COVID-19: Lockdown with Thought Leader Kirsten Larson

Bryan Shue: So good afternoon or good morning depending on where you are in the world, watching this. I’ve got Kirsten Larson here with me and we’re having a conversation about lockdown with thought leaders and it’s gonna be a conversation between her and I and we’re gonna try to see how we’re doing with this whole lockdown situation, how we’re doing with our jobs, how we’re dealing with life, and just how we’re doing in general. So. Thank you so much for joining, it’s a pleasure to work with you.

Kirsten Larson: Hi, I’m Kirsten Larson and I’m working with Fullmoon Digital as a client success manager and I spend my time working with our clients, on their strategy and product, managing the campaigns that they’re working on, and just working to try and make their campaigns really successful.

It has been an interesting change, even though we’re already working remote, it’s still dynamically different even for us but we’re working through it and trying to make the best out of the situation as much as possible.

So, Bryan, tell us a little bit about what you do even though we have the same title.

Bryan Shue: So thank you, Carson and thank you everyone else, for watching us today. Again, my name is Bryan after 11 years, an army, I retired in 2013, and I didn’t have a clue of what I was going to do so, I went to college, got my degree in Information Technology and through the power of networking, I was connected with the who is the CEO and founder of for many digital who is boss and to that relationship I can, is manager with him in the organization. Driving customer success through campaigns in through product. So again, this is gonna be a conversation between her meeting Kirsten and myself and how we’re successfully managing the lock down that we’re about dealing with.

Kirsten Larson: Yeah, so I… Have you noticed some things that you’ve been able to bring over from military world to full moon whether it be just in general as an asset? At Fullmoon and then also during this lockdown, we’ve had lots of conversations and I’ve heard you say some things that related back to your military time. And I’m sure that you’ll have some great in sight.

Bryan Shue: Great question. And it should be one that should be asked by all organizations, not just the ones that are fully or mode like us and or ones that are now being forced into it, but when you have a veteran on your team, you should be talking to them and getting their experience and want from me that this whole lot down has taught me is that this is very normal for me.

This is very much a typical situation during my military career is that when I was in a deployment situation, all I had was my job to focus on and then the time away from my job, I was focused on my family, so I was able to win those two together through deployments and sacrifice maybe some sleep. So you spend the time on the fall with my family back home in Georgia, when I was over season, a rock. And you don’t need to look at this as such a negative aspect, you should be looking at as a positive.

And that’s another thing about the veteran community is that we are very positive people, we’re not all the people there are just like, “Oh God, the world is gonna be over the worlds and the role is gonna fall on the… No, we are not potent organizations because we have the experience in crisis, we’ve been managing crisis, our whole careers.

Because if you like it in a group of 2 in people in an overseas on environment is very stressful in itself because you’ve now taken a group of individuals away from their families, away from their normal environment… A place in a foreign environment that is very dangerous. You’re now trying to tell them, “Hey you know what, do your job, you’ll get home safe. So in the same context we’re doing door jobs, we’re gonna be staying safe, we’re gonna go in to the test to show that very good. This too shall pass. Yeah, but I totally agree with that.

Alright, I have a question for you since you have a child at home, how has that been with you? I guess you say balancing those expectations because again, work in life has always been separate. Now we’re having the blends, to what have you been managing those needs of your family versus work?

Kirsten Larson: Yeah, to be honest, I’m still figuring that out. Luckily, I was already remote, so I had some time to get over the hump of figuring out how to be remote, so now I can focus on how to be remote and work on homeschooling your kid and have them attached to your leg all the time. And as we’ve seen lots of calls or he comes running in.

And honestly, a while ago before being home all the time, I would have been really strict and been like, “Okay I can’t be in a video or you can’t say hi to a co-worker, while I’m trying to have a meeting or something, but at this point the kids are so bored, they’re not seeing their friends they’re not seeing extra family, they are like, “Oh we’re talking to a person. I like, I wanna say hi.”

And so I think we need to have a little bit more empathy at this point. And I have been on other meetings where people are embarrassed and about the kids running around in the background or something, and really this is just real life and we’re all in this situation, it’s different and what’s okay feels a little bit awkward, but I think we have to think about what’s best for everyone in this situation.

This is just at the end of this, it’s probably gonna look back and think, “Okay that was really just a blip on the record of our lives. So I think that we need to make the priority our families and kids, even though a lot of the time is still spent working.

So the way that I do it is I create little lists. My son is seven, and so I create a little list and he, he, his things he has to do and so he knows and I just tell him Okay get these done and built into those lists or snacks and movie time and maybe even next week video games once I get a little bit more desperate. So, you know, he is able to know This is what I gotta do and I know that once she gets off that call, I’m gonna have time to run around and play, and she’s gonna talk to me so I think just making them feel comfortable. I’m coming back to you. It’s not urgent.

So that helps a lot. And also just trying to engage them as much as possible. But another incorporated as my son does not take up before he’s 70s way at Mattie. So, just like… So now, it’s like I made a deal, you could stay up later and he has to take… No, so I gave a couple of hours every day, and you know what, I don’t see anything wrong with that.

It’s really all full, so that, that’s great. It beats something that maybe those are watching us can take into their own lives. And how are you engaging your child while you’re working?

Bryan Shue: And that’s a great fit because I think the lot teach, so used to suffering, your children and our lives from our work and now we’re being forced to integrate those, so closely, so that’s a great point. Kirsten thank you.

Kirsten Larson: So for you and your life, I know that you came on to form one right before this. I actually was thinking about this the other day, I was like…

And if he had come on right when this happened. I wonder what it would have felt like just to be thrown into the thick of it, but, I mean, you did start pretty recently, close to the beginning of this, what is that like? Not having the several months to just get acclimated had to hit the ground running and get creative and jump all in. I don’t know if you were actually remote prior to this, so what has that been like?

Bryan Shue: Just kind of adjusting to being fully remote, fully sick in the house all at once. It’s really fast.

Yeah, I haven’t really been in a remote position before my previous… My previous job, I had to be in an office and when I was in college, I had to be in the classroom, so… And then the military. You gotta be around your unit, so you don’t really have that chance of working from home.

So in my previous employer was like, “Yeah you can work from home, but no, you’d really need to be in office so it’s kind of one that was like… Yeah, yeah, that’s okay, but we don’t really want you to be, but be towing into a 100% remote has been an adjustment for me.

And that’s another thing for us is we go into this new normal. Think about what routine, are you saying out for yourself, what kind of schedule you keeping for yourself and you holding yourself to that?

I said, My long to wake up at a set time every day, and then I come downstairs, I get my coffee or get my breakfast and then I sit now, I turn my life I’m gonna start working and then I take a break every couple of hours, so I can kind of… It was retained especially that you’re working and especially be working from home at that moment to kinda take a breath and take… Okay, let me re-focus on my next task.

And that’s another thing as leaders, we need to understand is that our people are not engaged or full hours.

The tip we can say We’re working for eight hours, but in reality, we might be having six because we have that moment for the go to the bathroom to get something to take care of. The family that are around, and having that opportunity is and say, “Hey how are you doing into that thing?

Remember, that’s with us that they be by go find a boyfriend child in a dog or a… You have to have that moment to be able to take a breath and say, “Hey I recognize your home, your home with me, you’re working I’m working. Let’s have that moment to just say, “Hey how are you doing, how is it going, let’s work on for you today.

‘Cause that can be really crucial especially you’re both working remote having that connectivity to say, “I’m gonna check in on you, you check in on me. Hard going to do and be in that elation is to Ocala. And this really helped to me. So, and it is an adjustment being 100%, or I’m just gonna be a straight on with you.

Being remote is an adjustment and you have to be okay with that. Just don’t shy away from it. Be welcoming, welcome it and drive in it, because at the end of an when this is over, so that show your leaders.

Bryan Shue (Cont’d): And for those that are leaders watching this, I partner your people to step up and communicate with them, it showed the empathy to them. Because they’re stressed, your stressed. We’re in a brand new environment that we’re not used to. You have to accept that and you have to be okay with that. And I think that as a leader, we should be okay with and we should be accepting. So it’s not a bad for your people to be working at home it really isn’t.

You may not control them, like you’re used to.

And that’s what the thing as a Ottawa to DAT because if we don’t, we that working with Blue side of the people and guess what we’re gonna start losing people we start losing people then you start loser culture, you start leasing your culture, you lose your organization, you lose your organization, your business is done.

It is done for, I feel really lucky and BUs that we work in the organization that we’re in, because our boss Derek is creating a company culture that is based on trust and building people up and creating a little army of leaders, and we’re encouraged to be creative, we’re encouraged to start new projects create things. And be our own later and bring ideas to the table and that type of trust has to start in the beginning in order to create a culture where we all want to be successful, we all want to work and we all want to be seen as doing well.

Kirsten Larson: I think when you create a culture of… I only have you keep the zoom on all day so that I can keep an eye on you and make sure you’re not taking longer than a 30 minute lunch break. That creates a culture of unhappiness, and then “sneaking-ness, and then people are trying to find ways to get out of doing something or pretend to be working.

But in this situation, I actually want to be I wanna see the company be successful. I think it becomes a situation where the company success is our success and I think if more organizations adapted, that I did… Be much more successful or a you know, they would be successful in this type of a remote work environment. And honestly, there’s like our situation.

Bryan Shue: Oh, absolutely, and you have to realize that what we have like… Not with the… In it for an oral need position to succeed and for you, I want you, how a you miss. What has it been like for you to come into full moon from your previous organizations to have this culture into how would you encourage those are watching this, to maybe integrate some of what we’re doing into their own?

Kirsten Larson: Yeah, so I have been in-house at every job I’ve had before and for really, really small teams and then really big companies and then something in it between honestly, so I kind of small, medium, and large always in-house and then switching over to remote when I started looking this direction, and the very beginning was very exciting, but hard because it was hard to make that transition and stay focused and be productive when he didn’t have someone to fund things off of it.

In front of you. I’m a very much a face-to-face person and so, luckily, I had a lot of call one-on-one phone calls and meetings to help get through that, but it was definitely a process for me, and I became more productive and started doing just a little bit more and more hours every week for me, I didn’t necessarily start were full-time as that, which that’s what a lot of people are doing so they have to adjust much more quickly.

But I would say I watched some YouTube videos and stuff, to get some tips along the way. And the, the number one thing is that routine waking up at the same time every day, get up, get dressed. I’m actually wearing even flax today. I just decided I was like… I’m gonna actually get just for work today and it makes me feel good and I’m not gonna always wear socks ’cause it’s nice to stay comfortable, but every once in while, I’ll Alto on work clothes, and really get ready.

Kirsten Larson (Cont’d): I wouldn’t say you need to go all out every day. I get that. Let’s be comfortable what we are home. And that’s one of the reasons why we like being remount. But get up like you said coffee and breakfast don’t jump straight into work the moment you wake up.

I mean, I still do that sometimes respond to some things but try to get a wash. your face pressure T drink some water, take a minute, whether you take a walk, or work out or just have that quiet moment, some kind of a ritual.

Bryan Shue: It sets you up for success for the whole day. And I’ve heard other leaders say the same thing. All of our routines are different. So, you can’t still someone’s routine because it’s not gonna… One person likes to meditate, the other one wants to drink some coffee, and someone else enjoys cooking a nice breakfast. And it’s really gonna be different for all of us, but that’s the fun and I make it yours. I think the other thing is, for me, I have a lot of thoughts to just start coming through my head and it’s like, “Oh my gosh, I see the longer needs to be done, the dishes need to be done, I need to do this phone “goalscorer have to, those things are to go in my head, and so I keep a little notebook. And that is for those fleeting thoughts that will really distract you throughout your day and get you into a situation where all of a sudden then you’re on the phone doing something. And then you forget where you were and your bounce back and forth.

Have a little notebook. And whenever I see has to do this in that jumps in in my head that doesn’t have to do with work, I write it down and then I will tend to break out my day where I have a piece in the middle of the day, I can go work on some of those tasks and then I come back to work.

I enjoy being able to spread my day out a little bit more on that way.

So I work a little bit later, but I also still get that time in. Or the same amount of productivity ’cause I get to break it up a little bit, so those would be my tips, mainly the routine, and then keep a little journal of all your little fleeting thoughts. So yeah, yeah, yeah, so I… Alright, are you on mute, or Can i…

Kirsten Larson: I don’t wanna break it to you or do a conversation so yeah, and that’s the fun part of being on the chat, and that’s one thing for me, I’m asking people How are you connecting with others? I think that’s a big piece that we need to think about is how are you communicating with those around you?

And we have so many great tools at our disposal, we have Linkedin, we have Facebook, we have Instagram, we have a Zoom, we have Skype, you have face time. There are so many ways to reconnect with your network, both personal and professional. Now that take five minutes of your day, send that type to say, “Hey I haven’t talked you in forever. How do you do it? That’s what… As you’re in “patan that shows that you care and that shows that, Hey, you know what, he’s taking time out his day, I know. He’s business.

The taking time out is they just in how the plane to make me beyond his mind. So, we should never discount that especially in today’s… How have you adjusted to being on video all the time now? Because I know when we first started working together, it was a lot of phone calls and then I’ve noticed a lot of organizations that would prefer phone call, before. Now all of a sudden, everybody is on video.

Kirsten Larson (Cont’d): So how do you like that? And do you think that you either wanted to continue or do you think it will continue to be a cultural type thing that that’s a great, that’s a great question. And to me adjusting to the whole video thing, it’s been different. I’m now seeing in a different location that I use it because I want you guys to see something really nice, rather than the… In a different area of my house, so I have to come fast is fine, but also gives that person on the other end of the zoo. Came a chance to see who I am.

Bryan Shue: See, I lived in my personality. Is we persecutor your home office? You can’t give a window into who you are as an individual, and kinda gives that person that’s it.

Hey, you know they’re kind of creative or they’re kind of like they’re selling their accomplishments in their life or they’re so bring some part of their life that has now maybe ended, but they wanna go back and be like… Yeah, I’ve done that I’m sure at some point in my time when I’d sell into full in place, I just had no… When I maybe do get into a house or whatever the case might be, I’m not hanging out my military stuff because I wanna show that stuff on… Because that’s a part of my life and that’s what I… A complete you out my life.

Yes, it’s 11 years of my life that I want somebody to look back and say, “Oh that’s a cool stuff you’ve done. Yes, it is all in having the background. Some places that I’ve traveled to because I’m a traveler so I want people to see that I’m not just seeing in my house all the time I’m hoping the world, I’m not interacting with other people and other cultures and visit different spots. Maybe years ago I probably would have bought up or I may not even consider it because of the colonies having that DIL to look and see that person. And again, this also goes back to building that relationship because you can have a better relationship, something when you know what… Who they are and I mean yes, you kinda get a clue into when you’re on the phone but I really builds that deeper relationship when you’re seeing face-to-face like this… And I’ve enjoyed it, and I hope it continues.

Kirsten Larson: So, that actually brings up another question when it comes to reading situations, reading people and I’m sure that’s even a military thing, that you’ve learned a little bit about What are tips that you would give people about trying to read people when a lot of our communication is email is whatever messaging platform, the organization may be using.

What tips can you give about good communication when most of it’s in writing? And then if you phone conversations and videos, how can we…

Bryan Shue: One take really good advantage of those videos when we do get them, but then to analyze all the messages and understand them properly when you’re used to being… That’s a great poet in your right. A lot of organizations, not just ours but organizations internal there traditionally perinatal.

You’re having to learn how to interact with somebody digitally, so you’re having to read their messages, and that also comes from, how old you know that person. How well you understand that person, how well have you communicating with them and being an over-community taper especially in today’s time will be more beneficial to you, especially as a leader.

Then you just sing back and saying waterhole as a diabetes what you need to take that charge and say, “How am I going to communicate with my team what the one need to tell them that is going on because at the end of the day, they’re gonna take the lead from you, and if you’re just seeing back and saying You know what a hands-on, I’m just gonna go with the flow and that’s not what your team is. We is expecting.

I just say, This is my expectations, these are what I need from you and you get that better understanding the longer it goes on, in you have to be okay with maybe not knowing everything, especially at the beginning, but understanding it as you go along and taking those mental notes when you’re starting to watching that video, you’re starting to see the Keenan their chair and say…

And you start hearing those clues, you can kinda start seeing… ’cause people will tell you through their body light more than they will tell you, through their own works. So instead, seeing back and watching from a far on your zone chats watch from a close and so culture to the “videogame here, get a satori.

How many move up a little a carer this is a look at better. You’ll have to suit my as a… But you can say it because again that that’s also… We make somebody the Colette feel they’re close to, makes some people like you’re invested in them.

And that’s a lot, piece that we need to consider how we show the investment in our teams as leaders, how we show you the investment teens, and how we show the investment into each other as individuals, how are we supporting each other as individuals? And that can be a huge part of the change in our leadership styles because as a leader, some of you are used to just telling people, “Go do this, and get it done and they come back to me.

Kirsten Larson: So now you’re not able to do that because you’re not able to sit there, directly or… And shalt “Turton the other cubicle you’re not having to sit with them face-to-face, on a Zoom or whatever other bigger platform, using… And talk to him like that. So adjusting to the new normal is okay, it’s to be expected, right on a very nice… But, no, you made me aware. I’m like, “Maybe I should sit up a little bit more for student trying Malcom up with the right video kind of situation over here.

That is so funny. So, no, I really appreciate that too. Don’t do they’ll tell people to vote ’cause they might not understand what you’re talking about.

Bryan Shue: So to… Yeah, to vote to do the right, so I… And here’s where I want your experiences, how are you able to manage those conversations with people that you’ve only taught to on the phone and now you’re seeing on video? What’s kind of been like that for you? Because I know that’s kind of color how like I never be video, I’m not really comfortable. And now you’re being like go all video.

Kirsten Larson: So I you was that like, is so funny because when I’m on the phone all the time, I develop a picture of somebody and I picture what their hair color is, and how tall I think they are just, I don’t know, why I have a picture for everybody space. And then when you start to see them on video, all of a sudden like, “Oh they actually don’t look like what they’re red hat. And I pictured a blond, I don’t know why, but I just had that in my head and that is very bizarre.

Bryan Shue: I have definitely noticed that. And it’s kind of cool because then you get to know the real people. So it’s interesting because we never have to switch to video, we were doing just fine with their phone calls and getting to know people through their personalities and stuff like that but it just became trending as more people in the organization that we’re not always part of certain phone calls have now jumped in because they wanna be more involved to become more of a video thing like I wanna see you, I wanna see your eyes, I wanna see your face. And so now I’m starting to see everybody, even the people that I’ve only ever seen email, and I like it.

I think it’s kind of cool, it’s more like feeling face-to-face and I truly do feel that even though I’m not shaking hands with people and I’m not within six feet of anybody, but I still feel like I’m getting connection every single day I’m getting interaction with people, I’m not feeling so, coded up and like, “Oh my gosh, I need to go, I need to go hang out and interact with human beings. It’s going to feel good when we can again go sit at a restaurant or whatever, but every day, this is helping fulfill those needs. And I think a lot of organizations realize that too, that we work with, they’re really thing that we actually jumping on.

The video is more than just a business decision, it’s almost a way to assist everybody, and getting that interaction and communication that humans as relationship beings that we need, and I think it’s showing some humanity behind the business aspects as well. So, that’s the other really cool thing. Everyone is becoming very real and not just a name or a job to do, everyone is becoming real people, and that empathy starts to fill in that means that in your broader point, and that shows our human side and again as you’re watching this, think about how are you showing that human side?

It’s not just your team and curls around you, but also to your organization as a whole because again, we’re all in this together, we’re all dealing with some sort of stressful situation and being able to handle that is crucial for today. I wanna ask you if people on the fortress conversation, how would they connect with you?

Kirsten Larson: So, I’m on every form of social media on LinkedIn and listed under full moon, and also Kirsten Larson on Facebook, so I’d be more than happy to continue a conversation, maybe even a video chat here and there. I love that. So yeah, those I can be found. How about yourself?

Bryan Shue: I am on LinkedIn, under Bryan Shue and if you look at my profile, I have a picture of a shoe, and so it’s kind of unique play on my name, and that’s kind of a fun part of who I am and I work with the veteran community very closely. So if you’re a veteran… Let’s reach out to me, let’s have a conversation. And if you’re in this space of the market space, let’s have a conversation again we’re all here, we’re all in this together, we all are here to learn.

So I don’t feel like you can’t reach out you the person or myself with that condition. Let’s open those doors for each other, because at the end of the day, you never know what make home from this. So I love having connections I love billion relationships with people, and that’s what my goal is to build a without be for something to my network.

And let’s wrap this up today. If you were somebody at words, walk up to you and say What’s one inspiring message you can give me for today, what would that be one inspiring message for today.

Kirsten Larson: So I would say the every trial is a busing in disguise, and I really believe that. And so I think that we need to find the blessing inside this and it’s different for all of us. So the message of inspiration would be to find the blessing in the skies and take advantage of this time that we’re given this may be a time that someone can use to learn another language, or to learn a new skill, or connect with their family, find that blessing and continue it, create it for yourself.

Well, so I… Yeah, so, so, do you, do you have a motivating message that has been rolling around in your head?

Bryan Shue: Yeah, to really to be honest with you, it really has this or my experience doesn’t know as being in the military comes to the forefront is that I think that this whole co of our spot down corner you might be dealing with, it’s not a permit situation, it really is not. It will pass, we’ll get through this, we’re gonna work through this work, we have our medical professionals feeling fighting this battle on the…

For months on a daily basis, they are doing everything they can to solve this big question. And if you’re a leader, watching and I’m gonna challenge you as leaders don’t take your teams for granted because as soon as this might be over, if you’re not engaging with it, they’re gonna be looking for the eco.

So I encouraged Keep growing your teams keep engaging your teams keep sharing with your teams, because that will help build that identity that you’re invested in them in In the Taoist that’s so the people around even routine because that’s what’s gonna drive your organization forward, is those team members and look at them as parts of a bigger operation that the people to organization…

Well, you can’t replace them easily, they’re valuable, treat them as valuable pieces and show that you care about them. They are humans, they shouldn’t be treated as a disposable piece because they are… And at the end of the… We’re gonna be better for this, because we’re gonna show that we’re more resilient than ever before, and that’s another thing the important to be. So whatever that looks like to you, resiliency matters have a conversation with other professionals that are maybe experts in resiliency.

I build those relationships with them. Have those conversations with him because they can help guide you into the… This is both the wet and professionally. So I encourage you to do that and at the end of the day, we want to see you succeed.

I know I do in our team at full me, does as well, so if you’re watching this reach out to us, let’s have a conversation. So now there’s a pleasure. speciation I love it.

I know I’ve enjoyed every time we’ve had a conversation because there’s so much fun. You make you laugh, half the time because I’m a… You need just like that, I’m like, “Oh man, okay, well, all right, I’m gonna roll with this thing again. That also shows how much we are human, in this and how much our background is different but we’re also the same so it’s been a pleasure for sure.

Kirsten Larson: Yeah, well said Bryan, thank you and… Well, I look forward to seeing you again, absolutely, and the company or combine blogs. So keep up with our episodes and watch them. And if you would be, if this is interesting to you reach out to us. Let’s have a… Let’s maybe have you on episode too, so thank you, I thank you for watching this we… You love you guys, we can’t wait to talk to you guys soon. You have a great day today.

Check out Kirsten Larson on LinkedIn here: Kirsten Larson LI

Check out Bryan Shue on LinkedIn here: Bryan Shue LI

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