Rebecca Braitling, Poyee Chiu, and Sue Covelli-Buntley interview Judy Sammarco, who has been with UpSpiral Leadership since its inception, and has worked with each of the hosts individually before that. They discuss the importance of a positive mindset, and other tips for getting through tough times.
[00:30] Introducing Judy & What UpSpiral Means to Her
[04:40] Challenges Judy Has Faced
[09:23] Judy’s Battle with Ovarian Cancer
[13:56] How to Navigate Bad News
[18:26] Creating Your Own Reality
[20:15] Best-Case/Worst-Case Scenario Thinking
[23:17] Taking Control of Difficult Situations
[27:07] Lighting Round: A Series of Quick Questions
[32:26] The Flip: “Our Circumstances Define Us”
Throughout Judy’s career and in her battle with ovarian cancer, she exemplified UpSpiral Leadership. Judy shares several tips for dealing with adverse life situations: 1. keep a positive mindset, 2. take care of yourself, and 3. act on whatever is within your control.
According to Judy, cancer patients who sustain a positive mindset live on average 24 months longer than their counterparts. She recalls sitting at her daughter’s eighth-grade graduation and praying & believing that she would get to sit at the high school graduation. At her daughter’s high school graduation, she believed that she would make it to the college graduation. She says that her positive mindset is what keeps her going, and is the reason cancer has not defeated her yet.
Secondly, when dealing with any kind of conflict or bad news, Judy remembers to go to sleep or to more generally take care of herself before acting. This leads to better, and more rational decisions. Finally, Judy says she has always believed that she can make a difference. Even in scenarios that are very stressful, such as waiting for a medical test result, she finds some way to influence the outcome, for example by getting a second opinion. She knows what is within her control and acts on it. At work, she describes being a spokesperson for various parties and not being afraid to speak up.
For more information on becoming an excellent leader, do visit the Upspiral Leadership website, and do remember to tune in to our next episode!