Kristel Bauer With Live Greatly

Intro: Broadcasting live from the Business RadioX studios in Atlanta, Georgia. It’s time for High Velocity Radio.

Lee Kantor: Lee Kantor here. Another episode of High Velocity Radio, and this is going to be a good one. Today on the show we have Crystal Bower and she is with Live Greatly. She is the author of a new book, Work Life Tango Finding Happiness, Harmony and Peak Performance wherever you Work. Welcome!

Kristel Bauer: Thank you so much for having me. Super excited to be here with you, Lee.

Lee Kantor: Well, I am excited to learn what you’re up to. Tell us a little bit about Live Greatly. How you serving folks?

Kristel Bauer: So live greatly is my mission, my purpose to try and help people wake up, get off autopilot, and start being intentional with how they’re living their lives. Really trying to help people live on purpose, live with intention, and really the goal of living greatly, right? So I used to be in health care, and I transitioned over to the speaking and media business back in 2020, and I absolutely love it. So definitely a huge part of my personal mission.

Lee Kantor: Well, tell us a little bit about your backstory, how you made the transition from working, I guess, for other people and now kind of building this media empire that you’ve started?

Kristel Bauer: Sure. So I was trained in healthcare, as I said, working as a physician assistant. So I got my master’s, worked in different areas of medicine. And the last position that that I had was actually in an integrative psychiatry practice. So I was working with individuals who were going through different mental health struggles, going through burnout, stress related conditions, and along the same time, I furthered my education. I became an integrative medicine fellow. So what that is, it’s a program a lot of physicians do to get certified in integrative medicine. And I did that because I really wanted to broaden my horizons about like, what does it really take for people to live happy, healthy, successful lives? And I wanted to look at that from all angles. So from my personal experiences, my training, the experiences I had working with these individuals, I wanted to take it to a wider scale. I wanted to start to share it with larger groups, and that’s really what got me inspired to start live greatly. And then now at this point, you know, writing my first book, Work-Life tango.

Lee Kantor: Now, what was the reason to get into the corporate wellness side of this, rather than just go to individuals individually?

Kristel Bauer: So individuals individually, that’s really what I had been doing right? In healthcare. I was working one on one with people in the office, and I wanted to be able to reach a wider audience. I really wanted to try and help people help themselves, right? Inspire people to make the positive changes that they needed in their lives. And I had seen a lot of things throughout practice, as far as, you know, what’s not working so well for a lot of people and what is working. So I really was excited and inspired to share that and to share it on this broader stage to reach more people.

Lee Kantor: But when you go into the world of corporate wellness, the business has maybe different outcomes they desire than maybe the individual has individually. How do you kind of marry that?

Kristel Bauer: You know, I am a firm believer that it all starts with you. So whatever it is you’re looking to achieve, if you have your goals for your career, your your professional goals, your personal goals, you know, whatever it is, if you’re looking to take your career to the next level, if you’re looking to improve your relationships in your personal life, whatever it may be, I think we all really need to take a close look in the mirror. A loving, compassionate look in the mirror. But we have to take the blinders off and we have to really put in the work with ourselves then to be able to show up how we want to show up in the world and how we want to show up at work, how we want to show up in our personal lives. So I think a big thing that I like to talk about is how we are showing up and our perspective around these things. I talk a lot about having a growth mindset. So I think when you work on yourself, then you’re able to show up at work and perform your best. Then you’re able to handle the ups and the downs and the in-betweens and be able to feel really good about your responses because you’re less reactive, you’re more intentional. So it really is all about this kind of, I guess, holistic approach to how you’re living your life.

Lee Kantor: And then when you’re talking to if you’re or do you go to corporations and say, hey, let me speak to your corporation or let me do some sort of workshops or plans to help you get the most out of your employees. Is that part of your portfolio or is it, uh, well, let’s start there.

Kristel Bauer: Yeah, I do a lot of speaking, so I’m hired. I’m represented by a handful of speaking bureaus, but I am a managed speaker with Executive Speakers Bureau, so I do a lot of keynote speaking. I’m brought into different organizations, companies. It could be, you know, it could be a nonprofit, it could be whatever it is, where they’re looking to feel inspired. Perhaps they’re looking to motivate their employees around a change, or they’re looking to boost happiness and morale in the office. So there’s a lot of different angles where I can come in, but typically I’ll do some sort of a keynote talk and that’s virtual or in person. And then, um, you know, at times there could be more involved with that. But it really is the organization wanting to educate and inspire their team to be able to show up how they really want to show up, to feel excited about what they’re doing. I have a keynote that I give quite often called Find Your Imperfect Happy. I love that phrase because, uh, you know, perfection is not a reality in our work and in our lives. There are ups and downs and stressors, and happiness doesn’t have to be perfect either. So I’m really passionate about that topic of leaning into optimism, finding your imperfect happy, and working towards really where you really aspire to be.

Lee Kantor: Now, what are the kind of some of the symptoms or the challenges these companies are having, where you are the right fit to help inspire their troops?

Kristel Bauer: So, I mean, this could come across in a lot of different angles. I’m thinking just recently I gave a keynote last week for an organization that was going to be undergoing change. So there was there’s that level of unknown, right. You’re not sure what’s necessarily going to happen. There’s a little bit of unease that people can be feeling when it comes to change. That’s just human nature. So I pull from my training, my experience to help People get a higher perspective around this and to learn how to build resilience, while at the same time be able to navigate some of those tough emotions. And, um, you know, there’s there’s a lot of things I go into here, but one thing I love to talk about is this growth mindset, where setbacks and challenges, they’re bound to happen. But the key thing is what are we going to do with them? Like, how can we focus on the solution instead of getting stuck in the problem? So that’s just one example. Then there’s, you know, other organizations where they’re having their, you know, their yearly meeting. They’re looking to feel inspired and excited about whatever it is they’re looking to achieve. They’re looking for a boost. Right. How can they approach work in a more upbeat, optimistic way? And that’s really where I like to come in and get people excited that, you know what, wherever you are, little small changes can lead to a big impact.

Lee Kantor: Now, do you help around, um, maybe the way the different generations approach work and their, um, kind of relationships with their job and career.

Kristel Bauer: So the, you know, the book work life tango, it’s getting out of this old model of work life balance that I think a lot of us still think of. But in reality, the old school 9 to 5 job, it’s a thing of the past. So we are accessible at all hours with technology. There’s hybrid work, there’s remote work. So we have to be. And I’m using this word again, really intentional with the usage of our time. And that’s something that um, there’s different viewpoints on that, you know, where you should spend your time and especially in the workplace. I am a big fan of a work life harmony approach, where it’s really about trying to tune in with yourself, build self-awareness, and then live your life in alignment with the things that are really important to you. And this is getting away again from that old model of work life balance, where work is from 9 to 5 and then all the other stuff is before and after that. We have to take a new approach to how we are doing work, how we’re showing up in our lives. Because again, like they’re all bleeding in together, there’s blurred boundaries. It’s not as just cut and dry as it used to be.

Lee Kantor: So, um, how do you help the individual kind of create that type of harmony? Because I would imagine and I think some of this is generational, is that younger people, you know, when I’m not there, I’m not there and I’m not thinking about it, I’m not going to answer the phone. I’m not going to, you know, I’m not going to play. This is my time. And then maybe previous generations were like, look, things have to get done. I’m gonna make it happen kind of person. So whatever it takes, it takes. Um, how do you help somebody kind of manage the expectations of this new kind of work environment that everybody is thrust into.

Kristel Bauer: Yeah, I think we need to focus a lot on the outcome. So as far as what is the end goal and then how people are going about getting that end goal done, as long as it’s high quality. There can there should be a little bit more flexibility in our current lifestyle to allow that. So what I mean by that is if it’s possible, you know, some people might want to do a huge chunk of work really early in the morning. That’s when they feel super productive. That’s when they can get a lot done. And then maybe they want to take a little time midday to take a little time for themselves to, you know, go work out or to grab lunch with a friend or whatever it is. And then they get another big chunk of work done in the afternoon where someone else might have a little bit of a different schedule for how they like to work. So this world of hybrid work, remote work, it allows people to have that flexibility and that autonomy is really important to people. But at the same time you have to get the end result. So you have to show up, you have to perform, you have to bring it. And if that’s not happening, then you know that autonomy and that flexibility and it might go away. So I think that’s a really important thing. You have to take ownership over that regardless of what your work situation is.

Lee Kantor: So are you, um, how do you feel about this coming generation? Are you optimistic or pessimistic? You’re neutral about how, um, kind of the younger folks are handling this type of transition.

Kristel Bauer: I am all about leaning into optimism. I think one thing I talk a lot about in the book, Work Life tango, is self-awareness, and that’s an area where we all can benefit from improving our self-awareness in a compassionate, courageous way. So the first chapter of the book is called When You Think You’re Doing the tango, but you’re really doing the chicken dance, and I’m sure we can relate to this in one way or another. I’m thinking, for example, like you’ve ever been dancing at a wedding and you might think, okay, I’ve got the moves down, you feel like I’m looking great. And then you’ve seen a video of yourself from the videographer and you’re like, oh my gosh, what I was envisioning in my mind, it doesn’t quite match up with what I’m seeing on the screen here. So we all have those blinders on in certain areas. So I think for every individual, it’s our responsibility to get to know ourselves, to have a sense of curiosity and to get feedback, you know, to talk to the people that we trust to be curious and open to feedback so we can grow and so that we can learn. And I think if people do that, you know, we’re going to be in a in a really good place to grow together.

Lee Kantor: Now, do you have any advice for leaders, um, when it comes to managing the new workforce that we’re in? This, like you mentioned earlier, there’s remote, there’s in the office, there’s hybrid, there. There’s all kinds of ways that people are coming and going. That weren’t the case, you know, a generation ago. Any advice for that leader in order to manage kind of this more chaotic time?

Kristel Bauer: Yes. I have a whole chapter in the book about this. You have to get to know your employees and you have to make an effort. It really does take effort and intention to build connection. So having conversations where you open the floor for discussion, what what are your employees value? What’s important to them? What are their pain points? How can you help? So going into these, I guess, informal conversations with that sense of curiosity, not having your mind made up before you even get into the meeting. And when you do that, you have a sense of authenticity and it’s it’s very noticeable. People can tell when you’re genuinely interested in them what’s important to them. You know, how do they do their best work? How can you help? So I think we have to, you know. Yes. You need to have formal meetings. We need to have check ins about all these work related things. Super important. But you also need to make an effort to just have a conversation to get to know your employees. Because when you do that, you’re building trust. You’re opening the doors for communication, you’re opening the doors for feedback. And that’s really at the core of success in the corporate world and in our personal life as well. You know, communication is so important.

Lee Kantor: And.

Lee Kantor: Building that sense of community.

Kristel Bauer: 100%.

Lee Kantor: Now, is there a story you can share? Maybe, um, a company came to you for help and you were able to speak there. You were able to make an impact and how you were able to get them to a new level.

Kristel Bauer: So one thing that I’m that’s coming to mind is more of just opening these doors of communication, right? For people feel like you care, like it’s safe to talk about areas where where there’s room for improvement, or perhaps there needs to be support in different areas. So I’d given a keynote to an organization, and we typically do a Q&A at the end, which opens the floor for people to have discussions or ask questions about things. And an individual was asking for help for strategies to navigate their mornings, and they had a lot going on within their family life that they felt like they couldn’t get a handle on their day, because by the time they had to clock in for work, they were just finishing navigating all of the other family stuff, and they’d started their day feeling overwhelmed, like feeling frazzled. And so I gave some suggestions. But what was really cool is this person’s boss was there, and they said to this individual, I had no idea you were having these struggles. I had no idea that this was an issue for you. Thank you so much for sharing that. Let’s set up a meeting because I want to talk about some options for you. You know, we do have the flexibility where you could start at a later hour. You know, maybe we can adjust your hours a little bit. And that was really cool because again, if you are able to open the door of communication, solutions can arise. But if we don’t bring up these things, how in the world are they going to, you know, get connected? How are we going to move forward? So I think it’s having the courage and confidence to articulate what you need in a respectful way.

Lee Kantor: Now in your career, you’ve gone from working with individuals to now corporate work and now writing a book or any of those challenges or transitions more difficult than the other. Um, what was that like to to make those kind of, you know, each one of those transitions for a lot of people would have been life, their life’s work. And you’ve done multiple things throughout your career. Can you talk a little bit about that?

Kristel Bauer: Sure. So I throughout all of these different transitions, I’ve really learned that you need to be your own biggest advocate out there. You need to believe in yourself. So whatever it is you’re doing, whatever your goals are, they have to mean something to you. They have to be important to you. Because if you’re trying to go after a goal that just it’s not something that really resonates with you, that you don’t feel super passionate about. When those bumps in the road come up, which they will, you might not have that inner motivation to push through it, right? So for me, I really felt connected to what I was doing. So that gave me the confidence and the courage to keep going. And even when you know you hear a no, even when something doesn’t go the way that you want, what I was doing is then saying to myself, okay, how can I approach this in a new way? So it’s constantly like focusing on that growth mindset and not feeling stuck like, oh my gosh, that didn’t work. I’m going to give up. All right well that’s feedback now what. Now what do I want to do next. So it’s keeping things exciting. It’s encouraging yourself along the way. I talk a lot about our inner voice and our relationship with ourself. So how can you develop a relationship with yourself where you are your own biggest advocate? Because we really need to do that in life. We need to be our coach in life. And that’s what I share a lot of different things about how to do that in the book.

Lee Kantor: Did you have a coach in real life, or was this something that you just learned on your own, maybe through books or, you know, podcasts or videos, or did you have somebody that helped you kind of get these key foundational learnings that helped you get to new levels?

Kristel Bauer: I did a lot of personal development, professional development throughout my life. Right. And I have that official training in healthcare as a PA. And then I got my fellowship in integrative medicine, working in integrative psychiatry. So I’ve seen a lot, I’ve learned a lot, and I really wanted to try and see what are the key things for people to be happy and successful, right? So I’ve made this, uh, a key part of what I look into, what I’m interested in, the research that I do. So I don’t have a coach that’s helping me. I I’m my, I guess, my coach on this journey where. But I’m looking for resources and outlets all the time as far as looking to feel inspired by different things. I have a great network, community, family, friends that support me, um, wonderful people and colleagues that in the past who are supportive of my work. So I definitely have people in my life that have helped me along the way 100%. But I think, as I said in this, uh, dance of work and life, we really do need to be our own biggest advocates. And while getting support from others super important, we also need to make sure we’re showing up for ourselves.

Lee Kantor: So if somebody wants to learn more about your speaking, your book or your podcast or anything else you’re up to, is there a website? What’s the best way to connect?

Kristel Bauer: Yeah. So the book is available Barnes and Noble, Amazon, work life, tango, finding happiness. Harmony, peak performance wherever you work. My website is live greatly.co so people can check out some of my speaking clips. Learn about my keynote topics, connect with me there. I’m on LinkedIn and Instagram. I post there quite a bit and then my podcast is called Live Greatly so they can find me in all those places.

Lee Kantor: Well Crystal, thank you so much for sharing your story. You’re doing such important work and we appreciate you.

Kristel Bauer: Thank you so much, Leigh. I really appreciate.

Lee Kantor: It. All right.

Lee Kantor: This is Lee Kantor. We’ll see you all next time on High Velocity Radio.