Branding and Image Consultant
Black Men and Women of The C-Suite: “Sign up for a conflict resolution class” with Vercie Lark and Fotis Georgiadis Sign up for a conflict resolution class. When I was young, I believed naively that everyone working with me were out for the same thing — to make the company great. As I matured, I quickly realized …
“Seeking support can feel like jumping many layers of hurdles inside and outside of you.” with Sue Sexton and Fotis Georgiadis When you are raised in a shame-based system, you feel ashamed of having needs, feelings, and wants. You feel like a burden. You feel unworthy of help. Being judged or criticized. This is your …
Women of the C-Suite: “Always remember no one is truly self-made” with Linda Olson and Fotis Georgiadis Always remember no one is truly self-made, and always look for ways to lift others so they can reach their potential too. Lifting others is not only a responsibility, but you will also find you can learn something …
“Society, for their part, must cease linking mental health challenges to personal failings and violence.” with Dr. Risa Stein and Fotis Georgiadis Ideally, individuals would share their struggles more openly. But, I recognize this still involves a measure of trepidation. Until we reach a tipping point where more people are comfortable doing so than are …
Women in STEM: “What we need more of is curious, inquiring minds that are willing to learn.” with Melissa Coats Simply put, less judgment and more curiosity. This can be applied to both how we view ourselves and others. There is enough judgment in the world. What we need more of is curious, inquiring minds that …
“Make sure you have a strong handle on the basics before adding on anything else” with Rebecca Newman and Fotis Georgiadis Have a strong handle on the basics: make sure you are sleeping, showering, eating nutritiously, taking your medications, and drinking water at a minimum before adding on anything else. If your oxygen mask is …
Women in STEM: “ The media should seek to portray mental illness honestly rather than perpetuating stigma and stereotypes.” with Leesha M Ellis-Cox and Fotis Georgiadis Children spend the bulk of their day at school, and most adults are in the workforce. However, mental illness negatively impacts academic and occupational functioning for children and adults. …
“Push yourself to get out of your own head by getting out of your comfort zone” with Rachel Ann Dine and Fotis Georgiadis Try new things. Whether it’s finally attending an art class or that adult soccer league you’ve been wanting to try, push yourself to get out of your own head by getting out …
I believe in 360-degree feedback. Ask team members what’s working, what’s not, what processes could be tweaked or adjusted to make things more efficient. You don’t want a team full of people who agree with everything you say; you want to be challenged, to learn, to grow, to shift your understanding when necessary. As a …
“Why it’s important to try new things and get out of your comfort zone.” with Rachel Kazez and Fotis Georgidis Try new things and get out of your comfort zone. Trying new things stretches our brains and bodies and can make us feel great accomplishment as well as silliness and relief. This can be as …
“All around us we see airbrushed perfection and there is no way any person can measure up.” with Drema Dial and Fotis Georgiadis American culture teaches men and women (especially) to be critical of their appearance. All around us we see airbrushed perfection and there is no way any person can measure up. We’re inundated …
“Social status has impacted our perceptions of each other since the beginning of society.” with Alison G. Clark and Fotis Georgiadis Social status has impacted our perceptions of each other since the beginning of society. Mental health problems affect entire families, and as a coping skill to protect their children from the shame of societal …
I believe in 360-degree feedback. Ask team members what’s working, what’s not, what processes could be tweaked or adjusted to make things more efficient. You don’t want a team full of people who agree with everything you say; you want to be challenged, to learn, to grow, to shift your understanding when necessary. As a …
“Most important, realize that you are human being; We aren’t meant to be perfect.” with Kristin Bornstein Most important, realize that you are human being. We aren’t meant to be perfect. Working on acknowledging and believing that you are great just as you are, even with flaws. Our flaws are there to teach us how …
“Mass media has a way of subtly but powerfully instilling a sense of “the perfect look” throughout the population.” with Roselyn Smith and Fotis Georgiadis Mass media has a way of subtly but powerfully instilling a sense of “the perfect look” throughout the population. And social media has opened the door even more for people …
People need to be educated on what challenges and dangers come with poor mental health. Just like physical and medical conditions like smoking, cancer, and proper diet, there needs to be social messages on how to promote your mental health and why it is important. Education is the first step toward acceptance, and the more …
“I would like to see a greater appreciation of diversity that sincerely values the gifts of different experiences and world-views.” with Rachel S. Heslin and Fotis Georgiadis On a societal level, I would like to see a greater appreciation of diversity that sincerely values the gifts of different experiences and world-views. We all contribute to …
“It’s a constant struggle to find the balance between work and personal life and there’s no “right” or “perfect” way to do it.” with Beth Warren and Fotis Georgiadis It’s a constant struggle to find the balance between work and personal life and there’s no “right” or “perfect” way to do it. You are often …
Women in STEM: “Successful leaders are those who inspire and influence people to take positive actions.” with Jonha Richman and Fotis Georgiadis Leadership is one’s ability to turn visions into actions, inspirations into concrete sets of executions. Successful leaders are those who inspire and influence people to take positive actions. I had the pleasure of interviewing …
Lenovo’s Joseph Mingori: “A meeting of technology and working cultural changes is enabling transformations in smarter workspaces” By leveraging the next wave of smart office technology, enterprises can design a workplace for agility, creativity and greater employee engagement. These workplaces will start turning their attention to the concept of transitional, mobile engagement and spaces that …
Inspirational Lessons From Women in STEM: “Hire Smarter.” with Janine K. Iannarelli and Fotis Georgiaidis Hire Smarter. I want to be surrounded, by smarter, brighter, stronger, braver, idealistic young people who challenge my perception and push me to take risks. Aging sucks in this regard as we tend to retreat to a safer spot at …
“I allow space to be imperfect and recognize that things are always changing.” with Nicolle Molina Osequeda & Fotis Georgiadis I allow space to be imperfect and recognize things are always changing: I remind myself that I wont always be in the same situation, have the same feelings or be in the same amount of …
“Mindfulness slows us down and reminds us of what we’re doing — and why.” with Jessica Weisz and Fotis Georgiadis Mindfulness is what keeps me — and our business as a whole — focused and thriving. There is so much going on in our lives today, from binging on our phones to major news stories grabbing our attention, to the ever-increasing …
“If you’re a person of color, or not, that is interested in growing this industry, the time to jump in the pool is now!” with Neil Kataria and Fotis Georgiadis It’s not about men or women of color. It about getting anyone who is interested to engage in the industry, as it is an industry …
Black Men and Women of The C-Suite: “Diversity affects your company’s bottom line.” with Eric Martin and Fotis Georgiadis Diversity affects your company’s bottom line. As the general population of the US becomes increasingly heterogeneous, it’s important for business leaders to understand that their general customer base will follow suit. In order to effectively reach …
I also have spent time understanding and communicating a little known but important part of differences in human brains. The hardwired differences that often lead to mental health struggles are also part and parcel of the differences that lead to potential for extraordinary strengths. Many of the world’s most astonishing geniuses also struggled with a …
Women Leading The Blockchain Revolution: “The only way forward is to innovate, take risks and to reach out when you need help.” with Visakha Thongphetsavong The nexus of class, gender and race together make the Blockchain Industry out of reach for a lot of us. The only way forward is to innovate, take risks and …
Women in STEM: “We’ve found that it’s crucial employees feel empowered to bring their true selves to work, are given the autonomy to make bold decisions, and feel supported and challenged along the way.” with Bethany Parker and Fotis Georgiadis I believe organizations have the responsibility to change workplace cultures and one of the first …
Talkspace Founders Roni and Oren Frank: “If we all shared the fact that we struggle from time to time, we would help create more visibility for these issues.” It’s a great question and one that definitely doesn’t have a singular, simple answer. Individuals need to be proactive and reach out to others for support as soon …
Lea Tarnowski: “When people get upset in high stress situations, ignore nasty comments, don’t take anything personally, do your job and move on.” I’ve had many mentors along the way starting from school and my very first internship, to where I am now. These are people who have been with me since day one. One of …
Meet The Women of STEM: “Trust your passion and demand compassion from yourself and others.” with Vanessa Ogle and Fotis Georgiadis Trust your passion and demand compassion from yourself and others. Listen to and trust in your heart to pick a direction, and then lead your team with that passion and compassion. For me, it …
Meet The Women In STEM: “When you’re traveling, don’t just stay in the boardroom, you have the rest of your life to climb your way to the top.” with Rhonda Vetere and Fotis Georgiadis When you’re traveling, don’t just stay in the boardroom, you have the rest of your life to climb your way to …
“Historically, when we hear the words “mental health” we automatically think of “mental illness,” and that term has a lot of negative associations.” with Patty Boyd and Fotis Georgiadis I think that, historically, when we hear the words “mental health” we automatically think of “mental illness,” and that term has a lot of negative associations. …
“Set aside time each day to focus on long range goals — don’t get caught putting out fires daily and lose focus/consideration of long range planning.” with MaryEllen Reider and Fotis Georgiadis Focus on what matters. Set aside time each day to focus on long range goals — don’t get caught putting out fires daily and lose focus/consideration of …
“The most successful leaders are ones who’ve been in the trenches” with Ashley Richardson and Fotis Georgiadis Lead by example — If you want your team to buy-in, you can’t just talk the talk, you have to walk the walk. The most successful leaders are ones who’ve been in the trenches and understand the value of getting …
An interview with Fotis Georgiadis Further, be a real person, not the persona of a leader. Let people know you and take the time to know them. Building rapport and trust is earned over time, not dictated by an org chart or a slide deck. Especially with large teams, leaders can feel like this very …
Don’t confuse decor with culture: Having kombucha on tap and a ping pong table aren’t culture. They are accoutrements. To build a strong culture, empower your employees, show them respect, admit your weaknesses, and celebrate their strengths and wins publicly. As a part of my series about strong female leaders, I had the pleasure of …
“Work with your employees’ strengths; Putting a square peg in a round hole is just going to leave you frustrated every time” with Peg McGregor I’d always encourage leaders to work with your employees’ strengths — trying to put a square peg in a round hole is just going to leave you frustrated every time. As a part of …
“There are myths about mental illness that often can be dispelled through education and experience.” with Stephanie S. Covington As individuals, we need to educate ourselves about what is actually true about mental illness. There are myths about mental illness that often can be dispelled through education and experience. Hearing the stories of how people …
“So many people feel overwhelmed, stigmatized, wrong, and helpless because nobody ever taught them what to do when they are stressed and anxious about things that occur in everyday life.” So many people feel overwhelmed, stigmatized, wrong, and helpless because nobody ever taught them what to do when they are stressed and anxious about things that …
“Society can help de-stigmatize mental illness by creating trauma-informed organizations and communities.” with Debra Anderson Society can help de-stigmatize mental illness by creating trauma-informed organizations and communities. Whether it’s training your community about trauma or developing wellness policies for your organization, the more we normalize mental illness, the better off we’ll be. I had the pleasure of …
“Public avenues too often highlight an inappropriate connection between violence and mental illness.” with Carolyn Beauchamp To this day, we are still in the process of transforming state psychiatric hospitals from custodial to treatment-focused facilities based on wellness and recovery. Even recently, it has taken strong advocacy nationwide to have mental illnesses included in insurance …
Women in STEM: “If your team doesn’t trust you, you are not a leader.” with Roni Frank and Fotis Georgiadis Trust is everything. If your team doesn’t trust you, you are not a leader. Period. Your ability as a leader to inspire and motivate employees is based on trust. When people trust you, they have …
Women in STEM: “Even large teams are about people and individuals.” with Diane Hoskins and Fotis Georgiadis Even large teams are about people and individuals. Understanding the people you are working with is critical. What motivates them? What are their best capabilities and where can they grow? In addition, large teams need a clear vision. …
Women in STEM: RetailMeNot’s Kelli Beougher, “ When you become a leader, it’s really not about you anymore.” with Fotis Georgiadis Be humble — No one wants to work for or with an arrogant self-promoter. When you become a leader, it’s really not about you anymore. It’s about the team and the company. Own your mistakes and …
Black Men and Women of the C-Suite: “Diversity of executive leadership is a complex challenge that is compounded by a false belief that we live a post-racial society.” with Dawn Morton-Rias and Fotis Georgiadis Diversity of executive leadership is a complex challenge that is compounded by a false belief that we live a post-racial society. …
“You don’t have to wait for the right time or the right position to become a leader.” With Dr. Noni Thomas López and Fotis Georgiadis You don’t have to wait for the right time or the right position to become a leader. You can do it on day one. Leaders aren’t born; they’re made. Once …
Xandr CMO Kirk McDonald: We live in a diverse world, you lead in a diverse world, your company competes in a diverse world.” This should be obvious by now, and I hope we are all getting to fully appreciate that to lead successful business ventures in a diverse society, we need a company leadership and workforce …
“Within this space, it is especially important that we continue to disprove the inaccurate information and stigma that has plagued the beauty and possibility of this plant.” with Alexis Rosenbaum and Fotis Georgiadis Large legacy companies may show less of their face and their team. Within this space, it is especially important that we continue …
“Be cognizant. For companies, this means first recognizing that your team isn’t as diverse as it could or should be.” with Cheryl Durst and Fotis Georgiadis Be cognizant. For companies, this means first recognizing that your team isn’t as diverse as it could or should be. Most of us feel comfortable in our own “bubbles”, …