On this episode of Graduating Anxiety, Alex speaks to Dina Cooper. Dina is the author of “Smart Parenting – How to Develop Your Child’s Mindset, Resilience and Courage for the Future of Work,” and the founder of “Parent as Leader” sessions that focus on cultivating leadership within parents to better distill strong values in their kids. On this episode, Alex and Dina unpack her story, her parenting philosophy and explore how parents and caregivers can overcome cycles of anxiety at home through self care and self reflection.  

Key Takeaways:    

• Dina’s philosophy of first leading yourself, then your family, then your child really boils down to the fact that we can’t take care of others if we’re not first taking care of ourselves.  
• Leading your family is about aligning on a set of internal values that you want to prioritize-- and consciously deciding to let all the other little things go.  
• The best leaders, when we’re considering our families or our professional lives, bring out the best in people. It’s not always about a specific skill set or temperament, it’s about creating a space where people have the comfort and courage to do their best work.