Sun, 12 Apr 2020 10:31:53 -0700WeeblyThu, 03 Aug 2017 16:56:40 GMThttp://kasiesavage.com/pep-talk-time/type-a-rx-happiness-for-hard-asses"Overachiever", "hostile personality", "workhorse", "hard-ass", "impatient" - these are but some of the words used to describe those of us who fall into the "Type A Personality" description. 

Sure we're also driven, goal-oriented, ambitious and more often than not, very successful, but at the end of the day, none of these descriptions make us sound like the type of person anyone would want to share a glass of wine with on a lakeside dock in the summer - but let's call a spade a spade here - the thought of winding down and zen-ing out makes our skin crawl. We want to enjoy a little R&R, but in a Type A kind of way.  

So let's take a step back in time and figure out how we got labelled to begin with.  It all began in the late 1950's. Yakety Yak, Splish Splash and The Purple People Eater were top hits on the radio. The average cost of a nice new house in the 'burbs was about $13k, high and bouncy ponytails were popular and a cardiologist named Dr. Meyer Friedman was noticing an interesting commonality in his heart-attack patients - in short, they were all highly competitive people. He coined the term "Type A" to describe the shared traits of these dominant, impatient, ambitious, short-wicked, list-making, go-get-'em, aggressive people. Although anyone can display some or all of these characteristics, what makes someone a true Type A is how intensely the traits are exhibited.

And while it's no surprise that a disproportionately large number of highly successful people are true Type A personalities, it's also true that Type A's report being less-happy, less-relaxed, less-satisfied and clearly, less-likely avoid a cardiac incident!  What Type A people need, but have never been given, is a prescription and roadmap for a happier, healthier life that synergistically works in conjunction with the characteristics of Type A people! You can't teach a dog to purr like cat.  

So here are 10 quick relaxation and wellness hacks that any Type A can adopt today, not because we want to, but because we have to - out tickers can't keep up!

Fact: We love rushing!
Rx: Set aside 20-minutes a day (minimum) for a vigorous power-walk. The fresh air, lungs expanding, heart-pumping exercise is good for the body and the mind!

Fact: We love anything to the max.
Rx: Take a Power Hot Yoga class and spend 75-minutes sweating like a business traveller racing through LAX with a 10-minute connector window - minus the stress. Om.

Fact: We coined the term "hangry" (hungry + angry) because we often are too busy to eat at the right times.
Rx: Keep healthy, filling snacks in your desk, tote, car, or anywhere you're going to be and when you do eat meals, make sure they're well balanced and nutritional.

Fact: We're often wound-up tighter than a dancer's bun.
Rx: Spend quality time with a pet. Petting cats and dogs has been scientifically proven to lower blood pressure and bring forth a level of calm in people. In fact, some believe that cats especially seek out those who need to de-stress by hopping on their laps. So don't shove Fluffy away - pet her!

Fact: We hate doing nothing.
Rx: Learn to appreciate than doing nothing, is not nothing. Sitting comfortably and taking a few moments to reflect on your day is a moment in itself to be grateful for. Relish the chance to spend "nothing"moments appreciating the brief stillness...because you know it won't last long.

Fact: We tend to have a lead foot when driving.
Rx: Roll down the windows and take that heavy-footed self on a drive through the countryside. Take a road less-travelled, feel the wind in your hair and breath in the freedom that comes from being able to do so! That experience of driving alone, for pleasure, is a reminder of the freedom from routine that you have earned in that moment.

Fact: We like to bury ourselves in work.
Rx: Bury your nose in a flower instead. Consider buying yourself a few fresh flowers each week, place them on your desk and inhale deeply. Between inbox cleanups, between meetings, between coffee breaks, stop and smell the roses!! Feel the scent travel into your nose and notice how your mood changes. Be in that moment. Appreciate it.

Fact: We love to plan.
Rx: Make plans to have dinner with a friend that makes you laugh hysterically. When was the last time you laughed a horribly out-of-control, eye-watering, belly-aching laugh? That long eh? So make it happen. Laughter reduces stress instantly!

Fact: We love making money!
Rx: Give some money away. Making a donation to a cause that is meaningful to us, is a great way to take ourselves out of our little self-centred bubble and put a focus on big-picture life and realize how fortunate we truly are. It's a win-win and it feels good.

Fact: We love lists!
Rx: Get out the pen and paper and make a point of jotting down 3-5 things that you are grateful for each day. Sound hokey? It's been proven that the act of physically writing out the things that we are thankful for releases endorphins, stimulating the happy parts of our brains. Plus it puts all our Type A-ness into perspective and reframes the idea of what it means to have success and wealth - and it's not about the dollar-bills!

​Visit www.KasieSavage.com or inbox me if you'd like to learn more about how a coach can help you gain clarity and find focus in your life.Remember, if you're not bouncing out of bed to tackle life, you either need more sleep, or you need a coach to help unlock your purpose.]]>Wed, 08 Mar 2017 19:07:09 GMThttp://kasiesavage.com/pep-talk-time/successfully-goal-focused-coaching-trainingTHE HOTTEST TALENT IN TOWN: MOMS!

How staying at home to raise my kids lead to more work opportunities and the confidence to take them on.

It's one of the biggest issues facing new Moms - the question of whether to put off a career in order to stay home raising our babies full-time, or whether to go back to work and focus on advancing our careers while we can. Historically, there's always been this perception that leaving the workforce during our prime earning years will severely hamstring our earning potential and career options later on. It's one of the most intensely difficult decisions women make - and is based on an outdated premise that one cannot start a robust, exciting, fulfilling and high-earning career at any stage in our lives.

I remember feeling the intense scrutiny and judgment of working Moms when I opted to be a stay-at-home parent in those early years of my kids lives (I have three boys). There was an underlying assumption that I had chosen cookie baking, daytime television watching, play-dates, crafting and diaper changes over being a valued contributor to the economy - because let's face it, nobody truly values at-home Moms anymore (other than at-home Moms). To many, I had chosen to be a reproductive member of society versus a productive member of society. 

But I always felt a confident belief that I could have it both ways if I wanted to. So I entered the freelance economy instead of the nine-to-five economy and found fulfilling jobs in the television industry that worked around my schedule and my kids' schedule. It wasn't luck, it was choice. I worked from 6-9pm, twice a week for 6 years doing an on-demand broadcast in English and French back when on-demand was cutting edge - it paid very well and was structured around my home-life - no babysitting needed. Along the way, opportunity found me precisely because I was an "at-home" Mom. Turns out, the best way to appeal to the coveted target market of "at-home" Moms is to be one! Who better to appeal to women 35-55, with disposal income, that watch daytime television and are the primary shoppers in the family, than to be in that exact demographic. There were many, many times that I was favoured for a job because I wasn't a man, wasn't 25, wasn't a full-time career woman.

On TV, my credibility as a product spokesperson was tied to the fact that I was a Mom - "Here she is, she's a busy Mom, she's cooking meals for her family, she loves this stand-mixer because she uses it and so you'll love it for your family too!" It made me relatable. There was one product in particular that was represented by a well-known celebrity chef, but sales were slagging. Great product, great chef, great demonstrations, but something was missing. Turns out the women who were watching at home on TV just could not relate to a man deglazing a sauce for a 5-star restaurant recipe...but they could relate to a Mom who was trying to fit six grilled-cheese sandwiches in a pan at once to feed a frenzy of kids on a Saturday at lunch. I was brought in to tag-team the sell and it worked - the chef did his thing and then the Mom made it relatable. 

Being an at-home Mom teaches you incredible time management skills (you have kids nap time to cram an entire day of projects into 2 hours), efficiency (how can I do a full order of groceries with three kids in a cart in less than 8-minutes?) and the ability to adapt quickly to challenging situations (kid just barfed and we're stuck in traffic and other kid is screaming and I have dentist appointment in 7 minutes...deal with it). Not only do you gain the confidence to manage anything that comes your way, but you gain the fortitude of character to just flat out say "no" to situations that don't satisfy your needs. 

When my youngest son was in grade one, I was offered an incredible full-time opportunity at a company that I had long worked for as a freelancer. As a Mom, knowing my priorities were at home, I was able to say "yes - but only on my terms" - that meant the flexibility to start and end work when I needed to, and the ability to work from home when I wanted to. I was offered a very generous salary that full-time working peers had spent years working towards. Never once did I doubt that my decade-long lack of nine-to-five experience would hinder my ability to tackle that job. I was actually amazed at how much easier full-time work was over being at-home with the kids all day!! A lunch break?! Adult conversation!? No negotiating with someone on their back in tears?! It was great. But it didn't last - a major corporate restructuring affected dozens of my colleagues and I. Almost as soon as it began it was over and I wasn't overly distraught about it. My home-life had suffered.

So once again, I entered the freelance economy and to this day, 13 years after giving birth to my eldest, it has proven to be the best choice for me and my family. I work part-time, on my terms, earning what many consider to be a full-time salary. Opportunities abound as "Moms" are still in high demand. As a spokesperson, media trainer and writer, I am always busy earning a living doing what I love, and I truly believe that the opportunities that I have are because I am a Mom, not despite being a Mom. If you're an at-home Mom, never sell yourself short, keep a foot in the door on a part-time or freelance basis and never let the negative stigma of "at-home Mom" limit your ability to earn an income. You are marketable, you are in-demand and you have a lot more power than you think you do! Almost all consumer goods companies want a piece of you and opportunities abound in the world of marketing, media and sales and more. All you need to do is put yourself out there and go after it...if you want it!

If you would like guidance or assistance in building your own personal brand, marketing yourself, or selling yourself in the workforce, let me know! Happy to help.




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