Day: July 28, 2020

Elizabeth Yntema of the Dance Data Project: 5 Things We Need To Do To Close The Gender Wage Gap

Women need to actively fund each other’s work and stop thinking in terms of scarcity. There is more than enough to go around. We need to speak up. Whether its ballet or another cause, women should absolutely feel confident in challenging the status quo.

I had the pleasure of interviewing Elizabeth Yntema.

Elizabeth Yntema is the President & Founder of the Dance Data Project®. She is a member of the Board of Trustees for WTTW/WFMT, the Advisory Board of the Trust for Public Land in Illinois and the Board of Directors of the Chicago Shakespeare Theatre. Liza was graduated from the University of Virginia in 1980 and is 1984 graduate of the University of Michigan Law School, where she was awarded the annual prize for Outstanding Contribution to Social Justice. Ms. Yntema is a past member of numerous organizations in the Chicagoland area, including the Joffrey Ballet, Hubbard Street Dance Company, Women’s Bar Association, Winnetka Board of the Northwestern Settlement House, the Children’s Home and Aid Society, and the Junior League of Chicago, where she was named as Volunteer of the Year for her work advocating for homeless women and children.

Named to the final full year training cohort of The Philanthropy Workshop (TPW) in 2018, Liza spent a year honing her skills as part of “the next generation of strategic philanthropists.” TPW is a global network of over 450 selected philanthropists, from 22 countries.

Ms. Yntema has underwritten ballets for Sacramento and Pacific Northwest Ballets, the Joffrey Ballet, Hubbard Street Dance Company and BalletX, including world premieres by Annabelle Lopez Ochoa (Mammatus) & Stephanie Martinez’s (Bliss!) She has also supported works by Penny Saunders, Robyn Minenko Williams, Amy Seiwert and Eva Stone, as well as Nicolas Blanc and Christopher Wheeldon. Liza was Lead Sponsor of Crystal Pite’s work Solo Echo as part of the celebration of the 40th Anniversary of Hubbard Street Dance Company.

In May 2018, American Ballet Theatre announced the launch of its ABT Women’s Movement, a multi-year initiative supporting the creation of new works by female choreographers for the company. Ms. Yntema, along with the Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation and Rockefeller Brothers Fund, was an initial Principal Sponsor for this initiative and continues to support its development. Ms. Yntema recently joined the Boston Ballet’s multi-year initiative ChoreograpHER as a Lead Sponsor. Liza also actively supports the Pacific Northwest Ballet’s choreographic initiative for female students, New Voices.

Thank you so much for joining us Elizabeth! Can you tell us the “backstory” that brought you to this career path?

I am the product of generations of strong women. My mother was Senior Editor at Atlantic Monthly Little Brown, and I remember visiting her offices as a child. After graduating from University of Michigan Law School, I moved to Chicago, where I worked for a management labor firm. Taking time off from full time work, I spent a great deal of time volunteering, and moved on to more organized philanthropy.

As I looked around not for profit board rooms, I observed that almost all of the important positions, the C-Suite, higher paying jobs, are held by men. It turned into a sort-of “cubicles and windows” test. I would walk into the back offices/working areas of charities, and would discover rows of young women in little airless boxes. When I came across an office with a window, I found it was far more likely to be inhabited by a man. Finally, I would get to the big corner offices, and here the occupants are almost exclusively middle-aged, white men.

I advocate for women and girls in all aspects of my life and work, but I realized that while classical dance is a global, multi-billion a year industry with hundreds of thousands of girls & women heading to class each week, it was also amenable to reform. I have no interest in beating my head against a wall. I want to make real, lasting change, rapidly. With ballet — the timing was right thanks to the #TimesUp and #MeToo movements and with the scandals at the largest US ballet company, The New York City Ballet, I am familiar with the world of classical dance.

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

I think the most interesting story about DDP is how my team has pulled everything together, while working remotely, in such a short amount of time. The more I learn, the more I realize Dance Data Project® is upending how not for profits operate and charities are “supposed to be” run.

We will have produced 8 groundbreaking studies our first year, with a young team (oldest member besides me is mid 30s), dispersed throughout the US. All but my Research Director have other “gigs.” When senior fundraising professionals hear that DDP staff consultants are located in: Seattle, New York, Florida, Nashville, Utah, Chicago and its suburbs, their jaws hang open. However, I recently spoke with Jeremy Edwards, Senior Associate Dean, Harris School of Public Policy, University of Chicago. He also works as a consultant for not-for-profits seeking transformational change. When I described how my team works and traditional fundraisers’ skepticism, he laughed and said that this is how all successful not-for-profits will be run in the future, as it eliminates excess overhead. As I said to him, “we don’t have meetings.”

Picture us in the Summer of 2018: My first hire was off pursuing a career as a consultant in New York City, but still “in the game” and helping us move beyond a data base to a public presence. Her intern, my now Research Director, had just graduated from university, and was pitching in part time, remotely from a small city in France where she taught school. My website designer is in the city, and his graphics wizard is on the West Coast. My amazing administrative assistant, also part time, was holding the fort back home while I was traveling. Committed to hiking the Northern Route of the Camino De Santiago, I ended up with my computer in my backpack, navigating tiny village to even smaller “not really there” places with super sketchy internet. So, everyone was giving feedback and editing from wildly different time zones. Yet, working together, and adjusting for schedules, we produced a gorgeous website featuring important content. DIY in the best possible way. Experimental, kind of out there, but it works.

Can you share a story about the funniest or most interesting mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?

In terms of volunteering, it was not continuing to ask questions. A while ago, I was raising money for a gala and was asked to pitch a major donor for a big gift. I practically had my hair lit on fire, as the family had pledged $500,000 in non-specific operating support. The development director chose not to share this with me. I learned then and there to keep asking questions. Women tend to worry about being annoying, but when you are advocating for anything, whether that be a cause or an event, keep probing…

Ok let’s jump to the main focus of our interview. Even in 2019, women still earn about 80 cents for every dollar a man makes. Can you explain three of the main factors that are causing the wage gap?

That is interesting, because our research has found that in the world of ballet, if a woman gets to be an artistic director at all (and it’s still very rare), she was paid $.62 on the dollar for her male counterpart in 2016 and $.68 in 2017. Anecdotal research from our Listening Tour shows that female choreographers and teachers are paid far less than their male counterparts.

As for the reason, ballet is one of the more retrograde of the performing arts, so people don’t give it much thought. It is also peculiar — ballet is an art in which women represent 70% of the audience and the donor base, and outnumber boys 20/1, at least at the lower levels of dance schools, where male students get the best scholarships. Women aren’t encouraged to speak up in ballet, nor are they taught to dream past their performing days. The old adage is true, “Women become teachers, men become directors.” The result? Approximately 80% of ballets performed by the fifty largest ballet companies in both the previous and current seasons were choreographed by men. During the 2019–2020 season, the biggest, most prestigious commissions — those for new full-length main stage ballets — were 100% awarded to men. (Dance Data Project®, First Look, May 2019)

As the great Geena Davis says, (Geena Davis Institute) you have to see it to imagine it. So DDP pushes dance journalists and magazines, as well as ballet companies, festivals and competitions, to visually showcase women who command a room. Ballet is just the tip of the iceberg, though. I think most people would be shocked at the massive gender gap in leadership opportunities across classical music, opera, and museums. The arts in general just haven’t received the scrutiny they deserve. Part of our mission is to make donors, ticket buyers, funders, and the press pay attention.

Secondly, ballet teaches obedience, submission. My team hears over and over again, that women aren’t as forceful in pushing their own work forward. Women in ballet know that if they speak up, they can be replaced easily. Not so for the boys, who, if they show talent, are placed on a “glass escalator” with rich scholarships, per diems, as well as opportunities to choreograph. One of our most recent research publications is an examination of resident choreographers. We looked globally, but in the US alone, there is only 1 women resident choreographer among the 25 largest ballet companies. Not surprisingly, she was appointed by a female artistic director, Victoria Morgan of the Cincinnati Ballet.

Thirdly, there seems to be an extraordinary disconnect on the part of individuals and foundations who fund U.S. ballet companies. No one is connecting the dots between declining and aging audiences and the fact that millennials don’t see themselves or their experiences on the stage. I believe that is why only 3% have attended a ballet performance in the last year. (Wallace Foundation, Building Millennial Audiences, January 2017) To that point, when I talk about inequity in ballet, I ask everyone in the room to put a hand over one eye and squint the other eye 3/4 shut. This is the magnitude of the cognitive dissonance between the artistic vision presented on stage and those in the seats. The result? An art form rapidly losing relevance.

Can you share with our readers what your work is doing to help close the gender wage gap?

Dance Data Project® decided that we had to move the needle in less than a year and, we have done it! In 2020, for the first time, company heads publicly and routinely now admit both that ballet’s culture is misogynistic and that there is, in fact, an industry- wide problem. Dance publications, journalists, academics and leaders are now discussing concrete solutions. Following our launch last year, DDP will move towards unpacking the drivers of the industry as a whole, examining how to change the paradigm on a systematic basis globally.

Companies wipe their websites clean at the end of each season; therefore, no industry- wide numbers have been available year-to-year. This lack of accurate tracking has permitted certain influential critics, artistic directors and choreographers to claim that there isn’t a problem at all, that its simply just “noise.” Until Dance Data Project® proved otherwise, you would still routinely hear that women don’t want to lead, or it always has been this way in ballet and always will be. Or even, at most insulting, that as Balanchine famously said, “Ballet is woman,” so her only appropriate role is as a muse, not as a creator.

Simply by showing the shocking numbers: (Dance Data Project®, First Look, May 2019) of 645 works announced for next season, 81% will be by men; only 1 woman artistic director has a Top 10 salary; of the 7 of the 10 largest U.S. companies with resident choreographers, none gave the position to women. We are changing the conversation, giving journalists and advocates ammunition to question. Dance Data Project® celebrates those companies, festivals, and other institutions by promoting female led work and leadership on our website and social media. We also are amassing a world- wide data-base of female choreographers, set, costume and lighting designers.

Can you recommend 5 things that need to be done on a broader societal level to close the gender wage gap. Please share a story or example for each.

This is a complex and multi-faceted issue, best approached from a number of angles and pressure points:

1. Don’t work for free: So many female artists, whether its dancers, singers, or

actors, work for free, their theory being that “it will get me seen.” The problem is that they are seen, as not valuing their own work. I found in a previous career, that when I discounted my services or product, I lost respect, and was paid less and later. Hold firm, be pleasant, but decline to work without adequate compensation.

2. Run for leadership: In the case of classical ballet, the dancers’ union (AGMA) came down firmly on the side of the male dancers at New York City Ballet, which had fired them for degrading comments and passing around sexually explicit photographs without the consent of those filmed.(Dance Magazine Op-Ed “What AGMA Got Wrong”) Unfortunately, this is not unusual. When I first started my legal career, working for a management labor law firm, I often encountered situations where the employer would do the right thing and either terminate or discipline a worker for sexual harassment. Then, his buddies in the union, very often a friend who was a shop steward, would file a grievance. The result: Harassers were empowered and the company was completely frustrated in its attempts to enforce a legitimate policy.

3. Pay transparency leads to pay equity: That is the lesson of the BBC Crown pay scandal where it was discovered that Claire Foy, playing Elizabeth, and on screen virtually the entire time, was being paid substantially less than the actor playing her husband, Prince Phillip. The rationale? “Oh, he’s better known because he starred in Doctor Who.” Following those revelations, Parliament enacted legislation requiring companies to give pay scales. Turns out the BBC was paying senior women producers, editors and reporters, far less than their male counterparts. Of course, now there is push back and efforts to create big loopholes, but overall the legislation has transformed Great Britain. Similar legislation is pending in several states. (Paycor: State Pay Equity Laws). One good example is the recent legislation signed by Governor Pritzker outlawing employer inquiries into candidates past salaries. This practice has been found to adversely impact women.

4. Examine company policy: Whether it’s in the arts, sciences, business, services, it doesn’t matter. Not for profits are the same. Look critically at their mission statement, as well as their strategic plan. If there isn’t a commitment to pay and leadership equity, don’t buy their product, don’t give them your money, don’t donate. Why? Because it’s not the Mad Men era, women are earning majority of doctoral degrees and outnumbered men in grad school 137 to 100 (AEI.org) yet women are not getting the first promotions. Ditto hard sciences as well as the tech community. At this point, those in power are out of excuses, both the data showing that mixed gender teams perform better, and understanding of why women aren’t promoted (see Iris Bohnet’s work “Designing a Bias Free Workplace”-HBR).

There are small, but meaningful concrete steps that don’t cost any money:

• Pledge to eliminate “manels” (all male panels of experts)

• Cite women in the field when discussing or interviewing influences

• Put actual numbers behind the diversity, equity and inclusion pledges, and make executive or C-Suite compensation tie to meeting those goals

5. Own your power: Finally, women make the major purchasing decisions; we

decide where the philanthropic dollars go. The moment of maximum power is right before handing over a check. Ask, “where are the women?” I did, was rebuffed, and then it finally paid off. What we won’t do for ourselves, or men won’t do for their wives, they will often do for their daughters.

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. 🙂

The answer is both very simple and very complex. By many estimates, women will control 2/3rds of the wealth in the U.S. within the next generation. According to the Lilly School of Philanthropy at Indiana University, women are involved in or are the sole decision makers on 87% of giving decisions. Yet, we don’t support women’s causes and each other. Women need to actively fund each other’s work and stop thinking in terms of scarcity. There is more than enough to go around. We need to speak up. Whether its ballet or another cause, women should absolutely feel confident in challenging the status quo. See my answer to Question 3!

DDP’s hashtag for this idea is #AskB4UGive. In the Advocacy page on our website, we provide an easy-to-use template of questions to ask before turning over a check or even buying a ticket. And, it’s not just for women. There are so many fantastic men who “get it” and want to help.

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

To quote a mashup of Winston Churchill and Sia, “Never give up.” I would also add in one by the inimitable Madeline Albright, “There is a special place in hell for women who don’t help other women.”

On never giving up- when we first started our work, I consulted a well-known intellectual property attorney. He was adamant that Dance Data Project® would never receive trademark status because our proposed name was “too descriptive.” My team and I were convinced that the name was perfect. After arguing repeatedly, the attorney finally, reluctantly agreed to pursue the trademark while consistently advising me it was a waste of time. I didn’t give up. Sure enough we were successful, however, this gentleman, the Chair of the IP department at a major law firm, “lost” our file and the US Patent Office certification, and then retired without informing us. Despite repeated phone calls and emails, we never were updated on the status of our application. Eventually, we retained another attorney, who promptly determined that we were granted trademark status. The prior firm attempted to bill us for the hours spent hunting for the documentation they insisted had been forwarded to us. Months later we received an embarrassed phone call from his former administrative assistant, letting us know that our file was located in his old office. I had some very interesting conversations with his successor. As you can imagine, I flatly refused to pay any additional fees. Lesson learned: Keep pushing for what you know to be right. Also, again see my response to Question 3, “keep probing.”

We are very blessed that some of the biggest names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might see this, especially if we tag them. 🙂

Nothing in the world makes me as happy as hosting a group who embody the OG values I most admire: Perseverance, Kindness, Modesty, and a kick ass sense of humor. It’s the best kind of buzz to supply a wonderful meal, in a comfortable sunny setting, and then sit back to watch the unexpected affinities and friendships that emerge. On my dream list: Billie Jean King, Madeline Albright, Mary Beard (the classics scholar), Melinda Gates, any of the fabulous female SCOTUS members, and Wendy Whelan, since I am optimistic, she is determined to bring equity, transparency and excellence to New York City Ballet.

This was really meaningful! Thank you so much for your time.

Elizabeth Yntema of the Dance Data Project: 5 Things We Need To Do To Close The Gender Wage Gap was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Judi Fox of the LinkedIn Business Accelerator Method: How to Use LinkedIn To Dramatically Improve…

Judi Fox of the LinkedIn Business Accelerator Method: How to Use LinkedIn To Dramatically Improve Your Business

One of the most powerful changes we could make in this world is to inspire a movement of radical empathy. I believe we are all more than a job title or a position we hold in a company. Every single one of us can step into a leadership mindset and show up with empathy in every situation. This empathy would change the tone of the toughest conversations we have in our world right now and we would be able to connect better with each other and live more fulfilling lives.

As part of my series of interviews about “How to Use LinkedIn To Dramatically Improve Your Business”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Judi Fox.

Judi Fox has generated over 5 million views on LinkedIn in the last 2 years, and has been featured in Inc.com, CEO Magazine, VidSummit, Video Marketing World, People of Video, Top 100 Marketing Podcasts and more.

With a degree in Chemical Engineering and over 18 years’ experience in business development and sales, Judi Fox developed the LinkedIn Business Accelerator Method. This LinkedIn Business Method helped her gain 3 million views in 8 months, 600 likes & comments per post, and LinkedIn followers that grew from 2,000 to over 30,000.

Clients are now implementing this LinkedIn method to achieve millions of content views in 90 days, PR with Forbes, BBC News, Thrive Global, and build a sustainable business strategy for more opportunities using LinkedIn.

Judi Fox’s superpower is positioning clients online as an authority in their space, building highly engaged audiences, and getting more inbound opportunities. Judi believes that what we focus on expands and loves taking massive intuitive action in business and life.

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?

I started my career in 1999 as a Chemical Engineer, with a Master’s in Environmental Management and Business Sustainability working for Fortune 500 companies.

During the 2008 economic crisis, I faced corporate layoffs and decided to pack up all my belongings to live out of a suitcase for a year and travel. That was when I joined LinkedIn and was able to quickly network to contract work while traveling and eventually secured a full-time job offer all through LinkedIn networking. This showed me the power of LinkedIn and maintaining a strong community of support, which can make all the difference in your life and career.

Many people since 2008 have reached out asking me to help them do what I did and that is when I started coaching LinkedIn strategy, business development, and sales, which was the beginnings for creating the foundation for the “LinkedIn Business Accelerator” method that launched in 2018.

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

What I find interesting about everyone’s career is hearing how opportunities unfold step-by-step. And when I think back over the years the common thread for the most interesting stories always involves having great conversations with incredible people.

This interesting story is about the power of never knowing how everything will unfold and the work you do today creating content will plant seeds and grow into even more business in the future.

During the start of March 2020, when stay at home orders were being issued in the US and colleges were shutting down, Dino Cattaneo was driving 5 hours to get his daughter from school.

With a long car right ahead he searched online for a leadership podcast to listen to on his drive. He picked the Authentic Leader Podcast with Christopher Jones and scrolled to the first episode he could find interviewing a female leader, which was my episode recorded in October 2019.

After listening, Dino then search for me on more podcasts and found my podcast interview with Rachel Cook, with a live coaching session on how to launch a coaching program recorded on April 2019. Immediately he sent me a message on LinkedIn and became a client a few days later.

I had no idea that those two podcast episodes recorded almost a year ago would bring in a new client on the exact same day that one of my small business clients had to pause all their contracts because of the pandemic.

The reason this story is interesting is because it inspires me to keep going. With so much uncertainty in the world during 2020, it reminds me that the actions we take every day will serve us well into the future.

Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?

When I was launching my most recent business, I had just left a Fortune 100 company and wanted to maintain a professional setting while live streaming and filming video from home.

I was asked to be on a live stream panel with several experts discussing LinkedIn and the show was being broadcast across multiple channels. This was going to be the first show with my new video equipment, including a new microphone, and I was still getting used to all the features.

In the middle of the show, I had to mute my microphone and yell very loudly to my son upstairs because he needed a snack. When I looked back at the screen, everyone on camera had their mouths open in shock. I had accidently pressed the wrong button and the entire panel paused talking because our snack discussion was obviously not on mute.

The best part and the lesson learned is that everyone laughed at it because we are all human and mistakes can happen to all of us. The other lesson learned is to always double check that you really are muted if you ever need to yell during a livestream show.

Which social media platform have you found to be most effective to use to increase business revenues? Can you share a story from your experience?

Focusing on one social media platform is a significant part of what can make that platform effective. The platform that I have been focused on since 2009 is LinkedIn and the amount of business revenue generated is over 7 figures. An impactful moment that really changed my life was when a connection from a previous company saw my LinkedIn post about looking for opportunities to partner with small consulting firms. They generously reached out and connected me directly with the CEO of exactly the opportunity I mentioned in the post.

Even though the CEO lived over 6 hours away, I coordinated a trip for me and my baby to travel through his city on the way to visiting family. We met up at a coffee shop near his office and with 1 year old on my lap we had a business meeting, discussed working together, and ended up developing a contract agreement that supported his business and ultimately helped me take my consulting business to the next level.

This story really demonstrates how using LinkedIn can get you direct access to higher level executives and decisions makers at companies and your network can connect you opportunities that can dramatically improve your business.

Let’s talk about LinkedIn specifically, now. Can you share 5 ways to leverage LinkedIn to dramatically improve your business? Please share a story or example for each.

If you are able to focus on these top 5 ways to leverage LinkedIn it will create results quickly:

Create a Profile Cover Image that Sells You

This area of LinkedIn is often overlooked as an incredible way to convert business and grow your network. For example, I created a post with this advice, and it has reached over 1/2 a million views, shared 200 times, and featured in LinkedIn Learning courses.

The moment people create a cover image built to sell them it changes their experience on LinkedIn and dramatically improves their business.

Leverage the Featured Section with 2 to 4 Media Files.

Advice and examples to make the most of this Featured Section to convert more business, include: Calendar Link to Book a Call, LinkedIn Posts & Articles, Website, Webinar, Testimonials, Book to Purchase, YouTube Video, and Podcast Link.

LinkedIn Video.

In 2017, LinkedIn added the ability to upload video directly to the platform. Because video is such a powerful sales tool it changed the platform overnight. Video increases the speed at which you can make and develop stronger connections with connections and clients.

LinkedIn Company Page.

The new features being rolled out for LinkedIn and using them on your personal profile and company pages has been shown to greatly increase traffic to your website and convert to more business and client conversations. One client with less than 1,000 followers saw an increase in online visibility and a 500% increase in website traffic after only one month of activity on their company page. Several of the more recent features; include, LinkedIn Events, LinkedIn Live, Polls, and now LinkedIn Stories in 2020 and I think it is critical to develop a business strategy for LinkedIn Company Page content.

Personal or Company Hashtag

The consistent focus to grow a personal or company hashtag is a frequently under-utilized area of LinkedIn. Using your own personal hashtag means that anyone following or using the hashtag to post or talk about your company or brand gets you more sustainable visibility. Growing the hashtag #foxrocks has helped my brand maintain visibility and continue to generate business even if I take a vacation or schedule time offline.

Because of the position that you are in, 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. 🙂

One of the most powerful changes we could make in this world is to inspire a movement of radical empathy. I believe we are all more than a job title or a position we hold in a company. Every single one of us can step into a leadership mindset and show up with empathy in every situation. This empathy would change the tone of the toughest conversations we have in our world right now and we would be able to connect better with each other and live more fulfilling lives.

Some of the biggest names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US with whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this if we tag them 🙂

Someone that I admire and would love to discuss topics like leadership, courage, and courage is Brené Brown. It would be incredible to have a heart to heart conversation and potentially even record a podcast episode for The Judi Fox Show: Level Up Your Business with Heart and Humor. I know a conversation with Brené would impact my life, our conversation would impact other people’s lives, and create a leadership ripple effect. I believe we can all show up as the leaders we wish to see in the world.

Thank you so much for these great insights. This was very enlightening!

Judi Fox of the LinkedIn Business Accelerator Method: How to Use LinkedIn To Dramatically Improve… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

GE’s Arman Köklü: “They Told Me It Was Impossible And I Did It Anyway”

One thing I learned over time is that it is far better to stay astute like an apprentice versus to strive to master a profession. In fact, it requires much more wisdom and strength to be an apprentice. By maintaining a lifelong sense of exploration and turning to science as a guiding light, you will — as Atatürk once said — have a better chance of being a source of light to those around you.

I had the pleasure of interviewing Arman Köklü

Arman Köklü joined GE from Siemens in 2013 through the GE PMDP, Project Management Leadership Program, taking on various roles in GE Power& Water, Power Services and Renewables businesses based in New York, US and Salzbergen, Germany. Following the program Arman joined GE Gas Power Systems as a Project Manager in Europe, Africa & Middle East region based in Istanbul, gaining extensive project delivery experience in various GE technologies in Energy and Power Generation Landscape.

Before the age of 30, he had managed multiple projects in North America, Europe, Middle East and Africa- putting in total more than 100 Wind, Gas and Steam Turbines into operation in multiple countries like US, Canada, Germany, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Oman and Ghana.

Arman holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering from Yeditepe University, Istanbul and Master of Science in Power Engineering from Brandenburgische Technische Universität, Cottbus. He is currently based in Baden, Switzerland as a Senior Project Manager working in GE Gas Power Europe & Africa Regions managing a portfolio of Projects worth over USD 500 Million.

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 was born in a small Mediterranean Village in Southern Turkey. I left my hometown at the age of 18 for college and never stopped moving after that. Since then, I have worked and lived across 3 continents, 6 countries and 10 cities. I hold a B.Sc. in Mechanical Engineering from Yeditepe University in Istanbul and M.Sc. in Power Engineering from Brandenburg University of Technology in Cottbus Germany.

As a Senior Project Manager at GE, my responsibilities include project delivery, profit and loss accountability, and customer satisfaction through the management of project-related activities and resources on various Power Generation projects through the EMEA region. Recently, I was named to Project Management Institute’s Future 50 list for my work in helping deliver energy to communities around the world. The Future 50 list recognizes 50 individuals that are part of the next generation helping to create, build and transform The Project Economy — where work increasingly centers around executing projects both large and small — and make ideas reality.

I currently live in Zurich, Switzerland with my wife.

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

I am working on multiple exciting projects in energy landscape as a Project Director for GE Gas Power. One particular project that keeps me busy these days: Working to build the world’s largest liquid petroleum gas (LPG)-fired, combined cycle power plant in Africa. We believe that gas is a big part of the solution to Africa’s energy challenges and the scale, access, and dependability of gas is a great catalyst to support renewable sources. Sub-Saharan Africa today might represent less than 20 percent of the world’s population, but it also represents almost 50 percent of the world’s population who does not have access to consistent-reliable power. So, this project would make a substantial and immediate impact on the African people

This is a perfect example of our purpose — engineering cleaner, more accessible energy that people depend on; powering growth and prosperity everywhere; and doing our best during this time of continuous global chaos and enormous wave of geopolitical, societal, and technological change which is reshaping the world.

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

We rise to the challenge of building a world that works. Several companies and organizations might have similar purpose statements, but few have the installed base, customer base, and technology that GE has to fulfill this promise. The work we do at GE has been and will be fundamental to a world that works (be it energy, healthcare or aviation).

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 acknowledged the fact that there will always be people telling me that something is impossible. But I use this as a source of motivation. When we were asked to relocate an existing power plant in 14 days to another state during a National holiday in Saudi Arabia, it was easier to resist and push back.

But instead, we rose to the challenge. We quantified the risks associated with the project and communicated this information clearly to all stakeholders.

And the result? The project was completed in less than two weeks — beating all worldwide records for a project of this size and scale. But even more importantly, we earned the unconditional trust of our customer, which led to more projects and further cooperation in the Middle East.

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

The success of this project, together with others, has led to a streamlined process, service, and technology of a Mobile Power Plant solution that can deliver power to thousands of homes in less than 2 days. All those naysayers were proven wrong thanks to our team in Hungary who showed that it’s possible to break down, transport, rebuild, and power up a power plant capable of supplying 9,000 homes in less than 48 hours. This is a lightning-fast accomplishment in an industry where speed and reliability is usually measured in months.

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?

It would have been impossible for me to accomplish anything without our GE and FieldCore colleagues, and all the wisdom, mentorship, and support I’ve received every single step of my life. It is almost impossible to choose one particular person as I was extremely fortunate to be surrounded by great minds from an early age.

However, there is one particular historical person I have always looked up to — Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. This year marks the 81st anniversary of his passing, but his impact on people from non-developed and developing countries is still felt to this day. He was truly a great leader who brought Turkey into the modern world. His focus on science was always inspiring to me telling those that: “If one day, my words are against science, choose science.”

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 was exposed to extremely different cultures while growing up, which has contributed to me building a diverse sense of resiliency. There will always be people who tell you why you shouldn’t pursue your goals or take them a step further. I decided to use these naysayers as fuel versus a hinderance, and turned this energy into a great strength: resilience and grit. I have leveraged this resiliency and grit to navigate the cultures of every place I have lived — from a disciplined Central European culture to a more friendly Mediterranean way of life to a result-oriented American way of living.

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)

There are several strategies I recommend:

Embrace a culture of respect, one that values inclusive teams and diverse perspectives. Treating everyone with respect and fairness, and holding others accountable to do the same will enable a culture that promotes healthy debates, encourages differing viewpoints, and creates a safe space for exchanging and incubating new ideas. By leveraging diverse perspectives, teams can more effectively weigh their options and reach more informed, dynamic decisions. I try to identify individuals with diverse backgrounds and experience when collaborating and building teams. This is one of the lessons I learned from a 200-MW wind farm project in Canada. By bringing together a team with diverse backgrounds and experiences, we were able to more nimbly make decisions while building a 120-meter wind turbine — and even in a work environment with temperatures at -20 ºC, a windchill at -35 ºC.
Foster transparency and honesty on your teams. I am working every day to better embrace candor, saying what I think, not what people want to hear. In my experience, this creates an environment founded on trust, and protects and inspires transparency. By encouraging an open dialogue — even when it’s uncomfortable — and seeking to explore different viewpoints while communicating clearly, honestly, and constructively, I have broken down silos and created more effective discourse across teams and functions. Of course, this should come without losing sight of confidentiality.
Try to actively listen to internal and external sources. This includes staying informed on the latest industry trends and leading practices and promoting these internally to help stretch and challenge current thinking/approaches and deliver value to your stakeholders. Listening and then asking clarifying questions will also help establish a mutual understanding before arriving at a decision or outcome. And by seeking and accepting constructive feedback, and incorporating others’ ideas into your work, you will likely produce a better outcome overall.
Take time to self-reflect. I always try to learn from my shortcomings as much as I celebrate my wins. You should always look for development opportunities and shouldn’t be afraid to openly share your own developmental areas. It creates a culture of accountability and continuous learning when you acknowledge that there is always room to improve.
Prepare, prepare, prepare. Benjamin Franklin once said that by failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail. While I try to keep that in the back of my mind at all times, I to show persistence to “try and see” without seeking perfection. Being prepared means also being ready to pivot when necessary versus being stuck in your ways. You should consistently be in search of new and better ways to deliver value from your projects.

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

There is no force as powerful as an idea that you truly believe will help you and those around you become better than the day before. Because at the end of the day, people are your key ingredient to success. As Charles de Gaulle said, “Nothing great will ever be achieved without great men, and men are great only if they are determined to be so.”

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.

One thing I learned over time is that it is far better to stay astute like an apprentice versus to strive to master a profession. In fact, it requires much more wisdom and strength to be an apprentice. By maintaining a lifelong sense of exploration and turning to science as a guiding light, you will — as Atatürk once said — have a better chance of being a source of light to those around you.

A mindset that embraces flexibility and adaptability every single day is a must-have skill to succeed in life. Only if you are willing to continually learn and are not paralyzed by new knowledge, can you deliver value in today’s world where even the best laid plans can often shift dramatically.

GE’s Arman Köklü: “They Told Me It Was Impossible And I Did It Anyway” was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Agnieszka Wilk of Decorilla: 5 Things We Need To Do To Close The Gender Wage Gap

I feel equality in education is the foundation for equality growth in other areas whether that be at home, in the workplace or elsewhere. While there are already great organizations combating education inequality, I feel continued attention and initiatives are need to keep the movement progressing.

As part of my series about “the five things we need to do to close the gender wage gap” I had the pleasure of interviewing Agnieszka Wilk.

Agnieszka is the CEO of Decorilla, an online interior design service that connects customers with vetted professional interior designers who create curated 3D and VR spaces based on customer style preferences and budget. With a team of over 300 interior designers and 200 furniture partners, Agnieszka led the first interior design firm to offer VR to clients. She has been featured in publications such as TechCrunch and VentureBeat.

Thank you so much for joining us! Can you tell us the “backstory” that brought you to this career path?

When I was seven I immigrated from Poland to Canada and saw my parents work incredibly hard to learn a new language and create a new life. They taught us that nothing in life is easy, and you have to work hard to reach your goals — that has always stayed with me.

I moved to Seoul after high school and quickly found that my finance background didn’t fit well in South Korea’s male-dominated industry. Being both a woman and foreigner, I was offered an HR position but I know this wasn’t what I really wanted to pursue.

I focused my energy into decorating the apartment, and discovered the financial and time costs of a trial-and-error approach. It led me to thinking about how there’s a lack of online interior design resources to support these kinds of projects. I’d always had a voice in my head saying that I should be an entrepreneur and once I began nurturing this business opportunity, I took the leap.

Today, I run an international online interior design company and know that even though it hasn’t been an easy path, it was definitely the right decision.

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

Funding was a big learning curve for me. In Decorilla’s early days I spent a lot of time researching how to get funding, and honestly, I wasn’t very good at it. Luckily, it turned out to be a blessing in disguise because I have since seen many of our competitors raise tens of millions in funding but try to grow too fast without perfecting the product — which has meant them going under.

Meanwhile, we were focusing on testing, iterating, and getting our services exactly right. The processes taught us to carry a sense of responsibility with us at all, to manage our cash flow, and put quality before quantity. It’s certainly not easy to get organic growth right, but I did learn to slow down in my business processes and do what’s right rather than what’s fastest.

Can you share a story about the funniest or most interesting mistake you made when you were first starting?

Early on when I started Decorilla a lot of people asked me for design advice, especially when I was taking my first sales calls with clients. There would sometimes be an awkward pause or I would try to research answers for them. This took me way too long because I’m not a designer and I hope I gave the right advice! I learned how to properly answer their questions and refer them to the right people. I don’t have a background in design, and as a business professional, I’m the last one that should be giving out design advice, so I learned not to spend time on something that isn’t my personal strength.

Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?

I learned to believe in myself, and to explore avenues that I may not automatically think I’m knowledgeable about. People assume that CEOs have the answer to everything but the truth is, they lean on their teams a lot to be specialized and have in-depth know-how. As time has passed, my team has helped me grow in so many ways, and I can only hope that I return the favor to them on a daily basis.

For me, underrepresentation is a big factor. Women don’t have many role models they can relate to — especially in tech. This is why women often don’t believe they are capable or even welcome in those spaces, it’s what perpetuates the feeling of being an imposter. There are also stereotypes about what kind of work is appropriate for women, which hinder women’s advancement in some fields currently dominated by men.

Likewise, old stereotypes die hard. In this day and age, women are still told they don’t make as much as the men because men have families to support. The claim is bizarre because women are also supporting families, and yet one woman was told by her manager that she “doesn’t need pay equity, you’re married.” This outdated attitude also fuels the misconception that women are paid less because they stay home more to raise children. Yet, not all women are taking time off. Many families rely on two paychecks and cannot afford for one parent to stay home. Studies have even shown that only one third of the women in senior positions in Fortune 100 companies took a leave of absence.

Can you share with our readers what your work is doing to help close the gender wage gap?

We make sure to pay female team members the same as their male counterparts. We also actively look to hire females in tech and product management — an area where women do not get the visibility they deserve.

Additionally, we offer mentoring to all female employees, as well as flexible hours and the option to work from home. This allows women to create their own schedules and grow into their own strengths — it’s important to have the time to focus on projects that empower women to progress no matter the industry they’re in. Striking a work/life balance is crucial for all people, but especially for women, who are often the caregivers in a family, Decorilla tries to curate a healthy, tailored professional life that fits seamlessly with women’s personal lives.

Can you recommend 5 things that need to be done on a broader societal level to close the gender wage gap. Please share a story or example for each.

Low wage workers account for some of the biggest discrepancies in pay between genders, one way to overcome this is to raise minimum wage in general. This also applies to workers who rely heavily on tips for income (a majority female workforce). If legislation is developed where employers have to cover at least 70% of salaries earned from tips, women would have a more equal, stable income.

Similarly, the law can do more to protect women. San Francisco and Vermont have already passed legislation that allows women the ‘right to request’, where they can ask for more flexibility or more regular shift patterns. These practices are necessary for working women to have job security while living their lives. Elsewhere, laws can be passed to improve pay transparency, so women can freely talk about how much they earn and make open comparisons with their male counterparts.

Elsewhere, community programs can do a lot to reduce the gender wage gap. Early childcare and education can allow women to work and build long-term careers without compromising their children’s wellbeing. Especially for single mothers, access to high-quality childcare is essential to keeping and excelling in a job.

Free training plays a big role too in encouraging women and changing the perception of not having opportunities in certain industries or positions. Hosting female-specific training sessions, workshops, webinars, tells women that they are welcome and that they deserve the recognition and reimbursement that men receive. Equally, it’s important to educate all teams, whatever level they are in a company, about why gender equality is important, to review processes in the business, and to have open, honest conversations about improving gender equality there.

As a female immigrant, entrepreneur, and executive I see the lack of education opportunities for women, especially those in poor countries. According to UNICEF, only 66% of countries have reached gender equality in primary school education and the gap only increases in secondary education. ( https://www.unicef.org/education/girls-education) I feel equality in education is the foundation for equality growth in other areas whether that be at home, in the workplace or elsewhere. While there are already great organizations combating education inequality, I feel continued attention and initiatives are need to keep the movement progressing.

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

Surround yourself with the people who push you forward, and not the ones who hold you back. Essentially, people fall into two groups — motors and anchors. Make sure you stick with motors.

I really look up to Oprah for being a strong female representation and pushing forward boundaries not only in her industry but in society as a whole.

This was really meaningful! Thank you so much for your time.

Agnieszka Wilk of Decorilla: 5 Things We Need To Do To Close The Gender Wage Gap was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Voice Coach Alicia Dara: “How To Thrive Despite Experiencing Impostor Syndrome”

I’d like to see companies and corporations transform the workplace invest in their employees’ growth by bringing in fresh perspective from coaches, consultants and trainers rather than adding greater layers of attorneys and HR. I’d also like for every employee to feel safe, supported, and fully autonomous in their position.

As a part of our series about how very accomplished leaders were able to succeed despite experiencing Imposter Syndrome, I had the pleasure of interviewing Alicia Dara.

Alicia Dara is a nationally recognized voice coach based in Seattle. She has helped thousands of people including CEO’s, Global VPs, Executive Directors and Presidential candidates break through blocks, find their voice, and put it to work. Her most popular group training is “Public Speaking Bootcamp for Women”, which helps women strengthen their voices, clarify their messaging, and push back against workplace sexism. Corporate clients include Microsoft (where she is a vendor), WeWork (where she is a vendor), Kimpton Hotels, Planned Parenthood, The Riveter, The Rivkin Center, Carhartt, and Premera. Private clients include the National Women’s Political Caucus, the Female Founders Alliance, and members of Amazon, Merrill Lynch, Seattle Trade Commission, Windermere, and Lake Partners. Alicia was born into a family of Grammy-award winning symphony musicians. She studied musical theater in New York City and is an AMDA grad. As a musician she has released 5 original solo records and 4 with her current band Diamondwolf. Her writings about public speaking and creativity have appeared in Lioness Magazine, Thrive Global, The Select 7, Medium, CoveyClub, The Write Life, and Daily OM. http://www.aliciadara.com/

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’?

My specialty is strengthening women’s voices in the workplace. I have a theater and music background, and since I was a child I’ve performed onstage hundreds of times. I started teaching singing lessons when I was 20, and eventually my singing clients asked me to coach their presentations, talks, toasts and speeches. In the past decade I’ve coached CEO’s, Global VPs, Executive Directors and a Presidential candidate (someone you saw on TV in the 2019 election cycle). I also lead group coaching programs for Enterprise corporations and companies. My job has taken me into almost 200 workplaces, and I’ve gotten to work with many wonderful groups of women. I’m currently working on my first book about how women can find and grow their most powerful voice and put it to work.

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

Coaching a Presidential candidate was enlightening. I was hired to help them clarify their speech and develop vocal stamina, which are crucial skills for any public figure. I’ve worked with politicians’ voices before, but the demands of a Presidential campaign are intense, to say the least. I can’t tell you the Candidate’s name, because I signed a non-disclosure agreement. But I can tell you that they’re a sitting politician. And by the time a politician has leveled-up to a Presidential campaign, they’re completely surrounded by people: advisors, policy makers, trainers, consultants, and coaches like me. All those people have the same job: to keep the Candidate from making a public mistake that could cost them the Presidential nomination. The stakes couldn’t be higher. In short, the Candidate is NEVER allowed to speak directly about what’s on their mind. They’re completely bound by the rules of the game, which dictate that they MUST stick to the script. This realization changed the way I coach my clients. Now I encourage them to speak boldly and confidently, and to value their freedom to be spontaneous and experimental when expressing thoughts, ideas and opinions. All of us should enjoy this powerful freedom.

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

My practice is focused primarily on uplifting and strengthening women’s voices at work. I made this choice deliberately, because women (especially women of color) don’t yet have political, social and economic parity in this country. The solution is complex, and not easily solved. The piece that I work on is helping women find and grow their most powerful voice, which includes communication strategies, presence, and clear career objectives, as well as the sound and strength of the voice itself. It’s also about sharing the mic with women who have been marginalized and amplifying their voices so they can get due credit for their ideas and hard work. None of us are powerful until we all have power.

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?

My clients teach me as much as I teach them. I work with many extraordinary immigrant women who have overcome enormous obstacles to come to America and follow their dreams of career success. From them I’ve learned that my previous definition of “grit” was completely wrong! These women have persevered through endless trials, but they’ve never lost faith in themselves. They’ve taught me to dig deeper into myself and stay focused on what truly matters. Perseverance, focus, dedication and faith in yourself make up my new gritty paradigm.

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?

For most people the feeling of Impostor Syndrome at work is simply that they don’t feel qualified to do the job. That may or may not be true according to their CV and the level of their skills and experience. But there are certain outlying factors that can affect this perception. When I work with a client who identifies as having Impostor Syndrome about their current role or the one they’re about to take on, the first thing I ask them is, “Do you REALLY want this?”. In other words, is this role something you chose, something you own, something you’ve been dreaming of? The dream might not fit the dreamer, in which case your chances of success could be lower in that role than one that you’ve been deliberately striving for. On the other hand, it might be that you can grow into that role and thrive there. So we take some time to sort that out. After that I take clients through a series of daily and weekly exercises that are designed to build lasting confidence and help them leave Impostor Syndrome behind for good.

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

If we give into Impostor Syndrome it can have serious effects on our career. We might not speak up for presentations or promotions, fearing that our ideas won’t measure up. Over a lifetime that can cost us thousands, or even millions that we leave on the table because we don’t think we deserve it.

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

Impostor Syndrome can color our perception of those around us, especially at work. We might believe that everyone else is smarter, faster, and more important that us. We see them getting recognition for their work and getting promoted. We might think we’ll never get there and give up trying.

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

When I got my first major corporate coaching job my bio was included in an email listing of all the coaches and consultants who were going to work for the company that year. When I took a look at the others, I saw that many of them had degrees from Harvard, Yale or some other Ivy League school. I felt immediately intimidated, and unsure if I belonged in that group. I woke up shaking on my very first day of work, but I did a quick Power Mediation and steadied myself for the job head. I taught 2 Speech and Presentation workshops to big groups of women that day. I so enjoyed working with them that I forgot all about my Impostor Syndrome. At the end of the day a few of the women came up to me to chat. They told me that the previous coaches had all been “dry, boring academics”, and that my interactive workshop had been miles above any other training they’d had that year. That was my very last day of Impostor Syndrome!

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

As I mentioned in the story above, I’ve never had Impostor Syndrome since that day. Knowing that my skills and content stood out to a group that had been working with all kinds of experts for a year was very reassuring. Going forward I’ve learned to trust my instincts and stay open to feedback from clients, which is ultimately the best learning tool for any serious coach.

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.

Ask yourself: do I genuinely want this task/role/position? If the answer is yes, go to Step 2. If not, choose another option that gets you excited. One of my clients, a GM at a car company, was offered the role of Global VP but couldn’t get excited about it. She realized that the new role would require too much travel time away from her family, so she turned it down. A year later a VP position came up, and she was able to enjoy a salary hike while staying in her region.
Make a list of skills/knowledge/resources that would help you feel more equipped to take on the task/role/position. One of my clients, a hardworking attorney, was offered a partnership at her law firm. She accepted right away but had “buyer’s remorse” for months before she figured out that she needed an Executive Coach to help her find more presence. Working on these things from the outside in actually helped her connect to her confidence from the inside out, and she is thriving in her new role.
Create a list of trusted friends and/or colleagues that you can go to for feedback. Think of these people as your personal Board of Advocates and ask them to tell you what skills you need to improve. As a solo business owner I’ve always leaned on my own personal Board when things get lonely or rough. They’ve helped me stay sane and focus on building from my strengths.
Work on clear communication. Once you move into a leadership position you’re expected to speak up and advocate for yourself and your team. I once worked with the Executive Director of a non-profit who called a day-long all-hands meeting for her organization and didn’t speak once during the entire 5 hours! No wonder her inbox was flooded with questions for the next 6 weeks; no one knew what she wanted or how to get it done.
Resolve to stay open and coachable and keep building your skillset. People often think that high-level leaders are experts who are set in their ways. This is untrue! The best ones are constantly seeking out new ideas and fresh perspectives and learning new skills that they bring with them to everything they do.

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. 🙂

I’d like to see companies and corporations transform the workplace invest in their employees’ growth by bringing in fresh perspective from coaches, consultants and trainers (rather than adding greater layers of attorneys and HR). I’d also like for every employee to feel safe, supported, and fully autonomous in their position.

We are blessed that some very prominent leaders read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US, with whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them 🙂

There are three women whose careers I’ve followed closely. One of them is Moj Madara, the CEO of Beautycon. One is Christiane Amanpour, the journalist and TV anchor. One is Samantha Power, the academic and author. I often quote these women and use examples from their biographies to give my clients insight and perspective. Coffee with any of them would be a lifetime highlight.

How can our readers follow you on social media?

You can certainly follow me, but I give out the majority of my content to my monthly email list. Sign up on my website:

http://www.aliciadara.com/

https://www.facebook.com/aliciadaravoicecoach/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/aliciadara/

https://www.instagram.com/aliciadaravoicecoach/

https://twitter.com/aliciadaracoach

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

My pleasure, thanks for having me!

Voice Coach Alicia Dara: “How To Thrive Despite Experiencing Impostor Syndrome” was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Gary Frayter of ‘I Believe in Me’: They Told Me It Was Impossible And I Did It Anyway

I want to inspire people to be the absolute best versions of themselves. Life is short, and it’s easy to get sidetracked. Focus on what is important and work towards becoming the best version of yourself and achieving your dreams. Whether that is through fitness, education, financial pursuits, make sure you’re working towards being better and living the life you want every day.

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 Gary Frayter.

Gary Frayter is the founder and CEO of I Believe in Me, a lifestyle clothing brand aimed to inspire and empower people to succeed. Gary’s professional background is in social media, content creation and marketing. He is also a certified personal trainer. In addition to building his business venture and working full-time as a digital content creator, Gary is currently pursuing a master’s degree in marketing communication management at Manhattanville College. He holds a bachelor’s degree in communications from Pace University.

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 first-generation American. My parents came to the United States from Latvia when I was two years old. As most children of immigrant parents, I grew up with my imagination focused on the American Dream while being keenly aware of how much sacrifice, hard work and perseverance it takes to achieve it.

Growing up, I went through my share of struggles, being bullied in school and suffering from attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Thanks to my ability to maintain a positive attitude in the face of adversity and having a strong desire to succeed, I eventually turned things around.

Now 24 years old, I just launched my own company called I Believe in Me. It’s a lifestyle clothing brand that aims to inspire and empower people to succeed no matter what type of adversity or challenge they are facing.

It took me three years to get from an idea to securing a trademark, designing clothes, figuring out manufacturing and logistics, and actually opening my online store for business. During this time, I had a full-time job in communications, which I still do, as well as worked odd jobs to earn additional money so I could put it towards building my company. Now, I am excited to see that my dream of being an entrepreneur is coming true.

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

I Believe in Me is a new venture. There’s a ton of work that needs to be done, from providing our clients with exceptional customer experience, to making sure our online operation runs smoothly to engaging potential customers through social media. It is extremely exciting. One of the things I am looking to do right now is to work with up and coming influencers to promote our three products: T-shirts, crewnecks and joggers.

In terms of how it’ll help people — this is what I Believe in Me brand is all about. It is a lifestyle and a world view that we are offering people with the goal to help them believe that no matter where they come from, what adversities they may be facing or what goals they have, they will succeed if they believe in themselves.

It’s a powerful statement that has the potential to help anyone, be it an athlete, an entrepreneur, a kid who is bullied in school, a person with a disability or someone who has a dream but is afraid to pursue it.

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

No doubt, what makes my brand to standout from the crowd is our purpose to support and empower people to succeed. There are many clothing brands out there, some worth billions of dollars, that don’t really mean anything. Their mission statements are uninspiring, unintelligible and lack purpose. Today, however, to keep consumer attention and loyalty, brands need to do more than sell quality products at fair prices. To ensure longevity, they need to build connections and a strong relevance with consumers based on common purpose and values. This is central to the company I am building. The “I believe in me” message resonates with people and elevates them, and that is why we stand out.

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?

When you follow your dreams you are guaranteed to meet a lot of naysayers along the way. I was not an exception. My first application for the I Believe in Me trademark was rejected. Someone else had a similar company name, and every lawyer I spoke with told me that my chances of winning the rights to the brand name were extremely slim. With perseverance, I finally was able to find a lawyer who agreed to take the case. The legal battle lasted over two years. Many times people would tell me to drop it. They told me that I was spending too much money for the uncertain outcome and that it was a crazy idea to start a business having just finished college with a ton of student debt. Nevertheless, I kept moving forward. I put out into the universe that this is something I wanted, and it ended up working out.

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

I don’t live my life to prove someone wrong or right. I just know that the only “yes” I need to follow my dreams is mine.

My family has always had my back and helped me out, even when they didn’t fully understand my ideas. But the person who I drew inspiration from and who in that way helped me get on this path is Conor McGregor, a now retired MMA fighter and UFC world champion.

A simple boy from Dublin, he was able to completely change the mixed martial arts sport, and achieve incredible success and global fame. When I was going through my trademark dispute, I kept telling myself that if this kid from Ireland fought tooth and nail to make it big, I can do the same. He worked obsessively hard to improve his skill and become an amazing fighter, a showman and a businessman. I admire that and also relate to his ability to control his life with the power of positive thinking.

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, I was bullied for being less athletic looking and shorter than my peers. That experience helped me to build a strong character and resilience. I am now at the point where I truly don’t pay attention to naysayers and people’s opinions about me. It’s totally fine if people like me or don’t like me. In the face of negativity, I keep smiling and keep moving forward.

Moreover, I spent my early teen years doing mixed martial arts, training alongside grown adults. That experience helped me build this no-quit attitude, which is so instrumental now.

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)

Have a clear vision of what you want to achieve. It is incredibly easy to be side-tracked by listening to other people’s opinions. They give you their ideas of why your business will not work or how your product should look. It’s good to listen to others, but if you don’t have a crystal clear vision of what you want to achieve, you are at risk of taking other people’s advice, good or bad, even if it is not right for you.
Take action. You can have the best ideas in the world but if you’re not taking action it means nothing. I Believe in Me could’ve simply been an idea in my mind that I never executed on. Instead, I’m here bringing my dreams to fruition.
Discipline is the most important thing because when you don’t want to do something, discipline will keep you accountable. Marketing on social media, for example, requires a ton of discipline. I need to be diligent enough to continue to find influencers, create content, and build my social media presence.
Just keep going! No matter what is in your way you have to continue moving forward. We’ve all been through things in life that we at one point or another never thought we’d get through. The key is to continue pushing. In my life it was both when I was going through bullying as well as the trademark dispute. I knew eventually things would get better, and they did.
Only you can make your dreams come true. Nobody would have cared if I Believe in Me took off or not. I had to put in the work to make this happen. Nobody is going to do any work for you whether that is in business, in school, in relationships or in the gym. Therefore, it’s important to take care of your own life because at the end of the day nobody will care more about your dreams than you.

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

“No matter where life takes me or the adversity I may face along the way… I Believe in Me.” That’s a quote that I came up with for my brand. It’s my personal philosophy that I want to share with others.

I want to inspire people to be the absolute best versions of themselves. Life is short, and it’s easy to get sidetracked. Focus on what is important and work towards becoming the best version of yourself and achieving your dreams. Whether that is through fitness, education, financial pursuits, make sure you’re working towards being better and living the life you want every day.

Can our readers follow you on social media?

Twitter: @IBIMbrand

Instagram: i_believe_in_me_brand

Facebook: @ibelieveinmebrand

Website: ibelieveinmebrand.com

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

Gary Frayter of ‘I Believe in Me’: They Told Me It Was Impossible And I Did It Anyway was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Vikki Louise: “How To Thrive Despite Experiencing Impostor Syndrome”

…Uncover all of your own self-talk and self-criticism and challenge it. For example, if your brain tell you that you aren’t good at something, challenge it by asking a powerful question. In what ways am I good?

As a part of our series about how very accomplished leaders were able to succeed despite experiencing Imposter Syndrome, I had the pleasure of interviewing Vikki Louise.

Vikki works with ambitious overachievers, teaching them how to manage their anxiety & procrastination so they can focus, and show up consistently to create impact. She has a no BS approach blending neuroscience, evolutionary biology, life coaching tools and tough love that teach people to understand their brain, rewire their thinking — and feel empowered to get things done. Vikki graduated from the London School of Economics and worked in finance and tech for years before moving into coaching full time. She hosts the top rated F*CK Anxiety & Get Sh*t Done podcast available on iTunes and Spotify. Find out more about her at www.vikkilouise.com

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’?

Sure. I am a serial relocator, I have lived across four continents in the past ten years and that is what started my self-development journey. I call relocating the lazy way to self-development because when you literally step out of the known into a new country, you are forced into making active choices about your life, your schedule, and the people you will meet. Of course it isn’t lazy at all. And soon I realized I could learn to make active choices and take responsibility for my life without the relocation.

I worked in finance and tech but I was always drawn to helping people, and so in 2016 I decided to quit my successful career in finance and go all in on coaching. I love working with clients all over the world and teaching them how to manage their brain, our most powerful tool. We are never taught about our brains and this work changes everything. Knowing that our brains are wired to be lazy, for example, can relieve us of so much self-criticism that frees up our energy to problem solve.

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

Eight years ago I was living in New York, in an intense sales job. I didn’t love it and yet I decided to stay in the job… until I was fired. I am so grateful that this happened. It taught me to not be afraid to make decisions for what is best for me. It also propelled me out of a career I that wasn’t fulfilling. I had feared losing my job and when I did, it was the best thing. So I also learned how our brain catastrophizes things. That thing that you are worried about happening? You’ll survive it. Humans are highly adaptable and I am pleased to have learned that early on in my career.

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

I talk about anxiety in a way that most people don’t. Honestly, in a way that I didn’t know of until I was experiencing my own panic attacks on a daily basis. I remember going to Dr Google and having conversations that were all telling me that I had a disorder, and there was something wrong with me that needed to be fixed. And this is where I saw the gap. “1 in 5 American adults will suffer from an anxiety disorder”, I remember reading that sentence and meeting it with some confusion. My statistics background told me 20% of a sample size of over 100million wasn’t a disorder, it was a trend. And so my research began. There is a lot of confusing misinformation out there about anxiety & procrastination. My goal is to simplify it and my business is built off integrity because I was truly my very first client years ago. This comes through in everything I do and allows me to get clients results. I hear from people that listening to the first ten episodes of my podcast did more for them than 3 years in therapy, for example.

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?

I am grateful for so many people, truly. But I will mention my dad today. He told me that I could be successful at anything. He said even the best garbage woman can build a business, hire people, train people and create success.

Imposter syndrome simply put is not crediting ourselves with our success, and disassociating with it to the point where we use our success to criticize ourselves. People with imposter syndrome feel fear of being caught out, doubt of their abilities, shame for the experience itself.

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

The downsides include, but are not limited to, playing small, quitting, withdrawing, engaging in self-criticism. These of course also filter into procrastination. The more we sit in Imposter Syndrome, the less we get done, which only goes on to feed the imposter syndrome once again. This cycle can ultimately cost careers, relationships and on a larger scale, solutions to world problems. I always say that each of us are uniquely positioned to solve for certain problems, so when we are not able to show up for them, it doesn’t just cost us, or the people close to us, it can literally cost the world. It limits people as a distraction from productivity. It limits people as it impacts their confidence. With low self-esteem comes a likelihood of not speaking up, not going for promotions, not engaging with colleagues or clients or even in personal relationships.

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

Hugely. It can be mistaken for being rude. It isn’t that, of course, but we don’t walk around with a sign sharing our imposter syndrome. Typically one would be quiet, withdrawn, less likely to engage with others and be responsive.

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

Sure. I remember my first day at the London School of Economics, we sat in the giant lecture hall and we were told that we were there because we were the best. My brain immediately went to, “I don’t belong” and talked me out of being there. To the point where I went to the head of Economics at another university and begged to be transferred and let into their program, convinced I would fail. I am so grateful to him, because he told me that I didn’t realize the opportunity I was giving up, and he was right, and said I could transfer at the end of the year, no sooner, and so I committed to staying for the full year.

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

Yes, this experience inspired me to help others and become a coach. We believe our brain and it keeps us playing small, this is why I love coaching ambitious overachievers, just because we are successful or appear to have success on paper doesn’t mean we have confidence. Learning how to create self-confidence on demand has allowed me to lean in to discomfort, trust myself and show up for my ambitious goals. Now I coach other people to do the same. We also can sit and question, OK, my brain thinks I didn’t create this, but what if I did? And look back to see what steps were taken, what we were thinking that allowed us to take action, how we were feeling at different points. I call this the success blueprint. It clears up exactly how we created the success so we stop attributing it to something outside of us, or luck. Then typically we can apply that same blueprint to other goals too. Win, win.

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.

Yes, sure. Five steps would be:

Celebrate wins — our brains tend to skin over success and sit in our failures. Nothing is too small. The more we celebrate our success, the more empowered we feel, the more we are going to create MORE success. Often clients come to me to manage their procrastination and end up losing weight, earning more and with better relationships. It’s so fun.
Review the steps — Evaluate what worked and why, this is really important. So we can see how exactly WE created those results. Again, we skim over this, but this is where we take ownership for our success. Our brain will literally forget things on purpose because of our cognitive bias. I had a client tell me that something great just happened to her, and because we had done the work to create it, I was able to point out to her… actually, you decided you were all in for the experience, showed up committed, and created your own success
Apply what worked — Continue to apply what worked, over and over, so you see yourself as the creator AND it has the added bonus of more success. If switching your phone on airplane mode as you work allows you to get more done, then do it again and again. Then credit yourself for being committed to being focused
Learn to self-validate vs relying on others — this is really important. We so often wait for other people to validate us. It doesn’t work. Learn to validate yourself by consciously spending time doing it. Not lying to yourself or saying things you don’t believe, but saying things you do believe, yes. For example, I have a client that believed she could do anything she chose to do. Owning that vs focusing on what she “should” do changed everything.
Better relationship with self — Uncover all of your own self-talk and self-criticism and challenge it. For example, if your brain tell you that you aren’t good at something, challenge it by asking a powerful question. In what ways am I good?

Happiness is contagious, let’s smile to strangers.

Ellen DeGeneres

How can our readers follow you on social media?

https://www.instagram.com/vikkilouise___

https://www.facebook.com/vikkilouisecoaching/

And of course, check out the podcast for short, actionable tools each week to manage procrastination, anxiety and more. Click for iTunes and Spotify

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

Vikki Louise: “How To Thrive Despite Experiencing Impostor Syndrome” was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Dr. John Paul Tutela: “Social media has the broadest most long term impact to the entire beauty…

Dr. John Paul Tutela: “Social media has the broadest most long term impact to the entire beauty industry then any one product could”

Having realistic expectations helps ground us. Everything else is just like the sugar on top. I remember a line from a beauty brand “You are already beautiful, now lets have some fun” this really resonated with me. We are all beautiful in our own ways. The aesthetic industry is just here to play on those qualities and lets you have fun with the looks you are trying to achieve.

I had the pleasure of interviewing John Paul Tutela.

Dr. Tutela is a board certified plastic surgeon with offices in New York City and Livingston, NJ. He first rose to prominence when his patient Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi featured him on her YouTube channel in 2016 following her successful mommy makeover. Snooki then referred her former co-star Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino to Dr. Tutela who then operated on the reality star’s girlfriend, Lauren Pesce. Dr. Tutela continues to appear in the press for his expertise surrounding natural looking plastic surgery and his frank discussion of things like preventive Botox and bad plastic surgery. He has been seen and talked about on prominent radio shows such as KTU Radio’s “Carolina & Cubby”, and in media outlets including NewBeauty.com, Daily Mail and Reader’s Digest. Dr. Tutela uses his Instagram as a platform to connect with current and prospective patients as well as the media and other influencers. Followers get a glimpse into the daily life of the doctor shaping New Jersey, from surgeries to what he is making for dinner.

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?

My grandfather and my father we’re doctors before me, and so are my two brothers, so you can say it is in my blood. I wanted to be a plastic surgeon before I even knew what it was. Like many boys at the age of five, I wanted to be just like my father. Watching him at work, I realized quickly how a kind word or a gentle touch could change a patient’s experience. Regardless of the situation, my father always put a smile on everyone’s face, patients and colleagues alike. As a busy community plastic surgeon he showed me the value of hard work, the importance of family and the benefit of loving your career. As I learned more about medicine I knew for sure I wanted to be a surgeon. I love the idea I’m having a problem coming up with plan to fix it. There was a sense of immediate gratification that only surgery could provide. When it comes to plastic surgery the things that really drew me to it is that in a world of specialists it is one of the only fields that still allows you operate from head to toe. It allows you to maintain creativity as the same problem can have multiple solutions, and multiple designs to the way those solutions are approached. We are able to tackle a wide range of problems from cancer to trauma to aesthetics.

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

I was in my new York city office seeing patients and I got a call from E!News asking if I could run over to 30 Rock and film live for Daily Pop to talk about a textured implant that was being recalled. I was able to shuffle my schedule around jump in a cab and entered the famous 30 Rockafeller center and filmed live coast to coast.

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?

It was around the 2nd year after I opened my practice, I started advertising more and I had just finished Nicole “Snookie” Polizzi’s Surgery. She was leaving my office and asked what my Instagram account was and she was gonna give me a “shout out”. I had been meaning for months to dedicate more time to my social media presence and looked at my account and realized it wasn’t updated in a while and If she was going to give my practice a promotion that I needed to get my account looking great. So I went home that day and arranged my before and after photos and spent the time to clean up my IG page.

Lessons to get from that is when you have your own business nothing beats investing in yourself. Any extra money I had from the practice went into more advertising. Any extra time I had I invested in making my IG page up to date, and keeping my audience engaged with daily stories.

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?

Its hard to focus on just one person. I would say my family as a whole has always been my greatest asset. I grew up in a traditional Italian-American household that was constantly filled with grandparents, siblings, cousins, aunts, and uncles who came over every week for Sunday dinner. Living in a large close-knit family has exposed me to a myriad of emotions and taught me how to be flexible and open-minded during stressful situations. These invaluable lessons have allowed me to create solidarity with my patients. I have found that patients are perceptive to the subtleties in their caretakers and often their attitudes change depending on that care.

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? — this is where the writer and I discussed social media and how it has impacted your brand.

There are new devices that come out every year, so instead of focusing on a new product I would like to point to the impact of social media. I think that has the broadest most long term impact to the entire beauty industry then any one product could. Think about it, 10 to 15 years ago it would have been inconceivable to think that people wouldn’t be publicly posting on the Internet Photos that most people would have considered private. Not only are the photos being posted but a step-by-step way to achieve that look is being disclosed, from a facial, to injectables to Cosmetic surgery. This has shattered the taboo of getting procedures done to enhance your aesthetics. I think this helps people immensely. They no longer have to feel ashamed that they had a procedure to make them feel better about the way they look. People in turn are more informed and educated about what to look for and how to prepare for in person consultation. An educated patient is an empowered patient

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?

What you see often times are photoshopped photos and body types that are just digitally enhanced. So people can become obsessed with things that are not even realistic. This has the downside of making people feel worse about not being able to achieve that look. The way to battle that is to make sure your sources are reputable. As a board certified plastic surgeon we maintain the strictest standard not only in patient care but also in how we show things in advertising and in social media.

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

Non surgical procedure are expanding more than any other segment of the industry. It is great to see results with less downtime. It is best when it is combined with some surgical procedures as there are somethings that can only be achieved in the operating room

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?

The most concerning thing that I see is that there are more and more unqualified people performing these procedures. I think there is a real risk for injury. Ultimately the best way for a patient to be safe is to go to a repudible provider. The American Board of Plastic Surgery has a list of all surgeons in the United States that are certified.

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.)

Looking your best is not only about addressing issues from the outside in. A healthy body and lifestyle, a clear mind and good positive energy is vital to looking and feeling your best. Think about it, when you are sad or depressed or just not feeling well, when you look in the mirror your face appears more sunken in, the corners of your mouth turn down and even your skin seems dull and matted. However on days that you feel great, the expression on your face becomes more inviting, you can see a twinkle in your eyes and your overall demeanor becomes warm and approachable.

Basically just what I was saying in the above question. So much of our experience is determined from what is happening inside ourselves. How we feel, how we eat and exercise will shape how we look. Feeling grateful what we have in life helps inspire others. Having realistic expectations helps ground us. Everything else is just like the sugar on top. I remember a line from a beauty brand “You are already beautiful, now lets have some fun” this really resonated with me. We are all beautiful in our own ways. The aesthetic industry is just here to play on those qualities and lets you have fun with the looks you are trying to achieve.

Dr. John Paul Tutela: “Social media has the broadest most long term impact to the entire beauty… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Lynne McNamee of Lone Armadillo Marketing: “How To Thrive Despite Experiencing Impostor Syndrome”

Fail every day. When we become comfortable that our failures are measures of success, we won’t fear those failures anymore. Innovation depends upon frequent failure and trying again. Don’t let fear rule you. Like a balloon, have a little bit of growth each day and your capacity will grow. You will still be going outside of your comfort zone, but that zone will steadily increase.

As a part of our series about how very accomplished leaders were able to succeed despite experiencing Imposter Syndrome, I had the pleasure of interviewing Lynne McNamee, President, Lone Armadillo Marketing.

As founder and President of Lone Armadillo Marketing Agency, Lynne McNamee has been a professional in the marketing field for twenty years. Having directed the Avis Rent A Car®, Hewlett-Packard Company and Bank of America® accounts (among others) at Dryden Partners in Connecticut, Lynne has deep experience in both strategy and execution for Fortune 50 clients. She is recognized as a unique and creative thinker, most notably for introducing synergies among brands, products and new technologies. In 2007, she was noted by the New York Times for her innovative thinking. In 2015, Lynne and her agency relocated to the Dallas, Texas area.

She holds a B.A. from The University of Virginia and an M.A. from Boston College. Lynne is an active Rotarian…and would love to get you involved!

Lynne has a special affinity for the Learning, Talent and Human Capital Management industries and has been a presenter and panelist for The Elearning Guild, TLDChat and ATD International Conference.

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’?

I started off pursuing a Ph.D. to become a professor, then shifted into working at a marketing agency, which was wholly unrelated to my field of study. As an account executive, I managed client relations, customer success and worked as an overall project manager. After 8 years, I started my own agency, having learned web design, SEO, SEM, Inbound Marketing and social media. In 2015, I started as the marketing director for a company which consults for the Corporate Learning world. This shifted my focus to marketing and consulting for Learning, Talent and Human Capital Management companies.

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

I’m not sure if it is the most interesting, but it was definitely a ‘moment of truth.’ When I started with this consultancy, 9am the first day, we started a rebranding. One and half months later, the new brand was rolled out: logo, tag line, colors, fonts, reference language about products and services, collateral templates, and print materials and trade show booths in production. A high degree of confidence in my own abilities and knowledge were required. There was little time to waffle, yet there was a lot at stake financially for the company, in terms of reputation, market share and out of pocket expenses.

Through that process, I learned to be bold in asking questions from all levels of the organization and of partners. I learned to trust my instincts which were developed over years of experience. I also came to really value my commitment to documenting everything. With so many moving pieces, it’s hard to hold the status of everything in one’s head, or ‘who said what’ and what was the final decision.

In short, I thankfully, by that point in my career, had a reasonable sense of my strengths and weaknesses, and knew how to work with both.

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

Lone Armadillo is a marketing agency, but we’re focused on sales metrics. While other agencies focus on impressions and clicks, we’re focused on things like Lifetime Value of Customer, Average Deal Size and Velocity to Close. We are systems thinkers, so we look at the whole process, not just, say, on-page SEO for a website. How many salespeople are there? What are the margins on different product or service lines? What is the business priority — cash flow or market penetration?

For example, with one client, they had a very small sales team. Their time needed to be prioritized with high quality leads and support for renewing existing clients. By improving the quality of the website content, improving their marketing analytics and automation, and establishing workflows in both the marketing and sales CRMs, we improved sales metrics and saved hours of time for all involved. We looked beyond the immediate request (improved SEO) to solve the true problems the company faced.

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?

At the consultancy, there were a couple of salespeople truly willing to support marketing and sales alignment. They understood and saw the results of “if you give me this information, I can get you that many better leads.” They also helped me grow in understanding the pressures they were under and how they processed the information they received. By improving communication between sales and marketing from a place of trust, both sides benefited.

Impostor Syndrome, as I think of it, is that someone with some knowledge and competency thinks and/or feels like others know so much more than they do, and that people will find out how little they actually know. It’s a fear based on a lack of trust in one’s own ability.

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

When we don’t trust our ability, we either stay silent for fear of being caught out…or we don’t ask questions or share our reservations, again, out of fear. When we experience it, we might not make decisions or recommendations we should, or suggest things we shouldn’t. It can also feel so overwhelming, that we stop even trying to learn more.

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

Fear often comes out as anger, so when someone challenges us if we are suffering from Impostor Syndrome, we can respond disproportionately, as a defensive mechanism. We can misalign our trust in the wrong people, because their positions are comforting and reassuring, versus challenging us to grow or admit where we are wrong or outdated with our thinking.

At the same time, it should be noted that there are people who are Impostors who don’t seem to suffer from this…or they cover it by acting very confident in their knowledge, which when others hear them, makes one second guess themselves, even though the listeners truly know more than the boasters.

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

Marketing is a field that is changing daily. Hourly. New apps, new strategies, new influencers, etc. It is impossible to stay on to of it all…so feeling like an impostor is pretty much a given. In addition, because I have been doing marketing for so many years, I just assumed everyone knew most of the things I knew, which were so familiar to me like breathing, so what unique knowledge did I have to offer?

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

I finally got over the feeling of Impostor Syndrome when I started sharing my expertise in the Corporate Learning arena. By writing articles, submitting — and being accepted — to present at some major trade industry conferences, I was able to hear from people I respected that I was offering new and valuable information.

Once I had that affirmation from this external group, I had more confidence within my industry to hear conversations differently. Now, when I heard things that seemed wrong or outdated to me, I spoke up and offered what I believed was the correct or better option. I no longer assumed I was in the wrong.

By having my expertise acknowledged in a different industry, it gave me some confidence to be bolder in my own.

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.

Schedule and Document your Learning
Have daily, monthly and yearly goals of what you want to learn. Have outcomes that you want and work towards those, such as certified in Inbound Marketing, how to retouch photos without having to keep looking up the instructions, etc. Be deliberate and schedule time each day to learn some knew information and to practice. Keep a log so you can see evidence of your efforts. Pay yourself first by protecting the time allotted for learning.
Fail every day
When we become comfortable that our failures are measures of success, we won’t fear those failures anymore. Innovation depends upon frequent failure and trying again. Don’t let fear rule you. Like a balloon, have a little bit of growth each day and your capacity will grow. You will still be going outside of your comfort zone, but that zone will steadily increase.
Stretch projects/ Volunteer
As a volunteer, sometimes there are opportunities to try new things that your regular job might not allow. This will give you the chance to test out your new skills and gain some experience. In addition, you’ll have the chance to interact with a new set of potential mentors. Because you are giving of yourself, when you ask for advice and instruction, there is a sense of mutuality and people will be more eager to give you input.
Ask questions
Everyone else knows something you don’t. That’s a given. If you know an area where you feel insecure, find people who are obvious experts and read what they write. If questions remain, ask particular questions if it’s their area of passion. Or connect with someone else who follows the same individuals and who, maybe, comments thoughtfully on the expert’s profile. Perhaps you can ask that person, if the main expert isn’t available.
Act as If
When I do event planning, this is our motto…if we don’t tell people it’s supposed to be a different way, they won’t know that reality wasn’t the plan. Similarly, act as if you know enough to do what you’re currently doing, but humble enough to know you need to learn more to do the next step. Don’t broadcast your weaknesses, but rather use them as a point to connect with others and let them share their weaknesses with you, too. The world is populated with a lot of people with different skills. We need each other. Be the brave one who steps forth and says, I can do X, but I can’t do Y. Can you teach me?

It’s already been invented — Rotary! This global service and networking organization is changing communities around the world by uniting people with different skills and resources to address: child and maternal health; water, sanitation and hygiene; literacy; disease eradication and prevention; economic development; peace and conflict resolution and supporting the environment. Join an existing club or start a new one! For high school, college and professional age adults, this diverse and inclusive organization is looking for you! (Contact me if you are interested)

Tony Robbins — For several reasons, but largely to say “thank you” for the many meals his donated and contributions to many great causes, in addition to his guidance to so many to decide and act.

How can our readers follow you on social media?

Best is LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lynnemcnamee/

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

Lynne McNamee of Lone Armadillo Marketing: “How To Thrive Despite Experiencing Impostor Syndrome” was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Inventor Julie Austin: “They Told Me It Was Impossible And I Did It Anyway”

Follow your passion — If you’re not following your passion, it’s way too easy for a naysayer to step on your dreams. If what you’re doing is a passion you just have to see through to the end, you will make sure you achieve it. Walt Disney was fired from a newspaper job because he was told he “lacked imagination and had no good ideas.” Good thing he followed his passion and didn’t listen to the naysayers.

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 Julie Austin.

Julie Austin is an award-winning author, inventor, futurist, and innovation keynote speaker. She’s an internationally known thought leader on the topic of innovation, and CEO of the consulting firm Creative Innovation Group. She’s been an innovation keynote speaker for corporations such as Procter & Gamble, Novartis Pharmaceuticals, Northrop Grumman, and Cognizant Technology Solutions. She’s also been featured in the books “Patently Female” and “Girls Think of Everything”.

Her patented product, swiggies, wrist water bottles, have been a NASDAQ product of the year semi finalist and are currently sold in 24 countries. Julie and her products have appeared on The Today Show, The Queen Latifa Show, HGTV, Lifetime, ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX News, Inc. magazine, Fast Company, and the Wall Street Journal, along with dozens of TV shows, magazines and radio shows around the world.

Her new books “The Money Garden: How to Plant the Seeds for a Lifetime of Income” and “From the King’s Court to Kickstarter: Patronage in the Modern Era” are currently available on Amazon.

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 started out as an actor in TV shows, movies and commercials. I had no real background as a business owner. I became one as an accident when I passed out while running from dehydration. I looked everywhere for a hands-free water bottle, but I couldn’t find one on the market.

I decided to invent one myself, but had no idea how hard that would be. I got a patent, built a prototype, and started working 2 jobs to pay for this new venture. Slowly I learned how to manufacture a product and found a factory in Malaysia to make it. Then I had to figure out the packaging, distribution and marketing.

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

Since I learned the hard way how to invent a product and get it on the market, I’m now able to help other small and large companies do the same. It was a very big learning curve!

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

I’m able to teach others how to invent and innovate because I went through it the hard way and learned everything from the ground up.

Inventors do the impossible. They do what hasn’t been done before. Therefore, there’s no blueprint on how to do it or any guarantee that it will work. So, inventors are always being told something is impossible and it will never work. They do it anyway. You can’t be an inventor and listen to other people say that something can’t be done. Maybe it won’t work. Not everything does. But inventors will try everything possible to make it work and figure out the solutions to problems.

When I first started working on swiggies, the wrist water bottles, I had many people who told me along the way that I should give up. Especially when I was at the point where I had maxed out my credit cards and was working 2 jobs. At that point I was too far in to quit. I knew my idea would work and I kept at it. It was a lonely time though. As an inventor or innovator you will probably go through times when you are the only one who believes in your idea.

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

Though I haven’t made millions of dollars yet, I have made my money back and then some. If you were to add up all of the time and energy I’ve spent on the product I guess you would say I haven’t gotten very far. But I still haven’t licensed the product or sold my business yet. I’ve been racking up more intellectual property which is very valuable in itself.

I have also turned my learning curve lessons into a thriving motivational speaking career and have been a highly paid consultant for major corporations. So I still have made it a success.

I did have a turning point in my manufacturing career and it all happened by accident. I had paid for a booth at a sports trade show. It turned out that it really wasn’t my market at all. After a very bad morning at the booth I decided to close it up and go home.

As I walked the show I ran into a guy who was doing the same thing. He said it also wasn’t his market. But he gave me some advice that totally changed the way I sold my product. He said that my product would make a great promotional item. You know, the things companies give away for free with their logos on them.

He said he had a booth in Vegas at a promotional products show and asked if I wanted to go out there and test it. He gave me a corner of his booth and I was shocked at what happened. I had been trying to get people in the sporting goods industry to buy, but they weren’t that interested. At the promotional products show I was mobbed in the aisle the entire weekend. I couldn’t even walk around without people asking about the product.

This changed the whole direction of my business. This is how I was able to sell almost a million units around the world.

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?

Good question! I have always been someone who marches to a different beat. I was the kid in school who started trends, but never followed them. Once a trend was popular it would lose it’s appeal to me. Being someone who bucks the trend doesn’t always make you the most popular kid in school.

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)

Don’t get caught up in group think — If you’re going to be an inventor or innovator you can’t think like other people and you can’t care what other people think about your idea. If I thought like other people and listened to them when they said my idea wouldn’t work, I never would have followed through with my invention.
Follow your passion — If you’re not following your passion, it’s way too easy for a naysayer to step on your dreams. If what you’re doing is a passion you just have to see through to the end, you will make sure you achieve it. Walt Disney was fired from a newspaper job because he was told he “lacked imagination and had no good ideas.” Good thing he followed his passion and didn’t listen to the naysayers.
Don’t quit — This sounds really simple, but too many people quit right before they make it. Thomas Edison tried hundreds of times in his perfection of the light bulb. If he had quit after a few dozen times, we might be reading this article by candlelight.
Ignore the naysayers — Another bit of simple advice. Achieving something big is hard enough. Just tune out the naysayers and you will be able to focus without any interference from anyone with negative feedback. Elvis Presley was once told that he should go back home to Memphis and drive trucks for a living. Luckily for us, he didn’t listen.
Listen to the people who are your best fans — When I was in the beginning stages of my product development I would hang out with other inventors who had been through the same things I was going through. I would hang out with other business owners who had launched businesses and made it.

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

“Life is either a daring adventure or nothing” — Helen Keller

One of my businesses is an online sponsorship marketplace where speakers and artists can meet small business sponsors. I would love to bring back the days of the Renaissance when artists became entrepreneurs by partnering with small businesses.

Can our readers follow you on social media?

Yes –

https://www.linkedin.com/in/innovationkeynotespeakerjulieaustin/

https://twitter.com/createforcash

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

Inventor Julie Austin: “They Told Me It Was Impossible And I Did It Anyway” was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.