A Recession-Proof Perspective: Easier Shares 60 Insights Into Resilience

Houston, TX – What could be worse than being fired via Zoom? In business coach Chris Westfall’s powerful new book, Easier: 60 Ways to Make Your Work Life Work for You, readers witness the story of one man’s incredibly difficult circumstances and his gradual awakening to new possibilities. It’s a framework that Westfall posits can be applied to virtually any source of frustration.

“Even in the midst of whatever it is that you’re going through — and I know that’s a broad statement … I don’t know everything that everyone is going through — but it is a universal truth, for all of us, that possibilities always exist,” Westfall said in a recent interview.

Accessing new ideas and possibilities in Westfall’s narrative is simpler than readers will find in other self-help books because Easier is told as a relatable, straightforward conversation between a Client and a Coach. The Client is ambushed at work. He’s fired on a Monday morning. He believes his wife will leave him as a result. He’s afraid that he can’t pay his bills.

From this life-after-career-death story, new discoveries bloom, revealing 60 insights into resilience, resourcefulness, self-leadership and more. With each new concept, readers can find their perspectives shifting from “How will I ever get through this?” to “What can I gain from this?”

Westfall’s insights can be applied not just to the workplace, but to all aspects of life.

“The obligations are the obligations, the duties are the duties, the deadlines are the deadlines, the sharks are still the sharks,” Westfall said. “But when you show up differently, the conversation can change.”

Ultimately, Easier takes an even-handed look at how things work — using neuroscience, history and powerful coaching examples to impart fresh perspectives that are vital for companies striving to create inclusive cultures, for organizations seeking to expand innovation and for individuals who want to deepen their relationships through understanding.

“When it looks like life and career and communication and everything else is breaking down, it’s time to break free,” Westfall said. “It’s time to access a kind of personal freedom that allows you to make different choices. To see things in a different way. People around the world are looking for more personal freedom, more encouragement and more possibility.”

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About the Author

Chris Westfall is one of the most sought-after business coaches and keynote speakers in the world. He helped launch over five dozen businesses and has appeared on ABC NEWS, NBC TV and CNN. A regular contributor to Forbes, he has worked with thousands of leaders at Fortune 500 companies, nonprofit organizations and high-tech startups. A coach to entrepreneurs and executives around the globe, his clients have appeared on Shark Tank, Dragon’s Den and Shark Tank-Australia. He regularly consults with top-tier universities and is the author of three other books, including Leadership Language.

For more information, please visit http://westfallonline.com or http://easier-book.com. You can also follow Westfall on Twitter (westfallonline), Instagram (westfallonline) or Facebook (easierbook).

Easier: 60 Ways to Make Your Work Life Work for You
Publisher: Wiley
ISBN-10: ‎ 1119834570
ISBN-13: ‎ 978-1119834571

Available from Amazon.com

Maryland Capital Enterprises empowers businesses to grow, create jobs, and generate wealth on Maryland’s Eastern Shore and across the state.

Maryland Capital Enterprises is proud to nurture and encourage entrepreneur growth on the Eastern Shore. MCE is now accepting nominations for the 11th Annual MCE Palmer Gillis Entrepreneur of the Year Award. The awards presentation will be held at MCE’s annual celebration being held Thursday, October 13th, at Salisbury University in the Assembly Hall of the Patricia R. Guerrieri Academic Commons Building from 6:00-
9:00pm. Nomination Deadline is 5:00 p.m. Friday, September 16, 2022.

The winner will receive the MCE Palmer Gillis Entrepreneur of the Year Award and a
check.

Award Eligibility Criteria:
• Must be a small business owner/majority partner involved in daily operation of the
business
• The business must be located in the Wicomico, Worcester, Somerset, Kent, Queen Anne,
Talbot, Caroline or Dorchester County
• The company must employ 100 employees or less
• The business must have been established locally for two years
• It must be a “for profit” business
• The business must be good standing with the State of Maryland
marylandcapital.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/2022-Nomination-Form.pdf
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Comptroller Urges Marylanders to Apply for Student Loan Debt Relief Tax Credit by September 15, 2022

Comptroller Urges Marylanders to Apply for Student Loan Debt Relief Tax Credit by Sept. 15

More than 40,000 students, graduates have received credit since 2017

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (August 23, 2022) – Comptroller Peter Franchot urges eligible Marylanders to act fast and apply for the Student Loan Debt Relief Tax Credit Program for Tax Year 2022. Applications must be submitted by September 15.

“Going to college may seem out of reach for many Marylanders given the huge expense, but tax credits like these help make it possible. I urge everyone to apply now before time runs out,” Comptroller Franchot said. “Any way to bring down the cost of higher education is a big benefit.”

The program, which is administered by the Maryland Higher Education Commission (MHEC), provides an income tax credit for Maryland residents making eligible undergraduate and/or graduate education payments on loans from an accredited college or university.

To be eligible, you must claim Maryland residency for the 2022 tax year, file 2022 Maryland state income taxes, have incurred at least $20,000 in undergraduate and/or graduate student loan debt and have at least $5,000 in outstanding student loan debt upon applying for the tax credit.

MHEC will prioritize tax credit recipients and dollar amounts based on applicants who have higher debt burden to income ratios, graduated from an institution of higher education located in Maryland, did not receive a tax credit in a prior year and were eligible for in-state tuition.

Students who do not attend an in-state institution are still eligible for the tax credit, but may not receive as large a tax credit as those who go to school in Maryland. You do not have to be a college graduate to qualify.

Selected recipients will be asked to prove that they used the full amount of the tax credit for the repayment of eligible student loans. Otherwise, recipients may have to repay the credit.

More than 40,000 Marylanders have benefited from the tax credit since it was introduced in 2017. with more than $40 million distributed through the program.

In 2021, 9,155 Maryland residents received the Student Loan Debt Relief Tax Credit. Those who attended in-state institutions received $1,067 in tax credits, while eligible applicants who attended out-of-state institutions received $875 in tax credits.

For more information or if you have additional questions, contact the Maryland Higher Education Commission at 410-767-3300 or 1-800-974-0203 or visit https://mhec.maryland.gov/

Choptank Community Health recognizes National Health Center Week

Denton, Maryland – Choptank Community Health System is recognizing National Health Center Week this Aug. 7-13 with “Community Health Centers: The Chemistry for Strong Communities” the theme for the National Association of Community Health Center’s annual initiative.

“This year’s National Health Center Week honors the values, services, affordability, and innovations health centers bring to our communities,” said Choptank Health CEO Sara Rich. “We are joining Health Care Centers across the nation to recognize the importance of health centers and their role in supporting strong communities.”

Rich says National Health Center Week provides the opportunity to highlight the innovative ways Choptank Health and other health centers provide high-quality care and improved health outcomes by narrowing health disparities. Focus areas include public health in housing; children’s health; healthcare for agricultural workers and people facing homelessness.

Choptank Community Health is a Federally Qualified Health Center and one of 17 community-based health centers in Maryland serving more than 377,000 individuals, including those without insurance or the ability to pay.

Choptank Health and other participants in the U. S. Health Resources & Services Administration’s Health Center Program serve more than 28 million people nationwide and provide affordable, high-quality, comprehensive primary care to people from throughout local communities.

“Community Health Centers look beyond medical charts to address the factors that may cause poor health, such as poverty, homelessness, substance use, behavioral health, lack of nutrition, and unemployment,” Rich says. “We create the chemistry for strong communities by forging partnerships with hospitals, local and state governments, social, health, and business organizations to improve health outcomes, especially for medically vulnerable people.”

Choptank Community Health System’s commitment to excellence is recognized by the nation’s oldest and largest health care accreditor, The Joint Commission. Achieving Joint Commission accreditation demonstrates Choptank Health’s commitment to continuous improvement in patient care.

Choptank Community Health System provides medical and dental services in Caroline, Dorchester, Kent, and Talbot counties to more than 30,000 adults and children, with a mission to provide access to exceptional, comprehensive, and integrated healthcare for all. Choptank Community Health’s medical services include primary healthcare, women’s health, pediatrics, behavioral health, chronic health management, and care navigation, with new medical patients now being accepted. More information is at www.choptankhealth.org.

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~ Choptank Community Health System
Contributed Photo

For All Seasons Sponsors Free Community Talk on Parenting by Author Lynn Sanchez

Pictured are Beth Anne Langrell, CEO, For All Seasons and local author and expert trainer Lynn Sanchez, M.Ed., who presented a free community talk, “You Have What It Takes: Surviving and Thriving as a Parent Today,” at The Avalon Theatre in Easton and streamed virtually on YouTube and Facebook Live. – Contributed Photo

For All Seasons’ Center for Learning presented a free community talk, “You Have What It Takes: Surviving and Thriving as a Parent Today”, presented by local author and expert trainer Lynn Sanchez, M.Ed. Targeting parents and caregivers with a message of empowerment, this presentation took place at The Avalon Theatre in Easton and streamed virtually on Facebook Live. The talk was part of For All Seasons Speakers Series designed to share messages that are reaching people in different ways on a variety of topics. Lynn, the author of the new book, Behind the Brussels Sprouts, used her own, often comical, parenting stories, and her decades of experience to share with parents how to relax, build their self-awareness and confidence, and most importantly, enjoy the amazing parenting journey.

“Especially during the pandemic, our parents have experienced a different way to raise children, and there have been increased stressors in our community as a result. As a behavioral health agency and rape crisis center, we wanted to shine a light on parenting,” commented Beth Anne Langrell, CEO of For All Seasons.

Participants of the talk gained a refreshing perspective, learning new tools and strategies to lighten the parenting load today. Each attendee also received a free copy of Lynn Sanchez’s book.

“I want parents to trust themselves, I want them to relax, and I want them to enjoy parenting,” Lynn stated. “There is lots of competition for children’s minds and spirits today. There are no perfect parents. Every family has its challenges. If you have a family value and you are maintaining it, you are doing a good job.”

Lynn shared some tips on parenting including handling the needs of different-aged children. “Every child is unique. We have to be as flexible as a Slinky and look at what we are doing right. We are the expert on our children,” she added.

About the subject of competition, Lynn shared that children should get three things out of participating in any activities and being able to say to their parents: 1) I came. 2) I participated. 3) I enjoyed it. She commented, “It’s not always about winning. The biggest gift you can give your child is the ability to fail and to get back up and try it again. We have to be cautious about competition and comparison. As I point out in the book, they are rough seas.”

She also shared about providing guidance to our children, stating, “Part of guidance is accountability. We have to make children accountable for their behavior. Discipline is guidance. We want children to learn how to guide their own behavior.”

Other tips she provided were to use anticipation to reduce frustration for children, use active listening with our children when they get home from school to gain insight, limit electronics to engage in family time, and have fun with your children.

The book, Behind the Brussels Sprouts, has appeal for all ages as it awakens reflections in older adults about how they were parented and how that impacted their parenting.

If you missed the talk, please tune into YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jZgSkGlwwu8.

For All Seasons is your community behavioral health and rape crisis center offering therapy, psychiatry, advocacy, and education to individuals and families, regardless of one’s ability to pay. For further information, visit www.forallseasonsinc.org.

Caption: Pictured are Beth Anne Langrell, CEO, For All Seasons and local author and expert trainer Lynn Sanchez, M.Ed., who presented a free community talk, “You Have What It Takes: Surviving and Thriving as a Parent Today,” at The Avalon Theatre in Easton and streamed virtually on YouTube and Facebook Live.

Peter Grim Appointed New Executive Director of Haven Ministries

Peter Grim of Rock Hall, a non-profit executive, has been appointed the new Executive Director of Haven Ministries. Grim replaces Krista Pettit, who founded the organization 20 years ago in Queen Anne’s County to address the need for a homeless shelter there.

At a recent celebration of Pettit’s achievements, Caroline Aland, Past Board President of Haven Ministries recalled, “Krista was sitting in church and got a calling from God. He told her there was a need in her community. There are people without housing who are struggling to survive. He asked her to do something. To start a shelter.”

Krista created the Queen Anne County Christian Assistance program and pretty soon they had a place to shelter people. The first year the shelter was in the Grasonville Community Center. After the first year, the shelter moved to the Kent Island United Methodist Church where it has remained operating as a seasonal shelter.

“But that’s not all… she then organized the Food Pantry, a Resource Center, transitional housing, a Food Pantry Truck in Sudlersville, Our Daily Thread Thrift Store, and Hope Warehouse providing sustainable income for Haven Ministries’ programs and goods for its clients. And now we have the Homes for Hope housing program,” added Aland.

Aland pointed out that all of these projects were opened with tremendous prayer and thought. The organization started with a handful of volunteers and has grown to 14 paid staff, hundreds of volunteers, and has helped thousands of residents over the years.

Pictured is Peter Grim, new executive director of Haven Ministries – Contributed Photo

Grim, who follows Pettit, has had several years of experience in executive leadership, development, and operational oversight of non-profit organizations. Most recently he facilitated a start-up and served as Executive Director of The Common Place in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, a non-profit organization providing education, social service collaboration, and faith formation to serve resource-challenged children and families. Before that, he managed retirement communities in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

“Peter’s non-profit experience includes faith-based multiple startups, strategic planning, community-based programs that include nutrition education, food pantry operations, after-school programming, technical education, summer camps, fundraising, and construction. He has held general management positions that cover all the critical skill sets needed for success as Executive Director, including community relations, communications, and group leadership,” states Jack Gottschalk, Haven Ministries Board President.

“One of his endearing qualities is that when you meet him you can see straight through to his heart. He is a caring and devoted Christian who like our founder ‘walks the talk.’ What you see is what you get – an honest, personable, and capable executive with a broad skill set that is already making a difference to Haven Ministries.”

Grim brings an entrepreneurial-driven approach to non-profit management to ensure fiscal stability and growth. His father started a retirement community the year he was born, and Grim grew up working at all levels of the operation.

“Throughout my childhood to adulthood, I gained valuable experience with increasing levels of responsibility working in housekeeping, maintenance, kitchen, bookkeeping, nursing home administration, and overall management culminating in a board position, ownership, and eventual sale of the organization. This vast experience carried over to bring much success in future business endeavors,” he reflects.

Grim holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Miami and an M.B.A. in Health Care Administration from St. Joseph’s University.

“One of the first things I hope to do is to bring additional stability to the organization in terms of structure and processes. The organization grew quickly and is doing lots of amazing things in the community. I want to look at creating efficiencies in our programs to be even more effective. That is something I’ve done in my past, so that was another thing that drew me to this job with Haven Ministries,” Grim explained.

“As a Christian, I believe that you need to help others while also helping them learn how to help themselves. That will be a principle I follow in working with the community we serve.”

For further information about supporting Haven Ministries, visit haven-ministries.org or call Peter Grim at 410-827-7194.

Love shapes the ministry, love transforms people, and hope prevails at Haven Ministries. Haven Ministries operates a seasonal Homeless Shelter, a Resource Center, and Food Pantry in Queenstown, Our Daily Thread Store in Chester, Hope Warehouse in Queenstown, and a Food Pantry Truck in Sudlersville.

Cambridge Harbor REOI Released

CAMBRIDGE, Md. On July 15, 2022 Cambridge Waterfront Development, Inc (CWDI) released a Request for Expressions of Interest for its Cambridge Harbor Development.

Cambridge Harbor is planned as a premier, highly activated mixed-use development and waterfront district to include public spaces, amenities and events focused on creating a strong sense of community in Cambridge, while establishing a desirable destination for regional tourism and visitors alike.

The final Cambridge Harbor plan consists of approximately 30 developable acres along the Choptank River and Cambridge Creek in Cambridge, Maryland, that includes a (A) deep-water port, a 470-foot wharf, (B) a public boat ramp and the foundation of a continuous waterfront promenade. Adjacent to the Development Area and also on the waterfront is (C) Sailwinds Park—public open space that continues the waterfront promenade and includes a beach, a playground and a visitors center with an iconic 100-foot sail. Also adjacent to the site is (D) a gateway with public art, (E) maritime museum with historical boat-building facilities, and (F) a working waterfront. Anticipated uses for the Development Area include hospitality, food and beverage, entertainment and assembly space, retail, mixed-use residential, and possibly office space.

The waterfront will be a robust and activated public space. CWDI is committed to creating and managing an environmentally sustainable, active and enjoyable world-class waterfront experience that is attractive to residents and visitors. An improved continuous public promenade and beach along with public art and educational exhibits will be the foundation of the experience.

“We’re looking for the best partners to help us bring the Cambridge Harbor vision to reality,” says Matt Leonard, CWDI’s Executive Director. “This REOI is a critical step in that search.”

CWDI is a 501 (c) 3 non-profit development corporation formed through joint Agreement of the City of Cambridge, Maryland; Dorchester County, Maryland; and the State of Maryland for purposes of collaboration and cooperation in the comprehensive planning and redevelopment of certain properties along and adjacent to the Cambridge waterfront extending from the Choptank River Bridge Fishing Pier/Gateway to Cambridge Creek for the betterment of Cambridge, Dorchester County, and the region.

CWDI’s mission is to develop the Cambridge Waterfront in partnership with the community to create an inviting, accessible, active and enjoyable place to live, work, play and visit.

The REOI will be open until November 15, 2022. The REOI process will include rolling submissions by interested entities as they complete their proposals. CWDI will evaluate the proposals received throughout the proposal period and during the final quarter of 2022, during which time demolition of the existing buildings will be accomplished.

A pre-submittal meeting is scheduled at the Cambridge Harbor site at 9:00AM on Monday, August 15, 2022. To register for the meeting and/or to receive a copy of the REOI, those interested should email Matt Leonard at matt.leonard@cwdimd.org, with cc to Gwen Fike at gwen.fike@cwdimd.org. The REOI can also be found at the following link (Download REOI).

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Festival of Hope set for August 31, 2022 in Easton

Talbot Goes Purple kicks off year six with partners

EASTON – The second annual Festival of Hope is set for Augut 31, 2022 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Talbot County Sheriff’s Office and includes the six-year kick-off for Talbot Goes Purple.

The festival is a partnership between Talbot Goes Purple, Mid-Shore Restoring Hope in Women and Christ Church of Easton and coincides with international overdose awareness day. The evening event will include free food; live music with Alive @Five; family fun including a dunking booth, bounce house, face painting, games and prizes; activities with the Talbot County Sheriff’s Office including K-9 demonstrations; resource tables; and a memorial for those lost.

Talbot Goes Purple will officially kick-off year six at the festival at 7:45 p.m., followed with a memorial for those lost to overdoses.

“Overdose deaths have reached record levels in our country in the past few years and now, perhaps more than ever, we need to educate our young people about the realities of substance use,” said Talbot County Sheriff Joe Gamble. “We want families to come out and have fun, but most important we want them to: Get the Facts, Get Involved and Get Talking.”

Sherry Collier, founder of Mid-Shore Restoring Hope in Women, has organized overdose awareness day events in Easton since 2017. Her non-profit supports women in need of recovery services.

“Festival of Hope, as well as the past events like the FedUp Rally, have made it possible for us to bring awareness to the substance abuse issue we have in this community as well as others,” said Collier. “Our organization has been able to help place 200 women into local recovery houses, so we greatly appreciate the help from our community. Look forward to seeing everyone this year.”

Bruce Strazza, a local recovery advocate and Alive @5 worship leader at Christ Church, has served on the Mid-Shore opioid task force and has twice spoken for the Lt. Governor of Maryland. He also serves as an active member with Talbot Goes Purple and a resource for Gamble.

“Entering 2022 I was hopeful for a better year, but that doesn’t seem to be the case,” said Strazza. “With so many unreported overdoses, who can really tell if we are making progress? What I do know is that Fentanyl is wreaking havoc all over this country, and more and more secular drugs are being laced with it. This could prove to be the most important year for awareness on record. We have to inform children of the risks of even trying opioids one time.”

Drug overdoses killed more than 100,000 people last year, including more than 2,200 people in Maryland who died of opioid-related overdoses. In Talbot County, 12 people died.

Talbot Goes Purple is an awareness and educational prevention program that empowers our youth and our community to ‘Go Purple’ as a sign of taking a stand against substance abuse. The initiative includes purple clubs in our through which students learn they do not need drugs or alcohol to meet life’s challenges. The purpose of the project is to promote the ‘new conversation’ – one that includes prescription drugs, alcohol, marijuana and e-cigarettes.

For more information on festival sponsorships or resource tables, or you’d like to include someone in the memorial, email talbotgoespurple@gmail.com.

The community can again display purple lights and gear starting Sept. 1 and throughout the month as a show of taking a stand against substance abuse. For purple gear, visit our online store at www.TalbotGoesPurple.org. Get your lights and turn them on starting Sept. 1 and throughout the month.

More information is available at www.talbotgoespurple.org. Find TGP on Facebook @TalbotGoesPurple or email talbotgoespurple@gmail.com.

Talbot Goes Purple is in partnership with Talbot County Public Schools and Mid-Shore Community Foundation. Generous support for the project this year includes: Qlarant, Preston Automotive Group, Chesapeake Parties, Eastpoint Church, Coca-Cola Consolidated, Sound Stage Presents and Spring & Associates.

Talbot Goes Purple is a component fund of the Mid-Shore Community Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization – donations to which are tax deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law.

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~ Talbot Goes Purple

How to Harness the Dual Power of Purpose and Human Connection

New York, NY – For anyone who has ever felt stuck, underwhelmed and unfulfilled by everyday life, author, speaker and consultant Genevieve Piturro has a potent message.

“The pandemic has caused us to look at the choices we’ve made and re-consider how we’re living our lives, how leaders are running businesses. We all have a purpose and yours is out there,” she says. “Actually, your purpose is inside you. You just need to be open to it and trust the Human Connection to support you.”

Piturro’s journey from television marketing executive to founder of the immensely popular national nonprofit Pajama Program (which provides much-needed pajamas and books to children at risk all over the country) captures the essence of what people today are seeking: a deep sense of purpose and human connection.

In her new book, Purpose, Passion and Pajamas: How to Transform Your Life, Embrace the Human Connection, and Lead with Meaning, Piturro shares her own winding path, from starting and growing her nonprofit organization through personal stories of her unmindful direction, internal struggles, and finally, self-realizations.

“I tell it like it is,” she adds. “All the ups and downs. But living your purpose changes everything for the better.”

Piturro’s narrative chronicles her nerve-wracking yet triumphant leap off the corporate ladder to pursue her true purpose and passion to deliver pajamas to children in need, which generated an army of support — including Oprah Winfrey. The key messages throughout the book focus on empathy, kindness, compassion, heart, determination and commitment. She leads by example, showing readers what they can accomplish when they stay true to their inner voices.

Each chapter offers Heart-of-the-Matter takeaways that apply to life and career. In one particular lesson on leadership, Piturro writes, “The human connection has inexplicable power. It can be profound and transforming, and it always evokes respect. It is in these moments when we lead with meaning, that we move mountains, and more significantly, it’s when we move people.”

Piturro is also a highly sought-after speaker and business consultant, and in tandem with her book, she works to inspire others on how to:

– Bring their purpose to the forefront now through these uncertain times

– Create a shared culture for leaders and teams of organizations

– Recognize the awkwardness so many people feel now and find new ways to re-engage and communicate to connect on a deeper, more emotional level

– Learn how the secret of The Power of One is really, The Power of One-Another

About the Author
Genevieve Piturro is an author, TEDx speaker and purpose consultant, sharing life and leadership lessons from her multiple award-winning bestseller, Purpose, Passion and Pajamas: How to Transform Your Life, Embrace the Human Connection and Lead with Meaning.

A successful TV marketing executive, Piturro dramatically changed the direction of her life and found her purpose when a 6-year-old girl asked her one simple question: What are pajamas? Piturro founded the nonprofit Pajama Program, which this year celebrates its 21st anniversary, having delivered more than 7 million new pajamas and new books to children through 63 chapters across the U.S. She has been interviewed by many local and national media, including most recently, Hallmark’s Home & Family show and Huckabee, OPRAH, TODAY, GMA, The Early Show, CNN, Fox & Friends, O Magazine, Forbes, The Wall Street Journal and Parenting Magazine.

Overcoming Awkward Aims to Help Introverts Thrive in the Workplace

Courtenay, British Columbia/New York, NY, Some people are electrified by the idea of business networking events, cold-calling and striking up conversations with total strangers. But for introverts, new people, new places and new challenges can trigger a knee-jerk reaction to run and hide.

To thrive in any industry where success hinges heavily on an ability to build relationships, an introvert must break free from crippling shyness and social anxiety. Here to help is bona fide introvert master marketer Monica Parkin.

In her ground-breaking new book, Overcoming Awkward: The Introvert’s Guide to Networking, Marketing, and Sales, Parkin shares actionable strategies to create connections, build relationships, and establish loyal, repeat customers.

“How did a shy, socially awkward introvert like me turn into a master relationship builder?” Parkin asks. “Well, the answer is that you can evolve. … I was making myself crazy with all the social cues I did not understand and wondered why this comes so naturally to some people but was so impossibly hard for me. Today, I love the opportunity to go to events, meet people, hear people’s stories and build relationships. I can have the best of both worlds now, and so can you.”

Part memoir, part instruction guide, Overcoming Awkward reveals Parkin’s private struggles, shared with candid honesty and vulnerability. Her “one step at a time” approach, punctuated with personal anecdotes and humor, is easy to follow and implement.

In Overcoming Awkward, readers will learn:
– How to overcome social fears;
– How to build relationships effortlessly;
– Effective social media marketing;
– How to sow seeds for organic growth;
– How to win over angry clients;
– How to expand their comfort zone;
– The value of expert mentorship;
– And so much more.

“This is the definitive guide you’ve been waiting for,” Parkin adds. “Gone is the advice to introverts that they must learn to take on a persona that is light years away from who they really are. You will finally be free to just be you and will discover that your vibe attracts your tribe.”

Monica Parkin is a licensed mortgage broker and successful serial entrepreneur. She is an award-winning international speaker and the host of the Juggling without Balls podcast. She is also a self-professed introvert and crazy goat lady who lives on a small farm with an assortment of furry creatures. She loves to hear feedback from readers and looks forward to opportunities to speak on topics that empower others to feel more connected, confident and successful.

For more information, please visit https://www.monicaparkin.ca/.