Mindset is Everything: Mental & Emotional Skills to Succeed as an Entrepreneur

In this session, Kira Leskew will discuss the following topics: Knowing that You Will Get There, but being flexible about how long it takes How being curious can get you through big problems Business is a Team Sport, How and When to Ask for Help Entrepreneurship is Lonely - How and When to Get Support The Entrepreneurial Emotional Roller Coaster (from Cameron Herold) and how to manage it. Kira has built and successfully exited 2 multi-million dollar businesses, and currently owns 2 new businesses, including the Eagle Institute. Exiting her last business was one of the most traumatic and difficult events in her life, and which lead to a deep transformational experience. Before starting her life as an entrepreneur, Kira was a decorated national level competitive swimmer with International experience. Kira has broken 3 Canadian records, one in the Senior open category, and 2 as a Masters swimmer, where she was also top-10 in the world in 3 events. She also won a Silver medal at the US Long Distance swimming championships, which earned her a place at the World Professional Long Distance Swimming Circuit. Her accomplishments in swimming, along with her academic accomplishments earned her an induction into McMaster Sports Hall of Fame. Despite having extensive mental and emotional skills from her athletic career, it just wasn't enough as Kira faced monumental challenges as an entrepreneur, turning around a bankrupt company at the young age of 25, and being a pioneer as a woman in the male-dominated automotive, appliance trim and metal fabrication industries. In order to handle the mental and emotional pressures of her first business, Kira began to learn yoga and meditation, completing her Advanced Yoga Teacher Training in 2001, and quickly beginning her meditation practice with Kundalini Yoga and Meditation. In 2006, Kira was introduced to Mindfulness Meditation, and has studied under Maria Gonzalez since that time. To date, Kira has logged over 5000 hours of yoga and meditation practice.