Women In Wellness: Michelle Davis On The Five Lifestyle Tweaks That Will Help Support People’s Journey Towards Better Wellbeing
An Interview With Candice Georgiadis
Surround yourself with people who bring joy to your life, people who treat you with kindness and respect, and those who support you. Try connecting with people every day, even if it’s just a text message with a family member or a quick coffee with a friend.
As a part of my series about the women in wellness, I had the pleasure of interviewing Michelle Davis.
Michelle is a Cognitive Hypnotherapist living and working in Canmore Alberta. She specializes in helping adults and children manage and overcome stress, anxiety and depression, as well as other common problems such as smoking cessation, addiction, PTSD, sports anxiety and exam stress. Michelle is originally from the UK and moved to Canada in 2015 after training at the Regents University in London (UK) in 2014.
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’m originally from Birmingham in the UK. My father was English, and my mother was Canadian, so my accent was quite confusing for my peers growing up. My childhood was turbulent, so as an adult I often felt anxious, depressed, and I had very low self-esteem. However, when a Cognitive Hypnotherapist came into my life, I was able to turn things around. As I worked through past trauma and learned valuable tools, my self-esteem and confidence grew, and I was able to manage my anxiety and I felt happier. My company name, The First Step to Freedom, echoes this journey where it all started with one step. A phone call that led me to find freedom from the things that were weighing me down.
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?
The most interesting story I have since starting my career, would be overcoming public speaking. Before I started my career I would have extreme anxiety, and sometimes panic attacks, when I had to stand up in front of people and speak. Since then, I worked extensively on this fear, which has meant that now I can present workshops, deliver presentations, and even participate in interviews! None of this would have been possible before overcoming my fears, so this shift in confidence and self-esteem has not only helped expand my career but has also improved my own mental health and wellbeing. My biggest takeaway from this experience, therefore, would be to try to overcome your fears, you may be surprised where it leads you.
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 deliver hypnotherapy to clients, I often cover people in a blanket. Well, one day a pair of very well used panties were stuck to the blanket!!! My client noticed and politely informed me of my blunder. Needless to say, I check the blankets thoroughly now when I take them out of the drier!
Let’s jump to our main focus. When it comes to health and wellness, how is the work you are doing helping to make a bigger impact in the world?
As a Cognitive Hypnotherapist, I specialize in helping adults and children manage and overcome stress, anxiety, and depression, as well as other common problems such as smoking cessation, addiction, PTSD, sports anxiety, and exam stress. As a woman in wellness, I am an advocate for mental health. I support individuals in their journey to happiness and mental wellbeing, so people can live the life they want to live.
Can you share your top five “lifestyle tweaks” that you believe will help support people’s journey towards better wellbeing? Please give an example or story for each.
1) Self-care is something I believe is essential to people’s mental health and well-being. Even 10 minutes each day can help us to manage stress, build resilience and be more focused and motivated. Self-care can also give us more capacity in our day-to-day lives, helping us to be the best versions of ourselves.
2) Meditating every day can help us to gain new perspectives, as well as build skills to help us manage stress. Meditation can come in different shapes and sizes, such as sitting quietly, going for a mindful walk, and listening to a guided meditation. Whatever way works for you, try starting with 5-minutes a day and increase from there until it becomes effortless.
3) Surround yourself with people who bring joy to your life, people who treat you with kindness and respect, and those who support you. Try connecting with people every day, even if it’s just a text message with a family member or a quick coffee with a friend.
4) Practice positive self-talk. Our words influence our thoughts so when we speak negatively to ourselves, we impact the way we feel about ourselves. Try to notice when you are not treating yourself kindly and change the dialogue to be something more encouraging. Perhaps something you would say to a friend when they are in need of kindness.
5) Allow yourself to rest. Being active and exercising regularly is important, but so is rest and relaxation. It regenerates the mind and rejuvenates the body, so enjoy your down time. It’s just as important.
If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of wellness to the most amount of people, what would that be?
I would irradicate the stigma associated with mental health and inspire people to seek out a therapy that is right for them. Having an impartial therapist to talk to can help people let go of the things weighing them down, so they can live their best life.
What are your “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Started”?
1) Trust and believe in yourself
2) There is no such thing as failure
3) Be at peace with what is within your control and what is not.
4) Prioritize self-care everyday
5) You are good enough
Sustainability, veganism, mental health and environmental changes are big topics at the moment. Which one of these causes is dearest to you, and why?
All these topics are important to me, but if I had to pick, the cause closest to my heart is mental health. Perhaps if we had more mental capacity, there would be more time and energy to implement positive changes in the world?
What is the best way our readers can follow you online?
Female Founders: Janey Reilly of WeeSleep On The Five Things You Need To Thrive and Succeed as a Woman Founder
An Interview With Candice Georgiadis
Have an open mind and always be willing to learn from those you surround yourself with; your team, competitors, community and beyond. Successful people share information, continuously educated themselves, and want to learn from others. A good leader is able to take in other people’s personalities and appreciate everyone for who they are and what they can bring to the table. When we surround ourselves with good energy and people, only good things can come of it. I have learned to LEARN from others and not shut down ideas right away. I have also learned to not take things personally — it has taught me to be more resilient. I am a very sensitive person so I now have to let things roll off and be thankful for the lesson, tip or nasty comment…whatever it may be, I learn from it.
As a part of our series about “Why We Need More Women Founders”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Janey Reilly.
Janey Reilly is the founder of WeeSleep®, a Dream Team of certified infant and toddler sleep consultants that serve clients as far across the globe as New Zealand. Janey believes that teaching positive sleep skills will create healthier infants and toddlers and in turn, happier, healthier parents who enjoy a more balanced home life. Since 2011, WeeSleep® has grown to over 40 consultants and that number is expected to more than double by the end of 2022.
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 need to preface my career backstory by saying that I always tend to fly by the seat of my pants! My personal experiences and relationships brought me to where I am today. I worked a corporate career for many years — somewhere I never thought I would be. I was a wine account director for many years so that meant traveling the world and getting to work with high-end hotels, spas and restaurants. Then, I got the opportunity to work for a company called Sparkling Hill, which is a stunning Swarovski hotel, where I was the sales and marketing director. After leaving that gig, I ended up a marketing director for an online kids game. Marketing was where I really shined; I developed marketing campaigns for major brands such as Disney, Aveda, Trialto Wine Group and Sparkling Hill Resort. I didn’t anticipate leaving the corporate world until I had my son.
At that time, I was working a stable, corporate job at Disney in Kelowna, B.C., but I knew something was missing. On top of it all, I had very severe postpartum depression and lost sense of who I was. I thought I was prepared for motherhood, and I was very excited, but then I had him and he didn’t do anything that he was supposed to do according to my books.
After many sleepless nights that affected my mental health, I hired a sleep consultant. Within two days, my son was sleeping through the night! That’s when I decided to launch my own sleep consulting company, WeeSleep, in 2011. I knew there was something here I could learn from, and I knew I had the passion to make it even better for other moms out there like me who were struggling.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began leading your company?
The most interesting thing that has happened to me, overall, is how much I learned about myself when I began leading a team. The self-growth shift over the years has taught me how to better understand others, to be more patient and open, and to always work as a team, even though I’m the leader. My team continues to teach me lessons daily.
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?
Oh gosh… this is embarrassing but still makes me laugh so hard when I think about it! Several years ago, I was at an overnight consult and pulled out my laptop while sitting across from fabulous (yet, very tired) parents to go over their child’s sleep plan with them. The whole time my laptop was open, the back of the computer was facing them.
After we were done with the consult, I closed the laptop to put it away, and low and behold, a pantyliner was stuck to the back of my laptop! The WHOLE time! I was mortified, and needless to say I never threw feminine products in my work bag EVER again!
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?
My dad, 100%! When I was growing up, he was always a very hard worker. He taught me a strong work ethic, integrity, grit, and to work for what I want. My dad often said, “money doesn’t grow on trees,” which motivates me, to this day, to work hard and to save and invest my earnings. Thanks to him, I don’t take my company’s success for granted and am beyond grateful for how much we’ve grown, and continue to grow. My dad has always been my biggest supporter and cheerleader, even through all of my wild decisions!
Ok, thank you for that. Let’s now jump to the primary focus of our interview. According to this EY report, only about 20 percent of funded companies have women founders. This reflects great historical progress, but it also shows that more work still has to be done to empower women to create companies. In your opinion and experience what is currently holding back women from founding companies?
I believe FEAR is still holding women back. Fear of the unknown; from financials, to what-ifs, to how-tos, and beyond. Women have shared with me that often it’s a lack of support and confidence too. I encourage women to take the leap, although it may be scary, it could be the greatest thing you have ever done. You will never know unless you try!
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?
A lot of obstacles can surprisingly come back to sleep. Sleep impacts mental health and our general well-being. These things can contribute to mental health. Sleep is the BEST thing you can do to START forming habits to be a stronger, smarter, more focused business person. When I go through stages where I burn the candle at both ends (which happens often!), I am irritable, impatient, choose the wrong foods and my workouts are “meh.” To ensure I remain focused on my business and to be the best leader I can be, it’s vital I get proper sleep. After all, I started WeeSleep because of my lack of sleep and how, without it, my world was turned upside down!
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?
A huge reason I became a founder was so I can be there for my son and have the ability to create a balanced schedule that works for us. As a single mom, it is important for me to work from home so I can be with my son and get to watch him grow each day. Additionally, women love to collaborate with each other which is a valuable trait in building a successful business. FACT: Women-run businesses generate more revenue than those run by men — sorry guys! Building a business is NOT easy, but if you have a solid WHY and are ready to dig in and create a career you love and are passionate about, then why wouldn’t you? We as women bring a unique perspective to business problems, and we approach launching and building a company in different ways than men. Lastly, I have found that there are SO many amazing and incredible resources and support groups for female founders.
What are the “myths” that you would like to dispel about being a founder? Can you explain what you mean?
People tend to think, “When your business has a team in-place, or when you have grown a lot, you are SO successful.” However, most entrepreneurs don’t feel their “success” until they are REALLY where they want to be.
Another myth: “Entrepreneurs aren’t afraid.” We sure are! I was afraid to start my company 11 years ago, and I am still sometimes afraid every day, especially when it comes to hiring a new person, changing a price, rebranding, and more. But I also know that it’s important to trust the process and to understand that you have to give into fear to get a great return! You have to change to grow. You have to pivot to excel. You have to get back up after you get knocked down. Over and over and over.
“Entrepreneurs don’t work 9–5 so you are free of a regular schedule.” Some days I work 2 hours; some days it’s 10, but most days I work 6. As an entrepreneur, we are always working around the clock! For many, our businesses are constantly top of mind and we are always “on.” There are social media reminders in our faces, emails coming in at all hours, ideas coming to us in our sleep, business books on the bedside table…. the list goes on. Thankfully, I have learned to master the on/off switch and know when my most effective hours are for me to work. When my son is home, I often have to work, but I make sure it’s not until I have had time with him to have fun and really connect. Afterall, he is who I have to thank for my business coming to be!
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 anyone can dream up an idea or own a business, but I do not believe all people are prepared for the ups and downs. There can be many wins, and often, there are just as many, if not more, losses! That’s the nature of the game, and you must understand and know that that is what you signed up for. I am not sure I know of any successful entrepreneur who has had straight wins! Also, it can be lonely being a Founder and CEO. There is nobody to guide us, hold us accountable or motivate us. You have to do this on your own, and that comes from really believing in something, seeing the end game and trusting the process. It’s also very important to WANT to learn from others and to be able to embrace change, share info and admit mistakes, but to also celebrate even the smallest victories!
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.)
Create a support network.
It can be lonely being a CEO and working from home. A support network will hold you accountable, provide great ideas and inspire creativity. Good energy is contagious and when you have a network of incredible business women, it can be GOLD to move forward and also feel energized!
GOOD freelance and team members are HARD to find!
There are many “professionals” whom will tell you they can do everything, but sadly, it’s usually an empty promise. I have encountered many “experts” in so many areas; social media, SEO, Google, Digital Ads, and beyond, but when they are actually hired, they lack results, and performance. There are a lot of inexperienced people out there that will happily take your money and not perform.
Make time to build a growth mindset.
It wasn’t until 2 years ago that I blocked 2 hours off every Friday to journal, listen to podcasts, take an online course, or read a business book. It’s important to make time for growth. When I am in a growth mindset, I am clearer and more confident and ignited with ideas!
Do your research thoroughly before hiring someone.
Before hiring, I always interview at least six people, and check out each of their client bases, their work and their testimonials. It’s also important to not get sucked into ads about what they did for other clients, or if they worked with someone well-known. I have invested in businesses after seeing their ad and getting sucked in to their image and promises. Some have been HUGELY costly, and did not live up to what they promised. Get to know your stats and reports. Dig in and be a part of it, and do not let people intimidate you. At the end of the day, it’s your business, and your money so you should know everything about it and anyone you work with should be transparent and get you what you need.
Have an open mind and always be willing to learn from those you surround yourself with; your team, competitors, community and beyond.
Successful people share information, continuously educated themselves, and want to learn from others. A good leader is able to take in other people’s personalities and appreciate everyone for who they are and what they can bring to the table. When we surround ourselves with good energy and people, only good things can come of it. I have learned to LEARN from others and not shut down ideas right away. I have also learned to not take things personally — it has taught me to be more resilient. I am a very sensitive person so I now have to let things roll off and be thankful for the lesson, tip or nasty comment…whatever it may be, I learn from it.
How have you used your success to make the world a better place?
Creating WeeSleep has allowed me to help over 13,000 families be more rested, which means they are healthier and have more joy in their lives!
Through WeeSleep’s career opportunities, I have also helped over 45 amazing women create careers they love while they work from home and are with their families, all while earning a stellar income.
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 create a movement about teaching families and schools the importance of educating kids about healthy sleep habits. Getting kids interested in healthy sleep habits at an early age will increase the likelihood they continue to build those sleep skills which will help so much more in their lives too.
Secondly, to go hand-in hand with sleep, I would inspire a movement for loving nutrition starting at a young age. Helping kids be more physically active and understanding the importance of healthy food choices will set them up with a lifelong foundation healthy living. There is so much more that schools can do to teach kids about building healthy habits. The key focus should be on having fun with healthy habits. Just like adults, kids are less likely to get excited about something they don’t enjoy. If kids are inspired in a way that brings them joy and fun, they will want more. This means more time to practice skills surrounding movement and nutrition which will only improve their abilities to keep creating strong, positive habits.
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.
Arianna Huffington. She is powerhouse and still remains real, kind, classy, smart, and together. She is a business icon I adore! I even loved her before her book, “The Sleep Revolution.” After her book launched and I saw her speak, I knew we were destined to be BFF’s (well, okay, in my head I felt it was very possible). I also admire how she is always polished and put together….never over the top, no drama. Just all class!
I have not landed a spot in the Huffington Post — yet. It’s on my wish list!
Thank you for these fantastic insights. We greatly appreciate the time you spent on this!
Female Founders: Bonnie Comley of BroadwayHD On The Five Things You Need To Thrive and Succeed as a Woman Founder
An Interview With Candice Georgiadis
I think that becoming a founder is more related to personality than gender, founders are usually self-driven individuals with a great desire to succeed. Women can make a big impact in industries by providing greater diversity and new ideas, while also connecting with the vast number of female customers. There are businesses, such as Broadway, in which statistics show that female customers, in this case, ticket buyers, outnumber males by some 20 percent. Such businesses with similar demographics should be particularly intriguing to women entrepreneurs who have a keen and intuitive understanding of their market.
As a part of our series about “Why We Need More Women Founders”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Bonnie Comley.
Bonnie Comley, Board President of the Drama League, is a three-time Tony Award-winning producer and founder & CEO of BroadwayHD, the world’s premier online streaming platform delivering over 300 premium live productions to theatre fans globally. Comley has also won an Olivier Award and two Drama Desk Awards for her stage productions and has produced over 40 films, winning five Telly Awards and one W3 Award.
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 a Broadway producer turned entrepreneur from Massachusetts. I graduated from UMass as a business major and went on to earn my master’s degree in TV production from Emerson College. Later, I added Columbia Business School to my academic achievements.
I managed to combine my business knowledge with my interest in entertainment. Serving as an on-air television reporter for Travel Channel’s NightLife TV, I covered theater, and along the way, met an agent who saw more potential for me as a performer. This led to voice-over work, television commercials, soap operas, and nine off-Broadway theatrical roles. My appetite for theater also kept me reporting on the topic for a performing arts publication where I would meet a host of Broadway notables.
Fast forward a few decades, and I have amassed a Broadway career which includes producing significant shows from dramas such as War Horse to the lighthearted hit musical comedy Legally Blonde. And along with the Broadway productions came the thrill of being honored with prestigious awards from the Broadway community and by academic institutions. My educational honors include The Distinguished Alumni Award from Emerson College, The Distinguished Alumni Award from the University of Massachusetts, and the business honor society Beta Gamma Sigma. In fact, the Music Theatre Program at Boston University is named in my honor, the Musical Theatre Society Room at Emerson College bears my name, and the 500-seat theater at the University of Massachusetts is named the Comley-Lane Theatre.
In 2015 I became founder and CEO of BroadwayHD, the world’s first and foremost online streaming platform delivering over 300 premium filmed live productions to theater fans globally. BroadwayHD has borrowed from the Netflix streaming model and applied it to theater, featuring Broadway and off-Broadway productions in their entirety, as well as productions from London’s famed West End. Offering unlimited, on-demand access to premium full-length stage productions, BroadwayHD invites viewers to enjoy filmed live theater from the comfort of their own homes and at a time suited to their convenience. BroadwayHD is using streaming technology to eliminate the geographic and economic barriers along with the physical limitations of a theater — bringing Broadway to viewers’ homes.
BroadwayHD also ensures ease of access for its customer base and is available to anyone via tablet, laptop, desktop, or mobile phone as well as on TV, accessible through Apple TV and Google Chromecast, Roku, Amazon Prime, Firestick, or dedicated apps for iOS and Android or via the BroadwayHD website.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began leading your company?
In a ground-breaking first for the Broadway industry, on June 30, 2016, the BroadwayHD team and I, in partnership with the Roundabout Theater Company, made history becoming the first Broadway show to be live-streamed. The historic performance of She Loves Me was viewed in real-time by audiences in over 84 nations around the world. On that day, BroadwayHD and She Loves Me were trending on both Facebook and Twitter. Media and customer testimonials praised and lauded the live-streamed production, validating the theory that filmed Broadway shows have a worldwide audience.
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?
Being a founder means taking a passion for a business and making it a reality, as I did with my love of theater. I believe that being a founder is within everyone’s grasp, as long as they are dedicated to working hard and spending many hours on the details it takes to launch a successful business. I also believe that along with having passion, founders need to have a long-range vision of what they are trying to achieve and be open to new ideas since it’s very likely that there will be some detours or roadblocks to overcome along the way. It’s also important to be budget-conscious, and always looking for the resources you will need to achieve your goals, which typically includes utilizing the right technology and having the best human resources you can find. It also helps to be amiable and optimistic!
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?
There are a lot of people who helped and inspired me along the way, from marvelous instructors at UMass, Emerson, and Columbia Business School to my husband and family to the many remarkable women I’ve met in the theater community as such Charlotte St. Martin who, since 2006, has been the head of the Broadway League, the trade association for Broadway talent, theater owners, producers, presenters, and general managers. Anyone who can remain at the top of a multi-billion-dollar industry for 15 years has leadership skills worth emulating.
But when it comes to stamina and discipline as an entrepreneur, I point to my parents as shining examples. My dad was an elevator mechanic and my mom quit her job at the New England Telephone Company to start their own business on our kitchen table, long before home-based businesses were a thing. They were two young parents of four children but they were also hard workers and risk-takers. My mother always told me that the only people who never fail are the ones that aren’t doing anything.
Let’s now jump to the primary focus of our interview. According to an 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 women back from founding companies?
My deep knowledge of the technology, expertise in marketing, and producing this specialized content have put me at the intersection of art and commerce. I also enjoy spending time mentoring and inspiring the next generation of female tech entrepreneurs. My personal motto is “find a mentor, then be a mentor.” I feel that the ideal mentor is a mirror reflection of yourself but with more experience. Of course, in the real world, this mirror reflection is hard to find in workplaces without much diversity, so, allies can be the answer. Find a workplace ally who is willing to support you with advice and guidance, in your career path you can have multiple mentors and allies as you immerse yourself in the industry of your choice and learn as much as possible about how it works.
At BroadwayHD, I have also ensured that the company has a 50:50 gender split. Safeguarding the gender-diverse workforce at BroadwayHD allows the company to serve an increasingly diverse customer base. I also wanted more flexibility in managing a work-life balance for myself and my employees, so in 2019 BroadwayHD transformed into a remote and cloud-based organization. While it was still expected that employees would travel into the New York City offices on a regular schedule, the aim was to encourage employees to develop the infrastructure and home office environments to allow them to work flexibly if necessary. This perceptive modification of working practice and evolution of company culture allowed a smooth transition to the fully remote working environment adopted following pandemic-related lockdown restrictions, without facing any decrease in productivity or any negative impact on its subscriber base.
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 think that becoming a founder is more related to personality than gender, founders are usually self-driven individuals with a great desire to succeed. Women can make a big impact in industries by providing greater diversity and new ideas, while also connecting with the vast number of female customers. There are businesses, such as Broadway, in which statistics show that female customers, in this case, ticket buyers, outnumber males by some 20 percent. Such businesses with similar demographics should be particularly intriguing to women entrepreneurs who have a keen and intuitive understanding of their market.
What are the “myths” that you would like to dispel about being a founder? Can you explain what you mean?
One of the myths I’ve heard often is that founders are their own bosses, which on the surface sounds marvelous. However, what those perpetuating the idea of this fantasy business life don’t recognize is that there are many responsibilities, some of which are not positive, such as letting people go, having to cut back to stay within a budget, making a host of tough decisions that may affect numerous people, and steering the ship through calamities from economic downturns, to natural disasters to pandemics. Being a founder has its perks, but the position also comes with a lot of headaches and many hours of lost sleep.
Another common myth I dispel is the one that says entrepreneurs are born, not made. The perfect example of someone whose early career path was focused on reporting on theater and honing her acting skills, I became an entrepreneur after being part of an industry that she loved for many years. I was not the young entrepreneur ready to take on the business world by storm. In fact, I wasn’t thinking that way, nor were the majority of entrepreneurs I’ve met along the way. Most founders have gained career experience before taking the plunge into starting a business, they weren’t simply born to be entrepreneurs.
There’s also the myth that says founder(s) know exactly what their audience wants. The vast majority of founders are doing a ton of demographic and consumer research, often learning through trial and error and opting for smaller risks over large ones until they hone in on their target audience. BroadwayHD has grown steadily, but cautiously, as we learned what our audiences want and how we could provide them with the best possible streaming service, it’s always best not to presume you know what people want.
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.
For a while now I have been working on a “Listen Up” initiative, it is designed to bridge the widening gap between the beliefs and opinions of so many people. We believe it begins with the most basic tool we have, communication. Once a month everyone has to listen to someone with a conflicting opinion. This means listening without judgment, without debate, without prejudice. The goal is to understand why this person with a very different point of view has come to this conclusion and maintains this belief. You don’t have to change their minds and they don’t have to change yours. But we believe if you “listen up” very closely, you might be able tocomprehend an issue from a different perspective, and that can make a huge difference.
How have you used your success to make the world a better place?
I have long been an advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and am pleased to see that after lockdowns and isolation, more people are willing to listen. In 2021, 1 received the WP Theater’s Women of Achievement Award for my work in gender equality.
My parents taught me to challenge gender norms at an early age and dared me to enter into all-boy arenas. I was handed power tools as a young girl and told, “some people will tell you that you can’t but you can do anything that the boys can do.” I was also warned that I would face resistance, but I was always able to push forward with encouragement from my family.
In my overalls and work boots with sawdust in my hair, I built treehouses and I made furniture. I could change the tires, the oil, and the muffler on the family car. I could drive a snowmobile, dirt bike, and a manual transmission pickup truck at 55 mph in reverse. I could also cook, sew, clean a fish, and milk a cow — I mastered all these things before I graduated from high school. Having such a diverse background, and challenging “gender norms” it was no surprise that I ended up working in the theater!
The theater has always been a space for people to break “gender norms”, the place to witness people doing what they were told they could not do, or dare not, do. It’s been a battleground for social justice which is what drew so many of us into the industry, even those of us who have spent years in this industry and become part of the privileged category, clearly recognize the imbalance and want to be part of the solution.
I want to reach a time of gender parity in the theater, while continuing to strive for diversity, equity, and inclusion. With statistics in hand, we continue moving in the right direction. When we talk about gender equality, for example, we find that women leaders are more likely to mentor and hire other women, and are more likely to create an inclusive environment, which results in more women entering that workplace. In recent years, there has been a tremendous advancement of women in the top levels of theater. These women, running regional theaters will hire more women executives, who will hire female designers, who will look for scripts by, and about, women. The same can be the result across minorities who bring in the talent that so greatly deserves to be given such opportunities.
So, what am I doing as a founder to support gender equality and DEI? One of the greatest aspects of BroadwayHD is that we offer audiences in 120 countries the opportunity to watch full-length stage plays and musicals that depict a wealth of stories about the struggles, the turmoil, the failures, and the successes of fascinating individuals, who were told they couldn’t do something because of their gender, race, religion, culture or sexual orientation. Therefore, BroadwayHD is not just about bringing people quality entertainment, it is also very much about amplifying stories and voices from a single theatrical production and making them heard around the world. For example, we can extend the life of shows by women playwrights, like Paula Vogel and Dominique Morriseau, composers like Shauna Taub, and Val Vigoda, and directors like Rebecca Taichman, Sally Cookson, and Lisa Petersen and share them with a global audience long after the curtain has come down on the final performance. These beautiful shows at the height of their production values will be seen around the world and will inspire others to step up and use their voices. Authentic theater can only happen when we let people tell their own stories and present those stories to as many people as possible.
What are your “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Started” and why? (Please share a story or example for each.)
1. I wish someone had told us that we didn’t need four offices, in New York City, Portland Maine, Pennsylvania and Washington D.C.. Today, we have people working remotely in four locations, but only one office remains in Manhattan. Like so many businesses, we’ve become remote, and it’s working out extremely well.
2. The learning never stops and the business is never static. There will always be challenges and roadblocks. BroadwayHD is a perfect example of this. Many companies tried to digitize theater but the union agreements weren’t negotiated in advance, streaming technology had buffering issues, etc. It was a long list of challenges. But we tried to methodically address each roadblock and find a solution. BroadwayHD is heading into its seventh year of business and we are constantly integrating new technology and adjusting to the market.
3. Key employees will come and go. Sometimes the best people to launch a business are not the best people to run the business. BroadwayHD started as a concept, a startup, and has become a successful streaming platform. Several high-level BroadwayHD executives have moved on to launch other tech businesses. Even I have to admit that as the company grows, I rely more on teams of experts, as I am confident I have chosen the best fit teams for BroadwayHD.
4. The online theater audience is not the same as the Broadway ticket buyer. While there is certainly overlap, and the Broadway ticket buyers were early adapters, there is a huge global underserved audience with an appetite for live theater. When BroadwayHD launched in 2015, the marketing dollars were spent to advertise in English to US consumers. Within days of launch, there were so many requests for the service from foreign countries, that BroadwayHD had to adjust to collect international currencies.
5. Being agile in business is not failure, it’s recognizing that there is a better path to success. BroadwayHD started off with a theory that everything needed to be live-streamed but soon discovered that it was more important to the BroadwayHD audience that the shows were available to them on-demand and at their convenience than they were watching while the show was taking place. In other words, the “live event” aspect was less important than having access to the shows. BroadwayHD’s library of 300 plus full-length musicals and stage plays is available on-demand which is a different business model than the original live streaming from theaters at 8pm business model. The best understanding of the market comes from being in the marketplace.
I have one story: “Dream big.” It may sound cliché, but if you do not dare to dream, you are NGMI (short for the Web3 term “never gonna make it”). Two years ago, we were struggling financially after moving to Singapore without a stable income. One thing my husband and I did was spend a day writing down our life goals on a vision board. We were joking that anyone who saw it would think we were crazy. But after one year, we made a major financial breakthrough.
As a part of our series about women who are shaking things up in their industry, I had the pleasure of interviewing Cindy Jin.
Cindy Jin, Co-Founder of Metapoly, is a female entrepreneur who is passionate about NFTs and the Metaverse. Before co-founding Metapoly, she launched Mintology Studio, her own startup in the NFT space. Prior to that, Cindy worked as a commercial lead in e-commerce and digital marketing corporations, including IPG and the Lane Crawford Joyce Group. She has been involved in crypto investment personally since 2017.
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?
Before starting my adventures in cryptocurrency, I was a corporate professional working in fashion, e-commerce, and digital marketing for over a decade.
In my journey, I had two major shifts in career focus. The first one happened after I worked in fashion procurement and supply chain management for about 10 years. I worked for brands like Forever21 and was in charge of their supply chain in China. While I am still very passionate about the fashion industry, I started to realize that the industry is downsizing in China, and the majority of production is moving to the SEA region, where manpower is generally cheaper. I found myself at a crossroads, considering a change in careers at the cost of sacrificing 10 years of work experience. I struggled for some time, but was lucky enough to secure a role as business development manager in a startup e-commerce company.
The e-commerce industry at that point was booming in China, so I was happy that it put me in a good position. Unfortunately, the startup company did not survive after three years, so I was let go. By then, I was 35 years old, and I still remember when I got a chance to be interviewed by one of the giant e-commerce companies, only to find out that there is an unspoken rule about age and gender bias in those companies. Once again, I was at a crossroads.
I’m very grateful to have my inspiration and motivation by my side throughout all this, which is my crazy entrepreneur husband and life partner. He is the reason I was introduced to the cryptocurrency space. After living in Shanghai for over a decade, we decided to move to Singapore to pursue his cryptocurrency startup.
I never really pursued my own career in cryptocurrency until late-2021, when NFTs started to gain a lot of traction in the mainstream. I quit my job as a commercial lead in a leading e-commerce enabler company in Singapore, and created my own startup, called Mintology Studio, which is an NFT agency and studio that helps to advise and launch NFT projects. When the Metaverse became a lucrative topic because of Facebook’s name change to Meta in November 2021, that’s when my partner and I came across the idea of Metapoly, with the goal of democratizing Metaverse land ownership for ordinary people.
Can you tell our readers what it is about the work you’re doing that’s disruptive?
Our work at Metapoly is disruptive as well as experiential, as people are only starting to get a grip on what the Metaverse means now, even though they have seen it played out to some degree in fiction. I do believe that if we are able to achieve our vision successfully — which is to democratize Metaverse land ownership and unify different Metaverses through an asset-backed stable coin (imagine USD in the real world, but for the Metaverse) — that would be disruptive!
We all need a little help along the journey. Who have been some of your mentors? Can you share a story about how they made an impact?
I’m very lucky in this sense, because my family and friends are open-minded and supportive of my startup mission. Especially my husband, who I consider to be my mentor. In a way, we were both failed by the overarching economic system, which pushed us to relook at our lives and career choices, and we were lucky enough to break away from it. I still remember when we had just moved to Singapore in our late 30s: we barely had any savings, but my husband was crazy enough to pursue his startup even after a few failures. His determination and persistence influences me a lot, and I finally decided to step out, although in my heart, I knew for a long time that this was the right step to make. Sometimes you just need someone to push you at the right moment.
In today’s parlance, being disruptive is usually a positive adjective. But is disrupting always good? When do we say the converse, that a system or structure has ‘withstood the test of time’? Can you articulate to our readers when disrupting an industry is positive, and when disrupting an industry is ‘not so positive’? Can you share some examples of what you mean?
My view on disruption is that it is good, because that’s how mankind has been evolving and moving forward. Although people may be scared about what moving everything online to a virtual space can mean, younger generations are embracing this, and we should be open-minded to the concept of the Metaverse. While many people view Metaverses and NFTs in a negative light, it may be the ideal space for people who are disenfranchised in the real world to empower themselves.
Can you share 3 of the best words of advice you’ve gotten along your journey? Please give a story or example for each.
I have one story: “Dream big.” It may sound cliché, but if you do not dare to dream, you are NGMI (short for the Web3 term “never gonna make it”). Two years ago, we were struggling financially after moving to Singapore without a stable income. One thing my husband and I did was spend a day writing down our life goals on a vision board. We were joking that anyone who saw it would think we were crazy. But after one year, we made a major financial breakthrough.
We are sure you aren’t done. How are you going to shake things up next?
Aside from our startup project, making a positive impact socially and being able to encourage and inspire more people would be a great personal achievement.
For example, we are planning to work on a move-to-earn platform, where we are encouraging energy saving by rewarding the users with usable tokens. By doing so, we are hoping to accelerate the mass adoption of whole cryptocurrency and blockchain industries by the general public.
In your opinion, what are the biggest challenges faced by ‘women disruptors’ that aren’t typically faced by their male counterparts?
Do you have a book/podcast/talk that’s had a deep impact on your thinking? Can you share a story with us?
In the traditional world, women are usually more conservative, and any female disruptors will be typically more challenged on their authority and capability. But Web3 is changing these aspects, which is also why the Web3 and Metaverse spaces really fascinate me. You can be anyone in the Metaverse, and the boundaries between genders are becoming blurry and irrelevant. We are already seeing more women step up to pursue their career in these spaces.
You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂
People now are too busy or too numbed by their general circumstances to really put a pause on whatever they are doing in order to take the time to reflect and make proactive changes. I would encourage everyone to spend some time with yourself or your loved ones, and make little changes to address the things you are unhappy about. This is the advice I give to myself, too!
Can you please give us your favourite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
“Life is about change. Sometimes it’s painful. Sometimes it’s beautiful. But most of the time, it’s both.”
Change can be uncomfortable and make you feel insecure. That’s why stepping out of your comfort zone is always tough. But I’m so thankful that I made those tough choices in my career that put me in my current position.
I was reading some media reports regarding the employment situation in China, and maybe this will resonate with people worldwide. In general, it’s very tough for people above 35 to find a job due to the lack of new skills for thrilling new industries. It’s a tough lesson, but an invaluable one: If we are not ready to embrace the rapid changes that are happening to the world around us, we will be left behind.
Women In Wellness: Stacey Shabtai of Botanika Life On The Five Lifestyle Tweaks That Will Help Support People’s Journey Towards Better Wellbeing
An Interview With Candice Georgiadis
More water — Most of Americans are walking around dehydrated all day. Drinking water is a job we need to train our bodies to do. I always start the day with a full glass of water to flush out the toxins.
As a part of my series about the women in wellness, I had the pleasure of interviewing Stacey Shabtai, Co-Founder of Botanika Life.
Benny and Stacey Shabtai created Botanika Life with one goal in mind: to make the life changing benefits of full spectrum CBD and plant-based formulas available to all.
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?
My husband Benny Shabtai is an Israeli-born, American businessman. I introduced Benny to CBD with full spectrum CBD oil drops to enhance his health regime previously treated with traditional pharmaceuticals. After using CBD for a few weeks, his blood pressure regulated, and his sugar levels were significantly lowered.
After experiencing the life changing benefits of CBD, we both knew we wanted to be a part of the holistic health movement and set out to create the cleanest performing lifestyle + wellness products on the market to empower others to live their best lives. Botanika Life is a mission of love.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started your career? What were the main lessons or takeaways from that story?
The gratitude that comes from helping others and hearing feedback from helping others heal. This has been so fulfilling.
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?
Thankfully, with Benny’s successful history in business, there haven’t been any mistakes. But there has been a learning curve and we needed to educate ourselves. I’m currently working towards another degree in Hormone Health.
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?
We have made our products good enough to eat! From Farm to Face. All Botanika Life products are vegan, cruelty-free, and packaged to be eco-friendly, helping to reduce environmental impact and support their commitment to sustainability.
Botanika Life was founded on the principles of unparalleled standards of quality, efficacy and potency. Not only are our products clean but they actually work! Our line exemplifies our socially conscious commitment to create products that exceed the “clean criteria’’. Our products are vegan and never tested on animals. Our packaging is designed to be eco-friendly, helping to reduce environmental impact and support our commitment to sustainability.
Our Full Spectrum CBD is sourced from 100% U.S.A. Organically Grown Hemp in the state of Oregon. It is pesticide-free, grown using sustainable farming techniques and extracted using the finest CO2 extraction process.
I love to educate others on how to be healthier using nature’s ingredients, and how to get back to a life without additives. To me, sustainability isn’t just the longevity of the Earth, Sustainability is the Earth.
With clean, natural ingredients and sustainable packaging, you can enjoy taking care of your body while also taking care of the earth.
Can you share your top five “lifestyle tweaks” that you believe will help support people’s journey towards better wellbeing? Please give an example or story for each.
I’m so grateful that I was born into a family with an established wellness routine, and my passion is to educate others on how to course-correct if this is new to them, it’s never too late.
Sleep — The Center for Disease Control and Prevention says that, in America, 70% of adults report that they obtain insufficient sleep at least one night a month, and 11% report insufficient sleep every night. It is estimated that sleep-related problems affect 50 to 70 million Americans of all ages and socioeconomic classes. America is sleep deprived! Your body heals when you sleep. We need to all be selfish when it comes to making sleep a priority. Good sleep makes everything better.
More water — Most of Americans are walking around dehydrated all day. Drinking water is a job we need to train our bodies to do. I always start the day with a full glass of water to flush out the toxins.
Wear Sunscreen — We are working on formulations, stay tuned!
Clean diet — Eliminate processed foods. Avoid the center aisles of the grocery store and stick to the perimeter of fresh produce and nature’s ingredients.
Exercise — For at least 30 minutes a day, get your heart rate up.
If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of wellness to the most amount of people, what would that be?
Educating children on the importance of wellness and sustainability. Just like the national campaigns to prevent littering and to say no to drugs. Our future relies on early childhood education in schools, teaching children how to respect their bodies and refrain from toxins.
What are your “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Started” and why?
Sustainability, veganism, mental health and environmental changes are big topics at the moment. Which one of these causes is dearest to you, and why?
These are all incredibly important topics, but I choose sustainability. Sustainability isn’t just the longevity of the Earth; Sustainability is the Earth. Everyone is trying to be eco-friendly and we are so proud to say that we are 100% sustainable. It is a difficult and long process, but we believe the sustainability of the Earth is everyone’s responsibility.
It’s been a joy to present Botanika Life to the world.
What is the best way our readers can follow you online?
I’d say the most interesting part of my career is this unexpected exposure to fields I never imagined would be part of my day-to-day work. I see this as a real privilege to be working with so many technology companies and witnessing firsthand the most creative ideas turn into reality. It is never boring for us to meet with entrepreneurs and promising startups.
As part of my series about “How Influencers Can Monetize Their Brand” I had the pleasure of interviewing Regev Gur.
Regev Gur is the Founder and CEO of Narrative Group, a leading influencer marketing company based in New York, New York. At Narrative, Gur oversees and manages millions of dollars in advertising and marketing campaigns focused on strategic influencer programs for leading global brands.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would love to get to know you a bit more. What is your “backstory”? What brought you to this point in your career?
I am a people person. I enjoy meeting new people, learning new ideas, and connecting people with others. I constantly look for ways to make an impact in my personal and professional life. Through my business, Narrative Group, I’ve found a way to help businesses use the personal and professional network that I’ve created over the years.
Founding Narrative Group has been like seeing an old dream come to life. We are fortunate to work with leading global technology companies, connecting them with content creators and managing influencer marketing campaigns to drive brand awareness and customer engagement. Our growing agency helps companies spread the word by working with content creatives to reach millions of like-minded people every day.
Can you share the funniest or most interesting story that happened to you in the course of your career?
In my first year launching Narrative Group, I was working with one of the most popular and sought-after influencers in the business. I was very eager to bring them in one new project that involved one of the largest companies in the technology sector. It was a little intimidating at first and a challenge to get their attention. Little did I realize this mega star was also involved in a similar charitable effort and cared deeply about the same cause. I was able to leverage that connection to set a course of our collaboration. I learned that you can always find a way to connect with another person and that looking below the surface is one of the best ways to build a relationship.
How have you used your success to bring goodness to the world?
I attribute my success to having a purpose. I believe in the cause and the impact of our work. Our clients are aligned in our vision that impact matters. We are constantly looking for ways we can help society and use the power of our connections to consider the bigger picture and think of the incredible platform they have to spread their message. Working with mostly tech companies, we’ve been helping our clients to promote important issues such as data privacy, financial inclusion, and transparency.
You have been blessed with great success in a career path that many have attempted, but eventually gave up on. Do you have any words of advice for others who may want to embark on this career path but know that their dreams might be dashed?
Failure is how you grow. Facing challenges along the way are part of the journey. Failing played a much bigger role in leading me to where I am today than success. Fails and disappointments are inevitable, and it is all a matter of how you react and learn when they occur.
The same can be said for the amazing creators and social media influencers we work with. These talented individuals did not start off famous or successful and their career is a product of sheer determination, adjusting their focus, and finding their right position in the market. That is why we find that influencers are such effective marketing tools. Their audience can relate to their authenticity and accessibility.
Despite my setbacks, I kept going and never doubted my vision. I think that if you truly believe in the impact of your work and the cause you are fighting for, you have more chances to succeed.
So what are the most exciting projects you are working on now? How do you think that might help people?
One of the most intriguing campaigns I have had the chance to work on is a new NFT project. This, to me, is an example of how our work as marketing professionals has evolved and overlaps with many areas of the business. NFTs and similar trends add sophisticated layers to our work and integrate marketing efforts into gaming, design, and finance.
Following the great success of fashion and cosmetics influencers, we are also seeing an increasing presence of B2B technology firms exploring the influencer marketing space. The potential of this market is limitless, especially as companies look to influencer marketing in the metaverse. It is exciting for us as industry pioneers to be exploring more creative ways to ‘tell the company story’. We are working with some of the biggest names in the b2b influencer markets, including ‘Who’s the Boss’, Nas Daily, and Linus tech tips
What are your “Top Five Ways That Influencers Can Monetize Their Brand” . (Please share a story or example for each.)
The influencers we work with have worked hard on building their audience. It takes a lot of sacrifices to be willing to share your day-to-day life with millions of people in a credible, authentic way. At the same time, it’s a crowded field and very competitive to make a living. We are strong advocates for the creators we work with and encourage them to think about new ways to generate income, including:
1. Sponsored Posts
This is the most common way influencers monetize their brand. They can film themselves testing a product or explaining its benefits to their followers. These posts have the potential to be way more effective than other channels in terms of marketing, especially high-quality content.
2. How to & Live Q&A
Successful influencers are popular professionals within their niche. They build their reputation after years of hard work positioning themselves as experts within their industry. They are able to leverage their prestige to host live events and forums. They take questions, give advice, or post explanatory videos. Companies and followers are willing to pay these expert influencers for serving as a moderator and hosts of these online gatherings.
3. Sales
We are seeing more influencers asking for commissions on sales. This approach gives them a greater incentive to make an impact on the bottom line. By measured sales associated with those influencers, they can directly measure their outcomes. Influencers can share coupon codes or links that help track their sales and calculate their ‘share based on bonafide metrics.
4. Creating Product Lines
Influencers have built their credibility in front of their audience and followers to the point where they can actually cobrand products with a larger brand. They can choose to create and market their own products in partnership with leading brands or as a standalone product.
5. Guest Appearances
Some influencers might be willing to share their stage and help their clients gain exposure by featuring them on their platforms. A blog, video, or a simple shoutout can make a great impact when positioning clients directly in front of their target audience. While influencers are very selective when it comes to bringing a client onto their platforms, it is one of the most effective ways for a brand to stand out.
You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can inspire.
Being more inclusive. The high-tech sector is still dominated by certain types of individuals. For example, the LGBTQ and special needs communities are still very much left on the outside. The world of remote work and the rise of the metaverse can create countless opportunities for employees with disabilities. What I would like to see more is companies targeting these groups that have been excluded for years and creating equitable work environments that welcome more parts of society.
We are very blessed that some of the biggest names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this. 🙂
I am always a big fan of people who use their power to spread good and give back. One in particular that I adore is Eynat Guez — Co-Founder and CEO of Papaya Global. She is one of the most inspiring tech leaders out there. What I admire about her work is that it seems like her main focus is always on the impact of her company’s work and her added value to society, rather than on revenue.
What is the best way our readers can follow your work online?
Female Founders: Nancy Korayim of MetroSpeedy On The Five Things You Need To Thrive and Succeed as a Woman Founder
An Interview With Candice Georgiadis
… Avoid taking on debt early on. Until you establish proof of concept and revenue traction, I suggest staying away from debt financing.
As a part of our series about “Why We Need More Women Founders”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Nancy Korayim.
Nancy Korayim is the founder and CEO of MetroSpeedy and has 20+ years of experience in management, financial advisory, insurance, sales and development. She has leveraged her sales and operational skills to drive the company’s vision, strategy and growth while focusing on providing sustainable and efficient last mile solutions. In addition to running one of the fastest growing logistics companies in NYC, Nancy offers her time to serve on advisory boards. She currently serves on the Board of Directors of MECD, a non-profit organization committed to empowering women and children to be agents of transformative change. In her free time, Nancy loves spending time with her daughter and husband, playing tennis and is an avid follower of F1 racing.
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?
After spending years in corporate America and working for Fortune 500 companies, I left my lucrative job to create MetroSpeedy. I developed the idea after watching dry cleaning couriers carry 30 to 50 lbs. of deliveries. It was very laborious and inefficient. I just knew there was a better way to streamline deliveries for businesses. My first thought was that three-wheeled cargo cycles could get the job done better. They were ideal for getting through Manhattan traffic and allowing delivery drivers the ability to take bigger loads. They are also eco-friendly. I found a manufacturer and launched MetroSpeedy, to focus on efficient same day delivery of small to medium-sized packages, and now we have Speedy’s across New York City helping businesses across all industries.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began leading your company?
We had a team member go overseas to speak with one of our manufacturers who we were severing ties with. They had the normal level of courtesy upon picking up our team member, however, there was a complete 180-degree switch once this company was informed that we would no longer be doing business with them. They left our team member stranded with no food or a way to get back to the train, which was an hour away from their remote facility. As soon as I found out about this, I tried to find a car service or some other form of transportation to get him out of there. He was thankfully able to hitchhike his way back to the train. He was on a tight deadline as that was the last train that would take him back into the city. Lesson learned — if you’re going to break up with someone, pick a place where you have an easy exit.
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?
In the beginning I was doing just about everything myself — sales, operations, marketing and even deliveries. I was, and still am, fast with getting deliveries done even during the times when I had to lug a 50lbs bag up a walkup. There was one day, we were a little short on drivers and I figured I could take on some extra deliveries and hustle. What I wasn’t aware of was that the UN General Assembly was happening, and it caused major gridlock in the city. I ended up being stuck for three hours. Thankfully, we were able to switch to using our fleet of Speedy’s, our electric cargo bikes, and still get everything delivered on time. It’s easy to look back and laugh at it now but there was pressure in that moment. The lesson learned was to stay on top of major events happening in the areas where we operate in addition to watching for weather alerts. Now we can update our customers well in advance and plan around these situations.
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?
Many people helped me along the way, particularly my husband, who became my greatest mentor as I built my business. My husband is a successful serial entrepreneur himself and I was able to leverage his knowledge and expertise while avoiding his pitfalls. My husband’s company (Bynext.co) was our first client and strategic partner that helped us validate our proof of concept, quality test our tech and gain revenue traction.
Ok, thank you for that. Let’s now jump to the primary focus of our interview. According to this EY report, only about 20 percent of funded companies have women founders. This reflects great historical progress, but it also shows that more work still has to be done to empower women to create companies. In your opinion and experience what is currently holding back women from founding companies?
I think one major piece is whether female founders will be able to get funding to grow. Entrepreneurship is already very hard for anyone, but the numbers don’t lie in terms of how little VC funding goes to women. Imagine putting in so much work to build a business but not having the capital to grow it and take it to the next level. Some women might be thinking what’s the point of putting in all that work to then have your business growth stunted. Female founders grapple with the concept of being viewed as an underrepresented, impact investment by most VC’s. Women-led startups received just 2.3% of VC funding in 2020 (that’s $3.7 billion for women vs $160 billion received by male founders). While some VC firms have made strides, it’s an archaic phenomenon that still exists. There is a certain level of validity to the uncertainty and doubt felt by female founders which is holding them back.
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 need more females sitting at the decision-making tables at VC firms. Also, as individuals or a society, I would say it depends on the business. Something I saw a lot more of during the pandemic was that people were buying gift cards to support restaurants and basically give a cash infusion. This would work for individuals to support a consumer facing women owned business. My business is in the B2B space so when I think of support there, those who work at corporations could encourage their company to have a supplier diversity program like what’s seen in government. Walmart has one as well. While there are government agencies that have these programs, I think more awareness could be generated about their existence and how to better participate in them.
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?
A difference in perspective around what they can bring to an industry should not be underestimated. Everyone is unique but, in our society, there will be commonalities in terms of some of the things we are exposed to as women. It contributes to the way we think, and problem solve and can be quite the differentiator in how we run a business. Another reason why more women should become founders is that they may be the ones who care most about women-specific issues. I have personally seen an increase in femtech startups, and I think it’s great.
What are the “myths” that you would like to dispel about being a founder? Can you explain what you mean?
Many have called this out, but these days it feels like it’s made to be some sort of glamorous lifestyle or people focus on being your own boss. However, you still have customers, shareholders and/or investors you need to answer to and serve, and it’s truly a lot of work. Unless you have some sort of passive income stream going, running a business is a very active endeavor and you have to put in real time and money to create a business that will last.
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?
Being a startup founder is not for the faint of heart. Failure and rejection are almost an innate part of the journey. Success begins within, believing in yourself, believing in your vision, and believing in your team. Successful founders create a cohesive unit across their organization by being persistent, communicative, and exercising a collaborative management style — passion ties it all together. Compassion is a significant trait which addresses the human factor in what we do and it’s critical to any company’s growth to be connected to everyone in your organization. Successful founders focus on people over process. Unless you’re someone that has high risk tolerance, access to capital and willing to work 24/7 to grow your startup, then my advice is to pursue a regular job which provides a level of job security and predictable income flow.
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.)
Get a great team of advisers to ensure you’re starting off on the right foot with a healthy work life balance, as it is essential for a healthy business.
Consider a co-founder to help alleviate the pressure and stress of startup life.
Be creative and resourceful. I had to find many clever ways to get free stuff to build a strong foundation. (My favorite word is FREE).
Consult professionals early on to ensure your business is set up properly and that your business risks are protected (finance, insurance, legal etc).
Avoid taking on debt early on. Until you establish proof of concept and revenue traction, I suggest staying away from debt financing.
How have you used your success to make the world a better place?
We started MetroSpeedy with a focus on creating a sustainable and carbon neutral initiative. Our fleet of electric cargo bikes (we call Speedy’s) cut carbon emissions by 90% compared with diesel vans, and by a third compared with electric vans. We are focused on becoming carbon neutral by 2030, and with our cargo bikes, air pollution, which is still at illegal levels in many urban areas, is also significantly reduced. We are doing our part.
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 think one movement that could have a significant impact would be to invest more in the MENA region. As someone whose family emigrated from the Middle East, I’ve seen first-hand there is a significant opportunity to create and invest in start-ups there. The untapped market potential is huge if we approach it through the lens of the leapfrog strategy. Recreating existing business models and modifying them to be regionally specific would have a profound positive impact on their economy, job market and hopefully the quality of life for the people of that region.
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.
Doug McMillon, CEO of Walmart, is someone I would love to meet. I’ve been watching how Walmart has been innovating and am excited about the things they are doing. There is a lot of overlap between how they operate compared to how MetroSpeedy operates. Doug has spoken on the evolution of Walmart in regard to the supply chain, sustainability, and technology. These are all areas where my company is focused, and it would be great to sit down with him and hear more about the parallels around these initiatives.
Thank you for these fantastic insights. We greatly appreciate the time you spent on this
Women In Wellness: Stephanie Bolster McCannon of BolsterUp On The Five Lifestyle Tweaks That Will Help Support People’s Journey Towards Better Wellbeing
An Interview With Candice Georgiadis
… My fifth lifestyle tweak is small but mighty! This tip is helpful to shift mindset, connect as couples, families, or teams, and enrich our lives. It is the BolsterUp 3 Nicest Things. Three questions that are asked of each other, daily that lift spirits and provide much needed self worth, value and contribution. The first question is what is the nicest thing you did for someone today? Second, what is the nicest thing someone did for you. And last but not least, what is the nicest thing you did for yourself? I had a busy oncologist who was increasingly feeling disconnected from her husband and kids as she worked long hours and missed dinner at least 2 nights a week. After starting the three questions before going to bed, both she and her husband found a deeper respect, understanding, and opportunity to celebrate their days. It was much better than the passive, “how was your day?” In fact, it was her husband, after a few weeks who acknowledged how much he enjoyed their 3 nicest things exchange. They eventually started including their children.
As a part of my series about the women in wellness, I had the pleasure of interviewing Stephanie Bolster McCannon.
Stephanie Bolster McCannon is an Organizational Psychologist, published Author, and CEO of BolsterUp, a well-being coaching company that supports emotional, mental, and physical mastery. Stephanie’s interest in supporting others intensified with her need for healing as a young mother and professional. Working with employees from large worldwide corporations to local private educational institutions, government agencies and private clients, Stephanie discovered a winning combination that brings true health and happiness to working professionals and parents with the BolsterUp Method.
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?
My love of mind-body alignment began early in life, when I took advantage of high school leadership development courses, and learned the value of physical, mental, and emotional potential. As a corpsman in the Navy, I learned the significance of commitment, rituals, and productivity and continued my educational studies in science, the humanities, and management in higher education. I was among the first to be certified as a health and wellness coach. However, as a young mother and busy entrepreneur, my health failed, forcing me to examine the process and connections of our thoughts, breathing, and nourishment that allow us all to be happy humans.
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 was a total go-getter in high school, exploring the virtues of living our best lives. I even ran a puppet show for elementary school children about health and happiness! For some, it was physical attainment, for others, a newfound love of themselves, and for some, the courage to express their thoughts. A teacher and I often talked about health and his addiction to smoking cigarettes, and I continued to encourage him to believe he was worthy of health and vitality. Years later, while in college, he messaged me that he had quit smoking because of our conversations. That moment was both humbling and empowering. I haven’t stopped supporting and helping since, knowing that sometimes I am just planting the seed, and may not immediately see the full flower in bloom. That lesson has stayed with me throughout my career.
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?
This question made me laugh….there were so many! ☺ One of the biggest mistakes I made when I first started out was trying to do everything myself and still be successful, happy, and healthy. Trying to raise three young children without a physical spouse present, running all aspects of a business, being responsible for all daily upkeep of a home, and maintaining social expectations. It simply does not work. No one can do it all alone. We are social creatures. Even those who are happy to work independently need input and support from others. Having a mentor, or a small group of people you can bounce ideas off of, or give and receive guidance from, sharing in the good and not-so-good days, is immeasurable to success in any endeavor. I am much happier, more connected, and able to do more of what I love since I learned to share the load instead of carrying it all alone.
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?
So many are living unfulfilling and unhealthy lives. As adults in society, we struggle with mental, emotional, and physical health, and we must address the whole life, not just treat a symptom.
Allowing someone to be heard is a powerful way to heal, no matter what state they currently find themselves in. We think, assume, and believe something is wrong with us when in fact, we are simply not living a life that is authentic to us or focused on our needs and wind up sick, depressed, anxious, and confused. In fact, health and healing come much faster when someone actually has a skilled professional to listen and support their decisions for wellness. I know all too well the mounting frustration of waiting hours to see a doctor who spends maybe four minutes with you, and it’s mostly looking at your labs and not at you as a human being. I believe most of the work I do allows my clients to be heard, seen, and valued. When our needs are known and met, we flourish, thrive, and feel alive. Coaching through the BolsterUp Method allows for true expression of what is most important to each person by uncovering their unique strengths and talents, providing sound scientific models for change, growth, and communication that impacts their overall well-being. The work I am doing allows for the full expression of the human experience with the guidance and tools that create lasting health and happiness.
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.
There are many things we can do, participate in and practice to improve our well-being. My top five starts with how we think. When I was a young mother, I took my toddler with me to an important business meeting. I was already a bit nervous but was assured he was welcomed. While engaged in the meeting, my little darling (in eyesight of us just a few feet away) was flipping a water jug valve up and down. Before we knew it, the floor was flooded, and I was mortified. My business partner didn’t miss a beat and reassured me that all was well, but that the floor needed to be cleaned up, anyway. We got some towels and mopped up the water. My thinking was focused on “disaster,” her thinking was focused on “make the most of it.” That was a huge lesson for me. My son was being curious; nobody was harmed or did anything wrong, I just needed to adjust my thinking about the situation.
Breathing is the second lifestyle tweak that supports better well-being. I am a huge promoter of Dr. Weil’s 4–7–8 breathing, as well as other diaphragmatic breathing techniques that stimulate the vagus nerve. So many report back to me that this one breathing technique has helped them quell their anxiety to pass tests, sleep better, and even heal faster. One client kept failing a test she needed for a promotion at work. After practicing the 4–7–8 breathing technique for two weeks, she sat for the test again. She passed and got promoted! She attributes her breathing to her anxiety, or lack thereof, and continues to rely on this skill to stay centered and calm. Breathing is definitely a very overlooked aspect of health and one we can easily manipulate for our good.
The third lifestyle tweak is to go on an elimination diet to find out what is most nourishing for your body’s current needs. I say “current” because what is nourishing for some or at other times in your life may not be supporting your well-being now. For instance, in my own recovery from an autoimmune disorder, I was on an elimination diet, slowly adding in one food at a time and keeping track in a journal of how I felt, and if I had any symptoms. I was stunned to find out that my body did not like bananas at the time, or tomato sauce during the healing phase I was in. I have had both since fully recovering, but trusted my body to tell me what nourishment it needed at that time. Stay connected to what your own body is saying about nourishment, it may not be the current “best for you food” being touted.
The fourth lifestyle tweak is to turn your thermostat to 65 degrees an hour before heading to bed. A cool environment allows your body to naturally release melatonin, the sleep hormone, as well as allowing cortisol levels, the stress hormone to drop, contributing to beneficial sleep. Sleep is vital to our well-being, and if a simple adjustment to our thermostat aids in a restful night, it is well worth it! Plus, you save a bit on heating costs.
My fifth lifestyle tweak is small but mighty! This tip is helpful to shift mindset, connect as couples, families, or teams, and enrich our lives. It is the BolsterUp 3 Nicest Things. Three questions that are asked of each other, daily that lift spirits and provide much needed self worth, value and contribution. The first question is what is the nicest thing you did for someone today? Second, what is the nicest thing someone did for you. And last but not least, what is the nicest thing you did for yourself? I had a busy oncologist who was increasingly feeling disconnected from her husband and kids as she worked long hours and missed dinner at least 2 nights a week. After starting the three questions before going to bed, both she and her husband found a deeper respect, understanding, and opportunity to celebrate their days. It was much better than the passive, “how was your day?” In fact, it was her husband, after a few weeks who acknowledged how much he enjoyed their 3 nicest things exchange. They eventually started including their children.
My own children and friends are now prepared to share their “nicest things” when they sit down at dinner with me. In fact, my oldest daughter took this technique to orchestra camp, where the counselors started using it all their groups.
If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of wellness to the most amount of people, what would that be?
I did! I created a breathing challenge called “7 Breaths to Peace.” My second of the four pillars of well-being is breathing. Not just our physical inhale and exhale but also letting “life breathe”. Allowing space and time to let relationships, ideas, and our physical selves to take in and time to let go of what is not needed. When we focus on our physical breath and get good at deliberate inhales, pauses, and exhales, we allow all areas of life to flourish. We know scientifically the results of calm, deep breathing on physical, mental, and emotional health. We are chemical factories, and nothing creates more stagnation or movement than breathing in all areas of life. If we can do nothing else, noticing and correcting our breathing is a game-changer for all aspects of well-being.
What are your “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Started” and why?
Create from the feeling of the end in mind. If we know how we want to feel when something is accomplished, it makes it so much easier to focus on that. We do not, as humans’ endeavor to deliberately hurt, or fail, or suffer. If we just focus on the accomplishment itself, once done, it can leave us feeling depleted, lonely, and unfulfilled. If the focus is on how we feel to have, achieve, or experience something, that becomes the prize.
Set an intention before taking action, especially if it is new to you. Setting an intention causes us to focus on the outcome and allows room for the unexpected. Otherwise, we go in blazing thinking we know what to say, how to act, and what to do and miss many opportunities this way.
Choose to create, not solve. This is tough for most of us since we are not used to being asked what we want to develop and feel more comfortable spending time, energy, and resources solving problems. However, if we are stuck trying to solve something instead of creating something we don’t allow for the full functioning of our brain and creativity.
It’s okay to let go. I struggle with this still and my tenacity often works against me. Resistance creates more resistance. This has proven true with letting go of things I do not use or need around my house, as well relationships, old hurts, and fear. Letting go has taught me there is plenty more, even better and more fun. I remember my mother pleading with me to let go of the side of pool and come enjoy the fun. She was right, letting go invited more in.
Spend more time doing what makes you happy than anyone else. This does not mean we are selfish and do not do for others. In fact, many find what creates happiness for themselves is doing for others, just in ways that feel good and honor us.
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 for sure. Our mental state is directly tied to stress and to every aspect of health and humanity. If we are stressed, anxious, or depressed, we can never bring about the ideas, creations, and changes we desire in life for ourselves and the greater good. What’s more, our youth are in a high state of mental crisis, and we need to address their suffering and foster growth and stability not just for their sakes but for all humanity. Stress has been a major contributor to the decline of health across the world. In fact, the United Nations declared stress a worldwide epidemic before the pandemic, and we must all make deliberate lifestyle adjustments to foster our own mental health and that of those around us.
What is the best way our readers can follow you online?
My website at www.BolsterUp.com Facebook at BolsterUpNow, Twitter, IG @ BolsterUp.
Female Founders: Alison Ruks of Mobo Co On The Five Things You Need To Thrive and Succeed as a Woman Founder
An Interview With Candice Georgiadis
Nothing stays the same. It’s always changing. Just as you think you have it figured out, something will change. Whether that is an economic change, a supplier change, a retailer change, it is a constantly evolving adventure and it is imperative that entrepreneurs be fluid in adapting to constant changing economic and environmental conditions.
As a part of our series about “Why We Need More Women Founders”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Alison Ruks.
Alison Ruks brings over 15 years of experience specializing as an entrepreneur, consultant, and executive leader in consumer packaged goods, natural health, cannabis, and education, and she oversees multiple companies including Mobo Co. in the eco-friendly and sustainable baby accessories category. Passionate about making parenting easier for new moms, Alison brought to market the world’s first fashion-friendly breastfeeding hat that helps normalize breastfeeding in public while providing an easy-to-use solution for moms who aren’t yet comfortable nursing uncovered. The Mobobaby 2–1 Nursing Cover + Hat is one of the only nursing covers on the market that the baby wears, instead of mom.
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 have been working since I was 13 years old, I held various positions but nothing was ‘ticking the box’ for self-fulfillment.
After my second round of university, I became pregnant with my first child. I continued working in my executive role and when I gave birth to my baby, I observed the presence of ‘mother-in-the-workplace’ inequity, and also experienced the systemic deficiencies of support systems for mothers. I silently suffered from severe postpartum depression and anxiety for several years, which affected both my home life and my bond with my baby.
Pairing my ‘entry to motherhood’ experience with a history as a long-time executive and entrepreneur — I was overcome with insatiable motivation to establish a business that gave back to the parents and mothers that give so much; a business that provides products, insight, and entertainment to make parents and mothers’ lives a little bit easier, and creates a community network for parents to feel supported, learn, connect and relate in a safe and respectful environment. I committed to eventually pursue a dream of creating a business that centers on benefitting parental and maternal health ‘when the time was ‘right’.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began leading your company?
As soon as I started this company, the pandemic hit and I instantly became the wearer of about 35 hats. My daughter’s school was closed so she was home with me 100% of the time, and we had no family, friends or childcare to help us out.
I was still doing consulting work to pay the bills, I was the primary caregiver to my daughter, and now I was also an entrepreneur that was solely the one working on building the business. A typical day had me up at 5 a.m. to get a few hours of work in before my daughter woke up, and then I’d bounce between teacher, consultant, entrepreneur, chef, chauffeur, housekeeper, healthcare practitioner until she went to bed around 7 p.m.
Then, I’d high-five my husband and I’d head back down to my office until around midnight to finish my work. Then sleep for 5 hours and do it all over again. For months on end. It was exhausting. It was like Ground Hog Day, Bill Murray style.
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?
Funniest mistake: I was presenting our flagship product on national live stream when my shirt kept creeping down on me. I had to keep adjusting my arm position and weirdly had my arms in front of my face to prevent a nip slip.
What I learned: Always choose your clothing wisely when presenting your product on national live stream. Preferably a turtle neck.
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?
I have had so many amazing people enter my journey. My family was key, and then I was so blessed by getting to work with Arlene Dickinson and her Venturepark business community. Arlene is an amazing entrepreneur, venture capitalist and longtime investor on Canada’s Dragon’s Den, which is akin to the USA’s Shark Tank.
She is a mother of 4 and an entrepreneur who built her empire from the ground up. She was a great source of support and feedback when developing our flagship product, the Mobobaby 2–1 Nursing Cover + Hat. It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. She loved our product and gave me amazing advice to take it to the next level.
Ok, thank you for that. Let’s now jump to the primary focus of our interview. According to this EY report, only about 20 percent of funded companies have women founders. This reflects great historical progress, but it also shows that more work still has to be done to empower women to create companies. In your opinion and experience what is currently holding back women from founding companies?
I am surprised that it’s as high as 20%, to be honest. There is a stigma about the woman entrepreneur. And, that stigma mainly focuses on our historic stereotype of being the shrinking violet, the sensitive one, the mother, the primary caregiver, and we just generally get looked at differently than men. What I’ve seen in my journey, is that women get screwed when it comes to startup funding which can prevent them from starting a business.
Yes, some women have created amazing businesses on a shoestring budget, but that is rare. Start ups need money. Over my career, I have seen so many men with mediocre business ideas and questionable character get startup funding so much easier than women. Women are more likely to get mentorship, coaching opportunities, entry into accelerator programs, etc., but that isn’t always what we need. We need investment. Cold hard cash. We need people to believe in us.
Can you help articulate a few things that can be done as individuals, as a society, or by the government, to help overcome those obstacles?
As individuals, the general viewpoint on women entrepreneurs needs to change. Anyone who questions whether a woman can run a company on her own needs to go back to the drawing board and learn a few things about what women have done in history. As a society, it’s a similar thing. The viewpoint on women needs to change.
The government needs to put forth way more initiatives to back women entrepreneurs, and they need to do it now and for the foreseeable future. They can’t just run a random program for spring and summer and expect they’ve done their job. We’ve been historically marginalized and shoved to the side when it comes to having the resource is to make things happen, and change is long overdue.
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 naturally care about their people. Of course, this has its limits, we all know horrendous women but overall, women are naturally more nurturing. It’s well known in HR circles that a team that feels valued and cared about works harder and creates far more value than a team with toxic leadership and culture.
Women can get stuff done, no matter what they are handed. Have you seen what a mother does in a day? Imagine taking those skills and putting them into a company. Enough said.
Women run companies make the most money, according to Mr. Wonderful. Kevin O’Leary has stated this repeatedly in his tenure, women-run companies make more money. We’ve got it in us, we just need the opportunity to make it happen.
What are the “myths” that you would like to dispel about being a founder? Can you explain what you mean?
The main one is that you can start a business with $100 and build it to a life changing multimillion dollar operation. Yes, that can happen (as we’ve all seen on Shark Tank), but it is very rare. To build a business, you need money, you need resources, and you need a support team. Even as someone with multi divisional executive experience like myself, I cannot do it all alone.
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?
Heck no. Entrepreneurship is not at all for the faint of heart. You have to have nerves of steel, a strong backbone, and the time and drive to build your business. You have to handle rejection. You have to handle obstacles. You have to be prepared that your business will be on your mind 24 hours a day seven days a week.
There is no clocking out at 5:00 PM. Stuff happens after 5:00 PM and it’s your company, so you’re the one that has to deal with it. If the thought of that makes you shudder, your best bet is to go find a nice, tidy, union job and enjoy your freedom.
This brings to mind one hilarious meme that showed this lady at a desk saying “I got sick of my Monday to Friday 9–5, so I started my own business. Now I work 7 days a week, 365 days a year.” Sadly, it’s kind of true. Especially in the early years. As your business grows, however, it is the hope that you can hire the right people in the right places, so that you can enjoy some of that freedom in the long term.
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.)
You will feel guilt. A lot. Entrepreneurship comes with so many ups and downs. You will let people down no matter what you do, whether it is your own team, or your spouse or partner, or your child.
You will work more than a full time job. I think Mark Cuban said it really well on Shark Tank one day, he said something along the lines of “I’d rather work 80 hours a week for myself than 40 hours a week for somebody else.” That is the reality of it for most entrepreneurs. Yes, some will have that golden opportunity where they started a business and can live the four hour workweek, but that’s not the norm.
It will be hard to get funding. Women are just at a natural disadvantage to get the type of startup funding that men do. Even if your idea is awesome and you and others totally believe in it, actually getting an investor to close on believing in your business takes an incredible amount of time and resources.
People will be mean. This can come through customers, suppliers, and especially on social media. There are trolls in every corner that will take a dig at you and your business, it is inevitable. That being said, there are just as many — if not more — amazing people who will support you and be your cheerleaders, but you do need to realize that there will be trolls.
Nothing stays the same. It’s always changing. Just as you think you have it figured out, something will change. Whether that is an economic change, a supplier change, a retailer change, it is a constantly evolving adventure and it is imperative that entrepreneurs be fluid in adapting to constant changing economic and environmental conditions.
How have you used your success to make the world a better place?
I am structuring our company to give 1% of all sales back to supporting parental and maternal health, but I also commit to spending a specific amount of time per month mentoring other up-and-coming entrepreneurs.
Parental health is so important to me, because if we don’t have healthy parents, we don’t raise healthy kids, which is our entire next generation and the future of our economy.
With mentoring other entrepreneurs, throughout the journey, I am building a platform to hopefully provide a long-lasting and valuable source of inspiration, mentorship, and motivation.
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 desperately want the government, businesses, and individuals to care about the health and well being of parents, particularly mothers and primary caregivers. Maternal health is in a horrendous state in North America, with the United States and Canada taking an embarrassingly high position on the maternal mortality charts, as well as postpartum depression and anxiety.
If we care properly for our parents, we have healthier happier kids, which shapes a healthier and happier future for the entire world. Parent health matters and it’s long overdue that mothers and parents in general get the support they need, They deserve to live better lives.
We are very blessed that some very prominent names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US with whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this if we tag them.
I’d have to go with either Barbara Corcoran or Lori Greiner. Both of them are incredible women who have busted their chops to get to where they are, and they did it with grit, kindness, grace, and overall just plain awesomeness. I would love to absorb their vibes, even if just via osmosis.
Thank you for these fantastic insights. We greatly appreciate the time you spent on this.
Women In Wellness: Dr Elizabeth Yurth of Boulder Longevity Institute On The Five Lifestyle Tweaks That Will Help Support People’s Journey Towards Better Wellbeing
An Interview With Candice Georgiadis
Take Vitamin D! My last lifestyle tweak is an easy one. Take vitamin D! There are a handful of supplements that I think are critical to life, and vitamin D is up there at the top of the list. Vitamin D impacts so many organ systems, especially our immune system. We know that taking vitamin D upregulates our own response to be able to fight infections. It upregulates something called a peptide in our body that actually fights infections. You need to take enough vitamin D to maintain optimal levels. This depends on where your levels are (so testing this is important), but in general most people need around 5,000 to 10,000 IUs daily.
As a part of my series about the women in wellness, I had the pleasure of interviewin gElizabeth Yurth, Co-Founder & Chief Medical Officer at Boulder Longevity Institute.
Dr. Elizabeth Yurth is the Co-Founder and Medical Director of Boulder Longevity Institute, where she has been providing Tomorrow’s Medicine Today to her clients since 2006. Dr. Yurth obtained her Medical Degree from the University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine and completed her residency at the University of California — Irvine. Along with her 25-plus years as a practicing orthopedist specializing in sports, spine, and regenerative medicine, Dr. Yurth is double-Board Certified in Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation and Anti-Aging/Regenerative Medicine. She has a Stanford-affiliated Fellowship in Sports and Spine Medicine, and a dual-Fellowship in Anti-Aging and Regenerative Medicine (FAARM) and Anti-Aging, Regenerative and Functional Medicine (FAARFM) through the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine (A4M).
Dr. Yurth has also completed a Fellowship in Human Potential and Epigenetic Medicine, is part of the first cohort of providers to receive the A4M National Peptide Certification, and is a faculty member and national lecturer for both A4M and the International Peptide Society(IPS). She is a member of IPS’s very first Peptide Mastermind Group, comprised of a small elite group of national peptide experts.
Dr. Yurth has completed over 500 hours of Continuing Medical Education (CME) training in the areas of Longevity, Epigenetics, Nutrition, Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy, Regenerative Peptide Treatments, and Regenerative Orthopedic Procedures. As an athlete herself who has dealt with numerous injuries, Dr. Yurth is thrilled to share with her clients all the innovative, life-changing treatments that are on the cutting-edge of medicine.
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 think I always wanted to be a doctor. It’s actually a bit odd, because I didn’t come from a family of doctors. My dad was a geologist and my mom was a teacher. In fact, my dad had an innate distrust of doctors — and perhaps he was right since his avoidance of doctors allowed him to live a long and healthy life until age 92, after being a bit worn down caring for my 96 year old mom as she progressed with dementia in the last few years of her life. As for why I went into orthopedics originally and then found my way to regenerative and functional medicine, I think it was largely because we grew up a very active family. Then when I was 21, I tore my anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). I would go on to tear my ACL three more times before the age of 35. After the fourth time, I finally just stopped fixing it with surgery. I also had watched my dad suffer from knee problems his whole life. I vividly recall his knee locking, and I’d have to be the one to “pop it back into place.” By the time he passed away, his knee pain had turned an extremely fit and athletic man into somebody who could barely walk. Watching this demise terrified me.
I think it was a combination of watching my dad be his own doctor alongside not understanding why some people were more prone to injury that led me down the path I pursued in medicine. Honestly, I never remember not wanting to be a doctor.
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?
Over time, I became increasingly frustrated with patients coming back again and again with the same pain in their back or joints. It became apparent that despite my best efforts, I was merely patching them together — never fully recovered — rather than truly fixing the problems causing their pain. They were well enough to go on their way, but it was only a matter of time before they came back into the office with the same joints or other joints hurting. Yes, people would “get better” to some extent, but they were never back to “good as new.” And the saddest part is that this was/is just the accepted reality — the norm for orthopedic medicine. As one of my old partners often said, “After 50, it’s just patch, patch, patch!” I knew we were missing something!
So, thirteen years into a successful and comfortable career, I came to the realization that I needed to fundamentally change the management of my patients, especially the ones coming into my office again and again or the young people with injuries that we would fix and then would see years later with early arthritis and pain. The problem couldn’t just be with their joints or they “should be better by now.” So, I started to look beyond their back, knee, or shoulder, and started to evaluate their health in general. If we could make the body healthy, could people heal completely and avoid the chronic decline we have come to expect with age?
Can you share a story about the biggest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
The path to becoming a doctor is a long and arduous one. A heavy pre-med course load throughout your undergrad, followed by excessive studying for the MCAT and completion of multiple in-depth applications. Then you fly across the country doing interviews to hopefully get into any medical school, let alone your top picks. You get into medical school and you have four years of coursework and clinicals. You spend time applying to residency programs, and after you graduate medical school, you go complete another four years of residency where you are working nights and assigned to do the things nobody else wants to do. You finish your residency and then if you choose, you go on to complete a Fellowship program in your specific discipline. The point of this is that most doctors spend at least 12 years learning how to practice medicine — then they get into the field and by the time they are a practicing doctor, a lot of what they learned is already outdated!
The biggest mistake I made in my career is not realizing sooner that everything I know may be wrong! As Dr. Strange says in one of the Marvel movies, “You need to forget everything you know!”
I won’t say that that is exactly true (obviously some of what I learned is still relevant), but what keeps medicine from moving forward is that oftentimes doctors invest so much time, energy and money into what they have learned that to think there may be a better way is really tough! Some of you may have had the experience where you spent hours and hours on a project and when you showed it to fresh eyes they said, “Hmm, it’s good but it would be better if….” It’s a hard pill to swallow when someone tells you something you invested so much into requires more work or effort. It’s easy to cast aside this feedback or new perspective (even if it’s right) and to keep with your plan.
Let’s jump to our main focus. When it comes to health and wellness, how is the work you are doing helping to make a bigger impact in the world?
Boulder Longevity Institute (BLI) was born out of the need to practice better medicine. Working as an orthopedist in a traditional healthcare practice, I saw how the limitations imposed by traditional models of care led to a fragmented and single-minded approach to treating patients that was neither fulfilling nor effective. It takes on average 17 years for the latest science and research showing safety and efficacy to make its way to clinical application — and by that time much of what was learned is already outdated. BLI believes in bridging that gap by offering our clients the most cutting-edge, science-backed treatment options in a guided, clinical environment.
Our goal at Boulder Longevity Institute is to teach people how to take control of their own health. Too many people believe that their doctor has the answer without any knowledge that often what their doctor is recommending is not necessarily the best option. We are teaching people to read their own labs, analyze data, learn the newest research and challenge the status quo! In our clinic, we call people clients rather than patients, because we believe that we are consultants working alongside people on their health journey. In our online learning arm, The Human Optimization Academy, we aim to share this knowledge and education with as broad an audience as possible. We are changing medicine by empowering people to be their own advocate and come prepared with science and research to ensure they are getting the best care options available.
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.
Optimize your hormones
I don’t care what age you are, you’ve got to have optimal hormone health. We all think about hormones for the 50 plus year old people. And yet, hormones are impacting young women as well, we’re talking about your 20 year olds. So unless you get the hormones optimized, everything else doing is going to be a little more of a struggle. For instance, if you’re a young woman, and you’re taking birth control pills, you’re not going to have normal testosterone levels. So how is that gonna impact you? Well, you’re not going to be able to strength train as well. Even as a young person, you need to know what your hormones are, you also need to know how your body is dealing with those hormones. Because if you think about things like cancer, we blame breast cancer on hormones. But cancer is not due to hormones, it’s due to your metabolism. So how you’re metabolizing those hormones — which has to do with genetics, and environment, and lifestyle — that’s what’s going to predict whether those hormones are metabolizing into either bad things or good things. And this is all stuff that we can test and we could look for, but you have to have in your head that you can do it. So don’t start thinking about your hormones when you’re 50, start thinking about your hormones when you’re 20 — and this applies to both men and women.
Strength train (rather than long endurance)
The second thing is that when we look at exercise, everybody’s going to tell you exercise is important, but I’m not sure everybody knows what kind of exercise is important. I have these very long endurance athletes who think they’re very, very healthy. Really, long endurance athletics is not healthy. It may make you feel really good, it gives you that “runner’s high,” and I’m not saying you shouldn’t ever do it — there’s tons of benefits to being able to push yourself and overcome the mental challenges of say, running a 50 mile race. But I have a patient who is 40 years old and was an ultra marathoner, and her body was not healthy. She stopped and is now recovering and doing well. The best thing for exercise is strength training, and short burst exercises. You absolutely have to lift heavy things.Our muscles produce hormones called myokines, and these are critical to the rest of your health. You need to lift heavy things, (I don’t mean picking up your two pound weights), because you need to build muscle. Muscle is the currency for your life.
Live in line with your natural circadian rhythm (light/dark cycles)
You have to re-establish circadian balance. A balanced circadian rhythm is really important. This does not just mean sleeping during your eight hour window of sleep or whatever that might be. It means keeping a consistent light-dark cycle. Get up in the morning and be in direct sunlight — get sunlight in the first hour of morning to cue your brain that it’s daylight. Get outside or if you can’t get outside, get a “happy lamp” or high powered lamp that gives you the same wavelength as sunlight. Your body needs sunlight during the day. It is equally as important to have a period of darkness before you go to bed. You need to be in the dark at night. When you’re on your computer and you’re on your cell phone at night, then you get all of this “junk light” that screws up your circadian rhythm. We know that imbalances in circadian rhythm are critical to people getting sick and people getting diseases. So to summarize, get light during the day and dark at night…And if you can, get outside and get direct sunlight!
Time-Restricted Eating and Intermittent Fasting
Contrary to some diets that have faded in and out of popularity over time, we do not want to be eating every two hours. We used to tell people, “You’ve got to keep your body metabolically active, eat every two hours.” But now we know that if you go longer periods of time in a fasted state, your body becomes more healthy. That time period you’re not eating puts a little bit of stress on your body and that stress tells your cells to do a process called autophagy. Autophagy is a cleanup of the bad or senescent cells in your body. During that period of time when you’re restricting food, your body goes into cleanup mode and gets rid of the damaged cells — it gets rid of the bad stuff so you can “start fresh.” So try to keep an eating window to a smaller period of time. We like a 16 hour fast to an eight hour eating window, but there are many versions of time restricted eating and intermittent fasting, so find the schedule that works best for you.
Take Vitamin D!
My last lifestyle tweak is an easy one. Take vitamin D! There are a handful of supplements that I think are critical to life, and vitamin D is up there at the top of the list. Vitamin D impacts so many organ systems, especially our immune system. We know that taking vitamin D upregulates our own response to be able to fight infections. It upregulates something called a peptide in our body that actually fights infections. You need to take enough vitamin D to maintain optimal levels. This depends on where your levels are (so testing this is important), but in general most people need around 5,000 to 10,000 IUs daily.
If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of wellness to the most amount of people, what would that be?
YOU MUST STRENGTH TRAIN!! Myokines are critical to health. Muscle is the currency of life.
Myokines are released by muscle cells and are not only important for building muscle, but they play a critical role in helping us avoid disease and the decay of aging. A 2011 study published in the Journal of Experimental Biology analysed the role of myokine more specifically. The study found that, “myokines may be involved in mediating some of the health effects of regular exercise, in particular chronic diseases associated with low-grade inflammation and impaired metabolism.”
What are your “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Started” and why?
Be an avid reader.
I wish someone had told me to read more from people who I think I have nothing in common with. Be an avid reader of everything — the things that have nothing to do with what you’re studying, what you’re learning, what your job is — read from every discipline. Read philosophy, read religion, read from people who have completely different opinions for you. My son is the most avid reader I know, and he is so smart because he has such a wide array of knowledge! All I did throughout most of my education and early career was focus on science. I read about the things I was studying or doing. I feel like when you do this, you become an uninteresting person. By reading everything, you’re going to be more interesting, and you can be better at what you do.
Injuries never really heal — unless you intervene early!
The second thing I wish somebody would have told me is that injuries actually never really heal. Now, we know that there’s ways that you can change that. For example, now in my field of regenerative medicine, I know that if you intervene right away with somebody who has an injury, especially if that person is young, you can introduce treatments that change the pattern of recovery. In turn, you can prevent that injury from going on to become chronic arthritis when they’re 50 years old. I tore my ACL 4 times, starting at a young age, and I wish someone had told me that when you hurt yourself, don’t just say “Oh, this is going to get better with surgery or time, etc.” Because unless you do the right things at the right time — and you start interventions right away — those early injuries will come back to haunt you.
Sleep really is as important as everyone tells you.
When you’re young, it is easier to prescribe to the adage, “I’ll sleep when I’m dead.” I spent a lot of years doing that. For a long time, I did not prioritize sleep, always saying I had too much to do or too much on my plate. But as I’ve learned more and done more research, I have come to learn at a cellular level how truly critical sleep is to living long and healthily. It doesn’t work to decide at 50 to start “catching up on sleep,” because those younger years you didn’t sleep still took a really big toll on your brain, on your body, and on your cells that you can’t make up for. You’ve got to really respect sleep.
Breakfast is NOT the most important meal of the day.
The fourth thing I wish someone would have told me is to not believe the cereal commercials and that breakfast actually isn’t the most important meal of the day. As a kid, I heard that all the time; however, really the science says that longer periods between eating is much more advantageous to your health. If you restrict your eating, especially in that 14–16 hour range, your cells go into a state where they kill off the bad stuff. This process called autophagy happens at the cellular level to help your body clean up cellular trash. So take the idea that eating first thing in the morning off your plate (unless you fasted through dinner), and remember breakfast is not the most important meal of the day.
Listen to your kids — they give the most honest advice.
The last thing I wish I had paid more attention to is the advice and feedback from my kids, especially when they were little. As you get older, the only people in your life that are really going to be brutally honest with you are your kids. Even your best friends will always be a little careful not to make you too upset, and your spouse has to be really careful… But your kids don’t care if you get too upset. They will tell you the hard, honest truth. For example, if I’m thinking about investing time/energy/money into a new project or a new activity, I can count on my kids to tell me if I’d actually be good at this new thing or if it would be a good use of my time. I’ve learned that your kids are really the only people who will ever be brutally honest with you, so listen to them because a lot of times they can be really helpful in helping you make important choices.
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: I have been touched by suicide several times now. The loss of my old partner at my orthopedic practice — one of my mentors when I first began practicing here in Colorado — was an amazing man. His loss hurt so deeply. SO many people are quietly suffering. He was so strong but he never reached out so we need to be sure we take care of each other.
What is the best way our readers can follow you online.
Follow me on social media @dryurth and @boulderlongevityinstitute. You can also join our online learning academy called the Human Optimization Academy by going to www.bli.academy and you can learn more about our clinical practice by going to www.boulderlongevity.com and submitting an online inquiry.
