Day: March 20, 2020

Dreamers: “They told me It was impossible and I did it anyway” With Beth Vazquez of Recess & Results

Make every effort to leave each room you enter a little better than how you found it. This can be done with a simple smile, by picking up trash, a word of encouragement, a compliment, buying someone’s coffee, bringing a gift, lending a helping hand to someone in need…. There are a million ways to do this and if everyone committed to this small gesture, imagine the impact it would have on the world.

As a part of our series about “dreamers who ignored the naysayers and did what others said was impossible”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Beth Vazquez. Beth is a wife, “boymom” of 3 (2 birth + 1 bonus, ages 17, 4, and 2), and Christian entrepreneur learning to balance it all imperfectly with the grace of God. Founder of Recess & Results, Beth is passionate about faith, family, and fitness (in that order) and works to “save the world, one recess at a time” offering a worshiping workplace for others who also feel called to impact the minds, bodies, and spirits of children and families through entertaining exercise. Recessandresults.com

Thank you so much for joining us! Our readers would love to ‘get to know you’ a bit better. Can you tell us your ‘backstory’?

Born #5 of 6 kids on a small farm in Nebraska, I have always been a dreamer and have always had this “gut” feeling I was made for more. As I was worked relentlessly (and successfully) to climb the corporate ladder in the fitness industry and then the MLM industry, God worked just as tirelessly to draw me closer to His purpose for my life. An entrepreneur at heart, I always had a “side-hustle” working in the background.

After having my first baby and feeling my vibrant new relationship with Christ quieted in corporate America, I realized God was calling me to offer my faith-based, purpose-driven side hustle to other moms like me. Still, I was earning a cushy, 6-figure paycheck and it took God pushing me in unavoidable ways to really go after the 2-fold mission He gave me to 1) “redefine work for the modern Christian with passions for faith + family + fitness” and to 2) “save the world, one recess at a time”. Today Recess & Results has a growing team of independent owners across the nation, running their own plug+ play Recess business in their communities and earning a praiseworthy paycheck while building stronger disciples. RecessandResults.com

Are you working on any new or exciting projects now? How do you think that will help people?

90% of moms today feel like they are not enough. At Recess & Results we are redefining “work” for the modern Christian mom, offering the balance they desire and deserve with a wage that matches their worth!

By becoming an independent Recess & Results owner, Moms link arms with like-minded Christians across the country who are working together to “save the world, one recess at a time” while keeping their own priorities for Faith + Family + Fitness in check and earning a flexible income for their families.

We help moms understand the truth about the plan God has for their life (they are MORE than enough), building confidence and purpose in them through Christ-centered entrepreneurship as they in-turn build healthier + happier tomorrows in kids + families through the Recess programs they lead. In short — we are building stronger disciples, starting with our independent owners and spreading into the communities they serve.

In your opinion, what do you think makes your company or organization stand out from the crowd?

The Children’s Activity industry is one of the fastest growing sectors of the economy and the $30 billion health + wellness industry has been growing steadily for the last 10 years with no signs of slowing down. There is no shortage of employment opportunities nor programs for participants in either of these areas, yet no one has combined both to fill a needed niche in the Christian market.

Many Christian parents are terrified by the world their kids are growing up in and are searching for faith-based programs that help cultivate Godly confidence, Godly character, and Godly friendships in an entertaining way that their kids enjoy. Moreover, Christian moms are searching for ways to make money on their own terms without sacrificing time needed for faith and family. We offer a simultaneous solution for both.

Ok, thank you for that. I’d like to jump to the main focus of this interview. Has there ever been a time that someone told you something was impossible, but you did it anyway? Can you share the story with us? What was your idea? What was the reaction of the naysayers? And how did you overcome that?

So many times!!! Respected fitness professionals would laugh and tell me there is no money in kids fitness anytime I would share my Recess & Results idea. As I worked to “perfect” the business model, influential business leaders told me that if I kept Christ at the center of marketing messages, it will fail before we even get started.

I have tried business both ways and it was not until I ignored those naysayers and forged ahead with Christ-centered confidence and conviction that we were able to gain traction in business. It took me connecting with other Christian business mentors, spending serious time in prayer, and working to gain control over my mind to overcome those voices that played in my head.

In the end, how were all the naysayers proven wrong? 🙂

Today we have a team of 35 independent owners in 14 states and we are growing quickly after being featured on Season 5 of Entrepreneur’s hit series, Elevator Pitch. Stay tuned — we are just getting started!

None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?

First is God. He answers prayers in miraculous ways, consistently showing me He is alive and working in my life and this business.

Second is my family, specifically my husband and kids, for supporting the ups and downs of chasing God-sized dreams.

Candace Cameron Bure has been an inspiration to me for the way she has always put her faith and family first in her life, and yet still managed to have a successful career. God answered a prayer that allowed me to meet her this past year at Mary & Martha’s national gathering, and I believe it was the start of a great partnership to come.

It must not have been easy to ignore all the naysayers. Did you have any experiences growing up that have contributed to building your resiliency? Can you share the story with us?

Growing up my father was an alcoholic, and although I didn’t realize it at the time, it resulted in a lot of chaos at home. I suppose I gained resilience as a byproduct of that environment. Starting at a young age I felt like I had to prove to others that I could do great things. I remember having crazy ideas and “dreaming big” and those surrounding me sort of laughing it off as “Beth with another silly idea”.

As I grew older and the life I wanted to live become more clear, I simply refused to settle for less, pretended to not care what others thought (“fake it till you make it”) and set out to chase my dreams determined to prove everyone wrong along the way. In that journey Jesus pursued me and my newfound relationship with Him revealed truths to me that drastically change the way I chase dreams. I now realize that I don’t have anything to prove to anyone and the dreams I chase are for His glory. What a freeing reality to live in!

Based on your experience, can you share 5 strategies that people can use to harness the sense of tenacity and do what naysayers think is impossible? (Please share a story or an example for each)

1. Manage the influences of your mind. For me this means flooding my mind with the truth of God’s word and making sure the things I hear, read, and consume are life-giving and motivating. This goes for everything from music, to social media, to food.
2. Surround yourself with those who empower and challenge you (in a healthy way). My dad always told me to be careful who I hang around — you become like them even if you don’t realize it. It is so true. If you are the smartest person in the room, find a new room.
3. Take responsibility for your success or lack of. If something isn’t working, make a change. Don’t play the victim and don’t linger in a pity party. Realize it and take action to change it.
4. Check your intention and make sure you are doing something for the right reasons, then stay committed. The difference between those who succeed and those who do not is mere perseverance.
5. Make the conscious decision to choose faith over fear. It’s ok to go scared as long as you keep moving.

What is your favorite quote or personal philosophy that relates to the concept of resilience?

My personal philosophy is this: If you shoot for the moon, hit the moon! Don’t allow yourself the comfort of landing among the stars if that is not your dream. Celebrate the stars — but don’t stay there.

You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good for the greatest number of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger.

Make every effort to leave each room you enter a little better than how you found it. This can be done with a simple smile, by picking up trash, a word of encouragement, a compliment, buying someone’s coffee, bringing a gift, lending a helping hand to someone in need…. There are a million ways to do this and if everyone committed to this small gesture, imagine the impact it would have on the world.

Can our readers follow you on social media?

https://www.instagram.com/bethvazquez00/

https://www.facebook.com/beth.mueller.98

https://www.facebook.com/recessandresults/

Thank you for these great stories. We wish you only continued success!

Dreamers: “They told me It was impossible and I did it anyway” With Beth Vazquez of Recess &… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Listen to diverse perspectives. CEOs sometimes develop confirmation bias and seek the easy places to get answers that validate their points of view. Avoid situations where you listen to people who just tell you what you want to hear. It may make you feel smart and like you have all the right ideas, but it keeps you from seeing important pitfalls or better solutions. Good CEOs listen to contrary beliefs — both inside and outside their companies — so they understand the full picture.

As a part of our series about “How to Battle Imposter Syndrome as a New CEO”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Sam Reese.

Sam is the CEO of Vistage, the world’s largest CEO coaching and peer advisory organization for small and midsize businesses. Over his 35 year career as a business leader, Reese has led large and midsize organizations and has advised CEOs and key executive of companies all over the world.

Thank you so much for joining us! Our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you tell us a bit about your ‘backstory’?

Before becoming CEO of Vistage, I was CEO of Miller Heiman for 15 years. I joined Vistage during that time and found the support to supercharge the growth of Miller Heiman while finding more balance in my personal life. Miller Heiman was sold three times while I was there, and I remained the CEO each time and was able to utilize the new partners to help take the business to new levels. While CEO, Miller Heiman grew to more than ten times the size it was from when I started, and it became one of the largest sales performance and consulting organizations. After a brief shot at retirement, I was recruited to run Vistage, and it was a real dream come true for me.

Can you share with us the most interesting story from your career? Can you tell us what lessons or ‘takeaways’ you learned from that?

When I was 28, I had my first real leadership role as a district manager in a telecommunications company. I decided to interview all of my sales people and made some initial conclusions about them that unfortunately weren’t correct and lacked perspective. One of the salespersons realized our meeting didn’t go well and that I thought his success was purely based on luck or a great sales territory. He was quick to tell me that while he was not an amazing presenter, he was an extremely persistent salesman and that he would become my top salesperson. He quickly proved my initial judgment wrong and did end up being my top salesperson. I learned that managing from my gut wasn’t enough and that I had to be more discerning, use better judgement and gain more perspectives before I formed hard wired opinions. I also learned that a smart person with integrity and persistence is almost always a sure bet to being successful.

What do you think makes your company stand out? Can you share a story?

Our members and Chairs are what makes our company stand out. Their ability to come together and help other members in their groups problem solve to grow their businesses is truly remarkable.

One Vistage member, Curt Vander Meer, had just become the majority owner of a business, Endangered Species Chocolate, for the first time. While the business was already successful before he took over, he was aware of the responsibility to employees and customers that now rested on his shoulders. He joined Vistage, and those meetings not only helped him focus on his people, strategy and execution, but also how to have his business and personal life work together holistically. With the support of his Chair and Vistage group, he was able to prioritize family time while focusing on long term goals for his company. Since joining Vistage, Vander Meer’s company has continued to have double digit growth. Endangered Species Chocolate has also increased donations to conservation nonprofits, donating $1.4 million in 3 years.

Stories like these show the impact of the decisions that are made in Vistage groups each month. Our members really are heroes because these leaders are masters at growing their businesses while actively supporting their families and communities.

None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story?

During every cross country race in college, no matter how far ahead I got, my running coach would scream: “Don’t be content!” I would get frustrated with him. After a race, I once asked him if there was ever a time in life that he’d want me to be content?

“No, never be content,” he said. “Always try to improve.”

That line has stuck with me my whole life. The goal of effective CEOs is to continue to improve day after day and never be comfortable with the status quo for your company or yourself.

Ok thank you for all that. Now let’s shift to the main focus of this interview. We would like to explore and flesh out the experience of Impostor Syndrome. How would you define Impostor Syndrome? What do people with Imposter Syndrome feel?

Leading a company is a very lonely job, and everyone expects you to have all the answers. People who have Imposter Syndrome feel like they’re a fraud, especially in the early days of their first CEO role. It’s the feeling that you have fooled everyone, and that you might get found out. You may not have it all figured out, but you feel like you can’t share that with your coworkers or colleagues because as CEO you are supposed to be the one with all the answers.

What are the downsides of Impostor Syndrome? How can it limit people?

The downsides include lacking confidence in your decisions. You may move forward too brashly or not at all, becoming paralyzed. This worry that people will discover that you don’t have it all figured out yet can prevent you from collaborating with others, building integrated teams, and asking important questions to get to the heart of challenges in your business.

How can the experience of Impostor Syndrome impact how one treats others?

It can affect how you relate to and connect with other people. You live in a constant fear that someone is going to find out that you are a “fraud.” As a leader this can affect how you work with your employees and other leaders in your company. We’ve discovered that many first time CEOs struggle with this feeling.

We would love to hear your story about your experience with Impostor Syndrome. Would you be able to share that with us?

Many years ago, after running divisions of large Fortune 500 companies, I figured I was more than ready to be the CEO of a mid-sized consulting organization. But my first two years were not well timed, as I started in 2000 and then tried to manage the company through the dot com crash with very little success. In fact, at the end of 2002, I let the board know I was resigning because I didn’t think I was experienced enough to successfully steer the company through this turbulent time. To my surprise, the board convinced me to stay. They believed in my plan, and were patient while I worked to bring it to life. We successfully sold the company three years later, and I learned a lot about patience and building a strong foundation in the process.

Did you ever shake the feeling off? If yes, what have you done to mitigate it or eliminate it?

Soon after that board meeting, I learned of Vistage, and the opportunity to surround myself with a trusted peer advisory group was the catalyst I needed to gain confidence in my decisions. That’s one reason why leading Vistage today is so special to me.

In your opinion, what are 5 steps that someone who is experiencing Impostor Syndrome can take to move forward despite feeling like an “Impostor”? Please share a story or an example for each.

1. Listen to diverse perspectives. CEOs sometimes develop confirmation bias and seek the easy places to get answers that validate their points of view. Avoid situations where you listen to people who just tell you what you want to hear. It may make you feel smart and like you have all the right ideas, but it keeps you from seeing important pitfalls or better solutions. Good CEOs listen to contrary beliefs — both inside and outside their companies — so they understand the full picture.
2. Embrace vulnerability. Vulnerability now is a strength that leaders want to be open about. They want to be clear about their shortcomings and their mistakes. This is important because it shows your team that you are trying to improve. A leader who thinks they must have all the answers — or else appear weak to their team — is not setting themselves up for success.
3. Champion transparency and candor. Create an open environment where your team can celebrate the successes and learn together from the failures. You need to have one story for your team, staff and stakeholders, and the one story has to be the truth.
4. Be clear on your company purpose. When you are clear about purpose, it invites every single employee, every customer and every supplier to make sure you’re doing what you said you’d do. And it creates a true north star that’s the foundation of integrity and trust in your business.
5. Get comfortable delegating. Delegation can accelerate company success by creating new leaders who have the flexibility to solve complex problems themselves. It also frees the CEO up to focus on big picture items such as strategy, culture, organization and results.

You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the greatest amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂

Author Og Mandino, had a famous saying that applied to me as an athlete and still applies to me as a leader: “Strong is he who forces his actions to control his thoughts, and weak is he who lets his thoughts control his actions.” In the spirit of Nike, just do it! While this can seem counter-intuitive, it is amazing how much can be accomplished by making the decision to get something done rather than continuing to contemplate a million “what if” scenarios. I often tell people to stop looking at the lake and wondering how many times you can skip the rock, and just throw the rock and see! So many people think of decisions in terms of a right one and a wrong one, when in fact there may be several right answers. The value and happiness of taking action cannot be overstated. When we take action we commit and we see things with much more clarity and consequence, and even if we make a bad decision we are in the moment and we can redirect things.

How can our readers follow you on social media?

• Sam Reese
• LinkedIn
• Vistage:
• Blog (Research + Insights)
• LinkedIn
• Facebook
• Twitter

This was very inspiring. Thank you so much for joining us!

“How to Battle Imposter Syndrome as a New CEO” With Sam Reese, CEO of Vistage was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

The Future Of Beauty: “Radiofrequency assisted lipolysis that can melt fat and tighten skin at the same time”, With Dr. Demetri Arnaoutakis

I am one of the few physicians in the country who offer an exciting new technology called FaceTite and Morpheus8. In fact, I was recently asked by the company to teach other physicians on how to use the devices. FaceTite uses radiofrequency assisted lipolysis to “melt fat” and tighten skin at the same time. I use it frequently for patients who do not want surgery and are looking for a “quick fix” to improve their neckline. Morpheus8 is radiofrequency microneedling which improves skin texture, tightening, acne scars and even pigment. I do around 12–15 treatments per week!

As a part of our series about how technology will be changing the beauty industry over the next five years, I had the pleasure of interviewing Dr. Demetri Arnaoutakis, a Board Certified surgeon who specializes in facial plastic surgery, hair transplant procedures and injectables.

Dr. Demetri was raised in Tampa, Florida before he was recruited to Columbia University as a Division-I athlete. He was a member of the Varsity soccer team for four years. In addition, he majored in Biological Sciences and volunteered at local New York City hospitals and homeless shelters.

Following his Ivy League education from which he graduated Cum Laude, Dr. Demetri then returned home for medical school attending the University of Florida College of Medicine. As a third year medical student, he was awarded a highly competitive Doris Duke Clinical Research Fellowship. This allowed him to dedicate a year to research in head and neck cancer reconstruction at the world-renowned Johns Hopkins Hospital. Prior to graduating from medical school with Honors in Research, he was also awarded the George T. Singleton Prize for excellence in Head & Neck Surgery.

He then completed a five-year residency in Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. There, he served as Chief Resident at Parkland Memorial Hospital, one of the best and busiest facial trauma centers in the country. Dr. Demetri then moved to Los Angeles for a highly coveted fellowship in Facial Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery with Dr. Andrew Frankel at the famous Lasky Clinic in Beverly Hills, CA.

Dr. Demetri is a board certified by the American Board of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery and is an active member of the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. He frequently travels to attend national conferences to perpetually advance his education and present his research. To date he has authored over 30 peer-reviewed publications and book chapters.

In addition, Dr. Demetri treats a wide variety of celebrity patients including ABC’s The Bachelor’s Lauren Bushnell, Emily and Haley Ferguson, Emelina Adams Miss Nevada USA, Sarah Rose Summers Miss USA 2018, Dessie Mitcheson Maxim USA Covergirl, Jane Slater NFL Network Reporter and many more. Known for his exceptional work in Beverly Hills, he’s been featured on Extra TV and regularly contributes to Haute Living Magazine. For more information on Dr. Demetri, click here.

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dive in, our readers would love to learn a bit more about you. Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?

I am happy to share my story! I am the youngest of 3 brothers and in fact have for the most part have followed their footsteps. All 3 of us were recruited to Columbia University where we played Division I soccer. Afterwards, we all went onto medical school. My oldest brother, George, is a heart surgeon and my other brother Dean is a vascular surgeon. During my time working at Johns Hopkins Hospital, I developed a sincere passion for cosmetic and reconstructive surgery. My career took off from there as I completed my training in Dallas, Texas at one of the premiere hospitals in the country. From there, I moved to Beverly Hills where I further specialized in facial plastic surgery and aesthetics. I love meeting patients from all over the country and now have offices in both Beverly Hills, CA and Tampa, FL.

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started your career?

During my time as a research medical student at Johns Hopkins, I encountered so many interesting cases. However, one story in particular I will never forget. An unfortunate woman lost her left ear from an aggressive form of skin cancer. Yet, the surgeons there were able to create her a new ear by using her own rib cartilage, shaped it to match the other ear, implanted it under forearm skin for about 4 months to grow new skin and then transplanted it using microvascular surgery. It was an incredible story and felt very grateful to be there to witness it all at the time.

Are you able to identify a “tipping point” in your career when you started to see success? Did you start doing anything different? Are there takeaways or lessons that others can learn from that?

My mother was a school teacher and always stressed the importance of education to me and my brothers. Success is of course a relative term. I would argue I became successful long before my medical practice flourished. To me, it was during college when I learned to balance my grades, Division I soccer and a job. Hard work always pays off. If you want something, work at it until you achieve it.

None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person to whom you are grateful who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?

As I mentioned before, my mother played a huge role in encouraging education to me. As a physician, education is the foundation to my career. It is essential I have an advanced understanding of anatomy, physiology and technique when performing surgeries and procedures.

Ok super. Let’s now shift to the main part of our discussion. The beauty industry today has access to technology that was inconceivable only a short time ago. Can you tell us about the “cutting edge” (pardon the pun) technologies that you are working with or introducing? How do you think that will help people?

Totally agree! I am one of the few physicians in the country who offer an exciting new technology called FaceTite and Morpheus8. In fact, I was recently asked by the company to teach other physicians on how to use the devices. FaceTite uses radiofrequency assisted lipolysis to “melt fat” and tighten skin at the same time. I use it frequently for patients who do not want surgery and are looking for a “quick fix” to improve their neckline. Morpheus8 is radiofrequency microneedling which improves skin texture, tightening, acne scars and even pigment. I do around 12–15 treatments per week!

Keeping “Black Mirror” and the “Law of Unintended Consequences” in mind, can you see any potential drawbacks about this technology that people should think more deeply about?

It is essential potential patients do their homework about any provider they visit and the procedure they are considering. There are always risks to any procedure we do so it is extremely important to seek out specialists. It was an honor for me to have been nominated by InMode, the creator of FaceTite and Morpheus8, to be a trainer to other physicians.

Can you share 3 things that most excite you about the “beauty-tech” industry?

There is so much that excites me about our industry. I think innovation, collaboration and experience are the 3 things I am most excited about. There are always novel inventions and technologies coming out. When industry and physicians collaborate, it creates for a tremendous and peaceful patient experience.

You are an expert about beauty. Can you share 5 ideas that anyone can use “to feel beautiful”?

Smile! This lightens up your face and will even trigger happiness in your brain.

Exercise! This will help take your mind away from other stresses in your life and allow your body to rejuvenate.

Hug! Sharing intimate physical touch with family and friends will soften your soul.

Sleep! A good night sleep can help refresh your facial appearance without the need for botox or filler.

Stop smoking! Tobacco ages your skin, smells bad and overall not good for your health.

You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂

I think we need to devote more attention to mental health in our society! So many people suffer from depression, anxiety and other mental illnesses which inhibit people from succeeding in their personal and professional lives. If we can help identify these issues earlier on, then we can help them get treatment!

Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?

My step father was a very successful hospital CEO for over 30 years. His life lesson to me I will never forget and always use: 5 P’s to Life

Proper Planning Prevents Poor Performance!

Prepare yourself for success!

How can our readers follow you online?

Please follow my Instagram @DrDemetri or visit our website:

www.drdemetrimd.com

The Future Of Beauty: “Radiofrequency assisted lipolysis that can melt fat and tighten skin at the… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Collaborate — look for equally crazy people. They’re out there and they’re looking for you too. When we wanted to compost our diapers, we found a group of dads in the Bay Area that were doing it on their own for years. We’re now partners, serving thousands of families with professional composting.

As a part of our series about “dreamers who ignored the naysayers and did what others said was impossible”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Sergio Radovcic, CEO and Founder of DYPER, the first diaper subscription that is truly better for baby, planet, parent and wallet. Before DYPER, he helped launch 10 startups and has been involved in various entrepreneurship roles with 15 companies on three continents operating in real estate, lending, software, wireless and e-marketing fields. He is also the CEO and founder of STYR Labs, a leader in personalized nutrition focusing on condition specific intervention. Sergio resides in the greater Scottsdale, AZ area with his wife and 3 children. He is an avid ultra-distance runner, having completed more than 300 marathons, ultra-marathons, Ironman’s, etc. including three consecutive finishes at the infamous Badwater 135 Ultramarathon in Death Valley.

Thank you so much for joining us! Our readers would love to ‘get to know you’ a bit better. Can you tell us your ‘backstory’?

I am a tinkerer. From the time I can remember, I have always wondered how things work and tried taking them apart. At age 16, I started my first business and by the time I was 20 I already had an exit under my belt. Ever since then, I continued starting businesses when I felt that something could be done more efficiently. For example, in 2008, I started FitFul (a leading provider of post sporting event meals), after I ran my first marathon. I felt there was a need to feed athletes something more nutritious than a piece of pizza.

Are you working on any new or exciting projects now? How do you think that will help people?

When my daughter Mila was born, I was blown away by how many diapers I was rolling up and throwing away. Within months, half of my garbage was diapers. It made me think about what I was doing and where they ended up. I was recycling religiously, yet had no problem disposing of these pieces of plastic every day in my regular trash. It lead me to research alternative ways to make and redirect diapers from landfills. In the process, I made the world’s softest, most responsible, disposable diaper with my new company DYPER.

In your opinion, what do you think makes your company or organization stand out from the crowd?

We’re uniquely committed to making the diapering journey effortless and affordable for the parents, gentle for the baby and kind to the planet. You can’t do all 3 without taking massive leaps in manufacturing and in the business approach. We assure that your diapers will be there every month, on time and in the right size and quantity for a fixed price. We also offer same day 4-hour deliveries for those rough days when you run out and you simply need your emergency diapers. We made them better for the baby by avoiding prints, common chemicals, optical brighteners, perfumes and more. We made them from bamboo, not plastics to make sure they’re soft, absorbent and can be composted. And we’re closing the loop by redirecting them from landfills and collecting used diapers from your home (in some markets), in person, or via our mail-away service. We can then compost them professionally and reduce the customer’s impact. We also carbon offset the entire journey, from sourcing to manufacturing to disposal for every member, whether they compost or not.

Ok, thank you for that. I’d like to jump to the main focus of this interview. Has there ever been a time that someone told you something was impossible, but you did it anyway? Can you share the story with us? What was your idea? What was the reaction of the naysayers? And how did you overcome that?

I’ve heard it so many times, it sort of becomes a right of passage. When I started DYPER I was told by most experienced operators in the industry that nobody can compete with a duopoly of big guys. Even if I was to make it on sales, I couldn’t make a profit or make better diapers due to raw materials costs.

In the end, how were all the naysayers proven wrong? 🙂

Yet, here we are, about a year later growing 10% each month with thousands of families supporting our mission to diaper more responsibly. We’re redirecting waste from thousands of households in California and scaling it up nationally. We’re rolling out in Europe and China, all while continuously innovating our products. We’re on the third generation of diapers in 12 months. That is what listening and learning looks like.

None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?

You can imagine it is hard to isolate a person or two when everyone in a small team wears so many hats. However, my COO and long term partner, Paul, has helped me more than most to bring this vision to life by working tirelessly to make, deploy and deliver our diapers to so many families each month without fail.

It must not have been easy to ignore all the naysayers. Did you have any experiences growing up that have contributed to building your resiliency? Can you share the story with us?

I grew up in Serbia, which is shrouded in rebellion. We’ve endured countless conflicts and survived so many changes, it is embedded in our DNA. We don’t take “no” for an answer and don’t mind going at it alone. I remember growing up and learning about our historic figures, most of which were celebrated not for their victories, rather for their courage despite all odds. Actually, I don’t know of another place and people that celebrate defeat more than my co-nationals.

Based on your experience, can you share 5 strategies that people can use to harness the sense of tenacity and do what naysayers think is impossible? (Please share a story or an example for each)

1. Ignore — let it be noise. It is not easy, but sometimes you just have to go with your gut. I was told that plant-based diapers will never be good enough. While it wasn’t easy, we’re getting it done.

2. Outpace — move fast, then move faster. Your first mover advantage will only last so long. We launched and then kept relaunching the company every few months. Treat it as a new launch each time.

3. Collaborate — look for equally crazy people. They’re out there and they’re looking for you too. When we wanted to compost our diapers, we found a group of dads in the Bay Area that were doing it on their own for years. We’re now partners, serving thousands of families with professional composting.

4. Divide — it’s not one big challenge. It is tons of small challenges. Conquer each one like it is the only one. We looked at every problem — materials, construction, delivery, service, disposal, etc. as the only problem we had and looked for breakthroughs in each one. The sum can be great and if it isn’t, you go back and redo the exercise. When I was running 100-mile ultramarathons, I convinced myself to run one 5K at a time. Then I just repeated 33 times.

5. Track — if it can be counted, it should. Everything matters, not just the big stuff. Sometimes you won’t know why but keeping track of every metric will come in handy. When we hit bumps, and we’ve had plenty, we would tend to get discouraged. Then we would look at the data and see if it was really a problem or simply just an anomaly.

What is your favorite quote or personal philosophy that relates to the concept of resilience?

“I am not what happened to me. I am what I choose to become.” said Carl Jung. It is so tempting to accept the inevitability of your background or experiences. Personally, I believe experience can be a major impediment to progress. We tend to look at what we survived or accomplished as the only pattern for the future when it is generally not. We’re a different person this time around and the world has changed around us.

You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good for the greatest number of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger.

I am obviously biased, but I think that the rock we live on is not looking healthy. I’ve seen it underwater as a scuba instructor and I’ve seen it in the mountains as a runner. We must reject irresponsible consumerism and adopt a responsible lifestyle that includes plastic-free and potentially animal-protein-free living. However, my personal obsession is with the formal borders, which I believe are the last truly barbaric form of legalized oppression. Being born on one side of the river does not make you a better human. We have to think about ways we can eliminate borders, reduce friction between nations and encourage personal and economic ties that are based on what makes us one and not separate. I was hoping I would see it in my lifetime, but my hopes are fading.

Can our readers follow you on social media?

Certainly, although I tend to be very private. Find me on IG @sradovcic, and please follow @get.dyper to see what we are up to.

Thank you for these great stories. We wish you only continued success!

Dreamers: “They told me It was impossible and I did it anyway” With Sergio Radovcic was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

The Future Of Beauty: “The ability to do virtual consultations has enabled us to respond to patients more efficiently” With Dr. Johnny Franco

The incorporation of social media/technology has changed my practice and the face of medicine forever. I think most people don’t see social media and technology in terms of apps and videos as beauty advancements however I think this is some of the biggest leaps forward that we have made in the field in recent years.

Through Instagram and other social media outlets I truly believe that we have been able to change the perception and knowledge of plastic surgery more in the past several years that we have over the past several decades. The opportunity to educate patients about their beauty options and the process as whole has improved the conversation and understanding.

This technology has also allowed us to over virtual consultations for patients. In state like Texas there are many patients that live hours away from a specialist. This ability to do virtual consultations has made the state much smaller (don’t tell that to a Texan) in terms or access to healthcare. It also has enabled us to respond to patients more efficiently which in turn leads to better experience and care for our patients. The idea of the virtual/online consultations in going to continue to grow exponentially in all aspects of medicine.

As a part of our series about how technology will be changing the beauty industry over the next five years, I had the pleasure of interviewing Johnny Franco MD, FACS.

A graduate of Beloit College with a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry, Dr. Franco earned his Doctorate of Medicine from the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston.

Dr. Franco has traveled the world during his training. After completing his plastic surgery residency at St. Louis University he traveled to Chan Gung Hospital in Taiwan, then Gent University Hospital in Belgium and Miami Florida for an aesthetic fellowship.

He is currently Clinical Faculty at The University of Texas Dell Medical School. He also is a reviewer for the Aesthetic Journal and Annals of Plastic Surgery where he reviews the articles for publication from other plastic surgeons around the world. He is an active member of the Austin Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons. He is also an active member of the American Society of Plastic Surgeon and American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons.

Dr. Franco has been featured in magazines such as Miami Shoot and the Miami Herald for his expertise in aesthetic surgery while in Miami. Since returning to Texas he has been featured on the Dana Cortez Show on 98.5 the Beat multiple times and on the Billy the Kid show on 96.7.

Dr. Franco also currently serves on the advisory board for Realself in an effort to implement new social media trends into their site.

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dive in, our readers would love to learn a bit more about you. Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?

I grew up on a small pecan orchard in New Mexico. Since I was a small child working on the farm every weekend I always wanted to do something that would change the world while interacting with people in very intimate manor. I initially thought I wanted to do transplant surgery as this seemed to have an incredible impact in people’s life. Surgery its self was always attractive to me as it is this unique combination of expertise, manual labor and passion.

I was fortunate to be able to spend some time at the Mayo Clinic doing an internship doing transplant research. It was there that I found out that Joseph Murry is the only plastic surgeon to ever win the Noble prize for his working during the first kidney transplant. It was then that I decided to be a plastic surgeon as it allowed me this artistic flexibility with the expertise and precision of other surgical specialties. I am still working toward being the second plastic surgeon to win the Noble prize! Stay Tuned.

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?

I did my medical school in Texas and always wanted to move back as I loved my time here. After being in practice in Miami for several years I had the opportunity to move back to Austin Texas. When I first moved here someone asked me what my specialty is in the aesthetic world. I told them that butt augmentation is the number one procedure that I performed in Miami. They said well that will change as no one wants that done here in Texas. I responded “we will see.” I stayed true to what I believe in and within 6 months we were scheduled out four months, and to this day butt augmentation is still the number one procedure I perform.

It was not that people didn’t want the procedure, there were not people offering the procedure in a safe and effective manner. For me it was a life lesson that you have to do what you truly believe in and the rest will take care of itself.

Are you able to identify a “tipping point” in your career when you started to see success? Did you start doing anything different? Are there takeaways or lessons that others can learn from that?

This is an interesting questions as success is often difficult to measure and often very successful individuals keep moving the goal post of success to keep themselves motivated. However, a huge tipping point in my career happened when I fully incorporated social media as an education tool for patients into my practice.

Social media has allowed me to turn plastic surgery from this mysterious black box for the rich and famous to something that is real for individuals. This has allowed me to share information with my patients and patients around the world that don’t know where to start or what might be available to them.

Through our social media outlets patients have been able to learn about various procedures, me as a plastic surgeon and our office. This gives patients an entirely new open perspective on plastic surgery and my approach.

I never could have imagined how well received the incorporation of social media has been for our practice from our patients.

None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person to whom you are grateful who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?

When I was an undergraduate student I was at a conference and walking back to my hotel room at the end of the day. This tall elderly gentleman walking in the same direction as I sees my badge and starts asking me questions about the conference and about myself. We talked for about five minutes until it was time to go our separate ways. Before he went in a separate direction he reached into his pocket and handed me his card, told me if I ever needed anything to reach out to him and walked off without saying another word. I looked down at the card and it said “Vice President Graduate School at the Mayo Clinic.”

I reached out to him several weeks later and the following summer I had an internship at the world famous Mayo Clinic doing transplant surgery research.

This interaction has always stood out in my memory as it was a random act of kindness from a complete stranger that has had an effect on my career more that he could have ever imagined.

Ok super. Let’s now shift to the main part of our discussion. The beauty industry today has access to technology that was inconceivable only a short time ago. Can you tell us about the “cutting edge” (pardon the pun) technologies that you are working with or introducing? How do you think that will help people?

The incorporation of social media/technology has changed my practice and the face of medicine forever. I think most people don’t see social media and technology in terms of apps and videos as beauty advancements however I think this is some of the biggest leaps forward that we have made in the field in recent years.

Through Instagram and other social media outlets I truly believe that we have been able to change the perception and knowledge of plastic surgery more in the past several years that we have over the past several decades. The opportunity to educate patients about their beauty options and the process as whole has improved the conversation and understanding.

This technology has also allowed us to over virtual consultations for patients. In state like Texas there are many patients that live hours away from a specialist. This ability to do virtual consultations has made the state much smaller (don’t tell that to a Texan) in terms or access to healthcare. It also has enabled us to respond to patients more efficiently which in turn leads to better experience and care for our patients. The idea of the virtual/online consultations in going to continue to grow exponentially in all aspects of medicine.

Keeping “Black Mirror” and the “Law of Unintended Consequences” in mind, can you see any potential drawbacks about this technology that people should think more deeply about?

Social media has expanded the way information is shared across the world. However, it can be difficult for people to navigate all of this information. It can be information overload which leads to difficulty differentiating fact from fiction.

It is also important for physicians and providers to make sure that we are providing content that is educational for patients. It is our job as board certified plastic surgeons to help guide patients to realistic and safe aesthetic options to help them reach their aesthetic goals.

The other concern with social media is that there is this misconception of reality. I think it is easy for patients to look at pictures and videos that have been airbrushed or taken at different angles to improve the overall appearance. This can give people an unreal perception of beauty. As a plastic surgeon we have duty to help guide people through this difficult journey and explain what is realistic for each individual person.

Can you share 3 things that most excite you about the “beauty-tech” industry?

1. Social media has opened up the mysterious black box of plastic surgery
2. The ability to educate people about the various plastic surgery advancements and treatments has grown exponentially over the past several years. This will only continue to grow and allow patients the opportunity to make better informed decisions.
3. Virtual consultations have improved access for patients to specialists
4. Virtual consultations are concept where patients across the country or world can connect with physicians or providers that may have specialized skills. In a state such as Texas it has allowed patients in rural areas to do consultations with specialized physicians without driving six hours for every appointment. This is truly a huge step in the direction of providing efficient and specialized care to patients no matter where in the world they live.
5. Virtual Reality will continue to enhance patients vision of their results.
6. One of the most common questions is how am I going to look after this procedure. As technology continues to improve so does our ability to share information with patients about their procedure and the their outcome. Technology has allowed us to create 3D virtual imaging so that patients will have a better understanding of what their results will be after surgery.

Can you share 3 things that most concern you about the industry? If you had the ability to implement 3 ways to reform or improve the industry, what would you suggest?

Patient safety

1. Plastic surgery has become such a hot topic that a variety of people have wanted to start performing procedures. Many patients don’t realize that currently laws don’t limit who can perform plastic surgery procedures. There are many people around the country that are not board certified plastic surgeons that are operating on individuals. It can be very confusing to people that physicians that are not Board-Certified Plastic Surgeons can perform plastic surgery. In the near future there needs to continue to be reform that limits who performs aesthetic procedures to protect patients.
2. Patients have to be careful that they are not led astray by someone who has a great website or social media account but has not been properly trained. Currently the majority of social media posts are done by non-plastic surgeons. This means that the majority of information being distributed to individuals is coming from providers that were not actually trained in plastic surgery.

You are an expert about beauty. Can you share 5 ideas that anyone can use “to feel beautiful”? (Please share a story or example for each.)

Beauty Insider Tips:

1. Confidence is beauty — Our exterior is just and extension of what is on the inside. The more confidence and positive outlook you have the more you are going to radiate.
2. Embrace your individual beauty traits — Our uniqueness is what makes all of us sexy!
3. Sunscreen — Everyone should use a good sunscreen (this is an easy one)!
4. Surround yourself with positive people that are going to help you be the best version of yourself.
5. Plastic Surgery- make sure if you are considering undergoing plastic surgery you are doing it for the right reasons. It should always be something that you want to do. Also ask your plastic surgeon questions. Often there is small things in the office that you can do that will make a big difference in refreshing your appearance.

You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂

I would love for everyone to embrace their individual beauty. I think it is easy to forget that our individual difference that makes the world interesting. If we all looked exactly the same life would be boring.

I would love for everyone post something on their favorite social media outlet something that makes them unique. Once we start to embrace our individuality, I truly believe people will have a better understanding of how amazing the they are as a person.

Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?

“If you really look closely, most overnight success took a long time” — Steve Jobs

This is a great quote as I believe people can get discouraged when they are trying to reach their dreams and they keep encountering obstacles in their path. The road to your dreams is not easy or short. Understanding that it is a marathon and not sprint is important to your success and to enjoying the ride along the way!

How can our readers follow you online?

Website: www.austinplasticsurgeon.com

Instagram: @austinplasticsurgeon

Snapchat: @austinsurgeon

Podcast: Plastic Surgery Untold

Thank you so much for joining us. This was very inspirational.

The Future Of Beauty: “The ability to do virtual consultations has enabled us to respond to… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

The Future Of Beauty: “A needleless way of introducing liquids through the skin without pain” With Dr. Gary Linkov

I am working with the JetPeel machine which is a needleless way of introducing liquids through the skin without pain. I am specifically using it for hair restoration. Also, I have a new machine called the Mamba Trivellini for hair transplant surgery that allows a much more sophisticated way to remove hairs for transplant.

As a part of our series about how technology will be changing the beauty industry over the next five years, I had the pleasure of interviewing Dr. Gary Linkov.

The City Facial Plastics Founder has a dual-Ivy league background and a foundation in psychology. This allows Dr. Linkov fuses medical knowledge with a compassionate nature. His desire to bring the most optimal, natural-looking results ensures that he’s constantly perfecting and innovating his approach to cosmetic surgery. He even trademarked his unique version of the rising lip lift trend, “The Elelyft”! This procedure restores symmetry between the nose and mouth and creates a natural fullness to the upper lip. He also takes the lead as a true hair expert, with City Facial Plastics being one of the only practices in the country that specializes in body hair transplants. Additionally, he offers all cosmetic and reconstructive facial procedures, along with non-invasive treatments like botox, fillers and PRP.

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dive in, our readers would love to learn a bit more about you. Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?

I originally was interested in head and neck anatomy and did a residency in head and neck surgery. But my artistic interests brought me to a subfield of head and neck surgery which is facial plastic and reconstructive surgery. I later also did additional training in hair transplant surgery.

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?

I was doing an eyebrow hair transplant and the patient started telling me and the team about how he was working with a new company that allowed a new form of delivery of platelet rich plasma, which we were combining with the transplant for the patient. This new delivery method did not involve needles he said, which at first sounded absurd. Fast forward a year and I did the first research study on this new delivery method and was featured on the Dr.Oz show with it.

Are you able to identify a “tipping point” in your career when you started to see success? Did you start doing anything different? Are there takeaways or lessons that others can learn from that?

In my practice it has been quite gradual. I don’t think there was a tipping point. Putting out content in today’s social media craze is important for increased growth, especially as word-of-mouth exposure builds.

None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person to whom you are grateful who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?

Definitely my uncle and his decision to build out a wellness space in NYC. That gave me the ability to focus on outfitting a private operating room and start my practice in a brand-new space.

Ok super. Let’s now shift to the main part of our discussion. The beauty industry today has access to technology that was inconceivable only a short time ago. Can you tell us about the “cutting edge” (pardon the pun) technologies that you are working with or introducing? How do you think that will help people?

I am working with the JetPeel machine which is a needleless way of introducing liquids through the skin without pain. I am specifically using it for hair restoration. Also, I have a new machine called the Mamba Trivellini for hair transplant surgery that allows a much more sophisticated way to remove hairs for transplant.

Keeping “Black Mirror” and the “Law of Unintended Consequences” in mind, can you see any potential drawbacks about this technology that people should think more deeply about?

New technology in general has its risks. Just being it is new does not mean it’s better or safer than existing techniques and technologies. Another misconception is that surgery is surgery and techniques do not change, rather surgery is also becoming more advanced as we analyze our outcomes.

Can you share 3 things that most excite you about the “beauty-tech” industry?

-Less-invasive methods of achieving results with less downtime

-Safer machines and techniques

-Miniaturization of machines to fit into smaller spaces

Can you share 3 things that most concern you about the industry? If you had the ability to implement 3 ways to reform or improve the industry, what would you suggest?

-Less experienced providers offering treatment with real risks that they cannot handle or recognize

-People promoting procedures that do not really work in place of more well studied procedures that do work

-Misinformation being spread online and providers misrepresenting themselves and their skillsets that fool patients

You are an expert about beauty. Can you share 5 ideas that anyone can use “to feel beautiful”?
-Skin care is important, starting with sun screen and Vit C/E for antioxidant effects.

-Nutraceuticals (vitamins) can help strengthen hair for men and women

-Proper makeup can do a lot to cover up imperfections and to avoid doing more invasive things

-Feeling beautiful involves being in a great state of mind, so relaxation and taking care of one’s mental health is super important

You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂

Giving back through charity is critical to help those less fortunate. I am in the process of starting a program that will give money to a hair loss non-profit for every hair transplant that I do.

Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?

Treat everyone with respect. I treat the cleaning woman in the office with the same respect as a VIP patient. I think the cosmos tend to reward those who spread positivity and make those around them feel appreciated.

How can our readers follow you online?

Website: https://cityfacialplastics.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drgarynyc/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cityfp/

Thank you so much for joining us. This was very inspirational.

The Future Of Beauty: “A needleless way of introducing liquids through the skin without pain”… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.