Diana Yanez-Pastor, YP Marketing LLC’s Post

Emotionally intelligent leaders know the importance of being present with your team. It builds stronger, more authentic relationships. It encourages your team to share their ideas. It helps you pick up on unspoken concerns. It shows your team you truly value them. It creates a more positive work culture. It boosts morale and motivation. It improves communication. It sets a good example. 9 ways you can practice being present: 1. Put your phone away. 2. Pause before reacting. 3. Ask thoughtful questions. 4. Focus on one thing at a time. 5. Make time for 1:1 conversations. 6. Be mindful of your body language. 7. Give your full attention in meetings. 8. Ask for feedback from your team often. 9. Listen to understand, not just to respond. Start small. Pick one tip. Try it today. Your team will notice the difference. Being present isn't just a skill — it's a gift you give to those around you. And in return, you’ll build a team that feels seen, heard, and valued. ♻️ Agree? Repost to help others lead better too. And follow Justin Wright for more like this.

The pace of being a startup founder: Some weeks you feel like you've "got this". Other weeks, the intensity makes your question your sanity. 😂 And that's not unique to startups, is it? That just seems to be the pace of life. It's so easy to get caught in a pace that doesn't allow for true enjoyment. One thing that's important to me and my co-founder Deena Zenyk is that the professional journey should remain "fun". Fun is such a trite word, I know. But to me it means work should be meaningful AND enjoyable. Life is short, and work is a huge (sometimes too huge) part of every week. And at the end of the day, while not a party every day, we can endeavor to build in meaningful moments that go beyond just "work," pairing happiness and joy with the grit, determination, outputs and profitability. 1. This ensures that we don't allow work to crowd out the joy of life and even find ways to pair them together. 2. It allows for space to be creative! At Captivate, we work in a very heavy "ideas" practice, and we are constantly seeking how to innovate - both in our customer advocacy strategies and execution for clients but also in how we build and run our business. But sometimes the pace doesn't give us the freedom to explore and dream as much as we'd like. We need to create actual mental space in work to ensure we don't get stuck in our boxes. That's why during our last executive offsite, Deena and I took the opportunity to put work on a hold for a bit and take a 3 hour hummer tour through Joshua Tree National Park. Little did we know that many creatives have come to Joshua Tree for inspiration, like Jim Morrison, John Lennon, Gram Parsons and of course U2. Here's to the ongoing pursuit of finding joy in work - in many different ways! May you "find what you're looking for." PS. It helps if your co-worker is also your dear friend. 💜