The chamoy aisle has never lacked for culture. But it did lack craft. Extreme snacks have held down Latino grocery shelves and corner stores for decades, running on heat, sour, and nostalgia. Culture was never the missing piece. Craft was. Almost nothing in the category has been built with much intention behind the product itself, and that open lane is what TLK Fusion, a Los Angeles-based marketing and retail agency founded in 2009, saw when it started working with Santiago “Santea” Albarran. What came out of it was a launch that has since traveled from a livestream to national retail. Albarran already had the thing most consumer brands spend years trying to buy, one of the most loyal communities in Gen Z Hispanic social media, an audience that trusted what he recommended and turned up whenever he went live. What he didn’t have was a CPG product of his own. Creator merchandise typically gets bolted onto a personality after the fact. This got built the other way around. Co-Founder, not spokesperson Albarran came on as a co-founder, and that first decision shaped everything downstream of it. The distinction is necessary. A spokesperson approves artwork and shows up for launch-day content. A co-founder writes the brief. Albarran’s personal style, his family's kitchen culture, and what his community actually reached for became the product specification, which meant the brand had a point of view before it had packaging. The argument for working that way is commercial before it is sentimental. Products aimed at a specific community fail when the people designing them are guessing, and the failure shows up in details, a flavor that lands close but wrong, packaging that borrows an aesthetic without understanding what it is borrowing. Pulling the brief from inside the audience takes most of that guesswork out before it turns into an inventory problem. Getting the formula right On the product side, TLK Fusion ran the manufacturer relationship directly and led flavor development across multiple rounds, moving heat, texture, and sweetness until the formula matched what Albarran had described. The lineup that came out the other end, Chili Mango, Spicy Sandia, Fuego Fresa, Pika Peach, and Super Sour. Chamoy is unforgiving in both directions. Underdo the heat, and you have ordinary candy with a Spanish name on it. Overdo it, and the audience shrinks to people who already go hunting for extreme snacks. The iterations, round after round, were the work. Designed for a feed and a shelf at once Most packaging is optimized for one environment. Pikasos had to survive two. The design process ran with Albarran at every checkpoint, aiming for a streetwear-influenced identity bold enough to stop a scroll and structured enough to clear commercial retail standards. Retail readiness was a day-one constraint, not a later revision, which is why the brand could go after shelf placement without stopping to redesign itself first. That extra step sinks a great many creator products before a buyer ever sees them. A launch, not an announcement The Pikasos rollout ran as one coordinated push, a full marketing calendar, custom web design, email sequences, curated PR packages, and TikTok and Instagram Live sessions timed to land together. By the time Albarran went live, his community had been primed for weeks. The first ten minutes of that stream produced more than $60,000 in sales. From launch day to national retail distribution Creating excitement around a product launch is only the first step. Transforming that momentum into long-term retail distribution is where TLK Fusion has delivered measurable results. Through its established retail relationships and strategic sales efforts, TLK Fusion has successfully secured placements for Pikasos with nationally recognized retailers and distribution channels, including Walmart, Zumiez, United Supermarkets (part of the Albertsons family of companies), and the Marine Exchange. These placements represent more than expanded distribution, they validate the brand's long-term retail potential and demonstrate its ability to perform across multiple retail environments. One of the most significant accomplishments has been entering the military retail channel through the Marine Exchange. Unlike trend-driven retailers, military exchanges serve a loyal customer base that shops consistently, making product selection highly competitive. Securing placement within this channel is a strong indicator that Pikasos has evolved beyond a viral social media brand into a product with lasting consumer appeal. The success of Pikasos reflects TLK Fusion's comprehensive retail strategy, combining buyer outreach, category expertise, and long-standing industry relationships to open doors that many emerging brands struggle to access. Rather than relying solely on online popularity, TLK Fusion has helped convert consumer demand into meaningful retail partnerships that position Pikasos for sustained national growth. As Pikasos founder Santea Albarran has noted, TLK Fusion "didn't just build the look, they opened doors." Today, those doors continue to open across both traditional and non-traditional retail channels, providing the foundation for the brand's continued expansion nationwide. What the Pikasos model suggests Plenty of brands start with an audience. Very few turn one into distribution, because the skills barely overlap. The instincts that build a following are not the instincts that survive a buyer meeting. Pairing influencer and celebrity brand development with hands-on retail servicing is what closed that gap here. The order of operations is the part that travels. Build the product around the creator instead of beside him. Treat retail readiness as a design constraint rather than a later fix. Then convert launch heat into purchase orders while the attention is still there. TLK Fusion's ongoing work with Pikasos as it moves into regional chains suggests the model has more room to run.

Written by Connie Ng, Holistic Practitioner, Quantum Healing Facilitator, Transformational Coach Connie Ng is an international speaker helping people overcome chronic pain, mobility issues, and complex health challenges, especially when conventional approaches fall short. Integrating Five Elements philosophy, vibrational medicine, and mind-body coaching, she empowers clients to reclaim their health, reconnect with who they truly are, and create lasting transformation. Why many people living with chronic conditions quietly stop believing recovery is possible, and why openness may be the first step towards healing. After eight years of restricted mobility, one man had accepted that his ankle would never fully improve. A brief healing session challenged that belief and revealed what can happen when someone becomes open to possibility. Have you ever caught yourself saying, "I guess this is just something I'll have to live with"? Perhaps it is chronic pain, restricted mobility, fatigue, anxiety, or another long-term health condition that has slowly become part of everyday life. For many people, the biggest change is not the diagnosis itself. It is what quietly happens afterward. Over the years, I have realised that one of the greatest losses people experience is not always their health. It is the gradual loss of possibility. Living with a chronic condition does not just affect the body. It gradually reshapes our expectations. We stop asking, "Can I fully recover?" and instead begin asking, "How do I manage this?" Without even realizing it, we lower our baseline. We become experts at adapting. We avoid certain activities, stop imagining a different future, and somewhere along the way, many people quietly stop believing that full recovery is available to them. As a holistic practitioner, transformational coach, and healing facilitator, this is something I see every week. Yet I have also witnessed something equally powerful. Healing does not always begin with certainty. More often, it begins with becoming open to the possibility that life could be different. One experience earlier this year reminded me of this in a way I will never forget. I met Matthew while attending an energy medicine retreat in Canada. Throughout the week, we spent time walking through forests, climbing over uneven rocks, and exploring natural rock pools. While most of us moved comfortably across the uneven terrain, it was obvious that Matthew's ankle significantly restricted his mobility. He carefully chose every step whenever the ground became unstable. Around eight years earlier, Matthew had broken his ankle in an accident that required surgery and the insertion of a steel rod. In his Google review after working with me, he wrote: "While it wasn't very painful, no more than 3 out of 10, the restrictions on my movement were much more difficult. It was impossible to exercise properly if it involved any strain on that ankle, such as running or something similar. This problem was more like 7 out of 10." That distinction fascinated me. Although Matthew described his pain as only 3 out of 10, the impact on his life was much greater. Before his accident, he regularly went to the gym and used the cross trainer almost every day. Eight years later, he had quietly accepted that this chapter of his life was over. The physical pain had become manageable. The loss of possibility had not. I wonder how many of us do exactly the same thing. Perhaps we have stopped hiking, dancing, travelling, exercising, or pursuing the life we once imagined because we have gradually adjusted to what feels possible. Our world does not suddenly become smaller. It shrinks one quiet compromise at a time. That, to me, is one of the hidden costs of living with chronic conditions. It is not simply the symptoms, but the unconscious acceptance that this is now "as good as it gets." Matthew was not actively looking for healing. In fact, he was understandably sceptical. As he later admitted in his review: "I was sceptical that there was anything that could be done since the basis of the problem was a metal rod in my leg." I completely understood. If someone had told me years ago that they could improve the mobility of an ankle held together with a metal rod, I probably would have raised an eyebrow too. Towards the end of the retreat, we found ourselves waiting at the airport before our flights home, and I offered to work with Matthew. After a little gentle encouragement, and perhaps because we had some time to spare, he agreed. Not because he suddenly believed, but simply because he was open enough to let me try. I think that is an important distinction. Healing does not require blind belief. It simply asks us to remain open to possibility. What happened next still makes me smile. There was no treatment room, massage table, or special equipment. In fact, Matthew was not even lying down. As he chatted with another participant, Pamala, I quietly worked in the background using the healing approaches I intuitively felt were appropriate for him. The only thing I had asked of Matthew was to remain open to the possibility that something might shift. Before we began, I observed that his right foot naturally pointed outwards by approximately forty degrees. His ankle mobility was clearly restricted, particularly when bending his knee forward over his foot. The session itself lasted only around twenty to thirty minutes. When we finished, I simply asked Matthew to stand up and walk. He stood up, took a few steps, paused, looked down at his ankle, and then turned around and looked at me with genuine surprise. We reassessed his ankle. His foot now rested at approximately fifteen degrees instead of forty, and his ankle had gained approximately two centimetres of additional forward mobility. The stiffness had noticeably reduced, and the objective changes were impossible to ignore. About an hour later, while waiting to board his flight, Matthew sent me a message. He had just walked downstairs to his departure gate. Normally, going downstairs required him to consciously compensate for his ankle. This time, he realised he had already reached the bottom before it even occurred to him that he had not been thinking about his ankle at all. That message has stayed with me ever since because healing is not always measured by pain scales or range of motion. Sometimes, it is measured by what quietly disappears from our awareness: the hesitation, the guarding, and the constant mental reminder that "I need to be careful." What impressed me even more, however, was what unfolded over the following two months. Matthew continued putting his ankle to the test. As he later wrote in his Google review: "Really, my ankle is now hardly a restriction on anything. I have been working it quite hard, e.g. bending down to weed the garden, but it seems robust and able to withstand quite rigorous exercise." For me, those words captured something much bigger than improved ankle mobility. They represented freedom, not simply freedom from physical restriction, but freedom from the belief that nothing more could change. Another part of Matthew's review interested me just as much as the physical improvements. He wrote: "I would add that she told me that she had at the same time worked on some other energy blockages, and I definitely gained clarity after working with her about a couple of fixed patterns/habits, which it was definitely helpful to unfix/shift." That observation beautifully reflects how I view healing and transformation. Physical symptoms rarely exist in isolation. Our thoughts influence our emotions, our emotions influence our behaviours, and our behaviours gradually shape our identity. Over time, our identity begins to shape what we believe is possible. That is why my work does not begin with energy healing. It begins with understanding the person sitting in front of me. People sometimes introduce me as a healer, and while I genuinely appreciate the kindness behind that description, it is not how I personally identify. I see myself as a Healing Facilitator. I do not believe I heal people. I believe every human being already possesses an innate capacity to heal. My role is to help create the conditions in which they can reconnect with that capacity. While many people know me for my healing work, transformation rarely begins on the treatment table. It often begins with a conversation. My coaching approach draws upon the Four Levels of Consciousness, integrating this perspective with transformational coaching. Together, they help clients uncover unconscious beliefs, conditioning, and identity patterns that may have quietly shaped their lives for years. We explore who they are beneath the conditioning and reconnect with the authentic self that may have been overshadowed by illness, trauma, or life’s challenges. This allows them to move beyond survival towards greater authenticity, self-awareness, and personal transformation. From there, carefully selected Plant Essences and, where appropriate, Tissue Salts help support emotional, psychological, spiritual, and biochemical balance. Healing modalities such as Star Magic Healing®, O' Ishiki Healing, Facial Emotional Therapy, and Fusion Acupressure then become part of an integrative approach that supports healing and transformation across the physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual dimensions of wellbeing. I have intentionally trained across multiple disciplines because I have never believed that one modality holds all the answers. Every client is unique, and every healing journey is unique. Rather than asking, "Which modality should I use?" I ask a different question: "What does this person need today?" Sometimes, transformation begins with a conversation. Sometimes, it begins with coaching and gently uncovering the unconscious beliefs that have quietly shaped a person's life. Sometimes, emotional, biochemical, or quantum healing provides the catalyst. Sometimes, the physical body responds first, and sometimes, the subconscious shifts first. More often than not, they influence one another. Most often, it is the integration of all these elements that creates lasting transformation. Healing is not a straight line. It is an unfolding process, and perhaps that is why I love this work so much. It is never about fixing people. It is about helping them rediscover what has always been there: their resilience, inner wisdom, capacity for healing, and authentic self. Matthew's story is not really about an ankle. It is about possibility. It is about what can happen when someone who has quietly accepted limitation becomes open to the idea that perhaps their story is not finished yet. Whether your own challenge is chronic pain, restricted mobility, chronic illness, anxiety, emotional trauma, or simply feeling disconnected from yourself, I wonder where in your own life you have quietly accepted limitation. What part of you has stopped believing that greater health, vitality, peace, or purpose could still be available to you? Sometimes, healing does not begin with certainty. It begins with becoming open to the possibility that your story is not over. A final invitation: My hope is that this story does not simply leave you wondering about Matthew's ankle. I hope it encourages you to reflect on your own life. Where have you quietly accepted limitation? What part of you has stopped believing that greater health, vitality, peace, or purpose could still be available to you? If this article has stirred something within you, I would love to walk alongside you on your own Journey Home, not as your healer, but as your Healing Facilitator. My role is to empower you to reconnect with your own innate capacity to heal, rediscover your authentic self, and create a life that reflects your greatest health, purpose, and potential. Because, to me, healing is not simply about easing symptoms. It is about coming home to yourself. Healing begins with possibility, and transformation begins when we choose to come home to our authentic selves. If you are wondering what might be possible for your own healing journey, I warmly invite you to book a complimentary 15-minute Clarity Call. Together, we will explore your current challenges and goals, and whether my integrative approach is the right fit to support your next steps. Book your complimentary 15-minute Clarity Call here. Follow me on Facebook and Instagram, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Connie Ng Connie Ng, Holistic Practitioner, Quantum Healing Facilitator, Transformational Coach Connie Ng is a Multi-Disciplined Holistic Practitioner and Quantum Healing Facilitator who specialises in helping clients overcome chronic physical and emotional conditions by addressing their root cause at the energetic level. Blending Five Elements wisdom with Star Magic Healing, vibrational medicine, and holistic counselling, she facilitates deep transformation for those who feel stuck despite trying everything. Connie is the founder of The Salt Therapy Clinic & Sanctuary and works with clients both in-person and remotely.

As AI integrates deeper into everyday life, educators and learners face a new question: can smart technology help students learn better, not just faster? The answer depends on how we use it. When guided by ethics and pedagogy, AI has the potential to deepen understanding, encourage critical thinking, and make education more equitable. Used carelessly, it risks turning learning into mere automation, a race to the finish line rather than a journey of growth. This article explores how AI can enrich learning experiences rather than shortcut them, and how responsible tools are helping students build genuine skills in writing, analysis, and self-expression. A turning point in learning Education has always reflected the technology of its time. The printing press democratized access to knowledge. The internet made information instantly available to anyone with a connection. Now, AI is reshaping not just what students learn, but how they learn. Unlike earlier technologies that primarily delivered content, AI systems interpret, adapt, and respond. They can identify a student's weaknesses, customize study paths, and simulate real-world problem-solving environments. For the first time, education can be truly personalized at scale. Yet, with this new power comes a responsibility. The goal isn't to make students more efficient test-takers – it's to help them think deeply and creatively. AI should never be a replacement for curiosity or human insight – it should be a catalyst that makes learning more engaging and inclusive. Beyond automation: The true role of AI in education The misconception that AI exists only to speed things up is common. But in education, "faster" isn't always "better." Real learning takes time – time to reflect, question, and connect ideas. AI, when designed thoughtfully, supports that process rather than bypassing it. The difference becomes clear when you compare traditional and AI-assisted study habits side by side: Traditional studying With AI assistance One pace for all students Adapts to each student's level in real time Wait days for teacher feedback Instant feedback on writing and answers Memorization and recall Application, analysis, and synthesis Teacher handles grading + mentoring AI handles admin, teacher focuses on mentoring Limited access to tutoring for under-resourced students Personalized guidance available to anyone Passive content delivery Interactive prompts and scenario-based tasks How AI supports better learning: Three key ways Here are three ways it does that: 1. Personalized learning paths Traditional classrooms often struggle to cater to every learning style. Some students grasp concepts quickly, while others need repetition or alternative explanations. AI bridges that gap by analyzing individual performance and adjusting instruction accordingly. Adaptive learning platforms use algorithms to assess comprehension in real time. If a student struggles with a math problem, the system can instantly offer simpler examples or additional context. This personalized feedback helps learners move forward with confidence, not confusion. The most advanced systems even invert the old classroom logic: mastery becomes the constant and time becomes the variable – one student may need two days to grasp a concept, another a week, and both succeed. 2. Feedback that builds understanding Immediate feedback is one of AI's greatest strengths. Instead of waiting days for a teacher to return a graded paper, students can get insights instantly. The key, however, is in how that feedback is framed. Constructive suggestions encourage growth; generic corrections do not. Smart tools that prioritize clarity and explanation over automation help students learn why an answer is right or wrong. They build comprehension rather than dependency. The best of them also measure progress against the learner's own arc (sharper recall, steadier reasoning) rather than against a class ranking. 3. Encouraging critical thinking The best AI tools don't spoon-feed answers. They ask better questions. Through interactive prompts, scenario-based tasks, and guided writing assistance, AI can encourage students to think critically about the information they encounter. Some can even simulate debates or Socratic dialogues, letting students practice defending a viewpoint before bringing it to class. By posing challenges that require reflection and creativity, these systems transform passive learners into active thinkers. A responsible path forward: AI as a learning partner The debate around AI in education often centers on one fear: that students will stop learning to write, reason, or think independently. But these concerns usually stem from misunderstanding. The issue isn't AI itself – it's how it's used. Responsible platforms are showing that AI can strengthen, not weaken, the learning process. They're designed not to replace human effort but to guide it. A strong example is an AI essay writer by WriteMyEssay.AI, a tool built to improve academic writing while maintaining integrity and learning outcomes. Instead of simply producing essays, it helps students brainstorm, structure arguments, and refine drafts, essentially teaching writing by doing. This approach empowers students to understand logic, voice, and composition, rather than relying on automation to do the work for them. Similarly, educators worldwide are exploring how AI can encourage reflection and creativity instead of repetition. As Edutopia often emphasizes, the most effective educational technology nurtures student agency and curiosity. When learners feel in control of their process, AI becomes a supportive mentor, not a shortcut. The shift from memorization to application For decades, education rewarded memorization. Students were expected to recall information quickly and accurately. But with search engines, online databases, and AI assistants now at everyone's fingertips, the value of raw recall has diminished. The modern world values synthesis, being able to apply knowledge, not just recite it. That's where AI tools make a profound difference. By taking over repetitive tasks such as grammar correction, data organization, or basic computations, they free students to focus on higher-order skills: analysis, problem-solving, and interpretation. For example, AI can summarize dense academic texts, helping students identify key ideas before deep reading. It can turn lecture notes into practice quizzes and spaced-repetition flashcards – active-recall techniques that strengthen long-term memory far better than cramming. It can also assist in structuring research projects or visualizing data, providing a foundation for deeper inquiry. In this way, AI doesn't replace effort – it redirects it toward understanding. AI and the evolving role of teachers Teachers remain the heart of education. What's changing is the kind of support they now have. AI can take over administrative burdens (assisting with grading, attendance, and performance tracking), giving educators more time for mentorship and personal engagement. It can also help identify learning trends or at-risk students before problems escalate, allowing timely intervention. With access to data-driven insights, teachers can craft lessons that resonate more deeply with their students. In practice, this makes the teacher less a lecturer and more a coach – provided schools also invest in teachers' own AI literacy so the tools serve their pedagogy, not the reverse. Yet, what truly matters remains the same: empathy, connection, and human guidance. AI enhances these strengths by freeing teachers to focus on what machines can't replicate – the relational side of education. Closing the equity gap Education has long wrestled with inequality. Students from under-resourced communities often face limited access to tutoring, personalized feedback, and academic support. AI has the potential to narrow that gap. Free or low-cost AI tools can offer tailored guidance to students who might otherwise lack individual attention. They can translate materials into multiple languages, read text aloud for visual learners, or adjust complexity based on comprehension. This democratization of access can turn AI into one of education's greatest equalizers – if implemented with fairness and inclusivity in mind. That caveat matters: adaptive tools perform best for students with reliable internet, newer devices, and support at home, so without deliberate design, personalization risks becoming deep for the advantaged and shallow for everyone else. Ethical design and transparency must remain non-negotiable principles to ensure no learner is left behind. Redefining academic integrity in the AI era The rise of AI-generated text has sparked serious conversations about academic honesty. Can students truly claim ownership of work produced by a machine? The answer lies in intent and transparency. Ethical AI tools emphasize learning, not shortcuts. Like calculators in math or citation tools in research, they assist the process without undermining understanding. When students use AI to brainstorm ideas, receive writing feedback, or organize arguments, they're engaging in active learning, not cheating. By guiding students through the creative and analytical stages, AI writing tools promote academic integrity. They encourage users to think critically about their own writing, make revisions consciously, and develop genuine confidence in their skills. Preparing students for an AI-driven world The workforce students are preparing for will look nothing like that of their parents or teachers. Automation, machine learning, and digital collaboration are reshaping nearly every profession. Teaching students to think alongside AI, not compete with it, is now a cornerstone of modern education. AI literacy isn't just technical. It's ethical and creative. Students must understand how algorithms function, where data comes from, and how to evaluate AI outputs critically. Those who can navigate this balance will become the innovators of the next generation – curious, adaptive, and thoughtful. Balancing technology and human connection No matter how advanced AI becomes, it can't replicate the empathy and emotional intelligence of human educators. The best learning still happens in relationships – between teachers and students, peers and mentors, curiosity and reflection. AI should serve as scaffolding, not structure. It supports, but never replaces, the human elements that make education transformative: conversation, empathy, and purpose. When technology takes over repetitive tasks, teachers and students are free to focus on creativity, collaboration, and deeper understanding – the true essence of learning. A more thoughtful future for education AI offers an unprecedented opportunity to make education more personal, accessible, and meaningful. But its value depends on how we choose to use it. The goal isn't to make learning faster – it's to make it better: richer in context, deeper in insight, and truer to the human spirit. With responsible platforms like WriteMyEssay.AI leading by example and trusted educators promoting mindful adoption through outlets like Edutopia, the path forward is clear: technology should expand potential, not diminish it. The classrooms of tomorrow won't revolve around speed or automation. They'll thrive on curiosity, creativity, and collaboration, powered by AI, guided by humanity.

Written by Kemi Emmanuel, CEO/Founder of Kemi Emmanuel Publishing & Academy Kemi Emmanuel is an award-winning author of more than 34 books, a publishing strategist, educator, entrepreneur, speaker, and the founder of Kemi Emmanuel Publishing Academy. Through her work, she has helped aspiring authors transform their experiences, expertise, and insights into published works designed to inform, inspire, and engage readers. Confidence isn't built on a stage. It begins in the private conversations we have with ourselves every day. Before anyone becomes a visible leader, entrepreneur, executive, or author, they must first overcome the silent battle taking place in their own mind. The greatest breakthroughs don't begin in boardrooms, conferences, or business launches. They begin when we learn to master our thinking. What is the silent war? The silent war is the internal battle between who you are today and who you have the potential to become. It is the constant dialogue that questions your worth, magnifies your fears, and convinces you to stay where it feels safe. I've witnessed this battle countless times, not only through my work as a mental health practitioner but also in conversations with professionals, entrepreneurs, and leaders who outwardly appear confident while privately questioning whether they are good enough. Many describe feeling like imposters or feeling as though they don’t belong in the room. These feelings can contribute to anxiety and a decline in their mental wellbeing. Others hesitate because they fear rejection or criticism. Some continually postpone opportunities because they believe they need to know more, achieve more, or become more before they are ready. They hide behind the perfectionist shield, which in turn keeps them stuck. The truth is that the greatest obstacles to leadership are often not external. They are internal. Our thoughts influence our emotions, our emotions influence our behaviour, and our behaviour shapes the life we eventually create. Long before success or failure becomes visible, the battle has already been won or lost in the mind. Why do so many high achievers experience imposter syndrome? One of the most common silent battles leaders face is imposter syndrome. Despite qualifications, experience, and accomplishments, many successful people secretly believe they don't deserve their success. Instead of celebrating achievements, they minimise them. Instead of accepting praise, they dismiss it. Instead of stepping forward, they hold themselves back. The voice in their minds sounds familiar: "Who am I to do this?" "Someone else knows more than I do." "What if people discover I'm not as capable as they think?" Ironically, the people most affected are often the very people who have the greatest expertise. Perfectionism only strengthens this cycle. Many wait until they feel completely confident before acting. Many people undercharge their clients or settle for less in their careers because they haven't yet recognised their true worth. But confidence has never been the starting point. Action is! Why waiting for perfect confidence never works One illustration has stayed with me for years. No one learns to ride a bicycle by waiting until they feel perfectly balanced. They climb on while feeling unstable, wobble, fall, and get back up. They may use stabilisers for a while, but eventually those supports come off because confidence develops through practice, not preparation alone. Leadership works in exactly the same way. You don't become confident before acting. You become confident because you take action. Growth has always required a willingness to be temporarily uncomfortable. What happens when we lack confidence? We remain invisible One of the greatest casualties of the silent war is visibility. Every day, I meet brilliant professionals with years of knowledge, wisdom, and experience who remain hidden, not because they have nothing valuable to offer, but because fear speaks louder than opportunity. The tragedy is that while they question whether their story matters, someone else is desperately searching for the very experience they possess. Recently, one of the authors I had the privilege of publishing, Chioma Fanawopo, reached Amazon's No. 1 bestseller list with her book Parenting as Leadership: A Trauma-Informed Guide to Raising Confident, Connected Children. Not long afterwards, she received a message from a reader who shared that the book had helped her begin healing from her own painful childhood because she realised she was not alone. That message beautifully illustrates something many leaders overlook. Visibility is not about ego. It is about service. When we choose to remain hidden, the people who need our knowledge, encouragement, or experience continue searching for answers we may already have. Leadership requires visibility because influence cannot happen in isolation.[1] Five ways to win the silent war Winning the silent war isn't about eliminating fear. It's about refusing to let fear make your decisions. Here are five practical ways to begin: 1. Challenge the story you're telling yourself Not every thought deserves your agreement. Cognitive behavioural research demonstrates that our interpretations of events, rather than the events themselves, influence our emotional responses.[2] Learn to question assumptions rather than accepting them as truth. 2. Take action before you feel ready Confidence is rarely the starting point. Action creates confidence. As Bandura's (1997) research on self-efficacy confirms, the most powerful source of confidence comes from enactive mastery experiences: successfully performing the behaviours we initially doubt we can accomplish. 3. Replace perfection with progress Progress builds momentum. Perfection often creates paralysis. Research on growth mindset reveals that individuals who focus on learning and improvement rather than flawless performance demonstrate greater resilience, persistence, and ultimate achievement.[3] 4. Become intentionally visible Share your knowledge. Speak. Write. Teach. Every act of visibility can strengthen your confidence and extend your influence.[4] 5. Turn your experience into influence One of the most powerful ways to overcome self-doubt is to recognise that your experiences have value. Your journey may become someone else's breakthrough. Why writing can change more than your career For me, writing began during one of the most difficult seasons of my life. Initially, it was simply a way to process pain. Over time, it became healing. Eventually, it became my purpose. Today, writing has opened doors I never imagined, from international speaking opportunities to award-winning books and the privilege of helping other professionals transform their own expertise into lasting impact. A book does far more than tell a story. It captures your knowledge and preserves your experience. It allows your voice to continue helping people long after you've left the room. Whether your expertise is in business, healthcare, education, leadership, or personal development, documenting what you know is one of the most powerful ways to extend your influence.[1] This creates visibility and builds confidence. What does confident leadership look like? This principle sits at the heart of my latest book, The Woman in Red. The Woman in Red does not lead because she has conquered every fear. She leads because she refuses to let fear make her decisions. To me, the colour red symbolises life. Just as blood carries oxygen throughout the body, great leaders bring life wherever they go. They bring hope where there is despair. Clarity where there is confusion. Courage where there is fear. But none of those things can happen if they remain invisible. Authentic leadership isn't about becoming the loudest voice in the room. It's about becoming the most genuine one.[5] Trust is built when people know and relate to you. Your greatest leadership decision Perhaps the greatest act of leadership is deciding that your experience has value. If your knowledge has changed your own life, imagine what it could do for someone else. If your story has helped you heal, imagine the hope it could offer another person. The world doesn't need perfect leaders. It needs authentic leaders who are willing to confront the silent war within, overcome it, and then reach back to help others do the same. Your greatest contribution should never remain trapped inside your thoughts. Your voice matters. Your experience matters. And perhaps the breakthrough you've been waiting for doesn't begin with changing your circumstances. Perhaps it begins by changing the conversation happening in your own mind. Ready to share your story? If you've been fighting imposter syndrome, wondering how to increase your visibility, and considering whether a published book could amplify your impact, I'd love to connect with you. A clarity call with me isn't about pressure or sales. It's about exploration. Together, we'll discuss your vision, identify the internal barriers holding you back, and explore how transforming your expertise into a published book could extend your influence and serve the people who need your voice. You've already done the hardest work: recognising that your experience has value. Let's talk about what comes next. Book your free 15-minute clarity call. Your breakthrough is waiting. Let's begin the conversation. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Kemi Emmanuel Kemi Emmanuel, CEO/Founder of Kemi Emmanuel Publishing & Academy Kemi Emmanuel is an award-winning multi-genre global author of over 34 books, publishing strategist, speaker, entrepreneur, mental health practitioner, and CEO/Founder of Kemi Emmanuel Publishing & Academy. With decades of leadership experience across education, healthcare, property, and publishing, she helps people turn their stories, expertise, and ideas into books that create impact, influence, and income. She has been featured in Global Woman Magazine and London Business Magazine as a columnist, writing several articles; was recently featured in USA News; and her company, Kemi Emmanuel Publishing Academy, won the prestigious Evergreen Award for Best Publishing Academy in the UK in 2026. References: [1] Kouzes, J. M., & Posner, B. Z. (2017). The leadership challenge: How to make extraordinary things happen in organizations (6th ed.). Wiley. [2] Beck, A. T. (1976). Cognitive therapy and the emotional disorders. International Universities Press. [3] Dweck, C. S. (2006). Mindset: The new psychology of success. Random House. [4] Brown, B. (2012). Daring greatly: How the courage to be vulnerable transforms the way we live, love, parent, and lead. Gotham Books. [5] Brown, B. (2018). Dare to lead: Brave work, tough conversations, whole hearts. Random House. [6] Bandura, A. (1977). Self-efficacy: Toward a unifying theory of behavioral change. Psychological Review, 84(2), 191 to 215. [7] Bandura, A. (1997). Self-efficacy: The exercise of control. W. H. Freeman and Company. [8] Clance, P. R., & Imes, S. A. (1978). The impostor phenomenon in high-achieving women: Dynamics and therapeutic intervention. Psychotherapy: Theory, Research & Practice, 15(3), 241 to 247. [9] Ellis, A., & Harper, R. A. (1975). A new guide to rational living. Wilshire Book Company. [10] Sakulku, J., & Alexander, J. (2011). The impostor phenomenon. International Journal of Behavioral Science, 6(1), 73 to 92.

Written by Inga Kalace, Self-Development Mind Body Coach Inga has been recognised for her three-step approach to deep, meaningful change. She is a self-development and mind-body coach and co-founder of Whispered Desires, a brand creating cinematic sleep tapes for subconscious reprogramming and working with high-profile clients. There comes a point in many people’s lives when they realise they are living on autopilot, repeating the same emotional triggers, the same self-doubt, the same unhealthy relationship patterns, and the same fear of not being enough. What many people don’t realise is that these reactions are not random. They are conditioned patterns shaped by past experiences, emotional wounds, and survival responses stored within the mind and body. As a self-development and mind-body coach, I’ve seen how deeply the nervous system influences the way we think, feel, behave, and experience life. Many people try to change through willpower alone, but true transformation happens when the mind and body begin working together. The body remembers what the mind tries to forget. You may consciously tell yourself, “I am safe,” “I am confident,” or “I deserve love,” yet your body still reacts with anxiety, tension, overthinking, or emotional shutdown. This is because the nervous system holds onto familiar emotional patterns, especially those created through stress, criticism, rejection, or emotional neglect. Over time, survival mode can become a person’s normal state, but survival is not the same as living. Modern neuroscience confirms that the brain has the capacity for neuroplasticity, meaning we can create new neural pathways and rewire old patterns. In other words, the emotional responses and beliefs you learned are not permanent. Healing is not about becoming someone else. It is about reconnecting with the version of yourself that existed before fear, conditioning, and emotional survival took over. Practices such as deep self-questioning, self-awareness exercises, and honest reflection are often the first steps in transformation. Before we can change a pattern, we first need to become aware of it. Understanding your emotional triggers, behaviours, coping mechanisms, and subconscious beliefs allows you to get to know yourself on a deeper level. From that place of awareness, tools such as breathwork, subconscious reprogramming, visualisation, meditation, and nervous system regulation can become incredibly powerful in helping create safety within the body and supporting new patterns to form. When the body feels safe, real change becomes possible. Your past may explain your patterns, but it does not have to define your future. If the mind can learn fear, it can also learn safety. If it can learn survival, it can also learn peace. Final thoughts: Changing deeply rooted patterns takes time, patience, and a willingness to become curious about yourself. It is not about forcing change or judging yourself for the ways you have learned to cope. It is about recognising what is happening within you and creating space for a different response. The more aware you become of your thoughts, emotions, and physical reactions, the more choice you begin to have. Instead of automatically reacting from fear, self-doubt, or old conditioning, you can start responding from a place of greater awareness and safety. Transformation rarely happens all at once. It often happens through small moments of recognition, repeated choices, and a deeper understanding of what your mind and body need. You do not have to remain trapped in patterns simply because they have been part of your life for a long time. Awareness creates the opportunity for change, and with time, new ways of thinking, feeling, and living can begin to feel just as natural as the old ones once did. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Inga Kalace Inga Kalace, Self-Development Mind Body Coach Inga is a self-development and mind-body coach known for her three-step approach to deep, meaningful change that actually works in practice. From a young age, she was drawn to understanding human behaviour and the patterns that shape how we experience life. That curiosity grew into a lifelong exploration of the mind-body connection and why people struggle to create lasting change. She works with individuals to break patterns, build self-trust, and create change from within. As co-founder of Whispered Desires, she is part of a brand creating cinematic sleep tapes designed to support subconscious rewiring. Her mission is to help people understand themselves and create a life that truly reflects who they are.

Luisa Hogan is the founder of Vermelho Consulting, where she works with founders and senior leaders who are still performing under pressure but paying for it internally. Her practice centres on helping leaders and teams navigate change and high pressure with steadiness, clarity, and precision, not resilience as endurance, but as a trained leadership skill that determines whether a leader’s best thinking stays accessible when conditions get hard. Her approach draws on change psychology, neuroscience, and practical leadership strategy, shaped by two decades in senior roles including COO, CDO, and CEO. She holds an MBA, is an accredited Change and Resilience Practitioner, and was a finalist for the AIM Leadership Excellence Awards. Vermelho Consulting is an award-winning practice, a recognition Luisa ties back to the same principle that runs through her work, steadiness, applied consistently, over time. In this interview, Luisa talks about what inspired Vermelho, the inner dialogue she calls the Second Voice, and why steadiness has to be built before a crisis arrives, not during one. What inspired you to build Vermelho Consulting around the idea that resilience is a daily leadership practice? Ten years ago, I was leading an organisation through its closure. It wasn’t a slow, comfortable ending. It was sustained pressure, hard decisions, and a team that had to keep functioning while everything around us was uncertain. What got us through wasn’t endurance or pushing harder. It was steadiness, staying honest with each other, staying findable, making decisions clearly even when the ground kept shifting. When it was over, I recognised something. My team and I had built a way of leading through change and pressure that most leaders are never taught. I knew there were other leaders sitting in their own version of what I’d just been through, still functioning, still capable, but losing access to their best thinking under the weight of it. Vermelho started because I wanted to give them what my team and I had found for ourselves. A way to navigate pressure and change with real steadiness and resilience, not a performance of holding it together. That work is even more relevant today. You often talk about self-awareness under pressure as a learnable skill. What does that look like in real leadership moments? It usually shows up in small, specific signals before it shows up in a decision. Your tone sharpens in a meeting. You start talking faster, or you go quiet in a way that isn’t really calm. You notice you’re about to answer a question just to make it go away, not because you’ve actually thought it through. Self-awareness under pressure means catching that shift while it’s happening, not explaining it afterward. In practice, it looks like a leader mid-conversation who feels the pull to react and pauses instead of speaking immediately. It looks like naming the pressure out loud to a team rather than letting it leak into your tone. It looks like knowing the difference between a decision that’s actually urgent and one that just feels urgent because you’re overloaded. None of this requires calm. It requires noticing. That’s the learnable part, you can train yourself to catch the moment before you’re on autopilot. How did leading an organization that ultimately closed reshape your definition of successful leadership? For a long time, my definition of successful leadership was tied to outcomes, did the organisation survive, did the numbers look good, did we win the contract? Leading a team through an ending that had already been decided by conditions well beyond any one decision in the room took that definition apart. The organisation still closed. Nothing I did changed that fact. What I could still control was how people were led through it, how honestly I communicated what was happening, whether I stayed findable instead of disappearing into my own stress, and how quickly I repaired the moments I got wrong. That experience taught me that successful leadership isn’t the absence of a bad outcome. It’s the steadiness you bring to people while it’s unfolding. I walked away from that closure with a much smaller, much more honest definition of success, did the people I led trust how I showed up, even when the ending wasn’t in my hands? That question now sits underneath everything I teach. Why do you believe resilience should be developed before a crisis rather than during one? Because a crisis is the worst possible moment to be learning a new skill. When pressure arrives, you don’t rise to your aspirations, you fall back to whatever is already trained. If steadiness isn’t already built into how you notice, pause, and respond, you won’t be able to access it when it actually matters. You’ll default to whatever your system does under load, usually reacting fast, masking discomfort, or pushing harder. Building the skill before the crisis means the pattern is already familiar when pressure arrives, you recognise the early signals in yourself, you have a way to interrupt automatic reactivity, and you’ve practised choosing a steadier response enough times that it’s available under real load. Waiting until the crisis to develop this is like trying to learn to swim once you’re already in open water. The work must happen in calmer conditions, deliberately and repeatedly, so it’s there when the water starts to get rough. You describe an inner dialogue called “The Second Voice.” How does that conversation influence the way leaders make decisions and lead others? The Second Voice is the internal dialogue most leaders have but rarely use on purpose. The First Voice is fast, reactive, protective, focused on control. It’s the one that answers immediately, defends a position, or pushes through discomfort without examining it. The Second Voice is steadier, measured, grounded, capable of perspective and intuition. It’s usually there, but underdeveloped, because most leaders have never been taught to deliberately choose it. In decision-making, the shift from First to Second Voice is the difference between reacting to a situation and actually responding to it. It creates a gap between what’s happening and how you act, and that gap is where good judgment lives. In how you lead others, it shows up as consistency. Your team can predict your values and your presence even when they can’t predict the circumstances. That predictability builds trust faster than any single decision does. Choosing the Second Voice, again and again, is what steadiness actually looks like in practice. What is one daily habit that helps leaders stay calm and clear when the pressure starts to build? I anchor before I open anything. Before I look at messages, before the day’s first meeting, I take two minutes to notice what state I’m actually in, not the state I’m performing. That’s it. No elaborate ritual. Just a genuine check, am I steady right now, or am I already reacting to something that hasn’t happened yet? That small habit matters because most pressure doesn’t announce itself. It builds quietly through the day, one rushed decision or sharp tone at a time, until you’re operating from a place you didn’t choose. Starting the day by noticing your actual state, rather than assuming you’re fine because you’re functioning, makes it much easier to catch the drift later, in a hard conversation or a fast decision. Steadiness isn’t something you arrive at once and keep. It’s a practice you return to, and a two-minute anchor is the simplest version of that return I know. How can a leader create psychological steadiness across an entire team without pretending to have all the answers? You don’t create steadiness by having every answer. You create it by being findable, consistent in how you show up, honest about what you know and don’t, and willing to name reality plainly instead of dressing it up. Teams don’t actually need a leader who’s never uncertain. They need a leader whose character doesn’t shift with the conditions, even when the conditions are bad. In practice, that means saying “I don’t know yet, and this is how we’ll find out” instead of manufacturing false confidence. It means naming pressure out loud rather than letting it leak sideways into tone or decisions. It means that when you get something wrong, you repair it quickly and openly instead of letting it sit. None of that requires pretending. It requires steadiness under exposure, being willing to be seen accurately, uncertainty included, without that uncertainty becoming chaos. A team follows that kind of consistency far more readily than it follows an act. What have your own leadership experiences taught you about the difference between appearing resilient and genuinely being resilient? Appearing strong is a performance. It’s holding your face together, keeping your voice level, saying the right words, while everything underneath is still reactive. I did that for years, and it worked, in the sense that people around me couldn’t always tell. But it cost me. Performing calm while internally overloaded doesn’t actually protect your thinking. It only hides the fact that your thinking has already narrowed. Genuine steadiness looks less impressive from the outside. It might include saying “I need a minute to think about that” mid-conversation, or admitting a decision needs more thought before it’s made. It’s slower to perform and harder to fake. The real test isn’t how you look in the room. It’s whether your judgment holds when no one is checking your performance, in the decision you make alone, at the end of a long day. My own leadership taught me that the moment you stop needing to look strong is usually the moment you actually become it. If every leader embraced one idea about resilience tomorrow, what would you hope it would be? That steadiness is not personality. It’s not something you either have or don’t, and it’s not the same as being naturally calm. It’s a trained leadership capability, built the same way any other skill is built, deliberately, repeatedly, in the conditions that will eventually test it. If every leader believed that tomorrow, I think a lot of unnecessary pressure would come off the table. People would stop measuring themselves against leaders who seem naturally unshakeable and start asking a more useful question, what’s the actual practice that builds this in me? Steadiness is the new strong. Not because strength doesn’t matter, but because pushing through was never the whole answer, and most leaders already have more capability than they can currently access under pressure. Closing that gap, on purpose, every day, is what works. That’s the idea I’d want every leader to carry into tomorrow. “Steady is the new strong.” Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Luisa Hogan

Amedeo Baçi is an Albanian novelist, essayist, and holder of 22 Noble World Records in the field of long-form literary fiction. His extensive body of work spans historical fiction, philosophy, and autobiography, reflecting a lifelong commitment to preserving history through literature. His literary achievements have earned him a nomination for the Nobel Prize in Literature, reflecting the growing international recognition of his contribution to contemporary literature. In this exclusive interview, he discusses the research and discipline behind his prolific career, the responsibility of balancing historical accuracy with imagination, and why overlooked chapters of European history still matter today. Amedeo Baçi, Novelist, Essayist, and History Researcher You have written hundreds of novels across history, philosophy, and autobiographies, so what continues to inspire your next story? Every new novel begins with a question rather than an answer. Throughout my life, I have never considered writing to be simply a profession. It is the way I understand the world, preserve memory, and give meaning to human experience. That is why I often say, "I don't write to live; I live to write." It is not merely a motto; it is the principle that has guided every page I have written. I have always believed that a novelist is not merely a storyteller, but also a guardian of collective memory. Literature has the power to rescue lives, ideas, and historical truths from oblivion, allowing future generations not only to know the past, but also to understand it through human emotions and experiences. What continues to inspire me is the conviction that history is never truly finished. Behind every historical event, every nation, every family, and every individual life, there are untold stories waiting to be rediscovered. Research enables me to uncover facts, but literature allows me to restore emotion, dignity, hope, and the human voice that history books sometimes cannot fully convey. The same is true of my autobiographical works. Personal experiences become meaningful only when they speak to something universal – love, loss, perseverance, justice, and the search for identity. After writing hundreds of novels, I have never felt that I was running out of stories. On the contrary, every completed book opens the door to another. As long as humanity continues to create history, literature will always have another story to tell. How do you balance historical accuracy with the freedom to create compelling fiction? For me, historical accuracy and literary imagination are not opposing forces; they are complementary responsibilities. History provides the facts, while literature reveals their human meaning. Without historical truth, a novel loses its credibility. Without imagination, history risks remaining a collection of dates and events that never truly reach the reader. For me, imagination is never a substitute for historical truth; it is the language through which historical truth becomes emotionally understandable. Every historical novel I write begins with extensive research. I believe that a writer has an ethical responsibility to respect documented facts, historical chronology, and the cultural context of the period being portrayed. Research is not an obstacle to creativity; it is the solid ground upon which creativity can stand with confidence. Once that foundation is established, literature begins its true work. Fiction allows us to enter the emotional world that official documents cannot fully capture. Historical records can tell us what happened, but they rarely reveal what people feared, hoped for, sacrificed, or dreamed about. Through carefully imagined characters and authentic human experiences, the novelist builds a bridge between documented history and lived reality. My goal has never been to embellish history or to replace it with fiction. Rather, I seek to restore its human dimension. I believe that readers remember history more deeply when they encounter it through lives rather than through facts alone. Literature cannot change historical truth, but it can transform knowledge into understanding, memory into empathy, and the past into a living presence that continues to speak to the present. What habits or systems have helped you sustain such an extraordinary pace of writing over the years? People often ask how it is possible to write so many novels. My answer is always the same: extraordinary productivity is never the result of speed alone; it is the result of consistency, discipline, and purpose. Writing is not something I do only when inspiration arrives. It is a lifelong commitment that shapes the rhythm of my everyday life. Research, reflection, and writing are not separate activities for me – they are parts of the same creative process. Every book begins long before the first sentence is written. Ideas mature gradually through reading, historical investigation, observation, and continuous reflection. By the time I begin writing, the novel has already taken shape in my mind. The act of writing then becomes the natural continuation of a much longer intellectual journey. I have also learned that discipline protects creativity. Many people believe that discipline limits imagination, but I have experienced the opposite. A structured method creates the freedom to think more deeply, to remain faithful to historical truth, and to develop every story with patience rather than haste. Above all, I never measure my work by the number of books I have written. Every new novel is a new responsibility toward the reader, toward history, and toward myself. I try to approach each project with the same curiosity and the same respect as if it were the very first book of my life. Perhaps that is the habit that has sustained me more than any other: never allowing experience to replace curiosity, and never allowing routine to replace passion. I have never considered writing a race against time. Every novel requires the time it deserves. What allows me to continue writing is not the desire to produce more books, but the conviction that every subject deserves to be explored until it has revealed its deeper human meaning. Quantity has never been my objective; it has simply been the natural consequence of a life devoted entirely to literature. Why do you believe historical fiction can help people understand the present better than history books alone? Historical fiction has a unique ability to transform facts into human experiences. History books are essential because they preserve dates, events, and documented evidence, but novels allow readers to step inside those events and experience them through the eyes of people who lived them. When readers feel the fears, hopes, sacrifices, and moral dilemmas of historical characters, history becomes more than information – it becomes understanding. I believe that many of the challenges we face today – wars, political conflicts, struggles for freedom, cultural identity, and the defense of democratic values – have deep roots in the past. Historical fiction helps readers recognize those connections. It reminds us that history is not a distant collection of facts but a living force that continues to shape our present and influence our future. As a novelist, my goal is not to rewrite history but to give it a human voice. I want readers to finish one of my books with a deeper appreciation of the past and, at the same time, a clearer understanding of the world they live in today. If literature can encourage reflection, critical thinking, and empathy, then it becomes one of the most powerful ways to preserve collective memory and inspire future generations. What aspects of European history do you think deserve far more attention from today's readers? I believe that European history should be understood not only through the stories of great empires and famous leaders, but also through the experiences of smaller nations whose struggles have shaped the continent in profound ways. Too often, the voices of these nations are overshadowed, even though their sacrifices and contributions are essential to Europe's shared heritage. As an Albanian writer, I have dedicated much of my work to exploring the history of the Balkans and the wider European landscape. I believe that the stories of Albania, Poland, Ukraine, and many other nations reveal universal themes of resilience, freedom, identity, and the enduring desire for self-determination. These are not merely regional histories; they are chapters in the larger story of Europe itself. I also believe that readers deserve a deeper understanding of how historical decisions continue to influence today's political realities, international relations, and cultural identities. History is never isolated in the past. The roots of many contemporary challenges can be found centuries earlier, and by understanding those roots, we become better equipped to build a more peaceful and responsible future. For me, literature has the privilege of bringing these overlooked stories to life. It allows readers to discover not only what happened, but why it still matters. For someone who wants to write research-driven historical fiction, where should they begin? The first step is not writing – it is learning. Before creating characters or imagining scenes, a writer must become a patient student of history. Read primary sources whenever possible, study respected historians, compare different perspectives, and never accept a single version of an event without questioning it. Historical fiction is built on curiosity as much as on creativity. Research, however, is only the foundation. The real challenge is transforming knowledge into a compelling human story. Facts alone do not move readers; people do. Every historical event was experienced by individuals who loved, feared, hoped, suffered, and made difficult choices. The novelist's task is to reveal the human heart behind the historical record while remaining faithful to the spirit of the time. I also encourage aspiring writers to develop discipline. Inspiration is valuable, but consistency is indispensable. Writing every day, even for a short time, gradually transforms ideas into books. Throughout my career, I have learned that perseverance often matters more than talent. Finally, never write simply to recreate the past. Write to understand it and to help others understand it as well. When research serves emotion, truth, and meaningful storytelling, historical fiction becomes more than literature – it becomes a bridge between generations. How do you transform years of historical research into stories that feel engaging rather than academic? For me, research is never the final destination; it is the starting point. Years of studying historical documents, biographies, archives, and scholarly works provide the foundation, but a novel begins only when history starts to breathe through human lives. My task is not to display everything I have learned, but to select what truly serves the story. When I write, I try to see history through the eyes of ordinary people as well as extraordinary figures. Behind every treaty, every battle, and every political decision were individuals who experienced love, fear, hope, loss, and impossible choices. Readers connect with emotions before they connect with facts. Once they care about the people, they naturally become interested in the history surrounding them. I also believe that simplicity is one of the greatest strengths of literature. Complex historical realities should be explained with clarity, not oversimplified but made accessible. A novel should educate without feeling like a lesson and inspire curiosity without overwhelming the reader with information. Ultimately, my goal is to make readers forget that they are learning history. I want them to become so immersed in the lives of the characters that, by the final page, they realize they have not only enjoyed a story but have also gained a deeper understanding of an era, a nation, and the enduring nature of humanity. Your motto is, "I don't write to live, but I live to write." How has that belief shaped your career and your life? That sentence is much more than a motto to me; it is the philosophy that has guided my entire life. I have never measured writing by financial success, recognition, or the number of books published. For me, writing is a vocation – a way of understanding the world, preserving memory, and giving meaning to my own existence. Throughout my life, I have faced challenges, disappointments, and moments when it would have been easier to stop. Yet every obstacle strengthened my conviction that writing was not simply something I did; it was who I was. Each new book became another step in a lifelong journey rather than another title on a bookshelf. This belief has also taught me discipline. Inspiration may ignite an idea, but dedication transforms it into a completed work. Writing every day has become as natural to me as breathing, because I never see it as an obligation. It is the way I continue a conversation with history, with humanity, and with myself. If one day people remember me, I hope it will not be because of the number of novels I have written, but because each of them was created with sincerity, respect for truth, and faith in the enduring power of literature. Books may outlive their authors, and that is one of the greatest privileges a writer can hope for. What do you hope readers will remember long after they finish one of your books? Even after hundreds of novels, I have never felt like I am running out of stories. On the contrary, each completed book opens the door to another. As long as humanity continues to create stories, literature will always have a new story to tell. I hope readers remember not only the events or characters, but the emotions and questions the story awakened within them. A book should not end on its final page. It should continue in the reader's memory, encouraging reflection, compassion, and a deeper understanding of human life. I would like my readers to remember that history is never made only by rulers, armies, or political decisions. It is also made by ordinary people – by their courage, suffering, choices, loyalties, and sacrifices. Behind every great historical event there are human beings whose lives deserve to be remembered. I also hope my books remind readers that freedom, dignity, identity, and peace should never be taken for granted. They have often been achieved through immense sacrifice, and every generation has a responsibility to protect them. Above all, I hope readers feel that they have encountered something truthful. Not necessarily truth in the form of a document, but the deeper truth of human experience. If long after closing one of my books, a reader continues to think, to question, or to see another person with greater empathy, then I believe the book has fulfilled its purpose. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, X, TikTok, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Amedeo Baçi

Dave Stubberfield is an expert in the world of Customer Experience, Continuous Improvement and Change Management. His background of working in corporate companies, on the receiving end and delivering transformation has given him the tools and capability to enable change for other organisations. He is the founder and Fractional Transformation Expert for Carter Consultancy. Dave Stubberfield, Fractional Transformation Expert You often talk about aligning people, processes, and purpose, so what first led you to build your work around that idea? I would say that stems from the 15 years’ experience I have in transforming organisations. When I first started out in my first corporate role, change was attempted to be ‘done’ to people, rather than bringing them on the journey. I have also seen plenty of attempts to change processes in isolation without engaging other stakeholders, leaders or teams. I’ve seen and felt change efforts firsthand and I have seen what works and certainly what doesn’t! Since then, I have managed change of all shapes and sizes in organisations both big and small. It’s also important to note that some organisations see change and transformation as ‘nice to have’ rather than business critical. If you're not moving forward, you're essentially moving backward. You developed the Triangle of Truth framework, so why do Customer Experience, Continuous Improvement, and Change Management need to work together instead of separately? I also call it my Transformation Triumvirate because, simply, you need to be considering all three to make transformation truly effective. Let’s say there is a process that needs improving, it is very easy to just go ahead and make the change that you think or maybe assume is the solution. This partially covers the Continuous Improvement side without real root cause analysis taking place if assumptions are being made. At this stage, we haven’t considered how this change will impact the team or organisation, or the impact to the experience customers may have. If you’re focusing on one of these areas, then you need to proactively consider the impact to the other two to implement the intended change. All three methodologies are intrinsically linked and aligned, so it makes good business sense to consider all angles of the triangle at the same time. Working on one area in isolation may give you a short-term benefit, but it could cause long-term loss in confidence across the organisation. When you employ the three in harmony, amazing things happen. After leading transformation projects across organizations of every size, what consistently separates lasting change from short-lived success? It’s important to note that there is no silver bullet to transformation, as every organisation and industry is different and are on their own growth journeys. With that said, there are multiple things that certainly help. The key parts for me are sponsorship from leaders, appropriate preparation and planning, and communication at all levels of the organisation and relevant stakeholders. If these aren’t considered or executed well, then the change is likely to fail or not stick long-term. Often all of these can be overlooked or not given enough attention, notably the preparation and planning. Some people sketch out a rough plan and run with it, literally, because they want to make the change happen quickly. However, being careful and considered in the approach is arguably more powerful than the change going live. Why do so many transformation programmes lose momentum even when the strategy itself is sound? I’m going to sound like a broken record, but it all comes down to the planning. Sometimes the strategy appears sound, but the appropriate preparation must take place, it’s mission critical. AI is so good these days that organisations of all sizes can generate a strategy for the business, marketing or even transformation, but it still needs to be executed. Another reason that momentum can slow down or stop is because of the lack of sponsorship from leaders, or the lack of it, I should say. It generally boils down to leaders saying the right things but aren’t backing it up in their actions. The sponsorship needs to be reinforced by the leaders, showcasing the right behaviours that others can see to ultimately emphasise their commitment to the change or transformation. One final challenge around momentum could be that the right stakeholders aren’t engaged from the beginning of the programme. This then leads to rework or duplication of effort to understand the programme and its intended objectives and outcomes. This can delay the process and create confusion in roles, responsibilities and communication. You have said customer experience is an organizational capability rather than a department, so what does that look like in practice? If you take a typical customer journey that starts with awareness of a brand, the prospective customer could be engaging with the website or on social media. Let’s say, for example, that this phase is managed by a marketing team or department, they need to be informed of the experience that customers are having. That feedback needs to be captured at the appropriate time and stage of the journey, it’s no good waiting to send a feedback survey at the end of the transaction, because it might never get that far. When it comes to Customer Experience, organisational alignment is paramount. Yes, you may need a CX department, but everyone in the organisation needs to know how they contribute to the experience or customer journey. In practice, this CX team could be spread across different teams or departments to engage with the relevant teams. This capability as an organisation also means that the customer experience can be designed in detail to ensure that the organisation knows they are delivering a consistent and trusted experience every single time. For leaders who want to improve performance without overwhelming their teams, where is the best place to start? This is a tough one and it isn’t as straightforward as it seems, because every organisation is different and has their own history of successful and unsuccessful transformations. However, a very simple starting point would be to give each team member a sticky note and ask this question, “If you could change or improve one thing in the team, what would it be?” This is a simple but targeted question that engages every member of the team for their thoughts and opinions of what matters. This can help build a picture of what the team sees as valuable or important, which should then be categorised into different buckets accordingly. From there, prioritisation of the list can begin before actively engaging the team for their assistance in improvements. This simple activity gives everyone a voice and a platform for it to be heard, assessed and implemented where possible. Through your CX in ConteXt programme, what is one mindset shift that helps leaders create better experiences for both employees and customers? This goes back to the organisational capability view of customer experience. One of the biggest mindset shifts I encourage is for leaders to stop thinking of Customer Experience as something that belongs to the customer service team and start seeing it as an organisational capability. Every customer experience is the outcome of the employee experience, the processes people work within, the decisions leaders make, and the culture they create. If employees are frustrated by poor systems, unclear priorities or conflicting processes, customers will inevitably feel the impact. Rather than asking ‘How do we improve the customer journey?’, encourage leaders to ask, ‘What is stopping our people from delivering the experience we want?’. That’s why the CX in ConteXt programme focuses on aligning five elements, such as Brand Identity, Employee Engagement, Customer Experience, Systems & Processes, and Measurement & Insight. When those elements work together, both employee and customer experiences improve naturally because the organisation is designed to deliver them consistently. Moving the mindset from “managing customers” to “designing the organisation that creates the customer experience.” How has your own approach to leadership and transformation evolved over the course of your career? I think that sums it up perfectly, it’s always developing and evolving. I am always keen to learn, from my own experiences, from other thought leaders, new research or data, there is always a way to improve. If I look back at the start of my career, I was a very shy and reserved person. Now, I deliver training courses to rooms full of people, deliver talks to massive audiences and create videos for social media. As I said earlier, if you’re not moving forward then you’re essentially moving backwards. Different methodologies become popular and need mastering, new technologies are developed and need embedding into organisations. All of this requires you to adapt your approach and mindset. Also, there are sometimes setbacks and failures along the way that provide the best learning opportunities. Fail fast, learn and adapt. If every business leader adopted one principle to build a stronger organization, what would you hope it would be? This sounds easy, but it’s often harder than people think or anticipate. For me, it’s taking a step back from the day-to-day hustle and bustle, examining how you currently work today and exploring how you can improve for tomorrow. It’s far easier said than done, because making the time to step back is the first step, and for leaders this can be tough as it means stopping or slowing down operations to a point that ‘work’ essentially stops. However, that time invested in stepping back is often priceless as it opens so many opportunities that otherwise would have been missed or not raised because people were too busy. It leads to ‘work’ becoming more efficient and productive as a result, staff can become more engaged, and customers can have better experiences. This is my mission, to help organisations take the time to step back. Sometimes it requires someone like me to facilitate that time and actually make it happen, because often, it is continuously spoken about needing to take place rather than the action to make it happen. Follow me on Instagram, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Dave Stubberfield

Written by Gabrielle Lewis-Lungo, Licensed Dietitian Nutritionist Gabrielle Lewis-Lungo is a Licensed Dietitian Nutritionist, Certified Nutrition Specialist, and Personal Trainer with over 10 years of experience in fitness and nutrition. Through her unique background, she combines nutrition and movement to help individuals build a deeper understanding of how their bodies, behaviors, and lifestyles work together. Raise your hand if you’ve started a new diet this year. Now raise your other hand if it’s the same one you tried last year. If you’re sitting there with both hands in the air, you’re not alone. Millions of people begin each year with the best intentions, only to find themselves slipping back into common patterns weeks or months later. That failure is often blamed on a lack of discipline, motivation, or willpower. But the real issue may be that the approach itself was flawed. This belief is commonly reinforced, yet if knowledge alone were sufficient, healthy eating would be easy. Sustainable nutrition requires more than information. The key is learning to apply knowledge when life is unpredictable. Healthy eating rarely occurs under ideal conditions. It takes place when you are tired, stressed, busy, traveling, celebrating, or simply making the best choice possible. In these situations, healthy eating depends on adaptive decision making, a skill most diets do not address. For example, imagine you are coming home late after a packed workday, hungry and exhausted, with little time or energy to cook. Instead of reaching for takeout out of convenience, adaptive decision making in this moment could mean choosing a simple, quick meal using healthy ingredients you keep on hand, such as scrambling eggs with vegetables or assembling a balanced snack plate. This ability to make the best choice possible, even when things are not ideal, is a skill that becomes essential for lasting change. More information, more problems Health and dieting have always been part of the cultural conversation. Every decade seems to bring its own “miracle” solution, from evening infomercials selling fitness gadgets to juice cleanses, detox teas, appetite suppressant products, and now trends like protein maxing. Although products and protocols change, the message remains, there is always another solution to try. At the same time, our fascination with health is justified. Obesity, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, and other metabolic conditions continue to affect millions of adults and children worldwide.[1] Despite having access to more nutrition information than ever before, rates of chronic disease remain alarmingly high.[2] Podcasts, documentaries, health professionals, social media, books, and artificial intelligence now address nearly every nutrition question. Information has never been this accessible. Yet many people feel more confused than ever about what to eat and have trouble using that knowledge consistently. This makes it difficult for healthy eating to become a lasting habit. Why does this occur? The answer is more complex than commonly assumed. The challenge extends beyond knowing what to do. It involves understanding how our brains, behaviors, and environments influence our choices and recognizing that adaptive decision-making enables sustainable nutrition. The brain and you Have you ever driven home after a long day at work and suddenly realized you don’t remember half the drive? You make every turn, stop at every light, and arrive safely, yet it can feel as if your brain was on autopilot. You remain attentive enough to drive safely, but repeated experience allows your brain to navigate the route without conscious thought for each action. It has built an efficient pattern that requires far less mental effort than when you first learned the route.² Driving involves learning many skills, such as steering, braking, and anticipating traffic. Initially, this is demanding, but with repetition, these actions become automatic. Healthy eating is no different. It involves planning, shopping, meal preparation, recognizing hunger and fullness, managing emotions, handling social situations, and making numerous daily decisions. Unlike driving a familiar route, these variables change constantly. This variability makes it difficult for the brain to automate healthy eating, which is why consistency is challenging. Why changing eating habits is so difficult Changing eating habits involves more than learning what to do. It requires altering patterns that have been repeated subconsciously for years. This is the foundation of behavior change, creating new behaviors while reshaping the ones that already exist. That may sound simple, but changing an established behavior is one of the most complex tasks we ask the human brain to perform. When we introduce a new behavior, the brain depends heavily on the prefrontal cortex, the part responsible for conscious thought, planning, and decision-making.[3] Because the behavior is unfamiliar, it requires more attention and mental effort. Through repetition, the brain begins to strengthen the pathways associated with that behavior. Over time, repeated actions become more automatic as the brain learns to rely on established patterns rather than consciously processing every step.[4] This is one of the reasons habits are so powerful. Habits help us conserve mental energy by automating decisions. However, habits are neutral and reinforce whatever behaviors we practice most, whether beneficial or not. The challenge is that eating involves a series of decisions made multiple times each day. Each meal occurs in a different context, making it difficult for the brain to rely on routine. Your brain is not trying to sabotage your health. It is functioning as designed, recognizing patterns, conserving energy, and relying on familiarity. The goal is not to create a perfect routine or control every decision, but to develop adaptive decision-making. This skill builds confidence and trust, allowing you to make beneficial choices even when they are not perfect. Nutrition is a series of decisions Research has shown that weight loss and weight maintenance are more complex than we think. One contributor to weight regain after dieting is metabolic adaptation, the body’s natural response to conserve energy during weight loss.[5] However, I have found that generic diets fail because they do not teach people how to eat in real-life situations. They focus on controlled environments, while the most important moments require flexible decision-making. Healthy eating is not tested when everything goes according to plan. It is tested when you go out to dinner with family on a Tuesday night, take a two-week vacation to the Caribbean, or come home exhausted and need to prepare a meal for a family of four with nothing planned. It is also tested when your grocery budget changes and the foods you’ve relied on are no longer realistic. Here are a few actionable strategies for these moments: Dining out with family: Preview the menu online, if possible, and decide on a balanced option ahead of time, such as grilled fish or chicken with vegetables or a side salad. If portions are large, consider sharing a dish or asking for a to-go box right away so you can save part of the meal for later. Prioritize water over sugary drinks. On vacation: Pack some nutritious snacks, such as nuts, fruit, or protein bars, for times when healthy options are limited. Aim to include fruit or vegetables in at least one meal per day, and notice how different foods make you feel so you can make satisfying choices without all-or-nothing thinking. After a long day with no dinner planned: Keep a list of three to five “back pocket” meals that are quick to put together, such as scrambled eggs and toast, quesadillas with beans and chopped vegetables, or a simple stir fry with frozen vegetables and your favorite protein. Stock these ingredients, so you have options ready when you need them. When your grocery budget shifts: Focus on versatile, cost-effective staples such as canned beans or lentils, rice, oats, frozen vegetables, and eggs. These foods can be combined in many ways and keep decisions simple without sacrificing nutrition. Having a few simple tactics for real-world scenarios helps you feel prepared, not perfect, and empowers you to make supportive choices in any situation. These moments help build lasting healthy habits. Knowing what to eat is only part of the solution. Adaptive decision-making is the more challenging skill. Many people believe they have failed here, but this skill is essential for progress. One unplanned meal becomes “I ruined everything.” One missed workout becomes “I’m back to square one.” Monday becomes the symbolic reset button. These moments do not indicate failure. They are opportunities to gain insight, identify influences, and strengthen necessary skills. The next time you face a setback, try asking yourself, “What made this choice hard for me?” or “What was I feeling, and what influenced my decision in that moment?” Reflecting with curiosity rather than judgment can help you recognize patterns, show yourself compassion, and identify small actions to support your growth. The skill nobody teaches and how to actually use it Many clients demonstrate strong discipline when following structured plans with clear guidelines. Challenges arise when established rules no longer apply, and individuals must make decisions without clear guidance. Following a plan is a skill, as is adapting when plans change. Sustainable nutrition requires both, yet adaptive decision-making is often overlooked. When rules predetermine every meal and choice, there is limited opportunity to build confidence in navigating uncertainty. While strict structure can be helpful in some medical situations, it does not always prepare you for unexpected changes. Decision-making develops with practice, yet many people focus on perfect adherence rather than learning to adapt. Adapting means making supportive nutrition choices based on available information, resources, and circumstances. Once you begin strengthening this skill, eating healthier no longer feels like something you have to force. It becomes something you know how to work through, making consistency feel more achievable and the payoff easier to see. The goal is not to know the perfect answer for every situation. The goal is to trust yourself to make the best decision possible with the resources available. Building this skill removes the constant uncertainty about what to eat. You gain confidence in making food choices, even when they are imperfect, which supports lasting healthy habits. From following rules to making decisions Adaptive decision making does not require making perfect choices. Pursuing perfection often distracts from making meaningful, sustainable progress. Instead of perfection, aim for choices that are good enough. Accepting “good enough” allows for thoughtful responses and steady progress. Here are several ways to begin practicing this approach. Instead of asking, “Did I mess up?” ask, “What happened, and what could I have done differently?” A difficult choice does not determine your success. These moments foster growth and highlight areas for improvement that can only move you forward. Instead of expecting motivation, build systems. Motivation can help, but it is not a reliable foundation for long-term change. It fluctuates with our emotions, energy, stress, and circumstances.[6] Convenience is your most effective tool. Create an environment where the beneficial choice is also the easiest.[1] Stock foods that simplify decisions during busy times, such as canned legumes, precut vegetables, frozen berries, Greek yogurt, tuna packs, hard-boiled eggs, rotisserie chicken, whole grain wraps, nut butter, bagged salad mixes, instant brown rice, and hummus. Having a variety of convenient staples on hand allows you to easily assemble meals that fit your preferences, dietary needs, or family tastes. A system does not eliminate all challenges. It reduces the number of decisions required when mental energy is low.[1] Instead of thinking, “I’ll start over Monday,” ask, “Where in my next meal can I make a stronger, more supportive choice?” One mistake is often given more significance than it deserves. Health is shaped by long-term patterns, not by any single meal or decision. Each meal is an opportunity to make a supportive choice. This could mean choosing water over another glass of wine, pairing a burger with a salad, selecting fruit instead of a cookie, or including protein and vegetables in your meal. These choices may seem minor, but consider them the building blocks of your health pyramid. The nature of trust Adaptive decision-making is not only helpful but often essential for developing healthier eating habits. Healthy eating often feels difficult because decisions are frequently driven by hesitation, guilt, or self-doubt instead of calm self-assurance. When you notice these emotions surfacing, pause and remind yourself, “I am learning and growing with every choice I make.” This shift in self-talk can help you view guilt as a signpost for growth, encouraging you to approach your decisions with curiosity and logic, which can quickly diffuse the emotional weight of the moment. For many, the greatest challenge is rebuilding trust in their ability to make supportive decisions when no perfect answer exists. Removing these emotions from decision-making leads to an approach that aligns with your mind, body, and lifestyle. Trust becomes the true measure of success. Trust yourself to make a helpful decision. Trust your body to respond to that decision. Trust in your brain’s ability to turn those decisions into repeatable behaviors. This is the ultimate goal. It’s not just about knowing what to eat, but about cultivating a quiet self-assurance that allows you to trust your own judgment, even when the path isn’t always clear. Ready to take the next step? Are you ready to move beyond restrictive rules and build trust in your ability to navigate food choices with confidence and calm? Through individualized nutrition counseling, I help clients develop practical skills, build confidence around food, and establish sustainable behaviors. Complete a complimentary insurance benefits check to determine whether your nutrition visits are covered by your plan. Nutrition disclaimer: The information shared in this article is intended for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for individual medical or nutrition advice. Every individual’s health history, medical conditions, medications, and nutritional needs are unique. If you have particular health concerns or want individualized guidance, consult your medical provider or a qualified nutrition professional. Follow me on Instagram, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Gabrielle Lewis-Lungo Gabrielle Lewis-Lungo, Licensed Dietitian Nutritionist Gabrielle is a nutrition professional whose work explores the connection between physiology, psychology, and eating behaviors to uncover the deeper patterns that influence health and wellness. Gabrielle’s approach is rooted in the belief that sustainable health begins with understanding the body rather than fighting against it. By integrating nutritional science with a deeper understanding of human behavior, she recognizes that lasting change requires more than information alone. Her work explores the physiological, behavioral, and lifestyle factors that influence health, helping individuals develop a more personalized and sustainable approach to wellness. References: [1] Chew, N., & Ng, C. H. (2023). The global burden of metabolic diseases: Data from Global Burden of Disease 2000–2019. A consortium of metabolic disease. European Heart Journal, 44(1). [2] Bowman, B. A., & Mokdad, A. H. (2020). Addressing nutrition and chronic disease: Past, present, and future research directions. Food and Nutrition Bulletin, 41(1), 3–7. [3] Cleveland Clinic. (2025). Prefrontal cortex: What it is, function, location, and damage. [4] Lerner, T. N. (2020). Interfacing behavioral and neural circuit models for habit formation. Journal of Neuroscience Research, 98(6). [5] Baak, M. A., & Mariman, E. C. (2023). Obesity-induced and weight-loss-induced physiological factors affecting weight regain. Nature Reviews Endocrinology, 19. [6] Kilb & Labudek, 2022

Written by Geneva Martin, Executive Strategist, Leadership Consultant, Author, Speaker and Co-Founder of The JITT Group Geneva Martin is an executive strategist, leadership consultant, author, and co-founder of The JITT Group. With an MBA, senior leadership experience in technology, data, and AI governance, and strategic planning, she helps leaders transform with clarity, resilience, and purpose. Every executive eventually discovers there are two scorecards. One measures organizational performance, revenue, growth, execution, and shareholder value. The other measures the human experience of leadership, trust, psychological safety, human dignity, and whether people feel seen, heard, developed, and valued. Organizations are exceptionally good at measuring the first. Every employee lives under the second. Stewardship connects what organizations measure with what people experience. For much of my early executive career, I didn't fully understand the difference. By every organizational measure, I was succeeding. Promotions came regularly. The recognition was meaningful, and the financial rewards reflected my performance. I had built the executive career I had worked tirelessly to achieve. Looking back, I wasn't chasing status. I was chasing significance. I wanted to make a meaningful contribution, and I believed excellence was the way to achieve it. The problem wasn't my pursuit of excellence. The problem was how I had come to define it. On paper, I had arrived. In reality, I had confused success with stewardship. I didn't realize there was a difference until one courageous employee changed the trajectory of my career. The conversation that changed me During a routine feedback session, one of my employees looked at me and said something I have never forgotten. "You're acting more like a b**** than a leader." The room became very quiet. My first reaction wasn't anger or defensiveness. It was heartbreak, not because my feelings were hurt, but because, in a single sentence, I realized something no executive dashboard had ever revealed. While the organization was celebrating my performance, the people entrusted to my leadership were experiencing something entirely different. When she finished speaking, I apologized. Silently, I thanked her, not because the words were easy to hear, but because they were true. They gave voice to something that had been quietly stirring in my heart for far longer than I wanted to admit. Deep inside, I knew I was becoming the kind of leader I never intended to be. That realization had been lingering beneath the surface, but it was easier to keep moving than to stop and confront it. Her words simply brought into the light what I had been trying not to see. She had given me something no promotion, performance review, bonus, or leadership award ever could. She had given me the courage to see myself honestly. Looking back, I often think about her courage. It takes extraordinary integrity to tell a leader the truth when that leader has influence over your career. We often invite honest feedback, but speaking difficult truths still requires remarkable courage. She chose courage anyway. Her willingness to risk her own comfort to tell me the truth became a gift I will never forget. She didn't simply challenge my authority. She challenged my stewardship. Her bravery gave me the courage to step back and ask a question that has guided every leadership decision since, "Was I becoming the kind of leader I hoped to be remembered as?" She risked being misunderstood because she believed I could become better. She was right. The leadership mirror That conversation forced me to ask a question I had never asked myself, "What is it like to be led by me?" Not, "Am I producing results?" Not, "Am I meeting expectations?" Not, "Am I exceeding my goals?" But, "What are people experiencing because of me?" The answer humbled me. I wasn't intentionally creating fear. I genuinely cared about my team. But somewhere along the way, I had confused leadership with achievement. I had become exceptionally good at producing results while becoming increasingly disconnected from the people producing them. Then another realization emerged. I wasn't leading in isolation. I was leading the way I had been led. The pressure I experienced became the pressure I passed on. The leadership I experienced became the leadership I reproduced. I don't share that observation to assign blame. Many organizations unintentionally reward leaders almost exclusively for outcomes. Without realizing it, we begin to believe that organizational success is the only scorecard that matters. It isn't. Leadership is stewardship Within weeks, I resigned. From the outside, the decision made very little sense. I wasn't leaving because I was failing. I was leaving because I realized I needed to become a different leader before I accepted responsibility for leading people again. Before I left, I gathered my team. It wasn't a farewell celebration. It was an apology. I acknowledged that I had allowed performance to become more important than people, and I asked for their forgiveness. That day changed my understanding of leadership forever. Until then, I believed leadership meant responsibility. Today, I believe leadership means stewardship. Responsibility asks, "What must I accomplish?" Stewardship asks, "Who has been entrusted to my care while we accomplish it?" That distinction changed everything. Excellence and humanity were never meant to compete Over the years, I have observed two leadership extremes. Some leaders possess extraordinary business acumen but struggle to lead people. Others genuinely care about people but avoid the accountability organizations require. Neither approach creates healthy organizations. Compassion without accountability creates confusion. Accountability without compassion creates fear. Exceptional leadership requires both. The greatest leaders understand that organizational excellence and human dignity are never mutually exclusive. Stewardship demands both. Human dignity can exist alongside ambitious goals. People can feel valued while being held accountable. Organizations can pursue extraordinary results without sacrificing the humanity of the people entrusted to achieve them. In my experience, that isn't idealistic. It's sustainable leadership. The question I still ask Since that defining conversation, I have had the privilege of leading global organizations, advising executive teams, building enterprise governance and compliance programs, and coaching leaders through transformation. The organizations have changed. The titles have changed. The responsibilities have grown. But one question continues to guide every important decision I make, "What are people experiencing because of me?" Not because results no longer matter. They absolutely do. Not because accountability is optional. It isn't. But because leadership is never remembered solely for what we accomplished. It is remembered for what people experienced while accomplishing it with us. Final thoughts Years later, I have forgotten many of the quarterly goals we achieved. I have forgotten countless presentations I delivered. I couldn't tell you what most of the bonuses were or which metrics earned them. But I have never forgotten the one employee who loved me enough to tell me the truth. Looking back, she wasn't questioning my ability to lead. She was inviting me to become the leader I was created to be. I hope every leader has someone willing to do the same. Titles create authority. Performance builds credibility. But stewardship earns trust. Trust is the one measure of leadership that no spreadsheet, executive dashboard, or performance review will ever fully capture. People may forget the strategies we implemented. They may forget the presentations we delivered. They may even forget the results we achieved. But they will never forget what it felt like to be led by us. That, perhaps, is the scorecard that mattered most all along. People experience leadership. May they experience yours well. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Geneva Martin Geneva Martin, Executive Strategist, Leadership Consultant, Author, Speaker and Co-Founder of The JITT Group Geneva Martin is an executive strategist, leadership consultant, author, and co-founder of The JITT Group. With an MBA and senior leadership experience across technology, data, and AI governance, strategic planning, and organizational transformation, she helps leaders turn complexity into clarity and purpose-driven action. She is the author of Surrendered in Silence: The God Who Stayed, a deeply personal work on faith, resilience, healing, and transformation. Geneva’s work blends executive insight, neuroscience-informed leadership, emotional intelligence, and faith-centered purpose. Through her writing, speaking, and consulting, she equips leaders and organizations to grow with wisdom, resilience, and intentional impact.

Written by Emma Toms, The Confident Wellness Coach Emma Toms is an Integrated Wellness Coach, IEMT Practitioner, Reiki Master Teacher, and Certified SSP Provider. Drawing on her own healing journey through autoimmune illness, she empowers clients to restore balance, build resilience, and reconnect with their true nature. When I was diagnosed with autoimmune disease at seventeen, nobody spoke to me about my brain. They spoke about my eyes, my immune system, and medication. They explained that my body was attacking itself, but nobody asked what my body had lived through. Nobody talked to me about chronic stress or explained that repeated emotional experiences could shape the nervous system, influence the way danger was perceived, and alter how the body responded to everyday life. Nobody mentioned neuroplasticity. Maybe then it was little known. For many years, I believed that my body had simply gone wrong. I became incredibly knowledgeable about illness. I could understand diagnoses, symptoms, test results and treatment options, yet I knew very little about the extraordinary capacity of the brain and body to adapt. It was only much later, through my own recovery, professional training and work with clients, that I discovered one of the most hopeful concepts in neuroscience. The brain can change. This capacity is called neuroplasticity, and it transformed the way I understood health, anxiety and healing. What is neuroplasticity? Neuroplasticity is the brain’s lifelong ability to reorganise, adapt and form new connections in response to experience. The brain is not a rigid structure that finishes developing in childhood and then remains unchanged. It continues learning throughout life. Our relationships shape it, our habits shape it. Repeated thoughts, emotional experiences and responses to stress shape it. The environments in which we live also influence what the brain learns to expect. This capacity for adaptation is one of our greatest strengths. It allows us to learn new skills, respond to changing circumstances and recover some functions following injury. However, the brain does not only learn patterns that feel helpful. It can also learn vigilance. It can learn to anticipate rejection, danger or failure. It can learn that rest is unsafe, that control is necessary, or that the world must constantly be monitored. The hopeful truth is that what has been learned can also be updated. The wisdom behind our adaptations When we experience prolonged stress, trauma or emotionally significant events, the brain and nervous system adapt to help us survive. Attention may become increasingly drawn towards potential danger. The body may remain prepared to react. Breathing may become shallower, muscles may remain tense, and the nervous system may become more easily activated. These responses are intelligent attempts to protect us. The difficulty arises when the original circumstances have passed, but the protective pattern remains. The body can continue responding as though something is about to happen, even when the present moment is relatively safe. What we call anxiety, hypervigilance, perfectionism, people pleasing, or an inability to switch off may sometimes be connected to patterns that were once protective. That does not mean every symptom is psychological, nor does it mean physical symptoms should be dismissed. Proper medical investigation and care remain essential. It means that alongside medical care, there may also be value in asking, What has my brain and body learned, and what might they now need to learn differently? The experience that changed my direction When I first experienced Integral Eye Movement Techniques, or IEMT, I was not searching for another therapy. I had already spent years reading, reflecting, and trying to understand myself. I had insight, and I knew much of my story. I could explain why certain situations affected me and where many of my emotional responses had begun. Yet understanding something intellectually did not always change the way my body responded. There were memories and reactions that seemed to exist beyond logic. After my first IEMT session, I noticed that something felt different. There was an immediate shift, not catharsis, much softer than that. The memories were still there, but they no longer seemed to pull me into them in quite the same way. There was more distance, more perspective and less emotional charge. In the weeks and months that followed, I noticed that I was no longer trying so hard to manage myself. I was analysing less. I wasn’t caught as frequently in cycles of anticipation and anxiety. Life began to feel different because I felt different within it. That experience changed the direction of my work. It is one of the reasons I trained as an IEMT practitioner and why the approach has become an important part of how I support people today. I do not present it as a miracle cure or a substitute for appropriate medical or psychological care. I value it because I experienced what it can feel like when an old emotional response begins to lose its grip. Five ways we can support the brain to learn something new Neuroplastic change is not created by positive thinking. The brain learns through repeated, meaningful experience. Insight may open the door, but experience is often what helps us walk through it. Here are five ways we can begin creating those experiences: 1. Create experiences of genuine safety Telling ourselves that we are safe does not always make the body believe it. The nervous system learns safety through experience, predictable routines, supportive relationships, calm environments, appropriate boundaries, and moments in which nothing is being demanded of us. Small experiences repeated consistently can be more influential than occasional grand gestures. Safety is often built quietly, a slower morning, a room where we can breathe, a person with whom we do not have to perform, a boundary that teaches the body we are now willing to protect ourselves. 2. Work with the body, not only the mind Many people can explain their experiences clearly while still feeling overwhelmed by them. This is because emotional patterns are not held only as conscious thoughts. They can also be expressed through physical sensations, automatic responses, posture, breathing and nervous system activation. Somatic practices, Yoga Nidra, appropriate breathwork and other body-based approaches may help us become more aware of these responses without immediately trying to suppress them. The aim is not to force the body into calmness. It is to build the capacity to remain present with ourselves. 3. Allow emotional memories to be experienced differently Memory is not always like a video recording stored unchanged in the brain. The way a memory is experienced can shift over time. The facts may remain, while the emotional intensity associated with them becomes less immediate. In my work, clients sometimes describe this change by saying: “I still remember what happened. It just doesn’t feel as though it is happening now.” That distinction matters. Healing does not require us to erase our history. It may mean being able to remember the past without repeatedly being pulled back inside it. 4. Repeat what you want the brain to learn The brain learns through repetition. A single period of rest cannot always undo years of overwork. One boundary may not immediately remove a lifelong fear of disappointing others. One calm conversation may not erase an expectation of conflict. New patterns need somewhere to take root. Each time we respond differently, pause before reacting, accept support or choose rest without earning it first, we offer the brain another piece of evidence. We begin to show it that the present does not have to be an exact continuation of the past. 5. Support the conditions in which change becomes possible The brain does not exist separately from the body. Sleep, movement, nourishment, social connection, time outdoors, and reduced exposure to prolonged stress all contribute to the environment in which the nervous system functions. This is why Lifestyle Medicine principles form an important part of my work. We can work internally with emotional patterns, but we must also look at the life surrounding the person. Is there space to rest? Are their relationships supportive? Are they living beyond their capacity? Do they feel able to say no? Are they receiving the medical, emotional and practical support they need? Healing cannot be reduced to personal effort. Sometimes the environment must change too. Hope must remain grounded Neuroplasticity is sometimes discussed as though the brain can be commanded to heal any condition through determination. That is neither accurate nor compassionate. Neuroplasticity does not mean that every illness is caused by thought, that symptoms are imaginary or that people remain unwell because they have failed to think positively. It also does not remove the need for diagnosis, medical treatment or appropriate specialist support. What it offers is not certainty but possibility. It helps us understand that the patterns we live with today are not necessarily fixed expressions of who we are. The brain and nervous system can continue responding to new experiences. You are more than the patterns you learned Whether I am working with IEMT, the Safe and Sound Protocol, coaching, Yoga Nidra, somatic practices, or Lifestyle Medicine, the underlying principle is similar. The brain changes through experience. Every moment of genuine safety offers new information. Every healthy boundary teaches the nervous system that protection is possible. Every emotion that is acknowledged rather than avoided creates an opportunity for a different response. Every restorative pause challenges the belief that we must remain constantly vigilant. Every safe connection reminds us that we do not have to carry everything alone. Perhaps this is neuroplasticity’s greatest gift. You are not fixed. You are not simply your diagnosis. You are not your anxiety. You are not the worst thing that has happened to you. Your brain has spent your entire life adapting to what you have experienced. With time, support, and repeated experiences of something different, it can continue to adapt. For me, that is more than neuroscience. It is hope. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and visit my LinkedIn for more info! Read more from Emma Toms Emma Toms, The Confident Wellness Coach Emma Toms is an Integrated Wellness Coach, IEMT Practitioner, Reiki Master Teacher, and Certified SSP Provider. With more than 30 years of lived experience following an autoimmune diagnosis, she combines expertise in neuroscience, somatic practice, and energy work to deliver a comprehensive approach to wellness. Her background spans both healthcare and holistic settings, giving her a unique perspective on the intersection of science and spirituality. Having overcome her own challenges with Graves’ Disease and chronic stress, Emma now guides clients to restore balance, build resilience, and reconnect with their true nature.

Written by Sass Allard, Strategic Coach & Change Consultant Sass Allard is a strategic coach and change consultant helping leaders and high-performing women navigate complex change with clarity, resilience, and practical insight drawn from over 20 years in global organisations. Inside twenty-four hours, I managed to annoy no fewer than five people, one of whom was a good friend and another a recruitment agent. It was not a coordinated campaign. It simply happened, the way weather happens, and by the evening of the second day I was reviewing the wreckage with the mild interest of someone watching a documentary about a country she used to live in. For years I have made decisions I later wished I had not made, and gone along with choices that were never really mine, because I am pretty easy-going. Most of the time, I genuinely did not mind. That is changing, and it’s arrived without much in the way of warning. Compliance was part of my nurturing. By nature, I am nothing of the sort, but I was taught early, partly by my upbringing and partly by everything around it, that being strong-headed was a flaw to be managed rather than a quality to be used. Women of my generation learned this thoroughly, and what almost nobody mentions is that perimenopause takes a view on all this. The female brain undergoes a substantial neuroendocrine renovation during this period. Fluctuating and declining oestrogen and progesterone disrupt the brain's energy metabolism and alter neurotransmitter levels, which forces a genuine physiological adaptation rather than a mood. As a result, emotional processing shifts. The threshold for what registers as tolerable moves, and it does not consult you first. Whatever mechanism was used to convert irritation into a pleasant expression and a reasonable question appears to have been decommissioned without notice. The result, in my case, is that I have entered what I can only describe as my DGAF era. I would like to report that I am handling it with grace, most of the time. What interests me professionally is that behaviour changes long before anyone around you updates their model of who you are. People have known you as accommodating for twenty or thirty-plus years. They have built plans around it, allocated work on the assumption of it, and made social arrangements that depend on you being the one who bends. Your accommodation was load-bearing, and when you withdraw it, the people leaning on it feel the building move. They do not experience this as you finding your voice. They experience it as you becoming difficult. The vocabulary that gets reached for is remarkably consistent. She's changed, not herself, being oversensitive, and hormonal. That last one is a particular achievement, given it is simultaneously accurate and used as a dismissal. There is a further complication, which is that none of this arrives fully formed. I am not moving through the world with the settled clarity of a woman who has decided on her boundaries and installed them. I am correcting course in public, in real time, with an audience. I still fall into the old patterns. I still hear myself agreeing to something and feel the small internal lurch of recognition about four seconds too late, at which point I have to go back and revise, which looks considerably worse than simply having said no in the first place. To the observer, this reads as flip-flopping. I concede the point. From the outside, there is very little difference between a woman who does not know what she wants and a woman who is unlearning thirty years of automatic ‘yes’, and I have no particular way of signalling which one I am on any given afternoon. In my defence, I would offer that the correction is the work. The initial yes is muscle memory. The retraction is the new thing, and new things are clumsy. Anyone who has ever led a team through a change programme knows that the messiest period is not the old way or the new way but the stretch in between, when people are operating both systems at once and doing neither of them well. I have spent two decades telling organisations that this phase is normal and survivable. It is a slightly humbling experience to be living inside it. What I have found useful is being explicit about it, sparingly and with the people who matter. Not an apology, and certainly not a medical disclosure to a recruitment agent, but a plain acknowledgment that I am recalibrating and that some of my recent responses have been overcorrections. The friend I upset received a version of this. The recruiter did not. The wobble does settle. What emerges on the other side is not a difficult woman but an accurate one, which some people will prefer and others will not, and that sorting process turns out to be one of the more useful side effects of the whole business. There is a version of this transition in which you spend the entire time apologising for the recalibration, and another in which you let it happen and accept that a small number of people will find you inconvenient for a while. I have made my selection. Five people in twenty-four hours suggests I am at least committed to it. Follow me on Instagram, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Sass Allard Sass Allard, Strategic Coach & Change Consultant Sass Allard works at the intersection of leadership, behaviour, and wellbeing, supporting individuals and organisations as they navigate demanding periods of change. Her background spans two decades in global companies, where she has helped senior leaders strengthen culture, clarity, and capability. She brings a grounded understanding of how hormonal shifts shape women’s experience at work without limiting the broader conversation. As a UN Women delegate to the Commission on the Status of Women, she brings a global lens to agency and progress. Sass writes about adaptation, resilience, and the practical shifts that create real movement in work and life.