A2
UNLEASH YOUR SUPERBRANDS
NEWS / BUSINESS
A Secret to Accessing Your Superpowers BY JEFF BENTON My firm Paragon Performance Evolution is fortunate to work with several FORTUNE 500 companies, private firms, military special forces, Olympic athletes, premier academic institutions, CEO organizations, the Hollywood elite, and many other interesting individuals, including astronauts. One of the inspirations for starting Paragon came from my personal journey. I was a rising corporate executive in the sports and entertainment industry who looked “pretty on paper” with credentials and capabilities. Yet, the reality was I was operating in a perpetual state of anger, anxiety, and fear in my dayto-day world. It wasn’t until I experienced a life tragedy, the suicide of my mother, that I was truly able to make a sustainable shift that served me at a higher level and, ultimately, those around me. Following my mother’s death, I searched for solutions to change how I felt. Through a friend, I was introduced to a few different pieces of training and techniques that taught me, for the first time in my life, how to self-regulate my own emotions. One training was led by the HeartMath Institute (HMI). This globally recognized organization has been at the leading edge for decades, studying the relationship between the heart and brain and their impact on human behavior and performance. They taught me how to self-regulate my emotions and, through several simple techniques that I could use in realtime, how to ultimately sustain a state of coherence (HeartMath defines coherence as “An optimal state in which the heart, mind, and emotions are aligned and in sync. From a physiological standpoint, it is where the nervous, hormonal, and immune systems are functioning in a state of energetic coordination.”) As I entered this state of coherence on a more regular basis, I began to see and experience the world differently. I found joy in the present moment more frequently and the feeling of gratitude for the first time in my life. I truly became a better person. This shift in my behavior and how I was feeling provided the epiphany — if I could go from this state of fear and anxiety to a deeper state of appreciation and flow, anybody could. That realization shaped how my business partner, Brett Weinroth, and I built Paragon Performance Evolution. We wanted to implement training programs for our clients specific to key areas of their businesses or organizations, such as leadership, negotiations, team building,
culture, communication, flow state, and other popular topics. But we knew that before we could do that, they had to understand the power of self-regulating their own emotions first. We wanted to show them how this focus at an individual level would ultimately impact and positively influence all of the other programs we would deliver around leadership and high performance. As we engaged more deeply with clients on this heart-centered approach and enhanced our own practice for building coherence, it became apparent to us that when we prioritize our state of being through self-regulation, this then serves us and those we come in contact with powerfully. When we can shift from an emotional state that might deplete us, including anxiety, anger, and frustration, to more renewing emotions that give us energy, including gratitude, joy, appreciation, and calmness — deep transformation takes place within the body that can even be considered “miraculous.” The Paragon team continued to witness that when our clients had the ability to self-regulate and shift into a state of coherence regularly, they started to experience greater productivity, improved health, more mental clarity, increased resilience in challenging situations, and heightened energy. Also, we saw our clients reduce their ongoing stress response, which the science and research supports, allowing for significant improvements from a physiological standpoint, including blood pressure, hypertension, autonomic nervous system disorders, better sleep, improved mental function, and decreases in inflammation. As we worked diligently to support our clients, something very interesting started to happen. Our clients who selfregulated their emotions and entered into a coherent state started to influence their external environment. Not just in a woo-woo, mystical way, but in a way that science and research have proven over and over. We saw individuals who were shifting into a state of coherence profoundly influencing those around them, including colleagues, clients, family members, and even pets. This state of coherence allowed for more harmony in relationships and personal interactions, calm amid chaos, and more optimal outcomes in situations that would have generated more stress and dissension in the past. In fact, science and research continue to support that when individuals enter into a state of coherence, the influence on their environment is significant. This is because
our heart generates an electromagnetic field, the most powerful rhythmic energy field produced in the body. HMI has shown through studies that the heart’s magnetic field can be detected and have a measurable effect on others up to five feet away. And, similar to a WiFi signal, our emotions are broadcasted through this electromagnetic field produced by the heart. Extensive studies also illustrate that when smaller groups come together and achieve a state of coherence, there are positive, significantly measurable effects on the global community. So now that you have a sense of just how powerful you are, what will you do with this new information? How will you create changes in your life so you can become a healthier, more energized, better version of yourself? There is a Jedi Master and alchemist within you that has the ability to shift your state of being. You can also influence those around you into a more optimal state using simple tools & techniques that can be applied in real time during the most challenging situations. Let’s try one of them now! Coherence Technique to Access Your Superpower This Quick Coherence Technique is a powerful tool to utilize throughout the day. You can easily create a state of coherence in about a minute by releasing stress and emotions such as frustration, irritation, anxiety, and anger. When you are coherent, your thoughts and emotions are balanced, and you experience ease and inner harmony. Step One: Focus your attention on the area of the heart, the center of your chest. Imagine your breath is flowing in and out of your heart, breathing a little slower and deeper than usual. Suggestion: Inhale for 5 seconds, exhale for 5 seconds (or whatever rhythm is comfortable for you Step Two: Make a sincere attempt to experience a regenerative feeling, such as appreciation or care for someone or something in your life. Suggestion: Try to re-experience a regenerative feeling you have for someone you love or focus on a feeling of calm and ease. We recommend practicing the Quick Coherence Technique at least 3 times a day for a few minutes each time. Ideally, practice in the morning, after lunch, and before you go to bed at night. With practice, you may experience better sleep, mental clarity, and more serenity.
About the author: Jeff Benton is the Founder & CEO of Paragon Performance Evolution. Paragon creates and implements leadership, high-performance, and resiliency programs for organizations around the world. This includes FORTUNE 500 companies, Special Forces, Professional and Olympic athletes, Astronauts, Premier Academic Institutions, and CEO organizations. Paragon develops and implements customized programs that create measurable change, allowing for greater productivity, inspired purpose, disciplined focus, and authentic communication. Their mission is to empower the world’s elite performers to access and evolve to their highest potential in all spheres of life. Jeff’s work allows him to combine his deepest passions of connecting people, supporting individuals in their journey of transformation, and being his own human lab, exploring what is possible in this lifetime. He received his bachelor’s degree from Emory University in Atlanta. He is a Master HeartMath Certified Trainer, Activating the Heart of Teams Trainer, and Certified Coach with Coach Training Alliance.
The Joy of Living LIVING, but this is where I learned about Service, Exceeding Expectations, and Gross Margin. Here’s where I learned that in BUSINESS, the U comes before the I.
BY BARRY SHORE I used to be a quadriplegic, having been completely paralyzed overnight from a rare disease. Many years before this, I had been in a head-on car collision that almost took my life while on a trip to New York City. I also experienced losing all of my money and having to start all over again. There have been a lot more challenges that I encountered in my life, but those three are what I would consider the biggest of them all. Nevertheless, giving up was never in my vocabulary and I always chose to live my best life despite the situation. Now, many years later, I have become a Mental Wellness Activist, using my own encounter with deep trauma and despair to help other people deal with theirs. In addition, I’m a successful serial entrepreneur with 2 multi-million dollar exits, 3 issued US Patents, and a vision for enabling people to donate money at no cost. Oh, I also now swim 2 miles per day, six times a week. I have been doing so for over 14 years and have accumulated over 8,800 miles which is equivalent to more than a third of the way around the World. I have also become a best-selling author, a successful podcaster in the Top 2% of all Podcasts, and a sought-after Business Consultant and Coach. Most importantly, I’ve been married for over 45 years and have 2 grandchildren. During this time, I have also built a system that enables people to Live in JOY every day and have been privileged to Found, Nurture and Grow the World Wide KEEP SMILING Movement. We have distributed more than 4 Million JOY Cards which have saved lives, enhanced marriages, and helped people to live happier and healthier. I am a living testament to the human capacity to survive and fight for their lives, as well as our potential to grow and keep on going despite the boulders that life throws our way. I hope that my experiences can serve as inspiration to someone who is facing his own troubles or feeling despair, and this is why I share my story.
How I Became an Entrepreneur I grew up in Boston, Massachusetts which is a great place to be from despite its cold snowy winters and hot and humid summers. During my childhood, starting when I was around ten, I was involved in doing things that brought benefit to people and made money. Yes, I was entrepreneurial before I could spell the word. Keep in mind that dealing with householders, especially neighbors, is not so easy when you’re ten. But the early exposure taught me a lot about business. The ability to knock on doors, discuss a price, walk away if necessary (a great tactic that I didn’t realize at the time), agree on a mutually beneficial price, and then Do the Work was a great educational tool for me. I had a few friends who wanted to make money but didn’t want to talk to people or negotiate. So I offered to share the wage on an 80/20 basis. I always tried for a $10 job because it was easy math and my friends got $8 which incentivized them to do about 5 jobs a day. They made $40 while I made $10 per person. Plus, I would take on about five jobs on my own and earned $10 from each
one. I usually had 5 friends on the TEAM so I would earn $50 from them, and another $50 from the jobs I would do myself. That’s $100 for a full day’s heavy work. But this was in the 1960s, and a hundred dollars then was equivalent to about $958 today. And compared to my allowance of 25 cents per week, earning this much money felt good. It was amazing. To top it all off, I also learned about organizing, negotiating, encouraging, coordinating, and dealing with unhappy customers. I also loved sharing the opportunity with my friends and feeling of ownership, having control over my time, my ideas, and my own success. The Gold Mine I had the ideal job for a kid growing up in Boston – I sold scorecards outside Fenway Park. From the ages of twelve to fourteen, I made lots of money, have some great stories, and learned important life lessons for other successful business ventures. And I saw dozens of Red Sox games for Free! Here’s where I met Elijah, a wizened black man who taught me about Life, Selling, Value, and Caring. I talk more about all these in my book, The JOY of
College Dropout The Ambassador of JOY was also an inveterate traveler. I had gone cross country twice by the age of 18. At nineteen, I dropped out of college and went to Europe on a one-way ticket. Living in Europe was eye-opening. I was based in Amsterdam which was the crossroads of the world in those days. We were a group of 12 or so from different backgrounds and cultures. This was a challenging time that enabled me to utilize my talents and refine my skills working with people from many cultures, languages, and viewpoints to not only survive but flourish. Return of the Prodigal Son When I returned to Boston at the age of 22, I was a budding entrepreneur in a unique field. While in Amsterdam, we started making products from discarded oriental rugs that we bought at the flea market. They sold well in Europe and I decided to do the same in Boston. So I bought a crate load of rugs and shipped them along with my car to Boston. I opened a fashionable boutique on the hippest shopping street in the City: Newberry Street. This store, named FRED, was written up in Boston Magazine and was frequented by local and national celebrities like
Cheech and Chong. Tragedy and the AHA Moment While traveling via car from Boston to the National Boutique Show in NYC in June 1972, I was in a head-on collision at 60 mph! I lived, although it was touch and go for a few hours. The result was a broken thigh bone and shards of glass all over my upper body. Thankfully this happened in Westchester County, NY and I was operated on by top surgeons. Was it assured I would ever walk again? NO. Did I? Yes! It took more than 2 years of intensive physical therapy. This was mostly hatha yoga for 3 hours/day for 5 days/week, plus Tai Chi, Acupuncture, and two more operations. And most of all, a resolute prayer oriented positive purposeful powerful attitude The Formula for Success despite
intense pain and immobility was Prayer, Therapy, and LOVE. That’s the AHA! Seeking and finding the Formula for Healing and LIVING well. By studying for hours per day with devoted teachers and consciously thinking about the healing power of the body, I became a model for hundreds of people with challenging physical and mental issues, and I was happy to be of benefit. Path to Success: Diamonds and More I returned to University and Graduated with a double degree from the University of Massachusetts. Then in 1975, I relocated to Southern California to attend the Gemological Institute of America (GIA), the foremost school in the world for studying diamonds and gems. Not only did I attend, but I also excelled. I was asked to teach the diamond program. I did this for 3 years and met some of the most important people in the diamond business. By 1979 my business partner and I became wholesale diamond dealers. Within 3 years we bought and sold over 100 million dollars worth of diamonds. It was a whirlwind. The best part of all these amazing adventures: I met and married my amazing wife, Naomi. She was attending the GIA from Bangkok, Thailand and now, we’re still married 45 years later. Nothing compares. A major Venture Capital Company approached our diamond company and made an offer I can’t refuse. Now I was out in the field teaching and training more than 1200 agents to position diamonds in people’s investment accounts. Audiences ranged from 50 to 2,000. Keep in mind that this was all done before the Internet, Zoom, Cell Phones, Texting, and even Email. The Greatest Lesson for Business and LIFE: Work Together so Everyone Achieves Miracles. We did so well that I decided to “retire” at the age of 34. But I couldn’t. I returned to business and built an international telephony company. From this, I envisioned an innovative process
JOY, PAGE A23