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Female Founders: Elizabeth Polke of Avere On The Five Things You Need To Thrive and Succeed as a…

Female Founders: Elizabeth Polke of Avere On The Five Things You Need To Thrive and Succeed as a Woman Founder

An Interview With Candice Georgiadis

Always have belief, strong vision, purposeful action, determination, and gratitude. These five pillars will help anyone to succeed, not just in starting your own business. It is easy to get frustrated when starting your own business and these guiding principles will help entrepreneurs stay on the course.

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

Elizabeth Polke, a serial entrepreneur, brings over 20 years of business experience to market. Most recently, Polke launched her newest business endeavor, Avere. A line of high-quality CBD offerings, the company’s products help consumers with their overall health and wellness while offering a dedicated team of direct sales professionals with the opportunity to earn and achieve their career goals. Previously, she launched another direct sales business, Prodigy Consulting, which grew to become a $50 million organization through marketing and sales in the telecommunications, solar, and retail energy sectors. In this role, Polke’s mentorship helped create seven-figure income earners for her team of direct sales professionals. Polke’s passion for mentorship has become a driving force in her business decisions. Through sharing best practices and motivating a team of industry professionals, she has helped coach a team of consultants on the strategies and skills necessary to become successful in business and in life.

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 am very proud of my background. As a pre-teen, my family and I emigrated from Ecuador in search of a more prosperous life. The journey to the United States was not easy, but it helped me appreciate that to reach my goals, both hard work and determination were required.

For many years I worked a typical 9 am to 5 pm office administrator position. After being passed over for a promotion because someone was tenured longer, when I was very clearly the most qualified candidate, it hit me that I was no longer feeling fulfilled. I wanted more out of life.

Having made the decision to find an opportunity that would allow me to grow personally and professionally, I soon recognized the potential in sales. While I was proficient in my administration position, a career in sales would provide me with the flexibility and control over my own success that I so deeply desired.

I decided to quit my job and switch gears. I left my comfortable schedule and consistent compensation for a job where my only income was the commission I secured. It was a risk, but it encouraged me to work hard, determine my own worth, pursue my goals, and to venture outside my comfort zone.

Having achieved success working for someone else, it was then time to go in business for myself and share with others the methods that made me successful.

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

The whole process of launching your own business is a fascinating experience. Through a great deal of hard work, not only do you see your company grow, but also you see a transformation in yourself.

For me, as my company and team developed, I too grew from a rather shy individual who sought the advice of company leadership into the powerful businesswoman providing guidance and direction to others.

This personal and professional development only assured me that taking risks was the right thing to do. Oftentimes, we don’t know how much we can accomplish until we put ourselves in the position to do so.

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?

After initially pursuing a career in sales, I had recently been promoted to sales manager. In navigating the new role and the responsibility of managing a team, I tried to focus on organizing the day ahead while simultaneously motivating my colleagues.

As I closed the meeting, instead of saying, “Let’s go kick some ass!” I said, “Let’s go get some ass!” Even though it was a funny, light-hearted mistake, it’s an event I still remember and take lesson from to this day. The experience stressed what it meant to transition into a corporate setting and the measures I would have to revisit like meeting planning, public speaking, and generally acclimating to the corporate environment.

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 would not be where I am today without the encouragement and support of my husband, Christopher.

My husband and I actually met working at the same company that inspired me to pursue a career of entrepreneurship. In those early days in direct sales, I remember while I was cold calling businesses to try and sell my product, a business owner was incredibly rude and offensive.

This was unlike any other experience I had professionally, and I considered it a very low point for me. Honestly, it made me question my abilities and this new career path I had chosen. I called my (now) husband and explained to him that I didn’t think the industry was for me. And he said to me, “That person who made those comments to you isn’t going to remember you, but right now you’re deciding to let him determine your future.”

It was the advice I needed to keep going. Without his support then, and all these years later, I would not be the person I am today.

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?

For centuries, women have been made to feel inferior. It has made the process of working towards a position of power feel unattractive, and many times unattainable.

To right this wrong, it is essential that women realize their true potential and learn the skills necessary to be the most powerful versions of themselves. Being a mentor to not only my team of sales professionals but women on a larger scale is my greatest passion, and I hope to serve as an inspiration to others looking to pursue a similar career path.

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

As I mentioned previously, women must realize their true potential and learn the skills necessary to be the most powerful versions of themselves. We must be able to share our experiences and lessons learned to help empower those looking to start their own businesses or jump into leadership roles.

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?

I believe that women offer unique ways of thinking and can leverage their experiences into thoughtful decision making. While stereotypically women are perceived to be more emotional beings, I do not see this as a fault. In fact, in a leadership position I think that it allows us to see all possible outcomes and ramifications more clearly. Often, ignoring the “emotional” component of a decision could be game-changing.

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

I don’t believe the assumption that a founder is detached from the day-to-day responsibilities of the rest of the team. In order to be successful in business, especially as a new company, the founder needs to understand each component of their business. Knowing the ins and outs of every aspect of the company will allow for proper delegation and effective leadership.

I remember one time I was having an issue with the packaging sector of my company. There were consistent errors which was not only frustrating, but also cause for concern. I could not understand why there was still room for error after addressing the problem several times. It wasn’t until I physically went into the factory to witness the packaging process, that I was able to fully comprehend the intricacies and obstacles that were encountered when completing proper packaging. Not only did this educate me on the steps, but it also allowed me to make adjustments elsewhere to allow for a more seamless flow of production.

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?

I think there are learnable traits that are useful to become a founder. However, I don’t think that inherently means that everyone is ‘cut out’ to start their own businesses.

I teach my mentees the five pillars to success, and I believe these qualities make for great business founders.

Belief

Vision

Action

Determination

Gratitude

In addition to these pillars, individuals looking to start a business should be willing to learn and be flexible no matter the environment. It’s important to be patient and resilient because results may not be immediate, and they aren’t always the measure of success. While an individual may not be ready to start their own business, it does not mean that they can’t be in control of their own success. These pillars really are the foundation for having more in life.

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.)

Always have belief, strong vision, purposeful action, determination, and gratitude.

These five pillars will help anyone to succeed, not just in starting your own business. It is easy to get frustrated when starting your own business and these guiding principles will help entrepreneurs stay on the course.

Your desires will only come through action.

Don’t just dream about a desired result, make it happen! After wanting more control over my ability to succeed, through hard work and determination I not only changed careers but have started two successful businesses.

Don’t settle on being a dreamer.

Stating your own business takes a great deal of creativity and thoughtfulness. Bringing that vision to life, takes resilience and action.

There is power in manifestation.

If you are able to envision your achievements, it will help you achieve your desires.

Always start with a plan.

When a great idea strikes, there can be a sense of urgency to achieve your desired result. Take the time to stop for a moment and plan out how you envision bringing this new venture to life. While you might not always follow the plan exactly as written, it will help you plan for multiple outcomes.

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

I am very excited about my newest venture, Avere. With my husband, we recently launched a line of high-quality CBD offerings that will not only help consumers with their overall health and wellness. We have put together a specially formulated line of CBD oils, balms, and capsules is intended to not only help users realign and balance their body’s optimal levels of wellbeing, focus, and performance, but to also raise awareness of the power of pure, highly potent CBD. After seeing the positive effects on my mother’s health, I realized the potential CBD has to treat physical and mental ailments and felt compelled to start my own venture.

Additionally, our proven business model provides an infrastructure for motivating and helping direct sales professionals achieve their financial goals. The company is structured to recognize and reward a community of “Advisors.” Through mentorship, professional support, and passion, our team of direct sales professionals will have an opportunity to develop their careers and thrive in a new, social selling business.

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 inspire a sort of ‘pay it forward’ movement. I think there is always room for people to reflect and say to themselves, “How can something I have, be of use to someone else?” We oftentimes overlook what we’re not using. So, encouraging the ‘pay it forward’ movement would not only promote those with limited access and resources, but also uplift other women in business.

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, and why? He or she might just see this if we tag them.

I would love to have the opportunity to speak with Ivanka Trump. Other than her iconic fashion brand, her advocacy for women and minorities in business and helping them find their professional journeys in the U.S. inspired me to use my resources to promote other women’s ventures. Former-President Trump’s policies on paid family leave and childcare came from Ivanka whose prioritization for working women and families never ceased to be in action.

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

Female Founders: Elizabeth Polke of Avere 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: Caroll Lee of Provenance Meals On The Five Things You Need To Thrive and Succeed…

Female Founders: Caroll Lee of Provenance Meals On The Five Things You Need To Thrive and Succeed as a Woman Founder

An Interview With Candice Georgiadis

It is not what you eat, it is how you think. What you eat is obviously very important to me, but how you think is even more important. Of course, eating nutritious food is a key foundational tool to feeling well, but so much is in your attitude. If you can train your mind to focus on what is working, to stand in your self-worth, and to approach your experiences with joy and gratitude, that mindset will affect your overall health in such positive ways.

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

Caroll Lee, CEO and Founder of Provenance Meals, is an avid cook, mother of two, and a Board Certified Health Coach with emphasis on functional medicine. Her passion in life is to feed people real food — food that is raised, grown, and prepared in ways that are good for your health and for the planet with convenience in mind.

I was working on the e-business side of the luxury fashion industry throughout San Francisco and New York City and was feeling unfulfilled. I was spending the majority of my time selling expensive clothes and shoes online, and as much as I loved my colleagues, it was not satisfying that spark I knew I had inside me. Ultimately, I knew I had more to offer the world.

The decision to start my own business came while I was pregnant. I knew that I did not want to miss the first years of my daughter’s life while I was working every weekday. And while I was pregnant, I spent a lot of my time thinking about my next meal (although to be honest, I’m always plotting my next meal!). I was focused on making sure that the food I was ingesting was nourishing for me and for her, and I embarked on a mission to educate myself around healthy foods for the body.

After the birth of my daughter, I left my job to care for her. Once I gave myself the time to step away from my career, I realized my true purpose was to help busy, on-the-go people much like myself — whether they be professionals, parents, or both — with an easier way to eat well and fuel their best life. In 2007, I opened an organic, farm-to-table market that served products and meals made with only ingredients you could trust and I eventually went back to school for nutrition. From there, I began working as a holistic health coach with an emphasis in functional medicine. The clients in my practice began asking me if I could help them reach their wellness goals by providing the healthy meals they craved, but had no time to create, and Provenance Meals was born!

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

When I opened my first organic food business, I didn’t know it at the time, but I was part of a growing movement of small-batch, artisanal prepared foods. My market was carrying some very new products at the time that have gone on to become well-known consumer brands in New York City and beyond, such as Van Leeuwen Ice Cream, Hot Bread Kitchen tortillas, Peeled Snacks, and Siggi’s Icelandic Skyr.

The main products that we produced in-house were probably some of the first organic “meal kits” — packages of semi-prepared ingredients and locally-sourced meats and fish with instructions on how to prepare at home. Even thought I felt like I did not know what I was doing half of the time, looking back I find it interesting that I had put myself into the right place at the right time — my instincts were spot-on. This experience has helped me learn to trust my gut when it comes to the market and opportunity, and has led me to success as a health coach and as a mission-driven entrepreneur.

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?

Provenance Meals finally landed our first major Hollywood actor as a regular client, a total super star and heartthrob. We were delivering to him regularly and slightly outside our normal delivery windows so I asked our staff if there was anyone who could handle the deliveries for our team. One young woman volunteered, and I was grateful to her for taking on the additional responsibility. Later, we got a request from the actor’s assistant that we send a different delivery person as the current one seemed a bit “too excited” to be there and I immediately realized my mistake.

This is just one small example, but I think the main lesson learned was developing good instincts about what tasks can and should be delegated to whom. In the early days of Provenance Meals, I really tried to take on every role. I had to learn and recognize that I am not the expert in all areas of my business, but I could surround myself with professionals who were specialists in their fields, even when it comes to something as seemingly simple as delivering a healthy meal. As CEO, I do pride myself of my ability to learn whatever needs to be learned to move the business forward, and to learn it fast, but I also know when to let other people take the reins in different areas and to be okay with letting go.

The one person who has been with me through it all has been my husband. Early on in our relationship, we used the made-up word “potentium” — the combination of potential and momentum — to describe out budding relationship and the future pathways that lay ahead in our lives. That same concept has driven me forward through multiple challenges in my life and businesses. It’s a core belief that I keep coming back to, a belief in my own potential as a human being and my ability to uncover opportunities and steadily make progress.

My husband is a serial entrepreneur, so he knows firsthand the emotional rollercoaster of creating something new and putting it out into the world. Yet her always reminds me that the problems I am focused on solving are likely 20% of my business, and that there is a whole 80% that is working well. In other words, celebrate the successes while solving problems. I am grateful to him for reminding me not to lose my perspective during tough times.

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?

First, women own more than half the businesses in the US (Source: NAWBO), meaning that women are in fact founding and operating companies in high numbers. But those businesses only contribute to 4% of revenues. Why is that? It is because money is not being invested into businesses run by women at the same rate as male-owned businesses. Do not get me started on investing into women of color. It is an uphill battle for women to gain access to capital, education, and resources, as we are held to a different and more difficult standard than men.

Moreover, the majority of businesses that women own are considered “small” or “lifestyle” businesses, and in a society that prefers headlines of VC-backed unicorns, profitable or not, women-owned businesses are often devalued.

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

As an individual, I know I could personally be more vocal about these issues, but I also believe that in our society, money talks. By achieving success at greater and greater scale, it will be impossible to discount the impact of female founded businesses in the near future. Particularly in the wellness industry, where we see a majority of women as both owners and consumers, we have an opportunity to lead by example and show upcoming generations that it is more than possible to create success.

As a society, I see more groups, networks, and VC firms of women supporting women than ever before. That’s the way we’re moving forward, by addressing the power dynamic and investing time, resources, and money to aid women founders on their journey.

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-owned businesses are more profitable. Period (Source: WSU MBA Program). We also have a responsibility to be role models to future generations of girls who will one day lead businesses of their own.

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

One myth is that women are not powerful. We are. There are plenty of women in business making important decisions, generating revenue, and leading companies. We need to shine a bigger spotlight on these women.

Another myth is that founders, particularly in the wellness world, are not serious, that we are living our best life meditating every morning, fitting in a lunchtime workout, having meetings with mocktails in hand. The reality is that being an entrepreneur can be both lonely and stressful, particularly when you feel the weight of a company’s success directly on your shoulders. Given the conversation around mental health and social media, and its negative effects on young women in particular, I would love to dispel these myths and portray the full picture of entrepreneurship and not just the highlight reel. Also, you don’t have to fulfill the stereotype to follow your path — if you are passionate about it, you have a place there.

The most important lesson is that mistakes are the best way to learn. A recovering perfectionist myself, I have had to teach myself that it is more valuable to fail and learn from my mistakes than to stress about things being perfect from the start. I always must remind myself — do not let perfect be the enemy of the good.

I also think it is important to connect with others and expand your network, and be open to opportunities, partnerships, and friendships. Some of my best moments as a founder are when I get to collaborate with and support other entrepreneurs.

Society is designed to create girls and women who play nice and are eager to please. While there is much to be said about being kind, we also need to establish and protect our boundaries.

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.)

Running a business is a marathon, not a sprint, and it will not be a straight line to success. I have learned that when I conquer one challenge, another one will be waiting for me right around the corner. Knowing this helps me take myself a bit less seriously, as well as reduces some of the stress around whatever various issues of the day are. I think of my company as a sailboat. If I am at helm, no matter how much the wind blows and how many times we have to adjust one course, my job is to steer that boat in the right direction and avoid being batted around at the mercy of the changing winds.
Do not feel guilty for taking vacation. It is healthy to give yourself a mental break and a change in scenery. In fact, when I go on vacation, which allows me to get some distance from my company, I get a big picture view of things that need to happen next. As CEO, it is easy to get mired in the immediate situations at hand, but it’s exactly the bird’s-eye view and longer term thinking that your team needs to know what direction to head. I love to travel and get outside of Los Angeles as it’s when I can slow down, gain perspective, and think my big thoughts. I also have an incredible team that I can trust to hold down the fort (thank you, team!).
No one wants to talk business with you 24/7, even if you think it is fascinating. I must remind myself that while I love to turn my various business challenges and issues over and over in my brain, it does not always make for interesting dinner conversation! It helps remind me to have a life outside of my career.
Do not underestimate yourself and give away your power. People may have more years of experience in my industry, but no one knows my company and brand like I do. I once heard a founder describe her company as her child, herself as the parent, and the people who had years of experience in their fields of business as teachers. The teacher may have a different perspective on what is best for the child, and you may think that due to his or her years of experience of working with children that he or she knows best, but at the end of the day, no one can decide what course of action is best for their child more than the parent. I feel the same about my business as I welcome other perspectives, especially from other founders or industry experts who have been through it before, but at the end of the day, I have to go with my gut and hold onto the decision-making power.
It is not what you eat, it is how you think. What you eat is obviously very important to me, but how you think is even more important. Of course, eating nutritious food is a key foundational tool to feeling well, but so much is in your attitude. If you can train your mind to focus on what is working, to stand in your self-worth, and to approach your experiences with joy and gratitude, that mindset will affect your overall health in such positive ways.

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

There is enormous power in the idea of food as medicine. When people eat food that nourishes their mind, body, and spirit, they in turn have the energy and mental clarity to serve their purpose in the world. The opposite is also true. When you eat a Standard American Diet (SAD) of processed foods, refined carbs, and sugar, you are more likely to be hindered by health issues, anxiety, and stress. Having control over what you put in your body and knowing how it affects you is an incredibly empowering experience. As Provenance Meals continues to grow and expand, I believe we’re creating a positive ripple effect on the world leading to more self-empowerment and ultimately health and happiness.

My mission at Provenance Meals is to continue the food revolution that is already occurring. Most people do not know how amazing their body is made to feel — I always say that the good thing about good health is that you do not know what it feels like until you have it. My mission is to help people everywhere become the most incredible versions of themselves, one nutritious bite at a time.

Overall, my goal is keep providing an alternative to the Standard American Diet (SAD — as appropriately acronym-ed) and educate and encourage people to commit to eating clean for a few days, a week, a month, or more, so that they can experience firsthand how to live better.

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.

Michael Pollan: I would love to cook a meal together, made with local ingredients, and talk about the state of food and nutrition in this country.
Michelle Obama: I admire the work that Michelle started in the White House with her organic garden and work towards putting healthier meals on the plates of schoolchildren across the country. I’d love to discuss what it will take to take down the corporate interests that are dictating the foods that are sold and served across the country that are bad for our health and our planet.
Dr. Mark Hyman: He is one of the OG functional medicine doctors and I feel like he would be a big fan of Provenance Meals. Lunch on us, Dr. Hyman!
Padma Lakshmi: I once had the honor of meeting her very briefly after hearing her speak about her experiences as an immigrant, her love of food, and the roles women are expected to perform — in and out of the kitchen. I would love to keep that conversation going.

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

Female Founders: Caroll Lee of Provenance Meals On The Five Things You Need To Thrive and Succeed… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Female Founders: Sharmin Ali of Instoried On The Five Things You Need To Thrive and Succeed as a…

Female Founders: Sharmin Ali of Instoried On The Five Things You Need To Thrive and Succeed as a Woman Founder

An Interview With Candice Georgiadis

Freedom is never free. It is a false statement when they say that when you are an entrepreneur your life is your own. That’s BS. It’s not. Your life is controlled by the stakeholders in the company. I thought if I start a company, I’ll have time for myself and I’ll be able to do things the way I want. I end up doing things the way my investors want. Freedom comes at a massive price, as an entrepreneur you end up paying that price.

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

Sharmin Ali is the Founder and CEO of Instoried, a software platform that helps enterprises and individuals create emotionally engaging content. She has written two books, a New Indian Express and Oxford bookstores best-seller. She founded her first startup, Art-Right-Is Productions, in 2012 in the media and entertainment space. Also, Sharmin has hosted multiple TED Talks, including “Put Your Anger to Constructive Use” and “The Idea of a NAKED World.”

I earned an engineering degree in India that led to work in data analytics consulting. I transitioned to Wall Street, where I had the opportunity to work for Fortune 100 companies like Pfizer, Walmart, and Allstate. I also received an MBA offer from an Ivy League school. I didn’t think I’d be happy with graduate studies and couldn’t conceive of doing anything with my life except entrepreneurship. So, I decided to quit and create something from scratch.

Content is something I understand. The biggest challenge people face is they don’t know how to connect well with their audiences. They have a tough time building human connections and communicating with empathy. As a result, the whole world is flying blind. I decided I had to solve this problem using technology, because there is no way to accomplish it one person at a time.

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

I had to go to London from Bangalore to raise $500,000 in a seed funding round. But I didn’t have any money, because we were bootstrapped and had put all our money into the company. I pawned all my gold jewelry, I broke all my investments, I took out an advance on my credit cards, and I still didn’t have enough money to pay my rent. I hadn’t paid my rent in three months. I used all that money for payroll. My parents wouldn’t give me any money either. I borrowed $1,000 from my co-founder, who took money from his wife. I was then able to raise $500,000.

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

My first CTO was the funniest mistake. He asked for a $3,000 advance, which I gave to him being the idiot I am. He had written some part of the code. He then ran away with the money and the code. He blocked me from everything, changed his number, and disappeared. That was a stupid mistake, I needed a CTO, and I trusted a stranger.

I am grateful to my current co-founder and CTO, Sutanshu Raj, I could not have done what I have done or what we’ve achieved without his support. And of course I’m grateful to the larger team, the entire leadership team, yes, team, team, team, without them nothing would have been possible.

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?

This is a great question. Opportunities. The whole social and mental conditioning that women receive from a very young age. I can’t speak to how it is in the United States, but here in India, I have faced it a lot. Because women can give birth, they tend to lean toward becoming homemakers rather than business, even though they might be hungry to achieve professional success. But because of social conditioning or lack of support from their partners or their parents, they fail to pursue what they want. There are a lot of notions that most women, especially when it comes to tech start-ups, are more suited to the creative side rather than building something heavily tech oriented. I have faced it in India. When I went to pitch to a particular investor, most of the questions were tossed to my CTO. To his credit, he said to ask me because “she’s the man.” A lot of people out there think if a woman has children or is running a family, that she’s not well-suited enough to have a professional pursuit, which is totally baseless. Numerous women with ambitions don’t pursue them because of these things.

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?

We at Instoried are 60% women. We have intentionally decided we have to hire more women, regardless of the role. Such decisions must be made, we must reserve spots for women, we have to mandate that. Get more women on board, that has to be a conscious decision made by more companies, investors should ensure they invest in companies that have at least one female co-founder, one a woman in a leadership role. When they make that a mandate, men will be forced to have at least one woman co-founder. From a government perspective, there should be leadership roles reserved for women, they should ensure more women come to the forefront. From a company policy perspective, it should be mandatory for women to have work from home options and paid leave so more women are attracted to join such professional pursuits.

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?

Evolution has wired us women to be much more calculating when it comes to taking risks or saving money. When it comes to running a company, especially when it comes to finance, we women are much better suited to handle pressure. A woman who is equally responsible toward a family and a professional role, we women are better suited when it comes to alarming situations, we don’t crack under pressure. My mother always told me that as a woman I had to be able to handle physical and mental pressure. Evolution has wired us women to be better leaders and we deserve to be on the forefront.

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

We are not good when it comes to being in relationships because we are always working. I don’t think that’s true. Mark Zuckerberg is married with children. We are definitely well-suited when it comes to having a personal life, but we just need partners who are much more understanding. Whenever I have put myself out there, I’ve been told that I won’t have time to date because I am a founder — if I want to make time for you, I will.

Founders must have that ultra-level of risk-taking capacity, impulsive mindsets, you decide first then you act. I am going to do this. Most people first act then make a decision; founders are the opposite. They start from the end, not the beginning. This is completely personal, but it is not easy being a founder, you are always under mental pressure. You need to be able to raise money. If you don’t have the constant influx of money coming in from sales, you need to be able to raise capital. You must have that attitude that nothing is going to stand in the way of your vision, stay focused and be able to handle that pressure. Not everyone has that mindset. Anyone who is worried about taking care of their family, buying a house or car, or has a fixed life plan, is not suited to be a founder. There is risk at every point. You need the mindset that no matter what happens, I am not going to break, I am going to be into this, and I am going to perform. This is not an employee mindset. Being empathetic and honest with the people you work with is also a must, if you are not, you don’t need to be a founder. You might make a lot of money, but you don’t need to be a founder for that. It’s not just about you getting rich, it’s about getting everyone rich and walking along with them.

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 taught me how to build a team. I didn’t know that hiring a team, the right set of people, how important that is, that governs the journey of the start-up because it is not a one-man show, it’s a full team show.
I didn’t know that a CEO is not the Chief Executive Officer, it’s the Chief Everything Officer. You end up managing HR, finance, marketing, sales, fundraising, you have to have one finger in tech.
I did know about raising money, but I didn’t know that it was a full-time job. It’s not that easy. It really needs a lot of hard work. You talk to 100 people and end up raising money from one.
No one told me that the customer is king. Without customer validation you can’t sustain. It doesn’t matter how great the product is, unless you have validation from the customers and a steady sales process, you might end up raising a few rounds of capital, but for you to be a successful company, there must be that steady inflow.
Freedom is never free. It is a false statement when they say that when you are an entrepreneur your life is your own. That’s BS. It’s not. Your life is controlled by the stakeholders in the company. I thought if I start a company, I’ll have time for myself and I’ll be able to do things the way I want. I end up doing things the way my investors want. Freedom comes at a massive price, as an entrepreneur you end up paying that price.

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

It is important to define success. For me it is the ability to influence someone’s decision making. I have been able to influence the decision making of my customers, my investors, and my team. There’s an element of success that we have accomplished. The best thing that has come from success is being able to create jobs and more opportunities for people, that’s what we’ve been able to do. When salaries go out at month’s end, I feel good about it. We have 35 employees right now; I sleep well knowing that 35 households are running because of me. That is very rewarding and fulfilling, that ability to make someone’s life a happier place. Running a company from the start, having my brain invested in each avenue of the business, one thing I have understood, even if my company fails, I know I will start another one. The kind of lessons I have learned along this journey during the past three years have been tremendous. It has been a huge boost to my confidence. I know I won’t crack under pressure. I know that if I were stranded on a deserted island, I would at least be able to make fire. I will not die.

Instoried is my true calling, and that goes without saying. For me, with climate change, I’d like to invest in the climate tech space, that would be life changing.

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. I would have said Steve Jobs, but he is no more. There is one thing Elon Musk has said in numerous interviews: do not ever attach yourself to a human being, attach yourself to a goal, to a company, to a dream, which I also personally believe in. I wonder how he has managed to build so many companies, and how he gets the time to stay invested and so focused.

This was very meaningful, thank you so much. We wish you only continued success on your great work!

Female Founders: Sharmin Ali of Instoried 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: Emmi Kavander of Kavanders & Co On The Five Things You Need To Thrive and Succeed…

Female Founders: Emmi Kavander of Kavanders & Co On The Five Things You Need To Thrive and Succeed as a Woman Founder

An Interview With Candice Georgiadis

Everyone tells you that people are important. But how important they are, I only learned when I employed them. Having such people on your team that you can absolutely rely on, is vital. Not only because you can trust them to do their job and be by your side, but also because you will have a significant stress factor less when you don’t need to question if they can pull their weight and you don’t need to micromanage them. I went through some tough times earlier building a business, but knowing that my second could take over in a heartbeat if I had to leave unexpectedly, was a key component to keeping my life together. I am forever grateful to her for that.

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

Emmi Kavander, originally from Finland, is an angel investor, wife, mother, and Co-Founder and CEO of Kavanders & Co., a Switzerland-based company providing services in international business development, communications and fundraising for early-stage high positive impact businesses, and in scouting and pre-vetting investment opportunities for professional investors and VCs.

Before founding her business with her husband, Henrik Kavander, Emmi worked as an investment broker and financial adviser and successfully established and led the Finnish branch of an international sales organization. She climbed the corporate ladder to, by the age of 30, reach the leadership team of a globally operating and stock listed fintech, for which she led their corporate communications, including investor relations.

I have always been a “learning by doing” kind of person and have been fortunate to be entrusted with good positions and work based on my experience and traits of learning and adapting quickly. I have worked throughout a variety of positions and industries related to sales, then going over to strategy, business planning and communications. In addition, I have always had a profound personal interest in cognitive psychology. Combined, these have brought me strategic communications and storytelling.

My husband, Henrik (originally from Sweden), has been globalizing tech businesses as a go-to-market strategist, implementer, and leader across five continents for more than 15 years. After a severe traffic accident in 2017, I started thinking about my impact on this world so far. I was not happy with what I had achieved from an impact point of view. This thinking sparked the thought of taking our business knowledge, experience and network and utilizing it for the greater good through our own business by ensuring high positive impact cases to succeed.

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

While we scout for other investors and ensure investor readiness on the start-up side, we also make some investments ourselves through Kavanders & Co. A funny story is when we signed some of the final papers in co-founding and investing in one of our first portfolio companies. We were on our way to an appointment at the notary near Lausanne, Switzerland, and everything was clear and organized — or so we thought. Due to a series of inconvenient events, we missed our scheduled time at the notary.

We could not reschedule the meeting as we were already rushing to meet our client in Geneva. So, we ended up signing some of the paperwork against the back of our family car at a gas station. I think most people would imagine an event like this a bit more glamorous! That is the start-up and business life — things often do not go as planned. Some things that we assume to be glamorous are, in real life, often more humane and pragmatic.

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

It is related to the first business I built. To save costs, I decided to build every single piece of furniture myself that I had ordered from Ikea. Now bear in mind that I had ordered furniture for 20 people. When I was on my way to the office and spoke with a neighbor about what I would do that day, he asked, “you do have some power tools, right?” No, I had not considered that and was pretty much only equipped with a standard screwdriver and a lot of determination (someone could call it being naive). He lent me his tools, and I am forever grateful. Otherwise, I would probably still have blisters on my hands over ten years later! I learned from that the importance of thinking and planning before executing. Otherwise, one might go down a very tough road that would not be necessary.

I could impossibly mention only one — for me, four people are cornerstones to my success so far. Not only do I have a great mentor, but on the more personal side, our daughter gives me motivation and is my main raison d’etre. I am also unbelievably grateful for all the support I receive from my husband and business partner and that this combination is a possible and such a fruitful one! I am also very grateful for the support from my mother — for a couple of reasons. Naturally, I owe a great deal to her in how she has brought me up and what she has made possible for me while growing up. But even today, she supports us and our business by looking after our daughter while we work. There is no way we could have come this far in such a short time in being business owners without her help.

There are a few things that go into this. Firstly, to the topic of fewer female-founded businesses being funded. We could start with the fact that there are by far fewer female founders than male ones; thus, it is natural that female-founded businesses get less capital — there are just fewer of them asking for it.

We also need to look at the industries that get VC funding since not every type of business is suitable for it. Many women are setting up, e.g., their own shops, salons or other local services. You will not go for VC funding for such a business. Thus these founders will not be on most of the statistics. On the other hand, the tech industry has traditionally been one that more men are interested in. That said, it is natural that they found more tech businesses — these types of businesses often need external funding from investors. As a logical consequence, male-founded businesses get more funding in the space. So it’s not so simple to say that women are getting less funding, but I think that there have been fewer women founding companies that are suitable for fundraising.

Going back to the question of what is holding women back. I don’t think it has to do with gender discrimination. After all, a founder does not need to ask for permission to set up a business so that any gender can do it. But, I do think that gender in itself can have something to do with it. Traditionally, men have been more risk-takers than women (e.g., thinking of mine workers, there are not too many women standing in line to get into such a risky job). Naturally, this does not apply to everyone — my husband and I are a prime example, with me being the risk-taker of us two, but it fits as a general rule. And founding a business comes with a lot of risks.

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 am not sure if the things I mentioned are such that they can be described as obstacles. But I think we are already seeing generations more willing to take risks, which is increasingly gender agnostic. Through media, and especially social media, we see entrepreneurs that we can relate to and see they come in all “shapes and sizes,” so to say, meaning that the stereotype of a male founder is fading. This has positively impacted people across demographics to be more daring to leap into entrepreneurship. There is also an increasing number of women interested and active in, e.g., the tech space mentioned above — this will naturally drive into more balance.

In general, I think that the support of various stakeholders toward entrepreneurship is increasing. We are also raising children so that it is no longer a given that boys choose woodwork and girls sowing at school (which was still very much the case even when I was a kid). We are encouraging and showing more than just men in tech, science, etc. From the beginning of time, we have needed role models to follow. Now, we will slowly start reaping the fruit of the widened spectrum of role models over the next generations. I think this is great!

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?

I don’t see any reason why more women should become founders than men should unless they feel a calling for it. Founding a business is tough, and unless you have the desire (and even then), you will go through phases of doubt, failure, exhaustion. For me, gender plays no role here. However, naturally, I see benefits from a richer founder base in terms of not only genders but people in general. If all companies are founded by similar stereotypes, the outcomes are likely also at a greater chance similar for whole industries. So, rather than just making it about women, I warmly welcome people from all walks of life to follow their calling if entrepreneurship is that for them.

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

It is not necessarily the hardest thing to have your first customer, as it is often said. You may find your first customers from your close circle if they believe you are good at what you are doing. However, you need to go further to find customers and scale your business, which can be much harder than getting started in the first place.

Another thing is the image of being your own boss. Technically, that is true. But without your customers, you have no business. As your livelihood depends on running and building your business, the customer, in certain ways, is your boss. Naturally, you need to keep your boundaries to ensure that you don’t burn out or sell yourself in unfavorable conditions trying to survive, but if you think that you can fully decide your schedule — wait until your biggest customer calls you asking for something really urgent. Once your business is a bit bigger and you potentially have investors and a Board of Directors, you will report to them.

In my opinion, not everyone is cut out to be a founder, just like not everyone is cut out to be a, let’s say, doctor, writer, or scientist. As an entrepreneur, you need to 1) be able to tolerate uncertainty, and 2) you must be willing to fail, learn, and grow every day. Entrepreneurship is not for the faint-hearted.

And it’s not only that. You need to have a calling, an inner driver. Based on my experience, most founders are optimists who want to change the world (or at least their world) and being an evangelist for their mission helps.

Someone who prefers certainty enjoys being in a bigger corporation and does not want to carry the weight of the whole business on their shoulders is likely happier as an employee. Also, if you own a business and it succeeds, you must congratulate the team. If you fail, you need to look into the mirror. If you can’t accept that, you should not start a business. But to be honest, you should, in that case, also not aspire to be a leader in someone else’s organization.

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.)

As this is not the first business I have built, I will partially have to go a bit further back in history. For me, most of them are related to people.

Everyone tells you that people are important. But how important they are, I only learned when I employed them. Having such people on your team that you can absolutely rely on, is vital. Not only because you can trust them to do their job and be by your side, but also because you will have a significant stress factor less when you don’t need to question if they can pull their weight and you don’t need to micromanage them. I went through some tough times earlier building a business, but knowing that my second could take over in a heartbeat if I had to leave unexpectedly, was a key component to keeping my life together. I am forever grateful to her for that.

The second point also is about people. The responsibility you carry for someone else’s livelihood is a weight that is not carried easily. Taking that hurdle to employ someone and with that, asking them to trust you to ensure they can provide for themselves and their family is a major one. I did not understand just how heavy that weight is to carry. This I felt especially strongly in our current business. It took me a long time — I think we discussed the matter and worked part-time together for half a year until I dared to make an offer to the first person to join us full-time.

The third point is about the people around you outside of your business. If you have people around in your private life who do not support you or bring negative energy into your life, it will be nearly impossible for you to succeed until you cut that “noise” out. It just takes too much bandwidth and energy that you need to build your business. I learned this hard way at an earlier stage of my career when I had someone close to me who was abusive in every sense of that word. I couldn’t be the best version of myself at work. Luckily, today the situation is the complete opposite and I have a husband who also happens to be my best friend and business partner. He is the greatest support I could ask for. So, this also works the other way around. If you have great support from the outside, it will give you exponential chances for growth.

As a fourth point, I would raise the importance of having a great mentor. An outstanding mentor will ask you all the right questions and allow you to come to a lot of the answers yourself. When you can’t come to a solution, they will guide you and share their experience and mistakes so you won’t have to make the same mistakes. They will be by your side and they will be in your corner through the toughest of times and help you back on your feet. They will also be the biggest celebrators of your success. I have one that I would trust my life with. Trust is key, as you need to know that they guide you in your best interest and not theirs.

Last but not least, you don’t need to know everything or be perfect in everything. It is amazing how much one can learn if one is motivated and willing to put in the work. And let’s face it, you will likely not be world-class in what you are doing from the first day you start. It is enough that you or your product are perfect for the situation someone has. It might even be a part of your business that you did not think was critical for your success, but something that people need in addition. And there you have it, customers. One example is this; while I am a strategic storyteller, I often find myself being a general business, and even life coach, to founders. It’s not something that I advertise, but I get a lot of calls from founders that I am already working with and that need someone external to talk to, someone who understands what they are going through and can give them an ear and some guidance on how to handle the situation at hand.

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

It’s twofold. Innovation is usually born out of passion and technical knowledge — vital components of innovation! What they often, however, do not have is the experience of building, commercialising, scaling or funding a business. We, on the other hand, have a team with a strong track record and a good reputation in building businesses and getting them to the next stage. This we can utilize to support other businesses and give them some extra credibility through our recommendation and involvement.

Secondly, we only use our skills and the previously mentioned help for businesses that make our world a better place in one way or another — environmentally, socially, or in other ways. As we, with our operations, increase the chances of these innovators in getting to the market and taking a share of it, I like to think we are an active part of making this world a better place for us all.

I would love the world to reach a point where we would not mention genders anymore. In such a world, we would all be equal. As long as we have the need to differentiate genders, there is always some form of unnecessary division based on gender instead of people themselves and their traits and skills.

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.

There are a few public figures that immediately come to my mind. The first person is the former president of Finland, Martti Ahtisaari. I once had the honor of sitting at the same table at a birthday party with him, but there was no chance of a proper, more profound discussion. He is a Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, United Nations Diplomat and mediator that I admire for his international work for peace. I would love to learn about his work and especially about the mediation work he has done. Another Finnish person is Alexander Stubb, who was the former Prime Minister of Finland, among other global and influential positions. He has a great presence, strong communications skills and seems to have more hours in the day than the rest of us. I would love to understand how he does it. The third person I would like to meet is Angela Merkel. Not sure this one even needs explanation, but her career, influence and example have been remarkable. I would be honored to absorb some of that wisdom and experience.

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

Female Founders: Emmi Kavander of Kavanders & Co On The Five Things You Need To Thrive and Succeed… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Women In Wellness: Indu Navar and Lisa Deegan of EverythingALS On The Five Lifestyle Tweaks That…

Women In Wellness: Indu Navar and Lisa Deegan of EverythingALS On The Five Lifestyle Tweaks That Will Help Support People’s Journey Towards Better Wellbeing

An Interview With Candice Georgiadis

Indu: I would encourage everyone to become aware of the voids we have in our healthcare system and take action by volunteering, in clinical research studies and support citizen-based research.

As a part of my series about the women in wellness, I had the pleasure of interviewing Indu Navar and Lisa Deegan.

Indu Navar and Lisa Deegan both lost loved ones to ALS. After watching their husband and younger brother, respectively, suffer from the disease with no answers they launched a non-profit, EverythingALS, to develop a solution. EverythingALS is conducting research using AI technology to spot and track early signs of ALS.

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

Indu: I was born and raised in Bangalore, India, where I also earned a degree in electrical engineering. Although my parents wanted me to stay in India and get married, I always had higher ambitions. So after getting my bachelor’s, I went to California and got a master’s in computer science.

I didn’t find out about ALS, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, until 2018, when my husband, Peter Cohen, an Amazon executive who helped found AWS, was diagnosed with the disease. He passed away a year later. In a yearlong search for a diagnosis for his debilitating symptoms, followed by a terrible year of his progressively rapid decline, I realized that we had wasted whatever possibilities for slowing down the disease that might have existed while we had wasted our time trying to get a diagnosis.

As a computer engineer and successful Silicon Valley entrepreneur, I was used to identifying a problem, proposing a solution, raising funds, recruiting and leading an expert team, and setting up a timetable to achieve our goals. I also learned that whenever I encountered an obstacle, there was always an innovative way to overcome it. In fact, innovating and breaking the traditional ways of finding a solution while openly sharing ideas with others has underscored the success of the Silicon Valley model.

That’s why, shortly after my husband’s death, I rallied together my contacts in the tech, VC, and ALS community to found a nonprofit, EverythingALS. Our goal is simply to find a digital biomarker for ALS that will not only identify the onset of the disease but also assess its progression in a way that is centered around the patient experience and shared with the research and medical community.

Lisa: I was born and raised in Silicon Valley, where my brothers and I all later worked in tech. In 2014, my younger brother was devastatingly diagnosed with ALS, and in 2018 he lost his battle to this debilitating disease. When he was diagnosed with ALS, we had no hope for his future; we knew his time on earth was limited as there are no effective treatments or a cure for ALS today. The journey was painful not only for my brother but also for our entire family and support system as he required 24×7 care. I provided my brother with a lot of support and got to experience first hand how devastating this disease is. In the end, he was extremely thin, could not speak, walk, talk or move any of his limbs and his breathing and swallowing were very compromised. He lost his will to live; everything was a struggle not being able to do a single thing on his own and the emotional stress took a big toll. I think he hung on for our family, but in the end, even that could not change his will to not want to live.

After he passed, I connected with Indu who had just lost her husband and together, we co-founded EverythingALS along with our team who have all been affected. I wanted to run the other way from ALS but in the end, I did not want to see others suffer the way our loved ones did, and together, we wanted to solve a big problem that exists today.

EverythingALS was born out of passion and wanting to leave the world a better place than when we arrived. We are an advocacy and patient-led organization, dedicated to advancing clinical innovation and digital technology to help people with ALS manage their disease and accelerate potential therapies. The goal of our digital biomarker research is to track progression, get an earlier diagnosis, and better understand the prognosis of this heterogeneous disease.

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

Indu: I like solving massive problems that require an engineering framework with a lot of data analysis. My first job at NASA involved analyzing black box flight data. Then I worked at Silicon Graphics, where again I analyzed data for building Internet solutions. When I went to Healtheon in 1996 — later WebMD — we first had to create data because there wasn’t any at the time, and then we developed processes for optimizing healthcare from that data.

In 2001, when I started Serus, which provides intelligent solutions for semiconductor companies, manufacturing was taking off; data was available but there was no way to make sense of it, because companies were working with different manufacturers, different standards, and in different languages. We built a uniform system for decision making. I’ve always been attracted to solving big-industry problems, which is why my training was ideal for starting EverythingALS.org, which is changing the paradigm for clinical research trials by setting up a new framework for accelerating the process.

Lisa: The best thing that has happened in my career was having the opportunity to be part of something that will better the outcomes of people affected by ALS, and those who will be diagnosed in the future. We are building a platform that is changing the paradigm of ALS, working towards progression tracking through digital monitoring of the different onsets of this disease. Neurodegenerative disease diagnoses are increasing; there is no cure for most of them; and this is a growing problem. It is motivating to be a part of creating a solution that will help to save lives and make a difference for others so they don’t suffer like we did. We also provide others what we did not have while going through our journey, a community to connect with for education, collaboration and research.

The main takeaway is that neurodegenerative disease diagnoses are increasing. We as citizins need to get involved in helping to get a better understanding of what causes these brain diseases and detecting them earlier so we can start treatments earlier and lengthen peoples’ lives. We need everyone to participate in our study, as most know someone who has been diagnosed with a neurodegenerative disease. I believe that leveraging technology to uncover patterns, progression, and subgroups that have not yet been discovered will lead to treatments and better patient outcomes.

This will take a village to solve, so we need people to participate in our research study. To sign up, visit everythingals.org/research. Your participation can help make a difference for someone affected now by ALS and someone in the future who will be diagnosed with a neurodegenerative disease.

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

Indu: When I started Serus, my child had just been born and I was afraid to tell anyone because I felt I wouldn’t be taken seriously. I felt like I needed to keep my life private and show my professional life. I had to prove myself. I only told people during my series A round in 2005, when I brought my child to a meeting. I feel that today being a mother and a CEO is far more accepted than it was when I was the CEO of a startup.

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

Indu: I feel the healthcare system is very opaque until you get sick. It’s as if there is a screen, and once you get sick, there is a dark cave you enter. We need to create awareness of diseases, specially the 11,000 neurological diseases like Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, and ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) so that scientists and pharmaceutical companies can start working on treatments and cures. One in four people are going to have a neurological issue by 2013, so we need to become aware, get involved in citizen-based research, and take a preventative stand to make the world a healthier and better place.

Lisa: With neurodegenerative disease diagnosis growing, 1 in 300 will be affected by ALS. Healthcare costs for these diseases are increasing along with the need for care and especially care from home. There are no biomarkers or diagnostics for ALS, diagnosis takes 1–2 years, and most don’t qualify for clinical trials due to their progression.

Our current research is going to change that.

Our research consists of 850 participants, soon to reach 1,000, and can be done from the comfort of your own home on a computer, laptop or smartphone. We provide access and inclusion for all. You can participate if you are healthy or diagnosed with ALS/PLS, you must be 18+ in the US, and have the ability to speak.

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

Indu: I would encourage everyone to become aware of the voids we have in our healthcare system and take action by volunteering, in clinical research studies and support citizen-based research.

I volunteer my time to fix our healthcare system.

I also take care of myself physically so that I can function as productively as possible.

I feel that passion comes doing something you

love doing. Working hard, doing purposeful work, and finding the purpose within yourself can lead to a better life not only for yourself but for others as well.

Lisa:

hours of Sleep: most important is getting quality sleep each night by setting a routine and developing good sleep habits, such as no computer or phone screens 2 hours before sleep). Lack of sleep leads to many health issues.
Mindfulness: being present each day, as often as possible especially when around others (stay off cell phone when you can)
Gratitude: People who show true gratitude are happier people.
Drink water and eat real food like fruits and veggies. It is important to move your body!
Pursue your passions and surround yourself by quality friends and family

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

Indu: Sustainability is core to what we are doing. Our resources are limited, and we want to make healthcare sustainable, reducing hurdles to getting access to healthcare treatment.

Lisa: Access and affordable healthcare, especially for people living with ALS. Our platform is open, we collaborate with all researchers and our research give easy access and inclusion to anyone who wants to participate.

Another important movement that I would love to start is accessible and affordable mental health care to help a growing problem in our country, especially around teenagers. There is such a prevelence of anxiety, stress, and depression amongst our teens, it is frightening. I know too many who have suffered from these conditions, and some who have ended their lives. It makes me sad, because being a teenager is supposed to be a fun time full of learning, growing and maturing. Now, it is difficult to be a teen, and of course COVID did not help matters, only made things worse. Perhaps living in Silicon Valley adds a lot of pressure to our teenagers, although this reflects my point of view since it is the only place I have lived as a teen and raised my children.

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

Lisa: For me personally, mental health is nearest and dearest to me. As a mother raising teens, I see more depression, anxiety and suicide among our future generation than ever before. So many kids are on medication, drugs and taking their own lives. This is a crisis in our country and we can’t look away. This needs to be addressed — healthcare needs to be accessible, affordable and mental health should be a part of this equation. We need to nurture and take care of our future generation, they are going to need all the help they can get!

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

Lisa:

EverythingALS Website: everythingals.org

Podcast: Stories and Innovation in ALS

EverythingALS YouTube channel

Insta: @everythingALS8

Twitter: everything_ALS

Facebook Page: EverythingALS

Facebook private group: EverythingALS

LinkedIn:

EverythingALS

Email us: [email protected]

Thank you for these fantastic insights!

Women In Wellness: Indu Navar and Lisa Deegan of EverythingALS On The Five Lifestyle Tweaks That… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Inspirational Women in STEM and Tech: Mina Kalantari of Innovative Health Diagnostics On The 5…

Inspirational Women in STEM and Tech: Mina Kalantari of Innovative Health Diagnostics On The 5 Leadership Lessons She Learned From Her Experience

An Interview With Candice Georgiadis

Always believe in your passion and your strength. As a young girl, I didn’t know where my curiosity was going to bring me. There were many times throughout my career and in moving to different countries that I didn’t know if I would stick with my schooling. But no matter what, I made sure to continue and persevere, to be an example for my children and younger generations.

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

Dr. Mina Kalantari is a creative research scientist, currently the Scientific Director of Molecular Testing at Innovative Health Diagnostics. With extensive experience in the fields of molecular biology and cancer research, she has several years of experience in the molecular diagnostics and clinical laboratory operations spaces. Her expertise includes development and implementation of quality management systems, with a focus on CLIA/CAP. Her specialties include: Molecular Diagnostics, Research & Development, Laboratory Operations, and Personalized Medicine.

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

My mom was my role model. For her generation in Iran, she was a businesswoman. She was a fashion designer and had a sewing school to teach younger girls how to sew. She helped them start a career and was the major breadwinner in my family.

She traveled to Europe to take classes to excel. I always looked up to her but am not artistic or fashionable like her. I was always a very curious kid. During my time growing up, we played outside in nature, and I in particular was always curious about what we saw. My dad called me “doctor,” because my handwriting was so bad. I grew up being told I was going to be a doctor and with support like that at home, years later I charted my path to help people in the medical field.

While I was curious about how things worked in nature, I also wanted to create something like my mother. I chose the field of Biology as my major for undergrad. After obtaining my undergraduate degree, I didn’t want to stop after college. I rotated in hospitals, collected over 2,000 samples from patients and entered a Ph.D. program right after graduating from undergrad.

During the revolution in Iran, I wasn’t allowed back at university, which made me that much more determined to find a home outside of Iran. I moved to Sweden, Stockholm, and I picked back up my education in a new country. Adjusting to the new culture and learning Swedish language as well as restarting my BS and completing a MS degree to meet the strict acceptance criteria for the Ph.D. program at Karolinska Institute did push back my career, but it only made me more determined to keep going no matter what.

After completing my Ph.D., I was offered a tenure research position at Karolinska Institute, but my family and I left Sweden because my husband wanted to go to California to start a business. I secured a research position at UC Irvine for cancer research. At UC Irvine, I supported and mentored several undergraduate research projects every year. A few years later, one of my former students and IHD co-founder reached out to me asking about an open position at Innovative Health Diagnostics (IHD). They needed help setting up genetic testing, which is how I met IHD’s CEO and my close friend, David White. I helped IHD as a consultant for a few months but wanted to do research to be closer to patients and decided to leave UC Irvine and became co-founder of IHD.

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

After I began at IHD, a group of scientists visiting IHD from the East Coast, who were helping validate genetic testing, were in the lab at the same time that a friend’s daughter needed help with her assignments in molecular biology at school.

Everybody in the group became involved in her assignments and put their research on hold to help my friend’s daughter with her research project. They were so excited to help the young girl and took the time to help her to understand molecular biology. We ended up working all night long and the following day nonstop to meet our project deadline.

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?

While in the lab at IHD, I remember a big container of what we thought was acid, being knocked over. Everybody panicked! We had to evacuate the lab, call for help, and enact the proper protocols in a situation such as that. The container was actually filled with vinegar. We learned a valuable lesson to use smudge proof labels.

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

I have been at Innovative Health Diagnostics (IHD) for almost 10 years, and have never worked with such experienced, kind, collaborative practitioners and people.

We have never experienced anything like the COVID-19 pandemic before, which we have been on the frontlines of fighting since March of 2020. To keep our communities in California, New York, and beyond safe, it has been an all-hands-on deck approach, especially when the additional variants such as Omicron came about in the winter of 2021.

At one point, myself and my staff were working 18- to 20-hour days to process and complete the quick testing turnaround times for our patients. At IHD, we pride ourselves on providing an intimate approach to testing when compared to other labs that are required to meet quotas at mass quantities. Our staff are incredibly dedicated to their patients, providing at-home testing and even delivering tests to patient homes if they couldn’t get to the lab themselves.

During the pandemic, a member of my team was notified that her husband and son had tested positive for COVID-19. She made sure that they were alright, tested negative herself, and still came to work at IHD so that she could keep her community safe and protected during a once-in-a-lifetime pandemic. I am grateful to work for a company with such amazing talent and caring practitioners!

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

At IHD, we take a human-centric approach, putting patients first by enabling access to accurate testing through our suite of at-home testing options. One of those tests is the upcoming at-home Anti-Mullerian Hormone (AMH) test, which can help women monitor their overall ovarian health. Tracking AMH results over time is critical to understanding individual fertility.

Our at-home AMH test is a great option for learning more about ovarian reserve for women who have been trying to conceive for over six months, want to check if their ovarian reserve is appropriate for their age, considering IVF or other fertility treatments, or would like to conceive in the future. It’s important to prepare for the future and learn more about your likelihood of conceiving naturally to start a family.

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

STEM in general needs more focus for women. It is still highly dominated by men, and there is a need to see more and more female scientists and mathematicians that shine. Generally speaking, the view that women cannot do as well as men has to change. Women need to be more valued in STEM.

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

Those who are women in the field of STEM need to help those coming up know that they shouldn’t be scared to enter these fields due to the fact that they are dominated by men. When women see that their field is lacking in diversity, they often lack confidence to be the one to step in and make a change — but they should not be scared! STEM is changing and more women need to know that they can enter the field and be supported.

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

There are many myths when it comes to being a woman in STEM — it is often thought that men are more capable of doing challenging work or are able to think more critically, when really that is not the case. There are also myths that building a family and raising children are just roles for females, when in reality husbands help raise children too. My husband was a stay-at-home dad, so I could conquer my Ph.D. program, which I also experienced growing up with my own father. Men are just as capable as women to raise kids and women are just as capable as men to tackle their careers.

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

Always believe in your passion and your strength. As a young girl, I didn’t know where my curiosity was going to bring me. There were many times throughout my career and in moving to different countries that I didn’t know if I would stick with my schooling. But no matter what, I made sure to continue and persevere, to be an example for my children and younger generations.
Don’t doubt yourself, you are your best advocate. Be confident in yourself and know that you are on the path to success, that is right for you. I often thought about switching careers, even going to school to be a dentist. But I always went back to my first love of research and science. Understanding what will make you professionally fulfilled and keeping true to that goal, will make you a happy, successful, well-rounded person.
Recognize your weaknesses, work to conquer them, and don’t give up. There is no shame in not knowing something. We as human beings have to continue learning, or else we will never grow. Be persistent in what you want to achieve, and understand if there are hurdles in the way, to learn what you need to conquer them and don’t give up.
Believe in people and strive to help others. Going into the field of STEM, you see so many incredible people putting others and their community before themselves to save lives and make a difference. During the pandemic, we saw people step up in ways that we haven’t seen before. We, as human beings, need to keep that going and should help each other out a lot more than we do.
Network, Network, Network! Relationships are very important. If I hadn’t kept relationships with my former students, I wouldn’t have been introduced to David White or IHD. Now, I am almost one decade into the best role of my career. Keep relationships, you never know who could be helping you find your next adventure!

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

For women leaders looking to best support their teams, I would say to believe in yourself and your team, follow your dreams and help your colleagues follow theirs and don’t get discouraged if you hit roadblocks — teams are there to lift each other up when there are difficulties.

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

As a female leader you need to be involved, be present, and show support, but at the same time not micro-manage. It is important to recognize your staff’s strengths and skills and assign responsibilities that fit well to their strengths. Don’t try to teach them something that doesn’t work for them, putting a square peg into a round hole. It is important to recognize what staff members are good at and allow them to thrive in that area. When business desires and passions match, that is when the real work begins! I would also advise other female leaders to show a level of compassion to your staff and team members, many businesses need a better “people culture” to help teams work harmoniously and function well — women can lead with compassion and still meet the goals set out by teams or leaders.

Our CEO and Co-founder of IHD David White is one of my closest friends and a person that I admire greatly. When we were switching from research setting to clinical setting, I decided to get a license to become a medical director in the future, but the classes in order to get the license were many towns away on the weekends.

I didn’t think that I would be able to manage it on my own due to high workload, deadlines and family responsibilities, but David kept encouraging me to take the classes and get the license. At the time, we were working hard, 6 to 7 days a week. David drove me every Sunday to and from school, would sit in Panera or Starbucks to work while I was in class, and eat lunch with me on my breaks.

He would spend his Sunday there, so that I could succeed. If there was a Sunday when he couldn’t do it, he would apologize that he couldn’t bring me! I am so grateful to him and the opportunity that I have had to work with him and IHD and his friendship.

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

I try to help as many students as I can, especially females, with research or advice on final projects in school so that they could work to get into the best universities possible to succeed in their careers.

I would often bring as many students as possible in the lab and encourage them to continue to do what they like to do and are passionate about.

I have taken the time to write great reference letters and help students get into well-known universities, even Ivy leagues such as Yale and Cornell medical schools.

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. 🙂

First and foremost, nothing is more important than to be good human beings and contribute to peace.

This life has so much to do with working hard, we often forget that we are human. We need to think about others, help each other, and support change that will make us all better human beings. If I won the lottery, I would share it. I would help people.

A few years ago, a friend of mine moved to California from the East Coast. I found out that she was unfortunately in an abusive relationship, so as she was leaving the partnership, I set up a bed in my living room so that she would have somewhere to stay and to feel protected during that time.

We are human before anything else, and it is important that we take care of each other.

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 is from Martin Luther King Jr.: “If you can’t fly then run, if you can’t run then walk, if you can’t walk then crawl, but whatever you do, you have to keep moving forward.”

I am a person who has to move, I have to improve every day. I believe that every day we can move forward and learn something from somebody, that we can use to make this world a better place.

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

If I could meet anyone, it would be Sylvia Earle, marine biologist, oceanographer, and explorer. I would always want my career to be in the sciences, but if I could go back and focus on a different topic, I would have loved to have been a marine biologist, where biology and science can help to improve our environment to preserve the planet Earth for our future generation. Life is beautiful in all its forms and worth fighting for. I would love to meet with Sylvia and get to hear from her experiences.

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

Inspirational Women in STEM and Tech: Mina Kalantari of Innovative Health Diagnostics On The 5… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Women In Wellness: Laura Cieplik of LifeStart On The Five Lifestyle Tweaks That Will Help Support…

Women In Wellness: Laura Cieplik of LifeStart On The Five Lifestyle Tweaks That Will Help Support People’s Journey Towards Better Wellbeing

An Interview With Candice Georgiadis

Be present and limit distraction. Close your laptop, put your phone on silent, turn off email or text notifications — allow yourself time to focus 100% on the current conversation or task at hand.

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

Laura Cieplik is a strategic fitness executive and operations leader who has found great success in developing and guiding innovative business processes for fitness organizations. After earning her Masters in Exercise Physiology from Eastern Illinois University, Laura spent nearly 10 years working for LifeStart, a corporate wellness and fitness company that specializes in design, management, and continued engagement of corporate fitness facilities. She has since moved her expertise to Studio Three in Chicago, a boutique fitness mecca that encompasses three unique studios under one roof: Interval, Cycle, and Yoga.

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

I began my career in fitness working as a graduate assistant at Eastern Illinois University, where I helped lead the Adult Fitness Program and Human Performance Labs for both students and members. After completing my Masters in Exercise Physiology, I transitioned to a role at LifeStart where I was able to combine my passions for fitness and operations, eventually moving into the role of Vice President of Operations.

After nine years at LifeStart, I decided it was time for a new adventure, and I joined the team at Studio Three in Chicago. Building on the strong company culture and talent, I have worked closely with the Studio Three team to enhance the customer experience and operations in the Chicago portfolio which includes locations in River North, Lincoln Park and Fulton Market.

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

I joined the Studio Three team just before the pandemic began. In fact, I was wrapping up my first 90 days and starting to really dig into some exciting projects when everything came to a crashing halt. It was March 2020 and the City of Chicago called for a complete shut down. Like all businesses at that time, we collectively had to determine the best possible next steps, and when new information and mandates were released we knew we had to continue pivoting.

Over the course of the next year, our team set up a virtual fitness platform, three outdoor workout spaces, and opened a brand new studio all while doing our best to keep the Studio Three family informed and healthy.

While these were extremely difficult times for all, I discovered a lot about myself, how exceptional our team is, and my leadership skills grew immensely. My key takeaway from the experience is that honest communication and teamwork lead to major accomplishments.

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

When I first started, I was always the first to show up and the last to leave. I made sure I was available to the team 24/7, volunteered to do extra work and was extremely quick to respond. Initially, these were some of the things that I prided myself on and felt greatly contributed to my success.

I learned that this mindset not only led to burnout, but also made me less efficient as a leader. Staying out of the weeds and keeping a healthy balance between work and my personal life has allowed me to focus on the bigger picture and in turn be a better colleague, friend, and partner.

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

At Studio Three, we are demonstrating how a balanced fitness lifestyle and a supportive community can increase overall health and wellness. Achieving and maintaining a healthy lifestyle reaches far beyond your physical appearance. Fitness can boost your mood, manage stress, improve sleep, and increase overall productivity — making for better people and, therefore, a better world!

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

Take time to decompress and disconnect. Working in fitness, my hours are non-traditional and can span from the break of dawn to late at night– plus weekends. It can be difficult to find the space to “turn off” and reset. I find that holding myself accountable to resting for small periods of time is easier for me to stick to. For example, when I get home I don’t check my emails until I’m done eating dinner.
Balance is important. Living a healthier lifestyle is often associated with punishment or deprivation — two notions that are far from healthy. Have a glass of wine, eat dessert, and allow yourself to indulge in what brings you joy, but do so in moderation.
Find something you love. When you lean into activities that speak to you, they will help you stick to healthier choices without them feeling like a burden. If cooking brings you joy, explore some healthier recipes, or find a fun workout class that you genuinely look forward to!
Start small and celebrate each win. It’s natural to want to go all in on a goal, but this can set us up for feelings of failure down the road. Set smaller goals along the way and you will feel more empowered to keep going.
Drink more water. Seriously, go take a sip now! Water is the fuel for everything.

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

Going back to what I said earlier, fitness is about more than just physical appearance. Regular exercise can have a profound effect on depression and anxiety and can help people feel more energetic throughout the day, sleep better at night and have sharper memories.

My hope is that through my work and the community we’re building at Studio Three, that we can continue to raise awareness of the link between physical activity and overall well being. We can all take steps — no matter how big or small — every day to lead a healthy, sustainable, happy life!

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

Mistakes happen. Don’t be so hard on yourself! It isn’t the mistake that characterizes your work ethic and expertise, rather how you learn from it and grow moving forward.
Prioritize balance. Not taking time for your personal life will lead to burnout, not success.
Don’t sweat the small stuff. Keep in mind the classic line: “It’s business, not personal”. I’ve spent too many sleepless nights thinking about a negative email or interaction that truly did not warrant the energy.
Be present and limit distraction. Close your laptop, put your phone on silent, turn off email or text notifications — allow yourself time to focus 100% on the current conversation or task at hand.
Take control of your calendar. Know your limits and what makes you show up as your best self. Whether it’s at work or within your social life, overscheduling can result in unnecessary stress and less productivity.

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

Mental Health. Listening to our bodies, in both a physical and mental capacity, is incredibly important. In our culture, we tend to only pay attention to the physical portion and ignore the mental. Movements that are bringing more awareness to the impacts of mental health and opening up the space for vulnerability and understanding are vital.

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

Instagram: @studiothree

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/studiothree/

Thank you for these fantastic insights!

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

Female Founders: Rikki Bommersbach Of Artvana On The Five Things You Need To Thrive and Succeed as…

Female Founders: Rikki Bommersbach Of Artvana On The Five Things You Need To Thrive and Succeed as a Woman Founder

An Interview With Candice Georgiadis

It’s okay to take a break. Nothing can burn you out faster than owning your own business. You are so close to it and you care so much that you can’t step away. But you must. If you never get your mind and your eyes off of what you are creating you won’t see things coming that you need to. Just like in painting the Artist has to take a step back to view the whole picture, we need to do that in our businesses. Don’t forget why you are doing this, spend time somewhere you love, with people that you want to be around. We want success so that we can enjoy life to the full, don’t miss out on the journey. Vacation, unplug, delegate. Take care of yourself too.

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

Rikki is an Artist and the founder of Artvana, a company that helps people discover, nurture and grow their creativity. She is passionate about helping others build confidence in their creativity and doing things your own way. She started her first company at the age twenty-six and currently resides in the Pacific Northwest.

Of course! I have always been creative but started painting professionally around the age of nineteen, and by professionally I mean trying to sell my art. I was always intimidated by painting until I really tried it, then I just fell in love with it. People began asking me to teach classes but I wasn’t really interested until a friend asked me if I had heard of fun art nights where you can drink wine and paint, that sounded like a lot of fun to me. From there I started my first company with a partner, more on that later…and I was in the paint and sip business.

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

I think the most interesting stories in my company are the people I get to paint with. I’ve painted with a ninety-three-year-old woman who had never painted before, Bill Gates’ flight attendant, a woman that was legally blind, and so many more; I could never list them all. It’s just so fun for me because I get to see these people on their creative journeys even if they didn’t begin until they were in their nineties or if they have major physical challenges. I love watching them grow creatively and face those fears and challenges and make beautiful art.

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?

Well, it certainly isn’t funny but it was the most important lesson I have learned. I made the mistake in my first company of going into business with a partner and not really making sure everything was in writing because we were ‘friends’. It is the single thing I tell anyone that asks me for advice. I lost my first company after two years in a legal battle that I eventually had to quit because it was affecting me physically and mentally. No company was worth my health and I knew I could do even more on my own, so I cut my losses and started all the way over. The lesson being, do not take anyone’s (I don’t care if it’s your grandma’s) word as good enough when entering into a business partnership. Do not take any “let’s figure that out later” excuses or “we can probably draw this up ourselves” type of situations. Cover your butt, get it all in writing, and have it done by a lawyer. Yes, it will cost more in the beginning but nothing will give you more peace of mind and power in your partnership. Or go into business alone which I highly recommend.

I don’t know if I could pick just one, my friend Laurie has always been a support from the very beginning and through some of those rough patches. I currently have an amazing team working with me to make my vision come to life: my brand developer Angela Kelly, my media producer Mike Strickland, my web developer Erik Soper, and my subscription box coach Andrea Fender. They’ve all been so supportive. In fact, I was in a very unhealthy relationship and Andrea told me straight, that if I wanted to be successful I had to ditch the guy! At the time, I thought she was being super rude but over the next year I saw the wisdom behind her words and realized what kind of situation I was in, so I followed her advice, ditched the guy, and things have been growing like never before. I have learned to remind myself that she is usually right, and to remember that these people really want me to succeed.

I think a lot of women feel like they won’t be taken seriously. I have felt this many times, when I am telling someone what I do or writing down my profession as Artist, I get quite a few raised eyebrows, the silent “how could you possibly be making a living being an Artist” look is what I have come to call it. I think women are less creative when founding a business because we already have this feeling that we might not be taken seriously so it’s easier to start a business that is usual, well known, or makes sense to the vast majority of people. When we think CEO I think men come to mind and when we think of women-owned businesses we might think they have an Etsy shop or a cute little bakery, society doesn’t see women as powerful, innovative leaders in the business world. Women in business are women doing things to make a little money in their spare time, not women founding new ideas and companies that will make millions or billions or have super impactful changes. In my experience, this is something that needs to change.

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

As far as society goes I think instilling different viewpoints and values in young girls is super important. Raising girls to believe that they can be a CEO, that they can make hundreds of thousands of dollars a year, that they can change the world, that they can do it differently and still succeed. I wasn’t really taught that as a kid and it took me a long time to grow a thicker skin and say I deserve a place here and this is what I want to do, and I will succeed even if you raise your eyebrows at me.

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?

This goes back to the next generation again: if we want more of our daughters to be founders and owners they need to have more examples. I didn’t really know any female owners growing up. Having those examples goes a long way when young people think about what they want to be when they grow up. Women are intelligent and emotional so I feel like women can found different businesses than men, not in a competing way but in a diverse way. There could be so many ideas and businesses that don’t exist yet because they are waiting for the right woman to found them. I also think women have a more comprehensive understanding of products that other women may need or want so there is a lot of opportunities there.

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

I feel that there is a divide between people thinking owning your own business is either exhausting or the “must be nice” attitude. In reality, it’s both. Some weeks I hustle so hard I think I’m going to have to hibernate for a month, and other weeks are really chill and easy and I get to create things on my own schedule. Whatever the myth is, you are the boss, you make the rules, don’t let your company run you and you will have a great time. And yeah, it is nice!

It is definitely not for everyone. You have to be resilient, you have to be brave, and you have to be a little bit stubborn. You have to be willing to take other people telling you you won’t make it, treating you like you are being irresponsible, asking you when you will get a real job. You must believe in yourself and your ideas more than anything else, more than anyone else’s opinion, which is easier said than done. You have to be able to take those hard weeks when nothing goes right, when you feel like a loser who can’t do anything right and will never succeed and now you are going to be thirty-five with no college degree and no career path if you fail at this, and you have to take that soggy heap of fear and set it aside. You have to choose to be brave and to keep going, to keep believing. You have to be willing to have everything in the world sometimes showing you that you can’t, and still believe you can. So if you are not up for a challenge that will really show you who you are, test your limits, and force you to be uncomfortable and grow, then no, ownership is not for you. But if you have grit and a fire in your soul, you want to get the most out of this time you have on earth, and you want to play and try things and experience as much as you can, then why not? It’s a different way of being and some people don’t want anything to do with it and I respect that, others can’t see themselves ever being an employee, I respect that too.

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.)

Never own less than 50% of your company — This was the move my first partner made that set the stage for me losing what I had worked for, it was only 1% at the time but it meant so much.
Hire professionals as soon as you can to help, you do not NEED to do everything. I wasted so much time trying to teach myself how to do everything! This is not what you founded a company for, hire a bookkeeper, graphic designer, website professional, advertising specialist, tax professional, and payroll expert. You will save money doing it yourself but you will be burnt out and not having fun in your business. Also, you will never be as good at it as they are.
Your staff is just as important as your product. Your staff, your team, whoever you have working for or with you is just as important as what you are doing. They are the face of your company and often who people interact with first. If they don’t believe in what you are doing they shouldn’t be on your team, if they don’t care about your customers like you do, you will have problems.
You might be afraid of success! This took me a long time to figure out, because when all of your actions seem to say otherwise and you feel like you are clawing your way to the top of Success Mountain, how could you be afraid of it? I encourage anyone getting into business to get clear on this first. For me, this manifested when my company started to grow (like I had always wanted). As soon as it started happening, I started feeling fear and doubt, can I actually do this? What if something happens? What if my supplies don’t arrive on time? What if, what if, what if, and suddenly when I should have been the most excited I felt like running away. Envision yourself at the top, where you want to be, and remind yourself all the time that to get there you have to do these things and you will figure it out. You will have to do big scary things to be successful and claim your success. If you stop halfway through or where your business is ‘making it’ and you get comfy there, that is where you will stay and you will not reach your full potential.
It’s okay to take a break. Nothing can burn you out faster than owning your own business. You are so close to it and you care so much that you can’t step away. But you must. If you never get your mind and your eyes off of what you are creating you won’t see things coming that you need to. Just like in painting the Artist has to take a step back to view the whole picture, we need to do that in our businesses. Don’t forget why you are doing this, spend time somewhere you love, with people that you want to be around. We want success so that we can enjoy life to the full, don’t miss out on the journey. Vacation, unplug, delegate. Take care of yourself too.

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

In a small way, I hope that I have helped others to believe in themselves more. It is like a ripple, a small dose of self-confidence can go a long long way.

Play, if I could inspire people to play more that is what I would do. The human mind and our creativity are so pent up and under pressure all the time to produce, not make mistakes, analyze, problem-solve, and control. Remember when you were a kid and could spend hours playing in the dirt with a stick? We still need that escape, if we allow ourselves to play more. Play in the kitchen with new recipes, just for fun, who cares if it doesn’t turn out, play with our kids, play with paint, play with designing our home, play in our garden. Play with ideas and see where they go. You will feel your mind start to wander its own path and you will feel that creativity coming to the surface. Think about it, when was the last time you played?

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

I would love to have brunch with Author Jen Sincero. I love her books and they have helped me in a number of subjects. I love her attitude and I’m always calling to mind phrases and quotes from her when I need that extra little push. She is the type of person I want to hang out with and be around because she is tough but positive at the same time, she has this amazing balance between calling herself out on her own excuses and promoting self-love, and I think there is so much I can learn from her.

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

Female Founders: Rikki Bommersbach Of Artvana On The Five Things You Need To Thrive and Succeed as… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Female Founders: Anna Karp of Bolster On The Five Things You Need To Thrive and Succeed as a Woman…

Female Founders: Anna Karp of Bolster On The Five Things You Need To Thrive and Succeed as a Woman Founder

An Interview With Candice Georgiadis

I hope to inspire women to join the construction industry as builders, carpenters, founders, and tech executives. My goal is to create a company with positive energy that fosters collaboration for talent from all nationalities, backgrounds and areas of expertise. We build homes for families and that is the biggest pleasure ever, as we literally make family’s spaces a better place for them to be and grow in.

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

Anna is the CEO and co-founder of Bolster, a New York City-based firm offering in-house design, architecture, and build services that’s on a mission to empower homeowners and eliminate risk from major home renovations through radical transparency. Originally from Mexico City and currently based in NYC, Anna is a trailblazer that’s carving her own path in the traditionally male-dominated general contracting and home renovation sector. With a strong track record of success and a robust portfolio of projects, Anna and her Bolster team have worked on 100+ renovation projects in London, Mexico City and New York, specializing in major gut renovations in Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens.

I was working on forest conservation in foreign countries when I met my co-founder, Fraser Patterson. He invited me to partner on a construction company, and I thought I could have a strong ecological and immediate impact, as it can take a long time to see change within the forestry industry. I quickly learned a lot of work was to be done in the construction world. The industry was outdated and there was a lot to do, so I fell in love with it immediately.

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

Every day in construction is a high-energy, high-intensity day. It’s a complex industry with a lot of moving parts, beauty and excitement. The most important story has happened over the last 10 years — Bolster works solely in residential renovations and I have seen a shift in how projects evolve.

When Bolster first launched in NYC ten years ago, there was a more traditional division of responsibilities on projects: one partner (usually the man) focused on finances while the other focused on design (usually a woman). Nowadays, homeowners are focused on sharing finances and design decisions on an equal basis, and that’s a great story to be a part of; I see more women calling the shots now! We also have more diversity in family compositions and structures, and that is great to be a part of as well.

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

Unfortunately, the biggest mistake was a series of mistakes, bundled up into a very expensive mistake.

When I started in the industry a gazillion years ago in London, I hired one of my friends (mistake 1) to conduct a survey for a custom kitchen. She was a product designer by training, instead of an architect (mistake 2) and her measurements were off by two inches. The kitchen millwork was produced based on her measurements, and ended up needing to be redone from scratch. Eventually, I had to let her go. I gave her a parting gift and she was disappointed when she opened the box: she was expecting a stock certificate, not a teapot. True story.

I learned three valuable lessons 1) Do not hire friends; 2) Hire talent with the right core competency; and 3) Mistakes are very expensive in construction — we only get one shot.

I am very grateful to my most discerning clients who are always my best teachers. Their recommendations keep helping us improve our process on a continuous basis. The construction industry will see growth acceleration and transformation from a fragmented and complex project-based industry to a more integrated one, which will be driven by labor shifts as well as increased technology adoption.

The industry’s current fragmentation causes operational challenges, and in the worst cases, it causes contractor failure. Our mission at Bolster is the reduction of risk in the renovation process, and as such, failure is not an option — our hardest critics become our best advisors.

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 has taken longer for women in business and women founders to find our voice because we have been operating within a societal infrastructure, and constraints, that made it easier for men to succeed. Fundraising, securing investment, launching a company or even equality in pay are examples of areas that have been needlessly complicated due to our gender.

Now as always, women need to seek new opportunities, seize them, work twice as hard than anyone else, and then repeat. A small opportunity is a building block to a bigger goal, because no matter what, society rewards talent and perseverance. Eventually, the scale will balance — and the path to this balance is made of diligent work.

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?

Policy change can be hugely impactful, and if I had a magic wand I would start by providing equitable and fair maternity and paternity leave for families. At Bolster, we foster an environment where men can also take paternity leave to support their partners when having a baby.

On another note, as we balance out diversity via policy-making and through individual company policies, I would advocate to watch out for gender-based affirmative action, as it could create animosity between genders over time. Employers do well if they stay focused on equality, hiring talent without bias while also making it easier for women to apply to positions that were traditionally occupied by men. We do this at Bolster by hiring based on talent, including highly talented female Build Managers and Carpenters.

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?

Flexibility and control of your time — time is the only commodity that can not be replaced; no one can give you back your time, and you can never earn it again! I had a good experience and support system, which enabled me to be both a co-parent and entrepreneur, affording me the ability to build a company and start a family at the same time. While I spent a lot of time building Bolster rather than with my family, I also had the option to bring my daughter to the office and to be with her at unconventional times. This gave me freedom to be creative and most importantly — to be myself.

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

Being a founder is attainable — the main challenge is retaining focus on your goals. There is no playbook, so a nimble mindset is a must.

Is everyone cut out to be a founder?

If you can get up in the morning and are ready to make things happen then yes, you are cut out for it. About 90% of the battle is having the stamina to get up like clockwork every single day, put your feelings aside, focus on the task at hand, stay on track with the big picture/end goal, and always keep learning.

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 recover faster from setbacks. They don’t dwell or lick their wounds for long. Instead, they are used to failure because they do not perceive it as a negative outcome, but rather as part of the growth process. If you work for a founder, you can also learn how to become one if it does not come innately to your personality.

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.)

Business is personal for a female founder. We live in an amazing era where there are less barriers to be professionally fulfilled.

Profit is sanity, revenue is vanity — growth is great; however, you have more power when you attain profitability and growth at the same time.

Hire slow, fire fast

Measure twice, cut once

You already have the ‘no’. Go for the ‘yes’ — you have nothing to lose!

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

I hope to inspire women to join the construction industry as builders, carpenters, founders, and tech executives. My goal is to create a company with positive energy that fosters collaboration for talent from all nationalities, backgrounds and areas of expertise. We build homes for families and that is the biggest pleasure ever, as we literally make family’s spaces a better place for them to be and grow in.

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?

Trust and respect for each other — I would encourage a movement where people ask ‘why’, learn to listen and respect other points of view, even if they differ from your own. If we continue to ask why, we open our horizons and get to the roots of our differences. And while we may agree to disagree, we can do so respectfully. My movement would be about inclusion, harmony and better living spaces for anyone. If we understand each other, we can learn to live together in peace. It’s a wild dream!

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

I would absolutely love a brunch with Daniel Kahneman, author of Thinking, Fast and Slow. He is a precursor of Behavioral Economics, and has spent decades studying how humans make decisions (rationally, irrationally and why so in each case). Having insight into his daily life and decision-making patterns would be fun — I bet he constantly jokes about his irrational decisions.

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

Women In Wellness: Dr Lesley Tate-Gould Of Lido Wellness Center On The Five Lifestyle Tweaks That…

Women In Wellness: Dr Lesley Tate-Gould Of Lido Wellness Center On The Five Lifestyle Tweaks That Will Help Support People’s Journey Towards Better Wellbeing

An Interview With Candice Georgiadis

Embrace the many pivots and changes that will occur over the evaluation of your career- looking back it was hard to believe that when I faced challenges these were actually necessary steps toward preparing me for what I am actually supposed to do with this short time on Earth. If I had become stuck in my own thinking which back then told me some version of “it wasn’t supposed to happen this way” I would have missed the lesson altogether.

As a part of my series about the women in wellness, I had the pleasure of interviewing Dr. Lesley Tate-Gould.

Dr. Lesley Tate-Gould is a Clinical Psychologist, Somatic-Experiencing Practitioner (SEP) and Co-Founder of Lido Wellness Center, a program specializing in treating primary mental health conditions. Dr. Tate-Gould specializes in complex trauma, eating disorders, anxiety, depression and attachment. Dr. Tate-Gould believes in an integrative model toward lasting healing and change which utilizes the mind, body and spirit inviting patients to deepen their awareness to shift into greater personal freedom. You can visit Lido Wellness Center’s website at www.lidowellnesscenter.com

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

I used to believe that my decision to become a psychologist was informed by early exposure in an advanced placement course during my junior year in high school. The instructor of the course fascinated me in her willingness to push beyond the typical bounds that I was familiar with in my formal education experiences. She spoke about the curiosities of the mind, the complexities of the human experience and condition, all while sharing her personal tales of walking amongst the fringe; getting married on Halloween and dressing in black. Given my upbringing this flexibility, this freedom in her choice making fascinated me and terrified me- I wanted to know more about what makes people choose the things they do and say.

I majored in Psychology with a minor in Sociology with the understanding going into this field that graduate studies would be necessary. This emphasis in study led to my pursuit of my master’s and then, with some not-so-subtle nudging from an advanced graduate professor, I decided that in order to have the freedom I desired in working in a wide variety of clinical settings I would need to obtain my doctorate. I graduated in 2011 and at the time specialized in treating children and families, hopeful about enhancing my background through my pursuits as a Registered Play Therapist.

My career took a turn when in 2012 after becoming a licensed psychologist I was introduced to the treatment world when I accepted a position at a prestigious center specializing in substance-use disorders and their impact on adolescents and their families. I still lovingly recall my greenness in the world of addiction being abruptly called out on my first day when a young 15 year-old woman inquired about my legitimacy, asking intensely, “Are you a Normy?” My chest-tightened having been so quickly sniffed out, all the while internally not even knowing what I later discovered was a term selected for those not struggling with alcoholism or addiction in their lives.

I fell in love with this work, continuing to specialize in addiction and later adding eating disorders to my area of specialty in 2014. My energy and style, which some have accurately called some version of “hard-ass” fit right in with the addiction realm. I thought many times during this phase in my career that I had arrived, I was right where I was born to be, working with highly impacted youth and being a small part of their journey toward freeing themselves from the grip of addiction.

I was approached by my CEO at some point during this period and informed of the need for all practitioners to specialize in trauma-informed approaches. Despite my history of working with children, adolescents and family members, at this time trauma was not a term used as we now understand and accept it today. At this person’s direction, I enrolled in the Somatic Experiencing course in the summer of 2014, believing at the time that I would gain some great tools for my already bursting toolkit and looked forward to bringing this back to my team and clients in a matter of days.

Within minutes of arriving at the training, I discovered with shock that this training was not simply a long weekend, get in get out type of training. I was about to commit to three years of meeting every 3–4 months in order to gain access to the healing powers of the body. Full stop. I was not mentally, emotionally, nor spiritually prepared to take on an investment of this magnitude. However, something intrigued me about this approach. Having been trained as a Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) practitioner, this introduction to the healing powers of the body was quite literally a paradigm shift for me. Suddenly, there was a rich landscape of powerful tools all that required no more than what we already bring with us to every experience- our body. As they say, the rest is history. I became a Somatic Experiencing Practitioner (SEP) in 2017 and this approach has influenced all aspects of my professional and personal life. I attribute the intuitive, trusting belief in my body for how I welcomed my children into the world just a few months and years later.

The founding team at Lido Wellness Center came together with a vision and belief that healing requires an integration of our minds, body, spirit and community. As a clinical voice within our organization, I get to model and empower our clinical team into utilizing the body as a powerful tool toward healing. Our emphasis and clinical focus have shifted my expertise yet again into primary mental health conditions, including mood disorders, anxiety disorders, eating disorders and attachment-trauma oriented work.

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

This question seems near impossible to conceptualize fully in words, the equivalent of asking someone to commit to naming only one song that they conclude is their favorite for now and forever more. My career has taken many twists and turns, all the while working with human beings which are anything but dull! The complexities that I welcome into my practice while taking great care to meet people where they are at with deep compassion and curiosity is a truly humbling experience. I have been witness to courage and vulnerability that other professional settings would simply not accommodate.

For the sake of sticking to the question I will offer readers this: when I began my training as an SEP I used to believe that the way in which I excelled through the world was with my deep understanding of thoughts and their impact on our emotions and later our behaviors. This made perfect sense to me as a traditionally trained CBT practitioner. However, when I leaned into the body as a healer, I tapped into a resource within myself that my greatest gift to bring into a clinical setting is my intuitive awareness of my sensations and images that emerge organically when I am with a client. I often refer to this with clients as my “running marquee in my mind” that truly guides our journey together as material emerges naturally as we dive into the work. This frees us both up to trust the material coming into the room, rather than relying too heavily on what we are “supposed to talk about”. There is a level of trust, resonance and connection that is foundational to the approach and I am grateful to call upon these unique discoveries to guide our work.

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

What I now know of mistakes is that they are incredible teachers, which as a self-acknowledged perfectionist in recovery this was not something that I used to embrace as I do now. Historically, I compared myself to seasoned clinicians and worried greatly that I would never be up to par with how they did their work. When I began the SE training there was such an emphasis on touch-oriented interventions that I worried that given my limited incorporation of touch in my practice that I would be considered fraudulent in the way this trauma approach was helping people restore their lives. I really wrestled with this, with thoughts of self-doubt undermining the trust in myself that the approach was merely a map, whereas I was the captain of the ship and leading clients through the stormy seas in a way that was unique only to me. The last few years have shown me that when I give myself grace for the mistakes, struggles and challenges I have encountered while leaning into trusting my instincts as a provider, the outcome is that everyone wins. I feel more connected to the work and my patients, and they leave feeling more hopeful and inspired, taking this bursting energy with them into their work life, relationships, and communities.

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

This work requires tremendous courage from both parties involved. The clients that come into my organization and practice are taking a step toward liberating themselves from self and other-induced suffering. I have the honor of bearing witness to stories that some have never uttered to anyone, even their most trusted allies. I distinguish that the work requires not only courage of the client but also the practitioner because our natural inclination is to remove someone’s suffering, often through expressive empathy and validation. While these are essential ingredients for a therapeutic relationship, a practitioner capable of inspiring real change also takes the risk of holding up for a person the patterns, beliefs, and barriers that they may be unaware of or greatly defensive of changing. There is an unfortunate trend in this work that is requiring skilled clinicians to abandon their courage to take the path of least resistance, filling their practice with clients that continue to on one hand feel deeply validated, while on the other continuing to justify their defense strategies and externalize the real work indicated to set themselves free. People seek out supportive affirmation from their friends and family. A therapist is a trained professional that can step outside of this role and into one that can inspire a person to cultivate a greater awareness of themselves and to take ownership of actions in their life that may no longer be effective. Freedom can be restored when we can discover our incredible capacity to have a positive impact on the world when we can get out of our own way.

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

Lean into discipline: Change is not a passive activity that happens to you. When a client takes the bold step by entering into therapy that is a signal to themselves and others that they mean business. However, our negative beliefs about the difficulty we are embarking on can be crippling to allow a person the momentum necessary to get started. This is where discipline is extremely useful- it removes the feeling out of the equation. Take a project or behavior that you have been longing to begin or complete in your life and commit to action-oriented steps to get there each day. Choose behaviors that no matter what is happening in your life you can stick to the plan for at least one month to give yourself enough time to really begin to feel the impact of this new action. This can be as small as the discipline action of making your bed or as large as in my case, setting aside time multiple times a week to sit down and write.

Meditation Practice: I emphasize the word practice here. Sometimes when I introduce even the word meditation in a group I welcome the groans and excuses of why meditation does not work for them. Meditation is not something that will spontaneously cure your anxiety, make your spouse treat you nicely or manage the daily carpool route. Meditation however provides the space necessary in the mind, body and spirit to begin discovering how often you may be operating in one channel versus another. For example, when I have a very busy week ahead, I may notice that my thoughts during meditation are louder, more involved, walking me through my long list of items needed to see me through the week. Whereas, when I practice meditation at other times, I may notice greater access to a feeling or sensing state. These access points have delighted me when I will be greeted with a spontaneous solution to a problem that has been rolling around my mind for days, even weeks. The space meditation provides us offers a greater sense of connection to ourselves and the divine, both of which are needed to navigate life on Earth.

Reconnect to Play: When we cross the threshold from adolescence into adulthood, we often lose access to the playful, natural wonder that we had when we were children. Or, sometimes given the rocky circumstances of our childhood years, this absence of play may begin much sooner than this passage into our more mature selves. Children and adults need play to survive. I chuckle every time I pass over a parenting magazine or book that emphasizes the teaching of play. Play is intuitive, inherent and does not need to be taught. The only thing necessary to invigorate play back into our lives is to give ourselves permission to do so. This is why I am a big believer in the teaching capacity of children. As adults, we can learn so much from watching the children that we may be graced with in our lives, whether it be our own, a friend’s or even just observing children playing at a nearby park or beach. A great number of adults tell themselves some form of, “I will get to play when I finally get through all this work!” However, play is a restorative, nourishing activity. It is like quenching your thirst with a glass of water after a long hike. Do not deprive yourself of this life-giving drink on a daily basis.

Nature for the win: It is not by accident that when people plan vacations they seek out destinations that are inherently abundant with beauty. We are fulfilled and restored when we connect to the Earth- feeling our feet on the ground and seeing the horizon. When I lead guided meditation walks near the beautiful marina where the clinic is located, nobody returns from the walk sharing how grateful they felt after wandering to the crowded parking garage. Overwhelmingly, on these excursions people are drawn to the water, to the local foliage, to people smiling while they are enjoying brunch. We are built to be outside and enjoy the beauty of this world- step outside and you may just inspire yourself beyond the confines of your own mind.

Prepare and eat meals with your family: Food is more enjoyable when shared. There is something wonderful about sharing a meal, whether that begins with preparing the ingredients or ensuring that you can all be together to enjoy the eating. Depending on the ages of your family members, this can also be a helpful way to all practice mindfulness and patience as great food can take time. When the time is shared there can be mutual anticipation, watching the oven or stove and having a sense of contribution to what will be enjoyed later.

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

Courageous parenting- less emphasis on hovering over our children and trying to protect them from every life experience/feeling and rather supporting them to learn from valuable mistakes and feel their feelings which in the long term allows the developing young person to be more prepared for what is to come in adulthood, including not getting overwhelmed when feelings like disappointment, grief or hurt are experienced.

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

Embrace the many pivots and changes that will occur over the evaluation of your career- looking back it was hard to believe that when I faced challenges these were actually necessary steps toward preparing me for what I am actually supposed to do with this short time on Earth. If I had become stuck in my own thinking which back then told me some version of “it wasn’t supposed to happen this way” I would have missed the lesson altogether.

Let go of people that you have outgrown- I used to get stuck in an unwillingness to grieve relationships phase, running over and over through my mind what I could have done differently to maintain what I believed was a close, meaningful relationship. However, what I later discovered is that we are all growing and evolving creatures- so perhaps at a certain season in my life that friend from my early 20’s made sense, whereas heading into my 40’s no longer makes sense. Rather than get stuck in the sting of the loss, I now look toward these relationships with gratitude for teaching me the values of friendship, what I love about relationships and where I still have room to grow.

Never underestimate the power of growing and learning- As I mentioned earlier in this article, I consider myself a recovering perfectionist. In my graduate school days, it was much more difficult for me to embrace my greenness as a young inexperienced therapist. I wanted to impress my supervisors and my clients with my dazzling skills, most of which were learned behind a classroom door. My real learning was gained in the actual work; having to risk day after day appearing totally inept, particularly when my area of emphasis took a turn after I became licensed. However, rather than become stuck with my own limitations brought upon by perfectionism, I learned that out of necessity I could only improve as a provider if I also admitted how little I knew, prompting me to dive into reading, research and consultation with others I admired in the field. Humans are complex creatures, and when we can bring humility and curiosity to our learning everyone wins.

There is no expiration date on career shifts- We need experience, both in our lives and careers to gather information on determining where we are headed. However, being creatures of habit sometimes we stay far too long in an environment no longer serving us because we question whether we will be able to make it elsewhere. Challenge this fear- when we are connected to what we are doing each day it fulfills rather than taxes us.

Create room for balance, even when this seems impossible- Graduate programs are sometimes lovingly referred to as some form of hell on Earth for a reason. The high demands for memorization and productivity, all while working sometimes (at least in my case) two jobs to get by does not promote mental health and balanced wellbeing. The secret that I wish I was told long ago was that it is up to me and only me to create room for necessary balance, whether that was to incorporate meditation practice long before I actually took the plunge and did, or to challenge the norm that the only way to unwind after a busy week is to drown my intense schedule pressures into a bottle of wine. While the world normalizes and has reached an unfortunate acceptance of more work and no play, I am reassured that by making these important shifts to restore balance is not only possible, it is essential.

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

This is a no brainer- I have dedicated my time, passion, energy into creating change through the power of the therapeutic relationship and freeing others from the barriers brought on by mental illness. Mental health, along with spiritual, emotional and physical health deserves to be understood and integrated in a full-body perspective toward healing.

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

Information on my work and practice can be found at www.lidowellnesscenter.com

Thank you for these fantastic insights!

Women In Wellness: Dr Lesley Tate-Gould Of Lido Wellness Center On The Five Lifestyle Tweaks That… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.