Through the trials and errors of that first company, Ronzio learned how important it was to create consistent results. How could he deliver at the same level regardless of the sports event and venue? By having a process.

“That became my obsession—process and operations,” Ronzio says. This obsession began to develop into actual methods, and Ronzio started consulting on it. He wanted to bring efficiency into companies.

“You need to be able to do more with less,” he says. “Efficiency is a forced behavior in a real scrappy startup.”

Around this time, Ronzio picked up the phrase “operations manual” from the book The E Myth: Why Most Businesses Don’t Work and What to Do About It. However, he didn’t love the phrase since it seemed too technical. Instead, he found that his clients responded well to the word “playbook.”

As he developed his playbook method, Ronzio founded Trainual, a SaaS platform for small businesses to onboard, train and scale more effectively.

“I started Trainual the software before writing the book because I wanted to put it to the test,” Ronzio explains. “I wanted to make sure that this isn’t just something that dozens of my consulting companies are doing. It’s something that thousands of businesses are doing right.”

The “why” of a business playbook

Most entrepreneurs want to innovate. Ronzio explains that many entrepreneurs run into danger when they stop creating and get stuck doing the same tasks over and over. At that point, he says it’s best to find a way to delegate that task and move on to the next challenge.

“If you want a business of one person, you don’t need a playbook. If you want a company that can run without you, and you want to be able to leverage the minds and talents of other people, then you need to be able to pass things down to them,” Ronzio says. “The playbook really is about empowering other people and creating leverage so that you can build a business that’s bigger than just you.”

As an entrepreneur, Ronzio says the job is continually finding new problems. A playbook allows entrepreneurs to pass on their vision and specific tasks to others while freeing up their time to develop new ideas and explore new solutions.

What goes into a business playbook

There are four key components to a playbook:

Profile

This section outlines the foundation of the business, including its mission, values, products, services, target customers, competitors and company story. It serves as the foundation for the rest of the playbook.

People

The focus here is on the individuals who make up the organization, including their roles, responsibilities, backgrounds and organizational structure. By clearly defining who does what, the playbook fosters accountability and collaboration within the team.

Policies

These rules and guidelines govern how the business operates, covering everything from employee conduct to customer interactions. The playbook documenting these policies ensures consistency and clarity across the organization.

Process

This section outlines the step-by-step procedures for carrying out various tasks and activities within the business. The playbook streamlines operations and improves efficiency by codifying best practices and standardizing workflows.

When to create your business playbook

Ronzio’s vision is simple: Every business should have a playbook. More than just a manual, the playbook should be a living document that evolves with the company, eventually writing itself through the collective efforts of its team.

But not every company is ready to create a playbook. Ronzio says that the key is to wait until you’ve achieved consistency in your operations.

“Don’t write down the recipe until it tastes good,” he says. In other words, wait until you have established reliable processes and are consistently achieving desired outcomes before formalizing them in a playbook. To figure this out, Ronzio recommends having measurables.

“You should measure what you’re doing,” Ronzio says. “If you’re not keeping score, you don’t know who’s winning, you know?” He points out that your company should have some maturity and perform at a high level before you consider breaking down your playbook.

At the core of Ronzio’s philosophy is his belief in the power of process. From his early days running a video production company to his current role as CEO of Trainual, he knows firsthand how well-defined processes can transform chaos into consistency.

“Complicated things come with instructions,” he says. “Your car has a user’s manual; your appliances have an owner’s manual. Why doesn’t your business? The playbook is that internal guide on how everything’s supposed to work. And if you don’t define that, then how can you hold anyone accountable in the business?”

By embracing the power of process and empowering others, entrepreneurs can build businesses that are not only successful but also sustainable and scalable in the long run.

3 ways to build a business playbook

Clarify your vision

Start by mapping out your big aspirations. What does success look like for you and your company? Having a clear vision is the first step toward building a playbook that aligns with your goals.

Audit current roles and responsibilities

Take a snapshot of your team’s current roles and responsibilities. Understand who does what in your business to optimize processes effectively.

Delegate and empower your team

Identify three tasks you can delegate in the next quarter. Freeing up your time allows you to focus on high-impact activities and foster a culture of empowerment within your team.

This article appears in the September/October issue of Success Magazine. Photo courtesy of Nic Pachunka at Trainual.

The post Chris Ronzio Wants You to Make a Business Playbook appeared first on SUCCESS.

Functional freeze is a psychological and physiological response where the body and mind become stuck in a state of heightened alertness, unable to take action. “You have the brake and the gas on at the same time,” Rabin explains. “You’re actually stuck in a state of freeze, but you are overriding it and pushing forward. You think you’re pushing forward and just getting things done, [but] you don’t realize the amount of resistance or restriction that’s going on in the body.”

Pushing through that resistance massively slows down our productivity and also impacts our health. Unfortunately, we often encounter these moments of functional freeze in our daily lives. In fact, Rabin says that many people are in a state of functional freeze all the time.

The impact of functional freeze

Working through a state of functional freeze requires significant additional energy and willpower, leading to higher fatigue and reduced efficiency.

“Instead of resolving the freeze response, you are forcing past it, so you have to use additional energy, additional willpower, additional discipline, additional repression to keep going,” says Rabin. The impact on the body can manifest as shallow breathing, chest pain, tight shoulders, headaches and even gut issues.

Rabin points out that we may not even notice it in our daily lives: “Because our work culture supports us to be really intellectual and [use] our mental faculties, many of us lose our attunement to [the state of our bodies]. Most of us, during a workday, don’t realize that we’re breathing shallowly.”

Overcoming functional freeze in the moment

To counteract functional freeze, Kardin suggests techniques that help the body return to a more relaxed state. Breathwork is one such technique. Individuals can counteract the shallow breaths associated with stress and promote a sense of calm by focusing on deep, slow breathing.

Kardin says physical movements, like shaking limbs and tapping on the chest, can also effectively release tension.

“That restricted response, actually, believe it or not, wants to move out of us,” Kardin explains. “So, in the middle of your day… literally shaking out your hands, shaking out your legs, doing some hops or some jumping jacks and tapping… helps to undo that freeze.”

These simple actions stimulate the body’s natural stress-relief mechanisms, helping to dissipate the freeze response and restore a sense of normalcy. Similarly, vocalization techniques, such as humming or making sounds like “Voo,” stimulate the vagus nerve, which is crucial in regulating stress and promoting relaxation.

Transitioning in and out of productive time

Morning time is one of the most influential pockets of time in the day, and Rabin recommends starting the morning in a low-stress environment to create a foundation of calm to return to. While it may look different from person to person, Rabin says the goal is to create a morning routine that is pleasurable and leisurely, to put oneself in a mindful and embodied state. Personally, he takes a walk every morning to step into that state.

To create a life less impacted by functional freeze, Rabin emphasizes the importance of having solid boundaries between work and personal time. Specifically, he shares that there needs to be a transition between productive and non-productive time.

“The best thing you can do to move yourself out of functional freeze is to work on creating much stronger boundaries between what I simply call ‘productive time’ and ‘non-productive time,’” says Rabin. He explains that work can often bleed into our personal lives, and we often feel the need to make our personal time productive.

Rabin recommends doing something physical to help the brain and mind distinguish the transition from productive to non-productive time. The transition doesn’t have to take a lot of time, but it can involve going for a walk, doing a yoga session, or engaging in another type of mindful practice.

Pacing and presence

Another important concept that Rabin uses to reduce functional freeze are the two P’s: pacing and presence.

When it comes to pacing, Rabin likes to do 5% less at a 5% slower pace. He compares it to a balloon at 100% capacity versus 95% capacity. The balloon at 95% capacity won’t pop under the same pressure as it would if it were filled to its maximum capacity. This adjustment allows individuals to work more thoughtfully and reduces the feeling of being rushed, which ultimately helps to manage stress levels more effectively.

The idea of going slower fits hand in hand with Rabin’s second P—presence. This is all about focusing on being present in each task rather than multitasking or rushing.

“It is so much less stressful for your mind because when you’re thinking about a task that you need to do that you can’t complete at that moment, it creates functional freeze,” says Rabin.

By slowing down and creating stronger boundaries, your downtime is also more efficient. And having this downtime is crucial. Rabin compares it to Olympic athletes. In order to perform at their best, they have to take their recovery seriously.

“People don’t recognize the costs of functional freeze and… incur those costs later when they’re exhausted, burnt out, [need] to take a leave of absence, maybe [have] a medical illness or their work productivity really starts dropping,” says Rabin. “By tending to functional freeze as a form of [daily] self-care, you’re protecting yourself from a bigger downside loss if you burn out or get sick.”

Photo courtesy of Shark9208888/Shutterstock

The post How to Tend to Functional Freeze So It Doesn’t Hijack Your Productivity appeared first on SUCCESS.

Enter Kate Walker, a seasoned HR expert certified in SPHR and SHRM-SCP, with experience spanning more than two decades in corporate leadership. Through her executive coaching, HR consulting and online educational platform, Walker empowers individuals and teams to transcend conventional managerial problem-solving and embrace nonlinear approaches to leading a successful professional and personal life.

In her book, A Candid Conversation: Lessons in Life, Love & Leadership, Walker shares how conducting a “values audit” in her 40s propelled her toward life-affirming decisions, including leaving her “secure” corporate job serving billion-dollar companies to starting her own coaching and consulting business. Her transformative journey offers leadership lessons and a road map to innovation and adaptability that can lead to profound growth and success in both your career and personal life.

Nonlinear problem-solving tactics

Below, Walker outlines some nonlinear problem-solving strategies to embrace. 

Brainstorming

“Brainstorming encourages creativity. It’s embracing uncertainty and listening, especially if you’re the type of person who likes to go right to a solution or solve a problem,” Walker says. All ideas are valued, encouraging the exploration of new and innovative concepts that might not otherwise be developed or shared for fear of appearing foolish.

Creating moments of inspiration

Unlocking inspiration that fuels actions, momentum and innovation is the ultimate aim of leadership. Changing scenery—whether through museum visits, team-building activities or outdoor excursions—unwinds the chaos and stagnation of our rote workflow and rejuvenates thinking, fostering creativity.

Visioning via pros and cons analysis

Envisioning yourself pursuing new endeavors and tuning into how resonant they feel supports better decision-making. Utilizing pros and cons lists allows you to assess multiple potential paths before embarking on a particular one.

Safety first

Effective implementation of these strategies hinges on leadership’s commitment to creating a safe and inclusive environment. Skilled facilitators like Walker play a vital role in creating and maintaining this atmosphere, empowering teams to cultivate it independently.

Feedback and recognition

Walker champions feedback as indispensable for personal and professional development. Good communication is critical for smooth feedback delivery and reception. 

Here are Walker’s top ways for delivering effective feedback:

• Communicate expectations clearly: Unclear role expectations often lead to dissonance. Before criticism or termination enters the conversation, clarify expectations.
• Set achievable goals: Overly ambitious targets can demoralize. Collaboratively divide larger goals into achievable milestones to promote motivation and progress.
• Offer support and resources: Without proper support, we can get stopped at the start. Providing quality guidance and resources empowers individuals, cultivating initiative and sustained progress.
• Recognize and reward achievement: Ensure that feedback includes celebrating successes and rewarding the efforts of all team members. Acknowledging contributions bolsters morale and fosters a sense of purpose.
• Cultivate accountability: Accountability starts with leadership setting the precedent for organizational culture. Accountability thrives in a work environment that values transparent communication and ongoing learning.

Navigating values

In her book, Walker introduces the “values audit” exercise, drawing from The Leadership Challenge, guiding readers through an introspective exercise to identify their core values.

Once identified, these values serve as touchstones for decision-making. Walker emphasizes the importance of aligning choices with one’s values. It’s not an overnight process, Walker cautions—it’s a continual process of growth and refinement guiding both professional and personal endeavors.

Walker’s nonlinear approach brings values to conscious awareness to support better decision-making. “There is a fluidity in values,” Walker says. “We’re not always honoring the same values in work as we are in our personal life, but it’s good to know what values you anchor to because, then, you understand what drives you.”

How to foster an open dialogue

Central to effective coaching is the art of fostering open dialogue without imposing solutions. A one-size-fits-all approach doesn’t work. Meeting each person where they are in terms of communication style, strengths and motivations is essential.

Listening

Instead of rushing to provide answers, prioritize listening and asking open-ended questions. As Walker notes, “It feels like we should give answers and move on, but what it’s really about is asking, ‘How can we nurture supportive interactions?’ Getting into playful, creative conversation and opening up the dialogue to hear their points of view. That is powerful.”

Validating individuals

Acknowledging and validating individuals’ feelings is essential in defusing tensions and nurturing healthy relationships. Even if the interaction isn’t one of conflict, the tenets of conflict resolution are a guiding light: mirror, validate and empathize.

Transforming leadership: Kate Walker’s New Manager Academy program

A hot topic in corporate leadership is managerial training that encompasses the entire hierarchy from CEOs to frontline supervisors. However, executives often seek Walker’s expertise once an issue becomes urgent, prompting a reactive response rather than a proactive one.

To address this gap, Walker built the New Manager Academy program, a collection of her accumulated wisdom, offering both linear and nonlinear problem-solving methodologies that equip managers with comprehensive skills to cultivate a proactive approach to leading teams at the highest levels.

The New Manager Academy includes: 

• Digital on-demand training modules covering the complete employee life cycle, with a focus on enhancing the employee experience.
• Live group coaching sessions, facilitating collaborative problem-solving among managers and providing direct access to Walker’s guidance.
• Practical solutions and tactics for common managerial dilemmas, ranging from conducting effective meetings to navigating difficult conversations and inspiring team engagement.

Leadership excellence: self-development for success

Effective leadership is not accidental; it’s the result of actively seeking feedback, mentorship and coaching from seasoned experts. This is how leaders cultivate a diverse toolkit of skills and strategies essential for success. At any stage of your career, investing in self-development gives you that competitive edge.

“If you get the information early in your career, you’ll benefit that much more and you won’t be behind the eight ball and reactive,” Walker says. “The people [who] are growing and evolving and have a growth mindset are more respected, more admired and more sought-out.” 

This article originally appeared in the September/October issue of SUCCESS magazine. Photo courtesy of Kate Walker.

The post Unlocking Success and Leadership Lessons With HR Expert, Kate Walker appeared first on SUCCESS.

“You can have a very successful career, but it’s not always truly what you really wanted to do from the very beginning,” says Wolff, owner of the certified sustainable Wolff Vineyards. “As the years go by, people tend to become risk averse.”

Wolff, whose father is French and mother is Belgian, moved from Belgium to San Francisco when he was 21 to complete a degree in electrical power engineering. While Wolff planned to return to Europe to work, life took him in a different direction.

“When you are part of the million-mile flyer club, and it’s not because of credit card points, you begin to reflect on what matters,” Wolff says. Sitting in first class on one of his many flights for work, Wolff reminisced about the pineapple and cotton plants he’d grown as a teen in his childhood home.

How to make a successful midlife career change

Wolff decided to buy a vineyard in the late ’90s—but not without certain prerequisites to guide his decision. “I did a matrix decision process,” he says. He wanted a vineyard near the ocean and a culturally rich university. It also had to be in an up-and-coming appellation and, ideally, part of a working farm to diversify his portfolio. In San Luis Obispo, California, the coastal and fertile Edna Valley appellation checked all the boxes. After much research, Wolff discovered that he could get the same price point for an ultra-premium chardonnay in the Edna Valley as one in Napa, and the land was much cheaper.

His new home was a 125-acre vineyard on a working farm 4.5 miles from the Pacific Ocean and minutes from downtown San Luis Obispo. The vineyard was owned by a mechanical aeronautical engineer and wine was made by an Italian metallurgical engineer (someone who safely transforms metals into useful products)—two friends who’d met working together in Pasadena’s aerospace industry. For Wolff, an electrical engineer, the transition seemed fitting. 

Today, Wolff Vineyards is a well-respected family-owned vineyard and winery, thanks to help from his wife Elke’s CPA background and their two sons, Clint and Mark. (Currently, Clint is the tasting room/events manager, and Mark is an assistant winemaker.)

Anticipate challenges

While Wolff didn’t start a vineyard from scratch, he says it was a fixer-upper that required a lot of work. “The first few years, you may have to tighten the belt and be able to financially take a hit and still make it through,” he says. For Wolff, those challenges included 9/11, the dot-com bubble burst, the Great Recession, COVID-19 and a historical drought.

“I would never want to be the one inventing a time machine because I don’t want to know the future,” Wolff says. He believes a person orchestrating a midlife career change must take a calculated risk. “There’s a difference between being a risk-taker and a gambler,” he says. “It’s fine to have a dream. But the dream also has to have a reality check, so you don’t set yourself up for failure.”

He did, however, prepare himself for the unknown future.

Seek mentorship

In addition to taking not-for-credit classes on viticulture and winemaking at the University of California, Davis, Wolff familiarized himself with the industry by asking questions. “I actually picked up the phone and talked to two of the biggest consulting firms associated with vineyards and wineries,” he says. He asked principals at these think tanks questions to understand the historical economics of different appellations, wine industry trends and vineyard financing.

Wolff wanted to learn the small, handcrafted winemaking process, so he asked Romeo Zuech, his vineyard’s former winemaker, to mentor him for a couple of years. The first year, Wolff was the student and took notes (that he still has) as he watched Zuech make the wine using traditional European techniques. The second year, Wolff made the wine. He says he’ll never forget the moment Zuech tried his first pinot: “He swirled it and put his nose in it. I was having heart palpitations…. Then, he looked at me and said, with his thick Italian accent, ‘Jean-Pierre, not bad for a Frenchman.’”

Be open-minded about your midlife career change options

With winemaking and farming, every year is different. Particularly with the impact of climate change, Wolff said he has to be open to adjusting how he does things each year.

“It was basically a blank canvas for me,” he says. “I didn’t come with preconceived notions about the do’s and don’ts in farming.” In fact, he took an unconventional approach to viticulture by involving environmental regulatory agencies some farmers avoided.

“This is a special piece of land. I’m really only a steward of the land here. My title on the property 200 years from now won’t mean anything,” says Wolff, the vice chair for the California Central Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board.

Wolff collaborated with fish and wildlife agencies to begin migratory stream restoration and welcomed the local university, Cal Poly, to use his land for research. These biologically integrated farming systems projects helped develop techniques to naturally fight disease and use fewer pesticides. They introduced ladybugs to fight aphids and wasps to attack mealy bugs. 

His vineyard became known as a living laboratory. “Once an engineer, always an engineer,” says Wolff, who frequently holds local university classes at the vineyard.

Think positively

One of Wolff’s favorite mantras is, “I’m going to turn lemon juice into lemonade.” By combining his curiosity, analytical mind and love for the environment, Wolff has proven how successful an engineer can be at turning grapes into award-winning wine.

For Wolff, the glass is never half full. It’s three-quarters full. “It has always served me right to have that positive thinking because that helps your emotional bank account when you… have to make a withdrawal,” he says. “And at least you have something left in that emotional savings account… if you have a positive outlook on life.”

This article originally appeared in the September/October 2024 issue of SUCCESS magazine. Photo by Shannon McMillen/courtesy of Wolff Vineyards.

The post How to Make a Successful Career Change appeared first on SUCCESS.

While that might be a slight oversimplification, many introverts think of “networking” as a dirty word and an activity best left to their more naturally outgoing counterparts. According to networking expert and Covve co-founder and CEO Yiannis Gavrielides, that hesitancy is unfounded. Contrary to how introverts might feel, they actually possess several unique skills that could give them a leg up over extroverts.

Billed as “your personal CRM,” Covve is a networking companion app that helps people manage their professional relationships and provides educational resources to help them become better networkers. Gavrielides and Covve co-founder Alex Protogerellis started the company after they both grew frustrated with the lack of education and tools available around networking. The Covve app helps users become more proactive by setting goals, reminding them to follow up with contacts and capturing notes for meetings and conversations. While it’s a platform for all budding and veteran networkers, introverts specifically might find it helpful to keep networking activities at the top of their minds.

An Introvert’s Networking Challenges

Gavrielides acknowledges that introverts face several challenges in a traditional networking setting. Striking up conversations with strangers, small talk and opening up to new people are simultaneously pillars of networking and activities that many introverts dread most. Additionally, the follow up with multiple new connections after an event is easier said than done for many introverts. Still, Gavrielides says it’s one of the most important things to do.

“When you leave an event, [they are] just a contact you exchanged details with; it’s not a relationship [yet],” he says. “It will become one if you follow up on the points that you had rapport on or the challenges that they face, or an introduction that you thought reminded you of one another. If you don’t follow up and actually create a consistent touch point of communication, then that will not be a relationship. [They’re] going to be just a contact in your address book.” 

Leveraging An Introvert’s Unique Skills

Despite the initial challenges that introverts may have, Gavrielides says they have a huge advantage over extroverts in terms of networking. He says introverts possess several unique skill sets that give them an edge and help them overcome the barriers that might otherwise keep them from attending a networking event. By understanding how their observation skills, natural curiosity and active listening help them in social situations, introverts can gain the confidence they need to succeed at networking.

Observation 

In general, introverts are much more observant than extroverts. While extroverts might excel at making small talk about the weather, sports or current events, introverts can flex their observation skills to make a more lasting impression. They might observe and make a mental note to ask about something on a person’s T-shirt or overhear a snippet of a conversation they can relate to. Introverts are also more in tune with someone’s body language and behaviors during a conversation, so they can more accurately assess when the conversation has run its course.

“If an introvert realizes that’s an advantage they have and [they can create] a bit of confidence in that, they could start a conversation that is more meaningful than one an extrovert would start,” Gavrielides says.

Curiosity

Introverts tend to have a much more natural curiosity, which leads them to ask more questions. Again, these questions can easily replace the dreaded small talk and lead to more meaningful conversations right off the bat. Asking questions is also a great way to get people to open up. By showing interest in the conversation and engaging their curiosities, introverts are better able to leave lasting impressions on others.

Active Listening

In a conversation, extroverts have a tendency to think about what they’re going to say next while the other person is talking. These thoughts can prevent them from absorbing the other person’s perspective, making it less authentic. While introverts might not love opening up to new people immediately, their heightened active listening skills make them much better at fully understanding what the other person is talking about.

“If they understand that that’s a unique skill they have, they could actually relate to or offer to help the other person with something that they just shared,” Gavrielides says. “It puts them in a much better position to actually help the other person or offer something of value to the conversation.”

Practice Makes Perfect

Gavrielides says, regardless of whether you’re introverted or extroverted, everyone can be successful at networking as long as they understand their strengths and play to them. It is just as important as knowing where your skills are lacking and practicing them. As with most things in life, networking requires dedication and regular practice to be impactful. 

“I compare it to exercise,” he says. “The reward from networking doesn’t come as soon as you start doing it. It comes after you build the relationship and after something fruitful comes out of it…. You’re not going to go to the gym once and come back with a six-pack…. I think it’s the same with relationship building. You need to be very proactive in doing it, and then the reward will come later. And that’s what’s going to fuel you to keep going. But it’s not going to be instant.”

In addition to practice, Gavrielides underscores the importance of understanding the underlying psychology of human interactions and drawing insights from experts in the field. By utilizing networking tools and educational resources, like Covve, introverts can unlock opportunities and forge genuine connections that propel personal and professional growth.

Photo courtesy Studio Romantic/Shutterstock.com

The post Networking Advice for Introverts appeared first on SUCCESS.

Part of his success is the way he leans into the idea of fierce entrepreneurship at Mekanism. “We like to hire people who are creatively entrepreneurial. We have this idea that the company was founded by entrepreneurs, and we want everyone who works here to have autonomy and feel like they’re entrepreneurial,” Harris says. “You don’t have to be an entrepreneur to be entrepreneurial….”

“This spirit is pervasive throughout the company…. It’s motivational, and it creates this layer of thinking that we empower you to be responsible and we’ll support you, but we’re not going to micromanage you. We want people to have the freedom to go after their work as if it’s their own.”

And day in and day out, that is how Harris operates. He shared a typical work day with SUCCESS®, from his absolute morning must-haves to his end-of-the-day indications. “Every day, I have three daily practices that are my personal imperatives: meditation, movement and reading. I try to do two in the morning and one at night,” he said. These bookend the core steps to Harris’ success at Mekanism.

7 A.M. – MOVE

Harris starts his day with discipline by working out, no matter what. “I have a trainer I train with, and I do yoga one day, weights one day, and boxing one day. And then, on my own, I do rowing or Peloton. It’s something different every day. If I don’t do the movement activity in the morning, it’ll never get done. It has to be the first thing I do,” he maintains.

8 A.M. – MEDITATE

After the movement activity, comes the time to sit perfectly still. Harris learned about meditation when he started working with the New York Zen Center for Contemplative Care, helping them with their brand identity, positioning and advertising. “To handle the stressful work, I’ve taken up daily meditation practice…. I started to incorporate that into my everyday routine,” Harris says. “It has had a really outsized difference in me managing my stressors and being more present.” After that, comes his shower, where he starts to mentally prepare for the day ahead of him.

10 A.M. – WORK FROM OFFICE

If there was any silver lining to the COVID-19 pandemic, it was the new normal of workplace flexibility. So, even though Harris comes into Mekanism’s New York office every day, his staff is allowed to work from home three days a week. “Every day is different for me, but usually my first meeting is with someone on my leadership team. I have blocks of time for critical thinking, but most of my day is spent on Zoom or in-person meetings. I try to stack meetings from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., then I have the last few hours set aside for working.”

NOON – POWER THROUGH

Lunch hour? What’s that? It’s almost an archaic notion these days, and Harris is living proof. “I’ll usually have Sweetgreen ordered in. When I’m in the office, I want to power through the work, but I do love to [go out for] client lunches. When I do, I almost always go to Balthazar in SoHo,” he says of the classic Manhattan spot, his favorite near his office.  

1 P.M. – CREATIVITY

Once you’ve worked your way up into the C-suite, you don’t always get the chance to do the things that led you there. But for Harris, being creative is still on his to-do list. “The place where I get to really be in the work is when we pitch new business, and that’s something I do a lot of—formulating our strategy, our ideas and the creative platform—all of which I’m heavily involved in. Once we have the account, then my job is to check in with [the] CMO or work with [the] team,” he explains. “Pitching new business is kind of the dream scenario, and the blue-sky thinking—that is the best part of the job. And that’s going on all the time. It’s part of every day. It’s constant.”

3 P.M. – ENGAGE

Social media—like it or not—has become a very necessary part of any entrepreneur’s career. And while some executives use it sporadically, Harris is committed to a more strategic approach. “I do a two-hour block a week. I write posts and create video content, and then work with my marketing team to edit and post all of that for the week ahead,” he says. The result is nearly 20,000 followers on Instagram alone.

5 P.M. – CHECK IN

All too often, the idea of being a mentor can be somewhat of an empty promise. It’s something you say and not necessarily something you actually do, but it’s important to Harris to follow through at every level of Mekanism. “Mentoring is one of the reasons why I spend the bulk of my time with the agency leadership team, along with one-on-ones I do with each person on that team and with everyone in the company throughout the year,” he says. “I want that holistic view of the company—not just the view of the company from the leaders.”

7 P.M. – WRAP UP

There was a time when Harris worked until the work was finished. It’s kind of that “you’re-done-when-you’re-done” mentality. But, now, he knows better. “By the end of the day, your to-do list is never finished,” he explains. “So, I try to wrap up my day based on the clock on the wall. I shut down by 7 p.m. I used to power through and keep going, but now I realize that’s not healthy.”

8 P.M. – THE READING CHAPTER

It’s a nonnegotiable, end-of-day routine for Harris. When he gets home from the office, he sits down with a book before he does anything else. “When I am done with the day, I have to read for at least 20 minutes. It is just personal reading and development. And then I can stream some shows and do something less productive. That’s my at-home immediate thing I do.”

Now, when Harris reflects on the success he’s had, he does so with an appreciation for the road that brought him here. “To be honest, I really like my job,” he says. “My favorite part is when I’m pitching a client, and I walk out super pumped about the team and the work and the chemistry. That’s when I’m reminded of the fact that I have been in business for 20-something years for a reason.”

Photo courtesy Jason Harris

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Throughout her successful career, Bava has worked for an array of top travel brands—many of them in the cruise industry. Today, she is the chief commercial officer for Windstar Cruises, a small-ship luxury line that sails around the world, whisking travelers to various destinations in the South Pacific, Europe, the Caribbean, New England, Eastern Canada, South America and beyond.

Bava’s start in the cruise industry

“I took my first cruise and realized, ‘I want to do something in travel,’” says 46-year-old Bava, who was born in Cuba but grew up in Miami. “When I got off that ship, I said, ‘Oh my gosh, I would totally work here. I would love to work for a cruise company.’ You do your research. You go to all these career fairs, and you put two and two together. Miami is the cruise capital of the world—there has to be something out there for me in this industry.”

Thinking outside the box has continued to serve her well in an industry rooted in innovation. At Windstar, she’s helping chart the path forward during a period of unprecedented growth. The company recently announced that it’s adding two new ships to its existing six-vessel fleet—an expansion of nearly 33%. As the new ships come online in 2025 and 2026, Bava will be there every step of the way, making key decisions about where they’ll sail, how they’ll be marketed and more.

With her creative spirit and her belief in travel as a force for good, she’s poised to help the company sail into the future.

“The organization’s vision is to innovate and grow and do things ‘180 degrees from ordinary,’” she says, referring to the company’s tagline. “I feel as if I am beyond ordinary as a human being, and I want to work for a company that values people who are different.”

“You have to work really hard”

Travel has always played a big role in Bava’s life. Not long after she was born, her family fled communist Cuba. They left behind everything and everyone they’d ever known to start over in America.

Bava was just 2 years old when they arrived in Miami. She grew up watching her parents work hard to provide for her and her older sister—her dad as a mechanic and her mom doing odd jobs like cleaning houses. Those early experiences shaped Bava’s tireless work ethic.

“My father instilled in us the idea that we had the opportunity to do whatever we wanted to do and be whoever we wanted to be,” Bava says. “That’s why he sacrificed his country and being with his friends and his family—because he wanted to make sure me and my sister did what we wanted to do in life. He always said, ‘You want to be happy, but you have to work really hard. Don’t ever let anyone tell you you can’t do something—you just have to work really hard and be a good person.’”

Bava’s career beginnings

Bava put herself through college by working a variety of jobs. During this time, she also earned a marketing and international business degree from Florida International University. Already fluent in English and Spanish, Bava picked up a third language by studying Italian. She then met the man who would ultimately become her husband on a trip to Italy while she was in college. Today, they’ve been married for nearly 20 years and have two teenage sons.

“I always say I believe in love at first sight and long-distance relationships because my unconventional self-made it all work,” she says. “When [my husband and I] put our heads together, no one can tell us we’re not going to do it. If we’re convinced, we can get it done, we’ll make it work.”

Personal growth and mentorship

Ever since taking that first cruise as a teenager, Bava had dreamed of working for a global cruise brand. After she graduated from college, she applied to as many cruise lines as she could. Bava landed a job in direct marketing and customer experience communications at Royal Caribbean and “never looked back,” she says.

Since then, she’s risen through the ranks within the travel industry, taking on roles with more and more responsibility. Before landing at Windstar, she worked as director of customer engagement for NBCUniversal’s Universal Parks and Resort in Orlando, vice president of marketing for the Americas for Silversea Cruises and chief marketing officer for AmaWaterways. Every career move has helped her stretch and broaden her skill set in some way.

“I’m always looking for personal growth,” she says. “For every position, I was at a stage in my career that I had accomplished something and was ready for the next step. And the next opportunity offered something much greater.”

Bava’s successful career in the cruise industry

Bava attributes much of her career success to establishing strong relationships with professional mentors—many of them women. She’s made a point of staying in touch with those people throughout her career. And because of that, whenever a fitting opportunity arose, they mentioned her name.

For example, during her time at Royal Caribbean, Bava worked under then–senior vice president of marketing Betsy O’Rourke. Later, O’Rourke became Windstar’s chief commercial officer—and when O’Rourke decided to leave that role to become a consultant, she recommended that the company hire Bava as her replacement.

“No matter where you’re going, don’t burn your bridges,” Bava says. “But more than that, build a strong relationship and keep that for many years to come. Even after you leave, because those relationships will help you in the long run, and they will go a long way.…Don’t just use people. Truly build a strong relationship. You learn so much from different people at different stages of your life.”

Beyond that, her mentors have all imparted important lessons she still carries with her to this day. That’s something she keeps top of mind now as she begins to mentor the next generation of industry leaders.

“They may go off to work for another brand; they may get a better job or a better role,” she says. “But whatever it is they’re learning from me, they may go apply that. And that, to me, is incredibly fulfilling.”

Representation in the cruise industry

More broadly, Bava also hopes to serve as a source of inspiration for other women—especially those from historically underrepresented groups. Like many other fields, the cruise industry has been taking steps to become more diverse and inclusive. And those efforts seem to be paying off. Today, “roughly 40% of senior leadership roles at cruise companies are held by women,” according to the latest figures from the Cruise Lines International Association, the world’s largest cruise industry trade group.

More work needs to be done, but Bava is proud to be part of that change. “More and more, the cruise industry—and all industries—are embracing females, period, and more females who are diverse in their backgrounds and upbringings and cultures and languages,” she says. “To me, it’s not about, ‘Well, there’s not enough women in the C-suite.’ There’s a lot more than there was, and that’s a huge step forward. I hope I can help pave the way for many, many others to come.”

This article appears in the September/October 2024 issue of Success Magazine. Photo courtesy of Windstar Cruises.

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If you think it’s because you’re lazy or have no self-discipline, you can cut yourself some slack.

Science explains that bad habits form quickly because they produce immediate reinforcement. Good habits can take a while to feel, pun intended, good.

Wouldn’t it be great if you could create a healthy habit that was easy and provided immediate gratification? Good news: they exist. Read on for five unique and healthy habits that make it easy to feel good fast.

1. Try this healthier way to conduct meetings

“My schedule tends to be packed with back-to-back meetings,” says Leo Smigel, personal finance expert and founder of Analyzing Alpha. “A few years ago, I started taking walks with team members and potential clients instead of sitting in the conference room. It has boosted my daily step count, and the discussions are much more dynamic and engaging. Being on the move seems to get people’s creative juices flowing. People often share their most innovative ideas as we’re walking around the block.”

Smigel also finds that walking meetings improve his mental clarity, stress levels and relationships.

“There’s something about strolling side by side that invites deeper and more casual conversations,” he says. “It breaks down barriers and fosters better collaboration.”

2. Write permission slips for self-care

“My favorite habit is writing myself permission slips,” says Shelley Paxton, author of Soulbbatical: A Corporate Rebel’s Guide to Finding Your Best Life. “I give myself five to 10 minutes of quiet every morning and ask this question, ‘What do I need to allow myself to do, not do, and/or feel today to show up as my most bold, brave, bada$$ self? I then take a stack of my favorite orange Post-it notes and write the answers as permission slips on the Post-its. For example, I might say, ‘Order dinner instead of cooking tonight’ so I can go for a walk on the trail or ‘Take a nap this afternoon’ or ‘Say no to that event tonight.’ Some days I write two and some days my fridge, bathroom mirror and office space are wallpapered with them!” 

This behavior empowers Paxton to pause and check in with what she needs to show up feeling alive and energized in her life and leadership. It reminds me to choose permission over (people) pleasing, Paxton says. “I serve my needs first.” 

3. Train technology to serve your mental health

“I only consume content that helps me grow,” says Sarene Alsharif, LDN, MPH, CEO and cofounder of Tad More Tailoring and Alterations. “I have trained the algorithm on my social media to show me positive messages and success stories. I do not listen to crime podcasts or watch the news or horror movies. I used to be a CSI junkie, but I was always tense and the smallest noises made me jump. If I am not mentally healthy and strong, how can I support my family and lead my team? Cutting out the junk and negative messages has helped my mental health massively.”

To train your social media, follow people or accounts you are interested in, says Alsharif. When social media platforms show you content you don’t want, swipe through them immediately. The platforms track how long you watch videos, and even if you watch them without interacting with them, they will show you more like that, Alsharif says. Finally, like and comment on the content you find valuable. 

4. Plunge into an ice bath to increase productivity 

While most people associate this practice with enhancing physical recovery from intense exercise (such as reducing muscle soreness, swelling and inflammation), ice baths are also helpful for both personal and professional development, says Amanda Augustine, a career expert for TopResume and a certified professional career coach.

“Once you commit to the plunge, the shock of the cold water is incredibly invigorating, creating a sense of clarity that’s helpful when you need to do some creative problem-solving,” says Augustine. “It has helped me feel more alert, improved my concentration and increased my productivity—especially when I’m feeling stressed or overwhelmed. In some ways, it acts as a reset for me.”

Augustine and her family fill their bathtub with cold water and bags of ice and stay submerged in the 50-59°F water for 10 to 15 minutes. You can also purchase an inflatable ice bath for your backyard or garage.

A word of caution: before trying ice baths, check with your doctor. Ice baths can have a negative effect on some conditions, including heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes.

5. Use habit stacking to put exercise on autopilot

I’m a fan of James Clear’s Atomic Habits book, which offers ways to use small habits to improve your life. One of my favorite takeaways from the book is habit stacking. If you’re trying to build a new habit, one way to do that is to find a current habit you already do and put a new behavior on top of it. That’s habit stacking.

I had been trying unsuccessfully to build a strength-training habit until I devised a way to stack it on top of another habit.

One of my favorite activities is playing pickleball, three days a week. After several injuries, I knew I needed to warm up more, and one day I had an aha moment. If I did my strength training before pickleball (and included any additional dynamic stretches), I would be solving two problems: getting in a warm-up to minimize potential injury and doing strength training three times per week. 

Habit stacking worked like a charm, and now my strength training is a habit on autopilot.

Photo by oneinchpunch/Shutterstock

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King founded her first company, Jump Digital Media, in 2009 at age 25. “We built websites, and it was a disaster from the start,” King admits. The company crashed and burned in 10 months, and; King took on $70,000 of credit card debt by financing payroll on her personal credit card. After shutting down the company, King took a corporate job to get out of debt and gain more experience.

Her second venture, PMS.com, which King described as a Dollar Shave Club for women’s monthly health care needs, was founded in December 2013. King raised seven figures of capital pitching an all-male investor group, which she writes about in her book, You’re Kind of a Big Deal: Level Up by Unlocking Your Audacity. At first, it seemed like none of the investors would fund her startup. Then, one said yes after discovering he and King had something in common—they’re both University of Maryland alums. “It only takes one,” King says.

Despite having seed money, PMS.com failed, too. There were too many “copycat competitors,” and the margins were tough because clients could also order items for delivery through Amazon, King says. Despite 25,000 women signing up for the service, PMS.com wasn’t profitable.

However, the URL was very valuable. An investor from Asia offered five times the valuation of the whole company for its URL. Even with that payoff, King says the company barely broke even.

Through all this, King never stopped believing in herself. “I really had this feeling in my gut like there was something else out there for me,” she says.

King parlayed PMS.com’s 1.2 million Facebook group members into a social media community for small, local brands and created Socialite Agency, which, spoiler alert, was acquired by digital marketing agency Strikepoint in January 2022.

Following your intuition

When King started Socialite Agency, her friends and family questioned whether it was wise to try again. After all, she had gone into debt once, dug herself out of debt, raised money, and then crashed and burned again. But King believed that it was possible for her to succeed.

“In my heart of hearts, I had this tug and intuition,” she says.

King made a deal with herself when she started Socialite Agency: After six months, if company profits couldn’t pay the bills, she would admit defeat. Then, she started pounding the pavement, sending cold emails, making cold calls and asking people to give her company a chance.

Persistence pays off

“We were really struggling,” King says. “We had very small clients with champagne taste on a beer budget.” Because Socialite Agency didn’t have any large wins or notable clients, most people King reached out to would decline to work with the agency.

Until one day, when King was researching prospects on LinkedIn and came across a profile of a “fellow dog mom,” who also happened to be an executive producer for the Oscars. King sent her a personalized message through LinkedIn that included an idea for making the Oscars more exciting for home viewers. The event can be long and boring for TV viewers, King says, so she suggested creating an app called “Backstage Pass” that would livestream what was happening backstage, such as unscripted conversations between stars, to encourage people at home to watch the awards show on TV and on their smartphones.

The producer invited King to a meeting and ultimately hired Socialite Agency to run social media for the 86th Academy Awards in 2014. “She ended up hiring my little nobody social media agency over these big agencies in New York and London,” King says.

That was the year the now-famous selfie of Ellen DeGeneres, Bradley Cooper and other celebrities went viral. King admits the selfie wasn’t her idea, but it happened on her watch, so she earned credit for it. “We had this breakthrough client, and it changed my entire life as an entrepreneur,” she says.

After its Oscars success, Socialite Agency was hired to manage social media for fashion week, Visa and even the U.S. Navy. “Once you get the one big break, you’ve got the momentum,” she says.

Learning ‘Personal Energy Management’

Although King sold Socialite Agency, she remains on Strikepoint’s board in an advisory role as the company’s chief energy officer. King coaches the staff on their personal energy management to help prevent burnout from the high-stress pace of digital agency work and complex client management. She helps project managers to feel calmer and the sales team to be more persuasive.

Personal energy management is King’s new passion. She created The Energy Exam®, a comprehensive assessment to evaluate personal human energy and help people avoid burnout.

“We talk about powering through if we have a deadline, but powering through is only sustainable for so long,” King says. When we’re done powering through, most people look to power down, perhaps by taking a vacation or turning off their phones. But no one can power down forever, so we often get stuck in a cycle of powering through and powering down.

King has found herself caught in that cycle many times. During the pandemic, she was giving virtual keynotes on disparate topics, ranging from social media to AI to personal development. “I was really trying to power through, and I wasn’t paying attention to my battery at all,” she says. King noticed when she was speaking on stage or on camera, she would have to take a breath in between sentences; she was having trouble swallowing, and her hair was falling out. During a week when she delivered keynotes on five different topics, she woke up one morning and thought she was having a heart attack. It turned out to be a panic attack.

Breaking the cycle of powering up and down

Soon after, she was scheduled to give a keynote in Bali and decided to spend an extra 10 days there to relax and energize. It was great while she was there, but once she returned home, she noticed herself going back to the same pattern of powering through and then powering down.

“The first couple of weeks I was burning incense and doing yoga, but then you get back to real life and you find yourself stuck in the same battery-destroying pattern of powering through and powering down,” King said.

From burnout to balance

She didn’t want to live in a state of burnout or in a state of doing nothing. So, she commissioned a study by Ph.D. researchers to find out how to navigate the highest echelons of success without becoming exhausted. A dozen Ph.D. researchers and King interviewed thousands of people of all different ages from across the country.

The big takeaway is people who have high life satisfaction and high energy use language that isn’t about powering through or powering up, King says. Instead, they say things like, “I know my limits,” “playing to my strengths” and “drawing my boundaries.” The most satisfied and energetic people are self-aware in terms of how their personal battery works, King says.

The research also taught King that, if she’s not intentional about boundaries, her battery will drain faster. To help her cope, King hired a therapist and decided to focus on speaking about just one topic—personal energy management.

She also realized that she gets energy from spending time with her girlfriends. “I have this incredible squad of women and a few good men who are thought leaders or creatives, executives, authors and entrepreneurs, but also some of them are moms, daughters, wives and cousins,” she says. Yet, finding time to be with friends gets more challenging as people get busier with life and family obligations.

“Even if I can’t see them in person, I call someone on the phone—not text, not social media, not a comment, not a voicemail,” King says. “I call them on the phone for a walk and talk, and we get our steps in.” 

This article originally appeared in the September/October 2024 issue of SUCCESS magazine. Image courtesy of Erin King

The post The Art of Trying Again — and Again  appeared first on SUCCESS.

A recent survey of 1,000 American employees determined the top three reasons Americans are afraid to ask for a raise, finding that 80% feel they are entitled to one but only 60% plan to ask. Cited reasons include: not knowing how to ask, fear of rejection and concern about job security. Close to one in four of them use knowledge of coworker salaries to negotiate higher salaries, which suggests the necessity of openly sharing this information when possible.

Workers across the country and industries shared their fears about the “Big Ask:”

You’re scared you’re not good enough, you’re unworthy or you might have to negotiate

Kristen Brun Sharkey 

Full-time leadership coach and founder and CEO at Emboldify

“I find with my clients that difficulty in asking for a raise is most often related to imposter syndrome. Our brains are wired to make us avoid risk, especially anything that could lead to a lack of survival resources (e.g., losing a job) or alienation from others (e.g., getting a poor reputation). It’s a survival mechanism! Once you know this, you can practice being aware of when your brain is doing this—which helps you push it aside instead of giving it weight. Mindfulness practices (not just meditation) are a fantastic way to grow this awareness.”

Mark Pierce

CEO and founding partner of Wyoming Trust, a law firm in Sheridan, Wyoming

“The biggest block to asking for a raise is insecurity. Some people aren’t 100% confident in their professional worth, while others feel full-on imposter syndrome, and both can stop you from asking for a raise if you let them. Working on confidence is hard, but one easy way to reduce the effect of insecurities is to understand that everyone has them—some just hide them extremely well.”

Tramelle D Jones

Strategic Success and Workplace Wellness Coach with TDJ Consulting in San Antonio

“I find that most people worry that by asking for more money, they will not only be rejected but also damage their relationship with their manager. In my work as a career coach for high-achieving employees seeking positions where they are valued, challenged and paid what they are worth, I see this fear more often in women and persons of color. They rationalize their fear with the preschool adage, ‘You take what you get and don’t throw a fit.’ Instead of asking for a raise, these employees tend to ramp up their performance, thinking they need to overwork and outperform everyone in the office.

While having a high-performing employee on the team is great, it can backfire when there is no communication with the boss about intentions. All that extra work can lead to disappointment if no raise is achieved. Having conversations about their desire for a raise and pinpointing the support their boss needs so their efforts are strategically placed and actually useful would be a better move.

Regarding the fear of asking for a raise, my advice is always to understand that it is fiscally responsible for the company to pay you the least amount for your work, but they expect you to counter and ask for more. Compensation conversations might feel daunting, but they open doors. If the answer is yes, you got what you wanted. If the answer is no, you can ask for more clarification by asking, ‘If not now, when?’”

You don’t want to rock the boat

Rebecca Heiss, Ph.D.

Stress physiologist, author and keynote speaker, who works with teams to transform stress energy into higher performance

“Seems obvious, but because humans are so risk-averse, it’s easier for most to justify that things are ‘good enough’ as they are because they feel more in control of the situation. An ask requires vulnerability and an opportunity to fail—maybe even risk outcomes that are far worse than current conditions (imagine if I get fired!).”

Logan Mallory

Vice president of marketing at Motivosity, a recognition software for employers, in Salt Lake City

“In the past, I’ve been nervous about asking for a raise because I feared it would alienate my manager and hurt our relationship. It doesn’t feel good to put pressure on someone to give you more, especially when you’ve spent years building a trusting relationship.”

Michael Nemeroff

CEO and co-founder of Rush Order Tees, an apparel e-commerce brand in Philadelphia

“Asking for raises can cause stress because there’s a power imbalance at play—even in the healthiest team environments. Your boss has the power to keep you around, and asking for a raise can threaten your position. If you have a great boss and the odds of them punishing you for asking are microscopic, there’s still a chance that things could go awry, which is enough to discourage some people from asking.”

You’re worried the answer is going to be no

Jenny Mitchell

Executive coach, founder and CEO of Chavender in Ottawa, Canada

“Asking for a raise is stressful when viewed through black-and-white thinking: You will either get a yes or a no. When proposing a raise to your boss, bring a list of open-ended questions. Your targeted questions will prompt meaningful feedback from your boss. Use questions like ‘What are the two most important criteria for awarding raises?’ or ‘Which part of my work product is most valuable to you as a leader?’  Ditch the yes-no answers and lean into curiosity. You’ll find out the answers you seek without slamming into the adversity of a ‘no’ response.”

Greg Ivory

President at Essential Search, an executive search firm, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa

“Everyone’s scared of rejection, and let’s face it, this is your livelihood we’re talking about, so it can seem like there’s a lot on the line. You have to prepare yourself for the fact that indeed the answer might be ‘no’ or ‘not right now’ or it could be that you’re already at the top of the pay scale for the company and they’re never giving you a raise, but at least you know. Mentally prepare that all these answers are within the realm of possible responses and be OK with that.”

Cache Merrill

Founder, CTO and CEO at Zibtek, a software development company in Sandy, Utah

“So many people don’t ask for raises because they’re afraid there’s no room for raises in the budget, and they’ll feel embarrassed if they hear no. While I’d argue that hearing no is nothing to be ashamed about because it doesn’t necessarily reflect your value, you can slowly build to the conversation and feel out your boss’s position ahead of time. Express to your boss during a 1:1 meeting that you’d like to grow within the company and then ask what you can do or improve to become a stronger employee. Once you’ve completed those things, revisit the conversation, and if they’re happy with your progress, ask for a raise.” 

Arissan Nicole

Career and confidence coach in Seattle

“People are often scared of repercussions that will happen if the answer to a raise request is no. People fear it will reflect poorly on them, bring negative attention, and potentially have the company [consider] replacing them for someone that doesn’t want as much money. These fears are mostly unfounded unless you are working for a toxic company, in which case get out! It is more expensive for a company to replace you and rehire for your position than it is to grant your raise request. Instead of looking at a raise request as a make-or-break conversation, view it as an opportunity to practice using your voice, [communicate] your skills, and [ask] for what you want. It is opening a dialogue with your manager that lets them know you are dedicated to the company and want to continue to contribute and grow with it.”   

Afraid to ask for a raise? What to do about it…

Vannessa Wade

PR specialist at Connect The Dots PR in Houston

“I’ve asked for and received a raise—twice! People tend to not know when and how to ask for a raise. I asked for a meeting, showed up with three to five wins I had as an employee, matched it with the job description and added how I achieved what was outlined in the job description. It worked. Gather your proof and ask for what you desire. Practice what to say with family and friends. Highlight how you’ve helped the company versus saying I want more money. Show how you’ve gone over and beyond what is requested of you.” 

Dr. Rebecca Heiss

Stress physiologist, author and keynote speaker, who works with teams to transform stress energy into higher performance

“Humans are the only animals capable of creating stress with our thoughts, and because our stress response evolved to keep us safe, our thoughts often play out in the worst case scenario (catastrophizing the ask rather than thinking about all the ways it could go in our favor). To overcome it, people need to recognize the cost of inaction is often more costly than action. Action is measurable. It gives us data from which we can grow, adjust and change. But inaction (not asking) only breeds resentment and regret—only those costs aren’t usually measured until later. Recognizing them upfront can embolden us to make the ask.” 

Logan Mallory

Vice president of marketing at Motivosity, a recognition software for employers, in Salt Lake City

“The approach made the difference for me because I realized I could lead with gratitude. You don’t have to play hardball, but express gratitude for the opportunities you’ve had and the relationship you’ve built. A great manager won’t see you asking for a raise as undue pressure but a natural progression as you grow in your role. As I’ve moved into management positions, it’s become even clearer to me that if you have a good boss, you should never fear asking for your worth.”

Brooke Webber

Head of marketing at Ninja Patches in Philadelphia

“If we stay quiet to keep the status quo, the only one who benefits is the manager who doesn’t give out raises often enough. If it gets to the point where you have to ask for a raise, your boss may have dropped the ball. Rather than worrying about making someone uncomfortable, prioritize your own comfort on the same level as others and have the conversation. Often, it’s not nearly as bad as the scenario you’re cooking up in your head.”

Final words of encouragement

Dr. Nancy Irwin

Clinical psychologist in Los Angeles

“What can help is seeing that the experience of asking is an opportunity to face fears, regardless of the outcome. Even if denied a raise, you will have refused to reject yourself and have given yourself a ‘raise’ in the courage department, if nothing else. That’s huge.”

Photo by pathdoc/Shutterstock.com

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