Architect of Calm

Overview
In this episode of PausePoint: The Podcast, we delve into the profound impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health professionals and the ongoing necessity for adaptive changes in the post-pandemic world. Dr. Gerri Connaught shares insights on the critical role of self-care for mental health workers and the power of community engagement in fostering systemic changes for better mental health care. We explore how embracing community support and advocating for structural reforms can enhance the mental wellness of marginalized populations, providing a roadmap for recovery in challenging times. Join us as we uncover strategies to navigate and thrive in the evolving mental health landscape.

Guest Bio
Dr. Gerri K. Connaught, PhD, LMSW, is an accomplished social work clinical practitioner, educator, and researcher from New York University’s Silver School of Social Work. With a deep commitment to addressing racial and wellness equities, Gerri’s clinical practice spans anxiety, depression, racial identity, and the impostor phenomenon, focusing on adults, veterans, and students. An advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion, she has significantly contributed to DEI practices in academia and recently co-authored an influential article on racial microaggressions in social work education. Honored with the Community Catalyst Distinction Award for her leadership during the COVID pandemic, Gerri continues to empower and support diverse communities through her therapy practice and consultancy, developing anti-racist policies for higher education institutions.

What You'll Discover This Week:
Impact of COVID-19 on Mental Health Professionals: Gerri explores the enduring impact of COVID-19 on mental health professionals, emphasizing the continuous adaptations required in a post-pandemic landscape and the broad implications on mental health care.
Self-Care as a Foundation for Effective Counseling: Discover Gerri's emphasis on self-care as crucial for mental health professionals, highlighting the importance of physical activities and sufficient rest in effectively supporting clients.
Community and Systemic Change in Addressing Mental Health: Learn about Gerri's advocacy for systemic transformations and community engagement to improve mental health care, particularly emphasizing the creation of supportive environments for marginalized populations.

Shoot us a text & share your thoughts!

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Architect of Calm
Where Mindfulness Meets Mastery in Work-Life Balance

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• Contact Us: Have questions or feedback? Reach out directly at [email protected]

Overview:
In this episode of PausePoint: The Podcast, we're joined by Becky Wolfe, a former cardiologist turned leadership consultant, who shares her transition from practicing medicine to coaching healthcare teams. Becky opens up about her own burnout experiences and the limitations she faced in traditional healthcare settings. She emphasizes the significant role of mindfulness, stress management, and emotional intelligence in effective leadership. Throughout our conversation, Becky explores her unique leadership development framework and delves into personal aspects of her life, like parenting techniques that promote balance and self-awareness. We also tackle common myths surrounding burnout and self-care, highlighting how mindfulness can profoundly enhance health and well-being within the healthcare profession.

Guest Bio
Becky Wolfe is a Leadership Consultant with GiANT Worldwide, boasting a rich history and passion for coaching that spans over a decade. She began her career 17 years ago as a Physician Assistant, working in various medical settings, including the ER, Cardiology, and Urgent Care at Mount Union University. Becky transitioned into health coaching 11 years ago while still practicing Cardiology, gaining extensive experience in motivational interviewing and behavior modification. Now, she exclusively coaches individuals and organizations to create healthy workplace environments characterized by high engagement and low turnover. Specializing in helping leaders and teams both recover from and prevent burnout, Becky has guided hundreds of clients toward improved health. Outside of her professional life, she is a mother to two boys and enjoys hiking and weightlifting in her spare time.

Website | LinkedIn

What You'll Discover This Week:

Journey from Medicine to Mentorship: Learn about Becky Wolfe’s transformation from a cardiologist to a leadership consultant. 

Mindfulness in Managing Stress: Explore how Becky integrates mindfulness and stress management into her leadership coaching, particularly within healthcare settings. 

Personalized Coaching Techniques: Gain insights into Becky's approach to coaching, focusing on meeting individuals where they are and the importance of self-awareness in personal and professional development. Learn about the significant impact of personalized coaching in understanding and navigating different personal histories and cultural backgrounds.

📚 Becky's Books:

• The Speed of Trust by Stephen Covey: Covey demonstrates how trust—and the speed at which it is established with clients, employees, and constituents—is the single most critical component of a successful leader and organization.
• The Neuroscience of Leadership Coaching by Patricia Bossons, Patricia Riddell, and Denis Sartain: This book bridges the gap between neuroscience and leadership coaching, offering insights into how understanding the brain can improve coaching strategies and leadership effectiveness.
• The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt: Haidt explores the increasing rates of anxiety and mental health issues among younger generations, examining social, cultural, and biological factors contributing to this trend. 

Shoot us a text & share your thoughts!

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Architect of Calm
Where Mindfulness Meets Mastery in Work-Life Balance

Connect With Us:

• Subscribe: Tune in on Spotify and Apple Podcasts for insightful episodes.
• Follow Us: Stay updated via Instagram & LinkedIn
• Contact Us: Have questions or feedback? Reach out directly at [email protected]

Overview
In this episode of PausePoint, we welcome Natalie, a first-generation Latina and Nike-signed mindfulness coach, to share her transformative journey from struggle to serenity. Natalie discusses her path from battling eating disorders and substance abuse to discovering the profound peace of yoga and mindfulness. She explains how personal hardships fueled her passion to help others find their essence through mindfulness tools, aiming to create a collective sense of ease and calm. The conversation dives deep into the power of changing limiting beliefs and the impact of meditation on mental health.

Guest Bio
Natalie is a multidisciplinary healer and leader in the wellness space, based in Los Angeles. A signed Nike Mindfulness Coach with a background with certifications in Soundology, Reiki Master, Chopra Institute Wellness Coach and Meditation Teacher, Dharma Coaching, Yoga Teacher Training (RYT 200), and EFT. Natalie has been featured in the LA Times, Well + Good, and Business Insider, and has headlined yoga festivals such as Wanderlust, Bhakti Fest, and many more.

Love & Alchemy | Instagram | LinkedIn | The Practical Alchemy Podcast

What You'll Discover This Week:

• Transformative Power of Mindfulness: Learn how yoga and meditation can reshape your life.
• Making the Unconscious Conscious: Discover how to change limiting beliefs by bringing the unconscious to light. 
• Practical Mindfulness Techniques: Gain easy-to-implement strategies for daily mindfulness to enhance your routine and well-being.

Recommended Reads:

• "Breaking the Habit of Being Yourself" by Dr. Joe Dispenza: Explore how you can change any aspect of yourself by understanding the science behind your brain's ability to rewire itself.
• "You Are The Placebo" by Dr. Joe Dispenza: Discover the transformative power of belief in triggering biological changes in the body, akin to a placebo effect.
• "Becoming Supernatural" by Dr. Joe Dispenza: Delve into the mystical aspects of life by combining scientific facts with mystic practices to transform your perceptions.

Shoot us a text & share your thoughts!

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Architect of Calm
Where Mindfulness Meets Mastery in Work-Life Balance

Connect With Us:

• Subscribe: Tune in on Spotify and Apple Podcasts for insightful episodes.
• Follow Us: Stay updated via Instagram & LinkedIn
• Contact Us: Have questions or feedback? Reach out directly at [email protected]

Overview
 In this episode of PausePoint: The Podcast, Tony Ware II, SHRM-CP, a Muhlenberg College alumnus with a background in psychology, shares his journey from special education to HR roles across various sectors. The conversation delves into the importance of mindfulness, emotional wellness, and personal growth in both professional and personal spheres. Tony discusses his holistic approach to well-being, emphasizing the interconnectedness of spiritual, physical, and mental health. He shares insights on navigating workplace challenges, setting goals, and fostering authentic and empathetic work environments.

Guest Bio
Anthony "Tony" was born and raised in Bowie, MD, and attended high school in DC. His close ties with the DMV made staying on the East Coast a necessity for college so he could be near his family. Tony received his Bachelor of Arts in Psychology at Muhlenberg College.

Upon graduating, Tony applied his psychology background in business by pursuing a career in Human Resources. He's spent the last 5 - 6 years of my career learning and growing in different sectors: private, non-profit, and most recently, the public sector, the latter two where he’s found the most fulfillment and enjoyment.

In his personal time, Tony enjoys reading, working on different extracurricular professional projects (committees, collaborations, etc.), staying physically active, and most recently has caught the travel bug!

LinkedIn

What You'll Discover This Week:

• Mindful Growth: How mindfulness and self-awareness can fuel your personal and professional growth.
• Holistic Wellness: The power of integrating spiritual, physical, and mental health for a holistic approach to well-being.
• Authentic Workplace: Strategies for building strong workplace cultures through authenticity and empathetic communication.

Recommended Reads:

• "Atomic Habits" by James Clear: This book offers a proven framework for improving every day by understanding how tiny changes can lead to remarkable results through the power of habit formation.
• "Surrounded by Setbacks" by Thomas Erikson: Erikson provides insights and strategies to turn obstacles into opportunities by understanding different personalities and navigating challenges effectively.
• "Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action" by Simon Sinek: Sinek explores how leaders can inspire cooperation, trust, and change by starting with the fundamental question 'Why', creating a vision that leads others to act.
• "I Will Teach You to Be Rich" by Ramit Sethi: Sethi delivers a six-week personal finance program focusing on banking, saving, budgeting, and investing, designed to help you achieve financial independence with minimal effort.

Shoot us a text & share your thoughts!

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Architect of Calm
Where Mindfulness Meets Mastery in Work-Life Balance

Connect With Us:

• Subscribe: Tune in on Spotify and Apple Podcasts for insightful episodes.
• Follow Us: Stay updated via Instagram & LinkedIn
• Contact Us: Have questions or feedback? Reach out directly at [email protected]

Overview
In this week's episode of PausePoint: The Podcast, join us as we sit down with Daniela Wolfe, a seasoned social worker and burnout prevention specialist. Daniela shares her personal journey through burnout and the strategies that brought her from stress to serenity. Discover the transformative power of mindfulness and self-care as Daniela offers practical tips for integrating these practices into your daily routine. Don't miss her insightful advice on navigating life's challenges gracefully and intentionally. Tune in for a conversation that could reshape your approach to stress and well-being.

Guest Bio
Daniela Wolfe helps stressed and burnt-out professionals ditch the guilt and overwhelm, productively manage daily tasks with ease, and have the time and energy for self-care every day!

She has been an LMSW for 27 years, focusing on self-care, stress management skills, mindfulness, relationships, parenting, and managing life's chaos.

Her mission is to empower you to prioritize yourself on your to-do lists and learn strategies for improving your daily life.

Website | LinkedIn | Reclaim Your Time in 10 Minutes

What You'll Discover This Week:

• Small Steps to Big Changes: Daniela emphasizes the importance of incorporating small, manageable self-care practices into daily life. These can be as simple as a gratitude practice or taking a few moments for oneself, which cumulatively lead to significant improvements in mental and emotional health.
• Rewiring Through Mindfulness: The conversation dives into the science behind mindfulness practices, explaining how such habits can rewire our brains to focus more on positivity and resilience.
• The Power of Routine: Daniela shares how structured daily habits contribute to better stress management and overall happiness, encouraging listeners to develop routines that nurture their personal needs.

Recommended Reads:

• Fair Play by Eve Rodsky: This book explores a system for rebalancing domestic responsibilities between partners, aiming to create a more equitable division of labor at home. Rodsky uses game-like rules and strategies to help couples enhance their relationship and achieve harmony through shared household duties.
• Irresistible: The Rise of Addictive Technology and the Business of Keeping Us Hooked by Adam Alter: Alter examines the captivating nature of technology, particularly how companies design products to be addictive. The book delves into the psychology behind tech addiction and its profound impact on our social, psychological, and emotional lives, offering insights into how we can navigate our highly digital world without losing ourselves.
• Why the “Eisenhower matrix” is a fantastic productivity hack by Kevin Dickinson

Shoot us a text & share your thoughts!

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Architect of Calm
Where Mindfulness Meets Mastery in Work-Life Balance

Connect With Us:

• Subscribe: Tune in on Spotify and Apple Podcasts for insightful episodes.
• Follow Us: Stay updated via Instagram & LinkedIn
• Contact Us: Have questions or feedback? Reach out directly at [email protected]

Overview
In this episode of our podcast, join Alicia Sebastien as she shares her professional journey and personal growth. She reflects on the profound insights gained through her experiences in various corporate roles and her pursuits as an author and career consultant. Her narrative is interwoven with practical advice and motivational wisdom aimed at inspiring listeners to navigate their own career paths with resilience and mindfulness.

Guest Bio
Alicia Sebastien, from Houston, Texas, thrives on change. Skilled in professional and personal rebranding, she navigates the fast-paced tech world easily. Her career journey has seen multiple shifts, from a sudden layoff in the oil & gas sector in August 2019 to a contractual change in the tech industry in November 2022, which inspired her to write the e-book “Better Never Bitter (A Self Help Guide for Job Loss & Transition).” With a background in Environmental Science and experience in Safety Operations and HR, Alicia is currently embracing her third career transformation.

Alongside her role as an HR Information System Specialist, Alicia serves as a part-time career consultant for a global HR firm. She helps candidates from diverse industries, such as insurance, pharmaceuticals, automotive, healthcare, and banking, transition to new opportunities at major companies, including Meta, Microsoft, Amazon, HP, Apple, Intel, JP Morgan Chase, and Wells Fargo.

Alicia is also active in the "Better Never Bitter" networking group in Houston, which focuses on:

• Making charitable contributions quarterly, ideally to grassroots organizations.
• Enhancing professional, financial, and personal well-being by utilizing self-help books and fostering group discussions through local library partnerships.
• Strengthen community ties and promote personal and professional accountability to achieve established goals.

Dedicated to continual learning and community engagement, Alicia leverages her networks to expand her impact and support others in their professional journeys.

LinkedIn | Instagram | TikTok | E-Book

What You'll Discover This Week:

• Resilience in Career Transitions: Alicia shares insights from her experience navigating layoffs and career changes during the COVID-19 pandemic, highlighting the value of resilience. She discusses the importance of proactive career management, continually seeking opportunities, and building a robust network, ultimately leading her to secure a pivotal role in October 2020.
• Creating the "Better, Never Bitter" eBook: Motivated by her personal career hurdles, Alicia authored "Better, Never Bitter." This eBook serves as both a professional roadmap and a personal development guide, emphasizing the need to process and accept life's challenges to advance effectively.
• The Power of Support Systems and Strategic Planning: Alicia underscores the essential role of having a supportive network and the importance of strategic planning in her career recovery and stability. She details using the five whys analysis to set clear goals and stresses the importance of staying grounded and present throughout one's career journey.

Shoot us a text & share your thoughts!

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Architect of Calm
Where Mindfulness Meets Mastery in Work-Life Balance

Connect With Us:

• Subscribe: Tune in on Spotify and Apple Podcasts for insightful episodes.
• Follow Us: Stay updated via Instagram & LinkedIn
• Contact Us: Have questions or feedback? Reach out directly at [email protected]

Overview
In this enlightening episode of our podcast, Julian Cohen-Serrins delves deep into the critical issue of workplace burnout and shares his expertise on creating supportive work environments. Drawing from his background in social work and research into mental health, Julian offers invaluable insights into the psychological impacts of burnout and the steps organizations can take to cultivate a healthier, more productive workplace culture. Through a compelling conversation, he discusses the importance of balance between work and life, emphasizing that we work to live, not live to work. Join us as Julian outlines practical strategies for individuals and companies to implement, aiming to transform workplace norms and promote mental well-being.

Guest Bio
Julian Cohen-Serrins is a research scientist and a licensed clinical social worker. His research is in the fields of micro-organizational behavior and occupational social work. Julian received his PhD from New York University, his MSW from the University of Pennsylvania, and his bachelor's degree in Psychology from Dickinson College.

If you have any questions, you can contact him on LinkedIn.

What You'll Discover This Week:

• Explore Organizational Culture's Role in Burnout: Understand how a company's culture can significantly impact workplace burnout, advocating for a shift towards more empathetic and supportive practices.
• Implement Practical Steps for Burnout Prevention: Adopt actionable strategies for organizations to assess and mitigate burnout, including promoting open discussions on mental health and revising workplace policies to enhance employee well-being.
• Emphasize the Importance of Personal Boundaries: Recognize the critical need for setting personal boundaries to achieve work-life balance, stressing the importance of mental health days and disconnecting from work to rejuvenate.

Shoot us a text & share your thoughts!

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Architect of Calm
Where Mindfulness Meets Mastery in Work-Life Balance

Connect With Us:

• Subscribe: Tune in on Spotify and Apple Podcasts for insightful episodes.
• Follow Us: Stay updated via Instagram & LinkedIn
• Contact Us: Have questions or feedback? Reach out directly at [email protected]

Welcome to PausePoint: The Podcast! Join your host, Felisa Wiley, CEO and Founder of PausePoint, as we embark on a transformative journey together. This series offers insightful discussions, actionable tips, and real-life stories—all crafted to help you seamlessly integrate mindfulness into your daily life. Our main themes focus on enhancing mental health, strengthening work-life balance, and reducing stress. Whether you’re beginning your mindfulness journey or seeking to deepen your existing practices, we’re here to support you. Tune in to begin your path towards a more balanced, mindful, and rejuvenated existence. Let’s take the first step towards a mindful world, one pause at a time.

Shoot us a text & share your thoughts!

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Architect of Calm
Where Mindfulness Meets Mastery in Work-Life Balance

Connect With Us:

• Subscribe: Tune in on Spotify and Apple Podcasts for insightful episodes.
• Follow Us: Stay updated via Instagram & LinkedIn
• Contact Us: Have questions or feedback? Reach out directly at [email protected]