Faith-Based Leadership
Queen of the Trades
What if leadership wasn’t just about systems and results? What if it was about being a spiritually minded leader and managing with soul? In an industry as tough and gritty as the trades, that idea might seem out of place. But I’ve learned firsthand that being spiritually grounded can completely shift how you show up for your team, your business, and yourself. I didn’t always see our business as a calling, but over time, it became clear. The path was never perfectly mapped out if anything, it was full of unknowns. But there was a purpose behind it, something bigger than just making a...
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Replay: Bringing Passion Back To The Trades With Alexis Aranda
Queen of the Trades
Please enjoy this replay of my very first episode! I'm your host Alexis Aranda. Today, I'm sharing my story with all of you, listeners. I was born in a suburb outside of Chicago and had a fantastic childhood. My parents were supportive. We had a lot of love and a lot of great memories, but we didn't have a lot of money. At a very young age, I strongly desired to create wealth for my family. I knew this was what I was called to do. I also had a passion for working. From babysitting to working at a local grocery store, I was always earning money. My best friend's dad was a tradesman....
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Avoid Burn Out
Queen of the Trades
Spring’s hectic pace hits hard in the trades and lately I’ve felt the pressure myself. Long hours, tight deadlines, and family commitments can drain every bit of energy if we let them. In today’s episode I open up about the moment I realized I was saying yes to everything except rest, and how that wake up call pushed me to build habits that protect both mind and body. You’ll hear why real burnout statistics in our industry matter, especially for men who still feel they have to tough it out. I’ll walk you through five practices that keep me grounded, from carving out a true day...
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Extreme Ownership Part 2
Queen of the Trades
A few weeks ago I shared some thoughts on extreme ownership and the response was overwhelming. It’s clear that a lot of us are ready to stop pointing fingers and start stepping into real leadership. So today, I want to go even deeper. Specifically, we're talking about how to take ownership without getting defensive. If you've ever felt your ego kick in during a tough conversation or found yourself making excuses instead of taking the hit, this is for you. We’ll break down what it actually looks like to let go of ego, build self-awareness, listen with intention, and communicate with...
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6 Functions of a Professional Manager
Queen of the Trades
Do you ever feel like you're juggling a million things as a manager and still wondering if you’re doing it right? I get it because I’ve been there. In this episode, I’m sharing the six core functions every professional manager needs to master in order to lead with clarity, confidence, and purpose, especially in the fast-paced world of the trades. These aren’t just generic leadership tips. This is the real, practical framework that changed how I run teams, build people up, and keep our business on track. Whether you’re brand new to management or you’ve been in the game for a while...
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Emotional Intelligence
Queen of the Trades
It’s easy to underestimate just how powerful emotional intelligence can be, especially when you're managing a business, leading a team, or simply trying to keep it all together. But what if mastering your emotions was the key to transforming frustration into growth, and conflict into clarity? In this episode, we talk about what emotional intelligence really means and why it's one of the most underrated leadership tools in the trades. You’ll hear a real story of what happens when emotions start to take over, and how a moment of self-awareness changed the course of an entire...
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Extreme Ownership
Queen of the Trades
There’s a moment in business where everything feels like it’s falling apart—a job goes sideways, a customer’s upset, and your first instinct is to say, “This isn’t my fault.” Been there? Me too. But what if I told you that the most powerful thing you can do as a leader is to say, “This is on me—let’s fix it.” That mindset? It’s called extreme ownership, and it has completely changed the way I lead my team, run our business, and show up every day in the trades. In this episode, I’m breaking down what extreme ownership really means, how Jocko Willink, a former Navy SEAL...
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Navigating Conflict Keeping the Peace
Queen of the Trades
Properly navigating conflict builds trust, strengthens relationships, and turns challenges into opportunities for growth.Whether it’s with a customer, an employee, or even a competitor, conflict is bound to happen. And let’s be real, when you’re pushing for growth and making big moves, you’re going to ruffle some feathers. But here’s the thing, conflict doesn’t have to be a disaster. In fact, if you handle it right, it can actually help you build trust and strengthen relationships. In this episode, I’m sharing a real-life situation where I had to step in and de-escalate a tough...
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The Power of EOS: Breaking Through Business Plateaus
Queen of the Trades
When I first started implementing the Entrepreneurial Operating System, or EOS, in my business, I had no idea just how much it would change the way we operated. At the time, our leadership team was all over the place—juggling too many projects, struggling to finish what we started, and feeling like we were just maintaining instead of truly growing. Something had to change. That’s when I came across the book Traction by Gino Wickman, and it felt like it was written just for us. Today, I want to take you inside our EOS journey, share how we’ve used this system to create more clarity and...
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My Biggest Leadership Mistakes
Queen of the Trades
Leadership is not about avoiding mistakes; it is about learning from them and growing stronger. In this episode, I want to share with you the three biggest mistakes I've made as a leader in the trades. I'm sharing these with you because I want you, as fellow leaders in the trades, to learn from my mistakes and avoid these pitfalls. As leaders, growth comes from learning, evolving, and improving ourselves, our teams, and our companies. Remember, leadership is not about being perfect. I'll explain how I wrongly assumed that all trade operations functioned identically, undervalued the...
info_outlineThis is a special repeat of Episode 5, titled "Change Your Thoughts." It might sound a little cliché, but I'm incredibly passionate about the idea that changing your thoughts can truly change your life. I firmly believe that if you can shift the way you think, your entire life will transform in a positive direction.
One of my favorite quotes from Zig Ziglar is about "stinking thinking." About a decade ago, I found myself trapped in that very mindset. Anytime something went wrong, I instantly fell into a victim mentality.
When I first stepped into the world of self-development, I had to challenge myself to really examine the thoughts I was thinking. I'm so grateful I took the time to dig deep and do the work. In this episode, I’ll help you build awareness around your thoughts by sharing eight steps that can help break any negative patterns that might be holding you back. Remember, if you can change your thoughts, you can change your world.
Episode Highlights:
[02:35] 2020 was a challenging year. Had I not done all the work prior, I may have been stuck in a perpetual negative pattern.
[02:58] 2022 was the first solid year of business with our second company in Dallas. Plus, we were launching an HVAC division in Las Vegas. Things didn't work out with our new GM, but we didn't let it get us down.
[05:14] 1. How is this happening in our favor? What are we learning? How are we growing? What can we do better? When you get curious, you open yourself up to find the solution.
[06:27] 2. Make time to feel your emotions. Make time to feel the emotions, process them, and release them. Make sure you are doing this in a safe place.
[07:53] Find a safe place for your anger release method. I'll hit pillows, yell into the pillows, stomp, or whatever I need to do. Not spiritually bypassing.
[09:43] 3. Choose your words. Choose empowering words. Switch your language to empowering words.
[11:08] If you say negative things, your subconscious mind will find ways to make them true.
[11:42] Switching your words can have a profound impact on your thoughts and mindset.
[11:52] 4. Examine the negative thoughts. A lot of our adult programming has come from our childhood, and these negative thoughts aren't even our own.
[13:36] Get to the root cause of where these negative thoughts are coming from. You may even have to have some tough conversations.
[14:03] Your inner child. Things from your childhood come up in your adult life.
[15:32] 5. Journal and write down your thoughts, so that you can examine them when you have time.
[16:16] 6. Pay attention to what you put in your body. All of the things we put in our body have an effect on our thoughts.
[18:00] 7. Cut out negative influences. Pay attention to who you hang out with. Take a step back from focusing on negative things to avoid creating anxiety.
[19:08] Create boundaries and eliminate toxic people and media.
[20:16] 8. Incorporate movement and exercise into your lifestyle. Movement and running makes me feel positive and high on life. Find something that you enjoy doing and that you'll be excited about doing.
[21:11] Incorporate walking, strength training, or riding a bike. When we exercise our bodies create dopamine which generates positive thoughts.
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