Jennifer Barcelos and Sandy Connery of Namastream: Optimal Performance Before High Pressure Moments; How To Relieve Stress, Clear Your Head, and Prepare Yourself For High Stakes Business Encounters

Meditation and yoga. Finding your quiet corner to go inward and disconnect from the world around you. Resetting mentally and physically is so important to recharge. When Jeni and I are together, we often go for hikes while brainstorming. It’s where some of our most successful ideas have been born. Spending time in nature. My family lives on an island outside of Seattle, which enables us to immerse ourselves in nature everyday. My best thinking is often done in the woods.

As a part of our series about “Optimal Performance Before High Pressure Moments”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Jennifer Barcelos and Sandy Connery of Namastream.

Jennifer Barcelos is the Co-Founder and CEO of Namastream and Co-Host of the And She Spoke podcast. An avid believer that success is found in being more than one thing, Jennifer brings her passion for creating and educating to her roles as an entrepreneur, attorney, parent, and changemaker.

Never one to shy away from a challenge, Jennifer jumped at the opportunity to disrupt the wellness and technology industries by building the Namastream platform in 2015, making it easier for independent instructors to build and scale their businesses on the Internet. Today, Jennifer leads the Namastream team with the goal of empowering women to find financial freedom through online entrepreneurship. Jennifer currently lives on a remote, forested island in Washington State with her husband and young daughter.

Sandy Connery is the Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer of Namastream, Soulful MBA, and Connectable.Biz Software. A multidimensional businesswoman and mother, Sandy has made the transition from a successful clinician and retail owner to a savvy tech entrepreneur.

In 2014, while looking for a career change that would allow her the freedom to work from home while challenging her professional acumen, Sandy took a leap into the technology industry studying software development, and ultimately teaming up with Jennifer on Namastream. Today, Sandy brings her business know-how to the Namastream team, where she plays a key role in creating community, teaching and inspiring other healers to find the freedom and impact they desire. Sandy lives in Calgary, Alberta, Canada with her husband, teenage son and border collie.

Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Before we dive into the main focus of our interview, our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you tell us a bit about your childhood backstory?

Sandy: Growing up with a single mom taught me about hard work and owing money. We experienced financial strain that has left a lasting impact on me. My beliefs about money shaped my decision to transition from the para-medical field to business and entrepreneurship. The common problem of women not having their own money (and therefore little agency) is something I grew up with firsthand.

Jeni: Money has been a touchpoint for me my entire life. My father was a musician with a brilliant mind and a drug problem that shaped our family in so many ways. I put myself through college, working multiple jobs, to try to conquer my fears around money. I left home at 16 and applied for financial emancipation from my parents. My experience of money was that it was something you couldn’t control and I did everything in my power to surmount those beliefs.

What or who inspired you to pursue your career as an entrepreneur or business leader? We’d love to hear the story.

Sandy: When we developed the idea for Namastram, our mission was to build a company that we could leverage to create a wave of empowerment for other women. We were excited to build our business in an unusual way. By forging our own path and saying no to outside investment early on, we created a powerful pathway for other female entrepreneurs, historically underrepresented in the tech industry.

Jeni: We met in 2014 through an online business course. From my previous career, I recognized that technology is the currency of power and I was drawn to industry because of the immense opportunity to make a difference. In speaking with Sandy, we bonded over a gap we recognized in the industry for female creators and our shared passion for innovation and yoga. Beyond the freedom, flexibility, and financial benefits of building an online business, deep down, we felt called to help other human beings find personal and financial freedom through entrepreneurship.

None of us can achieve success without some help along the way. Was there a particular person who you feel gave you the most help or encouragement to be who you are today? Can you share a story about that?

Sandy: My first boss, after graduating university, pushed me beyond my level of confidence at that time. There would be speaking opportunities and I would not think I was capable or experienced enough to take them on and he always talked me into them. Having a mentor that believed in me more than I did myself at that early age was transformative.

Jeni: The Vice President of the United States influenced my career from the moment I read Earth in the Balance as a child. He led me onto a path of pragmatic activism, which has defined my life. After spending a decade focusing my career on fighting the climate crisis, motherhood led me to pivot my activism more towards feminism and economic justice issues.

Can you share the funniest or most interesting mistake that occurred to you in the course of your career? What lesson or take away did you learn from that?

Sandy: Once, I did a live demo and was adjusting my necklace and getting myself camera ready but I was already live and didn’t know it. No one said anything as I was primping and straightening myself “before” going live. I died laughing after it was over and it just reminded me that our clients are amazing, kind and always up for a good show.

Jeni: Before I started my software company, I worked as a political organizer and almost fainted just downstage from Jewel, because I forgot to drink water. I learned the importance of staying hydrated and taking care of myself no matter which famous politicians or performers were near me.

The road to success is hard and requires tremendous dedication. This question is obviously a big one, but what advice would you give to a young person who aspires to follow in your footsteps and emulate your success?

Sandy: I always tell people that it’s okay to be imperfect — give yourself permission as a creator to make mistakes and learn from them. It’s important to be vulnerable because that’s where growth comes from. There is no final version of an online product and you will always be iterating.

Jeni: There are many highs and lows to navigate while running your own business. Make sure to be financially literate and use that as your foundation. Pay attention to numbers but trust that they are not the only factor or indicator to your worth.

Is there a particular book that made a significant impact on you? Can you share a story or explain why it resonated with you so much?

Sandy: We’re huge fans of Seth Godin and his work — books like This is Marketing and Purple Cow. He has inspired our way of thinking about our company’s core values and our mission to help other entrepreneurs build their businesses from a place of alignment and authenticity in service to the world.

Jeni: When it comes to our reading list, our preference is for books that spark conversation around uncomfortable questions because that’s where we believe the most growth can come from — for example the book The Big Leap by Gay Hendricks. We published “13 Books Every Emerging Entrepreneur Should Read” on our site, linked here. More of our favorite business books can be found here.

Can you share your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Why does that resonate with you so much?

Sandy: “Your inherent worth is not tied to your financials.” Navigating the highs and lows of life and finances — as an entrepreneur, a mother, a woman — is incredibly challenging. Remember when times get tough that you are not tied to a number. Your value is so much more.

Jeni: “We are not the victim of our businesses.” This quote might sound a bit “tough love,” but it urges business owners to hold agency for your outcomes and become responsible for both failures AND successes. While it’s something learned over time, we find it really empowering to take responsibility for ourselves, our business and our financial outcomes.

What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now? How do you think that might help people?

Sandy: One of the newest aspects of our business we’re excited about right now is Namastream’s The Inner Circle Experience. The Inner Circle Experience is a hands-on, one-year intensive program that guides wellness practitioners through the process of accelerating the growth of their online business. It’s our hope that by working with a small group of entrepreneurs very hands-on throughout the year, we will be able to make a target impacted and nurture aspiring entrepreneurs that could benefit most from our support.

Jeni: We are always working on ways to enhance our platform. The Inner Circle Experience is the highest level of Namastream’s training offerings, and it includes strategy & mindset coaching, critique calls, marketing and tech courses, and all of the tools needed for keeping a business on track and organized. We are very excited to build a small network of aspiring entrepreneurs we can really work closely with for an entire year.

OK, thank you for all of that. Let’s now shift to the core focus of our interview. As a business leader, you likely often face high stakes situations that involve a lot of pressure. Most of us tend to wither in the face of such pressure and stress. Can you share with our readers 3 or 4 strategies that you use to cope with the burden of stress?

Sandy: Meditation and yoga. Finding your quiet corner to go inward and disconnect from the world around you. Resetting mentally and physically is so important to recharge. When Jeni and I are together, we often go for hikes while brainstorming. It’s where some of our most successful ideas have been born.

Jeni: Spending time in nature. My family lives on an island outside of Seattle, which enables us to immerse ourselves in nature everyday. My best thinking is often done in the woods.

Aside from being able to deal with the burden of stress, can you share with our readers 3 or 4 strategies that you use to optimize your mind for peak performance before high pressure, high stress situations?

Sandy: Every time I coach, present or need to “perform”, I do a complete thought download. I write down all my current thoughts about the task at hand and examine each one and ask myself which thoughts are serving me and which are holding me back. This process allows me to always work with a clean mind and not get distracted with less than optimal thinking. (Oh… and bulletproof coffee in the morning.)

Jeni: For me, I cannot perform without spending some time in nature every day. No matter what is happening in my day, I need to leave it all behind for at least an hour and recharge my mind and my soul in the incredible forests that surround my home.

Do you use any special or particular breathing techniques, meditations or visualizations to help optimize yourself? If you do, we’d love to hear about it.

Sandy and Jeni: Whenever we feel uncertain about a decision or we find ourselves saying “we don’t know”, we go to the future together.. We imagine ourselves one year from now and ask ourselves how would future Jeni and Sandy advise us on the current situation. These future versions of ourselves have become trusted guides and mentors. They never give us bad advice! This is a powerful technique that taps into our inner knowing. We think that “we don’t know”, but we always do and this visualization finds our answer every time.

Do you have a special technique to develop a strong focus, and clear away distractions?

Sandy: My desk needs to be tidy! The more clutter on my desk, the harder it is to think, so in addition to my laptop I keep only one notebook and one pen on my desk. That’s it. A tidy desk is a tidy mind. And when I need to really focus, I always turn Brain.fm on so that my brain is in a flow like state. It’s a game changer.

Jeni: It’s more difficult than ever to find windows of time for focussed and creative work. Entrepreneurs must purposely create this time if they want to move their business forward. Each morning, Sandy and I have blocked off two hours on our calendar for focussed work. All notifications are turned off and our phones are set to silent. Our team knows that we are unreachable during this time. These two hours are the most valuable time of our day because it is the only time we’re able to get creative work done. We spend these hours writing, creating programs, and imagining what’s possible for our company.

We all know the importance of good habits. How have habits played a role in your success? Can you share some success habits that have helped you in your journey?

Sandy: Ditch perfection and embrace the process of doing the work. Have courage to share and be vulnerable in support of the women who will come after you. Trust that your journey as a woman, an entrepreneur, a mother, any identity you hold for yourself is valuable. Trust that others want to hear your story, too.

Jeni: Remember you are worth it every single day. Teachers need to acknowledge that they are selling something and that they are worthy of being paid for their services. There is a legitimate exchange going on when students actually pay for something. You’re worth it!

What is the best way to develop great habits for optimal performance? How can one stop bad habits?

Sandy: Maintaining an open line of communication with our team. As a company, we have long been an outlier pioneering remote work from seperate countries and adapting to Zoom. Committing to free flowing and frequent communication has enabled us to develop our best ideas and surmount our toughest challenges more quickly, efficiently, and enjoyably.

Jeni: Make a commitment to being on top of your company’s finances — financial literacy is foundational. Pay attention to your numbers, trust that they’re not indicative of your inherent worth, and make a habit of putting your business expenses on one credit card that you aim to pay off in full every month.

As a business leader, you likely experience times when you are in a state of Flow. Flow has been described as a pleasurable mental state that occurs when you do something that you are skilled at, that is challenging, and that is meaningful. Can you share some ideas from your experience about how we can achieve a state of Flow more often in our lives?

Sandy: Finding solitude and a time to go inward fuels my equilibrium.

Jeni: Spending time in nature alone and with my family. We chose to live on an island outside of Seattle to be able to immerse ourselves in the power of nature. I take many of our conference calls while walking in the woods.

Ok, we are nearly done. You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good for the greatest number of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger.

Sandy: We’re excited to see a movement around the conversation about the meaning of entrepreneurship; the way we built the company with no outside investment is unique within the tech and wellness industry. We love to help other business owners replicate our model and envision a world where thriving as a female entrepreneur is more supported.

Jeni: When we think about the future, we love to imagine the concept of a new economy. The way we are used to living, earning, and spending as humans will never be the same and that’s exciting.

We are very blessed that some of the biggest names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US, whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we both tag them :-)

Sandy: Seth Godin’s impact as a thinker, especially among entrepreneurs, is unmatched. His core values and creativity are at the core of our company’s values. And if

Jeni: If Shonda Rhimes called for a lunch date, I’d be there in a heartbeat. I have great admiration for her as a writer, producer and a social justice advocate. She has created some of the best television series of our time and, of course, some of the most famous female protagonists. If I could meet with Olivia Pope, I would.

How can our readers further follow your work online?

Sandy: We also host a weekly podcast series, called And She Spoke , where we speak to different female entrepreneurs about money, mindset, and meaningful work.

Jeni: Check out our website www.namastream.com and our Instagram @namastream