Welcome to STANDOUT From The Crowd.
I'm Darine, and if you are anything like me, you have probably been through a few unexpected twists on your journey.
My plan “A” was to be a diplomat, but life had other plans leading me to become an impact entrepreneur and champion for women's leadership.
Sometimes life has a funny way of throwing us curveballs. Right?
I have always wondered why fit in when you were born to stand out.
In this podcast, I sit down with remarkable women leaders who have embraced their unique path, defied expectations, and created lasting impact.
We dive into their stories, explore their mindset, their resilience, and the strategies that help them succeed even when left through stones in their path.
Whether it's insights on personal growth, strategies to amplify your visibility, or tips to boost your well-being and overall productivity, you will find the inspiration you need to unlock your full potential. Join me for conversations that will empower you to stand out in your career, in your life, and in everything that you do.
Because listen, here, we don't just follow the crowd. We STANDOUT.
Welcome to our 100 episodes, 100 conversations, solo reflections, truth bombs, and vulnerable moments.
100 episodes, and you have been through it all.
So I wanna take a moment to thank you.
Thank you for listening, for sharing, for believing in your growth, and for walking this journey with me.
Whether you have been here since episode one or you just joined the podcast, this space is yours.
And I'm so glad you are here.
And so today, we are celebrating two milestones, our hundredth episode and also the kickstart of our new summer reset series, five episodes designed to help you pause, reflect, and realign with your purpose over the summer.
Actually, there is a science behind the media pause.
According to a Harvard Business School study, people who reflect just fifteen minutes at the end of the day improve performance by 23%.
Reflection doesn't slow you down.
It clears the way forward.
Why?
Because it activates the brain default mode network.
The part of your brain that is responsible for self evaluation, memory, and creativity.
So when you reflect, you are not styling, you are sharpening.
Let me ask you a simple but often overlooked question.
How is this year really going for you?
Not on paper, not based on your calendar or your goals, but based on your energy, your spirit, your alignment.
Are you simply proud of where you are at now?
Are you proud of what you have been doing since January first of this year?
Or are you a little tired? Exhausted? Overwhelmed?
Maybe you are disconnected.
If so, I see you. I have been there.
And if you see me here in a different setup, it's because I practice what I preach.
And I'm currently recording this episode from South Of France where I'm spending the summer to chill, pause, reflect, and realign.
And it's been a couple of years now that I'm taking the summer to pause and chill out.
Let's keep it simple here. Summer is the season of pause, of chill out.
So you can create and make more space in your head and in your heart to reflect.
And since I have been spending my summers in South Of France to chill out, pause, and reflect, I have learned something.
You don't have to earn a reset.
You have to choose one.
And I know as a high achiever myself, how it can be challenging and conflictual internally to decide to take a pause when we are so used to grinding and achieving moves.
But listen, at some point, you simply need to stop and chill out.
Summer is often treated as a buffer zone between q two urgency and q four ambition.
But actually, it is the most powerful time and q four ambition.
But actually, it is the most powerful time to pause.
And nature knows how to do it.
The days are longer.
Nature is blooming.
Summer is wired for energy.
Then it's up to you to decide what you wanna do with that energy.
And this is not about productivity hacks.
It's about intentional presence and enjoying your life.
That's your power move this season.
Chill out and enjoy your life.
If you are not convinced yet, and if I need to do some convincing, there is actually an emotional and strategic value to the pose.
Harvard Business Review reported that leaders who regularly post reflect are 25% more effective in long term decision making.
Why? Because clarity doesn't come from doing more.
It comes from doing less on purpose.
So let's pause right here with a short reflection.
If you are walking, driving, cooking, just keep listening.
If you are able to pause, then close your eyes, take a deep breath, and do that now.
Picture yourself in January.
Who were you then?
Now flash forward today and ask yourself, what's something I'm proud of, even if no one else noticed?
What's something that felt heavy that I might need to put down?
What do I want to feel more during this summer? Breathe.
And when this episode ends, I invite you to write down your answers.
No pressure, Just your presence and honesty.
Now, let's ground this reflection in something simple.
I would like to introduce you to the 3R RESET model.
The first “R” is for reflection.
Simply, what's working? What's not working?
The second “R” is for release.
What can I let go of? Habits, people, expectations, energy drains.
And the third “R” is for realignment.
And we will talk about realignment later during this series.
But for today, today is about looking at yourself in the mirror without judgment and simply being honest with yourself.
If you have been listening and following me for quite some time, you know that I like to keep things simple yet effective.
So my reset ritual is made of three simple steps.
I schedule a reflection hour first thing in the morning.
Even if I have to wake up earlier than everyone else in the house, I like to have this moment of quietness, this moment of silence where I can hear myself thinking.
And I do nothing else.
I don't touch my phone.
I don't turn on the TV.
I really do nothing else but just sit down in silence and enjoy this time of quietness for myself. The second thing that I do every day is to ask myself, what do I want to feel more this season? Who is the woman that I wanna be?
What does this woman look like?
What do I need to do?
What are the choices, the decision that I need to make in order to be that woman?
And last but not least, I chose a guiding word for the summer.
When approaching the new year, you hear a lot of people choose your new year resolution, choose your new year word.
For me, it's just my summer word.
And it's very simple.
It can be something like peace, impact, ease, focus, chill.
And I let that word guide my summer.
It helped me be more in control of the way I react to things, the way I receive information, and the way I decide to do things.
If my word for this summer is peace, then what do I need to do in the way I interact with people, in the way I organize myself, in the way I do things to keep and protect my peace over the summer.
So let's do a quick recap.
You are allowed to pause without falling behind.
When you decide to pause over the summer, it's not an interruption.
You are allowing yourself to chill out, pause and reflect.
You don't need to earn your pause.
You don't need permission to pivot.
You are allowed to reset because your next chapter starts here, right now, today.
In this one hundredth episode, you have been invited to pause, chill, and reflect.
And next week, we will go deeper.
We will look at ways to design your own summer reset ritual and how to create your very own personal retreat no matter where you are.
If this episode opens something for you, then join me for the next step.
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When you read it, it's your five minute reset.
I love that idea. I love doing that for you.
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Come in the comments.
Share your experience, your thoughts, you know, your progress.
We wanna know. I wanna know.
It's not about just you listening to what I'm saying.
It's about exchanging and getting to know each other.
Listen, let's have fun while we are growing and succeeding together.
Until the next episode, take care and stay safe. Bye.
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