Hey, it's Rachel Cook, your modern mentor.

I'm the founder of Lead Above Noise, where we help leaders activate performance and engagement without burnout. Whether it's a boot camp, a keynote,

or a pulse check, we help teams achieve meaningful change. If that's something your organization

could use, reach on out. Okay, so today's episode is going to be

about getting your ideas really heard by the right people. But it's going to start with Ruth,

my dog. She is the love of my life and a little bit the bane of my existence. Because here's

the thing. I'm not a dog person, or I wasn't, until my children

managed to crack my soul open. Here's what happened. My kiddos always wanted a dog,

and I was a hard no on this. I held my position for years, until one day, out of nowhere,

my girls got together and hit me with a literal

slideshow presenting their case. It touched on the power of teamwork, like they would work

together to care for a dog, of responsibility, of physical activity from walking a dog.

They had researched local vets and dog walkers. In other words, they made it kind of a

no-brainer for me. They found my motivation. They got ahead of some of the questions they knew I'd

have, and they answered them. Did they manipulate me? Well, yes, yes, they did. But ultimately,

I give them credit. They were smart. Just don't ask me who actually takes care of the dog today because, well, we can't win them all.

My kids stumbled onto the right formula for getting their idea heard, truly, by me. How often it work do we just throw out ideas expecting them to land without really thinking about how to position

them for a yes. That's what we're talking about today. How to make sure your ideas actually get heard

and acted on. So let's jump in. It starts with knowing your audience. My kids were in love with the

idea of getting a dog. For them, it was about something to snuggle,

to boss around, to show off to their friends. And yet, if you'd watch the slideshow they'd

prepared for me, you'd have heard all about teamwork and responsibility and exercise,

...