Inside this episode, Y Combinator backed startup executive Sarah Kathleen Peck shares why maintaining hobbies so so invaluable in your career, how she navigates the male-dominated tech world and the story of her pen pal love affair, whose outcome is not only incredible but also a valuable relationship lesson.
Sarah is a marketing and communications strategist and the VP of Product at One Month. She has advised, spoken and taught at Harvard, UC Berkeley, University of Virginia, The World Domination Summit, Bold Academy and General Assembly. Sarah also writes every day and you can find her online in The Huffington Post, Fast Company, Psychology Today and Lifehacker, as well as on her website, SarahKPeck.com.
Episode Highlights
• 3:22 – How Sarah unifies her disparate projects in a meaningful way
• 7:45 – What integrity means in everyday life and how to deliver the honest truth in a loving and kind way?
• 12:52 – The surprising reason why maintaining hobbies is so valuable
• 14:11 – Lessons learned from being one of only 2 women at her company
• 18:30 – What’s her “Binder of Women” all about and why did she create it?
• 20:47 – How to leverage your natural strengths as a leader as Sarah’s unexpected favorite one
• 24:18 – Crazy sexy love story: How Sarah’s pen pal courtship transformed her relationship with her future husband
• 29:18 – Writing for business vs. personal writing – what’s the difference and how does Sarah deal with the tension?
• 30:00 – Sarah’s number one no-no in writing: being “fuzzy” and unclear about THIS
•Related: Get my free 22-page e-book: Natural Attraction: 9 Rules to Attract the Right Man by Being Yourself with No Games or Gimmicks
1. Favorite book for women?
- Tara Sophia Mohr’s Playing Big is an amazing book for women. Two more books I’d add in the must-read, difficult-conversation category are Men Explain Things to Me and Girls and Sex. Cracks open a ton of statistics and makes you aware of all that there is still to have a conversation about.
2. Favorite self-care hack?
- Lie down on the ground! Imagine if you plugged yourself in with a horizontal, peaceful few minutes as often as you plug in to recharge your iPhone. I retreat to our couch in the office every hour or two just to close my eyes and rest for a minute or two. I can’t do the crazy “go-go-go” eight hour stretch that many office cultures like to encourage.
3. Best piece of advice and who gave it to you?
- Listen to yourself. Doesn’t matter what words, voices, or wisdom you’ve gotten from the “outside,” you have to reconcile it with your soul and your own wisdom on the inside. And that came from myself. It’s been a long time learning, but the older I get, the more I hear the reminder from my quiet voice within.
4. Female CEO or thought leader you’re into right now?
- There are so darn many! Seriously, ask me for a list and I’ll give you several hundred. I draw energy from inspiring women around me and watching them work their magic. A few are: Amy Cuddy, Brene Brown, Courtney Martin, Rebecca Solnit, Patti Digh, Ariana Huffington, Leah Busque, Krista Tippet, Maria Popova, Nilofer Merchant, and more.
5. One piece of advice you’d give your 5 years younger self?
- Keep writing down what you want and then take steps every day to go after it. It may seem obvious, simple, or small — but if it matters to you, it is the most important thing. Trust yourself.
Resources and People Mentioned
• Sarah Kathleen Peck’s Website
• Sarah Kathleen Peck’s Twitter
• Kim Scott (Radical Candor)
•Related: Get my free 22-page e-book: Natural Attraction: 9 Rules to Attract the Right Man by Being Yourself with No Games or Gimmicks
