Episode 11 - Teri Kerr -Overcoming Procrastination

She is a hockey mom, cancer survivor, creative warrior, and badass ball of Canadian sunshine. Most importantly she is just one awesome person that makes me smile!

 

Leighann Lovely  00:15

Let's Talk HR is a place for HR professionals, business owners and employees to come together and share experiences, to talk about what's working and what's not. How we can improve best practices so that companies can better attract, train and retain all generations of workers. We all know that there has been a huge shift in what people want. generations are coming together, more than ever, on what's important. Mental health has been brought to the forefront of everyone's mind. Let's humanize these conversations. Let's talk about how the economy has been impacted and what needs to happen to find a balance. I'm your host Leighann Lovely. So let's get this conversation started. And remember, if you enjoyed this episode, follow us like us and share us.

 

Leighann Lovely  01:05

Today's conversation is one that I'm very excited to have. She self proclaimed a badass ball of Canadian sunshine. She is a hockey mom cancer survivor creative warrior she is passionate about living life with purpose on purpose. She loves helping others do the same. Terry Kerr is an executive coach and empowerment strategist with the unstuck duck coaching. She helps smart, competent women entrepreneurs create a career and life that is both fulfilling and profitable by overcoming the self sabotage that keeps them stuck in the muck. Welcome, Terry. I am so excited to have you here today. I've had the opportunity to get to know you. And now I've got the opportunity to interview you. So welcome.

 

Teri Kerr  02:05

Thank you. I'm super excited to be here.

 

Leighann Lovely  02:07

Yeah, So why don't you start out by telling me first. What is the unstuck duck coaching and you got to tell me how you came up with the name for that? Because I mean, it's it's awesome.

 

Teri Kerr  02:22

Okay, perfect. So yes, I can start with that, because it's a really great introduction. So I am first of all, Terry Kerr. I'm an executive coach and empowerment strategist with the unstuck deck coaching. I work mostly with entrepreneurs, but I really will work with anybody that struggles with procrastination and self sabotage. When I was first, when my okay when my kids were little, their favorite book was called one duck stack. It was about a duck that got stuck in the muck, and no matter what she did, she could not get unstuck. It was a counting book. So it was like to Moose clump to the duck, no luck still stuck. And it became kind of this, this term, this No luck still stuck became a term in our family, you know, like, as the kids were growing up, like, so buddy, how's it going in there? No luck still stuck. So we, when I was when I decided to become a coach, which was back in 2018, I was meeting with a girlfriend of mine, and we were talking about brand. And I am not a boring person. And I just did not want it to be Terry Kerr coaching. Like it just didn't inspire me. So we were talking and she said, Tell me about your ideal client. Who do you want to work with? I said, You know what, I just want to help people get unstuck. And I had this light bulb go off in my head, saying no luck still stuck. And I was like, Oh, my gosh, this is so much fun. And it's a great opener for podcasts.

 

Leighann Lovely  03:58

Right? It's awesome, right? I mean, it's a great opener for any conversation. Really,

 

Teri Kerr  04:05

It is. And there's so many great analogies with ducks and ecosystems and Mach and the muck of self sabotage. And it's just also just a really funny word to say, you know, yeah, decks are funny, and people like them. And it's also really relatable. I was at the dog park last week, talking to another dog, Mom, no business cards, you know, obviously, we're standing in the middle of a field. And I said, you know, just look me up. I'm the unstuck duck. And sure enough, she said, she's like, I totally remember that. And my kids remembered the unstuck duck and it just became a thing. So absolutely. That's where that's how the unstuck duck was hatched.

 

Leighann Lovely  04:50

Yeah. And you know what, just from that name, I was like, I have to talk to her. Like I need to know what this is all about. And I remember that The very first time that I heard you speak, I wanted to know more. I wanted to know what it was all about. And that that in itself is the perfect marketing. tagline that's That in itself, I mean, having a name that that drives people to want to know more, even if it's just to know what do you do? Yeah, that's perfect.

 

Teri Kerr  05:20

I have, like a mantra in life that it doesn't have to be hard. It really doesn't. And if I was constantly having to spell my name out, because I have one R in my first name, it would just drive me up the wall. So it's simple, it's easy, it's relatable, it's memorable, and it fits. And it's fun, and it's quirky. And it's all the things that I am. So it works really well.

 

Leighann Lovely  05:47

Well, welcome to my world. You know, my parents wanted to torture me by spelling My name L e i g h a n n. I mean, yeah, everywhere I go. And usually it's Hey is leg han there. No, there is no.

 

Teri Kerr  06:04

My first name is actually Terry M. It's all one word. Okay. No, hyphen no e on the end of it. One R, t e r i a n n e all one word? And I? Yeah. My whole life, right. My whole life. It's been like that. Yep. So I get it.

 

Leighann Lovely  06:23

So when did you decide, you know, when was it that pivotal moment, I want to go out on my own because you were with Election BC for 16 years? And then one day it was? Yep. I'm going to I'm going to do this on my own.

 

Teri Kerr  06:41

Well, actually, to be fair, I still work with Elections BC and Elections, Canada, those are contracts that I do. But before I was a coach, I was actually a fundraiser at The University here where I live. I was the Athletics and Alumni Development Officer for the University of Victoria. I was the only fundraiser for the athletics department at the University. It was actually a great job when I started, and then it was really high. I wouldn't say high pressure, it was just a lot. You know, it was a lot. And I ended up being diagnosed with breast cancer in 2015. And at that point, I had just finished my master's while working full time, I had two kids in elite hockey at the same time ice hockey, I had a hosted to international students at my house at any given time, I was a My marriage was a very well oiled machine. It was like okay, so who's eating where? Who's eating? What? Who's driving? Who? Where? Who's going to what, what, you know, what tournament this weekend, and we live on an island. So it's like, who's on the ferry? Who's carpooling? Who all these things. And when the Christmas before I was diagnosed, we my husband and I had come to the decision that we were going to move, we were going to move to Saskatchewan. This was our grand adventure. So I'm in Victoria, British Columbia, Saskatchewan is the middle of the world right now. It's like center of Canada. And it is not somewhere that a lot of people move to a lot of people move away from Saskatchewan, okay. But my children wanted to play hockey there. They, my husband had gone to school there. It was a great place for kids to raise a family, it was gonna be, you know, an eighth of the price of living where I live. And so we've made this big decision to make a big life change and move. And part of that was I decided to go and get my deal with my benefits. So I had got my eyes done. My teeth, Jack had all these appointments. And I ended up with a stepping into a mobile mammogram clinic and finding out that I had a very aggressive form of breast cancer. So that changed everything. I had three years that I was off work. When I went back to work. I like to say that my perspective had changed. I no longer was interested in other people's definitions of success. I was no longer interested in working 24/7 I wasn't injured. I started asking questions. I started getting into trouble. I started you know, questioning authority. And and really, some people would say that the work was toxic. I don't believe that but it made me toxic. So I started looking into personal development type of ideas, and I fell in love with the coaching world. I got myself a coach, I decided to go back to school, I left my job and became an entrepreneur and I decided so I went back to school and got my executive coaching degree at well Rhodes search It was a certificate in graduate coaching at the Royal Roads, university, and everything. And then I left, I left my job where I was and haven't looked back, honestly, that's the best thing that could happen to me. And honestly, I do believe I was due for a break upside the head, I had been on autopilot in my life. And it was all about striving, it was all about being the best, it was all about perfection and excellence and all the things that were just just too much, I don't need that. And so now, I stand in ease and flow. And let's just, you know, everything happens for a reason. And I believe that cancer was the best gift I could have gotten.

 

Leighann Lovely  10:52

So there's a list of things that I want to say, first. Wow. I don't think that that even begins to say, what courage and strength you have, to one take something that most people struggle to overcome. Obviously, on on their best day, getting a diagnosis of you know, a an aggressive breast cancer is obviously life altering for not only you but everybody in your life. But you took that and you turned it into one obviously a fight I'm I'm sure that that was a horrific fight that you that you undertook, you clearly have a strong support system in place. But you turn that not only into what some would say, a tragedy, you turned it into a triumph for you and eventually came out. Obviously happy, successful and doing something that you clearly love to do, I can tell that just in the way that you talk about it and, and in knowing you a little bit and then the time that we have gotten to know each other i i know that you, you love what you do. So wow, I think that's amazing. And you know, if there's anybody out there listening, this is this is a story of triumph. And you know, few people would say that being given or getting a diagnosis like that as a gift. But to come out the other side and be a stronger person and be able to continue on your way in a better form is definitely a gift. And you're you're living it, you're you're taking every moment and in stride. And and that's what people do. Sometimes people do need that brick upside the head, as you said, to finally take a true look at who they are what they need to do, in order to change the path or the trajectory that they're on.

 

Teri Kerr  12:58

My oncologist said to me and I will never forget it, I will never forget it. And I and I pass it on as much as I can, is that she said often women, and probably everybody but she was speaking to me. Women in their 40s that have something like this, whether it's a diagnosis, a divorce, a trauma, you know, something could even be your children leaving and suddenly looking around and going what it gives you the opportunity to take a look at every rock in your riverbed, and pick it up and choose whether you want it in your life. And I totally did that there were relationships that fell by the wayside. The big one that fell for me was my career. I wanted something different than what I was doing. And I don't know that my place of work where I was was ready to have me different than I was when I started. They didn't hire me for how I am now. They hired me for how I was then. Right. And that growth, that growth period of, of knowing that it wasn't, it wasn't for me anymore. It was it was super empowering, to be able to say hey, you know what, this isn't working for me. I'm not happy, you're not happy? Why are we continuing to push this boulder up the hill?

 

Leighann Lovely  14:19

Right? You know, and, and it's interesting. Some people would say, if they were to look at that situation and not know you, and you were to say, well, I'm going to end this career and I'm going to do something else. I've often heard people say, well, she's having a midlife crisis or he's having a midlife crisis. They'll come to their senses. Well, let's, and it irritates me sometimes when I hear that and I go wait a second. Just because they're, you know, at a certain age, and they've decided that I don't want to do this anymore. And yeah, sometimes people go out and buy ridiculously expensive cars and do crazy I understand that but often they'll they'll tag that to drastic career moves that are well thought out. And they think, oh, they'll get over this. This is exactly why people do they do they, as you said, what go into their riverbed and turnover? What was how did you say that that was great.

 

Teri Kerr  15:20

Pick up every rock in your riverbed and take a look and choose whether you want it in your life.

 

Leighann Lovely  15:25

There you go. I mean that. And that happens more frequently than we know. But so often it's brushed away as Oh, he or she is going to get over that, it'll go back to the way it was. And often that happens, especially when it's unfortunately a divorce or something that's, that's going on. But it does, you have these moments of clarity, especially as you become an older man or an older woman. And, and I can only speak to obviously a woman's point of view, you and I are both women here talking. But you know, I've had friends who have gotten to that age and they go, Wait a second, I can be so much more, I don't want I can't see the next half of my life. And I hope this isn't the half of my life and hope. Anyways, it's not getting to that. But I don't want the next half of my life to be like the first half of my life, or the last 10 years of my career, 20 years of my career, I can be better, I can be happier. And I can give so much more. And sometimes it takes a divorce, sometimes it takes a diagnosis, the loss of a loved one, a grandparent, you know a child's getting ill

 

Teri Kerr  16:42

You knows this, I have this concept that my mentor told me about once that said, you know, everything happens gradually. And then suddenly, it so say for example, you have a drip, like a water drip in your house, or even at the top of your driveway. And so a drip years drip, drip, drip, and then suddenly your house slides down the hill. Or, you know, every day you wake up and you have you know, you're you go to McDonald's for breakfast because it's on the way and whatever. So you have say, you know, to hashbrowns every morning and an egg McMuffin. And, you know, we have double doubles up here, which is not a McDonald's reference. That's okay. Um, so you have these things that you do the same thing every day. And then suddenly you have a heart attack. Like gradually and then suddenly, and we see it everywhere. It can be, you know, nag, nag, nag, nag. And then suddenly you get a divorce. Right? Like it can be just these little undermining conversations. It can be underwater unrest, and then suddenly people are storming the White House, like people that are surprised by that, you know, and it shouldn't be because if they'd actually looked and said, Okay, for the past 20 years, I have been doing everything that my boss has told me. And now I have have an opinion that I want to do something differently. Why am I the crazy one?

 

Leighann Lovely  18:15

Yeah, absolutely. Because of what has happened with the pandemic right now. We're seeing this. So for years, everybody has, oh, I don't want to go to my job. I don't want to do this. They're complaining here and there. They're bringing things up here and there. They're not being heard. They're not being heard. Will all of the sudden, the world shuts down the world reopens? And now we have no workers. Because there's a ton of people who did not go back into the workforce for retirement, a variety of reasons. I'm not gonna rehash all of this. We've all heard it a million times. But now we have this great resignation happening, and everybody's going, what is going on? Everything what you just said, Everything happens slowly until it doesn't anymore, it happens. Suddenly, everybody's going, Holy crap. There's all these positions open. I've been complaining and unhappy for years. So everybody's just going and going, I quit. There's like five jobs that I can go and get today. In fact, that's, that's, there's 20 jobs that I can go and apply to today. So, I mean, it's no wonder that Well,

 

Teri Kerr  19:25

I think the best thing that's come out of this pandemic, to be honest, I think it's one of the best things is that people are choosing what's actually important to them. Absolutely. People are noticing the people that live in their house with them that they haven't really spent much time with. But while you're kind of cool, you know, you're kind of smelly, but I kind of like you. Right? Like, that's the thing and people are looking at their spouses and choosing. Are you really my person, maybe we don't know each other at all. Maybe we have just been a well-oiled machine, and really don't know each other in any way or they're choosing to be like, hey, you know what, I can work in this little zoom cube from anywhere in the world? Why would I work here? Why would I continue to be in this, you know, high rise in the middle of downtown when I can be, you know, have a garden and I can do the things like I'm just me or the other way around. I mean, why am I continually mowing the lawn when I could be? I could be living on a boat in the ocean. Yeah. So I think that this introspection and, and taking of the time, and I know a lot of people wanted it to be way faster, but some people learn slower. You know, like, this is an opportunity for people to really do. There was a, there was an article right at the very, I'd say probably maybe four or five months into the pandemic. And it was titled The Great reset. And it was about like, ships and tankers into the ocean, and the whales come back. And suddenly the, you know, the trees are growing again. And there's like, this is the world resetting. Let's just stop everything. And for me, my cancer diagnosis was that for me, it was that it was that, wow, okay. I, I want to encourage this relationship, and not this one that I've had to be in, for whatever reason, are not chosen to make a choice in that relationship. Like toxic people, it made it all about them, like I had, I had a cousin, and she's not with us anymore. But she actually, we'd set up a date, and she was gonna come for a visit. And she's like, Oh, I just, I just can't see you like this. So I'm like, really? You think it's easy for me to be like this? Like, I'm sorry, I didn't realize it was all about you. You know, and those type of narcissistic conversations, like, wow, I didn't see that one. But I'm going to what I'm going to do with it, right?

 

Leighann Lovely  21:57

There's no room in this world anymore. For that, there are people like you or me

 

Teri Kerr  22:03

THere is certantly not room here for that no, in and I'm the only one that I'm in control of my own self and my own sphere. You know, there's no room for that here.

 

Leighann Lovely  22:14

No, people are starting to push back. I don't want people who are not real in my life. If you're going to if you're going to put on a show, if you're going to do a little dance, and you're going to pretend, I don't want you in my life. I want to be real. I want to be who I am. If you want to be that, come and have a conversation with me. If you want to be your authentic self. You want. And you know what? I'm a very accepting person.

 

Teri Kerr  22:42

Yeah, that's it when the world's moving. I had a conversation earlier this morning, I was on networking call. And a girl was a lady, a woman was talking about how she was overwhelmed. It's a classic entrepreneur thing. I'm overwhelmed with way too much going on. I got that. And how do I delegate was her big question. I'm like, You know what, fall in love, fall in love with the feeling of what it will be like to be free of all that stuff. Because if you fall in love with what that input impact will be on yourself, your business, and you're like, Wow, this is amazing. I don't have to worry about all this stuff. That needs to be that that is not my zone of genius. That is not my space. That is I have no business doing. Like fall in love with that ceiling, even if you have to create it at the beginning. But falling in love with who you want to be helps you create that experience for yourself. Because you get a litmus test, I always ask the question for my clients. So you know, how are you creating the experience that you want for your life right now? Because if you don't have what you want, that's the first question. But the second question is, are what is what you're doing in alignment with that? And if not, then why are you doing it? What can you do? What do you have the opportunity to do to change your experience that you have in this life? We, and its not proven by any stretch, but we have one chance we want chance here? Why are we not taking the bet? I don't want to be 80 years old and choosing to finally travel the world. Sorry, right. I don't feel like that's going to be the best experience for me. Yeah, I would rather do it when I can enjoy it and be mobile and do the things that I want to do.

 

Leighann Lovely  24:38

100% agree. And it's it's interesting I have that I talk to people all the time about not in a coaching level just on a hey, I'd love to know like, are you happy? Do you enjoy what you do for a living out of pure curiosity? Not to mention I'm also on you know, my my real job is In the recruiting realm, you know, I, I help companies find employees, I help people find jobs, you know, and so often I have, you know, conversations with people, do you like what you do? You don't? Why are you doing it? Change it, you're the only one that can.

 

Teri Kerr  25:22

you don't necessarily need to like what you do, but you like the effects of what you do. Right? Like, my husband, for example, has a great job, it from the outside, everybody would be like, Wow, he's got a great job, you know, his pension, he's got all the different, you know, he has the freedom to do what he wants to do. That's what he loves. He loves that he can go to work. And then when he comes home, he can let it go and do what he loves them. And I speak a lot. We I have clients that are like, trying to build their side hustle so that they can leave their full time job. One friend in particular, she calls you know, I'm just on my way to my soul sucking job. I was like, Well, you know, what you speak about comes about? So how about we talk about it as your sugar daddy, that's gonna pay for your hustle, right? Like, it's, let's this is this is what is providing for right now. Maybe not forever. But for right now, this is providing you the funds to build what you want. So shifting that shifting how you talk about it, shifting what you what you the energy you bring to it. Like, if I'm thinking of going to a soul sucking job, I'm waking up with dread, right. But if I'm thinking like, Wow, if I just go and put in eight hours powering through, I might even be able to get as much work done as I can in four hours, then I get to do what I want to do. I can spend the rest of my day doing what I want to do mindset. And go to Users, people underestimate the words that we use. Yep. Very much so. And some of them some of the words we use, like I even think about, you know, kids, these kids these days, totally dating myself to like, wow, that's sick, isn't it? I feel like that's not a very good connotation for a really good thing. Because, you know, or even like, wow, you killed it. I'm just reading everyday.

 

Leighann Lovely  27:26

Should I be should I be callings, as you know, fascinating to come and pick up the carcass?

 

Teri Kerr  27:32

Right. But I mean, even things like narrowing it down the top three that I'm always working on with my clients, or I want you know, I have to, if you're saying you have to, you're standing in a victim mindset, because that means your circumstances are in charge of what's going on for you. If you have to do it, we have a choice, no matter what, I have to pay my mortgage, I don't have to pay my mortgage, I like to pay my mortgage, because I would rather have a roof over my head. I choose to pay my mortgage because it's going to get me what I want in, like, where I live, right? I don't have to, I don't have to, I get to, I choose to. And the other one is I need to, like the word need literally has lack in it. Like it's like, it's like I need is coming from a sense of of lack. It's coming from a sense of I don't have that thing. So I need that thing. Nice thing. I mean, it's different when you're like, wow, I really need to I need to take an Advil, well, I you can go take an Advil, right like it means it basically it means that I have a situation that needs remedy. Right? Right. And if we switch up those just those two words and and should I mean I should is not allowed in mine in my entire repertoire. But to I get to I have I want to I'm choosing to because if I say I want to do something, there's a little voice inside my head that says do you want to wow you know what, I really don't want to make a make a choice here and do something different. That I actually want. So that's where I always start with my clients. Like do you need to you have to know you either get to you should you sorry not should you get to you want to you choose to you are going to whatever it is it just takes the power back it's all about empowerment that in right there is empowerment to me being able to say you know what, it's totally my choice. Whatever happens. I didn't choose to get cancer, but I have a choice what I make out of it

 

Leighann Lovely  29:51

Right.

 

Teri Kerr  29:51

I chose to get treatment I chose to get all you know I had a say in it.

 

Leighann Lovely  29:58

Very interesting

 

Teri Kerr  29:59

You don't have a choice. In what moment you keel over and die? That's the only thing you don't have a choice. Well, some people take that choice into their own hands. But generally,

 

Leighann Lovely  30:10

and all of the everything you said is so interesting, because there are so many times where I'm like, Oh, I have to do this. And you're right. When you say that,

 

Teri Kerr  30:18

Like even looking at your shoulders, you're like, oh, I have to do this. Like, it's just this like, Ah, I like to try to like characterize and like, really? How does that feeling make you like, if you were to act that out? But did you ever do in province in school and drama class or something? Did you ever do anything like that?

 

Leighann Lovely  30:36

Yeah, I hate it.

 

Teri Kerr  30:39

When you're, when you're on stage, they're like, Okay, look angry. Your whole body goes into that, like, because somebody at the back of the auditorium needs to be able to see that you're angry and not just be like, you know, grumpy face. Oh,

 

Leighann Lovely  30:56

I wish people could see us right now.

 

Teri Kerr  31:00

I'm trying to like put words into what my facial expressions. But like, if you if you actually were the owner of I have to, or I need to, like he like excuse. Listen to this back. But anyway, so good.

 

Leighann Lovely  31:21

Yeah, I mean, yeah, you're right. You the words, the words you say, Give feeling to you, as you're saying them, like, I have to do this or I have. But when you say, Oh, you and I do this with my daughter perfect example. Guess what? It's your party, you get to have a party. And I'm using that reference because it was her birthday. Just this yesterday. You know, you get to have a party. And you know, it's she's so exciting. excited about it. But when I say you need to go potty, you have to go potty right now. Her reaction, you can see her her whole entire again, for those of you don't know, she's four. So I'm not not saying this to my 15 year old. She's four. So reminding her, you can see her entire body language change, because it's. So I realized that and I stopped using those words. And I just say to her, go potty. And she gets up and she goes, but as soon as they use certain key words, you have, to she refuses? I mean, it's absolutely she digs in. I don't have to. Very interesting.

 

Teri Kerr  32:31

Yeah, it's the thing. Like it's like the mortgage analogy, right, like, right. Well, you choose not to. But we're not stopping

 

Leighann Lovely  32:40

you. You can Yeah, you don't have to, but you're going to have an eviction notice very soon. And then you do have to leave.

 

Teri Kerr  32:52

Right? Yes. So yeah. Even like I think about the people that I work with are mostly entrepreneurs who said that at the beginning, yeah. And, you know, we choose generally to become an entrepreneur, like, it's a choice that we have literally made that we are not willing to work for somebody else. We want to work for ourselves. Yep. And so many people are like, Oh, my God, I just don't want to do that, sir, I have to do this, or I have to post on social media every day. It's like, No, you don't you get to choose. When you do that, if you want the consequence of having profit, you might need to have a sales call, you might choose to have a sales call, right? So you don't want that. That's okay. You can choose different things. That's the beauty of being an entrepreneur is you get to be in choice all the time. But our go to is when we are feeling up against the wall, or when we're feeling stuck. Our go to is to be like, Oh, the world is against me, you know, or I have way too much to do I have too many ideas. Or, you know, I like to I always say there's four different types of procrastinators, okay. But when it comes to self sabotage, as an entrepreneur, procrastination is just one piece. But every single one of them has a different thing. That is the path to that comes out. Right? So for example, if I'm over committer, you know, I can't let anybody else down. I have to do all the things for all the people because then they'll love me in the light be and I get to be, you know, the people person. Right? And what the consequence of that is, overwhelm way too much going on, trying to make up people pleasing trying to make everybody happy. Right. That's one example. Another would be an over analyzer. So somebody who's you know, analyzes everything right, but they love to have all the information before they make a decision. They lack spontaneity. They like to be like Okay, they're gonna save face whenever they can. So there'll be like, I can't get it wrong, like, God forbid I get it wrong. So I'm not gonna make a decision at all. I'm just gonna, you know, a couple people like that, who were analyze all things up me I'm a squirrel chaser. I have way too many ideas. Yeah, I don't actually believe is actually a thing, I don't believe there's ever a place in the world that there's not enough ideas or that there's too many ideas. But for me, I have all the ideas, and then I'm afraid of committing to the wrong one. Right? So then I don't do anything, because I have all the ideas and everything is shiny. And if I just, you know, go do this, it'll be way more fun. And that's my squirrel chaser type of behavior. And my procrastination, like I really lacked focus, right? So focusing on one thing, that's probably you can probably tell, because I feel like this interview is kind of going like this.

 

Leighann Lovely  35:55

I know I have to rein you in in a little bit.

 

Teri Kerr  36:00

Just because I started on four, there's four, right? You know, the fourth one would be a control freak. So somebody that really would would benefit from time blocking to me, time blocking sounds like jail, but some people love it and need it and want to have control of other things. Right? And then the and so time, so those this time walking will be a strategy, I'd have a different strategy for each type of person. Right. But you know, it's funny, because we all assume that we all procrastinate and self sabotage. The same, we don't know. And I theres a different stategy for every person.

 

Leighann Lovely  36:38

I know some people where I can put them in those different categories. I know that I have some of those characteristics, but I know also know myself well enough to know that I'm a highly focused individual. And a very action oriented individual. If you tell me hey, do this, I will absolutely do it. But to my detriment to the point where sometimes I'll be working on a project and somebody says, hey, this needs to get done. And I'll go, Okay, let me go do it. And then I drop what I'm doing and go, Oh, shit, I need to get back to that other one. Because now I've just gone and done this. And now I need to, which drives my husband crazy, by the way, because I'll be working on a project. And then he's like, you know, we have to do this. And I'm like, Okay, let me get to it. And he's like, Well, wait, you got to finish this first. And I'm like, Yeah, but that one's really fun. I'll come back to this one. Yeah, right. If something needs to get done, I want to get it done. Right. The second so it's off my plate. So it's done. Yeah. Anyways, that that's enough. Okay, so we are running close on time. But I do want to, first you, I want to bring this up. Because this is this is pretty awesome. You are the Managing Director of the Ewomen network and have been for over a year and a half. Tell me about that.

 

Teri Kerr  37:55

So first of all, I stepped down as Managing Director in September, I am the managing director for the women network,

 

Leighann Lovely  38:01

you stepped down. It did.

 

Teri Kerr  38:05

But tell you about that. So I went COVID hit. I was I've been a member of the women since I became an entrepreneur, I love it. Great organization, great place to be. I love that it's a values based organization. I love the community. And I love the learning and the growth and all the different things that I've gotten out of elimine when COVID hit, I knew that as an extrovert, I felt that as an extrovert, that being locked in my house would I would literally wither and die. That was that was I could not survive without other human interaction. So I started offering out these time to rise calls. And they were first thing in the morning like, well, first thing, I'm not a morning person, they were at nine o'clock every morning. And that's first thing for me. You know, it was one of those things, that was a reason for people to get up and have a shower and present themselves. Right, and just show up and I did it for free. I was like whoever wants to come I'm gonna be on Zoom everyday at nine o'clock. So if you want to have some accountability of what you want to get done in a day, if you want some community and just need, you know, virtual hug, whatever it might happen to be. And during that time, the managing director ended up with a position with our government with our public health office. So that was kind of important during the pandemic. So I decided to step in, she asked me if I would take over managing director and I did and it's been great. It was really great. Why did I leave? I ended up getting a contract, facilitating a youth entrepreneurship program. And I couldn't take something I didn't feel like I could take something on without letting something else go. Right. So I chose to let go Have a woman. And then what ended up happening was, after six weeks of the entrepreneurship program, they didn't have enough kids for the next round. So that ended too. So then I was like, okay, so it is just me. I am the only one and I am going to be the unstuck completely. Totally.

 

Leighann Lovely  40:23

You got some free time?

 

Teri Kerr  40:25

Yeah. Because I really sat down and went, Okay, what do I want? What do I want for my business? And I get to choose. So, you know, I didn't have a choice in that contract ending. But it's worked out. Mavis, the universal shipping clerk, provided for me. That's what I call the universe providing, right God? didn't know I needed that. But thank you.

 

Leighann Lovely  40:54

Yeah, Well, excellence, you know, life, life has tendency to throw us a curveball. So get your baseball mitt out. Right. So the question of the season, I'm asking everybody this, and, you know, I kind of have an idea of what you might say to this, but I would never presume to, you know, assume, but the question of the season, if you could pinpoint a time period in your career that made a huge difference in your life or career path? When would that be and why?

 

Teri Kerr  41:29

The most recent moment for me was when that contract ended. And I got to say, Okay, I'm on my own. What do I want? Because I got to take everything up until that point, and assess and decide and choose and sit and go, What is it that I want from this point forward, and really created the way that I wanted instead of somebody else? How they wanted my business to be. Now, yes, I'm sure you were expecting it to be about my cancer diagnosis. But I did not have an idea of that and becoming an entrepreneur until probably four years after my cancer diagnosis.

 

Leighann Lovely  42:13

Well, and again, it, we all have pivotal moments in our life in our career that drive us to the point where we are right now, as I would have, if somebody would have said, Leanne one day you'll, you'll have a podcast, I would have laughed, and completely been like, you're totally insane. You know, two years ago, I didn't listen to podcast two years ago, I didn't even really know what they were all about. And, and then I had the opportunity to start one. And I mean, again, those pivotal, pivotal moments or those. Sometimes they're quiet whispers that come to us. Sometimes they're major curveballs that are thrown at us. But they they, like you said they change. And they force us to make decisions about what we want. And then we get to choose.

 

Teri Kerr  43:17

I almost corrected you on the forcing us because I don't think that anything forces us to do anything except for sit and do nothing. And that's always a choice. sitting and doing nothing with the choice with the, with the gifts that the universe gives us is absolutely a choice. And I'm going to even venture to guess that 75% of the people out there are sitting there bypassing gifts.

 

Leighann Lovely  43:42

Yep. No, I know, I agree.

 

Teri Kerr  43:44

Or it's safe, or I've made this choice. And I'm gonna stick to it. Whether just because I have to be right. Yeah, like I and I not going to do anything different than what has been what is expected of me. There's full cultures that it's about what other people's expected expectations are. And, you know, it's an it's really a gift to be able to say, Okay, this isn't what I want. What do I want? I'm going to choose to do things differently. Yeah.

 

Leighann Lovely  44:17

Opportunity Knocks constantly, but it takes a special individual to open the door. And there are so many people out there who don't even see the door. And it's it's unfortunate, but not everybody is cut out for entrepreneurship, not everybody and that's a good thing because we do need people to to do all different types of roles and so but okay, so we are at time, Terry, if somebody wants to reach out to you to, you know, contact you, how are they able to do that? And of course, it will also be in the show notes, but how are they able to do that?

 

Teri Kerr  44:57

The best way is probably through social media. At unstuck, duck, that's going to be the easiest way for everybody to remember. My website is unstuckduck.ca Because I'm Canadian on Facebook on Instagram. It's at unstuckduck, and otherwise it's Teri, which has won our teri@unstuckduck.ca If you want to send me an email.

 

Leighann Lovely  45:20

Wonderful again, thank you so much. This has been such a fun conversation with you today.

 

Teri Kerr  45:26

Always, always. Thank you, Leighann.

 

Leighann Lovely  45:31

Thank you again for listening to Let's Talk HR. I appreciate your time and support. Without you the audience this would not be possible. So don't forget that if you enjoyed this episode, to follow us, like us or share us. Have a wonderful day.

 

Teri Kerr

Linkedin - linkedin.com/in/unstuckduck

E-mail – teri@unstuckduck.ca

You can learn more about her a unstuckduck.ca or follow her on IG or FB @unstuckduck.

Website / Social Media Links:
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FB/IG/LI @unstuckduck
FB Group “The Empowered Entrepreneur - From the Muck to the Magic” fb.com/groups/unstuckduck

Offer links / Lead Magnet :
Free guide “10 Strategies for Prevailing over Procrastination”

https://go.unstuckduck.ca/PrevailingOverProcrastination

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Transcribed by https://otter.ai

Music from Uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/t/cruen/family-time License code: 2330NZD3BLNDKPYI

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