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Author and entrepreneur, James Harold Webb gives tips to help small business owners survive with resilience when obstacles arise
Dr. Julianne Arena shares tips to remain positive through menopause
TurfMutt Foundation shares tips to keep your yard beautiful during the season and prepare for spring.
Stern’s simple, six step process is backed by leading science and grounded in her decades of in the field experience.
F A M I L Y Y A R D F A L L T O - D O ’ S
G R E A T L E A D E R S E M B R A C E E M O T I O N S
Resilience. Peace. Transparency. These are all words we have heard consistently over the past few years. We have been challenged to access our circumstances and determine where changes are needed. Whether it is our personal or professional lives, comfortability stunts growth. In this issue, James Harold Webb teaches small business owners how to survive through the unexpected. Dr. Julianne Arena gives us tips to maintain positivity through menopause and Carolyn Stewart talks about the power of being an emotional leader.
I’ve learned to rest in my weakness.
I’ve learned to accept that I am a fragile being, only as strong as my faith and trust in God.
I can not always hold it together, and I won’t.
I give myself permission to fall apart. To rest. To breathe. To stand still. To acknowledge my brokenness.
I will no longer withhold the grace from myself that I so freely extend to others.
I have found peace in my brokenness because I no longer have to pretend it doesn’t exist.
VonnaMatthews
Community is everything! In womanhood certainly but, motherhood requires a level of community you didn’t know you needed. When we were planning Moms Actually we made sure to come up with core values that we would always keep at the center, and community certainly made that list. I hope Moms Actually is the breeding ground for women connecting, realizing it’s not just them thinking or feeling a certain way, and that they may be closer to having a village than they think. I pray we continue to impact and build communities of women all over the world that redefine what motherhood looks like for generations to come.
PhotoCredit:JoshuaMaclin
With the God given vision for Moms Actually, you could just feel God in everything. From the very beginning, everything aligned from the way we all met, to the crew that we had on set, to even the topics we got to speak so freely on. I saw how God was using Moms Actually as a resource to let mothers know that they weren’t alone. There was such a need for the realness of motherhood and God allowed us to become vulnerable and share every one of our experiences to touch the hearts of those watching. Faith for us has always been tied to obedience. If God places a dream in you, let Him use you!
As an only child of two military parents, I wasn’t raised around extended family members and my parents didn’t have a strong community around them. Once I had my daughter, I respected my mom on a whole new level because I realized how much harder the motherhood experience would have been for me if I didn’t have a community of women supporting me on this journey as a woman and a mother. Sisterhood is much more than blood. It’s a bond that can’t be broken, a listening ear, a shoulder to lean on, and a guaranteed space you know you can run to. I wanted that for every mom that comes in contact with Moms Actually and we hope that we can continue that for years to come.
Make a list of what you are looking for in a mom community and actively seek those characteristics.
There are moms groups that already exist based on specific criteria. Research your area for a mom community that shares your interests, beliefs, etc.
After you’ve made your list of what you want out of a group, determine what you bring to the table.
Now that you have made your list, done a self evaluation and conducted research, put your plan into action and start reaching out to moms, whether it’s an existing community or one you build.
Now that you have your community, consistently interact and engage. Building relationships take consistency, effort and time.
By: James Harold Webb
With high inflation and widespread economic uncertainty confronting the nation, small business owners have concerns similar to consumers Add continuing supply chain issues and labor shortages, and there are plenty of worries that can keep entrepreneurs up at night.
But the good news is that, according to a survey, many small business owners have shown the resilience to face, adjust to and overcome these challenges that proliferated with the COVID 19 pandemic. Some are finding new supply sources, increasing wages and training to retain top employees, reducing expenses and reevaluating pricing Taking such actions reflects the resilience, flexibility and problem solving that are required to weather the storms in business and help owners prepare better for future turbulent times, says James Webb (www jamesharoldwebb com), a successful entrepreneur in the medical and fitness sectors and author of A Country Boy’s Journey To Prosperity
“The pandemic has posed a serious test for small business owners, forcing some to shut down and many to pivot,” Webb says “Having resilience is a huge factor that separates those who have succeeded in overcoming the challenges from those who haven’t.
“Resilience is the most important thing in life and in business It is the key ingredient of success that will never let you down ”
Webb offers three tips on how small business owners can show resilience in the face of challenges:
Don’t fear taking leaps and choosing new landings
This approach involves a business owner reimagining their company and taking calculated risks Webb says it’s a necessity now given changing consumer habits, such as more online shopping. That company reimagination could also mean re assessing current products and services, determining which should be removed or changed, seeing market voids and innovating “When certain obstacles arise, other pathways and opportunities are presented,” he says. “You can stay the course to your company’s demise, or you can lift your head to seek further horizons and re energize your employees and your company ”
Lead with clarity, provide guidance and incentives, but don’t be afraid to terminate. Webb says weeding out underperforming employees is essential, as is hiring people who can cover the owner’s shortfalls “You have to know your strengths and weaknesses as well as everyone else’s,” he says “Create clarity for those you manage. Management is a service, not a power play. Provide people with the best possible chance to succeed by ensuring they are in the right job, make the objectives crystal clear, support their needs and reward them for a job well done But if people are in the wrong job or unable to meet objectives, or if they’re unable or unwilling to move into another or expanded role, you owe it to them and your company’s survival to set them free ”
Trust your gut and keep moving forward Webb says disappointments, failures, big changes and sacrifices all build resilience, and the combination of those experiences can strengthen a business owner and create more confidence in decision making for the long run. “Endurance is an essential element of resilience,” Webb says “Persevere Learn from your mistakes and trust what you know Going with your gut is a popular phrase, but it makes more sense to do so when you’ve acquired the experience good and bad to trust your instincts and your knowledge ”
“Resilient people find a way of working things out,” Webb says. “They don’t sit around and complain and hope that their complaining leads to results. They roll up their sleeves and make something good out of a bad situation
James Harold Webb (www jamesharoldwebb com) is the author of Redneck Resilience: A Country Boy’s Journey To Prosperity His career in radiology saw him rise from a technologist to becoming a leader in the industry as the entrepreneur of several companies focused on outpatient medical imaging, pain management and laboratory services In 2014, Webb turned his attention to the fitness sector and developed, owned and oversaw the management of 33 Orangetheory Fitness® franchises throughout North Texas. They were all sold to a private equity group in 2019. He currently owns the franchise rights for Dallas and Austin for BeBalanced Centers, a homeopathic hormone weight loss franchise His team has three stores open with plans for another 10 to 12 over the next four years.
James Harold Webb
By: Dr. Julianne Arena
1 Meditate: Meditation is an underused and potentially powerful stress management technique. One way to make it easier to get started is to find a partner and trade off guiding each other through the process
2 Be Mindful: Mindfulness is a state of active, open attention to the present It means knowing what you are sensing and feeling in the moment. Better yet, practice mindfulness every day so it becomes a habit. You don't have to join a class or attend special sessions Practicing mindfulness on a daily basis can help reduce stress and anxiety, promote relaxation, and improve overall health
3. Stay present: Avoid dwelling on the past or worrying about the future, which can contribute to a lack of appreciation for the present moment When you focus on the present, your sense of time expands, enabling you to enjoy every moment.
4. Laugh (A lot!): Laughter is a beneficial way to combat the negative effects of menopause and other mood disorders, such as depression Laughter can stimulate your immune system, enhance your learning and memory functions and help you cope with stress. Make it a habit to laugh frequently, surround yourself with people who have a good sense of humor, watch comedies and make sure that others do not take everything too seriously
5. Seek Help: It’s ok to ask for help. Menopause can be a time of change, confusion, fear and embarrassment for women. But it doesn't have to overwhelm them With the right knowledge, women can find ways to live with and manage the experience more successfully Women have access to all the information they need, and with that information, they can make decisions that are best for them and their bodies.
“Women’s bodies are going through so many changes during menopause that stress can exacerbate I hope that women have honest conversations with their doctors about how they feel mentally, emotionally and physically because there is help and support,” says Dr Julianne Arena, a double board certified physician from Harvard and a certified Cliovana specialist who specializes in women’s health and sexual wellbeing
Dr. Julianne Arena
By: Carolyn Stern
“Not dealing with emotions hurts us, our people, and our organizations Worse, it holds us back from creating remarkable cultures and achieving incredible business results,” warns Carolyn Stern in her new book THE EMOTIONALLY STRONG LEADER: An Inside Out Journey To Transformational Leadership (Figure 1; September 13, 2022). “If you want to grow and scale your business, you must learn to develop your Emotional Intelligence,” she explains.
Unlike any other book on the topic, THE EMOTIONALLY STRONG LEADER provides managers and their teams with self coaching tools that allow them to grow their Emotional Intelligence on their own. With Stern’s guidance, readers learn to feel comfortable with emotions. “Your emotions, and those of others, are not the enemy,” Stern explains, “but, in fact, are the basis of your strengths.”
Stern’s simple, six step process is backed by leading science and grounded in her decades of in the field experience Readers learn to identify the specific emotional skills that most impact their careers, uncover barriers to growth, set goals, and tap into the motivation to change. The framework addresses five distinct areas of EI self perception, self expression, interpersonal, decision making, and stress management along with the individual competencies associated with each. The six step process includes:
Connect With Yourself Readers begin the process by taking a hard look in the mirror to create an inventory of their existing EI strengths and areas for development. Stern advises them to ask themselves questions that probe all five areas of EI, such as: Am I aware of how I am feeling at any given moment? Do I stand up for myself? Am I able to put myself in other people’s shoes?
Consult With Others People’s self perception is not always accurate Therefore, it’s critical for readers to interview others to learn how they are seen, and then circle back to compare these results with their own perceptions. Stern offers guidance about choosing whom to interview and how to best “hear” what they say Readers will ask questions like: Does it seem that I care too much about what others think of me? Do I adequately manage my stress? Do you think that I control my impulses?
Clarify Focus Once readers collect this information about their level of emotional intelligence, they’re more likely to change if they understand the why behind their EI gaps, and what these gaps are costing them. Stern asks them to look at their highest and lowest EI competencies, and then ask themselves: Where does this development opportunity come from? Childhood? Life experience? How does it hold me back in the workplace?
Consider Possibilities and Barriers This step helps readers figure out how to close the gap between where they are and where they want to be First, they brainstorm as many options as possible for reaching their EI goal, and then they think about what might get in the way of realizing each option. Stern provides advice for finding ways to dissolve the roadblocks impeding success.
Craft an Action Plan Next, Stern helps you develop an action plan broken down into bite size chunks with target dates for completion, and explains how to create a “relapse prevention” strategy for handling hiccups along the way This includes asking oneself: What triggers do I anticipate experiencing as I attempt to reach my goal? What can I do to avoid these triggers?
Confirm Commitment and Close the Conversation In this final step, Stern guides readers to establish accountability for their goals
She details how to identify a “Competency Advisor” for support during their EI development process. When readers check in with their Advisor, they will be asked such questions as: What strategies have you tried to achieve your goal? How did it go? What are you learning about yourself? What is one thing you will do differently next time?
CAROLYN STERN, author of THE EMOTIONALLY STRONG LEADER, is the President and CEO of EI Experience, an executive leadership development and emotional intelligence training firm She is a certified Emotional Intelligence and Leadership Development Expert, professional speaker, and university professor whose emotional intelligence courses and modules have been adopted by top universities in North America.
She has also provided comprehensive training programs to business leaders across the continent in highly regarded corporations encompassing industries such as technology, finance, manufacturing, advertising, education, healthcare, government, and foodservice Stern lives and works in Vancouver, British Columbia.
explains, “but, in fact, are the basis of your strengths.Carolyn Stern
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