Every emotion, reaction and behavior we have and make comes from a thought, but our brains are lazy. Without specific direction, our brains rely on establised often dysfunctional habits, falling back on old patterns which are often based on primitative, evolutionary defense. Creating a toolbox of strategies to utilize in our personal and professional lives enhances our professional, personal and interpersonal lives and relationships, making our brains work for us rather than against us.

Experts in mental health say that the most important call to action in creating a workplace culture which supports mental health is leading by example. Leaders who share their own stories regarding mental health model the culture which considers mental health as equitable to physical health. But in order for this strategy to be effective, the storytelling must be authentic and, for many leaders, it is about finding their voices and being comfortable sharing their stories.

Being an ally, an advocate, and an activist has specific impact upon an organization. Understanding the differences, and being able to identify which role you play, is essential to facilitating group culture and impacting change. Even more, learning the contributions each role has allows you to effectively navigate among these roles, allowing you and the individuals within your organization to affect the greatest outcomes.

Psychological safety is a necessary incorporation into organizational and team culture. By creating this type of culture, leaders can enhance productivity, foster DEI, stimulate innovation and improve employee satisfaction. This begins by understanding the characteristics of psychological safety and the strategies to create this experience for all team members, tapping into their unique and diverse perspectives to enhance organizational culture. From there, leaders learn how individual characteristics of their unique leadership styles lend themselves to supporting psychological safety. Ultimately, leaders understand the individual and organizational action steps which can successfully orchestrate effective risk taking and communication by utilizing the diversity of their team.

Women have made incredible progress over the past 60 years since the women’s movement in the 1960s. In local and global politics, in all realms of business and production, and in entertainment, powerful women are changing the perspective and standards for women. So why is it that powerful women still make people uncomfortable? Considering the historical causes for female stereotypes, how cognitive dissonance plays a role in why powerful women are perceived as "scary", and what can women do to step into their power and change society's perception of powerful women, will frame this discussion.

Society talks about finding a work-life balance, but this idea of "balance" is misleading. There is no time when the areas of life are perfectly balanced. Instead, adopting the perspective of harmony, a functional integration of all areas of life, provides you with a more effective framework to achieve health and happiness. Incorporating the subtopics of asking for what you want, burnout, imposter syndrome and perfectionism will contribute to this discussion on work-life harmony.