Category: Featured

Female Founders: Cheryl Stabler of Just Faith TV On The Five Things You Need To Thrive and Succeed as a Woman Founder

An Interview With Candice Georgiadis

You can learn so much from Younger Minds — It use to bother me, when I saw friends in my industry with so much knowledge, not creating/nor sharing their decades of expertise with the next generation. I would also ask “How do you build a bridge with those coming up behind you?” I am so fortunate to work with some young brilliant and sharp minds. They have taught me a great deal in our short time together. I pray that I have shared some ‘wisdom’ with them as well.

As a part of our series about “Why We Need More Women Founders”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Cheryl Stabler of Just Faith TV for Vyre Network and Unshakeable Woman.

Cheryl Stabler is the Co-Founder of JUST FAITH TV (VYRE- Faith Global Content). JUST FAITH TV is a global streaming channel which distributes a diverse range of faith-based content to the spiritual and faith communities. Just Faith TV reaches all nations and demographics while keeping viewers engaged in family centered programming.

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?

My SHIFT (Story) started after ending almost 3 decades of marriage.

In November 2019, I began the process of writing my second book: The Unshakeable Woman: The SHIFT is Here! Foreword by Les Brown. The book is a “How to keep Unshakeable Faith”, when life throws you a curve ball.

During the process of writing, I discussed marketing options with by Publisher, Christian Faith Publishing. With the help and encouragement of a friend, I started The Unshakeable Woman Podcast, now strong in eight (8) countries. Each week, the podcast profiles women sharing their stories of triumph, in order to encourage other women on their journey. The Unshakeable Woman LLC is 100% owned by Cheryl Stabler. The end goal is to provide furnished rental homes for women and their children.

While the podcast picked up steam, the brand collaborated with The Uncommongospel Magazine brand, which started 30 minute LIVE shows on Facebook Mon-Fri, with a Sunday Brunch Edition with three (3) additional hosts. The LIVE show moved to Instagram LIVE, season 2, January 2022.

The summer of 2021, Cheryl went into partnerships with The Vyre Network and Harris Brown to create Faith Holdings LLC for JUST FAITH TV. The channel officially launched on January 9, 2022, providing TV, Film, Docuseries, Music and Live streaming content in over 200+ countries. Faith programming to serve people around the world.

The channel will also host “The Unshakeable Soul” TV Talk Show, season 1, which showcases Unshakeable Women having discussions about life, faith and overcoming difficult transitions, while enjoying soul food.

The Unshakeable Woman Podcast: Season 3, Jan 2022

https://anchor.fm/cheryl-stabler

Press Releases:

VYRE Network

https://www.pressrelease.com/news/cabo-verde-capital-inc-acquires-vyre-network-the-art-of-streaming-21566050

JUST FAITH TV

https://vyrenetwork.com/tag/cheryl-stabler/

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

The most interesting story is quite comical. I opened my heart to dating again in January 2021 and met a great friend. Dating wasn’t in the cards for us, but we had a blast discussing business. It was this friend that introduced me to the owner of the Network. We are in partnership with the Network for both the TV Talk Show and JUST FAITH TV. In addition, he was instrumental in creating the theme song for the network as well. God brought him in my life for something much bigger… a friendship and a global business.

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?

The funniest story was driving home from the meeting where we discussed the vision of this network. I’ve never dreamed this big and I’ve never had someone look at me and see the possibility of such, until that day. My entire life, I have been a giver. To my children, my family, the community, my friends, the homeless and the church. That day the Network founder of Vyre asked, “can you handle a role of running a network similar to the size of BET?” I still laugh at that moment, knowing that I had the experience of managing large teams and projects… the exception, this would be MY baby to birth. The lesson… God takes us on amazing journeys to sometimes learn hard lessons to prepare us for BIGGER!

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

I can name three women:

My publicist, Classic Cauley. My daily encouragement, sister and friend in business. (Founder of Classic Public Relations)

My cousin, Dr. Andrea Best: My sister in life who is a contact reminder of how important it is to speak life over every situation and myself. (Physician/Holistic Psychiatrist)

My life coach, Rhona Bennet: My sister who helped me to dig deep, to get past hurt and trauma and who shared incredible tools of the HOW to move forward with purposeful thinking strategies. (Founder of Personal Power University and 1/3 of the group EnVogue0

Ok, thank you for that. Let’s now jump to the primary focus of our interview. According to this EY report, only about 20 percent of funded companies have women founders. This reflects great historical progress, but it also shows that more work still has to be done to empower women to create companies. In your opinion and experience what is currently holding back women from founding companies?

With my first company, The Unshakeable Woman LLC, I realized that most funders only fund if you have been in business for 2–3 years and have a certain amount of money in the bank. Traditional funding didn’t work for me and the grant process is exhausting and competitive. With God’s blessing, this company is still operating with plans of expansion from my own personal wealth. My end game is to reach back and teach other single women how to open and run business and to provide furnished rentals for single mothers.

Can you help articulate a few things that can be done as individuals, as a society, or by the government, to help overcome those obstacles?

As individuals, we can help a great number of women, more efficiently than government. If we start with just 50 businesswomen coming together to mentor others, it will change the way economics are viewed by newly developed companies. There is so much to cover from entity creations, attorneys, CPAs, accounting and staffing. In addition, further discussion of Black Women on Executive Boards for both profit and non-profit are another urgent platform of discussion. It’s time for businesswomen to start speaking to and creating relationships with each other and our younger business minds.

This might be intuitive to you as a woman founder but I think it will be helpful to spell this out. Can you share a few reasons why more women should become founders?

Being a Founder, simply put, is the ability to executive your vision. When working with teams, they respect your vision and lend their gifts to help you build it. In addition, being a Founder and owning most of your company creates a space for the company to receive more funding. Women Owned and Women Minority Women owned firms have a number of funding options.

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

Myth #1 — It’s another 8–5pm job. The biggest myth ever, when running your own company. There have been numerous situations where I work very late or on weekends and some friends don’t understand the ‘why’ I cannot join them. There is a BUILD with any company and its never an overnight process. The reality, it’s more of a 24/7 process, until critical teams are put in place to lend support to the vision.

Is everyone cut out to be a founder? In your opinion, which specific traits increase the likelihood that a person will be a successful founder and what type of person should perhaps seek a “regular job” as an employee? Can you explain what you mean?

Everyone is not cut out to be a founder. Just as every Founder is not cut out to work 8–5pm.

As a former Project Manager for both a large Media Company and an International software firm, I loved the work. I didn’t love the lack of flexibility. I left the corporate world in year 2000, when our second child was turning 2. With my ex-husband working for the Federal Government at the time, I had the crazy on-call schedule. Being a mother, I still had to fit in wife time, baby time, cook breakfast/dinner, health appointments, school drop off/pick up and each time my children were sick, I would take off to care for the babies. This isn’t the story for all mothers… it way my story. It was exhausting to balance it all.

I tried my hand at opening a company, without guidance or mentorship, after the third child was in grade school. It failed miserably. But, I still won, taking away some valuable lessons.

A founder is open to expect failure and to possibly lose money. It you aren’t a risk taker; you won’t be successful. If one is scared of taking risks, a “regular job” may be a better option.

A founder is ok with not having much time to be overly social. Starting a business and staying on top of it requires a lot more hours, than the traditional “regular job” schedule. If one enjoys hitting the clubs with friends after work, partying and hanging out all weekend, a 9–5 may be a better alternative.

A founder is a planner, who can forecast and save their earnings, for emergencies or unforeseen situations. A founder can also create their own wealth, without limits. If one enjoys a steady paycheck and paid benefits … well, you know the answer.

Ok super. Here is the main question of our interview. What are your “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Started” and why? (Please share a story or example for each.)

Nail your accounting courses — In college i loved math. I really love writing algorithms. Accounting seemed like a foreign language. Looking back, I wish that I placed more hours into understanding P&L statements, budgeting and forecasting. I’m blessed to have an amazing CPA, who takes care of my accounting questions.

How to capture Expenses — It took a moment for me to balance work and admin, while working solo for so long. I created #financeFriday to review banking, budgets, planning and expenses

You can learn so much from Younger Minds — It use to bother me, when I saw friends in my industry with so much knowledge, not creating/nor sharing their decades of expertise with the next generation. I would also ask “How do you build a bridge with those coming up behind you?” I am so fortunate to work with some young brilliant and sharp minds. They have taught me a great deal in our short time together. I pray that I have shared some ‘wisdom’ with them as well.

Balance and Rest is important — I’ve learned to work and process more clearer, after a morning walk or bike ride. In this season, I make time to read a couple of chapters, walk to the lake, to shopping or sit in the quiet to give some rest to my mind. I rise with the sun and in bed by 9–10pm, to ensure that I have ample rest to move though each day.

You might freak out when it gets BIG… and ‘how’ to recover — I didn’t see this one coming. When the Network was birthed, I cried and danced all day. The cat is out of the bag and my partners now know, how I celebrated, while recovering from COVID19 and isolated. When you receive a BIG blessing, unlike any that you have ever dreamed, your emotions can get the best of you. The recovery and coming back to ‘earth’ took place with my cousin, Dr. Andrea Best. She also, is experiencing a great deal of BIG simultaneously. The come down: Prayer, walking outdoors and enjoying the space of gratefulness, sitting in IT and not walking in fear and ending the day with a nice meal and a hot bath.

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

This is such a great question. I am so excited to answer this one.

As a former PTA President and community advocate, I have many sisters. Those who look like me and some not. My sisters are of many faiths, colors and nationalities. After my marriage ended, it was these women who encouraged me to keep going. They all know that Im Christian; yet we all love each other as women and children of God. First came the start of writing my second book, then the podcast. I am honored to share women’s stories from all over the world. Because of the podcast, the TV TALK show and JUST FAITH TV was birthed.

JUST FAITH TV is programming for the world. Content creators of different faiths and nationalities showing their perspectives of their world. It is an honor to provide a NYSE publicly traded platform home for content created to both share and receive payment for their work. My prayer is that people who come to the Vyre Network for business news, sports, Movies, etc, will click on JUST FAITH and explore family programming for their faith driven content and/or explore other views of Jewish faith, Mormons, Muslims in America, etc. The more we learn about each other…the more we learn to love each other.

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

I have always envisioned having a Mass Youth Choir, bringing the faiths together to inspire the world. (The different types of christian faith across nationalities, “Catholic, Non-denominational, Southern Baptist….” Jewish, Mormon, etc.) A concert in everycity raising money to build tiny house communities for the homeless and providing home communities for single mothers and their children.

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

Oprah Winfrey hands down.

She is a smart business woman and a kind philanthropist. Also an author and known well from helping millions of men and women with her talk show. Her home is less than two hours north of me in Santa Barbara and each visit I make to the Four Seasons Biltmore for lunch, I pray that I run into her amazing presence. Most importantly, she gives back so much to people to encourage their spirit and their souls. I pray that JUST FAITH TV changes lives as well, as most of the country works and lives from home during the pandemic. “To Whom Much is Given, Much will be Required”.

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

Female Founders: Cheryl Stabler of Just Faith TV On The Five Things You Need To Thrive and Succeed… 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: PETA’s Dr Emily Trunnell On The 5 Leadership Lessons She Learned From Her Experience

An Interview With Candice Georgiadis

Leaders should actively listen to team members, encourage thinking outside of the box and offer a safe space to share ideas without being judged. Cater job responsibilities to play to the team member’s strengths, not their weaknesses. Remember people’s individual contributions and thank them privately and publicly for those contributions. Make sure you tell team members when you are happy with their work, and offer specific feedback when you are not.

As a part of my series about “Lessons From Inspirational Women in STEM and Tech”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Dr. Emily Trunnell.

Dr. Emily Trunnell graduated magna cum laude from the University of Georgia with a degree in nutrition science and earned a doctorate in neuroscience from the University of Georgia in 2016. Dr. Trunnell is currently a senior scientist for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA). She works with policy makers and other scientists to replace the use of animals in experimentation with superior research methods. Her peer-reviewed papers, letters, opinion pieces have appeared in numerous publications, including Drug Discovery Today and Scientific American.

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

In graduate school for neuroscience, I was given the task of designing a set of experiments that I could conduct and analyze in order to learn scientific techniques and write my dissertation. At the time, the laboratory I was in conducted experiments on animals and I was expected to do the same. As an animal lover, at first I was excited to work “with” animals, thinking that the animals would be treated with kindness and that what I was doing would benefit scientific knowledge and human health as a whole. But during my experience, I learned that the opposite is true: that animals used in experimentation routinely experience immense suffering and that the data gleaned from them almost never translates to humans. After graduating, I knew I needed to find a way to share this knowledge.

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

I am trained as a scientist, so some of the tasks I took on when I came to PETA were a bit out of my wheelhouse at first, like doing media interviews and helping with demonstrations and fundraising events, including one where I got to meet Edie Falco! But mixing up my tasks keeps me on my toes, which I like. For example, I attended an Eli Lilly shareholder meeting to present a resolution for the company to ban forced swim tests on animals. The forced swim test is a cruel and scientifically invalid procedure where mice and rats, and sometimes hamsters, gerbils, or Guinea pigs, are dropped into beakers of water to see how long they struggle to stay afloat, an activity that is wrongly believed to be able to identify antidepressant drugs. After presenting my scientific argument at the shareholder meeting, I joined other PETA supporters standing in front of the company’s headquarters in a dramatic protest, which included an activist dressed as a mouse flailing in a large tank of water in a human-size version of the forced swim test.

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?

Not exactly a humorous one, but a mistake I made at the beginning was assuming that people would not listen to me, considering I was young and voicing a dissenting opinion that was not popular in my field. I had to learn to shed the “imposter syndrome” and have confidence in my arguments, which are valid and evidence-based.

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

PETA is the best animal rights organization when it comes to two things: making changes for animals and standing out! Our eye-catching, and sometimes provocative, demonstrations inspire people to discuss animal issues that they might not otherwise think about. But PETA also stands out for a fact that not many people are aware of: We employ more PhD-level scientists than any other animal protection organization.

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

Yes! While some of my work involves ending individual animal tests that are particularly cruel or scientifically inept, right now I am working on a project that would change the biomedical research paradigm as a whole. Along with other scientists at PETA, I had the privilege of drafting our “Research Modernization Deal,” a strategy that governments and funding bodies can use to transition away from animal experimentation and toward human-relevant research. We have versions of the Research Modernization Deal for the U.S., Europe, and India and we are working with legislators and regulators to implement the plan, which would eliminate many of the worst animal experiments, facilitate evidence-based funding decisions, better support modern scientific methods, and harmonize global research practices.

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?

Things have certainly gotten better as far as representation, but science does still feel like a “good old boys club” in many respects. Many of the older scientists who are still setting research policy, designing coursework, and mentoring students are not familiar with modern research tools — things like microfluidics and AI — which puts their trainees and students at a major disadvantage. I think a big hindrance to ending animal testing is that those people just won’t retire or give up their antiquated beliefs, which they impart on others.

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?

As much as the workplace has changed when it comes to women in STEM leadership roles, it often feels like less has changed in home life. Data show that women continue to handle the primary household tasks, with some studies estimating that women do two more hours of housework daily, compared to men. The COVID-19 pandemic has deepened this chasm as women are taking up additional childcare tasks when schools and daycares close. This means women are getting an entire month less per year to focus on work productivity, physical and/or mental health maintenance, and sleep, compared to men. I can’t pretend to know how to fix this on a societal level, but personally I am working on learning how to set boundaries and be explicit with what I need, instead of being a people-pleaser.

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

One myth that seems to persist is that women are not as interested in or proficient in STEM careers compared to men. Historically, STEM skills were not prioritized for women, who were more expected to take on caregiving roles like nursing or teaching, but gender has nothing to do with desire or aptitude in any field.

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.)

Diverse and dissenting opinions should be welcomed. In his book, The Structure of Scientific Revolutions, philosopher of science Thomas Khun wrote: “Almost always the men [sic] who achieve…fundamental inventions of a new paradigm have been either very young or very new to the field whose paradigm they change…And perhaps that point need not have been made explicit, for obviously these are the men [sic] who, being little committed by prior practice to the traditional rules of normal science, are particularly likely to see that those rules no longer define a playable game and to conceive another set that can replace them.” In any field, but especially in science, there is a tendency for people to get bogged down by their own way of thinking and doing things or by their long-held current concepts and theories. More senior folks may consciously or unconsciously dismiss ideas and thoughts from young team members, which can hinder progress. Every team member brings a unique perspective and those perspectives should be valued. For example, when I was in graduate school, I became increasingly concerned about the welfare of the rats we were using for experiments. It turns out that poor welfare leads to poor data, equaling wasted time, money, and lives!

Be willing to change your mind. Going off the previous point, normalize being able to change your mind presented with new information about a situation and don’t be afraid to admit your mistakes. This is a real problem at places like the National Institutes of Health, where leaders refuse to step away from failed research methods like the use of many animal models of disease. Forward-thinkers must be nimble and willing to change course when the current strategy isn’t working.

Always remember your ultimate goal, and remind and inspire team members of that goal often. In science, it easy to get stuck in the minutia of day-to-day research activities: getting grants funded, getting papers published, getting protocols approved, advising students, preparing coursework, going to meetings, etc. The pressure to keep a research program going can actually detract from the goals of that research program and can lead to unethical behavior, like causing harm and suffering to animal in experiments that are known to be of poor quality. Too often, young scientists go into a field with the goal of answering a particular question, but end up on an academic treadmill that has them pushing out experiment after experiment with little understanding of the relevancy of those experiments to the larger world.

Encourage work-life balance. This is something that I think younger leaders are more aware of than ever. The generations coming up now don’t glamorize the “grind” as our elders did, which is a good thing. Happier team members are less likely to burn out, make mistakes, produce poor quality work, and are more likely to stick around. However, in my line of work, I also have to remember that the animals who are used in laboratories never get to have a day off. I do take time to recharge so that I can be at my best to advocate for them, but working hard and with great care and strategy is vital.

Encourage growth. Show your team members that they are valued by investing in their training. Support them in taking opportunities to expand their skillsets.

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

Leaders should actively listen to team members, encourage thinking outside of the box and offer a safe space to share ideas without being judged. Cater job responsibilities to play to the team member’s strengths, not their weaknesses. Remember people’s individual contributions and thank them privately and publicly for those contributions. Make sure you tell team members when you are happy with their work, and offer specific feedback when you are not.

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

Delegate and trust your team members to do their jobs properly. Stay apprised of team members’ workload and adjust accordingly. And set up a structure that team members to access each other for assistance where necessary.

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

I am grateful and humbled by the scientists who have come before me and pushed back against the status quo of animal experimentation, especially when there were fewer of us willing to do so. Their scholarship has paved the way for me to have the position I have today and to get a seat at the table for making changes.

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

The best part about my job is knowing that I’m having an impact on the lives of animals and improving science at the same time. This is most directly observable when I have the opportunity to work on specific experiments, like ending animal starvation experiments that were occurring at St. Mary’s University in San Antonio or getting 15 companies, including most of the world’s top pharmaceutical companies, to ban the scientifically worthless and cruel forced swim test.

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 would love to be able to snap my fingers and get rid of “otherism,” or the belief that someone we perceive as “different” from us doesn’t deserve the same respect that we do. This false notion causes so much harm to humans and animals alike and it is the reason that detrimental practices like animal experimentation continue. It’s also anti-scientific. Science has demonstrated that all humans and other animals feel pain, suffer in captivity, and desire autonomy over their own lives. But because other animals look different than us and cannot speak our language, we often overlook these similarities in favor of exploitation.

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

Nelson Mandela said, “It always seems impossible until it’s done.” Trying to defeat the very large and well-resourced animal experimentation industry often seems impossible and the victories we have can feel like emptying the ocean with a spoon. But I know that, in the end, we will be on the right side of history.

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 🙂

This is not a very original answer, but considering he currently has the task of appointing a new National Institutes of Health director, I would love to have the undivided attention of President Biden. The U.S. National Institutes of Health is the largest funder of biomedical research in the world. It needs leadership at the helm that is not only visionary, but also willing to make the tough, unpopular-to-some decisions necessary to put the U.S. back at the forefront of biomedical innovation and refocus the agency on its worthy goal of enhancing health, lengthening life, and reducing illness and disability, not propping up the failing paradigm of animal experimentation.

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

Inspirational Women in STEM and Tech: PETA’s Dr Emily Trunnell 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.

Inspirational Women in STEM and Tech: Raytheon’s Annabel Flores On The 5 Leadership Lessons She Learned From Her Experience

An Interview With Candice Georgiadis

Be a people watcher. This is a trait I began incorporating early in my career. I have found that it can be beneficial to take a look at the people around you and determine who has the coolest job or who has impressive leadership or technical skills. Then, work to understand how they chose that career path and how they developed the specific skills you admire.

As a part of my series about “Lessons From Inspirational Women in STEM and Tech”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Annabel Flores.

Annabel Flores is vice president of Electronic Warfare Systems for Raytheon Intelligence & Space, a business of Raytheon Technologies. She oversees the overall strategic direction and operation of a diverse portfolio of electronic warfare products such as the U.S. Navy’s Next Generation Jammer and the U.S. Army’s Electronic Warfare Planning and Management Tool, as well as the business’s high energy laser systems and Applied Signal Technology area. Most recently, Flores served as the vice president of Electronic Warfare Systems at Raytheon Company’s Space and Airborne Systems business prior to Raytheon Company’s merger with United Technologies Corporation in 2020.

She was previously director of the Airborne Early Warning and Reconnaissance Systems product line within the Space and Airborne Systems Secure Sensor Solutions mission area. She has also been the manager for the Silent Knight Radar product line and held various business development roles at Raytheon Company’s corporate team and with its Intelligence, Information and Services business. Flores was educated at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, Massachusetts. She earned a dual master’s degree in mechanical engineering and a MBA through MIT’s Leaders for Global Operations program. She also earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the institution.

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

Growing up in a small town, I didn’t always feel like I “fit in.” Sometimes I was teased and called names because I loved math and science. My middle school math teacher had an engineering degree, and he saw something in me. He was the first person to suggest that I should become an engineer. I was about 12 years old at the time, and I wasn’t exactly sure what that meant. When he explained that engineers use math and science together to solve problems — he had my attention. So, after some initial research, the lightbulb went off in my head: engineering is what I wanted to pursue as a career. I got involved in extracurricular STEM programs and found other people like me. That led me to MIT and eventually to Raytheon Technologies, and I “fit in” so well here that I’ve been with Raytheon Intelligence & Space for more than 20 years. Looking back, it’s amazing to think that one teacher taking an interest in me could make such a strong impact on my life.

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

One of the most memorable experiences of my professional career took place during my very first role at Raytheon Technologies as a program manager. My team was being asked to create and deliver a capability for a customer in record time — far less time than we normally spent on similar projects. Statistically, we had a zero percent chance of success, and my role was to be a leader for this team and rally the troops. It was an extremely daunting task. In the end, the team delivered on time. While it was a tough battle, I felt energized by the fact that I helped motivate this team to produce great results. Most people would never want to be in that type of situation and under that much pressure, but it’s the kind of experience that will teach you so much. For me, I learned that I was on the right career path.

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?

Thinking back, I have been with this company for 23 years, and while I have made mistakes along the way, the good and bad experiences blur together. In my opinion, you learn from every experience. Even failures, or something that is perceived as a failure at that point in time, will allow you to find a silver lining and teach you a lesson that will help you better yourself. You have to learn from every mistake or misstep and then move forward. I think that looking forward is almost a superpower that helps you forget those small moments or mistakes.

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

When I first joined Raytheon Technologies as a summer intern, I was very engineering-focused and I wanted to work on cutting-edge projects. Thankfully, even as an intern, I was given the opportunity to have the types of experiences I was longing for. I wasn’t just given busy work, but rather concrete assignments that supported what both employees and customers needed to be successful. From that, I knew I could build a career here at Raytheon Technologies and would always be involved in the innovative projects that first drew me to the company.

One aspect of my work that I didn’t fully understand as a young engineer was how critical our technologies are to keeping our nation and our allies safe. Today, Raytheon Intelligence & Space does a phenomenal job at combining both innovation and protection. For example, innovation is what typically attracts engineering staff — we work on some of the most cutting-edge technologies in the world. But once on board, you also find a common purpose of knowing the work we do saves lives, and this becomes the driving reason behind why we come to work every day.

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

I have worked in this industry for a very long time and there are few things I can share about the work that I do. However, I am leading a team doing exciting work with high-energy laser weapons, which I am able to discuss.

Small, cheap drones are easily available today and they can be very dangerous weapons. Anyone can go online and buy a drone and potentially do something nefarious with it, and these threats are changing how we view the battlefield, airports and even large public events.

But drones can be very tricky to target, track, identify and take down, and we have to think creatively to defend against these threats. That’s why we are working with our customers and partners across the industry to develop lasers as a defensive weapon.

It sounds like science fiction or something from Star Wars, but at Raytheon Intelligence & Space, we’ve made defensive laser weapons a reality.

At RI&S, we have a phenomenal team with a diverse mix of talents that has quickly pulled together years of research and technology to create something entirely new. And we’ve proven that it works — on test ranges and in real life. Today, we have active laser weapon systems deployed with the U.S. military in the field to stop drones and protect lives.

And we are using that research while working on new systems to create new capabilities, which has been a great achievement of this team and a phenomenal testament to the innovation I mentioned earlier. High-energy laser technology is a game changer in how we defend and how we use resources to give the people on the front lines one more tool to keep them safe.

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?

There is so much more room for improvement across the industry to make sure we have the right level of representation of women in STEM at all levels. My graduating class at MIT was 42% women, so I know there are strong candidates out there. Somehow, we are losing them as they enter the workforce.

Many young girls lose interest in math and science due to peer pressure and interests in other activities, so we have more work to do to help build confidence and foster a lifelong interest in this area. Raytheon Technologies proudly partners with organizations that cultivate STEM skills and critical thinking among students. We are committed to helping build and maintain a strong pipeline of female innovators, and know it’s important to communicate the career paths that STEM offers and how they are so useful in helping solve the world’s problems.

At the same time, we are doing more to increase the levels of active representation of women within our executive ranks. Knowing and seeing strong, diverse women at all levels of leadership is one of those factors that can help encourage other women to continue to pursue careers in STEM fields. The challenge is: how do we scale that to reach half of the world’s population? There is a lot of work that needs to be done to answer this question.

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?

There is a lot of research that shows most women are judged based on what they have achieved in comparison to how most men are judged based on their potential. This creates an uneven set of evaluation criteria when considering women for hiring and promotions, so we have to challenge preconceived notions as we evaluate candidates. Within Raytheon Technologies, we are continuing to create diverse hiring panels for our interview processes to overcome those challenges. We are mindful that we owe everyone equal opportunity.

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

Throughout my career, I have heard stereotypes that are harmful in so many ways. There are a lot of assumptions about what women want in terms of their careers so they are not given as many opportunities. “Mommy tracks” is a common term across industries, where people are trying to interpret and help women achieve “goals” that they might not necessarily have for themselves. This has proven to be harmful, and organizations are much better off if they sit down one-on-one with women in these positions and have an open conversation about what they want to achieve and how their organization can help them get there.

At Raytheon Technologies, we have a great program that helps women re-enter the workforce after taking time off. Providing women with these types of opportunities gives them a clear path to follow as they re-focus on their careers.

On the other hand, I think we need to normalize flexibility to support all employees who want more balance between their personal and professional lives.

Workplace flexibility should be offered to all employees. Allowing a workforce to be flexible with their priorities at any point in their career is only going to help retain people in the organization, while also keeping their minds as active as possible. If companies are more flexible and creative, it will allow for their employees to be their best selves at work.

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.)

Be a people watcher. This is a trait I began incorporating early in my career. I have found that it can be beneficial to take a look at the people around you and determine who has the coolest job or who has impressive leadership or technical skills. Then, work to understand how they chose that career path and how they developed the specific skills you admire.

By doing this, I have identified strong mentors to help guide my career. I have found that the more open you are to talk about your gaps and areas for improvement within your network, the more willing the people around you are to help. I believe this is how I landed where I am today in my career — by being very open and by learning that it’s okay to be vulnerable with people. Those people very often end up in your corner and want to see you succeed.

I think this also applies to leadership styles. Reflecting on leaders you admire and their unique leadership styles can help you improve who you are as a leader. Doing this has made me more comfortable with who I am as a leader and has also helped me identify areas of improvement.

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

It is important for leaders to remember that yes, you are leading a team. But that team is made up of individuals. If you take the time to form individual relationships with each one of those people and understand their strengths, weaknesses, goals, and what makes them tick, you can determine what type of team environment will help those individuals flourish. Sometimes it is easy to lose sight of the fact that each individual person makes up a team, so pulling that knowledge from all of those individual relationships is one of the best ways for people to feel valued.

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

Remember that authenticity becomes more important the larger your team gets. When managing large teams, it is harder to get that one-on-one time that is more accessible with smaller teams. You develop a reputation for the type of leader you are. So, on a large team, your employees might not know you personally but they will know your reputation. Being authentic will help you succeed not only by enabling you to connect with your team, but people will want to work with you because of the personal brand you have created for yourself.

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

I was connected to my very first mentor at Raytheon Technologies through one of our Employee Resource Groups. She was a program manager who started her career as an engineer. At the time, I was an engineer and was working to figure out what I wanted to do next, and I remember thinking, “Wow, her job is so cool.” But I had been focused on engineering for so long, and it was not easy for me to shift to a new mindset. Seeing her in a project management role made it possible for me to see myself in a similar one. Thanks to her, I knew that I could still use my engineering skills to do something fundamentally different while also leading a team. So, I fully credit her for opening my mind and showing me how to use my background to do a job that was interesting, challenging and, ultimately, became my passion.

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

Very early on in my career I joined multiple ERGs at Raytheon Technologies because I wanted to be a part of helping with STEM outreach for women and people of color — something I have been passionate about for a very long time.

There are so many people who helped me get to where I am today, and giving back is something I enjoy doing and feel a responsibility to do. I’ve been involved in mentoring, tutoring, and leading various science clubs, which has now evolved into being a part of the Texas Alliance for Minorities in Engineering, an organization that helps cultivate interest in engineering among underrepresented groups — including minorities, girls, and underserved rural communities like the one I grew up in.

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. 🙂

Something that has been eye-opening to me, especially since the pandemic began, is how prevalent food insecurity is within our communities. During my time at Raytheon Intelligence & Space, I have enjoyed volunteering with Feeding America, which is one of our corporate partners. My team and I have helped fundraise for Feeding America and their community partners, in addition to distributing healthy fresh and non-perishable food to our neighbors in need. I am proud that Raytheon Intelligence & Space supports organizations and causes like this, and that employees like me are able to lend a helping hand in the communities where we live and work.

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

Keep learning. This is something that has been important to me my whole life and a motto that I live by. Education does not stop when you graduate. As an engineer and as an engineering student, you learn how to tackle a problem. And, when you graduate and begin working, you learn how to apply those skills for the rest of your life. Even though I have been at Raytheon Technologies for 23 years, I have held about 15 different roles because I always have the desire to learn more. These experiences really helped me grow as both a person and a leader.

We are very blessed that very prominent leaders read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the U.S. 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 really enjoy reading, and I recently read two autobiographies by very influential CEOs — one by Ursula Burns, the former CEO of Xerox, and the other by Indra Nooyi, former CEO of PepsiCo. What they were able to accomplish in their lives and careers is inspiring. Beyond their professional experiences, so many of their stories about their individual childhoods and families really resonated with me. I would love the opportunity to sit down with both women to learn more about them and to get guidance on my career journey.

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

Inspirational Women in STEM and Tech: Raytheon’s Annabel Flores 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.

Female Disruptors: Jekkie Kim and Frances Stocks Allen Of Latham & Watkins On The Three Things You Need To Shake Up Your Industry

An Interview With Candice Georgiadis

Play by the rules. I’ve heard this often and from a number of supervisors and mentors over the years. I think this means more than the literal sense of complying with the written rules or the law, but broadly to honor basic social rules and norms, which are sometimes implied and unwritten. It’s similar to sportsmanship. Our duty is always to the client, but respecting all those involved, including the counterparties and acting fair, I think, is what this advice has always meant.

As a part of our series about women who are shaking things up in their industry, I had the pleasure of interviewing Jekkie Kim and Frances Stocks Allen, Latham & Watkins LLP.

Jekkie Kim advises healthcare, life sciences, and technology companies and their investors on a range of intellectual property transactional matters. She draws on her background as a medical doctor, and advises clients at all stages, from emerging companies to global market leaders in the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and medical device sectors. In particular, she has developed a niche practice representing clients in the digital health and agricultural technology space, and on cross-border transactions, with a focus on the Greater China market.

Frances Stocks Allen advises leading life sciences companies and industry investors on a range of technology-based commercial matters, including complex licenses, collaborations, acquisitions, and divestments. She helps clients anticipate and navigate legal challenges by drawing on her secondment experience, including in-house at Allergan and at Latham & Watkins’ Silicon Valley office. Ms. Stocks Allen was identified as a Legal 500 Rising Star 2020–2022 in Life Sciences and Healthcare.

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?

Frances: A series of happy accidents led to me to practicing in biotech law. I originally studied Politics, Philosophy and Economics at Oxford, before converting to Law and completing an MBA as part of my training at my prior firm. Once on the job, I was inspired by clients developing new technologies with the potential to significantly improve health outcomes. That led me to track the constantly developing regulatory landscape keeping pace with those developments. Spending time working in-house at Allergan and then in Silicon Valley with cutting-edge biotech clients sealed the deal for me. I learned that even without a scientific background, I can still have an impact as a healthcare and life sciences lawyer and work with a cross-disciplinary team to guide clients through business, legal and commercial issues in high profile deals.

Jekkie: My path is quite different from Frances’. Prior to law school, I attended medical school in South Korea and practiced as a physician for a few years. We were required to take a medical ethics, policy and law class in medical school. There, I began to realize that “the practice of medicine” involved more than just patients and physicians (surprise!). Once I began my clinical rotations, a light bulb went off when I realized that there was an entire “healthcare and life sciences” industry, where scientists and engineers were researching and developing, regulators were reviewing and approving (and sometimes denying), and companies were manufacturing, distributing, marketing and selling new therapeutics, diagnostics and prophylactics for patients. Once the cat was out of the bag, there was no going back. I wanted to learn more, so I went to law school and business school and never looked back.

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

Jekkie: The firm and our Healthcare and Life Sciences Group have been very supportive of my practice platform, which leverages upon my medical expertise and my personal interests in technology. When the first generation of smartphones and tablets entered the consumer market, I had a strong sense that such devices and many others that would follow will likely disrupt the healthcare industry. Even before artificial intelligence/machine learning became household terminology, I volunteered to work on client matters that involved “big data” to learn about the industry. At Latham & Watkins, we now have a really strong (one of the best) digital health practice, and teams that consists of experts in each of healthcare life sciences, information technology, data privacy and regulatory. Personally, I believe that sustainable agriculture is important, so I actively volunteer to work with clients in the agricultural technology space, developing alternative food products.

Frances: Similarly to Jekkie, I see the disruptive part of our job as counseling our clients as they develop and manufacture therapies that do not yet exist but that can change the course of health and healthcare. In the healthcare and life sciences practice we see so many amazing innovations, from COVID-directed therapeutics to novel medical devices, AI and machine learning-based products to telehealth solutions, and gene editing to blood biopsy. Our role is to find ways for our clients to achieve their objectives, to bring their products to market or to grow, while identifying and mitigating risks. For example, through our work with Sobi, we’re helping facilitate the development of cutting-edge orphan drug treatments that will be made available to underserved patient populations. One of the most rewarding aspects of my work is the opportunity to help improve the lives of patients, and participate in an ecosystem that really does have the potential to change the world!

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?

Jekkie: There have been many who have helped me along my journey. At Latham & Watkins, two senior partners have particularly supported my growth. I was born in Korea, raised in Ethiopia and Pakistan, went back to Korea and became a physician and came to the US and became a lawyer, and ended up in the Bay Area after some twists and turns. When working with Judith Hasko, a senior partner in our Silicon Valley office, I feel like none of that matters, in a good way, because I know that I will be treated fairly regardless of who I am or what I am based on my performance and judgment. Judith allowed me to grow confidence in myself and challenged me to treat others with similar fairness. Tony Klein, another senior partner in our Silicon Valley office, encouraged me to work as a team by delegating where appropriate and growing into a strategic business advisor as well as a legal counselor. It’s still hard for me to know when to hold on and do the work myself versus when to ask for support and Tony has guided me through this process. Both partners are also absolute subject matter experts in each of their respective fields, who are there to solve clients’ problems in the most efficient and practical way.

Frances: I echo Jekkie’s praises of Judith, who is a phenomenal and pragmatic lawyer that I’ve had the good fortune to work with for many years. Her knowledge of the industry is second to none. Another important influence on me is Gail Crawford. She taught me by example that the best way to lead is to join your team in the trenches. Her management style is one I try to emulate with the lawyers I lead now. Last but not least, Robbie McLaren. Through his support and recognition of my good qualities, and his own inimitable personality, Robbie has taught me that being myself at work is a strength not a weakness and that when you bring your whole self to the office, people will trust you more, and you will have a lot more fun in the process.

I have had so many mentors, including a tremendous family of lawyers here at Latham as well as clients who share both their time and wisdom, so I can be a more effective lawyer for them.

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

Jekkie: First, sit at the table. As a second year associate, I was asked to attend a meeting to take notes so that I could revise an agreement thereafter. As I entered the meeting room, I saw that all of the seats at the table were taken, so went to sit in the corner. The partner in the room turned around, noticed what I was about to do, and told me to pull up my chair to take a seat at the table next to him, while asking others to make room for me. As I dragged my chair to the table, he told me that I should always sit at the table, especially when I am the one doing the work. I truly appreciated the gesture and the advice. I think it’s a good advice for younger professionals to practice, and for more experienced professionals to consider when mentoring others.

Second, play by the rules. I’ve heard this often and from a number of supervisors and mentors over the years. I think this means more than the literal sense of complying with the written rules or the law, but broadly to honor basic social rules and norms, which are sometimes implied and unwritten. It’s similar to sportsmanship. Our duty is always to the client, but respecting all those involved, including the counterparties and acting fair, I think, is what this advice has always meant.

Third, spellcheck! In the literal sense, of course, but also more broadly speaking, always keep an eye on the final detail orientation. That’s advice my mentor Judith Hasko passed on — she reminded me that we are in a service industry, and paying attention to those small things in the final version isn’t just a cherry on top for clients, but a required final piece of the puzzle.

Frances: My first piece of advice also involves seating. As a junior lawyer, I once sat at the edge of the room and as attendees entered would make them coffee. The female partner I worked with beckoned me over to sit next to her, in the middle of the action, and let people find their own refreshments. As she put it, clients value lawyers for their brains, not their barista skills.

Another incredible piece of advice I received is that to get the most out of people, trust them. Right now I manage an incredible team, and part of my management philosophy is to give them space to develop, which creates self-motivation on their part. If you hire brilliant people, support them when they need it, they will learn and grow into their best selves.

Finally, as a female working with innovative clients, I’ve learned to bring my whole, authentic self to the office — given how much time we all spend working, it’s much more sustainable than trying to cultivate a separate work personality. I’ve also found that my clients respond well to that genuine nature, and we build a much stronger rapport and collaborative environment.

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

Jekkie: People who are willing to guide you and your growth are certainly out there, but connecting with a professional network, then growing and maintaining that network can be challenging. I’ve learned over the years that I am a mix of extrovert/introvert. While I am not particularly good at networking at large conferences, I absolutely enjoy meeting with people on an individual level or in a small group and learning about each person, then continuing that relationship. At the same time, I need the time to recover by myself and with my family after networking with people.

It took me many years to understand how I needed to network at my best, based on my preferences and personality, and not on industry norms, which until recently may have been more male-focused or driven.

Frances:. For women in disruptive industries, it’s essential to set boundaries and learn to switch off without guilt. I love what I do, and I find that I invest much more of myself in the work when I give myself permission to create space for other aspects of my life, and there’s not a sense of competition for my attention.

An additional note, and I’d say this probably rings true for people from all backgrounds, resist the pressure to assimilate. A lot of us experience the thought that you cannot excel in a room where no one looks, or sounds, or thinks like you, but embracing your uniqueness allows your authenticity to shine through. My advice for ‘women disruptors’ is to develop a strong support network and a work culture that embraces diversity and empowers people from all kinds of backgrounds. I’ve found that at Latham, where I sit in a room full of diverse faces, voices, and mindsets all working together to help each other excel.

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

Female Disruptors: Jekkie Kim and Frances Stocks Allen Of Latham & Watkins On The Three Things You… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Women In Wellness: Nicole Starbuck On The Five Lifestyle Tweaks That Will Help Support People’s Journey Towards Better Wellbeing

An Interview With Candice Georgiadis

Take a break from social media. Like the news, social media is rife with negativity. A social media detox will allow your mind to reset, not to mention allow you to spend more time on other things instead. If you can’t avoid using social media (for example, if it’s an essential part of your business), turn off your notifications and limit the amount of time you spend checking your channels. I personally only use social media for my business and restrict the amount of time I spend on it, which helps keep me sane.

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

Nicole Starbuck is a quantum energy healer, spiritual mentor, and life coach empowering entrepreneurs to become the best version of themselves. She’s also the host of the Chronically Conscious podcast and author of Stress Size: How My Hunger for Control Almost Killed Me. Having overcome anxiety, depression, and chronic illness, Nicole is passionate about showing people how to shift from anxious to aligned so they too can stress less and achieve more.

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?

At the age of nine, I first discovered my intuitive abilities, but it took hitting rock bottom in my 20’s to step into my power and own my worth. Go to school, get good grades, have a job with great pay and excellent benefits, and everything will be fine, or so I thought. When I graduated from university and immediately secured a prestigious position as an assistant store manager at a retail store, I thought I was on my way to the top of the corporate ladder. Instead, I quickly hit rock bottom. Anxious, stressed out, and overworked, I started controlling every aspect of my life, from each calorie I consumed to every penny I spent. But as my dress size shrank, my stress size grew. I didn’t realize that the more tightly I tried to hold onto control, the more it spiraled away from me. It took waking up in an emergency room after a massive panic attack to realize how I’d allowed my desire for control to consume me.

Enough was enough, and I started tuning into my intuition, honoring my needs, and taking better care of myself. Embracing my spirituality empowered me to ditch my 9-to-5 after spending more than 15 years in traditional marketing and sales roles. In the process, I learned how to empower women to become successful leaders without sacrificing their self-care or their sanity. Today, I’m showing women worldwide how to tap into their intuition to create a life they love.

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?

After quitting my job as an assistant store manager, I started working from home as a virtual assistant for Silicon Valley startups. The pay was decent, and it was convenient working from home, but I wanted something more. I remember driving home from the store one day, wishing something new would come along. The next day, I received an email from a previous colleague asking me to work for her. It was the Law of Attraction in action, and, ironically, she was a law of attraction coach! This opportunity enabled me to quit my other job and earn more money working fewer hours. The partnership also provided me with the training, tools, and resources I needed to later go into business for myself.

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 started my business, I was terrified to go on camera, so I made a New Year’s resolution to start doing live videos on social media to overcome my fear. I’m a recovering perfectionist, and one of the first Facebook lives I did was about overcoming perfectionism. Ironically, I streamed the entire video in the wrong direction, so I appeared sideways the whole time! I didn’t realize my mistake until after the livestream. At first, I felt mortified, but then I laughed about it. It was funny the video about being perfect was imperfect. The experience taught me it’s okay to make mistakes and laugh at myself. After all, I’m only human.

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?

Energy work has a powerful ripple effect. It transforms my clients and those around them. What makes quantum energy healing so powerful is the sheer speed at which changes can take effect. I’m a solution seeker, and as a coach and healer, I don’t simply point out the problems, but I help my clients identify the solutions. We uncover and treat the root cause, often a deeply buried childhood memory. Through guided meditation, I can help my clients peel back the layers of their subconscious minds and release their hidden emotions. As a result, my clients emerge from our sessions more closely aligned with their higher self, the best possible version of themselves. They then go out and shine their light and positively impact the world.

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.

1. Don’t watch the news. What you focus on grows, and most media channels focus on what’s going wrong in the world. All of this negativity exacerbates or even causes stress and anxiety. For example, my parents and in-laws watch the news every day, and all they ever seem to talk about is what’s wrong with the world. If watching TV brings you down, then don’t watch it. You don’t have to listen to the news to be informed. If you feel the need to stay tuned into what’s happening, read the highlights, or set a time limit for how much media you consume each day or week. I don’t have cable TV and never watch the news, and I’m doing great.

2. Take a break from social media. Like the news, social media is rife with negativity. A social media detox will allow your mind to reset, not to mention allow you to spend more time on other things instead. If you can’t avoid using social media (for example, if it’s an essential part of your business), turn off your notifications and limit the amount of time you spend checking your channels. I personally only use social media for my business and restrict the amount of time I spend on it, which helps keep me sane.

3. Purge negative people. Unfriend, unfollow, or block anyone on social media who frequently complains or makes you feel bad about yourself. Likewise, distance yourself from anyone who isn’t encouraging, supportive, or motivating to you. If you can’t cut someone from your life altogether, establish healthy boundaries and spend less time with them. You become who you surround yourself with, so spend more time with people who inspire you. I only spend time with people who add value to my life, including my husband, mom, and a few close friends who are positive and uplifting.

4. Do grounding meditations and deep breathing exercises. Spend at least five minutes a day in “quiet time.” Get comfortable, close your eyes, and take deep breaths to calm your anxious mind and body. Visualize yourself connecting to the earth. Feel the positive energy entering your body with each inhalation and negative energy leaving your body with each exhalation. If you can’t seem to sit still to meditate, try stepping outside for a few minutes. Soak up the sun and walk barefoot in the grass for the same effect.

5. Get back in touch with nature. Spend at least 10–15 minutes a day outside. Go for a walk or hike, or do an activity outdoors. Bonus point if you can catch some rays, since sunlight promotes vitamin D production in the body, and vitamin D deficiency can mimic symptoms of depression. If the weather or your schedule makes getting outside a challenge, pet your dog or cat for a few minutes each day. If you don’t have any pets, show your neighbor’s pets some love. Petting animals can reduce stress and anxiety, plus it’s fun to do. I have two Pembroke Welsh Corgis who help keep me calm.

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 want to raise the consciousness of the world. The more people learn how to tap into and trust their intuition, the more they align with their higher self (the best version of themselves), and the more peace, joy, and happiness they will experience. When you fill up your cup, you can pour into others.

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

1. It’s okay to cry. I accidentally made my first coaching client cry during our first session. I knew coaching would be life-changing for my clients, but I didn’t expect these intense emotions, especially during the first session. I panicked. However, I’ve since realized crying is common in coaching sessions and can be such a cathartic release. It’s okay for coaches to cry, too! Sometimes the shifts are so powerful I find myself in tears.

2. You don’t have to have it all figured out. When I started my business, I felt overwhelmed by other coaches claiming to have the secret to success, and I fell for all sorts of marketing gimmicks. I can’t tell you how much money I wasted on courses and programs that didn’t work. But I kept buying into the pressure to perform because I thought if I didn’t complete the purchase, I wouldn’t have the answers I needed. The truth was I already had all of the information I needed. All I needed to do was tune into my intuition to access it.

3. Not everyone is going to agree with you. After several years, my family still doesn’t understand what I do, and they disagree with my use of spiritual tools like pendulums and tarot cards. However, I learned not to dim my light to make other people happy. I have to be who I am regardless of what other people think.

4. It’s not easy. Building a business takes time and energy. But, you can attract your soulmate clients with energy and excitement without burning yourself out. Doing what brings you joy is the purest form of success.

5. But it’s worth it. My mission in life is to become the best version of myself to empower others to do the same. Watching my clients step into their power and own their worth is unbelievably satisfying. It gives meaning to my life and makes all of the time and effort I’ve put into building my practice worth it.

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

Mental health is the cause closest to my heart because I know what it’s like to feel anxious and depressed. There were times when I wanted to end my life, but deep down, I believed my pain had a purpose. I knew I needed to keep going to help others overcome the same struggles. That’s why I became a quantum energy healer and spiritual mentor to empower people discover their soul’s purpose, shift from anxious to aligned, manifest their desires, and make their dreams come true.

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

Website: https://www.nicolestarbuck.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nicole.starbuck

Thank you for these fantastic insights!

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

Justin Benton of 101 Hemp: 5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Started Leading a Cannabis or CBD Business

An Interview With Candice Georgiadis

Niche down until it hurts then niche again. You want to be the Category King in your niche which many times mean creating a new category.

As part of my series about “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Started Leading a Cannabis Business” I had the pleasure of interviewing Justin Benton.

Justin Benton, Investor, CEO & Founder of 101Hemp.org loves helping others, seeing them realize their potential & being a change for good. Justin Benton discovered the power of this miracle plant in its Raw form when it brought his child back from the fog so he committed his life’s work to pay it forward by educating the world about his story and how the hemp/cannabis plant can help billions of people around the world with its seemingly endless uses.

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

Our second child was born happy and healthy, we were having fun playing catch in the backyard, teaching him new words and having fun going to amusement parks and doing with you do with 3 year olds.

Then all of the sudden he stopped talking, starting playing by himself, stopped making eye contact and basically went into his own world. I thought it was just a phase, or he was having a growth spurt. My wife took him in for an evaluation then we can the phone call that changed our life forever. Our son had developed severe regressive Autism. Our whole world stopped.

We didn’t know what Autism really was, we did not know if he was ever going to be able to take care of himself, we didn’t know what to do, nobody prepares you for your child’s well-being coming into question.

We were getting advice from different agencies and what they were telling us was his diagnosis was something we would have to live with and manage but I was not willing to accept that. We started doing research and working with the best experts in the world and we began to try different things that were aligned with our holistic philosophy.

We were making some progress with cleaning up his diet and focusing on nutrition & supplements but we still had a long way to go. Then we got our big break we were praying for when we came across a miracle plant that was helping children with epilepsy and seizures. I figured if it could help kids with seizures which is neurological maybe by the grace of God it would help my son with his diagnosis which was neurological.

We tried many different products on the market but didn’t get the success we were praying for, but I wasn’t going to give up because if it was working for other kids I believed it could help mine. So, I decided to go all in on the hemp plant to learn as much as I could which meant meeting with experts, scientists and doctors with the most experience. Then I came across research showing how raw hemp-cannabis products were helping people with cancer. That was the Aha moment, all the companies we tried were heating and denaturing the plant.

So, we grew some high CBDa Hemp in our backyard. One morning we made a simple cold-pressed hemp oil and I brought it with us to a pumpkin patch for Halloween. My son was having a horrible time, screaming, hiding under benches, covering his ears, just miserable and over-whelmed in the social setting as many kids on the Autism Spectrum Disorder are. I grabbed the oil from my pocket and gave it to my wife and said let’s try this.

She gave it to him orally and literally 2 minutes later he snapped out of it! The grandparents came up to us and asked, “what was that you gave him that was amazing!” And that’s when we knew we had found what we were looking for and we are now happy to report our son no longer has his diagnosis due in large part to incorporating raw hemp oil along with a clean diet feeding his body the nutrients it needed to detoxify all the pesticides, heavy metals and toxins that had accumulated in his body.

Because our prayers were answered we set up 101Hemp.org to pay it forward to educate, give hope by sharing our story and access to the same products that worked for us.

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

We started our organization to help other families affected by Autism, but other people would find us because they heard this miracle plant could help with a whole host of ailments and diseases. One day a tall German woman in her 70’s walked into our office and said she would like to try our oil. We said sure may we ask what are you wanting to use it for? She said she had late-stage cancer and she did her research and said we had the best oil around and she was going to take our oil to treat herself. She said she would rather die than go through chemotherapy and radiation again.

I remember being blown away. I had heard CBD & cannabis could help with the symptoms of cancer treatments, but I didn’t know it could help battle cancer. We encouraged her to keep her doctor in the loop and we gave her our 50% off compassionate discount and asked her to keep in touch.

A few weeks would pass, and she would come back and get another bottle. Then a few more weeks would pass, and she would come in and get another bottle. We asked how she was doing, and she said “Great, I’m playing tennis 5-days week and I feel good!’ Then a couple more weeks passed, and she came in to get some more oil. Finally, we asked, have you checked in with your doctor or had any more tests? She said she had and that her tests were clean and that she was cancer free! We couldn’t believe it! She changed my understanding of this plant and how it can help our bodies get healthy especially when combined with a clean diet, proper hydration, exercise and getting enough sleep.

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?

Since I came from the Online Business to Business World, I didn’t know we needed to get a city business license to operate. One day we got a visit from a lady with a clipboard and boots asking for our city permit (we were reported by a big chain store that also sold CBD). I gave her all my paperwork and she gave me a fix it ticket to get registered with the city.

So I went down to the city to register they said they didn’t allow CBD companies. So, this proceeded a 18 month battle with the city which finally after the passing of the 2018 Farm Bill they finally granted us one!

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

With the exciting research coming out of Oregon State showing the potential of raw CBDa & CBGa protect us from getting viruses like Covid-19, it seems this plant knows no limits. We have a Boost X oil that has 8000% more CBDa than other products on the market and 400% more CBGa than other Full Spectrum products.

We are encouraged there are more studies coming out of places like the University of Chicago showing this miracle plant is helping people stay healthy and safe in these trying times.

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?

When we got the call about my son’s severe Autism diagnosis the first call I made was to my mom. She’s a retired school psychologist who specialized helping kids with special needs, so I wanted her take on my son’s condition. When she flew out and agreed that’s when I knew we really had our work cut out for us.

My mom raised us holistically and the power of plant-based medicine. Fortunately she was also a certified Integrative Nutritionist so under her unique combination of skills and expertise she guided us on my son’s road to recovery.

I shudder to think where my son would be if it weren’t for my mom Janet Benton-Gaillard’s guidance and wisdom.

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

Digital Marketing. Hire the best digital marketing agency with a great track record in the hemp/cannabis space. Reach out and I will be happy to answer any questions at [email protected]

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

1. How this plant can help our bodies stay healthy
2. How this plant can help us recover and become healthy again
3. Innovation from all the wonderful people in the space, I can’t want to see what products and technology we come up with from the miracle plant.
4. I’m concerned about Over-regulation
5. The Big Companies being allowed to dominate the industry not leaving room for small and medium sized businesses
6. I’m concerned with Big Pharma influencing the FDA and trying to take control of all Cannabinoids

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

1. You better have a big enough Why to pull you through the tough times
2. Get a great legal team that specializes in hemp/cannabis
3. Figure out who your avatar or ideal customer is and make all of your decisions based on over delivering for them and that starts with asking them what they want.
4. Niche down until it hurts then niche again. You want to be the Category King in your niche which many times mean creating a new category.
5. Become a Marketing wizard or hire one.

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

Read Delivering Happiness by Tony Hsieh. Help your employees create and define your culture and only hire people that are a cultural fit and protect your culture like it was your child.

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. 🙂

Teach everybody through our videos and access to seeds how to grow legal hemp in their backyard. As Jack Herer said, “Hemp may not save the world, But it’s the only thing that can!”

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

Instagram @justin4hemp

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

Justin Benton of 101 Hemp: 5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Started Leading a Cannabis or… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

An Interview With Candice Georgiadis

Being disruptive in a positive way can take so many different forms. Even when something seems ‘not so positive’ from an external perspective, it can unfold to show that the internal aspects have a positive effect in a more subtle way. However, for me to say that I believe being disruptive is always positive, would be a lie. In terms of what I would deem as disruptive in a ‘not so positive’ aspect, would be intentionally doing something to hurt someone. In the sense of targeting opposed to advocating for.

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

Lindsay Dawn is a Canadian artist best known for her depiction of the female body that she combines with abstract, and street art essences. She starting painting figurative work in her early teens, and has since explored many styles, which reflects in her current paintings as a fusion of her years of study and exploration. Dawn produces work in a variety of mediums from oil, acrylic, airbrush, and spray paint to pastel, marker, and pencil while primarily working on canvas.

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?

Thanks for having me! So I started painting when I was in the womb, just kidding.. maybe. I do know that the first memory I have in life is finger painting. So it’s safe to say that being an artist wasn’t really a decision for me, more so destiny. Growing up I always had my hands in something creative whether it was painting, drawing, telling stories, daydreaming, or painting my nails a different shade everyday. You name it, I was probably trying to figure out how I could convince my mom to let me try it. I grew up in a small town in northern Canada and dreamed of moving to a big city since I was like 10. I wasn’t a huge fan of school but I always loved my art classes. Junior high was when I really fell in love with painting, and then that just carried into high school and so on. That was also the time I started painting the female form. End of junior high, into early high school I would paint bodies, or make an ear or some body part out of clay. I always kind of thrived on independence. So after I finished high school, I moved to another city and started working at MAC, which is actually what led me to LA. After about 3 months of working at MAC I decided I was going to go to makeup school, it was something that was still in the creative field but seemed more realistic than being a painter at the time. I think that was kind of a result of societal norms and the idea of the “starving artist” and that “art wasn’t a career”. So I enrolled in makeup school in LA, and 6 months later I drove here and started school. I ended up dropping out about 4 months into the program, I just wasn’t as passionate about it as I thought I would be. About a week later I came home and my friend Carley (that I was living with) had bought me an easel, canvas and some paint and was like “this is what you’re supposed to do ‘’. Fast forward almost 7 years later and here I am. So to answer the question of what led me to this career path, I think it was inevitable. If I’m not creating, I feel like I can’t breathe

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

The first thing that comes to mind with this question would be my obsession with trying to find my own way to do everything. So for me as a painter, that would mean not being categorized into a specific style, rather trying to create my own lane, and my own style that’s really a conjunction of many different things I’ve attempted to master. When myself, or anyone tries to describe my work, it doesn’t fit into one or two words. Instead it always ends up being something along the lines of figurative realism combined with surrealism, abstract and street art essences. To me, anything that challenges the norm can be disruptive. I’m sure some would consider my perception of women and sexuality to be disruptive. I feel like as a woman, and an artist it’s my job to stray people away from looking at things in such limiting ways. Rather than the female body having so many negative connotations attached to it, I want to challenge people’s perspectives. For example, the female body is constantly sexualized. As much as I want to change that perspective, I think challenging the ‘why’ behind something associated with being sexual is negative gives us another angle to look at things from. If you can look at a painting of a naked woman, or one that imposes the idea of sexuality and think it’s art, then why is it so hard to look at women and sexuality the same way in real life?

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

Truthfully, I don’t even like to use the word mistake in relation to art, because I have this whole “there are no mistakes in art” mindset. But I will say, the biggest mistake I made in the progression of my career was thinking I had to stick to one style of work. But all in all, that idea of thinking I had to fall into a category was what made me explore so many different styles, which ultimately resulted in where I’m at now. So when I look back, that “mistake” was essential to my artistic development. I think learning that even when you don’t think something is working for you, it’s all part of the bigger picture.

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?

Going through the motions of being a creative, I’m constantly seeking change, so I always end up having multiple mentors at a time for different things. One of my most impactful mentors is my friend Jona, he and I have been friends for about four years now. We met outside of a spot in Miami called, Exit Through the Donut Shop, and within an hour he managed to challenge everything about who I thought I was as an artist by giving me a piece of cardboard and some paint and saying “let’s make a painting”. I think I stared at it for an hour before he came over and took my hand and drew thick black lines and said “ok you started, now keep going”. Up until then I don’t know if I realized how much your ego can interfere with that initial start of creating. It dawned on me in that exact moment that while I’m super courageous and impulsive with life decisions, I was so afraid of myself in a creative aspect. That kind of set the tone for our relationship over the years. He always reminds me the importance of being myself unapologetically, trying new things with confidence and to create a way if there isn’t one.

I have three other main mentors, my friend Nancy who is a powerhouse business woman and has the most kind heart on the planet. She teaches me a lot about balance and compassion amongst other important life “stuff” everyday. And the other two, they know who they are, but each impacts my life in their own ways on a daily basis. They’re both confidants I look to for clarity on things that aren’t always directly related to my creative process, but more so on life decisions and how to make an impact. And last but most definitely not least, my mom was my biggest mentor.

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?

Being disruptive in a positive way can take so many different forms. Even when something seems ‘not so positive’ from an external perspective, it can unfold to show that the internal aspects have a positive effect in a more subtle way. However, for me to say that I believe being disruptive is always positive, would be a lie. In terms of what I would deem as disruptive in a ‘not so positive’ aspect, would be intentionally doing something to hurt someone. In the sense of targeting opposed to advocating for. For example, if you’re doing something out of spite, as a byproduct of something you either haven’t accepted within yourself, or about someone else, and your motive is backed by feelings of envy and anger. I would classify that as disruption in a ‘not so positive’ form. On the flip side, I think anything anyone is doing with good intent, from a place of openness, understanding and love, can be positive. Taking action to try and make a change, or make waves with the intention of progression or a healthy outcome, not just your own self or the entity behind you, is what makes being disruptive positive.

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

1. Never get too comfortable
2. It’s never too late
3. Breathe

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

I can’t give away all my secrets, but the one thing I will say is look out for new mediums, this year I will be incorporating more diversity into my process. Performance art is something I’ve been really into lately, so you might see some of that. I also have an NFT project that I am the creative director of titled “Shama Shorties” that’s going to be released in the next few months in collaboration with Arushi Gallery, and Sliztoonz. Just know whatever I’m doing will be nothing less than disruptive.

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

The feeling of having to prove yourself worthy of something. I know there are most definitely men that face this as well, but speaking as a woman in the arts, in my experience people are more likely to jump to conclusions with women and their success opposed to men. For example, I’ve always had people alluding to my success being a result of the fact that I’m a confident woman opposed to the fact that I am actually talented. We need to move away from this rhetoric and focus on what matters, the art.

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

‘The Celestine Prophecy’ by James Redfield is one of the most impactful books in my collection. A friend of mine gave it to me when I first moved to LA, and there are so many hidden gems in there that have stuck with me in terms of energy and human interaction. Otherwise, I’m a big interview person, I love watching and reading interviews from people that are rebels of their time. From Madonna to Prince to Basquiat, I love hearing the perspective of people that have made waves, and almost always find something to apply to my life from their way of existing. That’s something I urge people to do more of, watch/read interviews, I think it gives the voice back to the artist and strays away from misinterpretation.

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. 🙂

Removing the negative connotation from the idea of sexuality or being sexual. Obviously I mean this in the terms of things that are not harming others. But from removing the idea that a person being sexual, or sexually expressive is a bad thing.

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

My mother had one tattoo, and it read ‘the journey is the reward’. That is single-handedly the best advice that I remind myself of daily. As humans, we spend so much time living in a state of ‘destination addiction’ where we’re always giving our energy to fixating on the past, or anticipating the future.. “when I have this i’ll be this” or “when this happens i’ll be this” and so on. When we learn to be grateful for things in the moment, is when we can be at peace.

How can our readers follow you online?

My website, lindsaydawstudios.com , instagram @itslindsaydawn and @lindsaydawnstudios, twitter @itslindsaydawn and just keep an eye out for new projects!

Thank you for these fantastic insights!

Female Disruptors: Lindsay Dawn 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.

Women In Wellness: Dr Tanya Carroccio of Benehealth On The Five Lifestyle Tweaks That Will Help Support People’s Journey Towards Better Wellbeing

An Interview With Candice Georgiadis

“Not everyone has the same enthusiasm as you.” When I am passionately talking about the work we do and the amazing help we have provided to our patients I tend to forget that not everyone is ready for change or is ready to hear that there is a different way to approach health and wellness. I don’t lose my enthusiasm; I just try to figure out how to make my message more compelling.

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

Dr. Tanya Carroccio, DNP is a doctorally prepared nurse practitioner with 30 years of healthcare experience in a variety of roles and settings. She is currently the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Benehealth, a rapid expansion franchise model for functional medicine and regenerative aesthetics practices. Dr. Carroccio lives with her husband, her golden retriever Missy and her cat Milo. She enjoys family time, hiking, scuba diving and painting.

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 to share my story. I was very fortunate to be able to grow up rurally on a small ranch in southern New Mexico with several horses, cattle, and other barn animals. We also farmed alfalfa. I was constantly busy on the ranch, which I attribute to my drive to always wanting to be productive. I graduated high school at 16 and started my microbiology degree at NMSU. During my first year in college, I had a son and found myself as a single mother. I did not let this slow me down, but I did change my major to nursing, with a minor in microbiology.

Since getting my nursing degree my life has been a plethora of opportunities. I started out as a trauma/emergency nurse as my first role and that lasted for about 7 years. This is still one of my most favorite clinical experiences. Why? Because I could be a critical thinker, no time for drama, and I could really be there both clinically and emotionally for the patient and family during possibly the scariest time in their life. I witnessed significant burn-out with the nurses and doctors during my tenure, which sadly made me want to not work in that environment. It was not the patients, but my peers that drove me away from the ER. There is so much burnout now among healthcare workers. It truly breaks my heart for both the patients and the professionals.

I was then recruited to take a leadership role in the cardiac cath/electrophysiology/vascular lab for a new heart hospital, which really started my leadership journey. During this time, I was also finishing my Master’s in Business Administration so I could have a better understanding of the operational side of healthcare, as well as being a soccer coach and a volunteer school nurse at my son’s school.

I was asked to start a company with a colleague helping seniors and their families navigate difficult decisions when it came to the elderly not being able to live alone. After a few years of successful foundation building for Assisted Living Locators (now over 130 franchises across the country), I sold my partnership, got married and moved away from Phoenix for a while. The next 15 years I took on several executive roles such as chief nursing officer, chief of quality/safety, chief clinical officer and chief compliance officer. These were wonderful (and stressful) experiences and set me up for the experiential, educational and knowledge foundation to take the leap and start a new business that is going to help millions of people reach optimal health and longevity.

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?

So many stories, so little time! But for this question, I want to focus on my own health story. In my 20’s and early 30’s I looked and felt healthy. I would gain or lose around 10 pounds during a typical year, but never really was too concerned about my overall weight. I ate the typical SAD (Standard American Diet) but was very active at the gym and hiking. In my late 30’s I started noticing some menacing symptoms, such as occasional heartburn, painful menstruation and GI issues (bloating/gas/constipation/diarrhea). By the time I was almost 40, I had gallstones requiring removal of my gallbladder, carried TUMS around with me everywhere I went and needed a hysterectomy for uterine fibroids. It seemed that overnight I had become a hot health mess. Not to mention the 10 pounds that I would gain and lose, never went away. As a matter of fact, over the next several years I had put on 10 pounds a year, with a total of ~80 pound weight gain! I also did not realize my lack of coping skills and poor work boundaries caused significant stress which I carried with me constantly. This made me sick frequently, causing me to take antibiotics a few times a year. By the time I was in my mid-40’s, my perfect blood pressure increased to unhealthy levels requiring medicine, plus I needed to start on PPI’s, a very strong medicine to combat severe heartburn, plus medication for out-of-control cholesterol and metformin for pre-diabetes! I went from looking and feeling good to being a high cardiovascular risk, tired, insomnia, moody and the list goes on — all before the age of 50. The medications I was put on were making me sicker and causing long-term cellular damage. I knew I needed to change. That is when I sought out functional medicine for a deep dive into my health issues. I knew that conventional medicine was only going to prescribe more pills and make me feel worse. Creating and going through our own Benehealth Restore program I have been able to lose 40 pounds, remove all prescription medication and feel incredible. We focus on “healthy weight” and not just “weight loss” for a reason. Accomplishing realistic goals for health is imperative for a sustainable health strategy. I still have some more weight to lose, but by reaching a healthy weight I have the energy, feel great and motivated to continue. I know that addressing the underlying causes of my chronic illnesses allowed me to reach my goals without having to be ridiculously restrictive or counting carbs or calories. So, I guess the main lesson — don’t wait to care appropriately for yourself. If you think you are heading in the direction of potential chronic disease or have chronic symptoms causing health issues, or want to prevent illness — go see a functional medicine practitioner NOW. You are worth it. I recommend you visit our website to learn more about functional medicine or check out the Institute of Functional Medicine.

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?

One that comes to mind is when I was just starting out in leadership and needed to convince hospital administration, physicians, and my peers that the current process we had for operational efficiency and patient safety was not working when it came to patient throughput or “flow” while in the hospital or outpatient setting. I was given one shot at pleading my argument for major hospital-wide changes, with all the key stakeholders and decision-makers in the boardroom. I had worked with a small team and gathered all my data, facts, and research and we designed a strategic plan complete with the compelling reasons for change and a comprehensive, quality-focused approach to consider. Our work was applauded after I finished the presentation. I felt so good…until the CFO started asking questions. I realized that I had only covered the basic financials for the project but did not fully address the larger financial barriers. I felt really foolish for being so narrow-minded in my approach.

The lessons I learned were — it is imperative to get like-minded people on the team for traction and enthusiasm and motivation. But, by not including all potential stakeholders early on left a huge gap in our plan. Thankfully, the hospital president was very supportive, and we were able to work through the financials and implement it with huge success. Since then, I have cast the net wide for expertise when it comes to projects or process changes. That includes at Benehealth, where we have a volunteer Advisory Board that assists us with areas not in our expertise.

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?

Our work is based on the principles of functional medicine, which uncovers the underlying causes of disease, rather than merely treating symptoms. As we discuss on our website, conventional medicine is driven by dividing the body and mind into separate systems and treating symptoms, usually with prescription medicine. Our human body is super intelligent and works as a whole system. Each individual is as unique biologically as their fingerprint or DNA. So, having strict standards of care that are supposed to work for the masses does not make sense. Often we see patients who have started on one medication for a symptom and end up on 3–4 more medications to combat symptoms or because the original medication is not sufficient. The promotional commercials for pharmaceuticals tell it like it is when it comes to adverse side effects. Yet, the majority of people (and practitioners) believe that medicine is the first line of defense against chronic illness. Don’t get me wrong, conventional medicine is amazing when it comes to life-saving treatments. It is necessary for acute illness or trauma. But when it comes to chronic illness, prevention and achieving optimal health, getting to the underlying cause is imperative so as not to make the symptoms worse, add new symptoms or worsen the condition. It may not impact the world, but that is how Benehealth plans on impacting every single person that comes to us for symptom reversal or disease regression or prevention of chronic illness.

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.

Ok. These are not in any order, but first — stop drinking sugary drinks and drink more water. Added sugar, whether in juice or sodas or health drinks is a low hanging fruit when it comes to improving health. Fresh, filtered water in a reusable container should be your primary go to drink throughout the day.

Decrease stress by taking control of your environment and how you react to stressful situations. We voluntarily allow a great deal of stress into our lives. Turn off the news. Take a social media sabbatical. Be mindful of others’ negativity and create boundaries to protect yourself from it. Stress is harsh on our biological system and if out of control can cause chronic illnesses such as obesity, hypertension, and GI dysfunction.

We have heard it time and again, but movement is so important. Especially if you can get that movement in nature. Even if you are not used to exercising, I recommend at the very minimum you walk 10 minutes after every meal or snack. Take the stairs. Walk around the building or home. Just move. Being sedentary has been shown on biomarkers such as an increase in insulin, triglycerides and LDL cholesterol levels. Of course, a regular exercise or high intensity workout regime would be optimal.

Limit your exposure to toxins. Taking you shoes off at the door will prevent pesticides and other chemicals

from being tracked into your home. At our offices, we ask that clients remove their shoes, bring or purchase non-skid socks or wear booties. This keeps the toxins from asphalt and other areas out of the office. Benehealth intentionally uses zero or ultra low VOC products for our office renovation. Plus, we have a Pro-Molecule filtration system in our office to ensure clean air. Also, avoid storing or microwaving food in plastics. Use glass or ceramic instead.

Live your life with purpose. Purposeful living is using your unique gifts to contribute to a meaningful cause while creating a life that you love. Living with purpose gives meaning to your life, which leads to happiness and contentment. Allow yourself time each day to reflect on your values and center yourself. Meditation, even for 10–15 minutes a day, helps to keep you grounded. Practice some deep breathing and positive affirmations. Take the time to enjoy a sunset, stop to help a neighbor, hold the door for a stranger. Don’t be so busy that you miss the little opportunities to find beauty in your life.

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 want to see health becoming an obsession for the masses and that demand for holistic practice supersedes traditional medicine so that research and insurance companies promote wellness by encouraging members to see functional medicine practitioners in order to dive deep into a person’s symptoms or disease process. This includes financially covering a 45–60 minute visit, each time! The 10–20 minute office visits are not acceptable for patients or for practitioners. People need to say ‘no more’ to medications as a primary frontline defense for chronic illness. The health movement would also include a major reduction in processed and non-organic foods,a push for regenerative farming and significant oversight to reduce toxins and pollutants we ingest or inhale every day.

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

1. “Not everyone has the same enthusiasm as you.” When I am passionately talking about the work we do and the amazing help we have provided to our patients I tend to forget that not everyone is ready for change or is ready to hear that there is a different way to approach health and wellness. I don’t lose my enthusiasm; I just try to figure out how to make my message more compelling.
2. “Plan for 20% contingency, then add on another 20%.” I found out that even with a scrubbed budget and the best quotes on product/services, ect. that things ultimately get missed in a start-up business. It is best to have a good contingency for your start-up budget, so that when you have those unexpected expenses or missed items, you realize it is going to be ok.
3. “Be picky about those you choose to support you”. I initially started looking for advisors that I knew were excellent in their field of expertise. When I asked those couple of advisors for support, I asked as if I was ‘putting them out’ or causing disruption in their life. Because of that, I had two advisors not even make it past the first couple of meetings. So, then I realized I need to change my mind set to “it is an honor to be an advisor for Benehealth” and became pickier about the person and their interest, rather than just expertise.
4. “Don’t forget to cultivate current relationships.” Getting wrapped up with starting a new business certainly requires intense focus. But, what I realized after potentially missing out on some key alliances is that those relationships that you had in previous workplaces or situations need to not be forgotten. They are key to helping the business get off the ground.
5. “Enjoy the high times but be prepared for the crisis”. When you are excited about the vision and mission of your company and wrapped up in all the operations and set up to be successful, you sometimes forget that this excitement “high” does not last forever and that there will be plenty of times where things are not going so smoothly. Have your plan in place when things are not going as planned and don’t forget to celebrate often.

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

Oh my…all of them are hugely important and they are all interlinked in some way. I have the most influence over mental health through our focus on the whole person for health and wellness. As I have mentioned, the mind is a part of the body and what affects the body, affects the mind and vice-versa. There is so much science behind how we can influence our mental state by fixing our state of health. The gut-brain connection is one of those amazing marvels. Our gut has incredible capabilities that surpass even our other organs, and has its own enteric nervous system, often called the “second brain”. So much is now known about the gut microbiome and gut-brain connection that influences our daily health. For example, the gut is our largest storage for serotonin, which plays a vital role with sleep, mood, appetite, pain sensitivity and overall well-being. So instead of taking a pill for anxiety, we could start by identifying issues and fixing the gut.

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

Sign up for our YouTube channel. We are starting a video series, which you will not want to miss because we will be providing excellent biohacks for health, wellness, longevity and beauty.

Follow us on Instagram (www.instagram.com/benehealth_az) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/benehealth4life)

Thank you for these fantastic insights!

Women In Wellness: Dr Tanya Carroccio of Benehealth 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.

Women In Wellness: Ella Magers of Sexy Fit Vegan on the Five Lifestyle Tweaks That Will Help Support People’s Journey Towards Better Wellbeing

An Interview With Candice Georgiadis

Time Spent Building Connection And Community Is Often More Valuable Than “Getting Shit Done”. I’m a doer, a strong-willed independent woman, and an introvert. I thought I could put my head down, create a website, produce content, and build a thriving business. I was missing a HUGE piece of the puzzle… community. It wasn’t until I started spending more time and energy connecting with others, collaborating, and GIVING my help, that I was able to succeed.

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

Ella Magers is the founder of Sexy Fit Vegan and is changing the way the world views veganism. Ella is a world-leading fitness trainer, Maverick of wellness, and animal rights advocate, building the bridge between veganism, advocacy, and systemic reform, in order to shift the market and accelerate organizational change. Ella has been named “Top 50 Trainers in America”, by Shape Magazine along with various other accreditations received from Fame Fitness World Championships.

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’d be happy to!

I discovered my life’s purpose when I was just 7 years old.

My mom picked me up after school to take me to gymnastics practice (I’ve been into sports and fitness since I was five), and asked how my day was. I told her we learned about Daniel Boone (one of our first American folk heroes who infamously carried around a shotgun and wore a raccoon hat).

I was confused and told my mom that I couldn’t understand why they called Daniel Boone a hero because he killed and ate animals.

My mom was honest with me and said, “Well Ella, we are just fortunate because we get to go to the grocery store to buy our meat to eat.”

It was at that moment that I connected the food on my plate with the animal that it was and told my mom that I would never eat meat again!

By the time I turned 15, I had learned about the cruelty of the dairy and egg industries and went fully vegan and became an activist before I could drive a car.

Seeing the world through such a different lens than most people, and caring so deeply about the plight of animals was tough, however, at the age of 16, I was diagnosed with clinical depression and struggled with severe anxiety. I felt like I had the weight of the world on my shoulders.

At the same time, I believe that it is the clarity about my mission in life that saved me. Despite the depression, anxiety, alcohol, drugs, my college job working in nightclubs, and toxic relationships, I pulled through because of the responsibility I felt to advocate for animals.

It wasn’t until many years later that I became empowered with the mental and emotional self-coaching tools I now teach, and the deep sense of connection I now feel to the Universe.

After graduating college with a degree in Social Work, I began working in the fitness industry. The next chapter of my career was less about direct action activism, and more about inspiring others to get fit and healthy by working out and eating plants, which gave me the opportunity to help countless people make the transition to a whole foods plant-based diet.

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 created my brand, Sexy Fit Vegan in 2013 when veganism was just beginning to come into the limelight. I was a self-employed personal trainer at the time and had no idea how to monetize my new brand. I knew in my heart, however, that creating Sexy Fit Vegan was the move I needed to make, and because it was in line with my life’s purpose, I was motivated to simply start creating content and finding ways to let my voice and message be heard.

I created a website and started blogging. I was soon receiving welcomed publicity, including being named among Shape Magazine’s 50 top trainers in America and Trainer of the Month on the world’s leading bodybuilding and fitness website (bodybuilding.com). I was invited to speak in the media and got a book deal. It was satisfying knowing I was reaching so many people across the globe, and at the same time, my lack of business experience stunted my ability to monetize the brand, so I relied on personal training as income.

One day, I got a call from Amanda, who had discovered me by searching for vegan personal trainers. She hired me to train her and coach her on nutrition.

After a few sessions, Amanda asked me, “Aren’t you tired of being underpaid?” I was shocked. I was charging $100/hour. She then asked if I’d consider creating an online coaching program, which she said had the potential to be an extremely lucrative business model.

Turns out, Amanda was a business coach. She sold me on her own coaching program. The investment was significant, and it felt like a huge leap of faith. But my gut said, “Go for it!” and I did. I can say with certainty that the moment I committed to Amanda’s program, was the moment everything changed for me and Sexy Fit Vegan.

Within 8 weeks I was able to quit personal training and run the 6-Week Plant-Empowered Coaching Program full time. Not only did my business transform, but my mindset also transformed. I learned to value myself and my work. I owned my worth, released my scarcity mindset, let go of limiting beliefs, and exploded my business with passion and purpose!

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?

One of my (many) mistakes first starting out has everything to do with mindset.

I jumped into the fitness industry and became a personal trainer right out of college, not because I was passionate about fitness (I was), but because the opportunity landed in my lap and I knew it was something I could excel at.

As the years went by, I became more and more dissatisfied with my chosen profession. It was never meant to be my long-term career, because my heart was drawn to animal advocacy. I didn’t know how I could make a career out of my passion for veganism, however, because at the time, many people didn’t even know what the word vegan meant, and even fewer were interested in or open to moving in that direction.

I started resenting my work. I felt as if I was wasting my life, my time, my talents, and my passion. I lived in a constant state of stress, feeling like I was not making a difference in the world or for animals.

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?

Healing the world starts with healing ourselves!

My coaching programs, and what Master Mindset Coach Stephanie Hamilton Aguilar and I teach on The Vegan Life Coach Podcast are all rooted in helping people learn how to harness the power we have over our thoughts, becoming conscious of the subconscious beliefs that are keeping us from becoming the best versions of ourselves.

I believe that all life on this planet is interconnected. Quantum physics proves that we are all made up of energy, and that energy is not limited by time or space (call it what you’d like… God, Collective Consciousness, the Universe).

Where attention goes, energy flows. When we are caught up in conforming, people-pleasing, and feeling shameful about who we really are and what we look like, we are doing other people, animals, and the world a disservice. We are playing small, and denying the world the service we’re capable of due to our own insecurities and self-sabotage.

We’re all here, having been born into a contract with life… A contract that gives us the fortune of having the full human experience.

What’s extraordinary is that we have the superpower of writing the story of our lives. We have the opportunity to see life as a game of sorts, or even a puzzle, and with the right tools we can step into our divine power, access our conscious mind, and reprogram the old stories that aren’t serving us, and ultimately aren’t serving other people, animals, or the Planet.

From a place of inner peace and power, we can realize that we are all connected, human and non-human animals. We can understand that it is cooperation, not competition that will set us all free. We can embrace the fact that true inner peace and happiness can only be realized if we stop supporting and ingesting the suffering of other sentient beings. We can begin to move through the world with passion and purpose, LIVING the change we wish to see on Earth.

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.

1. Eating A Whole Foods Plant-Based Diet — Nourishing and fueling our bodies with proper nutrition is the most impactful way we can proactively get and stay healthy into old age.

A whole-food, plant-exclusive diet is a win-win for everyone and everything on this planet! The health benefits of a whole foods vegan diet are undeniable. By making some simple substitutes, like replacing meat with beans, and cow’s milk with almond milk, you can often prevent developing the world’s top killer diseases such as heart disease, obesity, diabetes, stroke, and in many cases cancer. I’ve been fortunate enough to see countless people through the process of transitioning to a healthy vegan way of life. It’s incredibly rewarding to see people finally reach health milestones like lowering their blood pressure and cholesterol as well as reversing their pre-diabetes and obesity statuses. We’ve also helped tons of people reach fitness goals like completing a triathlon, achieving a pull-up, losing weight (and keeping it off), and climbing mountains well into their later stages in life.

2. Eating Mindfully — It’s not only WHAT you eat that matters, It’s HOW you eat!

The trick I use to optimize digestion and avoid overeating is surprisingly simple, but a habit few people have established is chewing your food! Let me explain. I was doing a book signing on a vegan cruise years ago. Renowned physicians like Dr. Michael Gregor, Dr. T. Colin Campbell, and Dr. Neil Barnard were giving talks on different nutrition-related topics. Most of the information I was already very familiar with. However, I had a huge realization one day following a lecture, I wasn’t consistently eating mindfully. You see, our digestion starts with enzymes in our saliva. So, the longer food stays in our mouths the more pre-digestion we achieve, which makes it easier on our bodies when the food gets into our stomachs. And by chewing your food to a paste, you’re basically creating a smoothie in your mouth, which again, makes digestion run so much smoother. Chewing our food thoroughly (20–30 chews per bite) slows us down tremendously, which allows us to be present and enjoy each bite. Eating mindfully means being present, paying attention to the act of eating, and experiencing the food, tastes, textures, instead of shoveling it down your throat. Slowing down also gives us a better chance of recognizing when it’s time to stop eating. Our body will tell us when we’re full, but we often aren’t listening and miss the signals.

3. Exercising Because You Love Your Body (not as a punishment) — Most people correlate exercise with “burning calories” and losing weight.

For many, exercise is basically a punishment for eating too much or eating something we later feel guilty about. It becomes a chore that you “have to” do or else you’ll gain weight. The truth is, you can’t outrun your fork. What I mean is that no matter how insanely hard you work out, if you’re not fueling your body with nutrient-packed whole plant foods, you won’t achieve a healthy, fit body, at least not for long.

First off, you can only train for so long before your body starts to break down from overuse injuries to acute injuries to adrenal fatigue. (I have experienced all 3 thanks to all my years of overtraining).

Second, let’s talk burpees. Most people, myself included, have a love-hate relationship with burpees because they are one of the toughest, yet most effective total-body exercises that exist.

How many burpees do you think it takes to burn off the calories in just 3 Oreo cookies (which are accidentally vegan btw)?

Over 100!

So, if you’ve ever eaten something, thinking, “It’s okay, I’ll burn off these calories at the gym tomorrow,” you can understand how this thinking is flawed. Constantly working out for the purpose of burning off calories you feel guilty about consuming will keep you spinning your wheels, frustrated, and exhausted.

Instead of working out because you hate your body, imagine what it would be like to work out because you love and respect your body, and value health and the ability to be mobile and active into old age. Establish an empowering “why” and exercise becomes a form of self-care.

4. Do A Vocabulary Reboot — Consider how your life would be different if you let go of what you think you “should” or “have to” do.

I decided to lose the phrases, “I’m busy,” “I should,” and “I have to” from my vocabulary a couple of years ago, and the result was so positive I haven’t brought them back!

Busyness is a state of mind that makes us feel tired and overwhelmed. Instead of “I’m busy” I’ll say, “I put a lot on my plate,” which gives me the power to take something off my plate, or change what’s on my plate if I CHOOSE to.

“Should,” is a word we use when we are comparing ourselves to the standards of society, other people, or even ourselves at a different time. It keeps us from thinking critically about our actions. For example, instead of “I should go to that wedding,” say what you REALLY mean, and what the best decision is for YOU. This may be, “I don’t want to go to that wedding because my dog is sick and I don’t want to leave her, but I’m worried what my friends will think of me if I don’t go to that wedding,” which could lead to the new thought of, “I am choosing do decline the invitation, but I will send them an extra nice gift and card and explain the situation. If they are true friends they will understand.”

“I have to,” is a phrase that totally robs you of your power. Everything is a choice. You get to decide your thoughts and the perspective you will take on the situation at hand. A common example is, “I have to go to work,” which, if you don’t like your job, ensures you stay in a state of negativity, dragging yourself out of bed in misery day after day. What if instead, you said to yourself, “I choose to get up and go to work and am grateful to have a job (I know many people who don’t have one at all). I will continue my search for a job that I love. I know it’s out there, and I’m determined to find it!”?

These may seem like subtle shifts. I challenge you, however, to give it a shot and experience for yourself the impact it ultimately makes on your emotional health.

5. Add Meditation to Your Morning Routine — Most of us go-go-go from the time we get up until the time we veg out on the couch or go to bed at night.

By taking as little as 10 minutes each morning, before reaching for your phone, to go inward, connect with your heart center, and set your intentions for the day, you set yourself up to be more present and productive. Through meditation, we can elevate our consciousness, challenge the thoughts and beliefs that are keeping us stuck and raise our vibrations to the frequency that matches the vision we have for a happy, healthy and meaningful life.

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

The number of people who identify as spiritual, and are actively seeking guidance to raise their consciousness, embody love and compassion, and be the change they wish to see in the world is increasing rapidly… which is extraordinary!

Wellness goes way beyond physical health. The more we align our actions and behavior with our values, the more “well” and “whole” we become.

What I see missing in the messages of many of today’s leading spiritual guides and quantum theory teachers is the mention of the human-caused suffering of animals. Most people truly care about animals and do not want to hurt them. Yet, most people eat animals, most of whom have suffered tremendously in the horrific conditions of modern factory farms.

I believe we cannot find true wellness so long as we are ingesting the suffering of animals who, just like those we call pets, crave love, experience pain and fear, and who want to live. We cannot fully embody love until we take a stand and show love and compassion for ALL life on this planet.

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

1. A Scarcity Mindset Ensures Scarcity. Fun fact: I was born in a log cabin and was potty-trained in an outhouse! We didn’t have much. My wardrobe growing up consisted of thrift store finds. I was programmed with a scarcity mindset and took that with me for much of my life. When I learned that a life of abundance wasn’t achieved by working harder (I’ve always been a hard worker), but by living in a state of gratitude, and creating the energy of abundance from within, everything changed.
2. There Is No Failure Only Feedback. One of my most impactful mantras is, “Play life like a game.” It was my phrase of the year many years back when I became conscious of the anxiety and stress that was keeping me stuck. The old saying, “When one door closes, another one opens,” is absolutely true. If we pause and approach ourselves and our situation with curiosity and compassion, no matter how dire it seems, we will find the opportunity for growth.
3. Strive For Progress, Not Perfection. As a recovering perfectionist, I look back and see all the limiting beliefs and shame that my perfectionism was rooted in. By letting go of the need to be perfect, not only was I able to access a flow state in my business, but also, I was able to experience more joy, less stress, and make deep connections with my audience, which in turn helped grow my business.
4. Think Big, And Then Think Bigger. We don’t know what we don’t know! Shout out to Kathryn Porritt of Business Bravery for opening myself up to achieving greatness with the constant challenge to keep thinking bigger.
5. Time Spent Building Connection And Community Is Often More Valuable Than “Getting Shit Done”. I’m a doer, a strong-willed independent woman, and an introvert. I thought I could put my head down, create a website, produce content, and build a thriving business. I was missing a HUGE piece of the puzzle… community. It wasn’t until I started spending more time and energy connecting with others, collaborating, and GIVING my help, that I was able to succeed.

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

Veganism is my deepest passion. It encompasses sustainability, environmental changes, and mental, emotional, and spiritual health!

Part of my life’s work is facilitating a global paradigm shift around veganism. It’s an extraordinarily kind and compassionate way to live, yet it often gets a bad rap.

Many vegans don’t know how to handle the outrage they feel about the extreme suffering of animals, and they don’t have the tools to channel their anger and deep sadness in ways that effectively educate and encourage others to open their minds and be willing to make changes to the way they eat and live.

In our new podcast, Solutionary Vegan’s LEVEL-UP Podcast (launching spring, 2022), humane educator Jennifer Tourkin and I interview world-renowned visionaries and thought leaders to examine the effectiveness of different animal advocacy strategies. Our mission is to help vegans uplevel their efforts, shift the market, and accelerate both individual and systemic change.

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

You can follow my work on my website, Instagram, or Facebook.

Thank you for these fantastic insights!

Thank you for the opportunity!

Women In Wellness: Ella Magers of Sexy Fit Vegan 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.

Women In Wellness: Shlomit Schaal of UMass Memorial Heath On The Five Lifestyle Tweaks That Will Help Support People’s Journey Towards Better Wellbeing

An Interview With Candice Georgiadis

Invest in relationships and friendships. Life is not only filled with successes but also with many failures. There are not only sunny days, but rainy days, too. We all have difficult days, which is why social connections and circles of support are so important. Having people to lean on, who can also lean on you, helps you to overcome the low points in life and makes the sunny days even brighter.

As a part of my series about the women in wellness, I had the pleasure of interviewing Shlomit Schaal, MD, PhD, MHCM.

Above all, Dr. Shlomit Schaal considers her greatest strength to be her fierce curiosity; she finds beauty in grappling with scientific questions, learning the stories of her patients and approaching the mentorship of her students always with curiosity. She is the President of UMass Memorial Medical Group, and Professor and Chair of the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences at UMass Memorial Health and UMass Chan Medical School where she leads more than 1,100 physicians across nine hospitals, 91 hospital-licensed clinics, 79 office-based practices and multiple health care facilities. Dr. Schaal is a clinician-scientist, specializing in the cutting-edge medical and surgical treatment of complex vitreoretinal diseases and an academician who has dedicated her career to the values and lifestyle of academic medicine; she is committed to enhancing the teaching and education of the next generation of clinicians, scientists, and physician leaders, and has a personal interest in expanding the diversity of future physicians through transformative leadership in a large clinical setting and multi-hospital system. Dr. Schaal earned her medical and doctoral degrees from Technion Institute of Technology Medical School and a master’s degree in healthcare management from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health; she has published extensively in the field of vitreoretinal diseases and surgery, and is recognized as a national leader in advancing cultural transformation and diversity in medicine. www.ummhealth.org/medical-group, www.umassmed.edu/ophthalmology

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?

Like Robert Frost’s poem, I always seem to choose “The Road Not Taken.” “Two roads diverged in a wood and I — I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.” Every time there was a choice between the easy route and the difficult path, I always found myself choosing the more challenging one. I was born and raised in Israel and upon graduation from high school, I was lucky enough to be selected for a program called the Military Academic Reserves, which grants young people the opportunity to study and learn a profession before being drafted into the Israeli Defense Forces. I attended the Technion Institute of Technology Medical School where I earned my medical degree and I was then drafted into mandatory service as a physician and a naval Officer. I served five years as a Physician Commander of a naval clinic in Haifa, Israel. My Surgeon General in the navy was an ophthalmologist and a very impressive man. He inspired me to go into ophthalmology. I trained as a resident in ophthalmology at Rambam Medical Center in Haifa, Israel, and during that time, I also enrolled in a PhD program in biochemistry at the Technion Institute of Technology. After I graduated from my residency and my PhD program, I pursued post-doctoral research and a clinical fellowship in vitreoretinal surgery at the University of Louisville in Kentucky. It was a big decision to pick up my entire family, which included my husband and four young children, and move to the United States for the duration of my training. But we took the leap and made the move. We spent the next three years at the University of Louisville. During my time in there, I won a number of national awards from the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO). I was offered a position as a faculty member at the university and was given the opportunity to work as a clinician-scientist there. So, we made the hard decision to forfeit our plans of returning to Israel, and instead chose to stay in the U.S. I remember this decision was bittersweet. I believe it was my four young daughters at the time, who would laugh and sing in the backseat of our car to both the Hebrew songs of my childhood and the new American songs they learned, that truly convinced me that our new life in America would be a beautiful adventure. I am proud to say that my entire family went on to become citizens of the United States a decade later. In 2016, I had the opportunity to become the Chair of the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences at UMass Chan Medical School and UMass Memorial Health in Worcester, Massachusetts. As the new Chair I felt humbled and inspired by the expertise of my colleagues, so I went back to school and earned a master’s in healthcare management from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. After my graduation, I was appointed as President of UMass Memorial Medical Group in addition to my role as a Clinical Department Chair. I am excited by my work every day and I am even more excited to see what is to come. Not only has taking the more challenging path been the right move for me, I have reinvented myself several times along the way and have found this to be reinvigorating both personally and professionally.

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?

As clinicians and surgeons, we experience many unforgettable, heartfelt stories. One that comes to mind is a story of a young boy who played on a high school varsity baseball team with dreams of becoming a professional baseball player. He, unfortunately, was injured during one of his games, and the injury was so severe that he was in danger of losing not only his vision but also his eye. I had the privilege of taking care of him for more than two years. During that time, he had a series of surgeries and, thankfully, we were able to save his eye and bring back his vision, which allowed him to fulfill his dream and play baseball professionally. I became very close with him and his family over the years, and I continued to stay in touch with him as he grew into adulthood and started a family of his own. Every year, he still sends me a card on the date of his injury and attaches an updated photo of him and his family. This story is an illustration of how humbling our profession is, because when I first saw him and realized how severe his injury was, I didn’t have much hope that we would be able to save his eye. It reminds me of how significant of an impact we, as physicians, have on peoples’ lives. I share this story often when I mentor my students about treating patients with severe injuries. It serves as a reminder that we must try our best every time and never lose hope. As physicians our greatest assets are fierce hope and sound medicine.

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?

I absolutely love this question because I believe there is great power in recognizing a mistake as an opportunity to learn. When I first became Chair, I did not have any leadership training. I was selected to be Chair because of my previous accomplishments as a clinician and researcher. I prepared a 22-page document with my vision and goals for the department, and on my first day as Chair, I gathered everyone in the conference room and presented that document to them. I excitedly told them my plans and in doing so, I unintentionally scared everyone in the room! That was a very big rookie mistake. I didn’t know that to lead successfully, one first has to foster a mutual relationship of trust and respect; excitement alone cannot build this type of foundation. A very big principle of leadership is listening to others, learning and incorporating everyone’s ideas, and forming relationships built on trust. Following that first meeting, I went back to square one. I revised my plans and immediately began focusing on building strong relationships within my team. Now, when I look back, we accomplished much more than I had originally planned for the department because I listened to my colleagues every step of the way and helped my team to implement their own ideas rather than simply enforcing my own. When I became the President of the Medical Group last year, I did not repeat that first mistake and instead, I took my time before trying to implement new initiatives, allowing everyone to get more comfortable with me as a leader. The true success of a leader is seen when she harmonizes the diverse voices of her colleagues and creates a culture of collaboration and a common vision of excellence.

When it comes to health and wellness, how is the work you are doing helping to make a bigger impact in the world?

In these times of the prolonged pandemic, health care workers are constantly on the national radar. The general public now has much more familiarity, understanding, and knowledge of the immense sacrifice, commitment, hard work, and dedication of health care workers. As a result of the pandemic, physician burnout is extremely high. For women in health care, it has been even more challenging. Women in health care carry a heavier burden on their shoulders because society still expects women to take care of their families in addition to developing their careers and saving lives. The pandemic exposed the inequities that still exist, both for women and for all minorities. Our strength as medical professionals lies precisely in our individual uniqueness and in our ability to approach problems with hope and creativity. As President of the Medical Group, one of my main goals is to identify factors that contribute to burnout and inequities and make the necessary changes to improve our physicians’ joy at work and increase their well-being.

One way we are addressing the needs of our caregivers in the UMass Memorial Eye Center, is by offering nontraditional work schedules that appeal to people at different stages of their lives. These have proven very popular and have reduced turnover. By offering a unique schedule, such as “mothers’ hours,” or part-time or four-day schedules, we help people find a better balance between their work and home lives, which enhances their well-being.

One of the most satisfying privileges in my roles as a Department Chair and as the President of our Medical Group, is the ability to provide employees with the opportunity for professional development and advancement. I absolutely love to identify people within our organization who have existing talent and create opportunities and paths for their promotion. I notice and acknowledge that some of our traditional career trajectories might not be as inclusive or as creative as I would like them to be. I believe in people, and when I see someone who is dedicated and works hard, I go the extra mile to create an opportunity for them to further their career and grow within our organization. This frequently requires out-of-the-box thinking, reimagining and rewriting job descriptions to increase eligibility for a certain title. This is a people-focused strategy that has proven to be a win-win, both for the people and for our organization, time and time again. This is my personal contribution to people’s joy and satisfaction at work. It results in happy employees who know they are appreciated, and it creates a more diverse workforce.

Can you share your top three “lifestyle tweaks” that you believe will help support people’s journey toward better well-being? Please give an example or story for each.

1. Enjoy family. Family support is vital. Although I chose “The Road Not Taken,” I did not walk it alone. I have the unwavering support of my husband and my four children. In the beginning, we were alone in the U.S., which was a new country for us. We faced many challenges together — a new language, a different culture and a new environment. This brought us closer and strengthened our bond. My greatest strength is my family. It’s comforting to know that I have people supporting me, that we love and belong to one another, and that we are taking this journey together.

2. Develop a hobby. Medicine is a very fulfilling full-time job. It requires long hours, strong commitment and hard work — so for some people, it can be enough. But for me, having a hobby that I take seriously is something that has helped me along the way. I swim competitively; I practice, I have a coach, and I belong to a swim team. Before moving to Massachusetts, I competed in national meets in swimming pools. Since coming to Massachusetts, I discovered open-water swimming in lakes and ponds, and I now prefer long, open-water races. I do this with my husband and a community of swimmers from different backgrounds. I learn so many things from my swimming friends who are from various walks of life and diverse professions. A hobby deserves to be a priority and swimming requires time. It’s an added bonus that, when I’m swimming, there are no emails and no phone calls … it’s almost like meditation and I love it!

3. Keep learning. I read a lot, I learn a lot, and I attend every conference I can to learn more. I learn from everyone: from my mentors, my colleagues, my students, my faculty members, my team members who aren’t physicians and from my patients. When you are a lifelong learner, it keeps you humble, it keeps you open-minded and curious. I will never stop learning. It inspires me and fuels me to constantly grow, evolve and improve. I encourage everyone to be a lifelong learner.

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

In America in general, swim education and swimming lessons are not widely available to everyone. Unfortunately, access to sports may not be feasible for every family, but the beautiful thing about swimming is that you really do not need much equipment, just a swimsuit. The rest is you and a body of water. Every summer we witness unfortunate cases of preventable drowning and we must do something about this. Swimming is a life skill that should be taught to all. It is a wonderful way to maintain physical, emotional and mental health. Teaching this to everyone would increase enjoyment of the outdoors and reduce preventable tragedies. Ultimately, wellness comes from both physical activity and serenity. If I could start a movement, I would encourage more people to learn to swim, swimmers to go into communities and teach community members how to swim, and more people to join the open-water swimming community. Living in Massachusetts has widened my view of the significance of swimming, thanks to the opportunity to swim outdoors in springs, lakes and ponds. The best way to describe the feeling of rejuvenation that comes along with swimming is to quote the words written by Henry David Thoreau in his journal in 1852: “If rivers come out of their icy prison thus bright and immortal, shall not I too resume my spring life with joy and hope?”

What are your “3 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Started” and why?

1. Build your team. Medical education and training teach one to be the best that they can be. Students worry about their grades; they study, train, try to improve their skills as much as possible, and they devote a lot of time to perfecting themselves. But students need to know that one cannot achieve success alone. Something I believe we should teach young medical students is the notion that no one can do anything by themselves. A patient’s experience is going to be dependent on the team, not only on one person. That is something I learned late in life, only when I became a Department Chair. In a high-functioning team, everyone has a role. No matter if they’re at the front desk, the secretary, the nurse or the physician — everyone is working together to provide the best patient experience.

2. Invest in relationships and friendships. Life is not only filled with successes but also with many failures. There are not only sunny days, but rainy days, too. We all have difficult days, which is why social connections and circles of support are so important. Having people to lean on, who can also lean on you, helps you to overcome the low points in life and makes the sunny days even brighter.

3. Be you! I was always different. In medical school, I was the youngest. In my military service, I was the only naval physician on mandatory service who was also a mother of four. In my residency, I was simultaneously studying for my PhD. I came to the U.S. and I was an immigrant who had to navigate the nuances of a new country. Even in choosing ophthalmology as my specialty, I am a minority as a woman. And becoming a chair, women are also vastly underrepresented in health care executive leadership. With time, I learned that it is okay to be different. Sometimes, it’s even an advantage because your point of view is unique and original. Diversity certainly makes teams stronger. I wish someone had told me this earlier because I tried very hard for many years to be like everyone else. Now, I realize that it’s best to be me! My differences are part of who I am, I embrace them and try to mentor others to be themselves, even when they are less similar to others in typically homogenous groups.

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

Mental health and burnout are closest and dearest to my heart. I see our physicians suffering from the strains of COVID. But more than this, too many physicians lose their joy for medicine during their career. We need to remind ourselves of what drew us to health care in the beginning and we need to remove any barriers that prevent us from enjoying our work. Instead, we need to enhance anything that brings us joy, because overall, it is an honor to be a physician and to have the knowledge and skills to improve people’s lives. I teach my students to be mindful and kind to one another so that they can not only focus on improving the lives of their patients, but also safeguard each other’s mental health and joy for learning medicine. The mental health strains put on physicians can be mitigated by nurturing physicians who accept and celebrate the diverse experiences and identities of their colleagues, and who will accompany them through life as true friends and kindred spirits.

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

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shlomit-schaal-md-phd-mhcm-200649139

Thank you for these fantastic insights!

Women In Wellness: Shlomit Schaal of UMass Memorial Heath On The Five Lifestyle Tweaks That Will… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.