#153: From Overwhelmed to Optimized: The Power of Breath work for Busy Entrepreneurs with Francesca Sipma, Founder & CEO of Mastry Inc
It’s no secret that being an entrepreneur can be incredibly stressful. Between chasing down leads, managing finances and maintaining work-life balance, sometimes it feels like the pressure is just too much. But don’t worry – breath work could be your saving grace!
Breath work is the practice of using conscious breathing techniques to relax and reduce stress. It has been scientifically proven to help improve mental clarity and overall wellbeing. Plus, it’s easy to incorporate into any schedule – so it’s perfect for busy entrepreneurs who need a break from their hustle. My guest on this podcast episode was Francesca Sipma, Founder & CEO of Mastry Inc.
Benefits of breath work for entrepreneurs
Breath work is a powerful tool that can help entrepreneurs cope with stress and maximize productivity. Here are some of the benefits:
- Improved focus: Breath work helps clear the mind, allowing greater attention to be placed on tasks at hand.
- Increased energy levels: Regular breath work practice increases oxygen flow throughout the body, resulting in more energy for daily activities.
- Better mental clarity: Deep breathing practices promote relaxation and calmness, helping entrepreneurs to make better decisions with greater clarity of thought.
- Reduced stress and anxiety: By slowing down the breath rate, it becomes easier to manage stressful situations with a level head and maintain emotional balance during difficult times.
- Enhanced creativity: Taking time out from the hustle and bustle to focus on the breath can spark creativity, helping entrepreneurs come up with innovative ideas.
- Improved physical health: Continuous breathing exercises help to strengthen the respiratory system, leading to better overall health.
By utilizing breath work regularly, entrepreneurs can reap all of these benefits and more. It's an effective way to enhance productivity while simultaneously managing stress and anxiety levels in a healthy way. So take a deep breath - and get ready to unlock your full potential!
Simple breathing exercises for entrepreneurs:
For entrepreneurs looking to manage stress and find inner peace, breath work can be a powerful tool. Breath work is an umbrella term that encompasses several techniques aimed at improving breathing patterns in order to reduce tension and increase relaxation. Below are some of our favorite breathing exercises for entrepreneurs:
1. Box Breathing: This type of breathing involves inhaling for four counts, holding the breath for four counts, then exhaling for four counts before pausing for another four counts and repeating the cycle. This technique encourages even deeper breaths and helps bring awareness to the present moment.
2. Belly Breathing: As its name implies, this exercise requires focusing on your belly area when you breathe in and out - rather than your chest or shoulders. This technique helps to relax your abdominal muscles and counteract the shallow chest breathing that often occurs when we get stressed or anxious.
3. Alternate Nostril Breathing: Also called Nadi Shodhana, this exercise involves alternating between the left and right nostrils while inhaling and exhaling slowly - usually five counts per breath. It's an excellent way to reduce stress and can even help improve focus.
By incorporating any of these techniques into our daily routines, entrepreneurs can better manage their stress levels and gain greater balance in their lives. With a little bit of practice, people can learn how to use breath work as a powerful tool for stress relief.
Three simple tips for incorporating breath work into your daily routine:
Schedule it – Set aside a few minutes each day for breathing exercises. You could do this first thing in the morning or before bed – whatever works best for you!
Take short breaks – Try taking a few short breaks during the day to practice some breath work. This will help you stay sharp and focused throughout the day.
Practice with a friend – Once in a while, invite a friend or colleague over to practice breath work together. You can both take turns guiding each other through different exercises.
So there you have it! Breath work can be an incredibly beneficial tool for entrepreneurs looking to reduce stress and improve overall wellbeing. So next time you’re feeling overwhelmed, take a deep breath – it might just be the thing that saves your sanity!
Learn more about Francesca here:
Website: https://francescasipma.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/francescasipma
Listen to the Show:
Laura 00:00
Hello, and welcome to the Next Level Leap podcast. My name is Laura Meyer, and I'm thrilled to be your guide on this journey. With over 20 years’ experience as an entrepreneur and growth strategist for some of the country's fastest growing nonprofit and for-profit organizations, I'm passionate about the power of marketing, creating massive positive change in the world. In this podcast, we'll explore how you can use marketing to create a ripple effect of change that will impact lives and communities for years to come. I'm so excited to share my insights and strategies with you and to help you discover how you can use your talents and skills to make a difference in the world. So, let's dive in together and create a marketing report that will change the world.
Laura 00:43
Hi, everybody, I am so excited about our guests today, I was gushing a little bit before we even started recording. So, I'm going to wait and keep guessing in a minute. But once you hear about our guests, you'll understand why her name is Francesca Sipma and she is the founder and CEO of Mastry Inc. And you were recommended to me by our mutual friend, Melissa. And I have to tell you, the work that you're doing is life changing. So welcome so much to this podcast. And I'm so excited to dive in.
Francesca 01:12
Thank you so much. You're already giving me chills.
Laura 01:16
W ell, it was it was so fascinating because our mutual friend Melissa, who is a student of yours, was posting on Instagram, some of just her personal journey from like a vulnerability standpoint. And I messaged her right away. And I was like, hey, I'm kind of struggling with the same thing. And she's like, Can I just have got certified in this breathwork. Can I just gift a session to you? And I was like, Yeah, okay, like, that sounds great. Whatever, whatever you're doing, I'll have some. And she helped me through a breathwork exercise that you originated that you came up with. And I've never experienced anything like it before. I mean, I've been doing yoga for 15 years, I've done personal development. But tell me a little bit about you went from advertising and marketing for global brands to a certified breathwork coach and hypnotherapist like what was that journey like for you?
Francesca 02:09
Yeah, I think I probably felt what a lot of people are experiencing right now in today's culture and society, I think which was a lot of burnouts, a lot of overwhelm. And I think that when you accomplish the goals that you believe that you wanted to achieve, and you still don't feel happy, that's when something's off, right? Like there's something, explore there. So, I have the career that I always thought I wanted, and then just realized that it wasn't lighting me up. And I
needed to start to explore what that might look like I had no idea was going to take me on a journey to become a breathwork coach by any means. But it did, because I went through this process of breathwork that really helped me connect to myself to my true desires to my real motivations. And I just kept listening to those cues. And my intuition got stronger and stronger. And it led me to start coaching breathwork, which, as you've experienced is very transformative. And I think when you see people going through those deep breakthroughs and connecting with themselves and discovering their purpose, that's so rewarding, that you can't really stop. Yeah, that's, that's really how it started for me.
Laura 03:16
It's so good. Now, the breath work that you do is different. It's different than you know, breathing through your nose or your mouth or holding. Like, when I did this for the first time I took my blindfold off, because you have your participants put on blindfolds, and it's to certain types of music, like binaural beats, and I'm not sure if I'm saying it, right. Yeah. But it's like my brain felt like it had shifted, like in 20 minutes. I don't even know how to explain it. Like, did you how did you figure out how to how to create that environment for your students?
Francesca 03:53
Yeah, it was through a lot of deep self-experimentation. To be honest, when I first tried breathwork. It originated with Homotropic breathwork, which is really like the grandfather style of breath. And those can be 60 minutes to two and a half hours. And it's really for deep emotional releases. And you can access childhood memories, and it was really intense. And what I discovered is, as I would clear some of those deeper suppressed emotions that were living in me, I just started to get really clear, and I started to get really intuitive. And then I could start experimenting with these sessions that were a little bit milder but allowed me to tap into different levels of creativity, and ideas and solutions and nuances and I started using it for a business focus. And when I would take action on the ideas that came up in my session, really interesting synchronicities would happen, you know in the world, and it felt like, okay, I can take elements of different practices that I found effective on my spiritual journey that helps me heal. I can create something that's more modern that's more accessible by playing with the breath with different vocal prompts with different music and I Honestly just different intentions that I needed to work through and my own growth. And with that this craft kind of came together of how to make these really effective journeys. And the coaches are just so amazing because they then do the exact same thing that I did, which is they experiment with their own blocks, and then they create sessions that are really unique to them as well, are the obstacles that they're moving through. So, it's truly a unique combination of breath, work with hypnosis, and visioning. And we just really tried to make it as succinct and accessible as possible. The music really helps the types of styles that we choose, depending on the journey. And one of our signatures, you know, ques is what is your next action step? Because then it goes from
just the experience that you're into something tangible that you can take in your day-to-day life to create real change.
Laura 05:46
Yes, it's so good. And I use your app called Mastery. I've recommended it to like all my friends and clients, I had, like a crazy experience a few weeks ago, where an old trauma and business came up. And all my friends were like You handled that really well. And I'm like it was the master. Yep. That's how I handled it really well. And it was, it was so great, or like the kids will be I have three kids under ten. And they'll be like crazy in the house. And I'll just look at my husband, I'm like, I'm going to go meditate. I'll be back in 25 minutes. And it's funny, because in the past, I would try to meditate. And I'm a very, you know, I love personal development work, I believe in meditation, but I would always kind of lose focus and come back. But during your app, I am always like, oh, my gosh, that was 22 minutes that flew by? Why do you think that is? Like, why is it so easy to get into the groove of the breath work in the way that you do it?
Francesca 06:39
Yeah, it's different. You know, I think meditation is it's a more passive exercise, you're really becoming more still, maybe you're observing different thoughts, you're regulating your nervous system, and any emotional triggers that might come up. The breath is definitely more intense. And it's very active. I think just the process of taking that inhale into your belly into your chest, exhale, because it's more physical. People are intrigued, they start to feel vibrations, they know something's going on, they can feel energy moving and shifting. And because our cues are so intentional about getting you to that other side and seeing your highest vision and seeing the next action, I think it just makes it tangible. And when you see the results of something, so immediately, it's not like meditation or going to the gym, you know, like, which requires so much repetition and practice. You notice immediately after the first time, something's changed, I'm more calm and more present. I got the idea. I have an insight. And that's, that's pretty addicting. And I mean, in a healthy way.
Laura 07:36
It totally is it's like a healthy addiction. Because I've experienced the same where I'm stuck in a business problem. I use the app afterwards. I'm like, oh, my gosh, I totally know what to do. I also you have some sports, meditations or breathwork sessions in your app, and I'm a competitive tennis player. So, I use those before I go and play tennis. And anybody who's listening knows that. That's my secret. So, if you play me now, you know, what are you saying?
Francesca 08:05
No, that's really amazing. I played tennis in high school. And it's such a mental game. Yes. If I had this tool, then to mentally prepare myself and regulate my nervous system based on
different scenarios that could happen in a game in a match. I mean, it would have been a game changer. We actually have a former professional tennis player who's in the next round of my certification, who will create customized sessions, where you see yourself on the court, you see your forehand, you see your backhand, you see them.
Laura 08:32
That's like the best news ever. That's like Christmas in March or whatever month this is. That's and it's so funny because I played in high school in college, and I think the mindset part of it burned me out. Then after having three kids and going through the pandemic, I was like, I'm going to need to leave the house because it's getting a little crazy around here. And so, I took up tennis again and you know, and play competitively for ustic but the breathwork sessions getting back into it is such a mind game, that the breathwork sessions have helped so much.
Francesca 09:08
I think it's cool to mentally rehearse multiple different scenarios, you know, say you're down a set like say you're down a break, and then how can you stay present in that moment? How can you just focus on the next point, to experientially go through that process in the breath before you get on the court? I mean, it really is a game changer. We're pitching hard to the NFL right now. Because I know that if there are players can see the blog, see the tackles, see the camaraderie, see the teamwork, and then also use this for active recovery, if there's a loss and releasing the fear and the guilt and the shame. I mean, to really prepare your mind and body in that way, will just optimize your performance to the next level.
Laura 09:45
Yeah, it's such incredible work that we do on our brains. And I think, you know, we've studied the brain and brain science and brain health, you know, from an intellectual standpoint. How All the new roads are created and how the well-worn paths take place and how you need to be able to do that work on your brain in order to create a new result. And I just feel like this process shortcuts that it's like, such a great way to help make it happen when you're trying to figure out exactly how to navigate, change reinvention.
Francesca 10:22
Yeah, I think that's, that's a really important point that you make on reinvention, because we're so used to doing things the way we've seen or the way that we've done before. And those are the only those are the only examples and situations that our mind can really grasp. And it's extremely limited. Yeah. So, when we do this breath practice, what it's really doing is it's changing the balance of carbon dioxide and oxygen in our body and activates different regions of the brain. And it allows us to get into the subconscious, which is so powerful, because the subconscious is really the storehouse, of any thing that's ever inspired us in our life. Anything that we've ever read any conversation that we've ever had, it's all in there. And when we can
tap into that, and make new connections, come up with more expansive, innovative ideas and solutions. I mean, it's so expansive, I truly use this every single day in my business so that I can come up with new and unique, you know, authentic progressive ideas in business.
Laura 11:17
Yeah, I've been in business 20 years. And I think with different businesses, and the fear-based reactions can be somewhat subconscious, even, like, we don't even know that that's how we're reacting, we can sense that it's familiar. But I love that this work, I think just allows those fears to take the backseat and allows your most intelligent part of your brain to make the decisions for your future self. So, you don't see you make so you're driving forward from that perspective.
Francesca 11:51
Yeah, it's great for you to because 20 years, you know, across different businesses, or companies or industries or skills, I mean, that's such a wealth of knowledge. So, for you to be able to access that and apply something that you learned 15 years ago that might be relevant to this, and then this partnership, and this old contact and network here. I mean, that's so cool that you have all that to tap into. But you're right, because your nervous system will react to what's familiar. You know, this is what happened when I was in this scenario few years ago. And therefore, I might anticipate that or project this reaction, and you want to make sure that you're breathing out those emotions, you're calm, you're centered, you're still and you are choosing the best solution, you know, for your highest good and for the highest good of everyone around you.
Laura 12:33
Yeah, totally. And it's funny, even just noticing patterns of things that you wanted to carry forward in terms of the wisdom, learn from those experiences, I just feel like this process allows you to tap into that in a way that your intellect can't override. And that's been such a great part of the experience for me. So, your breathwork is for both business owners and entrepreneurs. Like what are some of the big shifts that you've seen in some of your students or students, like, share some examples just to inspire our listeners? Oh, man,
Francesca 13:09
I mean, I've countless examples. But the first ones that come to mind, I would say one of the strongest examples of where we really understood how the past was affecting the present and the future. I had one gentleman who was a former entrepreneur, and was wanting to pursue it again, after a perceived failure, and said that, you know, I really want to leave a legacy for my children, but I feel like I've hit my ceiling, I've hit my limitations. And we went into his very first session ever. And he discovered that his block was from sexual trauma from being five years old. And I was like, whoa. And that's where his fear of being seen his fear of success, this fear of visibility was coming from. So that was on the really intense end of just showing the
connection between what can happen in childhood and how it can affect you, in your leadership was honestly mind blowing to me as well. But one of the, you know, one of my clients right now we're working on a, we're working on an exit for his company's goal of selling him for $200 million. And there's a lot of things that are coming up. There's a lot of fears that are coming up in that process. There's a lot of steps that he needs to take in terms of building back up the company culture and making it profitable right now. And every day we have to really focus on what's the task at hand, how can you show up in his highest leadership? How can he still motivate his employees? And every day he comes up with a new solution every day he comes up with a new project, a new partnership, you know, a way to inspire and motivate. So, there's, there's so many things. I think one of the most common things I see in female entrepreneurs is releasing self-doubt, through the breath, release low impostor syndrome, seeing yourself in that highest impact, seeing you know, being of service and how you can inspire others and when you make that shift from Your ego to contribution. I think it's really powerful. I think it's really powerful for a lot of women especially.
Laura 15:06
Yeah, so powerful. And I can share from my own experience, having built company sold companies, like when you're flying at higher altitude, as I like to say, like, the ride gets really bumpy. Yeah. And it's easy to start feeling alone, it's easy to start feeling like nobody understands. And you start telling yourself these stories, and then you end up isolating yourself. So, I think it's so good that he asked you, and that anybody who's listening, who's feeling that kind of pressure and intensity, has the ability to use something like breath work to say, okay, is that true? Like, am I really alone? Do I, you know, work? Or do I have my own bank through this builds that confidence?
Francesca 15:46
It's hard. Entrepreneurship is it’s a hard journey, you know, and it's not linear. It's not like a straight shot up. So, I think being able to connect back to the vision is something that is really important to me, and I created a session, I create sessions that I need, you know, on the app as well, so that I can do them. And I know, I remember when I created the belief session, it was at a time where I was like, Man, the economy, it's like tough out there right now. And I was feeling we were getting a lot of rejections. And a lot of people weren't really understanding what it is that I wanted to create and build. And I didn't want to get too much in my logical mind, I didn't want to have to, like fight for my worth. And I was like, I just need to get like, connect back to my heart space. Remember why I'm doing this and see the highest vision again, and I created that session, I did it for two weeks straight, just to shift myself out of that. And just keep propelling forward, you know, because I definitely think that one of the biggest differences between people who are successful and those who aren't where they want to be is just the successful ones didn't quit, they didn't stop. And sometimes you just need a, you know, some extra tools to help you when you're down.
Laura 16:52
Yeah, and, and they didn't disconnect from their overall philosophy. Yeah, and I think that's a big temptation as entrepreneurs because we get distracted, or people tell us that we should be doing this or that. And it may or may not be aligned with our mission or our vision. And that can be a temptation to and entrepreneurship, and then all of a sudden, you don't like what you're doing, you know, like what you've built. I've had that happen, as well. And it's just been a really, this is it's such great work that you're doing. Last year, you had an article in Forbes about the three superpowers of entrepreneurship, can you share a little bit more about those traits and why you think they're so important for entrepreneurs?
Francesca 17:30
Yeah, um, so the traits that I believe to be extremely important for entrepreneurship is self- awareness, emotional regulation, and intuition. And when you're on this path, you read so many thought leadership books, and you hear about perseverance and dedication, and commitment and work ethic, which absolutely, those are great, but the ones that aren't discussed as much, are just having this ability to control your own state, and really, your own state. And self-awareness to me was something that I mean, I always knew was a priority. But I didn't recognize how much of my conditioning from being, you know, a fast paced New Yorker was still in my body. As I started to build and grow mastery, I was getting really frustrated, I was getting really impatient at things. And when I became more aware and attuned with myself, I was like, Oh, this is just me trying to prove, versus really caring about the overall picture and the sort of harmony of, of the whole team. So just becoming aware of that. And then changing the way you communicate, changing the words that you use to make sure that it's inspiring others so that they feel a part of it, I think was very eye opening to me, and something that I think more leaders should be very aware of, especially in their speech in their communication for their teams. And then emotional regulation. Man, when you make decisions in business from a heightened state, things can go wrong very quickly. So I think being able to ground in your decision making from a place of stillness versus reactivity is powerful, because that can create a really big ripple effect if you do those things impulsively. So again, the breath helps with both of these things, you know, like the breath helps you get the insight in the root of where your behavior pattern is coming from. And then it also helps you calm down your autonomic nervous system, so that you can really get rooted. And to me, the most important thing is both of those things so that you can hear your intuition. Yeah, I believe the thing that's not discussed enough in modern society is the impact that intuition can have on business. I believe in filling your mind with as much strategy and knowledge and information as you can and then acting on it from Instinct from your inner knowing from your inner guidance, because that's what creates more unique innovation in the world. It's more authentic to you and can just give your ideas that aren't, aren't basic aren't cookie cutter aren't things that already exist in the world, and just make things a little bit more creative and interesting.
Laura 20:00
Oh, yes, yes, it's everything you're sharing is just, you know, I'm a strategist, I'm a consultant, people, national brands, high growth organizations come to me in our company, and we give them growth strategy. But when I really, when I really look at, you know, what grows a company, it's what you're talking about. The strategy helps great strategy is great strategy. But when we talk about sometimes I'll assign a prescription and I'll say to the founder, how does this feel to you? Like, what is what is your intuition telling you? Yeah, and sometimes it's fear based, you know, I feel as though you look at the data, and the data tells them opposite. And sometimes you can kind of tell that they're working through something that intuitively they know, and I need to pull it forward, so I can collaborate with them on the strategy.
Francesca 20:47
Oh, yeah, that's honestly, I think that's so smart. And what I would add to that is, when you're feeling into what feels good for you, is to trust the timing of it as well. You know, when we launched mastery, corporate, my default reaction, my type, a personality reaction was like, great, send 5000 emails to every single fortune 500, I mean, and just like, be a machine about it, and just be relentless in this execution. And then I was like, Whoa, I just dropped right back into being a New Yorker, and I need to do breath work, and be like, what feels intuitive to me. And my intuition was like, these are the four companies that are so deeply in alignment with your brand, and who you want to work with. And instead of the quantity, focus your energy on this quality, and I was like, Okay, I'm just going to nurture that, I'm going to trust that and I'm going to nurture it. So my logical mind was like sales, revenue, impact productivity, you know, like wanting to go in one direction, but my body was like, that doesn't feel good to me. And what feels good is the impact of partnering and putting my energy my effort into these apps. That's kind of the balance that I see, like, I'm all about strategy, I think you need to know what's going on in the marketplace. You need to understand your competitive landscape, you need to have acquisition, monetization, business plans, all the things, but then I just feel into my body. And I'm like, where, where's the opportunity that maybe my logical mind doesn't see that maybe has more long term legs?
Laura 22:15
That is so good. And I think for all of us who are high achievers, we are so used to getting results through action. And at a certain point, it can't carry you to where you want to be like you can't hustle to that destination anymore. either. You did and it didn't work. Or you're realizing you're capped, like you're capped by your hustle. Like there's only so many hours in the day. And you have to lean on more of the supernatural abilities that were gifted with or were naturally gifted. I mean, everything you're doing is just so amazing. It's why I really wanted to bring you on here. I'm so grateful that you said yes. Because I'm excited to share with our audience and our email list. The benefits that I've experienced or mastery, if people are trying
to figure out there, if you're on your phone, and you're like mastery, it's ma s t ry. So that, you know, I've had a couple of people come back to me and be like, I couldn't find it. So that it's rye at the end. And then where else can people find you if they want to learn more about your methodology and certification?
Francesca 23:23
Yeah, so my Instagram is at Francesca Sikma. and my website is Francesca cinema.com. Those are two resources where I'm always you know, posting about courses, events, classes, the certification is coming up actually, quite soon, in May, if anyone is interested in, in mastering this process for yourself, personally and professionally, and deliver transformation to your clients, then that's going to be on May 18. And they can join the waitlist on my website. Awesome.
Laura 23:51
Well, thank you so much for being here. Melissa, if you're listening, thank you so much with this introduction, and I just appreciate you being part of our community.
Francesca 23:59
Thank you for having me. I loved it.
Laura 24:02
Thank you so much for joining us today on the Next Level Leap podcast. I hope you enjoyed this episode as much as I did, and that you gained valuable insights from our time together. If you want to see any of the visuals I mentioned in this video, you might want to head on over to our YouTube channel where you can see a lot of the things that I'm explaining and in a way that might be a little bit more applicable. And if you want to learn more about our consulting business, make sure to visit Joy brand creative.com. And finally, if you're enjoying this podcast and you want to support our mission of creating a ripple effect of change in the world, please subscribe and leave us a review on your favorite podcast platform. Your feedback means everything to us, and it helps us reach more people who can benefit from the power of positive marketing. So, until next time, keep making waves and spreading joy. I'll see you soon.
Welcome to the Next Level Leap Podcast! Join our guide, Laura Meyer, a 20-year entrepreneur and growth strategist for some of the country's fastest-growing nonprofit and for-profit organizations, as she shares her insights and strategies for using marketing to make a difference in the world. In each episode, we explore how marketing can create a ripple effect of change that impacts lives and communities for years to come. From social media to branding to storytelling, we cover a range of topics to help you harness the power of marketing for good. So if you're ready to make waves and spread joy, tune in to the Next Level Leap Podcast podcast and let's create a marketing ripple effect that changes the world!