Category: Featured

The Future Of Beauty: “We can sculpt and tone muscles with no pain or downtime” With Dr. Tahl Humes

With aesthetic overload on social media, it’s easy for a patient to get carried away with requests for over-exaggerated features, filter goals or celebrity look-like requests. Our job is to counsel them and help them understand what is healthy and realistic for their individual lifestyle and goals.

I had the pleasure of interviewing Cosmetic Physician, Tahl Humes, MD, Founder of VITHAL Medical Aesthetics.

Dr. Tahl Humes is a board-certified physician and an international expert in aesthetic and anti-aging medicine. Her expertise includes advanced injectables, aesthetic lasers, skin tightening technologies, non-invasive body contouring, wellness, and skincare. She is known for her expertise in combining lasers and injectables for total facial rejuvenation.

Dr. Humes is a luminary speaker for various aesthetic companies including Cutera, and trains physicians, PAs and nurses from around the world on lasers, IV Nutrition Therary, and advanced BOTOX® and dermal filler injection techniques. Dr. Humes has performed many thousands of aesthetic treatments with lasers and injectables. She is in the top 1% of Botox injectors in the country and also in the top 5% of Juvederm injectors in the country.

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dive in, our readers would love to learn a bit more about you. Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?

The main thing that made me decide on my career path is that I wanted to find a way to help people to age better. I have wanted to be in medicine since a young age. I love everything about the science and thought process that goes into medicine. I became interested in aesthetic medicine because I love the science and technology that slows down the aging process. I don’t want to age, so I was determined to find a way to help other people age with grace, confidence and all the possible tools to remain youthful on their terms.

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

I’ve had some prominent patients from society who have come in having “botched jobs.” Being able to bring them back to their natural looking selves gives them back their confidence and truly changes their lives. Seeing them smiling a few weeks later in a magazine where no one is the wiser reminds me of why we do what we do.

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

I would say three years in I started to see significant growth, but it wasn’t until the market changed about 6 years in, and there was a change in the industry towards non-surgical body treatments, that we really started to grow. As we brought in more cutting-edge non-invasive technologies, I found that investing in new devices allowed me to grow the business by staying current and offering something unique with little downtime. The key was to answer the growing patient demand for minimally invasive procedures that offered maximum impact with no time off work, away from their kids, their social life, etc.

We opened VITAHL Medical Aesthetics in Denver in 2005 and have since expanded to include multiple offices across the country and become a preceptor site for physicians.

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

My mentor in medical school taught me not only to investigate my patients’ medical issues, but to think outside the box and take the knowledge to the next level. I’m always continuing to learn and determined to bring the most innovative technology and options to my patients — and the industry at large. This is a big reason I took on a training role outside my medical practice.

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

One of the biggest trends we are seeing is a growing interest in overall body contouring to truly shape the body. It is no longer only fat reduction that patients are after. Now it is also skin tightening and muscle sculpting. Patients are coming in asking for the whole package. For example Cutera truSculpt iD + truSculpt flex together can reduce fat, tighten skin, and tone muscles with no pain or downtime. A muscle building device like truSculpt flex can be used alongside a fat reduction technology like truSculpt iD to take body shaping results to the next level. This way, patients get full body sculpting instead of just fat loss. Of course, these devices are popular in aesthetic practices, but can also be used in a practice doing medical weight management or rehab.

truSculpt® iD uses innovative Monopolar RF technology to selectively target fat and therapeutically heat it until fat cells are eliminated by passing through the body naturally. It takes just 15 minutes and delivers up to 24% fat reduction in the treated area. truSculpt flex uses unique TMS technology and delivers three workouts in one by replicating intensiﬁed crunch, squat and twisting actions to strengthen, ﬁrm, and tone your muscles. Alone or combined, these two technologies are redefining how men and women can stay in shape, break through plateaus and even recover from sports injuries.

Having access to technology where we can get excellent results without a lot of downtimes has revolutionized the industry. A couple of years ago, everything was about fractional lasers that had 5 to 10 days of downtime. Now we have treatments like radio frequency, which have minimal downtime. The RFMN device we use in my practice is Secret RF. This technology combines radiofrequency (RF) energy with tiny needles allowing the delivery of the RF energy deeper into the skin for better results. With Secret RF, patients can see an improvement in wrinkles and conditions, such as acne scarring, which then lets them go out into the world with much more confidence that they had before.

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

The trend used to be that filler could fix anything and docs would chase all wrinkles (superficial or deep) with the needle. This led to people looking overfilled and unnatural.

The trend now is to combine our modalities for pan facial rejuvenation. We combine lasers with injectables to treat different layers of the skin, giving a more natural look. We will use fillers to increase volume, neurotoxins to decrease muscle movement and devices to treat brown spots, redness, and wrinkles. Simply evening out uneven skin tone with an IPL will make the skin appear younger. Then when we add in Laser Genesis or Secret RF to help with texture and dermal filler in the midface to volumize, we are looking at full rejuvenation — all with minimal downtime.

With aesthetic overload on social media, it’s easy for a patient to get carried away with requests for over-exaggerated features, filter goals or celebrity look-like requests. Our job is to counsel them and help them understand what is healthy and realistic for their individual lifestyle and goals.

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

The first thing is the ever-evolving technology. We’ve seen dramatic innovation in both non-invasive and surgical technologies and techniques and there’s no sign of slowing down. This industry is committed to learning and improving the patient experience, results, and treatment offerings year over year. It’s an exciting thing to be a part of.
Education is key and more and more companies spend resources and time to educate physicians on how we can best treat our patients. I am currently at an international conference put on by Cutera lasers educating other physicians and clinicians on how to best care for their anti-aging patients.
The aesthetic industry is not about vanity or just skin deep. We are often changing people’s lives by doing things like treating their acne, helping with acne scarring, and changing the way that they face the world.

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

Lack of regulation — This is an evolving industry that does not have the oversight and regulation it truly warrants. These treatments are medical, but not always performed or overseen by a medical professional.
Undertrained staff — Unfortunately, there are people abusing the industry because they are unqualified and not well trained. Many of these undertrained people are making promises they can’t fulfil due to their lack of knowledge.
Unproven technologies — There is also the issue of people using the bottom tier technology, which can cause issues with patient safety.

The way I hope to help reform the industry is by being a spokesperson for reputable leading aesthetics companies that invest in training people and improving their skill level and ability to use the technologies with confidence. We need to set the bar high for training standards in order to protect patients and practices.

Research is key when investing in new technologies for your practice. Do not purchase something just because it is a bargain.

Speak with other doctors who have the technology and see not only how they like it, but how their patients and staff like the treatment.
Look at before/afters from peers and other doctors, not just company studies.
Ask questions to peers like: What kind of results are you seeing? What has your patient feedback been like? How does your staff like performing the treatment?
Do your research and look at the studies that are out there. Compare them and make the ultimate decision on your own.

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

The best way to feel beautiful is to understand that beauty is more than how you look. Beauty comes from within!
Surround yourself with good people who appreciate and celebrate you.
Be the best you. Take good care of your skin, wear SPF, and hydrate well. If you want a tweak or anti-aging treatment, do you and don’t be ashamed! Take your best feature and do treatments that enhance your individual beauty rather than trying to change the way your face looks.
Wear clothes that flatter, rather than hide who you are.
Be kind. Kindness radiates beauty.

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

I feel very blessed with the life that I have, and I truly believe that our purpose in life as human beings is to help people — to pay it forward. For every one person that I can help in life, I hope that they pay it forward to the next person because that’s how you create a movement of good.

This is the gratitude movement, which encourages us to understand how lucky we are and be grateful for what you have rather than focus on what you don’t.

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

“To know one life has breathed easier because you have loved, this is to have succeeded.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson

How can our readers follow you online?

www.vitahl.com

Instagram: @vitahlmed

The Future Of Beauty: “We can sculpt and tone muscles with no pain or downtime” With Dr. Tahl Humes was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Dreamers: “They told me It was impossible and I did it anyway” With Ramon Castillon of Row House

Personally, I don’t feel it’s necessary to confront your naysayer for a reaction. By doing so, you’re giving their opinion more value than it deserves, while holding you hostage. All that matters is what you want and what you believe. The minute you seek approval, you put a ceiling on what you can accomplish because it is dictated by someone else.

As a part of our series about “dreamers who ignored the naysayers and did what others said was impossible”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Ramon Castillon

With nearly a decade of experience in the fitness industry, Ramon Castillon began his fitness career at 24-Hour Fitness as part of Corporate with a focus on pricing and strategy. Following his time at 24-Hour Fitness, Ramon joined Basecamp Fitness where he scaled the company and accelerated the growth from one to five locations. Today Ramon is the President of Row House, the leader in the boutique indoor rowing space. Ramon graduated from Stanford University in 2004 with a BA in Economics.

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

Definitely. I was born and raised in Oakland, CA, but both my parents are from Mexico. They came to the United States as migrant farm workers where they met and settled down. From childhood to young adulthood, I watched how hard they worked and the personal sacrifices they made in order to provide a better life for me. That experience is ingrained in my DNA. On top of that, I was raised amongst the inner-city grit of Oakland in the 80s and 90s, which set the tone for how I operate. I have a deep respect for hard work and making sure you never fall short of giving everything you’ve got, while also being willing to take risks.

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

Yes, over the last two years Row House has quickly expanded across the U.S. with studios open in 20 states. Many markets already have more than 3 studios open. Rowing is truly one of the most effective workouts that is accessible to all fitness levels. Because of this, the brand will continue to break down barriers that often keep people from starting a fitness routine. Plus, on a personal level, I know the impact a healthier lifestyle can have on your work, relationships, and mental health.

In your opinion, what do you think makes your company or organization stand out from the crowd?

Rather than positioning our members against each other during workouts, we work together to push each other outside our comfort zones. We go further together versus individually. To do that, the programming we offer not only delivers a great workout but also provides an inclusive and authentic experience. We have everyone row in synch — as a team, similar to what is needed in competitive rowing. For a boat to effectively drive through water, everyone needs to grow together. That doesn’t mean each person is producing the same output in exertion, but it does mean they remain in unison. Everyone has a purpose in the boat.

Ok, thank you for that. I’d like to jump to the main focus of this interview. Has there ever been a time that someone told you something was impossible, but you did it anyway? Can you share the story with us? What was your idea? What was the reaction of the naysayers? And how did you overcome that?

When I was in college, I applied for a finance program that helped minorities find opportunities within large financial institutions. It helped open doors at traditional investment banks. At the conclusion of my interview, the interviewer said I should consider another path as I was not cut out for that environment. Needless to say, it did not sit well with me. The program was meant to open doors for students of my background, but instead tried to shut me down before I could even get a foothold. Thankfully, my upbringing helped me persevere. I thought about my parents’ hard work and dedication to ensure I didn’t become another statistic in Oakland — and moved forward.

Personally, I don’t feel it’s necessary to confront your naysayer for a reaction. By doing so, you’re giving their opinion more value than it deserves, while holding you hostage. All that matters is what you want and what you believe. The minute you seek approval, you put a ceiling on what you can accomplish because it is dictated by someone else.

In the end, how were all the naysayers proven wrong? 🙂

By graduation, I was recruited into one of the most prestigious programs at a top investment management firm. The program was essentially an accelerated business school with real-world experience. It led me through all facets of business, domestic, and global.

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 father. He had Rheumatic Fever as a child, which damaged his heart; and in his 50s had a series of operations including open heart surgery during the era when doctors split your chest open. Before the surgery, he fought through a great deal of discomfort to provide for his family and had many health scares leading up to it, but never once focused on the bad. During hard times as a young adult, his consistent advice to me was “just be happy”. It was his way of saying why waste a breath on this earth being down when there is so much good to enjoy. Any time I hit a rough patch, I hear that phrase, his voice crystal clear in my head, and instantly crack a smile.

It must not have been easy to ignore all the naysayers. Did you have any experiences growing up that have contributed to building your resiliency? Can you share the story with us?

My Dad had his first open heart surgery when I was in 6th grade. His recovery process ran into several complications which meant I needed to become more independent. My mother worked two jobs for the county and Air Force, plus took care of my father and I. To get to work on time, she’d have to drop me off for 6am mass, where I then walked to the morning extension program at 7am, and finally to middle school by 8am. This routine happened on repeat for a year. With everything my mother was juggling, I realized the best way I could help was by getting myself to school — and holding myself accountable to complete my homework.

Based on your experience, can you share 5 strategies that people can use to harness the sense of tenacity and do what naysayers think is impossible? (Please share a story or an example for each)

Don’t compare yourself to others — the minute you start comparing yourself you lose sense of your true self. Every person’s path is unique. Embrace it and enjoy the experience.
Talk to yourself in a positive manner throughout the day. It’s easy to find yourself in a cycle of self-doubt, which inhibits learning and operating outside your comfort zone. Every morning literally tell yourself you are a badass that will win. And if you fail, remember it’s only temporary. Winston Churchill has this amazing quote on failure which is “Success is stumbling from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm.”
Train every day to be prepared for when you need to be resilient. If you don’t mentally rehearse for adversity, it will paralyze you. Make the necessary investments to handle those stressful times. As I’ve taken on more responsibility and Row House continues to grow quickly, I’ve prioritized my sleep, diet (my wife proudly converted me to plant-based), and fitness routine. By investing in my mind, spirit, and body, I’m more balanced when dealing with the impossible.
Find a coach and commit to the process. This one is tough because change is not an overnight process. Coaching requires time, repetition, and some tough times as you go outside your comfort zone.
Enjoy the journey. Remember to appreciate the fact that you get to grow, that you get to make choices, and that you get to decide who you want to be. Remember that NO matter what, NO one can tell you what to feel or do. The greatest gift we have is free will so own it every day.

What is your favorite quote or personal philosophy that relates to the concept of resilience?

There is a Spanish saying, “No hay mal que dure cien años, ni enfermo que lo resista” which means there is no pain that lasts a 100 years, nor anyone who could outlive it. So rather than dwelling on pain or disappointment, you better just move on and focus on what is next. Dwelling isn’t effective as you won’t outlive it, so might as well charge forward.

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.

More investment in helping individuals of different backgrounds through higher education institutions and workforces. The more doors we can open, the more opportunities we create to achieve the impossible.

Thank you for these great stories. We wish you only continued success!

Dreamers: “They told me It was impossible and I did it anyway” With Ramon Castillon of Row House was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

SunShare CEO David Amster-Olszewski: “They told me it was impossible and I did it anyway”

One example of naysayers that stood out, in particular, occurred when I was looking for legal representation and was turned away from a law firm. They said utilities would never agree to let us sell an off-site solar option to their customers. One person jokingly referred to me as “the David going up against the Goliath utilities” but in the end, it was the community that won. We built and sold out the nation’s first competitive-market community solar garden with Colorado Springs Utilities in the fall of 2011 — a three-acre solar project with thousands of panels — less than three months after the law changed.

As a part of our series about “dreamers who ignored the naysayers and did what others said was impossible”, I had the pleasure of interviewing David Amster-Olszewski.

David Amster-Olszewski founded SunShare in 2011 and serves as its Chief Executive Officer, has grown it into one of the leading community solar companies in the nation.

David’s foundational SunShare community solar garden with Colorado Springs Utilities was the nation’s first competitive community solar program. In true startup fashion, David developed that project out of his apartment with the help of interns, signing up more than 300 homes and educational organizations in two months. Since then, SunShare has moved its headquarters to Denver, opened offices in other states, and become the largest residential community solar company by partnering with utilities in multiple states and developing more than 100 megawatts of community solar gardens, which provide the benefits of clean, renewable solar energy to more than 10,000 customers.

David was featured in Forbes Magazine’s “30 Under 30” in 2016 and recognized as a national leader in the renewable energy market.

Prior to founding SunShare, David worked for PowerLight in Geneva, Switzerland in 2006, and then in California in 2007 for SunPower, completing an executive management training program at SunPower in 2010. He has a degree in International Political Economics from Colorado College.

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

I am from Miami, Florida, and growing up in the warm sunshine state I was exposed to tremendous cultural diversity but a society with little awareness of our impact on the environment. I left Florida for Colorado College and got a first-hand introduction to a community with an environmental ethic, something I had exposure to from my family, but not in my broader community growing up.

As a freshman, I took an economics class during my first semester. This was during the time that oil prices were skyrocketing to over $100 a barrel, a scale of price increase that historically preceded a recession. And sure enough, shortly after, we hit the Great Recession. My studies that first semester of college, combined with my growing understanding of the negative impact our society was having on the environment, prompted my interest in energy efficiency and renewable energy. During my summers, I began my career in renewable energy through internships in the solar industry in Europe and the United States.

In my junior year, I became frustrated after attending a year of sustainability committee meetings and hearing different proposals for installing solar on campus, but not seeing any come to fruition. During spring break that year, I recall stewing on a chair lift (where all the best brainstorming is done) about that fact and decided we had to change the no-solar problem by the end of the school year two months later. In the three weeks following spring break, a few friends and I raised $200,000, and in the following four weeks hired a solar installer to install what was the largest non-military solar installation in Colorado Springs — surprising because it was only 25 kilowatts, or the approximate size needed to power just four homes. But in those days, solar was new to that part of Colorado.

Following college, I worked for SunPower, a large international vertically integrated solar company, with who I had interned during college. After approximately two years in a management training program there, I learned of a budding new segment of the market called community solar development in Colorado and started SunShare.

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

This is a very exciting time for my company SunShare and the community solar industry. This year is the 10th anniversary of the first community solar legislation in the nation passing in Colorado. In the past decade,19 states plus Washington DC have followed Colorado and have community solar laws on the books, with more on state dockets in 2020.

Our home markets are Colorado and Minnesota, yet over the last year we have kicked off an exciting expansion into new markets around the country that will deliver exponential growth in the number of customers we can share solar with over the next few years.

Community solar helps people because it is unique among solar options. It allows homeowners, schools, businesses, and municipalities to purchase solar energy without having the panels on their roof or on their property. With community solar we build larger 10–50-acre solar gardens anywhere in a utility’s service area and transfer that solar energy over the utility’s power lines to our customers. Community solar is that perfect option for people who don’t own their home, don’t want to or can’t spend $20,000 on rooftop panels, have an old roof, have tall trees, or simply want a simpler solution than rooftop solar panels.

As fires rage in Australia, hurricanes get increasingly worse, king tides become more frequent, and a US presidential election looms on the horizon, it is ever more important that we put the power for creating clean energy in the hands of the people — and community solar is the one way that citizens can drive demand for renewable energy regardless of their rooftop suitability or socioeconomic status.

In your opinion, what do you think makes your company or organization stand out from the crowd?

SunShare has made many firsts in the community solar industry — first to develop a community solar garden in a competitive open market; first to develop 100 megawatts; first to subscribe 10,000 residential community solar subscribers — but I believe what truly sets us apart is our unwavering commitment to our original vision of expanding access to residential customers. While many have come into — and left — the residential community solar space since SunShare’s inception, few if any have remained as focused on a singular mission, much less achieved it. Being first is tough and at times unforgiving but surviving the tumult of a nascent industry finding its legs and doing so with an ever-stronger team has been great fun.

By engaging the individuals who live in the approximately 75 percent of homes that cannot put solar on their roof, we are giving people a pathway to their first big step towards significantly decreasing their carbon footprint. To have the option to participate in community solar is very empowering to folks. Often times, climate change seems to be out of our hands, the solutions unfathomably complex and seemingly impossible to implement on an individual level.

At SunShare, we believe that by empowering people to ‘go solar,’ we can help them take the first step. Perhaps the next step will be an electric vehicle, powered by their solar energy. And the following may be planting trees to offset air travel.

I started SunShare as a 24-year-old with a dream, and the belief that we as individuals needed easier and more accessible options to consume renewable energy. First out of an empty classroom at Colorado College during the spring and summer of 2011.

I ignored everyone who told me utilities would never accept community solar and pursued it anyway (this of course was before 20 states passed laws allowing it!) and started SunShare. In Colorado Springs, as is the case in most areas with monopoly electric utilities, it was illegal for anyone other than the utility to sell solar energy to customers if the solar was not on their property. And of course, utilities were not offering many of these options. So, we changed the law… That was fun.

One example of naysayers that stood out, in particular, occurred when I was looking for legal representation and was turned away from a law firm. They said utilities would never agree to let us sell an off-site solar option to their customers. One person jokingly referred to me as “the David going up against the Goliath utilities” but in the end, it was the community that won. We built and sold out the nation’s first competitive-market community solar garden with Colorado Springs Utilities in the fall of 2011 — a three-acre solar project with thousands of panels — less than three months after the law changed.

In the end, how were all the naysayers proven wrong? 🙂

We did it through perseverance, supportive policymakers open to changing the law, and a tremendously supportive community.

Colorado Springs didn’t always have the reputation as a leader on topics such as sustainability and renewable energy, and that made it all the more fun. The community bought into the challenge and became the first city and utility in a movement toward customer choice for solar that now encompasses utilities representing over 50% of the US population.

While the regulated monopoly utilities may still view community solar as a competitor, state legislatures prompted by their constituents are embracing the renewable energy movement and demanding progress.

Those of us in the battle for expansion see consumers pushing this movement with their feet as they march every Friday with Greta Thunberg, or vote for representatives who understand the looming climate crisis.

There will always be those who tell us no, or you can’t, or it’s impossible — but we have proven them wrong each time we’ve passed a new law, or updated a limiting regulation, or realized a new idea that allows collaboration and progress..

My family has played the most impactful role in my success. My parents, sister, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and fiancé. Since I was a child, they have been supportive of my, let’s call it persistent, personality traits. While many of your questions highlight persistence or tenacity, I’m sure you can imagine a few other adjectives that could be associated with persistence as a personality characteristic. Many of which may ring true as it relates to me. Pain in the … perhaps. But in all seriousness, my family’s support of my drive, creativity, and inquisitive nature as an adolescent, along with providing for an environment where it was ok to question and debate, provided me with the tools and confidence to drive change in my professional career.

It must not have been easy to ignore all the naysayers. Did you have any experiences growing up that have contributed to building your resiliency? Can you share the story with us?

As a child, when I was playing a game or trying to learn something new, I would be so focused on accomplishing the task or finishing the activity that sometimes my mom had to insist I stop just to come and eat dinner (and I often wouldn’t). I’ve never been good at giving up, and that has always been a part of my personality.

Based on your experience, can you share 5 strategies that people can use to harness the sense of tenacity and do what naysayers think is impossible? (Please share a story or an example for each)

Don’t take “no” as final — it’s just the first step — Just because someone, even someone in power, tells you “no” doesn’t mean you can’t try anyway. My best example of this turned out to be starting a new industry in clean energy.
Try a different approach — If the first attempt doesn’t work, don’t just give up; think of a different way to accomplish the goal and try again.
Rely on your support system — Sometimes the challenges wear you down and you need to be reinvigorated or re-inspired to keep pushing. My fiancée Kirby does this for me. She shares my passion for conservation and leaving the world a better place, so when I get overwhelmed by obstacles or with running a business, she reminds me why I’m in this fight.
Be appreciative and reflect — Go back through your own story and look at what you’ve already accomplished. If you take some time to reflect on how far you’ve come, it will usually give you the confidence to drive forward yet again… As this relates to my story, even though Colorado was the first state to pass community solar legislation a decade ago, over the past several years I watched other states leap ahead with more progressive laws while Colorado’s primary utility fought the expansion of community solar. There were times when I thought it would simply be easier to concentrate on other states and leave Colorado. But I reflected on where we started at the very birth of the industry, and I refused to give up on Colorado as our home market. In 2019, Governor Polis signed the Community Solar Garden Modernization Act and the Public Utilities Commission set out new rules. Now Colorado is within a few months of leading the pack in community solar once again!
Don’t get mad; get working — Turn frustration into focus to keep driving forward. A big part of doing the impossible is just not giving up. Before I started SunShare, it was illegal for anyone but the regulated monopoly utility to sell energy across property lines. The regulatory attorneys with whom I spoke told me it was never going to happen when I said I was going to get that law changed. And I admit, my first response was frustration. But I took their negative statements and turned them into the fuel to keep pushing and proved them wrong. And I haven’t stopped since!

What is your favorite quote or personal philosophy that relates to the concept of resilience?

“I didn’t fail. I just found 2,000 ways not to make a light bulb; I only needed to find one way to make it work.” — Thomas Edison

As it relates to my personal philosophy, I believe in the power of creativity and willpower to turn walls into speed bumps. Most times, it’s just a matter of the perspective you take that can power you forward and build the resilience necessary to overcome obstacles.

I would hope to inspire people to go against the grain. To not take “no” for an answer. To be confident in themselves and believe that they have the power to do what they set their mind to. To free themselves from the constraints that they might feel are preventing them from taking action. I think what’s needed to make progress is an overwhelming burst of confidence in the general population to take charge of our negative impact on the planet and turn things around.

I would like to see people focus more on the solutions that are available today, which range in simplicity and cost, such that there are options for everyone. And not just get lost in fear and sadness over the problem of climate change.

We’re at this amazing point in history where we have all of the technology we need to eliminate our carbon and methane emissions and prevent the pollution of our air and water. And we’re even at the point where most of these technologies are actually cheaper than the polluting alternative. Our task now must be to remove the barriers and allow change to happen. Such as simply allowing the greater than one hundred million homes in the United States to choose off-site renewable energy and prevent monopoly utilities from being able to block them. Studies show that over 70% of these people would switch to renewables today if they could and it was simple!

I would like to give people the confidence to get engaged in politics and share their positions and concerns, to choose renewable energy, to buy an electric car powered by renewable energy, or simply choose to walk or bike to work and benefit from the exercise and fresh air. It’s amazing what people can do when they feel engaged and empowered to make a change.

I would like to inspire a movement of increased confidence and empowerment to seek and make changes.

Can our readers follow you on social media?

Follow what SunShare is doing in community solar activism and development.

https://twitter.com/@mysunshare

https://mysunshare.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-amster-olszewski-4ba7355/

Thank you for these great stories. We wish you only continued success!

SunShare CEO David Amster-Olszewski: “They told me it was impossible and I did it anyway” was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Rising Star Sarah Hamel-Smith: “At first, people will not understand what you are doing; Do it…

Rising Star Sarah Hamel-Smith: “At first, people will not understand what you are doing; Do it anyway, don’t worry about other people’s approval”

At first, people will not understand what you are doing- do it anyway. Don’t worry about other people’s approval.
When I first started my blog and Instagram, a lot of people in my community were gossiping and saying terrible things. I was creating a brand and a forum to speak about issues I thought were important but at first people that knew me from before didn’t get it. People also told me it was impossible to achieve the goals I had set out for myself. Now they come up to me and congratulate me on the work I’m doing.

As a part of my series about social media stars who are using their platform to make a significant social impact, I had the pleasure of interviewing Sarah Hamel-Smith.

Sarah is a New York based plus sized model, digital influencer and storyteller represented by TRUE Model Management. She has a deep understanding and passion for the plus sized consumer and love for humanity in all its various forms. After being body shamed for many years she decided to be one of the people who changes the way beauty is defined in society.

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

I left my corporate job working in Energy communications and I wanted to do work that was meaningful, but I had no idea what that would look like.

I came to New York City and was taking a course at NYU and a woman came in to speak to the class about Influencer marketing, which is something I had never heard of before. I raised my hand and said, “do you work with plus sized influencers?” She said “Of course! I’m so sick of the faces I have. You’ve got great style, if you had enough followers I would use you for my brands.” And then the whole class screamed in a chorus, “Sarah, you should be an Influencer!”

I left the class feeling totally confused and looking onto Bryant Park I said “Universe, if this is what you want for me then you send me the resources.”

I called up a friend and asked if she knew any photographers, she said “I’m sitting next to one right now. Come meet us for a drink in Brooklyn.”

I hopped on a train, met the woman and she loved my story and said “I’ll shoot you for free!” and that’s when I started my Instagram page @thecurvytrini

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

Through my influencer work, I was signed with TRUE Model Management and able to move from my tiny island of Trinidad and Tobago to New York City, which has snowballed into a lot of amazing and wonderful experiences. I’ve spoken at NYU as a subject matter expert in Influencer Marketing, presented a TEDX talk entitled “Social Media Can Create A More Inclusive Standard of Beauty.” I’ve modeled on Good Morning America and been featured at InStyle Magazine’s plus-sized street style gallery during New York Fashion Week. I’ve also gotten to execute social media campaigns for many major fashion brands including Tommy Hilfiger at Macy’s, Eloquii, and Aerosoles, and to name a few.

Many miracles have happened through this Influencer work, but the best part is when I get messages from my followers sharing that the stories I tell have helped or impacted them in a positive way. That’s always the most wonderful and interesting part for me.

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

When I was first starting out and had around 500 followers a brand reached out to me and said they would like to collaborate and I was so excited I told all my friends. I was so proud that a brand wanted to work with me.

After I agreed, they told me I had to buy the product (which costed about $150) and they would repost my photo on their Instagram page which had a lot of followers so I chose an item and bought it.

When the item came in was so small I couldn’t even get it on my body, the size chart was crazy and the product was very poor quality. I ended up throwing it away.

I learned through this experience that any brand that asks you to buy the product or pay for shipping for “free product” is a scam. Creating content takes a lot of hard work, time, and effort. Brands should at the very least gift your product.

The lesson I learned from this experience is not to devalue myself and accept any offer that comes my way. It taught me to be a lot more discerning when it comes to the brands I choose to work for and align with.

Ok super. Let’s now jump to the core focus of our interview. Can you describe to our readers how you are using your platform to make a significant social impact?

Social media is a powerful tool. The way I use my platform to create a social impact is two-fold- firstly I create and share content that is positive and motivational in nature and secondly I build relationships with brands and other influencers which I then bring together for projects that help others.

Social media gets a bad rep- I’ve chosen to use my medium for something good.

Instagram has provided me with a platform to empower others. I create imagery to help desensitize people from seeing plus-sized women in fashion and I tell thought-provoking stories in my captions to inspire and empower others to be kinder to themselves and gentler to their bodies.

I am also a motivational speaker and had the privilege of being able to present a TEDx talk where I was able to share my personal journey of how social media positively impacted my perspective of myself and my body, as well as contribute to the creation of a new and more inclusive standard of beauty.

In 2018 I co-produced an event with another blogger named Urszula Makowska as well as renowned NYC events producer Catherine Schuller called #BloggersGiveBack

The event was formulated through recognizing a need for applying a social responsibility, diversity, and sustainability component to Blogging/Influencer Marketing. Bloggers have a reputation for being selfish and self-centered and this isn’t true about everyone, we wanted to change the conversation.

The team hosted a highly curated and diverse group of 200 of New York City’s top influencers and bloggers, models, and celebrities including the host of MTV’s show Catfish Nev Schulman with a combined global reach of well over 20 million. Attendees were asked to bring new clothing that they were gifted with to donate.

We were able to provide hundreds of pounds of quality clothing to Housing Works (a New York City-based non-profit fighting the twin crises of AIDS and homelessness).

Through this event, we wanted to re-define the term “Blogger/ Influencer” as being someone who only works for their own benefit, to being someone who uses their platform to affect positive change in society.

We intend to host more events like this again in the future.

I’m also involved with an organization called Fashion Week Brooklyn which seeks to provide exposure and opportunities for up and coming designers and models. I help connect them with brands I’ve built relationships with to provide support for the cause.

Can you tell us a story about a particular individual who was impacted by this cause?

When I finished presenting at TEDxYouth@HCCS, a little girl came up to me and said “I want to show this to my mom so she can know her body is good.”

Another little girl came up to me and said, “You’re plus sized. I am plus sized too! You inspire me.”

So much pain and suffering takes place in the world because we have been fed an impossible standard of beauty. Bodies come in all shapes, abilities, sexualities and sizes and they are all good and worthy.

When I went home I sobbed thinking about these little girls and was so thankful that message reached them at such a young age.

Was there a tipping point the made you decide to focus on this particular area? Can you share a story about that?

I’ve always approached life from a perspective of what can I give versus what can I get. I also believe the experiences we have in life when shared, can also help others to feel less alone.

Growing up I was body-shamed a lot and didn’t have access to clothing that fit my body and that was a very shameful and de-humanizing experience.

One day I was scrolling through Instagram and discovered the #BOPO and found a group of plus-sized women who were wearing beautiful clothes and I realized for the first time that nothing was wrong with my body, but the clothing I had access to.

I had an “aha” moment and I wanted to help create that similar awakening for others.

Even though there were a lot of people “in real life” that was plus-sized, I never saw people with bodies like mine being represented in pop culture as something good or beautiful. Body conversations usually centered around shame, self-hatred, and losing weight.

I realized with social media we do not have to rely on big media houses to define what is beautiful. We can create this definition for ourselves. We can use social media to connect with each other and create positive shifts in pop culture. I wanted to help create a change so that is why I chose to focus on this particular area.

Are there three things the community/society/politicians can do help you address the root of the problem you are trying to solve?

Community: Build relationships with those in your community, even if they may look or seem different from you. Help the less fortunate (both people and animals) in whatever way you can, even if it’s something as small as holding the door for an older lady or giving a sandwich to a homeless person. People think charity involves a lot of effort or money but it doesn’t at all. If we each helped and took care of our own little area, the world would be a much better place.

Society: Support brands and companies that exhibit diversity and inclusivity in their campaigns and offer inclusive sizing. Big companies care mostly about profits. If we can show them that this is the type of content and product ranges we want and buy from, then that’s what they will create and offer.

Politicians: Advocate for diversity and inclusivity training and laws that protect humanity in all its forms; not only in the board room but also in the class room. It is important for a culture of acceptance and inclusion of all body shapes, types, colors, sexualities and abilities to be systematically inculcated from a young age and at all levels of society.

What specific strategies have you been using to promote and advance this cause? Can you recommend any good tips for people who want to follow your lead and use their social platform for a social good?

As I mentioned before, I approach advancing my cause from a perspective of what I can give versus what I can get. I think a lot about how others would benefit from the cause and lead with that. I create content that people can profit from and connect with.

Life is a numbers game and power is also in numbers. In order to be successful it’s all about building relationships. Social media provides direct access to people who otherwise may be impossible to find. I spend a lot of time researching and reaching out to various brands and people who I want to connect with; of course, I get ignored and rejected but it is also surprising how much support you can get for a cause by just reaching out and asking kindly.

I would say to those thinking about using their platform for social good, if you have a cause in your heart, don’t be afraid. Just start creating and go after it. There are so many people throughout the world who use social media. There will be others out there who connect with your content. Create what you want with an authentic voice and others will find you and follow.

What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why? Please share a story or example for each.

1. At first, people will not understand what you are doing- do it anyway. Don’t worry about other people’s approval.
When I first started my blog and Instagram, a lot of people in my community were gossiping and saying terrible things. I was creating a brand and a forum to speak about issues I thought were important but at first people that knew me from before didn’t get it. People also told me it was impossible to achieve the goals I had set out for myself. Now they come up to me and congratulate me on the work I’m doing.

2. It takes time. Keep working and be patient.

When I first started out I would check my follower count every single day and get very anxious and frustrated if it wasn’t growing or if I wasn’t getting as many “likes” as I wanted. All that does is create stress and anxiety. Building a brand and gathering subscribers and followers takes time and patience.

3. Ask for what you want and be professional about it
With the advice of a friend I decided to create a media kit highlighting my stats and the brands I’ve worked for, showcasing what I bring to the table and started reaching out to much bigger brands and to my surprise I started getting to work with them and sometimes even got paid for the content I created. I may not have previously been on the radar of those brands, but by reaching out I was able to be considered for opportunities.

4. Look Out for Scams- Anyone who asks you for money or to buy a product (or even pay for shipping) is a scam.
As I mentioned before I was swindled by a “brand” in my early days. Brands benefit greatly from the exposure they get through influencer marketing. They don’t have to hire a photographer, makeup artist, stylist etc. to get beautiful content. Don’t work for free or sell yourself short. And definitely don’t pay!

5. Build Strong Relationships
When I first started working with brands I would just focus on that single collaboration and then move on. Eventually, I realized I could build relationships with the brands or PR people which could one day evolve into other things. Instagram is not going to be the cool thing forever but the relationships you build with people can last a lifetime.

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

I would love to create a formal non-profit organization that provides quarterly opportunities for Influencers and Bloggers to give back to society. The events would bring awareness to a different cause or provide assistance to a different underserved group in various communities throughout the world each time.

Ideally, the events would be funded by brands and the bloggers would bring the donations or provide the labor and work together to help others. As Influencers, we have massive audiences who are very interested in what we do/ wear/ say. I think it would be so powerful if we used our voices (and our cameras) not only to work with brands to promote products and services but also to align with causes that resonate with us. It would be easy for the brands to write off the sponsorship money as an act of charity, and the non-profit would handle all the logistical arrangements as well as outreach to influencers to sign on.

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

“What would you attempt to do if you knew you could not fail?” ― Robert Schuller

I had a little magnet on my fridge with this written on it and I would read it to myself every day when I was trying to achieve what seemed at the time impossible. So many times in life we don’t even try because we are afraid of failing. We don’t even ask because we are afraid of being told no. I come back to this quote often because it helped me to imagine and at least try for the impossible, and a lot of seemingly impossible things have happened in my life since I adopted this way of thinking.

Is there a person in the world, or in the US whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them. 🙂

Oprah Winfrey without a doubt. She is one of the greatest humanitarians who ever existed in my opinion. She is so very beautiful and kind, and genuinely empowers others. Having lunch with her would literally be a dream come true.

How can our readers follow you on social media?
They can follow me here:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecurvytrini/

Blog: http://www.thecurvytrini.com/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC38vwnZI3EPK1hb7M4UJQHA

And they can check out my TEDx talk here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LSIqup0p7Ac

This was very meaningful, thank you so much!

Rising Star Sarah Hamel-Smith: “At first, people will not understand what you are doing; Do it… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

The Future Of Beauty: “Facelift-like results without the risks or downtime of surgery” With Dr Scot

The Future Of Beauty: “Facelift-like results without the risks or downtime of surgery” With Dr. Scott Gerrish

The beauty-tech industry is a very exciting space right now. If you thought the iPhone generations changed quickly then the pace of cosmetic laser advancements is very eye-opening. Technology that was relevant last year may now be just a great dust collector in the office. With continued advancements, we will see what is impossible become possible. Maybe, just maybe, someday technology will sideline facelifts for good.

I had the pleasure of interviewing Scott Gerrish.

An award-winning internist, Scott Gerrish, DO, provides noninvasive and minimally invasive medical cosmetic treatments to men and women at IYA Medical in Scottsdale, Arizona. Dr. Gerrish’s status as a key opinion leader in developing technology and treatment protocols gives him priority treatment and early access to the newest technology from large equipment manufacturers in the aesthetic industry.

Dr. Gerrish graduated from the Chicago Medical School at Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science in Illinois before completing his internal medicine residency at George Washington University in Washington DC.

An East Coast medical spa owner, international speaker, and medical director of the East Coast CoolSculpting University (CSU), Dr. Gerrish has 20 years of experience in the aesthetic industry, including working with laser companies to assist in the development of advanced laser technologies.

His work led to the adoption of Dr. Gerrish’s CoolSculpting protocol, and he is responsible for training over 4,000 medical professionals around the world on CoolSculpting practices and techniques. In addition, Dr. Gerrish developed the miraFresh protocol to dramatically increase the comfort and efficacy of the treatment and was among the first physicians in the United States to use the Juvéderm® dermal filler as a participant in the Juvéderm Phase IV trial.

Dr. Gerrish and his family made Scottsdale, Arizona, their home in 2019 to bring the services of his award-winning East Coast medical spa to the Phoenix metropolitan area.

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dive in, our readers would love to learn a bit more about you. Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?

During my medicine residency at The George Washington University in the mid-1990s, there was the unique opportunity to work under a local cosmetic surgeon who just opened one of the first medical spas in the United States. While the laser technology back then was nowhere near what it is today, I fell in love with the integration of lasers and their applications in medicine/cosmetics. Upon completing my residency, I concentrated my entire medical practice on lasers, their applications, and their advancements in cosmetics.

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

In 2009 I had the opportunity to purchase the commercial building where my medical practice was located. It was an amazing opportunity but it came with one catch. The owner of the building also owned a salon that was operating within the building. The building and the salon came as a package deal. A physician owning a salon? It might sound a bit crazy, but I did it. Owning and managing the hair salon has been the most challenging task in my career. After several rollercoaster years, I finally downsized and streamlined the salon to a manageable level that properly complemented my cosmetic practice. In the process, I learned about highlights, lowlights, perms, keratin treatments and much more. But, in all seriousness, it’s nice to have a business that pays a mortgage vs rent.

There has been a number of critical tipping points throughout my journey but one specific event has been, by far, the most significant. While building my offices in Virginia, Maryland, and DC, I also began to utilize my mechanical engineering degree to consult with manufacturers to improve their laser technology and protocols. For reasons most strongly linked to humility, I kept my contributions quiet. It wasn’t until 5 years ago that I began to reveal my contributions, some of which were game-changers in the non-invasive cosmetic industry. It was at that point my practice began to grow at record levels. I have always deemed myself as being humble. I thought that marketing my accomplishments seemed like bragging. What I learned is that there is great value in sharing your accomplishments in a factual manner. And, when done correctly, it is 100% different than the promotional “look at me” statement.

There are several individuals who have heavily influenced my career and helped propel me to the success I enjoy today. I do however feel the greatest help I have received did not come from just one individual. The greatest help has come from the team members that surround me. Without their support, the whole practice would fail. While the magic happens in the treatment room with highly experienced practitioners, none of it would be possible without a strong, dedicated, hardworking support staff.

We are living in a very exciting time when it comes to current and evolving technology to combat and reverse the signs of aging. In the past, technology has been the limiting factor in obtaining consistent and substantial results. For instance, in order to lift and tighten the skin, we need to deliver heat into the deeper layers (or dermis) of the skin while not overheating the top layer (or epidermis). Until recently, technology was unable to effectively bypass the top skin layer and achieve deep collagen heating. That dilemma has changed with the introduction of the breakthrough technology of Profound RF, by Candela. This technology is incredibly exciting and now allows us to safely create substantial remodeling of the collagen that results in drastic lifting and tightening of the skin. We are now one giant step closer to facelift-like results without undergoing the associated risks or downtime of surgery.

Another very new and exciting technology that launched this year is electromagnetic muscle stimulation for strengthening and toning major muscle groups of the body. The latest and most powerful addition to this field is the CoolTone, by Allergan. CoolTone is FDA cleared for toning the muscles of the stomach, buttocks, and legs. While the cosmetic benefits of muscle toning is exciting, that’s just the tip of the iceberg. With increased muscle mass, we increase our metabolism and burn fat more effectively. With a stronger core, we see improvement in lower back pain. Additionally, it has been fun to watch our patients advance in athletics and exercise performance from the CoolTone’s induced muscle tone and strength.

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

With advancing technology it is more important than ever to go to an experienced provider. While the vast majority of the newest technology has built-in safety parameters, inexperienced, careless, or rushed treatments can result in irreversible damage leading to permanent scarring. We all like sales, bargains, and getting “a deal.” When it comes to the one and only body we are given, I would only trust your treatments to the most experienced hands vs. the most budget-savvy price.

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

The beauty-tech industry is a very exciting space right now. If you thought the iPhone generations changed quickly then the pace of cosmetic laser advancements is very eye-opening. Technology that was relevant last year may now be just a great dust collector in the office. With continued advancements, we will see what is impossible become possible. Maybe, just maybe, someday technology will sideline facelifts for good.

One of the most exciting developments in the recent introduction of regenerative medicine into cosmetics. Lasers and all energy-based devices work by creating a highly controlled injury within the skin. The positive changes we are trying to achieve rely on the body’s innate healing response. As we age, our ability to heal and repair is not as robust as in our youth. Utilizing regenerative techniques via growth factors and cytokines, we are boosting the body’s capabilities to repair and create significant changes that would otherwise be unobtainable.

Most importantly, the battle of fighting aging is won on a daily basis. That fact places a lot of weight on the daily skincare we use. The advancements in topical regimens have been amazing. From growth factors to peptides, to sunblocks and more, we can now fight aging with creams that create meaningful changes.

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

The noninvasive to the minimally invasive cosmetic field has exploded over the last 2 decades. As the field continues to grow and expand, entrepreneurs and medical professionals are opening new medical spas to benefit from the high demand. While most practitioners become highly qualified, there are those few that are delivering treatments that are not qualified to safely and effectively deliver these services. Even more concerning is the shift in the business of medicine. Early in my training, medicine was a service that was delivered based on medical need. With the evolution of the Medspa industry, we are now seeing some practices determine the need for these services being dictated by business or commercial influences vs medical appropriateness. It is very important for patients to fully vet their practitioners.

As the cosmetic industry grows at rapid rates, the manufacturers are feverishly designing and selling new technology. Over the years there have been a number of devices that have been very disappointing in either safety and/or effectiveness. As the expression goes, one rotten apple spoils it for the bunch. Flawed or overhyped technology can create consumer doubt and compromise the integrity of the industry. In order to protect the standard of care, we will continually need to rely on the FDA, state medical boards, and fellow physicians to meticulously evaluate and self-regulate the growth and direction of the industry.

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

That is an excellent question and I would first like to call out the differences between feeling beautiful and looking beautiful. Looking beautiful is in the eye of the beholder but feeling beautiful comes from within ourselves. Early in my career, I concentrated all my efforts on addressing the physical aspects of beauty. As my career progressed I gained invaluable insight from a number of patients that truly looked beautiful but honestly didn’t feel beautiful. It was at that point I began to link ‘feeling good’ with ‘feeling beautiful’. So here are my top 5 ways to feel beautiful/good and it might not be what you would expect from a cosmetic physician:

Nutrition is the sole pathway for fueling our bodies. Not only will healthy eating slow down the aging/disease process through decreased systemic inflammation but the right foods will improve the look and health of the skin in addition to increasing energy, mood and the feeling of wellbeing.

Exercise is very important in maintaining our cardiovascular health, physique, muscle tone, balance, flexibility, and much more. Beyond those major benefits, exercising increases endorphins and neurotransmitters like serotonin and norepinephrine. These neurotransmitters are the body’s natural chemicals to make you feel good.

Additionally, meditation slows the aging process by significantly increasing melatonin and DHEA and decreases the stress hormone cortisol. Like exercise, meditation also increases dopamine and serotonin. Meditation is a wonderful practice to calm our mind and connect to ourselves and restore confidence to meet the challenges in life.

Feeling beautiful is not just limited to our bodies, the clothes we wear have a significant impact on the way we feel about ourselves. Picture yourself in a tee-shirt and sweatpants. What are you doing? How do you feel? Now picture yourself in a business suit or formal dress. Notice the difference in how you feel? How we dress impacts not only our mood and confidence but also how we look and feel about ourselves.

Lastly, with aging, we all see changes in our appearance that we don’t like or that reminds us of our parents. Whether it’s a jowl, a wrinkle, or just an overall tired look. With today’s armament of technology we now have the capability to reverse those signs of aging to help feel and look our best. To complement these results, an effective physician-grade skincare regimen can take one’s skin tone and complexion to the next level.

Over the last 25 years, I have seen tens of thousands of patients. The one thing I am most grateful for is the physician-patient relationship. Once that door closes, the defenses drop and the flood gates open. Conversations that would not be had with best friends or spouses are now being discussed with me. Overall these years and conversations, the one thing that truly stands out is that we all struggle with feeling beautiful. If you self-reflect, we are harder on ourselves than we would be to our worst enemy. Why do we beat ourselves up? Why are we never enough? Why do we not feel beautiful when we are? If I could create a movement, it would be to give people the tools to feel and be beautiful.

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

My favorite life lesson quote comes from Dr. Brene Brown and the following is in her own words:

“You can choose courage, or you can choose comfort, but you cannot choose both. They are mutually exclusive. Anything great that has ever been attempted is a result of people choosing courage over comfort. In our self-gratifying minds, we may wish for a life of relative ease and comfort. But nothing of significance has ever been attempted or accomplished this way. Courage, on the other hand, gives us the vision to see what others cannot see, to pursue what others would not dare to go after. Courage combined with faith relieves us of the fear of taking risks and gives us the guts to attempt great things.”

How can our readers follow you online?

Readers can follow me at www.iyamedical.com or www.drgerrish.com

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

The Future Of Beauty: “Facelift-like results without the risks or downtime of surgery” With Dr Scot was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

KAYAK CTO Giorgos Zacharia: “Success in the future is reserved for companies that bring their…

KAYAK CTO Giorgos Zacharia: “Success in the future is reserved for companies that bring their products and services to the devices and platforms where users are spending the most time”

Success in the future is reserved for companies that bring their products and services to the devices and platforms where users are spending the most time, and leverage machine learning to provide smarter, more personalized results for even more complex actions. Airport wait times are an example of an intricate problem that might only be solved by machine learning coming to mobile.

Research shows that voice search continues to grow on a daily basis. We will continue to see more integrations for advanced actions and functionalities, like the ability to complete transactions for hotels hands-free. In 2017, we were the first travel company to offer this via Alexa and continue to lead the category with our advances in search.

I had the pleasure of interviewing Giorgos Zacharia, he serves as Chief Technology Officer of KAYAK and served as its Chief Scientist since February 2009. Zacharia has extensive experience in machine learning and data mining and is also a Co-founder of three machine learning-driven startups, Open Ratings, Inc., Stocknomics Ltd., and Emporics Capital Management LLC. He received a Ph.D. in computer science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and holds a master of science from the MIT Media Laboratory, where he was a Telecom Italia Fellow in the Software Agents Group, a Bachelor of Science in mathematics and a Bachelor of Science in computer science with a minor in Economics from MIT.

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

I am a math nerd with five medals in International Math and Physics Olympiads, who got excited by machine learning startups and ended up in travel technology almost by accident. I came to MIT to study Mathematics and Computer Science. I did my master’s research in applied AI for eCommerce marketplaces at the MIT Media Lab in the late 1990s, and ended up founding Open Ratings as Chief Scientist and CTO based on that research. My role at KAYAK was a great next step because I could use my machine learning background to solve travel problems, which was and still is a fun challenge.

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

How I joined KAYAK is an interesting story. After selling Open Ratings to Dun & Bradstreet, I focused on finishing my MIT Ph.D. and started two machine learning-driven hedge funds. In 2008, one of my former engineers introduced me to the co-founder/CTO of KAYAK, Paul English, because KAYAK had a machine learning problem they were trying to tackle for a few months. Norwest Airlines prices kept showing up on KAYAK inaccurately, and KAYAK was looking for an intelligent solution to correct them. I explained how I would use machine learning to address the challenge and I also pitched an idea that today is among our most popular features — Hacker Fares — the idea of combining tickets from different airlines (vs. a single ticket for the same trip) to save travelers time and money. Paul offered me a job as Chief Scientist right then and there.

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

As a global tech company, we have maintained a start-up culture — enabling employees from all over the world with varying backgrounds, interests and experiences, to work together to make an impact in a fast-paced, dynamic environment. We welcome ideas from all areas of the company. Just last year, following an employee SWAT week, a team of KAYAK employees leveraged augmented reality to help travelers recognize whether or not their luggage would fit in the overhead bins. The tool is now a permanent feature on the KAYAK mobile app.

Which tips would you recommend to your colleagues in your industry to help them to thrive and not “burn out”? Can you share a story about that?

Maintain a good work-life balance. At KAYAK, we believe employees are more productive when they’re happy and have fulfilling lives outside of the office. We actively encourage people to take time off to travel. While work-family balance can be difficult to achieve, we encourage our teams by offering flexible schedules and supporting them to prioritize being present for family time.

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?

Paul English has been instrumental in helping me optimize my hiring criteria. Prior to meeting and working with him, I made hiring decisions primarily based on intellectual and technical skills, as well as overall entrepreneurial intensity.

Paul focuses on hiring “people accelerators” — team members who make their colleagues even more productive through their personalities and their own diverse intellectual curiosity and experiences.

Now, I combine both priorities in my hiring and team crafting approach, and that helps build high performing, collaborative, and overall more fun teams to be around.

Let’s jump to the core of our discussion. Can you share with our readers about the innovations that you are bringing to the travel and hospitality industries?

Our goal is to make travel planning easier on the platforms where people are spending time. One way we’re doing that is through investing in AI innovation Since 2016, we’ve laid the groundwork for voice by introducing the ability to search for flights, hotels, and cars, to explore destinations they can go to within a budget, and to track flights — all using just your voice. Today, KAYAK is available on Alexa, Google Assistant, Apple TV, Slack and Facebook Messenger.

AR is another area we have been exploring with the introduction of our AR bag measurement tool last September which leverages augmented reality to let travelers know whether or not their carry-on luggage, will fit in the overhead bins.

We’re also exploring the vacation and home rentals space. Earlier this month, we introduced KAYAK Premium — select accommodations and experiences that are well-reviewed, offering thoughtful and modern design, unique amenities and perks. In the future, our app will help personalize, connect and automate the KAYAK Premium experience, including seamless check-in and check-out, saved room preferences, recommended dining and delivery options, and amenity selection.

Which “pain point” are you trying to address by introducing this innovation?

We see a new category of accommodations emerging — rooms that have the consistency of a hotel with the advantages of a rental, KAYAK Premium is our first move into this space. We want to make accommodations — and ultimately all travel experiences — that are well-reviewed, and offer thoughtful and modern design elements and amenities that travelers prefer, easier to find by curating and badging them as Premium.

Can you share a few examples of how travel and hospitality companies will be adjusting over the next five years to the new ways that consumers like to travel?

Success in the future is reserved for companies that bring their products and services to the devices and platforms where users are spending the most time, and leverage machine learning to provide smarter, more personalized results for even more complex actions. Airport wait times are an example of an intricate problem that might only be solved by machine learning coming to mobile.

Research shows that voice search continues to grow on a daily basis. We will continue to see more integrations for advanced actions and functionalities, like the ability to complete transactions for hotels hands-free. In 2017, we were the first travel company to offer this via Alexa and continue to lead the category with our advances in search.

You are a “travel insider.” How would you describe your “perfect vacation experience?”

A perfect vacation is a super active one, with family or friends with children of similar ages as mine. I’m from Cyprus and my wife is from Bulgaria, so we always make it a point to visit one of the two countries every summer. I love combining cultural experiences with relaxing beach time. We typically spend half our time visiting archaeological sites or immersing ourselves in cultural tourism. The last few years, we’ve scheduled stopovers to other European countries — it’s a great way to get in some additional sightseeing without breaking the bank.

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?

I would start a movement to eliminate the major barriers associated with travel. Travel enhances human connection, open-mindedness and understanding — if more people were able to travel and experience the world, I think we would see a lot of positive change.

KAYAK CTO Giorgos Zacharia: “Success in the future is reserved for companies that bring their… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Katerina Yoffe Larden of Hey Honey: “Bind is beautiful and always trending”

My advice: Be you. Be determined. Success is not one suit for all, it will come in different ways and at different times. Some faster some slower, as long as you’re headed in the right direction — it will come.

I had the pleasure of interviewing Katerina Yoffe Larden, CEO + Founder of Hey Honey — an award-winning line of cruelty-free skincare products developed with the best dermatologists in the industry with just two founding ingredients — honey and bee propolis extracts — for both men + women all skincare types.

Coming from a professional background of marketing and advertising, Katerina and her husband owned a digital agency where they worked with a variety of amazing brands. She learned so many things about so many different industries, and it was life-changing and inspired her to create a launch of a company of her own.

As a busy working Mom, Katerina found it difficult to stick to skincare regimes that required a strict order of multiple steps with a seemingly endless list of products. Her real-life is hectic and ever-changing, just like her skin, so she found a need to launch a line of natural beauty products that are guaranteed to fit any lifestyle, NOT the other way around. Born on the foundation that skincare doesn’t have to be arduous to be effective, Katerina launched Hey Honey in 2014 with a mission to deliver a skincare line that proves healthy, glowing skin can be achieved through simplicity, with a motto “Real Life. Real Skincare”

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dive in, I would love to learn a bit more about you. Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?

Thank you for allowing me to share my story with you! I was always a busy woman. For as long as I can remember, I’ve always worked for myself. I was in the online advertising industry, working seven days a week around the clock. Then I got married, had kids and became even busier. After my husband and I had the opportunity to sell our previous company, we decided to move our family to the states. It was an exciting time in my life and one of the first times I slowed down and stopped running from one place to another to plan our move. While I was packing up our belongings, I noticed how many expired high-end skincare products I had on my shelve that I hadn’t used more two times. This felt exactly like me joining an expensive gym, paying the premium, and not showing up. Frustrated, I started to wonder why I hadn’t used those skincare products more than a handful of times. Was it my busy lifestyle? Or did those products require too many steps? I then realized I wanted my skincare routine to fit into my lifestyle, not the other way around. I wanted it to be easy, fast-acting and I wanted to love it. I became obsessed and started thinking about how I could make that change and create products that would fill all those needs — and that is how Hey Honey was born.

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

When I moved to the States, I realized that business culture varies from place to place, even though the world is so connected. Learning the business culture in a new country was like starting over from scratch, even though I had so much experience. Launching a company in a new country was and continues to be an interesting experience! +Really everything new we do is an interesting experience. I love our industry and that it keeps me on my toes because it is always changing in so many ways.

Starting a new business in a new country and learning a new language, without previous experience in the beauty industry, was all very challenging. Wanting to do things my way and sometimes against the stream was also a challenge. It is important that I look around and learn from successful brands and entrepreneurs that were thriving. But it was also important to remember that every individual and brand is different, you bring your personality to everything you do and follow your heart. In the first year of business, I felt that I was making products for myself and my family, even when people said that a certain product would not work because it was not “trending”, we still moved on with it.

The tipping point of success in my career was in late 2014 when Hey Honey launched its first program with IPSY. We chose to launch with a Peel Off Mask, that was considered to be “not trendy or “vintage”. However, the success that immediately came with the product launch and the buzzing social presence was the first realization that I am no longer making products for myself, I am actually touching others with my creation. People value and connect with the Hey Honey brand message — we are able to deliver products that do exactly what we wanted from day one. When we started receiving reviews that validating our brand message, I knew this was our turning point.

My advice: Be you. Be determined. Success is not one suit for all, it will come in different ways and at different times. Some faster some slower, as long as you’re headed in the right direction — it will come.

In 2014, we were working out of our basement with limited products. Then came Allison Slater Ray, who offered Hey Honey its first IPSY program. We had so many questions — what is IPSY? How will it benefit Hey Honey? How will we manufacture such a high volume of samples? I thought she was so brave☺ But we accepted the opportunity with both hands and thank Allison, to this day, for the special opportunity. Fortunately, enough, there have been many great people along the way that have been sincere and helpful in us finding our success.

We are of course grateful for our customers — their kind reviews and support have helped us became a stronger, confident and more knowledgeable brand We value our customer feedback and are always listening! One customer at a time helps me keep going in the right direction.

I am also grateful to have been working alongside my husband for 20 years, we help each other get to where we need to be daily.

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

Our cutting-edge technology is happening mainly in the lab. Working with two time-honored ingredients, honey, and propolis and being able to preserve the natural properties of each ingredient to their maximum — this is where we are utilizing technology. Delivering results with our clean beauty promise is another way we use technology as well.

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

I think that one place that will have a potential drawback is the way brands collaborate with influencers. Our tagline is “Real-Life, Real Skincare.” It is extremely challenging to stay real and at the same time deliver an impactful message to the mass. The problem is that consumers are often get lost between reality and life (as it seems) on Instagram. As an example, virtual 3D influencers are a creative way to exercise social (you can’t appreciate the creative side of it ), but it’s not reality and the potential drawback is when people can’t separate facts from entertainment.

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

Personalization — Being able to deliver personalization by product innovation.
We are working hard to create products that self-adjust to ever-changing skin conditions. In other words, if you buy the same product as your friend, it will work different on you compared to them
Technology creating new opportunities that every brand can utilize. Such as AI, which analyzes big data of skin conditions driven by geographical conditions, environment, environmental effects, can definitely see how technology creates new unconventional retail channels that will present brands with new opportunities.

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

More reality! fewer filters.
More regularity over trendy claims and what is considered good/bad ingredients.
More giveback as an industry. We are fortunate in our industry and need to share.

Since you’re a beauty expert, can you share 5 ideas that anyone can use “to feel beautiful”? (Please share an example for each.

Sleep eat and drink water — A cliché, but as many cliché’s — this is so true. This is the basis of healthy skin
Positivity — Thinking positive will actually make you look better:)
Be real, and there will be no stress in being something you’re not.
Be kind — kind is beautiful and always trending

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. 🙂

Every business, regardless of size and industry, should be committed to at least one social cause in any way they can. Whether it’s donating a percentage of sales in products or services, adding a logo next on websites, etc. we can make a huge difference.

Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? And can you share how it is relevant to you in your life?

My Dad once told me “In some business decisions, you will need to choose if you sleep well or eat well, choose to sleep well.”

Katerina Yoffe Larden of Hey Honey: “Bind is beautiful and always trending” was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

The Future Of Beauty: “Use a Selfie To Create Hyper-Customized Skin Care Products” With Navneet…

The Future Of Beauty: “Use a Selfie To Create Hyper-Customized Skin Care Products” With Navneet Kaur of Yours

I believe the tipping point for me was when I started scaling myself with the help of a team. The only way to scale yourself is to hire people to support your weaknesses. People are the biggest assets in any company, and instead of being insecure, you should hire those who are smarter than yourself, and invest in training them to lead. A lesson that others can learn from my experience is to invest in training yourself to be a good interviewer and work on your pitch to get potential employees excited.

As a part of our series about how technology will be changing the beauty industry over the next five years, I had the pleasure of interviewing Navneet Kaur

Navneet Kaur is the founder and CEO of a skincare start-up Yours. Inspired to reimagine skincare, she set out to help people feel happy and confident in their own skin with clean, sustainable products.

Backed by her experience developing beauty brands within a conglomerate, and then scaling Uber across Asia, Navneet leverages technology and her learnings to simplify skincare at scale. Yours uses computer vision and machine learning to personalize skincare according to the individual’s skin needs, lifestyle, and environment.

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dive in, our readers would love to learn a bit more about you. Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?

My love for skincare was kindled in my first job as a Brand Manager for a skincare brand. But after 3.5 years in the space, I still didn’t feel like my personal values resonated with the product development process, which was product-first rather than customer-first. So, in 2014 I shifted gears and joined Uber India (and later APAC) as part of the core team with a passion to create a new layer of transportation across Asia, where I then spent the next four years.

It was around this time two years ago that I struggled to find the right skincare products for my husband (also my co-founder). It was a frustrating experience because it involved guesswork, a lot of time going through reviews and blogs, and buying skincare products that cost serious money. All this while using his skin as a testing ground!

I spoke to many of my friends and somehow they all related to that experience. That sparked some thoughts in my head — what if there was a better solution to all this? What if companies did all the hard work of mapping customers to the right products? What if customer-product fit took precedence over product-market fit?

This pushed me to build Yours with one objective: to simplify skincare. I didn’t want anyone to ever go through that arduous experience of having to find the right skincare for themselves. From the outset, I was determined that product efficacy would remain paramount at Yours without compromising on being clean and sustainable. We started with personalized skincare formulated based on the user’s skin, lifestyle, and environment.

Although we’re only a few months into full operations, it’s been extremely fulfilling and humbling to receive people’s messages saying how they’re absolutely loving their personalized regimen, how the products have helped reduce their wrinkles, acne or eczema, and how they’re falling in love with their skin all over again.

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

The most interesting phase of my career was when I decided to quit my well-paying and comfortable job two years ago to pursue an idea all by myself. Imagine waking up and deciding “I’m going to make skincare for people, and make sure everyone gets the products that are right for them”. Yep, it was pretty crazy!

I was already familiar with several aspects of the skincare industry, but there were some things I had no idea about — for example, legal knowledge and raising capital. If you’re starting a company, having baseline legal knowledge comes in handy. And when it came to fundraising I had no clue how and where to start. I remember scribbling on my notebook “What do VCs do? Should I reach out to VCs directly? How should I structure the fund-raise?”.

Things got rather interesting when I started pitching Yours to VCs. I was trying to explain the pain points of skincare to men, and I received a lot of blank faces, confusion, and even yawns. A couple of months in, I knew I had to change my pitching strategy — one that involved asking them questions that created ‘aha moments’. I also carried samples of good and bad formulations to let them experience the differences sensorially. Lastly, I got their wives, girlfriends and sisters to try the products. And six months later, I was writing the press release announcing the seed round that included names like Sequoia and Jay-Z.

I believe the tipping point for me was when I started scaling myself with the help of a team. The only way to scale yourself is to hire people to support their weaknesses. People are the biggest assets in any company, and instead of being insecure, you should hire those who are smarter than yourself, and invest in training them to lead. A lesson that others can learn from my experience is to invest in training yourself to be a good interviewer and work on your pitch to get potential employees excited.

One person who has had my back with everything I decided to do is my husband, Shivam Sharma. Not only did he inspire me to start Yours, but he has also consistently been my support system for years now, and I draw a lot of energy and strength from him. As a solo female founder for the first year, it would have been a very lonely journey had he not been silently helping me on the side. He was new to the beauty industry but his approach to bringing the brand to life was so customer-centric that people started resonating with our story, and we got a lot of love as a brand. He would come up with fun ideas like creating a Spotify playlist for skincare! He joined Yours as my co-founder in September with the same passion for our mission. At first, we noticed that some investors had reservations about investing in a husband-wife duo, but we stayed true to our values and we knew it could actually be our secret weapon for a start-up.

Personalized experiences are the lay of the land in the online world, but that same level of personalization and adaptable efficiency is rarely found in the offline world, especially in the beauty industry. Over the past year or so I’ve been working with my team to refine the proprietary personalization model that is so integral to Yours.

How this works is that users complete an online skin assessment by uploading a selfie and answering questions about their skin, lifestyle, and environment. We use computer vision algorithms to extract data from the selfie before combining this data with inputs from the questionnaire. The complete data set is then fed into a proprietary personalization model that decodes skin needs. Finally, active ingredients from our ever-evolving ingredient dataset are mapped to create a personalized skincare regimen for each user comprising day cream, night cream, face serum and eye serum (and many more products coming soon).

By removing trial-and-error from everyday skincare regimens and ensuring that skincare isn’t one-size-fits-all, we’re reducing the opportunity costs associated with valuable time and money spent on ineffective products. We’re also further automating this essential area of modern life with our skincare subscription service, your Autopilot, which takes care of product refills and reformulations according to each user’s ever-evolving lifestyle, environment, and needs.

What we’re fundamentally looking at is the future of beauty that’s simplified and sustainable, a future where decision fatigue and frustration never enters the conversation about skincare.

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

Ah, that’s by far one of the most interesting questions I’ve ever come across. Oddly enough, I have thought about the extreme side of it, more so because I see hints of it already. In the interest of transparency, we display all the ingredients that go into each formulation, but I dread the day when people will try to make their own skincare products just by reading ingredients and then mixing and matching ingredients of their choice. The most critical part about mixing ingredients is understanding the right percentage of actives to use because this requires proper safety, stability, compatibility, and many other tests.

I see this as a micro-trend already where people buy concentrates of active ingredients (like acids) and try to mix them together, without realizing how these actives will react with each other impact their skin in the long run. People forget that chemists who formulate skincare products have an educational background in biochemistry, plus years of experience and expertise that lets them know exactly which ingredients can be volatile and harmful when mixed together.

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

If you look across industries where technology was introduced to core functions — manufacturing, taxis, travel, food delivery, you name it — technology has fundamentally changed the ways those industries operate. Beauty is an industry that’s at the brink of transformation as well. Although it’s hard to pick just three, I’m most excited about:

Personal assistant — Getting relevant beauty or skin tips any time of the day just by giving voice commands to your phone is truly amazing.
Computer vision — Given how advanced computer vision is today, and how most of us have access to high-resolution cameras right in our phones, users can expect to see unique features like early detection of pigmentation, wrinkles, or even signs of skin cancer. On the other hand, people can play around with more accurate makeup that would be perfect for their skin.
Personalization — Technology-enabling personalization at scale, for every individual, will make beauty truly inclusive. Imagine landing on a website where everything is personalized for you. The way I think about personalized using technology is that companies should do the hard work to offer the right product to a user, and not the other way around. Not only does this reduce the burden on the consumer, but it also reduces potential waste. #techforgood

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

The beauty industry has been growing for decades, and while there has been a lot of innovation, some of its core processes need reforms:

Transparency: Much to my surprise, there is often very little to no transparency in manufacturer supply chains, and often, ingredients are being sourced online from suppliers they have never even met! Moreover, a lot of ingredients are not being tested for safety and efficacy. Improvements in this regard would include companies being transparent about their sourcing practices, supply-chains, and whether or not these ingredients are safe and non-toxic, for both skin and the environment.
Sustainability: Environmentally sustainable products as well as packaging. All-natural products are not always the best (like essential oils), and they are also harmful to the environment when the industry overuses resources without replenishing them. The amount of single-use plastic used in the industry is terrifying, and the onus is on us to do our bit to actively work towards fixing this situation. This translates into being mindful of environmental sustainability at every step of the process, from developing a product to packaging and even marketing.
Cruelty-free: When it comes to product formulations, no animal testing and being vegan should be a norm and not a choice. This should involve companies actively working to recommend policies to relevant agencies to make ‘cruelty-free’ compulsory.

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

I think feeling “beautiful” is more emotional and internal than something external. Being happy and comfortable in your own skin is a good starting point, so for me, skincare is a form of self-care.

The top 5 “me-time” things I’d recommend are:

Exercise in any way you like. A big part of how we feel is how comfortable we are with ourselves — plus working out helps release powerful endorphins that bring an overall feeling of euphoria. Invest some time every week to do something you like — dancing, yoga, swimming, anything. Look at it as me-time that you are investing in yourself, and you will feel beautiful when you see that post-workout glow on your face 🙂
Meditate. Stress is one of the biggest culprits behind our skin concerns, and 84% of our customers mark their stress level as high. Just five minutes of meditation every day can go a long way to make you feel good about yourself.
Pamper yourself with a nice skincare routine on Sundays. Make it a routine so that your mind associates it with happiness instead of it feeling like a task.
Water is the cheapest anti-aging ingredient but we see 79% of our users drink fewer than 7 glasses of water a day! Keep a bottle of water by your bedside and on your work desk to stay hydrated, and you’ll see a difference in how your skin looks within days.
Keep that self-doubt away and put on a mask while enjoying a nice cup of tea and some happy music.

Transparency — one of our core values is the most important one for me. I fundamentally believe that if companies are transparent and honest with their customers, it helps build long-term relationships. Being transparent also means owning your mistakes.

What you see is what you get. 🙂

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

One life lesson that has always stuck with me is “turn your insecurity into curiosity”. When I started building Yours, I had a limited understanding of the ingredients — enough to make a purchase for myself but not enough to make a skincare company. But I didn’t let it be a roadblock and went deep into learning about ingredients and the sourcing process and got senior skincare experts and scientists on board. We heavily indexed the R&D of our products using the best of Swiss ingredients (that were once not so affordable). These ingredients are 100% clean, have gone through stringent efficacy tests, and have a transparent supply chain with an EWG rating between 1–3. I also worked for months to refine our recommendation algorithm. After more than a year of hard work, our products are out there in the hands and homes of our customers and it’s the most fulfilling experience to read their reviews and how Yours is now an integral part of their routine.

How can our readers follow you online?

I’m always up for a good conversation and I love to share my learning and experiences on my social handles:

LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/knavneet)

Twitter (https://twitter.com/navneet_ka)

And if your skin is asking for more details about Yours, follow us on Instagram (instagram.com/lovefromyours) for sneak peeks, updates, and new product launches 🙂

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

The Future Of Beauty: “Use a Selfie To Create Hyper-Customized Skin Care Products” With Navneet… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Dreamers: “They told me It was impossible and I did it anyway” With Nishaant Sangaavi

I do believe in the old adage that ‘the early bird, gets the worm’. I subscribe to the 5 am club and it has truly allowed me to find the time to kick start my day and be so much more effective and productive. I feel I have a head start and can really maximize the 24 hour time limit I have every day.

I had the pleasure of interviewing Nishaant Sangaavi.

Nishaant is the Co-Founder and CEO of EnergyX, a high growth start-up with offices in Toronto and Halifax, that has successfully raised millions of dollars in financing and posted 100% growth year after year. Prior to founding EnergyX, Nishaant was leading global business development and marketing teams across North America and Europe. Nishant has a Bachelor of Science from Dalhousie University and an International MBA from the Schulich School of Business. Fascinated by maximizing his own, and others’ potential, here are the words he lives by: “…The definition of hell; on your last day on earth, the person you could have become will meet the person you became.”

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

First and foremost, I am a dad to three crazy yet loving kids (7, 6 and 2 years old) and getting to see them grow and come into their own is an amazing journey to experience.

I am also a co-founder and the CEO of EnergyX, which is a fast growing technology start-up based in Toronto and Halifax, and we work with utilities all across North America and empower their customers — homes and businesses — to become more energy efficient.

In addition, my spouse is also an entrepreneur, running her own social impact start-up and being part of her journey as she grows her business is very rewarding.

It is in these four roles — father, spouse, entrepreneur and business partner — that I am focused on having the most impact.

On a personal front, I was born in India, grew up in Dubai, studied and worked all across Canada and then spent 6 years in Amsterdam prior to relocating back to Toronto and starting my company.

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

The beautiful and exciting aspect of running a start-up is that there is an abundance of projects that we work on that create real impact. It’s in the nature of what we do. Start-ups are built on tackling and solving problems that have not been solved before and so it is all new and exciting!

At EnergyX, we are very focused on living and breathing our mission — to provide every building in North America with a relevant and personalized energy savings plan that can empower them to take action. In a nutshell, we make energy decisions easy — and we are always pushing the dial on the technology that enable this mission.

We believe in the three basic truths:

Energy efficiency and conservation is essential for us to achieve our climate change goals and sustain our quality of life for all future generations.
When people are empowered with information about their homes and businesses, they can make smart choices about energy and prioritize the things that matter to them.
Energy efficiency is the most effective means for utilities to engage with their customers, keep them sticky and add real, tangible value above and beyond providing them with commodity (i.e. electricity and gas).

One of the new products that we are bringing to life is our Virtual Audit technology which will enable us to conduct engineering-grade energy audits virtually without ever needing a certified energy auditor to walk through a building — this will truly disrupt the space as it will empower every building to gain access and opt for an energy audit at a fraction of the cost.

In your opinion, what do you think makes your company or organization stand out from the crowd?

I firmly believe it is our culture because that is truly unique to us. I compare company culture to a person’s DNA — we are all unique as human beings because we have different DNA and so it is EnergyX’s company culture that helps us stay different and relevant.

The culture at EnergyX is centered around building relationships, developing ownership and an extremely strong focus on growth and innovation. We focus on pushing the dial and imagining what’s possible, both for the company and for the team. It’s a culture built on learning by doing, paired with the ambition to succeed. We’re constantly defining, achieving and then redefining success — constant iterative improvement informed by real experience. The team is full of industry professionals who know that better is possible in the energy efficiency space and that EnergyX is the place to make it happen.

I would venture that all entrepreneurs, at some point in their lives, have been advised that they should not be embarking on their own. In being true entrepreneurs, it is in their nature to not listen to that advice and do it anyway ☺

I recall when my co-founder and I decided to start EnergyX, all we had was an idea and a firm belief that we would be the ones that would be able to solve an industry-wide problem in a manner that had never been envisioned before.

Let’s start with defining what that problem actually was that we set out to solve? Well, we knew that homes across North America were facing high energy bills and did not have the necessary information readily available to take action towards reducing those bills. We also knew that utilities had a number of energy efficiency programs that could help homeowners reduce their energy consumption, save money and lower their carbon footprint. What was missing was a technological link between the two- a platform that enabled utilities to effectively engage with their customers, identify the homes that qualified for these programs and automate the processes that would ensure that these homes were able to make the necessary improvements to become more energy-efficient and lower their energy bills. It was that very platform that we knew we wanted to build and in building it, we would be able to have a real impact in improving people’s homes, reducing energy usage and fighting climate change.

All of that being said, we had no capital, no team and to top it all, I had two little kids at that time and my business partner also had two little ones with a third baby on the way. Everyone we spoke to told us that now was not the time and the idea was not validated and proven out. The truth though is that it is never the right time to leave the security of a full-time job and start your own business, you just need to commit to making it happen and that is exactly what we did.

We formalized our business plan together and I then dedicated myself to speak with utilities so that we could validate the idea and to investors and prove why we were the right team to build and commercialize a product that would be scalable and have a real impact. And sometimes, when you are on the right path, things happen. And they did for us. Within two months, we successfully closed our pre-seed round of $400K, quit our jobs and started EnergyX. And we have not looked back since!

In the end, how we’re all the naysayers proven wrong? 🙂

Well, having won 2 MIT awards for our technology, raised $2.2M to date, grown our team to 25 co-workers across two offices (Toronto and Halifax) and licensed our platform to 15 utilities across the US and Canada which give us access to empowering 5M homes to become energy efficient, and having done all of this in only 3 years, I believe we are on the right path. And we’re not even warmed up yet ☺

There are always people along the way that help shape us and so for me, it’s not been one particular person but a number of people who have been instrumental in my journey thus far. I would not have been able to start EnergyX without my co-founder and business partner, who is a fantastic complement to my skill set and embodies the same values and commitment to growth as I do. My wife has and continues to be instrumental in our success. Our initial investors believed in us and gave us capital at a time where we were still proving our business model and for that, we will always be very grateful. Our initial utility clients trusted us and we had so many internal champions along the way that took a risk on us and licensed our platform. Our current investors provided us with the capital and the advice to scale our business and continue our growth. And of course, our co-workers who could choose to work anywhere else, choose us and that is a responsibility that we do not take lightly. And so, it’s all of these people that have played their own role in helping me get to where I am.

It must not have been easy to ignore all the naysayers. Did you have any experiences growing up that have contributed to building your resiliency? Can you share the story with us?

I believe resilience and perseverance is something that you build in your childhood and I was fortunate to be exposed to that from a young age. My dad was an entrepreneur and I learned the value of hard work and the importance of taking risks from him. I also experienced the highs and lows of entrepreneurship through him and that prepared me for this roller coaster of emotions one feels when they run their own company.

I moved, on my own, from Dubai to Canada when I was a teenager to go to university and really built whatever I have here from ground up. I did not have any networks in place that I could leverage. So, my experience living and working in Halifax, Toronto, Calgary and then Amsterdam — all places where I started from scratch and built up all of my connections and relationships — allowed me to understand the importance of believing in myself, my own ability to create something from nothing and my skill in attracting people who are smarter than me — a very important skill as it constantly allows me to learn and grow and push myself to be better.

Based on your experience, can you share 5 strategies that people can use to harness the sense of tenacity and do what naysayers think is impossible? (Please share a story or an example for each)

There are 5 strategies that I swear by and I follow very religiously:

Be the first to rise — I do believe in the old adage that ‘the early bird, gets the worm’. I subscribe to the 5 am club and it has truly allowed me to find the time to kick start my day and be so much more effective and productive. I feel I have a head start and can really maximize the 24 hour time limit I have every day.
Daily Exercise — One of my greatest investments has been to convert my 3 car garage into a full designer gym which allows me to have an amazing work-out every morning. I believe this is what keeps me balanced, focused and energized throughout the day.
Continuous Learning — I subscribe to a Master Class every morning where I am able to learn a new skill set and this keeps me hungry and also helps me evaluate my business on various different fronts. One of the key challenges for every entrepreneur, especially as they grow their business, is to find the time to work ‘on’ the business as opposed to ‘in’ the business. It’s very hard to do as we are natural operators, however, it is so important to take the time to look at your business with a helicopter view and continuous learning exposure to different ideas and schools of thought allows one to do that.
Meditation — I have started the practice to meditate for 30 mins daily and this has provided me with an abundance of focus and clarity that I had never experienced prior to starting the practice. Once again, very essential given that, as entrepreneurs, we are balancing a multitude of activities and priorities at any given time. Meditation, at least for me, has allowed me to have a laser focus on solving one problem at a time as opposed to allowing myself to become distracted and pulled in different directions.
Continue to take risks and make decisions — There is a Helen Keller quote that comes to mind here and is very relevant to anyone who is considering being an entrepreneur. ‘Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing.” Running a start-up is all about taking calculated risks as we are constantly innovating and looking to solve problems in a better way than they have been solved before. And hence, taking risks, failing fast and often and most importantly falling forward is essential to achieve success.

All of the above are daily habits and strategies that I have incorporated in my life and have worked for me as I continue to grow personally and professionally.

What is your favorite quote or personal philosophy that relates to the concept of resilience?

One of the quotes that currently resonates with me at the moment is ‘The definition of hell; on your last day on earth, the person you could have become will meet the person you became.”

What I really like about it is that is helps one realize that our time on Earth is limited and we all have so much potential to be better, bolder, and we owe that to ourselves and those around us.

I am in awe of a movement that my wife has started with her own company, Cooks Who Feed, and I support it wholeheartedly. She runs a social enterprise that is tackling food insecurity and at the same time, empowering marginalized women in India. Her food startup is trying to rethink the tools we use in the kitchen while building a more sustainable world. She employs marginalized women in India to produce handcrafted designer aprons and for every apron sold by Cooks who Feed, 100 meals are given to those in need.

Can our readers follow you on social media?

Facebook, LinkedIn and my blog on Medium.

Thank you for these great stories. We wish you only continued success!

Dreamers: “They told me It was impossible and I did it anyway” With Nishaant Sangaavi was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

The Future Of Beauty, With Sinclair Pharma President Amber Edwards

Be you and love your own unique features and attributes! It’s tempting in this social media world to try to compete or to look like someone else, and it’s a major pitfall in the medical aesthetics world. It would be very sad to live in a world where everyone looked exactly the same — the same cheeks, lips, bodies.

As a part of our series about how technology will be changing the beauty industry over the next five years, I had the pleasure of interviewing Amber Edwards, President, Sinclair Pharma North America.

Amber Edwards is the President for Sinclair Pharma (North America), a global aesthetics company with a portfolio of aesthetics technologies that focus on collagen stimulation. The solutions provide clinically effective, high quality, long-lasting, natural-looking, minimally invasive treatments.

Amber has spent more than twenty years in pharmaceuticals and medical devices, leading commercial efforts for some of the most well-known brands in the market. She is currently spearheading the growth of Silhouette InstaLift in the US.

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dive in, our readers would love to learn a bit more about you. Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?

My backstory is rooted in a passion for all thing’s wellness, with a firm belief that if we take care of ourselves — mentally and physically — we are ultimately able to take better care of others. I first found my love for wellness in college as a fitness instructor, something that has been a constant in my life for 27 years. Through working as a fitness instructor, I was inspired by people striving to be the best versions of themselves which ultimately led me to a career in pharmaceuticals and medical aesthetics. The evolution of medical aesthetics has really rounded it all out for me — feeling great and looking like your best self is all linked.

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

Well, that is a very broad question! My favorite story is from more than 15 years ago, and one that to this day is a reminder of what it really means to have compassion and to go above and beyond. When I was a junior product manager, I was flying cross-country for a job interview, wearing a tank top, capri pants, and flip flops, and my luggage didn’t make it with me. It was after 10 pm and no stores open, and I was in a panic trying to decide if I should postpone my interviews or show up inappropriately dressed. In the middle of the night, there was a knock on my hotel room door…the front desk receptionist had driven about 45 minutes to her home, packed up a suitcase of her own business clothes, and brought them back so that I would have options to choose from. Now we were nowhere near the same size, but we made do and I went to the interviews. I ended up telling everyone the story which no doubt made me a memorable candidate! I still can’t believe someone would do that for a complete stranger and anytime I’m in that city for business I think about her.

I’m not sure it’s a tipping point, but rather a willingness to spend the time to broaden my experiences by accepting challenges and responsibilities that may not have been linked to promotion. I’ve always been ambitious and eager to keep progressing but have learned the hard way that promotion or advancing too quickly can actually be detrimental if you aren’t really prepared for it. Society can be so driven by titles, but there is so much to be said for taking the time to get a breadth of experience and to take some lateral moves in order to set yourself up for success when the right opportunity does come along. This is one of the biggest pieces of advice I offer people starting their careers — enjoy and embrace the learning journey, not just the title destination.

I can’t name just one — I’ve been incredibly lucky to have had a few people in my career who have been willing to take a chance on me. David Pyott, the former CEO of Allergan, established a culture of what was known as “autonomy and accountability.” Regardless of level or title, you had the autonomy to speak up, disagree, take a calculated risk — but you also had to assume complete accountability for the outcome. This mantra is something that has stuck with me and that I have tried to instill in my own teams as my career has progressed.

At Sinclair, we are striving to be a leader in shaping a more natural and overall healthier perception of beauty. We hope to officially move this market past the overfilled, overstretched, over-lifted trends that have given the category a bad reputation. In market research, we constantly hear consumers say their biggest fear in getting a cosmetic treatment is that they will look completely different and unnatural, and there are plenty of bad examples! Our current product, Silhouette InstaLift, and the products in our pipeline are all very subtle and use your body’s own ability to create more collagen in order to provide a very gradual and naturally refreshed look. I tell my friends and family that if you can tell someone has had work done, it was not done well. The goal is to look like you’ve just had a holiday, looking refreshed and rejuvenated

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

A watch-out in the industry is a tendency to try to look like someone else rather than just rejuvenating and enhancing natural features. It would definitely feel like Black Mirror if everyone looked exactly the same! We are striving to bring technologies to the market that preserve natural beauty.

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

Personalization — the industry is getting smarter and smarter, creating truly customized products and experiences for consumers. There will soon be no such thing as a “cookie-cutter” approach to beauty. The makeup industry led the way here but medical technologies are following closely behind
Commitment to Science — there is tremendous investment going into the overall science of aging, which is so exciting because it extends beyond beauty. The work underway in gene therapies, understanding why and how we age, is leading to new ideas about how we can live longer, and of course, look fantastic all the way!
Minimally invasive options continue to progress and are providing more opportunities to rejuvenate without the need for general anesthesia, long downtimes and other challenges that come with surgical interventions. Treatments are getting more effective and more efficient, and ultimately more accessible to broader populations.

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

1 — I already mentioned, but can’t say enough, the concern about consumers trying to look like someone else, whatever influencer they idolize or some beauty ideal that is unrealistic. I’d like for every campaign to emphasize the individuality and the beauty of loving yourself!

2 — There is a trend across the medical aesthetics industry to target younger populations, and it worries me. It is a slippery slope, once you start getting treated, the tendency is to want more and more. I know I am in the minority among my peers in this, but I worry about contributing to insecurities or doing anything to make young women feel like they aren’t enough as is. I believe the industry has a responsibility to find the delicate balance between encouraging women to invest in their well-being and natural beauty, without preying on insecurities.

3 — A very real concern is the plethora of unlicensed, unqualified providers getting access to medical treatments and claiming to be “experts” without the credentials. The FDA and medical associations are doing what they can to educate consumers about the importance of choosing board-certified, legitimate professionals, but it continues to be an issue.

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

Make your own well-being a priority. It is easy to feel guilty about spending time or money on yourself, but if it’s toward something that preserves your health or state of mind, everyone around you benefits.
Embrace getting older! I call it “positive aging.” It shouldn’t be something negative and you can’t avoid it, so might as well embrace it. Feel great about the experiences and maturity you have gained while maintaining your sense of self.
Be you and love your own unique features and attributes! It’s tempting in this social media world to try to compete or to look like someone else, and it’s a major pitfall in the medical aesthetics world. It would be very sad to live in a world where everyone looked exactly the same — the same cheeks, lips, bodies. The beauty of medical aesthetics today and the direction we are going with Silhouette InstaLift, is that you can very naturally enhance or maintain your own unique look.
Exercise is absolutely key, and doesn’t have to cost a thing, just move. When you exercise you are releasing endorphins, you get that healthy glow, you increase blood flow and of course burn some fat and tone up those muscles all at the same time.
Take sleep seriously! It isn’t nice to have, it’s a must. Sleep regenerates body, mind, and soul, and is fundamental to keeping skin, not to mention attitude, refreshed.

I’d like to see a movement to put phones away when spending time with people we care about. It’s so disturbing to see families and friends out to dinner together but all looking at their phones instead of interacting, and I’m guilty as well! I know some people who have instituted strict “no phones” rules for meals and I love it.

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

“The best way to predict your future is to create it,” Abraham Lincoln. This approach to life has been integral to my success. So many people spend months, even years, complaining about a job, a relationship, or what they wish they could do. My motto is to go for it! Life is too short to wait, and there is nothing worse than a life of regret for what we didn’t pursue.

How can our readers follow you online?

Twitter: @Amber_4STEAM

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amberedwards

The Future Of Beauty, With Sinclair Pharma President Amber Edwards was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.