Cultivating Strong Leadership Through Personal Growth featuring Jessica Pfau

Jessica Pfau [: 00:00:00

We talk about this a lot at Lighthouse. We can't give hope if you don't have any yourself. And hope is one of our core values. It is vital that we are understanding the power of being here and the hope that we're able to give.

Kate Volman [: 00:00:15

Jessica, thank you so much for coming back on the show.

Jessica Pfau [: 00:00:19

Thank you so much for the honor of being here. I love it.

Kate Volman [: 00:00:22

I am so excited about this conversation because we've known each other for a while now, for almost. We're going on to five years since you originally reached out to us. And I wanted to have you come back on just to share. I think the last time you were on, you were in a certain place. Many things have happened to you for the. For you personally and with the business. So why don't you give us just like a little bit of an overview of what's been happening in your world over the past few years?

Jessica Pfau [: 00:00:52

Yeah. Well, I'm Jessica Pfau. I'm the CEO of Lighthouse Behavioral Wellness Centers, and we're the community mental health center down here in Southern Oklahoma. And I've partnered up with Floyd Consulting and just love being with you guys. We have. Over the last few years, with the help of my coach, Michelle, we've really grown. We have grown from about 150 staff to almost 400. And our annual budget has grown substantially as well.

Jessica Pfau [: 00:01:25

We were around 20ish million and this coming up year will be 46, 48. We're still kind of figuring all that out right now, but last year we were at 46 million. So we have really grown. And I couldn't have done it without the Floyd coach because truly, when a company grows like that, the leader needs to grow, too. And I really needed to grow if I was going to lead a company like that. So really excited about where we are and what's happened.

Kate Volman [: 00:02:01

That is so exciting. And it's just so cool to watch you and your team and you really are a leader that values growth. I mean, you know our philosophy that an organization can only be the best version of itself to the extent that its people are becoming better versions of themselves. And you really believe in that. I mean, you first started coaching with us and immediately you said, okay, my people need a coach.

Jessica Pfau [: 00:02:25

Yes.

Kate Volman [: 00:02:26

Everyone in this organization, we. I really want to make sure that they are growing because as we grow, they're going to need to gain new skills. What are some of the challenges that came up for you that you leaned on your coach to help decide the direction that you were going to go over the Years.

Jessica Pfau [: 00:02:44

There have been several, but one I can think of most recently, I was diagnosed with cancer in 2023, late 2023. And it's a devastating thing to get to hear the doctor call and say, it is cancer. I'm the CEO of this large company. How do I manage that? And my own issues? And so literally, I know this is going to sound kind of silly, but I called my husband. I got off the phone with the doctor, called my husband. We were expecting the call. I told him. And then I called Michelle, my coach, and I was like, hey, Michelle, I have some things I need to tell you.

Jessica Pfau [: 00:03:23

And she was amazing because she knew immediately what my concerns were. How do I share this information or what do I share with my staff? A year of cancer treatment, I'm not going to be able to act like it's not happening. So I wanted to make sure that I was transparent about that, but I also didn't want the staff to worry. The great thing is, you know, just to rush to the end. I'm now cancer free.

Kate Volman [: 00:03:52

Yay. Yes, that is good.

Jessica Pfau [: 00:03:55

But it was. It was caught early. It was breast cancer through mammogram, caught early. And so it was just a process I was going to have to go through for a full year. And let me tell you, it wasn't easy. It was, you know, emotional at times. But with Michelle's help, we immediately had. She.

Jessica Pfau [: 00:04:14

We began to talk through. How are you going to respond to this, Jessica? And I. I don't. I mean, part of my own personality is I want to look at, what can I get out of this? What's the positive? How can I turn this bad thing into a positive? And so we came up with the word adventure. This is an adventure that I'm going on. And I would not have been able to do that without Michelle, Honestly, maybe. Maybe in the end, I would have figured it out. But even within that first call with her just learning about this devastating, difficult information, she helped me to recast it into, this is an adventure.

Jessica Pfau [: 00:04:56

It's not one I'm choosing, but I'm going to go on. Let's talk about it. And so she helped me to get on with all my staff. We had a big zoom call within a couple of days of my diagnosis, and I spent a lot of time saying, I'm going to be okay. You're going to be okay. Lighthouse is going to be fine. We're all going to be fine. Because, you know, it was scary for staff.

Jessica Pfau [: 00:05:21

I'm very close with my staff, and I didn't want them to worry. And I think it worked. It really worked.

Kate Volman [: 00:05:27

When we spoke last week, that alone really stuck with me. When you said that you got in front of your team and you said, you're gonna be okay. Yeah, I'm gonna be okay. We're gonna be okay.

Jessica Pfau [: 00:05:41

I said it, like 50 times in five minutes. I mean, literally over and over. And that's what Michelle helped me. She was like, just say it over and over. Because the acknowledgment. I remember her saying this. The acknowledgment is they're going to hear what you're telling them, and they're going to be sad, but the first thing they're going to think about is themselves and just recognizing that they're going to be sad for you. Oh, I'm so sorry, Jessica.

Jessica Pfau [: 00:06:03

You have cancer. But what does this mean for me? You know, what? How am I going to lose my job? Am I going to. That's the reality. And it's not a blaming thing. It's just the reality that people think of themselves. That's what we all do. And so I needed to immediately address that and be very open with, I truly am going to be okay. You are going to be okay.

Jessica Pfau [: 00:06:24

Lighthouse is going to be okay, and we're going to go forward, and here's what we're going to do. And this is an adventure. People responded so positively. They talked about their adventure. I mean, later people. All throughout the year, people would come up to me, like, you inspire me. My. This has happened to me, and it's an adventure for me, too, you know? So it was a real moment to use in a very positive way.

Jessica Pfau [: 00:06:50

And Michelle helped me. My husband is wonderful, but he was with me in it. And when you're in it, it's hard to think about. You know, he was emotional, just like I was. And you need someone that is independent of that, yet with you enough that knows you, that can help you think through it. And that's a really good example of the shift that I've been able to maneuver with your help and with Michelle's help. These last five years have been an amazing ride. That was one that was unexpected, but it's been an interesting adventure that we're now done with now.

Jessica Pfau [: 00:07:33

Hair's growing back, and it's all curly.

Kate Volman [: 00:07:36

And it looks fabulous. It's so interesting because it's those moments where it feels like stoicism, right? When things that you can control, there's things that you can't control. And it's up to us, like we have to almost mentally prepare always, like our whole lives for the next challenge that might come our way and then be able to look at that challenge differently, to name it differently. There is a lot of power in the words that we use with what we are going through.

Jessica Pfau [: 00:08:10

Oh, very much so.

Kate Volman [: 00:08:12

So how did you take some of the coaching and what you were learning, especially through that challenging time in your life? What did you learn that you then were able to help your team work through or that you could use some of those same skills to. To work with your team and help them grow?

Jessica Pfau [: 00:08:31

Yeah, well, over the time, with the coaching culture is really important. As the CEO, my number one job, I have two or three things. One of them is I've got to instill the mission. Now we're a big nonprofit, but even if we weren't a nonprofit, the mission becomes extremely important of why are we here? So it's my job to. To make sure that everybody knows why we're here, what are we doing, and then the culture of that, our core values, instilling those into the staff and what we do every day. And then, of course, making sure that the company is financially sound and that we are sustainable for long term. And so those three things with the coaching, it has really helped me to think through those things. And so how can I talk about our core values all the time without making it sound like I'm just on a recording and I'm saying it over, you know, hope, dedication, community.

Jessica Pfau [: 00:09:35

Hope, dedication, community, you know, so Michelle has helped me to think through that and just using. Oh, well, that's another, you know, she'll say, that's another example of your core values. I'm like, you know, you're right. Wow. Let me tell that story to the staff. It has really helped me to focus on what my job is, being with her and talking through things with her. We meet monthly. And so there's an accountability piece, too, that.

Jessica Pfau [: 00:10:04

That it happens. And so she'll. She'll check in. It's kind of a check in time. And through all of that, it has been a growth that I really needed. I really needed her help. And so everything that I'm doing feels like it translates to something very concrete, and it's worked really well.

Kate Volman [: 00:10:28

So cancer is one of those things that touches so many people, whether it's themselves or somebody in their lives. Yeah, for sure, unfortunately. And it can just be devastating. And so to somebody out there that's listening, that is either a leader, they're on a team, whatever, whoever it is, or maybe they have a coworker or a family member that is. That is dealing with this in their life. What message would you share with that person?

Jessica Pfau [: 00:11:00

I think that it can become a lesson, an opportunity for a lesson, an opportunity for change. And one of the things that cancer did for me, you know, now I look back and I'm. And I'm grateful for it because I have always been someone who. And I know, you know, as women, at least for me, weakness is bad. I don't want. I want to. I don't want to look weak. I don't want to seem weak.

Jessica Pfau [: 00:11:30

And asking for help is one of those things that I have equated in the past. Well, that's weakness. So, nope, I've got it. I'm unloading my car. And then people, nope. Do you need help? Nope. I'll make five trips on my own. I don't need any help.

Jessica Pfau [: 00:11:45

You know, that kind of thing. And through the cancer, there were times where I really did need to ask for help. And Michelle helped me to rethink that, because that was an emotional point for me. Like, I don't. I'm now going to be weak. And she said, no, think about this in a different way. You're giving them an opportunity to help you, and you're giving them an opportunity to show what they can do. So let's delegate stuff, let go of some things.

Jessica Pfau [: 00:12:17

And she really helped me to rethink that. And so now that I'm past it, I see she was right. It gave my team an opportunity to take on some things that I probably would not have let go of. And, you know, shockingly, they took it and ran with it and did better than I ever could have with different things. And so it was an opportunity for me to learn better. And so what would I say to someone with cancer that is being recently diagnosed? And say, yes, it's hard. It's very, very hard, but look for opportunities and find the goodness in it, and you will make it through it.

Kate Volman [: 00:13:01

Beautiful. Something that I find so inspiring about you, Jessica, is that through it all, you continued to not only work and let's. I want to touch on that a little bit because I think that there is so much value in work and work helping people become the best version of themselves. And today, in a world where I feel like we constantly see, there's lots of layoffs and there's lots of people talking about toxic cultures and toxic leaders, and. But then we get to work with leaders like you who are so incredible. And so I'm like, no, no, there are really wonderful companies and people that are leading them that we can go and fulfill the mission of these organizations. So can you just talk a little bit about the value of work, not only through an adversity, like going through cancer, but just in general, like the value of work, what that does and how that helps people become the best version of themselves.

Jessica Pfau [: 00:13:58

Yes, for me, it's purpose. I mean, it's a purpose. Getting up and helping and being able to affect change in the community. That's what I absolutely love. And now I grew up in a family. My parents worked, and that's what we did. We just worked. And so that work ethic has been instilled in me.

Jessica Pfau [: 00:14:19

And so I don't understand the thought process of not working. However, I do understand your question. The benefit of. Of working, even if it's not getting paid, if you're volunteering, but you're giving your time, your energy, your talent to help someone else, it really helps you, too. I think that going through the cancer, it would have been really easy to kind of retreat and be home and stay on the couch. But I know myself, I would have become depressed. I would have. And so to some days, there were days where I'm like, I really don't want to go.

Jessica Pfau [: 00:15:03

I don't want to go, but I would get dressed, I take a shower, you know, I get dressed, I put on my makeup, and I started feeling better. And so I think, even subtly, work can help you because it gives you purpose. Now, circling back to Lighthouse, we talk about how hard we're working a lot. It's hard to work at our company because we are helping those that are experiencing mental illness and addiction. And our clients need us. They need us to be strong. They need us to be full. We need to be very comfortable in our own lives to be able to help someone else go through their tough time.

Jessica Pfau [: 00:15:41

And so we talk about this a lot at Lighthouse, and that is if we can't give hope if you don't have any yourself. And hope is one of our core values. It is vital that we are understanding the power of being here and the hope that we're able to give. Now, one of the things. An example of that. Let me switch back to what you guys do, is that Dream Manager program. We have instilled in our culture, The Dream Manager. And we want our staff to fulfill their own life purpose and dreams.

Jessica Pfau [: 00:16:19

It may be separate from their daily work, but in order to fulfill those dreams, if you want to go to Italy with your spouse and take your kids you're going to have to have a job, you're going to have to have some money. And so what do we need to do to make sure you can get to Italy? Well, let's help you save up your vacation days and let's help you save up some money and save that bonus we just gave you because you're going to need it for that trip that you're going to take at Christmas time. And so we want to help our staff to understand that dreams can be fulfilled, but work needs to be there, too, together. And so we. Those are the things that we talk about around here all the time.

Kate Volman [: 00:17:04

That's part of why I asked the question, because you really do have this nice blend of having that personal and professional dreams, continuing to bring that into your organization to understand and to know. Even for a leader to say, yeah, it's hard to work here. We have a challenging, challenging work that we do. However, we're making an impact and we're making a difference, and we want to make sure that we are providing an opportunity for you to do that here with us on our beautiful mission. Mission. And then go back to your families and whatever mission you're fulfilling with them and the places you want to go, the things you want to do. And that's beautiful. And you're.

Kate Volman [: 00:17:41

You have an incredible dynamic culture, which is why, even though it's challenging work, people want to work there. In fact, you grew from 150 to 400 people. And let's talk a little bit about that because I know someone's listening, thinking that's a lot of hiring. Hiring is very challenging today. How do you find your people? What is your hiring process like?

Jessica Pfau [: 00:18:04

I think a couple of things have happened over the last few years as we have grown. We really worked hard to make sure that our salaries were competitive. So that was one of the first things we were not, admittedly, several years ago, not paying our staff very well. And the answer was, well, you're just nonprofit and your mental health. And so nobody expects you to get paid very well. No, we are going to pay our staff. They work hard just like everybody else in the world. So we're going to pay them what they're owed and what they're due and very competitively.

Jessica Pfau [: 00:18:37

So we work. That was a huge mission or a huge priority for us a few years ago. So we're now up to market rate. So that would be one thing. We have a pretty robust vacation and sick leave. So that's a newer thing for us. But we found that we needed to do that, to be competitive. But then as those kind of standard and the benefits, you know, past all of that, what we have really focused on is our culture.

Jessica Pfau [: 00:19:03

And we see over time, our turnover has lowered. And so while, yes, we've had to hire a bunch of people, we've kept that 150. It's not like we had to hire a new 400. It was. We kept that 150, and we were slowly adding to them. Amazingly, people refer their friends because if you're in a place that you love, you tend to talk about it out in the world, and people want, well, tell me about Lighthouse. Oh, well, I love it. That's where I work.

Jessica Pfau [: 00:19:35

I get paid really well. I get to have a great vacation, or there's a thing called Dream Manager. All of us, well, I want to work there, too. And so we've had people refer their friends. We allow family members to work here, too, but we make sure that they're in separate departments and different things, so they're not answering to each other. But we have several families that work here, and we have just continued to do good work out in the community. And that, I think, more than anything, has drawn those to us. Because when you see some company doing good work, like you guys, like Floyd Consulting, it inspires you to want to do that, too.

Jessica Pfau [: 00:20:16

And so all of those things together have really helped us, too. I don't want to say we haven't had trouble hiring, but we have made it easier. We have applicants coming to us, and I'm proud of that.

Kate Volman [: 00:20:32

Yeah, that's the best. Right? It's awesome to be able to get referrals. Just like in business, you want to get clients that from referrals and getting team members from referrals so that you're getting people that someone else can vouch for and that understands and already knows the culture of the organization that they're getting into. Yes, for sure. That's awesome. I have such a love of creativity and creative pursuits and everyone. I think it's a necessity. I think everyone would benefit and live a more fulfilling life if they had something that they enjoyed doing, whether it was writing or pottery or gardening or cooking or jiu jitsu, whatever it is.

Kate Volman [: 00:21:14

And I know that you are an artist.

Jessica Pfau [: 00:21:16

Yes.

Kate Volman [: 00:21:17

And I love this so much. Jessica, this is why I think you're such an interesting person, because you are this leader of this huge organization, and you're leading all these people, and then you get diagnosed with cancer, and you're like, that's fine. I'm still Going to keep going and make all these things. And you're. You just throughout everything that you've done, you have this light about you that is incredible and inspiring. And I just am so in awe of the work that you do and are doing. And then when I find out, oh yeah, and she also is this beautiful artist and you have, you create all these pieces. So talk a little bit about your art, why it's important to you, and how it helps you not only become a better, be a better CEO, but just in general fulfills your life.

Jessica Pfau [: 00:22:04

Well, thank you very much. So my mom was an artist, so I grew up with art around me, but I have never felt like an artist until these last few years. And, and I blame Michelle. I mean, I must blame her as my coach and as my as going through The Dream Manager program. And I don't mean just to be sound like a sales thing. It really, truly is. What happened again, going back to that weakness, my family just worked. That's what we did.

Jessica Pfau [: 00:22:31

And so on the weekends, we worked. And I have always felt, and I think this, I, you know, I don't know if my parents meant to instill some. But if you're not being productive, you're not doing well. If you're watching a movie and not doing anything else, you're wasting your time. That's the mentality that I have grown up with and that I have. And Michelle helped me to stop and slow down and say, but what do you want to do, Jessica? I was like, well, I, you know, want to clean out the garage. You know, that's reductive. She was like, yes, but is there something that brings joy to you? And so over the last 5ish years that she and I have been together, she has helped me to explore and really realize that I love art.

Jessica Pfau [: 00:23:12

And so we started just by saying, well, what about going to. Have you been to an art gallery lately? I'm like, no, I haven't done that. She's like, why don't you just go do that? It's like, okay, I can take some time to go do that. And so she helped me to see that taking time for myself is not weakness. It is not being unproductive. In fact, it's just the opposite. I need to also fill my cup up. I need to be strong and finding joy in my life so that I can bring that to work and walk the walk and talk the talk.

Jessica Pfau [: 00:23:47

I'm not just pushing my staff to do better. I need to do better. So through that, through that evolution with her, I started like, okay, well maybe, maybe I can get out some watercolors and paint a little bit. And so through The Dream Manager, she really pushed me. What do you want? And I was like, well, I would like a space to do some art where I don't have to get it out, make a mess and then clean it up because we don't have enough room in our house. And so we ended up putting an art studio in the backyard. We bought one of those little houses pre made and they dumped it there and then decorated. But I was able to articulate it and with saying with my husband, this is going to be expensive, but I really want this.

Jessica Pfau [: 00:24:34

And oh my gosh, at least on Saturday or Sunday, at least one day a week, I go out and spend time in the art studio and I just can't tell. I mean, I absolutely love it. I, I get joy from being out there. I may or may not do anything. I may just read a book or something. But it's, it meant a lot to me and I don't, I truly don't think I would have allowed myself to do that had it not been for The Dream Manager program. And Michelle really asking me those questions and digging deep. What is important to you as you go into your 60s and 70s and 80s, what do you want to look back on your life and say you did? And you know, regrets.

Jessica Pfau [: 00:25:26

And so that's where we, we went to and, and it's been wonderful. And so, yeah, so, you know, you start and then you do stuff and it's like, oh, well, I can take that class. So now, yeah, I do stuff all the time and it's been fun to create art. And my daughter is a great artist as well. She naturally has it from my mom. I can see it in her. And so we've hung out in the art studio together and it's just been so great.

Kate Volman [: 00:25:55

That's so awesome. That's so wonderful. And yeah, it's. The thing about coaching that I find so incredible is that your coach is there to not only support you, but to push you.

Jessica Pfau [: 00:26:10

Yes.

Kate Volman [: 00:26:11

To push you out of your comfort zone, to challenge you a little bit when you might be making excuses for not doing the thing that you say you want to do. Well, sleeping was another thing.

Jessica Pfau [: 00:26:22

I know this sounds kind of crazy, but, you know, Matthew Kelly talks about the importance of sleep in some of his books. Well, I don't know. I look back and now I think I was so silly, but I'm like, I don't need sleep, I don't need Sleep. I work best at night, and I get up early, and I need about three or four hours of sleep. And Michelle was like, jessica, that's crazy. Stop doing that. You need sleep. Like, nope, I don't need sleep.

Jessica Pfau [: 00:26:47

And she said, here's. Why do you think that I felt like sleep was weak? You need sleep. I don't need that. That's weakness to me. And she said, you got to get rid of that and really push me to think about. It's healthy. You eat right, don't you? You drink water. You try to eat well.

Jessica Pfau [: 00:27:07

Yes, I do. Sleep also is healthy for you. And so she challenged me. And it's been just a whole Things that I never thought. I mean, we were. I hired her to be my coach, to help me to become a better leader. Not to be. I don't need to talk about my sleep.

Jessica Pfau [: 00:27:25

But she. She helped me to see that being a better leader means that I take care of myself. Yeah, that I'm healthy, that I do get sleep at night. And it's not weakness. It's making a good choice. And that I take care of myself on the weekends. And it's not that I don't deserve it or, you know, whatever. We all tell ourselves, especially women, I need to do the dishes before I can do anything fun.

Jessica Pfau [: 00:27:48

No, the dishes can wait. Go do something fun.

Kate Volman [: 00:27:51

I think a lot of leaders that are listening can relate because it's almost as though productivity, being productive, doing all things like you said, with your parents, sitting down and watching. When you can't do that, you have work to do and things to do and be productive. And then, no, we don't need sleep. I can get off ice. I remember years ago when I was, oh, I don't need. I need four hours, top and spine. I need it. And we wear it.

Kate Volman [: 00:28:15

We.

Jessica Pfau [: 00:28:15

Right.

Kate Volman [: 00:28:15

Like, we wear it as this badge of honor. It's like, no, I don't know about you, but apparently you need sleep. I don't need sleep. In fact, I remember this is years ago. I think I was in my late 20s, and I was getting. I've been getting up to go to the gym early for forever and. But I remember there was one day I was exhausted. My body, it was like, you know when your body's telling you calm down, you need to chill for a second.

Kate Volman [: 00:28:41

But no, I got like two hours of sleep. I was. There was an event happening the next day, and you know what I did? I woke up and I went to the gym. Because you have to go to the gym. Heaven forbid. You didn't go to the gym. And you know what happened that day? I broke my foot. I broke my foot and sprained my ankle.

Kate Volman [: 00:28:58

And I still remember being at the hospital so upset, obviously, but I was more upset because I'm like, I'm not gonna be able to work out. So crazy. And I still remember. I remember saying to my boyfriend at the time, I was like, you know that. That saying where he's like, God whispers and taps you and then he kind of pushes you. That's what I felt. I felt like I wasn't listening to myself. And I think this happens so often with people, like, especially, you know, we work with a lot of leaders, and a lot of them come to us with challenges of, I want to get more fit.

Kate Volman [: 00:29:37

I'm tired all the time, I don't eat right. That's a big dream. You know, even with our Dream Managers, like our dreamers, a lot of people want to get more fit. So. So fixing that is going to enhance all the different areas of your life. And I think as a leader, that constant need of productivity, that constant need of doing, Doing, achieving, Achieving can be a challenge to get through. What do you find with leadership today? Whether it's other CEOs, your colleagues, or just the leaders that you see, what do you think are the biggest challenges today? We're in a very interesting time.

Jessica Pfau [: 00:30:16

Well, I think along the lines of what you're saying is really the challenge is, how do you run this big company? How do you keep motivating others and find time for yourself? So that is the balancing struggle there. But you must. And so really, setting boundaries is key. So learning to do that is. Is a priority. But then also, it's vital to keep learning. I read a lot. I try to learn a lot of things.

Jessica Pfau [: 00:30:53

There's always something new to learn. Even if I've read the book in the past, I'll read certain ones again, and I find new things from them. I know that Craig Groeschel says, when the leader gets better, everything else gets better too. I may not. I may be butchering the. The quote, but. But I think that's true. So how do I stay strong? And then listening to your body, I mean, what you didn't do back then was.

Jessica Pfau [: 00:31:22

You're right, it will catch up. It will get you if you don't stop and listen. And I think your body is always talking to you and telling you things and. And I don't know, maybe the cancer was. Was that voice pushing me to. To say, slow down a little bit, delegate, focus. On yourself a little bit more. I don't know.

Jessica Pfau [: 00:31:45

But that's how I, I'm going to listen and hear it.

Kate Volman [: 00:31:48

Yeah. I love it.

Jessica Pfau [: 00:31:51

Answer your question. Was that getting.

Kate Volman [: 00:31:52

Yes. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, I, I think that a lot of people today, and we were talking about this a little bit offline, there's never been a time where we've had so much access to, to all the information. Right. Like everything. And it can be a little bit challenging to decide what do I take in, what do I let go, what do I focus on. I constantly recommend the book by Gary Keller, the One Thing, because he helps, he asks that question, what is the one thing that.

Kate Volman [: 00:32:26

By which doing will make everything else easier or unnecessary? And I think a lot of us could benefit from continually going back to that question in our lives, especially when we start to, I think people, leaders, CEOs, people that you have big goals, big dreams, big ambitions, and you want to do all the things which is amazing and beautiful and wonderful and get after it all. However, we can't do all the things all at once. And so to be able to harness that energy into that one focus, even if it means for a season, I think there's a lot of power in that. But I do feel like it can be challenging for a lot of people, especially people that are very multi passionate, that have a lot of dreams and goals. And so it's that balance.

Jessica Pfau [: 00:33:14

Yes. And to recognize that big change takes a long time. You can put out a lot of policies, you can do a lot of surface things that look good, but unless you give it time to soak in to the company, it won't actually take effect. If you look away, it'll stop. And so that's the whole key when we're working on things. And this is something that I've learned from Michelle and learned from Matthew Kelly and his books and from you, that you've got to slow down a little bit and really let things sink in. And now go on to the next thing and let that sink in, because that's the real change. Because what I really, truly want in the end when I leave Lighthouse, I want it to keep going and I want it to go strong and not fall apart because I'm no longer leading it.

Jessica Pfau [: 00:34:10

Well, how do I do that? I make sure that we have deep roots and our culture is strong and that our core values, everybody knows them and lives them and understands them. But in order to do that, it's going to take a lot of time. And so I think one of the things that when you talk about like we have all these things we want to get done, but you're not really realizing the strength of giving it time. And so we're getting ready to meet, in fact later this week with my team. We're going to go off site for two days and we're going to talk about the next five to 10 years and we're going to make some plans for those. We've traditionally done one year goal and that's worked pretty well. But we really need to talk now about what's going to happen in the next five years and what's going to happen in the next 10 years. There's a lot going on in Oklahoma with regard to healthcare and mental healthcare.

Jessica Pfau [: 00:35:06

A lot of changes in the federal government and in the state government, a lot of it we don't have control over. But we need to be ready and we need to be strong to withstand whatever decisions are made. And so that's the hope. And so I think addressing what you're talking about is there are a lot of things that we have planned and I want to get done, but I really need to understand, okay, that one's going to take three years to get done. This is going to take a year. This is going to take a month. This is going to take 10 years to get that done. You know, to really, really grasp the time that it takes and the investment.

Kate Volman [: 00:35:47

That's a great point. And it reminds me of Matthew Kelly's one of my favorite Matthew Kelly quotes, which is, we overestimate what we can achieve in a year. Underestimate what we can accomplish in a decade.

Jessica Pfau [: 00:35:59

That's exactly right. I love that. I think about that all the time. I do. I think about that quote all the time because it is so true. I've been here for eight years. Looking back on the eight years they went like that, they went really fast. But it was.

Jessica Pfau [: 00:36:13

It's amazing what we've been able to do. And now we need to plan for the next decade because the seeds we're planting now will grow. And so we've got to make sure that those are the right seeds that we want them.

Kate Volman [: 00:36:26

Yeah.

Jessica Pfau [: 00:36:27

And so we've got to make some plans. And so it's exciting to think through where we are and what's happening.

Kate Volman [: 00:36:34

Yeah, you are definitely leaving a legacy there. When you leave and whenever that is for somebody, for a leader out there, that's thinking. I've never had a coach. I don't know if it's for me. What advice would you.

Jessica Pfau [: 00:36:50

Oh, my gosh. Yes, do it, do it, do it, do it. No question. It feels a little funny at first. It feels awkward, like, hi, I don't know you. Now I'm going to tell you everything and now you're going to help me. But oh, my gosh, she has helped me so much doing some. And so I can't imagine the last five years without Michelle on my team.

Jessica Pfau [: 00:37:11

I mean, she is invisible to the rest, but to me, she's been so part of me and helped me think through so many tough situations. I'm so grateful. And yes, it has made me a stronger leader. She has made me a stronger leader. And it is an investment. It is time well spent, I think a coach, and not just any coach. The other thing is there's a lot. You can look Google coaches and thousands come up.

Jessica Pfau [: 00:37:43

You need to have someone that knows what they're doing and you guys vet them. You have a strong training program. You do all of those things so that your coaches know what they're doing. And that's where Michelle, her history comes from. She's been a leader in an organization on her own and, and really understands what I'm doing, and it's been wonderful. So I would encourage, if I had that much money, a lot of money, I would give coaches to new CEOs and force them to do it for at least a year. And after that, though, they'll never stop.

Kate Volman [: 00:38:23

Well, Jessica, thank you so much for sharing your. Your journey with us. Of course, we'll. We'll have you come back on because you're going to continue to grow. You're going to continue to grow the organization, your people, your mission, your art. There's so many. You have so many things to do.

Jessica Pfau [: 00:38:42

You guys have been amazing and we love Matthew Kelly. I love you guys. Love you, Kate. It's just been a great partnership.

Kate Volman [: 00:38:50

We appreciate you and it is absolute. It's just a pleasure knowing you and watching you grow. So I'm so glad we get to be here for each other on our fun journeys. Jessica, thank you so much and we will. We'll talk to you next time.

Jessica Pfau [: 00:39:04

That sounds great. Thank you, Kate.

Kate Volman [: 00:39:10

Isn't Jessica so inspiring? I just absolutely love her attitude and the way that she leads her team. No matter what's going on in her life, she continues to move forward to help her people grow and is constantly learning and growing herself. I hope you got at least one idea, one takeaway, one inspiring moment that's going to help you grow personally and professionally. If you are thinking about having a coach, if you've never had a coach before. This is your opportunity to, you know, do what Jessica said. Challenge yourself to have a coach for a year. Just give it a year, one year, and say, hey, I'm going to do this coaching thing and see if it really does impact my life. See if it really does improve my life personally and professionally, to see if it really does help me move my dreams forward.

Kate Volman [: 00:40:11

Or maybe it'll help you uncover some of the dreams that you have in your heart, just like Jessica with her art, that she might not have ever restarted had she not been going through coaching. It's a huge testament. Of course we love working with Jessica and all of our clients and to be able to see the impact that they are making in their organizations, in their communities, and, of course, in themselves. To watch these leaders grow, to watch their confidence build, to watch how they are able to give themselves. To watch how they give themselves permission to dream, to tap back into the dreams that are so meaningful to them. This is your opportunity to do the same. We would love to chat with you about what coaching would look like for you. You can go to floydcoaching.com check that out and someone on our team will get back to you.

Kate Volman [: 00:41:07

You, thank you so much for being here. We appreciate you. And until next time, Lead With Culture.