The time has come…

… to catch up on organic search and digital marketing news!

• Are your SEO and/or PPC reports showing increases in Impressions but drops in Click-Through-Rate (CTR)? Welcome to the world of Google Double Serving. Back in April, Google Ads shifted its policy of serving only one ad per company to showing multiple ads from the same company as long as it was in a different location on the SERP. As we recently covered, Google is now doing the same kind of double counting of impressions when it comes to visibility in AI Overviews and the natural Organic SERP results. It’s even worse because follow up queries in AI Overviews are being counted as new searches and, therefore, new impressions. This “decoupling” of the two metrics (Impressions and CTR) that typically were viewed equally as evidence of SEO and PPC success is forcing a rethinking of what metrics should be prioritized to demonstrate success.

• Guess what we found? (You: What? 😲) More sources backing up our approach to Search AI Optimization. It’s okay, you can hold the applause. But now, we see that Moz has a new way to discover topics for your SAIO content. If you have the tool, it’s definitely worth a try!

• To further understand how the content ranking factor “Relevance” can be implemented on your website, check out this other post from Moz on relevance engineering!

• Cloudflare just launched a new permission-based setting that allows website owners using its platform to automatically block AI bots from collecting their digital content. Combined with its initiative to potentially have AI services “Pay Per Crawl,” publishers can now protect and/or further monetize their content. It’s too soon to gauge how this might impact brands and their AI Search visibility, but you can be sure we’ll be covering developments as they bubble to the surface.

• AI thinking like a human seemed like sci-fi magic just a decade ago. Now, it’s closer than you may have thought. The Centaur AI model can predict a wide range of human behavior better than some classical psychological theories on human decision-making. If used in marketing, this could lead to powerful results, but at the sacrifice of privacy and so much more. This is just a reminder about the morality of biz tech. Consumers will respect honesty over manipulation tactics.

• Remember when there were 5 search term match types in Google Ads? It narrowed down to 3 (phrase match, broad match, and exact match), but we see a new option popping up… AI Max. It all aligns with Google’s push to AI-ify all its products. 

• TikTok is making an American-only version of its app. We don’t know how it will differ from the original, but Americans will be required to switch by March 2026. President Trump announced that he has a buyer lined up just days before, so we will see how it all ends up.

Employment assistance is the number one requested resource for those transitioning out of military service. Hire Heroes USA helps veterans, transitioning service members, and military spouses find new careers. In addition to searching for veterans to help, they also are looking for companies that would like to hire them. Learn more: Hire Heroes USA.

Thoughts to Take With You… 💞

Stress.

We often point fingers at it… call it the bane of existence. What if I told you that rapid breathing, racing heart rate, and inability to focus are not signs we aren’t coping well under pressure but are our body’s way to prepare for a challenge?

How you think about stress changes how your body reacts to it. If stress is viewed as healthy, your response to stressful situations changes positively. Psychologist Kelly McGonigal’s TED talk is enlightening in explaining why (and how) you can befriend stress.

Live long and prosper. 🖖

Natalie

Wanna go outside, but don’t know where to start? Here’s two app recs for you!

• AllTrails – You definitely know this one if you’re a hiker! It shows maps, tells you when you’re off course, and lets you know difficulty metrics like elevation and mileage. The paid version lets you download the maps for trails that take you out of service range. (Also super helpful if you have pups, as some routes have ladders and scrambles that are not accessible to our four-legged friends.)

• Go Paddling – As a community-run application, people mark off launch points for stand-up paddlers, kayakers, and canoers. You can find launch point directions, as well as if points have free parking, restrooms, and more in the comments for popular places.

Howdy!

We’re happy to see the sun after a week of rain on the East Coast. Luckily, our newsletter is weather resistant – you can read us anytime, rain or shine. 😄

• It’s hard to believe that “92% of SEOs suspect their competitors buy links,” according to editorial.link’s survey. Another stat of interest: “71.1% believe that it is possible to rank high on Google solely through quality content, without relying on backlinks.” On the plus side, 67.3% named digital PR as the most effective link-building tactic – that’s one of our recommended best practices too. Unfortunately, the survey does not include any mention of leveraging social media posts for authority signals which is also one of our proven link strategies.

• Quick Study recently released an article called, “The Busywork Economy Comes for Marketing,” and it hits you flat in the face with truth. We live in a world of clutter distraction. Prioritizing business and marketing efforts that are valuable over busywork can make or break your efficiency. I.e., Could that meeting have been an email? Do we need to create another unoriginal blog with an unoriginal spin? Is having more social channels than we can handle truly worth our time? Check out the rest of the article for insights!

• EMARKETER has a Daily Quiz for its newsletter subscribers that is a fun way to keep up with digital trends and data nuggets. Here’s a sampling of questions from three days last week:
  • ChatGPT’s mobile app saw a big revenue spike after launching GPT-4o. How many active users will ChatGPT have in the US by the end of the year?
  • X is suing an ad industry coalition and its members, including CVS, Mars, and Unilever (learn more about that further down in this newsletter). What percentage of US social network ad spend will go to X this year?
  • True or false? Some 99% of those using AI platforms for search are still using traditional search engines as well.
  • For answers to these and many more interesting factoids, check out EMARKETERS Big Answers page or check out the PS at the bottom for the three answers.

• I remember when the Snap Map came out. It released a plethora of drama in high school and college. People could see other’s locations and spread gossip far more easily than before. So, naturally, Instagram has launched a test of a similar feature called, “Friend Map.” Instagram is trying to be cautious, but there are many privacy concerns with this. Is it truly the time to launch such a feature? We’ll see….

Thoughts to Take With You… 💞

Continuing on the busywork culture outside the business realm…

Are we filling up our time with social media, events, and hobbies for the sake of being busy? A lot of us feel better, more useful, when we’re busy, which is 100% understandable. However, doing too much (in a backwards way) means missing out. We miss out on opportunities for spontaneity and discovery. If we focus on the other commitments coming up, we lose our sense of now. We become so wrapped up in the future that we forget the present.

The point is… don’t fill your schedule to capacity. Allow space for your life to breathe.

Thank you for reading – you’re pretty great! Enjoy your week,

Natalie

Interest piqued? See the answers to the quiz questions above!

1. 68 million
2. 1%
3. True. Which is another reason why you should be leveraging DBE’s dual SEO/SAIO strategy.

🧠 I’ve Been Thinking…

…about the students entering the job market and people who are new in their careers. 

I brought this up with my colleague Natalie Lorenzo this week. I started off saying that newer workers often don’t have the experience of working in an office or physical workspace. I thought it was a distinct disadvantage to be remedied. But flipping it, Natalie reminded me younger people were attending school remotely and learning new ways of collaborating when working together in-person wasn’t an option. Rather than being disadvantaged, perhaps they have advantages to be leveraged and shared. Love that perspective!

And taking it further, how do we make work cultures more supportive and engaging for all new hires? Their coworkers may be working in different locations with different frameworks and expectations for interpersonal engagement and applying technology to their work. 

Most of this week’s shares are around these thoughts. I’ve also included current best practices from recruiting experts to share with job seekers in your network.

🚀 Stories to Help You Drive Change

Here are my shares for this week:

SPECIAL NOTE: If you hit a paywall on any of the stories I share, go to Google Search, enter the name of the publication and something about the story (author, title, subject) to get a natural search link that usually by-passes the pay wall.

• For your interns: I love this advice from Arjay McCandless, a software developer at Amazon. He shares the first 3 things a new intern should do to win a permanent role with a company. 100%!

• Job scams are flourishing. Despite being savvy, a number of younger job seekers are falling for this one. Read up. And here’s a short video by Erin McGoff on avoiding these types of scams.

• 🎁 Special Gift for You: here’s an evolving tip sheet we’ve created for job seekers looking for respectful work environments. Hiring? Use this tool to align your offerings with criteria the best candidates are using to find companies sharing their values.

• If you ask me why I’m so passionate about bringing more respect to workplaces, this one sums it up: Who’s zoomin’ who? Dr. Raghu Krishnamoorthy asks if employees are commoditizing their organizations after years (decades?) of employers treating employees like “just a number.” Good POVs and questions to pursue.

• Brilliant take on toxic behavior in the workplace: if you see something, say something. And the worst tolerated behavior sets the tone for the organization. Thanks Sally Pedlow for a great net/net on this.

• Here are ChatGPT prompts for job seekers via Your ChatGPT Guide.

• I have not researched this further, but it makes sense: how to optimize LinkedIn searches to find active and verified job openings.

Do Good Spotlight
🌟 RefuSHE 🌟

RefuSHE champions a powerful, life-changing mission to protect, educate and empower refugee girls and women. Based in Kenya, they have offered services to over 3,150 refugee girls, women and their children in East Africa. They offer services in mental health, legal aid, education, safe housing, and more. Read more about what they do: RefuSHE.

💞 Better Workplaces Intention Pod

Want to guarantee a smoother transition from Sunday to Monday? Invest the first 15 minutes of your work week with my intention-setting group. Here’s how it works: we meet via Zoom from 9:00-9:15 a.m. ET each Monday. (Email me for the Zoom link.) Say hi (camera on or off, your choice) and then I lead a guided, 3-minute intention-setting session. We each privately set our individual intentions—no need to share. And that’s it! We head off refreshed and refocused. Easy, calm, stress-free, and oh so good for you. Try it out!

🎵 On a Personal Note

• Is your car insurance at risk of major increases because you break hard or drive fast? Oh, you didn’t opt into sharing your driving performance with insurers? Check again. And thanks to Jess Perry for the share.

⏳Until Next Time…

If you like this weekly briefing, please share it with like-minded colleagues and friends. There are bigger things brewing and the more people in our community, the stronger it will grow. 

• Share this link for them to get it in their inbox.
• Share this one for them to get it on LinkedIn.
• Here’s for people who want to subscribe on Medium.

Thanks!

Please take care and give yourself the gift of time when you need it. Remember, there’s only one of you, and you need good energy to help yourself and others. May you focus forward with boundless energy. 😊

Niki

Greetings!

You’re traveling through another dimension – a dimension not only of digital marketing but of mindfulness. A journey into a wondrous land whose boundaries are that of imagination. Next stop: Perceptive Marketer!

Yes, we changed our name. No, this is not a drill. The name change is better aligned with our mission: to widen our perceptions as marketers through industry news and mindful perspectives.

Let’s jump in!

• Want to know what’s keeping marketing and PR leaders awake at night? Check out the top 10 challenges marketing decision makers are facing in 2024, based on UK respondents. Search engine updates and volatility, anxiety of being replaced by AI, plus a lack of understanding how we could use AI are some of the top concerns. This report is from the UK, and they haven’t even seen the Google SGE roll-out yet. No wonder a separate survey cites 76% of UK employees have experienced some form of stress-related staff absence.

• Understand Google SGE through this Lady Gaga search result. Business Insider’s overview helps you gain a deeper understanding of how disruptive SGE (and other Gen AI platforms) can be to the traditional search marketplace. The article even includes a discussion on the emergence of ads as sponsored links in Gen AI results – a topic we just covered in our latest blog.

• Google SGE has been released to the public… at least for a starting set of queries. Whether you’ve signed up to see SGE or not, you may see AI overviews filling your result pages. This is only a test but stay tuned for alerts when SGE finally goes live for reals.

• Are you afraid of the robot uprising? 🤖 Maybe this might make you feel better. The United Nations adopted a resolution for the “respect, protection and promotion of human rights in the design, development, deployment and the use of AI.” Sustainable development and a commitment to closing the digital gap between countries are two purposes of this resolution. If you love legal jargon, here’s the full resolution.

It’s Raining Ads! 🌧️

Ads in AI to be specific. Google SGE and Bing Copilot are showing ads in their Gen AI responses. What does this mean for Search AI Optimization? Find out here: Spring 2024 Rains Ads On Gen AI Results!

• As a perceptive marketer, you’re probably aware of multichannel and omnichannel marketing strategies. Have you heard about “optichannel”? “Optichannel strategies aim to deliver the right message to the right audience at the right time through each channel, maximizing engagement and conversions.” Martech explains the optichannel approach is a way of optimizing individual channels to improve customer experience.

• TikTok is not giving up! (And who would expect them to?) The attempt? A $2.1 million TV ad buy. Many TikTok users have been lobbying the senate to not pass the house bill, especially with so many businesses depending on the platform. But will a TV ad make a difference to the senators’ thinking? We have to keep watching.

• 🦉 With hot tracks like “Spanish or Vanish”, who wouldn’t want to go see Duolingo on Ice! Check out this spoofy Disney on Ice remake released on April 1st! (Pro tip: if you go to the ticket link, you can get promo codes for future Seat Geek tickets AND a free month of Duolingo.)

Thoughts to Take With You… 💞

Spring makes life go a million miles a minute. Are you taking time to pause? Here are some ways:

• Take nature breaks.
• Look up from your screens.
• Focus on your breathing.
• Eat without distractions.
• Ground yourself with nature-inspired activities like gardening.

Overall, finding moments of stillness will help us truly see the beauty and wonder that is the spring season.

Happy Wednesday!

Natalie

10 points if you got the intro reference! 👏🔟👏

Here’s some spooky fun facts about the famous show. 🙂

Heyo!

We’re in the midst of winter in New Jersey, and it’s such a great time to pause. Tara Brach, American psychologist, author, and meditation teacher gives some insights into the benefits of the “pause” in her book, Radical Acceptance.

“Pausing interrupts entrenched patterns of interaction. When the downward spiral of judging and misunderstanding is stopped, even for a brief time, it becomes possible to recognize the unconscious beliefs and feelings that lie behind the problem. Such insight naturally leads us to making wiser choices.”

When the moment is demanding a lot of you, if you have the opportunity, take a pause. See if anything changes.

• Econsultancy has put out their “Digital and Marketing Trends for 2024.” Their observations fall into five sections including:
  • Data haves and have nots
  • Customers are more than a conversion
  • Creative experiences
  • GenAI: Beyond the cool demo (with a note that AI’s presence is felt in other sections)
  • People as competitive advantage

Note one of the subcategories for the Customers section is “A rebound for trust” that explores how use of AI for content and/or images can reduce a customers sense of trust and how brands need to counteract that potential pitfall.

• Speaking of trends, Marketing Charts compares “Marketers’ Most Important Consumer Trends in 2024 vs. 2023.” Generative AI tops the list now but wasn’t even on the list last year. All the other trends show declines vs. last year with TikTok and Metaverse showing the biggest drops.

• Notice a theme here yet? What if we shared an eMarketer chart showing that 86% of adults worldwide want AI to “help research products or get information” during their shopping journey (according to October 2023 IBM data)? They also think AI would be helpful for customer service, looking for deals or reviews, and generally shopping for products or services. Does optimization for gaining AI chatbots’ citations in their answers now sound like something you might be interested in? (Yes, that was an Entourage reference.)

Do Good Spotlight
🌟 Wikipedia 🌟

If you have a smartphone, you’ve probably used Wikipedia to win a disagreement or two. “When did this movie come out?” “Who originally sang this song?” We’ve been there. That’s why we’re choosing them as our spotlight this week. They’ve saved us a few times, it’s time to give them a little support back: Wikipedia.

• Many of us think AI is smarter than us on all levels. 🤖 Even though some AIs can pass the bar exam, they are missing out on a crucial, simplistic element (most) humans have: common sense. This TED Talk by Yejin Choi outlines why AI is not yet the sharpest crayon in the box. Even though the talk took place last April, the point still rings true. When testing a variation of her prompt: “Would I get a flat tire by bicycling over a bridge that is suspended over nails, screws, and broken glass?” I get the same “Yes” response from ChatGPT. I even explained why it was wrong and asked the same prompt with a car. No change. AI still has a ways to go for ultimate knowledge domination…

• Google is moving where the reports are found in the UI for some accounts. If you need some help finding it, here’s SEL to the rescue!

• We’ve been hearing stories about how some in the executive suite/board don’t understand marketing goals and capabilities. For example, the Snoop Dogg ad for Solo Stove was a witty awareness play. Because the ad did not derive significant revenue in six weeks, Solo viewed the campaign as a failure and replaced the CEO. CMI points out the failure wasn’t the revenue, but the missing CTA that could have engaged audiences and guided them down the customer journey if sales, not awareness, was the real goal.My thoughts tie into the intro. Perhaps if there were more thoughtful pauses throughout the campaign creation process, maybe they would have picked up the mistakes in marketing CTA and analysis. Thank you to Amy Masters for sharing this with us.

Before you go off for the rest of your day, take a moment to pause. See how it might give some distance between you and the demands or stresses of Wednesday.

You’re awesome,

Natalie

What’s the new coolest trend?📈🤳😎

1. Find your digital marketing friends.
2. Creatively bring up WHW in all conversations with them. Examples of totally not-awkward conversational K-turns:
   • “That’s cool you got a new car… Have you heard of the What’s Hot Wednesday newsletter??”
   • “You need help finding your phone? I’ll help! Once I do, I’ll show you how to sign up for What’s Hot Wednesday!”
   • You: Knock, knock.
     Your Friend: Who’s there?
     You: What’s Hot
     Your Friend: What’s Hot, who?
     You: What’s Hot Wednesday! You should sign up today!
3. Okay, maybe don’t use those. But you should bring us up with your friends. Send them all the signup link. 😁

Inspired by Office Manager Extraordinaire, Stacy Sarno

It is commonplace to expect the standard medical/dental benefits when walking into a company.

But times are changing.

To retain top industry talent, a company has to add sprinkles to top off their offer. We all want to work in a place that cares about our needs as individuals. For a company to accomplish this, it has to recognize the lives people lead inside and outside of work.

Our fantabulous Office Manager, Stacy Sarno, and I pulled together our favorite company benefits to inspire other awesome leaders.

Click to skip to a section:

1. Wellness Reimbursements 🚲
2. Birthdays Off 🥳
3. Donation Matching 🤝🏽
4. Flexible Schedules 📅
5. Team Appreciation 🎁

Wellness Reimbursements 🚲

Before coming to DBE, I had no clue that a company could offer a reimbursement for certain wellness expenses. Hot take of my face when I found out:

(True: This job at DBE followed a handful of college internships and part-time jobs, but still an awesome feature even if you have heard of it.)

Stacy Sarno explains: “DBE’s wellness reimbursement is flexible and lets employees choose how they want to use it within guidelines.” Each person on our team is so unique and uses the reimbursement in fun ways! Our team has memberships ranging from golf courses to pool clubs to rock climbing gyms. Others have used it to start their own at-home gym. The path to wellness is much cooler with a company that supports it!

It’s Ya Birthday 🥳

Your friend: Hey, what are you doing for your birthday?

You humbly bragging: I have the day off, so I’m [insert cool activity here].

This is always a fun conversation to have. At DBE, everyone has a day off for their birthday. (And if their birthday falls on a weekend, they get to pick another day closeby.) DBE always takes the time to send the birthday celebrator a gift, too.

Having birthdays off helps employees feel appreciated. This helps solidify their connection and loyalty to the team. And, an employee that is appreciated is 5x as likely to see a path to grow in the organization.

Donation Matching 🤝🏽

Stacy’s neighbor, Ronald Hogas, passed from leukemia at the age of 13. Each year, Stacy donates to his Alex’s Lemonade Stand in honor of him. With the donation-matching benefit, DBE matches how much Stacy gives, up to $500 per year..

“It means so much that DBE matches my donation,” says Stacy. It’s a beautiful notion that your company will support the same causes you do.

With the worldwide business movement to promote environmental, social, and governance (ESG) initiatives, some potential hires and clients exclusively work with conscientious companies. Donation matching is one great way to show them your business cares.

Flexible Schedules 📅

Flexible work emphasizes one core value: trust. If the work gets done correctly, that’s what counts. Here’s how we approach flexible work:

• Flexible 9-5 – Our team generally starts and ends around 9am-5pm ET. Employees can start a little earlier or later depending on the day.
• Quick Errands – Appointments don’t count against PTO, as long as the time is made up.
• Breaks – Our CEO, Niki Fielding, encourages employees to take lunch and walking breaks.
• 3 o’clock Fridays – We started 3 o’clock Fridays one summer and never changed back. As long as your work is finished, you can head off to enjoy the weekend a little early. 😊

Figuring out the right flexible work framework is a trial-and-error process, but once it’s in place, everyone will appreciate it!

Team Appreciation 🎁

Who said you can only appreciate your team on special days? Any day is a good day! Here are some of our favorite ways to do so:

• Excursions – Since we all work from home and live within a few hours of each other, we get together in the warmer months. It could be a simple lunch or a full-day event!

• Themed-surprise gifts – If we don’t get together for the month, Stacy is very creative in thinking of a themed surprise gift. Chocolate-covered strawberries for Valentine’s Day. A grilling spice set for the spring. She’s always got a super thoughtful gift for that time of year!

• Thnks – “Appreciation is a big thing at DBE,” explains Stacy. “Not only do we appreciate our team, but we also appreciate our business network. At DBE, we use Thnks to send gestures of appreciation to our clients and partners. Gifts are typically small gifts like coffee, lunch, books, etc. and are sent with a fun note like “thanks a latte.” The receiver even has the opportunity to donate the gift to a charity. It’s a truly thoughtful business idea!

• Zoomraderies – You’re probably asking “What’s a Zoomraderie?” Our CEO, Niki Fielding, came up with the name Zoomraderie (a combination of Zoom and camaraderie) for our weekly team builders. We talk about these a lot. And there is a good reason for it. We truly enjoy them! Here some types of Zoomraderies we host:

• What’s your favorite? – Many Zoomraderies, we pose questions to get to know each other better. We will all log onto a virtual office platform like Kumospace with a picture and name of our answer to the question. Then, through the chat bar, we guess who is who! Here are some questions we’ve asked before:
  • What’s your favorite store?
  • What’s your favorite sport?
  • What’s your favorite type of music?
  • What’s your favorite food?
• Special Events via Zoom – We did gingerbread house decorating, Jenga tower-building, and even a play-doh creation competition… all virtually! You can really get inventive with these.
• Trivia – Everyone livens up when there is a competition involved. We’ve done trivia-, jeopardy-, and family-feud-style games on everything from candy to The Jetsons. Stacy always surprises us with a theme!

Stacy perfectly sums up the Zoomraderie experience:

“Since we are all remote, having a weekly Zoomraderie has allowed us all to get to know each other really well. I feel like I know my virtual team members better than I knew many employees I saw every day when working in an office. Our team knows each other so well that when the Zoomraderie is “What’s your favorite ____?”, employees have been known to choose their 2nd favorite because the team already knows their favorite.”

Implementing a regular “Zoomraderies” has boosted our team morale tremendously. We recommend them to all teams, especially those that are remote!

• Ask for Input – If all else fails, go to your team. What do they want to see?

To Infinity & Beyond… with Your Benefits 🚀

There are so many possibilities to appreciate your team (and even your clients). We hope we’ve sparked some new ideas for you. We know there are so many more creative ways to appreciate a team and we wish you luck as you find the best way your team can do that. 🙂

It’s the day. All 3 runners are lined up, itching to burst at the sound of the whistle. When the sound hits the air, they’re off. The wind races past their ears as their legs pump into the pavement. In a split second, Runner 3 takes a rolling stumble over the first hurdle. Unexpectedly, Runner 2 follows suit on the next. Naturally, Runner 1 thinks they’re in the lead, then, whoosh. The next moment is a blur of flailing limbs.

Don’t worry, the runners are all okay. What was the cause of the 3-Stooges-esque stumbles? All these athletes were well-focused and intently trained. They had one itty bitty ginormous issue. They were so absorbed with winning the race they didn’t notice all their shoelaces were untied. 👟

Zooming out, think of the race as the next promotion or project. It’s common to think: If I try the hardest, exert all my life force into this [____], I will win. But, is it really a win if your eyes can barely stay open and you can’t remember your last meal?

THOUGHT 💭:

What if getting ahead wasn’t “fix what’s broken when it breaks,” but preventing the breaks? While you can’t stop life from happening, you can equip yourself with more padding. Protective padding isn’t always physical. It’s awareness of what’s going on with you and the world around you.

Work can become a little bit lighter… a little bit brighter through practicing mindful awareness.

Awareness Through Perspective

The first step on this road of “break prevention” is developing perspective. Venturing out of your personal routine is a wonderful way to awaken to the world outside your view. Two ways to do this are: 1. trying something new and 2. listening to perspectives outside of your usual circle.

You’ve done a lot of this already: you took a first breath. You went to your first day of school. You had your favorite meal for the first time.

The experience of going beyond your routine helps you gain views from different angles.

Awareness Through Listening

Snowballing off the listening for perspective.… Listening includes everything that is and isn’t said. Truly attentive listening does not focus on what you want to say next. PsychCentral has a simple guide for attentive listening. In it, Hilary I. Lebow suggests a technique of focused thinking called “active listening,” which is thinking of yourself as a mirror of the speaker and reflecting back, rather than waiting to insert your thoughts.

Focused listening is also an internal activity. Your body is constantly giving you signals. You retract your hand when it gets too close to flame. If we learn the language of our own body’s signals, we can reduce our stress and feelings of raggedness.

In a world that is so confusing, attentive listening helps open our minds to understanding.

Awareness Through Patience

We all forget people are living lives with stress and pressure alongside us. No one is exempt. That’s where patient awareness comes in.

Set a cautious leniency with yourself and the world.

1. You are allowed to be imperfect.
2. The world is, also, imperfect.

Living by these statements seems like a Sisyphus-and-the-boulder task. Yet, isn’t that what it’s about? What if beauty can only be found in imperfection? Patience helps uncover the beauty that may be lying under the surface.

Awareness That Leads to Resilience

Recently, our CEO, Niki Fielding, shared a 10-minute podcast on Resilience by Prof. Megan Reitz. The best way to describe it is the over-used plane metaphor: you can’t help someone else, unless you put on your own mask first.

You are strong enough to handle what’s coming next because you’re aware of what you need. You’ve equipped yourself, as best you can, with varying perspectives, the ability to listen and be patient.

Tactical Practices to Increase Awareness Without Rolling Out a Yoga Mat During Work

• Noticing Your Breath

It’s the only autonomic bodily process that we have some control of that can impact our nervous system! We might as well use it. If you’re a nerd that wants to learn more, check it out.

• Physically slowing down

For harder tasks, break down each step. Pace yourself. Fast work leads to mistakes as we know.

• Physically Pulling Yourself Out of the Situation

If you have the liberty to go for a walk or talk with someone outside the project, do it. Take a break y’all.

• Daily Reminders

Whatever you need, sticky notes, a mantra… remember you’re a person. People are not perfect.If something challenging comes along, it may be hard, but you will handle it.

The Goal

As we’ve learned from our runners, if you run a million miles a minute, you can miss out on: future signs of turbulence and the beauty of the moment.

You may notice that some pieces of advice surrounding awareness contradict themselves. That’s okay. Awareness is not something that can be accurately described. It’s felt. Just like athletes need to eat more protein, you take whatever advice you need to get yourself. Part of becoming aware is applying the right wisdom to the right moment.