Author: Fotis Georgiadis

Nikki Mark of the MIGHTYMOM Series: “5 Steps To Take To Become More Resilient”

Laugh. Surround yourself with people and hobbies that bring positive energy into your life. Sometimes, our own energy isn’t enough to get us through difficult times, and the power of a good laugh or just hanging out with a good friend or loyal animal can’t be understated.

In this interview series, we are exploring the subject of resilience among successful business leaders. Resilience is one characteristic that many successful leaders share in common, and in many cases it is the most important trait necessary to survive and thrive in today’s complex market.

I had the pleasure of interviewing Nikki Mark. For nearly twenty-five years, Nikki has developed and overseen strategic operations and special projects for Los Angeles-based start-ups, including sbe Hospitality Group and The Los Angeles Football Club (LAFC). For more than fourteen of those years, she has also raised a family and been an active member of her Los Angeles, CA community.

As a hobby, she started writing her first children’s book when Tommy, the eldest of her two sons, repeatedly asked why she had to go to work. He was four at the time and Nikki, intimately familiar with the challenges and rewards of being a working mom and unable to find a children’s book on the topic, felt driven to pen her own story. Mommy Brings Home the Bacon was self-published in 2011, and the charming picture book not only offered a way to begin the conversation between all working mothers and their children, it launched what is now the MIGHTYMOM Series™.

Mommy’s Got a Bun in the Oven followed to help mothers address young childrens’ curiosity about pregnancy, and MightyMom, published just before the covid-19 pandemic hit, celebrates the hidden superpowers of moms everywhere at a time when those powers are at peak demand. The latest in the series, MightyMom, was co-written by Tommy before he unexpectedly passed away in April 2018 at the age of twelve. Since that tragic day, Nikki and her family have established the TM23 Foundation to honor her son and inspire children to play, pursue their dreams, be themselves and have a positive impact on their community.

100% of net proceeds from the MightyMom Series will be donated to the TM23 Foundation. The organization is currently partnering with the Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks to develop “Tommy’s Field,” a full-size multipurpose field with lights in a Los Angeles public park that will benefit generations of children and adults for years to come.

Nikki graduated with honors from the University of California Santa Barbara with a degree in Communications, and subsequently earned her MBA from Thunderbird Graduate School of International Management with an emphasis in global marketing and international management.

She was born and raised in Los Angeles and currently resides in her hometown with her husband, younger son Donovan and their rescue Pit bull dog, Ginger.

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

I’m a native Angeleno who continues to call Los Angeles home. After earning my MBA, I spent the next twenty plus years developing and overseeing operations and / or special projects for L.A.-based startups, including sbe Hospitality Group and Los Angeles Football Club. I had my first son in 2005 and second in 2008 and have learned first-hand about the challenges of being a working mother while trying to retain some sense of self and find time to actually play. In April 2018, my oldest son, Tommy, unexpectedly passed away. He was twelve years old. It is this tragedy that has changed not only my career, but also how I view and live my life.

Can you share with us the most interesting story from your career? Can you tell us what lessons or ‘take aways’ you learned from that?

I have worked for three incredible entrepreneurs and seen how powerful it is when someone believes in themselves and has the courage to pursue their dreams. I listened to “experts” tell them that they couldn’t do this or that, and then watched them surround themselves with the kind of people who believed in their vision and helped manifest those dreams. My biggest takeaway is that change is hard, but those who have a vision or passion to create something new find a way to make it happen. And, they do so before they look back on their life and regret having not even tried.

What do you think has made your quest stand out? Can you share a story?

Today, I am focused on building my own family start-up, the TM23 Foundation, which honors my son Tommy. TM23’s mission is to develop and support initiatives that teach children and young adults the “heart of life,” and inspire them to play, pursue their dreams, be themselves and have a positive impact on their community. Our first initiative raised $1.2 million to build a full-size multipurpose field with lights in a West Los Angeles public park, which will be called Tommy’s Field and honor my son’s passion for sports and spirit of play. Tommy’s Field will never be locked, and it will inspire children and adults to get outside and engage with their community. We are currently in discussions to build a second Tommy’s Field in another part of the city. In addition, I’m an author and just released the third children’s picture book I’ve written, called MightyMom. This is the latest addition to my MIGHTYMOM Series™, which addresses sensitive topics to children in a lighthearted way and celebrates the hidden superpowers of moms everywhere. Tommy actually wrote MightyMom with me, and on this second anniversary of his passing, I felt compelled to not only release the book, but also to donate 100% of net proceeds from the entire series to the TM23 Foundation. The Foundation strives to inspire more laughter and joy in our world, and to remind children and young adults that success is also measured by how much we enjoy our lives. During a time when fear increasingly divides us and human connections are too often being made through a screen, TM23 really stands out by promoting the simple concept of joining together in play.

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?

I am beyond grateful to all three entrepreneurs who trusted me to help manifest their visions and who gave me the space I needed to grow as a person and businesswoman under their guidance. They gave me the flexibility to be a mother, a wife and a businesswoman and trusted that I could be and do all three well. Having said that, my husband is my biggest champion. After Tommy passed away, the start-up girl in me was no longer capable of simply being who she was before. It was impossible to put the pieces of myself back together in the same configuration. I needed time to heal and the freedom to find new purpose in my life and my work. My husband has stood next to me during this period of exploration and continues to give me the freedom to evolve.

Ok thank you for all that. Now let’s shift to the main focus of this interview. We would like to explore and flesh out the trait of resilience. How would you define resilience? What do you believe are the characteristics or traits of resilient people?

Resilient people have strong imaginations and are not afraid to use them. Resilient people know there is always a way out or through. To be resilient is to create solutions, be curious and open, believe in yourself and trust the universe to help along the way.

When you think of resilience, which person comes to mind? Can you explain why you chose that person?

I think of Joe Biden and all the parents who have ever lost a child yet continue to persevere and grow while honoring the child they miss and love. It is extremely difficult, maybe even impossible, for others to understand how such profound loss can change a life. When I hear or read about parents who have survived such unfathomable loss and manifested new purpose in their lives, they give me hope that I can too. Joe Biden’s political views and the fact that he is running for President are not what matters to me. What matters is that he has channeled his grief in a way that is true to himself, serves others and helps him live a meaningful and joyful life. To me this is resilience at the highest level.

Has there ever been a time that someone told you something was impossible, but you did it anyway? Can you share the story with us?

After my son passed away, I was told by a number of people, including “expert” grief therapists that, “the pain is forever. It will never go away.” Their projection of how I would feel for the rest of my life did not land well with me, especially since none of them had actually experienced the loss of a child first hand. I could have listened to them and just curled up and died for the rest of my life, believing that the amount of pain I endured was an expression of how much I loved my son. Instead, I made a conscious choice to get up, put one foot in front of the other and express my love in a way that publicly honors my son and serves others. And, rising up out of love instead of allowing myself to sink in it has slowly transformed my pain so that I can keep moving through it. The TM23 Foundation is teaching me not only how to survive but how to more fully live.

Did you have a time in your life where you had one of your greatest setbacks, but you bounced back from it stronger than ever? Can you share that story with us?

My greatest setback that makes all other setbacks look like blessings, was the day my son didn’t wake up one morning. I would not say I’m stronger because of it. My efforts to survive and to create a meaningful life is not about strength. It’s about love. Love for the son I lost and love for the son and husband that I still have here.

Did you have any experiences growing up that have contributed to building your resiliency? Can you share a story?

When I was a senior in college I went to New York for my first job interview. The morning of the interview I woke up and couldn’t shut my left eye. By the time I had to leave for the interview, the entire left side of my face was paralyzed. Never before had I experienced such fear. Still, I threw my long dark brown hair over half my face and forced myself to go through with the interview. By the time I got on a plane and flew home the next day, my entire face was paralyzed. I made a deal with the universe on that plane ride home and promised that if my faced healed, I would go after my dreams and not just keep thinking about them. I was very specific about what I meant. When I returned to L. A., I went back to college with my frozen face and graduated with all of my friends. I got the job. My face healed. And, every major decision thereafter was made in the context of the commitment I made to myself on that flight. I now look back on this experience as a blessing. It taught me the meaning of resiliency at an early age and helped me prepare for even bigger obstacles that would later come my way.

Resilience is like a muscle that can be strengthened. In your opinion, what are 5 steps that someone can take to become more resilient? Please share a story or an example for each.

Write. Grab a pad of paper and get those emotions out on a page until you can clearly identify your problem and work through them. It may take 20 minutes, a couple of hours or multiple notebooks, but just write and write without a filter until you can identify what you are trying to achieve and why it matters. You don’t even need to read or save what you have written. By the time you reach the end of it you’ll know what to do. Also, give yourself 24 hours before acting on any of it and you’ll be able to simplify the dilemma even further. I have used this technique ever since I was a child. It helps me put my problems into perspective and forces new layers of my own self to start working for me.
Create. Use your imagination to create action steps and figure out different ways to proceed. Don’t limit yourself. Let your curiousity fuel you and the imagination go as far as it wants, and then the right course of action will become apparent. Make sure the vision is clear and find the courage to go for it. There is always a way. You just have to believe in yourself and trust that the universe will help you at some point along the way.
Walk. Put one foot in front of the other. Step by step. Day by day. If you don’t run from the problem you will get through it faster and stronger.
Read. Read about others who have faced adversity and allow their stories to teach and inspire you. They will put your problem into context. I lost one child. It’s an unimaginable tragedy. Then I read about others who lost their entire family. Just like there is always someone smarter, better looking and more successful, there is always someone with bigger problems than yours. Allow their stories to inspire and guide you. They are hoping that they will.
Laugh. Surround yourself with people and hobbies that bring positive energy into your life. Sometimes, our own energy isn’t enough to get us through difficult times, and the power of a good laugh or just hanging out with a good friend or loyal animal can’t be understated. A month or so after Tommy passed away, a friend of my husband’s who I didn’t know at the time invited us to his comedy show at the Comedy Store on Sunset Blvd. I had been grieving all day and could not stop the flow of tears. I told my husband that going to a comedy show was the worst idea of all time. I didn’t want to laugh. I thought comedy was too dark, and my life was dark enough. He convinced me to go for an hour. We stayed for almost two. Within minutes of the show starting, I surprised myself by laughing and an inner voice told me that I would be able to laugh again in life. The laughter infused me with positive energy on a day when I needed it the most.

You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. :-). I believe the TM23 Foundation is part of a movement that will encourage younger generations to be themselves, to play and to serve their communities. The world spends a lot of time focused on fear. Fear that our children won’t be the best at something. Fear that we will fail. Fear that we will die. The TM23 Foundation strives to remind people to live. We should spend more time enjoying our lives. We should play more. We should care about our community more. We should do what is deeply meaningful to us. We should learn about what interests us. And, we should strive to become what we love. Unfortunately, it took a tragedy for me to learn these lessons and now the TM23 Foundations hopes to help kids and young adults learn it sooner. By teaching children the value of doing what they love, they will spread more joy than fear and help our world reprioritize fun.

We are blessed that some very prominent leaders read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US with whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them :-). Again, I have to go with Joe Biden. Not, as I said earlier, for political reasons, and not to discuss politics, but because I so admire how he has risen up to serve his country. I would love the chance to have a conversation with him about how those loved ones he has lost along the way continue to inspire him every single day.

How can our readers follow you on social media?

Website: www.TM23foundation.org;

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tm23foundation/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TM23Foundation

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

Nikki Mark of the MIGHTYMOM Series: “5 Steps To Take To Become More Resilient” was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

WGU Indiana Chancellor Allison Bell: “5 Things You Need To Know To Successfully Manage a Remote…

WGU Indiana Chancellor Allison Bell: “5 Things You Need To Know To Successfully Manage a Remote Team”

While confronting challenges, it’s always important that co-workers feel respected and not ambushed. An easy way to give constructive feedback without being too critical is to always follow up the problem or situation with an action item. Pointing out how a team member can work to improve upon challenges shows that you are invested in their success and growth.

I had the pleasure of interviewing Allison Bell is the chancellor of WGU Indiana, the state’s online, competency-based university. Bell has more than 20 years of higher education leadership experience, including four years of prior experience with WGU Indiana as their general manager of operations from 2010–2014. Bell earned a M.A. in Student Personnel Administration in Higher Education from Ball State University. She received additional training through the Indiana University Advising Leadership Institute and the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL).

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would love to get to know you a bit better. What is your “backstory”?

I am the chancellor of WGU Indiana, the state’s online, competency-based university. I have over 20 years of higher education leadership experience, including four years of prior experience with WGU Indiana as their general manager of operations from 2010–2014. Before returning to WGU, I served as Director of Degree Completion at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, where I led operations and supervised academic coaching and career staff.

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

I am a working mom. As a young professional, I believed that I had to be the one to do everything for my children. I also worried when I had to miss events at work because of family responsibilities. I thought I had to do it all myself and, as a result, felt like I was doing nothing very well. What I’ve learned over time is that taking care of your professional and personal responsibilities doesn’t always mean doing it yourself. Asking for help, leaning on your community, giving responsibilities to a trusted colleague IS taking care of things. When I let go of the idea that I had to do it all myself, I found that I became a better mother and a more effective leader.

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

I once accepted a job that was a newly created position and part of the role was to be the local support for a whole team of new employees as they experienced onboarding and training. I was still learning, myself, and was often fielding questions for which I did not have immediate answers. I felt the stress of the responsibility I had taken on because I wanted the new employees to feel supported by and confident in me and in the organization. As a result of this experience, I learned that it is ok not to know everything when you lead a team. In embarking on the journey together, trust and connections are built, and everyone learns something. So now, when someone asks me a question that I don’t know the answer to, I give them the response that I developed as a result of that experience, “let’s find that out together”.

What advice would you give to other CEOs or founders to help their employees to thrive and avoid burnout?

As a leader, it’s important to first model this behavior for your employees. Often, your team members will follow the example that you set. My team feels free to pursue activities that align with their passions and set boundaries between work and personal life because I am transparent about the boundaries that I set, the activities that I choose to bring balance, and support them when they do the same.

Ok, let’s jump to the core of our interview. Some companies have many years of experience with managing a remote team. Others have just started this, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Can you tell us how many years of experience you have managing remote teams?

I started managing a remote team in 2012 and have continued to manage remote team members since then.

Managing a team remotely can be very different than managing a team that is in front of you. Can you articulate for our readers what the five main challenges are regarding managing a remote team? Can you give a story or example for each?

No open door conversations — As a leader, I leave my door open and welcome my team to stop in when my schedule allows. Some the most powerful interactions I have had with members of my team have been impromptu interactions. Whether it be a quick question or idea they pop into my office to share with me, or a conversation prompted by an interpersonal interaction, those opportunities are fewer and different when everyone is working remotely.
No “water-cooler” conversations — While too much socializing in the workplace can negatively impact productivity, there is no question that some socializing while working together in the office is healthy and builds community and relationships. Those relationships are often the foundation of collaborations between team members that move the organization along in a positive direction.
Measuring productivity — While time in the office doesn’t exactly equal time on task, there is some comfort and showing up to a physical office and seeing your team at work in the same place. Having everyone working remotely requires a different level of trust and an alternative way to measure productivity.
Celebrations — Whether celebrating birthdays, welcoming new team members, or a team accomplishment, rituals of celebration are an important part of team building and provide motivation and energy. Teams working remotely cannot go to lunch together or meet in the break room to sing happy birthday.
Team meetings — The dynamic of a team meeting in an online conference room is different in many ways from an in-person meeting. Online meetings have so much more potential for interruptions and technical difficulties, as a leader it can be more difficult to recognize when a team member is trying to speak up but getting talked over, and people can more easily disengage and multitask.

Based on your experience, what can one do to address or redress each of those challenges?

Use technology to create an open door. By now, every organization has an IM system with the option to mark yourself “available”. My team knows that if I’m marked as available, my virtual door is open for them to “drop in”. I make it a point to be responsive when I’m marked as available and set my status to “busy” if I truly cannot be disturbed. We also have a more regular cadence of one on one and group meetings to facilitate these conversations.
Water-cooler conversations can happen remotely. Again, we use our IM tool. As a team we level-set expectations that we have our IM system open and that we use the tagging feature to alert colleagues of our conversations. As leaders, we intentionally created a team channel to share (by choice) pictures of fun things we’ve done on the weekends with families, funny memes, and inspirational messages, too.
Set clear goals with team members and manage based on those goals. When there is a mutual understanding of tasks and goals, it’s easy to know when your team member is spending enough time on task!
Celebrations can continue via the internet! We have hosted 3 team lunches a virtual baby shower in the last 2 months. We would rather be in the room together, but we can celebrate this way too, and it is fun in a different way.
Effective virtual Team Meetings — Lay out ground rules and expectations, ask everyone to leave their camera’s on to minimize multi-tasking, give each team member a turn to talk so that everyone contributes, and teach everyone where the mute button is.

In my experience, one of the trickiest parts of managing a remote team is giving honest feedback, in a way that doesn’t come across as too harsh. If someone is in front of you much of the nuance can be picked up in facial expressions and body language. But not when someone is remote. Can you give a few suggestions about how to best give constructive criticism to a remote employee?

It’s important to continue regular communication between team members even when working remote, don’t assume that no news, is good news. With such a broad variety of virtual platforms, there are endless mediums for communicating different situations. Although it’s not always the preferred medium of communication, setting up a phone call or a virtual Zoom call can be the best way to give constructive criticism or chat about a specific situation. Staying connected on a day to day or weekly basis can make these conversations easier and also prevent any conflicts from going unseen.

Can you specifically address how to give constructive feedback over email? How do you prevent the email from sounding too critical or harsh?

While confronting challenges, it’s always important that co-workers feel respected and not ambushed. An easy way to give constructive feedback without being too critical is to always follow up the problem or situation with an action item. Pointing out how a team member can work to improve upon challenges shows that you are invested in their success and growth.

Can you share any suggestions for teams who are used to working together on location but are forced to work remotely due to the pandemic. Are there potential obstacles one should avoid with a team that is just getting used to working remotely?

One of the most important things to remember during these challenging times is that everyone handles change in different ways. It’s important to keep lines of communication open, especially when working remotely is something new or is being forced upon us. Nearly 300 of WGU Indiana’s faculty and staff work remotely, so luckily, we have existing tools and mechanisms to make sure communication is easy and accessible.

What do you suggest can be done to create a healthy and empowering work culture with a team that is remote and not physically together?

It’s essential to keep team moral high, especially given the uncertainty with which we are all living. As a leader in the office it’s important to make sure all team members feel heard and know they are not alone in this difficult transition. A great way to do this is to set up a virtual office meeting and also keep open communication across the entire workplace. In addition to open communication, giving positive recognition to team members while working from home shows that you see the work they are putting in every day.

The onset of the novel coronavirus and the necessity to shelter in place has brought the need for reliable, affordable internet access to the forefront. This is a moment when students, professionals, and families must rely on the internet more than ever for their education, jobs, and personal needs, yet in Indiana alone, 666,000 people live without access to a wired connection capable of 25mbps download speeds. Now is a time to recognize that equal access to high-speed internet is essential in both rural and urban settings across my home state and others and that urgent action is needed to support our leaders in their efforts to shrink this digital divide.

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

I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel. ~ Maya Angelou

Thank you for these great insights!

WGU Indiana Chancellor Allison Bell: “5 Things You Need To Know To Successfully Manage a Remote… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Dr. Islam Gouda: “5 Things You Need To Do To Build A Trusted And Beloved Brand”

Another huge benefit of social media is that it provides market insight companies can use to better their brand. When a brand is experiencing problems, social media is there to connect with consumers that can provide insights into why the brand is having those problems. Social media also humanizes brands by allowing companies to respond to consumer problems, comments and feedback. Social media marketing not only helps companies connect with their consumers in a more engaging and sincere way, it also allows companies to provide their audience with a call-to-action and reinforces deep connections.

As part of our series about how to create a trusted, believable, and beloved brand, I had the pleasure to interview Dr. Islam Gouda.

Dr. Islam Gouda is a young professional with a passion for marketing. Dr. Gouda has an honorary doctorate from the University of California in Strategic Marketing as a result of the many articles, research studies and publications in that field. He also has a masters degree from the University of Wollongong in Strategic Marketing, and attended Lehigh university’s organizational leadership course, and an American University of Sharjah graduate in Marketing and Management.

Dr. Gouda is a marketing focused business experience with a strong analytical ability of using available market data for strategic marketing, business development, product development purposes along with the identification of new business opportunities and measurement of ROI.

Dr. Gouda’s specialties include leadership and communications skills with the ability to adapt to a wide variety of cultures and to manage and work part of cross-functional teams.

Dr. Gouda has a strong track of success on the definition and execution of the whole marketing mix for both consumer and enterprise segments: market intelligence, product management, demand generation, press, advertising, alliances — with a proven channel expertise, campaigns setup, channel enablement programs, execution, tracking, reporting.

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

Before joining the American University of Sharjah, all my studies were in Arabic, but my thinking and influence from my friends made me want to be a computer engineer as I thought this would be the future at that time. When I applied at the American University of Sharjah my first semester, I had to undertake several elective courses one of which was marketing. I was fond of studying the psychology of the consumers and trying to create products and services that appeal to them in a scientific and measurable manner. I changed my major to the school of business and chose Marketing and Management as my major. I was an “A” student and my professors started hiring me as their TA for the subject and predicted a bright future for me pursuing my passion and what I love and not what others told me to be. My first job was at MasterCard Middle East, it was where I really enjoyed working with numbers and statistics about people’s purchasing patterns and behaviors and devised concise marketing strategies and plans. I did BTL and ATL marketing in addition to practicing social media and how to interact with the customers online, and for that particular company I give all credit to where I am right now and being the head of marketing in my next roles.

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

When I was part of MasterCard Middle East, I was also in charge of developing new products for the customers that were insights and data driven by the customer purchases. We wanted at that time to create a product that caters to women, a credit card for one of the operating banks in the Middle East that can be sold to the women segment. So, one of my suggestions about the packaging was to make the card colorful (pink) so women can feel that they can comfortably use it, and men be discouraged to get the card. When we launched the card neither men or women bought and when we created a focus group to understand why it came to our knowledge that women do not like to have pink credit cards but black as men do to feel equal with men as they earn and spend in the same way. So, that mistake taught me that not all standard theories are obsolete, and that customers’ insights change from one situation to the other depending on the industry, the product, and what they feel when making a purchase. So, the lesson learned was to not always listen to your instincts but first to talk with the people and understand what they want before deciding. Yes, it might take time, yes it would involve an ample amount of research, but it will yield the results that you want to achieve.

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

My current company understands the employees and capitalizes on their strengths and tries to empower them to overcome their weaknesses. The number one factor of success in any company is listening and understanding your employees and that is what my current company does. It allows free thinking and creativity, there is autonomy and no micro-management, and this is key giving freedom to the employees to creatively achieve their goals and objectives.

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

I am currently part of the automotive industry, and the number one challenge is to understand how people react to the changing circumstances amid the COVID19 pandemic. What are the certain behaviors and decisions people would make when viewing a car rental proposition? Our number one priority is to understand that pattern of behavior to help them commute in the most safe and secure way and create messages that would unblock their protective moods that they have been in due to the COVID19 situation.

Ok let’s now jump to the core part of our interview. In a nutshell, how would you define the difference between brand marketing (branding) and product marketing (advertising)? Can you explain?

Branding is a lot deeper than we might realize when we’re reading about the newest marketing fads on the internet. Branding has everything to do with identity: who are you and what kind of business are you? What’s your name, and why should I remember it? How do you and your brand make me feel? The answers to these questions should be related to your products and services — but not limited to them. Your brand is what makes your business feel like a person, and a person is more than an automatic vending machine, business transaction or product; a person has a personality, and just like a person, your business’ brand needs to show its personality. Advertising, however, is about communicating what you have to offer through sales, coupons, radio and TV ads, and posters. An advertisement is soliciting a meeting between your ideal customer and your company, and the difference between a customer who knows your brand and one who doesn’t is like the difference between asking a stranger on the street to go to coffee with you, and asking a friend.

Can you explain to our readers why it is important to invest resources and energy into building a brand, in addition to the general marketing and advertising efforts?

Brand recognition and awareness play a huge part in building credibility with customers and helping the sales team close a deal. Demand generation and corporate branding go together, especially for growth-phase companies. If a prospect does not know your company, the sales rep will spend the first few precious minutes explaining who you are. Wouldn’t it be better and more effective if your prospect had already heard of you? That way, instead of describing your company, you could spend time describing your offering. People buy products they like from companies they know and trust. Think Apple, Amazon, and Starbucks or B2B companies such as Intel and GE. In today’s market, brand credibility is your competitive advantage. Whether you are a start-up or a growth-phase business, it’s imperative for marketing heads to position the brand as a market leader and leverage their founders’ profile to create positive brand perception and customer behavior. Additionally, Founders and business leaders are constantly looking for financiers to support their growth and exit strategies. Investors view a company before investing, not just its product or products. They also consider corporate reputation, the CEO and founders’ credibility and financial performance before making an investment decision. Finally, in today’s digital era, buying decisions are changing dramatically. buyers are now as empowered as consumers. CIOs are not the only ones making the ultimate buying decisions, and how businesses interact with vendors is also changing. Marketers therefore have to design strategies that educate and engage customers, not “sell” to them. Content should be interesting, and search optimized for digital discovery. Delivering a personalized experience and making content and tools readily available when and where customers need them have great potential to improve the customer experience. Building your brand is key to driving sales, boosting partnerships, and accelerating growth. You want customers to trust your name, eager to learn more and be proud they can rely on your brand to run their business. Consider brand building as a long-term commitment and investment — not an expense.

Can you share 5 strategies that a company should be doing to build a trusted and believable brand? Please tell us a story or example for each.

The number one strategy is to be honest with the customers, being transparent means recognizing and being open about both your strengths and weaknesses. If your product is not right for one of your leads, you should be secure enough to guide that lead in the right direction, even if that act means boosting your competitor’s bottom line. When Dove began its Campaign for Real Beauty in 2004, (now the Dove Self-Esteem Project) it transformed itself from merely a soap company to a company with a vision. Their new mission statement was that “beauty should be a source of confidence and not anxiety.” By consistently aligning its marketing efforts with its mission statement, Dove has been able to change its public perception to a brand that authentically champions women’s empowerment and wants to change the conversation around beauty. The longevity and resources Dove has put into changing the advertising industry’s narrow view of beauty have also made Dove appear more credible with its marketing messages.
The second most important strategy is to under promise and over deliver. Consumers don’t trust brands nearly as much as they used to, and one reason for this shift is that customers feel they’ve been lied to. Any time a customer feels as though he or she has been deceived or manipulated, in any way that customers will likely part ways with the brand responsible. Accordingly, it’s in your best interest to under-promise and over-deliver when it comes to all forms of customer expectations. If it takes you a week to ship a product, tell your customers it takes two weeks. If a product will last for 10 years, claim it will last for eight. That way, you will never run the risk of breaking your promises (at least, not with the majority of your customers). The Japanese car maker Toyota has been doing this for years, people know the quality of the cars and their durability, but they never promise customers that their cars will last for years. Customers experience such a brand promise by themselves without such being said in advertising or marketing campaigns, that is how their sales are always high, and people buy their products without any hesitation.
The third strategy is to embody values that set you apart. Take Ben and Jerry as an example. For Ben & Jerry’s, it’s not enough just to turn a profit, or even to provide the best possible ice cream product to their customers. In addition to those two goals, they want to use their business to try to make the world a better place through charitable work (the Ben & Jerry’s Foundation was founded in 1985 and receives 7.5% of the company’s annual profits to fund “community-oriented projects”) and activism (Ben & Jerry’s works to support causes they believe in, including GMO labeling and preventing climate change).It can be hard as a business owner to decide to take a stand for a cause you believe in. It’s a big risk — everyone isn’t going to agree with the specific things that you may want to support, of course, and the fear of losing customers can overpower a desire to do good. But for a business that wants to do more, no matter what “more” means to you, Ben & Jerry’s is a great role model.
The fourth strategy is to always put the customers first. When it comes down to it, your ability to earn customer trust depends on your ability to reliably give your customers what they want. And one of the best ways to do this is to build a company-wide customer-centric culture. For example, Emirates Airlines provides the best flying experience to customers with varying budgets. You can have a great experience with Emirates travelling in economy class better than any other airlines the same way goes to flying first class. They simply put the customers first and make them the center of the transaction.
The final strategy is to maintain consistency. Maintaining consistency ensures that your prospects and customers know what to expect. You can set both internal and external goals to maintain the quality of service. Brands like Coca-Cola and Nike have managed to maintain consistency over decades in business. Even with subtle changes in design over the years, there is a basic look that remains consistent.
Finally, Trust is a byproduct of a commitment to quality and excellence. If you can deliver the right results to the right people over the long haul, they will come to believe and trust in your product and service offerings.

In your opinion, what is an example of a company that has done a fantastic job building a believable and beloved brand. What specifically impresses you? What can one do to replicate that?

I think the best example is Burt’s Bees. They make all-natural personal care products, but their mission is much larger. Inspired by their founder, they “look to Burt as a model of how to live simply, naturally, and responsibly.” As such, a large component of their brand storytelling focuses on how Burt’s philosophies and lifestyle influence the products they make. Through a series of entertaining videos, they help us get to know the man behind the brand. The thing that impresses me the most about this brand is its ability to start small and then become very large on the grounds of a product that has never been inspired by the customers at all. When Burts Bees conducted focus groups and surveys, customers never said that they wanted a lip balm made out of honey, they just mentioned that they would like to see a more natural product in such a market. They have created the niche but did not find it, which is a case study to all marketers around the world of the fantastic job they have done. In order for us to replicate that, we need to read between the lines of what the customers says. People will never tell you we want this or that, but they will outline their aspirations and for such marketers needs to psychoanalyse the customers and create an understanding beyond what they are saying.

In advertising, one generally measures success by the number of sales. How does one measure the success of a brand building campaign? Is it similar, is it different?

Before beginning any brand-building campaign, it’s important to first determine the campaign’s goals. What would success look like for this campaign? Are you trying to raise brand awareness, or do you want your campaign to result in a specific action? The simple exercise of exploring these options and parameters will help you develop a richer analysis of your efforts. Keep in mind that the more detailed you get in terms of goals and benchmarks, the better. Let us say, for example, that you want to send out your company’s freshly re-branded newsletter. Many marketers would fall into the mistake of sending the newsletter out and seeing what happens. But, much like the importance of a hypothesis in a science experiment, your priority should be to set certain benchmarks or goals for this campaign. Once the campaign is complete, you can revisit these goals to see just how the campaign measured up to expectations — providing you with a better idea of what you can do to improve for next time. You’ll also want to include competitor data in your benchmarks. While it’s important to measure the success of your campaign from an internal perspective, where are you in regard to the competition? Are you aware of the number of downloads their app has? Has their latest campaign resulted in a spike of followers on social? Knowing what you need to do to remain competitive will add yet another layer of complexity to how you measure the success of your brand building campaigns. Measuring the success of any campaign comes down to data. Fortunately, in the Digital Age where products are becoming smarter and consumer’s time online continues to increase, marketers have a plethora of data they can take advantage of. In today’s ever-online world, you can monitor brand activity across all channels in order to gauge engagement and reach. Analytics can be used to gain insight into demographics, interest, and awareness. You can then use this information to discover new areas of opportunity. Data can also be used to test campaigns and content. A/B testing content can yield impressive insight and enable your company to create smarter campaigns.

What role does social media play in your branding efforts?

The role of social media in building brands is an extremely important one. With social media, all consumers can share their voice and opinion. With the different types of social media platforms, companies have many ways to connect with their audience. Social media increases the amount of exposure a brand receives and increases traffic. Social media also helps to develop loyal fans and generates leads. Having a strong social media presence allows a brand to develop business partnerships, reduce marketing costs and improve sales. Another huge benefit of social media is that it provides market insight companies can use to better their brand. When a brand is experiencing problems, social media is there to connect with consumers that can provide insights into why the brand is having those problems. Social media also humanizes brands by allowing companies to respond to consumer problems, comments and feedback. Social media marketing not only helps companies connect with their consumers in a more engaging and sincere way, it also allows companies to provide their audience with a call-to-action and reinforces deep connections. There are many essential social media marketing strategies to ensure a brand is optimizing social media. The first is to choose the right social media networks that fit the brand best. If a company is finding they aren’t getting any traction on some social media sites, it’s beneficial to change to other sites they could get traction on. The next strategy is to not overlook visual branding. Consumers respond to visuals so it is important to ensure all social media profiles look similar and don’t create a disconnect. The third strategy companies should use is to develop their own unique voice. To do this, companies should incorporate their company culture and values into their posts and make them authentic. Being consistent with topics and posting regularly are also important strategies companies should focus on when building their brand. The rise of social media has led to the rise of influencers. When building their brand, companies should connect with these influencers. When connecting with influencers, companies should make sure they are authentic, active, engaging, experts in the field and good leaders. Other strategies for building brands include not wasting profile space, promoting profiles and, most importantly, being engaging.

What advice would you give to other marketers or business leaders to thrive and avoid burnout?

The best tip I can give is to build a solid workflow and stick to it. In the short-term, it’s tempting to skirt around steps or tasks in my workflows to save a few minutes here or there, but in the end it has always come back to bite me and costs me an hour or two. Workflows are built for a reason — ensuring that a quality product can be turned out in a timely and efficient manner.

Help comes in all sorts of forms — from helping an elderly lady across the street, to supporting a colleague to get a huge project done, to consoling a friend who’s going through a bad break up. Contrary to the idea that people who help in big ways are doormats and will inevitably burn out or get walked on, research now shows that those who are the most successful and impactful in the world are also the biggest, most generous givers. So, if you are a teen, or in college, or a working member of the community dedicate at least 2 hours of your day helping others in any form and you will feel better and make others feel better as well.

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

My own personal quote in life is “Your character will take you places more than your talent, and your talent will take you places more than your skills, and your motivation is what makes all of these work together.” After many years of working and studying, I came to the conclusion that character alone won’t take you places, and talent alone won’t take you places — you need to be self-motivated in order for your talent and your character to work together and make something out of you. This quote is very relevant in my life because people used to tell me that I had the talent and the character, but my motivation levels were very low. When my passion for marketing started growing, I did not read much outside of my work experiences and the books that I used to read when I was at school. But I figured out that it is was not enough — for you to thrive in life you need to read and read and read and finally write about your experiences. Motivate yourself and reward it at the end of the day with an accomplishment that crowns your efforts.

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

I would like to meet Bill Gates and have lunch with him, I want to understand what motivated him to create this empire and suddenly step out. It would be interesting to take his insights as well on future business changes in addition to his personal experience with marketing Microsoft to turn into one of the biggest companies in the world.

How can our readers follow you on social media?

You can reach out to me on LinkedIn (search Islam Gouda),

or on Twitter (IslamGouda11)

or send me an email on [email protected]

Dr. Islam Gouda: “5 Things You Need To Do To Build A Trusted And Beloved Brand” was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Bill Eckstrom of the EcSell Institute: “5 Things You Need To Know To Successfully Manage a Remote…

Bill Eckstrom of the EcSell Institute: “5 Things You Need To Know To Successfully Manage a Remote Team”

We tend to make negative assumptions — my people don’t work as hard, they are not as productive, they must be spending more time on social media, etc. Negative assumptions create distrust, which damages leadership effectiveness.

I had the pleasure of interviewing Bill Eckstrom, CEO and founder of the EcSell Institute, a research-based organization that coaches company leaders on growth and performance.

Bill’s vast experience of turning subpar leaders into elite coaches will help you understand why measuring performance at the leadership level is critical to growth at the individual, team, and organizational level. Bill is known as the world’s foremost authority in metric-based performance coaching and growth. Utilizing both entertainment and poignant research in his talks, Bill will leave your audience ready to take action. Bill was invited to the TEDx stage in 2017, and his talk entitled “Why Comfort Will Ruin Your Life” was the fastest growing TEDx Talk in the history of the event. Bill’s latest book, “The Coaching Effect,” is based on the research of over 100,000 workplace coaching interactions and helps leaders at all levels understand the necessity of challenging people out of their comfort zone to create a high-growth organization. Growth is what inspires Bill’s philanthropic life, especially his involvement in therapy dog work. He and his Labrador, Aspen, work together at senior living homes, children’s hospitals and anywhere the presence of Aspen’s wagging tail and soft soul can bring a smile.

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would love to get to know you a bit better. What is your “backstory”?

I spent the first 15 years of my career in sales, then sales leadership roles until 2008. At that time, I was searching for a leadership development program that was as robust as the training programs available for sales teams. It was also important to me that the program be based in data and research, not opinion — but I couldn’t find any that checked those boxes. That’s when I founded the EcSell Institute, a research-based coaching and leadership development organization.

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

I applied to do a TEDx Talk in my hometown and was rejected. Not long after, I was asked by the organizer of a TED event in different city to give a talk there. The resulting talk became their most viral talk in the history of their event. Based on TED viewing data, the goal was to have 15,000 views in the first six months — the video hit 15,000 views in just over 24 hours!

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

When giving a speech, never go to the restroom without turning of your wireless mic. I did this once during an intermission, thinking I had clicked it off, but obviously had not… When I returned to the audience, I received a standing ovation.

What advice would you give to other CEOs or founders to help their employees to thrive and avoid burnout?

Know if the leaders within your organizations are coaching in a way that promotes thriving employees! Ultimately, the only way for CEOs or founders to understand the effectiveness of their leaders’ coaching is to quantify it through objective measurement. If you aren’t measuring it, you are leaving your employees vulnerable to underperformance and burnout.

My first remote team was in 2000, and I’ve had remote team members in every role and company since that time. Looking presently at EcSell’s senior team, there are several remote members; our President, director of research, director of events, and various others been working remotely for over four years.

There are certainly differences in managing remotely vs in person, but they are not so significant that leaders can’t overcome them.

Out of sight, out of mind — let’s face it, not being physically present makes it easy to forget about those on your team. There are fewer questions, fewer reasons to be present, and fewer distractions, which all lead to lack of communication.
Relationship creation and perpetuation is easier to let slide — this ties back to the previous challenge, but is unique. Creating and perpetuating relationships is still foundational to engagement, turnover, sales revenue, and more. Not all communication creates deeper trust-based relationships, so leaders need to do the right activities with the right quality. For example, most remote leaders will still hold 1:1 meetings with those on their team, but if all they talk about is the numbers, relationships will diminish. Leaders need to get personal with their people! More intentionality must be brought to relationship development to maintain growth.
We tend to make negative assumptions — my people don’t work as hard, they are not as productive, they must be spending more time on social media, etc. Negative assumptions create distrust, which damages leadership effectiveness.
Access to high-functioning work places at home is not a given — kids, aging parents, lack of space, lack of proper office ergonomics, and more are all factors that impact work effectiveness.
Team members aren’t necessarily feeling confident in their ability to do their jobs well — Our COVID-19 Insight Survey™ tells us that only 35% of employees strongly agree that they know what to do to be successful in the near future.

Based on your experience, what can one do to address or redress each of those challenges?

Leaders need to do be doing more “check-in” calls with team members. Again, the top performing leaders of teams are doing this a minimum of 2–3 times/week/member of the team.
Because of what we are seeing in our COVID-19 research, leaders need to hold 1:1 meetings with those on their teams at least weekly (if not already happening). They can move to every other week once the chaos is behind us.
Always assume those on your team are still providing the best effort they can, but once a week, ask the question, “Is there anything you need or that would help your productivity in your new virtual environment?” I did this for a team member who responded by asking if I would adopt his kids (he was joking, of course).
During a team meeting, ask “Would you share one best practice you are doing to be more effective while working from home?” Then, put together a list of the best practices and share with everyone in your company.
Ask (don’t tell) each member of your team what their key priorities are for the next four weeks. See if their answers are in line with your expectations, and if not, share your expectations in a clear and succinct manner. Then ask them to paraphrase (in a way that is not condescending) the key priorities so that what you said and what they heard are in sync.

In my experience, one of the trickiest parts of managing a remote team is giving honest feedback in a way that doesn’t come across as too harsh. If someone is in front of you, much of the nuance can be picked up in facial expressions and body language. But not when someone is remote. Can you give a few suggestions about how to best give constructive criticism to a remote employee?

Feedback is too often thought of as an activity that occurs only when somebody has not met an expectation, which is usually why it is associated with “constructive criticism.” However, consistent feedback should be woven into the fabric of the organization. When feedback becomes cultural, whether positive or negative, the response is easier to receive. So, the challenge at hand is not the communication medium (virtual -v- in person), but rather the culture of feedback within an organization.

EcSell Institute research is showing that many people prefer to video chat over simply a phone call, which can assist in the feedback process. Regardless of the communication medium, effective leaders should always be very deliberate about asking questions, which may seem at odds with the term “feedback.” Questioning is the most powerful form of feedback. So, if either negative or positive feedback is being provided, always be sure to ask, “How is this making you feel?” Another effective form of feedback is to ask the employee to paraphrase all or some of the conversation that was just had, which ensures both parties are on the same page.

Can you specifically address how to give constructive feedback over email? How do you prevent the email from sounding too critical or harsh?

Email should never be a medium for providing feedback, but it can be used as a tool for written follow-up to a spoken feedback conversation. There is too much emotional risk to use only the written word for feedback; employees need to hear a voice and see a face for proper feedback to occur.

Can you share any suggestions for teams who are used to working together on location but are forced to work remotely due to the pandemic? Are there potential obstacles one should avoid with a team that is just getting used to working remotely?

EcSell Institute research shows that communication is key. 86% of top-performing companies have leaders who are reaching out to those on their team a minimum of 2–3 times/week — some (50%) are doing it as often as daily with great results. These “check-ins” don’t have to be all business-related — sometimes people just want you to ask how they are holding up.

Obstacle to avoid: don’t assume everyone wants to be treated the same way during this new working dynamic. While some may want or need to hear from you 3–4 times/week, others may only want to visit once weekly. It is a leader’s job to determine what is unique for each individual on their teams.

What do you suggest can be done to create a healthy and empowering work culture with a team that is remote and not physically together?

Our business-related team meetings used to be every other week, but we now hold a 15-minute off-week meeting too. All meetings begin with a thumbs up, down, or sideways as a quick “how are you doing” indicator. If a team member is sideways or down, we then ask if it is something they would like to share or discuss later.

We also recommend a weekly virtual team gathering that is primarily social. EcSell has dubbed ours FAC — “Forget About Covid.” It’s 3–4pm on Fridays, and we begin by having a team member ask a unique question that each person needs to answer.

Practice the 3 M’s: Mindfulness. Meditation. Manifestation.

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

“The constant façade of order hides the wilderness that is craving to seep out and teach us that life wasn’t created to be what we think it is. Beyond words, we must experience the wilderness to be taught what cannot be otherwise known.”

Dr. Serene Jones

I used this quote in the closing of my TEDx Talk. By living these words, which captured the spirit of my talk, my life has forever evolved for the positive. It allowed me to write a book on the topic, and it has given EcSell Institute’s work worldwide recognition.

Thank you for these great insights!

Bill Eckstrom of the EcSell Institute: “5 Things You Need To Know To Successfully Manage a Remote… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Sunil Prashara of the Project Management Institute: “5 Things You Need To Know To Successfully…

Sunil Prashara of the Project Management Institute: “5 Things You Need To Know To Successfully Manage a Remote Team”

In today’s business environment people are moving so quickly — it’s easy to shoot off an email without taking the time to think about how it will be interpreted on the other end. I would actually say that effective leaders should always offer to connect via phone or video chat to talk through feedback. In my experience, constructive feedback should really always be a conversation rather than handled over email if it involves potentially sensitive issues. Email may be the beginning of the conversation, but be sure to follow through with a real conversation.

As a part of our series about the five things you need to successfully manage a remote team, I had the pleasure of interviewing Sunil Prashara, President & CEO, Project Management Institute.

As President & Chief Executive Officer of the Project Management Institute (PMI), Sunil Prashara is the lead advocate for PMI’s global organization, serving more than three million professionals working in nearly every country of the world. His primary responsibility is to implement PMI’s global strategic plan with a priority on strategic focus, customer centricity and organizational agility. This includes expanding the PMI footprint globally, as well as digitizing PMI’s offerings and platforms to benefit its members and a variety of other stakeholders. The plan will also continue to enhance and advocate for the profession of project management.

Sunil was named CEO of PMI in March of 2019. He brings more than three decades of valuable global leadership to PMI, with a solid track record of setting and delivering strategy, managing large scale transformation agendas, and meeting growth targets for international organizations.

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would love to get to know you a bit better. What is your “backstory”?

My backstory isn’t exactly traditional. While I have always worked in the corporate world for large, global organizations, I didn’t have just one clear path or role. Within my 30 years of experience, I’ve worn a variety of different hats from finance to sales to operations.

I started off earning a degree in medical biochemistry. I then began as a rookie salesperson and ended up as the Global Head of Sales for Nokia. I started in finance and worked my way up to CFO for an IT services company. And within operations, I ran multi-billion-dollar transformation programs for Vodafone.

And since my global roles have taken me all over the world, I have a strong appreciation of different cultures and the way business is conducted in different parts of the world.

I believe it’s this variety of experience that has prepared me to work as a CEO. I understand the different challenges, needs, thought processes and working styles across functions and borders.

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

What has been most interesting to me overall has been that opportunity, right from an early start in my career, to pivot from one functional area to another — multiple times. What has ultimately been most interesting has been the opportunity to build on each of these experiences. As I look at my role now as a CEO, all of these experiences as fundamentally a “sales guy” helped bear a lot of fruit to help me do the job today.

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?

Some consistent mistakes that I’ve seen time and again have been the consequences of miscommunication resulting in a lack of alignment. Problems can easily emerge that shouldn’t have ever arisen — and they all stem from poor communications.

That can happen all the time at both tactical and strategic levels, especially when you’re communicating across countries and languages. I can remember times seeing someone present information to senior leaders after working diligently on a deliverable, only to discover that they had totally misunderstood the request. It can be funny — but it can also be embarrassing and cost lots of money!

What advice would you give to other CEOs or founders to help their employees to thrive and avoid burnout?

The first thing is to be conscious that the productivity levels of staff have gone through the roof. Employees are working from home, which often results in them being much more focused on work with few distractions. In this environment, work-life balance is more important than ever, but more difficult to gauge working from home.

This burst of productivity can be good in the short term, but it can also hurt over time. Leaders need to be cognizant of this reality and give their teams sufficient time for their work. You may need to revisit some deadlines; some deadlines are obviously critical for the business, but not deadlines for the sake of deadlines. Cut people some slack and build that into the project plan.

I’ve been managing remote teams for 25 years. At Vodafone, I ran sales globally and had 11 regions all virtually reporting to me. All of our meetings were virtual.

Today all of PMI’s staff have gone virtual for the moment. I’ve learned that the way people communicate in these teams can be very different. You have to keep in mind geographic differences, for instance, people in Japan will communicate very differently from the Netherlands or the US. It’s important to maintain an awareness of those team dynamics.

When transitioning to remote teams, there will be an adjustment period. Many remote teams will face the following challenges:

Adapting to virtual meetings: When it comes to virtual meetings, remote teams must get into a rhythm. When you aren’t in person in an office or conference room, it’s easier to get distracted, people might talk over one another unintentionally while others may not be as engaged. The biggest mistake managers make is operating like it’s business as usual. Different skills, behaviors and connection points are needed to make virtual meetings successful and productive. On the positive side here, you don’t have half of the team in person and half on the phone. Everyone joins calls virtually today, which puts them on an equal footing. That’s a practice most will want to continue going forward. When one person is virtual, they all should be.
Misunderstandings and miscommunication: When you lose the face-to-face connection, things can get lost in translation more easily and result in misunderstandings or miscommunication. If unaddressed, in time can fester into resentment or anger. Tone is very important here. Managers need to periodically bring together disparate team members to discuss ongoing challenges and align on next steps.
Adjusting leadership style: In our new environment of home offices and webinars, leaders must use the tools at their disposal to connect meaningfully with team members. This style of collaborative leadership calls on leaders to not simply issue directives; they need to motivate and convey a shared purpose. In a time when talent can go anywhere in the world, the “command and control” style of leadership is a relic of the past — we can have no patience today for “check the box” style management.
Embracing new “power skills”: Working in a virtual environment requires a different set of “power skills” — like greater communication, more emotional intelligence and empathy. COVID-19 has shown us the value of emotional intelligence when managing teams and handling conflict from afar. Technology can only do so much; the ability to be human and show empathy and cultural awareness when you lose face-to-face contact will help draw teams together virtually.
Combining teams with different skills, experiences, thinking and cultures: When managing a globally dispersed team, it can be challenging to navigate different time zones, local holidays, any language barriers and more. But once you bring everyone together, the benefits outweigh the challenges. Bringing together talent regardless of where they are based allows businesses to bring together the right talent for the right project. Companies can harness a greater diversity of thought and reduce cultural bias. The trick here is to create enough team cohesion that each person sees the value in others.

Based on your experience, what can one do to address or redress each of those challenges?

To address challenges around productivity, it’s important to build comradery around a shared vision or goal despite physical distance. Make sure everyone on the team is clear on their specific role and knows that they have a voice and place on the team. This also applies to virtual team meetings — ensuring that everyone knows their role will lead to greater transparency and participation across the team. People need to see their work within the context of the bigger team goals. It gives them a sense of place and worth — focusing their actions, as they understand how they fit into the bigger picture.

But transparency extends beyond defining goals, roles and responsibilities. It’s also important to create a shared virtual work environment — much like you would have in the office — to make work more visible. This helps ensure that your teams aren’t questioning each other’s productivity and prevents micro-management.

There are several tools that can help accomplish this be it Microsoft Teams, Trello, etc. And these tools often allow you to capture all interactions in one space. By standardizing tools, your teams will have greater insight into where certain items are in the work stream and know where to engage their coworkers beyond official calls and meetings. Establishing a virtual workspace helps create greater autonomy while simultaneously enhancing transparency.

It may seem like a no-brainer, but geographically dispersed teams require a heightened approach to communications, and now more than ever, leaders must keep teams driving toward results. If you just sit back and don’t bring your virtual teams together regularly, work streams will fall apart. It’s important to communicate with team members frequently and get a pulse check on how projects are progressing, identify where there are challenges and work together to find solutions. Communicating often via phone and video chat should help mitigate misunderstandings and miscommunications that come with losing face-to-face contact.

Emotional intelligence is especially important when delivering tough news or feedback virtually, which will become increasingly common as companies embrace more virtual work in the aftermath of COVID-19.

When giving feedback virtually, you can usually tell you’ve done a good job of offering constructive criticism by the level and quality of the interaction that follows.

Try to do it over video so that you can judge reactions.
Make sure it’s one on one. No public/group criticism.
Keep the opening short and make it a discussion.
Begin with the end in mind and work together toward a clearly stated outcome.
Be “in it” with the person you are helping do better.

Can you specifically address how to give constructive feedback over email? How do you prevent the email from sounding too critical or harsh?

In today’s business environment people are moving so quickly — it’s easy to shoot off an email without taking the time to think about how it will be interpreted on the other end. I would actually say that effective leaders should always offer to connect via phone or video chat to talk through feedback. In my experience, constructive feedback should really always be a conversation rather than handled over email if it involves potentially sensitive issues. Email may be the beginning of the conversation, but be sure to follow through with a real conversation.

It’s important that there’s a level of patience and empathy as teams adapt to working remotely. In the pandemic environment specifically, many are juggling work with childcare, so it’s inevitable that there will be some adjustment period. I can’t stress enough the importance of leading with emotional intelligence during this transition, as well as frequent communication with team members. You also need to understand that many on your team will need to learn or improve a new set of skills in a virtual work environment. Offering your team the tools, resources and support to help build these new muscles will be key to overall success.

What do you suggest can be done to create a healthy and empowering work culture with a team that is remote and not physically together?

In the COVID-19 environment, we’ve seen many companies use different tactics to create a positive remote culture that goes beyond just work. From virtual happy hours to virtual yoga, trivia and more — organizations are embracing new ways of keeping up the human connection so it doesn’t get lost as teams adapt to working remotely.

One way that we do this at PMI is each morning, I host a 15–20 minute virtual meeting with the whole organization discussing topics not related to ongoing projects. We keep these meetings very positive, sharing everything from best practices for working virtually to showing off new colleagues — a.k.a, employees’ kids, pets and plants. It’s been an effective and lighthearted way to keep employees connected, and we’ve been seeing conversations that started during the morning meeting continue to evolve on our internal collaboration tool, Yammer, throughout the day. In some ways, I’ve never been as involved in “water cooler talk” as I am today. It’s a different, in some ways richer, way to foster connection and teamwork.

Frequent communication from leadership is a must to empower work culture. Be it spotlighting great work across the business, acknowledging the challenges of our new working world, or sharing general updates, having open and authentic lines of communication is key to fostering a positive work culture across geographically dispersed teams

We’re in a situation now in which people are very concerned about giving back. As organizations build their way back from this crisis, they’re going to be striving to build a better future with a better understanding of their environment.

Corporate social responsibility will increasingly be critical to attract talent and create a good brand name. People are taking a long look at how they value their companies not just from a monetary perspective, but from a social perspective. This will accelerate as company valuations evolve to not just focus on the commercial bottom-line.

One reason why I joined PMI is because of the social impact that our community has through initiatives like last year’s Global Celebration of Service, in which PMI chapters pledged to contribute more than 150,000 hours to tackle the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. One of the reasons that I joined PMI to begin with was that we weren’t for profit, but “for purpose.” I like that we are a beacon of hope and lead through our values.

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

I suppose my favorite quote would be from my dad, who told me, “You better make sure you’re doing what you love doing, but stick to your principles.”

When you do what you love doing, you bounce out of bed. You don’t get tired. It took me a long time to find it, but I needed all of my sales and operational roles to gain the confidence to become an effective CEO.

So, my life lesson is to make sure you know a little about everything; organizations increasingly tell people today that they need to be lifelong learners and I’ve strived to be that since I left university. Across different industries and technology areas, from consulting to even starting my own company, I’ve amassed a lot of different experiences. I’ve worked in the for-profit and non-profit worlds, across finance, HR, and sales. I’ve lived and worked in Singapore, India, the US, the UK, the Netherlands, France…and what all of these experiences teach you is that you don’t know everything!

There is always so much to learn. What’s the latest thinking in data science and AI? What’s it like to work in Russia, or Mongolia, or China? The keys to unlocking new opportunities are curiosity and lifelong learnings.

Thank you for these great insights!

Sunil Prashara of the Project Management Institute: “5 Things You Need To Know To Successfully… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Marcus Startzel of Whitebox: “The Future of Retail Over The Next Five Years”

Priorities have three parts: setting them, and sticking with them, and not spending time or effort on things that aren’t priorities. Teams build a team around you that you trust, and empower them to make your organization better. Without good teams focused on the top priorities, you create the perfect environment for burnout out… a ton of effort placed, and nothing to show for it. People don’t burn out in startups when there is fast growing success…and that requires clear priorities and great teams.

As part of our series about the future of retail, I had the pleasure of interviewing Marcus Startzel.

Marcus is a proven executive leader with a track record of driving industry-leading growth. Before joining Whitebox, he served various senior leadership roles within AppNexus, leading up to their 2018 $1.6B acquisition by AT&T. Marcus joined AppNexus through the acquisition of MediaGlu, a cross-device technology company where he served as Chairman & CEO. Previously, Marcus was the GM of North America and Global CRO at Millennial Media where he led dramatic enterprise growth that resulted in a successful IPO on the NYSE.

In addition, he serves on the Board of Directors at the Maryland FoodBank. Marcus earned a Mathematics degree with Merit from the United States Naval Academy and is a former U.S. Naval Submarine Officer and qualified nuclear engineer.

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

I started my career as a submarine officer, where I worked with nuclear power in a ballistic missiles submarine. So, my first five years were underwater working for the Navy, and I can’t think of anything else that is farther away career-wise than what I currently do.

After those five years as a submarine officer, I went to work for an IT technology firm down in Texas, but I wanted to move closer to home in the North East. So, after a few years there, I moved up to the Baltimore area and started working at a company called Advertising.com.

Advertising.com was my first venture-backed, startup experience in the tech space and it was really what sent me down the path I’m still currently on — from Advertising.com to Millennial Media, then MediaGlu which was acquired by AppNexus, and now I’m here at Whitebox.

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

Well, in a startup career of almost 20 years with 5 exits, there have been a lot of interesting people and stories. I think the days and weeks leading up to the Millennial Media IPO were indeed interesting and being on the senior leadership team during that event cemented many of my beliefs about leadership. As the executive responsible for the company’s revenue, hitting numbers and growing was never more in the spotlight. Anxiety tends to flare up in situations like that, and leading teams through those periods are critical. Decision-making is highlighted, and it really tests and organizations the ability to clearly communicate and execute.

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

When I first started at Advertising.com in sales, I was working on closing a big deal. The prospect was VERY data-driven, and I needed to pull together a report on our sales and progress as a company. We had an internal, daily report which housed so much SUPER confidential information. I built a chart in excel for the client and pasted it into a powerpoint. But I pasted the entire excel file in the background and sent the prospect all of the company’s performance data. It wasn’t funny at the time — I was terrified. It’s now funny looking back at the stress I put on myself about it. The lesson was simple — always paste excel charts as pictures.

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

I’m on the board at the Maryland FoodBank. We just celebrated our 40th Anniversary of helping the food insecure in Maryland, and COVID-19 has put so many Marylanders at risk. In normal economic conditions, 1 in 9 Marylanders needs food assistance to make it through the day. Now, with record unemployment, and schools closed, so many more folks are struggling to get a solid meal during the day. The team there is doing amazing work, and while not an “exciting new project”, I volunteer at the FoodBank, because it is such a vital link in the lives of many Marylanders.

Which tips would you recommend to your colleagues in your industry to help them to thrive and not “burn out”?

Priorities and teams. Priorities have three parts: setting them, and sticking with them, and not spending time or effort on things that aren’t priorities. Teams build a team around you that you trust, and empower them to make your organization better. Without good teams focused on the top priorities, you create the perfect environment for burnout out… a ton of effort placed, and nothing to show for it. People don’t burn out in startups when there is fast growing success…and that requires clear priorities and great teams.

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?

There are so many people who have helped me in my life and my career. My wife, my children, and my entire network of friends and family have been so supportive. My wife in particular has always been that strong balance and sounding board for every major decision I’ve made in my life and career. I am so grateful to her, and without her would be nowhere. I’m grateful to the executives who’ve served with me. So many are now friends, and advisors. A couple of which took risks on me early in my career based on potential they saw, without which, I would not had the success I’ve had. I’m grateful for the folks who have worked for me. A couple in particular have taught me more about leadership than anyone I’ve worked for.

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

Oh man, that is a big question. I know I’ve had an impact on the lives of a lot of people in the companies I’ve worked for and led. We’ve created jobs, new technologies, and even markets. I’ve helped people grow their capabilities and careers and go on to do amazing things. But to claim to bring goodness to the world, that is a very big bar to leap over from my point of view. I operate with integrity and expect and demand it from those around me. Maybe that can be a seed to sprout some good one day.

Ok super. Now let’s jump to the main question of our interview. Can you share 5 examples of how retail companies will be adjusting over the next five years to the new ways that consumers like to shop?

With the growth of eCommerce, consumer choice has exploded, and consumer expectations have changed — 2-day shipping, a reliance on reviews, price comparisons, increased product selection, etc. Consumers expect to be able to purchase the products they want, anywhere they shop. The divides between traditional commerce and e-commerce are closing. Amazon and other growing marketplaces prioritize the consumer, not the brands. For many brands, there has been a divide in focus and processes between being sold on store shelves and an eCommerce strategy. Brands are forced to manage the complexity and costs of direct-to-consumer sales efforts and fulfillment and meeting these new customer expectations. We see many brands that are looking for a path to success in modern commerce. Some areas we are focused on:

VERTICAL INTEGRATION

While fulfillment partners can help a brand with their eCommerce or wholesale fulfillment needs, and marketing agencies that can execute marketplace sales strategies, working with a partner that works on both sides of your business will give you access to insights and tools that will help you identify and react to new opportunities.

Customers expect to purchase their product of choice from their retailer of choice. Vertical integration is a winning model to provide this experience — to succeed in modern commerce you must “move stuff” and “sell stuff”, and harvest and leverage the data that comes from that process.
A vertically integrated model allows brands to capture the entire value chain and deliver lower costs to customers and increase sales.
This means all sales, logistics, and fulfillment all in one software platform

COMPREHENSIVE MARKETPLACE STRATEGY

Brands will look to broaden their product offering across marketplaces to sell where consumers are. While Amazon accounts for 62% (need to find source) of all eCommerce purchases and has surpassed Google in product searches. (need to find source), it is not the only marketplace brands should focus on. Determining the marketplaces that make sense for your brand — Amazon, Walmart Marketplace, Target, eBay, Google Shopping, etc. will be a key component of your strategy. From there, researching the right product selection for each marketplace, understanding the difference in consumer demographics, shopping habits, price sensitivities, sales velocity, margins, etc. and using data to create a long-term marketplace strategy will increase your opportunity for success.

OMNICHANNEL FULFILLMENT

Omnichannel order fulfillment ensures all your inventory is available across any channel, from one network. Whether you are looking for fulfillment and logistics specific for B2B, retail replenishment, drop-ship, direct-to-consumer eCommerce, or marketplace prep, pooling all of your inventory in one network simplifies ordering and forecasting and provides visibility into your sales and logistics across all channels.

PROTECT YOUR SUPPLY CHAIN

Many of the conversations our team is having with clients are focused on how to build a stable, yet flexible strategy moving forward. Protecting your supply chain and taking proactive steps to ensure business continuity is a priority for all of our clients.

Stay in Stock: Being out-of-stock can create issues with your direct consumers, marketplaces, and retail relationships. Pooling all of your inventory in one fulfillment network increases your chances of staying in stock and being able to move inventory as needed based on demand. Regardless of the type of order — wholesale, DTC, drop-ship, marketplace, etc.

Create Redundancies: Store and fulfill products from multiple fulfillment centers. If there is a substantial increase in demand, your products can be packed and shipped from all fulfillment centers. If a product is out of stock at one fulfillment center, the others can fulfill the orders, and if a fulfillment center is negatively impacted, those tasks can be performed by any other fulfillment center. This gives you the stability and flexibility to handle an influx of orders.

Exceed Customer Delivery Expectations: Having all of your inventory in one network means you have the flexibility to split it among markets to get as close to your customer as possible — getting deliveries to customers faster and cheaper

USE DATA TO GROW YOUR BUSINESS

Tech-enabled logistics and fulfillment: The 3PL industry is operating 100-year-old business models on 50-year-old technology and is ripe for disruption. Find a next-generation fulfillment partner who will rely on innovations in technology and processes to deliver results.
Use data & Insights to drive decisions: Use search and purchase data to guide new product launches and understand better how to advertise across marketplaces.
Test Variety & Multipacks to Enhance Product Offerings: Selling your $6 shampoo at your consumer’s favorite brick and mortar store makes sense. Selling that same $6 shampoo online, after you consider packaging and shipping, may not make sense for your business. Many products that are sold as single units in retailers, do better as multiple and variety packs online, while delivering higher profit margins. Whiotebox’s technology creates and tests product configurations in real-time with our tech-enabled virtual storage solution.

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

Ending hunger. This isn’t a new idea, and it shouldn’t need a movement. But in a world where consumers can choose a food delivery company to bring them a single meal, because they can afford the huge fees to deliver one meal, not enough people understand that so many people are silently hungry. Every day. My movement would be for folk who can afford to donate, donate to food banks. The nationwide network of food banks can create 10 meals out of a $1 donation.

How can our readers follow you on social media?

Marcus Startzel of Whitebox: “The Future of Retail Over The Next Five Years” was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

The Future Is Now: “A tech platform that can reduce risky driving” With Bill Powers of Cambridge…

The Future Is Now: “A tech platform that can reduce risky driving” With Bill Powers of Cambridge Mobile Telematics

We’re taking one of the largest safety concerns on the roads today — the smartphone — and using it to solve the very problem it creates — distracted driving. Our platform — built with behavioral science, artificial intelligence, and mobile sensing — gives drivers the feedback they need to improve their driving and make the roads safer for everyone.

As a part of our series about cutting edge technological breakthroughs, I had the pleasure of interviewing Bill Powers.

Bill Powers is Founder & CEO of Cambridge Mobile Telematics. Bill has played a vital role in building and managing a number of successful organizations at companies like Swoop and Traffic.com. He is recognized as a leader in emerging media and technology. Bill established the Luke Vincent Powers Foundation in memory of his son, Luke. He serves as the Foundation’s President, which supports disadvantaged children.

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

I learned early on in my life that a person can control basically only two things: how hard you work, and how you treat other people. So when I started my first business at 21 — a basketball camp — I made sure that I worked hard to make it thrive, and made and maintained good relationships with good people.

A few decades of following those principles gave me the opportunity to work with my co-founders, Hari Balakrishnan and Sam Madden, to build a technology company that could help save lives on the roads. By maintaining those principles, we’ve grown it to be one of the most successful technology startups in Massachusetts history.

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

When CMT started, we turned down a number of venture capital funding offers and decided to take a different path. We applied for and received an NSF small business grant, and I put the rest of the financing on my credit card and off we went. That was 10 years ago.

Can you tell us about the “Bleeding edge” technological breakthroughs that you are working on? How do you think that will help people?

We’re taking one of the largest safety concerns on the roads today — the smartphone — and using it to solve the very problem it creates — distracted driving. Our platform — built with behavioral science, artificial intelligence, and mobile sensing — gives drivers the feedback they need to improve their driving and make the roads safer for everyone.

How do you think this might change the world?

More than ever, the world is realizing that how we move around is at the very core of our successful economy and our equitable society. The mobility technologies we’re building will help innovate areas that have come under intense focus like supply chain, commuting to and from work and even public health. They will make transportation more efficient, safer, and environmentally friendly.

Keeping “Black Mirror” in mind can you see any potential drawbacks about this technology that people should think more deeply about?

Treating people right includes being faithful custodians of their privacy, a core tenet that CMTholds itself to every day.

Was there a “tipping point” that led you to this breakthrough? Can you tell us that story?

As smartphones became more ubiquitous, and as people started using their phones more for many different things, distracted driving increased and became a significant danger on the roads. We saw an opportunity to make the roads safer.

What do you need to lead this technology to widespread adoption?

It’s happening now. People want to pay less on their auto insurance and be assessed on how they drive, not who they are. They’re using telematics to save money in these uncertain financial times.

What have you been doing to publicize this idea? Have you been using any innovative marketing strategies?

We’re a B2B platform, so we collaborate closely with our partners — insurance companies, wireless providers and OEMs — to get this out to their policyholders and new customers. When our partners are successful in building their best-in-market programs, we’re successful, so we use everything in our power to help them do just that.

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

My father died when I was young, and after that, I gravitated towards a certain kind of person as a mentor. These were men who got up every day, put in a hard day’s work, and who carried themselves in a dignified manner. These gentlemen endeavored to do the right thing and treat people the right way.

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

This technology saves lives by helping drivers reduce risky behavior behind the wheel.

What are your “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Started” and why. (Please share a story or example for each.)

1) Listen more than you talk.

2) Just because it’s a good idea doesn’t mean it will work.

3) Don’t expect everyone to work as hard as you do.

4) Do not allow things to fester; communicate fearlessly but respectfully, always.

5) If it was easy, everybody would do it.

Treat people with honesty and respect. Be kind.

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

“If not us, then who? If not now, then when?” Nobody can predict success — just work harder, surround yourself with good people, and make it happen.

Some very well known VCs read this column. If you had 60 seconds to make a pitch to a VC, what would you say? He or she might just see this if we tag them 🙂

When evaluating whether or not to invest in a particular company, place as much consideration on the founders’ ability to succeed and as you would the technology and business model. This is a particularly salient point in these unprecedented times. A company’s ability to grow and thrive in the midst of a storm is what will ultimately succeed.

How can our readers follow you on social media?

Follow Cambridge Mobile Telematics — I trust the good people running those accounts to give you everything you need.

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

The Future Is Now: “A tech platform that can reduce risky driving” With Bill Powers of Cambridge… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

The Future is Now: “Hi-tech tools for situational awareness in space and earth”, With Ben Lamm of…

The Future is Now: “Hi-tech tools for situational awareness in space and earth”, With Ben Lamm of Hypergiant

I don’t think success is ours alone. I think if we get to the top and haven’t spread goodness along the way, we are doing it wrong. Right now I’m really focused on two things: climate change and employee health. We launched the Eos Bioreactor as a tool to help sequester carbon and I’ve been really bullish about our efforts to bring it to market along with some additional products we haven’t announced. I hope it will be an important part of helping us address climate change. Additionally, right now our employees matter more than anything. I’m really focused on helping them to feel safe, secure and comfortable in this moment of global crisis.

I had the pleasure of interviewing Ben Lamm, a serial technology entrepreneur that builds intelligent and transformative businesses. He is currently the founder and CEO of Hypergiant, a next-gen AI and defense company. Previous to founding Hypergiant, Lamm was the CEO and founder of Conversable, the leading conversational intelligence platform that helps brands reach their customers through automated experiences on all major messaging and voice platforms. Conversable was acquired by LivePerson (NASDAQ: LPSN) in 2018.

Lamm was also the founder and CEO of Chaotic Moon, a global mobile creative technology powerhouse acquired by Accenture (NYSE: ACN). During his time at Chaotic Moon and as a Managing Director at Accenture, Lamm spearheaded the creation of some of the Fortune 500’s most groundbreaking digital products and experiences in the emerging tech world of IoT, VR, Connected Car, Mobile, Tablet, and Wearables.

After leaving Accenture, Lamm focused his attention on other ventures, including the consumer gaming company he co-founded, Team Chaos. Team Chaos was focused on making fun, original games that people can easily play across a variety of platforms. In 2016, Team Chaos was acquired by Zynga (NASDAQ: ZNGA).

In addition to leading and growing his own companies, Lamm is very active in angel investing, incubators and startup communities, with investments in the software and emerging tech space. He actively mentors fellow entrepreneurs on how to build disruptive businesses through accelerators and corporate programs. In addition to supporting startups, Lamm also serves on Adweek’s advisory board, the Planetary Society’s advisory council and the advisory board of the Arch Mission.

Lamm is often quoted in the press on innovation, technology and entrepreneurship, and has appeared as a thought leader in outlets such as the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Forbes, Adweek, Entrepreneur, Inc, Wired, TechCrunch, VentureBeat, and Newsweek. He frequently writes for AdWeek, Forbes, Ozy, Quartz and more.

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

I remember reading all of these dystopian futurists and hearing about Elon Musk wanting to leave the Earth for Mars and I just thought… is this it? Have we all given up on humanity and the planet? And, I thought that I didn’t want that to be the case. I wanted to do something about it. So I built Hypergiant to work on space, defense and critical infrastructure which I believe are the fundamental elements of civilization that act as the core building blocks of humanity. Our goal at the company is to deliver on the future we were promised — which is the one from my childhood where we had flying cars and world peace and even vacations in space. I looked around and couldn’t find anyone who was really focused on the intersection of space, defense and critical infrastructure through the lens of emerging tech and AI. I believe it is an opportunity to build a necessary company for this critical juncture of our planet and species.

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

Absolutely not: I was sworn to secrecy. I will say though I have had a really interesting and weird career ranging from getting yelled at by Ari Emanuel in board meetings to calls with Steve Jobs on subscription news products, debating branding with Gene Simmons, whiteboarding product design ideas with Rupert Murdoch, debating the future of space with Bill Nye on stage, and more. I believe all these weird experiences helped inform my perspective on the world of business.

Can you tell us about the “Bleeding edge” technological breakthroughs that you are working on? How do you think that will help people?

Right now we are working on tools and platforms for situational awareness both in space and here on earth. This is the cutting edge of technology that fuses space and defense. It’s about tracking, understanding, and monitoring the proposed tens of thousands of satellites that are going to be in space in the future and how to think about things like the militarization of space. Then take this data and merging it with data from the ground while running machine learning in near-real-time to then provide the outputs of that data to tablets and even next-gen heads up displays for soldiers or first responders on the ground.

We are also working on some research projects around satellite support, back up, and distributed computing. Most people aren’t thinking about the vulnerability of our satellites and how to protect them but it’s a massive security concern.

How do you think this might change the world?

The better and faster we can collect, understand and distribute data, the more informed we are to make decisions — whether that be for shipping and logistics, disaster relief, or police and military. We also need to ensure there are the right levels of intelligent redundancies so that one bad move in space doesn’t set us back decades on Earth.

Keeping “Black Mirror” in mind can you see any potential drawbacks about this technology that people should think more deeply about?

Humans make and control technology. Technology is not fully autonomous and sentient. It is responsive to human needs and interests. So, the best way to overcome fear is to become educated, to develop a point of view and then push for that point of view to be made into law. Tech isn’t scary; unregulated people who are looking at the future without putting human needs first are scary. It is all about having the right ethical frameworks in place and then standing behind your values in those frameworks.

Was there a “tipping point” that led you to this breakthrough? Can you tell us that story?

We’ve been doing a ton of work around machine learning and the impact intelligent technologies will have on space and space-based data. Many people have been concerned around the vulnerabilities to various points in the infrastructure stack including space. Then in January, we saw a Russian satellite destroy a second satellite and people really started to ask a lot more questions. So, we got to work on figuring out what could be done to help improve this area of our critical space infrastructure and working on various solutions and products. The entire end-to-end system that I mentioned before has to be connected and protected.

What do you need to lead this technology to widespread adoption?

At this point, we need to continue to work on its advancement and to develop solutions in partnership with other satellite focused businesses and organizations.

What have you been doing to publicize this idea? Have you been using any innovative marketing strategies?

This is not currently an idea we are in the process of marketing widely. We are working with a couple of great strategic partners in the sector as well as the US government.

I am so grateful to so many along the way. Two of the most influential people to me have been one of my long-term partners, Andrew Busey who has taught me so much about product development, patent and IP strategy, and fundraising. I also wouldn’t be where I am today without my long-term mentor and friend, John McKinley. John was the CTO of Newscorp, CTO AOL, CIO GE Capital among many others. He has taught me so much about strategic thinking and how to deal with really large teams and problems ranging from how to handle hostile negotiations to expectations management to employee retention.

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

I don’t think success is ours alone. I think if we get to the top and haven’t spread goodness along the way, we are doing it wrong. Right now I’m really focused on two things: climate change and employee health. We launched the Eos Bioreactor as a tool to help sequester carbon and I’ve been really bullish about our efforts to bring it to market along with some additional products we haven’t announced. I hope it will be an important part of helping us address climate change. Additionally, right now our employees matter more than anything. I’m really focused on helping them to feel safe, secure and comfortable in this moment of global crisis.

What are your “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Started” and why. (Please share a story or example for each.)

Be careful who you go into business with: matching with a business partner is like getting married. You don’t want to do it with just anyone.
Trust your intuition: your intuition is literally the most important aspect of your brain. It is sending you a signal for a reason, trust it.
Nothing is impossible: literally nothing is impossible. Most things are limited by time or money and eventually with enough effort you can solve for both.
Do what you’re good at: I’m not an engineer but I’m a great creative. So, I brainstorm a lot of tech solutions and then step away when people go to work on it. It’s how I make things happen rapidly; I don’t need to build everything I think that’s why we have teams.
Chase new things: Stay curious about the world; that is what will help you stay ahead of everyone else.

I wish I could have people focused on climate change and the impact it has to all of our lives including conservation of our species and other species on this planet. We need to protect endangered species as the world gets hotter and hotter and we see more seasonality variances due to climate change. We have a ton of species dying and no way to recover them. That’s terrifying.

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

I recently heard the best advice is to not listen to advice. I kind of believe it. Believe the universe is here to help you and you might be surprised by what you see happen.

How can our readers follow you on social media?

Instagram: @federallammofficial
Link: https://www.instagram.com/federallammofficial/
Twitter: @federallamm
Link: https://twitter.com/federallamm
LinkedIn: Ben Lamm
Link: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benlamm/

The Future is Now: “Hi-tech tools for situational awareness in space and earth”, With Ben Lamm of… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Brian K Marks: “Grit; The Most Overlooked Ingredient of Success”

Brian K. Marks: “Grit; The Most Overlooked Ingredient of Success”

Balance — While long days, hard work, and grit is certainly something that led to my success, balance is something that kept me going and kept me fresh each time I showed up at work. Family, fishing and my study of Kabbalah are all elements that rejuvenated me. This allowed me to come back to work each week with a fresh set of eyes and with a sense of renewal.

As a part of my series about “Grit: The Most Overlooked Ingredient of Success” I had the pleasure of interviewing Brian K. Marks.

Brian has spent his 30+ year career dedicated to the entrepreneurial spirit, bringing excellence to women’s hair care products and helping the human condition through philanthropic work. His innovative approach to creating, developing, and marketing healthy, personal care and beauty retail brands and tapping niche consumer audiences in today’s culturally diverse society is a singular success story.

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

The first company and brand that I started was a hair care line called All-ways Natural in 1981, and it was the first company to have a visibly herbal ingredient in the product. This was a very different concept for the industry at that time. So, introducing the concept of natural ingredients to buyers and consumers was quite challenging. However, I put in the work and remained persistent. After nine years with All-ways Natural, one of my trusted advisors, my accountant Phil, asked me, “What do you think about coming up with a new brand?” That is when I developed African Pride, a line of hair care products targeted specifically for African American women. African Pride took off and became an iconic product which is still selling today. The momentum continued when I launched the Dr. Miracles hair care collection, another renowned product line available to consumers still today. After the sale of Dr. Miracles, I again was motivated with the help of Marissa Schwartz to develop my latest brand, My Israel’s Miracle hair care line. While traveling through Israel, I became inspired to learn more about the health and beauty elements known to be essential in the region. It was then that I discovered the benefits of these powerful ingredients and wanted to share them with customers around the world and My Israel’s Miracle was born. We are currently on Amazon and there is nothing like it on the market. Interestingly, we are the first company using the word Israel in the brand name.

Can you share your story about “Grit and Success”? First can you tell us a story about the hard times that you faced when you first started your journey?

At the time of the launch of my first brand, All-ways Natural, buyers and consumers had not grasped the concept of natural products. Since it was the first company to have a visibly herbal ingredient in the product, it required a lot of convincing for distributors to buy in to the brand. The first nine years were filled with rejection and buyers discontinuing our product. However, giving up was not an option, it’s just not in my blood. I woke up every morning and got back to it. This was certainly a hard time. However, with a focus on sales, we pushed through those first nine years and we were able to reap the benefits of success during those following years.

Where did you get the drive to continue even though things were so hard?

I often say fear can be a great motivator and can drive you forward. I had bills to pay and a family to support. I didn’t have any other choice than to power through. I had put years into the brand and was committed and determined to make it a success.

So how did Grit lead to your eventual success? How did Grit turn things around?

Getting through those early years was a very long process. I had bought out my partner and was pounding the pavement on my own. During this time my grit and resistance really grew. A big part of grit leading to success had to do with being surrounded by good motivators. After nine years was when my trusted advisor put the thought of starting a new brand in my head, and African Pride was born. The launch of African Pride was a totally different experience. The first few months were tough, but I expected that to be the case. I had gone through the storm with my first brand and I came out with experience, tougher skin, and the grit I knew would help me drive my business. African Pride was quite successful as was Dr. Miracles, both brands are still selling today. Now we are looking to continue that success with My Israel’s Miracle. With this new launch comes new challenges. I came from a world of pounding on the actual physical doors of Walmart and Walgreens to navigating the digital consultants at Amazon. To say times have changed is an understatement. However, this doesn’t discourage me. Instead, I am learning to evolve with the new marketing and sales models. I feel confident that My Israel’s Miracle will follow in my other brand’s footsteps and achieve great success.

Based on your experience, can you share 5 pieces of advice about how one can develop Grit? (Please share a story or example for each)

1) Hard Work: You have to put in the work and be persistent. My paper route, when I was 12 years old, is where my grit truly began. Me and my buddies I would get on our bikes and sell the paper once a week. Not a complicated process; ring the bell and collect the money. Of course, with any business, there were challenges like who didn’t answer the door or who didn’t give a tip. As a kid, I could have given up. Instead, I kept working hard and when people didn’t pay, I just kept knocking on the door.

2) Think Outside the Box: As a kid, around 10 years old, I sold cold sodas in the park when people were playing ball. I knew I had to make money in order to help my family, so I thought of ways to do it. Be observant. Look around to see what consumers need, how things are made, how brands operate. Educate yourself and then think of how you can improve what you are observing. Whether it’s an innovative consumer product or a tool to streamline a process. We all knew people were going to get thirsty after playing in the heat. However, I took that and figured out what was missing in order to create an opportunity to help my family.

3) Persevere with Confidence: As I mentioned, the first brand I started was All-Ways Natural, and I had a rough nine-year start but I never gave up. Instead of the challenges getting me down, I assessed and learned from them. It made me smarter and more confident to persevere and grow my business.

4) Stick To The Basics: The basic building blocks of any company are sales, profitability, and building and developing the right team. With all my brands I never let myself get too distracted away from the basics because I knew they were the foundation to a successful business. Even when brainstorming next level strategies, I would always go back to the basics to ensure the foundation was stable and moving in the right direction.

5) Balance: While long days, hard work, and grit is certainly something that led to my success, balance is something that kept me going and kept me fresh each time I showed up at work. Family, fishing and my study of Kabbalah are all elements that rejuvenated me. This allowed me to come back to work each week with a fresh set of eyes and with a sense of renewal.

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 you when things were tough? Can you share a story about that?

My CPA, a man named Phil Garfield, was referred to me by my bank manager. Phil was a tax attorney and CPA and had a blessed gift where he could look at a financial statement and see things no one else could see. He had an ability to understand any business and advise. I always sought out people who I thought could teach me things. Phil became my mentor and was able to guide me in so many ways. The greatest thing he would do was to snap us out of it when things were down and motivate us to keep moving forward. I am a huge proponent of people seeking mentors and/or becoming one.

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

I have six kids whom all bring greatness to the world. Also, I am a big supporter of the Birthing Project, which supports pregnant women who are in need. We have supported them for the past 15 years, not only monetarily but also working with their founder to assist in larger strategic projects. We are currently sponsoring a project in Africa, which has saved the lives of many women and babies.

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

I’ve always have been fascinated with trademarks and intellectual property. I had the trademark for my new collection, My Israel’s Miracle, for over a decade. I was traveling through Israel while in my mid-40s, and I felt a strong energy, as Israel is well regarded as an energy center of the world. I truly felt there was something special about it. When you ask anyone who has ever traveled to Israel, and you see their reaction, it’s really remarkable. The reaction is unlike anything I’ve ever seen before. The long and the short of it — we wanted to bring a little bit of that special part of Israel to people here in the U.S. by using ancient Israeli ingredients in the My Israel’s Miracle products.

What advice would you give to other executives or founders to help their employees to thrive?

I’ve always believed in openness; so, it’s important my employees understand why they’re doing something, and that they don’t simply have tasks or minute-to-minute interference from me. I also feel it’s important to do things as a community, which has nothing to do with business. For example, one weekend we told the staff not to come in on Friday or Monday. Instead, we took all 87 employees on a cruise, where everyone participated in inclusive events such as karaoke and group get-togethers. Going beyond business is a significant part of our company psychology.

I would create a system where young people can work legally and are rewarded for working. This is something we’re so far away from. Most minimum-wage jobs are held by adults. We are seeing more and more students graduate from college, who haven’t worked. Experience is so important, and I know it would help students if they began to develop hands-on skills while they’re still in school. I would love to change this.

Another movement I am passionate about is encouraging people to become mentors or to find mentors. The concept of mentors is seen today as something old, but when you read about the really smart people — all of them talk about their mentors. So, I think accessibility to becoming a mentor, or to find one, is still important.

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

“Stop looking at your shoes and look out into the horizon.” This is a way of saying that whatever obstacle or problem you’re seeing today, it will clear up tomorrow just like the weather. This outlook has always kept me moving forward with confidence in all of my businesses.

How can our readers follow you on social media?

Facebook @My Israel’s Miracle

Instagram @myisraelsmiracle

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

Brian K Marks: “Grit; The Most Overlooked Ingredient of Success” was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Kimberly Afonso: “Brand Makeovers; 5 Things You Should Do To Upgrade and Re-Energize Your Brand and

Kimberly Afonso: “Brand Makeovers; 5 Things You Should Do To Upgrade and Re-Energize Your Brand and Image”

I have been passionate about balance, especially work-life balance while getting clients great results, and that is something that is central to my work. I am originally from the US and to date have lived in 5 countries and my team currently operates across 6 time zones: I love giving my clients that global perspective as well.

As part of our series about “Brand Makeovers” I had the pleasure to interview Kimberly Afonso.

Kimberly Afonso is a branding, marketing, and consulting expert originally from the US that now runs her remote digital agency from Europe. She works with mid to large-sized corporate clients who are looking to create a consistent and 360-degree strategy for success both online and offline. She is passionate about all things related to remote work, digital marketing, well-being, yoga, and travel.

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. Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?

I have always been passionate about a few things: remote working, well-being, traveling, yoga, and helping leaders.

In my business, I am able to do all of those things and also apply them to work through working with CEOs and Founders every day.

I create online programs that blend all of those interests and educate those who are interested in participating as well.

I have been passionate about balance, especially work-life balance while getting clients great results, and that is something that is central to my work. I am originally from the US and to date have lived in 5 countries and my team currently operates across 6 time zones: I love giving my clients that global perspective as well.

Ok, let’s now jump to the core part of our interview. In a nutshell, how would you define the difference between brand marketing (branding) and product marketing (advertising)? Can you explain?

Branding is really personal. It is the “why” behind why your company does what it does and what it stands for.

Advertising is simply the tool to expand the reach of your core message.

Therefore, everything must start with a good branding strategy, not the other way around! This is one of the biggest mistakes that I see new or small brands make. You have to be really clear on your branding before you start marketing anything, and some want to jump right into the advertising part without developing this and then do not see clear results from their efforts.

Can you explain to our readers why it is important to invest resources and energy into building a brand, in addition to the general marketing and advertising efforts?

If you do not have a strong brand, it will not be clear what you can or should advertise or how you should market your product or service.

Your branding is really central to who you are as a company or individual.

And it is a way for potential customers to get to know you. It is really personal, and without investing time to figure out what you want to say about yourself and why, it will be difficult to market anything you are creating.

Let’s now talk about rebranding. What are a few reasons why a company would consider rebranding?

Rebranding is really common and something I encourage for brands of all shapes and sizes. Perhaps you went through a merger. Perhaps you grew exponentially since you started. Perhaps the market did not take your first product and you want to keep some of your core values, but create something more aligned with your new revenue goals.

There are countless reasons, and sometimes it may be that a company has been in business for 15 years and their logo is looking a bit dated! I like to think about it like changing the interior of your house. You may have many reasons to do so (you have more money to invest at this point in time, your furniture is old, or the old look and feel does not resonate with you anymore) and all are valid reasons to change!

Are there downsides of rebranding? Are there companies that you would advise against doing a “Brand Makeover”? Why?

The only downside could be that if you change your brand too much, your existing customers may not recognize you. In this case, if you are thinking about changing your logo, for example, I would suggest a gradual change. Perhaps keep the same logo but take off your brand name. Then it will not be as drastic. You could also do this the other way around — create a new logo but add your brand name for a period of time so that consumers understand who you are.

Another strategy could be to use the same colors if you are changing other aspects of your brand.

I do not see many reasons NOT to rebrand, but the process definitely needs to be considered carefully before doing so based on new goals and the current consumer base.

Ok, here is the main question of our discussion. Can you share 5 strategies that a company can do to upgrade and re-energize their brand and image”? Please tell us a story or an example for each.

Revisit your Color Scheme — perhaps your old colors do not link to what you are trying to promote. Do some research behind what each color symbolizes and choose your colors wisely. It is an important aspect of any brand’s identity.
Re-Do your Core Brand Values — if you have not visited your core brand values for a few years, that could be a good place to start.
Evaluate what your Logo Means — if you have changed your core positioning, your logo may no longer be relevant. Evaluate what it means and update accordingly.
Invest in Personal Branding — along with your branding, get clear on your personal branding as well. It is often one of the most useful tools when it comes to understanding what you want to represent and promote and helps amplify your brand’s message
Get your entire Team on Board — your team should be a central part of your branding conversations. What do they think are the most important core values of your company? Talk it through with them.

In your opinion, what is an example of a company that has done a fantastic job doing a “Brand Makeover”. What specifically impresses you? What can one do to replicate that?

I think that the Airbnb rebrand had a lot of backlash at the time, but their new logo is much more aligned with what most brands are doing today. It is a recognizable icon that was designed with the meaning of the company behind it. You do not need “Airbnb” to be written to know what that icon stands for. Any brand can replicate that if they are using their name for the branding by creating a logo and starting with the brand name under the logo, then starting to remove their name all together after time.

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

I have a few:

“Everything is figureoutable (by Marie Forleo)”: I truly believe this and it is something that I have embraced throughout my business growth. We can figure out anything if we have the will.

“It does not make sense to hire smart people and tell them what to do; we hire smart people so they can tell us what to do (Steve Jobs)”: I have always been passionate about hiring people smarter than me as you are only as good as your team and getting them to guide our next steps has been very key. It is something I believe in strongly. When you are the smartest person in the room, you are in the wrong room.

“Nothing is ever as good or as bad as it seems”: This is relevant for many reasons — in the client-facing marketing business, if something goes wrong, it never is as bad as it seems and usually can be fixed in one way or another. As we are talking about branding, which relates to social media, nothing is ever as good as it may seem in a post.

And lastly, a yogic quote — “we have everything we need inside of us right now”: I practice yoga daily and truly believe this. We have everything we need right inside of us, the outside is just extra. I always repeat this to myself when I am looking for answers — they are always inside of me. And also to remind myself to separate from the ego.

How can our readers follow you online?

Instagram, Linkedin, or my email list on my website!

https://www.instagram.com/kimberlyafonso/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimberlyafonso/

https://www.kimberlyafonso.com/subscribe

Thank you so much for these excellent insights! We wish you continued success in your work.

Kimberly Afonso: “Brand Makeovers; 5 Things You Should Do To Upgrade and Re-Energize Your Brand and was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Steve Grear of Reshoevn8r: 5 Things You Need To Do To Build A Trusted And Beloved Brand

Consumers connect with the brand, not the products, and are looking to be part of a tribe whether they know it or not. As human beings, we desire connection and if your brand can connect with people in a more meaningful way than just selling them a product, they will have your back and be great ambassadors for your brand.

I had a pleasure interviewing Reshoevn8r founder Steve Grear. He was born and raised in Tucson, Arizona. His childhood and adolescent experiences taught him valuable lessons that inspired him to start his company in 2011. And now, nearly a decade later, his ultimate sneaker cleaner is patented — and Reshoevn8r is one of the top premium shoe care brands in the world.

Grear was raised by his single mother and grew up in a neighborhood comprised mostly of trailer homes. His mother worked full-time and he subsequently became self-sufficient at an early age. Money was sparse for Grear and his family, and he learned to value his shoes. His mother believed that clean shoes are crucial to a presentable appearance, and he followed suit by keeping his sneakers in top condition — foreshadowing Reshoevn8r.

Grear as a teenager transitioned from living with an overprotective mother to a disinterested father that didn’t care what he did in his spare time. He disregarded school as his father toiled away with drugs, and eventually dropped out before graduating high school. Grear was arrested in 2009 on a class-two felony for possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, marking a personal low and eventual epiphany. He realized he needed to do something productive with his life, and Reshoevn8r was born.

Grear in the last decade has controlled Reshoevn8r’s daily operations, gaining experience with e-commerce, marketing and building a massive social media platform. He prides himself on his ability to visualize concepts so that they become a reality and is always thinking about how to evolve. Grear has always had an interest in sneakers, and his excitement about the company often keeps him up at night. He’s a progressive thinker that thrives when the company flourishes and consistently has ideas running through his mind.

Grear is also a loving fiancé and father to his newborn baby girl. He enjoys exercising, listening to music, reading, spending time with his daughter, and giving back to the community. He has been involved with a handful of local and international charities and hopes long term to become a better man while keeping an open mind. His upbringing was challenging and humbling but ultimately helped him become the man and entrepreneur he is today.

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

Being raised in the 80’s, I was exposed to a lot of cool things — sneakers being one of them. I have a lot of love for sneakers and from an early age enjoyed the feeling of putting on a nice, new pair of shoes. Growing up I didn’t have much, so I learned to take care of my shoes and I would clean them regularly to keep them fresh. My love for shoes continued as an early adult and one night as I was cleaning some shoes to sell on eBay I had an epiphany. I realized the shoe cleaning process I had been using for the last 15 years was much more effective than any other product on the market and Reshoevn8r was born.

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

If I had to pick one, it would be when I first started the business. I naively thought after building a website, I would automatically get sales coming in and I quickly realized that’s not how it works. I then attempted to figure out how to drive traffic to my site, so I hired an SEO strategist which led to me spending all of the money that I had left…only to find out that it wouldn’t lead to anything. The lesson I learned is to do as much as you can on your own in the beginning, especially when you have limited money.

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

We pride ourselves on the authenticity and transparency that we provide to our customers, fans, and team. We know how critical it is to build trust and stay innovative in an industry that is evolving and growing rapidly. One of our core values is “be comfortable being uncomfortable” and I do my best to make sure we push ourselves outside of our comfort zone regularly. This isn’t a specific story, but we are always very transparent and honest when we shoot our shoe cleaning tutorials for our YouTube channel, which has over 1,000,000 subscribers. If we clean a shoe and don’t get the results we were expecting, we make sure to show the areas that didn’t clean up so people know not to expect perfection.

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

One of the big projects we recently finished was our rebranding of Reshoevn8r, which we are super excited to introduce. We also partnered with Bata Sole, a nonprofit that provides new and gently used shoes to impoverished communities. We were fortunate enough to help them on a mission to Manila Philippines to provide shoes to kids.

Ok let’s now jump to the core part of our interview. In a nutshell, how would you define the difference between brand marketing (branding) and product marketing (advertising)? Can you explain?

Branding is the visual appearance of the brand — the look and the feeling consumers get when exposed to your logo, name, messaging, etc. I believe how you interact and communicate with customers or fans is a pivotal part of branding. Product marketing is the strategy to sell your goods and drive demand for the items you sell, which requires creativity and a deep level of analysis to do it well. There is also a high level of storytelling and messaging needed in advertising to show people that the product solves a problem for the consumer.

Can you explain to our readers why it is important to invest resources and energy into building a brand, in addition to the general marketing and advertising efforts?

Consumers connect with the brand, not the products, and are looking to be part of a tribe whether they know it or not. As human beings, we desire connection and if your brand can connect with people in a more meaningful way than just selling them a product, they will have your back and be great ambassadors for your brand.

Can you share 5 strategies that a company should be doing to build a trusted and believable brand? Please tell us a story or example for each.

Deliver what you promise: Don’t make promises that you can’t keep. Consumers expect for you to deliver when you say you are going to do something. You need to be reliable and hold yourself to a higher standard because you are being observed at all times.

Be Authentic: Authenticity is super important to gain trust from consumers. They don’t expect you to be perfect but they appreciate when you are transparent with them. It helps to be relatable and with so much noise out there, consumers want realness.

Be customer focused: This is a no-brainer but you would be surprised how many businesses don’t get it. It is impossible to please everyone, but you can get pretty close if you treat the customer how you would like to be treated. Think ahead and avoid issues by being proactive instead of reactive.

Be Consistent: Consistency is key and helps build trust; great achievements are built out of consistent work. We have 1 million subscribers on our YouTube channel from being consistent and releasing two videos every week for the last four years. Because of this, our subscribers trust us as the proven leader in the industry.

Educate: Creating content that consumers can find value in is important to building trust and the more you can add value, the more people will appreciate what you are doing. We try to educate people on how to use our products but also take care of their favorite shoes. Some sneakers sell for thousands of dollars and people want to know how to take care of them. We go out of our way to answer questions on all of our social platforms and we are very responsive when people ask us questions.

In your opinion, what is an example of a company that has done a fantastic job building a believable and beloved brand. What specifically impresses you? What can one do to replicate that?

One brand that I believe has done this better than anyone else is Supreme. They have done an outstanding job building their brand and, for the most part, everything they release sells out. They do a great job with collaborations and leveraging other strong brands to help expand their brand awareness and reach.

In advertising, one generally measures success by the number of sales. How does one measure the success of a brand building campaign? Is it similar, is it different?

I consider branding to be the heartbeat of the business and since it’s continuous, it can be measured by industry buzz, social media growth, and relevance in your industry.

What role does social media play in your branding efforts?

It is everything for us. Consumers will go to social media to learn about your brand and to find out if you are a brand that they will connect with and are attracted to. Consumers can tell from the moment they look at your feed if you are a brand they like. We have built our entire brand and business on social media.

What advice would you give to other marketers or business leaders to thrive and avoid burnout?

I think having the ability to be creative and think outside the box will help create excitement, which is what has helped me. I’m also a firm believer in taking the time to do things you enjoy whether that’s exercise, meditation, cooking, whatever can relax your mind form the daily grind.

I would inspire people to believe in themselves and that regardless of how bad things might seem at the moment, they have the ability to make them better.

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

“Strength and growth come only from continuous effort and struggle.” Napoleon Hill

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

I would have to say Elon Musk.

How can our readers follow you on social media?

@mr.reshoevn8r + @reshoevn8r

Steve Grear of Reshoevn8r: 5 Things You Need To Do To Build A Trusted And Beloved Brand was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Cristin Goss and Julie Plake McMinn of The Solid Brand Sessions: “5 Things You Should Do To Upgrade

Cristin Goss and Julie Plake McMinn of The Solid Brand Sessions: “5 Things You Should Do To Upgrade and Re-Energize Your Brand and Image”

When you are ready to introduce your “new” brand to the world, GO IN STRONG. Take that jump. Book new photos. Come up with a strong social and digital strategy. There is no ideal time or amount of money you may or may not have or really any perfect scenario. You just have to be courageous. How do you find the courage/confidence to put yourself out there? You have to just do it. During the COVID crisis, one of our clients had to pivot and take her workout brand digital. Online classes and virtual workouts. She wasn’t ready, but her brand was set up properly and it was easy for her to transfer her brand to be completely virtual because of the strong brand work we had done in the past.

I had a pleasure interviewing Cristin Goss and Julie Plake McMinn.

Cristin Goss and Julie Plake McMinn are on a mission to bring more than just “pretty pictures” to the world of branding for women leaders and business owners.

In their collaborative project, The Solid Brand Sessions, Cristin and Julie set out to solve a big problem that they both encountered over the years: People want pretty ‘branding’ photos, but then, they don’t know what to do with them. They get caught in a trap that focuses on the “look” only.

The Solid Brand Sessions focuses on helping women business owners overcome this trap. They build and re-energize brands by creating visuals that hold true to a strategy led by the brand’s core values.

Julie’s strategies and brand implementation plans pull directly from her experience in the advertising agency world and the knowledge she gained working as Bethenny Frankel’s right hand as she built her Skinnygirl Empire. Cristin’s storytelling expertise comes from commercial visual and video work for Ustianochka Vodka, Habitat for Humanity, and Simple Sugars.

Cristin and Julie are serious about creating confidence in the brand building journey. Their packages include hair, makeup, personal styling, and production. To date they have helped over 30 small businesses build a solid brand.

Cristin: My production experience dates back to junior year in high school when I helped create my first real video: a remake of the infamous song “Barbie Girl” by Aqua. I loved everything about the production process: the storyboarding, the over the top style (trying to look like real Barbies), the multiple takes to get it just right, the long days in the edit suite, and most importantly, the look on our classmates’ faces when we premiered it. From there I knew I would always work in a creative industry. Sixteen years later I work hard everyday to make sure I feel just as passionate about my work as 16-year-old Cristin and I try even harder to help the audience feel SOMETHING when watching videos or looking at photos.

Julie: In the summer of 2006 I was working for Hamptons Magazine. I was told that I would be “helping” cook brunch with a celebrity natural foods chef, and I should prepare to help her with whatever she needed. I showed up at my CEO’s Southampton house and met Bethenny Frankel. I did everything in my power that day to impress her, despite my lack of cooking experience. We both recognized each other’s work ethic and I told her to call me when she was famous. She did…a few years later and hired me as her assistant. I went on to help her build her Skinnygirl brand from the ground up. That is where my true passion in helping others build strong brands started, and where I got the desire to be an entrepreneur.

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

Cristin: When I first started my company, I rented an Airbnb for a video shoot that looked so chic and updated on the listing. Come to find out it was rundown, and the furniture was falling apart. It took us some time, but we styled it and shot in a way that disguised the disarray. The lesson: do your research and due diligence when it comes to location scouting, but it was also good to know that if I was put in a less than ideal situation, I could really flex my creative muscles and that I was CAPABLE.

Julie: When Twitter first started, I was working for Bethenny Frankel. Her following grew FAST and someone told us that we needed to follow back everyone that followed her. After realizing that wasn’t the correct strategy for that platform, we spent five days, 24/7 unfollowing over 40,000 people one-by-one. The lesson: this taught me that you need to HAVE A STRATEGY before doing anything, especially when it is something new and uncharted!

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

Cristin: It sounds cliché, but when I went through the branding process myself in 2017, I started to feel more confident as a business owner, but also as a woman. There was finally a professional look to my brand and I felt more confident pitching my services at a new higher rate. Branding is essential: at a time that feels good to you (and only you will know when that time is).

Julie: It was when I realized that taking on every task and assignment in your job without complaining or thinking it is beneath you is one of the steps to success. You make EVERYTHING your job and your business. Making copies, getting coffee, creating spreadsheets — you do all those tasks as if they are the most important things. People will notice that and you do all to the best of your ability — you will grow as an employee, person and set yourself up for success if you ever want to run your own business one day. And if you make a mistake, own up to it and move on.

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

Both: Our exciting project is taking our own advice and building our own brand together, called The Solid Brand Sessions. We are going through the how and why that we help clients go through. Bringing our two brands together isn’t always easy, but the goal is to create a one-stop-shop and brand in a box concept that will help small business owners, leaders and entrepreneurs find success. As part of this we also have our Unleash Your Potential online and in-person events! Take a look at www.thesolidbrandsessions.com.

What advice would you give to other marketers to thrive and avoid burnout?

Both: When you want to pivot or re-invent yourself — look inside yourself and your brand. Don’t try to be like everybody else. It is so easy in the world of social media to compare yourself to others and try to go after what you “think” is the quickest way to success. Don’t do that. It’s a trap. Success is a feeling that you have when you are true to yourself, not necessarily something tangible. Being the same as everyone else stifles your true creativity.

Ok, let’s now jump to the core part of our interview. In a nutshell, how would you define the difference between brand marketing (branding) and product marketing (advertising)? Can you explain?

Julie: The real difference here is the behind the scenes work. Brand marketing MUST be developed before product marketing/advertising can be successfully implemented. The components that make up brand marketing behind the scenes lead a successful product marketing campaign. For instance, brand positioning creates belonging and matches the brand’s strengths to the target’s world view. Another example is to figure out how the brand will sustain. How will the brand show confidence and build trustworthy relationships that endure.

Learning these types of things firsthand at an advertising agency and the mentors I have met along the way, I always go into branding and advertising projects wearing my “strategy and communications” hat.

Can you explain to our readers why it is important to invest resources and energy into building a brand, in addition to the general marketing and advertising efforts?

Both: TO DEVELOP TRUST IN YOU AND YOUR BRAND. The amount of people and brands out there trying to “make” something of themselves is overwhelming. Just look at any of your social media feeds. When someone wants to do something new, buy something new or invest in someone new — — they do their research. They want to feel a connection to the person/thing/reason behind the product or brand. That is why brand building is important.

Let’s now talk about rebranding. What are a few reasons why a company would consider rebranding?

Both: We work with a lot of small business owners, many of them who had an idea, set up a social media account, and had their cousin’s friend make a logo for them. They move fast and furious, are driven and start to succeed in their specific industry. But then — — the lack of strategy catches up with them. Things might look ok to consumers/customers from the outside, but as the owner and the brand steward, they are struggling. It is at this point that our clients come to us to consider a brand refresh or rebrand. We take a look at all they have done up until this point, define their brand strategy (internal compass) and work on how to visually bring that strategy to life!

Are there downsides of rebranding? Are there companies that you would advise against doing a “Brand Makeover”? Why?

Both: Yes. The decision to re-brand has to make sense from a business perspective and all parts of the company must “buy-in” — — The most common reasons for a corporation to do a brand makeover would be a merger or acquisition, bad image or outgrowing an initial mission. In the small business world we tend to see brand makeovers, because there was not a brand strategy to begin with. THE BIGGEST no-no that we advise people on is changing your brand because you are comparing yourself to others, or simply see others doing pretty pictures and want to jump on the bandwagon. These are NOT strategic reasons.

Both: You are in luck! We have an acronym for this! This is why we called ourselves The S.O.L.I.D. Brand Sessions! Here’s an overview of how we break this down for our clients.

(S) Set Yourself Up for Success: Strategy ONE

Before you upgrade your brand for its outward appearance, you are presented with the perfect opportunity to take a look at what we like to call the “business of the business.” Now this internal organization and reflection isn’t always fun, but we have learned that in order to have a successful brand on the outside, the brand chaos on the inside must be in order! Some brainstorming questions for this strategy are below.

How have you set yourself up to be successful monetarily or from a profit perspective.
Are you aligned internally with taxes, insurance?
Are you paying yourself as a business owner?
Do you have the funds and desire internally for this rebrand to work externally?

(O) The Importance of Objectives: Strategy TWO

Big business, small business or personal brand, nailing down your internal brand compass is critical. But what is an internal brand compass and how do you do that? We are all about making this process painless but not brainless. Your internal brand compass is the DNA of your brand. It is the why, the how and the true north behind you do what you do.

Grab a piece of paper and try this exercise to start!

Top of page: Name of your Brand (if it’s you — put YOUR name!)
What is your mission? Why do you do what you do? Some people might need an extra step here. When we work with individuals we often have them “write” letters to their customers or fans.
Brand Values: Are you a fun, lighthearted brand or are you serious and tough? Use adjectives, pull out a dictionary. Be very clear.
Brand Objectives: Objectives always need to be measurable. Some favorites that I always include here are Identity/Image, Awareness and Engagement.

The above is your brand compass….now it is up to you to figure out how to activate this brand in the real world!

(L) Living Your Brand: Strategy THREE

This is all about telling your personal brand story; really living your brand definition. It is your messaging and mission repeated over and over in all of your digital and non-digital touchpoints (social, website, copy, visuals, communication materials, logo).

We tend to think we’re “annoying” people with content, but the truth is not everyone sees our content all of the time. We also tend to think that “pretty” pictures and videos define branding. Truth is though, many times photos get skimmed over and people watch videos without sound. We encourage our clients to use their written story (executed through social media captions, graphics, blogs, website, bio/about me pages) along with their visuals.

So in a nutshell — — live your brand — — in all aspects of target communication and strategy.

(I) Implementing Your Plan of Action: Strategy FOUR

This strategy is all about the creation of an action plan for your brand — with clear and measurable objectives. How will you execute on the strategy and visual/written story you have created? Take the objectives you came up with in Strategy TWO and place at the top of your document. Now build back to there by writing 3 tactics (actions) you will take to implement. Some example actions/tactics:

Consistency/cohesiveness of branded visuals (brand stylebook)
Social media calendar
Investing in a copywriter
Creating an SEO plan
New marketing materials

(D) Do It: Strategy FIVE

When you are ready to introduce your “new” brand to the world, GO IN STRONG. Take that jump. Book new photos. Come up with a strong social and digital strategy. There is no ideal time or amount of money you may or may not have or really any perfect scenario. You just have to be courageous. How do you find the courage/confidence to put yourself out there? You have to just do it. During the COVID crisis, one of our clients had to pivot and take her workout brand digital. Online classes and virtual workouts. She wasn’t ready, but her brand was set up properly and it was easy for her to transfer her brand to be completely virtual because of the strong brand work we had done in the past.

In your opinion, what is an example of a company that has done a fantastic job doing a “Brand Makeover”. What specifically impresses you? What can one do to replicate that?

Julie: A few years ago, Bravo (the TV network) did a complete brand makeover. It was brilliant. They knew their audience was getting bigger and needed to update the brand voice and visual identity. But they didn’t abandon everything. The logo was updated and the promotions for the shows were refined. They became more mature and serious…if you can say that about reality tv 🙂 The key to this type of replication — knowing and being AWARE of your audience. Bravo (aka Andy Cohen and team) is FULLY aware of the types of people that interact and consume their content. I was so impressed that I dipped into my old rolodex and emailed Andy Cohen to tell him how impressed I was!

Cristin: In 2018 a photography client of mine created an event for women to “Shred Your Fears,” a beginner skateboarding workshop and yoga retreat. Most of the attendees were sitting way outside of their comfort zone getting on a skateboard for the first time in many years or even ever. At the close of the day it signified that they could do hard things and feel really phenomenal about themselves. I participated in the first event and ended up badly spraining my ankle, but I have no regrets because the way I felt gliding across that rink floor was so gratifying and encouraging.

If we could create something similar for female entrepreneurs that maybe was a bit more business minded (or not) to help them get over the fear of leveling up, becoming successful, or even failing then it would serve so many more of our current and potential clients. Life is too short to not take risks!

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

Both: “Courage doesn’t mean you don’t get afraid. Courage means you don’t let fear stop you.” by Bethany Hamilton, professional surfer. This encapsulates everything we have tried to do for our business and clients since it began. Most of us are timid, unsure, and scared shitless about what the future holds or how we may be perceived. It’s about being courageous and understanding that you have a greater mission and purpose to serve others. And because of that, you need to push yourself and practice courage. The results of which are invaluable.

How can our readers follow you online?

We share our brand journey and upcoming events on Instagram: @thesolidbrandsessions.

We invite everyone to take a look at our client work, join our community and download our free worksheet, “How to Feel the Most Confident On-Camera” on our website, www.thesolidbrandsessions.com.

You can also follow our personal business journeys on Instagram: @julieplakemcminn and @gossboss_photovideo.

Cristin Goss and Julie Plake McMinn of The Solid Brand Sessions: “5 Things You Should Do To Upgrade was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Megan E Rein of SIIA Cosmetics: “5 Things You Need To Do To Build A Trusted And Beloved Brand”

Megan E. Rein of SIIA Cosmetics: “5 Things You Need To Do To Build A Trusted And Beloved Brand”

During the crisis, we are donating our products to medical workers, and sharing their stories on our channels. We want to thank them and bring more positivity into the world. We have also been working with our employees to ensure they and their families are safe and secure. Many of our own employees further our mission by helping others, like volunteering in our community to support others, working with organizations such as Meals on Wheels.

I had a pleasure interviewing Megan E. Rein, President, Strategy and Business Development at SIIA Cosmetics.

Megan is the President of Strategy and Business Development at SIIA Cosmetics. To her new role, Megan brings 10 years of experience leading international teams and programs, as well as strong communication and relationship building expertise. Rein joins SIIA from the Lockheed Martin Corporation, the largest aerospace and defense company in the world. Rein is responsible for creating and executing the company’s strategic vision focusing on the powerful people changing the world to whom the brand is dedicated. Additionally, she serves as the brand spokeswoman telling SIIA’s company and client stories to the media and wider community. While serving its domestic market, Rein will position SIIA to launch internationally and raise capital, ensuring its continued fast growth and success. SIIA Cosmetics, based in Dallas, TX, is dedicated to honoring the powerful, strong people who change the world, and to investing in those who will #SIIAChange in the future. SIIA brings the absolute best quality, luxury products with thoughtful design and prices to fit all lifestyles. Rein holds a Master of Science in International Development from the world-famous London School of Economics and an undergraduate degree in International Studies from the University of South Florida.

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

Thank you for having me! I’m so excited to share what we are doing at SIIA Cosmetics and speak with you!

I have had an unconventional path to where I am now — President of Strategy and Business Development for SIIA Cosmetics. Originally, I wanted to work in the international humanitarian field. I saw an amazing documentary in high school leading to dreams of working in Ebola clinics for Doctors without Borders. However, after two years of pre-med in college I realized it was not for me, especially after barely scraping by in organic chemistry.

I still wanted to work internationally and make the world a better place, so I switched my focus to international development, as I always loved economics and decided this was a better fit for my humanitarian drive. After graduating with a Masters in International Development from the London School of Economics, I joined Lockheed Martin, an international aerospace and defense company, where I worked my first few years in international program management, learning the foundations of management and leadership. My final role was in industrial development, where I managed programs worth hundreds of millions of dollars dedicated to developing manufacturing and sustainment industries in the Middle East and India. I absolutely loved creating new capabilities and jobs in these countries, as I truly believe we’re all better off when we raise up others and cooperate together.

During this time, I was moonlighting helping the co-founders, Simon Jeon and Hicham Khodri, launch our companies. The first was Rose de Nuit, a hair extension business, which serves the independent beauty supply store market. Out of this business we launched SIIA Cosmetics with Mr. Yoo, a Korean beauty expert. SIIA is a cosmetics company dedicated to honoring strong, powerful people who are working to make the world a better place. We do this by bringing luxury cosmetics based on the best-selling premium products to our customers, who we call our Change Agents, at a reasonable price, designed to fit both their lifestyles and budgets. Our products are designed to fit in with even the busiest persons’ life, with products easy to use and travel with, including a dual-ended product line with makeup on one side and the applicator on the other. We also honor our community by partnering with She’s the First, a non-profit focused on increasing female education throughout the world.

Once SIIA launched fully, it became clear I had to focus on building our company further, so I left my previous role and became the full-time President of Strategy for SIIA Cosmetics. I’m focused on our overall growth in the online direct-to-consumer space, as well as international distribution. I also focus on how best to use our brand to create a positive impact in the world, through both our customers’ lives as well as our own philanthropic endeavors. I’ve been able to utilize my leadership and international experience ensuring SIIA grows and has the impact we want.

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

I’ve made so many mistakes, but it’s always good to laugh while you are learning! One great story we have concerns our beauty bus. The team decided to launch SIIA by taking our product on the road! We planned to create a mobile experience using a remodeled school but that would tour the US, bringing SIIA to our beauty store clients, influencers, and the media in all of our major markets.

We bought a school bus, and in an effort to save money, hired a contractor friend to do the remodel. The first pictures coming out weren’t that impressive, but we held our breath and hoped for the best. Unfortunately, the final product was not any better — the school bus interior was painted white, with wall decals and posters hung up. It reminded me of my room when I was 13! It was pretty horrible. We debated for a few days if we could make it work, but decided we couldn’t live with it.

We had to start over and find the right person for the job. We found one of the top interior designers in LA from her wonderful portfolio and hired her to turn our teenage-bedroom into the luxurious experience we were looking for. The final product was fantastic with tiled floors, mini-chandeliers, and well-thought-out spaces for people to experience the brand and products. The bus featured a beautiful product display, a functional beauty counter where guests could test products, and even a mini champagne and snack bar.

While we are so proud of our beauty bus, we definitely learned a huge lesson. This, among other mistakes, really taught us the value of hiring the right people with proven experience from the beginning. Even if it’s more expensive initially, hiring experts save more in the long term, as you’re less likely to pay for rework and you’ll have a superior experience for your customers. We have always regretted trying to saving money by not going with the best for items critical to our brand and customer experience. Let’s just say it’s a lesson we are happy to not repeat!

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

First of all, our products are absolutely fantastic — we’ve proudly partnered with Korean beauty experts and the best factories in the world. We took the best performing products from luxury cosmetic lines, and based our formulas on these products. We added our own blend of botanicals and skin-improving agents to these products, and we offer these products at half the price of the luxury lines. Korean beauty technology is the best in the world, and our products incorporate the latest to provide clean, high-performing cosmetics at a reasonable price.

But more importantly, our company stands out by truly honoring and standing with our Change Agents and community in everything we do. We know our customers are doing everything they can to help their families and communities during this time, and we are doing the same standing with them. The coronavirus situation is incredibly challenging and scary for everyone. However, I am so proud everyone in our company has the same focus. We constantly ask ourselves — what can we do to help others?

During the crisis, we are donating our products to medical workers, and sharing their stories on our channels. We want to thank them and bring more positivity into the world. We have also been working with our employees to ensure they and their families are safe and secure. Many of our own employees further our mission by helping others, like volunteering in our community to support others, working with organizations such as Meals on Wheels.

We know all of this adds up and authentically resonates with our community, and we’ve received great feedback from our Change Agents. We want them to know we stand with them, by not only providing amazing products but by doing everything we can during this time, just like they are.

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

Absolutely! We’ve been doing a series of giveaways and recognitions of healthcare workers who are on the frontlines of the coronavirus fight, in order to thank them and inspire positivity during these trying times. We know this is helping our Change Agents by giving a sense they are appreciated, which is so important when they’re doing everything from working long shifts, working at home while taking care of their families, and dealing with all of the other difficult situations they’re encountering. It also brings positivity to our wider community — we are all dealing with mixed emotions and difficulties at every level, and we believe telling these positive stories and highlighting the good happening helps all of us.

Ok let’s now jump to the core part of our interview. In a nutshell, how would you define the difference between brand marketing (branding) and product marketing (advertising)? Can you explain?

Branding is the act of defining who you are as a company and brand — what you stand for, what your brand’s story and the world are, and defining how you’re different within your industry. It’s the fundamental story you tell yourself, employees, and community. This drives every decision you make. Our company during the past four years was a business-to-business focused company. As we launched our brand direct-to-consumer online we’ve had to soul search and create our story. It feels like every industry now is very crowded and noisy, the beauty industry more than most. By having a solid foundation and creating a world allowing you to stand out authentically while building a relationship with your customers, makes our brand strong and meaningful. Branding isn’t something you do once, but like a marriage, is something you must continue defining through every up and down, in order to develop your world as we continue building relationships.

Advertising is the tactical level introducing your potential customers to your products, as well as the brand world. Product marketing can be as simple as a one picture ad on Facebook, but when done well it should serve as the branding foundation telling potential customers exactly what you and your brand are all about attracting them to the world you’ve built. For SIIA, our brand world is based around strong, powerful people changing the world. Our product marketing shows our community and potential customers our amazing products and how they fit into their life.

Can you explain to our readers why it is important to invest resources and energy into building a brand, in addition to the general marketing and advertising efforts?

Investing time and energy into building a brand is very important! Without this, it’s very easy to get off track, both internally and externally, and can lead you to be unhappy with your marketing and advertising efforts.

Companies and brands are built by teams, and the most important thing you can do as a leader is to ensure everyone knows what are your brand’s world, meaning, and goals. If this isn’t clear, from the CEO to the intern, not only will you get off track, but your team won’t have the same mission understanding. They’ll never get the level of fulfilment and passion teams with a consistent mission experience. Brand building is key to ensuring the brand story reaches your customers in the way you want it to, and builds a strong team to tell that story.

In SIIA’s earliest days, the work into building our world and meaning wasn’t done to the level needed. The ideas and their implementation weren’t communicated clearly to everyone. We ended up with a marketing output the leadership wasn’t happy with, but at the end of the day, we only had ourselves to blame. We hadn’t put work into building our world and ensuring the whole team understood it. Since then, we’ve done much as a company building this foundation, and are now working with our fantastic branding agency, Partners & Spade, to further world-build and translate it online in the best possible way. If we had invested earlier, we wouldn’t need to redo the original marketing work — but as all builders know, sometimes you have to learn through mistakes, and we’re grateful we to have put these lessons into action.

Can you share 5 strategies that a company should be doing to build a trusted and believable brand? Please tell us a story or example for each.

Choose a brand story and world authentic to who you are and what your origin is. We chose our brand story because it is who we are — we are a team of strong people from a different backgrounds who are working to make the world a better place, so it only made sense to make that our brand foundation. If the story is authentic to you, it will be easy to communicate and feel authentic to others, which makes building trust much easier.

Flesh out the brand story and mission and make sure your whole team buys into it. As I mentioned before, we initially did not do this foundational work, and did not communicate it effectively. Our first marketing campaign came out very differently from what we had in mind. Because we did not flesh out the branding and make sure the whole team understood it from every angle, it was impossible for our team to then implement it.

Hire the right team and outside agencies, who believe in the brand vision and can translate it to your audience. It is so important that the people you trust to translate the brand to different mediums, whether your website or advertising, truly believe in and are excited about the brand. Likewise, hiring people with the right skills and experience is equally important so they can translate the brand vision in the best way possible.

Believe in the brand vision and keep focusing in on it. You can always adjust the tactics of how to approach it, how to tell it and advertise it, but don’t change the foundation. When a brand is new everyone has different ideas and suggestions, and it can be very easy to lose focus and get scared that your ideas aren’t good enough. At the end of the day, the brand story needs to be authentic and true to you, or it will never feel authentic to your customers. You must keep focusing on your brand story — while you can certainly take in ideas of how best to translate it, advertise it, and interact with your community and stay true to your vision.

Intentionally, tell the brand story in new ways, and ensure everything you do inside and outside of the company is true to the brand. The coronavirus pandemic is challenging for everyone, and a newer cosmetic brand is no exception. We’ve been intentionally thinking about how to use this time as an opportunity to prove who we are and show we truly represent what we say we do. Thinking through every challenge as an opportunity to further build the brand and mission, both with your internal team and to your community, will make your company stronger and more resilient in all circumstances.

In your opinion, what is an example of a company that has done a fantastic job building a believable and beloved brand. What specifically impresses you? What can one do to replicate that?

In absolutely love Kendra Scott, who created an incredible brand which is also focused on charity and giving. Her visual style is so distinct and really creates the vision of the KS world — it is so beautiful, free, and optimistic. I’m so impressed by both its execution and her ability to maintain the consistent style while constantly reinventing it over different campaigns and seasons.

To replicate, I think it’s important not to try to copy your role model exactly, but copy their strategy. For SIIA, we have taken Kendra Scott’s focus on visual style and we are approaching our next campaign in that light. We’re constantly honing in on what the SIIA image is, and ensuring each image tells the SIIA story.

In advertising, one generally measures success by the number of sales. How does one measure the success of a brand building campaign? Is it similar, is it different?

The success of the brand building is measured by its customer’s acceptance of it. It is different in that brand building needs to be measured holistically. Advertising can be measured campaign-by-campaign, so each ad, including the specific text and photos, can be measured for how effective they are. However, since your brand is the foundation that everything, from your internal team cohesion to your relationship with your customers, is based on, it must be measured in many ways.

The first layer of measuring your brand building campaign is from a PR perspective — brand sentiment. On social media, in the press, and among influencers, how is your brand spoken of? Is it mostly positive, negative, or non-existent?

The next layer would be the consistency of your brand story and messaging across all of your platforms and communications. Do your social channels tell the same story as your website? Does the material you send out to influencers hit your messaging in a way they can retell easily?

And the final and most important layer is the brand building within your team. Does every member of the team understand the brand world and mission? Do they believe in it? Do they feel like what they are doing is part of that mission?

Brand building is something you have to continually do, and evolve, so instead of thinking of specific metrics you can reach, I measure our brand-building campaign by thinking through the items I’ve mentioned, and ensuring that the brand story is clear, is consistent across all of our platforms, and creates a world that is compelling and builds the relationship we want with our community.

What role does social media play in your branding efforts?

Social media is central to our branding efforts. Beauty and cosmetics live and breathe on social media, between makeup artists, influencers, and tutorials, so it’s extremely important we engage. We build relationships with influencers and makeup artists on social media, which is so important in building trust among future customers. Buying cosmetics online can be scary, since you can’t see and try it before taking that leap of faith. Social media, and our community on it, allows us to show who we are, how great our products are, and reach out to potential customers before they make that leap.

What advice would you give to other marketers or business leaders to thrive and avoid burnout?

I have experienced burnout many times, and I always have found it’s at times I felt either stuck or not challenged by my work. When I feel I’m in a loop and the work I’m doing isn’t inspiring to me, I get burnt out and feel either frustrated or listless. The only way I know out is giving myself some space and really think about my future goals. Then I create a plan for how to achieve them. I write down my 1-, 3-, and 5- year plans with specific milestones, then break down what to do on a weekly and monthly basis to achieve them. For example, when we were first launching SIIA, I planned to carve out time on evenings and weekends to work through branding ideas, strategy, and networking. Putting it down in an agenda helped me feel I had control over where I was going. It also lets me prioritize my work seeing what work was not important to my future goals. This way I could maximize my time on tasks critical to my success. Knowing I was taking steps every week to get closer to my goals made the work I was doing every day feel more meaningful allowing me to move past burnout.

That is so kind of you to say, and not something I take lightly! ?

I would absolutely love to inspire a renewed sense of service — service to each other, our communities, and the wider world. The classic Kennedy quote — “Ask not what your country can do for you — ask what you can do for your country” — is a spirit I want to see renewed. What can you do for your community? For the wider world? How can you help others, make the world better, even in your own backyard? Especially in these divisive times, I would love to inspire others to be of service and think of the whole world as our community. We created SIIA to honor people who have this spirit, those already working to make the world better, and I would be incredibly proud to contribute to this movement.

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

As many times as this probably is said, “Be the change you want to see in the world” always impacts me the most. It drives me to think about the power I have, right now, to change the world, and reminds me I’m able to make changes, even if just modeling behavior I want to see. It goes with my previous comments on being of service, but I truly believe what we all need right now is to think more about how to make our families, communities, and wider world better for the future. If we all act and behave the way we want the world to be, we could see this change.

There are so many inspiring leaders out there, and I would be honored if any of them saw this interview! Probably my top leaders are Bill and Melinda Gates — they’ve been incredibly successful in the business world, but then turned their success into probably the biggest humanitarian effort ever accomplished by private citizens. I would love to grab a coffee (my biggest addiction) with them, and would gladly meet them in Seattle, my treat

How can our readers follow you on social media?

I’m on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/megan.rein), Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/meganerein/) , and LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/megan-rein-09a7a76a/) — and would love to speak more with the brilliant Change Agents out there!

Megan E Rein of SIIA Cosmetics: “5 Things You Need To Do To Build A Trusted And Beloved Brand” was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Daisy Jing of Banish: “5 Things We Can Each Do To Help Solve The Loneliness Epidemic”

Fuel up — Before you connect with other people, make sure your heart and soul aren’t empty. Allow yourself to be filled with love, joy and peace as well so you can wholeheartedly share them with others. You can not share what you don’t have. Don’t just give without receiving affection from others, you’ll be dry and empty in no time. Bless and let others bless you too so you’ll be more inspired

As a part of my interview series about the ‘5 Things We Can Each Do Help Solve The Loneliness Epidemic’ I had the pleasure to interview Daisy Jing. Daisy founded and bootstrapped a now multi-million beauty product line called Banish. She started her business from just her laptop! She had bad acne and tried everything to help clear it up. She tried hundreds of different beauty products and decided to review beauty products to help others suffering with the same problem. In turn, she developed a following of over 70M views on YouTube and became a trusted source of information in the realm of skin problems. Afterwards, she launched her natural skin care line focused on combating skin blemishes. Her business is now ranked #152nd fastest growing company in INC 500 and she was also included in Forbes 30 under 30. Now they are a team of men and women, inspiring confidence in others.

Thank you so much for doing this with us Daisy! Our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you share your “backstory” with us? What was it that led you to your eventual career choice?

I realized that many current skincare ingredients, such as fragrances or fillers, break out my skin, so I created my own skincare products in my kitchen. I documented my struggle on my YouTube channel, which now garners over 70M views. Eventually, my followers saw great results on my skin and encouraged me to launch my own business. Now we are a diverse team focused on inspiring confidence in others. Together with the Banish Warriors and Soldiers, we are here to join you in your skin journey.

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

Up to now, I still can’t believe that people recognize the product and our brand. I am so happy that more people all over the world are now using our products and also inspired by our brand.

Can you share a story about the most humorous mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson or take away you learned from that?

There was a fraudulent charge from my bank and the phone operator happened to know me and asked, “Are you Daisy who does the beauty videos and owns Banish?” This person sees my charges and stuff and that embarrassed me at some point. That’s why everyday, we have to be careful about everything we do because we have no idea how big our impact is on people

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

We recently launched the Banish Acne Diaries, they are actual customers who share their stories based on their skin status and how confident they are now. I am so happy and proud to use my brand and voice to represent our customers — they are people next door who are going through their own struggles and empower other people by sharing their inspiring story. We at Banish do our best to be the voice of those who are unheard and together we build each other’s confidence,

Can you share with our readers a bit why you are an authority about the topic of the Loneliness Epidemic?

I had an opportunity to have a TedxTalk about “A TRAGEDY CALLED PERFECTION.” I suffered with my skin and I don’t like my appearance. I always thought I’m ugly and look less than the others. I was very depressed and lonely and since I never grew up with tons of friends or family around me, I came up with my YouTube channel and “accidentally” built a community of people who have skin issues and self-doubt. These people reached out to me because just like me, they are also lonely and need someone to make them feel that they’re not alone.

Ok, thank you for that. Let’s now jump to the main focus of our interview. According to this story in Forbes, loneliness is becoming an increasing health threat not just in the US , but across the world. Can you articulate for our readers 3 reasons why being lonely and isolated can harm one’s health?

When you’re always alone, you tend to feel helpless and hopeless; but once you connect to other people, their help and glimpse of hope make you realize that there’s light at the end of the tunnel. Hope gives you reasons to be healthy and live happier another day
Self-isolation gives you a feeling of despair since you share your own negative vibe by yourself. To connect with others give you an opportunity to catch their happy vibe and aura, making you happier each day, changing your perspective and outlook in life
Loneliness is the hardest and longest way to die. It takes so much time for you to die but it will definitely (slowly) take a toll on your health. Loneliness will bring you stress — stress may cause obesity, hyperacidity, cancer, diabetes, heart problems that will eventually lead to death. Stress can also lead to unhealthy habits that have a negative impact on our health. We tend to eat too much, smoke, cry often and even hurt ourselves because of too much loneliness. These unhealthy habits damage the body and create bigger problems in the long run. Bottom line, loneliness gives us less self-fulfillment and more reasons to give up on life.

On a broader societal level, in which way is loneliness harming our communities and society?

In other parts of Europe and Japan, there are older people in their population, dying without their community noticing and knowing because the elders are alone. Because of self-isolation, the elders usually die alone, people have looser family ties, people don’t want to have kids or create a family anymore which further makes the loneliness epidemic worse. In Japan, a lot of people normalize self-isolation and they call it hikikomori. These people spend most of their time watching TV, reading, playing video games, or surfing the internet. Many of them choose to stay up all night and sleep during the day and never interact with the outside world. All these trends are changing society and harming people’s mental and physical health. People use these reasons to be more alone and lonely without thinking that connecting with others is the first step to be free from that mentality.

The irony of having a loneliness epidemic is glaring. We are living in a time where more people are connected to each other than ever before in history. Our technology has the power to connect billions of people in one network, in a way that was never possible. Yet despite this, so many people are lonely. Why is this? Can you share 3 of the main reasons why we are facing a loneliness epidemic today? Please give a story or an example for each.

We lack a deep connection with others due to lack of the ability to be vulnerable. We tend to spend more time having superficial talks, avoiding conversations that matter because we all think that we are all too busy to mind other people’s business or be someone’s mental baggage of the day. Our busyness caused us to be mentally unavailable to share or listen to a real conversation. We are lonely because our busyness caused us to stop having meaningful conversations to spend more time thinking how we can survive on our own
We act (and pretend) that we are strong and that is why we never share our weaknesses and problems anymore. Instead, we carry them on our own and think that we’re all alone — leaving us more sad and depressed. Despite the long talks we have over coffee or social media, we rarely share our true side. We all act so happy and perfect because we don’t want to be a burden to others who are most likely sad as well. We don’t want to make others feel bad or awkward because everyone seems to be okay. We all think that life is just about sharing happy moments and we missed out on helping one another during their worst days. Stop highlighting what’s reel; share the most vulnerable side of your life instead
Distractions are amongst us. The world offers us too many nice things that we can have though we are all alone (Netflix, shopping in all forms, adventure, nice career, travel, sex in many ways, games, food, technology, entertainment, etc). How easy is it to connect with someone FULLY? If those things are all in front of you, you are definitely happy; but once those are gone, immediate loneliness can be felt and then you feel empty again. It is so easy to stuff ourselves with temporary things then in a snap, we feel lonely ASAP. We can not buy or achieve happiness without love, peace, joy, and contentment — these things are usually shared with other people, not on your own.

Ok. it is not enough to talk about problems without offering possible solutions. In your experience, what are the 5 things each of us can do to help solve the Loneliness Epidemic? Please give a story or an example for each.

Be sensitive and spend time listening. For 10 minutes, you can already have a big impact on someone by being sensitive enough to listen intently to what the person is trying to say. Have the discernment to know what to say, when to say it and how to say it. Not everyone is busy and not willing to share their story, there are some who are actually willing to communicate well but the real question is, “Are you ready to listen and do your part?” Don’t fail that test.
If you are in social media, share vulnerable and relatable things, not perfect and unattainable stuff. People will easily connect with you and you will easily connect with others because they find strength and hope from your posts, making it more valuable.
Call or visit a friend/family and have a good long conversation. Instead of texting or chatting, surprise someone by calling or visiting them. Spend a long time asking how they really are. Ask engaging questions, share your own story as well and make this person feel that this time is really dedicated for him.
Block your time solely for your friends, family and loved ones. Block and schedule a specific date, time and place where you can be with them without any distractions and to be fully present with them. Divide them into a category to make sure that everyone’s getting the attention they need. For example, don’t meet with both your parents and in-laws if they’re not yet close. Spend time with them separately.
Fuel up. Before you connect with other people, make sure your heart and soul aren’t empty. Allow yourself to be filled with love, joy and peace as well so you can wholeheartedly share them with others. You can not share what you don’t have. Don’t just give without receiving affection from others, you’ll be dry and empty in no time. Bless and let others bless you too so you’ll be more inspired

The Underdogs Movement — I support the underdogs because I consider myself as one as well. I root for other people and inspire others to be the best version of themselves. People don’t have to fit into what society tells them to do. Banish is doing that already and we empower others by sharing their real stories. Acne is something people don’t want to have because they see it as an imperfection. Through our own movement, we normalize acne and change people’s mindset about it — people don’t have to hide just because they’re not “flawless” as defined by the world. It’s not the way you look, it’s the way you feel about yourself that matters.

We are 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 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 🙂

Oprah — she is real and empowering. She cuts to the chase and answers deadly questions bravely without batting an eyelash. The questions that people are usually avoiding are just easy for her to answer and that makes her relatable and leaves everyone more inspired through her story

How can our readers follow you on social media?

Website : https://www.banish.com

Youtube : https://www.youtube.com/user/daiserz89

Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/banishbeauty

Instagram : https://instagram.com/daiserz89

Linkedin : https://il.linkedin.com/in/daisyjing

Twitter : https://twitter.com/banishacnescars

Thank you so much for these insights. This was so inspiring, and so important!

Daisy Jing of Banish: “5 Things We Can Each Do To Help Solve The Loneliness Epidemic” was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Nutritionist Shelley Gawith: “Here are 5 steps that anyone can take to become more resilient”

Positivity — When we can see the best in everything and everyone. When we can look at someone hurting us and think they only have the best intentions, or they are coming from a place of pain, so we don’t take it personally. My positivity is contagious. I’m sure at times it’s what carries my clients through their hard times. I see some very unwell clients that have had to deal with some awful conditions and I always say the problem with natural health is there is no magic pill to get through all the symptoms, you have to go through the bad times. Clients often remark that my positivity got them through the tough times. It was the light at the end.

I had the pleasure of interviewing Shelley Gawith.

Shelley is a New Zealand based International Speaker and Functional Nutritionist who specializes in helping people be the CEO of their own health with her message and keynote: The Future of Health is YOU.

At a time where people are suffering from burnout, anxiety, obesity and chronic illness Shelley helps people turn that around so they have “exponential energy.

Gawith is a Certified Nutritional Therapy Practitioner (NTP), a Certified Gluten Practitioner, and a Certified Restorative Wellness Practitioner which collectively enables her to specialize in functional laboratory testing to provide further insight and information to her clients.

She draws on her life journey and shares her personal near-death health story going from an overachieving work-a-holic to having a physiological body breakdown that left her almost bedridden for two years. She was told by countless medical practitioners that she was going to die. This led her to dive deep into Functional Nutrition and rebuild her body. Now she travels the world as a keynote speaker at conferences delivers corporate training and presentations to help others to do the same.

Shelley divides her time between seeing clients 1–1 at her own private clinic, running her online programs, speaking and facilitating workshops to Corporates in NZ and overseas. She also helps other wellness practitioners to have booked out clinics like hers so that she can amplify her impact on wellness even further.

Known for her energy and positivity to her clients & colleagues Shelley’s presentation style is entertaining, and animated in a way that leaves people feeling uplifted and empowered with some clear takeaway tips and actions to move towards the health and life they want. She also has a very strong side and both expect and demand results. Rather than telling people what to do, Shelley opens their eyes and educates.

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

I grew up in New Zealand where I studied my first degree in accounting and commercial law. I went on to complete my chartered accountancy (CA). After leaving my CA firm I moved to the land of sunshine and grand opportunities Australia to work for an investment bank (Macquarie Bank). I became the Finance Manager for a division there at 26. What it really meant was I was a slave to the corporation. After catching full-blown influenza, my life dramatically changed for the worst. My recovery never happened and I was told by the medical world I need to be hospitalized or I would die. I don’t even know if I was fearful at this thought, or just so unbelievably sick, I was holding on for my life and had no emotional capacity to feel anything. I moved home to live with my parents in New Zealand where my Mum looked after me. This was extremely heartbreaking for both my parents to see their “little girl” so unwell. After seeing every specialist and doctor and being told there was nothing I could do, my life was limited to my bed and I would just sleep all day. I would scream during the night, from the intense pain I felt in my body, nobody should lie in bed each day without moving. My muscles basically began to eat themselves. After 18 months of this and the despair at not knowing if I would ever get better. I decided with the 20 minutes a day I could stay awake, I needed to start looking into nutrition so I could get myself better. I had to do something. My mum implemented all the food changes.

As I could stay awake longer, this led to me being able to study nutrition with the Nutritional Therapy Association. From my study I began doing everything I was learning on myself and slowly began to heal each system in my body. I can’t tell you the joy my family and I felt at seeing progress at last. Once I was 80% well I studied more advanced functional laboratory testing. My cry when I was in bed, sleeping most of the day, was if I can just help one person this was all worth it. The day I walked to the grocery store again, I cried, it was a dream come true, literally. Funny when you have nothing that you wish for. So once I had completed my study, I found another very sick person to help and then another one. From there my business as a Functional Nutritionist began. Now in 2020 I have a booked out clinic and a special detoxification center so I can help as many people as possible.

Can you share with us the most interesting story from your career? Can you tell us what lessons or ‘take aways’ you learned from that?

The biggest take away I’ve learned from my corporate career, you can’t ignore poor health. When I was working long days at the investment bank, I was literally living off more and more coffee and gluten-free treats to sustain my energy. Thereafter, my health started to decline but I chose to continue to ignore it. I pushed myself harder and harder with the long hours and the endless promotions I wanted until my body couldn’t be pushed anymore and it literally crashed. I then realized if you don’t have your health you actually don’t have a career. All the money I had been working hard to get and save for my first house, I had to use to pay to get my health back again.

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

The success of my business is truly because of my positivity. It’s infectious. Every client leaves our offices feeling more positive than when they came in. In our clinic we have some very sick people, you can’t fix all their symptoms in one session, but we can give them hope. Warmness, compassion and a big smile. Clients always message me with something that might have happened in between their appointments and they will end the email saying but we know you will somehow find the positive and it’s the truth.

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

I am so grateful to my Dad he is the reason I have been as successful as I am in my business. I had to do an assignment at university for my Commerce Degree on someone who had a successful business and I picked him. What I learnt in that interview, I have applied to every area of my life. He told me the key to having a successful business were the relationships you made. If you have strong relationships with clients they will forgive you for the small mistakes you will make along the way. And believe me he needed a lot of forgiving, his clients didn’t even mind when he ran late for his appointments.

Now let’s shift to the main focus of this interview. We would like to explore and flesh out the trait of resilience. How would you define resilience?

I would define resilience as having a strength in yourself to overcome difficult situations in life or if you can’t overcome them, having the grace to accept them. Resilience to me means how well we respond to negative events in our lives. Resilience is what we draw on from deep within ourselves to help us with the setbacks or things in life that we didn’t expect.

What do you believe are the characteristics or traits of resilient people?

The characteristics of resilient people are: Courage, strength, confidence, humbleness

When you think of resilience, which person comes to mind? Can you explain why you chose that person?

When I think of resilience I think of so many clients, how they have had to overcome so much with their health. But one of my clients who I will name B came to see me when she was 27 years old, she was 77 pounds overweight, extremely tired, she was an ex gym trainer, but couldn’t even work out her body was so fatigued. She was forced to move in with her parents as she couldn’t look after herself. She was struggling with life. She had been to so many health practitioners and just told her it would be better if she lost weight, however, she just couldn’t. She didn’t eat unhealthy food. B came to me for months, before seeing any progress. As her practitioner, I would see small changes at each new appointment. But for a good 18 months, it looked like nothing on the outside was getting better. We were doing lots of good things on the inside but B had been sick for at least a decade before coming to see me. B would be judged for her weight and was told she ate too much when she didn’t. Every day felt like hard work for B and many days she did just want to give up. Her health and weight made it really hard. Finally, despite B wanting to give up many times over, she kept working with me. “Overnight” she lost the 77 pounds. B knows it did not happen overnight and it was the previous 18 months of those small changes of her body healing, but in 2 months as her body was healing she did lose the 77 pounds. She still doesn’t have the energy she wants so we continue to work together to cross the final hurdle. B is someone who makes me smile daily, as she really had to overcome so much negativity, judgment, and heartache but she stuck with it.

Has there ever been a time that someone told you something was impossible, but you did it anyway? Can you share the story with us?

When I was working at Macquarie bank I was always being told new innovative ways were impossible, I always had to prove it. At the time all our new software contracts and new buyer contracts were stil paper documents. Banks weren’t really paperless at that time, so it took up a lot of time and money scanning in these documents, saving them, sorting them and storing them. I convinced the General Manager of my division to let me work with a third party and make the whole process paperless. We were the first department to do it and other departments in the bank copied soon after.

Did you have a time in your life where you had one of your greatest setbacks, but you bounced back from it stronger than ever? Can you share that story with us?

My biggest setback was “losing” my health and being told I was going to die. When I was lying in bed all day every day with no clear idea of how I was going to get better and everyone telling me they couldn’t help. When every time I tried a new treatment I would somehow get worse. I would tell everyone, all my medical practitioners, I was going to get better. I would make a FULL recovery. I was even sent for multiple mental health checks as Doctors couldn’t believe I wasn’t depressed and in denial. I came back stronger because now I don’t take life for granted. All the small things in life that I took for granted I now value and they bring me so much joy every day.

Another set back came two years into having my own business, I had finally got my health back on track and had purchased the first apartment that I had worked so hard to buy. A few months after moving in, I felt my health starting to decline, I was a little more tired in the mornings and I had gained a little bit of weight. After going through everything with my health, I realized there were hidden sources of mold in my house. I had to totally destroy my apartment and re-build it again so it was mold proof.

Resilience is like a muscle that can be strengthened. In your opinion, what are 5 steps that someone can take to become more resilient? Please share a story or an example for each.

My top 5 steps for being more resilient are:

Mindset — We get to set our intention for each day. We get to choose the direction. Many doctors told me they knew who would get better based on the patient’s mindset. Once I was better, I remember talking to my main medical doctor in Wellington and I asked him if he thought even when he couldn’t help that I would get better and he replied yes! I asked him how he knew and he said because of my mindset, I was determined I was going to get better. I told everyone that it wasn’t going to be me. I was going to get better. I was going to make a full recovery. I never cared what the statistics said. I wasn’t going to be one of them. I was going to get better.
Positivity — When we can see the best in everything and everyone. When we can look at someone hurting us and think they only have the best intentions, or they are coming from a place of pain, so we don’t take it personally. My positivity is contagious. I’m sure at times it’s what carries my clients through their hard times. I see some very unwell clients that have had to deal with some awful conditions and I always say the problem with natural health is there is no magic pill to get through all the symptoms, you have to go through the bad times. Clients often remark that my positivity got them through the tough times. It was the light at the end.
Self care — it’s cheesy but if our cup isn’t overflowing first we don’t have anything to draw on. If we are empty when stuff comes up in life we have nothing to dig from. I truly used to believe that I was only on the planet to look after everyone else and put their needs before my own. In fact I don’t think I believed I had needs and if I did I was there to serve everyone else in my world. I remember dreading each week before it began, as I was exhausted on a Sunday night every week. I would get up, go to the gym, work all day and then attend events in the evenings. Some days I would be so tired and just want to go home to bed, but I would push myself to the next thing, as I truly believed I was on earth just to make others happy and not to worry about myself. I now know that when I get tired or when I’m not looking after myself, filling myself up, I actually can’t look after anyone else or be good at my job, because I have nothing left to give others and I just feel like anything could tip me over
Balance your hormones — We view our lives through the lenses of our hormones. When our hormones are out of balance everything in life can take on a darker tinge. Life feels harder. I remember having a coffee before work in Sydney, I was studying to complete my chartered accountancy exams and I was busy looking for a new house to rent. My Dad called me to give advice on my house situation and instead of graciously accepting it and thanking him, I started crying and I remember clearly saying to him, why are you trying to stress me out more, why are you adding to my load, I can’t do this. I have thought back on this occasion many times over the years as it wasn’t long after that my health really collapsed, I look back and realized the way I reacted was from someone, that was running on empty, my hormones were out of balance, my tank was low and anything was going to tip me over the edge all the time.
Nourish your body. We always feel as good as the food we eat or as bad as the food we eat. If we are eating foods causing us inflammation, it puts a stress burden on our bodies. All stress is the opposite of resilience. We are going to wear away at ourselves if we are eating foods for our bodies that are causing us symptoms. Unless we are eating for our own individual bodies so that we are filled with energy and not being weighed down by tiredness due to the inflammation, we won’t be resilient. For years I ate bread for breakfast, for lunch, and probably pasta for dinner. I never felt energized after eating it, but I would often have it with coffee and sugar snacks so I didn’t notice. Gluten for me causes me inflammation so, after years of doing it and inflaming my body, it became such a stressor on my body. It also meant that every time I was feeling tired, life became a struggle. It’s hard to be resilient when you are struggling.

If I could inspire a movement I would like EVERY busy woman to realize that with every mouthful we eat we have the ability to change our own personal health, the health of our families and our countries. That we really do have the ability to change our healthcare system and the state of the world. We can reduce the amount of disease in the world.

I would love to have a private breakfast with Brene brown. I’m sure so many people would say her. For me reading her first book The Gifts of imperfection and then hearing her Tedx talk when I was sick in bed allowed me to look at myself differently. For the first time I gave myself permission not to have to strive to be “perfect” all the time, but it also helped me question what was behind the mask that I was wearing. I realized for the first time that while I didn’t numb myself with what I consider to be normal things that you would numb yourself with like drinking, smoking, drugs, shopping. I did actually numb myself. I numbed myself by constantly being busy.

How can our readers follow you on social media?

Instagram: ShelleygawithFN

Facebook: Shelley Gawith Functional Nutrition

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

Nutritionist Shelley Gawith: “Here are 5 steps that anyone can take to become more resilient” was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Kaitlin Zhang of Oval Branding: “Brand Makeovers; 5 Things You Should Do To Upgrade and Re-Energize

Kaitlin Zhang of Oval Branding: “Brand Makeovers; 5 Things You Should Do To Upgrade and Re-Energize Your Brand and Image”

A company may consider rebranding when there has been new mergers and acquisitions, a change in direction of the core services or products, or to repair reputation damage. Sometimes a new rebrand is a great way to reengage with old customers while attracting new customers.

As a part of our series about “Brand Makeovers” I had the pleasure to interview Kaitlin Zhang, the CEO of Oval Branding and an award-winning speaker. Kaitlin is a Chinese Canadian entrepreneur and creative based in London, UK. She has lived and worked in Shenzhen, Vancouver, Shanghai, and San Francisco prior to settling in London. Her multi-cultural background helps inform her cross-border branding practice especially between China and the West.

I’m Kaitlin Zhang, CEO of Oval Branding. My work in cross-border branding between China and West is deeply rooted in my very international upbringing. I have lived and worked in Shenzhen, Vancouver, Melbourne, Shanghai and San Francisco. In 2013, at age 23, I arrived in London, UK with two suitcases that were too large to carry on the underground and the sheer determination to build my own creative agency one day. In 2016, that dream became a reality — the beginning of Oval Branding Ltd.

Branding for me is about storytelling and bringing awareness to exceptional people and ideas. I’m thankful that I can bring my multi-culture background and experiences to help clients bridge the cultural gap every day.

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

When I first arrived in London, I worked for a brilliant cleantech startup, Loowatt, that made waterless toilets that can turn human waste into energy and biogas. It was a challenge to manage the company’s brand image to navigate the tricky areas of toilet humour. Certainly, there were a few jokes that didn’t land as well as hoped and had to be flushed. What I learned is that marketing is about continuous testing and it’s okay to make small mistakes as long as we are sincere in our efforts and are willing to learn from it.

The “tipping point” for me when I started concentrating on working on my personal brand. I realized that it is important for me to build my own reputation at the same time as working on building the reputation of my clients. I started working on my own website more and social media presence. I wrote blocks and hosted live events regularly. After about half a year and 10 to 20 events later I started gaining a reputation as somebody who knows branding well. I started getting freelance branding work. The takeaway lesson is that it is never too early or late to start building one’s personal brand.

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

Currently, we are working on a rebranding of a New York based venture capital firm, Tuhaye Venture Partners, who focuses on the pre-seed round in the enterprise software space in the US. It has been a pleasure to work with the partners at the firm and to understand their unique investment thesis and fund potential.

What I love about new funds like Tuhaye is that they are increasingly committed to funding diverse founders that have traditionally been underserved by established VC firms. This means that great enterprise software businesses led by women or people of colour could receive funding and quality support from Tuhaye. So definitely get in touch with them to find out more.

What advice would you give to other marketers to thrive and avoid burnout?

May 18–24 2020 is Mental Health Awareness Week. My recommendation would be to learn more about mental health and be open to discuss this topic with the safe people in your life. It has been tremendously useful for me to be able to talk to my best friends about this and know that I’m not alone in experiencing stress or anxiety.

Ok, let’s now jump to the core part of our interview. In a nutshell, how would you define the difference between brand marketing (branding) and product marketing (advertising)? Can you explain?

Brands represent consumers perceptions and feelings about the product and its performance. The goal of brand marketing it is to build up its long-term brand equity, which is the measure of the value a brand has on a consumer decision-making process. Product marketing or advertising is a specific communication task to be accomplished with a specific target audience during a specific period of time. The main difference is that branding is often a long-term endeavor, whereas advertising often has a short time goal.

Can you explain to our readers why it is important to invest resources and energy into building a brand, in addition to the general marketing and advertising efforts?

Branding is a part of marketing. And advertising can be used as a great tool to build a brand. All these elements work together, but branding needs to be in the marketers mind always. Consumers are becoming more discerning, and one of the key differentiators is brand. A company that understands branding ultimately as a company that really understands its target audience. It knows where it fits in the market and how it contributes to the lifestyle of its customers. Without first understanding the brand, other marketing and advertising efforts will fall short.

Let’s now talk about rebranding. What are a few reasons why a company would consider rebranding?

A company may consider rebranding when there has been new mergers and acquisitions, a change in direction of the core services or products, or to repair reputation damage. Sometimes a new rebrand is a great way to reengage with old customers while attracting new customers.

Are there downsides of rebranding? Are there companies that you would advise against doing a “Brand Makeover”? Why?

In the case of a rebranding exercise that is used to repair reputation damage, the company needs to make sure it works with professional public relations experts to ensure a smooth transition. Simply by building a new brand is not enough to cover up past mistakes. The other important thing to consider when rebranding is to ensure that the new brand is well researched and well tested before launch.

When a company is trying to upgrade its brand, here are the five key steps:

Pitch

This first step is arguably the most important. A memorable, impactful pitch comes with a clear understanding of brand positioning. Your brand position should include elements such as your brand’s mission statement, vision statement, and values.

Start by conducting market research into your target audience, marketing environment, and competitors. Then consider what makes your brand unique, capable, authentic, and relatable. A brand that does this well is Vimeo. Its main competitor is YouTube, but Vimeo has positioned itself as a more exclusive alternative for creators.

Profile

Profile is about the visual elements of your brand, consisting of your logo, visual identity, graphics and other imagery. It even includes the profile photos of your CEO and team. It takes a tenth of a second to form an opinion when looking at a visual. A first impression is the difference between someone clicking to find out more about you or turning their attention elsewhere. This is certainly an area that is worth getting professional help. For example, when you’re looking for a new restaurant, the Google review that has professionally taken photographs is much more likely to grab attention.

Platform

A professional, well-designed website, with your company name as the domain name, is an excellent platform for people to find all the information they are looking for you about you. Your website should at least have an About section, all your social media links and an easy option to contact you. Mobile-friendly personal websites rank really well on Google and is likely the first thing people will see after they search your name. The current design trends focuses on minimal user-friendly designs. Just think about the aesthetics of easy-to-use websites like Airbnb or Apple.

Produce

After completing the first 3 steps, you are ready to dive into the world of social media and content marketing. This step is all about producing valuable content to your target audience. You want to be as helpful as possible on all your channels, using tools such as social media, blogging, vlogging, books, events etc.

A brand that does this very well is Away, which is a high-end luggage brand popular with celebrities. Before the founders even built a prototype, they developed a coffee table photography book of luxury travel that encompasses all of their brand ideas. They sent this book to influencers and celebrities to sell them on the idea of their brand. After that gained momentum, only been did they start to build the product which is the luggage. This coffee table book became the foundation for all of the content of their future social media.

Partnership

There are two main types of partnerships: brand partners and media partners. Brand partners are mutually beneficial relationships that can help you expand your reach. Media partners help you increase publicity and help more people find out about you, With the right partnerships, you can skyrocket the reach of your brand and establish yourself as a leader in your industry.

For the clients that my company Oval Branding works with, in the venture capital — private equity space, it is absolutely essential for us to work with event brand partners as well as the media to build the reputation. We have helped founders get speaking roles, sponsorship opportunities as well as press interviews in tier one major publications. All brands need to continue to build up their reputation by developing effective partnerships and invest into branding long-term.

In your opinion, what is an example of a company that has done a fantastic job doing a “Brand Makeover”. What specifically impresses you? What can one do to replicate that?

One brand that did this very well is Lego. A simple children’s toy based on one concept has taken over the imagination of generations and created a multi-million-dollar brand. But how does a brand that’s so simple continue to be relevant in an age full of screens for children?

One way Lego continues to invest in its branding by adding new partners. Two of the most successful collaborations it has done are with the Harry Potter franchise and the DC universe, such as with Batman. There will always be new influencers and collaborators to work with.

The brand is also not afraid of embracing digitalization. It has created mobile games, PC games as well as invested in the Lego movie. At the same time it also expands in off-line experiences, such as in its flagship stores and theme parks. There is always something new on offer in the horizon, and we can’t wait to see what’s next.

Actually there is no need for me to inspire a movement. I think it takes more courage and leadership to be a follower and to let go of one’s ego. They are so many inspiring people out there leading amazing movements, why not consider supporting them instead? Some leaders that come to mind include Greta Thunberg, Malala Yousafzai, Arianna Huffington and Emma Watson.

Furthermore, I believe our roles as marketers and brand managers are to help our client tell their unique stories and support their visions for a better world. So I’m perfectly happy doing that to make the world a better place.

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

My favorite artist Claude Monet said, “Everyone discusses my art and pretends to understand as if it were necessary to understand when it is simply necessary to love.”

In the end, the work that I do is an art and it’s okay if not everyone understands it, but the most important thing is that I loved in all the ways I can through my work.

How can our readers follow you online?

Company Website: www.ovalbranding.com

Personal Website: www.kaitlinzhang.com

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kaitlinzhang/

Twitter: @kaitlinzhang @OvalBrandingUK

Instagram: @kzhangbranding

Thank you so much for these excellent insights! We wish you continued success in your work.

Kaitlin Zhang of Oval Branding: “Brand Makeovers; 5 Things You Should Do To Upgrade and Re-Energize was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Dean Neiger of Sky Organics: “5 Things You Need To Do To Build A Trusted And Beloved Brand”

When you’re doing too many things at once — it can be easy to feel burnt out. That’s why organization and prioritizing are important techniques to incorporate in your work life. If a task is too big don’t be afraid to delegate and split it up among people. Keep educating yourself on your industry and try new things! Sometimes a different approach is better than trying to optimize an old method!

I had the pleasure of interviewing Dean Neiger, Co-Founder and Vice President of Business Development for Sky Organics.

Dean Neiger has always had a passion for environmental sustainability. Prior to founding Sky Organics in 2015 with brother Steven Neiger, the pair established Florida’s first “green” dry cleaning service Dryeco — highlighting non-toxic, eco-friendly solvents as alternatives to hazardous petroleum-based cleaning products. Dean managed business development for the company for four years before moving on to become a founding partner of DG Trading House — a rough diamond trading company based in Dubai where he oversaw their Angolan subsidiary and all trade-related activities. Dean’s strengths have always been in marketing and sales — both of which he leads for Sky Organics. Under his management the company has expanded to over 10,000 stores nationwide in just under 3 years — and he has even bigger plans for expansion in the future.

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

The natural journey came to us — we didn’t seek it out. After her first child, my sister-in-law wanted to make her home a greener, more natural space but found it difficult as so many products are formulated with harmful ingredients and toxic chemicals. The natural products she did find were expensive and hard to come by — so she started doing DIYs, making household and beauty essentials that were safe enough for the entire family to use. From then forward, we kept growing, making clean products using natural botanicals that our friends, family, and now, everyone can enjoy.

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

When we founded this company back in 2015, I was wearing many hats — doing sales, marketing, managing social media, among many other things. Back then, we couldn’t afford a photoshoot and I don’t have any skills in photography, so I would purchase stock photos to use on Instagram. Well, for one post I wanted to advertise the way our Organic Castor Oil Eyelash Serum could be used to support healthy, fuller-looking lashes and brows — so I posted a close up of a woman’s eyes with beautiful, long lashes only to be pointed out by our followers that she was (very obviously, apparently) wearing lash extensions. Lesson learned — always do your research because people have no problem letting you know when you’ve got things wrong.

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

For one, we are a family-founded and family-orientated brand, making sure our essentials are safe for everyone — even our little ones. Unlike some natural companies, we strive to be accessible — with all of our products priced below $25 because everyone should have the opportunity to live a green lifestyle. We value sourcing our ingredients from artisanal farms all over the world and then assembling a majority of our products right here in the United States. We also know there is a lot of confusion surrounding the natural movement. When my sister-in-law was looking for products for my niece, she found many companies labeling their products as natural and organic while using some frightening chemicals in their collections. That’s why Sky Organics makes sure to use safe, easy-to-read botanicals and keep our ingredients list short and sweet, often opting to use only a single pressed fruit or nut in our essentials. We focus on USDA certification, so there are no lingering questions about whether our products are safe or authentic. By far, our strongest and most differentiating quality is the open, two-way relationship we maintain with our beauty community. People message us asking for recommendations based on their skin type or send us photos using our products, and they know our team is always there to provide support and answer their questions without judgment.

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

We have so many new projects! One major development that we have been tirelessly working on and only recently got to celebrate a launch for is the opening of our sister company Sky Organics CBD, which features two collections both a Wellness and Beauty line — formulated using safe, natural botanicals enriched with hemp-derived, broad-spectrum cannabidiol. Aside from that major project which we were so excited to have gotten off the ground, we are working on a rebrand to update our old packaging, as well as bringing to fruition two new, innovative collections — though for now, that has to remain a secret. We are also working on ways to be more involved in our local community, figuring out how to host pop-up events, clothing swaps, and beach clean-ups in the future — so stay tuned, 2020 is going to be a major year!

Ok, let’s now jump to the core part of our interview. In a nutshell, how would you define the difference between brand marketing (branding) and product marketing (advertising)? Can you explain?

The main difference between the two — is that brand marketing, as the name would suggest, emphasizes the qualities of the brand, whereas product marketing follows the quality of the product. You can’t achieve true, long-term success without utilizing both. When we first started this company, we invested heavily in product marketing as it gave us a reliable way to understand more about our audience. As we continue to grow and solidify our values — we are investing more in our brand, which means we are investing in the way we want to be perceived by our audience. In the beginning, our values were “safe products made with ingredients you can feel good about using,” and while we still hold tightly to that message, we are more than just a place to find affordable, clean essentials. We are the big sister of the family, taking under our wings those who are trying to dip their toes into the natural world but are uncertain about where or how to start.

Can you explain to our readers why it is important to invest resources and energy into building a brand, in addition to the general marketing and advertising efforts?

General marketing and advertising will only get a company so far. Sure, a good ad can sell a product, but it’ll only sell that product to a customer once, maybe twice before they find another company that is selling the same product at a lower cost. When you invest in building a brand, you invest in a loyal base that will support your company beyond a one-time purchase. Our beauty community posts photos of our products, write reviews, advise one another about DIYs, effectively doing unpaid advertisement for us because they value our brand, our core message and want to share that message with others. Having a strong brand gives us a level of built-in authenticity and trust, as consumers learn to associate our products with messages like self-love, inner fulfillment, and family first. People support us not just for effective products, but because they support who we are as a company.

Can you share 5 strategies that a company should be doing to build a trusted and believable brand? Please tell us a story or example for each.

The first one is to invest time into customer reviews. We are constantly encouraging customers to leave feedback of our products, whether it be on social media, Walmart.com, Amazon, or whichever platform. Doing so allows other people who are unfamiliar with our brand to see we have an established, trusted base, and aren’t a “scam” which can be a real issue when it comes to online shopping. Consumers are smart and don’t trust easily. They know brands are trying to sell products to them at the end of the day. People will more readily trust a review from another consumer who is gaining nothing by saying our product is great as opposed to us telling our consumers our products have value. Reviews give “realness” to a company.

Our second strategy is USDA certification and placing the seal on our products. USDA is a highly revered and trusted source for what’s what in the organic community. Having their seal on our products automatically elevates their value, and informs consumers before they even have to read the label, that the product they are holding in their hand is clean and safe to use.

Thirdly, walk the talk. By this I mean, if you value your company as being conscientious as our brand does — then prove it. Most recently, we partnered with two non-profit organizations that support COVID-19 relief efforts. The first is with Feeding America which is committed to serving meals to families and individuals facing hunger as facilities temporarily close their doors. The second is with Restaurant Workers’ Community Foundation which establishes a relief fund for individual restaurant workers facing economic hardships or health crises as a direct result of COVID-19. We have donated $10,000 to both of these organizations.

The fourth tip is to be authentic and honest. Customers can see whether you are passionate or not about the work you do. There’s no need to strive to be perfect as that will always be a failed goal. On the contrary, customers understand mistakes when they’re small. Sometimes we record a video for our followers and might trip over a word — that’s okay. It just adds to the realness of the company and serves as a reminder that real people are working behind the screen creating all the images, words, and designs they see.

The final strategy is having solid PR. Advertisement is saying your company is the best, whereas PR is others saying you’re great. Our PR team has solidified for us features in Byrdie, Bustle, Refinery 29, Marie Claire, and Rolling Stone, to name a few. Good PR doesn’t just give your company traction with new consumers — it adds credibility as there is evidence to support what you’re selling has value.

In your opinion, what is an example of a company that has done a fantastic job building a believable and beloved brand? What specifically impresses you? What can one do to replicate that?

We admire The Honest Company, founded by Jessica Alba. Like The Honest Company, we share so many similar values — wanting clean, safe essentials that everyone in the family can use and being accessible to all. She’s a great example of resilience and the way that success isn’t always a straight shot. She tried multiple times to get her idea off the ground but couldn’t find investors willing to take the risk — so she buckled down and went to the drawing board, researching the market and the nuances of the natural industry. She even ended up in DC lobbying for reform to the 1976 Toxic Substances Control Act. It paid off and her company gained incredible success when it launched. Unfortunately, things grew too quickly. They started selling products that alienated their original, and strongest consumer base — and even ran into formula and labeling issues that caused a backlash. What is admirable from all this is Alba took full responsibility for the mistakes. She decided to scale down and focus predominately on the original, core products for mothers and babies that created their initial success, and she created an in-house lab to ensure quality control.

What we can learn from her and replicate in our own brand — is remember where you started from and own up to your mistakes. Not only in a humility way but recognizing the small things that drew consumers to our company (simply formulated, natural products) and keeping true to those ideals as we expand and create new lines and have bigger ideas.

In advertising, one generally measures success by the number of sales. How does one measure the success of a brand-building campaign? Is it similar, is it different?

Success for a brand is a little different than calculating pure sales. We use social listening and engagement to measure how well our brand is being received. When we post something on Instagram and get a ton of comments from our community about loving our products, or have people tag us in their face mask selfies and message us skincare questions — that tells us a lot about how we’re doing as a brand. We also utilize tools like surveys and online reviews — making sure to check in on our followers and let them directly tell us how we’re doing and how we can improve.

What role does social media play in your branding efforts?

Social media has been an incredibly strong tool in helping us build our brand. Ads can only do so much — to be successful as a company you can’t run non-stop paid advertisements. Social media has enabled us to always remain present in the market. We can have a more fun and personable approach with things like get-ready-with-us routines, behind-the-scenes, or clips of the team during our holiday party. Social media has allowed us to expand our consumer base by partnering with influencers that align with our ideals. It’s always better to have someone else talk about how great you are then talking about your greatness yourself. When a green influencer with thousands of followers talks about loving our products — that adds credibility and value to our brand.

What advice would you give to other marketers or business leaders to thrive and avoid burnout?

When you’re doing too many things at once — it can be easy to feel burnt out. That’s why organization and prioritizing are important techniques to incorporate in your work life. If a task is too big don’t be afraid to delegate and split it up among people. Keep educating yourself on your industry and try new things! Sometimes a different approach is better than trying to optimize an old method!

Bringing authenticity to the forefront of all things — work, our personal lives, and so forth, would inspire a lot of good. It seems like so many problems are created due to a lack of trust. As a business owner, I can see the ramifications of this firsthand, having to work twice as hard for people to believe a company wants to create accessible, good-for-you essentials with nothing up our sleeves. Not only will an increase of authenticity allow people to trust in brands again, but it’ll help cultivate more meaningful relationships all across the board.

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

Author Neale Donald Walsch said, “life begins at the end of your comfort zone.” I truly believe that. The number one reason for failure is not trying — discounting yourself from the race before it even started. Sky Organics is my third business venture, and each of them in dramatically different industries. Don’t be afraid to try, fail, and start over. Each time you start again you carry the experiences of your past and it only makes you smarter.

Without a doubt Richard Branson. He is a man of many hats and has worked in music, in air, land, and sea transportation, and is involved in a lot of humanitarian initiatives that I admire — he even worked with Nelson Mandela at one point!

How can our readers follow you on social media?

You can find us on Instagram at skyorganics.us or type in Sky Organics into Facebook and our page will show up! We also have a YouTube channel under Sky Organics.

Dean Neiger of Sky Organics: “5 Things You Need To Do To Build A Trusted And Beloved Brand” was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Big Ideas That Might Change The World: “Portable chemical oxygen for emergency use” With Dr.

Big Ideas That Might Change The World: “Portable chemical oxygen for emergency use” With Dr. Richard P. Imbruce

All EMS survival data is timed from EMS arrival. The R15, for the first time, will not only improve survival but also provide survival data before EMS arrives, brain cells dysfunction, and die. Emergency Physicians over the world provide oxygen as the first line of defense against untoward events. A safe, simple to use, internationally understandable emergency oxygen device will make a difference.

I had the pleasure of interviewing Richard P. Imbruce, PhD, CEO.

Richard P. Imbruce has 30 years of experience in the medical device industry & co-inventor of R15. Founded Pneumedics, Inc., a developer & manufacturer of heart and lung diagnostic instrumentation and advisor to GE/Versamed Healthcare. Dr. Imbruce is an international expert on breathing mechanics, established Rapid Oxygen Company in 2013 to develop, manufacture and market the R15, portable chemical oxygen generator for emergency use.

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

In 2006 I was developing an ICU level of care, battery powered, transport ventilator and met Dr. Kevin Ward, Director of Emergency Medicine Research Institute at Virginia Commenwealth University in Richmond, VA. Dr. Ward was recipient of a $10M DOD grant to develop a hemorrhagic shock treatment for the Army in Afghanistan. The treatment consisted of injecting small amounts of hydrogen peroxide-saline solution to produce oxygen. This added many hours of survival for transport to MASH units for better outcomes. It became obvious to use this technology to augment breathing in far-forward areas where oxygen cylinders couldn’t be deployed.

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

I once treated a family of five children and two adults, blinded by carbon monoxide poisoning resulting from a poorly ventilated furnace. They were placed in two monoplace hyperbaric oxygen chambers for a series of daily treatments over the course of a few weeks. Soon their sight improved with no untoward effects. Just an example of oxygen benefits with proper use.

Which principles or philosophies have guided your life? Your career?

Horace Mann –“Be ashamed to die until you have won some victory for humanity.”

Ok. Let’s now move to the main focus of our interview. Can you tell us about your “Big Idea That Might Change The World”?

Since oxygen cylinders are explosive and not permitted for public safety, oxygen is not available in public spaces. EMS statistics result in 8%-14% survival from an untoward event. There is a 10% improvement in survival for every minute improvement in response time. Recent COVID-19 response times increased in NYC from an average of six and a half minutes to more than twelve minutes. The national average EMS response time is over eight minutes and more in rural areas.

Brain function decreases without oxygen after two minutes and dies within ten.

How do you think this will change the world?

Airports locate AEDs every one thousand feet for access within one minute. I believe making emergency oxygen available at the same time, within one minute, before EMS arrive, will greatly improve survival, not only for cardiac events but also for airway emergencies, more than 20x more frequent.

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

There are no “Black Mirror” events or “Law of Unintended Consequences” by providing 6 liters per minute, the flow of oxygen, warmed and humidified to body temperature, and pressure for fifteen minutes under any circumstances. The often-quoted Hippocratic Oath “above all else, do no harm” is particularly useful here. There is FDA clearance for the R15 because it meets their guidelines for emergency use without a prescription. Oxygen cylinders require a prescription and certificate training is mandated for proper use. The R15 empowers anyone, any age, anytime to be a “Good Samaritan.”

Was there a “tipping point” that led you to this idea? Can you tell us that story?

All EMS survival data is timed from EMS arrival. The R15, for the first time, will not only improve survival but also provide survival data before EMS arrives, brain cells dysfunction, and die. Emergency Physicians over the world provide oxygen as the first line of defense against untoward events. A safe, simple to use, internationally understandable emergency oxygen device will make a difference.

What do you need to lead this idea to widespread adoption?

Early adopters recognize the need and will influence acceptance. The media will communicate this message.

What are your “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Started” and why? (Please share a story or example for each.)

Acceptance: I thought oxygen is understood by everyone. It is taken for granted.
Mechanical Design: Simplicity is the ratio of elegance of design and hidden complexity.
Proof of Concept: Chemistry in a box is a real challenge, a chem lab experiment.
Startup Cost: A moving target for which one must take ownership.
Investor Appetite: Glass eyed and impatient.

Can you share with our readers what you think are the most important “success habits” or “success mindsets”?

Perseverance at all costs.

Some very well known VCs read this column. If you had 60 seconds to make a pitch to a VC, what would you say? He or she might just see this if we tag them 🙂

Opportunity: Improve survival of cardiac and respiratory emergencies in public places.

Due to the safety & explosion hazards of high-pressure gas cylinders, emergency oxygen is not available in public places. RO2 has patented a portable chemical oxygen generator to produce safe, easy to use, medically pure oxygen for 15–20 minutes without the need for electrical or battery power. It is a completely safe, low-pressure emergency oxygen system, that does not require an explosive charge for activation. The R15 will complement the more than 10 million automatic emergency defibrillators (AEDs), which saved many subjects with cardiac emergencies over the last twenty years. The R15, cleared by the FDA as an OTC medical device to provide emergency oxygen without a prescription, allows anyone, anywhere to become a Good Samaritan at the same time restoring the ‘P’ to CPR.

Since cardiac and airway emergencies are sides of the same coin, the R-15 can be bundled with AEDs, designated as ‘emergency use’ kiosks, located in airports, shopping malls, and other public places, often where fire extinguishers are located.

The R-15 is activated by turning a lever and attaching its integral mask to the subject. Oxygen flows almost immediately and continues to flow for 15–20 minutes, more than enough time for the arrival of EMT personnel. If not used, it is replaced every two years, similar to printer cartridge recycling.

Rapid Oxygen Company is seeking to raise $5M Series ‘B’ offering of company common stock. Proceeds will be used to scale manufacturing and support a sales effort with web-based telemarketing, direct sales, and distribution networks for the $1.5B projected emergency oxygen market opportunity.

How can our readers follow you on social media?

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

Big Ideas That Might Change The World: “Portable chemical oxygen for emergency use” With Dr. was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Big Ideas That Might Change The World In The Next Few Years, With Michael Blanton of Songwriting…

Big Ideas That Might Change The World In The Next Few Years, With Michael Blanton of Songwriting University

This digital connection allows for anyone who has a dream of writing or possibly being an artist, they can now meet with some of the best writers who have ever been in this game, and without moving to Nashville. This way they can finish their schoolwork wherever they are and still be rubbing shoulders with the best of Nashville, or they can keep their corporate job, and still work on their love for music by chasing their desire to write some great music. So as we come out of this pandemic, this on-line writing opportunity is going to be the scratch for people all over the world who have the itch to make music.

As a part of my series about “Big Ideas That Might Change The World In The Next Few Years” I had the pleasure of interviewing Michael Blanton from Songwriting University.

Michael Blanton, of Brentwood, Tennessee, has had a celebrated career in the national and Nashville music industry. Today, he finds him in all kinds of artistic and entertainment development, not limited to just artist management.

A native of Amarillo, Texas, Blanton got his start in music as an A&R representative at Word Records in Waco, Texas, moving to Nashville in 1978 to open the company’s office on Music Row. He and business partner Dan Harrell launched Blanton/Harrell Production and Management in 1980 with Amy Grant as their first client. In 1981 with friend Brown Bannister (’75), they created Reunion Records and Reunion Publishing and soon launched the careers of artists including Michael W. Smith and Rich Mullins and Wayne Kirkpatrick.

Currently, Blanton has partnered in the development with Songwriting University, to help support the songwriters of Nashville, and help develop new artistic talent. Also, Blanton is a partner with Vertigo Media, and a new management launch called Halogen-BNA. Vertigo and Halogen work together to build and develop new artists and songwriters through technology and community.

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

Having been in the music industry for over 40 years, I’ve seen the industry go through many different phases, and as a result, have seen the whole development and presentation of artists change drastically.

My personal story starts with being hired as a young A&R representative, and starting as a purveyor of new talent and songs, I was fortunate to help develop and lead the music history of Amy Grant plus others, and that has led me into these many years of music and artist development. While the industry has certainly changed, the one constant has always been the “song”. No matter how things change, the song still makes the difference for any artist wanting to make their mark.

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

There are just too many stories, however, one story is regarding Amy Grant and her recording of the song, “House of Love”. I had found this song and wanted Amy to record, but due to the R&B feel of this song she was not feeling very confident that she could sing this style song, in fact she at one point told me to please not play her this song again, because she just didn’t feel that she could sing this song very well. I waited a couple of weeks and presented the song to her again as a great option for her to record, ha. Keith Thomas was the producer, and he loved the song and also wanted to produce her singing this style, so he went ahead and developed a track to begin to listen to while considering. I also decided to add some more initiative to her singing this song by reaching out to STING, who was a label mate of hers on A&M Records. So while all this is happening, Amy is out doing some Christmas concerts, and after a few of these shows, she calls me to tell me that she now loves this song and found someone to sing with her on the R&B groove song idea. I told her that I was still chasing STING, but hadn’t heard back from his management team just yet, but who did she find that she now was so excited about this song. She told me that at her last show, she sang some music with Vince Gill. What?! I told her that he was a country artist, and we should try to stay in our Pop lane with STING, but she would not have any other options to consider other than Vince. So he sang the duet with her and it was indeed magic. I still feel today that duet should have been a huge #1 song for the ages #37 on Billboard), but a few months later they became the house of love and were married and the rest is history.

Which principles or philosophies have guided your life? Your career?

One of my philosophies has always been, if you build good relationships those will lead you to good business. I have always put more value on the people we spend our lives with than chasing the almighty dollar. Not that revenue is not important, but if you invest in good people and relationships, those will lead to good business eventually. Such is true with Songwriting University.

Ok. Let’s now move to the main focus of our interview. Can you tell us about your “Big Idea That Might Change The World”?

Staying with my theme of everything starts with a song, then fast forward to today where Nashville is Music City, and our iconic signature is our great songwriters who write those songs. Just a few years ago, most aspiring songwriters would move to Nashville and then begin to meet and pursue the many publishing companies and artists here to expose their songs, and hopefully learn from the great writers who were here and had already impacted the world with great music. The goal was certainly to be discovered and be signed by a publishing company or recorded by a successful artists, which would put you on the road to your own music history making story. However today due to CD sales disappearing and everyone streaming, the revenue model has so changed, and while publishers still sign some writers, that number is down drastically. And now of course with any and everyone being able to write a song and put it out on-line whenever they want, it’s like the wild west again. Anything is possible, but that great collaboration of rubbing shoulders with other great songwriters or being signed by expert music publishers is gone. Songwriting University does two things, first it allows for that person anywhere in the world to be able to make access with some of those great songwriters and learn and develop their craft without having to move to Nashville. It also rewards the great writers who are here with a chance to collaborate with new talent and help discover some new songs, and get paid immediately for their good work. Nashville has always believed that collaboration usually makes things better for an artist or a songwriter, although that’s not always true, over the many years of music city that has been the case.

How do you think this will change the world?

This digital connection allows for anyone who has a dream of writing or possibly being an artist, they can now meet with some of the best writers who have ever been in this game, and without moving to Nashville. This way they can finish their schoolwork wherever they are and still be rubbing shoulders with the best of Nashville, or they can keep their corporate job, and still work on their love for music by chasing their desire to write some great music. So as we come out of this pandemic, this on-line writing opportunity is going to be the scratch for people all over the world who have the itch to make music.

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

Well obviously, one man’s art is another man’s trash. Meaning that just because you have the desire doesn’t mean you have the gift, but isn’t that Art. You feel something in your passions and your heart and you live in Topeka and you love playing and writing some music. You can’t afford to go to Nashville to spend two years chasing the music makers and find out if your good or not, so Songwriting University gives you that opportunity, if you’re not good, all you’ve lost is the time on the Skype call with another great writer working with you, but even with this there is no guarantee that your music will ever be successful. But we all keep chasing that possibility.

Was there a “tipping point” that led you to this idea? Can you tell us that story?

This idea has been vetted out over the last three years by two writers who started hearing from folks from other cities about working on songs long-distant, which lead to work on-line. When they approached me with what they were doing, the lights came on that this could be a new normal for so many folks who wanted to explore their music, but couldn’t afford the time to come to Nashville.

I think this season in the Pandemic only confirms again that we are all doing everything on-line, and I expect this to continue to explode.

What do you need to lead this idea to widespread adoption?

Well obviously spread the word in social media and some marketing, and be patient. I think keeping our faculty of good writers attached and available and then waiting for the songs and the stories to grow will only build momentum for this creative development idea.

What are your “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Started” and why. (Please share a story or example for each.)

It’s more important how you finish than how you start. We tend to get so focused on instant gratification, we are almost willing to lose anything to win, but we need to look down the road to have a vision of what do we want to look like when we are finishing this story.
Find what’s good about something, not what’s wrong with everything. Creativity needs to be encouraged and we need to look between the lines of all art, and not be overly judgmental and critical.
Nothing is as good as you think, but neither is anything as bad as you think. Basically don’t believe your own press, which we all want to do when good things happen.
Be Patient, most new business’ take three years to turn a corner. Just something when you’re starting with the hottest idea, even if it’s super good, it’s going to take time. Pixar spent the first 10 years in the ditch, but look where they are now.
It’s about others, not about you. We all have ego’s and I’m not talking about not be confident in yourself or in your creative idea, but at the end of the day if it doesn’t lift peoples hearts and lives to be better and make a difference, then for me I have to question was it worth doing at all.

Can you share with our readers what you think are the most important “success habits” or “success mindsets”?

Well now I would just flip the last question of “5 things” and use those for my best answers for success habits.

Some very well known VCs read this column. If you had 60 seconds to make a pitch to a VC, what would you say? He or she might just see this if we tag them 🙂

I would say to invest in people, and when they look at this new innovative songwriting idea, and connection to past success writers, then there is a formula here that can work being led by very good business people with strong creative hearts.

It will only take some time and some success, and I believe this can lead to all kinds of new content stories. Music will never go away, and thus the need for songwriters.

How can our readers follow you on social media?

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SongwritingU/

Instagram: https://instagram.com/songwritingu

Check out Songwriting U’s most recent project for the song “Kinder”, inspiring a world of hope and positivity:

https://www.facebook.com/SongwritingU/videos/1104255559941438/

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

Big Ideas That Might Change The World In The Next Few Years, With Michael Blanton of Songwriting… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Andi Eaton: “Brand Makeovers; 5 Things You Should Do To Upgrade and Re-Energize Your Brand and…

Andi Eaton: “Brand Makeovers; 5 Things You Should Do To Upgrade and Re-Energize Your Brand and Image”

One of my callings is to inspire worth women, to encourage them to follow their artistic dreams and creative endeavors. There’s such a false narrative out there that creative endeavors are second rate, that following an artistic dream will lead to a lifestyle of being a “starving artist.” I, on the other hand, believe creativity is core to being an incredible entrepreneur.

As part of our series about “Brand Makeovers” I had the pleasure to interview Andi Eaton.

Andi is a Creative Director and Consultant offering strategy and support to holistic and consciously-minded businesses through her company Andi Eaton Creatives. She spent over a decade as a senior executive for an Ayurvedic beauty brand, launched a fashion incubator in a post-Katrina New Orleans, and then created her own boutique branding and consulting company in 2016. Since then she’s published two books (most recently Wanderful: The Modern Bohemian’s Guide to Traveling in Style) while running an award-winning blog and working with creative entrepreneurs, gypset inspired fashion designers, tourism boards, retreat companies and wellness brands around the globe. Her personal blog, ‘Oui, We’ is a reflection of her wanderlust inspired life.

I started my career in the music industry. I worked as a junior publicist, writing press releases and brainstorming ideas to sell concert tickets by day — this was the era before social media when radio stations were pulling over the top publicity stunts and landing on the pages of a magazine was the way to get a band noticed. By night, my job was to hustle photographers in and out of the photo pit and schedule interviews for bands like the Black Eyed Peas, No Doubt, Britney Spears and Ozzy Osbourne. It was a wild ride. I loved every second of it.

A few years into it I was recruited by the beauty brand AVEDA to work in sales and marketing for the distribution arm of the business. I spent over a decade of my career there. I was always interested equally in creativity and wellness, and that job was a dream.

During that time I moved to New Orleans to work out of the distribution office corporate headquarters. It was right after Hurricane Katrina and I found myself pulled in a new direction. I became super passionate about helping artists, and specifically, fashion designers in New Orleans, get their feet back under them after the hurricane. With the smallest budget ever I decided to launch a fashion incubator as a side project.

Between 2011 and 20116 my team and I produced upwards of 50 fashion, art, and design events each year, as well as educational workshops with experts from brands like J. Crew, Tommy Hilfiger, Clinique, Anthropologie, Vera Wang, L’oreal Professional, AVEDA, and Goorin Brothers. It was my first experience using digital to target influencers, media, buyers, and tastemakers. My focus was on experiential events and pop up shops offering designers and artists an opportunity to connect directly to new consumers, and I found my stride as a branding expert and creative marketer during that time.

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

As I was growing the fashion incubator and continuing to work on marketing strategies for AVEDA, I launched my first blog. Perhaps the biggest marketing mistake during that time was creating blog content based on what I felt like doing in the moment versus really mapping out a strategic plan. I’ve always recommended testing concepts and ideas and getting feedback from the audience — and that’s what I was doing so well for others, but when it came to my own launch I didn’t truly give it what it deserved. I wasn’t employing the strategies that were working for me in other areas of my business life on my own personal project. Once I left my corporate job and realized I’d be relying on my site to drive parts of my new venture forward I treated it like it deserved. I studied SEO, color theory, graphic design and photography and got serious about getting engaged traffic to my site. The lesson was to treat my personal creative endeavors in the same way I treat business — by being all in. Years later when I got my first book deal, it was that blog that encouraged the publisher to take a chance on me.

I was always a highly visual person with a love of writing. However, it took time to trust my eye and voice. The tipping point for me came when I launched the incubator and kicked off a season of runway shows to support the designers in the program. I realized then that using incredibly innovative approaches to spreading the word about our events was working. In 2011 my company’s guerrilla marketing strategies landed us in the pages of Women’s Wear Daily. I knew I was onto something. At that time the shape of digital media was changing by leaps and bounds, and I found myself positioned on the front end of that trend. I realized how effective digital, and specifically social media, is for a company with an incredibly limited budget. I share this story with start ups and new businesses now: you can create energy and excitement around your brand with little money with a strong focus on digital and experience.

I personally believe the future of marketing lies in that mash-up: the digital world partnered with experience, and after those 5 years of running the fashion incubator I shifted my focus again. Today I run Andi Eaton Creatives as a Creative Director and Consultant. I’m committed to working exclusively with conscious entrepreneurs and brands dedicated to bettering the planet, and improving the emotional and spiritual well-being of both employees and consumers.

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

I launched a program called the Conscious Creatives Business School in January and it’s been so powerful seeing the graduates of that program come out on the other side with a true understanding of their brand. They’re ready to pivot, explore their passions further and grow their business in an authentic way with fresh eyes. The program features immersive digital workshops, a mastermind and live events for those aspiring to live a more creatively fulfilled life. The students learn how to create conscious business strategies, design a soulful social media presence, design a brand they love, and attract an authentically engaged community.

I’m also leading intimate retreats and mastermind programs with these same focuses — these programs are a beautiful blend of creativity, entrepreneurship, wellness and mystical thinking.

What advice would you give to other marketers to thrive and avoid burnout?

Well, I’m an advocate for taking good care of the trifecta: mind, body and soul. I’m also a recovering perfectionist — workaholic — control freak, so I learned the hard way. When I was working in the beauty industry working 80-hour work weeks and traveling non-stop I knew I was missing a connection to myself and a higher purpose. I was constantly hitting that burn out wall. It’s why my Business School program includes a blend of business and well-being.

When I closed my fashion incubator program and decided to put full focus on my current company I took 6 months to reset completely. I moved to Spain, traveled every weekend, ate beautiful food, swam in the ocean and vowed to change the way my work days looked going forward.

To truly stay centered and grounded I recommend taking time away from the day to day “do” and be still. Sure, not everyone can go away for 6 months, but it’s what I had to do to get on the other side of it. My advice and what I do now: allow for moments of quiet to re-ignite the spark of inspiration. None of us can come up with brilliant marketing strategies all day long when we’re not giving ourselves the proper rest time. So sleep, eat well, exercise, dream — take care of yourself so you can give to others.

Ok, let’s now jump to the core part of our interview. In a nutshell, how would you define the difference between brand marketing (branding) and product marketing (advertising)? Can you explain?

I operate from the mindset that brand marketing should come first. Your brand is your story. It’s your voice, tone, personality, cause, calling, intention and your core values. Brand marketing at it’s highest expression communicates your beliefs and your promise at every touch point.

Consider: how does my brand sound? What feeling will someone have when they visit my website, see my art, use my service, or purchase my product? These are the questions to ask yourself as you write your marketing plan. I love the example of the beauty brand Glossier. Before Glossier, founder Emily Weiss had a cult following of her blog Into the Gloss. She was a young New Yorker, living at a million-miles-a-minute pace to get through the day. Her people believed in her and identified fully with her ‘5 minutes to get ready, look amazing with minimal effort’ approach.

Glossier’s brand marketing is raw, real, and approachable. When it comes time to the market product via advertising Glossier stays the course of that “girlfriend in the next high rise over” feeling. Glossier considers marketing efforts like gifting product to superfans or naming new products based on crowdsourced Instagram feedback, to be as important as putting up a billboard in Time Square.

Can you explain to our readers why it is important to invest resources and energy into building a brand, in addition to the general marketing and advertising efforts?

Humans want to connect, we’re social creatures. For advertising efforts to get the most bang, a heart-centered connection needs to be present. That’s where the brand building comes in. Whether you’re managing the brand image for a company or for your personal brand, the emotional intelligence and authentic connection to your perfect people, AKA your customer, is conveyed through your brand story.

Let’s now talk about rebranding. What are a few reasons why a company would consider rebranding?

A rebrand is like a megaphone in which you’re shouting through: we’re ready to grow! Change is never easy, but often, it’s the way forward. It’s important to understand that branding is way more than just a logo or the landing page of your website. Your brand image is the full wrap up of the experiences your people, and future people, have with your company. A killer brand establishes trust, credibility and evolves over time.

Why would it be time to rebrand? Here’s a few reasons (and spoiler alert, it’s way more than just because sales have slowed down!): are you changing markets? offering a new featured product or service? changing your niche? interested in attracting a new customer base? Have you outgrown your original mission? received less than reviews? Do you need to shake off an old story?

There’s, of course, so many other reasons to consider a rebrand, but it’s a good reminder, that an incredibly strategic rebrand will remake your business.

Are there downsides of rebranding? Are there companies that you would advise against doing a “Brand Makeover”? Why?

I’ve had business owners come to me interested in rebranding when truly there isn’t a clear understanding of their existing brand to begin with. Again, branding is more than just a name, logo and website. So if you’re not sure that you’ve fully executed on your existing brand vision it’s not necessarily the right move to rebrand. It’s also worth considering: are you ready to fully invest financially and emotionally into a rebrand? Do your existing customers identify with the visuals or voice of your existing brand? In that case maybe you just need a refresh. Are you simply bored of your existing brand? Brands need time to stick, so don’t make big moves when perhaps things just feel a little stale.

Consider Art and Analytics. Market test everything you’re considering putting out on a large scale. One of my core strategies for considering new brand messaging is to test new creative and copy via dark posts on facebook and instagram. Dark posts are targeted ads. These aren’t boosted or organic posts, rather they’re sponsored posts with super specifics targets that show up in the feeds of users you’re interested in attracting. This doesn’t have to cost a lot of money — you can test dark posts, targeted to a specific audience, using a variety of imagery and copy for $5 per post. You’ll get all sorts of good information this way and it will support you in deciding which creative and copy is best for your brand. Gap spent $100 million on a rebranded logo in 2010, 6 days later, after loads of negative feedback they reverted to their original logo. Of course social media testing wasn’t an option in 2010, but imagine what Gap would have learned, and how much money would have been saved, working through this process.
Re-discover Your Why. Often times, you’ve forgotten your why and that’s the disconnect. Perhaps you opened your business because you saw a missing in the marketplace, but over the years you haven’t revisited your original big why. Ask yourself questions like: Who do you serve? What inspires them to buy? How do you fulfill that need? Why do they choose you over other options? As an example: I work with a swimwear company with a chain of boutique locations on the Florida coast. Sure, it’s easy to look at the concept and say: swim shop at the beach, the why is obvious. However, this particular brand does exceptionally well because their why is ‘to help all women feel beautiful’. Consider the insecurity many of us have in the dressing room, and how that feeling is amplified in a swim shop dressing room. This brand’s why — supporting all women in feeling beautiful shows up in every touch point of their business from the dressing room lighting, to the language the shop attendees use, to the neon wall art over the mirrors with slogans of reassurance and care.
Create Goal Clarity. Sit down with your team, or yourself if you’re a solopreneur, and write out a list of your company goals. Interview your best customers and ask them to share what they believe your goals to be. If you’re a boutique for example and your goal list says something like “offer eco and sustainable products, represent female artisans, support the down-to-earth woman interested in worldly issues” and your customers don’t have similar ideas on their list, consider how to bridge the gap.
Answer the Unknown. Consider the needs your customers might have in their day to day life that they’re not even aware of yet — their unrecognized needs. Ask yourself: what ways can I provide valuable answers to questions my customers don’t even know they have? These answers may come in the way of offering a new product or service, but perhaps it’s new positioning as well. During this new normal we’re experiencing, this idea is more important than ever. Here’s an example: a client of mine offers personal gifting. As businesses began to close doors during the start of the pandemic this business, who has a core value of creating memorable experiences through gifts, considered how they could stay relevant while people were clamoring for face masks and hand sanitizers. They launched a program focused on sponsoring memory-making gifts for local first responders. The business asked the community to join in by purchasing pre-designed gift baskets that would be hand-delivered by the company’s CEO to the firehouse and police station in her local community. Her ability to create a memorable experience for others during a time of uncertainty answered a question her customers didn’t know they had: how can I help, and feel good about myself while doing for others, while I’m stuck at home? She was able to do something good for others while keeping her business moving at the same time.
Be a TrendSpotter. I don’t necessarily think it’s important to be a leader when it comes to new trends, although if it feels right for your brand go for it! However, I do believe it’s important to see what’s happening in the world, what patterns of behavior are emerging and consider where it’s necessary to evolve. When a new trend is born, it’s not about being the first to make moves, it’s more important to take that knowledge and innovate in a way that works for your business. One of my favorite trend examples that truly changed an industry is the Vidal Sassoon mod haircut of the 60’s. Vidal Sassoon modernized the styles of the world’s fashion icons of the day in one haircut. It began with Mary Quant, Carol Channing and Grace Coddington. Then, after cutting Mia Farrow’s hair into an avant-garde pixie style for the film Rosemary’s Baby women collectively said goodbye to the weekly visit to the hairdresser for a set under a hooded dryer, in exchange for a low-maintenance, wash and wear style. Salon owners with an eye on trends adapted to offer the retail products and styling services that we see in salons across the globe today. Rather than losing revenue from their customers scheduling less frequent salon visits, they grew as they offered new products and services aligned to the new trend in beauty.

In your opinion, what is an example of a company that has done a fantastic job doing a “Brand Makeover”. What specifically impresses you? What can one do to replicate that?

As someone who works with fashion brands I love this example: flash back to early 2000’s Burberry — the famous English luxury brand. There was a moment in which the iconic ‘nova check’ design was seen on everything from scarves to baby strollers to dog beds. Then, after a series of mishaps, over-licensing and market saturation the brand was longer championed — it was condemned. The hit upon hit on the brand reputation, which included touches of classism and a co-opted aesthetic — it’s an interesting case study to research — culminated as the brand was banned from pubs across the UK. What did Burberry do? The nova check was sidelined, a new CEO and head designer was appointed. That was just for starters. Intellectual property for the infamous check was bought back, new collaborations were formed, new technology was embraced, new creative was launched, and so on and so on. Ask most CEOs if they’d like to see their product everywhere, like the nova check was, and the answer would be yes. But in reality that saturation didn’t serve Burberry in the long run. The “new” Burberry was chicer, smarter, more technologically savvy, and realigned with core brand values. New Burberry didn’t need to be seen everywhere, and that decision truly saved the brand.

One of my callings is to inspire worth women, to encourage them to follow their artistic dreams and creative endeavors. There’s such a false narrative out there that creative endeavors are second rate, that following an artistic dream will lead to a lifestyle of being a “starving artist.” I, on the other hand, believe creativity is core to being an incredible entrepreneur.

It’s dawned on me over the last several years as I’ve traveled to places like Colombia, Cuba, Mexico and Bali how many synchronicities there are between women holding space for their big entrepreneurial dreams in communities like these, and the women in business I have the pleasure of working. For example: last year I travel to Oaxaca to learn about ancient artisan crafts from indigenous women. A month later I joined a women’s art experience in Cuba, where the time was focused on creating alongside Cuban artists.

The women in Oaxaca were some of the first to earn an income as artists — it’s beyond motivating to hear their stories. The female artists in Cuba were doing the same. The women I work with are often digging deep into their soul to design a magical life of their own. In both cases, there’s some serious divine flow happening. A commonality? Each of these women have a drive to expand their calling in life. Each are marching towards their potential despite uncertainty.

I’d love to spearhead a moment in which women interested in artistic and entrepreneurial endeavors were given an opportunity to travel to work with women doing their own artistic thing and living their dream in other cultures. I believe a movement like this would be brilliant for fostering new perspective and creative confidence in women.

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

Ah, that’s tough! There’s so many beautiful writers and words to consider. Here’s a quote I included the opening chapter of my latest book “Wanderful”, I’ve loved this one a long time: “When you’re traveling you are what you are right there and then. No yesterdays on the road.” — William Least-Heat Moon. For me, the trajectory of my life changed when I started to live in this way, that 6 months in Spain and every trip I’ve taken since — and while yes, the quote speaks to travel, it’s as much about being present in every single moment, no looking back, only this moment and onward.

How can our readers follow you online?

My website is ouiwegirl.com, it includes all sorts of resources, freebies, and posts dedicated to building a creatively conscious life, and on instagram I’m @ouiwegirl.

Thank you so much for these excellent insights! We wish you continued success in your work.

Andi Eaton: “Brand Makeovers; 5 Things You Should Do To Upgrade and Re-Energize Your Brand and… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Olympic Gold Medalist Laura Wilkinson: “5 Things To Do To Become More Resilient”

You have to set your mind that you are not giving up. It takes an unwavering commitment to your goal to keep you moving forward on the days you don’t feel like it or when doubt tries to take over.

You have to get creative and think outside the box. What brought you to the roadblock simply leaves you at the roadblock. So when you face a roadblock of sorts, you have to find a new way to get around it, go over it or break through it.

You must be willing to do things that others won’t do or that people may laugh at. If you want to do something that’s never been done, you’re going to have to do things that others aren’t willing to do.

You have to let go of the things you can’t control and focus on the things you can control. To move forward, you have to let go of the things that you have no ability to change. Use your energy to focus your efforts on the things you can do.

You have to trust the process, believing that what you are doing will lead you to success. You did not stand on top of an Olympic podium by accident or by luck. You have to first believe it can be done. Believing doesn’t guarantee the outcome, but without belief, you are guaranteeing it will never happen.

In this interview series, we are exploring the subject of resilience among successful business leaders. Resilience is one characteristic that many successful leaders share in common, and in many cases, it is the most important trait necessary to survive and thrive in today’s complex market.

I had the pleasure of interviewing Laura Wilkinson.

Beating what many said were impossible odds in one of the biggest upsets in Olympic history, Laura, starting in eighth place and with a broken foot, came from behind to win the 2000 Olympic platform gold medal.

Laura has also won the 2004 World Cup and the 2005 World Championships, becoming the first woman in history to win all three coveted world titles in platform diving. Along the way, she has won 19 US National Titles, been voted by the American public the 2000 US Olympic Spirit Award winner, and was nominated for an ESPY award. Laura has also been inducted into five different Halls of Fame including the International Swimming Hall of Fame.

People always notice something that sets Laura apart from her competitors, her smile. She smiles during the most pressure-packed and fierce competitions, almost like she’s removed from the situation, acknowledging her family and teammates in the stands. Laura explains, “I smile because I love what I do. I make a commitment before the competition to enjoy the experience however it turns out.”

Laura attended the 2012 and 2016 Olympic Games as a reporter and analyst for NBC. In 2017, following a nine year retirement, Laura returned to competition. She is now currently training full time with her eyes set firmly on a fourth Olympic Games in Tokyo 2020.

Laura hosted a season of the Hope Sports Podcast, where she spoke with elite and professional athletes each week about purpose beyond performance. And she is currently preparing to launch her own podcast- The Pursuit of Gold- later this year. She also created an online course called Confident Competitor to help eliminate performance anxiety and help athletes approach competitions with confidence.

Laura is also the wife to Eriek Hulseman and mommy to four amazing children by birth and adoption.

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

I grew up as a gymnast and didn’t find diving until the end of my freshman year of high school. I earned a college scholarship, then gave up that scholarship for a shot at making the Olympic Team. After competing in three Olympic Games, I retired to become a mom. Now in my forties with four children in tow (two biological and two adopted), I’m training again towards a fourth Olympic Games.

Can you share with us the most interesting story from your career? Can you tell us what lessons or ‘take aways’ you learned from that?

After giving up my college scholarship in order to train full time to try and make the Olympic Team, I broke my foot in three places just three months before the Olympic Trials. The surgery that was required to fix my foot would have kept me from competing at the Trials. So we decided to cast my foot the way it was, hoping that it would heal well enough to walk on, maybe jump off.

I couldn’t train like I normally would, so my coach and I had to really think outside the box and focus on my mental game. I got my cast off and was back in the water just two weeks before the Olympic Trials.

Although my physical training time had been limited, we had completely transformed my mental game. That transformation not only helped me qualify for my first Games, but it put me right on top of the Olympic podium.

What that taught me is that although physical training is obviously important for sports, the mental game is what separates the best from the rest.

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?

My longtime coach, Kenny Armstrong. I grew up with a dream of going to the Olympics but always felt foolish telling people. After being told by so many others that I didn’t measure up, Kenny was the first person to tell me that he believed I could make my dreams come true. Knowing that someone else believed in me made such a difference in my motivation, confidence and determination.

I think resilience is being able to comeback from, overcome or push through a really difficult situation. It’s getting knocked down time and time again but always rising back up. What I see in resilient people is an unwavering determination to reach a goal, a refusal to see things as impossible, and courage to look fear and pain in the face and keep moving forward.

When you think of resilience, which person comes to mind? Can you explain why you chose that person?

Without a doubt, Amy Purdy. A severe bacterial infection at 19 gave her a small chance of surviving. She had both legs amputated and later required a kidney transplant. She went on to become a three-time Paralympic Medalist Snowboarder. Since the last Winter Olympics, she’s experienced quite a few health problems but is always outspoken about her trials, how she is facing them, and encouraging everyone else in the process.

Has there ever been a time that someone told you something was impossible, but you did it anyway? Can you share the story with us?

When I first started driving, I was told I was too old to start a new sport by one teacher and another coach told me I was a waste of space. I was told not to put all my eggs in one basket. There was a constant drumbeat of people discouraging me to pursue diving at the level I desired to. But instead of believing the doubt and fear of others, I chose to use that as fuel and pursue my dreams harder. Seven years after i started diving, I won an Olympic gold medal.

Did you have a time in your life where you had one of your greatest setbacks, but you bounced back from it stronger than ever? Can you share that story with us?

After a 9 year retirement, I started competing again. Everything started off great, getting second at my first nationals, but the following year I discovered I needed a two-level cervical fusion. I was scared and devastated at first. But whether I was going to continue diving or retire and be a full-time mom, the surgery needed to be done for my health and safety.

Knowing that I was going to be unable to physically train for several months followed by a slow return to the pool, I took advantage of the downtime. I wore an Orthofix bone simulator every day to speed up my fusion recovery, and I looked back at my career and began focusing on the mental game once again.

During that time I was able to not only pull together all the mental skills I had acquired, but I put them together in an online course to help other athletes grow in their mental game as well.

I’ve never known another diver to return to platform diving after a neck fusion, but I kept pressing forward and began competing on the 10-meter platform once again just over a year after the surgery. I’m still pressing forward to the Tokyo Olympics.

Did you have any experiences growing up that have contributed to building your resiliency? Can you share a story?

The lessons I’ve learned in the pool have helped me so much in my life outside the pool. I had a wrist surgery in early 2005 that ended up being a complete botch. I didn’t know that at the time, and I was considering retiring from the sport but wanted to compete at one last World Championships that summer.

I was in excruciating pain following the surgery that never got better. I progressed my way back up to the 10-meter platform despite the pain, but each day I was up there, I never knew how many dives I could perform due to the pain. Some days I could do upwards of 10 dives off the top, but other days might only be 1 or 2.

Workouts were unpredictable in that way, but it forced me to focus on quality over quantity. That shift in mindset — knowing that the next dive might be the last one of the practice- made me focus on each dive in such a way that it felt more like a competition. There was more weight to it in that sense, it had to be great.

That change in mindset helped me win the World Championships just six months after surgery.

Resilience is like a muscle that can be strengthened. In your opinion, what are 5 steps that someone can take to become more resilient? Please share a story or an example for each.

You have to set your mind that you are not giving up. It takes an unwavering commitment to your goal to keep you moving forward on the days you don’t feel like it or when doubt tries to take over.
You have to get creative and think outside the box. What brought you to the roadblock simply leaves you at the roadblock. So when you face a roadblock of sorts, you have to find a new way to get around it, go over it or break through it.
You must be willing to do things that others won’t do or that people may laugh at. If you want to do something that’s never been done, you’re going to have to do things that others aren’t willing to do.
You have to let go of the things you can’t control and focus on the things you can control. To move forward, you have to let go of the things that you have no ability to change. Use your energy to focus your efforts on the things you can do.
You have to trust the process, believing that what you are doing will lead you to success. You did not stand on top of an Olympic podium by accident or by luck. You have to first believe it can be done. Believing doesn’t guarantee the outcome, but without belief, you are guaranteeing it will never happen.

Be vulnerable. We’re always trying to present our best side and make ourselves look good. But when we open up and share our difficulties with people, we make connections and inspire others to keep going and overcome.

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

“You don’t have to have the lead if you have the heart to come from behind.”

and

“Our greatest glory consists not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.”

How can our readers follow you on social media?

laurawilkinson.com

https://www.instagram.com/lala_the_diver/

https://www.facebook.com/TheLauraWilkinson

https://twitter.com/Lala_the_diver

https://www.youtube.com/user/TheLauraWilkinson

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

Olympic Gold Medalist Laura Wilkinson: “5 Things To Do To Become More Resilient” was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Elizabeth Potts of The Moonstoned: “5 Things You Need To Do To Build A Trusted And Beloved Brand”

I think what makes my company stand out is my real desire to connect. It’s one of the reasons why I love Antiques so much, they’ve been places and seen things. They carry this aura of a time long gone and create a way to connect to that past. When I witness someone else connecting to this item, a ring or pair of earrings or a brooch, it creates this chest filling high for me.

As part of our series about how to create a trusted, believable, and beloved brand, I had the pleasure to interview Elizabeth Potts, Founder of The Moonstoned.

Elizabeth Potts grew up in New Mexico where she was immersed in the culture and history of the American Southwest. As a child, Elizabeth remembers collecting pottery shards and bits of silver quartz from the Native American Ruins on her Grandparent’s Ranch. She would tie them with string, collecting them as necklaces to wear close. Each held a story, a history that her Grandfather would tell her about around a campfire, making them even more special.

After high school, Elizabeth went on to study History and Silversmithing at NMSU. Here, her love for history and jewelry came together as she discovered how jewelry was made by hand. Spending her weekends treasure hunting at all the desert flea markets, she started her own collection of antique and vintage rings. She then moved to New York City to continue her education as a Gold Smith and Bench Jeweler, continuing to amass unique old jewelry along the way and discovering the history behind each piece.

Her love of sharing the story became real when she started The Moonstoned in 2016. What started as a website built clumsily in a small cafe has turned into a multi-platform business that reaches thousands of avid jewelry lovers across the world.

Elizabeth specializes in finding the perfect piece, whether to celebrate an achievement, a proposal, or just a special moment in time. Her passion is to bring life to these old objects in the hope that you’ll connect with them and fall just as deeply in love.

“These pieces…they have a purpose. They’ve seen and been with people who have experienced so much life before being rediscovered. I want to celebrate how unique and special this is, how beautifully imperfect. Something special is out there waiting just for you, to become the story that you tell when you pass it on.”

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

I feel as though this path is the “ugly girl” who all of a sudden takes off her glasses and has always been pretty, you know from those terrible rom-com movies we used to watch? Being in Jewelry has always been there for me, from collecting shiny rocks and putting them in my pocket as a kid, to playing with beading wire and making sculptures to going to school for Gold Smithing. But somehow along the way, I convinced myself I wasn’t good enough, talented enough or smart enough and it was this ‘hobby’ I kind of kept secret for a long time. I didn’t feel like I could say out loud “I’m in Jewelry”; what would that even mean? Finally, after years working in all kinds of different jobs, I decided I had to give it a go if I was ever going to figure out what ‘doing jewelry’ meant to me. It started with a small collection of antique rings, a head full of nerdy history, and a website built in a small beach-side cafe. Getting to share the stories, the reason why I love antiques, and the thrill of finding these treasures became a platform that others wanted to be a part of.

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

Oh boy. Thinking of this still makes my cheeks red. So there I was, with a backpack full of old jewelry sitting in the waiting room of VOGUE magazine downtown for a desk-side, where an editor looks at your product and decides whether or not to work with you. It was nothing but windows, so high up you could see down the river. Everyone in the office was whizzing around, it felt SO busy and frantic. I was waiting there for quite a while, eating a chocolate muffin that had been smooshed in my bag. When the editor came out she just asked to meet right there in the lobby, so I scrambled to get the jewelry out of my backpack and show her, telling the stories and history. She looked at me and kind of frowned, then just half-listened on her phone. She then asked that I send her line sheets (I had none) and just walked away to her next meeting. I was feeling really dejected and went to the bathroom where to my absolute horror I found chocolate muffin wedged right in between my teeth. I’ll still never know if it was the backpack, the chocolate teeth or just catching her on a bad day. But looking back, I’m so grateful for that moment because it was a laugh or die, I had to find a way to get over how awkward that experience was and own it. It also made me hyper-aware that I didn’t want to try and fit into a mold of what was considered print-worthy. Antique jewelry isn’t perfect, and quite frankly neither am I. That’s kind of the magic of it all.

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

I think what makes my company stand out is my real desire to connect. It’s one of the reasons why I love Antiques so much, they’ve been places and seen things. They carry this aura of a time long gone and create a way to connect to that past. When I witness someone else connecting to this item, a ring or pair of earrings or a brooch, it creates this chest filling high for me. I want to know your story, I want to know what is important to you, what you love I want to be able to see you when you are feeling down. Jewelry is a way to connect to these human emotions because they come from a time when things were made with much more emotion. My company is really transparent about embracing that feeling over desiring jewelry just because it’s pretty looking. I was at a trunk show once, and this guy comes in looking for an engagement ring. He was really quiet and kind of shy. He didn’t ask too many questions but when he saw this ring, this antique cluster ring, he got super emotional. He bought it there on the spot and all he said was “I knew it was waiting here”. When I handed it over to him, he just broke into this huge smile. His shoulders went back, he all of a sudden was so full of hope, so full of love. I asked him if I could give him a hug and he let me, which was the best ever. I wished him good luck and off he went. Those are the things that I get to share with my readers and followers. These are the stories that make us stand out.

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

So many projects in my head at all times! It’s been a total readjustment since I had my daughter four months ago and a few things have fallen to the wayside, I’m still trying to be kind to myself about that. The current project is video content about all things Jewelry. I feel as though it’s a great way to get the story telling across to a broader audience and share the history, the lore, the how’s and why’s and who’s about these items. I think it will create an opportunity for others to explore in depth their own treasures, the things that they find connections to. Maybe it will help people open up conversations, go down rabbit holes of their own and discover something new.

Ok let’s now jump to the core part of our interview. In a nutshell, how would you define the difference between brand marketing (branding) and product marketing (advertising)? Can you explain?

If I’m being really honest, I’m just figuring this out for myself. So much of my success so far has been about building a brand that’s very face forward and transparent. What you see is what you get and I think that the consumer is really hungry for that right now in a brand after so much b.s. we’ve been fed over the years. For me, Instagram Stories is a great way to do this. I utilize the stories to offer really of the moment, day to day real content. I never lay anything out or make a plan for this, which definitely is not for everyone, but it allows me to build a really direct relationship with my followers. As far as Advertising, I just started to delve into this world and holy moly, there is so much to digest. I’ll have to get back to you on that one, if I ever figure it out (ha).

Can you explain to our readers why it is important to invest resources and energy into building a brand, in addition to the general marketing and advertising efforts?

If I can give one piece of advice it’s to invest in your CUSTOMERS first, branding second. That is where you can spend the greatest asset you have which is your time. I’ve met plenty of business owners who have raised millions of dollars, spent tons of money on getting the product just right, including the ‘right kind of people’, getting their things on the right bodies or in front of the right camera. None of it means anything if you don’t spend some damn real time with the people who are investing in YOU. I’m very proud of my relationships with my clients; some of them have been buyers from the very beginning when I was so raw and new. All of the glitz and glam and money spending can follow, will follow. Just take care of your people; without them you have nothing.

Can you share 5 strategies that a company should be doing to build a trusted and believable brand? Please tell us a story or example for each.

I wish I could sit here on a high pedestal, telling you ‘do this for success, don’t do that”. I wish I could pull out five reasons and sound so savvy and slick about business. But to be honest, I’m not sure what to tell you because so much of my brand is built on figuring out things as I go. And that’s ok. Being able to tear it down and start all over again, make mistakes and eat humble pie IS a part of building a believable brand. For example, I was at an antique show looking for jewelry and doing “live selling”, where I post and story in real-time at the show for my consumers to buy and be a part of what’s happening. So much of my business is being able to source and curate exceptional, authentic antiques, and people trust me for it. There I was, and I posted this pair of diamond-encrusted charms that I had just found and was STOKED about. Two days later, it comes to my attention that they were actually fake; new production from this really shady seller. It was the worst feeling. Instead of deleting the post and just quietly pretending like it never happened, I used it as a teaching moment to eat some crow and tell everyone what had happened, what can happen even to those of us who spend years training our eyes to spot frauds like that. I was nervous it would turn a bunch of people off, but you know what? I received so much support, from my peers and from my consumers. It started a conversation and also opened a door for potential buyers to walk through knowing I wasn’t afraid to be honest, I wasn’t afraid to admit my mistakes. If you’re a business that is trying to act like an expert or that you’re better than your consumer… I don’t know my friend, that just seems a little dated to me. Building a brand people can trust isn’t rocket science, just be someone worthy of that trust and everything will fall into place as you grow.

In your opinion, what is an example of a company that has done a fantastic job building a believable and beloved brand. What specifically impresses you? What can one do to replicate that?

SAKARA Life, hands down. Whitney and Danielle have done such an excellent job at being true to who THEY are and that makes their product relatable and necessary, even. They have carved out a niche in the health and wellness field and risen quickly to the top of it because they have never tried to pretend they are anything other than their authentic selves. I get so turned off in fields, wellness especially, when everyone acts holier than thou or that they have this enlightenment that others don’t have but take this supplement or do this sound bath twice a week and maybe you’ll achieve it. Sakara Life is about eating whole foods to heal yourself from the inside out and both Whitney and Danielle are willing to share their stories on how it has changed their lives for the better. You can really see it and believe it. Plus, it’s delicious. I’m a huge fan.

In advertising, one generally measures success by the number of sales. How does one measure the success of a brand building campaign? Is it similar, is it different?

Sales are definitely important; obviously we can’t survive without it. However, for me, the brand building is completely different than the actual sales happening. It’s the stories behind the scenes; the couples who are separated during the coronavirus and wanting to send love tokens to one another. It’s the people falling in love and wanting to make a commitment. It’s the woman who has worked her ass off and wants to have something to commemorate her milestones with. It’s a connection, a story that builds a brand. We are able to measure our brand success with the growing number of people who want to reach out and start this conversation.

What role does social media play in your branding efforts?

My brand wouldn’t be what it is without Social Media and to be honest, I’m pretty sure many companies would have to agree. The modern consumer turns to social media to really learn about you, take a peek under the hood and get to know where they are spending their money. Big Box retailers are dropping like flies because they just don’t have the soul that most consumers crave today. Shoppers are smart; there is so much information out there all at their fingertips and they want to feel like they are making a good, conscious decision when they purchase something. My followers get to be a part of all of this. When I go on a ‘Treasure Hunt’ as I call them, I take my followers along with me for the ride. When I get a new parcel ring in, my consumers get to be there as I unwrap them and try them on. When I feel a connection to a certain item of jewelry because of its history or what it triggers in me, they get to feel it too. For me, social media is getting to let everyone be a part of what I love the most about my business and that creates a stronger, better brand.

What advice would you give to other marketers or business leaders to thrive and avoid burnout?

Get real. Be honest, about your successes as much as your failures. Stop obsessively comparing yourself to other similar brands and just tell your story. Using words that are true to your brand, applying imagery that people can really relate to is important to building a relationship with your consumers and staying excited about the engagement.

To purchase with the intent to celebrate. I want every single person who has a transaction with The Moonstoned to FEEL SOMETHING. I want a movement where jewelry brings that deep soul connection. I want a movement where instead of purchasing for the moment you purchase with the intent to pass it down, create an heirloom. I want a moment where we treat our bodies like alters, adorning them with symbols of our self love, success and adoration in gemstones and gold.

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

“Don’t sweat the petty stuff and don’t pet the sweaty stuff.” Yes, that’s right I said it. This quote works for me on a few levels. It reminds me to keep a little bit of humor in everything I do. Especially with the heaviness in the world right now, it’s so important to be able to laugh at myself and find joy in really silly things. I can also remember a time in my business, about 3 years ago when someone else from my industry really decided they wanted to take me down. They started this smear campaign, reaching out to some of my clients and peers. I was losing my MIND trying to understand why this person was so adamant to see me fall. I had just started to show a great leap in success, however, the feeling of this persons’ attacks was prohibiting my ability to enjoy the moment. I called my parents and they reminded me that this one person, this person filled with their own problems acting out truly didn’t matter in the grand scheme of things. As soon as I was reminded that what was happening was petty, low brow weirdness I decided to change my attitude towards it. And you know what? As soon as I stopped sweating it, stopped giving my anxiety or fear to the fire it all went away. Don’t pet the sweaty stuff just pretty much speaks for itself.

Well, first it would be my Mom because I’m missing her greatly throughout the Covid Quarantine. But I know she doesn’t read this column so my next pick would be Brandon Stanton, the creator of Humans of New York. I remember moving to New York when he started his page and reading the stories of others made me feel like I was home somehow like we were all in this together. I want to know who has stuck in his heart all these years and thousands of interviews later. I want to know what he wants to do with all of these stories. I want to know which ones he hurt to walk away from. I want to know where in his travels he would go back to and why. I wonder if he still keeps in touch with anyone he’s interviewed and why. I want to know how to help. I want to know the celebrations and the heartaches of it all. If you see him, drop a line for me would you?

How can our readers follow you on social media?

You can follow my treasure hunts, my history lessons, my trials and triumphs and very cute guest appearances of my daughter at @themoonstoned

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

Elizabeth Potts of The Moonstoned: “5 Things You Need To Do To Build A Trusted And Beloved Brand” was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Mathilde Lelièvre of ITWP: “Seeing Light at the End of the Tunnel; 5 Reasons to Be Hopeful During…

Mathilde Lelièvre of ITWP: “Seeing Light at the End of the Tunnel; 5 Reasons to Be Hopeful During the Corona Crisis”

It’s a marathon, not a sprint. During the pandemic, it’s important that we follow a schedule. While we all wish the crisis would end in two weeks, we recognize that’s unlikely. So, set your pace, take it one day at a time and make sure to be kind to yourself to avoid burnout.

I had the pleasure of interviewing Mathilde Lelièvre, the Executive Vice President of Global Operations at ITWP. Over the past 15 years, she has grown her team from three employees in a single location to approximately 700 team members worldwide. Throughout her tenure, Mathilde has been instrumental in defining and implementing the company’s operations strategy and shepherding the due diligence and integration of four acquisitions.

Earlier in her career, Mathilde served as a Project Manager at Ciao Survey Solution, and a Promotion and Communication Manager at the French Centre for Research on Contemporary China.

As a citizen of the world, Mathilde has lived on three continents and in six countries. She holds a Masters’ Degree in International Relations and Political Sciences from Sciences Po Paris.

Can you share with us the backstory about what brought you to your specific career path?

I have always wanted to live and work internationally. At only 16, I left France and went to Germany alone for a year of school and did the same thing again in college when I moved to California to study for a year. I then relocated to Hong Kong after graduation to work in academic research for the French Centre for Research on Contemporary China. I knew that’s what I wanted to do at that time; work as a professor performing research in China. I spent two years at the Centre before moving to Spain. After learning Spanish, I secured a job as a project manager at Ciao Survey Solutions in Madrid. Ready to be back home in France but eager to continue to work internationally, I moved into operations for Toluna.

In 2005, Toluna was a start-up with around 20 employees, a small office in Paris and a founder and CEO, Frederic-Charles Petit, who was searching for a candidate to run operations. Once Frederic and I connected, it was clear that this was the company and role for me. I liked the spirit of Toluna — small company with big energy. I loved that Toluna was a company based in Paris with a clear goal to develop internationally. We quickly opened an office in London and acquired another company in Germany. Being a polyglot was very helpful to me in communicating with our global customers and employees.

This month, I celebrate 15 years with Toluna. Key to our company values is “Meritocracy’ — which we define as: regardless of an employee’s background, it’s critical to give every person the opportunity to grow and build a career, irrespective of location or skill set. Recognizing and rewarding talent is one of the most important things that we do — of which I am a prime example. I am the Senior Vice President of operations, with approximately half of the companies’ 1400 employees falling under my remit.

Is there a particular book that made a significant impact on you? Can you share a story or explain why it resonated with you so much?

“Who Moved My Cheese?” by Spencer Johnson, originally published back in 1998. As many likely know, it’s a short parable about how people adapt or do not adapt to change. It is the story of four characters on physical and emotional journeys to find, lose and rediscover happiness, and deals with big changes in people’s lives. I’ve given it as a gift before and it’s worth mentioning that it is appropriate to our current situation. Amid a pandemic, we are all learning to do things differently and learning new things about ourselves. For example, how do we embrace change and make sure all our team members are cared for during such uncertain times?

Many people have become anxious from the dramatic jolts of the news cycle. The fears related to the coronavirus pandemic have heightened a sense of uncertainty, fear, and loneliness. From your perspective can you help our readers to see the “Light at the End of the Tunnel”? Can you share your “5 Reasons To Be Hopeful During this Corona Crisis”? If you can, please share a story or example for each.

The ability to adapt to change is inherent in every one of us. Seemingly overnight, the majority of the workforce shifted to working from home. While remote working has been on the rise for years, it’s become a necessity in the current pandemic. The good news is that employees around the world were quick to adapt and maintained their regular productivity levels. Companies made sure to provide necessary hardware and software so employees could work from home, and many are also providing mental and emotional support during the crisis. For example, Toluna launched a series of formal and informal meetings where managers and colleagues could regularly check up on each other to ensure they each had the support they needed. At times of crisis, it’s crucial to embrace change and adapt accordingly.

We have seen a great sense of care and solidarity across the world, as people turn to help others in need — from neighbors offering to grocery shop for their elderly neighbors, to hundreds of new volunteers at hospitals and multiple fundraisers designed to help care for the vulnerable. The pandemic has brought out the best in people, so don’t be afraid to ask for help, whether it’s from an employer, neighbor or friend. The world may seem like a scary place at the moment, but we should keep in mind that solidarity can triumph over panic as we face this emergency.

People are resourceful and quick to find new ways to interact. While the pandemic has greatly reduced (and in many cases eliminated) our ability to interact in person, the digital age offers us an array of applications and platforms to stay connected. Coworkers are hosting morning coffee breaks on Zoom or Skype, friends are assembling for online trivia nights, and companies are organizing virtual happy hours. We should celebrate the fact that the digital world has given us the ability to adapt to the new environment and master the art of quarantine socializing.

It’s a marathon, not a sprint. During the pandemic, it’s important that we follow a schedule. While we all wish the crisis would end in two weeks, we recognize that’s unlikely. So, set your pace, take it one day at a time and make sure to be kind to yourself to avoid burnout.

Sense of perspective — While we can’t be certain, the current situation will likely only last for six months. When we are older, we will look back at this time as only a page in the rich story of our lives, and it will be but a distant memory, as long as our family and friends remained healthy. It’s important to keep things in perspective: this too shall pass. In the meantime, reach out to colleagues and friends, and remind yourself of the activities you will enjoy once we’re on the other side.

From your experience or research what are five steps that each of us can take to effectively offer support to those around us who are feeling anxious? Can you explain?

The switch to working from home was new for Toluna, as many of us had never worked remotely for prolonged periods of time. To help with the transition, I offered my team a few tips:

Have a routine. Start the day. Set milestones that are not directly related to your work: a coffee break, lunch, ten minutes to chat with a friend or colleague. End the day. Give yourself permission to turn off your laptop and remember that this is a marathon — your motivation won’t last long with non-stop 15-hour days.
Give yourself permission not to work. Talk about activities that you enjoy outside the scope of your job. Recommend books, television shows or exercise to your colleagues. This way, coworkers will see that a healthy work-life balance is encouraged
Connect with team meetings. My managers start and end the day with team meetings via video conference. Everyone must turn the camera on so they can see one another, which has helped with the transition from face-to-face meetings to online meetings.
Reach out to those who may be lonely. We have co-workers who are currently living alone, far from their families in small flats in France, Romania or India. We’ve found that arranging e-lunches where people eat together online and share recipes or e-coffee breaks where people gather to talk about hobbies has gone a long way.
Be the example. I told my managers to set the example for their teams. They can write emails at 2 a.m. but should send them during work hours. After all, no one will disconnect if their manager doesn’t.

What are the best resources you would suggest to a person who is feeling anxious?

Enjoy what you have and pay attention to all the small things that bring you joy in your everyday life. If you have children, really see the smile of your child and play together. If you have pets, the actions of your pet can bring laughter. Not only that, but spring has arrived, and the world is developing again.

Put things in perspective and remember that the current situation will not last forever. In a few months, we will likely be able to resume somewhat normal activities, meet up with friends and family and enjoy outdoor activities as we had previously.

If you are feeling anxious and lonely, connect with people. Video conference calls give you the ability to see and speak with someone you’ve worked with for years but have possibly never met. As everyone is at home, now you get to see a little piece of their life that you normally wouldn’t — this can bring us even closer together. Maybe you will see the color of their living room wall, a fun painting, or meet their family on screen.

For example, in my last management meeting, I decided to bring spring to my team. I wore a shirt with bright butterflies on it, I brought in cherry blossoms from the garden and put them on my desk where everyone would see. It is the little things that have a great impact on morale and mood.

Try to see the positive. The pandemic has created new ways of working together that we can maintain in the future, and it has brought to light the goodness in people, as well as the lengths friends, family and employers will go to support others.

Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Do you have a story about how that was relevant in your life?

Confucius said: ‘When the wind blows, the grass bends.’ At the moment, the wind is blowing and we cannot keep every blade of grass standing straight. What does this mean? In some circumstances, and I believe this applies to the current situation, there is nothing we can change. So, the best course of action is to adapt rather than fight what is outside of our control. Work with the situation you find yourself in and you will find a way through to the other side.

You may find yourself physically constrained, but that doesn’t mean your mind cannot travel. You can dream, read and imagine. You have the ability to travel within yourself and revisit all the places you’ve been, the friends you shared it with and the people you met. You can escape your home through reading, listening to music or watching a good movie.

I believe in a sorority. Having lived and worked about the world, I see the need for an international women’s professional support network. I would like everyone to have a mentor or support group in another country to help them grow and learn.

I do all I can to encourage the women who work with me to assert themselves and to own their careers. My advice is to take a look at what you are bringing to your job and consider all your skills and assets — do not simply focus on the gaps. Leverage your assets — be confident that you deserve a promotion and that your company should invest in you.

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

Readers can find me on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mathilde-lelievre-6234a52/

Mathilde Lelièvre of ITWP: “Seeing Light at the End of the Tunnel; 5 Reasons to Be Hopeful During… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Deluxe CEO Barry McCarthy: “To develop resilience, celebrate small successes”

Celebrate even small successes. When good things happen, celebrate them. It will remind you of the good things you are doing, and give you and others around you more reason for optimism and to keep going.

I had the pleasure of interviewing Barry McCarthy

Barry McCarthy was named President and CEO of Deluxe in November 2018. Barry is also a member of our Board of Directors.

Prior to joining Deluxe, Barry spent 14 years at First Data Corporation, where he served in a variety of senior executive positions, most recently Executive Vice President and Head of Network and Security Solutions, a $1.5 billion publicly reported segment of the company. Barry is an accomplished executive and financial technology leader with an extensive track record of developing and building tech-driven solutions for financial institutions and small businesses. His strong background in product development, sales, marketing and technology innovation have supported the significant growth of companies from a Silicon Valley start-up, to major divisions of global Fortune 250 organizations.

Barry earned an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University and attended the University of Illinois.

Thank you for joining us Barry! Can you tell us a bit about your backstory?

I began my career in product development, sales and marketing, spending 12 years at Procter & Gamble. I earned my MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. Since that first role, I have enjoyed a series of roles with increasing responsibility, including being an entrepreneur, venturing into leading a business in Silicon Valley. Prior to my current role as president and CEO of Deluxe, I spent 14 years at First Data, where I was responsible at various time for nearly every division within the company. I served in a variety of senior executive positions, most recently executive vice president and head of its Network & Security Solutions business, a diversified and growing, $1.5B publicly-reported segment of the company

I have lived all over the country and run businesses around the world. I am a direct, candid and passionate leader who tries to inspire others to achieve more than they thought was possible. I believe in transparency; telling people what I know when I know it. This builds trust. I serve or have served as a director of numerous organizations including The Minneapolis Business Partnership, Junior Achievement of Georgia, The Woodruff Arts Center, Catholic Charities and FinTech Atlanta, where I was proud to support the creation of the University System of Georgia’s FinTech Academy. My background is in fintech, where I have developed and built technology-driven solutions for financial institutions and small businesses.

Can you share with us the most interesting story from your career? Can you tell us what lessons or ‘take aways’ you learned from that?

I’m lucky to have had many great experiences in my career. Let me tell you about two things that have happened in the 16 months while I’ve been here at Deluxe. When I became CEO of this proud 105-year-old company at the end of 2018, Deluxe had grown to nearly a $2 billion revenue company, but was only growing through acquisitions, not through innovation. We set out to transform the company from a legacy check printer into a Trusted Business Technology™ company. I wanted the company to think and act like a tech company — to make decisions quickly, move faster and constantly reinvent. To achieve this, I needed to change how our team thought about the company — and themselves. First, we instilled an ownership mindset. Central to every tech company is the concept of “ownership” where employees and shareholders are deeply aligned around the company’s success. Tech companies grant stock to all employees to ensure that alignment exists, so when the company succeeds, the employee and his or her family succeeds, too. Early in my tenure, I asked the Board to support me in granting stock to all of our employees in North America. I’m lucky to have a supportive Board, and we made grants to everyone in April, 2019. Immediately, the questions and employee engagement started to change. Everyone started to feel ownership in their work. What our employees are doing is more than just a job, they own part of the company and the outcomes now. It has been amazing to watch.

Second, we needed to demonstrate how this 105-year-old giant could move quickly and adopt new technology. At my first Board meeting as the new CEO, I asked for support to grant stock to everyone, and to support a massive investment in modernizing our obsolete tech platforms. Pretty unusual first Board meeting! We attacked six areas of our technology infrastructure, but had a unique opportunity with our antiquated CRM tools (actually 14 different tools) to manage our customer relationships. As the first quarter of my time as CEO was closing, we had an opportunity to strike a particularly good deal with Salesforce. But we needed to get the deal done within hours — not the usual months. I was in my office at nearly 2 a.m. in between the two-day Board meeting with the team getting it done. I arrived at the Board meeting the next morning with the deal closed, including some incredible mutual opportunities that have since become a strategic alliance between the companies. Our board and company were more accustomed to talking about an issue and then meeting again two months later to make a decision. What I learned is that people are eager to follow a leader who will move forward with vision and speed. We could move fast and make great decisions by being bold and demonstrating an all-in, can-do approach.

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

There is so much. Deluxe has been around for 105 years. As a company, we have survived the Spanish Flu, two world wars, the great depression and more. Deluxe is the original payments company. Our founder invented the checkbook, and ever since then we have been integral to the economy. Annually, our services and products help process roughly $2.8 trillion. That is 14 percent of the GDP. We are essential to helping small businesses grow, from their inception through to maturity. We work with the biggest banks and companies in the world, providing the products that ensure commerce gets done.

We stand out because no other company has the breadth and scope of what we have. Our job is to make sure more people know about what we can do for them. We have relaunched the company’s go-to-market strategy to bring the best of Deluxe to all of our clients, not just one solution at a time. This enables us to better cross-sell. Clients big and small can benefit from our entire portfolio.

Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story?

I have had the incredibly good fortune to work for many great leaders over my career. During my 14 years at First Data, I worked for seven different CEOs, including Charlie Fote, Ric Duques, Michael Capellas (former CEO WorldCom, Compaq, president HP, etc.), Joe Forehand (CEO, Accenture), Jonathan Judge (CEO, Paychex), Ed Labry and Frank Bisignano (COO, JPMC and Citi). I learned from great leaders at Wells Fargo and P&G too. Because I got to see so many different CEOs, I think I was uniquely prepared to join Deluxe as CEO.

How would you define resilience? What do you believe are the characteristics or traits of resilient people?

Resilience is mostly about perseverance and grit. I tell my team all the time let’s just put our head down and go to work, point ourselves in the right direction and we will mostly get it right. Of course, we’ll make mistakes. It is natural to fail. But we can get something 80 percent right and then keep building from there, you win. That is what a resilient company does. Resilient people are relentless and operate with grit. They don’t dwell if something goes wrong, they stand up, dust themselves off and keep going, staying focused on where they’re headed. The best teams also have confidence to challenge each other; disagree with each other; challenge each other; and challenge me. Sometimes the best ideas come from disagreement. But do it with the team — with the company — in mind. Then, once a decision is made, let’s rally forward, put our heads down and go to work.

When you think of resiliency, which person comes to mind? Can you explain why you chose that person?

Abraham Lincoln. In the face of terrible odds and horrible human tragedy, he stayed focused, went to work and kept the country pointed in the right direction. He failed many times, but stood up, dusted himself and company off, and went back to work. He had the grit to stay the course and get the job done.

Has there ever been a time that someone told you something was impossible, but you did it anyway? Can you share the story with us?

There have been plenty of times. A recent example was around making everyone at Deluxe a shareholder. It really was a big deal. We didn’t know of any other 105-year-old publicly traded, dividend-paying company taking on a fundamental transformation and granting stock to everyone. Our company had, historically, an ultra-low media profile. I spoke with our head of PR about going to the media with this story because it was so special. The initial response was that our company just wouldn’t attract attention. I said let’s just put our heads down, point ourselves in the right direction and go to work. Our PR leader landed us major coverage in local and national media. Yes, getting headlines was nice. But far more importantly, the coverage got our transformation message out broadly, raising the confidence of our customers, shareholders and employees about our exciting future.

Did you have a time in your life where you had one of your greatest setbacks, but you bounced back from it stronger than ever? Can you share that story with us?

Well, we might be there right now. Managing our company right now through the COVID-19 pandemic is likely one of the greatest challenges I will face. We are watching small businesses retrench and larger companies put projects on hold. It is impacting our company and we are making decisions in real-time to manage this process. We are not through the worst of it yet, but I am certain we will bounce back, and that we are making the right decisions to move us forward and meet the needs of our customers. We are using our overarching purpose and our values to guide our decisions. Our brand purpose is to “Champion businesses, both large and small, so communities thrive.” Our values: a) we put customers first; b) we earn trust; c) we create what’s next; d) we deliver for shareholders; and e) we are a get-it-done team. All of this is built on our 105-year legacy of integrity and prioritizing the safety and health of our employees. We are living these values by delivering content and information to help business at this time. We have started a new TV series, called Small Business, Big Hearts that is part of our market leading Hulu and Amazon Prime show, The Small Business Revolution (www.small businessrevolution.org). And, of course, we are doing all we can to keep our employees safe and healthy.

Did you have any experiences growing up that have contributed to building your resiliency? Can you share a story?

I put myself through college, basically independent from the time I was 17 years old. I worked multiple different jobs on campus — making auger for Petri dishes in a bio chem research lab, a sporting good store selling ice skates, and an overnight desk clerk at a private dormitory. I spent much of the earnings from this on-campus work to buy bus tickets back home so I could sell house painting services door-to-door all winter, pacing-off a home’s foundation in the snow to get measurement. Come summer, I would lead a team of other college kids to paint the home. Only after I collected payment for the paint job would I earn my generous commission check. Looking back, it took pretty incredible grit to work one job to make money for a bus ticket to have a chance to slug through snow to make money at another job 6 months later. But, I believed in myself and made it work. The lesson was simple, and one I share with people whether verbally or by my actions: Just put your head down, point yourself in the right direction, work hard and it will all work out. Pick yourself up, dust yourself off if something doesn’t work, and just keep going.

Resilience is like a muscle that can be strengthened. In your opinion, what are 5 steps that someone can take to become more resilient? Please share a story or an example for each.

Always learn. Being resilient means that you have failed at something and probably many things along the way. Learn how to do better next time. Failures and disappointments are just valuable lessons.
Be all-in. Be in or out in whatever you do. Do nothing half-way. If you don’t believe in yourself and whatever you’re doing, no one else will either.
Be positive. Negativity is a trap because it only creates more negativity. Do not allow yourself to get on the “down escalator” of negativity. Find others who are optimistic, too and leave all the people who just want to feel sorry for themselves behind.
Be transparent. Hiding a problem, a weakness or a failure only ensures that you don’t get help. Put it all out there on the table. This will help you learn (see #1), and help you from becoming negative (#3). When it’s all out on the table, your peers, team and friends can help you overcome obstacles.
Celebrate even small successes. When good things happen, celebrate them. It will remind you of the good things you are doing, and give you and others around you more reason for optimism and to keep going.

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

Well, that sounds aspirational. Businesses can do so much good for employees. I’d like to see more companies do what Deluxe has done — make employees owners in the business. Provide stock grants to your employees to get them further invested in the company. This will spark a movement where we aren’t management and employees, but everyone is an employee-owner and our collective mentality will change to focus on how we grow and prosper together.

How can our readers follow you on social media?

Twitter — @Barrydeluxecorp

LinkedIn — linkedin.com/in/barrycmccarthy

Deluxe CEO Barry McCarthy: “To develop resilience, celebrate small successes” was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Female Disruptors: How Chrysta Castañeda Has Shaken Up the Legal and Energy Industries

The other best words of advice I got were from my mom. She said, “Always do your best.” Admittedly, it’s pretty standard mom advice, but I truly took it to heart, and it’s been one of my defining characteristics, and the source of whatever success I’ve had. I confess, though, that it’s also a burden sometimes. Every once in awhile, it would be nice to be able to phone something in. But it’s just not in my DNA.

As a part of our series about women who are shaking things up in their industry, I had the pleasure of interviewing Chrysta Castañeda.

Chrysta is a Dallas-based oil and gas lawyer, co-author of the recently published book The Last Trial of T. Boone Pickens, and a candidate for the Texas Railroad Commission, which oversees Texas’ lucrative oil and gas industry. She has spent most of her career in the male-dominated energy industry, and her work has earned her recognition and, for her clients, some excellent results. Her $146 million win for T. Boone Pickens (detailed in her book) was recognized as one of the largest verdicts in 2016 in the country by The National Law Journal and earned her a spot as one of the NLJ’s Elite Trial Lawyers of 2018, as well as induction into Texas Lawyer‘s Texas Verdicts Hall of Fame.

Chrysta began her career as an engineer, but soon decided she was better suited to the practice of law. After working at some of the country’s largest law firms (and taking time to work in crisis communications and run for Congress), Chrysta founded The Castañeda Firm, which focuses on “high-energy litigation for the energy industry and beyond.”

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

I grew up in a suburb of Wichita, Kansas, the daughter of an aeronautical engineer dad and a teacher mom, who went on to become a banker. So mine was a practical, data-driven childhood. I was quite studious and spent the first two years of my college career at Harvard. But family economics intervened, and I finished up at Kansas State University, where I earned a degree in industrial engineering. After a few years as an engineer, though, I realized that work wasn’t scratching my problem-solving itch, so I went to law school. Now, I’m using both my math/science background as well as my law degree working for clients in the energy industry. It’s literally and figuratively a volatile field that’s impacted by the economy, politics, climate, and now, with the pandemic, public health concerns. I’ve always loved a challenge, so it feels like my entire life has been building to this moment right now.

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

I don’t know of many women — particularly in the energy field — who have been the lead attorney on a case the size of the one I won. But, as I’ll be the first to admit, I probably wouldn’t have been hired to handle that case if my client, T. Boone Pickens, had known it was going to end up being a major piece of litigation. I was hired to handle “a small contract matter,” and while working on that, I discovered documents indicating it was anything but. I don’t think our opponents — or, frankly, even my client, — knew what they had gotten themselves into. Our opponents had cheated the wrong man, and he had hired the right woman to help him get justice.

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?

This could be because he was the most recent person to make such a huge difference in my life, but I have to say T. Boone Pickens was an influential mentor. His work ethic, his courage, his willingness to take smart risks and not worry about whether everybody loved him — all of those things made him one of the most disruptive influences in the oil and gas industry. He and I weren’t on the same side of the political fence, but I definitely respected him and learned a lot from him. He also unintentionally taught me the value of standing up for what I know is right, even when it would be so, so much easier to let the other person have their way. The first chapter of my book, The Last Trial of T. Boone Pickens, relates a scene where Boone and I got crosswise, to say the least. But I stood my ground. I think that was a transformative moment for both of us, and for the trial. It kept us from making a serious strategic mistake, and it showed him that I had even more backbone than he thought. Strong people respect strong people. I knew I risked pissing off my most important client in the middle of the most important trial of my life, but I also knew I was right and I needed to stick to my guns.

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

One of my role models is Jerry Clements, a lawyer I’ve worked with here in Dallas. She always said that you have to get “out on the skinny branches” — take risks and embrace every challenge — if you wanted to get ahead, especially if you’re a woman. The secret to success is saying yes to the opportunity first, then figuring out how to accomplish the task after committing. I channeled her when I first started my law firm. I said “yes” to every matter that came my way, because I needed to prove myself. I had been a lawyer long enough to know that, even if I hadn’t handled that specific issue before, I had the experience and the network to figure it out. And both of those things are critical. None of us gets where we are alone. Don’t ever forget those people who helped you in the beginning, and never stop helping those coming behind you.

The other best words of advice I got were from my mom. She said, “Always do your best.” Admittedly, it’s pretty standard mom advice, but I truly took it to heart, and it’s been one of my defining characteristics, and the source of whatever success I’ve had. I confess, though, that it’s also a burden sometimes. Every once in awhile, it would be nice to be able to phone something in. But it’s just not in my DNA.

Finally, Boone used to say “Never, never, never give up.” Also, not all that original, but as a driving motivator, it sure worked for him, and it served us well as a team. It’s so easy to get knocked down, and it happens to everybody. But the magic is in the getting up, and the staying up. And in the getting up again when, inevitably, you get knocked down again. You won’t stop getting knocked down, but the getting up gets a little easier once you’ve done it a few times and you realize that every setback isn’t failure, and every loss isn’t necessarily permanent.

How are you going to shake things up next?

I’m running for a seat on the Texas Railroad Commission. I’ve got a runoff in July to get the Democratic nomination, and then, assuming I win the runoff, I’ll face all the voters in Texas in November. The Railroad Commission has an archaic name, because it has nothing to do with Railroads. It oversees Texas’ oil and gas industry, so it’s really one of the most consequential and powerful bodies in the country, given the size of our state’s oil and gas industry and its outsize influence in our nation’s energy, economic, and environmental policies. I’ve worked in this industry for decades, and now I’m ready to influence it at a higher level than I have thus far as a lawyer. The main issue I’m focusing on is flaring, which is the intentional lighting of natural gas from wells. It’s allowed by law for a few weeks after the well comes online, but companies routinely file for — and are almost always granted — exemptions that allow them to continue flaring for much longer. The result is both wasted energy — enough to power the city of Houston — and an unconscionable level of carbon emissions, the main contributor to climate change. The current Commissioners don’t seem to have any issue with flaring, so my goal is to get on the board and do everything I can to get them to enforce the current law, which will save our resources, curb carbon emissions, and help clean our air. That will have a major impact far beyond the Texas borders, because those are just lines on a map. Pollution from Texas travels across the globe. So, when I say, as I often do, that the Texas Railroad Commission race is the most environmentally consequential race in the country, I’m not exaggerating one iota.

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

Perhaps it’s just the times we’re in, but I keep going back to my memories of Isaac Asimov’s Foundation and Robot series. He predicted so much in the 1950s that seems appropriate to today’s events, such as responding to the threat of infection through ironclad border controls and conducting all of our personal affairs from home via teleconferencing. He concluded that science and religion both had a role in shepherding humankind to a better future, albeit one that would take tens of thousands of years to achieve. I have always been a voracious reader, and I spend a lot of time thinking about the arc of human history and our place along that arc.

I would very much like to see the reinvestment of our faith in our institutions and shared knowledge. Right now, our need to elevate ourselves as individuals has undermined that which protects us all: our shared knowledge and experience as captured in our institutions. While those institutions must continue to evolve to reflect what we learn, we cannot undermine them at their roots. We need journalistic integrity, institutional knowledge, and experts. Knowledge and experience are how I led the trial team to win the Pickens case, and it is what we need right now to guide us through the pandemic.

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

Boone said something during litigation that has really stuck with me. We had just received a settlement offer that was wildly insufficient. The other side thought they had us on the ropes because of some initial rulings that helped their argument. But we knew the fundamentals of the case hadn’t changed. When I told Boone their offer, he said, “Don’t rush the monkey. If you wait awhile, you’ll see a better show.”

The expression referred to old-time street musicians who cranked barrel organs while their trained monkeys performed tricks to draw an audience. If you were patient and stuck around until the end of the act, you’d see all the monkey’s tricks for the same money. It was his folksy way of saying our case was far from over and there was no reason to rush a settlement.

I try to keep that in mind in non-litigation settings. The most important decisions we have to make aren’t emergencies. We all make better decisions when we don’t let emotion override our good judgment. Maybe it’s just an hour or a few days, but I have found that letting things ride and not rushing important decisions has served me well.

How can our readers follow you on social media?

My book is @LastBoone on Twitter and @lasttrialoftboonepickens on Facebook

My campaign is @ChrystaForTexas on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook

My law firm is @LawChrysta on Twitter and Facebook

Female Disruptors: How Chrysta Castañeda Has Shaken Up the Legal and Energy Industries was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Heroes Of The Homeless Crisis: How Dr Jeffrey Norris of Father Joe’s Villages Is Helping To Provide

Heroes Of The Homeless Crisis: How Dr. Jeffrey Norris of Father Joe’s Villages Is Helping To Provide Medical, Dental and Behavioral Health Services To The Homeless Community

If you live life without taking risks, your potential positive impact on the world will be that much less. Too often, we avoid trying something for fear it will not work. The joy of my work at Father Joe’s Villages is that my organization lets me take chances and lets me develop innovative approaches to do better for our homeless neighbors.

As a part of my series about “Heroes Of The Homeless Crisis” I had the pleasure of interviewing Dr. Jeffrey Norris

For the last 4 years, Dr. Norris has served as the Medical Director at Father Joe’s Villages, where he runs a Federally Qualified Health Center within the Village; the Health Center focuses exclusively on those experiencing or at-risk of homelessness. He also serves on the Board of Managers for Integrated Health Partners, which is a Clinically Integrated Network of Federally Qualified Health Centers in San Diego and Riverside Counties. He completed medical school at the University of Utah followed by a residency in Family Medicine at the University of New Mexico.

Thank you so much for joining us! Our readers would love to ‘get to know you’ a bit better. Can you tell us a bit about your personal background, and how you grew up?

I grew up in Houston and Salt Lake City and I have always loved being outdoors. Salt Lake was a great place to get outside to hike, run, bike, ski, paddle, or whatever else. My grandfather was a psychiatrist and my mother is an internist in primary care. My maternal grandmother was Japanese and we still have a lot of family we keep in touch with in Japan.

Is there a particular story or incident that inspired you to get involved in your work helping people who are homeless?

I went to medical school to not only address individuals’ health issues, but also work on public health issues that drive poor health outcomes on larger level. Homelessness is a perfect example how social inequities directly and negatively affect health. What I love about my job is that I can go from injecting someone’s knee to having a conversation with county officials about system changes within an hour. Often when we, as someone not experiencing homelessness, see someone struggling on the sidewalk to make it through life, we feel individually disempowered to do anything to service that person. In a position like mine, I feel like I can work meaningfully on systems changes to improve individuals’ lives.

Homelessness has been a problem for a long time in the United States. But it seems that it has gotten a lot worse over the past five years, particularly in the large cities, such as Los Angeles, New York, Seattle, and San Francisco. Can you explain to our readers what brought us to this place? Where did this crisis come from?

One of the greatest reasons why homelessness has become more prevalent is that housing has become less and less affordable over the last 15 years. Adjusting for inflation, median rents have increased across the country and especially in California. On top of that, adjusted for inflation, low income households are making the same or less than they did in the early 2000s. As a result, low income households spend over 60% of their income to pay for a place to live. With their proportion of income spent on housing soaring, these households have less available funds to buy food, clothing, educational resources and other important needs, let alone savings. Though Father Joe’s Villages and our partners have worked on addressing homelessness for years, society at large has largely ignored these underlying causes of homelessness (income inequality and costs of housing).

For the benefit of our readers, can you describe the typical progression of how one starts as a healthy young person with a place to live, a job, an education, a family support system, a social support system, a community support system, to an individual who is sleeping on the ground at night? How does that progression occur?

We can’t put homelessness in a box. Homelessness is diverse — experienced by people of all ages, race, ethnicities, genders, sexuality, etc. — and each person’s situation is different. Often, both personal and systemic issues contribute to each individual’s state of homelessness. As rent becomes more expensive and income stagnates, people who are already working low-income jobs or supporting children or elderly relatives become more vulnerable. Many people are just one life event away from losing their housing. Sudden or chronic illness, job loss, a death in the family, divorce, substance use disorder, and other issues can propel a person or family into homelessness. Then, once a person becomes homeless, it becomes increasingly more difficult to overcome homelessness. They have to spend much of their time focused on surviving — finding a safe place to sleep, food to eat, showers, etc. — making it more difficult to secure employment and housing.

In terms of health, pain, chronic illness and disability can prevent individuals from being able to secure income and housing. In this way, burdened by medical bills and unable to work, poor health can be the primary cause of homelessness. Alternatively, health issues can also be caused by the brutal and often traumatic nature of homelessness or can make pre-existing issues much worse. In this way, homelessness and health snowball together to make overcoming homelessness even more difficult for the people we serve.

All of these issues create a cycle of homelessness.

A question that many people who are not familiar with the intricacies of this problem ask is, “Why don’t homeless people just move to a city that has cheaper housing?” How do you answer this question?

What many people don’t consider is that people experiencing homelessness need support systems as well. Many of them have friends or family in the city in which they’re living and those connections are essential for mental health, finding employment, and to eventually overcome homelessness. Additionally, a person can’t always afford the costs of moving, and securing employment and housing in a new place is not easy, especially if you’re homeless. Often, if a person moves before finding security, they’ll just end up homeless again but in a new place without their previous support system.

If someone passes a homeless person on the street, what is the best way to help them?

It’s critical that we see people experiencing homelessness as people. Father Joe once said, “These are neighbors not strangers. They are somebody’s son, daughter. They’re just in trouble but there’s a way to help.” People experiencing homelessness often feel invisible. Just a smile, eye contact or a conversation can give hope to a person in need. If you are moved to act, then volunteer or donate to a local homeless services organization. Support nonprofits working towards comprehensive solutions.

What is the best way to respond if a homeless person asks for money for rent or gas?

It’s okay to politely decline. Panhandling is not a long-term solution to an individual’s homelessness. It’s better to support services that are providing shelter, health care, meals, employment training and more that help address larger causes of homelessness.

Can you describe to our readers how your work is making an impact battling this crisis?

Father Joe’s Villages is on the frontlines of this pandemic working to protect the health and safety of our homeless neighbors in San Diego. In addition to continuing to provide critical medical, dental and behavioral health services, the Village Health Center has provided thousands of screenings to proactively identify possible symptoms of COVID-19 and rapidly test and isolate the potentially infected individuals. These efforts help to mitigate the risk of spread. We have also supported in mass testing efforts to help identify those who are asymptomatic. Our team in the Village Health Center has been incredible day-to-day. They show up, day after day, with energy and enthusiasm to do what is needed to save lives! Further, I have seen our community come together to address this crisis in ways I would have never imagined.

How has the COVID-19 pandemic affected the homeless crisis, and the homeless community? Also how has it affected your ability to help people?

Right now, the people that we serve are scared — and rightfully so. People experiencing homelessness are far more vulnerable to complications and death from COVID-19. While most of us will be able to stay safe or recover in our homes, our neighbors experiencing homelessness face an added layer of challenges, including limited access to hygiene supplies and sanitary living conditions. To protect the health and safety of those most vulnerable in the community, all of the staff at Father Joe’s Villages are working far more hours and under more stress than ever before. In the face of physical distancing, we found more shelter space to ensure our neighbors have a safe place to sleep each night. In the face of food and supply shortages, we still continue to feed hundreds of neighbors warm, nutritious to-go meals every day. In the face of a pandemic, we offer proactive screening, testing and on-going medical, dental and mental health services that protect our neighbors’ health and save lives. We have to be more creative about how we provide our services but we must continue on to meet the basic needs of those experiencing homelessness during this uncertain time.

Can you share something about your work that makes you most proud? Is there a particular story or incident that you found most uplifting?

I am most proud of the fact that I never lost sight of my dream when I became a doctor. I went to medical school to serve those often forgotten by society. Many people go to medical school with such aspirations, but then end up elsewhere. I like to say that I think the 22-year-old me would be proud of what I have become!

Without sharing real names, can you share a story with our readers about a particular individual who was impacted or helped by your work?

One of our patients was dealing with debilitating depression, substance use disorder and suicidal thoughts as the result of a traumatic event. Unfortunately, these issues eventually led him to losing his home and living out of his car. After living in his car for a little while, the client developed debilitating back pain — so bad that he needed to use a walker to get around. Eventually he began sleeping on the streets, which only exacerbated his pain. Soon, he was struggling to walk at all. As you can imagine, it is impossible for a neighbor in need to focus on finding work and housing when they’re facing such insurmountable challenges. This man needed multidisciplinary, holistic support to address all of these issues and he needed housing and a safe bed in order prevent the pain from getting worse. Through the Village Health Center, he received mental health care and physical health care. Through San Diego’s coordinated entry system, he was able to find housing. With support from his Village Health Center doctor, he was eventually able to get back surgery, which relieved his pain and allowed him to focus on the future. He is now living on his own and self-sufficient. His story emphasizes how poor health and homelessness feed each other in a dangerous cycle.

Can you share three things that the community and society can do to help you address the root of this crisis? Can you give some examples?

Stand up for affordable housing in your community. If you hear of an affordable housing building being built in your neighborhood, let your friends, neighbors and community leaders know that you support it.

Contribute to a local homeless services provider in your area. Donate cash, household goods, donate a car or vehicle, or organize a donation drive of much-needed items.

Volunteer your time at a nonprofit providing food, health care, or shelter to people in need during this time. Even if you can’t volunteer in person, you can sew masks, assemble hygiene kits or do other creative work.

If you had the power to influence legislation, which three laws would you like to see introduced that might help you in your work?

The first would be to allow Medi-Cal (Medicaid in California) to directly pay for housing and related supports for individuals with complex health and social needs. Medi-Cal explicitly does not allow pay for housing of any kind right now, but we know there is a clear link between housing and health. Many people getting federal “disability” payments only get around $1,000 per month, which is not enough to cover housing costs on top of food, utilities, clothing, etc. in a city like San Diego. “Housing is healthcare”!

Federally Qualified Health Centers (like our clinic) in California are not paid for behavioral health visits that are provided the same day as a physical health visit. This means that health centers across the state provide largely uncompensated care to patients with mental health issues. This is not fair and must be fixed.

HIPAA and HITECH, a set of federal healthcare privacy laws passed in 1996 and 2009, have served to worsen the quality of healthcare. The intent of the laws is noble: to protect the privacy of patients. But because of the way the laws are implemented, doctors and other team members are often unable to quickly share critical information about patients. This issue has undoubtedly caused numerous deaths in our country over the past few decades. There is an urgent need change the interpretation of these laws in order to make sure the healthcare system can take quality care of patients.

I know that this is not easy work. What keeps you going?

What keeps me going is my team. I am nothing as a leader without the right people around me. There have been very challenging days during this crisis, but the reality is that we are all supporting one another. A number of my employees have directly told me, as I was struggling to try to take a day off, “go home, I’ve got this covered.” When we take care of each other, we are better able to be present and engaged for everyone else.

Do you have hope that one day this great social challenge can be solved completely?

At Father Joe’s Villages, our mission is to prevent and solve homelessness, one life at a time. I do believe that we can get to the point where homelessness barely exists or is only a transient state. But getting there requires our society to completely re-envision its commitment to the most vulnerable around us. On a policy level, massive changes to housing policy and income equality need to occur, with especial focus on race and class inequities. And on an individual level, we have to recognize that there is a face to homelessness and individual people who are suffering.

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

“Move quickly, but not too fast.” As humans we are often impatient. When we see something “wrong”, we want it fixed quickly. As I came into my current position in 2016, there were many challenges to work on. It has been easy to try to “take it all on”, and one of my biggest vices is that I want to fix everything. But when you overextend yourself and your team, you become less effective and lose a sense of mission. In our Health Center, we have had to be very careful to pace out the projects we work on. Because of this approach, over 5 years, we have started a Medication Assisted Treatment program, implemented Health Homes, started a Recuperative Care program, increased our case management team, integrated a Behavioral Health team into the clinic, and greatly expanded the number of primary care clinicians.

“Your employees are your customers.” In any “business,” whether non-profit or for-profit, our traditional “customers” are the recipient of our products and services (patient in healthcare). But of course, work is not done without a team. And as such, employees are as much the customer as the patient. It has taken me a couple of years to learn this lesson, but it is a lesson I will not forget! This approach allows us to keep and retain staff, which in turn means we do better for our traditional “customers”.

“Don’t try to be everything to everyone.” It is easy to see ourselves as needing to try to solve every issue out in the community related to “healthcare for the homeless.” Our Health Center does a huge amount of work in the community, far disproportionate to our small size. We have to be great at what we do, and sometimes that means saying “no” when we know we have enough to work on already. Instead, you have to leverage partnerships to lean on others to do the work you cannot on your own. An example of that is at the San Diego Convention Center, which currently serves as a homeless shelter. We were asked to do all the primary care for around 1,000 clients on top of providing mass COVID-19 lab testing and running our traditional clinic. The needs of the 1,000 clients far exceeded what we could accomplish on our own. So, while we said “no, we cannot provide all the primary care,” we then leveraged our relationship with La Maestra (another Health Center) to cover where we were not able to.

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

I would like to inspire healthcare companies and institutions to start seeing housing as an integral element of healthcare. The social issues faced by those with housing insecurity are as important, if not more important, than their health issues. How can we truly address the serious health issues people who are homeless are facing without first addressing their housing? For example, when a person doesn’t have a safe place to stay or a lock on their door, their medications are very frequently lost or stolen. Alternatively, some critical medications require refrigeration — which is virtually impossible for a person who is homeless. This makes managing acute and chronic health issues very challenging. At the Village Health Center, we work with patients first and foremost to get housing. In this way, obtaining that housing is often a critical step to achieving better health outcomes or even to saving a life.

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

“You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” — Wayne Gretzky

If you live life without taking risks, your potential positive impact on the world will be that much less. Too often, we avoid trying something for fear it will not work. The joy of my work at Father Joe’s Villages is that my organization lets me take chances and lets me develop innovative approaches to do better for our homeless neighbors.

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

Atul Gawande. Dr. Gawande is an acclaimed surgeon and author who has written numerous books about the challenges of doing “Better” (the title of one of his books) in healthcare. His frank, direct, and reflective style of writing helps healthcare providers really think about what is missing in our current healthcare system. I would love to spend a lunch with him and pick his brain about what he thinks about health care for those experiencing homelessness.

How can our readers follow you online?

On Facebook, @FatherJoesVillages, Instagram and Twitter, @FatherJoes, or LinkedIn, Linkedin.com/in/jeffreyn.

This was very meaningful, thank you so much!

Heroes Of The Homeless Crisis: How Dr Jeffrey Norris of Father Joe’s Villages Is Helping To Provide was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Heroes Of The Homeless Crisis: “How Jackie Lorens Harris and Chicago Lights are providing…

Heroes Of The Homeless Crisis: “How Jackie Lorens Harris and Chicago Lights are providing comprehensive supportive services for their guests who are experiencing homelessness and poverty”

For as many challenging moments or days that I have, I have an equal number of moments I keep in my back pocket to remind me of the successes and wins I witness among guests or how our team of staff, volunteers, and supporters are able to accomplish meaningful work as a community. Those successes and positive wins always outweigh the challenging moments and remind me that we as humans are all on this journey together. No one person can do it all, nor should they, and there’s a huge sense of relief in that.

As a part of my series about “Heroes Of The Homeless Crisis” I had the pleasure of interviewing Jackie Lorens Harris. As the Social Service Center Director at Chicago Lights, Jackie directly oversees daily operations and strategic planning for the Chicago Lights Social Service Center and began her tenure with Chicago Lights in 2012 as the Center’s Program Development Manager. She supports the Social Service Center staff and interns who connect with 1,300 adults to encourage self-development, deep connections, and brighter futures through food and clothing services, case management, and enrichment programming.

Is there a particular story or incident that inspired you to get involved in your work helping people who are homeless?

During my undergraduate career at DePaul University, I was heavily involved in community service opportunities, like weekly volunteering at the nearby afterschool program or mornings at the church’s soup kitchen, and then lived in an intentional community during my sophomore year. It wasn’t until my junior year when I went on my second service immersion trip to Los Angeles, stayed in shelter on Skid Row, and spent the week working with nonprofits that focus on homelessness and engaging with individuals experiencing homelessness that I knew that’s where I needed to focus my career. I always thought I’d work in political campaigns or in international relief efforts, but when I saw the extreme amount of disparity between those living on Rodeo Drive and those living at the corner of San Pedro and 6th Street for over 15 years, I knew a lot needed to be changed in my own backyard. I grew up within a middle-class family and never went without. When I saw adults calling the sidewalk their home and heard the unique and complex struggles they faced, many from childhood and to no fault of their own, I realized I wanted to prevent the continuation of that cycle and the policies that perpetuate it.

Homelessness has been a problem for a long time in the United States. But it seems that it has gotten a lot worse over the past five years, particularly in the large cities. Can you explain to our readers what brought us to this place? Where did this crisis come from?

As of 2017, more than 86,000 people in Chicago were experiencing homelessness (https://www.chicagohomeless.org/faq-studies/). The homelessness crisis is complicated but is the result of decades of systemic racism, lack of affordable housing, unemployment, and mental health and substance abuse challenges. Two of these particular factors contribute to an increase in homelessness in several states, although the national numbers of those experiencing homelessness have decreased — housing affordability and access to mental health services. While many states and cities have seen a decrease in homelessness, they must combat the constant existence of homelessness with the availability of affordable housing. San Francisco and Los Angeles are two major cities that have been unable to meet the rising need of affordable housing due to the ever-increasing costs of living and housing costs in their cities. When various levels of government prioritize developers’ needs and increased property taxes, those who are at-risk of or experiencing homelessness quickly run out of more options. Likewise, certain states, including Illinois, have made mental health less of a priority over the past five years, though this trend is now improving with the most recent change in state administration. When the State of Illinois experienced its Budget Impasse from 2015 to 2017, many mental healthcare providers, substance use providers, and social service providers alike that were funded by the State of Illinois were directly affected by the lack of funding, resulting in massive program cuts, personnel layoffs, and entire agency closures. Without proper access to various types of counseling and psychiatric care, individuals and families feel more instability and lack support systems they need to maintain their health, employment, and, likely, their housing. Some agencies have been able to recover and rebuild their staff/programming in the past year or so, but some are still feeling the long-term effects of the impasse without the ability to connect with and support clients and consumers.

A person may have access to resources, but that doesn’t guarantee “success,” especially with the forces of systemic racism at work. A person may have a place to live, a job, an education, and family, social, and community support systems available, but for many of our guests, an unstable childhood has lasting mental and physical effects on their current well-being. This trauma can make it challenging to maintain a home, a job, an education, and these support systems. For people of color, systemic racism is another barrier, making it that much more difficult to maintain these needs. Any sort of “break” in these factors can quickly affect stability in other parts of one’s life — and this is true at both the micro and macro levels. For example, someone may have a positive amount of support in all these areas but is living paycheck to paycheck or has little to nothing in savings, and then a recession, or a pandemic like the one we’re currently experiencing, emerges and limits access to employment and income. Bills pile up, and rent is overdue or becomes increasingly difficult to pay. Family or community members may be able to help for a limited amount of time or feel uncomfortable having a relative/friend stay with them for very long. Mental health can deteriorate, and depression, anxiety, and/or substance use may emerge as a result or potential coping mechanism. The process might start with an entirely different factor (say, a medical issue occurs, and insurance doesn’t cover the diagnosis, or the individual doesn’t have adequate health insurance), but it is not unlikely that one factor will snowball into other detrimental factors, leading to the experience of homelessness.

This is exponentially more difficult for people of color to overcome. Homelessness is disproportionately reflected in communities of color due to the systemic policies local, state, and the federal government have perpetuated over centuries. People of color are more likely to get pushed into homelessness because they’re more likely to have a criminal record, making it more difficult to secure housing or a job. They might also have an eviction on their record. Or they can pay their monthly rent but can’t afford the security deposit to move into a new apartment. Even when a person of color is able to acquire stable housing and perhaps start a family, their children are already at a disadvantage as they grow older and face a multitude of systemic barriers, like a lack of access to quality healthcare and education their white peers have due to the comfort of generational wealth.

Moving costs money, and people experiencing homelessness may not have enough money for a sandwich, let alone moving costs, security deposits, storage needs, or transportation to a different location. For many, Chicago may also be their home, meaning that they and previous generations of their family may have lived here for years. Even though the cost of living in Chicago may be more expensive than other cities or towns, leaving home is a daunting task, both mentally and physically. Additionally, if you are without stable housing, it would prove difficult to maintain gainful employment without regular access to food, water, and a comfortable place to sleep, let alone feel emotionally and psychologically well to maintain a job. The same is true vice versa — you can’t really afford suitable and stable housing without access to regular income, positive rental history, and funds saved up to afford the move. It’s a never-ending cycle unless you have support systems in place to get you started on that path.

If someone passes a homeless person on the street, what is the best way to help them?

The best way to help a person encountered on the street is to start with acknowledgment. Make eye contact, smile, and say “hello.” People experiencing homelessness are ignored by hundreds of people every day, so a little acknowledgment and kind words can go a long way. Also, think about the times you’ve been in need of help or support. Doesn’t it always feel better when someone asks, “How can I help?,” rather than having someone assume and just do something for you or tell you what you should do? Some individuals (again, think of yourself) may not want anything more than someone to talk to, or they may want to be alone in that moment, and that’s okay. It’s all about respecting that person’s needs or wants. If a person responds that they want support beyond a conversation, like a referral, transportation fare, some food, or money, you must decide how you feel most comfortable responding to that request. On a broader scale, you can also consider donating/supporting a local shelter or social service center in your community. These agencies are always in need of funds, in-kind donations, and volunteers. Or perhaps they have a mobile outreach team, and you could connect and build a relationship/trust with the person you first encountered to support them on their journey toward greater stability.

What is the best way to respond if a homeless person asks for money for rent or gas?

If a person experiencing homelessness asks you for money for rent or gas, you have the choice of offering something in return. If you aren’t able or comfortable providing money, you can say, “I can’t help you with that, but here is more information about Chicago Lights . . .” Or, “I can’t help you with that, but I’m sorry you’re experiencing this.” If you do offer money or other resources, know that they then have the freedom to use these resources as they wish. Part of being a giving person is being able to release control over how a resource is used.

Can you describe to our readers how your work is making an impact battling this crisis?

The Chicago Lights Social Service Center provides comprehensive supportive services for our guests who are experiencing homelessness and poverty. We connect with more than 1,300 adults each year to encourage self-development, deep connections, and brighter futures through food and clothing services, case management, housing resources, and enrichment programming. Together, these programs help adults pursue and reach their goals toward achieving greater stability. At the core of our work is ensuring guests are the authors and experts of their life journeys. We are there to support, encourage, and empower guests to make choices and progress that are realistic to them and in the appropriate time frame. Through Good Neighbors Street Outreach and drop-in services, we create a gateway to connection and trust. We provide guests with immediate needs and use those shorter engagements to assess what long-term goals they may want to focus on, gather more unique information about the guest and their life story, and continuously encourage engagement through their level of comfort. As these relationships strengthen among staff and guests, we suggest programming such as individual case management and/or enrichment groups, taking more intentional time to consider both a guest’s long-term goals (housing, mental and/or physical health, benefits/income, education, etc.) and the personal and systemic barriers that prevent a guest from achieving their goals. From there, we create a plan as partners on this journey and know that it can take support from a network of service providers, housing providers, community advocates, and health professionals to achieve some of these long-term goals.

How has the COVID-19 pandemic affected the homeless crisis, and the homeless community? Also how has it affected your ability to help people?

Many shelters and agencies are operating at limited capacities or closed entirely, leaving people experiencing homelessness even more vulnerable than they were before the COVID-19 pandemic. The City of Chicago and its service providers are continuously evaluating how to best support those experiencing homelessness during, or because of, the pandemic. Shelters are partnering with nearby churches, community centers, and City-identified spaces to provide at least the same number of beds prior to the pandemic but with as much social distancing as possible. The Chicago Department of Public Health has deployed at least 40 nurses to act as consultants to shelters and congregate living environments to provide immediate care, offer strategies to mitigate the spread of symptoms, respond to outbreaks, and expand testing. While our building at Chicago Lights may be closed, we’re still able to provide curbside services of food, clothing, and toiletries to our guests while following health and safety guidelines. It’s important now, more than ever, that we remain a resource for our guests in any way we can. Additionally, we have met several new guests who are finding themselves new to the experience of homelessness because they are returning citizens, having served a majority, or all, of their court sentence. Folks who were sentenced to prison for over 20 years are coming to our doors and asking how to access payphones and bus tokens — this is a huge culture shock for a multitude of reasons. Individuals who have not been court-involved but experiencing homelessness have had to press pause on goals related to housing, employment, and identification documents. The Chicago Housing Authority is still processing applications and Chicago-area permanent supportive housing agencies are trying to remove as many barriers to housing as possible so applicants can reduce their time from (homelessness to housed) 60 to 45 days, but the current affordable housing inventory is still unable to meet the demand and need for shelter and housing.

Can you share something about your work that makes you most proud? Is there a particular story or incident that you found most uplifting?

As I moved into the role of Director of the Social Service Center five years ago, I took a step back from direct services and realized I’m now able to witness friendships and communities forming and thriving more than ever before. My previous role meant focusing on my particular caseload or engaging with a select group of guests. Now I get to learn about a much larger number of our guests through consultations with our staff and interns.

I am always strengthened by the fact that so many of our guests find community and welcome in our space, whether that’s through our staff and volunteers meeting them for the first time during Street Outreach and feeling ready and willing to walk into our offices on their own, or friendships forming among guests who attend our weekly enrichment groups, or rekindled relationships between guests and their families. I love being a part of a space that encourages second chances through new and repaired relationships.

One story that stands out in particular is our annual Open Doors Project (ODP) graduation. ODP is a year-long case management program for up to eight guests who participate in weekly individual case management meetings along with weekly support meetings with fellow participants. A few years ago, our graduates were coming to the end of their ceremony, and as is tradition, we invited attendees to share well wishes with a particular graduate, or with the entire group. A young woman stood up and shared how proud she was of her dad and how happy she was to reconnect with him recently so he could see his grandchildren more often. Following the ceremony, that same graduate pulled me aside to thank the Social Service Center for being able to participate in ODP, not only because he reunited with his daughter and his grandchildren, but also because it was the first time he graduated from something. He had dropped out of high school before his senior year and recently found the energy and motivation to work toward his GED. The pride and accomplishment in his voice and his eyes is something I’ll remember for the rest of my life.

Without sharing real names, can you share a story with our readers about a particular individual who was impacted or helped by your work?

I met Jennifer a couple months into her working with Chicago Lights. She was in her mid-30s and had a long history with substance abuse and chronic homelessness. Jennifer typically came in for clothing and hygiene items and grabbed a lunch from Fourth Presbyterian Church in Chicago’s Meals Ministry program. Like many of our guests, Jennifer worked with a team of mental health providers at a partner agency, which would monitor her mental and physical health needs, with the hope of eventually locating permanent supportive housing through the agency’s housing subsidy connections. Jennifer worked with a number of our case managers over the years and was presented with a few housing opportunities, but deadlines passed and Jennifer was put back on waiting lists multiple times — we couldn’t access some of her identification documents in time, she missed interviews with the housing provider, and sometimes, we just didn’t see Jennifer for weeks at a time.

Around May 2017, her name came up for another permanent housing unit. Over the past year, she and I worked on applying for Social Security Disability Benefits, making sure she attended all medical appointments, and most importantly to her, rekindling her relationship with her teenage daughters, who lived with Jennifer’s mom. For some reason, this housing opportunity was different for Jennifer. She felt more ready. She was ready to commit to a new set of goals, and we worked together over the next several weeks to fill out assessments, obtain documentation, get medical records from physicians, and attend a Chicago Housing Authority interview.

Within a week of the interview, Jennifer was approved for permanent supportive housing, and I met her at her new building to help her sign her lease. Her first request was to get a few things to make the apartment more homey so her teen daughters could visit and spend the night that weekend. I’ve seen Jennifer less and less over the years, but she still lives in the same apartment and continues to work on both her recovery as well as her relationship with her family. She seems stronger, happier, and healthier. She always had the tools and skills to do this on her own, she just needed to feel ready and for someone to be patient and walk with her along the way.

Can you share three things that the community and society can do to help you address the root of this crisis? Can you give some examples?

Support your local nonprofits and service providers, especially during this pandemic. Reach out to the staff and ask what they need most — donations (monetary and/or in-kind), volunteers, networking on their behalf for more supporters, sponsoring an event, etc. Staff who are on the frontlines know exactly what they (and their guests/clients/consumers) need. Let them be the experts in their work and their needs.
Advocate for people of color. This can be through supporting the development and growth of black-owned businesses, calling out racial injustice when you see it(personally and institutionally), ensure your local government and economy provide equity and inclusion for communities of color, and be an ally. That means listening more than speaking, being willing to learn and make mistakes, and creating safe spaces so people of color have their voices heard by those in power.
Combat the stigmas associated with mental illness, substance use, and of course, homelessness. What you see on TV and in movies is extremely exaggerated and inaccurate, regarding the causes, symptoms, and effects of all three issues. These are realities for too many people and should not be taboo topics, nor should people who experience them be ostracized. Talk openly about them, educate yourself, and acknowledge implicit bias.

If you had the power to influence legislation, which three laws would you like to see introduced that might help you in your work?

1. Investment in affordable and public housing at the federal and state level, with the utilization of a Housing First model. The Ending Homelessness Act (H.R. 1856, S. 2613) is one of four bills that would appropriate funds for this effort. It was marked up and approved by the House Financial Services Committee in 2019, but no action has been taken since.

2. Federal Living Wage. Many cities, including Chicago, are taking on the task of increasing the minimum wage, but until the gap between the minimum wage and housing costs shrinks, poverty and homelessness will persist.

3. Abolishing the Three Strikes Law. While this harsher sentencing for a third offense was intended for those convicted of murder, rape, and other severe violent offenses, more than half of inmates sentenced under the law are serving sentences for nonviolent crimes. This law disproportionately affects minority populations, as well as defendants with mental and/or physical disabilities. Returning citizens have increased difficulty in overcoming homelessness when released due to additional stigmas.

I know that this is not easy work. What keeps you going?

Burnout in social services (and any field within the nonprofit sector) is real, and it definitely makes its presence known to me from time to time. However, the people I work with — my team members, my colleagues, my supervisor, our volunteers, and especially our guests — remind me why I’m committed to this work. For as many challenging moments or days that I have, I have an equal number of moments I keep in my back pocket to remind me of the successes and wins I witness among guests or how our team of staff, volunteers, and supporters are able to accomplish meaningful work as a community. Those successes and positive wins always outweigh the challenging moments and remind me that we as humans are all on this journey together. No one person can do it all, nor should they, and there’s a huge sense of relief in that.

Do you have hope that one day this great social challenge can be solved completely?

I have . . . cautious optimism. There’s evidence in particular cities, like Houston and Salt Lake City, and even in particular countries, like Finland and Iceland, that curbing homelessness (especially among veterans) is very possible. But to eradicate homelessness across the United States, it would take more than hope — it would take deep structural change, in policy, in perspective, and in priorities. The aforementioned cities and countries prioritized collaboration between the nonprofit and public sectors and invested in the development of more public and affordable housing. Until that becomes a reality across the country and until we commit to destigmatizing mental illness, substance abuse, and homelessness, poverty and homelessness will continue to exist.

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

Practice what you preach regarding self-care. I’m huge on encouraging my staff and colleagues to practice self-care but terrible at doing it myself. It is crucial to find actions or self-affirmations that give you joy and revive you, or burnout will always be around the corner.
“I don’t know” is a very acceptable answer. This is pretty much the opposite of “fake it ’til you make it,” and it shows others that no one has all the answers. You are not, nor should you be, the smartest person in the room. You should constantly look for opportunities to learn, question yourself, and discover solutions with others.
As you move up the nonprofit leadership ladder, prepare to wear every hat, sometimes on the same day. And sometimes, while juggling . . . and riding a unicycle. This reiterates why #1 is so important.
Manage, and re-manage, your expectations — regarding your to-do list, your calendar, your fundraising goals, how flawless that difficult conversation will go with that colleague or donor, etc.
Create a personal Board of Directors. Every nonprofit has a Board of Directors that provides guidance and accountability. One of my Leadership Cohort facilitators recently shared the idea of creating your own Board, and I love the idea of a personal powerhouse of leaders who can inspire you, provide wisdom, and keep you in check when you need it most.

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

I would expand social enterprise opportunities. Too many times I’ve heard guests share they would work or take a job if someone just gave them a chance. And so many individuals who are experiencing homelessness are not considered vulnerable enough to qualify for certain types of housing or government benefit, let alone maintain gainful employment because they lack safe shelter to return to each day. They haven’t been homeless “long enough,” or they’re in good health, or they didn’t serve in the armed forces, so they have to prolong their lack of housing and employment, while likely experiencing deteriorated health, before they are eligible for those who are considered “worse off.” Social enterprises create the opportunity for skill-building, a living wage, job experience, and contribute to the local economy. Several in the Chicago-area include supportive services like case management, counseling, and additional job placement because they recognize no matter the population they support (young adults, new mothers, returning citizens, or no specific demographics at all), you must support a person as a whole person, if you truly want someone to not just survive, but thrive and grow.

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

“You can either be the doctor, or the patient. And I refuse to be the patient.” — Tommy Wrenn, a Foot Soldier of the Civil Rights Movement in Birmingham, AL. I met Mr. Wrenn when I was leading a service immersion trip to Montgomery and Birmingham, Alabama, and we visited the local Civil Rights Activist Committee Headquarters, which he founded. Mr. Wrenn gave two hours of his time to a group of young college students from Chicago and talked about his days of walking with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. as a Foot Soldier and a member of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. It’s a metaphor that has stuck with me no matter the situation. We’re always faced with a choice of fighting and resolving an injustice or laying victim to it. We should always refuse to fall victim to an injustice, even if it doesn’t affect us directly.

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?

I would love to have breakfast with Honorable Ruth Bader Ginsburg. I have always admired her commitment to gender equality, her tenacity, and her determination to thrive despite facing adversity. Regardless of the years and roles she has served in her career, she has stayed true to her values and spoken truth to power. I recently had to share my favorite quote about leadership, and it comes from Justice Ginsburg: “Fight for the things you care about, but do so in a way that will lead others to join you.” I always strive to lead by example and live out my values, just as Justice Ginsburg has done her entire life.

How can our readers follow you online?

I highly recommend learning more about Chicago Lights at chicagolights.org and following Chicago Lights through its various social media channels on Facebook (@chicagolights), Instagram (@chicago.lights), and Twitter (@chicagolights). Readers can also connect with me on LinkedIn (linkedin.com/in/jackielorens)

Heroes Of The Homeless Crisis: “How Jackie Lorens Harris and Chicago Lights are providing… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Heroes Of The Homeless Crisis: How Scott Leysath, The Sporting Chef, Has Helped Feed Tens Of…

Heroes Of The Homeless Crisis: How Scott Leysath, The Sporting Chef, Has Helped Feed Tens Of Thousands Of People With The Hunt.Fish.Feed Program

Assembling a group of volunteers, most of whom have never worked in a kitchen or spent any time in a shelter, and feeding several hundred appreciative hungry people is both rewarding and sad. You feel for the folks who you’ve just fed, but there is some satisfaction in knowing that you were able to help out the people who feed them every day. Many of the volunteers end up making a promise to return to the shelter to help out in the future.

As a part of my series about “Heroes Of The Homeless Crisis” I had the pleasure of interviewing Scott Leysath, aka The Sporting Chef.

Scott Leysath, former chain and independent restaurateur, now TV host of two cooking shows featuring fish and game on Sportsman Channel — “The Sporting Chef” and “Dead Meat.” For the past 12 years, Scott Leysath has been the Executive Chef for Sportsman Channel’s Hunt.Fish.Feed. program. They utilize renewable, high-protein resources like venison, salmon and wild boar to feed the nation’s homeless and hungry as well as military personnel and their families and encourage hunters and anglers to do the same in their communities.

Thank you so much for joining us Scott! Our readers would love to ‘get to know you’ a bit better. Can you tell us a bit about your personal background, and how you grew up?

I know it sounds crazy, but my parents would often leave me home during my high school years and go away for a week or two. Not being too responsible, my friends would hang out at our house and I would feed them. Oh sure, it might have gotten out of hand at times, but no one was hurt too badly. That’s how my interest in the culinary arts started.

My cooking career really started as a doorman in a high-volume casual theme bar and restaurant and eventually I became vice-president of the 33-unit chain. I co-owned a popular restaurant near Sacramento for seven years and a catering business for 10 years. I began what I refer to as my “so-called TV career” in 1999 on HGTV’s “Home Grown Cooking with Paul James.” I was the Executive Chef for 180 episodes, working both sides of the camera as the backstage chef and on-camera guest and regular contributor. I do miss the restaurant business, but not enough to do it again or to get a divorce in order to pursue my dream…or nightmare.

Is there a particular story or incident that inspired you to get involved in your work helping people who are homeless?

I have always had a soft spot for the less fortunate, especially those who have been subjected to circumstances that would overwhelm anyone. I was invited to help out with my first Hunt.Fish.Feed. in Orlando 12+ years ago. After spending time with the facility and the folks we fed, I was hooked and knew that this is a worthy cause that both helps others and gives me a more clear perspective about what’s going on in the world.

When the Great Recession hit in 2007/2008, I met people from all walks of life at shelters across the country. I’d listen to their stories about how they had jobs, were paying their rent and then there were no jobs. Many sold whatever possessions they had and never imagined that they would be without jobs or a place for their families to live. People who had good jobs, but were living paycheck to paycheck, were suddenly without a home. Of course, there were those who had alcohol and substance abuse problems, but I always wondered which came first — being homeless and hopeless, or getting hooked on drugs or alcohol. I soon realized that the problem exists in just about every sizable city in the country. The bigger the city, the larger the homeless population. Many cities did a “good” job of hiding homeless people in locations outside the mainstream, but as the number of homeless people grew, their visibility increased to city sidewalks where you couldn’t help but notice. The Hunt.Fish.Feed. event that had the most impact on me early on was at Skid Row in Los Angeles. We fed a couple thousand hungry folks who are fed by some group every single day, a monumental undertaking.

There are those people who just prefer to live “off the grid” and don’t want to be responsible to or for anyone other than themselves. It’s a lifestyle choice. They know where to get a free meal in any city and they just want to be left alone.

There is not one circumstance that puts people on the street. Drugs and alcohol are a major problem and many food providers will not serve you, at least not indoors, when it appears that a person is drunk or high on something. Mental illness is obviously a problem. Many of the people who were formerly institutionalized are now living on the street fending for themselves. And then there are those who lost jobs, families or experienced horrifying tragedies that they couldn’t overcome either physically or mentally. Unless you’re living it, it’s hard probably best not to pass judgment.

When you’re kicked out of your 1-room tenement apartment with no job and no friends or relatives to stay with, the options are dismal. There is no place to go besides a shelter or the street. You have no car, marketable skill and minimal education.

If someone passes a homeless person on the street, what is the best way to help them?

Without exception, every shelter manager I’ve spoken with has told me not to give them money. That might help you feel better about yourself, but it usually just enables the homeless person to buy drugs or alcohol. If you feel the need to help, contribute directly to a shelter. Through their connections, they can make your donation dollar go much farther and it will have a more positive impact on the homeless community. If you want to give someone a sandwich or a cup of coffee, that’s better than giving them cash.

What is the best way to respond if a homeless person asks for money for rent or gas?

If you feel safe with the person and you want to do something for him or her, let them know that you will be happy to buy them something to eat or drink (non-alcoholic). Some will appreciate it and others just want the money to buy drugs or alcohol. It’s important that you feel safe and not threatened. Many homeless people have learned what it takes to get people to part with money. Most are passive, but others can become extremely aggressive. Keep your guard up. If you do not want to give them anything, that is your choice and no one should judge you for that. I think it’s best not to give someone something because you feel guilty about not being homeless. You should give because you want to help.

Can you describe to our readers how your work is making an impact battling this crisis?

The Hunt.Fish.Feed. program as fed tens of thousands of people over the past 12 years. Those of us with the program understand that we’re only in a location for one day. Our goal is to encourage local media to see what we’re doing to let the locals know that a shelter exists in their town. Shelters seems to get most of their support during the holidays when people with homes are in a more giving mood. Shelters need help every day, not just during the holidays.

We also encourage area hunters and anglers to contact churches, shelters and other outreach programs to see what they can do to help. The outdoor community is very generous when it comes to supporting their communities. Whether it is through donations of processed meat and fish or putting a group together to help serve food once a month. It all helps.

How has the COVID-19 pandemic affected the homeless crisis, and the homeless community? Also how has it affected your ability to help people?

COVID-19 has greatly affected the ability for Hunt.Fish.Feed program to get off the ground in 2020. Our first event was scheduled in April — and we had 5 or 6 scheduled through June that have been postponed, may be canceled. We are working on a potential event to help those on the front lines e.g. first responders, nurses, doctors. The issue we are running into is getting people to the location to help put together the packaged food, and then distributing it, in a manner with the least amount of contact.

Can you share something about your work that makes you most proud? Is there a particular story or incident that you found most uplifting?

Assembling a group of volunteers, most of whom have never worked in a kitchen or spent any time in a shelter, and feeding several hundred appreciative hungry people is both rewarding and sad. You feel for the folks who you’ve just fed, but there is some satisfaction in knowing that you were able to help out the people who feed them every day. Many of the volunteers end up making a promise to return to the shelter to help out in the future.

Without sharing real names, can you share a story with our readers about a particular individual who was impacted or helped by your work?

Around 2009, I was working alongside a cook at one of the shelters. He told me about how he had a house and family prior to the financial crisis the year or two before. He had lost his construction job due to layoffs from lack of work. He sold whatever he could sell to pay the rent, but eventually lost whatever he had left, including the home he and his family lived in. He ended up at the shelter, a place he’d never imagined he would be, and started working in the kitchen in exchange for a place to sleep. His wife and two kids went to live with her parents, but the crash was tough on their marriage, so he didn’t join them. He developed his culinary skills at the shelter which led to a job in a restaurant nearby. He was still living at the shelter but, with the added income from the restaurant job, he was about to move into an apartment with the hopes of getting his family back together. Now I wish I had followed up to see how his plans worked out.

Can you share three things that the community and society can do to help you address the root of this crisis? Can you give some examples?

1. Provide job training. Identify those people who want to break out of their homeless situation, but don’t have the skills to find and keep a job.

2. Teach life skills. Many of the homeless do not have the ability to manage money, their time or how to succeed in an unfamiliar world. Perhaps they grew up without much money, housing or parental guidance. Those of us who grew up in “normal” homes, went to school everyday and found jobs that would support us cannot imagine what it would be like to be raised without any of the things we take for granted.

3. Provide housing. Easy to write, much harder to implement. Most people do not want former homeless people living next door. To me, it makes sense to put people to work building their own homes or communities. When you have an investment in something, like helping to build your own place to live, I think it is more appreciated and respected.

If you had the power to influence legislation, which three laws would you like to see introduced that might help you in your work?

More states should allow hunters and anglers to donate processed fish and game. With the Hunt.Fish.Feed. program we’ve discovered that some states, like Virginia, rely on hunters to supply high-protein, sustainable meat for their shelters. The biggest supplier of meat to the shelters in Virginia come from donations of venison from Hunters for the Hungry. We’ve also been reprimanded more than once for utilizing processed fish and game to feed shelters because the meat was not USDA inspected.

I’m not familiar with which laws might help, but I’d prefer to keep the lawyers out of the problem-solving equation. But, of course, that’s not possible.

I know that this is not easy work. What keeps you going?

At the end of the day, it’s rewarding to know that you’ve just made an impact, albeit a small one, on the community and helped shed some light on how others can help. Everyone needs to experience a shelter meal, whether it’s helping with the preparation, serving or cleaning up afterward.

Do you have hope that one day this great social challenge can be solved completely?

Of course, but I’m not sure it’s 100% possible. We would have to solve a number of other social issues like drug and alcohol dependence, education and health care as well.

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

1. Homeless people are much like the rest of us. I have friends who drink too much, too.

2. Many of the homeless folks are real victims of some very unreal circumstances.

3. Do not give them money.

4. Some are mentally ill, but most are not. I’ve had some great conversations with people I’ve fed at shelters.

5. Many of them want to work, but for a number of reasons, they cannot…or will not seek employment.

I’d like to be on a national morning TV show to show how we can all help supply food and support for the homeless in our communities. Many people want to pretend that the homeless situation doesn’t exist or just avoid coming in contact with people or places where homeless people can be found. We tend to avoid contact with them. Instead, let’s find people who are willing to help them with life and job skills while providing them with a nutritional meal. I can’t imagine why anyone would want to homeless population to grow. It seems reasonable that we’d all prefer them to have jobs and give back to the community.

Others need to see how the outdoor community supports homeless outreach programs through their donations of processed, high-protein, sustainable fish and game as well as helping to prepare and serve the food.

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

“You cannot control the behavior of others, but how you respond to it is what matters.” …or something like that. Not sure where I got it, but it does ring true for me. I can ignore the plight of the homeless person or do what I’m doing now with the Hunt.Fish.Feed. program.

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

Mike Rowe of Dirty Jobs. I really admire what he’s doing to encourage young folks to learn skilled jobs outside of a four-year college degree. Some young people are disappointed or discouraged that they can’t do what it takes to get a college degree when many of them would be much better off pursuing a technical or industrial skill that will eventually pay better and fit their lifestyle better than a job that requires a degree. There are many other options.

How can our readers follow you online?

Check out TheSportingChef.Com for more than 400 recipes from wild game soups, main dishes, sauces and more. Plus, I share my behind-the-scenes shenanigans at @TheSportingChef on Instagram and Facebook.Com/TheSportingChef

This was very meaningful, thank you so much!

Heroes Of The Homeless Crisis: How Scott Leysath, The Sporting Chef, Has Helped Feed Tens Of… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Heroes Of The Homeless Crisis: How Scott Ackerson of Prospera Housing Community Services is helping

Heroes Of The Homeless Crisis: How Scott Ackerson of Prospera Housing Community Services is helping to address the root causes of homelessness

Whenever you’re making decisions about an individual or a group you’re working with, include the people who are affected in the planning and decision making. I worked with some young adults emancipating from foster care who put this very clearly: Nothing about us without us.

As a part of my series about “Heroes Of The Homeless Crisis” I had the pleasure of interviewing Scott Ackerson. Scott Ackerson is the Executive Vice President of Strategic Relationships and Services for Prospera Housing Community Services in San Antonio, where he oversees resident support services, fund development, and strategic relations. Scott was previously a Principal for Health Management Associates, a national healthcare consulting firm, working across the country on homeless systems of care, Social Determinants of Health, supportive housing, and infant mortality and worked for Haven for Hope, a large homeless campus, prior to that. Scott has extensive experience in direct services, continuum of care coordination, and clinical and programmatic oversight. Prior to his career in homeless recovery services, Scott worked for 15 years in child welfare services, including opening a trauma-informed residential treatment center in San Antonio.

Thank you so much for joining us! Our readers would love to ‘get to know you’ a bit better. Can you tell us a bit about your personal background, and how you grew up?

I grew up on the east side of St. Paul, Minnesota in a predominantly tough, working-class area. It was a pretty typical inner-city upbringing where after school fist fights were almost as common as sports practice. I was an athlete growing up and played basketball, football, and baseball.

Is there a particular story or incident that inspired you to get involved in your work helping people who are homeless?

When I was in middle school, a teammate of mine invited me to go to a downtown boys’ club, because they had a great basketball program. The draw for this boys’ club was all of the housing projects in St. Paul, which were, at the time, predominantly African American. At the time, the city was pretty segregated, so I was the only white kid in a group of more than 100 kids. The boys’ club was in the basement of the Union Gospel Mission, then St. Paul’s main homeless shelter, which is ironic given the path my career would take.

There was a guy who worked at the Union Gospel Mission named Stevie Randall. He was the “jack of all trades”: bus driver, janitor, snack vendor, and basketball coach. He was also a father figure to all these kids, many of whom didn’t have fathers at home.

I decided quickly that I wanted to be like Stevie when I grew up. He’s the one who influenced me to choose the path of social work, especially to work with children. In college, I majored in social work and after graduation I began my career in child welfare for 15 years. After moving to San Antonio, I worked for Casey Family Programs working with young adults exiting the foster care system and then ran programming at The Children’s Shelter. Unexpectedly, I received an offer one day to transition into homeless services as the Vice President of Programs for SAMMinistries (SAMM), an interfaith homeless services provider. SAMM was slated to become the largest service provider in the greater San Antonio area at a brand-new homeless facility that was under development, Haven for Hope of Bexar County. I’d done a lot of program development through my career and was interested in doing more. This opportunity to expand programming at the largest service provider in the area, I had to say “yes.”

A big part of the current crisis stems from unintended consequences of the 2009 HEARTH Act, which repurposed emergency shelter grant dollars into emergency solution grant dollars. We went from providing funding for emergency shelters to focusing on only permanent housing and supportive services. Theoretically, this is not a bad way to approach homelessness — but housing first is only effective if you have the housing capacity to make sure people have a home and the necessary resources to provide wraparound services.

In reality, it meant that many cities either downsized or eliminated shelters, because there wasn’t federal funding available. That, coupled with extreme rises in housing prices in major urban areas and increasing occupancy rates, meant the market dictated rental costs, effectively pricing a lot of people out of their homes.

When you have a dual phenomenon with the lack of emergency shelters and housing becoming out of reach for even the middle class, the only alternative after a point is the street.

The problem with this proposed progression is that, even though we often treat it as one, homelessness is not a homogeneous phenomenon. When we peel back the onion, we discover that the causes of homelessness are broad and varied. And because of these variations, there is no one-size-fits-all solution. There is no one path into or out of homelessness and if we try to treat it that way, we set ourselves up for failure. Homelessness is not a homogeneous phenomenon; thus, we can’t expect homogeneous, one-size-fits-all interventions will be effective.

There are, however, trends we can infer to inform the kind of care and systems-level policies should put in place.

Causes of homelessness are often attached to trauma and we know there is a high correlation between trauma and mental health issues. For example, women experiencing homelessness often experience high rates of violence and/or childhood sexual abuse. And if we were thinking about a progression, you can imagine what likely happens next: That abused child is removed from their home, placed in a broken child welfare system until they turn 18, and then are thrown into the world with very little support, where they face new stressors at once. Underlying all of that, we likely have not effectively treated the original trauma, which then causes snowball effects.

Of course, this is just one progression and isn’t necessarily a typical case. Other progressions into homelessness could involve other types of childhood trauma, hospitalization later in life and other health issues, losing resources, or becoming financially homeless. But we can start to draw lessons from this.

And the big one is that homelessness in itself is not the problem; it’s a symptom of larger systems-level problems. And because of that, we need to enact systems-level solutions to truly address the root causes of homelessness.

I have a couple answers to this. Firstly, fewer and fewer cities even have cheaper housing, so the feasibility of this is questionable to begin with. And then if you factor in that this person may not have the resources to fund the necessary transportation to arrive somewhere new, this becomes an even less workable solution.

But more importantly, this is similar to asking any one of us to leave our social networks, our communities, and everything we know, to start over. Picking up and moving to another city doesn’t bring community. In fact, it likely means having to start all over to build support networks, which compounds the issue. People need community — asking them to leave one to be able to survive is not a tenable solution.

We need to create and bolster the support systems in all communities, not foist responsibility onto others.

If someone passes a homeless person on the street, what is the best way to help them?

Acknowledge a person experiencing homelessness as a human being and say “hello” like you would do with anyone else. Treat them with respect and dignity, not disdain and judgment.

To that end, I would encourage us all to think long and hard about who and what we’re referring to when we speak about people experiencing homelessness. Homelessness is a state, not a trait, and none of us should be defined by our current living situation.

What is the best way to respond if a homeless person asks for money for rent or gas?

I think people have to make their own judgments about how they respond to someone asking for money. For the 14 or 15 years I worked in direct services, I would hand out my business card, which had my cell phone number on it, to panhandlers and tell them to call me when they were ready to get off the streets. Over the years, I probably handed out over 1,000 business cards. I literally got only one phone call for assistance.

If you do choose to give, it shouldn’t come with strings. Your contribution ultimately might not be going to what you think it’s going to, and you have to be okay with that.

Can you describe to our readers how your work is making an impact battling this crisis?

Broadly speaking, I hope my work helps people to see the entire spectrum and system that homelessness is part of. We often look at homelessness as a discrete phenomenon: it begins when someone becomes homeless and ends once they no longer are. But there is a lot that happens both before and after that contributes to homelessness and sustains the solutions. As someone overcomes homelessness, there is a huge need for permanent supportive housing and affordable housing at the end of the spectrum. But not only is access to affordable housing a backend solution, it’s also an effective front-end prevention mechanism.

I recently transitioned from working in direct homeless services to working at an affordable housing and supportive services provider. As I see it, homelessness is a symptom of a larger problem rather than the problem itself. Availability of and access to affordable housing is a key part of that system. Unless we address the root, system causes, we’ll just be treating symptoms and not solving the actual problem. I hope my work drives more urgency and action around upstream prevention tactics, which are more easily accomplished than downstream interventions.

One of my other goals is helping people recognize and begin to address the more profound societal issues that contribute to homelessness, including poverty, unemployment, underemployment, affordable housing access, as well as the impact of institutionalized racism and historical oppression. People of color are overrepresented in the criminal justice system, child welfare system, and as recipients of homeless services. Systemic problems require systemic solutions, but if we invest in those broad and overarching solutions, we’re investing in long-term wellbeing that perpetuates strength and progress.

On the direct services side, I am continuing to expand the use of evidence-based practices like person-centered planning, peer support integration, trauma-informed care, or motivational interviewing instead of behavior modification approaches. Behavior modification can be effective in altering behaviors, but does not address the core issues associated with behaviors.

How has the COVID-19 pandemic affected the homeless crisis, and the homeless community? Also how has it affected your ability to help people?

COVID-19 has had a tremendous impact on homelessness, those experiencing homelessness, as well as the people and organizations who provide services. What we know about COVID-19 is all it takes is one person for it to spread far, wide, and quickly. Emergency shelters are congregant living, which in this current situation means that staying in a shelter means you’re highly susceptible to the virus. At this moment, not only is it uncomfortable to stay at a shelter, it’s dangerous to your life. That’s a pretty big impact.

In my current position, our service managers are providing services like telephonic wellness checks but there is a significant portion of our work that necessarily remains face-to-face, such as on-site food pantry/distribution. For our property management team, there are essential maintenance repairs within apartments and on property that need to be addressed. The reality is, our service and maintenance providers are unheralded essential workers. Like medical professionals, they’re putting their lives in their own hands when they go to work. Rightly, medical workers are at the top of the list to get access to PPE, and even they are struggling to procure enough. Think, then, of the homeless service providers who are not at the top of the list to protect themselves and the people living in facilities, but who must still do their essential work in person.

I think COVID-19 has also shown how many of us live facing economic instability or precarity every day. These struggles are shared, and we have an opportunity to build a path to recovery that lifts entire communities.

Can you share something about your work that makes you most proud? Is there a particular story or incident that you found most uplifting?

During my tenure at Haven for Hope, I spearheaded a direct services transition from behavior modification practices to the evidence-based practices (EBPs) I previously mentioned. It was not a wildly popular idea when the work first began. One thing I learned in my social work college courses is that system change is difficult and Haven for Hope, as a large institution, was no different. Moving the organization from the belief that we need behavior modification to recognizing the importance and efficacy of evidence-based practices was both the most difficult thing I’ve done and the work I’m most proud of. Where Haven for Hope is now, with integrated EBPs implemented throughout its culture, is due to my team, me, and the organization’s leadership.

I’m also incredibly proud of the people I worked with. When I started at Haven for Hope, we didn’t have peer support programs. Over the course of 18 months, we worked with a local Texas organization to train and certify peer supporters, who are able to offer support and connection based on shared experiences. The enormity of that can’t and shouldn’t be discounted.

Without sharing real names, can you share a story with our readers about a particular individual who was impacted or helped by your work?

There was one young man I worked with who had multiple addiction issues and had attempted suicide a few times. He’s been clean and sober now for several years and is now working with people who are currently experiencing the things he experienced. He’s using his story and skills to help people around him turn their lives around.

His is just one story out of hundreds of people who used their own strength to change their lives. Any time someone comes up to me and says, “you saved my life,” I always say back to them that “I don’t have the power to save your life. You saved your life.”

Can you share three things that the community and society can do to help you address the root of this crisis? Can you give some examples?

Some generic things people can do to address the causes of homelessness include getting involved, volunteering, and donating. Resources are always needed. Most of these programs nationally are underfunded. We can’t have the impact we need without resources. For people who are looking to volunteer, it’s great to volunteer to stock or sort through a warehouse, but there’s so much value in interfacing directly with people who are experiencing homelessness.

When I was an adjunct professor of social work at a local university, my students had a service-learning requirement, which they did at Haven for Hope. It’s incredibly gratifying to see the trepidation on day one transform into students not wanting to leave at the end of the semester. That’s the greatest lesson to learn. We tend to be cautious of what is unfamiliar, but people experiencing homelessness are just like us. In the course of working with anyone face-to-face, you learn that they’re a really cool person and they’re just like you and me.

If you had the power to influence legislation, which three laws would you like to see introduced that might help you in your work?

I would introduce a combination of policies and laws. First, I’d reexamine the HEARTH Act and its impact.

I’d start creating additional affordable housing capacity and build up access to supportive services. Homeless interventions do not end homelessness; it only helps those who have already become homeless. In order to end homelessness, we have to address and solve the upstream issues, including poverty, economic instability, and the historical impacts of institutional racism. If we don’t address those, more and more people will become homelessness. And if we don’t act, we’ll have increasingly more to address.

I know that this is not easy work. What keeps you going?

When you come home from work, there’s a good tired and a bad tired. The bad tired is stress. Good tired is stress, but you know you’re making a difference. You’re walking with people to help people find their path. That’s extremely rewarding. I experience a lot of the good tired.

I’m an introvert, but I love the human interface. Sometimes people in the lowest points of their life are the most transparent, honest, and real. I appreciate that. Before working in homeless services, I was working in child welfare services. I was a single dad in an apartment and people were telling me I needed a house. Then I started working in homeless services and my little apartment became my absolute castle. One of my early experiences working at an emergency shelter, I was invited to join a nightly prayer. Everyone got in a circle and started praying. I was floored by the people living in an emergency shelter who were praising and grateful for all they had. That was a very sobering and humbling moment for me. It put into perspective how fortunate I was to have what I had. I carry that knowledge with me.

Do you have hope that one day this great social challenge can be solved completely?

I’ve occasionally heard people say that homelessness is biblical: It’s in the Bible, so there will always be homelessness. I don’t believe that. I think there is hope. We can overcome homelessness as a nation. But we have to stop dealing with the symptoms and start dealing with the real issues.

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

Not sure I can come up with five, maybe just a couple. I don’t think I’ve been surprised in my career. I came into this work with my eyes wide open. I knew what I was getting into and have been blessed. But there are a few things that come to mind:

The people we’re working with aren’t clients, they’re people. Even in our education system, when we talk about people accessing services, we label them as “clients” or some other label. This is a way we’re systemically dehumanizing and marginalizing them. I understand that it’s for the convenience of language, but the language we use is important.
Whenever you’re making decisions about an individual or a group you’re working with, include the people who are affected in the planning and decision making. I worked with some young adults emancipating from foster care who put this very clearly: Nothing about us without us.
At the end of the day, whether we are with or without a home, we all want versions of the same things: food on the table, a roof over our heads, and to feel respected and love.
We all have trauma in our lives. The resources that you can access to help overcome or manage that trauma can influence and direct your path in life.

We have great abundance in the US. We have more resources than any nation across the world. Yet, we allow these social conditions to exist. Is this acceptable for who we are as a nation? I think we need to look closely at that and examine it.

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

I have two:

When I was working with children in residential treatment, some of the children at this particular treatment center occasionally exhibited extremely aggressive behavior and would become physical. I had this colleague named George, who, when he would walk in, all of the kids would immediately calm down. They would do what he asked them to do. When I asked him how he did it, he responded, “I look for the Jesus in every child.” I took it to mean to look for the good in anybody. If you look for goodness in people, you can find it.
The second is, “You can’t start where the person is until you know where they’ve been.” You have to meet people where they’re at. Understanding where they’re at is understanding what’s happened to them, not what’s wrong with them. And from there, you can move forward together.

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

Breakfast or lunch would be fine, but I’d rather have a beer and a game of H-O-R-S-E with Barack Obama. He was a great agent of social change and a great leader. I would love to hear his perspective in a casual one-on-one conversation.

How can our readers follow you online?

Follow Prospera Housing Community Services on Facebook: facebook.com/prosperaHCS

This was very meaningful, thank you so much!

Heroes Of The Homeless Crisis: How Scott Ackerson of Prospera Housing Community Services is helping was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Heroes Of The Homeless Crisis: How Judy Hoff & Esther’s Place are helping to provide dignified…

Heroes Of The Homeless Crisis: How Judy Hoff & Esther’s Place are helping to provide dignified support to thousands of battered women

A homeless and battered woman, in general, has to leave her heart to tolerate the abuse and mistreatment that began for her often in early childhood. History does repeat itself, and words do leave scars in the heart. A child sees, hears, and feels her value to life itself, and consequently, she believes and is programmed with that experience, whether it’s good or bad.

As a part of my series about “Heroes Of The Homeless Crisis” I had the pleasure of interviewing Judy Hoff. Judy is the founder of Life Changing Community Services located near Seattle, Washington. Judy’s community programs include Queen’s It’s a New Day, a special event for homeless women transitioning to self-sufficiency, Esther’s Place, a day center for homeless women and children, New Creation Housing, clean and sober housing for women, and Pastor of New Creation Church. Her background includes pastor, speaker, published author, chemical dependency counselor and biblical counselor. She has lifted thousands of battered women out of devastation and into empowerment and self-sufficiency.

Thank you so much for joining us! Our readers would love to ‘get to know you’ a bit better. Can you tell us a bit about your personal background, and how you grew up?

I grew up in a middle-class home with a homeless heart. Low self-esteem, no confidence, and inferiority to others lead me into a lifestyle of addictions. Out of addiction, I called out for help and God answered my cry. That was the beginning of a new lifestyle of loving myself and realizing I had a purpose. I have been serving in that purpose ever since as a chemical dependency counselor, pastor, author, volunteer and friend.

Is there a particular story or incident that inspired you to get involved in your work helping people who are homeless?

A true story comes to my mind about a homeless woman who I so desperately wanted to get into an apartment. With the help of others, we got furniture for the apartment: a bed and dresser for the bedroom, and a kitchen table. We bought towels, sheets, a vacuum, broom, and literally, all the items it takes to make a house a home. We were so excited and pleased with how all of us worked together for the good of this person. We had dinner for her the first night she was in her new apartment, and we rejoiced on her behalf. She seemed pleased but quiet. We checked in a few days later and noticed no food had been cooked, and the bed was without the sheets, pillow and blankets we had provided. We asked, “How are you sleeping here?” She said, “Good!” Then, we saw all the blankets in a nest on the floor. Little did we know that the nest was a pattern of comfort for her, and later, we learned the bed meant bad things to her because of her past experiences. We left dismayed, but we kept a close watch on our homeless, now placed in a home, friend. The next few days, we took turns stopping by. We thought a kitten might help her feel more love, so we got one and all the fun toys, food, etc. She liked it, she said. We stopped by once again with excitement to see her and her kitten. When we arrived, we noticed bottles of beer and wine, and the house looked torn-up. There was no kitten in sight. We were afraid to ask what had happened. We waited to hear but she said nothing about the kitten. The blankets were on the floor still, the bed was unmade with nothing on it, and she was drunk, crying, and very upset. Never in a million years would we have guessed that our loving intentions drove her to such high stress that she went back to drinking after being sober for over a year. We didn’t know the kitten’s needs were more than she could handle, so she had put the kitten outside, walked to the store, and returned to the homeless-heart pattern to find the comfort that was so familiar. The bed was a reminder of a childhood of sexual abuse and the home drove her to drink. You see, first things first! We learned that you have to heal the homeless heart, the brokenness from within, before a home is a place where the heart can dwell.

In my opinion, homelessness is much more than a lack of shelter. Does homeless begin in the mind, or is it from being in an environment that results in loss of security? What came first, the chicken or the egg? The answer is both. For some, homelessness began in childhood and history repeated itself. For others, it resulted from poor choices that led to addiction and/or abuse, jail, street life, and a shelter. This cycle is common for most homeless people. The definition of “homelessness” is not solely about a physical home but also having an adequate experience of connectedness with family and/or community. Habitat, the United Nations Human Settlements Program says, “Homelessness is about a lack of connectedness. Belonging somewhere is about belonging with other people, such as family or local community.

Truly, homelessness begins in the heart. I refer to it as the homeless vacant heart with a hole because when life overwhelms us, we are left with our hearts empty and homeless. No matter what it looks like on the outside, on the inside it starts with a void of love and acceptance, and the lack of connectedness found when we are broken-hearted. Even the outwardly prosperous have places of void, holes in their hearts which then starts the downward cycle. The old saying “Home is where the heart is” states our home is first inside us. A homeless and battered woman, in general, has to leave her heart to tolerate the abuse and mistreatment that began for her often in early childhood. History does repeat itself, and words do leave scars in the heart. A child sees, hears, and feels her value to life itself, and consequently, she believes and is programmed with that experience, whether it’s good or bad.

Homeless doesn’t begin with a house. It’s the inside out.

If someone passes a homeless person on the street, what is the best way to help them?

Just look at them. Acknowledge them as a person and give them resources to the nearest day center, mission or food services in the local area.

What is the best way to respond if a homeless person asks for money for rent or gas?

Buy a burger and sit with them while they eat.

Can you describe to our readers how your work is making an impact battling this crisis?

In Snohomish County, Washington, we work with the Sherriff’s Program to provide housing to women who have completed drug/alcohol rehabilitation. Once in housing we will help these women with counseling, resources to obtain GED, college, jobs and the support to reestablish family ties by helping them fill the hole in their heart with loving community. At Esther’s Place volunteers talk with homeless women letting them know they are valued, meet their physical needs, and give them the opportunity for recovery. Helping one person at a time changes generations and will reestablish a healthy community.

How has the COVID-19 pandemic affected the homeless crisis, and the homeless community? Also how has it affected your ability to help people?

Our landlord has closed the building; therefore the women cannot come into Esther’s Place and connect with others which meets their heart’s needs. The result is the ladies are really depressed and experiencing feelings of hopelessness. The best we can give them at this time is a sack lunch once a day during the week. The ladies in our community homes have lost the ability to pay rent and provide for themselves some basic needs. We are reaching out to the community to help us help them with funds for rent, Covid safety supplies, and basic needs.

Can you share something about your work that makes you most proud? Is there a particular story or incident that you found most uplifting?

Seeing the value of helping a woman give a hand up and finding herself, her good qualities, her college, her kids, and who she in Christ. When you are helping one person, you are not just helping one-you don’t know the generational effect on other’s people’s lives. Full circle of changed lives.

Without sharing real names, can you share a story with our readers about a particular individual who was impacted or helped by your work?

A true story as written by a homeless woman we will call Esther.

Raised the middle child of an upper middle-class family, married at 20 and was a mother nine months later. I was introduced to cocaine and speed and divorced within 7 years. The next part of my life, I moved to Washington, had a good job for 11 years, a new child, and remarried. Once again, I started with crack and heroin and ended up jobless, divorced and homeless. These drugs would run my life for years. I found out about Esther’s Place and I was grateful to go every morning to get coffee and to sleep with both eyes shut. Through the ladies I found resources for housing, but would need to get clean and sober. This took me four times to treatment, each time I was welcomed at Esther’s. They showed me love and unending compassion until I loved myself. Finally, I was clean and got a home at New Creation Communities. I have been 20 months clean and sober. I am a loved child of God full of compassion and kindness. No longer allowing others to control my life, I am creating a new me with the guidance of my Savior. I am living in a faith-filled home with the presence of God. I have complete trust in Judy and feel trusted and loved.

Can you share three things that the community and society can do to help you address the root of this crisis? Can you give some examples?

1) Engaging in relationships, volunteer to speak with a homeless person and see them through eyes of possibility.

2) Help provide major resource for the people we serve such as a change of clothes, mental health care, showers, medical/dental care.

3) Support strengthening the family, volunteer at local churches, schools, YMCA, and Boys and Girls clubs are examples to make a positive difference in someone’s life just by showing up and helping out with kindness.

If you had the power to influence legislation, which three laws would you like to see introduced that might help you in your work?

You can’t legislate a solution, it takes personal communication and relationship. You need to give of yourself, that’s not a law, that’s community values.

I know that this is not easy work. What keeps you going?

The lives of the people we serve are valuable.

Do you have hope that one day this great social challenge can be solved completely?

Over the many years of helping and serving with love, I have seen lives healed, restored, and filled with hope; hope for a better way, a better life, dreams remembered, and lives fulfilled. As children, we dream, but when life gets too hard, our dreams hibernate. They don’t die. Hope opens the doors to the sleeping dreams, and like a butterfly breaking out of a cocoon, life begins. Yes, one day and one step at a time, a new creation is birthed.

How can our readers follow you online?

www.hofffoundation.org;

Facebook: https://www.hofffoundation.org/new-creations-church and https://www.facebook.com/esthersplacedaycenter/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pastorjudyhoff/

https://www.amazon.com/Healing-Hole-Your-Heart-Devastation-ebook/dp/B00JFCP996/ref=sr_1_2

This was very meaningful, thank you so much!

Heroes Of The Homeless Crisis: How Judy Hoff & Esther’s Place are helping to provide dignified… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Heroes of the Homeless Crisis: How Melissa MacDonnell of Liberty Mutual Insurance is helping to…

Heroes of the Homeless Crisis: How Melissa MacDonnell of Liberty Mutual Insurance is helping to address the epidemic of youth homelessness

The reality is we all pass a lot more homeless people on the streets than we ever realize. The bulk of homelessness is invisible — most people who are living in shelter or in their cars look like every one of us.

I had the pleasure of interviewing Melissa MacDonnell. Melissa is President of the Foundation at Liberty Mutual Insurance, a Fortune 100 global property and casualty insurer. Since Melissa founded it in 2003, Liberty Mutual Foundation has committed approximately $200 million dollars to 1,150+ organizations through direct grants, with a focus on accessibility, homelessness, and education; as well as employee matches to thousands of other nonprofits.

Thank you so much for joining us! Our readers would love to ‘get to know you’ a bit better. Can you tell us a bit about your personal background, and how you grew up?

I was fourth of eleven children born in thirteen years and grew up west of Boston. My identity from an early age — and in some ways to this day — has tied to being part of a community much bigger than myself. I loved having so many brothers and sisters. They remain my closest friends.

As a teenager, I started volunteering at a halfway house for men with developmental disabilities. One of my most impressionable experiences there, was getting to know an older deaf gentleman who actually did not have developmental disabilities but had been institutionalized his entire life because people didn’t realize he was deaf. So tragic! He was a bit of a grandfather figure to me and I relished my weekly visits where I could practice my sign language.

My “professional” life was also rewarding early on. I started babysitting in my early teens and felt I had a great pitch, since I was the second oldest girl in a gigantic family. Once I was of age, however, I got myself a “real” job, first at an ice cream stand, and then working as a cashier at the grocery store in town where I met my best friend to this day. I will certainly be forever grateful for that job.

After high school, I attended UMass Amherst where I studied finance and Spanish. I started in banking and worked on my MBA nights at Boston College. With my MBA barely in hand, I began a full-time master’s program in public administration at Harvard Kennedy School. At this point, I had made the switch into philanthropy and I was extremely interested in learning about social investing for public good. By the time I graduated, I was enamored with public service.

Is there a particular story or incident that inspired you to get involved in your work helping people who are homeless?

There is not a particular story or moment; but rather, people who have inspired me. In fact, working in philanthropy, I’ve been inspired over and over again by the brave men and women who have themselves experienced homelessness and who have shared their insights to help others. I have heard them speak the truth of their experiences, their roadblocks, their struggles, and often their way out. They are true heroes.

The other heroes are the men and women keeping shelters open, offering meals for our neighbors who are hungry, traveling alongside the scared, alone and forgotten. I’ve experienced the ethos of this community of caregivers firsthand for nearly thirty years. This unsung, sacrificial model of service has demonstrated one of the highest levels of humanity. These caregivers neither seek the spotlight nor revel in it. Their heroism lies in the relationships between themselves and the people they serve. At all costs. On all days. Including — and perhaps even more so — when times are toughest.

THEY inspire me.

Over the last several decades, wages for lower-income people in particular have been relatively stagnant while housing costs have risen. Consequently, more and more people have been falling over the edge to homelessness. In many places, particularly the large cities such as the ones you mention, there is simply not enough available affordable housing. Pure and simple.

But the big question is what is going to happen now given the coronavirus. According to the latest national estimate by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, 567,715 individuals are homeless. That’s a pre-COVID number. Add to that number the fact that, according to the National Alliance to End Homelessness, $8 million low-income households pay at least half of their income toward housing. So many people had already been living one paycheck, one sickness, one twist of fate away from homelessness. Sadly, that twist of fate may be the coronavirus.

Sure. It probably makes the most sense to follow the data. According to Chapin Hall’s Voices of Youth Count (VoYC) at University of Chicago, over a third of young people who experience homelessness lost a parent or caregiver within the prior year; more than half are exiting state systems either court or foster care systems. The data also shows that 36% of homeless youth are African American males and 20–40% are LGBTQ.

So the data helps us see clear progressions. For example, we know young people who lose a parent or guardian are extremely vulnerable. Therefore, as adults we need to be proactive, check in on these youth, and come around them as a community. We also know there is a cliff effect into homelessness for young people who are in the care of state systems; therefore, having a required exit plan could make a big difference. The disproportionality of homelessness experienced among black youth mirrors racial disparities documented elsewhere, for example in school suspensions, incarceration, and foster care placement. Finally, according to the VoYC report, the progression to homelessness for LGBTQ youth often stems from a lack of acceptance that young people experience both in and outside of the home.

I think it’s pretty hard to pick up and move when you are either homeless or on the verge of homelessness. You would have to relocate with a job or a social network. Then the cost alone is prohibitive — the travel/ transportation and security deposit, along with first and last month’s rent requirements, create often intractable burdens . Plus, you need good credit to reestablish yourself and frequently people who have been living in poverty don’t have much of a credit history. They’ve been using check cashing facilities and pay day lending instead of banks and credit unions.

At Liberty Mutual one of our core beliefs is that progress happens when people feel secure. People who are experiencing homelessness are in survival mode. They have to be focused on where they will sleep or get their next meal. As one young person said to us recently, “until you’re homeless, you really don’t know what it’s like.” It’s hard to be in someone else’s shoes.

If someone passes a homeless person on the street, what is the best way to help them?

The reality is we all pass a lot more homeless people on the streets than we ever realize. The bulk of homelessness is invisible — most people who are living in shelter or in their cars look like every one of us.

I believe the best way to help people who are homeless is to put resources in the hands of experts. I’ll never forget the night I went out on the Pine Street Inn outreach van. The outreach team provides blankets and food to people living on the streets. But even more importantly, they build relationships and problem solve with people on the streets, finding out what services they currently have access to, encouraging them to come in for the night, helping them make a connection with staff at the Inn. The outreach team treated each and every homeless person on the street with the utmost respect. The staffs behind the programs Liberty Mutual Foundation invests in know how to help people who are homeless get the services they need to get on a path toward self-sufficiency. I am a firm believer that the best way to do something meaningful for someone who is homeless is to get to know the experts in your community, and to support their work.

What is the best way to respond if a homeless person asks for money for rent or gas?

I think the best way to respond to any person whether the person is homeless or not is with dignity and respect — regardless of whether you choose to give him/her money. Looking someone in the eyes and saying hello along with either yes or no, I think matters.

But again — whether you decide to give a person money, on the streets or not — I believe the most important way to do something that matters is to invest in groups that are expert at helping people transition from homelessness to stable housing and onto self-sufficiency. The more resources that can get in the hands of these programs and people the better. The leaders I speak with in this space want to solve for homelessness. They want to put themselves out of business. They want to ensure affordable housing, change systems that perpetuate homelessness and address root causes to homelessness.

Can you describe to our readers how your work is making an impact battling this crisis?

Our most prominent social initiative addresses the epidemic of youth homelessness. Young people who are experiencing homelessness have to focus on the urgency of today … where am I going to find my next meal? Where am I going to sleep? They are not in a place to fully invest in their futures. The implications of youth and young adult homelessness are harsh and yet are just beginning to be understood. Recently, to help reduce and end youth and young adult homelessness, Liberty Foundation made 44 youth homelessness grants totaling $6.6million. These grants will support nearly 15,000 young people across the country. We are also raising awareness through convenings, social media, speaking at national conferences and seizing any opportunity we find to share what we’ve learned. In partnership with all those on the frontlines of this work, we are moving toward a world in which youth homelessness is non-existent; but in the meantime, when a young person does end up on the streets, we want it to be rare, brief and episodic.

How has the COVID-19 pandemic affected the homeless crisis, and the homeless community? Also how has it affected your ability to help people?

In a crisis where staying home is our best defense, those who are homeless are defenseless. Often compromised by preexisting health conditions, crowded facilities, and a lack of access to basic hygiene, people living in shelters or on the streets are among the most vulnerable during the COVID-19 pandemic. It should come as no surprise, therefore, that a recent set of tests on guests seeking shelter at Boston’s Pine Street Inn showed some 36% were positive for COVID-19. It is a crisis within a crisis. Trauma on top of trauma.

Long before we had a stay-at-home advisory, Pine Street Inn, Boston’s largest shelter, began scrambling to put plastic dividers between cots that typically sit three feet apart, separating one guest from another.

Meanwhile, down the street at a day shelter, St. Francis House, they have been facing the seemingly insurmountable task of “social distancing” in a building sheltering 500 adults with no place to call home — tape was laid, lunch became prepackaged and dining shifts were orchestrated with precision over the course of six hours instead of two. Revenue down, costs up, volunteers not allowed, programming completely altered … and staff in harm’s way — including their executive director, Karen LaFrazia, who contracted COVID-19 and then passed it on to her daughter, who had to be admitted to Children’s Hospital.

At Liberty Mutual, we’ve chosen to respond to the crisis of COVID-19 in the community in a big and bold way. We’ve committed over $15 million in philanthropy to relief efforts. Of that, $10 million is aimed at helping organizations responding to coronavirus among the most vulnerable populations, including low-income residents and those experiencing homelessness. $4 million was allotted to support our full portfolio of 450 nonprofit grantees; and $1.1 million was contributed to pooled community funds.

In addition, we lifted $14.4 million in program restrictions for 2019 & 2020 grants, so organizations can use those funds as needed. We’ve redeployed our catering teams (external vendors) to prepare 100 lunches per day for youth living on the streets or in emergency shelters, and have done the same in New Hampshire for a family homelessness program. We’re running a “Torchbearers Calling” program to encourage employees around the globe to take 15 minutes every Friday to call someone who is isolated. Finally, business units around the globe contributed their own forms of support, from face masks and disinfectant in China, to major charitable donations in Spain, to boxed lunches for front line workers in Vietnam.

Can you share something about your work that makes you most proud? Is there a particular story or incident that you found most uplifting?

There are so many stories, but one of my favorites is the story of a young woman I’ll call Julia. She had a falling out with her family due to a traumatic history. With no sure footing, no support and no savings, she found herself in a very unsafe situation. Consequently, she had tremendous anxiety and PTSD.

Luckily, she received support from the staff at Bridge Over Troubled Waters. They provided the counseling services she needed to process the harm and the hurt she had been through and manage her anxiety. They helped her to hope again — and to reach for her goal of medical school. With Bridge by her side, Julia could see her future again and began studying for the MCATs.

At the same time, Bridge approached Liberty about potentially purchasing a home for young people like Julia who had been through their Bridge’s transitional housing or emergency shelter program and were attending college or trade school. We helped Bridge, and they moved Julia right in.

Hundreds of youth and young adults live on Boston’s streets or in our shelter system every night. Unaccompanied. Alone. Abandoned. They are strong and resilient, but those nights of homelessness mean they must focus on survival rather than skills development, school or other long-term solutions. Liberty House gives these young people the freedom to finish school, the freedom to build their credit, and the freedom to follow their dreams.

The day Liberty House was dedicated to Julia and all the Julias out there was one of the most special days in my professional life. In underwriting the cost of buying this house, Liberty Mutual was saying to Julia, we see you. We believe in you. We’re in it with you. And starting today, Julia you’ve got what every young person needs and deserves — the safety and security to thrive.

Without sharing real names, can you share a story with our readers about a particular individual who was impacted or helped by your work?

Definitely. Let me tell you about a young woman I recently spent time with. I’ll call her Amy.

When Amy was ten years old, her family lost housing and had to move into a shelter. For over a decade, she moved with her mother from shelter to shelter, all the while, as she puts it, “scrounging for food.” During that time, Amy worked hard to stay in school, but it was just too hard, and she dropped out in the 12th grade.

About a year ago, some family friends helped her find Bridge Over Troubled Waters — Boston’s foremost agency providing life-changing services for homeless, runaway and at-risk youth — and one of Liberty’s significant partners. Everyone at Bridge was welcoming and Amy got involved in their GED program where she ultimately was able to finish her schoolwork and earn her GED!

The team at Bridge also told her about job training at More Than Words, an organization that gives young adults who were in the foster care system, homeless, court-involved or out of school an opportunity to learn skills and operate a business, all while working to turn their lives around.

At More than Words, Amy came out of her shell while working in customer service– earning promotions along the way and learning how to give feedback to her peers as she worked her way up to becoming a shift leader in the business.

But even with all this support, homelessness was still making it hard for her to focus on her future. She had to buy a backpack to carry all her possessions with her every day and bring it everywhere she went. And even then she still lost a lot of her things, including all her winter clothes.

That’s when More Than Words and Bridge selected her for a new housing program, also supported by Liberty Mutual, and now Amy lives in her own room (a single-room occupancy) in a beautiful space surrounded by a support system while she saves up for permanent housing and college.

Can you share three things that the community and society can do to help you address the root of this crisis? Can you give some examples?

First, several cities and towns have begun to build affordable housing. More affordable housing with different habitation models will decrease homelessness. There have been some very successful models, for example, of moving high-frequency shelter users out of shelter into single room occupancies with basic support services. On the one hand, this type of intervention frees up shelter for emergency services only (as opposed to a housing option which it was never meant to be); further, this kind of housing offers a level of independence and a place to call home; and finally, it costs less. That is just one of many potential affordable housing constructs.

Two, there are a number of things we can do as a community and society for young people. For example, as I mentioned, ensuring that every young person who exits foster care or any state system leaves with a plan/roadmap for surviving and thriving. Another example is gathering around young people who experience the death of a guardian or parent, to step in and to check on that child’s safety net. And a third example is to institute screening in schools to identify students who are unstably housed so interventions can take place prior to a young person ending up on the streets. This is important because research shows that young people “couch surf” long before they end up on the street. Intervening before that happens could make a big difference.

And third, there’s great value in listening to people who are experiencing, have experienced, homelessness who may lack visibility to leaders and policy makers. They know firsthand what has proven successful for them. We can all lift up organizations and programs that value the voice of people with lived experience can help us as a society invest in solutions that really work.

If you had the power to influence legislation, which three laws would you like to see introduced that might help you in your work?

Require an exit plan for youth as they age out of state mandated foster care. This would help minimize the high number of youth and young adults falling into homelessness
Support for creating and sustaining affordable housing. The National Alliance to End Homelessness has a matrix of recommendations about laws that would increase different types of affordable housing models for more than 2.2 Million households.
Support in identifying young people within the school system who are experiencing homelessness both independently and with their families. A Way Home America has a platform calling for additions to the McKinney Vento law.

I know that this is not easy work. What keeps you going?

I am surrounded by goodness. Leaders from public and nonprofit sectors as well as colleagues who care deeply about people who are less fortunate.

There’s an entire network of shelter staff and countless public servants who lay it all on the line for the people they serve and empower. Often their stories are hard to come by because the servants in these stories are too busy serving. They are humble heroes — people who are not confused or distracted about what really matters, who know who they are, who they serve and how to maintain that precious human covenant of love, trust and understanding that shows us all a path to higher humanity.

Within the walls of Liberty Mutual, I see the deep passion of my colleagues who jump at the chance to give or to serve. It’s a goodness that I believe makes our company great.

The work my team and I do merely elevates the passion and purpose of these smart servant leaders.

Do you have hope that one day this great social challenge can be solved completely?

Yes, I sure do. I don’t think it’s outside our grasp.

Before the pandemic began, many cities, including Boston where Liberty has its headquarters, had made great strides with veteran’s homelessness and that was being elevated as a blueprint. As a whole, the community was gathering the data about who was experiencing homelessness, where they originated, what their needs were and right-sizing the response on services (health care, job training), benefits (like food programs) and housing (rapid temporary, congregate or long-term apartments). This is the kind of response that is well-suited to public-private partnerships and broad collaborations because it is tied to the availability of benefits, education, career training and jobs, as well as affordable housing. Certainly, the economic collapse due to COVID-19 will make solutions more difficult, but a model is there for making society work for people who have the least and are most vulnerable.

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

I wish someone had told me when I first started to: 1) Assume positive intent. This is one of our guidelines for inclusion at Liberty Mutual. I love to step into a conflict or challenging situation consciously assuming that the person on the other side of the conflict has good intentions of his/her own. And frankly, I appreciate interacting with others who are assuming the same of me. 2) Everyone has blind spots, the sooner you find yours, the less harm they’ll do to you and others. I’m very fortunate that Liberty Mutual invests in its leaders. Through that investment, I saw areas of opportunity for me to grow as a leader, for example, I saw the kind of pressure I could put on my team to be perfect — which brings me to my third lesson …3) Perfection is overrated. Sometimes, perfection is not the goal — knowing when that’s the case, can really help one’s effectiveness as a leader. 4) Find your voice — always know who you are and who you’re not and what’s at stake! 5) Lean heavily into your gifts. We all do certain things really well. Professionally, the more alignment between our gifts and our work, the greater our impact.

I would like to inspire an anti-poverty — pro-empowerment movement. It would need to have sub-movements to get at some of the root causes of poverty and examine how systems can perpetuate harm.

For example, education is the surest way to get and keep people out of poverty. We all know this. Yet access to quality education is not a given. In certain neighborhoods, the options for schools are abysmal. In certain countries, females have zero access to education. Yet we all know that quality education breaks the cycle of poverty. Therefore, quality education would be my number one sub-movement.

While education is the best investment in the future, I’d also want to address the immediacy of today’s needs.

We all have things happen to us that put us in peril, but for many of us, we have a social and safety network that can help us during these times of crisis. Some people just don’t have that. We see this a lot with youth and young adult homelessness. Many young people who are in the foster care system for example, transfer homes a half dozen times in their young lives, and never have the stability of one caring adult.

When I’ve had the opportunity to walk the streets of Boston during the City’s annual homeless census count or ride the nightly van with the Pine Street Inn, I’ve learned a lot from the people I’ve met who were living on the streets. One critical lesson is that people need access to mental health services. They need their medications. They don’t need to be on the streets. Once their mental health is straight, all else can follow like job training and affordable housing.

Progress happens when people feel secure. Getting at the root of poverty helps people soar. We are all put on this earth to make a contribution. It is nearly impossible to live out your purpose when you’re simply struggling to survive.

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

There’s a quote from the Bible that has become my life lesson. It is an instruction to “live a life worthy of the calling you have received.” This spoke to me 20 years ago and has stayed with me ever since. Leading the philanthropy at Liberty Mutual is bigger than a job, it’s a privilege. I am helping a company that is full of caring people and leaders who desire to do a lot of good. I feel called to make the most of this opportunity. In my extremely large family, we were kind of like one big pack of kids, I always felt uniquely me, individually created for something I was called to do. And I believe that for every single person in this world.

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

I would love to have breakfast with Oprah Winfrey because, despite her enormous fame and fortune, she seems rooted in, and led by, a spirit of truth and goodness. I love how she has used her voice and platform to lift up so many others. I mentor and tutor young women from South Sudan, so of course I especially appreciate all that she has done to advance educational opportunities through her Leadership Academy for Girls in South Africa.

How can our readers follow you online?

You can find me on LinkedIn or learn about the work we are doing at Libertymutualfoundation,org..

This was very meaningful, thank you so much!

My pleasure. Thank you

Heroes of the Homeless Crisis: How Melissa MacDonnell of Liberty Mutual Insurance is helping to… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Kenn Fine of FINE: “5 things you should do to build a trusted and believable brand”

It has never been more important to be extremely clear on who you are and what you do for people inside and outside your company. You can’t just say how you’re different, you have to BE how you’re different. There’s too much noise and transparency in the marketplace to try and fake your way through with clever sales pitches alone.

I had the pleasure of interviewing Kenn Fine. As FINE’s founder and Executive Creative Director, Kenn Fine has served as creative visionary, strategist, consultant, and confidante to leaders in hospitality, wine, technology, and yet-to-be-defined industries since 1994, developing and growing dozens of award winning brands along the way.

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

Roughly 30 years ago, I founded a mountain bike clothing business, working through all the startup challenges to help make it successful before selling it off and beginning to do spot gigs with other companies. I found that I loved the continuous process of parachuting in to problem-solve creatively, and that my mind naturally used brand as a compass for making all sorts of decisions — not just the more obvious design and communications activities, but the operational and service practices that make the whole organization go. I developed this belief that brand is operations. So, whether it’s the minutiae of choosing which of 100 different varieties of Velcro straps work best in a new breed of biking shorts, or figuring out how to deliver service standards at a global hospitality brand, weaving brand into your operational DNA drives everything. So I’ve just been on one long, exhilarating, rewarding mountain bike ride from the start.

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

It was back in the clothing company days, before we were even able to afford color printing. I had the genius idea to design a black and white “photocopyable” product brochure with a highly sophisticated scheme of delineated squares that could be colored in — manually! — using a suite of carefully selected colored pencils. I believed I had single-handedly defeated the entire overpriced offset printing industry with sheer ingenuity and elbow grease, while simultaneously imbuing our brand with a more personal and artistic flair! Then, of course, our very first promotional push required 1,000 pieces be ready to distribute within a few days. A few all-nighters and bad hand cramps later, I’d learned a valuable lesson on scale, and the real price of hard cost vs. opportunity cost.

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

It’s really our belief that brand has the power to make big things happen across your organization and your industry if you treat it as a compass heading for operations, not just a cosmetic layer on top of it all.

We take a vertical approach to brand integration, trying not to get lost in the top five percent of making things look good before understanding what connects the entirety of an organization’s behavior and practices. Again, to us, brand is operations.

We create brands from the inside out and design experience from the outside in. Meaning, we are thinking about the essence of what makes a company unique while simultaneously crafting the experience and expression of that brand as it meets the customer. That gives us the DNA and compass heading for everything from the product and service, to environments where it’s delivered, online and off.

The best stories in our industry come from the gaps that kind of thinking exposes, between what companies say their core purpose and promise is, and how they’re expressing it in the marketplace. We have these meetings all the time where the purported project calls for groundbreaking creative, but there’s nothing to attach it to — it is an empty sales pitch. I remember meeting with a global tech client developing what they said was a revolutionary smart phone accessory requiring breakthrough creative. We filled out NDAs, and flew down to meet with a sizable innovation team under strict security protocols, and shared our best work to be worthy of consideration. When it came time to reveal their idea, with great fanfare they pulled off the shroud concealing what appeared to be a makeshift lamp stand you could use to take photos of documents. To this day, I believe that our immediate, involuntary laughter may have lost us that project. And that perhaps a deeper understanding of brand would’ve led them to a different solution.

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

There’s so many. We’ve begun work with Canyon Ranch, pioneers in wellness who are looking to re-center on their mission of transformation that goes far beyond hospitality and into the impact they have on people’s quality and duration of life. The Hotel Del Coronado is completing a massive revamp and we’re helping use brand to guide and shape their vision for a new generation of Del guests to fall in love with that special place. Both follow this theme of re-imagining hospitality pioneers that started during our work with Kimpton several years ago.

Exciting ones in consumer products include our work for Chateau Ste Michelle, who’s evolving beyond traditional consumer packaged goods branding to meet today’s consumer tastes, rethinking the experience on their property and direct-to-consumer across their dozens of unique brands. And we’re working with some real digital upstarts that are changing the world by designing experience — Lime bikes are leading sharing economy urban transportation, and Mojo Lens is actually developing a contact lens that lets digital information integrate into your life seamlessly, rather than you bending to devices. That’s just a few examples of some very exciting stuff with companies who understand they need to dig deeper into how they deliver and communicate value to people in order to succeed today.

Ok let’s now jump to the core part of our interview. In a nutshell, how would you define the difference between brand marketing (branding) and product marketing (advertising)? Can you explain?

Brand is who you are. It’s your DNA. We may “sequence” it using words and pictures initially, and then expand to other important forms of documentation and standards, but it gets expressed in all the ways you do what you do. Product marketing and advertising and even brand marketing are all examples of tactics where brand plays out and comes in contact with your customers in specific ways. The important thing to remember is that a single ad campaign or product line is not your brand; it should reinforce and emerge from it, but in order to do any of these things well and consistently, you need to have a very strong, very clear core understanding that connects them all. It’s not something that gets published only in a visual standards guide; it’s something that gets published, communicated, documented, trained, improved, and proliferated every day for as long as you are in business.

Can you explain to our readers why it is important to invest resources and energy into building a brand, in addition to the general marketing and advertising efforts?

It has never been more important to be extremely clear on who you are and what you do for people inside and outside your company. You can’t just say how you’re different, you have to BE how you’re different. There’s too much noise and transparency in the marketplace to try and fake your way through with clever sales pitches alone.

We make brands that are “pully” not “pushy”. The more you invest in the brand, the more people will come to it, and the less you will have to add your pushy voice to the chaos of information in the marketplace. You simply invite and introduce.

If you would like your company’s existence to depend upon paid media, buying eyeballs and clicks and one-time sales, focus only on marketing and advertising. If you would like your company to have a foundation of earned and owned customer relationships, focus on nurturing your core brand.

It takes resolve to not resort to quick-hit tactics — there are so many platforms and methods of communication that the biggest issues in brand and communications nowadays are what to say no to. Reduce noise, distractions, and wasted motion. Don’t focus on B2B or B2C marketing, focus on H2H: human-to-human value creation.

Can you share 5 strategies that a company should be doing to build a trusted and believable brand? Please tell us a story or example for each.

#1: Know thyself. Have a clear brand foundation, value proposition, and experience intent to build upon that’s grounded in the right blend of historic reality and future aspiration. Pioneering brands, like Kimpton and their boutique hospitality or Canyon Ranch with wellness, often have a strong legacy spirit they’re trying to both recapture and reinvent. New brands are trying to build a lasting legacy, like Makr Hospitality that centers on the culinary hospitality vibe of its owner Charlie Palmer, or even Holt Homes who’s building residential communities on differentiation meant to last 100 years. Either way, it starts with knowing who you are.

#2: Be loud and proud. Confidently broadcast your distinction without fear of alienating those not in your audience. The urge to be “all things” or “common denominator” is a vestige of mass marketing past. Our work with wine brands like Ashes & Diamonds or Realm is a good example — they’re not for anyone who seeks a traditional wine vibe, and they’re highly successful at it. Pebblebrook Hotels set up a whole new brand — the Unofficial Z Collection — dedicated to the idea that hotels are not a place to sleep, but to wake up. I think of Mojo Lens, who’s leaning into the transformative impact of wearable tech at a time when some are afraid to tread there.

#3: Map the experience. It’s not just about sales funnels, it’s about knowing when you have permission and opportunity to impact a customer in some way. For Lime, knowing how customer use and need information drove digital communication strategy in a new sharing economy category. Bode is a brand trying to make hospitality group-friendly as never before by engineering a shared experience more reliably inspiring than Airbnb or branded hotels. Hotel Del Coronado expanded their property by mapping guest interest to earn added stays and spend by being more relevant and timely. Be methodical about where you can add value to the way customers think and behave.

#4: Empower your culture. We have a saying: “customers buy brands that employees buy into.” So many industries now depend on finding, attracting, retaining, training, motivating, and aligning their people around a common cause. Our tech clients are nowhere without committed engineers. Hospitality is nothing without great service. Our yearslong collaboration with Kimpton is the case in point. Aligning their customer brand and their employer brand, having those mapped journeys overlap to create “ridiculously personal experiences” is why they’re a great brand and consistently voted a top workplace, too.

#5: Acknowledge your customers. Maybe this sounds too basic, like it should amplify to “the customer’s always right” or “cherish your customers.” But start with this, that in every decision you make you will think of the people who pay the bills. You will find ways of considering their point of view and experience, with clarity and empathy. Doing this helps you keep your brand promises. It also leads you to all sorts of tiny gestures, rituals, and touchpoints that do not go unnoticed. I think of the loyalty program we helped Kimpton shape, Kimpton Karma rewarded guests not just for buying but for doing the things that ensure they had a great brand experience and kept the promise “good things come to those who stay” by acknowledging them all along the way. Also, it leads to lots of very cool brand schwag.

In your opinion, what is an example of a company that has done a fantastic job building a believable and beloved brand. What specifically impresses you? What can one do to replicate that?

I think it’s interesting to answer that question not by professional dissection but by observing our own human response toward it. I know in my own life I tend to gravitate toward unassuming natural brands like Tom’s of Maine (at least before they were bought out), or Bob’s Red Mill for many reasons. In my line of work, we get a lot of “I wanna be like Apple” input when we ask what brands they want to emulate and I’ve always been an Apple loyalist. But in recent years, a new brand has emerged to get more mentions: Tesla. We could attribute that to being purpose-driven, as much a cause as a brand. They have a strong loyalist community who will enumerate the ways the product is demonstrably superior, and some vocally conspiratorial detractors who will promote its risks and ulterior motives. They got there by emphasizing design, innovation, and continuous improvement in operations that’s reflected in all the experiences where the car and its driver intersect. Out of necessity, they maintain their own rebel operational infrastructure to provide everything from off-channel sales to roadside assistance. But more than all that, think of the many attempts to start even a standard car brand in the past that have failed while Tesla is inventing a category using no advertising. Their willingness and ability to take on the combustion engine institution and create a highly aspirational consumer and business brand is not much short of miraculous, and if you can approach your brand with half that drive and moxy, you will succeed.

In advertising, one generally measures success by the number of sales. How does one measure the success of a brand building campaign? Is it similar, is it different?

If your only measures of success attach to the short-term return on media spend investment, you will not build a brand. You can measure those returns in simple behavioral ways, from clickthroughs to purchases at points of sale, online or off, and optimize them over time. But if you do that to the exclusion of all else, you can become a victim of your own success where you begin chasing the market instead of creating one. You lure the wrong audience using the wrong message — often, you begin to discount and bend your message to suit short term returns.

The right measures to layer on top of that will depend a bit on your industry and model, but the things to measure in brand are about the price and margin your product commands (measures like revPAR or ADR in hospitality, average purchase price in real estate, contribution margin in consumer goods, etc), the lifetime value of the customers you attract and retain, and the equity that is created in your company by the “soft” asset that is the brand perception you’ve built in the marketplace. These are the measures that tell you you are no longer a commodity that must pay to maintain its place in the market, but a company that has a strong, loyal customer base willing to pay a premium for your product. That is the game.

What role does social media play in your branding efforts?

It’s really different for every organization. The important thing is to understand the extent to which social, or really any channel, is a hub or a spoke in delivering your message and connecting with customers.

It can be a very meaningful place to interact with people, and it’s important to treat it not just as a “broadcast” channel but as a place to have a conversation. The slippery slope of social media is when it becomes its own independent “activity engine” that requires constant content that may feel disconnected from the rest of what you do and just there to create noise. So we spend a lot of time orchestrating that using social media “playbooks” that extend from the core brand to do the job that’s right for the channel. And you have to be prepared to use it the way the customers want to use it, which means it will be some combination of promotional messaging channel, owned media, customer service department, and random incident report all mixed into one. The important thing is trying to retain the balance that is right for your company while remaining responsive to the customers who want to find you there.

What advice would you give to other marketers or business leaders to thrive and avoid burnout?

Take care of yourself first, stay curious by doing creative and challenging things outside of work. Then bring your mad game to your workplace.

People in the creative trades share a remarkable alignment on what makes organizations admirable, and we hold the power to help them succeed or not through our superpowers with strategy, ingenuity, words, designs, images, and ideas. What if our entire industry resolved to work only on behalf of organizations that could demonstrate responsibility for the positive impact of their products, services, and actions on people, communities, and our planet? Those companies we threw our weight behind would disproportionately and decisively win.

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

A leader is best when people barely know he exists, when his work is done, his aim fulfilled, they will say: we did it ourselves. — Lao Tzu

It’s one of those quotes that should speak for itself. But the color I would add to it is that branding doesn’t get handed down from the mountain on stone tablets by aloof, black turtlenecked creative directors. It is created and enacted by aligning a great many people over a very long time who must all feel invested in the outcome.

Tom Robbins. His imagination is an inspiration to me and, I find, unexpectedly very practical as it relates to how I approach my work. He could literally make a can of beans worthy of a story. Everything he did was ridiculously different, completely sincere, rich with irreverent statements on our social context and the human condition. I’d like to find out if you can teach and learn that.

How can our readers follow you on social media?

@weare.FINE on Instagram.

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

Kenn Fine of FINE: “5 things you should do to build a trusted and believable brand” was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Brendan Heegan of Boxzooka: “To be a successful CEO you need a diverse skill set, an optimistic…

Brendan Heegan of Boxzooka: “To be a successful CEO you need a diverse skill set, an optimistic soul, and a pessimistic wallet”

Being a CEO sounds impressive, but it’s not for everyone. You need a diverse skill set, an optimistic soul and a pessimistic wallet… and leadership is a daunting role to play.

I had the pleasure of interviewing Brendan Heegan the Founder of Boxzooka Fulfillment & Global eCommerce. Headquartered in New Jersey with satellite operations around the country, Boxzooka is a fulfillment center with international landed-cost technology and proprietary warehouse management systems it also licenses, focusing on servicing the logistics needs of online retailers. Brendan has nearly 20 years of experience in transportation, fulfillment and distribution, both domestically and Internationally. He started Boxzooka because he saw consolidation happening in the marketplace, creating a need for more competition and more customizable solutions for best-in-class fulfillment management and technology solutions.

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

My background in logistics and business development has taken me to over 75 countries in ten years, and opened my eyes to countless possibilities for my career. These journeys have included tours of hundreds of transportation and fulfillment operations, and the business has always fascinated me. When working for other companies, I never felt truly in control of being able to provide my clients with the level of service and support that I wanted them to receive. At some point, I realized that if I truly wanted to be able to take my clients to the destination I was promising, I’d have to find my own ship.

Can you share one of the major challenges you encountered when first leading the company? What lesson did you learn from that?

There is no shortage of challenges. We initially launched with a technology product, the road was rocky and lined with brilliant technology savvy personalities lacking business experience. I loved the passion of the team, but I knew the business plan needed to evolve to include a real infrastructure behind our business. After winning our first technology client from a laptop in my basement, we quickly moved into a strategy to offer more comprehensive services, like transportation and fulfillment. Once we started bringing on the right people, not only in technology, but also operations, sales and finance to foster scalable growth.

What are some of the factors that you believe led to your eventual success?

Never give up. Over the first couple of years I had figuratively fallen down on numerous occasions and had to pick myself up, dust off and continued to move forward. At first, it was hard to consider not giving up, or taking more risks, after a few times of coming out ahead, it became second nature that failure was not an option.

Finding good people that were willing to take a risk with me. Our technology provided the foundation for great service, but our people deliver every day for our clients… I personally have great satisfaction in creating jobs for people and doing good work for our clients.

The company eventually began to grow. Winning some key clients helped us further scale operations, open new facilities and expand our amazing team.

What are your “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Became CEO”? Please share a story or example for each.

Consumer expectations are high. There are disruptors in the marketplace that set expectations for free fulfillment services, free transportation and one hour delivery is the standard. Those “standards” are unrealistic.

Most e-commerce companies do not make money… We always hear the success stories… but the real track record of most online businesses is a struggle to grow and thrive, we continue to work with our clients to obtain success for them.

There are so many good resources available today including podcasts, TV Shows and YouTube. Listen to Ted Talks and shows like “how I built this”, even popular TV shows like Shark Tank and the Profit… all of these tools can provide insight to running a business. Even the simplest of ideas can turn your business for you.

Being a CEO sounds impressive, but it’s not for everyone. You need a diverse skill set, an optimistic soul and a pessimistic wallet… and leadership is a daunting role to play.

Building teams that know how to collaborate and work through issues is key. You can’t do it all yourself. You need to be able to delegate well and you shouldn’t do things that you are not capable of doing well.

What advice would you give to your colleagues to help them to thrive and not “burn out”?

Entrepreneurs are wired to work hard and usually get a charge out of the challenges. It is not surprising to endure peaks and valleys and you need to be prepared for the hardships that can take you away from a “normal life” (trying not to say work/life balance). That said, getting your vision into a business plan is critical at the start and surrounding yourself with great people is mandatory. Everyone needs to nurture their own existence with some fuel to avoid the burn… my dogs help me stay grounded — unconditional love and they make me get outside everyday. Maybe consider a dog friendly work environment, I’ve seen how they brighten the mood and it’s also great to have company on those late nights at the office.

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?

I had several great mentors in my sales career who emphasized building solid relationships internally and externally. I was always impressed by the business owner/founder who seemed to know everyone in the company by name and was in tune with all aspects of the operation.

Before starting Boxzooka, I witnessed an acquisition of a company with an entrepreneurial leader that impressed me, both with the business model and the straightforward approach dealing with people. It inspired me to say to myself “I can do that.”

What are some of the goals you still have and are working to accomplish, both personally and professionally?

Scaling a business this rapidly has interrupted some of my personal goals around travel, beaches, ski runs, national parks, and family. I’m working on molding the next generation Boxzooka leaders and hope to shift to a more “balanced life” in the not too distant future.

What do you hope to leave as your lasting legacy?

A quality business that gave a lot of people great careers and provided them with opportunities. Happy clients are a part of a lasting legacy.

You are a person of great influence. If you could start a movement that would enhance people’s lives in some way, what would it be? You never know what your idea can trigger!

I don’t feel like a person of great influence. If I could start a movement that helped people have more fun in their lives it would be hugely satisfying… I’ll get to work on that tonight!

How can our readers follow you on social media?

We are @Boxzooka on Instagram and Facebook

Brendan Heegan of Boxzooka: “To be a successful CEO you need a diverse skill set, an optimistic… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Author TShane Johnson: “Nurture yourself to develop resilience”

Nurture yourself. We spend a lot of time taking care of other things and people and not ourselves. If you don’t make “YOU” a priority the mission can’t get accomplished.

I had the pleasure of interviewing TShane Johnson. When TShane Johnson was in his twenties, he died three times after a terrible motorcycle accident by Corona, CA, and then overcame two years of being homeless on the East Coast. Now, TShane is a father, a Marine Corps Veteran, world record holder, Amazon best-selling author, speaker, athlete and so much more.

He has recently completed his fourth Hike Across America tour; carrying a 100-pound backpack, he covered 22 miles each day along the East Coast, stopping to speak at many notable venues. He chatted about leadership, hardships, and told success stories of veterans and first responders. All proceeds benefit the Gary Sinise Foundation’s R.I.S.E program, which is building specially adapted smart homes for our most severely wounded heroes.

The tour was a great success and in October 2019 while on the road, he challenged the world record for fastest one-mile carrying a 100-lb pack. He broke the record and is now training to break the record for the most push ups in 12 hours.

When he is not training, he is hired to motivate and inspire employees at big companies such as RedBull, the U.S. Navy, Hyatt, Best Western Hotel and Resorts, Caesars Entertainment and more.

He recently launched a start up Mortgage Company that originated 14 Million dollars in sales within 90 days. He has just released a new Ebook, Become The Leader You Are Meant To Be, is set to release his third book, Done By 2:30, co-authored by his daughter Charli, this year.

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

I was born in Arcadia, Florida, and raised on a ranch in an even smaller town nearby. My childhood was full of amazing experiences, punctuated by moments of terribly demanding chores, the hope and disappointment of hunting wild game for food, and the stark fear for my life when ridding the area of alligators. Mentored by my dad, I came to know hardship and crisis mixed with a fair amount of boyhood joy for life. Who could know what the future might hold? My ultimate calamity came after I joined the U.S. Marine Corps and was stationed at Camp Pendleton in California. One bright day, full of the vigor of my twenty years, I headed out on my motorcycle for Corona, California. On the way, I was deliberately crashed into by a car of gang members. I flew off the bike at 45 miles-per-hour and slammed into the corner of a brick wall where I was robbed and left for dead. My wounds included a smashed rib cage, internal injuries to his lungs and other vital organs, and a punctured bicep that was damaged to the point of bleeding out. Although I was in excruciating pain, I cheated the grim reaper by dragging my battered body to a fire station where there was medical help. During the hospital airlift that followed, the emergency medical team did their best to keep me alive, but I lost the ability to breathe, flatlined twice, and was resuscitated twice. A third clinical death came at the hospital, where for a final time, the doctors and nurses brought me back from the brink. Challenged by my dad to choose the pain of continuing rather than giving up, I set out on the road to recovery, where, in the first two weeks, I lost over 50 pounds due to my injuries.

Eventually, reasonably whole again, I left military service — I insist there is no such thing as an ex-Marine — filled with an entrepreneurial spirit that I had first experienced as a lad. In my twenties, I built a successful mortgage business and was enjoying a six-figure income when, in 2008, the market collapsed, and I lost everything but a beat-up old car — a short-term luxury that I lost when the vehicle was badly rear-ended. I was left to walk everywhere, seeking to earn enough money to buy the single meal I would eat each day. Ultimately, I became homeless; a condition that lasted for two years. However, with the same determination that helped me recover from my near-fatal injuries, I got past it. I practiced what was to become the title of my second book, Keep Your Feet Moving.

Today, I am the founder and owner of several successful businesses, and have become a best-selling author and a top-notch motivational speaker. Using the nickname, TShane, in recent years I have dedicated myself to raising money for homeless veterans and calling attention to the devastating rate of veteran suicides. To accomplish this, I founded Hike Across America, the title of my first book, and completed several treks across the United States.

Can you share with us the most interesting story from your career? Can you tell us what lessons or ‘take aways’ you learned from that?

After I was discharged from the Marine Corps I took a job selling gym memberships at a gym in Largo, Florida. It sucked and I was working 100 hours a week for about 800 dollars a month. I was happy to be working and was receiving a little bit of money from the Marine Corps for time racked up from not taking leave. However, my girlfriend at the time I suggested I get a “real” job so I started faxing out resumes to anyone and everyone hiring (back then you could mass fax your resume to companies). I landed an interview with “Boston Market” and a Mortgage Company. I was super stoked because both offered base salary and an opportunity to grow into management.

First, was the Boston Market interview for a store manager position. I went into the Marine Corps prepared for the interview and nailed it. I remember calling my girlfriend excited that they offered a salary of 24k a year and I would be a manager. “I even get to wear a tie,” I said. She was like, “Yay! And you can pay rent! Haha!” I had the mortgage company interview the next day and almost didn’t go to it but the recruiter called me to ensure I was making the interview. I felt obligated to at least hear them out. When I walked into the office it was a huge call floor of about 20 guys pounding the phones wearing really nice suits. I remember sitting down in the interview thinking there is no way I’m qualified for this type of job. The interview went well. I overcame every possible question and mock sales objections they gave me. I even set a bottle of Windex on the table when the interview started at the end the hiring manager asked me, “What’s the Windex for?” I said, “For my new desk!” (Assume the close) and he said, “You’re Hired!”

During all the banter back and forth I forgot to ask what I was even getting paid. As we were walking around I said how much do I get paid? He called his top rep in the office and he laid his paystub down on the table. The numbers highlighted were so big I thought they were grid coordinates. It showed 60k! I was like, WOW 60k a year? That would change my life. They all laughed and said that was last month. I quietly took a moment, looked around the room and said, “You mean I can sit in the AC, make phone calls and make that kind of money in a month?” They said YES! I don’t even care if it’s illegal at that point I’m IN! LOL! At that point I learned the most valuable business lesson in the world. See, the Military was willing to pay me what “THEY” thought I was worth but this company and “Sales” taught me that they were willing to pay me what “I” thought I was worth.

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

TShane Inspires’ number one objective is to aspire to inspire before I expire. I don’t just talk about what I used to do, then apply it. I actually lead from the front and execute to show that it CAN be done. My last speaking tour I ran 1600 miles wearing a 100 pound pack to show people that if I can do that while running three companies and continuing to make time for my daughter, then you can take 1% of your time and make an impact within your life.

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?

For me, dying three times and meeting God was my influence. See, I have a competitive edge over most people. When you experience death, you get the opportunity to know everything will be okay once we all pass away. So it allows me to take bigger risks or chances that most won’t.

Resilience is not a special trait or gift. It is a quality that resides within us all — an individual’s ability to process and interact positively with their surroundings. A resilient person is prepared to successfully operate in, and respond to, the rigors, demands, and stressors of both business and life. It is your personal duty to be in the best operational condition at all times and to help people in your life achieve that same condition. I believe traits of a resilient person include understanding that pain and failure are the best teachers, drawing strength from God, Family, and Country, focusing on the solution not the problem, and finally no matter how tough it gets to always keep moving and never ever quit.

When you think of resilience, which person comes to mind? Can you explain why you chose that person?

ME! I have died three times, been homeless, came from a broken home, no mother, suicides, failures and the list goes on. I am my own best motivator and number one fan. But no matter what life throws at me, I keep moving forward! You break me, beat me, take everything away and I will still keep coming. Like the freaking Series 800 Model 101 Infiltrator Terminator, I just keep going.

Has there ever been a time that someone told you something was impossible, but you did it anyway? Can you share the story with us? A time? I get told it all the time!

I have been told you’ll never set a world record, you’ll never build a successful business, you’ll never amount to anything, you name it! When I got in my motorcycle accident after three months in the hospital doctors told me I would never walk or talk again…To date, I have run five times across America, set one world record, and become a nationally known motivational speaker — I said they were WRONG!

Did you have a time in your life where you had one of your greatest setbacks, but you bounced back from it stronger than ever? Can you share that story with us?

Yes, in 2008 after the recession I lost my business and was homeless for two years. During this time I ended up building two companies that did over 100 million dollars in sales using the free wifi from Dunkin’ Donuts. Becoming homeless was the best thing that ever happened to me.

Did you have any experiences growing up that have contributed to building your resiliency? Can you share a story?

When I was in high school I had to swim from my house to my truck. We lived in a singlewide trailer in the middle of Florida next to the Peace River. Each year the river would flood so much that our front yard would have 10 feet of water in it. Since I was the oldest I would stay with the animals and pack my school clothes in a trash bag. I would carry a pistol in one hand and my trash bag in the other and swim to my truck. I carried the pistol because each morning there would be alligators swimming around and it was the only way I could protect myself just in case. Honestly, after that experience everything else in life is pretty easy!

Resilience is like a muscle that can be strengthened. In your opinion, what are 5 steps that someone can take to become more resilient? Please share a story or an example for each.

-Find a purpose or WHY! When things get really tough you better be doing it for a reason that you care about or you will quit!

-Embrace the Suck! We purchase pleasure for inability to endure pain. Learn to make pain and adversity your best friend.

-Develop the ability to execute. Most people will just talk about their problems then never do anything. Take massive action to completely dominate the situation .

-Get mad! Anger can be used in a good way. You will get upset, you will fail, it will suck. Get pissed off and do something about it.

-Nurture yourself. We spend a lot of time taking care of other things and people and not ourselves. If you don’t make “YOU” a priority the mission can’t get accomplished.

Bring back Dad, the HERO! I think Dads need to step up and understand they are a very important part of the home life and that nothing, not even work, will be more important than being a dad.

Arnold Schwarzenegger! Ever since I was a little kid I wanted the opportunity to be a bodybuilder, act in movies, and one day maybe get into politics. He has done all of that!

How can our readers follow you on social media?

On all social media platforms I can be found at @tshanejohnson and www.tshaneinspires.com

Author TShane Johnson: “Nurture yourself to develop resilience” was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Syed Gilani of Safr: “Brand Makeovers; 5 Things You Should Do to Upgrade and Re-Energize Your Brand

Syed Gilani of Safr: “Brand Makeovers; 5 Things You Should Do to Upgrade and Re-Energize Your Brand and Image”

Deliver an outstanding customer experience. No matter what you do, always remember that your presence in the market is because of your customers so make sure you serve them well. Your brand should encompass all your strengths and convey them to your market. Make it about people first.

I had the pleasure of interviewing Syed Gilani is the CEO and President of Safr, a rideshare startup focused on women’s empowerment through safe transportation. A seasoned business leader with 25 years of experience in North American, Asian, Middle Eastern and European markets, Syed leads Safr’s global growth, investment and overall company vision to build a better, safer and more empowering future for women around the world. Complementary to his leadership role at Safr, Syed founded and led Z-Square Technology, the platform driving the future of ridesharing by innovating and merging government transportation infrastructure with public and business economies for improved public safety and driver experience. Z-Square Technology concentrates on smart transportation system, secure credentialing and border management verticals. As a new company in a highly competitive market, ZST has gained significant momentum by implementing its solutions in the U.S., Caribbean and globally. Syed holds a Masters in International Relations from Harvard University; an MBA in Marketing from University of the Virgin Islands; and a Master of Science degree from Lahore School of Economics. Syed writes for Forbes and other publications and has spoken at conferences around the world.

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

Thank you very much for the opportunity to share my thoughts with your readers. I have been associated with the technology-focused business sector for the past 25 years and the concepts of smart transportation and smarter societies always intrigued me. Having grown up in a developing country where liberty of movement for women has been limited due to lack of public transportation and availability of vehicles at home, I understood the importance of a reliable and safe transportation for women. If we wanted them to be an active contributor in the society, they would need the means to get around safely and effectively. My experience of working on four continents made it clear to me that the challenges faced by women in every society are quite similar. Working on Safr, a rideshare startup focused on women’s empowerment through safe transportation, is my calling. It’s important for all genders to come together and help tilt the scale of wealth accumulation and economic empowerment towards women.

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

We are lucky that we’ve had more wins than mistakes. While rideshare was gaining steam, we noticed a gap in the market. No one was providing safe and reliable rideshare experience to women, children and families. There was demand but little supply. Had we ignored the demand, it would have been a disservice to millions of women who had been looking for a safe rideshare experience and liberty to earn without the fear of their safety being endangered by driving after-hours with unvetted passengers. We are a rideshare choice for women, children and for everyone who values safety and female empowerment. When it comes to mistakes, some of us fail to act because of the fear of failure, but we should remember that these failures and mistakes are our best teachers.

When we launched the Safr app to test the market, we realized we had hit the tipping point where we received a higher-than-expected number of downloads all over the US and the world. We have an incredible opportunity to provide a safe rideshare service to women, children and elderly but also to provide social and economic empowerment to the 58% of the world’s population — women.

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

Working on Safr, a rideshare startup focused on women’s empowerment through safe transportation, is the most exciting thing I have ever done. The economist in me always sought to make a difference in this world and I am proud to do that with a team of intelligent and driven colleagues. While growing up in a developing country and traveling through the region in my early years, I realized the importance of active involvement of women in the GDP of a country. Women still struggle for economic and social independence in many parts of the world, and personal safety should be least of their concerns. Existing transportation services have not been serious about the safety of women and their families, as their focus has been on global domination. Furthermore, they have underreported the criminal activity and sexual assault problem that is rampant in the rideshare sector. For riders, Safr is about providing a safe transportation alternative to women, children and the elderly. For drivers, our mission is to provide equal and better opportunities for those who wish to earn higher-than-average compensation on a flexible schedule. Safr believes that once people can move freely in their countries and communities, without fearing for their safety, they contribute more towards the growth of their families and nation. We are here to support them.

What advice would you give to other marketers to thrive and avoid burnout?

People are simple and at core they want to satisfy needs in the most basic, simple and pure way. Therefore, the brand, messaging, and its communication should be simple, honest and direct. Marketers often complicate what could be a very simple product or service. Even a wise person sometimes cannot see the answers right in front of them. The way around this problem is to ensure you have a good team, do you market research and due diligence, and test your product before rolling it out on a large scale. If your product or service touches your heart, chances are that it will speak to others’ hearts as well. At Safr, we believe in the simplicity and purity of our message. We have created programs that actively involve our target market as Captains, Ambassadors and Heroes. We believe in the power of our market to communicate our message to others effectively and with passion.

Ok, let’s now jump to the core part of our interview. In a nutshell, how would you define the difference between brand marketing (branding) and product marketing (advertising)? Can you explain?

Advertising is an extension of brand marketing. It’s imperative that your advertising reflects the ethos of your company and its brand. At Safr, we have not only created a great brand that can resonate with our target market, but we also pay close attention to how we communicate with our market. All of our programs are geared towards women’s empowerment and safety. Last year we introduced Safr’s Captains program, which allows women from every zip code in the United States to be able to empower other fellow women and their families through safe transportation. The underlying idea was to encourage ownership of our brand and to offer economic empowerment for women who may be interested in working with us in their zip codes. Since the introduction of our program, we have received thousands of applications from all over the country and the reason behind is that our advertising has taken a form of conversation with our market.

Can you explain to our readers why it is important to invest resources and energy into building a brand, in addition to the general marketing and advertising efforts?

Your brand is the representation of you when you are there, and even when you are not. It distinguishes your product and service from hundreds of others in the market and creates a clear image of you and your company in people’s minds. At Safr, we invested early in branding, creating the right font, color and an easily-recognizable beacon parachute icon consistent with our message. We understood that our brand should be able to speak with our core business of rideshare consumers and drivers, but also properly position us as the rideshare platform of the future. Investing resources and energy into building a brand that will last the test of time is imperative. Create a great brand, and build the foundation for both short- and long-term success.

Let’s now talk about rebranding. What are a few reasons why a company would consider rebranding?

Small and large companies alike have transformed their businesses with rebranding, from KFC changing its name from the longer Kentucky Fried Chicken, to Yahoo evolving from a search engine to a digital information platform. Market trends, customer preferences and current events can compel a brand to make necessary changes to both the branding as well as product or service. Safr is a leading female-focused rideshare company that will change the sector for the better, forcing the competition to rethink their businesses and introduce better safety measures. Regardless of what rideshare the consumer chooses, Safr believes that the consumer deserves a higher industry-wide standard. Prior to Safr, it seemed like larger players were free to do whatever they wanted, without having to adhere to quality and safety standards. We are proud to be considered a market leader in our vertical; this is due to the massive support we have been getting from all over the world.

Are there downsides of rebranding? Are there companies that you would advise against doing a “Brand Makeover”? Why?

Any rebranding effort may come with an inherent risk of losing customers, but done correctly, the chances of significant upside are much greater. Recently, in the aviation industry we saw the failure of Boeing’s flagship aircraft and the ensuing relaunch of the same aircraft under a new brand. Every company has to evaluate if their current brand image is working for them, is it attracting the right kinds of customers, and if a rebranding effort is necessary. A rebranding can not only help secure new customers, if done in an authentic manner, it can keep old customers happy as well. At Safr, our brand was created to speak to our target audience and to empower them through our platform. We believe that Safr as a brand will actively engage women from around the US and around the world and urge everyone to be a part of this movement.

When it comes to branding, re-branding and communication of the brand with its target audience, keep your objectives — and customers — in mind. With nearly three decades of experience, here are my best tips on how a company can re-energize their brand and image:

1. Create a strong brand identity. A brand is a depiction of your company’s goal and mission. Understand and communicate it well. At Safr, we wanted to clearly communicate that we are a safer alternative to other rideshares and that we are the besst transportation technology platform. We created a brand called “Safr” and used a customized font and safety beacon or safety parachute as our symbol.

2. Conduct market research. Before re-branding your image, solicit help from your target market. Allow them to help you better understand their needs and what they would like to see from you. At Safr, we understood the demand for a safe rideshare platform that allows women to drive and ride with us in a safe and secure manner.

3. Make it easy to use and understand. Your brand should easily convey the essence of your company in few words and phrases. Try not to complicate it or confuse your audience. Safr’s mission of women’s empowerment through safe transportation sums up its mission through its brand and its magenta-colored beacon. We want people to download it, use it and benefit from it — with the click of a button.

4. Focus on brand adoption. Consumer adoption and acceptance of your brand is very important when you are trying to create a new service. If your brand is easily adopted and shared by your market, you have a winning formula. We have been lucky to have more people joining our platform and movement without much marketing and effort.

5. Deliver an outstanding customer experience. No matter what you do, always remember that your presence in the market is because of your customers so make sure you serve them well. Your brand should encompass all your strengths and convey them to your market. Make it about people first.

In your opinion, what is an example of a company that has done a fantastic job doing a “Brand Makeover”. What specifically impresses you? What can one do to replicate that?

Companies all over the world understand the benefits of initiating a brand makeover. There are plenty of examples where companies started off doing one thing, and over time, completely changed their business models. Although Amazon started as an online book retailer, it is now the largest retailer in the world encompassing every product on the planet. When American automakers were under attack from German and Japanese car makers and were losing their market, Ford Motor Company brilliantly positioned its brand as an all-American symbol of innovation and transportation. McDonalds is another example of interesting brand makeover, modernizing their store formats and increasing menu selection. Similarly, the Safr brand makeover from earlier version of “Safeher” was an interesting journey that took us to the more communicative and powerful brand name of Safr. Successful companies develop a strong vision for their offerings, including an audience and growth path, and smartly go through a brand makeover when necessary.

Even in the 21st century, we are still trying to educate the majority of people about all the injustices that should have been realized and remedied long ago. It’s important to understand that 58% of the world’s population, women, own very little of the global wealth. Women make 34% less than men but spend 38% more than men on their transportation. At Safr, we strongly believe that the provision of women-focused rideshare that promises safety and empowerment is only the beginning. Safr has so much potential when it comes to truly empowering its users, their families and friends by offering them economic and social freedom, access to more opportunities and helping them realize their dreams. I encourage everyone to sign up to be alerted when Safr is available in your city. Download our app for iPhone here and Android here and visit us at www.gosafr.com.

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

We must focus first on making a positive impact in the world, and good things will follow. A wise man once said, we as humans don’t know where we will end up, but all our lives we act like we know everything. Sometimes it’s important to understand that we don’t know the answers of every question. It’s okay to not know all the answers; do what you can today to solve problems and create solutions. This is the only true way to improve human society. By admitting that we don’t know every answer, we can remain humble and have a better perspective of our life in this world. The important thing is to do what you can today with the information you have. You will have more information tomorrow.

How can our readers follow you online?

You can follow me on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/syedxgilani, on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/syed.gilani.3348?ref=bookmarks and on Twitter @syedzgilani. I also have my website www.syedgilani.com and you can read my opinions, interviews and other work there.

Syed Gilani of Safr: “Brand Makeovers; 5 Things You Should Do to Upgrade and Re-Energize Your Brand was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Julian O’hayon of Blvck Paris: “5 Things You Need To Do To Build A Trusted And Beloved Brand”

Building a strong brand and knowing your vision, purpose, values and mission is essential for the longevity of the brand.

As part of our series about how to create a trusted, believable, and beloved brand, I had the pleasure to interview Julian O’hayon.

Julian is a French serial entrepreneur and the co-founder of Blvck Paris. Julian has amassed a cult following online with over 273,000 followers on Instagram. Julian founded two new tech companies and participated in an Entrepreneurial show broadcasted on National TV whilst studying Business Engineering at university

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

Thank you for having me today! I have always been interested in design and entrepreneurship and founded my first company, a digital agency when I was 15. Back then, I taught myself coding and web-design and enjoyed it so much that I started making pocket money by helping other people designing their websites. By the age of 20, I had over 100 clients worldwide under my agency. Simultaneously, I was completing a degree in Business Engineering at university and was very involved in the tech start up scene. In all my projects, I honed my focus on beautiful yet minimalistic and functional design, which can be regarded as my distinctive signature.

At that time, I started being very active on social media, mostly sharing my passion for design.. Launching my own brand was always a dream of mine but being a perfectionist, I didn’t want to do it until I was ready and focused on the task at hand. At the end of 2017, after growing an online community of >100k followers via my instagram account @anckor, I started applying my personal black stamp to household brands. Through posting images on Instagram, I aimed to bring a memorable and aesthetically pleasing effect by ‘blacking out’ everyday items. My designs quickly went viral on social media, spurring an influx of followers globally with particular traction in the US and Asia. This is when I knew, I had a concept and wanted to explore it further. End of 2017, Blvck Paris was born out of my dual obsession for design and the colour black.

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

When you start your own business, you are bound to make a lot of mistakes and hopefully you get to learn from them along the way. The behind the scenes of Blvck Paris’ launch day was quite chaotic. While I smile thinking about it today, I was freaking out back then. As a direct to consumer brand, we started by creating an engaged community first before releasing our products. For our first collection, we hired a freelancer developer we met via Instagram. The developer was very enthusiastic to work with us and promised us a lot. We had set a very specific date for our launch and had teased our community weeks in advance for that launch day. We trusted the developer and did not question him too much when he kept delaying showing us any progress. The day before the launch, when it was time to see the website to showcase our products, we realised that the website was not ready at all and that we had to delay the launch day. My co-founder and I worked all night to avoid delaying. The lesson we learned from that very first day was that when it comes to your business, you need to make sure you stay in control of every detail.

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

Without hesitation, our branding and the customer experience you get when buying Blvck, are both what makes our company stand out.

Blvck Paris is a designer lifestyle brand and from the very beginning, we wanted our customers to feel this luxury experience when they shop with us. We aim to bring this lifestyle experience and constantly work to add values to our community. As an example, we regularly drop free wallpapers, some have been downloaded over 10M times. We have curated a special Spotify playlist featuring mellow vibes, melancholic moods to compliment your lifestyle. We have also turned your iphone keyboard black by developing our first iOS app, Blvckmoji.

I started the brand out of an obsession with the colour black and there weren’t really any similar brands out there. It is really exciting to see the community we have built in such a short amount of time.

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

In light of the current situation worldwide with COVID-19, we have pivoted some of our current production and made a set of 3 free face masks which we will be offering in the next few weeks to our customer ordering for more than $100 with us. Our cotton masks are made to help alleviate the pressure on medical grade supplies and to address the global shortfall we are currently facing.

With more time to be creative, we have released the first version of a free emoji app, available on the AppStore called Blvckmoji. The Blvckmoji app is an official Blvck Paris app which enables users to install a ‘Blvck’ keyboard to send emojis and stickers to their friends and family. Initially, we launched a private beta version available for up to 10k users. In just two hours, we have 10,000 users, it was a great hit. Now the first version is available on the AppStore and we hope it gives our audience a positive distraction from the news.

Ok let’s now jump to the core part of our interview. In a nutshell, how would you define the difference between brand marketing (branding) and product marketing (advertising)? Can you explain?

Branding is about curating a strong image for your brand that is easily identifiable to people and that will help you build a loyal customer base. A distinctive logo, a unique experience, aesthetically pleasing visuals, a colour theme, catchy slogans are all parts of a strong branding. For example, when you see a light medium robin egg blue package, you will instantly think Tiffany. They have created such a strong link with that colour that their branding is quite noticeable for anyone who sees this colour without having to see their name. Similarly, if you hear the phrase ‘just do it’, Nike will be the first thing that pops up into your mind.

At Blvck Paris, we pride ourselves with a strong and unique branding. Blvck Paris is all black everything. Every post, every product, every caption is black.

Our social media page @black is very much about the all black and high quality lifestyle we portray and that we want our customers to associate our products with.

Advertising is how you encourage customers to buy your products. For example, by having a promo code for first time buyers. Having a good customer service along with a good shopping experience will help you convert first-time buyers into repetitive buyers. Advertising is also about how you promote your products via ads, TV or press coverage.

Can you explain to our readers why it is important to invest resources and energy into building a brand, in addition to the general marketing and advertising efforts?

Building a strong brand and knowing your vision, purpose, values and mission is essential for the longevity of the brand. When we launched Blvck, we had a very specific concept. From visual content to merchandise, we strive to pioneer a new type of lifestyle focused on quality and design. If you look at our social media account @black on Instagram, our branding is quite distinctive and unique. Every photo we post is edited in such a way that you will immediately recognise our brand Blvck Paris behind it. There is even a video trending on youtube with over 1M views of someone trying to show how to edit like Blvck Paris.

Similarly, we want to bring a luxury experience when you order from us. You can expect a premium packaging with a thank you letter from the team. Our designs have certain recurring details such as roses, snakes which help forge a strong identity.

Can you share 5 strategies that a company should be doing to build a trusted and believable brand? Please tell us a story or example for each.

Build a community first, a product second. At Blvck Paris, before launching our first product, we focused on building an engaged community and wanted to find our customers first and grow with them. We launched our first product when we reached 100k followers. I wouldn’t advise everyone to wait for that many followers, but rather to build a community; get to know them and grow with them.
Focus on branding. I would stress how important it is to nail the whole process from the design of the product you are selling to when the customer receives the product. This is what your customers will remember and why they will come back to you
Listen to feedback. When you get one, be it a positive or negative review, listen to it and act on it. We aim to email our clients after we have completed their order and ask for feedback. It helps us understand if the delivery went well, the product was what they expected and so on.
Focus on what you are good at. When you start a company, I think it’s important to focus on what you are good at initially and outsource the things you cannot do. My background is in design and rather than focusing myself on customer services for examples, this is something we initially outsourced. It is also important to surround yourself with people with complementary skills
Create a culture where your employees are proud and excited to work with you. I believe the new generation, millennials and gen z are looking for something different when they look for a job. They want to work for a company that values them, that is flexible in terms of working hours, remote working and reward them when they do a good job.

In your opinion, what is an example of a company that has done a fantastic job building a believable and beloved brand. What specifically impresses you? What can one do to replicate that?

Apple has done an incredible job at building a beloved brand.. The company sells tech products which are not supposed to be the most exciting products to the average person. Yet, thanks to an impeccable design and customer experience, they have built one of the most trusted and loved brands out there. I had a friend working as a genius at the flagship store in London and I was impressed by how much their employees were proud and committed to work there.

As a designer, I personally love the quality and design of their products.

I think a great lesson to learn from them and that they advertised a while ago is to think differently.

Be creative and always challenge yourself to think differently.

In advertising, one generally measures success by the number of sales. How does one measure the success of a brand building campaign? Is it similar, is it different?

I think it would be misleading to measure the success of an ad with the number of sales. When you see a great ad for the first time, in most cases it won’t lead to a sale. However, it will do something much more powerful, it creates a first connection between you and the brand, it creates brand awareness. The next few times you will see this brand or the ad itself, then it is likely that this time around it will lead to a sale.

For me, a successful campaign can be measured by the number of impressions, the reach and how many times it is shared.

What role does social media play in your branding efforts?

Blvck Paris is a direct to consumer brand and sells exclusively online at the moment. As a result, social media plays a central role in our branding efforts. The brand is growing extremely fast thanks to a strong presence on social media. In just over two years, we have built a robust following online with close to 700k followers on Instagram @black and over 1million unique monthly viewers on Pinterest. Thanks to social media, we have direct access to our consumers and I personally love this. As the designer of the brand, it is great to be able to get instant feedback on potential products before producing them.

What advice would you give to other marketers or business leaders to thrive and avoid burnout?

As an entrepreneur, you will get times when you struggle with your mental health and times when you are on the edge of burning out. I would advise to celebrate every success, be it small or big. When you have worked hard on something and it finally happens, take some time to celebrate the moment.

Take time to switch off, exercise and do something different, it will help your productivity and energy level.

I am a big believer in being the change you want to see in the world. I think we all need to play our part to help others, be a good person and try our best to inspire and motivate people around us.

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

While I love trying new things and I am always keen to hear new business ideas and do things differently, I am also very pragmatic and would always focus on the big picture. As an example, when I was at university, I was involved in quite a few start-ups and co-founded a few. For me, before investing my time and skills, I need to clearly see a need for the idea and agree with the vision. I think you can waste a lot of time, money and energy, if you get involved in an idea without thinking it through and seeing the bigger picture.

A story which I find particularly inspiring is the one from Philip Knight, the founder of Nike. He is a self made entrepreneur who turned his dream into one of the most iconic brands out there. I read his book and was impressed by his vision and perseverance. I would love to meet him and hear more about his entrepreneurial journey.

How can our readers follow you on social media?

Thanks for asking. They can follow me via my personal instagram account @anckor and my brand’s account @black and @white.

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

Julian O’hayon of Blvck Paris: “5 Things You Need To Do To Build A Trusted And Beloved Brand” was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Karrie Brady: “To develop resilience, you need a strong social network”

…Another important characteristic of resilience is having a strong social network and knowing how and when to ask for help. Having a robust social network of friends, family, and work contacts are extremely important, especially when it comes to asking for advice, support, or as an outlet to express your emotions. We all need people around us who lift us up, push us, and help us thrive.

I had the pleasure of interviewing Karrie Brady. Karrie is a speaker, educator, and sales expert specializing in sales and marketing. She’s worked with over 500 entrepreneurs, helping them leave their 9–5’s, and build their savings to six-figures.

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

I started this business at 19 years old after my father was in a tragic accident that left him with a broken neck, and it was up to me to take care of him during that time.

I ended up dropping out of college, where I was pursuing a degree in biomedical engineering to move home, and that’s when I dipped my toes in the entrepreneurial space as a personal trainer. Long story short, I ended up falling flat on my face because I didn’t know anything about sales or what it took to run a successful business. But what I did know was that I was knowledgeable about my craft, and I cared so deeply about my clients.

Fast forward five years, and to date, I’ve sold over $1.5 million online. I’ve worked with over 500 entrepreneurs and counting, helped my clients leave their 9–5’s, buy homes, build their savings to six figures, retire their husbands and make cumulatively over $2 million online. Long story short, my passion is helping entrepreneurs combine soul-level connection and radical profits, all coming from a place of science-based sales.

Can you share with us the most interesting story from your career? Can you tell us what lessons or ‘take aways’ you learned from that?

The most pivotal piece in my career was when I left my job at a corporate gym and made a decisive choice to stop allowing myself to give in to the limiting beliefs around money and sales. That was back in 2017, and I started investing in mentors and coaches who had truly mastered the art of sales, and had the proof to back it up. What I learned was that experience was to excel and grow your business exponentially, you must invest. You have to value your problems enough to fix them.

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

I think my company stands out because I combine science-based-strategy with a heart-centered sales approach. Most of the time, you see a combination of either, or and never both. To be successful at sales, you must be connected to your soul, it has to come from a deeper place, but you also need to be backed by facts, not just feeling.

When my clients come to me leaning too hard on either the masculine or feminine side of sales, I will hear repeatedly, “I feel like I’m doing everything I should be, but something is still missing.”

The gap comes from the lack of balance within their strategy. The reason one of my clients sold $220k in her first year as a coach is we worked to balance her sales process with both intuition and proven methods — no one works without the other.

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?

My husband. I had my daughter, Sienna, last year, and he’s been such a big piece of my life and business. He’s provided balance where there’s been chaos; he’s lifted me up when I felt down, and so much more. There’s something very powerful about having your number one supporter right by your side day in and day out.

We’re told by society that we’re made to do this, to be mothers. And yes I agree to a certain extent, but we’re not made to do this alone, without any support or help. Especially not when you add a growing business into the mix.

Kyle is the main reason I’ve been able to get this far, while balancing being a mom.

Ok, thank you for all that. Now let’s shift to the main focus of this interview. We would like to explore and flesh out the trait of resilience. How would you define resilience? What do you believe are the characteristics or traits of resilient people?

To me, resilience is the ability to recover quickly from a difficult situation and not being “ok” with getting told “no”. Resilience is the key, in my opinion, to all successful entrepreneurs. When I think of resilience, I think of people who have the persistence to help them overcome any obstacle or challenge that comes their way. To be flexible and open to change so that they can pivot and adapt. And they can do all of this quickly. They get knocked down, but they get right back up.

Another important characteristic of resilience is having a strong social network and knowing how and when to ask for help. Having a robust social network of friends, family, and work contacts are extremely important, especially when it comes to asking for advice, support, or as an outlet to express your emotions. We all need people around us who lift us up, push us, and help us thrive.

When you think of resilience, which person comes to mind? Can you explain why you chose that person?

When I think of resilience, I think of Jenna Kutcher. Jenna is another entrepreneur I admire greatly, who struggled with fertility issues for years, is a major player in the online space (which presents its own challenges as a woman), and is constantly trying to encourage a balance within her business and life . No matter what level she was at in her business, she never let her struggles deter her from her success. I also like that she is very transparent with her audience; she’s not afraid to share a more vulnerable side because it’s what’s ultimately helped her to become just that: resilient.

Has there ever been a time that someone told you something was impossible, but you did it anyway? Can you share the story with us?

Let’s just say, starting a business at 19, it’s not the easiest thing in the world. You’re surrounded by skeptics constantly reminding you that you’re young, inexperienced, etc — telling you that you should just quit now and go do something safer, easier, where you can be “stable”.

But man am I so glad I didn’t listen and kept on this journey to where I am now. Nothing beats having the freedom of being your own boss. Is it hard? Yes. But also, is it safe? YES. There’s no better hands to be in when it comes to my future than my own.

Did you have a time in your life where you had one of your greatest setbacks, but you bounced back from it stronger than ever? Can you share that story with us?

I would say when I first found out I was pregnant, I thought it was a huge setback. I had just gone full time in my business, making consistent $10k months, and started traveling Europe. It was hard being pregnant, especially in the beginning. I was sick every day, low energy, and felt isolated because I couldn’t tell anyone what was going on because I was still fearful to miscarry.

But I will say, being able to do that hard thing, and giving birth to my daughter, was a catalyst in my business. It showed me resilience, but also gave me one of the strongest driving forces in life, someone I am working to build a life around and be there for.

Did you have any experiences growing up that have contributed to building your resiliency? Can you share a story?

My childhood has 100% contributed to me building my resilience because I grew up as a child of a military service member. It isn’t the “perfect” upbringing by any means, and it doesn’t give you a picture-perfect story, but it is an experience that helped shape my path.

From growing up going to 14 different schools (k-12th grade) and moving all the time, having to deal with high stress environments, fear, and loss, all of those experiences within being involved with the military as a dependent have contributed to building myself up through resilience.

Resilience is like a muscle that can be strengthened. In your opinion, what are 5 steps that someone can take to become more resilient? Please share a story or an example for each.

Reframe your limiting beliefs and thoughts. The mind is extremely powerful, and one of the most important aspects of being a successful entrepreneur is having a healthy mindset. When I first started my online business as a personal trainer, one of my biggest struggles was around money and sales. And it wasn’t until much later when I made a choice to change my beliefs where I experienced a change in my business. Instead of continuing to tell myself that I was terrible at sales, I recognized my negative belief, decided to accept it and rephrase it. I decided to stop allowing myself to be bad at sales. I believed that I would master sales and that I would become an expert at it. I valued my problem enough to fix it.
Keep an optimistic attitude. Positivity can come in many different ways, and it will only help you to become more resilient. I like to incorporate positive affirmations into my daily life through verbal affirmations and keeping post-it notes around my office as small reminders. My affirmations can vary from money to gratitude, productivity, and more — to help me feel empowered and ready for literally anything that comes my way.
Accept and embrace the change. When my dad broke his neck, everything changed for me. I dropped out of college, moved home, and became his full-time caretaker. Instead of being inflexible and reacting negatively to the situation, I looked at this change as an opportunity to learn, grow, and start my first entrepreneurial business as a personal trainer. Remember: things are always happening FOR you, not to you.
Be proactive. When a problem arises, don’t wait for it to go away on its own. Take quick action to resolve the issue immediately, even if it means taking baby steps to react positively. A great example of this is marketing your business and offerings during COVID-19. In the beginning, a lot of companies went silent, and some even turned off their lights permanently. But the businesses that are taking quick action to reposition their offerings, getting creative, and keeping their communication channels open — these are the ones that are resilient during these tough times.
Practice mindfulness. This is something that should be a part of your daily routine, no matter what. Every day, I take moments to practice gratitude. I have a set time in my daily schedule, where I switch off to slow down from the go-go-go in my business to spend time with my daughter and husband. I’m strict to this time, and I don’t let anything get in the way. This helps me decompress and practice gratitude.

I’m a big advocate for adopting and rescuing animals. I even adopted my own three dogs. I would personally start a movement around animal advocacy. There’s something to be said about helping animals who don’t have a voice of their own; it’s so powerful and meaningful to me.

I would love to have breakfast with Jenna Kutcher. She’s an incredible entrepreneur who maintains authenticity in her business and brand. She balances work life with grace and is genuinely leading a movement for female entrepreneurs, especially those with children.

How can our readers follow you on social media?

You can find me on Instagram, @karriebrady or on my website.

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

Karrie Brady: “To develop resilience, you need a strong social network” was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Dr. Laurelle Jno Baptiste of Vocalmeet: “The continuous pursuit of knowledge is a mantra I will alw

Dr. Laurelle Jno Baptiste of Vocalmeet: “The continuous pursuit of knowledge is a mantra I will always champion”

The continuous pursuit of knowledge is a mantra I will always champion. While misinformation and conspiracy theories are rife in today’s media landscape, ensuring access to information for those who desire to expand their knowledge base, particularly for those who wish to improve their socio economic circumstance and well being through education, is a passion that is near and dear to my heart.

I had the pleasure to interview Dr. Laurelle Jno Baptiste, the Chief Learning Officer and Vice President of Professional Services at Vocalmeet Inc. She is an award-winning innovator and technologist with over 12 years of senior leadership experience helping organizations develop and implement online technology platforms. She has successfully implemented hundreds of technology platforms across North America and brings transformational thinking to organizations with a focus on driving innovation. Dr. Jno Baptiste is a sought after speaker on digital innovation and advises educational institutions and associations across North America.

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

I have a BS in Computer Information Systems and a Doctorate in Education. I have always wanted to work at the intersection of technology and education. In the beginning stages of my career, I looked at evolving trends and digital products appeared to be an area where changes would quickly advance. It occurred to me that there would be a need for greater digital tools and for organizations to look at innovative solutions to remain financially viable. All the future opportunities made me excited!

Can you share an interesting story since you began your career?

I remember using hand held devices at a time when they weren’t very prevalent. Ok, I’ll go ahead and date myself! It truly is fascinating to see how the iPhone and mobile devices in general have now become a staple for the new generation of workers as much as it has for more experienced workers. I look at the use of mobile devices and how they have changed how we live and work today — that evolutionary process has been one of the most transformational aspects of my career so far and it will be interesting to see how it further evolves. Maybe as a society we will integrate technology into our lives in a way that is less visible but in a way that it continues to be an important aspect of how organizations grow and connect professionally.

Can you tell us about the “Bleeding edge” technological breakthroughs that you are working on? How do you think that will help people?

One of the main challenges of a changing world is an immediate need to bring offline events online. Vocalmeet turns this adversity into opportunities for organizations. How can Vocalmeet serve to prevent any negative financial impact for organizations who need to migrate offline events online? Many organizations have cancelled conferences, workshops, events and live productions. These activities are lifelines for them, providing significant streams of income per occasion. What we are now seeing is an increase in online events. We have worked tirelessly to become a leading provider for Online Conferences and Learning Management Systems including Continuing Education Solutions. How do we digitize in person events and replicate meetings that would have otherwise taken place in person? We achieve this by providing on-demand conference solutions and live streamed online events. This also brings other benefits as online events can reach a geographically diverse audience. We do this in cost efficient ways with the expectation that our clients have limited time to configure technology. Our secret sauce is to ensure that our tech platforms are always easy to use and highly scalable.

How do you think this might change the world?

Geographical limitations have historically made it difficult for people to connect with each other and to share knowledge. However, we are seeing the advancement of a more borderless world of communication where information can be more easily shared. Vocalmeet’s technology platforms are helping to accelerate this transition.

Keeping data security in mind, can you see any potential drawbacks about online technology that people should think more deeply about?

With increased security concerns and data breaches, any technology platform must take data security very seriously. Vocalmeet has (like most responsible vendors do) many advanced layers of security features implemented.
However, given the fact that breaches and hacking worldwide mainly happen through “official channels” like email via phishing attacks or bad attachments, it is our priority to educate our clients on how to work safely online and not invite attackers to steal their data or even secretly take over their entire organization.

What type of marketing strategies does Vocalmeet employ? Have you been using any innovative marketing strategies?

We have a sales and marketing department and they utilize many tools to spread the word about the benefits of Vocalmeet’s technologies. Through our marketing department, we are in constant contact with potential clients. For example, we book demonstrations and meetings with executive directors and institutions alike. We produce highly search engine optimized content that is very specific to the sector we are addressing. Our goal is to always provide very relevant content that helps our clients increase membership and grow revenues for their associations. You may notice an increase in virtual tours from brick and mortar organizations such as the Science Center or the Smithsonian to help members tour the space and learn something new without physically being present. Our strategy serves clients who represent large swaths of industry ranging from engineers, lawyers, nurses and doctors just as it does for colleges, universities and non profit organizations.

I enjoy what I do so much so that the people I am most grateful for are essentially our clients. I have built the strongest of relationships with our clients over the years. Experiencing how they have transitioned in a short amount of time by pivoting from in-person events to online events is what is most exciting. Many have translated into a better financial yield, further ensuring that the brand is more sustainable over time. Our clients see a general increase to their event revenue by up to 65% when they transition online. The transformation to a place of financial abundance for the clients we serve is a very rewarding experience indeed.

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

Nothing is more gratifying than engaging member based organizations with the ability to scale up quickly by using our technology. We fully host and manage continuing education programs optimized for online attendance & member satisfaction.

We modernize the management of your association and deliver the digital experience your members expect. We streamline your association’s events and conferences by automating all related workflows and processes. I am a huge proponent of education and that is why I work in knowledge transfer and information transfer. The career choice that I have made brings me to the forefront of ensuring that we have the right tools and technologies. In addition, an important goal in my life is to do what I love and I am connected to that wholly through my work here at Vocalmeet. I am part of the movement where traditional institutions are learning a completely new way to exist in order to stay relevant. My work is to lead this transition. I would not choose another career path.

What are your “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Joined Vocalmeet”?

I had no idea that there were so many associations and trade organizations that intersect between communications, technology and education. Since Vocalmeet provides technology infrastructure for associations, I now have extensive knowledge of this sector.
That you could actually build strong, long lasting relationships with clients across geographic borders was something I could not have anticipated in the early years. Many of these individuals, I have never met in person, yet we are connected by the shared experience of the singular goal of ensuring that their organizations thrive. A shared goal is borderless.
I was surprised by the need for live technologies, especially the need for live streaming. Many pundits had anticipated that this area would be a growing practice, but now we can see how quickly the need has accelerated.
I was fascinated by how possible it is to present yourself as the thought leader and to monetize from creative content. In the age of personal branding, by increasing your attendance online, you can pretty much ensure that your organization is being recognized as the leader in your sector.
Building user focused technology platforms does not have to be difficult. The needs of the end user should always take center stage and Vocalmeet executes on this seamlessly.

The continuous pursuit of knowledge is a mantra I will always champion. While misinformation and conspiracy theories are rife in today’s media landscape, ensuring access to information for those who desire to expand their knowledge base, particularly for those who wish to improve their socio economic circumstance and well being through education, is a passion that is near and dear to my heart.

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

“Be the change you want to see in the world” is a quote that is attributed to Mahatma Gandhi and immediately comes to mind — you must become the change that you want to see in the world. If we want to see greater access to education, less poverty as a result of that, then we have to create the tools and the access for that to happen.

Some very well known VCs read this column. If you had 60 seconds to make a pitch to a VC, what would you say? He or she might just see this if we tag them 🙂

We are building technology for what people need today and for what people will need in the future. We build and provide the online tools to enable member-based organizations and associations to grow, and to connect with their membership even during difficult times. Our solution facilitates Online Learning, Association Management, Learning Management Systems, Live Streaming, Online Conferencing, Webinars, Event & Conference Management.

How can our readers follow you on social media?

You can always find us Vocalmeet (@vocalmeet)

Laurelle’s Twitter: @LaurelleJB

Company website: vocalmeet.com

Research Hub: vocalmeet.com/blog-vocalmeet-research-hub

Dr. Laurelle Jno Baptiste of Vocalmeet: “The continuous pursuit of knowledge is a mantra I will alw was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Heroes Of The Homeless Crisis: How Courtney Smith & the Detroit Phoenix Center are helping to…

Heroes Of The Homeless Crisis: How Courtney Smith & the Detroit Phoenix Center are helping to provide dignified support to thousands in the homeless community

During a pandemic, poverty doesn’t pause. People are in greater need now than ever before. So even though our drop-in center is closed, we’re still reaching out to our youth and young adults letting them know they’re not alone. They may not be able to physically get to us, so we’re bringing the services and resources to them.

As a part of my series about “Heroes Of The Homeless Crisis” I had the pleasure of interviewing Courtney Smith of the Detroit Phoenix Center.

A fearless advocate fighting to break the cycle of poverty in Detroit, Smith has distinguished herself as a rising industry leader and champion for youth. She is founder and executive director of Detroit Phoenix Center (DPC), a nonprofit organization that responds to the needs of underserved and transient youth in Detroit. Under her visionary leadership, Under her visionary leadership, Detroit Phoenix Center opened the first and only Asset Based Resource Center to meet the emergent and holistic needs of teens and young adults in crisis in Detroit, launched an Emergency Winter Youth Shelter in partnership with the faith based community, and endowed a memorial scholarship fund in a little less than 18 months.

Thank you so much for joining us! Our readers would love to ‘get to know you’ a bit better. Can you tell us a bit about your personal background, and how you grew up?

I grew up in Detroit. My siblings and I were put into foster care and eventually I was adopted into a rather large family. Due to some familial conflicts within the home, I left when I was 15-years-old, staying in shelters, living in group homes and couch surfing.

In spite of the issues and conflicts we had while I was growing up, they instilled values that I carry with me today, such as the importance of education and serving others. I can recall always finding joy in helping others and desired to make a difference. My sister recently reminded me of the time I broke her piggy bank so that I could give the money to a classmate that needed it to buy lunch.

Reflecting on that now as an adult, and as someone who has dedicated her entire career serving the community, I know that this experience and others like it, shaped me into I am today. I was resilient. Going into this work, this informed me wanting to bridge those gaps for others.

Looking back, I now recognize that my adopted parents gave me the best that they knew how to give with the resources and knowledge that they had. We’re now reconciling this relationship.

I’ve also been very fortunate to have loving siblings, mentors and Godparents who support me. My life journey has always challenged the traditional narrative of what it looks like to have experienced a childhood laced with traumatic experiences. I often say, there’s a blessing in every storm.

Is there a particular story or incident that inspired you to get involved in your work helping people who are homeless?

As a teenager and college student, I learned firsthand the challenges homeless youth face on the streets. This certainly played a major role in where I am today. But my professional advocacy journey started when I was staying in a youth shelter. Some procedures and rules did not serve the youth well and were a bit extreme. I emailed the CEO of the organization to address the issues and gaps in the system. After some back and forth, I was basically told by a staff member that if I thought I could do better that I should write a proposal, so I did and sent it to the director and CEO. They were blown away and started to implement some of my recommendations. I’ll never forget the feeling this gave me. I felt powerful, that I had a voice. Later I was invited to serve on the board. And after that, I was offered a job at a national organization doing homeless advocacy work.

Post college, I learned my younger brother was at risk of not graduating from high school, engaging in risky behavior and was experiencing homelessness. I thought I could do the most good by allowing him to stay in the house I was renting a room in at the time. He and his friends came and went regularly. I gave them food, offered them showers, until one of my roommates told the landlord and I was threatened with eviction. I had to tell my brother he couldn’t stay there, that his friends couldn’t come over, and it got me thinking, ‘Where can he turn to for services?’ He and his friends trusted me to help. The resources in the community were scarce.

One day I saw an ad that drew me in. It led me to apply for a fellowship that cultivates next-generation leadership development, community engagement and social enterprise. I submitted a proposal where I could train with others on an issue, which for me was youth homelessness. It was during this training that I visited six major cities where homelessness was prevalent. I talked with youth who were experiencing homelessness and executive directors to determine the best ways to help young people living through these issues. I learned from these street-connected youth that their voices weren’t being heard, that many of the shelters have too many policies that didn’t serve them and the heads of organizations didn’t have personal experiences with homelessness to properly guide youth. They just didn’t ‘get it.’

My education, coupled with my experiences and those of my brother, led me to open the Detroit Phoenix Center. The center gives youth ages 13–24 a place to drop in for meals, showers, laundry services, access computers, transportation assistance and more.

My younger brother later died by suicide, and it really moved me in a way that I had never experienced before. From then on, I promised myself that I would dedicate the work I do to my brother and people in need, as well as those that may not navigate traditional services (stay at shelters, identify as homeless) but needed and deserved a safe and supportive community to thrive.

I believe it’s really hard to pinpoint whether youth homelessness has gotten better or worse due to the many implications; including not limited to, there’s no consistent definition of homeless youth across sectors and there isn’t a fluid system in place for identifying and counting homeless youth.

However, I do believe that digital media has made homelessness more visible and by sharing stories of those with lived experience, we humanize the experience.

Looking through the lens of youth homelessness, we cannot assume that a young person started off healthy. In fact, statistics show otherwise. A young person who grew up in foster care or endemic poverty with limited social support are more likely to end up chronically homeless as an adult. Thus, it is important that we dispel the myths and provide youth and young adults with wraparound support at every stage of their life to promote equity.

Many people view homelessness as a silo issue. Telling someone to move where there’s cheaper housing won’t solve the issue of homelessness. There are other issues and many barriers. Without considering, race, social status, socio-economic classes, what does ‘cheaper’ mean? It all depends on where you live. Each community has its own challenges. Here in Detroit, it’s much harder to find employment and, since we don’t have a rapid transit system, getting back and forth to work even presents a challenge. We have to lead with compassion and empathy.

If someone passes a homeless person on the street, what is the best way to help them?

It’s not always obvious that someone in this demographic is experiencing homelessness. It’s not always physically visible. Young people often do everything they can to blend in to the larger community. They are literally often hidden in plain sight.

Importantly, youth homelessness also looks very different depending upon the city. Here in Detroit, it’s cultural. In San Francisco, on the other hand, young people don’t consider themselves homeless, but rather they live free, and they congregate in parks. Young people here in Detroit want to blend in.

If a young person tells you they are experiencing housing instability, then listen and provide them resources within the scope of the capacity you have. However, because they are at a much greater risk of being sexually exploited and engage in risky behaviors, it is important to connect them to resources in the community and professionals who are trained in this line of work.

What is the best way to respond if a homeless person asks for money for rent or gas?

From a service provider perspective, I’m going to do whatever I can to remove the barriers to get them what they need. However, it is rare that you will see a youth asking for money or some other handout, especially from a stranger. Street-connected youth are incredibly resilient and typically make a way on their own.

Can you describe to our readers how your work is making an impact battling this crisis?

During a pandemic, poverty doesn’t pause. People are in greater need now than ever before. So even though our drop-in center is closed, we’re still reaching out to our youth and young adults letting them know they’re not alone. They may not be able to physically get to us, so we’re bringing the services and resources to them.

It’s a scary time. The young people we serve aren’t able to wash their hands regularly or “shelter in place.” Some are temporarily staying on friends’ couches or in abandoned buildings or homes without running water. Without the luxury of hand sanitizer and face masks, this underserved population is extremely susceptible to contracting COVID-19.

Our staff and volunteers are packing and distributing boxes with the essentials — from food to toilet paper. We’re also providing virtual wellness check-ins and assisting with housing solutions. We want to focus on permanency planning during this time.

How has the COVID-19 pandemic affected the homeless crisis, and the homeless community? Also how has it affected your ability to help people?

The challenges in providing critical resources, support and a safe, nurturing and inclusive environment to youth experiencing homelessness and those at high risk in Detroit often seemed insurmountable even prior to the pandemic.

In these even more uncertain and complicated times, one of our core goals is to improve coordination of services among groups like ours, as we work to eliminate barriers to needed services, including schooling and housing.

Thankfully our partners, stakeholders and community members have stepped up in a major way and are supporting us as we meet the emergent needs of our community.

Can you share something about your work that makes you most proud? Is there a particular story or incident that you found most uplifting?

Years ago I learned that a group of young people were asked to leave a Starbucks, despite the fact they had been paying customers. I wrote a letter to the corporate office, calling out how they were discriminating against these group of young people. Instead of criminalizing them, I challenged Starbucks to think about how they could help create a supportive environment for youth who are experiencing housing instability.

The corporate office put me in touch with the manager of the location the incident took place, and I eventually connected with him in person. I explained the issues these youth face and how he and the corporation as a whole could better support the youth. The manager and I have since become good friends and he ended up hiring two of the young adults, who have since graduated from high school and went on to college.

This is a good example of how a business and a nonprofit can work together. This also speaks to our progression as an organization, being able to meet the needs of youth through our Asset Based Resource Center.

Without sharing real names, can you share a story with our readers about a particular individual who was impacted or helped by your work?

A very impactful story that I remember vividly was the first day our Asset Based Resource Center opened. A young man came in and said, “I just need to take a shower.” After the shower, he said, “I needed that! I haven’t taken a shower in six months.” That was a very pivotal moment, because I truly realized that our services were needed. We later helped the young man reconnect with family and relocate out of state. He’s thriving with a job and a stable home. The relationship started with a shower.

Can you share three things that the community and society can do to help you address the root of this crisis? Can you give some examples?

Those in the community and society can help by supporting organizations that are doing the work. Helping to raise awareness of youth homelessness, advocating for systems change, elevating the lived experiences of those experiencing homelessness and removing barriers to opportunities would go a long way as well.

If you had the power to influence legislation, which three laws would you like to see introduced that might help you in your work?

I would like to see a consistent definition across sectors that define youth homelessness. This would make it easier to identify and support. I’d also like to see unaccompanied minors who are chronically homeless have the right to consent to their own medical care, apply for SNAP benefits, sign leases, etc.

Lastly, I’d like to see more funding for wraparound, supportive and permanency planning.

I know that this is not easy work. What keeps you going?

I have a very strong faith foundation and that keeps me going. I know that I’m called by God to do this work. Therefore, I know that I’m graced with the supernatural power and support to persist. There are literally youths lives that are attached to the work we do. So I’m making sure that I’m using my tools to remain motivated, such as staying connected to my church, loved ones, fitness community and therapy.

My brother’s legacy is an additional ‘why’ for me. I made a vow to dedicate this work to him and so many others, so it’s very personal, even during the dark moments. Also, I pull from the bright spots, such as the stories of resilience and strength that the youth we serve possess. Those stories move me in a sacred way.

Do you have hope that one day this great social challenge can be solved completely?

I do have hope that through innovation and coordinated services, we can have stronger solutions to address the issue of youth homelessness. I often say that success is measured by us not needing to exist.

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

Prioritize Self-Care — This work is emotionally taxing and very heavy. We as servant leaders cannot pour from an empty cup. It is imperative to prioritize moments of stillness. It wasn’t until I found myself sick and in the hospital that I truly realized if I am not well, then I cannot do the work. So, I decided to join a fitness community, started going to therapy and allowed myself to take days off.
Embrace Failure — As a child, I believe that we are conditioned to believe that “failure is not an option.” I went into this work with my Type A personality, trying to do everything “right” and afraid to take big risks. Now I believe that every day is an opportunity to learn something new.
Lean Into Your Community — Growing up in poverty, I looked at life through the lens of lack. However, as a nonprofit leader, I’m learning to view life through the lens of community. People are literally wanting to believe in something and to support a great cause. Allow them to do so. Detroit Phoenix Center ran an entire emergency shelter and housed 30 youth just off the strength of volunteers providing labor and in kind support. Also, join peer support learning groups for professional development.
Don’t Do Too Much Too Fast — There is so much need in space and that won’t change. It’s critical to have a strategic plan in place to scale and grow your organization to effectively meet the need.
Transparency is Key — Be honest with stakeholders, clients, consumers about your organization’s progress, needs and progress. Also, as a leader, highlight not only successes, but areas where you need support. Initially, I was so afraid to share our weaknesses, but as I’ve shared them, I’ve learned that we received more support to strengthen.

I would trigger a movement of radical love. I truly believe that love conquers all. When we radically love ourselves and our neighbors, we will be moved to make decisions that contribute to ensuring the world is a safer, more equitable and better place for us all. Given the political climate we are in, it’s imperative that individuals ban together to uplift and support each other.

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

“You must be the change you wish to see in the world.” This quote by Gandhi always reminds me that real change starts within. We literally have to emulate the values we want on this Earth in every aspect of life. Every day I strive to be my personal best, which in turns elevates the slow and humble work.

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

I would have to say Marian Wright Edelman, founder of the Children’s Defense Fund. She is a fearless and lifelong advocate in the social justice movement. Her work has literally transformed many of the systems that impact youth. Her leadership has inspired me to fight harder and longer. I would love to just listen to her journey and glean from her strength and wisdom.

How can our readers follow you online?

https://www.facebook.com/detroitphoenixcenter/

http://www.detroitphoenixcenter.org/

This was very meaningful, thank you so much!

Heroes Of The Homeless Crisis: How Courtney Smith & the Detroit Phoenix Center are helping to… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Heroes of The Homeless Crisis: How Kevin Finn & Strategies to End Homelessness are helping to…

Heroes of The Homeless Crisis: How Kevin Finn & Strategies to End Homelessness are helping to provide dignified support to thousands in the homeless community

We have gone to great lengths to enable a shelter to provide any level of appropriate social distancing. Some shelters have had to close completely and move their residents into hotel/motel rooms. Other shelters have had to move people who are most vulnerable to the virus into hotel/motel rooms so that the people left in their facilities can spread out away from each other.

As a part of my series about “Heroes Of The Homeless Crisis” I had the pleasure of interviewing, Kevin Finn.

Kevin Finn is the founding President & CEO of Strategies to End Homelessness, Inc. Kevin began working with the homeless in 1998 as a street outreach worker, providing services to homeless teenagers living on the streets. He founded a day-shelter for homeless teens and created several new homeless services programs which sought to break the cycle of homelessness for chronically homeless people.

In 2007, Kevin founded Strategies to End Homelessness, Inc., which leads a coordinated community effort to end homelessness in Greater Cincinnati. Working in partnership with 30 non-profit organizations, Strategies to End Homelessness coordinates a centralized emergency shelter hotline, homelessness prevention, street outreach, emergency shelter and housing solutions with the goal of ending homelessness.

A native Cincinnatian and St. Xavier High School graduate, Kevin received a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from St. Louis University and a master’s degree in Social Work from the University of Kentucky.

Thank you so much for joining us! Our readers would love to ‘get to know you’ a bit better. Can you tell us a bit about your personal background, and how you grew up?

I am a native Cincinnatian from an upper-middle class family. I’ve never wanted for anything, never lived in poverty & never been homeless. Up through my junior year at St. Xavier High School, I was pretty much as shallow as a puddle; my only goals were to play college football & get a degree that would earn me a lot of money later in life.

For reasons I do not understand to this day, I signed up for a six-week mission trip offered by St. Xavier, traveling to Peru during the summer between my junior and senior years of high school. I spent that time in Peru & came to see poverty, third-world poverty, as I had never known it existed previously. I returned from Peru, quit football, and threw myself into doing community service my senior year & onward.

For about ten years after that trip, I was searching for a meaningful way of bringing the experience I had in Peru home, searching for a way to keep that experience alive in my life, to use back here in the United States. I was drawn to the Jesuit value of service to others, so I attended St. Louis University and then entered the Jesuit Volunteer Corps, searching for a way that I could be of service. In 1998 I took a job working with the homeless and almost immediately realized that I had found the opportunity I had been looking for; I believe that homelessness is the most extreme manifestation of poverty seen in the United States.

Is there a particular story or incident that inspired you to get involved in your work helping people who are homeless?

On July 23, 1988 I saw the first person who I ever fully realized was homeless. I was walking down a street in Arequipa, Peru and I saw a man who was all dirty, wearing clothes that were all torn and who was lying in a doorway. I’m sure I had walked past people who were homeless before, and I didn’t need to go all the way to Peru to see someone without a home, but the experiences I had had in my first few weeks in Peru had opened my eyes, so by that day I was able to realize what was going on around me, and no longer seeing things through my upper-middle-class rose colored glasses. Seeing that man in that doorway, and seeing all of the awfulness associated with his not having a home, changed me. It would be another ten years before I realized that what I wanted to do with my professional life was work with other people experiencing homelessness but seeing him and recognizing the reality of his situation certainly changed me.

The number one cause of homelessness is the lack of affordable housing. Period. The end. The majority of people experiencing homelessness, in Cincinnati and elsewhere, are not mentally ill or alcohol or drug addicts. The primary factor that puts people at risk of homelessness is simply that housing is too expensive for people to readily afford.

In Cincinnati, we are living in a community absolutely surrounded by people who are paying 50–70% of their income for nothing but their housing. People in such situations are at risk of homelessness and may not even realize it, because when times are good, when they are getting enough hours at work or when they are not faced with any unforeseen expenses, they feel stable. However, when things take a turn for the worse, when their hours at work are cut, or they miss time due to illness, or their car breaks down, etc., all of the sudden their housing is at risk because that is where most of their money goes.

The lack of affordable housing being the primary cause of homelessness is backed up by the fact that homelessness has not increased at the same rate in all communities. In Cincinnati, the number of people sleeping unsheltered on the streets or residing in our homeless shelters has actually decreased by 3.8% since 2013 (from 7,306 in 2013 to 7,028 in 2019). During this same time, housing costs have increased but not at anywhere near the rate seen in housing markets like New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles or Washington D.C. where housing costs have skyrocketed. In those communities, as housing costs have gone through the roof, homelessness has increased at rates that make it appear that homelessness is on the rise everywhere, when that is not necessarily the case. When housing costs increase significantly in a community, so does the rate of homelessness.

Well first, I’d challenge the assumption hidden within your question- we cannot assume that everyone started out as a healthy young person who had a place to live, job, education, etc. In Cincinnati, 25% of our homeless population are children under age 18; another 9% are below the age of 25. So, with over a third of our homeless population under the age of 25, we most certainly cannot assume that everyone got off to a great start in life & only later fell on hard times. In fact, many of the people who experience homelessness barely got started in life before they became homeless.

In 23 years of working with people experiencing homelessness, I’ve never met anyone who was homeless due to just one issue, just one problem. Typically it takes the interplay of several problems manifesting themselves in close proximity to each other that leads to someone being homeless. A sub-par education paired with a downturn in the economy, the loss of a job paired with a mental health diagnosis, the death of a family member with whom a person shared housing combined with a substance use issue. These sorts of combinations put people’s housing at risk & can begin a downward spiral that leads to the homelessness.

Most people who lose their own housing, through eviction or otherwise, do not end up on the streets or in a shelter. Most people, upon losing their own housing begin to live with friends & family, or are “doubled-up” with someone else. And most people get back on their feet while they are living doubled-up & return to their own housing or continue to stay with friends & family. However, some people do not manage to get back on their feet while living with friends & family; they run out of such options before they can find their own housing. These are the people who find themselves on the streets or in shelters.

However, there are differences from community to community. For example, in Cincinnati, which has a number of very dedicated emergency shelter providers, the average homeless person has never spent a single night on the streets, instead going straight into a homeless shelter upon finding themselves without anywhere to double-up. In other communities where there is less shelter capacity, a much higher percentage of the homeless population find themselves literally on the streets.

Solutions are nowhere near that simple. In communities where the housing costs are higher, often so is hourly pay. In cities with lower housing costs, people often get lower hourly pay. Switching cities might lead to having to recalculate why a person cannot afford housing, but given the increased cost of housing compared to income, people likely still won’t be able to afford housing in another city. The issue is the cost of housing- when the only housing being developed is targeted toward people at higher income levels, & lower cost housing is frequently being rehabbed to be more appealing to wealthier people, people at lower income levels end up with few housing options they can afford.

If someone passes a homeless person on the street, what is the best way to help them?

I’d need to know more about the situation than “pass a homeless person on the street” to answer this question intelligently.

What is the best way to respond if a homeless person asks for money for rent or gas?

First, do not make the assumption that just because a person is asking for money or gas that they are in fact homeless. This is the case even if they are holding a sign that says they are homeless. We surveyed people who were out on the streets of Cincinnati asking people for money (aka “panhandling”) and we found that only a third of them, by their own self report when asked were in fact homeless.

There are certain things that people panhandling will say to increase the amount of money they receive, and one of those things is that they are homeless, but this is frequently not the case. They are often also not veterans, did not just lose their job, etc. but they may say such things in an effort to increase the amount of money they receive from the people they are approaching. This does not mean that people who are panhandling don’t need help or have real problems, but the problems they have may or may not be what they are disclosing when approaching people for money on the street.

To be helpful, provide a person with the thing they are requesting, not with money to go buy that thing. For example, if they are asking for money to get food, provide them with food. If they are seeking money for gas, accompany them to the gas station and buy them gas. I recommend this due to the fact that many people who panhandle are supporting a drug or alcohol habit with money they receive; if you give them food they will eat it, but if you give them money for food, it will frequently be spent on something else.

Can you describe to our readers how your work is making an impact battling this crisis?

What the general public seems to think about services for the homeless is that such services are provided by a bunch of non-profit organizations that are each off on their own island doing their own thing, & that there is very little coordination between the different organizations running, for example, homeless shelters. Unfortunately, in many communities this perception is basically correct. I’ve been working for a long time to change this in Cincinnati, for the benefit of people experiencing homelessness.

My first job working with the homeless, the job I accepted in 1998, was as a street outreach worker, working with teenagers who were living on the streets. What I noticed when I was in that position was pretty much what others perceive. The system was made up of a group of non-profits that wanted to help the homeless, but each organization was sort of doing their own thing. I thought that a higher level of collaboration among the agencies would allow us to do two things: be more efficient with the resources available & therefore be able to help more people; identify & fill in gaps in the system, ensuring homeless people have a better chance of getting what they need.

To this end, I founded Strategies to End Homelessness in 2007, with a mission of leading a coordinated community effort to end homelessness. Within nine years, our homeless services system in Cincinnati/Hamilton County, Ohio was recognized by HUD as one of the highest performing in the country, and thanks to the hard & tireless work of our partner agencies, we’ve seen a decrease in homelessness during a timeframe when many communities have seen significant increases.

How has the COVID-19 pandemic affected the homeless crisis, and the homeless community? Also how has it affected your ability to help people?

In Cincinnati, 88% of the people who are literally homeless, on the streets or in an emergency shelter, reside exclusively in a homeless shelter — about 12% spend any time on the streets. This is a very good thing, as the national average is about a third of homeless people being unsheltered, where they are three times as likely to die as a person sleeping in a shelter. However, emergency shelters are chronically under-resourced, perpetually doing the best they can with very limited resources. The fact that most people are in shelters, but that those shelters are struggling during normal times, means it is very difficult to figure out how to prepare for something like a pandemic. The extremely close quarters in most congregate homeless shelters mean that a virus could spread through a shelter the same way it would in a petri dish.

We have gone to great lengths to enable a shelter to provide any level of appropriate social distancing. Some shelters have had to close completely and move their residents into hotel/motel rooms. Other shelters have had to move people who are most vulnerable to the virus into hotel/motel rooms so that the people left in their facilities can spread out away from each other. The City of Cincinnati has also had to use a recreation center as a quarantine facility, for homeless people while they await test results or after they test positive.

Can you share something about your work that makes you most proud? Is there a particular story or incident that you found most uplifting?

A big part of what we do is oversee federal government funding for homelessness related services. Well, what makes me most proud is the fact that we prevent hundreds of people per year from ever having to experience homelessness. For example, in 2019 our prevention programs kept over 914 people, over 560 of which were children, off the streets. The reason I am proud of this is that the federal government funding does not support homelessness prevention, & the only reason that we even have such homelessness prevention programs in Cincinnati is because we willed it to be so, because we did the hard work necessary to secure other resources to keep so many people, mainly children, from ever having to experience the trauma of homelessness.

Without sharing real names, can you share a story with our readers about a particular individual who was impacted or helped by your work?

When I was a street outreach worker, all the way back in 1998 or 1999, I met a 26 year old man, who I’ll call John. John was homeless & had been ever since he was 16 years old when he was kicked out by his parents. So he’d spent 10 years on the streets, sleeping in vacant buildings, parks, etc. I felt very fortunate that during the years that I was doing street outreach & working with him, I managed to do a number of things to help him out; securing an income, finding housing, substance abuse treatment services, etc. But in total John was homeless for over 15 years.

Fast forward to about two years ago, 2018, when I reconnected with John for the first time in about 14 years. By then, John was running his own small company, living with his long-time girlfriend, had a home of his own, no sign of many of the issues he’d been struggling with back when he was on the streets. He had managed to turn things around and become a person who you could pass on the street & never have had any idea that at one point he had been chronically homeless.

Generally speaking, I don’t get the opportunity to reconnect with people years and years after they were homeless, but I’d like to think there are many other people out there who I’ve helped who have gone on to live their lives in a manner similar to John.

Can you share three things that the community and society can do to help you address the root of this crisis? Can you give some examples?

Volunteer- when people volunteer with organizations serving the homeless, you are helping people out of homelessness. For example, when a person volunteers to serve meals in a homeless shelter, the shelter does not have to pay someone to serve that meal. This frees up dollars that might have had to be used for additional staffing, dollars which could then instead be used to pay a deposit to move a homeless person into an apartment. It is that simple.
Donate strategically– do some research before you make a donation. A perfect example has to do with what I said earlier about federal government funding not paying for homelessness prevention. In the homeless services system (or any other social services system) there are more dollars available to do some things than others. In our system, there are few dollars for prevention, and many more dollars for other things. Meanwhile, it costs a third as much to prevent someone from becoming homeless as it costs to help that same person after they are homeless. In short, a donation to support prevention activities is not only meeting a greater need, it is also more cost effective. Again, donate strategically.

If you had the power to influence legislation, which three laws would you like to see introduced that might help you in your work?

Affordable Housing set aside from tax abatements- local governments love to give tax abatements for projects that build more high-end housing. However many years later, when the abatements expire, the tax revenue that is then realized by local governments is essentially new income that they had not been receiving. I’d like to see a portion (or all) of the newly realized tax revenue from developing high-end housing set aside specifically for the development of affordable housing. In this way, the development of high-end housing could also support the development of affordable housing.
Local public transportation, there is an issue on the ballot to greatly improve public transportation- single greatest initiative I have seen in all my years doing this work. People don’t necessarily recognize the link between things like public transportation & homelessness, but how are people supposed to become self-sufficient if they cannot get to the places where jobs are available? So, I would support legislation that develops good, reliable public transportation, which is a significant need in Cincinnati.
Support prevention activities- the reason why federal government funds don’t support prevention is because the federal government puts funding into different buckets, & each bucket can only pay for certain things. Some buckets of money pay for housing programs, some pay for shelter operations, some pay for health care, etc. Well, the bucket that could pay for prevention just basically doesn’t have any money in it at all. We don’t even necessarily need more money than we already receive from the federal government, but we do need to have the flexibility to use those dollars as we see fit in our community, & that means having the flexibility to move money between different interventions, including putting some of the money the federal government already gives our community into prevention. That would really help.

I know that this is not easy work. What keeps you going?

Everyone has certain things, certain work, that they are drawn to in either their personal or professional lives, work that just comes naturally to them. In a similar fashion, working around issues of homelessness is simply what comes naturally to me. If I didn’t do this, I don’t know what I would do.

Do you have hope that one day this great social challenge can be solved completely?

Homelessness has only really existed in large numbers in the United States for about the last 50 years. Since homelessness has only been an issue here for a relatively short period of time, I don’t see any reason it could not have disappeared a few decades from now.

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

Luckily, some of these things people did actually tell me before I started…

“A man’s hand is never too dirty to shake”- I was doing some volunteer work in rural Kentucky while I was in college. I was helping fix up a trailer that a family was living in, & the man who lived there wanted to thank me by shaking my hand, but I hesitated to shake his hand because my hands were dirty, so he told me, “a man’s hand is never too dirty to shake”. This sentiment has come to my mind frequently as I’ve been working with people experiencing homelessness, & really helped me to relax & relate to people.
“You get more done if you are nice to people”- my parents taught me this, & since much of my organization’s work involves simply persuading organizations to coordinate their efforts, when they have no specific obligation to do so, this has been an important lesson for me.
“If you aren’t making someone mad, you aren’t doing anything”- our founding board chair, Peg Moertl, told me this years ago. It has been essential to my work to realize that it is alright for people to get upset about work that I am doing, & that in fact people getting upset is actually an indicator that change is happening.
“Always err on the side of the client”- something I’ve learned along the way is to always give the person you are trying to help the benefit of the doubt. There can be a tendency to, when faced with a situation that could go different ways, to not know what to do. My guiding principal is always to do what is best for the person I am trying to help, the person experiencing homelessness, & this has never led me astray.
“Surround yourself with good people & then get out of their way”- the thing I think I am best at is hiring. I’m actually pretty mediocre at lots of other things, so the thing that has served me best has been to surround myself with good people on our staff, and then to give them the independence to identify what needs to be done.

I think that people are naturally generous with their time, resources, etc. This somewhat frequently manifests itself when there is a natural disaster, tornado, earthquake or something like that. After such events, we see ordinary people stand up to help total strangers who were victims. I firmly believe that the reason so many people join in & help under such circumstances is because they recognize that they could have just as easily been a victim, that the tornado or earthquake could just as easily affected them instead of others.

One of the main things I’d like for accomplish is for the general public to realize that homelessness is just such a disaster, just such a thing that really truly could happen to anyone & could have happened to them. People who experience homelessness are no different than anyone else, & given different random circumstance, that anyone could have become homeless.

I think that if the general public understood this, understood that it could have been them who ended up homelessness, then people would similarly be motivated to step forward & help those who are homeless, & such a movement & collective effort could quickly end homelessness.

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

I was asked a similar question back in college, but the question then was what your goal in life is. What I came up with then, and still think about often is this…& I’ve underlined the key words.

“My goal is to be content, feel that I’ve done some good, while still being a play baby”.

Content- I recognize that I have been given a great deal, & while I am not rich, famous or whatever else, I recognize what I have been given, I value what I have been given, & I am content.

Done some good- whether it be the end of a work day or the end of my life, I simply want to feel that I’ve done some good for my fellow man. Doesn’t have to be in a big dramatic way, doesn’t have to have made me famous or infamous or anything else, I just want to feel like I’ve done some good.

Play baby- I’ll keep that part to myself.

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

Stephen King, the author. He’s almost the only author whose books I read, & I’ve read a few of his stories over and over.

How can our readers follow you online?

I am on Facebook & Twitter (@noonehomeless) & LinkedIn. Also through my organization’s website, www.strategiestoendhomelessness.org

This was very meaningful, thank you so much!

Heroes of The Homeless Crisis: How Kevin Finn & Strategies to End Homelessness are helping to… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Heroes Of The Homeless Crisis: How Linda Little and Neighborhood Service Organization are helping…

Heroes Of The Homeless Crisis: How Linda Little and Neighborhood Service Organization are helping to provide dignified support to thousands in the the homeless community

If you do not know them, make eye contact. Let them know you see them and contribute to organizations that are experts in connecting them to assistance. If you have a sincere interest in this issue, familiarize yourself with organizations in your community so that you can inform individuals experiencing homelessness how to connect with the organizations that can help

As a part of my series about “Heroes Of The Homeless Crisis” I had the pleasure of interviewing Linda Little of Neighborhood Service Organization.

Linda Little BSN, MBA, RN, CCM is President and CEO of Neighborhood Service Organization, a safety-net health and human service agency in Detroit, Mich. Coupling her clinical experience in critical care with an exceptional business acumen, Linda has nearly 30 years of proven healthcare leadership with an emphasis on population health management, revenue cycle optimization, physician alignment, operational efficiency, strategic planning, and quality/performance improvement. Learn more at nso-mi.org.

Thank you so much for joining us! Our readers would love to ‘get to know you’ a bit better. Can you tell us a bit about your personal background, and how you grew up?

I grew up in a traditional working class family in Detroit. We didn’t live in the best neighborhood, but I did not know it at the time. I went to Catholic school all the way up through high school and had a really strong family focus and background. God, family and community. These were the top three pillars of my life and that’s still true today.

I was a teen mom that didn’t fit the stereotype. I didn’t come from a broken home. In fact, my parents have been married for 53 years. I was a bit naïve as a teenager. I never would have thought that a single choice I made when I was 16 would have led to a total change in the trajectory of my life. But this circumstance, this choice that I made, really helped me to understand the significance and impact of every decision I made afterward.

Being a teen mom certainly made life much more challenging, but it also made life very focused for me. I was on the path to go to medical school. Instead, I pursued a career as a nurse, the best career choice I made. I don’t regret where I am today and am proud of the successful person my son is, but my personal journey really underscores the impact that one single choice can have on the trajectory of your whole life.

Is there a particular story or incident that inspired you to get involved in your work helping people who are homeless?

What inspired me to do this work was the opportunity to take my 25 years of experience as a nurse and leader working in the healthcare delivery system and bring it to this community-based agency so that we can deliver a holistic approach to this population to improve their overall health and well-being.

I have such an affinity for people who are experiencing poverty or who are part of a vulnerable population. People who are homeless…that’s just the tip of the iceberg for so many other issues that played into that. Housing instability is just the icing on the cake. There are so any other things within those layers that are not being addressed and I wanted to help raise awareness of those underlying issues, too.

There is a poverty gap in our community, in our culture in the U.S., that seemed to widen as the economic recovery occurred after the 2008 crisis. There are many systems and programs designed to enable communities that are on the curve of economic recovery, resurgence or renaissance, like Detroit. However, all those dollars and revitalization programs and development approaches are for people who have the means to actively participate. That same degree of energy and effort has not been spent on those on the lower socio-economic track or those who live in neighborhoods that aren’t able to participate in these revitalization opportunities.

Inequity is inequity. And simply put, that’s what it is. If those experiencing these unique issues are not at the decision-making table to design these programs, oftentimes their voices are not represented to afford them to have access to that opportunity. That’s why diversity of thought is so important. We need different stakeholders and representatives around the table making these decisions, inserting various perspectives into developing the process so that those who are not afforded the seat at the table aren’t left behind. And that’s what we’re seeing. The people who were already on the fray are being displaced. That is why the gap is widening. Nonetheless, I also understand that there are not enough resources to do everything at once. I believe that those committed to the revitalization of communities have the best intentions. Limited resources have to be deployed to achieve what is considered the best return on the investment.

You will be surprised to learn about the myths people have about homelessness. I talk to people who we serve and many people who have experienced homelessness. There is not one path to homelessness. It seems that many of the root causes stem from poverty and choices. It may have been one choice or a series of choices, but there’s usually a series of events that have occurred in an individual’s life that have caused them to suffer some traumatic event. Trauma plays a major role, whether they chose to use an illegal substance or mishandle a license that they’ve had (i.e. physicians) or to steal money that caused them to commit a federal crime, which led to time spent in prison and then the family ostracized them and they had no place to go. Also, studies show that more than 50 percent of American are living paycheck to paycheck, with minimal savings. That makes one out of two of us one paycheck away from housing instability.

These choices that people make and the trauma that results after this path in their life occurs, it leads to so many underlining issues within an individual. What we as a community and society need to recognize is that your own next door neighbor could be a single step away from experiencing homelessness, someone in your family or anyone you know. Homelessness is closer to each of us than it has ever been before as a society.

There are a lot of people during this current COVID-19 crisis who are experiencing this right now. Those folks have no paycheck and, in some instances, unemployment won’t improve the situation or the money is not able to reach them in time. This pandemic has also illuminated the transient homeless population who was once sleeping on the sofa of friends or family who can no longer do this due to real or perceived risks of exposing others in the household. We anticipate seeing a different type of homelessness as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

How do you logically ask someone who doesn’t have resources to pick up and relocate to another city? This question ignores the possibility of real barriers and assumes that an individual has the resources and even the mental capacity to do so. It is often difficult for someone with stable income and a career to pick up and relocate. This reluctance is compounded for someone in crisis who does not have resources.

If someone passes a homeless person on the street, what is the best way to help them?

The best way to help someone, if you don’t know them, is through organizations that help people on the street. Individuals who are chronically homeless, someone who has been on the street for a year or more, develop coping mechanisms that would be foreign to you or I if we have not had training or exposure to this population. A person who is homeless typically has a huge degree of mistrust and has learned coping skills in order to survive. It is best to, contact an organization that is equipped with trained staff and professionals who deal with the issues that people who are homeless face on a regular basis. I would say support those organizations financially, or by volunteering, and let them help.

What is the best way to respond if a homeless person asks for money for rent or gas?

If you do not know them, make eye contact. Let them know you see them and contribute to organizations that are experts in connecting them to assistance. If you have a sincere interest in this issue, familiarize yourself with organizations in your community so that you can inform individuals experiencing homelessness how to connect with the organizations that can help.

Can you describe to our readers how your work is making an impact battling this crisis?

Neighborhood Service Organization, or NSO, has a continuum of services to address homelessness. Our goal is to eventually take everyone that comes into contact with us, who encounters our agency, and end homelessness for that individual. For those that we have touched and been able to transition into permanent supportive housing, we have a 95 percent retention rate. NSO has an emergency shelter, transitional housing or rapid rehousing, permanent supportive housing as well as street medicine to meet their medical needs. We have a street outreach team that goes out and tries to engage the homeless population in an effort to get them into the pipeline for housing solutions available in our community.

NSO has the largest permanent supportive housing unit in Michigan with 155 one-bedroom apartments and we have relationships with landlords to add capacity for another 150 units–for a total of more than 300 units of permanent housing. Here we provide all necessary services to empower residents to take charge of their lives by connecting them to life skills groups, substance abuse services, basic computer skills, employment services and primary healthcare, behavioral healthcare, and dental services.

We also answer about 90,000 housing crisis calls annually and we transition about 1,000 to permanent supportive housing every year.

This is the work we do as one agency, but we connect with thousands of homeless people on a daily basis to engage them into housing solutions. And this takes multiple touches to do that. We first have to build relationships with them. It helps that we also deliver medical care to them. Our organization has partnerships with medical schools throughout our tri-county area to help deliver our street medicine programs and services. We are their point of contact for food, education, medications they need, substance use treatment, even family reunification. We try to develop a full continuum of homeless recovery services for this population to ultimately engage them and then help end homelessness for them.

How has the COVID-19 pandemic affected the homeless crisis, and the homeless community? Also how has it affected your ability to help people?

We know that the homeless population is one of the most vulnerable populations for this type of virus to infect, simply because of their propensity to congregate. Shelters further encourage that congregation. There have been major efforts made by NSO, the City of Detroit, Detroit Health Department and others to try to safeguard this virus from spreading throughout the homeless population.

As an agency, we took every precaution to make certain we were able to meet the CDC guidelines for distancing, hand washing, screening, isolation and quarantining and testing that we could. We even relocated our clients from our current walk-in center into a larger facility to be able to allow them to physically distance. We implemented COVID symptomatic screening multiple times throughout the day, including temperature checks, and we have a designated isolation room set up, We also started working with the City of Detroit to transition those folks who were symptomatic to the quarantine site right away, to mitigate exposure to others within the shelter.

NSO is fortunate as an agency to have a medical team on staff. We have a medical director of primary care and nurse practitioners who were already delivering services through our street medicine program. We expanded the clinic in our walk-in center from two days a week to five days a week, incorporating tele-behavioral services on site. We also are meeting all of their basic needs, because they can’t come and go as they normally would due to the Governor’s Shelter-in-Place executive order. This includes laundry services, three meals a day, any health needs they have or court dates they may have.

When this crisis began, we decided to take on the responsibility of providing the services that people need as they are sheltering in place and then ask for the funding support to do it, not the other way around. And that’s what we’ve done. We’re not completely there, but a lot of community donors have stepped up and supported our efforts to deliver these expanded services to our clients.

Can you share something about your work that makes you most proud? Is there a particular story or incident that you found most uplifting?

I am here because of the clients that we serve every day, and it is always a privilege and an honor to serve them. But interacting with the staff during this crisis and seeing how they’ve stepped up to protect and serve this vulnerable population has been absolutely awe-inspiring for me.

These are not healthcare workers. They didn’t sign up to work in the medical profession or respond to a public health crisis, but they took their positions as advocates and service providers and protectors of this vulnerable population seriously. They showed up and they have been there risking their own lives to help others. Some of them have tested positive for COVID-19 and some have lost family members, while others are fighting for their lives battling this virus. I am forever grateful to them and I am in awe of their heroism and bravery.

I know intimately what they’re dealing with. Our team is facing the same scenarios and making the same sacrifices as healthcare workers on the front lines in hospitals, but they aren’t receiving all of the accommodations, such as special day care centers, because they aren’t technically healthcare professionals. They are doing all of this work despite the challenges and risks.

We have more than 300 employees, and to be able to transition everyone who is normally out in the community delivering face-to-face services to telehealth in a matter of days, that is commitment. They were eager to continue to deliver those services, because they knew our consumers would need them now more than ever.

Without sharing real names, can you share a story with our readers about a particular individual who was impacted or helped by your work?

We had a homeless person who encountered NSO through our street outreach team. We spent some time working with her, earning her trust and, eventually, she agreed to services.

She had bronchitis and asthma exacerbation at the same time and couldn’t breathe and was not getting enough oxygen. Our street medicine team assessed her and took her immediately to the hospital where she was treated and stayed for about a week. To this day she will tell you NSO’s street medicine team saved her life.

After a few years she was able to obtain permanent housing and began to work with us as a peer support specialist.

She was given a second chance and a job. . . something to hope for. She was reunited with her family and just completed her associate’s degree. She is currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree in social work. She also serves on the board of our street medicine team now, too.

Can you share three things that the community and society can do to help you address the root of this crisis? Can you give some examples?

The root cause is poverty. Our community and society need to work toward solutions to eradicate poverty. I understand we may always have social and socio-economic classes, but poverty is something that should not exist in the United States of America. The formulas used by many states and government entities to distribute resources disproportionately affects vulnerable populations. This has been affirmed by researchers who have demonstrated that your zip code determines your life expectancy and quality of life. We can change this system inequity.

We also need to address other social inequities, like access to healthcare and make certain people have access to resources in the medical and mental healthcare they need, which often plays a role in homelessness, too. The homeless population is the most densely populated with chronic medical conditions, and there’s a reason for that.

We also need more affordable housing solutions, not the formula used today. The current formula excludes a lot of people, such as those who work minimum wage jobs and struggle to pay rent.

If you had the power to influence legislation, which three laws would you like to see introduced that might help you in your work?

I would like legislation that promotes innovative housing solutions. Legislation that encourages private and public partnerships to address gaps in the housing continuum. The government would have to be involved to reduce some of the risk and provide stability to projects. Other states have done this successfully and I think it would work.

I would like to see us increase the minimum wage. Each state is different, but here in Detroit a living wage, which is different than a minimum wage, is about $11 an hour. I believe if we increased the minimum wage to $15 an hour across the U.S. it would enable any individual to have some type of affordable housing and maintain at least a minimum livelihood. Everyone deserves that.

I’d also like to see everyone have access to healthcare. Healthcare is a right, not a privilege. The value of a human life should not be based on the resource a person has. Through my own experience, people may need to be incentivized. There may need to be some sort of incentive to engage and drive people to the right level of care and promotes preventive and wellness services. These steps have been proven to drive down healthcare costs, while improving healthcare outcomes.

Those three things I think can really change the state of our society for the better.

I know that this is not easy work. What keeps you going?

The love for my community and the need for our services keeps me going. God, family and community, as I mentioned earlier, are the three pillars I live by. If a family member of mine was in need, I would hope that someone would do the same for them.

Do you have hope that one day this great social challenge can be solved completely?

Yes, that would make me very happy. It would be a blessing if these needs no longer existed and I was put out of a job!

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

Pace yourself — I have learned that the need is much greater than anticipated…COVID-19 will surely expand the demand for services. I sometimes find myself working 14–16 hour days. This is not a pace for positive health.

Maintain a routine of self-care that is not negotiable — If you do not carve out time for yourself, it will easily be used up by something else. It took me a while to figure out a schedule to get much needed exercise and take care of myself.

Find a trusted CEO network — There are things that you experience as a nonprofit CEO that can only be understood by those who have been there. Trusted sources to bounce off ideas and exchange best practices can be priceless.

It is ok to say “no” — Going back to the need being so great, it is easy to engage in projects or programs that may or may not be aligned with your particular mission or strategic plan. Using a mission matrix can help to illuminate the pros and cons of engaging in new programs or projects that are in the best interest of your agency or populations served.

Fill your cup — In this role, you pour a lot of yourself into others. It is important to fill your own cup so that you have more to give. I use daily motivationals, enriching books or journals, and podcasts to help fill me up on a daily basis.

I would change the algorithms that distributes funds into communities for essential services (public schools, healthcare access, housing assistance, etc.) to significantly reduce inequities. I can talk about this subject all day and how it impacts so many things in our community. Allow me to give one example: there are public schools in vulnerable communities that can barely purchase toilet paper, not to mention textbooks and appropriate salaries for teachers to prepare students for success. How can this be? The most at risk schools should receive more resources to address the contributing factors that serve as barriers to education. Instead, they receive fewer resources because their students perform at a lower level or their tax base may not be as high. This sets up for a downward spiral of inequities that spans a lifetime for the children affected. Knowing what we do today about the impact of social determinants on health, education, etc., I would adjust formulas used to distribute resources for essential services based on acuity/risk factors for the populations served. This would allow the communities with the greatest need to have the resources it needs to address them. I can always dream…right?

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

“I did then what I knew how to do. Now that I know better, I do better.” This quote by Dr. Maya Angelou means so much. To me, it means you know what you know at the time you know it, but once you have enlightenment you have a responsibility to act responsibly and not beat yourself up about it.

I believe that life is a journey, not a destination. I believe if we keep an open mind and heart there are always opportunities to grow and learn, grow and develop, and as you grow and develop and incorporate those lessons learned into your life, you get better outcomes and become a better person. You also make better choices and decisions. I’ve definitely experienced this in my life. I’m always growing and always looking for ways that I can continue to learn and develop.

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

Warren Buffet. I know that this is an interesting choice. He seems to be a very insightful man, and he is in the top 1 percent wealth category for our nation. He experiences a different reality than many of us on a daily basis. I would want to understand how he sees many of the issues facing our communities and hear some of his thoughts on solutions.

How can our readers follow you online?

https://www.facebook.com/nso.michigan/

https://twitter.com/nsomichigan

https://www.instagram.com/nsodetroit/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/neighborhood-service-organization/

This was very meaningful, thank you so much.

Heroes Of The Homeless Crisis: How Linda Little and Neighborhood Service Organization are helping… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Heroes Of The Homeless Crisis: How Larry Johnson & LifeBUILDERS are Helping To Provide Support and…

Heroes Of The Homeless Crisis: How Larry Johnson & LifeBUILDERS are Helping To Provide Support and Dignity To The Homeless Community

We have diverted our attention to keeping people whole and hope alive. This crisis has provided us an opportunity to help in yet another very tangible way. Residents have long seen us as a beacon of light and hope and this is yet another opportunity to demonstrate that by our response to this crisis. Due to the distancing restrictions we are all faced with this crisis had added another layer of difficulty in meeting needs but we have found a way. At the same time it’s given us a chance to deepen our relationships with our residents, getting to know them on a more personal level.

As a part of my series about “Heroes Of The Homeless Crisis” I had the pleasure of interviewing Larry Johnson, co-founder and executive director of LifeBUILDERS.

In 2005, after years of helping the underserved in under resourced communities, Johnson and his wife, Marilyn, decided to give themselves and their wealth to helping a Detroit neighborhood in distress by starting the nonprofit LifeBUILDERS. They ultimately moved into the community they chose to serve, building the “mom and pop” shop into one that serves hundreds of residents annually. The Johnsons play a pivotal role in establishing, expanding and enhancing relationships with community members, as well as seeking out and collaborating with public and private partners to provide solutions and assist with LifeBUILDERS’ vision to transform a one square mile section of Detroit as a means of being a catalyst to help spur transformation throughout the city.

Thank you so much for joining us Larry! Our readers would love to ‘get to know you’ a bit better. Can you tell us a bit about your personal background, and how you grew up?

I grew up in a steel mill town across the river from St. Louis, Missouri. Dad was in construction and Mom worked at a grocery store. I have one sister, who is nine years younger. I worked from the time I was very young. I cut grass, worked at grocery stores, gas stations and on farms. I went to the University of Missouri at Rolla, earned a bachelor’s degree of engineering management. I started working in computer sales in 1970 and, after several years of success, I launched a computer leasing and sales company known as North American Computer Equipment. It was sold to a Fortune 500 Company in 1990 and my wife, Marilyn, and I began what has become a journey of faith and serving and philanthropy all over the world. After several years of serving on boards and traveling internationally our heart was broken for Detroit, specifically the plight of Detroit neighborhoods in the midst of job loss, abandonment and more. LifeBUILDERS was formed in 2005 and, in 2010, we moved from an affluent city nearby to the Detroit neighborhood we would focus our efforts — Regent Park. LifeBUILDERS’ work is widely recognized and applauded in the faith and secular community for its holistic approach to community development.

Is there a particular story or incident that inspired you to get involved in your work helping people who are homeless?

In general, it all began when Marilyn and I volunteered at a faith-based, nonprofit organization in Detroit that provides food, shelter and services to those experiencing homelessness and substance addiction. We became generally concerned about what happens with people when they leave the shelter. I remember coming home from serving a Thanksgiving meal and talking with many of the ladies who were in drug rehab and Marilyn saying, ‘What happens to these women when they leave here?’ That was the beginning of us thinking where do they go? Do they have somewhere to live? Do they have a support system? That led to the purchase of our first house in Regent Park and the rest is history.

The effects of blight and abandonment, vacant and dangerous homes is overwhelming. Seeing this every day, knowing drug dealers are operating in abandoned houses, houses with overgrown grass, fires being started and more leaves people living in fear, staying home and without a place to recreate or to take a walk. These were the conditions of the neighborhood when we started and decided to take on the problem. It was far more than we ever anticipated. And we had no experience, just the heart and the funds to try and do something to change the environment. We now have set a new standard of rental housing, and tenant landlord relationships.

Working in shelters we saw people dealing with addiction and homelessness. We began to understand the different ways people respond to great loss, such as feelings of hopelessness and turning to drugs and ending up on the streets. We had firsthand conversations with people in these situations and observances over the years.

Many times, it stems from a trauma in life that they have no means to recover from, poor decisions, feelings of hopelessness and despair, negative influences, not being accountable, expected to achieve. These things lead in some cases to such overwhelming pressures, despair and a downward spiral.

We saw firsthand what living in poverty looked like — no disposable income, no ability to deal with adversity, mistreated and maligned by employers, landlords, making tough decisions about how to spend limited income.

We saw so much of this and thought this is just not right, this shouldn’t be. That’s what moved us. And then we went about advocating for justice and fairness.

Fear of change, inability to move, puts more anxiety and pressure in one’s life. Issues of homelessness are complex.

Can you describe to our readers how your work is making an impact battling this crisis?

By its very nature and the fact that we’re a different kind of landlord. When our residents are faced with a personal crisis, a loss of job or unexpected expense, we work with them to get through these things. We might forgive a month’s rent or help them pay for something, to keep their life as whole as possible. Our mission is to support and encourage people where appropriate.

How has the COVID-19 pandemic affected the homeless crisis, and the homeless community? Also how has it affected your ability to help people?

We have diverted our attention to keeping people whole and hope alive. This crisis has provided us an opportunity to help in yet another very tangible way. Residents have long seen us as a beacon of light and hope and this is yet another opportunity to demonstrate that by our response to this crisis. Due to the distancing restrictions we are all faced with this crisis had added another layer of difficulty in meeting needs but we have found a way. At the same time it’s given us a chance to deepen our relationships with our residents, getting to know them on a more personal level.

Can you share something about your work that makes you most proud? Is there a particular story or incident that you found most uplifting?

Despite all the obstacles and discouragement, we’ve seen so many people encouraged and moving along positively with their life. And that’s sufficient for us. They see in all that we do, we deflect any honor and praise, and give all the honor to God in this.

Without sharing real names, can you share a story with our readers about a particular individual who was impacted or helped by your work?

Two individuals come to mind. Both got involved with us early on, stayed with us, and have been working and growing in all aspects of their lives. Today their lives look very different.

One story is about a woman we met that came out of drug rehab and moved into our apartment. She has been with us for more than a decade and has worked with us and is involved with her church. Another is a young man that came to us years ago. His father was shot and killed. He ended up working for us for years. Both of these individuals have had their lives set on a new trajectory and in many ways they are paying it forward to others now.

Can you share three things that the community and society can do to help you address the root of this crisis? Can you give some examples?

I believe community engagement, financial support and actually having a conversation with a person and see each other’s perspective, learn from each other would help. If people could seek to understand these things, we could get to the root of this as a society.

I know that this is not easy work. What keeps you going?

It’s about faith. We’ve been called here. There’s great injustice we see. There’s been such an unfair distribution of resources that needs to be rectified. We believe in our heart through our advocacy and persistence in this work that we will continue to see a neighborhood community become whole.

Do you have hope that one day this great social challenge can be solved completely?

Of course I believe this great social challenge can be solved completely. All things are possible.

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

I don’t know about five things, but there are definitely two things that come to mind.

The first is that you can work at this for decades and you still may never fully understand all the issues. The challenges are so great and so many are systemic, that hoping to understand fully why someone reacts the way they do to something is all one can do.

Secondly, I wish I would have known how negatively landlords are viewed here in Detroit. Despite doing very high quality work and being a landlord unlike others, there is such stigma attached to being a landlord, negative perceptions and connotations associated with that title ‘landlord.’ It was very difficult to deal with in the early days of this work.

If there was appropriate policing of landlords in the way that they maintain their properties and treat their tenants, that would bring about real change. Seeing that whole ecosystem changing, guidelines and quality standards put in place and then enforced, I think that would help people feel dignified and respected, that would make people feel more valued and want to get engaged in revitalization efforts. Their housing situation is constantly diminished by the landlord, people not expecting to be treated fairly. When there’s a maintenance problem, having a landlord not get to it for weeks or if ever can have a terrible effect on people.

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

“When the morning’s freshness has been replaced by the weariness of midday, when the leg muscles give under the strain, the climb seems endless, and suddenly nothing will go quite as you wish-it is then that you must not hesitate.” This is a quote by Dag Hammarskjold. I have always been a persistent person, believing that if I stuck with something and worked real hard that the end result would be favorable.

Also, Dwight L. Moody, the founder of Moody Bible Institute in Chicago said once to a friend, “Man has yet to see what God can do with a person who fully surrenders his life to God. I intend to give Him that chance.” I find that the more I give myself to others, the more I see God at work accomplishing His will in my life and in others.

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

I’ve met some amazing people in my life. But if she were alive today I would say Mother Theresa, because of her love for the poor and her adaptability to all situations. I remember her telling someone, who asked her how she could one day be picking up a poor person off the street of Calcutta then the next day meeting with the President of the United States, “Every morning when I get up I say, Lord, whatever you have for me today is just fine.”

How can our readers follow you online?

https://www.facebook.com/lifebuildersdetroit/

https://www.instagram.com/lifebuildersdetroit

https://twitter.com/lifebuildersdet

http://www.lifebuildersdetroit.com/

This was very meaningful, thank you so much!

Heroes Of The Homeless Crisis: How Larry Johnson & LifeBUILDERS are Helping To Provide Support and… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Heroes Of The Homeless Crisis: How Reverend Nancy Mercurio and Together In Peace Are Helping To…

Heroes Of The Homeless Crisis: How Reverend Nancy Mercurio and Together In Peace Are Helping To Provide Support To Thousands In The Homeless Community

Learning at an early age that my classmates and friends often went without meals prompted my siblings and I to help those less fortunate. Bringing home ‘guests’ for meals was a regular occurrence for every family member in our home. And while we certainly were not living a life of luxury ourselves, there was never a day that we went hungry or without a roof over our heads, so we always felt blessed.

As a part of my series about “Heroes Of The Homeless Crisis” I had the pleasure of interviewing Reverend Nancy Mercurio.

Reverend Nancy Mercurio, co-founded Together In Peace Inc. with her husband and corporate business partner, Jeffrey King in 2013. A business entrepreneur, executive coach, and author, who has spent decades in the corporate world bringing out the best in people and organizations, she created this non-profit, interfaith organization to educate the world on peace, tolerance and acceptance. With 100% volunteer participation, the mission was initially launched through a series of children’s books and grew into 8000+ social media followers, bi-weekly Sunday services, and community outreach efforts with emphasis on support for those who are homeless, sheltered or incarcerated.

Thank you so much for joining us! Our readers would love to ‘get to know you’ a bit better. Can you tell us a bit about your personal background, and how you grew up?

Born into a 100% Armenian family, I grew up in the Detroit area and learned the importance of integration of cultures and people. Much like NYC is today, Detroit had its various cultures in pods throughout the city which placed importance on building unification and supporting all people within the larger community, not just our own culture. Sharing everything we had with others and opening our doors to welcome people set the stage for a lifetime of not seeing myself as the center of the universe and wanting to help others.

Is there a particular story or incident that inspired you to get involved in your work helping people who are homeless?

Learning at an early age that my classmates and friends often went without meals prompted my siblings and I to help those less fortunate. Bringing home ‘guests’ for meals was a regular occurrence for every family member in our home. And while we certainly were not living a life of luxury ourselves, there was never a day that we went hungry or without a roof over our heads, so we always felt blessed.

The biggest awareness I can offer is that our unsheltered population is not a unique group of people. They are people who have fallen on hard times such as losing jobs and subsequently being evicted with no alternative plan, or those who are too embarrassed to ask for help. While there are indeed those who have had substance abuse issues, it is a misnomer to assume that being homeless equates to being uneducated, lazy, a drug addict or an alcoholic. Life can present challenges that seem insurmountable when a person is without resources such as family, friends, money and/or guidance.

It is surprising to learn how many unsheltered people did not have a support system to begin with. With each generation, the family nucleus and family values have become less important which has led to a more self-consumed society. People leave family members behind for better pay and opportunities and in some cases, there is less desire to maintain communication beyond obligatory or holiday commitments. Equally important to mention is that there is a lack of temporary housing facilities and resource centers to bridge the gap between joblessness and homelessness, as well as transitioning from homelessness to securing a job and home.

Our experience has led to understanding that this question is natural but doing so is easier said than done. When people experience homelessness, there is a level of comfort in navigating familiar surroundings. For example, there may be a friend whose couch becomes the first stop while sleeping in a vehicle may be the next, and eventually the person may be able to stay in a shelter for a few weeks. However, living somewhere you know may provide false hope of returning to your former life. The second challenge is in the affordability of traveling to a warmer location.

If someone passes a homeless person on the street, what is the best way to help them?

Nutrition and essential needs items are always a priority, so we encourage people to carry such bags in their vehicles or at a minimum, carry a nutrition bar or food gift card. It is a simple effort to ask someone who may appear homeless if they are hungry, and in response offer to return with food if feasible.

What is the best way to respond if a homeless person asks for money for rent or gas?

Our mission does not typically offer funds to individuals but will ask the right questions to determine if such requests related to rent or gas are the underlying issue. While there are cases in which money may be needed to drive to pick up a social security check or to travel to a pantry for other essential needs, there is no way to know if they have a place to live or have access to a vehicle. Our experience has taught us that asking ‘what the money is needed for’ leads to a better understanding of how to assist without enabling bad behaviors related to life-threatening habits such as substance abuse.

Can you describe to our readers how your work is making an impact battling this crisis?

Initially, I did not feel we were making an impact because the problem is so much bigger than we are. However, through partnering with local groups such as an organization that distributes blankets or a food pantry, I learned that our impact was greater when we joined forces. While not every charitable project we initiate is a partnered effort, it is helpful to know that everyone doing their part actually does make an impact.

How has the COVID-19 pandemic affected the homeless crisis, and the homeless community? Also how has it affected your ability to help people?

COVID-19 has reinforced the need to stand stronger together and our efforts have reached far beyond our work for the homeless. We recently delivered our annual Mother’s Day gift bags to the domestic violence shelter, and individually volunteered to purchase and deliver food to seniors who are homebound, sent cards to seniors in assisted living facilities, joined a local effort to check on seniors at home, set up weekly zoom support calls for anyone who wanted to join, and even held a virtual Bingo night to bring people together. Our key focus during COVID-19 has been ensuring people do not feel alone and that those in need of purchases can count on us.

Can you share something about your work that makes you most proud? Is there a particular story or incident that you found most uplifting?

The most humbling and unexpected outcome of this mission has been the impact on those who are volunteering in these various charitable outreach efforts. Some of these people have never volunteered to assist the less fortunate and the more they do, the bigger their hearts become. We have witnessed tremendous more peace and joy in the lives of our volunteers over time and in some cases have added purpose and meaning to their life. My granddaughter who is 11 has been volunteering the past three years and for two years, she has led the creation of the Mother’s Day gift bags for the women in the domestic violence shelter. She is always the first in line to volunteer, has a million ideas and is so joyful. Our mission is changing the lives of the doers, not just the recipients which has been an unexpected gift in this endeavor.

Without sharing real names, can you share a story with our readers about a particular individual who was impacted or helped by your work?

Probably the most impactful story was helping a woman who went from a professional job and home to a shelter because she sacrificed everything to return to her country of birth to help her family. When she returned to the U.S., she struggled to find work and was living in a homeless shelter. She reached out to me for emotional support and prayer but was too proud to ask for help. It was painful to be an observer and allow her to find her own solutions, but my role was to minister and empower and let her lead the way. Once she landed a job, she asked for a loan to cover the deposit and first month’s rent on a small apartment so she could leave the homeless shelter. I was relieved when she finally asked for help because she had been moving from one shelter to another and cried every day. Of course we loaned her the funds, but the more important aspect of this story is understanding that empowerment is critical in these situations.

Can you share three things that the community and society can do to help you address the root of this crisis? Can you give some examples?

Listening to others would be the first step.

There may be someone you work with or know who is too embarrassed to tell you what they are experiencing, or perhaps they have dropped hints and your thought was ‘why are they telling me this’. If we can identify these situations in the early stages, perhaps each of us can be a useful resource or ally in helping people solve the problem before it becomes a crisis.

Be an active volunteer in your community.

More people are needed to stock food or shop with people at the local pantries, distribute essential needs bags, and in general ensure that those who are homeless or food insecure are not treated as outcasts of society.

Share your talents.

Perhaps someone is good at resume writing or can offer job advice or maybe help negotiate affordable rent in advance of a crisis. Some people are simply afraid to ask landlords for additional time or are unaware of resources for temporary assistance. People need to use their talents to help others.

If you had the power to influence legislation, which three laws would you like to see introduced that might help you in your work?

Workaround to Eviction. While it may not be affordable for landlords to accept partial rent payments, having a law that requires some level of cooperation would help so many people in temporary need. For example, sometimes, an individual may be short $200 on their rent. If the landlord responds with a lack of compassion or threatens the individual with eviction, the tenant may not perceive the situation as workable. Subsequently, no attempt is made to catch up on the payment and eventually the tenant is evicted taking with them whatever funds they saved. If landlords were required to work with people, we would have less homeless people on our streets, landlords might collect more money and ultimately save time evicting people.
Training for Landlords. Providing landlords with training to help them become more resourceful to their tenants in difficult situations would be valuable. Connecting tenants to organizations that can assist or providing phone numbers could buy time for those in need and possibly lower the homeless rate.
Training for Employers. It would also be useful for employers to be better educated on how to help those whose jobs are being terminated. In situations where layoffs occur, employers demonstrate far more compassion to employees than in cases where someone has underperformed. Assistance with transitioning out of the company is typically offered in a layoff but rarely offered in a scenario where underperformance occurred. Having employers be more resourceful in all terminations could prevent having more people on the streets.

I know that this is not easy work. What keeps you going?

Helping others is such a personal passion that it is easy to stay motivated. As a leader, I try to keep everyone focused on making a difference in a small way to avoid them becoming overwhelmed by the larger challenge. Bringing peace to others can be as small as delivering a bag of groceries to someone who is homeless or offering to feed their homeless pet.

Do you have hope that one day this great social challenge can be solved completely?

I am an eternal optimist and will never stop believing that this challenge can be resolved. However, I do believe more effort will need to be placed on educating people on how to be part of solving this problem.

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

Non-Profit Status. Achieving 501(c) (3) status was extremely challenging and while we eventually found the help we needed, it would have been valuable to have received guidance from organizations who had completed this process in advance.
Grants. We have only recently started to apply for grants and were unaware that this might be an option to help us expand our efforts to serve the homeless. We are definitely hoping this will be a future avenue for funding as it is difficult to constantly seek donations from the same people.
Partnering with Other Non-Profits. Initially, we rallied volunteers to help create the essential needs bags and asked them to drive around town to distribute them. However, once we learned about other organizations that had already established strong distribution channels to the homeless, we were able to leverage their help to distribute a larger number of bags for us and use our time and funds to create more bags.
Identifying Organizations that Need Help. While the more well-known organizations like Metropolitan Ministries that serve the homeless need donations and volunteers, there are far more people willing to assist them. However, we were unaware of the needs smaller organizations who receive less publicity had. As our organization grew we were eventually made aware of these needs, but we might have had a greater impact had we known in advance.
Knowing How Supportive Corporate America Is. During a conversation with the General Manager of a NYC hotel where I was staying for my corporate job, I mentioned Together In Peace and our bags for the homeless. He guided me to reach out to a sister hotel in the Tampa Bay Area for donated items, and that hotel has helped us multiple times in filling our essential needs bags. We had no idea that hotels might be willing to assist us.

I have invested my heart and soul into what Together In Peace stands for: educating the world on peace, tolerance and acceptance. I do my best to lead by example, but I believe that if everyone embraced these concepts in their personal and professional life, we could change the world. Subsequently, my wish is for our charitable outreach activities to become a synchronized effort globally with various groups then posting how they carried out the mission. We could share ideas and support one another and build similar outreach efforts beyond our local community.

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

The quote I have tried to live by since hearing it is from Martin Luther King Jr.: Be the peace you wish to see in the world. Equally valuable have been the lyrics from Michael Jackson’s Man in the Mirror, specifically the phrase, if you want to make the world a better place take a look at yourself and make a change.

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

Without a doubt, meeting Oprah Winfrey would be a highlight of my life for several reasons. While her charitable efforts have had far greater impact than anything I have done to date, I believe we have a lot in common in terms of our courage to overcome adversity, entrepreneurial mindset, spiritual approach to life, interest and desire to help others, and the joy we receive in the process of giving of ourselves. I have always admired her strength in character and willingness to give tirelessly of herself. My perception is that we share the belief that the hardest life lessons serve as the foundation for success.

How can our readers follow you online?

Our website togetherinpeace.com offers interfaith messages and meditations and our Facebook page provides uplifting posts. Both sites provide updates on our charitable efforts.

This was very meaningful, thank you so much!

Heroes Of The Homeless Crisis: How Reverend Nancy Mercurio and Together In Peace Are Helping To… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Big Ideas That Might Change The World: “A platform for workers to get real-life experiences with…

Big Ideas That Might Change The World: “A platform for workers to get real-life experiences with employers” with Hunter Sebresos of Bacon.Work

Be prepared to pivot from a failed concept — I was ready to close doors on one business when I was able to pivot to the successful concept of Bacon. Bring negative information to the attention of your team quickly. Be quick to ask for help when you need it.

As a part of my series about “Big Ideas That Might Change The World In The Next Few Years” I had the pleasure of interviewing Hunter Sebresos, founder and president of Bacon.Work, a company that’s been called the “Uber” of hourly jobs. The Bacon app lets employers select, screen and hire qualified workers in moments. Likewise, the free app allows workers to find and select hourly shifts for temporary employment. Sebresos received a bachelors’ degree in communications at Brigham Young University and a master’s degree from the Art Center College of design. He served as a sergeant for the U.S. Marines, helped found a successful water company in Kenya, operated as a visual strategist for NASA and worked in some of the nation’s top ad agencies.

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

For about seven years I had been observing how businesses were grappling to juggle the ebbs and flows of employment needs. At the same time, I kept hearing from business owners in retail, restaurant and manufacturing who said they couldn’t find good people and we’re understaffed. I thought we need a way to make work more flexible so they could offer temporary work.

I founded Bacon so companies could offer hourly jobs when they need it, and let people work those shifts when they want it. Employers now have more opportunities to find more workers who are talented, educated and capable. The trick is flexibility.

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

I recently went down to Texas and visited a family-owned company that ships auto parts. I saw they were able to double the number of employees by using temp workers from Bacon and by hiring full-time employees that started doing gig work through Bacon. It was great to see their excitement on how they were able to grow their business and help others improve their work situation. I’m proud I could provide those opportunities.

I’m heartened by all of the other stories I hear from people who start as a temp worker through Bacon and end up with a full-time job they love. I also talk to lots of business owners who are grateful to hire outstanding people who excel in temp shifts. I have found the gig economy is not at its best when it is simply providing paychecks, but when it is also providing a way for workers to improve, train and grow toward even better opportunities. Plus, some people take a shift and learn a certain job is not what they hoped it to be and can move on to try something else.

Which principles or philosophies have guided your life? Your career?

When I was growing up my mom had a piece of paper that was hanging on the side of her filing cabinet, that said, ‘Don’t give up what you most want in the future, for what you want in the moment.” What we want in the future is almost always worth the hustle right now.

Ok. Let’s now move to the main focus of our interview. Can you tell us about your “Big Idea That Might Change The World”?

Bacon is helping people to go from no opportunity to many opportunities. Companies like Uber and DoorDash provide jobs that are consumer to consumer. Bacon is different. We developed a platform for workers to get real-life experiences with employers. Bacon gives business executives and shift workers a chance to decide whether or not the employment situation should become more permanent. We are creating an environment where more opportunities are available to everyone who participates.

When companies start hiring again, chances are they will hire gig workers first. When people who are unemployed are looking for work, chances are they can start with gigs. However, we are using this time to look at what’s next.

At Bacon, we want to treat short-term employment as a way of levelling up. We want people to think of their jobs as steppingstones. If gig jobs are transitional, “What are you transitioning to do next?” “What do you want from this opportunity?”

How do you think this will change the world?

Bacon can uniquely help companies quickly find qualified and screened workers for as long as they need them. We are seeing thousands of displaced people who need to earn wages until they can return to their jobs. The Bacon app can transition quickly to meet the needs of employers and employees.

For example, events and catering companies used to provide one-third of the jobs at Bacon but not a single shift has been posted from these businesses since the outbreak. However, we are seeing firsthand, the need to fill shifts at warehouses and manufacturing companies. Several manufacturers have shifted production toward in-demand items such as face masks and are turning to Bacon to hire gig workers to meet the increased demand. Warehouses need more staff for packing and deliveries and for the first-time many companies are needing assistance finding delivery drivers.

Gig workers are the right solution for this moment in time. Learning how to use a gig workforce properly will be a key advantage for companies looking to rebuild or maintain productivity while keeping payroll costs low. However, the gig economy is at its best not when it is simply providing paychecks, but when it is also providing a way for workers to improve, train and grow toward even better opportunities. We haven’t faced something like this, but we can solve this and with time we will emerge as better people.

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

Companies hiring gig workers still need to balance safety, liability, and legal concerns. Employers will likely need to provide masks, have a full understanding of OSHA requirements and have training in place in case of an infection. They should also have policies in place to allow employees to return to work and they cannot retaliate against workers who voice safety concerns.

Was there a “tipping point” that led you to this idea? Can you tell us that story?

My mom was single, raising five kids, working full-time and pursuing a college degree. She retired from a successful career in business and teaching but still wanted to do something on a very limited basis — even if it just meant filing papers. She said, ‘Son, can you help me put a flyer together that I can drop off to businesses that says I’m willing to work a few days a week for a few hundred bucks?’ My mom told me she just wanted some extra money for birthday gifts for her grandchildren.

The extent of the problem was later confirmed by my wife. She is a certified nursing assistant and a stay-at-home mom. She didn’t have the time to work enough shifts to keep her license from expiring. However, she still wanted to offer healthcare on a part-time basis.

I learned from business people about the need for qualified workers. I learned from my family about the desire of many people who want to take shifts when they are available to work.

What do you need to lead this idea to widespread adoption?

Bacon is operating in Utah and Texas but we can be online and connecting employers and workers in other states within 10 days. Essentially, we need business leaders in each market to consider the success we are having in Utah and Texas and see how Bacon can help them with their immediate and long-term employment needs.

I’ve learned legislators with good intentions can stop the best business plans. Some states have passed laws that essentially ban gig work, which prevents Bacon from moving into those states. We are working with lawmakers so employees are protected and companies are able to provide employment opportunities that are not available now.

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

Be prepared to pivot from a failed concept — I was ready to close doors on one business when I was able to pivot to the successful concept of Bacon. Bring negative information to the attention of your team quickly. Be quick to ask for help when you need it.
Validate and act on ideas — Before you form an opinion, try to learn from gathering real data, feedback, and experiences. If you don’t know how to solve a problem, find someone who does. Ask that person to share some expertise or tips to help you. Once you have proof, act on it quickly.
What works in one market doesn’t always succeed in another — The culture and employment needs are different in each community. Bacon has needed to be flexible to make adjustments to help employers and workers in each market.
Create a real connection and recognize others–Do your best to genuinely learn about the people you interact with and seek to make a friend. Don’t be afraid to share about yourself. I was teaching entrepreneurial skills in places like the Philippines, Mexico, Peru, Brazil and Bolivia, We were able to connect and recognize individuals as they were building their businesses, providing for their families and ending generational poverty. These recognition programs have since been adopted across the globe.
Show up and get the job done–When assigned to be somewhere or to deliver a desired result, be sure to arrive when/where you should and thoroughly complete the assigned work. Even if you have had success, you can’t rest on your laurels.Be excited to push yourself beyond your current abilities.

Can you share with our readers what you think are the most important “success habits” or “success mindsets”?

I also just read “So Good They Can’t Ignore You: Why Skills Trump Passion in the Quest for Work You Love.” This book encourages people to treat their work like a craftsman. This means if you become really good at something, you become valuable. You don’t have to become a big influencer and have a huge following on social media right away. We should really just roll up our sleeves, work really hard at something and become really good at it. I always say to my kids that “hard work beats lazy talent.”

Some very well-known VCs read this column. If you had 60 seconds to make a pitch to a VC, what would you say? He or she might just see this if we tag them 🙂

Although I could not have predicted the COVID-19 pandemic, Bacon.work is in the right place at the right time to help businesses quickly find employees to meet rapidly changing demands during the crisis. At the same time, the Bacon app is helping thousands of employees who are suddenly underemployed, laid off or out-of-work.

For years I have been hearing from business owners in retail, restaurant and manufacturing who said they couldn’t find good people and we’re understaffed. I determined employment needed to be more flexible so companies could offer temporary work.

The app is always free to employees and Bacon is waiving fees for employers for at least the next 60 days to help businesses and people who want to work during the pandemic.

How can our readers follow you on social media?

Facebook

bit.ly/35ce1lf

Twitter

https://twitter.com/BaconWork

Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/bacon_app/

Bacon

https://www.linkedin.com/company/bacon-inc/

Hunter Sebresos

https://www.linkedin.com/in/concepthunter/

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

Big Ideas That Might Change The World: “A platform for workers to get real-life experiences with… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

April Jo Doyle: “Listen to your heart to develop resilience”

Listen to your heart – It doesn’t matter what others may think or what they are saying to you. When I used to hear the bullying I would go to a journal and write about it…I would write down what it was that I wanted, and what thought I needed to do to get it, and what my plan was.

I had the pleasure of interviewing April Jo Doyle. Catapulting a career built on years of successes as an actress, model, Singer, songwriter, and performer, coupled with a unique vision and talent as a makeup artist/stylist, garnered April significant recognition in the beauty industry as well. An impressive background in so many aspects of the entertainment industry has enabled her to work with some of most influential names in the business! April’s music career took the forefront with one of Southern California’s most highly successful show bands, Haute Chile Productions (HCP). This ensemble quickly became one of the top requests with the high-end, corporate, celebrity, socialite, and notable charity events. HCP has performed for everyone from Hugh Hefner to the Presidential election, as well as numerous international performances. HCP boasts an unrivaled list of credits, client list, notable performances, and has truly carved out its own niche as one of the most successful entities in corporate entertainment, leading all the way up to April’s latest project, April and the Velvet Room. April’s current musical endeavor is the brainchild of April and her world-renowned producer, Kevin Flournoy. Kevin has produced, written, performed, and recorded with a myriad of well-known artists including Gladys Knight, Dionne Warwick, Donny Osmond, The Pointer Sisters, Hillary Duff, Jamie Foxx, The Jazz Crusaders, Boney James, Kirk Whalum, Mindi Abair, Harvey Mason, Ronnie Laws and Baby Face….just to name a few. The Velvet Room is an experience of smooth, sophisticated, jazz/r&b, neo soul, original music complimented by iconic/esoteric classics with an international touch…. definitely appealing to a wide audience, all delivered with an intimate concert level of performance. The best part of this epic “classic-neo-jazz-funk” experience is that the performers in the group run the gamut of legendary names to the hottest names of today. Audiences are definitely pleasantly surprised. by this ultimate “who’s who” vibe, and sought after experience.

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

My start in music was being a part of, and helping to form one of the first hugely successful corporate bands in the US. I was not only performing but helped them and some other budding artists with development and promotion in the corporate entertainment industry ….my talents included styling the band, choreography, working on marketing, photos, social media etc. This helped put us on the map and we traveled extensively internationally. It was an awesome experience. I continued this with my own corporate business Haute Chile Productions…we are one of the industries finest.

Can you share with us the most interesting story from your career?

I think it would be the international travel dates we did…Performing in Greece, Thailand, Hong Kong, Bermuda etc. I think travel opens up your brain!

Can you tell us what lessons or ‘take aways’ you learned from that?

Being able to experience other cultures, even for a short amount of time is life changing. Also, our performances with headliner’s..

Elton John, Stevie Wonder, Earth Wind and Fire..etc…EPIC!

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

I use only the most accomplished musicians. They are industry royalty and they LOVE to play together..it creates a beautiful spark onstage. Also, they are a stellar group of people ,..with true Integrity.

Our backgrounds have allowed us to perform in some of the most exclusive events. Hugh Hefner’s birthday was something we will never forget!

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?

Yes, with my original project…Kevin Flournoy brought in some of the most epic musicians in the field. This brought my project to a whole other level. My next release is a cover that Sting did…a French song called “La Belle dan sans Regrets”. Kevin got Brent Fischer to do the string arrangement…Look him up..I cannot tell you how many people he has graced with his talents or how many gold records he has! Our song is being submitted for Grammy consideration….!

Ok thank you for all that. Now let’s shift to the main focus of this interview. We would like to explore and flesh out the trait of resilience.

Interesting question….I’m not sure it is a “trait”. I wish it was. The dictionary says…”able to withstand or recover quickly from difficult conditions.” Not everyone is able to do this. However, a lot are and I believe it is something we should all endeavor to do. Especially with all of the difficult issues we are all dealing with now.

How would you define resilience?

Being able to pick yourself up and go forward, no matter what.

What do you believe are the characteristics or traits of resilient people?

A true sense of strength. I also found this..I like this very much..” moving towards a goal beyond themselves, transcending pain and grief by perceiving bad times as a temporary state of affairs…”

When you think of resilience, which person comes to mind? Can you explain why you chose that person?

Well there have always been exceptional people in the world …. like Stephen Hawking.

I just was thinking about someone being so beyond physically challenged yet still finding a way to communicate to the entire world. And not just communicate, but actually help the world, the way he did.

Has there ever been a time that someone told you something was impossible, but you did it anyway? Can you share the story with us?

I had some family members asking me why I was doing music as there was “no future in it”.

I have spent many years absorbed by this business successfully but there are always people who just think you should have a more ordinary job or plan? I have continued to prove them wrong!

Did you have a time in your life where you had one of your greatest setbacks, but you bounced back from it stronger than ever?

I got a tumor in one of my salivary glands. It was a very serious operation and recovery. I wondered if I would be going back to music. Luckily I was able to get back on stage in about 6 months. I was definitely resilient!

Did you have any experiences growing up that have contributed to building your resiliency?

I experienced some bullying in grade school and high school. Somehow, probably from my powerful mother’s example, I never let it annihilate me….I ignored it and moved on.

Resilience is like a muscle that can be strengthened. In your opinion, what are 5 steps that someone can take to become more resilient?

1-Listen to your heart- It doesn’t matter what others may think or what they are saying to you. When I used to hear the bullying I would go to a journal and write about it…I would write down what it was that I wanted, and what thought I needed to do to get it, and what my plan was.

2- Read books from successful people…from the field you are interested in- I followed the example of people I looked up to….went to modeling school, make up tutorials, did a lot of photo shoots and actually worked with a photographer to help myself with presentation and promo.

3-Meditate- Praying is talking to God. Meditation is listening to God. Don’t listen to negative people. GET AWAY FROM THEM! Listen to your spirit, and with integrity and honor, do everything you can to move forward to get what you want.

4-Read books from spiritual or inspirational people you admire and can give you examples on how to strengthen yourself.. which will make you more resilient. I read books by E.Tolle, Deepak Chopra, etc. Whoever you admire and can help you strengthen your thoughts and make you more present as to where you are putting your energy. When I lose a pet, and I just did…I need all of the support and positive thoughts I can get …in an endeavor to be resilient. Its not easy…but its harder and hurts more if you don’t try.

5- Take care of yourself…Mentally and physically. When you are healthy your brain works better. This is common knowledge. When things get tough, and you aren’t healthy…an “I don’t care..” attitude can ensue and really make things worse. I can tell you one of the best ways I have gotten through things is with serious workouts. Sweating things out helps you in many ways.

I would like to impart to the world to ….Make a difference before you go! Pay it forward! Try to be a healed cell in our collective body. If we all thought this way the world would be a very different place.

Jane Goodall….a beautiful person who’s life endeavor has been for the sweet animals she loves so dearly. This is my love as well.

How can our readers follow you on social media?

www.AprilandtheVelvetRoom.com has all of my contacts, videos and available music. Thank you so much!

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

April Jo Doyle: “Listen to your heart to develop resilience” was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Anne Candido of Forthright People: 5 Things You Need To Do To Build A Trusted And Beloved Brand

You can transform a commodity into a beloved brand by selling an emotional impact. Nike doesn’t just sell shoes and apparel. They sell the belief that when you don their gear you become an athlete. What are you willing to pay more for?

As part of our series about how to create a trusted, believable, and beloved brand, I had the pleasure to interview Anne Candido

Annie is the co-founder of Forthright People, an On-Demand Marketing Agency for Small and Mid-Size Businesses. Anne grew up at P&G — but don’t let that fool you — her path was anything but traditional. Splitting her 20 years between PR/Communications/Marketing and R&D, Anne learned (sometimes the hard way) the imperative role brand building plays to cultivate successful individuals and businesses. Until the world is run by robots, there will always be a person on the other side of the sale. Which means a brand’s ability to transform life in order to create an authentic relationship that they alone own will continue to be paramount for growth. That’s Brand-Love. She co-founded Forthright People, an On-Demand Marketing Agency to help small and mid-size businesses and the individuals within them realize their Brand-Love potential. Because it doesn’t matter the size of your business, how long you have been around, the number of people you have or the amount of money you make, forming Brand-Love connections is possible and should be a focus at EVERY STEP on the business journey. It is how commodities become brands and brands become franchises. She dives into this more in her new book available on Amazon: The Super-Highway of Relevancy. Getting More People to Choose Your Brand, More Often, Indefinitely.

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

My entrepreneurial journey started when I was in elementary school. Leg-warmers were all the rage, so my mom taught me how to knit my own. Wanting my Cabbage Patch Kid doll to also be in-trend, I scaled down the pattern to make matching ones for her too. When my friends saw them, they wanted ones for their doll as well. And so began my business of making Cabbage Patch Kid leg-warmers. While my parents bowled in their league, I would be working on my orders. The entrepreneurial spirit stayed with me, even through 20 years in a corporate world where I grew-up in product development, branding and marketing. I was never quite satisfied with accepting the status-quo. I was always motivated by finding unexpected ways to connect the dots that opened up new opportunities. And now that I have returned to the entrepreneurial world, I am helping small and mid-size businesses do the same. But I can still do Cabbage Patch Kid leg-warmers if anyone is so inclined.

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

When I would do PR media days, I often times used humor in an effort to put talent at ease and make them more comfortable. You can say I made a “rookie mistake” when I tried such an approach with NFL Hall of Fame wide receiver Jerry Rice. He was our spokesperson for a Super Bowl campaign, and he was to pass the ball with one of the Good Morning America correspondents for a tv segment. I asked him in prepping if he needed a ball to practice since he has been out of the game for awhile. Now mind you, my tone was anything but serious, and I am a BIG NFL fan (#CowboysNation). But I learned very quickly that though a very easy-going guy, there is one thing Jerry Rice takes very seriously — his skills. And honestly, he could probably still put pads on and play. I was the source of inside jokes for quite awhile amongst my team. What I learned is some things just aren’t funny no matter your intent. So, err on the side of caution and understand a joke isn’t a joke if the other person doesn’t think it is funny.

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

Forthright People is an On-Demand Marketing and Branding Agency for small and mid-size businesses. My partner, April Martini, grew up in the agency world while I grew up in the corporate world. With our combined 35 years of experience, we have seen and addressed just about every business challenge. Many times, agency-corporate relationships can be contentious, but we embrace the reality that we come from opposite sides of the proverbial marketing tracks. It challenges us to look at our clients’ business needs from multiple angles and deliver work that really moves the needle. As an aside, we met through mutual business acquaintances 4x removed from our initial contacts. It is a testimony to networking and embracing every connection as an opportunity.

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

We are finalizing a new workshop/coaching program aimed at helping people cultivate their Personal Brand. Each of us is our own brand. Just like a product you see in retail, the way we show-up determines how society will interact and engage with us both personally and professionally and ultimately whether they will buy what we are selling. But often times in pursuit of marketing our brand, we default to being what society says we should be rather than developing the best version of ourselves to present to society. What results is a frustrated feeling of “chasing the dream” which generally ends in disappointment when outcomes don’t meet expectations. Only by intentionally cultivating our personal brand can we create a reliable compass for directing our personal and professional lives.

Ok let’s now jump to the core part of our interview. In a nutshell, how would you define the difference between brand marketing (branding) and product marketing (advertising)? Can you explain?

Your branding is the strategy that informs your marketing. Many businesses try to do it the other way and only end up burning through a lot of money and time with nothing to show for it. A brand must be able to answer three questions: 1) Who am I? 2) How am I different? 3) Why do you (the consumer) want me?. This establishes a foundation from which to build marketing vehicles that can quickly and efficiently reach your consumer. Without it, there is to just too much too choose from. It is like playing darts in the dark.

Can you explain to our readers why it is important to invest resources and energy into building a brand, in addition to the general marketing and advertising efforts?

These aren’t mutually exclusive. Your brand strategy should inform your marketing efforts. What successful brands embrace that others overlook is that 90% of decisions are emotionally led. They get that even though you put a price tag on a product or service, what they are really selling is the emotional benefit that product or service delivers. When you authentically tap into this, you create tangible value that allows you to command higher prices, get more customers, scale more quickly and generate more impact.

Can you share 5 strategies that a company should be doing to build a trusted and believable brand? Please tell us a story or example for each.

Because it is relevant albeit somewhat controversial in the current climate and culture, I want to offer this from the perspective of Gen-Z and Millennials. Specifically, what we can learn from their actions, principles and beliefs to build trusted and believable brands and business that can sustain crisis. My hope is that maybe it grants us all a new perspective:

We peg Millennials and Gen-Zers as consumers who prefer purpose driven brands. What businesses are we actively trying to support now amidst this pandemic? Small, local businesses. Not just because they are the most vulnerable, but because we KNOW them. We know their story. They are part of our story. Strategy: Have a brand-story that means something to your consumers.
They are known for having side-hustles. Perpetual entrepreneurs even with a corporate job. Side-hustles diversify revenue. It enables you to be more resilient, especially in uncertain times. Strategy: Diversify revenue streams by creating a strong brand foundation that can unify the offerings.
They communicate virtually and find satisfaction in it. Often times this is our biggest criticism of Gen-Z & Millennials. But they aren’t struggling to connect despite the “Stay-at-home” mandate. In fact, we have all had to become more like Gen-Z and Millennials in this fashion. And guess what? Many of us kind-of like it! It is more convenient, cheaper, saves transportation time and you can include people virtually who aren’t just within driving distance. Strategy: It is a virtual world. Stop judging it and just embrace it by creating a strong social/digital presence for your brand.
They consume content through multiple channels. It isn’t unusual for Gen-Zers and Millennials to engage in multiple channels of content from the same source. They may listen to business moguls, like one of my favorites Ed Mylett on his podcast Max Out but also follow him on social, read his book, listen to him speak and buy into his business products. In this pandemic, only one of these channels has been compromised…speaking. Meaning, Ed can still do business. Strategy: Create an ecosystem around your consumer.
They are flexible, adaptable and can pivot. Again, Gen-Z & Millennials are often times criticized for job-jumping or being pleasure seekers with an abundance of interests. What this means is they are always living outside their comfort zone. Which also means they don’t get complacent and “safe”. So, when there is a shift in the status-quo, they don’t freak out. Instead, they view it as opportunity. Two examples are FUSIAN’s efforts to deliver fresh produce and groceries and MadTree Brewing’s efforts to delivery beer and pizza ice-cream truck style, all staples of the pandemic. Strategy: Ask “What if?” and “What must be true?” when challenges present themselves. If you are intimately connected with your consumer and authentic to your brand, you can find ways to weather any storm.

In your opinion, what is an example of a company that has done a fantastic job building a believable and beloved brand. What specifically impresses you? What can one do to replicate that?

Nike. Every entrepreneur as part of their unofficial schooling should read the book Shoe Dog by Phil Knight. Not only will you be relieved to find out that the brutal nature of starting and growing a business is universal, but you get real insight into a mind wired for brand building. He exemplifies three key points essential for growing brand love:

Brand building must start at the beginning as it clarifies why someone should choose you…for funding, manufacturing, purchase, retailing…all of it.
You can transform a commodity into a beloved brand by selling an emotional impact. Nike doesn’t just sell shoes and apparel. They sell the belief that when you don their gear you become an athlete. What are you willing to pay more for?
He embraced influencer marketing from the beginning as he hustled his shoes to track teams all throughout Oregon. The first of note, Steve Prefontaine. This continued to be a primary strategy to systemically build and extend the brand’s equity as it expanded into other sports. Case-in-point, Nike’s Jordan brand continues to be the basketball shoe of choice even though many ballers weren’t even born when Jordan played.

In advertising, one generally measures success by the number of sales. How does one measure the success of a brand building campaign? Is it similar, is it different?

All branding and marketing efforts should be measured by KPI’s (Key Performance Indicators) that either directly or indirectly tie to sales. For example, you want to launch a new social media campaign to generate customer acquisition amongst a new target. Customer acquisition is a direct KPI of sales. But before you can launch a social media campaign, you must outline copy and content that is going to appeal to this new customer, right? The choices you make here stem from your branding. You may choose to test a few different social media ads with different brand positionings to identify which generates the most appeal. This is your indirect KPI as it is helping you make a choice that will ultimately set-up your social media campaign. Many businesses will gloss over the importance of defining indirect KPI’s citing lack of time, money, expertise, and resources. These poor businesses learn the hard way when their uninformed campaigns fail.

What role does social media play in your branding efforts?

This is a digital world. You need to embrace it. The first step is to identify when and where your customer is the most receptive to communications about you and your category. Then develop a social strategy defining the messages and story-tellers which will deliver these messages. Keep in mind, your customer has an ecosystem that surrounds them which influences the choices they make. For example, in order to establish your credibility as a brand, your customer may seek out a trusted influencer or publication for an endorsement or recommendation. But in wanting to get a feel for the brand’s vibe, the customer may go to the brand’s social handles to see what they post and how people react. So, it is imperative to understand how your customer consumes your brand and cultivate the channels accordingly.

What advice would you give to other marketers or business leaders to thrive and avoid burnout?

You can’t work in your business and on your business at the same time. As entrepreneurs launch their business, it is common to grit it out by trying to do both. And in those early stages when you are trying to learn, define and be frugal, that makes a ton of sense. But once you have a proof-of-concept, it is to your own personal benefit as well as that of your businesses to put infrastructure and processes in place to clearly delineate who is working ON the business and who is working IN the business. This is the key to sales growth, scale and sanity.

Me and my husband also happen to be real-estate investors. We have 5 buildings (17 units) of low-income housing. Our mission is to create living environments that our tenants feel safe in and proud to call home. With this, they can have a stable place from which to build the rest of their lives. I believe low-income housing is often times misunderstood as a result of the stereo-types (i.e. slum lords, trouble makers, etc). And unfortunately, sometimes these stereo-types still play out. But I am proud to say that I would live in any of the units we own. I can also tell you most of my tenants strive to be good people despite the struggles they have gone through in their lives. Struggles I can’t even fathom. So, at times I offer direction, structure, and firm reminders with clear consequences so they understand what is expected. And at times I just listen, offer suggestions if I have anything to offer, and help them find solutions. At the end of the day, they are just people trying to make it work with the tools they were given. Isn’t that what all of us are doing? I wish more real-estate investors, landlords and property managers would align with this mission to bring more humanity and integrity to low-income housing.

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

“For a seed to achieve its greatest expression, it must come completely undone. The shell cracks, its insides come out and everything changes. To someone who doesn’t understand growth, it would look like complete destruction” ~Cynthia Occelli

I think this speaks to the pain and discomfort that comes with transformation. But at the same time provides comfort in knowing it is in fact part of the process to achieve one’s fullest potential. As I have started my new businesses, I will frequently say “I am planting seeds”. This quote reminds me planting is just the beginning of the journey. But what is possible if I just have the courage and perseverance can be life-changing.

In addition to Ed Mylett whom I already mentioned, without a doubt Marcus Lemonis. I refer to him in my book, The Super-Highway of Relevancy. Getting More People to Choose Your Brand, More Often, Indefinitely, as the “Dr. Ruth of companies” for the way he transforms businesses by helping them cultivate Brand-Love. I have seen every episode of The Profit at least once as I find it very valuable insight not just for what he gets right but for what he gets wrong as well.

How can our readers follow you on social media?

LinkedIn is where I engage the most frequently. You can find me by my name, Anne Candido.

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

Anne Candido of Forthright People: 5 Things You Need To Do To Build A Trusted And Beloved Brand was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Authority Magazine Snapshots: Dr. Farrokh Shafaie

The biggest hurdle in my profession is an unrealistic patient. If you don’t treat them correctly, they make your life very difficult.

I had a distinct pleasure of interviewing Dr. Farrokh Shafaie, MD

Certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery, Dr. Shafaie has been in practice since 1984. Practicing in Summit, New Jersey, and New York City, Dr. Shafaie combines his extensive plastic surgery training with a holistic approach to give you the best results for you. As a pioneer in utilizing holistic medicine in his work, Dr. Shafaie has been featured in Good Morning America, Vogue, W Magazine, and New York Post.

Thank you for joining us! Can you tell our readers a bit about your ‘backstory”?

I am a board-certified Plastic Surgeon in practice for 35 years. I did my Plastic Surgery in New York Hospital Cornel Medical Center. My specialty is cosmetic surgery.

What made you want to start your own practice?

I am a Virgo so that makes me a perfectionist and I know myself and trust I will do the best for my patients.

Managing being a provider and a business owner can often be exhausting. Can you elaborate on how you manage(d) both roles?

I have extraordinary people helping me to manage the office and financial aspect of it, so I can be free to take care of my patients.

As a business owner, how do you know when to stop working IN your business (maybe see a full patient load) and shift to working ON your business?

As I mentioned, I solely attend to my patients and my employees do the rest.

From completing your degree to opening a clinic and becoming a business owner, the path was obviously full of many hurdles. How did you build up resilience to rebound from failures? Is there a specific hurdle that sticks out to you?

The biggest hurdle in my profession is unrealistic patient and if you don’t treat them correctly, they make your life very difficult.

What are your “5 Things You Need to Know to Grow Your Private Practice” and why. (Please share a story or example for each.)

Be Honest
Treat people as your family member
Perform the simplest procedure to get the same result
Avoid unrealistic patient
See your patients with complications more often

Many healthcare providers struggle with the idea of “monetization”. How did you overcome that mental block?

Your skill to perform surgery is monetization, you study many years to be able to do that.

What do you do when you feel unfocused or overwhelmed?

I listen to my favorite music, and sometimes I go to the cemetery and read the gravestone and that gives you the understanding of life.

I’m a huge fan of mentorship throughout one’s career — None of us can achieve success without some help along the way. Who has been your biggest mentor? What was the most valuable lesson you learned from them?

My most prominent mentor was my father who taught me to be patient, work hard and try not to expect too much.

What resources did you use (Blogs, webinars, conferences, coaching, etc.) that helped jumpstart you in the beginning of your business?

When I started my practice in 1984 the internet was not used as it is being used now, so word of mouth built my practice and it almost took 10 years.

What’s the worst piece of advice or recommendation you’ve ever received? Can you share a story about that?

Someone once told me that look at the patient as your enemy and try to protect yourself and I find that absolutely crazy.

Please recommend one book that’s made the biggest impact on you.

The Celestine Prophecy

Where can our readers follow you on social media?

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/drshafaie/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drshafaiemd/

Authority Magazine Snapshots: Dr. Farrokh Shafaie was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Michael Yuasa of Antarctic Agency: “5 Things You Need To Do To Build A Trusted And Beloved Brand”

Burnout is inevitable in business; it’s important to work smart and pace yourself. Building a business is a marathon, not a sprint. Pace yourself and find great people to work with who can support you and your business.

As part of our series about how to create a trusted, believable, and beloved brand, I had the pleasure to interview Michael Yuasa, Executive Creative Director and Founder of Antarctic Agency.

Michael Yuasa is a creative powerhouse set on reimagining the possibilities for non-profit and cause-based organizations. His primary focus is leading creative direction, digital fundraising strategy, and intelligent web development for leading charitable brands.

Ever ethically conscious, and laser focus on elevating communities in need, Michael has had the pleasure of working with organizations including The Ronald McDonald House, Compassion International, The New York City Commission on Human Rights, God’s Love We Deliver, and SAGE — an advocacy organization serving the elder LGBT community.

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

I originally started the Antarctic as a record label in 2005 in Seattle, Washington, mostly throwing shows for bands I really liked and releasing records. Our shows were becoming successful and brands started approaching me about working with us. The next thing I knew, Antarctic was acting more or less like an advertising agency, helping brands get their message out.

As we started working with brands, I always made a point to try and tie nonprofits into our engagements and redirect some energy to help our community, while also maintaining a business. After working with nonprofits, I noticed right away that there was a major need within the industry to get their message out. Nonprofits and cause-focused organizations have to compete for the same attention that larger for-profit brands are vying for. We also noticed that many nonprofits were having trouble understanding how to get their message out and thus, the Antarctic was born.

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

I started Antarctic when I was 22, so I pretty much made every mistake in the book. I think one of the biggest mistakes we’ve made over the years is moving too fast and sending out marketing communications without proper proofing and review.

One incident that comes to mind is sending out an email newsletter to Vitaminwater’s customers about an upcoming event only to follow-up with another email apologizing for the typos. That also contained typos and finally, the third email was typo-free. The newsletter took three tries to get right, embarrassed the heck out of us, and left the client thinking we were illiterate. I was 22 at the time.

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

We focus exclusively on helping nonprofits and cause-focused organizations communicate their message about their services or advocacy. That sets the Antarctic apart from other marketing agencies. There are specific language and organizational structures behind nonprofits that impact how they operate.

One of my favorite campaigns we created was called, “Refuse to be Invisible,” for SAGE (Advocacy and Services for LGBT Elders). SAGE is a national nonprofit organization that supports LGBT seniors with housing and social services. The campaign ran during World Pride 2019 in NYC and featured a group of LGBT seniors, beautifully photographed by Ari Seth Cohen, (https://www.instagram.com/advancedstyle/) and asked people nationwide to sign a petition advocating for a federal policy to protect LGBT seniors. (will send screens of the campaign)

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

Currently, we’re rebuilding the Leslie-Lohman Museum website which I’m really excited about. The new site will definitely enable the museum to raise more money for its programming and make it easier for people to find information about their hours, exhibits, and events.

During the current Covid-19 pandemic, we’re helping a lot of nonprofits that are providing essential services with their outreach and fundraising efforts. We’re offering pro bono digital ad management to ensure they have funds to respond to the crisis. One nonprofit in particular is God’s Love We Deliver that provides meals to people who are too sick to cook or shop for themselves. Given the crisis, they’re providing shelf-stable meals that will keep for a week in the event that home delivery is curtailed.

Ok let’s now jump to the core part of our interview. In a nutshell, how would you define the difference between brand marketing (branding) and product marketing (advertising)? Can you explain?

Brand marketing is about elevating your brand in the mind of the customer and encouraging them to choose your brand over another based on name alone.

Product marketing is about creating awareness of your product and how it’s different or better than a competing brand. Product marketing is also focused on drawing attention to the features that make your product unique.

Can you explain to our readers why it is important to invest resources and energy into building a brand, in addition to the general marketing and advertising efforts?

It’s definitely important to build your brand as a company or organization if you have the resources to do so. Brand building is a long-term investment where people know your name and what you stand for. Alternatively, if you are just starting out in business, I think you could take a slightly different strategy and focus on your product and what problem it solves in the marketplace. Then, build your brand as you diversify your product offerings.

Can you share 5 strategies that a company should be doing to build a trusted and believable brand? Please tell us a story or example for each.

Clearly articulate what problem your company is solving in the marketplace
Clearly articulate what your brand stands for
Define what your company does and most importantly, what your company does differently to set it apart.
Make your customer or donor the hero of your brand story
Position the founder of the company front and center. It’s important for customers to know who’s behind your brand.

At the Antarctic, we always make a point to encourage the organizations and brands we work with to make their customers and donors the heroes of their brand stories. One big mistake companies make is always talking about themselves instead of their customers/donors and the impact their participation makes.

In your opinion, what is an example of a company that has done a fantastic job building a believable and beloved brand. What specifically impresses you? What can one do to replicate that?

My favorite example of brand building is Virgin, which is owned by Richard Branson. Richard has taken huge risks to build the brand which has enabled him to open multiple businesses in different sectors under the Virgin banner. In 2004, Virgin created a charity arm, Virgin Unite, that actively engages with challenges taking place around the world, such as ocean pollution and the political situation in Venezuela.

Advice: take risks and put yourself out there. Your business will only grow if people know about it.

In advertising, one generally measures success by the number of sales. How does one measure the success of a brand building campaign? Is it similar, is it different?

I would say the measure of success in brand building is a potential customer choosing one brand over the other when all they have to go on is the name of the company and two similar products.

What role does social media play in your branding efforts?

Social media has definitely made it easier for brands and organizations to communicate with their communities. We use social with Antarctic to make direct asks and also to create two-way conversations with our community.

What advice would you give to other marketers or business leaders to thrive and avoid burnout?

Burnout is inevitable in business; it’s important to work smart and pace yourself. Building a business is a marathon, not a sprint. Pace yourself and find great people to work with who can support you and your business.

In the current climate, it would be a global plan coordinated amongst the nations of the world to plan a response to the next pandemic and find a cure to Covid-19. If you asked me a month ago, I would have said global pollution and ensuring our earth’s ecosystems are managed in a sustainable fashion.

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

Get a mentor! Oftentimes in business, you feel stuck and if you surround yourself with experienced leaders, chances are they have faced similar challenges and can help you plot a path forward — even when you don’t see one.

Richard Branson, the founder of Virgin. I love how he ties business and helping communities in need together. “There’s so much to be said for Branson’s PR work. It’s infamous. He expanded the branding conversation and took it out of a pretty rigid corporate setting. He reminds me that branding is a landscape to get innovate with, and I plan to do exactly that.”

How can our readers follow you on social media?

Instagram:

@antarctic.agency

Or follow my personal twitter account at @michael.yuasa

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

Michael Yuasa of Antarctic Agency: “5 Things You Need To Do To Build A Trusted And Beloved Brand” was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Dr. Brigitte White: “As a dentist, don’t be afraid to be innovative and authentic”

Don’t be afraid to be innovative and authentic. There is more diversity in dentistry than ever. More women are practicing and the traditional image of the dentist has evolved. The oral care market is also catering ever more to the consumer patient. I have implemented a Smile Box checklist with my patients that really gives me the chance to talk about home care and offer product suggestions that can help them maintain their best smile.

I had a distinct pleasure of interviewing Dr. Brigitte White.

A native of Philadelphia, Dr. Brigitte White Zivkovic received her dental degree from the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine after completing her undergraduate education at Princeton University, where she majored in public policy and international affairs.

Dr. White, as affectionately called by patients, has been in practice for over a decade and has experience in private practice, public health at Mary’s Center for Maternal Care, and also worked as a provider for the U.S. Army in Germany.

In her free time, she enjoys traveling with her family and writing. She is the author of the young adult fiction novel All-American as well as a collection of Oral Care Children’s Books, which are available at Amazon.com.

Managing being a provider and a business owner can often be exhausting. Can you elaborate on how you manage(d) both roles?

Business ownership is one of the cornerstones of the dental profession with solo practitioners traditionally being most popular but when you own the business you’re always working even when the last patient has left and the office is closed. Everything from scheduling, filing insurance claims, ordering supplies, and maintaining safety standards is your responsibility. Also, there are taxing challenges associated with running a business in a digital era with the high patient demands for availability, modern finishes, and swift transactions. Teaming up with my husband, Aleksandar, as a business partner has really been a great asset in my practice model. His affinity for management allows me to focus on clinical care while keeping our shared vision intact.

As a business owner, how do you know when to stop working IN your business (maybe see a full patient load) and shift to working ON your business?

Dental production is certainly the financial engine of the business but as I’ve learned through developing my dental persona via social media, branding and marketing are crucial gears in entrepreneurship. Dentistry is a physically demanding job and providing high volumes of patient care can indeed become challenging. Designing content for social media as a tool for patient education can dual as a lucrative marketing strategy, which allows me to step back from my role as a clinician while incorporating my creativity into the practice. 5 Strategies to Grow Your Private Practice

Can you tell our readers a bit about your ‘backstory”?

Dentistry is my third career. I wasn’t a science major in college and before venturing into the health sciences, I held positions as a newspaper columnist and as a contract coordinator at MTV Networks. Also, unlike many of my colleagues whose parents, siblings or spouses are also dentists, I am the first family member to go into dental medicine. It was the support of my family, however, that helped me to successfully transition into healthcare. My first step was obtaining a position as a medical research assistant, which gave me the opportunity to work alongside hospital dentists and oral surgeons, and introduced me to the wonders of providing care.

What made you want to start your own practice?

I have been so fortunate to have practiced dentistry in a variety of settings including private practice, public health at a maternal care center, and stationed abroad on a US military base in Germany. Those experiences helped me to develop and strengthen my clinical skills. However ultimately my desire to be my own boss and have control over my business model inspired me to open a solo practice.

Swimming competitively for 10 years helped prepare me for many of life’s challenges academic, social, and professional. In high school, I had to learn how to manage my time in order to complete academic assignments while meeting training requirements. Endurance in athletics definitely transferred into energy to help get through the exhausting nights of studying in dental school and is also essential for long days at the practice. Persistence is also a virtue that competing taught me. As the first of my family to attend dental school, I did not know what to expect and admittedly, I had to adjust my study habits to satisfy multiple-choice sequences, which was in great contrast to the long writing assignments that assessed my undergraduate studies of public policy and international affairs. I used to record lectures on my own, which gave me an added opportunity to review the material as I typed up my notes at home and also allowed me really absorb the instructor’s live remarks while in class.

What are your “5 Things You Need to Know to Grow Your Private Practice” and why. (Please share a story or example for each.)

1. Start building your brand as a dentist even before you open your office. Your dental persona travels with you regardless of where you practice and if it’s already established, patients will follow you both inside and outside of the operatory.

2. Don’t be afraid to be innovative and authentic. There is more diversity in dentistry than ever. More women are practicing and the traditional image of the dentist has evolved. The oral care market is also catering ever more to the consumer patient. I have implemented a Smile Box checklist with my patients that really gives me the chance to talk about home care and offer product suggestions that can help them maintain their best smile.

3. Join dental study clubs and find ways to interact with other providers regularly. Dentistry is traditionally very isolating and it’s not only beneficial for your social well-being but also provides a setting for the sharing of ideas that you can take back to your practice.

4. Take mini-vacations. In the first few years of practice ownership, you may find it impossible to really take a proper break. Even one sick day translates to no production and quite possibly missed income for your team. My husband, son, and I recently took a long holiday weekend trip to Cancun that really helped us refuel our engines.

5. Shop around before you buy materials and equipment. The high cost of overhead often makes running an office a very expensive undertaking. However, there is a wide array of dental vendors and manufacturers. So, it pays to really take the time to read the scientific studies and product reviews and shop around for good deals.

Many healthcare providers struggle with the idea of “monetization”. How did you overcome that mental block?

One of the best things about being a dental provider is the fact that every person you meet is a potential patient whether for routine maintenance cleaning, pain, and emergency, or comprehensive care. A patient who has arrived in my chair is seeking care and it is my duty and responsibility to offer the best treatment options for a healthy outcome. I educate and inform but ultimately the patient must make a decision that suits his or her lifestyle goals.

What do you do when you feel unfocused or overwhelmed?

I commit to gym workouts in the mornings before work that include cardio and strength building exercises. This is my time to invest in myself, my family, and my patients. It also gives me a chance to reflect. Even if I have a challenging patient visit or a long day up ahead, my daily workout is a great jump start.

My late father was both a supportive and strategic mentor in every aspect of my life. He was always encouraging and helpful as I searched for the career that best suited my strengths and personality. He believed in me and advocated for strong resources to help me achieve my goals. His best piece of advice was to keep my nose to the grindstone even when the tides were rough. Even though he worked in accounting and not healthcare, he always pushed me to follow my dreams. This was true when I interviewed with MTV Networks as a graduating college senior, when I chose to leave the music industry and transition into healthcare, and most significantly when I decided to launch my Dr. Brigitte White brand with the publication of my Children’s Books. My father passed away earlier this year after a long battle with Parkinson’s disease but I can still feel him rooting for me to continue to follow my passions and assert my creative side into my professional role.

What resources did you use (Blogs, webinars, conferences, coaching, etc.) that helped jumpstart you in the beginning of your business?

The Journal of the American Dental Association, Dentaltown.com, and Dental Economics magazine have been great resources for me as a practice owner. There are also countless Facebook groups and local study clubs that continue to help guide me as practitioner.

What’s the worst piece of advice or recommendation you’ve ever received? Can you share a story about that?

Once I made the decision to apply to dental school, I faced the hurdle of accepting responsibility for the high cost of dental education. The numbers were indeed daunting and a few people, including an older sibling of a dear friend who was actually in medical school at the time, tried to discourage me from embarking on the journey. He argued that with the growing changes and stresses of the healthcare industry, practicing in this millennium wouldn’t likely yield a good return on the financial investment, explicitly the overwhelming amount of student loan debt. Now, as a seasoned provider, I can testify that the rewards of dentistry are far greater than the financial aspects and there is no numerical value that matches the ability to help patients every day improve their quality of life.

Please recommend one book that’s made the biggest impact on you.

Michelle Obama’s latest memoir “Becoming” has greatly inspired me as a woman, mother, and professional. Mrs. Obama’s ability to defy expectations, challenge norms, and maintain grace and style, even in the face of adversity, is remarkably compelling.

Where can our readers follow you on social media?

Follow my blog www.drbrigittewhite.com for inspirational and educational smile tips on all parts of life from health and beauty to overall wellness. Connect with me @drbrigittewhite on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, Pinterest, and LinkedIn.

Dr. Brigitte White: “As a dentist, don’t be afraid to be innovative and authentic” was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Austin McCulloh: “To develop resilience, take time each day, without any distractions, to sit and…

Austin McCulloh: “To develop resilience, take time each day, without any distractions, to sit and think”

Take time each day, without any distractions, to sit and think. Even if this is only for 10 minutes, sit in silence and think about your thoughts. Analyze how you feel and why you feel that way, and also pay attention to what you naturally tend to focus on while in silence.

In this interview series, we are exploring the subject of resilience among successful business leaders. Resilience is one characteristic that many successful leaders share in common, and in many cases, it is the most important trait necessary to survive and thrive in today’s complex market.

I had the pleasure of interviewing Austin McCulloh. Austin is the Principal Consultant & Founder of Austin McCulloh Advising, which is a human capital consulting firm that is on a mission to help business professionals, such as financial advisors and entrepreneurs, achieve their full potential. As Austin always says, “Life is much more fulfilling when you begin to realize what you’re capable of”, so he wants everyone to see this for themselves.

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

It took me all the way up until my junior year in college to realize that I needed to get my life together. While I have always been a motivated individual, all of that effort until that point, unfortunately, had been put toward my athletic abilities and not my business career.

After this pivotal point during my junior year, with my college graduation drawing nearer and nearer, my focus became my business career, and it began to flourish. I first became a licensed financial advisor, and I was then elected to be on the executive board of two, large student finance organizations, Financial Management Association (FMA) and HawkTrade Investment Club. Also, by the age of 21, I started my first successful business, Supercorn Tutoring. Following, I graduated from the University of Iowa, and soon after, went on to start my second venture, which is my human capital consulting firm, Austin McCulloh Advising.

Most importantly, in a matter of only three years, I completely turned my life around. This was through an absolute daily commitment to self-improvement. I transitioned from being a college junior, who genuinely did not know the difference between equity vs. debt, to a young executive who is now a serial entrepreneur.

Can you share with us the most interesting story from your career? Can you tell us what lessons or ‘take aways’ you learned from that?

As a student at the University of Iowa, I made it a point to get as involved as I could in my junior year, especially when I knew I had quite a bit of catching up to do. This included joining the two student organizations mentioned above.

While on a professional trip to Chicago for FMA, I ended up getting into the backseat of a taxi with a few other Chinese students, who were also from the University of Iowa. During our short ride together, we exchanged contact information. A few days later, I received a text message from one of them notifying me that he had a new business idea he wanted to run by me, so we set up a time to meet at a local restaurant.

Throughout our two-hour lunch, we put together a rough business plan, which eventually led to the creation of my first startup business, Supercorn Tutoring. This new business became an online hiring agency that recruits & manages English tutors for Chinese online education companies, and this business continues to be a passion of mine.

What I learned from this is that you truly never know where a great opportunity might come from, so you need to take risks and put yourself out there. The odds of my business partner and I getting in that taxi together in a city 4 hours away from the University of Iowa were quite low. What made it even less likely is that I almost didn’t attend the University of Iowa for college in the first place because, for quite some time, I had been considering schools in Arizona. Meeting this young, random Chinese student lead me to an opportunity that has changed my entire life trajectory, and I am forever grateful for how it has played out so far.

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

My perspective and passion for people and what I do make my company stand out.

I do not have superior intelligence, and I was never focused on being a straight-A student. Simply put, I’m driven and obsessed with improvement, and that is what I promote and encourage others to do through Austin McCulloh Advising.

My consulting business is for high achievers who know that if they consistently put in the hard work, it will produce the fulfilling life and extraordinary results that they have always been searching for.

I am in pursuit of becoming a primary thought leader for the Gen Zers out there, and I am on a mission to show every single person of any generation in this world their incredible potential. The earth is full of bosses, not leaders, and it is time for leaders to empower the people on their teams instead of having bosses break down their employees.

At Austin McCulloh Advising, we challenge our people and clients to consistently strive to be their best, even if that entails a little discomfort. Short-term discomfort can and often does lead to long-term fulfillment.

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?

While I am forever grateful for both of my parents and the many blessings they have brought into my life, there is one person who has really helped me as a young professional. His name is Jason Bohannon.

When I first began my young business career, Jason saw something in me that others didn’t. Was it extremely high intelligence? No. Was it an impressive business track record? No. It was the intense passion I had for wanting to be somebody. Not only has Jason done very well in his career, but he is also the best leader that I have ever worked with, and he has helped mold me into the man I am today.

While not one specific story stands out, one overall word does, and that is: belonging. No matter what time of day, what day of the week, or how busy he was, Jason always made sure to provide assistance when I needed it, and I truly cannot put into words how much I appreciate this. Truly, for much of my childhood, I never really felt like I fit in, and I often felt like a burden to others. So, having such a great role model in my life who had such a welcoming presence allowed me to open up and be confident in my own skin.

If there is one bit of advice that I can provide to any aspirational individual out there, it would be to find yourself a mentor. Jason is kind, empathetic, positive, smart, and incredibly patient, and I can confidently say that he has changed my life. I hope everyone has a leader like Jason in their lives to help them along the way.

Resilience is when you make the decision that you will achieve your goal no matter what battles lie ahead, and you will continue to get up no matter how many times you are knocked down.

Resilient people…

…do not give up. You most likely have heard the Japanese proverb, “Fall down seven times, stand up eight.” No matter how many times you knock down a resilient person, they are always going to get back up.
…are always focused on their ultimate purpose — their “why”, which is often much larger than themselves. They know that if they give up, they are not only letting themselves down, they are letting many others down, as well.
… internalize their pain and reframe it into passion. We all have problems; we all have dark days. What matters is how we respond to these challenges.
…have desire. Simply stated, they want it more. They want it so bad that they are constantly focused on the end goal, and they put in the action to continue pursuing their objectives no matter what obstacles arise.
…are positive and always look at a situation in the following terms: ’What can this failure help me learn?’ or ‘What lesson can it teach me?’ rather than, ‘Why is this happening to me?’

When you think of resilience, which person comes to mind? Can you explain why you chose that person?

Inky Johnson comes to mind right away.

This is a man who worked ridiculously hard while growing up to earn a college football scholarship, and in his last season before he most likely would have been a highly sought-after NFL draft pick, he suffered a career ending injury that paralyzed his right arm. He could have sat there and felt sorry for himself, but did he? No. He kept his chin up and is now one of the best-known motivational speakers out there. He had his entire life’s pursuit derailed, and instead of allowing this injury to get him down, he leveraged it and used his situation to his advantage.

I remember listening to motivational talks of his before some of my football practices or before workouts while I was a student at Iowa Central Community College before my transfer to the University of Iowa, and his talks gave me the encouragement I needed to keep pushing on even when I didn’t want to. If he could take such a devastating situation and turn it into a positive, I decided that I had absolutely no reason not to give it my all each day.

Inky is a perfect example of resilience, and I will be forever grateful to have had his presence bless my life.

Has there ever been a time that someone told you something was impossible, but you did it anyway? Can you share the story with us?

I will never forget when my academic advisor told me as a junior in college that I would never be able to work on Wall Street because my grades weren’t good enough.

Her message of, “You aren’t good enough.” rang loud and clear, and all I could think of in my head was how wrong she was. I told her about my passions, where I wanted to be in life, and how I would do whatever it took to get there, but she was blind to my intense desire, and all she could see was my grade report. Did my career path end up leading me to work on Wall Street out of college? No, but her statement wasn’t intended to be so specific, anyways. Her meaning was that I wasn’t smart enough to work with the “top performers” and I simply just did not agree. So, I took it upon myself to pave my own path and prove what I was capable of, regardless of what my grade point average reflected, and the rest is history.

If anyone reading this has been doubted before, let those doubts fuel your fire. Just because someone wasn’t able to achieve their goals doesn’t mean you can’t achieve yours.

Did you have a time in your life where you had one of your greatest setbacks, but you bounced back from it stronger than ever? Can you share that story with us?

Yes — one of my greatest setbacks was when I tore my ACL for a second time during a football game in college, and I realized that it was time for my athletic career to end.

The worst part about this injury wasn’t the immediate pain, the fact that my football career had ended, or even the discomfort after surgery; it was the isolation that I encountered within the following months. I was not close friends with many people from high school anymore, and I had recently graduated from Iowa Central, so I began to notice myself frequently resorting to using social media to keep my mind distracted from my inner loneliness. Realizing the toxic relationship I had with my social media usage, I made the decision to go an entire month without using any of it.

While this time frame was ridiculously isolating, as I went multiple weeks where almost all of my communication was only with my parents, this really raised my self-awareness to a whole new level of consciousness. It forced me to truly think about where I was in life and decide where I wanted to go.

Tearing my ACL for the second time turned out to be one of the biggest blessings in my life, and I would go through it all again if I had to. I’m a very firm believer that everything happens for a reason, and I know this test was part of my testimony.

With the right perspective, any negative situation can eventually turn into a positive. As I always say, “Contrast is what makes life beautiful.”

Did you have any experiences growing up that have contributed to building your resiliency? Can you share a story?

Truly, I thought long and hard on this question, but no glaring story stood out, and I believe that brings up a very important point.

Especially on national stages, we focus on the big, dramatic circumstances where we expect people to have a life-changing experience in the blink of an eye to change their entire life trajectory, but I’m not sure if that’s how life works for everyone.

I didn’t get along well with kids throughout my childhood, wasn’t the most gifted athlete, and was never the smartest student. I haven’t always been in the best financial position, haven’t always been happy, and there have been many times that I lacked direction.

My point is, the little details that add up over time can be just as impactful, if not more impactful, than the big, traumatic experiences. And overall, I’m so very fortunate for the many, little setbacks and challenges because each one has pushed me to be a better version of myself.

Resilience is like a muscle that can be strengthened. In your opinion, what are 5 steps that someone can take to become more resilient? Please share a story or an example for each.

Take time each day, without any distractions, to sit and think. Even if this is only for 10 minutes, sit in silence and think about your thoughts. Analyze how you feel and why you feel that way, and also pay attention to what you naturally tend to focus on while in silence.
Try something entirely new, completely on your own. For example, start a new job, join a new group, or move to a new location. Reason being, when we are taken out of our comfort zone, if we have someone to lean on for support, we will lean on that person. So, be intentional about removing that support option, so you can go deep within yourself to find the solution, rather than finding it from an external source.
Do one thing each day to get yourself out of your comfort zone. For example, for me, this is taking a cold shower each morning. It never gets easier and that’s actually the point. When you do something that you don’t want to do at the beginning of each day, it just makes the whole rest of your day, and the challenges included, that much easier.
Listen to others who are in the position/role that you want to be in. For example, a big role model of mine is Ed Mylett, and he is quite transparent in his podcast, social media posts, etc. about his own insecurities and failures. When you listen to others who are extremely successful and know that they make human mistakes, too, it truly does help you continue to persist and keep moving forward through your own struggles.
Have faith. Whether it is faith in your own abilities or trust in a higher, spiritual being that is leading the way, it’s crucial to know that each step you make, you’re getting closer to the life you want. We all go through battles and the tough part is that they don’t all come at the same time and/or intensity for all of us, but having faith helps you stay strong through the times when you so badly want to give up.

I would love for each person in the world to dedicate at least 10 minutes each day to sit in silence with absolutely no distractions and think about their own thinking. This one action opens the door to self-awareness.

I do not consider myself to be insanely intelligent or to have innate abilities that set me apart from the average person. But, I do consider myself to be ridiculously self-aware, and this is something that I believe each person should strive to increase on a daily basis because it is fully within their control.

A higher self-awareness has led to the successes I’ve had at a young age. As a result, I have found great satisfaction and fulfillment through my ventures. I believe this can be true for everyone because when you know yourself well, you know what you want. When you know what you want, you know what to pursue, so you begin living the life that you want to be living.

I would be beyond thrilled if I could have a private breakfast with Tony Robbins.

I began listening to Tony when I started to “wake up” as a young adult going into my junior year of college, and he has changed my life in such a positive way. Tony’s past is full of resilience, his present is remarkable, and it’s incredibly inspiring to know that he is where he is even with the upbringing that he had.

How can our readers follow you on social media?

Please reach out to me at any one of the below social media handles or links.

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.austinmcculloh.com

LinkedIn: Austin McCulloh

Instagram: austinmcculloh

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

Austin McCulloh: “To develop resilience, take time each day, without any distractions, to sit and… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.