This week we welcomed Tanya Memme as the new host of our eChapter platform. We are thrilled to have Tanya joining us for eChapter. Tanya is a TV host, passionate speaker, beauty and health advocate, proud mother of one, entrepreneur, and philanthropist who is dedicated to inspiring others. You may have seen her on the A&E Network in Sell This House and Move This House or on the Hallmark Channel in Home & Family.

The eChapter platform is designed to allow IAW members to connect, learn from, and share experiences with women from around the world who are recognized experts.

This month, the topic of eChapter was Success Through Synergies: Maximizing Opportunities for Work-Life Integration. February is Heart Health Month, and Star Jones shared her personal journey with this important topic. Stress plays a huge role in heart health. Managing personal stress helps to prevent overwhelm and burnout. However, the pressures women face in this hustle, get-it-all-done world can result in us burning the candle at both ends. When we don’t take care of ourselves first, we have a lot less to offer those around us.

We were joined by two panelists who both offered incredible insights during the conversation:

• Demarra Gardner is the founder of Black Women About Business (BWAB), which supports black female leaders and focuses on the intersection between business and wellness so that they can lead optimal lives. BWAB provides business planning, executive coaching, training, retreats, and resources such as the BWAB podcast. Demarra is also an entrepreneur and a principal of Change Agent Consulting, a national full-service consulting practice that offers executive and life coaching, leadership development, and business strategy services. Demarra is certified in yoga and trained in first-degree reiki.
• Krista Mollion wears many hats—entrepreneur, business consultant, coach, mentor, speaker, and soon-to-be author. A seasoned digital marketer and product manager for the past 17 years, Krista built a digital agency specializing in 3D and virtual reality before VR became a thing. When not consulting for start-ups in product management for her company, Your Product CEO LLC, she can be found mentoring and coaching women, hosting LinkedIn local events, working on her first book about career happiness and traveling with her four kids.

During the chat, Krista shared six tips to help women manage stress and find balance:

1. Set your goals.
2. Evaluate every decision against your goals. If it works toward them, say yes. If not, say no.
3. Make self-care a priority.
4. Schedule date nights.
5. Schedule fun stuff with your kids.
6. Get up early and get enough sleep.

One thing that seemed to resonate with everybody is the idea that it is OK to say no. There is so much pressure to fit everything in and “do it all” that saying no sometimes leads us to think we are failing. In reality, if the activity you are saying no to isn’t helping you reach your goals, then by saying yes you could be failing yourself.

Demarra shared a great story about how her 13-year-old daughter has learned when she needs to step away and take a moment. This should serve as a reminder to all of us. It is perfectly OK to need a break sometimes!

Work-life balance and work-life integration can be a tricky thing to navigate. Krista mentioned that she uses a desk-sized calendar with color coding to keep track of her schedule. She time-blocks to help make the most of her day and has found a flow that really helps her accomplish more at times of peak productivity.

You can access the eChapter recording here.

Be sure to register to join us for March eChapter. During the month of March, we celebrate International Women’s Day and we will talk about Shattering the Glass Ceiling.