Day: April 25, 2021

1,000 True Fans — You don’t have to have a ton of followers in order to make money. If you have a product or service to market that coincides with the content you’re providing, you only need 1,000 true fans to purchase from you. True fans are fans that love you so much they’ll pretty much support whatever you do. Create something that you can offer on a monthly basis for more consistent income.

As part of my series about “How Influencers Can Monetize Their Brand”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Adaya Jaye.

Adaya Jaye is the CEO and founder of Creative Endeavors Artists, a company born from the pandemic that supports artists and brands as they adapt and thrive amidst continuing uncertainty. Today, CEA is expanding beyond their inner circle and actively developing long term influencer, brand and audience connectivity through influencer development, partnerships with sustainable brands, ambassador relationships with emerging social platforms and full service in-house productions. Learn more on their website.

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would love to get to know you a bit more. What is your “backstory”? What brought you to this point in your career?

Last March, I just knew it was going to be the year I got my big break. I had been working on some great projects, was getting amazing auditions and had even arranged to get a script I had been working on into the hands of an actor I really admire. Then everything shut down. A friend of mine recommended livestreaming on an emerging app to me as a great platform where I could perform, so that’s what I did. I did Cosplay, cooked and practiced my singing on the platform. It was so inspiring, it brought my spirits up, and I was getting paid.

But it got the wheels going in my mind. Everyone around me was struggling, so I started introducing friends to the platform too. Once they had acclimated to the site, I took it one step further and started connecting them to brands who were looking for influencers. It was a win-win. I was able to provide work to creatives whose careers were at a standstill and provide advertising opportunities to companies who couldn’t film commercials due to shut down.

Since last year, I’ve used my producer skills to put on virtual variety shows and help performers like Willie Norwood (Brandy and Ray J’s dad), stay connected despite the safety measures in place.

Can you share the funniest or most interesting story that happened to you in the course of your career?

I’m a singer too, not everyone knows that. But I grew up listening to Brandy because she was a kid and I really admired her and loved her music. I just didn’t know about the Jackson Five, or all the other popular performers who became famous at my age. To me, she was the first one. And I was like, “Oh my god, kids can do this too!” When I grew up and moved to LA, I actually ended up working with her father. He was my vocal coach, which was a really cool full circle moment. And now, as I mentioned above, he’s actually also one of my clients!

How have you used your success to bring goodness to the world?

My success has brought goodness to the world by uplifting people and allowing them to stay connected and feel less lonely during the heart of the pandemic. It has also allowed them to continue performing and sharing their art, given them something to look forward to during the shutdowns and uncertainty and provided them with a way to make money. It’s also extremely important to me that my company be inclusive and will continue to provide opportunities for creatives of color as they are often overlooked and undervalued in the influencer space, just as in many other spaces.

You have been blessed with great success in a career path that many have attempted, but eventually gave up on. Do you have any words of advice for others who may want to embark on this career path but know that their dreams might be dashed?

Keep going! Your so-called failures may be leading you one-step closer to your goals and preparing you for something greater. Also, always remember that you determine how your story ends by whether or not you see it through to the end. You can be the person who gave up thus ending your story early or the person who kept going in the face of adversity. You can be the one who finally broke through to achieve success and who now has a great story that will inspire others because of it.

None of us can achieve success without a bit of help along the way. Is there a particular person who made a profound difference in your life to whom you are grateful? Can you share a story?

My mother. Despite our circumstances she did everything she could to put me in the best schools and make sure I had what I needed at home to excel. Most importantly she constantly told me that I could be whatever I wanted to be. It was never a question; it was just up to me to choose. I think that is what made such a difference. Many children don’t have that instilled in them at an early age, or any age for that matter.

So what are the most exciting projects you are working on now? How do you think that might help people?

There’s lots of excitement at the moment. I recently met a chef who owns a food truck that I’m excited to work with. His food is amazing, and he has a really fun, upbeat personality that I think people would love to interact with. I already have all kinds of unique ideas to help him transition to the digital space and develop as an influencer that I am looking forward to discussing with him.

Also one of my clients Debra Haden, a self-proclaimed artistic tour de force that goes by the name FeminineOddities, does these really wonderful live stream puppet shows. It’s amazing because the audience gets to interact and sort of has a hand in the progression of the show and the jokes. Her lives get hilariously wild, and we all need a bit of laughter and fun during this time. Anyway, we’re planning the next edition of our virtual variety show with her, her puppets and a few other performance artists which I’ll actually be pitching to a network soon.

In addition to that Coach Norwood wants to do a virtual singing competition with some surprise guest judges and another client Dianna Williams, the no nonsense majorette coach and creator of the Dancing Dolls franchise is doing lots of behind-the-scenes content in preparation for her 20th anniversary show. Her fans absolutely love her and it’s great that she’s stayed active and continued to build during the pandemic, so they knew what she was up to, got a chance to interact with her and have something to look forward to.

What are your “Top Five Ways That Influencers Can Monetize Their Brand”?

A quick Google search will return hit after hit of the same repetitive answers to this question. There is some truth and value to those answers but rather than give you my version of the same I’ve decided to approach this in a different manner. In the spirit of helping those that are interested in transitioning to the influencer space, here are my top 5 ways that influencers can monetize their brands.

1. Start with what you know — It may be tempting when transitioning or starting out to follow the current trends. That’s ok if what’s trending is organically you but following trends in the hopes of creating and monetizing your brand will have the opposite effect. Audiences, including new followers and potential brand partners, will see that’s what you’re doing from a mile away and your content will feel forced. Content consumers want to see YOU, whatever you’re into. There are so many niches from cooking to decorating to pranking to sewing to lifestyle aesthetics, performance art and everything in between. Don’t be afraid. Show us your passion! Even if you think it’s weird. We are in a time where people are literally getting paid to be themselves. Why shouldn’t you be one of them?
2. Be Consistent — The more content you create and the more consistent you are, the faster your fans and followers will increase. Post, go live, or drop your videos at set times. Your fans will start to look out for your content and will even plan ahead so they don’t miss you. Create a schedule and stick to it! Your fans, and eventually your pockets, will love you for it.
3. Grow Organically — While it may seem like a good idea to pay for followers or use other tactics to fluff your numbers until you “make it” you’d only be hurting yourself. Companies have gotten very savvy at being able to differentiate between organic and inorganic followers. Don’t be discouraged when starting out. There are opportunities for micro influencers as well.
4. 1,000 True Fans — You don’t have to have a ton of followers in order to make money. If you have a product or service to market that coincides with the content you’re providing, you only need 1,000 true fans to purchase from you. True fans are fans that love you so much they’ll pretty much support whatever you do. Create something that you can offer on a monthly basis for more consistent income.
5. For Celebrities — Show us a more intimate side of yourself! Do you have a secret hobby, hidden talent or otherwise different side of yourself that you’d like to share? Not only do your fans enjoy seeing and interacting with you on new social platforms but they really love it when they feel like they’re getting to know a more intimate side of you. So cook, sing, garden, play the ukulele, relax with your singing bowls or whatever else it is that you previously did when no one was looking.

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.

Bring the arts back to schools! Whenever they reopen! Having the arts in schools not only helps foster the next generation of great talents, but it also offers kids a creative outlet. It can be a fantastic way to destress and temporarily escape from the stresses of adolescent and teenage life. Right now, there’s a worsening mental health crisis among the youth because of the pandemic. We also know that obtaining therapy can be hard to do in underserved communities. For kids stuck at home, this can really help relieve stress and anxiety. Get out a coloring book, write a story or just find some time in the day to be creative.

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. 🙂

Oh gosh! There are so many! Warren Buffet, Oprah, Mackenzie Scott and Iman are a few that come to mind. They are all remarkable. I am deeply inspired by all of them but if I could only choose one, I’d start with Tyler Perry. It’s compelling how much he’s overcome to get to where he is. To go from being homeless to owning your own studio is an incredible journey in and of itself and his studio has provided so much opportunity for people of color both in front of and behind the camera. I’d be thrilled to have lunch with Mr. Perry.

What is the best way our readers can follow your work online?

Keep an eye on my website for news and upcoming events.

www.creativeendeavorsartists.com

Adaya Jaye of Creative Endeavors Artists: Five Ways For Influencers To Monetize Their Brand was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Personal growth work — We are always practicing personal growth. Our latest endeavor, which we did with our entire company, was The Happy, Healthy, Wealthy 9 Week Challenge created by our advisor Jim Bunch as part of his Ultimate Life Program.

As a part of our series about lessons from Thriving Power Couples, I had the pleasure of interviewing Farzan and Jennifer Dehmoubed.

As California proposed a bag ban in 2016, wife and husband team Jennifer and Farzan Dehmoubed stepped into action to create a meaningful business with impact. They’re on a mission to eliminate single-use plastics from shopping. With the average family using more 1,500 plastic bags per year, their company has already eliminated the need for more than 400 million plastic bags. Lotus Sustainables is a proud partner of 1% for the Planet. Thank you so much for doing this with us!

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Can you tell us a story about what brought you two to your respective career paths?

Jennifer: I grew up in Maryland and got my degree in Dietetics from University of Maryland while Farzan, who grew up in Toronto, received his Master’s Degree in Applied Finance from Macquarie University in Sydney. Before starting our bag company, I was a high school math teacher and Farzan ran a marketing company.

Just before getting married in 2015, we put our hearts together and asked ourselves “what is our vision for our marriage?” “what is the legacy we want to create?”.

At the time, we were working long hours in completely separate industries, coming home exhausted each night only to repeat the next day. Upon posing these empowering questions, it quickly dawned on us that our vision was to co-create something meaningful together. A business with impact.

Before you know it, California was proposing a bag ban in 2016 and we were on a mission to help clean up this planet and eliminate single-use plastics from shopping!

We weren’t expecting the Lotus Trolley Bag endeavor to become a full-time job or to become a national success. We started the company as a small, part-time side-hustle. We expected our first shipment in 2017 to sell out in five months; we ended up selling out in 8 days! Which resulted in a big Uh-oh! But for my husband and business partner, Farhan, that was the turning point. Knowing that there was such a demand for this product, we decided that it was time to go full force and there was no turning back.

We spent every waking hour of every day on this, and left our jobs completely behind. For me, it meant giving up health benefits and a salary and saying goodbye to my students for good at the end of the school year, which was hard. But we had faith and made the leap.

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you two got married?

Jennifer: Farzan and I are both avid beach volleyball players, we met on the beach playing ball. He really liked my sets! We’ve been together for nine years, married for five. We are two individuals with a passion for love, life & the earth (and we still try to sneak in a volleyball game when we’re not working).

Farzan: The opportunity to be featured on Good Morning America’s Deals and Steals segment and having to fulfil over 15,000 packages from our HOUSE in less than 3 days. The orders literally filled our living room, kitchen and entryway floor to ceiling. Friends and family pitched in around the clock to make it happen, but it was definitely one of our most memorable experiences.

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

When we first started selling our Lotus Trolley Bags on Amazon, we surprisingly sold out of 5 months of inventory in just 8 days. The demand for this new patented concept was absolutely amazing and blew us away. This forced us to go back to our manufacturer and quickly reorder the same set of bags but with twice the volume. However, we were naive and thought the quality would be equal to our first order. Unfortunately, it wasn’t because they subcontracted the manufacturing to another factory that went rogue. Two-months later when our inventory arrived, we were devastated to see the shoddy workmanship. We invested everything we had, and it wasn’t even sellable! We learned a very important lesson that day. Always make sure you do 3rd party inspections at the factory before your product leaves the warehouse. At the time we were horrified. But looking back we can laugh at the misstep knowing that for only $200 in inspection fees we could have avoided thousands of dollars in losses. Now we know better.

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

Jennifer:: What began as heartache from the harsh realities of plastic pollution has turned into a purpose-driven brand. It’s our mission to spread love to Mother Earth and her inhabitants. We set out to eliminate plastic from shopping, and along the way, a give back program was born. Our brand now supports three categories close to our hearts: plastic pollution reduction, social justice advocacy, and climate change relief. We are a 1% For The Planet member and also applying to become a B-Corp. We want to use our business for good and help show people that going sustainable can be easy and good for you.

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

Farzan: The Lotus Produce Bags are our newest product. The average person uses over 500 reusable produce bags per year for an average of only 12 minutes. One set of our Lotus Produce Bags replaces all that waste. They are high-quality, BPA free, washable and multipurpose. We’ve been amazed at the response to this product. We are also launching the Lotus Cart Clip. This is a phone holder made from silicone and recycled plastics that attaches to the shopping cart handle to hold your phone & e-grocery list for a hands-free streamlined shopping experience. No more fumbling with your phone to check your grocery list. It seamlessly attaches to the cart and you have your whole list right in front of you. With our Lotus Trolley Bag, our Lotus Produce Bag and the new Lotus Cart Clip, our customers can check in and out of the store in record time. Faster, easier and more organized.

What advice would you give to other CEOs or founders to help their employees to thrive?

Farzan: Make sure you speak about purpose before profits. Empower your employees and share your overall vision and mission as often as possible.

How do you define “Leadership”?

Leadership is the capacity to translate vision into reality. I think the key to leadership is having a very defined vision and mission behind what you do. Your team needs to have a common goal and it’s up to leadership to guide and empower the team in the right direction.

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?

Farzan: I’m grateful for all our advisors. Mission driven leaders from companies like HydroFlask, Seventh Generation and Burt’s Bees. You don’t always need to reinvent the wheel. Working with people that have been there done that can be such a benefit to any leader. I highly recommend starting a Board of Advisors even if it means giving up equity. If you pick the right advisors, it will pay off.

How have you used your success to bring goodness to the world?

Our biggest accomplishment is to have helped eliminate over 415 Million plastic bags from entering our environment with the sale of our Lotus Trolley Bags and our Lotus Produce Bags. The average family uses 1,500 plastic bags a year and that’s a statistic we work hard every day to change.

What are the “5 Things You Need To Thrive As A Couple”? Please share a story or example for each.

1. Gratitude — we keep a gratitude journal together and feel so thankful everyday for all that we have and are able to create with.
2. Quality Time — Regular Romance & Laughter are key! Schedule in Quality Time.
3. Celebrating the wins, both big and small
4. Personal growth work — We are always practicing personal growth. Our latest endeavor, which we did with our entire company, was The Happy, Healthy, Wealthy 9 Week Challenge created by our advisor Jim Bunch as part of his Ultimate Life Program.
5. Being in Service (to others, to the earth, to animals, to art, etc.). I enjoy tutoring and mentoring high school students, fostering senior dogs, and creating sacred space for women to connect and heal. Farzan is a wonderful mentor to other entrepreneurs and loves to volunteer at the men’s homeless shelter.

You are people 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. 🙂

Ending racism, honoring the earth in every aspect, spreading love.

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

Farzan: My favorite quote is ‘If it was easy, everyone would do it.’ In entrepreneurship and business I find that to be very true. With Lotus Sustainables we’ve worked tirelessly almost every day to get to where we are today. It takes dedication, drive and determination. That’s why I always recommend entrepreneurs to do what they love. It’s going to take over their lives and they may as well love what they do.

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 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 🙂

Farzan: I would love to have lunch with Manoj Bhargava. A successful entrepreneur who was the CEO of Five Hour Power that went on to use his wealth to create inventions that benefit the poorest populations in the world. He is someone I admire and respect greatly as a philanthropist. I highly recommend everyone watch his documentary called Billions in Change, the film is truly inspiring!

How can our readers follow your work online?

Follow us @lotustrolleybag (Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok) or email me at [email protected] . Visit www.Lotus-sustainables.com for more information.

Lessons from a Thriving Power Couple, With Farzan and Jennifer Dehmoubed of Lotus Sustainables was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Reno R. Rolle Sr. & Lynn M. Rolle of BoKU Superfood: “How Extremely Busy Executives Make Time To Be Great Parents”

Being fully present is a great strategy for raising children but also for ourselves. I believe many of us spend entirely too much time and energy worrying — about things that will likely never happen or are completely out of our control. If we remain present and focus only on the things we can change, we’ll spend less time watching the news and worrying about politics and other matters that are clearly out of our hands. This simple discipline will potentially free up hours that could instead be spent with our children.

As a part of my series about “How extremely busy executives make time to be great parents” I had the pleasure to interview Reno R. Rolle Sr., Co-CEO, Founder & Chairman of the wellness brand, BoKU Superfood and his wife Lynn M. Rolle, Co-Founder and CEO.

When they realized their son was having difficulty focusing in school and wasn’t “behaving properly,” the superfood and organic lifestyle/personal care brand was born! While on the hunt for an alternative to prescription drugs, they began to experiment in their kitchen with superfood concoctions. In doing so they found the most potent foods and created products that not only fueled and nourished the body, but tasted delicious as well.

Thank you so much for joining us! Can you tell us your “childhood backstory”?

“I was raised by the son of a janitor in a family of 5 children. I was Involved in sports and actually beat Olympian Carl Lewis in a foot race when I was 10 years old (more below). My parents divorced at 15 years old. I was an honor-roll student in high school that seldom studied. I had nothing and wanted everything.”

Can you share the story about what brought you to this specific point in your career?

“Our son Reno Jr. inspired us to discover superfoods in a quest to avoid prescription drugs when he was diagnosed with ADHD back in 1995. I founded the Home Entertainment division for National Lampoon in 2003 and was making movies when I was contacted by an icon in the infomercial business who asked me to “Think of a deal I couldn’t possibly say no to” and take the CEO position in his global company based in Bradford England. After an incredibly tumultuous start, we co-created a NY Times #1 Best Selling Book. This book remained #1 for 21 weeks in 2005 and outsold every book, in every category, except Harry Potter and The Half Blood Prince. The success of this book spawned the birth of Boku International, our family owned Superfood company.”

Can you tell us a bit more about what your day-to-day schedule looks like?

“I wake up early to a BoKU superfood breakfast and generally try to squeeze in some form of exercise/movement. I often walk or ride my bike to work at BoKU Superfood HQ, which is just 6 minutes away from our home. I spend my day primarily developing growth opportunities for our business and supporting my amazing wife and Boku CEO, Lynn.”

Based on your experience or research, can you flesh out why not spending time with your children can be detrimental to their development?

“My father was largely absent during my entire childhood. He acknowledged this later in life with great disappointment and regret. He never attended a single track meet, football game, school or social event. I grew up resenting this a great deal and it put tremendous strain on both my relationship with him and my mother, who was left filling his role as disciplinarian. I developed anger and other emotional issues that I was later able to tie directly back to my father’s lack of presence. We are all shaped by our experiences and environments, especially during our formative years when we are most impressionable.”

On the flip side, can you give a few reasons or examples about why it is so important to make time to spend with your children?

“Children are an incredible blessing but at the same time an enormous responsibility. As parents, we owe it to them, our communities and humanity in general, to do our absolute best in guiding them to become the best version of themselves. This takes TIME. If we can’t make the time that they need and deserve, then we shouldn’t take the time to make them.”

According to this study cited in the Washington Post, the quality of time spent with children is more important than the quantity of time. Can you give a 3–5 stories or examples from your own life about what you do to spend quality time with your children?

“I’ve learned that one of the best things to do during time with children is to simply listen. It’s natural to want to talk a lot as we feel inclined or obligated to teach. However, one of the best kept secrets is that children also teach us. I always liked asking questions and then allowing the conversation to be guided by my listening. Another great way to optimize time spent with children is to empower their decision making. Rather than lecture on all the reasons something they wanted made no sense, I would ask them to weigh the pros and cons — then decide for themselves. It’s a completely different experience when they are part of the process. Finally, remembering that the best thing in the world to have is fun. Not just for children but for us big kids too. I always tried to create fun experiences and be a part of them with my kids. It would be very hard for them not to associate fun and happiness with their Dad.”

We all live in a world with many deadlines and incessant demands for our time and attention. That inevitably makes us feel rushed and we may feel that we can’t spare the time to be “fully present” with our children. Can you share with our readers 5 strategies about how we can create more space in our lives in order to give our children more quality attention? Please include examples or stories for each, if you can.

“1. I was very fortunate to home office during some of my career. This should be a valuable, increasing trend post COVID and the benefits should not be discounted. Proximity is important and being under the same roof, while offering its own challenges, also brings enormous up-side. Beyond simply being close, I often recruited my kids to help with some of my work related projects. I would share detailed business related issues and treat them as if they understood, always inviting them to play-up and participate. I would read aloud my business correspondence, share letter drafts with them for comments and opinions, share ideas and project updates, etc. Getting the kids involved strategically offered numerous benefits. Not only did they understand why I needed quiet when the phone rang or for them to behave a certain way when I was working, it also instilled a sense of responsibility and participation. They played an active role in my work and OUR success. We would celebrate wins together. They related great vacations and travel to success and accomplishment at work. This, I believe, helped inspire work ethic and creativity. To this day, we bounce ideas off of each other constantly. My son Reno Jr. has become very successful developing his ideas and formulations at BōKU. My daughter Ryann does not hesitate to implement new ideas and strategies to enhance operational efficiencies.

2. Being fully present is a great strategy for raising children but also for ourselves. I believe many of us spend entirely too much time and energy worrying — about things that will likely never happen or are completely out of our control. If we remain present and focus only on the things we can change, we’ll spend less time watching the news and worrying about politics and other matters that are clearly out of our hands. This simple discipline will potentially free up hours that could instead be spent with our children.

3. I also believe many of us have a tendency to care way too much, about things that matter less. We get carried away and forget that sometimes it’s ok to say “no.” We get wound-up in projects that make no sense and only end up robbing time and resources. If we learn to better prioritize, we can wipe our schedule clean of these time robbers that only seem important, but in the grand scheme — amount to nothing. Especially when compared to the value we would derive from spending this time with our children. We need to care — but not that much.

4. Nutrition plays an enormous role in how we function. So much of what we eat and drink is poisoning our bodies and undermining our incredible ability to fight sickness and perform. Toxic food can fuel toxic thoughts and behavior. If we don’t eat well and fill ourselves with bad food, we’re not going to look or feel our best. If we’re sick and miserable, how will we provide for our children and others around us. Taking good care of ourselves is not selfish, it’s necessary.

5. Consume less processed, isolated caffeine and move your body. Good sleep is essential and will have you waking up earlier and rested. Getting up early means less rushing and more time.”

How do you define a “good parent”? Can you give an example or story?

“A good parent in my opinion, is one who leads with constant gratitude for the gift that children are. Remembering at all times that they are like clay in a sculptors hands. We have the responsibility and privilege of shaping them into pretty much anything we desire. A good parent is also one humble enough to know that we must be open to constantly learning and changing. Just because our parents did it, or it worked for us, doesn’t make it the best approach for our children. They are individuals with their own unique gifts and stories. The goal of a good parent should not be to make clones of ourselves but to nurture and respect the individual potential of each child and provide the best possible environment for them to flourish.”

How do you inspire your child to “dream big”? Can you give an example or story?

“My kids always knew that dreams are everything. If you can dream it, you can achieve it and there are no limitations! By dreaming out-loud and being inclusive, my kids have experienced my dreams as an entrepreneur and watched them become reality. I inspire them to dream by including them in mine and allowing them to live the magic of manifestation. 15 years ago, I dreamt of one day occupying the flagship property on 2 acres at the gateway to our town in Ojai, California. I shared this dream with my wife and kids. At the time, we could barely pay our mortgage and had no idea how we would ever possibly afford this property or what we would do with it, even if we could somehow get it. I didn’t know the answers to these or other questions but I kept on dreaming. In 2015 we experienced a growth spurt and needed a larger facility for BōKU. I immediately thought of the beautiful property I had been dreaming of for years. Through a miraculous series of serendipitous events, two years of arduous negotiating with Billionaires and a healthy dose of pure magic and good luck, I made one of the most incredible deals of my life and we experienced this as a family.”

How do you, a person who masterfully straddles the worlds of career and family, define “success”?

“Happiness.”

What are your favorite books, podcasts, or resources that inspire you to be a better parent? Can you explain why you like them?

“I find inspiration anywhere it’s hiding. As an optimist, I look for good constantly, observing others and seeking mentorship. Master Key to The Riches is one of my favorite books. It taught me that climbing the ladder of success requires both hands reaching out — one reaching upward for help from someone higher on the ladder and the second reaching down to help someone lower on the ladder, who aspires to be where you are. Mentors are incredibly important and most often want to help us as much as we want them to.”

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

“Nothing beats a failure but a try” — Uncle Sonny. My Father’s older brother said this constantly and it really inspired me to try. No matter how daunting or seemingly impossible the task might be. When I was 10 years old, I joined the Willingboro Track Club founded by Evelyn and Cleve Lewis (Carl’s parents). We began running the 100, 220 and 440 yard sprints (this was before meters). I honestly believed I had some handicap because the Lewis kids were so much faster than me. Of course I had no idea that I was racing the boy who would later become the fastest man in the world and win multiple Olympic gold medals. One day Mrs. Lewis announced that we would be timed running the 880. I was able to calculate in my head that this would be two laps and lined up for my routine humiliation. One difference is that this race began standing. I didn’t have to crouch down in the starting blocks, which I found very awkward. A standing start in contrast, felt good to me. I took off when the gun sounded and watched Carl immediately gain a huge advantage as he shot out nearly half a lap ahead of me. I did the only thing I knew, which was to keep running as fast as I could. After one lap something miraculous happened (no Carl didn’t trip and fall), I looked up to see that I was actually gaining on Carl! He was a sprinter and completely ran out of gas after one lap. This inspired a burst of energy and hope as I pumped my arms and legs even harder, running as fast as I possibly could — right past Carl and across the finish line. This may have seemed insignificant but it was anything but — to me. I overcame what seemed like an impossible obstacle and won that race because I didn’t quit and wasn’t afraid to try, despite seemingly insurmountable odds. This lesson has shaped so much of my life and my personal mantra “Life is a two lap race. Never quit.” Anything is possible if you try and don’t quit.”

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?

“My dream is to share our health forming superfoods and positively impact as many people as possible. Especially the underserved people living in food deserts all over the world. The work we do at BōKU is incredibly important. While we share the most nutrient dense, health forming foods on earth, the most powerful aspect of what we do, goes largely unspoken. It’s estimated that nearly 60% of all produce cultivated in North America is wasted. Wasted water, labor, soil depletion, chemical pollution — the environmental impact of this incredible inefficiency is astounding and destroying our planet. Fresh produce is rushed around the world in fuel-hogging refrigerated containers, racing against time as the food begins rotting from the moment it’s picked. Only the pretty ones make it to store shelves, where consumers pay artificially inflated prices designed to off-set the enormous waste. At BōKU, our plant based, superfood ingredients are harvested fresh, gently dried at low temperature and powdered. This simple process not only captures the nutritional potency at its peak, but essentially removes perishability from the equation, because the shelf life of these dried powders is YEARS compared to fresh produce that lasts only DAYS. Without this race against time, we could literally load our superfoods on the back of a turtle and feed hungry children on the other side of the world. The potential to make a positive difference with our superfoods is so powerful for both the health and wellness of people AND our planet, it has gone beyond my dream and now forms my purpose. While experts describe what we do as the future of food, it’s remarkable to consider that the ancient superfoods we specialize in, have been revered in cultures all over the world — many of them since the times before Christ. There is clearly a growing trend — back to nature and rediscovering the gift of superfoods. This is the movement I would inspire.”

Reno R Rolle Sr & Lynn M Rolle of BoKU Superfood: “How Extremely Busy Executives Make Time To Be was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Emily Maultsby of Emily Rose Gems: Five Things We Can Do To Develop Serenity And Support Each Other During These Anxious Times

My business isn’t really about jewelry, it’s about self care, and using the natural world around us to promote our own happiness. I want people to think about my collection as a “toolbox,” a set of natural tools, that can be used for emotional regulation. Each one does something different. I design my jewelry so that the stones that work well together can be combined. And all of it is meant to enhance your life.

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

Emily is a “jackie-of-all trades” creative, wife to a photographer turned software engineer, mother to three young boys. She started her own business [Emily Rose Gems] as an answer to the dilemma that faces all mothers: the desire to be with her family, while also finding some meaningful existence that gave her a way to help others outside her home, while making connections and finding strength in mastery.

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?

My own personal history of mental health challenges and treatment, using hundreds of hours of group therapy and training in DBT has given me tools that I want to share with others and my gemstones are the way I do this.

DBT’s main goals are to teach people how to live in the moment, develop healthy ways to cope with stress, regulate their emotions, and improve their relationships with others. I have extended this concept to use gemstones as a constant reminder to return to the present — and look good too.

My business isn’t really about jewelry, it’s about self care, and using the natural world around us in a way that promotes happiness.

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

Building a real community where we share our life experiences and how each of us relates to the gemstones in similar ways makes me feel part of something bigger.

I designed this one rose quartz ring when I started. The combination of the style and gemstone of the ring was to emphasize the stone’s innate power of encouraging self-love. I thought to myself “I’ll never wear this ring, I’m designing it for someone else.” But when I got the sample and put it on, it awakened my feelings of inner beauty and self-worth. The effect was magical. Such a specific and clear message. I fell in love with that ring that day, and since I have started selling that ring, and heard from customers that they have had that same experience with it, it just blows my mind.

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

I’ve joined together with true friends, one located in India, with whom I can share a cohesive vision. Work with people who share your passion, and who you simply like and trust..

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?

I loved the combination of science, photography and medicine in “The Hidden Messages in Water” by Dr. Masaru Emoto. I found his message inspirational, that something so simple, water, could actually be mystical and powerful. I also admired his bravery in dedicating his life’s work to this avant-garde study. He followed his heart, regardless of being labeled foolish. My passion is the power of gemstones.

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 mindful means finding peace and joy in small moments. Doing one thing at a time, and doing it well.

Trying to remain in the present moment is hard. My business is built around a method that I have developed to enable me and others to achieve mindfulness.

I associate each gemstone ring, necklace and pendant with an emotional intent. If I wear the gemstone on my hand, it is a constant reminder of that intent. If I wear the gemstone on my neck (or chest) then I find it more soothing and protective. Each time I touch or see the gemstone(s) it brings me back to the present.

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?

Let me go back to something I mentioned earlier, how I used DBT as a tool to achieve balance.

According to the Linehan Institute: “Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) is a type of cognitive-behavioral therapy. Its main goals are to teach people how to live in the moment, develop healthy ways to cope with stress, regulate their emotions, and improve their relationships with others.” I have extended this concept to use gemstones as a constant reminder to return to the present — and look good too.

Mindfulness shares a core with the objectives of DBT.

When I am mindful, my anxiety dissipates. I slow down and experience life as it is happening, growing appreciation for the small things around me. I find satisfaction, and feel more complete. I find that every day activities, washing my face, making the bed, doing the dishes, become a healing ritual. The busy pace of the modern world can blind us to how important this is.

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.

Here are the first five steps I take every day that support my own quest for mindfulness. With a little practice, one can learn to live most of their days in a mindful state. The stress of the last year has made this incredibly important for me and for others.

1. I Wake up and stretch. Check in with my body, how does it feel?

2. I make the bed. And not in a hurried way, but actually make it. With extra pillows even. Make it look nice, so that at the end of the day, I will feel like someone wanted me to feel special when I put my tired body back into bed. I think about my future gratefulness, and about the good rest my bed gave me.

3. I wash my face and brush my teeth. I think only of the way it feels to rub away sleep and polish myself clean. I use products that feel and smell good and bring me joy.

4. I dress in clothes that make me feel happy. Natural fabrics that feel good to wear. Clothes that make sense for my day, but also make me feel put together and confident.

5. And finally, I put on some gemstones! I put a couple of rings on my left hand — which according to ayurvedic medicine is my “feeling” hand. I choose stones with my gut, my sacral chakra, letting it guide me toward colors and shapes that stand out to me, begging to be held. Throughout my day when I need a distraction, or a moment of peace, I will look down at my hand, and feel soothed.

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?

Begin by listening. Don’t reply with your own story, or advice. Just listen, and validate. Say “wow, that sounds really hard. I’m here for you. Tell me what you need.”

Next, encourage their inner artist. By helping people make art, especially my kids, they can find mindfulness and peace. Sometimes people just need to be handed the right tools: a rock and a sharpie oil paint marker are a great combo to help someone calm down and focus.

Third, I’ll use nature. Offer to go for a walk in the woods, assist with gardening, foraging, going to the beach. Even just sitting together under a tree.

Fourth, gifting a gemstone. Sometimes you can’t get out into nature, so for those times, hand someone struggling a gemstone to hold. Shells and rocks work well too if there isn’t a gemstone handy.

Fifth, I encourage them to do something nice for someone else. Sometimes we get so stuck in our own troubles, that we forget that so many of us are struggling. Bake cookies or muffins and share them with a friend. Get out of your own head and reach out.

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

That’s exactly what I’m trying to accomplish. The gemstones are the natural resources that can be used to make mindfulness easier and “more natural.”

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

My quote is actually printed on the inside of my boxes. “Wear it in good health.” This is something I started saying to customers at fairs, when I first started selling my jewelry. I felt that it encapsulated my mission, which was to encourage people to focus on their health, and to instill the stones with their hopefulness and faith. By charging gemstones with our positive intentions they become a catalyst for our healing.

I subsequently learned from my dad that his mom used to say this in Yiddish “trog gezunterhait” when giving a gift. She passed away when I was just two. I love to believe that was more than a coincidence.

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. 🙂

My business isn’t really about jewelry, it’s about self care, and using the natural world around us to promote our own happiness.

I want people to think about my collection as a “toolbox,” a set of natural tools, that can be used for emotional regulation. Each one does something different. I design my jewelry so that the stones that work well together can be combined. And all of it is meant to enhance your life.

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

I’m on instagram obsessively. @emilyrosegems

I also have a website, of course www.emilyrosegems.com

And look me up on clubhouse! I love to chat.

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

Thank you so much for this opportunity!

Emily Maultsby: Five Things We Can Do To Develop Serenity And Support Each Other During These… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.