The InnovateHER Lab Podcast

SummaryIn this episode of the Innovator Lab, host Adrienne Farrell speaks with Brigid Black, a senior production manager at Simon & Schuster, about her journey from New York City to Southern Maine, the challenges and changes in the publishing industry, and the importance of community and literacy. They discuss the balance of working from home while parenting, the beauty of Maine, and Brigid's involvement with the New York Book Forum. The conversation also touches on mental well-being practices and advice for newcomers in the publishing field.TakeawaysBrigid Black transitioned from New York City to Maine during the pandemic.Working from home has allowed Brigid to be a more present parent.The publishing industry faces challenges like printer capacity and supply chain issues.Brigid emphasizes the importance of community in publishing.The New York Book Forum aims to promote literacy and connect the publishing world with the public.Maintaining mental well-being is crucial for working parents.Networking is key to advancing in the publishing industry.Audiobooks are a preferred way for Brigid to consume literature.Maine offers a different lifestyle with more space and nature.Trends in book publishing include aesthetic innovations like beautiful book edges.Chapters00:00From Brooklyn to Southern Maine: A New Beginning05:22Navigating the Publishing Industry: Challenges and Changes10:24Personal Wellbeing: Balancing Work and Life14:00Trends in Publishing: The Rise of Decorative EdgesBrigid's Contact InformationLinkedInTwitter Instagram Learn more about the New York Book Forum

Adaptogenic Favorites: RASA Cacao – Adaptogenic Mushroom Coffee Alternative https://amzn.to/4ab01db (Amazon)Organic India Tulsi Tea https://amzn.to/4g0ht5o (Amazon)Morning Kick Greens Superfood Powder Supplement with Ashwaganda, Collagen, Probiotics   https://amzn.to/3WaoKs7 (Amazon) Special Offers: 20% Off Four Sigmatic Adaptogenic Products https://us.foursigmatic.com/INNOVATEH...Recommended Reading: Be Here Now by Ram Dass https://amzn.to/4g2QA0U (Amazon)*As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases)Podcast SummaryIn this enlightening conversation, Kim Ross, a holistic nutritionist and integrative dietitian, discusses the significance of adaptogens, the role of nutrition in preventative health, and the benefits of meditation for stress management. She emphasizes the importance of a balanced diet rich in whole foods and the need for mindfulness practices to enhance overall well-being. Kim also shares her personal journey into holistic nutrition and offers practical tips for incorporating these principles into daily life.TakeawaysAdaptogens are natural substances that help the body adapt to stress.Nutrition plays a crucial role in preventative health and longevity.Meditation can significantly reduce stress and improve mental clarity.Eating a variety of colorful fruits and vegetables is essential for health.Cycling on and off adaptogens can prevent negative effects.Mindfulness can be practiced in everyday situations, not just during meditation.A holistic approach to health includes nutrition, exercise, and mental well-being.Gratitude and positive affirmations can enhance mental health.High vibrational foods contribute to overall well-being.Finding personal tools for health management is key.Sound Bites"Adaptogens help us adapt to stress.""Nutrition is key for preventative health.""Stay as close to nature as possible.""Mindfulness can be practiced anywhere.""Your toolbox for health is unique to you.""Gratitude can shift your mindset."

Adrienne Farrell (00:01.134)All right, hello and welcome to the Innovator Lab podcast. I'm Adrienne Farrell and today our guest is Heather Ashby. Heather is the founder and CEO of Coworkers, a female-focused coworking space and social club offering Class A office space, amenities and resources for entrepreneurs, freelancers and remote workers. Hello, Heather, and welcome.Heather Ashby (00:24.171)Hi, thank you.Adrienne Farrell (00:26.02)It's so great to have you on the show. I have so many questions for you, but I would love to just hear a little bit about you and your background leading up to the launch of Coworkers.Heather Ashby (00:36.834)Great, so yeah, my background is in event marketing and promotions and I did that for about 13 years, traveling the country, working with big Fortune 500 companies like Coca-Cola, Levi Strauss, Gillette, so I would...promote their brands at big events all over the country. And I was asked to move to Maine and work here. And so after I got laid off from that job, I started a resale clothing shop with a friend of mine I worked with at that job.And so that was my first toe in the dipping of the toe in the water of entrepreneurship. And it was scary but not so scary because I was doing it with a friend who I trusted. But I also learned a lot about, well, the fears that we have of starting a business. It's a real fear, but once you do it once, it seems easier and easier. So when the idea hit me after I had left that business to her and kind of went off and worked with my husband in real estate, we had theWe had an apartment building that we sold and we bought this building at auction. So we put that money into this building, the Masonic Temple building. so we inherited the building, which was almost vacant. A law firm was here for 60 years and when they left, when the auction was happening, we had all this vacant space. So for a few years it was empty and we weren't sure what to do with it. This was our first time in commercial real estate.And I said, if to myself, what if we didn't try to keep leasing it out to one big company for 8,000 square foot space? What if we broke it into little chunks and rented out one office at a time? And I didn't know about coworking at the time. I just thought, what if that's kind of a neat idea? Let's like try to just chip away at it. And then I thought out loud, what if it were for women? Like that would be so neat. A place just for women that would unlike just envision myself in a space surrounded by women. And like there's an architect in this office and a realtor in that office and an engineer in thatHeather Ashby (02:37.93)I was just honing in on the field we were working in at the time of real estate, imagining the potential of all these women working together. And then I was sitting at the kitchen counter and I Googled it. Like, it legal to open a space for just women? Can I even do that? And I ran into The Wing and Hara Hub and all these other coworking spaces focusing on women. And I was like, my gosh, it's like a thing. I can do it. They can do it, I can do it.That's where it kind of launched from. People were looking at me like I was crazy, but I was like, no, no, no, this is a really good idea and I'm not gonna tell anybody about it. So I kept it to myself until I was ready to open. So that was in April of 2017 that I was sitting at that kitchen counter and then that December I was open. That's kind of the history of how it all evolved was sort of a fluke.Adrienne Farrell (03:38.318)That is really interesting. I'm so curious, how did your community, I know you're located in Portland, Maine, how did Portland, Maine receive coworkers when you launched?Heather Ashby (03:54.804)It was actually pretty exciting. it was so I opened that December and in October a couple months before was when Harvey Weinstein got arrested. And so the whole Me Too movement was happening and Hillary Clinton was running for president. There was like a lot of political like chaos and like a lot of like breaking the glass ceiling feeling from women. And so there was also a lot of like, well, what happened to her? Why is she opening this space for women? As if I just could do that in a couple of months between OctoberDecember doesn't happen that fast. So I think there was like a lot of interviews and a lot of question as to what happened to this woman, why is she doing this and alienating men and creating a space just for her and her women, you know. But it was well received by the women in the community. I had 22 members signed up before I had even opened and a lot of them were coming to Maine from New York and other cities where they were familiar with co-working.and knew about the wing and these other places. So I really felt positive that it was gonna be successful right away when I had that kind of feedback in the memberships that were signing up. But I got a lot of press out of it because of that Me Too situation. So that was good, good press.Adrienne Farrell (05:10.616)Mm-hmm. That's really great to hear. And what is some of the feedback that you have heard from women since opening? I know it's been a number of years now, but what do you hear from women who are entering your space and utilizing it?Heather Ashby (05:25.864)It's all good. had an event last night for entrepreneurs. It's called Pollinate Hers. It's like a support group for female entrepreneurs who are freelancers and loan workers doing their thing, being a mother, being a caretaker, caring for their elderly parents, all the things. And there were 20 women that showed up that most of them I had not met before. And they were just saying, I've walked by here a million times and I've always wanted to come inside. And this was my chance to be inside these walls.just like warm and fuzzy, kumbaya, like rah rah, great feeling. Everybody's just, and the members here are just so supportive and they don't want to leave. They usually end up leaving because they get pregnant, they lose their job, they have to move for whatever reason, but for the most part, if they end up back in Portland, they sign back up again. It's just, they feel like it's a home away from home. That was my plan. I know that I'm asking them a lot to leave their home office or to leave their kitchen counter and work here.They're working remotely anyway. Why would they pay money to come here? Which is, you know, in these financial times, not an easy thing to do. And they need it. They do it because they want to be around other people, because they're isolated at home, because they're looking at laundry and dishes and the dog and all the things that they have to do and they're not being productive. And they come in here and they bring a homemade pie and they have coffee and they hang out and they just make friends and they go for walks together. And so it's like, it's aluxury for them to spend the money to come here and to do that and to drive into the city, but it's clear that it's something that they need. So that feels good for me.Adrienne Farrell (07:06.482)Hmm, that sounds so positive and just lovely. I know that in the pandemic and I want to ask you more about your experience with coworkers during that time. But the pandemic was pretty isolating for people. Remote working can be isolating. Being a new mother can be isolating. So I love that you're providing this opportunity for women to have community, have support, have resources. It's just so incredibly needed right now. So, yeah, well, let's jump into the pandemic.Heather Ashby (07:15.501)you.Adrienne Farrell (07:36.496)because I'm really curious to hear how how did it look you said you opened in 2017 so you had a couple years under your belt and then what happened?Heather Ashby (07:44.8...

Keywordswomen empowerment, midlife coaching, yoga, mindfulness, health coaching, community support, mentorship, personal growth, fitness over 40, connectionSummaryIn this episode of the Innovator Lab podcast, host Adrienne Farrell speaks with E.B. Ferdig, a certified health and life coach specializing in women's empowerment, particularly for those in midlife. E.B. shares her journey of making yoga and mindfulness accessible to diverse communities and discusses the importance of connection, mentorship, and community support in personal and professional growth. They explore the challenges women face in midlife, the significance of having structured practices for wellbeing, and E.B.'s upcoming program, Fit Over 40, aimed at educating and empowering women during this transitional phase of life.TakeawaysE.B. Ferdig has over 20 years of experience in yoga and mindfulness.Midlife can be a challenging time for women due to various transitions.Connection is essential for personal wellbeing and overcoming challenges.Mentorship and community support are crucial for success.Practices for mindfulness and connection help regulate the nervous system.E.B. is developing a program called Fit Over 40 to support women in midlife.Understanding the 'why' behind health and fitness is important for motivation.Online communities can provide valuable support and connection.Addiction can be seen as a form of disconnection from others.The Willpower Instinct by Kelly McGonigal emphasizes compassion in behavior change.E.B.'s Book Recommendation: The WillPower Instinct: How Self-Control Works, Why it Matters, and What You Can Do to Get More of It