Women In Wellness: Hedieh Safiyari On The Five Lifestyle Tweaks That Will Help Support People’s Journey Towards Better Wellbeing
An Interview With Candice Georgiadis
Look at all your options to help make the best decision. Your wellness journey is ongoing. Don’t take a doctor or wellness provider’s treatment or advice as the final word. Look into different approaches, providers, and information. There’s always more than one solution. Wellness is not a cookie cutter approach.
As a part of my series about the women in wellness, I had the pleasure of interviewing Hedieh Safiyari.
Hedieh is the Founder and CEO of PromptHealth, a platform that allows wellness providers and seekers to connect in a dedicated space. Traditionally, wellness seekers can either go to the doctor or search online — which both have limitations. Hedieh is on a mission to build a community for wellness providers, and offer potential clients a vetted directory, as well as a space to engage with wellness providers and learn.
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?
As a young athlete I had to seek all kinds of fitness remedies to stay strong. But one day after a biking trip, I was told I had permanent nerve damage.
That was just the beginning of my personal health struggle. I had to go from one therapist to another trying to find a treatment that would help me. While waiting for an MRI, I ended up finding and working with a team of people including a physiotherapist, chiropractor, and exercise therapist. After two years of therapy, I finally felt normal again. I then witnessed my mother go through two different types of cancers, both needing different types of care. We were left on our own to find this care, and spent valuable time on a journey of trial and error.
I ended up starting my career working as a clinician at one of the Canadian pioneers of private healthcare, where we offered unique health and wellness services with a multidisciplinary team of clinicians. And again, I kept seeing this gap in the wellness system. How could patients find the care they really needed? I finally decided to take the learnings I gained and start PromptHealth!
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?
When I was part of Copeman Healthcare, I helped them launch a metabolic clinic. We helped people that had a cluster of heart disease risk factors, such as glucose levels or weight above a certain level. The key here is that we took a preventative approach, focusing on diet, exercise, accountability and life management.
But we regularly had patients showing up with bags full of supplements they were told to take — and had been for years! One supplement for one issue, another for another, never fully understanding how these were connected. Did they know why? No. Someone told them to do it.
The way patients access wellness knowledge is quite random. Either a friend or family shares something, they see an ad, or they search themself. And they’re alone on their health journey. I identified with these people.
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?
While I have knowledge around wellness and business, my technology knowledge was quite limited when I started PromptHealth. The initial product was built remotely, and because I wasn’t aware of certain things I was manipulated. Not knowing enough about technology meant I couldn’t vet the process well.
Looking back, I should have found a co-founder that had technical knowledge and could balance my business and wellness knowledge.
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?
I started my career as a clinician at Copeman Health, where we offered unique health and wellness services. We had dieticians who worked with diabetics, wellness coaches who helped with accountability, physiotherapists who specialized in concussions, and more. But most people did not know these services existed.
Even us, professionals who worked at the clinic, had a hard time referring to these services outside of our own center. Our referral system was limited to the people we knew nearby, or providers we found through a Google search.
Witnessing the fragmented, ineffective healthcare system inspired me to want to solve this gap through PromptHealth. We make it easier for people to navigate wellness care themselves through trusted information, and help providers easily refer clients to different professionals with the confidence that they are vetted.
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.
Tailor your fitness and lifestyle activities to your personal health and history. For example, if you have injuries, are post-pregnancy, or have a chronic health condition — these are all conditions that impact your wellness and what kinds of solutions you should be adopting. Learn more about your body type and what is most effective.
I hear different diets becoming more or less popular all the time. There’s all these trends — but ultimately, a balanced diet and a plan that is sustainable long-term is most important. Find eating habits that you can implement and maintain — and ones that suit your body, age and background. Don’t follow the trends.
Mental health — acknowledge and stay aware of what we’re going through, how it has changed your life, and what steps can be taken to improve your mental health. But this is different for every person. Whether you need a wellness coach or need to take more walks, focus on finding the right solution instead of what’s often just handed to you.
Become an observer of how you’re reacting to external circumstances. Physical, mental and emotional health can affect different elements of your body. Don’t ignore symptoms. How often are things happening, and what is the cause and effect relationship? If a problem is recurring and you’ve got no idea why, you need help.
Look at all your options to help make the best decision. Your wellness journey is ongoing. Don’t take a doctor or wellness provider’s treatment or advice as the final word. Look into different approaches, providers, and information. There’s always more than one solution. Wellness is not a cookie cutter approach.
If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of wellness to the most amount of people, what would that be?
Going beyond focusing on our physical bodies. Holistic wellness is about focusing on mind, body and soul — and the pandemic has been a good example of this.
The pandemic plunged us into a mental health crisis. No one talked about the social and emotional health aspect that people dealt with to this extent before. We’ve started focusing on social connection, and the importance of togetherness. This connects physical, mental, emotional and even social wellbeing.
By highlighting the connection between your mind and body, we can all better understand our bodies and how to treat them.
What are your “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Started” and why?
It’s going to be 24/7. It’s easier to have a 9 to 5 job and have holidays, but of course, you don’t get to build your passion into a business.
Starting a business disrupts your life. It can be hard on your relationships. You’re so focused on your baby that certain responsibilities are pushed to the side.
You need to motivate people, a lot. Not just your team, but your stakeholders and audiences too.
You’re going to learn about yourself. You’re going to do a lot of things you’ve never done before. I wasn’t even on social media until I started my business.
Creativity comes to different people in different ways. I didn’t think I was particularly good at telling stories or creating videos. But passion can drive you.
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. A mental health pandemic is still growing. People are isolated and alone, losing friends, family, jobs, entire communities. Kids are faced with an unprecedented new challenge that even as adults we are struggling with. And for those with mental health issues it’s even more severe.
We’re seeing higher numbers of drug and alcohol problems. Being at home can make people less active too, which can increase weight gain, and all of a sudden it’s a vicious cycle. It’s a perfect storm of mental health issues.
What is the best way our readers can follow you online?
You can find me on Linkedin, and my personal and company Instagram accounts, @hediehsafiyari, and @prompthealth. I also host a podcast for PromptHealth that covers different healthcare and wellness topics, sharing insights from health experts.
Inspirational Women in STEM and Tech: Anne Trobaugh of ‘My Best Friend At Work’ On The 5 Leadership Lessons She Learned From Her Experience
An Interview With Candice Georgiadis
Mentors Make sure you have a good mentor at your place of work. Mentors can help you find new roles, give insights into projects or initiatives that have the most visibility, and say your name and advocate for you when you are not in the room. I have a free handout on my website that walks through the process I use for finding a mentor (with email templates for reaching out to them).
As a part of my series about “Lessons From Inspirational Women in STEM and Tech,” I had the pleasure of interviewing Anne Trobaugh.
Anne is a Mechanical Engineer and MBA who is obsessively passionate about women empowerment in STEM because she knows how hard it is to be the only female in the room. During her 20 years in Corporate America, she’s held various roles from Test Cell Engineer, Combustion and Performance Senior Engineer, Six Sigma Black, Chief Engineer, Chief of Staff to the VP of Quality and Deputy Director of Global Quality, to name a few. Anne mentors many STEM women at work, but to further her reach, she founded My Best Friend at Work to be an advisor & a coach, a friend & a supporter, a cheerleader & an unwavering advocate. Anne helps women in STEM feel confident, handle situations at work like a pro and advance to their full potential.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?
Thanks so much for talking with me; I am honored to share some of my stories.
I come from a long line of Engineering archetypes: my grandfather, great-uncle, father, uncles (on both sides of my family), aunt, cousins, and brother were all in the area of Engineering or Technical-focused leadership positions. So honestly, I believe it is in my DNA!
Beyond family, my story is a classic one of loving math and physics while being very analytical in my thought process. I am also a very organized person — my mom remembers coming into my bedroom when I was in 4th grade and seeing post-it notes adorning my full-length mirror. It was my way of keeping organized with my schedule and to-dos at age 10. To this day, I still love post-it notes!
With my family history and my love of STEM-related subjects, I was destined to be an Engineer.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began at your company?
In my Corporate role, there are exciting things that happen every day! For running My Best Friend At Work, it’s been fascinating to learn how to use social media to make an impact. I have all this advice and these learnings from my 20 years of work that I want to use to help others, specifically women in STEM. That passion is the easy part. The hard part is getting heard. The best thing I have done for both my business and my Corporate role most recently is to take a course with Patrice Polzer, Sabina Hitchen and Joelle Garguilo focused on video, storytelling, and pitching yourself. I took the course to benefit my entrepreneurial endeavors, but the number of parallels the course had to my full-time Corporate job was terrific. In Corporate, we need to tell stories to motivate people. Being confident on camera is becoming more beneficial because of video conferencing. The idea of pitching yourself is a mindset change for increasing your confidence. All these skills learned from the course helped me with personal business and in my Corporate job.
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?
So many things are a bit cringeworthy when I look back now! I remember one mistake vividly. As an intern, I got an email from someone letting me know that I misspelled my alma mater on my resume! I wanted to crawl into a hole. Lesson learned: double-check your work!
What do you think makes your company stand out? Can you share a story?
The best part about My Best Friend At Work is that it’s 100% my passion and is fun for me. I can relate to many experiences and help others trying to advance in their careers. At times people need advice or input on what things to consider in certain situations. At other times I am more of a cheerleader to encourage and keep people excited and headed in the right direction. I’m only trying to stand out to ensure people can benefit from what I share. Women in STEM need to all support each other, and that’s why I am here.
Are you working on any exciting new projects now? How do you think that will help people?
I’ve recently been part of the Big Resignation. I made the tough decision that it was time to leave my employer, and I have since searched for and secured a new opportunity. I am sharing all of what I went through with my audience. Things like how to know it’s time to leave your current role, how to find a new job, how to work through the offer part of a new job, and so much more.
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?
Absolutely not. Speaking specifically to engineering, according to a recent study by the Society of Women Engineers, only 13% of engineers in the workforce are women. Over 30% of women leave the engineering profession at some point in their careers. There has been much work on increasing the pipeline of females entering STEM, but we can do so much more to keep them at work.
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?
Reflecting on my personal experience:
I was asked by a male colleague what my husband’s favorite meal was.
I was left out of countless happy hours.
I had a solution to an engineering problem blatantly stolen by a man and passed off as his own.
I was singled out in a meeting that ran a few minutes past 5 PM to be asked if I needed to leave to get my children.
These seemingly minor incidents or actions, called microaggressions, happen daily to women in STEM. It becomes a death by a thousand cuts situation that contributes to many women leaving engineering or the workforce.
My suggestion: empathy! Try to put yourself in someone else’s shoes. Is the question you are about to ask something you would want to be asked to you? Is the comment you are about to make something you would wish to have printed in the headlines of a newspaper? Also think about how someone else will feel or react to your question or comment. Think first, then speak.
What are the “myths” that you would like to dispel about being a woman in STEM or Tech. Can you explain what you mean?
Women in STEM are often seen as super competitive or ambitious to a fault. Don’t be threatened, but understand that many of us are overcoming microaggressions, false judgments and other unconscious biases at play against us at all times.
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.)
Dig deep on self-reflection — Do much self-reflection to understand what you are good at, what you like, and what you want concerning your job. My favorite assessments to help with this interpersonal look related to work are Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) and StrengthsFinder 2.0 from Gallup. The more you know about yourself, the better you can position yourself in the correct role and love what you do. In many of my personal assessments, competition is a prominent theme. I then must reflect on when competition is helpful: in times of crisis or when I am against a deadline. It might not be as beneficial in specific conflict resolutions. Being aware of this upfront is very helpful.
Get visible — One of the most significant ways to succeed is getting the proper visibility. Becoming more visible at work can help accelerate your career success. Are you aware of the most visible projects or initiatives within your company? Are you aware of how you can get involved in those? Are you doing your best in your day job on those critical projects while also working on things outside your direct line management’s jurisdiction? Here’s how I have made myself visible at work: -I joined a Women’s Affinity Group — sometimes called employee resource groups in other companies. After a few sessions, there was a need for a committee leader. I volunteered without hesitation. -I asked around to see who oversaw my company’s campus recruiting team. I then volunteered to go to their career fair. After a few times attending, they asked me to lead it. Yes, please! -My boss needed a volunteer to be a team member on a 6Sigma project led outside of my group. I raised my hand first. In each case, I got visibility to folks outside of my direct line of command. I learned things like meeting facilitation, communication with a broad team, and arranging more significant events. These skills are valuable and add to your toolset. They have served me to this day.
Communicate in the right way — Especially when leading projects, it’s all about communication. Any time you take on a project, think of these things: -Make sure everyone is kept informed. How you do that and how frequently will depend on the audience and urgency. -Communicate effectively. Keep it simple and straightforward. -Personalize the message. I usually keep a larger slide deck handy but personalize the information for every audience interaction -Learning what type of communication is necessary and following through with it takes time. When I was leading a big C-suite-involved project, I scheduled time each Friday to write a summary of the week and discuss the next steps/objectives for the following week. Based on the urgency and importance of the project, it demanded I keep a broad list of stakeholders well informed. I also focused on being simple and straightforward with the correct amount of detail. I sent this summary as an email each week and scheduled monthly presentations to update various stakeholders, thinking about the types of elements they would want to know.
Stop using diminishing language. The language that unintentionally erodes others’ confidence in you is called diminishing language. Learn to stop using diminishing language consciously: Instead of: It was nothing, no big deal, no worries Say: You are welcome; Thank you, I am proud of the work. Instead of: Just: I just wanted; I’d just like, or using “just” as a descriptor: I have just a few slides; I need just a minute. Say: Eliminate the word “just” from all written and verbal communications Instead of: I think, I feel, I believe Say: I’m confident, In my experience, I’m convinced, I expect -When you eliminate diminishing language and minimizing words from your vocabulary, people will see you as more confident. As an added benefit, when I became more aware of this and stopped using this type of language, I was more confident in myself. I made a massive difference in how I thought of myself by changing a few words in my vocabulary.
Mentors Make sure you have a good mentor at your place of work. Mentors can help you find new roles, give insights into projects or initiatives that have the most visibility, and say your name and advocate for you when you are not in the room. I have a free handout on my website that walks through the process I use for finding a mentor (with email templates for reaching out to them).
What advice would you give to other women leaders to help their team to thrive?
The most fun I have had leading a team while also getting the most personal fulfillment is working with my team on development topics at least monthly. Often personal development becomes team development. With assessments like MBTI and StrengthsFinder 2.0, there are significant aspects of learning about yourself and seeing how that connects to the entire team. I find this type of personal development and connection with a team great team building and a good learning opportunity.
What advice would you give to other women leaders about the best way to manage a large team?
With a large team, communication is crucial. It’s imperative to have all employee meetings at least quarterly to discuss company results, how they impact the team, and strategy and overall direction discussions. Best practices include more frequent communications, meeting at least monthly. A blog, an in-person or remote town hall, or skip-level meetings are all great ways to set direction and allow the team to ask questions. The key is visibility and communication with your entire team to make people feel connected, heard, and sure of their leadership direction.
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?
I have thrived with support and mentoring along the way. I have a massive support system at home. My mom and dad both worked outside of the house; my dad retired as a Vice President in Engineering after a very successful 40-year career. My husband, brother, brother-in-law, and sisters-in-law all work in Corporate America in jobs of great responsibility. They help me think through things when I need some assistance. My Aunts and Uncles are cheerleaders for my career, and I even discuss work-related topics with my cousins at times.
In addition to a fantastic family, one of the most beneficial career relationships has been my best friend at work, hence the naming of My Best Friend At Work! We provide each other advice, support, and a sounding board for everything: from what to wear on a multi-country trip to preparing for a presentation to our company’s Board Of Directors. I wanted everyone to have access to the support and peer mentorship that I have had with my best friend at work.
I have also loved my mentoring relationships with over 50 mentees, including technical women. I learn as much from them as they do from me.
How have you used your success to bring goodness to the world?
Such a tough one. Running My Best Friend At Work has added some goodness to the world. It makes my day when I hear from someone about a topic that I have covered on social media that has helped them, or the DM me with a specific question, and I can help. Giving back to others based on my experience is what I am passionate about and what I will continue to do every day.
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 love seeing more career content making its way to mainstream social media. The more we can all share our experiences, the more we can learn!
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
My motto is: “If not me, then who?”. It is such a part of my life story that a previous team member had it engraved on a Yeti for me! The most significant example of me living this is when I showed up at the men’s golf informational meeting on my second day of college. I love my alma mater Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, ranked #1 in undergraduate engineering programs by US News and World Report for 21 consecutive years. In the first year of recognition, I heard the announcement from the university President in our Union while eating breakfast. It was fun to be part of the recognition. The school was all-male until 1995, and when I joined as a Freshman in 1999, there were 80 total women in my class across all engineering disciplines. As a division 3 school, sports were not a massive focus for the school, and there was no women’s golf team. I had played golf in high school, enjoyed it, was decent, and thought, “I can play in college.” With some friends encouraging me, I showed up and sat at the table of all men during that first golf meeting to discuss tryouts for the team. The coach held me after that meeting to tell me that the team would be playing from the back tees (so I would have to hit longer than I would if playing against other females). My point back to him was that women and men could play golf from anywhere on the golf course. Fast forward 22 years, the women’s golf team at Rose-Hulman #1 in the HCAC conference, and I would not be able to make the team I founded that many years ago!
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 🙂
Nikole Hannah-Jones. I recently watched Black History, Black Freedom and Black Love on Master Class with Nikole and learned so much. I want to dive deeper into everything she shared and hear more of her stories.
Thank you for these fantastic insights. We greatly appreciate the time you spent on this.
Women In Wellness: Dr Annie Gonzalez On The Five Lifestyle Tweaks That Will Help Support People’s Journey Towards Better Wellbeing
An Interview With Candice Georgiadis
I believe that mental health is of uttermost importance for overall health. Many medical conditions like cold sores can be triggered by stress. Being able to maintain a positive mental state allows you to cope with stressful situations, work productively and have meaningful connections with peers and family.
As a part of my series about the women in wellness, I had the pleasure of interviewing Dr. Annie Gonzalez.
Dr. Gonzalez is a board-certified dermatologist who specializes in general and cosmetic dermatology and is experienced in treating patients with various skin disorders. Dr. Gonzalez practices in Miami, Florida and is a highly sought-after dermatologist in the region.
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 was born in Cuba and emigrated to the United States at the age of 10. It was a challenging transition but one that shaped the rest of my life for the better. I was full of dreams and aspirations and finally had a chance to make them come true through my own efforts, dedication, and perseverance.
I discovered that I wanted to become a dermatologist because growing up I felt passionate about science and art. I was also inspired by my mother who is a physician and spoke about her days at the dinner table. I received my undergraduate degree in Biology and Chemistry and obtained my medical degree in Puerto Rico, where I was ranked #1 in my class. It was no surprise that I chose dermatology since it allows me to enjoy its medical aspects, as well as the creative side when treating my cosmetic patients. Today, I specialize in general and cosmetic dermatology at Bowes Dermatology and treat patients with various skin disorders and am also a member of renowned professional organizations. When I am not working, I enjoy spending time with my family, trying out new cosmeceutical grade products, living a healthy lifestyle and going to the gym.
Currently, I am excited to be partnering with Abreva on a new initiative called #StopBullyingYourself. Together we are urging cold sore sufferers to pledge to be kinder to themselves, especially during an outbreak. There are many misconceptions about cold sores and, in addition to the physical impacts of the condition, there is a significant emotional toll it takes on those who experience them. Through #StopBullyingYourself we hope to dispel cold sore myths and encourage confidence and self-acceptance among cold sore sufferers.
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?
About two years after I started practicing dermatology, I saw an older patient who had traveled from Colombia to be seen for a full body skin exam. He had never been seen by a dermatologist and his son was concerned about a new lesion on his father’s scalp. During this visit I examined the extremely pigmented and large lesion on the gentleman’s scalp and decided to biopsy. When the biopsy resulted in a melanoma diagnosis, I contacted patient and advised him of the results. He underwent surgery but unfortunately passed away since the melanoma was too far gone and had metastasized to other organs. I advise patients to return annually for full body skin exams and if they have a history of any type of skin cancer or abnormal moles, I recommend being seen every 6 months. Most skin cancers can be detected and treated at an early stage to avoid fatalities.
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?
The biggest mistake I made when I first started was managing my finances after transitioning from my residency program to being employed by a private practice. If I could do it all over again, I would hire a financial advisor not only to review my employment contract but to also help me manage paying off student loans and saving for retirement at an early age. If I would have done this early on, then I would have more of a balance on my short-term and long-term goals.
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?
As I mentioned, I’m excited to partner with Abreva in their mission to eliminate cold sore stigma and encourage those who suffer to treat themselves with more kindness. Unfortunately, there is a tremendous stigma associated with cold sores that make people feel embarrassed and self-conscious when they have an outbreak. In fact, new research from Abreva discovered that 53% of people are uncomfortable even admitting that they get cold sores, afraid of others’ misconceptions about the source of cold sores and how they are transmitted.
I see many patients for this condition and many of them are self-conscious about these flare ups. I advise them that triggers may include stress, cold weather or hormonal changes. I always tell my patients that stress induced conditions like cold sores don’t necessarily have to come from a negative stressor, it could be a positive one such as starting a new job, buying a home, having a child, as well as many others. This is important for my patients to hear for them to assimilate the situation.
That is why the #StopBullyingYourself initiative Abreva launched is so important. We are working to help others understand the emotional impact of cold sores by spreading greater awareness about the condition and encouraging empathy for sufferers.
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.
Self-confidence and accepting imperfections can help a person’s wellbeing. It is important for cold sore sufferers to know that it is a common condition, and transmission can happen from something as simple as sharing utensils.
Applying sunscreen daily can prevent skin cancers, sun damage and the early onset of wrinkles and fine lines. Wear your SPF!
Physical activity helps regulate hormones and prevents free-radical damage, boosts immunity, and improves quality of the skin.
Applying a retinoic acid nightly improves the appearance of pores and textural changes of the skin. It is a holy grail for anti-aging purposes since it also reduces the appearance of fine lines, helps with sun damage, and brightens dull skin.
Acknowledging when you are anxious and stressed is important! Being aware can help you begin to manage stress or anxiety by exercising, writing down your feelings, or finding a hobby that clears your mind and makes you happy.
If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of wellness to the most amount of people, what would that be?
Abreva’s #StopBullyingYourself is an initiative I am truly proud to be a part of. Over half of American adults suffer from cold sores — that’s a lot of people dealing not just with the physical impact of the condition, but the emotional one as well. But of course, wellness is important for non-sufferers as well. Abreva is also pledging a $25,000 donation to Born This Way Foundation to support the mental health of young people. Both Abreva and Born This Way Foundation are committed to spreading kindness, promoting acceptance, and building a kinder and braver world.
What are your “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Started” and why?
1: Keep a well-planned schedule to help balance work and personal life.
2: Prioritizing personal time is important for your well-being and personal health.
3: Asking for help is not a sign of weakness because you’ll learn tips and tricks in the process.
4: Don’t get caught up in negativity because self-confidence and your mental health is important.
5: Maintain a relationship with colleagues because they can provide insight and another perspective to issues you may have.
Sustainability, veganism, mental health and environmental changes are big topics at the moment. Which one of these causes is dearest to you, and why?
I believe that mental health is of uttermost importance for overall health. Many medical conditions like cold sores can be triggered by stress. Being able to maintain a positive mental state allows you to cope with stressful situations, work productively and have meaningful connections with peers and family.
What is the best way our readers can follow you online?
Also, follow @AbrevaBrand for more information on how you can be kinder to yourself and tougher on your cold sores. To join the pledge, sufferers can share their own story on Instagram Stories using #StopBullyingYourself and tagging @AbrevaBrand.
Female Founders: Peggy Choi of Lynk On The Five Things You Need To Thrive and Succeed as a Woman Founder
An Interview With Candice Georgiadis
It’s important to maintain a growth mindset. Not everything is going to go according to plan, especially in the beginning. It’s important to keep perspective on your mission and your goals. With every setback, how can you find something positive to propel you forward? What can you learn to better yourself for next time? As founders and business leaders we need to be constantly growing and evolving for ourselves and our teams.
As a part of our series about “Why We Need More Women Founders”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Peggy Choi, founder and CEO of Lynk, a global knowledge sharing platform that is disrupting the way business decisions are made. In her previous career in finance, she recognized the need for valuable insights from experts across companies of all sizes and in all geographies and was inspired to revolutionize access to knowledge. In 2015, Peggy founded Lynk with the mission of democratizing knowledge and making it more accessible.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would like to get to know you a bit more. Can you tell us a bit about your “backstory”? What led you to this particular career path?
I majored in Computer Science, with a specialization in computer vision, Finance and Statistics at University of Pennsylvania, then began my career in finance working in banking and investments in the US and UK for several leading firms. I was a private equity investor in the technology space at Silver Lake Partners in London, worked in the Investment Banking Division at Goldman Sachs in New York, and most recently was an investor on the team that helped create the Special Situations strategy at TPG Capital in San Francisco.
Throughout all of my professional experiences, I recognized a common theme among businesses of all sizes and individuals in all parts of the globe: access to valuable insights, knowledge and expertise from the right advisors, mentors and experts is crucial to inform important decisions. I wanted to help make those insights accessible to all. Additionally, my parents were artists and entrepreneurs, and they often came to me with questions on how to scale their businesses; however, I didn’t feel like I could give them the best insight, and I knew there needed to be a way to enable access to that knowledge and expertise in a scalable way. In 2015, I founded Lynk with the mission of making knowledge more accessible to everyone.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began leading your company?
Since we founded Lynk, I guess the most interesting part is realizing that many things in my past have helped me in some ways on this journey. My passion in art manifests in how I work with the team on crafting the platform vision — it requires some level of creativity since we are delivering something entirely new to the market. My background in computer science and statistics makes it easy for me to understand and work with technical considerations and requirements. My experience in finance and investment allows me to understand how some of our customers think and want. Most importantly, my own journey going through a severe spinal surgery when I was just 15 years old — which I had largely forgotten myself — has come back to inspire me as I persevere through some tough times on this journey.
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?
As a startup founder, you need to be prepared for anything and be ready to wear many hats, especially when you’re just starting. You need to be a strong public speaker, understand accounting, act as your own lawyer, and even act as an office manager. In the early days of Lynk, when we had a small team in two offices in Hong Kong and Singapore, I was constantly traveling between the two offices. Once when I was leaving the Singapore office, I noticed they were low on toilet paper. When I returned, they were completely out of supplies, so I had to run to the store to pick more up! It’s a silly story now, but it taught me that as a founder, especially in the beginning, you need to be prepared to manage every aspect of your business, even down to office supplies. Then as you scale, you will need to build a great team that will take care of respective aspects.
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?
My family was incredibly supportive when I quit my full-time job and took a leap of faith into entrepreneurship. I come from a family of entrepreneurs, so they were happy for me and excited to see that I was building something on my own.
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?
Founding a company is challenging and can be incredibly intimidating. It requires you to constantly pitch yourself and your business idea to investors, customers, and future employees. There is definitely a high degree of subjectivity for early stages as investors are always evaluating founders. I think this has some impact on the likelihood of women founders receiving funding. It takes a certain level of confidence and conviction to get started and go through the startup phase. In many cases, this time period would overlap with family planning. I have had many meetings where investors asked formally or informally about family plans and marital status — to which I would politely call out and explain that it doesn’t impact my commitment to the business. Family planning could indeed be the reason for women (and men!) to pursue the “startup” path, but for those who have committed to it, I believe the current openness in discussing gender considerations would help ensure a more conducive funding environment in the future.
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?
Providing women with access to resources — or being resources ourselves — can help empower women to take on more leadership roles, start new careers and become female founders. There is also great value in making connections, networking and talking with people to share experiences, ideas and to help you grow and learn from others.
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?
In today’s age, with more opportunities to start your own company, women should not be excluded from this narrative. There are so many women with intelligent, creative and important ideas. It is crucial that we encourage them to chase big ideas and support them as they take on the challenges of founding a company. As more women become founders, we are showing the next generation of girls and young women that they can become business leaders and founders. While we encourage entrepreneurship, it is also worth noting that between starting a business and having a great career at a corporation — there isn’t a “better” option. These are simply career choices and we should just all find the path that is the most suitable for ourselves.
At Lynk, we are committed to amplifying the voices of female experts and are working to help more girls around the world have access to knowledge. For the past two years, in celebration of Women’s History Month, we’ve launched Lynk Elite Expert Women, an initiative that encourages women who are experts in their fields to sign up for our platform. With each new female expert that signs up, we donate to the Malala Fund to support equal education for girls. This is an important initiative to me and our company as we aim to provide tools for women to excel in their careers. We are also sourcing more female experts and giving them access to a platform to share and monetize their expertise.
What are the “myths” that you would like to dispel about being a founder? Can you explain what you mean?
There is often an idea that all founders will be the same. When people think of the most successful entrepreneurs, they think of Steve Jobs or Jeff Bezos, but I don’t believe every founder fits into that stereotype of a “celebrity founder.” There are so many diverse people with different ideas and ways of creating a business. Some of the most successful companies in the world don’t have that kind of celebrity founder.
Going into my founder journey, I knew that I wasn’t going to fit into that stereotype. I simply believe in our vision and know that we will make it happen. Through that, we have attracted individuals who share that belief to join us on our journey to turn it into reality. We are so grateful for having great people on board on this journey.
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?
Resilience is key to being a successful founder. In the beginning, you will have people telling you that you can’t do it, that it’s too difficult to start a company and you’ll likely face many obstacles and probably rejection more than once. You have to anticipate failure, prepare for it and learn from it. Successful founders can learn from their missteps and find something positive in each experience that they can use to pivot and try again.
When I was starting out, investors told us that our idea was too big. Each time someone doubted our ability, we used that as fuel to work harder and improve further. As a founder, I couldn’t give up because my decisions didn’t just affect me; they affected my company, my employees, my investors and my customers. At the core, I have a strong belief in our vision — making knowledge easily accessible. I simply think it makes so much sense. Throughout my life, there have been many times where I set sight on something and felt the goal was not within reach. I would continue to find ways and steer to get to the goal — and I would get there every single time. It’s about the spirit of not taking no for an answer. I truly believe in persevering with a balance in knowing how to steer towards your goal, and I derive conviction and confidence from that.
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.)
The process is subjective and not always based on factual data. As a female founder, you will be stereotyped. When I first started out, I was asked questions about my personal life, marital status and family planning. Things that did not affect my business or my ability to run my company were questioned and examined. I have found that the key to success is focusing on your business and what you know best and not letting things affect you emotionally.
Investors evaluate you as the founder along with your company. As a founder, you have to understand that people are not just investing in your company or your idea; they are investing in you. When you pitch your idea you are also pitching yourself, which can feel like a lot of pressure. It’s important to know that you have what it takes. Be confident in your business and in your convictions and be resilient enough to get back up in the face of rejection.
Seek advice from others, but be discerning with what advice you take. Investor advice sometimes contradicts itself and not every suggestion will be useful. People often have good intentions with the suggestions and opinions offered, but it’s crucial to understand that everything is based on individual perspective and experience. As a founder, you need to know your business better than anyone else and use that knowledge to sort through the feedback, only implementing what supports your company’s vision.
You’re not in the business of pleasing people; you’re in the business of building something meaningful. That was an important lesson for me to learn and a turning point in my founder’s journey. It’s about attracting investors, customers and employees that share the same beliefs.
It’s important to maintain a growth mindset. Not everything is going to go according to plan, especially in the beginning. It’s important to keep perspective on your mission and your goals. With every setback, how can you find something positive to propel you forward? What can you learn to better yourself for next time? As founders and business leaders we need to be constantly growing and evolving for ourselves and our teams.
How have you used your success to make the world a better place?
I’m passionate about making the tech and startup space more inclusive by providing opportunities for women and people of color who are often underrepresented in this industry. Diversity is in our company’s DNA. We’ve grown to over 200 employees spanning eight countries and representing 20 nationalities. We’re continuing to expand our team, and I’m proud to say that we have a board with equal representation of women and men. This is important to our company as it gives us a diversity of thought and perspective.
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.
My goal is to democratize access to knowledge, and I would love to see that grow beyond what we’re doing at Lynk. My vision of the future to be enabled by Lynk is a world where credentials such as school or company don’t matter, and all of us are valued based on what we know and what we are skilled at. We are working on ways to measure that and it’s a big problem to solve. As we achieve that, I believe we will see diversity and inclusion much more naturally.
We are very blessed that some very prominent names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US with whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this if we tag them.
I would love to sit down with Ray Dalio. He has said in his book “Principles,” “Before too long, you will be able to tap the highest-quality thinking on nearly every issue you face and get the guidance of a computerized system that weighs different points of view. For example, you will be able to ask what lifestyle or career you should choose given what you’re like, or how to best interact with specific people based on what they’re like. These innovations will help people get out of their own heads and unlock an incredibly powerful form of collective thinking.” This aligns well with what Lynk’s platform can do. I’d love to discuss his vision and learn more about what he has seen in his work to apply in Lynk’s journey and growth.
Thank you for these fantastic insights. We greatly appreciate the time you spent on this.
Female Founders: Matti Perilstein of Eternally On The Five Things You Need To Thrive and Succeed As a Woman Founder
An Interview With Candice Georgiadis
You gain more respect by being vulnerable. Opening up helps me develop great relationships. I keep the one-on-one time I have with my team as a priority on my calendar.
As a part of our series about “Why We Need More Women Founders”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Matti Perilstein.
Matti Perilstein is the co-founder of Eternally, a healthcare tech company. Her company partners with healthcare organizations across the country to facilitate advanced care planning conversations. Prior to starting the company, Matti’s career as a healthcare management consultant uncovered a gap in end-of-life care resources which she found to be a devastating recurring theme and a point of opportunity to help millions of Americans.
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?
Growing up, my mother was the director of a home health care business. I watched her help our community and be a resource that people turned to when their loved ones’ health declined.
The care and coordination involved during this period of life does not have to be a surprise. I have seen how loved ones in my own family were able to pass peacefully because they were able to communicate their goals of care with us before their health worsened. Throughout my career in healthcare, I saw the lack of time and resources dedicated to capturing a patients’ future goals of care. I knew there had to be a better way.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began leading your company?
We were connected to Anne Wellington at the Cedars Sinai Accelerator in early 2021 through an investor who initially turned us down. When we spoke to Anne, she really believed in our novel approach to reaching patients in need. After several rounds of interviews, and on the week of my wedding, we were notified that we were one of eight companies to be accepted to the program out of over 400 applicants!
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?
One product offering we initially tested was a SMS text-only product to support patients. While the data told us that Seniors are more tech savvy than ever before, the product was a failure. We quickly realized that for the most vulnerable conversations, it would be a disservice to not pair a patient with one-on-one compassion and support from a clinician. We failed fast, pivoted quickly, and can laugh about it all now.
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 incredibly grateful for my husband, Max. He’s smart, driven, and patient. I’m most grateful for his ability to help me celebrate. The emotional rollercoaster of start-up life is challenging. Max doesn’t just check in; he challenges me to insert some fun however and whenever I can each week. This lifestyle can be crazy and it’s not worth pursuing if you’re not having fun. Some things we’ve tried: Friday pickle back shots, hiking, or treating ourselves to a raspberry amandine.
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?
The statistics show that sixty-six (66%) percent of caregivers of family members are women and that women, on average, spend about 20 hours a week on unpaid caregiving. Since about sixty-five (65%) of family members who need assistance rely on their family for help, this places an undue burden on females. (https://www.caregiver.org/resource/women-and-caregiving-facts-and-figures/). As we know, females usually also bear the brunt of “traditional” household duties and tasks as well as child-care and child-related obligations. This does not leave a lot of time for women to consider pursuing their passion, forming a business plan, creating a pitch deck , and securing investors. Much has been written during the pandemic about the additional increases in gender inequality of these burdens, even with a spouse or significant other working from home during covid.
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?
There has been a lot of talk post pandemic about “the great resignation” and how the pandemic has caused people to re-evaluate their professional lives. A positive of the last year and a half is that companies have realized if they do not improve the work-life parameters and culture that have afforded employees to spend more time with family or engage in self-care during covid, that these employees simply will not return. In households where there are two caregivers of children, there have also been changes and discussions around more equitable childcare solutions. But a lot more can be done. My hope is that such issues stay at the forefront.
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?
Women bring a different perspective into identifying and solving unique business problems as founders. Of the 442 companies that went public in the US in 2020, only 4 of them were founded and led by women. In 2021, there are only 3 of them. (https://news.crunchbase.com/news/the-market-minute-a-historic-year-so-far-for-women-led-ipos-but-theres-a-ways-to-go/) As more women become founders, they will identify, address and solve problems that our male counterparts have overlooked for decades.
What are the “myths” that you would like to dispel about being a founder? Can you explain what you mean?
One of the biggest myths surrounding founders is that they are bold risk takers. While an entrepreneur does take on risk, it’s more so about calculating and assessing risks and acting as a strategist. When I first told my close friends and family about Eternally, their excitement for me reflected their understanding of me at the core. One, that I would never take on a commitment like this lightly and two, for my conviction in the business plan.
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?
Not everyone is cut out to be a Founder. Unwavering resilience and optimism exemplify the traits most called upon as a founder. Each gets tested multiple times a day. It can feel daunting if you’re not up for the challenge. If it were easy, everyone would do it.
When we experienced high rates of unemployment over the pandemic in our country, I thought about why I quit my job a lot but, I was reminded of my ‘why’ and the opportunity to help thousands of people take control of their healthcare. Covid has redefined the confines of ‘work’ and I am seeing more people than ever excel outside the corporate environment. Whether it’s in trade careers, the arts, academia or elsewhere, there is a career path for everyone. Wherever you work, it’s important to take ownership of your career. You can’t wait for the right mentor, promotion window, or role vacancy — go after what you want!
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.)
Set boundaries — and keep them. Running helps me to unwind and destress. I set a goal to run the Philadelphia Marathon in November of 2021 and did it! I wake up very early most days, but by honoring that commitment I am better able to show up for my team and serve them more effectively.
Take time to celebrate your accomplishments. As a founder, I experience very high highs and very low lows almost every day. The highs will get lost unless you take time to acknowledge them and look back at the hard work you did to achieve them. I say what I am grateful for (out loud) every single day.
You gain more respect by being vulnerable. Opening up helps me develop great relationships. I keep the one-on-one time I have with my team as a priority on my calendar.
You can’t pull from a dry well. Sleep is king. I have been blessed with being a good sleeper. Part of that is due to how hard I work. I’ve learned how hard I can push my mind and body and when to back off and hit the hay
Delegate, delegate, delegate. I have learned to do a lot of things since starting Eternally that I did not previously know how to do. But I am a big believer in Clifton Strengths and actively engage and try to surround myself with talented individuals. This enables me to focus on making my own strengths even stronger and deepening my awareness of my team’s strengths to continue to provide them with opportunities to lead.
How have you used your success to make the world a better place?
My goal is to make small changes to make the healthcare system in America more streamlined and simpler for the everyday person. Our focus at Eternally is making sure Advance Care Planning is accessible to every American with the goal of democratizing end-of-life planning. This will bring both patients and their families a sense of peace, knowing that these decisions have been made in alliance with their values and wishes.
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.
There are so many health problems that could be improved by eliminating food insecurity and food desserts. Once again, the pandemic has highlighted this issue as many students were no longer receiving one or two healthy meals at a place of learning and their caretakers did not in turn have the resources to provide consistent, healthy food at home. Research shows an association between food insecurity and delayed development in young children, a higher risk of chronic illnesses, and behavioral problems such as hyperactivity, anxiety, and aggression in school-age children. (https://www.feedingamerica.org/hunger-in-america/impact-of-hunger)
We are very blessed that some very prominent names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US with whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this if we tag them.
I would love to sit down with Whitney Wolfe Herd, the founder and CEO of Bumble, and the youngest female CEO to take a company public. I admire the way Whitney has built and cultivated Bumble’s brand to amplify her vision. I would love to sit down with her to discuss what she has learned from the obstacles she’s faced in building her company and pick her brain about building the Eternally brand within end-of-life planning.
Thank you for these fantastic insights. We greatly appreciate the time you spent on this.
Women In Wellness: Jillian Bullock of Mind, Body, Spirit Connection On The Five Lifestyle Tweaks That Will Help Support People’s Journey Towards Better Wellbeing
An Interview With Candice Georgiadis
Self-Love, Self-Care, Self-Healing — It is so important that you take time for yourself. No matter if you’re a wife, husband, parent, employee/employer, sibling, friend, student, community organizer, etc. Spending time with only you and doing things you love, things that bring you joy, is an excellent way to revamp your mental and physical energy. Even just 30 minutes will help. Take a bubble bath, buy yourself something you’ve always wanted. Sing at the top of your lungs. Dance as if no one is watching. Quiet your mind with yoga and meditation. Go to a movie. Make yourself a fine meal, a treat. Go for a walk in nature, feed the ducks. Whatever it is that will bring a smile to your face and a warm feeling to your heart. Once a week, make it happen.
As a part of my series about the women in wellness, I had the pleasure of interviewing Jillian Bullock.
Jillian Bullock is the Founder of Mind, Body, Spirit Connection. As a professional life coach, transformation speaker, plant-based and vegan specialist, fitness expert, with a background in psychology: human sexuality, she helps men and women improve the quality of their lives mentally, physically, spiritually, and emotionally through fitness, health, and holistic and vegan nutrition. In doing so, people, especially those over 40, improve their health, sleep better, have greater mental clarity, increased energy, enjoy better sex, and be more productive in their professional and personal lives.
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?
As a result of being raped by a family friend when I was 10, I started training in martial arts when I was 12. I competed, and won, several karate competitions, which helped me feel better about myself. I told myself that I would never be a victim again. I watched many martial arts movies, especially Bruce Lee. I bought his books and listened to his interviews. He was wise and smart with his philosophy of how to use martial arts not just in the dojo, not just to protect yourself, but in life for business and success.
I received a black belt in Tae Kwon Do when I was 15. During my 20’s, I started training in Wing Chun. In five years, I obtained another black belt. Today, I train in MMA, boxing, kettlebells, high intensity interval training, weight lifting, and yoga. I utilize my extensive background as a fitness expert to coach men and women and as a fight choreographer for movies.
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?
About eight years ago I tore my rotator cuff when I was training in Jiu-Jitsu. The doctor, who was going to perform the surgery, told me it was one of the worse injuries he’d ever seen. After surgery, my doctor told me I’d never be able to train in martial arts again. In fact, he said I wouldn’t be able to do simple exercises like push-ups due to the injury. For several years I accepted what the doctor told me. I became depressed because I couldn’t train, which always helped me feel good about myself and empowered. I had to stop my fitness business, too, which meant loss wages. I gained a lot of weight during this time. Then, one day I stopped feeling sorry for myself and I started watching videos of people like David Goggins, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Lisa Nichols, Les Brown, Oprah, who have dealt with severe hardships, but managed to not only overcome them, but to thrive and become hugely successful.
I started doing pushups. I was on my knees at first, but eventually through rehab for my shoulder and weight training for my arms and shoulders, I got stronger. I worked my way up from my knees to doing regular pushups. Over time, I got strong enough where I started doing martial arts and boxing again. What I learned from this is medical doctors don’t know everything and they can be wrong, and often are. I should have believed in me, and in my body, that I could heal and go back to training as fiercely as I trained before the injury. It’s the mental outlook that I had to focus on, or as I tell people now, “You will experience hardships, setbacks, obstacles, and challenges that will knock you down. You have a choice: either lie down and quit or stand up and fight.”
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 first started I didn’t have a business plan. I wasn’t certain of which direction I was going for my company. I wasn’t sure of how to structure my fitness, health and wellness company. I didn’t know anything about how to market my fitness programs.
I was doing everything by myself, but didn’t have enough knowledge. As a result, the business folded.
The lessons I learned are: to do extensive research on the type of business and programs I want, know who my demographics are, hire people to help me in areas I’m not strong in, and have a business plan.
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?
My work helps people of all ages, but my main demographics are men and women over 40. It is at this time when people in their 40’s, 50’s, 60’s, start having chronic diseases, gain excess weight, have pain in their joints, have body aches in their muscles, they move slower, have mental fog, etc. They believe this is normal because they’re getting older and they accept that fact. I teach them that doesn’t have to be the case. There is a way to reverse or slow down the aging process naturally. With millions of people living longer, well into their 90’s, I help make an impact by teaching men and women how to reverse chronic diseases, drop weight, have clear minds, enjoy better sex, and overall get into the best shape of their lives mentally, spiritually, physically, and emotionally. So as they get older, they can enjoy life to the fullest and do all the things they love to do without restrictions. I focus on three components: Mind — mental and emotional trauma healing. Body — exercise and vegan and holistic nutrition. Spirit — using meditation, yoga and breath work to become aligned with self and the earth in order to have a life of peace and calmness.
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.
Be consistent with getting up early, the same time each day and going to bed the same time each night. Morning or evening, no TV, cellphone, or other electronic devices two hours upon waking or before going to bed, because the stimulations these device produce in your brain makes it difficult to get a good night’s rest, quality sleep, or to start your day in a positive manner.
Journaling is very important. The benefits include: It’s therapeutic and allows you to release your thoughts, emotions, feelings, dreams, and desires. It allows you to focus on your day and how it went. You can write down your dreams and what steps you’ll take to achieve them. Writing out your thoughts helps reduce stress and anxiety. You can write down your blessings. This keeps you in a state of gratitude.
Adopting a plant based or vegan and holistic way of life. If you want to prevent or reverse chronic diseases (diabetes, cancer, heart disease, high blood pressure, depression, gout, arthritis, inflammation, headaches, digestion issues, high cholesterol, asthma, brain fog, obesity) cleansing your body and mind of toxic foods and drinks will do the trick. Eating meat, dairy, processed and fried food, sugary food and drinks like soda, juices, all break down your immune system and causes not only weight gain, but diseases where you end up either taking various medications, maybe for the rest of your life, or you have to undergo surgery. And of course that also means to rid yourself of other harmful substances, e.g. alcohol and smoking. To live a healthy, well, fit, and productive life for years, adopt these changes for your mind, body and spirit.
Move your body. There are so many benefits to exercising, especially as you get older. Beyond losing some pounds or staying at a good weight, moving your body at least 30 minutes a day helps keep you strong, flexible, improves cardio endurance, and increases life expectancy. Bottom line, exercise improves your physical, mental, psychological, and social health. Try various exercises so you don’t get bored. From riding a bike, to jogging, doing yoga, walking, lifting weights, using resistance bands, swimming, golfing, hiking, taking dance classes. There is so much to do that will be beneficial and fun.
Self-Love, Self-Care, Self-Healing — It is so important that you take time for yourself. No matter if you’re a wife, husband, parent, employee/employer, sibling, friend, student, community organizer, etc. Spending time with only you and doing things you love, things that bring you joy, is an excellent way to revamp your mental and physical energy. Even just 30 minutes will help. Take a bubble bath, buy yourself something you’ve always wanted. Sing at the top of your lungs. Dance as if no one is watching. Quiet your mind with yoga and meditation. Go to a movie. Make yourself a fine meal, a treat. Go for a walk in nature, feed the ducks. Whatever it is that will bring a smile to your face and a warm feeling to your heart. Once a week, make it happen.
If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of wellness to the most amount of people, what would that be?
As a mental health advocate, I feel that the way people are opening up about their struggles with mental illness is great. This topic has always been looked upon with shame and stigma. The Covid pandemic has helped the world see that mental health is a serious matter. More resources have been given to people who are struggling and that should continue even when the world gets back to “normal.”
When thinking about wellness the mind is just as important as the body. This is why my company is called Mind, Body, Spirit Connection. All three elements must be in tune with one another for optimal health and wellness.
What are your “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Started” and why?
1) Get a mentor, someone who has done well in the fitness/health/wellness industry.
2) Study people who are more successful so you can learn the do’s and don’ts.
3) Do extensive research in your field.
4) If you don’t know something, don’t be afraid to work with someone who knows what you don’t.
5) Have a business plan for your company.
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 dearest to me, because in the past I have suffered with depression and PTSD. I know firsthand the devastation mental illness causes on one’s self, family, friends, employers, and communities. It affects us all. We, as a society, all across the world, must put more energy and focus, along with resources, to help the millions of people who are struggling, so they can eventually heal their trauma and live a full, productive, and happy life.
What is the best way our readers can follow you online?
Women In Wellness: Gail Gould, The CPR & Safety Lady,On The Five Lifestyle Tweaks That Will Help Support People’s Journey Towards Better Wellbeing
An Interview With Candice Georgiadis
Treat yourself with kindness and compassion. No one is perfect, and we all make mistakes from time-to-time and many times over. It’s okay. Forgive yourself. It feels so much better than being critical of your flaws or performance.
As a part of my series about the women in wellness, I had the pleasure of interviewing Gail Gould, the CPR & Safety Lady.
Gail has over 30 years’ experience in CPR Training and Certification. She has provided effective, hands-on CPR, AED, First Aid and Emergency Response training to thousands of people in many of Houston’s major corporations, schools and medical offices. Gould has also managed wellness programs for Marathon Oil, worked as a Health Coach for Humana and has worked at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Teas for over a decade, organizing the Wellness Fair for the City of Houston.
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 have been a professional CPR instructor for over 30 years and trained 10k people to save lives. I began teaching CPR in 1989 right after I completed my master’s degree in Exercise Science/Health Promotion. I began talking with Fortune 500 companies about their wellness programming. Turns out, they all needed CPR training for their teams! I was fortunate to facilitate training for some of the world’s largest corporations, numerous medical, dental offices, government agencies, schools and daycares. In 2003, at the age of 49 years old, I became a first-time mom when I adopted my newborn son. Becoming a mom made me realize the importance of preventing childhood emergencies, and it has been my mission ever since.
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?
There are so many, but the one that sticks out in my mind happened right before the pandemic. I met a loving mom who lost her infant to choking. She shared with me how she was feeding her 8-month-old daughter who began choking. She did not know what to do and went into panic mode. She ran to the neighbor’s home for help. By the time she got back home, her infant had died. Her story was heartbreaking, because I know that if she knew infant CPR at that time, her story may have had a very different ending. It only takes me 10 minutes to teach people how to help a choking child. This story inspired me to create my digital mini-course “How to Help Your Choking Child,” which empowers parents, grandparents, teachers and caregivers with the knowledge to know exactly what to do if their child is choking. Meeting this loving mom and creating the course gave me a renewed sense of purpose and what important work I am offering to the world.
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?
Over decades of teaching wellness and safety, I have had time to become more confident in my own voice. However, that wasn’t always the case. When I was first starting out, my biggest mistake was not being assertive enough in taking an impactful leadership role. I remember one time I was in a room full of executives, and I found myself holding back from voicing my opinion on an issue. I kicked myself later for not speaking up. I want to encourage everyone, particularly women, that you have earned a seat at the table. Lean in to opportunities for you to share your unique perspective. It’s incredibly important to speak up to not become a part of a spiral of silence. This applies to business and everyday life situations.
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?
At the core, I am teaching people to save lives. It feels incredibly gratifying when someone calls or emails to tell me: “That thing you taught me last week saved my child’s life!” Or, when I go to a preschool and one of the teachers mentions she needed to give her husband CPR and was incredibly thankful she had taken my class duringthe summer.
Prevention is the key to avoiding CPR. The first thing I tell students in my CPR class is that I hope they never have to use any of what they are getting ready to learn. We want to increase survival rates when those situations do arise. The main cause of unintentional death of infants under the age of one is an obstructed airway. Along with teaching CPR, I spread awareness and knowledge for parents about prevention techniques, such as feeding age-appropriate foods — like no whole grapes or whole hot dogs until about 6 years old. I also encourage parents to hire a professional to baby proof their home and car. Over 50% of people are driving around with their child’s car seat installed improperly. If you have a backyard swimming pool, make sure you have two fences: one around the yard and another around the pool.
The truth is, we all need to know how to perform CPR because when emergencies happen, they happen fast, and someone needs to know what to do. The good news is that if someone needs CPR and you begin compressing within the first 5–10 seconds, you can double or triple the person’s chance of survival.
Can you share your top five tips that you believe will help support people’s journey towards better wellbeing? Please give an example or story for each.
In my extensive experience with health and wellness, I have a few shreds of wisdom to share that I’ve learned along the way for both mental and physical wellness to live your best life.
Treat yourself with kindness and compassion. No one is perfect, and we all make mistakes from time-to-time and many times over. It’s okay. Forgive yourself. It feels so much better than being critical of your flaws or performance.
Find a way to eat what you like and enjoy. I used to be so hard on myself with what foods I allowed myself to eat. Not anymore! I explore new recipes and try new flavors. Food is one of life’s greatest pleasures. If you are not happy with the way you are eating, find a way to eat that you enjoy. This makes my day go so much better!
Meditate. I tried various forms of meditation but always felt like a failure because I could not stop my mind from “thinking” during meditation. It was not until I discovered meditation courses that I was able to stick with it. I stopped considering thoughts as the enemy while meditating. I think I have only missed 2–3 days of meditation in the last 3.5 years. Meditation helps me sleep much better, I feel calmer, and I am kinder to myself.
Exercise. Does not matter what you do for exercise. Just move your body on a daily basis. There is so much confusion surrounding exercise. You absolutely do not have to train for a marathon in order to get fit. Any and all exercise counts. There is exercise for fitness and exercise for health. Exercise for health is simply walking the dog, taking the steps, parking farther away from the door, standing more and sitting less. It does not require intense activity in order to be considered exercise. Everyone has a choice as to how they would like to exercise.
Learn something new. I created my virtual mini-course for CPR at the age of 66. I was not tech savvy at all when I began. It was a huge learning curve for me to write the content, choose the pictures, figure out how to put it all together, market the course, etc. I needed to hire a virtual assistant to help me get it up and running online. But most of it I had to rely on myself, and it has been a huge stretch for me but tons of fun! I have only been on Instagram for a year so learning how to effectively use social media has also been a challenge. Now I look forward to creating content and reels! Never stop learning.
If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of wellness to the most amount of people, what would that be?
A couple decades ago, I would have said that exercise would bring the greatest amount of wellness to people. Now, I say exercise and meditation. Both work in tandem to create a peacefulness of the mind and body. Meditation and just sitting quietly observing my thoughts creates a calming influence on my nervous system and my life. For exercise, you do not have to act like you are training for a marathon to derive benefit. Just walk around the neighborhood or even climb steps in your home, walk the dog, march in place, swim, yardwork, housework, find a virtual trainer that resonates with you, etc. It all counts as exercise.
What are your “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Started”?
It will not be easy to be a female entrepreneur.
Make sure you only hire people you trust.
Have a good accountant or CPA.
Join a mastermind or support group.
It’s a marathon, not a sprint.
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 and emotional well-being is very important to me. Nearly 1-in-5 adults in the U.S. live with mental illness, and I believe we all need to reflect on our own mental well-being. A few years ago, I had insomnia so I began meditating, and it cured my insomnia in a week. I meditate 17 minutes each morning and evening. Just in the last year or so, I was experiencing physical pain and anxiety so I began journaling 20 minutes per day, and this practice has made a tremendous difference in how I feel physically and emotionally.
What is the best way our readers can follow you online?
Follow me on Instagram @thecprandsafetylady. I host engaging live content weekly related to safety and wellness. You can also follow me on my Facebook Page called “How to Help Your Choking Child.” I also offer a digital course for CPR, so anyone can learn about these life-saving techniques no matter where they live. You can find it at www.cprandsafetylady.com.
Women In Wellness: Jodi Neuhauser of Ovaterra On The Five Lifestyle Tweaks That Will Help Support People’s Journey Towards Better Wellbeing
An Interview With Candice Georgiadis
Don’t take things personally — What someone says or does, is about them and their “stuff” — not about you. The freedom that comes in letting go of the things you take personally, opens up significantly more doors than worrying about what others think of you.
As a part of my series about the women in wellness, I had the pleasure of interviewing Jodi Neuhauser.
Jodi is a fertility trailblazer. She is the Co-Founder and CEO of Ovaterra, a reproductive and sexual health company aiming to provide doctors, patients and their partners with research, premium products and the personalized technology to make the most of their reproductive lives. She believes that actionable knowledge is power. For too long, healthcare has been siloed, making it too difficult to access, connect and interpret all of the information we need to know about ourselves and our bodies. Her goal is to empower others to make the right decisions through better education and access to information — allowing them to be in control.
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?
From my earliest memories and throughout my career, I’ve always been driven by knowledge and discovery — for myself, and for those around me. As a lifelong learner, I’m fascinated by the way information is shaped and shared in our society because it says so much about our culture and about who is in control.
An achiever to my core, I used this natural curiosity to my advantage as it related to my studies and my career in which I quickly ascended the corporate ladder to work with some of the largest media companies and consumer brands in the world. I traveled the globe, always seeking new opportunities to learn while taking on demanding leadership roles. From this, I gained valuable insights about what it takes to create something people will deeply connect with.
As I mentioned, I am an over achiever who spent most of my childhood caring for everyone around me. A was raised to be a hard worker growing up on a farm in Virginia. I grew up looking after my friends, teammates and even my parents. And then, later, I sought validation from my colleagues, my employers and my partners. I achieved a lot of success, but was constantly in motion, traveling around the world looking for new opportunities and adventures.
But I wasn’t really happy, and — I came to realize — I wasn’t healthy either. There was this one moment, over breakfast at a diner in midtown Manhattan, when it hit me clearly: I had to stop prioritizing everyone else and start to take care of myself.
Soon after, as I was training for an Ironman, I saved up some money to meet with a functional medicine doctor who specialized in holistic medicine. It was in meeting with him that I began to learn new things about my body, and I discovered that I was not in touch with how I was really doing, physically, emotionally and spiritually.
After meeting with the doctor, I realized that the healthcare system isn’t designed with us in mind. It’s not here to educate us, to give us the full picture and information we need to make the right choices based on our own bodies, our risk profile, and our histories. Fortunately, I was able to see this doctor for several years in which we worked on taking control of my health which was a crucial turning point in my life.
This kind of information shouldn’t be hidden away and only available to those who can find and afford it. Everyone deserves access to this knowledge about themselves, so they can gain that same clarity and control over their own lives. This is why I do the work that I do: to make it easier for more people to have this kind of experience and to regain that control.
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?
Discuss how as someone eager to learn that skill has allowed you to excel in your career
Many people ask how I met my husband, who is South African. The truth is, I went to South Africa to freeze my eggs because I couldn’t afford to do it in New York. It’s one third of the cost to do it there and the country has some of the best medical care in the world. I almost didn’t go because I was in the midst of a tough work situation but at the urging of my best friend, I got on the plane. I was there alone, going through a difficult process that reinforces your alone-ness so I decided to log onto Bumble to see if I could meet some people to have a drink with while I was there. The first date I went on was with Justin who is now my husband. Incidentally, it was also the night of my trigger shot to start my egg retrieval process.
I ended up going to the wrong hotel, forgot my trigger shot and told him 3 sips into my beer that I needed to go (even though I thought he was awesome and super cute). I then did the most vulnerable thing I had ever done in my life, I laid everything out on the table with nothing to lose. In a bit of a frantic state, I told him why I was in South Africa, why I was freezing my eggs and how I planned to start a business around it. He calmly looked at me and said “My car is outside — let’s just go grab your shot and keep our evening going.” The rest is history. Almost three years later, we have an amazing little family.
For me, this jump-started my transition into the fertility industry where I’m now passionately working to improve the system, access to knowledge and the overall experience for more couples. But, the bigger lesson was in the value of vulnerability. It’s that unstable feeling we get when we step out of our comfort zone or do something that forces us to let down our guard and loosen control. Every time I have done this, I’ve been blown away by what comes next. Brene Brown says “vulnerability is the birthplace of innovation, creativity and change” and for me, this experience certainly was that.
Can you share a story about the biggest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
In my early career, I allowed others to control my value for a long time. At one point, I had a side hustle working for a start up with a team of experienced professionals. I never asked to get paid, I assumed that we were all “in it together — building a company from the ground up.” Turns out, everyone else had negotiated to get paid for their time in some way or another and I had given away all of my value for free in an attempt to prove my worth.
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?
I am trying to change a broken system but more importantly I am creating transparency around a subject that impacts all of us and needs to be discussed openly. I believe that knowledge is power. And when each of us, especially women, has information about our health and our bodies, we can make better decisions to take action and plan for the future. We need to remove the taboos around reproductive health to improve the broken system. Right now, 60% of women would fail a test about their own fertility and only 12% of us can accurately predict our fertility window. One of the top regrets I hear from women is “I wish I would have known more sooner.” My company, Ovaterra, is about to change that by providing a one-stop discovery platform that will make the conception journey less overwhelming by prioritizing the products, services and content you need to be empowered to take control of the process. We want to democratize access to pre-pregnancy care which right now is only geographically and financially accessible to the upper-echelons of society.
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.
Have a goal that will push you outside your comfort zone — The value for me of training for and completing Ironman triathlons and marathons is the discipline needed for the training but more importantly, the lessons in pushing through the discomfort when it gets hard. In marathon training, there are a few weeks ahead of the race where you need to run 18+ miles. By that time, getting to 15–16 miles really isn’t that hard because you’ve trained for it. But getting from 16–18 is the worst. It’s only 20 minutes more, but the growth and awareness of your strength comes in those extra 20 minutes. I’ve had a lot of professional breakthroughs like this, during those times, I visualize myself back in Central Park on those training runs which encourages me to push through the discomfort to get to the gain that comes on the other side.
Know Your Body — You are the only one trained in you. Your doctors and specialists are trained in their own silos of information, but you are the only one who can interpret and advocate for what it means for you. When I was training for the Ironman, I had lots of different coaches and specialists on my team helping me along the way, but I was the only one who could look across the system that is my body, and know how everything was working together and therefore advocate for what I needed from each of them. There are more and more at-home and telehealth resources now — making it easier to take control of your health journey.
Know what fills your cup — It’s that old adage, “you can’t pour from an empty cup.” Figure out what fills your cup the most and do that before 9:00 am each morning so you start the day with a full tank. For me, that’s moving my body. The energy I get from my morning workouts powers me through being a Mom, a partner and a startup founder and CEO.
Understand the impact of your environment on your health — Not just the air you breathe, but the products that are in your home and everyday life. Our government doesn’t protect consumers in the same way as other countries so the responsibility is in our hands to learn how what we put in, on and around our body impacts everything about our health down to a cellular level. When I was preparing to freeze my eggs, I did a lot of research on endocrine disrupting chemicals, which have a huge impact on fertility due to the way in which they affect hormone levels. I threw out almost everything I was using on a daily basis and replaced those products with safer alternatives for reproduction.
Get more support than you need — Build a team around you that will help support you physically, emotionally, financially, mentally, spiritually and professionally. We have athletic coaches for sports teams, why not have them in every other aspect of your life? A few years ago, I had a life-changing injury. I was on a business trip and herniated a disc in my back 10,000 miles away from home. Being the hard-charging career woman I am, I ignored it and over the course of a 4-week business trip went from using a heating pad at night to literally presenting to a team laying on the floor because I couldn’t stand. I got back to New York and underwent emergency back surgery in January. But, I was scheduled to run the NYC Marathon that November and was determined to do so. I surrounded myself with a team of experts — doctors, physical therapists, mental therapists, pilates teachers, running coaches, family and friends. Ten months after emergency back surgery, I finished the NYC Marathon in 4:32.
If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of wellness to the most amount of people, what would that be?
Creating and developing more resources for education
Exactly what I’m building now with Ovaterra. So much of fertility is about larger lifestyle and wellness factors which most people don’t realize. By making a few lifestyle tweaks, and taking a few different actions, you can better support your chance for pregnancy while making life-long lasting changes to your health. I want to empower more people, everywhere to understand their bodies to take control of their data so they can improve their whole health. The more we can democratize access to pre-pregnancy education and products, we can build a better support network for the more than 4 million parents-to-be each year.
What are your “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Started” and why?
Don’t take things personally — What someone says or does, is about them and their “stuff” — not about you. The freedom that comes in letting go of the things you take personally, opens up significantly more doors than worrying about what others think of you.
Meet Your Own Needs First- I spent my early career meeting the needs of my employer and bosses before my own. Eventually, I burned out. I remember the rock-bottom moment, on a subway car in New York, full of tears — after realizing deep down that I hadn’t met my own needs in years. This was a turning point for me, and the beginning of the rise of who I am today.
You Belong. I know what it feels like not to belong. Growing up as a bit of an outsider in a farm family, a kid who wanted to chase big dreams outside of the family traditions, I often felt like I didn’t belong in my career. Like I was standing outside of a party looking in. But, in truth — we do belong — to everyone else, we’ve been inside the party the whole time.
Build a team — It’s ok to ask for help. When I first started as a Co-Founder/CEO I thought I needed to do it all, learn it all and solve it all to show value. But the true value is in building a team that compliments each others strengths in order to move forward faster together.
It’s ok to be still and rest — As a New Yorker, I packed my days from 5am to 11pm. I felt guilty for resting, and didn’t want to slow down and sit with my thoughts. But actually, that stillness is where some of my most creative ideas have come from and now I make a conscious effort with strong boundaries to schedule in rest and stillness into my life.
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 — Our mind is our most powerful tool, and when our mental health is suffering, it literally impacts every other aspect of our life. Mental health is a personal passion of mine for many reasons — 1. We need to remove the taboo around mental health support. Having a therapist is the equivalent of having a mental coach. We have no problem having coaches in other aspects of our lives, mental health is no different. 2. Mental health impacts our ability to connect with other humans, a basic human need. Without this ability to connect, we live an unfulfilled life of loneliness and I’m a big believer that the more we connect with and truly see each other as humans, the stronger we are as species. 3. I’m especially passionate about mental health in the fertility realm. We know that of those undergoing fertility treatment, 90% experience depression and anxiety and 60% exhibit at least one psychotic symptom. This impacts their personal relationships, professional productivity and self-esteem. There are a number of amazing startups in the space working to ease the mental health burden of fertility.
What is the best way our readers can follow you online?
Act with the anxiety. Act as if you aren’t anxious. Function with it. Slow down if you have to but keep going. Breathe normally. If you run from the situation your anxiety will go down, but your fear will go up. If you stay, both your anxiety and your fear will eventually go down. In other words, allow yourself time to acclimate to your environment.
Tom Seaman is a Certified Professional Life Coach in the area of health and wellness, and author of 2 books: Beyond Pain and Suffering: Adapting to Adversity and Life Challenges (2021) and Diagnosis Dystonia: Navigating the Journey (2015). Tom is also a motivational speaker, chronic pain and dystonia awareness advocate, health blogger, volunteer for the Dystonia Medical Research Foundation (DMRF) as a support group leader, and volunteer writer for Chronic Illness Bloggers Network, The Mighty, Patient Worthy, and The Wellness Universe. Tom was also featured in Brain and Life Magazine, Pain Free Living Magazine, and Pain Pathways Magazine. To learn more about Tom, visit www.tomseamancoaching.com.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you share with us the backstory about what brought you to your specific career path?
I work as a life coach in the area of health and wellness and how I arrived here is topsy turvy. I graduated college with a degree in education and psychology. After graduating, I was offered a position with a health education company. I chose that route rather than teaching or something in the field of psychology. After 6 years in business, I decided to return to school for my master’s degree in counselling. Upon completion, I had plans of opening a private counseling practice, but life had other plans. During my first semester, I developed a debilitating movement disorder called dystonia. Within months, I was in severe pain and unable to continue with school. I had taken on the life of a disabled person, rolling around on the floor in pain all day. After 10 years of learning how to better manage my symptoms, I began helping others with their health issues. This transformed into life coaching, so I returned to school to get professionally certified as a coach, which I achieved in 2012. The ironic thing to me is that I always planned on being a baseball coach. I talked about coaching “at some point in the future” even when I was a high school student. So, I did turn out to be a coach, just not a baseball coach. Life experiences sure have a funny way of planning things for us.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started your career?
I was helping someone start a new company online and while we were testing out various things on the website, one day I received an empty email. This would happen from time to time and I would typically ignore it. I deleted the email, but never cleared my trash. For a day or two, this email would not leave my mind. For some reason, I couldn’t shake it, so I decided to respond to it to let the person know that I received an email without any content. They responded and said they were reading an article I wrote about my life with dystonia to learn more to help a friend who was suffering with it. She “mistakenly” hit a link that sent me the empty email. We exchanged several more emails and she connected me with her friend who I began helping for the next 10 years. So an “accidental” email turned into a longtime friendship. This experience always reminds me to listen to that little voice inside and follow my intuition.
What advice would you give to other leaders about how to create a fantastic work culture?
Great question and one that is difficult to answer with specifics because I think a fantastic work culture is unique to the individual. That said, I believe the most important thing is that we personally visualize what a fantastic work culture is for us and then seek that out. For me, I had to find something that suited my interests and also my health challenges. In order to manage both, I needed to create an at-home work situation, which I have been able to do.
Is there a particular book that made a significant impact on you? Can you share a story or explain why it resonated with you so much?
The Road Less Travelled by M. Scott Peck. My brother gave me this book as a high school student, and it made my young mind think very differently than it was at that ripe age. It taught me to be introspective and question things about myself that I normally didn’t give a second thought. After saying that, I realize it did for me the very same thing that one of my favorite quotes did 25 years later. That being, “When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change” by Wayne Dyer. This is exactly what The Road Less Traveled did for me and I am forever grateful for being introduced to this material at the time I was.
Ok, thank you for all that. Now let’s move to the main focus of our interview. From your experience or research, how would you define and describe the state of being mindful?
I have to defer to the definition of mindfulness that comes from Jon Kabat-Zinn. That being, “paying attention, on purpose, in the present moment, as if your life depended upon it.” I view mindfulness as a state of nothingness and everything all at the same time. What I mean by that is when we pay attention, on purpose, in the present moment as if our life depended upon it, we have focused attention without judgment where we get completely lost in something, but at the same time, with enough practice, we are completely present with ourselves. I have an inside joke with some of my coaching clients who are working on mindfulness activities, and will say “just get lost,” which of course can be interpreted as a rude comment, but in our working relationship we know that it is meant in the former context.
Mindfulness is also a state of living in bewilderment or awe, both of which are states of mind where we are lost in amazement about something that completely fills our mind in a peaceful way. As Rumi said, “sell your cleverness and buy bewilderment.” What I infer this to mean is that we have to get our critical thinking mind out of the way and be completely present with ourselves or something/someone else. I like to use a spider web as an example. Even if you don’t like spiders, it is hard to not get lost, or be bewildered or in awe, in the majestic artwork of their webs. There are many other examples of things in nature that we can be in awe of that help us “get lost.” So, in other words, when we can turn off the world around us and get lost, we become more present. Too often, we feel we need to be on the ball about everything to the point of micromanaging our lives. This is when we tend to lose touch with our inner selves and live mindlessly.
This might be intuitive to you, but it will be instructive to spell this out. Can you share with our readers a few of the physical, mental, and emotional benefits of becoming mindful?
The practice of mindfulness helps to engage the parasympathetic nervous system, which is the rest and digest branch of the autonomic nervous system. We live in a world where we have become much more emotional and reactionary, which causes us to live in a more anxious state. Living in a state of anxiety means that we are engaging the sympathetic nervous system, which is where the fight, flight, freeze response is housed. When that side of the nervous system is overactive, we have various inflammatory stress chemicals being produced that can cause or exacerbate physical and mental health conditions. It also pulls us further away from inner peace. The benefit of mindfulness practice is greater control of emotions and clarity of thought, which leads to inner harmony where we learn to respond to various life experiences in a more thoughtful way to reduce the physical and emotional burden stress may have on us. By doing this, we are better able to listen to our inner voice and even our bodies that are always telling us what we need to do to feel better and find inner peace or maintain inner peace (exercise, rest, read a book, work, go for a walk, get outdoors in nature, etc.)
Ok. Here is the main question of our discussion. The past 5 years have been filled with upheaval and political uncertainty. Many people have become anxious from the dramatic jolts of the news cycle. From your experience or research, what are five steps that each of us can take to develop mindfulness during such uncertain times? Can you please share a story or example for each.
Great question and one that’s challenging to answer because each of us has different concerns regarding the uncertainty of our world right now. That being said, I’d like to make this as simple as possible and people can expand upon this based on their particular needs.
1. Pause — Ask yourself WHAT it is that you are feeling right now.
2. Ask yourself WHY you feel the way that you do and if it is the appropriate response to what is happening in the moment, or if it is a visceral (gut) reaction. If it is a visceral reaction, take more time to stay in the pause until you can bring your emotions to a lower level.
3. Breathe– Become aware of your breath and just your breath. Notice how it naturally comes in and out. Don’t force your breath. Just pay attention to its rhythm (this is called conscious awareness). I like to say, “let your body breathe itself.”
4. Take a moment to just allow things to be exactly as they are without judging, if possible (awareness without judgement is a key principle of mindfulness).
5. Reset– Allow your calming breath to help you make an agreement with yourself that you are going to reset your existing mindset and the feelings that go along with it, so that you can go about your day with more peace.
The power of the pause is such that it can literally change your day and put you into a totally different mindset. It also helps us learn to live in the moment, which is all we have in life until the next moment arrives. None of us knows if we have hours, days, weeks, months, years, etc. ahead of us, so to practice living in the moment, the only thing promised to us, is to live mindfully.
The power of the breath is too long to go into here, but suffice to say, breathing has health benefits such as detoxification, it releases tension, relieves emotional problems, relaxes the body and mind, massages organs, strengthens the immune system, improves posture, improves digestion, balances the nervous system, boosts energy, improves cellular regeneration, and elevates moods, to name just a few.
Many people I speak with wake up in the morning with a sense of urgency and anxiety. This is a great time to PAUSE. BREATHE. RESET, and then begin your day. We have all heard the saying, “I got up on the wrong side of the bed today,” as a way to describe why they or someone else is having a bad day. There is some truth to this because the way we start our day can often determine the kind of day we will have. It is probably best to start the day in a place of peace, so allow yourself that extra time to go into that place of peace. For some it is easy and for others it is a challenge. As with anything, it takes practice, so please practice this mindfulness technique, or others, if you are challenged in this area. It can have profound health benefits.
So, the question we should all be asking ourselves is, “how often do I pause during the day, whether it be a moment, a minute, a half hour, an hour, and so on?” Most of us probably don’t do it near as much as we should. Our lives can often feel like we are on a hamster wheel or always trying to catch up. Just waiting a few minutes for something to warm up in the microwave can feel like hours to some of us. Tell yourself to PAUSE. BREATHE. RESET whenever you feel out of control. It literally takes less than 10 seconds to do, but the benefit can last hours when practiced on a regular basis.
From your experience or research, what are five steps that each of us can take to effectively offer support to those around us who are feeling anxious? Can you explain?
It would be helpful to learn the AWARE technique which you can then share with others who are anxious. The AWARE technique comes from the book, Anxiety Disorders and Phobias: A Cognitive Perspective, by Aaron Beck and Gary Emery.
A: Accept the anxiety. Welcome it. Don’t fight it. Replace your rejection, anger, and hatred of it with acceptance. By resisting, you are prolonging the unpleasantness of it. Instead, flow with it. Don’t make it responsible for how you think, feel, and act.
W: Watch and Wait. Look at your anxiety without judgment. It’s neither good nor bad. Become detached from it. Remind yourself that you are not your anxiety. The more you can separate yourself from the experience, the more you can view it as a third party observer.
Even though there is a powerful urge to run away to try and escape anxious situations, postpone that decision for a little bit. Stay in the situation. Don’t tell yourself you can’t leave. Keep that option open so you don’t feel trapped, but remember that you don’t need to run away to get relief. Let relief come to you.
A: Act with the anxiety. Act as if you aren’t anxious. Function with it. Slow down if you have to but keep going. Breathe normally. If you run from the situation your anxiety will go down, but your fear will go up. If you stay, both your anxiety and your fear will eventually go down. In other words, allow yourself time to acclimate to your environment.
R: Repeat the steps. Continue to accept your anxiety, watch it, and act with it until it goes down to a comfortable level.
E: Expect the best. What we fear rarely happens. Recognize that a certain amount of anxiety is a normal part of life. Understanding this puts us in a good position to accept it if it comes again. We are familiar with it and know what to do with it. Too often, we become fearful of the feelings that accompany anxiety (heart racing, sweaty palms, dizziness, weakness, etc.). When we do this, we are adding fear on top of fear, which is what turns anxiety into panic.
After years of suffering with the health condition I mentioned above (chronic pain from dystonia), as I learned to better manage my symptoms and develop a new relationship with it, I developed more confidence in myself. With more confidence I began doing things I once avoided like the plague because of intense anxiety and panic attacks. It opened my world and made life interesting and exciting again. Instead of worrying about all the bad things that might happen before I did an activity, I started to look forward to them. A huge burden was lifted and I was living again. There are many different words people use for the FEAR acronym such as, Face Everything And Rise, False Expectations Appearing Real, Forget Everything And Run, among others. My new favorite one that is related to mindfulness is, Forget Everything And Relax.
What are the best resources you would suggest for someone to learn how to be more mindful and serene in their everyday life?
I was first introduced to mindfulness using the work of Jon Kabat-Zinn. I think he is a good starting point for most everyone, particularly his program called Mindfulness for Beginners.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Do you have a story about how that was relevant in your life?
“Success is not final. Failure is not fatal. It is the courage to continue that counts.” Winston Churchill. After a very challenging and stressful freshman year in college, the day after I returned home, I walked into my bedroom and this quote was on my bed in my Dad’s handwriting. He knew I felt defeated after a poor academic year, but that it was okay to move forward, understanding that bumps in life don’t have to define us if we don’t let them. The following school year I made the Academic Dean’s list.
Fast forward 12 years when I developed a neurological movement disorder called dystonia that totally changed my life, and I was COMPLETELY defined by it. I went from very active and successful in all areas of my life to a disabled person in severe chronic pain and completely reliant on the help of others. That was 20 years ago. After nearly a decade figuring out how to better manage my health condition and the rest of my life, I no longer let my health define me. Instead, I decided to define its place in my life, and a lot of this was from using mindfulness techniques. I have since written 2 books (one of which is on the suggested resources list for the Michael J Fox Foundation), I became a motivational speaker and certified professional life coach helping others around the world with their health challenges, I have been on international radio shows and podcasts, and have had over 75 articles published worldwide. So not only was this quote meaningful to me when I was 18, it is just as meaningful to me at 30, 40, and 50.
You are a person of great influence. If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂
This may sound strange to people, but I think we should all stop watching 24-hour news stations…. All of them. I think the news is nothing but a stress producer. Even local/regional news is a stress trigger for many people without them even knowing it. Rather than have someone else tell us what SUPPOSEDLY is going on in the world, we should seek it out on our own, learning what we want to know and not what other people want to tell us. If we stop watching the news, they would have far less nonsense to report in ways that are so overly dramatic, which would reduce our fear, anxiety, and worry. We would have less frustration, hate. and anger in our hearts, and we would be far less divided as a world. If you really think about, what does the news do to enhance your life for the better? Are you really more informed or are you more emotionally charged by it? In my opinion, the news tells us what the powers that be, whoever they are, want us to think. It is a modern day Thinkpol (Thought Police) from the book 1984 by George Orwell. I purposely stopped watching the news about 5 years ago and I noticed something interesting. I wasn’t missing anything important and whatever was important, other people told me. The most helpful thing that came from not watching the news anymore was that my stress level went down. Therefore, I encourage you, in a very mindful way, to look at how the news might be stressing you and see if you can reduce or eliminate it from your life. Give it a try for a couple weeks and see if you notice a difference.
What is the best way our readers can follow you online?
All of my books, articles, blog, and other resources, as well as my life coaching information, can be found on my website at www.tomseamancoaching.com. I am also on Twitter @DystoniaBook1, as well as LinkedIn and Instagram @CoachTom12.
Thank you for these fantastic insights. We wish you only continued success in your great work!
Thank you very much! I hope these tidbits can be of help to others.
Women In Wellness: Dr Staci Whitman On The Five Lifestyle Tweaks That Will Help Support People’s Journey Towards Better Wellbeing
An Interview With Candice Georgiadis
Knowing that the people you surround yourself with, your team and your community, are THE MOST important thing for your happiness and success. This group is your everything, so be sure to show them support, love, and appreciation always.
As a part of my series about the women in wellness, I had the pleasure of interviewing Dr. Staci Whitman.
Doctor Staci Whitman is on a mission to create a cavity-free world. She is the founder of NoPo Kids Dentistry where she takes a whole-body, holistic, and functional approach with her patients. Her dentistry/practice is grounded by science and powered by love.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Our readers would love to “get to know you” better. Can you share your “backstory” with us?
I grew up in a small town in a rural part of Maine where much of my youth involved playing outside in the woods, creating magical adventures, and getting “wicked” dirty. It was a pretty simple and beautiful childhood in that regard. Unfortunately, I was surrounded by a lot of substance abuse issues and mental health challenges in my home, which left me in a state of constant survival mode as a child. Because of this, it left me always very interested in living optimally and thriving, even though I didn’t describe or realize it as such as a child. It was likely instinctual…I did not want to live a life filled with illness, toxicity, sadness, and disease. I wanted to thrive.
Around 10 years old I suffered a severe bicycle accident where I knocked out several permanent teeth and broke my upper jaw, forcing me to be in and out of dentist, orthodontist, and surgeon offices throughout my youth. Because of these amazing and nurturing providers, I became very interested in dentistry, eventually choosing a path of becoming a dentist myself. Like all programs, my initial training and exposure to dentistry was very traditional, where I learned all the basic sciences and hands-on techniques necessary to become a competent and proficient dental provider. I practiced as a general dentist in a very traditional manner right out of school and was immediately quite unhappy and dissatisfied. Dentistry just did not resonate with me and I never felt like I was truly making a difference in my patients’ lives. I was addressing end-stage disease but with little to no root-cause education or time to help support patients in preventing issues from arising again. I personally was very interested in optimal living and nutrition and was often reading and studying more about this in my downtime. In my late twenties, my mom passed away quite suddenly and dramatically from cancer…this was after my father passed away in my late teens due to alcoholism and my stepfather passed away while I was in dental school from liver disease. All of these early deaths had definite causes linking back to outside and environmental influences, propelling me on my current mission to not only support myself in optimal living but also to support my patients toward whole-body wellness and to educate how so much of it connects back to oral health. I wanted to get as upstream as possible and I knew this meant I had to work with children and their parents. I had to help educate and prevent issues from beginning in the first place and this path has led me to where I am now, practicing as a root-cause, functional, and holistic pediatric dentist. And I have never had a stronger sense of purpose since starting my career 15 years ago and I am thrilled to see where the next 15 years take me.
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?
A story that really impacted me and my path actually ended up being a series of stories I heard over and over again…how much dental fear and phobia there was in the adult population due to events and traumatic experiences that they had as children at the dentist. Similar and repeated memories were shared: “I was restrained against my will,” “I asked them to stop because it hurt and they didn’t listen,” “The dentist put their hand over my mouth, making me feel like I couldn’t breathe, and told me if I didn’t cooperate than ____ would happen to me.” It is tragic, shocking, and embarrassing to hear these stories of my past colleagues. I knew it didn’t have to be this way. I knew we could do better. I knew that I could help pave a new image of dentistry, one that is founded in love and compassion and prevention, while being grounded in science. It was because of these dozens and dozens of stories that I heard over my few years treating adults, that I decided I must pursue a specialty in pediatrics.
The other story I’ll mention is that shortly after I graduated from dental school, I worked at this corporate dental office as a general dentist and one afternoon we all had to evacuate the building because an assistant had dropped a bottle of something called formocresol, which is essentially a formaldehyde derivative that is often used in pulpal treatments/pulpotomies (nerve treatments of primary or baby teeth). I remember standing out in the parking lot thinking, “why is it in the corporate handbook to evaluate the building if a bunch of this stuff spills, but we are still putting this in children’s mouths?” It was one of the many situations that led me to seriously question the way we were doing things in dentistry and prompted me to seriously question many of the treatment modalities I had been taught in school. Again, I knew there must be a better way, a safer way, a more holistic and supportive way to care for our children.
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?
The biggest mistake I made when I first started out as a dentist is that I wasn’t true to myself. While I personally tended to lean into a very clean, holistic, and natural lifestyle, especially after losing my mother suddenly to cancer, I was still practicing dentistry in a very old and archaic manner using unideal materials and making treatment recommendations that never resonated with my core values. In hindsight, I do wish I had been more true to myself and practiced more in a manner that felt right to me from the very beginning, but it was so “against the grain” to question aspects of traditional dentistry and I simply didn’t have the courage to do so at the time. While I am thankful and appreciative of my origins of training and needed that basis to be the dentist I am today, I do wish I had pursued my passion to embrace functional dentistry sooner in my career so I could have helped more patients achieve optimal oral health earlier.
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?
The person who’s most helped me along my journey the most would have to be my husband, Josiah. He’s incredibly tolerant, loving, and supportive of all of my passions, ideas, and interests…whether it is coming up with new practice modalities, new strategies, or new products, he keeps me very grounded, while also being extremely supportive. I am forever thankful to him.
Honestly, my entire team, whether it’s my NoPo Kids Dentistry team, my Doctor Staci team, or my Happi Floss team, are also so instrumental and essential in my life and I couldn’t do any of it without them.
I’ve also met a lot of really cool and inspirational colleagues (and now friends) on Instagram and social media who become absolute mentors of mine including Dr. Mark Burhenne and Dr. Steven Lin, both functional dentists that I really admire and look up to and who challenge me and inspire me constantly. As we know, it takes a village, and I am forever thankful to mine for giving me the space to follow my path and to fulfill my sense of purpose.
Ok perfect. Now 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?
I like to think that the work I’m doing is helping humans, starting with children living healthier and more fulfilling lives, with a heavy focus on creating a cavity-free world. I believe education is the key to health and there’s so much misinformation out there. I aspire to become a trustworthy source, a true doctor, or teacher and want to inspire new parents, overwhelmed families, and humans, in general, to learn to better care for themselves and their children. I want to get the mouth back into the body and to re-emphasize how critical oral health is…that it shouldn’t simply be an afterthought. I think so many of us were raised thinking cavities and gum disease are inevitable and they’re “no big deal.” While we shouldn’t be panicked or feel shame or guilt about cavities and oral disease, they are signs of oral dysbiosis and microbiome imbalances, which can directly affect and lead to other systemic illnesses. Oral health is a major key to overall health and so if we have issues going on in our oral cavity, that can affect the health of our entire body. So ultimately, I really just want to continue making patients healthier and ultimately happier.
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.
I can tell you five ways to keep your oral health in optimal condition, therefore helping to keep your systemic health in check, too.
Airway health is critical and sleep is paramount. Both are so incredibly foundational for health and are a great starting place to establish ultimate health. If you do not fully restore every night, you can’t possibly fully regenerate. And how you breathe affects this. Nasal breathing (not mouth-breathing) and getting proper oxygenation are extremely important for systemic health and mental clarity, as well as optimal oral health. People who mouth breath suffer from more cavities, gum disease, and oral dysbiosis.
My next tip is to deeply appreciate the value of flossing. I can’t emphasize it enough and wish it were a non-negotiable for all humans. When gums are in a state of chronic inflammation, that inflammation doesn’t just stay in the mouth and can affect all aspects of your body, including leading to systemic issues like cardiovascular disease, diabetes, Alzheimer’s and dementia, rheumatoid arthritis, pregnancy complications, and many, many more.
I encourage humans and families to get back into the kitchen and to start this experience with children early on, by learning where their food comes from, how to prepare it, and what flavors and techniques best create a deeply nourishing meal. Going to the farmer’s market, joining a CSA, or starting a small garden are all beautiful ways to start appreciating the beauty of food again. Teaching children early on how “eating the rainbow” is critical to whole-body health and how functional foods like fruits and veggies are full of information, like phytonutrients, that help to develop us into optimal humans, including ideal oral health and development. Don’t be afraid to introduce bold flavors to your children early on. Adding various spices, flavors, and textures from an early age will help to develop a more adventurous eater. The benefits of this are invaluable.
Water is also on the top of my list and starting your children out early and encouraging proper hydration is the key to overall health and will also lessen your risk for oral disease by keeping your saliva supported and pH in balance.
Finally, learning how to support your oral microbiome is key. Strategies like nasal breathing, proper hygiene, less harsh and more supportive dental products, nutrient-dense foods and prebiotic fibers, and fermented foods are all things to focus on for ideal oral microbiome balance.
If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of wellness to the most amount of people, what would that be?
One thing that could bring a tremendous amount of wellness to everyone is nasal breathing. The importance of nasal breathing cannot be overemphasized. It helps to: filter the air you breathe; humidify it; increase nitric oxide release which has profound systemic effects; increase oxygenation, leading to feeling more rested, more focused and more attentive; and reduce cavities and gum disease by keeping the oral microbiome in check and keeping saliva healthy and nourishing. Mouth breathing can lead to inflamed tonsils, oral dysbiosis, gut dysbiosis, exacerbating or contributing to issues like sleep-disordered breathing or sleep apnea, which can affect cardiovascular health, mental health, and systemic balance. Work with an airway-focussed dentist to help address your child’s or your own root causes of mouth-breathing.
What are your “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Started” and why?
1. Don’t believe everything you’re taught right out of the gate… definitely question everything and do your own research to validate, as things can change over time based on the latest studies, technology, materials, and data.
2. It’s OK to be yourself in front of your patients. Your patients will really appreciate that. Just be honest and authentic.
3. You don’t need to always have all of the answers. It is OK to say “I don’t know, but I will look that up and get back to you.”
4. You don’t need to do what everyone else is doing. Just because everyone else is working 8 to 6 Monday through Friday, it doesn’t mean that you need to do that, too. Just because everyone else is only booking only 30 minutes with patients, you can book more time. Do what makes you happy and what you need to do to offer your definition of optimal patient care, while maintaining a healthy work-life balance and taking care of your needs, too.
5. Knowing that the people you surround yourself with, your team and your community, are THE MOST important thing for your happiness and success. This group is your everything, so be sure to show them support, love, and appreciation always.
Sustainability, veganism, mental health and environmental changes are big topics at the moment. Which one of these causes is dearest to you, and why?
To me, the most critical of all of these is the environment. Environment and sustainability are very interconnected, but without a healthy planet and without clean water, clean air, and a thriving ecosystem we cannot sustain ourselves as a thriving species regardless of how mindful we are, how cleanly we eat, or how much exercise we get. We must start taking this seriously and prioritizing our planetary health. We create so much damage and so much waste on our planet. And the dental industry is a huge contributor to this, whether from actual dental practices, or from our daily dental products that you use at home, like toothpaste tubes, floss containers, plastic flossers, rinse bottles, and all of the packaging involved. This is what inspired me to create Happi Floss, the world’s first truly compostable floss pick which is still in the investor round. I aspire to create an entire line of sustainable and science-backed products in the very near future to help battle this issue in the market and to help support the planet in my own way. If we all made small, daily changes, we would be in a very different situation than we are now and I am hopeful that humans will step up and demand change soon.
What is the best way our readers can follow you on social media?
You can find me mostly on Instagram @doctor_staci and also on my website www.doctrostaci.com . If you are in the Pacific Northwest or willing to travel, my office is located in Portland, OR, www.nopokids.com , and we are always thrilled to meet new patients. I am finishing up a book, cookbook, and a series of courses to teach more on how to care for yourself, your children, your teeth, and your oral microbiome, and hope for lots of great announcements in 2022!
