Embracing the Power of AND in Life and Business with COO & Co-Founder Lynae Looney
Discover the Unseen Power Within You
Imagine a world where you're not just one thing but everything you aspire to be. A realm where being a career dynamo, a nurturing parent, a steadfast partner, and a fulfilled individual isn't just a dream—it's your reality. Welcome to the Power of "AND".
Yes, it's more than possible—it's a lifestyle. The constraints of 'or' no longer bind you; you are the embodiment of 'and.' In embracing every facet of your identity, you acknowledge the richness of your multidimensional life. Every role you play is a testament to your strength, every dream a reflection of your limitless potential.
This is not just a conversation; it's a declaration that you are vast, capable of embracing all parts of your existence with grace and strength. It's an affirmation that your worth is not confined to singular aspects but is woven through the myriad roles you embody.
A Journey of Empowerment with Lynae Looney
In this landmark 50th episode of The emPOWERed Half Hour, join us as we delve deep with Lynae Looney, COO & Co-Founder of Powers Peak Potential. Together, we explore the transformative power of embracing 'AND' in our lives and careers. Through stories of resilience, friendship, and triumph, Lynae and Becca unveil how to navigate the complexities of modern life with courage and joy.
From Friendship to Partnership
Discover the unique story of how a chance meeting between Lynae and Becca blossomed into a formidable partnership. We'll share the challenges we faced, from unexpected layoffs to personal trials, and how these hurdles set us on the path to finding our true calling. This episode peels back the layers on the evolution of our friendship, revealing the strength, support, and shared vision that led us to co-found Powers Peak Potential.
The Power of "AND"
Unpack the concept that has been a game-changer in our lives: the Power of "AND." Learn how embracing multiple roles — as entrepreneurs, friends, women in leadership, and more — has allowed us to live more fully and authentically. We delve into why you don't have to choose between aspects of your identity and how this realization can lead to unparalleled happiness and success.
Key Moments You Won't Want to Miss:
- Overcoming Adversity: Hear how Lynae turned a layoff into a launching pad for her true passion, offering hope and strategies for listeners facing their own crossroads.
- Building Powers Peak Potential: Get an insider look into the founding of our business, the lessons we've learned, and what drives us to empower others.
- The Future Vision: Lynae and Becca share exciting plans for Powers Peak Potential over the next five years, inviting listeners to join us on this journey.
Empowering Thoughts to Take With You:
- "Everything happens for a reason, leading you to where you need to be. Embrace the journey." — Lynae Looney
- “Remember that you matter and everything you do matters.” — Lynae Looney
- "Your value isn't tied to a single identity. Celebrate every part of who you are." — Becca Powers
- "Support and belief in your dreams can come from the most unexpected places. Keep your heart open." — Becca Powers
About Lynae:
Lynae Looney's journey with Powers Peak Potential (PPP) paints a vivid picture of professional resilience, entrepreneurial spirit, and familial joy. Nestled in Ohio, Lynae's life is a harmonious blend of chaos and contentment, deeply rooted in her love for her partner Jason, their four children – including twin boys and two daughters – and a lively array of pets comprising two dogs, two goats, and seven chickens. This bustling household reflects Lynae's commitment to family, mirroring her dedication to fostering growth and success in her professional ventures.
With over two decades of experience spanning healthcare administration, high-pressure technology, and telecommunications, Lynae has honed her expertise in strategic implementation, marketing, project management, and team building. Her multifaceted career trajectory took a significant turn during the pandemic, leading her to a consulting role that fatefully connected her with me.
Tasked with managing the launch of Becca's book, "Harness Your Inner CEO," Lynae not only found a groundbreaking project but also a like-minded partner, which propelled her into a new direction. Following this collaboration, Lynae ventured into entrepreneurship, founding Diva PM. Though brief, this initiative served as a critical stepping stone, sharpening her skills in creating effective solutions and laying the groundwork for her next entrepreneurial leap.
At Powers Peak Potential, co-founded with Becca, Lynae serves as the Chief Operating Officer. Her role extends beyond business operations; it's about shaping the company's vision and mission, focusing on empowering individuals and businesses through innovative strategies and thought leadership.
Connect with Lynae Looney:
Mentioned on the Show:
Follow Becca Powers:
We Want to Hear From You!
Have you experienced the Power of "AND" in your life? Share your stories and insights with us on social media or via our podcast website. Your journey could inspire a future episode!
Tune In Now!
Don't miss this heartfelt exploration of friendship, resilience, and empowerment. Episode 50 is not just a milestone for us; it's a celebration of the potential within all of us to live a life of purpose and passion. Listen to "Embracing the Power of AND in Life and Business" now on The emPOWERed Half Hour Podcast.
Welcome to another episode of the Empowered Half Hour. I'm excited to bring you this week's guest because it is my business partner, my co-founder of Powers Peak Potential, and the one that I get to have my business Ride or Die Bestie, hopefully, for the rest of my life, so let me introduce you to Lynnae Looney.
How Lynae and Becca's Friendship Turned into Partnership
To give you a little bit of history, Lynae and I met 3 years ago when I needed a project manager because I was doing all the things all by myself and pretty much failing miserably and I had my 1st outwardly public-facing thing, which was Harness Your Inner CEO. The book launch is coming up. I needed to do a bunch of things and I needed someone to help me with the things and to help manage me because I'm a hot mess. I need someone to manage me.
So, through a series of connections, which is weird in itself, because it was meant for us to meet. And I just knew we were destined to be friends and I had no idea then that it would turn into a business partnership and now a full-blown company where we are, speaking and training and putting out books and content that helps people I'd never in a million years would have guessed that this is what this would turn into.
I met you when you were consulting and doing some project management, but what got you there? What's the backstory before we met?
I had worked in a bunch of different, industries and then I had landed in telecom communications and was working there for a few years, and then all of a sudden COVID hit. I'm busier than ever and all of sudden I got a call and I was laid off.
They were restructuring the company and, doing layoffs. So I was a part of that. I'd never been laid off in my life and, any job switching had been, because I wanted to, so it hit me hard and few hard days where I didn't want to get out of bed, and then I was like, I need to figure out what I want to do with my life.
And lo and behold, it was weird too. I had a friend who reached out and said, hey, I have this acquaintance who needs a project manager. Would you want to do consulting for her company? And I was like, sure, Yeah, I need to do something with my life right? So, I started doing that. And the 1st client I was introduced to was Becca and I was your 1st.
I didn't even know. You're my very 1st client and I met you and the same thing from the 1st moment I met you. I was like, who is this? I think that there's something here. I felt like I had known you my whole life like 1M years and then we started working together on the book launch for Harness Your Inner CEO and I feel like the rest is history.
I do want to go back to the layoff part because I still work full-time at Cisco. We just went through a round of massive layoffs. I know in the tech industry, Company after company, and even outside of telecom and tech, we're still seeing a lot of companies having residual effects from the coven and doing layoffs.
So, what kind of positive message can you share with listeners if they are experiencing a layoff or might be faced with one?
Rising Strong From Layoff
The biggest advice I can give is you have to feel it, everyone beats himself up for feeling, that because again happened to so many people. When I got laid off, everyone's like, what's happened to me one or two times, you know, it is hard and I felt so guilty for feeling bad about it, but then it just comes down to you got to pick yourself back up, right? Figure out what you want to do next and realize that even if it feels like the worst thing that's ever happened to you, it did for me it put me on a path that led me to where I'm at today, which is exactly where I want to be and doing exactly what I want to do.
So, even if it seems like the worst thing, just know that everything happens for a reason and it can put you on the right path to where you need to go. Awesome feedback because I did go through a massive I've been laid off twice too. But one of them I would consider was massive and like, blindsided.
I had no idea that was coming and it was devastating. But then on the other side, like you were saying, it's led me to where I am today. And so I think that's the best advice. Feel it, honor it. It's devastating. It's painful, but also know that on the other side, it might end up being like the best thing that happened in hindsight.
That's a positive message, that's awesome. In this transition phase of coming out of a layoff and then coming into project management eventually, we do what we do, but, what is like one challenge or obstacle that you've really had to face within yourself to get to where you are today?
Finding Purpose in Stepping Stones
One of the biggest things was when I was working as a consultant and met you and I started going through this transitional thing where it's like, I know this isn't what I want to do forever. but I don't know what I want to do and, through a series of events, I figured out maybe I need to strike out on my own and do my own thing.
That helped me come to that realization, but, that was hard within itself. I mean, being an entrepreneur is not for the faint of heart for sure. But, I decided to start my company project management company, and take on a bunch of clients, and I was going to do it all and do it for myself and that was great and a lot and wore me down.
It was good, but it was really hard, but again, it taught me a lot and it helped me figure out the next step and where I wanted to go. So it was just, they're all stepping stones, they all have a purpose and they all brought value to my life as much as stress, but value, to help me get where I am now.
That advice of stepping stones, because sometimes we think it's like a straight line to where we want to be. It's not, so that was good.
One of the things that I think would be cool for the listeners to understand is the evolution of things. So you've heard when I talk about the layoff led to the project management role and the project management role led to her, opening her own company and what led us to form powers potential.
We were at a conference. A year ago, April, and I don't know, we were feeling it. We were watching some speakers. We had time with ourselves and our spouses. And the more we got to talking, we're like, why are we not going all in on? This thing that we do, because if we were like, we would change the world. Maybe that's ambitious, but that's how we feel sometimes. That's true. That's just facts.
We're just going to change the world. but we did get pumped up and we decided last April 23 to become a company, and we co-founded Powers Peak Potential and started building this speaking and training business and, very much focused on books as well.
So that we're getting frameworks out there and helping people do, everything from overcoming burnout to standing in their power and harnessing their inner CEO to returning to radiance, which is I'm coming, but that's more about owning your inner strengths than shining them back out into the world.
I feel like the work we do is really important, but why don't you tell me why you're passionate about it?
Passion and Making a Difference
It was something I had never done before, in the sense that when I met you, I never had self-care or self-awareness or wanted to do self-improvement or anything like that. It was just survive all the time. It was going from one job to the next, trying to advance my career get somewhere else, go to a different division, go to a different industry. And, it was just all of those things to make money and it was all to just make money to take care of my kids and my family.
But none of it was what I was passionate about what I love, and back in my background, I had worked in health care and administrative health care and marketing and stuff that seemed like it mattered, what I did affected people's lives and that was something I was passionate about, but it burnt me out so bad.
And then everything after that was trying to chase that where it helped somebody or it mattered to somebody what I did and I just never got that. And then I started working with you and your book and books and all of that just I saw that it resonated with people and it made a difference and it changed their lives and their course as it did for me.
I was like, what I do matters again, this is awesome. This is so wonderful. And want to make a difference. And now I know that I have to take care of myself in the process. My life matters, my well-being and happiness, and all of that. It was just this huge evolution of I matter, what we do matters.
This is what I want to do with my life and let's go for it. And to be passionate about something gives you that driving force to get it done. There was that missing piece in my career, it had to matter to me for me to really go after it and get it done, got that by doing what we do.
It makes me tear up because it's that transformation to hearing you and seeing you say that back to me is very moving. And then, you mentioned, like, seeing it happen to other people. Like, I feel like we're very privileged that we get to see transformations and the individuals and then also, like, the businesses we touch too.
Getting that feedback as the individuals change, and as the individuals figure stuff out then it changes the company because again, it's from the ground up that things change. Love it, seeing it in life is so rewarding and fulfilling.
Let's talk about, lessons and a-has, you need to make sure yourself, and your work land, but then also figure out how to market.
To transform you have to evolve and that isn't always done overnight. Whether it's part of your lesson from your transformation or something you've learned through the business, what is the current like, or a lesson that's up for you that you might be able to share with the listeners?
The Road is Not Straight, but Worth Taking
I think it comes back to, never stopping trying and striving to get where you want to go and to be what you want to be because it's a driving force. And sometimes you get stuck because you don't know and that's really when you met me, I didn't know I knew I was good at a lot of things.
I knew I loved a lot of things. I was passionate about a lot of different things. But how do I put that into one path, go for it, and make something out of it? It was really hard. So it takes time and effort and reflection to figure that out, but then once, you know, go for it, no matter what, no matter which up down over which way it takes you go for it never stop trying because you'll get there. if it's meant to be, you will get there.
It is the empowered half hour, but I love to just highlight that really is such an empowering message because sometimes, we don't give ourselves permission to pursue the thing that is calling us or we don't give ourselves the time and space to figure it out. Like you said, it doesn't happen overnight, but please, if you take anything away from this episode, take away that, time, space, and reflection you can get you on your path, and that it might not be straight, but it'll be rewarding as hell.
Absolutely for sure. I wouldn't change any of it. We always say that we're like, nothing we did was for a reason, it's always turned into something, but we couldn't see it till this step, once we got this far, so it's all going to be worth it and it'll all help you get where you need to go. So just ride it out. Even though it's tough, even though it's unsure and all that, it'll be worth it. So just keep pushing forward.
So what is something that you're looking forward to?
Envisioning Business Success For Bigger Change
I'm looking forward to just seeing the business continue to blossom, not start, it's already started. It just continues to blossom because the more it does, the more lives we touch, and the bigger change and impact that we bring to others.
And that is, again, the driving force is to make an impact and change people's lives and help them and that's what drives. I know you and definitely me, I just can't wait to see it keep exploding.
You know, there are two things that you've said in this, episode so far that I really like and its impact and that transformational path and I just want to say that this is bringing it back to it being women's month and employee appreciation and a topic that you really like, The power of and, so I want to just bring all of everything we talked about and talk about the power of and because there's probably a lot of women listening right now. That might be a stay-at-home mom or might be working full time like you were and a lot of things were clicking, but maybe meaningful work isn't one of them, or maybe they have meaningful work, but it's not fun so they need an outlet for something else.
Why don't you tell the audience a little bit about the power of AND because I know you love it?
The Power of “AND”
I do, because it was such a concept that blew my mind when you said it when I read it in Harness Your CEO, I was like, Wait, that's a thing, like you can do that. I've been a stay-at-home mom. I've been a single mom. I have been that mom, a single mom, trying to have a career and having to work from the ground up setting, go to college and so I feel like I've done so many of these things, like a huge, broad spectrum.
And the Power of AND is in it all, so it's for the stay-at-home mom, it's for everybody. And the concept is, that when I was trying to be a working mom, it was hard to be a mom, a single mom, a working mom, just a human, and, you know, what was that? Who am I?
Those are down on the list, right? But I was being told that I was allowed to be all of those things, and I could be all of them at once and they could all be meaningful and be my driving force was just such a huge thing, it was permission to have all the things and be all the things and that was okay.
I was just trying to figure out, how to keep them all working together, and sometimes they don't like to work together, but that's okay. The Power of AND is so powerful, because I thought if I was a stable mom, then that's all I was, I couldn't be anything else and that is a really hard thing to feel. Like, it puts you in a box. It traps you. You get stuck. There's so much part than that, you and your self-worth just go down the toilet and then how productive are you supposed to be in any part of mothering of anything, being a spouse, you know, it's like if you have no self-worth, then how are you supposed to do all the thing?
So it always comes back to you, you gotta remember to take care of yourself and make sure that you have that self-worth and know that you matter and what you do matters, whether it's you're like, I'm just a stay-at-home mom. You're not just a stay-at-home mom, It's so much more than that.
You're pouring love into your children. You're defining them. You are paving the way for your future generations, to be honest actually, that's probably the hardest job I've ever had, it's gonna say that it's hard. That's the hardest job I've ever had. Everything else seemed like a cakewalk in life compared to being a stay-at-home mom or just even a mom in general. So I give a lot of props to every woman I come across in life no matter if they have kids, they don't. They're married, they're not. It's hard but it's hard to do all the things. You're not limited, grab on to that power of AND, and, remember that you matter. Everything you do matters.
I love that you talked about self-worth and self-care because, in the power AND, I'm extremely ambitious. So, for me, I'm always like, oh, I'm a mom and I work full time and I have all this stuff. So those are like, my hands, but the answer also, Lynae was saying, she's Lynae and she’s entitled to be Lynae and take care of herself and have dreams and ambitions. And so the AND is really just so expansive and it's just such a gift. So for you listeners, but really, this little conversation has been inspiring because this is a gift for you.
Give yourself permission to have the power and amplify your life because it can.
It absolutely can and sometimes it just takes acknowledging it and owning it and grabbing onto it and holding tight, I'm allowed. It's okay. I'm allowed to say yes to me, to what I want, and to what's important to me. And then the rest can take off from there. Sometimes it's just that pivotal moment of grabbing onto that is all you need.
I would love to just ask, what do you think is possible for us over the next 5 years? I just want to ask you that. because I also want the listeners to think about what's possible for them 5 years from now.
So there's this place of reflection and hope and optimism, so, what's your answer?
Powers Peak Potential For The Next 5 Years
I see us being in the biggest companies, the biggest monster companies, doing training and reaching thousands of employees at one time. Being on stage, not me, you'll be on stage like, I don't want to be on the coordinated, but, you know, the biggest stages in the world and globally, we're going to travel to other places. I know it. I feel it in my bones. I don't think a return to radiance is going to be your last book. I think that there's more coming, being in the biggest publications and just all of it, the sky is really the limit and I see us just getting bigger and bigger and bigger, and eventually, you will not need or want to or have time to work the other job.
This will be whole and I'm just so excited to be a part of it I feel honored and privileged to be a part of it and I can't wait to see it all.
To all Employees, Employer, and All Women
I feel honored and for the sake of employee appreciation month, I was begging, that I didn't have to back. I'm just kidding. But I asked Lynae to do this because I appreciate you so much and it's for the listeners, I just want you to know that support is out there. There are people who believe in your dreams, maybe even more than you. If you have the courage to share them and I remember meeting Lynae, we clicked right away.
So I was kind of just going into like, my goofy self, but I was like, I got big dreams and they look like this and she was like, I'll go. And I'm like, what you'll come play with me. This is going to be fabulous. I think that I'm in a real space of appreciation for you and everything that you've helped us build.
And for the listeners, I hope that, if you're an employee, I hope that you are feeling appreciated for any reason. If you're not don't stop dreaming. Know that you have things like the power of AND, you are allowed to work full-time and still have passions and things you can dump yourself into.
If you're an employer, make sure you take time to appreciate your employees, because it does matter. It matters, it really does.
If you're a working woman, just thank you. Thank you for showing up. Thank you for your contributions.
And Lynae, I don't know if you want to say anything to our listeners, but I'll give you a chance to share some empowering thoughts as we close out. Well, I ditto everything you just said for sure, but also to entrepreneurs and people trying to strike out on their own and do what you did, Becca, it's very much possible. And everyone always says back, I need a Lynae, everybody needs a Lynae. What I do tell back is no, everyone needs someone that's going to support them and back them and help them.
Again, hitch your wagon or hitch my wagon to your star, you need someone willing to help you and back you and give you the support that you need to help, see it all through. So, I would say, evaluate your life and see who those people are, and hold tight to them and go all in and do what you got to do because you'll achieve those goals for sure.
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