Milestones matter. They build momentum, create a chance to pause and reflect, and mark an important moment. Join us in this podcast to celebrate a personal milestone: 250 episodes of Design Yourself! Together we explore 10 lessons learned in 250 episodes spanning 2016-2024: Use Your Voice Stories Matter Say It Again It's Fun to Connect You Will Be Surprised By Where Connections Lead This Podcast Made Me Better All Leadership is Human People Matter Most Ideas, Tools, Frameworks, Mindsets Unlock U...
Jan 15, 2025•33 min•Ep. 250
Have you ever sensed a change is called for and needed to summon the courage to take action? Have you ever grappled with making life moves when you weren’t sure exactly what your new end destination was? Then this episode is for you. Join host Sharon as she shares the details about the upcoming Design Yourself podcast sabbatical. Links and Resources: For show notes: https://pointroadstudios.com/podcast/taking-a-break-podcast-sabbatical-coming/ To connect on Linked In: @Sharon Lipovsky @Point Roa...
Jan 08, 2025•19 min•Ep. 249
Step into the new year with intention and purpose! In Shine Your Light in 2025 , we explore the profound questions that guide your journey: What kind of light do you shine? How can you embrace the gifts hidden in your shadows? And what will empower you to make the impact you envision? Join us for thought-provoking conversations and practical insights to help you illuminate your path and inspire those around you. Let’s make 2025 your brightest year yet! Links and Resources: For show notes: https:...
Jan 01, 2025•19 min•Ep. 248
Wintering is a season in the cold. It is both literal and figurative. It acknowledges those times where we move through a fallow period – cut off from the world. What is the power of wintering? How can we learn to call in the dark and the cold? In today’s encore episode on wintering we discuss what wintering is, borrowing from the brilliance of writer Katherine May; we speak to the power of wintering, specifically the power of the dark, the cold, letting go and resting; and we close with reflect...
Dec 19, 2024•30 min
We can’t change what we don’t see. So how do we sense a new consciousness? What tools will support us? How do we keep it simple and accessible? Cue this episode where we discuss the simple tenants of a life-changing practice. Listen in to learn all the how-tos of Journaling. Links and Resources: For show notes: https://pointroadstudios.com/podcast/building-a-journal-practice/ To connect on Linked In: @Sharon Lipovsky @Point Road Studios To connect on Instagram: @pointroadstudios Rate, Review &...
Dec 11, 2024•16 min•Ep. 247
Holiday letters aren't the only tradition during the close of the year. Cue the tradition of the Annual Letter to Yourself. What have I learned this year? How have I grown? Who has made an impact? What do I want to remember? Join Sharon as she reflects on these questions and more in reading her 2024 letter. Links and Resources: For show notes: https://pointroadstudios.com/podcast/sharons-annual-letter-2024/ To connect on Linked In: @Sharon Lipovsky @Point Road Studios To connect on Instagram: @p...
Dec 05, 2024•10 min•Ep. 246
As we the close of 2024, it is a natural moment to take stock of lessons learned and goals for the year ahead. Join us in this Design Yourself episode as we consider what we are celebrating and what we are calling in as we learn the art and ritual of how to write a year-end letter to yourself. Rate, Review & Subscribe to the podcast on Apple & Spotify Ideas Shared Year-End Letter Prompts Paragraph One: Take stock on past year. As I look back on this year, I wanted to let you know that… I...
Nov 27, 2024•14 min•Ep. 245
Meaning-making is a very human endeavor. We are quite good at coming up with what we believe the unspoken clues and loud declarations mean. What are ways to challenge our assumptions? How can we stretch our understanding to see a situation with a fresh perspective? That’s what we get into in this Design Yourself episode on Seeing with New Eyes . Ideas Shared Prompts to See with New Eyes Ask someone who knows you well for a trusted take Ask someone who doesn’t know you well for their hot take Get...
Nov 20, 2024•25 min•Ep. 244
Hope is a choice. It's about gifting your attention to the light. Perhaps a simple concept, but one that's not always easy to execute. Particularly in inevitable moments of intensity - whether in our culture, around the board room table, in family text chains, or our own inner life. How do you get grounded in the midst of it all? How do you resist joining the whirlwind? Even when facing a wave of turmoil, how do you tap into finding hope? In this episode Sharon dicusses the following practices a...
Nov 13, 2024•24 min•Ep. 243
When the world gets intense, it's important to take breaks. Join Sharon as she does that by reading three beloved and personally connected poems. We start with a beloved poem by Meditation at Lagunitas by Robert Hass, who Sharon had the opportunity to study under in Berlin. We then turn to Saskia Hamiton and her poem Then . Saskia was another great teacher in Sharon's life and the person who first introduced Sharon to Hass' poetry. We close things out with the physician and poet Willam Carlos Wi...
Nov 06, 2024•15 min•Ep. 242
Our bodies are incredible sources of wisdom. They are an important resource for ushering our ideas, dreams, and impact into the world. What happens when our bodies signal distress? What insights might we glean from the unlikeliest of places? That’s what we get into in this Design Yourself podcast, Lessons from the Emergency Department . In this episode Sharon shares some of the insights that emerged during her own recent trip to the hospital, including: Lessons from the Emergency Department Own ...
Oct 30, 2024•29 min•Ep. 241
Joy is a light-filled anecdote to volatility, grief, and complexity. What different flavors of joy do you experience? How might you invite more of that into your life? That's what we discuss in today's podcast on Finding Joy. Sharon shares 5 flavors of joy that she has been experiencing recently, including: Lighthearted Joy - Like a easy, breezy, predictable romance novel. (She's been loving Emily Henry's books like all the other readers creating this explosive growth of this genre.) Joyful Conn...
Oct 23, 2024•26 min•Ep. 240
It’s easy to let momentum take hold. Our expectations drive us to continue without letting up. Our desire to please or gain approval might do the same. But at what cost? What are the different ways that we can step back and rejuvenate ourselves? And what happens when we do? In this episode of Design Yourself we invite you to give yourself a break. Links and Resources: For show notes: https://pointroadstudios.com/podcast/worst-job-ever/ To connect on Linked In: @Sharon Lipovsky @Point Road Studio...
Oct 16, 2024•28 min•Ep. 239
What is the worst job you’ve ever had? And why? What made it so? In today’s episode, Sharon discusses her answer to those questions along with some prompts to inspire you never again to have the worst job ever. Links and Resources: For show notes: https://pointroadstudios.com/podcast/worst-job-ever/ To connect on Linked In: @Sharon Lipovsky @Point Road Studios To connect on Instagram: @pointroadstudios Rate, Review & Subscribe to the podcast on Apple & Spotify Ideas Shared Reflection Pro...
Oct 09, 2024•26 min•Ep. 238
Big change rarely happens in an instant. Transitions are a natural part of the process. Transitions can feel uncomfortable. How do you build up resistance to stick with it? What supports you in building momentum toward a new destination? That’s what we get into in this Design Yourself episode on Sitting in the Messy Middle. Links and Resources: For show notes visit: https://pointroadstudios.com/podcast/sitting-in-the-messy-middle/ To connect on Linked In: @Sharon Lipovsky @Point Road Studios To ...
Oct 02, 2024•26 min•Ep. 237
Rarely can our dreams be realized in isolation. Partnering with others is a natural consequence of ambition. That doesn't mean it's easy. What makes for effective working relationships? What are the conditions that steward us to powerful teamwork? How do mutual accountability and productive conflict fit in? We explore these questions and more in this episode focused on partnering and productive conflict. Links and Resources: For show notes visit: https://pointroadstudios.com/podcast/partnering-a...
Sep 18, 2024•38 min•Ep. 237
Deep listening can change the world. Listening impacts so many things: Our understanding, our questions, and our connections to those around us. When we listen deeply, we light a spark for transformation. But listening isn't easy. There are habits and culturally accepted practices that hold us back from really listening to understand. The good news is that you can create simple shifts to improve the quality of your listening and inspire others to do the same. This Design Yourself episode highlig...
Sep 11, 2024•33 min•Ep. 236
How we spend our days is how we spend our lives. Routine matters. It is a foundational building block that shapes what we do and how we do it. It seems simple enough: Make a choice each and every day to align with what matters. But it is not always that easy. How do you balance the short—and long-term priorities? How do you shift long-held routines that involve other people? We get into these questions and more as we discuss routines reimagined. Links and Resources: For show notes visit: https:/...
Sep 04, 2024•29 min•Ep. 234
Leadership is an embodied act. When we feel good, it shows. So it is perhaps not surprising that many executives are curious about personal style. Some people savor the act of dressing as an opportunity for individual expression. Others prioritize efficiency and ways to save time in the morning. No matter what the motivation, there is one person Sharon refers her clients to time and time again: Natalie Tincher and her team at BU Style. So in this season of back to school and the changing of seas...
Aug 28, 2024•56 min•Ep. 233
Whether you have dreams of building your own home, are in the process of moving through a life transition or are just curious about Sharon’s new life in the woods, this week’s episode is for you. Sharon begins by sharing a glimpse into the reality of life in her new two room cottage in the Catskill Mountains of New York and then shares the connection she sees between designing a physical space and designing a life and offers the 5 key lessons that she has learned through the design phase of her ...
Aug 21, 2024•48 min•Ep. 232
Sharon reflects this week on work-life balance – or imbalance. She shares the marriage advice that stuck with her as she nears her wedding anniversary: “Marriage takes 100% effort to be successful, but rarely is it split 50-50. Sometimes it’s 60-40. Sometimes it’s 90-10. But it always takes 100% effort to work.” She shares how this framework applies not just to a relationship with our spouse but to any time we work with others. Summer Series 2024 | Curated guidance and resources to guide and sup...
Aug 14, 2024•46 min•Ep. 231
Every moment offers us a new choice. Will we be guided by the momentum of what has been or carve a new path forward? In this episode of Design Yourself Sharon discusses five tips for how to choose your own adventure and highlights what this guidance looks like in practice as she shares an adventure unfolding in her life right now. Stay Connected For show notes visit: https://pointroadstudios.com/podcast/choose-your-own-adventure-2/ To connect on Linked In: @Sharon Lipovsky @Point Road Studios To...
Aug 07, 2024•34 min•Ep. 230
Summer is a season of rapid growth – in our gardens, our home lives, and at work. What is your relationship to this season? What transformation might you like to spark in the weeks ahead? Join Sharon as she shares five prompts and personal reflections inspired by this season. Summer Series 2024 | Curated guidance and resources to guide and support you in making this season - and what follows - just what you wish it to be. Stay Connected For show notes visit: https://pointroadstudios.com/podcast/...
Jul 24, 2024•29 min•Ep. 229
Hitting goals is not enough. Don't get me wrong: I love to run after a bold and audacious goal. But goal achievement can't be the end aim. Goals naturally come and go. They are a way to focus our energy and attention on something. This episode of Design Yourself explores the guiding question: "For the sake of what?" For the sake of what are you working hard to hit those goals? For the sake of what are you running your business? Sometimes work gets us so heads down that we forget to look at the b...
Jul 17, 2024•36 min•Ep. 228
Have you ever found yourself in a place where your head keeps spinning on the same question (or set of questions)? But no matter how much energy you expend thinking about it, you can’t seem to come to a confident conclusion? You are not alone. We often get stuck on “unanswerable questions” because they are rooted in a way of seeing the problem limiting our ability to move forward. In today’s episode, Sharon shares a simple process for moving from question to action. Learn what it means to “live ...
Jul 10, 2024•31 min•Ep. 227
To lead a life of intention asks us to connect to what we desire. Simple in concept, but often hard in execution. Many things will grab our attention: Competing priorities; jampacked schedules; and people-pleasing habits - to name just a few. Many of us will falter on this path because we have been trained to act. When something is missing, we feel compelled to do something - anything! - to find a new way forward. Today's podcast offers an antidote to that restless pacing. Learn to listen to you...
Jul 03, 2024•32 min•Ep. 226
We are halfway through the calendar year and officially into the summer season. It’s a natural time to take stock of how your year is going. What’s working? What’s getting in your way? What do you wish for? Do your answers inspire you to make any shifts as you head into the second half of this year? Let’s explore these questions in “Where Am I Now?” Stay Connected For show notes visit: https://pointroadstudios.com/podcast/where-am-i-now/ To connect on Linked In: @Sharon Lipovsky @Point Road Stud...
Jun 26, 2024•16 min•Ep. 225
Consensus is not an evergreen goal. It is neither realistic nor a worthy goal to chase everyone agreeing all of the time. How can we promote productive dissent? How can we move forward as a team when we don’t all have the same opinion on what the path forward ought to be? Tune in to this Design Yourself show to discuss how to disagree and commit. Stay Connected For show notes visit: https://pointroadstudios.com/podcast/disagree-and-commit/ To connect on Linked In: @Sharon Lipovsky @Point Road St...
Jun 19, 2024•29 min•Ep. 224
I love a big-picture strategy, but sometimes the most important place to focus is right where you are. What supports us in being able to keep our heads down - with purpose? What gifts are received when we commit to immediate tasks? Explore together in this week’s Design Yourself Focus on This Effort . Stay Connected For show notes visit: https://pointroadstudios.com/podcast/focus-on-this-effort/ To connect on Linked In: @Sharon Lipovsky @Point Road Studios To connect on Instagram: @pointroadstud...
Jun 12, 2024•21 min•Ep. 223
Weeds happen. In life and the garden, we confront valueless things that encroach on the priorities we want to cultivate. What lessons can we learn from digging in the dirt and listening to the birdsong? How can we move with intention as we remove what is undesired and create space for our visions to flourish? Join me in this Design Yourself episode to discuss weeding in the garden. Stay Connected To book your 1:1 Vision Reading: https://pointroadstudios.com/product/vision-reading/ For show notes...
Jun 05, 2024•27 min•Ep. 222
