Finding Your Squirrel, What's Your Motivation? | Stefanie Ince, March Management

After a listener highly recommended that I connect with Stephanie Ince, we made tentative plans to connect at NeoCon. You know, the kind of plans that rarely ever come through. But this time, they did, and it was a treat! Stephanie Ince, founder of March Management Leadership Coaching, proved to be a great source of wisdom on giving your work the gut check it deserves.

Stephanie is no stranger to the leadership journey. With extensive experience leading nonprofits, she became a certified leadership coach to help executives and managers thrive. She describes her role as “holding space” for leaders to explore their potential.

Our conversation revealed actionable insights on avoiding burnout, optimizing work-life balance, and unlocking joy in leadership roles.

The Basics Matter
Stephanie stressed that leaders often neglect fundamentals like nutrition, sleep, and movement as they strive to progress their careers. But wellbeing boosts productivity. "Take a break, give yourself 10 minutes to get up and move and when you come back, you’re gonna be so much better for it," she urged.

Know Yourself
Reflect intentionally on your skills and values. As Stephanie put it, “being brave enough to figure out what lights you up” is key. This self-awareness allows you to authentically showcase your abilities.

Variety Fuels Passion
For leaders who thrive on optimism and passion, Stephanie notes that variety is essential to staying motivated. Seek out opportunities to learn and grow at work.

Find Your 'Squirrel'
Stephanie told a story about running with her dog, who could barely keep until he saw a squirrel and snapped into high gear. The takeaway? "You don't have energy for something until you do have energy for something."   The energy for joy and hard work is in all of us, we just need to find our squirrel.

Stephanie Ince's insight applies to people at all levels in their careers. By taking care of ourselves, understanding our talents, embracing variety, and seeking purpose, we can find the energy to seize the day!

Stefanie loves coaching others and holding space for her clients to explore themselves. If you'd like to contact Stefanie, you can email her here.

Learn more about Stefanie Ince.

Learn more about Stefanie's company March Management.

Listen to the full podcast interview in the player on this page.