Dr. Unique Morris-Hughes has dedicated her career to public service and currently serves as the Director of the District of Columbia Department of Employment Services, leading a robust team. Throughout our conversation, she shares insights on balancing her career and motherhood—a challenge faced by many parents, especially women, every day. While some may avoid the topic of managing both children and a career, Dr. Morris-Hughes addresses it head-on, always striving to make the workplace better for future generations.

Dr. Morris-Hughes discusses the significant impact that coaches and leaders have had on her journey, particularly when she began her career, while at the same time becoming a new mother. Dr. Morris-Hughes highlighted the distinction between being a leader and being the leader, sharing a personal story where she initially thought coaching was being offered because she was falling short. In reality, it was the opposite—she was being given the support and resources to grow into the potential her superiors saw in her. From the beginning of her coaching journey, values have been a cornerstone of her professional and personal growth, prompting all of us to reflect on our own guiding principles: What values do we prioritize?

Later in the episode, Dr. Morris-Hughes talked about how her upbringing influenced her career and how coaching helped her realize that she didn’t need to "burn the candle at both ends." This realization not only made her a more effective leader but also a better mother, demonstrating how an external perspective can dramatically reshape our own.

Towards the end of our conversation, she introduced the concept of "becoming a corporate athlete" and emphasized how the same steps an athlete takes to stay at the top of their game also apply to leaders aiming for peak performance. Dr. Morris-Hughes also discussed her concept of “professional vacations”—time she sets aside specifically for innovation—and how she encourages her team to do the same, leveraging the coaching and development tools that have been instrumental to her success.

We concluded our conversation with Dr. Morris-Hughes shares three key lessons she’s learned through coaching: protect your time, create space to rest and recharge, and always maintain perspective. She carries each of these every day, and does her best to instill them in each person she mentors along the way.

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Meet Henry Shukman, poet, author, and Zen master. We begin our conversation by exploring how Henry navigates his life, both inwardly and outwardly, with a deep commitment to mindfulness. Henry shares insights on being present in the world and how his various life paths often merge, guided by his body's inclination towards creativity, especially poetry.

Starting from his early experiences, Henry recounts a story about a hobo named Speedy who taught him that a home isn't just four walls; the whole world can be your home if you take time to be still every day. This lesson has profoundly influenced Henry's approach to life and spirituality.

Henry explains how each person can find their way in the world and how meditation is about coming home to oneself, especially in moments of overwhelm—a feeling most of us can relate to. He reminds us that there's no one-size-fits-all approach to meditation and finding one's deeper self. For those starting, Henry's app, The Way, offers a guided introduction to meditation, making it accessible amidst the overwhelming number of options available. Yoga is another path he suggests, emphasizing the importance of connecting with your body.

Addressing the often-discouraging long path of spiritual growth, Henry shares the shifts he has experienced over the years and the journey he still sees ahead of him. It's about the process, not the end goal. He discusses this in his book, "Original Love." Henry also opens up about his concussion and difficult recovery, which helped him realize he was experiencing the world with more "heartfulness," turning his injury into a blessing. He explains why heartbreak, though dreaded by many, can be a valuable teacher.

We conclude our conversation with a discussion of Henry's book, "Original Love," which serves as a manifesto, map, and manual for spirituality in the twenty-first century. This essential guide replaces the concept of original sin with original love as the true foundation of life. We know you will leave this conversation feeling rejuvenated and maybe even inspired to begin your journey of meditation if you’ve been interested but hesitant to start.

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If you ask Tara Palacios about her passion for small businesses and entrepreneurship, she may answer you, “Small business is my schtick.” With a background in marketing and PR in the private sector and a stint helping her father reinvent his own career, Tara followed her gut, moving to a role where she could use her honed skills to help businesses in the community grow. After joining Arlington County over twenty years ago and eventually founding the BizLaunch initiative, she’s never looked back.

Tara’s interactions with her clients often start when they bring her a dream. The work then begins: molding that dream into a reality, assessing the sustainability of the business, moving the plan forward through tangible and calculated actions, making valuable connections, and working through the challenges that inevitably arise. Tara and her team lift up their clients with the tools, resources, and, maybe most important of all, support and encouragement, while entrepreneurs turn their dreams into viable businesses that support the Arlington community.

Tara sees the entrepreneurs and small business owners she works with go through the highs and lows of starting a business, and she empowers them to be successful. Throughout the episode, Tara speaks to the importance of helping people get out of their own way, without judgment, allowing their ideas to grow. Tara talks about the ideal candidate and how crucial it is for people to be willing to receive feedback to make their dreams a reality. And the joy her clients feel when that ribbon is cut or the goal is achieved. Tara brings joy to every person she leads, every entrepreneur in the Arlington community and beyond she works with, and certainly brought joy to this episode of the podcast.

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