Shift Out Loud with Tracy Spears
Hosted by Tracy Spears, speaker, co-author of two best selling leadership books, founder of The Leader Lab, coach, and head cheerleader for anyone trying to play bigger. Shift Out Loud is a podcast designed to inspire you to play bigger. You'll hear from real live people sharing what their shift was, when it happened, and why it was out loud. What you think is true, and when you move from the external locus of control to the internal locus of control, your shift can happen and anything becomes possible. This podcast is your invitation to listen to others who have made the shift, and also serve as a catalyst for you to play bigger.
Shift Out Loud with Tracy Spears
Making the Most of Your Opportunities with Kathy Taylor
While many find fulfillment in mastering one craft, others thrive when exploring new worlds and challenges. My guest for this episode of Shift Out Loud has excelled at playing a bigger game in a variety of sectors, from business to academia to politics.
Kathy Taylor is a woman with an incredible body of work. Her past roles include corporate EVP, Dean of the Collins College of Business at the University of Tulsa, and the 38th mayor of Tulsa, to name just a few. Currently, she’s dipping her toes into the retail world and unlocking the potential of women entrepreneurs through VEST, a peer network and investment fund.
In this conversation, Kathy and I talk about her shift from aspiring journalist to successful securities and franchise law attorney, the calling that brought her back to Oklahoma, and her recent transition into network and community-building.
Ready to play bigger? Listen now to discover:
- Why Kathy ran for office, how she won the election, and why she loved the role
- The story behind Mother Road Market, a multicultural food hall that supports and promotes Tulsan entrepreneurs
- How a toxic, male-led work culture led Kathy to launch her law practice
Guest bio: The Honorable Kathryn L. Taylor most recently served as the Dean of the Collins College of Business at the University of Tulsa. Her previous positions include Mayor of Tulsa, Oklahoma Secretary of Commerce, Tourism & Workforce, CEO of ImpactTulsa, and Executive Vice President & General Counsel of Dollar/Thrifty Car Rental. She is a founding member of VEST, a network for expanding the pipeline of women in positions of influence.
Timestamps:
01:42 Intro
04:00 Meet Kathy Taylor
08:40 Mother Road Market
13:13 Thrifty Car Rental
15:58 Cooking & Julia Childs
17:49 Workplace toxicity & advocacy
22:24 Running for mayor
25:44 Accomplishments & challenges
30:56 Shift into academic leadership
34:06 Dubaian student & mentee stories
36:07 Shift into VEST & Goods Together
41:20 Personal mantra
43:47 Time with the grandkids & final tip
Links:
Discover your tactical leadership toolkit: theleaderlab.com
Interested in working with me or having me speak at your event? Find more information at tracyspears.com
For insights that will help you play bigger in your life, work, and community, visit my resource library: tracyspears.com/blog
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Connect with me:
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/tracylspears
Facebook: facebook.com/TracySpearsSpeaker
Instagram: @tracylspears
If you love the podcast, please consider leaving a rating and review — this will help others discover how to play a bigger game and step into their fullest potential! Watch these episodes on Youtube! Make sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel, and ring the bell for notifications so you never miss an episode!
