An Interview With Sara Connell
… Hydrate by drinking a full glass of water. I actually put the glass of water on my nightstand and it’s what I grab after turning the alarm off. This may seem like a silly habit to incorporate but you cannot mess around with dehydration. Dehydration can negatively impact your blood pressure, cholesterol, cause headaches, etc. Dehydration robs you of energy and will prevent you from performing at your very best.
Beginnings are a Genesis. That means that not only are they a start, but they are also the origin of all that follows. This means that the way we start something, the way we start our day, for example, creates a trajectory for all that follows. How do highly successful leaders start their day in a way that creates a positive trajectory for a successful, effective, productive, and efficient day? How do you create habits that make these routines permanent? How do you get inspired to develop the discipline necessary for such a lifestyle? In this new series, called Morning Routines and Habits Of Highly Successful People, we are talking to successful leaders who can share the morning routines and habits that have helped them to achieve success.
As a part of this series, I had the pleasure of interviewing Amanda Cahill of Bold Women Society.
Amanda Cahill is the Co-Founder of Bold Women Society, a personal and professional development company focused on helping women bust through the status quo. Bold Women Society’s vision is a world where every woman unapologetically pursues her dreams because she has the confidence to be bold, the courage to be authentic, and the power that comes from being supported. Even though Amanda is also a Senior Director of Business Development for Network Connex, a global communications services company, and the President of Women’s Wireless Leadership Forum (WWLF), a national women’s organization in the Telecommunication industry, she was once in a place where everyone questioned her need for more. From the outside looking in, it seemed as though she had it all, but something was missing. Amanda set out to find supportive, like-minded women who were also searching for more. That’s when she came on as Co-Founder of Bold Women Society. Now her dream is to help other women share their stories, and to inspire them to go after whatever they want in life.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Before we dive into the main focus of our interview, our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you tell us a bit about your childhood backstory?
Thank you for having me! As a child of the 80’s, I was fascinated by all things music, movies and performance. You could catch me at any time of the day singing, dancing, or creating choreographed routines and productions. My three older brothers might have been annoyed, but they never let me know it when I would enlist them to be part of whatever production I was working on at the time. My parents will often tell stories of how I’d see a scene in a moving and then act it out in our living room. As embarrassing as this may be, I have a vivid memory of loving Jessica Rabbit’s character in Who Framed Roger Rabbit and learning her scenes line by line so I could perform them for my entire family. As I got older, I was enthralled by Mariah Carey and I couldn’t get enough of her music. (Yes, I was the annoying sibling with the hairbrush microphone singing to anyone who would listen!)
It was my childhood dream to be either a singer or actress, and funny enough, I’m neither of those as an adult. There were many times throughout my life that I got on stage to either sing, act or perform, but it never carried through past me graduating from college or graduate school.
The most interesting part of my upbring was that I moved 25 times before I was 21 years old. Moving around a lot, especially as a child, forces you to be adaptable and make new friends quicky. Being able to build relationships quickly is something that has stuck with me through adulthood and helped make me very successful in my corporate career and now as a business owner.
What or who inspired you to pursue your career? We’d love to hear the story.
As cliche as it may be, I didn’t really pursue the path I’m on now…I fell into it. As a recovering people-pleaser, a huge portion of my younger life and career was focused on taking whatever opportunity was presented to me. Whether that was playing a sport, joining the cheerleading squad, or participating in a volunteer organization within my industry, it was all because someone tapped me on the shoulder and told me I’d be good at it. In doing it all, I never stopped to think about what I really wanted. It wasn’t until I started getting deep into my personal development in 2017 that things really started to change. I did a lot of work to figure out the woman I wanted to be and the life I wanted to live. By putting more focus on the “who” instead of the ”what”, I got really clear on creating a better version of myself. Now I know exactly what I want and that helps shape everything I do in my life. When opportunities are presented to me, it’s easy to determine if that opportunity aligns with the woman I am, the woman I’m becoming, and the life I’m trying to create. This is exactly why I’m so passionate about what I do now. Every day I get the chance the help other women shape their lives by giving them the tools to find clarity and direction in creating a life that is truly fulfilling. I always say life is too short to be anything but happy. I want other women to realize how much control they have over shaping their future, and how much fun they can have while doing it!
None of us can achieve success without some help along the way. Was there a particular person who you feel gave you the most help or encouragement to be who you are today? Can you share a story about that?
There have been many influential people in my life. Many teachers, mentors, and cheerleaders have guided me along the way.
Of all the people I’ve been fortunate to have in my life, my mother has been the most instrumental in shaping who I am today. Throughout my childhood, my mother was always my biggest supporter. She came to every game, cheerleading competition, and concert that I was in. She showed the kind of love only a mother can. She taught me how to be fair and kind to everyone I meet and to never back away from something that was important to me. Most importantly, she allowed me to dream the biggest dreams and supported all the adventures I had throughout my childhood and into adulthood.
As the primary breadwinner in our house, she showed me what it looked like to be a strong woman. When I think of what it means to embody strength, grit and kindness as a woman, her face always appears in my mind. It’s something that helps guide me every day as I work with other professional women.
Can you share the funniest or most interesting mistake that occurred to you in the course of your career? What lesson or take away did you learn from that?
Such a great question! The first thing that comes to mind is the time I accidentally “bro man hugged” one of my biggest clients. You know what I’m talking about…it’s the hug that starts with a handshake and you pull the other person in close and give them a pat on the back. What makes this so funny is that this was only the second time I’d ever met this client in person and we didn’t know each other very well. The best part was that he went along with it and embraced the moment for what it was. He did give me a funny look immediately following, but he didn’t leave me hanging! We of course had a laugh about it afterward and he is now one of my closest clients. This moment taught me that sometimes we try hard to shield who we really are, but you never know what will come from letting your true self shine through.
You are a successful leader. Which three character traits do you think were most instrumental to your success? Can you please share a story or example for each?
The character trait that stands out the most as being critical to my success is my positivity. My positivity and enthusiasm radiate in all that I do, and I’ve been told it’s one of my most distinguishable traits. No matter the situation, I can see the positive outcome or lesson to be learned. I’m the person who is always smiling and finding a way to bring a smile to those around me. It’s something I’ve done since childhood (remember those acts and routines I performed as a kid?). The second trait that comes to mind is being a risk-taker. My life motto is “the answer is always no until you ask.” I have a firm belief that getting clear on what you want and asking for it leads to a more fulfilled, happy life. It’s also helped to accelerate my career trajectory and earning potential exponentially. The last trait that has been instrumental in creating my success is being an activator. As a natural activator, I have a keen ability to make things happen by turning thoughts into action. “When can we start?” This is a recurring theme in my life. Once a decision is made, I cannot wait to take action. Because of this, I’ve often been labeled as an executor; hence why I got tapped on the shoulder so many times through my career to lead projects or big company initiatives.
I’m an author and I believe that books have the power to change lives. Do you have a book in your life that impacted you and inspired you to be an effective leader? Can you share a story?
Would you believe me if I told you I have a spreadsheet of all the books I’ve read? And yes, the spreadsheet is marked by genre and highlighted by the most influential! As an avid reader (I read roughly one book a week), it’s hard to credit one book as being the most impactful. A really great one that comes to mind is “The Third Door” by Alex Banayan. As an eighteen-year-old college freshman, Alex set out to track down the world’s most successful people to uncover how they broke through and launched their careers. He interviews everyone from Bill Gates, Maya Angelou, Steven Spielberg, Pitbull, Jessica Alba, Quincy Jones and many more. What I took from the book was that the most successful people in the world all found a “third door” to their success. Alex equates life and business to a nightclub where there are always three ways to get in: the main entrance, the VIP line and the third door. The third door is where you have to jump out of line, run down the alley, bang on the door a hundred times, crack open a window, and sneak in through the kitchen — whatever you have to do to find your way in. I’ve carried this story with me: there’s always a way, sometimes you just have to get creative.
What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now? How do you think that might help people?
The future of Bold Women Society is something that gets me excited every day. When my Co-Founder, and original Founder, of Bold Women Society, Caytie Langford, brought the idea of Bold Women Society to life, we had no idea the company would look like what it does today. We envision a world where every single woman shows up unapologetically in the pursuit of her dreams because she has the confidence to be bold, the courage to be authentic, and the power that comes from being supported.
In working to bring this vision to life, we know we have to get in front of as many women as possible. That’s why we’re in the process of launching the ‘Let’s Get BOLD’ podcast, to spotlight everyday women who are doing extraordinary things. We are also in the midst of writing a book, which will give women another way to interact and learn from us. Our hope is that we can inspire confidence in women through our community and platform to go after their goals and dreams. We want to help them release any narratives, beliefs, or barriers that limit the pursuit of the life they want to create. Ultimately, we want to give all women permission to write (and rewrite) their own stories of success through inspiration, motivation, and impact.
OK, thank you for all of that. Let’s now shift to the core focus of our interview. This will be intuitive to you but it will be helpful to spell this out directly. Can you help explain to our readers why it is important to have a consistent morning routine?
How you start your day is everything, from the thoughts you think as soon as you wake up to the actions you take after getting out of bed. Having a consistent morning routine has been crucial in helping me achieve success and the calmness and happiness I carry throughout the day. I’ve found if I can control the beginning of my day, I have a much better chance of controlling the middle and end of my day. Most people I know lose control of their day as soon as they open their eyes. “What do I have to do today? What bills do I have to pay?” They start their day worried and stressed, and often, they begin to react immediately. They check emails, scan news outlets, or scroll through social media, all starting their day in a reactive state. A consistent morning routine helps you keep control of your day versus letting yourself be susceptible to whatever life throws at you. When you are in a continuous reactive state there’s less time for making strategic decisions because you are stuck in the loop of letting life happen to you. Developing a consistent morning routine helps to provide the structure to give you a greater chance of operating proactively instead of reactively.
Can you please share your optimal morning routine that can create a positive trajectory for a successful, effective, productive, and efficient day? If you can, please share some stories or examples.
It’s important for everyone to find what works for them. Morning routines are not one size fits all! I first want to dispel the idea that your morning must start at 5am if you want to be successful. A morning routine is just that: a routine you do in the morning. This can happen whenever it is you start your day, whether that’s 5am, 7am or 10am. It’s about finding what works best for you.
There are four things I do every morning that enable me to stay focused, healthy, and mentally ready for each day.
The way you talk to yourself matters, and that goes for first thing in the morning as well. It took a long time for this habit to stick, but something I’ve done for years now as soon as I open my eyes is I smile to myself and say “today’s going to be a good day. I love my life!” The morning motto can be anything that feels empowering to you. Imagine how much different your life would be if you started each day asking yourself, “What am I happy and excited about? What am I proud of?” Can you see how empowering that would feel? You’d be ready to take on whatever life has in store for you that day.
The second thing I do is hydrate by drinking a full glass of water. I actually put the glass of water on my nightstand and it’s what I grab after turning the alarm off. This may seem like a silly habit to incorporate but you cannot mess around with dehydration. Dehydration can negatively impact your blood pressure, cholesterol, cause headaches, etc. Dehydration robs you of energy and will prevent you from performing at your very best.
Next, I take five minutes to meditate. It helps me feel connected, peaceful, balanced and centered. Mediating was foreign to me at first, as it is with many people. We live in a world of instant information, instant gratification, where things are coming at us one hundred miles an hour. Very rarely do we give ourselves the freedom to sit quietly with ourselves and when we do, it feels uncomfortable. As of today, I’ve meditated for almost 7000 minutes. That has grown little by little, year over year, by spending three to ten minutes a day in meditation checking in with myself. Now, nothing throws me off track. I can easily take on any change or difficult situation that comes my way. I have mediation to thank for that. Do not underestimate the compound effect that spending just a few minutes a day in quiet time can have on your life.
The last thing I do every morning is get in some form of movement. It varies from day to day, but often I will simply stretch or go for a walk outside. Sometimes I do yoga, bike, lift weights or run. It depends on what I’m in the mood for that day. The important thing to me is to make sure I get some form of movement in first thing in the morning.
Speaking in general, what is the best way to develop good habits? Conversely, how can one stop bad habits?
Something we teach in Bold Women Society is anchoring a habit to another habit. For example, let’s say you want to practice being more grateful. You could anchor gratitude with brushing your teeth. Every time you brush your teeth you say three things you’re grateful for. Or maybe you want to start working out in the morning before you head to work. You could anchor the habit of setting your workout clothes out the night before with prepping your lunch for the next day.
Conversely, a good way to stop a bad habit is to replace it with something else. Let’s say you enjoy having a glass of wine every day after work, but you’d really like to cut back. You could replace your after-work wine with a sparkling water or mocktail (still in a wine glass or fun cocktail glass!). In this example, you’re still having “a drink” after work just the contents of the drink have changed.
Doing something consistently “day in and day out” can be hard. Where did you get your motivation from? What do you use to motivate you now?
Motivation is interesting. Most people think you must be motivated day in and day out and that you must continuously seek motivation. The real separator between those who are successful and those who aren’t isn’t that the successful are more motivated, it’s that the successful do whatever is necessary regardless of whether they are motivated or not. For me, it’s the process of taking action that generates motivation, not the other way around! It’s the extraordinary habits and routines that have allowed me to show up even on the days when I’m not motivated. There comes a time in everyone’s life when they might feel tired, under pressure, stressed, etc. It’s the habits and routines in place that you often fall back on during those times. That’s why it’s so important to instill habits that serve you — they keep you on track on the days when you aren’t “feeling it.”
What other resources would you suggest to our readers?
There are two books I always recommend: “High Performance Habits” by Brendan Burchard and “Maxout Your Life” by Ed Mylett. Both books have taught me a great deal about becoming an elite performer and creating success for myself. The important thing to remember is to not be afraid to try things on for size. There’s a world of information at our fingertips and not everything will resonate. The best approach I’ve found when learning or reading a new strategy is to gauge how it would fit into your life. As I mentioned before, this is not a one size fits all. It’s trial and error. Some things will stick when others won’t. I’m a big believer in helping people find what works best for them, especially when it comes to a morning routine. You can give also yourself permission to do something different every day — the morning doesn’t have to look the same every single day. The important thing is that you find what makes you feel the best and primed to give it your all.
Ok, we are nearly done. You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good for the greatest number of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger.
I want to inspire and empower other women to create the life of their dreams. Your life doesn’t have to fit into a specific box. What I’ve found in working with women, is that often, we never stop to think about what we really want. We are always putting others’ needs before our own. We often think it’s selfish if we think about what we want out of life. I’ve found that most people can tell you exactly what they don’t want, but very few can say what it is they do want. I imagine a beautiful world where more women are living into their potential and showing future generations what is possible.
We are very blessed that some of the biggest names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US, whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we both tag them 🙂
This question lights me up! My business partner, Caytie, and I have the same role model, which might be one of the reasons we operate so well together in business.
Hands down, I would love to have breakfast or lunch with Sara Blakely, Founder of Spanx! Sara’s story is such an inspiration and one that I’ve been following for years. She was an ordinary woman selling fax machines until a wardrobe mishap catalyzed her creation of Spanx. Sara was named the world’s youngest, self-made female billionaire by Forbes Magazine and on the TIME’s 100 Most Influential People. All accomplished with the start of one action and one mission: To help women feel great about themselves and their potential.
Her story of persistence, embracing failure, and rising from it all is one that we’ll continue to talk about for generations to come. She has instilled a fire in me and is a great example of what is possible when you never give up on a dream. I like to think of her as “the bold woman uplifting bold women” — I welcome any chance to meet her one day!
How can our readers further follow your work online?
My personal and business handles are below. Feel free to reach out — I’d love to connect!
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amandacahill__/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amanda-cahill/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/boldconfidentauthentic
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/boldwomensociety/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bold-women-society/
Thank you for these really excellent insights, and we greatly appreciate the time you spent with this. We wish you continued success.
Amanda Cahill Of Bold Women Society On The Morning Routines and Habits Of Highly Successful People was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.