Jonathan Barca is an independent creative founder whose work sits at the intersection of music, fashion, and long-term cultural infrastructure. His approach is shaped by a belief that meaningful creative work is built through patience, clarity, and systems that allow independence to last. Before entering fashion, Jonathan’s creative foundation was rooted in music. He was the lead vocalist and guitarist of a three-piece rock band called Halfwait, where he developed a deep understanding of identity, discipline, and community through writing, releasing, and performing music. That experience continues to inform how he approaches creativity, culture, and long-term thinking today. Fashion emerged as a natural extension of that journey rather than a departure from it. Jonathan is the founder of LML Clothing by Halfwait, an independent label built around transparency, direct relationships, and patient growth. Rather than operating on trend cycles, the brand is structured as a long-term system, prioritizing quality, consistency, and trust across its supply chain and retail partnerships. Across his work, Jonathan focuses on building ecosystems rather than standalone projects. Whether through music, fashion, or infrastructure, his philosophy centers on creating frameworks that support creative longevity while remaining culturally grounded and operationally sound. Jonathan Barca, Founder and Executive Director Who is Jonathan Barca? Please introduce yourself. I’m an independent creative founder working across music, fashion, and long-term cultural infrastructure. My focus has always been on building systems that allow creativity to exist sustainably, rather than chasing fast visibility or short-term wins. Before fashion, music was my primary creative language .I was the lead vocalist and guitarist of a three-piece rock band called Halfwait, and that experience shaped how I think about identity, emotion, discipline, and community. Creating music, releasing records, and building something from nothing taught me how culture actually forms, not through hype, but through consistency, intention, and connection. Fashion entered my world as an extension of that process rather than a separate ambition. I’ve always been interested in how creative worlds overlap, how music, clothing, and storytelling can operate together as a single ecosystem rather than isolated outputs. Over time, that thinking naturally evolved into building something more structured and enduring. I’m the founder of LML Clothing by Halfwait, an independent fashion label built around transparency, direct relationships, and patient growth. The work I do today centers on building infrastructure that supports creative independence, from supply chain relationships to how brands connect with retailers globally. Music remains a foundational part of my identity and continues to influence how I approach storytelling, culture, and community. Rather than treating music and fashion as separate pursuits, I see them as interconnected cultural tools that help shape meaning, longevity, and trust over time. What inspired you to start LML Clothing by Halfwait? LML Clothing by Halfwait began directly through music rather than fashion. During my time as the lead vocalist and guitarist of Halfwait, we were working with a merchandise platform based in California. What initially started as band merchandise gradually revealed something deeper to me. I realized that clothing wasn’t just supporting the music, it was carrying the identity, emotion, and philosophy of the project beyond the songs themselves. Around that same period, Halfwait released a single titled Live My Life in November 2021. The phrase became more than a lyric. It evolved into a personal mantra centered on independence, ownership, and choosing long-term direction over shortcuts. LML emerged as an acronym from that mindset and eventually became the foundation for something bigger. As the music chapter evolved, I saw an opportunity to build a more permanent structure around the same values. Fashion became the natural medium to continue that story. It allowed the philosophy behind the music to live on in a physical, functional form that people could connect with daily. LML Clothing by Halfwait was never conceived as a trend-driven label. It was built as a cultural extension of music, grounded in patience, transparency, and the belief that creative work deserves strong infrastructure behind it. The brand exists to support longevity, not only creatively, but operationally and ethically as well. How would you describe your brand’s style and vision? The style of LML Clothing by Halfwait is intentionally minimal, restrained, and timeless. I’ve always been more interested in how clothing feels over time rather than how it performs in a single season. The visual language is quiet by design, allowing the materials, construction, and fit to speak without distraction. The vision extends beyond the product. LML was built around the idea that a brand should function as a long-term system rather than a trend response. That means prioritizing quality, transparency, and consistency at every level, from how garments are produced to how relationships with partners and retailers are formed. Music continues to influence that vision deeply. The same principles that apply to writing or performing a song, patience, repetition, and emotional honesty, also apply to how the brand evolves. I see clothing as something that should integrate into a person’s life naturally, not compete for attention. Ultimately, the brand exists to support creative independence. It’s designed for people who value longevity over novelty and who see clothing not as a statement, but as a quiet extension of how they live and work in the world. What sets LML Clothing apart from other streetwear brands? What sets LML Clothing by Halfwait apart is that it wasn’t built as a streetwear brand first. It was built as a cultural and operational system that happens to express itself through clothing. Many brands focus primarily on aesthetics or hype cycles. My focus has always been on infrastructure. LML was designed to operate with transparency, patience, and long-term thinking, from global supply chain relationships to how the brand engages directly with retailers rather than relying on intermediaries. The brand’s roots in music also play a significant role. Coming from a background where consistency, repetition, and trust matter more than instant attention, I’ve carried those principles into fashion. That perspective naturally shapes how collections are released, how partnerships are formed, and how growth is approached. Rather than chasing rapid expansion, LML Clothing by Halfwait is built to compound slowly. It prioritizes durability, ethical production, and honest communication over trend-driven momentum. That long view, both creatively and operationally, is what ultimately differentiates the brand in a crowded landscape. Who are your ideal customers and what are they looking for? The people who connect most naturally with LML Clothing by Halfwait are those who value longevity, clarity, and intention over constant novelty. They’re not necessarily driven by trends or logos. They’re more interested in how something fits into their life over time. Many of them come from creative or independent backgrounds themselves. They might work in music, design, business, or other fields where consistency and self-direction matter. They tend to appreciate quality, transparency, and brands that operate with a clear point of view rather than chasing attention. What they’re looking for isn’t a statement piece or fast fashion cycle. They’re looking for clothing that feels considered, dependable, and quietly expressive. Something they can return to daily without it losing relevance. At a deeper level, they’re drawn to brands that feel honest. They want to know how things are made, who is behind them, and why they exist. LML speaks to people who see clothing as part of a wider lifestyle and mindset rather than just a seasonal purchase. How does music and culture influence your designs? Music influences my design process less as a reference point and more as a way of thinking. Coming from a background in songwriting and performance, I approach clothing with the same principles I learned through music, restraint, repetition, and emotional honesty. In music, what lasts is rarely the loudest moment. It’s the structure, the feeling, and the consistency over time. That perspective carries directly into how I design. I’m less interested in seasonal statements and more focused on creating pieces that feel familiar, dependable, and considered the longer you live with them. Culture also plays a role, but in a quiet way. I pay attention to how people actually move through their lives, how they work, create, travel, and rest. The designs are shaped to support that reality rather than perform for an audience. Ultimately, both music and culture influence the brand by reinforcing patience. They remind me that meaningful work builds slowly, and that authenticity isn’t something you add at the end, it has to be embedded from the beginning. What do you want people to feel when they wear your pieces? I want people to feel comfortable, grounded, and confident without needing to think about it. The goal is for the clothing to support them rather than demand attention. When someone wears an LML piece, I want it to feel familiar in the best way. Something they can return to daily, that fits naturally into their routine and doesn’t lose relevance over time. That sense of reliability is important to me. There’s also a quieter emotional layer. I want the clothing to feel honest and considered, like it was made with intention rather than urgency. Not as a statement, but as something that aligns with how someone lives and works. Ultimately, if the pieces allow people to move through their day with ease, focus, and a sense of self-direction, then the clothing is doing its job. How do you ensure quality and authenticity in your collection? Quality and authenticity start long before the product itself. For me, they’re rooted in how decisions are made and how relationships are built. I work closely with manufacturing and supply chain partners and prioritize transparency at every stage. Rather than outsourcing responsibility, I stay directly involved in materials, construction, and production standards. That hands-on approach allows consistency to be maintained as the brand grows. Authenticity comes from restraint. I don’t release pieces unless they serve a clear purpose within the wider system of the brand. Fewer products, produced with intention, allow quality to remain central rather than diluted. Most importantly, I align the way the brand operates with the values it presents. When the process matches the philosophy, quality becomes a natural outcome rather than something that needs to be manufactured or explained. Can you share a story of a customer whose life was impacted by your brand? One moment that stayed with me wasn’t about a dramatic transformation, but something much quieter. A customer reached out to say that wearing LML had become part of his daily routine while he was rebuilding his life professionally after a difficult period. He wasn’t talking about fashion in the traditional sense. What he described was the feeling of stability and consistency the clothing gave him during a time when everything else felt uncertain. That message mattered because it reflected exactly why the brand exists. The idea that clothing can provide a sense of grounding, something familiar and dependable, rather than acting as a statement or distraction. It wasn’t about changing who he was, but about supporting him as he moved forward. Moments like that reinforce my belief that the real impact of a brand often happens quietly, in everyday life. When something integrates naturally into someone’s world and helps them feel more settled or focused, that’s where the value truly lives. What trends or future plans do you see for LML Clothing’s growth? I see the future of LML Clothing by Halfwait being shaped less by trends and more by refinement. The focus is on strengthening what already exists rather than constantly expanding outward. From a growth perspective, that means continuing to build direct, trust-based relationships with retailers and partners globally, while maintaining control over production, transparency, and quality. I’m more interested in sustainable scale than rapid visibility, allowing the brand to grow in a way that feels natural and structurally sound. Culturally, I see a broader shift toward longevity and clarity. People are becoming more considerate about what they buy, how often they buy, and why a brand exists in the first place. LML is positioned to grow alongside that mindset by remaining consistent and intentional. Looking ahead, the goal is to keep building an ecosystem rather than just a label. One that can evolve slowly over time while staying rooted in the same values that shaped it from the beginning. How can someone connect with you or become a wholesale partner? The best way to connect is through the brand directly. I’m intentional about keeping communication open and transparent, especially with retailers and partners who align with the values behind the work. For wholesale partnerships, I focus on direct relationships rather than intermediaries. I’m interested in working with retailers who value long-term collaboration, clarity, and mutual trust rather than short-term volume. Those conversations usually begin through the brand’s official channels, where we can understand each other’s expectations properly from the outset. I see wholesale as a partnership rather than a transaction. When values, pace, and vision are aligned, the relationship tends to grow naturally over time. That approach has allowed LML Clothing by Halfwait to build meaningful connections while maintaining consistency and integrity as it expands. Follow me on Facebook , Instagram , LinkedIn , and visit my website  for more info! Read more from Jonathan Barca

Written by Barbara Basia Siwik, Personal Coach & Nutrition Advisor Barbara Basia-Siwik is a certified personal coach, holistic fitness coach, and nutrition advisor using sports psychology and neuroscience to elevate wellbeing worldwide. She authored a practical e-book and leads transformation bootcamps and holistic programs for lasting change. Cortisol is often blamed for stress, weight gain, burnout, and poor sleep. But from a neuroscience and physiological perspective, cortisol is not something to fear. In fact, without cortisol, you wouldn’t wake up in the morning, feel alert, focused, or energized. It plays a vital role in keeping us awake, alive, and capable of handling daily demands. Cortisol itself is not the enemy; it becomes problematic only when it remains elevated for too long throughout the day, and the body no longer knows how to regulate it. The key is not eliminating cortisol, it’s restoring its natural rhythm. Your body is designed to experience a cortisol spike in the morning, shortly after waking. This response helps you feel awake, improves concentration, mobilizes energy, regulates blood sugar, and prepares muscles and joints for movement. When this morning rise happens properly, cortisol gradually decreases as the day goes on, allowing relaxation and sleep in the evening. When this rhythm is disrupted, often due to stress, poor sleep, lack of light exposure, or constant stimulation, cortisol can stay high into the evening. This is why many people feel tired in the morning but wired at night. The goal is to work with cortisol, not fight it. Supporting healthy morning cortisol (holistic approach) One of the strongest signals for cortisol regulation is light. Natural sunlight in the morning tells the brain the day has started and triggers a healthy cortisol rise, even on cloudy days. Ideally, stepping outside shortly after waking is best. But when that’s not realistic: Turn on artificial lights Gently move your body (stretching, mobility, short walk) Drink water (a small pinch of salt can support hydration) Once the sun is up, sit near a window, go on a balcony, or walk for a few minutes You can also naturally boost cortisol and energy with short, dynamic movements such as push-ups, jumping jacks, squats, or a quick mobility flow. Elevating your heart rate for even two to five minutes helps wake up the nervous system and prepare the body for the day. Even enjoying your morning coffee near natural light supports this rhythm. Training and cortisol: Why timing matters Exercise naturally raises cortisol, and this is a healthy response. Morning training works in harmony with your body’s rhythm and can: Boost energy and focus Improve mood Support metabolism Help cortisol decrease naturally later in the day Many people who train in the morning notice steadier energy and better sleep. However, not everyone can train early, and that’s completely fine. Evening training: Still effective (with smart regulation) Evening workouts can absolutely be effective for strength, fitness, and progress. The key is being mindful that training later in the day raises cortisol closer to bedtime. To support recovery and sleep, it’s important to actively lower cortisol afterward through: Slow breathing or breathwork Stretching and mobility Calm walking Reducing screen stimulation Creating a relaxing wind-down routine Nutrition plays a powerful role in calming the nervous system and supporting sleep. Including carbohydrates in the evening helps boost serotonin and tryptophan, neurotransmitters linked to relaxation and quality sleep, especially when paired with protein for muscle recovery. Lighter options closer to bedtime: Warm oats with banana Protein shake blended with banana, oats, or granola Greek yogurt with honey and berries Kiwi or prunes Balanced post-workout meals (2-3 hours before sleep): Sweet potatoes with chicken or salmon Rice or quinoa with vegetables and lean protein Whole-grain pasta with protein and olive oil Roasted vegetables with tofu or eggs Oatmeal with nut butter and protein Natural calming foods: Sour cherries or tart cherry juice Bananas (rich in magnesium and tryptophan) And as a simple nightly ritual: Warm chamomile tea with a teaspoon of honey, a gentle but effective way to calm the nervous system and prepare the body for rest. A note on cortisol health These strategies support healthy cortisol rhythms for most people. However, when cortisol has been chronically elevated due to long-term stress, burnout, illness, or hormonal imbalance, structured training, recovery, nutrition, and personalized guidance become essential. In these situations, pushing harder without regulation can increase fatigue and imbalance. Balance always comes before intensity. The takeaway Cortisol keeps you awake, alert, focused, and energized. It’s a hormone designed to support life, not sabotage it. Problems arise only when cortisol remains elevated all day without proper regulation. Morning light, gentle and dynamic movement, smart training timing, supportive nutrition, and nervous system recovery help restore balance naturally. Instead of blaming stress hormones, learning to work with your biology creates sustainable health. Often, the biggest breakthroughs come not from doing more, but from understanding the body better. In my coaching system and structured programs, we work around each person’s lifestyle, training load, recovery, nutrition, and individual cortisol patterns to stabilize energy, improve sleep, and support long-term health. I’ve seen consistent improvements with my clients by applying neuroscience-based strategies in a practical and sustainable way. If cortisol imbalance, stress, or low energy resonate with you, you’re welcome to connect through my social media or website to explore how we can work on this together. Follow me on Facebook ,  Instagram , and visit my website  for more info! Read more from Barbara Basia Siwik Barbara Basia Siwik, Personal Coach & Nutrition Advisor Barbara Basia-Siwik is a personal coach and holistic fitness & nutrition advisor who blends physical training with mind–body science for lasting transformation. She applies sports psychology and neuroscience to help clients create sustainable change from within. After starting her career in England, she built a successful practice in Spain, coaching clients in Barcelona and worldwide online. Barbara has developed holistic programs, authored a practical e-book for busy individuals, and leads transformation bootcamp events across Spain. Her mission is to inspire long-term change through holistic fitness, evidence-based methods, and habits that strengthen both body and mind.

Written by Simone Jennings, Spiritual Business and Lifestyle Coach Simone Jennings is a spiritual business and lifestyle coach with 15+ years of coaching experience and over a dozen certifications spanning spirituality, wellness, marketing, design, and business. As founder of The Lightworking Group, she helps women build soul-aligned businesses that honor both purpose and pace, without burnout. There is a specific kind of silence that exists in the hallway of a corporate office when you realize you no longer belong there. It isn't a loud or dramatic realization. Instead, it is a slow, steady cooling of the heart toward a life that once made sense. We hear a great deal about the glory of the "leap" and the hustle of the startup phase. However, we rarely discuss the messy season that precedes the printing of business cards. This is the liminal zone. It is the gap between the person you were taught to be and the soul-led leader you are becoming. This period is full of doubt, desire, discomfort, and deep inner questioning. It is also where the most powerful shifts happen. My intention here is to shed light on what really happens emotionally and spiritually during this transition, validating the experience of those currently standing on the threshold. The first signs: When success starts to feel like misalignment For many high achievers, the path to entrepreneurship begins with a confusing sense of guilt. You have checked all the traditional boxes: salary, title, and benefits. On paper, you have arrived. Yet, there is a persistent Sunday night dread that no amount of weekend rest seems to fix. You find yourself daydreaming about ideas that have nothing to do with your quarterly goals or professional KPIs. You might ask yourself, "Is this it?" while staring at a spreadsheet. Many people feel shame during this phase, thinking they are being ungrateful because they aren't satisfied with a "good" job. In reality, these symptoms are signs of an internal evolution. Your current container has simply become too small for the person you are growing into. What keeps us stuck: The pull of security and the fear of the unknown The primary reason we linger in the space between is the perceived safety of a steady paycheck. We stay because we fear financial instability, worry about what it means to start over from scratch, or even what our peers and family will think if we walk away from a "secure" career. The question of "What if I fail?" becomes a constant background noise. Most people do not hesitate because they are lazy or afraid of hard work. They stay because the identity shift hasn't fully landed yet. We are often more attached to our professional titles than we realize. Leaving that identity feels like stepping into a void where our worth is no longer defined by an organization. I was already working as a spiritual coach while finishing college, but as my career evolved, I leaned into marketing and design for my 9-to-5. I told myself it was the responsible choice and stayed because corporate life felt like the safer option. After adopting my children, I experienced multiple corporate layoffs. The illusion of security cracked wide open when I realized that no matter how loyal or skilled I was, stability was never actually guaranteed by an employer. There was going to be a risk either way. The soul’s quiet whispers: What really pushes people forward What actually causes someone to finally take action? It is rarely a single dramatic external push. Instead, it is a culmination of inner nudges that become louder with time. You might reach an energetic breaking point where the cost of staying becomes higher than the cost of leaving. Sometimes, the final push comes from the support of a coach, friend, family member, or an aligned community that helps you see that your "impossible" dream is actually a viable path. The spiritual perspective: You’re not lost, you’re between stories This season of transition isn't a sign of failure or confusion. It is a necessary evolution. Think of it as the cocoon phase between the caterpillar and the butterfly. You are in the soft inhale before the leap. You are in a sacred pause. In spiritual terms, this is often an energetic mismatch. Your frequency has changed, and you can no longer resonate with the structures of your old life. Using language like alignment, inner wisdom, and divine timing helps to reframe this period as a purposeful journey rather than a period of being "stuck." You are letting go of an old story so a new one can begin. Navigating the space between (without losing your mind) If you are currently in this in-between phase, you can honor your process with grounded tools rather than rushing to escape it: Practice journaling for clarity: Ask yourself what you would do if the money were guaranteed, or what parts of your current day feel most like your true self. Build energetic capacity: This is the time to prioritize rest and nervous system care. Transitioning into entrepreneurship requires a high tolerance for uncertainty, so creating a stable internal environment is vital. Explore while employed: You do not have to quit tomorrow to be an entrepreneur. Use your current job as a "venture capitalist" for your soul-work. Test your ideas, build your foundation, and listen to your inner "yes" more than outside approval. Find your community: Surround yourself with people who understand that purpose is as important as profit. When you are in the space between, the opinions of those who value traditional security can be loud and discouraging. You don’t just quit your job, you step into a new identity Becoming an entrepreneur is a spiritual and emotional transformation. You are moving from a life dictated by external expectations to a life led by internal alignment. The space between is where you develop the courage required to lead and trust yourself. Most importantly, it is where you realize that your value isn't tied to a job title. If you feel the pull toward something deeper, you are invited to explore In[Her] Soul Return , a coaching program designed to help you navigate this very transition. This journey is about coming home to the work you were always meant to do. You are not stuck. You are preparing to lead your life from a deeper truth. Trust the process, trust your timing, and know that you are simply preparing for the most honest version of your life. Follow me on Facebook , Instagram , and LinkedIn for more info! Read more from Simone Jennings Simone Jennings, Spiritual Business and Lifestyle Coach Simone Jennings is a spiritual business & lifestyle coach helping holistic, wellness, and spiritual entrepreneurs, as well as high-functioning women in demanding roles, build businesses that honor both their purpose & pace. After adopting her children, Simone transformed her in-person spiritual coaching practice into a thriving & scalable online transformation business. She blends her corporate background in marketing & design with years of experience as a Reiki Master, somatic coach, & spiritual life coach to create a unique balance of strategy, embodiment, and intuition. As the founder of The Lightworking Group, LLC, she helps women rise into leadership with clarity, confidence, & authenticity, without burnout or losing themselves.

Lowe Insights ™, the thought-leadership brand behind The Resolution Room  podcast, has officially launched The Resolution Society! This space is designed for individuals seeking deeper self-awareness, grounded communication, and personal growth. The community offers exclusive content, guided tools, and behind-the-scenes conversations that extend the podcast’s mission: helping people navigate conflict and connection with more clarity and intention. “Our listeners have been asking for a space to go deeper, somewhere they can reflect, practice, and feel supported,” said Dr. Nashay Lowe, founder of Lowe Insights and host of The Resolution Room. “This community was created for people who want more than episodes and 30 second reels. They want a place to grow at their own pace, to feel seen, and to explore the real work of becoming more grounded and intentional in their relationships.” Members of the community gain access to a supportive community base, guided reflections, micro-lessons on conflict and communication, live Q&A sessions, and early access to new offerings across the Lowe Insights ecosystem. The experience is designed to help people slow down, understand their reactions, and shift everyday moments into opportunities for clarity and connection. Structured yet flexible, the platform supports anyone navigating tension at work, at home, or within themselves. Early members have described the community as “a calm corner of the internet,” “a space that finally makes conflict feel human,” and “the grounding I didn’t know I needed.” Unlike traditional membership models, The Resolution Society centers intentionality over volume, offering thoughtful content meant to be integrated, not consumed quickly. Right now, it is 'free' to join the community and the first 50 members will secure complimentary lifetime access. After we reach this number, members are encouraged to select between two tiers: standard and premium with monthly and annual membership options designed to be accessible for individuals committed to personal growth and reflective practice. Spaces will fill up fast, so ' join now! ' About Lowe Insights Lowe Insights™ is a thought-leadership brand dedicated to transforming how people understand and navigate conflict. Through research-driven frameworks practiced through Resolution Sessions, digital tools, and The Resolution Room podcast, the company helps individuals and organizations cultivate clarity, curiosity, and connection. Founded by Dr. Nashay Lowe, Lowe Insights combines academic research, lived experience, and storytelling to reimagine conflict as information rather than interruption by empowering people to approach tension with intention and insight. Media contact Rachel Walker Receptionist 615-212-5986 hello@loweinsights.com

Written by Beth Rohani, Entrepreneur, Speaker and Creator Beth Rohani leads the No. 1 moving company serving the Houston Multi-Family Industry, and her company is considered one of the Top 3 Best Rated Moving Companies in Houston. As a first-generation Iranian-American, former TV news assignments editor and CEO of a transportation and logistics-based business in a male-dominated industry. A year ago, I found myself right in the middle of this truth. My team and I were stuck. We had been tackling the same operational challenge for weeks, and no matter how hard we pushed, the problem wasn’t budging. We tried the "push harder" approach, more meetings, more resources, more effort directed at the source of the friction. I was frustrated. I was tired. And if I’m honest, I was ready to throw in the towel on the whole thing. The emotional exhaustion was real. But then Maya Angelou’s words found me at exactly the right time. I realized that I’d been exhausting myself by trying to break down a brick wall that simply wasn’t going to move. What I needed wasn’t more force, it was a crucial shift in perspective. I was trying to solve a system problem with only brute-force effort. So, I stopped trying to go through the wall. I walked around it. "If you don’t like something, change it. If you can’t change it, change your attitude." – Maya Angelou The trap of fixed thinking in problem-solving leadership In business and in life, it’s incredibly easy to get locked into fixed thinking. We become attached to the idea of how the solution should look, and when our initial approach fails, we assume the solution is simply to repeat the attempt with higher intensity. This is the definition of grinding, and it leads to burnout, not breakthroughs. As the CEO of a moving company, I’ve seen this happen countless times. A logistical problem, say, a specific delivery route that keeps causing delays, can’t be fixed by simply yelling at the dispatcher to try harder. The problem isn’t the effort; the problem is the route, the truck size, or the time of day. The problem is the system. My experience with that operational wall was similar. I was fixated on maintaining the old process while forcing a new result. My frustration was proof that my approach was flawed. The biggest block wasn't the external challenge; it was my internal resistance to changing my own strategy. I was letting my ego demand that my first idea be the right one. A new strategy, a bigger outcome Instead of continuing the same frustrating approach, I gave myself and my leadership team time and space to step back. We stopped holding meetings focused on assigning blame or forcing the old method to work. We shifted our focus entirely: What if we accepted this wall existed and treated the situation as a brand-new scenario? I mapped things out, became intentional, and started looking for solutions that weren’t just about patching the immediate surface problem but about creating something better and more lasting. We didn't just fix the one issue; we redesigned the entire operational flow surrounding it. A month later, we launched a new strategy. And here’s the beautiful part: it didn’t just solve the surface issue. It dramatically improved the way we worked as a whole. It reduced stress, created more value for the team by making their jobs more efficient, and, in turn, elevated the service quality for the people we serve. We turned a major liability into a competitive asset. That shift reminded me of something I’ve learned time and again as a business owner, a leader, and honestly, as a human: sometimes the solution isn’t about the problem at all. It’s about us. It’s about the mindset we choose to bring to the challenge. The leadership lesson in the pivot In leadership, there’s a strong temptation to believe we have to always push harder, always know the answer, always get it right on the first try. But the truth is, leadership isn’t about bulldozing problems. It’s about evolving yourself, being willing to think differently, to pause, and to adjust your approach based on reality, not ego. It’s about asking the tough, self-reflective questions: What is this challenge teaching me about myself? (Am I impatient? Am I relying too much on old assumptions?) Where do I need to grow in order to move forward? (Do I need new information? A new system?) Am I reacting emotionally, or am I responding with clarity and intention? When we allow ourselves to shift our perspective, we not only solve problems more effectively, but we also grow as leaders, teammates, and people. You are essentially transforming a liability into a character-building opportunity. Moving forward with intention At Ameritex Movers, we use a phrase I love: stress-free moves. On the surface, it’s about making moving easier for our clients. But at its core, it’s about helping people navigate big, stressful transitions in life without letting that stress control the entire process. It’s about teaching them to trust the system we provide so they can manage their own attitude about the unavoidable chaos of moving day. The truth is, life is a constant series of transitions, some chosen, some unexpected. You can’t always change what happens to you. But you can always decide how you’ll respond, how you’ll reframe the situation, and how you’ll move forward. That’s what this experience taught me. By changing my attitude instead of forcing the outcome, I gained clarity, peace, and ultimately, better results. The energy I saved by quitting the brute-force approach was the energy I needed to find the real, lasting solution. We can’t control everything, not in business, not in life. But we can control the energy we bring, the perspective we hold, and the attitude we choose. So, the next time you face a challenge that seems immovable, remember that powerful choice: If you can change the situation, change it. If you can’t, change yourself. That’s where true leadership begins.   For similar content, consider following me on any of my social media platforms: TikTok X Threads YouTube Follow me on  Facebook , Instagram , LinkedIn , and visit my website  for more info! Read more from Beth Rohani Beth Rohani, Entrepreneur Beth Rohani leads the No. 1 moving company serving the Houston Multi-Family Industry, and her company is considered one of the Top 3 Best Rated Moving Companies in Houston. As a first-generation Iranian-American, former TV news assignments editor, and CEO of a transportation and logistics-based business in a male-dominated industry, Beth embraces the stereotypes while inspiring and mentoring others to build a successful business with a balance to live their best life.

Written by Santarvis Brown, Leadership Engineer Dr. Santarvis Brown has spent 15+ years serving as a leader, innovator, and changemaker in education, showcasing in-depth insight as an administrator, educator, and program director. Walking through a haunted house is a masterclass in human psychology. Every element, dim lighting, eerie soundtracks, and hidden actors, exists to unsettle you. The tension builds not because you don’t know you’ll be scared, but because you don’t know when or how. Leadership often mirrors that journey. Markets shift without warning, teams experience moments of deep uncertainty, and leaders face problems that leap out from the shadows. The leaders who grow stronger are those who not only walk through the haunted house but also guide others through it. Anticipate the jump scares Jump scares in leadership take the form of sudden resignations, budget cuts, or unforeseen crises. Leaders can’t always predict the exact moment these shocks will appear, but they can cultivate a mindset of readiness. Think of it like scanning the corners in a haunted house: you’re not paralyzed, but you’re watchful. Anticipation builds resilience, and resilience ensures that when surprises strike, you’re steady enough to respond rather than react. Keep the group together In haunted houses, people instinctively grab hands and huddle close. The instinct to band together is powerful because fear magnifies isolation. Leadership works the same way. In moments of stress, individuals drift into self-preservation mode. A leader’s responsibility is to unify the group, remind them of shared goals, and make sure no one feels left behind in the fog. Teams that stick together don’t just survive chaos; they grow stronger because they’ve weathered it collectively. Courage in leadership is contagious It’s striking how one steady person at the front of the group can calm everyone else. A trembling voice can make the entire team falter, but a confident stride can reassure them. In leadership, courage doesn’t mean you’re unafraid; it means you acknowledge the fear and move forward anyway. Leaders who model courage set the emotional tone for their teams. Courage is not only contagious; it’s catalytic. It transforms anxiety into action. Exit with lessons, not just relief When the haunted house ends, most people laugh, exhale, and relish the relief. But seasoned leaders don’t stop there, they ask, “What did we learn? Did fear expose cracks in communication? Did the team panic, or did they pull together?” Reflection turns haunted-house moments into leadership laboratories. Without reflection, fear is just an ordeal. With reflection, it becomes a teacher. The big takeaway Leadership is not about pretending darkness doesn’t exist. It’s about guiding people through it with steadiness, empathy, and vision. The haunted house eventually ends, but the lessons you gather inside, resilience, unity, and courage, become tools you carry long after the fog clears. Leadership isn’t about proving you’re fearless; it’s about proving you’re faithful to the people you lead. Just like in the haunted house, your team doesn’t need a superhero, they need a steady hand that says, “We’re going through this together.” Real leaders don’t run from the dark; they light the path through it. Follow me on Facebook , Instagram , and visit my LinkedIn for more info! Read more from Santarvis Brown Santarvis Brown, Leadership Engineer Dr. Santarvis Brown has spent 15+ years serving as a leader, innovator, and changemaker in education, showcasing in-depth insight as an administrator, educator, and program director. A noted speaker, researcher, and full professor, he has lent his speaking talent to many community and educational forums, serving as a keynote speaker. He has also penned several publications tackling issues in civic service, faith, leadership, and education.

Written by Anastasia Schenk, Pediatric Feeding Specialist/Integrative Nutrition Anastasia Schenk is a Pediatric Feeding Specialist and Integrative Nutrition Health Coach. She supports children from starting solids to young adulthood with evidence-based strategies for ARFID, picky eating, gut health, immune support, allergy prevention, and chronic inflammation. Walk into any supermarket, and you’ll see a glossy wall of baby food pouches, lined up like tiny fuel canisters for small humans. They promise convenience. “On-the-go.” “Mess-free.” “100% fruit.” And the modern toddler has learned the ritual, twist, squeeze, suck, and move on. In many families, pouches have quietly become a default meal format, not just a backup. And here’s the uncomfortable question we rarely ask: What happens when an entire generation grows up eating in a way that barely requires chewing? Because chewing isn’t just a food skill. It’s a developmental signal. It shapes how the mouth grows, how the airway forms, and how well sleep does its job. In other words, chewing doesn’t only affect the menu, but it may also influence the architecture. This article isn’t a moral panic about pouches. They’re not “bad.” They’re a tool. But tools can be overused, and overuse can create unintended consequences. Let’s zoom out.   The great de-chewing Humans didn’t evolve on smoothies. We evolved on foods that demanded work such as fibrous plants, tougher proteins, textures that made the jaw earn its keep. Chewing loaded the facial bones, trained oral muscles, and widened dental arches across childhood. Modern food technology has reversed that requirement. We now live in a world where calories can be consumed with minimal resistance, and baby food culture is at the front of that shift. When the early diet is dominated by ultra-soft textures (purees, pouches, “melties,” snack foods that dissolve instantly), the jaw gets less mechanical training. And bones are not passive. They respond to use. Your child’s face isn’t only genetic. It’s genetics plus the environment acting on developing tissue.   Chewing is a growth stimulus, not a bonus feature The mouth is part of a larger system, including muscles, bones, tongue posture, breathing patterns, and swallowing. Orthodontists call this the stomatognathic system, basically, the “chew-swallow-breathe” ecosystem that shapes the lower face. During childhood, the jaw and palate are still forming. And mechanical forces matter. The simple act of chewing creates loads that stimulate bone remodeling and muscular development. That’s why researchers have repeatedly found links (in animal models and emerging human data) between softer diets and reduced craniofacial development, including smaller jaws and narrower dental arches. Again, this doesn’t mean a pouch causes orthodontic issues. It means a diet that rarely challenges chewing may contribute to a low-stimulation environment for facial growth, especially if it becomes the norm during key developmental windows.   The palate is the floor of the nose Here’s the part most parents never get told. The roof of the mouth (the palate) is also the floor of the nasal cavity. So when the palate develops narrow and high-arched, there may be less room above it, meaning less space in the nasal airway. In pediatric sleep medicine, certain craniofacial features (like a narrow, high palate) are commonly discussed as part of the phenotype seen in childhood obstructive sleep apnea. This matters because breathing patterns influence everything. Sleep quality, nervous system regulation, and even how the tongue rests in the mouth. When the tongue rests low and the mouth tends to stay open, the palate may miss the gentle widening pressure that healthy tongue posture can provide over time. Development is a chain reaction. When one part of the system adapts, everything else starts negotiating.   Sleep is where the brain pays its bills Pediatric obstructive sleep apnea isn’t always obvious. Adults with sleep apnea often look exhausted. Kids can look wired. In children, disrupted breathing at night is associated with learning and behavioral issues, including difficulty paying attention and ADHD-like symptoms. When sleep fragments, the brain loses its overnight maintenance cycle. Memory consolidation, emotional regulation, impulse control, and attention stabilization. So if early feeding choices nudge oral development toward narrower structures and mouth-breathing patterns, the downstream effects may show up years later as “behavior” when the root issue is actually physiology. We are quick to label kids as difficult. Sometimes they’re simply tired.   The pouch problem isn’t nutrition, it’s texture and mechanics The real issue isn’t that pouches exist. It’s how they’re used. When babies suck directly from a pouch spout, they bypass key skills: Moving food around the mouth Practicing lateral tongue movement Biting and chewing Learning textured variety Developing oral strength and coordination And pouches tend to deliver a uniform texture. Even the “chunky” ones are often the same sensory experience as smooth, sweet, predictable. That predictability matters. Not just for the jaw, but for food acceptance. Large studies tracking thousands of children have found that delaying lumpy textures past the end of infancy is associated with more feeding problems later, including reduced acceptance of fruits and vegetables and more reported feeding difficulties in childhood. This is why many public health guidelines emphasize progression with purees are a stage, not a lifestyle. Babies need to move through textures in order to develop the oral-motor skills that make real family food feel safe. Convenience becomes a problem when it freezes development at one stage.   How to use pouches without raising a liquid-diet kid Here’s the good news, you don’t need to ban pouches. You just need to stop letting them become the default format. 1. Treat pouches as “occasion food,” not daily food Use them for travel days, emergencies, and busy transitions. Don’t let them replace the developmental work of meals. 2. Don’t let babies suck straight from the spout Squeeze onto a spoon or into a bowl. It slows the pace, supports skill-building, and reduces constant contact with teeth. 3. Pair every pouch with a “chew opportunity” If you use a pouch as part of snack time, add something age-appropriate that requires gentle chewing: Soft finger foods Tender cooked vegetables Strips of omelet Soft meatballs Toast fingers (when ready and safe) 4. Move up the texture ladder on purpose You’re not “rushing” your baby by offering mashed/lumpy textures and finger foods in the appropriate window. You’re teaching their mouth what food feels like. 5. Slow the meal down Pouches are fast. Chewing is slow. Development happens slowly. A child who learns to sit, explore, chew, and self-feed is building more than nutrition, they’re building coordination, confidence, and regulation.   When to take a closer look Not every child who likes pouches has an airway issue. But certain signs are worth paying attention to: Persistent mouth-breathing Regular snoring Restless sleep, night waking, sweating Daytime hyperactivity or difficulty focusing Gagging or refusal of textured foods well past the early stages Prolonged “puree-only” eating without a medical reason If these show up, it’s worth discussing with your pediatrician, and sometimes a feeding specialist, ENT, pediatric dentist, or sleep specialist can help connect the dots.   The bigger picture Pouches didn’t ruin childhood. They solved a modern problem including time, stress, and convenience. But convenience has a side effect, it removes friction. And the developing body, especially the developing face, needs a little friction. It needs resistance, texture, and time. Let pouches be what they were meant to be, a backup tool. Then build your child’s everyday diet around real textures that teach their mouth how to grow. Because sometimes the most revolutionary thing you can do for a child’s future health isn’t adding a supplement. It’s giving them food that lets them use their teeth. Follow me on Instagram , LinkedIn , and visit my website for more info! Read more from Anastasia Schenk Anastasia Schenk, Pediatric Feeding Specialist/Integrative Nutrition Anastasia Schenk is a Pediatric Feeding Specialist and Integrative Nutrition Health Coach who reversed her own autoimmune disease through nutrition. A mother of two, she combines clinical expertise with lived experience to help families navigate picky eating, Pediatric Feeding Disorders, ARFID, gut health, and chronic inflammation. Her programs are evidence-based and rooted in real life, supporting children from starting solids to young adulthood. She is the founder of Early Eaters Club, a platform dedicated to raising resilient, adventurous eaters for lifelong health.

Written by Ashish Prabhu, Company Director and Freelance Journalist Ashish Prabhu has a wide range of experience when it comes to promoting equality in society. People being forced to fake how they feel in the workplace is one of the main causes of occupational burnout. That’s according to new research by Emlyon Business School. Researchers have discovered that surface acting creates a form of exhaustion that drains an employee’s ability to organise themselves and engage in everyday work-related tasks. This affects an organisation’s ability to function well and cater to its own staff and customers. This creates a huge impact on each individual’s ability to manage their cognitive capacity while eroding their sense of authenticity. It also negatively impacts team trust and makes engaging in leadership more difficult. The study, conducted by Gordon Sayre, Professor of Management at Emlyon Business School, alongside colleagues from Pennsylvania State University and National Sun Yat-Sen University, explored common behavioural patterns and analysed how the emotions individuals exhibit align with their need to meet personal expectations. The findings illustrate that emotional masking reduces each leader’s energy levels, increases tiredness, and creates a self-reinforcing cycle that becomes harder to escape. This cycle hampers their ability to develop ways of finding solutions to particular problems. Participants took part in two intensive studies, with 55 employees in the first and 87 in the second. They reported on their emotional energy, emotion regulation, and recovery activities several times per day across multiple working days. According to the findings, employees who begin the day feeling emotionally drained are more likely to engage in surface acting. This behaviour further intensifies fatigue by the end of the day. Over time, it traps individuals in a spiral of maladaptive surface acting that can be difficult to break free from. It also reduces leaders' capacity to remain present, authentic, and effective in their roles, affecting the quality of their interactions with colleagues and teams. Professor Sayre says that "recovery after work effectively breaks the loss spiral of surface acting. By building in moments of emotional recovery, leaders are better equipped to shift from surface acting to more authentic emotional engagement, reducing strain, strengthening trust, and preventing exhaustion from taking hold." Professor Gordon Sayre explains that "employees may surface act not of their own volition but because they are 'stuck' in a loss spiral." This means employees continue to put on a positive front, not because it is effective or healthy, but because depleted energy and emotional resources leave them without the capacity to engage in more genuine, adaptive forms of emotional regulation. The main findings of the research highlight the importance of allowing time for genuine recovery to wind down from strenuous tasks. Clearer boundaries should be set between the emotional demands of work and reducing customer mistreatment. There are many measures people can take to avoid burnout. These include: Self-care It is important to switch off after work and maintain a work-life balance. Make time to practice self-care and do activities you enjoy outside of work. When feeling burnt out, you may not be able to do as much as usual. Try to pace yourself and reward yourself for what you can do. You could try mindfulness to relax and feel more present. Take breaks To maintain a work-life balance and reduce the chances of burnout, it is essential to take breaks from work. Ensure you use your annual leave and leave work behind when you are away. Try not to check work emails when you are off and be clear if you are uncontactable. Stress awareness Check in with how you are feeling each day. You could try recording your stress levels in a diary to identify any triggers. Monitoring how you feel and taking prompt action to address your difficulties and minimise stress can reduce the likelihood of becoming burnt out. While burnout can be caused by stress, it isn’t the same as stress. Stress tends to be short-term, and while it may impact your sleep, energy, and emotions, you are still able to engage in the activity causing you stress. With burnout, you feel so detached and demotivated that it impacts your ability to function, and you feel hopeless that your situation can change. Burnout can occur when you have repeated and prolonged high demands that exceed resources. It’s likely that burnout, whatever the cause, will impact the individual’s well-being at work and in their personal life, such as their relationships. Due to the consequences of burnout, it’s important to recognise it before it saps energy and motivation and becomes overwhelming. Follow me on Facebook ,  Instagram,   LinkedIn,  and visit my website  for more info! Read more from Ashish Prabhu Ashish Prabhu, Company Director and Freelance Journalist I'm a multi award winning freelance journalist who covers news, current affairs and sports stories specialising in disability, equality and diversity issues.

Written by Daniela Aneva, Executive and Team Coach Daniela Aneva is widely recognized for helping leaders and teams perform at their best. She’s an executive and team coach, an OD consultant, and a small business owner, known for practical, people-centered work that drives real behavior change and measurable results. Most leadership development focuses on visible behaviors, communication, strategy, delegation, executive presence, decision quality. Those matter. But they’re not the source code. Underneath every leadership behavior sits an internal structure that silently determines what a leader notices, what they assume, what they fear, how they interpret people, and what they repeat under stress. That structure is a schema. When you learn to work with schemas, clinically, developmentally, and organizationally, you gain a level of leverage that conventional leadership training rarely touches. You stop “fixing behaviors” and start upgrading the system that produces them. This article takes an integrated approach, leadership + OD + executive management + therapist-grade insight, so you can understand schemas, diagnose them in leaders and cultures, and reshape them in a way that increases performance and sustainable happiness. What a schema is (and why leaders can’t out-strategize one) A schema is a deeply learned pattern of meaning-making. It’s a mental and emotional template that answers questions like: Am I safe here? Can I trust people? What gives me worth? How do I avoid rejection? What happens if I fail? How do I get love/respect/control? Schemas form early (family, school, social ranking, identity experiences) and later consolidate through adult reinforcement (career wins, failures, power, pressure, culture). In leadership contexts, schemas show up as: reflexive decision rules (“If I’m not perfect, I’ll be exposed.”) interpersonal assumptions (“People only respect strength.”) emotional reflexes (defensiveness, shutdown, overcontrol, pleasing) coping styles (avoid, overcompensate, submit) culture-making moves (how safety, accountability, conflict, truth are handled) Key point: A leader doesn’t react to reality, they react to the meaning their schema assigns to reality. Three levels of schemas that matter in leadership To use schemas well in executive development and OD, it helps to separate three interacting layers: Individual schemas (clinical/developmental): These include classic “life patterns” that drive emotion and coping. In high performers, they often masquerade as strengths. Relational schemas (attachment + power + trust): How a leader unconsciously manages closeness, conflict, dependency, authority, and vulnerability, especially under stress. Organizational schemas (culture as shared assumptions) Teams and organizations also hold schemas: “Mistakes get punished.” “Only loud confidence wins.” “We don’t talk about tension.” “Work equals worth.” “The customer is an adversary.” “Leadership must have the answers.” Culture is not only values on a wall. Culture is shared schema + repeated behavior + reinforced consequences. “Leadership schemas” vs. “schema therapy schemas” In leadership research and OD practice, people also use “schemas” to describe: mental models (how the leader believes the business works) implicit leadership theories (what “a real leader” looks like) scripts (“In conflict, we escalate or avoid”) In therapeutic frameworks (like schema therapy), schemas are often emotional-developmental patterns. These aren’t competing definitions. They’re complementary: Executive mental models shape strategy and systems. Early maladaptive schemas shape threat perception, emotion, and relationships. Great leadership is what happens when both get upgraded. Why schemas matter more as you become more senior The higher you go, the more three things become true: Stress increases. Stress activates o lder, faster brain pathways. Schemas become louder. Feedback decreases. Power insulates leaders from honest mirrors. Schemas go unchallenged. Impact multiplies. A leader’s schema becomes a cultural force: it shapes meetings, norms, promotion, conflict rules, and psychological safety. A single executive schema, like “mistakes are dangerous”, can generate an entire culture of concealment, politics, and stagnation. The schema loop: How leadership patterns self-perpetuate Schemas run in a predictable loop: Trigger (a missed number, dissent, a board question, an employee’s emotion) Schema story (“I’m failing.” “I’m not respected.” “People are incompetent.”) Emotion (shame, fear, anger, contempt, anxiety) Coping response Surrender: appease, comply, overwork, self-silence Avoid: delay, detach, minimize, “busy out” Overcompensate: control, criticize, dominate, perform Short-term relief (control restored, discomfort reduced) Long-term cost (trust erosion, burnout, turnover, lower innovation) Schema reinforced (“See? I can’t trust people.”) Leadership development becomes durable when you interrupt the loop at the story and coping stages, consistently. The 12 most common schemas that derail leaders (and what they look like at work) Below are patterns frequently seen in senior leaders. The same schema can present as “drive,” “excellence,” or “high standards”, until stress reveals the cost. Unrelenting standards/hypercriticalness: Looks like: perfectionism, intolerance of mistakes, chronic urgency Culture effect: fear, risk-avoidance, low candor Hidden belief: “If I relax, everything falls apart, and I’ll be exposed.” Antidote: “High standards with high self-compassion” + systems that normalize learning. Approval seeking/recognition seeking Looks like: over-indexing on likability, branding, conflict avoidance, political calibration Culture effect: ambiguity, lack of accountability, decision drift Hidden belief: “If they’re disappointed in me, I’m not safe.” Antidote: values-based leadership + tolerating clean disappointment. Emotional inhibition Looks like: robotic calm, low warmth, difficulty praising or repairing Culture effect: low belonging, shallow trust Hidden belief: “Feelings are dangerous or weak.” Antidote: emotional range training + relational repair rituals. Mistrust/abuse Looks like: suspicion, testing loyalty, interpreting mistakes as betrayal Culture effect: politics, defensiveness, information hoarding Hidden belief: “If I’m not vigilant, I’ll be used.” Antidote: evidence-based trust building + transparency structures. Defectiveness/shame Looks like: hypersensitivity to critique, defensiveness, overworking, imposter cycling Culture effect: fragile leadership climate, others walk on eggshells Hidden belief: “If they really see me, I’m done.” Antidote: shame-resilience + separating worth from outcomes. Failure Looks like: risk avoidance or overcontrol, reluctance to stretch others Culture effect: slow innovation, talent underutilized Hidden belief: “If I fail, I lose my identity.” Antidote: exposure to safe failure + learning metrics. Entitlement/superiority Looks like: rules for others, impatience, low empathy, “special case” thinking Culture effect: resentment, disengagement, quiet quitting Hidden belief: “I must stay above to stay safe.” Antidote: humility practices + consequence alignment. Subjugation Looks like: saying yes, avoiding upward conflict, not setting boundaries Culture effect: burnout, passive aggression Hidden belief: “If I push back, I’ll be punished or rejected.” Antidote: boundary training + assertiveness reps. Self-sacrifice Looks like: rescuing, overfunctioning, creating dependency Culture effect: learned helplessness, leader exhaustion Hidden belief: “My needs don’t matter, I earn love by carrying.” Antidote: empowerment leadership + role clarity. Emotional deprivation Looks like: “Nothing is ever enough,” chronic emptiness after wins Culture effect: relentless pace without meaning, retention issues Hidden belief: “Support won’t be there, don’t expect it.” Antidote: connection design + meaning-based motivation. Vulnerability to harm/catastrophizing Looks like: over-planning, risk inflation, crisis mindset Culture effect: paralysis, bureaucracy, anxiety contagion Hidden belief: “If I don’t predict every risk, disaster is imminent.” Antidote: probabilistic thinking + nervous system regulation. Insufficient self-control/self-discipline Looks like: reactivity, impulsi ve decisions, difficulty following through Culture effect: volatility, whiplash priorities Hidden belief: “Discomfort is intolerable, relief now.” Antidote: impulse delay tools + accountability systems. The “mode” problem: Why smart leaders regress under Pressure A therapist’s lens adds a crucial dimension: leaders don’t just have schemas, they shift into modes (state-dependent versions of self). A calm, wise executive can become: the Driven Controller (micromanage, criticize, dominate) the Detached Protector (cold, unavailable, “too busy”) the Approval Chaser (overpromise, avoid hard calls) the Attack Defender (argumentative, contemptuous) the Shame-Soother (workaholism, numbing, distraction). This explains a common executive paradox: “I know what to do. I just don’t do it when it counts.” Because in the moment, a different internal mode is in charge. Leadership maturity is the capacity to notice the mode, name it, and choose a better response anyway. The executive schema audit: How to identify your patterns fast Here’s a practical, executive-friendly diagnostic sequence you can use for yourself or clients: Step 1: Find the repeated “hot situations” Ask: When do I get disproportionately intense? Where do I overcontrol, withdraw, or appease? What situations reliably cost me trust? Examples: being challenged in meetings underperformance from a direct report board scrutiny ambiguity and slow progress interpersonal conflict public visibility moments Step 2: Capture the “instant sentence” Schemas speak in short, absolute lines: “This shouldn’t be happening.” “They don’t respect me.” “I’m failing.” “I have to fix this now.” “I can’t trust anyone.” “If I’m not exceptional, I’m nothing.” Step 3: Name the coping style Surrender: comply, appease, self-silence Avoid: detach, delay, minimize, distract Overcompensate: control, dominate, perform, punish Step 4: Calculate the ROI What does this protect me from short-term? What does it cost me long-term (relationships, culture, health, execution)? That ROI calculation is where leaders become willing to change. Schema work without therapy-speak: The “story to strategy” reframe Leaders often resist “therapy language,” but they love precision and results. This frame is both: Story: What meaning am I assigning? State: What emotion/state does that create? Strategy: What behavior follows? Success cost: What does it break? New story: A truer, more useful interpretation New strategy: A small, repeatable behavior under pressure Schema change is not insight. It’s repeated new strategy in the old trigger until the nervous system learns safety. How schemas create culture (OD lens) From an OD perspective, schemas don’t stay inside a leader. They become: meeting design (who speaks, who gets interrupted, what “good” looks like) decision rights (control vs empowerment) error policy (learning vs punishment) conflict norms (avoidance vs clean confrontation) promotion signals (who is rewarded: performers, politicians, caretakers, truth-tellers) pace expectations (sustainable excellence vs chronic adrenaline) A leader’s private schema becomes public culture through reinforcement: what gets praised what gets punished what gets ignored what leaders model when stressed If you want culture change, you must identify the schema the culture is organized around. The happiness edge: Why wellbeing is not a soft metric The therapist’s view of “happiness” isn’t superficial positivity. It’s sustainable wellbeing, the capacity to experience meaning, connection, vitality, and emotional flexibility while facing pressure. Schemas distort happiness in predictable ways: Unrelenting standards – happiness postponed (“after the next milestone”) Approval seeking – happiness outsourced (depends on praise) Emotional inhibition – happiness muted (no joy, no intimacy) Mistrust – happiness defended (no vulnerability, no deep bonds) Self-sacrifice – happiness leaked (resentment + depletion) A high-performing leader who cannot access happiness will eventually pay in: burnout strained relationships addictive coping (work, alcohol, scrolling, spending, adrenaline) brittle culture succession risk Wellbeing is not a perk. It’s a performance stabilizer. The “happy leader” model that actually works Here’s a grounded, executive-compatible model of happiness that improves leadership outcomes: Emoti onal agility (not emotional perfection) Feel the signal without becoming the signal. Respond rather than react. Meaning and values alignment Decisions anchored in principles, not mood management. “This is hard, and it’s still what we stand for.” Secure relationships (at work and home) Repair quickly. Build psychological safety and high accountability. Vitality practices (nervous system leadership) Sleep, movement, boundaries, recovery cycles. Without these, schema work collapses under stress load. Contribution that isn’t self-erasure Service without martyrdom. Empowerment instead o f rescuing. This is how happiness becomes a leadership advantage: it reduces schema-driven reactivity and increases clarity, courage, and connection. Interventions: How to change schemas in leaders (without becoming their therapist) Whether you’re developing yourself or guiding executives, the most effective schema-change stack looks like this: Awa reness with precision Identify triggers and “instant sentences.” Track which mode appears. Regulation before reasoning A dysregulated nervous system cannot update schemas. Use simple practices: 90-second pause before responding breath + posture reset labeling emotion (“I’m noticing threat/anger/shame”) Cognitive restructuring (truth + usefulness) Replace schema stories with interpretations that are: evidence-based values-consistent action-generating Behavioral experiments (small, repeated) Schemas change through new experiences: delegate and tolerate imperfection invite dissent and stay warm hold a boundary and survive disappointment admit uncertainty without collapsing status Relational repair training High-level leaders need “repair speed” more than “never rupture.” Name impact Take responsibility Clarify intent Offer a new behavior Follow through System redesign (OD integration) Hard truth: many leaders fail at change because the system keeps rewarding the old schema. So you adjust: incentives decision rights team norms meeting formats feedback loops Personal change sticks when the environment stops paying the leader to stay the same. Practical tools you can use immediately Tool 1: The schema-to-strength map Take a “derailing” pattern and translate it: Schema fear: What am I trying to prevent? Hidden value: What do I care about? Overuse strength: What strength is being overdriven? Next-level strength: How does this value look when mature? Example: Unrelenting standards fear: “If we slip, we’re unsafe.” value: excellence overuse: criticism, urgency next-level: excellence + learning + sustainable pace Tool 2: The clean pressure script (for conflict) When triggered, use: Observation: “Here’s what I’m seeing…” Impact: “Here’s what it’s causing…” Ownership: “Here’s what I may be missing…” Request: “What I need is…” Choice point: “Can we agree on X by Y?” It creates accountability without schema-driven domination or avoidance. Tool 3: The happiness operating system check Weekly, rate 1–10: energy (sleep/recovery) connection (real conversations) meaning (purpose felt, not stated) autonomy (choice and boundaries) play/joy (yes, even for executives) Low scores predict schema flare-ups. This becomes preventative maintenance. What “schema-informed leadership” looks like at the highest level A schema-informed executive is not someone with no triggers. It’s someone who: recognizes their internal narrative under pressure regulates before they speak chooses values-based courage over threat-based coping builds cultures where truth is safer than politics protects sustainable performance through wellbeing measures success not only by outcomes, but by how outcomes are achieved That’s not softness. That’s mastery. Closing: The real competitive advantage In modern leadership, the bottleneck is rarely intelligence. It’s patterned reactivity. Schemas are the patterns behind: micromanagement conflict avoidance brittle cultures executive loneliness burnout disguised as ambition “high standards” that quietly kill psychological safety When you can name and reshape schemas, you don’t just become a better leader, you become a healthier human with more access to happiness, connection, and meaning. And that, paradoxically, is what makes you more formidable in the boardroom and more trustworthy to the people you lead. Follow me on Facebook , LinkedIn , and visit my website  for more info! Read more from Daniela Aneva Daniela Aneva, Executive and Team Coach Daniela Aneva is an international executive and team coach, coaching supervisor, professional speaker, and author. With over 25 years of executive experience in multinational organizations, Daniela has supported the growth of more than 5,000 leaders and teams across the globe. She is a council member at Forbes, a mentor at Rice University’s Doerr Institute, and has co-authored books with Brian Tracy, Jonathan Passmore, and contributed to Team of Teams by Peter Hawkins and Catherine Carr.

Written by Toren Ylfa, Tattooed Alkhemist Toren Ylfa is an ex-martial artist, trauma-informed practitioner, and Traditional Japanese Reiki Master Teacher known for mythic branding, survivor-led advocacy, and scholarly fire. As the author of Sigil of the Mind (title forthcoming), Toren transforms lived experience into fierce, poetic reclamation. Food is not only fuel, it is a ritual threshold. Across cultures, fasting, feasting, and sacred herbs have been used to purify, celebrate, and commune with the divine, encoding identity, lineage, and belonging. Biochemically, these practices orchestrate autophagy, ketone signaling, serotonin synthesis, dopaminergic reward, immune modulation, and gut–brain communication. This article advances a unique, reciprocal view, ritual and molecules co-construct one another. Cultural practices sculpt biochemical rhythms, while biochemical cascades reinforce the symbolic power of ritual, turning “sacred eating” into a multi-scalar choreography across cells, bodies, and communities. (Cabo and Mattson, Effects of Intermittent Fasting on Health, Aging, and Disease | New England Journal of Medicine )   Fasting: Autophagy, ketones, and the ritual of emptiness Anthropological context and ritual motifs  Purification: Fasting rites (Ramadan, Lent, Yom Kippur, Buddhist retreats, Indigenous vision quests) mark liminality, stepping outside ordinary time for moral clarity, discipline, and transcendence.  Thresholds: Withholding food reframes scarcity as sacred, preparing the person for initiation or renewal.  Molecular cascades and stress resilience  Autophagy activation: Intermittent fasting and time-restricted feeding increase autophagic flux, a cellular “cleansing” process that recycles damaged proteins and organelles, improving stress resistance and metabolic adaptability through AMPK–mTOR and sirtuin signaling. ( Nieto et al.A Narrative Review about Metabolic Pathways, Molecular Mechanisms and Clinical Implications of Intermittent Fasting as Autophagy Promotor | Current Nutrition Reports ) Ketone signaling: Extended fasting induces nutritional ketosis, β‑hydroxybutyrate serves as both an efficient neural fuel and a signaling metabolite linked to neuroprotection and hormesis. Large observational cohorts show long-term fasting reliably elevates ketone bodies with favorable safety profiles. (Grundler)  Neuroendocrine adaptation: Fasting modulates bioenergetic sensors (NAD+/NADH, ATP/AMP), reduces insulin and amino acid levels, and engages FOXO, PGC‑1α, NRF2, AMPK, and SIRT pathways, molecular signatures of renewal that mirror ritual purification.  Unique angle: Scarcity encoded as sacred  Ritual ↔ molecule reciprocity: Fasting sacralizes emptiness, biochemically, scarcity triggers repair programs (autophagy) and alternative fuel signaling (ketosis). The rite enacts “clearing” and “vision,” while cells enact degradation and signaling, two languages, one choreography.  Feasting: Serotonin, dopamine, and the ritual of abundance Anthropological context and social bonding  Celebration: Feasts mark harvests, weddings, coronations, and communal victories, encoding gratitude and abundance.  Cohesion: Shared feasting reinforces norms, trust, and belonging, both symbolic and physiological.  Molecular cascades of reward and satiety  Serotonin dynamics: Meal composition and timing modulate brain serotonin via tryptophan transport, mounting evidence details how serotonergic circuits regulate meal initiation, satiety, and affect across dorsal raphe pathways. (Blundell)  Dopamine interplay: Dopamine and GABA inputs to serotonin neurons shape feeding onset and reward, integrated models explain how palatability, anticipation, and social context recruit these circuits for communal joy and reinforcement.  Immune and growth signals: Nutrient surges activate anabolic pathways (e.g., mTOR), supporting growth and repair, biochemical motifs that mirror the symbolic flourishing of communal feasts.  Unique angle: Abundance encoded as sacred  Ritual ↔ molecule reciprocity: Feasting sacralizes plenty, the body echoes abundance through serotonergic contentment, dopaminergic reward, and anabolic repair. Social celebration entrains reward circuits, which in turn reinforce the memory and meaning of the feast.  Sacred herbs: Phytochemistry, neuroreceptors, and the gut–brain axis  Anthropological context and plant lineage  Communion: Ayahuasca, psilocybin mushrooms, soma, and sacred smudging encode plants as mediators, bridging human and divine, carrying ancestral wisdom and ceremonial potency.  Ritual craft: Preparation, timing, and setting (“set and setting”) curate meaning and physiological effects.  Molecular cascades from receptor to microbiome  Serotonin receptor modulation: Tryptamine and indole alkaloids (e.g., psilocybin) act on 5‑HT receptors to alter perception and induce mystical states, computational and experimental work shows diverse phytochemicals can target 5‑HT1A/4/7 with promising pharmacologic profiles.  Neuroactive polyphenols: Phytochemicals exert multi-target effects on neuroinflammation, oxidative stress, synaptic plasticity, and neurotransmission, supporting mood and cognition via convergent biochemical routes.  Gut–brain axis: Herbal fibers and bioactives shape microbiota composition and metabolites (e.g., SCFAs), influencing CNS signaling through immune and endocrine pathways, integrative reviews highlight phytochemicals’ potential in neurological health through the gut–brain nexus.  Unique angle: Communion encoded as sacred  Ritual ↔ molecule reciprocity: Ceremonial herbs sacralize communion, biochemically, receptor-level modulation and microbiome signaling open perceptual and affective channels. Symbolic frames guide expectancy and integration, while molecules and microbes choreograph neurochemical states.  Ritual synchrony: Group timing, hormones, and collective resilience  Multi-scalar alignment across people and pathways  Shared timing: Ritual calendars (fasts at dawn, feasts at dusk) entrain circadian rhythms that coordinate metabolic and hormonal cycles across communities, easing stress and enhancing predictability.  Bonding molecules: Communal eating elevates trust and affiliation, oxytocin and reward circuitry interplay can be inferred from coordinated feeding studies and social neuroscience, aligning symbolic cohesion with biochemical synchrony.  Stress modulation: Structured ritual reduces uncertainty and cortisol, neuroendocrine models of fasting–feeding cycles explain how predictable oscillations cultivate resilience at cellular and communal levels.  Unique angle: Liminal governance of physiology  Ritual ↔ molecule reciprocity: Anthropology shows ritual governs liminal thresholds, biochemistry shows oscillatory states govern cellular thresholds (catabolism/anabolism, scarcity/abundance). Ceremonial nutrition becomes a governance system harmonizing metabolism with meaning.  Molecules as myth, ritual as biochemistry  Ceremonial nutrition reframes food practices as thresholds where anthropology and molecular science converge. Fasting invokes autophagy and ketone signaling as purification. Feasting elevates serotonin and dopamine as communal joy and repair. Sacred herbs modulate receptors and microbiota as divine communion. Across individual and group scales, ritual scripts and biochemical cascades co-author resilience, identity, and transcendence. The sacred is metabolized, metabolism is made sacred. Follow me on Instagram ,   LinkedIn , and visit my website  for more info! Read more from Toren Ylfa Toren Ylfa, Tattooed Alkhemist Toren Ylfa is a mythic advocate, ex-martial artist, and trauma-informed practitioner known for transforming lived experience into fierce, poetic scholarship. After surviving complex trauma, Toren forged a path through biochemistry, psychology, and energy work, becoming a Traditional Japanese Reiki Master Teacher and expert in CBT, DBT, REBT, EFT, and NLP. Their work blends Celtic and Viking motifs with survivor-led critique, dismantling stigma through academic rigor and ancestral fire. Toren is the author of Sigil of the Mind (title forthcoming) and creator of Sigil of the Unquiet, a podcast that weaves global statistics, legal analysis, and mythic cadence into transformative advocacy. Their mission: Reclaim the narrative. Burn the silence.

Written by Cedric Drake, Educational Psychologist and Technologist Cedric Drake is an expert in educational psychology. He dissects learning and brings innovative ideas. He contributes to educational think tanks and writes articles for academic institutions in the US and Asia. Currently, he is building a publishing company to connect students to companies in different fields and expand education. When we lower expectations, we do not create equity, we create erosion. Education was never meant to be easy. It was intended to be transformative. Yet across classrooms, curricula, and policy decisions, we are witnessing a quiet but devastating shift, the systematic dumbing down of education. Under the guise of accessibility, efficiency, and standardization, intellectual rigor is being replaced with simplification, depth with shortcuts, and curiosity with compliance. The consequences are not abstract. They are human, cultural, and generational. Below are six profound outcomes of this erosion, each one weakening not only students, but society itself. 1. The death of critical thinking When education is simplified to memorization and test preparation, thinking becomes optional. Students are trained to recognize answers, not to question assumptions. Complex problems are avoided rather than explored, ambiguity, where real learning lives, is treated as a threat. Critical thinking requires struggle, debate, and uncertainty. Dumbing down education removes these experiences, producing learners who can follow instructions but cannot evaluate truth, detect misinformation, or challenge flawed systems. A society that cannot think critically becomes dangerously easy to manipulate. 2. The illusion of achievement without mastery Lower standards create the appearance of success while masking intellectual fragility. Grades rise. Graduation rates improve. But beneath the surface, foundational skills erode. Students advance without mastering reading, writing, mathematics, or reasoning. This false sense of accomplishment does not empower students, it betrays them. When they encounter college, careers, or civic responsibilities, they discover they are never truly prepared. The result is frustration, disengagement, and a deep mistrust in the very system that promised opportunity. 3. The silencing of intellectual curiosity When learning is reduced to pre-packaged answers and simplified tasks, curiosity suffocates. Students stop asking “why” because the system rewards speed, not depth. Creativity becomes inefficient. Exploration becomes inconvenient. Dumbing down education teaches students that learning is about completion, not discovery. Over time, they internalize the belief that thinking deeply is unnecessary, or worse, unwelcome. A culture without curiosity stops innovating, imagining, and progressing. 4. The widening of educational inequality Ironically, lowering standards in the name of equity often deepens inequality. Affluent students continue to receive rigorous instruction, enriched curricula, and high expectations. Marginalized students are offered “simplified” learning, stripped of challenge and intellectual respect. This creates a two-tier system, one that prepares students to lead, and another that prepares them to comply. Accurate equity does not mean less rigor, it means access to excellence. Dumbing down education denies access to those who need it most. 5. The erosion of teacher professionalism When curricula are oversimplified, teachers are reduced to script-followers rather than intellectual leaders. Their expertise is undervalued. Their autonomy is stripped away. Teaching becomes delivery, not dialogue. This not only demoralizes educators but also drives passionate, skilled teachers out of the profession. A system that does not trust teachers to challenge students ultimately loses the very people capable of inspiring deep learning. 6. The weakening of democracy itself Democracy depends on an educated population capable of analysis, empathy, and informed decision-making. When education is dumbed down, civic understanding declines. Slogans replace nuanced debates. Complex issues are reduced to sound bites. An undereducated society becomes reactive rather than reflective, divided rather than discerning. The cost is not just academic, it is democratic. A nation that cannot think deeply cannot govern itself wisely. A call to restore intellectual courage Rigor is not cruelty. Challenge is not exclusion. High expectations are not oppression, they are an act of belief. To dumb down education is to assume students cannot rise. To demand depth is to declare that they can. We must reject the false comfort of simplification and reclaim education as a space of struggle, wonder, and transformation. Our students deserve more than easy answers. They deserve the chance to think, to wrestle with ideas, and to become fully human in a complex world.  The future does not need less intelligence.  It needs braver education. Follow me on Instagram and visit my website for more info! Read more from Cedric Drake Cedric Drake, Educational Psychologist and Technologist Cedric Drake is an educational psychologist and technologist in the learning field. His ten years as an educator left him with the psychological understanding to innovate classrooms and learning centers for all ages. He has since gone on to be an educator at Los Angeles Opera, do doctoral studies in educational psychology, publish scholarly literature reviews and papers, and work at the American Psychological Association as an APA Proposal Reviewer for the APA Conference.

Written by Linda Schneider, Independent Mentor for Conscious Human Development Linda Schneider is a highly respected spiritual teacher with over twenty years of experience guiding people into deep awareness and wholeness. Renowned for her clarity, depth, and uncompromising compassion, she is recognized worldwide as a powerful and trusted force in the healing community. Linda Schneider is a Curandera and Independent Mentor for Conscious Human Development with over twenty years of experience. She specializes in helping people unravel self-destructive patterns and work through unconscious dynamics that limit clarity and vitality. Her work supports people in reclaiming inner authority and self-trust, and in creating lives that are grounded and deeply fulfilling. In many modern mentoring and healing spaces, safety is often confused with likability. While safety is essential for healing and growth, it does not depend on constant agreement, emotional cushioning, or avoiding difficult truth. When the goal is inner authority and self-trust, mentorship must offer something deeper than comfort. What is the true purpose of mentorship? A mentor is not here to be liked. A mentor is here to be trustworthy. Trust is built through attunement, honesty, and consistency. It grows through presence and reliability rather than through pleasing a client’s personality or avoiding discomfort. A mentor’s role is to create conditions where truth can be met without harm and where growth is supported without force. Safety does not require agreement. It requires containment. A client can feel safe while being challenged, while meeting grief, responsibility, or long-avoided patterns, as long as they are not rushed, overwhelmed, or left alone in the process. Safety shows itself through appropriate pacing, respect for nervous system capacity, and careful handling of relational power. Why likability is often confused with safety Many mentors feel pressure to be reassuring, agreeable, or emotionally comforting at all times. This often comes from good intention, but it can blur the line between support and avoidance. When likability becomes the priority, clarity often softens where precision is needed. Patterns remain unnamed, responsibility is postponed, and growth slows. This does not protect the client, it protects the mentor from tension. Tension itself is not harmful. When held with skill, it becomes clarifying. True mentorship involves the capacity to remain present when discomfort arises, without amplifying it and without retreating from truth. This requires regulation, discernment, and a deep respect for the client’s capacity to meet reality. Containment: The foundation of real safety Containment is the ability to hold emotional, psychological, and relational intensity without escalation or collapse. It allows truth to surface without overwhelming the system. A skilled mentor maintains this stability while speaking honestly. They sense when reassurance supports integration and when it postpones necessary movement. They respond with discernment rather than formula. When avoidance masquerades as care Avoidance does not always look harsh. It often appears gentle, reasonable, and familiar. Avoidance can show up as over-reassurance, delayed feedback, softened truth, or an emphasis on comfort when clarity is required. While it may feel kind in the moment, it keeps the client inside limiting patterns instead of supporting movement toward wholeness. Support invites growth. Avoidance preserves familiarity. Mentorship requires the capacity to sense the difference and act accordingly. Being seen is not always comfortable Many clients long to be seen without having experienced what being truly seen involves. To be seen means patterns are reflected clearly and without judgment. It means inconsistencies are named with care. It means capacity is acknowledged even when it feels intimidating. For clients who have spent years accommodating, minimizing, or surviving, being met in their fullness can initially activate fear or grief. A skilled mentor remains present during this phase, allowing the nervous system to integrate truth rather than brace against it. Confidence grows when a client is held while becoming more real. Ethical mentorship and responsibility Ethical mentorship requires ongoing self-examination. A mentor continually asks whether they are speaking from clarity, whether they are prioritizing the client’s well-being over approval, and whether timing and pacing respect capacity. Boundaries, humility, and responsibility are essential components of safety. Honest mentorship does not soften truth to preserve harmony. It also does not weaponize truth in the name of growth. Both extremes undermine trust. The end goal of mentorship The purpose of mentorship is the clients clarity, inner stability and self-trust. Over time, external guidance becomes internal, discernment strengthens and inner authority stabilizes. Fulfilled living becomes lived rather than sought. A mentor devoted to healing knows when to step back. This is not abandonment. It is respect. Clients seeking mentorship may ask whether they feel safe enough to be honest, whether truth can be spoken without diminishing them, and whether their nervous system is respected rather than overridden. Mentors themselves may ask where clarity is softened to preserve ease, where safety is confused with comfort, and whether truth is allowed to matter more than approval. Mentorship that serves these conditions may not always feel pleasant in the moment. It remains deeply safe, and it changes lives. This article reflects the principles underlying my work. More context can be found here . Linda Schneider is a Curandera and Independent Mentor for Conscious Human Development with over twenty years of experience. She specializes in helping people unravel self-destructive patterns and work through unconscious dynamics that limit clarity and vitality. Her work supports people in reclaiming inner authority and self-trust, and in creating lives that are grounded and deeply fulfilling. Follow me on  Instagram for more info! Read more from Linda Schneider Linda Schneider, Independent Mentor for Conscious Human Development Linda Schneider is an expert in deep, lasting healing. She specializes in transforming self-destructive patterns and restoring connection to the true self. Drawing from ancient wisdom and modern healing practices, she supports those ready for real change in reclaiming their inner power, integrating shadow and light, and living with genuine health, fulfillment, and abundance.