Be Inkandescent Magazine

22/07/2024

July 22, 2024, Monday Morning Magic from Inkandescent® PR + Publishing Co. — Meet John Chen, founder and author, "Engaging Virtual Meetings" and the US Distance Learning Association's 2024 National Conference Engaging Producer https://inkandescent.us/monday-morning-magic/john-chen/

Having been virtually meeting for more than 36 years, John Chen can juggle 16 screens of information at a time. He has planned the only 100% live virtual conference in the training industry for 1,200 people and produced a six-language virtual webinar. He is a recognized thought leader on engaging virtual meetings and the John Wiley and Sons author of “Engaging Virtual Meetings” and “50 Digital Team Building Games,” top-selling business books. John's work has earned him multiple awards. John's 300,000+ clients across the United States, Spain, France, and Taiwan have experienced breakthrough results.

Scroll down for our Q&A with John on Season 2, Episode 2 of the Distance Learning Roundtable show to learn more about his firm and how he's collaborating with USDLA.

USDLA: Tell us about your organization and the need it is filling in the distance learning marketplace.

John Chen: Engaging Virtual Meetings was founded during the pandemic. However, I have been experimenting with team building over virtual meetings for over 38 years—and nobody would buy it. During the pandemic, people suddenly became interested. The key word is engagement: How can we take the challenges of virtual distance learning and make it fun, energetic, and engaging? My company provides clients with the best practices to do it.

USDLA: Tell us about your background.

John: I have a computer science degree from UC Santa Barbara. I worked for a decade for Microsoft, that little software company in Seattle. I then created Playtime Incorporated based on my passion for building a technology adventure to create human change. It grew into Geoteaming, a team-building high-tech scavenger hunt using GPS to teach team and leadership skills. When Engaging Virtual Meetings was created over the pandemic, the entire company changed within a year. People were ready to do engaging virtual meetings.

USDLA: What have been your organization’s biggest wins?

John: I have run a meeting broadcast in 8 different languages simultaneously. I've also run the only 100% live conference in the training and development field for Training Magazine. We had 1,200 people at their first-ever conference, and we took all the best practices, and every trainer followed them. I also did the first program between the Young President's Organization and the Entrepreneurs Organization, a 4,000-person virtual event, which was also a big win.

USDLA: What are your biggest challenges?

John: The biggest challenge is people wanting it to be better. I liken it to learning to drive. Initially, you learn to turn on the car and work the steering wheel, and you're happy with that. Then, you get your audio and navigation system to work. But you're ready to stop at that point, yet there is more. My biggest challenge is getting people to invest in wanting more for virtual meetings and not being happy with non-engaging or boring meetings. So, my biggest challenge is educating people.

USDLA: Who is your ideal customer?

John: My ideal customer is a repeat customer. They have regular events that need to be engaging. They want that energy. So, I am a virtual emcee. When clients see I can improve a hybrid meeting, they invite me back—some for 4 and 5 years. We have been so effective for these organizations that they have started charging the same dollar amount for in-person event as for the virtual.

USDLA: What does the future look like for your organization?

John: Well, just growing. The need is out there. Virtual is not going away; even if it does, we have demonstrated top practices for hybrid and in-person events. It's funny. People thought magically that going back to work and conferences in person would enable us to be engaging. They are realizing it's not the case. However, there is a collection of technologies and techniques you can use to make your programming engaging. We are helping more organizations create engaging meetings everywhere.

USDLA: How is USDLA helpful to you and your company?

John: I'm excited that I was able to bring something powerful to the June 2024 USDLA National Conference in St. Louis. Seeing the audience's reaction is proof. Some of it is technology, which requires investing some dollars in technology and techniques. It was a team effort. I must give a big shout-out to USDLA's tech-savvy board members, Rick Seely and John Copeland from WolfVision. They adopted me and embraced me as the new person. It's those kinds of relationships that make all the difference. It's like you say, "Come for the conference, stay for the community." It's really true!

Click here to meet John Chen and ask him how to make your next virtual meeting engaging: www.engagingvirtualmeetings.com

15/07/2024

July 15, 2024: Monday Magic from Inkandescent® PR + Publishing Co. — This summer, our BeInkandescent Health & Wellness business magazine features some great summer reads that may not yet be on your radar.

Case in point is Pushing Up: What Twelve Months of Physical Challenges Taught Two Brothers About Connection, Leadership, and Purpose by Stephen Gilliland, a professor at Claremont Graduate University, and his brother Jim Gilliland. They have a big goal, a giant job, and a determination to keep the premise of their new book simple.

"We promise to each other to do at least one exercise activity every day. It doesn't matter if you are sick, traveling, or tired. And to keep each other honest, we share one pic doing our activity every day," the authors and brothers share on their book website: pushingupbook.com.

The dynamic duo embarked upon a journey of crazy workout challenges that increased in intensity as the year progressed; 10,000 push-ups each in March became 30,000 push-ups by December. At the time, they were each searching for something more – more from their relationship as brothers and more from their middle-aged bodies. And as each month passed, they discovered the unexpected gift of what it means to live more fully as connected brothers, fathers, husbands, and successful leaders.

I am excited to share their story with you and invite us to join them in the journey. "We hope you uncover scars you didn't know you had, grow muscles and inner strength, and find authentic support in connecting more deeply with someone else," Stephen says, about the tome which will take you on an inner journey of life through lessons on:

Taking the "I will" commitment and achieving audacious goals.
Asking for help and finding a genuine connection.
Recognizing limits and preparing to fail.
Embracing "should be fine" as a mantra against doubt.
Practicing empathy and reaching out in times of loss.
About Stephen Gilliland (pictured left, top): Dr. Stephen Gilliland is a University Professor at Claremont Graduate University where he teaches organizational psychology and is responsible for developing executive education and leadership development programs. Stephen is originally from British Columbia and studied psychology at the University of Alberta and Michigan State University. For 24 years, Stephen was a professor of management at the University of Arizona, where he served in a variety of leadership roles. His research examines the fairness of leadership practices. Through this merging of psychological, social, and managerial issues, he has authored over 50 journal articles and book chapters. He has published eight books in the series Research in Social Issues in Management. He is a Fellow in the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology and received the Early Career Award from the same organization. Stephen has taught numerous courses on leadership, organizational behavior, healthcare, social entrepreneurship, human resource management, and leadership ethics. He has consulted with small and large organizations and conducted leadership training for companies around the world. He has served on the boards of several organizations. Stephen is married to Professor Cindi Gilliland and lives in Southern California. They share a wide variety of hobbies, including surfing, gardening, winemaking, and playing music. They spend time traveling to see their two adult children who always find interesting places to live.

Author Jim Gilliland (pictured above, right) — Jim is President and CEO of Leith Wheeler Investment Counsel, one of Canada's largest fully employee-owned investment management firms. He brought extensive investment experience in Canadian and U.S. investment markets through his time at HSBC Asset Management/M.K. Wong & Associates in Vancouver and Barclays Global Investors (BGI) in San Francisco. Among his achievements were building out and managing a team of professionals covering interest rate strategies, corporate credit, securitized credit, and emerging markets; launching and managing a successful fixed-income hedge fund; developing platforms to manage risk; and developing customized client solutions and liability-driven solutions. Jim is a graduate of the University of British Columbia (B.Comm with honors). After his work at HSBC, Jim earned his Master’s degree in Financial Engineering at the University of California, Berkeley. Jim lives on a horse farm with his family in the Fraser Valley of British Columbia and volunteers his time at a variety of educational and professional not-for-profits.

Here's to Pushing Up: Click here to learn more about the book.

Learn more at HTTP://www.pushingupbook.com.

10/07/2024

Today's Magic from Inkandescent® PR + Publishing Co. — Be sure to watch this month's episode of the podcast and video show, Women of Color Empowered, where for 30 minutes each month, we bring allies and trailblazing women of color from various professional sectors to the air: https://inkandescent.us/monday-morning-magic/the-gift-of-allies/

Our July guests: Alice Kim, the founder and CEO of PerfectDD and Bernardine Wu www.WomenofColorEmpowered.tv

Our topic: Allies — The importance and nurturing of your most powerful connections

About Alice: Alice Kim is the Founder and CEO of PerfectDD, a brand created from her own need to find clothes that fit and flatter women with DD+ cup. As a size 32DD, Alice struggled her entire life to feel confident in clothes that were not too tight at her chest or oversized on the rest of her body.

Learning that the average bra size in the U.S. is a 34DD and millions of women struggle with the same problem, Alice was inspired to create style solutions and to be the voice for these underserved women. Alice believes that getting dressed should be easy so you can focus on being a boss.

Born and raised in NYC, Alice is a graduate of Dartmouth College with a degree in economics and began her career in investment banking at Bear Stearns. After finance, she decided to follow her true calling and transitioned into fashion. Alice spent two decades working at renowned fashion houses including Shopbop, Diane von Furstenberg, Prada, and Victoria’s Secret which taught her to be an expert in product, fit, and design. Alice is a Tory Burch Fellow 2022, a 2023 Fearless Fund Grant recipient, and a member of Dreamers & Doers and the Female Founder Collective. Learn more: perfectdd.com.

About Bernardine: Bernardine Wu is the founder and CEO of FitForCommerce, a business that resulted from her many years of operational and strategic success in helping online retailers develop digital strategies and grow ecommerce businesses. She is a frequent speaker and writer for the ecommerce industry’s leading resources including the NRF, Internet Retailer/IRCE, Shoptalk, and many more. Bernardine has extensive finance, technology, and ecommerce experience rooted in Wall Street and a successful history working in the ecommerce industry for several leading companies. Bernardine co-founded SiteAcuity, a provider of online marketing and CRM software, and Venda, Inc., an outsourced ecommerce platform provider, where as president and COO, she was instrumental in Venda’s launch and growth in North America. Bernardine serves as the Chair Emerita for Women of Dartmouth, a community that connects women of Dartmouth College and nurtures women’s leadership. She is also a co-founder of the grassroots Women Ecommerce Execs organization, created to provide networking, education, and growth opportunities for women in e-commerce. Learn more on LinkedIn!

Learn more about the Women of Color Retail Alliance: www.wocretailalliance.org

Until next Monday: May you embrace the people who support you, and return the gift with kindness and love. — Hope Katz Gibbs, founder and president, Inkandescent® Inc. www.InkandescentPR.com

03/07/2024

What an honor to write this book review of Kate Quinn's newest book, "The Briar Club" for the July 2024 issue of Costco's magazine, The Connection: In the club — A look at friendships in
the time of the Red Scare. Check out this great summer read: https://www.costcoconnection.com/july_2024/page8.html

30/06/2024

July 1, 2024: A Note from Hope Katz Gibbs — It is a great honor and pleasure to be the communications director of the US Distance Learning Association, HTTP:www.usdla.org. Each July, we welcome a new president to lead us for the year and today the baton is passed from our 2023-2024 president Chuck Sengstock to incoming president Valary Oleinik.

Chuck says: As the outgoing president of the United Distance Learning Association, I am very proud of our accomplishments this past year. We have made great strides in reinvigorating our public policy initiatives and have seen definitive growth in membership. Our Board of Directors is engaged and excited for the next year under the leadership of Valary Oleinik. As you'll learn about below, Valary's initiatives specific to technology, leadership, and connections/collaboration are very exciting. Her leadership will take our organization to the next level. Hang on for an exciting year. Mark your calendars! Our next conference will be July 23-26. I hope to see you!

Watch our interview with Chuck and Val on the Distance Learning Roundtable show on USDLA.tv. Scroll down to learn more about Valary's plans for the year ahead.

About the year ahead at USDLA, Valary shares: It is an honor to serve as this year's President of USDLA. Following in President Sengstock's footsteps is both comforting and inspiring, as he and our predecessors have significantly advanced our mission. Each year, before the national conference, we hold a board meeting and an open meeting for all members. This year was no exception. The members on the call were diverse in terms of location, constituency, and experience.

I watched as different people welcomed new members and offered help and suggestions for those sharing their challenges. This diversity of voices is one of the things that makes USDLA special. We unite people and ideas from the preK-20 educational, workforce, governmental, telehealth, and non-profit sectors, fostering mutual learning and support. I often explain our association by saying, "If you support learners at a distance, we support you."

Looking ahead to the coming year, I am filled with optimism while acknowledging the ongoing challenges our community faces as we adapt to new personal and professional realities. USDLA has always embraced a spirit of community and a people-first focus. Over the past year, I have considered how I can contribute as President, jotting down ideas and writing "TLC" in my journal one day. Challenging times often present great opportunities if we have the proper support.

"TLC" represents the key areas we will focus on this year.

"T" stands for technology, which underpins distance learning efforts, but also techniques to ensure the technology is used to best effect. At USDLA, we will introduce new technologies to enhance member engagement, including an app for connecting with us and accessing valuable resources.

"L" stands for leadership, emphasizing our role in advocating for all learners and modeling innovative learning practices. We have planned events featuring those leading the charge and pushing the boundaries of what is possible.

Finally, "C" stands for connections and collaborations. We will continue to develop and nurture these internally and help our members create them. This includes strengthening and growing our association chapters to provide localized service and forming strategic partnerships to better serve everyone.

It is going to be an exciting and impactful year, not because of me, but because of the light I get to shine on all of you and the amazing work you do.

Learn more at HTTP://www.USDLA.org.

About Chuck: Chuck is well respected throughout the state of Iowa for his expertise in distance learning. Distance learning programs Chuck has helped develop and manage have received state and international awards for excellence. Currently, Chuck is the Director of Continuing Education and Professional Development within the School of Education at Drake University. In this position, he oversees the development and marketing of all online and video correspondence graduate courses. He also develops departmental policies, procedures, and initiatives.

About Valary: Valary Oleinik is 50% artist and 50% geek, and 100% committed to helping people develop and deliver more engaging experiences. She is a sought-after keynote speaker, workshop facilitator, and strategist who focuses on using gamification, deliberate creativity, and technology — Valary helps learners wherever they are physically and in their learning journey. She has been called the ‘maven of new thinking’ and ‘MacGyver of training’ because of her quirky and innovative approaches that help translate and distill complex information into simple, digestible nuggets. She is a recurring speaker at annual conferences such as TechLearn, GamiCon, and Serious Play and has appeared in ATD Magazine and Reworked.

24/06/2024

Monday Morning Magic from Inkandescent® PR + Publishing, June 24, 2024: What would happen if you were a fly on the wall during the McCarthy Era? Bestselling author Kate Quinn imagines it in "The Briar Club" https://inkandescent.us/monday-morning-magic/kate-quinn-briar-club/

I am honored to have written about this great novel for Costco's magazine and think it might make for a fabulous summer read by bestselling author Kate Quinn: www.katequinnauthor.com

Here's the story: The McCarthy Era comes to life in Kate Quinn’s newest historical novel, "The Briar Club," a tale that illustrates the powerful bond women forge in trying times.

We meet our heroines at Briarwood House, a down-at-the-heels all-female boarding house in Washington, DC. When mysterious widow Grace March moves into the attic room, she begins hosting a weekly supper club that cements the friendships of her oddball collection of neighbors — but a secret lurks. When a shocking act of violence tears the house apart, the tenants are challenged to discover who is the true enemy in their midst.

“I think of this as my post-pandemic book,” shares Quinn, noting that the idea came to her after a long year in lockdown when she missed sharing wine and conversation with her gal pals. “The Briar Club reflects my fascination with McCarthyism and the Red Scare, but it really came about because I missed my friends.”

The New York Times and USA Today bestseller says history is her lifelong love. After receiving a bachelor’s and master’s degree in classical voice from Boston University, the Southern California native wrote four novels for the Empress of Rome Saga, followed by two books set in the Italian Renaissance. She returned to the 20th century with additional hits: The Alice Network, The Huntress, The Rose Code, and The Diamond Eye — all of which have been translated into multiple languages.

“Until a time machine is invented, historical fiction is the closest thing to time travel we’ve got, and I am forever fascinated by the chance to get a peek into eras long gone,” explains Quinn, who currently calls San Diego home with her husband and three black rescue dogs. Her 2024 book tour has taken her from San Francisco to North Carolina and Toronto to Vancouver. “Who knows where I’ll end up next?”

Definitely on the horizon is a tale that will take readers on a different sort of adventure for the longtime Costco member. “The upcoming book is something very different for me, more book-themed and a little bit of magic. And there might be dragons.”

Check out Costco's magazine, The Connection: http://costcoconnection.ca/

Click here to learn more about Kate: www.katequinnauthor.com

Until next Monday: May your wit and imagination take you to unexplored heights! — Hope Katz Gibbs, founder and president, Inkandescent® Inc. www.InkandescentPR.com

Inkandescent Women magazine • BeInkandescent Health & Wellness magazine • Inkandescent Radio • Inkandescent.tv • Inkandescent Shop • Inkandescent Books

17/06/2024

Monday Morning Magic from Inkandescent® PR + Publishing Co., May 17, 2024: Wish you were here!

Hello friends! We are having a fabulous time here at the beautiful Marriott Grand Hotel in St. Louis for the 2024 USDLA National Conference. If you can't be here in person you still can join us virtually. Click here to check it out.

One event you won't want to miss is our annual Awards Ceremony, which is open to members and non-members alike. Let by our awards chairwoman Wendy Pate, nominations are typically submitted in January, judged by committees of peers, and then awarded at a festive banquet as a highlight of USDLA’s National Conference. We invite you to join us from afar as we honor our 2024 winners! Click here to watch the live stream: Meeting ID — 992 8317 2943, passcode — usdla

Five categories of awards will be presented:

USDLA Trendsetter in Distance Learning Award
USDLA Dr. Jan McMahill Rising Star Award
USDLA Excellence in Distance Learning Teaching/Training Award
USDLA Outstanding Leadership Award
USDLA Excellence in Distance Learning Research Award
Another event we know you won't want to miss is our Leadership and Policy Summit on Thursday, June 20 from 9am to 12:30pm. It will feature a series of short talks, interspersed with roundtable discussions. We'll be sharing footage from that popular session in the coming weeks on our YouTube channel, USDLA.tv.

Until next Monday: I hope this week is filled with as much fun and educational information as we'll be having here under the Gateway Arch. — Hope Katz Gibbs, founder and president, Inkandescent® Inc. www.InkandescentPR.com

03/06/2024

Monday Magic from Inkandescent® PR + Publishing Inc., June 3, 2024: You will be blown away by the courage and determination of our guest Jo Miller — on the June episode of the Women of Color Empowered show https://inkandescent.us/monday-morning-magic/jo-miller/

"Jo Miller is a passionate fashion educator, consultant, and workforce professional committed to bridging the gaps between my love of fashion, education, and professional success through accessible and inclusive learning pathways," explains Kimberly Lee Minor, host of the Women of Color Empowered show and CEO of Women of Color Retail Alliance, noting Jo was raised and homeschooled in an Amish community and education was just not a priority, so when she left her family in her early 20s and struggled to live on her own — let alone go to college.

Today, Jo is an instructor at Hocking College’s 2-year Fashion Design & Retail Merchandising program where she teaches a range of lecture/lab courses, as well as the Program Coordinator for the CFA x Franklin County fashion retail workforce development program Ready to WERK.

How did she do it?

"With sheer grit and determination," believes Kimberly, who met Jo when they were both featured on a panel. "I was inspired by Jo's story and her passion is to empower students and professionals through experiential learning, culture building, and community engagement that I had to have her as a guest on the Women of Color Empowered show. Her mission is to transform the fashion industry into a more inclusive, sustainable, and innovative space, where diversity thrives and innovation knows no bounds." https://www.wocretailalliance.org

Be sure to listen to the podcast interview: https://inkandescentradio.com/podcast/jo-miller/

And watch the video version on http://www.WomenofColorEmpowered.tv

Click here to read their Q&A: https://beinkandescent.com/jo-miller/

Until next Monday: May inspiration be your guide! — Hope Katz Gibbs, founder and president, Inkandescent® Inc. Inkandescent.us

Inkandescent Women magazine • BeInkandescent Health & Wellness magazine • Inkandescent Radio • Inkandescent.tv • Inkandescent Shop • Inkandescent Books

06/05/2024

Monday Morning Magic from Inkandescent® PR & Publishing Inc. — May 6, 2024: Mastering Retirement Income Strategies with CapAcuity experts Mendel Melzer and Pete Neuwirth https://youtu.be/cWA2WRFyGjs?list=PLBHZLcLO-jnLc4W8TLrbZi8EuFU326_4p

Should an individual’s investment strategy differ during the retirement/decumulation period vs. before retirement when individuals accumulate assets? Much of financial planning is about balancing risk and return. Yet, in retirement, some risks are not specifically investment-related (eg, longevity). Are there specific investment strategies that you would recommend to mitigate those risks? Do you think insuring those risks ever made any sense?

These are some of the questions that actuary and author Peter Neuwirth asks Mendel Melzer, Chief Investment Officer of the national Executive Benefits Consulting firm CapAcuity, where Pete is the Florida-based company’s Senior Consulting Actuary: CapAcuity.com.

Be sure to watch the video (above) and on http://www.PeterNeuwirth.tv and listen to the podcast on http://www.PeterNeuwirthRadio.com.

Click here to learn more about these seasoned professionals: https://inkandescent.us/monday-morning-magic/mendel-melzer/

Until next Monday: May you take the opportunity to learn from the experts who have spent their careers working to help us maximize our retirement wealth. — Hope Katz Gibbs, founder and president, Inkandescent® Inc. www.InkandescenPR.com

About Mendel Melzer: With more than 30 years of experience as an executive and leader in the world of investments and asset management, serving as both President and Chief Investment Officer at several major financial institutions. At CapAcuity, Mendel serves as Chief Investment Officer, where he is responsible for leading the firm’s investment advisory services and chairs the firm’s investment committee. He and his team analyze trends in investments and recommend appropriate asset allocation, funding and hedging optimization for CapAcuity’s clients. As a member of CapAcuity’s executive committee, Mendel collaborates on the strategic direction and policies of the firm to effectively grow the organization and to ensure its financial strength and operating efficiency. In addition to his role at CapAcuity, Mendel also serves as an investment committee member of multiple investment partnerships and leads a family real-estate management firm. Since 1984, Mendel has held multiple senior positions with leading investment firms. For 15 years, Mendel was President and Chief Investment Officer of Newport Group Securities. In that role he built, staffed and oversaw an institutional broker-dealer and investment advisor with over $25 billion in assets under advisement.

About CapAcuity: In the executive benefit plan marketplace, change is always part of the landscape—whether driven by markets, by regulations, or by evolving customer preferences. Currently, non-qualified plan sponsors are most concerned about market volatility, investment product costs, service provider consolidation, the participant experience, regulatory compliance, and transparency. At CapAcuity, we recognize these and other significant issues affecting these plans—and through our thought leadership and innovation, we bring a fresh perspective. Our consulting and asset management services help improve financial results for non-qualified plan sponsors, and enhance retirement outcomes for plan participants.

About Peter Neuwirth, FSA, FCA: Pete is an actuary specializing in retirement plan issues. He is a 1979 graduate of Harvard College with a BA in Mathematics and Linguistics. After leaving Harvard, he went to work at Connecticut General Life Insurance, now CIGNA. For the next 38 years, he worked continuously as an actuary, holding significant leadership positions at various firms around the country, including most of the major consulting firms (Aon, Hewitt Associates, Watson Wyatt, Towers Perrin, and finally Towers Watson). He spent 5 years as a chief actuary at a regional benefits consulting firm (Godwins), 7 years running a small actuarial firm (Coates Kenney), and one year in a large accounting firm (Price Waterhouse). At the end of 2016, he retired from Towers Watson to focus on writing and researching financial wellness issues. Pete is currently the Senior Consulting Actuary at CapAcuity.

29/04/2024

Monday Morning Magic from Inkandescent® PR + Publishing Co., April 29, 2024: Meet Delaware Doula Katie Hope, founder, Childbirth University https://inkandescent.us/monday-morning-magic/katie-hope/

It's an honor to introduce you today to Delaware-based doula Katie Hope. For over twenty years, she has provided personalized and professional doula services for clients ages 14 to 49. She became interested in doulas and all things birth after her first pregnancy in 1999. A certified DONA birth doula and Lamaze childbirth educator, she has advocated on Capitol Hill and in her local community about the health and social impact of doulas and childbirth education. The mother of three and a former nationally certified massage therapist, Katie lives in southern Delaware, where she loves spending time with her family and friends on the beach, hiking in the state parks, and traveling www.delawaredoula.net

Katie's Delaware Doula provides virtual childbirth education and consultations to pregnant people around the U.S. She has been the featured guest on several podcasts, including The Reawakened Mom, We Deserve Better, and Rehoboth Social, where she shares her passion for evidence-based information, informed consent in the labor room, and collaborative medical care. She believes education and doula services improve the birthing experience for people desiring to have a natural birth and those planning on a medically managed birth, home birth, VBAC, or planned cesarean.

Katie shares: "For the last 20 years, I have been working with people through pregnancy, birth, and the postpartum period. I became interested in doulas and all things birth-related after my first pregnancy in 1999," says Katie, who currently provides individualized virtual childbirth education and private consultations to people around the U.S. "My education and experiences working with birthing people have formed the foundation of my belief that education, support, and empowerment are the keys to success in every area of life, especially birth and parenting. All pregnant individuals deserve unbiased, evidence-based information to make informed choices that are the best for themselves and their babies."

Since COVID-19, Katie has focused on virtual childbirth education, pregnancy consulting, and speaking engagements about advocating for your healthcare and medical collaboration. "I'm on a mission to replace the fear around childbirth with knowledge and joy."

Click here to read an article by Katie about the power of postpartum depression and ways for new moms to cope entitled, "That Wasn’t The Baby Crying, It Was Me" https://inkandescentwomen.com/the-women/delaware-doula-katie-hope/

Along with Katie, meet all the Truly Amazing Women, LLC featured in the Spring 2024 issue of Inkandescent Women magazine — Entrepreneurs on a Roll!

Until next Monday: Hoping you find beautiful ways to make peace with yourself, and be gentle with all those you love. — Hope Katz Gibbs, founder and president, Inkandescent® Inc. www.InkandescentPR.com

April 29, 2024: Meet Delaware Doula Katie Hope, founder, Childbirth University Monday Morning Magic from Inkandescent® PR + Publishing Co. — It’s an honor to introduce you today to Delaware-based doula Katie Hope. For over twenty years, she has provided personalized and professional doula servi...