We’re looking forward to introducing you to Leslie Becker. Check out our conversation below.
Hi Leslie, thank you so much for taking time out of your busy day to share your story, experiences and insights with our readers. Let’s jump right in with an interesting one: What is a normal day like for you right now?
What’s “normal?” LOL When you’re an entrepreneur, each day looks different—that’s part of what I love about it! However, there are some things that are a part of every single day for me.
Before I do anything else I take a walk. It might be a mile, or two miles, but I always take time to move and start the morning right. I’m in a transitional time in my work life so I’m intentionally putting new structures in my day to stay focused on what’s important now that will truly move the needle forward—and for me clearing my mind helps me throughout my day.
The other rituals I always do is create my schedule and to-do list for the next day the night before. I find if I don’t do that (and wait until the morning) my day doesn’t go as well. Knowing what I’m doing the next day helps me be productive and wise in setting the priorities. Finally, I always complete my day by journaling and reflecting on the day. Keeping these less “business-like” things in my day keep me grounded and intentional. And—barely a night goes by without me playing pickleball—I’m kind of obsessed with it!
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
You’ve caught me at an exciting time because I’m getting ready to re-brand and re-invent what my offerings will be in this new phase of my business. For 30 years I’ve been an empowerment coach for creatives and for people in career/life transitions. But for the last five years I worked for a nationally recognized personality—crafting his live speeches, creating online courses, writing copy and building large scale content strategies for his company. Now, I’m combining my years of experience in both camps to build an exciting new business teaching creative entrepreneurs how to get over the fear, and use their own expertise to create digital courses and memberships that pay them while they sleep. I’m also re-branding my audio podcast (Unstoppably Creative) into a YouTube channel…but shhh, you didn’t hear it from me😀.)
Okay, so here’s a deep one: Who were you before the world told you who you had to be?
I love this question because I made some pretty big decisions early in life to NOT be who the world tells you to be. I was never interested in fitting in. It was always more important for me to walk my own walk and make an impact on others.
My earliest memories were coming home from school, lining up all of my stuffed animals and teaching them everything I learned that day. I’ve always loved learning new things, but am never fully satisfied until I’ve shared my learning with others. And my love of people and lifting them up made being a coach an organic, natural fit.
I was also totally passionate about performing, but I didn’t believe I could really make a living at it. So in that arena it was more the limitation I put on myself even though people around me saw the passion and, I guess—the talent—they encouraged me to pursue it. Once I believed in myself and realized I really wanted to be an actor for a living—it worked and I went on to have a successful career as a Broadway actress for 25 years in NYC. I’m glad I grew up, found my confidence and pursued that big dream. Now I’ve got new dreams to bring to fruition. And if you have a dream resting on your heart, but you’re scared to admit it, I say go for it! Because we tend to limit ourselves much more than the world does. And if you need help with that confidence, reach out to me, I can help you.
What did suffering teach you that success never could?
While nobody likes to suffer, the truth is, we learn the most in our suffering. It’s actually very rare to learn things when you’re on top of the world because you’re mostly just feeling the high of the success.
During my career as an actor I constantly heard “No.” If I’d have taken all those No’s personally, I never would have had as long a career as I did. Because those No’s turned to Yes’s. Most people don’t stay through the hard parts that’s why so many actors quit before they’re 30 and why entrepreneurs quit if they aren’t millionaires in a year.
I think anyone who has a passion for something. Anyone who wants to do more than the status quo will experience suffering. But through it, you become more resilient, more humble, and more appreciative of the successes. Take nothing for granted. The world owes you nothing. If you want something you’ve got to go for it and ride the long train of ups and downs that come with it—because that’s just life.
As I build my own business again, I know it will be tough and exciting and hard and fantastic and scary and everything in between—and isn’t that the fun? The joy is in the journey, my friend. The good results are just the icing.
I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. How do you differentiate between fads and real foundational shifts?
What a great question! I have had a very diverse life and have definitely gone through fads and chasing shiny objects. But I’ve known my values and my personal mission since I was in my early 20’s which is to empower, entertain, and educate others and to be a source of strength and bravery for the human spirit. I’ve lived into that mission in everything I do. That mission probably will never change, but some of the values might at certain seasons of your life. The fads are usually the things you see other people doing and your ego says, “Well, I want that too!” and it sends you off in a random direction that may or may not actually be good for you.
Those ego-driven fads can happen often (if you like shiny objects) but foundational shifts are quite different and I think we only go through about 3-4 of those in our lives. They aren’t those passing moments of boredom, or needing the high of something new. These bigger shifts often hit you deeper at the core of who you are. Often they occur when you’re shifting from how you’ve identified yourself for a long period of time (i.e. a mom), to a totally new season of life (i.e. an empty nester) In these shifts you’ve got to face yourself and ask some deeper questions to identify what’s important to you now.
I’m going through a foundational shift right now as I move from a season of working for someone else for the last five year to returning to my entrepreneurial life. Before these five years, I had never worked for anyone in my life since college and I’ve shifted because of it. Now, I’m going to build my business differently than I did years ago because I now have new knowledge and experience so what’s important to me now has shifted. This time around, I’m building a business that will be on my terms and will build the legacy I want to leave on the world.
Okay, we’ve made it essentially to the end. One last question before you go. What is the story you hope people tell about you when you’re gone?
I hope people tell the story that I empowered them to go after their dreams—that I saw more in them than they saw in themselves. I hope they have been touched by something I said or wrote or created, and that my creative work will impact others long after I’m gone.
Contact Info:
- Youtube: @thelesliebecker COMING SOON
- Other: Unstoppably Creative Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/unstoppably-creative/id1602315397
