Abby Chipman has a bachelor’s degree in statistics and an MBA focused on finance. She worked for the US Census Bureau as a Statistician Analyst for three years, and during her MBA, she interned at a microfinance bank in Kenya. She then worked for Fidelity Investments as a financial representative and then as a relationship manager, working with high-net-worth clients. During her time at Fidelity, Abby also obtained her Certified Financial Planner license.
Abby is an unusual guest for the podcast. Most of our guests are in the paid workforce. AND, there are many ways we can gain professional development and leadership experience. Today’s guest, Abby Croshaw Chipman, tells us how she found herself navigating the challenges many leaders from large and small companies faced during Covid. The catch? She navigated hiring, contract negotiations, and major policy decisions throughout covid as an unpaid employee in a leadership role at a cooperative preschool.
In our conversation, we discuss:
Managing tough conversations with savvy and grace
What you can expect to experience when setting policies during highly sensitive and political-feeling moments
A 7-minute demonstration with specific examples of how many of the experiences we have at work and at home can be applied in both scenarios
Faith & Leadership
Finding your confidence when you don’t feel like you’re the best person for a volunteer role.
Work-life balance - how to leverage your faith when setting priorities
(As always, look to the end of the newsletter if you want to find the start time for a particular conversation point.)
Some takeaways:
If there’s one takeaway from the business section of this episode, it’s this: never discount someone’s experience or abilities just because they haven’t been in a paid role for several years. You can gain tremendous experiences and growth at home, church, and volunteer roles that are very valuable in the paid workforce.
“ENTER THE DANGER”—When facing a challenging conversation, it’s always wiser to follow Patrick Lencioni’s advice. Avoiding a conversation often makes a challenging situation harder.
When it comes to setting policies on sensitive matters… know that you won’t make everyone happy. Do your best, and accept that some people may be uncomfortable and displeased. That doesn’t mean you haven’t done an excellent job.
If you want to succeed in challenging moments, you need to practice resilience and emotional regulation skills daily. When these moments occur, you’ll have built up muscle memory and be able to navigate situations better.
Faith and Leadership | Abby shares an important message for leaders who feel underqualified. She recommends answering three questions, which—when answered—can give you the confidence to speak up.
Listen and follow now on iTunes, Spotify, YouTube, and most major listening apps
Resources and Topics Mentioned In the Podcast
Book, Patrick Lencioni: The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: a leadership fable
Book, Dr. Becky Kennedy: Good Inside
Instagram account for Dr. Becky At Good Inside (example scripts pulled from April to September 2021 posts)
In this episode, we cover:
[00:02:39] Communication in challenging unpaid roles.
[00:05:45] Tough Conversations in Leadership.
[00:09:12] Setting clear personal boundaries.
[00:14:15] Leadership and personal development.
[00:18:40] Kids' fear of lack of information.
[00:22:20] Teaching how to think.
[00:26:12] Leadership in working with teenagers.
[00:27:12] Embracing leadership challenges.
[00:33:51] Connection with family.
[00:35:43] You are enough.
Share this post