And while Dwyer looks forward to her regular hair appointment, it’s nothing compared to the joy and fulfillment she’s experienced as a health coach on a mission to help people with multiple sclerosis take charge of their health—and change their lives in the process. MS is an unpredictable autoimmune disease that causes the breakdown of nerves’ protective covering; it impacts nearly 3 million people worldwide.

While Dwyer doesn’t have an MD, RN or a PT after her name, she offers something many health care professionals don’t: lived experience with multiple sclerosis and its physical, mental and emotional toll. Though her diagnosis in 2011 hardly felt like a gift, navigating lifestyle changes, mindset shifts and daily challenges has become her greatest asset as a coach and founder.

When Dwyer learned that MS was responsible for the right-sided numbness she’d been experiencing, she had a 7-year-old, a brand-new baby and an inexplicable sense that everything was going to be OK. While she acknowledges it sounds strange, she was struck by an inner knowing that said, “You’re beating this.”

Though her instincts were right, there was no shortage of hurdles along the way. From optic neuritis to crushing fatigue, an episode of acute swelling in her brain and weekly injections of an immunosuppressant that forced her into bed for entire weekends, Dwyer struggled to handle her new diagnosis along with motherhood, a full-time marketing manager position and what she describes as a toxic relationship.

Within a few years, she’d withdrawn from most social activities, but when her illness forced her to step away from work, “I felt like I buried myself and my confidence 6 feet under,” she recalls. Things got worse when her partner left at Christmas about a decade ago.

Two weeks later, she attended a conference that would change her life. There, she was asked to reflect on what she was grateful for. Initially, she drew a blank. Until she realized she had not been responsible for herself and her own actions. Waking up to that reality, she describes, “was like a wet fish across the face.”

One year later, Dwyer’s energy had returned, she was off the immunosuppressants that gave her flu-like symptoms, and her doctor said her MS lesions had shrunk. Most importantly, she was finding joy and peace again. She remembers leaving the clinic that day and pausing to smell the flowers. Her doctor told her, “Whatever you’re doing, keep doing it.”

While she made many lifestyle changes that year, including experimenting with diet and movement, she also shifted her attitude. Instead of “white-knuckling the whole thing” and feeling desperate for each new supplement or lifestyle change to work, she took a more relaxed approach, viewing each treatment as an experiment.

Over time, she learned that, along with subtle changes to her routines including eating, moving and even breathing differently, gratitude played a significant role in her health. “It does prime and rewire your brain,” she explains. Inspired, she published a gratitude journal in hopes of giving others the chance to benefit from a gratitude practice.

But that was just the beginning. Dwyer started spending hours on the phone with strangers seeking MS support and advice. While she’s adamant that “I don’t have a cure for MS,” Dwyer was always happy to share her story in hopes that others could learn from it. “Then, I would start waking up at 4 a.m. being like, ‘I forgot to tell her this!’”

Eventually, Dwyer quit her corporate job to coach full time. “It was a really exciting time, but I had no idea how to run a health business program online,” Dwyer admits. So while she was busy helping people find holistic, personalized ways to improve their health and quality of life, building relationships and garnering testimonials without a sustainable business plan, her bank account rapidly shrank.

Dywer wasn’t about to let finances stop her, though. “We exist to bridge the gap between the medical model and everyday life,” she says, and given the breadth of that gap, walking away was not an option. Instead, she did something completely novel—she asked for help. First, she got a loan from her mom. Next, she engaged a business mentor.

With support, Dwyer has grown her business exponentially. Today, she says her team includes more than a dozen practitioners, including a neurologist, a naturopath and a habit coach, just to name a few, as well as administrative staff. Her clients, who hail from 27 countries, are offered as many as a dozen virtual group coaching sessions each week, where they can access the strategies, community and hope they need to envision a brighter future.

Though it’s evolved over the years, Dwyer’s business has always been true to its mission: Changing lives by giving individuals like her the tools to take charge of their health, one person at a time.

What sets Dwyer apart is her multifaceted, holistic approach. “We meet people where they are at,” Dwyer says. “It’s not a cookie-cutter program. It’s not like you have to go vegan or do these crazy workouts or meditate for three hours a day,” she explains. “It’s like your neighbor next door putting their arms around you and saying, ‘I’ve got you, and we’re gonna work with what you’re doing right now,’” Dwyer says.

Instead of attempting to make sweeping changes overnight, the focus is on small, sustainable adjustments. Dwyer’s approach empowers clients to make the right daily “micro decisions” in order to change the mindset and habits that may be holding them back.

After all, it was a series of micro decisions, beginning with adopting an attitude of gratitude, that started Dwyer on the healing journey that evolved into a coaching business that’s changing lives worldwide. 

This article originally appeared in the September/October 2025 issue of SUCCESS magazine.

EDITOR’S NOTE: CONSIDER CONSULTING WITH YOUR HEALTH CARE PROVIDER BEFORE MAKING ANY MAJOR CHANGES TO YOUR CARE PLAN.

Photo of Karen Dwyer from ©Fiona Madden Photography

The post How MS Health Coach Karen Dwyer turned health around — and found a new business appeared first on SUCCESS.

But in reality, it often arrives under very different circumstances—an unexpected illness, a shift in ambition or the creeping realization that a business built entirely around one person is a fragile thing.

The smartest leaders don’t wait for a crisis or a sale to think about the future. They design for it. Not because they’re desperate to leave but because they want the company to thrive when they do.

That kind of planning doesn’t start with a handoff. It starts with systems. With grooming the right people. With documenting what’s in your head before it becomes a liability. It’s a slow shift from “what happens if I leave?” to “how do I make sure it runs without me?”

Some leaders vanish and let chaos sort it out. Others white-knuckle the reins for decades. And then there are the ones who plan. Who build teams that don’t need babysitting. Who write things down. Who don’t just dream of a business that runs without them—but actually make it happen.

This story is about those people.

Not the perfect ones. The smart, strategic, scrappy ones who figured out how to pass the torch without lighting themselves—or their company—on fire. Sometimes they did it slowly. Sometimes they did it because they had no choice. But all of them built something that could last.

And then, they started letting go.

Roof Maxx

Succession by design, not default

When Michael Feazel and his brother sold their first roofing company in 2013, they learned the hard way how fragile a business can be when it revolves around its founders. “Although we had built a strong brand and team, we hadn’t systematized enough of our day-to-day operations,” Feazel recalls. “It taught us that for a business to thrive post-exit, systems—not people—need to drive the machine.”

That realization shaped how they built their next venture, Roof Maxx, a sustainable roofing treatment company with a network of 350+ franchise partners. From day one, succession planning was embedded in the business model. Feazel and his team focused on identifying and mentoring emerging leaders across operations, dealer support and marketing. Autonomy was key. “During a major supply chain disruption in 2024, I was largely out of the loop—and the team handled it completely on their own,” he says.

Still, there were missteps. “Some saw Roof Maxx as just a product company, while others—like me—viewed it as a mission around sustainability.” That disconnect forced the team to slow down and define a shared vision, aligning growth with purpose.

In 2023, Feazel temporarily stepped away for family reasons. The business kept growing, onboarding new dealers and launching campaigns without missing a beat. “That was the moment I knew the succession plan was actually working,” he says.

“The smartest leaders don’t wait for a crisis or a sale to think about the future. They design for it.”

Seely-Butler

A decade-long plan executed to the letter

Nancy D. Butler began planning her exit from Seely-Butler, Pellish and Associates a full 10 years before her target retirement date. After building the financial planning firm from the ground up with $200 million in assets under management, she wanted the transition to honor everything she’d built—while protecting her clients, staff and company reputation. “I’m the kind of person who’s either 150% in or I’m out,” she says. “And I wanted to leave the business at its peak.”

Her first step was to start quietly bringing in other advisers, observing their values, work ethic and client interactions over time. Eventually, she identified someone she trusted—but once inside the business, it became clear he couldn’t manage it alone. The complexity of running a larger practice with staff, compliance demands and client volume proved overwhelming. A second successor was added to balance the load, and Butler spent several years training both leaders side by side.

Butler’s approach to client transition was equally thoughtful. She hosted two large-scale retirement events at high-end venues, inviting all 1,200 clients to celebrate and meet the new leadership team. “I told them how much I valued their trust—and that I wouldn’t leave them in anything but great hands,” she says.

Because she financed part of the buyout, Butler retained oversight rights and required life and disability insurance to safeguard the deal. “I never had to step back in,” she says. “The business thrived, the staff stayed and every payment was made on time.”

LegalOn

Turning a leadership gap into a succession engine

When LegalOn’s CTO fell seriously ill, CEO Daniel Lewis faced a nightmare scenario: a mission-critical leader gone, and no succession plan in place. “It was like losing the conductor mid-symphony,” Lewis says. Engineers paused work. Clients experienced delays. A Fortune 500 partner continued emailing the now-inactive CTO’s address for months. “The power vacuum was immediate—and visible to our clients.”

The crisis exposed a dependency on what Lewis calls “tribal knowledge.” Documentation for key systems lived in Slack threads and personal notes. A simulated leadership shift revealed this risk when the acting CTO couldn’t answer a basic client query. “That was our wake-up call,” Lewis says. “Succession can’t be an abstract concept—it has to be operational.”

LegalOn’s response was swift and tactical. They built “knowledge pods” that paired senior leaders with rising employees, ran quarterly leadership simulations and moved toward a “living wiki” model to capture evolving processes in real-time. The shift required cultural buy-in—and a reframe. “Our high performers feared being replaced,” Lewis says. “We reframed knowledge-sharing as legacy building.”

Not every plan worked. Early documentation efforts stalled under the weight of perfectionism. “Unfinished plans don’t protect you,” Lewis says. “Progress beats polish.”

For Lewis, the biggest lesson was this: Succession planning is not a safety net—it’s a competitive advantage. “What started as a scramble for stability became a system for innovation.”

Clay Coyote

A stepwise shift to shared ownership

When Morgan Lee Baum bought her family’s rural Minnesota pottery business in 2016, she stepped into more than just ownership—she took on a legacy. “The business had been built over two decades by my mom and her partner, who worked all hours to keep it going,” she says. But with retirement approaching and wealth tied up in the company, Baum saw firsthand how challenging it could be for beloved local businesses to pass to the next generation.

That’s why, nearly a decade into running Clay Coyote, she began actively planning for succession—not after she was ready to step away, but while she still had time to prepare her team. “If I waited, the people who wanted to take over wouldn’t be able to afford it,” she says. “So I decided to build a runway instead.”

In 2024, Baum invited longtime potter Zachary Chilson to join the ownership team with a 10% stake and a vision for more employee ownership ahead. It was an emotional shift—handing over books, opening decision-making—but it was also intentional. “I’ve watched him grow. He believes in our mission. And he’s bringing energy and ideas that are already improving the business.”

The transition has been supported by the team, customers and even her retired co-founder. It’s also brought clarity to Baum’s long-term goal: to create a succession plan that doesn’t just hand over a business—but invests in its future stewards. “I want this legacy to live on,” she says. “That means putting ownership in the hands of the people who believe in it.” 

This article originally appeared in the July 2025 issue of SUCCESS+ digital magazine. Photo by Gorgev/Shutterstock.

The post Smart Exits: 4 Succession Plan Case Studies appeared first on SUCCESS.

We’ve compiled a collection of grateful attitude quotes to inspire you. Discover new ways to change your perspective, refresh your spirit and maintain a thankful attitude with these sayings.

Powerful Quotes to Develop an Attitude Of Gratitude

Attitude and gratitude can go hand in hand. Like many things in life, developing a grateful attitude simply takes practice. Do you see that first daffodil poking through the soil? Pause to take a quiet moment to appreciate its sunshiny beauty as it braves the chill of early spring, and otherwise seek moments of joy. These 10 “gratitude is an attitude” quotes can help.

• “Choosing thankfulness is not about denying that hard things are happening or showing fake happiness or toxic positivity. It’s about being honest and real about the painful things, and yet choosing not to make that our sole focus.” —Anna Kettle
• “Gratitude is a strong determinant of our well-being. Spreading through our inner tunnels of the mind-body connection, it sheds light on all our strong points and support systems.” —Kinga Lewandowska
• “As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words but to live by them.” —John F. Kennedy
• “It’s important to express gratitude. A simple ‘thank you’ shows that we recognize that we’ve received something that the giver was under no obligation to give.” —Mary Kassian
• “Even in the most turbulent waters, choosing gratitude rescues me from myself and my runaway emotions.” —Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth 
• “Showing gratitude is one of the simplest yet most powerful things humans can do for each other.” —Randy Pausch
• “Find ecstasy in life; the mere sense of living is joy enough.” —Emily Dickinson

Related Link: 75 Joy Quotes That Will Brighten Your Day and Lift Your Spirit

Gratitude Is an Attitude: Quotes to Change Your Mindset

Embracing a grateful attitude can be the start of true transformation in your life. In fact, gratitude is such a powerful force that many scientists are concluding that it even rewires your brain. They believe that it can affect hormones in ways that are beneficial to us and can even help regulate the immune system: all good stuff! Attitude and gratitude quotes can help us take in a new perspective that could transform our thinking.

• “So each time you notice something you feel grateful for, practice speaking your thankfulness out loud.” —Anna Kettle
• “It shouldn’t take a special occasion for gratitude to spring up from deep within, as though it needs a grand stage on which to make its appearance.” —Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth
• “Remember, building emotional resilience through gratitude practices is not a one-time effort but a continuous journey.” —David George Brooke
• “Gratitude is a profound emotion, a state of mind and a way of life.” —Peter Clemens
• “Let gratitude be the pillow upon which you kneel to say your nightly prayer.” —Maya Angelou
• “Gratitude will help you realize that miracles happen everywhere.” —Ann Davis
• “Gratitude doesn’t change the scenery. It merely washes clean the glass you look through so you can clearly see the colors.” —Richelle E. Goodrich
• “Gratitude doesn’t have to cost anything, but it can pay dividends.” —Carol Adamski
• “Walk, run or dance your way to a better life satisfaction with the attitude of gratitude.” —Kinga Lewandowska

Related Link: 4 Science-Backed Reasons Gratitude Brings You Happiness

Grateful Attitude Quotes for Appreciation & Affirmation

You automatically shift your energy when you affirm your gratitude and appreciation for life. After all, when you’re full of gratitude, there isn’t room for the more negative emotions in your personal space. Gratitude is the best attitude; it can be a game-changer for mental health and help us live with more appreciation.

• “Gratitude is the healthiest of all human emotions. The more you express gratitude for what you have, the more likely you will have even more to express gratitude for.” —Zig Ziglar
• “Today, I am grateful to be alive and filled with serenity and happiness.”  —Michael Vallejo
• “I am grateful for my body that carries me throughout the day. I am grateful for a home where I refuel and rest from the world.” —Jeanne Nangle
• “Gratitude is more than just a polite gesture; it forms the bedrock of meaningful human connections.” —David George Brooke
• “The struggle ends when gratitude begins.” —Neale Donald Walsch
• “May your day be filled with gratitude, tender and fierce self-compassion, and good things.” —Carol Adamski
• “I am the architect of my life. I build its foundation and choose its contents. I decorate my life with hope, healing and gratitude.” —Michael Vallejo
• “I am grateful for another opportunity to live life to the fullest.” —Bob Baker
• “I accept with joy and pleasure and gratitude.” —Louise L. Hay

Related Link: How Practicing the Power of Gratitude Changes Everything

Get Inspired to Be Grateful With These Sayings

Certain attitude of gratitude quotes will likely resonate with you from the moment you first read them, touching your soul. Keep those sayings close to your heart. Our thoughts and actions often stem from what we believe, so when you believe in having an attitude that prioritizes thankfulness, it can change your world.   

You can also return to sayings and phrases that may not have immediately connected with you. As life evolves, we may need fresh inspiration, new ideas and reminders on how to be more positive and grateful. These gratitude and attitude quotes can fill you up with immeasurable joy!

Photo courtesy of Ground Picture/Shutterstock

The post 25 Attitude Of Gratitude Quotes to Refresh & Uplift Your Spirit appeared first on SUCCESS.

Hurricane Helene devastated my small community of 300 people in western North Carolina. Our roads, homes and infrastructure were destroyed. Most of us didn’t have power, internet, cell phone coverage or water for a month or more. It was impossible to run my business of mentoring leaders and business owners, so I shut it down for three months.

Meanwhile, I got a nudge to start posting daily on Facebook about my boots-on-the ground experience, and I also started volunteering as a trauma chaplain (my background training) in our small community. Thousands of people began following my story, both as a trauma chaplain and also as someone who experienced personal trauma: Two of my brothers died by suicide, one right before Helene and the other two weeks after. People were fascinated by my resilience. But I became resilient because I had no choice. I couldn’t pause my mission to grieve my brothers and hide because we were in a state of emergency. Daily writing became how I made it through.

A month into posting, I put out an ask on social media for a connection to a publisher. Within 24 hours, one reached out about acquiring the book (i.e., to cover all the costs of publishing) as well as acquiring a memoir I was already writing about being raised by a mother with extreme mental illness.

For once, being traumatized was working in my favor.

I became relentless in pursuit of my mission to process trauma in real time. We got the book written, edited, designed and published in 45 days—a record for my publisher. Through book connections, I was invited to speak at national conferences about trauma recovery and creating trauma-informed workplaces.

Every bookstore, library and college I contacted wanted to carry my book, “The Deep End of Hope in the Wake of Hurricane Helene: 40 Days and Nights of Survival and Transformation.” I was interviewed on podcasts and mentioned in newspaper articles. Many of these opportunities I invited myself into, but some I did not. This book and cause had its own momentum.

Tending to my community showed me the importance of offering trauma recovery support to help people become mentally, emotionally and spiritually resilient. Post-Helene, I reoriented my work from messaging coaching to trauma recovery.

I created an online Trauma Recovery Certification program for coaches, small business owners, executives and HR professionals to help clients and employees become resilient. It is the only program I know of that teaches you how to help yourself and other people recover from trauma as you are going through it.

The rate of catastrophic world events is accelerating, and so is our need to process trauma in real time. That is what the pandemic, natural disasters, hurricanes, wildfires and flooding have shown us. Traumatic deaths, suicide, overdoses, addiction, school shootings, divorce, rape and disease impact us all. I saw the writing on the wall and decided to pivot my business to fill a significant need. I took the opportunity to step fully into my purpose.

Three things enabled my success: I followed my desire, I trusted myself, and I said yes to every opportunity that crossed my path after that decision.

All but one of my clients transitioned with me, celebrating my pivot. Many found ways to incorporate trauma recovery into their work as well. My audience is growing daily.

The world needs more of us to step into our purpose, even when it’s not logical.

Photo by OSORIOartist/Shutterstock.

The post Pivoting My Business in the Wake of Hurricane Helene appeared first on SUCCESS.

FOBO is undeniably real, but so is our ability to learn new skills. Intentionally upskilling goes beyond surviving the changing times—it helps bring back a sense of adaptability and reminds us that our skills are flexible, not fixed. 

There are concrete benefits to upskilling this year. Let’s examine what those benefits are, looking at what forms upskilling can take and how to make a plan that keeps it fun. 

What is upskilling? 

Upskilling is the intentional pursuit of skill advancement in one’s job. Workers often learn new things at work, but most skills are acquired passively through experience. Upskilling, on the other hand, is active—it’s a deliberate decision to stretch one’s abilities. 

Intentionally learning new skills fosters a growth mindset, a belief that we can improve our knowledge or skills, as opposed to them being fixed and unchangeable. While it may sound minor, a growth mindset has a tangible impact on how we work and live. 

In a paper published in Nature, Stanford psychologists Carol Dweck and Greg Walton detailed the power of “growth mindset intervention.” They found that students who had taken a 50-minute online course on growth mindset earned higher grades.

This encouraging research can help you pivot the upskilling focus from FOBO to GROW: goal, reality, options and way forward. 

Making an upskilling plan 

Fear might be a factor in the upskilling surge, but it shouldn’t be the dominant force. Upskilling can be encouraging, community-inducing and fun. Here’s how to make an upskilling plan for yourself and reap the positive benefits. 

Step 1: Identify focus areas 

Consider two focus areas for your upskilling: one related to your specific job, and the other related to AI, since AI is a big cause of job security fears. If learning opportunities for your precise professional role are limited, consider focusing on core skills that benefit all professionals. 

Analytic thinking, resilience and leadership skills are some of the most important core skills for workers in 2025, according to the World Economic Forum. Some other rich soft skills include communication, self-discipline, negotiation, time management, public speaking and networking. 

A final, more strategic approach to choosing an upskilling focus is to develop skills that will serve your next position. Is there a specific promotion that you hope to land? Ask leadership what skills they value most in people at that level of the organization and start investing in those areas now. 

Step 2: Write it down 

What do you want to learn, and what would change if you learned this? How would it improve your career or life? Envision what would change if your upskilling plan succeeds, and then write it down. 

This step can be brief, but it’s powerful. In a Dominican University of California study, psychology professor Gail Matthews found that “those who wrote their goals accomplished significantly more than those who did not write their goals.” 

With your goal written down, you can move on to your learning mediums. 

Step 3: Choose your learning platform

Choose a learning medium that you enjoy, disregarding any inner monologue about what you “should” do. Beyond the familiar options of books, podcasts and YouTube channels, consider additional means such as online courses, newsletters or even local groups. 

For example, some resources for learning AI include: 

• Introduction to Generative AI by Google 
• Jeff Su’s YouTube channel 
• Introduction to Artificial Intelligence by IMB on Coursera 

Ask your network for recommendations, or try this prompt in ChatGPT if you’re familiar with it: I’m making an upskilling plan to help me learn [topic]. What are free resources, such as YouTube channels, online courses, interactive learning platforms, podcasts, newsletters, books and groups local to [where you live] that will teach me this? 

Step 4: Determine the frequency 

Will you complete your upskilling tasks daily, weekly, monthly or quarterly? Every goal needs to be specific in order to know when success has been achieved. Err on the side of realism and not idealism when setting your schedule. Setting an overly ambitious schedule can contribute to feelings of burnout and being overwhelmed. 

Listening to a podcast episode or watching a YouTube video could be a daily activity, while taking a module of an online course could be a weekly activity. 

Step 5: Make it stick 

Plan execution and information retention are integral parts of making your upskilling stick. 

First comes execution: How do you make upskilling a part of your routine? Choose a time when you’ll upskill and put it on the calendar. When you fit upskilling into your schedule can be determined by the type of content you’re consuming. Consider listening to a podcast on your morning commute or watching a YouTube tutorial on your afternoon break. 

Next comes the challenge of knowledge retention. Teach your colleagues about what you’re learning—not to show off, but to help yourself commit the information to memory. Going through the process of information retrieval and teaching others helps you remember information better (known as the “protégé effect”). 

You can even leverage your upskilling to help establish your authority in your field. Share your learnings on LinkedIn to help build your personal brand while reinforcing the information you’ve learned. 

Keeping it fun 

How do you keep upskilling fun? Turn it into a game, otherwise known as gamification, the process of integrating game-like elements into work, health, etc. This can be as simple as tracking your habits in a spreadsheet to visually see a learning streak or choosing a reward for every learning goal met. This process can be more high tech, using gamification programs like Habitica and Finch. 

By reinforcing your progress with rewards and recognition, you build positive habits, pivoting away from fear and toward growth. This helps reframe the pressure to upskill in 2025. 

To quote David Bowie, it’s time to turn and face the strange. Just as the internet eventually penetrated every nook and cranny of the workforce, AI will likely reach every profession. Companies and colleges are embracing evolving technology, and so must workers. 

Lean into the changing times. Education will help counteract feelings of helplessness, making you more resilient and adaptable. Enjoy the tangible impact on your confidence and career. 

Photo from Gorodenkoff/Shutterstock.com

The post How to Make an Upskilling Plan That’s Realistic and Fun   appeared first on SUCCESS.

Most people may not realize that SUCCESS® Enterprises is a 100% virtual company. Without physical offices and daily commutes, we significantly decrease our environmental impact. The virtual model has also strengthened our business by building a more diverse, global team and creating an inclusive workplace culture that accommodates different work styles and schedules.

Recently, SUCCESS® launched the digital platform, SUCCESS+, which serves entrepreneurs and leaders worldwide while maintaining minimal environmental impact. Not only has this digital transformation reduced overall paper consumption, but it has also increased our global market reach and community engagement.

Whether you are a solopreneur, entrepreneur, manager or corporate leader, thinking sustainably will drive operational efficiency, strengthen stakeholder relationships, attract top talent, reduce costs and position your business for long-term growth.

You might consider opting for sustainable practices in the following areas:

Business operations:

• Streamlining systems to save time and resources
• Reducing physical resources and minimizing waste

Team development:

• Offering virtual work to expand your talent pools
• Creating inclusive cultures that attract diverse talent

Growth strategy:

• Increasing market access through digital platforms
• Future-proofing your operations with sustainable practices

The path to sustainability is an ongoing commitment to improvement. At SUCCESS®, we’ve seen firsthand how sustainable practices create resilient businesses that thrive in changing markets. Every step toward sustainability, no matter how small, contributes to both business success and global impact.

This article originally appeared in the March 2025 issue of SUCCESS+ digital magazine. Photo by ©Mike D’Avello.

The post The Last Word: Building a Better Business appeared first on SUCCESS.

On May 7, she’s releasing a book called 15 Lies Women Are Told At Work… and the Truth We Need to Succeed. 

“It has long been a misconception that to succeed in the workplace, women must stay in their lanes and take pains not to mix work with play,” Hammer says. “But my career has taught me the exact opposite. While thinking about this, it also forced me to think about all the misconceptions and, frankly, lies that women are constantly being told about succeeding at work. Once I started, I couldn’t stop.”

The New York Times has called her “The Queen of Cable TV” for a reason, and she’s navigated a male-dominated industry throughout her career. 

7 Lies Women Have Been Told at Work

So, in the spirit of Hammer’s book and mission, we reached out to other women across numerous industries to find out what lies they’ve been told. Here’s what they had to say. 

THE LIE #1

Don’t worry about your looks—that’s shallow. But definitely still wear makeup at work.

Eliza VanCort, transformation teacher and author of A Woman’s Guide to Claiming Space: Stand Tall. Raise Your Voice. Be Heard. | New York

“There is all kinds of research that women who are extraordinarily beautiful actually aren’t taken as seriously, but [at the same time], women who don’t have a certain level of what would be considered mainstream attractiveness have a much harder time rising in their career. You have to be sitting right in this squishy middle where you’re pretty but not too pretty. You need to wear makeup, but it can’t be too dramatic.”

THE TRUTH

“The way to interrupt this kind of toxic messaging is for women to band together and change the narrative. If we find ourselves having a really negative reaction to another woman, we can ask ourselves if we would have the same reaction if she looked differently.”

THE LIE #2

You can’t “have it all” as a working parent.

Sonia Petkewich, founder and community leader at Catalyst Mastermind Collaborative | Nevada

“Even as times have changed from when our mothers entered the workforce—and I am turning 50 this year—women are still being made to feel guilty for wanting to have successful careers and be mothers.”

THE TRUTH

“Working women are beautiful examples of being able to do both. The women I work [with]… have shared that having a career feeds their souls, and they find [it] helps their overall mental health be in a better space to be the best mother for their children. When children see their mother finding joy and succeeding in her work, they are happy and have a strong example of ambition and success.”

THE LIE #3

You have to sacrifice your personal life for career acceleration and success.

Arivee Vargas, a first-generation Latina lawyer, podcast host, life coach and mother | Massachusetts

“The message that you have to sacrifice the personal for the professional perpetuates the notion that women must prioritize one over the other all of the time, and that ‘balance’ is not possible. I prefer the word ‘harmony,’ which reinforces the idea of an ideal arrangement or configuration that produces a desired result. You get to decide how you configure your entire life.” 

THE TRUTH

“You don’t have to choose between a successful career and a fulfilling personal life. You can have both. 

The key is to get clear on what matters most to you personally and professionally at this time—not what might matter in the future and not what ‘should’ matter to you. Then double down on those priorities for the time being and be intentional about your actions so they reflect those priorities.

If you want to go for the promotion, take on a highly visible project or take on a growth opportunity that will expand your skill set. You know it will be more of a peak period in terms of energy and time, [so] configure your personal life so that you’re still able to spend the time and energy on the people and things that bring you the most joy and fulfillment. Say ‘no thank you’ to everything that does not align with what you’ve decided to be laser-focused on.”

THE LIE #4

You can’t be emotional if you want to be taken seriously.

Nikki Innocent, holistic coach for career, life and interpersonal change and founder of Inclusive Leadership Collective | New York

“If you grew up with ‘there’s no crying in baseball’ from A League of Their Own as part of your pop culture references to how women are welcome in a man’s world, it is no wonder so many of us feel like we have to shove down, mask or detach from our emotions to get by. For women in particular, the emotion that holds so much power is anger, but it’s been positioned as something that is unladylike or something to feel ashamed about. Boys are given the emotion of anger as acceptable and women are given sadness.”

THE TRUTH

“When I work with women, I reintroduce them to the power of their emotions and encourage them to use strong emotional responses as clues and key intel on how they are feeling about something, but also what they genuinely want to do next. We are such nuanced, complicated beings, and our emotions are part of the secret sauce of what makes us human. 

The other thing that allowing yourself to be vulnerable and show emotion does in terms of interacting with others is, it opens up pathways for genuine connection, shared experiences and collective support. When we are able to share how our emotions have come into play, it gives us more information and opportunity to resolve conflict, identify areas of alignment and resonance and areas primed for growth and release.”

THE LIE #5

You’ll be more successful if you emulate stereotypical male behaviors.

Jade Kearney, CEO and co-founder of She Matters, a digital health platform and authority in Black maternal health | New York

“In my personal experience fundraising, I’ve been told by both men and women over and over that it’s impossible for Black women to raise $1 million or more, and that Black women can’t raise the same amount of money as men. That is because if you look at the statistics, less than 0.5% of Black women founders have raised VC funds. Even women say this because they’ve been conditioned to buy into the Silicon Valley patriarchal status quo.”

THE TRUTH

“I think it’s the exact opposite—women should be themselves. Authenticity and happiness lead to the best kind of success. If you believe in your solution, you can find success. I’m living proof of that.”

THE LIE #6

If you speak up or advocate for yourself, it will be seen as self-promoting.

Monica Xuereb, chief commercial officer, Loews Hotels & Co a luxury hotel brand | Florida

“Women often have a harder time speaking up and advocating for themselves, as they don’t want to be perceived as aggressive, pushy or conceited.”

THE TRUTH

“Early on in my career, I was given opportunities to start presenting in front of senior leadership. This gave me the confidence to start expressing my opinions and suggestions in addition to the core content I was speaking about. I became comfortable speaking up in meetings overall, often articulating the thoughts that others were reluctant to voice. Although never easy, self-advocacy became a natural extension for me to communicate my accomplishments, abilities, goals and most importantly, my desire for growth.”

THE LIE #7

It’s OK to settle for less.

Franchesca Van Buren, founder and CEO of Insight Therapy Solutions | Nevada

“Too many of those moments and pretty soon you won’t have the confidence to go after anything that might be a stretch. And how can anyone succeed under those circumstances?”

THE TRUTH

“It’s not OK to settle for less, whether in your salary, your position or the responsibilities you are given at work, the respect you know you deserve, etc. Every time you settle for something less than you deserve, it colors your identity and self-worth in a negative way.” 

Bonnie Hammer’s 15 Lies Women Are Told at Work hits shelves May 7th

Hammer says she hopes that when women finish reading her book about lies they will, “Close the book, pour themselves a glass of wine (or my favorite, tequila), raise it and let out a loud ‘HELL YEAH.’”

“Seriously, my hope is that this book will provide women with the tools to counter all the wrong-headed corporate clichés that have held them back in the workplace,” she adds. “I want them to seize opportunities and take control of their own stories, writing their next chapters to create careers—and live lives—that match their true potential. Because, believe me, we can make it happen: A workplace where assured, confident, empowered women are everywhere you look—all the way up to the C-suite.”

Photo by Ground Picture/Shutterstock.com

The post 7 Lies Women Have Been Told at Work That Hold Them Back From Success—And the Truth They Need to Know Instead appeared first on SUCCESS.

The Brooks Hotel is a historic fixture in downtown Wallace, and Nelson remembers her childhood summers spent listening to her grandfather develop relationships with the people who visited the inn year after year. Running the hotel was an all-hands-on-deck operation, with Nelson jumping in to wait tables from age 8, staffing the front desk as a young teen and cleaning rooms when needed.

Nelson was always aware that they were just barely making ends meet, and that Papa Lance heavily relied on the summer festivals to bring in visitors who would stay at the hotel.

While Nelson never planned to go into the hospitality business herself, the summers she spent ingrained in the day-to-day workings of the property prompted her to choose to study architecture. “When I wasn’t waiting tables or… learning about all these customers, I was exploring this building,” Nelson explains. “There’s 10,000 square feet of unfinished space upstairs, and I got to run around there and in the basement and see how all of our systems were exposed or how this open-frame space could be one day.”

Shortly after Nelson arrived at the University of Idaho, she learned that Papa Lance had suddenly fallen ill with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and died. Not in a position to take over the property themselves, she and her mother Rachel Stanley decided to pass the property on to some cousins who were interested in running it.

The Brooks Hotel falls into disrepair—physically and financially

Three years later in August 2019, Nelson graduated from college and started her architecture career in Boise. Her mother told her what a dire state The Brooks Hotel was in. The cousins running the business had not been paying the taxes or the mortgage, and the physical building was falling apart. “We were about ready to file bankruptcy because everything had been drained,” she recalls. “There had been no money put back into the hotel.”

She flew up to Wallace to discuss the situation with her mother, but this was more than she was prepared to handle as a 22-year-old just out of college. There were two choices: take over running the property themselves or sell it. According to Nelson, there wasn’t even a question about what would be done. “With my grandpa’s love for this place, my mom and I both decided to see what it had to offer and give it our best shot—so at least we could say we tried.”

The dire financial situation was made especially evident the second week that Nelson was back in Wallace, when six armed officers from the Idaho State Tax Commission showed up at the property demanding back taxes. “They went into our safe and took everything there. They went into our restaurant where people were dining, and they took the till. They went to our bar where people were drinking, and they took the till there,” she explains. “It was just so embarrassing.” 

Starting fresh isn’t easy

After the tax agents left, Nelson’s great-grandmother went to the bank to withdraw $500 from her personal bank account so that they would be able to make change for the patrons at the bar and restaurant. To say this was an eye-opening experience would be an understatement. 

Not only were the property’s finances a dire situation, but an enormous amount of work needed to be done to update the building. Nelson started by hiring out jobs like hanging drywall and replacing outlets, but soon she was rolling up her sleeves and doing the work herself. “I was looking at the product and thinking: ‘We can do better.’ So I started learning all these electrical wirings and how to drywall, how to mud, how to texture, how to paint, and I have been doing that all on my own with some help here and there,” she says. 

COVID-19 hit and everything shut down less than a year after Nelson took over the business. While the pandemic resulted in a huge struggle financially, it allowed her to dig in and work on some of the bigger projects like removing the unsightly drop ceiling in the restaurant and restoring some of the historical elements of the building. Her architectural background proved to be invaluable.

The Brooks Hotel in Wallace, Idaho, today

Nearly five years after Nelson took over running The Brooks Hotel things are more settled. Wallace businesspeople Anna and Mark Berger assumed the property’s debts as lienholders so they would be able to purchase a parking lot owned by the hotel. The Bergers wanted to build a coffee shop on the lot, as there’s very little vacant land left in the downtown area of Wallace. 

According to Anna, they decided to take on this business arrangement because they were inspired by Nelson. “The biggest reason for wanting to help and be a part of it is just because you could see her drive, and you could see what a good thing it was going to be for the town. So if we could play our part to help, we did,” explains Anna. 

Nelson is now looking to the future with an eye on new ventures that might take her beyond Wallace. “There are still things that can be done at the property, but I feel like I’ve done everything I’ve wanted to and I’m proud of it. I think my grandpa would be proud of it, and I think everybody in this town is grateful that somebody came in with the energy and the excitement and the passion to get it all done,” she shares. “If you stay longer, you’re here for life, and there are so many more things I want to do. If the right project comes across my table, I would like to be ready for it.” 

Photo by Kelsey Knutson Photography.

The post This 27-Year-Old Left a Promising Architecture Career to Revamp Her Family’s Struggling Hotel Business appeared first on SUCCESS.

Designed around the concept of i-LEAD (inspire, learn, engage, adapt, drive), the summit will help attendees unlock a life where they can achieve success in all areas of life—health and well-being, wealth, relationships, business, mindset, and fulfillment. The summit is focused on two pillars: to empower visionaries of tomorrow and to celebrate the visionaries of today.

During the virtual summit, SUCCESS^® will connect aspiring leaders with some of the most influential female power icons in the world including Jasmine Star, Alli Webb, Lauryn Bosstick, Lori Harder, and Rachel Rodgers. These trailblazers will host expert “Mini Masterclasses,” panel discussions, Q&As, networking sessions, and more to advance women in leadership. Attendees will be empowered with actionable insights and proven strategies that can be implemented immediately to multiply their income and advance their careers, businesses, and personal well-being.

i-LEAD offers an experience beyond a typical conference. Attendees will engage in intentional and interactive networking sessions to build their inspiration and lift them into a community that carries them beyond the summit; a community where they gain practical solutions and a network of support to reach every area of their life.

“We couldn’t be more excited about our upcoming i-LEAD SUCCESS® Virtual Summit, set to take place over two incredibly inspiring days,” says SUCCESS magazine’s editor-in-chief, Kerrie Lee Brown. “This is the perfect opportunity for attendees to learn practical ways to unlock their potential in pertinent personal and professional areas—as well as be in the company of and be coached by our favorite female power icons, influencers and philanthropists. We look forward to you joining us!”

To further empower visionaries and elevate the feats of womankind, the i-LEAD SUCCESS® Virtual Summit will honor 2023 Women of Influence finalists. These awards spotlight 50 extraordinary women who transcend boundaries across sectors and without limits.

Join SUCCESS^® magazine and today’s top thought leaders, entrepreneurs, industry experts, and philanthropists for tangible guidance and a proven playbook tailored for women and their supportive allies. Walk away with a community of support that propels you into the life you deserve. Register today and learn more: ilead.success.com.

The post SUCCESS® to Host Women’s Leadership Conference and Empower Visionaries of Tomorrow appeared first on SUCCESS.

Hustle culture is not the answer. Slow productivity is.

Newport’s book is a response to blatant and subtle callouts from his readers and followers, as well as his own family. “Two things happened at the same time. First, in my own life, my three boys arrived at an age where it suddenly became clear that they needed as much time as possible with me. This created a real tension with my desire to produce impactful work,” he says. “Second, my podcast listeners and newsletter subscribers began sending me notes about their increasing frustration with productivity culture.”  

He calls it productivity culture, others have called it “hustle” culture—the idea that you have to do more, work long hours, buckle down, push through the grind and overschedule yourself until you are working nights and weekends to “make it.” Yet, the people who are doing this find themselves burned out, and worse, not producing meaningful work, Newport asserts in his book.

“Being busy has very little to do with producing good results. In many cases, speeding up your tempo of work makes you worse at your job,” Newport says.

But we’ve all heard “slow down,” a cliché we breeze right through on the way back into our busy inboxes. Here’s how Newport says it can actually be done.

Determine your natural pace of work and build your schedule around that

Newport says in his book that our brains perform best at their own pace, creating less meaningful work when we are rushed. And while we think it’s our bosses or deadlines, or even our bottom line driving the stress to produce, he tells readers it’s someone else pressuring us—ourselves.

“Slowing down the timelines on which I tackle big projects, such as writing books or major articles, has massively reduced the stress in my life. The funny thing is, that while I now enjoy these great benefits from ‘working at a natural pace,’ no one ever complained about it. I was the one who was ultimately driving myself to work as fast as possible, not an outside force,” he says.

Newport has specific hacks for cutting items on your list, including:

• Specifically asking the assigner to take things off your plate by cutting projects that you clearly don’t want to do, aren’t capable of doing or are dreading doing
• Holding “office hours” where conversations that would otherwise result in seriously long email chains can be taken care of much more efficiently
• Determining your bandwidth for different seasons of your life, through improved awareness of your output abilities in each season
• Delegating to essential team members, from a lawyer to an accountant, to eliminate “extra” tasks

Removing items from your list and delegating tasks allows you to work slower and more efficiently, which in turn, translates to more meaningful work. 

Don’t mistake visible productivity for slow productivity

Newport dives into the pandemic’s impact on our work lives, which became so Zoom call-laden when we switched to remote work, that companies became more concerned with measurable productivity that was “visible.” Visible productivity’s origins started much before that, when work shifted from using our talents to do a job, to completing all the tasks “around” work, such as that never-ending email inbox. 

Newport calls this “pseudo” productivity: “The use of visible activity as the primary means of approximating actual productive effort.” He points to one study that showed that participants check their inbox every six minutes. While this type of productivity is an improvement for knowledge workers, it is doing silent damage as well, he says, pushing workers toward exhaustion. 

In particular, technology (and all those notifications) paired with pseudo productivity is pushing us to a “collision course with the burnout crisis that afflicts us today,” he adds. So, looking busy and proving busyness to others, such as a watchful boss, has its price. Research shows emotional exhaustion is one of the biggest factors responsible for killing real productivity.

Also, keep an eye out for “really silly ways” employees and bosses are measuring productivity, he says, such as how many academic papers a researcher produces, as opposed to the quality of those papers. Instead, research supports that flexibility impacts productivity, which should be the focus for employees over arbitrary measures.

Build intentional slowness into the busy workweek

Newport has plenty of advice for how to streamline your workload and concrete tips for how to work slower, be happier and be more meaningful in your work, which research shows is directly related to productivity. 

But here’s what he hopes readers do right after finishing his book on slow productivity: “Find the next empty weekday on your calendar (even if it is weeks in the future), and block the whole thing off with an all-day event titled ‘unavailable.’ Keep this day completely protected to take time off work. When you get to it, go for a long walk in the morning, see a movie in the afternoon and read a book with a drink in the evening,” he says. “Take a vacation day if you have to, but just make sure you have a moment of pure, intentional slowness waiting for you.”

Photo by Kite_rin/Shutterstock.com

The post Hustle Culture Is Over. Slow Productivity Is the Way to Meaningful Work appeared first on SUCCESS.