In Pursuit of Authenticity: Finding your connected flow — with Abi Stephens

Collective Wisdom

“The more confident I am in my purpose, the less I have to prove. I can move with fluidity. I’m lighter. Life and work become more enjoyable.”

Join Lucy in conversation with the remarkable Abi Stephens, a seasoned sports broadcaster and leadership performance coach, known for her work at the Olympic Games, Rugby World Cups, and Grand Prix events. Abi’s unique ability to uncover the human stories behind the sports she covers has deeply connected audiences with their heroes. Beyond the camera, she’s a dedicated athlete, having completed six marathons, including the Boston Marathon in 2013.

In this episode, Abi shares her insights on balancing a demanding career and personal life. They discuss the importance of asking for help and how it can foster stronger connections, drawing parallels to sport, journalism, and coaching. Abi emphasizes the value of preparation and shares her strategy of rehearsing asks to build confidence and conviction. Tune in to explore Abi’s wisdom on maintaining balance, finding micro-moments of stillness amidst a hectic schedule, and the transformative power of curiosity and connection.

RESOURCES:

• Connect with Lucy on LinkedIn
• Check out The Murmuration Collective
• Connect with Abi on LinkedIn.
• Learn more about Abi on her website.

Timestamps:

3:10: Abi shares her current values, focusing on grounding, presencing, recovery, and caring for herself by zeroing in on micro-moments and what she refers to as more into less.

9:07: Abi’s inspirational moments occur when she is calm and trusts in herself, allowing her to take in all around her and be in awe of the cultural moments that accompany her work around the world.

12:20: Abi shares her unique experience and approach to being a female broadcaster in a male-dominated culture.

17:15: Abi and Lucy chat about not taking things personally in a given moment and instead getting super curious to get beyond what just happened and get into the “why”… what’s important about what just happened… so that it can inform them of their next move.

21:36: The power of using our authenticity of voice. When women speak in their own voice in the boardroom and workplace, they are more seen and heard and give others permission to do the same. The Murmuration ripple effect.

26:24: Abi shares an experience with a high-profile athlete and how she built trust with him, helping him overcome his nerves about being on camera, to create a brilliant broadcast that had a lasting impact on the viewer and the sport.

31:40: Abi chats about her “intentional” board of advisors and bold moves to ask two very high-profile people to help and support her in her career.

37:35: Awaken to the power of “let’s just see.” What is the worst thing that could happen? Abi shares the pearl of wisdom around the power of rehearsing to optimize your ask to get your brain, mouth, and words infused with conviction so there is flow (less stress hormones).