Mental Fitness PQ – What it’s done for my life and practice

Mental Fitness PQ Graduates

Last year, when the world came to a halt, I was amid rebranding my company. The timing couldn’t be more perfect on April 15th when I launched my new website, and everyone was sitting at home with plenty of time to visit. My website analytics went through the roof, and I became busier than ever helping hundreds of clients deal with our new normal and rebrand themselves so that they could look to a bright future.🙌

As the world was trying to make sense of our new normal with Covid, I found myself burned out. I worked non-stop since Jan and during the pandemic. It was all good except that I did not stop to process the events of 2020. Seeing so many people laid off or furloughed my mind automatically went into fight or flight survival mode ensuring that I was helping as many clients as possible without stopping to take care of myself.🙉

In November, I drove to my first in-person conference to assist the Hospitality & Meetings Industry. The week following the conference I took a vacation to help my husband celebrate his 50th birthday. When it was time to get back to work my brain did not turn on. I was so burned out that I couldn’t think. I was speaking to my friend and colleague Rachelle Stone, ACC who was my coach at the time and that’s when she asked me to join in a six-week program based on the “Positive Intelligence” book written by Shirzad Chamine. I jumped on the opportunity knowing that it would help with my burnout, and I could not have imagined that saying yes to her would change my life and my coaching practice.🧠💪🏼

Fast forward, ten months later I have finalized my advanced training as a Mental Fitness Positive Intelligence Coach and am working on finalizing my certification. Since then, I’ve led 10 clients through the 6-week program and have witnessed amazing transformations.🙏

My graduates are now ready to face the world with strong mental muscles and their Mental Fitness Mo’Joe.💪🏼🧠

So, what is Positive Intelligence & Mental Fitness?

Mental fitness is a measure of the strength of your positive mental muscles (Sage) versus the negative (Saboteur).

Saboteurs react to challenges in ways that generate negative emotions such as stress, disappointment, self-doubt, regret, anger, shame, guilt, or worry.

Your Sage handles challenges through positive emotions like empathy, gratitude, curiosity, creativity, self-confidence, and calm, clear-headed, laser-focused action.

The relative strength of your positive Sage versus negative Saboteurs is called PQ (Positive Intelligence Quotient).

PQ is the measure of your Mental Fitness. It’s the best predictor of how happy you are and how well you perform relative to your potential.

You can boost your PQ significantly with practice.

Mental Fitness is the X-Factor
If you’re not physically fit, you’d feel physical stress as you climb a steep hill.

If you’re not mentally fit, you’d feel mental stress, such as anxiety, frustration, or unhappiness, as you handle work and relationship challenges.

80% of people score below the minimum level of mental fitness required for peak performance and happiness.

The great news? With recent breakthroughs in neuroscience and technology, you can now improve your mental fitness significantly within 6 weeks of practice.

The results? Dramatically improved performance and productivity and a calm, clear, and happier mind.

Breakthrough Research

PQ is a synthesis of recent breakthroughs in neuroscience, cognitive and positive psychology, and performance science.

Research included:

  • Hundreds of CEOs
  • Sales, Operations, and Technology teams
  • Stanford students
  • Elite athletes
  • 400,000 participants from 50 countries

This research was summarized in Shirzad Chamine’s book Positive Intelligence, a New York Times bestseller, translated into 20 languages.

The research reveals that:

  • Saboteurs and Sage live in entirely different regions of the brain.
  • You can cause a dramatic shift in brain activation to weaken Saboteurs and boost Sage.
  • 3 core muscles constitute mental fitness.

*Research and information are provided by Positive Intelligence.

Are you ready to change your life, feel happier, and achieve your highest performance? If yes, then join my next 6-week program starting on Oct 30, 2021. Following are the program details:

6-Week Program Outline

Register today to receive 10% off the registration in addition to the following Be Productive Coaching exclusive bonuses:

  • Week 7 – 12: New Grow Content included for three months in the Grow program of the app at no additional cost. ($30 per month – retail)
  • I (Vimari) will continue to be your mental fitness coach with one 50-minute monthly check-in for three months. ($900 retail)

Find out which saboteurs are hijacking you by taking the free assessment by visiting this link:
https://assessment.positiveintelligence.com/saboteur/overview
If you take the assessment, don’t forget to share your results with me via email at
vimari@beproductivecoaching.com

This work is fantastic, and I would love for you to experience it with me!

Whom do you need to forgive today?

“Forgiveness will unleash a power in your life that is underrated and often ignored.”   – Allen R. Hunt – Everybody Needs to Forgive Somebody

With forgiveness comes growth and grace for yourself and others. When we forgive others we are removing negativity from our hearts and minds. 

 I’ve truly never been one to hold grudges, anger, or bitterness in my heart towards anything or anyone. My motto since High School was “no regrets”. That meant that I gave myself permission to make mistakes, to love, and to live. When we truly live our lives we risk getting hurt and I can tell you that there have been many instances in where I’ve found myself having to forgive.

Unforgiveness and grudge hurt us more than it hurts the person that actually did the hurting, betraying, breaking of trust, and caused us intense emotional pain. Often times you’ll see that as my friend Nesa reminded me this week “hurt people…hurt people”. 

 I’ll share a little story with you. In 1994, what should have been perhaps my first great accomplishment as I was graduating from high school, turned into possibly one of the worst days I had experience in 17 years. This experience took place because a hurt person decided to hurt others. I’ll spare you the details but I’ll share enough to give you some overall context.

The incident ended in my first and last physical fight (other than being a young girl fighting with her brother and cousin). I reacted to someone’s disrespectful behavior towards me and a loved one. At 17, I didn’t really think about the consequences, I just reacted to the hurt. Up to this day, I have very faded memories of what took place immediately after the incident. But I can tell you that within just a few weeks or months that day turned into what I viewed then… as the biggest betrayal by a loved one.

After that betrayal, I didn’t speak to my loved one for a little while but due to the nature of the relationship, I was not able to keep that ugliness and grudge in my heart. But the bitterness and hatred that I felt for that other person were greater than any negative feelings I had ever felt. And if I have to be quite honest, those are still the worst feelings I’ve ever held in my heart towards anyone in my 44 years. I held those feelings for quite some time and truth be told, I can’t remember how long because I’ve erased much of that experience and those feelings from my heart and my mind. But in order to bring closure to this story, I have to share with you what led to the forgiveness. 

This is the first time that I am sharing this story. I think I’ve maybe shared it once or twice in the past with a close friend. Prior to forgiveness, I had nightmares often where I pictured a different ending to that physical fight. In many of those nightmares, I was able to get my revenge. One night, I had this horrible nightmare worst than any other.

**Warning..as this may be a trigger for some of you who may have faced physical abuse or violence. If so, then you may not want to continue reading.** 

Anyhow, in this nightmare, I was fighting with this person and I literally chopped their head off and grabbed the head by the hair, turned on the gas stove, and threw the head on top of my gas stove. As you can imagine that was a horrible nightmare to wake up from. I may not remember a lot or how long I held those feelings in my heart but I do remember that vivid dream. I woke up a wreck because that wasn’t me. That wasn’t an action that I would ever take or ever desire to take. That nightmare scared me. It scared me because I didn’t understand how my mind could go there. And that was the day that I decided to forgive.

That was the day that I realized that those feelings were only hurting me. This person had moved on with their lives and so had my loved one. Yet, I was holding this hatred and grudge in my heart. That was the day that I realized that bitterness and anger were holding me back from greatness. On that very same day, I got on my knees and prayed. I got on my knees and prayed for all those feelings to go away. And I realized that in addition to praying I needed to forgive for the feelings to actually go away. I had to say it out loud in order to relieve myself from what I was feeling.

I have to admit that as I write this to you today, I have tears coming down my face. I cry because in writing this I realize the power that came with overcoming that hatred and being able to forgive. I don’t cry because it still hurts, because it doesn’t, I cry because the hurt was significant, and it was a significant moment in my life.

Sometimes life gives us those significant moments in order for us to be stronger and to grow. And unfortunately, sometimes those moments come with suffering and pain. But until we forgive, until we forgive ourselves, until we forgive whoever hurt us…we are not able to move forward and grow. 

It takes a lot to forgive others and to forgive ourselves when we are the ones to put ourselves in hurtful situations. But that’s where we need to look up to our creator, look up to God and ask for strength. In practicing forgiveness we strengthen our mental muscles so that the next time we face something that hurts us we are able to utilize our mental muscles to help us move through that pain. We are able to activate the Sage part of our brain where positive emotions live (peace and calm, clear-headed focus, creativity, and big picture) to bring in the gift that situation has presented us. Because every situation, every heartache comes with a gift and we can access those gifts if we train ourselves to do so. Your Sage will help you access the gift of knowledge, power, and inspiration. 

Once we choose to see the gift, that gift will help us continue to move forward with forgiveness. In my story, I chose the gifts of knowledge and power. I remember learning whom to trust and allow in my life from that experience, and I also learned that I have the power to overcome my feelings and shift my thoughts. 

So, I ask you again, whom do you need to forgive today?

With love and gratitude, 

Vimari  

Mental Fitness is the X-Factor!

Interested in learning how to strengthen your Mental Muscles so that you can access your Sage and find the gift in everything?

I have one (1) seat left for my next 6-week Mental Fitness Positive Intelligence (PQ) Program starting this coming Saturday, Sept 11th.

I’ve extended the LaborDayFam 25% discount…you have just 24-hours to register by 2 pm tomorrow Friday, Sept 9th. Register NOW:  www.eventbrite.com/e/167881745821/?discount=LaborDayFam

It’s Halftime: Steps to Navigating Your Transition

“I had a successful career yet I knew there was something even more significant I wanted to do with my life.”


This was me when I hit the “halftime” in my career and personally. I had achieved success, titles, corner offices, bonuses, and the six-figure salary in a 22-year career but I knew there was much more to life. I also knew that I didn’t have the right partner to spend the next half with. 🤯

I knew that I needed to serve at a higher level. NO that didn’t mean a higher title or salary. It meant that I needed to utilize my God-given talents to serve others and truly leave a legacy.

I knew I wanted to feel honored and loved. I wanted a life partner that I trusted and enjoyed being with, and that supported my need for service.

My halftime took place in 2013. Within a few months, I separated from my last corporate job, got divorced, and started my own business.

That transition took guts and it took strong mental muscles. It took me believing in myself and what God had planned for me. 💪🏼🙏🏼🧠
Today, I feel blessed to have had that halftime awakening because I now get to use my talents to do work that fulfills me while serving others. I get to share my life with a partner that I enjoy spending time with. A partner that loves and honors me. I’ve done more in the last eight (8) years than I did in 22 and the good news is that YOU CAN TOO!

Whether it be in your career or personal life, you’re in “halftime” when you face a transition that leaves you asking “what’s next?” Halftime is not determined by age but rather by stage.

You are in the halftime stage if you…

💥 You leave work each night feeling stressed, deflated, sad, and uninspired.
💥 You are no longer excited or challenged in your position or workplace.
💥 Your relationships and physical health are suffering from the anxiety you feel.
💥 You want to feel confident again.
💥 You want to feel excited and fulfilled doing work that will make a difference.
💥 You want to feel closer than ever before to God, your spouse, and your family.
💥 You want greater clarity to redefine your goals, passions, and purpose.

If this sounds like you then this means that you are ready to venture and journey towards your life’s purpose. You are ready for greater significance!

Now you are probably wondering, okay, so what’s next? How do I move forward with this transition?

I am not going to lie, transitions take time but the good news is that you are not alone and there are many steps you can take to help you navigate this halftime. The first thing is to take action – Action Always Beats Intention!

💥 Align yourself with other leaders making a difference in your areas of interest.

💥 Keep moving forward – have faith that you will soon discover your next steps and take one action each day that will help you get closer.

💥 Go back to your younger self and ask “what did you want to be when you grew up?” Listen to your younger self and write down what he/she tells you.

💥 Go inward: think about what moves you, what brings you joy, and what you would want more of in your life. Then do start doing more of that.

💥 Strengthen your mental muscles. Transitions take strong mental muscles, motivation, and peak performance. You’ll need to be dramatically calm and clear to create lasting change. The best leaders, athletes, and entrepreneurs have strong mental muscles. Yet 80% of people score below the minimum level of mental fitness required for peak performance and happiness. You’ll need to implement mental fitness to build strong mental muscles to help you navigate your saboteurs when they attack you. Take your free saboteur assessment so that you can recognize your saboteurs and be ready when they get ready to hijack you: https://assessment.positiveintelligence.com/saboteur/overview

💥 Get someone in your corner that can help you. This could be a friend, an ex-colleague, a mentor, or a coach. If you hire a coach make sure it’s someone who works in this area of expertise and has some references.
If you find yourself in “Halftime” then I want to congratulate you. Take these steps and you’ll find that your second half can be even better than your first.

If you want someone who’s in your corner to help you navigate this transition, I can help. 👋 Schedule a free coaching session: www.beproductivecoaching.com/contact

Shift from Perfect Order to Perfect Harmony

I want to invite you to shift your perspective from perfect order to perfect harmony.

As some of you know, my husband and I have a 16-year-old Chocolate Labrador (Shadow), and last week I received a text from a dear friend with the most adorable picture of a 10-month-old Chocolate Labrador that needed a new home. I wasn’t interested in getting a second dog but my husband has been asking to get a second dog for about a year. My concern has always been my Shadow. How will he adjust as an only child?! But in seeing this sweet face I told myself that I would inquire and if it was meant to be it would be. We took our Shadow to meet the puppy and they did well and we slept on the decision before deciding to bring the puppy home this past Friday. We knew our 16 years old would take some time before he would adjust to our new family of four but neither of us knew what to expect when integrating a new dog into the pack. However, we learned quickly that it will take some time and that’s when we shifted our routines from perfect order to perfect harmony.

This tip can apply to any situation especially for those of you who may have the “Stickler” as a top saboteur. It takes strong mental muscles not to allow your saboteurs to hijack your mind by a sudden change of routine or situation. 

Thanks to my work with Positive Intelligence (PQ), I’ve made Mental Fitness my X-Factor and I’ve helped my husband navigate his saboteurs as well.

The good news is that – you can too!

I invite you to join my next 6-week Mental Fitness Positive Intelligence Program starting September 11th.

As humans, it’s impossible for us to feel happy & joyful ALL the time. Our emotional hijackings often sabotage peak performance. Stress, anxiety, anger, disappointment, blame, guilt, sadness, and self-doubt attack everyone. 🤯

One of the best differentiators of world-class athletes vs. runner-ups is their ability to recover faster from mistakes, failures, or negative interactions. The best leaders, athletes, and entrepreneurs have strong mental muscles. 💪🏆

The quicker we can get ourselves centered and clear-headed, the more productive we will be. This program will teach you how to quiet the saboteurs that are running around in your head & strengthen your mental fitness muscles so that you can build your capacity to respond to life’s challenges with a positive mindset. It impacts peak performance, peace of mind and wellness, and healthy relationships. The foundations are based on Positive Psychology, Cognitive Psychology, and Performance Science.

You can learn more about the Positive Intelligence work here: https://www.positiveintelligence.com/program/ and you can take your free saboteur assessment by going to this link: https://assessment.positiveintelligence.com/saboteur/overview
If you take the assessment, don’t forget to share your results with me via email at vimari@beproductivecoaching.com

The program retails for $995 on the Positive Intelligence website, and as a Certified Mental Fitness Coach, I am able to bundle the program and offer you and your friends my support and coaching through the process. I cannot publish the bundle and discount, but I am happy to give you the details over the phone. I only have four seats left to fill for this next start date. If you are interested in participating or learning more, schedule a time on my calendar for us to speak by choosing a time before Friday that is most convenient for you www.beproductivecoaching.com/contact

This work is fantastic, and I would love for you to experience it with me! 

Hugs,
Vimari 

p.s. Meet Zeke! 
Small businesses grow by word of mouth and referrals. Refer a friend to any of my Career Strategy or High-Performance Coaching services and receive a $50.00 VISA/MC gift card. Thank you in advance for thinking of me!

The referral program applies to new clients only (previous and existing clients are not considered referrals). Gift cards will be sent out after the new client has paid for their service. Visit www.beproductivecoaching.com for a list of services.

Mental Fitness Positive Intelligence 6-Week Program

I am super excited that my first Crushing Mental Fitness Positive Intelligence 6-week program filled up in less than five (5) days!! 💪

The next program starts June 19th and enrollment begins May 10th.

As humans, it’s almost impossible for us to feel happy & joyful ALL the time. Peak performance is often sabotaged by our emotional hijackings. Stress, anxiety, anger, disappointment, blame, guilt, sadness, self-doubt, and so on attacks all of us. 🤷‍♀️🤯

Negative emotions have a purpose yet we don’t allow ourselves to feel them or we get stuck in them.The key is to only stay in these emotions for quick seconds & quickly recover back to feeling centered, grounded, and powerful. 🧘‍♀️🧘‍♂️🙏

One of the best differentiators between world class athletes vs runner ups is their ability to recover faster from mistakes & failures or negative interactions.The best leaders, athletes and entrepreneurs have strong mental muscles. 💪🏆

The quicker we can get ourselves centered and clear headed the more productive we will be. 🧠💪🙆‍♀️

If you think you would get value from strengthening your mental fitness, then I invite you to sign up for the next program starting June 19th. Enrollment begins May 10th.

In only 15 minutes per day and one weekly group session, you’ll learn about your top saboteurs and how to strengthen your mental fitness muscles.

Schedule a free consultation now to learn more and sign up for this life-changing experience: 👩‍💻👨‍💻 www.beproductivecoaching.com/contact

Mental Fitness is the X-Factor

Happy Spring, Everyone!

It’s incredible that we are in the second quarter of 2021 and that this is my post. I have been busy behind the scenes resting, thinking, strategizing, studying, and working. All great stuff and something I truly needed to do after an extremely busy and emotionally heavy 2020.

Like most of you, my family and I faced many challenges in 2020, but I have to say that overall it was a great year. It taught me a lot and helped me put some things into perspective. The year started extremely busy as I was due to launch my new website, www.beproductivecoaching.com, in January, but as we all know, projects get delayed, and the delay meant that we launched in the middle of the pandemic on Apr 15th. We just celebrated our first anniversary, yay!

Well, I couldn’t have timed it better; the website was viewed by many and allowed my network to understand what we do at Be Productive Coaching. As a result, I was blessed to help many individuals that were laid off or furloughed due to COVID-19. My professional branding and coaching services were desperately in need, and I feel blessed to have been able to help many. I also launched a two-hour LinkedIn Makeover Training and the Face Everything and Rise free weekly self-care and mental health support group via Zoom in addition to the new business opportunities. Needless to say that I was indeed highly productive. However, that productivity, unfortunately, was also faced with a bit of burnout. Allow me to explain…

My husband and I took off on a road trip from Miami to Texas on Nov 1st, returning to Miami on Dec 10th. The plan initially was to be gone for 30 days while I worked on the road, but one thing led to the other, and I ended up celebrating my 44th birthday on the road – Charleston, South Carolina, to be exact. 

I was invited to MPIs WEC annual conference, where I participated as a coach in their Career Resource Center in-person in Dallas the week before my husband’s 50th birthday, which is why we chose Texas. I planned on attending the conference and taking one week of vacation after to celebrate with my husband. I also planned to work remotely while we were doing a little Texas tour. Little did I know that once I took that one-week vacation, my body and mind were going to crash. It was the first time I ever felt as if I could not think, talk or move. All of the emotional stress and busyness came rolling down my mind and body. I was forced to slow down, not taking any new clients for the remainder of November and December. I focused on my existing coaching clients and myself for the remaining 45 days or so of 2020. This burnout in itself was a huge lesson, and it forced me to reevaluate myself as I was entering 2021. I realized that I was so busy taking care of others that I neglected to care for myself. I share this with you because I know that this can happen to anyone. It occurred to me, and I am a coach!
 

I learned that my mental saboteurs were lying to me all along. My hyper-achiever told me that I was doing a great job because I was serving others and busy, busy, busy. I realized the lie after it was a little too late, and as a result, it took me a good 90 days to get my energy back to normal. 

Once I got my energy back, I decided that I would not allow that to happen again and that I would do whatever it takes to help my clients prevent this from happening to them. Shortly after, I was gifted a six-week program that has changed my life. I learned that Mental Fitness is the X-factor! So much so that I am now getting certified to incorporate the Positive Intelligence Mental Fitness work into my coaching practice and will be running my first PQ 6-week program starting May 1st. 

As humans, it’s impossible for us to feel happy & joyfully ALL the time. Our emotional hijackings often sabotage peak performance. Stress, anxiety, anger, disappointment, blame, guilt, sadness, and self-doubt attack everyone. 🤯

One of the best differentiators of world-class athletes vs. runner-ups is their ability to recover faster from mistakes, failures, or negative interactions. The best leaders, athletes, and entrepreneurs have strong mental muscles. 💪🏆

The quicker we can get ourselves centered and clear-headed, the more productive we will be. This program will teach you how to quiet the saboteurs that are running around in your head & strengthen your mental fitness muscles so that you can build your capacity to respond to life’s challenges with a positive mindset. It impacts peak performance, peace of mind and wellness, and healthy relationships.

The foundations are based on Positive Psychology, Cognitive Psychology, and Performance Science. You can learn more about the Positive Intelligence work here: https://www.positiveintelligence.com/program/ and you can take your free saboteur assessment by going to this link: https://assessment.positiveintelligence.com/saboteur/overview

If you take the assessment, don’t forget to share your results with me via email at vimari@beproductivecoaching.com

The program retails for $995, and I am offering a HUGE discount to my clients and friends since it’s my first time running it. Because this is a program I am getting certified on, I cannot publish the discount, but I am happy to give you the details over the phone. I only have four seats left to fill. If you are interested in participating or learning more, schedule a time for us to speak on my calendar www.beproductivecoaching.com/contact by choosing a time before Wednesday, April 28, 202.  

This work is fantastic, and I would love for you to experience it with me!

Spotlight Series #transitiontuesdays – Luis H. Leon, III, Senior Finance, Business Analyst & Market Trends Expert

Welcome back to #transitiontuesdays where we feature a fearless leader and their transition story.

In these stories, you are learning how these leaders took action on their dreams. Some have transitioned to exciting new jobs, others to a completely new career, or to their own businesses.

This week our Spotlight Series #transitiontuesdays introduces Luis H. Leon, III, Senior Finance, Business Analyst & Market Trends Expert.

 

In May 2020 as the USA was entering the second month of a global pandemic, like many, Luis received a furloughed letter from his employer of two years. Luis found this challenge as an opportunity to completely rebrand himself as he was looking to step into the next phase of his career.

With a finance and accounting background, Luis’ natural talents landed him in positions where he worked not only as a financial analyst but a big part of his responsibilities and experience was as a general business analyst. His resume and LinkedIn however did not reflect that.

When we began working with Luis we had two goals, one was to help him rebrand as an expert Financial & Business Analyst and two to get him back into the healthcare industry where he enjoyed knowing he was contributing to a larger cause. Within three months after working together Luis was hired as a Sr. Analyst for Cardinal Health in the middle of the 2020 COVID-19 Pandemic.

The following letter was sent to us by Luis on October 1, 2020, after working with him. Learn what steps he took to get his dream job in the midst of this pandemic.

A year to remember…

Covid-19 and its effect on my professional career path in 2020

During the first wave of the pandemic, I receive a Furlough letter from my employer that said effective immediately. The first thought that came to my mind was “what I’m going to do with no job in an economy that is closed”. Having a family to take care of and the responsibilities that come with it, I knew that something different needed to be done.

I started a professional career strategy plan to explore opportunities in the middle of the crisis. The first area I looked at was updating my resume. In previous experiences when I was looking for a career change, the first barrier was using the right wording in my resume. The second was how could I overcome ATS resume filters used by employers, where many times these systems can disqualify you from the list, even if you have the right experience to compete for a job opportunity.

To overcome these challenges, I started to research companies that could assist with these tasks. I found Be Productive Coaching with excellent reviews. The first thing that gave me confidence and positively impacted me during this professional career rebranding process was the structured plan received from Vimari Roman. Every strategy session helped me to understand or rediscover talents that I possessed to compete for my dream job. The confidence I gained during this process helped me to better understand the challenges that companies are presented within today’s market and gave me a clear understanding of how my skill set and experience could help them achieve their business goals.

In addition to the career strategy and coaching, the tools received as the final product (new resume, cover letter, and LinkedIn profile) were the ones that opened many opportunities in this job market during a pandemic. Today I can confirm that my dream job in the Healthcare market has arrived. All thanks to the support received during my rebranding process from Be Productive Coaching and a clear strategical plan focused on opportunities that can be found in a crisis like the one we are living in today.

Luis H Leon, MBA

Senior Finance, Business Analyst & Market Trends Expert

 

Spotlight Series #transitiontuesdays – Molly Mulhern – Social Media Manager, Lead Admin, and a Candle Maker for The Beeswax Co.

Welcome back to #transitiontuesdays where we feature a fearless leader and their transition story.

In these stories, you are learning how these leaders took action on their dreams. Some have transitioned to exciting new jobs, others to a completely new career, or to their own businesses.

This week our Spotlight Series #transitiontuesdays introduces Molly Mulhern – Social Media Manager, Lead Admin, and a Candle Maker for The Beeswax Co.

 

I first learned about Molly’s transition when I read a post she wrote on LinkedIn back in July. In that post, Molly shared her transition story and I was immediately compelled to share her story. Everyone knows that the COVID-19 Pandemic has affected many industries, especially the Hospitality and Meetings industries. Therefore Molly’s post gave much hope to many people. As of October 2020, her post has had 99,491 reactions and 2,675 comments on LinkedIn, and we weren’t the only ones that thought her story was worth sharing. In Sept 2020, Rhodes College her Alma Mater featured her story as well. Congrats Molly and thank you for allowing us to share your story!

Learn what motivated this fearless leader to make her transition.

What was your first job and how did you get it?

My first job out of college was working for Walt Disney World in Orlando, FL in Merchandise. I worked for the gift shops in Tomorrowland! I applied for the Disney College Program, a program that I’d been researching for years, and did a series of interviews before I was accepted to the internship program. I lived and worked at Disney for a year, and can’t overstate how valuable that year was for my personal and professional growth. 

When and how did you decide to transition your career to what you do today?

Before COVID-19, I was an Event Coordinator in Austin, TX. After being furloughed & eventually let go due to a lack of events, I searched for months to find a job that aligned with my Social Media/Marketing experience & skill set with no success. One day, I came across a job posting to be a “Candle Maker” at a local beeswax candle company. My first thought was “I think I would really enjoy doing this, it sounds like a really cool job.” My second thought was “Would this veer me away from my career goals?” and “Would I be able to afford rent?” After doing research, I found that I really aligned with the company’s goals and mindset. I decided to apply for the job. I received an interview the next day. 

What steps did you take to make that transition and how long did it take?

During the interview process, they saw on my resume that I have a background in Social Media, & they were needing someone to run their accounts. By the Zoom interview, I was also interviewing to be their Social Media Manager. I got the job! After just a few months of working for this company, I’m now officially their Social Media Manager, Lead Admin, & helping out with candle production too. The job I applied for was to be a “Candle Maker”. 

What tools, training or coaching did you acquire/learn to help you make the transition?

I leaned on my social media & marketing skills during my job search to transition roles and strengthened my graphic design skills through various courses on Udemy. 

What does life look like now that you have transitioned into doing what you are doing?

I’m in an industry I’d never thought I’d find myself in. I imagined being in Events for years and years to come- but life had other plans. Working for the Beeswax Co. has forced me to slow down, and to appreciate the little things every day. I feel a greater sense of peace in my new job, and do not fear the future anymore. I’m taking things one day at a time, and taking time to smell the Beeswax Candles along the way! 

What advice would you give your younger self?

Take every opportunity that comes your way. 

What is the best career advice you have ever received?

Don’t ever reduce yourself to fit into just one box. You are a multidimensional person with many talents and skills- do not ever forget that. 

Describe your ideal vacation:

I’d love to go to Ireland, walk along the coast visiting castles and museums during the day, and checking out Irish pubs at night! I did Irish Dancing for 12 years, so I’d love to see some of that as well while there!

Where could we find you at 10 am on a Saturday?

Sometimes I’ll be at Barre class, sometimes I’ll be at a coffee shop doing work, reading, or strengthening professional connections. 

 

Follow on Instagram @instagram.com/missmolly_goodgolly/ and you can follow her work for The Bees Wax Co. @instagram.com/thebeeswaxcompany

 

 

Spotlight Series #transitiontuesdays – Rachelle Stone, ACC – Executive & Burnout Prevention Coach

Welcome back to #transitiontuesdays where we feature a fearless leader and their transition story.

We took a break the last couple of weeks after launching our Latin Heritage Month project where we featured 30 Powerful Latina Trailblazers and are ready to continue with this amazing weekly series. At Be Productive Coaching we believe that when we lift others we grow. We are hoping that these stories inspire you or someone you know to follow your dreams and do work that brings you excitement and fulfillment.

In these stories, you are learning how these leaders took action on their dreams. Some have transitioned to exciting new jobs, others to a completely new career, or to their own businesses.

This week our Spotlight Series #transitiontuesdays introduces Rachelle Stone, ACC – Executive & Burnout Prevention Coach

 

Rachelle and I have known each other for well over 20 years. We met when we both worked in the meetings industry. In 2014 Rachelle found herself burned out from a successful 25-year career. The stress she was carrying made her implode and today she is living a fulfilled life on the West Coast of Florida with a successful coaching and consulting practice.

Learn what motivated this fearless leader to make her transition.

What was your first job and how did you get it?

McDonald’s! My sister was a supervisor but I don’t think this was a good or fun job. She scheduled me to open every Saturday and Sunday morning and made me clean underneath the cashiers’ machine with a toothbrush whenever there were no customers in the store. Needless to say, I did not have this job very long.

When and how did you decide to transition your career to what you do today?

I transitioned in 2014. I honestly thought I was just ready to get back to being an entrepreneur and starting something new again. I thought I was bored. I wasn’t. I imploded. I figured that out when I was getting my coaching education. I am now an executive coach following being a serial entrepreneur for over 25 years.

What steps did you take to make that transition and how long did it take?

Steps were taken for me! I burned out. But, I didn’t know it so it didn’t hurt. It was just life-changing and expensive.

What tools, training or coaching did you acquire/learn to help you make the transition?

I spent 18 months going back to school and 5 years later I am still getting coaching. Best career change ever. If you don’t have a coach GET ONE!

What does life look like now that you have transitioned into doing what you are doing?

Peaceful. In line with my values. Rewarding. Fulfilling!

What advice would you give your younger self? 

1: There are no do-overs, just re-boots so get it right the first time and

2: Start listening to your intuition and stop listening to others’ opinions.

Where could we find you at 10 am on a Saturday?

Gardening! I volunteer to maintain part of a Butterfly Garden for Dunedin in Hammock Park. I am there every Saturday morning, usually with my dog, Stitch. I garden, she greets visitors and we talk butterflies and plants until it gets too hot.

 

You can learn more about Rachelle by visiting her website at www.RStoneConsulting.com

Follow on Social Media: Instagram @even_wonderwoman_gets_tired Linkedin @linkedin.com/in/rstoneconsulting

 

 

How I turned to Puerto Rican comfort food and decided to showcase 30 Powerful Latina Trailblazers #hispanicheritagemonth

 

At the beginning of the pandemic and quarantine, I turned to some of my favorite comfort foods to relieve stress. The Puerto Rican dishes that I love and grew up eating. My first dish on Mar 28th was my Abuela’s Puerto Rican-style bacalao con verduras (cod-fish with starchy root vegetables). Such a simple dish, yet it’s one of my favorites. It takes me back to my childhood when I was growing up in Puerto Rico and would visit my Abuela and family. It’s funny how, in times of stress, we turn to what comforts us. In my case, I find comfort in a delicious meal, and during COVID-19, I found myself going back to my roots.

Soon after, in early April, I learned that my Abuelo tested positive for COVID-19. During that time, I caught myself thinking about my family and my childhood. Although I was born in Miami, and my parents moved to Connecticut in their teens, our Puerto Rican roots were deep. We moved back to the Island when I was a baby, and for the first seven years of my life, I grew up between la playa in Dorado and el campo in Comerio. I probably fit most stereotypes of a Puerto Rican woman. I am bilingual, friendly, hospitable, and very expressive. I am catholic, family means the world to me, I love my Puerto Rican dishes, a good party, and can dance salsa with the best of them. I have always been incredibly proud of my heritage and loved everything about it. But as an adult, I realize that I have not celebrated my heritage or female empowerment.

Thinking back to my adulthood, I have never put myself in a box. I do not recall ever thinking that I was held back because I was Latina or a woman. When I was looking to re-brand my company Be Productive Coaching, I started taking some personal branding classes to get to know myself. These classes led me to reflect on my career and who I am as a person. Although incredibly proud of my heritage, I recognized that I did things to avoid being stereotyped as a “typical” Puerto Rican woman.

Starting my career at 15, I rose quickly, becoming a supervisor by 18 and a Director of Sales and Marketing soon after. I remember dressing conservatively for a long time, not wearing tight clothes, plunging necklines, flashy jewelry, and nail polish. As a woman, I did not want people to think that I was getting my promotions by using my sexuality as a young woman.

I alienated myself subconsciously from my Latin culture, female empowerment, and my own persona, not wanting to categorize myself. I also distanced myself from female friendships because having experienced the competition that often comes from girls while growing up, I frequently felt a cattiness or judgment by women in the workplace. 

This started to change in 2006 when I moved to the neighborhood where I live today. After meeting a group of women with careers & lives filled with experience and success, I felt welcomed into their group. For the first time, I belonged to an all-women group and loved it. As the years went by, I started to form stronger friendships with women. As an entrepreneur in 2013, in the words of Helen Keller, I realized that “Alone we could do so little; together, we can do so much.” I was going through a career change & divorce, and for the first time in my life, I turned to other women for support and guidance. These friendships and being an entrepreneur have taught me a lot, and most importantly, it has taught me that we need to support each other.

This year, I am proud to be celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month. I am taking this opportunity to celebrate not only our heritage but also our women. I am doing this because I have learned through my journey that supporting small businesses, entrepreneurs, and women are essential for our communities’ betterment. We should endorse and lift each other as much as possible. That’s why I am excited to highlight these 30 amazing Latinas. 

The inspiration for this project came from a movement that Lilliana Vazquez, Emmy Winning Host, TV Personality, Style Expert & Author and Erika Hernandez, Co-Founder & President of Latina Made Not Maid brought to their Instagram communities. On Aug 31st, Lilliana went to her Instagram to discuss “Why the September cover of Cosmopolitan Mexico is so problematic!” and Erika participated in this conversation. Erika also started a trend where she posted her very own CosmoMX cover and invited her community to do the same, so I joined! #letsgetlatinxloud 

 

 

Be Productive’s #hispanicheritagemonth “30 Powerful Latina Trailblazers” came shortly after I posted my CosmopolitanMX cover. I decided to do my part to empower the powerful Latinas in my life and celebrate our heritage at the same time. In a very Be Productive way, I got to work!

I have chosen these 30 Powerful Latina Trailblazers carefully as they are experts in their related fields. As a Career Strategist and Coach, my mission is to help people utilize their natural talents to do exciting and fulfilling work. The Latinas that I introduced to you this week are all passionate and doing work that they love.

I want everyone to share these stories of inspiration to anyone that would benefit from hearing them. Sharing these stories will inspire and motivate men and women alike to support one another, follow their dreams, and do what they love.

For me, when COVID struck in March, I was uncertain about the future, just like everyone else. After a week or so, I said, “Wow, I finally have time to catch up on unfinished projects.” I launched my re-brand and a new website on Apr 15th. After speaking with my Hubby, I decided to take some risks and hired social media and sales coordinators. Most importantly, I did not focus on how BAD things were. Instead, I thought to myself, “The Future Is Bright!”

Each of the women was asked to tell us how they have stayed productive, positive and maintained their life balance in 2020. They’ve shared some great quotes and life lessons. If you missed my earlier posts, visit my Be Productive Coaching Blog at https://beproductivecoaching.com/blog-2 to read the full responses about their incredible 2020 journey.

Let’s take one last look at these amazing women.

 

#latinxheritagemonth #latinatrailblazers #femaleleaders #juntassomosmasfuertes #letsgetlatinxloudion