An Interview With Fotis Georgiadis
Self-Care. This should be self-explanatory, but I’ll spell it out. If you are not at your best, how do you expect those who you lead to be at their best? As the leader, you set the stage, and those you lead will mimic your behavior. I cannot stress how important it is for you to take your lunch and breaks, manage your stress and health, and maintain a work-life balance if you want to lead a cohesive, productive, and happy team of people.
As part of our series about the “Five Things You Need To Be A Highly Effective Leader During Turbulent Times”, we had the pleasure of interviewing Yvonne Victor, founder of Yvonne Victor Life Coach | Life Design. She is a Certified Life & Business Coach for overwhelmed professionals seeking to create a life that is balanced, sustainable, and fulfilling. With over 30 years of experience in corporate administration across several industries, she incorporates lessons learned and best business practices into her coaching curriculum.
Additionally, as a trained Community Advocate and Peacekeeper, she helps her clients identify core issues and create strategies that lead to the best results. As phase one of her signature coaching model The Best Life Blueprint™, Yvonne has published a book entitled “Unstuck: The First Five Steps for Living Your Best Life” to help others remove blocks and create momentum towards living the life of their dreams.
When she isn’t transforming lives, you can find Yvonne traveling with her family, gardening, dancing in the kitchen, or binge-watching food shows. She is the wife of one; mother of two and living her very Best Life.
Thank you so much for your time! I know that you are a very busy person. Our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you tell us a bit about your ‘backstory’ and how you got started?
I grew up in South Central Los Angeles in the ’70s. It was a different community than it is now; predominantly African American and definitely blue collar. However, the people were proud, and it was a tight-knit village where your neighbors were more like your extended family. Most households had 4 or more kids, and my home was no exception. I was the second to the last of eleven children who were a “pish posh” of siblings and cousins living under the same roof. Needless to say, life was fun, chaotic, stressful, loving, and sometimes dysfunctional. It was home. I wasn’t raised with a silver spoon in my mouth. There were too many children and not enough money, but we seemed to get by. However, when my community started to change as guns and drugs infiltrated the neighborhood, everyone around me was affected in some way. No one got away without a scratch, not even me. It became a tough place to grow up in.
After elementary school, I participated in a voluntary busing program that offered kids like me the opportunity to attend school on the other side of town where there were far more educational opportunities than in my community. In my case, that meant attending school in Brentwood and the Palisades, which are two very affluent neighborhoods in Los Angeles. For the next six years, my days were split between poverty and wealth. I loved the experience although it was difficult to navigate at times. I felt a lot of shame. It’s one thing to sit in your space with others just like you and imagine what life could be. It’s another to be immersed in what could be five days a week, only to return to your reality when the school bell rang.
There was always this longing in my heart. I wanted to live like the kids I went to school with. I wanted to be able to buy nice school clothes and take trips during holiday breaks. I wanted a spacious house with my own bedroom. I wanted to live in a neighborhood where helicopters and gunshots didn’t disturb your sleep. Living like that, always wanting more but never getting it, is hard on the soul. However, I was determined to make it happen, and I did.
Fast forward. As my youngest child prepared to leave for college, for the first time in my adult life I had to chance to focus entirely on myself. I had worked in corporate administration for 30+ years and was ready for a change. I was considering a lot of different avenues but in the midst of it all, a former coworker contacts me and says he has a ticket for me to go see Tony Robbins at his “Unleash the Power Within” conference in Newark, NJ. I had been a follower of Robbins’ for a while but that was nothing my coworker would have known about. I hesitated; I wasn’t too keen about traveling alone and didn’t feel comfortable about accepting such a priceless gift. However, he kept insisting and my husband, believing this was a sign from God, kept encouraging me to go.
I suppose you can say that is where my career started. I remember sitting in the cold and massive auditorium thinking, “I can do this! I know this stuff!”. I had used some of the same techniques to transform my own life, and I most definitely can help others transform their lives too. I returned home with a new remit and told my husband that I wanted to become a Life Coach. He was all for it and reminded me of how I helped him transform his life when we met and how I helped coach the kids through big decisions and how I’m always the person that my friends and coworkers come to when they need an objective ear and a little matter-of-fact wisdom. Coaching was a natural fit and something I was passionate about. I wanted more than anything to help others transform their lives into one that truly left them feeling fulfilled. So I enrolled in a certified coaching program, saved money, and vetted my decision cautiously before leaping. I was excited to strike out on my own and leave corporate but man, I was scared to death. I cried for the first two weeks! But I took that step and started my business and now here I am.
Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lessons or ‘takeaways’ you learned from that?
I wish I could say that this mistake happened when I started coaching but no…it was actually last year. I signed on a client and was extremely excited. She was one of those people that you’re just cheering on extra hard. We also got along well and so those “quick” business calls would always turn into more. Somehow, in the middle of all of the giggles, I forgot to bill her for half of her sessions. She is a kind and understanding soul and happily paid once I saw the mix-up. The lesson? Don’t depend on your mind to remember. Write it down. I now have a checklist for onboarding new clients to make sure that I don’t miss anything.
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’m grateful for my husband. I know it sounds cheesy but never underestimate the power of a great partner. They can make or break you! Starting a business or new career is no joke. There are so many moments of self-doubt, defeat, and fear, and if your partner doesn’t support you, count on nothing short of chaos and confusion.
I met Tony online in 2013, and we quickly became friends. I’ve known most of my friends for 40+ years, so it wasn’t like I was looking for more at this stage in my life. I was just grateful the ones I had were still sticking by me. After one very lonely and downright pitiful Valentine’s Day, I decided to put my profile back online for the LAST time. I hadn’t had much luck online before but sitting alone drinking wine and painting my toenails was just sad. That night I told God, “If it’s not in the cards, so be it. This is the last time I’m doing this.” I was finally at a point where being single was comfortable. However, the next morning, I received a very long, perfectly written, message from Tony. Messages turned into phone calls and phone calls turned into a friendly breakfast. I initially put him in the “friend-zone” because he was in the middle of getting divorced, but there was a pressing desire. I had to be friends with this guy. I hadn’t felt like that since elementary school. I didn’t think love was in our future at first, but changed my mind after date number three!
Friendship is always first with us. He is my newest friend and so he wasn’t there during “La Vida Loca”, he’s only known me in this incarnation. However, he has so much respect and love for me and my journey. If not for him, I probably would have returned to corporate within the first year. No doubt! Entrepreneurship is not for the weak. However, he’s always there to encourage me when I’m ready to give up. He’s my soft place to land when the sky is falling. He’s the Devil’s Advocate when needed and my faithful sounding board. Likewise, he reminds me that I was made for this! Seems like he was right.
Extensive research suggests that “purpose driven businesses” are more successful in many areas. When your company started, what was its vision, what was its purpose?
My purpose was and will always be to help people live their Best Life. To create a life that is balanced, sustainable, and fulfilling. I know first-hand what it feels like to be caught on the hamster wheel. Surviving but not thriving. Feeling like an imposter in your own life and wanting so much more but also feeling like a jerk for wanting more. Who signs up for that? Nobody! However, most of us quickly get caught up in a life we didn’t ask for and find it very difficult to change that. I’m a living example of what you can do. I live my Best Life every day and it’s incredible!
Look, when you find your way through the forest, you don’t sit and watch your friends struggle through the thickets, you show them the way. I’m here to guide those who are ready to commit to the journey, engage in the process, and invest in themselves, through the forest towards the life of their dreams. People who are expressing the best version of themselves create a better world around them. I think this is how we “fix” the world. My vision is to give everyone the chance to do just that.
Did you ever consider giving up? Where did you get the motivation to continue through your challenges? What sustains your drive?
I consider giving up just about every quarter. Like I said, running your own business, much less a business that requires you to be emotionally on top of your game every day, can be hard. I had a lucrative career in corporate that required very little of me personally, so the thought of taking the easy, albeit less fulfilling road, is always in the back of my mind, especially when things get rough.
However, I am simply too tenacious to back down. I’m a warrior and defeat isn’t an option…ever. So, during these times, I practice what I preach. I find something, anything to motivate me. Something that I can emotionally connect with. At times, I reflect on my clients’ wins and how I was a significant part of that process. I love how it feels when I get the call about the new job, client, house, weight loss, etc., and I want to feel that again. Sometimes my motivation comes from not wanting to disappoint my children and husband who believe in me so much. Other times, my motivation is a luxury purchase, a trip I want to take, or simply proving to the naysayers that I can do it.
Additionally, I make sure that I keep that energy going by maintaining a work-life balance, creating a sustainable lifestyle, and investing time, money, and energy into those things that advance my life vision. It’s all very strategic and doable.
What would you say is the most critical role of a leader during challenging times?
The most critical role of a leader during challenging times is to not lose focus of the vision. The vision of the group is the North Star and guides everything that happens. When the storms of life take center stage, it’s easy to lose sight. Like a ship at sea, you feel tossed around and shift your focus to survival. People aren’t at their best when they are simply trying to stay afloat.
However, the captain of the ship is the visionary and there to remind us of the collective vision. The captain keeps us motivated, encouraged, and moving toward the mark when the sea is raging around us. If the Captain focuses on the pounding waves and the dark clouds, then there is no hope and the crew is doomed.
When the future seems so uncertain, what is the best way to boost morale? What can a leader do to inspire, motivate and engage their team?
One of the best things any leader can do to boost the morale of their team is to trust them to help find the solution. One of the primary human needs according to Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs is esteem. Everyone wants to feel significant and leaders can facilitate that need by partnering with everyone on the team to find the solution. The partnership engages the experience and expertise of everyone and creates a more synergetic relationship between team members.
As an Administrative Assistant, I was rarely looked at for the solution, although I was always directly affected by the outcome. I felt helpless to alter my circumstances and very insignificant. Rarely was I asked, “What do you think we should do?” They assumed that I didn’t have the answer.
Do you think I was inspired, engaged, or motivated?
Absolutely not!
On the other hand, I remember a time when I worked in Big Pharma, and my division had been acquired by another company. The new company required that we put together a business plan. I sat at the end of the conference table, half-listening to my coworkers struggle to find a solution. My opinion and thoughts were rarely solicited on business matters, but things changed this day. One of my coworkers and very good friends blurts out, “Yvonne owned a business and knows how to put together a business plan.” She and I were the only two who had careers outside of science at one point or another, and so we had a wealth of experience not shared by the rest of the team.
Long story short, I provided the template for the business plan and worked with my friend to create the first few rounds of the business plan and our division successfully moved forward.
Now, how inspired engaged, or motivated do you think I was after that?
After all of the time, effort, and resources that go into talent acquisition, leaders have to be able to trust their team to do what they do best. We love the pizza party in the lunchroom but what we want is to be heard and know without a shadow of a doubt that we matter. That’s enough to move mountains.
What is the best way to communicate difficult news to one’s team and customers?
I have a formula for delivering difficult news that has so far been effective.
First, I gather the team so that everyone hears it at the same time. This helps you control the message, which is imperative, as well as read the room. I’ve seen many leaders hide in offices and suddenly become “unavailable” when it’s all about to go south. Or worse yet, deliver the news via email.
Then I sandwich the difficult news between positive news. Here’s an example:
“This is one of the best teams I have ever worked with. I love the way you all show up for one another and share in the victories. However, every season has an end. Our division has been acquired by XYZ Inc. and they plan to cut 70% of the positions. I understand this news is difficult to swallow and so our company is going to do everything possible to help you during the transition.”
It takes a bit of the sting out and works for dating too.
Next, be sure to keep it short! Now is not the time for speeches. You want to give people a moment alone to process the news. You can offer a short Q&A at the end but keep the entire process to approximately 15–30 minutes.
Lastly, offer time for a more in-depth conversation. With customers, end the conversation by scheduling a time to follow up within a few days. Let them know that you want to provide them with more meaningful information, as well as work hand in hand to ensure a seamless transition. As for your team members, offer times for them to schedule a 1:1 meeting with you or their managers to debrief. This should be your number one priority for the next few days.
How can a leader make plans when the future is so unpredictable?
Well, let me start by saying the nature of the future is a degree of unpredictability. It’s packaged that way. We can use data of past and present performances to make an educated hypothesis; however, we must always remain cognizant that one anomaly can knock us out of the park. So, we must accommodate the unpredictability.
The best leaders know how to pivot during uncertain times. They know the side streets and can carefully maneuver around the storm. They accomplish this by staying flexible and understanding that there are several routes to the goal. They understand that “the plan” is a living entity that can be altered at any time.
They also factor in risks. What storms have the potential to alter your plans? Loss of revenue? Employee strike? Seasonal weather? Whatever it is, factor it in. Also, know your bottom line for everything. How lean can you be before you are toast?
Is there a “number one principle” that can help guide a company through the ups and downs of turbulent times?
“Ride the wave!” I love swimming in the ocean but one of the first things I learned was, if I find myself in distress, stop fighting against the water and ride the wave to shore. As business owners, we are going to hit a rough patch. It’s inevitable. However, you can fight against the inevitable or gracefully float back to shore, where you can regroup and head back into the water. Ride the wave, implies that we find the least resistant method to stability. Stability is key during turbulent times.
For my own business, I have been more conservative in my projections and parlayed the debut of a few new products. I understand the needs and wants of my market and I know that people are playing it safe right now. There is absolutely nothing I can do about that. So why keep pushing? Why keep fighting the wave? Instead, my focus is on stability and slow growth, so that my business is around on the other side of this.
Can you share 3 or 4 of the most common mistakes you have seen other businesses make during difficult times? What should one keep in mind to avoid that?
You picked the right person for this question. I can’t count how many times I’ve been laid off, so I’ve seen a lot, and not all of it I agree with. Here are the top three on my list:
Mistake #1: Laying off senior talent. I worked in Pharma for about 15 years and have been through a multitude of layoffs and it always amazed me how the most senior talent was let go. I understand they are the highest-earning employees but they’re also the most experienced. They’ve been to this rodeo a time or two and know exactly how to navigate these turbulent times. This decision leaves you with inexperienced staff, with no one to mentor them, who have very little experience in the trenches of day-to-day business. You may have saved money and been able to report a profit but how far back did you set the company in doing so?
Mistake #2: Not investing in marketing. When I was younger, I wanted to become a copywriter and so I landed a job with Dailey & Associates and gleaned every bit of knowledge that I could. It was here that I first witnessed this fatal mistake in action. Every time the economy took a slump, the clients would cut their advertising dollars exponentially. Enough to trigger layoffs. Let me put this into perspective. Marketing drives sales. Sales drive profit. Marketing is one of your most important departments, not finance, not legal, and not I.T. If you cannot sell your product or services, you don’t have a business.
Mistake #3: Rewarding C-Suite executives, while making cuts to staff. “But Yvonne, all the cool kids are doing it.” I get it, but it doesn’t make it right. Much more, the harm that it does to reputation, morale, and the integrity of the company is irreconcilable. Those things are hard to get back once lost and just as important to any thriving company as the stock price. Every year we watch some CEO get millions of dollars in bonuses after laying off half of the company. Then the word gets around and they stop attracting top talent, the staff starts to leave for their competitor and the stocks plummet again, as they prepare for another round of layoffs.
Generating new business, increasing your profits, or at least maintaining your financial stability can be challenging during good times, even more so during turbulent times. Can you share some of the strategies you use to keep forging ahead and not lose growth traction during a difficult economy?
My growth strategies are simple.
Know your market. Not just in good times but during difficult times also. This is a relationship, not a one-night stand. Find out how their spending habits change during difficult economies? What do they spend their money on? Do they spend more feely or are they more cautious with spending? Keep courting your customers so that you understand, how they need you to show up.
Know your bottom line. One thing I’m always aware of is my surplus. I can easily identify those line items that are expendable, in both business and personal finances. I stay prepared to cut where needed, to stay afloat. One of the best things you can do for your business is to never mistake wants for needs.
Know your metrics. If you are measuring the metrics that contribute to the profit of the business, then you are aware at any moment of what needs to be improved. Time is money and the sooner you can course correct, the better. I know metrics aren’t particularly sexy but monitoring them is well worth the time.
Here is the primary question of our discussion. Based on your experience and success, what are the five most important things a business leader should do to lead effectively during uncertain and turbulent times? Please share a story or an example for each.
Focus. Like I mentioned before it is the remit of a leader to hold the vision during turbulent times. He has to stay focused on the big picture and reassure his team that they have what it takes to weather the storm. For me, that example is in the New Testament of the Bible. Jesus and his disciple were always going through it and there was always something or someone to take them off tasks. The Disciples were cool and all but sometimes they were a bit shady and regardless of all the miraculous things they had seen and done, their faith was weak. However, Jesus was hyper-focused on the vision and not only held that space for them, but reminded them that they were the chosen few and had exactly what they needed to weather the storm.
Communicate. I find that the more information people have, the more secure they feel. During troubled times leaders must communicate with their constituents. When my business started to feel the pains of the pandemic, I needed time to pivot and think about how to best serve my clients. They were used to receiving monthly emails and seeing me on social media quite a bit but I needed to pull away from that to regroup. So, I sent out a letter to my email list and told them the truth. I asked them to bear with me while I figured it out and that I’d be back in a few months. That seems like suicide by email…right? However, not one person unsubscribed. I didn’t leave them in the dark to figure out if I was still in business. People will fill in the blanks and that is exactly what you don’t want. You should communicate the story.
Advocate. One of my favorite managers ever is a stellar advocate. He was and is a brilliant scientist, and at this point in my career, I was looking for a more challenging position, which he supported. It was time for my review and we settled in to chat it up and he showed me with two simple sentences that he indeed was a leader. He said, “Yvonne, I know you want to move up in the company but I don’t know how to develop an Administrative Assistant. However, if you tell me what you need, I will make sure that you get it.” And he did! Advocacy is one of the primary roles of leaders, especially during times like this. You should be the voice for those you lead, in addition to your interests. Additionally, you should be making sure that they have what they need and deserve, so that they may perform optimally.
Reward. You would be amazed at how motivating a “thank you” can be. It’s the best investment ever. It’s free to give and the return is phenomenal. However, I’ve heard more than one complaint around the water cooler, and many of them have to do with feeling unappreciated. Some of the best employees turn in their resignations based on that one fact. Even though times are uncertain and money is short, leaders need to find ways to say “thank you” or “I appreciate what you do”, and if you want to add power to the punch, do it publicly. Although, we all pretend that the certificate means nothing to us, we keep every single one. Plus, now is a great time for that pizza party.
Self-Care. This should be self-explanatory, but I’ll spell it out. If you are not at your best, how do you expect those who you lead to be at their best? As the leader, you set the stage, and those you lead will mimic your behavior. I cannot stress how important it is for you to take your lunch and breaks, manage your stress and health, and maintain a work-life balance if you want to lead a cohesive, productive, and happy team of people.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
My favorite life lesson quote, hands down is by Marianne Williamson in her book A Return to Love: Reflections on the Principles of “A Course in Miracles”. It’s all so profound and impossible to dissect into one or two sentences.
“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, ‘Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?’ Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”
I bought the book a little after it came out and came upon this passage. Man, it stopped me in my tracks. I sat there slack jaw, feeling as if she were speaking directly to me. I quickly typed it up, added a pretty border, and pinned it to my cubicle wall. Then I read it every single day. This simple quote was the “stern talking to” that I so greatly needed. I was a professional underachiever and had dimmed my light so much that I barely recognized myself. I always knew that I was capable of doing, being, and having so much more but bullying had taught me that if I wanted to be safe, loved, and accepted, then I had better tone it down.
Then here comes Miss Marianne with her book! I got it after that. I really got it! Little by little I started to return to my truest self. I set out on a mission to find the little girl that was sent here in all of her perfection before the world told her differently. I think I’m closer than ever. It’s my one constant journey
How can our readers further follow your work?
You can find me on my website at www.yvonnevictor.com, or on Facebook and Instagram @ yvonnevictorlifecoach.
Thank you so much for sharing these important insights. We wish you continued success and good health!
Yvonne Victor: Five Things You Need To Be A Highly Effective Leader During Turbulent Times was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.
