On this week's episode, Apollo Emeka is joined by Tunua Thrash-Ntuk, the president and CEO of The Center by Lendistry, a nonprofit organization who aims to impact small businesses in underserved communities by providing necessary business resources for success. Throughout the interview, you will hear Tunua emphasize the vital role of leadership and provide insightful advice for those aspiring to enhance their careers.
On this week's episode, Apollo Emeka is joined by Tunua Thrash-Ntuk, the president and CEO of The Center by Lendistry, a nonprofit organization who aims to impact small businesses in underserved communities by providing necessary business resources for success. Tunua has dedicated over two decades of her life to public service, leading impactful initiatives to build better communities.
Throughout the interview, Tunua emphasizes the vital role of leadership and provides insightful advice for those aspiring to enhance their careers. She discusses how leaders must stay grounded in the intent of their work, striving always to bring in fresh perspectives and ideas. For Tunua, the key to harmony among the different roles in life– from the professional realm to the personal– is identifying the overlap between them. By integrating different aspects of her life, she nurtures her values and fulfills her goals in each area.
Lastly, Tunua confronts the common fear and doubt that can arise in one's journey. She empowers listeners to stand strong amid uncertainty, highlighting gratitude as an effective tool. By focusing on the assets and support they already have, individuals can confidently step forward in service to others. Thus, she invites listeners to lean into this mindset, taking one small step at a time towards their goals.
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Guest Bio
With a public service career spanning more than two decades, Tunua Thrash-Ntuk has led racial equity initiatives and billion-dollar governmental programs to build better communities for those in greatest need.
As a community development professional, she has championed equitable economic inclusion and programs centered on uplifting businesses owned by women, immigrants, and people of color to ensure the survival of diverse communities in Los Angeles.
As California builds an unprecedented level of affordable housing to solve its housing crisis, Tunua led the effort around groundbreaking legislation, AB 2873 (Jones-Sawyer). Signed into law by Governor Newsom on September 13, 2022, AB 2873 will increase contracting to diverse-owned construction and professional services firms who are severely underrepresented in the industry.
As President and CEO of The Center by Lendistry, Tunua centers diverse and ready to be served small businesses to ensure access to the resources, technical assistance, and economic opportunities needed for success. The Center’s work begins with small businesses but also encompasses the communities in which they do business by elevating affordable housing and other community development revitalization efforts.
Before joining The Center, Tunua served as Executive Director of the Los Angeles Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC LA), where she oversaw efforts to forge resilient communities through neighborhood revitalization, affordable housing, and small business empowerment. In 2020, Tunua led the partnership with the City and County of Los Angeles for the LA COVID-19 Regional Recovery Fund, equitably distributing
$100 million in grants to microenterprises, small businesses and nonprofits impacted by COVID-19. Prior to joining LISC, Tunua served as Executive Director of West Angeles Community Development Corporation – where she led the growth of a $150 million real estate portfolio.
Tunua serves on the Long Beach Advisory Commission for Women and Girls (LBCWG) and on the board of Southern California Association of Non-Profit Housing (SCANPH). She is a graduate of Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) where she earned her Master’s in City Planning as well as an alumna of UC Berkeley where she received her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Interdisciplinary Studies.
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Guest PLE Score
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Guest Quote
“When you ask, ‘how do you overcome fear?’ I've decided is that, as I lean into gratitude, it is about making sure that I am giving to others while I am in that fear mode. So if I'm in fear mode, that means that there is some sort of service project, some sort of activity that I could be doing based on what I have that is grounding me at base camp: that team of people, that family, others who are supporting me. I have that, and I know others don't all have that. And if I have that, then there's no need for me to fear. I can continue to go out and take that next step, even if it's a small one, which can lead to a bigger one going forward.” – Tunua Thrash-Ntuk
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Time Stamps
*(03:09) Tunua's Achievement Index
*(06:02) How to layer all your identities together succesfully
*(08:08) Leveraging technology in both your personal and professional lives
*(09:03) Overcoming the challenge of competing priorities
*(15:33) Why it's important to constantly keep your mind open
*(18:09) Living in what lights you up
*(22:45) Leaning on your convinctions
*(26:47) Where Tunua executes most in her life
*(29:36) Respect your team's time
*(31:53) Not letting fear take control of your life
*(37:45) Apollo’s Takeaways
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Links
[00:00:00] Apollo Emeka: Improving your leadership skills will help you in every area of your life, but it's tough to know where to get started, and that's why we created the Achievement Index Assessment. You can take the assessment at theachievementindex. com. It takes about five minutes, and it's going to generate a personalized report that breaks down how you prioritize, leverage, and execute.
[00:00:19] Apollo Emeka: Go to theachievementindex. com or find the link in the show notes.
[00:00:27] Tunua Thrash-Ntuk: It's mission based work. We've got intractable issues that have been super, super hard to solve. And so part of what I do as a leader is to ground us back again in the why we're doing it. And because the issues are still there, there's still some genius out there. There's still something we haven't had the right set of people in the room just yet, or the right Circumstances just yet and we should always be driving to that.
[00:00:54] Tunua Thrash-Ntuk: And making sure we have that conversation and then set out for the next step.
[00:01:01] Apollo Emeka: Welcome to the Achievement Index, a podcast designed to help you understand and accelerate the ways you perform. I'm Dr. Apollo Emeka. I created the Achievement Index based on my experience in the FBI, U. S. Army Special Forces, and business.
[00:01:18] Apollo Emeka: According to the Achievement Index, vibrant success is the result of doing well in three Areas, or as we like to call them, orientations. Prioritize, leverage, and execute. On this podcast, I'll be getting inside the minds of noteworthy leaders to explore how their unique orientations inform the successes and challenges they've navigated throughout their lives and careers.
[00:01:44] Apollo Emeka: On the show today, I'll be speaking with Tunua Thrash-Ntuk, the president and CEO of The Center by Lendistry, a nonprofit organization that aims to impact small businesses and underserved communities by providing necessary business resources for success. With a public service career spanning more than two decades, Tunua has led racial equity initiatives and billion dollar governmental programs to build better communities for those in greatest need.
[00:02:13] Apollo Emeka: As a community development professional, she has championed equitable economic inclusion and programs centered on uplifting businesses owned by women. immigrants, and people of color to ensure the survival of diverse communities in Los Angeles. At the Center by Lendistry, Tenua centers diverse and ready to be served small businesses to ensure access to the resources, technical assistance, and economic opportunities needed for success.
[00:02:42] Apollo Emeka: The Center's work begins with small businesses, but also encompasses the communities in which they do business by elevating affordable housing and other community development revitalization efforts. How in the world are you doing today, Tinua?
[00:02:56] Tunua Thrash-Ntuk: You know, I'm doing good. It has been quite a 2023. Um, but thanks for having me on today.
[00:03:03] Apollo Emeka: Oh, yeah. My absolute pleasure. Thank you so much for joining. I want to dive right into your Achievement Index results. Tell me about them. Success requires doing three things really, really well. Prioritizing, leveraging, and executing. And we think about this through this mountain climbing analogy. So prioritizing is essentially choosing the mountain that you are going to climb and, uh, planting that flag on top of the mountain.
[00:03:35] Apollo Emeka: And leveraging is now about building your base camp. So when we planted the flag, we were thinking big and optimistic and ambitious. And now we take our ambitious hats off and we put our lazy hats on and we say, okay, well, how do we make climbing to the top of this mountain easy? So It involves optimizing technology, information, people, and resources to make climbing that mountain easy.
[00:03:59] Apollo Emeka: And then execution, of course, is about charting that path up the mountain, out of the base camp, leveraging all of those resources, and actually, you know, tackling that mountain. And so We found that people tend to lean towards one of these orientations more so than others. So let's see your breakdown.
[00:04:20] Apollo Emeka: Your breakdown was 52 percent prioritize, 28 percent leverage, and 20 percent execute. So it's really prioritize dominant and then almost an even split between leverage and execution. You know, prioritizing again is about that, is about choosing which mountain you're going to climb. And folks who think through this lens are really kind of comfortable with ambiguity and like taking on big, ambitious challenges.
[00:04:50] Apollo Emeka: And that's where the majority of your responses fell was in that prioritized domain. How does that strike you? How do you reconcile that? Well, when
[00:04:59] Tunua Thrash-Ntuk: you said that folks usually are comfortable with operating in ambiguity, I was like, Oh yeah, yeah, that's me. I'm comfortable with that. But I've got a big goal in mind, and I know that it's going to take certain steps to get there.
[00:05:14] Tunua Thrash-Ntuk: And so I try and figure out what are those steps and then work on, on those. And I must say, one of the reasons why I really wanted to do this is because I get asked the question all the time, how do I manage being an executive, a physic leader, a mom, um, a wife? Uh, active in my community and I was like, wow, you know, I don't quite know how to bottle that just yet.
[00:05:40] Tunua Thrash-Ntuk: I know I get it done, but This gives me some sense that I think about what mountain I'm gonna climb, and I choose that mountain. And I'm learning more about mountain climbing through this.
[00:05:55] Apollo Emeka: That's the, uh, yeah, that's the covert. We want more people climbing real mountains in life. That's, that's really why I do this. No, but it's interesting that you talk about layering, you know, this kind of layered identity of mom, civic leader, executive. friend, human being. These are all these different identities and you're doing it big, you know, across all of those things.
[00:06:19] Apollo Emeka: So when we think about having these different ambitious flags in these different spectrums of your life, how do you think that you are managing to to keep it all together. I think,
[00:06:31] Tunua Thrash-Ntuk: you know, one of the things that I say is that I think about different aspects of my life as like different lines of business or organization.
[00:06:39] Tunua Thrash-Ntuk: So I don't think in mountain climbing all the time, so this is new to me, but I do think about operating and operationalizing different business lines. And so, I've got a household to run, I've got an organization to run, I have a public brand to manage. Not only am I a mom, but I'm a daughter and a sister, um, in a lot of different settings.
[00:07:00] Tunua Thrash-Ntuk: So, I think about each of those settings differently, but where there is overlap, I try and find that. And then I work on what needs to be done based on some vision I have about where I want to go in each of those areas.
[00:07:14] Apollo Emeka: I love it. I'm gonna, I'm gonna zoom in on a word that you said. Which is overlap. And I think that this is such a, it's such an underrated word.
[00:07:23] Apollo Emeka: When you think about tackling a bunch of big, ambitious goals, how do you think about overlap? Like what does overlap look like? If you just took two of those circles, right? Like let's say mom and civic leader or mom and executive, what does overlap look like when you're smashing these?
[00:07:42] Tunua Thrash-Ntuk: So when I think about like mom and civic leader, I'm very involved in doing like community service and engaging in different activities in my community. And I take my kids, right? Because I want The kids to also see that there is more to life and different things that you can experience and things that you can do to make a difference at all ages.
[00:08:05] Tunua Thrash-Ntuk: So, I feel like I see, you know, that overlap. My husband will tease me and tell me, you know, if I'm thinking about running a household, he's like, look, you're not at work, right? And so, While there are skills like technology skills that we use as a very busy family and having like a shared calendar, something that I've got to have at work, but something we also have at home.
[00:08:28] Tunua Thrash-Ntuk: Um, with a couple kids at home who are in sports and student government and my life and his life, just trying to make sure it all like lines up. So some of those tools are tech tools or things that we use, I use in both places.
[00:08:42] Apollo Emeka: Hey, there goes that leverage, there goes that base camp, uh, building out that base camp to make climbing all these different mountains easy.
[00:08:50] Apollo Emeka: Where would you say that it, you know, if we're talking about the overlap, now let's flip that and let's talk about the kind of like the things that just are really challenging to make overlap. You know, when you have these priorities that sometimes maybe feel like they're And competition with each other.
[00:09:10] Apollo Emeka: You know, so thinking about ways where, where you find it easy for things to overlap, where is it more difficult to find overlap? What does that look like? How does that show up? You know, there's
[00:09:20] Tunua Thrash-Ntuk: things that I do, for example, in my professional world as president and CEO that don't, they don't necessarily overlap with other things in my life.
[00:09:30] Tunua Thrash-Ntuk: But I do even, so let's say, for example, where, you know, I'm working on a program to support small businesses, and I'm really looking to try and make sure that those businesses have access to capital and opportunity. Yeah. It doesn't really have necessarily another overlap in my life, but what I do think about is that it, it has values overlap, um, in my life.
[00:09:53] Tunua Thrash-Ntuk: Right. So I'm thinking about why do I do that? I do that because I want, you know, my kids, my family, our extended community family to be able to live in, you know, areas and neighborhoods that have great businesses that are thriving. Right. Yeah. Um, yeah, not all of that work is certainly done in my neighborhood.
[00:10:14] Tunua Thrash-Ntuk: Um, and so it, beyond those, the work that I'm doing at work with small businesses, maybe there isn't necessarily. Overlap in other parts of my life, but I'm hoping that it's a values overlap.
[00:10:29] Apollo Emeka: That's so huge. And you know, that's when I'm working one on one with lead coaching leaders, that's one of the first things that we look to establish is what are your values?
[00:10:39] Apollo Emeka: Because like you said, like it might not overlap in the kind of logistical sense, but it's all being fueled by the same. well of motivation, right? And your values. And I think that I know my life got a lot easier when I started to make sure that the things that I was involved in. fit inside of my values.
[00:10:59] Apollo Emeka: Developing values is no easy task and living by them is even harder. What's that journey been like for you? Have, have you always been really kind of value driven or, you know, has there been a point in your, your life or your career where you've had to make more compromises or maybe you were just uncertain about what really motivated you?
[00:11:17] Tunua Thrash-Ntuk: So I often think about where my values come from and it, I always hearken back to my grandmother and I tell the story of how my grandmother, growing up in the church in South Central Los Angeles, she was the president of the usher board and it's because she was As president of the Usher board, it was about order.
[00:11:39] Tunua Thrash-Ntuk: It was about service. It was about being sort of that, um, for her, like the fragrance in the room. Um, and so those values I have later in life have realized, like I really picked up on those. And so you will see me being optimistic and servant and, you know, thinking about the order of things and how Things get done.
[00:12:03] Tunua Thrash-Ntuk: And then I would say the other element of my values, um, really relates around what kind of world I want to see. And it, it's not enough for me to just, you know, see money go into things. Like I want to be part of thinking through How do we create a world that has clean air that we can all breathe?
[00:12:25] Tunua Thrash-Ntuk: Everyone has somewhere to live. People have agency and opportunity to take care of themselves and their family and that it's safe, right?
[00:12:35] Apollo Emeka: Wow. That's just so amazing. I can imagine little Tenua growing up and having this influence of her grandmother in her life. and cementing some of her values early on but not everybody has those figures in their lives so early and even when we do it can be kind of hard to recognize what kind of values they might represent for us so let's say you are Let's say that you didn't have that person in your life growing up that really cemented a value for you.
[00:13:09] Apollo Emeka: Here's how you can actually come up with values really fast. Bust out a piece of paper right now, or open a note file on your phone and start to think about the people in your life. Who you really respect, the people who you respect and admire, and it could be your grandmother, like it was for Tunua, or it could be a leader throughout history.
[00:13:34] Apollo Emeka: It could be a teacher that you had, but think about these people and imagine the qualities that they had. What were they like? And now just start writing down single words. Were they ambitious, kind, loyal? Did they have integrity? Just start. Writing down all of the qualities of these people who you admire.
[00:13:54] Apollo Emeka: Go ahead, pause me, take like two or three minutes to do this, and then when you come back, what you're gonna do is you're just gonna choose your five favorite ones. The ones that if you could just wave a magic wand and be like this all the time in, in good times and bad, that's how you would choose to show up.
[00:14:13] Apollo Emeka: It's surprisingly easy to come up with values and then once you do. You can act on them in every circumstance of your life.
[00:14:24] Tunua Thrash-Ntuk: So these are my big values that I want to see. And I feel like when I think about and look at my career, I've been able to sort of bring those two together in community development that I'm constantly focused on and thinking about.
[00:14:38] Tunua Thrash-Ntuk: How do we create the, this ideal society here? How do we make that happen? Um, and do that by being optimistic and a servant leader at the same time.
[00:14:51] Apollo Emeka: I love that. Again, this is something I'm really, I'm really curious about because I think kind of the more complex and layered your identity is. The more challenging it can feel to show up authentically and the more, you know, what I guess we call imposter syndrome can pop up for people, but it feels like you've found a way for, I mean, for some time because you've had lots of responsibility and authority in your career for, for some time now, right?
[00:15:21] Apollo Emeka: And so you were able to reach these heights. It sounds like by living these values fully and not compromising in them, is that accurate?
[00:15:31] Tunua Thrash-Ntuk: Yeah, and I mean, I have to admit, right, early on, and when I was, you know, first in my family to go to college, and they were like, okay, Tenoi, you know, you gotta go to law school.
[00:15:42] Tunua Thrash-Ntuk: And I was like, okay, yep, that's what I'll do, I'll go to law school. And, but as I, you know, did my undergraduate experience, I realized there were other things that I wanted to, like, put my hands to, like, work on, and programs I wanted to design, and things I wanted to test out to see if they worked that connected with my values, and I was worried would I be able to, you know, you know, Make a living, would I be able to take care of myself?
[00:16:09] Tunua Thrash-Ntuk: One of my uncles, he would say to me, you know, nobody's going to pay you to create like this, you know, wonderful world that you want to see. And so, you know, I would say in terms of leaning into those values early on. In my career has just served me well. I've learned from some great community leaders how to do this work.
[00:16:34] Tunua Thrash-Ntuk: Um, I've learned from some folks at the highest levels who are thinking about our monetary policy, um, and how that impacts everyday people. But when I look at an issue. I am constantly trying to figure out, you know, how do we solve it and how do we use the, the tools that we know and the ones that we haven't even come up with to try and make a difference in people's
[00:16:56] Apollo Emeka: lives.
[00:16:57] Apollo Emeka: That's interesting that you grappled with that in undergrad. I feel like I encounter a lot of folks who grapple with it later in life who went to law school. Or who became an engineer and said, you know what, I don't think this is for me. So it's fortunate that you were able to kind of have these conversations with yourself early on, you know, for those folks who are.
[00:17:18] Apollo Emeka: I think everybody wants the world to be a better place, right? Um, everybody wants the world to be a better place, but you're, you're out here doing it, right? Like you're, you are out here doing it. And you know, there are even folks that I work with who talk about, you know, feeling like I want to make the world a better place, but I also need to make money and.
[00:17:39] Apollo Emeka: You know, but they're thinking, is this the, am I on the right career track? And we're talking senior people. And there's this kind of sunk cost fallacy that I can feel creeping in where people are like, Oh my goodness, I, yeah, I've been doing this thing. I'm successful at it. People know me for it. I get highly compensated for it, but I don't, it doesn't light me up.
[00:17:58] Apollo Emeka: You know, what do you think are the keys to finding your way into that light and finding a way to making that direct impact? Um, on the world in the way that you, you want to make it. So,
[00:18:09] Tunua Thrash-Ntuk: I believe that the doors have opened for me at the moment that they have. Because I'm walking into sort of that, what lights me up, right?
[00:18:21] Tunua Thrash-Ntuk: So, I mean, when I think about the fact that my family was, like, very concerned about me moving to the East Coast to go to graduate school. Because, you know, here I would be the first in the family to go to graduate school, leaving California, I'm going to MIT. However will I afford this? But I applied anyway, and I received a full Fellowship, including room and board, but it was because they were looking for a student who had already shown and demonstrated leadership and a commitment to service.
[00:18:54] Tunua Thrash-Ntuk: And so by living in what lights me up, that door opened. Um, I would say, you know, every professional experience that I've had. And so for folks who are trying to figure out, am I going to be successful? I'm so passionate about my work and what I do and how I'm doing it. Thinking about, you know, how to bring the best of us to it, that doors have opened for me.
[00:19:18] Tunua Thrash-Ntuk: Doors that I didn't know existed and opportunities that I didn't know because I was walking in sort of that, what you called, what lights me up.
[00:19:28] Apollo Emeka: I love how Tenua is Dispelling the myth right now that you can choose between the safe thing that's going to make you money and provide you a stable career, and the thing that really lights you up, that you are passionate about.
[00:19:42] Apollo Emeka: So often in society I feel like we are given these two false choices. You can choose safe and stable, or you can choose exciting and passion. And she has found a way to make the passionate, exciting things stable because she has doubled down on them. And I can feel the same thing has happened in my life.
[00:20:04] Apollo Emeka: I'm so passionate about human growth and potential. I'm so passionate about leadership that it shows up in all of my conversations. The boards that I'm involved in, the groups that I'm involved in, all of these conversations somehow have to do with human growth and potential. And so, the fact that I'm constantly thinking about, talking about, reading about human growth and potential makes me really dangerous in this space when I show up every day for work.
[00:20:33] Apollo Emeka: And you can tell that's what's also happened with Tenua. So, I believe that The safest thing that you can do is double down on your passions and what lights you up because then people will seek you out for that.
[00:20:48] Tunua Thrash-Ntuk: But see, you said it when, uh, you looked at my, like, sort of, the kind of leader and success that I am.
[00:20:55] Tunua Thrash-Ntuk: That's ambiguity, right? And so you have to be comfortable with some level of, I know what my path is because I've been on it in terms of folks who are trying to figure out. Where, how can they get to what lights them up? And that, there's a lot of certainty in that, right? There's a lot of certainty in those sunk costs.
[00:21:12] Tunua Thrash-Ntuk: You, you have the education, the years of experience, the accolade. And so to turn around and then say, can I walk into ambiguity? That's not for everybody. But it's been a place that's been comfortable enough for me.
[00:21:28] Apollo Emeka: And isn't it wild though, how it's like the ambiguity is fleeting, right? It's there for a moment.
[00:21:35] Apollo Emeka: And then you find certainty. And then you just have it, and it reinforces itself, like you said, right? Like, you have these passions and these interests, and you pursue it, and then the world recognizes, like, Oh, she's one of the people who is pursuing this thing. We need her over here for this. Whether it's a full ride and a fellowship, or whether it's being CEO of an organization that aligns with your values, right?
[00:22:01] Tunua Thrash-Ntuk: You got it. Yeah, that's what I see. But I mean, but there's still, I mean, I think that every mountain, the way you've described it here, probably has some level of ambiguity. Right. Um, and I think that you've got to define for yourself, and I'm thinking about like what, what allows me to move into that. I define for myself as often as I can.
[00:22:27] Tunua Thrash-Ntuk: Um, what success will look like, what, you know, what I would be comfortable with. Um, and then the, maybe, maybe it's not the tallest mountains, right? Maybe there's some varying sizes of them that then I'm able to go ahead and prioritize and climb.
[00:22:44] Apollo Emeka: I love it. Let's talk about the base camp for a second. So having this clear, you know, this clear kind of set of values that the foundation was laid by your grandmother early on in your life, and how does having this kind of strong conviction and sense of self, um, and what's important to you, how does that show up in your leadership and how you, how you lead people and lead an organization?
[00:23:09] Apollo Emeka: Yeah.
[00:23:09] Tunua Thrash-Ntuk: So when I think about, um, thanks for moving the base camp. So when I think about these different lines of business that I was talking about, um, different, so the other element that I also consider is that you got to have the right team around you and I'm talking everything from the right folks that are on your team and your professional setting, the folks who are shoulder to shoulder with you in civic activities, who.
[00:23:38] Tunua Thrash-Ntuk: You know, I've got my mother, my sister, extended cousins, other family friends really help with like my children, you know, when I show up, I'm like, people ask me, Oh my gosh, you know, do you have a stylist? I'm like, well, I have a, you know, I have a couple of hair stylists, you know, you gotta have a whole team.
[00:23:57] Tunua Thrash-Ntuk: Right. And having that team. You know, I think really help also where you feel like, okay, I'm not alone. I have help. My husband is part of that team. He's a big fan of Tunua and he's part of that team and supports accordingly. And so building that team around you allows you to be able to lean on people for certain things that they're good at, that they want to do, that, you know, is their passion.
[00:24:26] Tunua Thrash-Ntuk: And then it just gives me the room to be able to You know, move, uh, the way that I think I need to, um, as I get ready to, to start any kind from a Basecamp perspective.
[00:24:36] Apollo Emeka: I love that. So, I mean, again, like, every conversation kind of leads back to these values and these strong internal guides and motivators.
[00:24:48] Apollo Emeka: I guess I'm thinking about other people's Internal motivators. Are you looking for people who are similarly aligned? Are you looking to help other people find what their internal motivators are? Like, how does this, how does having such a strong sense of self, does it, you know, is it a magnet for people?
[00:25:04] Apollo Emeka: Are, are you looking to help other people get the same sense of kind of certainty in themselves? Like, how does, how does this thing work?
[00:25:10] Tunua Thrash-Ntuk: So, when it comes to the professional work environment, for example, I say all the time, I'm looking for the next Kanua. I want to meet her. I want to support her, nurture her, encourage her, pour into her all I can.
[00:25:25] Tunua Thrash-Ntuk: And so, yes, it's always great to work with someone who is already internally motivated and has a similar sense of conviction about values that I do. Um, you know, you don't have to have the exact values I have or, you know, have the exact plan or agenda in life. And a part of building that strong team, I think, in the work environment is about really understanding the motivation of that individual along with what their strengths are and giving them an opportunity to really, really lean into those and for them to share.
[00:26:01] Tunua Thrash-Ntuk: What their goals are and where they expect to go and be and try and really, you know, work on making that happen, helping them make that happen. When I think about other aspects of my life, sometimes you've got to lead without, uh, the power of leadership, like in community and civic organization, you know, that.
[00:26:22] Tunua Thrash-Ntuk: That is not necessarily, um, just about finding other people who are like you, but it really, for me, that's been about understanding the motivation for others in those settings. What are they interested in? What are they looking to get to? And then that helps me really be able to either lead in those settings and or support them towards, uh, those
[00:26:44] Apollo Emeka: goals.
[00:26:46] Apollo Emeka: I love that. Now, when it, when it comes to execution, you scored 20%. Execute, which is, I mean, that's, I'm like, uh, I think 4 percent execute. Um, I'm like really low execute. So how do you think about execution and, and, and as an executive? What's your role in execution and in any of the lines of business, uh, of your life?
[00:27:13] Tunua Thrash-Ntuk: I think one of the roles, and maybe why, one, I love execution. You saw me with my hands. I was like, I'm a practitioner, right? I I like the idea of trying to figure out how, not even, not from a tactical standpoint, but really an ambiguous sort of issue in society and how do we tackle it. So I'm, I'm real interested in that.
[00:27:35] Tunua Thrash-Ntuk: But the execution for me is also about leadership and being able to model. For others, what that execution, um, can look like. Maybe you don't have to execute it exactly like I did, but it gives you a roadmap. Um, and how execution can play. And so that's, you know, one, I love it. And then two, I would say I hope that I'm modeling for others, uh, who've got to do more of the execution, um, how to get it done.
[00:28:04] Tunua Thrash-Ntuk: Yeah,
[00:28:04] Apollo Emeka: there's this one question that I think is really indicative of kind of where, where your mind is around leverage. And it's this, this question around, you know, how do you, what's the best way to use a meeting? And so, you know, on, if you take the Achievement Index, you'll get this question. And there is, uh, there are basically three options and it's, you know.
[00:28:26] Apollo Emeka: I like to use meetings to look at big strategic objectives and challenges, which is kind of the prioritize domain, um, or I like to use meetings to bring out the best ideas from a group of people, uh, which is the leverage domain, or I would rather be working than be in a meeting, which is the execute domain.
[00:28:46] Apollo Emeka: And your response was that you, you, during a meeting that you'd like to bring out the best ideas from a group of people and leverage. And I feel like. You know, one of the reasons why I love this question is because anytime you're in a meeting, you've got these three perspectives in there. You've got the person who's like, no, no, we should be focusing on the mountains.
[00:29:05] Apollo Emeka: We should be figuring out which mountain we're going to climb. And, you know, Hey, is there bad weather rolling in that might hinder our climb? And should we be, should we be shifting to another mountain? And then you've got other people that are like, don't worry about it. We already picked the mountain.
[00:29:17] Apollo Emeka: Now we gotta, we gotta make the plan. We got it. Hey, everybody, you know, how are we going to come up with this mountain? And then you've got somebody who's like, this whole meeting could have been an email and I would rather be working. Um, so the, I don't know if you, if this resonates with you, but you chose this, you know, bringing out the best ideas from a group of people.
[00:29:34] Apollo Emeka: How does this, how does this hit you? Literally
[00:29:37] Tunua Thrash-Ntuk: was like, can we stop talking about all that and focus on like, The big picture and what's possible. And, you know, have we dreamed enough just yet before we go off and try and get something done? Um, even as you were talking in that.
[00:29:52] Apollo Emeka: So that's you. That, well,
[00:29:54] Tunua Thrash-Ntuk: my first thought was that we've got these people here.
[00:29:57] Tunua Thrash-Ntuk: You know, let's, let's spend the time doing the genius work, um, and then once we've done that, we can go and figure out which mountain we're going to climb and what do we need to take and how do we need to make it happen. But the genius work of having, um, folks in a room getting the best ideas is so fun.
[00:30:19] Apollo Emeka: I love that. Oh, that's awesome. And I think the thing that you said that I, that I love about it is it's, it's like. One, it's kind of an, hey, we have this opportunity where we have people here, but it's also as a kind of byproduct, it's like really respecting people's time as well. Right. Which I think is so important, especially when you talk about those different mountains in your life.
[00:30:42] Apollo Emeka: Like your kids, I have a five and a two year old, and they demand that you respect their time, uh, in really particular ways. And the principle is the same. It looks a little bit different in the business world, but I think respecting people's time and really helping people feel like they are making an impact and like their time is, is paying off, I think is, is really important.
[00:31:04] Apollo Emeka: And so it shows this really nice. Yeah, I mean, like, it shows the type of leader that, uh, that you are.
[00:31:11] Tunua Thrash-Ntuk: It's mission based work, and it is, we've got intractable issues that have been super, super hard to solve. And so we have to, or at least part of what I do as a leader, is to ground us back again. in the why we're doing it and that because the issues are still there, there's, there's still got to be some, some, that's the optimism in me, right?
[00:31:35] Tunua Thrash-Ntuk: There's still some genius out there. There's still something we haven't had the right set of people in the room just yet or the right circumstances just yet. And we should always be driving to that and making sure we have that conversation and then set out for the next step.
[00:31:52] Apollo Emeka: I love it. In the interactions that we've had, that you and I have had.
[00:31:57] Apollo Emeka: You strike me as somebody who is, is fearless, but I know that there's no such thing. So, uh, you strike me as somebody who's fearless, but I know that there's no such thing as, as being fearless, but I think that there. You know, different folks have different ways to manage their fears and to manage their, their insecurities and concerns and worries.
[00:32:21] Apollo Emeka: When doubt starts to creep in or when you start to, you know, feel that, you know, that fear tugging on you, what are some of the things that you do in response? So
[00:32:31] Tunua Thrash-Ntuk: can I just tell you where I was during the pandemic? The whole world was scared, right? The whole world was scared. It wasn't just, am I gonna eat?
[00:32:41] Tunua Thrash-Ntuk: It's like, am I gonna live, right? It was a very, very scary time. And I'm gonna tell you what I did during that time, and it is now something that I've um, a muscle that I now stretch. And that is, I said, well, I have a home. I have a family. I have work. And so I have some things that are certain. Yeah. And as a result of that, I can sit here and I can be afraid and I can shut everybody out and I can decide that I'm just going to hold on to what I know.
[00:33:18] Tunua Thrash-Ntuk: And I said, but, and this is where, this is the muscle. And I said, no, I said, that's not what I want to do. I said, I want to lean into gratitude for what I have. And in order to lean into that gratitude, that means that I then am going to be extending my hand and my heart and my mind to really support.
[00:33:43] Tunua Thrash-Ntuk: Others during this time, and so I ran towards becoming, um, during that time, one of the leading experts on with the PPP, the Paycheck Protection Program to get small businesses and non profits resources so that they can continue to operate. I ran towards making sure that we were leading and created the LA COVID Fund, which delivered a hundred million dollars in six months.
[00:34:12] Tunua Thrash-Ntuk: To small businesses and non profits, all from my home.
[00:34:17] Apollo Emeka: I love this. Tanoa is essentially embracing the full spectrum of the prioritize, leverage, and execute domains. If she finds herself in this fear space, she looks towards the mountaintops and say, Wait, where am I going? What's a good mountain to climb right now?
[00:34:32] Apollo Emeka: And basically, because of her values, it's always going to be a mountain that is helping people. So she's able to find her purpose or her priority. By looking around and saying, how can I be useful? And then she turns to her base camp that's going to support her. And then she starts executing. And sometimes that looks like keeping paychecks in people's pockets.
[00:34:54] Apollo Emeka: So, if you find yourself in that fear space, then prioritize by looking around and seeing, hey, what's the mountain that I can climb from where I am right now? Leverage by saying, what do I have in my base camp that can help me get there? And then actually Execute on it and you will find your way back to courage and confidence in the process.
[00:35:14] Apollo Emeka: And
[00:35:15] Tunua Thrash-Ntuk: so when you ask, like, how do you overcome fear for me, the muscle that I now, cause I do, I, I'm in, I'm involved in civic activities and things that work where I'm like, I don't know if this is going to work, right? And what I've decided is that as I lean into gratitude, it is about making sure that I am giving to others while I am.
[00:35:42] Tunua Thrash-Ntuk: in that fear mode. So if I'm in fear mode, that means that there is some sort of service project, some sort of activity that I could be doing based on What, what I have that is grounding me at Basecamp, right? That team of people, that family, though, you know, others who are supporting me, I have that, and I know others don't all have that.
[00:36:05] Tunua Thrash-Ntuk: And if I have that, then there's no need for me to fear. I can continue to go out and take that next step. Even if it's a small one, um, which can lead to a bigger one going forward.
[00:36:18] Apollo Emeka: Oh my gosh, that's such a beautiful thing. I'm so glad I asked that question and that we, we get to end on that response because yeah, it sounds like it's when the, when that fear monster starts to creep in, it's about being, uh, having gratitude for the things that you have and then looking around and saying, how can I be helpful?
[00:36:37] Apollo Emeka: And I think, yeah, that's, uh, that's just so incredible, especially using that timeline of the pandemic, because it was clear how many people were rocked by uncertainty and who were. Scared for, you know, like you said, everything from am I going to have toilet paper, weird fear, um, to am I going to die, right?
[00:36:57] Apollo Emeka: And, um, and one of the things that I have found is that that fear monster is not far away from most people. Like, even when I said, you seem like a fear, you know, you seem fearless to me, um, and you cringe, like, yeah, no, what, me? Um, but, and I think that, you know, most people. That fear monster is just a step away, right?
[00:37:16] Apollo Emeka: Everything from like, oh man, is my outfit stupid? To did I say the wrong thing? To did I make the wrong business choice, right? Like, um, so I love that of saying, hey, it's about gratitude. And it's about looking at helping other people mitigate their fears, right? And get what they need to feel more certain and confident and safe.
[00:37:34] Apollo Emeka: So I love that. And I've loved this conversation and thank you so much for, for joining me.
[00:37:40] Tunua Thrash-Ntuk: Thanks for having me. This was great. I appreciate it.
[00:37:44] Apollo Emeka: Thank you so much for joining us, Tunua Thrash and Took. And now, it's time for the takeaways. Wow. I mean, there were so many things that made me think about how to prioritize better.
[00:38:01] Apollo Emeka: And, I mean, I'm a strong prioritizer already, so these things really resonated with me. But, you know, Tunua talked about drawing from childhood experience and leaning into the values that she learned at a very early age. And we saw that show up for her through college and through her career. So from a prioritized standpoint, Tenua highlights how important it is to have a perspective, to have a set of values and then to walk in those values all the time.
[00:38:34] Apollo Emeka: She talked about how she could make all of these kind of mountains in her life overlap between being a mom, being an executive, being a civic leader. It's not so much of a stretch to do all of these things at once because they're all satisfying and even coming from the same place. of being values driven and having a picture of how you want to see the world.
[00:38:58] Apollo Emeka: She also talked about leverage, leveraging other people, leaning on that base camp that you build out and filling your base camp with people who can see the things that you can see, that can see your vision. But that also have their own unique light that they are striving to walk in and she talked about helping them walk in That light and it seems like when it comes to execution to know it does the prioritizing and the leveraging so well that a lot of the execution kind of takes care of itself.
[00:39:32] Apollo Emeka: She's got a really clear vision so the people around her know what mountain they're going to climb and then she populates that base camp with people who can see the mountaintop and have their own skills and motivations. for getting to the top and they execute flawlessly. Thanks again, Tenua, for joining us and thank you all for listening.
[00:39:55] Apollo Emeka: We'll see you on the mountain. Remember, you can find out what your Achievement Index is by going to www. theachievementindex. com. Take the assessment. Takes about 15 20 minutes. Make sure you're in a nice, calm state of mind in a quiet place. And you can find out your own Achievement Index and figure out.
[00:40:18] Apollo Emeka: how you match up against our guests. I'm Dr. Apollo Emeka. If you like the podcast, please rate us on whatever platform you're listening and remember to share it with your friends. Thanks. See you next time.