Leadership Tea
On Leadership Tea, we talk about what it takes to reach the executive level, and how to thrive when you get there. Powerful leaders share their journeys, insights, and triumphs in conversations with hosts Shelby Smith-Wilson and Belinda Jackson Farrier.
Join us every other Wednesday to be inspired by the unvarnished stories of amazing executives who know what it's like to be "the only" at the table and who have succeeded regardless. They have proven leadership experience in their respective fields, from international affairs to the private sector to academia, and want to help others create their own success stories.
Leadership Tea
Shutdown But Not Shut Out | S4 EP5
Shelby and Belinda discuss the need to shift focus from operational excellence to survival strategies in difficult times, such as the current federal government shutdown affecting many in DC, Maryland, and Northern Virginia.
We emphasize the importance of community, resilience, and mental health, and introduce our new Leadership Lounge on Substack, where you'll find deeper discussions and group coaching. We also highlight the emotional and financial impacts of furloughs on individuals and businesses, and offer advice on staying connected within communities during crises.
This episode is dedicated to all those impacted by the 2025 federal government shutdown in the United States.
You can also watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/_IHTJmvsAL4
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Hey everyone, it's Shelby and Belinda. Welcome to this special episode of the Leadership Tea Podcast, where we talk about our experience in becoming executives in hopes that we can help make the path easier for some of you in terms of what it takes to reach that level and how to thrive once you get there. Although I will say that with this season and even with this episode, we've taken a slightly different approach as opposed to thinking about how we can be operationally excellent and help people to bring their A game. It seems that we've needed to shift the focus a little bit to really hone in on how do you survive? Like when things are not great and you are just trying to make it from one day to the next. Like, how do you make it from one day to another day, from one hour to another hour? And so it's within that mindset that we thought we we just felt compelled to do this special episode. And before we get into the meat of that, I do want to remind people of a couple of things. One, we have just launched the Leadership Lounge, which is a private space. It will be a subscription-based service that we're offering on Substack, where we really get into some of the things that we don't necessarily go full throttle on in these episodes. It'll really give everyone an opportunity to hear kind of some of the stuff that we leave on the cutting room floor and a more raw version, I think, of me and Belinda. But the biggest benefit, I think, will be the group coaching option that we're going to offer. So we have more information. We will have more information in the show notes about all of the other services that you can expect to get through the Leadership Lounge, but we really invite you to join this exclusive group. We think it will be very helpful, uh, especially given what's what's going on in various corners of the world right now. Belinda, I don't know if you have anything that you want to add to that.
SPEAKER_00:And I think that idea of safe spaces is really important to people right now. So when you initially sign up, you're going to find that we're going to ask you a couple of questions before we just, you know, hit the yes button. Um, because we want to get a sense of who are you and why do you want to be a part of this space? And also we want to we want to share with you our expectations of the space and make sure that you'll be able to uphold those. So I just didn't want anybody to be surprised when they say, like, yeah, I want to be a part of this. And then we're like, yes, but tell us a little bit more about yourself. Exactly. Oh it should be so that it shouldn't be a big surprise to you. Cool, cool.
SPEAKER_03:And so getting back to the meat of why we decided to uh record the special episode. Um, last week was rough. And especially if you are uh an employee of the federal government, and as most of you know, Belinda and I live in the DC, Maryland, Northern Virginia area. Um, we work in this area, we have lots of friends and associates uh who work in this area, and it's not a secret that the federal government is shut down. And Belinda and I thought if we are feeling the way that we are feeling, certainly the people who are directly impacted, people who, you know, were told not to show up for work last week on October 1st, we know that you're feeling it acutely. And we thought that we would just take a moment to talk about what it's what it's been like for us on the periphery, even though we're not working directly, you know, in in government positions as we did before, we are still feeling the impact of what many of you are experiencing. And we thought that this would be a good opportunity to just show, to show empathy and to also talk a little bit about how we have maintained our resilience over the past week and in going into you know the coming weeks of uncertainty, and to talk a little bit about what it means for us when we talk about building community. So, Belinda, I don't know if you want to kick it off and talk about what the week was like for you, or if you want me to elaborate. What do you think?
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, no, I'm happy to jump in. I'm pausing because it just one, I want people to know that we see you. Right? We know how hard people work, not just in the federal government, in all levels of government, and we understand the complexity of how the government is involved in our economy. And so it's not just federal employees, but contractors and small businesses that are working with the government or near government offices, like there are just so many levels to how people are impacted, and so we recognize that we've lived through shutdowns before, and they're never easy, they're frightening. Um, people don't go into public service to get rich, right? And so when the paychecks stop, that is a terrifying space to be in, especially right now. We also see in the news the threats to firing more federal employees, and so I think we understand acutely that feeling of you are going to work or not going to work, and you're not clear from day to day what your status is going to be, both in terms of being accepted or even being employed. And that can really begin to play on you. I think that being in this region right now and still being tied in some respects to the federal government, um it was emotionally a difficult week. And the news cycle, you know, I'm online more than I should be. The news cycle definitely um had its impact on me. And by the end of the week, I I was just mentally and spent. Thankfully, also towards the end of the week, though, I began to put into practice the things that I talk about here often, right? It is looking at your your roster of community, right? Right, the acupuncture, the massages, the therapists, the coaches, like and employing all of that. Um and kind of ramping up where I can. Like instead of spreading some things out over the course of four to six weeks, I'll I I see I'm gonna need to do this like every two to get through. Look, I had some low days. I had some days where my meals consisted of um ice cream facts. Facts. Like there were some days that's all I could do. Right. Um, and that's okay. All right, we can't win every day. Yeah, I didn't make it to the gym every day. I sometimes I just made it to the parking lot of the gym. I was like, and then something would come over the radio that I'd just be like, I I can't, I can't go in there. Yeah, I'm gonna go get some ice cream, right? Like I can just put it in now, but like that I'm not joking, like that really happened. Yeah, and um I don't know like what the right answer is in this moment. I've been thinking a lot about with not just in terms of building community, but in thinking about I these days, these times, these moments, this this this this moment has made me realize that like I also have to kind of reassess my community. Some people are really in it, like it's like, oh, I see you, you're doing the work, you're doing the work. I gotcha, I gotcha, I gotcha, you're doing the best you can do. And some people, I'm like, oh, okay, you were kind of like not really you were you we we aren't as cool as I thought we were. Yeah. We're not as aligned as I thought we were. Yeah, right. Noted. Noted, you know, thank you. Right. Appreciate it. Appreciate the clarity. Because um it just it just feels like in this moment, um, it's really important to know really what that community and what those resources really look like for you. The last piece I would say is that the other struggle is both, so it's struggling regionally with everyone here. You can feel the heaviness of the region. It's struggling with the actual impacts we feel. So it's not just about feeling all of these impacts as an observer, but even as a person who is a business owner, who is trying to move forward, who's trying to pivot. It feels like every time I get a plan going, the bottom falls.
SPEAKER_03:What you said about the impact on the shutdown when it comes to businesses, because you and I are trying to start our own businesses and reach customers and build a clientele that's really difficult when people are losing their jobs left and right, or there's continued uncertainty about whether people will be able to maintain their employment. That definitely, you know, hits our pocketbooks. And the other comment that you made about allyship, you know, there's this quote that crisis reveals character. And it's time like these when you really get a sense of, okay, so-and-so's got my back, so-and-so's flaky, so-and-so is unreliable, so-and-so's shady. Like you really get a sense of who is in the trenches with you because it's it's not an easy time right now. So, all of those points, all of those points really hit home. Um, for me, over the last week, you know, our listeners are already aware if they've been paying attention to the most recent episodes. They know that I was already laid off. Um, it was another gut punch to get a furlough letter. And so it was, it was like reliving all of the emotions of being laid off a few months ago and reflecting on what my public service career has meant to me and how it's ending, how it's it's not ending in the gracious, smooth way that I had, you know, anticipated that it would end. And then reliving this experience of what a furlough is, not just for me. As you said, Belinda, it's it's really watching the people around us that we care about. You know, these are these are people's lives that are being affected. And we feel that. We we feel that immensely. And I want our listeners to know, as you said, Belinda, we do see you, we see you, and we feel what you're going through. We're not gonna act like we can relate to every single situation that people are confronting right now, but we can tell you that our our livelihoods are being affected, our households are being affected, and just knowing what public service has meant to each of us, and what we know it means to so many people in our network, we we feel for what people are going through right now. And if I could just footstomp that point on public service, public service is a calling, it's a commitment, it's unlike anything you can do, and that's not a knock on other careers. It's just that when I reflect on what I've seen you do, Belinda, in your career and what I've done in mine, public service means something to to each of us. It's not something that we take lightly, it's it it involves a lot of sacrifice, and it also means giving of yourself for something bigger than yourself. And it's in many ways it's very disappointing and hurtful to see the situation play out the way that that it's playing out, because I I just don't think that there's enough regard for people who are human beings who are trying to provide for their families, who are just trying to, you know, pay the bills from day to day. And when I think about that and how people are suffering, there were a lot of tears last week. And like you, I didn't, you know, I didn't resort to ice cream. For me, I was in a salty mood. So I was eating chicken wings, like that was I like it. I need I need some wings. One night I made wings at home for the family. Another night, um, Christian had soccer practice, and I was like, okay, I need some, I need some bourbon and I need some wings. And that was my dinner. Um, you know, that tonight, I like it. You do what you gotta do to get through these moments, you know, without turning those vices into habits, of course. Like, you know, there are moments where you just you do what you need to do in that moment um to get through it. So that was part of my week. I also activated my community. As you said, you know, I was able to, it's funny, coincidentally, I had already planned to have lunch with one of our mentors um who we interviewed on the podcast about a year ago, one of the uncles. It was very timely. He was such a balm, he was such a comfort. That really restored me, being able to just be exposed to his wisdom, his grace, his aura, his presence. It was everything um that I needed. Um, last week we went, you know, to the workshop together. Uh shout out to to James and to his lovely wife, Angie. That was that was great. That was great. But the one thing that I want to mention about Friday was that I knew that it had been a rough week for you. And in my mind, I was like, okay, Belinda needs a chai oat milk latte. Amen. So, like that was my small gesture, you know, to reach you on that level because you know, it's a latte. But the point being, neither gestures don't need to be grandiose. Like when we say build community, it's stuff like that. Like, get a latte for a friend that you know who needs it. I also reached out to some of my mentees who are overseas in various positions, and I know they are going through it because they still have to show up at work, they still have to lead their team, they are still expected to implement, you know, the instructions, the guidance that they are being given. And it's a very stressful time because they are also managing the emotions of their team, you know, team members who are new to public service, who don't know what this is like, who's never been through a furlough before. And so, you know, I felt compelled, even though I didn't have any answers for them, I just reached out to say, hey, I've I'm thinking about you. I'm thinking about you. I know it's a rough time. I just wanted to check on you. That means something to people.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, I agree with you, Shelby. I have been thinking a lot about like I just don't have any advice to offer to people because we're just in uncharted territory. And so, but perhaps the only advice I have, having managed in led in spaces of uncharted territory before, is that this is why we we constantly talk about like this is why you have to initiate and have that hive mind, right? Like you can't be in a vacuum. So when I've reached out to some folks, I have gotten a sense that they are overindexing on hope. And while I just acknowledged a few minutes ago that, like, perhaps I am too immersed in the news and too much online, that's one extreme. We can't go to the other extreme of not being aware. Yeah, we can't effectively lead our teams or lead ourselves if we are not aware or being I'll say like being naive. You can't be naive right now, and and recognizing that like the people around us also just don't have full information. So we just need to be like real about that. Like, oh, I I spoke to so and so and they said everything's cool, and no, everything's not cool, not right now.
SPEAKER_02:Well, and and everything is not cool. Hopefully, it will be, but it's not cool right now.
SPEAKER_00:Let's be real, it's not cool. It's okay. Let's grieve, right? Let's be upset, let's feel the big feelings so we can make decisions accordingly. Right. This is not a time to like wait for life to happen to you. You kind of need to be thinking, like, you know, I can go back to that LinkedIn post I had a few weeks ago where I'm like, what happens when the ball gets to you?
SPEAKER_03:Yeah.
SPEAKER_00:Like it's there, it's here. The ball's here, the ball's here, you're holding it. What are we doing? Um, and and where are we getting reliable information to assess what to do? Right. And who are we balancing our ideas about what to do with the ball off of? Are they are they are they reliable people? Have we reassessed lacommunidad? Like, do we know? Yeah. So that is, I guess what what I'm saying is, you know, in our last episode we talked about outwit, outlast, outplay. Um, I'm gonna throw a little like another metaphor in there. It's it's it's it's like time to be a little house of cardsy. Like you cannot both have a leadership role and be responsible for people and policies and things in times that are uncharted, and say, I want to play this like Sesame Street. Right. You you you you can't, you're about to get played. Right. I'm not saying that you have to be a bad person. I'm not saying that you have to go all in and play. No, but I am here to say that like you cannot, you need to have some information in your back pocket that you're making decisions with accordingly, even if it's just like, yo, it might be time for me to bounce.
SPEAKER_03:Right. You can't be playing chess. I'm sorry, you can't be playing checkers and the people around you are playing chess.
SPEAKER_00:Can't do it. And and I know like I have been, I've experienced going into at least one workplace. Actually, I can think of two, two workplaces where I went in and said, I see that all of you guys are playing House of Cards, and I would like you all to know that I don't want to play. I'm right here, so don't include me, don't stab me in the back. I'm good right here. I'm not coming for you. I was immediately stabbed in the back. Thank you. You cannot be in the storm and think that you're not gonna get wet. No, so go ahead and pull out your umbrella, right? That's all I'm seeing, and I'm getting a lot of people who are like, you're in the eye of the storm and you want to pretend like there's no storm. Yeah.
SPEAKER_03:I had to have a reality check with one of my mentees this week as well, as they were trying to think about their next assignment still within government. And I had to have a heart-to-heart with them and say, I think you're being a little unrealistic about your options. Not so much the options, but the steps that would be required to get one of the positions they were interested in under normal circumstances. And I had to remind them, these are not normal circumstances. Like you need to figure out, again, going back to the outwit, outlast, outplay. Like, are you trying to look for longevity? Um, are you thinking about leaving? Like, what what what is it that you're trying to accomplish right now? Because what whatever it is, that needs to be your guiding force in terms of how you play the game, because the rules have completely changed. And especially right now, when we're in this furlough, like there are no guarantees of anything. And as you said, Belinda, people can't have their heads in the sand, they can't be naive, like play the game or not, like, you know, get with it or you know, get get stomped on, or get left behind, or get trampled, even worse. Um, but I do want to leave people with some positivity and not not um toxic positivity, because I don't believe in that. I don't believe, like as we've been saying for the past few minutes, like we're not gonna act like everything's gonna be okay. Hopefully, but right now things are not okay. And so until until they are okay, going back to our theme of community is clutch and building community and taking care of your mental health and all of those things. I'm actually recording this episode from Richmond, and I'm fortunate enough that both of my parents are still living. My dad just turned 80 yesterday. And so I would say to some of our listeners, you know, especially those who are overseas and may not be close to their loved ones, if you are blessed to still have your parents living, call your parents. If you can go and see them, do that. If you can pick up the phone and call your sister, your brother, your best friend, a cousin, a distant friend, an aunt, an uncle, someone in your family who means something to you, reach out to them. It will make a world of difference. I can't tell you how timely it was to come home this weekend and to not only to be loved on, but to extend love to people who I know care about me. That's what community is all about. A hundred percent.
SPEAKER_00:You know, I wasn't able to make moves like that this weekend, but you know, just here in my own household, um we just we just kept it kept it internal, largely, and we're happy. Like the three of us, we're we're good. Right? Like, yeah, you count the dog.
SPEAKER_01:Of course we count the dog.
SPEAKER_03:Yes, but um but to the extent that you can fill your cup, like you know, your cup is filled, and so Michael will be able to go into the week with his cup filled, and I'm getting ready to return to Alexandria, and I can fill the cup of my husband, and I can fill the cup of my son, and it's a cycle, it's a cycle, right?
SPEAKER_00:And so it's like we just have to take it day by day. We have to find our communities and spaces. That's why I actually feel like you know, we didn't know all this was gonna happen when we launched the leadership lounge, but that's why I feel like that community is gonna be really important. Um, because we don't have all the answers, but I think if we all work together, we can get there. And um, and that's that's that's all that's all you can do for yourself. Like you can't go into the week saying, I've got it all figured out if I just do A, B, and C. Like you gotta take it hour by hour, right? Honestly. Um and you gotta be willing to ask for help. A hundred percent. Because like um we might be back here making another one of these shutdown episodes next week. Sad but true. And this this could go on for a minute and it's gonna hurt, and we need to be able to help each other. And I don't I don't know to help you if you're in silence. Yeah, you there's no shame in needing help. And um, and that especially goes for people who are outside of these major population centers. So, like here in the DMV, there's like lots of resources being thrown at people. But if you are outside of that or you are in another country right now, or like whatever, we need you guys speak up, let your community know. And I think you'd be surprised how people will be there for you. A hundred percent. A hundred percent.
SPEAKER_03:Please remember community is a verb. We are here for you. We want you to know again to all of our federal government colleagues and and people who are feeling the furlough, as you said, Belinda, outside of the DMV area. We feel you, we see you, we are here for you, we are sorry that this is happening, and we're hopeful for better days ahead.
SPEAKER_00:I agree with you, and and um please reach out to us. Um, if we can be of of a resource who just need a ear, a friendly ear, you guys know how to reach us. Um please leave a comment, get the conversation started. And um, we just appreciate all of your support and we want to be there for our community in any way that we can. So thanks for listening, and we'll be back soon with another episode.
