How would you describe your leadership style?
I lead with absolute certainty of our mission, and no one will ever see, hear, or feel any doubt from me. You might say I am decisive. Leadership comes with tremendous responsibility, and as someone in highly visible roles, I choose to lead from the front, taking on any initiative within the company, big or small, while applying the concept of gracious accountability. As I’ve matured and scaled businesses, I’ve incorporated much of my psychology background to take an empathetic, patient, present, and transparent, yet strong, predictable, determined, and optimistic approach with team members. People will evolve and grow at their own pace, and my role is to find out what inspires them, what they are great at, and how to apply their skillset to best meet the needs of the business. Ensuring the right people are on the bus, and performing the right tasks at the right time is pivotal to success in any business endeavor.
How would you describe the culture of your company and how it relates to your leadership style?
Our cultural ethos is predicated on service first and doing the right thing even when no one is looking. To a person, our team members will do anything to take care of our customer’s needs. We are blessed with the honor and privilege of helping humanity by liberating people from stress through neuroscience. The science is complicated and curious, but the outcome of changing people’s lives is a reward that supersedes any other currency or motivation. Therefore, to be a part of our journey, you must want to help people beyond anything else, you must be intellectually curious, and you must be willing to stand alone in a crowd as pioneers often do.
Who are some of the great leaders that you’ve been around that you’ve learned from and implemented some of their approaches or styles into your company?
The NuCalm journey has provided me with unique access to leadership across various industries including the U.S. military, the business community, healthcare, and professional athletics. I have observed numerous leadership styles, and have adopted approaches from friends of mine, including Tony Robbins, Jim Kwik, Brother Craig Marshall, Diana Wentworth, and Terry Tallen. The common thread I’ve seen in the effective leadership of these influential people is their sense of purpose and determination to succeed. Tony’s heart is matched only by his energy output, Jim’s brilliance comes in the form of simplifying the complex, Brother Craig has the patience of a monk (he was one for 35 years) and incredible inquisitive listening skills, Diana has the gift of connecting the right people at the right time and facilitating brilliant outcomes, and Terry leads to win, and empowers his team to perform beyond their capabilities. Patience, determination, passion, purpose, and certainty are the keys I have shared and received in the circle of leaders.
Which of these leaders or their styles surprised you the most?
My biggest revelation has been the evolution of the juxtaposition between ambition, determination, and purpose vs. patience and perseverance. Leaders have all felt the frustration of knowing where we’re going and wanting to get there now. Sometimes the process seems like just an obstacle. But that is simply not true. It’s the process that is key and exceptional leaders understand this. The leaders I have learned from are all mature, have experienced a lifetime of challenges, and have grown into humble, patient, and present leaders who are able to be responsive to business challenges, not reactive. We have come to learn the value of always knowing your purpose and staying true to your character, so when adversity confronts you, leadership, honor, and integrity all come easy, even if the outcome of the adversity is not favorable. Leaders are rarely defined by one moment in time, or one accomplishment, rather they are defined by their character and the journey they led.
What’s the simplest way to explain what NuCalm the company does and how does it play a role in your leadership?
NuCalm is an easy-to-use technology built upon a patented, clinically proven neuroscience platform that allows people to change their mental state on-demand, without drugs, without side effects, and without compromise. In just 20 minutes, NuCalm helps people feel better, perform better, and live better by solving the problem of stress and poor sleep with limited effort. Leaders who are too stressed are rarely at their best. We can lengthen their fuse, and give them the gift of patience and perspective, which is priceless in leadership. Why? Because being able to respond instead of reacting to stressful situations allows you to lead at your best. I have used NuCalm daily for 13 years and it has dramatically changed how I perceive the world. I no longer burn any calories on fear, stress, anxiety, depression, or worry. I simply show up, with no expectations, yet feel present and focused, and understand exactly what I should be doing and when I should be doing it. I think like a monk, but act like a businessman, and this juxtaposition permeates my life and the people around me, not just the business.
How many leaders at your company use NuCalm and how can it help leaders in various industries?
Every single team member, past and present, uses NuCalm regularly. It’s not a job requirement, but a bonus that everyone happily enjoys. Pioneering neuroscience to change the world requires tremendous patience, persistence, and energy. Give yourself 20 – 30 minutes of NuCalm, and it will repay you with hours of highly efficient, focused performance. Pressure mounts when something is important to us. Add stress to the pressure, and people can be easily triggered and reactionary. We all win when we can feel present and calm in the face of pressure and can be responsive, not reactionary. The pace we keep as a growing enterprise demands your typical operational challenges, and atypical challenges when it comes to inventing neuroscience solutions, but it’s the emotional calories we burn with every customer interaction that NuCalm is so good at restoring. You would be amazed at what relative strangers feel comfortable sharing with you when they realize your presence, your heart, your lack of judgment, and our technology’s ability to take away their fear, their stress, and their worries. I’ve never experienced a work environment that provides so much reward, and so much diversity. The neuroscience behind our platform is complex, but the mission of helping people solve their problems and the variability amongst the human population regarding how we interpret and cope with stress is even more complex.
What are or who are some unconventional leaders that you or NuCalm serve?
Leaders come in all forms including moms and dads, teachers and administrators, team captains and team owners, military leaders, business leaders, medical leaders, and community leaders. Leadership can be lonely and the more responsibility we have, the more external stressors we absorb, and the more unproductive pressure we take on. We help a diverse group of leaders by managing their fear, stress, and worries with limited effort and no drugs. From monks to musicians, teachers to pilots, actors to professional athletes, cancer patients to spa owners, we solve their stress, lengthen their fuse, increase their focus, and enhance their abilities so leaders can lead without compromise.
Where do you want to lead NuCalm next and what kind of leader do you think you will need to be to get your organization there?
To accomplish our mission, I need to be patient, persistent, creative, humble, ambitious, and an exceptional communicator. In November 2021, we successfully transitioned from an FDA Class III medical device to a consumer product. This accomplishment was the culmination of over 32 years of scientific discovery, invention, and product development. Now, for the first time in history, people can change their state on-demand without drugs, without side effects, and without compromise. If you want to recover and restore, use NuCalm; you want high-intensity peak performance, use Ignite; you want distraction-free mental focus, use Focus; or you want to sleep and wake up feeling refreshed, use DEEP SLEEP. We have created one of humanity’s biggest advancements that will change the lives of millions of people across the globe. Now we must educate people on the possibilities and share how we can all feel better, become present in our life’s journey, and be at our best. The human race appears to be in a race to be erased, and we are here to apply the brakes and allow each of us the opportunity to live the best life we deserve.
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