Most Empowering Women | Exeleon's Women Shaping the Future

Embracing Excellence
www.exeleonmagazine.com
Danielle
Gronich
R E V O L U T I O N I Z I N G
S K I N C A R E
MaggieVo:A
Trailblazer
inFinance
andVenture
Capital
IN - FOCUS
IN - FOCUS
SashaLund:
Legacy
Building
andBeyond
Art,
Technology
and Groceries
BY NICOLE BUFFETT
Emp wering
o
WOMEN TO FOLLOW

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Embracing Excellence

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C O N T E N T S
DANIELLE GRONICH
12

C O N T E N T S
NICOLE BUFFETT
30

C O N T E N T S
MORGAN GIST
44

Rev
12 EXELEON MAGAZINE
Danielle
Gronich
FOUNDER | CLEARSTEM

volutionizing
www.clearstemskincare.com
WWW.EXELEONMAGAZINE.COM 13
COVER STORY
Skincare

For longest of time,
the skin care industry has been riddled with
false claims, temporary solutions, and a
marketing strategy that takes advantage of
human insecurities.
Danielle Gronich was no stranger to this toxic
world of skincare. In the hopes of inding a
viable solution for her acne problems, Danielle
faced an emotional turmoil that not only made
her skin worse but impacted her overall
mental well-being.
Similar to Danielle, women (and men) across a
diverse age group have been unable to ind the
requisite answers, let alone solutions to their
persistent skin problems.
However, Danielle Gronich chose to take
ownership of her situation, build her
knowledge base, and empower others with
solutions that actually work!
Over the years, this empowering woman has
built a reputation by helping thousands of
people with her result-driven personalized
approach to skincare. This reputation has gone
on to earn her the title of being The Acne
Guru™.
Today, Danielle, along with her co-founder
Kayleigh Christina, are spearheading a
revolutionary skincare brand – CLEARSTEM –
that is empowering an entire community to
achieve skin con idence.
THE TOXIC CYCLE
At the age of 16, Danielle's skin began to lare
up. However, being active in sports and
exercise, she had a good amount of sweating.
Moreover, she shied away from wearing any
kind of makeup.
But things took a sharp turn for her skin as she
went oﬀ to college. “I stopped playing sports,
had to eat crappy dorm food, started partying,
and was on a birth control that was known for
causing acne (the Nuva Ring),” she recalls.
At that time, Danielle had almost no
knowledge when it came to health or skincare.
“I did what most people do and just covered it
up with makeup and bought a bunch of
vitamins thinking that would help.”
Unfortunately, things only got worse, and the
acne began spreading to her chest and back
areas. Even worse, none of her dermatologists
were able to explain the reasoning behind this
and kept rotating birth controls and putting
her on antibiotics.
This cycle continued for years, and Danielle
ended up having to do Accutane 3 separate
times in her 20s. She remembers, “The
Accutane was very hard to go through and it
only worked for a few months at a time, then it
would come right back.”
Unable to ind a solution, aﬀected her entire
sense of self-worth, which subsequently
impacted her con idence and relationships.
Her mental well-being was shattered, to the
point that she had to take antidepressants.
COVER STORY
14 EXELEON MAGAZINE

COVER STORY

MAKING A CHANGE
Being a student in biology, immunology,
and genetics, it was further infuriating for
Danielle to not have the correct diagnosis
and explanations behind her acne triggers.
It was this toxic cycle of constant
medication and inability to get to the root
cause of her problems that deterred her
from moving forward with medical school.
However, after a decade long struggle with
acne, Danielle decided to feed her curiosity
and re-enter the biology circuit. This was
her irst, among many, steps in closing the
gap in the acne space, left by outdated
pharmaceutical methods.
Soon, she earned her license as a clinical
esthetician and acne specialist. In 2014,
after studying under multiple industry
experts and partnering with bloodwork
specialists, Danielle opened The San Diego
Acne Clinic. Through her holistic approach,
she went on to help thousands of people,
impacting their lives in more than one way.
Her approach was rooted in compassion
and understanding, recognizing that the
impact of acne extended far beyond
physical appearances. By addressing the
psychological, emotional, and social
implications of this common skin condition,
Danielle aimed to heal not just the skin but
also the wounded spirits of those who had
long suﬀered in silence.
Among the many people that Danielle had a
profound impact upon was Kayleigh
Christina.
NEW BEGINNING
Similar to Danielle, Kayleigh faced
numerous issues related to skin, but was
unable to igure out a probable solution.
With Danielle and The San Diego Acne
Clinic, Kayleigh was inally able to clear her
acne without having to sacri ice her health
with harsh chemical intakes and
treatments.
Through their sessions, Danielle and
Kayleigh discovered a mutual passion for
helping other acne suﬀerers and
empowering them with skin con idence.
Together, they went on to form CLEARSTEM
Skincare, a nontoxic, anti-aging and anti-
acne skincare line.
The CLEARSTEM Skincare line is
formulated such that every product treats
multiple skin concerns at once with
remarkable skin improvements seen in
very little time.
THE COMMUNITY
Since starting the company in 2017,
CLEARSTEM has become a multimillion-
dollar business with a loyal customer base
that truly believes in the product.
According to Danielle, she always
envisioned the CLEARSTEM brand to be
successful and eventually become a
household name. “We ARE our target
customer; we are one with them.”
Owing to their high customer success rate,
Danielle and Kayleigh were able to build a
community that grows along with the
brand. She mentions, “We love building our
community! We host free masterclasses
(the last one had over 1,000 signups!). We
are constantly doing Instagram lives and
thoughtful collaborations with other
healthy brands that our customers would
love.”
She continues, “Because education is our
COVER STORY
16 EXELEON MAGAZINE

Meet The Found s
Danielle Gronich & Kayleigh Christina
COVER STORY

irst “product” we have such a
different level of connection and
trust within our community, and we
are obsessed with giving them what
they need that they aren't able to
ind elsewhere.”
An example of this is the acne-
focused telehealth wing that the
company is launching in July! It will
provide the correct lab work and
specialists to identify the root
causes of acne that are overlooked
in traditional western medicine
(like mold, digestive issues, gut
dysbiosis, and more).
She passionately asserts, “Our goal
is for people to be curious about the
inner workings of their unique
bodies and to learn exactly what
they need instead of using band-aid
approaches.”
This genuine care for the well-being
of their community and access to
knowledgeable customer service is
how CLEARSTEM has built its
brand to where it stands today.
ACCESS TO LEARNING
Danielle notes that in recent years
there has been a shifting trend
among brands when it comes to
introducing non-toxic, sustainable
products. She attributes this to
people having the requisite access
to learning.
She explains, “We know that toxins
disrupt our immune system and
impact our hormones, so focusing
on what we can control has become
paramount. We cannot control the
air quality in our city, but we can
control what we eat and put on our
skin, so the focus has naturally
landed there. I'm glad people can
understand these things and make
the choices that feel right for them.”
Similarly, for Danielle, it was this
hunger to make informed decisions
that steered her towards a wealth
of knowledge concerning skin care
and beyond.
She looks back at her journey with
immense gratitude. She says, “I'm
grateful I had the science-brain to
be able to crack the code and the
risk-tolerance to start a company.
This rollercoaster came with a ton
of personal sacri ice but the
mission to help people avoid
suffering is what motivates me
every day.”
For Danielle, the ability to impact
the lives of people with her
knowledge, makes her grateful for
the decisions she has taken to come
this far.
TRANSFORMING LIVES
Moving forward, Danielle is excited
about the upcoming telehealth side
of her company. “Being able to
guide people on which labs to run
and which hormone tests to pay
attention to (and pairing them with
professionals who can make sense
of it) is the thing we have been
missing this whole time.”
She adds, “The trends and data we
see emerge will allow us to help
others more easily so the positive
snowball effect will be huge.”
With compassion as her compass,
Danielle will continue to foster an
environment where authenticity
thrives, insecurities dissipate, and
self-growth is cultivated.
One Book Entrepreneurs Must Read – The 4
Agreements
One Productivity Tool / App that Everyone Should
Use – Having a work journal where you plan your day
and then re lect on it.
One Skincare Myth that you would like to bust – I hate
marketing that says things like “This ONE thing cured my
acne”. Acne is never just one thing, and this is hugely
misleading for people.
One Quote that Motivates you the Most – Everything in
moderation, including moderation.
One Advice for Women Entrepreneurs – Manage your
energy and let boundaries be your best friends. We get
pulled in too many directions and we are afraid of letting
anyone down. Get rid of that have irm boundaries
around your time both professionally and personally.
COVER STORY
Exeleon Shorts

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Exeleon Magazine features some of the
leading players in business and shares
their journey of excellence to inspire
aspiring leaders across the globe.
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Women
SHAPING THE
FUTURE
The Most Empowering
In the realm of entrepreneurship and beyond, women are emerging as
a formidable force, shaping the future of business and innovation.
These women leaders are fostering diversity and inclusion in their
businesses, recognizing the power of diverse perspectives and
experiences in driving innovation. They are championing initiatives that
support and empower other women, creating networks, mentorship
programs, and investment opportunities that level the playing ﬁeld and
bridge the gender gap in entrepreneurship.
Exeleon Magazine recognizes some of these empowering women who
are shaping the future and highlights their stories of excellence
through this issue.
Danielle Gronich Nicole Buffett
22 EXELEON MAGAZINE
E D I T O R ' S N O T E

Maggie Vo
Aishwarya Karnataki Morgan Gist Macdonald
Sasha Lund Kirsty Gordon
Allison Walsh

Maggie Vo
A Trailblazer in Finance and
Venture Capital
aggie Vo's journey from Vietnam
Mto the United States is a testament
to the remarkable strength and
determination she possesses. Born and
raised in Vietnam, Maggie embarked on a
solo adventure at the tender age of 17,
driven by her aspirations to build a
successful career and achieve the fabled
American Dream. Today, she stands as a
trailblazing igure in the inance industry,
serving as the Managing General Partner
and Chief Investment Of icer at Fuel Venture
Capital.
In this exclusive interview, we delve deeper
into Maggie Vo's remarkable journey,
exploring her vision for Fuel Venture Capital,
her ideas related to the gender gap in the VC
space, and her role in empowering women.
Talk to us about your growing up years.
What is your earliest memory as a leader
that you can remember?
I was born and raised in Vietnam. I came to
the U.S. by myself when I was 17 years old
with the goal of building a career in the U.S.
and achieving the American Dream. With a
full scholarship, I graduated from Centre
College with a double major in Financial
Economics and Mathematics.
To take my knowledge to the next level, I
studied for and passed all three Chartered
Financial Analyst exams on my irst attempt.
All of these quali ications propelled me into
being a leader and positioned me well to
tackle the demanding and challenging role
of Managing General Partner and Chief
Investment Of icer at Fuel Venture Capital.
I began my career in inance at Prudential
Vietnam Fund Management, and later,
Prudential Property Investment Managers in
Singapore. Right before joining Fuel Venture
Capital, I was a portfolio manager for a
global long short equity hedge fund. In 2018,
I decided to make a transition from the
public markets to the world of venture
capital since I recognized that value is
24 EXELEON MAGAZINE

General Partner &
Chief Investment Ofﬁcer
Fuel Venture Capital
I N – F O C U S

continually shifting to actors in
early-stage private-market deals.
At Fuel Venture Capital, under my
leadership as the Managing General
Partner and Chief Investment
Of icer, the fund's portfolio of high-
growth tech startups has grown
from four to 33 companies with
$700 million in AUM.
What prompted your interest
and subsequently your foray into
the inance space?
I've always been very academically
inclined, with a particular interest
in math and inance, which lent
itself perfectly to my goal to have a
career in investment, which has
always been my passion. Once I
started my career after college, my
goal back then was to build a broad
understanding of all the asset
classes.
While in my position as a portfolio
manager, managing a global long
short equity strategy, I noticed
assets under management were
inding their way from the public
market to the private market,
technology companies were staying
private longer, and that most public
companies were larger, older, and in
more concentrated sectors. These
reasons prompted me to transition
to the private market, speci ically
towards venture capital, where I
can offer my clients access to
exponential returns. Venture capital
offers exponential returns because
value creation happens at the early
stages of a company's life cycle.
On the other hand, in my current
position as the General Partner and
Chief Investment Of icer of Fuel
Venture Capital, I can be more
hands-on and leverage my
knowledge and experience to help
founders and create an impact on
startup companies.
Brief us about your company -
Fuel Venture Capital. What is the
vision for the company?
Fuel Venture Capital was founded in
2017 in the heart of Miami with a
goal of providing FUEL for the
world's most innovative startups
outside of Silicon Valley and
becoming a diversi ied choice for
global investors to gain exposure to
the creative economy. Today, Fuel is
managing over $700 million over
multiple funds and has a portfolio
of 33 companies across different
sectors and regions such as Terran
Orbital, Betr, Aexlab, Curve,
CookUnity, Recargapay, Lunar, and
Soundtrack Your Brand.
Fuel VC is Industry agnostic and
globally diversi ied in its venture
sourcing, Fuel VC targets
groundbreaking early and late-
stage companies using disruptive
technologies as a main
differentiating factor to transform
how businesses and consumers
transact (Fintech), consume on a
daily basis (Marketplace), how they
work to make a living (Enterprise
Saas), and how they ultimately
enjoy their lives (Entertainment
Tech).
Fuel Venture Capital's "founder-
focused, investor-driven" approach
is led by a diverse team of experts
from the public markets who bring
decades of combined experience in
investment banking, wealth
management, executive leadership,
and entrepreneurship. This wealth
of knowledge and expertise allows
the irm to serve clients with
iduciary rigor and build a powerful
network of investors and founders,
ensuring that it remains at the
forefront of groundbreaking
advancements. Our vision is to
become the top-of-mind Global
Venture Capital Fund known for
ELITE intellectual irepower, work
ethic, communication, results, and
values.
As the Managing Partner and CIO,
what role do you play in the day-
to-day proceedings of the
company?
My days are fast paced with
constant demands from different
groups, whether it be from our
global funds with investors or
portfolio company founders who
live in different time-zones. I am an
active and assertive venture capital
partner; therefore, I like to roll up
my sleeves and get to work to help
with strategy, recruiting,
fundraising, business development,
and more. No day is like the next
and no day is ever boring.
Having been recognized by
various panels and received
multiple awards, how do you
look back at your journey? Would
you change anything if you had a
chance?
I have been recognized as the 26
most important VCs in Miami by
Insider, received 40 under 40
awards from South Florida
Business Journal and was
recognized as an Entreprenista 100
Award Honoree. It's always a
massive honor being recognized by
various magazines and
organizations, but more important
than the honor is the actual work
that goes into the day to day. The
ability to work alongside founders
and leverage my knowledge and
I N – F O C U S

By Nicole Buﬀett
pon irst entering the Web3 space in
Uearly 2021, I, like so many of us,
embraced the great unknown with a
healthy combination of bravery and
insecurity. All of us had no idea what would
happen next personally, politically, or
spiritually.
At this time, I realized that the agitating force
of uncertainty oﬀered an immense gift of
change and transformation. We were all
already out of our collective and personal
comfort zone. We had entered a new territory
of genuine possibility.
Being a traditional painter, I rolled up my
sleeves and instead of mixing paint, I went
even farther out of my comfort zone and
created a twitter account. The twitter account
was my proclamation to meet the world
halfway--leading with the intention to connect
and resist the foreboding isolation of the
pandemic.
My work as a painter up until 2021 had been
nature based and very much centered on
organic physical materiality. As I became
aware of NFT's, I immediately realized the
function and phenomena that technology
could play and create in getting my work into
the world. I experienced this new digital
platform as a means to an end- or really the
means to a beginning.
The irst phase of this era of embracing
technology as a traditional painter relied upon
my willingness to GROW beyond even my
own highly developed identity as a traditional
painter. I realized that what I found the most
fascinating initially about the world of NFT's
and Web3 was this new emboldened
community of people investing in new
concepts of how we do money.
As you can imagine, money is a subject that is
brought up often in my family, however not in
the typical sense - but in the spiritual sense.
One thing we all realize is that where there is
money, there is privilege and there is agency.
There is the freedom to invest. There is the
capacity to choose. There is the power to
create. The irony is that agency, freedom,
power, and creativity do not come from
money. We cannot purchase or buy these
qualities. We assign value through our money
system. Money is the agreed upon external
I N – F O C U S
Art, Technology
and Groceries
30 EXELEON MAGAZINE

object of value. Money allows us to act upon the value
system that exists within us.
As I embarked upon learning and navigating my way
into the new-ish system of crypto currency, I was
instantly inspired and started to meditate on the origins
of our monetary systems and how they function to
re lect our identity as human beings.
This consideration led me to create the concept of my
genesis NFT collection, The Spirit Coin. I was inspired to
create a series of circular hand painted designs that
captured aspects of ourselves that come from the inner
source of our own being.
The Spirit Coin collection represents the equity of
connection versus transaction. The second phase in this
new digital era was the invitation to SHARE more.
Because my work was now being seen on a computer
screen, the story and the content changed and
developed so that the message could be fully received by
the viewers.
Each digital scan of each physical painting on paper
became a special story to tell and an energy to transmit.
The desire to stay connected to my own art making
practice and to also share it with others motivated me to
reach wholeheartedly into this new medium and
embrace the illusion of constraint the screen seemed to
pose. The digital space opened and expanded the
storyline, the meaning and the multi-dimensional
quality of my work. I started to animate my work and
create sound pieces to accompany the images. The
additional layers of movement and sound brought my
work to an even greater life.
While completing my MFA at The San Francisco Art
Institute, a professor presented us with a concept I carry
with me into my practice as a professional creative to
this day. He asked us to consider the extent of generosity
in our work. He asked us to consider if we were allowing
our audience inside of our work. Were we being
generous and allowing our audience to see exactly what
it is that we are creating? Or were we treating our
audience like outsiders? He then proposed a simple, yet
paradoxical question: Does this piece of art have joyful
complexity? What is joyful complexity? Joyful
complexity is the act of embracing our inherent
in luence and control alongside our total surrender as to
how something turns out with a commitment to keep
going until there is joy in the inished product. Joyful
complexity is about the balance between what we know
and the beautiful mystery that drives us to know more.
One of the most intense times of uncertainty was
midway into the pandemic, none of us knowing how
long it would go on and what the outcome would be or
how we would collectively survive. I remember the
simple act of going to the grocery store took on a new
level of joy for me like never before! This was one of the
most exciting parts of the day for quite some time! So,
we come to our inal stage, EASE. The Web3 space
catapulted my vision not because of initial necessity,
constraint, or technological advancement- I have been
catapulted into new levels of creative, inancial and
personal ful illment because of people.
Something I let go of is the idea that I have to do it all by
myself, or that I have done it all by myself. In the West,
there is great emphasis on the culture of hyper
individualism and validation through singular power
structures. In Web3, anyone and everyone who is in the
space knows that we not only need each other but we
thrive when we work together. It's about celebrating
community and connection. The willingness to partner
and collaborate with others in business is one of the
most important evolutionary acts that we can make as
artists, companies, brands and businesses. Learning to
trust in the dynamic exchange and opening to the co-
creative force is an act of faith in our need to be together,
to work together and to live together. Being together is
one of our basic needs as human beings. We need each
other like we need groceries.
Togetherness and groceries, like all basic needs are
meant to be met. As I placed my fully loaded grocery
bags into my car packed to the brim with beautiful food
one recent evening, I was stunned at the depth of my
good fortune. It was then at that moment of deep
gratitude that I heard and realized the word groceries. I
heard it just as I write it here in these three words: grow,
share, ease. It is simple, powerful and true: When we
grow, we create more to share and when we share, we
create an ease based upon the abundance of connection.
I N – F O C U S

Legacy
Building
and
Beyond
Sasha Lund
36 EXELEON MAGAZINE

mbarking on a journey driven
by a profound dedication to
legacy building, Sasha Lund has
emerged as a prominent figure in
the realm of family business and
business family advice. With a
passion that stems from both her
family heritage and future
ambitions, Sasha, recognized as an
award-winning, Forbes-featured
international business leader,
keynote speaker, and serial
entrepreneur, has charted her own
path with the establishment of
Core Values Consulting.
Through this venture, Sasha o ers
unparalleled expertise, guiding
multi-generational High Net Worth
Individuals (HNWI) families in
navigating crucial aspects such as
succession planning, family
governance, and the preservation
of their family legacies.
In this exclusive interview, we delve
into the unparalleled insights and
experiences of Sasha Lund,
uncovering the guiding principles
behind her success and her
unwavering commitment to
securing healthy generational
continuity and longevity for her
clients.
E What according to you makes one a visionary leader?
How do you integrate the same thought into your
leadership?
I have often observed leadership going sideways. The
vision has been there, but the execution has been poor to
non-existent. Results are often devastating, starting with
employees leaving or being made to leave.
Having a vision is far from enough when running a team, a
company or any type of organization. It is – of course – the
irst step. Keep your eyes on the prize, so to speak.
However, for a visionary leader to do what she needs to
do successfully, namely to lead, I believe the secret sauce
is a combination of grit, collaboration and most
importantly – creating a healthy company culture.
Peter Drucker said that “culture eats strategy for
breakfast”. I couldn't agree more. For a vision to be
executed successfully, a leader needs to take on the role of
a ship captain, meaning that the entire leet needs to
know what the destination is, where there are heading,
and that the weather will be unpredictable at times.
However, everyone has a role to play for the ship to reach
its destination safely and successfully. Hence, engaging
employees, understanding their strengths and play to
them, as well as treat them as human beings, that is really
what visionary leadership is about.
For me people always come irst. It does not mean that
there are no challenges or that everybody is happy 24/7.
However, if you create a trusted environment in which
people feel that they are heard and respected, they are
much more willing to face challenges together with you
and will often go the extra mile that is required, knowing
that it is both appreciated and won't go unnoticed.
Talk to us about your growing up years. What is your
earliest memory as a leader / entrepreneur that you
can remember?
Growing up for me was quite diﬀerent from my peers. I
am half Swedish, half Russian and through life
circumstances ended up living in Berlin, Germany from
I N – F O C U S

the age of 11, where I often had
stretches of a few weeks without
adult supervision. This led to me
taking on a leadership role very
early on – leading myself to
adulthood. I have always been
incredibly creative, which I believe
is a core trait of any entrepreneur.
As such, before I turned 12, I wrote
a critique of a movie that was being
shown at the International Film
Festival Berlinale and sent it to
them, resulting me being invited as
a jury member for the children's
section of the second biggest ilm
festival the following year. From
then onwards, I became part of the
ilm festival, while being in school,
doing homework, taking on leading
parts in theatre productions and
playing violin – all in a language I
barely spoke. Although that was
challenging, this challenge is what
helped me grow a curiosity mindset
– about languages, cultures and
people. It also helped me realize
that hard work does pay oﬀ –
eventually. And yes, you will fail. A
gazillion times. But that is ok.
What prompted your interest
and subsequently your foray into
the legacy building space?
Having been raised in a very multi-
cultural family with strong roots in
the ilm and entertainment
community, I was always around
people who “were building
something”. Legacy is an interesting
word – for me it has both positive
and negative connotations. I have
worked with people who build
empires for pure pro it. They do not
build a legacy with the mindset and
thought of leaving anything behind
for their families necessarily, but
rather to be remembered for their
greatness – even if it costs them
their relationships. Having said
that, there are also beautiful
stories: global families that I work
with who have indeed built
empires, made their wealth but
want to leave behind something
that will help make the world a
better place. As cliché as that
sounds, I believe that is what the
world needs more of – especially in
the current post-pandemic climate.
Money makes the world go round
so let us help legacy families build
healthy empires. I love when I hear
stories of family businesses where,
say, the family's lawyer has been
with the family for years and then
the lawyer's son joins. Two legacies
working side by side and hand in
hand. Isn't that beautiful?
Talk to us about Core Value
Consulting. What is the approach
/ process followed by you to
ensure optimal client
satisfaction?
First of all, I do not refer to people I
work with as my clients. In my line
of work, it is incredibly important
to understand each person's needs
and wants. Being able to then
integrate those into the family's
overall vision and mission as well
as the business goals is what makes
it both challenging but also
incredibly stimulating and
interesting. The company is called
Core Values for a reason – I am a
irm believer that if you don't stay
true to your own core values, you
will not succeed at anything in life –
professionally or personally.
Our aim is to guide multi-
generational family businesses, as
well as HNWIs from the sports and
entertainment world on their path
to securing healthy generational
continuity and longevity. What does
that mean? Building a business or
accumulating wealth is hard
enough and requires a vision, grit
and team of trusted companions.
However, growing this and then
enabling the next generation to take
over successfully, is a diﬀerent
animal entirely. Especially when
family members are involved.
For me my ultimate goal is always
client satisfaction. But how do you
measure and achieve that when
working with several members
from the same family? For me it
boils down to one word: trust.
Building trust is a lengthy process,
but one that is necessary. Because
only once trust is established, can
you really get down to the root of
many problems that are often
masked by other – quite irrelevant
– factors. And in the end of the day,
we all want to heal the world rather
than just putting a little band aid on
it. Or – even better: stop the wound
from forming entirely.
Being an award-winning
business leader, keynote speaker,
serial entrepreneur, and
philanthropist, how do you
ensure work-life balance?
This one is interesting…
Being an entrepreneur means that
my mind is constantly spinning. If I
am not with one of the families I
serve, giving a speech or recording
a podcast, my mind is occupied
with writing down new ideas,
improvements of existing processes
I N – F O C U S
38 EXELEON MAGAZINE

or simply jotting down thoughts. I
am a irm believer in disconnecting,
especially from tech devices, such
as laptops, phones and tablets.
Having said that, I very much
dislike the term work-life balance.
Being in the fortunate position of
having my own company of course
comes with plenty of bene its, such
as deciding when I go on vacation,
taking a sick day or sleeping in
sometimes. However, I love the
work I do and as such my mind is
constantly percolating, mostly with
excitement. And because work is
such an integral part to my life, I do
not like separating the two.
Having said that, it is vital to take
proper breaks and I think especially
when you work in a fast-passed
environment and have a stimulating
and demanding job, it usually takes
a while until you are actually able to
disconnect. Hence, I tend to
encourage people to take two
weeks oﬀ at once. For me, usually
the irst week is needed to slow
down and only then am I able to
really “let go”. How do I know? My
body tells me. It often takes a week
until I realize how tense I have
been.
My advice to people would be to
listen more to their bodies. Doing
mindfulness exercises on a daily or
even weekly basis, coupled with
physical exercise and even simply a
coﬀee with a friend can help you
center yourself and relax.
As a global leader, what would be
your advice for women
entrepreneurs trying to spread
their wings at a global scale?
At the risk of saying something
unpopular, I have often observed
that one of the biggest barriers for
women is other women. We at
times create unnecessary
competition, rather than supporting
each other. Surrounding yourself
with a few champions, who will
have your back, help you grow, give
you advice and be your biggest fan
is of course easier said than done,
but it really does work.
When I started out, I unfortunately
had a boss who was holding me
back. She even was bold enough to
I N – F O C U S

tell me that she feels threatened by me.
So, I left. And that was not an easy
decision. However, along the way I found
my mentor, whom I love to bits and who
has been a huge supporter and a
fantastic advisor (thank you, Gregg!):
both on personal and professional
matters. Now, he is a man, and it is
always great to have the support of any
human, regardless of their sex.
Having said that, when I was fortunate
enough to meet my irst couple of female
role models, who started guiding me and
also oﬀering me opportunities, I realized
how I somehow felt a power from within
me that I did not know I had. Having
women supporting other women is truly
magical and invaluable.
What does the future look like for
Core Value Consulting? What are you
most excited about?
I love challenging myself by working
with families with diverse sets of
dif iculties as well as diﬀerent cultural
backgrounds. It excites me to help
individuals and businesses while also
learning about their culture – be it their
family culture or the culture of the
country they are in.
As for what's next, I am working on a
project with a woman I consider brilliant
on something that might be “the next big
thing” for women across the globe. But
you'll have to wait to learn more about
it…
I N – F O C U S
Photographer:
Svetlana
Stoukanevatba.
40 EXELEON MAGAZINE

Exeleon
Shorts
One Book Entrepreneurs Must Read – War
and Peace by Leo Tolstoy. Why? It
encompasses a wide range of human
experience and emotions. As an
entrepreneur you need to be able to put
yourself into other people's shoes while
dealing with your own challenges.
One Tool / App that Everyone Should Use –
Waking Up by Sam Harris (for mindfulness)
and Masterclass (for learning pretty much
anything you want)
One Podcast / Course that you would
Recommend – My own: Legacy Talks with
Sasha Lund, as well as Psycho, Schizo,
Espresso with Bruce Dickinson
One Quote that Motivates you the Most –
“If everything around seems dark, look
again, you might be the light” - Rumi
One Investment Advice that you Follow –
Trust your gut.

The Secrets Behind
Learn the proven strategies and secrets
of successful authors as Morgan Gist MacDonald
of Paper Raven Books shares the path to writing
bestselling books.
From studying sociology to becoming an author to now launching
over 100s of books through your publishing company. What has
been this journey like for you?
Growing a service-based business in an industry that is changing
rapidly has challenged me to create entirely new best practices and
success paths for my authors, from the ground up.
20 years ago, there was no such thing as a book coach. If you pitched an
idea for a book to a traditional publisher and were accepted, you'd
work with the publisher's acquisition editor while you were writing
your book.
Once people were able to self-publish, though, they still needed that
help in developing a manuscript, so they started looking for
professionals who could help with actually structuring and writing a
book. When I started, that's exactly what I was doing, helping people to
organize, write, and develop the content of their books.
Then, my clients started asking me to help them publish their books. I
knew how to write a book and how to edit a book, but I really didn't
know anything about publishing and marketing. So, I wrote my own
book and went through the self-publishing process, tried dozens of
diﬀerent approaches to marketing, and I optimized the process as I
went along.
I N – F O C U S
Writing a Bestseller
44 EXELEON MAGAZINE

Morgan Gist Macdonald
CEO, Paper Raven Books

Now, I've developed best practices
and systems and grown a team of
editors, designers, formatters,
marketers, and project managers,
who all work together on the 50+
books a year we launch at Paper
Raven Books. And with every single
book we launch, we look at what's
changing in the industry, what are
still best practices, and what pieces
can be optimized to create even
better sales, rankings, and reviews
for our authors' books.
Writing a book can be a daunting
task and extremely
overwhelming. Talk to us about
your own experience writing
your irst book.
When I started writing my own
book, I'd recently had my third
baby, so I was typically awake for a
4 am feeding. I would stay up and
write from about 5am to 6am, when
my other two children would wake
up and be ready to start the day. I
spent a couple of weeks just
developing the structure of the
book, and then I wrote the irst
draft in those quiet early mornings
for about two months.
Fortunately, I had worked with
enough clients through writing
their books that I felt fairly
con ident that if I could get
something like 30 or 40 hours of
writing time in, that would be
enough to develop a solid irst draft,
that I could then revise and publish.
For most of the writers my team
and I work with, if we can help
them create a structure in the
beginning, and then optimize each
writing session, something like 40
hours to 80 hours of writing time is
enough to write a irst draft that
would then go through a few
rounds of revisions before being
ready to publish.
As a irst-time author, how can
one gain visibility and attract
media attention to boost their
overall sales?
The place where most readers
discover new books is the Amazon
bookstore, so we recommend that
irst-time authors focus on
optimizing the book's sales page on
Amazon. Choose a launch week,
where you're going to put the
ebook on promotion (free or $.99),
and gather a launch team of 50
people who are going to download
that ebook and leave a review
during your selected launch week.
We also recommend reaching out to
book promotion sites (like
cravebooks.com) to let their lists of
readers know about the new book
that's running an ebook promotion.
When you can stack a couple
hundred sales or downloads of an
ebook in a short amount of time,
it'll pop the title to the top of the
category, which will increase the
visibility of the book. Now, you'll
want to select your book's
categories carefully. In the Amazon
bookstore, ebooks may select 10
categories, so we recommend irst-
time authors ind very niche
categories that are nested inside of
larger, relevant categories.
For instance, if you're writing a
book on leadership, you could
launch the book in the very large,
highly competitive category of
“Business & Money.” The problem is
that if your book is not doing well,
relative to the other books in that
category, you'll fall in the rankings,
and Amazon's algorithm will push
your book to the bottom of the
category.
However, if you launch your book in
a smaller category that's nested
inside of Business & Money, you'll
have a better shot of doing well,
relative to the books that are
speci ically categorized there. So, if
you could choose this category:
Business & Money >
Entrepreneurship & Small Business
> Entrepreneurship.
Your book is then launched inside
of the smaller category,
“Entrepreneurship,” which only
requires 91 downloads or sales to
become a #1. Now, hitting #1 in a
category is fun, and, more
importantly, it triggers the Amazon
bookstore algorithm to show your
book widely in the next category
up, in this case, “Entrepreneurship
& Small Business.”
With this type of strategy, you're
triggering the Amazon algorithm to
show the book more widely in
increasingly more competitive
categories, so you can get visibility
for your book in those larger
categories.
Once your book has at least a
thousand downloads or sales, a few
#1 rankings, and 50+ reviews, now
any additional promotion you do
for the book is more likely to be
eﬀective. Most people who ind
your book online or hears about
your book on a podcast will look at
the Amazon sales page before they
buy, so we want to make sure that
sales page is a high-converting sales
page that's stacked with sales, #1
rankings, and great reviews.
I N – F O C U S
46 EXELEON MAGAZINE

What according to you are the
three biggest mistakes
authors make that impact
their long-term sales and
visibility?
First, authors tend to forget to
think about how readers
actually buy a new book. These
days, most readers are going to
the Amazon bookstore to buy
books. More than 70% of books
(eBooks, physical books, audio
books) are bought through the
Amazon bookstore.
When authors are developing a
book idea, they tend to go into
what I would call an “untested
market,” meaning they haven't
identi ied what readers are
searching for in a book like this.
Reader's search patterns are
especially important. For
instance, when readers go to the
Amazon bookstore and search
for a book, are they really typing
in something like “business
book?” Or are they typing in
something that's a little more
speci ic to their situation, like
“business lessons about failure.”
Turns out, when you do the
research into keywords,
“business lessons about failure”
is searched approximately 1,214
times per month, currently, with
only 84 other books listed with
that keyword phrase. One of the
tools we use to do this is
Publisher Rocket, and there are
other tools, too.
In the context of bringing a new
book to market, what this means
is that if you tag your book with
the keyword “business lessons
about failure,” the book will be
served as a search result to

1,200 people every month—and
not just people, book buyers who
are actively searching for a book
like yours!
Steven Adjei is an entrepreneur,
healthcare consultant, author, and
poet. When he released his book,
Pay The Price, others had
recommended he simply publish a
business book and try to get it into
bookstores, like everyone else.
Steven had some innovative ideas in
his book, including stories about
ethics in entrepreneurship, passion
and pain entrepreneurs encounter
in their journey, plus motivational
poetry woven in and a companion
playlist available for free access.
When we helped Steven publish
and launch his book, we tested the
market, searching for keyword
phrases that would put his book in
front of the right readers, keyword
phrases that included “business”
and “entrepreneurship,” yes, but
also “ethics,” “passion,” “pain.” You
can test the market of your book,
ahead of time, by seeing what your
ideal readers are searching for in
online bookstores.
The second mistake most authors
make is not having a clear way for
the reader to become their
customer, which I refer to as an
“untested customer journey.”
In the book world, by default, the
readers who purchase a book are
customers of the bookstore.
Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and any
independent bookstore will happily
accept the payment and customer
information from a book buyer and
never release that information to
the author of that book.
For many authors, though, being
able to contact those readers is the
best way to grow an author brand
and base of fans. Whether you
would like those readers to become
clients for your back-end products
and services or simply continue
buying the books you release every
year, it's so much easier for an
author to grow when they have a
tried-and-true customer journey
from one book into the bigger
business.
When Dr. Terry Pease published
and launched her book, Love,
Dignity, & Parkinson's, we helped
her include a companion workbook
and journal that a reader could
access for free by scanning a QR
code. Now, every person who scans
that QR code and provides their
email address, Dr. Pease is able to
reach out to and oﬀer additional
coaching to, inside her business.
The third mistake most authors
make is actually in the writing part
of the process, especially because
most of us were never taught how
to structure a book and write
40,000+ words that transition
smoothly from chapter to chapter
in a compelling narrative arc.
For many authors, writing a book is
a little like dumping information
onto a page and hoping the reader
can follow. I call this an “untested
concept.” The author has
accumulated a lot of ideas,
experiences, and stories, but
putting them all in one book does
not always make for a great reader
experience.
When Dr. John Martin irst wrote
his book, Psychology Con idential,
he wanted to provide the reader
with a collection of funny, poignant,
touching stories from his career as
a psychologist and professor. Many
of his patients and students had
had clarifying moments by learning
psychological principles, and he
I N – F O C U S
48 EXELEON MAGAZINE

wanted to create a story-telling
version of that experience. To his
credit, Dr. John had many, many
stories that he could draw on. And
where our book coaching team
helped was to curate those stories
and craft a compelling structure
that guided the reader through a
series of experiences, chapter-by-
chapter. Dr. John's book is a
fantastic read, in itself, and he is
frequently requested to campuses
and events to tell more of his
stories to students, faculty, and
folks interested in how psychology
informs life.
So, those three together, if you can
test your market, customer journey,
and content, will help any writer
develop a book that will sell, grow
your business, and create a lasting
impression for your readers.
How is Paper Raven Books
helping authors gain visibility,
market their book, and most
importantly, ind customers?
At Paper Raven Books, we help our
authors to self-publish
professionally. Our team of book
coaches, editors, designers,
formatters, marketers, and project
managers work with authors, one-
on-one, to write, publish, launch,
and market their books. Our
authors are truly self-published,
which enables them to retain the
creative vision, legal rights, and
pro its from the books.
And we bring our 8 years of
experience and best practices, so
that we can help the author get the
most of their book. We help to make
sure the book ful ills the author's
intention to serve a speci ic type of
reader, who could then work with
the author in a deeper way. We help
to create a customer journey, so
that those readers can easily
become a client or customer of the
author.
We help to optimize the book for
visibility on the Amazon platform,
so that even people who are
discovering the book for the irst
time are eager to buy the book and
leave a review, which builds the
foundation for the books' long-term
sales. We help our authors get on to
podcasts and other peoples'
platforms, so they can spread the
word about their book, mission, and
message.
As the Founder and CEO of Paper
Raven Books, what role do you
play in the day-to-day
proceedings of the company?
I am involved in architecting each
piece of our customers' journeys,
from the ads they see for our
company, to being invited to a
workshop, speaking with one of our
sales reps, and then choosing a
package that its their publishing
needs.
I meet with a few clients each week,
I host an all-client meeting once a
week, and I meet with each
department, to make sure they have
what they need to serve our clients
to the best of their abilities.
What do you think is the future
for the publishing industry?
What role do you think modern
technology will be playing?
I believe that direct-to-consumer
sales is the future for most authors
and readers.
Right now, we buy eBooks through
Amazon because so many of us
have Kindles. What if we were able
to buy eBooks from any website
and instantly, easily drop those
eBooks to our e-reading device?
That would massively disrupt
Amazon's hold on the book market.
At the same time, I believe that
many readers will still want to go to
bookstores, not necessarily to
purchase speci ic books, but for
that experience of browsing
through bookshelves and
discovering something new,
surrounded by the smell of paper,
the sound of an espresso machine,
and the buzz of being around other
book lovers.
Right now, bookstores simply sell
books. I wonder what it could look
like to be a member of a bookstore,
able to browse and while enjoying
beverages, as much as you wanted.
And when you ind something you
like, scan a code and have it
delivered to your device or your
door at the same hour. Something
like that could be very possible with
open-source e-readers, audiobook
apps, and print-on-demand.
Not to mention NFTS, Web 3.0, and
all of the technology that's allowing
peer-to-peer exchanges. Much of
that has yet to be proven in the
broader marketplace, but there's a
lot of excitement about what's
possible with new and emerging
versions of books and bookstores.
So, yes, I'm excited about the future
for authors, readers, publishers,
and bookstores—it's a whole
industry, illed with people who
love books.
I N – F O C U S

Exploring
A F R I C A
Founded by Kirsty Gordon, Anywhere in Africa Safaris is an independent, owner-run tour
operator based in one of the most breath-taking ci es in the world, Cape Town. The
company plans bespoke, luxury travel packages to Southern Africa, East Africa, North
Africa, and Indian Ocean Islands.
What according to you makes one a
transformational leader?
I believe that as a transformational leader you
need to give your employees the independence
to share and make decisions to support new
problem-solving solutions and ways to grow the
company or help to make our clients feel super
special.
How do you integrate the same thought into
your leadership?
First and foremost, as a transformational leader
in the travel industry you need to set a good
example of trust and transparency, not only to
your staﬀ, but to your supplier, partners, and
clients. You do this by being passionate,
enthusiastic, and energetic while focusing on
helping every member in the team to succeed
and think out of the 'travel box'.
An example: I have two incredible ladies who
work for me in my social media and marketing
team. They are young, energetic and have some
fabulous ideas on how to grow my social media
reach and improve our marketing. We have
meetings to thrash out ideas, come up with ''out
of the box'' travel marketing suggestions,
solutions for social media that are not working –
but i always listen, encourage, trust in their
expertise so that we can grow this part of the
business in a positive and specialized manner.
Talk to us about your growing up years. What
is your earliest memory as a leader /
entrepreneur?
I was very lucky to grow up on the garden route
in South Africa in a small town called George.
My mum bought me a pony when I was about 7
years old, and this totally changed my life! I
grew up riding horses, exploring the forests,
mountains, and beaches on horseback with my
friends.
My mum would drop me at the riding club at
8am in the morning on a Saturday and didn't see
me again till she picked me up at 6pm after I had
helped feed the horses their evening meal. My
E X E L E O N E X C L U S I V E
50 EXELEON MAGAZINE

K I R S T Y G O R D O N
CEO & Founder, Anywhere in Africa Safaris

life was carefree, with great friends,
incredible family, and amazing
outdoor locations. However, my
mum struggled inancially as a
single parent as my dad had passed
away when I was about 4 years old.
Often it was inancially dif icult for
my mum to pay for horse-riding
show fees or send me to shows
outside of George, which required
transport, accommodation, and
entry.
When I was about 14 years old, I
remember overhearing my mum
telling my grandmother that she
would love to send me to a show in
Port Elizabeth but just couldn't
afford it that month. So, this is
when I decided to take control of
the situation and I put up an advert
at the riding club to say that i was
making numnahs (which is a saddle
blanket).
My mum had a sewing machine at
home which I had learnt to use as I
had to do needle work / home
economics as school. Suddenly I
had a few orders and then I
decided to make ''chaps'' which are
made of suede/ soft leather to
protect the riders' legs. I made a
full pair for myself and then orders
started coming in. This is how I was
then able to help my mum pay for
some of my horse-riding costs. It
was such a thrill to feel that I could
contribute! Then I got into riding
people's dif icult horses which they
paid me for and then when I was 18
years old, I did my SANEF (South
African Equestrian Federation)
teaching level in order to teach
professionally. Horse riding was a
huge part of my life for many years
and helped sustain me when I was
between jobs or needed extra
income.
What prompted your love affair
with Africa and the wilderness of
the world?
A friend of mine Carolyn Hartley
st
was having her 21 birthday in
Botswana at a camp owned by her
parents (Hartley's Safaris). I was
invited to join her, and this was my
irst taste of a safari and what an
incredible place to experience your
irst safari in the Okavango delta of
Botswana. That was the start of my
love for the African bush!
What is the approach followed
by your company – Anywhere in
Africa - to ensure the most
authentic travel experiences for
your clients?
I am very speci ic with which
venues or ground handlers that I
partner with and make sure that
most of the venues I recommend
for my clients, I have visited
personally.
It is very important to me and
Anywhere in Africa Safaris that we
use and recommend venues that
have the same ethos as we do. You,
our guests are giving back to Africa
by visiting, traveling, interacting
with the staff, getting to know them
as people not just as a place to stay
and experience.
One of my philosophies is that we
cannot change Africa, but we can
change the circle that we create
around us. So, by making sure that
Anywhere in Africa Safaris works
with the right venues, lodges, tour
companies, ground handlers in all
the areas of Africa, we help to
create the right impact within our
circle. We then need you, our
clients, to visit Africa and help us
make the circle bigger as you
become an ambassador for the
continent, to help, understand and
share the changes and positive
impacts that are being made to
support community and
conservation.
Talk to us about your idea of
giving back. Why is it an
important subject for you?
A talkative bird will not build a
nest' sums up our approach to
charity work and 'giving back'. It
speaks to our ethos of 'deeds, not
words', which many of our
traveler's share. We're often asked
by our clients how they can directly
bene it the communities or animals
they've encountered on their
journey. Besides making sure we
use properties that give back to the
community, conservation, and
general well-being of their staff. We
give a portion of each booking
made by clients back to Elephant
Havens which is an NGO in Maun
that we support.
We also encourage clients to speak
to us irst if they want to give back
to Africa as we have many smaller
non-pro it organizations that need
help and are not supported by the
bigger companies. Clients then
know their money is going to
support the right community,
organization, school, conservation
program or charity.
What does a day in the life of
Kirsty Gordon look like?
I normally get to the of ice around
7:30 in the morning to have time to
check emails and do some planning
before we start at 8:30. I am then
involved with what payments have
to be made to suppliers, especially
the USA payments as we have a

time frame to get these actioned by
10am so that the suppliers will be
paid the following day. Then
invariably I have 1 zoom meeting
per day or now that people are
comfortable to interact, suppliers
come to the of ice for product
updates or to introduce me to new
products.
Then working on clients traveling
to make sure all is running
smoothly, answering emails to
clients to help plan their trips.
Often in the afternoon having zoom
meeting with any new American
clients to discuss their wish lists,
budgets, ideas they have for their
possible trip (this is generally in
the afternoon from about 2pm to
6pm due to time zone diﬀerences.
Clients who have paid their inal
payments which are 2 months
prior to their trip – we then need to
prioritize payment suppliers,
inalizing their itinerary set by step.
Then between 5pm and 6pm, I
head home either for a walk or run
with my partner or then make
dinner.
What are you most excited about
in the future, both personally
and professionally?
I am so excited to see that travel is
getting back to normalcy and
people are traveling to Africa! We
have lovely bookings this year for –
South Africa, Botswana, Namibia,
Zimbabwe, Zambia, Kenya,
Tanzania, Rwanda, Uganda,
Mauritius, Seychelles, Zanzibar,
Mozambique, and Ethiopia!
This is how you become an
ambassador of Africa – by traveling
to this amazing continent – this
forms such a positive spin on eﬀect
that helps people, communities,
conservation which then assists in
preventing poaching, helps builds
economies, brings global
opportunities, and much more!
I am excited for the future of
Anywhere in Africa Safaris.
Personally, I love people, I love
Africa, and I love travel, so I am
excited to see how Africa is calling!
54 EXELEON MAGAZINE

Inventing
Possibilities
s a leader, Aishwarya's focus on
Ainspiring and motivating her team
to achieve a shared vision,
communicate eﬀectively, and create a
positive work culture that encourages
innovation, creativity, and learning,
exempli ies the qualities of a
transformational leader. In her role as
CEO and Founder of Glovatrix, she
embodies these qualities and more, with
her work being centered on empowering
the speech and hearing-impaired
community. Her leadership and
dedication are a testament to the power
of passion and hard work in achieving
success and making a positive impact on
the world.
EARLY INFLUENCE
Aishwarya's growing up years in the
United States were marked by a strong
interest in entrepreneurship and
leadership. One of her earliest memories
as a leader and entrepreneur was during a
school fair, where she set up a henna
tattoo stall. Her hard work and dedication
paid oﬀ when her stall was awarded the
prize for the most visited stall at the fair.
Years later, in 2008, Aishwarya had a life-
changing encounter with a six-year-old
deaf boy named Atharva that deeply
impacted her and shaped her future path.
At the time, Aishwarya was in the eighth
grade, and despite her young age, she had
already developed a strong sense of
empathy and compassion towards others.
What deeply moved Aishwarya was the
realization that despite being full of life
and laughter, Atharva was isolated from
all the other kids due to his inability to
communicate with them. While the other
children could hear and speak, Atharva
could not, and as a result, he struggled to
make friends and connect with others.
Determined to help Atharva feel included
and understood, Aishwarya decided to
learn sign language so she could
communicate with him. As she learned
and practiced sign language, she was
struck by the fact that communication is a
fundamental human need, and everyone
deserves to be heard and understood.
I N – F O C U S
Aishwarya Karnataki’s Journey with
the Fifth Sense Translation Gloves
58 EXELEON MAGAZINE

CEO & Founder
Glovatrix

Finally, when Aishwarya was able to
have a conversation with Atharva in
his language, she witnessed the joy
and happiness on his face as he
realized that someone could
understand him and reply back.
This moment left a profound impact
on her, and she knew that she
wanted to use her skills and
knowledge to help others who
struggle to communicate like
Atharva. From that moment on this
became a driving force in
Aishwarya's life.
FIFTH SENSE
Aishwarya's enthusiasm for
electronics and engineering led her
to explore everything she could
about circuits, sensors, and
programming. As she worked on
her inal year project, a gesture-
controlled robot, she devoted
herself to the project with passion
and dedication, learning a great
deal about integrating technology
and human interaction. However, it
wasn't until Aishwarya combined
her knowledge in electronics with
her sign language skills that she
discovered her true calling.
The Fifth Sense Translation Gloves
were born out of Aishwarya's desire
to help bridge the communication
gap between the hearing and deaf
communities. Her devotion to this
project is a testament to her love for
both technology and the human
connection. The gloves, which can
translate sign language into speech
and vice versa, are the result of her
hard work and determination to
create a tool that could enable
easier communication between the
two communities.
Aishwarya's Fifth Sense Translation
Gloves have garnered recognition
and appreciation from the deaf
community, and it has been lauded
as a signi icant step towards
inclusivity. The gloves have been a
labor of love for Aishwarya, who
has spent countless hours
perfecting them. Her passion for
technology and her commitment to
making a positive diﬀerence in the
world are evident in every aspect of
this project, making it a true
re lection of her values and
aspirations.
THE PROCESS AND CHALLENGES
Aishwarya and her team of
engineers and designers at
Glovatrix faced an arduous but
rewarding journey while creating
the Fifth Sense product. The team
dedicated numerous hours towards
research, testing and improving the
prototype, ensuring that it was not
only accurate but also user-friendly.
They utilized a blend of sensors and
machine learning algorithms to
precisely detect and translate hand
movements into text and audio in
real-time.
Apart from the technological
aspects, extensive research was also
conducted to comprehend the
needs, desires, and obstacles of the
deaf community. To gain deeper
insights into their communication
challenges and how technology
could be utilized to enhance their
lives, Aishwarya and her team
conducted interviews with
individuals from the deaf
community and sign language
interpreters.
This research helped them tailor
the product to meet the
requirements of the deaf
community, making it a valuable
tool for their communication needs.
One of the biggest challenges the
team faced was making the glove
lightweight and comfortable for
prolonged use. They had to
carefully select materials that were
both durable and breathable,
without compromising the
technology within. They also had to
ensure that the technology was
accessible to everyone, regardless
of their level of technical expertise.
Therefore, they designed the glove
to be easy to use, with simple
controls and a clear display.
THE IMPACT
The positive impact of Glovatrix on
the deaf community has made all
the hard work and long hours'
worth it. Aishwarya is deeply
moved by the gratitude expressed
by the people whose lives have
been changed by her innovative
product. The memory of Atharva
and the profound impact
integrating communication had on
his life still brings tears to her eyes
and serves as a driving force behind
her passion to continue creating
products that can help those in
need.
As the CEO and Founder of
Glovatrix, Aishwarya is committed
to fostering a culture of innovation
and creativity. She believes in the
importance of empathy as a key
aspect of transformational
leadership and actively listens to
her team members and customers
to gain a better understanding of
their perspectives and address their
needs and concerns. This approach
has helped build trust and loyalty,
resulting in a positive impact on
team morale and productivity.
I N – F O C U S

Aishwarya has integrated her
thoughts on transformational
leadership into her own leadership
style. She began by identifying a
clear vision that aligns with her
values and passions - of
empowering the deaf and speech-
impaired community. This has
allowed her to create a sense of
purpose and direction that inspires
her team members to work towards
a common goal.
To create a positive work culture
that encourages innovation,
collaboration, and learning,
Aishwarya believes in providing her
team members with the resources
and support they need to develop
their skills and reach their full
potential. She invests in training
programs, oﬀers feedback and
recognition, and fosters an
environment where everyone feels
valued and respected. This
approach has not only helped her
team members grow and thrive, but
it has also had a positive impact on
the success of Glovatrix.
As a transformational leader,
Aishwarya is constantly looking for
ways to improve and innovate. She
encourages her team members to
think outside the box and take
calculated risks to drive growth and
success. This mindset has led to
many exciting new ideas and
projects that have helped Glovatrix
stay ahead of the curve in the
wearable technology space. By
promoting a culture of innovation
and embracing new ideas,
Aishwarya has been able to create a
workplace where creativity
lourishes and where everyone feels
empowered to contribute their
unique perspectives and insights.
Her work with Glovatrix has
demonstrated the potential for
technology to enhance human
connections and make a meaningful
impact on the lives of individuals
with communication challenges.
TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERSHIP
62 EXELEON MAGAZINE

IN – FOCUS
64 EXELEON MAGAZINE

DRIVING
RESULTS
—
eadership is a unique and multifaceted
Lblend that inspires and fuels progress.
At the forefront of this dynamic force
are leaders who drive results, the catalysts of
change who infuse their teams with purpose
and determination.
Allison Walsh is an example of a powerful
leader who knows how to drive results to
ensure optimal client satisfaction. In this
Exclusive Interview with personal brand and
business coach – Allison Walsh shares about
her journey and ideas of entrepreneurship.
What according to you makes one a
powerful woman? How do you integrate
the same thought into your leadership?
A powerful woman is ALL WOMEN ALL THE
TIME. The Most powerful woman, though, is
one that sees her passion and her craft
through to happiness and success. The Most
powerful woman prioritizes her needs and
her goals and makes them happen! I hold
myself accountable and teach all of my clients
the importance of happiness and passion in
success, and how it takes action in order to
achieve it all.
What prompted your interest and
subsequently your foray into the
consulting and coaching space?
I started as Miss Florida in 2006 and quickly
realized that I have been able to ind success
in many things that I do. After gaining that
title for myself, I knew I wanted to help
others achieve amazing results pursuing their
goals because I am a huge fan of both
personal and professional development.
I had a few clients that I was working with,
but it wasn't until 2009 that I jumped in and
started treating the company as a priority. My
irst business was truly born during the
recession because I needed to igure out how
to help us dig ourselves out of the hole that
we were in as a result of my husband losing
his job.
IN – FOCUS

I knew I had experiences that I could
share and that there were clients who
wanted to learn what I had to offer, so I
igured out a pricing structure and
started hustling. They were getting
great results and word of mouth
referrals were coming in. I knew it had
even greater potential and so I decided
to partner with a dear friend to expand
the business, which was such an
incredible experience.
In 2015, I returned to a solo practice
and evolved what I offered to reach a
new clientele. Fast forward to 2021, and
my niche has continued to evolve as I
have. In addition to running my own
business, I've built other very successful
businesses along the way. Consulting
has always provided so much joy and I
am eternally grateful to the amazing
clients I've had the chance to work with.
What is the approach followed by you
when offering your services to ensure
optimal client satisfaction?
I am constantly evolving, growing, and
learning. Everything I've ever done or
experienced that's moved the needle is
incorporated in my training and work.
I've seen a lot of coaches pull back and
not share, at the risk of over-sharing
and not having anything new to sell. I'm
the opposite and a complete open book.
I also know how to drive results, and
always give 110% to my clients. If I can't
provide what someone needs, I will
refer them out. To me, results are what
matter and if I am not the woman for
the job, I'll connect you with someone
who is and cheer you on as you chase
your next goal.
What does a day in the life of Allison
Walsh look like? How do you ensure
work-life balance?
4:30 AM: Rise and shine, meditate, light
exercise and journaling.
5:15 AM: Working on a passion project
or something that lights me up and ills
up my cup.
7:00 AM: Getting my 3 kids ready for
school.
8:00 AM: One-on-one coaching sessions
with my clients
9:00 AM: Team meetings and one-on-
ones with my team
12:00 PM: Lunch, meetings and re-
prioritizing the afternoon to ensure
deliverables are able to be completed.
3:00 PM: Grabbing a snack, meetings
and praying that my kids don't zoom
bomb any videos calls (which happens
at least once a week).
7:00 PM: Doing the dance mom shuf le,
picking up and dropping off, and getting
my little guy ready for bed.
9:00 PM: Fast asleep. I'm an early to bed,
early to rise kinda gal.
Balancing work and life are extremely
hard, as I'm sure most of the Fem-
Founder readers know! One of the main
ways that I work to ind balance is by
knowing and understanding what is in
alignment with my goals. This is both
professionally and personally. When I
understand and acknowledge what is
working with me, instead of additional
work, I am able to cut what does not
serve me and focus on what does. I focus
on integration and alignment over
balance.
Looking back at your journey, what
would you have done differently
when starting out?
Stop overthinking and just go for it. I
learned so much when things didn't go
right and one of the biggest lessons is
that procrastination, especially around
launching something new, will never
result in sales (it only delays progress).
I got in my own way,
more ways than I care to
share but now I've
adopted the mentality
that it's better to put
things out there than to
talk myself out of doing
what I know I need to do.
What would be your
advice for women
entrepreneurs in
today's work
environment?
IN – FOCUS
66 EXELEON MAGAZINE

I see way too many women with
brilliant ideas fail at execution - not
because they weren't capable - but
because they allowed their excuses
to be way louder than their WHY.
Once you lay out a plan for what
you want to do and why you want
to do it, the most important and
critical step is HOW.
You grow stronger, more resilient,
and more capable each and every
day as an entrepreneur, and I
promise you will be so impressed
with your results if you commit to
your “why” and “How” and stay
crystal clear on your vision.
What does the future look like
for you and your brand? What
are you most excited about?
This year will allow me to cross an
exciting goal oﬀ my list as my irst
book will be out this Fall! I've
dreamed of this opportunity since I
was a teenager, so I'm thrilled that
it's coming to fruition.
I am also really excited to continue
speaking and contributing, and I've
also looking forward to my
company scaling. Our methods and
approach work, and not only am I
excited to work with new clients, I
am excited to bring new coaches
into the company to help us scale.
Finally, recommend / mention one thing
in each of this category:
One Book Entrepreneurs must read: Scale
of Fail by Allison Maslan
One Productivity Tool that everyone should
use: Jasper.ai
One Mobile App that you use the most:
Instagram.
One Movie / Show that you would
recommend: Schitt's Creek
One Quote that Motivates you the Most:
“The whole point of being alive is to evolve
into the complete person you were
intended to be.” Oprah Winfrey
One Investment Advice that you Follow:
Hire an experienced advisor to help you.
IN – FOCUS

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Most Empowering Women | Exeleon's Women Shaping the Future

Most Empowering Women | Exeleon's Women Shaping the Future

Most Empowering Women | Exeleon's Women Shaping the Future

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