Becoming Your Best | The Principles of Highly Successful Leaders

Episode 431 - Build Your Village. Finding Joy and Community in Every Stage of Life with Florence Ann Romano

·30 min·3 clips

What if the saying 'it takes a village' is wrong for people without children?

The episode begins with host Steve Schallenberger introducing guest Florence Ann Romano, a personal growth strategist and former nanny known as the Windy City Nanny. Florence Ann explains her background in childcare and her motivation for writing 'Build Your Village,' which stemmed from questioning the exclusivity of the 'it takes a village' proverb during COVID-19. She argues that everyone deserves community, regardless of parental status. The discussion then shifts to attachment styles, with Steve sharing his personal experience of re-entering the dating world after his wife's death. Florence Ann outlines four attachment styles—anxious, dismissive-avoidant, fearful-avoidant, and secure—and admits she identifies with the anxious style herself. She emphasizes that attachment styles can change through self-awareness and professional help. Steve asks about building strong relationships despite different attachment styles, and Florence Ann recommends philanthropy as a practical strategy for finding like-minded people and building community. She also shares advice for parents based on her nanny experience, encouraging them to view caregivers as extensions of love rather than competition. The conversation touches on supporting children with special needs, with Florence Ann advocating for early intervention and resources, drawing from her experience with her autistic brother. The episode concludes with Florence Ann sharing a Maya Angelou quote about how people make others feel and promoting her book, which includes six archetypes to help readers identify their village needs.

As heard by us

A grounded conversation about recognizing attachment patterns and taking practical steps toward change.

Attachment styles give the episode a clear path into a wider conversation about how people recognize patterns in themselves and adjust the way they relate to others.

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Why you'd press play

Want to understand your attachment style and where it may be coming from? Press play.

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