From the Police Station to the Gym

From the Police Station to the Gym Success Story > From: Job To: Solopreneur From the Police Station to the Gym “I couldn't see myself doing the same thing for another 30 years.” * From the Police Station to the Gym Inspired to create his ideal career, Tom Wheelhouse took a stepping-stone role that allowed him to keep getnew business set up before making the transition full time. Here's how he overcame self-doubt to get his plans off the ground. What work were you doing previously? I was a frontline police officer. I worked in a specialist unit in London, dealing with public disorder, critical incidents and more. What are you doing now? I run my own business, Mightify, providing a combination of personal training, transformational coaching and nutritional advice. It's a bespoke service helping people to achieve lasting positive change. Why did you change? Fundamentally, I couldn't see myself doing the same thing for another 30 years. Pay, conditions and the general working environment had deteriorated, and I no longer felt able to make a difference. I wanted to try to change things for the better, and I felt that my best chance to do that was from the outside. When was the moment you decided to make the change? When I could feel that the situation I was in was having a serious impact on my mental and emotional health. I didn't want to feel like that anymore, and I didn't want others to either. Are you happy with the change? Yes, 100%. It hasn't been plain sailing by any means, but it's definitely been worth it. What do you miss and what don't you miss? I miss the camaraderie with colleagues, and the times when we did work that made a difference. I don't miss the impact on my personal life, never knowing when I'd finish work, and being unable to make my own decisions. How did you go about making the shift? I made a leap of faith. I thought carefully about the practicalities â€" I knew I needed a stepping stone to keep me afloat, so I took a semi-related 9â€"5 job in the interim. This allowed me to spend my evenings and weekends working towards the certifications I needed for my business, and gave me cash to invest in equipment and other overheads. I tried to cut back expenditure wherever possible; for example, I moved back home. I also tried to soak up as much learning and experience as I could, through books, podcasts, webinars and so on, whilst I was still being paid. What didn't go well? What 'wrong turns' did you take? Getting my message across. This is still difficult, but in the beginning I spent money on advertising that didn't add any value. I also tried to do too much on my own, rather than seeking help from experts or support from people in my existing networks. How did you handle your finances to make your change possible? I saved as much as I could, and tried to reduce my outgoings as far as possible. I invested in things I knew I'd need while I was still in employment, so that the first few months of entrepreneurship weren't so brutal. What was the most difficult thing about changing? Self-doubt. Whilst I love making my own decisions and trusting my instincts, I'd always had a team to bounce ideas off and check things with in the past. Also the financial aspects have been difficult to manage, especially as I've been used to a regular and safe monthly pay packet! What help did you get? Friends and family have been incredibly supportive. The people I met on personal training and coaching courses have been great too; it's helped that they've been on the same journey. What resources would you recommend to others? I started off with a Careershifters workshop, which really inspired me. The best resources are other people â€" your existing network, and the people in your dream job / industry. Don't be afraid to ask people for help and advice â€" the worst they can do is say no. What have you learnt in the process? There's never a perfect time to start, and no-one is going to do it for me. There came a time when I'd done all the preparation I could; I just had to jump. What would you advise others to do in the same situation? Work out what's really important to you, and what you can do without. It isn't easy but it will be worth it. Do as much preparatory work as you can â€" research, networking, sorting out finances and so on â€" then when you are as ready as you can be, go for it and don't look back! To find out more about Tom's services, visit www.mightify.co.uk. What lessons could you take from Tom's story to use in your own career change? Let us know in the comments below.

Writing a Resume For a Receptionist Position

Writing a Resume For a Receptionist PositionWriting a resume for a receptionist position is very important because this is the first thing that people see when they apply for a job. If you are honest about your skills and experience you will be able to land the job with little difficulty. Here are some tips on how to write a good resume for a receptionist position.When it comes to writing a resume, you have to understand what the true purpose of this document is. Many people think that this is a list of their skills and past experiences. The truth is that resumes are a sales pitch. They need to tell the hiring manager exactly what you can do for the company.For example, you might have a great work history and degree from college. But your resume will not tell the hiring manager that you have excellent communication skills. So, if you were to reveal this you could make a lot of false promises and hurt your chances of getting the job. The best way to write a resume is to talk about you r abilities rather than your past experiences.Another common mistake is to only list your work history and education. You want to be as specific as possible with your skills and experience. A resume needs to make you stand out from the competition. Using the right keywords to describe your skills will help you stand out in the crowd.Many people make the mistake of listing all of their degrees and work experience under their career path. Your ability to help the company will directly impact your ability to get the job. List your skills under your career path.Your main goal is to get the employer to call you back. You can take this one step further by writing your cover letter. The cover letter should let the hiring manager know that you are the best candidate available for the job.When writing a resume for a receptionist position, you should write it as though you were the interviewer. You will want to come across as confident and convincing. Be careful not to include too much inform ation about yourself in your resume.You should also remember that you will only be writing a resume for a job description. You are going to be the person who is going to provide all of the interview information. Therefore you should focus on you and your skills instead of listing the different parts of the job description. By writing a resume for a receptionist position you will be providing more detail about you to the hiring manager than any other job.

4 Ways AI and Machine-Learning Are Changing the Face of Recruiting

4 Ways AI and Machine-Learning Are Changing the Face of Recruiting Sponsored by MightyRecruiter, the all-in-one recruiting software that provides the tools you need to find the candidates you want. Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning are changing the face of recruiting, making it easier and quicker for recruiters and hiring managers to identify appropriate applicants, even for the most complicated roles. That’s a good thing, since polls suggest that 2017 is going to be a very busy year for recruiters. Fifty-six percent of companies indicate that their hiring volumes will increase this year, but only 35 percent of businesses anticipate adding recruiting staff to manage the extra workload. That means efficiency in the form of AI and machine learning is going to be become even more important, as recruiters and hiring managers hustle to fill more vacant positions than ever in a 40-hour work week. But how are AI and machine learning making recruiters more efficient at finding and connecting with the right candidates? Here are a few examples: 1. Skip scheduling Many companies are employing bots to handle their scheduling needs to eliminate the often tiresome back and forth that happens when recruiters are trying to schedule interviews with multiple candidates. Products like Amy, an AI-powered personal assistant, can scan emails from candidates and correspond with them to schedule meetings, shaving off hours of time that recruiters used to be spent on tedious tasks. 2. Makes sense of semantics AI and machine learning tools in recruiting are also helping recruiters deal with the very real problem of the semantics involved in resume examination. When hiring managers are looking to fill a Marketing Manager position, for example, the easiest route is to recruit only those people whose resumes reflect a past marketing manager role. However, since a variety of titles can mean the same thing in marketing, that system would eliminate qualified candidates whose current job title might be “marketing coordinator” or “marketing specialist.” Further, within those titles, not all candidates will describe their job function exactly as it is worded in your job description, which can leave even more qualified candidates out in the cold using a standard ATS. This issue of language and semantics is another area that AI and machine learning are helping to address through the use of conceptual search tools that understand a recruiters intent and don’t require a precisely worded query to work. Instead, recruiters and hiring managers are able to choose a few keywords about the role, and the technology forms conclusions about applicants’ suitability by scanning their resumes. This allows qualified applicants who may have worded their resumes differently than the job post to rise to the top of the applicant pool while eliminating candidates who might have the right title but the wrong experience. 3. Smarter sourcing Another area where AI is having a huge impact is in candidate searches and ranking. One such product is MightyRecruiter, which has developed a new vector space matching technology that automatically sorts candidates based on their relevance to a job description. The technology analyzes applicants’ resumes for clusters of words or phrases from which it can draw key inferences, like how many years of experience a candidate may have or how proficient a candidate may be with certain software. The technology will do this for every piece of information in a resume â€" and then draw a conclusion about how well it matches the job description requirements, narrowing down the candidate pool as it goes. Hiring managers are then presented with a list of applicants that is ranked in order of suitability. Ann Barzman,  MightyRecruiter Product Lead, says: The standard Applicant Tracking System (ATS) will never be able to trump vector space matching because it isn’t able to make inferences about the applicant the way humans do when they review a resume. Our technology does. For example, an ATS may present a recruiter looking to hire a Systems Engineer with resumes of Restaurant Servers simply because of the mention of the word “server. Our vector space matching, on the other hand, can draw certain conclusions about the resume of the Restaurant Server as a whole and, based on those inferences, will drop it to the bottom of the applicant pool as a bad fit. Since some studies estimate that up to 75 percent of applicants aren’t qualified for the role they apply for, the use of these time-saving AI and machine learning tools will save time while helping recruiters to do their due diligence. 4. Leaves the human elements to the humans With the time saved through the use of AI and machine learning, recruiters and hiring managers have the opportunity to focus on the parts of their jobs that technology can never fill: the human elements. Recruiting and hiring is about much more than sorting resumes and scheduling interviews; it’s about human interaction â€" engaging with candidates and connecting with applicants to make the best hire. The time AI and machine learning save in finding a pool of candidates can now be spent developing relationships with your tops picks, which is sure to make your hiring and recruiting efforts more successful than ever. For more information on how MightyRecruiter’s vector space matching algorithm can save you time by bringing the most relevant applicants to the top of your hiring list, take advantage of a free trial today!

Personal Branding Interview Sally Hogshead - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Personal Branding Interview Sally Hogshead - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career Today, I spoke with Sally Hogshead, who gives sound advice on how to radically engineer your career and why doing things differently than everyone else will help you stand out. She is an author, speaker and media commentator, who brings years of experience to this interview. We talk about her fancy website, some of the research shes conducted, how she got Careerbuilder to sponsor a book tour for her and reflections on her own personal brand. The main takeaway is that you dont have to do what everyone else does in life. You dont need to be afraid of putting your creativity out there for people to see. Your website is extremely cool and bold. You even have your own Flash intro with sperm! Why should people invest money in their own websites instead of getting free hosting? Why is this good for personal branding? When it comes to making a first impression, your website is every bit as important as your dress and demeanor. For many of us, it’s even more important because the people we want to reach might never actually meet us. That’s not to say your website needs to be complicated or expensiveâ€"not at all. It can be simply executed with brilliant content. But no matter what you can afford, it should very accurately communicate the specific qualities of your own personal brand. Here is my personal brand promise: Radical ideas and passionate action, keenly executed. That means every idea I develop should be radical in some way, with my passionate involvement, and incisive execution. For my website, RadicalCareering.com, that meant untraditional ideas, such as the motion-graphics of sperm swimming, with the headline, “You were born unlike any other.” It’s a concept in my book, Radical Careering, about tapping into your own ultimate competitive advantage. My personal brand is also about keen execution, so I chose a high-end Flash design. However, this site launched in 2005, back before Web 2.0. The Flash was new and sexy back then, but I wouldn’t recommend it now, because it limits search engine optimization. Google, as you probably know, can’t search Flash. That means all the content in Flash never shows up in search results. I’m actually re-doing my whole online brand (working with The Next Wave) so it’s more Web 2.0 savvy. Why do you say that people have everything they already need to succeed? Often times, people blame their career shortcomings on external forces: an unsupportive boss, a failed project, or right now, the economy. But the truth is that in the long run, your success depends on factors within your own control. How intently are you willing to apply yourself? Are you willing to push outside of your comfort zone, and refuse to give up even when you feel discouraged? Would you be willing to take a temporary pay cut for a job that offered the opportunity to work with smarter people, and gain valuable experience? Can you support the people around you to their own success, so that you build a community? You already possess everything you need to make these choices. The hard part is actually making them. Did you find anything really exciting and unusual in your 00 radical research project? Yes! We asked 00 professionals age 25 â€" 45 about their motivations and intentions for their careers. The results demonstrate just how our attitudes have shifted since our parents’ “bring home the bacon” mindset. The main findings are posted at radical00.com. A few highlights: Which is most important in determining success: Natural talent: 8.8% Hard work: 91.2% Which is more important to get from your employer: Respect: 88.8% Fat paycheck: 11.2% Which has had the greatest influence on your success: Luck: 2.3% Skill set: 15.6% Reputation: 15.8% Daily actions: 29.2% Attitude: 37.1% Which is your idea of professional hell: Long hours: 3.8% Low pay: 4.7% Being micromanaged: 15.6% Disrespectful boss or coworkers: 75.9% You got Careerbuilder.com to sponsor a speaking tour for you. How did you manage to pull that off? After the executives at Careerbuilder.com read Radical Careering, they contacted me to submit a proposal. I could have simply responded in an email, as most other applicants did. But to sell them on my personal brand, I had to clearly articulate why I could do this better than anyone else. If my personal brand truly is “radical ideas and passionate action, keely executed,” then I needed to reflect that promise. So what I did I do? I created the vision for an entire program, which I called “Radical CareerBuilding.” I showed how my brand could perfectly combine with their brand. I outlined a marketing plan, potential partners, and even a logo design. Within a week, I got the phone call that I’d be going on tour in a few weeks. I’d sold them with my extra thought and effort. What are your feelings about personal branding and how have you built your brand in the advertising world? A personal brand must be an accurate reflection of who you are â€" who you authentically are at the core of your heart and soul. You can’t fake something you’re not, or you’ll fail. You can’t pretend to be detail-oriented if you’re really a big-picture creative type, or you’ll be miserable. You can’t base your brand around reliability if you’re not willing to back that up with relentless perfectionism, or you’ll lose the trust of those around you. In my career, everything I do and say and create aligns with my personal brand promise to create “radical ideas and passionate action, keenly executed.” That includes not only my resume and website and business card, but also my work itself. When a client hires me to do their advertising and marketing strategy, they get those same qualities. The ideas will not be traditional and safe and boring. I’ll engage with the assignment with passion and intensity. The execution will be the highest caliber. Everything in my brand aligns, so people have greater trust in what they will get from me. That allows me to charge higher fees, have greater job security, and more career freedom. Take, for example, my last name. Hogshead. Can you imagine how much it sucked growing up with the last name Hogshead?? (It was worse than you can imagine, trust me.) Even today, maitre d’s in restaurants erase my reservation because they think it’s a joke, and operators hang up on me, thinking it’s a prank call. People say, disbelievingly, “No, seriously, what’s your last name?” Um, it really is Hogshead. I could have hidden from that, downplayed it, or even changed my name. Instead, I pushed it. My business card reads, “A Hogshead is a barrel that holds 62 Gallons. So what’s your name, smartass?” Sally Hogshead is a speaker, author of Radical Careering: 0 Truths to Jumpstart Your Job, Your Career, and Your Life, and branding expert on radical innovation. Sally’s insights have been profiled by The New York Times, NBC, ABC, CBS and MSNBC. She leads keynotes for companies such as Starbucks and Microsoft, as well as innovation workshops around the world. Today, as writer and creative director, Sally helps companies develop branded content, new media applications, and multi-platform advertising. She helps companies uncover smarter, faster, more creative solutions. Recent launches include products for Nike and Cole Haan, Godiva, and Motorola.

SES Resume Writing Service Reviews

SES Resume Writing Service ReviewsIf you are looking for the right resume writing service for your business then you should get professional resume writing service reviews before making a decision. This will help you in choosing the right services provider who can help you get the job that you want. Most of the time, it is the customer who is in charge of hiring people to work in his company.The reviews contain information about different types of companies and their average customer ratings. It also includes the testimonials of the customer. So, if you have been looking for a company for your resume writing services then make sure you go through the reviews first. Check if the reviews are written by people who have been working with the company before.SES resume writing service reviews also contain the types of resumes which the company has produced. You can go through the reviews to find out if the company offers freelance resume writing services. You can also go through the review s to find out if the company provides customized resume writing services. These specialized resume writing services are generally designed to meet the requirements of different types of companies.Resume writing service reviews can also help you in finding out if the company offers unique resume writing services. Since the reviews cover the experience level of different companies, you can also get information on how experienced the company is with its resume writing services. You can also get information on the types of resume services that the company provides and if the company provides free sample resumes.If you have decided to take the services of an SES resume writing service, make sure you go through the reviews carefully. The reviews should include information about the experience of the writer. You should know that some writers are not qualified to write resumes and they will be selling the services which can be really risky for the clients. It is better to know the experienc e of the writer before you hire them for the services.The service reviews should also list the different types of services that the writers can provide to you. Some of the services are basic resume writing services which includes writing the basic cover letter and resume as well as adding the details to the official form and taking care of all the formalities. Other services include special writing services, which would include the custom written resumes as well as the non-standard writing services.The review should also list the benefits that the SES resume writing service provides to the clients. Some of the important benefits which can be provided by the SES resume writing service include customized resumes, customized cover letters, sample resumes and custom letters. It is also important to know that the reviews can help you in identifying the best providers of services. They should have a positive feedback which would include the number of clients that have used the services.Th ese reviews are a good way to find a reliable company to take the services of. The review will help you in making the best decision based on the feedback given by the previous clients.

UCR Resume Writing - How to Write a Good One

UCR Resume Writing - How to Write a Good OneWhen it comes to the topic of UCR resume writing, a UCR or universal credit report is basically a record of all the companies you have worked for over a period of time. It is a summary of your academic, professional and personal experience from your past five years in work. It will record all the companies you have worked for, including employers, clients, co-workers, consultants, associations and organisations you were affiliated with and the nature of the work that was done in them.Your UCR will be kept for seven years, unless it has been dismissed by the CMIB, the Canadian Institute of Management Bodies. A dismissal means that you have quit your job without proper notice or written explanation. This can happen if you quit working for a client before you have completed your contract or if your employer was not satisfied with what you did and gave you a formal warning.In today's world, there are many people who have moved from one place to another. In order to keep track of all these people, the institution established the UCR or universal credit report. To use this information for your benefit, make a copy of your UCR. You need to go through it and make sure that every entry is accurate.In your UCR you should also consider the companies you have worked for and the jobs you have done. For example, if you have worked for a client for two years, but have worked for a company two years ago, make sure that there is an entry on your UCR about the second company. If you feel that you have been discriminated against because of your gender, race, religion, age, sexual orientation, marital status, or disability, you need to contact the CMIB.It is important to do a little research on your background first before applying for a job, as your UCR is a crucial part of your application. A thorough search will get you ahead of the competition.The date you received your UCR may not be accurate, if this is the case you can request a c orrection. Make sure that you know when the government website was created and, if possible, take a look at it to verify the dates and validity of the data.If your UCR is not valid, make sure that you list all of the correct data. The date of birth, social security number, date of first employment, address, city and province are all necessary. You may also need to include employment history and any awards or recognitions received in the past year.Ensure that you include all of the details and try to have them written down in a chronological order. You should also make sure that the dates are correct and complete before you write them down, as errors like these can come back to haunt you.

Why You Should Hire with Emotional Intelligence in Mind - CareerAlley

Why You Should Hire with Emotional Intelligence in Mind - CareerAlley We may receive compensation when you click on links to products from our partners. Intellectuals solve problems. Geniuses prevent them. Albert Einstein Interviewers and human resource managers often go through hundreds of applicants, many of which express the same characteristics. However, instead of glazing over resumes and interviews, look for something unique that will bring high performers into the workplace. In short, look for emotional intelligence. Emotional intelligence is the individuals ability to identify, assess and control the emotions of themselves and others. A vital characteristic, studies have shown that employers are more likely to promote workers with high emotional intelligence over those with high IQ. More so than ever, it has become a measure of the employees potential for success. 4 Characteristics of High Performers Emotional intelligence at work is an important quality for prospective candidates, and ultimately all employees. The following characteristics, attributed to a high degree of emotional intelligence, are reasons why you should look for high performing individuals: Self Awareness Self awareness is the ability to perceive ones own emotions and stay aware of their emotional state. A vital characteristic for employees and managers alike, this quality allows them to recognize feelings and emotions as arises in various situations. Employees are able to objectively look at their actions and determine whether it is reasonable or not. When individuals are able to understand their own emotional state, they are better able to compose themselves and act accordingly. Self Management Simply perceiving emotions are not enough a successful individual is also able to self manage those emotions and control them. The quality ensures that emotions will not take control of the individual and get out of hand. This ability to regulate and adapt to change circumstances is vital for the workplace, where tensions and tempers can run high. If the employee is unable to keep their cool, this will have a negative effect on their reputation and perception among peers. Social Skills Success in the workplace is largely determined by the individuals ability to manage relationships and understand social networks around them. The ability to connect with others allows the employee to engage in better teamwork, collaboration and communication. Social skills also extend to the ability to understand relationships and engage in conflict resolution. As a result, individuals with a high degree of social awareness are more likely to emerge as leaders and managers in their field. Impulse Control Finally, another characteristic of individuals with emotional intelligence is the ability to control their impulses. Impulse control is a form of emotional regulation it allows the individual to wait in order to obtain something that he or she wants. By resisting instant gratification, they are able to reap greater rewards in the future. Good impulse control is an indicator of a high performer; an individual who understands the rewards of success. If youve entered late in the game, dont worry emotional intelligence, unlike IQ or personality, is not a stagnant quality. Individuals can improve this quality through emotional intelligence training and courses designed to help them get better. With enough practice, both new and veteran employees can develop their emotional intelligence, actively influencing their own ability to become a high performer. Sara Fletcher is interested in learning how to test emotional intelligence and understanding how it relates to our daily performance. She has written on a variety of topics, ranging from small business, sports, and career advice. This is a Guest post. If you would like to submit a guest post to CareerAlley, please follow these guest post guidelines. Good luck in your search.Visit me on Facebook

The Recession is Bullhonkey Christys Story - When I Grow Up

The Recession is Bullhonkey Christys Story - When I Grow Up This is part of  The Recession is Bullhonkey series, where I share stories of those who have gotten hired and/or started their own businesses (or sometimes both!) since 2008. Christy Tennery-Spalding is a current client of mine who I forced to write something for this series when she decided to quit her full-time job. Youre welcome, you guys.   I’ve always wanted to help make the world a better place. I started an “environmental club” with my sister and our friend Lizzy when I was 10. I went to my first protest at the Chinese Embassy in Washington, DC, demanding freedom for Tibet, when I was 16. So it’s not a huge surprise that in college, I found a fabulous activist community in the San Francisco Bay Area and became an organizer, and that after college, I looked to make that my career. I’ve held a range of paid and unpaid activist gigs over the years â€" and the truth is that very little has changed since those early days. I still want to build a more just world. Just a few months ago, I made the decision to transition out of my most recent paid activist job in order to put my focus onto my yoga teaching business and (unpaid) climate justice work. While this may seem extreme, it makes more sense when I tell you that, I was working on both of these projects the whole time that I held this recent position. (I basically had three jobs!) Right now, I’ve realized, it’s about impact. In this moment, my mission is better served (and I can make a bigger impact) by being an entrepreneur, rather than an employee. I’m able to take on the projects that inspire me, and create what I know will serve others. Doing what lights me up lets me make a bigger difference. I’m able to hold the many pieces of my identity, including those of healer and teacher, and grow into those. It’s my path to hold both of those â€" to make change in all kinds of ways. Since I’m holding both of those roles, healer and activist, I’m able to see, from the inside, how necessary good self-care is for activists and caregivers. It took me a while to realize that I don’t have to have a job in the Non-Profit Industrial Complex (NPIC) in order to make a difference and claim my power. That’s part of my path also: to show people that there are many ways to create change. If you’d told me, when I was 16 and yelling outside of the Chinese Embassy, that I would “grow up” to be an entrepreneur, I would not have believed you â€" but that’s what I am. Working for myself gives me the creative fulfillment and schedule flexibility that I crave. And it allows me to be of service in all the ways I’m called to. Interestingly enough, I see working for myself as a form of self-care. Those of us who see injustice and feel compelled to act are sensitive souls. So it stands to reason that we would need extra self-care, especially when you remember that we are staring down the trauma of injustice and environmental devastation every day. Self-care is also completely possible. This lights me up because the possibilities are amazing: What if we built self-care into our work plans? What if we defended our well-being with the same kind of fervor we defend the planet? What if we brought ourselves the same compassion we bring the rest of the world? (An aside: y’all, that would be so amazing.) Taking the leap to start my own business, now in its second iteration, has taught me a lot. It’s like a yoga practice in itself â€" there’s always something new to discover about the practice and myself. I’ve learned that balance is a myth, but that focus and care are possible. I’ve also learned that this work will make us feel (and that it may be painful), but that burnout from what we love isn’t a natural byproduct. I believe that people can do what they love for their whole lives. Confession: I haven’t always been great at self-care. It is true that we often teach what we ourselves need to learn. The process of developing my own self-care has been both brutal and rewarding. After years of dedicating myself to it, I see clearly that it is a revolutionary act. The world and its injustices may try to teach us that we are insufficient, that we are disposable. I believe that reclaiming our autonomy, dignity and wellness through self-care is subversive in its message: we are whole, we are enough and we deserve love. When I started to include myself in that, it was an incredible experience. My current career configuration is about living my life in integrity with this very message: each one of us is sacred and worthy. I believe each of us is not only deserving of care, but that care is essential if we want to create truly effective and resilient movements. I love helping others discover that truth, and I love living into that truth myself. Because we are all in this together. Christy Tennery-Spalding is a yoga teacher, activist, Thai massage practitioner, Reiki master teacher, and writer. She is the author of Setting Gratitude Free, a workbook and action guide on thankfulness, and the creator of Sacred Focus, a 6-week program to de-overwhelm your life.  She lives in Oakland, California with her husband and their rescued feral cats, Dorothy Harriet. In her free time, she enjoys frolicking in the redwoods and soaking in hot springs.  She believes that you cannot build a more compassionate world if you are treating yourself like crap.