Why Even the Best Leaders Seek Out Professional Coaching: 5 Key Reasons Leadership isn’t a destination; it’s an evolving journey that demands self-awareness, adaptability, and strategic foresight. In today’s fast-paced and complex business environment, the best leaders know that continuous improvement is not just an option—it’s a necessity. Even those at the pinnacle of their careers understand the immense value of professional coaching. Which is why I make an attempt to capture few key aspects for the ‘why’ of this. Enhancing Self-Awareness and Emotional Intelligence One of the most compelling reasons leaders hire professional coaches is to gain deeper self-awareness. Understanding one’s strengths, weaknesses, and blind spots is crucial for effective leadership. According to a recent study published by Harvard Business Review, 95% of people believe they are self-aware, but only 10-15% actually are. This gap between perception and reality can lead to ineffective decision-making and strained relationships. A professional coach acts as a mirror, helping leaders see themselves more clearly. Through targeted feedback and reflective exercises, leaders can develop emotional intelligence (EQ), which is directly linked to better team performance, higher employee satisfaction, and improved company culture. Daniel Goleman’s research highlights that EQ accounts for nearly 90% of what sets high performers apart from their peers with similar technical skills and cognitive abilities. Example: Consider the case of a CEO who, despite a successful track record, struggled with retaining top talent. Through coaching, they discovered that their communication style, perceived as abrasive, was the root cause. With increased self-awareness and emotional intelligence, the CEO adapted their approach, resulting in significantly reduced turnover. Navigating Complex Decision-Making Leadership often involves making high-stakes decisions with limited information and tight deadlines. The complexity of these decisions is only increasing as markets globalize and industries evolve. A coach can provide a structured framework for decision-making, ensuring that leaders consider all perspectives and potential outcomes. According to a report by McKinsey & Company, leaders who engage with coaches are 75% more likely to make better decisions. This is because coaches challenge assumptions, help leaders identify cognitive biases, and guide them through a process that balances logic with intuition. Example: A senior executive faced with the decision to enter a new market might struggle with analysis paralysis due to the sheer volume of data and potential risks involved. A coach can help distil the information into actionable insights, enabling the executive to make a confident and informed decision. Driving Sustainable Growth and Innovation In an era where disruption is the norm, leaders must constantly innovate to stay ahead. However, the day-to-day demands of running an organization can stifle creativity and strategic thinking. A professional coach can help leaders carve out time for deep reflection, fostering an environment where innovative ideas can flourish. Observation from the International Coaching Federation (ICF) shows that 86% of companies report a return on investment (ROI) from coaching, with 70% citing improvements in work performance and strategic planning. By working with a coach, leaders can align their vision with actionable strategies, driving sustainable growth and innovation. For instance, the CEO of a tech startup, overwhelmed by operational challenges, found it difficult to focus on long-term strategy. Through coaching, they learned to delegate effectively, freeing up time to explore new technologies and business models. This shift led to the development of a groundbreaking product that positioned the company as an industry leader. Building Resilience in the Face of Adversity Resilience is a critical trait for leaders, especially in today’s volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous (VUCA) world. The ability to bounce back from setbacks, learn from failures, and maintain a positive outlook is essential for sustained leadership success. Coaches play a pivotal role in helping leaders build resilience by developing coping strategies, setting realistic goals, and maintaining a balanced perspective. According to a global study by PwC, 76% of leaders who received coaching reported improved resilience, enabling them to navigate crises more effectively. This is particularly important as organizations face unprecedented challenges, from economic downturns to global pandemics. Example: During the COVID-19 pandemic, a CFO had to make tough financial decisions, including layoffs and budget cuts. Coaching provided the support needed to manage the emotional toll of these decisions, while also helping the CFO develop strategies for financial recovery and future growth. Fostering a Culture of Accountability and Excellence Leadership is not just about personal success; it’s about inspiring and empowering others. A coach can help leaders develop the skills needed to build a high-performance culture where accountability, collaboration, and excellence are the norms. This involves setting clear expectations, providing consistent feedback, and creating an environment where employees feel valued and motivated. A 2023 Gallup report found that companies with strong coaching cultures experience 21% higher profitability, 17% higher productivity, and 24% lower turnover. By investing in their own development through coaching, leaders set a powerful example for their teams, driving organizational success. Example: A department head struggling with team performance used coaching to refine their leadership style, focusing on clear communication and constructive feedback. This shift not only improved team morale but also led to a significant increase in project completion rates and overall productivity. At the end of this piece, I’d say even the most accomplished leaders recognize the transformative power of professional coaching. Investing in getting a professional certified coaching is not just about addressing current challenges; it’s about preparing for the future. For leaders aiming to leave a lasting impact, the question isn’t whether to hire a coach—it’s when. –Dr. Ankoor Dasguupta

Ancient Resonance: How the Echoes of Rome and Shanghai Guided a Global Life (Part 1 of 3) By Dr Max Caruso We are the oneWe are the fewWe are the manyWe are the other (Musings, Caruso, 2025) I have many powerful memories of my birthplace, Rome. The images are not clear; they are quasi-memories… more like feelings. In my forties, I had occasion to return to Rome, the city that gave me life. On this particular day, standing at the bottom of the Spanish Steps, I gave in to a feeling—an urge to climb the stairs and then follow the road to the left, following these echoes of my past up the rise… as the magnificence of Rome unfolded to my left. With each step, layers of memory peeled away. Upon reaching the summit of Il Pincio, the Pincian Hill, I stood before Rome, open and splendid, eternal, as far as the eye could see, with the Borghese Gardens behind me. Images, memories, feelings and a deep sense of knowing flooded me as my eyes gazed from the terrace over the ochre-domed chaos of Piazza Del Popolo. I decided to call my Dad in Melbourne. ‘Where am I?’ I asked. “I seem to know this place.” My father, a practical man shaped by the horrors of war as a boy and hardened further by the tough politics of Italy in the 1960s, simply replied. ‘Massimiliano, don’t youremember? As a family, we came here often…’ A wave of deep emotion and terrible sadness swept over me… tears coursing down my cheeks, people staring… It was that awful sense of loss, me standing at that most magnificent point, seeing the city of my birth not as a citizen, the proud Roman I have always felt myself to be, but as a lost tourist with vague memories of a life… lost. That moment, on that hill, was a turning point. The beginning of a lifelong search for a frequency that had led my family across oceans, through a life of dislocation in Australia, and finally to an unexpected harmony in the ancient bustle of modern Shanghai. My family left Italy in 1969, part of the great post-war exodus—yes, we too were searching for the promised land. We sailed from the Port of Naples on the famous SS Marconi, in the footsteps of countless thousands. No steerage class for us! Somehow… and my father never explained… we secured the comforts and grace of Second Class, a small but significant act of dignity for the journey ahead.  Our route was dictated by global tensions; the Suez Canal was closed, forcing us on a month-long odyssey around the Cape of Good Hope, with a stop in apartheid-era Durban. We were leaving behind what The Economist of the time would describe as The Italian Muddle: a political landscape of permanent crisis, a state paralyzed by clientelism, and a society cracking under the strain of its own initial post-war Economic Miracle. My parents, who loved their country deeply, sought stability and a future for their children. They could not have realized they were removing their youngest son from the deep, resonating frequency of his civilization. In March of that year, we landed in Melbourne, a vibrant, conservative city that was the antithesis of layered time. Our new life was bewildering, raw, new and defined by a different kind of struggle. In those early days Dad worked for the Good Year tire company, through its relationship at the time with Pirelli. Later, like many men of his time, he sought work in the building industry… the allure of better pay, despite more cavalier conditions. My blessed mother, after an initial stint in the workforce, decided to dedicate herself to her family, her children… a liberating, yet conversely imprisoning, decision. Wogs… that ubiquitous, biting slur still rings in my ear… identifying us as the perpetual other… No matter. I would exact my own revenge on this racist attitude through my own success.  Australia in the 1970s, for all its promise, operated on a different wavelength. It was a young nation, energetically building itself, indeed, seeking her own rhythm and place in the region… an outlier in Southeast Asia. My Roman imprint—that sense of history as a living, stratified presence—had no translation here. This ancient resonance (my term) became a source of dislocation. I felt like a ghost, an anachronism, carrying a silent, heavy stone of history in a land that prized the new. What drives from within? For me, this dislocation became a powerful engine, driving a compensatory discipline. I found solace as an athlete, achieving State and National success. I learned to channel focus into clear, measurable outcomes. My revenge journey began to take form. It fueled a voracious intellectual curiosity, leading me into education, first in the classrooms of Melbourne’s Catholic schools and later as a principal on the international stage in China and the Middle East. My professional recognitions—being featured on magazine covers and named a “Top 50 Global Leader”—were, in a way, a search for a new language of belonging, a way to build an identity that could span worlds, cultures and time. Yet, the fundamental psychic frequency remained untuned. The pivotal, unexpected harmonization came not from professional accolades, but from the most personal of choices: building a life with my Chinese, Shanghainese wife. Decades after that moment on the hill in Rome, I found myself living in Shanghai, at the heart of anotherancient, continuous civilization. Superficially, nothing should have felt familiar. The language, the food, the social rituals were unique. And yet, a profound sense of recognition settled over me. It wasn’t that China was like Italy; it was that it was like Italy in a specific,profound way. It possessed the same depth. I had a word for it now: Ancient Resonance. This is not a term I found in books, but one I coined from lived experience. It describes the psychological and spiritual comfort an individual, imprinted by one ancient culture, can find in another. It operates on several levels. Psychologically, it speaks to Carl Jung’s idea of the collective unconscious—the Roman “genius loci” and the Chinese sense of timeless, cyclical history both act as archetypes, triggering a sense of meaning and belonging in a deep part of the psyche. Sociologically, it aligns with Pierre Bourdieu’s concept of habitus: the ingrained “feel for the game.” The social games of Rome and Shanghai are different, but they are both immensely complex, subtle, and played on a field shaped by millennia of unspoken rules. A child

Software Development Process – It’s Not Just a One-Man Show Many startup founders have misconceptions about building software.For example, did you know it takes more than a single developer to build software?Just like how it takes an entire construction crew to build a house, creating software, especially from scratch, requires a dedicated team of developers, each with a purpose.It’s not just a single person doing everything, several other professionals work hand-in-hand to deliver a product. The Truth Behind Software Development Many believe that a single software developer is enough to build an app for their business, which isn’t necessarily a lie. It’s not entirely true either. Creating an app, just like every other piece of software, is a complicated process. Is it possible for one person to build an app? Absolutely. Is it time-efficient and economical? Probably not. Using the same analogy: if you wanted to hire someone to build your house, who would you trust more? A single person who says they can do everything? Or, would you go with a generated contractor backed by a crew with different specializations? No offense to the individual who could probably do an excellent job building a house without help but numbers always win. Software development agencies are the general contractors of the software world. If you’re a founder, you should know it takes a team of professionals to create software – not just a single person. The Different Roles in a Software Development Team Software developers Software developers are the backbones of software development. These programmers use their skills to turn code into tangible and interactable products. They can either specialize in front- or back-end operations. In some cases, exceptionally skilled software developers can do both and are called full-stack developers. While software developers are wizards, they’re not business analysts nor do they work on the architecture of the software and its security aspects. Instead, they collaborate with other team members as part of a larger workforce that builds the software. Business analysts Where software developers focus on the code and building the foundations of the software, the business analysts take care of the bigger picture. They translate business requirements into technical features and specifications that explain the pain points and functionalities stakeholders need and want to see in the resulting software. What problem/s does the product want to solve? What else can it solve? Does the leadership know what the product can do and what it can’t do? Are there other software that do the same thing? These are just some of the questions business analysts answer in creating the technical requirements they send to software architects as part of the software development process. Software architects Software architects choose the frameworks and libraries the software developers will use for the project or what features it should have to achieve the results end users want. For example, an architect decides whether the software should have microservices or implement multi-tenancy. In a nutshell, software architects in software development are what building architects are to civil engineers in construction. Delving further, software architects are more than just experienced developers who oversee what software developers are working on. They envision and design a “blueprint” that software developers use and follow, containing detailed steps and instructions for building software. They may occasionally help resolve conflicts when developers have different opinions about certain designs and implementations. In terms of hierarchy, software architects are some of the top decision-makers in software projects. Software architects often work closely together with the lead developers. Lead developers Lead or senior-level developers are the ones who receive the “blueprints” from the software architects and help with the implementation based on the instructions given. When it comes to coding, lead developers spend less time writing code. Instead, they create specialized technical tasks and specific steps to execute the architecture defined by the software architects. Typically, this will involve assigning tasks best suited for a particular software developer. Being able to manage a team, guide struggling developers, help set goals, prioritize tasks, and provide guidance are key qualities for a successful lead developer. The lead developers also review the code written by the junior-level developers and request changes if necessary. If it’s the architect’s job to keep every software developer on the same page, lead developers fill that page with the right stuff. DevOps Engineers DevOps, short for “development operations”, is responsible for bridging communication between the operations team and the software developers. They help set up the hosting environments like Quality Assurance, Staging, and Production while building and deploying the software to the same environments. In addition, the DevOps Engineers are tasked with automating this process by creating CI/CD pipelines. CI/CD stands for Continuous Integration and Continuous Deployment. Continuous Integration and Continuous Deployment are separate processes, but both go hand-in-hand in software development. In construction, imagine CI as having a dedicated support team for bricklayers. Each team member (developer) works on their section (code branch) and brings it to the central staging area (code repository). This constant cycle guarantees everyone has equal access to the latest materials (codebase). This reduces instances of conflicts later on. On the other hand, Continuous Delivery (CD) is like having a dedicated conveyor belt or elevator at the construction site. This deployment pipeline takes over every time there’s a new batch of bricks, checking for quality (testing) for quality assurance purposes. The same elevator or conveyor belt then approves the bricks (changes) for transport through other testing floors (staging environments) where they’ll go for further evaluation. After clearing everything, the elevator delivers the final version (release candidate) to the working area (production) where it will be used. Using this analogy, we can see that the CI/CD pipeline, and in turn, DevOps engineers, are important. With DevOps engineers overseeing the software development process, developers can automatically push code to certain source control branches, creating a bundle that goes through final approval before it goes live. Project Managers Project managers watch over all the parts of an in-development

Here Are 9 Ways to Invest in the Health of Your Employees People stay in their jobs longer when their career does more than pay the bills. Workplaces must also foster positive environments that support each employee’s comprehensive well-being. Keep your team happy and help them thrive by reading about these simple ways to invest in the health of your employees. They’ll recognize that you care and appreciate their spot on the team that much more. 1. Encourage PTO Use Recent research shows that 19% of American workers believe taking time off will decrease their chances for advancement in their workplaces. Even if you provide an extensive paid time off (PTO) package for each employee, they may not take the time they’ve earned because they worry about the same thing. People in leadership positions should encourage their team members to use their PTO. Verbal encouragement will help employees take the time they need to rest. They may also appreciate some extra PTO designated for mental health days. No one should sacrifice the vacation time they planned to use for holiday travel if they need extra time dedicated to preserving their mental health. 2. Schedule Fun Outdoor Events When adults engage in outdoor entertainment, their brains produce more endorphins that stimulate happiness and decrease anxious feelings. They’ll return to work in a better frame of mind, which could help them enjoy their jobs more. Those in management roles can schedule quarterly outdoor events for the whole workplace. Order barbecue and host an afternoon lunch party in the outdoor space at your work venue. Everyone could enjoy a rooftop happy hour party on a Friday afternoon or attend a team-building event at a local park. The time spent together outside work will make your team happier and more appreciative of their jobs. 3. Provide Gym Discounts Unless you started your company recently, you likely didn’t build its office space with an in-house gym in mind. That’s a trend that’s more popular for newer companies — but you can still encourage your team to stay healthy by providing discounts for local gym memberships. If your team members can work out on a discount, their exercise routines will strengthen their immune systems, muscles and stamina to foster improved long-term health. This option also includes any remote team members who may feel left out of your workplace upgrades. Consider giving discounts with national chain-brand gyms so your remote employees can find a location in their hometown to utilize too. 4. Stock Healthy Snacks and Drinks Your team members may need the occasional morning or afternoon snack to remain productive. The body turns protein-rich foods into amino acids that supercharge bodily functions like cognitive reasoning. Snacks can also energize employees who may need more sleep. Stock healthy snacks and beverages in the office kitchen to invest in the health of your employees. They’ll appreciate the low-fat or all-natural alternatives to vending machine foods that cause blood sugar crashes while they’re still on the clock. 5. Upgrade the Office Air Filters Viruses can spread quickly in office settings. Although there’s nothing you can do to stop the flu from spreading when someone comes to work with a bug, air filters can reduce the odds of everyone calling out sick simultaneously. Look into upgrading the HVAC filters in the office. Finer filter grades will catch airborne particles that would otherwise make employees sick. You can also install air purifiers around the office. These efforts will keep your team healthier and even minimize discomfort related to allergens and dust in the office. 6. Open the Blinds Keeping the blinds drawn shut during the workday might be useful during slideshow presentations, but your employees would benefit from more sunlight. Research shows that vitamin D derived from sunlight can regulate the cardiovascular system, preventing heart disease. Open the blinds each morning to flood your workspace with sunlight. Everyone will benefit from the extra vitamin D and feel happier basking in the warmth while working at their desks. 7. Schedule Individual Check-Ins People enjoy their jobs more when their work isn’t overwhelming. A challenging workload will deteriorate anyone’s mental health, so it’s crucial for team leaders to schedule check-ins with each of their employees. During these check-ins, discuss their feelings about their current workload and if they’re more stressed than usual. The daily routine that felt right six months ago may feel like a struggle now if their personal life became more challenging during that time. Shifting responsibilities around is always possible so the workplace doesn’t trigger burnout. 8. Include Mental Health Coverage Employee health insurance plans often include coverage for visits with mental health professionals, but that isn’t always the case. Double-check that your workplace covers therapy with its available coverage. If it isn’t available, changing the available plans or providing a mental health stipend could help your team members get the support they need to thrive. 9. Arrange a Professional Cleaning Schedule Wiping the kitchen counters down at the end of each workday is one way to keep the workplace clean. Professional cleaners will do a more effective job by using high-end sanitizing products on shared surfaces and bathrooms. Consider hiring a professional cleaning team for regular visits. It’s extra helpful to have their support during flu season. Your office won’t have as many viruses or bacteria, so everyone can stay healthy all year long. Invest in Your Team’s Health Anyone can invest in the health of their employees by using tips like these to care for everyone’s mental and physical health. Every effort makes the workplace more welcoming so your team works harder without sacrificing their well-being. This is a post by Ava Roman, Managing Editor of Revivalist. When she is not writing you’ll find Ava in a yoga class, advocating for body positivity, whipping up something delicious in the kitchen, or smashing the patriarchy.

Empowering Women Through Memorable Domain Names: Driving Female Entrepreneurship By Kim Michener, Identity Digital and James Brown, GoDaddy Registry Female entrepreneurship is a dynamic force shaping the business landscape, with women making significant contributions across various industries and leaving an indelible mark on the entrepreneurial ecosystem. In today’s digital era, where a compelling online presence is essential for success, women entrepreneurs recognize the pivotal role of a memorable domain name in establishing a distinct brand identity, enhancing search visibility, and creating a lasting impression on potential customers. By leveraging the power of a well-chosen domain name, these entrepreneurial women further solidify their online presence and make a memorable impact in their respective industries. In this article, we explore the impact of new web addresses, provide key tips, and highlight a few inspiring stories of women who have leveraged the power of memorable domain names to propel their businesses and gain well-deserved recognition. Why Web Addresses Matter A website is often the first point of contact with potential customers, and a unique web address can make a positive first impression. Using keywords in domain names can help customers remember and find the website, particularly in a crowded market. As businesses grow, domain names become critical to defining the brand and standing out. Boosting SEO with a Meaningful Web Address       A good web address can improve SEO by including relevant keywords on both sides of the dot. A clear and concise web address can help convince Google and Bing search engine algorithms that the website is a valuable resource on that topic. Registering the Perfect Web Address       Registering a web address is important for any startup. To do it right, select a reputable registrar or hosting company like GoDaddy, Name.com, or your favorite domain seller. Evaluating prices and features, including privacy protection and website-building tools, can help make an informed decision. Choosing a domain extension that aligns with business needs and target audience is essential. The proliferation of new web address extensions such as .photo, .studio, .live, .us, .club, .co (among others) gives startups many options. Remembering to renew the domain name registration before it expires is vital to avoid losing it. Inspiring Stories of Women Entrepreneurs Who Chose Memorable Web Addresses       Turning Tragedy into Action: blackwomenlead.black Shannon Morton founded Black Women Lead to amplify the voices of black women and underrepresented communities. Triggered by the tragic murder of Breonna Taylor, the organization has initiated programs addressing various community needs. Shannon attributes her domain name blackwomenlead.black to better marketing, branding, and improved SEO. From Scrappy Beginnings to a Nation’s Favorite: cool.haus LGBTQ+ Coolhaus founders Natasha Case and Freya Estreller turned their ice cream truck into the top women-led ice cream company in the U.S. Representing positive change and pushing the envelope, Coolhaus offers high-quality ice cream and plant-based novelties that cater to diverse tastes. The domain name cool.haus embodies their unique, innovative approach to ice cream using both sides of the dot. Empowering Women through Style: armoir.style Ambika Singh, founder and CEO, built Armoir for busy, stylish women who want a hassle-free shopping experience. The domain name armoir.style captures the essence of their service providing personalized rental closets of designer brands. This creates an instant connection with their target audience. The Authentic Headwrap Experience: thewrap.life Nnenna Stella founded Wrap Life to offer inclusive, functional, and intentionally designed hair accessories. The domain name thewrap.life captures the lifestyle aspect of the brand, and Nnenna credits the change to this domain with doubling its sales. Changing the Tech Industry’s Status Quo: adaslist.co Ada’s List is an online community of women and non-binary professionals in the tech sector who aim to change the industry’s status quo. Co-founder Merici Vinton chose the adalist.co domain for its non-corporate, internationally recognizable appeal, which resonates with Ada’s List’s global membership. Showcasing Colombian Craftsmanship: oropendola.co Carolina V’elez brought Colombian craftsmanship to the world with her fashion brand, Oropendola. Designing garments that make women feel powerful, Carolina chose the oropendola.co domain for its international recognition and connection to her Colombian roots. A Globally Recognized Entrepreneur Photographer: naina.co Naina Redhu wanted an internationally recognizable domain to showcase her entrepreneurial photography skills, and naina.co was the perfect fit. The domain highlights her unique talent and aligns with her global aspirations. Looking Ahead As these female entrepreneurs continue to make their mark in their respective industries, they inspire and empower the next generation of women striving to build successful businesses. With a relevant web address and a strong online presence, women entrepreneurs contribute to the ever-evolving entrepreneurial landscape, driving innovation and making a meaningful impact.

Role of Neuromarketing – Consumer Mindset and Influencing Purchase Decisions Neuromarketing has become a game-changer in the marketing landscape, offering unprecedented insights into the consumer mindset and decision-making processes. With the advent of advanced neuroscience techniques, marketers can now delve into the subconscious drivers that influence purchasing behaviours, allowing for more effective and targeted marketing strategies. In this article I observe some of the nuances of neuromarketing under 3 headers, focusing on its role in understanding consumer mindset, decision-making, and its impact on purchase decisions. Understanding the Consumer Mindset The consumer mindset is a complex web of cognitive and emotional processes that dictate how individuals perceive, process, and respond to marketing stimuli. Traditional marketing approaches often rely on surveys, focus groups, and observational studies to gauge consumer preferences. However, these methods can be limited by biases and the inability to capture subconscious responses. Neuromarketing, by contrast, employs techniques such as functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI), Electroencephalography (EEG), and eye-tracking to directly measure brain activity and physiological responses to marketing stimuli. These tools provide insights into how consumers react on a subconscious level, offering a more accurate depiction of their true preferences. For example, a study published in the Journal of Consumer Psychology found that fMRI scans revealed heightened activity in the brain’s reward centres when participants were exposed to branding associated with positive emotions. This neural activity correlated with a stronger preference for those brands, even when participants were not consciously aware of their bias. Such findings underscore the importance of emotional resonance in branding, as consumers are more likely to engage with brands that trigger positive emotional responses. In 2023, a paper from the Journal of Neuroscience, Psychology, and Economics highlighted the role of the brain’s limbic system, particularly the amygdala, in processing emotional responses to advertisements. The study found that emotionally charged ads—whether evoking joy, fear, or nostalgia—were more likely to be remembered and acted upon, compared to neutral ads. This reinforces the idea that understanding the emotional underpinnings of the consumer mindset is crucial for crafting compelling marketing messages. Consumer Decision-Making: The Neurological Pathways Consumer decision-making is a multifaceted process influenced by both rational and emotional factors. Neuromarketing research has shown that the majority of purchase decisions are made on an emotional basis, with rational justification following post-purchase. This contradicts the traditional view that consumers engage in a rational evaluation of options before making a decision. A landmark study by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) demonstrated that the brain’s prefrontal cortex, which is responsible for complex decision-making, often defers to the more primal limbic system when it comes to making purchase decisions. The limbic system, which governs emotions, memories, and arousal, can override rational thought processes, leading consumers to make decisions based on how a product or brand makes them feel, rather than its logical benefits. For instance, the use of scarcity marketing—where products are presented as limited in availability—triggers a fear of missing out (FOMO) in consumers. Neurological studies have shown that scarcity cues activate the brain’s insular cortex, which is associated with anxiety and urgency, prompting consumers to make quicker, often impulsive purchase decisions. Recent data from a 2024 study published in Nature Communications reveals that 90% of consumer decisions are driven by subconscious influences, highlighting the importance of neuromarketing techniques in uncovering these hidden drivers. Marketers who understand and tap into these emotional and subconscious cues can significantly enhance the effectiveness of their campaigns. Impact on Purchase Decisions: Neuromarketing in Action The ultimate goal of neuromarketing is to influence purchase decisions by aligning marketing strategies with the underlying neurological and psychological processes of consumers. By understanding what drives consumers at a subconscious level, marketers can create campaigns that resonate more deeply and lead to higher conversion rates. One of the most effective applications of neuromarketing is in sensory branding, where brands use sensory cues (such as colours, sounds, and smells) to evoke specific emotional responses. For example, the color red has been shown to increase arousal and urgency, making it a popular choice for clearance sales and discount promotions. A study in the Journal of Marketing Research found that red backgrounds in online advertisements increased click-through rates by 34%, compared to blue backgrounds, due to its ability to evoke excitement and urgency. Another example is the use of music in retail environments. Research published in the Journal of Retailing in 2023 found that slow-tempo music in stores led to longer shopping times and higher spending, as it induced a relaxed state in consumers, making them more inclined to browse and purchase. On the other hand, fast-tempo music increased the pace of shopping but resulted in lower spending, as consumers were more likely to make quick decisions and leave. Neuromarketing has also been used to optimize product packaging. A study by the Journal of Consumer Research revealed that consumers are more likely to choose products with packaging that triggers a positive emotional response, even if the product itself is similar to others in terms of quality and price. For example, a toothpaste brand that used smooth, rounded packaging saw a 27% increase in sales, as the design subconsciously conveyed softness and care, aligning with consumers’ desires for a gentle product. Furthermore, neuromarketing techniques have been employed in digital marketing to optimize website design and content. Eye-tracking studies have shown that consumers’ attention is primarily focused on the top left corner of a webpage, leading to the development of the “F-pattern” design, where key information and call-to-actions are strategically placed in this area. This design approach has been proven to increase user engagement and conversion rates, as it aligns with natural viewing patterns. At the end of this piece, I’d say that neuroscience offers a profound understanding of the consumer mindset and decision-making processes, providing marketers with the tools to craft more effective and targeted strategies. By leveraging insights from neuroscience, marketers can create campaigns that resonate on a deeper emotional level, ultimately influencing purchase decisions and driving business success. The

Stop Bias Before It Starts: Why AI Gatekeepers and Generative AI applications (ChatGPT)  Need to Invest in Bias Prevention Centers In an era when most business work environments are constantly changing because of digital transformation, job uncertainty, labor shortages, and new pandemic-related hybrid or part-time work arrangements, AI-powered algorithmic automation has taken on the role of managerial gatekeeper. While some business leaders suggest this is the best time to invest in AI automation and digital transformation, it is also important to invest in an innovative bias prevention center. There is a growing interest amongst tech Venture Capitalists (VC) to invest in generative AI applications. When Microsoft chatbot Tay came to market it was quickly shut down due to pushback. Many express concerns about the AI avatar Lensa’s image generation of Asian women. Bias prevention would help high-performance organizations and tech giants to achieve their goal of making their organizations more diverse and inclusive. This is at a time when the White House recently stressed the need to make AI algorithms safer and to prevent AI biases as more businesses move to AI-based systems. With the recent launch of ChatGPT, an AI platform developed by OpenAI, where customers can get answers on just about anything from finding a simple food recipe to learning how to code a website, some comment that it is a revolutionized search engine and would be better than google. Yet there are concerns that such an AI chatbot can lead to more harm than benefit and thus requires specialized and advanced supervision to prevent harm and bias in such advanced AI applications. The informational data for developing apps, chatbots or automation and transformation of services requires gatekeepers. Historically, the gatekeeper is a concept Prof. Thomas Allen of MIT’s Sloan School of Management introduced in 1969, recognizing that gatekeepers are essential in guarding the information from going out of an organization as well as coming into an organization. But today’s gatekeepers may be AI agents, specialized generative AI chatbot, powerful AI algorithms, or algorithmic automation. They are more efficient than humans, cheaper to implement, and more reliable.Several industries use AI algorithms as gatekeepers, including banks that use AI-automated systems to screen individuals and determine their eligibility for loans and mortgages and to determine credit card limits. There are pros and cons to this approach. AI algorithms function as gatekeepers for the bank loan system, which can very efficiently approve or reject an application within minutes. Applications are available to customers 24/7 all year round and thus can benefit both the banks and the customers. AI-powered algorithms provide convenience to customers, lower the cost of operations, and lower the chances of mistakes. According to an Accenture report, “banks can achieve a two to five times increase in the volume of interactions or transactions with the same headcount.” However, there are concerns for potential racial bias embedded in these algorithms. Some banks approved only 47% of applications for homeownership from Black applicants compared with 72% from White applicants, according to a Bloomberg report. If the gatekeeper algorithms are trained using biased data—for example, using a dataset with a majority of African Americans who have lower FICO scores—there is a higher chance that members of certain low-income and racial groups may never be approved. Many hospitals and clinics are using AI algorithms to triage patients more efficiently and navigate them to the appropriate physicians, thereby using AI as a managerial gatekeeper. The Mayo Clinic, for example, used an AI patient triage system during the pandemic to determine the patients’ need to come to the hospital based on urgency. If this system is biased, certain populations may not get access to care. Almost all of the big tech giants are using conversational AI chatbots, which serve as gatekeepers, in their retail businesses. One prominent example is Amazon, which uses chatbots to help customers track down lost and delayed packages. If their voice detection system is biased, service may be efficient for only certain groups depending on accent or race. Since organizations and tech giants using AI-automated gatekeepers must avoid bias, there is a dire need for an innovative AI bias prevention and screening center. The center would help prevent bias from the start and would create new jobs in the industry. Attention should be focused on the algorithms with embedded human biases. An innovative AI bias prevention center would include three departments. The first would be an algorithm screening, or a data screening and data bias detection department to search for bias. Data scientists need to hire and train a diverse team responsible to develop the raw data collection and screening protocols. The biases in an algorithm originate from the data used to feed and train the algorithm for certain tasks; so data needs to be screened from the start. This would be a crucial step to detect bias before it appears in the system. Additionally, an algorithm monitoring department would develop bias detection software tools after the algorithm is developed. By using specialized responsible AI software tools capable of detecting bias in the system, there can be specialized filters that can control the image generation in apps like Lensa or detect hallucinations in applications like ChatGPT. Finally, the third would be an algorithm testing needs human supervision department. Algorithms come with a black box that presents a hurdle, but there are creative ways to detect bias. The diverse and inclusive team needs to be tasked with designing, performing, and analyzing experiments and protocols for testing and checking on the gatekeeper algorithms. The organization’s leadership team can be part of this supervision to prevent bias in a more efficient and regulatory manner. At a time when most tasks will be automated in order to save money and provide faster, more convenient, and more efficient services, there is an urgent need for AI bias prevention centers that can make the existing gatekeepers and new specialized chatbots and apps entering the market more accepting, efficient, transparent and inclusive. AUTHOR: Sahar Hashmi, MD-PhD, is CEO of Myriad Consulting LLC, and a Faculty Instructor at Harvard University and a

OUR JOURNEY FROM PASSION TO COMPASSION Our journey started with passion. When our founder, Arvind Ghorwal, was in college, he learnt that it’s very important to be passionate about what you do, because work fills a large part of our lives and if we love what we do, then life becomes blissful. Years rolled on, our founder became much wiser and he started becoming more compassionate towards the life that we are exposed to. We are not living in a world of individuals, we are living in a living cosmos, where we are a very small part of a very big picture. We do experience life as an individual, but all our actions influence life around us in some way or another. It’s very important to preserve this planet for ourselves and future generations. We need to conduct an audit of our actions and analyse if we are making the life around us better or miserable.  When we speak about life, we include everything from a tree, an insect, a grasshopper,a dog, a cow, a bird, a fish to a human being. We do have human rights, but we should also have plant rights, insect rights, animal rights, etc. They have all come here to experience life and we have no right to take it away. They need to be given the space,the resources and everything required for their well-being. The way the human population and our activities are growing, other living beings are finding it very difficult to find space for themselves. They do not even get the resources required for their survival. The cows, when they are of no use, are left unattended and they just roam in the city, finding it difficult to survive.  We have built some Gaushalas where such cows are taken care of, but many others still need help. Similar is the story of the street animals, birds and other living beings coexisting with us. We need to be compassionate about them and we should not lose any chance of taking care of them as well.  We are filling our stomachs, but we should also fill the stomachs of less fortunate human beings, animals and birds around us. We should do as much as we can for them, so that their survival is also taken care of. We need to be very conscious of their well-being as well. If all human beings took care of all the other living beings around them, then we would have a much better world to live in.  If we want to transform our life and the life around us, we should also get rid of the compulsiveness that exists within us. You can be compulsive about having a tea or a coffee, for many a day doesn’t start before you have a tea or a coffee.  You can be compulsive about using foul language when you get angry or, for some, it is just fun. You can be compulsive about using Facebook or any other social media. There are many who are compulsive about drinking alcohol or smoking cigarettes. The more compulsive you are towards these things, the worse it becomes.  Most human beings become compulsive about various things till they reach adulthood. And to go beyond this compulsive behaviour is not so easy. Compulsive behaviour and animal behaviour do not have much difference.  But, when you are conscious or aware of everything that is happening within you, you are capable of experiencing a life of full attention, awareness and consciousness. You are able to understand what’s happening within you and outside of you. If someone abuses you, you don’t just abuse them back. When your actions are not just a compulsive reaction but a conscious action. Once you start eliminating this compulsive behaviour from your life, you start transforming yourself. You become a better version of yourself. When you completely get rid of the compulsive behaviour, you transform into “A new you”. Now, all your actions arise from conscious decisions.  The journey from compulsiveness to consciousness is what makes this life incredible. It’s like you have evolved from a human being to higher possibilities which are not in the realm of human perception. It takes more than just five senses to experience this dimension of existence.  This existence of full consciousness is called Samadhi. You might have seen Lord Shiva or Buddha in a meditative pose or the Samadhi pose where they are experiencing life at its peak.  Would you not want to get out of the compulsiveness and start living a life of consciousness? Would you not want to experience a new you?  Then the journey starts now!  About the Author – Arvind Ghorwal is an alumnus of IIT Mumbai. He initially started working for a start-up founded by his seniors and friends, where he led teams which executed operations in Tier 1 cities in India, using the latest visual technologies like VR/ AR, 360 and drones. He then founded Elysian Studios, which creates blissful experiences in Virtual Reality

Top 5 Cybersecurity Trends to Watch Out for in 2023 Staying Vigilant in Today’s Digital World By Alexander Falatovich, Senior Cyber Security Threat Analyst, Identity Digital In today’s digital world, cybersecurity is more important than ever. With the rise of new technologies and increased internet use, cybercriminals have more opportunities to exploit vulnerabilities and steal sensitive data. As we move into 2023, we can expect a continuation of existing cybersecurity threats and the emergence of new threats that use the latest technologies. Here are five cybersecurity trends that we are likely to see in 2023. Use of generative AI tools. The use of generative AI tools, such as ChatGPT, is on the rise. These tools make it easier for cybercriminals to create malware and phishing lures, even with limited technical skills. As a result, we can expect more sophisticated attacks that are harder to detect. It’s important to note that while generative AI tools can be used for both legitimate and malicious purposes, the key is to be aware of the potential risks and take the necessary precautions to mitigate them. To combat this threat, companies need to focus on security awareness training for employees, coupled with protection at the edges of their network to reduce inbound attacks and block outbound traffic related to successful infiltration. Smishing attacks. Smishing attacks have become increasingly common in recent years, with cybercriminals taking advantage of the prevalence of mobile devices and the increasing use of text messaging for business communications. These attacks are similar to traditional phishing attacks, but instead of being delivered via email, they are sent as text messages to the victim’s mobile device. Smishing attacks trick the victim into divulging sensitive information or clicking on a malicious link. In 2022, smishing attacks saw a significant rise, which is expected to continue in 2023. With more people working remotely and using personal devices for work purposes, cybercriminals are taking advantage of the increased attack surface to target employees and gain access to sensitive information. To reduce the risk of smishing attacks, companies should implement strong authentication protocols, such as multi-factor authentication (MFA), to ensure that employees are who they say they are when accessing sensitive information. Additionally, companies should educate employees on the importance of staying vigilant and cautious when receiving text messages from unknown sources. It’s also important to keep mobile device software updated and install security software on these devices to help detect and prevent smishing attacks. By taking these steps, companies can reduce the risk of smishing attacks and protect themselves and their employees from cyber threats. Expansion of Multi-Factor Authentication attacks. In 2023, we expect to see an increase in multi-factor authentication or “MFA” attacks, particularly in push spam and man-in-the-middle attacks. In push spam attacks, the attacker sends many push notifications, overwhelming the user and tricking them into approving these, which then gives the attacker access to the user’s account. In man-in-the-middle attacks, the attacker intercepts the user and server communication and obtains the user’s authentication information. To combat these attacks, developers will likely move towards more resilient forms of additional authentication, such as hardware tokens. Hardware tokens generate a unique, one-time password that must be entered along with a user’s regular login credentials. This provides an additional layer of security, as the password changes every time the user logs in, making it harder for attackers to access the user’s account. Additionally, companies should educate their employees on the importance of not approving push notifications or entering authentication information in unsolicited pop-ups. They should also implement proper security measures to prevent man-in-the-middle attacks, such as encrypting communication channels and monitoring suspicious activity. Increased package impersonation attacks. Supply chain attacks have become an increasingly prevalent method cybercriminals employ to compromise systems and gain access to sensitive data. In 2023, we expect an increase in package impersonation attacks via public repositories. These attacks involve cybercriminals creating fake packages that mimic legitimate ones in public repositories such as NPM, RubyGems, and PyPI. When developers unknowingly download these fake packages, they inadvertently install malware or other malicious code onto their systems. These attacks can have serious consequences, allowing cybercriminals access to sensitive data and compromise systems. To reduce the risk of these attacks, companies must expand verification and software composition analysis to identify threats. Verification involves ensuring the downloaded package is genuine, not fake or malicious. Companies should implement verification procedures that check the package’s cryptographic signatures and authenticate their sources. They should also verify the package’s integrity and dependencies to ensure they have not been tampered with. Software composition analysis involves examining the package’s components and dependencies to identify any vulnerabilities or security issues. Companies should conduct a thorough analysis of software composition to detect suspicious or malicious code within their packages. Increased attacks focusing on APIs APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) have become essential in modern software development, allowing applications to interact with each other and share data. However, this increased reliance on APIs has also led to attacks focusing on insecure APIs. Cybercriminals can exploit vulnerabilities in APIs to steal data, compromise systems, or launch attacks on other applications or networks. In 2023, we expect more sophisticated attacks that target APIs. These attacks may exploit vulnerabilities such as SQL injection, cross-site scripting (XSS), or other injection-based attacks that someone can use to access sensitive data or compromise systems. Cybercriminals may also use social engineering tactics to trick users into divulging sensitive information or accessing malicious APIs. To combat this threat, companies should implement strong authentication protocols, such as OAuth, to control access to their APIs. They should also regularly review their access control lists to ensure that only authorized users can access their APIs. Proper encryption of API data, such as using Transport Layer Security (TLS) or Secure Sockets Layer (SSL), can also help to protect sensitive data in transit. In addition, Companies should perform regular vulnerability assessments and penetration testing to identify and address any vulnerabilities in their APIs. This testing should include both manual and

Healthcare System Reimagined in Metaverse This weekend, I watched the movie ‘Free Guy’ with my friend and her little brother in his early teens who is a fanatic about video games, the metaverse, non-fungible tokens (NFTs), and cryptocurrency. We discussed whether there will be any place for healthcare, clinics, providers, etc., in the metaverse. His opinion was that “it’s an ideal world, and no one gets sick in the fantasy virtual world. Our avatars and creations will all be happy and healthy unless the games are designed around real-world scenarios where the avatars might get sick and would need to go to see a doctor.” Then he said, “Would you be my avatar doctor in my metaverse world?” After an hour of discussion with my friend and her brother, I was left with a couple of realizations:  1) My friend’s little brother was crushing on me; his question was his way of imagining me with him in his metaverse world.  2) My friend (who is also a physician) and her brother were completely clueless about what benefits the metaverse could potentially bring to the healthcare system. Simply put, there will always be pros and cons to any artificial intelligence (AI) application. The same is true for the metaverse and NFTs as well. In this write-up, I will take the opportunity to discuss three potential benefits of the metaverse in the healthcare world (mental health, virtual visits, and pharmaceuticals) and their potentially harmful effects, while acknowledging there might be plenty of possible applications than those discussed here. What is a metaverse and NFTs? First, let us discuss what the metaverse and NFTs are in layman’s terms. As most of us know by now, the word “metaverse” came from the science fiction novel Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson in 1992. It is a digital world that allows humans to take on the forms of avatars and relish their parallel virtual life. In this parallel virtual world, you can dress as you like, even wear the brands (e.g., Versace, Gucci, etc) some of you may like along with their accessories. Recently, Nike acquired a virtual company that creates NFTs wearing Nike shoes. Similarly, you can buy virtual lands/space and build houses and/or build virtual businesses and thus create and collect a variety of assets. Just as in real life, you can make and meet new friends, watch movies in movie theaters, visit art museums, and shop in virtual shopping malls and considerably a whole lot more. This leads us to read between the lines and have a brief talk about what NFTs are. An NFT is a form of digital art/digital code that can be created, bought, and sold on a blockchain platform like Ethereum. Some of us familiar with NFTs have identified eight areas where entrepreneurs and business industries could apply NFTs. These areas include the gaming apps, the fashion industry, digital identity, marketing, real estate, entertainment, digital art, sports, licenses and certifications, Ethereum name service (ENS) and domains. There is a little debate on how the metaverse could potentially benefit or harm the world of healthcare. As a female medical doctor with a Ph.D. in healthcare systems management and a master’s in systems design thinking from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), a faculty instructor at Harvard University, and an entrepreneur with my own consulting boutique firm (Myriad Consulting LLC) I believe there might be many ways healthcare can be part of the metaverse world. The design and development of metaverse need to be approached cautiously and similarly to how a new medication is discussed when entering the market. The benefits must always be weighed against the harmful effects, be it an AI platform like metaverse or something new in the medicine world. Metaverse and Potential Mental Health Applications Bringing mental health management into the metaverse has many potentially promising benefits. It is well known in psychology that when a person is having anxiety or felling stressed, therapists recommend a customized distraction to recover from the state. Currently recommended distraction techniques include meditation, mindfulness, deep breathing, and exercising (like taking a walk). Recently, studies showed that playing video games also had an important role in distracting and improving the moods of individuals with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety or depression. With this coming to light, I believe the metaverse could be that distraction for many individuals experiencing anxiety/PTSD/ depression. They could create their own avatars and have “live-action” cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) as part of their healing, more interactive, and effective integrated strategy. Similarly, they could busy themselves by virtually joining a concert, or talking about what they are feeling to a virtual community of friends, thus there could be a million creative ways that the metaverse could distract an individual. Aside from the benefits, there are also certain risks associated with bringing mental health management into the metaverse. Foremost, there is a risk of these individuals going into further depression when they come out of this virtual world. They could possibly become lonelier and more disconnected from the realities of life and actual in-person interactions. There is also risk of cyberbullying, addiction to virtual life, leading to health concerns like a sedentary lifestyle with limited activity and an unhealthy living and eating style. Additionally, a technical issue/disruption of the internet could be triggering and disastrous for these vulnerable individuals to suddenly lose their beloved virtual world. Metaverse and Virtual Visits As we have observed how video games have become popular with the younger generation in the past few decades, some creative teachers have begun to use gaming apps like Classcraft, Minecraft, Scratch, and many more to engage their students. Just as gaming apps made their way into the schools to help teach students effectively, we might see virtual visits make their way into the metaverse as well. There is a possibility that healthcare organizations will start working on establishing virtual hospitals and clinics, eventually making these part of the metaverse. Once the current trend toward digital health applications matures, there