Written by Julie Farnsworth, Trauma-Informed Grief Coach Julie Farnsworth has spent her life helping others to live better lives. After 30 years working as a social worker, she founded "One Free Soul Grief Journey, LLC" in honor of her sister, Erica, who lost her life to cancer at the age of 40. A routine drive to work and a passing glance at a house for sale lead to a deeper reflection on comfort, community, and the invisible influence of where we grow up. Through an unexpected moment of connection with a stranger, this article explores how geography, opportunity, and experience shape our perspectives and our lives. Driving to work today, I was doing my usual routine of easing into my day while sipping my coffee in the car. I typically think about the day ahead and zone out a bit on the actual drive in, but I have been paying attention more to any house that has a for-sale sign, as I am looking to move. Since I have been focused on this, I noticed a new house for sale. The house looked like one that I usually like, older with some character and a front porch, but perhaps not in the location that I would like it to be in. I started to ask myself why this might matter to me. Growing up in suburbia and continuing to live in suburban areas has always been my comfort zone. Essentially, it is what I have been used to since birth. Driving further away from my neck of the woods and into the city where I work, I continued to ponder this. I was really paying attention now to the row homes and diverse area, with fast food restaurants and small businesses popping up. At the next stoplight, I saw a woman around my age on the front porch, drinking her coffee and smoking a cigarette. Here we both were, sipping our coffee side by side for a brief moment at the light. As my mind often does, it started to change gears, and I was thinking about this woman and wondering what her life was like. What might her story have been? Did she grow up in the city, did she move there, or maybe just happen to end up there due to life circumstances? Was she divorced at some point and displaced, too, like me? Did she have children? I began to think of all the possible similarities between the two of us. This led me to circle back to my initial train of thought about the house that was outside of suburbia and my little bubble. Sometimes, we do not stop to think about why something feels comfortable to us. We do not stop to question and challenge our thoughts and perhaps some stereotypes that we have. The answer I came to was the fact that no matter where we live now, or where we can maybe choose to live as adults, we are influenced in some way by where we grew up. Where we grew up was not a choice that any of us had. I did not choose to be born into a lower-middle-class family in the suburbs. I was fortunate enough to grow up in a place with opportunities that were easily accessible to me just because of where my family lived. As a social worker, I see how this plays out for many children and families who did not choose the life that they were born into. When you live somewhere that does not have as many opportunities that are easily accessible, you are at a disadvantage solely because of this. It takes more perseverance and strength to find the opportunities that many of us who grew up in middle-class suburban areas take for granted. I am not saying that this seals your fate, but what I am saying is that, in the end, where you live does play a crucial role in your life, especially as a child. This is a fact that we need to recognize, especially if we were fortunate enough to be born and grow up somewhere with these easily accessible opportunities. I realize that I really like the house that I drove past and that it would only be a block away from the woman on her front porch. I think that if I were to buy the house, I could potentially invite her over for coffee. I think that at our ages, we would have lots of things to talk about. We might not have common upbringings or have shared the same demographic or geographical locations, but I think we could learn a lot from each other. I already know that we both enjoy sipping coffee in the morning and easing into our days. This might be the best common denominator that any of us has with one another, but it is a start. Visit my website for more info! Read more from Julie Farnsworth Julie Farnsworth, Trauma-Informed Grief Coach Julie Farnsworth is a Certified Trauma-Informed Grief Coach, Neuro-Change and Mind-Body Medicine Practitioner, Social Worker, and Mental Health Therapist. Since the age of 12, as a volunteer with the Red Cross, Julie has been called to help as many people as she can. She is the founder of "One Free Soul Grief Journey," which provides 1:1 healing journeys for anyone who needs help navigating the intricacies of grief and loss. Julie brings her years of experience walking alongside fellow grievers, as well as her own personal experience with grief and loss, to ignite her passion to help others to go from surviving to thriving.

Steve O’Brien is CEO of Woya Digital and founder of Fleet Street News, with 20 years’ experience in SEO and digital marketing. Known for reframing SEO as an authority-building discipline rather than a ranking exercise, he works with businesses in finance, healthcare, and other professional sectors to build lasting visibility and trust. In this interview, he shares his perspective on how AI is reshaping search, why Digital PR has become essential to online authority, and what businesses and the leaders behind them need to prioritise to stay discoverable and trusted in the years ahead. After two decades in SEO, what has kept you excited about helping businesses grow through search? I entered the industry in 2006, when it was all keyword stuffing and easy backlinks; people leaned into Yellow Pages more than Google (actually a little like ChatGPT today vs. Google). What keeps me excited two decades on is that the core challenge never actually goes away; businesses still need to be found, trusted, and chosen; only the mechanics keep changing. We built Woya Digital from the ground up, watched it grow into an international team, and more recently launched Fleet Street News and an upcoming repositioned version of Woya to align with an evolving market. There is nothing quite like taking a business that felt invisible online and turning it into one that customers actively seek out and trust. Search has gone from ten blue links to AI systems that summarise and recommend brands, and that shift is the most interesting the industry has ever faced. Being able to guide businesses through that, rather than just watch it happen, is what still gets me up early every morning. You often describe SEO as an authority-building discipline rather than a ranking exercise, so what does that difference look like in practice? Ranking is a snapshot, authority is a reputation. In practice, that means looking well beyond your own website. It’s technical SEO done properly, yes, but it’s also expert content, consistent information across the web, reviews, brand mentions and genuine third-party coverage that together tell Google and AI platforms you can be trusted. I see businesses that rank page one but are still invisible in AI answers, because they’ve optimised for the algorithm and ignored the trust signals sitting around it. Authority building means every channel, your site, your Google Business Profile, your press coverage, your social presence, saying the same credible thing consistently. It’s slower to build than a ranking, but far harder for a competitor to copy, and it’s what actually converts, because people buy from businesses they trust, not just ones they can find. That’s the difference I try to get clients focused on before anything else. "SEO used to be about being found. Now it's about being credible enough to be the answer." – Steve O’Brien - Woya Fleet Street News brings Digital PR into the search conversation. Why do you believe trusted third-party coverage has become so valuable for online visibility? Because authority today is machine-readable. AI systems summarise, cite and recommend brands based on structured, trusted information, and if you’re not present in credible news sources, you’re invisible to that next generation of discovery engines. We built Fleet Street after seeing a genuine gap: businesses were choosing between cheap automated distribution, fast but low-trust, or traditional PR agencies, high-authority but slow, unpredictable, and retainer-based. Neither served businesses that needed real coverage on a real timeline. Fleet Street is placement-led, fixed price, with guaranteed publication within five days of approval, no gamble, just a platform with results. Third-party coverage matters because it’s independent validation. Your own website telling people you’re trustworthy is marketing; a respected publication saying it is evidence. That distinction is exactly what search engines and AI platforms are now built to weigh, which is why digital PR has moved from a nice-to-have to a core visibility discipline. AI has sparked constant predictions about the end of SEO. Which changes do you think are genuinely transformative, and which do you see as overhyped? Genuinely transformative is the shift from “where do we rank” to “are we trusted enough to be used as the answer.” AI Overviews and conversational platforms are absorbing clicks before people even reach a website, and that is a real, permanent change to how visibility works. What’s overhyped is the idea that SEO is dead or that AI visibility can be tracked as cleanly as a Google ranking report. AI answers vary by platform, prompt, and context; they are not fixed, and a lot of the industry is overselling tools that claim precision they can’t deliver. What you can genuinely track is clicks and conversions from AI platforms, branded search growth, referral traffic and citations, and that’s plenty to work with. The fundamentals, technical health, quality content, and real trust signals still matter enormously. AI / GEO or AEO hasn’t replaced SEO; it’s raised the bar for what counts as visibility, and businesses that treat it as a bolt-on rather than a core strategy will fall behind quickly. Businesses in sectors like finance and healthcare face unique trust challenges. What separates an effective search strategy in those industries from one in less regulated markets? In finance, healthcare and legal, every claim gets scrutinised by regulators, by journalists and increasingly by consumers who’ve grown wary of scam ads and empty promises. An effective strategy in these sectors leans much harder into verifiable credibility, expert-authored content, consistent business information everywhere it appears, genuine reviews, and third-party coverage from publications people already trust. You can’t shortcut it with volume or aggressive claims; that approach backfires fast in regulated industries and increasingly gets flagged by AI systems too, which are learning to weigh source credibility heavily. I’ve spent most of my career in these sectors, and the businesses that win are the ones that treat trust as the product, not just the marketing message. Less regulated markets can sometimes get away with speed over substance. In finance and healthcare, substance has to come first; the visibility follows once people believe what they’re seeing is genuinely credible. If a company wants to become more visible in both Google and AI search today, where should it focus its efforts before investing in more content? Fix the foundations before you add volume. That means a technically sound website, an accurate and fully optimised Google Business Profile, consistent business information across every listing and platform, genuine reviews, and structured data that helps machines understand who you are. Then look at your trust signals: do you have third-party coverage, expert commentary, recognisable proof points that back up what your own site says about you? Most businesses I meet want to jump straight to publishing more content, but more content built on a shaky or inconsistent foundation just gets ignored by AI systems and users alike. This is exactly the thinking behind Woya 2.0; we built it to cover both Google ranking and AI visibility together because they now depend on the same underlying signals. Get the fundamentals and trust markers right first, then content becomes a multiplier rather than noise added to a weak base. What are the biggest mistakes you see businesses make when they chase rankings instead of long-term authority? The classic mistake is trying to do everything at once without a clear starting focus, running before you can walk. Businesses spread their budget across every platform and channel, which dilutes impact rather than building it. Others chase a page one ranking as the finish line, then wonder why it doesn’t translate into trust or revenue, because they’ve ignored the third-party validation and consistency that make a ranking mean something. I also see businesses neglect user experience once they’ve won the traffic, sending visitors to a slow or confusing site that loses them within seconds. And short-term tactics get treated as the whole strategy rather than one part of it. Paid ads have their place, but sustainable growth comes from authority built over time. Rankings without trust signals leave you ranked by Google and ignored by AI; that’s the pattern I see most often, and it’s entirely avoidable with the right sequencing. Throughout your career, what principle has remained constant even as search technology has changed? Trust. Every algorithm update, every platform shift, every AI breakthrough has ultimately been search engines and now AI systems getting better at identifying who genuinely deserves to be trusted and recommended. That was true when I started in 2006, and it’s true now with generative search. The tools, tactics and even the definition of a “search result” have changed beyond recognition, but the underlying question a business has to answer has not: can people believe what you’re telling them, and can you prove it? Consistency and authenticity have always been the keys to success, whether that’s in a keyword strategy from twenty years ago or an AI-era authority strategy today. I built both Woya Digital and Fleet Street News around that same principle, because chasing the algorithm always loses eventually, but building genuine credibility compounds. That constant is what I come back to with every client, every sector, every platform shift. Looking ahead, what mindset will help businesses stay discoverable and trusted over the next five years? Treat visibility as one connected discipline, not a set of separate tactics. The businesses that will thrive are the ones that stop asking “how do we rank” and start asking “how do we become the credible, trusted answer” across Google, AI platforms, local search, reviews and media coverage all at once. That means investing in real expertise and real third-party validation rather than shortcuts, because AI systems are only going to get better at spotting the difference. It also means staying adaptable, the specific platforms and mechanics will keep shifting, so businesses need a strategy built on principles, not on gaming a particular system. I’d encourage every business owner to think of online authority the way I think of building an SEO agency, define the objective, build the system, execute with discipline, and trust the process rather than chasing quick wins. The businesses that stay curious and keep their credibility intact will be the ones still visible in five years. In your last interview, you spoke about personal branding. As AI search increasingly surfaces individual expertise alongside company websites, how should business leaders think about building their own authority, not just their brand’s? This is only becoming more important. AI systems don’t just cite companies; they increasingly surface the individuals behind them, which means a leader’s own visibility and credibility now directly affect their business’s discoverability. My advice is to treat your personal brand with the same rigour as any SEO strategy, be consistent, be genuinely useful, and back up what you say with real expertise rather than noise. I post daily on LinkedIn about SEO, AI optimisation and digital PR within my niche areas and sectors, not for vanity, but because it builds a body of evidence that I know this space, and that reflects on Woya Digital and Fleet Street News too. Third-party coverage matters here as well; being quoted, interviewed, or featured builds the same trust signals for a person that digital PR builds for a brand. Business leaders who invest in their own authority, authentically and consistently, will find their companies more discoverable and more trusted, in Google and in AI search, than those who leave it entirely to the corporate website. SEO, GEO, and AEO are used almost interchangeably. What's the difference, and why does it matter for how a business builds its strategy? People’s understanding of SEO, GEO and AEO varies in the industry; we treat them as three highly connected disciplines, not a single blurry catch-all. SEO, search engine optimisation, is the foundation, getting a site properly indexed and ranked in traditional search. Everything else sits on top of that. AEO, answer engine optimisation, is about structuring content so AI systems can lift it out and use it as the direct answer to a query; that's a technical and content discipline in its own right. GEO, generative engine optimisation, is broader again, it's the authority-building work, digital PR, brand mentions, offsite signals, that gets a business actually mentioned and cited inside AI-generated responses, not just extracted from a page. The distinction matters because of sequencing. You can't do AEO or GEO properly on a broken SEO foundation, and you can't buy GEO the way you buy a ranking, it has to be earned through genuine trust signals. Businesses that understand all three, and where each applies, get found, get answered, and get cited. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Steve O'Brien

Written by Elizabeth Tsekouras, Education and Career Coach Liz Tsekouras is a successful education and careers coach with a background in Sociology and Psychology. Her specialism is in neurodiverse coaching, where she provides tailored guidance to clients to improve their academic/career performance, confidence, and wellbeing. AI has reshaped the modern workplace, accelerating communication, increasing expectations, and transforming how teams operate. Yet beneath the surface of this technological evolution lies a human reality that is often overlooked: the emotional labour required to function in an AI-driven environment. For neurodivergent professionals, this labour can be heavier, more complex, and more invisible than ever. Neurodivergent individuals may already navigate sensory load, communication differences, and executive functioning challenges. AI can amplify these pressures, creating environments where emotional regulation becomes a constant, unspoken requirement. AI can accelerate the emotional load AI tools promise efficiency, but they can also introduce new forms of cognitive and emotional strain. Neurodivergent professionals may experience: Constant connectivity: Notifications, automated prompts, and digital nudges can create a sense of urgency that becomes overwhelming for people who are sensitive to sensory and cognitive demands. Ambiguous expectations: AI may automate tasks without necessarily clarifying expectations. Neurodivergent individuals may absorb the emotional labour of interpreting unclear instructions, filling gaps, and managing uncertainty. Rapid change: AI tools evolve quickly. For those who rely on predictable routines, constant adaptation can become emotionally exhausting. These pressures can accumulate quietly, often unnoticed by colleagues or leaders. Masking in a digital workplace Masking can be one of the most draining forms of emotional labour. In AI-accelerated workplaces, masking may intensify because communication is faster, tone is easily misinterpreted, and digital messages often lack nuance. Neurodivergent professionals may spend significant emotional energy crafting emails to avoid sounding blunt, managing anxiety triggered by unclear digital communication, recovering from misunderstandings, and regulating sensory overload caused by constant alerts. This labour can remain invisible, yet directly affect wellbeing and performance. Miscommunication: The silent burnout trigger Digital communication can reduce context, tone, and emotional cues. For neurodivergent individuals, some of whom may rely heavily on clarity and structure, this can increase the risk of misinterpretation. Common experiences include directness being perceived as rudeness, silence being interpreted as rejection, emotional expression being labelled unprofessional, and logical communication being seen as cold. Each miscommunication may require emotional effort to repair or recover from. Over time, this can become a significant contributor to burnout. The pressure to appear “AI-enhanced” In some workplaces, a new expectation has emerged: if AI can make you faster, you should be faster. This can create emotional pressure for neurodivergent professionals who may prefer deep focus, need time to process information, or find AI suggestions overwhelming. This is not necessarily a capability issue. It may reflect a different way of processing information. However, the emotional impact of feeling “behind” or “different” can be profound. Coaching as a tool for reducing emotional labour Coaching can offer a structured and supportive way to reduce emotional strain and promote sustainable wellbeing. Five coaching shifts can make a meaningful difference: Changing “What’s wrong?” to “What’s happening internally?”: This reframes behaviour through the lens of nervous system load, which may reduce shame and increase understanding. From assuming meaning to clarifying communication: Coaching encourages people to slow down, check intent, and reduce misinterpretation. From performance to psychological safety: Psychological safety can allow neurodivergent individuals to express their needs, ask questions, and set boundaries without fear. From self-regulation to shared responsibility: Healthy environments can support emotional regulation through clear expectations, flexible communication, and predictable workflows. From managing differences to valuing contribution: When neurodiversity is valued as a strength, emotional labour may decrease because individuals no longer feel as much pressure to hide who they are. Building emotionally sustainable AI workplaces As AI continues to evolve, approaches to emotional wellbeing must evolve alongside it. Leaders and organisations can reduce emotional labour by clarifying expectations, reducing unnecessary cognitive load, slowing communication when needed, creating psychologically safe environments, valuing neurodivergent strengths, and integrating coaching into professional development. Neurodivergent professionals are not struggling because of a lack of ability. Many may be carrying emotional labour that others do not see. When workplaces acknowledge and support this, individuals can do more than cope; they can thrive. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn for more info! Read more from Elizabeth Tsekouras Elizabeth Tsekouras, Education and Career Coach Liz Tsekouras is a dedicated coach and specialist neurodiverse educator who draws on over a decade of experience to help individuals build confidence, strengthen their learning skills, and navigate challenges with clarity and purpose. She provides personalised coaching that empowers clients to harness their abilities, develop effective strategies, and achieve meaningful academic, professional, and personal growth.

Written by Michael D Snell, CEO of Michael Snell Bespoke Michael D Snell, The Style Doctor help men elevate their presence through bespoke suits, custom shoes, and intentional style. Military discipline meets modern luxury. Building legacy, not just wardrobes. Entrepreneur. Author. Leader. Leadership begins long before a title is given, a company is built, or a person enters the boardroom. It begins with self leadership. Behind Michael Snell Bespoke is a man whose journey has been shaped by military service, discipline, international experience, entrepreneurship, and a belief that how a man presents himself should reflect the standards by which he chooses to live. Known as The Style Doctor, he has built his brand around a philosophy that extends far beyond clothing. For Snell, style is not simply about appearance. It is about leadership, identity, discipline, confidence, and intention. Leadership before the brand Long before Michael Snell Bespoke existed, leadership was already central to Snell’s life. His military career taught him that leadership is not defined by rank alone. It is demonstrated through preparation, accountability, consistency, decision making, and the willingness to set the standard before expecting others to follow it. Those lessons became part of the foundation of Michael Snell Bespoke. The military also reinforced an important truth, people often form perceptions before a single word is spoken. Presence, preparation, and details matter. Leaders must understand that how they present themselves can communicate confidence, credibility, and respect for the people and environments around them. Michael Snell Bespoke was created from this philosophy. The objective was never simply to sell suits, shoes, and accessories. It was to encourage men to become more intentional about how they lead themselves, how they present themselves, and ultimately how they influence the world around them. Self leadership is the foundation Before a man can effectively lead a team, an organization, a family, or a business, he must first learn to lead himself. Self leadership requires discipline when no one is watching. It requires accountability without excuses. It also requires the confidence to make difficult decisions and the humility to continue learning. These principles are deeply connected to the philosophy behind Michael Snell Bespoke. A man’s appearance cannot replace character, competence, or integrity. However, when personal presentation is aligned with those qualities, it can reinforce the presence of a leader who understands who he is and what he represents. The clothing does not create the man. The man gives meaning to the clothing. Where leadership, tradition, and technology meet Michael Snell Bespoke represents the intersection of timeless craftsmanship and modern innovation. Through international collaborations with skilled tailors and craftspeople, the brand offers bespoke and made to measure suits, footwear, accessories, and ready to wear collections for the modern gentleman. Technology is also central to the evolution of the brand. From AI assisted body measurement tools to digital customization and visualization, Snell continues to explore how innovation can make personalized style more accessible without sacrificing craftsmanship or individuality. This balance reflects an important leadership principle, respect what has worked, understand what is changing, and have the courage to evolve. Effective leaders do not fear innovation. They learn how to use it. The philosophy of The Style Doctor Snell believes many men do not necessarily need more clothing. They need a better understanding of themselves. They need to understand fit, proportion, presence, and the psychological relationship between appearance and confidence. This belief is at the heart of The Style Doctor philosophy. A well chosen garment can influence how a man stands, how he communicates, and how he enters a room. Style, when connected to purpose, becomes more than aesthetics. It becomes another tool in the development of confidence and self awareness. The goal is not simply to help a man look successful. It is to encourage him to recognize his own value and accept responsibility for developing his potential. Building a global brand requires leadership Living and working in Europe has expanded Snell’s perspective on culture, craftsmanship, business, and international style. Travel throughout Europe and beyond has allowed him to observe how history, architecture, geography, and culture influence the way people dress, communicate, and conduct business. Those experiences continue to shape the global vision of Michael Snell Bespoke. Yet behind the international aspirations and technological innovation remains an independent entrepreneur balancing government service, writing, travel, marketing, product development, and the realities of building a business. There is no massive corporate machine behind the brand. There is discipline, persistence, experience, adaptability, and a leader willing to continue learning, evolving, and betting on his own vision. Entrepreneurship, like leadership, requires the ability to move forward without having every answer. It requires making decisions, learning from mistakes, adjusting the strategy, and continuing the mission. The rebirth of the gentleman is a leadership mission At the heart of Michael Snell Bespoke is a mission, the rebirth of the gentleman. For Snell, the modern gentleman is not defined solely by the clothing he wears. He is defined by character, discipline, integrity, confidence, accountability, emotional intelligence, and intention. The modern gentleman understands that leadership is not about controlling others. It is about mastering himself. He can respect tradition while embracing technology. He can pursue ambition without sacrificing integrity. He can demonstrate strength while remaining willing to learn. He can also understand that personal presentation is not vanity when it is connected to purpose, preparation, and respect. Michael Snell Bespoke is ultimately more than a menswear brand. It is the culmination of military discipline, entrepreneurial ambition, international experience, personal evolution, and a belief that leadership begins with the standards a man establishes for himself. Behind every brand is a story, and behind every successful organization is a philosophy. Behind Michael Snell Bespoke is a man determined to prove that leadership, style, and character are not separate ideas. They are interconnected. The gentleman is not disappearing. He is evolving, and the future belongs to men willing to lead that evolution. Michael Snell is The Style Doctor. Michael Snell Bespoke is the brand. The rebirth of the gentleman is the mission. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Michael D Snell Michael D Snell, CEO of Michael Snell Bespoke Michael D Snell is the Founder & Creative Director of Michael Snell Bespoke, a modern luxury menswear brand redefining how men experience style, confidence, and presence. Known as The Style Doctor, he specializes in bespoke suits, custom shoes, refined outerwear, and elevated accessories designed for men who understand that image is influence.

Written by Paula Andrade, Founder & Marketing Director, El Brand Paula Andrade is the founder of El Brand, a cross-border marketing agency in Singapore. A marketing strategist and storyteller, she is known for connecting brands, building meaningful collaborations, and starting The Curious Circle, a curated event series for founders, creatives, curious minds, and decision makers. Long before a conversation begins, impressions are already being formed. They emerge through countless signals, some obvious, others almost imperceptible. A meeting invitation. A business address. The environment in which conversations take place. Even the way a company chooses to present itself to the world. These details may seem small in isolation. Together, they shape something far more valuable, presence. In business, presence has always mattered. For years, we have been told that physical space no longer matters. Remote work would replace offices. Video calls would replace boardrooms. Geography would become irrelevant, and for a while, it felt true. Entire companies were built from spare bedrooms, kitchen counters, airport lounges, and the occasional café with decent WiFi and surprisingly good eggs Benedict. Yet something interesting happened. People kept showing up, not because they had to, but because they wanted to. Founders still fly across continents for a one hour meeting. Investors still prefer conversations in person when the stakes are high. Clients still feel reassured when walking into a thoughtfully considered space. Despite everything we have heard about the death of the office, premium workspaces continue to attract people who understand something many of us quietly know but rarely articulate, business has never been only about work. It is about presence. APresence is a strange thing. You cannot exactly measure it. There is not a dashboard for it. No KPI. No quarterly report that tells you how much trust was built because someone walked into the right room and felt, instinctively, that they were in capable hands. But we have all experienced it. You walk into a space and immediately understand the type of people who belong there. The conversations. The ambitions. The standards. Sometimes, you understand them within seconds. Singapore, perhaps more than most places, understands this language. This is a city where location still communicates something. Where addresses carry stories. Where proximity to industry, capital, talent, and opportunity shapes perception long before introductions begin. Mention Raffles Place, Marina Bay, or the financial district, and people unconsciously fill in the blanks, not because they are superficial, but because humans rely on signals. This thought stayed with me while visiting The Work Boulevard’s newest centre at SGX Centre 2. What struck me was not the furniture. It was not the finishes, although they were thoughtfully considered. It was not the meeting rooms, the amenities, or even the view overlooking one of Singapore’s busiest commercial districts. It was the intention behind the space. It was the understanding that where people work is no longer simply about where they place their laptops for eight hours a day. It is about where they choose to be seen. There is a difference. For founders, entrepreneurs, consultants, family offices, growing teams, and established businesses alike, the office has quietly evolved into something else entirely. Part headquarters. Part meeting ground. Part signal. It is a place that communicates who you are before you have to explain yourself. Of course, nobody wakes up and says, “I need an office that increases perceived trust.” We do not talk that way. Instead, we say things like, “I want clients to feel comfortable,” “I want a professional environment,” “I want somewhere central,” or “I want a place that reflects where we are headed.” What we are really talking about is confidence. Credibility. Presence. Walking through The Work Boulevard at SGX Centre 2, you get the sense that this is not a workspace designed for people who simply need desks. It is designed for people who are building something. People who understand that business, at its core, remains deeply human. Because despite artificial intelligence, hybrid work, automation, and every prediction about the future of work, one thing has not changed. Trust still happens between people, in rooms, over coffee, across tables, and during conversations that probably could have been emails but somehow became something more. Perhaps that is why, after all these years of predicting the end of offices, we continue returning to spaces that make us feel something. Not because we need more square footage or another meeting room, but because we understand, consciously or not, that the new currency of business was never really space. It was presence all along. Experience presence at The Work Boulevard If your business is ready for a workspace that reflects the way you build relationships, inspire confidence, and grow your presence in Singapore, The Work Boulevard invites you to experience it firsthand. Book a private tour and discover a workspace designed for the way you do business. Mobile: +65 9384 8471 Email: catherine.andrade@theworkboulevard.com Learn more here. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and visit my website for more info! Read more from Paula Andrade Paula Andrade, Founder & Marketing Director, El Brand Paula Andrade is a marketing strategist, storyteller, and founder of El Brand, a cross-border marketing agency in Singapore. She writes about brand stories, marketing trends, cross-border marketing experiences, collaboration, and the people behind brands. Through her work, she explores how businesses grow with clearer narratives, stronger market understanding, and more meaningful connections. She is also the founder of The Curious Circle, a curated event series gathering founders, creatives, curious minds, and decision makers.

Written by Mwanaidi Swaleh Kombo, Founder & Global Wellness Visionary Mwanaidi Kombo, also known as Munno, is the Founder of Divine Wellness Global and a visionary in holistic and integrative wellness. Through her work, she advances mind-body-soul alignment and culturally responsive wellness frameworks that empower individuals and communities globally. There was a time when I believed growth meant constant movement. If my calendar was full, my business was expanding, and new opportunities kept arriving, I assumed I was moving in the right direction. As entrepreneurs, we are conditioned to believe that momentum is everything. We celebrate the long hours, the consecutive flights, the ability to juggle multiple responsibilities, and the resilience to keep going no matter how exhausted we become. I believed that too. Looking back, I realize I wasn’t just building Divine Wellness. I was building a version of myself that believed slowing down was something successful people simply couldn’t afford. For years, my life revolved around serving others. Every decision I made carried weight because it affected not only me but also my team, my clients, and the vision I had dedicated my life to creating. Divine Wellness was growing beyond anything I had imagined. We were welcoming more clients, expanding our services, creating new experiences, and dreaming bigger than ever before. It was everything I had prayed for. Yet somewhere in the middle of all that growth, I quietly stopped asking myself a question that now feels so obvious: How is the person leading all of this actually doing? The answer was uncomfortable. From the outside, I looked successful. Inside, I felt disconnected. Not because I had fallen out of love with my work, but because I had spent so much time responding to the needs of everyone around me that I no longer knew how to respond to my own. Every day demanded another decision, another meeting, another problem to solve, and another vision to communicate. I had become incredibly skilled at holding space for other people while slowly losing the ability to hold space for myself. Years before, life had already tried to teach me this lesson. A serious accident forced me to stop in ways I never would have chosen for myself. Recovery demanded patience, humility, and a willingness to accept that healing could not be rushed. I learned to respect my body’s timeline, but once I was physically able, I did what many founders do. I returned to work determined to make up for lost time. I threw myself back into building, convinced that resilience meant getting back to business as quickly as possible. It never occurred to me that healing isn’t only physical. Sometimes the body recovers long before the mind and spirit have had the chance to catch up. That realization stayed quietly in the background until years later, when I found myself making another decision that many people misunderstood. I relocated to Bali. To most people, it looked like I was taking a break. Friends imagined beaches, cafés, sunsets, and an extended holiday. Social media has a way of turning places into fantasies, and Bali is no exception. But I wasn’t moving there because I needed another destination. I moved because I had reached a point where I could no longer ignore the growing distance between the life I was living and the person I felt myself becoming. I wasn’t searching for a new country. I was searching for enough silence to hear my own thoughts again. What surprised me most about Bali wasn’t its beauty. It was its pace. On my first morning, I woke before sunrise, opened the curtains, and stood in complete stillness. Mist rested gently over the rice fields. The air carried the scent of incense from the morning offerings that appeared outside homes before the day had begun, and somewhere in the distance, I could hear roosters announcing a sunrise that nobody seemed to be rushing toward. The island didn’t feel lazy. It felt intentional. Nothing appeared to be competing for attention. People moved with purpose, not urgency. Watching that simple rhythm made me realize how foreign stillness had become in my own life. I had spent so many years measuring the value of a day by how much I accomplished that I had forgotten there was another way to measure it, by how present I had actually been while living it. At first, I brought my old habits with me. I answered emails overlooking rice terraces. I scheduled meetings between walks. I reached for my phone every few minutes, almost instinctively, afraid that if I disconnected for too long, something important would fall apart. The scenery had changed, but my mind hadn’t. It took weeks before I understood that changing your environment doesn’t automatically change your relationship with yourself. That work happens much more slowly. As the weeks passed, something began shifting inside me. I stopped walking with a destination and started walking simply because I wanted to observe. I noticed the women preparing flower offerings every morning with remarkable care, even though many of them would disappear within hours. I watched rain arrive without apology, drenching the streets before disappearing as quickly as it came. I watched waves reach the shore again and again without ever rushing to become the next one. Nature wasn’t trying to outperform yesterday. It simply trusted its own rhythm. Somewhere between those ordinary moments, I began questioning why I had believed leadership required me to live any differently. Every morning, before I spoke to my team or opened my laptop, I opened my journal. At first, I wrote because my mind felt crowded. There were thoughts I hadn’t had time to process, emotions I had postponed because there was always something more urgent to deal with, and questions I had buried beneath productivity. Those pages became the quietest conversations I had experienced in years. They reminded me of the woman I had been before the endless responsibilities, but they also introduced me to the woman I was becoming. Looking back now, I realize I wasn’t simply documenting my days. I was witnessing my own transformation in real time. Those private pages would later become the inspiration behind The Divine Journal, but long before they became something I could share with others, they became the place where I finally met myself again. The greatest gift that season gave me wasn’t rest. It was perspective. When I eventually looked at Divine Wellness again, I no longer saw a business that depended on how much I could personally carry. I saw something much bigger. I saw the possibility of building an ecosystem where healing didn’t begin and end with me, where practitioners could thrive, where communities could find support, and where leadership meant creating opportunities for others to do meaningful work. My vision expanded because I finally had enough space to think beyond survival and toward legacy. Today, I no longer see slowing down as the opposite of ambition. I see it as one of ambition’s greatest protectors. There are seasons when life asks us to move quickly, and there are seasons when it quietly invites us to become still. The wisdom lies in knowing the difference. My strategic pause did not delay my vision. It deepened it. It reminded me that the strongest leaders are not those who never stop, but those who understand that sustainable growth begins with a leader who is willing to pause long enough to become the person their next chapter requires. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Mwanaidi Swaleh Kombo Mwanaidi Swaleh Kombo, Founder & Global Wellness Visionary Mwanaidi Kombo, also known as Munno, is the Founder of Divine Wellness Global and a visionary in holistic and integrative wellness. Her path was shaped by adversity, following a life-altering injury and one of the darkest seasons of her life that challenged her physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Through holistic healing practices, she restored her strength and realigned her purpose, transforming personal survival into a greater mission. Today, she leads Divine Wellness as a global movement rooted in mind-body-soul alignment and culturally responsive, preventative wellness frameworks that empower individuals and communities globally.

New York, NY — MaternityWise International is proud to announce that its acclaimed Doula Trainer Certification Program is now available to qualified professionals worldwide, marking an exciting new chapter in the organization's mission to improve maternal and infant health through education, leadership, and community-based support. For more than two decades, MaternityWise International has educated doulas who serve families across diverse communities. By expanding its Doula Trainer Certification Program internationally, the organization is empowering experienced birth professionals to become educators, mentors, and advocates within their own countries, cultures, and healthcare systems. "Our vision has always extended far beyond borders," said Anne Wallen, Founder and Director of MaternityWise International. "Every family deserves compassionate, evidence-informed support during pregnancy, birth, and the postpartum period. By training educators around the world, we are multiplying that impact exponentially." The Doula Trainer Certification Program prepares experienced doulas and maternal health professionals to confidently teach future doulas using MaternityWise's comprehensive curriculum. Participants receive advanced instruction in: Adult education principles and teaching methodology Curriculum delivery and classroom facilitation Student mentorship and evaluation Professional ethics and leadership Cultural humility and respectful maternity care Business development and program implementation Graduates are equipped to establish training programs in their own communities while maintaining the educational excellence and integrity that have become synonymous with the MaternityWise name. Recognizing that birth practices, healthcare systems, and cultural traditions vary throughout the world, MaternityWise encourages trainers to present educational content in ways that honor local customs while remaining grounded in current evidence, respectful communication, and the physiological processes of pregnancy, birth, breastfeeding, and postpartum recovery. The expansion comes at a time when many countries are investing in maternal health initiatives and seeking innovative ways to improve birth outcomes. Research continues to demonstrate that doula support is associated with higher satisfaction, improved birth experiences, increased breastfeeding success, and reduced rates of unnecessary interventions. By preparing educators rather than training only individual doulas, MaternityWise aims to create sustainable growth in the availability of professional birth support worldwide. International students will have access to MaternityWise's flexible hybrid educational model, combining online coursework with mentorship, practical teaching experiences, and ongoing professional support. Graduates become part of an international network of educators dedicated to raising standards, expanding access to quality doula education, and strengthening maternal health in their regions. "We believe knowledge should be shared generously," Wallen added. "Our goal is not simply to certify trainers, but to cultivate leaders who will inspire confidence, elevate professional standards, and create lasting change for mothers, babies, and families around the globe." As the organization continues its international expansion, MaternityWise is actively seeking partnerships with healthcare organizations, educational institutions, community leaders, ministries of health, and maternal wellness advocates interested in bringing professional doula education to their regions. Professionals with experience in birth work, midwifery, nursing, childbirth education, lactation support, or related maternal health fields are encouraged to apply. About MaternityWise International MaternityWise International is a globally recognized maternal health education organization dedicated to preparing compassionate, knowledgeable, and skilled birth professionals. Through comprehensive certification programs for doulas, childbirth educators, lactation professionals, and maternal health specialists, MaternityWise equips graduates to support families with confidence while promoting informed decision-making, respectful care, and evidence-informed practices. Its graduates serve families throughout the United States and around the world, helping improve the pregnancy, birth, postpartum, and early parenting experiences of thousands of families each year. For additional information about the International Doula Trainer Certification Program, visit here or contact the MaternityWise International admissions team to learn about upcoming training opportunities and international partnerships.

Written by Dawn Chubai, Live Shopping Strategist Dawn Chubai is an award-winning broadcaster (Breakfast Television & The Shopping Channel), and founder of Live Selling School. After generating more than $250 million in live sales and spending over 40,000 hours on live television, she now helps brands harness live shopping, video commerce, and on-camera communication to drive growth. AI is changing how brands create content, communicate with customers, and sell online. Used well, it can help businesses move faster, show up more consistently, and support customers in smarter ways. I am not an AI expert. But I am a trust expert. I built a career creating trust through technology: television cameras, live broadcasts, digital video, livestreams, and now live shopping. So I am all for using the tools. The opportunity is not to resist technology. The opportunity is to use it in a way that still feels human. What does trust mean in an AI-driven world? Trust has always mattered in business, but the way customers evaluate trust is changing. In the past, a polished website, professional photos, strong copy, and consistent branding could go a long way toward helping a company appear credible. Those things still matter, but they are no longer enough on their own. Customers are now moving through a digital world filled with automated emails, AI-generated captions, chatbots, templated videos, polished brand messaging, and even AI clones and virtual presenters. The more content people consume, the more they begin to notice what feels generic, overly produced, or disconnected from a real person. The 2025 Edelman Trust Barometer found that people are more likely to embrace innovation when they feel informed, in control, and confident that it will improve their lives. That matters for brands using AI. It is not enough to adopt the technology. Customers also need to understand, trust, and feel connected to the way it is being used. Trust now comes from signals of humanity. It comes from voice, presence, perspective, transparency, consistency, and proof. It also comes from imperfection, which should not be confused with a lack of preparation. A natural pause, an honest answer, a moment of real interaction, or the ability to respond thoughtfully in real time can separate a human brand experience from the synthetic sameness customers are beginning to recognize online. That is why, when I work with brands to execute their livestream and video content strategies, the goal is not to appear flawless. The goal is to feel credible, prepared, and real. On-camera presence still matters, but presence is not about pretending to be perfect. It is about helping the audience feel that the person speaking is prepared, connected, and trustworthy. Why does technology still need humanity? Technology has always changed the way brands communicate. Television changed how audiences experienced personalities and products. Social media changed how customers interacted with businesses. Ecommerce changed how people discovered and bought products. AI is now changing how quickly brands can create, respond, and scale. But every major shift creates the same question: Does this make the customer feel closer to the brand or further away from it? That is why I see live shopping and live video as such powerful hybrids. They use modern technology, but they restore something deeply human: presence, tone, demonstration, conversation, and trust. A customer can still shop from their phone. A brand can still use digital tools. But the experience can feel less like a transaction and more like a connection. That is where the real opportunity is. Why is authenticity harder to prove online? AI has made it easier than ever to create content. That is not a bad thing. I use and appreciate AI myself. For many business owners, it can remove friction, organize ideas, speed up production, and make it easier to show up consistently. The challenge is that when everyone has access to similar tools, many brands start to sound the same. The same polished phrases appear. The same captions circulate. The same “value-packed” posts begin to blur together. The result is not always bad content, but it can become forgettable content. Authenticity is not about rejecting technology. It is about making sure technology does not erase the point of view, lived experience, personality, and emotional intelligence that make a brand memorable. A brand can use AI and still sound human. A founder can use AI and still lead with original thought. A company can use automation and still create meaningful connections. But that only happens when the technology supports the brand voice instead of replacing it. Can brands use AI and still feel authentic? Yes, but only if AI is used as a support tool, not as a substitute for a brand’s actual voice. AI can help with research, outlines, editing, customer service, repurposing, brainstorming, and content planning. It can help a small team create with more consistency and help a busy founder organize ideas more quickly. But the stories, opinions, experiences, values, and customer understanding still need to come from the humans behind the business. The risk is not that a brand uses AI. The risk is that the brand becomes so dependent on AI-generated language that it loses what made it distinct in the first place. Your customers do not need you to be perfect. They need you to be clear. They need to understand what you stand for, why your work matters, and why they should trust you over another option. Why are customers craving human connection? Even younger generations who have grown up surrounded by technology are showing signs of craving more analog, tactile, and real-world connections. Gen Z’s renewed interest in digital cameras, vinyl records, physical media, and printed photos points to something larger than nostalgia. It suggests a desire for experiences that feel slower, more intentional, and more real. That does not mean digital is going away. It means digital experiences need more humanity built into them. People want convenience, but they also want connection. They want speed, but they also want confidence. They want information, but they also want to know whether they can believe the person or brand delivering it. This matters for businesses of every size. Customers are not only asking, “Can I buy this?” They are also asking, “Do I trust this?” “Do I understand this?” “Do I believe in this brand?” “Do I feel confident making this decision?” Those questions are not answered by automation alone. How does video help brands build trust? Video gives brands something static content often cannot: tone, expression, energy, demonstration, and context. A customer can read a product description and understand what something is. But when they see a founder explain why it was created, watch a product being demonstrated, or hear a real person answer a common question, the relationship changes. Research from Wyzowl found that 91% of people have watched an explainer video to learn more about a product or service, and 87% of consumers say video quality impacts their trust in a brand. That does not mean every brand video needs to look like a commercial. It means the customer experience needs to feel clear, credible, and considered. Video helps customers assess more than information. It helps them assess confidence, credibility, warmth, and fit. That does not mean every video needs to be perfectly produced. In fact, overly polished content can sometimes create distance. The goal is not perfection. The goal is presence. After spending more than 40,000 hours on live television, I can tell you that audiences do not connect because everything is flawless. They connect because something feels clear, grounded, useful, and real. The same applies to brands. Customers do not need every founder, expert, or brand representative to become a broadcaster. But they do need to feel that the person speaking understands the product, understands the customer, and can communicate with confidence. Related article: 5 ways poor camera presence hurts trust and sales How live and recorded video builds customer trust Recorded video allows a brand to educate, explain, and create consistency. It can live on websites, product pages, social platforms, emails, and sales funnels. It gives customers a way to experience the brand before they ever speak to someone directly. Live video adds another layer of trust because it happens in real time. Whether it is a founder Q&A, a product demonstration, a launch event, a webinar, or a live shopping experience, live video allows customers to see how a brand responds, explains, listens, and interacts. That kind of real-time presence is difficult to fake. This is one of the reasons live shopping and shoppable video are becoming more relevant. They are not just sales tools. Used well, they are trust-building experiences that bring education, interaction, and commerce together. A live experience allows a brand to answer questions, show details, demonstrate use cases, handle objections, tell stories, and create urgency without removing the human element from the buying journey. That is powerful because trust often grows in the moments between the scripted points. Seven ways brands can build trust in an AI-driven world 1. Use AI to support your voice, not replace it: AI can help you organize your ideas, refine your message, and create more efficiently. But your voice should still sound like your brand. Before publishing content, ask yourself: Could any brand say this, or could only we say this? If any brand could say it, the message likely needs more specificity. Add the lived experience. Add the founder’s perspective. Add the customer insight. Add the real example. Add the human reason behind the business decision. That is where trust begins to build. 2. Make your point of view clear: In a crowded digital space, neutral messaging rarely cuts through. Customers are drawn to brands that know who they are, who they serve, what they believe, and why their work matters. This does not mean every brand needs to be controversial. It means your audience should be able to understand your perspective. What do you believe about your industry? What do you wish your customers understood? What problem do you solve differently? What are you unwilling to compromise on? These are the kinds of questions that help a brand move from generic content to thought leadership. 3. Show the people behind the brand: Customers often trust brands faster when they can see the people behind them. This could be the founder, the product expert, the educator, the stylist, the service provider, the customer support lead, or the person who understands the details better than anyone else. I was an early adopter of livestreaming when Periscope launched on Twitter over a decade ago, long before it was discontinued in 2021. At the time, I was a host on Breakfast Television, and the idea of showing behind-the-scenes moments felt almost rebellious. Crew members, talent, desks, cables on the floor, and real conversations before or after a segment were not things traditional media were eager to reveal. In fact, I remember getting “in trouble” for pulling back the curtain. The concern was that I was showing the messy parts when the finished product was supposed to look polished. Now, that kind of behind-the-scenes content is often part of the job requirement. What once felt too imperfect to share has become one of the ways brands create trust. Audiences want to see the process, the people, the preparation, and the moments that make a brand feel alive. Human presence does not always need to mean personal oversharing. It can simply mean allowing people to see the care, knowledge, and intention behind the business. A short founder video, a behind-the-scenes explanation, a product demonstration, or an honest answer to a common customer question can create more trust than another polished graphic. 4. Create content that answers real customer questions: Trust grows when people feel understood. Instead of only creating content around what the brand wants to promote, create content around what the customer is already wondering, worrying about, comparing, or trying to decide. What do they need to know before buying? What objections come up repeatedly? What mistakes do they make when choosing a product or service like yours? What do they not know to ask yet? This kind of content builds confidence because it reduces uncertainty. It also shows that the brand understands the customer’s decision-making process, not just the sale. 5. Let video carry more of the relationship: Video is one of the most effective ways to bring humanity back into a digital brand experience. It allows customers to see facial expressions, hear tone of voice, watch a demonstration, and understand context in a way that static content often cannot provide. This can include founder videos, short educational clips, product demonstrations, customer tutorials, recorded FAQs, webinars, livestreams, or shoppable video experiences. The goal is not to create more content for the sake of content. The goal is to create more moments in which the customer can build confidence in the brand. 6. Use live interaction to create real-time trust: There is a different kind of trust that develops when a brand shows up live. Live video allows customers to ask questions, hear unscripted answers, see products in real time, and experience the brand’s energy directly. It also allows the brand to respond to what the audience actually needs in the moment. This is where live selling, live shopping, webinars, interviews, Q&A sessions, and product education can become powerful trust-building tools. When done well, live video does not feel like pressure. It feels like access. 7. Keep the customer experience personal, even when the process is digital: Digital does not have to mean detached. A brand can use automation, AI, ecommerce tools, email sequences, chat support, and digital content while still creating a customer experience that feels thoughtful and human. The difference is intention. Does the customer feel guided or pushed? Do they feel educated or overwhelmed? Do they feel like the brand understands their needs or simply wants the transaction? The brands that build trust will use technology to make the customer feel more supported, not less seen. How brands can turn humanity into a competitive advantage In an AI-driven world, humanity becomes a competitive advantage when customers can clearly recognize the people, values, and expertise behind the brand. That can look like a founder video. It can look like behind-the-scenes content. It can look like live demonstrations, customer education, honest product conversations, or a more human approach to service and selling. It can also look like having a stronger point of view. The opportunity is not to appear less digital. The opportunity is to become more recognizable within the digital experience. When customers can see your face, hear your voice, understand your values, and experience your expertise, you become harder to compare. The future of business is not less digital The future of business is not less digital. It is more human. AI will continue to change how brands operate, communicate, and sell. It will help businesses move faster, create more efficiently, and support customers in ways we are still learning to understand. But the brands that build lasting trust will be the ones that use technology to deepen connection, not dilute it. That is why new tools, including Facebook Live Shopping, are worth paying attention to. When used strategically, they can reduce friction while giving brands a more human way to educate, engage, and sell in real time. In a world where content is easier to create than ever, human presence becomes more valuable, not less. The brands that win will be the ones that still feel real and human. Related article: Meta is putting live shopping back in focus. Is your brand ready? Start building a more trusted brand experience Most brands are already using some form of AI, automation, video, or digital selling. These tools have made tasks easier, content creation faster, and customer navigation more efficient. But in making the process smoother, many brands have also removed some of the human signals that help customers feel connected, understood, and confident. The goal should not simply be to create more content, automate more steps, or add another sales channel. The goal should be to build enough trust that the customer feels comfortable taking the next step. That trust comes from clarity, consistency, visibility, and human presence. Technology can help you move faster. Human connection is what helps people believe you. Ready to make your brand feel more human, more confident, and more trusted online? At Live Selling School, you’ll find free resources designed to help you bring more clarity, connection, and strategy to your digital presence. From ebooks and guides to training videos and free clarity calls, these tools can help you understand how video, Live Social Shopping, and on-camera communication can support your next stage of growth. Visit my website to explore the free resources and take the first step toward building a more trusted, more human brand experience. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn for more info! Read more from Dawn Chubai Dawn Chubai, Live Shopping Strategist After spending more than 40,000 hours live on television and generating over $250 million in sales, Dawn Chubai now helps brands apply the same principles that drive successful live selling to modern ecommerce. As the founder of Live Selling School, she works with businesses to leverage live shopping, video commerce, and audience engagement to compete in the trillion-dollar social commerce economy.

Brainz Magazine Exclusive Interview Genvièv St. Clair is an award-winning, board-certified educator and the founder of CORE NRG RESET®—a groundbreaking, science-backed methodology known for producing rapid and lasting transformation in cases considered chronic, complex, or resistant to treatment. A summa cum laude graduate from the Dept. of Doctorates of the Sorbonne, Genvièv has decades of specialized expertise in trauma and emergency medicine, neuroscience, integrative wellness, and forensic regression in criminal investigations. She is renowned for her unique ability to identify and resolve the causes responsible for persistent physiological, mental and emotional challenges. Genvièv has been featured on Discovery Channel, and interviewed on television, radio and podcasts programs worldwide. Her work is featured in international magazines and the New York Times best-selling series Chicken Soup for the Soul. She is the recipient of the NGH President’s Award—the highest honor delivered by the leading institution in her field—and a Fellow and former President of the Oregon Hypnotherapy Association. In recognition of her lifetime contributions to her field, Genvièv was inducted into the Order of Braid International Honor Society. With CORE NRG RESET®, Genvièv helps people from all walks of life recover from traumatic events, achieve profound breakthroughs, and discover a quality of life they never imagined possible. Her Professional Academy delivers internationally recognized certifications to medical and mental health practitioners, coaches and integrative wellness providers seeking to facilitate rapid and lasting results for their clients and patients. Genvièv St. Clair, photo by Nicole Severson You’ve had a remarkably diverse journey — from your career as a television personality, to your academic studies, your work in trauma and emergency medicine, and your specialization in criminal justice. How did this path lead you to creating CORE NRG RESET®? From the earliest age, I had to develop a level of resilience and adaptation far beyond my years. It wasn’t a choice. I had to survive the unsurvivable. This shaped the foundation of everything that followed — from my career as a television personality in Paris, to my academic studies at the Sorbonne, and to my specialization in criminal justice, trauma and emergency medicine in the United States. Across these fields, I saw a recurring gap: traditional approaches address symptoms, while the core mechanisms at their root remain ignored. My forensic expertise in criminal investigations gave me the keys to the missing piece. In criminal justice, accuracy is everything. You return to the scene of the crime to solve a case. Similarly, when we locate the exact cause of an issue, when we release its traumatic, emotional, or neurological charge, we change the trajectory of someone’s life. CORE NRG RESET® emerged from decades of research in neuroscience, brain plasticity, epigenetics, forensic regression and integrative wellness. It is the culmination of a lifetime spent studying the mechanisms of human suffering, and the extraordinary capacity we have to transcend it. "CORE NRG RESET® facilitates rapid and lasting results where nothing else worked". How would you describe the core focus of your work today? At the heart of my work is a single focus: creating rapid and lasting transformation by identifying and releasing the root causes keeping people stuck in repeating and persistent patterns. This is not surface-level mindset work, or traditional symptom-management. It is profound, precise, “ground zero” recalibration. CORE NRG RESET® bridges science and life intelligence. It combines neuroscience, trauma physiology, and brain plasticity with our innate human life force. Our clinical work helps others break cycles that have held them back for years, sometimes decades. The CORE NRG RESET® Academy delivers professional certifications and unique tools to medical and mental health providers, wellness practitioners and performance trainers, who want to offer rapid and lasting relief to their patients and clients. What patterns do you most often see in people seeking transformation? People come to us after trying everything else without results. Years, sometimes decades, of medical interventions, therapy, alternative modalities, personal development programs, even invasive procedures gave them, at best, temporary relief. They remain stuck in endless cycles of relapse. They arrive exhausted, hopeless, and convinced that nothing will ever bring them relief. They’re not broken. Their situation is not hopeless. The exact cause for their suffering was simply never correctly identified, addressed and released. People don’t fail to heal because something is wrong with them. They fail to heal because no one ever took them back to where the wound began. CORE NRG RESET® does exactly that. Beneath every persistent struggle lies an unresolved charge from the past. When we go back to the child we once were, at a time when we felt frightened, shamed, ignored, or overwhelmed — when we rescue that younger part of us — everything changes. Once the original survival patterns are released, our nervous system resets, symptoms dissolve, and life opens again. Transformation becomes not only possible — but unstoppable. Genvièv St. Clair, photo by Nicole Severson "People don’t fail to heal because something is wrong with them. They fail to heal because no one took them back to the place where the wound began". What types of challenges or conditions does CORE NRG RESET® most often help people overcome? CORE NRG RESET® specializes in cases labeled chronic, complex, or resistant to treatment. We help those who have tried everything without finding relief, finally achieve freedom, health, wellness, success, and a quality of life they never imagined possible. Here are a few examples: • Chronic Health Conditions Sherri spent decades in excruciating, paralyzing pain. Countless medical experts, invasive procedures, every prescription and supplement available, and years of therapy never brought her relief. Her life turned to agony. Then she discovered CORE NRG RESET® and everything changed. Sherri shares her transformation here. Through neuroscience, brain plasticity, and epigenetics, we targeted the root mechanisms causing her symptoms, released stuck blockages, reset her nervous system, and sent her on her path to begin the best chapter of her life. “ Working with Genvièv was life changing. I finally got real results and found amazing relief! Thank you so much!!! You changed my life! You changed another life!” — Sherri Holstad • Peak Performance & Success After 20 years in his company, David had reached his yearly quota only once, some years finishing with only half of it. By October 2024, with only 3 months left in the year, he embarked on the CORE NRG RESET® journey. Within 3 months, David quadrupled his previous year’s results, doubled his annual quota, and received the Sales Winner of the Year award, from the largest company in his field, in the world. David describes his experience here. CORE NRG RESET® allowed him to release subconscious blocks, restore his focus and confidence, and accelerate his capacity to peak-performance levels he had never before experienced. “The success we achieved — in a very short period of time — has been unbelievable. Within just three months, I doubled my quota and received the Sales Winner of the Year award — from the largest company in my field in the world. I never understood what I was truly capable of until I worked with Genvièv. She reframed my entire mindset — my focus, my vision, and my belief in my own abilities.” — David Harju • Emotional Wellness & Life Quality For most of her life, Mandy was trapped in loops of depression, anxiety, and trauma. Therapy, medications, and endless self-help strategies left her exhausted, burned out, and still stuck. CORE NRG RESET® gave her the breakthrough she had been seeking for decades — inspiring her to join the Academy and become a practitioner herself. Watch Mandy as she shares her empowering journey. “Working with Genvièv saved my life. I am freed from years of unbearable pain. Thankful doesn't even begin to cover it. I wish I had done this decades ago!”— Mandy Clark • Forensic Regression & Memory Recovery A young woman arrived with an eight-hour memory gap following a traumatic event. Terrified, confused, and unable to recall what had happened, she had lost her sense of safety. With forensic regression, we recovered the missing hours, restoring her sense of safety, coherence and strength. “Losing a block of your life from your memories is unbearable. Your mind spins in endless loops attempting to pierce through the veil. The relief I experienced when we recovered my memories was immense. It gave me the strength I needed to survive.”— Crime Victim • Panic & Trauma Resolution Kathy spent decades trapped inside her own home — not by walls, but by the crippling effects of early childhood trauma. Today, she lives free — joyful, grounded, and with a peace and quality of life she never imagined possible. “Genvièv gave me a life for the first time. Working with her changed everything. I never knew such transformation was even possible. Today, I wake up and go to sleep at peace. It’s a new beginning for me. She is my miracle.” — Kathy B. How has your background in trauma medicine, neuroscience, and forensic regression shaped CORE NRG RESET®? In trauma and emergency medicine, I learned to read the body and mind under crisis, identify subtle patterns, and act with precision when every second matters. My research in neuroscience, brain plasticity and epigenetics gave me the scientific frameworks to understand why people remain stuck in repeating cycles long after the initial events have passed. But it was my forensic regression work in criminal investigations that gave me the final piece. Forensic regression requires returning to the exact origin of an event — reconstructing sensory impressions, emotional signatures, and memory pathways with absolute accuracy. When you bring that level of precision into clinical work, into to the internal landscape of someone’s life, you can identify the origins of chronic patterns with remarkable clarity. Every issue, symptom, and condition has a cause. Once a cause is identified and released at its core, the symptoms disappear. This understanding is the foundation of our approach. CORE NRG RESET® blends the physiological understanding of trauma, with the scientific framework of neuroplasticity, and the investigative depth of forensic work. The result is a methodology capable of resolving long-standing issues at their source with incomparable precision and speed. “CORE NRG RESET® merges trauma medicine, neuroscience, and forensic precision to identify and release the causes of chronic patterns.” What separates CORE NRG RESET® from other approaches? Traditional approaches rely on insight, repetition, and coping strategies. CORE NRG RESET® takes a fundamentally different path. We calm the central nervous system. We identify the original imprints responsible for recurring patterns. And instead of managing symptoms, we remove their cause. When you apply this level of precision to human suffering, you discover something extraordinary: nothing is random. Every chronic pattern, block, symptom, condition or limitation has an origin. When this origin is correctly located and released, the pattern collapses permanently. The transformation is immediate, measurable, and lasting — not because we work harder, but because we target the epicenter and hypocenter, from which the issues initially ignited. Our results are demonstrated by thousands of clients who experienced profound relief after having battled for years — sometimes decades — with agonizing pain and suffering. Their stories, shared in their own words, in reviews and testimonials across every platform, consistently describe a similar outcome: a profound, permanent shift that enabled them to access a quality of life they never imagined possible. “CORE NRG RESET® doesn’t manage symptoms—it removes their cause, allowing you to access a quality of life you never imagined possible.” What long-term impact do you hope CORE NRG RESET® will have — both on those you help and on the future of integrative wellness? My deepest hope is that CORE NRG RESET® becomes a catalyst for global change in how we understand, address, and resolve human suffering. My capacity to work one-on-one is finite — but the reach of our methodology is not. That is why my long-term mission, with our Integrative Wellness Academy, is to pass on this lifetime of research and specialization to practitioners in the medical, mental health, and integrative wellness fields. Our Academy allows practitioners, therapists, coaches, and healthcare providers to learn a proven methodology that delivers rapid and lasting results, even in chronic and treatment-resistant cases. Unlike traditional wellness education, which often requires years of study and considerable debt, our programs can be completed in under a year and prepare graduates to begin their practice immediately. Certifications are valid internationally, never expire, and include prestigious credentials with the NGH, the largest and most respected institution in the field. I envision a future where people no longer believe they must battle with lifelong limitations — where practitioners worldwide have the tools to resolve suffering at its true origin, not just manage it. When CORE NRG RESET® shifts the global standard from symptom-management to lasting resolution, its mission will be fulfilled. Learn more about Genvièv’s pioneering work by visiting her website, and connect with her on YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook. Read more from Genvièv St. Clair CORE NRG RESET® is always used in collaboration with licensed medical providers. We do not diagnose, treat, prescribe or replace medical care.

Written by Claire Wilding, Founder of Lead Success Deliver & Leadership Consultant Claire Wilding is the founder of Lead Success Deliver, specialising in identity-led leadership, decision clarity, and execution under pressure. She works with founders and senior leaders navigating complexity, growth, and high-stakes responsibility. For a long time, we have treated founder performance as though it is mostly a strategy problem. If the business is stalling, the answer must be a better plan. If execution is inconsistent, the answer must be more discipline. If the founder is overwhelmed, the answer must be tighter systems, stronger routines, or a more aggressive approach to productivity. On paper, that logic seems sound. In practice, it misses the real issue more often than many leaders realise. Some of the brightest, most capable founders I know do not struggle because they lack ambition, work ethic, intelligence, or even strategy. They struggle because they are trying to execute through an overloaded internal operating system. They are carrying too many open loops at once. They are switching constantly between strategic thinking, delivery, client work, team decisions, sales, content, family logistics, and the mental residue of everything they have not yet processed. They are making important decisions while cognitively fragmented, emotionally stretched, and trying to hold too much in their working memory. From the outside, it can look as though the issue is execution. Underneath, the issue is often architecture. The hidden cost of an overloaded founder operating system High performers are particularly susceptible to this because they are often very good at functioning under pressure. They can keep moving. They can hold a lot. They can absorb complexity. They can deliver even when their internal environment is far from clean. That ability is useful, but it can also mask a problem for far too long. A founder can continue operating at a decent standard while quietly accumulating friction in the background. Priorities become blurred. Decision-making becomes reactive. Important work gets repeatedly delayed by urgent noise. Boundaries soften. Delegation stalls. Recovery becomes inconsistent. The business keeps moving, but at a cost that is rarely visible in a spreadsheet. What looks like a time management problem is often a decision quality problem. What looks like a discipline problem is often a clarity problem. What looks like a productivity problem is often an operating system problem. By “operating system,” I do not mean a software stack or a colour-coded planner. I mean the underlying structure a founder uses to think, prioritise, decide, recover, and move. It is the set of internal filters that determines: What receives attention and what does not. How priorities are ranked under pressure. Whether decisions are made from clarity or reactivity. What gets held, delegated, delayed, or dropped. How a founder returns to centre when the environment becomes noisy. When that system is weak, strategy does not disappear. It simply becomes much harder to execute consistently. Why strategy often sit downstream of something else Most founders do not need more information. They need a cleaner way to process the information they already have. The challenge is rarely a complete absence of direction. More often, the founder’s attention is spread too thinly across too many demands for that direction to be applied effectively. They know the goals. They know the opportunity. They know the broad priorities. But knowing and executing are not the same thing when the mind is cluttered and the operating rhythm is fragmented. This is why founders can look decisive in one area and strangely avoidant in another. It is why intelligent people still procrastinate on high value work. It is why leaders who are exceptional in front of clients or teams can still struggle to make clear decisions for themselves. The issue is not capability. It is friction, and friction compounds. The more friction there is between what matters and what receives attention, the more likely the founder is to spend their day reacting rather than leading. Small tasks create false progress. Urgent requests hijack strategic work. Personal and professional responsibilities bleed into one another. The mind never gets the signal that anything is fully contained, so it keeps everything half open at once. The result is not just inefficiency. It is erosion. Erosion of decision quality. Erosion of energy. Erosion of consistency. Erosion of the founder’s ability to think clearly enough to lead the business from the front. The problem with treating everything as a productivity issue The market has no shortage of advice for founders who feel stretched. Most of it falls into one of three buckets: Optimise your calendar Work harder on the right things Simplify your systems There is value in all three, but none of them goes far enough if the underlying architecture remains unchanged. You can optimise a calendar and still make poor decisions. You can simplify a workflow and still be mentally overloaded. You can work harder on the right things and still be trying to do so from a state of cognitive fragmentation. This is why so many capable founders end up consuming more advice than they can realistically use. They are searching for a tactical solution to a structural problem. If the founder’s internal operating system is full of unmade decisions, unstructured responsibilities, unclear priorities, and unexamined emotional load, then even good strategy will struggle to land properly. It will be layered on top of noise rather than integrated into a clean decision environment. What a stronger founder operating system actually does A strong operating system does not eliminate pressure. It does not make a founder’s life easy. It does not remove the reality of complexity, uncertainty, or high stakes. What it does is reduce unnecessary friction. It gives the founder a way to return to what matters when everything feels important at once. It makes it easier to separate urgency from consequence. It creates clearer criteria for what stays on the founder’s plate and what should move elsewhere. It reduces the amount of work the brain has to do just to keep the day functioning. In practical terms, a stronger founder operating system helps answer questions such as: What genuinely matters this week? What am I holding that no longer needs to be mine? What feels urgent but is not actually consequential? Am I avoiding this because it is difficult, or because it is unclear? What does the business need from me at my best, rather than at my busiest? Those are not small questions. They are strategic questions, operational questions, and leadership questions all at once. From ambition to architecture Founders do not need to become less ambitious. They do not need to stop caring. They do not need to reduce the standard of what they are trying to build. What many of them need is a more robust structure between ambition and execution. A way to think clearly enough to move cleanly. A way to reduce the noise around decisions. A way to hold real life and real business without treating constant overload as a badge of honour. Strategy matters. Of course it does. But when a founder is overloaded, fragmented, and operating without a strong internal system, strategy is often not the first problem. It is simply the first place people look. The more useful question is this: What kind of operating system is the strategy landing on? Because if that layer is unstable, the problem is rarely the plan itself. It is the architecture underneath the founder who is trying to carry it. That is where better execution begins. Follow me on LinkedIn and visit my website for more info! Read more from Claire Wilding Claire Wilding, Founder of Lead Success Deliver & Leadership Consultant Claire Wilding is the founder of Lead Success Deliver, a leadership consultancy specialising in identity-led leadership, decision clarity, and execution under pressure. She works with founders, executives, and senior leaders operating in complex, high-stakes environments. Claire is known for her calm, direct approach and her ability to cut through noise to the root of performance challenges. Her work focuses on strengthening leadership identity so decisions become clearer, execution sharper, and results sustainable.

Written by Annelin Knutsen, Intuitive Life Coach Annelin Knutsen is an intuitive life coach who helps women rebuild self-confidence by learning to trust themselves. She guides women out of overthinking and self-doubt, especially during life transitions and relationship challenges. Many women believe divorce is the hardest part, but for many, the real challenge begins afterward, when years of people-pleasing, self-doubt, and putting others first leave them questioning their own instincts. In this article, I share my journey of losing trust in myself after divorce and the lessons that helped me rebuild it. I lost trust in myself long before the divorce Looking back, I did not lose trust in myself the day I got divorced. I had been losing it for years. Like many women, I believed it was my responsibility to make the relationship work. If I could explain myself better. If I could be more patient. If I loved him the right way. If I gave it more time. Then maybe everything would change. It took me six years to realize that I was not the only one responsible for making a marriage work. A healthy relationship requires two people. For years, I carried most of the responsibility for our home and children while working full time. I became so focused on holding everything together that I stopped noticing how exhausted I had become. Although I was married, I felt alone. I kept telling myself things would get better if I just tried a little harder. Instead, I slowly lost touch with myself. Then something happened that forced me to stop. I was diagnosed with cancer. Looking back, I realize my body had been trying to get my attention for years. I had ignored the signals. Life forced me to slow down. For the first time in years, I stopped asking how I could save my marriage and started asking different questions. What kind of life did I want to live? What did I actually need? The moment everything changed Living abroad gave me a completely new perspective. As an expat wife, I met women from many different countries, and watching how they lived made me question something I had never questioned before. One afternoon, I stood outside our apartment complex, watching families return home from work. I saw husbands greet their wives with a hug or a kiss and children run to meet their fathers. Standing there with my own children, I felt an overwhelming sense of loneliness. It was not jealousy. It was grief. For the first time, I realized how much I had accepted as normal. I had spent years believing that being a good wife meant putting everyone else first. But no one had ever asked me to live that way. I had been doing it all by myself. That afternoon, something shifted inside me. It was not just the way I looked at my marriage that changed. It was the way I looked at myself. From that moment on, my focus slowly changed, from trying to change my husband to finding my way back to myself. Why divorce magnifies self-doubt After the divorce, the questions became even louder. Did I make the right decision? What if my children like his new partner more than me? What if I never find love again? What if I cannot do this on my own? Divorce does not just end a relationship. It shakes your identity. You are no longer someone’s wife. You suddenly have to build a completely new life. And when you have spent years putting everyone else first, it can feel impossible to know who you are without that role. I was not only grieving the end of my marriage. I was grieving the future I had imagined for my family. The hidden grief no one talks about People often think divorce is about losing a partner, but that is only part of the story. You grieve the family you imagined. The future you planned. The traditions you thought would last forever. The holidays and birthdays. The ordinary moments you assumed you would always share. Perhaps most of all, you grieve the woman you used to be before you stopped trusting yourself. How self-doubt shows up after divorce When I no longer trusted myself, I started looking for answers everywhere else. I stopped trusting my own voice, so I asked my friends, listened to podcasts, searched Google, and watched YouTube videos. I consumed more and more information, hoping someone else would tell me what the right answer was. But the more advice I sought, the further away I got from my own answers. What finally changed for me Everything changed when I stopped trying to understand him and started understanding myself. I realized I could not change another person. I could only change myself. That became the beginning of everything. I took coaching classes and later became a certified coach myself. I discovered Human Design, which helped me understand why I had always had strong gut feelings but had not always trusted them. For the first time, I understood that my intuition was not something I should question; it was something I could trust. Nature became my place to think. Long walks in the forest helped quiet the noise in my mind. Meditation helped me reconnect with myself. Silence became something I needed instead of something I feared. Looking back, I realize something important, "The answers did not come when I thought harder. They came when I became quieter." Eight steps to start trusting yourself again If you are reading this and questioning yourself, your feelings, or your decisions, I want you to know this, "You do not need to become someone else. You do not need to have all the answers. You simply need to begin listening to yourself again." Start with small decisions: Self-trust is not built overnight. It grows every time you make a choice that feels true to you. Listen to your body: Your body often notices what your mind tries to explain away. Pay attention to how you feel, not just what you think. Set one healthy boundary: You do not have to change everything at once. One clear boundary is enough to begin rebuilding self-respect. Say yes only when it feels right: Stop saying yes out of guilt or obligation. Let your yes come from alignment, not pressure. Learn to say no without apologizing: Every time you honor your own needs, you strengthen your trust in yourself. Trust your intuition: Your intuition may speak quietly, but it is often wiser than fear. Give yourself permission to listen. Spend time in stillness: The answers rarely come when life is noisy. They often appear when you slow down and create space to hear yourself. One choice at a time: Remember that self-trust is built one choice at a time. Every small decision that honors who you are becomes another step back to yourself. Final thoughts For years, I believed clarity would come if I thought harder, analyzed more, or waited long enough for someone else to change. I was wrong. Real clarity came when I stopped looking outside myself and started listening within. Today, that is the journey I help other women take, not because I have all the answers, but because I have walked that path myself. If there is one thing I hope you take away from my story, it is this, "You are not broken. You have not lost yourself forever. You may simply have stopped trusting the voice that has been within you all along." Your inner compass never left you. You just stopped listening. Ready to start trusting yourself again? If you recognized yourself in my story, I hope it reminded you of one thing, "You are not broken. You may simply have lost touch with your own inner voice, and that connection can be rebuilt." If my story resonated with you and you'd like to continue the journey, I'd love to hear from you. I'm currently creating my free guide, Autoritetskompasset™ – 4 Steps to Trust Yourself Again. If you'd like a copy when it's ready, simply send me an email and I'll be happy to send it to you personally. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Annelin Knutsen Annelin Knutsen, Intuitive Life Coach Annelin Knutsen is a coach who helps women rebuild trust in themselves after divorce and major life transitions. She is the creator of Autoritetskompasset™, a coaching method that helps women reconnect with themselves, trust their intuition, and make decisions they can stand behind.

Written by Colby Jones, Empathy Researcher and Human Capacity Strategist Colby is an empathy researcher, organisational development practitioner and entrepreneur at the intersection of leadership, culture and human systems. At Cognitive Humanity, she leads strategy, product thinking and the development of tools that help organisations measure and strengthen human capacity at scale. Walk into any HR department, scroll through any LinkedIn post about professional development, or sit through any career coaching session, and you will hear the same refrain: soft skills matter. You can even scroll through our articles or browse our website, and you will see it there too. Actually, what you will see is that we think skills such as communication, empathy, and adaptability are anything but soft. “Soft skills” is a serious misnomer In fact, the more we use the term, the more the word “soft” bothers me. We are consistently told that these skills are important, undervalued, and increasingly what separates good employees from great ones. Yet “soft” has an entirely different connotation. The term suggests something that is nice to have rather than an essential set of skills that matters just as much as practical, hard skills. While reading Adam Grant’s book, Hidden Potential, I came across his discussion of how the term “soft skills” came into use, and its history surprised me. The term was not invented by a career coach, a management consultant, or a business school professor. The United States Army played a major role in formalising the distinction while developing training systems that separated broader human and organisational capabilities from skills involving machinery, such as gun handling, something that never came up in my master’s coursework in industrial and organisational psychology. Machines, people, and the problem of training In the late 1950s and throughout the 1960s, the U.S. Army was investing heavily in what we might now call evidence-based training, drawing on lessons from World War II and responding to the pressures of the Cold War. The Army wanted to move away from intuition and tradition and towards something more systematic, a rigorous, engineerable approach to turning civilians into effective soldiers. In 1968, the U.S. Continental Army Command, known as CONARC, formally introduced a training doctrine called “Systems Engineering of Training.” The idea was straightforward: break down every job in the Army into its component skills, determine how to teach those skills efficiently, and measure how well soldiers had learned them. It worked beautifully for skills involving machines. Teaching someone to operate a tank, fly a helicopter, or field strip a rifle fit neatly into a systems engineering framework. These were concrete, measurable, and observable actions. You either hit the target or you did not. The gun either jammed or it fired. Every skill and action had clear outcomes and clear feedback. But Army leaders were confronting something that did not fit neatly into the model. Units with similar technical training could produce very different outcomes in the field. The difference was not always marksmanship or mechanical aptitude. It could be leadership, cohesion, how soldiers communicated under stress, how they motivated one another, and how a sergeant could read a room and make decisions that no training manual explicitly covered. These were critically important capabilities, but the Army’s systems model did not yet offer an adequate framework for teaching, measuring, or even discussing them. Naming the unnamed The solution was, characteristically and bureaucratically, to hold a conference. In December 1972, CONARC convened a two day Soft Skills Training Conference at the U.S. Army Air Defense School in Fort Bliss, Texas. Researchers, trainers, and military officials gathered to grapple with a fundamental question: How do you systematise the training of skills that resist systematisation? Dr. Paul Whitmore, a key figure at the conference, offered what became a foundational working definition. He described soft skills as important job-related skills that involve little or no interaction with machines and whose application on the job is broadly generalised. That was the working definition. It did not define soft skills solely as interpersonal skills, emotional intelligence, or résumé building. Instead, it referred broadly to important skills that did not centre on operating machinery. The counterpart, hard skills, referred primarily to skills that did involve machines. The distinction was material, not a judgment about difficulty or importance. There was even debate over whether map reading counted as a hard or soft skill because maps were made of paper rather than machines. A phrase that outlived its definition What is even more fascinating is that, even as the Army was formalising the term, conference participants were sceptical of the distinction. The 1972 conference formally recommended that the terms be deemphasised or discontinued because they were ambiguous and potentially misleading. The recommendation did not prevent the phrase from spreading. Over the following decades, “soft skills” migrated into business schools, HR departments, and self-help books. Along the way, its meaning shifted substantially. What had been a technical distinction became a loaded value judgment. The irony is profound. The Army was not dismissing soft skills. It was trying to take them more seriously and find ways to rigorously develop and assess capabilities recognised as crucial to military effectiveness. The rebrand that has not stuck For decades, critics have argued that the term “soft skills” does these capabilities a disservice. Proposed alternatives have proliferated: people skills, human skills, power skills, core skills, essential skills, transferable skills, interpersonal skills, and emotional intelligence. And I will say it, Capacities of a Thriving Workplace, the framework we created. Seth Godin has argued that these should be called “real skills” rather than soft skills. Language shapes perception, and perception shapes investment. What the history actually tells us There is something clarifying about knowing how the Army used and formalised this phrase. More than fifty years ago, it recognised that the skills most resistant to a checklist were often among the skills most responsible for success or failure. It saw the importance of communication, trust, leadership, and cohesion in environments where technical competence alone was not enough. What the Army classified as soft skills, we might more honestly call human skills or capacities. They are the things machines cannot do, algorithms struggle to replicate, and no amount of technical training alone can replace. The Army understood this by 1972. Most of us are still catching up. The full proceedings of the 1972 CONARC Soft Skills Training Conference are available as a scanned document, a record running 329 pages that captures the moment the Army formally examined and attempted to define something that had always been there. Start the conversation Perhaps it is time we retired the phrase “soft skills” altogether. If language shapes how we value human capability, choosing better language is more than semantics. It influences where organisations invest, what leaders measure, and how we prepare people for the future of work. At Cognitive Humanity, we believe these are not soft skills. They are measurable human capacities that underpin trust, collaboration, decision making, leadership, and performance. And they are too important to keep describing as optional. Follow me on LinkedIn and visit my website for more info! Read more from Colby Jones Colby Jones, Empathy Researcher and Human Capacity Strategist Colby Jones is an empathy researcher, Colby is an empathy researcher, organisational development practitioner and entrepreneur at the intersection of leadership, culture and human systems. Her background blends organisational psychology, empathy research and practical experience in building brands, products and teams. She is particularly focused on how data about human experiences, stress, trust and relational patterns can be used to ethically support better decisions for both people and organisations.