If there’s one thing I’ve learned over the last few months, it’s that not everything is equally important, either personally or professionally. Some things are truly impactful, either to your bottom line or to filling your energy bucket, but it’s addictive to have that feeling of being able to cross a task (however menial) off a list. How do you manage through that, and prioritize the items (and people!) that will really make a difference for you, when everything feels like a priority? Navigating “Life Chaos” I didn’t always prioritize the activities in my day, or my life, or my job. I somehow got it all done or drove myself crazy trying. But as my career took off, my job took over my life. The harder I worked, the longer my list became. I was entrenched in what I call “life chaos.” I couldn’t seem to figure out how to manage it all. We’ve all heard the phrase “put your own air mask on first,” but how many of us actually do that? What would happen if we made ourselves the priority? Would everything really fall apart? Or might we discover things run more smoothly when we’re taken care of too? Self-Care Good physical and mental health contribute to a productive life. I now give my personal appointments the same priority as my business appointments. I schedule exercise, acupuncture, mentoring, meditation, and any other self-help activities the same way I would time for a new client. When my personal appointments pop up, I attend them, just as I would any other. Consider what self-care you’ve been neglecting. What could your life look like if you reorganized your priorities? Is there a virtual yoga, meditation, or spin class you’ve wanted to go to but couldn’t seem to find the time? Let’s dig deeper. Are you overdue for your annual physical or mammogram? Are you in desperate need of a massage? Would you benefit from seeing a therapist? Consider how you could integrate some virtual appointments into your schedule. Can you delegate some items in your life or hire help to make room? Seeking professional advice can be a game-changer. When we make our personal well-being our first priority, we can perform at our best mentally and physically. That fitness carries over into our ability to lead and provide for those who need us. I’ve seen firsthand that this investment in oneself leads to more financial and business success as well. Organize by Impact I can’t change deadlines, so they will always rise to the top of my workload. But, I look daily at what’s going to have the most impact on our clients and position those items first. I also try to organize my day by when my energy tends to be best. I am not a morning person, so I typically try to do tough client calls or thinking work between 10 am EST and 3 pm EST, when I tend to be rocking and rolling. I’ll schedule lighter calls for later in the day and/or work that is a little more menial, so if I am not at my best, I am still getting things done, but not it’s items that don’t need the same level of mental horsepower. I also am not afraid to stop work earlier than potentially I would like on weekdays (especially with West Coast clients!) and save “thinking work” to a few hours over the weekend when I will be fresh and have uninterrupted time. Prioritize Integrity I don’t pretend that the bottom line isn’t a top priority, but I also try to ensure that I prioritize solutions that align with my values. If I’m organizing by impact, I have to consider how my decisions will affect my team and clients even if that means a short-term hit to the bottom-line. When you prioritize integrity, you don’t have to worry that today’s decisions will negatively impact the future. Promote Success Only you can define what success looks like for yourself and your business. Along with integrity, I ensure I’m focused on activities that promote our agency’s success. If I’m not careful, I can get caught up in the minutia and forget about the big picture. Because taking care of my team is vital, actions that promote business and team growth/health take priority. Decide what’s important to you first, then make sure your actions support that vision. On a personal level, my success is less about making money and more about living a happy life surrounded by a great community and support network. Take Charge of Your Time–Map it Out! Now that you know how to prioritize, let’s ensure it all fits. I like to start the month—sometimes with a glass of wine in hand on my rooftop patio (sometimes or likely always!)—to map out my schedule. First, schedule exercise and any other self-care activity. I recognize that if I want to do a Pilates class mid-week, I might need to compensate by working a bit on Saturday. Those are the tradeoffs to balance. Next, add space to meet with clients and colleagues and take care of all those daily taskings. Block off personal and business trips. What about business growth? Are you hiring someone new? Create a space to interview. Or, time to reach out to new clients. What about other long-term vision projects? Block off space to free think creative aspirations. Don’t forget philanthropy. Life isn’t balanced if we aren’t using some of our wealth and fortune to help others. As the month progresses, you can make adjustments, but, having a priority roadmap ensures you create balance. Once you give up the fantasy of crossing everything off your list and really being focused on the high impact tasks, you’ll be doing better work and having a lot more fun. By Megan Driscoll, CEO & Founder, EvolveMKD THIS ARTICLE WAS ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON SWAAY.COM

2020 is finally over and it’s time to set course for a prolific and dynamic year ahead! Even with last year’s numerous challenges, I was able to lead my team with a people-first attitude that ultimately profited the business and allowed us to expand the team. Here are my top entrepreneurial tips for a productive and bountiful reemergence as 2021 unfolds. Stay flexible. 2020 demonstrated that many things are beyond our control, and we must be prepared to handle uncertainty. We’ll need to remain flexible as our world, our society, and our economy rebound at their own pace. For best results, reach out and check in with your clients’ needs regularly and make course corrections as things evolve. Be brave, but trust your instincts. Listen to the universe. If you pay attention, you can usually discern signals on what to do. Don’t discount your knowledge and gut instinct. Everything you have ever done that proved worthwhile required a leap of faith. Make informed decisions, then trust yourself to dive in. Take it personally.Reject the idea that business isn’t personal. Business decisions are personal decisions. Don’t be afraid to invest them with the emotion and gravitas they deserve. Pursue your goals with passion and perseverance.The ability to plan, focus, execute, and just keep going until I accomplish my goals are traits that have served me well. And I’m not alone. A study by the Columbia Business School shows that it’s the combination of passion and determination, what we might call “grit,” that results in higher success rates. If you’re passionate about your work and outhustle everyone else, it will pay off. Be disciplined about balance.Just because we flipped to a new year doesn’t mean the challenges are over. Let your employees know that you value them and expect them to take the time (off if needed) to bolster their health and well-being. Make tending to one’s holistic wellness an obligation by scheduling self-care with the same priority as client appointments. According to psychologists, engaging in self-care can actually improve efficiency, focus, and productivity.  Consider things like meditation, a spin or yoga class, mental health counseling, and annual wellness checkups. As a leader, you can’t take care of your business and your team if you’re not in prime condition. Remember, it’s up to you to establish what balance looks like. Prioritize people in 2021.Remember why you’re in this–your family, your team, and your community. Praise and reward your employees and don’t forget to pay it forward. Humanizing your business takes more time and effort than simply running it by the numbers, but it has undeniably positive business implications in the long-term. Clients want to partner with businesses that uphold the values they share. Create a climate of abundance by ensuring your decisions are moral and ethical and support the long-term survival of the people and places you care about. Want to know more? I wrote #Resolve To Evolve on how to grow a people-first business in the ever-changing markets of 2021. Follow me on LinkedIn. Check out my website. By Megan Driscoll, CEO & Founder, EvolveMKD THIS ARTICLE WAS ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON FORBESBOOKS.COM

From buying a bottle of delicious Black Girl Magic wine to a beautiful leather Telfar bag, there are a multitude of ways to support Black businesses each and every day. Explore (in no particular order) some of our staff’s favorite Black-owned businesses across the New York City boroughs and read why we adore them! Happy Cork 51 Buffalo Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11233 Instagram to follow: HERE Happy Cork is a phenomenal wine store that is local and Black-owned! Every time I’m there, the store associates are cheerful and the vibe is great. I love knowing that I am supporting the community! - Seb BierWax 556 Vanderbilt Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11238 Instagram to follow: HERE They have amazing beers, fabulous music and I love that it’s black-owned. As a person of color, it’s an inviting and inclusive place for me to grab a drink with friends - Erick Ethel's Club 315 Meserole St, Brooklyn, NY 11206 Instagram to follow: HERE I love Ethel’s Club. It’s a social and wellness club, and they collaborate with a lot of BIPOC small business owners as well! Brandon Blackwood Online Only Instagram to follow: HERE Brandon Blackwood is a Chinese, Jamaican NYC-based designer and most of his leather handbags designs are all classic and chic that can go with any outfit! - Erika FORVR Mood Online Only Instagram to follow: HERE I love FORVR not only because of the amazing scents but because of the strategic marketing. Their Christmas and Valentine's Day collections were both a hit with beautiful packaging and fun, cheeky, creative names to go along with it. Aside from that, the founder is my favorite influencer, Jackie Aina, and what's not to love about her?! - Nikki Good Day Scents Online Only Instagram to follow: HERE Good Day Scents hand-poured candles are made in small batches with GMO-free soy wax to ensure there aren't any harmful toxins. The fragrances are amazing and the messages on each candle help spread positivity, making them a great addition to my candle collection and gift for my friends - Marge Telfar Online Only Instagram to follow: HERE I LOVE Telfar Clemens! In addition to being the designer behind the iconic Telfar bag, he's been a pioneer in creating genderless clothing and accessories for almost two decades! The Lit. Bar: Bookstore & Chill Bookshop 131 Alexander Ave, The Bronx, NY 10454 Instagram to follow: HERE I think it's essential for consumers to support small, local businesses, especially when they have stories like The Lit Bar. The Bronx is home to more than 1 million people and the borough didn't have a single bookstore. The Lit Bar changed that in order to serve the community! - Lo There are SO many other businesses to support! Here are a few amazing directories that help make finding Black-owned businesses super easy and accessible: https://www.blackownedbrooklyn.com/ https://nymag.com/strategist/article/black-owned-businesses-support-shop.html https://www.supportblackowned.com/ There is a need to continually show up for our neighbors beyond just this moment in time.  Happy Black History Month, THE EVOLVEMKD TEAM

March 8th is International Women's Day (IWD), an annual global celebration of the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. IWD promotes equality and highlights the importance of creating conditions to eliminate discrimination against women. For me, creating those conditions was a huge reason why I founded EvolveMKD. I started my agency with the vision to provide high-level jobs and creative working environments where talented, driven women could thrive. When I left a business partnership that wasn’t working, I set out to create a new kind of company. I wanted to build a public relations and digital marketing agency that offered hands-on, personalized attention in healthcare, medical, and beauty spaces that was owned, managed, and staffed by senior-level women.?? My own startup pitfalls. Starting my own business came with surprises and lessons learned. I started the company in my apartment and soon brought on two senior-level employees. However, when we were ready to grow into a rented space, I discovered roadblocks in getting banks to back me without years of being in business. By pointing out the inherent sexism at play, rather than backing down, I was able to navigate the financial and real estate hurdles many women face while building their businesses. Strong women negotiate. Show up with your A-game and demand respect. It astonishes me that women are still treated differently than men when it comes to negotiations. It has often been assumed that I wouldn’t negotiate or if I did, would give in quickly. Making decisions that make others uncomfortable is often hard for women. We are trained from early childhood to be nice. But I can be nice, or at least cordial, and still refuse to work with firms that don’t respect my expertise or view me as an equal partner in planning a campaign.? Successful women build each other up. Women rise when we promote one another’s greatest strengths and build strong partnerships. I encourage professional growth even if it means team members eventually leave for other opportunities––strong, competent women make the entire industry better.? Women help women. Giving back to create a more level society should be a key element in any successful business model. EvolveMKD has an agency goal of donating 10% of profits. We empower our employees to choose charities for the agency to support that matter to them. So far, the lion’s share of charitable funds (more than $600K) has gone to supporting underserved women and children. Among so many other notable contributions, we are proud to have covered the costs of reconstructive surgery for a woman who was a victim of domestic violence and purchased a van to assist women who have escaped sex trafficking. My startup advice for future women entrepreneurs: • Save first and raise your credit score as much as possible.? • If you want to found a company, ensure you understand the business from the ground up. Because I’ve done many of the jobs within my Industry, I understand the skill sets needed for success at most positions, and that knowledge has been vital as we’ve grown exponentially.? • You’ll also need advisors. Financial, legal, and human resources are a good start. Don’t be afraid to hire an expert. Good advice is worth its weight in gold.? • Build a network of mentors. I’ve learned from a circle of other women business owners through the Women Presidents' Organization as well as my own mother who is part of the EvolveMKD team as the office manager. • Continue to challenge yourself personally and professionally. Today, EvolveMKD is continuing to grow and we’re expanding our client offerings. As a woman-owned, female-powered agency we’re so proud of our achievements and our support of causes that promote making women stronger in our communities. BY MEGAN DRISCOLL, CEO & FOUNDER, EVOLVEMKD

Women’s History Month is a global celebration of the achievements of women who’ve triumphed in the face of adversity. As part of this monumental conversation, EvolveMKD hosted a rockstar panel of successful women entrepreneurs to discuss their professional journeys and highlight insights on how they navigate business as women. We explored their greatest challenges with sexism, conquering fear, finding confidence, taking risks, as well as tips on finding a mentor. We learned what traits secured them a seat at the table and what motivations and attributes elevated them to the head of the table! The Panel Moderator was Rhonda Abrams who is an entrepreneur, author, and USA Today columnist. Our panel–Who They Are and How They Got Started: • Megan Driscoll, CEO and founder of EvolveMKD, a PR and digital marketing agency in NYC that works primarily with innovators. After leaving a partnership to build an agency on her own terms, she built a successful people-first business from the ground up. • Brittany Stovall, CEO and co-founder of Assured Quality Systems, a Risk Management firm providing quality assurance and technology solutions primarily to the automotive manufacturing industry. Brittany took a break from culinary school to pursue a summer communications internship in manufacturing where she “killed it” and was offered a job. She then set out to build her own company which made a million dollars in its first year and now has 300 employees in 12 states and two countries. • Joelle Faulkner is President & CEO of Area One Farms, which partners with Canadian farmers by investing in their land base so they can grow their farms and bring on the next generation. Joelle attended Oxford and Stanford and is educated in business, engineering, and law. She launched her business after securing a $20M investment and then continued to expand. Successful Attributes Rhonda: What business and personal attributes were critical for your success in both building a business and building a career? Megan: “I think that one of the most important things has been being self-aware. When you're self-aware that means that you're not only open to feedback and open to different perspectives but also you're aware of what you're not good at. So especially when you're building a team, you can honestly look at yourself and know what other skills you need to hire for, because you may not have them yourself.  And then in terms of what I found in building my business as being really important was just conquering fear. I think every phase you get through, there's something new to be afraid of, or to be scared about. And so that's something actively that I have to manage in my life, but I don't let the fear prevent me from taking risks or trying to do things or making decisions that may not make sense to other people that I know are the right things to do.” Rhonda: Do you think it's any different being a woman, and the self awareness or the issue with fear? Megan: “I think it's very, very different being a woman. There's a lot more that people project onto you, in terms of what you should act like, what you should be doing, what your life should look like. I think that's an extra burden that we have to bear as women and I see that all the time when I'm asking for money or loans. As women we have to be much more aware of everything––what we look like, how we act, what we put on social media. I think sometimes men don't have to worry about all those things.” ? Combatting Sexism Rhonda: What kind of sexism have you encountered and how do you think it's affected you in a male dominated industry? Brittany: “At the very beginning of my career my partner and I were doing some strategic planning so we took some courses with some male counterparts. We were at the table and I don't think they thought we could hear them and I won't use the explicit language they used, but basically, they said, ‘women aren't successful in this industry, nobody will respect them and they're going to sleep their way up.’ It made me twice as ambitious, and it fueled me in a way that I think that if I hadn't heard that conversation, I don't know if I would have gone as hard that first year. And so from then on I took advice from mentors and I grew. I really wanted to display my value and what differentiated me from my peers. What my company and my service could bring from a woman's perspective is going to be a little bit different than what a male can bring to the table. It's not necessarily better, but it's different and sometimes different can be better, and so from there I think I earned the respect from my peers.  I earned my seat at the table and I'm happy to say that I run that table.” ? Gaining Confidence: Rhonda: Did you ever find yourself holding yourself back or ever asking yourself what do I know about this stuff, or did you plow ahead saying, ‘I can learn’? Brittany: “My mentor used to tell me ‘fake it until you can make it.’  I’ve learned to understand that there's value in sometimes not knowing, and asking questions. The guys don't know a lot either. They fake it as much as we do.  In situations where I would ask the question feeling a little less smart than everyone else as the woman in the building, the guys were like ‘yeah but what is the answer to this question because we don't know either.’ So I think you just plow through it and you learn as you go and you ask questions. Don’t be afraid of what you don’t know.” “Studies have shown that women in business tend to be less confident than men––whether it's as an entrepreneur, or in their own careers professionally. I had a friend tell me years ago, if I post a job that has 10 requirements, a man will apply if he has one and a woman won't apply if she's missing one. And I have told that story to hundreds of audiences of males and females, and both men and women agree with me. Harvard Business School did a very similar study showing that women think that they have to be so over prepared and so overqualified to get a job.” Rhonda: How have you dealt with confidence in your career, and what kind of advice do you have for young women and older women and men to have that confidence in business? Joelle: “The confidence thing is actually just a ‘fake it ‘til you make it’ answer. There's no reason somebody else is going to do better, so you have every right to be there. I help friends negotiate for salaries and I always just tell my women friends, you might as well just ask for 30% more than you think the numbers should be because that's what men get.  On the application thing, we can call a spade a spade, it's not that a woman isn't applying because she feels like she has to be overqualified. She reads it and says, Oh, I'm not qualified. The woman wasn't wrong there. But, the man wasn't qualified either and he applied anyway.” Megan: “I feel I lack confidence some part of every single day. I've never owned a business before. During COVID I started journaling and it gives me the discipline to reflect on all the things that went well that day. When you're writing them down and thinking about them, that gives me the confidence to go into the next day. But I have to Google things. I have no idea what people are saying half the time and they probably don't know either. And, you know, never go in with the attitude that you're the smartest person in the room, but also realize that you're not the dumbest either. So I think there's a balance there.” ? Best Advice Rhonda: Who's given you the best advice in your career and what was it? What advice do you have for others as they navigate their careers and their entrepreneurial dreams?  Brittany:  “My mom has always been one of my biggest supporters, and what she always told me as I mentioned before is ‘don't be afraid of what you don't know.’ That sticks with me the most because I meet a lot of smart, educated people––engineers and CFOs that manage billions and billions of dollars on a daily basis. So I constantly tell myself don't be afraid if you don't know, just learn it––I mean figure it out.  Men do it every day and life is not going to end if you don't know the answer.  My second best is from Beyonce, ‘keep your eye on your intention.” That stuck with me, because I feel as women, we tend to drift. It's because we're natural caregivers. We care a lot about other people, other things and we tend to nurture things a little bit more. Men are really good at being self-involved, and it's been about them. The last five years I’ve been very intentional about my emotions and caring about what's important to me and being intentional in that. And so I'm very unapologetic about it. Men don't apologize when they want themselves to succeed and I'm not either.” Megan: “The best piece of advice I've gotten is ‘you meet the same people on the way up that you meet on the way down.’ So you should treat everyone with respect and kindness and directness and transparency. When you work for me, I give you two chances to hear no. So you can only ask me the same question twice. And if I say no a second time, the topic is dead.” Joelle: “The best advice I was given was when I was trying to decide between engineering and law. And my mentor said, well,  just flip a coin, because the second before you flip you usually know.  I think about that a lot, because I think there's a lot of times that you make decisions that you actually had a pretty strong preference that took a long time to get to.” ? Overcoming Barriers Rhonda: As a female leader what has been the most significant barrier in your career and how did you overcome it? Brittany: “I would say the biggest barrier has been financing. And I think that's typical for most women. When you go to a bank and you're talking through your business plan, they tend to have more questions for a woman than they do a man. Naturally, you have to have all your ducks in a row and a business plan. But, you can see the same guy behind you has no business plan and he talks to the bank and convinces them to give them $200K or $2M. And so what I really did was start building relationships and networking early. I think that has helped me so much through my career. Megan: “I agree with Brittany on financing. I think that has been the singularly most frustrating thing about being a female business owner. I had an underwriter ask me, ‘Why are you so good at your job.’ I was like, what does that have to do with you giving me access to credit? The other thing I would say is all three of us are in a service industry. I give clients very direct advice, but there is a part of our industry that involves entertaining. And sometimes when you are open and warm and friendly, certain people sitting across the table from you can think that means something else. So for me, one of the skills that I've had to hone is how to delicately get out of those situations where I feel good, but no one else feels rejected. I am shocked at how often that continues to happen. Even after #MeToo and even frankly as I age. I really have to make sure when I go out that I've really thought through––where we're going, who's gonna be there, what my exit strategy is. And I always think about how sad that is because I'm sure men don't need to do that.” ? On Mentorship Rhonda: Do you mentor others––men or women––and how do you think people can find mentors? Megan: “Well, first of all, you can't talk to someone and be like ‘will you be my mentor’? I think that's something that people don't really realize. My mentor and I developed a professional and personal relationship over a number of years. And it sort of happened naturally, as well with the people that I mentor. I reached out for networking, and then it developed into a genuine relationship. It has to be mutual. I think one of the nicest compliments I got from my mentor who's like a bajillionaire was ‘every time we talk, I learn something from you too.’ It’s something that I never would have thought about and I feel that way about the people that ask for my advice. It gives me new perspective and fresh thinking so I look at mentorship as a two-way street.” Brittany:  “My personal mentors have been just networking relationships that have evolved. And, mentorship isn't necessarily about someone telling you how great you are all the time. I'm very passionate about mentoring, not only women, but people of color, because I think it gives value to them to understand entrepreneurship, being in leadership and what entrepreneurship really looks like so it's probably what I try to teach my mentees the most.” Joelle: “I think it’s a little bit like the self sorting hat in Harry Potter. You ask a lot of people for advice, and then you ask some of them for more advice and maybe they want to give more advice. And, eventually, you get a lot of advice from that person and when people say who's your mentor you say oh it's that guy.” EvolveMKD would like to thank our moderator and panel participants for sharing their wisdom and advice. Would you like to know more about EvolveMKD or our CEO Megan Driscoll? Follow Megan on LinkedIn.

Let’s face it. It’s been a tough run and we’re all showing signs of wear. “Nearly 8 in 10 adults (78%) say the coronavirus pandemic is a significant source of stress in their lives” which has been compounded by the stressors we were already coping with, according to a 2020 APA study. Managing stress has been crucial to handling the chaos the last year has thrust upon us and will be no less important as 2021 unfolds with its own twists and turns. As the CEO of EvolveMKD, I know how valuable it is to support stress reduction techniques for myself and my team of employees. In recognition of National Stress Awareness Day this April 23rd, here are my tips to create a supportive workplace that puts people first so both leaders and employees can effectively manage stress. Support Happiness Employees who feel supported are happy productive workers who have the headspace to pick up the slack when someone else needs them. We can’t focus on what’s in front of us if we’re stressed about our family while at work, or about our work while at home–and in the last year separating the two has been in itself a challenge. I make sure my staff knows we’re a team and that means workloads won’t always be equal. We proactively strive to balance out each other’s needs with our team’s supportive and built-in flexibility so that everyone can do their jobs well and still tend to themselves and their loved ones. Life Happens. Be Present No matter what the level of intensity is in your business at the moment, life is still happening. Whether it’s marriage, a baby, or unfortunately, tragedy–all of those things will happen to people in your business. It’s so important to give those moments in life the attention they deserve. Ensure that everyone (including yourself) understands they have the opportunity to celebrate or mourn those moments fully, and work will not collapse without them. Come From a Place of Abundance It’s easy to lose perspective and only see the things you need to improve in your company, your team, or yourself. I think being self-critical is inherent in every business owner’s DNA, but try flipping your lens and view things from a place of abundance. There’s truly always something to be grateful for or something to appreciate. Watch as your employees follow your lead and approach their work with a positive attitude which will, in turn, spread to the customers that they engage with. Celebrate Success Even Within Chaos In the midst of a crisis or even a failure, there is always a win. We’d ironically been on the verge of launching a pilot work-from-home program when the pandemic hit and suddenly our test program became our everyday reality. Like so many office workers forced onto the homefront, we had to navigate stressful and isolating connectivity and productivity challenges. Yet, we not only stayed afloat, we eventually learned to thrive amidst the chaos of it all. It’s important to acknowledge that success in the face of adversity can sometimes just be getting through the crisis rather than coming out on top. That acknowledgment alone can shift the mood from anxious to heroic and put everyone at ease. Pulling together as a team through dynamic circumstances is often the greatest win worth celebrating! Pick Your Priorities Running a business has changed my life and taught me that you really have to prioritize your time and energy and delegate what you can. My job as a CEO is not only to ensure the business is successful and running smoothly but to keep the morale of my team members high. I also have to be available for our clients who are experiencing the same anxiety and stressors that we all are. Though I’m in charge of a company, prioritizing is key at any level to reduce stress. We all need to exercise, get enough sleep, laugh with the people we love, and sometimes, just do nothing. Pick what matters and don’t be afraid to let some things slide. Keys to Scheduling Wisely • Don’t Overpack Your Calendar. A schedule is designed to keep things on track but overpacking it creates a stressful environment where you are racing from one thing to the next without giving anything the attention it deserves. Between getting the work done for clients, giving time to my staff, industry networking, and travel, I have to consciously make time for the things that really rejuvenate and energize me without choosing so much that I’m overwhelmed. • Do Choose Your Workout. A calm, clear leader is critical to providing the oversight and support employees and clients need. I’ve heard that not exercising for a business owner is basically the same as choosing stress and depression. I treat my workouts like any other appointment by adding them to my calendar a month in advance so they remain a priority as my schedule fills in around them. It’s not a perfect system since client emergencies happen, but giving exercise its own block means I do it at least 80% of the time. • Balance Social/Alone Time: While the pandemic has been isolating, it’s also forced many people into small spaces where they can’t get solo time to reflect and reset. Take breaks where you can get away and do whatever it is that allows you to take care of yourself and find the mind space to return and be present. Leading by example, I model a healthy work-life presence and encourage my employees to do the same. At EvolveMKD we run a people-first business that values our community and our employees and their mental and physical well-being over profit. BY MEGAN DRISCOLL, CEO & FOUNDER, EVOLVEMKD