Activate Your Leadership Superpower with Tamara Jackson

Speaker 1 Here is something most people never talk about. Half of young people will face psychosexual challenges at some point.

Speaker 1 Mojo gives you a private, science-backed way to work through them without shame and without awkward conversations. Mojo is the world's first AI sex and relationship therapist.

Speaker 1 It turns 50 plus years of sexology research into short, guided sessions you can do anytime. Women use it for pain during sex, low desire, or trouble-reaching orgasm.

Speaker 1 Men use it for erection issues, performance anxiety, rapid ejaculation, and low libido. These things are far more common than people admit.
What I like is how simple it is.

Speaker 1 The AI therapist gives you small practical steps that reduce anxiety, build confidence, and help you communicate better.

Speaker 1 It is judgment-free and easy to stick with, and it already has more than 1 million members in over 150 countries.

Speaker 1 Head to mojo.so/slash slash Mick Unplugged for your seven-day free trial and start feeling the difference.

Speaker 3 Experience a membership that backs what you're building with American Express Business Platinum.

Speaker 3 Enjoy complimentary access to the American Express Global Lounge collection and a welcome offer of 200,000 points after you spend $20,000 on purchases on the card within your first three months of membership.

Speaker 3 American Express Business Platinum. There's nothing like it.
Terms apply. Learn more at AmericanExpress.com/slash business dash platinum.

Speaker 1 You know, over the past decade, even longer, we've been putting this big emphasis on having high-performing teams. So really excited for you all to listen to this episode.

Speaker 1 We go into high-purpose versus high-performance. We talk a ton about emotional intelligence and how to ask really good questions.
Tam Jackson, amazing leader of leaders.

Speaker 1 You're going to love this episode. And I'm just going to be quiet and just let you hear it.
Ladies and gentlemen, I present the amazing Tamara Jackson.

Speaker 2 You're listening to Mick Unplugged, hosted by the one and only Mick Hunt. This is where purpose meets power and stories spark transformation.

Speaker 2 Mick takes you beyond the motivation and into meaning, helping you discover your because and becoming unstoppable. I'm Rudy Rush, and trust me, you're in the right place.
Let's get unplugged.

Speaker 1 Tam, how are you doing today, dear?

Speaker 4 Meg, I am doing great. Thank you so much for the introduction.
It did my heart good to just hear that. So thank you.

Speaker 1 No, I appreciate you. I appreciate you more than you know.
And, you know, Tam, I know

Speaker 1 I'd say a lot about you, but, you know, I'm a huge follower of you. I've been a follower for a while.

Speaker 1 You know, I'm in the leadership space as well. I think selfless, shameless plug for Tam.

Speaker 1 She has one of the best assessments that are out there that I'm going to make sure everybody goes to before we end the day.

Speaker 1 But Tam, I love starting this with asking my guests, like, what's your because?

Speaker 1 That thing that's deeper than your why, that true passion, that true purpose that you have today, Tam, what's your because?

Speaker 4 I love that question. As I sit with that, I think for me, It's about igniting.
I recognize that I've been blessed with a lot of great opportunities.

Speaker 4 There have been people that have opened doors for me, that have poured into me over the years. And as I hit that, you know, 50 mark

Speaker 4 last year,

Speaker 4 I started thinking about

Speaker 4 the reality that there is likely less time in front of me than there is behind me.

Speaker 4 And so I am operating with urgency in my life, and I want to encourage others to do the same.

Speaker 4 Whatever it is that you are called to do, however you are supposed to make an impact in this world, however you're supposed to lead and be a light for others, it's time to do that now.

Speaker 4 I think, Mick, that we take for granted that we have time. And one of the lessons that I've learned over the last few years is there are no guarantees.
Now is all we have.

Speaker 4 So we have to take advantage of it.

Speaker 1 I love that. You know, and you hit on something.
So one of my really good mentors, Les Brown, you know, he says, people say, time is money. It's like, no, it's not.

Speaker 1 Time is life because you can run out of money, right?

Speaker 1 Run out of life and see what happens.

Speaker 1 And I think what you're saying is so true that, you know, putting an importance on making impact, as my good friend Robert Irvine will say, is why we're all here,

Speaker 1 should be who we are and what we're about. I'd love for you to just kind of talk about what impact means for you.

Speaker 4 For me, impact is about what I leave behind.

Speaker 4 So when I enter a room, am I leaving something behind? Am I making that space better than it was when I entered? And that doesn't necessarily mean that I am dominating or commanding that room.

Speaker 4 It could just be the conversation that I've had with the person next to me. It could be a smile when a person is having a rough day.

Speaker 4 It's about leaving something behind that makes a positive difference in people's lives.

Speaker 4 And so the great news about that, Mick, is no matter where we are in our leadership journey, whether we have the titles and the accolades or not, we can all make an impact.

Speaker 4 If we focus on the people that are around us, the gifts, skills, and talents that we've been given, and we look for ways to make others' lives better, we all have an opportunity to make an impact.

Speaker 1 Amazing. Amazing.
And so that's a great transition of all the great work that you're doing and that Beaconship is doing.

Speaker 1 Talk to the viewers and listeners about the company, the purpose of the company, and what all that you do at Beaconship.

Speaker 4 Yeah, so you hit on a really important word that kind of encapsulates what Beaconship is about, and it's about being a light.

Speaker 4 I have been a person of faith since since I was a little kid. You know, we all have those journeys where we kind of go in and out,

Speaker 4 but thank God for redemption and

Speaker 4 bringing us back home, right?

Speaker 4 So, one of the things that I believe is critical as faith-driven leaders is not so much preaching or beating people over the head with things, but being a light in a dark space.

Speaker 4 And the reality is, in today's world, there is a lot of division, there is

Speaker 4 a lot of complexity as leaders. You are navigating things that maybe you've never dealt with before.
So beaconship is about taking the wisdom of leaders that have been doing this.

Speaker 4 They have blazed the way, whether it's in the nonprofit space, running multi-million and billion-dollar companies, or in film.

Speaker 4 What have these leaders learned that can help the next generation of leaders as they step into their leadership moment?

Speaker 4 I believe that as faith-driven leaders, we have the answers to the world's greatest problems, but there is a risk that the wisdom that has been hard won over the years doesn't get passed down.

Speaker 4 And that's an urgent call because there's a lot going on in the political space and the economic space, but also in the financial space, which is a passion for me, having worked so long in the financial space.

Speaker 4 Something that's happening right now is that we have leaders

Speaker 4 that have been able to achieve great success. They are in that boomer generation category, if you will, and they are now faced with some critical decisions.

Speaker 4 What are they going to do with the businesses that they've been able to grow?

Speaker 4 What are they going to do with the wealth that they've been able to accumulate? And in the conversations that I've been having, Mick,

Speaker 4 these leaders want to make sure that whatever they are giving or passing down is ending up in the right hands. So that means the next generation of leaders have to have great character.

Speaker 4 And that's really what beaconship is about is how do we raise up leaders that have great character.

Speaker 4 One of the things that I so appreciate my mom for is I remember as I was, I'm a serial entrepreneur mix. So

Speaker 4 as you are, you know, had multiple ventures, multiple things that I've been interested in over the years, even though I grew up in corporate, there was always this call to, you know, step into that entrepreneurial space.

Speaker 4 So I remember, you know, having my corporate career, building my business, my side hustle on the side, and I wanted it to grow fast.

Speaker 4 because I started feeling this pull to step more into entrepreneurship and be able to step out of the corporate space. So I remember having these conversations with my mom, mom, pray for my business.

Speaker 4 Help me to go to God in prayer so that this business will grow.

Speaker 4 And she looked at me, Mick, and said,

Speaker 4 I really want your business to be successful. I really want your business to grow.
But what I want more than anything, is for your character to grow.

Speaker 4 One of the things that she recognized is that we can get promoted to places that we are not able to stay in because our character is not right.

Speaker 4 So I will tell you, I was a little disappointed in that moment because I wanted what I wanted. But now, many years later, I am so thankful for her prayers.

Speaker 4 The way that we develop character is not always easy. But it is the thing.

Speaker 4 It is the X factor, I believe, that distinguishes great great leaders, impactful leaders between them and those that kind of start off strong, but tend to fall along the wayside.

Speaker 1 So it's about character.

Speaker 1 I love that. That's one of my pillars.
So

Speaker 1 character is

Speaker 1 what I like to say. It's what's seen before you walk into a room.
It's what stays when you walk out of that room, right?

Speaker 1 And I think from a leadership perspective, when we talk about trust and we talk about character, those are the things that the modern employee is actually craving.

Speaker 1 And those are the things that the modern employee is looking for from their leaders. You know, Tam, I've been saying for the last 12 months now,

Speaker 1 this new generation, and it's not a bad thing, but this new generation of employees, the 401k and the pension isn't as important as the leader being transparent and the values that a leader has.

Speaker 1 I mean, nowadays,

Speaker 1 prospects, applicants are researching the company and the values that you have.

Speaker 1 And they're looking at the things that you stand for or that you don't stand for, the words that you say, the words that you don't say.

Speaker 1 And when I was growing up, Tam, like, I cared about, one, I'm a central, I'm a serial entrepreneur like you. But my first job, I did care about, well, what's the retirement package?

Speaker 1 What are the benefits? What

Speaker 1 my kids, Tim, they don't care about that.

Speaker 1 They're like, hey i can work from home even if i'm sick so i don't need time off you know what i mean like i'm there like i can i can work on vacation i don't need to be in an office anymore how do you help leaders understand that transparency trust character are the things that these modern employees are valuing now yeah it's it's a great question i think what we're seeing is this next generation of leaders wants receipts.

Speaker 4 They don't want talk.

Speaker 4 They don't want the fancy speeches. They don't want any of that.
As you've said, it's about who you are inside and whether or not they are able to connect with that.

Speaker 4 So at Beaconship, one of the things that we really emphasize is, and this is a hard word, but having a level of vulnerability.

Speaker 1 True or false, incognito mode makes you invisible on the internet. The answer is false.

Speaker 1 Most people have no idea, but your browsing history can still be monitored and even recorded unless you use ExpressVPN.

Speaker 1 Look, there are times when I'm researching guests, projects, companies, or digging into sensitive prep for the podcast. I don't need my internet provider keeping tabs on what I'm looking up.

Speaker 1 And that is why I actually use ExpressVPN. It protects me from all the third parties who can still see every website I visit.

Speaker 1 My ISP, my mobile network, even whoever controls the Wi-Fi if I'm traveling.

Speaker 1 ExpressVPN reroutes 100% of your traffic through secure, encrypted servers so those third parties cannot see your browsing history. Plan started just $3.49 a month.
It hides your IP address.

Speaker 1 It works on all devices and it's unbelievably easy to use. I open the app, tap one button, and I'm protected.
And this matters to me. I live online.
I research online. I run businesses online.

Speaker 1 Privacy is non-negotiable. ExpressVPN is the tool I trust.
Secure your online data today by visiting expressvpn.com slash MIC.

Speaker 1 That's E-X-P-R-E-S-S-V-P-N.com slash MIC to find out how you can get up to four extra months. Expressvpn.com slash MIC.

Speaker 1 AG-1 is the daily health drink that combines your multivitamin, pre- and probiotics, superfoods, and antioxidants into one simple green scoop.

Speaker 1 It is one of the easiest things you can do to support your body every day. For me, AG1 became part of my morning routine fast.
I make it right before I sit down to plan my day.

Speaker 1 One scoop, cold water, shake, done. What I love is how easy it has made consistency.
I'm on the road, in the studio, running events, managing teams. Routines get thrown off.

Speaker 1 This is the one thing I can keep steady. AG1 Next Gen has more vitamins and minerals than ever before, and it is clinically shown to fill common nutrient gaps.

Speaker 1 The pre- and probiotics help support gut health and digestion, and it supports a healthy immune system in a season where life gets busy and schedules get chaotic.

Speaker 1 I also like that AG1 gives me options: original, berry, tropical, and my go-to, citrus. And if you have been following me long enough, you know I do not recommend something unless I use it.

Speaker 1 This one is part of my day every day. AG1 has the best offer ever.

Speaker 1 If you head to drinkag1.com slash MC, you will receive the welcome kit, a morning person hat, a bottle of vitamin D3 plus K2, an AG1 flavor sampler, and you will get to try their new sleep supplement, AGZ, for free, which has been a game changer for my nightly routine.

Speaker 1 That is drinkag1.com slash MC for $126 in free gifts for new subscribers.

Speaker 4 What I have found, you know,

Speaker 4 I don't have kids of my own, but I do have a goddaughter who is 16, going on 30 mix.

Speaker 4 I don't know how in 16 years she's developed so much expertise and wisdom, but you know how it is when you're a teen, right? You think you've got it all figured out.

Speaker 4 But one of the things that I have noticed from her is

Speaker 4 that she is more concerned with connection.

Speaker 4 She wants to know, you know, not only the great things that have happened, but the tough things. She's really good at asking me questions, even in moments of difficulty.

Speaker 4 When I lost my mom a few years ago,

Speaker 4 as I have had, not all of my ventures have been successful. She's been really good at asking those thoughtful, reflective questions to get to the heart of, okay, well, what did you learn?

Speaker 4 And how was that? How did that feel for you?

Speaker 4 And so one of the things that we encourage leaders to do at Beaconship is not just lead with the metrics, not just lead with your expertise, but what have your experiences been?

Speaker 4 What are some of the things that you've encountered along the way that have really shook you at your core? Use those examples.

Speaker 4 to inspire the next generation of leaders because they need to know that they're not alone in the things that they are dealing with today.

Speaker 4 And you sharing your experiences is going to be the thing that really communicates that storytelling is so powerful.

Speaker 1 You know, and Tam, speaking of challenging, I have to be vulnerable right here now

Speaker 1 because you challenged me and you don't, you didn't even realize this. But again, I've been a student of Tam for a while.
And

Speaker 1 you talk about high performance and burnout.

Speaker 1 And I was such a leader focused on high-performing teams, right? And because you can measure that. I can measure performance.
I can see it.

Speaker 1 I have data that can back up every decision, every hit, every miss that we have. But you challenged me to say, well, what about having a high-purpose-led team?

Speaker 1 What if we go from performance to high purpose?

Speaker 1 And that shook me.

Speaker 1 I would love for you to talk to the viewers and listeners about that transition of

Speaker 1 performance does matter, but purpose is probably more important. So talk to us about that a little bit.
Yeah.

Speaker 4 You know,

Speaker 4 it's actually another lesson that I learned from my mom.

Speaker 4 You know, I remember growing up and seeing her work really, really hard. She actually got her start in retail.
And for anyone who's worked in retail, you know, it's really long hours.

Speaker 4 You are working really, really hard to make, to make sure that you hit your goals.

Speaker 4 And so she had actually been on a journey of learning how to not just focus on the numbers in terms of how many units were moved and how sales were growing most month over month.

Speaker 4 One of her leaders had challenged her, hey, I know that you're focused on these goals, but people over paper.

Speaker 1 people

Speaker 4 over

Speaker 1 paper.

Speaker 4 And I heard her, you know, she shared this lesson with me, but I was still pretty young, pretty early in my working career.

Speaker 4 And it didn't come back to me until I had my first team that I was leading in a corporate space.

Speaker 4 And sometimes when you step into leadership, you get teams that are really hitting it on all cylinders. I did not mix.
I got a team that was really struggling.

Speaker 4 And despite my motivational talks, despite me sitting down and coaching and going over the numbers, you know, a few months in, they still weren't where they needed to be.

Speaker 4 And I remember getting to a place of frustration such that

Speaker 4 I'm ashamed to say it, but I let my frustration show on our board. We had a board in front of our team.
They kind of recapped their numbers from the prior day.

Speaker 4 And I always updated it with the numbers, but there was normally some type of, you know, statement of encouragement or something to motivate the team for the day.

Speaker 4 And this day, I was so through with it that I just put a sad face. Now, I don't know why I did that, but it just reflected honestly what I was feeling inside.
And then I remember feeling defeated

Speaker 4 because here I was, you know, trying to pour all my heart and soul into leading this team. And no matter what I was doing, it wasn't working.

Speaker 4 But here's the thing:

Speaker 4 many times there can be people that may not have an official leadership title. I had someone, Stephanie, I still remember this moment, and I still remember her name after all these years.

Speaker 4 She was not leading a team, but she pulled me aside. She said, Damn, what is this that you have on the board?

Speaker 1 What is up with this, you know, sad faith?

Speaker 4 And I was explaining to her what was happening. She's like, You got to erase it.
You got to take it back because the team is looking to you for guidance and direction. So if you give up,

Speaker 4 they will give up.

Speaker 4 So I went back, I erased the sad face that was reflective of my feelings about our performance. And it really put me on a journey of soul searching.

Speaker 4 Everything I had done up until that point did not work.

Speaker 1 So now what?

Speaker 4 Then I realized the thing that I had not done was really tapped into the purpose, that conversation about what each person on the team really was about, what they really want.

Speaker 4 I hadn't really gotten to know them as individuals. I was just focused on getting the ball out the field and getting a score.

Speaker 4 And when I took the time to actually sit down with each individual and not just look at the numbers, but get to know them, what their motivations were, what their goals were, then we started to connect on a level and they could receive the coaching and feedback and we could work together to help them to grow.

Speaker 4 And our numbers started to improve. And then for some of those people,

Speaker 4 what we realized through those discussions is this role wasn't a good fit.

Speaker 4 And so my responsibility as a leader wasn't to continue to push them and beat them over the head about the numbers that they weren't hitting, but to help them to find the role that was a better fit.

Speaker 4 And so when we lean into purpose, when we lean into relationships, that is so key to purpose, then what we find is that people feel seen, they feel valued, and when they see, feel seen and valued, they will perform for you at levels that you would never be able to get them to perform by just looking at them.

Speaker 4 And I think that's something that's not talked about enough.

Speaker 1 Amen to that. Amen to that.

Speaker 1 And this is something we agree on, Tim.

Speaker 1 We don't disagree on anything, but I know this is something you talk about. This This is something that I talk about.
And I think it's important for leaders to understand this.

Speaker 1 So we're going to have some good dialogue here, Tim.

Speaker 1 Chime is changing the way people bank. Fee-free and smarter banking built just for you.
And I will tell you straight up: my younger self would have benefited from this.

Speaker 1 I used to get crushed by old school banks with overdraft fees and monthly fees. Chime flips all of that on its head.
Chime isn't just another banking app.

Speaker 1 They unlock smarter banking for everyday people with products like MyPay, giving you access to up to $500 of your paycheck anytime, and getting paid up to two days early with direct deposits.

Speaker 1 Some banks still can't do that. Forget overdraft fees, minimum balances, and monthly fees.

Speaker 1 Chime makes your everyday spending work harder with real rewards, credit building, and savings up to 3.5% APY.

Speaker 1 And their new QIIME card helps you build credit with your own money while earning cash back. No annual fees, no interest, no strings attached.

Speaker 1 For me, switching took minutes and it felt like upgrading my entire financial routine. Chime is not just smarter banking.
It is the most rewarding way to bank.

Speaker 1 Join the millions who are already banking fee-free today. It just takes a few minutes to sign up.
Head to chime.com slash MIC. That's chime.com slash MIC.

Speaker 5 Chime is a financial technology company, not a bank. Banking services, a secured Chime visa credit card and my paid line of credit provided by the the Bankcore Bank NA or Stride Bank NA.

Speaker 5 My pay pay eligibility requirements apply and credit limit ranges $20 to $500. Optional services and products may have fees or charges.
See chime.com slash fees info.

Speaker 5 Advertised annual percentage yield with Chime Plus status only. Otherwise, 1.00% APY applies.
No min balance required.

Speaker 5 Chime card on time payment history may have a positive impact on your credit score. Results may vary.
See chime.com for details and applicable terms.

Speaker 1 EQ, emotional intelligence, is far more important than IQ.

Speaker 1 From a leadership perspective, I say this.

Speaker 1 Your IQ and your skill set probably got you the job. Your EQ

Speaker 1 is going to keep it and get you promoted and take it to where you want to go.

Speaker 1 And I think for every leader, for every entrepreneur, understanding that the most important skill set that you need to be developing is your emotional intelligence, because that's literally what you were just surmising right there, Tam.

Speaker 1 Getting to know your team, listening,

Speaker 1 having that self-regulation. It used to be cool when we were growing up, Tam, and we heard it all the time, you wear your emotions on your sleeve.
Well, can't do that anymore. Can't do that anymore.

Speaker 1 Emotions might scare people. The emotions that you're wearing on your sleeve, if you're like me, I found out the hard way, you're going to lose 20% of your team physically.

Speaker 1 Like, I lost 20% of my team because I was that

Speaker 1 full of emotion, wear it on my sleeve, drive, drive, drive leader. And I realized really quickly that's not the way to lead.
Tam, talk to us about how important

Speaker 1 continuing to develop emotional intelligence is for leaders today.

Speaker 4 It is critically important because

Speaker 4 no person is the same.

Speaker 4 I think that's one of the critical things that we need to recognize is that when we're meeting someone, when we're leading someone, when we're building relationships with people, they are bringing so much.

Speaker 4 with them to that relationship.

Speaker 4 All of the experiences that they've had, the heartbreaks both in business and in their personal lives, and all of these experiences have shaped their outlook on life.

Speaker 4 So one of the things that I find really interesting is two people can be in the same conversation and they will hear what is said completely different.

Speaker 4 It happens in personal relationships. It happens in professional relationships.
And you're thinking, well, I just said X, Y, Z.

Speaker 4 And they're like, well, it feels, it felt like you were attacking me.

Speaker 1 Like, what?

Speaker 4 Attacking you? That totally wasn't on my radar. That wasn't my intent.

Speaker 4 And so being able to read a room, being able to understand how your communication style or your lack of communication might be impacting other people and then.

Speaker 4 having the fortitude to adjust and to recognize that, you know, one of the things that I've learned is as the communicator the responsibility is on me and i didn't know that initially i initially i thought well hey this is what i intended so it's it's something wrong on their end if they didn't get it the way that i intended for it to be received but what i've learned is wait that didn't land the way i hoped it would maybe i need to think about how i'm communicating Where could I have been more clear?

Speaker 4 Where could I have been more empathetic? Maybe I should have started started with some questions about how they were instead of jumping into the thing that I wanted to talk about that day, right?

Speaker 4 Yeah. And those are things that you learn when you practice reflection.
So that's one of the things that I would kind of underline for our viewing and listening audience today.

Speaker 4 I think for me, being able to become more emotionally intelligent requires being willing to step back from interactions and reflect and grade yourself. How did that go?

Speaker 1 Yes.

Speaker 4 And if it went well, then great. What are some of the things that I think went well based on how they responded to what I shared?

Speaker 4 And then if it didn't go well, okay, where did it seem to get off the rails? And how can I maybe do that differently next time?

Speaker 4 I think being able to, you know, I was, I'm thinking about sports right now for some reason. I love football.
And I think one of the benefits to football is that replay, right?

Speaker 4 To be able to go back because you could be looking at it in the moment and you could swear he caught the ball. He caught the ball.

Speaker 4 But when you do the replay and you do it in slow-mo, you're like, wait a minute, he dropped that, right?

Speaker 4 And I think as leaders, we have to create our own version of replay so that we can take a closer look at the interactions that we're having and be able to assess, how can I be better so that I can build better relationships and I can create that emotional connection with those that I love.

Speaker 1 Amazing. Amazing.
Amazing. Amazing.
And, you know, you said the word assess. And then when I kicked this off, I talked about this amazing assessment that you have and that you've created.

Speaker 1 I'd love for you to break down for the viewers and listeners what this assessment is. What is it scored? And why is it important?

Speaker 4 Yeah. So the Beacon of Excellence scorecard really ties back to the word that we talked about earlier.
It's about character. It's a self-assessment.

Speaker 4 You are taking it as a leader on behalf of your organization to assess how are you doing in the key areas that those that are looking to come alongside and invest, donate, or support in some way, what are some of the things that they are looking for?

Speaker 4 How are you doing in each of those areas? Being able to assess, am I on the right track or do I need to make some adjustments?

Speaker 4 And this scorecard was created because I spent about a year just going around to different leadership events and conferences because I am so interested in the great wealth transfer and how these businesses and wealth is going to transition hands over the next few decades.

Speaker 4 I started really paying attention. to what those that have a desire to pass down things were really looking for.
And what I realized is that there was a disconnect.

Speaker 4 Those that were looking to invest or donate had a scorecard that they were using, but the scorecard was often invisible to those that really wanted to qualify, if you will, for these opportunities.

Speaker 4 So the goal with the Beacon of Excellence scorecard is to pull together all the things that I heard time and time again in such a way that you now know, here is what I am being graded against.

Speaker 4 And now that I have taken the assessment, it's absolutely free for you to take. Now you know, okay, here are the things that I need to keep doing.

Speaker 4 Here are the things that I need to start doing. And these things, oh my gosh, I need to get help with these.

Speaker 4 Because the reality is I am not doing well in these areas, not because I don't have desire, but because maybe I don't have the right team members. or maybe I don't have the right mentor.

Speaker 4 So this scorecard is designed to illuminate the path for the next generation of leaders to figure out what steps they need to take to position themselves for the opportunities that they are seeking.

Speaker 4 So I definitely encourage you, would love to have you take the scorecard and see where you stand.

Speaker 1 All right. So where can we go take this assessment, Tam?

Speaker 4 Absolutely. I'd love for you to visit our website.
We are at beaconship.co, not combanship.co.

Speaker 4 You will see right there on the homepage, a link to take the scorecard. And what's beautiful about it is you don't just see the results on a screen.

Speaker 4 You are going to get a PDF where all of your results are summarized and you will have that action plan, not only for yourself, but so that you can share it with those that you lead.

Speaker 4 So that now you can paint a picture of the vision of what you want to accomplish in the coming months and years.

Speaker 1 And I think that's so critical.

Speaker 1 Again, selfless promotion for TAM. I think it's so critical as leaders that you understand, one, who you are, to how you lead.
What are the fundamental principles that you have?

Speaker 1 Where can you get better? What are your blind spots? And so I'm so proud of you and what you've done with the scorecard,

Speaker 1 with what you do from a teaching, coaching, helping people become better leaders, getting the best versions of themselves.

Speaker 1 You know, what are some of the new cool initiatives that you have going on? What is Tam working on now?

Speaker 4 yeah so right now i am really excited to be focusing on helping leaders actually refine their pitch so right now all across the country there are events held where uh founders have an opportunity to share their venture they do typically a very short presentation we're talking somewhere between four and five minutes and they've got to capture the heart of their venture and their ask in that short time frame.

Speaker 4 So it's been really fun to actually work with a group of leaders here in Charlotte, take the journey with them over several sessions, help them to refine what it is that their venture is really about in a way that's going to be compelling to investors and donors, and then be able to translate that into a pitch deck that they can then use not only for events locally here in Charlotte, but across the globe.

Speaker 4 And what's been amazing is how just giving them some guidance and direction, just helping them to understand the scorecard that they've been evaluating, they're being evaluated against has helped them to be able to get more clear and to not only capture it well in writing and their pitch deck, but in how they present it.

Speaker 4 And one of the things that I will share, Mick, that I want to underscore for the audience is get comfortable with your ask, whether you're looking for investors or donors.

Speaker 4 One of the things that I see being the area where people really struggle is getting comfortable asking for money or asking for connections or asking for help.

Speaker 4 And I think that points to a challenge that we can often have as leaders. Sometimes we are really great at leading and pouring into others.

Speaker 4 But what I'm learning and really focused on teaching others is we also have to be good receivers.

Speaker 4 And being able to ask

Speaker 4 is a part. It's a part of that.
It's the first step to being able to receive.

Speaker 1 Amen. Amen.
To that. Tim, I could talk to you all day.

Speaker 1 I think we just scratched the surface on some conversations. So I'm about to bring you back for part two if you're open to that.

Speaker 4 Absolutely. Let's do it.

Speaker 1 All right. So before I get you out of here, though, I got to go with my rapid fire, my quick five rapid fire questions.
Okay. All right.
You ready?

Speaker 4 Ready.

Speaker 1 All right. So you just talked about football.

Speaker 4 Yes.

Speaker 1 Who's your football team?

Speaker 4 You're going to hate me. The Dallas Cowboys.

Speaker 1 I said football team.

Speaker 1 What? Excuse me?

Speaker 4 So you so you are your

Speaker 1 professional football team.

Speaker 1 That's dirty. That's just dirty.

Speaker 1 That's cold.

Speaker 4 See, you took it to a next level. I was ready for the hate, but I wasn't ready for the, wait a minute.
I need a professional team. Really?

Speaker 1 Is that where we're going today? Sorry. I just, I don't want the listeners and viewers to be confused when I said professional football and you said Cowboys.
I had to clarify that. Like

Speaker 1 terrible, terrible.

Speaker 1 All right. So, so you talked about helping people with their pitch.

Speaker 1 When you've got to get amped up and ready for a pitch, for a conference, to go on stage, what's the song that you're going to in your head or that you're going to listen to?

Speaker 4 Yeah. So you might be surprised by this Katy Perry Roar.
I want to bring it. I want to get, I want to get that inner, like, I got this.

Speaker 4 And that is a song that always does it for me. 100%.

Speaker 4 Okay.

Speaker 1 All right.

Speaker 1 It's time for a home-cooked meal. The weather's starting to change a little bit.

Speaker 1 We both live in the South. So I call this Southern food time of the year right here.

Speaker 1 What is Tam's favorite fall, winter meal? Oh,

Speaker 1 pot roast.

Speaker 4 I love pot roast with some little potatoes on the side. I don't know.
It just warms my heart. And when it just falls apart, when you take it out of the crock pot, that's like my favorite.

Speaker 1 I love it.

Speaker 1 I'm right there with you. Give me a good roast and some mac and cheese, and I'm good for three days.

Speaker 1 What do you think is the most underrated leadership trait?

Speaker 4 Hmm, the underrated leadership trait,

Speaker 4 asking good questions.

Speaker 4 I remember having a leader that I knew, Mick, had no idea really what my job was, but he always asked me amazing questions. He didn't understand the details of anything.

Speaker 4 But every time I got into a meeting with him, I'm like,

Speaker 4 man, I got to do some homework. I got to go dig some stuff up.
So he was leading me, not from a place of expertise, but by asking questions.

Speaker 4 And I think as leaders, as we get better at asking the right questions, we'll start getting better answers. And it will also help grow those that we lead.

Speaker 4 Because just like I was caught off guard, those that are following us are going to to realize hey wait a minute maybe i don't know this as well as i thought i did i love it i love it all right last one

Speaker 1 we're writing the story of tam jackson

Speaker 1 what's the one word that's going to define your legacy

Speaker 4 resilience my life has certainly been filled with ups and downs um

Speaker 4 But I think one of the things that God has blessed me with is the ability to recognize that this moment is not forever. So even in those tough times, I'm not going to always be here.

Speaker 4 And being able to recognize that and build a plan to move forward, no matter what life throws at you, I think is what I hope defines me when all is said and done.

Speaker 1 I love it. I love it.
Tam, you're amazing. Honored to have you on today.

Speaker 1 Where do you want people to find and follow you?

Speaker 4 Yeah, I would love for people to connect with me on LinkedIn.

Speaker 4 That's the platform that i'm really embracing right now so go ahead and find me tamara jackson is my full government name on linkedin uh give me a follow connect there i'm also sharing a lot about what i'm learning as a leadership as a leader on linkedin so i'd love for you to be a part of the conversation um yeah so please connect there i look forward to hearing from all of you All right, I'll make sure that we have those links available to her main website where the assessment lives, the scorecard lives, and then also to her LinkedIn profile.

Speaker 1 Do me a favor, give her a follow, tell her that you heard us here on this show. We both will appreciate that.

Speaker 1 Tam, again, I just can't thank you enough for one, being the human being that you are, and two, just for taking time out of your busy schedule to teach us today. Thank you.

Speaker 4 Yeah, it's been so fun. It's been a great time.
Even though you talked about my team,

Speaker 4 I forgive you, Mick.

Speaker 1 I talked about your what?

Speaker 4 My team.

Speaker 1 That's the team over there. Got Got it.
I thought it was just Jerry Jones and his coworkers.

Speaker 1 I didn't know it was an actual team. You know,

Speaker 1 David Ruffin and the temptations, Diana Ross and the Supremes, Jerry Jones and the Cowboys. That's terrible.
That's terrible. You hurt me to my heart, Vic.
You hurt me to my heart.

Speaker 1 There you go. All right, Tam.
And for all the viewers and listeners, remember, you're because is your superpower. Go unleash it.

Speaker 2 That's another powerful conversation on Mick Unplugged.

Speaker 2 If this episode moved you, and I'm sure it did, follow the show wherever you listen, share it with someone who needs that spark, and leave a review so more people can find their because.

Speaker 2 I'm Rudy Rush. And until next time, stay driven, stay focused, and stay unplugged.