June 2022

June 22 2022

Belonging and Inclusivity: Our Founders Origin Story

Rose Kaz Boss Blog Core Values, Inclusivity 0

I never really felt I belonged. Anywhere. Until one day I began to notice why and how I could maybe, just maybe one day, find belonging.

Sure. Maybe as someone who appears to be ‘white’ and from a ‘nice family’ I ‘should’ have a sense of belonging, be grateful for my privilege and find somewhere to sit nicely and not complain about feeling included. But the truth was, I simply didn’t feel I had a place where I felt truly seen, as myself and ultimately, included.

I was born out of wedlock into a ‘nice’ and kind home of my mother’s Eastern European family who saw that I was fed, clothed and to school on time. Outside of those basic necessities, emotional support in the early 1980’s was to be found elsewhere. My mother was initially shamed by her father, my grandfather for having gotten pregnant and not being married. Eventually, my grandfather accepted my mother & me so we are allowed in the house to be raised by my mother’s mother and her mother.

I am effectively a matriarchal baby with much love from 3 amazing generations of women. Yet I still wasn’t sure I belonged with these kind folks. My father, for his small part, wasn’t available for child rearing nor did my mother want his ‘overbearing’ Italian/ Spanish family involved. To this day, I wish I could have had more time with those loud folks bc maybe, I would have felt more included in that tribe. And even more so, my mother wanted to raise me in the guit-light Luthern church and not in the seemingly domineering worship that was my dad’s Jewish / Catholic roots. Sure, there were certainly lots of options on where I could be included but not really any one space where I felt HOME or even really deeply connected.

I’ll pause here to insert the idea of INCLUSIVITY for femmes, thought leaders, industry disruptors and women in business that we aim to have established on the LBI Backstage Pass. Historically, we have been told to play small, be quiet and just allow the status quo to be, even if it has us feeling less than included, sitting on our hands and accepting that stupid af statement ‘it is what it is’!!

The notion of making space to include ALL of us is truly radical. It’s honoring each person as we are, not as we could be if we were different. It may seem simple but as it turns out implementing inclusivity for one self or for the many is a hard job because it actually means leaning into community but first that community needs to be welcoming. It’s kind of a classic example of chicken vs egg, cart vs horse. As business activists, I suggest that we can do this together AND first we need to understand our own roots of being, feeling and having an included sense of self in order to find, share and make space for others.

I wanted to be open with my own upbringing to share that it may be possible that many folks, like myself, didn’t know what inclusivity realy meant until I found it for myself. As I began to discover for myself, I decided I wanted to make space, build bigger stages and bust open doors for ANY and ALL folks who have ever felt the same about their own sense of belonging.

I know that there remain many, many reasons for the lack of inclusivity which include but are not limited to racism, misogyny, bigotry and a whole list of -isms that one can spend their entire life attempting to dismantle. Please know that in no way do I consider my not being included the same as yours. The point I’d like to make is that we can find empathy through our own experiences, albeit the experiences are different but similar in the feelings they can create.

As I entered grade school and on into high school, my identity was stewed in a variety of places that really never felt like me. My mother sent my sister and I to a Christian day school that was essentially free if we were members of the church. Not exactly church going Jews, I found a lot of the teachings of this school to be really archaic and confusing when taught just before science class. As a result, I often found myself in trouble at school because I would ask many questions that would ultimately land me in the principal’s office. I saw the ‘trouble’ I was causing to not be problematic as asking questions shouldn’t be a crime, right? The questions were viewed as disruptions & asking why the status quo was the status quo wasn’t the sort of thing teachers appreciated.

High school wasn’t much better with its express lane socialization and mean girl groupies around every corner. Though I was social in many groups, my peers on the soccer team didn’t really embrace me for the mash up of ethnic convergence I was beginning to see myself as. Becky always asked me why my dad never came to the games. Back off Becky!

I did feel somewhat accepted by my theater nerd friends as my quirky self but not entirely the slightly queer, bi sexual I was blooming into. And my fella student council members saw my outgoing nature as helpful but sometimes too loud and often asked if I could tone it down some!! I’m tiiiiiiring but it was and still is generally a futile attempt. PS that loud voice got me elected as Student Council president, sorry not sorry.

Then I got to college and learned about learning. I came to understand that the small world I was raised in with limited emotional bandwidth and paid for on food stamps could be changed for access to more information, more community and even more sense of belonging. I began to see inclusivity as a feeling and not a destination . I began to understand my early days as a ‘problem child’ were really just training grounds to be a thought leader, industry disruptor, and ultimately, a business activist.

And now as a woman in business, particularly in the business of helping to dismantle oppressive systems by building better ways of doing things, I recognize this ongoing process of finding belonging with oneself so I can continue to build welcoming spaces for others. We as human beings are social creatures that require community and the inherent sense of belonging that I would argue is in our souls’ longing. I’ve felt the lack of this much of my life and am eager to find abundance of it as we build more inclusive ways of doing business as the change makers we are! After all, we all deserve to be here.

So I leave this entry with a question for the reader: Do you live more quietly than you’d secretly wish to? What have you done today to question the status quo? How can we together see each other as value add to this incredible world we get to live in AND also fulfill our own wildest dreams without excluding? I have some theoretical answers to these questions and I would love to keep the conversation going with you, dear reader.

If you are interested in talking more about your feelings of belonging, of being included and advocating for inclusivity for our world, I want to talk to you. I mean it. Please join our larger coverations happening 24/7 on the LBI Backstage Pass by sharing your thought leading insights on this social media platform built by women for women. I want to connect with you directly so once on the platform, please send me an DM and let’s keep this conversation going.

Love, Rose Kaz

Our Founder, Rose Kaz

Bio:

Rose Kaz is the Fem Founder and she’s done this a time or two. Her photo & video production company has taken her around the world but her new app allows her female clients & even women she hasn’t met yet to lean into each other, learn about our opportunity as business activists to support, grow & shop directly from one another. We are building a new economy, globally. WOW!

And the app we are talking about is that which Rose + the LBI Crew has launched where the ask for women is to: ‘ take center stage in their lives; to stand up, speak out & get GLOWING like never before’ Think activism meets B school meets super hip, online resource center! Sprinkle in some new school networking and POW The LBI Backstage Pass is #trending!

Click here to come Backstage, meet Rose and the entire community of femme forward leaders.

June 20 2022

Integration is the New Inclusion

SayHiLBI@gmail.com Boss Blog, Business, Coaching, Inclusivity business, Career, Women in Business 0

Article written by Sarah Poet

I was driving home from a road trip and it hit me: integration is the new inclusion. And the first thing I thought was, “Sarah Poet, who do you think you are to say that anything is the new inclusion?”

I’ve been thinking about this concept and others lately and they all seem to have a common theme – question the constructs within which I assume anything to be true. Question everything.

We see this thing we think is reality, but it’s not reality. It’s actually all based on our assumptions of it, the frameworks that have existed since before we arrived. For example, we have frameworks of patriarchy and colonialism still at play in our current world. Those are not my favorite frameworks, and so I don’t like to assume that they are true just because we can see evidence of them. I want to dream of new frameworks, and then create them.

As humans, we put a lot of energy into fighting the frameworks, or trying to deconstruct them. Or, some of the time, we just operate within these constructs without questioning them at all. As someone who speaks about masculine and feminine archetypes in my work, one of the most common frameworks that I want to encourage us to question is the one that said men have power. Well, why does this have to be true? Why was this true? And most importantly, how do I (or we) act or behave when we assume that it is true?

It’s just a framework for reality that we default to participating in, and then we try to rise up and fight against it, but it doesn’t even have to be true and we can choose to question it and therefore collapse what is false about it. Men are not inherently more powerful than women, and so I don’t have to react in a way where I fight for my power. I am inherently powerful – not because I’ve taken my power back or fought against a system. But just because I am.

Let us also note that this framework of “someone has power and someone doesn’t” was built within a paradigm of separation.

If things are separate and not united, then one group or gender can have power and another can’t. But what if we choose to believe in unity instead of separation? What if we stop participating in separation?

Let’s look at more examples of how humans behave when we believe in the construct of separation. I’d say entire feminist movements have been built on the concept that one group has power and another doesn’t, and so feminists have been fighting for power within that framework. You might say, “Of course women have to fight for power!” And I would say, “No, we don’t.”

We simply have to be powerful. I do not define my power because I’ve had to “take it back” or fight men for my power. I spent a lot of time doing that, and it’s actually exhausting. Rather, I want to be powerful, and to be sovereign, which requires integration of my personal and inherent power, not my inclusion into an external system of differentiated power. Who I am does not require external permission, which I feel like inclusion is inherently seeking.

If I focus on the external framework accepting me, then I will have to fight for my right to be included. I don’t choose to do that. I choose to integrate all parts of Self and to show up whole. Nothing defines whether or not I can be included, except my own level of personal integration.

It’s like I said in my TEDx, if “equity” of women means that I have to participate in a rat-race built in patriarchal masculinity (different from conscious masculinity), then I don’t want it. I played that game as a woman leader, climbing ladders and putting on a false sense of being able to handle anything. I fought against misogyny and wanted to be included for a time. Until I didn’t, because who made those rules?

More and more lately we see women leaving the workforce in this thing that culture is calling the Great Resignation. I know that the pandemic has burdened women with the lion’s share of responsibilities for family and caretaking, and yet I believe that women are also leaving because they are questioning the framework of the systems that haven’t been working for us for years. Because they are inherently patriarchal, inherently separationist, and women have had to fight within those systems for something we should have never had to fight for.

I would call that thing we should never have had to fight for “integration.”

Let’s look at integration in a personal sense. As a child, I experienced deep trauma and I didn’t realize what had truly happened to me until I was an adult with the dis-integrated symptoms of trauma, which led me to go to trauma-based therapies. In those therapies, such as Hakomi and Internal Family Systems, we work to integrate the “parts” of the self. If the child-self has experienced a traumatic event, there will be a separation in the psyche.

That “part” may not feel safe anymore, or it may feel outcast, and it may stay that way well into adulthood. In the therapies, we don’t really ask the core Self if these parts can be included – if they can pull up a chair and join the other parts of Self and be accepted. To be explicitly clear, we don’t just want to include the parts, we want to integrate them. And the assumption is that they can all be integrated, we just have to look at the health of the system and restructure the psyche to integrate all the parts. We work to integrate the separated or isolated part. And we do this because wholeness is the entire purpose.

An integrated human, just like an integrated system, will operate much more functionally in wholeness. To me, inclusion depends on a part (or group of people) having been separated out, and then included back in. But integration speaks of wholeness and to me has a deeper intent.

I used to be a Special Education teacher. As many people likely know, each student who qualifies for special education has an individual legal document called an Individualized Education Plan (IEP in most states). The IEP will say how much time a student is able to sit in the regular classroom and access the curriculum from there versus how much time they need to be in the smaller special education classroom, to get all their needs – academic and social – met.

First I want to say, I think schools are doing the best they know to do, but I do question this model. When a student can go back into the “regular” classroom for their education, we call this “inclusion.” But the reason I question whether this is the correct way to do it or not is because, to my original point, the entire basis for this way of “including” is based in a model of first separating the children out. Why are the children separated? Why are schools set up this way? And what would an integrated model of education look like?

Well, I consult with a few such schools, and what we’re noticing is that student empathy and community actually increase when there is a model of integration. No one is the core group, and no one needs to be included back in, because the wholeness and coherence of the group were always the priority.

If we never separate out, then we don’t need to “include” back in.

And you may say, “Yes, but this idea is null and void because we do have exclusionary systems and women were and are treated as less than and people of color were and are discriminated against, therefore having less access to full equality.” And I would say: I know, I know, and all of that is still predicated on ideas of separation, which I’m just not interested in perpetuating. If I condone it, then I am constantly living my life within that framework, fighting against walls and barriers that will feel very hard to knock down.

I want to question the walls we fight against. I find that in my own life, as I question the structures, they simply begin to fall down, because I’m not believing that I am within them anymore.

I don’t want “inclusion for all” – because inclusion is inherently based in separation. You have to first be separate in order to be included again. What I am advocating for is the integration of all into a paradigm of Unity.

It’s a mindset shift of epic proportions. And it’s possible.

I keep going back to the example of the body and mind in trauma therapy. It’s not that I want to deny that the separation / trauma event happened. I realize that it did. But when I ask myself if I want to focus on inclusion of the outcast part, or if I want to focus on integration into the whole, I want the latter.

I want wholeness, integration, and connection. I believe we function better this way, and this is how we actualize the true Self, and this is how we can also actualize potential in community as well.

So what does this look like when we’re talking about groups of people, or organizational health, or the fact that black and brown people are still treated differently?

It means that we begin to design systems of integration rather than systems of inclusion. It means that we question the existing structure within which we are trying to “include” everyone. If inclusion feels difficult, or if it isn’t working, maybe let’s question and realize that these structures were not meant to support all people and parts. These systemic structures were built within a paradigm of separation. Therefore, they may not be the best thing to fit into. Do you want to be included into a system that was not healthy to begin with? Or do you want to make sure that an integrated system exists, and that everyone can operate with equity within it?

Again, I want the latter.

I want us to question everything, to question the walls that we stand within. I want us to have open dialogue about what our needs are, what kinds of collectives and communities we want to create, and I want to do this together. No one person (or group of people) can design systems that are inherently integrated. We need integrated groups of people to design and develop new integrated systems.

I believe that this is possible for our workplaces and communities. All members of the organization or the community would need to be considered and consulted in order to design an integrated, new, system that is capable of far more than the systems of the past. It requires us to redefine leadership, to move from old models of patriarchal masculine where there was a hierarchy or one leader, and to take team restructuring and shared leadership (or at the very least, stakeholder feedback) very seriously.

I am here for the work of it, and willing to facilitate new ventures such as this. I’m here to do the worthy work of analyzing organizational systems, asking what is dis-integrated and separate, and to work to integrate those parts – be it people, ideas, resources, emotions, races, genders – into new systems where separation is no longer the assumed framework.

Let’s build integrated systems within the framework of unity. Let’s do it together.

Find Sarah here:

Instagram | Linkedin | Website

Sarah Poet is a truth seeker, a soul traveler, a former school creator turned feminine/masculine integration expert, and, as it turns out, a medicine woman for modern times.

It is Sarah’s mission to serve the true evolution of human consciousness, to integrate feminine & masculine on all levels, and to bridge us collectively from separation to connection, and to live a life of integrity and heart.

To this end, Sarah is a teacher, couples coach and Sacred Union activator, energy medicine practitioner, mentor, speaker, spiritual counselor, systems analyst, and new-paradigm leadership coach and business consultant.

You can watch her TEDx and book a consultation at www.sarahpoet.com.

June 17 2022

Inclusivity in Coaching Through Exclusion

SayHiLBI@gmail.com Boss Blog, Coaching, Uncategorized Inclusivity, Women in Business 0

…and how it creates safer practices for all

Article written by Kitty Kistler

The term “safe space” isn’t new. In fact, safe spaces began in the 1960s during the women’s movement and continue to gain traction 60 years later. But, like most things, such space warrants a two sided argument to why they’re still needed and if they cause more harm than good.

Siding on the idea of a necessary space that provides common ground, these spaces were -and still are- never intended to make others feel left out, but instead provide a place where people are not subject to bias, discrimination, and criticism from the outside world.

MkgCeqMpRe98iacVINMg5HCPvX4qwtqQ9lCVe_vsJthpk-h0aNaal9V2UJG_ymGs6EHjYD18eXxoT8YHpO9p9y6yCallLeFFw4yxPtQpK9SPX_iYK6LfN_l4pXbT

Offering someone protection inside of a safety net might feel like the logical solution to helping others thrive in the world, but the conversation comes with debate. One, not of diversity and inclusion, but of tolerance and intolerance.

Intolerance demands comfort, understanding, and conformity, which makes the uncompromising more critical inside spaces where lack of prejudice is not only necessary, but sometimes a matter of life or death.

Tolerance, on the other hand, demands the discomfort of awareness while often lacking the need for formal understanding and conformity. Tolerance accepts and honors differences and allows exclusive boundaries to protect the person and honor the progress.

As much as you want to believe the world has changed, progress has occurred, and equality is the new norm, the reality is the tremendous amount of work left to do, especially in a progressive and rapidly growing industry such as personal development and wellness.

From the outside looking in, the coaching industry might appear to relate only to a certain level of readiness, discipline, and self indulgence–leaving behind a mysterious sense of elitism that only the wealthy and truly motivated are privy to.

By not showcasing the industry’s diversity, a huge gap remains in the mission to serve all, because not everyone sees a familiar representation of who they are.

To confront this issue head on, the International Coaching Federation (ICF) released a statement of inclusion and diversity asking it to be at the forefront of the mission.

“Our mission is to lead the global advancement of coaching. To do this, we must reflect on our blind spots and be aware of opportunities for improvement.” – ICF

However, as a self regulating industry with no one authority over its mission, it seems blind spots still exist and a lot of misinformed mainstreamers are left to believe coaching is a luxury not often afforded to those in “ordinary” lifestyles.

Diversity within the industry does exist, but you have to invest the time and patience to find the space that you identify with–as both a client and a colleague. The exhaustion of seeking support but not knowing how or where to find it, actually provides a higher likelihood that someone won’t find the safe space they need–or worse, they won’t ask for help because of the possible rejection of not fitting in.

As the world shifts and ‘coaching’ becomes a household word, a lunch and learn workplace opportunity, a conversation in schools, and (yes, of course) an internet buzzword, the need for accessible and visible inclusion remains high on the list of righting wrongs.

It might seem easy to cross inclusion off the to-do list when you’re supporting an audience of ten to 100 members, but how does a coach grow their business AND show inclusivity AND provide a safe space when they’re just one person or a very small team?

This is where waters get muddy, nuance is critical, and self awareness is vital to maintaining your position and authority in your market.

The purpose of a safe space, or being a ‘safe harbor’ coach, is to allow members to feel comfortable enough to ask for support around their own needs, but also understand that the advocacy inside of the group must be heard outside of the space to actually invoke the change.

Safe spaces offer the necessary protection of one’s identity, while also allowing a collective need for progressive tolerance and inclusion to become more recognized within society.

The best way to become a lighthouse and beacon of safety is to lead by example.

Know your audience and be exclusive for them–provide them a safe space that is private and non judgemental, be willing to exclude those who would feel unsafe/harmful or have opposition to the culture you’re creating.

Stay curious and allow open dialogue–especially difficult ones, but know when to step in and offer insights, moderation, and critical thinking to promote further tolerance and the group member’s growth as well.

Practice inclusivity and tolerance in your daily life–weave it into your values, content, programming, and service offers, and make others feel safe and acknowledged even when they know they aren’t your target audience.

So, what makes putting this into practice so hard?

Social influence has programmed the belief that inclusivity means inclusion for all, without exception.

However, being a safe harbor must also include exclusion for the safety of its members. Without this exclusion, members will feel threatened, they’ll be less likely to share, seek, and advocate for themselves, and the group is more vulnerable to intolerant thoughts and actions.

The coaching industry must work together and adopt the ideology of being all-human embracing to remove the harmful narratives that have created so much bias.

Maintaining exclusive safe space does not mean you don’t love, honor, and respect all others, but it does mean you recognize, see, and validate someone who might not know where they belong. Coaches must choose to be leaders who understand that everyone has a story and a wound that needs to be healed, but they’re also worthy of living a life of liberated happiness.

When you practice inclusivity, exclusion becomes less about elitism and more about the humanness of providing someone with the community support they need.

Find Kitty here:

Facebook // www.facebook.com/groups/howtolifecoach

Instagram // @ kitty_kistler

LinkedIn // @ kittykistler

Kitty Kistler is an experienced Life Coach + Business Mentor.

Driven by a desire to see integrity within the coaching community she created Ready, Set, Coach Academy to teach aspiring coaches, course creators, influencers, and social marketers how to coach professionally and build sustainable heart + values centered businesses. Her goal is to expand and diversify the industry while helping more coaches become successful, profitable business owners as well.

June 15 2022

How to Unlock Your Productivity Potential

SayHiLBI@gmail.com Boss Blog, Business, Uncategorized Productivity 0

(and avoid burnout)

Article written by Avery Thatcher

Hey high achiever! I see you – looking for ways to increase your productivity and get more done in less time!

You’re a woman in business, on a mission to make your corner of the world a better place and that’s incredible!

But…

… you’re stuck on the cycle of burnout being incredibly productive one day, while crashing and procrastinating on another. You’re met with message after message online of where you should be spending your time if you want to grow your business.

B-h4dt35qq2kjx2oiuSOwzBzUHpUHaltqP6M1RnKa9YRitpEBhA9kdtdxk7HMb0RZ19Qq6vF7SYm3uv87a1XvazUjMFhvNH4Jfo3Icpt_uUoWY20XB9DeTfjT8dy

This hustle culture is starting to make you doubt if you’re even cut out for this whole ‘entrepreneur thing’ in the first place.

So you find yourself looking for resources, signing up for courses, and joining co-working programs to try and keep you and your business on track. You keep searching for the secret to cracking the code for how to get more done in less time.

Want the answer?

Lean in close.

You’re asking the wrong question.

It’s not so much about how to get more done in less time, as it is about making sure that you’ve optimized the four key components of the productivity puzzle to make it possible for you to be consistently productive in a way that matches your energy, responsibilities, and expectations for yourself.

Instead of asking “how can I be more productive?” I encourage you to ask yourself “how can I optimize my productivity potential?”

Let me explain.

The Four Puzzle Pieces of Productivity

There are four key components of productivity:

Clarity and Alignment

Stress Management

Energy Management, and

Time Management

Each of these components interact with each other and all need to be optimized if you want to become your most productive self and avoid the downfalls of hustle culture that inevitably lead to burnout. If one of these pieces are out of balance, the entire system collapses and we’re left struggling with procrastination.

We’ve probably all heard of shiny object syndrome, and basically what that means is that we’re tempted and distracted by things that aren’t in alignment with our mission and goals, and that means that we spend too much time doing things that aren’t going to make our long-term goals a reality.

Signing up for new courses, free trainings, challenges, keeping ourselves busy, all that kind of thing can really slow us down because we THINK that we’re doing something productive. We’re learning right, and it means that we’re embracing a lifetime of learning which is really exciting. I see this a lot in high-achievers diving into personal development. We’re great at learning…

But there comes a point where learning is just covert procrastination because if we don’t put that learning into ACTION, then we’re really just distracting ourselves from facing our obstacles that are keeping us in this same space where we are right now.

So how do we stay out of this space of sneaky procrastination?

Productivity Tip #1 – Clarity and Alignment

If we don’t have clarity with our big picture goals, our smaller goals are less likely to be in alignment with what we’re really hoping to achieve, which leaves us working on things that keep us busy, but don’t actually serve our ultimate mission.

By achieving clarity and ensuring that what we’re doing is staying in alignment with that is essential to our productivity because it makes sure that we’re working on the tasks that will really make the biggest difference.

This starts by writing your clarity statement, because with your clarity statement you will be able to then know if something is in or out of alignment; you’ll know what opportunities, tasks and activities to say yes to and what to say no to.

Once you have your clarity statement, it’s going to be easier to prevent burnout because you’ll be able to operate in your peak performance zone by mastering your stress response.

Productivity Tip #2 – Stress Management

What you may not realize is that there are two kinds of stress:

Distress – The stress that we know more commonly and that’s distress, the stress that feels heavy and awful and causes all kinds of problems.

Eustress – The positive, productive, motivating stress where we’re in the zone, we’re in flow, we’re getting stuff done and we’re just killing it, rocking our life and our goals.

This is the stress curve based on the Yerkes-Dodson Law created by psychologists Robert M. Yerkes and John Dillingham Dodson in 1908. It illustrates the relationship between productivity and pressure.

Here on the left hand side we don’t have enough pressure, and in this state we’re wired as humans to kinda sit around and do nothing! Here we don’t have motivation, we don’t have drive, we don’t feel connected to a purpose or a mission, we don’t have clarity and therefore we don’t have momentum or alignment.

But, here at the peak of the curve we have momentum, we have drive, we have goals and the energy we need to support our ability to achieve those goals.

But, as with so many entrepreneurs, we’re high achievers, and as a high achiever, it’s very easy for us to shoot way the heck over this peak and the optimal balance where our productivity and pressure are optimized – and roll all the way down over here getting closer and closer to burnout. In this space of burnout, we lose access to our CEO, higher level thinking part of our brain, the prefrontal cortex which makes it harder for us to be productive because our brains aren’t wired for success in this space – it’s working to run away from a bear, not figure out why your website isn’t working.

We can absolutely get ourselves back into eustress and out of distress with some simple techniques including one I’m going to share with you right now.

The simplest thing you can do to keep access to this higher level thinking brain of yours is to practice breathing techniques. There are many different breathing techniques you can use and today we’re going to talk about the 5-5-5 breathing technique.

5-5-5 breathing is when you take 5 slow deep breaths for 5 seconds on the inhale, 5 seconds on the exhale This breathing technique has been scientifically proven to deactivate the fight or flight sympathetic nervous system and bring us back into rest and digest parasympathetic side. This means that if you start to feel your stress response ramping up, you can take control of that switch with this breathing technique and regain access to your CEO brain.

Other ways to manage your stress include work-life balance, taking time off, and taking care of yourself.

Which ties in perfectly to our next puzzle piece, energy management and the four energy spheres

Productivity Tip #3 – Energy Management

Now, when we think of energy we think we either have an abundance of energy, or we’re completely fried and have nothing left to give or are operating in survival mode, activating our stress response and losing access to that higher level thinking brain.

Having the right balance of energy means that we’re capable of being productive. Without energy, we procrastinate, we work slowly and get frustrated about how little we’re accomplishing, and we are overwhelmed with all that we have to do and have no idea how we’re going to get it all done.

The thing about energy is that it’s simple, but not simple at the same time. It’s simple in that we either have things that restore our energy or deplete it. But some things may both restore and deplete energy at the same time.

You are not a simple being, and so we can’t qualify your energy as one unit.

We have four different energy spheres:

Our physical energy

Our emotional energy

Our mental energy

And our metaphysical energy

Let’s break these all down.

Physical energy is pretty easy because it’s what we typically define energy levels by. We either feel awake and alive, or we feel tired and struggle to move.

Emotional energy is slightly different. When you feel drained without feeling tired, irritable, or a lack of interest in what usually lights you up it could either be emotional energy drain, or mental energy drain.

We make important decisions every day that impact us, our life and the people we help. Knowing what drains and restores our mental energy and learning how to build more mental stamina is essential for entrepreneurial success. Mental Energy Balance, more than any of the others, is key for us to know how to master.

Finally, we have the metaphysical energy space. We’re not going to go too in depth in this space here, but I want you to think about this in the context of your contribution to the world and how you make your corner of the world a better place. This is the bigger picture kind of thing, connecting with that clarity statement from before.

Alright, so we have physical, emotional, mental, and metaphysical energy spheres. Let’s look at how they all interact with each other with some examples.

One of my non-negotiables during the day include a walk with our dog, Takoda. This drains my physical energy, but restores my mental and emotional energy.

When I teach a workshop online, it drains physical, emotional and mental energy, but really restores metaphysical energy – my connection to my purpose, mission and drive.

Do you see how the four energy spheres are connected?

If I want to optimize my productivity, I have to make sure that I have the physical, emotional, and mental energy to work on the tasks that move my business forward, which then boost my metaphysical energy or my connection to my contribution to the world.

High-achievers are notorious for taking on too much, pushing themselves too hard, and burning themselves out. We need to find the balance, and so by monitoring our energy spheres we’re able to find and maintain that balance more easily.

Alright, now for the moment you’ve been waiting for…

Productivity Tip #4 – Time Management

Here’s where the hustle culture really backfires and makes it harder for us to be as productive as we want to be.

By trying to do more, you’re making it so that you’re able to accomplish less and what you can accomplish won’t be up to the quality and standards that you generally have for yourself. This further demotivates you, pushes you further down that stress curve decline and brings on the burnout.

One of the most important things we can learn how to do is to say no to everything at first and then give yourself five minutes to convince yourself it’s a yes. To help guide you through this process, here are some questions for you to consider:

Is there a hard and fast rule of the number of “no’s” that you’re allowed to have in this question list before you take something new on – no. These questions here are just to help guide the decision to make sure you’re not going to set yourself up for an impossible time management situation where you’ve taken on too much.

Alright, so let’s wrap it up and bring everything together to create your pre-work routine to unlock your productivity potential. It’s going to tie all of the puzzle pieces together.

Developing a Pre-Work Routine to Optimize your Productivity Potential

The first part of an effective pre-work ritual is to read your clarity statement to keep your mission top of mind before you start your work session.

The second part is to practice one round of 5-5-5 breathing to turn off your stress switch and regain access to your prefrontal cortex, your higher level thinking brain

The next piece is to check in with your energy levels and see if you need to do something for a few minutes first to boost the energy sphere that you’re going to need the most in this work session. Planning for an energy level recovery activity after your work session will be important as well.

And finally is to set realistic expectations and goals for how you want to use this work session, what you want to prioritize, and make sure that you do your most dreaded, difficult or time consuming task first.

Bring these four things together, and you’ll be able to achieve and maintain your peak performance, helping more people, accomplishing more, and feeling more like yourself – without burning out, crashing or getting sick.

Your mission, should you choose to accept it, will be to try out this productivity routine before your next work session and notice how it goes for you. Challenge accepted?

Find Avery here:

Website | Instagram

Avery Thatcher is the CEO and founder of the Inner Stillness Outer Chaos Podcast and the Flow State Membership. When she started her career as a Registered Nurse working in the ICU she noticed that the majority of the reasons people found themselves in the ICU were because of illnesses and diseases that could be linked to chronic stress. She decided to get out of the reactive side of medicine and now helps highly sensitive high achievers prevent burnout and reverse the negative health effects of stress.

After experiencing a significant change of health in 2018, Avery had to learn to redefine her identity and grieve the loss of who she used to be. Now she shares her story openly to help others realize that they are not alone in their struggles, and talks about the strategies that helped her heal along the way.

June 13 2022

Why Inclusive Content Marketing is Crucial for Business Growth

SayHiLBI@gmail.com Boss Blog, Core Values, Marketing Marketing, Women in Business 0

The world is filled with people from various backgrounds and with varied and specific needs, and these needs are being brought to light now more than ever. Using inclusive features is important regardless of your goals, whether they are to generate traffic to your website or to improve the user experience of your site.

Inclusivity is the process of taking active steps to ensure diverse members of a community feel safe and valued and focuses on serving and resonating with a wider and more diverse audience. And since content marketing is no longer limited to geographical constraints and old-school mindsets, online businesses and marketers must create content that is mindful of all the communities it serves.

What does it mean to be inclusive?

Being inclusive requires you to think differently, recognize what you don’t know, and use words more purposefully. It doesn’t require your brand to make a major statement on social issues or take a public stand on any hot topics.

Let us recall that the purpose of content marketing is to attract and keep an audience while ultimately driving its members to profitable action. Your audience grows when you publish relevant and valuable information that encourages them to interact with and, eventually, trust your business.

Making inclusive content is one way to strengthen those bonds. Not only should inclusive language be a priority in your marketing, but also in your job descriptions, website copy, social media and any other written documents within your firm.

Creating inclusive content that benefits both your audience and your business

If you are wondering how to make your content marketing more inclusive, here are some ways in which you can improve your bottom line by making your business’s online presence accessible and more inclusive to everyone.

Improving your SEO

Google prefers websites with positive user experiences, inclusive efforts, and accessible solutions. They look to see:

Whether you correctly answer frequently asked questions.
The emphasis on location in your site content.
How many keywords correspond to the typical demographics’ search requests.
Whether the text or answer on the page was already answered on another, older website.

Though it is often overlooked, having accessibility measures on a website is also important for getting Google to recognize and rank your website, as well as lowering your bounce rate through SEO techniques.

Building Brand Awareness

When a visitor comes to your website or social pages and feels included due to the ease of use, notices visual elements that mean something to them, or language that confirms their understanding, they will feel a connection that can give your brand an advantage over a competitor who is only trying to appeal to the mass market

Making your customer journey one that they will recognize, feel included in, and satisfied by is the best approach to ensure that your brand is remembered the next time they require your services or products.

Brand awareness is your identity as a business and your identity highlights what you stand for. Inclusive content can go a long way toward demonstrating to your diverse audience that you understand their struggles and treat them fairly while keeping your brand in mind.

Increasing the size of your audience

There is no such thing as a one-size-fits all marketing strategy, but taking diversity into consideration and keeping accessibility in mind can only help you broaden your audience.

This includes not only reaching people with disabilities, but also incorporating language, images, and other features to improve the inclusion of people of color, educational backgrounds, genders, sexual orientation, socioeconomic classes, and age groups.

Increasing your Revenue

Considering the aforementioned considerations, an inclusive online presence with a holistic approach can only serve to boost your sales and profitability.

As previously stated, inclusivity broadens your consumer base, enhances brand awareness, which in turn helps your website rank higher online for greater visibility, and offers your potential customers the confidence that will convert them from visitors to customers, to recurring clients.

Doing the right thing

It’s just the proper thing to do in order to make the world a better place for everyone and to provide a welcoming environment for all human diversity.

The world is constantly changing and expanding, and the recent inclusion of people of many creeds, body types, orientations, colors, cognitive diversity, and aptitude levels has had a significant social impact on where people shop.

What to avoid in order to deliver a more inclusive message

While you are trying to create inclusive content for a broader audience, there are some things that you need to avoid to ensure you are being effective in your efforts.

You should avoid using discriminatory language, as well as stereotypes and appropriation. These clichés are not only dull, but they can offend individuals and land your brand in hot water.

What is the most effective strategy to prevent these pitfalls? When developing marketing strategies, keep empathy, context, and nuance in mind.

Going forward

To summarize, marketing is the process of connecting people with products and services that can help them solve their problems. However, effective marketing also involves bringing people together through shared interests.

Prioritize inclusive marketing with deliberate language, graphics, social media, and techniques to ensure you’re reaching the broadest possible audience in a way that accurately reflects your company’s beliefs.

Find Jer here:

Website | Instagram

Bio:

Jer, is a visibility coach and website designer for online entrepreneurs. She helps online entrepreneurs attract clients organically by showing up with value and authority so they can increase their sales and get back to doing what they love the most. She works with overwhelmed and confused entrepreneurs to help them figure out what to and how to post to build online authority and showcase their expertise using their social media or website presence.

June 10 2022

Sex and Sexual Awakening

SayHiLBI@gmail.com Boss Blog, Health, Uncategorized Women in Business 0

Article written by Pauline Ryeland

Sex is an energy and it’s our life force. Sexual Awakening is about wakening up our sexual energy and get it moving though our body. This is different to friction based sex, which we’re already experiencing.

What does Sex and Sexual Awakening actually mean?

Just for a moment, take some time to think about how you have sex.

How do you experience it?
What goes on in your body?
What feelings and emotions do you feel?
What thoughts are occurring for you whilst you’re in the middle of it?
Where is your focus?

That’s quite a bit to think about isn’t it?

Imagine what it would be like to awaken yourself, to be able to experience sex at a level that is beyond your comprehension. Opening yourself to fully engage with your sexuality so that you can reach the sexual potential that is your birth right as a human being.

Would you be willing to do that?

Most people when they are having sex are not connected, grounded or present with themselves let alone their partner. This is a recipe for massive disconnection which then restricts how you and your body engages and responds during a sexual experience.

Connection is key

The reason we check out during sex is varied and is not something we are often conscious of. It can be as simple as a habit; you’re experiencing an orgasm, so you shut your eyes & go off somewhere into the cosmos. There is nothing wrong with doing this, however when your eyes are closed you disconnect from self and your partner.

So just open your eyes occasionally, look at your partner, breath and moan together, connect. It can also come from lack of self-worth and self-esteem. Maybe there is unresolved sexual trauma and you check out because you don’t feel safe in your body, even though you feel safe with your partner. Alcohol and drugs, whether prescription or ones you perhaps party with, will also have you disconnect.

Also on a sub-conscious level we put limits on our sexual pleasure, crazy I know!

A woman may think, “oh finally I had my orgasm,” so they just stop. A man believes he’s done because he’s ejaculated and stops. What would happen if they stayed in the space of receiving, in the space of pleasure?

We are in our heads so much and sometimes we’re not even in our busy heads, we are off in space somewhere. We wonder what we look like and can become self-consciousness about that.

I mean seriously, orgasm face, contorting with pleasure can look like quite out there, yet you need to let go of that and be in the joy and pleasure of it all. Maybe a woman doesn’t like going on top because as she bounces around having a good time, so is the rest of her body which makes her feel self-conscious, so she’ll disconnect from herself.

The reality of it is the person underneath you doesn’t care, they are loving it. Guys on a sub-conscious level are wondering if they are good enough, man enough, if their penis is big enough, can they get the woman to orgasm…it’s like a mission and we end up with a whole lot of “to do lists” of got to do this, before we can do that and so it’s like this eternal search for more.

So, while all this is going on we disengage, disconnect

We also disconnect from our sexual experience if we watch too much porn. When we engage with porn on a consistent basis we are externalizing, which disconnects us from ourselves. There are ways to utilize porn in your sexual play where you can stay connected to yourself.

We not only disconnect from our bodies, we also create a massive disconnection from our hearts and genitals, it’s almost like they come from 2 different locations

So how does this disconnection affect us?

What it does is keeps us in our heads, which doesn’t allow the natural sexual energy to flow.

Sex has become a goal orientated and action driven experience and everyone wants a bigger, better, more potent sexual experience than the last time. So this is where us Women in Leadership, need to loosen the reigns, connect into our feminine flow and surrender to what is.

If we looked at a graph for sex, at one end would be Joy and Bliss and at the other end there would be excitement. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that, however there is a lot of pleasure being missed out on in between because we are all busy in our heads, consciously or sub-consciously going through our check lists.

As a society we are always chasing more and in sex it’s no different. Sex is an energy and when we learn how to manipulate the energy, we can take our erotic pleasure beyond anything we can even imagine!

Another key – Breath!

Not just every day breathing, using specific breath to activate the auto-nommic nervous system. Fast breathing activates the sympathetic part of the system and long slow deep breaths activates the para-sympathetic part of the nervous system.

When we add this in, it helps awaken the sexual energy and gets it moving through out bodies. Plus a lot of people hold their breath when they orgasm. If you breathe fully and deeply through the orgasm instead of holding your breath, then the sexual energy has room to continue moving and playing, which will light up your body even more.

Finally – The Pelvic Floor

As Women in Business and Women in Leadership, I am sure you all know about the pelvic floor muscles and how important they are in general. However, when you add that to the mix when doing the breathwork, it opens up a whole other world which really starts moving the sexual energy through the body more.

When you can experience that, you can become more awake in your body and tap into being an even more totally empowered multi-orgasmic woman.

And we all want more of that, right? RIGHT!!

Find Pauline here:

Facebook | Instagram | Linkedin

Pauline Ryeland, Intimacy Whisperer ® works as an Intimacy, Sex, Libido & Relationship Coach & Educator. Pauline works with individuals or couples around any challenges they maybe experiencing around intimacy, sex, libido, relationships and everything in between. Her unique point of difference is that she combines, mind, body and soul drawing on knowledge and expertise from Tantra, Sexological Body Work, NLP and Access Consciousness.

June 8 2022

Pass Her the Mic Feature: Gladys Simen

SayHiLBI@gmail.com Boss Blog, Pass Her The Mic Pass her The Mic Feature 0

We love that through this Boss Blog, we have the opportunity to highlight and support amazing women. These women are “doing the damn thing” as our Fem Founder, Rose Kaz would say!

In this edition of Pass Her the Mic, we’re chatting with Gladys Simen, a life coach for moms!

Please, start by introducing yourself and the work you do :

I am a life enthusiast. I’ve lived in 5 different countries, mastered 2 languages (and one

un poquito!), and met more amazing people than I can count.

Because my own life has become a rich tapestry of interwoven experiences, I am passionate about helping people live big, beautiful, shooting-for-the-stars kind of lives too… right now. Becoming a fabulous mama made me an advocate for the working mom, and my coaching practice , MyLifeCouch is centered around helping working moms (re) discover their super powers and creating a more balanced life. On their own terms.

What brought you to the place you are working from now, essentially, what in your history inspired you to do what you do NOW?

Having my kids gave me a purpose bigger than I ever had prior to having them. It also made me acutely aware of the unique difficulties working moms may face in the corporate world, in terms of support and accommodation. It has been said before that we expect women to work like they don’t have children and raise children as if they don’t work, which in itself puts a lot of pressure on women.

I started lending my voice to the conversation as I didn’t want my daughter to have to face the same hurdles when her time will come and also, as the de facto role model for my kids, I wanted them to know that we should always try to make things better , even if we do not succeed. It’s about using our voice for a cause that matters – to us -.

How do you define INCLUSIVITY for yourself and your business?

Inclusivity for MyLifeCouch, my business is providing a platform where everyone is truly welcomed, valued and respected for all of who they are . And that they are heard and seen.

Inclusivity for me is acknowledging my biases and creating a place where we can have uncomfortable conversations aiming to challenge or educate our existing thoughts. It’s seeing the strengths and abilities of everyone I meet and making sure I treat people with respect and fairness.

This month we’re talking about inclusivity in action. What does that look like inside your business?

I am working towards a Pay-it-Forward Fund where my coaching clients can choose to pay a little extra so it can go towards coaching less privileged people. And I have been known for coaching for free when people need a little pick me up.

What do you want people to remember most about the work that you’re creating?

That self love and self care are two little seeds that can create BIG change within ourselves.

What’s the next thing for you? What are you working on?

Currently I am in the process of building community of working moms by sharing my mission, by supporting working mothers through my coaching.

Also I am partnering with corporate to spread the word to support working mothers at work.

Thank you so much Gladys! We love the mission you’re on to empower and include so many women that need your support!

Feature Title

Find Gladys here:

Website | Linkedin | Instagram

Bio:

Gladys Simen is a life coach for moms who are trying to balance their work and family life.

She is passionate about helping women live big, beautiful, shooting-for-the-stars kind of lives…right now. Not in 10 years. Not when the kids are grown. Not after that promotion finally comes around. Right. Now.

Gladys considers herself an advocate for the working mama! She loves sharing her own stories about her journey to balance home and work life, and loves supporting fellow working mothers on their journeys.

June 7 2022

How to Be The World’s Best Conversationalist

SayHiLBI@gmail.com Boss Blog, Career Women in Business 0

(Or at least make people think you are!)

Article written by Melissa Leedom

When my brother and his partner returned from their big, splashy vacation, they were exhausted and a little cranky. Worse, they seemed to be thinking of excuses to make little jibes at each other for the most minor of infractions. The atmosphere at the dinner table that evening was, shall we say…tense.

As we sat in the uncomfortable silence, willing our salads to come, I suddenly remembered something my husband used to do when our children were in school and the biggest description you could get from them about how their day was, was the monosyllable, “Fine.”

I turned to my partner-in-law (is that a thing?) and asked, “What was your favorite part of the trip?”

His face was transformed as his thoughts turned inward and he considered his answer. He turned to my brother and repeated my question. By the time the check came, we had not only heard wonderful, sometimes funny, accounts of their trip (which was the point of the dinner in the first place), we had all enjoyed a relaxing evening of great conversation.  All thanks to one little question.

What’s the take-away? You can use this technique, or ones very similar to it, to crack open even the tightest-shut conversational oyster.

The thing to remember is that EVERYONE likes to talk about what THEY like to talk about; it’s just a matter of LETTING THEM!

So, you’re in the dreaded but obligatory meet-and-greet for your office, or it’s the coffee time before the conference gets underway: there’s a roomful of people you don’t know, and you can’t just stand there holding your drink like a coffee table. For anyone else, the mouth would go dry and the mind would race for a snappy opening line.

But not you. You turn to the man standing next to you. You can see from his name tag that he is Warren B.

“Hi, Warren,” you say, extending your right hand to shake his. “I’m Adrian(a) Birdfirkle with Solar Plexus Solutions. What do you do?”

“I’m in investing,” Warren answers tersely.

Now, you happen to know zip about investments, but not to worry! You pull out one of your handy, open-ended conversation starters and the ball is in his court:

“Investments! What an exciting (or “interesting,” if you don’t want to come off as fawning) field! What do you find is the most rewarding part of your job?”

“Making money.” Warren is not going to make it easy on you. But you are not deterred.

“How did you get into this field? How did you get your start?” You can even start the sentence with, “May I ask…” so that Warren doesn’t think you’re trying to elicit free investing advice from him.

He tilts his head quizzically and begins to tell you about a mentor he had Back In The Day who taught him how to recognize good investments. As he relates his humble beginnings, you look him in the eye and nod thoughtfully. At turns, you may even interject, “How interesting!” or “That’s fascinating!” or even “How about that!”

Let’s review:

You meet New Person.
You introduce yourself, but then ask New Person an open-ended question.
YOU LISTEN ATTENTIVELY (otherwise, what was the point of engaging New Person?), adding little affirmative remarks (see above) at salient points.
Don’t stay with one person indefinitely. Excuse yourself politely by saying, “Well, I don’t want to dominate all your time. I’m going to go refresh my drink – it’s been great chatting with you!” (Shake hands if New Person offers.)
Repeat with next New Person.

Pretty soon, you’ll find, you have “worked” the room – or at least engaged one or two people in a meaningful way. And the best part? You didn’t have to rack your brain for a single interesting thing to say!

Do’s and Don’ts of Fascinating Conversation

DO ask open-ended questions (notice the word you versus the word I

“Tell me about (your) …” (your job, your country, your city, etc. This can be invaluable when conversing with a person from a country and/or culture with which you are not familiar.)
“What is your favorite …” OR “…the best part of …”
“What (or who) would you say …” (“are the true experts in your field” “are the best places to learn about…” “are the best restaurants in your hometown”)
“What’s the best (or worst) part of…”
“What do you think is the biggest difference between X & Y? (Another good question for a multi-cultural conversation.)

DO make meaningful responses periodically. If New Person makes a joke (you can tell – they’ll be smiling), by all means chuckle, or at least smile and nod your head knowingly.

DO on wants to continue and you don’t mind hearing more.

DON’T ask questions that can be answered with a simple yes or no – New Person may not elaborate – or a number.

“Is this…” (Instead of “Is this your first visit to New York?” ask an open-ended question like “What are your impressions of New York?”
“Do you…”&; (“Yes.”; “No.”)
“How long have you…”; (“37 years”…full stop)

DON’T be thinking of something witty to say when the person stops talking. First, he/she may not – and you’re supposed to be listening. Second, whatever he/she is saying is, by definition, more interesting than what you have to say (that’s what makes YOU such a fascinating conversationalist). If you must think of something to say, make it another open-ended question you can ask.

DON’T let your eyes wander or dart about the room – you can look for people you know when this conversation is over – the person talking WILL NOTICE.

There you have it: all the tools you need to make conversation with strangers (or even the boss!) virtually effortless. Best of all, you may have New Person reporting to others, “That Adrian(a) Birdfirkle is a heck of a conversationalist!”

Find Melissa here:

Twitter | Facebook

Bio:

Melissa Lea Leedom is the author of To Forgive, Divine – A Novel – available at online bookstores everywhere, and the soon-to-be-published The Story of the Bible (McGahan Publishing House, July 2022). She is at work on her second novel. Melissa and her husband live in a suburb of Austin, TX, with Andy, the Quaker parrot, who is a very good conversationalist.

June 6 2022

5 Key Ways to Grow Your Business Without Burning Out

SayHiLBI@gmail.com Boss Blog Women in Business 0

Article written by Maria Gavriel

As thankful as I am to read about women rising higher in their career ladder, or how fast they’re opening their own business (by 68%) … it would be counter-productive to bypass the harsh reality that is growing alongside these stats.

Like the fact that burning out is now declared the “new pandemic” that not only leads to chronic disease…studies now reveal that it literally is killing our women.

And if it’s not costing them their physical and mental health, and their life…it often leads to another heart-breaking fact that women are closing down their businesses 4x faster than men.

They’re also off ramping from their careers by the millions every year – careers they invested money and years to grow in (according to the Dept. of Labor and Statistics).

Not cool.

I like to project forward, and when I do, I can’t help but ask questions like…

“what happens if we continue like this, and these stats continue to rise?”

“will we ever reach true equality, or will we burn out and pull ourselves out of the workforce completely?”

This evidently is not sustainable, and something needs to change.

In order to do things differently though, we have to take a long hard look at what’s not working first.

At face value, what we see is that women today are struggling to meet the new demands of day to day life.

There’s a unique set of challenges now like…zoom calls, generating income, raising a family, cooking, tutoring, sports, and the pressure has slowly but surely grown, leaving women feeling derailed, depleted, overwhelmed and even guilty or resentful that they can’t manage it all and have to give something up (hence the stat about them leaving their career by the millions each year).

There’s a demand for women in business to “do it all” with more worry and stress than ever before in evolutionary history.

What’s interesting with the women I work with though, is that they truly do want to “do it all and have it all”, and I personally believe that this is possible with tried-and-proven systems in place.

As women are rising, growing and exploring ways to grow a dream business, and live a healthy life, with their loved ones…it’s becoming clear, that there’s no template for this yet.

Women want to continue to create financial prosperity, but more from the heart, and without it costing them their health (as recent numbers show).

As a result, new paradigms and systems are being created as we speak, by everyone that has cracked this code – and usually it’s cracked by those of us that did burn to the ground and had to find our way back up (myself included).

We came back differently though – rising phoenix – style. ☺

I know this road all too well – it hurts.

I almost lost everything I worked so hard to create.

As a high achiever, I grew several multi-figure businesses, and although they all did great, I was suffering; I created an autoimmune disease; and my husband and I were planning on separating. My parenting wasn’t so great either in all honesty.

Yes, all looked great on paper, but the suffering and loss was real and it was beyond painful.

That forced me to take a long hard look, bring in my first coach, clean up decades of programming that no longer worked and begin to create ways to live my life differently.

Which gave birth to several programs that I began to share with my clients, who were all suffering in some way – whether it was their health, their families, their social life, and even putting a cap on their business growth and potential.

Within a few months, every single woman’s life began to improve as mine did (yes, my husband and I are still together after almost 30 yrs now, and I get to only work 2 days a week, while my businesses continue to grow every year, and I enjoy my family moments every single day).

And the way we get to actually stay included in the game of business is by realizing that we operate completely differently than men, and therefore need to lead our homes and businesses in a way that makes sense to us (this is very different than the male paradigm we’ve been following since the beginning of time).

A great start has been to begin to realize this truth, and next…to begin to explore how to lead teams both at home & work.

By restructuring your entire business and home model into a team model where there’s a joint effort made to “run the ship”. It does take a captain or 2 to lead the crew to their desired goal/destination (especially during the unexpected storms).

What starts to evolve is your teams (both at home & work) are inspired to succeed through your heart-centered and clear vision, structure, and guidance.

As this develops, you may just be pleasantly surprised by how quickly everyone goes on autopilot in your home and business, while you’re away at a retreat (replenishing and enjoying it guilt-free!).

And if you do this well…your home team and work team will eventually grow into leaders themselves, where they’ll get to lead bigger teams for you as you scale your business.

As for your loved ones…they’ll grow into leaders in their life and begin to expand on a personal level.

At that point, life goes from being stressful and limited, to way sweeter, liberating and enjoyable for everyone.

Now imagine what your life and business looks like then?

Imagine what our world would look like if we put systems in place and duplicate them where people are no longer dropping their dreams and businesses from pure exhaustion?

What if instead, they began utilizing these methodologies to thrive, succeed, prosper and even enjoy it all? And then model it to the upcoming generation?

I can foresee the possibility of inspiring our communities and rising youth, and showing them “how’ to truly succeed in today’s world.

And affirming that we truly can have it all.

It time for us to courageously paved the way forward now.

This will take many of us to begin implementing together in order to take effect and shift sooner (against all current odds).

Which is part of my mission – I know I experienced my massive breakdown with burn out and success so that I have the opportunity to find a way out of it. And not just for myself…for all of us to finally do it together.

And so I’m calling all women to rise with me, take a strong stand to not allow the current stats to dictate our success, and to overcome them and rise with me and alongside the thousands of women that have joined me and shifted their systems and overall paradigm for success.

Will you answer this call with me?

Find Maria Here:

Website | Linkedin | Workshop

Maria Gavriel is a Business & Life Strategist, TEDx Speaker, Award Winning Author, 2-time Entrepreneur, and empowering purpose-driven women to create fulfilling,

prosperous, passionate lives doing what they love…

She’s been featured on TEDx, FOX, CBS, NBC, NPR, Arianna Huffington’s Thrive, YahooNews!, Magazines, as well as Global Leadership Conferences and Women’s Summits sharing how to achieve your ultimate vision, and create massive success without it costing what matters most in life.

Maria enjoys helping women break down the barriers that have restricted their ability to create the conditions for their best and highest self to emerge, and experience the life they were meant for.

References:

Bureau of Labor Statistics, “Average hours per day parents spent caring for and helping household children as their main activity,” American Time Use Survey (2019), https://www.bls.gov/charts/american-time-use/activity-by-parent.html; Arlie Russell Hochschild, The Second Shift: Working Parents and the Revolution at Home (New York: Viking, 1989).

https://leanin.org/women-in-the-workplace-2020

https://about.americanexpress.com/all-news/news-details/2019/Woman-Owned-Businesses-Are-Growing-2X-Faster-On-Average-Than-All-Businesses-Nationwide/default.aspx

https://www.inc.com/bob-house/the-state-of-women-owned-businesses.html

https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2015/04/women-are-owning-more-and-more-small-businesses/390642/

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/2047487319897163

Ahola, K., Väänänen, A., Koskinen, A., Kouvonen, A., & Shirom, A. (2010). Burnout as a predictor of all-cause mortality among industrial employees: a 10-year prospective register-linkage study. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 69(1), 51–57.
Ayas, N. T., White, D. P., Al-Delaimy, W. K., Manson, J. E., Stampfer, M. J., Speizer, F. E., … Hu, F. B. (2003). A prospective study of self-reported sleep duration and incident diabetes in women. Diabetes Care, 26(2), 380–384.

June 3 2022

Activated Inclusivity: More Than An Illusion

SayHiLBI@gmail.com Boss Blog, Core Values Inclusive, Women in Business 0

Inclusion is not a one size fits all proposition and it cannot be something that is implemented once and then left behind. Active inclusivity is required to ensure everyone within our community feels they have a voice and are able to participate fully.

This isn’t always easy; it takes work and vigilance to make sure everyone feels comfortable and safe, but the benefits are clear. When inclusivity becomes the norm rather than an exception, our businesses and community benefit from the varied perspectives, skills, and insights of all members. With active inclusivity we can create an environment where everyone can reach their potential and contribute to making our community thrive.

Activated Inclusivity: Leading the way for women in business.

When we talked about inclusivity as one of our main core values, we included characteristics such as being fair, open, kind and relentless. We recognize that we, as women, sometimes fall short on some of these characteristics. We also recognize that we are fully capable of taking the more challenging path and leading the way when it comes to making inclusive spaces for all.

When we walk about inclusivity inside of LBI and the Backstage Pass, we endeavor to practice what we preach. This allows us to create opportunities for women to learn and thrive, because we know that women who succeed together can change the world.

When we join forces as women, accepting and encouraging through diversity and inclusivity, we empower us all to collaborate, elevate and inspire. That’s what Ladyboss International is all about: women helping women be their best.

In order to make this happen, we must lead the way through kindness, open communication, hard conversations, hope and (ACTUALLY!) fair practices. Whether it’s women of different age, race or culture, women who are LGBTQ+, women without children, women with children, women at various income levels or women with disabilities – we consider it our duty to ensure that all women can learn and grow through the LBI Backstage Pass and the opportunities it creates.

If you were to pull back the curtain and peek inside the LBI Backstage Pass you’d see women from every walk and stage of life collaborating, encouraging and celebrating each other. And THAT is what we are all about!

When we asked the LBI Crew to share what inclusivity inside of LBI is to them, they had this to add:

“Inclusivity in the LBI for me, is being able to find a space for all of our Ladybosses in the BSP. There’s no guessing it! I can see in member list and feel it as we share and grow together.” – Martine, Community Womanager.

“Inclusivity in the LBI is the ability of recognizing and discovering everyone’s unique diverse talents within LBI and the Backstage Pass.” – Techie, Webmaster

“Inside everything we do at LBI and in the Backstage Pass, I see diverse women from all walks of life welcomed, added to the conversations, and invited into every facet of what we’re building. It’s an incredible, inspiring and empowering thing to witness AND be a part of!” – Jennifer, Blog Boss Editor

As the leaders and influencers we have the opportunity to not only do things “differently”, but also with intention, care and compassion. This is the legacy that we are creating with the LBI Backstage Pass and our commitment to inclusivity.

As women we will continue to lead the way with inclusivity inside of LBI and the Backstage Pass. We are all about creating a space for women around the world to learn, grow, thrive and accomplish BIG things in this world. We hope you’ll join us in this mission!

What is your definition of inclusivity? How does it impact the women in business you are connected to? How does inclusivity show up in your business? We’d love to here your insights in the comments below!