Is All Stress Bad Stress? [Podcast]

Is all stress bad for you? Not necessarily! If you're looking for healthy ways to cope with stress, I'm excited to recommend this podcast from my second appearance on the Gfem Talk Show, a show that discusses important personal and business issues to help people transform their lives.

In my lively chat with show host Femi, I shared tips and insights on when to be concerned that you have crossed-over from a healthy state of stress to an unhealthy one. I also share best practices to help identify your stress "triggers" and determine whether your "go-to" stress coping behaviors are helping (or perhaps hurting) you in the long-term.

Since we know that up to 60% of health conditions have stress as an underlying cause, you can recognize how this knowledge can be helpful to you and your loved ones. Tune into the podcast and let me know what you learned -- comment here on the blog or tweet me on Twitter.

Sometimes You Need to Slow Down Before You (re)StartUP

I've been encouraged by the recent focus on the mental health aspects of being an entrepreneur, particularly as a certified stress management coach and well-being consultant.

As I've mentioned before, unresolved chronic stress can lead to serious physical conditions, including: digestive problems (ME!), fertility problems, urinary problems, and a weakened immune system.

People with chronic stress also are more prone to anxiety, headaches, insomnia, and even depression. It's a given that stress is part of the Founder Hustle. Yet, we often feel the need to hide our stress and anxiety from others in order to appear in control, on point -- like we're crushing it! This pressure can take its toll on our health.

You may have noticed that I've changed the branding on this blog: Slow Down to StartUP.

It's based on my personal experiences as a founder, and the stress management work I've done with other leaders. It's been important to acknowledge that, along my journey, I've had to "slow down" in order to (re)start each time I've launched something. From all of this, I have defined this four step process to "slow down" on your journey to do great things in the world. It's relevant if you're just starting-up, OR if you're coming back from a pivot or a setback, and are (re)starting-up:

1. Learn your stress triggers and go-to stress coping behaviors

A stress trigger is any incident that causes you to have a stressful physical or emotional response. When you feel stressed out, it may feel like you’ve dropped the ball in some area of your life – business, finances, relationships. If your roles/responsibilities are not balanced or are in conflict with each other, you may experience heightened stress. It's important to figure out what are your stress triggers – it's your first step to make a change in how you respond. To slow down, make time over one week to track your stress triggers as well as the coping behaviors you typically engage in when you're feeling stressed out. For example, think about how you'd complete this sentence: "When I get stressed out, I usually ..." Then, make note of whether your coping behavior is proactive for your health, or could be counterproductive to your well-being if you were to keep doing it over a long period. There's no judgment here -- you're just gathering helpful information to better understand the way you deal with stress.

2. Use deep breathing to manage your physical response to stress

When you experience stress, your body releases hormones such as epinephrine, nor-epinephrine and cortisol that increase your blood pressure, speed your heart rate, and raise your blood sugar levels. These physical changes -- also known as the fight-flight effect -- can help you respond with greater strength and speed to escape a threat. However, when you're in a state of stress, the threat often is not REAL but PERCEIVED in your mind. And, yet, your body can get stuck waiting and expecting for the threat to appear. A basic element of relaxation is your breath, and it's always accessible to you. Deep breathing can reduce your physical and mental fatigue, and can promote a state of calmness. To slow down, get focused on your breath as a new, proactive way to respond to your stress triggers. Here's a different way to complete the former sentence: "Now, when I get stressed out, I like to take three deep breaths to calm down."

3. Adjust the way you think about your situation

We collect and store in our minds various beliefs. Some of your beliefs may have served you well in the past, others may have led to less positive outcomes. Over time, you stop noticing that you have these underlying beliefs, even though they still shape your current reality. For example, if you perceive a task as being difficult or unpleasant, that's most likely how you will experience completing it. Your beliefs are not static -- you can alter your underlying beliefs to create new experiences. Allow yourself to let go of beliefs that no longer serve you in this phase of your life. To slow down, begin to notice your thoughts and words -- especially the words you "speak" in your self-talk. Yes, you do talk to yourself -- and it's OK! Tune in when you hear yourself say: "I have to ..." as the words imply a burden or, perhaps, even resentment about the task. Start to flip the script on your self-talk, and speak about all the things you get to do in your life.

4. Make a conscious choice to reduce your stress triggers

Admittedly, this can be the most challenging step of the process as it often involves taking direct actions that may affect other people. The first three steps are focused on your triggers, your reactions, and your mindset. This step suggests you examine your stress triggers not just for their impact on you, but to consider how you can minimize or eliminate them altogether. To slow down, consider how can you adjust, delegate, or eliminate tasks (and relationships) that previously caused you to become stressed out. When communicating with the key people in your life, have assertive and compassionate conversations about your goals and needs. Remain open to new ideas and allow flexibility for trial and error. Spend more time with people who resonate with your mindset and support you in achieving your goals.

Stay tuned for more resources for the Slow Down to StartUP process, and let me know how I can best support you on your journey!

Learn Why InStep Consulting is Best FOR New York City

Slowing Down to Start Up with InStep Consulting

This article features an interview with me about my reasons to participate in the Best for NYC Challenge sponsored by NYCEDC. Best for NYC is a citywide campaign to inspire and equip local businesses to measure and improve practices to strengthen their bottom-line and improve quality of life for all New Yorkers.

How to Build Partnerships That Last

If your nonprofit or social impact organization is considering working with potential partners, keep in mind that partnership opportunities can range from cooperation or collaboration through full integration or merger. It’s important that you and your Board first clarify your rationale for seeking out partnering organizations. By doing so, you will help to ensure greater strategic alignment with any organization you choose to approach.

Once you’ve determined your reasoning to establish a partnership with another organization, it’s important to fully engage your partner – create explicit opportunities for both organizations to contribute to development of ideas and solutions, and participate in decision-making processes. Moreover, realize that building partnerships can take time. It would not be unusual for you to call and exchange information for months before a new partnership yields tangible results, such as funding for a joint project.

The most successful and long-term partnerships are the ones that involve a real relationship between the partnering organizations. Passion for the mission and commitment to mutual benefit are key factors. From our consulting work with nonprofit and social impact organizations, we have identified Top 3 Partnership Success Factors:

• Executive involvement (senior leadership and/or executive “champions”)
• Strong working relationships
• Strong board involvement

These factors often lead to the preservation of relevant services or programs, improved image or reputation, and greater long-term financial stability. Furthermore, if mutual gains are identified at the onset of the partnership, this can result in better organizational and program alignment.

To learn more about how to assess new partnership opportunities for your organization or strengthen your existing partner relationships, contact me HERE. This article is a summary of my recent workshop at The Foundation Center in conjunction with Nonprofit Specialists on the same subject.

How to Communicate for Impact: Share Your Ideas & Be Understood

In communication, many disagreements are caused by different perceptions that created different realities. It can be very frustrating thinking that you have said or done the “right thing” only to find that the person you’re communicating with doesn't see it in the same way. The good news is that when you know your own priorities, and recognize the other person’s priorities, you can reduce miscommunication and develop more productive relationships.

Everyone has a dominant priority system and communication style – behaviors that we’re more comfortable with, and use most frequently. People tend to prioritize their world based on a combination of four primary priority systems (or priosys®):

1. Process-Oriented
2. Results-Oriented
3. Relationship-Oriented
4. Recognition-Oriented

Once you understand these perspectives, it becomes much easier to recognize the associated behaviors in other people. To build rapport and facilitate better communication, you can flex your communication style and adapt your priorities to more closely align with those of the other person.

This will help to make interactions more comfortable for them – which might be counter-intuitive to how you may have previously approached communication; e.g., how can I get the other person to change? To be clear, communication style flex and priority adaptation suggests changing HOW you communicate – not suppressing your point of view, nor avoiding difficult conversations.

To learn more about how to flex your communication style or better understand priority systems (e.g., take the priosys® online assessment) contact me HERE. This article is a summary of my recent workshop for the Bergen County Professional Women's Network (BCPWN) on the same subject.

Flip Your Script: Reset Your Mindset w/Gratitude [Radio Interview]

It's been said that your mindset is like the steering wheel of your life. In which direction is your mindset taking you? Is it where you want to go? You can learn how to be more mindful and take on an Attitude of Gratitude to be more resilient in response to life’s ups and downs.

During today's interview by Bernadette Boas with Shedding the B**ch Radio, I presented my top strategies to help you:

• Bounce back after a breakdown and get your mindset back on track so you are open to pursue new opportunities
• Apply gratitude principles to lessen your negative “self-talk”
• Use mindfulness techniques to counteract your limiting beliefs

I also shared my thoughts on how giving back / paying it forward can help you create an abundance mindset. 

Listen to the podcast and let me know how YOU will adopt an Attitude of Gratitude in November -- this month of Thanksgiving.

Flip Your Script: Reset Your Mindset w/ Gratitude w/ Colette Ellis 11/03 by Bernadette Boas | Self Help Podcasts

How Did I Begin My Eco-Transformation Journey?

Since we launched the Foraging for Wellness guided nature walks in Prospect Park, I've been feeling an urge to share my motivation for launching this new aspect of my work. The story is part personal and part professional -- as has been most of my journey in the wellness arena.

I began telling the story of my eco-transformation by recording some thoughts about my experiences this past year -- the audio of which I just released on my iTunes podcast channel: The Eco-Transformation of a Coach. This is Part 1 of my story -- composting made easy.
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My transformation from a focus on personal wellness to a greater awareness around Sustainability of the planet and Green Living began (now) about nine months ago when I met Tim. We started to have conversations (OK, sometimes heated discussions) about why wasn't it OK for me to just throw certain plastic wrappers in the garbage. Or, he would come behind me and take them out of my garbage. This created tension and conflict on a personal level. There were a few things going on, two of which I believe are relevant to my transformation.

1. The first was a level of tension within my personal relationship, that led me to often think: “Why isn't he respecting my space, my point of view?” 
2. The second aspect was me not seeing the larger potential problem of discarding certain plastics into the garbage. 

I like to say now that these Green issues were in my “Eco Blind Spot.” After all, I was already recycling paper, metal, glass, and hard plastics; “Why did I need to do more than that?”

Tim started helping me too, though; collecting food scraps from our meals together and putting them into old plastic containers from Chinese delivery meals, or in other hard plastic containers that I had in the apartment, and storing them in the refrigerator. I thought this was interesting, not really having thought about saving my food scraps before, not really being aware of what composting was nor what the benefits of composting could be. But, in essence, it became pretty easy for me over time to just put food scraps into the containers. I just got used to doing it; I would put in my banana peel, my tea bags, his coffee grinds, our leftover food – all of it would go into the containers. Around that time, I was co-working out of Impact Hub NYC, and I noticed that they too had a large plastic bucket there labeled for composting, so I began to do the same thing there. It just became a habit to compost my tea bags and my banana peels and my leftover food scraps.

An interesting project idea developed from my home composting. I live in Brooklyn; Tim lives in Jersey City. Initially unbeknownst to me, he was taking the composting containers when they were full with our scraps and bringing them back to Jersey City to compost them in the garden at the back of his house. It was several weeks before I started to notice what he was doing. For a long time, composting was just really easy; I’d put the scraps in the plastic containers and the composting containers “magically” disappeared and then reappeared empty. It was composting made easy for me, which actually led to our business idea of CompostIFY. The “IFY” stands for “it for you;” meaning “We compost it for you.” We started to do some research around other cities that were creating either nonprofits or social enterprises to pick up compost scraps from local residents and businesses. We've explored the CompostIFY idea to some degree; I have pitched the concept at a few Green startup events.

When I became consciously aware that Tim was taking away the composting containers, it became of interest to me to figure out: “Is there another way that I can compost?” I decided to research my alternatives and found out I could bring my compost scraps to the Greenmarket. That comes back to the personal aspect of my transformation: the personal relationship was what started me on this journey of eco-transformation and foraging for wellness, or foraging for greater sustainability, actually. I began to look at Tim's actions in a different way that was less about him "making me wrong," and more about his passion for reducing waste, reducing consumption, and improving sustainability of the planet.

That was the first pivotal shift in my eco-transformation: recognizing that I could let go of my story around his not respecting my personal space or not respecting my personal boundaries, and open up to think about it from a wider perspective – from a collective wellness perspective, in some ways, and definitely from an environmental perspective of protecting and saving the planet. When I made that shift it created a whole new level of interest for me around composting, and I was motivated to research alternatives to compost my own food scraps. That's when I discovered the Greenmarket and learned that NYC Organics has composting bins at many local Greenmarkets. That's when I realized that I could continue the process of collecting my own food scraps, storing them in the refrigerator, and then once or twice a week bring those containers to the Greenmarket myself and dump our food scraps into their larger bins. I also learned that the food scraps are delivered to local composting organizations and community gardens dedicated to greening New York City.

I've been (consciously) composting at the Greenmarket ever since.

9 Beautiful Reasons Why Coconut Oil Belongs in Your Medicine Cabinet—And A Free Jar!

When it comes to beauty products, many of us will shell out big bucks for a magic concoction of mystery ingredients—as long as it promises clear skin or voluminous hair. But, often, the natural option really is the best. Take coconut oil, for example. This one-ingredient beauty product is so versatile that it could give your moisturizer, body lotion, lip balm, and makeup remover a run for their money.

Why is coconut oil better than the typical drugstore lotion? For one thing, it’s not water-based. Most commercial beauty products contain tons of water, and as soon as it evaporates, they stop moisturizing your skin. Not coconut oil—this beauty product is 100-percent moisturizing.

Plus, coconut oil is naturally free of silicone, parabens, fragrances and dyes, and other artificial chemicals that can be harsh on your skin and damaging to your health. The slightly sweet, tropical smell is an added bonus! I love using coconut oil as my all-over moisturizer and have seen positive impacts on my skin!

Here are the 9 miraculous ways you can use this oh-so-versatile oil in your beauty routine:

• In oil pulling
• As a moisturizer
• As a leave-in conditioner
• As lip balm
• To soothe itchy skin or bug bites
• As a natural treatment for lice
• To relieve the pain of a sore throat
• In a DIY body butter
• As a makeup remover

Not sure if you’re ready to start slathering coconut oil all over your body? Lucky for you, Thrive Market is offering all first-time members a FREE full-sized jar of Nutiva organic, fair-trade virgin coconut oil! Claim your free gift today before they’re gone HERE!

Thrive Market is a membership-based online marketplace that sells the top 4,000 healthy foods and wholesome products at 25 - 50% below retail prices and matches every paid membership with a free membership for a low-income American family so we can all thrive together. The free coconut oil applies to new Thrive Market members only; existing Thrive Market members will receive an additional 10% off their purchase!

How to Be Fabulously Fit & Healthy [Radio Interview]

Tune in to hear my recent interview by Renee Wiggins, Registered Dietitian and founder of Results by Renee. Her radio show is called Being Fabulously Fit in God's Kingdom.

We had a very insightful conversation about nutrition, fitness, stress management, and mindfulness. Let me know after you listen what you think about the show. And, share your best tips for how you maintain balance and a healthy lifestyle.

Check Out Spirituality Podcasts at Blog Talk Radio with Being FabulouslyXinXGodsXKingdom on BlogTalkRadio

Slow Down to Speed Up: Sustainable Living Talk at Green Festival

While we're working on editing the video, here's a peek at the slides from my Slow Down to Speed Up! talk on Slideshare from the Green Festival Expo in DC. It was exciting to be speaking about the intersection of wellness and sustainability on three levels: personal, collective, and environmental.


And, here's a very brief (unedited) video clip from the Q&A portion after my presentation -- graciously shared by one of the participants.



The full talk was filmed, and we're working on editing the video for you to view -- coming soon! I wanted to share this info now so you have some sense of what a fantastic experience it was to participate in the event.

Maybe It Is Easy Being Green - Get Tips June 7

Do You Have Trouble Staying Healthy?

Even if you’re constantly on the go, working long hours, or are extremely busy it IS possible to make healthy (and green!) lifestyle changes when you have the right tools and support. Learn how to adopt proven healthy eating and sustainable lifestyle techniques. Plus, receive motivational guidance to help you ditch your stress and anxiety for lasting results.

Join me at the DC Green Festival Expo for my talk Slow Down to Speed Up! Sustainable Living in a 2.0 World from the Main Stage on Sunday, June 7 at 11:30 am.

Meet the Experts & Learn Sustainable Living Secrets

Green Festival Expo is an excellent opportunity to discover new, practical and easy ways to live healthier, more sustainable lives with thousands of products offered by new brands, national and local businesses and pioneering thinkers in the sustainability field. 

We've got a great speaker lineup at the DC Green Festival --- articulate, powerful advocates for a just and sustainable world. From authors and filmmakers to politicians, musicians and scientists, these renowned individuals will inspire you with their commitment and expertise.

I'll also be taping a radio segment to share more tips on healthy, green living for Green Is Good Radio onsite at the Festival on Saturday, June 6 at 2:30 pm.

Hope to see you in DC at the Green Festival! Tweet me or comment below if you'll be stopping by ... to get my special, (LIMITED) DISCOUNT code to attend!

NEW PODCAST: Transform Your Life With One Call--to a Life Coach

Feeling a little frustrated, overwhelmed or stuck? Did you have the BEST intentions at the start of 2015  ... for your career? For your relationship? For your health? For your finances? And, then, LIFE happened! Maybe things have turned out differently than you had hoped, so far. Guess what? That's OK!

Did you know that working with a coach can be the difference between a catastrophe and your comeback! That's what happened to Lee Nazal, best-selling author and founder of SociaVerse Publishing.

Tune in for my interview on iTunes to learn how Lee transformed from being unemployed with only a part-time newspaper delivery job to pay the bills, to becoming an online marketing expert who has generated millions of dollars in revenue for his consulting clients. Also, learn more about our NEW book: Transform Your Life with One Call: America's Top Life Coaches Reveal What You Need to Know.

Tune into the podcast and let me know what you learned. Comment below or tweet me on Twitter -- so we can continue the conversation!

How Co-Founder or Team Conflict Isn't as Bad as You Think

How often have you put your best foot forward only to have it stomped on by someone?

There you are, every day, with so many people making demands on you:

• Team members looking to you for answers you aren't always sure of
• Clients thinking only of what they want and not of you really at all
• Founders or senior leaders challenging you with increasingly demanding expectations

Then, there is everyone else, who needs something -- usually sooner than you are able to easily provide it. And, there you are S-Q-U-E-E-Z-E-D in the middle, being pressed on all sides…

It can be very frustrating thinking that you have said or done the right thing only to find that the other person doesn't see it that way. When the other person doesn't respond in the same way as you would, it's irritating and can cause lots of anxiety. And, this anxiety can affect your ability to be most effective at what you're creating.

It leads us to one overriding fact … work relationships are confusing! [Don't even get me started on personal relationships!]

But, what if it could be different?

PRIOSYS® on Vimeo.

When there is team conflict or a lack of rapport with a colleague, we tend to get judgmental. We begin to presume things about the other person. Instead of remaining open minded, we tend to close ourselves to other perspectives.

What if, instead, you viewed team conflict or lack of rapport as an OPPORTUNITY to see issues from perspectives other than your own? 

We all manage our everyday demands differently depending on our priorities -- what we feel to be important at that time. 

If you could figure out how to quickly recognize and adapt to your team members’ priorities, you would be less frustrated when communicating, and more able to overcome your differences. IMAGINE what that would do for your own productivity (and sanity) ... not to mention the productivity and camaraderie of your team. 

How much more could you create and innovate with that level of morale? 

"If two people on the same team agree all the time, then one is useless.  If they disagree all the time, then both are useless." -- Darryl Zanuck

Share your comments and questions below. Or, contact me if you're ready to get started and would like a demo of priosys®.

Here's the Problem with New Year's Resolutions

According to the Journal of Clinical Psychology, of the people who typically make New Year's Resolutions, 64% are successful in maintaining those resolutions beyond one month. How's it going for YOU? To increase your odds of achieving what you want this year, I'd like to suggest elevating your perspective to define an overall Vision for 2015. It's important to have a compelling vision, for you personally as well as for your business or organization. That way, when life and work demands pull you in multiple directions, you keep perspective.

Here are four steps to define your 2015 Vision:

1. Get Prepared for a Fresh Start in 2015
Consider any setbacks or disappointments from last year that you need to let go of in order to begin anew. Can you forgive yourself, and forgive any other people who may have been involved? Bringing old resentments into the new year can stop you from spotting new opportunities because your lens is being clouded by your previous experiences. You can learn from the past without letting it hold you back from trying again or keeping you mired in fear or doubt.

2. Get (Re)connected to Your WHY 
What core mission or purpose inspires you? What motivates you to get out of bed in the morning and keep striving for another day? Revealing your true intentions can make it easier to choose between competing ideas, requests or tasks. Typically, when you choose to act according to your intentions, you feel more at ease and less conflicted. It’s because you are being authentic by honoring your deepest desires and priorities.

3. Get Honest About Your Patterns 
Sometimes we can hold ourselves back from realizing our vision; sometimes this happens when we encounter new situations that take us out of our comfort zone. We end up doing the exact opposite of what we intend to do. These behaviors, and/or habits are blind spots because you're not always aware of them and/or fully aware of the impact they can have on fulfilling your intentions. What attitudes, behaviors, and/or habits could get in your way of fulfilling your intentions?  

4. Get Clear on What You Want 
As you look back at the close of 2015, what will be your most memorable achievements? What will you have felt and experienced, and with whom? What key milestones will have helped you achieve your vision? You might consider doing some creative visualization to imagine your life as it will be when you have fulfilled your intentions in 2015.

What’s important is to define and articulate your vision so that you are declaring that this is what you want to achieve. Then, perhaps you can relax a bit, and as Deepak Chopra says: “Let the Universe handle all the details.”

NEW PODCAST: Goal Setting Tips for Leaders in 2015

Happy New Year! Hope that 2015 is off to a great start for you. To help you hit the ground running, I'm excited to share this podcast from my recent appearance on the Gfem Talk Show.

In my lively chat with show host Femi, I shared some tips and insights on how to connect your 2015 goals with your larger WHY and true intentions. We also discussed how best to communicate your vision and true intentions with the important people in your world -- personal and professional -- in an effort to avoid mis-communication and conflict throughout the year.

Tune into the podcast and let me know what you learned. Also, feel free to share what are your 2015 intentions -- comment below or tweet me on Twitter -- so we can keep each other on track!

Check Out Lifestyle Podcasts at Blog Talk Radio with GFEM RADIO on BlogTalkRadio

Focus on Your Vision in 2015 - Get Started on Jan 8

What would it mean to focus like a laser on your vision for 2015? How much more would you accomplish with that level of attention and motivation?

The New Year is the PERFECT time for you to evaluate your priorities and refresh your game plan – for your business and your life. Now is the time to define your vision for 2015 so you can be less overwhelmed by life's distractions, and less likely to quit when obstacles come your way.

In my upcoming Breakout Session on Thursday, January 8, I'll be sharing some easy ideas to help you get started! It’s based on my eBook Focus on Your Vision: A Positive, Practical Approach to Achieve Your Biggest Dreams – a simple process to help you evaluate your priorities and manifest even your wildest dreams.

As a preview, my Four Steps to Focus on Your Vision for 2015 are:
1. Clear Your Lens
2. Reveal Your True Intentions
3. Watch Out for Blind Spots
4. Envision Your Future Results

This Breakout Session is for leaders who are ready to take action to turn 2014 setbacks into 2015 opportunities. Let me help you overcome your limiting beliefs and renew your enthusiasm for business, relationships and life! Let's take the limits off your ideas and put the apostrophe back in impossible ... that's right, affirm it: 'I'm possible in 2015!' 

I look forward to speaking with you on Thursday, January 8 at 1 pm ET - register HERE! 

5 Unexpected Tips to Beat Your Holiday Stress

'Tis the season to be jolly. If you're seeking ideas on how to ease into the holiday season and lessen your stress, read on for 5 Unexpected Tips to Beat Your Holiday Stress!

1. Recognize your holiday stress triggers: A stress trigger is an incident that causes either a negative physical (e.g., headache, cold, or pain) or emotional response (e.g., anxiety, insomnia, or sadness). The holiday challenge is that stress triggers can be associated with family and personal relationships, or finances. What are your holiday triggers? A dreaded encounter or perhaps the absence of a loved one? Concerns about your holiday shopping list or travel? Becoming aware is your first step to lessening your stress.
2. Be willing to let go of past resentments: Once you've identified your triggers, consider viewing them from a NEW perspective. If you're already dreading an encounter, try imagining that your experience will NOT be negative.  Set an intention to approach the person with a positive outlook, and not allow their comments or behaviors to affect your stress level. 
3. Seek out lower-cost holiday options (e.g., "grab bags," "Secret Santa’s," or “potluck” dinners): If your trigger is your finances, be honest with yourself and your family about what you can and cannot take on this year. Focus your attention on how great it will feel to spend time with those whom you love. Infuse yourself with the true holiday spirit of loving and sharing!
4. Tune in to your holiday self-talk: We all have a running script of "self-talk." These are unconscious thoughts about finances, relationships, or goals that occur when you're stressed or overwhelmed. Coach yourself to flip your script for a more positive outlook. When you notice a negative thought, tell yourself to STOP! Take a deep breath, think of a positive statement, and reflect. Think of as many positive ideas that show the negative perspective is NOT true. 
5. Give yourself holiday ME-TIME: With the hustle and bustle, it can be easy to forget your needs. Build time into your holiday schedule just for you. Take on a new physical activity; or social activity, like volunteering to help others in need. Sharpen your mental abilities with a new book; unplug from your devices. Create more space in your mind for holiday joy!

This year has been a year of many changes for me, some of which I've not yet shared with you. Looking back, I'm thankful for all of the expected AND unexpected blessings that 2014 has brought me. For example, I literally have a new looking-glass through which to view the world, my new living space! Now, I'm looking forward to spending time with my parents and extended family over the holiday season.

What are YOU most thankful for? How will YOU beat your holiday stress? Comment here or tweet me on Twitter. Happy Thanksgiving!!

Vote by FRIDAY to Help a Woman Business Owner

You've got to be in it to win it! And, I am -- now I need YOUR vote!

Perhaps you've heard of the Chase Mission Main Street Grants for Small Business? The program will award up to 20 grants of $150,000 to help small business owners to grow their businesses.

Now, through FRIDAY, OCTOBER 17, small business owners who have been in business for at least two years and have less than 100 employees can submit an application. InStep Consulting has applied, and I'd love to have your VOTE of support!

What Would a $150K Grant Mean to InStep? 

2014 is a milestone year -- I've been in business for 10 years! It's definitely been a roller-coaster ride that I couldn't imagine doing any other way. 

 

Now, it's time to think about the next 10 years. I do know they will be different -- because the business landscape has changed dramatically just in the past few years.

 

This grant would help me to do some of the strategic planning and sustainability consulting work that I offer to clients on my own business! That would mean hiring PR/marketing and business coaches; plus, I'd like to increase the bench-strength of the coaching and consulting team.

Voting is really easy! Visit the Chase Mission Main Street website:

• Click the VOTE NOW button
• Input your Facebook login
• Click VOTE!

I need at least 250 votes to be considered for a grant. Thank you for your support! Feel free to "Share Your Vote" with your social network afterwards.

Rise & Shine: A NEW Cup of Joe to Improve Your Health

Do you love coffee? DID YOU KNOW? About 90% of the naturally occurring antioxidants in regular coffee are destroyed during the roasting process—so they never even reach your cup. No worries, because there's a NEW coffee from Zrii called RISE™  that retains those antioxidants.

Back in 2006, when I was dealing with my chronic indigestion / acid reflux, I stopped drinking coffee to avoid anything that could upset my stomach. Little did I know that I was losing out on so many health benefits of coffee including: reduced risk of Alzheimer's or dementia, oral cancers, and stroke!

If you love your coffee like me, and want to get healthy too, this is the cup for you. Zrii RISE™ has green coffee bean extract from beans that haven't been roasted to preserve powerful antioxidant benefits and still give a boost. Green coffee antioxidants counteract the damage caused by free radicals (including aging of the body’s cells).

Zrii RISE™ also has the unique super-fruit Amalaki that enhances vitality and overall health—including digestion, immunity, and cellular functioning. With all of this, Zrii RISE™ has more antioxidants than most of us consume daily from fruits and vegetables combined!

Watch this video endorsement of Zrii RISE™ from Dr. Deepak Chopra:



I'm excited to be able to include Zrii RISE™ coffee as part of my healthy living and wellness offerings, especially for those of you who are committed to clean eating! Let me know in the comments (or tweet me) if you have more questions about the coffee or want to know how to order Zrii RISE™ online.

What Will Medicine Look Like in 10 Years? You Need to Know!

Medicine is Changing -- Will it Work FOR You or Against You?

Evolving medicine means that we are learning new things and using new techniques constantly. How do you expect to stay at the forefront of your own health?

The Evolution of Medicine Summit will shine a light on the work of more than 30 innovators leading these changes, to set a vision for a more empowered, proactive and patients-value focused healthcare system.

Whether you're a health or wellness coach like me, or just someone who wants to be healthier, The Evolution of Medicine Summit will show you the future of healthcare. Plus, it's ONLINE and FREE from September 8-15, 2014.

Here are a few of the incredible presenters: 

• Deepak Chopra, MD, Best Selling Author; Ayurvedic and Mind/Body Medicine 
• Mark Hyman, MD, Multiple Best Selling Author, Chairman of IFM 
• "Food Babe" aka Vani Hari, Activist Blogger; Digital Innovator 
• Joe Cross aka "Joe The Juicer" 
• Larry Palevsky, MD, Board Certified Pediatrician

Navigate your way through the overwhelming amount of health information to elevate yourself and your family towards optimum health.

Come listen to The Evolution of Medicine Summit ONLINE for FREE from September 8-15, 2014. Be a force of change for the future of health and medicine! Register TODAY! 

Tweet me your thoughts and reactions to the sessions and use the #EvoMed hashtag to join the discussion.