Cassandra Chase On How To Communicate With Your Team Effectively Even If You Are Rarely In The Same Physical Space
An Interview With Candice Georgiadis
There’s tons of team building opportunities that have developed to get to know your teammates without being physically present with each other. One technique I have found particularly effective is kind of a virtual show-and-tell where people share and talk about an item that means a lot to them. You can really learn a lot about people in those kinds of sharing spaces.
We are living in a new world in which offices are becoming obsolete. How can teams effectively communicate if they are never together? Zoom and Slack are excellent tools, but they don’t replicate all the advantages of being together. What strategies, tools and techniques work to be a highly effective communicator, even if you are not in the same space?
In this interview series, we are interviewing business leaders who share the strategies, tools and techniques they use to effectively and efficiently communicate with their team who may be spread out across the world. As a part of this series, I had the pleasure of interviewing Cassandra Chase.
Cassandra is a business owner and social entrepreneur committed to providing marginalized communities with opportunities and essential resources. For ten years, Cassandra has dedicated her career to public service leading massive grassroots efforts in education, health, wellness, and social reform.
Cassandra founded Chase Consulting Group (CCG), a boutique business consulting firm that provides strategic management, business development, and new media marketing services to small businesses, nonprofit organizations, and government entities. She also co-founded Read Lead, a nonprofit organization that provides literacy and leadership training.
Her foundational work has impacted over 2 million residents in Los Angeles County. In 2020, NIKE recognized and featured Cassandra as a changemaker in the Legacy Project among seven other black women transforming the landscape in Los Angeles.
In her spare time, Cassandra spreads accessible information on wellness, veganism, and yoga. As a thought leader, Cassandra continues to foster a culture of civic engagement in the community in which she lives and works.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Before we dive in, our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you tell us a bit about your ‘backstory’ and how you got started?
Well, ultimately I would say what led me to this career path is a value of service. My Mom is a registered nurse and my Dad is a United Methodist Minister. From a young age, they taught me to lead and serve my community. Activism and community service very much became a way of life growing up. My sister and I were always in a space of listening, and also learning how to strategize. Those aspects of my upbringing are really what sort of brought me to where I am today.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?
I would say the most interesting part of my journey so far has been being a young leader. For my nonprofit we also hired a lot of young people, and being their leader I had to quickly learn different ways to take in everyone’s perspective. So just as a general point, understanding what it means to be a leader amongst peers has been the most interesting part of starting my own company.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
“Decisions determine destiny.” This is important to me because many times as a leader I get caught up in thinking about what to do. Each moment in life presents us with a decision we have to make. We have to be intentional about everything we do in every moment, because the next moment is not necessarily garaunteed for us.
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?
My Mom. While she worked for over 40 years as a nurse she was still an entrepreneur. She had her real estate license and taught me the importance of investment properties and owning multiple streams of income. She taught me about balance, doing what you love while also having a staple that can support your family. My mother understood the importance of voting, making sure you have a voice. She was the only one who could vote in my house growing up so she took that responsibility very seriously. We would have family meetings about what was on the ballot because she knew her vote represented the entire family. I have memories of walking into the voting booth with her as a small child because she always wanted to make sure her family was included in the entire process. She was a role model for me, a true leader.
Ok wonderful. Let’s now shift to the main focus of our interview. The pandemic has changed so many things about the way we behave. One of them, of course, is how we work and how we communicate in our work. Many teams have started working remotely. Working remotely can be very different than working with a team that is in front of you. This provides great opportunity but it can also create unique challenges. To begin, can you articulate for our readers a few of the main benefits of having a team physically together?
I think the biggest benefit of having a team physically together is the ability to feel each other’s energy, sensing when people are into an idea and when they aren’t. The tool of body language is massive, a lot of the communication we have with one another is done without words.
On the flip side, can you articulate for our readers a few of the main challenges that arise when a team is not in the same space?
– Easy to misunderstand, and interpret these things in ways that may have been unintended.
– Have to make assumptions about how something is sharing a thing or saying something.
– Lose personal touch of being in front of a person.
I think it’s easy to misunderstand or interpret things in ways that may have been unintended. When we are communicating through technology we are missing the inflection of someone’s and we are missing their tonality. This forces us to make our own assumptions about how someone is sharing or saying something. That’s a very big challenge, because assumptions can often lead to misundertsandings.
Fantastic. Here is the main question of our interview. Based on your experience, what can one do to address or redress each of those challenges? What are your “5 Things You Need To Know To Communicate With Your Team Effectively Even If You Are Rarely In The Same Physical Space ? (Please share a story or example for each.)
To be clear on objectives and goals. (To be able to have a foundation of what you are building off of.)
Listen. (The space of online communication can be very easy for one person to dominate a conversation.)
Use tools to help support communication and understand how eachother best communicates. (Try to understand how some people best communicate, whether that be text, email, or an app like slack.)
Has your company experienced communication challenges with your workforce working from home during the pandemic? For example, does your company allow employees to use their own cell phones or do they use the company’s phone lines for work? Can you share any other issues that came up?
Everyone uses their own technology, and the biggest obstacle which comes with that is connectivity issues. For my non-profit, when schools switched to online learning because of the pandemic, many kids went back to their homes without a proper internet connection. As a society, we have made the assumption that everyone has access to things like the internet. That is not the case, especially in underserved communities. There are so many times when we are conducting a class for students that the internet simply just goes out. We have to address problems like this nationally in order to give everyone access to the internet as we continue to move through the pandemic.
Let’s zoom in a bit. Many tools have been developed to help teams coordinate and communicate with each other. In your personal experiences which tools have been most effective in helping to replicate the benefits of being together in the same space?
The tools I use the most often are Zoom and Google Meet. I have also found Slack to be a huge help because it decongests my email inbox.
If you could design the perfect communication feature or system to help your business, what would it be?
Something that combines scheduling, meeting rooms, and face to face video chat. A one stop place for all of those things.
My particular expertise and interest is in Unified Communications. Has the pandemic changed the need or appeal for unified communications technology requirements? Can you explain?
There is more of a need for this type of communication to happen. The appeal has definitely grown as you see new channels of communication emerge just out of necessity for business during the pandemic.
The technology is rapidly evolving and new tools like VR, AR, and Mixed Reality are being developed to help bring remote teams together in a shared virtual space. Is there any technology coming down the pipeline that excites you?
None that I am familiar with. Honestly, some of the newer technology can be a little weird for me. I am not particularly interested in any one thing that might be on the horizon, but I am definitely open to experimenting with new platforms.
Is there a part of this future vision that concerns you? Can you explain?
Yeah, I think it just takes us further away from getting back in person with each other. I’m worried that we are continuing to innovate new ways to be apart, but together, instead of just being together.
So far we have discussed communication within a team. How has the pandemic changed the way you interact and engage your customers? How much of your interactions have moved to digital such as chatbots, messaging apps, phone, or video calls?
All of my communications have moved to digital. We have had to transition our traditional classes for the nonprofit online. I really want to get back in person for the students, I think physically being present together in a classroom is a huge piece of learning.
In my experience, one of the trickiest parts of working with a remote team is giving honest feedback, in a way that doesn’t come across as too harsh. If someone is in front of you much of the nuance can be picked up in facial expressions and body language. But not when someone is remote. Can you give a few suggestions about how to best give constructive criticism to a remote team member?
I think a prerequisite for giving someone constructive criticism is having a good standing relationship with them. Without that, criticism has a greater potential to come across as harsh. I think the goal we should have when giving another person criticism is to be as clear and supportive as possible.
Can you give any specific ideas about how to create a sense of camaraderie and team cohesion when you are not physically together?
Team building games and opportunities, leadership programs… sharing an object that is very important to you. Anything to kind of get a glance at someone in life.
There’s tons of team building opportunities that have developed to get to know your teammates without being physically present with each other. One technique I have found particularly effective is kind of a virtual show-and-tell where people share and talk about an item that means a lot to them. You can really learn a lot about people in those kinds of sharing spaces.
Ok wonderful. We are nearly done. Here is our last “meaty” question. You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂
I think it would be two-fold. The first part being centered around education, I would want to provide the highest quality of education to learners of all ages. I believe education is the foundation of success, so providing that to people who are in the need of it most would allow us to see a better world through that process. The other thing that I think would help us change the world would be a greater sense of awareness. People becoming more aware of who they are and calling into their lives what they wish to see. By doing this, we will be able to transform the world between our thoughts and actions. In order to accomplish any of this we have to be well ourselves, and take care of who we are.
How can our readers further follow your work online?
– Follow me on insta @mscchase
– My nonprofit @readlead1
– My consulting group: chasegroup.co
Thank you so much for the time you spent doing this interview. This was very inspirational, and we wish you continued success.
Don’t be afraid of negative space. We tend to want to fill every corner of our homes with something, leaving empty spaces is important. It allows you to think and create new things.
As part of my series on the “5 Things You Can Do To Help Your Living Space Spark More Joy”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Walaa.
Walaa is a certified color therapist, author, and qualified interior designer mentoring women and entrepreneurs to find renewed confidence, a strong sense of purpose, and a better life balance. As an intuitive color healer and trained interior designer, Walaa has developed a unique 5 modality system for harnessing energy to develop emotional fluidity. She uses a combination of color frequency, crystal sound healing, body release movement, mental reprogramming, and breathwork in one-on-one sessions, group sessions, and workshops to help release blockages. Through her sessions, Walaa encourages women to spiritually and emotionally evolve, giving as much support as they need to move beyond fear, exit of toxic relationships, develop a strong self-understanding through acceptance of their own shadow, and discover a deep connection to their purpose. Her book, Heal Yourself With Color: Harness the Power of Color to Change Your Life, was recently released in July 2021.
Thank you so much for joining us in this series! Before we dive in, our readers would love to learn a bit more about you. Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?
9 years ago, I was in Tokyo, I was struggling with my inability to wear vibrant colors and envied everyone around me who wore these colors beautifully. I was hiding behind my dark colors only. I wanted meaning, I wanted to feel my life and be part of it. I found color therapy which helped me understand that I was hiding, not wanting to embrace who I truly was or allow others to see it. Color therapy transformed my life, it helped me dive deep within myself and discover parts of myself that I was hiding from. This helped me find self-acceptance and find the joy in understanding my day to day challenges. I now work with color therapy as a base to redesign people’s lives, online circles, their spaces and offer mentor sessions.
The interior design aspect was hard for me in the beginning as I knew in my core that our spaces affect us more than we are aware of. I want to give people healing spaces, spaces that support their lifestyles and well-being.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started this career?
This career has taught me compassion and understanding, it helped me see people’s actions and behaviors from a different lens. The deeper and longer I do this work the stronger my belief in humanity gets.
Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
When I began my career, I wanted a playful approach to my work, I thought color is playful, it’s diverse and I wanted to show that. So, I put my list of services on a long menu looking flyer, named the services after food and drinks. Of course, no one understood what I was trying to sell, it was a long menu that sounded like it had food, but it wasn’t?!
I didn’t do my market research then; people didn’t know what color therapy was. I learned I needed to be clear and begin with a small educational offering. Then let my clients guide me to what they need next.
What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now? How do you think that might help people?
When you asked me this, the first project that came into my mind was my own home. At the beginning of this year I moved to the countryside, somewhere I never thought I would be because I always considered myself a city girl.
This home has been one of the most challenging and exciting projects to design because it feels that we are all healing in it. The universe made us a family at this time to heal in this home. Working with color, people expect me to constantly be surrounded in it. Even though my color expression has never been in primary colors, it’s always been in earthy tones.
This project has helped me let go of what it is that people expect of me and embrace the healing space that I wanted to create for myself and my family intuitively. Putting all of our needs and creating this space to help us achieve all of what we seek.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
“Pain is better outside your body”. When we don’t go through the emotions that are uncomfortable by avoiding or numbing them, we store them in our bodies that later create different tensions and discomforts in the body. I have learned to let go of pain by going through it, giving myself what I need during that time and that helped me relate to the world from a place of love.
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?
This is a hard question because I have a very very long list. Today though I want to acknowledge my friend and brand manager Stacey Jessop. We met years ago at a training and she’s been the heart and soul of my business and my own development.
We shared a lot together as we unraveled my own brand expression, color expression and the blocks underneath it all. It’s beautiful to have relationships with women who empower themselves and each other.
Thank you for that. Here is the main question of our discussion. What are your “5 Things You Can Do To Help Your Living Space Spark More Joy” and why. Please share a story or example for each.
Don’t be afraid of adding color. It doesn’t have to be with large pieces or walls; you can always start with small accessories and elements. There are thousands of shades, tints, tones of every color too.
Ask the space what it wants. Whenever I design a space, I always do a round of touching the walls and asking the house, office… etc. What is it that it needs? Perhaps energy, color, emotions, textures, etc. You feel it and you know.
Don’t be afraid of negative space. We tend to want to fill every corner of our homes with something, leaving empty spaces is important. It allows you to think and create new things.
Greenery. Plants bring life and growth; green is a color that helps us heal and disconnect from the noise. Use it in plants as it will vibrate higher.
Color intentions. Colors that are earthy will ground you, colors that are luminous will wake up the space, colors that have white in them will soften the space. Always ask yourself, ‘how do I want this place to feel’ and pick the colors that represent that for you.
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.
Start creating colorful streets, vs the dark streets we drive on. Have soothing colors on highways, uplifting colors in neighborhoods… etc
We are very blessed that some of the biggest names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might see this, especially if we tag them
Nadine Burke Harris, because of her work on childhood trauma, something I truly believe in. I would love to have a conversation about how we can teach more people and governments about this. We can create healthier compassionate societies.
Female Founders: Cristie Besu of ‘Eat Me Guilt Free’ On The Five Things You Need To Thrive and Succeed as a Woman Founder
An Interview With Candice Georgiadis
Use your woman’s intuition to make decisions even though it’s frowned upon in society. — I have had people roll their eyes at me when I say, “I know in my gut that this is the right thing to do.” Society loves to make decisions based on past successes and data, but if we only follow this in order to create we would have nothing truly new and innovative.
As a part of our series about “Why We Need More Women Founders”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Cristie Besu.
Cuban-American Cristie Besu started baking Eat Me Guilt Free treats straight from her very own kitchen in 2013 while working as a registered nurse and certified sports nutritionist. What began as a passion project soon turned into a small business for the mom-of-three, as she discovered the importance and satisfaction protein-packed and better-for-you foods provided to others.
Eat Me Guilt Free was created to fill a void for Besu’s original customers. She worked closely with clients to craft nutrition programs, helping them with everything from disease management to improving labs, to just being able to move and feel better about themselves. Eat Me Guilt Free has worked hard to help consumers feel less restricted and more open to being able to enjoy the everyday foods they love, without sacrificing taste. Eat Me Guilt Free’s consumer base continues to consistently broaden — from athletes to bariatric patients to everyday consumers who are conscious about what they put into their bodies — for a range of reasons beyond external appearance.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would like to get to know you a bit more. Can you tell us a bit about your “backstory”? What led you to this particular career path?
I began my journey as a woman entrepreneur as a Registered Nurse and Sports Nutritionist. I started Eat Me Guilt Free as a passion project. My clients turned to me for nutrition and fitness guidance to help curb their sugar cravings. Nurses are problem-solvers by nature, so I started baking products to replace the foods we crave and feel “guilty” about eating, hence the name Eat Me Guilt Free. I started sharing my journey as an entrepreneur on Instagram and rapidly grew a successful D2C business. Since then, we have evolved to national and international distribution.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began leading your company?
As an entrepreneur, I find that I tend to be impulsive and respond too quickly at times. Early on, when I looked across the room at my team members, I realized that I had hired all family and friends. I found myself hiring any human body with a pulse for positions that were needed to find solutions to our growth. It worked out sometimes, but other times, it didn’t. One of the times it worked out wonderfully was when I had to spend my Christmas & New Year’s holiday inspecting our first large pallet sized order to a distributor.
As a leader it took me some time to learn how to build a team. I had heard that you should be slow to hire and quick to fire. Since then, I’ve taken my time to build the team, making sure that not only is each person a good cultural fit, but that they also have the necessary skill set.
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?
Somebody asked me once in a serious business setting, “How many brownies do you think you are going to sell next year?” and my answer was: “All of them.” Although I had a grand vision, my plan lacked tangible goals.
It is important to set goals that are measurable. When we know exactly what we are aiming to accomplish, it makes it easier to align and make decisions that will get us there. It seems that as women, we are doing an amazing job at identifying as business owners, but I feel like we need to start working in a less subjective manner in order to be more impactful.
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?
Yes. You definitely can’t do this alone. Honestly, it’s very difficult to say that just one person was impactful, because I am grateful to and leaned on a lot of friends, family & EMGF members. I think I want to talk about Robert, my first friend/family investor, who eventually began working with me daily at EMGF and sharing the blood, sweat and tears. Rob and I could not be more different when it comes to perspective. Because Rob and I have such different points of view, it helps when making difficult decisions to have the yin to my yang.
Ok, thank you for that. Let’s now jump to the primary focus of our interview. According to this EY report, only about 20 percent of funded companies have women founders. This reflects great historical progress, but it also shows that more work still has to be done to empower women to create companies. In your opinion and experience what is currently holding back women from founding companies?
There is data that shows that women own 39% of businesses but are only responsible for 8% of employment and 4% of revenues. It shows that we are taking the initiative to start our own businesses but not believing in ourselves enough to ‘think big.’ It is possible that women are searching for freedom in their schedules and creativity in their careers, so they turn to starting a business to quench that desire. However, when they are concerned about their financial stability, the data on revenue and employment for businesses founded by women are not very encouraging.
I think the fear stems from our belief system that has been ingrained by society over hundreds of years, that we cannot do it all. While it is challenging to be a parent and a head of a large corporation, it is not impossible.
We have already started to dip our toes in the water by making up 39% of businesses owned. Now, the next steps are to erase the limiting beliefs that we cannot found and run fortune 500 businesses.
From my personal experience, it took lots of sleepless nights to convince myself that I was more than capable. As a woman, I feel like we have a tremendous amount of feminine grace to add to company cultures that could significantly impact day-to-day operations and viability as a disruptive brand.
Can you help articulate a few things that can be done as individuals, as a society, or by the government, to help overcome those obstacles?
I believe that the first piece of advice for women entrepreneurs is to empower yourself, which grants you the permission to firmly believe that as a female business owner, women do have the ability to be successful. And, of course, elevating other women around us, when given the opportunity, is a given.
This might be intuitive to you as a woman founder but I think it will be helpful to spell this out. Can you share a few reasons why more women should become founders?
As a woman and a mother, it is intuitive to me that everything I do is being observed and absorbed — and that my actions are more impactful than what my words are. So, taking the steps to lead in a more intentional and elegant manner will inspire more women to follow their dreams.
What are the “myths” that you would like to dispel about being a founder? Can you explain what you mean?
Founders are fearless. I think it is not a lack of fear but learning to trust your intuition.
Is everyone cut out to be a founder? In your opinion, which specific traits increase the likelihood that a person will be a successful founder and what type of person should perhaps seek a “regular job” as an employee? Can you explain what you mean?
I believe that humans develop, change and evolve so much throughout our lifetime, that it is unfair to say that someone is or is not cut out for something. But I will say that I think a successful founder needs to be in a place where they feel internally aligned, because there is a lot of instability around you when building a business. There is a saying that says you can’t plant a seed when there’s a storm — and by no means am I referring to your external environment being calm and peaceful. I mean your internal environment. There is peace for some people knowing that they can be removed from their work at 5 p.m. and will always have a paycheck, and that is okay.
Ok super. Here is the main question of our interview. Based on your opinion and experience, what are the “Five Things You Need To Thrive and Succeed as a Woman Founder?” (Please share a story or example for each.)
Believe in yourself.
If you are a woman entrepreneur, you have a vision. You need to be able to continue to see that vision and what aligns with it, even when those around you cannot.
Be patient with yourself.
I have always set very high expectations for myself and my business and would beat myself up when I was reaching steps and not my actual goal. When I learned to celebrate each accomplishment that aligned with my vision regardless of how small it was, I realized that it motivated me to keep pushing forward. I used to believe if I stopped to celebrate, that I would become complacent and not reach my goal. And the truth is, nothing could be further from the truth.
Use your woman’s intuition to make decisions even though it’s frowned upon in society.
I have had people roll their eyes at me when I say, “I know in my gut that this is the right thing to do.” Society loves to make decisions based on past successes and data, but if we only follow this in order to create we would have nothing truly new and innovative.
The ability to find new innovative ways to create & market.
I believe that we all have a sense of creativity somewhere deep inside. Using that whenever problem-solving or building is priceless. Part of our DNA at Eat Me Guilt Free is to never repeat what others have done or what we have done in the past, even if it’s just adding an interesting twist on a previous idea.
Have a sense of what you define is balance.
Building a business has extreme ebbs and flows. Recognizing that if you average out both highs and lows there will be a balance. In other words, chaotic days and uneventful days are both perfectly normal. You need to remain calm and keep a clear mind in order to make decisions.
How have you used your success to make the world a better place?
In 2020, during the pandemic, most of the world took advantage of or had no choice but to look within ourselves because we had to spend so much time isolated. Eat Me Guilt Free also chose to take this route as a brand and decided what was important to us. As a result, the You Glow Girl Woman Entrepreneur Grant was born. Elevating other women entrepreneurs is both invigorating and motivating to us. And being part of normalizing women founders is, no doubt, going to make the world a better place.
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.
Stop generalizing. If we were all open minded and didn’t use society’s stigmas and stereotypes to make decisions every day, we would advance in leaps and bounds. A movement that encourages people to live in a more conscious and aware state will allow us to be more intentional and inclusive.
We are very blessed that some very prominent names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US with whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this if we tag them.
I have two. Sheryl Sandberg, because as a female entrepreneur, her book Lean In, isa must read. The second person is Arnold Schwarzenegger because of his ability to believe in himself so strongly that he was able to be successful in at least three very different careers. Most people have difficulty being successful in one career in a lifetime.
Thank you for these fantastic insights. We greatly appreciate the time you spent on this
I cannot emphasize enough: practicing selfcare is essential. Sometimes relationships can be toxic or draining, including professional relationships, so be honest with yourself. I encourage my coaching and therapy clients to be honest with themselves about the happiness in their career. Most therapists have a therapist and coaches have coaches. Ultimately, happiness is a byproduct of a healthy mind.
As a part of my series about the “5 Things Anyone Can Do To Optimize Their Mental Wellness”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Veronda Bellamy.
Veronda Bellamy is a nationally recognized mental health therapist with a specialty in trauma. Through her work in mental health, she founded the Relevancy Factor™ — which helps persons understand their purpose and entrepreneurs improve their profits — and also Bridging the Gap of America — an accredited behavioral health agency by the joint commission.
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 working in corporate America for nearly 10 years and was tired of what I called ‘the rat race.’ Eventually I felt my voice wasn’t respected and my opinion was not wanted in many of the spaces I was invited into. So, I had to do something different. Among my friends, I was always the go-to person for advice and figured because of that I would make a pretty good therapist and probably enjoy the career, so I decided to explore it.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started your career?
The transition from employee to fulltime entrepreneur would probably be the most interesting. Right on the heels of the passing of my sweet mother-in-law, I was encouraged to start my own practice. I was burned out with the job I had. So I did. It was like I suddenly had permission to step into this new space of leadership. I wanted to be free to be there for my husband and in-laws without the cares of an employer breathing down my neck. I took the leap and I haven’t looked back since.
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?
It is humorous now, but that wasn’t always. I had to learn the importance of self-care. For the longest time I thought being super woman was the way to be seen and heard. I thought that being able to do all the things was a badge of honor. I have since learned that is far from the truth. Our bodies are not wired to go non-stop. We have to rest. I have slowed down tremendously since 2017. Selfcare is not selfish; selfcare leads to happiness
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 have a mentor who has been consistent for the last decade — a successful therapist and consultant. I call her a ‘spiritual guide’ because she is that for me. When we first met, I was still in corporate America. I was not at all thinking of becoming a therapist. But she said to me me, “I will see you on TV someday. You will reach amazing heights.” I don’t know how she knew, but I believe I am just at the beginning of the impact I will make in the world — and that’s exciting! We all need to know our brilliance, our happiness and our relevance. I hold on to the words of my mentor during the times I question myself — and yes, I do question myself. My family is very supportive as well. I can call on them at the drop of dime for support.
I have other guides that have crossed my path over the years. Another encounter occurred when I interviewed Dr. Maya Angelou on a podcast series I had back when podcasting was still new. Dr. Maya Angelou has always been a huge role model for me, and I was honored to conduct one of her final interviews before her passing. One thing she said to me during the is “a woman can do anything. She can cook some beans, fix a toilet and host a dinner on a Friday. We can do anything.” I was like, ‘Yes, ma’am, Dr. Maya Angelou. We sure can!”
What advice would you suggest to your colleagues in your industry to thrive and avoid burnout?
Practice selfcare. Arrange your appointments with breaks in between them. Scheduling a two-hour break between sessions can be the best gift ever. Hire a great admin and have your process in place. I can offer help for developing a customized process — it’s one of the things I enjoy doing. And find outlets — practicing yoga, going to the gym, drinking fresh pressed green juices and laughing a lot. Most importantly, know when to refer a client who isn’t a right fit
What advice would you give to other leaders about how to create a fantastic work culture?
Treat others how you would like to be treated. Don’t hold on to dishonest staff or staff that interrupt the energy of your culture. Doing so can seriously cost more in the long run than you ever thought. Also, if you are having to “look out” for someone you will always have to look out for them — calculate this before you say yes.
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.
1) Practice daily selfcare
2) Assess your relationships
3) Assess your career
4) Assess your happiness
5) Hire a coach
I cannot emphasize enough: practicing selfcare is essential. Sometimes relationships can be toxic or draining, including professional relationships, so be honest with yourself. I encourage my coaching and therapy clients to be honest with themselves about the happiness in their career. Most therapists have a therapist and coaches have coaches. Ultimately, happiness is a byproduct of a healthy mind.
How about teens and pre teens. In addition to the ideas you mentioned earlier, are there any specific new ideas you would suggest for teens and pre teens to optimize their mental wellness?
Teenagers and preteens are very aware individuals. They are much more advanced in their view on life and mental health than I was when I was that age. Teens and preteeens should connect themselves to a coach or therapist — and many are with the help of their parents. Start practicing yoga; it has major benefits internally and externally. Starting as a preteen can help with discipline and create a mindset to overcome some of life’s most challenging situations.
Is there a particular book that made a significant impact on you? Can you share a story?
My favorite book is “The Four Agreements” by Don Miguel Ruiz. It is a mindset book and a great read. Another book is “The One Thing” by Gary Keller. It helped to me narrow my focus because as a visionary my focus can be broad. My favorite podcast is Joyce Meyers; I also watch her often on Day Star along with Bishop T.D. Jakes. All provide me with mindset enrichment and spiritual guidance to help fuel my passion and purpose to be a thought leader and change agent
You are a person of great influence. If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂
I believe happiness is a choice. It is a byproduct of a well-balanced life. My movement would be ‘Just Be Happy!’ Of course, there is much that goes into that and there is a process that you would have to go through, but I have the solution. I see it too frequently for the patients who I serve. It works. But it starts with seeking out a therapist and/or life coach
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Do you have a story about how that was relevant in your life?
Job 13:2 NIV What you know I know, I am not inferior to you. This verse of the bible is relatable because it really does remind us that no matter who you are speaking to you, you are not inferior to anyone. So often, we live out of fear, fear of the unknowns, fear of what others think, fear of what others will do, FEAR, but here we are reminded that God has imparted wisdom into you, so you are not inferior to anyone.
What is the best way our readers can follow you on social media?
Read to children when they are young and staying actively involved in their progress in school. Ask them about their highs and lows at school, check in with their teachers, be aware of the courses they are taking and their schedules. When my children were in school, I made it a point to ask them several times a semester, “What questions did you ask in class today?”
As a part of my series about “How extremely busy executives make time to be great parents” I had the pleasure to interview Dr. Joel N. Myers.
Named “the most accurate man in weather” by The New York Times, Dr. Joel N. Myers is considered the “father of modern commercial meteorology” and the nation’s most respected authority on the business of meteorology. Founder and chief executive officer of AccuWeather, he has been recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine’s Encyclopedia of Entrepreneurs book as one of the greatest entrepreneurs in American history and is a proven visionary leader. Founding the company in 1962, he has successfully established AccuWeather as the most accurate and best-known source of weather forecasts and warnings in the world. An active and engaged father, he founded the Dads’ Resource Center and considers his eight children, ranging in age from 10–55 years-old, among his most important and precious priorities and accomplishments.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would like to get to know you a bit more. Can you tell us a bit about your “backstory”? What led you to this particular career path?
Certainly, I grew up in Philadelphia. When I was three years old, I fell in love …. with snow. At seven, I decided to become a weather forecaster. When I was 11, I told my dad I was going to combine my burning desire to be a weather forecaster with my developing entrepreneurial spirit (I had a paper route and some other little businesses I started) as a means of starting my own weather business. I was very certain of my ability to be successful and very determined. My mother called me, “One-track-mind Joel.”
Can you share the story about what brought you to this specific point in your career?
When it was time for college, I went to The Pennsylvania State University, the only college we could afford. It turned out to have one of the best meteorology programs in the world.
A few days after arriving on the Penn State campus, I convinced the city editor of the Daily Collegian to allow me to become the campus newspaper’s first-ever weather forecaster. And a few weeks later, I also began providing weather forecasts for the campus radio station. This gave me valuable insight into how the media works at an early age.
I earned three degrees from Penn State and beginning in my first year as a graduate student, I taught the 400-level course in weather forecasting and then taught it continuously for the next 21 years, founding AccuWeather as a 2nd year grad student in 1962.
By the time I retired from teaching, it is estimated that I had trained 17 percent of the nation’s weather forecasters. I am forever grateful to Penn State for the opportunity to teach and conduct research. It also allowed me to hire my best students and create a crucible of innovation, creativity and entrepreneurship at AccuWeather.
Can you tell us a bit more about what your day-to-day schedule looks like?
When I am not giving speeches or doing media interviews, I maintain a vigorous pace with a full schedule of daily meetings individually and with my team leaders on the state of the business for each unit — digital, B2B and traditional media (radio, television, newspaper, podcasts, digital out of home), product innovation, the latest forecasting developments, technology enhancements and marketing. I also serve on several boards and think tanks, such as the Committee for Economic Development, the Nantucket Project, No Labels, and of course, the Dads’ Resource Center. I am a firm believer in taking care of the body as well as the mind, so I work out regularly. I am also a devoted husband and father and very much enjoy spending time with my wife, Mariya, and our children, their spouses and my grandchildren, especially the concentrated time we spend ALL together twice year during the winter and summer holidays.
Ok, thank you for that. Let’s now jump to the core of our discussion. This is probably intuitive to many, but it would be beneficial to spell it out. Based on your experience or research, can you flesh out why not spending time with your children can be detrimental to their development?
Frederick Douglass, the great American orator, author, activist, and abolitionist — who started out as an escaped slave — perhaps said it best, “It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men.” The evidence is overwhelming and backed up by thousands of years of anecdotal data and numerous studies over recent decades — children develop much better when both of their parents are actively involved in their lives.
Tens of millions of American children grow up without fathers in their lives. As the Dads’ Resource Center — which I started more than five years ago — has found through our research, the cost of father absence is absolutely crushing on both a personal level, and a larger societal and economic level, as well.
Incidents of poverty, malnutrition, homelessness, crime, incarceration, teen pregnancy, drug and alcohol abuse and more societal ills are all commonly linked to the absence of two, loving, involved and present parents.
On the flip side, can you give a few reasons or examples about why it is so important to make time to spend with your children?
In addition to an abundance of social and emotional support, spending as much time as possible with our children is important for their growth, development, confidence and mental and physical wellbeing on the road to becoming, functioning, independent adults. Spending quality time with our offspring also provides exposure to new ideas, thoughts and experiences that is so important to their own development as they learn to discover who they are and define their own place in the world.
For society at large, there is an economic toll when one parent, fathers, especially, do not spend time with their children, in many cases because of biases against single fathers’ role. In 2008, the National Fatherhood Initiative made projections on the annual cost to taxpayers due to father absence. At that time, they estimated the cost to be about $100 billion dollars annually. The Dads’ Resource Center recently updated this figure using the same models. The cost of father absence to American taxpayers is now estimated to be $269 billion per year.
From greater income support, nutrition programs, healthcare needs, and social services, our entire society bears the weight of this consequential hole that cannot be filled by government subsidies and programs. Even more consequentially, the estimated cost of lost wages for children who grew up in fatherless homes is nearly $491 billion annually.
According to this study cited in the Washington Post, the quality of time spent with children is more important than the quantity of time. Can you give a 3–5 stories or examples from your own life about what you do to spend quality time with your children?
Twice each year, in summer and winter, most of my family and I meet up for an extended vacation. That time is sacred to us. This past July, we gathered at Avalon, New Jersey for two weeks and enjoyed the beach, family meals and recharged and connected in a way that shuts out the outside world. We also do a Broadway, museum and shopping trip in New York City every winter and a trip to Florida or the Caribbean for a week over New Year’s. This December, we will be 25 strong together in Florida.
Of course, COVID was a disappointment in creating a barrier to getting together physically, but my family make the time to have a Zoom — religiously and without exception — every week. It is an opportunity to check in and get the latest Myers family news.
When my children were younger, each one of them, at one point or another, has worked at AccuWeather and this tradition continues for my younger children and even grandchildren. In addition to spending time together, this gave them insight into my company, how it works and taught them valuable lessons about earning, hard work and the value of a dollar whether it was stuffing envelopes or designing a weather app.
We all live in a world with many deadlines and incessant demands for our time and attention. That inevitably makes us feel rushed and we may feel that we can’t spare the time to be “fully present” with our children. Can you share with our readers 5 strategies about how we can create more space in our lives in order to give our children more quality attention? Please include examples or stories for each, if you can.
Read to children when they are young and staying actively involved in their progress in school. Ask them about their highs and lows at school, check in with their teachers, be aware of the courses they are taking and their schedules. When my children were in school, I made it a point to ask them several times a semester, “What questions did you ask in class today?”
Show a keen interest in their hobbies and interests. Nurture their talents for sports, music, web design, or any entrepreneurial endeavor and be encouraging.
Make time for family — as a group and with each individual member. I am so proud of the fact that my children are good friends and truly enjoy each other.
Be present and a good listener. Pardon the weather pun, but snowplow parents tend to want to push all of life’s barriers out of the way for their children; it is important to sit back and listen, while your child figures out their own path forward.
In a divorce or separation, ensure both parents have full access and involvements with children. As a dad, many long-time institutions may be tipped against you, but you don’t have to willingly accept that. Your child and their wellbeing are worth the fight.
How do you define a “good parent”? Can you give an example or story?
A good parent is a present parent. Do not abdicate your important responsibility to nurture your child into adulthood. That is the unwritten contract all parents have. When my oldest children were younger and I was working very long hours to make my business a success, I may not have been as present as I should have been.
I regret that, but I have worked very hard to maintain deep, meaningful and loving bonds, and today we are as close as ever. I have eight children ranging in age from 10 to 55 years, and I have had at least one child living with me in my home for 55 straight years. My children know they are loved, and they know I am forever in their corner.
This is also why I established the Dads’ Resource Center. There are far too many children in our country who are denied access to good fathers by our legal, government and social services systems.
How do you inspire your child to “dream big”? Can you give an example or story?
I also tell my children to pursue their passions, dream big and don’t quit, don’t quit, don’t quit, using myself as an example. I faced unimaginable headwinds from every segment of the weather enterprise when I started AccuWeather from those who challenged “Why would anybody pay for weather forecasts that the government gave away for free?”
I did not accept “no” for an answer. I knew I could offer forecasts that were more specific, more tailored and therefore more valuable. I called 25,000 potential prospects before I had 100 paying customers, which meant I had 24,900 rejections! But I did not quit and today, AccuWeather serves more than 1.5 billion people every day through our apps and website, our forecasts provided to more than 1,600 media clients and more than half the Fortune 500 companies and thousands of other businesses globally.
I use this and other examples to inspire my children to achieve their dreams.
How do you, a person who masterfully straddles the worlds of career and family, define “success”?
President Kennedy said, “Once you say you’re going to settle for second, that’s what happens to you in life.” You need to take personal ownership of your own success — if you rely on someone else and abdicate your responsibilities, you will limit your own success and the success of your team — whether that team is at work or at home.
What are your favorite books, podcasts, or resources that inspire you to be a better parent? Can you explain why you like them?
I am such an avid reader that I cannot specifically name any one book or source, as there have been many tips from a wide variety of sources that I have gleaned over the years to be the best parent I can be. I am always on the lookout for more guidance to benefit my children and grandchildren on the topics of development, health and independence. My children have noted publicly that I never miss an opportunity for a teachable moment.
I am also a fan of the book, How to be a Gentleman, by John Bridges, which teaches valuable lessons about common courtesy in a rapidly changing, highly transforming technology-reliant world.
Malcolm Gladwell comes to mind as an author who proffers excellent life lessons in his many books, all of which I have read. For example, in his book, Outliers, The Story of Success, he discusses how your birth month can make you a more successful and confident hockey player in Canada. The best players all had January, February and March birthdays by an overwhelming margin because in Canada the eligibility cut-off for age-class hockey is January 1st. A player who turns 10 on January 1, could be playing alongside someone who does not turn 10 until closer to the end of the year, so age factors into ability and performance and therefore confidence as this gap represents an enormous difference in physical maturity.
I factored this “age advantage” into my own kids’ and grandkids’ ages and school performance with regard to their school start dates, knowing they would perform better, get more out of their schooling and develop greater confidence with the advantage of more maturity.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
Just one? I have many. One of my favorites is, from Warren Buffet who said, “The people who are most successful are those who are doing what they love. Money isn’t what drives them. What drives them is a love of what they do.” I think that is inspiring no matter what your life’s goals are. Find your passion and do not quit.
You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂
I always considered being a parent the most important job I have. And, it is a job that never ends. It transitions as we grow and as our children get older. My own father committed suicide when my youngest brother was still at a vulnerable age, so perhaps that impacted my focus on the importance of fathers being present in their kids’ lives.
My wish for the health and betterment of all children is that they know the love and commitment of both parents; and my wish for all fathers is that they can have the essential time and interaction with their children that both fathers and their children need and depend on for healthier, happier, and more fulfilled lives.
The Dads’ Resource Center will continue advocating for the fairer treatment of single fathers on behalf of children. Our families and American society will all be better for eliminating some of the biases against the important role of single dads.
Thank you so much for these insights! This was so inspiring!
Female Disruptors: Karla Jo Helms of JOTO PR Disruptors On The Three Things You Need To Shake Up Your Industry
An Interview With Candice Georgiadis
Never give up means not compromising on your values. Not settling. Be willing to do whatever it takes to make things go right — and keep getting up when you fall down.
I cannot say I have been able to instantly apply that in all aspects of my life all the time, but I have learned to apply it. It is an applied knowledge. Knowledge, just because you have it, doesn’t mean one will use it. It has to be utilized. Failure sometimes is a necessary step in this universe — we learn by pain. But does pain define me? Certainly not. It is the times I got up and pushed through, despite all odds, which defines me — and how I handled that opposition.
As a part of our series about women who are shaking things up in their industry, I had the pleasure of interviewing Karla Jo Helms.
Karla Jo Helms is the Chief Evangelist and Anti-PR(TM) Strategist for JOTO PR Disruptors(TM).
Karla Jo learned firsthand how unforgiving business can be when millions of dollars are on the line — and how the control of public opinion often determines whether one company is happily chosen, or another is brutally rejected.
Being an alumni of crisis management, Karla Jo has worked with litigation attorneys, private investigators and the media to help restore companies of goodwill back into the good graces of public opinion — she operates on the ethic of getting it right the first time, not relying on second chances and doing what it takes to excel.
Helms speaks globally on public relations, how the PR industry itself has lost its way and how, in the right hands, corporations can harness the power of Anti-PR to drive markets and impact market perception.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would like to get to know you a bit more. Can you tell us a bit about your “backstory”? What led you to this particular career path?
I was a dance major and professional dancer in college — part of a very old and prestigious precision dance team that performed globally for governments, presidents, and national sport events. I was never slated for PR — and had no other vision but dance since I was 5 years old. So, at the age of 20, when I broke my back, my life (seemingly) was shattered.
After six months of struggling to find my way, with a worried father pestering me at every turn to decide on a career path (in which PR was a prominent discussion), I quit school and defiantly decided to “go into the workforce to figure it out.”
Truthfully, I just wanted to get away from the “constant nagging” (it was not!) and was secretly defiant on doing anything anyone (especially my father) said I should do! Alas, I was young and knew everything. 😉
When applying for a receptionist position at a healthcare company, after a series of interviews, the HR department asked me if I had ever considered PR as a career. Ha! Since it was not my father (poor man), I decided this would be an opportunity to see what else I could be good at. It ended up being the best decision I ever made.
I never trained in traditional PR, but rather crisis PR. And after working with some of the top crisis PRs in the world, alongside their legal counsels and private investigators, I learned a very difficult yet vital craft — how to navigate and penetrate the court of public opinion to restore a company’s reputation back into good graces. And I learned something fascinating — the subject of Communications is based on scientific laws on the order of the physical sciences.
Can you tell our readers what it is about the work you’re doing that’s disruptive?
PR is an old technology. Yes, technology — a codified body of knowledge in communications that when applied, and applied correctly, achieves results.
It is not a profession for those that “just love to communicate with others.” That is on the surface what people think — and I see too many college students in PR think this is the reason you go into PR.
PR’s “job” is to change human behavior — via changing others’ minds. It is an old method and has been used scrupulously and unscrupulously throughout the ages to control public opinion.
Many new recruits don’t know this. And, while there is a systematic approach to doing this that has been developed into a fine-tuned, sophisticated communications approach for the past 100+ years, much of the “tech” has been lost.
The interesting thing is that crisis PRs know this “tech” — and use it. But if companies knew the fundamental laws of communications, that are on the order of the physical sciences — such as engineering laws (yes, I am not kidding) ─ then they could be in control of their companies’ destinies.
Sound far-fetched? It’s often perceived as too good to be true. Marketers are so trained in communicating features and benefits they have lost sight (or training) of how to influence emotions to control markets.
Our disruption is codifying the existing communication laws that govern public opinion and using that PROACTIVELY to put unknown companies on the map. It is the corollary to handling a crisis — if certain strategy and tactics apply to crisis PR — couldn’t one on the flip side use that data to take an unknown entity and bring them into stardom?
AND measure it.
In crisis we are able to measure our efforts against INCOME/REVENUES. Does it reverse (go back up)?
So why not proactive PR?
That is why our specialists are called Anti-PRs. We reverse the role of a PR to take out the “bright-idea-itis” and strategize to impact markets based on mathematical equations.
Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
When I was younger (and cocky), I was in an executive meeting with the CEO and my colleagues. I was “text-book” smart… with little experience. We as a company were in a reputation crisis and legal battle — the CEO was navigating the continuing existence of his business. The company was embroiled in a legal battle with a key competitor who was also slandering the reputation of the business — it was very stressful, and clients were leaving in droves. When the subject of what to do to came up — a general rhetorical question from the CEO to the group — I spoke up and told the CEO exactly what he needed to do… straight from my textbook study!!
I felt the eye rolls from my mentors. I immediately broke into a sweat. My inner voice said, “KJ, what did you just do???”
In my haste, I had not planned ahead to what any reaction would be to my statements. Surprisingly, he exasperatedly told me to take over and run the campaign.
To say I freaked out (silently) would be an understatement. There were so many more people more qualified than me, and I instantly saw the error of my ways. But he believed in me, and I didn’t disappoint.
I think I went months without eating much — I was so nervous. Long nights, lots of study, lots of consulting others, coordination with legal, working with the private investigators, burning the midnight oil — but after one year I got comfortable. After three years, I felt I mastered it. It was so intense. But I realized one can never stop learning. By the by, we won the reputation battle in the third year, and the legal case. It was due in no small part to how we mitigated the reputation damage in the industry, the community, the media and then finally the courts. And I became addicted to the process, as a result.
I often look back at that and roll my eyes in total embarrassment — what they must have thought of me… the impetuousness of youth.
I often, also, think… “What if I wasn’t up for the challenge?” “What if I didn’t perform?” I shudder to think.
I learned a valuable lesson — grit is everything.
We all need a little help along the journey. Who have been some of your mentors? Can you share a story about how they made an impact?
My answer: the PRs that trained me and mentored me — and still do. I aspire to be like them. The ability to handle nasty communications from ill-intentioned entities in battle-royal crises with equanimity and poise. The ability to turn any catastrophe around using standard communication techniques. All while not using their super-powers against one when provoked. And they aren’t the most gregarious people or the most communicative — but rather they get the job done and see it as their duty to help the hero, without themselves having to be in the limelight. I admire them more than I can say.
My staff are my mentors, as well. I learn from them. I don’t know it all. They teach me, daily, lessons of humility and empathy. Plus, they find new ways of applying age-old principles — they are quite skilled, each in their respective roles and skillsets.
And many of my clients — many. They are disruptors, innovators — pioneers with arrows in their backs. I have never seen a more tenacious group of entrepreneurs and leaders that believe in their purposes so much that they will persist through unbelievable odds to bring new technology and services to the millions to make people’s lives better. All people see are the “riches” stories. But we see the “in-between” climb, and struggle, to achieve their goals. Many of my clients over the years have consulted me.
In today’s parlance, being disruptive is usually a positive adjective. But is disrupting always good? When do we say the converse, that a system or structure has ‘withstood the test of time’? Can you articulate to our readers when disrupting an industry is positive, and when disrupting an industry is ‘not so positive’? Can you share some examples of what you mean?
Disruptive innovation is talked about frequently but may not be completely understood idea. Put succinctly, it is the shift of an underrated or little-known product or service into a one that gains enough acceptance to replace, or displace, already recognized or dominant product or service on the market.
But disruption for its own sake can actually do harm — real-world statistics will tell that story.
I can tell you, though, that every innovative disruption, that has been helpful, had earlier been facing declining conditions or issues that their bigger, well-established competitors refused to do anything about.
Disruptive innovation is usually associated with start-ups and small and midsize businesses (SMBs). They’re competing in markets with a small number of well-established companies that are already well-entrenched in their market prominence. These older players utilize sustainable, conservative improvement, refining their current products and services, BUT don’t work on disrupting their markets to win new markets because, frankly, they feel they don’t have to.
But as markets evolve, technology creates new opportunities to overturn the established notions in diversity, equity accessibility and transparency. When that happens, the older, entrenched players have NOT altered their own environment to adjust. Fast growth doesn’t happen without change. The key to that change is out-of-the-box innovation — and that’s what creates disruption.
However, market startups face a daunting task — they have to compete on price and availability, which is not a going to help them win against corporate giants. Where they can find their place and attain distinction in their market is through offering their product or service as the unprecedented solution for their target audiences’ needs, giving consumers more control.
While these innovators may already understand that by overturning their industry’s accepted status quo it will upset or even outright anger those much larger competitors, they neglect to consider the fact that with their disruption come with some major consequences.
It’s common for competitors to feel like they are under threat and respond by employing harsh or even hostile methods to bring down the new innovator. They can include using the courts in legal, yet unethical ways. That includes exorbitant lawsuits called Patent Assertion Entities (PAEs) to take out smaller businesses and then buying that company’s assets for pennies on the dollar. In fact, for some, it is their business model. Their takedown tactics will even go beyond the courts. It’s not uncommon for these threatened parties to resort to negative publicity campaigns, pushing false narratives — even just plain lying. They do so knowing full-well that the object of their slander probably won’t have the financial means or infrastructure to defend the truth.
Unfortunately, innumerable disruptive innovators wither under these attacks, unaware that their most powerful defense against these inevitabilities is a proactive effort to create and maintain their positive image and goodwill in the court of public opinion. Products and services that improve people’s situations, life-saving technology or price-transparency apps that equalize health care for example, are giving consumers control. It’s vital that innovators make public their goodwill through effective messaging. Even so, inexperienced innovators are committing these serious, if not fatal errors:
Creating a prototype or product before understanding what their then assumed target audience will believe to be barriers to adoption.
Not contemplating who will be the entities to INFLUENCE the early adopters.
Miscalculating the adoption rate. Put another way, being naïve to the amount of resistance to change.
Never thinking they will need legal assistance so early on.
Wrongly believing that PR and publicity should come AFTER they see success.
Any product or service with the capacity to overturn an industry status quo, even when well-intended, is bound to illicit adverse human reactions. Simply put, people don’t like change. These individuals — target audiences and influencers — need to be shown that the disruption as not just innovation, but as a “goodwill equalizer”. They need to understand that the business is solving their specific problems.
Veteran business leaders have learned the biggest lesson for defending against these inevitable attacks, and it lies with winning over the public:
Performing market research into the key target audiences (including the competition) to discover their genuine acceptance/resistance to adoption. Having their insight in advance has given many disruptors the means to make well-informed predictions.
Executing Key Opinion Leader market research that locates the key target audience Influencers. Using the current methods of media approach — communicating through influencers and key opinion leaders — encourages adoption to happen 10 times faster.
Taking the two above tools to mathematically calculate the target audience’s size and possible impediments to adoption, and arrive at an estimation of the amount of time, money, and marketing that will be necessary to persuade a portion of the population to alter their mindset or to think in another way.
Planning as soon as possible for legal action from competitors and anyone else that could see loss of market share because of the innovation) — and include crisis communication strategy plans in that preparation.
Employing the news media as education channels to dispel and preempt any ill-willed cynics’ messaging.
If there’s one, all-important lesson innovators should take from this, it’s that research is essential to success, if not survival. It forms the basis upon which disruptive innovators make the case to their target audiences. When they create goodwill and win the public’s hearts and minds, they will have created allies, and even evangelists who will spread their messages unsolicited. That is how they will dismantle the hostile parties’ direct attacks. Failure to prepare is not an option — and most likely, a fatal one for the business at that.
Can you share 3 of the best words of advice you’ve gotten along your journey? Please give a story or example for each.
“Never give up.” There is no such thing as failure. Failure is just the lack of courage it takes to be willing to do what one set out to do despite all odds.
I grew up with that mantra. Being from Texas, this is how I was taught — I think it is in our DNA…
Underlying that, is what ‘never give up’ really means — it means believing in yourself, keeping true to your own integrity — what you see is what you see, NOT what someone else says you see or should see. It also means having the courage to say what you see and say and do what is true to you.
That’s damn hard in this world.
It also means not being so intent on winning that you cannot acknowledge “failure.” Failure allows one to learn how to figure out how to come back and conquer — and make your environment adapt to you. It does not mean to adapt to your environment. I know of NO disruptor or innovator that adapts to the status quo. Maybe that is why I like them so much.
Never give up means not compromising on your values. Not settling. Be willing to do whatever it takes to make things go right — and keep getting up when you fall down.
I cannot say I have been able to instantly apply that in all aspects of my life all the time, but I have learned to apply it. It is an applied knowledge. Knowledge, just because you have it, doesn’t mean one will use it. It has to be utilized. Failure sometimes is a necessary step in this universe — we learn by pain. But does pain define me? Certainly not. It is the times I got up and pushed through, despite all odds, which defines me — and how I handled that opposition.
Through self-discipline, I have learned to apply it.
Breaking my back in college was a pivotal point in my life. It was devastating. I wanted to die. Everything changed overnight with, it seemed like, no warning. I felt I had failed. It was a hard pill to swallow. I hated myself. After training for dance all my life, with a planned career ahead of me — to not knowing what I would do, or where I would end up was unimaginably painful. I was scared as nothing was known or certain — what would I do? Would I make it? There were days I just wanted to give up. But I realized that giving up would have been more “un-confrontable.” So, I went through some very painful years learning a craft that would put me in good stead in my future career.
Another painful time was when I started my own PR firm only to realize that people hated the current landscape of my industry. Those “people” were my prospects. Hundreds of prospects, hundreds of hours of market research — and I discovered a horror about my industry that I couldn’t walk away from. CEOs hated PR. They felt my industry was all smoke and mirrors with no results. And they were pissed off about it because they knew it was valuable, but the way it was being sold and delivered was the polar opposite of what they expected, as logical businessmen and women. The horror stories were too numerous to ignore.
But as a crisis specialist, I never had experienced that. When we were hired, we were listened to, we were respected, and we were able to turn things around. Our measurement was entirely upon revenues — turning them around. So why couldn’t my counterparts in pro-active PR do the same?
After doing research on a cross-section majority of 5000 CEOs of fast-growth multi-million-dollar companies, in healthcare, finance and IT, who all used PR — I discovered what they liked about PR, what they hated, what they wanted, what they didn’t want and how they measured PR. I took that research and modeled my entire business model after the findings. And then spent three years in R&D (research and discovery) to test my findings against real-world companies doing PR proactively, using crisis management techniques. The findings became JoTo PR Disruptors as we know it today. And today we help disruptively innovative companies change the status quo of the economy and their industries by getting their message out in volume to millions of people — resulting in better solutions for more people.
We are sure you aren’t done. How are you going to shake things up next?
Disruptive story telling is our nature. Disruption is in our DNA. With the pandemic everything changed, but we were able to pivot overnight. With our crisis background we set up shop 24/7 for the media and held quarantined press conferences online with key industry opinion leaders in healthcare, trucking, shipping & logistics, eCommerce, finance, technology — and more. This started a new breed of storytelling to the media — and the media appreciated it. The press conferences were open to the public and hundreds showed up to ask their questions, in real time, on how to navigate a remote workforce, office closures, shipping issues, eCommerce bottlenecks — and real-time health information from pandemic experts. Those findings and the way we were able to bring so many people and companies together told me one major thing — communication had changed forever. Marketing had changed forever. And we were on the forefront of piloting new methods of reaching new prospects and customers, in a new way, for companies around the world.
I see AI as the next phase of PR (or Anti-PR) and the ability to tell more stories, faster. There is a series of colossal developments going on right now that are already changing the way we consume news media and information in such a way that will never, ever be the same. In fact, it has been going on for years now There is no such thing as the masses anymore. The media is segmented into super-segmented categories of publishers and influencers and content creators today — reaching super targeted audiences in a massive way.
What we have to understand in terms of what’s going on here with the mainstream media (big media) and the rise of smaller outlets is that big news media as a whole is shrinking and imploding in its ratings. This affects marketing because this is being mirrored in marketing. We’re seeing the end to big media because we’re seeing the end of what’s called mass society. Mass society was the kind of industrialized society that developed at the end of the 19th century and flourished in the 20th century. That’s when we first started getting these colossal centralized, bureaucratic institutions and structures, which the world basically revolved around. This is when life began to recalibrate around Washington DC, and we began to recalibrate around Silicon Valley in terms of finance and the coastal cities. Likewise, the world of big media was the Rockefeller center and the big CNN building in Atlanta (before it closed due to the societal changes resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic). That society is being replaced by what scholars call “the network society.”
And the network society is different from mass society. Mass society was always still very location driven. But what academics are noticing is we just don’t have to do that anymore — and that’s because we’re no longer connected by virtue of our regions or of our spatial proximity to one another. We’re now connected by virtue of the internet — or what we call networks. And with that network, you can each even more people than you could’ve ever imagined of reaching through the traditional way of going through big media.
The network society is what we are living in now. I started to see it in 2016… more and more new outlets and influencers were being added to my database. And what’s more — they were growing month to month exponentially. It’s a de-centralized network of content creators who are no longer dependent on big media or increasingly even big tech to communicate.
And so, what this means is that decentralized content creators, even more prolific than what we have here on YouTube or the new social media sites popping up — it’s a whole host of other publications and platforms that are really just beginning the future of news, even the future of political commentary… as the old age of big media gets increasingly replaced with independent content creators.
That is where we thrive — and will continue to disrupt story telling in the 21st century.
In your opinion, what are the biggest challenges faced by ‘women disruptors’ that aren’t typically faced by their male counterparts?
I think there still is a stigma about how women should be in the workplace — not even to mention being disruptive. So, we are constantly misunderstood.
Disruption implies it has never been done before. So how could there be a template for how we should act?
A few things I have learned about women: women need more communication — not less. Likewise, they need to communicate more — not less. Women also learn and understand things differently. They think for longer-term survival. I find they are the “average person” who becomes a hero by chance. I never met a female disruptor, yet that set out to be disruptive — they fell into it — or their path took them in a direction that made it impossible to turn back. Women are disruptors in their own right; they are having to break the mold continually against what the status quo says or thinks they should be.
The biggest issue women have is filling the vacuum, in the court of public opinion, on who they are and what their purpose is. I find that women innovators, who stay true to their purpose, don’t see the world as a woman — but rather as the world could be.
Do you have a book/podcast/talk that’s had a deep impact on your thinking? Can you share a story with us?
I interview disruptors weekly in my podcast Disruption Interruption. Disruption is happening on an unprecedented scale, impacting all manner of industries — MedTech, Finance, IT, eCommerce, shipping and logistics, and more — and COVID has moved their timelines up a full decade or more.
But WHO are these disruptors and when did they say, “THAT’S IT! I’VE HAD IT!”?
I interview bad asses who are disrupting their industries and altering economic networks that have become antiquated with an establishment resistant to progress. I delve into uncovering secrets from industry rebels and quiet revolutionaries that reveal common traits — and not-so-common — that are changing our economic markets… and lives.
In my interviews, I have found one amazing common denominator behind all disruptive innovators — the challenge is ALWAYS communication. Naiveté of the need for it, a lack of it, incorrect communication for a certain audience, ignorance of an audience, neglect of an audience… all to a disruptor’s peril. But there is one thing that endears all disruptors to me — they all have an unswerving relentlessness to a higher purpose for WHY they do what they do.
They have had, and continue to have, a deep impact on my thinking, weekly. They are the world’s key pioneers that persist to success, despite arrows in their backs.
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. 🙂
Putting people in charge of their own public opinion and the ability to better control their destiny.
One can control their business — or their own life — through the correct guidance of improved relations with others.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
“The Gods help those who help themselves,” an ancient Greek proverb. It’s something I learned when I was a little girl. I has always meant to me, that it’s important to exert some effort in any situation and not leave the outcome up to fate. It’s relevant to my daily life of never stop learning, never stop trying to improve — and when life deals you a hand you don’t like, change it. Sais in another way, if you don’t like the pebble in your shoe, remove it.
