99. From Leading Global IRONMAN Events to COMMANDing Her Next Level with Katie Svenson
What happens when your identity expands beyond your title?
In this episode, I’m joined by COMMAND member Katie Svenson, a global events expert with nearly two decades of experience working on major sporting events, from IRONMAN to FIFA. Katie shares her journey of expanding beyond the identity of being an Ironman employee, trusting herself through major life transitions, and stepping into a bigger vision for both her career and her life.
Together, we explore the identity expansion that happens when you stop looking outside yourself for permission and begin seeing yourself as the leader you already are. Katie shares how her experience inside COMMAND helped her strengthen self-trust, recognize her own authority, embrace discernment, and make decisions that align with the life she truly wants.
Tune in this week to learn how Katie moved from proving herself to trusting herself, why creating a bigger life requires stronger discernment, and how expanding your identity can help you lead with more authority, clarity, and conviction.
learn more about command here
What You’ll Learn from this Episode:
How Katie expanded her identity beyond being defined by a role, company, or title.
Why identity expansion is about becoming more of who you already are, not becoming someone new.
How COMMAND helped Katie strengthen self-trust, recognize her leadership, and step into greater authority.
Why discernment matters as your opportunities grow and how to make decisions that align with the life you want to create.
How slowing down, getting out of your head, and trusting yourself can change the way you lead.
Why creating meaningful connections and allowing yourself to be witnessed by others can accelerate your growth.
How to move from proving yourself to recognizing the value and expertise you already bring.
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97. The Cost of Indecision: Why High-Performing Women Wait to Make the Move with Katy Nicholson
Full Episode Transcript:
Growth isn't just asking, what else could I do? It's having the discernment to ask, who am I becoming, and does this belong in my life? That's the work my guest has been doing inside Command.
Welcome to The Balanced Leader, hosted by Yann Dang, a Leadership and Life Coach with over 20 years of corporate experience. Drawing from her journey as a former global finance leader and second-generation immigrant, Yann understands the unique challenges women face in male-dominated workplaces.
Each episode offers insights on balancing masculine and feminine energies, mastering soft skills and building emotional intelligence. Join us to transform frustration into empowerment and unlock your authentic leadership potential.
Yann Dang: Hey, podcast listeners, welcome to The Balanced Leader. I am very eager to dive into this conversation with Katie Svenson. She is part of Command, which is the Leadership Accelerator that I lead, and she is going to talk to us today about two major themes and will probably cover some others that are part of Command, which is identity expansion, really expanding your identity. I think we were also going to put in this podcast a link to the one that's about not only imposter syndrome, but the opposite, which is identity expansion and how we expand ourselves and align ourselves with the life that we want, and also how powerful discernment is with all of that.
Let's dive in. Katie, please introduce yourself.
Katie Svenson: My name is Katie. I'm a global expert in large-scale events, not only domestically, but globally. I've done, as many of you have maybe heard of, Ironman Triathlon, FIFA, the World Cup, FIS World Cup, the for skiing and snowboarding, as well as local events, not only in North America, Canada, and the US, but also globally and now here in Ireland where I live.
Yann Dang: Great. And not only that, Katie herself is an athlete. So do you want to share a little bit about that? Because during Command, you also ran the Boston Marathon, which was amazing. So just to give us a little flavor about you personally as well.
Katie Svenson: Yes, personally, I have always been involved in sports. I'm a very fidgety person, and being able to move my body in a way has always been something from a little kid to now. As Yann had mentioned, I just recently ran the Boston Marathon. I have a half marathon coming up in Copenhagen. I used to competitively swim, ski, anything you name it, I've tried or still do.
Yeah, I think what I love about sport itself, and I think what drew me into events, is the community of people that you get to meet and be a part of with sport and then also personally challenging myself with what I've done.
Yann Dang: Great. Thank you so much for sharing that. And I think this is one of the powerful things about being in Command. There are so many women in different industries, whether it's an event space or life sciences or in the corporate world, but within very different industries within that as well. How has it felt for you to be in the group?
Katie Svenson: Yeah, I really loved being in the group. I've been involved in something similar before, and I used to think to myself, oh, I just need to do it all on my own. I need to prove myself to the world and I have to fight individually. But I feel like being in a group, and especially this time around it was a group with women, it was just really empowering. I felt this immediate support and connection and relation to others as people are going through their own, well, whatever else is going on for them. And even if my situation is different, it was just really wonderful to be able to share, connect, and talk about anything and everything. I went into Command that I was just going to specifically speak about my work and what's going on with work. But at the end of the day, what happens at work, similar things happen personally, and so it was really wonderful to be able to share and open up about other things going on in my life.
Yann Dang: Yeah, and I think that's a great distinction because, of course, I call it a leadership accelerator, but people are often times bringing their personal and professional lives. And I believe that's an important part because it all interconnects, right? We're either sometimes people are so different in their different lives or they react very differently, and it's important to be able to see the nuance and to connect to those different thoughts and feelings you're having as you're connecting to different pieces of yourself.
So, one of the things I always think about when I think about Katie from a professional standpoint, I always have this vision in my mind. Like, Katie's at the beginning, she's like, has all of the very important people for an event, you know? And so I see Katie like in the middle of a big sort of kickoff of an event, and I see like the sheriff and like the firefighters, and I see like all the people that she's managing and leading and commanding really and being in that space of letting people know, but with that really strong purpose of we're going to have a great event, we're going to have a safe event, we're going to make sure people, whether it's the crowds or the athletes, do well.
And I think that was one of the things that struck me when I, you know, would talk to you more about work and what mattered to you. It was really this strong identity in, you know, creating a great event for people and all of the things that go into it. And I oftentimes, you know, even watching the World Cup and, you know, Katie had talked about FIFA. She was part of that too. And, you know, when I was watching it this summer, it was like, oh, what is all the stuff that they need to do to get to this place, right?
How it down does all this event happen and come together? And that's actually maybe a little bit easier because it's in one stadium versus like a whole race track where you have to, you know, do all of that stuff. So, I'd love to hear because I also feel like during this Command group, I've been able to see you shift into the identity. And when I say identity, I think you were always saying the right things, but I think you embodied it in a different way.
And even some of the comments that you made in the group of like, people commented on how commanding you were. So talk about that identity shift for you. What did that feel like? Because the other transition that you've made is, you know, you used to work for Ironman, but now you've opened yourself up to all events and are really positioning yourself as an expert to jump into lots of different places. So I'd love to hear what comes up for you.
Katie Svenson: Yeah, it's interesting because I had heard, I've heard from people through the years, colleagues say, after a big presentation in front of a statutory body or in front of our team, how I could command the room. And I don't think I really fully understood what that meant. Because there I am, especially five or so years ago, or I've been in this industry 19 years now, but I had never thought of my, even though I was a leader, I had never really thought about myself so much as a leader.
And I think I was still struggling to, as you say, like really figure out my identity, like, where do I fit within the team? Where do I fit within the broader scale of environments, or sorry, events as a whole? But as I've branched away, and I took this big leap of faith to move to Ireland, not having a job in place, but to move to Ireland and start fresh and do other events, I was even finding my place and finding my foot here. But what I realized, even with that and kind of meeting new people and starting anew and not being so attached to, oh, I'm an Ironman employee or I only work triathlon, or like having that identity attached to something else. I was really starting to create my own identity here because I wasn't attached to a specific job right away or group.
And I think that kickstarted me actually seeing myself as a leader and seeing myself in command when I'm in front of these big groups presenting or running the event while it's happening. And when I stepped into Command, I think I was still in that space of like seeing it but not fully realizing it. And through each time that we met as a group and that you introduced new material to us and new things to think about, connection, emotions, trusting in ourselves, etc. and then being able to reflect not only on, okay, I think I've actually already done that this past week and recognized the ways that I've shown up with that, but also then being able to use that or use, you know, there's certain prompts from you to be able to go into the next week and show up in different ways, connect more with myself.
And it was just incredible being able to watch myself and I could see myself and I was with myself in the moment, but I could actually also take a step back kind of at a higher level, if that makes any sense, and be able to see it in the moment. And then as well, through the other women. Like I could see myself through them and see the leader that I was through them and their stories as we shared and connected with one another.
Yann Dang: Yeah, I think that is one of the most powerful things of being in the Command container of getting witnessed by other people, them sharing what they're noticing about you, them celebrating you, but also you, right, taking up space with other very powerful women and being like, I'm worthy of this space, right? I'm worthy to share my wins. I'm worthy to share the challenges that I'm up against. And that in itself is the identity shift. You know, I think that as women, we are always like being really prepared or doing the thing, right? It's like, there's a difference between doing the work and doing it really well.
And I think most, like that's sort of the bare minimum for most, you know, women that are high performing. You're going to be excellent at your work. But to not only be excellent at it, but to feel the power and the embodiment of, wow, I am powerful is very different. And I noticed that shift in you. It was like not just people were telling you that you were more commanding. I think you felt it because you were like, I just felt myself trusting myself, even your self-talk. I think you were at an event where you didn't really know people, but I remember distinctly you saying something like, I decided to trust the people. So tell me about that because I think that ties into the discernment piece too.
Katie Svenson: Yes, I was at an event. I think it happened a couple of times, but the one that pops into my head, and I was moved. I had worked this event the last couple of years and was in one position, so I knew it really well. I knew my area well. I knew the police officers that were going to be in my space, the other staff members that I'd be working with. But I was shifted into this new area, and there were two new people that were working on either side of my area. This was for a parade. And I was nervous to be in a new spot. I think as a female, especially, you know, I had been working with, there were two other males that I was working alongside, there's this fear that comes into me that I have to be as strong and as tough and do things the way that they do it.
But it was really wonderful. And before the event even happened, I reached out to these people to connect with them before we were even on site for the day of the event. And then on the day, I really presented myself with, yes, I'm running this area by myself, but I've got these two very capable and strong individuals working on either side of me. We don't have to work siloed. We can actually collaborate and work together because our areas merge together and at the end of the day, supporting one another is better than just trying to do it on your own. And that was very empowering to me and I didn't feel as intimidated or that I was less than, I think because I had initiated that and created that for myself and created that belonging for myself, which I think in the past I hadn't always done.
Yann Dang: Well, I think you created it for yourself, but you probably created it for those two guys, too. They're probably like, oh good, like I'm glad she reached out. I'm glad, you know, we got to connect before this event because like nerves are high, right? It's event day. You're sometimes working with people you've never met before, and you're giving orders and you're being direct, and sometimes you've got to move super fast. There's not a lot of time to create that trust and rapport, but took the time and discerned and decided to do it ahead of time.
Katie Svenson: Yeah, absolutely. And it did. It made a huge difference. And one of the guys had taken over my area from the year before, and he was so appreciative that I had shared information from last year, what went well, what didn't go well. You know, every year and every event is so different even if it's the same event that you're doing. But I think that knowledge share and then being able to have that relationship, you know, sort of built before the event really helped to make it a smooth process. And then as you said, when things happened quick and we needed to solve a problem, we could do it together and he could radio me and know that yes, I was going to be there and vice versa.
Yann Dang: Yeah, that's great. And I just remember you being like, I decided to trust them, right? Like that's a decision. And I think sometimes we go so fast, right? And a big part of Command is learning to pause and to actually make decisions that are going to support us to move quickly. And it's part of that foundation. But like that decision to support them, right, probably had you less in your head and more in purpose and intentional.
Katie Svenson: Yeah, it felt good. It felt less stressful and less nervous. Am I going to do something wrong? I'm not good enough. All of those things were just out of my head and just onto the event and connecting with the people around me.
Yann Dang: Which is truly what presence is, right? I think people talk about executive presence, but you can't be present if you're in your head judging yourself or judging other people or, you know, spinning in your own emotions, but being very clear and upfront and clearing that mental and emotional head space to be in these spaces and to have that presence.
One of the things, you know, when I talk about Command, truly about commanding yourself first, right? Creating that clarity within yourself, but then commanding people around you and having that connection. But you always have to start with yourself. So I wanted to share. So within Command, there is also an online community that people share throughout the week. There is a coaching with Yann thread. There is a celebrations thread. This is how we stay connected. This is part of not just accountability, but the witnessing of our lives throughout the week. So I'm going to share something that Katie wrote, and I think it just underlines what we're talking about here, the identity expansion alongside the discernment. And I just want to hear what comes up for you because you might have forgotten this, but this was earlier this year. So this is what Katie wrote:
"I was very much in command when speaking to my business partner. I stepped into a partner role, shared feedback, recommended different ways we could move ahead, spoke of how we can create more efficient ways of tracking progress. It felt great, actually. I wasn't accusing or staying quiet. I was talking to him directly. He was taking notes and collaborating with me and speaking back why my next steps would make sense and what he needed to do. When I got off the phone, my partner," so this is her, actually, can I say it's your fiancé? David, now fiancé, "made a comment of how I sounded like a CEO. He didn't even know the context of the call prior to me being on it."
So tell me about that because how did it feel to, you know, hear that from David as well?
Katie Svenson: Yes, through being in Command, it definitely helped me get to that point where I felt more comfortable to speak up. And in the past, I probably would have been afraid to say something to the owner of the company or my boss or maybe even another colleague who was on the same level as myself. But I think what I've learned is that it doesn't matter what title you have or what position you have. You know, we're all working together to try and make, in my instance, this event and this business really successful.
It doesn't have to be the boss that's always sort of, I think, calling the shots or making decisions. I think just as my boss is supporting me in my role, I'm also there to support my boss and the business and the event to succeed. And it felt really good. I don't, I don't fully, like as you, as you reread it, I can reflect on that moment, but I think it just, it gave me more strength to be able to, and I didn't feel less than, right? I felt, what's the word? I felt mutual.
Yann Dang: Mutual?
Katie Svenson: Yes, mutual. Yes, I felt mutual with him. And in the same respect, I think that he saw me as mutual as well. And since then, our relationship has continued to move forward in that same way. And he's coming to me for advice or, you know, what should our next steps be or can you help me create this, you know, instead of him just kind of laying it out or waiting for me, wait, or me waiting, excuse me, for him to lay it out and what's next. And yeah, to hear that from my fiancé, David, that's very new, but it feels good to say. It was, yeah, that empowered me even more, you know, to hear someone who doesn't, like as you said, know what exactly is going on with that conversation or who I was even talking to, that was empowering and really it provided, I would say, more connection with myself, more connection with my boss, and as you mentioned before, that trust, more trust in myself and more trust in my boss and our relationship and how it can move forward.
Yann Dang: Yeah, I think this is such a big piece because one of the things that I teach is this mutuality, even with authority figures, right? That we can be mutual with people. Like you can be mutual with, you know, the head of the fire department because you bring an expertise, they bring an expertise, and then that's very mutual. But I think sometimes people think in a hierarchy of a corporate world, like, well, we can't actually be mutual. But I'm like, but you're actually at a level, you are bringing ideas. Now, you may need to create that trust and rapport to challenge in certain ways, and that's what we would coach on, but bringing that mutuality, right?
It's a deeper level of partnership, it's a deeper level of trust, and it's also this expansiveness of you showing up as a bigger leader to support the other person, right? Like I've loved having people who work with me who are able to almost manage me. Like this is what I need. And I'm like, "Oh, great, thank you. I'm so busy, right?" And I think sometimes people worry like, "Oh, am I like overstepping?" And I'm like, your boss is so busy. They need help. Like they need you to tell them what you need, you know, obviously that relational side matters and that trust and rapport.
But in teams that are high functioning, you move fast and you trust each other to do lots of different things and you ask for feedback because, you know, as a really conscious leader, you know you have blind spots as well, right? So you're stepping in and what I've been seeing you do with, you know, your business partner is really showing him his blind spots and how it's impacting the rest of the organization and potential events that are going on, right?
Katie Svenson: Yeah, exactly. And I and I have seen the progression too with especially since joining Command, how that's really gone forward in such a positive way and it's nice to see the changes that he's making and the things that he's noticing, right? I think that he's noticing more in himself as well because of our interactions and because I can share openly and honestly with him. And I think I've seen especially as of late more of an excitement for him to really learn and understand and dive into this a bit more because he's he's also worked in the event space for quite a long time, but, you know, doing something a little bit more different and siloed.
And so for him to be able to start something from scratch like this with me on board working with him, he's learning and growing so much too. And so from, you know, I think it's been a year and a half now to from the start of it to this point, it's great that we've both shifted and changed and are just I think moving in the right direction to really collaborate and have this desire to make this incredible event that we want to put out there to people.
Yann Dang: Yeah, I love this. And I think what you're also underlying here is that when we expand our identity and we show up more fully us, it ignite that in other people. You know, when I think about the Command group, like we're all doing this as a unified field with all the women. And then you go out in the world and then there's all these ripple effects. And I think one of the powerful things is just hearing about everybody's celebrations and those ripple effects of how the work and how they're showing up is impacting the wider world just from starting with ourselves and having a powerful group to continue this work.
Katie Svenson: Yeah, absolutely. And you know, there might have been some shares that people had that gave me courage to then step up and do something differently and really help me think about things a little bit differently or even help me catch myself in a moment of drama or something else that maybe I hadn't noticed until maybe hearing their story, right? Or them reflecting, you know, back to me and yeah, it is it's such an incredible space and I can't wait to join in on it again because I have I've missed it and interestingly enough, with my events, you know, the business that I'm in and putting on stuff all over the place, I did unfortunately miss some of the live classes. But even though I missed the live classes, I felt such a huge impact being a part of it. You know, now I've been out of it that Command group ended, uh I think it was in June, but I've been so eager to want to join in again because it's been so beneficial for me.
Yann Dang: Yeah, and I'm excited. Listen, we October is open, right? It open enrollment soon. But yeah, this is actually one of the things you shared. I haven't had much time to partake in the live groups. And I think this is helpful because sometimes people think like, am I going to get as much out of the replays, right? But you're you're saying I've watched all the replays and what I can say is how I want to celebrate all of the incredible courageous women, right? I think that was for you too. I've seen you all grow and expand and it's been inspiring and helped me along the way this past month.
So like even if you're not, I think there is an energy. Like even if you're not in the every weekly call getting the weekly coaching, but you're watching it. And I've had this too. I, you know, I'm part of a lot of masterminds where I'm watching the replay. I get to decide what I take out of it. I use it. I celebrate other women doing courageous things and I'm like, "If they can do it, I can do it," right? Like we can do this.
So it's great to hear that and I'm glad you underlined that because oftentimes, right, we come up with, you know, obstacles to get what we want or like it doesn't fit in our lives. Like nobody has a bunch of time, especially if you're a high achieving woman, right? Like you either make the time or you create the way to get value out of whatever you are doing, right? So I think that's great.
I also wanted to underline because I think this identity expansion is not just you professionally, but it's personally. Obviously, you've talked about your fiance and that's been something growing in terms of what more you want in your life. And truly, I think Command is about holistically what is the life that we want to build, right, inside and outside of work. So I wanted to share this was one of the things that Katie wrote in the celebration because I think it really brings in discernment and I want you to underline this and the identity expansion of you not. I think when we started working together too, Katie was like in Iron Man doing all sorts of events and like she didn't always get to choose, you know, it was just like this is the events and it was very hard to have a personal life.
And with your, you know, sort of the freedom of, you know, having your own business now, you get to make more discerning choices. Now, those choices probably involve a lot of thought, but it also has you having more empowerment to design your life. So, I want to share this. “I want to celebrate that I have been offered a role with FIFA for the World Cup and I'll be working in Vancouver, Canada where I lived. I have decided to accept the role. Not only will I get to work on a massive global sporting event, but I'll get to see so many of my friends and be where home was for me for most of my adult life.”
Katie Svenson: Yeah, that was a really wonderful moment for me. I had a friend of mine who had gotten hired with FIFA and we were kind of chatting back and forth and I said, "Wow, I would love to do that, you know.” But thinking, okay, well, Canada, it's very far away from Ireland. Oh, would that work with my current lifestyle and my fiance and I, well now fiance, then just my partner, but you know, we're living together. We have this life together.
But it was really wonderful because I think one, I was excited that my friend reached out to me and said, "I want you on my team." And but on the other hand, my partner could have easily said, "No, you'll be gone for too long," you know, because I was going to be gone for about six weeks. Would this work? Would it not work? But what was so wonderful, I think was just the support that I got along the way. He was really supportive about it. My friend was really supportive about it. And yeah, it was just an opportunity that I could have, I'm not sure I really had imagined because I had applied in the past before, right? And it was wonderful to be able to go back home, connect not only, you know, with my friend but also other event professionals that I've known and worked with in the past.
It felt instantly like home. I lived in Canada for 12 years from college into my sort of later 30s. And so that's a place that where I really grew as an adult and as an individual, you know, by myself. And it was wonderful. And we made it work from David being here in Ireland and me being over there. And I lived actually with one of my friends for the six weeks, which was really wonderful. And then I was able to stay an additional week and connect with friends and it really just enlivened me in a way that I didn't think was possible, oh, to go back to Canada and work again and yeah, such an incredible opportunity.
And then such a wonderful opportunity. I had actually I didn't know whether I was going to share that with the group or not because I didn't feel like it aligned with, you know, here's me overthinking, aligned with whatever the topic of the week was, but I thought it was an opportunity and I actually don't think that I had celebrated myself previously. I think that was my first time really celebrating myself in the group. And it was just it felt really good and then it felt really good that the rest of the Command group, you know, were cheering me on and were so happy and congratulating me on getting this position. So, yeah.
Yann Dang: Well, I think that's the expanded perspective of it, right? Like when you're in the group with people, whether they're a sales leader or whatever, you start thinking like, "Oh, I wonder what that person, how did they approach that?" or it really helps you expand. And I think for people they're like, we know somebody in the event industry. How exciting that somebody who's like actually working this match that we're watching on TV, like it feels very exciting and very connected and somehow the world feels smaller because you're like, "Oh, I'm not just in my silo." It's like, you know, we're all these powerful leaders doing different things and on this growth journey together.
But one of the things I wanted to highlight because in that discernment, there were a lot of nos. Like how could this work out? You know, it's far away. It's like, I don't live there. Like how, you know, but what I'm hearing is there was like a commanding yes for yourself of like you telling your friend like, that's amazing. I would love to work that. And then she connected the dots and I'm sure David noticed that energy too, right? It's the energy that you bring to it that creates almost the clearing for your conviction and for you to have that thing.
Because when we're sort of wishy washy in ourselves and we lead with that energy, like there's more nos in the way than like a strong yes that will really clear the way. So I think for you, it was also in that like identity expansion of really saying yes to things, you know, deciding that, you know, you value this experience, you have valuable expertise to bring and, you know, I'm sure David was like, this is an incredible sort of once in four years thing or maybe once in a lifetime, like who knows, right? That type of thing. But did you notice yourself in that expansion? Because I think that also brought together the work and life aspect that you've been craving.
Katie Svenson: Yes, definitely. And I think before I had made the decision to say yes, it was a bit wishy washy and how am I going to make this work? And but when I had decided yes, you know, and I like I instantly had, as you said, the support behind me. And things just fell into place, you know, I had reached out to my friend and she said, "Yes, I'd be so excited if you came and stayed with me for the six weeks." I had this ticket that I could use and it was just instead of worrying about it and well, how am I going to do it logistically and financially and being away from my partner or, you know, where I live with all my things, you know, all my things, whatever else, you know, that we think about in our heads when we worry about stuff.
And you're right, I think when you have a yes, it really does help to move things forward and being in command. And I would say that as I as I'm thinking about this, it's the same decision when I said, I want to move to Europe, I came to Ireland, you know, I said yes, I took the risk and the chance and came over here. And things fell into place and I had the support over here, the connections to get me to the job, my first job here in Ireland and finding the place and all of the things. It just, I think when you are in the flow and in that command and trusting yourself, connecting with yourself, you know, it really does help with the momentum to move things forward.
Yann Dang: Yeah, and you've done it and you've you've moved across the country. You've moved from being in this organization to running your own thing and choosing and picking what's going to work for you and even commanding different rates, right? That's one of the things we always talk about, right? Like you get to decide like what is my expertise, you know, worth here.
And I think there's also a big movement of you deciding that your personal life matters too because I think on the road, it's really hard, right? And I remember traveling a ton. It's like, when are you going to meet someone? How are you going to have the time to invest? And the reality is like everybody has the same amount of time. You just get to prioritize what matters most and the type of life that you want and have that be stronger than the current circumstances that we're in. So, that's so amazing.
All right, well let me just ask you this final question. As you think about, you know, where you were when you started Command and how you ended, what has been the biggest shifts for you?
Katie Svenson: I'd say really slowing down, getting out of my head more, trusting in myself more, being okay with all of the emotions that I have or maybe some of the reactions that I have, you know, instead of getting into that spiral of, oh my gosh, I can't believe I just said that or whatever else and being able to continue, you know, moving forward, seeing really the value not just in what I'm doing, but in myself, how I'm showing up, the value in the people that, you know, I'm surrounding myself with and working alongside, creating all of the connections with myself, you know, and others, going out of my comfort zone as we've talked about earlier, you know, putting myself out there.
And then really being able to I think vision more into, you know, not just who I am now and where I am and what's the next thing, but really in the bigger picture of it all. And that has just been really huge for me, I think. And being able to connect with all of these strong, wonderful women, you know, at first I was a little bit nervous, but then towards the end, you know, not so much with connecting with them or, oh okay, well they work more corporate and oh they might be a CFO or a CEO, whatever else, you know, not being as afraid to, you know, step into that command, no matter who I'm with or what I'm working on.
Yann Dang: Well, I love this. I'm so grateful for you being on the podcast and sharing your experience. And I really love this because your story is such a powerful reminder that expansion isn't about becoming someone else. I actually think a lot of what we do in command is quiet the rest of the world noise and sort of quiet our own like sort of imposter syndrome negative talk and sit with ourselves because oftentimes when women are just sitting with themselves, they're like, I know what I need to do and I need to spend more time with myself. And it's really about trusting yourself enough to become more of who you already are, what you already care about.
And it was interesting even like you're moved to Ireland, you're like, I've always wanted to live there and I had no idea. And it started manifesting as you said it more, as you visited and as you decided. And the bigger your life gets, right, the more discernment matters because not every opportunity and you'll get more and more opportunities, the bigger your life is and the more powerful you are. But not every opportunity deserves your yes and not every expectation deserves your energy. And we actually just talked about this recently about boundaries and what you will or will not do. And not every version of success belongs in the future that you are creating.
So that is the epitome of what Command is, right? Commanding yourself first and then commanding the rest of your leadership, life and legacy. So we are not here to make women better performers for sure, because you already are great performers. We're building women who trust themselves to decide what they really want and honor that and hold what they want and move towards it with authority and conviction.
So it's so great to actually hear the story and that's what I see in you. You're not just creating different results, you're becoming a woman who makes different decisions that align to her life, right, both personally and professionally. So thank you for letting us witness that. It's been amazing to have you on the show and really expanding people's horizons of, you know, what's possible when you put yourself in spaces and you're in that energy and you make these decisions from that self-trust.
Katie Svenson: Thank you so much, Yann. That was wonderful to be with you.
Yann Dang: Yeah, thank you. All right, well, that is this week's episode. I'd love to hear what you think. If you want to find Katie, she is on LinkedIn as well. We'll put the link in here. If you're looking for a global events expert and of course, I'd love to hear how this episode struck you, what you're doing in your life to expand your identity and to be more clear on the discerning decisions that create your life ahead. So thank you so much for being with me, Katie, and the rest of you, I will see you all next week. Bye.
Thank you for being a part of The Balanced Leader community. We hope you found today's episode inspiring and actionable. For more resources and to connect with Yann, visit us at aspire-coaching.co. Until next time, keep leading with confidence and purpose.
Welcome to The Balanced Leader, hosted by Yann Dang, a Leadership and Life Coach with over 20 years of corporate experience. Drawing from her journey as a former global finance leader and second-generation immigrant, Yann understands the unique challenges women face in male-dominated workplaces.
Each episode offers insights on balancing masculine and feminine energies, mastering soft skills and building emotional intelligence. Join us to transform frustration into empowerment and unlock your authentic leadership potential.
Yann Dang: Hey, podcast listeners, welcome to The Balanced Leader. I am very eager to dive into this conversation with Katie Svenson. She is part of Command, which is the Leadership Accelerator that I lead, and she is going to talk to us today about two major themes and will probably cover some others that are part of Command, which is identity expansion, really expanding your identity. I think we were also going to put in this podcast a link to the one that's about not only imposter syndrome, but the opposite, which is identity expansion and how we expand ourselves and align ourselves with the life that we want, and also how powerful discernment is with all of that.
Let's dive in. Katie, please introduce yourself.
Katie Svenson: My name is Katie. I'm a global expert in large-scale events, not only domestically, but globally. I've done, as many of you have maybe heard of, Ironman Triathlon, FIFA, the World Cup, FIS World Cup, the for skiing and snowboarding, as well as local events, not only in North America, Canada, and the US, but also globally and now here in Ireland where I live.
Yann Dang: Great. And not only that, Katie herself is an athlete. So do you want to share a little bit about that? Because during Command, you also ran the Boston Marathon, which was amazing. So just to give us a little flavor about you personally as well.
Katie Svenson: Yes, personally, I have always been involved in sports. I'm a very fidgety person, and being able to move my body in a way has always been something from a little kid to now. As Yann had mentioned, I just recently ran the Boston Marathon. I have a half marathon coming up in Copenhagen. I used to competitively swim, ski, anything you name it, I've tried or still do.
Yeah, I think what I love about sport itself, and I think what drew me into events, is the community of people that you get to meet and be a part of with sport and then also personally challenging myself with what I've done.
Yann Dang: Great. Thank you so much for sharing that. And I think this is one of the powerful things about being in Command. There are so many women in different industries, whether it's an event space or life sciences or in the corporate world, but within very different industries within that as well. How has it felt for you to be in the group?
Katie Svenson: Yeah, I really loved being in the group. I've been involved in something similar before, and I used to think to myself, oh, I just need to do it all on my own. I need to prove myself to the world and I have to fight individually. But I feel like being in a group, and especially this time around it was a group with women, it was just really empowering. I felt this immediate support and connection and relation to others as people are going through their own, well, whatever else is going on for them. And even if my situation is different, it was just really wonderful to be able to share, connect, and talk about anything and everything. I went into Command that I was just going to specifically speak about my work and what's going on with work. But at the end of the day, what happens at work, similar things happen personally, and so it was really wonderful to be able to share and open up about other things going on in my life.
Yann Dang: Yeah, and I think that's a great distinction because, of course, I call it a leadership accelerator, but people are often times bringing their personal and professional lives. And I believe that's an important part because it all interconnects, right? We're either sometimes people are so different in their different lives or they react very differently, and it's important to be able to see the nuance and to connect to those different thoughts and feelings you're having as you're connecting to different pieces of yourself.
So, one of the things I always think about when I think about Katie from a professional standpoint, I always have this vision in my mind. Like, Katie's at the beginning, she's like, has all of the very important people for an event, you know? And so I see Katie like in the middle of a big sort of kickoff of an event, and I see like the sheriff and like the firefighters, and I see like all the people that she's managing and leading and commanding really and being in that space of letting people know, but with that really strong purpose of we're going to have a great event, we're going to have a safe event, we're going to make sure people, whether it's the crowds or the athletes, do well.
And I think that was one of the things that struck me when I, you know, would talk to you more about work and what mattered to you. It was really this strong identity in, you know, creating a great event for people and all of the things that go into it. And I oftentimes, you know, even watching the World Cup and, you know, Katie had talked about FIFA. She was part of that too. And, you know, when I was watching it this summer, it was like, oh, what is all the stuff that they need to do to get to this place, right?
How it down does all this event happen and come together? And that's actually maybe a little bit easier because it's in one stadium versus like a whole race track where you have to, you know, do all of that stuff. So, I'd love to hear because I also feel like during this Command group, I've been able to see you shift into the identity. And when I say identity, I think you were always saying the right things, but I think you embodied it in a different way.
And even some of the comments that you made in the group of like, people commented on how commanding you were. So talk about that identity shift for you. What did that feel like? Because the other transition that you've made is, you know, you used to work for Ironman, but now you've opened yourself up to all events and are really positioning yourself as an expert to jump into lots of different places. So I'd love to hear what comes up for you.
Katie Svenson: Yeah, it's interesting because I had heard, I've heard from people through the years, colleagues say, after a big presentation in front of a statutory body or in front of our team, how I could command the room. And I don't think I really fully understood what that meant. Because there I am, especially five or so years ago, or I've been in this industry 19 years now, but I had never thought of my, even though I was a leader, I had never really thought about myself so much as a leader.
And I think I was still struggling to, as you say, like really figure out my identity, like, where do I fit within the team? Where do I fit within the broader scale of environments, or sorry, events as a whole? But as I've branched away, and I took this big leap of faith to move to Ireland, not having a job in place, but to move to Ireland and start fresh and do other events, I was even finding my place and finding my foot here. But what I realized, even with that and kind of meeting new people and starting anew and not being so attached to, oh, I'm an Ironman employee or I only work triathlon, or like having that identity attached to something else. I was really starting to create my own identity here because I wasn't attached to a specific job right away or group.
And I think that kickstarted me actually seeing myself as a leader and seeing myself in command when I'm in front of these big groups presenting or running the event while it's happening. And when I stepped into Command, I think I was still in that space of like seeing it but not fully realizing it. And through each time that we met as a group and that you introduced new material to us and new things to think about, connection, emotions, trusting in ourselves, etc. and then being able to reflect not only on, okay, I think I've actually already done that this past week and recognized the ways that I've shown up with that, but also then being able to use that or use, you know, there's certain prompts from you to be able to go into the next week and show up in different ways, connect more with myself.
And it was just incredible being able to watch myself and I could see myself and I was with myself in the moment, but I could actually also take a step back kind of at a higher level, if that makes any sense, and be able to see it in the moment. And then as well, through the other women. Like I could see myself through them and see the leader that I was through them and their stories as we shared and connected with one another.
Yann Dang: Yeah, I think that is one of the most powerful things of being in the Command container of getting witnessed by other people, them sharing what they're noticing about you, them celebrating you, but also you, right, taking up space with other very powerful women and being like, I'm worthy of this space, right? I'm worthy to share my wins. I'm worthy to share the challenges that I'm up against. And that in itself is the identity shift. You know, I think that as women, we are always like being really prepared or doing the thing, right? It's like, there's a difference between doing the work and doing it really well.
And I think most, like that's sort of the bare minimum for most, you know, women that are high performing. You're going to be excellent at your work. But to not only be excellent at it, but to feel the power and the embodiment of, wow, I am powerful is very different. And I noticed that shift in you. It was like not just people were telling you that you were more commanding. I think you felt it because you were like, I just felt myself trusting myself, even your self-talk. I think you were at an event where you didn't really know people, but I remember distinctly you saying something like, I decided to trust the people. So tell me about that because I think that ties into the discernment piece too.
Katie Svenson: Yes, I was at an event. I think it happened a couple of times, but the one that pops into my head, and I was moved. I had worked this event the last couple of years and was in one position, so I knew it really well. I knew my area well. I knew the police officers that were going to be in my space, the other staff members that I'd be working with. But I was shifted into this new area, and there were two new people that were working on either side of my area. This was for a parade. And I was nervous to be in a new spot. I think as a female, especially, you know, I had been working with, there were two other males that I was working alongside, there's this fear that comes into me that I have to be as strong and as tough and do things the way that they do it.
But it was really wonderful. And before the event even happened, I reached out to these people to connect with them before we were even on site for the day of the event. And then on the day, I really presented myself with, yes, I'm running this area by myself, but I've got these two very capable and strong individuals working on either side of me. We don't have to work siloed. We can actually collaborate and work together because our areas merge together and at the end of the day, supporting one another is better than just trying to do it on your own. And that was very empowering to me and I didn't feel as intimidated or that I was less than, I think because I had initiated that and created that for myself and created that belonging for myself, which I think in the past I hadn't always done.
Yann Dang: Well, I think you created it for yourself, but you probably created it for those two guys, too. They're probably like, oh good, like I'm glad she reached out. I'm glad, you know, we got to connect before this event because like nerves are high, right? It's event day. You're sometimes working with people you've never met before, and you're giving orders and you're being direct, and sometimes you've got to move super fast. There's not a lot of time to create that trust and rapport, but took the time and discerned and decided to do it ahead of time.
Katie Svenson: Yeah, absolutely. And it did. It made a huge difference. And one of the guys had taken over my area from the year before, and he was so appreciative that I had shared information from last year, what went well, what didn't go well. You know, every year and every event is so different even if it's the same event that you're doing. But I think that knowledge share and then being able to have that relationship, you know, sort of built before the event really helped to make it a smooth process. And then as you said, when things happened quick and we needed to solve a problem, we could do it together and he could radio me and know that yes, I was going to be there and vice versa.
Yann Dang: Yeah, that's great. And I just remember you being like, I decided to trust them, right? Like that's a decision. And I think sometimes we go so fast, right? And a big part of Command is learning to pause and to actually make decisions that are going to support us to move quickly. And it's part of that foundation. But like that decision to support them, right, probably had you less in your head and more in purpose and intentional.
Katie Svenson: Yeah, it felt good. It felt less stressful and less nervous. Am I going to do something wrong? I'm not good enough. All of those things were just out of my head and just onto the event and connecting with the people around me.
Yann Dang: Which is truly what presence is, right? I think people talk about executive presence, but you can't be present if you're in your head judging yourself or judging other people or, you know, spinning in your own emotions, but being very clear and upfront and clearing that mental and emotional head space to be in these spaces and to have that presence.
One of the things, you know, when I talk about Command, truly about commanding yourself first, right? Creating that clarity within yourself, but then commanding people around you and having that connection. But you always have to start with yourself. So I wanted to share. So within Command, there is also an online community that people share throughout the week. There is a coaching with Yann thread. There is a celebrations thread. This is how we stay connected. This is part of not just accountability, but the witnessing of our lives throughout the week. So I'm going to share something that Katie wrote, and I think it just underlines what we're talking about here, the identity expansion alongside the discernment. And I just want to hear what comes up for you because you might have forgotten this, but this was earlier this year. So this is what Katie wrote:
"I was very much in command when speaking to my business partner. I stepped into a partner role, shared feedback, recommended different ways we could move ahead, spoke of how we can create more efficient ways of tracking progress. It felt great, actually. I wasn't accusing or staying quiet. I was talking to him directly. He was taking notes and collaborating with me and speaking back why my next steps would make sense and what he needed to do. When I got off the phone, my partner," so this is her, actually, can I say it's your fiancé? David, now fiancé, "made a comment of how I sounded like a CEO. He didn't even know the context of the call prior to me being on it."
So tell me about that because how did it feel to, you know, hear that from David as well?
Katie Svenson: Yes, through being in Command, it definitely helped me get to that point where I felt more comfortable to speak up. And in the past, I probably would have been afraid to say something to the owner of the company or my boss or maybe even another colleague who was on the same level as myself. But I think what I've learned is that it doesn't matter what title you have or what position you have. You know, we're all working together to try and make, in my instance, this event and this business really successful.
It doesn't have to be the boss that's always sort of, I think, calling the shots or making decisions. I think just as my boss is supporting me in my role, I'm also there to support my boss and the business and the event to succeed. And it felt really good. I don't, I don't fully, like as you, as you reread it, I can reflect on that moment, but I think it just, it gave me more strength to be able to, and I didn't feel less than, right? I felt, what's the word? I felt mutual.
Yann Dang: Mutual?
Katie Svenson: Yes, mutual. Yes, I felt mutual with him. And in the same respect, I think that he saw me as mutual as well. And since then, our relationship has continued to move forward in that same way. And he's coming to me for advice or, you know, what should our next steps be or can you help me create this, you know, instead of him just kind of laying it out or waiting for me, wait, or me waiting, excuse me, for him to lay it out and what's next. And yeah, to hear that from my fiancé, David, that's very new, but it feels good to say. It was, yeah, that empowered me even more, you know, to hear someone who doesn't, like as you said, know what exactly is going on with that conversation or who I was even talking to, that was empowering and really it provided, I would say, more connection with myself, more connection with my boss, and as you mentioned before, that trust, more trust in myself and more trust in my boss and our relationship and how it can move forward.
Yann Dang: Yeah, I think this is such a big piece because one of the things that I teach is this mutuality, even with authority figures, right? That we can be mutual with people. Like you can be mutual with, you know, the head of the fire department because you bring an expertise, they bring an expertise, and then that's very mutual. But I think sometimes people think in a hierarchy of a corporate world, like, well, we can't actually be mutual. But I'm like, but you're actually at a level, you are bringing ideas. Now, you may need to create that trust and rapport to challenge in certain ways, and that's what we would coach on, but bringing that mutuality, right?
It's a deeper level of partnership, it's a deeper level of trust, and it's also this expansiveness of you showing up as a bigger leader to support the other person, right? Like I've loved having people who work with me who are able to almost manage me. Like this is what I need. And I'm like, "Oh, great, thank you. I'm so busy, right?" And I think sometimes people worry like, "Oh, am I like overstepping?" And I'm like, your boss is so busy. They need help. Like they need you to tell them what you need, you know, obviously that relational side matters and that trust and rapport.
But in teams that are high functioning, you move fast and you trust each other to do lots of different things and you ask for feedback because, you know, as a really conscious leader, you know you have blind spots as well, right? So you're stepping in and what I've been seeing you do with, you know, your business partner is really showing him his blind spots and how it's impacting the rest of the organization and potential events that are going on, right?
Katie Svenson: Yeah, exactly. And I and I have seen the progression too with especially since joining Command, how that's really gone forward in such a positive way and it's nice to see the changes that he's making and the things that he's noticing, right? I think that he's noticing more in himself as well because of our interactions and because I can share openly and honestly with him. And I think I've seen especially as of late more of an excitement for him to really learn and understand and dive into this a bit more because he's he's also worked in the event space for quite a long time, but, you know, doing something a little bit more different and siloed.
And so for him to be able to start something from scratch like this with me on board working with him, he's learning and growing so much too. And so from, you know, I think it's been a year and a half now to from the start of it to this point, it's great that we've both shifted and changed and are just I think moving in the right direction to really collaborate and have this desire to make this incredible event that we want to put out there to people.
Yann Dang: Yeah, I love this. And I think what you're also underlying here is that when we expand our identity and we show up more fully us, it ignite that in other people. You know, when I think about the Command group, like we're all doing this as a unified field with all the women. And then you go out in the world and then there's all these ripple effects. And I think one of the powerful things is just hearing about everybody's celebrations and those ripple effects of how the work and how they're showing up is impacting the wider world just from starting with ourselves and having a powerful group to continue this work.
Katie Svenson: Yeah, absolutely. And you know, there might have been some shares that people had that gave me courage to then step up and do something differently and really help me think about things a little bit differently or even help me catch myself in a moment of drama or something else that maybe I hadn't noticed until maybe hearing their story, right? Or them reflecting, you know, back to me and yeah, it is it's such an incredible space and I can't wait to join in on it again because I have I've missed it and interestingly enough, with my events, you know, the business that I'm in and putting on stuff all over the place, I did unfortunately miss some of the live classes. But even though I missed the live classes, I felt such a huge impact being a part of it. You know, now I've been out of it that Command group ended, uh I think it was in June, but I've been so eager to want to join in again because it's been so beneficial for me.
Yann Dang: Yeah, and I'm excited. Listen, we October is open, right? It open enrollment soon. But yeah, this is actually one of the things you shared. I haven't had much time to partake in the live groups. And I think this is helpful because sometimes people think like, am I going to get as much out of the replays, right? But you're you're saying I've watched all the replays and what I can say is how I want to celebrate all of the incredible courageous women, right? I think that was for you too. I've seen you all grow and expand and it's been inspiring and helped me along the way this past month.
So like even if you're not, I think there is an energy. Like even if you're not in the every weekly call getting the weekly coaching, but you're watching it. And I've had this too. I, you know, I'm part of a lot of masterminds where I'm watching the replay. I get to decide what I take out of it. I use it. I celebrate other women doing courageous things and I'm like, "If they can do it, I can do it," right? Like we can do this.
So it's great to hear that and I'm glad you underlined that because oftentimes, right, we come up with, you know, obstacles to get what we want or like it doesn't fit in our lives. Like nobody has a bunch of time, especially if you're a high achieving woman, right? Like you either make the time or you create the way to get value out of whatever you are doing, right? So I think that's great.
I also wanted to underline because I think this identity expansion is not just you professionally, but it's personally. Obviously, you've talked about your fiance and that's been something growing in terms of what more you want in your life. And truly, I think Command is about holistically what is the life that we want to build, right, inside and outside of work. So I wanted to share this was one of the things that Katie wrote in the celebration because I think it really brings in discernment and I want you to underline this and the identity expansion of you not. I think when we started working together too, Katie was like in Iron Man doing all sorts of events and like she didn't always get to choose, you know, it was just like this is the events and it was very hard to have a personal life.
And with your, you know, sort of the freedom of, you know, having your own business now, you get to make more discerning choices. Now, those choices probably involve a lot of thought, but it also has you having more empowerment to design your life. So, I want to share this. “I want to celebrate that I have been offered a role with FIFA for the World Cup and I'll be working in Vancouver, Canada where I lived. I have decided to accept the role. Not only will I get to work on a massive global sporting event, but I'll get to see so many of my friends and be where home was for me for most of my adult life.”
Katie Svenson: Yeah, that was a really wonderful moment for me. I had a friend of mine who had gotten hired with FIFA and we were kind of chatting back and forth and I said, "Wow, I would love to do that, you know.” But thinking, okay, well, Canada, it's very far away from Ireland. Oh, would that work with my current lifestyle and my fiance and I, well now fiance, then just my partner, but you know, we're living together. We have this life together.
But it was really wonderful because I think one, I was excited that my friend reached out to me and said, "I want you on my team." And but on the other hand, my partner could have easily said, "No, you'll be gone for too long," you know, because I was going to be gone for about six weeks. Would this work? Would it not work? But what was so wonderful, I think was just the support that I got along the way. He was really supportive about it. My friend was really supportive about it. And yeah, it was just an opportunity that I could have, I'm not sure I really had imagined because I had applied in the past before, right? And it was wonderful to be able to go back home, connect not only, you know, with my friend but also other event professionals that I've known and worked with in the past.
It felt instantly like home. I lived in Canada for 12 years from college into my sort of later 30s. And so that's a place that where I really grew as an adult and as an individual, you know, by myself. And it was wonderful. And we made it work from David being here in Ireland and me being over there. And I lived actually with one of my friends for the six weeks, which was really wonderful. And then I was able to stay an additional week and connect with friends and it really just enlivened me in a way that I didn't think was possible, oh, to go back to Canada and work again and yeah, such an incredible opportunity.
And then such a wonderful opportunity. I had actually I didn't know whether I was going to share that with the group or not because I didn't feel like it aligned with, you know, here's me overthinking, aligned with whatever the topic of the week was, but I thought it was an opportunity and I actually don't think that I had celebrated myself previously. I think that was my first time really celebrating myself in the group. And it was just it felt really good and then it felt really good that the rest of the Command group, you know, were cheering me on and were so happy and congratulating me on getting this position. So, yeah.
Yann Dang: Well, I think that's the expanded perspective of it, right? Like when you're in the group with people, whether they're a sales leader or whatever, you start thinking like, "Oh, I wonder what that person, how did they approach that?" or it really helps you expand. And I think for people they're like, we know somebody in the event industry. How exciting that somebody who's like actually working this match that we're watching on TV, like it feels very exciting and very connected and somehow the world feels smaller because you're like, "Oh, I'm not just in my silo." It's like, you know, we're all these powerful leaders doing different things and on this growth journey together.
But one of the things I wanted to highlight because in that discernment, there were a lot of nos. Like how could this work out? You know, it's far away. It's like, I don't live there. Like how, you know, but what I'm hearing is there was like a commanding yes for yourself of like you telling your friend like, that's amazing. I would love to work that. And then she connected the dots and I'm sure David noticed that energy too, right? It's the energy that you bring to it that creates almost the clearing for your conviction and for you to have that thing.
Because when we're sort of wishy washy in ourselves and we lead with that energy, like there's more nos in the way than like a strong yes that will really clear the way. So I think for you, it was also in that like identity expansion of really saying yes to things, you know, deciding that, you know, you value this experience, you have valuable expertise to bring and, you know, I'm sure David was like, this is an incredible sort of once in four years thing or maybe once in a lifetime, like who knows, right? That type of thing. But did you notice yourself in that expansion? Because I think that also brought together the work and life aspect that you've been craving.
Katie Svenson: Yes, definitely. And I think before I had made the decision to say yes, it was a bit wishy washy and how am I going to make this work? And but when I had decided yes, you know, and I like I instantly had, as you said, the support behind me. And things just fell into place, you know, I had reached out to my friend and she said, "Yes, I'd be so excited if you came and stayed with me for the six weeks." I had this ticket that I could use and it was just instead of worrying about it and well, how am I going to do it logistically and financially and being away from my partner or, you know, where I live with all my things, you know, all my things, whatever else, you know, that we think about in our heads when we worry about stuff.
And you're right, I think when you have a yes, it really does help to move things forward and being in command. And I would say that as I as I'm thinking about this, it's the same decision when I said, I want to move to Europe, I came to Ireland, you know, I said yes, I took the risk and the chance and came over here. And things fell into place and I had the support over here, the connections to get me to the job, my first job here in Ireland and finding the place and all of the things. It just, I think when you are in the flow and in that command and trusting yourself, connecting with yourself, you know, it really does help with the momentum to move things forward.
Yann Dang: Yeah, and you've done it and you've you've moved across the country. You've moved from being in this organization to running your own thing and choosing and picking what's going to work for you and even commanding different rates, right? That's one of the things we always talk about, right? Like you get to decide like what is my expertise, you know, worth here.
And I think there's also a big movement of you deciding that your personal life matters too because I think on the road, it's really hard, right? And I remember traveling a ton. It's like, when are you going to meet someone? How are you going to have the time to invest? And the reality is like everybody has the same amount of time. You just get to prioritize what matters most and the type of life that you want and have that be stronger than the current circumstances that we're in. So, that's so amazing.
All right, well let me just ask you this final question. As you think about, you know, where you were when you started Command and how you ended, what has been the biggest shifts for you?
Katie Svenson: I'd say really slowing down, getting out of my head more, trusting in myself more, being okay with all of the emotions that I have or maybe some of the reactions that I have, you know, instead of getting into that spiral of, oh my gosh, I can't believe I just said that or whatever else and being able to continue, you know, moving forward, seeing really the value not just in what I'm doing, but in myself, how I'm showing up, the value in the people that, you know, I'm surrounding myself with and working alongside, creating all of the connections with myself, you know, and others, going out of my comfort zone as we've talked about earlier, you know, putting myself out there.
And then really being able to I think vision more into, you know, not just who I am now and where I am and what's the next thing, but really in the bigger picture of it all. And that has just been really huge for me, I think. And being able to connect with all of these strong, wonderful women, you know, at first I was a little bit nervous, but then towards the end, you know, not so much with connecting with them or, oh okay, well they work more corporate and oh they might be a CFO or a CEO, whatever else, you know, not being as afraid to, you know, step into that command, no matter who I'm with or what I'm working on.
Yann Dang: Well, I love this. I'm so grateful for you being on the podcast and sharing your experience. And I really love this because your story is such a powerful reminder that expansion isn't about becoming someone else. I actually think a lot of what we do in command is quiet the rest of the world noise and sort of quiet our own like sort of imposter syndrome negative talk and sit with ourselves because oftentimes when women are just sitting with themselves, they're like, I know what I need to do and I need to spend more time with myself. And it's really about trusting yourself enough to become more of who you already are, what you already care about.
And it was interesting even like you're moved to Ireland, you're like, I've always wanted to live there and I had no idea. And it started manifesting as you said it more, as you visited and as you decided. And the bigger your life gets, right, the more discernment matters because not every opportunity and you'll get more and more opportunities, the bigger your life is and the more powerful you are. But not every opportunity deserves your yes and not every expectation deserves your energy. And we actually just talked about this recently about boundaries and what you will or will not do. And not every version of success belongs in the future that you are creating.
So that is the epitome of what Command is, right? Commanding yourself first and then commanding the rest of your leadership, life and legacy. So we are not here to make women better performers for sure, because you already are great performers. We're building women who trust themselves to decide what they really want and honor that and hold what they want and move towards it with authority and conviction.
So it's so great to actually hear the story and that's what I see in you. You're not just creating different results, you're becoming a woman who makes different decisions that align to her life, right, both personally and professionally. So thank you for letting us witness that. It's been amazing to have you on the show and really expanding people's horizons of, you know, what's possible when you put yourself in spaces and you're in that energy and you make these decisions from that self-trust.
Katie Svenson: Thank you so much, Yann. That was wonderful to be with you.
Yann Dang: Yeah, thank you. All right, well, that is this week's episode. I'd love to hear what you think. If you want to find Katie, she is on LinkedIn as well. We'll put the link in here. If you're looking for a global events expert and of course, I'd love to hear how this episode struck you, what you're doing in your life to expand your identity and to be more clear on the discerning decisions that create your life ahead. So thank you so much for being with me, Katie, and the rest of you, I will see you all next week. Bye.
Thank you for being a part of The Balanced Leader community. We hope you found today's episode inspiring and actionable. For more resources and to connect with Yann, visit us at aspire-coaching.co. Until next time, keep leading with confidence and purpose.
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