no this. I updated it in July last. I helped son ice and AR golf get onto social media I helped a client get on Dragon's Den. I built and launched the whistler transit Twitter communications program. It was a pilot that was then implemented across all BC. I was a president of my BNI chapter. Ooh, I accidentally ended up on a poster for the Canucks fan club in 2019. A cartoon version of myself was jumping in the air wearing a fanny pack all around Vancouver. I'm on the board of directors for the Pemberton Chamber of Commerce. I wrote a book and became a best selling author. I had a butt mitzvah, I speak Hebrew. I created the iron resilient project. And there's a whole one more that's kind of funny. I imported cigar box purses from New York when I was 18 and sold them in the mall. Oh, fun, fun fact. But like, you know, my list like one of them is I became an Avon lady at age 12. That's a whole nother story but like I sold makeup at age 12 So I can afford lipstick. So I think this list is awesome because I forget about these things like I don't wake up and be like alright, so lipstick at age 12. And so create a list open up something and write down the things you're proud of. And then when you remember it like now Teresa's probably writing it as we speak like, became a best selling author. And

well, that's definitely one that goes in my mind. What's like, I haven't pulled these out in a while.

Show me show. Let me read stuff from the pineapple.

Well, here you go. I'm about a business leader who was recognized for my accomplishments in the profiles of excellence publication and nominated for Wendy McDonald's award for women to watch. That's where the Greater Vancouver board of trade that was pretty friggin awesome. Well, I swore sorry. I'm here I became a GM at age 29. With no hotel management degree. Boom. Take it people you don't need to go it's possible. Anything's polar. Oh, yeah. Oh, this is a good one because it might not fall into your usual box. I allow myself to have spaciousness and I created consciously. My success bank.

I like it. I like it. So let's do one more. Let's like randomly pull one out. Let's see what she pulls out. I like that they're all individually on cards. That's way more organized. Yeah, but like she's more about the experience where I'm more about the Quick Access. We've already needed on the fly when I'm feeling down in the dumps or before a meeting or something, you know. All right. So one, one

more and around a struggling company and operations in five years and more than doubled company revenues.

So that's probably why people should hire you to work with them as a coach because you know how to do some epic stuff.

I do know how to do some epic stuff. But you know what I do know best but is to really help people tap in and understand that their power and their potential comes from here like comes from your heart comes from your center, right? Like this whole idea of feeling successful. You step into that. Tell me what you can't do. Like let's go that tell me what you've gone through. Exactly. You can definitely feel a pineapple full of awesome shit you've accomplished.

can our listeners purchase a Teresa pineapple? Are those for sale? Oh,

my God, you can buy them? I'm going to find out where and I'm going to let you know because I bought it at a local store at 122 West.

So yeah, yeah. So to wrap things up, no friends, you cannot put success in a box but you can put it in a pineapple. Yes, so that's the answer. So no, doesn't go in a box. You can't get it under the Christmas tree. You can't give it to someone or take it away. But you can in fact put it in a pineapple and when your phone or on your phone. So with that, thank you so much for tuning in for another episode of dissecting success. Listening to Theresa and I ramble on about our thoughts. It's been a slice. It's been a slice of pineapple. It's been as like to find out these out.

That's a wrap for another episode of dissecting success. enjoyed this episode. Make sure to subscribe to Blair Kaplan, Venables and Theresa Lambert's podcast dissecting success on the App Store.