Speaker 1: 0:00

But now, and every day since my heart attack, I have looked at the ability to do it all by molding those two together. My personal, my professional life has become one of purpose and passion, and that's where I've been successful, in order to grow my career and also, obviously, bond more with my children. They are now, you know, they're now 15 and 20. That has changed since my heart attack.

Speaker 2: 0:41

Welcome back to another episode of the Burn. I am Ben Newman and you know how we do this. Every single week we bring you a story of an athlete, an entertainer, a celebrity, somebody from the business world who's taught us the very valuable lessons Seven seasons now we've been finding these valuable lessons of the fact that why and purpose is not enough. It's that underlying burn that ignites your why and purpose and causes you to show up on the days you don't feel like it, and especially after you win. We always have special guests. We're always very careful with who we select and who we invite onto our show. But then there are those special guests who I have the opportunity to meet from stepping on a stage or being at an event, and oftentimes that immediate connection that happens is where you build amazing relationships.

Speaker 2: 1:27

And that happened in Atlanta, georgia, last year when I had the opportunity at the Build your Brand event, to share the stage with Carrie Lee Brown at Jen Gottlieb's event. And let me tell you something this was a powerhouse panel. It was almost one of those like you're putting us on a panel like none of us are going to be able to hold back. We had Carrie Lee Brown, we had Stormy, we had Adley, we had Jen. It was just full of energy. And Carrie Lee Brown's story, her passion, her track record of success, made me realize the powerhouse that she is in everything that she does, and so I am so excited to welcome my friend, carrie Lee Brown, to the Burn.

Speaker 1: 2:15

Hi Ben, thank you so much for having me so so excited.

Speaker 2: 2:19

Well, so, so excited to have you. I'm going to get right down to it with your story, but I do before I ask you a very powerful question about your burn and your story and adversity, which has really played a big part in who you are. I do have to share some things and chief now of Success Magazine. You've contributed to over 150 magazines in over three decades as one of the top, most sought after contributors, minds in writing, forming her own company and agency to consult individuals. It's been extraordinary to being an author of my heart myself, helping individuals slow down in a world that is so fast paced.

Speaker 2: 3:09

I think you guys are going to enjoy this time with Carrie Lee. She's a very, very busy woman, so we're excited to have the opportunity to have her to slow down with us on the burn. But I think if you really pay attention to her story, I think it's going to cause you to slow down in your life and that's a big part of her message. It's the reason why she now travels the world, not only doing things for success and amazing events for the magazine, but also speaking and sharing her message and fighting to make a difference in people's lives. So, carrie Lee Brown, we're going to get right down to it. I've got a question for you. When we connected before you came on and you really did an extraordinary job. Many people remember you being part of last year's Mental Toughness Forum. It was incredible your message, but you faced some significant challenge and adversity far too early on in life, probably very surprising for you and your children at the time. Tell us about your appreciation for each day that came from the adversity that you faced.

Speaker 1: 4:14

Yeah, and I mean thanks for the welcome. I mean, obviously, that introduction is is just amazing to hear it back like that. But you're right, like I think this is why it's so important. I like to share my heart health story. So, for those of you who don't know, I had a heart attack at age 39. It literally wiped me off my feet, like knocked me off my feet. It was the wake up call that I believe, looking back now, I needed to really kind of shake me up, and not only did it physically shake me up, but it did emotionally and mentally and you know, like spiritually even, and I think every day since then has been a blessing. But also I've realized my purpose.

Speaker 1: 4:51

So sometimes what happens are often when we have these big things that happen in our life, whether they're health related or whether they're, you know, any other big kind of event there is a message behind that and I feel, like you know, having worked in media for 30 years, it was one of those things where I realized that I needed to share my story, because my story of my heart attack and what I've done since it's going to help people share their stories and also heal in their own way as well.

Speaker 1: 5:18

So it really opened my eyes having been a journalist a trained journalist, like classically trained and sharing other people's stories, writing about other people in all those 150 different publications it opened my eyes that I was actually enough to share my own story and I was worthy of doing it, because people wanted to hear that as well. And as a mom as I mean obviously as a media executive it really meant that every day not only had a purpose, but it had a meaning as to why these things happen in my life, and so I'm very fortunate to have platforms and have worked in media to be able to share that message. But more and more, I'm realizing how many more people want to hear it today too. So it's kind of one of those things that every day, I'm so grateful for, because the message, my experience, doesn't go away with what happened with my heart attack, but the learnings from it since have evolved, and they've also they continue to impact people on a day to day. So that's why I'm so excited to share it here today as well.

Speaker 2: 6:17

You know, there was something that day that we just talked to really get to know each other, because after the event it was just. It was so fun sharing the stage and the energy really was unbelievable that day in in Atlanta, and you shared with me that you had the heart attack at 39 and I didn't present it to you this way. Maybe it was me knowing that I wanted to have you on the burn, but it hit me in a certain way regarding your opportunity to live one day at a time, and when I think about the burn, it was almost when I heard you share the story. It was like there was a perspective change for you as a woman at 39, that you really were restarting the opportunity to live again. And why it hit me so hard was my mother passed away at 38.

Speaker 2: 7:05

So, my mother passing away at 38, far too soon. You at 39, my mother never got 39. And you got a chance to live again at 39. And I live one day at a time to honor the days that my mom never got. And you've now stepped into this brand new, even before we hit record today. Just the energy, the vibrancy, just your excitement, having done what you've already done, but your excitement to now write these next chapters. What perspective am I right about that? Did it? Did it? Cause that's what I felt was. You're looking at every day differently now because of what you had to go through to make it to 39.

Speaker 1: 7:50

I am, and you know it's every time I think about what happened at 39 and I'm 51 now, right, so you know it's been 11 years, whatever, and I think that you're right. It has made me realize that you know all these different things I've aspired to do in my professional life in media and magazines and publishing. They are all amazing and they've gotten to me where I am today, but I think it's really made me realize that it's about you know who is in my immediate circles, my family, you know those kinds of things. That is what is the most important thing in life and it really, it really woke me up and every day now, not only do I practice gratitude because of that, but I also know that it's a message that other people need to hear. I mean, not everyone is going to have a heart attack or go through even a health crisis, but I really hope that my message can really wake people up and share the fact that we have to realize that we need to put, you know, time and effort into our own self-care and really appreciate where we've come from, versus just always looking ahead.

Speaker 1: 8:53

I was always this like A-type I still am an A-type driven person that throughout my 20s, I just really looked at the next thing in my career how could I, you know, climb the corporate ladder? How could I add this to my portfolio? What's next? There's something to say about that, and I think it's very important in entrepreneurship and, of course, building a brand. But that wake up call made me think. You know what I actually have to appreciate all that I've done as well. Rather than just, like you know, hurrying up to the next thing, you have to really appreciate where you are, and that will set you up for success moving forward.

Speaker 2: 9:26

You know your book. It's fascinating. And there's kind of another connection that I made when Jamie Kern Lima. We really warmed up the stage for her that day.

Speaker 1: 9:37

And maybe that's what.

Speaker 2: 9:38

Jen was thinking Like when you put Jamie Kern Lima on the stage, like we need all of my friends to warm up the stage for her because she's so amazing. But her book came out around that time and it's called worthy and I loved her book. Her book was actually written with women in mind. However, it's an extraordinary book. I mean I bought hundreds of copies of her book because the book moved me so much and after reading the book I'm like Jamie, like this book is not just for women. This book is for everybody.

Speaker 2: 10:08

And I think your book as well even though the subtitle is a heartfelt guide for women who do too much is that book was not just written for women. Your book was written for everybody. That's right. And you know my heart myself, which is the title. I think it's so powerful that the book because I want people to understand that we're going to link the books. It's easy for everybody to grab a copy.

Speaker 2: 10:32

But you go into the importance of slowing down, having the gratitude appreciation I know family, even how you look at your children, is different than it was pre the heart attack. Not that you didn't absolutely love and adore your children, but it's a different appreciation because you're slowing down now, but I also admire that you still love growing your career. There's still things you want to do, so I'd love for you to touch on the fact, because I think sometimes people, when they face challenge and adversity, they say, oh, I'm just going to slow down and have gratitude and just spend time with my family, my career's over. I think your message is to say no, no, no, no, no. You can have it all if you slow down and do it the right way. Do you mind speaking to that, because I think it's a powerful lesson.

Speaker 1: 11:17

Yeah, and I mean again to your point about it being my book is for everyone I read. I wrote it from the perspective of a female, which obviously I am and a mom, but but yeah, when I say that it has impacted a lot of males lives as well, I've had lots of male readers, but to that point you're right. Like I've always still grown my career, my entrepreneurial endeavors, my philanthropy endeavors outside of my family, and that what I've done differently is looked at the holistic kind of mesh of them all from my personal and professional life. And that's one of my biggest messages and I hope people really understand this is that I used to look at my personal life and my professional life very separately and I think what ended up happening was they started to compete with each other right, like in my own, with my own time, with my own efforts, and I think that's what you know aided in my stress levels, you know really hitting that pivotal kind of high. But now, and every day since my heart attack, I have looked at the ability to do it all by molding those two together.

Speaker 1: 12:22

My personal, my professional life has become one of purpose and passion and that's where I've been successful in order to grow my career and also, obviously, bond more with my children they are now you know, they're now 15 and 20. I mean this is, you know, they're older now but also with my friends and family and those who mean so much, because I now look at it differently and I don't look at it as one or the other. Now I can look at them both and what kind of serves my purpose as a human being and what I was meant to be on earth here? That has changed since my heart attack. So, in order to kind of say that I'm able to do it all, I feel like there's gonna always be ebbs and flows with that for any person to be able to balance it and I know the buzzword now is more keep it in harmony, because there are ups and downs.

Speaker 1: 13:08

But at the same time, I'm now not looking at my personal life and professional life as competitors for my time, I look at them as one. So if one day my family is you know there's priorities there or friends or people in my circles, that's fine. The next day it's going to be career. But now it's an ebb and flow that I know. It's all part of me, carrie Lee Brown, and that's the difference. That's how my mindset changed after my heart attack. It was a big deal for me.

Speaker 2: 13:34

This is one of the reasons your clarity on the message is so powerful. I've said for years in our coaching work that clarity is power and the messaging probably comes from being such an extraordinary writer and writing so many people's stories. But your clarity is very powerful and that's why I get excited for the fact that you're now speaking and taking your message to the stage. You know people oftentimes hear that you know there's the individual behind the camera, but they have a message and we get them outside the camera, or the person who has the pen, or they're behind the computer screen and now you're coming out in front, which I think is so exciting.

Speaker 2: 14:09

And I think it's surprising people, because when people see how busy you are and they see your responsibilities, I think probably people would automatically assume, well, as much as it'd be great for Carrie Lee to come and speak at our event, like she's probably too busy and I know you don't do it often because of your schedule. So when people can book you for an event it's a very special thing because you don't get to get out there as often as other speakers, so it's rare and that's why people love bringing you in. But can you speak to? Why is getting on that stage so important, why for you to now? That's how we met at Jen Gottlieb's event and then I was like, oh my gosh, you're absolutely coming on the Mental Toughness Forum. And then, since I see you on stages all the time at events, virtual events, in-person events why has it been so important for you to now step on the stage?

Speaker 1: 15:00

Well, it's been so important, I think, ben, because I'm a classically trained print journalist and literally my master's in journalism is in magazine writing, and so usually and I'm kind of dating myself but usually in that career, when you're a writer or an editor, you're not really in front of the camera and you're not really bringing your own story, like I said, to the forefront to help other people. I was used to interviewing other people behind the scenes. Even I said to the forefront to help other people. I was used to interviewing other people behind the scenes, even the behind the scenes at the photo shoots, even behind the scenes, you know. You know being a creative director on magazines past and highlighting other people's not only accolades and accomplishments but their stories.

Speaker 1: 15:40

And so it's so important for me now to get on the stage not only to share my story, because it's obviously one that's worth telling, but also to show that anyone in business or in entrepreneurship or even in their life, their brand can evolve, where obviously we take different platforms and different kind of mediums, if you will, to be able to project our message and so your brand can evolve. But also, on a personal level, I have evolved as Carrie Lee Brown, so I'm no longer just sharing other people's stories, which I still do on the day-to-day in the magazine. Of course I love that, that's what I love to do. But now sharing my own message and getting on stages, like you said, really shows that not only women but anyone in the workforce can really make that evolution and change to really make a big, impactful difference.

Speaker 1: 16:29

And I think that's the biggest caveat for me is that I'm in front of people on stages, I'm joining panels, I'm doing all that I can on the you know, on the stage, the world stage, if you will, because I feel like the resonating sorry with the audience is a different kind of resonating than just being the magazine editor where you see my writing Speaking. It's so impactful, you can really relate to people and I think once people kind of meet me and kind of be around me, they'll notice that I'm very authentic, I like to come, you know I am, and I like being around that kind of person. So I think again, going now more in front of people and being kind of the you know the authority in certain you know topics has really evolved me as a person and also evolved me professionally, and it's just exciting, I mean, I just love it.

Speaker 2: 17:20

So I'm so excited for you and when I think about the opportunity in front of you and I think about what you've accomplished up until this point I know these are big words and, quite frankly, what you all are doing at Success Magazine which I feel Success has always been such a great magazine, but even more so now is you're really disruptors. You're elevating, you're doing things differently, you're doing events, but you're telling amazing, continuing to tell amazing stories. So I feel like you've elevated something that you've been so great at for three decades. But now this opportunity to do it from a stage and to share your message and to get in front of the camera like this makes it even more powerful. And it makes me think of the word legacy, and legacy is so important and you've had such an amazing legacy of sharing other people's stories. Now you're sharing yours.

Speaker 1: 18:25

How important if we could finish here how important is that word legacy to you, your story telling, other people's stories and legacy how important is that to you, the fact that you're saying legacy because it is something I'm considering now at my age with my children, but also in my career, because I have met, I've mentor journalists and people coming up in there in the ranks as well. Legacy to me means that not only are you making a difference to other people, but you've made strides to change and evolve your own. You know healing and your own growth pattern as well, and I think that's what legacy means to me. You can leave behind a message or even just a heartfelt, you know kind of feeling in someone by speaking to them, by writing their stories, and you know that it's that feeling of leaving behind a goodness in someone's heart. That is legacy to me, whether it's the people I've written about and they just love the way I wrote about them or interacted with them, or whether it's the people I speak to on the stage. They leave knowing that.

Speaker 1: 19:33

You know I've tried to make them more inspired and also better people along the way, and to that point, you know I have shared tons of different stories, from celebrities to dignitaries to you know athletes, just like you.

Speaker 1: 19:47

You know a lot of people too, but the one thing that I find I bring to the table. That differentiates that as a journalist is that I have all of these nuggets that these people have told me over the years and I can be that voice, that vehicle that really shares their inspiring stories with others, that vehicle that really shares their inspiring stories with others. You know, I can take all the different pieces and people say you know what? What is the key to so many of the people's success that you've interviewed at success magazine? Well, I can see all the different similarities or the similarities or even the differences, and I can share those. So, again, being able to bring a voice and a platform to bring my interviewees to the forefront is so important. And that's again where the legacy piece comes in, because I think I'm hoping that I'm a vehicle to also help other people, you know, embody their own legacy as well.

Speaker 2: 20:36

Well, it's so powerful to hear you say it so clearly and, if I could just add, and if I could just add, I'm just excited for you to see everything unfold with the new perspective of one day at a time, knowing that you've been given this second chance at life. And not only have you been given it, you're taking advantage of it. And I think there's a lot of people who, when they face challenge and adversity, they almost shut down. It's almost. They feel like they're just so blessed to live that they almost shut down. It's almost, it's almost they. They feel like they're just so blessed to live that they almost choose to not live.

Speaker 2: 21:10

And I feel like what I've experienced in getting to know you is you've leaned into this gift of extra time after facing challenge and adversity and now you're attacking it the right way by slowing down and having that harmony. I still like to say that it's still balance. You know people say balance doesn't exist, but I believe balance it's all perspective. It's you saying I have a balance of the important things in my life mattering, where many people don't have the discipline that you're an example for to say hey, yeah, maybe there was a period of time where I was focused on more business than other things. But not now, and I think maybe that's what is so powerful about you that I just get excited for is how you're choosing to be an example, which I think is so important, because there's too many speakers, there's too many consultants, there's too many people who can share other people's messages that are teaching the opposite, which is work really hard and take time off, as opposed to what we believe, which is own it one day at a time and then go live your best life.

Speaker 2: 22:12

And that's why I want everybody to pick up the copy of the book my Heart Myself. I encourage everybody and we're going to make it so easy for you, as we do every single week. Follow Carrie Lee Brown, not just for events that Success Magazine does, but the amazing things that she's doing and the stages that she'll be on around the country later this year, where you'll have an opportunity to hear her message and to meet her live. My friend Carrie Lee, thank you so much for joining us for the Burn. This was so much fun.

Speaker 1: 22:41

Thank you so much, ben and I just again my gratitude for you having me on, and also all of your listeners, and I look forward to seeing you again in person very soon. So thank you so much, it's been great I cannot wait.

Speaker 2: 22:53

We'll make everybody follow you to see and hear details on a lot of those exciting things that'll come up later this year. But to each and every single one of you listening, I just encourage you, and sometimes I'm direct, and sometimes I'm not as direct as I am, maybe from a stage when we're on the burn, but I want to be direct with you. Today I want to encourage you to pick up a copy of Carrie Lee's book and I want to encourage you to slow down. Maybe that's for 30 minutes, maybe it's 60 minutes, maybe it's four 30-minute segments for the next 30 days, and I want you to slow down and evaluate your life and I want you to evaluate your decisions.

Speaker 2: 23:30

And are you doing too much? Are you moving too fast? I'm not saying you can't do a lot, but are you doing it the right way and making the decisions the right way and prioritizing the way Carrie Lee teaches us through her example? I encourage you to do that and if you're already doing a good job of that, please make sure that you share this episode with somebody who needs to hear Carrie Lee's words and her perspective, because they're powerful. Thank you so much for joining us for the Burn. We love and appreciate each and every single one of you, seven seasons strong doing this, and you keep sharing, you keep liking, you keep subscribing, and we have so much appreciation for each and every single one of you. So until next time. This has been the burn.