Leading with Genuine Care

Patricia is the co-founder of Meditation Studio, the 5-star app that Apple named one of its’ top 10 of the year. She is also the host of the popular podcast, Untangle, Meditation Studio’s original podcast that shares stories from experts, thought leaders and ‘real people’ about how meditation and mindfulness practices change us.   A New York-native and former media executive at CNBC, NBC and AOL, Patricia is passionate about health and wellness and deeply committed to having a positive impact on the world. What you’ll learn about in this episode: 1:44 – How Patricia starts her day. 3:40 – Why she wishes gratitude for those around her. 4:45 – Her comparison of the word “meditation” is why it is like the word “sport” 5:50 – Why she stopped journaling regularly, and the story of getting rid of all the journals she wrote in over the years. 16:00 – Patricia and Rob discuss the effects of divorce on children. 18:00 – How meditation could be useful for the children of divorced parents. 18:48 – Patricia shares an example from one of her guests on Untangle, Dina Kaplan, on how she would optimize for popularity. 22:30 – Patricia talks about writing her parents a letter explaining that she was going to drop out of college and stay in Greece (they didn’t agree!). 28:58 – Patricia’s experience as part of the team that started CNBC. 29:51- How the book, Wishcraft, helped her chart her vision. 32:58 – Why it’s important to let people in your life know the impact they had or are having on you. 35:35 – The “high flying” days of big budgets in the media business. 39:15 – What it was like to be a woman executive. 41:20 – When and why she decided that meditation might be useful in her life. 45:40 – Why she felt like a closet meditator when she first started her practice and how meditation has become more mainstream today. 51:45 – How she started incorporating meditation into her everyday life. 53:00 – Why, early in her career, she felt the need to be right and how she approaches that now. 54:05 – Patricia discusses the philosophy of why we get “hooked” in life and how to recognize it. 56:20 – How to handle a “command and control” type boss. She read the book about Marines and Military Management to help. 1:01:20 – Patricia discusses her partnership with Cyd Crouse and how her podcast, Untangle, came about. 1:03:42 – How Patricia and Cyd were able to acquire Meditation Studio App. 1:05:47 – What it was like when they found out that Meditation Studio App was chosen by Apple as one of the top 10 apps in the Apple App Store – and how perfect the timing was. 1:08:57 – The day-to-day impact on her mood when she would look at download numbers from the App. 1:12:00 – How her meditation practice helped, and the wisdom she learned from Jerry Colona, a former Venture Capitalist and now the founder and CEO ofReboot.IO, Inc., because of the thought-provoking question he asked her. 1:18:38 – How she prepares for her podcast guests. 1:20:00 – How the practice and principles of mindfulness training can be helpful with the craziness of our lives. 1:24:00 – Why she was nervous interviewing Congressman Tim Ryan from Youngstown, Ohio. 1:30:00 – Patricia shows us the Muse wearable meditation headset. 1:33:00 – Meditation, performance, and athletes. 1:34:14 – Patricia discusses why “negative thoughts are like velcro”. 1:38:16 – How come it’s hard to move on from “things that happen in life.” 1:39:00 – What the acronym RAIN, developed by Tara Brach, means. 1:41:08 – Patricia wonders, “how hard do you have to work on your work and personal relationships?” 1:43:49 – What life is like for her post-acquisition. 1:46:31 – Advice Patricia would give to a young woman, and shares some wisdom of a friend, Fran Hauser who wrote The Myth of the Nice Girl. 1:48:02 – Patricia discusses the Leadership section of Meditation Studio App (and why it could be called “authentic leadership”). 1:48:52 – Mess up in your 20’s and don’t feel like you need to rush into “life” – Kristin Neff, who discusses self-compassion and Sharon Salzberg about Real Love. 1:51:14 – Patricia shares the amazing story about Semira, a wonderful girl from Ethiopia. Ways to contact Patricia:   Website: www.meditationstudioapp.com Website: https://choosemuse.com/ Facebook: www.facebook.com/meditationstudioapp LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/patricia-karpas-2b9873/ Patricia’s “Untangle” Podcast on iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/untangle-the-podcast-from-meditation-studio/id1073460738?mt=2

Jack Stack is Founder, President and CEO of SRC Holdings Corporation. Jack has been called the “smartest strategist in America” by Inc. Magazine and one of the “top 10 minds in small business” by Fortune Magazine. A pioneer of the leadership model known as open-book management, Stack is the author of two books on the subject, The Great Game of Business and A Stake in the Outcome. His expertise in using the open-book model has helped SRC Holdings Corporation start, acquire, and own over 60 businesses and created thousands of jobs since 1983. Along the way, SRC’s stock value has increased 360,000%. Jack has served as a world judge for the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Awards Institute and as an advisor for this group since 1998. Jack designed the first ever United Way Entrepreneurial Fund to encourage innovation within the non-profit community. He has also served as a contributor for Inc. Magazine and The New York Times and has addressed thousands of audiences on the topic of open-book management. Jack is the father of five children and grandfather of six. Bo Burlingham is an editor-at-large of Inc. magazine and the author of five books, the most recent being Finish Big: How Great Entrepreneurs Exit Their Companies on Top (Portfolio/Penguin, 2014). A previous book, Small Giants: Companies That Choose To Be Great Instead of Big (Portfolio/Penguin, 2006), was one of five finalists for the 2006 Financial Times/Goldman Sachs Business Book of the Year award. Burlingham joined Inc. in January 1983 as a senior editor and became executive editor six months later. Bo has written two books with Jack Stack, the co-founder and CEO of SRC Holdings Corp. (formerly, Springfield Remanufacturing Corp.) and the pioneer of open-book management. One of the books, The Great Game of Business (Doubleday/Currency, 1992), introduced the concept of open-book management, has sold more than 300,000 copies, and was named one of “the 100 best business books of all time.” The other, A Stake in the Outcome (Doubleday/Currency, 2002), recounted how SRC built its culture of ownership while developing the business model that has allowed it to grow from $16 million to $600 million in revenue as of this writing. What you’ll learn about in this episode: The origins of the first Inc. Magazine article, “The Turnaround” and how Jack reacted when the article came out. How Jack and Bo met and how different their memories of their first meeting are. Why employee stock ownership plans (ESOPs) are growing in popularity. What Bo does while Jack is fishing. How SRC dealt with losing General Motors, their largest client. How the idea of writing the book, “Great Game of Business” evolved. Why Bo quit his job as the editor at Inc. Magazine. Reactions to the Inc. Magazine article, “Being the Boss.” Who called out the name “Great Game of Business?” It was once called something different. The location where Jack and Bo conducted most of their interviews while writing “Great Game of Business.” The reality of life as the concept of “Great Game of Business” got out of control with everyone wanting in on it – some people were famous! Warren Buffet’s shocking statement to Jack while on stage at a ceremony. The frustration Jack felt during the early stages of writing his book and why he felt that way. How a SRC janitor took Jack under his wing. Why the CEO of a $3.5 billion business is using Great Game of Business in his business. How Jack feels about the economy now and in the near future. Why Netflix used Great Game of Business. The first Great Game of Business Conference and how it came about. How Jack and Bo think they are impacting the world. What’s wrong with Midwestern values? Jack’s experiences meeting President George W. Bush while he was President. Ways to contact Jack: Website - Great Game of Business: https://www.greatgame.com/ Website - SRC Holdings: http://srcholdings.com Facebook - Great Game of Business: https://www.facebook.com/greatgameofbusiness/ Twitter - https://twitter.com/gr8gamebusiness Ways to contact Bo: Website - http://boburlingham.com/ Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/bo.burlingham Twitter - https://twitter.com/BoBurlingham LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/bo-burlingham-50a583/  

Jack Stack is Founder, President and CEO of SRC Holdings Corporation. Jack has been called the “smartest strategist in America” by Inc. Magazine and one of the “top 10 minds in small business” by Fortune Magazine. A pioneer of the leadership model known as open-book management, Stack is the author of two books on the subject, The Great Game of Business and A Stake in the Outcome. His expertise in using the open-book model has helped SRC Holdings Corporation start, acquire, and own over 60 businesses and created thousands of jobs since 1983. Along the way, SRC’s stock value has increased 360,000%. Jack has served as a world judge for the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Awards Institute and as an advisor for this group since 1998. Jack designed the first ever United Way Entrepreneurial Fund to encourage innovation within the non-profit community. He has also served as a contributor for Inc. Magazine and The New York Times and has addressed thousands of audiences on the topic of open-book management. Jack is the father of five children and grandfather of six. What you’ll learn about in this episode: Why Jack believes your pattern, in terms of leadership, is defined by the early bonds you have. Jack’s early search for answers, staring out the window in school wondering who invented the hula hoop, and how it has cultivated a lifelong search for answers. The importance of perseverance. Jack tells how he felt he had failed at everything (seminary, military, education) before finding the role where he could succeed by deciding to change the business world at the age of 19. The idea of doing one more thing. How Jack was influenced by leaders, early in his career, who had the philosophy that anything he did, he could have done one more thing. Ask one more question. And how that affected him then and now. Jack’s first promotion. Where Jack believes he got his sense of urgency and his belief that he can do anything. “Mini games.” What they are and how the first one involved gambling. Why Jack believes it’s important to be the guy who makes the simplest jobs and tasks interesting and challenging. The freakout factor. What it is and why Jack believes that the faster a new person reaches the freakout factor in a new role, the better they will succeed. How he improved productivity from $44 to $78 per person by making his department the most interesting place to work in the company. By giving his workers something to shoot for. The incredible learning opportunity that comes with applying for an outrageous business loan and why Jack feels that’s a better education than pursuing an MBA. Jack’s initial responses to God-like questions from employees and how Jack was able to get them to stop asking these types of questions. Jack was able to secure a $9,000,000 loan with only $100,000 in equity. Learn how and how much it’s worth now. Hint, it’s a HUGE difference. The origination of the term, “the great game of business.” Why Jack believes your house is like a business. How Jack made it to Springfield. The employee response when Jack asked his employees to buy the company with him. Why Jack believes the concept of scalability is killing businesses. The mental transformation of ownership and how Jack’s manufacturing experiences helped him create a new way of managing the business side of his organization. How Jack came to the realization that his organization needed a system to operate more effectively. Why Jack believes that nine times out of ten when there is a problem in business it’s a systems problem that requires correcting the system rather than getting rid of a person within the organization. How creating a system, in his business, where everyone actively participated in the success of the business (and had a stake in that success) contributed to the overall success of the business at a time when so many other businesses were crumbling. Overcoming the boredom of repetition. How Jack kept everything interested by creating targets and goals, and celebrating them along the way, to avoid the fatigue and boredom that goes along with the repetition necessary for consistent corporate success. Jack’s idea of quarterly bonuses to help keep motivation and morale high and why that works better than annual bonuses paid out once a year. How Jack troubleshoots problems as they arise in his business and how his system for doing that helps him keep his organization on track no matter what’s going on in the world around him. Why Jack believes it’s important to learn to let go of problems you can’t solve. What happened when the head of Patagonia visited SRC. Why Jack believes Bo Burlingham is one of the best business writers of our time (and why I agree!). About a surprise guest that arrives just in time to usher in part 2 of this exciting interview. Ways to contact Jack: Website - Great Game of Business: https://www.greatgame.com/ Website - SRC Holdings: http://srcholdings.com Facebook - Great Game of Business: https://www.facebook.com/greatgameofbusiness/ Twitter - https://twitter.com/gr8gamebusiness  

Janet Solyntjes is a certified MBSR teacher and serves on the faculty of the Center for Mindfulness at UMass. She is also on the faculty of the Engaged Mindfulness Institute, helping train people to bring trauma-informed mindfulness into underserved and at-risk communities. Janet has offered MBSR courses in Colorado since 2000 and has been leading mindfulness meditation retreats in the United States and internationally for over 20 years. She is co-founder of the Boulder-based Center for Courageous Living, a small business committed to promoting the inherent goodness of individuals and groups through a variety of supportive services, programs, and retreats. What you’ll learn about in this episode: Janet explains the browser tabs in our heads How Catholic school got Janet wondering about "things" in life Why the beginning of high school started to bring on feelings of depression Why she is comfortable in solitude (this wasn’t always the case!) Why every Sunday, as a senior in high school, she and two of her best friends decided to visit a different place of worship every weekend Janet shares how losing her father at an early age impacted her life How discipline and structure serve her in her life How attending a dance performance inspired her to start dancing What Janet would say to her dance teacher if she could speak with her today Janet shares a lesson she learned from a teacher that it is important to “always do things thoroughly and properly” Janet shares how after college she had a breakdown. And this was not a coincidence. How Janet got into the world of meditation (it came partially with a “dare”) Why meditation was initially difficult for her Why having a teacher is helpful in learning and maintaining a meditation practice What it was like running a Buddhist Center in Boulder, Colorado (high skill, low interest) What Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) is Why we have everything we need in our lives to overcome challenges and how MBSR can be useful What secular meditation means How a book she randomly picked up at the Salvation Army, and didn’t read until many years later, led her to MBSR Why people should consider attending an extended silent retreat What happens on a silent retreat Why the Shambhala Mountain Center in Red Feather Lakes, Colorado is such a special place for a retreat What is the “ROI” on walking meditation? Why a silent leadership retreat is one of the best business “classes” you can take Why not being the fastest is a good thing Why you should trust what is inside of you How to set up a guided meditation Ways to contact Janet: Website: www.thecenterforcourageousliving.com Upcoming programs and retreats: www.thecenterforcourageousliving.com/workshops.html  

Marcus Sheridan got his first start in the business world in 2001 when he began installing swimming pools with two other friends out of the back of a beat-up pickup truck. Nearly a decade later, Sheridan’s company triumphed through the adversity after the collapse of the housing market to become one of the largest pool installers in the United States. Their website has become the most visited swimming pool websites in the world. Marcus transitioned his success with River Pools and Spas into the development of his marketing and personal development blog —The Sales Lion, which has become a staple in the inbound and content marketing world. It has been featured in multiple industry publications including the New York Times where he was referred to as a “web marketing guru.” His book, “They Ask, You Answer” was rated the #1 Marketing Book to Read in 2017 by Mashable. His digital marketing and website design agency, IMPACT, helps businesses make their visions a reality by growing their marketing and sales. When Sheridan isn’t spending time presenting compelling and passion-filled keynotes around the world and consulting with businesses and brands, he is usually with his wife and 4 children exploring new adventures. What you’ll learn about in this episode: Reasons Marcus feels the life lessons he learned as a child have shaped him and how he carried those lessons into adulthood both professionally and with his family Why Marcus believes it’s important to have private jokes with your kids The lessons Marcus learned, while on a mission in Chile during college, that taught him the skill of asking excellent questions and facilitating discussion The surprising benefit that being married and having children had on his college experience How Marcus is able to maintain his energy even when traveling up to 150 days per year When, how and why Marcus came to the realization that he had a unique ability to teach Why Marcus believes in passionate debate with business partners and the importance of a strong set of core values Reasons Marcus chooses not to dwell on the past How Marcus intends to disrupt the speaker bureau agency business The unique philosophy Marcus has regarding education Why Marcus wakes his wife up in the morning before he gets his day started One of the best decisions Marcus ever made in his life Why Marcus would rather exercise than take a nap The importance of being around people who make you want to be a better person Why Marcus believes waiting tables is a valuable skill and how it helped him create his own system that became useful in his own business success Why paying attention is essential, no matter how far something is above your head The importance of being present while spending time with your family His inspiration for the “They Ask; You Answer” style of business that brought his pool business back from the brink of bankruptcy Why building trust is essential, why it works, and how answering uncomfortable questions makes it work Ways to contact Marcus: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcussheridan Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarcusSheridanInternational Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheSalesLion Website: https://marcussheridan.com/ and https://www.impactbnd.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marcussheridan1 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/MarcusSheridan River Pools and Spas: https://www.riverpoolsandspas.com Buy His Book “They Ask, You Answer”: https://bit.ly/2MJ4RC8

Heather Zara is CEO & Owner of Zara Creative, a full-service boutique video production studio focused on partnering with like minded brands whose products/services spark joy. Heather is a values driven leader committed to creating an environment that gives extraordinary creators the opportunity to live extraordinarily fulfilling lives of purpose. Before launching Zara Creative in January of 2012, Heather was a television reporter and anchor for nearly a decade. She was mostly recognized for her on-air work with WDIV-TV Local 4 – the NBC station in Detroit – but also reported for Michigan State University Athletics, The Detroit Pistons on Fox Sports Detroit and delivered sports updates on WWJ and 97.1 The Ticket. Heather earned her Bachelor’s Degree from Michigan State University, where she received honors in Journalism and won an Emmy award before graduating. In 2015, Heather was recognized by DBusiness Magazine as one of Detroit’s 30 in Their Thirties. She has also been featured in Crain’s Detroit, for her insight on tackling the challenges of fast growth in business. Heather’s philanthropic efforts are a driving force in her life and work, which is why ZC works with more than 30 nonprofits in the Detroit-area. Zara Creative participates in the adopt-a-family program through the Volunteers of America and serves as a name sponsor of the Ronald McDonald House at the Detroit Medical Center.   What you’ll learn about in this episode: What it was like growing up as a first generation American and how Heather took on what she describes as a “chameleon” personality How Heather has always been intentional in her life – even from an early age What drives Heather to succeed, why she is so driven, and how she deals with setbacks The meaning of 5-4-3-2-1 to Heather. (Hint. It means “Go!” For her, it’s a reminder to be a woman of action) The importance of thinking big, how Heather has always been a big thinker, and the unique connection she made with a mentor who passed away in January of 2018 How attending The Small Giants Summit in May of 2018 became a game changer for Heather What happened when Heather realized she lacked a vision for the future of Zara Creative – six years into the business – and what she did to develop the vision she has today The incredible energy that keeps Heather going and how she channels that energy into progress for her business How she’s accomplished more at the age of 34 than most people accomplish within their lifetimes How Heather uses tools to remind her to “be present” and how being present helped her do well in school and beyond Heather’s morning routine and how her days always feel a bit “off” if she doesn’t use that time to get in the right headspace How Heather’s desire to find her place between two cultures really forced her parents far outside their comfort zones and why Heather believes that was a really good thing How, over time, Heather transitioned from trying to hide the fact that she was a first generation American and now sees it as a point of pride and how she correlates the risks involved in moving to a new country and beginning a new life, as her parents did, with being an entrepreneur How Heather spent her childhood dreaming up the life she wanted to create and decided at an early age, that you can’t let anything prevent you from achieving the things you want to achieve Heather’s belief that being a methodical, intentional person from an early age shaped her into becoming successful. The importance of having your own tribe and where Heather found hers Ways to contact Heather: LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/heatherzara Facebook: www.facebook.com/zaracreative Twitter: @heatherzara and @zaracreative Website: www.zaracreative.com Instagram: @heatherzara and @zaracreative

Stephen Woessner is the Founder and CEO of Predictive ROI and the host of the Onward Nation podcast, a top-rated podcast for learning how business owners think, act, and achieve success. Onward Nation is listened to in more than 120 countries around the world. He is the author of three bestselling books including the Amazon #1 Bestseller Profitable Podcasting. He is also a speaker, trainer, and his digital marketing insights have been featured in SUCCESS, Entrepreneur, The Washington Post, Forbes, Inc. Magazine, and other media. What you’ll learn about in this episode: How starting each day off right can make all the difference in the world, whether it is meditation, exercise, eating right — whatever it is — so long as it puts your mind in the right frame to get moving and being productive Lessons and stories of an immigrant who started each day with the right mindset and never gave up in the face of all life’s challenges How a person graduating at the bottom of his high school class can turn himself around in a matter of years and become truly successful in his own right by keeping that same mentality of “never give up” The importance of building a business designed to be scalable by using systems to propel the business forward How to build a team of competent people so that the business is not dependent solely on the owner or CEO, but can be smoothly run without the owner micromanaging everything How to make a flexible remote work situation truly work among colleagues by combining a few important factors, like communicating on a regular basis, staying focused, and hiring the best people for the positions How to create a mutually beneficial company culture where employees are valued and grow with the intended benefit for tenure or retaining employees long-term with the business The importance of using your time wisely: when on vacation, you commit to it, and when you are working, you commit to it, and the time in between using time wisely or strategically to make better decisions and be productive How to learn from life experiences and other companies’ success and use that knowledge to your advantage to better your own performance and realize your own success Learning lessons from sports and how great business decisions are made to improve a team’s performance and — as a trickle-down effect — improve the economy of the city — how to use certain situations and capitalize on it Ways to contact Stephen: Podcast: onwardnation.com Twitter: @stephenwoessner

Paul Spiegelman is the co-founder of the Small Giants Community, a peer-group of businesses focused on culture and servant leadership. He is the former chief culture officer of Stericycle, the co-founder and former CEO of BerylHealth and the founder and chairman of The Beryl Institute. Paul is a New York Times best-selling author and has been honored with the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year award. He is co-owner of the restaurant, Wine Gallery, in Laguna Beach, CA. Paul is a sought-after speaker and author on leadership, employee engagement, entrepreneurship, culture, and leading a purpose-driven life. He has made many radio and TV appearances and his views have been featured in the Wall Street Journal, Inc. Magazine, and he is currently a columnist for Forbes.com. Paul practiced law for two years prior to starting BerylHealth. He holds a bachelor’s degree in history from UCLA and a law degree from Southwestern University. What you’ll learn about in this episode: How Paul used to get annoyed when he’d hear others speaking of being “mindful” and now with his own meditation practice is more present and aware – referring to “mindful” as these powers that he realized we all have The important lesson Paul learned from his Dad: always be kind. He would say in his early years, “Always be nice, never burn a bridge, and treat people with respect.” Why most of us that start businesses just dive in and work hard and just try to survive How like many people in business, we typically have these events that changed the course of our business that we really didn’t expect or in some ways can’t control. Why some of our best ideas in business come from listening to our customers – this is how Beryl became a call center for hospitals Creating a recurring revenue business and using that to scale your profitability How Paul and his brothers moved from Los Angeles and opened a call center in an old Wal-Mart Space How sending a handwritten note card to a prospect helped them win a huge deal Why being nice and treating people with respect and caring about people is not only the right thing to do — it’s also good for business Showing your employees gratitude, treating them with respect, developing them over time, and making life as good for them as you can Stepping outside of your comfort zone, reading books, working with mentors, and really trying to soak in as much information as you can because there is so much to learn How Paul met his wife (hint: while traveling…) The anxiety a lot of business owners have over planning everything, why some things are better out of our control and learning to let things come to us Why he titled his best selling book, “Why is Everyone Smiling” How and why the book, “Small Giants,” inspired him. And, the blind email he sent to the author, Bo Burlingham The importance of having conversations when people approach you, just talking to people, and building relationships Why you never know what’s going to happen Why Paul — after walking away from an offer from a private equity company — maxed out his line of credit and reduced profitability to go “all in” How his strong culture led to selling the company at 22 times multiple! How a simple conversation led to Paul becoming a 50/50 partner in the Wine Gallery in Laguna Beach, CA How Paul feels when his restaurant receives a poor review on Yelp Why Paul feels there is value in taking a silent meditation retreat and his story about the “lonely tree” that really isn’t lonely after all Ways to contact Paul: Twitter: @paulspiegelman Website: paulspiegelman.com Books: paulspiegelman.com/books Resources: Website: www.smallgiants.org Website: winegallerylaguna.com LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/small-giants-community Facebook: www.facebook.com/smallgiantsbuzz Twitter: @smallgiantsbuzz

Hamsa Daher is a business leader who is passionate about people, process, and growth. She grew up in Baghdad, Iraq, moving to the U.S in 1991. Her first language is Arabic, and she speaks English and Spanish. Hamsa received her bachelor’s degree in Mathematics from Wayne State University and her MBA from Walsh College. After college, Hamsa worked for an immigration agency to help refugee and asylee populations assimilate into the US, learn English, and find employment. She then joined Walsh College as their first international student advisor where she helped recruit, admit and counsel over 400 international students over a period of 9 years. In her four years at Mango Languages, Hamsa recruited and mentored many employees, providing outstanding leadership. She was promoted to the COO/Integrator role in 2012 and helped lead Mango to its most successful year in 2014. Then she joined Small Giants where she’s helping to identify, connect & develop purpose-driven leaders. What you’ll learn about in this episode: The significance that education played in Hamsa’s young years growing up in Iraq, especially as she witnessed first-hand the landscape of that country during two different wars before coming to America How education remained a high priority even as her family adjusted to difficult times during her childhood in Iraq during the endless sounds of bombs and sirens, and the moments where she had to flee her home without sufficient provisions Ways that the experiences she had helping her younger siblings when she fled Iraq at the age of 12 and coming to America needing to learn English from scratch inspired her and gave her leadership skills Why she made the right decision by abandoning her plans for a medical career after graduating from Wayne State University when she left a job at the hospital and pursued an MBA from Walsh College How her experiences working in student support services in higher education and at an immigration center with refugees transformed her into a mentor and valuable resource for the community The way that she took advantage of an opportunity offered her at Mango Languages to recruit, mentor, and lead, taking the skills she had learned in life’s journey to a higher level How her previous experiences made her an excellent fit at Small Giants as part of a community that inspired companies to be great rather than big Her role in cultivating purpose-driven leaders as Small Giants who focus on their people, community, and customers over profit How they use sessions, interactive workshops, and cultural stories to provide business experiences and relationship building within the community Ways that great leadership opportunities may start during small conversations while walking to dinner Ways to contact Hamsa: Website: www.smallgiants.org Twitter: @HamsaSYD LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/hamsadaher

Welcome to the donothing® Podcast with Rob Dube where we explore how mindful leaders create extraordinary cultures that impact their teams, communities, and ultimately the world. I'm Rob Dube, president and co-founder of imageOne, author of the book “donothing®” and host of the donothing® Podcast: how mindful leaders create extraordinary cultures. I was curious, how can we as leaders continually deliver an extraordinary experience to our team members? I've had the good fortune of having many wonderful mentors in my life, and I've noticed one common thread. They are servant leaders focused on awareness and presence. Being in the moment and being a lifter-upper. Thirteen years ago, I decided to donothing® -- or said differently, take on a meditation practice to help me with my anxiety and to settle my mind and practice awareness. It served me well. My company imageOne was ranked by Forbes magazine as one of the “25 Best Small Giants” in America, and I don't believe that anyone can really lead effectively unless they have a personal practice that allows them to be their best self every day. So I'm going to interview leaders from around the world to learn how they donothing®, the disciplines and practices that ensure they fully show up every day and to learn about their journey to servant leadership, the struggles they’ve faced in their lives, and how they’ve broken through. We are going to dig deep together -- that I can guarantee you. This podcast is for leaders really in any space, whether you're an emerging entrepreneur or a seasoned executive, a leader in the community, or an elected official. You will want to listen. You're going to walk away with two or three nuggets from every interview; simple, impractical, and you'll be able to incorporate them into your leadership philosophy right away. This is next level leadership. It's deeper, and it's vulnerable, and once embraced, you'll be upping the ante on delivering the extraordinary experience to your team and to the people around you in your life.