Day: May 4, 2021

Women Of The C-Suite: Dawn Kelley of Barney Butter On The Five Things You Need To Succeed As A…

Women Of The C-Suite: Dawn Kelley of Barney Butter On The Five Things You Need To Succeed As A Senior Executive

Build a strong advisory board: When you are small you tend to think you don’t have the money or “stock” to attract a good advisory board. Do it anyway. Having access to others that have been down the path before you is invaluable. We never formalized a board of advisors in the beginning and it’s one of the few things I would do differently if I could.

As a part of our series about strong women leaders, we had the pleasure of interviewing Dawn Kelley.

Dawn Kelley, Barney Butter’s President and CEO, comes from a background of executive leadership in the technology and e-commerce industry and now leads Barney Butter’s day-to-day business; including sales, marketing, operations, and product development. Passionate about the symbiotic relationship between health and food, in 2010 Dawn set out to grow Barney Butter, a tiny California Almond Butter company, into the best-in-breed brand — both domestically and internationally. Barney Butter is the third largest nut butter in the category and the #1 family owned and operated.

Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! 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?

It’s all a bit serendipitous, and as with most things in life, much easier to see in the rear-view mirror! The story that makes sense to me now, is that my past experiences were really cutting my teeth, getting me ready for the right experience when it came along. I guess this is a true example of when preparation meets opportunity. The years spent in my different roles (in different industries) with varying levels of leadership/management, finance, strategy, and execution/project management gave me the confidence that I can do this and do it successfully.

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

I think the most “Holy Cow!” moment I’ve had was when traveling for work, in Dallas I think, and my cell phone rang with a Bentonville, Arkansas number I didn’t recognize. I said to my husband, (also my co-worker) who was driving, “haha, that’s probably Walmart calling” (we were still growing and certainly not in Walmart yet) so I answered the phone. Lo and behold, it was the buyer from Walmart calling to say they wanted to carry Barney Butter and how soon could we start doing business. Whether it’s Walmart or one of many other major retailers, that’s a phone call someone in our position dreams of and you don’t forget that feeling of excitement.

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’ve certainly made a lot of mistakes along the way, and only having a good sense of humor makes them “kind of” funny today! I think when you’re first starting out, you’re kind of drinking from a fire-hose, especially in a new industry, as in my case. I think not taking yourself too seriously, not being afraid to ask for help, and having fun and a good attitude go a long way.

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

I’ve had a couple CEOs I’ve worked for that recognized my abilities outside of the job I was hired for. That allowed me to transition from the narrow path that I was on, to a broader executive level within the organizations. Without those experiences I would have never been prepared to do what I’m doing now and would not have had the skill set to grow this brand into the 3rd largest and number one independently owned brand in the US. Those leaders changed the trajectory because they recognized something in me, and I’m thankful for that all the time. I am also an avid reader and podcast listener, so I absorb every experience I can from the people that have done this before me.

In my work, I often talk about how to release and relieve stress. As a busy leader, what do you do to prepare your mind and body before a stressful or high stakes meeting, talk, or decision? Can you share a story or some examples?

Hands down I think the best thing you can do is get enough good quality sleep. I don’t buy into the notion you have to work “long” hours and be frazzled all the time in order to do your job well. Being well rested, sharp, and clear headed goes a long way. And if sleep/rest is the foundation, some meditation can take it to the next level. I tend to be a bit of a fretter, so before something big I need to break that worry loop happening in my thoughts. I also believe in a lot of “active meditation” time when you can give your brain time to solve some problems or get creative, for me this tends to be in the form of walks, yoga, or using my hands (making something, food prep, gardening), where I can just focus on what I’m doing and not the issue at hand.

As you know, the United States is currently facing a very important self-reckoning about race, diversity, equality and inclusion. This may be obvious to you, but it will be helpful to spell this out. Can you articulate to our readers a few reasons why it is so important for a business or organization to have a diverse executive team?

Yes of course! Strictly from a business perspective, and of course every company and organization is different, but for us, and for CPG brands in general, doesn’t it just make sense that you want to connect to and relate with every consumer? I’m not sure how you can do that if you’re not in touch with ALL consumers. The more diversity we have as an entire company, not just the management team, gives us more perspective and able to solve the needs and problems of our consumers.

As a business leader, can you please share a few steps we must take to truly create an inclusive, representative, and equitable society? Kindly share a story or example for each.

Start with your “own backyard”. If we all did this, collectively we would see seismic changes. We believe in leaving things better than you found them and striving for constant improvement and evolution. I certainly am not naïve or arrogant enough to believe I know how to fix society as a whole, but what I can do is break things down to what IS in my control. Then, do THAT.

Ok, thank you for that. Let’s now jump to the primary focus of our interview. Most of our readers — in fact, most people — think they have a pretty good idea of what a CEO or executive does. But in just a few words can you explain what an executive does that is different from the responsibilities of the other leaders?

Most days I am the Chief Problem Solver. We are a family owned/independently run company (we are not owned by a large CPG and do not have Private Equity partners). What that means is that 1. We are lean and mean, not a large multi-national company and 2. We don’t have a big bench of Vice Presidents between the operations of the company and the CEO. What this means is that I’m not necessarily sequestered from the daily issues/decisions/problems, I’m right there and part of the outcome or solution

What are the “myths” that you would like to dispel about being a CEO or executive. Can you explain what you mean?

I think when people hear CEO they think Boardroom and Big Comp, and that is not always (or even often) the case! As I mentioned previously, we are a family owned/independent company. We aren’t tied to public company quarterly earnings, or the exit strategy of a private equity partner, so the experience of being an executive at Barney is truly one of participation at all levels, and focus on the quality of our product, and long-term health of the organization.

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

I wish this were not a question that still needs to be asked. There are certainly industries and companies that have a tougher culture for women, but what excites me is all the support I see for women, by other women, and from our society as a whole. I feel a straight-out rejection, collectively, of the outdated notion that women are somehow “less than”. Let’s keep that vibe going.

What is the most striking difference between your actual job and how you thought the job would be?

Still to this day (almost 11 years later) my job is very tactical and sometimes somewhat reactionary. I have to really carve out time to focus on long-term ideas and strategy and work on pro-active projects and ideas. Most days it’s a game of whack-a-mole.

Certainly, not everyone is cut out to be an executive. In your opinion, which specific traits increase the likelihood that a person will be a successful executive and what type of person should avoid aspiring to be an executive? Can you explain what you mean?

Reframing that a bit, I believe everyone IS cut out to be an executive, it’s just figuring out where you fit in as an individual. We are all so unique and bring different skill sets, ideas, and perspectives to the table. We’ve all heard the story of that person who worked their way up from the mailroom and is now the CEO. Did that person have the skill set to be CEO on the day they started with the company? Of course not. In our industry there are a lot of founders, they had the creativity to conceptualize a product, they had the gumption to get it made, they had some success at getting it launched and in stores. That doesn’t necessarily mean they should remain CEO of the company forever. Perhaps getting pulled from what they shine at and focusing on being the “Chief Problem Solver” would drain them of what unique qualities they bring to the executive team. It’s all about putting people in the right roles. But one thing is clear, no-one should avoid aspiring to be an executive, an entrepreneur, or anything they want to be.

What advice would you give to other women leaders to help their team to thrive?

The same advice I would give to all leaders, which is make sure you put people in the right roles and recognize and reward those unique qualities. Listen to them, learn from them. Let them shine.

How have you used your success to make the world a better place?

Well, I’m certainly not done yet! We have a healthcare crisis in this country, as well as a food crisis.

As a believer in “let food be they medicine” (Hippocrates), we need to find a way to get quality, good food in every pantry and refrigerator. We happen to make a product that is a staple in this mission. And a simple staple at that.

So, focusing on the intersection of healthcare and wellness, with diet and nutrition is what we do every day. Making our product as affordable as possible and most widely available, that is my focus right now.

What are your “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Started” and why? (Please share a story or example for each.)

Build a strong advisory board: When you are small you tend to think you don’t have the money or “stock” to attract a good advisory board. Do it anyway. Having access to others that have been down the path before you is invaluable. We never formalized a board of advisors in the beginning and it’s one of the few things I would do differently if I could.
Act like you are running it for the long run (even if you’re not): Cash is king, and profitability gives you freedom to make the right decisions for the business. Also, key metrics change. In one period the market may be really excited about top-line revenue growth only, in another it may be distribution metrics (at the expense of profitability). The only thing that will allow you to ride the waves is being profitable (enough) to continue to run your business, because it’s healthy.
Protect your margins: There is such a thing as “bad business”. Know what you need to make on each SKU/product to cover your costs and run your business and then stick to that.
Control growth/distribution: In our industry everyone gets excited about new distribution (the number of stores you’re in). BUT, if that distribution is not managed well, with focus on pull-through (sales) and repeat purchases (loyal buyers), you have just spent a lot of money (slotting fees/the money you pay a retailer to sit on their shelf) on distribution you may lose. Don’t be afraid to take a more regional or store specific approach. Create a success story, then go replicate that.
Packaging, packaging, packaging: Never underestimate the power of a great label (or a bad one). The consumer needs to connect with your product out of a sea of other products on the shelf. Give them something to remember you by, that differentiates your product.

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

I wish we could get good quality food to consumers at more affordable prices. Good, natural, quality food should not be so un-affordable. This is a systemic issue that is ready for disruption. As a manufacturer, my number one frustration is the price of our product on the store shelf and HOW it gets there. In our industry we have manufacturers, brokers, distributors, freight carriers, and retailers that all contribute to the price on shelf being what it is. I believe that is one reason you are seeing an increase in the number of direct-to-consumer businesses and products.

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

“It’s (usually) not what you do, it’s HOW you do it”. I changed that a little bit! I find myself saying this or thinking this almost every single day. It’s the how that effects people and outcomes the most. As an executive, whether it’s an employee issue, a supplier issue, etc…it’s the HOW that leaves a mark.

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

Anyone able, who wants to help me solve for the problem in question 15.

Thank you for these fantastic insights. We greatly appreciate the time you spent on this.

Women Of The C-Suite: Dawn Kelley of Barney Butter On The Five Things You Need To Succeed As A… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Rhea Freeman: Five Ways To Leverage Instagram To Dramatically Improve Your Business

Use the features. Instagram has some incredible features like Stories, Lives, Guides, and recently Reels too. By using these features, you’re helping people consume your content in the way they want. And when you tap into something new that Instagram seem to be prioritising, like Reels at the moment, this can help you too. If you have a look at your Explore page, you’ll see what type of content is appearing the most. At time of writing, Reels takes up a double height space at regular intervals.

As a part of our series about How To Leverage Instagram To Grow Your Business, I had the pleasure of interviewing Rhea Freeman.

Rhea Freeman is a social media expert and small business coach based in the UK. In addition to running membership groups, Rhea is also the founder of the Small & Supercharged Podcast and a Facebook group of the same name designed to help small businesses and influencers in the equestrian and rural space. She’s an award winning PR adviser, #SheMeansBusiness accredited trainer and Facebook Certified Lead Trainer.

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

I started offering a freelance PR and marketing service to small businesses, predominantly in the equestrian and rural sector, some 15 years ago before eventually going to work for one of my clients in a full time capacity as their marketing manager. After a few years, I moved back to being self employed, but this time with a clearer focus on social media, because the rewards and returns it was starting to deliver were very interesting, very good, and incredibly cost effective. Over the last 10–11 years, social media has become a bigger and bigger part of what I do, simply because of the awesome power it has. Now, in addition to working with my clients and helping them grow their businesses and their audience through their usage of social media, I am also a #SheMeansBusiness accredited trainer and a Facebook Certified Lead Trainer too.

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

I guess one that relates really well to this subject is the first time I got recognised at an event because of my presence on social media. Because I was fairly fast to embrace videos, Lives and posting on a consistent basis, I got onto quite a few people’s radars. Having someone who I didn’t know or recognise come up to me and start chatting to me at a show was really interesting because it proved what I believed, and cemented the fact that we don’t know who is watching us online. And while this can sound a bit creepy, it’s also rather brilliant as we can be impacting people’s lives (in small and large ways) without really knowing we are.

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 think mistakes are really just part of the process, and I know that whenever something goes wrong, I always try and think ‘what is this teaching me?’. My photography skills have really improved since I’ve embraced social media more. Looking back on early posts, I can see a LOT of mistakes and images that simply wouldn’t make the cut now!

Ok. Let’s now move to the main focus of our discussion. For the benefit of our readers, can you explain why you are an authority about Social Media Marketing?

I’ve been coaching small business owners about how to effectively leverage social media for around a number of years now. In addition, I am a #SheMeansBusiness accredited trainer- a programme run by Enterprise Nation and powered by Facebook, and I am also a Facebook Certified Lead Trainer. I have also completed a number of additional Facebook Blueprint Certifications.

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

I use Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter the most. I would say that Instagram is brilliant for brand building and speaking to my target market, but as a lot of the work I do with my memberships is focused around Facebook groups, I would have to say Facebook.

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

Of course… the first one is be consistent. Simply showing up is huge on social media. When people are rather sporadic with posting from a business point of view, it can also send out message about how they are in their business, and this could mean that they’re flaky. I always liken it to a TV series- if you know a show is coming on the TV every Sunday night, you’re more likely to invest your time into it and the characters, aren’t you? If it’s random and unreliable, I think most of us would turn off/not bother/find something else to occupy us!

Use the features. Instagram has some incredible features like Stories, Lives, Guides, and recently Reels too. By using these features, you’re helping people consume your content in the way they want. And when you tap into something new that Instagram seem to be prioritising, like Reels at the moment, this can help you too. If you have a look at your Explore page, you’ll see what type of content is appearing the most. At time of writing, Reels takes up a double height space at regular intervals.

Make your content better. You don’t need to use a professional photographer or videographer if you don’t have the budget, but you do need to be putting out the very best content you can with what you have. There are LOADS of tutorials, videos, you name it, to help you improve your photography skills, and you can do amazing things on your phone too. Up skill. Quality images and video make it easier for people to consume your content, more likely that they will, and it also presents your business or brand as professional — which is what we all want!

Get your face on board. People buy from people- it’s as simple as that. If you’re a small business, tell us all about you and let us see YOU! If your business employs a lot of people, get them involved too. This adds a human connection and an extra point that allows people to connect with us through. This is what we want!

Remember, it’s a two way thing. Engagement is really important on social media- it’s the thing that turns casual viewers into buyers. And YOU can influence it. Yes, make sure you put out good content, invite responses and replies, but the KEY is that when someone does respond- reply back. Don’t leave them ‘hanging’ feeling like you don’t really care about their opinion at all! Also, use hashtags to connect with likeminded souls and people with similar interests to your customers. And then engage on their content (in a non-spammy way, obviously!). This will really help you form important connections that have the power to transform your business.

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

When it comes to social media, I would really like people to take a moment before they reply with anything less than pleasant. Over the last year or so, there seems to have been an increase in negativity, arguing, trolling and just general unpleasantness that is not needed or wanted on social media. You don’t have to wade into every fight you’re invited to. You don’t need to see everyone’s comment or post as a personal attack. You’re able to block and mute people who you don’t want to hear from. Use it for good, please. There’s so much good going on on social media, but it gets spoilt by the few.

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 🙂

Yes- there are a few, but I’m going to say Jasmine Star. I adore her podcast, love what she teaches, and think she’s supremely talented at what she does. I also love her relationship with JD and how they have shared so much of their adoption journey with little Luna on social media. She really practices what she preaches. And I really admire that.

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

Rhea Freeman: Five Ways To Leverage Instagram To Dramatically Improve Your Business was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Women Of The C-Suite: Julia Shullman of TripleLift On The Five Things You Need To Succeed As A…

Women Of The C-Suite: Julia Shullman of TripleLift On The Five Things You Need To Succeed As A Senior Executive

As an executive, you wear many hats beyond simply overseeing a department. As a member of the executive team, or as some might refer to it, the C-Suite, it is my responsibility to see the big picture at all times. That involves everything from setting company-wide strategies, making tough decisions that impact the business and individual contributors, and constantly thinking about ways to motivate all of our employees and for the company and its people to continue on their growth trajectory.

As a part of our interview series called “Women Of The C-Suite” , we had the pleasure of interviewing Julia Shullman, Chief Privacy Officer & General Counsel, TripleLift.

Julia is General Counsel & Chief Privacy Officer at TripleLift. She oversees the company’s legal matters and is responsible for ensuring that TripleLift’s technology, practices, and procedures meet global privacy requirements. She is also responsible for driving the company’s go-to-market privacy and public policy strategy.

It’s a story of chance, luck and seizing the opportunities that were put in front of me (even those opportunities that terrified me).

My path to the C-Suite in ad tech was not one I ever expected or planned for. I started my career as an M&A Associate at a major law firm; the work was thrilling, but not fulfilling and the lifestyle was brutal. Instead, I wanted to be a part of a company where I could build something. So, I took the best in-house role I could find — a hybrid role doing M&A and general in-house work. While the role wasn’t my forever job, it was a solid stepping stone on my journey to discovering an industry that offered me more than just a “job.”

When I was first introduced to the ad tech sector, I immediately knew this was where I could make an impact, where I could play a strategic role not only within the four walls of a company, but across an industry. With a bit of chance, luck and a commitment to seize the opportunities presented, I found myself at the center of helping companies, like TripleLift, to navigate the advertising industry’s data-privacy future. There’s nothing quite like seeing, designing and influencing the viability of an entire industry’s future; it’s thrilling, fulfilling and a lot of fun.

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

Nearly eight years ago I joined the ad tech industry and quickly found myself in negotiations centered around the issue of privacy. At the time, these negotiations and the issues that surrounded them were given minimal attention by leaders across the industry. However, I could see the issues weren’t just “compliance,” but were only the tip of the iceberg. It was clear to me — and a few others at the time — that the issues surrounding privacy (combined with antitrust) would be the future of our industry.

From antitrust investigations and lawsuits to proprietary moves made by the digital gatekeepers, today there is no escaping the barrage of news coverage surrounding privacy issues in tech. As to what happens next in our privacy future… I have a lot of predictions but like most of mine over the years… folks think I’m crazy… until they come true.

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?

Funny mistakes happen to everyone, whether you are an executive in the c-suite or someone just starting their career. But, it’s not the funny mistakes that I’ve learned from in my career. It’s the mistakes that I never imagined I would consider to be a “mistake.”

I joined TripleLift, my current company, from another ad tech company. I immediately thought “Great! I have a playbook for this.” Big mistake. Every company requires its own unique playbook. The playbook that worked at your last company — no matter how similar the company looks on paper — will not grant you the wins it once did. Take the time to learn how the company really ticks and create a new playbook, one that reflects the values of your new company and takes into account how teams prefer to work, i.e., collaborative white boarding sessions vs. asynchronous commenting in shared documents or vice versa, when you join a company.

While there are so many people that have played a role in helping me get where I am today, there are three individuals in particular who really helped me to harness my strengths and pave the way for me to grow as a leader into the executive I am today — Nithya Das, Dan Hegwood, Brian O’Kelley.

When I made the jump to ad tech, I never saw myself going down the privacy route, or sitting on an executive team as a General Counsel and Chief Privacy Officer. It was Nithya, Dan and Brian who pushed me to take over privacy at AppNexus, push my way into industry conversations I thought I had no business in, speak on panels publicly, broaden my scope of responsibility to include strategy, systems design, product development and client relations and realize I could be a good manager and leader in my own way, no matter how terrifying doing so was at the time.

Water, workouts, music and, importantly, deep breathing! And when none of those tactics work, I simply picture one of the many hard meetings or days I’ve had in my career (when you’ve led privacy at an ad tech company with a target on its back, worked on M&A transactions or taken a company through an exit of any kind, you likely have a few to pick from), and remember that I’m still standing (and laughing!).

The main reason is better business outcomes. While I hear skepticism and calls for data to back up my belief, diversity of opinion, work styles, strengths, weakness and experiences leads to better business outcomes. I’ve seen it in practice — in my own work and in others work. One day, I hope we have more data to back that up.

As a business leader, can you please share a few steps we must take to truly create an inclusive, representative, and equitable society? Kindly share a story or example for each.

Walk the talk. Don’t just say you want to create meaningful change in your organization, take the time and push for the resources and changes to make that change a reality.
Provide opportunities for underrepresented people in your organization. That starts with improving your talent pipeline, i.e., how and where you source talent to ensure diversity of candidates and improving opportunities for underrepresented people (invitations to join senior level meetings; present to the board; or work on high-profile projects; introductions to influential people in your network or mentors, executive level sponsorship behind the scenes, etc.).
Call people out (publicly or privately, as called for in the situation) for perpetuating the status quo, microaggressions or worse, typically without knowing it.

As an executive, you wear many hats beyond simply overseeing a department. As a member of the executive team, or as some might refer to it, the C-Suite, it is my responsibility to see the big picture at all times. That involves everything from setting company-wide strategies, making tough decisions that impact the business and individual contributors, and constantly thinking about ways to motivate all of our employees and for the company and its people to continue on their growth trajectory.

What are the “myths” that you would like to dispel about being a CEO or executive. Can you explain what you mean?

That it’s easy. That you have more “free time” because you are “just focused on the strategy.” As an executive, you’re not only responsible for the strategy — and seeing the big picture all of the time — you’re responsible for the success of your organization and each individual’s fulfillment and growth in their role. Just because you are no longer only executing tactics, does not mean you have more free time. There is nothing easy when it comes to the role of an executive.

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

Female executives who exhibit compassion or may be more soft spoken are often underestimated in the boardroom. And those that exhibit individualistic traits or have a more assertive way of communicating are criticized for not having enough compassion. Either way, female executives are evaluated — and criticized — in ways that their male counterparts are not. As a female executive who prefers a more modest approach to communicating a perspective or opinion, I am aware of the unique criticisms that I face. But, in my experience, sometimes it is better to take your time seeding perspectives and quietly building your reputation as an expert and powerful leader vs. forcing your point of view. My M.O. is to start out quiet and contemplative and seed ideas and my expertise at soft skills and diplomacy behind the scenes. Eventually I step in as an equal and expert at the table typically catching powerful men off guard in the process.

What is the most striking difference between your actual job and how you thought the job would be?

I started at TripleLift in January of 2020. Naive to what was about to happen (as we all were), I spent almost an entire month traveling for meetings, not realizing that I was using up half of the in-person time I had left being away from colleagues. Over the last year, I have integrated into a company without being in person and expanded my team by hiring people that I have never met in person. I never could have imagined my first year as TripleLift’s Chief Privacy Officer and General Counsel being spent on Zoom calls from my living room

The role of an executive leader requires an individual who is decisive and able to operate — and make decisions — under extreme pressure. A successful executive never loses sight of the 50,000-foot view, no matter how tactical or minutiae filled their day gets. And, importantly, an executive leader has the ability to motivate others at all times, no matter what issues their day may have been plagued with, the best executives compartmentalize so they can put their team and the company first.

What advice would you give to other women leaders to help their team to thrive?

So much of what I’ve already discussed.

Embrace self-promotion and team promotion even if it makes you uncomfortable. Use different tactics to push changes to the status quo — particularly the idea that the only people who should be promoted are loud, articulate, aggressive and skilled at “Shark Tank” style meetings. You pass over so much great talent if that’s the only talent you value or if you don’t invest in mentorship for burgeoning talent that just needs a little extra help or encouragement. I push publicly, privately, passive aggressively, and throw down. Take your time building relationships and seeding your unique personality as an executive and leader. They always say “first impressions matter” but don’t feel like you have to be completely understood and heard on day one.

How have you used your success to make the world a better place?

I have never forgotten the mentorship that I received early on in my career. I make it a point to mentor young women coming into the space and ensure that they have what they need to succeed. Whether that’s helping them to find the confidence to speak up and lean into opportunities, advocating for equal pay for women, or offering guidance when it comes to taking the next step in their career, I want to make sure that every young woman has the tools to succeed.

What are your “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Started” and why? (Please share a story or example for each.)

There are three very important things that I wish someone told me before I started my career. First, it’s all about perception and motivation. You can be the smartest person in the room but you need to convince people you’re smart, that they should want to listen to you, and want to work with you. Second, have confidence in your abilities. No one knows everything. Everyone is faking it to a certain extent. This isn’t a knock on men, but I find so many of them truly believe they’re experts after they’ve spent a few hours reading up on an issue and feel comfortable speaking about it. You rarely see women do that. We spend days, months, even years developing expertise and we get hit with one question we don’t know the answer to and still question our expertise even when we are leading experts. And, third, if you’re an expert in a field, it’s not all about your intelligence (or the depth and breadth of your knowledge), it’s about your ability to synthesize that intelligence and knowledge into digestible and relatable content.

This movement is already well underway, but I’d like to see it come to fruition with laws — equal opportunity and pay for women. We’ve made it so far with women in the workplace, and it’s so incredible seeing so many women in positions of power — just look at our current Vice President- but there is so much more to be done, and until every single woman across every single race has the same opportunities as men and is making the same amount as a man in the same position, this movement needs to continue. It’s not only women that need to stand up for equality, but men too, and I hope one day we see us all marching in the streets for equal and fair pay.

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

“You have not lived today until you have done something for someone who can never repay you.” ― John Bunyan

There are too many self-centered people out there who rarely help others, particularly in technology. And when they do it’s only because they think it will help themselves. Or people compartmentalize their “charity” work and separate it from their career. I don’t — I make it a point to not compartmentalize and never expect to be paid back. I spend a number of hours a week mentoring, I’m always available for my current and former teammates and industry colleagues and I go out of my way to connect people — for jobs, career growth, advice, etc. It makes me feel better to help people with no strings attached. I believe in good karma.

This question is a no-brainer — Ruth Bader Ginsburg is a true icon in my particular space, but for the country as a whole. Sadly, lunch or breakfast with her is no longer in the cards, but I would have loved to pick her brain on law in general, but more importantly, women in the workplace and gender equality. I think hearing her speak on issues that I too am passionate about would be awe-inspiring and something I could then pass on to some of those other generations that I mentor. What a legend she was, and we were so lucky to have her in the position she was in. Meeting her would truly have been a dream!

Thank you for these fantastic insights. We greatly appreciate the time you spent on this.

Women Of The C-Suite: Julia Shullman of TripleLift On The Five Things You Need To Succeed As A… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Rhiannon Bates of Garnet PR On How To Thrive Despite Experiencing Impostor Syndrome

Only by stepping out of your comfort zone will you create a new comfort zone and edge closer to your goals. Once you quieten those imposter syndrome thoughts, you can step into your zone of genius and start really showing up as the expert in your field, then you will become that credible voice that people turn to — and that’s what we want!

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

Rhiannon is the driving force behind Garnet PR, a boutique agency specialising in mindset, business and PR coaching for female business owners, particularly service-based businesses or those in the rural and luxury lifestyle sectors. She also provides Public Relations services for high-level female coaches and entrepreneurs.

Alongside her epic team, Rhiannon helps female business owners, coaches and entrepreneurs to show up and shine; supporting them to get clarity, confidence and coverage® in the press to boost their brand awareness and create a business and life they love.

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

I’m Rhiannon, PR, business & mindset expert to female entrepreneurs.⁠⁠ I help service-based business women to show up and shine online and in the press; giving them the clarity and confidence to get powerfully visible, empowering them to own their place as an A-lister in their niche, and helping them to connect with their dream clients, so that they can turn their passion into profit, create the impact they desire and build a life they love.I arrived at entrepreneurship via some amazing jobs working with world-famous celebrities and animal & conservation charities including ZSL London Zoo, Dogs Trust and the Woodland Trust (yes, I’ve worked with Sir David Attenborough many times and he’s as fantastic as you imagine!). ⁠⁠While animals and conservation will always be in my heart and soul, I embraced my rural roots in 2017 by leaving London to move to Yorkshire for love, first working for an award-winning agency then launching Garnet PR. Now I fulfil my mission by helping female entrepreneurs to create epic impact and helping them to master their mindset⁠⁠, create a beautiful business that works for them so that they don’t feel like a slave to it⁠⁠ and develop the confidence to show up & shine with a game-changing PR plan⁠⁠. You could say I’m an animal-loving, country girl with a big heart and a huge mission; to give a voice to those who need it!

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

I felt like I had it all; a super glamorous role working with celebrities, charities, and award-winning businesses, attending fab parties (I even brought a llama to an OK! Magazine summer party), surrounded by A-listers. However, while this may look super sparkly from the outside, behind the scenes was years of workplace bullying, toxic environments, and extreme anxiety as a result (more on this later).

I spent a huge amount of my 20s feeling undervalued, overworked, and bullied, primarily by other women in the workplace, which led to extreme anxiety. I loved public relations, but the culture in a couple of places was horrendous, and I know I’m not alone in going through something like this.

Because of these experiences, I have developed a passion for giving women a voice and supporting them to turn their dreams into reality in their own businesses. I firmly believe we should support and help each other to rise, not tear each other down. It’s like a ripple effect, when one woman succeeds it shows it’s possible for others and inspires them to go after their dreams. While toxic work cultures are never fun, I’m grateful for the lessons I learned from women who didn’t operate in this way because it’s made me committed to my mission.

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

At the start of the first lockdown in March 2020, I lost 95% of my clients in two weeks which was devastating. This resulted in a horrific accident when I hit burnout. I worked so hard trying to survive and keep the business going that I eventually just hit a wall and passed out holding a just boiled kettle. Spending three weeks in hospital in isolation at the height of a pandemic was terrifying and it was this that made me realize I needed to make massive changes. Things seemed extremely bleak and I had a lot of time in the hospital to think about how I could turn this around and transform my business to make it work for me and gain that work / life harmony while creating a bigger impact and helping other women not to go through what I did.

That’s when I hired my business coach, changed my niche (I was originally working with travel and tourism clients when I set up the business), and leant very heavily into mindset work. I got clear on my purpose-led mission — giving a voice to those who need it — and switched up my business model, focusing on coaching other women using the mindset & business strategy skills I have developed and my decade of PR experience.

Perhaps one of the biggest realizations was that I don’t have to do it all myself, something early days entrepreneurs often struggle with! ince hiring strategic team members, the business has exploded, we really can achieve so much more together, and I love supporting other women to have businesses that they love. My team is like my family, I adore them and we all work together to support and raise up other women, we share the same values and goals, which is really important.

While the business is my baby, my accident also made me realize there needs to be balance. Last year was tough, as well as my accident and losing my clients, my other half was made redundant, our wedding was postponed and we lost two house sales on the day of exchange. So while I’m still working on creating balance we’ve now moved to the countryside away from the city suburb we were in, building a long term life we love and focusing on the future; sometimes it takes trauma to make you see what’s really important but the realization is like an awakening. For me, lockdown presented more challenges than expected and made me realize how important finding some semblance of balance is to find true fulfillment and happiness.

Burnout is not the price you have to pay for success! Because I have been through imposter syndrome, anxiety, burnout and trauma, I feel incredibly passionate about helping other women who feel they have lost their voice or confidence, or are struggling to scale their business without burning out.

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

My peers and my clients inspire me. My circle is now full of amazing women who are all on similar paths; friends from University who are in senior leadership positions, fellow coaches and entrepreneurs who share the same approach to collaboration over competition. When I moved to Yorkshire and left my life in London behind I was scared I’d be lonely, when I started the business I felt the same, now however I realize I’ve finally found my people and I’ve never felt more fulfilled and inspired.

If I had to pick one person, I wouldn’t be where I am today without my coach, Amy, of Social Cactus Coaching. She has been instrumental in helping me to grow the business from the ground-up following my accident. She’s helped me to believe in myself, create a new business model that enables the business to impact and serve other female entrepreneurs and is always there to support me through growing pains, and to celebrate with me too! I’m really passionate that we don’t have to do things alone, having support from someone who has been where you are and done what you want to do is invaluable! I call it ‘success breadcrumbs’, following those is my biggest piece of advice for other entrepreneurs.

I also have to add that I have been incredibly lucky to have a supportive family network. My other half is my rock and has always supported me, he’s always there to help me with business advice and is the one who pushed me to start the business in the first place as he knew it was what I was meant to do. He cared for me when I couldn’t walk for months, he celebrates the successes and he helps me to keep going when facing challenges, he also gives me perspective and reminds me of the need for work-life harmony which is really important!

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

Have you ever felt like you’re not good enough? Like you’re a fraud or you’re going to get found out? That you’re in a room full of people who are so much better than you?

Well, that is called imposter syndrome and you’re in good company as 70% of us feel like this at some point in our life, with women being much more susceptible to this than men.

Impostor syndrome is the idea that you’ve only succeeded due to luck, and not because of your talent or qualifications — it’s where people can’t internalize their successes.

I’ve had years of working on overcoming challenges all linked to imposter syndrome and I know I’m not alone! So, I want to share my process for recognizing those imposter feelings; Recognize, Acknowledge, Release. Recognizing that that’s all they are, acknowledging them and that they’re not true and releasing them so you can start confidently and powerfully showing up and serving your audience.

I like to give my imposter form, so I imagine him as a little devil on my shoulder — it makes it easier to visualize stopping him from talking and putting him back in his box! Experiencing bouts of imposter syndrome is entirely normal and natural, some people are more susceptible than others, but know that you are not alone! We usually hear his little growling voice when we’re stretching ourselves out of our comfort zones, so it can be seen as a good sign.

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

My experiences led me to develop serious imposter syndrome and stress-related anxiety and limited my self-belief and even my self-esteem.

By developing this negative mindset and attitude towards yourself, you won’t grow and it will make you doubt your impact and talents. When this happens, we don’t charge our worth, (or do things like ask for a pay rise if we’re employed) and in turn, the work output will suffer. We start to believe we aren’t good enough and compare ourselves to those around us, then spiral into this negative thought pattern.

So often, especially as women, we feel judged or held back by what other people think, and this leads to bouts of debilitating imposter syndrome. True ‘girl power’ to me is women supporting each other, leading a life focusing on collaboration over competition, and becoming the best version of yourself. It’s really important that we lift each other up; it’s like a ripple effect, when one woman uses her voice or supports another woman, we pave the way for others to do the same, and that’s what will create huge change in the world, and in order to do that we have to be able to overcome any doubts, or imposter syndrome, we may feel so that we don’t hold ourselves back.

Other people are waiting for you to help them, if you let your imposter dull your sparkle and you hide away, how can you do that? I always try to see, and teach, that creating impact is so much bigger than us, it’s really important not to get in our own way as this has a huge knock-on effect!

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

The events in my 20s helped me to realize that in many organizations, you are just a number and will be stepped on by others — it’s a dog eat dog world out there at times. It’s such a shame, because actually, as I’ve said, women should be supporting each other because that’s where powerful impact and change happens.

When you have been through impostor syndrome or recognize that it’s something which comes up for you (because often if you’re susceptible you might find that it does recur in certain situations!), you tend to be mindful and empathetic towards those experiencing it, because believe me, it’s a lonely and horrible place to be in. Remember, you aren’t alone, it’s something most people go through and you can overcome, or learn to manage it.

You can go one of two ways; blame yourself and others around you for not being ‘good enough’, or you can flip it around, realize your worth and start using techniques to eliminate this imposter syndrome and to help others.

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

Anxiety and worry were something I really struggled with in my 20s. I battled with these feelings and emotions for a long time before I got help. I spent a long time not feeling good enough, feeling incredibly on edge and stressed every day. I lived in a spiral of sadness, with my imposter firmly shouting in my ear, although, of course, no one else could hear him.

I loved my job at the time more than anything, but as part of it, I had to work with one incredibly toxic team who used bullying and nastiness as a way to get things done. You can imagine how fragile my mental wellbeing became, feeling vulnerable already and trying to hold it all together, hit ambitious targets and juggle everyone else’s priorities; it all became too much.

I was a shadow of who I was, just hoping to get through each day and crying my way through my life — not nice right! People wondered why I wasn’t super happy and enjoying this life, which, from the outside, looked incredible, but every day felt like climbing a mountain wearing this devil on my back, weighing me down and desperate for me to fall.

It took me a while to recognize what it was which was driving this feeling of inadequacy — I just ‘coped’ with it, but it was a tough way to live. I can clearly remember my tipping point when things got to such a dark point I knew I needed help.

There was a group of girls at work who I dreaded having to work with, and their venom took its toll, where my imposter was fired up by their spiteful words and actions. I’m actually grateful to them now, without them I wouldn’t recognize what incredible, inspiring, collaborative and ambitious women look like, and have surrounded myself with them instead of toxic playground bullies. So, finally, I reached out and got some help from the NHS who were incredible — using a combination of CBT and NLP I learnt techniques to combat stress, anxiety and of course to quiet my imposter and to recognize it for what it was.

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

I was fortunate enough to be referred to a brilliant psychologist where we did a lot of NLP work, worry and anxiety management, including 1:1 discussions and serious support. Bringing me back to reality, away from the spiralling darkness and equipping me to ignore the ‘noise’ of other people who weren’t adding anything positive, which in turn helped me to master my imposter.

While I don’t profess to be a qualified expert in this field, I do know what works for me and I wanted to share this in case it might help others who may be having similar feelings, or who experience them from time to time.

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

Visualization — for me, I really benefit from visualizing things. Whenever any feelings of doubt crept in, I visualized a dark little devil sitting on my right shoulder. He tells me the things that keep me safe, don’t stretch me or put me in the way of danger. He’s that voice that says “Don’t do that because something bad will happen” or “You can’t do that, you’re not good enough”. By visualizing him and giving him a persona, it really helped me recognize what was going on and helped me stop him in his tracks. I use an NLP technique which taught me to visualize a huge stop sign as soon as I recognize the little devil’s words. I visualize putting it in front of him. He can’t get over it, round it or under it…and he’s definitely not getting through it! You can also use this for any worrying thoughts if they are unwarranted.
Recognize, acknowledge and release — Firstly, I recognize whose voice it is. Is it the imposter devil or my positive angel? Then I acknowledge what they are saying to me. Is it useful, accurate, worth listening to? Finally, it’s about releasing. I choose not to listen to the negative voice if he’s whispering unhelpful things, releasing his negativity, and only take on board what the angel says to me. Try writing the thoughts down then physically throwing them away, or using another powerful stop word which resonates with you. Just keep trying different techniques until you find one that works for you as there is a way you can lead a life without your own little devil on your shoulder.
Worry journal — Another technique which worked wonders for helping me manage feelings of anxiety and worry was a ‘worry journal’. You only need to spend 10–15mins a day writing down and ‘brain-dumping’ all the things that worry you — it’s a purposeful, allocated time for worry, so don’t go over the time slot. All worriers know that once you start worrying about one thing it can easily spiral to create other worries and feed your imposter! Allocating a set time is really powerful as you’re recognizing those feelings, you’re acknowledging them but you’re not letting them control you, and you’re releasing them by getting them out of your head so they aren’t whirring around and getting jumbled with reality.
Flip reverse — flip the imposter and turn those negative thoughts into positive questions that you could use to your advantage. For example, if you hear him saying “You can’t do this” change this to “How can I make this happen?” You owe it to yourself, your clients, and future clients to show up and share your expertise. Only by stepping out of your comfort zone will you create a new comfort zone and edge closer to your goals. Once you quieten those imposter syndrome thoughts, you can step into your zone of genius and start really showing up as the expert in your field, then you will become that credible voice that people turn to — and that’s what we want!
Affirmations — The first thing you need to do to succeed in anything is to master your mindset and build your confidence. ⁠ We should put just as much effort into the health of our mindset as we do anything else, sometimes even more! ⁠One of my favorite tools to keep my mindset magic, no matter what’s going on in my life, are affirmations. I write some out every morning to give myself confidence and inspiration. For example: ‘my purpose outweighs any doubt I may feel, I know I am more than enough, just as I am’

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

I would eliminate the idea that you need to step on others or put them down to get success, or that you need to burnout to get to the top of your profession. I believe more should be done to help women feel empowered to go out there, grab their own success alongside other women in business and create their own fairy tale. Collaboration over competition is spoken about a lot, but if we really created a community of working together (especially in the corporate world), then we would really see the magic at work! I’ve seen this firsthand in the entrepreneurial circle I’m in and it’s just incredible to see the impact of women supporting each other, I would love this to become more of the ‘norm’.

I also feel very strongly that mindset should be taught from an early age at school. Living in an always-on digital world, with the peer pressure and toxicity that can breed, is a lot, especially for young people. I think it’s so important we equip the next generation with the tools to manage their mindset, to focus on positives, to eliminate bullying and to show that if we are mindful, kind and positive amazing things can happen.

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

JK Rowling — As well as growing up with Harry Potter and being a mega fan, I love her journey. A true rags to riches story made possible by self-belief, persistence and, of course, a touch of magic!

How can our readers follow you on social media?

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

Facebook — https://www.facebook.com/GarnetPRuk/

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

Rhiannon Bates of Garnet PR On How To Thrive Despite Experiencing Impostor Syndrome was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Women Of The C-Suite: Audrey Oswell of Atlantis Paradise Island On The Five Things You Need To…

Women Of The C-Suite: Audrey Oswell of Atlantis Paradise Island On The Five Things You Need To Succeed As A Senior Executive

We need to be open to the input of others. Management at every level takes support. You need good people and people who believe they can be honest with you. That comes from you, not them.

As a part of our series about strong women leaders, we had the pleasure of interviewing Audrey Oswell.

Audrey Oswell is the first female President of Atlantis Paradise Island and has served as the President and Managing Director since 2017. Prior to her role, Oswell was the Chief Operating Officer at the resort since the end of 2016 and had previously been the Chief Gaming Officer at Atlantis from 2011 to 2013. Audrey brings more than 30 years of experience in the hospitality and gaming industry to this role.

I grew up in Philadelphia, have two sisters and I am the middle child. My parents raised us to be independent and work hard for what we wanted. The funniest part of my personal story is how shy I was as a child. I can recall my mom giving me money to buy an ice cream at our swim club and the temptation of the ice cream was not enough for me to overcome my fear of going up to the window by myself (I did eventually overcome my fear by getting my grandmother to go to the window with me). When I started traveling for business, and started traveling globally by myself, my mother could not believe it. I’m not sure how or when I overcame my shyness, but I obviously did.

My undergraduate degree is in education. After graduating college, I took what was intended to be a summer job at Caesars Atlantic City and ended up working there for 21 years — it was a long summer. I eventually became President and Chief Operating Officer of the property after holding various positions in finance and marketing.

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

By far the most interesting thing part of my current job has been learning about our marine life. My knowledge pales in comparison to our team of professionals that cares for our animals. I have learned a lot since I have been here. I never really got past cats, dogs and horses as a kid but learning about Atlantis’ marine life and their habitats has been absolutely fascinating. Even more intriguing to me is learning about the relationships that our specialists have established with these animals and hearing stories about their different personalities.

Did you know that turtles do not reach sexual maturity until the age of 30? Then they come back to the beach where they hatched to lay their eggs. After 30 years…I cannot remember where I was 30 days ago. Dolphin calves nurse for 18 to 24 months and have been known to stay with their moms for more than five years.

There have been many people who I learned from throughout my career. I never really had a mentor that I identified with, but there were people that stepped out early on in my career and gave me an opportunity. When I started my career there were very few women in senior management in the gaming industry. Some of the people that supported me in those days were ironically all men, a few that I still keep in touch with today. I consider myself fortunate to have started my business career working at Caesars. While it has been a long time since I worked for the company, back then my experience was that it was a conservative company with a keen eye for compliance.

I am not one to worry or stress over things. I learned a long time ago that worrying doesn’t really change anything, and it does suck the energy out of you. I try not to dwell and hit situations that cause me stress head on. I exercise regularly which is my form of meditation. I put my headphones on, listen to music and zone out. During the day if I feel stressed or need a break, I just take a walk. Walking around talking to guests and team members is very uplifting for me. I also like to watch the marine life. Whether it is at Dolphin Cay, The Ruins Exhibit or Sharks — it helps clear my mind.

For starters, why wouldn’t you want or have diversity, equality and inclusion in your organization? The world is full of people with different backgrounds and beliefs — why wouldn’t you want that representation in your organization?

It has always been one of my fundamental beliefs that it is important to have diversity throughout your entire organization. Cultural, gender and age diversity results in a healthy mix of backgrounds and life experiences, which in turn creates a mix of ideas and practices, and ultimately contributes to the success of an organization. Input, shaped by cultural, gender, age and geographic differences, facilitates learning, and the sharing of new ideas and more thinking at every level. Growth and creativity tend to follow the makeup of your workforce. The broader the diversity, the broader the perspectives and alternative solutions that are too often absent when you lack that diversity. When it comes to the executive team diversity becomes even more important as executives are the ones leading the organization; they are quite often the primary decision makers on who gets hired, promoted and whose ideas are advanced.

As a business leader, can you please share a few steps we must take to truly create an inclusive, representative, and equitable society? Kindly share a story or example for each.

There are many steps businesses and the general public can and should take in order to ensure our society and workplaces are inclusive, representative and equitable. It starts with tolerance. In business, give everyone a voice, regardless of their position. Quite often you will find that those that are the quietest and in entry-level positions, have the most knowledge of how to please a customer. I cannot tell you how many times a front-line team member will come up to me with a fabulous idea to improve the guest experience, or a cost-saving measure. Front line workers are the key to breaking through barriers and typically you have more diversity at that level of an organization.

In one’s personal life as well as in business, listen with an open mind and an open heart. Understand that everyone brings different life experiences to a situation — some you will agree with and some you will not. It is no different for the people you are interacting with — they may not share your opinions either. I guess it goes back to treating others as you would want to be treated yourself. Be open. In business, one should never take opinions personally — it will hold you back if you personalize opinions and ultimately impact the agility and decision-making process, especially if it happens with management. In terms of treating people equitably, that starts at the top. The most effective leaders lead by example and insist that their management team do the same. If leaders cannot or will not treat people the same, you need to consider whether they belong on your team. I make it a practice of letting my management team know where I stand on these types of issues, and what my expectations are of them. I have a one-on-one conversation with those that cannot or do not get it. I only have one conversation. If you are serious about fairness, diversity and inclusion, there is no room for compromise on these issues. I have encountered one or two people in my career where there was deep rooted negativity toward certain ethnic groups. It is hard change that. Those people just need to go.

I recall having an issue with an SVP that I had worked with for many years who was my right hand. He just could not bring himself to treat everyone equally. He had trouble making eye contact with some people and struggled soliciting the thoughts and opinions of others. I knew to let him go would make my job that much harder in the short term. Honestly, I resisted the inevitable for a while. When I finally addressed it and let him go, it was a huge weight off my shoulders. I felt a true sense of relief as I knew he was not being true to the values of the organization and what we all stated we believed in and agreed to.

When it comes to equality in pay, one way to address this is to look at what value a position brings to an organization, regardless of who fills the role. If you start there then you are on even ground. You might add some compensation for experience or years of service. If you start with a level playing field, it will be easier to stay on course.

CEO’s typically take ownership for the strategic direction and long-term growth of a company. They tend to be more focused on big picture issues such as economic climate, competition, new trends, environmental impact and how to exceed shareholder/ownership expectations; all this while taking into consideration the impact an organization has on its people (guests and team members) and the community they operate in. They are future looking and reflective, while the executive team who support the business and by extension the CEO, provide recommendations and insights to further the company, manage profitability and other goals of the business. They tend to be more “hands-on”, although every organization is different. I read somewhere that organizations tend to take on the personality of its leader. At first, I thought that a peculiar statement. Now I see it in both public and private organizations. That is why it is so critical to have open mindedness and commitment to equality at the top. As President and Managing Director of Atlantis Paradise Island, a global resort destination, it is in my hospitality genes so to speak, to connect with our team members and guests as often as possible — and I do that by walking around the property every day, observing and speaking with team members and guests directly. I lead by example in that way to make sure our management team feels comfortable soliciting input — good and not so good — so we are constantly improving. Team members know their input is welcome. You usually hear from guests whether the feedback is good or bad while team members need to be told it is ok to share. This is one of the most important things I do to feel the pulse of the resort. I focus on the future by observing and listening to everyone around me which informs my thoughts, decisions and business direction.

What are the “myths” that you would like to dispel about being a CEO or executive. Can you explain what you mean?

I have never been one to focus on “myths” or fantasies so I’m not really certain what they are. I can tell you that people that do not know me are surprised by my approachability, given my position. I guess one myth is that CEOs are not friendly or easy to talk to. I think often folks are intimidated by the title and what they perceive may be tied to a title. I didn’t start my career as a CEO and I will never forget where I started and the people who supported me along the way, both personally and professionally. I think there are a lot of misunderstandings around CEO’s and some think that we are all overpaid. While there are benefits to being a CEO, CEOs and executives carry a lot of responsibilities — business and social. We work long and hard and, for the most part, we are never off. Like in anything, there are sacrifices and difficult choices along the journey. It is rare that I am not reachable, even when on vacation or at a family event. Plus, you must be aware that you are always being watched whether at work or out with family and friends. If I had to do it over again, I would want the same career (maybe with a few changes). It has been fulfilling and enriching getting to meet so many people. The best part is knowing that if you choose to do the right thing, you have the ability to make a positive impact on many lives. That makes it all worth it.

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

There are several challenges women executives face such as equality when it comes to salaries compared to their male counterparts as well as opportunities to be in positions of leadership. Other challenges include women who are mothers being viewed as perhaps not 100% committed to their job, and possibly having to juggle work and life in a way men are not; and men seem less likely not to be judged under a proverbial microscope among their colleagues and bosses. However, that is what makes women stronger and, in many cases, more empathetic. Unfortunately, many women like men, forget where they came from and how hard they had to work to get to where they are. I do think that one of the biggest challenges facing women of my generation was not having the confidence in themselves to speak up or to even expect to be advanced to senior management. It is a different world today in terms of expectations. Although the world may not have caught up terms of living and delivering on full equality, women, minorities, and physically challenged people throughout the world have a “YES WE CAN” attitude and are making inroads and pushing through barriers professionally. There is much more energy and momentum around these issues and that is where it starts.

I believe there are many traits a successful executive can have including strong communication skills, courage, drive, and listening skills. Be open minded about everything and admit that you may have been wrong. The personality traits that can hold someone back from being an executive include not being able to handle constructive criticism and negative feedback, being rash when it comes to decision making, and not tapping into the resources and knowledge of your team. All of these traits can be worked on in order to make a person more suitable for an executive position. It is also ok to take some risks and fail too — that is how growth, creativity and sometimes re-invention happens. In my experience, the best executives are those that are true to themselves. Know who you are and never forget where you came from.

What advice would you give to other women leaders to help their team to thrive?

The first piece of advice I would give to other women is to surround yourself with good people with varied experiences. Some of them might be men and that is a good thing. We need to be open to the input of others. Management at every level takes support. You need good people and people who believe they can be honest with you. That comes from you, not them. Finally, remember at the end of each day and at the end of your career, you want to be able to look yourself in the mirror and feel good about the decisions you made. Start with doing the right thing. It sounds basic but unfortunately so many miss it.

How have you used your success to make the world a better place?

Over the years developing my team has always been a top priority. I find a lot of pleasure in giving people opportunities to succeed. I have been good at assessing individuals’ limits and pushing them in directions that they may have never considered. Especially those that feel stuck. My greatest achievements have been those that were close to being fired and those that never felt they could go any further in their career. The next thing you know they are superstars. It gives me great satisfaction to give people the opportunity to succeed.

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

Always do the right thing. It has served me well throughout my career and been a guiding light in my decision making — both professionally and personally.

Without sounding too political I would love to meet Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama. I admire them both for their tenacity, intelligence and accomplishments but mostly for overcoming the many barriers they confronted throughout their lives; Hillary Clinton as a woman and Barack Obama as a minority. Regardless of how you may feel about them politically, you have to admire what they’ve accomplished. Plus, I just like smart people.

Thank you for these fantastic insights. We greatly appreciate the time you spent on this.

Women Of The C-Suite: Audrey Oswell of Atlantis Paradise Island On The Five Things You Need To… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Author Louise B Miller: 5 Things Anyone Can Do To Optimize Their Mental Wellness

Author Louise B. Miller: 5 Things Anyone Can Do To Optimize Their Mental Wellness

As an Integrative Mental Health Specialist, I strongly believe in integrative treatments. Exercise, proper nutrition, adequate sleep, and meditation are not only good for you physically but mentally as well. Getting outside in nature, going for a walk, running, or hiking can do wonders for you mentally and physically. My book, Psychological First Aid, recommends many different integrative treatment options.

As a part of my series about the “5 Things Anyone Can Do To Optimize Their Mental Wellness”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Louise Miller.

Dr. Miller is the author of Psychological First Aid — a new book (Amazon) focusing on removing the stigma & and reframing the way we think About Mental Illness. She has a Ph.D. in Mind-Body Medicine with a Specialization in Integrative Mental Health as well as psychology degrees from Harvard and Pepperdine. She is a professor and author and an acknowledged expert in the field of self-help and Mental Health.

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 was enrolled at Harvard as a journalism major, took a law and psychology class, which began my passion for psychology. I then took an introduction to psychology class and knew that I was hooked on psychology. I talked to my academic advisor, and she told me to change my major to psychology and write about it.

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

I think the most interesting story that has happened to me is that I’ve grown so much. Psychology has opened up a lens from which to view myself and other people I never knew existed before. I’ve learned that one’s formative years are crucial yet not defining. A lot of what has happened in one’s childhood may explain one’s adult behavior, but not excuse it. We use psychology every day but may not realize it. Telling someone “Good job” or “Thank you” is a form of positive reinforcement that encourages the individual to continue doing what they are doing.

Can you share a story with us about the most humorous mistake you made when you were first starting? What lesson or take-away did you learn from that?

The mental health field is a very serious and sobering one. People are often struggling with deep, dark emotions associated with trauma, post-traumatic stress disorder, severe depression, or suicidal ideation. It’s so important to be supportive and empathic to everyone. You never know what someone is going through or what they have been through.

My mother always encouraged and supported me in whatever I wanted to do. She was a very positive person and influence in my life. She believed in living life to the fullest and that anything was possible if you set your mind to it. I think she would have been proud of my new book.

What advice would you suggest to your colleagues in your industry to thrive and avoid burnout?

Take your emotional temperature throughout the day to be aware and mindful of how you are feeling. Practice self-care regularly and unplug from what’s going on in the world. Recharge yourself just as you do your electrical devices. You can’t keep making emotional withdrawals if you don’t make some emotional deposits as well.

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

In my new book, Psychological First Aid, I promote mental health and the mind-body connection. Having employees is a huge responsibility, so offer mental health days just as you offer sick days. Stress the importance of mental health just as you do physical health. Invite mental health professionals to come in and talk to your employees about the importance of exercise, nutrition, and sleep not only on one’s physical health but mental health as well — overall health.

Ok thank you for all that. Now let’s move to the main focus of our interview. Mental health is often looked at in binary terms; those who are healthy and those who have mental illness. The truth, however, is that mental wellness is a huge spectrum. Even those who are “mentally healthy” can still improve their mental wellness. From your experience or research, what are five steps that each of us can take to improve or optimize our mental wellness. Can you please share a story or example for each.

I think the five most important steps to improve or optimize our mental wellness are:

Be mindful of your emotional temperature the same way you would of your physical temperature. Take your emotional temperature throughout the day. How do you feel? Are you stressed, anxious, sad? If so, why? Take a step back. Catch it before it gets out of control, just as you would a cold or the flu. What’s causing it?
Be sure to practice self-care. You can not keep withdrawing money from a bank if you don’t make some deposits. You fill up your car with gas. You can’t run it on empty. Don’t run yourself on empty either. Keep yourself charged up just as you do your phone. Don’t let your battery go until there is nothing left.
Remove that invisible line that society has placed between our physical health and our mental health. Our health is our health! There is a mind-body connection. Stress and anxiety not only affect you mentally but physically as well. Stress can damage your immune system as well as your heart and other parts of your body. You must take care of your mental health the same way you do your physical health.
Don’t be afraid or ashamed to seek help if your symptoms are severe. If you were in pain or had diabetes, you would seek treatment. Diabetes results from a chemical imbalance; severe depression results from a chemical imbalance in the brain. You would go to a doctor if you had diabetes. Go to a doctor if you have depression as well. Both are chemical imbalances, don’t be ashamed.
As an Integrative Mental Health Specialist, I strongly believe in integrative treatments. Exercise, proper nutrition, adequate sleep, and meditation are not only good for you physically but mentally as well. Getting outside in nature, going for a walk, running, or hiking can do wonders for you mentally and physically. My book, Psychological First Aid, recommends many different integrative treatment options.

Much of my expertise focuses on helping people to plan for after retirement. Retirement is a dramatic ‘life course transition’ that can impact one’s health.

In addition to the ideas you mentioned earlier, are there things that one should do to optimize mental wellness after retirement? Please share a story or an example for each.

Absolutely! Retirement can be very lonely for some people. They are used to getting up and going to work, being around people, and interacting socially. It’s essential to continue to stay active and have a social network. Join a club so that you can be around other like-minded people. Think about a hobby or sport that you always wanted to do but never had time for before and do it. Stay active! Don’t isolate! Keep your mind and brain sharp by reading, doing crossword puzzles, word searches, scrabble, or picture puzzles. Exercise will help you keep fit both physically and mentally.

How about teens and pre teens. Are there any specific new ideas you would suggest for teens and pre teens to optimize their mental wellness?

Being a teen or pre-teen can be very challenging. Pay attention to how you are feeling. Be mindful! As I mentioned earlier, it’s imperative to be taking your emotional temperature throughout the day. You don’t wait until you have a very high fever before taking some action, don’t wait until your emotions are out of control before you take action. There are several ways that you can calm yourself down. Slow, deep breathing is one of them; my book lists many more ways to reduce anxiety. It’s essential to remember that you can’t control other people’s behavior; you can only control your reaction to it.

Another thing to remember is that the longer you hold on to something, the heavier it gets. Think about putting your arm straight out to the side and holding onto a water bottle. The water bottle will still be the same weight, but it will feel much heavier after a day, a week, a month of you holding onto it with your arm out. Let things go, don’t hold on to them.

My book, Psychological First Aid, contains a lot of helpful information for teens, pre-teens, and adults alike. It applies the same first aid principles that we do for a physical injury to our mental health. There are a multitude of suggestions and ideas to optimize one’s mental wellness.

Is there a particular book that made a significant impact on you? Can you share a story?

I think the book that made the most significant impact on me was the one I had to read for my first psychology class at Harvard, and that was Mindhunter by John Douglas. It is about serial killers. The professor I had was amazing! It was such a great class that it changed the trajectory of my life.

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. 🙂

May is Mental Health Awareness Month. If I could start a movement, it would be to remove the stigma associated with mental illness and reframe the way we think about it.

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

I think my favorite life lesson quote is “You can’t stop the waves, but you can learn how to surf.” from Jon Kabat-Zinn. We all will suffer some trauma or grief/waves in our lives. No one gets through life without some waves happening to them. Some people’s waves are more robust than others; some people have many waves, some people have very few. But if we learn how to surf and handle the waves, then when they come, we will be prepared and handle them that much better. Psychological First Aid teaches people how to surf.

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

www.instagram.com/louisebmillerphd/

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

Author Louise B Miller: 5 Things Anyone Can Do To Optimize Their Mental Wellness was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Dylan Livingearth of Backbone: 5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Started Leading a Cannabis…

Dylan Livingearth of Backbone: 5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Started Leading a Cannabis Business

People in newly onboarded states have limited access to products operating in a closed market, which can result in lack of competition hence lack of quality and creativity. As most states have harsh winters, they grow indoors. The amount of fossil fuels burned to generate the electricity needed in those states that are closed is harmful to the environment. When they can buy from sun growing states all indoor can be ended if chosen, no pressure.

As part of my series about “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Started Leading a Cannabis Business” I had the pleasure of interviewing Dylan Livingearth, Senior Solutions Architect at Backbone.

A self-described “Cannabis Data Perfectionist and Babylon Sherpa,” Dylan Livingearth is a Senior Implementation Specialist and Solutions Architect who is committed to radical transparency in monitoring and reporting as a strategy for cannabis industry success. He is uniquely qualified with a background in Government as CTO for the Illinois Dept of Human Services. Prior to that, he was known as the “Impact Tracking Czar” for the Mayor’s office of Economic Development in the City of Chicago where he managed monitoring and reporting projects and data capture applications for the City of Chicago, the Chicago Housing Authority and Chicago Public Schools.

Dylan spent the last 15 years in the legal cannabis industry acquiring licenses and acting in executive capacities for a long list of Humboldt brands including Talking Trees, Emerald Family, Redwood Roots, Space Gem, Headwaters, Humboldt’s Finest and Wonderland. He typically served as Chief Compliance Officer (CCO), CFO, COO, CEO, bookkeeper, and consultant as needed.

Dylan is most passionate about creating transparency that results in building trust between industry players. As public service administrator, turned cannabis business professional, turned Backbone software Solutions Architect, Dylan has a unique perspective when it comes to highlighting the importance of data integrity, real-time monitoring / reporting, and operator advanced level expertise. Dylan aspires to implement Backbone for every cannabis brand seeking radical transparency and extreme data integrity. In his free time Dylan enjoys being a cannabis zone coordinator for large music festivals in CA.

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

I feel fortunate to have worked as a compliance professional in Illinois from 1993 through 2007. During that time I worked as a director for the housing authority, public school, city of Chicago and became the Chief Information Officer for the Illinois Department of Human Services in 2003.

In 2008, I was invited to be a legal grower in Mendocino by a group of people I had known from an annual Rainbow Gathering event and from my constant trips to visit Northern California. This group understood that compliance and organization were going to be a key to longevity for California cultivators and therefore invited me to join their team.

When I arrived in Mendocino, I was concerned about breaking the law since regulations were interpreted in various ways and compliance was a new word in cultivation at the time. Compliance before MCRSA, during SB420 Prop215, meant not having too many plants and maintaining medicinal “prescriptions” in a binder as cultivators were considered “care providers.” Law enforcement was able to define what was compliant in the field as they saw fit, which created confusion and fear.

One day everything changed. The Mendocino Sheriff’s office announced a program called “Zip Ties.” They invited growers to bring their binder of prescriptions to the Sheriff’s office (the jail) and sign up as a “known grower.” Needless to say, my partners were not as keen as I was on sharing all the details of their operation, being I had been there 5 minutes and they 5 years.

They understood, though, that I had just come from the government with an extensive compliance background, and that I was championing this as potential protection for our families and products. In any case, I went into the Sheriff’s office with full transparency as a protection and walked out with 18 zip ties at a cost of a few hundred each. I can’t recall the exact amount; though I do recall it was much of the money we needed for the garden at the time.

At the end of the season, five or so months later we were harvesting all the plants and had an extensive “trim scene” of more than twenty seasonal labor friends working. We looked up and saw a caravan of police heading down the long driveway. I jumped up and sprinted out to meet them with the binder of California “scripts” and receipt for the local Mendocino zip ties.

The lead officer greeted me: “It appears you are all going to jail today and we are confiscating all this illegal cannabis.” I responded, “Officer, here’s the binder of prescriptions, to which he said, “We don’t care about these.” “Officer, here is the receipt from the Sheriff’s office for the zip ties” to which he responded, “You have the zip ties?” Then he asked if he could see them on the plants. I said yes and he headed to the garden with his colleagues while we waited. They came back and said, “This is perfect, thank you.” They turned all their cars around and headed back out. I said out loud something like, “Thank you California (or maybe really Califu**ingfornia!).” It was then I officially became the first Chief Compliance Officer in Northern California and realized my future was to assist families in compliance and regulations coming fast.

I had been attracted to transparency in monitoring and reporting as proven solutions when I was a State government director and wanted to use those skills in cannabis to ensure legality of the site since several families cohabitated near there, including mine. So it was a priority for me to ensure compliance from the beginning as I am and was well aware of the decades of criminalizing and arresting growers in the Emerald Triangle.

After 5 years of being a cultivator, I began a consultancy assisting cannabis producers with books, licensing and operations in Humboldt and joined several brands over the years in various executive positions including CFO, CEO and COO. In all of these roles it has been critically important to me to present the transparent reality of cannabis operations so that government officials support the continuation of licensing and afforded protections from prosecution for those licensees.

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began working with Backbone? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?

I have had the good fortune of being present for several site visits from government regulators inspecting licensees. Some of those visits are pre-Backbone and some post-Backbone. Pre-Backbone site visits resulted in a series of questions surrounding data management; essentially the state seeking to understand the data management capacity of this start up. Spreadsheets are shared and reviewed by regulators, feedback is provided. Consistently the feedback from the State at that time was a question: “Are these handwritten logs and voluminous spreadsheets your long term solution to ensuring you are recording all activities accurately?” The answer at that time was as follows: “We are seeking a long term solution for data centralization and transparency.”

Post-Backbone site visits have become enjoyable. The most interesting thing that has happened since I joined Backbone was being invited for a site visit after a client had onboarded and was in full system use. I recall sitting with the client and the CA Dept of Public Health fielding questions armed with binders and with Backbone open on the screen. The interesting change from pre-Backbone to post-Backbone was that we were finding all the answers directly in the Backbone system, ultimately erasing the need for the binders of hard copies and running around the lab from station to station. Supporting documents they were seeking, like manuals, were also attached to the Backbone machines so they were available virtually at all times.

The inspectors were interested in the “logs of the machines” (cleaning, maintenance, calibration) and these were available to them with a single click. The centralization of data and supporting documents made them visibly excited as it cut the time they allocated for the visit in half.

The inspectors were also very interested in the “machine history” so they reviewed the Machine Run History in Backbone and found all the answers they were seeking for the history of all products. This moment stands out for me as the exact time that the State gained increased confidence in a licensee based on the sheer fact that they had Backbone.

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

Right now, we are working on the very exciting movement to become a Platform. The move from being a Where in Process (WIP) supply chain system to being a platform integrating your systems is exciting. It alleviates the need for a hugely expensive Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) structure while ensuring systems won’t go down or be affected when one component has an issue.

Backbone as a Platform allows operators to keep their successful systems — such as QuickBooks or any accounting system, their CRMs and their Sales programs — instead of replacing them with modules of a new ERP that everyone needs to learn. In essence, it allows operators to keep with tested expert systems instead of literally replacing all of them, compromising the expertise and data integrity with a time and resource consuming ERP implementation.

Becoming the central accurate “Source of Truth” helps people and increases trust based on data integrity and absolute transparency of all activities and transactions. It pulls back the curtain, so questions are answered before they need to be asked.

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

I am extremely grateful to Kevin Jodrey who owned a brand called Wonderland in Southern Humboldt. I was fortunate to be the business manager producing a series of cannabis events called the Golden Tarp Awards. Golden Tarp refers to the light deprivation tarp that is pulled over a greenhouse at dusk to make it night for the plants mimicking fall. The events were competitions / meets best practices panels commonly known as “Cups.” This one was the first to categorize by terpene styles (earth, citrus, fuel, floral) and was strictly light deprivation flowers. I am very grateful for being Wonderland’s business manager and event coordinator for at least two main reasons.

First, through the events I was introduced to world class event producers including Northern Nights and Emerald Cup. I went on to become the cannabis coordinator at Northern Nights where we were the first to make a “Cannabis Zone” directly in the music bowl that had historically been reserved for alcohol. This event has evolved into an annual showcase of cannabis brands.

Second, it was at Wonderland that I was introduced to Rajesh Chandran, Vic Patil, and Peter Huson the Backbone founders. They had come to Wonderland on a critical discovery mission of what problems were priority to solve in cannabis systems, and I was able to share that we need full transparency on every level simply to erase misinformation and confusion. I expressed that without a centralized accurate database, stakeholders are beholden to constant communication with no concise answers. I thank Kevin Jodery for pioneering in the area of cannabis production, and creating a space Backbone founders used for solving the problem that was destroying trust and relationships.

This industry is young, dynamic and creative. Do you use any clever and innovative marketing strategies that you think large legacy companies should consider adopting?

I am very grateful to professional marketing experts on our team such as Robin Francis who utilizes technology to tell our story on our website and all cannabis networks.

I am also a huge fan of word of mouth marketing because cannabis producers historically don’t believe anything from anyone they dont trust.

I use video extensively to train and share features in order to support the sharing of Backbone success stories among clients. Empowering users with video affords them a choice when discussing Backbone within their circles. When clients have peace of mind, they tend to show off a little by sharing since their data is strong and they feel pride in solving some problem particular to them or the industry.

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

Things that excite me most:

The disappearance of stigma associated with working in cannabis — from criminal workers to publicly stated “essential workers.
The pace at which cannabis is being embraced as both safe for recreation and serious pain and stress relief medicine.
The opportunities for small business owners to excel in the cannabis industry while other industries have extensive barriers for entry and the sheer amount of jobs created from cannabis production.
I’m most excited about the potential future disappearance of borders related to cannabis distribution. Intrastate commerce can assist the health of the people and the Earth. People in newly onboarded states have limited access to products operating in a closed market, which can result in lack of competition hence lack of quality and creativity. As most states have harsh winters, they grow indoors. The amount of fossil fuels burned to generate the electricity needed in those states that are closed is harmful to the environment. When they can buy from sun growing states all indoor can be ended if chosen, no pressure.

Three things that concern me most:

Fear has a new source called “being out of compliance.” Cannabis operators historically have high levels of PTSD as they were criminals all day every day to police while heros to cannabis users. Now they are newly terrified that their license will be revoked and they “will lose everything.” This fear has created a new group of consultants who promise to keep you in compliance while at the same time stoking the fear of non compliance to drive the need for their services.
Barriers are emerging for entry into the cannabis production spaces. Many states structured their current laws to include a short list of typically connected licensees. Some states with open license applications neglect to highlight the cost of licensing both direct to the government and inherent in engineers and endless documents created by consultants. Technical and financial assistance to small businesses trying to navigate and overcome barriers is key. The costs are rising to consumers while prices are falling to farmers.
Trust deteriorates when clarity does not exist. I’m concerned that start ups that do not have a centralized data solution will spend endless time reacting with confusion to every data request, impeding their ability to produce quality, affordable cannabis products.

Can you share your “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Started Leading a Cannabis Business”? Please share a story or example for each.

Being a successful cannabis producer is a marathon not a sprint
Data transparency is the key to trust and peace of mind.
The government is on your side in cannabis because regulators want you to succeed. It benefits their goals and department mandates by showing success, and revenues.
Spreadsheets are not a long term solution to supply chain management and are a death sentence to data integrity over time
A centralized database as a platform is a best practice, and a solution to endless data requests and the need to integrate critical systems.

What advice would you give to other industry professionals to help them thrive?

Embrace full transparency to the point of radicalness. Remember, we have come from a time and place where writing down cannabis production data would ensure you were going to jail if the police came to your place. This conditioned cannabis operators to have zero transparency. I embrace the term radical transparency as the exact opposite, or 100% change from previous.
Radical transparency has benefits that are endless. Primarily, it alleviates the need for staff to answer questions all day long about everything as the data is now there for all to see when needed. This ties together departments like accounting, production, quality control, etc. When a need for data arises, you can now go direct to the system and not a person. Moreover, it empowers the client to report to their stakeholders with a push of a button instead of compiling, vetting and producing constant one off reports as needed.

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. 🙂

To quote Peter Tosh in the Wailers’ “One Foundation:” “We’ve got to build our love on one foundation” and “until then, there will be no love at all.”

The movement I seek to inspire is that of radical transparency on one foundation of data. One foundation results in trust among stakeholders (love). Cannabis operators have sacrificed endless time answering questions that other industries don’t have to answer, endless need for information from stakeholders (where in process is my stuff cause i can’t get paid until…) combined with slow cumbersome track and trace applications forced by regulators, which results in lack of production and high overhead costs.

Stakeholder’s understandable need for information (where is my stuff?) ties up administrative staff all day seeking WIP reports on yield, status, payment, etc. Radical Transparency empowers stakeholders to either view themselves or request an email export ready report. Also government systems have proven to often spin a slow wheel in peak parts of day; and by design, they don’t collect data important to operators such as yield, WIP, brand, packaging. Therefore staff spends ample time both waiting for the government system to move while they create endless spreadsheets to collect the business intelligence they are seeking. A strong centralized system like Backbone, synched to the government regulatory system, solves this dilemma and reclaims the time for admins and operators to use for cannabis production and dispensing.

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

Dylan Livingearth of Backbone: 5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Started Leading a Cannabis… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Women Of The C-Suite: Laurie McGrath of Tecsys On The Five Things You Need To Succeed As A Senior…

Women Of The C-Suite: Laurie McGrath of Tecsys On The Five Things You Need To Succeed As A Senior Executive

Be you. I remember early in my career I would model myself after other leaders and it felt unnatural. It wasn’t until I was fully myself — an imperfect, meditating, vegan yogi working in supply chain — that I found other common ground with people. This was a part of myself that I kept quiet about for the greater part of my career. I found that if you are your authentic self, people will accept you, flaws and all.

As a part of our series about strong women leaders, we had the pleasure of interviewing Laurie McGrath.

With more than 20 years of executive marketing, branding and communications experience, Laurie has built her career on architecting the digitalization and creative expression of global brands across corporate and product marketing initiatives. Currently serving as chief marketing officer at Tecsys, Laurie has held leadership roles at a number of technology organizations including Savvis (a CenturyLink company), HighJump (now Korber) and Intalere (now Vizient). With the clarity she brings to complex solutions, Laurie helps usher cutting edge technology into mainstream, helping to forge contemporary supply chain best practice.

I’ve always had an interest in how people are influenced by strong branding. I figured I would end up in fashion or consumer brands; I never imagined finding a niche in supply chain technology. I remember right out of college going to a warehouse management conference with huge conveyor belts thinking to myself, ‘How did I end up here?’ But it didn’t take long to appreciate the inherent marketing challenges in the space. Over the years, I’ve grown passionate about supply chain, both because of the fascinating sophistication of the industry behind the scenes, and because of the mechanics involved in branding against such a backdrop.

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

I believe intuition is valuable, but it should never trump data, and here’s a perfect example. When I arrived at my new company, I was confident that key stakeholder and employee research would reveal certain changes that needed to be made to underpin a successful rebrand. After conducting this research, much to my surprise, my perceptions were wrong, and I had to course correct the rebranding process. This serves as a testament to always do your homework and research as a marketer, and that you are never too experienced to overlook what the data is telling you.

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’m not sure how funny the CFO thought it was, but my first budget run was in US dollars rather than Canadian dollars. My lesson: Always, always ask the currency!

I was on my first M&A rebranding executive sponsor committee and I learned a great deal from several more seasoned stakeholders. The most important lesson came from the CEO of the company we were acquiring around the importance of culture as a leading indicator of rebranding success. I remember him saying that branding is an ‘inside job’, and I’ve never forgotten this. I think about that nugget of wisdom through every rebranding exercise.

Mental wellness is vitally important to leading with a clear mind. I’ve been practicing yoga for the last 11 years and have a meditation table right next to my bed. When I travel, I create a space everywhere I go. It is a fundamental part of my daily existence and it carries over to my career as well. I’ve even been known to bring my team into the yoga studio.

Every person on the leadership team has a responsibility to the employees, customers and other key stakeholders to represent the company on behalf of them. That representation needs to include the diversity that is seen in the organization in a fair and equitable manner. And it goes both ways; leaders can and should be influenced by unique experiences and backgrounds, too.

As a business leader, can you please share a few steps we must take to truly create an inclusive, representative, and equitable society? Kindly share a story or example for each.

First and foremost, it is critical to make sure to have adequate representation from each group of society to speak their truth on a given subject. I recall a particular rebranding exercise where we created a steering committee that was not an authentic representative of the two companies that were to come under one banner. When we close the boardroom door and determine what is best for the employees without adequate representation, the results will be lopsided. We need to realize that priorities are not always the same, and no less valuable, across an organization, and it is important not to marginalize non-HIPPO (Highest Paid Person’s Opinion) perspectives.

That leads into organizational structures, whereby we should ensure that we develop an equitable framework that celebrates differences rather than excludes them. At Tecsys, we maintain multi-level feedback loops and intra-departmental steering committees so that myriad perspectives and insights are openly discussed and respected.

The most important step is to foster a willingness to allow for feedback and made adjustments based on this information. I mentioned a compelling example of this at the top of the interview, where my convictions on a rebrand were overruled, as it were, because of the mechanisms for feedback ensured that voices across the organization were amplified rather than silenced.

Executives are usually the top tier of representation for the organization. In many cases, they are the voice that external stakeholders will hear on behalf of the entire organization. As the executive in charge of marketing, I place a high degree of importance on what it means to represent the organization’s brand in an authentic manner; for me, that entails being in lockstep with my team at every level so that there is ambiguity as to what the organization stands for. As a result, the majority of my time is spent meeting with my peers, as well as with my direct reports, in planning and executing strategies for the future to define and refine that value.

What are the “myths” that you would like to dispel about being a CEO or executive. Can you explain what you mean?

One myth that is definitely not true is that once you become an executive you no longer participate in day-to-day activities. Although you have different responsibilities, most successful executives are very ‘hands on’ and don’t truly believe in the hierarchical view of organizations. I think you would be hard-pressed to find a C-level executive who doesn’t appreciate rolling up their sleeves and tackling a business challenge.

Another myth is that executives are unapproachable — not true. Every organization that I have been part of, from early days to now, I have found an executive team that is completely transparent and keeps an open door. We are not shy to hire people much smarter than we are, and we are stronger as a collective when we work openly together.

Finally, this notion that executives aren’t learning anymore is far from reality. Executives continue to learn on a daily basis from our teams and peers, rare in a state of stasis. We are never finished growing.

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

I have found myself in a typically male-dominated field and usually the only woman on an executive team throughout my career. I have found that until people get to know me, they are much more careful with what they say and how they say it in the beginning. I believe I’m approached much more cautiously initially; I don’t believe men have the same apprehensions with each other.

What is the most striking difference between your actual job and how you thought the job would be?

I always imagined I would be doing just this; helping organizations find their true brand promise that aligns with their values and build a digital ecosystem to better target that message to prospects to solve their problems. I love everything about the field I’m in, and the sector to which I apply these principles. Supply chain is like a perfect orchestra when everything is moving right. It’s the heartbeat of our economy.

The common traits of most successful executives I encounter are integrity, authenticity and transparency. I have experienced this time and time again. To influence people, you need to be someone people want to work for towards a common goal. Be honest, be authentic and be vulnerable — it’s the greatest power anyone can have in a leadership position.

What advice would you give to other women leaders to help their team to thrive?

Find your passion and share it with others who want to join you on a journey. Get to know your team; what motivates one does not motivate the other. Give praise. Learn from mistakes together; they are all teachable moments.

How have you used your success to make the world a better place?

I am vegan and I advocate against factory farming techniques. I support small cruelty-free sustainable farms and am currently working with an organization out of Portland to update the factory farming regulations to avoid unhealthy food sources and unneeded cruelty to animals. When passion meets purpose, we move mountains, and I am fortunate to be able to have found this intersection in both my personal and professional life.

What are your “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Started” and why? (Please share a story or example for each.)

Be you. I remember early in my career I would model myself after other leaders and it felt unnatural. It wasn’t until I was fully myself — an imperfect, meditating, vegan yogi working in supply chain — that I found other common ground with people. This was a part of myself that I kept quiet about for the greater part of my career. I found that if you are your authentic self, people will accept you, flaws and all.
Find your passion. You will need that passion to fuel you as you encounter mountains and valleys in your career. Many people can genuinely confess that they do not like what they are doing; this is not a healthy place to be. Spend the time to reflect on the changes you need to make and what it is that makes you tick. Figure out what you love to do; then figure out a way to get paid for it.
Vulnerability is your superpower. Let your team hear you say, ‘I made a mistake and I apologize’. Exercising this level of transparency and honesty is the healthiest way to create strong connections of trust.
Learn from your mistakes. Every experience in your career is a chance for growth and to be a better employee. Choose your reactions. I have been in the unenviable position of wielding the managerial stick more than once, and I am always impressed with employees who can navigate difficult situations with decorum and grow from those experiences.
Know your company’s business inside and out. It is a huge advantage to be knowledgeable about the organization and industry you’re in beyond your function. This gives you stronger business context, not to mention better lateral and upward mobility.

I’ll repeat myself here: When passion meets purpose, we move mountains. I would create a movement to help people find their purpose and meaning in life. I meet people every day that are searching for meaning in their personal and professional pursuits, and it pains me that there is too often a disconnect. Joseph Campbell told us to ‘follow our bliss’; true success in life is being in complete alignment with your desires. It would be my dream for everyone to explore this journey before they choose a career that doesn’t speak to them. It is the fastest way to job burnout and lackluster effort as an employee.

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

My favorite lesson is by Viktor Frankl: “Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.”

I think of this quote at least 20 times a day. It is the most brilliant take on how the choice is always ours, every time and in any situation. What we do with that space can open windows or close doors; it can wound or heal. Raising teenage girls has given me ample opportunity to navigate that space and be purposeful in my responses; unlike my life as an executive, there are no holds barred in motherhood and I am grateful for those unpolished and perfect moments where Frankl’s words carry such weight.

I would have to say Rich Roll. He is a true testament to ‘it’s never too late’ to transform your life. He was a two-time top finisher in the Ultraman World Championships after years of struggle with addiction. Today, he is a plant-based advocate for healthy mind and body, a bestselling author and distinguished podcaster, and a someone who truly practices what they preach. He’s the real deal and I am very inspired by him.

Thank you for these fantastic insights. We greatly appreciate the time you spent on this.

Women Of The C-Suite: Laurie McGrath of Tecsys On The Five Things You Need To Succeed As A Senior… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Dr. Anna Persaud of This Works: 5 Lifestyle Tweaks That Can Dramatically Improve Your Wellbeing

Treat your wake-up as a marathon not a sprint. Allow your body to wake up slowly without additional stressors such as newsfeeds, emails and social media. This stops us from over-reacting to information we find stressful when cortisol levels are at their highest.

As a part of my series about “5 Lifestyle Tweaks That Will Dramatically Improve One’s Wellbeing”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Dr. Anna Persaud, CEO, This Works.

Dr. Anna Persaud joined This Works in 2009, following an 11-year tenure with the LVMH group as Marketing Director, Parfums Christian Dior. Based in London, Anna is responsible for all areas of the This Works’ business. She has driven the company’s growth both at home and internationally, leading to its acquisition in 2019 by Canopy Growth, the world’s largest Cannabis company. With a PHD in Biochemistry, Anna brings a unique insight into product development. In July 2020, Dr. Persaud was appointed VP Skincare & Topicals for Canopy Growth, assuming global responsibility for the corporation’s skincare and topical direction and innovation.

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you share with us the story about how you first got involved in fitness and wellness?

Fitness has been a part of my life since a very young age. I was encouraged to participate in sports by both my mother and grandmother who were themselves active sports women — in fact my grandmother played hockey until well into her 60s!

Having an opportunity to be a sports captain at both my high school and university also allowed me to hone my leadership skills. Then in my 20s, fitness became a counter to my academic life. On one hand I was teaching undergraduates and pursuing my PhD in biochemistry, and on the other I was teaching aerobics at the local gym.

Wellness was also my first step to becoming an entrepreneur. When I was unable to decide between science or fitness, I started up a fitness business.

Even today, fitness, wellness and exercise are as important as ever as a balance to my professional life.

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

I have regular coffee room catch ups with our Scientific Advisor, Professor Gaby Badre. During one meeting at the Royal Society of Medicine in London, I expressed to Professor Badre that whilst I knew our Sleep fragrance worked, I wanted to know how it worked and he suggested the idea of looking at the impact of fragrance on the brain. That morning, our concept of functional fragrance was born. This concept has gone on to change the way we create the essential oil blends, which are the cornerstone of our business.

Our first research together was published in peer reviewed Journal Chemosensory Perception in 2019 and since then our Love Sleep, Morning Expert and Stress Check fragrances have all been developed using fMRI technology.

Most interesting is the impact of this work on our Morning Expert fragrance; at This Works we always take our permission to launch a product when 70% of our panel users agree ‘this works’ but what we have found is that when it comes to looking at the brain, sometimes our perception of what is good for us and what is actually good for us is not the same.

In the case of Morning Expert, during the rational process of screening essential oils to improve morning concentration and focus, the aroma chosen as most appealing by our panel was different to the blend that we could see to be most effective (under fMRI conditions) at improving our wake-up. On this occasion we let the science win and selected the fragrance we knew to be most effective. Today that fragrance is one of our most sought out, and in 2020 it won the CEW US best new wellbeing product.

All of this to say, sometimes the most innocuous of meetings can lead to the most important business decision.

Can you share a story with us about the most humorous mistake you made when you were first starting? What lesson or take-away did you learn from that?

Very early in my career I had a lesson in humility that I’ll never forget. As a young member of the Dior Beauty marketing team, I was asked to take some products to a photoshoot and was most offended at what I perceived was the request to be a glorified courier — getting in a taxi and schlepping somewhere in the middle of the city. After having (stroppily) gotten into a taxi and making my way across town, I reached a shabby looking studio and as I was standing outside impatiently tapping my foot, a town car pulled up. John Galliano got out of the car.

It turned out that what I’d actually been given was a huge opportunity. To attend a John Galliano-led shoot was a major deal for a very junior marketing person — it was a huge moment for me. The experience taught me to be a little more tolerant of seemingly menial requests, because you never know what they will teach you.

You have had a unique career that has spanned luxury brands, beauty, C-suite leadership, and biochemistry. Tell us about your career journey and what it has taught you about wellness.

My PhD was in the field of parasite biochemistry, during which time I studied detoxification mechanisms and oxidative stress in parasites. I already had an obsession with skincare and couldn’t understand why beauty companies weren’t trying to protect skin from UV and free radicals. This understanding and inspiration led me to the pharmaceutical industry where I worked in medical writing, specialising in acne and dermatitis. A chance meeting with a fellow chemist, who at that time was the Marketing Director at Dior, brought me the opportunity to work in the beauty industry. I never looked back.

I spent eleven years at LVMH within the Dior group, which spanned the Galliano period of influence, and I was there to witness the unification of the brand and its rise as a global powerhouse. The atmosphere was exciting, dynamic, creative. I was keenly aware that I was experiencing an extraordinary period of change with great internal displays of creativity, which ultimately led to the birth of an international behemoth.

But it was also during this period that I transitioned from my ‘carefree’ twenties to my early thirties, which brought me into motherhood. The dynamic shift in responsibilities did not sit well with the working culture of the day — flex time did not exist, and international travel was both expected and non-negotiable. So, in 2008 I made the decision to leave and joined This Works soon after.

Founded by Vogue UK Beauty Director, Kathy Phillips, This Works was one of the first challenger brands to bring efficacious natural skincare to market with an aesthetic that didn’t look out of place on the pages of Vogue or shelves of Harvey Nichols. At the time, natural beauty was considered ‘niche’ with limited expectations around its efficacy.

One of my first priorities when I joined was to look at how we could develop high-tech skincare that strives to be 98% natural. My scientific background meant I was focused on backing our product claims with user and clinical trials so that any product launched would meet consumer expectations. That focus on robust efficacy is crucial for the brand today as increasingly (and appropriately) consumers are demanding transparency from brands on their ingredients, sustainability, and delivering on promises made.

It’s hard to narrow this down and so I’m sneaking in three. Most recently I’ve had two chairmen — Rich Gersten and Bengt Dahl — who have been really important and hugely influential mentors in terms of helping me grow and build the business over the last 14 years — taking us from small beginnings to our 2019 sale to Canopy Growth.

Probably the person who had the biggest impact on my career was Emmanuel de Mareuil, who was the Marketing Director at Dior during my formative years in marketing. He mentored me and coached me into the Marketing Director role myself, a step I would not have made otherwise, and so I owe him for his patience and willingness to share his knowledge with me. He is also the one responsible for my Galliano shoot life lesson!

Now let’s move to the main focus of our interview. We all know that it’s important to eat more vegetables, eat less sugar, exercise more, and get better sleep. But while we know it intellectually, it’s often difficult to put it into practice and make it a part of our daily habits. In your opinion what are the three main blockages that prevent us from taking the information that we all know, and integrating it into our lives?

There are so many factors prohibiting us from integrating this knowledge into our daily wellness routines. There are a few that standout to me — the “cult of busy”, our micro-environments, and not prioritizing sleep.

Although the general public is far more informed on the importance of sleep than in 2011 when we launched our first pillow spray, I do think there is still a ‘cult of busy’ — the idea that the less sleep we get, the higher functioning we are, and surviving on little sleep is worn as a badge of honour. Throughout my corporate career, I can see shifts in the mindsets of some of our younger employees who take a far more holistic view of their well being than I ever did. But I do think if we scratch beneath the surface, some of these beliefs are still there.

Our macro-environment may also disrupt our natural sleep pattern and prevent us from getting enough sleep at night — those with small children or those with a job outside regular hours such as pilots, nurses, postal workers. In these situations, it’s important to adapt your sleep pattern appropriately, for example, scheduling an afternoon nap, but we often don’t give ourselves permission to do so.

Finally, choosing sleep isn’t always the sexy, exciting option, and we have a sense of being invincible with an ability to override nature. We can get away with this for a while because we’re not feeling the impact immediately. If we don’t see the consequences of something, we don’t feel it is relevant to us. However, in this case, we lead ourselves into poor sleep habits and when life throws us a curveball, we’re not best placed to deal with it and it’s so easy to turn to stimulants to compensate for lack of sleep.

Can you please share your “5 Non-Intuitive Lifestyle Tweaks That Will Dramatically Improve One’s Wellbeing”? (Please share a story or an example for each, and feel free to share ideas for mental, emotional, and physical health.)

Treat your wakeup as a marathon not a sprint. Allow your body to wake up slowly without additional stressors such as newsfeeds, emails and social media. This stops us from over-reacting to information we find stressful when cortisol levels are at their highest.
Start your day with day light not blue light. Stepping outside and getting natural light in your eyes in the early morning helps to establish the role of light in your daily Circadian Rhythm and helps boost your mood.
Stand up / Sit down — find your balance. I am naturally restless and sitting at my desk from Zoom call to email and back again left me stiff, uncomfortable and lethargic. I create balance by using a stand up and sit-down desk and have noticed an increase in my energy level, productivity and focus.
Dance. Dance badly, dance energetically and dance with abandonment (skill optional) to music that gives you pleasure– I did a whole load of dancing last night in my kitchen and shimmied the week away.
Help your neighbours. Helping others takes the emphasis off you and is a great way to reduce anxiety because you’re no longer the central point of your own focus. It’s positively uplifting to know that you’re making a difference to someone else’s life. For example, act as a mentor, support your local community etc…

As an expert, this might be obvious to you, but I think it would be instructive to articulate this for the public. Aside from feeling rested what are three benefits of better sleep. Can you explain?

Good sleep means good fitness, good mental and physical health, a higher level of cognitive capacity and performance as well as a better social and emotional life. Benefits that we regularly pull out are skin health, physical performance and mood regulation.

Skin Health

Overnight, skin goes into repair and restore mode, meaning it removes toxins, repairs cell and DNA damage caused by the environment, replaces ageing cells and creates new ones. That’s why after good quality sleep, skin looks fresher, younger and more radiant.

If we regularly do not get enough sleep, then our overnight repair is compromised and we quickly see the impact of this in features such as dark circles under our eyes, loss of elasticity and the onset of fine lines and wrinkles.

Physical Health

Getting enough quality sleep is critical for our physical recovery and repair. I say good quality sleep as it is just that, though this really happens in our deepest and most restorative sleep phase.

There are two key stages to sleep, NREM and REM; these are repeated throughout the night in a cycle that will, on average, take around 90 minutes. NREM is the state we enter as we begin to fall asleep, it stands for Non-Rapid-Eye movement and covers our transition from wakefulness, to light sleep, to deep sleep. During this phase we disengage from our surroundings, our breathing and heart rate are regular, and our body temperature drops.

As we transition into our deepest and most restorative sleep our blood pressure drops, breathing becomes slower and muscles relax; at this stage of sleep tissue growth and repair occurs, energy is restored, and hormones (such growth) are released.

Mood regulation

Sleep loss is thought to cause not only daytime sleepiness and impaired conscious mental activity (such as our hand-eye coordination) but is also associated with emotional instability, anxiety, confusion and an increase in negative moods such as anger, frustration, irritability, sadness, and a decrease in positive mood.

For someone who is looking to improve their daily sleep routine, what changes do you recommend?

What many people don’t appreciate is that a good night’s sleep is a day in the making, not just what we do in the hour before bed. I always recommend managing your stress levels and establishing both a wake-up and winddown routine.

Our Cortisol levels are at their highest around 6am to 8am as we wake. They should naturally start to decline, but if you are in a cycle of bad sleep, it’s possible that your Cortisol (stress) levels are consistently elevated, which can act as a suppressor of the sleep hormone Melatonin. To manage your stress levels, try adjusting your wake-up time. Delay turning on technology, get outside and get some light in your eyes, and establish an exercise routine to help to burn off Cortisol.

Establish a winddown routine that works for you and stick to it — think of it like sleep training a baby. You don’t get it right the first time and you don’t stop on the first night they sleep through.

On a practical level, establishing and maintaining a nightly winddown or sleep routine helps to reset our minds. Rebalance your natural wake-sleep cycles with a routine such as dimming lights and limiting brain stimulation (turning off Netflix an hour earlier and disconnecting from our devices). By developing these associated (conditioning) stimuli, we can potentially signal to our brain that it is time to sleep. Within this routine the use of a pillow spray such as our deep sleep pillow spray can play an important role — both as a conditioning stimuli and because the very act of inhaling a fragrance may have an impact on many physiological parameters — such as blood pressure and pulse rate.

What impact does sleep not only have on wellness but also beauty and stress management?

I think I have covered the benefits of sleep for our wellness, beauty and stress management, and I’m sure we’ve all experienced waking up irritable, cranky and craving sugar or caffeine after a bad night’s sleep.

What is worth noting is that stress and sleep are cyclically linked. When we are stressed, hormones (among them, Cortisol, our stress hormone) are released, leading to fragmented and less deep sleep — the most restorative of all. In reverse, a lack of sleep can also lead to an increase in Cortisol. Put simply, reducing our stress levels and maintaining healthy sleep patterns as much as possible is essential for our wellbeing. When we stress less, we sleep better, and when we sleep better, we stress less.

Is there a particular book that made a significant impact on you? Can you share a story?

The book I’ve read that really sticks with me is Emotional Intelligence by Daniel Goleman, it shaped my understanding around what emotional intelligence is and how it contributes to functioning, relationships, performance and leadership. It definitely shaped the way I looked at myself in the workplace from the early 90s onwards.

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

I think sometimes we can affect change by paying attention to the world right under our nose –not grandiose acts that are a public statement or worthy of PR announcements — but small acts of kindness for the people who walk alongside us day by day.

My mantra is that if I meet someone with a need that they can’t fulfil in that moment and that I am able to give, then I’ll do my best to help — it can be as simple as helping someone across the road, providing advice, carrying them when they can’t carry themselves and yes sometimes financial support. In that moment, my only request is that when the time comes, they do what they can to help others.

That is how I live my life — lots of small and personal ways of helping people that you then hope will help others. It sounds simple, but in a world where much is done for how it looks to others, perhaps small acts are rarer than they should be.

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

In years gone by I would have cited ‘God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference.’ After the last twelve months this has evolved with the addition of ‘and when you know this trust your gut, be bold and do it’.

When it became apparent that COVID-19 was going to change the world as we knew it, we entered a space where there was nobody to follow, where trends were unfolding day-by-day and where it seemed no one had the answers. In that space, we had to create our own path to follow.

I went back to the basics, asking “what do I and my neighbours need right now?” and came back with a two-part answer. First, sleep and rest were in order, to deal with whatever was coming next and to give ourselves the best chance of resiliency.

Second, whilst we didn’t know how to cure or prevent COVID-19, we did understand transmission. Previously unassuming products such as hand sanitisers were going to become highly sought after and a source of great reassurance and comfort — at a time when there were very few available.

Based on these two inputs, we developed our stress check hand sanitiser from concept to market in under two months. This product development played a crucial role for our business’ continued growth and also demonstrated our business’ ethics as we priced low and distributed wide to ensure it was as accessible as possible for all consumers.

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

This took almost more thought than everything else, but I think Jane Fonda would be up there! Incredibly successful, living life on her own terms, effortlessly stylish and an absolute icon.

Dr. Anna Persaud of This Works: 5 Lifestyle Tweaks That Can Dramatically Improve Your Wellbeing was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Lessons from a Thriving Power Couple, With Kate and Shawn Boyer of Anatomie

When we have stressful news at home, we have a glass of wine. When we have the biggest day of online sales, we have a glass of wine. We like a good Amarone from Verona Italy. It works great under most circumstances.

As a part of our series about lessons from Thriving Power Couples, I had the pleasure of interviewing Kate and Shawn Boyer, co-founders of Anatomie.

Kate and Shawn Boyer are the dynamic husband and wife duo behind Anatomie. Born in Budapest, Kate got a MBA in International Trade in France, while working as a girls’ gymnastics coach and dressing the team in outfits she designed herself. From there, as a self-taught designer, Kate developed private label collections for many exclusive resorts in St. Barth and held private shopping events throughout the upscale Caribbean. She later met her husband Shawn in Miami, where he was designing customized clothing for hard-to-fit athletic men. The two joined forces to design sportswear for brands such as Elite Models, Cigarette Boats, and Lamborghini.

With Kate as CEO and Shawn as Creative Director, they launched Anatomie in 2006, a name that speaks to the impeccable fit and sleek tailoring of the brand’s designs. After four years and over 600 private events, their omni-channel presence is strong on their dot.com, wholesale and VIP direct sales platforms. Kate, Shawn and their 6 year-old daughter Charlee maintain a base in Miami with their bulldog Luna. They regularly travel the world together, with Kate having been to over 35 countries and Charlee having already been to 7 countries by the age of 5.

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?

Kate: Survival needs! I started selling fitness clothes to pay for my MBA in France. While coaching a young girls’ team for competitions, I started making clothes for them to travel, train and compete in. Very early, I fell in love with stretch fabrics and sporty but elegant-looking styles that could be worn day in and out, season over season. The business grew in France, and then in the Caribbean. I met Shawn in Miami and we instantly combined forces. We always had a common love for this business, and for each other in the mix of it!

Shawn: Kate and I were both involved in fashion before we met each other. I was doing athletic-fit menswear and she was doing activewear. My friends are sports and fitness models and were in St Barth’s on vacation. One day, they put their photos on the wall of fame at Form Fitness. Kate was coming to the USA for a trade show and used my roommate and his wife as Models. My roommate said, “I am modeling for this lady, she has very cool Italian textiles. You should meet her.” I said, “I am Busy,” to which he said, “Make some time.”

When Kate and I first interacted, it was all business. I was designing for her and she was manufacturing for me. However, then business turned to monkey business, and now we have a six-year-old daughter.

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

Kate: An incredible whirlwind of customers took our relationship and business to the next level. We’ve had amazing adventures all around the world, including making a baby in Maui while we did our pop-up with the Four Seasons. Those ladies watched us hustle as a couple, and then as a family with our baby girl hanging in the barn all day while I was out selling! We’ve also met customers who initially came to redeem gift cards we gave out to NetJets and Inspirato that turned into investors.

Shawn: I am from Ohio. I thought I was well traveled, yet Kate is from Budapest and went to school in France.

As soon as we married, the world was a much bigger place with cities like St. Tropez, Nice, Milano, and Lake Como. As a menswear designer, all of my heroes were Italian. Standing in front of Giorgio Armani’s headquarters in Milano was fantastic. We love everything Italy, and cannot wait to get back. The most interesting story is that travel changes your life.

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?

Kate: Oh, those burn out tees that were bleeding! They were made in India and stained our customers’ nails, leather car seats and even our washing machine! We still laugh about that so we remember to stick to our core competency. The other one happened two decades ago when we accepted an order for 50,000 units of polos from Bacardi without knowing where or how to make them. We shipped them on time, but they all looked differently as we hustled with over ten factories to complete the order! Don’t bite off more than what you can chew! Shawn and I tend to do that.

Shawn: We were doing private labels in the beginning before establishing Anatomie. We designed a collection for Cigarette Offshore Racing, and it was a big order at that time. We did not have a business account, so when they asked us what the name of the company was for the deposit, I said Jet Set Style. There was no such thing. Now we had a big check and nowhere to deposit it. I called my mother, had her set up a corporation, and opened a bank account under Jet Set Style Inc.

What did we learn from that? Always be prepared to take the deposit, and always make sure you get the deposit.

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

Kate: What makes us stand out is our personal connection to the end users, our value beyond expectation of a nearly indestructible pant we perfected for over a decade, and our unique partnerships with world class companies. Also, a total focus on this “Anatomie” look and feel for an elevated casual wardrobe like no other. The most lightweight pants on the market are made by Anatomie. They were a huge success the first time they shipped to Equinox clubs nationwide back in 2010 and sold out in four hours. We already knew we were onto something back then!

Something that also sets us apart are our marketing partnerships. Whether it’s the Forbes Travel Guide, Signature Travel Network through our Escape Artist program, or Micato Safaris and their charity “America shares,” we always have creative and kind collaborations that elevate and differentiate the brand.

Shawn: We started Anatomie from scratch in a one-bedroom apartment. We had to sell to survive. We did hundreds of trunk shows. We were always on the road with a few racks and suitcases full of clothing. The good news was we would set retail records wherever we went, but the bad news was that the accounts would not buy — they just wanted us to do events because they were so effective.

You are talking about a decade of face-to-face interactions with the most dynamic ladies on planet earth.

Our company stands out because of our personal connection with our customer base. It is one thing. Our ladies are diehard fans. It is a whole other story when we were growing too fast, and they loaned us money to keep up with the growth, buy more fabric and pay the factories.

They set us up in their homes while we were traveling and brought us into the best private communities in the country. They have pushed our brand and personal lives beyond expectations. Since the beginning, they’ve endorsed us from the heart. The story is simple — we had no advertising budget, no PR budget, and no production budget. Do not be afraid to build your company one customer at a time.

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

Kate: We exist to empower and inspire. Our Palm Beach pop-up location, and soon to be opening location in Westport, CT, function as fit studios that allow ladies to try items on and get to know not only their fit, but also their local VIP stylist. We view this service the same way Uber provides a driver to everyone!

When you do not have to iron, dry clean and can travel with simply your carry-on, you save yourself time, money, and energy. These are precious elements now more than ever!

Shawn: We have some exciting new products coming out this year that have been a long time coming. We’ve created new styles that follow the same DNA of our brand with a modern, clean and put-together look.

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

Kate: Similarly to how we empower and inspire our customers, we have to do that to each other as well. You have to give them opportunities to rise up, solve problems, and celebrate them when they do. I think they want to make me a t-shirt that says “Figure it out,” because that’s what I always say. Our team has stock options so the sense of ownership is real.

Shawn: As startup entrepreneurs, we are wearing all hats. We couldn’t afford to hire people in the beginning. We are constantly teaching ourselves how to do everything. We manage chaos because our lives depend on it.

As we change gears and start to depend on others, we must trust that we have the right people in the right positions and let them do their jobs. In the beginning, we had bad habits. Its fine for a small business but it’s not sustainable. To help employee thrive, you must set them up for success by hiring the right person for the right position. We have been using the predictive index to assess potential new employees and it 100% helps. I highly recommend this for new hires.

How do you define “Leadership”?

Kate: Influencing and driving decisions and impact is how I define leadership. It has to happen over 1,000 times a day in every facet of the organization!

Shawn: Clear direction. If everyone understands the direction and how we get to our goals, you have more buy in. Listening more and talking less. Hire the right people and let them do their Job — don’t hire an expert and then tell them how to do their job.

Kate: First of all, I wouldn’t be in this country in the first place if it weren’t for Shawn. We also have our initial seed investor, Scott Rhodenizer, who believed in the two of us and is still a shareholder in the company. Next comes those incredible customers, Sarah Walsh and Arlyn Miller, and their husbands, who not only bought our product but also shares in the company. Lastly, our board of directors, Joe Abrams, Lisa Peddy, David J. Scheiner, Andy Sturner and Larry O’Brien, are always there to advise us during the toughest moments.

Shawn: We have been truly fortunate. There have been so many amazing people that helped us along the way. I could not pick one — it was the synergy of all them.

One group that has been phenomenal for our development is the South Florida Strategic Forum. This amazing group of people has impacted our brand and personal lives in so many ways. You can ask them about any subject or discuss a problem and they will give direction from the heart. Our guest speakers are titans of industry. The education and things we learn from these incredible people is a true game changer.

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

Kate: Yes! We were able to donate pants to nurses and doctors on the front line, and are actively participating in charity work every month with various organizations we believe in. This includes the Equal Justice Initiative, Feeding America, No Kid Hungry, Women’s Fund, Glam for Good and the Miami Diaper Bank. We’re also about to announce an amazing partnership with Preferred Hotels and its CEO Lindsey Ueberroth.

Shawn: We are close to our end users and they are very charitable. We have supported many initiatives over the years, from breast cancer and diabetes awareness to Angels of Africa and more. Now that we’re affiliated with Shopping Gives, our dynamic Anatomie ladies select things that we are supporting and donate to a great cause at checkout. We recently supported the Miami Diaper Bank. It is a fantastic organization.

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

Kate: Here is my checklist:

Save time for adventure. Shawn and I work hard but always find time for little getaways, date nights and sleepovers ☺
Separate your offices. We work pretty far from each other on a day-to-day basis and rarely go on calls or Zooms together for work. We try to stay in our lanes.
Weekly meetings with Tom Dietrich, our COO. We always throw our operating partner in the mix so he can diplomatically make us fight through issues and get on the same page. We call this our balcony meeting. Sometimes they happen in the morning and sometimes for dinner, and then I always cook.
Find time to laugh. It keeps us together and reminds us how far we’ve come.

Shawn: Running a business is difficult, being married with children is difficult, and the combined two is DIFFICULT.

Work-life balance is not as easy as it sounds. Entrepreneur spouses run the risk of putting business first, especially when your business is growing fast. It is all intertwined. It is just management of your reactions to the present moment at home. When we have stressful news at home, we have a glass of wine. When we have the biggest day of online sales, we have a glass of wine. We like a good Amarone from Verona Italy. It works great under most circumstances.
Clearly defined rolls and boundaries, focusing on core skillsets and trusting your partner will do their part. Not taking the workplace hierarchy to your home is important. It doesn’t matter what your title is at work — that stays in the office.
It is important for couples who work together to not take their home conflicts to the office or vice versa. I hold grudges. Kate is a lot better at letting go, and I have to remind myself not to take things personally and to focus on all of the amazing things that are happening with our business and personal lives.
We were traveling a lot pre-COVID. We had time away from the business and recharged our batteries while on the road. You need the personal time to keep you healthy. Being on the hamster wheel day after day without a break is not good for anyone.
I highly recommend a business and life coach. I am so fortunate to work with Susan Ford Collins. She is known as the CEO whisperer. Before working with her, I had assumed that it was going to be about maximum engagement and improving the bottom line, but our first session was about family and success. Simply writing in a small notebook about the positive things happening daily can shift your focus from the little things that aggravate you to the fruits of your hard work.

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. 🙂

Kate: I would stop waste, and the excess use of paper and plastics. Shawn and I are scuba divers, and we really care about the ocean.

Shawn: I feel like COVID-19 was a reset for planet earth. Everything we take for granted in our daily lives were turned upside down. We were in lockdown and disconnected from family and friends. If we could inspire a movement, it would be one of travel and adventure. There are so many life changing-destinations, and we must make the journey to them while we can because there are no guarantees.

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

Kate: Balance and routine create happier families with working parents and kids. I always make time for my daughter before and after school without looking at my phone and we adventure a lot together. Quick, short escapes go a long way! My life lesson quotes come from my Hungarian grandma so they are a little hard to translate, but one of her favorites was, “Never go to bed mad.” A day can bring in a lot of stress and it really does take an effort to let it go by bedtime.

Shawn: “When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves.” — Viktor Frankl

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 🙂

Kate: Yes, please! Richard Branson would be my pick. Bernard Arnault would be next. It’s so sad we lost Steve Jobs.

Shawn: I would love to meet Chip Wilson, the founder of Lululemon. I once spoke with a Canadian who had a conversation with Chip Wilson in his very first store. He said that Chip was so convinced that Lululemon was going to be an international brand that he thought he was crazy. The truth was that Chip knew exactly where he was heading.

How can our readers follow your work online?

Visit Anatomie at www.anatomie.com and @Anatomiestyle on Instagram and Facebook. Search for Kate Boyer on LinkedIn. #anatomiestyle

We are based in Miami, FL near the Design District. If you’re in the area, we’d love to have you come in for a visit.

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

Lessons from a Thriving Power Couple, With Kate and Shawn Boyer of Anatomie was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.