Women Leading The Cannabis Industry: Why you should not ‘go it alone’ With Dana E.

Women Leading The Cannabis Industry: Why you should not ‘go it alone’ With Dana E. Shoched of O2VAPE

Build a good team with people whose skill sets are complementary. Too many CEOs think they can go it alone, but growing a company requires more than one person alone can provide — and it’s only getting more competitive. From your sales team to a good controller to SEO and social media experts etc, you need every piece of the puzzle to be successful.

As a part of my series about strong women leaders in the cannabis industry, I had the pleasure of interviewing Dana E. Shoched.

Dana is the founder, president, and CEO of O2VAPE, a vaping product manufacturer for consumers and wholesalers. Her company makes the patented Flip Ultra pen. A proud veteran, Dana served in the United States Navy, where she learned the value of service and strong leadership. She has held numerous roles in the pharmaceutical industry, healthcare, and sales in the private sector, where she was often one of the only women in the room. Dana left the corporate world to blaze her trail when she founded O2VAPE out of her garage in 2013.

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Can you tell us the “backstory” about what brought you to the cannabis industry?

One of my previous careers was in pharmaceuticals, and that opened my eyes to the power of more natural medicines. When I learned that Michigan had a caregiver program for cannabis, I became a registered grower to help patients. While I was doing that, I took on a side gig selling vape pens and realized the vaping industry’s potential to reach more people. Eventually, I realized I could do it on my own, so I bought the name O2VAPE. It was my first solo entrepreneurial endeavor. I didn’t know I could be a CEO, but I knew I could hustle and that I could bring together some great people to do business the right way. I’m so proud to say it’s paying off and we’re a multi-million-dollar company now.

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began leading your company? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?

When I first started O2VAPE, I’d bend over backwards trying to please anyone I thought was a potential customer, just hoping I’d get some business. Even if the person was being a complete pain in the you-know-what. And I used to beat myself up trying to keep those clients and make them happy. Eventually I realized I was banging my head against the wall for someone who didn’t respect me, my business or my staff, and instead I needed to be able to let them go. So now we gently put the concept out there when we go over proposals to new clients whether big or small, letting them know that if they’re not ready or don’t feel good about our proposal, just let us know and we can part ways, no hard feelings. It’s so much better to work with people who respect the business relationship.

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?

My first foray into cannabis (besides smoking it) was growing as a registered caregiver in Michigan. One day our indoor cooling system for the hydroponic grow facility bit the dust in the middle of a polar vortex and the tech couldn’t fix it for a few days. So, even though it was frigid outside, inside we had a heat problem. But hey, I’m an entrepreneur, it’s Michigan, and we have snow and lots of it. There I was, all bundled up, shoveling one bucket at a time and hefting those things inside. Every bucket that was cooling our plants ensured our business and plants didn’t die, ironically all because it was too hot in a Michigan winter!

Do you have a funny story about how someone you knew reacted when they first heard you were getting into the cannabis industry?

I am not and never have been in the “cannabis closet” — I will tell anyone who will listen to me about how powerful this plant can be and how it can help people. One time I struck up a conversation with a perfect stranger in Costco discussing Ohio’s ballot initiative about decriminalizing marijuana. Next thing I know, it’s 45 minutes later and my ice cream is melting!

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 started O2VAPE from my garage, and I didn’t have much more than my own grit. There were times I think we had just $100 in sales, but I always had a few close friends and family who I trusted and who believed in me. More than once I found myself sitting in my financial consultant’s office when it seemed like nothing was working, wondering if it was all worth it. He told me, “You’re the hardest working person I know. If anyone can do this, you can.” Hearing that from someone I admire and respect, and from a few other family members and close friends, really meant something, and it helped me keep going.

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

I’m always a fan of partnerships that are a win-win-win, so I’m excited about a vape battery we’re co-branding with Redemption and Driven Grow, two more great brands out of Michigan where a percentage of proceeds go directly to the Last Prisoner Project. I’m very proud of how O2VAPE is working to lead the way in ensuring that community impact and social issues stay front of mind.

Ok. Thank you for all that. Let’s now jump to the main core of our interview. Despite great progress that has been made we still have a lot more work to do to achieve gender parity in this industry. According to this report in Entrepreneur, less than 25 percent of cannabis businesses are run by women. In your opinion or experience, what 3 things can be done by a)individuals b)companies and/or c) society to support greater gender parity moving forward?

This is an area where we can all broaden our minds about the biases and perceptions we all have that we might not know about. Three things I think we could all challenge ourselves on are:

  • Are we supporting the bias that “sex sells”, or can we work outside that outdated box?
  • Are we subconsciously keeping women in gendered roles? Today, women are growers, women are lab directors, security directors, and obviously, CEOs, but we need more parity in all areas. Let’s check our unconscious biases.
  • And even for women’s advocacy groups, are we welcoming people who aren’t like us, or are we leaving allies out?

You are a “Cannabis Insider”. If you had to advise someone about 5 non intuitive things one should know to succeed in the cannabis industry, what would you say? Can you please give a story or an example for each.

  • Be part of your broader community. Because this industry is growing and evolving so quickly, business leaders should get involved. Policy makers who are creating regulations and standards need to hear from us. I work with the American Society for Testing and Materials because I want to have a say about the standards set for the products I sell, and it’s important to me that my customers know how much I care about what they’re buying.
  • Think outside the box for how you can help other people. I believe in the idea of Corporate Social Responsibility, so we support The Last Prisoner Project as much as we can. And when the pandemic hit, I turned to my overseas partners and together we have brought in tons of PPE. It’s making a huge difference for the healthcare workers and first responder communities in Michigan, Ohio, and many other parts of the country.
  • Be mentally ready to pivot. From regulatory changes to supply chain interruptions, this industry keeps throwing hurdles at you and you might have no idea how to plan six months out, let alone for the next year. Just accept that and save yourself some time to get to the solution faster.
  • Build a good team with people whose skill sets are complementary. Too many CEOs think they can go it alone, but growing a company requires more than one person alone can provide — and it’s only getting more competitive. From your sales team to a good controller to SEO and social media experts etc, you need every piece of the puzzle to be successful.
  • And if you’re developing a product or idea, get your intellectual property protected with a good lawyer from the very beginning, well before you go to market. That also includes doing your research when it comes to naming your company, so you don’t accidentally commit to a name that’s already being used.

Can you share 3 things that most excite you about the cannabis industry?

As a Navy veteran, it really matters to me that cannabis is something which can help veterans heal from PTSD and cope with everyday life. It’s also pretty motivating to be able to shape how an emerging industry is evolving and have a say in the regulations and standards that get developed. And as a business owner, the growth opportunity to reach new customers is really exciting.

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?

I really admire the advocacy work that’s been done to get us to this point where cannabis is on the verge of being federally legal, especially the work by groups like the Last Prisoner Project to see restorative justice carried out. Now I would call for financial reform and business protection. It’s been tough for many folks to make money just because banks can close accounts on a whim even if you’re an ancillary operation. There’s so little recourse or even insurance options, and that really impacts people’s livelihoods. I’d also like to see more cooperation among businesses and less “tit for tat” stuff that’s just totally counterproductive to building a legitimate industry. Collectively we have a lot to offer the economy, so let’s get out of our own way and play nice.

What are your thoughts about federal legalization of cannabis? If you could speak to your Senator, what would be your most persuasive argument regarding why they should or should not pursue federal legalization?

At the end of the day, cannabis is a plant, it’s natural. It needs to be regulated, but it wasn’t put here to harm us, and we have a responsibility to do the research and tap into the many, many ways it can help people who are suffering — and let those who want to have fun to be safe about it. We need to get our act together to create safety standards for consumer products, ensure reliable access to business banking and insurance, enforcement of contracts, etc. These things support job creation. And we need to protect opportunities for small and mid-size businesses — don’t let Big Pharma completely take over this industry.

Today, cigarettes are legal, but they are heavily regulated, highly taxed, and they are somewhat socially marginalized. Would you like cannabis to have a similar status to cigarettes or different? Can you explain?

Cannabis is very different from cigarettes and should be treated as such, simply because cigarettes do no good and cannabis does no harm. On the medical side, we need to be thinking therapeutically and ensure people have access to something that can help them. In terms of the vaping industry, the consumer base is much more (but not solely) recreational, and I look more to the alcohol industry for a model but really cannabis needs its own parameters. Just look at how liquor stores and marijuana dispensaries were deemed “essential services” that should remain open during the covid-19 lockdowns.

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

Zig Ziglar said, “Doing your best is more important than being the best.” At the end of the day, even if I didn’t win that contract or I’ve got customers who insist on being upset, if I know I did my best, I can go to sleep at night, then get up and do it all again tomorrow.

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. 🙂

There is this notion in the business world that the only way to achieve success is by “beating” everyone. I don’t believe that. I’m as competitive as the next person, but if there is one thing we need more of in our industry, and frankly our world, it’s the idea that there’s enough room for everyone at the table. Helping others to build a better place will benefit each of us. Even small actions working in collaboration from many individuals make a difference. Inspiring other cannabis professionals not to be in the “cannabis closet” but instead find ways to show the positive impact we can make each day in our own communities, and that there can be enough for all of us — that would be something great to inspire.

Thank you so much for the time you spent with this. We wish you only continued success!

Women Leading The Cannabis Industry: Why you should not ‘go it alone’ With Dana E. was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Women In Wellness: Yoga Expert Rachel Baer on the Five Lifestyle Tweaks That Will Help Support…

Women In Wellness: Yoga Expert Rachel Baer on the Five Lifestyle Tweaks That Will Help Support People’s Journey Towards Better Wellbeing

Stay connected to friends & family, connection is what we were made for as humans, we flourish when we have connection with others. Whilst we have to work harder to connect during this pandemic it is still possible. Think phone calls, Face Time, emails, walking with friends at a safe distance, Zoom meetings, virtual book groups & even taking the time to write a card or handwritten letter. This can make so much difference to our happiness & that of others.

As a part of my series about the women in wellness, I had the pleasure of interviewing Rachel Baer.

Rachel is an E-RYT 200 yoga instructor with many years of experience both practicing and teaching yoga. Amongst many additional trainings she has also completed a 100-hour yoga therapy certification.

Rachel trained as a Fitness Instructor in the UK before moving to the US in 2003, her focus is now on Chair Yoga and Fall Prevention for seniors and those with disabilities.

Rachel shares how she is constantly amazed at the difference yoga regularly makes in the lives of her senior yogis, many of whom are in their eighties and nineties and are still committed to their yoga practice. Rachel has truly found her calling in life.

Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Our readers would love to “get to know you” better. Can you share your “backstory” with us?

I grew up in a small rural town in Lincolnshire England. I am the eldest of three children and the only daughter. I enjoy a great relationship with my two wonderful brothers. I married in 1986 to a very supportive and caring husband. We had two boys whilst living in the UK. In 2003 my husband had an opportunity to transfer to the United States, we agreed that we would live adventurously and see where it led us. At the time our boys were aged eight and twelve. They are now aged twenty-five and twenty-nine.

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?

I have many amazing stories, mostly about how much my yogis have benefited from chair yoga in various ways. This is the one story that I love whenever I think of this inspiring lady.

A few years ago, I taught a weekly chair yoga class at a local care home. The first few weeks the class was fairly quiet with a few brave souls checking out the unknown quantity that had entered their living space.

Soon, as word spread that it was “fun & not too weird” as overheard in the hallway, the class started filling up. I became very fond of my “regulars” & had the pleasure of often chatting both before & after class.

One character that I will always remember was a 102-year-old lady, sadly I can’t recall her name. She would arrive to class, usually a few minutes late, pushing her walker in front of her. She was incredibly independent & as bright as a button, not much could get past her. I soon learned that she had a regimented workout routine. Each day after breakfast she would walk several laps around the care home, quite some distance when reliant on a walker. If the weather was favorable, she would take her walk outdoors & make her way slowly around the pathways of the manicured gardens. She was convinced that these daily walks along with her half an hour on a stationary reclining bicycle was what had kept her going all these years. I tend to agree with her, we get to decide if we stay strong.

Occasionally she would fall asleep on the bike or during yoga class, however I figured that at 102 years of age that was more than allowable, the fact that she showed up to exercise at all still impresses me now.

One day after class I had the opportunity to chat with her, “what inspires you?” I asked. “Well, if you don’t use it you lose it” she replied, if only more of us thought this way. We chatted on for a while & she shared her memories of the local area; she had lived in Connecticut all her life & remembered Waterford before there were roads as we know them now. She told me stories of the dust roads with horse & cart for transport & about her family. It was one of those rare & special moments of connection.

The most meaningful part of our conversation was just before I left, she told me “when I open my eyes each morning, I say to myself, oh good I’m still here, what will I do today?” Whenever I think of this, I am reminded to be grateful for life, for each day & to be more aware of each present moment & the opportunities each day brings.

When you wake up tomorrow morning what will you get to do with your day?

The lessons and takeaways from this story are to keep moving, move in some way everyday & to be grateful for each day, asking ourselves how we can make a difference even in a small way each day.

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?

My biggest mistake was having too broad a reach within the yoga community, instead of narrowing my client base down & focusing on just one area that I could specialize in. You can be good at many things but not skilled.

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?

There are many people along my journey that I have learned from, one in particular that stands out is Karen O’Donnell Clark an experienced yoga teacher & yoga therapist who’s additional 100-hour therapeutic yoga training, I have taken. She was kind enough to take the time to share her advice on the business side of yoga on a personal level that related specifically to my work with seniors. She is a great example of yoga instructors helping each other.

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?

My work with seniors has had a huge impact on many lives over the past decade. I have numerous testimonials telling me how lives have been changed, injuries have healed & how much stronger & more independent seniors have become since taking my classes. We practice simple stretching & strengthening poses that equip them for everyday living.

The main thing most seniors fear is falling & the life changing consequences that a bad fall can have. My goal is to keep my yogis strong by teaching simple strength exercises that help avoid falls in everyday living. Right now, we are all in our homes most of the time due to the pandemic, however as 55% of falls occur in the home it is more important than ever to be aware of & make changes to our home environment while keeping ourselves strong, confident & independent. Below is an email I received from one of my clients just recently.

“I give your classes all the credit for the extra strength and muscle tone that I now have.

I got out of bed this am and tripped and fell to one knee but reached out, grabbed onto a piece of furniture to steady myself and lifted myself back up, thanks to stronger legs and arms! All that we do works!!

Thank you?”

I have received similar powerful testimonials from other clients, including how they are now able to get themselves in & out of the bathtub without aid. After just a few months of taking my classes another lady was able to get out of her beach chair without help, we all know how low to the ground they can be & how daunting or embarrassing it can be to have to ask for help. Other clients were able to win a family wall squat challenge & walk for several miles on a family vacation, pretty impressive for seniors in their late seventies & early eighties.

Yoga is a mind body practice which includes breath work & meditation which helps class participants to be in charge of their own breath & stress levels. I teach simple techniques that help with overall mental health. Yoga brings health to our mind, body & spirit.

The impact of my work does not just stop with my clients but reaches into the lives of families that are not burdened with the worries & extra duties that life changing injuries from falls can bring.

Loved ones stay stronger, happier & independent for a longer period of time, often the many aches & pains of aging bodies are alleviated by stretching and strengthening. Seniors are able to avoid the depression that can set in from the isolation, pain & fear that come along with falls.

The impact of my work also saves the health care system valuable resources & money as well as overcrowding at waiting rooms.

Although the current pandemic has meant that chair yoga sessions are now held via Zoom, I am fortunate to have such a lovely & loyal group of yogis, they show up for themselves week after week, happy & grateful to still have the opportunity to move, grow stronger & “see” their friends in class.

I am able to reach people I have not yet met in person; I have yogis in my classes from states I have never been too which is pretty cool, distance is no longer a barrier to taking a favorite class. Snow days & traffic are no longer a thing, as long as we have internet access class is on.

The most positive change from this pandemic is that many husbands are now joining their wives in class. Many men, especially seniors tend to shy away from yoga as it is often female dominated. Since April 2020 they have watched from a distance as their wives took class, then started to join in from the back of the room. I regularly have multiple couples joining in each day. Being “captive” in our own homes has shown us the value of online classes & it brings me so much joy to see them all & witness the difference I am making.

I am fortunate to love what I do, I am very fond of all my yogis & look forward to when we can hold in person classes again, for now I am grateful that technology has made it possible for myself & others to continue this important work.

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.

My top five lifestyle tweaks are simple & effective.

1 — Take the time to move your body in some way every day. Walk, stretch, do yoga, there are many opportunities available online now for those days where it is too cold to venture outdoors. Motion is lotion to the body; we were made to move.

2 — Stay hydrated, this is one of the simplest & most important things you can do to benefit all of the organs of the body. You will notice a visible improvement in the condition of your skin which is the largest organ of the body just by drinking more water & less caffeine. If you don’t like plain water add just a dash of fruit juice, a slice of lemon, cucumber or other fruit, the options are limitless. Try drinking more water & feel your energy levels increase. This has the added bonus of having to get up & down from the chair at regular intervals keeping our activity level higher & our legs stronger.

3 — Limit or eliminate alcohol consumption, it is a depressant & dehydrates the body as well as being toxic & addictive. Alcohol can react with medications affecting balance which may result in injuries from falls.

There are many alcohol-free options out there these days including alcohol free wines & beers some of which taste amazing.

4 — Stay connected to friends & family, connection is what we were made for as humans, we flourish when we have connection with others. Whilst we have to work harder to connect during this pandemic it is still possible. Think phone calls, Face Time, emails, walking with friends at a safe distance, Zoom meetings, virtual book groups & even taking the time to write a card or handwritten letter. This can make so much difference to our happiness & that of others.

5 — Get outside, even if just for a few minutes to enjoy the fresh air. Getting in touch with nature is proven to be good for our mental health. I enjoy gentle hiking and love spending time gardening or just sitting down enjoying the sunshine.

If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of wellness to the most amount of people, what would that be?

I would focus on a movement of kindness & grace to help people with their mental health, especially at the moment with so many outside pressures & the uncertainty that is in the world today.

In November 2020 I started a movement of grace in my small town of East Lyme by installing a Grace Trail® as a gift to our community. Please read on to learn more.

Welcome to East Lyme Grace Trail®

East Lyme has a new addition to its 0.8 of a mile walking trail situated at Samuel M. Peretz Park at Bridebrook. It is called Grace Trail. This self-guided walk was installed for the community to experience and enjoy as a mindful, meditative walk alone or with others. Our intention is for the trail to offer hope and peace as we honor and explore all of life’s twists and turns!

The Grace Trail process includes 5 letters (G-R-A-C-E) which invite the following questions to explore while you walk:

GRACE

G — What are you Grateful for?

R — What do you need to Release?

A — What is calling out for Acceptance?

C — What is my next Challenge?

E — What can I Embrace as possible?

How to get the most out of the Grace Trail?

  • When you reach a question, stop…ask…listen…and reflect as you move along the trail to the next question.
  • Questions can be asked in any order according to your needs.
  • There is no right or wrong way to answer the questions… stay curious and open to hope and possibility.
  • Each sign will have a QR code. We encourage you to scan the code with your smart phone to listen to ways to enhance and deepen your experience.

Our East Lyme Grace Trail was installed by Rachel & Dave Baer with support from the East Lyme Parks & Recreation Department, generous members of our town and as an honorarium to the Brian Dagle Foundation.

East Lyme Grace Trail is modeled after the original Grace Trail in Plymouth Massachusetts, designed by Anne Jolles (gracetrail.com) and under license from Grace Trail, Inc.

When walking this Trail, you are joining a group of people worldwide in creating a Trail of hope and possibility…

Check out Grace Trail by Anne Jolles on Face Book https://www.facebook.com/thegracetrail

Also, our own brand-new page East Lyme Grace Trail

https://www.facebook.com/ELgracetrail

I was interviewed by a local reporter about the installation of the trail, HERE is the article.

My hope is to inspire other towns & communities to install a Grace Trail® of their own.

What are your “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Started” and why?

The five things I wish I had known before I started:

1 — How time consuming all the planning & general managing of even a small business can be. It’s the important details that take the time. This is a two-sided answer, in some ways it would have been good to know this, in other ways perhaps if I had known I may not have forged ahead.

2 — That you are not for everyone it is impossible to please everyone so don’t waste your time trying, focus on your mission, your passion for your work & your compassion for people. It is too easy to get locked into people pleasing instead of being your authentic self.

3 — Perfection is unattainable, progress & hard work are essential but sometimes good enough is enough. This helps take the pressure off of having the “perfect” newsletter or “perfect” class each time.

4 — You will experience resistance & criticism to your ideas & success, push through & do it anyway. This is just good advice to anyone starting out, whatever your focus, there will be hard days & people that will judge you, don’t allow them to prevent you from making a difference.

Sustainability, veganism, mental health and environmental changes are big topics at the moment. Which one of these causes is dearest to you, and why?

Whilst these are all important topics, mental health is the dearest to me especially during the current pandemic. Mental health & depression numbers in America were up before the pandemic, now they are significantly higher. With more anxiety, unemployment & general uncertainty coupled with challenges in receiving the appropriate financial assistance, counselling and or medication. There is still such a stigma attached to admitting to struggling with mental health issues that many people choose to suffer on their own & never come forward to ask for help.

The subject is particularly close to my heart as I lost my brother-in-law to suicide in March 2020, the day after lock down went into effect in the UK. It was and still is a shock & incredibly painful. However much we hear about suicide it always seems like something distant & separate until one day it isn’t. We believe that Richard who was loved & incredibly social was unable to face the long days, weeks & months of isolation ahead, including no longer being able to work. It is truly devastating to those who are left to grieve such a loss, especially one so sudden & unexpected.

Sadly, Richard was not alone, suicide was the tenth leading cause of death in 2020, on average 132 Americans died by suicide each day. 1.4 million Americans attempted suicide. Men died by suicide 3.6 x more often than women although women were 1.4x more likely to attempt suicide. In total 48,344 Americans died by suicide in 2020. Suicide was the 2nd leading cause of death for ages 10–34 & the 4th leading cause of death for ages 35–54.

10.3% of Americans have thought about suicide & 54% of Americans have been affected by suicide.

I find these numbers staggering, there are changes that need to be made on all levels to help our loved ones & people that we work with who may be struggling. It is too easy to hide behind the mask of a smile. We can all look out for each other more, talk openly about & normalize our feelings. Acknowledging that although it is normal to have low days we need to recognize when it is time to seek help & not be afraid to do so.

We can also educate ourselves by taking a simple one-hour training that alerts us to the signs of suicide & gives us tools to know what we can do if we know someone is struggling. I am sure there are many courses available, many are free of charge HERE is one I have taken.

Simple awareness, education, connection & community can save lives & bring hope for the future.

What is the best way our readers can follow you on social media?

Here are the links to my website with class information, currently via Zoom only until it is safe to hold in person classes again.

Website — https://www.yogakeepsmefit.com

Face Book — https://www.facebook.com/yogakeepsmefit?fref=ts

Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/rachelyogibaer/

Twitter — https://twitter.com/yogakeepsmefit2

Thank you for these fantastic insights!

Women In Wellness: Yoga Expert Rachel Baer on the Five Lifestyle Tweaks That Will Help Support… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Female Disruptors: Angel Ishmael of NetBlaze On The Three Things You Need To Shake Up Your Industry

Determination: Don’t let setbacks define you. Each setback or struggle is one step closer to success! You will always need to have setbacks in order to improve and grow. Don’t focus on what you did wrong but on what you will do to make it right and improve for the next time.

As a part of our series about women who are shaking things up in their industry, I had the pleasure of interviewing Angel Ishmael.

Angel Ishmael is the Vice President of Sales and Marketing for NetBlaze, a Chicago-based SaaS digital marketing solution for small businesses nationwide. Ishmael has been with NetBlaze since it’s conception in June of 2018 starting as the Marketing Director. In her current role, her responsibilities include helping clients implement and grow their online presence through social media strategies, CRM tools, reputation management and customer reviews. Ishmael has demonstrated experience working in the digital marketing industry. Her previous role prior to joining NetBlaze included being a social media strategist and manager for digital marketing company, Blueprint Information Products. She holds a B.A. in Communications from Purdue 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?

I interned for a CBS affiliate and then went on to work for PBS in my early career days. Those experiences gave me some insight into advertising and marketing that have stuck with me. I went on to co-own (I was married at the time) several small businesses myself. From a wine bar in Northwest Indiana, to having my own real estate practice, to running a highly successful online platform review site for families. As a stay at home mom, raising my 3 kids, I started the platform review site from scratch and soon was working with companies such as Disney, Glamour, Honest Tea, Beaches Resorts and more. I did all of the marketing for the companies plus more (hiring, training, payroll, inventory) and understand the long hours and hard work that a small business owner puts in. When the opportunity to work for a company that valued the small business owner came up, I couldn’t say no as it’s something I’ve always been passionate about,which is helping a small business succeed!

Can you tell our readers what it is about the work you’re doing that’s disruptive?

The value we provide at NetBlaze for our digital marketing SaaS solution to small business owners for such a low price is unprecedented — I am so proud to be a part of a company that levels the playing field for small businesses.

My work is also disruptive as I was a stay at home mom for 12 years, doing my own thing, yet with time, preparation and hard work, I ended up back on the playing field. It’s difficult for moms to re-start their careers, and I’m showing that it’s possible!

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 had been out of the workforce for many years, and was the queen of managing my home and kids to a T. My new bosses asked for a check-in, so that I could update them on what I had accomplished in the past month. Being a detail oriented person, and out of the corporate world for many years this clicked in my brain as “write down every single thing you’ve done for the month” and so I spent days completing this. I sent a spreadsheet with every single activity I had done with each and every client in detail — I’m talking pages and pages of notes. The only feedback I received was “Gosh we wish you hadn’t done that as we needed a high level overview”. What I learned was to ASK QUESTIONS up front! If you aren’t clear on what someone needs or how they want it presented, ASK.

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 was mentored by our CEO, Steven Clayton, before coming to work for NetBlaze. What I realized through that six month journey was that it didn’t matter that I had stayed home with my kids nor that I hadn’t worked in the corporate world in a while. What DID matter was my desire to jump back in with determination and grit. I had been out of the marketing world for awhile yet I understood that my history and the knowledge was still within me. I was encouraged to identify WHAT it was that i enjoyed doing the most and to focus my energy on those things, to build them up even more.

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?

Sure, the idea to me that a woman can’t work and raise a family and even do those things while being a single mom is so outdated. I had a male CMO who told me that maybe I wasn’t cut out to work and raise kids simultaneously and it pissed me off. I am fantastic at multitasking and compartmentalizing and knew that I could do the job regardless of his outdated thoughts.

Can you share 3 of the best words of advice you’ve gotten along your journey? Please give a story or example for each.

Focus: Know what you want in life and THEN figure out how to achieve it! While I was a stay at home mom, I knew I wanted to get back into the corporate world eventually. I didn’t exactly know how that would transpire but I had the drive and determination to make it happen.

Determination: Don’t let setbacks define you. Each setback or struggle is one step closer to success! You will always need to have setbacks in order to improve and grow. Don’t focus on what you did wrong but on what you will do to make it right and improve for the next time.

Plan: I can’t stress this one enough! Plan out your year (I love the 12 week plan), I plan out all parts of my life so that I make sure 1. I achieve my goals and 2. That I have work/life balance.

Everyday, I write down three things that I MUST accomplish — this keeps me accountable and feeling accomplished at the end of the day.

We are sure you aren’t done. How are you going to shake things up next?

I really want to help women owned businesses shine! I want to provide them with the tools and support they need to push forward and succeed. This could mean providing marketing help, digital improvements or even just providing an ear to listen. When women come together, we can make big things happen!

In your opinion, what are the biggest challenges faced by ‘women disruptors’ that aren’t typically faced by their male counterparts?

Women have a hard time asking for what they want for fear of feeling bossy or aggressive. Men say exactly what they want all the time. I have learned (and very quickly) to be clear and concise in exactly what it is that I want in both my professional and personal life and it’s truly empowering.

Do you have a book/podcast/talk that’s had a deep impact on your thinking? Can you share a story with us?

The Alchemist has to be my favorite book of all time. It’s one that I read and re-read and learn something new every time. It encouraged me to think outside the box, and to understand the importance of the choices I make on a daily basis and how those create my future. I pay close attention to my thoughts, words and actions to make sure they all align to the journey I’m on because of my deep connection to this book.

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

I would help women step outside of their comfort zone, help them unlearn behaviors that hold them back so that they can move forward in their greatness. I think showing up unapologetically is empowering and that’s where I’d start!

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

This quote by Marie Curie resonates as we all have challenges in life and it reminds me that we all have a greater purpose in life. Through laughter and tears, love and loss, triumph and failure…it’s all just a part of our journey.

“Life is not easy for any of us. But what of that? We must have perseverance and above all confidence in ourselves. We must believe that we are gifted for something and that this thing must be attained.” — Marie Curie

How can our readers follow you online?

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

Female Disruptors: Angel Ishmael of NetBlaze On The Three Things You Need To Shake Up Your Industry was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Mona Pretorius de Lacey of RAWR Strength: How To Develop Mindfulness During Stressful Or Uncertain…

Mona Pretorius de Lacey of RAWR Strength: How To Develop Mindfulness During Stressful Or Uncertain Times

Be kind to yourselves. We have become hard wired to just work and let life slip us by without taking a moment for ourselves. Our mental health is so important and we need to be kind and give ourselves that time. What I also mean by this is if we start mindfulness training to help us cope with everything that has being going on, we should take it day by day and baby steps. These baby steps are still steps in the right direction.

As a part of my series about “How To Develop Mindfulness And Serenity During Stressful Or Uncertain Times”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Mona Pretorius de Lacey.

Mona Pretorius de Lacey is a 6-time Karate World Champion, CrossFit Games athlete as well as a Commonwealth Games medalist in Olympic Weightlifting. She is currently in the South African squad for the Olympic Games in 2021 in Tokyo. Mona also has an Honours Degree in Sport Psychology as well as an Honours Certificate in Mindfulness Training. You can find her online coaching business at Rawr Strength.

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 backstory about what brought you to your specific career path?

I would like to share the backstory of how I became an International athlete preparing for the up and coming Olympic Games as well as a business co-owner of RAWR Strength & as a Mental Performance Coach.

It all started at a very young age for my passion for sport. I grew up in a house where strength training was a part of our blood. My first sport I competed in at an international level where I became a 6x World Champion and a 3rd Dan Black Belt was Karate. Although sport was a big part of our life, I wasn’t always the most talented. I had to work really hard and train long hours to become a good athlete. I had to sacrifice playing with friends for training. I was away a lot for sporting competitions and together with this I had to keep my academic marks high in order to get into a good university where I could further my studies to achieve my Honors Degree in Sport Psychology. This could only be done with hard work, motivation, dedication and very good time management.

My passion as an athlete and the hard work I needed in order to achieve carried over to my current sport Olympic Weightlifting which I have been doing for 20 years. I have numerous records and international medals under my belt but my proudest would be my Commonwealth Games Medal I won in 2018.

I knew I wanted to do something that ties in both my passion for Sport Psychology (Mental skills training) and my sport. I owned a CrossFit & Weightlifting gym back in 2012 where again I had to balance being a gym owner with competing at a top level. Now I am currently seeing athletes both to improve and be a better Weightlifter as well as the mental side as a Mental Performance Coach.

I have always loved working with people and I believe my background as an athlete carries over well. I can now take what I learnt in my years of studying and combine it with what I have learnt as an athlete and a coach.

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

I would say my most interesting story is how hard work and goals can open up many doors for you. I grew up in South Africa and I still represent South Africa today on the International stage. Although I love my country dearly, I always saw myself traveling the world and doing big things. With my sport I got to see almost every single continent and I got job offers overseas which I probably wouldn’t have gotten. With my career as an athlete and coach I have since moved to USA, Romania and currently living in New Zealand. I would definitely say this is one of the most interesting things that has happened to me and where I am currently at.

What advice would you give to other leaders about how to create a fantastic work culture?

I believe a great way to create a fantastic work culture is to have core values. When you have values that your company stand for and that you truly believe in and show care to your employees, they will return care to your business. Setting goals and having everyone share what their goals are for their position also creates accountability for each person and this way they can work towards something and know what is expected of them. Encourage team work and positivity to create the perfect work culture and environment. A great leader will lead and create something where others want to follow. Being caring and being there for when your employees need you is also a very important part of your roll.

Is there a particular book that made a significant impact on you? Can you share a story or explain why it resonated with you so much?

My latest book I read was Change Maker by John Berardi. This book helped me put a lot of perspective into my business and how I can do things better. The business that John Berardi co-founded is very similar to my business and learning from people who have built their business from scratch and made it a huge success is very inspiring. I always strive for success in anything that I do and I also know the only way I will reach success is by learning and then implementing what I learned from successful entrepreneurs. Just like my sport, I had to make a lot of sacrifices to be where I am today and I want to take what I learned in my sport, that hard working skill, and do the same for my business. What made this book very interesting to me was how it gives business Ideas on how to run your business as an individual and how to run it once you have built a team. I would definitely recommend this book if you are in the coaching business.

Ok, thank you for all that. Now let’s move to the main focus of our interview. From your experience or research, how would you define and describe the state of being mindful?

Being in a mindful state is like having time move in slow motion. It’s about being present in the here and now. You are totally focused on the task at hand and at the same time you will let thoughts come and go whilst being in this focused state of mind. You feel relaxed and in control at the same time. For athletes this is a feeling of being in the zone. For others it could be anything from just sitting and relaxing and being mindful of your surroundings or you could even be sitting at your desk doing your work and be in a mindfulness state focusing on the current task at hand. I believe that just like you would train a physical skill, the mindfulness skill needs to be trained.

This might be intuitive to you, but it will be instructive to spell this out. Can you share with our readers a few of the physical, mental, and emotional benefits of becoming mindful?

Firstly being mindful is a mind and body connection. By being mindful and present in the moment you can focus on your task at hand. Mindfulness training can help you relieve some stress. It can help you let go of what has been causing you anxiety and it can also be used in the very moment when something causes great stress or anxiety. It teaches you control over your body. For example, by letting your thoughts come and go and by focusing on your breathing can help you focus and decrease anxiety. Mentally it’s a great way to help you focus on your task at hand. By being mindful and in the zone, I have also experienced an increase in energy and productivity in my daily tasks. Emotionally it has helped me (and I am still working on this) let go of some of the things in my life that has caused me a lot of anxiety. It has become like a coping mechanism for me and whenever I feel really stressed then I will take 5–10 min to either meditate or even go on a mindful walk. By being more mindful I have even started a gratitude journal that I write in at night and in the mornings. This way I take a couple of minutes to just reflect on the day before I go to sleep.

Ok. Here is the main question of our discussion. The past 5 years have been filled with upheaval and political uncertainty. Many people have become anxious from the dramatic jolts of the news cycle. The fears related to the pandemic have only heightened a sense of uncertainty, anxiety, fear, and loneliness. From your experience or research what are five steps that each of us can take to develop mindfulness during such uncertain times? Can you please share a story or example for each.

Step 1: Be kind to yourselves. We have become hard wired to just work and let life slip us by without taking a moment for ourselves. Our mental health is so important and we need to be kind and give ourselves that time. What I also mean by this is if we start mindfulness training to help us cope with everything that has being going on, we should take it day by day and baby steps. These baby steps are still steps in the right direction.

Step 2: Start somewhere. Even if it’s starting with reading some books about mindfulness or listening to mindfulness audios or even starting with something like yoga. This will help guide you with your mindfulness journey. I started it at a young age with reading books and then practicing visualization for my sport. Since then I have built on my practices and even taken some courses to become better at mindfulness training.

Step 3: Start a gratitude journal. As silly as this may seem to some of you because we aren’t really into journaling, you will be surprised after a couple of weeks of doing this before you go to bed and first thing when you wake up how good you feel afterwards. With everything that has been going on the last couple of years it sometimes become hard to think of what we actually have in our lives that are good. I promise you if you look hard enough, there is still plenty to be thankful for and by focusing on the good will help you go to sleep feeling a lot more positive and happy. Just start with 3 things to write down and spend maximum 5 minutes on each.

Step 4: Schedule in your mindfulness training. This is a very important step to continue your journey to become more mindful. When you just go about your day you can easily forget to practice your mindfulness time. It doesn’t have to be long hours. I love doing my mindfulness training first thing in the morning. I schedule 10–15 minutes each day and I feel energized and ready for my day when I have done this.

Step 5: Everything in life takes time and practice. We won’t become an expert on mindfulness training overnight. But, by practicing this skill daily means we are already building on that foundation. We are working on ourselves to become a better version of ourselves every day. You will have days where you can’t stop thinking of other things while you are supposed to be in your mindfulness state. This is ok, as long as you recognize that you are doing this and work on being better at letting go. Remember practice makes perfect and start small. If you have a short attention span, no worries. Start off with 3 minutes twice a day. If you would like guided meditation instead of just listening to nothing that can definitely work. Everyone is different and you should try something until you find something that works for you.

From your experience or research what are five steps that each of us can take to effectively offer support to those around us who are feeling anxious? Can you explain?

Step 1: Let those around us know that we are there for them. Often when people feel anxious they also feel alone and feel like they have no one to talk to.

Step 2: Check-in with your friends or loved ones to make sure things are ok. This will also reassure them that you are there for them. It doesn’t have to be a phone call every minute for every day. You can just send a text and engage in conversation or meet up for a coffee to see how they are doing. They will appreciate this much more than you know.

Step 3: Try to understand what is causing those around us to be anxious. When you know what the cause is of those around you getting anxious then you can pick up when it could be happening. This way you will also know what to do if something does happen and don’t be afraid to reach out to a professional if something serious is happening.

Step 4: Know when you are the cause of your loved ones being anxious. This can be a big trigger for anxiety and by knowing what or who the cause may be can help you help your loved ones by not adding to their daily stress. It’s not always easy but sometimes making small changes to help others could help you in return to become a better person.

Step 5: Love them and let them know you love them regardless of them suffering from anxiety. Although this might not apply to everyone because it could be a friend or a co-worker suffering from anxiety (you could still show you care). You could also show you care by practicing some techniques with them to help them deal with their anxiety or going with them to practices. Again, this could mean the world to them.

What are the best resources you would suggest for someone to learn how to be more mindful and serene in their everyday life?

Start off with something like yoga, this way you can practice and train both your mind and body to be in the present moment. Read books or articles online. I found reading books of people who have been practicing mindfulness for a very long time and have used it in their daily life has been a lot more beneficial to me than any article. When you feel like you want to take things to the next level, try attend a course. Join a mindfulness retreat for a day and experience firsthand how you can incorporate mindfulness training into your life.

Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Do you have a story about how that was relevant in your life?

Control what you can control in life and realize the rest is just a waste of energy and time. We all fall into the trap sometimes of worrying about things that we have no control over. These things might cause us tremendous anxiety and at the end of the day, this could affect our health as well as cause unnecessary emotional stress. Rather, put that energy and focus into something we can control to get the best outcome possible.

You are a person of great 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 have always wanted to help young kids in orphanages. I have wanted to create an opportunity for them through sport by having a big space where I can train these kids and do life skill sessions with them and help these kids have a safe space and a community to grow and develop. I want to be able to give these kids a chance to become something in life and even if I can help just one of them would be amazing. Each and every child should have these opportunities and places where they feel like they have a sport family.

What is the best way our readers can follow you online?

You can follow me on Instagram at @powerfulpretorius or go and visit my website with loads of training advice and programs at rawrstrength.com

Thank you for these fantastic insights. We wish you only continued success in your great work!

Mona Pretorius de Lacey of RAWR Strength: How To Develop Mindfulness During Stressful Or Uncertain… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.