Day: September 4, 2022

Women in Wellness: Jennifer Marler of Pivot On The Five Lifestyle Tweaks That Will Help Support…

Women in Wellness: Jennifer Marler of Pivot On The Five Lifestyle Tweaks That Will Help Support People’s Journey Towards Better Wellbeing

An Interview with Candice Georgiadis

Learn to say “no.” I still struggle with this, but it is a vital life skill for longevity and sustainability in the workforce. I truly believe this one takes practice, as in practicing what you will say in the mirror several times before delivering it. If you are caught off guard with a suspect request, you can indicate you need to think about it or check your calendar and get back to the requester — then go practice and then deliver your response).

As a part of my series about women in wellness, I had the pleasure of interviewing Jennifer Marler, M.D. Vice President of Clinical and Medical Affairs at Pivot.

Jennifer Marler, M.D. is the Vice President of Clinical and Medical Affairs at Pivot, a digital health company that delivers clinically proven, behavioral science-based solutions that empower people to take control of their personal health.

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

I grew up in the east San Francisco Bay Area, in Pleasanton. I was lucky to have lots of active outdoor time and grew up in a safe, loving, supportive environment. I am a member of Gen X, and some of what you hear about this generation applies to me: I was a latch key kid as both my parents worked full time. I believe this, along with the unfettered outdoor time and participation in team sports, fostered independence, collaboration, problem-solving, and self-sufficiency. I was a good student, which I primarily chalk up to being conscientious and a people pleaser (more on that later).

I went to UCLA and got my BS in Neuroscience, then on to medical school at the Medical College of Virginia, and then to UVA in Charlottesville for a residency in Radiology. I’ve lived in California, Colorado, and Virginia, and currently call the Monterey Bay Area in California home. I’ve been in the medical device and digital therapeutics fields for the last 15 years. My focus has been designing and conducting clinical studies and then creating and communicating the resultant evidence-based narrative. I currently do this at Pivot, a digital therapeutic company where we help people kick their tobacco addiction.

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started your career? What were the main lessons or takeaways from that story?

I made a major career change early on. In high school, I decided I wanted to be a physician. I wanted to help people, was a strong student, and liked science — it clearly was the perfect career path for me, right? So, I got on that path, kept my head down, focused, and worked hard, but didn’t check in much with myself along the way. I would characterize this time in my life as being guided by too much head, not enough heart.

That approach caught up with me during my radiology residency. I was unhappy and increasingly felt like this wasn’t due to residency being a tough and stressful time, but rather because I was no longer on the right path for me. I enlisted the help of a career coach who was a radiologist himself and specialized in helping physicians make career transitions. I worked with him for about 12 months to sort things out and develop and execute a plan. I left my residency after the second year. I left on good terms, giving them ample notice and an explanation of what was going on with me that was driving my departure.

I was fortunate to have a soft landing with my family and friends, who were surprised at this out-of-character move but also supportive. I vividly remember the ride home from the airport; I had just turned 30, had walked away from my promising dream career and was moving back in with my parents. My silent tears streamed as I looked out the backseat window and watched the familiar landmarks pass by en route to my childhood home. I appreciate this now as both a low point for me and the necessary starting point from which I would build back up. Painful though they are, these touchstone moments are important.

In another out-of-character move, I gave myself three months to recover and restore, with little to no expectation of jumping right into the next thing, whatever that was going to be. I focused on getting enough sleep, eating well, exercising, and connecting with loved ones. I need to acknowledge that being able to do this was a luxury, but this self-care investment enabled me to bounce back in the healthiest and likely most comprehensive and expedient way possible. And bounce back I did, first with some consulting and then with a medical director position at a medical device company focused on treating precancerous conditions in the GI tract. While I worked hard and soaked up the learning during this transition to a new career, I also benefited from the input and guidance of kind, caring, and wise mentors.

The main lessons I took away from my career change experience are:

It’s OK to change your career path. Most people will have multiple careers over their life, and that’s normal and OK.
When going through a major career or life change, leverage whatever resources you can, like trusted and helpful family and friends, career coaches, and/or mentors. Note that I was able to work with a career coach because he offered a special rate for medical residents that I could afford on my meager salary. Look for such opportunities.
Change is hard and often comes with low points. Know that these points are important and often necessary parts of the process. Appreciate and value their sanctity accordingly.
An upfront investment in self-care may seem like a luxury but can pay dividends in the efficiency and quality of your transition.

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

Hmm, there’ve been a few… I’ll go with a general personality trait that has presented challenges at work: people pleasing. Accordingly, I have experienced the following:

Being rewarded for good work with more work
An inner sense of frustration and lack of fulfillment
Being less likely to take risks because I was too scared to fail
Caring too much about what others think (or what I thought they were thinking) and the fatigue that comes with it
Sacrificing or delaying dreams and experiences that mattered to me because I was trying to make someone else happy

Mistakes I made include:

Not saying “no” to projects that were low priority or detracted from more important work.
Not setting boundaries for when and how I could help with these secondary projects.
Not requiring adequate background, details, and timelines at the outset of a secondary project so I could make an informed decision on my ability to participate.

The result was that I wasted my time and shifted my focus, compromising the most important deliverables.

And work spilled over, frequently, to late nights, early mornings, and weekends. At some point, I realized my co-workers were going home to their significant others and families, exercising, meeting up with friends, or taking on exciting hobbies. I was not. I believe there’s a time and place to throw yourself into your work, particularly when you are starting out. But it must be balanced with some boundaries and punctuated by spells of non-workaholism if your career path is to be sustained.

Let’s jump to our main focus. When it comes to health and wellness, how is the work you are doing helping to make a bigger impact in the world?

Each year, smoking kills almost half a million people in the US and about 8 million globally. And life expectancy for people who smoke is at least ten years shorter than for those who do not. Smoking is still way too big a problem and has been so for too long; it’s unacceptable.

I’ve been at Pivot, a digital health company that empowers individuals to embrace wellness and enables corporations and health plans to improve their population’s health, since its inception. We’ve come up with a better approach to help people quit smoking. I think it’s such an effective solution because it marries tried and true approaches such as behavioral intervention and nicotine replacement therapy (nicotine patches, gum, and lozenges) with more recent technology-enabled capabilities, including sensor technology, smartphone apps, and SMS-based coaching. Between our published clinical research and commercial efforts, our quit rates and user satisfaction are high, which feels incredibly good.

While we all know that smoking is bad for your health, I’m struck by how multi-tentacled and ruthless a problem it is. It harms so many areas of life, including personal finances, relationships, confidence and self-esteem, the health of our loved ones, employability and job opportunities, the environment…the list goes on. Based on this, helping a person achieve their goal of quitting smoking has profoundly positive ripple effects. I honestly can’t think of another single problem that, when you solve it, has so many meaningful impacts. While I cannot deny that tackling tobacco addiction is tough, the reward is immense when you break through and help people kick the habit.

Can you share your top five “lifestyle tweaks” that you believe will help support people’s journey towards better wellbeing? Please give an example or story for each.

Acknowledging that I am forever on the well-being learning curve, here goes:

Some type of meditation — The benefit of a brain reset can’t be overstated. I’ve found that I’m better able to focus and see my tasks through (with less mental and emotional angst too.)
Exercise — This one repeatedly falls down the list for me. So, I upped the ante and signed up to work out with a trainer once a week. A couple of factors at play here hold my feet to the fire: accountability and not wanting to waste money.
Community and self-care — Yep, I linked these two, but hear me out. I struggle with consumerism. I’m increasingly trying to make thoughtful decisions about what I buy and, in general, buy less stuff. And as I mentioned, I support self-care, which I see as an investment in helping me stay functional and on the rails. Accordingly, I’ve shifted to seeking out experiences for self-care. And I’m finding so many benefits to this approach, beyond achieving self-care, that generally fall in with the theme of community. So, I encourage you to get a facial, an art lesson, a massage, a trainer, a pedicure, whatever might bring you a bit of respite or joy, and know that the benefits are multiple. A note about finances: I want to acknowledge that paying for these services is not on the table for everyone, but self-care is. There are free or inexpensive ways to get some self-care in. Examples include taking a stroll in a place of beauty, grabbing a tea with a friend, curling up with a book by the fire, or volunteering somewhere where you receive something that speaks to you in return.
Involvement — I don’t know many people who aren’t affected by the state of affairs in the world today. Personally, I am often cycling between rage, hopelessness, sadness, bewilderment, and a sense of powerlessness. I’ve learned there are more and less productive ways to cope. Less productive (although periodically necessary) is me starting or jumping on a text chain with my friends where we collectively bemoan the state of things. It feels good to commiserate and vent. More productive is channeling those emotions into something productive: peaceful protest, donating or fundraising for a cause you believe in, volunteering, random acts of kindness, or communicating with elected officials. I’ve done at least a little of all these things and find comfort in the fact that these actions yield something meaningful, and I appreciate that they fill my cup a bit and bring me some healing and a sense of control.
Compassion/empathy for numero uno — As a daughter, partner, employee, mom, friend, pet guardian, etc., I often feel like I’m doing lots of things and none of them very well. And when I start thinking about this, the negative self-talk kicks in. Which honestly is not productive or helpful in any way. Even though I know this, it’s a tough habit to break. I like and have been using the advice to talk to yourself like you would to your best friend. Would you say those mean, hurtful things to your friend? Nope. Would you remind her no one is perfect, encourage her, and let her know you care and got her back? Yep.

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

Other than eliminating smoking, I’d focus on nutrition. The way we currently approach nutrition is at the root of many of our significant public health and environmental issues and, frankly, goes against common sense. Why do we wait to intervene until the health issues associated with poor nutrition develop? And then we intervene with medications and procedures.

Why not avoid or minimize these health issues altogether and focus our efforts further upstream by shifting subsidies to make healthy food affordable and unhealthy food cost-prohibitive? Might such investments be offset by money saved down the line in healthcare expenses? Why not support education that starts at the pre-school and grade school level and focuses on where our food comes from and what healthy choices look like? And not offer unhealthy choices in school-provided meals. What about tackling food deserts and ensuring health care providers are trained and adequately reimbursed for addressing nutrition with patients from infancy through the golden years?

My medical school training on nutrition 20 years ago was negligible. I don’t remember much other than learning about the illnesses associated with vitamin deficiencies like scurvy and vitamin D deficiency rickets. Do you know a lot of people with scurvy? I don’t. I do know a lot of people who struggle with their weight, diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, and cancer — all of which are linked to nutrition and diet. Why are we OK with the destruction of rainforests for cattle grazing when the environmental impact is devastating? And the overfishing of the oceans? Why haven’t we implemented policies that would prevent or limit the financial gains from such practices? I’m no expert on this topic, and it’s incredibly complex, but there clearly is room for improvement and a mandate to act.

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

I actually think someone told me most of these things before or when I started; it’s a matter of to what extent I listened and had to learn some of these lessons firsthand.

Set boundaries. It doesn’t require much explanation but know that it’s best to do it early on when establishing a new role or relationship.
It’s a marathon, not a sprint. My significant other and I frequently nudge each other on this one. We’re both in start-ups and sometimes need a reminder that not everything is urgent all the time.
Start saving for retirement immediately. If your workplace offers a 401k, by all means, take advantage of it. Even if you can swing setting aside 1–2% of your monthly paycheck, do it. Something is so much better than nothing and really adds up over the years.
Make time for life and your dreams today. I remember a talk from a geriatrician during medical school that stuck with me. His job gave him the privilege of being with many when they were at the end of life. He noted that no one had ever said they wished they had worked more during life. He noted that many did say they wished they had spent more time with their loved ones and had taken a shot at their dream. A cautionary tale…
Learn to say “no.” I still struggle with this, but it is a vital life skill for longevity and sustainability in the workforce. I truly believe this one takes practice, as in practicing what you will say in the mirror several times before delivering it. If you are caught off guard with a suspect request, you can indicate you need to think about it or check your calendar and get back to the requester — then go practice and then deliver your response).

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

Well, these causes are all inextricably linked and overlapping, so it’s tough to pick just one. I think I’ll go with veganism as it’s probably the one I know the most about as a vegan myself. I became a vegetarian when I moved out for college. I had always been an animal lover, but it was the drive on I-5 to school, passing a large cattle feedlot that made me sad and uncomfortable, that sealed the deal for me. I became a vegan about nine years ago. I’m pretty sure I was building up to it but made the decision after attending a discussion on factory farms. I unexpectedly walked out of that talk as a vegan, with no ceremonious or multi-step goodbye to my beloved favorite food: cheese. It was like I didn’t have a choice, which actually made the change pretty easy.

I’m a vegan for the typical reasons you hear about: health, environment, animal welfare, and spirituality. For health, I noticed my skin cleared up, and my body just felt better, as in not achy; my take was that I had less inflammation. I’ve also followed with interest the growing and compelling evidence showing that diets high in plants and low in animal products, such as the Mediterranean diet and Okinawa diet, are best for health and longevity.

For the environment, I am not OK with the destruction of rainforests for cattle grazing and the loss of biodiversity due to overfishing. I’m also not OK with and have a hard time seeing the logic in the harmful practice of growing soil-depleting monocrops to feed to factory-farmed animals to then feed to humans. Instead, we could grow rotating crops to feed directly to humans and avoid a lot of wasted resources and suffering in the meantime. I do believe that in the future (likely beyond my lifetime), we will look back on our treatment of animals with a sense of, “I can’t believe we used to…”

Finally, on the spirituality front, I don’t want something that comes from such suffering going in my body; it just feels like bad juju. I see my veganism as an attempt to decrease my contribution to suffering.

I say all this, acknowledging most people contemplating or dabbling in veganism won’t have my binary not-a-vegan/now-a-vegan experience simply after attending that lecture. And I think that’s totally fine. Trading off some meat- and dairy-based meals for plant-based ones is a meaningful change people can make; it doesn’t have to be all or nothing. The impact of many people undertaking small changes (swapping in a few plant-based meals a week) can be profound.

What is the best way for our readers to further follow your work online?

Well…I don’t have the biggest online presence, and I didn’t mention it above, but another well-being hack is limiting my time and presence on social media. But I am on LinkedIn and would love to connect.

Thank you for these fantastic insights! We wish you continued success and good health.

Women in Wellness: Jennifer Marler of Pivot On The Five Lifestyle Tweaks That Will Help Support… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Female Disruptors: Brianna Arps of MOODEAUX On The Three Things You Need To Shake Up Your Industry

An Interview with Candice Georgiadis

Listen to your gut! It wasn’t until I took this advice myself that things started flowing in my life career-wise without me always feeling like I’m battling upstream for my next opportunity.

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

Founder and CEO Brianna “B.A.” Arps is a former Refinery29 editor-turned-marketing expert whose passion for people, storytelling and all things beauty finally led to the birth of her very own “brand-children” MOODEAUX® and Black In Fragrance.™ In the same way as her bold sense of style, Brianna wears her emotions like a badge of honor — navigating through life by the simple motto: Flaunt How You Feel.® A St. Louis native, she’s known among family and friends alike as an outspoken, charismatic big thinker working to make the world around her better — starting with perfume. Brianna holds a bachelor’s degree from the world’s first School of Journalism seated at the University of Missouri — and currently, she is an aspiring graduate of the renowned School for Aromatic Studies.

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 can’t tell you about our backstory at MOODEAUX® without mentioning the two most important, best-smelling women I know: my mom Cynthia and my grandma Minnie. When I was younger, I remember how much fun I had playing around in their makeup/toiletry bags — and more distinctly, the thrill I got from layering scents I “borrowed” from their designer fragrance collections. Both of the matriarchs in my life always encouraged individuality, which ultimately led me to developing my own ideals around beauty and self-care early on… It wasn’t until October 2018, though, that I decided to manifest those ideals into the form of a business.

At that time, I grew obsessed with learning about our sense of smell’s ability to influence our moods. I was also recently unemployed after being laid off from my “dream job” in women’s media and heavily reliant on self-care to stay sane. It might sound silly, but I always felt way better after a long, meditative shower followed by a spritz or two of fragrance. I didn’t even have to get dressed or go anywhere special, the whiff of a familiar smell was often enough to remind me that I’m worthy no matter what and that eventually, I’d be alright.

Digging around online, I quickly noticed a lack of mainstream Black-owned perfume labels, not to mention the prevalence of brands that were talking about the scientific connection between scent, emotion and memory. Regardless of not knowing much, I decided to pave a new lane and create something different.

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

Despite emerging trends concerning the burgeoning indie fragrance industry, 97% of buyers we surveyed agree that a great majority of today’s scents are too familiar, fade too quickly and leave too much unsaid about the psychological impact our strongest sense (smell) has on our moods. Not to mention, most of what’s seen online and on shelves today is still exclusively marketed towards a specific gender — although scent has no gender.

When the world commands you to shrink, we say do the opposite: Flaunt How You Feel.® As a clean fragrance label rooted in the scientific connection between scent, memory and emotion, MOODEAUX® turns accessorizing your mood into mindful self-care and “luxury” into a lifestyle — all minus any harsh alcohol, weird chemicals or unnecessary dyes. At less of a cost to the environment too, given we’ve also omitted water from our debut SuperCharged SkinScent™ formula and remain hyper vigilant when sourcing packaging solutions that foster sustainability. It’s through this attitude, along with our unique blends of drool-worthy accords and

skin-nourishing ingredients, we’re ushering in a new era of beauty and changing the game forever.

In addition to MOODEAUX®, I’m also working to build Black In Fragrance.™ Mainstream visibility of Black-owned fragrance labels has always been an issue. Contrary to popular belief, the main problem isn’t that Black entrepreneurs in this space don’t exist, it’s really that we often don’t receive the same love and attention needed to foster our growth. BIF is on a mission to build a global ecosystem of support among industry professionals, consumers, retailers and media outlets — each who pledge to help level the playing field for Black perfumers and Black-owned fragrance brands. As BIF’s founder label, MOODEAUX® leads the effort on the brand side, matching proceeds on limited-edition merch dollar-for-dollar and paying it forward to Black business owners on a rolling, application basis.

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 if this classifies as the “funniest” mistake, since at the time I was devastated. However, looking back on it now, I definitely chuckle at myself for being so green. Ha! Long story short, the moment I committed to launching a fragrance label (formerly known as Moode Beaute), I dove head first into all the creative aspects — logo, design, branding, etc. It was such a fun and freeing experience to build something uniquely my own; it consumed me. So much so that I was already a few thousand-dollars deep when my trademark lawyer delivered some very bad news. Unfortunately, someone else had filed registration for another beauty brand with a similar name just TWO weeks prior to when we started our process. This meant the likelihood of being granted federal protection for a Moode Beaute mark would be very slim, and I would need to go back to square one. Instant tears. I cried my little heart out — but within 24 hours, I landed on a new, MUCH better name for the business: MOODEAUX.® I haven’t looked back since, although the lesson of getting all my legal ducks in a row before anything else still sticks with me.

We all need a little help along the journey. Who have been some of your mentors? Can you share a story about how they made an impact?

I’m so grateful and blessed to have had so many mentors along my journey — most of whom I’ve worked for in years past. Folks like Melissa Butler of The Lip Bar, Kitiya King of Mischo Beauty, Ngozi Opara of Heat Free Hair… Present day, industry leaders Beatrice Dixon of The Honey Pot and Ylorie Taylor of EDEN Body Works help guide me through operating MOODEAUX® and charting our roadmap for greater success. Both of these incredibly wise and talented humans have remained in my corner through various pitch deck revisions, startup grant competitions, line review meetings, potential investor conversations — although cliché, I really don’t know what I’d do without them. I for sure wouldn’t feel nearly as confident! No one story can explain the value they bring to my life and business; they’re truly my sounding boards who never shy away from asking the tough questions needed to help me think strategically and wrangle all the chaos that comes with being in business.

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?

Once ideals and systems become outdated and harmful, whether that be to people in society or the world we live in, it’s time for change. The whole “when (and if) you know better, do better” philosophy explains the rationale behind why disrupting an industry is overtly positive. However, there are instances when good intentions turn bad — most times because of inefficiency. Failure to make the best use of time and resources can lead to a negative disruption with serious repercussions that are difficult to reverse.

For example, let’s explore bottled water. Years ago, access to clean and portable drinking water was identified as a problem. The solve? Turning a universal need into a product conveniently packaged in cheap plastic containers. Fast-forward, we now know how detrimental that business model has become to our environment and potentially our health. Discarded plastic, largely from the bottled water industry, is polluting our oceans and destroying marine ecosystems. Bisphenol A (a.k.a BPA), which is used to manufacture plastic commonly used to make bottled water has been shown to affect the reproductive systems of animals. Although the CDC says more research is needed to understand the human health effects of BPA exposure, what’s already been discovered is alarming.

Another example, and the one I’m more familiar with, involves the fragrance industry. Unlike other beauty categories, it’s somewhat of a newer phenomenon for people at large, especially those who don’t have any fragrance sensitivities, to demand product transparency. Prior to launching, I can’t recall a time where I’ve walked up to a perfume counter/emailed a brand and questioned outright if my favorite scents are made without any dangerous and/or potentially harmful ingredients. This just wasn’t on my mind when deciding to purchase, given fragrance ingredients aren’t required by law to be listed individually on cosmetic labels. I also wasn’t checking for sustainability claims with regard to formulas and packaging. The same goes for a growing population of scent-crazed beauty fanatics like myself who used to assume everything’s all-good.

Nowadays, the tides have begun to shift with folks doing their research. And to me, this influx of inquiries surrounding things like chemical makeup, sourcing, labeling, etc. is more than enough reason for us all to decide now how we’ll participate in the clean revolution. Consumers can’t want better, when they don’t know for certain whether or not what they’re consuming isn’t great.

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

Listen to your gut! It wasn’t until I took this advice myself that things started flowing in my life career-wise without me always feeling like I’m battling upstream for my next opportunity.

Walk with and in your own purpose. At times when I’ve found myself struggling, I realized it was often because I was trying to emulate someone else’s success. When I grew to become more intentional, and began living my life with intention, I realized I’m beautifully unique and have so much to offer the world that no one else can.

Mistakes come with the territory. They’re part of the process! So instead of fighting like hell to avoid “failure,” embrace it as a stepping stone to your success. I’m proud to admit I’ve messed up at times, because in order to win big, you have to get comfortable with failing fast, learning from it and not being afraid to pivot. We’re all more resilient than we may think at times, even when the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel seems so far away. “Mind over matter” has taken me places that fear and doubt tried to keep me from — but if you believe in your heart that something’s for you, nothing can nor will stop you from getting it.

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

I’m thrilled to announce that MOODEAUX® was just nominated for a 2022 Beauty Independent Beacon Award, in recognition of our Worthy SuperCharged SkinScent™ Dry Oil Perfume Spray. Being one of the very few woman-founded and Black-owned fragrance brands visible in today’s market, to be listed as an organization pushing the industry into uncharted waters feels almost surreal! It’s such a privilege. One that we don’t take lightly, given MOODEAUX®’s humble origin story. What started out as a personal quest aimed at harnessing the benefits of “aromatherapy” through clean, edgy, innovative formulations has evolved over nearly four years to encompass so much more. Namely, a global self-care movement marked by our 2021 launch that’s since been supported by thousands and fueled by a mutual core belief that true beauty is felt, not seen. As dynamic individuals with unique lived experiences, our emotions are valid and worthy of celebration! If nothing else, we’re honored to challenge any status quo suggesting otherwise in setting a better course forward.

In relaunching Black in Fragrance™, I’m excited to continue our work in growing a platform mainly for Black entrepreneurs to learn, connect and get funded. Earlier this year, we awarded three women with grants that have helped them either launch their own brands or continue building their businesses. Aside from the grant, each industry disrupter has been invited to join the Black In Fragrance™ Network where we routinely share additional funding opportunities as well as ongoing education, tools and resources. We’ll be publicizing details on how others in the field can get involved soon!

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

Hands-down, funding is the biggest challenge faced by women disruptors. Receiving access to capital for us comes with several nuances and unfair biases that men just don’t have to deal with, including some investors who have a history of doubting our competency and dedication to our businesses — simply because we were born with “lady bits” and maintain multifaceted lives. There’s been a ton of think-pieces on the matter, and although there’s been some progress, we have a long way to go until equality between men, women and non gender-conforming individuals is achieved.

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

Another one of my mentors is Renae Bluitt, a multifaceted entrepreneur, filmmaker, storyteller and overall champion for Black women. On the heels of her breakout cinematic debut with her popular “ She Did That.” Netflix documentary, Renae has recently launched a podcast on the Dear Media network. Each episode offers you front row access to renowned thought-leaders who are forging their own paths, finding financial freedom and harnessing their passions to create more meaningful and fulfilling lives. I often listen while working or when running errands to fill up my “inspiration” tank and motivate me to keep going!

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’d love for everyone in the entire world to be confident and comfortable in flaunting how they feel and being their most authentic selves. Who gives a damn if whatever that looks like for you isn’t socially acceptable — do it anyway. We’ve really got to stop restricting people and limiting how they’re to act and what they’re to do with the little amount of time they have on Earth.

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

I kind of alluded to it earlier, but I’d say “what’s for you, is for you” and no one can take away that birthright. Keeping this in mind helps quiet the internal voice of doubt that creeps up from time to time and allows me to stay laser focused on achieving everything I’ve ever dreamed.

How can our readers follow you online?

My personal social media handle is @BriannaArps. If you’d like to learn more and shop MOODEAUX®, give us a visit at MOODEAUX.com — or you can also follow our social accounts @MOODEAUXofficial (Instagram and Facebook), @MOODEAUX (Twitter) and @BlackInFragrance (Instagram). Lastly, make sure to keep up with us at Credo Beauty, as we’re the first Black-owned fragrance label to be sold at the top clean beauty retailer — woot woot!

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

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

Female Disruptors: Fulya Uygun of Bowery Boost On The Three Things You Need To Shake Up Your…

Female Disruptors: Fulya Uygun of Bowery Boost On The Three Things You Need To Shake Up Your Industry

An Interview with Candice Georgiadis

Don’t be afraid to ask. Many of us, especially us women & minorities, are afraid to ask for more. Or even ask for what we want. I’ve seen this while speaking to female founders or job prospects. There’s no harm in asking. There’s nothing bad about knowing your worth. We might settle for less for a while in some situations, but you shouldn’t settle if you also didn’t even try.

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

Bowery Boost co-founder and CEO Fulya Uygun is a digital marketing expert with 15 years of experience. Throughout her career, she has scaled brands through seed funding to Series B in addition to working as lead digital for corporate companies. Her agency works seamlessly to scale direct-to-consumer (DTC) brands and is dedicated to investing in and supporting women and minority entrepreneurs.

I was very fortunate to attend Bogazici University, one of the most prestigious universities in my home country of Turkey. After graduating with a business degree, I began working in Istanbul at the brand marketing department of a large corporation. After about a year, I proved I was ready to take on my first PPC marketing. I fell in love with data and watching customer behavior online, and I knew that was it for me.

I then moved to NYC and attended Baruch for a postgraduate marketing degree to get a better understanding of the digital world. Keep in mind this was back in 2009 when Facebook advertising was at its simplest and only about two years old. At that time PPC & affiliate were the kings of the marketing industry. After Baruch, I pursued my master’s in integrated marketing from NYU, and that’s how everything started. In the last 15 years, I’ve built on my academic knowledge with hands-on experience in fashion & beauty digital marketing. It’s truly my passion, and I love coming to work each day.

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

Despite the strides women have made socially, economically, and professionally, we still find ourselves taking the backseat in many aspects of business. As a woman who, in the eyes of others, has “made it” in her industry as a founder and CEO, I feel a strong sense of fidelity to uplift other women & minorities professionally. At Bowery Boost, we believe in products and services built by women. Many of our clients are not only women- or minority-owned but also sustainable. We are trying hard to change something that’s broken in this world with something beautiful.

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?

This was by no means funny at the time, but 10 years later, I have learned to laugh it off and chalk it up to a hard lesson learned. In 2010 I had a vision for a revolutionary jewelry eCommerce business, where my CTO and I built a virtual dressing room for shoppers to “try on” the pieces online. It was unique and cutting edge for the time, and it even earned us a spot as semi-finalists at IBM Smartcamp.

The problem was, we spent all our money developing the AI and buying the merchandise. We ended up with a wonderful, user-friendly site featuring exquisite designer jewelry with no budget left to market it and actually bring in customers. I learned that regardless of how amazing your product or service is, you will fail if you can’t bring in customers or if they don’t know how to find you.

We all need a little help along the journey. Who have been some of your mentors? Can you share a story about how they made an impact?

I have found a wealth of comradery, counsel, and support from the women’s entrepreneurial community here in NYC. Organizations like the Female Founders Fund and the 10th House have connected me with other women leaders and have given me a wonderful support network. As a member of the Helm, a women- and minority-only investment fund, I’m constantly amazed by the impact we are making to uplift our communities and help us flourish. Being a part of these organizations helps to motivate me in my own business and in Bowery Boost’s mission to pay it forward to other women leaders.

I believe disruption in business happens because there’s a need for change. Usually, the examples of disruptive businesses are there to change our lives, and usually for the better. We can look at the examples of Airbnb, Rent the Runway, and Upwork- these businesses provided people flexibility, more income, and cost-effective ways to live their lives. When the disruption happens, the traditional way of business that existed perhaps for centuries feels the heat, and it shows people are inclined to new ways of living when/if it makes their lives more comfortable.

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

Information researched and learned is way more durable than the information you simply asked and listened to. When I was a kid, the internet or widespread computer usage wasn’t really a thing. But we did have a whole bunch of encyclopedias at our homes. Whenever I asked even the simplest question to my dad, he would say “Go and read about it, then come back and tell me what you think. Then I’ll discuss it with you thoroughly.” Most importantly, it helped me build my very own opinions — objective opinions rather than learning someone else’s truths. And second, it taught me to search for answers on my own. I believe that’s a great strength I have even to this day. I can always stay objective and am always comfortable expressing my opinions.
Don’t be afraid to ask. Many of us, especially us women & minorities, are afraid to ask for more. Or even ask for what we want. I’ve seen this while speaking to female founders or job prospects. There’s no harm in asking. There’s nothing bad about knowing your worth. We might settle for less for a while in some situations, but you shouldn’t settle if you also didn’t even try.
Mistakes are learning opportunities. Sometimes we need to mess things up to get better in what we do or who we are. I love learning by trying, and there’s no way we can figure it all out on the first go. I always tell our team members that it’s way better for all of us if they first do something on their own than just sit and listen to us teaching. It’s somehow harder to forget about the mistakes we made 🙂 Thus, they can be big learnings we can use to our advantage.

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

We are very excited to be launching a new influencer marketing tool that will transform the way businesses connect with influencers on paid platforms. Consumers are ignoring brand ads more and more, and they are engaging with influencer content. There’s a thing called whitelisting that allows brands to run ads through real people’s accounts with authentic content. Our tool, Voysit, is built to provide smooth integration between influencers and brands, track and monitor data more efficiently, and also create more opportunities for influencers to monetize authentic, high-quality content.

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

I have faced firsthand how difficult it is to earn access to funding, loans, or credits, and how many no’s women receive compared to male-owned brands. A big message we discuss in the various women entrepreneur communities I’m a part of is how we all know we need to support each other to overcome this disadvantage. We, at least now, started comfortably discussing these issues, and business circles are starting to acknowledge the problem. Eventually, this acknowledgement will result in solutions. We do see that as much as it’s so new and small, change in trends has already started.

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

The conversations that I mentioned above that I had with my dad, who was a journalist, were definitely the ones that made me who I am, and they shaped how I learn and grow. I’m always objective, will always search for the source of the truth, and am never afraid of sharing my opinions. I read a lot, research a lot, enjoy learning, and I am always up for a debate. That’s what got me to NYC from a small town in Turkey. It got me to have a great education and become an entrepreneur and supporter of many causes that I truly believe in.

Especially in today’s political and social climates, it’s more important than ever to challenge gender roles and our preconceived notions about gender stereotypes. Not only in business, but also in life, by reconsidering long-held ideologies, we can uplit all genders or everyone or every person.

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

“Optimist: Someone who figures that taking a step backward after taking a step forward is not a disaster; it’s a cha-cha.”

I’ve — like many people — failed many times, both in business and in everyday life. A positive outlook in life is what keeps us going and keeps us trying. I’ve always believed, as long as you try again, and you try smarter, you will get to where you need to get. Just like in life, in marketing we do need to understand there are many trials and errors before success. And even when we get there, there will always be some failures. We need to learn to fail in order to grow.

How can our readers follow you online?

Entrepreneurs, marketers, and strategists can check out our blog where share and discuss the latest marketing trends and strategies: https://boweryboost.com/our-blog/

You can connect with us on social media via Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/boweryboost

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/boweryboost/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bowery-boost/

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

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

Women In Wellness: Samantha Byrd and Michelle Mayfield of Studio Diva On The Five Lifestyle Tweaks…

Women In Wellness: Samantha Byrd and Michelle Mayfield of Studio Diva On The Five Lifestyle Tweaks That Will Help Support People’s Journey Towards Better Wellbeing

An Interview with Candice Georgiadis

Focus on the Experience. Much of our initial business expenses were spent on cameras, equipment, speakers, and other things that we do not use. Material things can be added after your business starts bringing in revenue. Instead focus on what your customers value and deliver that!

As a part of my series about the women in wellness, I had the pleasure of interviewing Samantha Byrd and Michelle Mayfield.

Samantha Byrd and Michelle Mayfield, affectionately known as Sam & Shelly, have been best friends for over 15 years. Together they developed Divas ‘N Heels, a hip hop dance class for women. Divas ‘N Heels grew tremendously over the last six years. Today, Divas ‘N Heels has become a community, drawing people from multiple states to engage in a supportive and high energy atmosphere that promotes holistic wellness! Right before the pandemic, they expanded their capacity to serve the community with the opening of their own fitness center, Studio Diva — a new home for their popular Divas ‘N Heels class and a lineup of innovative, wellness-centered classes. The dynamic duo is known for their transformative Fit Diva membership that has shown many successes within the Diva community. In addition to the studio, Sam & Shelly host The Diva Getaway, an annual wellness getaway to great places in the Caribbean. Studio Diva is the ultimate safe space for women to tap into their most confident and balanced self.

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

We have shared a passion for dance and ‘a good party experience’ since we were in our pre-teens. Shortly after marrying and starting our families, we often reminisced about how much we missed our ‘dancing days’. The absence of dance from our lives resulted in feeling disconnected. These conversations helped us manifest our mission and vision for Divas ‘N Heels and ultimately Studio Diva. We invited some of our cousins and friends, we rented a studio and held our first unofficial dance class. We shared each dance class on social media — Facebook initially — and we quickly gained the attention of other women in the community. After teaching open-level dance classes for a few years, we decided to give our movement a name — “Divas ’N Heels”.

What started as an opportunity to reconnect with ourselves turned into a mission to help others rediscover their passions and confidence. Together we have created a comfortable atmosphere to help women feel confident, step out of their comfort zones, and ‘just get back to being themselves’. Every Divas ‘N Heels experience includes a safe party atmosphere, perfect lighting, and amazing, confidence inspiring choreography in heels. Our focus on empowering experiences is the reason why the Divas ‘N Heels community quickly outgrew the studio spaces we rented. Based on the increased interest and class sizes, we decided to open our own studio, Studio Diva.

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started your career? What were the main lessons or takeaways from that story? Can you share a story about the biggest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?

Of course, we made mistakes. Fortunately for us, we learned from those mistakes and our business is better for it. For example, when we first started posting video highlights of our workouts that featured instructors only, we learned that some Diva members felt intimidated. Based on the feedback, we started sharing videos that showcased clients in various stages of their fitness journeys doing the same moves as our instructors. As a result, we gained more participation from our Diva community.

Through these experiences we learned that being authentic and staying focused on the end goal is what helps drive our success. Our goal is to make sure that every woman leaves the experience feeling her best. Throughout a group fitness class or specialty workshop like Divas ‘N Heels or our ballet and jazz intensives, we check in with our Diva community to make sure that we are meeting that goal. And if we aren’t meeting that goal, we’re not afraid to change the itinerary mid-way through a class or event. At the end of the day, it’s about providing a safe space for women to grow.

Let’s jump to our main focus. When it comes to health and wellness, how is the work you are doing helping to make a bigger impact in the world?

We are making an impact by introducing more women — especially in the black community — to yoga and providing access to many fitness and holistic wellness options. As a seasoned yogi (Shelly) and dance/fitness instructors, we noticed that when we took classes there weren’t many, if any, black women taking classes in our area. Yoga is so much more than a modality; it is a self-discovery journey! There are so many essential life tools that can be gained through this practice. We created yoga and fitness class experiences and other specialty workshops that really speak to the black community and that keep our members excited about exercising!

Can you share your top five “lifestyle tweaks” that you believe will help support people’s journey towards better wellbeing? Please give an example or story for each.

Movement is Medicine. It has the power to heal your body. Be sure to move at least once a day. We encourage our members to preschedule their workouts at the beginning of the week, save them in their calendar and commit to it like they commit to clocking in for work.
Celebrate Often! We should celebrate all wins and successes no matter how small. Take moments to acknowledge when you’ve done a good job today, this month, and beyond. And reward yourself for it!
Listen to Your Body. Recognize when rest is needed. Sometimes we do need to push ourselves because we lack motivation, but sometimes we are just tired because we have overexerted ourselves. Extend grace to yourself and give yourself permission to rest and recuperate.
Love Yourself Hard. Pay attention to the words you use when you are referring to yourself because words hold so much power. If you catch yourself using harsh or negative words when referring to yourself, stop in real time and replace it with kinder and more positively impactful words.
Take a Moment in the Mornings to Yourself. Before you grab your phone or make coffee, check in with yourself! Set intentions for your day and/or recite affirmations that speak to what you need to fill yourself with for that day.

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

Our initial goal was to create an atmosphere where women could feel confident, step out of their comfort zones, and ‘just get back to being themselves’. Since opening our studio, we our movement has expanded to reaching a younger community. We believe representation matters — especially in performing arts. It is important to us to provide visibility, access, and connection for young dancers of color in our community. To this end, we have created a dance/fitness program dedicated to them. It’s called Studio Diva Kids.

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

Focus on the Experience. Much of our initial business expenses were spent on cameras, equipment, speakers, and other things that we do not use. Material things can be added after your business starts bringing in revenue. Instead focus on what your customers value and deliver that!
Don’t Take it Personal. When your business is your passion it’s hard not to feel offended if/when someone doesn’t fall in love with it. What you offer isn’t going to be for everyone and that’s okay! Those that see the value will come and support.
Be Authentic. When you start any business, you will have many competitors. And at times it will be hard not to focus on what others are doing. In these moments, it is important to remember what sets you a part. Remain true to your brand and only focus on what feels right for you and your business.
Be Fearless. Don’t be afraid to try new things. You might feel tempted to do what your competitors are doing. Be fearless and try something outside of the box. And if it doesn’t work — that’s okay. The important thing is you keep going and trying new things.
Remember Your Why. There will be challenging times in your business journey. Fun fact — these challenges are temporary! When things aren’t going how you expected them to, remember your why. Your vision and your passion got you to this point. Trust in in that. Stay focused on your goals and do not give up.

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

Honestly, ALL these topics speak to us. We strive to support our Diva community in all ways — especially as it relates to mental health. We started our dance and fitness community to find ourselves. As a result, we ended up connecting and serving many women who needed a safe space to get back to being themselves. In addition to our fitness classes which includes yoga and meditation, we curate annual wellness getaways via our Divas Getaway platform. To date we’ve hosted retreats in Jamaica and Mexico. We look forward to announcing our next location getaway.

What is the best way for our readers to further follow your work online?

For information and to connect with us, please visit our website at www.studiodivanj.com and follow us on Instagram @studiodivanj and @divasnheels and @thedivagetaway.

Thank you for these fantastic insights! We wish you continued success and good health.

Thank you for the opportunity to share our story. Continued success and good health to you too!

Women In Wellness: Samantha Byrd and Michelle Mayfield of Studio Diva On The Five Lifestyle Tweaks… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Female Disruptors: Alesia Hendley of Audinate On The Three Things You Need To Shake Up Your…

Female Disruptors: Alesia Hendley of Audinate On The Three Things You Need To Shake Up Your Industry

“Rise and Grind”. Simple but this phrase has stuck with me since day one. My friends and family would say this to push each other. To inspire us to get up and go get whatever dream we had. Till this day I still wake up with Rise and Grind to motivate myself to continue working towards the dream.

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

Alesia Hendley is a professional that found her passion at a young age as a sound engineer within her Father’s church. Now you can find her making connections within Audiovisuals (AV), Digital Signage, and IT, along with executing creative ventures. As a young professional she’s finding ways to bring AV technologies, and creative visions together in the effort to leave her mark by making an impact.

Just like some of the biggest names in music started in the church, the same goes for me. My father introduced me to a sound board at 12 years old and that was it. I didn’t necessarily see audio leading me down this particular path of Commercial AV but I’m glad I found this industry where I can grow in my overall passion for audio.

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

Once I realized that the AV industry exist, I came in with guns blazing. I started networking in an industry where there weren’t many people that looked like me. But I didn’t let that deter me in the pursuit of building my career. I attend tradeshows which lead to showcasing my expertise by creating and hosting podcasts for major brands. I made the industries 40 under 40 at the age of 28 and I was sure to keep that momentum going. Shortly thereafter I began speaking and moderating on some of the biggest stages and events to continue sharing my expertise within the industry. Building my brand brick by brick has led to some amazing opportunities opening for me as I continue to shake things up and create new creative content that disturbs the normal follow of how the story of AV is being told. I am a young black woman set out on a mission to make waves in this space in hopes to inspire more people like me to get into a this profitable field.

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

My first speaking engagement! There were maybe 4 people in the room, I read my PowerPoint presentation word for word. Even I was bored during this session! I couldn’t have made a bigger mistake, death by PowerPoint is never the answer. While reading word for word my palms were sweating and I kept asking myself “what the heck are you doing up here?”. After the painful 1-hour session, the two people who choose to hang out through this boring narration left as soon as it was over. Now I look back at this moment and laugh, I made a huge mistake with my death by powerpoint presenation. From that day on I focused on creating all of my content from a place of passion, creativity, and infused with my personality! Now I present by telling a story and engaging those that choose to share and hour or more of their time with me.

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?

One of my biggest mentors is Dori Clark. Though I have never met Dori or crossed paths with her, all of her books and LinkedIn trainings have helped me build my personal brand in so many ways. Within my industry specifically Megan Dutta! I reached out to Megan Dutta years ago and asked her for guidance on how to find my way in this industry. She gave me a list of events to try and attend, when we finally met in person at these events, she took me under her wing and introduced me to so many people. That event and that simple but yet powerful gesture gave me the push I needed to take the baton and run with it. Networking is one of the most valuable piece’s of building a brand, and it changed the game for 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?

I don’t believe disruption is “not” a positive thing. Disruption breeds innovation. Yes, there is risk to doing things differently than we’ve always done them. Yes, it can take longer to adjust and carry out a new plan, but most of the time if navigated and executed with a strategic strategy in place, the reward can turn out to be greater than the initial risk.

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

“If you can see me you can be me”. Not sure who originally said this by a good friend of mine Alexis Labroi would say this quite a bit. And I didn’t understand it at first. I always thought I could be whatever I wanted to be regardless of who or what I saw. But the higher I climb the ladder in my career the more this makes sense and helps drives my initicitves in effort to make this space more diverse. Representation matters.

“Nobody is reinventing the wheel, we’re all just putting our own rims on them” — Anthony Frasier. I heard him say this in 2014 I believe at the Tech 808 Summit. This was a summit that blended the worlds of hiphop, tech, and entrepreneurship. This single phrase opened my eyes to how I was going to disrupt the space I was in by adding my set of spinners to the wheel.

“Rise and Grind”. Simple but this phrase has stuck with me since day one. My friends and family would say this to push each other. To inspire us to get up and go get whatever dream we had. Till this day I still wake up with Rise and Grind to motivate myself to continue working towards the dream.

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

Creative ventures and more creative content. In the future you’ll see me working with more brands to help tell their unique story and assist in driving some of their company initiatives in the tech space. You’ll also continue to see me work my 9-to-5 within the AV industry for now, as it aligns with my personal brand in efforts to keep growing my career. I value my technical background, so i’ll continue grow with the new emerging tech in this space as well.

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

Many, sometimes as a woman I feel like I am having to constantly prove myself and many other powerful woman that I know feel the same. We’re not only constantly showing up and over achieving but we’re fighting for equal treatment and equal pay. Women of color we have even more challenges on a daily as we continue to kick the door down and prove that we have a place here in tech. There are many bias in place for women across industries that our male counterparts will never have to encounter.

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

“Don’t Dumb Down Your Greatness” by Anthony Frasier. This is a great book but one of the biggest take aways that impacted my thinking was you can’t microwave success. In his book he talks about how to be patient, how to think BIGGER than money, as well as how to embrace pain. Learning how to manage all of these things while working towards my version of success changed my approach in both my personal and professional ventures.

Honestly, I would just inspire people to be kind. If I could inspire a large population of the world to be more kind and engage with more empathy I think us as humans can get back to a better society. With all that’s going on in the world over the last few years, if we could all put aside our difference and be kind, treat each other equally, then we may be able to get back to a place of more peace and less hate. So I guess whatever movement I could inspire, it would be lead by kindness.

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

“Life is the best teacher” Some days I really wish I knew it all. But not knowing it all is where growth lives. So I take it day by day, compete with no one by myself, and focus on getting at least 1% better than I was the day before.

How can our readers follow you online?

You can find me via my website, www.thesmoothfactor.com. On LinkedIn, Alesia Hendley. And on all other social media @thesmoothfactor.

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

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

Women In Wellness: Dr Ashira Blazer of Hospital for Special Surgery On The Five Lifestyle Tweaks…

**Women In Wellness: Dr Ashira Blazer of Hospital for Special Surgery On The Five Lifestyle Tweaks That Will Help Support People’s Journey Towards Better Wellbeing**

An Interview with Candice Georgiadis

Gratitude practice. As humans, our minds often fall on the loudest or most negative aspects of our lives. This coupled with the constant outside chatter can really contribute to stress. One of the best remedies is to practice gratitude every day. Keeping a gratitude journal to give thanks for what went right in your day, doing a short meditation, or even a nightly prayer can all be ways to center attention on your blessings. This can foster health and well-being.

As a part of my series about women in wellness, I had the pleasure of interviewing Dr. Ashira Blazer.

Dr. Ashira Blazer joined Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) in 2022 as an Assistant Attending Physician and Assistant Professor of Medicine at Weil Cornell Medical College. She specializes in the treatment of all rheumatic diseases including undifferentiated connective tissue disease, Sjogren’s syndrome, inflammatory arthritis, and systemic lupus erythematous (SLE), particularly in patients of African ancestry. Dr. Blazer received her medical degree from Baylor College of Medicine and completed her residency at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. She went on to complete rheumatology fellowship and a masters of science at NYU School of Medicine, where she trained in the laboratories of Drs. Jill Buyon and Timothy Niewold.

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

Thank you for inviting me! I am an academic rheumatologist at Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS), with a passion for lupus. As an African American woman with a large, Texan family, I grew up with a ton of family around. When I learned that one of my cousins had lupus during medical school, I became intrigued and committed to helping patients like her. Over the years, I have seen my patients through the lens of family. Understanding how their wellness practices influence their overall well-being is near and dear to my heart.

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started your career? What were the main lessons or takeaways from that story?

I would say the most transformative period of my career happened when I started to do research in West Africa. I’m interested in lupus as it affects people of African ancestry and started to study a genetic risk factor for kidney disease as a rheumatologist in training. I wanted to understand how this genetic risk impacted lupus outcomes throughout the African diaspora. One of my mentors helped train the only rheumatologist in all of Ghana and connected us. I had actually never been overseas, apart from vacations to the Caribbean, when I decided to implement my first study in Ghana for six weeks. I’m so glad I was relatively ignorant of the challenges I would face! I worked with my colleagues, learned the food and culture, and ultimately — after concerted effort, was successful in getting the study up and running. It is one of the most rewarding things I have ever done in my life.

As a Black physician scientist, I hold dual identities — both were captivated by this experience. The Black woman in me got to see how my customs, food, music, and style of dress were all iterations of this rich, West African culture. Being immersed here made me feel a little less alone and a little more connected to the ancestors who created me. As a scientist, learning and building pipelines of information about African ancestry lupus patients was fascinating. Learning with my Ghanian colleague with a unique perspective to mine was all the more gratifying. I learned that I am much bigger than my perceived limitations. I definitely broke barriers that I had no idea I was capable of breaking. I also learned about my relative privilege as an American physician scientist, and how to listen and support rather than prescribe and control when working with colleagues overseas. Some of these lessons were painful, but all of them are blessings.

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

A mistake I made early on — and really a mistake I am inclined to make if I’m not practicing self-awareness — is acting before observing. I move with quite a bit of passion, and when I get excited about something I tend to jump right in. I also lead with my heart and sometimes trust and love too quickly. As I grow personally and professionally, I’m learning to listen first and act later. This saves me from quite a bit of heartache, and saves others from my well-intentioned but sometimes overly enthusiastic approach.

Let’s jump to our main focus. When it comes to health and wellness, how is the work you are doing helping to make a bigger impact in the world?

This has really changed overtime. I always imagined that my impact would be one-on-one during patient encounters. As I continued to practice, I realized that patients — particularly those of color — came to the healthcare system with a sort of armor. They feel the need for protection from a system meant to fix and not heal. One that has never been so trustworthy for people of color. My sister, who is an environmental justice advocate, started a non-profit organization called Breath is Lyfe aimed at educating communities most affected by industrial pollution on asthma risk. She and co-founder, Sunni Patterson, combine arts, culturally congruent experience, and education in a grassroots effort to educate and uplift communities of color, giving them agency to affect change. I have started to work more closely with Breath is Lyfe and am learning a lot about the layered conditions affecting community health.

Segregated neighborhoods are burdened by environmental toxins, food deserts, poor care access, and educational deficits. A patient walking into my office has weathered a lifetime of challenges, and often feels overwhelmed with yet a new hurdle in the form of an autoimmune diagnosis. In working with Breath is Lyfe, I am learning how a community health model can better communicate information and empower people to self-care. I’m learning what day to day life looks like for the chronically ill, and how experiencing the arts side-by-side with those who could be patients can be a powerfully human healing exercise. I am excited to expand my impact with Breath is Lyfe over the next few years, participating in health summits, community marches, and advocacy events.

Can you share your top five “lifestyle tweaks” that you believe will help support people’s journey towards better wellbeing? Please give an example or story for each.

Sleep. The number of people who expect to function optimally with little sleep always surprises me. Sleeping is so important for rejuvenating the body and spirit. Immune function, mental clarity, metabolic function, and mood are all regulated by sleep. Getting at least 8 hours a night is a must.
Compartmentalize. Our lives are busier than ever. While remote work can be convenient, work/life balance can suffer when work duties creep into personal time. Whether or not you are working, a mind always focused on the next task feels like it is. Creating boundaries is important for re-charging.
Selfless service. We often think the key to burnout or stress is rest. This is partially true, but sometimes we feel burned out because we don’t participate in activities that give us life. Nothing is more gratifying than affecting someone else’s life for the better. Even small, regular gestures like giving to the houseless, holding the elevator, or donating to food banks can really lighten the heart and boost feelings of gratitude.
Plan. Unexpected inconveniences can ruin your whole day. This is especially true for those with chronic illness who can’t count on feeling well day to day. Creating habits that make life a little easier day by day can help with this. For example, many of my patients experience joint pain in the morning time, but have to get their kids ready for school every day. Planning ahead by making lunches or setting out clothing at night can really make those difficult mornings run more smoothly.
Gratitude practice. As humans, our minds often fall on the loudest or most negative aspects of our lives. This coupled with the constant outside chatter can really contribute to stress. One of the best remedies is to practice gratitude every day. Keeping a gratitude journal to give thanks for what went right in your day, doing a short meditation, or even a nightly prayer can all be ways to center attention on your blessings. This can foster health and well-being.

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

I would start a “normalize over-sharing,” movement. One of the hardest things about chronic illness is isolation. Many of us experience the same struggles that no one talks about! We think we must suck it up, put on a happy face, and struggle in silence. No more. I say we all talk about what it is like to have arthritis, or worry about infertility, or have a miscarriage, or care for a loved one. We can even create communities to support each other through some of these common life occurrences. Anything that can make each other feel a little less alone can go a long way in promoting collective healing.

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

Medicine is not about helping people. If you want to help people, you have to put in extra effort. I think so many young college students dream about being doctors to help people. We think of getting to know our patients, cracking the case, delivering the diagnosis and treatment, and being there as our patients age gracefully. These things happen, but also, we have to navigate packed schedules, insurance red tape, endless administrative duties, and so on. The facetime with our patients has become woefully short and laden with obligatory tasks, so finding time to truly connect can seem almost impossible. It takes creativity, and most importantly being prepared. I think doctors are becoming extremely disenchanted because that romantic vision we all had as 20-somethings looks very different than we all expected.
Research is not just for introverted white guys. I did not really think about being a researcher until much later in my training. I had this image in my mind about what a researcher looks like, and I was not it. Think Dexter from “Dexter’s Laboratory” personified. And anyway, as a Black woman in academia, no one seemed particularly interested in the ways I thought. The first time I had a female mentor with personality and style, I was in fellowship. I found her relatable, and she asked — almost demanded — that I think more critically about my patients’ illnesses. This is when I really started to embrace my inquisitive nature and realized I had questions to ask and knowledge to create. Research is such a gratifying part of my career now, and I wish I’d found it earlier. It is also eye opening to understand how ethnically homogenous biomedical researchers are. These scientists with all their biases are the ones asking the most critical and life-influencing questions. They are the ones creating the information filling our scientific journals, medical textbooks, and the heads of the next generation of health professionals. What are the consequences of all those missing voices from all those missing communities? This realization has made me even more passionate about what I do and about training others to be researchers as well.
You have something important to say. I have really found a voice in teaching and advocacy, but this has taken a long time to cultivate. I can remember experiencing tokenism and just trying not to say anything that could seem uninformed or out of place. Imposter syndrome has had a strong hold on me and various points in my career, and having the courage to speak up has taken time. I wish I’d known that I was able to get to each step because I was just as smart and talented as my peers. That I shouldn’t have been so afraid to speak up, because my voice is important.
You can say no. Saying no is such an important skill! I still haven’t learned it, but wow is it an aspiration. As a young professional, being asked to participate feels like such an honor. While this is true on some level, you can really give away all of your time. I’ve struggled to juggle multiple competing obligations and sometimes have not prioritized the most beneficial activities.
Progress doesn’t have to cost your identity. As often the only black woman in many of my professional circles, I felt the crushing need to conform for many years. I used to straighten my hair every day for work. Wear pressed, crisp, white shirts and pencil skirts, and speak with all the current medical jargon I could gather. I was afraid to bring the “real me” to these spaces because I didn’t feel the standard of excellence was centered on my experience. So much of my mental energy went to presenting a palatable image, so much so that I couldn’t feel at ease and open to learning. When I moved to New York, I decided to let so much of that go — and I am glad I did. Not only do I feel more comfortable, but I feel my colleagues receive me more openly when I am being my authentic self.

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

I would say climate change. This may be because my sister, and honestly my best friend, is a prominent environmental scientist, but I am extremely alarmed with the growing climate catastrophe. I’m also still hoping to have children, and every time I visit a beautiful, natural environment I pray my future child can experience the same thing.

What is the best way for our readers to further follow your work online?

I am most active on Twitter: @Ashira_MD. You can also follow me on Instagram: @Ashira_MD

Thank you for these fantastic insights! We wish you continued success and good health.

Women In Wellness: Dr Ashira Blazer of Hospital for Special Surgery On The Five Lifestyle Tweaks… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Women In Wellness: Angela Gentile of Sweat Remix On The Five Lifestyle Tweaks That Will Help…

Women In Wellness: Angela Gentile of Sweat Remix On The Five Lifestyle Tweaks That Will Help Support People’s Journey Towards Better Wellbeing

An Interview with Candice Georgiadis

First, slow down. I gotta come back to that, especially as someone who used to go a million miles an hour, crash and burn. So, I think we get eager, hungry and operate from a heightened and adrenal state. That can lead us to do things that are inauthentic to our vision. That pause just gives us space to assess what we need, what would be beneficial, what is working and so on.

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

Angela Gentile, founder of the Sweat Remix wellness brand, motivates you to start and sustain physical exercise, guides you towards greater self awareness, and provides keeping it real life coaching.With an undergraduate degree in English from Fairfield University and a graduate degree in Educational Leadership from Western Governors University, she traded in her decade long teaching career to launch a business helping folks gain clarity, confidence and courage through movement, change their body, mindset and life through movement, meditation and mental health coaching. If you’ve been stuck and feel ready to move and grow, this trailblazer creates opportunities for folks to live strong, authentic and EPIC lives. Follow her and join her community at https://www.sweatremix.com

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

Thanks for having me and letting me share my story.! I grew up pretty humble and middle class in a small Massachusetts city; then, after my parents divorced and my mom remarried, we moved to a small tobacco farming town in Connecticut during my adolescence. And as a result, I think my childhood was vibrant with a variety of experiences. Growing up, I LOVED school and its connection to achievement, mostly because that is where I felt seen and valued.

In high school, I was a star student, super involved in clubs and activities and a varsity athlete. Since I always felt like an outsider in my own house, It was by throwing myself into school and activities where I realized how capable I was and how valued I could be, a toxic pattern I would have to dive into later on life, but more about that later! I had big dreams of something outside of that small town. I always just wanted more, for myself, for life. I mean, as the first woman in my family to have a college degree and a passport to boot, I was trying to carve out a path for myself that I couldn’t even see from anyone around me, let alone was it even valued. I just felt it in my bones. I am and will always be a mover, a shaker and a badass.

I went on to graduate from Fairfield University and a Master’s degree from Western Governors University. I have had careers in education, radio and entertainment, fitness, and now sort of combining all of them into my entrepreneurial endeavors.

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started your career? What were the main lessons or takeaways from that story?

For sure! I got to know myself. Probably not the most glamorous answer, but it’s the truth! I say it all the time and it is the honest truth. I mean, there have been some pretty interesting events, people and experiences, but all of those are the byproduct of self-exploration.

Being a business owner through a pandemic has been a wonderful challenge to test confidence and self development. It has allowed me to see some things about myself that I may not have had the chance to in such a short time: I am brave and I take risks. I wholeheartedly believe in what I am doing and building, so the sacrifices I am making don’t really feel like sacrifices at all, but stepping stones. Business ownership will do that in general, exacerbated by a pandemic, right?

Traveling through grief and pain and my own inner suffering has helped me to better understand how I show up in life and in business. It helped me to create my Business, Sweat Remix. It was born out of my own struggle with mental health, grief, loss and a way to understand myself through my own spiritual journey.

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

Oh man. There have been so many. But I think by looking back, I wish I made more investments in myself, with hiring the right coaches and team to help me. I did so much alone and invested into the business without a plan or a sales strategy, doing everything myself and burning out. Now, I have an amazing team of coaches, mentors, women’s groups and entrepreneur groups that I belong to and invest in so I can learn and make sure I have what I need to execute and run my business effectively. I also think this directly correlates to the healing journey and making sure you prioritize your mental health.

Let’s jump to our main focus. When it comes to health and wellness, how is the work you are doing helping to make a bigger impact in the world?

Sweat Remix! This brand and classes are NOT about losing weight, posing selfies in matching legging sets, barely sweating or being sexy in a very mainstream way. It is so “anti” all that and such a powerfully inclusive way to approach movement.

We are about moving in a way that is safe and effective for all levels with conscious programming that elevates the mind, body and spirit, not just the booty, ya know? We don’t use movement to check out, but rather a way to check in and connect deeper with the self.

Sweat Remix is a fitness class using a three step #ZenRageHeal process designed to move out negative emotions and get connected to your inner badass. We use this process as a way to embrace the complexities of the human experience from the pain to the joy and the anger to the aligned. We don’t have to pick a side ya know? Why can’t we be everything? We can get healthy inside and out by moving our body and spirit. Workout or meditate, why not remix both!? We are dynamic and the way we move can be, too. We can use movement as a way to heal ourselves and intentionally get results inside and out.

And, as our community evolves in their own personal development, we have opportunities to connect as a community and have weekly badass conversations around what we experience, where we need support and how we relate to the world around us. Now, we have added in a deeper and more meaningful way to connect with the self with our Life Remix 90 day coaching program. This is the ultimate way to build the clarity, confidence and courage we need to do bold things and take steps to live a life that makes us truly joyful.

This is why what we do is great for companies to implement for busy working professionals: a mindful approach to fitness in one place so folks can really manage stress, take care of their bodies and show up fully their best self. We have a pretty robust corporate wellness community along with individuals who are also on board with our #ZenRageHeal Process

Can you share your top five “lifestyle tweaks” that you believe will help support people’s journey towards better wellbeing? Please give an example or story for each.

When we are talking about living a fully aligned and conscious life, we have to start diving into our life beyond a surface self-care plan. We are most healthy and thriving when we live an aligned life.

So, what we can do first is slow down. We often go so fast, rushing to work, to activities, to the next thing we have to do to check off a box. This is a constant state of stress, where we are operating in an adrenal state, so many of our decisions can be made from stress, creating more of it. So, it is important and necessary to slow down, take some space and pause so you can get centered and approach life from a real place of authenticity.

Secondly, Get clear on what works and what doesn’t. The beauty of slowing down is that it invites this conversation to the table and begins a deeper connection with the self. We can start asking ourselves better questions around how we are living, what is working, what isn’t and create a real authentic plan that moves and inspires us, not one that is rooted in external expectations.

Thirdly, set an intention and make a plan. Once you know it, feel it and are focused on it, just do it! Make the plan and activate it. Seriously, just do it. Take a brave, badass step and just do it.

Fourth, release negative energy. I am a firm believer that we have the power and ability to attract our dreams. Energy is powerful. When we hold on to negative energy, trauma and low vibrational frequencies, we are putting up energetic roadblocks in our path. We are unconsciously letting the world know we are not ready for the gifts and dreams we seek. So, until we release and make space, the dream will have no place to go. That is why it is so crucial to let go, surrender and be open to what is in store for us.

Fourth, reflect and spend time alone. I can NOT stress this enough. The power in reflection helps us stay on course or change it. This way we are always in alignment with what we need and what works best for us.

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

I am doing it! Sweat Remix is a way to change the way we move and maintain our health from the inside out. It is a revolution for the fitness and mental health industry. No more checking out, external body esthetic noise, arbitrary shit with fitness. Let’s be human together and MOVE in a way that works. We matter. Our human experience matters. We have members from all around the country and an international online community who show up for live chats, classes, on demand workouts, courses, coaching programs and are active in our facebook groups. So, join us and we can make magic to change the world!

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

I will do my best to narrow this down to five things. First, slow down. I gotta come back to that, especially as someone who used to go a million miles an hour, crash and burn. So, I think we get eager, hungry and operate from a heightened and adrenal state. That can lead us to do things that are inauthentic to our vision. That pause just gives us space to assess what we need, what would be beneficial, what is working and so on.

Secondly, invest and learn! Before taking any journey and diving into something, it is important to educate yourself and get super curious about what is happening, what you are experiencing and where you want to go. This helps to be as conscious in your decision making as possible.

Next would be to make time for myself, my health and my values. This was a hard lesson to learn, and often unlearn! Sometimes, we get lost in the toss of life and we operate on auto pilot. And sometimes, we don’t stop until we are forced to. And maybe, by that time, we recognize that we haven’t been fully aligned, living a connected life and truly enjoying our life! Everything can wait! What is important to you, what fuels you and serves you deserves your attention first.

Then, be vulnerable, open and curious. This is where we find the deepest connections with ourselves and others, through vulnerability.

And lastly, cry. Oh man, do we need to cry! It is the most cathartic experience and release you can give to yourself. It is where we stir up and move out what isn’t’ working, what hurts and create the space for clarity and new opportunities.

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

These are all so important and I would have to say mental health, sustainability and environmental changes. I think what we want to change always starts with us; one of those “put your life mask on first” type of situations. When you level up your healing, your energy and vibration, the world will elevate too. So, simply by being our best most conscious self is a huge start to lift the world. And, that sort of connects to sustainability and the environment. When we can get conscious and connected to ourselves, we can see that we are NOT the center of the universe and that all we are part of and do is connected. Taking care of ourselves AND the world by what we consume and not consume will have a direct impact on sustainability and the environment.

What is the best way for our readers to further follow your work online?

Amazing! Thank you. You can follow me on instagram, tiktok and twitter at @Sweatremix and online for workouts, coaching and our weekly badass banter chats on the website, www.sweatremix.com

Thank you so much and looking forward to connection with your readers.

Thank you for these fantastic insights! We wish you continued success and good health.

Women In Wellness: Angela Gentile of Sweat Remix On The Five Lifestyle Tweaks That Will Help… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

The Future of Beauty: Dr TJ Tsay of Ageless MD On How Their Technological Innovation Will Shake Up…

The Future of Beauty: Dr TJ Tsay of Ageless MD On How Their Technological Innovation Will Shake Up The Beauty Industry

An Interview with Candice Georgiadis

During my in-depth consultations, I ask the patient to tell me one feature they really like about themselves. I ask them to take some time and really visualize that feature from all different angles and how they would pose for photos to showcase that particular feature. Picture them showing off that trait and smiling in the mirror. Instead of focusing on the negative, this helps one focus on their best traits and attributes.

As a part of our series about how technology will be changing the beauty industry over the next five yearsI had the pleasure of interviewing Dr. TJ Tsay.

Ti Jo “TJ” Tsay, M.D. is a globally renowned cosmetic doctor and the Medical Director/Owner of Ageless M.D., Orange County, California’s premier state-of-the-art aesthetic medicine destination helping thousands of patients look and feel their best at every age. Committed to offering the most advanced innovations in anti-aging, Dr. Tsay is widely recognized for delivering unparalleled results with the distinctive skill of a former E.R. physician. He is featured among California’s top medical professionals and a sought-after international speaker/trainer for many of the latest dermal laser technology methods. He is also known as a trailblazer for elevating the field of PDO

Thread Lifting in the United States. In fact, his recent appearance on the popular reality TV show “Bling Empire” showcased the thread lift procedure for the first time on national television.

Raised in Atlanta, Georgia, Dr. Tsay received a full academic Dean’s Scholarship from Emory University. There, he earned both his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Quantum Chemistry within four years, graduating Summa Cum Laude. He then attended the Medical College of Georgia on a full academic scholarship, completing his residency training in Compton, South Central Los Angeles. For 20 years, Dr. Tsay spent his time saving and changing lives as a board-certified Emergency Medicine physician before choosing to practice aesthetics/anti-aging medicine full time.

Dr. Tsay’s unique energetic personality and passion for aesthetic medicine began during his early years as a child actor. Cast in two feature films, he became an official member of the Screen Actors Guild before working as a model for print and television.

The experience led him to discover the link between self-image and self- confidence/overall well-being. Now, Dr. Tsay is a member of IFAAS (International Fellowship in Advanced Aesthetic Science) and the ASLMS (American Society of Laser Medicine and Surgery). He is also a recognized thought leader and speaker/trainer for several thread companies, including Hans BioMed and Miracu threads.

Dr. Tsay’s team at Ageless M.D. provides cutting-edge, non-surgical solutions to help people look and feel their absolute best. His own youthful appearance is a glowing testament to his expertise. Ageless M.D. specializes in non-invasive facial transformation procedures, including Fillers, Botox/ Dysport, PDO Thread Lifts, Lasers/Energy based devices, and Skin Rejuvenation; Acne Scar Treatments; Nonsurgical Butt Augmentation; and Male Enhancement. Dr. Tsay and his trained staff can also address wrinkles, acne/scarring, melasma/abnormal pigmentation, as well as female stress urinary incontinence. More complex treatments are also available at Ageless M.D., including non-surgical facelift, non-surgical nose job, and skin tightening. Dr. Tsay’s 5-star Yelp, Google, and Realself profiles reveal countless reasons why patients keep coming back for more once they step into this office. Learn more about Dr. Tsay and the complete menu of Ageless M.D. services available at Ageless-md.com. Follow @ageless_md on Instagram to see real patient results and seasonal specials/treatment updates.

Thank you so much for doing this with us! 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?

This is actually my second career. My first career was an emergency medicine physician. I was feeling extremely burned-out out (due to mandatory graveyard shifts, every other weekend shifts, and covering half the holidays). I was extremely frustrated and dreaded going to work. My empathy for patient and human suffering had withered. I could tell I was not doing my best job helping the patients I was supposed to help. A friend of mine recommended that I take some classes on Botox and fillers. I’ve always been interested in this field, but never knew how to get into the industry. After one month of being immersed in aesthetic courses, I knew this was what I wanted to do for the rest of my career as a physician. I submitted my resignation letter to the physician partnership group I was part of and gave them my 60 day notice. I had a very high salary with amazing benefits and pension package and I completely walked away in order to pursue this new business venture in aesthetic medicine.

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

One of the most interesting things that has happened to me since I started this career was being featured on the reality TV show “Bling Empire.” I had watched season one, the reality TV show during the pandemic, and it was one of the most watched shows on Netflix in the world. As it happens, one of my patients knew Kane, one of the main characters of the show, and introduced me to him. He tried some of my services, including my specialty: PDO Threads and he absolutely loved my work. He was able to then convince the producers of the show to film a scene showing me performing a procedure on him. This definitely garnered a lot of attention for me and my practice and catapulted the brand to a national and international stage. Since Netflix is worldwide, millions of people around the world were able to see the scene I was in and see me in action.

Are you able to identify a “tipping point” in your career when you started to see success? Did you start doing anything different? Are there takeaways or lessons that others can learn from that?

I would say there was a tipping point when patients would travel from out of state and even out of the country to get services done by me. I used to think: “how many medical spas or cosmetics places are in business where they are coming from, but they decided to fly half way around the world to see me?” It was then that I knew the value of my work. I still did things I normally would do before, such as providing the best patient experience, show the patient I really do care about giving them the best outcome, and just making them feel good about themselves when they leave my office. The only thing I did different was that I was at the point in my career where I could actually turn away patients. Meaning I would discharge patients that were rude to me or my staff, patients that carried too much negative energy that I felt would hurt or harm me and my staff. I only wanted to work with nice, caring, and positive people. The takeaway lesson here is to never doubt the potential of your worth.

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

I believe every successful person has someone that has helped them along the way. This person I want to honor is Lieber Sarmiento the owner of Devine Image, a thriving and successful medical spa in Tustin, California. I have a friend that was a PA aesthetics injector that was working in Devine Image two days a week. I approached Lieber who was her boss at the time and asked if he would be willing to share office space and I pay half his rent. He accepted my offer and I immediately had a partial office space. During the days my friend was not working, I was able to inject their patients and gained a tremendous amount of experience for the first year. Eventually my patient census grew and I had to get my own location/space. We are still great colleagues and friends to this day and support one another.

Ok super. Let’s now shift to the main part of our discussion. The beauty industry today has access to technology that was inconceivable only a short time ago. Can you tell us about the “cutting edge” technologies that you are working with or introducing? How do you think that will help people?

The world is so interconnected today and people can travel to any country they want. The FDA in the US is extremely stringent (for valid reasons such as protecting consumer and patient safety) and limits the technology, products, and procedures that can be offered here in the US. Other countries have less strict rules and are able to acquire new products and technologies that may take a longer time to become approved or cleared in the US. Therefore, I enjoy traveling to other countries and specifically Korea, which is known to be world leaders in the beauty, and cosmetic space. The technology and products that are already there are 3–5 years ahead of what we currently have in the US. By going to international conferences in Europe, Asia, and South America, I can see the future of what will eventually land in the US. I think one of the biggest trends we will see in the coming years is the influx of regenerative medicine merging with aesthetic medicine. Regenerative medicine includes stem cells, exosomes, or biostimulatory agents. Any of these can stimulate our bodies own physiology to reverse aging, grow collagen and elastin, and revert to an earlier version of yourself.

Keeping “Black Mirror” and the “Law of Unintended Consequences” in mind, can you see any potential drawbacks about this technology that people should think more deeply about?

A general rule of thumb that applies to almost anything in life is to “do things within moderation.” What I’m concerned about are people taking the cosmetic field and physical alterations to the extreme. For example, someone may want a little filler to correct a small imperfection on their nose. But if they go too far with the nose filler they can look like the character in the movie Avatar. Different trends tend to come and go but they do influence the cosmetic/beauty space. If these trends go too far as to promote human body altering traits, and people actually get procedures to be in alignment with these trends, what happens when the trend is no longer in style. They then have to undergo several procedures to reverse their alterations to their face/body and that could come with potentially harmful side effects.

Can you share 3 things that most excite you about the “beauty-tech” industry?

When beauty and technology collide…we get better results with less downtime.
We now offer new modalities to turn back the clock on our body beyond fillers and Botox. The nonsurgical space is really heating up. We still need surgeons, of course, but the options for nonsurgical modalities are growing exponentially.
New regenerative medicine technologies that will utilize our bodies own healing properties to repair itself.

Can you share 3 things that most concern you about the industry? If you had the ability to implement 3 ways to reform or improve the industry, what would you suggest?

There are always bad apples in any industry that just want to make a quick buck. It is not hard to spot these characters because they don’t really care about their product or service. They are fly-by-night companies that just come and go quickly. They rise quickly and they also fall quickly.
This happens in any industry, where companies, doctors, and practitioners try to elevate themselves by putting down others. This is really unnecessary and only hurts the industry. We should all elevate one another because it elevates the entire industry. Plus, putting down others does not really make one look better. It actually backfires because patients can see the lack of integrity when someone does this.
Unscrupulous practitioners that put profit over safety. Practitioners should always put safety first. Safety trumps everything. Without that there is no beauty industry.

3 ways I would reform the industry:

Elevate the education that is absolutely required to deliver the best and safest care to patients. Being a trainer for several companies definitely keeps me on my toes.
Educate the public on the misconceptions about cosmetic procedures. Much of the information out there is completely false and not based on any valid research or data.
FDA needs to lighten up on their stringent requirements which are archaic and politically biased and puts a hamper on ingenuity. So many countries are ahead of the US when it comes to medicine and specifically cosmetic medicine. The US can learn from other countries that have extremely high standards in medical therapeutics and are technologically more advanced.

You are an expert about beauty. Can you share 5 ideas that anyone can use “to feel beautiful”? (Please share a story or example for each.)

During my in-depth consultations, I ask the patient to tell me one feature they really like about themselves. I ask them to take some time and really visualize that feature from all different angles and how they would pose for photos to showcase that particular feature. Picture them showing off that trait and smiling in the mirror. Instead of focusing on the negative, this helps one focus on their best traits and attributes.
Sunscreen, sunscreen, sunscreen. Not only do we need to apply it once a day but also re-apply it when spending a significant amount of time outdoors. Finally apply it on the face, neck, and décolletage to create an even skin tone from those exposed areas. Some people take extremely good care of their face and look amazing from their jawline up. When I look at their neck and décolletage, that can give away their true age. It’s a very simple concept but frequently overlooked.
Find a physical activity you like to do that can help you become more physically fit. One common trait I’ve noticed over the years when I meet people that look 15–20 years younger than their actual age is that they spend time taking care of their bodies. This also attributes to their youthfulness.
Drink lot of water. 60% of our body is made of water. When you keep your body well hydrated, you skin will glow and appear healthier.
Finally, smile as much as possible. You never know who is looking at you and you never know how your smile can make someone else’s day. Smile genuinely. A “fake smile” is obvious because one is using only their mouth to smile. A genuine smile engages the mouth and eyes. Look in the mirror and try so smile with both your mouth pulling the corners of the lip from ear to ear and engaging the muscles around the eyes. That’s why when I administer Botox on someone, I want to preserve their ability to give a genuine smile.

I’ve noticed that as I’ve gotten older (I just turned 50) the more I give unconditionally (without expecting anything in return) the more I eventually receive. It doesn’t have to be monetary donations or fancy gifts. Giving your time to someone in need, or just being there to listen to someone who needs a lending ear, can change someone’s life. That doesn’t mean you give away your life savings. As an example, I hold trainings regularly in my office where I train other providers on PDO thread lifts. Sometimes I need models to work on for the students and I will choose certain people that I have met that are doing something extraordinary for the community or for example a hard working single mother taking care of her disabled child. They get a free treatment and it truly means the world to them to have the opportunity to receive this treatment.

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

When you interact with someone, be present. During my consultations, I completely zone out my office and work and make the person sitting in the chair the most important person in the world at that moment. It seems simple, but the other person will know and feel your presence, giving them my undivided attention. They will feel the sincerity of your conversation and energy. They will feel special. And when they feel special, that makes you feel special because you had the ability to have that effect on someone.

How can our readers follow you online?

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

The Future of Beauty: Dr TJ Tsay of Ageless MD On How Their Technological Innovation Will Shake Up… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Inspirational Women in STEM and Tech: Angela Scott of TC BioPharm On The 5 Leadership Lessons She…

Inspirational Women in STEM and Tech: Angela Scott of TC BioPharm On The 5 Leadership Lessons She Learned From Her Experience

An Interview with Candice Georgiadis

Believe in yourself. Nobody is saying it’s easy being a woman in STEM, you have to believe in your ability and your visions. These will not always align with others and will often be challenged and that’s fine. Its not about who is right or wrong. Do not be deterred just because your view is different.

As a part of our series about “Lessons From Inspirational Women in STEM and Tech”, we had the pleasure of interviewing Angela Scott.

Angela Scott is the Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer of TC BioPharm, a clinical state biotechnology company recently listed on Nasdaq (TCBP). Born and raised in Edinburgh, Angela has a BSc in Life Sciences, is a GlobalScot with over 40 years’ experience in stem cell research and the application of cutting edge cell therapy.

Originally as part of the ground-breaking team that cloned ‘Dolly the sheep,’ her experience transcends several commercial disciplines including product development, manufacturing, commissioning GMP complaint facilities, distribution logistics, quality, regulatory, and scale-up.

Scott has contributed to the transition of several cell therapy products from the bench to bedside.

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

As a child, I loved biology and was fascinated as to how the body worked. ‘Roberts- a fundamental biology’ was a great read from a learning perspective, I loved the illustrations in the book and wanted somehow to turn that into practice. Years later, I actually had the opportunity to meet with Dr. Watson who discovered DNA. I was ok at school but excelled in languages — my passion however lay in biology. We had a student study in our home who went on to become a professor at Anderson Medical Clinic in the US and he inspired me greatly — he studied chemistry, which looked so complicated but he wanted to cure cancer, I wanted to do that too but with biology. Years later, my first job at 18-years-old was with The Imperial Cancer Research Fund in Edinburgh and so started my career and passion to cure cancer. I loved working as a scientist at the bench but recognized that chemical treatments were not going to solve this horrendous disease and that the side effects were awful. Now I have a company that provides an alternative, which has no side effects and uses the body’s own immune defense cells as an alternative.

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

Having built the business from scratch, learning about the commercial aspects has been a revelation. I was always comfortable around the science quality and manufacturing; however, speaking to investors was always going to be a challenge. The commercial jargon and acronyms were akin to learning a new language and I needed to be aware of it all. As a founder, I learned that being immersed in a day-to-day commercial environment brought me up to speed surprisingly quickly so that I was then comfortable speaking to investors and financial professionals.

It has been said that our mistakes can be our greatest teachers. 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?

It wasn’t funny at the time, however, when I stood up to some of my male peers around an idea I had and it was intimidating, I spoke my mind thinking they were going to wipe the floor with me. They told me later my idea was really good and they were secretly scared of me. This only came out at a Christmas party after a few drinks-we laughed so much in the bar and built a strong mutual respect.

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

We work closely as a team with passion to deliver potentially lifesaving treatments. During one of our clinical trials, we were treating patients at Stage 4 of their disease progression in Acute Myeloid Leukemia. The patients were so ill that the first patient died within 14 days. We were all devastated and could not even bring ourselves to talk about the event, even though we did not know the patient we felt so bad. The next patient received our treatment, her prognosis was equally dire with only several weeks to live and she was not expecting to see Christmas and share that the special time with her family. She went on to have a complete response and onto standard on care.

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

I have recently been asked to join the UK government’s taskforce for Women-Led High-Growth Enterprises launched by the Minister for Women and Equalities, Liz Truss. The taskforce will combine expertise and connections to work collaboratively with organisations across the UK to support the government’s overall target of increasing the number of female entrepreneurs. I believe that representing one the few women to take a Scottish company public, listing on Nasdaq, and having a STEM discipline will hopefully be inspirational to other women.

Ok super. Thank you for all that. Let’s now shift to the main focus of our interview. Are you currently satisfied with the status quo regarding women in STEM? What specific changes do you think are needed to change the status quo?

In short No! Women excel in STEM but very few are recognized for their contribution. This in part is due to poor representation at senior levels within companies and specifically at board levels. There remains an imbalance and a lack of pragmatism and empathy in STEM, which I honestly feel are strong attributes that women hold.

In your opinion, what are the biggest challenges faced by women in STEM or Tech that aren’t typically faced by their male counterparts? What would you suggest to address this?

We are aware of the issues with regards to a significant lack of women in STEM careers and leadership positions, however what will drive the change? Honestly, whatever way you cut it, women inherently are at a disadvantage. This in part is attributable due to physical challenges that are innate within women as is often perceived as weaknesses. In truth, these challenges and how we cope with them are in fact strengths that are the basis needed in all academic disciplines to allow for innovation, problem-solving, and critical thinking. Some places have not yet embraced the change of women at home transitioning into the workforce, or indeed even being seen to be as an equal to male counterparts. This, in turn, is detrimental to more women embracing the academic disciplines of STEM.

The focus of change therefore needs to start early within relationships, progressing to home parenting, helping to build confidence and problem-solving skills in children. Our male counterparts need to take equal responsibility for children with regards learning and devote the time supporting children to reduce the stigma of STEM and opportunities therein.

What are the “myths” that you would like to dispel about being a woman in STEM or Tech. Can you explain what you mean?

The myth is that girls are not interested in STEM fields and they don’t possess the necessary skills to succeed in these fields. The reality couldn’t be more different. Girls are just as interested in science, technology, engineering, and math as boys. They just need a chance to understand the opportunities open to them and be allowed to explore, align their interests, and finally to pursue them. At school, I never studied physics as I thought the subject too difficult — I took the subject in my later years as ‘crash course’ because I knew whether I passed or failed it would have no impact on my chosen path and what do you know, I did extremely well!

What are your “5 Leadership Lessons I Learned From My Experience as a Woman in STEM or Tech” and why. (Please share a story or example for each.)

Make the most of opportunities that cross your path. Women tend to lack confidence, this sometimes means that we shy away from opportunities that are presented to us throughout our career. My advice would be to embrace these opportunities full on. Women sometimes feel more at ease relying on their experience already gained rather than taking the key skills associated with that experience and translating them to new challenges.
Learn from every opportunity — good or bad. I would love to think that at some point, our level of learning would feel sufficient, however — the truth is that we are learning all the time and this is a prerequisite to life in general. I have found that the failures or mistakes I have made were just as important as the wins.
Embrace change. So much harder to do in practice! Change is difficult, however looking to the bigger picture, it happens for a reason and usually it benefits everybody, even if at first, it’s not obvious.
Don’t act on impulse. Because passionate about work is important, but reacting too quickly can be detrimental. You need to allow time to process information on your own terms and often out with the work environment. This ensures that you have an unbiased approach placing the passion into perspective.
Believe in yourself. Nobody is saying it’s easy being a woman in STEM, you have to believe in your ability and your visions. These will not always align with others and will often be challenged and that’s fine. Its not about who is right or wrong. Do not be deterred just because your view is different.

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

Recruiting the right individuals within a team is critical — not only do they need to have the necessary experience, it’s also important that employees are aligned with the company’s visions and values. So be patient! Ensure that each team member within your team has a voice, and if this needs to be encouraged, help them to achieve this.

What advice would you give to other women leaders about the best way to manage a large team?

Communication is essential and can be difficult. During the Covid pandemic, we needed to implement new skills and tools to help maintain constant communication. We have many disciplines within TC BioPharm, which must work together harmoniously, nevertheless, we are essentially a large team and our strength has always been to communicate across disciplines in a very open and supportive manner. Flexibility within teams is vital and it’s important to remember that goal of improving patients’ quality of life.

What advice would you give to other women leaders about the best way to manage a large team?

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

Yes, my husband. When I met my husband, I had already made a contribution to the world of STEM. I was responsible for the derivation and characterization of primary fetal cells that went on to produce the world’s first cloned mammal from an adult somatic cell and so part of the ground-breaking team that cloned ‘Dolly the sheep.’ My husband helped me to recognize my contributions and be more confident about my past achievements. He became my mentor when setting up TC BioPharm and guided me through the commercial aspects that were new to me at that time. In the home and at work, he has truly supported me and enabled me to grow in my career.

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

I would love the answer to be yes, but I honestly do not know. I have received great feedback that manufacturing potentially lifesaving treatments from peers, family, and the general public is great. I would like to think that my passion of distributing affordable efficacious treatments to improve patients’ quality of life around the world will be what I give back to society.

You are a person of enormous 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 am not sure we need another movement as such. Anything that supports my goal in distributing affordable efficacious treatments to improve patients’ quality of life around the world I would love to be involved in.

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

Where there is a will there is a way! Used to say that if someone has the desire and determination to do something, he or she can find a method for accomplishing it. The sentiment of this phrase was first published in 1640, in the work Jacula Prudentusm written by George Herbert: “To him that will, ways are not wanting.” By the 1820s, the phrase had been altered to “Where there’s a will there’s a way.” Its exactly how I have achieved growth and success in my life, believing in myself and being motivated.

We are very blessed that 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 with, and why? He or she might just see this if we tag them 🙂

I would love to meet with Heston Blumenthal — he has been creative taking elements from STEM disciplines and applying these to his cooking techniques. He created a kind of magic which is essentially what our bodies do with various mechanism of actions every day.

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

Inspirational Women in STEM and Tech: Angela Scott of TC BioPharm On The 5 Leadership Lessons She… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Women In Wellness: Sarah Harris of Gladskin On The Five Lifestyle Tweaks That Will Help Support…

Women In Wellness: Sarah Harris of Gladskin On The Five Lifestyle Tweaks That Will Help Support People’s Journey Towards Better Wellbeing

An Interview with Candice Georgiadis

Prioritize your health. There are a million ways, big and small, to take better care of yourself. I’m still learning how to do this, but it’s something I’m committed to, both for myself and the people I love.

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

Sarah Harris is Director of Brand Communications at Gladskin, a skincare company on a mission to improve quality of life for millions of people with inflammatory skin conditions worldwide. Sarah has written extensively about living with severe eczema and is committed to making the skincare industry more inclusive. She lives in Vermont with her husband and two cats.

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

I grew up in Dallas, Texas and developed severe eczema when I was three. My mother was determined to find something, anything, that would help my skin. We tried all kinds of treatments. She shuttled me to dozens of doctors, including dermatologists at Johns Hopkins and Oregon Health and Science University, where I spent a week in the hospital under the care of a leading eczema scholar. When I wasn’t getting better using western medicine, we tried homeopathy, acupressure, ayurveda, and hypnotherapy.

I was privileged in many ways — I had access to great medical care, my parents were able to send me to a private girls’ school, where I thrived, and I wasn’t terribly bullied for my skin. But even so, growing up with severe eczema was not easy. You look — and feel — different from your peers. Your skin is always on display for people to see. You have to come to terms with your own boundaries and limitations. You have to learn how to integrate your skin condition into who you are. It’s a journey that’s had a profound impact on my life — and it’s so meaningful for me to now be bringing those insights into my career.

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started your career? What were the main lessons or takeaways from that story?

I’ve had a lot of interesting career experiences over the years — I worked as a public radio reporter in rural upstate New York, taught audio storytelling to Afghan high school girls through a grant from National Geographic, produced podcasts, executed feminist marketing campaigns, and worked at a drone technology startup and innovation advisory firm.

Throughout all of that, I was dealing with severe eczema, and I found that I wanted to talk about that experience. So, I started writing about it for publications like Jezebel and the Cut. I sought out the eczema community online and got involved with the National Eczema Association, which is a wonderful patient advocacy organization. And I discovered Gladskin, the skincare company where I now work. Gladskin struck me as really different from other skincare brands — it’s a company that’s pioneering exciting microbiome science and is deeply committed to serving people with inflammatory skin conditions. I loved the science, the mission, and the ethos, and I wanted to be part of it.

And that’s why the most interesting part of my career is what’s happening now. I’m applying a lifetime of first-hand eczema knowledge to my day-to-day work. I’m thinking about how living with eczema, acne, and rosacea can really shape you, how people with inflammatory skin conditions have been traditionally left out of the skincare conversation, and how Gladskin can change that.

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

When I was in my early twenties, I worked as a public radio reporter. I loved the writing, interviewing, and storytelling — which meant that I said yes to everything my bosses asked me to do, and more. The problem was that I didn’t know how to say no. I didn’t know how to create healthy boundaries between my work and the rest of my life. I wanted people to take me seriously, and I felt an enormous pressure to always be right. Unsurprisingly that led to major burnout — and a terrible eczema flare. My skin was in such bad shape that I struggled to function. But I didn’t know how to ask for help, or how to seek the accommodations I needed. I finally got my skin under control and ended up leaving that job a couple months later. I’ve learned, now, that no job is worth sacrificing your health for. I’ve learned how critical it is to make time to rest. I can now see that ableist thinking prevented me from seeking more tools, resources, and accommodations. And I’ve realized how critical it is to be honest with your community, your colleagues, and yourself about how your health impacts your life.

Let’s jump to our main focus. When it comes to health and wellness, how is the work you are doing helping to make a bigger impact in the world?

There are over 1 billion people with eczema, acne, and rosacea globally. Living with these conditions is tough — in addition to making your skin really uncomfortable, they can do a number on your self-esteem and mental health. Existing treatment options often fall short — they prioritize quick relief and making your condition less visible, but they don’t always look out for your long-term skin health.

Gladskin is changing that by focusing on the next frontier in inflammatory skin conditions: the skin microbiome. Our products use patented endolysin science to balance the skin microbiome and restore skin health. It’s an exciting new paradigm for addressing inflammatory skin conditions, which are often driven by bacterial imbalances on the skin.

We have this internal mantra at Gladskin — help as many people as soon as possible. Our team really abides by that ethos, and we want to deliver lasting relief in a way that’s safe and sustainable. You can’t cure inflammatory skin conditions, but you can make the skin healthier and stronger — and when you do that, your skin condition doesn’t rule your life anymore. That’s a powerful way to make people’s lives better, and I’m really committed to that.

Can you share your top five “lifestyle tweaks” that you believe will help support people’s journey towards better wellbeing? Please give an example or story for each.

Prioritize your health. There are a million ways, big and small, to take better care of yourself. I’m still learning how to do this, but it’s something I’m committed to, both for myself and the people I love.
Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Whether you’re managing a chronic illness, dealing with mental health challenges, or just navigating life’s ups and downs, know that you’re not in it alone. Big things are easier when we face them together.
Get the rest you need. Living with chronic eczema has taught me that I need more rest than most people. If I don’t make time for it, my body sounds the alarm — usually with a skin flare!
Take time for yourself. Put productivity culture aside and do things that make you happy. This year I planted a garden and started playing the piano again. I’m not particularly good at either one of them, but they bring more joy into my day.
Laugh more. There’s nothing like a big belly laugh to make you feel good. When I laugh like that, it’s usually because I’m spending quality time with people I love — a sure-fire way to fill your cup.

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

This is such an interesting question! I think I’d want everyone to be at home and at peace in their skin. We’re so focused on youth and beauty that we overlook skin health. I’d love to change that. I’d love to banish “good skin” and “bad skin” from our vocabulary. I’d love to normalize aging. I think it’s important to acknowledge how centuries of colonialism and white supremacy have given rise to practices like skin bleaching. Ultimately, I think we need to create more expansive, more inclusive beauty norms, and see skin not just as a social cultural marker, but also as an incredibly complex and powerful organ that plays a major role in our health and wellbeing.

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

You don’t have to know everything. Nobody is an expert at the beginning of their career, and we’re all learning new things all the time. Instead of trying to be right, commit to being open, honest, and curious. You’ll learn more and build deeper relationships that way.
Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Working as a reporter taught me to use questions as an invitation for dialogue. I use this in all aspects of my work, and it makes me a better thinker and colleague.
Work with people who have your back, and don’t tackle the hard stuff alone. When I’m working on projects that stretch me, or that have a great deal of ambiguity involved, I take a lot of comfort in knowing that I have a team I can trust and rely on.
It’s ok to switch jobs — and careers. We are constantly growing and changing. Our lives change too, and what works for you at one stage may no longer be a fit a few years down the road. I’ve gotten comfortable with that idea, especially after a few career pivots.
Let who you are inform what you do. I find that I’m more motivated and effective when I’m passionate about what I’m doing. It’s been so powerful for me to bring everything I’ve learned from living with severe eczema for 30+ years to my work at Gladskin.

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

This is a hard question because I care a lot about these topics. But when I think about my work, and my involvement in the eczema community, mental health really rises to the top. The relationship between the mind and the skin is a powerful one. Living with a visible skin condition can have a profound impact on how others perceive us — and how we perceive ourselves. Our skin can make us self-conscious or socially anxious. Kids with eczema often get bullied, and people with eczema are 44% more likely to exhibit suicidal ideation. Stress makes inflammatory skin conditions worse. Doctors are just beginning to acknowledge how powerful the mind-skin connection is, and how much mental health support people with skin conditions need, but there is still a long way to go.

What is the best way for our readers to further follow your work online?

The best way to keep up with my work is to follow Gladskin on Instagram — our handle is @gladskin.us. You can also follow me personally on LinkedIn and Instagram.

Thank you for these fantastic insights! We wish you continued success and good health.

Women In Wellness: Sarah Harris of Gladskin On The Five Lifestyle Tweaks That Will Help Support… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.