Tech Exec Wellness Podcast: Conversations to Reignite Your Soul
In the fast-paced world of technology, where innovation and disruption are the norm, tech executives often find themselves caught in a whirlwind of high-pressure decision-making, long working hours, and constant connectivity. The relentless pursuit of success and the demands of their roles can take a toll on their mental, emotional, and physical well-being. However, a new narrative that emphasizes the importance of tech executive wellness as a crucial component of sustainable success is emerging. This is the story of the tech executive's journey to rediscover balance, prioritize well-being, and ultimately thrive in their personal and professional lives.
If you're ready to embark on a wellness journey that will empower you to live your best life, I invite you to subscribe to Tech Exec Wellness, Navigating the Digital Balance, wherever you listen to podcasts. Together, let's cultivate harmony within ourselves and radiate positive energy to the world. Each week, we'll explore a wide range of topics related to wellness, inviting experts, thought leaders, and everyday individuals who have transformed their lives through mindful living, self-care, practices, and holistic approaches. We'll dive deep into areas such as nutrition, fitness, mental health, spirituality, mindfulness, personal growth, and more.
Tech Exec Wellness Podcast: Conversations to Reignite Your Soul
Ep. 5: Interview With Paige Hanson
What happens when you mix music, technology, and cybersecurity? You get an intriguing chat with Paige Hanson, Co-founder + Head of Communications and Partnerships at SecureLabs. Paige joins us to share her amazing journey into the tech world, her expertise on digital safety, and her love for music that transcends genres. She even spills the beans on her unforgettable concert experiences and their power in enlivening our spirits and making the world a better place.
In our digital age, where do we draw the line between building connections and sharing too much personal information, especially in the workplace? Let's unpack this with Paige as we explore the evolution of our beliefs about personal information sharing. We delve into the subtle dangers that lurk in oversharing and how it opens us up to social engineering scams. Together we discuss how to strike a balance between authenticity and safety - the key is always mindful sharing.
The conversation doesn't stop there!! We also dive into some essential life skills - resilience and self-compassion. We share stories, tips, and strategies to overcome work obstacles and foster a positive self-image. Interestingly, Paige reveals her self-care strategies, tech-industry challenges, and how she manages to stay positive despite setbacks. We wrap up with a powerful discussion on the significance of physical activity, positive affirmations, and having a supportive network in boosting mental wellness. So join us, as we promise you an episode filled with insights, laughter, and maybe a little bit of singing!
Please visit our website https://www.techexecwellness.com to stay up to date and subscribe to our newsletter!
Good evening. Welcome back to another episode of TechExec Wellness. I'm your host, melissa. I'm Erica.
Speaker 1:Today we are thrilled to have our very first guest co-founder and head communications and partnerships at SecureLabs Cyber Safety Expert, paige Hansen. Paige, before you jump in, I'm going to just let the audience know a little bit about you. Paige Hansen is a renowned authority and consumer in digital safety with nearly 20 years of experience in identity management. As a co-founder and head of communications and partnership at SecureLabs, paige has dedicated her career to protecting consumers and businesses from identity theft and cyber threats. She is a certified identity theft risk management specialist and holds a certificate in identity leadership from the University of Texas at Austin Center for Identity. Paige also serves as an advisory board member to Rose Resources Outreach to Safeguard the Elderly.
Speaker 1:Paige is a frequent speaker at nationwide events raising awareness about identity theft and related issues. Her expertise has been featured in numerous media outlets, solidifying her reputation as a leading voice in the field of digital safety. On a personal note, paige resides in Arizona with her husband, daughter and their boxer dog, tyson. For the record, tyson's name is not her password. Paige, welcome to the show. I would like, before you get into, a little bit about what got you into technology. Tell us what your favorite music genre is and your most memorable concert, so welcome.
Speaker 2:Hey, thank you, melissa. Erica, it's so great to be on. So thank you, and thank you for the warm introduction. Okay, when you say music genre, it's so hard for me because I listened last week to your podcast and you know that every type of music or certain songs or certain genres bring you to different areas in life and I feel like when you go through all those iterations you just have different phases that remind you certain things. So I grew up where, oh, this is Wild Guys, but where your parents controlled the radio. Oh no, I know it's kind of a weird concept now these days, especially now that I have a child and we're like on Disney radio now all the time. So 70s, 70s bring me back to my childhood. Anything from Abba to Queen, I mean just it ranges. But I love all those songs. But then I do love my backyard barbecue mix. So we got country Tupac, salt and Pepper, coolio RIP. I mean just the ranges.
Speaker 1:So good times, very nice. So does that mean we're invited to the cookout then you?
Speaker 2:know it. That's actually. It's a mix. I think it's on Pandora. I'm sure a lot of streaming apps have like a backyard barbecue type mix, but it is a really nice pump up. You know barbecue outdoors having fun sort of mix, so I really enjoy that.
Speaker 3:Apple music has one too.
Speaker 2:Ah, yes, yes.
Speaker 1:Okay, so I have to share that in the show notes. Check out the barbecue backyard, whatever you just said. Okay, so I know there's got to be maybe, paige, I'm thinking maybe one or two concerts that stick out in your memory. Can you share that?
Speaker 2:Well, yes, my first concert was the Dixie Chicks, now known as Dix, and I was, oh gosh, probably a preteen. I went with my cousin and my aunt, my cousin's like my sister, so you know it was pretty cool going to my first concert. You know I'm from Iowa, so you know you don't get out, I feel like sometimes outside of, like your bubble. That was certainly memorable for me. But I've been to a handful of Zach Brown Band concerts and those are always such a great time, from the covers that he does to, you know, own music, and then they have such a fantastic band and ensemble. So I really, really enjoy those, those concerts.
Speaker 1:So, paige, I'm kind of going off script here for a second, but whenever you're preparing for a speaking engagement or you're traveling, is there a certain artist that kind of gets you into that mindset? And I asked because, erica, she has a song that she listens to before she does the podcast. So I wanted to see do you have anything that kind of gets you?
Speaker 2:pumped up. Well, let's see, missy Elliott certainly does Duh shh, duh, shh, duh, duh, duh. It's like I got the band in it. I love that song and then anything salt and pepper. I just usually gets me pretty, pretty excited.
Speaker 1:So I like that.
Speaker 3:I love it. Mine is Guns N' Roses, Sweet Child of Mine. That's a great one too.
Speaker 2:Yes, it pumps me up.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I think before the show I listened to and, paige, you heard her podcast last week, but Whitney Houston's SuperBolanthem. I listened to that and I was getting all emotional and I said I want to turn it up. And then you hopped into the show. So here we go.
Speaker 2:I like that. And then I always say I want to dance with somebody and I'm always like I want to see on that thing. You know you do that like hop. I mean maybe I'm in the shower doing that, I don't know. But I love that song too.
Speaker 1:You know what? The world would be a better place if we all just did some singing and dancing. So true, so true, awesome. I kind of read your little bio here and whatnot, but tell us in your words, like, what got you inspired to go into technology. Can you kind of walk us back through your journey for the listeners?
Speaker 2:Yes, you know I'm a big believer that everything happens for a reason and I mentioned I was from Iowa and in my college they had kind of this J term and it's in January. It's three weeks. You can take a class, you can take a class on campus, you can do something abroad. And they happened to have a class, called it was Sports Marketing Management Trip, and it was down here in Arizona. And I've always loved Arizona. They've had multiple family vacations in Arizona and when I went to Arizona for this Sports Marketing Management Trip I fell in love, absolute love.
Speaker 2:I was a junior in college and I said I am moving to Arizona. I don't know what I'm going to do, but I'm going to move to Arizona. So my senior year I did communications internship at the Phoenix Convention and Visitors Bureau, was on my own, you know, didn't have a big group of people, loved it, just absolutely loved it. So when things happen for a reason and really networking is still huge in my life, the person I met, one of the places that we went, was Phoenix Raceway for Sports Marketing Management Trip. Well, the director at the time said hey, if anybody wants to come volunteer, you are welcome to come down here, and I just stayed in touch with him and number of people that I met with him down here. Well, lo and behold, he was one of the founders of LifeLock. And so when I moved down here, little startup called LifeLock, you know, I don't remember them.
Speaker 2:And I was a 10th employee there and so I didn't know at the time I wanted, I needed a job right, but I didn't know at the time that my path was going to be technology. And so that's where I say you know, things happen for a reason, open to anything, open to opportunities, kept networking. And then when I got to LifeLock and there was so much opportunity in the space, that was a space where nobody thought of identity theft as a problem. Nobody was talking about it. The technology around reporting identity theft issues really wasn't there. Even notifying people wasn't there. So I loved growing up with the space and then all of then the regulations and the compliance that comes around, that just kind of growing up in the space. And that's really where it all started.
Speaker 1:And just for the listeners, and Erica, I don't know. I think I did tell you this, but I met Paige when I was at Norton LifeLock, so that's how Paige and I got to know each other. So I learned a lot from Paige in that space and so grateful. So, paige, when we talk about cybersecurity professionals and you talk about identity theft, it's certainly a pain. There's so many layers to fixing the situation. What are your insights right now, as we've talked about data breaches before when we were at LifeLock together and whatnot, but what do you think is the best way for a cybersecurity professional to kind of balance that wellness with the stressors of mitigating cyber risk? And we're seeing a lot of breaches right now, as it happens. So what is your insight on that?
Speaker 2:Yeah, you know, you said it. Though there's so much, there's high stakes. You know, when you're dealing with data protection and the constant threat vigilance, that we're either proactively or reactively helping within our roles. It can be nonstop if you make it and so really just balancing the intake that's coming in.
Speaker 2:I know you're probably doing outreach in some people's roles. If it's a sales role, you've got a tool for something that's going to make people's personal information better and you want to shout it from the world. So I think it's just really important that we do have some sort of business or kind of a step back or a way that we find that's helpful for us. I know that in your past podcast you talk about the EDM frequencies and listening to music or having daily affirmations or having an outlet that you like to do, whether it is to scroll social media for five minutes or maybe it's to take a step away from the screen for five minutes. But I know that it's hard because you can really get wrapped up in spending an entire day on your computer responding to emails reaching out. You do need to have some space in just regrouping and resetting.
Speaker 1:I'm throwing you a curveball here for a second, but what do you think the implications are of social media and safety? I think that's in your wheelhouse, correct, paige?
Speaker 2:It is. It is. So it's definitely a double-edged sword because social media, depending on your role within cybersecurity, if you're a thought leader and you're really trying to put yourself out there and move the needle and how people think, or even bring ideas around vigilance or cyber safety or reducing your vulnerability, you do have to put yourself out there. And the dopamine that you get and just from the people that reply, share, repost your post or talk about it or invite you to come speak, I mean it is for me, that's. I mean sometimes I think I have a problem and, looking at my phone, oh, am I getting any likes, things like that? So really it's difficult because social media is such a helpful tool.
Speaker 2:I learned so much from my network Even you, mel. The things that you post and I even see you're in my feed for when you comment and the things you comment are so thoughtful and it does open my mind to a different way of thinking about things. So it's so important in my growth and career. You're mentoring me from afar. I don't know if you know the smell Well, thank you.
Speaker 2:But yeah, so it's great for that. But then you just do you get you're looking at your phone, you're looking at your, how many connections you have here Looking at all that, and that's kind of a false sense of who you are as a person and as an educator or as a subject matter expert.
Speaker 3:So people put so much weight on social media and I was telling Mel earlier about the impressions on LinkedIn and you know how many impressions we're getting on you know our LinkedIn page for tech exec wellness or my personal page and you do get wrapped into that and the kids growing up with technology. That's what worries me about our future leaders, because they're so social media motivated about likes and comments that it's almost distracting, right. So on that same topic of networking and social media, can you provide some insights on the impact of relationships and community on an overall well being and how we can foster healthier connections?
Speaker 2:Yeah, I mean look whether people want to be in person or not. You know, we've kind of grown accustomed to being video and you don't need maybe to travel for everything because you can't be video. There is something to say about just the connection not only you make from this the small to small things that happen when you're with somebody for a meeting, but just the real engagement that you get. So I think there's definitely something there when it comes to being in person. But you really have to build that professional and personal support network, and so if you're getting that in person from your friends, if you're getting it from a community, it is very important that you, however you're doing it. I'll use an example. So I, when I first started my career, I kind of was under the impression that you shouldn't share your personal life almost at all. What about you guys? Like, did you start off that way? Yeah, like sharing your personal life, or have you always?
Speaker 1:I, yeah, and you know it's interesting that you bring that up because, erica, when I met Erica, she was out there on LinkedIn and, having worked at the fruit company for a long time, I couldn't say anything on behalf of the company or anything about myself. So, yeah, I was restricted and I think that we have to take caution sometimes to make sure that we remain good ambassadors for the organizations we work with. But, yeah, I'm very mindful of what I put out there.
Speaker 2:Right, right, and even in my working relationships I think I was the very good coworker and a teammate, but I didn't necessarily share much about my personal life and I didn't realize that I wasn't making the most authentic connections.
Speaker 2:I was making authentic when it came to a subset or a portion of myself, but not my authentic. So it's not like I'm sharing my deepest, darkest secrets or my whole life journey or you know everything going on with everyone, but I did make some real, meaningful and lasting, over 15 year connections with people that I finally just opened up with. And in knowing that, you know, yeah, I can talk about when I'm doing an interview, I can reference my daughter or I can reference the fact. You know, even in my bio I say that I have a dog. You know, in those things, like I know those are little things and it may seem little to people, but I really just like nope, I'm here for work and so I feel like these healthier connections I've made about just being more authentic, I can still be, you know, about sharing just more about myself than what I do for work.
Speaker 1:I want to ask both of you ladies, erica and Paige I'd love to hear your perspective on this. But since COVID Paige, you mentioned before we were doing a lot of screen time, video meetings, etc. How important is it post COVID, to continue to kind of have a personal touch page? I know you mentioned the dog, but how much do you share without over sharing, if that makes any sense?
Speaker 2:I mean it makes total sense to me. I don't have to share my home address, but I can share that I live in Arizona and that I really enjoy hiking. That opens up yourself to a conversation, or the fact that we had a huge shift in weather here and they were actually outside and going to parks and you know I really enjoy, you know, going to the zoo with my daughter. I don't really love to share personal, identifying information, but those are sort of things that encourage dialogue and getting to know people without really you know you don't need to know somebody's whole life story or over sharing with sharing. Just a few things I mentioned just now.
Speaker 3:I would agree with that.
Speaker 3:So one thing I used to do when I first got Facebook back in 2009, I kind of joined a little bit later than most people, but I used to check into a lot of places and as I got older you know more aware of my online safety I realized that that's a safety issue and it also can be a social engineering issue.
Speaker 3:So when I do networking events or I go somewhere, I travel, I don't share that until after I'm back home. I don't want people to know where I am while I'm there. But I also don't want to not share it from a business perspective, because I'm on the sales side and I want people to see that network and I build meaningful relationships. I don't overshare until I really get to know people. But even once I get to know people better, I'm still very aware of what I can and can't share. Now, melissa and I we know each other really well and I tell her things that I wouldn't tell some other person that I don't know as well. But I am very condescending of that because I just cannot put myself in danger or my kids in danger, absolutely.
Speaker 2:You make a really good point and I really want to stress the later gram. So, Erica, that's what you do. Mel, I'm sure you do the same thing, but I definitely post after the fact. Do you know how many just social engineering scams we have, just from the CEOs? For instance, they're traveling, or somebody's traveling and you pretend to be their executive admin or somebody on their team requesting a gift card Sounds so silly and it seems so obvious, saying this out loud, that your boss wouldn't ask you for a gift card. But that's what's happening. If you're posting in real time where you're at the fraudsters, you have an open profile, so it's really easy to say boop, boop, boop, boop and all of a sudden you've got 500 plus dollars worth of gift cards that you can now no longer recoup. So yeah, it's just a really good best practice. It's just kind of pause.
Speaker 1:And I think of the C-suite. You mentioned the executives and whatnot. They're out there running a business. They're out there making sure the company stays competitive, customer service focused, so we should not expect them to be technology savvy. Paige I think that is for anybody that's listening, this is definitely something that's going to perk up ears, which is hey, my EA would not be asking me for $500 gift certificates or whatever. So that's a really good point, and I think I will say personally myself I learned a lot working at Crawl and Lifelock that I didn't know happened. I didn't know this stuff existed. So I'm pretty mindful about sharing things. I know with the carrier that I supported at the fruit company and whatnot. We used to go to concerts together Lady Gaga, jay-z and back then Erica you can kick me later I was sharing where I was at. Sometimes I would share the videos so people would know that my home was unattended. So, yeah, it's interesting how we take for granted that people know these safety measures and we really don't.
Speaker 2:Oh, I know, I think. Actually, what was it on Snapchat? Yes, it was. I was with my high school friends and all of them were on Snapchat. I went to the location and I go. You guys know that I can see every single one of you. I mean, you're with me, I know that I can see you. But do you know you're showing every single one of your friends where you're at, at all times with Snapchat, and they had no idea it was just a setting they hadn't switched off or they enabled it when they set it up had no idea. And that's like any of the apps If you don't shut it off or you enable it and you forget, you're just showing everyone where you're at. That's scary to me. That's not only just a kind of personal safety thing, but just from a social engineering standpoint that's pretty scary to know.
Speaker 2:You can easily be like oh yeah, when you were at blah blah blah restaurant you left your blah blah blah. Here I mean insert anything you know.
Speaker 3:Yeah, it's really insane how much we share and it honestly, I think, affects mental health. We kind of talked about that a little bit, and I'm not a medical professional but just from having children that are Gen Zers, I see how the social media is impacting them in the location and just how much they put out there. We talk about not clicking on phishing emails and sharing locations at Nauseum in my family, but my kids actually thank me for that because it helps them become safer and as they grow in their careers. So one thing that I wanted to ask, since we were talking about location sharing and social engineering but how have you cultivated a healthy mindset and overcome common obstacles or mental blocks? Oh, I think.
Speaker 2:I'm going to take this in two sections. So obstacles at work, if I really try to do that, the recommendation where they say tackle the biggest project first, because otherwise you're putting it off, putting it off, and then it becomes a mammoth of an obstacle to try to get done at the end of the day. So for me, I usually start my day while one in Erica, I think you can relate. Here is a list I heard that from one of your previous episodes is am I right? Did I remember that right? Yeah, yeah, and I am a huge list maker. And so even the last thing and you'll have to tell me, erica, if you do this but even the last thing on the list, one would say you could probably just throw the list away because you obviously did the last one. Oh no, I must cross that last thing off the list. So I don't throw it away.
Speaker 3:I cross it off.
Speaker 2:You just cross it off Me too, all right, so I've made awww, yeah, I love that. Yeah, I think you can psychoanalyze this later. I guess audience, but no, lists are super important, so that helps me with roadblocks. I really try to tackle the biggest thing first, even sales calls, if I have a certain number I want to make, I just really try to get those conversations or start that sooner rather than later within the day. So that's certainly helpful. But then there's also from a technology.
Speaker 2:If I need a mental break one, I did have to set some rules or almost boundaries with TikTok. So I had TikTok and I know you guys mentioned TikTok in previous episodes but I first noticed I had a problem when my phone was telling me I was spending I'm not saying how many hours, but it was dumb amount. It was just silly, silly, silly amount of hours on TikTok and I'm like I didn't even know I had that many hours in a day to be on TikTok, but I was learning so much from it and I was just mindlessly scrolling. So then I did the thing where I set time limits and I thought this is great, I'm going to be on 30 minutes a day. Well, what happens when you set time limits, you don't have to listen to them.
Speaker 2:So what I ended up doing is just removed it. I just removed TikTok. That was something where I knew now I watch Reels on Instagram, but I don't have such an obsession with Reels as I did TikTok. But so that's kind of how I overcome. That is I just. It was hard. It was actually really weird how it was hard at first, but just removing the app entirely really helped me be more mindful with my device activity and just more mindful of what I was doing when I was online.
Speaker 1:Well, I will be the first to tell you I'm a fan of TikTok. I have an English Bulldog and Erica just sent me an English Bulldog video this evening. And I said Erica, my dog does that he loves sprinklers.
Speaker 3:Do you have that, the sprinkler attachment that it was in the video?
Speaker 1:No, we live next to a park and we have a sprinkler system in our yard, but when those things go off at night, he'll be the first one to just put his mouth on it or stomp his foot on it or his paw. I should say so yeah, he loves sprinklers.
Speaker 2:And I love it. Yeah, I love TikTok too, but I was just having a problem with it so I had to. Now I just watch it online if I need to watch a video or something you know.
Speaker 1:what's amazing is, I would say, post COVID and maybe even with social media, the creativity of these people is just mind blowing. People are doing things that I never even thought of, but it's certainly entertaining for sure.
Speaker 2:Definitely. Well, actually, I was getting quite a bit of content from like so, for instance, I did a couple presentations recently for kids both teens, students and their parents, teachers and I referenced TikTok because there are some amazing accounts that are dedicated just to exposing, for instance, like Roblox. There are accounts that are dedicated specifically to the dangers of Roblox. So if you want something like super relevant something that's happening right now, we'll go to TikTok and search Roblox and scams, and there's people that their mission is to expose or help protect kids from certain scams or help protect parents into making good decisions for as far as like screen time and what they have access to and so on. So I just I do love it as a reference too.
Speaker 1:I like that, and this kind of goes into my question here From your perspective, how can we build resilience and bounce back from setbacks or challenges in our wellness journey? So do you have any situations in your life I know that I talked about my injuries which you emailed me and you said oh, my goodness, yeah, my mother told me she's like you're going to be one day you're going to regret all those. You know games you played without shin guards. Did you ever have any ailments like that, where it just kind of set you back? Yeah Well, getting older.
Speaker 2:That's for me. I mean, I listen, I grew up, I played all the sports in college, played sports, was active, even in intramurals, got to Arizona, been hiking, and then you know when you stopped doing that? During COVID, and then I also had a baby. During that time my body changed, my metabolism changed, my activity changed and so you know, still staying positive about what my body was doing, which was I had a baby, it's like I produced a human, not being so hard that I wasn't probably never going to fit in those clothes again, at least for a long time. And so I think that definitely was a challenge to overcome, because I just always just been naturally fit, even whether I was trying or not, and so it really just won.
Speaker 2:Overcoming the clothes thing. I think I was holding on to some clothes that I mean, let's get real, I'm not 20 anymore, so just donate them, someone else will, will you? But then also just figuring out what then worked for me. What worked for me not only from what I was wearing, but then also now what new routine works for my new life of being a mother to a little one and trying to work from home and your stationery pretty much the entire day. What does that mean? You know, do you? Oh, that means, does that mean in the middle of the day you go for an hour walk? Yes, it does sometimes. Yes, I mean that in the middle of the day, because I don't know about you, but showers, for some reason, bring me the most clarity and peace.
Speaker 1:And so.
Speaker 2:I sometimes, even if I'm, I'm a fairly mellow person, but if, for some reason, something just really got me going like I need to take a shower One pm. But it's like I'm taking a shower and then I I come out of that shower and I feel so great and now we're gonna just tackle whatever just was good it's.
Speaker 1:You know, I think it's talking with Erica lately, but I think Erica was getting up at 5 am and I remember being in the military We'd be at the base club till 2 in the morning and then we'd have to run PT at 5. So that really awakens you, if you will. So I went back to Getting up early at 5 and I had from tic-tac page. I saw this woman saying you know what? You're not gonna get out of this room without taking a shower. So I had made a mindful decision to make sure that's the first thing I do, and I think Erica's kind of nudged me with you know her workouts in the morning. So we do follow each other on the Apple watch, which I love. I tell you there's something about, I don't want to say social media, but just the connectivity that we have today that we're able to influence each other and Pump each other up without being there physically with you.
Speaker 2:I do. I love that. I know I have a number of friends where all one girlfriend works out during the lunch hour. So you know she'll, I'll get something, a pink, you know Apple watch, how it'll be like so-and-so complete an activity. So I'm always saying yay, way to go, you know. So I do love that from afar, and especially so recently. I actually just so what, what do I do? I set goals, and so one of the goals was so I love the Grand Canyon. Have you guys been? I have not. No, to go someday. Help me, when you come, I want to go with you.
Speaker 2:So whether you're visiting field trip, erica, I know right, field trip, your mandatory field trip, maybe we can do a podcast recording from the Grand Canyon.
Speaker 2:Okay, it's on under the big sky, oh no, but so anyway, I digress.
Speaker 2:So I have hiked it multiple times, but I've never done rim to rim.
Speaker 2:So rim to rim is 23 miles and is 25 miles if you go to the lodge, and so my girlfriends and I just in September, just a couple months ago, said that's our goal.
Speaker 2:So you know, trained was getting up at 345 so I could work out from 4 to 7 and Really put some time and miles on my feet because you are on your feet, for you know 14 miles or probably 14 hours doing this entire entire hike. So that to me is having Just one when you're out and for at 4 in the morning by yourself, there is some just clarity and just amazing Kind of just like personal connection you get not only just because you can see the stars and you don't get to see those A lot in the Phoenix area. So where I'm at and you see stars, you see the moon is still out and so I really think having that goal, that physical Challenge and goal was, is really helpful for me to get over just a lot of obstacles, because I know that next day I'm gonna have even that much more stepping towards that goal that I, that I have in mind Yep you know you.
Speaker 1:You mentioned 345. One time in my life. I was a practicing Buddhist and I used to do my chanting at that early in the morning and it's amazing how that propels you forward in the day. Mel, you're an onion.
Speaker 3:You just call back those layers and you just learned she does well. Allegree, going to the gym at 5 5 30 is Way in the morning is way different than during the day and at night. I was stuck at a PM routine for a while and I've just transitioned back to 5 am and you know I've had some travel over the last two weeks so that's kind of messed it up. But I'm naturally getting up at 5 at the gym by 5 30 and that's how I Incorporate physical activity into my daily routine.
Speaker 3:And you kind of touched on this a little bit it was our last question for you how you, you know, with a busy schedule, how you do it. But I want to ask you another question regarding the importance of self-compassion and Positive self image. Can you discuss the importance of that and offer some advice for cultivating a positive self image? Since we already talked about how you're incorporating physical, I think it kind of connects well together because if you're in a good state, you know You're in a positive state and you can, you know, offer that advice. So what?
Speaker 2:Yeah, I mean definitely physical is one, but also just mental. You know what. What pumps you up as a person. You know, for me I know we're going back to music, but if I'm feeling dumpy at all it's like a turn on some music and I feel happy and it's usually at some girl Jam and I'm just, you know, having feel a lot better.
Speaker 2:And I know, after listening to your guys this first four episode, I really want to try to incorporate more positive affirmations because they're I Did at one point have positive affirmations you kind of feel silly at first seeing them in the mirror and you get over it Real quick because it actually works. But I will say that that is a big takeaway from your first episodes is I'm a list maker, have it on my personal list over here Positive affirmations. So I need to just get that to be. A better practice for me is to do positive affirmations. But for me, I have a really great group of well, not only just in my husband and my family, but a great group of girlfriends where we do Marco Polo. I don't do you guys do Marco Polo at all, of course, love Polo.
Speaker 2:I have reconnected. I have my high school group of friends and I also have my college group of friends where now it's not just the every once in a while text message or the once a year Get together where you're trying to catch up. It's every day. You see the ups and the downs. So I've such as encouraging group of women around me that helps, I would say, if you're just kind of in a down downplace and so it would say those two things is having my you know, whatever social media or whatever platform you're gonna use to Get that support.
Speaker 2:For me it's Marco Polo with my friends I'm definitely gonna incorporate those positive affirmations. But at the end of the day, if you need to seek help, then that's also an option as well in the sense of Talking to a professional, about being happy or or seeing yourself in a different way, because at the end of the day, you know we're all kick-ass women. I'm sure there's men here too. You guys are kick-ass too, but really you know we're doing great things in tech, really helping people, and so you just have to remember that you're a human. You're taking it day by day. You're good, you know, and just trying to move past kind of the BS that comes your way that you can let in if you let it.
Speaker 1:So I've got a goodie for you, I've got a special prize for you. So you mentioned mantras. What that is designed to do is subconsciously get into your brain. So you, your brain, starts bringing that to you, right? So I was watching a tic-tac the other day and, eric, I think I had sent it to you baby Puffles. So that's the creator named baby Puffles and she had taken this from Eckhart Tolle.
Speaker 1:But one of the things that people do in manifestations is they block themselves. So it's like, yeah, I want to get fit by the summertime. But then your mind starts thinking, okay, what does that look like? How much do I have to spend? What do I have to eat? What does the workout look like? And one of the ways that she Alleviated the block is saying I'm gonna get fit and healthy by summer. 2024 is inserting are you ready for this? What's my next thought? So the brain Automatically pivots. And I'm not a. I'm not a neuro person or, you know, a doctor, anything like that. But there's something to be said when you look at the comments of the people that have actually used this with mantras or Manifestations. What's my next thought? So the brain kind of shuts off the busyness that we get and the roadblocks. So this stops it from materializing, so I thought I would just throw that out. There is a bonus for you, ladies, and for all of our listeners.
Speaker 2:That is beautiful.
Speaker 3:Thank you, I did try it and it actually works. I oh tell so. I was getting ready for a customer meeting this morning and I was really tired because I had a lot of flight cancellations yesterday and I got home late. I'm getting ready for this meeting. It's a first intro meeting with the customer at work and I started over-analyzing my pitch. You can do that with anything. I said this is how I'm going to do it. Then I said what's my next thought? It shut my brain down. It actually works. I am going to do a video on this for our TikTok. When we launch our TikTok, I will tag the creator because I want her to know that it works.
Speaker 2:You guys are going to make me get back on TikTok, aren't you? I mean, the end of the video is there, I think so you want to have. When I send you a screenshot of my screen time, you're going to say page, Maybe go back into the den.
Speaker 1:Do you see that? Here's the thing. It's like anything. You take it in moderation. What I've decided to do and what algorithm I'm on is the positivity thing. So you get to see content creators like Baby Pubbles and Erica you're going to have to give me a nickname for my handle there on TikTok but I think it's fascinating. I think it's really cool. I think we're evolving. We're definitely taking things to the next step in our thinking and whatnot, so I'm here for it.
Speaker 2:I hear you, I hear you Absolutely. You know. Two weeks later they end up on reels. So I'm kind of in the know.
Speaker 3:TikTok is addicting. I'm not going to deny that, because I find myself scrolling on TikTok a lot throughout the day and I have to stop myself.
Speaker 1:Okay, erica, so you got to do an information. Then I will only be on TikTok for one hour out of the day and you say Brain shut, or what's my next thought?
Speaker 3:There you go, she got it. Yes, yes, I think you should try it and the listeners should try it. I will link the TikTok that we're talking about in the show notes, but this has been a great conversation so far. I'm really excited. You know, next week we do have another guest coming on. We will announce that soon. But did you want to add anything else for our listeners page?
Speaker 2:No, keep listening to this podcast with listeners, because I have found this extremely valuable. I know you're four episodes in and I follow it and I look forward to just listening to the rest of them. So you guys got to get a great thing going Very positive.
Speaker 1:Well, you're our inaugural guest, so thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule to be here with us. So thank you, paige.
Speaker 2:Great, I'll send you my address so I can get my trophy. You know it's never going to get a trophy All right, I love it. I didn't put it on my desk.
Speaker 3:I love that. Like Mel said, thank you, you're our inaugural guest. You're the first one, so this was a really exciting episode and, like I said, we do have another guest coming on next week. But I do have to add If you liked this podcast or others, please like, share and subscribe. Paige, if you would love to share our podcast, I would definitely take that from you. You can find our podcast at wwwtechexecwellnesscom. Wwwtechexecwellnesscom or on most streaming platforms. It's also linked on our website, and let us know if you have any feedback or thoughts. We'd love to hear what you're thinking. Thank you.
