The Believe in Better Project

Laura Jack, an international bestselling author and founder of Compassion Code Academy, speaks with Mike and Anne today about taking the first step in healing from anxiety.  It might surprise you to know that being kind to yourself will impact others in your life and relieve the stress and anxiety in your life. Laura will discuss compassion versus judging and the recipe for thriving. Laura is truly a thought leader in knowing how to best care for yourself so you can give your best to others. Be prepared to take notes. Laura shares many insightful concepts in this episode of Believe in Better Project.   

IN THIS EPISODE:

• [02:13] Mike introduces Laura and shares her accomplishments

• [07:30] How timelines can cause anxiety and what incident caused Laura to take an assessment of how she wants to communicate

• [13:22] Laura talks about the impetus for writing the book, The Compassion Code and how the death of her mother informed the book, and the shocking discovery of how grief therapists didn’t know how to communicate with grieving clients

• [18:28] Laura outlines the difference between compassion, empathy and sympathy

• [23:04] The role model we can be for our children to know we each need time for ourselves

• [26:14] What is survival and thriving

• [31:02] How to become compassionate and not judgmental

• [37:49] Laura discusses How Compassion Can Save Our Species, healthy boundaries and making an effort to be kind to strangers

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• It is easy to be overwhelmed by your “inbox” and the expectations we let others have over our time. 

• The world is in turmoil because we love our neighbor as we love ourselves, and we don’t love ourselves well.

• Be compassionate and not judgmental.  Give people the benefit of the doubt and wonder what might be happening in their lives.

RESOURCE LINKS:

Believe in Better Project - Website

Believe in Better Project - Podcast

Laura Jack - Website

The Compassion Code Academy - Website

BIOGRAPHY:

As a Compassionate Communication & Leadership Coach, International Best Selling Author, Speaker, and Founder of The Compassion Code Academy™, Laura Jack provides in-depth training to individuals, teams, and organizations who want to communicate and lead compassionately while navigating high-stakes conversations and change or loss of any kind (without burning out along the way). 

Her mission is to cultivate emotionally intelligent leaders, transform culture, and leave a legacy of love for future generations.

Today co-hosts Mike Seyfer and Ann Elkins share the goals of the Believe in Better Project podcast. You will get to know these two co-workers and their passion for the power of human potential and transformation in their health and humanity. They will explore the healthcare industry and ways to make it better. Their guests will share their life stories of successes and failures and the intrigue of how they went forward. These journeys of vulnerability and perseverance from people worldwide will inspire you. Don’t miss this introductory episode.

IN THIS EPISODE:

• [00:00] What are the goals of the Believe in Better Project podcast
• [04:02] The guests you will enjoy listening to
• [07:45] What brought the co-hosts together
• [11:29]  Where you can listen to the podcast and subscribe
• [12:52] Mike eludes to an upcoming guest who, through his journey, contemplated ending it all
• [14:10] Be inspired by future podcasts to hear stories of success, failure and perseverance

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• This podcast will feature guests we may not know; however, their life story is powerful.
• The Believe in Better Project podcast furthers the goals and aspirations of the Project started in 2017.
• Stories of healthcare, innovation and topics outside healthcare will be the focus of this podcast.

RESOURCE LINKS:

Believe in Better Project - Website

Believe in Better Project - Podcast

BIOGRAPHY:

HOSTS

Mike Seyfer leads health consultancies focused on brand and organizational transformation. He is CEO of Hailey Sault, the digital performance marketing firm for health and wellness brands, and The Institute for Healthcare Excellence, creating performance-driven cultures with enhanced well-being, greater stability, and new capacities for growth.

He is co-founder of the Believe in Better Project, an annual workshop bringing together some of North America’s leading health visionaries to perpetuate the continued transformation of a healthcare system in crisis, is co-host of the Hailey Sault “Believe in Better” podcast, and a frequent speaker on the subjects related to brand and cultural transformation.

Away from work, Mike and his family of five live out Hailey Sault’s purpose of “creating a healthy world” by soaking up life between northern Minnesota and Sun Valley, Idaho.

Ann Elkins is as serious about elevating brands and creating a healthier world as she is about laughter. It’s her mission to bring joy into the world, which starts with each meeting she leads. This passion for positivity has made Ann the highlight of many clients' days.

A consummate collaborator, she brings teams to the table to overcome challenges and create strategic solutions. Her specialty for over 20 years has been marketing brands in healthcare, higher education, financial services and beyond. In addition to guiding client strategy, Ann creates business operations that provide an incredible client experience and support the agency team in doing their best work.

Outside of agency life, Ann is a single Mom to her daughter, Gloria, who is trailblazing her way through college, currently having the time of her life.

Caspar Szule, the founder of Innovative Medicine, shares his concepts regarding health and medicine. He believes the medical community is indoctrinated into the mindset of medication and surgery. Today he will open your mind to making healthy choices and recognizing how your lifestyle and eating habits impact disease. His premise is that the body wants to be healthy. So be prepared to take notes and not miss this insightful episode.  

IN THIS EPISODE:

• [0045] Caspar Szule shares his thought for the day, “Read more books,” and the study behind the suggestion
• [03:13] Caspars' background and unique hobbies, including hiking, attending four grand slams, 
• [10:42] Why prioritizing your health is essential to preventing disease
• [15:52] The financial cost of being healthy and your choices. The downfalls of conventional medicine
• [21:00] Biohacking in medicine and what we learned from the pandemic
• [35:35] Caspar’s suggestions on where to start your health journey and his tip: don’t focus on the diagnosis
• [42:16] What are Caspar’s goals and projects for the future

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• When you prioritize your health, you make decisions that affect your health from when you get out of bed until you sleep at night.
• The daily choices you make regarding health are much more important than heredity or genes.
• We need more people who will challenge the status quo of our health system and bring to light simple ways of maintaining a healthy body and soul.

RESOURCE LINKS:

Believe in Better Project - Website

Believe in Better Project - Podcast

Caspar Szule - LinkedIn

Caspar Szule - Instagram

Caspar Szulc - Website

Innovative Medicine - Website

BIOGRAPHY:

Caspar Szule was born in Manhattan, New York. From an early age, he was exposed to a lifestyle of a healthy diet, exercise, and a holistic and spiritual mentality. His father, a pioneer in integrative medicine, and his mother, a psychologist, immigrated here with his older brother from Poland in the 1970s. He was fortunate to travel the

world from a young age and accompanied his parents to many medical events. 

Caspar attended Boston University School of Management, receiving degrees in

Marketing and Finance. He then worked as a financial analyst before starting the

venture now known as Innovative Medicine at the age of 22.

Caspar is currently the President and Co-Founder of Innovative Medicine – a

company dedicated to transforming healthcare through an advanced and 

comprehensive form of personalized integrative medicine. His work in medicine has

garnered attention from top medical minds across six continents, including Nobel

Laureates, leading CEOs, Hollywood royalty, and best-selling authors. In addition, he

oversees the New York Center for Innovative Medicine (NYCIM), a renowned medical

center that attracts patients from all over the world.

Looking ahead, Caspar aims to make a larger impact and share what he has

learned from some of the brightest medical minds in various fields to help

people preserve our greatest treasure – health. This includes creating more

advanced health products (Nadovim, the first product launched by Innovative

Medicine hit the market in 2018 after years of R&D), expanding the medical clinic

sector of his business, and launching new initiatives to empower and educate the

public.

Fun Facts:

- Caspar visited six continents, 68 countries, and all 50 states

- He has climbed 3 of the 7 Summits

- Loves tennis and has attended all 4 Grand Slams

- Caspar has eaten giraffes, zebra, tarantula, scorpions, and rotten shark

- and he believes flying is such a better superpower than teleportation

Jay Pryor, an advocate and educator for inclusivity and gender consciousness, will recount their journey of transitioning from being born female to identifying as non-binary after living as a woman for 35 years. Jay is passionate about healthcare for transgender people and the pervasive disparity.  We will also hear about “tolerations” and how they invade our lives, making us less energetic and far less productive. If you have questions, Jay has answers.  Join us today on Believe in Better Project Podcast. 

IN THIS EPISODE:

• [02:30] Ann shares Jay’s personal life and work experience
• [08:52] Jay talks about transformation in one's life that can make one a more powerful employee
• [10:20] Mike shares details of the team retreat for Haley Sue led by Jay
• [12:19] Jay describes how we “put up” with things that are sapping our energy.  They are called tolerations
• [18:35] Jay shares that you have a say in what’s going on in your life.  The power within you is more significant than your circumstance
• [25:18] Jay talks about identifying gender while in a psychiatric unit and healthcare for transgender people, and Jay shares suicidal statistics
• [34:02] Educating providers of healthcare to the transgender is important
• [37:20] Jay discusses how society places and treats different genders
• [42:43] What issues will Jay be working on in the future

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• Humans are continually transforming. So do that on purpose and take practical steps towards those changes.
• Jay’s work can transform the culture in your office by giving up complaining and gossiping.  We make requests instead.
• Toleration of small and big things consumes the energy we have to tackle the essential parts of life. 

RESOURCE LINKS:

Believe in Better Project - Website

Believe in Better Project - Podcast

Jay Pryor - Website

Jay Pryor - Gender Reveal Party Podcast

BIOGRAPHY:

Jay Pryor is a speaker, author and executive coach with seventeen years experience helping CEOs create positive learning cultures. Jay’s signature process and book “Lean Inside” uses mindfulness and neuroscience to wake people up to their most authentic power. Jay has been an out Queer activist and educator for 30+ years and is the creator of “The Gender Reveal Party,” a one-human show and podcast: #therealreveal stories of gender expression and identity outside the binary. 

Jay’s unique perspective gives them insight into how differently women experience the world versus men and the workforce challenges that face the LGBTQ+ community.

THE BACKGROUND

The Believe in Better Project began in 2017 as a concept to curate a gathering of innovators focused on fixing what’s broken in healthcare. For the last five years, it has brought together some of North America’s leading visionaries, each of whom believes pioneering change in healthcare for the better is central to their purpose. 

THE PODCAST

Today, the Project continues its mission by bringing together people who are making a difference in the world with people who want to make the same impact. On the Believe in Better Project podcast, they share personal stories about human triumph, transformation, health, humanity and joy. Each of these personal journeys has led them to create “better” in the world, and inspire others to follow.

Join hosts Mike Seyfer and Ann Elkins along with their guests, who will share personal stories of the unsung hero's journey and give you the gift of inspiration, harnessing the power of human potential and directing it towards good. Through Believe in Better conversations, we are elevating human connections and inspiring others to get out there and create their own better.

“We believe in better. We never settle, because you never settle. We are always striving, always searching for the next great insight, the next great strategy, the next great idea. It’s the way we incite change. Make a difference. And get results. Because the people you serve deserve it, and you expect it. Let’s keep believing that hard work, passion and curiosity is how we grow market share, healthier people and ultimately, a better world. We do things we believe in—with partners we believe in. Let’s Do this!” - Ann Elkins

HOSTS

Mike Seyfer

Mike leads health consultancies focused on brand and organizational transformation. He is CEO of both Hailey Sault, the digital performance marketing firm for health and wellness brands, and The Institute for Healthcare Excellence, creating performance driven cultures with enhanced well-being, greater stability, and new capacities for growth. 

He is co-founder of  the Believe in Better Project, an annual workshop bringing together some of North America’s leading health visionaries to perpetuate the continued transformation of a healthcare system in crisis, is co-host of the Hailey Sault “Believe in Better” podcast, and a frequent speaker on the subjects related to brand and cultural transformation. 

Away from work, Mike and his family of five live out Hailey Sault’s purpose of “creating a healthy world” by soaking up life between northern Minnesota, and Sun Valley, Idaho.

Ann Elkins

Ann is as serious about elevating brands and creating a healthier world as she is about laughter. It’s her personal mission to bring joy into the world which starts with each meeting she leads. This passion for positivity has made Ann the highlight of many a client’s day.

A consummate collaborator, she brings teams to the table to overcome challenges and create a strategic solution. That’s been her specialty for more than 20 years in marketing brands in healthcare, higher education, financial services and beyond. In addition to guiding client strategy, Ann works to create business operations that provide an incredible client experience and support the agency team doing their best work.

Outside of agency life, Ann is a single Mom to her daughter, Gloria, who is trailblazing her way through college, currently having the time of her life.