In this episode of a two part series, I’m diving into the transformative power of strengths-based coaching with Lindsay Guest, a Positive Psychology Coach specializing in helping women unlock their full potential. With a focus on leveraging unique strengths, Lindsay guides women to build confidence, find direction, and feel more energized in their personal and professional lives. Her approach is especially impactful during life transitions, such as menopause, where women can anchor themselves, reconnect with their values, and rediscover what truly matters.  I found Lindsay’s approach to be fascinating so I decided to go on a journey with her for a month of coaching and I talk all about my experience in part 2. 

Originally from the UK, Lindsay has lived in Switzerland for 20 years, where she is raising two daughters. She brings her strengths of empathy, communication, and inclusivity to every coaching session, creating a supportive and motivating experience for her clients.

Who This Episode is For:

• Women at any stage of life looking to boost their confidence, especially during life transitions such as menopause.
• Leaders and managers interested in using strengths-based coaching to bring out the best in their teams.
• Anyone looking to deepen their understanding of Positive Psychology and how to apply it to everyday life.

Use code DRJ10 for 10% off

Resources From The Show:

• Lindsay Guest’s Website: Lindsay Guest Wellness
  (soon to be) The Brilliance Project

Connect With Lindsay:

• LinkedIn: Lindsay Guest
• Instagram: @lindsayguestcoaching

Our Partners

Podcast Transcript

3:35 – Lindsay’s backstory

7:41 – Habits and mindset

10:21 – How Lindsay helps clients identify their strengths

13:14 – Common strengths women overlook

22:43 – Perimenopause and menopause

27:33 – Resilience and the cycle

31:32 – Strengths Mastery Program

36:22 – “High learner” – never thinking you know enough

39:04 – Worksite wellness programs

41:45 – Getting to kids before they start making the mistakes

43:51 – Self Belief 

46:11 – How to connect with Lindsay

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[Preview] So this is why, like you said, we’re doubling down on what works.

Instead of trying to fix what doesn’t, to go hard on these strengths,

because I think the self-belief, the power, the way that you just feel so capable

is what’s needed to make a big difference in this self-belief and that you can do.

And those dreams that you’ve got and that thing that you really want to do,

but you don’t quite think you can.

No, you can, and that’s the exact…

[Intro] Welcome to The Health Fix Podcast,

where health junkies get their weekly fix of tips, tools,

and techniques to have limitless energy,

sharp minds, and fit, physiques, or life.

JANNINE: Hey health junkies, on this episode

of The Health Fix Podcast, I’m interviewing Lindsay Guest.

She’s a qualified health coach

and a positive psychology coach.

And with those two certifications,

she’s combined them to do something called

strengths based coaching.

It’s not about lifting weights,

it’s actually about finding your strengths

and amplifying them.

Now, how does this work?

Well, she has two particular tests,

there’s something called the Gallup strength test,

and then there’s also the VIA,

which is a values test.

And she combines those two tests on her clients

to determine what you value most

and what your strengths are in your personality.

What’s crazy about this is that it really highlights

things you’re good at and can help you

if you’re struggling with that comparison syndrome,

imposter syndrome, and you know something that’s just really,

it’s something that’s really common this day and age,

especially in midlife when we start to have lots of changes

with our bodies and we’re going, oh,

who am I, what’s going on?

I really think Lindsay can help folks.

And actually I created a two part podcast

because Lindsay and I ended up working together

after our first podcast ’cause I couldn’t say no

to an offer she gave me for working with her.

So part one, we’re gonna talk about

what strengths based coaching is.

Part two, we’re gonna go into what happened

when I worked with Lindsay.

So let’s introduce you to Lindsay Guest.

Lindsay Guest, welcome to the Health Vix podcast.

LINDSAY: Thank you so much and thank you for having me here.

I’m very excited.

JANNINE: Oh my goodness, we have had so much fun

before hitting record.

Sorry guys, I will hope that we can only live up

to the good entertainment we’ve had

coming into this podcast.

Lindsay’s got so much, I mean, she’s been just like

the little bird on my shoulder telling me such good things

that I’m just like, can I keep her around all day long?

So– – 

LINDSAY: I’m going to do that, she will.

JANNINE: I, I’m cool with it.

I’m cool with it.

So Lindsay, you’re helping women identify their strengths

and using that in the realm of positive psychology.

And before we hit record, of course,

we were talking about toxic

and Susie Sunshine kind of positive psychology

and that, you know, we all know on social media

that we see a lot of fake stuff

and only people’s best stuff,

But we all have a place at which we’re like,

oh my gosh, I gotta get out of this mood.

I gotta get out of this funk,

especially in the Para-Mana-Paz-Mana-Paz realm.

And I don’t know where you were

in the transition of things

when you found yourself at your lowest point,

but you had such a great story in terms of how

you jumped on a positive psychology training

and you were in tears.

The only one on there in tears.

Tell us a little bit about how positive psychology found you

and how you embraced it and give us a little better

on your background there so folks can kind of understand

where our foundation of today’s podcast is going.

– Absolutely, so I was, well, I started out

a non-linear journey through essential oils

and make a three products, I got to become a health coach.

And then my own personal crash in life through separation,

having to lose what I thought would be my forever home and change my kids’ schools.

It was a real loss of identity.

I have this very, or had the very black and white view of life.

And so despite having the foundations of, let’s say, healthy foundations

through the health coaching, so stress relief, getting out in nature,

a solid base of foundation, you know, I get my good nutrients in every day.

It wasn’t enough.

I was completely on the floor.

Despite everybody telling me, you know,

it’s all going to be fine.

I could not see the light after my situation.

For me, it was all finished.

And I think what, how positive psychology found me

was the algorithm doing its stuff for good.

For once.

And then I think I typed in, I don’t know,

how to be happy, how to feel better

or something into a Google search

and then up came this positive psychology coaching course.

And I just remember seeing this statistic,

which for me was this real wake-up call in it,

which is only 10% of our happiness is down to circumstance.

And it must have been the right time.

You know, these things come to you anyway at the right time.

I did have to defer actually doing the course

because at one point I was too low in the,

but when I started it was the right time

And this fact that it’s in our hands, there is a lot we can do.

And that, yeah, as I said, it was this, it just made me feel okay.

I have a responsibility here as for myself and my children to get out of this situation.

And yes, as you said, the first Zoom call, because there are these incredible

women on this course from all over the world.

And I was supposed to be on the first introductory Zoom call.

I was actually up first or one of the first to say hello and who am I?

And my internet connection went down and I joined back on the call and I was at the end of the line.

So I listened for 15, 20 minutes to these incredible women introducing themselves,

talking about these amazing businesses that they had, how they’re just so naturally happy in life,

this kind of stuff.

And then it got to me and it was just too much.

But I couldn’t even talk about crying on the first positive psychology coaching call.

saying that I just wasn’t happy and I couldn’t see how to be.

And yes, that was kind of felt quite ironic to start

off like that.

But the point is it really has such a big impact on me

that it has now become the main focus of my business.

Because that hadn’t been my intention.

It had been just for myself.

But yeah, it’s been transformational.

And I just want everybody to know what there is out there

from what you can do to help yourself?

JANNINE: Absolutely, absolutely.

And you know, I find that your situation, you know,

while there may be different twists to it,

I find that for a lot of women, this isn’t uncommon.

And especially women entrepreneurs and women

who have been in the health and fitness space

because we do all the things, right?

We’re eating healthy, we’re working out,

we’re, you know, connecting with others

but at the same time we’re like,

I don’t feel good, like mentally.

And we had even talked about, you know,

we’re taught like health starts in the gut and this and that.

And I’m like, yes.

And I think we need to work up here

because if I look at the root of all the things

that I have gotten hung up on,

you said it best, little habits in the head.

LINDSAY: Yeah, that was it for me.

I’ve done so much stuff as I were talking before, you know,

all different kinds of therapy from the traditional

to the more out there,

Kippen therapy, also always doing acupuncture,

but it wasn’t enough.

And I just realized until my mind was sorted,

all of the physical wellbeing, yes, essential.

And then surely stopped me from hitting my bottom.

And I think everything, that’s what we were saying before

as well, everything’s a bit of a jigsaw puzzle.

So you need it all.

But for me, I just realized that without

improvement in my mindset and a different outlook. I wasn’t, I wasn’t going to make big improvements.

JANNINE: Yeah. And this is the thing like, you know, when we’re creating programs and whatnot,

and you probably heard this too, folks are like, you know, sell them, sell them what they want,

give them what they need. And what that means for those of you guys who are not in the entrepreneurial

space, what that means is we do try to build mindset into a lot of our programs and kind of

work it in on you, but I really think we should just be straight up honest and say,

you’re not going to get this done unless you get your mind right.

I don’t know.

LINDSAY: Put the work, you need to do it. It’s not a magic miracle cure. You do actually have to do work with

it, but once you do and you have these big self discovery journeys, also with the coaching,

though, there was a million different approaches to coaching. And it’s all there, a case of finding

the one that works for you because this, you know, as you know, I’ve focused on the strengths,

which is one pillar, one aspect of the positive psychology coaching. But that’s what works for me.

And so you find what works for you and it will come at the right time, maybe after different,

trying out different things, but– 

JANNINE: For sure. Well, I’d like that you’re focusing on strengths.

And when I saw what you did and our mutual friend, Helen, introduced us, I was like,

strengths. Now, this is something like a lot of us get so caught up in what isn’t working.

What isn’t great about us? What we need to learn, what we need to improve, that we totally

forget our strengths. And then add that on top of feeling like you’ve lost your identity

and who you are in this whole perimenopause/menopause transition. Now, you honed in on

that big time. Tell us a little bit about your strengths, like mastery program, but

more than that actually before we go there. I want to know how you help folks identify

their strengths because I saw you have a questionnaire and all these.

LINDSAY: Yeah, so on that one, I say through the positive psychology that I did, I got coaching course

that I did, I use, you know, similar things that we use, both the Gallup, the Clifton

strengths, which they give you more of a kind of business-y approach. And also, there’s

a company called VIA, which are your values, values in action. So it’s really putting

the two together, just get this, it’s just to validate who you are and what I find just

amazing about these strings because when you first see them written down, then there’s

a lot of self-inquiry that you do as well, it’s not just these. So yeah, it’s a mixture

of the self-inquiry, looking back and what energizes you. This is the other thing like

you were saying, we spend so long that again, this negativity bias, when you hear a bad

comment how much does that stay in your brain forever and ever. You know, we don’t concentrate

on what’s good, which was actually needed. You know, there’s an evolutionary reason for why

people, why you have to remember the negatives, kept us alive once upon a time, but nowadays it’s

not the same. So focusing on what works, and that’s how you’re going to excel. So I like to call it

find your unique brilliance, because yes, we all have different ways of achieving in different ways

it’s succeeding and the way that I do it energizes me and if I try to do it in

your way that wouldn’t energize me possibly we could have different strengths

and so when you know what your natural areas of strength are these innate ways

that you have of doing things when you really double down on those and

exactly concentrate on what works instead of what needs fixing it’s just the whole

different way of going into your life.

JANNINE: I imagine it being easier because when we focus on

what doesn’t work, right?

What’s broken, what’s, you know, as maybe we’re calling it

broken and what’s not working, I feel like we just get more

of what’s not working.

And as a doctor, I feel like that, especially when it comes

to like the biggest cringe I have in my practice is weight loss,

right?

When someone comes to me and like, I just want, you know,

I want to get my hormones right.

I want to do this.

I want to do that.

But really I just want weight loss.

If it’s– 

LINDSAY: It always comes down to that, right?

JANNINE: Always, always.

You know, I feel like sometimes I try to weed it out of people

and be like, just tell me what you really want.

Can you just talk?

Yeah.

OK, you want weight loss.

All right, cool.

Like, you know, people could be like, my hormones are bouncy.

I don’t have any more hot flashes.

Like, I feel great in my body, but I need to lose weight still.

LINDSAY: Yeah.

JANNINE: Let’s not focus on that.

Let’s not focus on that.

That one is one of the ones that bugs me.

So when we’re focusing on strengths,

what are some of the most common strengths

that women overlook that they have?

Like if we look at like the most common ones you see,

what are some of the things people just…

LINDSAY: Wow, that’s an interesting one

because they’re on, that’s the amazing thing

about these strengths is it actually stops comparison.

it helps with that whole imposter syndrome,

because everyone is unique.

And also the order that you have strengths

will show up recently.

JANNINE: Okay.

Okay. 

LINDSAY: So you can have, I don’t know, for example,

I have empathy as my top strength.

On first look, oh, well, that’s not a very strong strength.

That’s not the greatest business

asset I could have.

But then when you look into it and you look back

you see how that’s helped you in your life, empathy has helped me build connections, it helps

with relationship building, this kind of thing. But how my empathy shows up depends on what the

following strengths in my profile are. So I’ve got empathy and then I’m high in communication.

So I see someone struggling, I’m compelled to go over there and talk and, you know,

help pull them out of it or help them talk. Someone else that has top empathy, but then

it’s followed by strengths that are not so extroverted, let’s say. They may go

around in a different way. They may go and find, you know, research or speak to someone else to

get someone else to help them. There’s lots of ways that our strengths show up in, you know, in a

different way. So there, I don’t know, empathy, I see a lot of communication, but then I’ve had

other quite a few other people that are very high in one called learner. So they’re, you know,

into the research. So whereas for me, if I need to do something, I probably pick up the phone,

you know, I don’t go and research and analyze it. But I know the people to do that. And so they

may be like, cool. Whereas, again, someone else would go about it in a completely different way,

and they would need to take their time, look into it, find their own information. So there is,

you know, there are some strengths that show up more than others, but the things like these

analytical strategic or communicator, you know, these are the kind of profiles that you see.

JANNINE: Oh, I like that you highlight were all unique because you know, like you said,

the comparison thing, I think a lot of people are like, I wish I was this, I had these strengths,

right? We always kind of go back to comparison and saying, I wish I had this, I wish I had that,

But then what if we could capitalize on things we’re already naturally good at?

Yeah.

So we see.

LINDSAY: Yeah.

This is, I think again, for me, has been a real game changer because I’ve always been

someone that was, oh, she’s better than me.

She’s clever than me.

She’s, you know, everyone’s more filled with the gap than me.

So really getting into what it is that you’re good at and you start to realize, actually,

that is me and look, and this is part of the strengths mastery that we do and part of all

of the strengths coaching is so it’s not as identifying.

So yes first, you need to discover what they are and then you need to define and go into

it. But then you actually say what you do and that’s just amazing as you start to, you’ve

got these words basically, let’s say what these strings words are. When you go back and look

at times when you’ve been super energized or times when you’ve been super successful

and you start to see, oh yeah, when I was doing that, so in my case, let’s say, I will always

have been with other people probably, you know, there’s always the same kind of themes show up.

So the more that you look into it, it starts to build up this, oh, oh yeah.

And so the more you look into it, then it builds up more of a belief within yourself.

And then what you start to do, so you look into it, you look into it, and you have to,

one thing that we do is you kind of keep a strengths journal each day, just have a little think of

where you’ve shown you your strength today. And then you can start using them and actually

leveraging them. So when you know you’re going to be facing a challenge or I don’t know you and I

again before we were talking about post on social media, I’m going to show up on Instagram, I really

don’t want to. But when I look at my strengths, which are relationship building, communication,

all of this kind of stuff, I’m like, okay, but I can do it. I might not want to, but that’s a different

that’s a different thing altogether. So yeah, so it stops this comparison because you know where

you’re successful and you recognize that okay they’re successful because yeah we also as we

were saying before when you start to really recognize your own strengths and you see these

words coming up then you start to be able to recognize them in others as well and that can help

with relationships communication it’s just no end to what these strengths can do for you.

JANNINE: Well we were talking this right about relationships and connections and communication and and you

whether it’s interpersonal, whether it’s things that are going on in the workplace,

things of that nature. We were talking about how you could see strengths in others and know that

you don’t have to have the same strengths as them and how people can complement each other.

Have you found in some of the folks that you’ve coached now that their relationships have

improved or they’ve sought out certain types of relationships, someone that complements them better?

LINDSAY: Absolutely. I mean, I think for everybody once you’re aware of your strengths, you do, you can see

who you are, what that means, and how you shop in a relationship, and how you show up in communication.

And then you start to take more responsibility for yourself. It’s all about this self-awareness,

personal development, but this self-growth. And that, I mean, also if you look in teams,

in workplaces. If you’re having problems, you know, a team is not jelling, you’re not

reaching objectives. If everyone’s working in their own strength, and you can do these

grids, like a strengths grid for teams, so everyone does the assessment and they all put it in.

And then it’s about you can really come together and say, okay, as a team, we’re really strong,

you know, you can see how many strengths of one type come up, and then you can really

celebrate the differences and you know if you’ve got a certain project or whatever it is,

who’s got the strength that you can leverage for what you need? And again, with the communication,

as I think we were talking before, not on this and I’m a bit confused, but we were, you know,

if I’ve got something to do, my first thing is to go and talk to someone. But maybe me arriving

on the scene and you know with this energy I’m wanting to talk it through. If I’m talking to someone

that’s really high in yeah I keep saying but it was a good example, learner at analytics, strategic,

kind of strengths, their best way of working may not be in a group or talking it through. They

might need in order for them to work best to take some time and to research and to find the

the information. And so it’s not that we don’t get on and it’s not that we don’t like each

other and that we can’t communicate, we just need to realize how each one shows up and

what each person brings to the table. And once you realize that, then things really start

to flow better and communication is just, yeah, so much better.

JANNINE: Hmm. I’m thinking about this for like dating. We need to do the surveys, right? Well, you’re

you’re dating to find out. Okay, so in your

LINDSAY: Before we take that for our coffee, we’ll do that.

JANNINE: Right, you need to fill this out first before we meet.

That’s what I’m thinking, going forward.

That, you know, gosh, it could save people a lot of grief.

I don’t know, I’m just thinking about it.

LINDSAY: That’s like a love language test as well, though.

I do think that you need to get rid of all of this stuff now.

(laughs)

I’m sorry, you need to take a month before we meet

to get through all of these best [inaudible].

(laughs)

JANNINE: Right? Forget these dating sites of just, you know, we meet up and go out.

No, there’s a whole process.

Hey, you might be on to something in terms of matching people up in this case.

I’ve now created a new division for your

LINDSAY: A whole new [inaudible]

JANNINE: Oh my goodness.

Well, you know, I do think being able to understand our strengths is so important

in that aspect, but I do think, you know, kind of bringing it back to, to the resilience.

that we have, if we know we’re we’re solid and we know like

we could double down on that.

I think that’s so huge.

And like you had said before you had on your cell phone,

before you post on social media,

you read on yourself on your strengths.

I think if a lot of people had that in the back of their mind

or on the sticky note on their mirror

that might be quite helpful.

I think a lot of the areas of insecurity that we have around

perimenopause and menopause too.

And that’s a combination.

Oh, let’s talk about that one for a minute.

LINDSAY: How long do we have?

[LAUGHTER]

JANNINE: Yeah, yeah, two–

[LAUGHTER]

[Inaudible]

LINDSAY: And the resilience.

Again, I think I came to these strengths

through a separation and there’s lots of identity

and this massive overwhelm about what is life,

what’s my future. Again, perimenopause, menopause. It’s the same thing. The things that are happening

out of your control and against your will a lot of the time. And with these changes,

you can lose yourself and you, you know, the self-doubt comes in, you lose the confidence.

So if you’re really grounded in, you know, maybe everything around you is going wrong

for many reasons, whatever they may be.

But if you know, you have this toolbox basically

of your strengths.

So you know what you can leverage

and you know what, how you work best.

And it’s not even just how you’re most successful.

It’s also the enjoyment factor.

Again, and I can’t remember what,

I think it was before we were saying this,

that if I’m not feeling good,

because of my strengths profile,

I know that even if maybe I don’t feel like it,

once I’ve been out and surrounded by people,

I will feel better and I will feel energized.

Whereas someone else with a very different,

more introverted set of strengths,

they need to know that that’s not going to help them

feel better and that’s not going to energize them.

And so it really helps with decision making,

again, with the procrastination also boundaries

and saying, no, when you do it

and you know what your strengths and your values are.

So again, with the strengths master,

we look at the values as well.

It’s just really knowing, who am I?

What’s important to me?

What are my good at?

What do I enjoy doing?

It means you can really live in an aligned way.

And again, for me, boundaries and saying no

has always been a difficult thing.

But when you’re doing it from this really authentic place

and you really know deep down inside you

that that is or isn’t working with you,

you do show up differently and you have a different form of, yeah, it’s not a self belief, but this

really secure firm way of moving forward. So again, if we take that back to Perimenopause and Menopause,

when things are all a bit out of whack and everything’s not what it was and you don’t know what,

you know, you know, and there may be a sense of loss about, you know, certain phases of your life

So just being really grounded in the basics, the foundation of who am I can just help keep

you a bit steadier.

Mm hmm.

Mm hmm.

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JANNINE: No, I think that’s why I think that’s why I still look at it that way because I mean,

so many women, you know, at this stage, we’re kind of the first generation really to be in

careers going through men in pause and higher level. Yeah, you know, careers where a lot of women

are kind of like, you know, some people are leaving their careers because of the symptoms that they

have, you know, and some of the mind stuff too, because I truly believe the dips in dopamine,

serotonin, you know, hormone shifts, things like that can really mess with our mind and

make us anxious and things of that nature.

So being more solid in who you are, I think is that resilience that you have.

LINDSAY: Yeah, because they won’t stop you from having those bad days and it won’t stop you from

having obstacles and challenges.

But it means that you do bounce back faster and you do know what is the best way for you

to deal with it.

So yeah, it doesn’t eliminate the negative and the difficult things, but it means that

that you can deal with it better and deal with it faster.

JANNINE: That’s– faster, I think, better and faster,

I think is huge because that way we can kind of move things

on the fly.

Also, have you worked with any women

when you were looking at their cycle

and where they connected to changing things

and working on resilience in certain parts of the cycle too?

LINDSAY: I haven’t done that yet,

but I mean, I’m at the most so much I want to bring into this.

I mean, yeah, with the health coaching background is what I mean.

It never ends. I could bring in a million things.

But yeah, I mean, I think that’s a really, really interesting thing to look at.

Not interesting fundamental is because if we have a different rhythm,

if we don’t just have our circadian rhythm, do we?

We’re not like men.

There’s the whole monthly rhythm that needs looking into, which changes everything.

Well, everything there, but it has an enormous impact.

that’s not really ever been considered before.

So yeah, vital to add that part in as well.

JANNINE: Yeah, yeah, I think about it often,

especially now as I’m kind of going through

primary menopause and probably getting

towards menopause here soon,

but still with my cycles,

I do feel like certain times of the month,

I am like, there’s no confidence.

I’m just done.

You know, I’m just like, forget this, I’m done.

Whereas other times I’m like, all right, I got this,

I can do this, you know?

And I,

LINDSAY: You’re giving me some great ideas here, you know, now I’m gonna go home, you asked, I didn’t.

Thank you. 

JANNINE: Yeah. Yeah, take them because I mean, it’s, I do find that like for so many women,

you know, even when I see them, I see a lot of people now tell health, but also in person,

and I see them in different phases of their cycle because we’ll be working on

our own balance because that’s my jam. And I see like the different like,

personalities that show up and and where we’re more vulnerable throughout the month.

And then so on.

LINDSAY: I think really now we’ve got me thinking about a whole new way of doing this, but yeah, I mean,

it’s so important.

JANNINE: Yeah, we– 

LINDSAY: Now that I think about it right. And then you get your period.

Yeah. Oh, that’s why.

JANNINE: So that’s why I was crying in the middle. No, it’s more like,

Yeah, or that’s why I didn’t want to take that extra step because I didn’t, I wasn’t, you know,

that’s why I didn’t want to post on social media. 

LINDSAY: Yeah. 

JANNINE: And for a lot of people who are listening,

that may not be relevant, but more like, that’s why I didn’t want to take that risk in, in the

office, right? Or that’s why I didn’t want to do this or that, or that maybe if someone’s stuck

right now and listening, you know, they’re, they’re trying to get a business off the ground. And,

you know, they’re like, I’m good for like three quarters of the month and that one, one week,

it’s just it’s done I’m gonna quit I’m never doing it again. 

LINDSAY: That’s why I think female entrepreneurs need to be

in groups with other I’m actually I’m working with a business coach who is it’s for female founders

and our way of scheduling our time and planning, launching business or whatever is you actually

do need to take that into account because exactly like you say if you’ve got a launch or I don’t

I don’t know, you’ve got a big thing coming up

and it’s gonna fall at the wrong time.

If you know that, you can prepare for it.

Yes.

JANNINE: Yeah, yeah, I think it’s really important

for women to be thinking about.

And those of you who are listening,

if you don’t have a period currently,

you still cycle.

I highly recommend everyone to look at

when they’re most vulnerable

or when they’re most like showing up with all,

like the mindset of those like weaknesses,

instead of you’re not, you can’t see your strain

during that time.

LINDSAY: No, it’s super fascinating.

JANNINE: So moving into helping folks to really work with you

and identify their individual qualities,

let’s give folks a little bit of snapshot.

I know you kind of talked a little bit

about the assessment.

What’s it like for folks to work with you?

Give us a little more on the Strenghts Mastery program.

What are they getting into?

Give us a scoop.

LINDSAY: Well, obviously it’s great working with me.

Basically for anyone to work with me

and because the strength has made such a big difference

to me before you can do a six month coaching program

where then you can go into all of the other stuff

with the health coaching

and the other bits of the positive psychology.

For me, and that was saying this mindset,

if you are so down, you’ve really got your strengths nailed

and it’s a self growth, self development,

deep dive into what you’re good at.

And so for me, that gives you this really strong foundation

from which you can fly.

So that’s where the strength mastery comes in.

So it’s a four week program.

And yeah, we do one week, we do the Clifton strengths,

then another week we look at the values,

then we put them all together,

you kind of do these pairings and it’s beautiful,

it’s amazing to see how much these things all come together.

And then we look at how you then will leverage

them going forward.

So it’s this journey of looking slightly looking back,

looking where you’re using today.

And yeah, it’s just who am I basically?

And how do I work best?

How will I be the most successful?

And as I said, energized,

’cause I think that’s a really important thing as well.

I think an easy way of looking into that

which is to take you away from the strengths mastery,

but just if you think when you’re at school

and you’ve got certain subjects that you don’t enjoy

and you’re not good at, and others that you do.

If you even think about the energy that you feel,

I don’t know, let’s say you don’t like maths

and you do languages, just throw there as an example.

The thought of going, okay, so how do you feel inside

if you’ve got to go into the must lesson?

Like what’s your name?

JANNINE: I’m like, there better be a calculator somewhere

’cause otherwise my fingers and toes might not do it.

Yeah, I’m anxious.

LINDSAY: Yeah, and you’re just down, right?

Whereas you’ve got to go into the language lesson

or whatever it is.

– Yeah.

JANNINE: [Inaudible]  

LINDSAY: So,

So take that and think that instead of trying to get better at maths,

okay, we need to bring the maths to a basic, acceptable level.

That’s for sure. You’re not just going to forget about that.

It needs to come up to a certain level.

But instead of putting all the energy on the maths,

which I’m never going to be the most amazing person at,

but I am really good at, let’s just say, languages.

If I really put a lot of my energy in there,

because I feel great and interested when I’m doing it,

that’s where I’m going to excel.

So this is why, like you said, we’re doubling down on what works instead of trying to fix

what doesn’t.

And as women, I mean in general, but I think women are especially good at this, you know,

this negativity bias, so much attention on what’s not good and what doesn’t work.

And yeah, I’m no good at that.

And I can’t do this.

So okay, so what are you good at?

So there’s a lot of reframing that we do within it.

I love the whole reframing.

You know, is that really true?

And the reason that I do it as a four weeks, it’s quite intensive to do these four sessions

is because just seeing your strengths is not going to work.

You do have to put a bit of time into it.

And so if we do it once a week for four weeks, you’re really bringing to the forefront of

your mind over this period of time.

Okay.

Oh, yes, that went well.

And why did that go well?

Why did that go well?

Oh, yes, because I was using that aspect of my personality.

And so you need to get this fixed in your brain.

It’s like anything.

You read something and then you go off and you do something else because life is crazy

and hectic and we’ve got 15 million other things to do.

So by just being constant for these four weeks, it just really helps to get it in there.

JANNINE: Yeah, you solidify it.

And I’m seeing this as like, if someone wants to launch a business, if someone wants to

go out on a new career, someone wants to, I see this as being foundational because I’m

looking at it and going, if if I had someone like I said, you on my shoulder telling me all the

things I’m good at, you know, giving me that that extra resilience and reinforcement, I probably

could have got a lot further faster– 

LINDSAY:  Yeah, this is my favorite kind of playing at the moment,

actually, and I have two beautiful examples of just come up the last couple of weeks. So one,

She is, she does SEO, so search engine optimization

for women.

And so like my nightmare.

– Right, that’s it.

– Anna, she just said, “I would be analyzed your data.

I’d wanna cry if you say that to me.”

But I will pay you to do it.

But she’s holding herself back.

She’s high in responsibility and learner.

So the fact that she’s got this really high learner

means she never thinks she knows enough.

So that’s also an interesting one where we can go into strengths overuse as well,

because at a certain point we got out to this point,

she was like, I know so much and I have so much to offer.

Yes. Finally. And because she’s so she’s not that high.

She was disappointed. She wasn’t high in communication skills.

And she said, you know, how am I going to get out there?

But we looked at what she brings.

She’s, for example, very high in responsibility.

This woman is going to provide the best

for her clients because she has this innate sense of needing to show up and needing to

give her best. So we went and she looked at everything. She was really disappointed when

she’d seen her strength. It was the first time she was like, “Oh, these are so boring.”

And they’re not. But instead, we just flipped it and I was so, I often get strengths envy

with my clients.

Oh wow, that’s an amazing change profile.

But it’s fantastic to see how everybody ends up or generally we will find ourselves on

the right path, especially if you’re starting a business.

Later on, not straight out of the university, when you’re really likely more likely to be

drawn to something that is the thing that energizes you and that you are really interested

in.

another of my clients, she is launching a platform where she wants, and she wants to

also have a podcast. And her combination of things, she’s got the communication, but

she also has the learner. So she will take her learner and then spread that out to everybody

using all of her communication skills. So there with her, she was really thinking,

oh, you know, this is taking a long time to get off the ground and it’s difficult.

by seeing these things that she had, she’s like, “I’ve got it.”

No, I think have you got what it takes? Absolutely. They all written down in black and white.

And then by going and seeing how these things have shown up in the past and how they’ve helped you

have success, you realize you can do it again.

Yeah, so I love this is a niche that I’m really enjoying doing because it’s, you know,

we want more women out there doing what we’re doing.

JANNINE: Absolutely, absolutely. And knowing like how they can team up with others who can, you know, even

forge like a better cooperative relationship, you know, and team up too. Now, which brings me

to back to you are doing worksite wellness support too and worksite support. Give folks a little bit

of a background of just in case someone’s listening right now and going like, “Hmm, I think I can

maybe use you for my team.” What, how does it work to work with you in that aspect?

LINDSAY: Okay, so that’s a really fun way of doing as well. So there what you do is each of the team members,

so that’s more done in like a kind of a workshop scenario. So everybody, each of the individual

team members will go and do their own strengths assessments. So this is great. If you’ve got

teams that are, you know, having communication problems, not performing so well, lacking in

engagement. Everyone does their own individual. We have a mini one on one coaching session

with each person. Because again, you do need to see these strengths written down, but you

actually need to dig a little bit into it to understand how they really show up for you.

And then we get together and you do online, but you do a strengths grid. So you put together

but everybody to see this grid, this table of everybody’s strengths.

So that really is fantastic at a team level because you can see where we’re really strong

as a group as a team for all of the shared strengths and also you celebrate the strengths

are not so common. And so if you’ve got a certain project coming up, you need

certain talents, certain abilities, you can know who’s got the strength you can leverage for that.

Again, it helps with communication because as we were saying before, if someone was really high

in being the relationship building and someone else is higher in the analytical kind of skills,

you are going to need a different approach when you speak, or in the ways that you work.

and neither of them are wrong, they’re just different. But once you know that, then you can make it work.

And realize how much you need each other. Again, I look at myself with my communication and, you know,

include our activator, all of these kind of things. But for me, if I team up with someone

that’s going to get into the details and make a plan, then that’s the way it’s going to work best.

JANNINE: Makes sense. 

LINDSAY:  You got the whole spectrum of of capabilities. 

JANNINE: Now, of course, the question I have is you’ve

got daughters. Have you done this with them? 

LINDSAY: I have done it. So yes, I actually we’ve

done the values one because yes, obviously I was itching to find out what they had because when

you start seeing these things, you just can’t stop. So yes, we’ve done it. Bit difficult to accept

it from mommy. So, but I didn’t think of anything for them. I started doing some mini

strengths program for girls. I wasn’t expecting to enjoy it because I love working with adults

because I feel there’s a really exchange of, I love the conversation. I did these three

strength sessions with a 12 year old. Oh my goodness, I cannot tell you how much I got

from this and the thought of getting to kids before they start making the mistakes and before they

take or before they don’t take opportunities because they don’t think they’re good enough

or they’re not capable if we can get into kids as well. So we did these three sessions and

actually the last one was about her going off to a summer camp and she was really scared. It was

the first time going off for two weeks and my own daughter was going off to summer camp and I said

you know, someone else is actually paying me to do this with their daughters. Do you think maybe

I might have something that can help you with as well? And finally, my youngest was like, okay,

right? So he looks again, what hurt is more you do the values, but they look into themselves in the

way that kids can actually bring things out. I found it, it was really incredible. And so again,

and say, “Okay, well, you know, you’re very helpful and you’re very kind.”

So that will help you when you’re there.

And it’s that, you know, how do I show up best?

What do I need help with?

How do I help others?

You know, it’s a more simplified approach.

So, yes, I’m working on it with my own daughters.

I think I know that thing.

JANNINE: Yeah, I could see, I could see definitely, you know,

the mom relationship there.

But at the same time, I mean, I think this is something fascinating

for moms and parents to think about for their young daughters because…

LINDSAY: My beautiful.

JANNINE: You know, like you said before you start basically getting in your own way.

LINDSAY: Yeah, absolutely.

Absolutely.

And I think especially girls, I just see, I don’t know, women, I used to also teach living

in Switzerland, I used to teach English, do occasionally still, but it’s always the women

that come up to me and they’re, “Oh no, I’m no good and I can’t do this.”

And they’re always excellent, but then lacking in this self-belief.

And so it’s just like, but you can do it.

And this is how.

So it’s not just, yeah, of course you can.

You actually have the evidence.

And this is how.

JANNINE: Yes, I like the evidence.

I think for a lot of people, if they can remember that, I mean, it’s some of the things that

I look out, you know, I had a teacher that was in grade school that highlighted some of

my strengths.

You know, I’ve remembered that, you know, and it’s stuck with me.

Now, have I always remembered, but have I always stuck with it?

No, but, but at the same time, it, let me say this, it’s stuck with me, but I sometimes

forget.

So, but it’s in the back of my mind.

I think this kind of stuff could be incredibly helpful for teenagers and, you know, as you’re

getting out of high school and preparing for college, I think this could be, or even just

preparing for whatever you want to do in your career.

I think this could be huge.

So– 

LINDSAY:  Yeah, it’s so many different phases.

And if you need to pivot, if you’ve got a big change,

wanted or unwanted, it’s just, yeah, I mean,

this term toolbox, I don’t love it,

but it actually kind of is.

And like saying, you don’t remember, I’m a strengths coach.

I have to have mine on my telephone,

you know, because it is something that needs constant work.

So it’s not a magic recipe.

You do need to keep going back and remembering,

but when you’ve got it there,

And okay, by now I joke that I don’t remember mine,

of course I do, ’cause it’s what I’m doing,

but I still do need to remember,

but then when I have these things which seem difficult

or bad days or bad times with my own kids,

I mean that even there talking about relationships,

teenage daughters is not easy.

Again, when I actually, and okay there you get so triggered,

I don’t always manage to do it,

but when you go back to your strengths

And okay, who am I?

And who am I at my best and bring that in

even to a family setting?

I mean, there’s just so many areas of life

that it can help with.

JANNINE: Oh my goodness.

Lindsay, now we have so many ways.

I love it, I love it.

So let’s tell folks your website

where they can find you on Instagram,

all the things so that they can connect with you

to learn more about what it’s like to work with you.

LINDSAY: Amazing.

Well, yeah, I’m on Instagram.

my handle is @LindsayGuest and I’m on LinkedIn, same at

Lindsay Guest. Basically, if you put my name in, you can find

it there. As I said, we, to start with, we just really want to

go hard on these strengths, because I think the self belief,

the power, the way that you just feel so capable is what’s

needed to make a big difference in this self belief and that you

can do and those dreams that you’ve got and that thing that you really want to do but you

don’t quite think you can. No, you can and let’s see exactly how. So– 

JANNINE: Lindsay’s going to help you

get there. Lindsay, thank you so much for coming on and sharing all about your strengths based

training and so much more. I really appreciate it. 

LINDSAY: Thank you so much. I have loved talking to you

and what you do is absolutely just amazing. So thank you.

[Outro] Hey fellow health junkie, thanks for listening to the health fix podcast. If you enjoy tuning in,

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