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Questions: |
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Answers: |
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What is your greatest career extravagance? |
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My greatest extravagance in life is time. I am so
blessed and grateful for the ability to use my time how I chose.
As an entrepreneur, I get to decide when and where I do business
and with whom. We can always make more money but time is fleeting.
Once it’s gone, it’s gone. Time is precious and I treat
it accordingly. Having boundaries helps me say yes to that which
I desire and no to that I do not. Time is a gift that is often taken
for granted. Use your time wisely. |
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What living leader do you most admire? |
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Marg Hachey is a serial entrepreneur greatly admired
by many. She ran a tech company for over 32 years. Sold it and when
the new owners were running it into the ground, she swooped back
in and not only recovered the business, she sold in again for a
massive profit! She is the Managing Director of Gro Your Biz, a
peer to peer advisory for women business owners. Marg is dynamic
and passionate about helping women grow their organizations to create
financial stability. Marg is generous with her advice. Her favourite
expression is: “Nobody likes change except a wet baby.” |
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What is one element or trait of your industry that
you most dislike? |
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What I dislike most about the Laughter Yoga industry
is that it is still a relatively unknown movement. It is only 28
years old started in March 1995. Although there are laughter clubs
in over 120 countries, it is a well kept global secret. Laughter
is the best medicine and needed more than ever. It may seem too
simple and often overlooked. Laughter yoga has changed my life.
I am more resilient, joyful and energetic. My goal is to inspire
others to laugh more. Visit my laughter page to learn more about
this magic medicine. www.cathysclub.com |
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What is your biggest fear in business? |
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One of my biggest fears in business has happened
already. I didn’t know that people don’t buy what they
need, they buy what they want. Although I believe everyone needs
a worm bin in their homes, most do not want worms in the house.
I pivoted early in my business to speak about vermicomposting to
educate about the possibility of having worms in the classroom,
home, business … worms everywhere to convert our food scraps
and paper into nature’s finest soil amendment. This nutrient
rich soil allows us to grow more nutrious food. I guess it was a
good thing I didn’t understand people’s buying habits. |
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Your business is destroyed, what one thing can never
be taken from you? |
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Your business is destroyed, what one thing can never
be taken from you? |
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Our business is about sustainable solutions for today’s
challenges; worm composting for amending the soil, sprouts for eating
(grow your own) and laughter for overall health and wellness. Everything
we offer is how we live our life. If our business was destroyed,
we would continue to implement these sustainable ways. I have trust
that all will be well and taken care of. This attitude is beneficial
is all areas of my life and I believe one of the reasons for my
stress reduced magically existence. Laughter has made me more resilient.
I expect miracles and am grateful when they show up. My joy for
life can never be taken. |
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How important is a sense of humour in your business?
Anything too serious to be joked about? |
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Levity and a sense of humour are essential in my
business and my life. Everything goes better with laughter. When
we laugh we feel good. Laughter is high vibration magic energy.
We get connected on a deeper level. Time flies when we are laughing
and having fun and we become totally present. Creativity and brain-storming
are enhanced when in a positive mood. The workplace becomes a friendly
environment when humour is encouraged. Jokes can be cultural and
must be appropriate for the work setting. Off colour humour may
cause stress in some rather than provide relieve. |
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What is your biggest regret in business? |
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I learned long ago that having regrets is a waste
of energy. I currently have no regrets in my business nor in my
life. I believe that taking action following inspired thought is
the way to a life lived without regret. Follow your heart as it
always knows the correct path. We have become disconnected from
ourselves, distrusting of ourselves. We often look out for guidance
when all we need do is look within, breathe and ask. Regret, guilt,
envy and the like are all a waste of time and energy. |
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If someone is going to work with you for a long time
what is important they know about you that might not be immediately
obvious? |
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It may be important for someone to know that I am
noisy. You know I am in the room as I am always laughing, singing,
humming, strumming, drumming and moving around. I am often talking
to myself. Ha ha I have the best answers. If you are someone who
requires silence during work, I will not be a good workmate for
you. As a child I had a Chatty Cathy doll. She was my mentor and
I learned well. I love to talk. I am also a great listener and cheerleader.
I enjoy deep conversations. |
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What do you think is the biggest myth of building
a business? |
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One of the biggest myths about building a business
is that all you need is a great idea and money will flow to you.
There are many moving parts to operating a successful enterprise.
It starts with an idea. You may have the new best thing on the market,
if no one knows about it and there are no sales, it is not a business,
it is a hobby. How will people find you? How will they know about
this great service or product? I chose media as my marketing strategy
and have over 300 articles, TV, radio, a documentary and since March
2020 over 200 podcast guest appearances.happy people. |
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What one thing do you feel makes the biggest impact
on company culture? |
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What one thing do you feel makes the biggest impact
on company culture? |
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Energy has by far the biggest impact on company culture.
Everything is energy. Positive energy is essential to encourage
collaboration and create a cohesive company culture. Have you ever
heard of Mirror Neurons? Have you ever notice that when you smile
at someone, they usually smile back? Or when you see someone crying,
you feel sad too? This is partially due to mirror neurons. Laughter
wellness in a corporate setting will increase creativity and have
a positive impact by connecting staff on a deeper level. We are
affected by the people around us. If you want to be happy, hang
out with happy people. |
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What is your fondest memory of something that happened
in your business? |
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In 2012, I saw a tweet about Byoearth, a vermicomposting
business in Guatemala. I retweeted “What a cool organization!
Red wiggler worms are the way.” Within 5 minutes, the Founder
tweeted, “When can you come to Guatemala? Your expertise and
guidance is needed here. How exciting! A friend held a fundraising
for me. We had a raffle and received 5 original works of art. Over
$3000 was raised in one night. I had an incredible 2 week trip around
Guatemala visiting worm composting, speaking and I now import hand
carved wooden worm shaped and happy face earrings supporting a women’s
group. So grateful for this amazing journey with so many fond memories. |
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What mistake have you made that you learnt the most
from? |
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One mistake I made was thinking everyone knew about
my business and what my company offered. I thought every one had
access to the same information aka the internet. I believed that
when I searched for something and you searched the same subject,
we would receive the same information. Our searches show us more
and more of we search for and become narrower as a result. It is
essential to keep talking about what you do to everyone even if
you think they know what you have to offer. You never know who needs
to hear your message. |
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What is the greatest accomplishment in your life? |
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The idea of having a worm bin in the house was less
known in 2002. Without awareness, action is impossible. I chose
media and speaking as my marketing strategy to educate about vermicomposting.
Over 75,000 people have experienced my presentation! I have attracted
over 500 articles, TV, radio, a documentary about my business and
since 2020 over 200 podcast guest appearances around the world!
Now I raise awareness about laughing for the health of it. We have
a mental health tsunami, so many are struggling. When we laugh we
change and raise our vibration. Because of me, more people are aware
of these sustainable ways for a better life. |
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What have you dreamt of doing for a long time but
still haven’t done? |
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I have wanted to create and perform a one woman show
for many years. Working title is: Life Lessons from a Worm Bin.
It’s the 21st anniversary of Cathy’s Crawly Composters.
I learned that not everyone wants worms in the house. The word worm
has many negative connotations; computer worm, tapeworm, can of
worms. While exhibiting, people would share their favourite worm
horror stories. I have so many stories and will create this show
to help raise awareness about the benefit of using worms to convert
food scraps and paper into nature’s finest fertilizer. Managing
our food scraps is one thing we can all do to help mitigate climate
change. |
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Where will you be in 20 years? What does an average
day look like? |
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Where will you be in 20 years? What does an average
day look like? |
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In 20 years it will be the year 2043, I will be 80
and in optimum physical health. Speaking gigs around the world actual
and virtual will regularly be on the agenda. People will gather
to experience the magic of laughing for the health of it. My days
will be filled with gratitude, peace, love and joy. I will take
long walks in the forest. Spend time with great friends calculating
our next big adventure. I expect miracles and spend my time looking
up. Spreading joy, high vibrations and laughter will keep me connected,
vibrant and living life to the fullest. |
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If you could gain one quality or ability that would
significantly increase your business success what would it be? |
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Consistent follow up would be a great trait to have
in your toolbox. A favourite expression of one of my mentors was
“there’s a fortune in the follow up”. This is
wonderful advice! It can be challenging to change a habit. Just
starting out? Create this one routine of consistent follow up and
your business will reap the rewards. |
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If you were starting your business from scratch today,
what would be the biggest change? |
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Technological advancements are the biggest change.
In 2002 cell phones were much less prevalent. It is liberating to
live without a cell phone. When I mention that I do not have a cell
phone, the response is often, “good for you”. I believe
people are genuinely supportive of the no cell phone stance but
cannot imagine it for themselves. We have become so dependant upon
technology that it now governs our life. Starting a business today
would be difficult without mobile technology. |
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What in your business are you most grateful about? |
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I am so grateful for the opportunity to laugh daily.
Laughter is the best medicine and it has changed my life. I have
a Laughter Buddy. For over a year we laugh every morning for 5 minutes.
We get our daily D.O.S.E. and it sets up our day with high vibrations
and the love drugs buzzing through our veins. Laughter raises my
vibration which allows me to attract the people I want to work with.
Laughter is a practice. Join my online Tuesday Laughter Club 9:30
am ET. Details here https://www.cathysclub.com/ Experience the magic
of laughing for the health of it. |
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Name 3 things you and your best clients have in common. |
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We have the same core values. Mutual respect for
each other and the greater good. When we feel good, we do good.
Our intention is to operate with integrity so we attract clients
also looking for serve from the heart. Laughter moves us out of
our head and into our heart. |
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What would constitute a perfect day for you? |
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What would constitute a perfect day for you? |
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A perfect day for me is framed with a wonderful morning
and evening routine. Rising around 6 am. My morning routine includes
meditation, deep diaphramatic breathing, gentle stretching and 5
minutes of laughter with my laughter buddy. Before bed, I have a
similar routine to calm my energy. This daily routine helps keep
my energy grounded and sets me up for success. Home-made delicious
healthy food throughout the day to nourish my body.A walk in the
forest, time on my rebounder and finally an infrared sauna to round
out my self care. |
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Pitch your business to a complete stranger who knows
nothing about your industry. |
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Ever heard that laughter is the best medicine? It
is scientifically proven to be true. Laughter gets us out of stress
and into joy by changing the chemistry in our body. When stressed,
we secrete cortisol and adrenaline. When laughing, we get our dose
of dopamine, oxytocin, serotonin and endorphins. We are in charge
of our own pharma. Corporations are using laughter wellness programs
to boost morale and team building. Laughter breaks down barriers
for clearer communication. When we laugh, we raise our vibration.
Creativity increases as does our overall experience in life. |
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How does building your profile help in your day to
day business? |
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Staying present online is essential in today’s
market. Without a digital presence, one becomes a digital ghost.
In order to attract new opportunities, I offer a free weekly online
laughter club so people can experience the magic of laughing for
the health of it. Keeping top of mind is important in today’s
busy marketplace. We are bombarded with thousands of messages daily.
Our conscious brain can only process so much. The rest is filed
away. Marketers used to suggest that people had to see or hear about
your product/service seven times before buying. It is likely many
more times today. Check out my Fun Fab Friday video series to get
a glimpse. www.cathysclub.com/fabfri |
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Which entrepreneur, living or dead, would you most
like to have dinner with and why? |
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I would love to dine with American microbiologist,
vermicomposter and environmentalist, Mary Appelhof. Mary wrote the
book, Worms Eat My Garbage in 1982. It’s the 20th anniversary
of Cathy’s Crawly Composters and I continue to meet folks
who have not heard of the concept of vermicomposting. I can only
imagine how challenging it was in the eighties to suggest a worm
bin in the kitchen to manage food scraps and paper. I wonder how
she was able to overcome the negative resistance to her idea of
indoor composting. What advice would she offer to help shift people
perspective on worms? Worms are going to play an ever increasing
role in waste management, soil production and therefore food security. |
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What skill have you developed since leaving formal
education that has been most useful in your career? |
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Since leaving formal education I have taken a deep
dive into why laughter is the best medicine. The ability to laugh
at myself when I’ve made a mistake or erred helps me get out
of stress and come up with solution. Our brain requires 25% more
oxygen than the rest of our body. When laughing we are exhaling
and emptying our lungs of stale air. We will need to take a deep
breath in of fresh air to continue Ha Ha’ing. Since stress
is related to over 90% of today’s ailments, if we manage our
stress, we can manage our life. |
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What are your clients really buying? (the feeling
beyond the product or service you provide) |
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After spending time with me, people feel more energized,
lighter and in a better mood. Laughter is a very high vibration
energy. I help people get out of stress and into joy. When we laugh
we shift our energy up. We become totally present. Living in the
moment is the only way to have a more peaceful, joyfilled life.
Laughter brings us there. |
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What is your number one
hack for getting yourself motivated when things seem hopeless? |
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What is your number one hack for getting yourself
motivated when things seem hopeless? |
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Laughter is my go to hack for getting myself motivated.
When we laugh, we secrete the love drugs; dopamine, oxytocin, serotonin
and endorphins. These chemicals help us feel better. When we feel
sad, depressed, anxious, frustrated, hopeless and other low vibrating
energies, we secrete stress hormones; adrenaline and cortisol. Laughter
changes everything. As a Laughter Yoga Teacher, I incorporate tapping,
brain gym and other healing modalities to get out of stress. Hope
is restored as our brain becomes oxygenated. Neurons firing as we
come up with better solutions. |
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What is your best advice for people on how to recruit
great team members? |
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In order to recruit great team members, it is essential
to be clear on the purpose for creating the team. What is required
of the position and what part the team member will play? Be clear
on what you want and what is to be accomplished. Operate with honesty
and integrity. To avoid confusion with requirements and commitments
have an outline of expectations. A well rounded team includes a
variety of personalities and skills. Attract the people you need
with well defined intentions. |
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What do you wish your prospects would understand
before they talk to you? |
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I wish my prospects understood that the laughter
movement is here and it’s real. If people understood the value
of adding laughter to daily life, they would do it for the health
of it. Without awareness, action is impossible. Ha ha if you do
not know about the benefit of laughter, you are not doing it. When
the concept is understood, the practice is easy. Laughter is a universal
language, no words required. |
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What coming technological advancement do you expect
to have the biggest impact on your business? |
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New technologies make it possible to share laughter
wellness with a wider audience. The ability to connect online provides
an incredible opportunity to learn laughter yoga from the comfort
of our own homes without the need to travel. Attending a laughter
club has never been easier. Teaching laughter yoga online was not
an option prior to March 2020. Online training has made learning
about this simple skill more accessible. Want to experience the
magic of laughing for the health of it? Join me Tuesdays at 9:30
am Eastern Time; details here www.cathysclub.com |
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What misconception do people outside of your industry
hold about it? |
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‘Laughter is the best medicine’ is an
universal expression. People outside the laughter wellness industry
may find this simple approach to de-stress and feel better too simple
therefore dismiss the concept. In order to reap the benefits of
this magic medicine, it is essential to take the ‘pill’
eg. Laugh. When we laugh, we secrete the love drugs (dopamine, oxytocin,
serotonin, endorphins) vs. cortisol when we are stressed. Laughter
is high vibration activity that brings us to the present. Creativity
opens as our brain is oxygenated. Laughter connects us on a deeper
level. When we feel good, we do good. |
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What
do you wish someone had told you at the beginning of your career? |
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What do you wish someone had told you at the beginning
of your career? |
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I wish I knew how important it was to start a laughter
club, for my own health. It is in the practice of something that
it becomes habit. Since adding laughter to my daily health regime,
it has helped me to become more resilient, more joyfilled and less
stressed. I know the benefit of laughing for the health of it. This
drives me to want to educate others on how to raise their vibration,
get more energy, connect better and live more joyfully. I incorporate
tapping, brain gym and other healing modalities. Laughter goes with
everything. |
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What makes you most optimistic about the future of
your industry? |
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I am optimistic about the future of Laughter Wellness
as we have a global mental health tsunami. Laughter gets us out
of stress and into joy. Laughter has many health benefits. Did you
know the brain requires 25% more oxygen than the rest of the body?
Laughter forces us to breathe deep. When stressed, we’re not
breathing properly so our body isn’t getting enough oxygen.
Laughter gives us hope as we connect better, live in the present
and just enjoy life more. Laughter is too important to leave to
chance that’s what give me hope for the future. |
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What belief do you hold about your industry that
is not shared by many? |
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I believe laughter is going to play a vital role
in assisting folks to live a more joyfilled life. Laughter is the
fastest happiness hack. Laughter is the best medicine is a universal
expression. Laughter gets us out of stress and into joy. There are
lots of opportunities to bring this magic medicine to the world.
Laughter raises our vibration, oxygenates our bodies, helps us connect
on a deeper level and brings us to the present moment. |
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