Welcome back to Count Me In,

IMA's podcast about all things affecting
the accounting and finance world.

This is your host,

Mitch Roshong and today I'm happy to
introduce our guest speaker for episode

151, Hema Vyas.

Hema is a renowned speaker on heart
wisdom, human consciousness, spirituality,

health, and energy. She works with
individuals, corporates, startups,

and diverse global audiences to provide
needle turning solutions for problems of

all kinds. In this episode,

Hema speaks with Adam
about the significance of
heart, passion and emotion.

When it comes to leadership and
building high performance teams.

Keep listening as we head over
to their conversation now.

Our initial discussions or,
conversations back and forth.

I was seeing you have this term
omnipreneur, and I, you know,

for many years there's been a celebration
of the entrepreneurial spirit and

business.

And I was looking in like the definition
of entrepreneur is a person who

organizers or operates a business or
businesses taking a greater risk than

normal or financial risks.

Cause they're usually going out there
and starting their own business.

So I'd like to take a
step. So where is it?

Where does Omnipreneurs fit into all that?

And how does someone to get from
an entrepreneur to an omnipreneur?

I think an omnipreneur is
what the world needs now. So,

you know, we have lots of businesses.
We have lots of entrepreneurs now,

more than ever.

We've got so many startups and people
wanting to run their own business and

run with their own ideas and taking
the risk. As you said, you know,

an entrepreneur who's
willing to take risk and,

and put the money behind themselves.

And for me omnipreneurship is
really about the next level where

you align those sort of business skills.

You align the financial and

entrepreneurial skills
together with health,

wealth and meaning. So it's
not just about, you know,

in terms of running a successful business,

it's about how we look after ourselves,
how we look after other people,

not just the people we employ, but
also the people around us, the people,

you know, when we're putting out products,
how we're taking into consideration,

you know, what's going to be for the
benefit of the whole and also the planet.

So for me, it's really a
holistic approach to business,

a holistic approach to life.

And I believe that each of us should
be omnipreneurs in our own way,

where we are not only taking care
of our own financial success,

whether it's in a corporation or whether
it's in as an entrepreneur doing,

not running our own business,

but also taking care of
all aspects of our lives,

making sure that we have time
for relationships, family,

making sure we have time to take
care of ourselves and those around us

and doing it in a way that is
sustainable to the planet and the

world that we live in.

So it's taking all of the things
that an entrepreneur would do,

but adding in a holistic approach,

it makes me think of terms
like sustainability and
those things are becoming

more and more prevalent in business and
being able to connect all those things

in a holistic manner, which is
not the easiest thing to do,

especially when the bottom line is most
important thing in any business, right?

Because you have to make
money to stay in business.

Absolutely so, you know,

one of the things that we
teach is really how to be a

tucked down business, where, you know,

the people at the top are taking care
of more than just the bottom line.

They are taking care of people,

making sure that they're fulfilling the
sense of purpose that they have a sense

of meaning.

And they are also contributing
to a sustainable business as well

as a sustainable growth of
business because you know,

a lot of startups sort of
growing exponentially and
then don't have the means to

take care of the people. Other dues.

There's a huge turnover of staff
because they're burning out

and, and, and that's not healthy for
anybody. It's not healthy for the people.

It's not healthy for relationships,

but it's also not healthy
for business every few years.

If they have to keep training new
people or get new people involved in the

vision and the goals you want
people to grow in a healthy way.

So really teaching the leaders
how to lead in a way that takes

care of,

the people in such a way that the
bottom line gets fed or can make do.

That makes sense.

I was reading that you say that
you have to put your heart into it.

So what's the role of like heart
in leadership and in life, I guess,

because we're trying to talk
about the holistic approach.

Yeah, absolutely.

So a lot of the qualities that we
teach I would say are qualities of the

heart. So, you know, we have
the cerebral intelligence,

we have cognition, we
have intellectual ability.

We also have the gut intelligence, which
is a body's intelligence, which is our

instincts, you know, and that
feeling, that knowingness that we get,

which is more from an instinct place,
that there's an instinct about something.

And then there's heart intelligence,
which I would say is more of a wisdom.

And it's, you know,

really tapping into that
sense of wisdom that allows

us to have that holistic approach.

It is being able to come from our heart
space to lead from our heart space,

to make sure that we are being really
heart-centered so that we have all the

qualities, you know,

that are heart centered sort of leader
would have in order to be able to take

care of the people in order
to take of themselves.

So heart has everything to do with
business as far as I'm concerned,

because that is where we get
balanced. If we're not in balance,

then whatever we're doing is not
going to have the desired effect.

So that's what causes extremism.

And when we're too focused on one
thing and not enough on another,

eventually the way the universe works,
that it creates his own balance.

And that's what burnout is, is it,

if you're not giving enough
time to people to really,

really take care of themselves and what's
going to happen is they're going to

burn out. So what you think is
good, pushing people, for example,

ultimately ends up not being good
when we're centered in our hearts.

We know what that balance is because
each individual is different.

So there's no sort of set of
rules that says, well, you know,

you have to stop people working at five.

Some people might thrive
working late into the evening.

They might want to come in
later in the day. You know,

there's that flexibility that
comes from not being so structured,

not being, so process-oriented
not being so cerebral,

not being seen to lecture and not
going well, this is what works,

and this is how we have to do it.

But actually looking at the
people that you're working with,

who you're working for,

who's working for you and how to
get the best out of that situation

so that there is genuine
expansion of the heart,

which means that there's
a, a sense of flow.

And there's a sense of balance, which
is really where real happiness lies,

but also where prosperity lies. And if
we want to be successful in business,

I think we have to be successful
and happy and heart centers

qualities are those qualities that
help us to really relate in that.

Yeah. It's not something that
you talk about often you don't,

you don't pick up the Harvard
business review and see, you know,

things of the heart.

but what you're saying makes a lot of
sense where it's connecting to it's

connecting to what really
matters. Because if,

if your employees don't understand,

don't see that you care about them and
that you hear them and listen to them,

they will eventually get
to that burnout place.

If you're not helping them get there, is
that what I'm am I following you right?

Absolutely. Because, you know, we can't
leave our personal lives out of it.

So, you know, when you're going to work,

you're carrying all of you to work.

And yet there's this idea that
when you go into work, you know,

whoever you are, whether you're the
boss, whether you're the employee,

it doesn't matter that you have
to leave aspects of yourself,

but it all filters in.

And if there's space to be seen for
who you are to say, Hey, listen,

you're having a tough day today. Why
don't you take the time off, you know,

going work out what you've got to
work out and then come back in.

I think you're going to get so
much more from that employee.

Then if you just do the same old, same
old, you know, which is across the board,

this is what applies to everybody.
It doesn't necessarily anymore.

So it sounds like, you know,

things like truth and trust
and transparency are very
important in this model

that we're discussing. Can you discuss
more about what, what that looks like?

Absolutely. Yeah.

So the qualities of the heart that
we focus on are sort of the ones

that you just talked about
for us. You know, it's really,

really important to help people
understand where heart energy

and truth trust and
transparency comes into that.

So one of the things that I talk about
is the electromagnetic field that the

heart and veins the heart is
always looking to put, right,

whatever it considers or, you know,

the wisdom of the heart could see yourself
as being not really aligned with what

is true.

We know we feel and we connect, you know,

with every sense that
we have with what some,

when something is truthful and
our bodies respond when it's not

truthful.

And so the same idea that we live in
a world where people are withholding

information, not being
transparent, you know,

giving sort of information on a
need to know basis. For example,

it doesn't create a sense of trust. Now,

when there isn't that sense of
trust, I'll say instantaneously,

you lose a connection with those people.

If you're not inspiring trust in them,

they are going to be disconnected
from what you're doing.

And if they're disconnected
from what they're doing,

they're not going to feel
like they're on purpose.

They're not going to be passionate
about what they're doing,

even if they started off loving
what they were doing. And,

and it's something they genuinely loved
to do. That's why there's a crossover,

you know, where they go to
other companies or, you know,

where you lose that sort of loyalty.

Because often there is
a lack of, you know,

that transparency and it might be
for genuine reasons. It might be,

well, we don't need to bombard them
too much information, but actually,

you know,

I think we have to get better skilled
at really being able to identify when

people do need information, whether
it's useful for them to have it or not,

because it's, you know,

that lack of secrecy and that real
transparency that I think makes

people feel like they're
part of something.

And when we feel like
we're a part of something,

our hearts organically open up when
our hearts are open, we're in flow.

And when we're in flow,
we have greater trust.

Now we have greater sense of truth.

And that feeling that there is something
truthful here that's happening.

I think, you know, increases productivity,

increases creativity
and increases loyalty.

And I think that's
really, really important.

So how do you overcome it? Cause I
heard you saying that transparency,

that old mindset of you're
on a need to know basis,

but that's the traditional model and
many businesses still hold to that.

And even in an entrepreneurial
space where you're a startup,

there are certain secrets that
you don't want getting out.

How do you balance all of that?

Because you want your people to feel
like they're in a trusting environment,

but there are certain things that are
unable to be shared with everybody.

Absolutely.

I think it's less about sharing
everything with everybody and more about

intention. You know, it's, you
know, the open door policy,

when you say, Hey, listen,

if you're struggling with something
and I don't even care what it is,

whether it's personal, whether it's
social, whether it's about the business,

whether it's about something that hasn't
been communicated effectively to you

come in and talk to you.

We need those leaders who are
really available and that are

not going to make people feel small
or insignificant for asking what they

consider a silly question or, you know,

wanting more information about something.
Like I say, not everybody needs it,

but just knowing that we can do it makes
a difference just knowing we can walk

into, you know, somebody's
office and to say, Hey,

listen that project something about
it. Doesn't quite sit right with me and

can you give me a bit more
information so I can do my job well,

and you've told me just get
on and do this research,

but I really like to know the context
or whatever it might be. You know,

when there is that ability to be
able to go in and ask for what you

need. And more importantly,

the ability to actually be able
to acknowledge to yourself,

you're in a safe environment where you
can acknowledge that you might need

something more than what
others have already got.

Then it is going to create that
sense of open expansiveness.

And that level of trust is definitely
going to be inspired in that

situation. Lack a sense, not necessarily
that everybody has to know it.

They just have to move that if they need
to know that there's someone they can

ask and they'll be giving an honest
answer that we can't share that with you

because actually, you know,

there's a big roll out and we're
not ready to share it with anybody.

But as soon as you know, we're
able to share it with anybody,

you're going to be one of the first
people to know it's that sense of being,

you know, sooth, that
sense of being comforted.

And that makes a huge
amount of difference.

And we live in a world where I say a lot
of people have been numbed out to that

and because they've numbed out to it,

they don't even know that that's what's
missing and they don't know how to ask

for it. And leaders
don't know how to give.

And so that's one of the things I
say so important to acknowledge,

to change the way businesses are
running to go from sort of more

the entrepreneurial businesses to
the more entrepreneurial businesses.

So with the last two years or so since,

COVID hit the world and affected all
of us where most businesses moved

to everybody working from
home for a long time,

and a lot of businesses are just getting
started to bringing people back into

the office. How can we take all the
lessons we've learned from everybody

working remotely to bringing
them back into the office,

to continuing to build a high performing
team with all these things that we've

been talking about today?

I think the first thing is
to acknowledge, you know,

for some people it's been an
absolute send home for other people,

it's been an absolute nightmare and
everything in between, you know,

and to not treat everybody the same
and to not think that they should

or be the same and feel the same
thing the same and to give people a

voice.

I think that's the most important
thing we want to build sustainable

businesses with the uncertainty
that we're all faced with, you know,

the uncertainty that hit us or, you
know, like a rock sort of, you know,

18, 19 months ago, you know, if we really,

really want to get the
most out of that situation,

I think we need more conversations.
We need better communication.

We need better
communication that inspires,

a set level of transparency,
which will absolutely, you know,

endear trust,

because if you're going
back and you have struggled,

then you are going to want to
be able to speak to somebody.

And you're going to be able to be able
to speak to people about, you know,

what those struggles are and how to
transition. And also the uncertainty that,

that we might look down here.

There are lots of people that are
still very nervous about getting back,

you know, on the commuter journey.

There are people who are nervous about
going back. There are those people who,

you know, can't wait and they
just really want to go back.

And people who want to
do the hybrid thing,

they want to work from home a little
bit, cause they definitely enjoyed it,

but if they want to go
and be able to, you know,

come connect with other people and
office and have meetings in person.

So I think, you know,

if the leaders are going to really
bring them back and to keep them in a

space where they feel safe,
where they feel, they can really,

really thrive and get on with their work,

knowing that other things
have been taken care of.

Then I think that leaders definitely
need to make more time to connect

with people, individuals
in groups, however, to it,

to really, really, you know,

appreciate the unique
journey they won't be.

And if we don't make time for
them, as you said might be,

they don't feel that they're being
taken care of or that they are cared for

that they matter as human beings,
then I'll assume that, you know,

they're not going to bring their
best care to the situation.

They're just not why should they,
because if they don't exist in your eyes,

why should you exist in there? You
know, that's just human nature.

So if you're looking at
your employees and say, Hey,

I see that you exist. Is that a step
toward increasing things like innovation,

creativity,

creative thinking within the business
because you're giving them a passion and a

purpose in where in their daily work.

Absolutely. Absolutely. One of the
things that we sort of notice, you know,

doing the work that I do is
really the fact that, you know,

if people have a voice, you'd be
surprised who comes out with those jams,

you'll be surprised who is
creative, who might be really quiet,

who might be really good
at one job, but you know,

has all these other insights or how,

when one person opens up a conversation,
you know, creativity begins to flow.

Innovation begins to flow.
And I think it's really,

again comes back to communication, giving
people a voice when people are seeing,

when they felt heard they are going
to speak up and you'll be surprised

what treasures live within those people.

And so just being able to give
them a voice to just, you know,

is going to give them that
confidence to be able to speak up,

which is good. And because, you know,
sometimes when we're in a situation,

we have blind spots, we all do. We all
have blind spots in our own situation.

And sometimes it takes somebody from
the outside to look in and go, ah,

this is what you need, you know,
within an organization, when,

no matter how big or small you don't
know who might have the solution that

you're looking for.

And when you create an open sort
of space and when you create a very

trusting space where people
can voice whatever it is,

they want to voice. That's
where creativity and ideas flow.

And that's what leads
to beautiful innovation.

And so it's something that I think
if people spend more time doing this,

they are going to find that
they are going to thrive.

And we've certainly seen
that our experience has been
a real sense of, you know,

the growth that comes when
people individually grow.

And when people really, really
fall in the safe space then,

because when safety is no longer an issue,

when uncertainty feels
like a safe space to be,

then I think creativity prevails.

What I'm hearing you say is that
from a leadership perspective,

there's a level of humility that needs
to be there in order for you to be open

enough, to hear what your
employees have to say,

because they may be saying something
that you may not like or want to hear,

and you may humanly react
like, oh no, I don't like that.

Or I don't want to hear that,

but you have to be humble enough to take
in what they're saying and take it as,

okay, this is their concern. And I may
not be able to do anything about it,

but I have to be able to hear and listen,

and actually be humble enough
to be present for that.
And that's not easy to do.

Well, absolutely. And it's not
because, you know, as leaders,

you've got so many other things on
your mind and there's so much going on.

And so how do you make that time?

That's one of the things that I definitely
have teaching is how can we expand

time?

And we expand time by
recognizing what is missed

in those opportunities.

When you think you don't have
time to listen to somebody because

taking that time to listen to somebody
today is going to save you a hell of

a lot of grief, you know,
further down the line.

And I think that's
something that, you know,

really great leaders do
know and do recognize,

and sort of the more newer leaders,

they may be the ones who are struggling
with it because they don't necessarily

have the experience. And so
it's recognizing that, you know,

sometimes things aren't as
we think they are or healthy,

we think they should be.

Sometimes we have to really lean into
what's really needed in that moment

and really come from that heart space
to say, okay, I need to make time.

Doesn't matter how busy I am. This is
what I need to need time for, because,

you know, again,

I can honestly tell you that I know
so many people have and are going

to be leaving jobs, you know, September,

because I've spoken to people,
myself, my own clients who are like,

you know,

they haven't taken the time to really
check in with us during all of this time.

This is not company I want
to stay with. And, you know,

and I hear it across the board
and, and I'm sure, you know,

it's not unique to the
few people I speak to.

I'm sure a lot of people who
are going through this now,

if they're taking the time, let's
say six months ago, even, you know,

whenever to just touch base
with everybody, you know,

just really connect. Then they
would be safe with themselves,

the whole process of recruiting and all
the rest of it that goes with losing

staff. So it's so, so important.

So I've mentioned already, like the, you
know, how it takes a level of humility,

but what role does things like emotion
and intuition and even cognition,

take in leadership, especially in, you
know, in the realm of an omnipreneur.

So I think for me,

it's really about bringing balance to
all of them because all of those things

have such an important part
to play. And in the past,

we've sort of tried to
keep emotion out of it.

We tried to keep it very cooperative,

we've tried to keep it very
intellectual and the heart for me,

you know the mind is
where cognition happens.

The gut is where our emotions happen.
And the heart is where there is balance,

where we balance both the
instinct, as well as has seen too,

where we balance those two things
and get to a space and place of

wisdom. And in leadership, I think,
you know, you have to be like,

it's not necessarily about your skills
because sometimes the most skilled and

the most, you know, expert, you know,

people in their field
don't make great leaders.

And the reason why they don't make
great leaders, is because, you know,

they may be good at what they do, but
they haven't found that balance of,

you know,

bringing the whole thing together and
being able to have that bird's eye

perspective, you know,

when you step out of that situation
and to really look down and really

be able to say, okay, what's
going on? Not everybody's like me,

not everybody thinks like me,
not everyone feels like me.

And so to really have that kind
of ability to have that sort of

3d perspective and to look down
and to go what's needed in this

situation. And that's where
the role of intuition really,

really becomes prominent because it's
not necessarily about what you've

done in the past. It's not necessarily
about where you're going in the future,

but it's about in that moment,

what is the right thing to do and
what is really, really needed.

And when we have that present, when,
when this, when we have that ability to,

we all have intuition,

some people are just better at being
able to connect to it and name it. And,

and it's, there's, it's something
that we can learn. And when we really,

really learn and use our intuition,

I think we bring together,
you know, our cognition,

we bring together emotions
because emotions are important.

You cannot leave them out of a
space because they're part of what's

happening in the moment they add context
to what's happening in the moment.

And when we act intuitively,
I think we act wisely.

And when we act wisely,
it's not only good for us.

It's good for the people around us,

but it's also good for the
business or whatever our goal is,

whatever our vision is, it's good at that.

So what I hear you saying is that to
have a successful business business,

you no longer need to have
a bunch of mindless drones.

We need to have fully aware
self-aware emotional people who can

give all of themselves
to, to what they're doing.

Absolutely. Absolutely.

We are human beings holistically inclined,

and therefore this idea that we've
had to compartmentalize ourselves,

hasn't served us. It's created an
imbalance and now you're right.

We don't need this mind restraints.

We absolutely need people who
are willing to bring all aspects

of themselves to the space
and feel safe to do so and

recognize it is a positive
skill rather than a negative.

This has been Count Me In,

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of thought leaders from

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