Female Disruptors: Emilie Perz of ‘Sequential Body’ On The Three Things You Need To Shake Up Your Industry
Have discipline — You won’t make much roadway in life if you immediately give up on something when you don’t like the end result. Commitment is everything. When you dedicate your energy purposefully into one place you will see results. But it takes that much discipline.
As a part of our series about women who are shaking things up in their industry, I had the pleasure of interviewing Emilie Perz.
Emilie Perz is widely known for her strong, creative and educational vinyasa flow classes. Voted one of California’s best yoga instructors, Emilie’s detail-oriented teachings reveal how yoga asana mirrors the practical movements we make in life and how learning to align the body precisely can create energy and equanimity in the body and mind. Perz recently launched Sequential Body a new online fitness platform.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would like to get to know you a bit more. Can you tell us a bit about your “backstory”? What led you to this particular career path?
My father passed away while I was transitioning from high school to college. Shortly after I began suffering from stress induced panic attacks that left me in the hospital. Months of heavy antidepressants only made matters worse, so at the advice of a friend I tried my first yoga class. The breath techniques (pranyama) practiced at the end immediately sedated my anxiousness and gave me a feeling of power over my mind and body connection. I made a promise to carry on with yoga everyday and ten years later it led to a full-time career.
Why did you found your company?
Sequential Body came to light out of necessity during the Covid 19 pandemic. I wanted to offer a top-notch experience to my existing yoga students during the initial phase of quarantine and being home to effectively combat fatigue, anxiety, depression, and worry and to supply them with the tools to move, breathe and connect to their bodies and spirit.
Can you tell our readers what it is about the work you’re doing that’s disruptive?
I’m a brutally honest person and can convey that through my public speaking. Through Sequential Body, I’m able to speak openly and patiently about the trials and tribulations we are facing as a society. I don’t simply offer up quick fixes to life’s challenges, but rather, I provide and hold the space necessary for people to investigate and uncover their shortcomings and to initiate self-improvement projects that will make them a better, kinder, more successful human being.
We all need a little help along the journey. Who have been some of your mentors? Can you share a story about how they made an impact?
Presently it’s been the Sequential Body team. I have hired three women who were private clients of mine to help run the company as a start-up. I have learned more from them in the past 3 months then I have from an employer, manager, boss, co-worker, student. They have educated me in numerous ways about start-ups and the ins and outs of marketing, PR, advertising. Honestly, it’s because of their dedication that I am equally vested in Sequential Body’s continued success.
We are sure you aren’t done. How are you going to shake things up next?
We are pivoting directions in early 2021 to start speaking out about the integral need to employ yoga teachers in medical settings such as clinics and hospitals. Whether we are talking about addiction or injury, yoga teachers are aligned with an arsenal of therapeutic practices to help manage pain, depression, anxiety, etc. I couldn’t think of a better time than now for yoga teachers to be working alongside doctors to treat the human spirit; especially when we are living in an onslaught of fear, worry, and doubt. Our future society is going to be affected by PTSD from the Covid- 19 pandemic. It’s important to understand the role of the yoga teacher which is to help heal and hold space for people going through a crisis. Mind, body, connection is real, and employing yoga teachers in medicine is necessary for a kinder, more connected society.
Can you share 3 of the best words of advice you’ve gotten along your journey? Please give a story or example for each.
Go for it — when the pandemic hit I wasn’t sure if it was the appropriate time to start an online business. I worried that things would open quickly and I wouldn’t have the time/energy to commit to it. I worried that my lack of business and enterprise skills would affect my ability to run it. I worried that I wouldn’t generate enough money through sales to sustain it. But all of those fears were dismantled when I finally just did it. Do the launch. Start the thing. Whatever it is, I promise you the road will pave itself, but you must be brave enough to take the risk and willing enough to stay on the journey.
Be Brave — nothing good comes from acting out of fear and hesitation.
Have discipline — You won’t make much roadway in life if you immediately give up on something when you don’t like the end result. Commitment is everything. When you dedicate your energy purposefully into one place you will see results. But it takes that much discipline.
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 just see this if we tag them.’
I’d love to meet Michelle Obama.
What is the best way our readers can follow you online?
Female Disruptors: Vidhya Subramanianof ‘Zymmo’ On The Three Things You Need To Shake Up Your Industry
Many others have advised me to be prepared for anything. In a start-up environment, not all days are going to be the same. When I was in my corporate world, there was more predictability. I had my role, and my team. My yearly strategy was set, and I knew the projects I was working on. There are always uncertainties in life, but relatively speaking, that was a stable environment. Working for large companies, there was a lot of predictability in my life. That has completely disappeared for me!
As a part of our series about women who are shaking things up in their industry, I had the pleasure of interviewing Vidhya Subramanian.
Born in India, Vidhya Subramanian is a strategist, technology leader, founder and CEO of Zymmo — an innovative new app designed to bring local freelance chefs into foodies’ homes. A self-made entrepreneur, Vidhya previously held prestigious executive management positions at Goldman Sachs, Target and JPMorgan Chase & Co., delivering technological advancements to run successful global businesses. After years of providing solutions for corporations, Vidhya sought to develop a dining solution for local communities. Her creation, Zymmo couples chefs with food lovers for unique culinary experiences.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would like to get to know you a bit more. Can you tell us a bit about your “backstory”? What led you to this particular career path?
I joined the startup ecosystem in 2019, after two decades as a technology executive in the financial and retail industries.
I held leadership positions in technology at Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan, and Target. These roles weren’t in food tech, but they gave me a strategic perspective on how technology can empower people, organizations, and cultures.
Managing large global teams and budgets of several million dollars was quite different than running a start-up, but that experience was invaluable in showing me how technology can enable profitability, efficiency and great customer experiences.
Can you tell our readers what it is about the work you’re doing that’s disruptive?
Historically there has not been a meaningful way to connect foodies and the chefs directly. When we think of chefs we think of restaurants, or private chefs, who one assumes are only for the wealthy or a different class of people.
Zymmo breaks these barriers by connecting foodies and chefs directly without a middleman or a delivery network. It’s about democratizing good food, whether you’re simply ordering ready-to-eat, or booking a chef for your own private event. Now anybody can do this using Zymmo, so it’s going to be a huge disruptor for anyone who eats.
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?
I have absolutely made mistakes that are probably funny to other people! Before Zymmo had even written a single line of code to build the app, we hired an influencer. Looking back, that was just so premature — a typical newbie mistake. I was anxious to get the brand out there, but there was nothing to back it up!
Despite my seasoned career experience, I’m a first-time founder, so there are things I’m continuing to learn. Our influencer created our social media accounts, and started posting about food, but that was it! Week after week, we were saying, “What do we post? What do we talk about?”
We’d barely finished with the product design and there were only 4 or 5 of us at Zymmo. When I look back at this, I see it was clearly a mistake. What was I trying to influence people to do?
We all need a little help along the journey. Who have been some of your mentors? Can you share a story about how they made an impact?
I have been fortunate enough to work with great people like Al Mellina, who’s not just an investor but someone who gives me valuable feedback and input.
I also have Silvia Baldini, who has been a priceless addition to the team. She is a former ad executive and my first board member. She’s a key advisor and has really opened up my world. I don’t have a background in food or food tech but Silvia’s skills compliment mine. One of the reasons I invited her to join Zymmo was that her background was so different from mine, which is more at large companies doing tech and product. Silvia also brings a unique marketing perspective and counsels me on how to think about PR.
Another person who has supported me through this journey, and who has invested in Zymmo while mentoring me, is Rabih Ramadi. He works at another young company; a really great place called Unqork. They are a more mature startup than Zymmo, having finished their Series C. Rabih has a senior role in Unqork, and he was one of the people to join there early. He continues to inspire and motivate me and he’s always been there for me from day one.
Frankly I’ve been overwhelmed by the support of co-workers and school friends from my prior life who still encourage me to keep moving forward. I’m thankful they offer such support and continue to motivate me.
In today’s parlance, being disruptive is usually a positive adjective. But is disrupting always good? When do we say the converse, that a system or structure has ‘withstood the test of time’? Can you articulate to our readers when disrupting an industry is positive, and when disrupting an industry is ‘not so positive’? Can you share some examples of what you mean?
If you think about Apple, when Steve Jobs came out with this touchscreen smartphone, that is a disruption that’s definitely benefited humanity. There are also models like Airbnb, which has challenged the hospitality industry in a really unique way.
The one thing about life we all know is that change is the only constant. I believe change in general is a good thing. I fully endorse any disruption that benefits the planet and the community and makes things more equitable. But not if it’s taking us in the opposite direction; benefiting a select few, or excluding a certain group, or impacting our environment negatively.
One negative example I can think of is plastic. Decades ago plastic started replacing almost every other material. But now we’re dealing with that disruption in a very negative way. What I’m saying is anything disruptive also needs to have a long-term view about what the planet is going to look like down the road.
Can you share 3 of the best words of advice you’ve gotten along your journey? Please give a story or example for each.
As an early-stage start up, you need to make every dollar go a long way. It’s kind of intuitive, but many have helped me to keep this in mind every day. Being thoughtful about where we spend the money and what we are getting for it — I think is the most important responsibility for a CEO.
Another good bit of advice is to be nimble and have the ability to pivot quickly. When I worked at large corporations, it could be kind of like turning a ship. As a small company, you need to be like a speed boat, not an oil tanker. You should be able to turn quickly, and should be able to react instantly to what’s happening.
Many others have advised me to be prepared for anything. In a start-up environment, not all days are going to be the same. When I was in my corporate world, there was more predictability. I had my role, and my team. My yearly strategy was set, and I knew the projects I was working on. There are always uncertainties in life, but relatively speaking, that was a stable environment. Working for large companies, there was a lot of predictability in my life. That has completely disappeared for me!
Now every day is different. It’s not just talking about funding. It’s the excitement of a magazine picking up an article on us, or the app coming together. It’s getting our first order, or having our first customer service issue. Every day looks different. That’s something I was told by other start-up founders. It’s a very different life and a very different mindset. You need to be prepared for it and not make the same mistakes twice. Be courageous and learn. That’s what I tell myself every day!
We are sure you aren’t done. How are you going to shake things up next?
I’m still shaking this one! I haven’t really thought about what’s next. I’m looking forward to growing and scaling Zymmo as a big brand. There are a lot of good ideas in our road map, like onboarding venues, farmers, suppliers, anyone that has a significant role in the food ecosystem. We want to become the Amazon of the foodie industry. That’s our goal. Until we get there, that’s going to be my sole focus. Of course I hope a lot of ideas and dreams will come down the road for me, like traveling all over the world, but that’s a conversation for another day.
In your opinion, what are the biggest challenges faced by ‘women disruptors’ that aren’t typically faced by their male counterparts?
I know there’s a lot of chatter and media coverage of the issue, but this, unfortunately, is something I’ve lived with throughout my career. I think there are hurdles, especially for a woman of color. There’s even a Ted Talk about the kind of questions that female founders get from investors versus a male founder. The fundraising has been a challenge for me, though Zymmo’s raised 350K in pre-seed, and right now we’re actively raising 750K to help scale the company to the next level.
It’s been a challenge even with companies that claim to support female founders. Sometimes we have great conversations with investors, but we’re not able to close the deal. I’m not saying this is all because of being a woman of color, but with the kind of endorsement we’re getting from my customers, the response to our social media campaigns, and the buzz we’re getting from our circle of friends, I wouldn’t have imagined it would take us so long to raise funds.
Do you have a book/podcast/talk that’s had a deep impact on your thinking? Can you share a story with us?
This is going to expose my spiritual side. I read a lot; I am a voracious reader. Lately I’ve not had a lot of time so I’ve switched to audiobooks. Sometimes I listen when I am cooking or doing laundry. I’m re-visiting The Untethered Soul by Michael Singer. This book was life-changing for me when I first read it.
Being a founder, you have days when you feel like, Oh my god what am I doing? Whether it’s imposter syndrome, or just the stress, or the fear that comes from uncertainty. This book just grounded me instantly. I loved it so much that I’m listening to it again. It’s a six-hour listen, and well worth the time.
Since I’ve founded my company, I find myself leaning more towards business, start-up, entrepreneurial-type books and documentaries. I’m also finding myself seeking content about being courageous and centered. I am reading more books like that , and I’m doing less and less fiction.
I also enjoy reaching out to others who have gone through a similar journey, and being part of Elpha, a community of females in tech. That’s where I met Ellice Ogle, (my Head of Customer Acquisition and Marketing). More than a year ago I was talking about Zymmo and she was one of the early people who said, “I’m in, I think it’s a fantastic idea, let’s do it.”
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. 🙂
For me the absolute top first thing would be cleaning the oceans. It’s something that I’ve been meaning to influence or impact in a big way, and I unfortunately haven’t figured out what that platform is yet.
At my home, we recycle ruthlessly. On recycling day we’ll be the only house with ten bags out. I’m sure everyone is aware of the Pacific garbage patch — again, we haven’t really found a solution to all the plastic we’ve ended up putting in the ocean. I wish we could spend at least some of the space exploration budget on keeping our current planet clean and livable. I think that may be what’s next for me; something that impacts our sustainability in a very positive way.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
When it comes to work, I tell myself to take my working career seriously, but not personally. That’s a big one for me. I am very invested emotionally in Zymmo, and I need to make decisions as a leader but without getting too emotionally involved. It’s difficult, because my career is a big part of who I am.
I also remind myself every day to keep things simple. We tend to complicate everything, whether it’s a pitch deck, a social media post, or thinking about a product workflow. I think we as humans we tend to overthink, weighing all possible scenarios.
One reason the book I mentioned (The Untethered Soul by Michael Singer) resonated with me is that it validated these lessons. The book connected me back to one of the big things growing up for me, which was a quote from an Indian saint who asked “Who am I?”
I grew up 30 minutes from where he set up his ashram and we actually know their family. Reading this super-popular book, and hearing Michael Singer, a fellow tech CEO, talk about that concept of being something much bigger than just a body or a mind, really hit me.
As a professional, when I started working here in a western culture, it was easy to get caught in the rat race. But this book brought me back to a quote from Bhagavad Gita, which I’ll paraphrase as, Don’t always measure what you’re getting out of something just do your duty and let things happen. This is something we were reminded of every day in school, and by our parents.
The whole quote is: “Your right is only to perform your duty. You do not have the right to expect any consequences thereof. You should neither be motivated by the fruits of your action, nor should they encourage you to be inactive.”
Start ups are often viewed as a quick way to become wealthy. It may or may not be. That depends on a lot of factors. When I founded Zymmo I wanted to have a mission. I wanted to make sure to impact communities in a very positive way.
Some people ask me, So what’s your plan for Zymmo? Are you going to sell it? I tell them I’m not thinking that far ahead. Yes I’m a strategist, and if you ask me I can tell you the five different paths Zymmo could take. But I’m not thinking about it every day. I’m thinking about how to put out a good product. I’m thinking about how to make the tech work. How to get my customers superior service. I’m thinking about how to keep my team motivated, so to me it’s like every day will bring progress, and I’m not thinking about what I am getting out of it.
How can our readers follow you online
Readers should follow me on LInkedIn. My posts there give an insight into how I see the world! People should follow Zymmo on Instagram (@zymmoeats) and Facebook (Zymmo).
Women In Wellness: Holly Dolke of ‘Pink Dragon’ on the Five Lifestyle Tweaks That Will Help Support People’s Journey Towards Better Wellbeing
People don’t care as much as you think they do. Sounds negative but honestly it is meant in a positive way! We get so caught up in caring about what people will think about what we post, upload or say, that we do not always feel confident enough to share our opinions or work. You have to remember, people are busy in their own lives to worry about us so much, so be confident and share!
As a part of my series about the women in wellness, I had the pleasure of interviewing Holly Dolke.
With over 1.2 million subscribers on YouTube and many videos with 5+ million views, fitness expert, founder of Pink Dragon, and new mom, Holly Dolke, has not only used exercise and wellness to gain her infamous “Holly Dolke abs,” but she has transformed the lives of her millions of followers around the world physically, mentally and emotionally. Awakening everyone’s inner dragon through her fitness program PINK DRAGON, Holly implements three key principles around the right nutrition, daily movement, and having a strong mindset. She teaches members how to evolve their view of exercise from dreading it to loving it. In a social media world catered to toxic diet culture, Holly helps her community respect food as fuel rather than a chore. Her mission is to reignite people’s confidence in themselves, love the body they live in and build each other up to achieve their dreams.
Holly’s three key principles create the basis of every program and product she offers such as a 3-Day Detox, 30-Day Meal Plan, and her e-book Sweet Treats. She believes that the most important part for people during their health and fitness journey is to recognize their starting point. She created a short quiz that leads visitors to specific recommendations based on their circumstances and goals they want to achieve.
Growing up in Kent County, England, Holly found her passion for fitness while attending college. As a fashion marketing major, she spent her days sitting at a desk — studying, completing assignments, having little to no exercise and her eating habits were far from healthy. After not getting the results she desired from a standard gym setting, she took her health and fitness into her own hands and own home (as many of us have this year, too) she started a YouTube channel — which was on trend in the UK, (especially in food and fitness) and began her home workout videos. Being an introvert, working out from the comfort of her home was the best space and she never expected to gain the following she was building. In mid-2019, her channel took off in a way she never expected with spikes in views and subscribers recognizing her for her flat stomach abs and indoor walking in place videos.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you share with us the story about how you first got involved in fitness and wellness?
You are so welcome, thank you for having me. I got into fitness because of low self-confidence in myself. I was at University and felt like I had zero time to exercise.
I was glued to my desk, eating junk food all the time to cope with the stress of exams. I couldn’t fit into my clothes like I used to. So, when the year ended and I went back home, I decided to do something about it. I started walking, then built it up to a run, then I started going to the gym. I felt lucky at the time because when I signed up, I got free Personal Training sessions. I thought with his help I’d melt the fat off my thighs in no time — boy was I wrong! Literally every exercise he made me do involved weights, which made my legs even bigger than when I started. I quickly decided to quit the gym and tried to find the answers by myself. I went through fitness forums, joined Facebook groups, read all the nutrition books I could get my hands on. Finally, I found what works for me and that’s when I fell in love with fitness. Fitness was my escape to focus on myself and gain confidence in my body and my own abilities.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started your career?
Getting pregnant! I’ve had to balance living in a foreign country with no family, while going through a pandemic, and growing my YouTube channel and business to its biggest numbers over a short amount of time.
Can you share a story with us about the most humorous mistake you made when you were first starting? What lesson or take-away did you learn from that?
My first ever YouTube video was filmed on a webcam because I couldn’t afford a camera. Quality was so terrible, and I had no mic so you couldn’t hear me. I learned the value of good video quality as I progressed.
I learned that nothing can be perfect. Especially not when you are starting something. There is no such thing as perfection. There’s just a lot of trials and errors. It’s important that you learn from your mistakes and keep moving. That is how you grow.
Can you share with our readers a bit about why you are an authority in the fitness and wellness field? In your opinion, what is your unique contribution to the world of wellness?
I have tried a lot of different fitness routines and programs. I tried running, cross training, weights, yoga, Pilates — I tried everything. The trouble was that nothing really worked for me 100%. There wasn’t a fitness program out there that understood the importance of activating the smaller muscles. So, the only thing left for me to do was to create my own fitness routines.
My unique contribution is combining my technique of small muscle activation exercises with HIIT focused moves to lose weight and get you that lean, toned physique. It’s something that works for me and for my 1.2 million YouTube subscribers.
Using my own body weight only for exercise, and actually doing that myself makes me an authority in the fitness world. People still believe to this day that I go to the gym, but I don’t!
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?
Yes, my partner, Aaron. He is the business behind Pink Dragon and my biggest supporter. He is the person who told me to create a YouTube channel and pushed me to continue when I felt like no-one wanted to watch my videos. He encouraged me every step of the way and helped me grow not only my channel, but Pink Dragon to what it is today. We are partners in life, business and now a family with our newborn baby girl.
Ok thank you for all that. Now let’s move to the main focus of our interview. We all know that it’s important to eat more vegetables, eat less sugar, exercise more, and get better sleep etc. But while we know it intellectually, it’s often difficult to put it into practice and make it a part of our daily habits. In your opinion what are the 3 main blockages that prevent us from taking the information that we all know, and integrating it into our lives?
Oh yes, I totally agree, it is hard to put that all into practice, especially all at once!
I would say that the 3 main blockages are:
– Peer Pressure: social peer pressure from partners, families and friends. Just to have another drink, or enjoy more of the naughty treats, because YOLO. This can really make it difficult to stick to a healthier lifestyle, because we will want to be agreeable and not miss out on events, and even tell ourselves we will start again on Monday.
– Time: everyone is always rushing, so we grab snacks and food on the go to save ourselves time and end up eating less nutritious foods.
– Self-Sabotage: we are our own worst enemy! We self-sabotage our own success, by not exercising with the excuse of we are too tired, or cannot afford a gym (hello YouTube), or we put ourselves down emotionally
Can you please share your “5 Non-Intuitive Lifestyle Tweaks That Will Dramatically Improve One’s Wellbeing”? (Please share a story or an example for each, and feel free to share ideas for mental, emotional and physical health.)
1. People don’t care as much as you think they do. Sounds negative but honestly it is meant in a positive way! We get so caught up in caring about what people will think about what we post, upload or say, that we do not always feel confident enough to share our opinions or work. You have to remember, people are busy in their own lives to worry about us so much, so be confident and share!
2. When you feel down, smile! We are in control of our emotions. So, when you feel down, get up, move and smile and it’ll make you feel good!
3. Move every day, even if it’s just a walk.
4. Drink at least 3L of water a day! Hydration is key and there are tons of benefits, so we won’t list them all.
5. Journaling! We all live busy lives, consuming insane amounts of information on a daily basis. There’s social media, work stuff, private life, it never ends. Putting your thoughts onto paper or a note app in your phone before going to bed every night will make your life easier. We constantly keep everything in our heads, and by a simple act of writing whatever comes to your mind and offloading your brain, you will instantly feel lighter.
As an expert, this might be obvious to you, but I think it would be instructive to articulate this for the public. Aside from weight loss, what are 3 benefits of daily exercise? Can you explain?
Since COVID, I think exercise has really been highlighted as a benefit for so many people recently.
1. Boosts Mental Well Being: Exercise boosts endorphins and makes us feel good about ourselves. I find exercise a great escape from reality and self-care time for my mind, as well as a stress-reliever.
2. Increases Energy: You get a rush of hormones from a good exercise session which gives you a significant energy booster to help fight through fatigue and stay more focused.
3. Body Confidence: Exercises make us feel good, physically and mentally, and this all will increase your confidence.
For someone who is looking to add exercise to their daily routine, which 3 exercises would you recommend that are absolutely critical?
Walking: Anyone can do this!
Burpees: A tough one, but it works so many muscles in the body and helps burn fat.
Crunches: I love abs, and found that there are so many varieties of crunch exercises that you can do to help tone those stomach muscles.
Is there a particular book that made a significant impact on you? Can you share a story?
Money Blueprint — it is not fitness related but it was an inspirational read that assisted me in growing my finances within my business.
I highly recommend anyone reading this book, because it makes you more aware of how you regard and spend money.
You are a person of enormous influence. If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂
I was raised in a single-family household with my mum and my nan. My nan was a huge influence and part of my upbringing. She was sadly diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in her 70’s and I watched her deteriorate over the course of a decade. At the time, I was not into health and fitness, and watched the doctors feed her high sugar, calorie dense diet to make her gain weight, due to fast weight loss, which I now know is the worst thing to do, as it feeds the illness.
I have always held a soft spot for the elderly, and I would love to be able to help more elderly in our community and prevent a disease like Alzheimer’s through health and nutrition. That’s why I am so passionate about helping young females to exercise and get fit, to learn these habits at an early age to prevent diseases.
I’d love to create a movement where I encourage the senior generation to move and eat better and also get the younger generation to keep these habits.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Do you have a story about how that was relevant in your life?
I’ve said it before, but this truly is my life lesson quote! “People don’t care as much as you think they do.” Aaron told me this quote when I first started out on YouTube. I was terrified of people’s opinions, reactions and scared of negative comments appearing. Having Aaron tell me that quote, shifted my perspective so much and made me realise that, yes, this is SO true! People really do not care as much as I think they do, because they are busy! Any negative comments I do get, are lost within the positive comments. I always remember this quote and share it with others too, who start a YouTube channel, and really feel it has helped.
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 just see this if we tag them 🙂
Kris Jenner! She needs to write a new book for entrepreneurs! She is such a businesswoman and a powerhouse, and I would love to meet her for breakfast or lunch to pick her brain on how she created such an empire! I’d love to hear more of her stories, ideas and tips for success and share my business plans with her, and what she would do to make it more successful to help others.
What is the best way our readers can follow you online?
Women In Wellness: Dr. Marilyn Pink of ‘TurningPoint Breast Cancer Rehabilitation’ on the Five Lifestyle Tweaks That Will Help Support People’s Journey Towards Better Wellbeing
Pick a career to be something you LOVE! If you don’t love it, the chances of being successful narrow significantly. One of my sisters told me that as a little girl she always loved animals and had wanted to be a veterinarian. Halfway through her career in marketing, she gave it up and became a veterinarian’s assistant. She is much happier now.
As a part of my series about the women in wellness, I had the pleasure of interviewing Marilyn Pink.
Marilyn Pink, PhD, MBA, and PT is the executive director of the Atlanta-based nonprofit TurningPoint Breast Cancer Rehabilitation and assumed that role in 2019. TurningPoint’s mission is to improve the quality of life for patients with breast cancer by providing, promoting and advocating specialized and evidence-based rehabilitation. Most recently Pink served as CEO of Educata.com, where she strategically led, developed and launched a global online education company for clinicians in more than 100 countries. She also led two other companies in the healthcare space, including FIT-HITS and HealthCare Research and Management.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Our readers would love to “get to know you” better. Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started your career? What were the main lessons or takeaways from that story?
In 1992, a group of 12 men from another country came to visit my research laboratory with their interpreter. It was easy to figure out the head “honcho” of this group. Towards the end of the visit — through the interpreter — he asked a question, and I heard several of the men in attendance gasp. The interpreter turned to me and said in English “I don’t know how to ask this, but he is asking ‘Where are the men?’ as he only sees women here, and clearly the women are not doing the important work, so where are the men?” I smiled and replied, “In our country it does not matter if it is a man or a woman. We simply find the best people for the jobs required.”
Lesson to be learned: People come from different backgrounds, cultures and beliefs. When responding to something that we might consider to be an outrageous question, just stay calm and educate the other person.
Can you share a story about the biggest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
Rather than talk about a big mistake, I would like to talk about the biggest moment that helped my career take off. At the time, this moment was small and just part of an everyday conversation. In 1981, I was in the audiovisual (AV) department of the hospital where I worked as a physical therapist talking to my friend Tom and flipping through some of his AV magazines. I saw an ad for a high-speed video that was used to capture the nature of a fire spreading through an airplane. “Wow! That is cool, Tom, but how many planes need to be blown up? They need to find much wider applications.” Throughout our chat we thought about various applications in physical therapy. We concluded by stating, “Wouldn’t it be great to use to watch an amputee walk with a new prosthesis? Or watch a runner run and analyze the deficits than may be contributing to a recurrent ankle problem?” So, Tom and I decided to visit this high-speed video company and talk about this potential application. I did not know it then, but that is when my career first changed direction. From using the video with patients, it went to the Elite Athlete Project in preparation for the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, then to the actual games to manage a physical therapy clinic. Next, I was asked to run a biomechanics research laboratory. With all this research data and knowledge, I received a couple of patents to develop algorithms that resulted in personalized excise programs. Then, with all these new contacts, I met Jill Binkley, the founder and longtime executive director of the unique nonprofit TurningPoint Breast Cancer Rehabilitation. Long story short: I am now the Executive Director of TurningPoint and we are doing some new, very exciting projects to help women and men in a myriad of ways in their respective breast cancer journeys.
The lesson I learned was to leverage your career. Your career may not be linear. The twists and turns make for a very interesting life.
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?
Dr. Frank Jobe was a very well-known orthopaedic surgeon in sports medicine and creator of a revolutionary procedure to reconstruct ulnar collateral ligament of the elbow. Despite his many commitments, he always had time to acknowledge, speak and listen to another person. When he would ask me “why” it was with gentle curiosity. He wanted to know how I came up that thought. And it helped me to consciously develop my thought process. Subsequently whenever I am now asked “why?”– even when said with an antagonist manner — I think of him, and I present the thought process in an even tone and a smile. The double lesson learned with this story is that I try to listen to another person and ask them to explain what is behind their thought process in a curious way.
Ok perfect. Now let’s jump to our main focus. When it comes to health and wellness, how is the work you are doing helping to make a bigger impact in the world?
The work that I am doing at TurningPoint is virtually (pun intended) impacting the world. Every woman with breast cancer deserves evidence-based rehabilitative/recovery care. In the world of 2019, it was difficult to treat patients that did not come to your clinic. Now — with the help of technology and the insistence of Covid-19 — we can help care for women around the world. Just this morning Jill Binkley and I had a call with a therapist in Kurdistan. The needs are the same for the women in Kurdistan and the US. In the midst of the global pandemic we now find ourselves, we have learned how to offer the same level of care for breast cancer patients regardless of where they live.
Can you share your top five “lifestyle tweaks” that you believe will help support people’s journey towards better wellbeing? Please give an example or story for each.
Do a monthly self-breast exam and get your mammogram! One in eight women are diagnosed with breast cancer at some point in their lifetime. How many women do you know? Divide that number by eight and you know how many women you know will be diagnosed with breast cancer. There is a one-in-eight chance that woman could be you.
Consider taking exercise snacks throughout the day. Been sitting too long? Mind on the fritz? Take five minutes to dome some stretches, arm circles or squats. Your mind will be clearer, and your body will be happier!
Get your sleep! According to the National Sleep Foundation, adults between the ages of 18 and 65 should sleep between seven and nine hours a night. How much sleep do you get?
Let it go. Very good advice from Elsa in “Frozen.” Are you hurt by what someone said to you? Let it go. Are you angry at your best friend? Let it go. People cannot make you feel bad — you choose to feel that way.
And the corollary to #4 is to wake up and decide to be happy. Think happy thoughts. Laugh at yourself. Feels good, doesn’t it?
If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of wellness to the most amount of people, what would that be?
Health equity. The movement would find ways such that all of us can receive quality health care. Without good health, there is less a person can do to pick themselves up and be productive members of society. So, let’s give all of us better health.
What are your “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Started” and why?
The 5 things are things that I WAS told.
Have a strong work ethic. That will make you shine before education, experience and all else.
Pick a career to be something you LOVE! If you don’t love it, the chances of being successful narrow significantly. One of my sisters told me that as a little girl she always loved animals and had wanted to be a veterinarian. Halfway through her career in marketing, she gave it up and became a veterinarian’s assistant. She is much happier now.
You CAN DO whatever you want. Or at least a modified version of it. Know what you want and start taking steps in that direction.
You can support yourself. Make the pledge to yourself right now. You can support yourself. You will be much more powerful if you know you are in charge of yourself, not your parents, not your husband. You can support yourself.
You don’t get what you deserve, you deserve what you get. So, make it happen rather than just think you should get it.
Sustainability, veganism, mental health and environmental changes are big topics at the moment. Which one of these causes is dearest to you, and why?
Mental Health. At TurningPoint, we are treating women in their 20s through 80s, all of whom are facing drastic changes in multiple aspects of their lives. They have undergone surgery, radiation and chemotherapy. They have every reason to be depressed. However, despite this, I am continually amazed at how many consistently manage their mental health. I watch these women come to us with drooped shoulders and head down, and typically leave smiling and standing straight. They start to realize they are not alone and that there is a path as well as guidance for their full recovery. Also, much of their improved mental health seems to be due to compassionate care from friends, family and healthcare workers. My hope is that you will be one of those special people offering compassion for those in need.
Women In Wellness: Dr. Deepika Chopra, ‘The Optimism Doctor’ on the Five Lifestyle Tweaks That Will Help Support People’s Journey Towards Better Wellbeing
Replace the B-word “balance” with a new B word: “boundaries!” I find that we strive for some type of balance that we are so often told to achieve, it can be a frustrating and pressurizing chase… balance sometimes can feel impossible and being able to cultivate boundaries is much more practical and measurable.
As a part of my series about the women in wellness, I had the pleasure of interviewing Dr. Deepika Chopra of The Optimism Doctor.
Dr. Chopra specializes in bridging together holistic practices and evidence-based science to cultivate self-mastery tools that help clients, couples, and corporations (Fortune 500 to small businesses) produce their sense of lasting happiness, resiliency, optimism, and success. The Optimism Doctor® practices from a unique perspective as she talks to today’s robust health and wellness trends and provides real evidence-based science and experience.
Dr. Chopra holds a doctorate in clinical health psychology, with a special interest in the mind-body connection, sensory-based visual imagery, color therapy, innovative cognitive-behavioral strategies and strategies and methods to increase optimism and resilience. Dr. Chopra completed her formal dissertation on optimism, positive sensory visualization, and the connection to optimal well-being. With special training in elevating empathy, reducing anxiety, and creating a balance within the technologically and social-media-focused world today, Dr. Chopra’s work is timely & beneficial to anyone curious about living more fully, a self-mastery point of view, increasing happiness, and optimizing functionality and success.
Dr. Chopra completed a double postdoctoral fellowship at both the University of California at Los Angeles and Cedars Sinai Medical Center and has been an integral part of the wellness community for over a decade. Since becoming a new mom, Dr. Chopra has a special interest in increasing optimism and empathy in children while empowering women and parents. She devotes part of her practice to motherhood coaching and mindful parenting.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Our readers would love to “get to know you” better. Can you share your “backstory” with us?
I am an Optimism Doctor®, the founder of the Things Are Looking Up Optimism Deck of Cards, and the Host of the LOOKING UP with Dr. Deepika Chopra podcast. I have a doctorate in clinical health psychology, and I have been studying the science behind optimism, resiliency, and joy for the past decade. I specialize in blending holistic and evidence-based practices to help people cultivate tools that increase optimism, resiliency, and happiness in their lives. I maintain a global practice working with clients and companies — from boutique to Fortune 500 — by speaking, leading workshops, and consulting. I work as a media expert and a mental health advocate.
I am also a wife and a mother to the most amazing three-year-old boy and weeks away from welcoming our second baby boy into this world! I did not come into this line of work linearly. I worked at a punk music label, was an investment banking analyst, and worked in business development at a health tech company before deciding to go back to school to pursue a career in Psychology.
While working with patients in graduate school, we used many prominent theoretical perspectives. These outlooks taught to us to find important ways to discuss where certain behaviors stemmed from with patients. However, I found it even more interesting to answer the question, “Now, what?” and I became obsessed with being the “then what” for people… helping them come up with ways to adopt new thoughts and practices rather than spend most of the time on their past and what wasn’t working. Science and the brain have always deeply moved me. Much of what I learned was that the brain is an anticipatory organ, rooted in the future. So, I was curious why so many of the psychological interventions available to us as clinicians were so past-oriented. I became intrigued about the idea of future thinking, anticipatory anxiety, optimism, and pessimism. I ended up writing my dissertation on Utilizing Sensory Based Visualization techniques to Increase Optimistic Thinking.
I fell in love with it all and never looked back! At the time, what I was doing was a bit too “woo woo” for the academic community, and a bit too science-esque for the more “self-help” community. What’s amazing is now so much of that is blended and enmeshed –right time is the opportune time to be talking about both. I have always been a spiritual person and, at the same time, drawn to science, and I get to blend the two every day, which brings me so much joy. One of my clients started calling me the Doctor of Optimism, and so pretty soon after that, OPTIMISM DOCTOR just stuck. It is not something that existed, but it perfectly described what I was doing, so I trademarked it!
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started your career? What were the main lessons or takeaways from that story?
One of the most profound moments in the start of my career was when I was a graduate student. It was my first clinical experience, we’re talking Day 1, and I was working with patients diagnosed with severe OCD at UCLA. One of my patients and I were on a walk in Westwood, I was doing an exposure and response prevention practice with her, and as we were leaving the coffee shop — part of her treatment was to work on being exposed to a public environment while working through the practice of allowing the anxiety and obsessive thoughts to pass through without engaging in any of the rituals or compulsions she had been carrying out — and all of a sudden, there was a man with a gun nearby. A ton of cops started yelling for everyone around to get down on the floor. We were in the middle of a possible shootout (yes, this is Day 1 of my clinical experience, People! :/). Once we were in the clear and walking back, she looked very anxious (obviously, I was as well), and I asked her if she was okay. She shared that a piece of her hair blew in the wind and touched the side of the coffee shop door while we were leaving. Then it blew in her mouth; she reverberated the scenario in her mind assessing if she had swallowed something obscene.
At that exact moment, I really truly understood how debilitating and pervasive a mental health issue could be. She missed the entire shootout situation and was suffering the entire time, ruminating over her contamination fear. I felt a ton of empathy for her, and so many times in mainstream media, things like OCD had been glamorized or romanticized, and I hadn’t quite appreciated the struggle of it all until I was in that moment. I also took away something so powerful from the early work I was doing and my supervisors at that time. Sometimes what you know in your gut is the right intervention when you are working with a client. However, other times what research says, or adequate supervision helps direct you towards something opposite, what you imagined would be effective.
I wanted to help calm her anxiety, and my gut told me to take her out of the situation, distract, rationalize. Though I learned quickly, there was a plethora of evidence that showed she needed exposure therapy (which is, in many ways, the opposite). I think that was a very humbling experience and helped shape the kind of work I would subsequently do.
Can you share a story about the biggest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
I’ve made many mistakes. Interestingly the brain learns information better from mistakes vs. no errors being at all. I am still very hard on myself during and after mistakes, but I have made progress in bouncing back and finding the gift in them a lot quicker.
I get to teach people about the phenomena of making mistakes: specifically, how memory, learning work, resiliency is formed, and how that all amplify optimism and self-competence. Early on, I allowed for much self-inflicted confusion on what I wanted to pursue. I hadn’t quite teased out if I was seeking certain things because I was personally called to them or thought I should follow specific things for other motivations. I learned quickly that mistake or not, I have a pretty robust drive and barometer about what feels right and what I need to achieve. So although I made “mistakes,” I don’t quite see them as such, the trials, tribulations and non-linear path are how I developed my gauge and how I got to where I am now, doing what I’m good at and what I’m authentically passionate about today.
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?
I would say I am beyond fortunate to have had the most loving, supportive, encouraging, and generous parents who have always been my core source of guidance. I still run everything by them. My husband has been incredibly helpful and supportive over the past couple of years as my career grew. Positive and effective mentorship is essential. I’ve also been fortunate to have had the most supportive supervisors during my graduate career, who allowed me to grow my innovative approach within the field. I wouldn’t be where I am today without them.
Okay perfect. Now let’s jump to our main focus. When it comes to health and wellness, how is the work you are doing helping to make a bigger impact in the world?
I am passionate about accessibility, inclusivity, and helping people develop practical, useful, and self-mastery tools while using the resources we all already possess.
Currently, I’m partnering with Colgate to launch the Colgate Optimism Project — an equity-driven campaign focusing on championing the Gen Z generation who are putting optimism in action and igniting positive change in the world. I’m working with Colgate to help them understand the power of optimism and put optimism into action in a practical way that empowers today’s young people to make positive changes in the world. Gen Z makes up nearly half of the U.S. population — they are the future — and through this partnership, I will lend my expertise to teach them how to strengthen their optimism muscle and build resiliency.
I believe in working with the natural human resources we already possess, like perspective, breath, movement, visualization, and other tools that only require one’s mind and body! It is much more important and empowering to help people help themselves and help people understand that they may be the solution they have been searching for all along.
As an Optimism Doctor and someone who specializes in increasing hope and positive future thinking, people are surprised by how much education around dispelling perfection and breaking down the notion of toxic positivity. Yes, as an Optimism Doctor, I am saying that positivity can sometimes be toxic when insincere and serve to vilify the normal range of human emotion. I define what Optimism is (hint: it has a lot more to do with resiliency and duality of the emotion than slapping a positive spin on all situations) and why it is essential, how it can change the trajectory of your life, for the better, and why working through struggle is the most potent way to increase optimism.
Can you share your top five “lifestyle tweaks” that you believe will help support people’s journey towards better wellbeing? Please give an example or story for each.
Spend more time outdoors. Research shows that spending on average, just 2 hours a week outside, decreases stress and anxiety, and boosts positive mood.
Develop a positive morning ritual. Research shows your mood at the start of your day impacts your mood for the rest of the day. Ideally, this will be something that takes a short amount of time, is meaningful, and can be done anywhere. I do something called “wake up and dance” I turn on music, and the first thing I do when getting out of bed is dance! Sometimes I only have 15 seconds or just a few songs. I also always pick a Things Are Looking Up Optimism Card from my deck (thingsarelookingup.co)!
Spend more time being in a state of awe. Research shows that being in a state of awe can have a powerful impact on reducing anxiety. Being in a state of awe is about being transcended by something bigger than you and being inspired; for me, I find awe in nature, pictures I find on the internet, listening to a beautiful piece of music, and more.
Pay attention to what you consume. Our energy is our most valuable currency. What we consume is not just about what we eat; it’s what products we buy and who and what we spend our time on, in person and virtually. Use the unfollow and mute buttons on social media platforms mindfully and as often as needed!
Replace the B-word “balance” with a new B word: “boundaries!” I find that we strive for some type of balance that we are so often told to achieve, it can be a frustrating and pressurizing chase… balance sometimes can feel impossible and being able to cultivate boundaries is much more practical and measurable.
If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of wellness to the most amount of people, what would that be?
A Self Compassion Movement for sure! Much of the compounded struggles we go through are by shame, guilt, and self-destruction. The first practical and potent step to take is working our way through our emotions (the positive, negative, and the neutral), lean into head-on with self-compassion, and a level of curiosity. We’re able to ask ourselves, “I wonder what will I learn from this?” or “I wonder how I will grow from this?” while at the same time holding space for the fear, disappointment, anger, joy, excitement, or grief.
What are your “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Started” and why?
Change is hard for everyone. Although a new beginning is on the horizon, some form of loss also occurs. Normal and a natural part of the process.
Ask for help! Something that I am working on, too.
No amount of time is too little for practicing a form of self-preservation or self-care; if you have 15 seconds, that is good enough.
Nothing is permanent; whatever is happening right now will not last forever. So, if you are going through a tough time, know that something better will come. On the flip side, if you are in a period where things are wonderful, truly mindfully savor in the moment.
Saying NO is not selfish: it’s emotionally proactive and highly productive.
Sustainability, veganism, mental health and environmental changes are big topics at the moment. Which one of these causes is dearest to you, and why?
To a degree, all of them but most dear to me is destigmatizing mental health and promoting proactive mental health care and well-being. Today’s society struggles with mental health: doctors can help these issues, and there are valuable tools and significant support. However, the number one reason people don’t seek out help is the stigma associated with and around mental health, which needs to change.
What is the best way our readers can follow you on social media?
@drdeepikachopra and my Optimism Deck of Cards: @allthingsarelookingup and the LOOKING UP with Dr. Deepika Chopra podcast available everywhere (Spotify, Apple, and more) where you can subscribe to podcasts.
Women Of The C-Suite: Pamela Puryear of ‘Zimmer Biomet’ On The Five Things You Need To Succeed As A Senior Executive
Life is a marathon, not a sprint. It’s important to pace yourself because the road can be long and stamina is absolutely necessary when working toward important goals. I have only done one marathon, but the parallels to life are often stated and absolutely accurate from my experience.
As a part of our series about strong women leaders, I had the pleasure of interviewing Pam Puryear.
Pam Puryear, PhD is a Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer at Zimmer Biomet. Dr. Puryear has extensive global leadership experience in human resources, including three years with Pfizer, where she served as Senior Vice President and Chief Talent Officer. While at Pfizer, Dr. Puryear was responsible for leadership development, talent management, learning and development, employee engagement, organizational culture, diversity and inclusion and workforce analytics. She joined Pfizer from Hospira Inc., where she spent six years as Vice President, Organization Development and Chief Talent Officer. Before joining Hospira, Dr. Puryear was an independent external organizational development consultant for 12 years. Dr. Puryear spent the first 10 years of her career in financial services in the real estate investment advisor industry. Dr. Puryear holds a Ph.D. in organizational psychology, an MBA from Harvard Business School, and a bachelor’s degree in psychology with a concentration in organizational behavior from Yale University.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would like to get to know you a bit more. Can you tell us a bit about your “backstory”? What led you to this particular career path?
When I graduated from Yale University in the ’80s with a BA in psychology and organizational behavior, most of my classmates were going on to graduate school in the humanities, medical school, law school or business school. I chose business school because it felt like the choice that would give me the most flexibility for future employment. After completing my MBA at Harvard Business School, I pursued what was considered a “sexy” career path at the time — real estate.
During my 10 years as a real estate investment advisor, I experienced organizations and leaders who knew very little about leading people, building effective teams or managing diversity. I knew there must be a better way, so I quit my job in real estate, started an independent consulting practice working with a global roster of clients ranging from non-profits to Fortune 100 companies, and went back to school for my PhD in organizational psychology.
With a background in business and organizational development, I was well equipped to help organizations create and sustain excellence considering both financial and human factors, and to manage both using sound organizational management thinking and focused business metrics. Unlike many who cut their teeth in large organizations and then transition to start their own consulting practices, I followed a reverse path and left consulting to become a C-level executive at Hospira, Pfizer and now Zimmer Biomet (ZB), where I serve as Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began leading human resources at your company?
It’s hard to narrow it down to just one interesting story. The life of an HR professional is filled with as many interesting stories as there are interesting people! Arguably one of the most interesting professional experiences I’ve had while leading HR at Zimmer Biomet has been navigating the global COVID pandemic. While this was a challenging time to be an HR leader, it was heartwarming to witness the tremendous response that our team members exhibited to assist fellow colleagues in need. While thankfully we didn’t have to institute wide ranging or long-term furloughs or layoffs, many ZB families were impacted because their partners or spouses lost income during this period. To do our part and provide support, we set up a Team Member Relief Fund. Thanks to team member donations and company matches, we were able to provide nearly $1 million in grants to about 1,000 team members globally. I was so proud to see everyone come together to support each other during a time of such uncertainty.
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?
I know the powerful and positive impact that mentors can have. Throughout my career, I have formally and informally mentored and championed others and I have a couple of strong beliefs about mentoring and how it can be most effective.
First, formal mentor programs where people are paired with a mentor often don’t work because so much of the relationship is driven by chemistry, which cannot be anticipated or understood through an algorithm that pairs mentor and mentee. Second, no single mentor can provide everything that a mentee will need to navigate his or her career. That’s why I’m an advocate for organic pairings rather than structured mentor pairing programs. I also advise people to create a network of mentors, advisors and coaches in the form of a personal board of directors. The best personal boards mirror corporate boards — they are filled with people who bring different experiences, backgrounds and skill to the table.
So, when you ask who has helped me get where I am today, I have to say many people, not just one person. My personal board of directors includes my parents, siblings, friends and former and current co-workers. This board brings together people from within and outside my industry and function; people more senior, peers and direct reports; people younger and older; male and female; and from every ethnic background.
In my work, I often talk about how to release and relieve stress. As a busy leader, what do you do to prepare your mind and body before a stressful or high stakes meeting, talk, or decision? Can you share a story or some examples?
I’m a firm believer in the need to manage stress, particularly as I advance in my career and the pressures are amplified, as the decisions that I make and influence, affect thousands of employees. It truly goes beyond preparing mind and body, which is why I believe in holistic energy management –a comprehensive focus on managing physical, spiritual, emotional and mental energy. I do my best to get exercise and good sleep to support strong physical energy. I was fortunate enough to purchase a Peloton treadmill just before the pandemic, and strive for 7–8 hours of sleep each night! Spiritually and emotionally, I maintain a meditation practice, and recently led a 15-member group in a 21-day meditation focused on gratitude and abundance. Finally, I try to stay focused on what matters, which allows me to manage my mental energy. I don’t wait until the high stakes meeting, talk or decision. I try to maintain good energy management practices each day so I am prepared whenever the challenges strike!
As you know, the United States is currently facing a very important self-reckoning about race, diversity, equality and inclusion. This may be obvious to you, but it will be helpful to spell this out. Can you articulate to our readers a few reasons why it is so important for a business or organization to have a diverse executive team?
I would reframe the question to ask why it is so important for a business or organization to have diversity, equity and inclusion …not just diverse teams. Building diverse teams without equity and inclusion is meaningless. The evolution from focusing on diversity — defined as representation of people with varying characteristics, experiences, skills, cultures and traditions — to inclusion, where all diverse people feel a sense of belonging and that diversity is leveraged across the organization, to equity, which ensures that fair and impartial systems exist for all members of an organization, is important. So, we don’t want to go back to just speaking about the importance of diversity. In fact, much of what we are experiencing with regard to racial injustice in society is about equity — the extent to which our system of policing, for example, is not fair and impartial. In response to the George Floyd tragedy, Zimmer Biomet, like many companies, articulated a series of commitments to drive and accelerate change both within our own organization and around the globe.
Additionally, as a black female corporate executive who has risen through the ranks to become a Chief Human Resources Officer at a Fortune 500 company, I know firsthand the value of gender and racial diversity on the executive team. One of my top priorities at Zimmer Biomet is to integrate diversity, equality and inclusion into the fabric of the corporate culture, and I am committed to bringing a sea of change in how we apply these principles to every aspect of our work at Zimmer Biomet.
As a business leader, can you please share a few steps we must take to truly create an inclusive, representative, and equitable society? Kindly share a story or example for each.
I don’t know if I am the right person to speak broadly about society, but let me draw upon my experience as a business leader to address how we can do it in companies. First, we must build these concepts of diversity or representation, equity and inclusion into our corporate cultures. They must be embedded and woven in, not stand-alone and disconnected concepts. At Zimmer Biomet for example, we have Culture Promises, or commitments we make to each other, which include specific behaviors and habits we expect as we bring the Culture Promises to life. One example is “Empower Every Voice” which speaks directly to the need for inclusion of all points of view. Second, we need leadership to role model, reward, develop and, sometimes, reprimand behavior that is not aligned with the culture that we aspire to realize. Finally, we need systemic practices for hiring, pay, opportunity for development and promotion that are equitable.
If we do these three things while connecting diversity, equity and inclusion to the success of the business, we will see the sea of change that I previously referenced. At Zimmer Biomet, we have launched some exciting work tying DEI to innovation, a critical business priority for us, and I am sure many other companies.
Ok, thank you for that. Let’s now jump to the primary focus of our interview. What are the “myths” that you would like to dispel about being a CEO or executive. Can you explain what you mean?
As an introvert, I was thrilled when the book ‘Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World that Can’t Stop Talking’ by Susan Cain was published in 2013, because it gave voice to what I’ve known and thought my entire career — it takes all styles and personalities to run a company. Diversity of every dimension is necessary and neither an executive boardroom full of introverts, nor a board room of extroverts will be successful in today’s world. The myth that CEOs and executives must have “big” personalities is one that I would like to dispel. In my experience, great leadership comes in different packages. The key is to be authentic, transparent and a good communicator that connects well with people.
In your opinion, what are the biggest challenges faced by women executives that aren’t typically faced by their male counterparts?
When I hear this question, I am reminded to be careful applying stereotypes by gender. While challenges faced by executives are not always related to gender, there are some gender dominant value orientations that can apply. For instance, there are some values or patterns of behavior women may ascribe to more so than men, and vice versa, which may influence how they’re viewed in the workplace.
There are three “C”s that come to mind — communication, confidence and consensus. Women can struggle with effective communication, such as overuse of upspeak, uptalk or upward inflection at the end of a statement, as if the statement were a question. This speech pattern is rarely observed in men and can suggest a lack of conviction. Lacking confidence or suffering from imposter syndrome is another that women may suffer from disproportionately in comparison to men. For example, it has been proven that when applying for a new role, women focus on what small percentage of skills they don’t have, while men focus on the skills they do have. Finally, women can over-rotate to gaining consensus to the detriment of moving forward or taking action. Again, men may face these challenges, but likely to a lesser extent.
Certainly, not everyone is cut out to be an executive. In your opinion, which specific traits increase the likelihood that a person will be a successful executive and what type of person should avoid aspiring to be an executive? Can you explain what you mean?
I have long ascribed to a theory of leadership that says that successful leaders are three dimensional, — They possess head, heart and guts, as outlined by Dotlich, Cairo and Rhinesmith, 2006. What do I mean by that?
Head leadership means demonstrating a strategic approach to understanding and managing the complexities of your executive role using analytics, often rethinking and reframing as new data emerges. Heart leadership suggests balancing the needs of people and the business, while creating trust, exhibiting compassion and driving commitment and engagement. Lastly, guts leadership implies taking risks, exhibiting courage and making tough decisions. While everyone likely leans toward one or more of these leadership attributes, all can be learned or softened. Therefore, in my opinion, anyone who is willing to learn, grow and take this multi-dimensional approach to leadership, can aspire to be an executive.
How have you used your success to make the world a better place?
We all hope that we leave the world a better place than we found it. While I hope that I’m doing that in small ways every day, one area of passion and commitment has been my desire to affect positive change for women and girls. This dates back 30+ years to my time as an MBA graduate to today in the C-suite of a Fortune 500 company, and throughout my volunteer service.
And on a personal level, I feel like I’ve been mentoring young girls for most of my life. I would argue that it started when I was a teenager as the eldest of three girls, with sisters eight and 12 years my junior. And now as Auntie to two teenage nieces, I continue to try to be a role model and make this world a better place for them, and other girls and young women.
What are your “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Started” and why? (Please share a story or example for each.)
Life is a marathon, not a sprint. It’s important to pace yourself because the road can be long and stamina is absolutely necessary when working toward important goals. I have only done one marathon, but the parallels to life are often stated and absolutely accurate from my experience.
Enjoy the moment. I am one who can too often be so focused on what’s next that I am at risk of missing the here and now. I am increasingly trying to relax into the moment without too much concern as to what’s coming next.
Asking for help is a sign of strength, not weakness. No one achieves anything alone, so the sooner we learn to partner with and rely on others, the better. Many of us are trained not to show our frailties or reveal our gaps, but true strength is doing just that, so that we can learn, grow and benefit from others who help fill those gaps.
Trust, but verify. I have found that there are generally two approaches to trust. Some trust unconditionally until they are proven wrong by a betrayal. Others don’t trust until trust is earned. I have learned over time that something in the middle might be best. Trust, but verify.
Follow your internal compass. We all have that internal compass, voice in our head or intuition that shows us the way. Too often we don’t follow it, we don’t listen or we get distracted by outside influences. I wish I had learned that sooner, but it’s never too late!
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
There is a parable that teaches “this too shall pass.” While the full parable is too long to share here, a quote from it reads, “As night changes to day, so do moments of joy and despair replace each other. Accept them as the nature of things, as part of life.”
This parable is a reminder to me that nothing is permanent or lasts forever, so it’s imperative to truly experience things in the moment and to relinquish control as change is constant. I consistently try to incorporate these learnings in how I manage my life through good times and bad.
We are very blessed that some very prominent 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
I’ve been fortunate to know and meet many prominent people across business, sports, entertainment and government so no one person comes to mind. In fact, the opportunity to have breakfast or lunch with any one of the millions of Americans, particularly people of color, who have been negatively impacted by COVID or Black Lives Matter, would mean more to me than time with a celebrity. People are suffering, and any words of wisdom, comfort or gratitude that I could deliver would be a blessing.
Female Disruptors: Olivia Davis of ‘Art of Choice’ On The Three Things You Need To Shake Up Your Industry
Buy what you love — of course it’s always great to see something you buy increase in value over time or even overnight, but one should always love what they buy because this is something you are living with and if you have other expectations you are more likely to get disappointed.
As a part of our series about women who are shaking things up in their industry, I had the pleasure of interviewing Olivia Davis.
Launched in 2018, Art of Choice is an editorial-focused initiative that seeks to democratize the way that art is examined. From classics to contemporary art, it spotlights exciting artists and their works, introducing audiences through images, interviews and insights that make art understandable and accessible to everyone.
Olivia Davis is the 27-year-old founder of Art of Choice. The L.A.-based entrepreneur grew up in Manhattan and earned her BA in Communications and Art History from Boston University and her Master’s from Sotheby’s Institute of Art. Olivia has experience working with the most globally recognized galleries, institutions, artists, and collectors across the contemporary art market. She works with both new and seasoned collectors on acquisitions and strategy with an eye towards building valuable collections. Her past experiences have allowed her to foster relationships with emerging and already established blue-chip artists, giving her access to both primary and secondary market works.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would like to get to know you a bit more. Can you tell us a bit about your “backstory”? What led you to this particular career path?
I grew up in Manhattan, surrounded by the best museums, galleries, and artistic culture in the world, and because of this was able to immerse myself in the art world quite easily. When I began my undergraduate degree at Boston University, I was confident that I would major in business; however, I majored in communications, declaring Art History as my minor during my junior year. My minor in Art History spurred my love for the art world and is what ultimately led me to pursuing art business as a career. After completing my undergraduate degree, I applied and was accepted to the Art Business MBA program at the Sotheby’s Institute of Art. While there, I continued to grow the Art of Choice Instagram account (something I had started in college as way to keep track of pictures I liked) and forged new relationships in the art world. After graduation, I worked for two galleries and an art advisor in Los Angeles before going off on my own in 2018.
Can you tell our readers what it is about the work you’re doing that’s disruptive?
Art of Choice is the first of its kind. It’s the only contemporary art advisory that delivers both a sales service around buying and selling art, as well as content to its viewers. Through the Art of Choice social channels, we provide readers with a “no bullshit approach to art” content — stemming from interviews with artists, exhibition reviews, artist spotlights, and more.
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?
A few years ago, I was emailing with a contact at a notable Miami-based gallery for quite a bit of time and we were planning to meet in-person during Art Basel Miami. The contact’s name was a feminine name, or so I thought when I went to the booth during our long-awaited meet up. Very confidently, I approached the booth and asked for “her” when “he” was actually the one greeting me. I soon realized that the contact’s name was a masculine French name — from then on, I have made sure to Google people prior to meeting them so I can avoid making similar cringe-worthy mistakes in the future.
We all need a little help along the journey. Who have been some of your mentors? Can you share a story about how they made an impact?
I don’t necessarily have any mentors in mind, but I most definitely look up to certain figures who have made an impression on me. One in particular is Leo Castelli — a well-known, NYC-based art dealer who had a heavy hand in shaping the world of contemporary art.
In today’s parlance, being disruptive is usually a positive adjective. But is disrupting always good? When do we say the converse, that a system or structure has ‘withstood the test of time’? Can you articulate to our readers when disrupting an industry is positive, and when disrupting an industry is ‘not so positive’? Can you share some examples of what you mean?
I think disrupting an industry can be either good or bad — it depends what you do and how that change impacts a culture, and this is always a gamble. From my perspective, disrupting an industry can lead to positive change. For example, Art of Choice’s “no bullshit approach to art” can help younger individuals understand and interpret art more effectively, helping them narrow down their style, preferences, and favorite artists. However, older generations may not take to this approach as much, finding it difficult to relate to the language used or the content published.
Can you share 3 of the best words of advice you’ve gotten along your journey? Please give a story or example for each.
Currency is connections — in this industry you make money based off your connections
Reputation is everything — it really is especially in this industry; if you have a bad reputation, a gallery won’t sell to you
Buy what you love — of course it’s always great to see something you buy increase in value over time or even overnight, but one should always love what they buy because this is something you are living with and if you have other expectations you are more likely to get disappointed
We are sure you aren’t done. How are you going to shake things up next?
I recently launched a limited-edition merch line — so far we’ve had two launches: baseball hats and hoodies. I’m excited to share some new designs we’ve been working on and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t think about planning exclusive art dinners for young collectors in different cities across the world.
In your opinion, what are the biggest challenges faced by ‘women disruptors’ that aren’t typically faced by their male counterparts?
One of the biggest challenges faced solely by women in business is that one is more likely to come across men in leadership roles vs. women. You will still encounter those who are stuck in their ways, who think women should stick with the stereotypical, dated role of being a housewife. While being a stay-at-home mom is one of the hardest jobs on the planet, why shouldn’t women be seen in roles of leadership just as much? Women in business are still somewhat of a taboo to many, which is why the more women disruptors who go against dated gender norms and pursue what the profession they want in life is, is so crucial.
Do you have a book/podcast/talk that’s had a deep impact on your thinking? Can you share a story with us?
Don Thompson’s “The $12 Million Stuffed Shark” was one of the first books I read during my MBA program at Sotheby’s Institute of Art. It truly gave me a first-hand look into how the art world operates and forced me to think differently about how one should conduct themselves in the business of art.
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. 🙂
While growing up in New York City, you take note of all the different neighborhoods — how they look, sound, smell, etc. NYC is an enormous, wonderful city, but there are so many neighborhoods who are neglected so much more than others. Providing less-developed, impoverished communities with a creative outlet is something I hope to be able to deliver during my career. Art is not only something to learn about — art is rooted in self-expression. Providing a community with an outlet to not only learn, but also express themselves is how I hope to contribute and, hopefully, make a difference.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
“You can’t go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending.” — CS Lewis.
This quote is one that I constantly turn to in my own life, professionally and personally. Thinking through the way I’ve done things and acknowledging how I could have done those things differently can be helpful and constructive, but it can also lead to spending so much time and energy harping on a decision, answer, question, etc. that cannot be taken back. We can’t travel in time, so why wonder “what if…”? Instead, this quote reminds me to focus on what I can do in the present and how those decisions will help me in the future.
