‘Getting Real’ With Mindful Executive Coach Daisy Swan
The Destiny Awakening Interviews is a podcast with Andrew Wayfinder and his guests.
Every week (sometimes more) we have a short focused interview with an expert, author, speaker designed to bring you powerful insights, inspiration and ways to break free, live life by your vision and values, and make a difference in our changing and challenging world.
Listen to the podcast at: https://www.andrewwayfinder.com/blog/DA0028
Andrew Hryniewicz
So hello, everyone and a very warm welcome to another edition of the Destiny Awakening Interviews. I’m Andrew Wayfinder Hryniewicz and I’m joined today by Daisy Swan, mindfulness expert, career and executive coach, workshop and retreat leader.
A very warm welcome to you, Daisy. And where are you hanging out today?
Daisy Swan
Well, thanks for having me, Andrew, I am in lovely Santa Barbara, California.
Andrew Hryniewicz
Probably a whole lot warmer than here in London.
Daisy Swan
I wouldn’t gather that could be the case…
Andrew Hryniewicz
Or Chicago where you used to live?
Daisy Swan
Yes, yes. I’m a Californian now.
Andrew Hryniewicz
Well, let’s dive into the work you do, because Daisy Swan has been a career and executive coach for 25 plus years.
She draws on a lifelong practice of Mindfulness, and years of studying many different modalities — psychology and other things — to help clients achieve changes they long to embody with 20,000 plus hours of coaching experience.
Daisy is also an instructor and executive coach for UCLA‘s Anderson School of Management M.B.A. programs. And has facilitated hundreds of retreats, workshops and classes, while also being featured in the Huffington Post, LA Weekly, New York Post, ABC, NBC, and Forbes.
So thank you, Daisy for your time today. And, the title we’re working with is “Getting Real: The Power of Hearing Yourself to Live the Life You Need”. And Daisy is going to unpack that idea by answering six questions.
So the first question, Daisy, who is your ideal client? And what’s the transformation in your work helps them achieve?
Daisy Swan
Well, I would say foundationally my clients are intelligent and curious people of all ages.
They’re people who want to make an impact… They want to have some sort of greater meaning in what they’re doing in the world.
Many of them are leaders in an organization, and many are people who want to be leaders in their own life.
And I do have, you know… I work with everyone from the 24-year-old (whose parents are a little concerned), to people in their 50s, who are making a transition out of a career that served them, but they’re ready for something new.
The average age of my client is around 37. And these are people who like to get things done, but oftentimes they feel rather stuck. They’re not really seeing the way forward.
So that’s what we work on… is really clearing the weeds, so to speak, so that they’re able to see a clearer path.
Andrew Hryniewicz
Okay, question number two I think ties right into that, what’s the biggest challenge they’re facing when they come through the door to see you?
Daisy Swan
Yeah, it’s that “Stuckness”.
They know they want something to change, but they’re not sure what it needs to look like. Or they have some ideas, but they don’t think they can do it.
They know that some ‘structure’ can help them, but they’re not sure they want structure.
A lot of my clients are quite creative. And I know that creative people oftentimes think they don’t need or want that… Because they want to be free to do what they’re going to do.
That’s not always the case. But we do put structure on things and within that.
It’s pretty remarkable, oftentimes, what people find.
Andrew Hryniewicz
Okay, question number three, what’s the number one insight you would share with someone to help them out if they’re in that circumstance?
Daisy Swan
Yeah. Well, if it were something that I wanted people to do today, and it’s so simple, really.
To carve out some time — and this gets to being able to hear yourself — to get real with yourself.
I think we can keep ourselves distracted from really hearing our truth. And that could sound sort of trite, but I think it’s really true.
You know, it’s scary for a lot of people… but carving out some time doesn’t have to be much. It could be to go for a walk. It could be to sit quietly on a meditation cushion, of course. Although a lot of people don’t want to take that time or don’t think they have that time.
But just a little time for your nervous system to quiet enough to be able to hear what’s bubbling.
And, of course, you know, this is what mindfulness meditation can do for us. Iit helps us to quiet the mind enough to be able to hear what’s going on in there.
It’s not like we’re going to have that clean slate, and not have any thoughts. But to be able to recognize what those thoughts are… that are returning and returning…
So I think, the number one insight would be: To be courageous, to carve out the time to be with yourself, to become familiar with what those thoughts are that are in your mind.
Andrew Hryniewicz
I know that the days when I don’t meditate feel very different than the days when I do.
Daisy Swan
Yeah, well, it can be such a short…
When I go to yoga on a regular basis — and I will say it’s very athletic yoga — that’s where I really get to sweat. But at the end of that, we have this Shavasana… And you know, I get a lot of insight, just in that little time, too.
So, it’s not like it has to be a big commitment.
Andrew Hryniewicz
Well, it’s the consistency, rather than the amount.
Daisy Swan
Yeah, and the awareness is a big strength that we want people to develop I think.
Andrew Hryniewicz
Okay, great.
Question number four: what concept, book, program, talk or experience has had the greatest impact in your development?
Daisy Swan
Yeah, that’s a great question. You know, when I hear that question, or look at that question, I sort of go back, and back, and back… through all of the different things I’ve learned and studied and whatnot…
I think that foundationally, the concept of ‘emotional intelligence’, really it’s at the base, of being effective. And, with that is ‘awareness’.
So to me, those are so hand in hand. They’re joined together, because I don’t think it’s possible to be emotionally intelligent without having self-awareness.
So I think, being able to develop that awareness, through whatever means you can… And ‘mindfulness’ is a wonderful way to develop awareness.
But to be able to read people… to be able to hear your truth… to be able to listen to what’s not being spoken… All of those things, I think, have been most impactful for me.
Andrew Hryniewicz
Okay. And I think that actually ties in very nicely with question number five, which is there a free resource you’d like to share with the audience to help them out?
Daisy Swan
Yeah, I wrote a book several years ago, it’s called “Making Work, Work”. But from that, I developed a series of what I call “Deep Dive Questions”. And that free resource is on my website.
And it’s a series of questions that help people look at where they are in their life, taken from the ideas that I worked on, and in my book.
Andrew Hryniewicz
Okay, great. So that’ll be www.daisyswan.com.
Daisy Swan
Right.
Andrew Hryniewicz
Go to Daisy’s website and get the questions.
So question number six. What should I have asked you that I didn’t?
Daisy Swan
Another great question.
How’s this one?
What’s the most important ‘capability’ to develop?
Andrew Hryniewicz
Okay, so what is it?
Daisy Swan
I say curiosity…
I think curiosity, to me, is what keeps things interesting.
It helps people to take action without getting too caught up in the outcome, which is where a lot of us get stuck, right?
We think, “Oh, but if I do this, then what will happen?”
And we just want to stick with the curiosity, because that opens up so many wonderful possibilities.
I think curiosity is also a very important antidote to anxiety, to that ‘stuckness’. To all of the things that we say “No” to. When we can stop, and just be curious about what’s going on.
You know, what’s having us believe that we need to do, or not do, what we’re considering?
So, yeah. Being open minded. To look where, even at the most mundane things in your life, or the most exciting things in your life, and really ask: “What’s really here?”
Andrew Hryniewicz
Reminds me of, I think it’s from Buddhism or Zen when they say that, “The conditioned mind attacks and defends. And the unconditioned mind gets curious”.
Daisy Swan
That’s beautiful. Yeah.
Andrew Hryniewicz
I do my best to remember that.
Daisy Swan
That’s great. Yeah.
Andrew Hryniewicz
Okay. Well, that’s perfect Daisy, thank you so much for your time.
Daisy Swan
Oh, you’re so welcome. Thank you for having me.
