Lead with Spark podcast For powerful women who lead

Blue Ribbons & Bold Moves: Leadership Lessons from the Iowa State Fair

From the Grand Concourse to the boardroom, this leadership podcast episode turns the Iowa State Fair into a practical playbook for women in leadership.

Lynsey Mulder weaves three generations of family tradition – Grandma’s one-section-a-day map, Grandpa’s steady hours in the livestock barns, and a new stop at Cowboy Bootcamp with her grandson – into ten blue-ribbon leadership lessons you can apply this week.

You’ll learn how to set context before you move, ship a preview version to learn faster, define success upfront so your team has psychological safety, show up with stronger executive presence, protect deep-work priorities, delegate ownership (not chores), make smarter project tradeoffs, ask sharper problem/proof/first-move questions, run a weekly “Sky Glider” review to regain strategic altitude, and make work visible so wins actually get rewarded.

If you lead a team, or just your calendar, you’ll leave with practical tools and language you can use immediately. The episode includes a quick “Fair Pass” exercise to choose your top three priorities, set two clear nos, and plan one visibility touchpoint.

Perfect for women leaders, managers, and high-performing professionals who want less burnout and more momentum. Topics include executive presence tips, delegation strategies, project prioritization, boundaries at work, weekly review rituals, managing up, and values-based leadership. Listen in, grab your worksheet, and give your next week a blue ribbon.

Connect with Lynsey:

Share this Episode

Facebook
LinkedIn
Twitter / X

Planning an event that deserves a standing ovation?

Lynsey brings the fire, the strategy, and the spark. Invite her to speak at your next event.

Ready to lead with clarity, presence, and purpose - without burning out?

I’m offering a free session for women who are done playing small and ready to lead themselves first.

We’ll cut the fluff and dive straight into your leadership strategy from executive presence to values-based decision-making, personal boundaries, and more.

Click here to book your free strategy session →

I'm Lynsey.

I believe leadership isn’t about checking boxes. It’s about owning your voice and impact.

Learn more about me.

Subscribe & Review

If you loved this episode, please subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcast! Your support helps us reach more women who need these insights.

Top Podcast Episodes

Level Up Your Leadership

10 Executive Presence Skills Every High-Achieving Woman Needs

Lynsey’s keynotes have been trusted by

Latest Episodes

The $15 Umbrella: How to Stop Worrying About Who’s Watching  

A girls’ trip to Florida, an $80 umbrella rental, and a $15 bargain umbrella that lasted about four seconds before the wind flipped it inside

Listen here →

How to Stop Comparing Your Insides to Everyone Else’s Highlight Reel

How to Stop Comparing Your Insides to Everyone Else’s Highlight Reel Have you ever looked around a room full of accomplished people and thought, “What

Listen here →

Your People Are Not Broken, Your System Is: Honest Conversations with Betsy Kauffman

When a senior leader calls Betsy Kauffman and says, I have this person and they need help, they usually mean the person is broken. Betsy’s

Listen here →

Every Yes Is a No to Something Else

I recently coached a client on boundaries, and about ten minutes into the conversation I knew it was something I needed to share with you

Listen here →

You Do Not Have a Time Problem: How to Finish the Year Strong on the Energy You Have

It is the end of August, which means sometime in the next two weeks you will open your calendar, look at what is left of

Listen here →

The Permission Slip: The Memo That Is Never Coming

You have been waiting on a memo. ne week, catch the rescue reflex. Every time you are about to take something off someone’s plate, pause

Listen here →

Worthy of Rest: Belief, Burnout, and the Stories Running Underneath Your Leadership, with Dr. Alicia Newsome

If you are carrying a lot, leading a lot, achieving a lot, and still wondering why you feel exhausted underneath all of it, this conversation

Listen here →

The Lifeguard Trap: Why Rescuing Your Team Is Quietly Draining You

When someone on your team is struggling, what is your first instinct? Do you coach them through it, or do you quietly take the thing

Listen here →

Your Body Isn’t Betraying You: Hormones, Stress, and Midlife Leadership with Dr. Alicia Newsome

If you have ever felt just a little bit off but could not quite explain it, this conversation will open your eyes in the best

Listen here →

The Big Reveal: Introducing the Audaciously Unapologetic Retreat with Paula

Something big is happening this October, and in this episode you get the full reveal. Lynsey is joined by Paula Shannon, founder of Whole Leader

Listen here →

The Expensive FYI: How Meeting Culture Steals Your Best Work

Eight hours of real work capacity. Fourteen meetings on the calendar. The math has never worked … …and yet somewhere along the way we all

Listen here →

The Identity Gap: Who You Were vs. Who You Are Becoming

Have you ever looked at your life on paper and thought, this all looks right, so why does something feel off? Nothing is broken. Your

Listen here →

Fuel Your Growth

This resource is your next step!

Grab it now and lead with clarity, confidence, and purpose.