Nevsah Fidan Karamehmet | Visonary Women Entrepreneurs | Exeleon Magazine

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CONTENTS

CONTENTS AKVILE DEFAZIO 38

#MyJourney

BRINGING A Revolution in Breathing

NEVSAH FIDAN KARAMEHMET FOUNDER & CEO | BREATH HUB

It is said that

one tends to learn how to master themselves by getting out of their own way. Stripping away the inner voice that holds us back and accepting the parts that make us who we truly are.

However, self-mastery is not limited to only self-acceptance, rather it's a commitment to lifetime of improvement; it's a process of becoming.

Nevsah Fidan Karamehmet is an example of a visionary leader who has dedicated herself to help women across the globe ind their path to self-mastery.

Moreover, Nevsah is a serial entrepreneur, an angel investor, bestselling author, and breathing coach. She is the Founder and CEO of Nevsah Institute and Breath Hub.

Her innate understanding of human behavior and self-mastery has enabled her to transform the lives of thousands of people. Fittingly, Nevsah features as the Cover of our Visionary Women Entrepreneurs issue. Herein, we look into the journey of Nevsah, her ideas related to self-mastery, and her vision for a breathwork revolution.

UNDERSTANDING HUMAN

Right from an early age Nevsah has been fascinated by the human mind. Since the age of 10, she has been reading countless books on human behavior and psychology. She explains, “I basically wanted to know more about humans, like why we do what we do and what motivates us or what triggers us and why.”

As a kid, being a leader was almost inherent to her. She remembers inding and creating new games in her preschool years and leading her friends.

Moreover, she was actively involved with different art forms like ballet, piano, poetry, drama club, and was frequently seen participating in her school activities.

Perhaps it was this inherent desire to lead and feed her curiosity that introduced her to the possibilities of breathing. She recalls, “The irst time I tried a breathing exercise, it felt like I found all the answers I have been searching for.”

A huge advocate for healthy

breathing habits, Nevsah realized that changing how we breathe, effectively changes the way we feel, think, and act. She discovered that healthy breathing habits lead to healthy thoughts as well as relationships, whereas unhealthy breathing habits lead to emotional turmoil and trigger negative thoughts.

For Nevsah, her brain works like that of a scientist – it longs to question everything and not jump to any conclusive beliefs. Being aware of the beneits of breathing

from a young age elevated the potential of Nevsah as a leader and eventually as an entrepreneur.

This awareness about breathing facilitated a unique journey for Nevsah. She began training, researching, and reading over 100s of books on respiratory science, became a teacher, joined the Breathing Sciences Faculty, founded the Breath Coaching Federation, and even went on to legalize the job role of breath coaching in Turkey and beyond.

Humans living in the 21st century deserve to reach sustainable health and wellbeing. It is time to level up. And I am certain Breath Hub will be one of the major platforms they will be able to do that.

WHAT IS Breath Hub?

Breath Hub is the World's Largest Breathwork Community with a fast growing, guided breathwork app. The app enables one to easily practice breath work from anywhere and anytime at affordable pricing.

In just a short span, the company has created an amazing community and the users are equally motivated to help build the Breath Hub platform. The platform schedules regular meetings and surveys with its users, tracks data, and provides custom solutions.

Nevsah mentions, “We can create unlimited content, innovate in endless ways, and ind solutions to any breathing related problem. We can be The Platform people go to for preventive health. That is our goal.”

Moreover, the Breath Analysis system on Breath Hub makes it stand out as one of the premier platforms for breathwork. The platform is a result of over 20 years of research, data, and insights from over 40,000 people. “We can understand exactly how people are breathing by asking them some questions that are backed by our behavioral sciences algorithm and lead them into fully customized journeys.”

THE BREATHWORK REVOLUTION

For the last 20 years, Nevsah has dedicated her life researching, teaching, and speaking on breathing sciences. “I have been privileged to have over 40,000 people in my seminars, retreats, talks, workshops.”

But for Nevsah that number is still less compared to the number of people who are genuinely suffering due to breathing related issues.

She mentions, “I want to see hundreds of millions of people analyze their breathing habits, go on customized journeys, and change their dysfunctional breathing habits, that is sitting at the root of many of their problems.” However, she knew it wouldn't be possible to make this transformation with her lifestyle business.

With Nevsah Institute, she has been able to invest in some of the most amazing projects, build wealth and social inluence, live a high standard life, and so on. But she adds, “I can have all the wealth in the world but what would it mean if I hadn't been able to share this miraculous tool (breathing) and let the whole world know about it.”

To address this, Nevsah founded Breath Hub. Through Breath Hub, Nevsah intends on being part of a global revolution – The Breathwork Revolution.

According to her, it is imperative for us to work on our breathing habits and take a step towards a better life. “Humans living in the 21st century deserve to reach

sustainable health and wellbeing. It is time to level up. And I am certain Breath Hub will be one of the major platforms they will be able to do that.”

BREATHE BETTER, LIVE BETTER

Nevsah emphasizes that we are unable to comprehend the impact and inluence breath has in our lives. She goes on to mention, “We take our irst breath, come to life, we breathe in, breathe out, breathe in, out, again and again and again, TO STAY ALIVE, and we give our last breath and die.”

She continues, “Life in its simplest form equals the number of breaths we took in and out. And not everybody is breathing the same. Some people have serious breathing issues they are not even aware of.”

As per one research, 80% of the global population are using only 30% of their full breathing capacity. In order for one to attain a healthy mindset, let along self-mastery, it's essential for one to breathe properly.

Breath is the gasoline to our body. If it's not enough, we do not have enough energy to function. She passionately points out, “Most people don't even have the energy to continue their daily activities. And I am not even talking about the fact that all of our cells rejuvenate themselves with breath. If you are not using your full breath capacity, your cells will die faster, and you will get old faster. Your immune system will crash, your organs won't have the food and energy they need to function properly, and

people do die if they cannot breathe.”

Although breathwork hasn't yet been part of medical sciences, Nevsah believes that in the long run the situation will change. In fact, she is committed to do everything in her power to bring the Breathwork Revolution in front of the public. “It will sooner or later happen.”

ACCEPTANCE AND RELIANCE

Nevsah claims that for a woman to be powerful, it essentially boils down to two factors – selfacceptance and self-reliance. “I think a woman reaches her true power, only when she is fully independent and when she fully accepts and embraces herself.”

Considering we all have our own unique gifts, abilities, knowledge, and experience, acceptance is a key factor for one to attain success in life. Nevsah explains that we can only fully express ourselves, our gifts, uniqueness, and leadership qualities, when we are fully ourselves.

“Judging ourselves and trying to change does not work and I see those habits in many women nowadays. Trying to change and get better disconnects us from ourselves and our power.”

In her journey helping over 30,000 women in the path to self-mastery, Nevsah has seen her students create global, multi-million-dollar businesses, powerful families, social impact, and more. She believes that this is a result of them fully accepting themselves.

MOVING FORWARD

Nevsah notes that users use the Breath Hub platform multiple times a day, for multiple reasons – from healing headaches to boosting their energy or speeding up their metabolism. “We would like to stay that way and ind new ways to support them reach sustainable health and wellbeing.”

Exeleon Shorts

One Book Entrepreneurs Must Read –HOOKED - How to Build Habit Forming Products.

One Productivity Tool / App that Everyone Should Use – Slack

One Podcast / Course that you would Recommend – Dr John Demartinis podcasts, YouTube videos and courses.

One Movie / Show that you would Recommend – Avatar

One Quote that Motivates you the Most –To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived - Ralph Waldo

Emerson

One Investment Advice that you Follow –Never invest in projects or companies outside of your expertise.

Talking about the future, Nevsah is excited about their fundraiser as the company moves into the growth stage. Furthermore, the company is also working on Phase 2 of Breath Analysis, new sessions, challenges, and journeys on the app and also some events.

She concludes saying, “We are excited about growing X5 in the next couple of months, going to

series A in 2024 and reaching $100M ARR by 2027 and IPO.”

Breathe better, live better!

We Embrace Excellence!

Exeleon Magazine features some of the leading players in business and shares their journey of excellence to inspire aspiring leaders across the globe.

Moss

Moss G u ru m ee t t h e

What was the idea that led to the start of Moss Pure? What was the market gap that you wanted to address?

I founded Moss Pure during a startup competition at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in June 2020, called the MIT Lebanon Challenge. Moss Pure won First Place Startup in the competition in Track 1B Health, Energy, and Waste Management. From there, the United Nations invited me to compete in their Development Programme in August 2020, where it won the Top 10 Startup.

During the competition, I realized that moss has several beneits. But there weren't many companies that were using live moss. Most moss companies use preserved moss or dried moss, which are no longer living. Because preserved and dried moss are no longer living, they are not able to improve air quality as only live moss can.

In talking with customers and scientists, I found that:

1. No other company was able to use moss as an effective air ilter.

2. No other company was able to keep live moss alive in indoor environments for more than a few days.

3. Existing living walls and moss walls used a great amount of water and electricity and were bulky and required time to assemble.

Using engineering and biology, I created the irst and only live moss design that improves your air quality and provides therapeutic relief without needing any watering, sunlight, or maintenance. I wanted to create an aesthetically pleasing, yet simple decor piece that anyone could use in their everyday, modern space.

How Jamie Mitri used engineering and biology to create the first and only live moss artwork that improves your air quality – Moss Pure.

Talk to us about the science that went behind the creation of the product.

A great deal of science is used in the creation of our products. We are not simply just putting moss on a wall frame. Although I have a strong science background, I spent months and many hours doing hands on research with moss to engineer Moss Pure.

I formulated a multi-layered design of ecofriendly materials that sustain the moss within our product in any environment – indoor and outdoor. Because of this, our products do not need watering, sunlight, or electricity. Our proprietary technology extends the life of live moss from days to years. The multi-layer also works in synergy with the live moss, so that the moss uses toxic pollutants in the air as its food source, therefore improving your air quality. Air purifying plants take decades to purify the surrounding air. Moss Pure's technology enhances the air iltering capability of live moss.

We are the only company that has certiied analytical results showing that our live moss products improve your air quality within minutes, capturing carbon dioxide, dust, allergens, pet dander, VOC, metals and certain bacteria and viruses.

I also worked with 150 customers in the U.S., gathering feedback on the aesthetics of our design. I conducted prototype, alpha, and beta testing with our customers to create the inal Moss Pure products you see in our online store today.

As the Moss Guru, what role do you play in the day-to-day proceedings of the company?

I'm a very hands-on CEO. I am involved in every aspect of the business in some way – whether it's working with a customer on a custom moss wall, helping assemble our products, pitching to a distributor, sales, marketing, PR, accounting, inances – you name it and I'm doing it or have

done it. I am able to combine my passion for science and fashion and interior design every day and I'm stepping out of my comfort zone to grow the business.

Looking at your journey as an entrepreneur, if you were to start again, what would you do differently?

Absolutely nothing. Every milestone, every mistake, every failure, and every success accompanied a learning lesson, and I wouldn't take any of it back. It has been such a rewarding and amazing experience, even on the crazy days.

What would be your advice for emerging entrepreneurs bringing-in new and innovative sustainable solutions?

Being an entrepreneur and launching a business is dificult in itself – let alone creating an innovative product in an existing market. When you create such an innovative product, you have to make sure your messaging is right so that you capture people's attention and then you have to clearly explain why you are different from your competition. It's incredibly challenging but if you know it's worth the risk and you are consistent, the business will grow and everything that you've worked so hard for will pay off – and it is such an amazing feeling.

Finally, what does the future look like for you and Moss Pure? What are you most excited about?

I'm excited to get the word out about the company and expand it. Moss Pure has such a positive impact and story and I want to share it with the world. We are also always learning and growing, and we are releasing new products with feedback from our customers. My creative and intellectual mind is always at work coming up with something and I love it.

ashion f onnector C

AK BROWN IS A SEASONED FASHIONPRENEUR WHO IS USING HER JOURNEY TO GUIDE AND INSPIRE FASHION BRANDS AND CREATIVES IN DEFINING THEIR SUCCESS IN THE INDUSTRY. READ HER FULL INTERVIEW WITH EXELEON MAGAZINE, WHERE SHE TALKS ABOUT HER JOURNEYANDTHEFASHIONINDUSTRY.

What according to you makes one a powerful woman? How do you integrate the same thought into your leadership?

I believe power comes with true genuineness and authenticity. Essentially, there's no way to act or look powerful, but more so being authentic in your actions and what you set to put out into the world. For me, my power comes from my determination and my circle knowing if I say I'm going to do something or manifest something, then it's going to happen.

I think, especially with women, we are told we have to be tough, and almost mean in order to be taken seriously as a leader (I think of it as the Miranda Priesley act in The Devi; Wears Prada). I'm not a rude person, I'm not a mean person, and I am more of an empath than people realize. I refuse to implement scare tactics into my leadership that contribute to the toxicity of the fashion industry we so desperately need to get away from.

Talk to us about your growing up years. What is your earliest memory as a leader?

Highschool, senior year to be exact as I was one of the cheerleading

captions and was the year I really started to come out of my shell. Fast forward to college where I was the student council president and really got involved in the fashion scene there, and that may be why I am now back as an adjunct professor.

What prompted your interest and subsequently your foray into the fashion space?

Fashion for me was second nature, growing up with a mother and several aunts and cousins who either had the same interests as me or nurtured my interest. As I moved along in my degree and early on in my career, I realized that fashion can, should, and is meant to be inclusive.

There's a way for everyone to participate in fashion and make it their own, and I'm someone that doesn't necessarily like to “follow the rules”. So being able to create what my version of what fashion was is how I really developed what my brand is today.

As a fashionpreneur, how are you helping people ind clarity and direction in the industry?

One example of this is really promoting the “fashion expert” and move away from the inluencer culture. I believe social media has forced many of us to become the content creators and inluencers we don't want to be, and many of us have a wealth of knowledge in so many different niches in fashion.

We need more experts that can share their knowledge and experience, even when the day

comes that social media is not beneicial to us anymore, and this is one of the areas I focus on when I work with multifaceted fashionpreneurs.

What does a day in the life of AK Brown look like? How do you ensure work-life balance?

Each day is different because of everything I am involved in. A lot of my days consist of meetings and consultations, as well as lecture series and panel events. Some days may consist of creating content for my magazine, and some days consist of blogging on my website. I learned after getting my master's that I need at least 2 days to myself and my daughter. Sundays usually are my clean up days and relaxation days, and Mondays are my “let's get organized” days.

Looking at your journey as an entrepreneur, what would you have differently if you were to start again?

The only thing I would do differently, or change is building my presence outside of St. Louis sooner. Part of my brand is to bring visibility to the wonderful things happening in St. Louis' fashion industry, but my fear held me back from traveling early on or making connections outside of my city, and I now know how beneicial it could have been for my efforts and bigger goal.

With new technologies and innovations entering the market, what do you think is the future of the fashion industry?

Sustainability and entering into the digital second world. Sustainability is something that you'll see come down the pipeline as bills and laws, something that should have been done years ago. I think this will eventually weed out what we know of as fast fashion. If there's a certain level of ethics, backed by law, put into place on really, how cheap a piece of clothing can be made, the price will go up and it will take longer to make.

With AI technology, you now have the capabilities to try on fashion and even wear fashion in another world. There are also other ways besides the classic factory to make clothes, which circles back around to the idea of fashion being inclusive and giving other designers and brands opportunities to create product in a way that makes sense for them.

Finally, what does the future look like for you and your brand? What are you most excited about?

I sometimes don't like to speak of the future because, as we know, the future is unpredictable, but I am hoping my future includes the growth and progression of my studio brand and non-proit, as well as continuing to be seen as The Fashion Connector that I am. Whatever the future holds, I just hope fashion is involved.

- Amy SanchezExecutive Career & Leadership Coach

“I SWIM AGAINST THE CURRENT”

What according to you makes one

a transformational leader? How do you integrate the same thought into your leadership?

A transformational leader is one who is operating with a positive mission at the forefront of their decision making. They lead from a place of trust and motivate their people through encouragement and coaching, while keeping the mission of the organization front and center.

Many times, corporate leaders will come to me for coaching when they feel burnt out, disengaged, or just generally seeking more fulillment. One of the ways I help them realign and rediscover an inspiring path forward is by helping them identify and connect with their values, their purpose, and an inspiring vision of how they want to show up as a leader. When they go through this work, they are more able to open themselves up to the potential of transformational leadership.

Talk to us about your growing up years. What is your earliest memory as a leader/entrepreneur that you remember?

My irst job out of college, I applied to become a pharmaceutical sales rep and didn't get the job. Determined to reapply once I had some tangible results, I took a role doing inside sales, matching travel nurses to shortterm hospital opportunities. It involved a lot of cold calling.

We had a “power hour” of cold calling daily. A lot of my peers dreaded this hour, but I loved it. I had already done a fair amount of travel at that time and, instead of selling the job or hospital, I would leave a message painting the image of the travel experience and excitement of change. My peers would largely leave a canned message on an answering machine (I'm dating myself here). I ended up becoming the top sales rep- I learned early to connect to the emotion and experience instead of focusing on the product. I also learned I love helping people create change for the better.

What prompted you to become a coach and help corporate leaders and executives?

The insight I gained about my passion for helping others was reinforced when I eventually did get a role as a pharmaceutical sales rep. From there, I got my MBA and transitioned into marketing because I'm a big-picture person and enjoy strategic thinking. My last role before becoming a coach was working for a company who was thin on employees but growing like gang busters. I put everything I had into that job, worked long hours and was on an airplane almost every other week.

When I announced I was pregnant, they told me in order to keep my job, I had to move to the home ofice and pay out of pocket. That experience forced me to reexamine how I was spending my days and I had a hunch that if I was experiencing the dark side of corporate, others were too. But I knew there was a different/better way to treat people. So I decided to lean into what I loved and was intuitively good at- helping others create positive change in their lives to increase the level of fulillmentand impact- for themselves and others. I work with executives because I thrive when I'm working with smart, motivated people who have the ability to create large amounts of positive change, both through the people they inluence and through their company's efforts. I see every client

engagement as an opportunity to spread more positivity throughout the corporate space and help propel leaders to be able to solve big problems that will improve the planet.

What was the idea that led to the formation of Swim Against the Current? What was the idea behind its name?

I wanted a name that embodied what I do, how I do it, and felt personal. As it relates to what I do and how I do it - Swim Against the Current is about inding your authenticity so you can be reinspired and empowered to ind your path forward- even if it looks different than everyone else's and the path you were previously on.

I also work with companies and the purpose of my work with them is increase the vibration of leaders and the corporate workspace so they can improve productivity, eficiency, and make a greater impact.

From a personal standpoint, water is very healing for me- it's where I go when the world gets to be too much. (Healing and time and space to acknowledge where one is is the irst step towards change). I'm also a Pisces so the ish analogy it well.

Being the Founder and CEO, what role do you play in the dayto-day proceedings of the company?

Everything. I make every decision for the company. I do have incredible support people who are an important part of allowing me to focus on the work I enjoy the most (an admin, a marketing agency, a lawyer, and a website support person).

Looking back at your journey, what would you have done different when starting out?

This one is hard because I believe everything happens for a reason. Perhaps I would have been less harsh on myself to igure it out and grow quickly but that's a theme throughout my life that I continuously work on.

What would be your advice for aspiring and emerging leaders and executives in today's work environment?

Take time to really understand yourself, what makes you tick, what you need to operate at your peak, and what your core values are. When you have a solid sense of self and recognize/give yourself credit for what you bring to the table, you have a greater capacity to serve others. This will also enable you to navigate your career with more intention.

Also, the corporate structure is largely set up to incentivize reaching company revenue goals. However, the way in which we do

that is often overlooked, both from an incentive and training standpoint. Focusing on task completion solely will only get you so far.

To really thrive as a leader and as a person, pay attention to how you treat yourself and others. That is the true measure of the value of a person. And when you love and respect yourself, you will have more capacity to focus on the bigger picture and a greater ability to trust others (which is at the crux of good leadership and ability to inluence).

Finally, what does the future look like for you and Swim Against the Current?

There are many exciting things brewing! Over the past couple of years, as I've successfully helped leaders transition into new roles, they've brought me back to do executive coaching and team building workshops, so that arm of my business continues to grow, along with the executive career coaching.

I know I will continue to support corporate leaders but the way in which I do that continues to expand as more success stories come from Swim Against the Current (as of now, I've helped over 200 corporate leaders successfully make positive career changes and transitions from companies like Johnson and Johnson, Pinterest, Samsung,

Google, Pizer, and the list goes on…) I know that the key to my future is continuing to stay connected to my purpose and serving my clients to my full ability. That won't change!

Seizing Every Opportunity

Akvile DeFazio

Sometimes the most incredible things

happen to us when we least expect it. Embracing these happy accidents enable us to seize opportunities that is not only fulilling but also life-altering.

For Akvile DeFazio landing an ecommerce marketing internship without any prior experience or degree in marketing and communications was that opportunity.

She embraced this opportunity, overcame adversities, found her direction, and then leveraged this into her long-term vision. Today, she is the Founder and President of AKvertise, a remote advertising agency.

In this Exclusive Interview, Akvile unwraps her journey, talks about marketing, and much more.

What according to you makes for a

transformational leader? How do you integrate the same thought into your leadership ?

Being an honest person, with a vision, that takes calculated risks, is intuitive but also uses data to inform decisions, is organized, inclusive, a strong communicator and equally, a listener, and is future-forward thinking are a few characteristics that make for a transformational leader. Those and some other qualities have led me to where I am today with my business and have guided me through life. While we're all works in progress, it has helped me to connect with and observe other leaders I respect and admire to learn from them as well.

Talk to us about your growing up years. What prompted your interest and subsequently your foray into the digital

Founder & President Akvertise

marketing space?

It's far from a linear journey, but in summary, I wanted to pursue a creative yet helpful career since I was a child. But as Lithuanian immigrants in North America, with few belongings, escaping the Cold War, my parents encouraged me to go into medicine as it was a secure ield.

I eventually went into physical therapy but felt like I did it for the wrong reasons. I then applied for an ecommerce marketing internship and landed it as the “wild card” that was the only applicant that didn't have a marketing, communications, or business degree.

I have a bottomless bowl of gratitude to this day for that opportunity. I later got hired full-time, but the 2008 recession hit and pay cuts were implemented and my school loans kicked in. I then went on to work at other in-house brands ranging from outdoor gear/apparel to pet insurance, publications, and global conferences.

Eight years ago, I felt stagnant and yearned for more authority and responsibility, so I decided to take the leap and start my own advertising agency. I wanted to work with more brands and help them achieve their goals utilizing and expanding upon my expertise that I had gained through my prior experiences. As we celebrate eight years in business this year, it feels incredibly fulilling to be able to have accomplished the creative, helpful, and secure career and lifestyle I had wanted for decades and worked towards.

As the President of AKvertise, what role do you play in the day-to-day proceedings of the company?

We are intentionally a small company, as we continue to be nimble yet mighty as specialists in our ield, so I am very much intertwined with the business, our accounts, and client relations on a daily basis. Developing new relationships is something I enjoy and do successfully, as is putting together strategies for client campaigns. After all, my name is in the business, and I aim to remain a pillar of it.

What is the approach/process followed by you to ensure optimal client satisfaction?

Being proactive about sharing what is going well and equally what campaigns are not performing well, with

hypotheses as to why and what we want to do next in order to improve performance. Being forthcoming is honest and helps strengthen relationships. Hiding information is not the business we are in, and I'm pleased to say that in our eight years, we have not yet been ired, so I hope that speaks to our caliber of work and the relationships we build.

Looking at your journey, what would you have done differently if you were to start again?

I would have worked at an agency before launching my own as I had a very steep learning curve by not having had that experience. I enjoyed being the only advertiser on the team working in-house but later realized it limited my periphery of trends and insights, whereas agencies have more visibility with access to more accounts, industries, platforms, and features. Having had in-house and agency experience would have been invaluable.

In order to survive in today's cutthroat marketing world, what do you think is essential for businesses to follow ?

While the marketing industry is quite vast and competitive in certain ways, I have found that it's the opposite of cutthroat. It's been an incredibly welcoming, collaborative, knowledge, and resource sharing community. There is competition, but for the most part, it's friendly and there is more than enough work to go around for everyone to be successful.

Every business needs marketing and advertising services be it in-house or through an agency, and there are more businesses than agencies in the world. In terms of what's essential for success, marketers need to be visible by being active online, sharing their challenges and their successes, create content that is informative, helpful, and insightful, and as long as people know who you are, what you specialize in, how you can help them accomplish their goals, and if you are genuine in your efforts and intentions, business will come your way through your efforts.

What would be your advice for aspiring and emerging business leaders?

Read leadership and psychology books so you can better understand others, what motivates them, and how to

lead and grow teams and businesses. It also would be beneicial to connect with other leaders, learn from them, work with them, read about their work, and don't hold back to ask if you can shadow them for a day. I wouldn't be where I am today with my own business if it weren't from having friends, mentors, and contacts. Leveling up your professional circle will help you also level up your own abilities.

Finally, what does the future look like for you, both personally and professionally?

It is plentiful in contentment and fulillment. While balance is constantly in lux, I am building a life and business that allows me to support my family, have the many freedoms I want and need when it comes to time and inances, while also mutually helping our clients and my own business succeed.

Creating

Written by Teresa

To change the world, even just one corner of it, you can't

do it alone. You need a strong, collaborative network. Often, however, when we attempt to work with others to achieve a common goal we end up in power struggles, negotiations and entanglements that can sap our energy and leave us frustrated and falling far short of our ambitions.

Alignment, as we deine it, offers a different path. Instead of inding a common goal to rally around, alignment depends on inding a common purpose. A goal is an external objective. A purpose is internal; it is about values and vision. Finding a common purpose transcends speciic objectives and creates a bond that makes you feel part of the same tribe or team as your collaborators.

The TV show Survivor is a great example of what happens when people only have a common goal. Season after season we watch alliances form with the mutual goal of making it to the “inal ive” or the “inal three” on the show. Yet because the ultimate goal is for an individual to win over all others, these alliances almost always break down. Somebody wants to get the jump on the rest and betrays the group.

A common goal is a means. A common purpose is an end.

Creating Alignment

Teresa Erickson and Tim Ward

Contrast the Survivor type of alliance with one of the most famous cases of alignment the world has ever known: The Battle of Thermopylae, which was made into a Hollywood ilm, 300 . This historic event is considered one of the greatest displays of courage in the face of overwhelming odds – and its outcome decisively altered the course of history.

In 480 BC the Persian emperor Xerxes invaded Greece, determined to add it to his vast empire. A massive army, estimated at 100,000 men, marched on Athens and central Greece from the north. But to reach their goal, the Persians were forced to travel through a narrow pass at Thermopylae. For two solid days, a band of 300 Spartan warriors blocked the pass, holding at bay the entire Persian attack force. Ultimately, the Persians defeated the 300, but the fortitude of the Spartans who died at Thermopylae inspired the Greeks. Although they lost the battle and Athens fell, the Greeks refused to surrender. Later that year they won two stunning victories. Xerxes retreated, and most of the defeated Persian forces died of disease and starvation as they led from Greece.

Had the Greeks lost heart, there would have been no golden age of Athenian democracy with all it has given to the world – elected leaders, the birth of reason, dramatic theater, trial by jury, free speech and universal public education of citizens.

To the 300 Spartans, their aligned vision of a free Greece was worth dying for. We might say alignment creates a common purpose worth living for.

When we teach alignment to our clients, we do it at the end of a six-day Master Communicators program. This is because to effectively create alignment you need to know just about every other skill in this book, including messaging, authority, rapport, framing, vision and storytelling. Here are a few additional techniques your can easily use to increase your ability to align yourself with others:

FIND THE RIGHT PEOPLE

Your existing network is your best resource. However, people often don't see their network. It's a

sort of hazy web hanging in space. To concretize this web, take a large sheet of paper, draw a small circle in the center with your name in it. If there is a particular purpose you are working towards, like moving a project, program, or piece of legislation forward, write that on the top of the page. Now you can map your network: draw lines connecting you to others in your work or personal life. Next, take a colored pencil or marker and use that color to connect you with those on the alignment map who could help you achieve your goal in any way. It could be that some names on your map are bridges to other networks of inluence.

The result will probably look like the sort of diagram you see in detective shows on TV – with a murder victim connected to dozens of potential suspects and witnesses. It doesn't matter if your diagram looks messy or chaotic; creating the display so you can visualize it is what counts.

If you are focusing within your company, get hold of an organizational chart. Circle your name, and then connect it with others with whom you have a connection within the organization. You can use different colors and thicknesses of lines to indicate the strength of the connection, whether is personal or professional, etc.

Here are two lessons some of our participants learned through this exercise:

One thought leader we worked with was attempting to inluence several governments across South America to forge an economic policy agreement. She needed to align with others with a similar vision: individuals who would be willing to use their inluence to get the key decision makers to sign off on it. By simply diagraming her relationships she quickly realized there were three people she knew in Washington DC who could help her – and in fact, she knew one of them would be meeting with a visiting South American president the following week. But it had never occurred to her to think of asking for his support on this issue.

Another example was a woman we worked with who was in charge of strategic communications within her organization. She wanted to map the relationships between her unit and the rest of the organization. She was astonished at the result. It revealed that her team had very strong relationships with two thirds of the organization, but very few lines connecting them with the inal third – and she had always wondered why this department was so unresponsive to her strategic initiatives! Here's a simpliied example of one of these maps:

There's an additional level you can add to this if you are looking to connect with speciic inluencers. It's similar to the concept of “Six Degrees of Separation.” This is the theory that we are potentially connected to everyone else on the on the planet by links of no more than six people. The “Kevin Bacon Game” best illustrates this principle. How many people would it take to connect you to Kevin Bacon? You probably know someone who knows someone who knows someone famous in Hollywood, and that person would know Kevin Bacon. That would be

four degrees of separation between you and Kevin Bacon. Diagramming your relationships can help you ind the best route to connecting with key people you might want to create an alignment with.

CONNECT AROUND SHARED VALUES AND VISION

Here's where rapport, vision, framing and storytelling all come into play, especially if you are reaching out to people you don't already know. When we ind someone with a common vision and values, there's this tremendous

burst of energy, like an atomic fusion reaction. It is as if we intuitively sense not only the great potential of aligning ourselves with others, but also that this use of our energy will bring us some kind of joy. You “click” with them, and that sense of “clicking” is the sound of connection. When people ind a sense of common purpose, they will work long and hard together, often without any thought to inancial reward.

If you are meeting someone in order to gauge the potential for alignment, it is important to listen

to the stories they tell, the heroes they describe, and the metaphors they use. These reveal what philosopher of psychology Shai Tubali calls the primal narrative. These are the stories we tell ourselves about how life is, and about inding our place in the world. 1

For example, someone who uses sports metaphors and tells stories about big wins or losses in life might have a primal narrative centered around competition. If you have a similar afinity for competition, this might spur the two of you to want to join the “same team” in some common endeavor. The purpose is to see if you can ind a common value. This will allow you recognize each other as belonging to the same tribe. As soon as this happens, a sense of “in group” identity gets created which becomes the basis for collaboration.

Similarly, if you are seeking to connect with others, think about what you value as ends in themselves. What stories do you tell that reveal your passion and vision? As we were mastering this concept ourselves several years ago, we realized we were not doing as good a job as we could at engaging new clients around the courses we were most excited about. So

we changed our tactics. Instead of describing the content of our programs, we led with our passion for creating transformation through communications. This resulted in a remarkable shift. We found ourselves working much more with leaders who shared our passion.

When you “click” with someone around shared values and vision, you ind yourselves searching for ways to collaborate. How can you do this most eficiently?

COMPROMISE

Compromise seems negative to many people. It implies a power struggle: giving up something in order to get something. In work and personal relationships we often approach compromise like negotiators seeking to maximize our gain and minimize our loss. But when it comes to alignment, compromise means something

different. It goes back to the Latin root of the word, which implies a “com” – meaning “together” – and “promise,” meaning to “send forward”. So compromise can be considered a “sending forward together, ” which is a great deinition of alignment.

Mature compromise is not a power struggle. Instead, you can acknowledge that the other person has a strong and independent will. In fact, you want that other person to be as powerful as possible. You also want them to stay different from you, because that difference brings different skills and resources, and makes you more powerful when aligned. Think for example of the comic-book heroes, The Avengers.

Iron Man, Thor, Black Widow – each brings their unique power to the team, which is what makes them strong.

Compromise, then, can be a way of working together that allows each of you to maximize your strength. Sometimes this means yielding to each other when there is conlict. Sometimes it means being willing to hold the tension of different views until you can ind a way forward.

We often do this ourselves when we create a new course. Tim, with his background as a non-iction author, relishes complexity. Tim prefers to design course modules that contain a comprehensive theoretical explanation so participants can understand how fascinating these ideas are, and where they come from. As a former radio host and editor, Teresa is attuned to the ease with which a listener will be able to grasp content. To her, shorter is almost always better. Information should be practical, and any theoretical content must be followed with an example of its application. We've learned that when we value each other's perspective more than getting our own way, we come up with something better than either of us could have designed on our own.

One of the most amazing organizations we've worked with that puts alignment into practice is an NGO based in Washington named Machik.2 This is a group that works with Tibetans inside Tibet on education, environmental, and social issues across the plateau.

Once a year they bring together Chinese policy researchers from Beijing with respected Tibetan community and civic leaders for a unique discussion and exchange on the challenges of governance in Tibet. Previously these two groups never interacted. Most people are aware that these are uncertain times in Tibet. Yet the people who come together for this dialogue have forged a bond and commitment around the vision of a peaceful future for Tibet.

In sum, alignment multiplies your ability to create transformation. The truth is, most people in the world follow their own desires, and often this push and pull us in different directions, so that the overall result is not momentum towards a particular goal, but a global inertia. You could even conceive of society as like a giant hot air balloon or loating blimp. It's vast, but motionless. However, if you blew on it from one direction with enough people and sustained force, sooner or later the balloon would respond to the pressure and begin to move in the direction you push it.

That's the power alignment can create. It's a force that can change the world.

This is an excerpt from the Chapter 18 of The Master Communicator’s Handbook written by Teresa Erickson and Tim Ward.

Used with Permission from the Authors

Cyndie Martini

Guiding Generations by Setting an Example

In the business world, it is extremely rare to see entrepreneurs with a mindset that allows them to prioritize their customers above everything else. It is with this intention that multiple businesses witness high scalability in their early days. However, as years progress, focus shifts, causing many to lose track and subsequently fail.

Cyndie Martini, the President and CEO at Member Access Processing, is one of the rarer few, who continues to prioritize customer success above all and stands out as an inspirational leader.

Inception in Retrospect

From the beginning, Member Access Processing has been about helping credit unions successfully compete in the marketplace. While working at the

Cyndie Martini, President & CEO, Member Access Processing

Washington Credit Union League, Cyndie Martini was given an opportunity to provide card processing solutions that would aid their affiliated non-profit financial institutions. Upon development of a Request for Proposal (RFP), Cyndie evidently noticed the need for an alternative solution. Quick to see the opportunity, she approached her supervisor with a business concept, which soon turned into a business plan outline. Following that, she received the board approval, leading to the inception of Member Access Processing. While the initiate started without clients or funding, MAP was formed with an unwavering passion to provide card processing services to their credit unions in a way that mattered.

One Step at a Time

Cyndie Martini, throughout her journey, has proven that every opportunity, no matter how small or big, must be taken up with due diligence and ingenuity.

Cyndie strongly believes vision and humility to be a leader's best traits. Recognizing these within herself, she says, “ You need vision so you can lead and humility so you can listen and learn. I have an amazing and diverse leadership team. Remaining humble allows me to stay focused on their contributions, results and successes.”

With an unwavering belief within herself and the ability to think big, Cyndie Martini became the leader of the only aggregator of the Visa Debit Processing Service platform for credit unions. With a goal to ensure growth and profitability, Cyndie also highlights her primary focus upon the long-term viability of the company for all its stakeholders.

To further emphasize on her role as the President and CEO of the company, she adds, “ It is my responsibility to safeguard our future and advance a culture and organization poised and prepared to meet the needs of our board, employees and clients.”

The Present Moment

Since its inception in 1998, Member Access Processing has grown to be a leading firm in market, achieving great feats in its 22 years of history. MAP is the only aggregator of Visa Debit Processing Service platform for credit unions in

the U.S. It offers state-of-the-art card processing from Visa and additional strategic partnerships to support all EFT processing needs for credit unions. These processes include ATM terminal driving, debit, credit, prepaid and virtual card processing, network gateway processing, web-based technology, as well as mobile commerce.

Shedding light on the growth trajectory of MAP, Cyndie states that a singular focus on client success through provision of qualitative services has been foundational. Providing solutions, products, and services that elevate the client's success prove key to one's own organizational success. “ We measure with our clients regularly to ensure our service and solutions achieve their goals,” she elaborates.

Lessons Learned Along the Way

As the leader of a credit union-centric organization, Cyndie Martini shares some insights she learned along her journey. Her ability to choose not to accept anything that will hold her back from achieving her goals or true potential has enabled her both personal growth and the opportunity to define her own path.

She candidly shares how her early days at the Washington Credit Union League have helped shape her work ethic. “ It's been exciting, challenging, fun and rewarding. The joyfulness has come from working with our leadership team

Looking back, excellence across all areas of the company was very important to me. It still is today. But, you cannot be all and everything to everyone.

and our clients. Also, the opportunity to bring to new prospects a service and partnership that is genuinely aligned with them culturally and our offerings,” she said. Adding further on how it has helped her define the work ethic at MAP, she says, “ Our value is centered on providing payment products and services to a unique market, credit unions. I believe we understand credit unions more intuitively than our competitors. Our goal is to focus on each client individually, their portfolios, revenue and membership objectives, IT systems, internal teams and community. It's a mindset, a passion that we live out every day.”

When asked about one of her biggest learnings in her career journey so far, Cyndie stated that while excellence across all areas was important to her, it is impossible to be all and everything to everyone. Even though excellence still holds major importance to her today, “ I have learned from experience that you need to know where to look for and find the right resources to produce your vision. Today, I'm much

better positioned to flourish by bringing on talented individuals who contribute in amazing ways,” she adds.

Thought Meal for Young Minds

Reflecting on her experiences Cyndie shares her thoughts on how young women entrepreneurs must approach their businesses. According to her, thinking big and setting high expectations is vital. Apart from that, she also states that building for such success on the front end from the beginning is necessary. “ Evaluate regularly and ask yourself if you are being true to your goals and yourself along the way,” she suggests.

Belonging to a SheEO group, Cyndie also emphasizes on the importance of positivity and women supporting each other. “ As professionals, we give up so much of ourselves at home, work, and community. We need the power of positive words to nurture our individuality — to speak wisely and remove the negative from our lives,” she adds signifying the need for a positive mindset.

The Path Ahead

With a clear vision, Cyndie shares her excitement regarding what the future holds for both, Member Access Processing as well as herself.

In response to where she sees herself in the coming years, she candidly adds, “ I'm very pleased to be leading this team, guided by our Board's vision, on a trajectory paced for swift growth. On a personal front, I believe leaders have a responsibility to share, when appropriate, all that they can to support others in their careers and on their career paths.”

Evaluate regularly and ask yourself if you are being true to your goals and yourself along the way.