From the Vault: Get Out of Your Own Way and Step into Your Power, with Amber Hurdle, CEO of Employer Brand Central

Alex Husner
Hey guys, this week, we're doing something a little different and taking a trip down memory lane with a throwback to an episode that originally aired this time last year with the one and only Amber hurdle. This episode holds a special place in our hearts, because at the time, both Annie and I were on the brink of some major changes and incredible new opportunities in our lives and careers. Looking back, it's amazing to reflect on how much has happened and how far we've come since then, Amber's wisdom and energy truly set the tone for us as we navigated those transitions, and we hope that her insights will do the same for you, whether you're standing on the edge of something new, or deep in the trenches of change. So sit back, take it all in and enjoy this throwback episode of Alex and Annie podcast.

Alex Husner
Welcome to Alex & Annie: The Real Women of Vacation Rentals. I'm Alex,

Annie Holcombe
and I'm Annie 

Amber Hurdle
and I'm Amber. 

Alex Husner
Yay Amber. Back again, back again. We've

Unknown Speaker
got back

Alex Husner
and and actually we all have the same initials, so we have Amber hurdle on the show, who is the CEO and founder of employer brand Central. Amber was episode two of our podcast. We're on episode 127 I believe, or don't know, 129 27 episodes ago, two years ago, almost to the day. We had you on the show, Amber, it is amazing to see you, and welcome back.

Amber Hurdle
Thank I always love hanging out with two of my favorite bombshells. I

Annie Holcombe
just can't even we talked off camera, and I think it's just, it's just so apropos that we're getting ready for the Women's Conference, that it was two years ago that we kind of really, really bonded and met, and you have been so integral to me and Alex's, I don't say our awakening, our revolution, our blossoming, whatever you want to call it, you've just been such an important part of it, not only as a guide post, but someone who's been a friend and a confidant and just a really great human being to get to know. And we're very honored and blessed to have you in our world. Well,

Amber Hurdle
back at you. I mean, I think back to that, and it was like, Okay, who are these ladies? And yeah, I'll be on your show. And you know, great, you're going to be great at podcasting, and your personalities are great, and then to have, like, such a beautiful friendship unfold from all of that. And you know, really, you know, I have appreciated you all because I was in such a transitionary part of my life, and really clearing out a lot of relationships that no longer belonged in my life, that were not good, and then ushering in beautiful humans like you that were like didn't backfill anything like you, just filled up a space and such a pure and loving and non judgmental way, and there was no expectations, except for me to be who I am and and that, like, now, those are only relationships I have. I thought I was pretty cold at the time, but then you're like, Oh no, there's more. There's more to clean it. This is why I put it. You know, when you clean out your closet and you're like, I'm not wearing that anymore. I'm not wearing that anymore, and you're like, okay, and then you go in there, like, for another round, because you're like, I'm still not wearing that. Like, that needs to go to like, I thought I cleaned out my closet, and perfect. And you can actually see what you have. And when you buy something new, you're not, like, cramming it in right breathing space. And it's all things that you love that is my friendship closet. Now it's great, and I love that y'all are in it. Well,

Annie Holcombe
I'm really grateful to be in your

Alex Husner
closet. We've come out of the closet with Amber. We we're very grateful for you and anybody who's listened at the show since the the beginning of time. In Episode Two, we actually, we had to record our episode with Amber, I think, three or four times, because there's always problems. There's always problems. And this was the that was the first time we had recorded with somebody else that episode one, the aha moment. Was just Annie and I and we always, we tell a story all the time that if it had been anybody else that we had for Episode Two, we probably wouldn't have continued with doing the podcast, because nobody else would have ever been as accepting, yeah, patient, of how awful that was, but you were there the whole way, and said, You guys can do this, and I believe in you, and that's meant a lot to us. And we've, we've stumbled, and we've, we've learned a lot in the last couple years. But I do think, you know, looking back two years ago, my gosh, our lives have changed so much since then, all three of us, really. I mean, I was we had just started the show. I was still at condo world. My mentor, Roy, had just passed, Annie was was still with lexicon, and we had a year ahead of us that we did not have any idea what's about to hit us and what a year it was. And then this year too. It's every year has been just a different chapter, but it's good to have those inflection points and heading into the women's conference and just another well, actually, by the time that this episodes, we will all be at the Women's Conference, which is even better. But heading into that we're so excited to see you and hear what you're going to be delivering to that audience. So I guess to kick it off, can you share a little bit about what your program is going to look like and what your involvement in Amy high notes event will be? Yes,

Amber Hurdle
so I'm doing my favorite I'm kicking off the conference. I'm the opening keynote. Get that energy up, like, let's all mentally get to where we need to be, and hopefully that will carry through the rest of the conference, and it's just my favorite slot to be my keynote is unlocking your potential, how to get out of your own way, which both of y'all are great examples of that, because you grew and you expanded, and you have completely different realities now. All because you chose to get out of your own way. And you know, we were talking pre recording together, and it's worthy of a mention for all the listeners to get in on too. And it's like, I made a post on social media the other day about my move, and I said, I'm unstoppable. And somebody was like, wow. Like, just so cool. You can say that out loud to people and, like, not be ashamed. And I'm like, well, it's not like, I hit a bozo button for it. I'm unstoppable. I haven't stopped yet. Like, you just have to keep getting back up and keep going. And so obviously, there's a lot more to it than that, but I'm just going to walk everyone through. Like, if you can do these things, then there's no, like, code or key that somebody's going to hand you like you have to figure out how to unlock your own potential, because nobody knows what you're capable of other than you truly and people can see your potential. I know I'm that's one of my greatest gifts, is seeing somebody else's potential and helping them see it for themselves. And those are important relationships, to have those mirror relationships, but I can't con somebody into stepping into their greatness. I can't tell somebody, no, you're totally capable of doing that. And I think you can also do x, y and z if they're unwilling to receive it or see it or find it in themselves. So don't want to give away too much. But if you leave the Women's Summit and you don't have a big breeze and wind in your sail when you leave of what you might be actually capable of, and I haven't done my job. Yeah, no,

Annie Holcombe
true. And I think the great thing about you Amber, too, is that for me, it was just like having not only the confidence, but having the ability to identify those people that I needed to have kind of with me along the way, and that was a really, really hard thing. I had not nurtured those relationships because I just didn't know where I fit in for such a long time. And I was able to, you know, I think we were doing a seminar one of the session late recently, and I popped on and just my comment was, like, I walked away from all that, and I found my voice, like I just, I found I could say things and I didn't have to second guess myself, like, who's gonna like it or who's not gonna like it, because not everybody's gonna like it and not everybody's gonna hate it. There's gonna be people that are in between. But it was just recognizing that you just have to say the words and say the things, and you'll attract the right people and the right circumstances and just have that. And it's, I don't think it's a confidence, it's a comfort that it will all work out the way it's supposed to work out, but you just have to be willing to be receptive to the doors that open or the windows that closes, whatever you know you want to metaphor you want to use to look at it. Yeah,

Amber Hurdle
and I think, you know, that's my breakout session. So I'm doing a two part breakout session. So the first half it's all about personal branding. But like, personal branding, and gosh, the three of us have had conversations around that, on the air and off the air, but like, positioning your value in the workplace, and it's applicable to people who own their own businesses as well. But you know, you said it, Annie, you said, you know, the right opportunities and the right circumstances. And when I talk about personal branding, I literally say, so you can attract the right people and opportunities to your life. And that's what this is all about. Like, part of unlocking your potential is just telling the world, hey, this is who I am, and this is what I'm about. So bring me the things that help me be me and and so when you're working on your personal branding, you're trying to surround yourself with the right people who are going to celebrate your contributions to the world. And I know that sounds so big, but even just your podcast like you are contributing to the world by way of niching to a particular industry, people love listening to you. They have aha moments that you serve to them on a literally, you call them aha moments, to serve them on a platter that then helps them be better in their companies, with their families, like whatever that looks like. The industry grows as a whole, because you've chosen to say, hey, we're pretty good at this, and we've got some things to share. And so I'm going to raise my hand and I'm going to get out of my own way and put myself out there and position myself and just trust God. Some people say trust the universe. But my personal self talk, when Gertrude is not here doing this is, you know, I'm going to say it from a from a place of faith, and I don't need anybody listening to believe what I believe. You stick to your wisdom tradition or your nothing tradition. If you're, you know, atheist or whatever. So for me, if I am walking in God's will, I'm trying to walk in God's will, even if I screw up, he's going to honor that. He's going to put me right back on track. And if that's not your thing, and if you want to believe that the universe is conspiring in your favor, it's the same thing like whatever's going on in your vortex, if you get off course, because you're genuinely trying to stay in your vortex, and you're generally trying to stay on the path that's meant for your life. And you make a mistake, the vortex is going to suck you back in. You can't screw it up, and we never get there. So, like, just keep going, right? And that's what the three times that we recorded that episode was really about, yeah,

Alex Husner
and I think it's, I mean, it's about recognizing the signs. It's. About knowing, like you said, that whether it's the universe or or God, or whatever it is that you believe in, spiritually, it's, it's recognizing the signs that if you go off path, it's actually like it was supposed to happen, like things you're you're being protected, you're being promoted. There's a reason why you had to see something, because it made you go in a different direction, that now you're going to be in a better position for something else. And I think when you look at things that way, it makes it easier to understand and just know, like it's in God's hands, it's in the universe's hands, like I'm going to go with this, and you really do what you can do. Yeah, yeah, exactly, exactly. We had a we had Stacy, St John on the podcast last Wednesday and talk about another female powerhouse, but she she talked a lot about, you know, to be a mentor to somebody. It doesn't mean that you have to have all the answers, like you just have to be one step ahead of where they are. And that you mentioned about us in the podcast, and how people have had all these aha moments, and we get that all the time, and to me, it's always when we go to conferences and people share why they listen to the show, how they listen to the show, it's touching and it's surprising, because it's like, we don't feel like we're sharing Crazy Wisdom here, but it doesn't. It's about making connections with people. It's about connecting the dots, and you never know how you're impacting somebody else's life just by the information that that you're sharing that you might not think it's groundbreaking, but to somebody that meant the world. And I remember, actually, on Episode Two, you said, when you take the stage that your goal, you just want to help one person or audience. If you connect with one person, then your job is done. And hopefully you connect with a bunch more. But if you help that one person, you have changed somebody's life. And I know I've been that one person in an audience for somebody on stage or somebody that I've listened to on a podcast or a book, and I know I think about those people that I look to as they're not mentors necessarily. They could be, you know, celebrities or celebrity authors or podcasters, but I still look at them because of the content they've shared that has changed my life. And you're doing that, you know, on a daily basis, in your role, which has got to be super fulfilling, you know,

Amber Hurdle
especially in our industry. You know, I say it's kind of weird because I say our industry, because I do work so much in our industry, it's mine too. Like, I'm

Alex Husner
kind of fairy godmother. Vacation Rentals

Annie Holcombe
just kind of flew in and landed and, like, got pixie dust. I

Alex Husner
work in other industries,

Amber Hurdle
and I love those industries too, but I kind of like, come in and I out and I have clients and, like, whatever. But I'm not like, like, you guys are in my world every single day, all the time, like my friends, like, you know, it's just, it's really, it's such a more embedded, I guess you would say, and my spirit. And so with that, I'm also sort of a repository of trust because of what I do for a living. And so yes, I've had coaching clients that actually pay me, and then I also have, I just receive a lot of information about this industry, and a lot of when things are changing or shifting or whatever, I usually have that information before other people realize what's happening and and so as I reflect on the past two years, and I think about the shifts that have happened in so Many women's lives, from the last Women's Summit to this Women's Summit. And there's a term that I've used a lot in my on the coaching side of my world, and, and that's like, you know, somebody's freaking out over what's happening in their life or their career at the time. And, and I'm like, oh, yeah, you're on a bridge. You're just on a bridge. And, like, and I'm proud about it, because it's like, oh, this temporary, like, you see where you're going, it's over there. Like, you're not there yet, but like, you have a bridge, you're on it. And so just like, expect that you're on a bridge. There's no troll underneath you that's going to, like, take you on for anything, just you're on a bridge. And so this means this is a transitionary season where you're needing to learn lessons, where you're needing to grow in certain areas and and this is the season where you are inviting new people into your life. You are connecting with different experiences, so that when you get to the other side of this bridge, you're ready for that terrain, because where you just came from and what you've been doing is not at all what's going to get you to where you're going. And so sometimes we have to be in those in between seasons to realize what's real, to realize what you're capable of, to realize what you're not going to put up with anymore, to put new parameters and new environments around you, to support you for this next season. And so as we're moving into this new season of Women's Summit, I'm just really stoked to hug a lot of necks of people who are on the other side of their bridge. And I'm just like, you know how I do? I get tears behind my eyes. I'm not upset or anything, but that's true. When that happens to me, that's truth. And there's just, you guys have done it. I won't give. Anything away, but like, there's so many women that if we think about where they were two years ago, their lives were completely different. And that's cool. And it takes building a strong personal brand, and it takes getting out of your way, and

Alex Husner
you don't know you can't connect the dots until you're further ahead to look back and connect them. You know, that's obviously very a common thread of this podcast and a message that we've shared a lot, because it is so true for Annie and I and so many of our listeners, and just being able to see that constantly, come in, come to play, is great and interesting, but definitely I feel like there's a lot of people that are on that bridge, and I wanted to, I went back, I listened to episode two before we recorded today, and that I have a different perspective on all of it now, two years later. But one thing that you talked about that was really interesting to me was you talked about the time in your life when you were at Gaylord hospitality there in or Gaylord hotels, I'm sorry, in Nashville, and you had built up this incredible career there, and when things were going to change, you realized like there was never going to be another Gaylord, and you had to look introspectively at what you like to do, what you were good at, what your mission was, and then you went out and created your new version of what a career looked like on your own. And I just, I think it would be helpful for you to tell our audience a little bit about that experience, because there's a lot to it. And I think your process there was really inspiring. Yeah, so

Amber Hurdle
when I thought about where else in Nashville could I work that would have that kind of a culture, that kind of a leadership team? I mean, our we call them LLC, the leadership committee is all the VPs and the senior vice president and rock stars, I mean, just the greatest leadership team ever. And then, like, the fun that I got to have and the money I got to spend, and the experiences I got to create, like, who was going to give me that opportunity? And they're just at the time 11 plus years ago, there wasn't another organization in Nashville that, like, did things at that level. And so I was like, okay, so then what is it that I'm good at? So I have the event production background and obviously the communications and engagement and that sort of thing. But when I really thought about, what is it that I'm best at here, and then other jobs, it wasn't even the core part of my job. It was like, this thing that I did that senior leaders were like, oh, we need her to do this. And I would literally be signed, like, assigned to people that they didn't know that I was assigned to them. And it was helping leaders with their personal brands. I mean, the employer brand was my job. That was my job, but the personal brand part, like, none of the employer branding stuff would work if there weren't personal brands that were trusted and beloved leading the employer branding efforts. And so that's where I started connecting the dots, because we believed, you know, the service profit chain, and this a little bit long, but there's this is a background that we need to understand. Where I got to, where I am, the service profit chain, which is a Harvard business model, says that if you take care of your employees, they're going to take care of your customers, and then your customers will be loyal, and then you make money. And that's, you know, I kind of took my own spin on that, and I'm like, okay, so we have to have personal, really strong personal brands who are leading a strong employer brand. And if you have a strong employer brand, well you can attract and keep the best. And so guess what happened for your customers? They're going to have great experience, because you have rock stars on your team who actually care about them. And so you have to have all three of those things. And what I realized was, okay, so I should become a coach. So I went and got ICF certified, and I got all my hours and all that kind of stuff. It was just knowing the next step of what really made me feel great, where I can see very clearly the impact that I was making. Because let's be real, if we're going to spend the majority of our time working, shouldn't it be something that is edifying to us? Shouldn't it be something where you feel like you're contributing to something bigger than yourself? And so that meant, okay, I need to help more. I

Unknown Speaker
was going to be, I was going to be a corporate executive coach, and I was just that was what I was going to do. And then

Amber Hurdle
I'm like, that's not what happened, you know? And so just that one step led me to the next step. And then it was like, Hey, can you put together a training program for this company? And I'm like, okay, yeah, sure. And then it was like, Can you help with this business, teach me how to market? It was like, Okay, sure. Hey, you're really good with training. Can you stand on stage and talk for 50 minutes at a big conference memorize, yeah? Like, just stand up all day and teach things. But like, okay, and then, and then, and then, and then, and then, and so now fast forward 11 years later, and you know, we did launch employer brand Central. And here's the funny thing, is basically what I did at Gaylord, but designed in a way that small to mid sized businesses can have the same kind of employer brand that a big business has, that they can go out and they can systematize and and hand over tool kits to their leaders at an affordable price, so that. They can attract talent, onboard them correctly, engage them and keep them and have a good experience when they off board, so that they're talking kindly about you to other people, which is going to impact your business brand. And we could get way into the weeds on how and why this is so important. But the crazy thing is, is here I am full circle, doing what I got paid to do for a corporate company, and on top of it, the person who did my job at corporate for Gaylord, what Ryman hospitality or Gaylord hotels? At the time they're they've changed so many times. Now they have opera Entertainment Group, and she now is my CEO and my success coach. Wow, yes, yeah, Brandy Forbes. And yes, I have a Vanderbilt MBA CEO, and, of course, I have a whole, a whole team, and they're all great. But then, like Pam, San Diego is our success coach, so she walks alongside the HR, the ABC champion, the employer brand central champion, to make sure that they're successful at implementing these things. Because I know we're all running around like chicken with her head cut off at all times you need somebody to help guide you and be accountable and answer questions and block and tackle with you. And she was the general manager at the Inn at Opryland, which was, you know, we lovingly refer to as an overflow hotel for Opryland. And you know, this past life of mine, I'm working with some of the same people only. I own the business now. And isn't it funny that we're all women who left corporate America to be seen and heard and valued and allow our voices to actually have an impact? I guess

Annie Holcombe
I'd like, I like to say it's ironic, but it's not. What a great testament to getting the right people in your closet, lining them, lining them up for future. You know, for future. I think that you definitely don't know where people are going to have the most impact in your life when you meet them, and if you keep nurturing those relationships, it's it's interesting to see how they come in and out. And we talk about Lauren Madewell. She's someone that, again, met first, and actually did not meet her, but saw her on stage at the first women's conference I went to, which is the one in New Orleans that we Orleans that we talk about, and ended up connecting with her through like, LinkedIn and like, She's literally one of my most absolutely favorite, like, sister from another Mr. People I've ever met in my life. And I met her in person, finally, last year at vermin Vegas. And I mean, I saw her, and I ran up to her and gave her the biggest hug. Like, she was, like, a lot, like, again, a sister I hadn't seen in in 10 years, and it's just but she's been so important in my world, just for feedback and just back and forth, support and conversation and all of these relationships that you just don't understand how impactful they are, until, again, like Alex always says on the show, like you can't connect the dots until you can look back. And I got asked to be on a panel for the women's conference to talk about my career path and how I did what I did. And I was like, I wouldn't have had any idea at the beginning where I was going to go, but would I do it all over again? 100% I would make all the same mistakes, maybe tweak a few of them. Maybe not to be quite so bad, but everything, just everything, and every person that's been in my world that mattered that they needed to have in my life today, they're still here, and that is so important about your brand and your relationships and all of that nurturing that goes on.

Amber Hurdle
I mean, I think about my team, which grew double this year, and so my director of training is a former student customer. Our operations manager is a former student coaching customer. Both of those women attended my women's retreat that I did in 2021 everyone that's in my world was already in my world, with the exception of my executive assistant, who's a total baddie, and it's hysterical how she even got hired, but she was so persistent that I was like, man, if you're that persistent to get the job, you will keep me in check. And boy, has she. So she's the only person who was unknown to me. It was just really easy to be like, you're a good fit for this and talk about like, the universe God or whatever. It's like the changes that were happening in their lives were aligning with my needs. And like, you just don't know. And you know, even you talk about Lauren Madewell, and I'm kind of laughing, because the first time I met her was because she was in the audience at the Women's Summit, and then she ended up doing velvet machete Leadership Academy. And now it would probably be low balling that we text every other day. You know what I mean? Like, I usually warns in my week, every week, if it's not an everyday thing, it's usually every couple of days, and if it's been longer than that, and it's like, where are you?

Annie Holcombe
Absolutely, you just feel more energy is missing.

Amber Hurdle
Yeah, you know, I'm really I beat that drum so hard. Of your people environment. So we talked about networking on one of the pre the webinars that we did leading up to the Women's Summit. Because it's just that important when you when your friend closet that we're going to coin that now. Annie, Alex, we have friend closet, friend closet, yeah, friend closet, I need you my friend closet. I got to get rid of some over here first to make room for you. But when you do have that room to fill your friend closet full of just things that you love. I mean, how many dresses Do y'all have hanging in? Your closets that you don't wear every day, but when that occasion comes, you're like, I know exactly what I'm gonna wear. Yeah, that dress, and it hangs in my closet, and I might bring it out only twice a year. I think that's how relationships are, is you, you nurture and you maintain these relationships. And you know, my gaylord family is very I'm super close with them still to this day, all these years later, and like, when that opportunity comes, like, Brandy, I thought she was going to be a consultant with us, and then she we got into some she's like, I just need to be your coo. And I was like, I'm sorry. I didn't realize that was an option. Sign me up. Yes, let's do this. Like, I didn't know. And so just being intentional, and that's it's your brand. You don't get those relationships to if people don't know what to expect of you, if they don't know the value that you bring, if they don't understand that they can trust you and that you are a fit, that you share values with them. And so it's safe to open up to you and allow you in so that you're either that person that you text message every day or twice a year you reach out to you know they're going to be there. You know what I mean?

Alex Husner
So as as you have moved through different phases in your life, Amber, you know, I know you talk a lot about how confidence is not static, but And in our last episode, you talked about leaning into your personal power, but I think that both of those are important things to embrace as people are in this transitionary period or bridge in their in their lives, but tell us a little bit more about what that means to you. And you know how people need to be looking at confidence as they're moving through these different stages? Yeah,

Amber Hurdle
you know Cheryl's keynote that she's going to do, like how to live a brave enough life? I can't wait to hear that, and I can't wait to meet her and experience that keynote, because brave enough, right, that I love that that's the title. Because it's not about just being inherently confident at all times. And some of us have a little more of that than others, like, a little more like, I'm just okay with myself, and if you don't like me, there's billions of people in the world, go find you one that you like. It doesn't have to be me, you know, right? But not everybody has that. But what we all can have is just to believe in ourselves enough to to know that when I walk into this room like, Can I pick on you? Annie, real quick. Remember we were having dinner at the Roosevelt Hotel and in New Orleans, and you were uncertain about, like, how you even packaged yourself up, you know, when we're talking about personal branding, not that you were, like, shopping yourself or anything, but like, you were like, well, I've, you know, I've done this, and I've done that, and I've done this, and it's just kind of all over the place, and everybody's, like, really good at one thing. And I was like, yeah, that's your value. You know, all the things like you have, the all encompassing like, look at all the experience you have, this holistic way of approaching this industry that not everybody else has. They have to go get that information. They have to lean on other people. And you just have it all in your head. Like, that is your value. And so, you know, it's about knowing your value and positioning your value and being okay with failing and not expecting to have this surge of confidence at all times, I understand I'm a confident woman, and I understand that I'm perceived as a confident woman, but if y'all don't think that I haven't cried into my pillow, just like everybody else listening to this or that, you know, my boyfriend doesn't have to pump me up, or my friends don't have to pump me up sometimes, or my own team has to be like, good lord Amber, nobody's harder on you than you. Like,

Alex Husner
geez, you know, I

Amber Hurdle
mean, like, none of us are infallible. We're just brave enough, we're just confident enough to get through this next thing, and if we screw it all up to be confident enough to say, well, I'm going to learn a lesson and do it better next time. Just dust yourself off and give it another go. That's the way you get through life. That's the way you get what you want is by just Dory, just keep swimming.

Alex Husner
I think one thing that I've learned is you have to remember too, that everybody feels vulnerable, uncomfortable, not good enough at some point in the day, like every single person on this planet. So a lot of people think that just because you might seem confident, that you are confident, but that doesn't mean that. I mean the most confident looking people in the world could have insecurities that you don't know about. And to Annie, Annie always says this, you never know what somebody's dealing with. And you're Annie is just the kindest, most, sweetest person in the world that she just wants to be nice to everybody, just in case anybody's having a bad day that day, which I absolutely love, but I think it's, it's just important to recognize that not everybody has it figured out. And we also, like, in turn, we're like, oh, is it just me? It's not. Nobody has this whole thing of life figured out. But the confidence is not static. It is something that you constantly have to be working on. It's like, if you go to the gym every day for a year, but then you don't go for two years, you're not still going to have muscles. I mean, you have to, you have to continuously work on it. How bad

Unknown Speaker
has that stuck on. Completely go back, yeah, exactly like be able to why? Yeah,

Alex Husner
yeah. And that's why it just with going to the, you know, being healthy or working on your confidence, it is something that you should always be cognizant of, because, yeah, it gets a lot harder to build back once you haven't. And if you're in a situation where your confidence is constantly being torn down, it's going to be a lot harder to build it back up if you can't continue to go down that route. But

Amber Hurdle
it's because of the people and opportunities in your life that knock you down. And so that's why I'm such a hard a about like, Who are you surrounding yourself with? What? What opportunities are you putting Are you raising your hand and just going for it like that? Is your constant exercising of confidence. Is constantly putting yourself in positions that will show you what you're capable of. If you're sitting in the dugout and you won't ever get to the plate, you're not going to know if you could hit a dog or not like you, you don't know if you're a first base hitter, a Buncher, or if you hit a home run, if you're hanging out in the dugout the whole time, get out of the dugout, get in the batter's box, keep having your at bats, keep swinging. Like, that's what you have to do, but you also have to do it strategically. And so like, there's like, low risk situations you could put yourself in, and when I'm when I'm coaching and somebody has struggles communicating or being assertive or things like that, I honestly tell them, like, go to the deli. Just go to the deli at the grocery store. And I want you to say this, or ask for this, or expect this from the person who is cutting your meat or your cheese or whatever it is that you want to get. And they're like, what? And I'm like, is there any risk if the deli man doesn't like you? I don't care if the deadly man doesn't like me, great. Let's practice the deli man. We're not putting him on the spot or making him feel awkward, but like, especially with assertiveness. No, actually, I would like that cut a little bit thinner. They want to make you happy. They want exactly.

Alex Husner
Yeah. Ask for what you want, yeah, but ask

Amber Hurdle
for what you want, at least with the deli guy, and then try it at work.

Annie Holcombe
I remember you saying to me, we were talking about confidence, and I was talking about and we Alex, and I recount this all the time, like our first meeting with each other, and how we both saw each other in very different lights. And when we talked about it, I was like, oh so intimidated by her, and she's like, and you, and you look right at me, and you that is totally on you. Because Alex wasn't trying to intimidate me, right? But it was the first time somebody said that to me in a way that it was like, it made sense. It wasn't like, Well, you shouldn't. People normally will say, like, Well, don't be intimidated, or you shouldn't be intimidated. And you just put it very simply, like, just, that's your percent that's on you. You have to get past that. And so that. From that moment on, I started looking at relationships and looking at people that had either intimidated me, made me feel less than made me feel like I didn't belong. Helped build my imposter syndrome, whatever it could be. I looked at them in different light. I was like, I deserve to be here, damn it. You felt like, yeah, yeah, I deserve it. I mean, I and I, and going back to what Ali said, like, I've told people, I know I'm never going to be like the PhD, smartest person in the room, but if I can be, you know, but, I mean, there are things I know a lot about. Generally, I try to be around smarter people than me, because I learn more. I mean, I think that that's a principle that I've always had, but, but I always want to be nice. I always want to be kind. And, you know, I feel very centered around the fact that I have a hospitality gene in me, and it's not going anywhere, and if I can share that light with people like that's what I want to do. But I also I don't want to allow that tendency to be nice to come across as being too soft and not being able to stand up for myself and being intimidated, you know, or you know, being being intimidated by other people, allowing that to happen to me,

Alex Husner
what a great lesson we both learned, though, in that situation of like, you know, that that was such a groundbreaking moment and conference for both of us that that's when we met. We met, or I met several people at that conference that have changed the course of my career. At one point, they did at least. And, you know, I went into that you thought that I seemed very confident inside. I was very self conscious because I didn't know anybody there, and I didn't, you know, it's always awkward going into a room when you're not sure about any anybody. But I was immediately drawn to you, because you put off this vibe of just you want. You were you were happy and you were nice and you were friendly. You wanted to support me. And I thought, gosh, like, she's just so nice. But, and you look back on things, and I don't know if it was Amber that brought this out in us, but I definitely, I look at things differently now too, that when people, whether it's at work or in your day to day life, wherever it is if they are not acting the way that you would prefer them to act, you have to think about it of like, there's what's going on in their life, right? It's not, it's not about you how somebody is reacting. And I think about even when I react certain ways that like I have to check myself, of like I shouldn't. I'm letting my own. Issues of that day, whatever the problem is, now reflect out onto other people. And I don't like that, right? So I think we're all in this constant, like, cycle of trying to be more reflective, more self aware. And it's, it's a it's a good thing, right? I mean, I think a few years ago, people weren't really worried about being self aware, but it's, it's obviously a big part of our culture now, in our in just our world, and for us, I know you have helped us with that quite a bit.

Annie Holcombe
What a gift. What a gift, though, for us to be able to have that conversation. Because how many people have we met along the way that we've never been able to go? Like, how did you perceive me? How did I perceive you? Yeah, exactly. Like, I mean, I think about that all the time. Like, there's people in my life that I was like, Gosh, I wish I could go back and get inside their head and understand, like, what was it that was the radiating, whatever that vibe was that I was taking? Well,

Alex Husner
you Amber, you talked about the importance of those mirror relationships, right? Like, that's yeah, that's what that was for us. Yeah,

Amber Hurdle
yes. And you two were brought together for a, you know, wonderful, beautiful purpose. And I also remember, like, I remember kind of trying to tiptoe it and but like, not speak it over you, but also kind of prepare you, because I'm like, you two are two physically beautiful women who are intelligent and talented and accomplished. And if you don't think people are coming after you at some point, like it's gonna happen, and again, it's a reflection of them, what's happening in their lives and their worlds, or whatever y'all are like, No, we haven't had any problems yet. Yeah, I remember this going in your power. Please remember who you are. Remember it's about them. Has nothing to do with you. You didn't ask for you didn't earn it. There's nothing wrong with you. Noses aren't crooked. Like keep trucking, just keep stepping. And you know, and I think that's the other thing that shakes our confidence, is when you have a need for external validation, then other people's opinion of you or how they treat you or mistreat you, is something that you internalize, because you're dependent on their affirmation for your own personal value, when you do have a strong personal brand, which only can come because you're self aware and because you know your value and because you're going to stand in your power, that kind of stuff just, I mean, it's annoying, don't get me wrong, but it doesn't get to you. It doesn't mess up your psyche or keep you from your goals. Because, like, that's their problem. I'm moving on, like, right, rolls off your shoulder. Yeah, it has to, because otherwise you're letting somebody else have your power. You're giving your power away. And when you give your power away, how can you ever be confident? And I love I've just loved watching you to stand in your power for two years of publishing 129 episodes. I mean, that's impressive, with a big spotlight on you and lots of people watching you, in an industry that is a smaller, you know. I mean, it's a huge industry. There's so many people who would have no clue, all three of us are right. But like, you know, the active part of the industry that that crowd is, you know, it's a small family, and it's, it's hard to put yourself out there. And there's a lot of women in the past couple of years who have transitioned into their own businesses and have had to come out from behind the logo that they're hiding behind and put themselves out there. And I'm just happy to always point to you, too, as I'm pointing on wherever you are on my screen. Who knows what this is? I like to point to you too. I'm like, Well, they did it. Look at them. They put themselves out there. And you think they're doing okay. Why can't you? One

Alex Husner
thing that you said earlier that I think is worth touching on a little bit more too, is with the employer brand and the personal brands of your of your employees. There are a lot of employers that that makes them very uneasy to think that their employees are building their own personal brands, or that they're going to, you know, be speaking on behalf of the company. And I know, I mean public companies, I know there's a lot of rules and things, but in your experience, how, how do you coach companies on understanding the value of having those, you know, visible experts or their personal brand obviously speaks to something that's beneficial to the company. How should companies look at their employees, and what can they do to encourage that? You know, while being mindful of the company and their goals and and doing it all in a positive light,

Amber Hurdle
the fear of most employers is that if one of my employees goes rogue, or, you know that, they go out, they start promoting themselves, you know, and that's not what personal branding is. It's not self promotion. That's not what that is. And so, you know, they perceive it as that, that, Oh, they're going to go out there and make a name for themselves on my back so that they could go get a better job. And it's like, well, that's short sighted thinking, like, that's the only option here. That's the only like they couldn't possibly be growing their brand, their personal brand, to make their job with you easier. It could be that they just want to be a thought leader in the industry, and they love being anchored by your company, and they're proud to work for you, but they would like to have a voice in the industry, like, there's just so many different. Different reasons to have a strong personal brand, but the most important one for any employer is if somebody is understanding their value, all that's doing is making them a better leader internally, a better colleague internally, because they understand where they can get plugged in and how to get other people to buy into them and to buy into their ideas, and so they become more influential, which makes business and work and life more cohesive. It's more fluid, it's easier. It's not like there's no silos left anymore. Because, I mean, listen, at any job I've ever had, I've never and I'm not patting myself on the back. I'm just saying, when you have a strong personal brand, you can pick up the phone of a colleague who has 19 other priorities of their day other than what you need them to do. And you can be like, Hey, I'm working on this. Can you XYZ? I need this from your department, your budget, your team. I need to partner with you on this. Can you co sponsor this? Will you sit in front of the leadership committee with me and help sell this idea? Whatever it is that you're asking of them, they do it for me, because they know I'm going to do it for them, and they know what my brand is, and my brand is consistent, and so, you know, I'm using myself as an example. But as you're listening to this episode, think about where you are in your business, and is that easy for you to do or not? Is it easy for you to call another company? I mean, we've all just talked about Lauren may well like right your personal brand, no matter who you work for, can pick up the phone and call a Lauren made well, who's super creative and fun, and she can give you ideas without your brand. Would Lauren even know who you are? Would you know who Lauren was? Does that not help the company that you work for to be able to tap into another person who's they don't care about your company, they care about you a brand, whether

Alex Husner
it's a personal brand, a company brand. I mean, what that truly means is there's trust there, right? I mean people, and we know that people do business with people they know, like and trust. So that's why branding is so important, whether it is for you personally or for the company that you work for. And you know, people ask Annie and I about this all the time on the show, and I don't think that when we started, when we started the show, and when we started kind of going down the rabbit hole that we're in now. We didn't plan to do what we did with the show, and we didn't know that it was going to open up so many doors, but it did, and it was very authentic, and it remains authentic. And I think that's where that's a big part of building a personal brand, that being building personal brand is not about saying I am this, I am that, and it's about representing who you are in a way that you're gonna that people relate with you. But it's not being something that you're not, it's being more of who you already are exactly right. Authenticity is really the key to that. And I think wasn't authenticity your word of the year, this year Annie, or is it last year?

Annie Holcombe
So what's funny is, yesterday, I saw a post that I can't remember what it was like Webster's or somebody said the word of the year for this year was authenticity. And I was like, well, dang it, that was my word last year.

Alex Husner
So I can remember it was this year or last year. Interesting

Annie Holcombe
about it is the person that shared the post was like, I think authentic, and authenticity is such an overused word, people don't know what that is. And I was like, Well, this is somebody that's hiding behind something like that was my first response. Like, if you're gonna say that, but yeah, like, I mean just, just to be your your true self and come out of your skin, so to speak, like, just to be there and be comfortable in your own place is so it's so freeing and so liberating. And so, like, just like, you could float out of the room feel

Amber Hurdle
seen and valued because you've positioned yourself. You work harder, you put forth more discretionary effort. Like, this is it's not rocket science, and I can give an example, and I know Steve and Adam would have no problem sharing this. But like, who's the hiring company for the entire industry, right? Yeah, exactly. So what does better talent do as a best practice every single person that they've hired, I have done a personal branding coaching session with I've gone over all of their different assessments, and I've helped them craft their brand. And then they brought me in, and I worked with the whole team using how to fascinate, which is a personal branding assessment. And so like, if the number one or, I mean, I know the extent team as well, but they're, they're offshore, and also an amazing company, and I love them to death. And but like, if the number one company for hiring talent employees is like, we make sure every single person on our team understands their personal brand, maybe it's not something that you should write off. Because,

Alex Husner
yeah, exactly telling you it's a good idea, right?

Amber Hurdle
So if you're an employer and you're nervous about like somebody sprucing up their personal brand, just understand that that human being who works for you has all the opportunities and all the trust and all the people coming into their personal brand, which then benefits you as a company, and so you have a whole leadership team full of strong person. Brands who can influence and lead and engage in your company and then also pull in resources externally, because people just like them. What's the problem with that?

Alex Husner
I don't know. Yeah, yeah, no, I agree completely. Well,

Annie Holcombe
Amber, of course we could talk to you for like, 10 hours every day, and just so wonderful. So we're excited to see you, but this will air after the Women's Conference has concluded, and everybody's floating out of the room on all of their new power and grace. And I just, I'm just so excited. I just feel like it's, I told Lauren, it's like, it's just, like, a big, warm hug every time you walk into that, like, it's

Unknown Speaker
just homecoming, yeah,

Amber Hurdle
for Amy, I know who puts on. I

Annie Holcombe
don't know how she does it. Yeah. I'm so looking forward to

Alex Husner
seeing Amy, Amy and her whole team. I mean, those, those ladies are amazing. April, Michelle, Rebecca. Rebecca, yeah, all of them, yeah, oh my gosh. There's, there's, there's several, but that whole team is, is amazing. And we said before we hit play earlier that a week, it's Friday. Wait, it's Thursday right now. So a week from today, the things we'll know that we don't know yet, the relationships we're about to make, the things we're about to discover. It's exciting, and what a great way to end the year and a great way to end this Thursday with you, Amber. So we appreciate you so much for coming on the show and excited for next week to see you, but in the meantime, for anybody that wants to get in touch with you, what is the best way for them to reach out?

Amber Hurdle
I usually say I'm psychotic on LinkedIn, but I've been so quiet because I've been so slammed. But I'm like, I'll be back LinkedIn. I promise authentic. So I'm not just going to, you know, post a bunch of random stuff. It's, you know, anyway, so usually I'm on LinkedIn, Amber Erickson hurdle on LinkedIn, you can email me at Amber at Amber hurdle.com and that can get you to whatever company I own now and and you know you could go to Amber hurdle.com to get all of my social media or employer brand central.com and and get a hold of me that way as well. I'm pretty responsive, and I try really hard to get to everyone, even if it takes just a hot minute to make it through the box.

Alex Husner
Yeah, I admire that about you. You always get back to people very quickly. And that's, that's a hard skill when you I know you're pulled in a million different directions, as we all are, but

Amber Hurdle
yeah, systems and I have a team. Let me do that. No, that's excellent. Christina is owner of my inbox, so I couldn't do without any

Alex Husner
love it. Love it. Thanks. Anybody. If anybody wants to get in touch with Annie, and I can go to Alex and Annie podcast.com and if you've enjoyed this show, we'd love to hear from you. Please leave us a review anywhere that you watch or listen to your podcasts. You can watch go on YouTube wherever there too, until next time. Thanks everybody and Amber, thank you so much for joining us today. Bye.