Leadership at Sea: Larkin Bohn’s Story of Adventure and Empowerment

Craig Weaver: Well, I mean a big theme that I’m you know speaking with you and seeing what you’ve posted you’re very much about empowering, lifting up, celebrating women.

Larkin Bohn: Yes.

Craig Weaver: Do you feel like a leader?

Larkin Bohn: That makes me want to tear up. I don’t see myself that way, but I would like to be. One thing that I’ve realized is I used to think of myself, I used to see myself differently. Now I’m getting more recognition and more like responsibility in these jobs. I’m thinking about myself in that in that power position and I used to kind of shy away from it like, “no, no, no that’s for somebody who’s more qualified” but I’m starting to realize I’m really qualified. I think having that self-realization is like “no, no, no” like I’m starting to see people like saying things that are completely incorrect. I’m like just give me the microphone, hold on let me say something. You know, because the confidence I’ve gained in the past few years has been is showing I think and I do want to see myself in a leadership position. I want to be a public speaker you know like this TEDx that I’m about to do I thought that the biggest way I could get inspiration out there and women recognition would be through like Instagram or YouTube and that is one Avenue for sure. But to have like a TEDx talk then I could maybe go to conferences around the world and spread my message you know and that’s kind of what I’m hoping happens next, is some sort of something comes out of the TEDx that involves more of a “less Instagram” and more like I want to go bigger, you know. Not saying that Instagram’s not big, like if I had a million followers that’d be great, but I still don’t have like those you know thousands and thousands of followers. However, the followers that I do have are wonderful and I’m getting great opportunities with the people that I’m reaching through Instagram, but the speaking position and being leader is something that it’s just happening. What is, what do they say that “Great leaders don’t ask for it, it’s just put upon them” or something.

Craig Weaver: A lot of times you know when I interview people for this podcast or for wherever most of the people that come across as influential important leader types, they’re the first people to say, “Oh I don’t know.” You know, they do shy away from it. There’s a humility about it but everyone in their life goes, “oh no, he or she is a …they’re a leader, they’re a mentor to me” and I’m going to get back to that. But you just said something about “my message”, what do you want to say to people? What do you want to get out?

Larkin Bohn: You can really do anything. You can do anything you set your mind to. Dreams are possible and attainable. Sometimes it can take a little bit more time than you think, you know. One thing that I was actually thinking about this morning was… while I’m going through the steps it feels like it’s taking forever like is anybody seeing these videos? Is anything happening? Then when I look back on it it’s like oh my gosh, it’s all the stuff that’s happened in the past couple of years. Things have happened pretty fast. I would say like my message is whatever your dream is, it’s possible on some level and to start working towards that because if you just do 1% towards that goal every day that’s going to add up it doesn’t happen overnight. I used to get so frustrated and think it’s not happening right now and just throw it out and now I think no it’s just don’t scratch it. You got to keep on with that thing but just a little bit, don’t burn yourself out on it just do a little bit. You’ll get there. You’ll definitely get there.

Craig Weaver: I mean that that’s a great message because most people don’t follow through. It’s a tough thing to do time money all the things in life that make you go, “ I want to do it I just for these reasons I don’t think I can or should.” So it’s understandable but that’s great. Have you had a lot of mentors in your life?

Larkin Bohn: I would say most of the mentors I’ve had have come through like sailing like different captains that I’ve worked with and mates that I’ve worked with. More recently I’ve been getting involved with online groups. Not like Facebook groups but like these on online groups where you pay to be a part of the group and we do like three month, what they call like three-month container. During that container you meet up on a zoom twice a week for like three hours and you go over whatever your goals are kind of thing and it is through those groups that I am meeting. They say there’s the saying, “I can show you your future if you show me your five closest friends right .”

Craig Weaver: Oh, wow that’s scary.

Larkin Bohn: It’s true because whoever we hang out with, you are you just… if you’re hanging out with somebody who’s like a personal trainer right, you’re probably going to work out a little bit more because they love to do that. If you hang out with a finance person you’re going to get tips on the stocks. If you hang out with somebody who hangs out on the couch all day, you’re going to hang out on the couch all day. I’m learning… in these containers it’s been mostly women and so like and a lot of these women, are women that like, “you want to talk to me.” They see something of me too so I would say through those groups and advice to people that are starting something look for like groups of people because we have this internet that you know in these social media communities there’s so many possibilities for you. Just go into a search bar and like you know group for this and then you can start networking with people about whatever it is you’re interested in. Through those groups though I definitely have some mentors now and always try to look back to again like women of the past. I love reading about women that that were Innovative. I love reading innovative women in the past like their stories and it really inspires me.