Featured – Page 61 – Candice Georgiadis

Female Founders: Christina Oden of OMD Corp On The Five Things You Need To Thrive and Succeed as a…

Female Founders: Christina Oden of OMD Corp On The Five Things You Need To Thrive and Succeed as a Woman Founder

An Interview With Candice Georgiadis

No one is going to believe in you, if you do not believe in yourself first! Believing that you can be a founder is the first step, figuring out how is the next! When I first went out on my own, I had a male “partner” because I thought no one would take a woman GC seriously here in NYC. After 6 months of doing absolutely everything on my own I looked around and realized I only needed to believe in myself and my team’s ability to be taken seriously. So, I bought out my partner, shortened the name of my company and have only increased in sales year after year since! Had I simply believed in myself, I would be that much further along.

As a part of our series about “Why We Need More Women Founders”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Christina Oden.

Christina Oden is the Founder & President of OMD I Corp., a Commercial & Residential General Construction Company licensed in NY, NJ & FL. Her Company has built more than 50 NYC high end, well known, and often times Celebrity Chef owned Restaurants and Food & Beverage venues, not to mention their hundreds of residential accolades. Christina is among the less than 3% of Woman Founders within the Construction Industry in NYC.

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would like to get to know you a bit more. Can you tell us a bit about your “backstory”? What led you to this particular career path?

I fell into this industry back in college in Kentucky and as I became good at it, I learned that I truly had a passion for building amazing things out of often times nothing but a pile of wood and a drawing. I grew up in the South where woman working with their hands alongside men isn’t really that rare, but then I moved here to NYC for law school, only to find my calling when I worked for a large land developer here. I did attempt to work in a law firm for a short while but found myself to be quite miserable there. Building was my passion, not sitting behind a desk negotiating with people all day. Not long after, I decided to create my own company doing exactly what I love.

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

Well, this happens quite often; salesman will come to the jobsite and ask to speak to “The Boss” and when my crew points to me, they still ask me to speak to my boss. When I say, you’re speaking to her, they usually have to take a moment to adjust their thinking. Most make a comment about how rare it is to find a woman at the helm, especially on the size jobsites that we are often times blessed to be a part of. Most female salesman though get a real joy out of it. Let’s just say high fives have happened more than once.

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?

That has to have been when I ordered a pallet and not a case. After having to beg and plead for the vender to take back the overage, I learned from that point on to check quantities closely! But you should have seen the receivers face when a semi-truck backed up to the jobsite and started unloading!

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

Yes, I won’t name any names here but when I moved here from Kentucky my accent was thick and no one seemed to take me seriously, nor were they ambitious to even give me a chance. However, this one developer saw me in action as a Jr PM. He heard me get high strung at the board room gentlemen who clearly had never worked on a job site before, nor had they ever gotten their hands dirty before. He realized that had I not called them out and stood up to them that he potentially would have lost millions of dollars on building incorrectly. He saw that I cared enough about the project that I would stand up to those set out to harm it instead of admitting they were wrong even if it meant I could be fired. From that interaction he gave me a chance to really learn from him some valuable skills that have still stuck with me today. Then, when I went out on my own many years later, I thought he would blackball me from the industry, but he did the exact opposite. He informed his subcontractors that if they didn’t give me bids for my projects that they would no longer be getting requests from his company moving forward. He owed me nothing, but he did that just the same. You know, I still use those same subcontractors today as we have all become a sort of work family. I will be forever grateful for his kindness and generosity.

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

I think most woman feel that they must give up having a family to operate a company and unfortunately for the most part that tends to be true due to the hard time mothers have in finding a support system that will allow her to both raise a family and cultivate a successful business. I am in the construction industry and there are less than 3%-woman founders in NYC and most that are here are really operated by a wife and husband team. Solo female founders like myself are like unicorns. I wish there was more support for woman who want a family and a business because until there is, this will remain an uphill battle.

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

I know for the construction industry there are quite a few “Woman and Minority” contract allocations. However, the preapproval process has layers and layers of bureaucracy, all of the red tape is literally drowning and not to mention, intimidating. One ends up giving up rather than suffering through the process. In the end, they get a variance approval to be able to award the jobs to a non-Woman or Minority due to not having anyone bid for the contract that fits the criteria. So, while it sounds all good intentioned for the city to claim that 30% of all Government Construction Contracts are allocated for us, most never are awarded as such. The Pre-Approval process needs to be streamlined & accepting of smaller up and coming companies. We have no issue with proving that we belong, but you have to at least allow us up to bat, if you wish to ever see us knock one out of the park!

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

Woman by nature are more detail oriented, we are more understanding, even nurturing if you will. This allows for a better work environment, quality of work produced and far better customer service communications. Men have their attributes as well, ones that we cannot do without in business. However, woman if they just had a little more self-confidence & support, I feel could truly be the deciding factor in the successfulness of any business.

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

“Women bring their emotions to work” — Well, other than an unparalleled tireless work ethic fueled by a passion and a sense of obligational commitment to both my clients and team to succeed, my emotions are checked at the shed when I come through the doors to work. Who I am as a woman drives me to meet committed deadlines at all costs.

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

Founders are self-starters, free thinkers, ambitious by nature individuals. If you pop out of bed in the morning and can’t wait to get the day started and you are generally the one at your job doing everyone else’s workloads, while thinking of ways to simplify processes and are the go-to problem solver in the office, then you my friend are a founder! You only need to now find your passion and go after it. While if you are the type of person sitting around waiting for the weekend to come or for the clock to strike 5pm so that you may clock out and go home, then you should remain an employee (who by the way should also change career paths to something that does fuel you). Not everyone is a founder, you either are or you are not.

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

No one is going to believe in you, if you do not believe in yourself first! Believing that you can be a founder is the first step, figuring out how is the next! When I first went out on my own, I had a male “partner” because I thought no one would take a woman GC seriously here in NYC. After 6 months of doing absolutely everything on my own I looked around and realized I only needed to believe in myself and my team’s ability to be taken seriously. So, I bought out my partner, shortened the name of my company and have only increased in sales year after year since! Had I simply believed in myself, I would be that much further along.
Leave family & friendships for outside of business. Be friendly with clients and your team but do not let the lines blur when handling business. I tried to do construction for family and that was a disaster, as they know no boundaries. Then I tried to see my clients as friends when in the end they were only concerned with their own bottom-line, not the health of my company. Business is business, it’s not personal, so keep it strictly business. And all team members have to be held to the same rules, if you give an inch, they will try to push the boundaries even further.
Keep super strict accounting and pay yourself a specified salary. Your company is not your piggybank to use as needed. All extra profits should remain in the company to keep it healthy and thriving. If you keep yourself regimented and budgeted both your home life and business will have successful longevity.
Create SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures) for everything that you do over and over in your business. Once you have those SOP ironed out, teach them to your team and hold everyone accountable for following them. This will save yourself a lot of headaches in the long run. Let’s just say my first year setting with the tax accountant taught me a whole lot about Standard Operating Procedures and organizational skills!
Take time for yourself or you will burn out and not be any good to anyone especially yourself. I used to push myself by saying, “If I would work myself to the bone for an employer, then I can definitely do it for myself.” And that is true to a point but there comes a time when your brain and bones need to rest and regenerate. If you wouldn’t race a Lamborghini on an empty fuel tank and expect it to make it across the finish line, then you can’t expect yourself to run on empty without refueling. I used to work 7 days a week, I would be on the jobsite before my team arrived and be the one shutting off the lights at night but then I started making mistakes, allowing minor things to fall between the cracks. That’s when I realized 1, I had a work capacity limit not to exceed and 2, I had to write everything down in my sheepskin book. Both have proven to be instrumental in my company’s continued success.

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

I feel that I have in some small ways, but I have far grander desires for the future in that regard that I feel will be more impactful. It starts by showing woman that we can do anything and everything that we set our minds to do. I try each day to defy all social restraints, and against all odds, time and again have proven that woman are equal to men. While we are quite different and both are unquestionably needed, my gender is not to be looked upon as a handicap in any industry.

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

I would love to inspire the world to instead of looking at our differences, look to our similarities and instead of discouraging others, encourage them. Be a champion for each other, instead of judge and jury. I feel this would make the world a far better place to live and raise our children in. Not to mention all the new wonderous things that could be cultivated from all this newfound support.

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

Elon Musk, of course. However, I would answer this way even if he were not the wealthiest man in the world. I am fascinated by how his creative, out of the box mind seems to work. Having even a little insight to that way of thinking, to me would be quite fascinating and a truly priceless experience.

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

Female Founders: Christina Oden of OMD Corp On The Five Things You Need To Thrive and Succeed as a… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Female Founders: Carla Grandori of SEngine Precision Medicine On The Five Things You Need To Thrive…

Female Founders: Carla Grandori of SEngine Precision Medicine On The Five Things You Need To Thrive and Succeed as a Woman Founder

An Interview With Candice Georgiadis

Maintain your optimism. When we started, I could see from the data that our tech would work. But it’s a long path from founding to market, especially in biotech, and there were times I wished we could just fast-forward to now. It would have given us even more steel in our spines. You need to start small, acknowledge that some failures will happen along the way, but keep your eyes also on victories — in our case, that means improving the life of one patient at a time.

As a part of our series about “Why We Need More Women Founders”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Carla Grandori.

Dr. Carla Grandori, a physician-scientist and cancer research innovator, is co-founder and CEO of SEngine Precision Medicine, a biotech that created the PARIS Test to guide better medicine development for more targeted, personalized cancer care. The company was inspired by the pioneering academic work that she and several colleagues produced at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. Carla studied medicine in her native Italy and obtained a PhD in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from the Rockefeller University in New York, launching a research career in which she developed new technologies to help unravel the function of genes that drive many human cancers.

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would like to get to know you a bit more. Can you tell us a bit about your “backstory”? What led you to this particular career path?

I always had a great interest in science, spurred on by a family of scientists, engineers, and entrepreneurs. I was especially inspired by my grandmother. She was a high school teacher, mother of four boys, and worked in her husband’s laboratory — he was a professor of entomology at the University of Milan. I grew up fascinated by all of her stories about science changing the world — the discovery of DNA, how cells divide, how chromosomes carry genetic information, how butterflies change colors, and so on. My grandmother had a poster of Watson and Crick in her bedroom! She made sure I knew that a woman scientist, Rosalind Franklin, played a key role in that discovery.

Like so many of us, cancer touched my family and changed the trajectory of my life at a young age. I watched my grandmother suffer not just from her disease, but from barbaric chemotherapies that ultimately did not change the course of her disease. I had been studying physics at university, but after she passed away, I abruptly changed plans and applied for medical school, and dove into my studies. I felt a great need to understand why people developed cancer, and an innate sense that if I studied, I could help change outcomes for other families.

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

When you work in academia, even if you make important discoveries or invent groundbreaking technology, you don’t often get to see it through to the point where it can impact patients. You’re always thinking ahead ten years to see potential applications. So those moments at SEngine where we can really see the impact of our work are all the more special for me.

For context, we’ve developed the PARIS Test, which we built to complement the unique and very complex genetic information of each tumor now used in precision medicine. Everyone thinks of DNA as an instruction manual for how cells work, and it is, but it is written for the most part in a language that’s been lost in translation. This is why the PARIS Test is designed to be unbiased, meaning it empirically tests a broad menu of oncology drugs directly onto each patient’s own cancer — but outside their body. With this method, we find drugs that are potentially effective. It’s helping match patients with the right drugs, and also facilitates drug discovery for new first-in-class medicines for personalized care. Ultimately this approach will enable “translation” of the DNA manual to fully enable personalized precision oncology.

I remember clearly how excited we were when our testing identified novel cancer targets from a sample, and a rudimentary drug against one of them cured a mouse of cancer. And we had a similar feeling the first time we found an unexpected drug match that helped a patient go into remission. But perhaps the most interesting moment was during a more recent trial for head and neck cancer, where our platform had identified a specific investigational drug would be effective for this type of cancer. The first woman to be treated was in such extreme pain that she needed high doses of painkillers, and she was addicted. One week into the trial on this new medicine, as soon as she was pain-free and able to open her mouth, she said she didn’t need any more pain medication.

You never forget something like this, and as we grow, we are having more and more of these experiences. The woman with ovarian cancer who supposedly ran out of treatment options — we matched her unexpectedly with a lymphoma medicine and saw remarkable results. The patient with metastatic pancreatic cancer who is disease-free a year and a half later after we matched him to a therapy. It’s so rewarding.

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

I can remember one of my first experiments in grad school, where I ruined a long night’s work by dropping an entire tray of petri dishes onto the floor, spilling chicken-derived embryo cells everywhere. My distinguished, Lasker Award-winning advisor smiled and helped me clean up the mess. It was a lesson in humility and patience.

But we all make mistakes, especially when learning something new. I think it’s an important part of leadership, to acknowledge them and grow. When I moved from academia to running this company, I was perhaps too trusting of others and envisioned that our interests were aligned with potential partners. But after time and money lost, I learned the value of getting clarity on the partner’s goals — early in negotiations. It was important that we had an experienced corporate lawyer, so that is a key choice for start-ups.

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

I could name 100 people — friends, family, colleagues. Artists, writers, businessmen and Nobel Prize winners who helped and inspired me, such as Dr. Lee Hartwell who eventually joined our Board of Directors. Among these there are several women scientists and managers that have contributed to the success of SEngine. In particular, I’m grateful to one woman scientist, Rachele Rosati, who worked so hard to find methods that let us keep cancers from many different tumor types alive outside the body, so that we could test if drugs work without harming patients in the process. Her power of observation, learning from every sample, was key to our success. I’ve also surrounded myself with like-minded women and men with extraordinary compassion, they are my closest circle of friends. Dr. Siddhartha Mukherjee, the serial entrepreneur, cancer scientist and Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Cancer, The Emperor of All Maladies is among them.

I’m most grateful for SEngine co-founders, Christopher Kemp (cancer geneticists), VK Gadi (oncologist), Brady Bernard (computational scientist) and Eddie Mendez (surgeon). Also, our early employees at SEngine — we started with six people, and five of us were 40 or younger. From the beginning, everyone was willing to take on Mission: Impossible, every day — creatively clearing obstacles without negativity. I remember we were in a shared space and could only book a conference room at 9 a.m. on Mondays. Everyone was there, on time, enthusiastic.

We have been extremely lucky to attract the talent we have early on and the engagement of champion oncologists who understood the power of personalizing cancer treatments. We were approached by an experienced business development strategist who was familiar with our IP, Ulrich Mueller. He said, “Can I be your Chief Business Officer?” Our Chief Financial Officer, Tom Neary, with years of experience as CFO, found us too — with his help, we’ve grown from a scrappy startup to the company we are today. When those opportunities arise, they call for fast decisions!

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

It’s perhaps obvious: I think women are expected to think more inward about their families and prioritize them before the world around them. As a woman, my priorities were to first raise kids, and be our family caregiver. But during my scientific career, I also needed quiet focus to finish my experiments, so that often meant heading back to work after dinner with no kids around. It’s hard for anyone to balance family and work life, but expectations are much harsher for women. I was lucky to have a very understanding mentor.

I’d encourage women to look beyond one’s family and community and think about the world more broadly too. What does the world need in a big way? Women need to be more entrepreneurial and dream big.

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

Because of these expectations I mentioned, we need support. Within families, we need helpful partners. Companies should offer more flexibility, and not just to women — one positive thing that arose following the onset of the pandemic is that the business world became more accommodating, and I don’t think we’ll go back. And I would love to see more women VC’s too — not just to back women-run businesses, but because I think we’ll see a broader set of values represented in investments. When the time is right, I plan to begin supporting women-owned companies myself.

Looking even more broadly, yes, government programs that ensure reliable childcare and schooling would make a big difference. It’s a challenge to keep dreaming and pursue your dreams, even more so without help.

I helped start SEngine at a time when I had fewer obligations, which is the way it had to be — starting a company is an all-absorbing enterprise.

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

Women are half the people in the world! In some ways, maybe in terms of product niches, we have unique needs, and who better to meet them than companies run by women?

I don’t mean to suggest that men can’t set out with a good mission when they launch a company, but I think as we see more women entrepreneurs, we’ll see more cause-driven enterprises, with goals beyond just power and profit. In my case, the biggest factor driving me to start SEngine was what traditionally could be seen in the business world as a weakness: my compassion for human suffering in general, and particularly for the cancer patients I had a hunch that I could help.

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

First, I think people believe that founding a company is a solo activity, but that couldn’t be farther from the truth. No one can do it alone. We had a team of co-founders, and worked hard early on to develop a diverse, inclusive culture that would support growth, exactly because we understood that our mission would require a strong interdisciplinary team that relied on each other.

Also, I don’t think people realize how much the job of a founder — and a CEO — is to carry the message of many. It’s an important job, to share the story of the company, the mission, our values. Obviously you become a key spokesperson externally, but even within the company, we have a role to play as we grow in making sure new team members understand what we are all about.

Lastly I’d say, visionary founders may think long-term about what the company will do, but they don’t always consider the operational needs of a growing company. In our early days with a small team, supporting our core cultural values like openness, positivity, kindness, striving for excellence and collaboration was more straightforward. But we’ll be at 40 people by the end of this year and restructuring to support this stage required many new considerations. It was hard to picture we’d look like this in those early Monday morning all-hands-on-deck boardroom meetings, and while openness and flexibility got us here, now creating a strong infrastructure and organization has moved front and center .

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

Successful founders must be absolutely convinced that what they have, in terms of technology, knowledge and mission, are worth the investment — not of just money but of many peoples’ efforts and sacrifices. They also must be always willing to learn, be resilient, be flexible, and remain optimistic despite the unavoidable challenges. Especially in the early days at a life science company, new data can push you in unexpected directions all the time. For that reason, you need to be able to problem-solve, adapt to situations, and maintain a dose of humility — not every idea will pan out.

It would be easy to get discouraged, but the strongest founders don’t lose faith in the vision so easily. It takes a strong grounding in product knowledge, a positive outlook, and vigilance. And I think people who maintain connections and have the support of friends and family are the best at balancing all the hard work required without getting lost.

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

Maintain your optimism. When we started, I could see from the data that our tech would work. But it’s a long path from founding to market, especially in biotech, and there were times I wished we could just fast-forward to now. It would have given us even more steel in our spines. You need to start small, acknowledge that some failures will happen along the way, but keep your eyes also on victories — in our case, that means improving the life of one patient at a time.

Be aware that the path will inevitably be harder, longer (and more expensive) than you think. One practical application of that realization is in preparing for the struggle, avoid tight budgets — you’re going to need wiggle room. Never underestimate! The risks are high and your company may fail, but your inspiration and conviction– the need, your technology or idea, your product — is worth going for it. It took 7 years to get from founding the company to making the PARIS Test commercially available. So it takes patience and perseverance, but keep focused on the vision and pay attention to positive results early on.

Both your mental and your physical strength will be tested. Actually, I think it’s best I didn’t hear this too much before starting out. This path sometimes means absence from loved ones, an obsession with running the business and constantly learning, with little time for socializing and the rest of what makes life full. For me, consistently making time for relaxation and meditation recharges me to take on the next challenges.

Learn to delegate and mentor. The best possible investment of your time will be to train and mentor others and let them amplify your mission. I wish I’d learned this earlier, but like so many founders, I felt such personal ownership of our work that it was hard. But take the time to understand both your strengths and your weaknesses. This will guide you to bring in people with complementary talents, those better suited for certain tasks, and share burdens that you just won’t have time to handle alone.

Founding a company is a much different experience than anything that’s come before it. Particularly in life sciences, many of us are coming from an academic background, and I wish there was a class for how to transition from scientist to CEO. In academia, introverts can thrive, but founding a successful company requires networking, and connecting with a diverse group of people. That includes investors, advisors, employees, business partners, and media. And I’m sure this is true of many other fields as well — the skills that served you well earlier in your career may not be what you need to succeed as a founder. You have to be open to re-inventing yourself, and practicing new skills.

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

This has always been clear to me based on our mission — if the product is good, we’re going to help patients with cancer get safer, personalized, and more effective medicines. We’re seeing the fruit of that now, and already many patients have been helped by drugs they might not have found otherwise.

Here’s what gives me and our team major strength: the awareness that our everyday progress, with every patient we match with existing or with newly developed drugs, we also gain knowledge that will help future patients and fuel future cancer therapy development. By building a viable, sustainable and growing business, we’re supporting products that will make a difference for cancer patients by helping oncologists select the best treatments. And I take seriously the responsibility of ensuring our company is good for employees, too.

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

I want to encourage more women to engage with the world. That includes in politics, where I’m sure we would promote peace. Many women have instincts to care for their family, yet that strength can be channeled toward their community, their country and humankind.

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

I’d love to sit down with Elon Musk. First, he has amazing vision, and an undeniable talent for generating excitement around his choices. I would love to talk with him about his experiences, and maybe get him excited about our technology and how it would fast-track cancer cures. I’ve also heard him compare starting a company to eating glass, and I know just what he means especially when revolutionizing an industry.

But I would also love to tell him about my father, Carlo, who was a technical CEO like Elon and I. In the 60’s he developed patents for drilling technology at a time when much of the industry worldwide was using dynamite, with a high casualty rate for workers. With a small bank loan, he became an industry pioneer, and the company became a world leader in precise, powerful tunnel drilling. Given Elon’s Boring Company, I’d love to share some stories with him.

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

Female Founders: Carla Grandori of SEngine Precision Medicine On The Five Things You Need To Thrive… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Female Disruptors: Janvieve Williams Comrie of AfroResistance On The Three Things You Need To Shake…

Female Disruptors: Janvieve Williams Comrie of AfroResistance On The Three Things You Need To Shake Up Your Industry

An Interview With Candice Georgiadis

Not everything is so serious. — When you’re doing this work around social justice, sometimes we tend to get serious all the time. And I’m so grateful that I have two small children that keep it light. My 11 year old son tells me all the time, “Mama is not that serious”. And each day, I get to go back to my 11 year old self because, he is right, it is really not that serious. And the truth is that he is wise beyond his years because not everything is so serious. So I find joy, laughter and pleasure in my work as well. At all times.

As a part of our series about women who are shaking things up in their industry,b I had the pleasure of interviewing Janvieve Williams Comrie.

Janvieve Williams Comrie is a human rights strategist, trainer and organizer with a deep commitment to assist in the building of powerful social movements for racial justice and human rights. She has worked in a variety of fields and for several human rights institutions, including the Office of the High Commissioner on Human Rights Regional Office Central America, where she coordinated a regional program on race and racism. Janvieve is internationally recognized for her work with Afrodescendent communities.

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would like to get to know you a bit more. Can you tell us a bit about your “backstory”? What led you to this particular career path?

I began organizing when I was very young and I mean very young, but we didn’t call it organizing in Panama where I’m from, nor during that time.. And I say that because organizing was simply a common way life in the communities that I am from, people seeing a need, zooming into that need and with others, collectively finding, sometimes demanding a solution to that need. I usually tagged along with my father when I was a child, his friends and him where were always active doing something in the community. When I was 8, 9 or even 10 years old, I did not know that he was part of different what they call movements, but then as I started getting older, through those experiences I started being able to see and identify different things like shortage of water and electricity, that education wasn’t the same for everybody, basic things like that. I started to perceive that were unequal in Panama, even though I obviously did not have the language at the time.

In essence, I didn’t come into this as a career. I still don’t see it as a career per se. I see it as a journey. I see it as a process. I see it as a way of life and in reflection, this journey, process, way of life, has given to me into me as I have given to it. So I have never thought of this once, as a career. Yes, I have gone to school, I am a sociologist and a political scientist. And those have definitely influenced the way that I think and the strategies that I apply to this work. And yes, I do financially sustain my family with this work, and that is a privilege of its own. I am honored that I get to work for the ‘betterment’ of communities where I belong, where I can identify myself with, where I certainly say, “I benefited from their work, and I am simpy continuing that”.

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

The work that I’m doing that is disruptive is disruptive because what I’m in essence doing through the organization that I founded and that I’m currently direct, AfroResistance, is creating systems and structures that do not leave Black Women and Black Girls, and their families that are immigrants from Latin America and the Caribbean behind, and also transforming current systems that are in place that are oppressive to them, to us. It is really looking at how do we create and seize opportunities to examine and to transform practices, policies, and the systems, and bring those to the public light, and to public conversations we’re having, and if we are not having them, then, we are a catalyst to having them.

Our work is grounded racial equity and gender equity, and centering issues that impact, Black communities from our idiosyncrasies, from our cultural expressions, from our perspectives. To many, that starting is challenging and it makes many have to be reflective and have to really challenge their own biases, their own way of thinking.

And that reflection in itself is disruptive.

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

I was probably in my early twenties and I was working already at the Women’s Institute at the University of Panama and I had to facilitate a workshop, and we usually used projectors. This specific workshop was in a rural community. And I was informed that the workshop was gonna be outside, which is where they always have workshops. And of course there is no electricity. Of course everybody laughed

Because they were like, of course she’s coming from the University of Panama with all the technology, and all they have is butcher paper and markers. What I learned from that was never not to rely on technology and always be ready to improvise. Now, I can facilitate anything, anywhere with whatever materials I have available, no matter how limited they are.

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

I’m a firm believer in life that we don’t only need a little help, we need a lot of help along our journey, because we stand on the shoulders of many, I do not come to this alone by any means, I’ve had a lot of not only mentors, but people that have held my hand. I can proudly now say that I’m at a stage where I’m doing a lot of hand holding, mentoring new, while at the same time still being mentored.

One of my earliest mentors was my grandmother., I used to spend a lot of time with since I was very young, not only helping her, but also listening and watching her. She would share stories of her childhood and her adolescence and her adulthood with me. She was an identical twin, that had very similar yet distinct lives, and I really honor those stories because she had big dreams for me. And there where dreams of love and hope, and all her work where a foundation for me to be able to stand tall, to fulfill those dreams. And then another one of my mentors, father. I get to speak to him almost on a daily basis. We haven’t lived together, not even in the same country for over 20 years now. Yet he is still one of my to go to people in regards to what direction do I go to with the organization in regards to politics and policies.

I honestly could say that I have a circle of women that hold it down and mentor me on a physical, mental and spiritual level, and without them, I couldn’t do the work that I do as freely as I do. We are all immigrants living without our immediate family, some of us have life partners like I do and some of us don’t, and we have really created a strong knit family, where our survival depends on each other and without them, I honestly would not be able to, thrive as a Woman, as a Mother, as a Black woman, as a Black mother, raising Black children as I do. So they are also mentors in this world for me. Because everyday I learn from them.

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

I am my only competition — It’s easy to focus on what others are doing, especially in the nonprofit world. And the truth is because we’re trying to work with other people and transform people’s lives, we are our own competition. I have learned that I just need to focus on fulfilling my own life’s mission, and on the impact that on not only individuals, but collectively in the organization and in the world. I constantly ask myself, Am I doing the best I can? Are others around me growing? Am I growing? Am I getting better at what I do? If the answer is yes, then I need to do better. If the answer is no, then I need to figure out why, and then I need to do better. I can’t look at others and compare myself to them. I would always be spiraling.
You must read and listen between the lines. — Since very small, I was taught to listen carefully because there’s power in silence. Those that know me well, know that I’m very comfortable with silence. Between words and sentences, there’s a lot that is said, and that is a skill that you pick up as you mature right in life, but for that, you have to be a good listener, tuning into what people are saying and what they’re not saying. A lot of people are very uncomfortable with silence. And there is listening to that silence in between not just words but statements. And in that silence, there is knowledge, wisdom and a lot of information.
Not everything is so serious. — When you’re doing this work around social justice, sometimes we tend to get serious all the time. And I’m so grateful that I have two small children that keep it light. My 11 year old son tells me all the time, “Mama is not that serious”. And each day, I get to go back to my 11 year old self because, he is right, it is really not that serious. And the truth is that he is wise beyond his years because not everything is so serious. So I find joy, laughter and pleasure in my work as well. At all times.

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

Absolutely. I am not done. I am a licensed coached.I wanna do is grow my, my coaching practice, to really impact more Black Women throughout the region in regards to their self care, and personal growth, but also how they see themselves in society. I also want to do more writing. I also want to expand my writing to have more regional impact, so more children can see themselves in books, and that more Black Women can be published.

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

Any book by Bell Hook really, her books bring together why I do the things that I do. Not only because of her deep analysis around race, gender and the depthness of the political, but also the hope, the love, the fight, and what it means to be a woman in society. Bell Hooks, shares tools to dismantle, to fight and to organize. And, and that we, are entitled to be upset. And that we are also are entitled to greatness in life, and I want that for everybody. I want that for all women, for all men, all children, all genders and all races and all people. I want that for all of us. I want us for, to all breathe and all, to be able to enjoy the fruits of each other.

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

I think we need to look at the youth and trust and to the youth. We need to transfer power to the youth. I really believe that the youth are happier than most of us over a certain age, at least my age. And I really believe that youth have a lot of experience that we undervalue. I believe that youth have a lot of answers to take us forward and that we need to trust, um, young people, um, and that young people need to step it up as well. The movement towards liberation and freedom has to be youth led and the youth are leading, but some of us are not listening. So I think that if I could inspire a movement that could bring the most amount of change in the most amount of people, it has to be youth led. And within that, we have to trust that trans Black youth are going to lead us forward.

How can our readers follow you online?

https://www.linkedin.com/in/janvieve-williams-comrie

www.afroresistance.org

www.janvieve.com

Instagram: jwpanama and AfroResistance

Facebook: Janvieve Williams Comrie and AfroResistance

Twitter: Jwpanama and Afro_Resistance

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

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

Author and Keynote Speaker Massoma Alam: 5 Things Anyone Can Do To Optimize Their Mental Wellness

An Interview With Candice Georgiadis

Find joy in life — When was the last time you laughed? Like really laughed? We really should laugh more! Don’t take life so seriously, just enjoy the good times! Do things that you love, that bring your happiness, that spark excitement in your soul. Do more of that. Burst out into song, dance in your living room with your kids, eat ice cream with your dog, watch a comedy special with your partner, dance in the rain by yourself. Make time for joy. You deserve it.

As a part of my series about the “5 Things Anyone Can Do To Optimize Their Mental Wellness”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Massoma Alam.

Massoma Alam Chohan is an author, a TEDx speaker, a wife, a mother of two, and a strong advocate for those suffering from anxiety. She graduated from the State University of Buffalo with a bachelor’s in Biology and Psychology, completed two years of Medical School, and later went on to complete her master’s in Industrial & Organizational Psychology from The Chicago School of Professional Psychology.

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you share with us the backstory about what brought you to your specific career path?

It’s been a whirlwind of a journey, to say the least, for me to get to where I am today. I always wanted to be a doctor growing up, as a South Asian it is one of the most respected and known careers. Hence, I chose the pre-med pathway in college double majoring in Biology and Psychology. However, after I had already completed two years of medical school I had my first major panic attack which snowballed into Generalized Anxiety Disorder and Panic disorder. My anxiety was so debilitating that it forced me to drop out of medical school and my career trajectory changed. After speaking to some career coaches and doing a ton of online research I found that going back to school for my Masters in Industrial-Organizational Psychology (Business Psychology) was the best and most exciting option for me. I knew I was on the right path when I enjoyed what I was learning, found it exciting, and yearned to learn more.

Let’s normalize career changes, we grow and transform as we get older and it’s ok not to know what you want to do or be, but following your interests and passions will not steer you wrong.

What inspired you to become a mental health advocate?

I suffered from Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) and Panic Disorder (PD) for nine years. I know the pain and anguish it comes with. Being a mental health advocate is my way of giving back. I’ve tried almost every kind of therapy, been on medications, read tons of self-help books, and I want to share all the knowledge I’ve gained with the world. I don’t want anyone else to suffer the way I did, I don’t want anyone to feel they are alone in this–because they are not. I want to give a voice to those who are suffering in silence. I want to break the stigma associated with mental health illnesses and normalize discussing our feelings and seeking out help–because it helps, and it changes lives. If my story can be a beacon of hope for someone out there, or if it can inspire them to pick themselves up, then I can go to sleep happy. It’s my passion to help others and I’m happy to do it.

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

I would not be here without the help of many along the way. I can’t harp on this enough, my success is a collective effort from all the lovely people who helped me in some way along my journey. I will have to say though, my parents have been the most supportive in my life, their love and guidance is unmatched. Their immigrant story of traveling with 4 kids across the world to give them a better life leaves me in awe. My parents worked so hard to get to where they are today, it truly is so heartwarming and encouraging. They always encouraged me and helped me in achieving my dreams. They are the epitome of the American Dream and a story of hustling to get to the top. Because of them, I am here today, everything I am is because of their affection and teachings. I am forever grateful.

What advice would you suggest to your colleagues in your industry to thrive and avoid burnout?

To be productive but also experience joy at work–that is the goal, right? Can both exist together? I believe so! In fact, the happier you are the more productive you will be. To thrive at work, you must first and foremost address your wellness. When you are taking care of yourself, it will show in all aspects of your life and avoid burnout. Notice the signs of burnout (depression-like symptoms such as loss of motivation, feeling inadequate, sense of failure, exhaustion etc.), and take preventative care. What does that look like? It means, taking your lunch break (ha!), having a work-life balance, finding purpose and meaning in your work, nourishing your creative side, being organized, having important conversations with your managers, and giving yourself grace when you make mistakes or fail.

What advice would you give to other leaders about how to create a fantastic work culture?

Listen to your employees, really listen. Make them feel heard by addressing their concerns and create a psychologically safe environment. Use intrinsic motivation for your employees such as a sense of belonging, purpose, professional and personal growth opportunities to foster fulfillment at work. Be willing to be flexible and be able to handle family-care demands. If you care about your employees, they will in return care about you and your company. By presenting attainable deadlines, reasonable expectations and workload you will establish a thriving environment where employees will stress less and produce more!

Ok, thank you for all that. Now let’s move to the main focus of our interview. Mental health is often looked at in binary terms; those who are healthy and those who have mental illness. The truth, however, is that mental wellness is a huge spectrum. Even those who are “mentally healthy” can still improve their mental wellness. From your experience or research, what are five steps that each of us can take to improve or optimize our mental wellness? Can you please share a story or example for each.

Get to know yourself! — There are many tips and strategies out there for mental wellness, sometimes it’s like a game of trial and error to see what’s best for you. It’s not a one size fits all! When you really get to know yourself through tools like meditation, mindfulness, therapy, and journaling you will have better self awareness of your triggers and also learn what will work for you. For instance, I know that if I don’t get proper sleep or have too much caffeine, I tend to get anxious. I also learned while writing my book (basically journaling) that I procrastinate because I have perfectionist traits (I had no awareness of this prior to writing my book)! There is lots to learn- so dive in!
Get professional help — There’s no shame in seeing a mental health professional! It is not a sign of weakness, but rather strength — to take responsibility and action for your own wellbeing! We go to the gym and get trainers to make our bodies strong, so why not go to a therapist to make our minds strong? Let’s normalize seeing a therapist! There’s something about talking to a trained mental health professional in a safe, non-judgemental, and confidential space that aids in the healing process. They are not your friend or family who have prior biases, they are there to listen and to help you learn skills for your mental wellness. It’s not easy, and sometimes it gets messy, but it’s so worth it for sustainable wellness!
Find joy in life — When was the last time you laughed? Like really laughed? We really should laugh more! Don’t take life so seriously, just enjoy the good times! Do things that you love, that bring your happiness, that spark excitement in your soul. Do more of that. Burst out into song, dance in your living room with your kids, eat ice cream with your dog, watch a comedy special with your partner, dance in the rain by yourself. Make time for joy. You deserve it.
Giving back — One of the tips I give in my book for when you are feeling anxious is to compliment someone. It breaks that stress pattern. Scientific studies have shown that when we help others it can reduce stress, increase our sense of meaning, life satisfaction, and self-confidence. Even small acts of kindness like a smile can activate our reward center in our brain. You can give back by volunteering, helping a stranger, caring for animals, and supporting friends and family in tough times.
Be kind to yourself — The way we speak to ourselves dictates our mood and consequently our wellbeing. Positive self-talk influences our subconscious mind which affects our thoughts and behaviors. Imagine how happy we would be if we constantly spoke to ourselves with love and compassion. Imagine how happy we would be if we forgave ourselves for our mistakes and learned from them. When we uplift ourselves and stop being so hard on ourselves we create a space for growth and healing. Positive inner dialogue also improves our quality of life. We should be our #1 cheerleaders and root for ourselves, because if we don’t, who will?

How about teens and pre-teens. Are there any specific new ideas you would suggest for teens and pre-teens to optimize their mental wellness?

Positive self-talk is the #1 way to live a happier life. Talk to yourself in a loving, compassionate, and kind way! We are often so mean to ourselves. Catch yourself when you find yourself talking negatively and quickly correct it. Awareness is key and it takes practice. Become aware of negative self-talk. Always be kind to yourself and talk to yourself like you would your best friend. If you do make a mistake, understand that you are a human and not a robot. Learn and grow from it, don’t let it despair and cripple you. Use mistakes and failures to catapult you to betterment.

Human connection is so important to treat others with love and respect. Don’t burn any bridges on the way to the top. Keep in mind we are all human, don’t be intimidated by others or bosses, talk to them with the intention of a human connection, and you will probably have a more fulfilling conversation.

As a woman of color and mother of two, what are some tips you can give our audience who may be experiencing mental health struggles within the home and/or work?

Ask for help! Whether that be hiring a babysitter, nanny, a cleaning service, or asking family for help. Summertime is great because a lot of high school and college students are looking for jobs! Anything to take something off your plate! Being a mom is a full-time job, with no breaks, and it’s OK to ask for help. You don’t need to be perfect, you don’t need to do it all, and it’s okay if the house is a little messy. If you have trust issues, make sure you conduct interviews, background checks, and you can even be home while getting a mama’s helper! Perform working interviews, where you can watch the babysitter with your kid and evaluate if they are the best fit. Getting help is a major game changer, so let go of the control a little bit and get some rest!
Let go of “Mom guilt.” I talk about mom guilt in my book, because it’s something I experience a lot and need to intentionally validate myself on decisions I make for my self-care. Self-care is about doing something for yourself that leaves you feeling refreshed and rejuvenated such as going out with friends, taking a nice walk, having a cup of coffee while you journal. If it is difficult for you to do activities for yourself, reframe your thought to, “I am taking care of myself, so I can better take care of my family” or “When I take care of myself, I am a more patient and present mother.”
Take breaks from social media (don’t compare yourself to other moms). There she is the “perfect” mother, the one who always looks put together, who cuts out smiley faces out of food for her kid’s meals, whose house is always spotless, the husband joyfully helping with the kids and chores, and they are always jet setting on a far away exotic getaway. Do you want in on a little secret, no matter how perfect these mamas appear, they are far from perfect. First of all, perfection doesn’t exist. Second, you are only seeing their highlight reel, and never compare your real life to someone’s highlight reel. Trust me on this, there are tantrums, blowouts, messy kitchens, and screaming kids on a plane behind the screen. So take a break from social media, and when you find yourself getting upset seeing someone’s life appear so perfect, remind yourself of the reality of the situation. We are humans, kids are humans, and we are not robots. If we were all perfect, what would be the fun in that?

What is your best piece of advice from your book “Take Your Lunch Break” and do you have a story about how that was relevant in your life?

I will say that my book is filled with a lot of advice, tips, and strategies so it is hard to pick the best one because what is best for me, may not be best for you and vice versa. The book is designed so you can pick and choose what works for you and leave behind what doesn’t serve you.

However, one of my favorite messages is to experience difficult and hard emotions is what it means to be human. It is natural to feel sad, upset, angry, stressed, etc. It is the fight of these emotions that causes the struggle. The more we can accept and surrender to the array of emotions we feel, flow with them, let them come and go, the easier our life will be. What we resist, persists.

Is there a particular book that made a significant impact on you? Can you share a story?

Hands down “DARE:The New Way to End Anxiety and Stop Panic Attacks Fast” by Barry McDonagh changed my life. I talk about the important role the book “DARE” played in my transformational journey in my TEDx Talk. DARE and its method are what helped me overcome GAD and PD! That was the key! It was that method that helped me remove all the smoke and mirrors and see anxiety for what it really is — just an adrenaline rush. When I started reading DARE that was the first time I realized that I wasn’t alone, and what I was experiencing wasn’t unique to me. That in itself was everything. I finally realized I wasn’t going crazy! DARE is not just a book but a whole support system. They have an app, a Facebook support group, anxiety coaches, and provide full assistance for those experiencing anxiety.

I actually interviewed Barry McDonagh for my book, and his interview was one of my favorites, so definitely check that out! He also gave me a praise quote (a blurb) which appears on the back of my book! It was such a surreal moment. There was a time I was struggling with debilitating anxiety and I turned to this book called DARE. I fully immersed myself in the work and practiced the DARE method and getting outside my comfort zone. Now, here I was, four years later, interviewing the author of DARE and having him praise my book! It was such a cool and beautiful moment.

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

Thank you so much! People can connect with me on my Instagram and TikTok at @massomaa

My website is www.massomaa.com where they can get signed copies of my book, see the services I provide, and check for updates!

Massoma Alam: 5 Things Anyone Can Do To Optimize Their Mental Wellness