The best leaders in the world beat burnout and here’s how they transform from surviving to thriving.

A 2 min read.

In honor of August being National Mental Wellness month, I wanted to touch on a topic that I’ve heard almost daily since the pandemic started, burnout. 

Burnout is something that is not a danger just to the hospitality industry but to many industries and it’s calling us to action to change the way we think about workload.

(For those of you that follow me, you know I post content daily on Linkedin how hospitality leaders can be more mentally fit so operators can retain their managers and scale their business).

Forbes recently published an interesting article stating that the World Health Organization has officially classified burnout as a medical diagnosis. 

Their diagnosis is “a syndrome conceptualized as resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed.” 

The  four symptoms for diagnosing burnout include:

1. Feelings of energy depletion, exhaustion and fatigue

2. Increased mental distance from your job

3. Feelings of negativism or cynicism related to your job

4. Reduced professional efficacy

(If you’d like me to send you the full article, DM me)

Coming across these four symptoms today was eye-opening for me. A year ago, I experienced all of them, but I couldn't bring myself to admit that I was facing burnout. Somehow, I associated acknowledging it with weakness. 

Despite being in control of my burnout, I wasn't ready to confront it or learn how to manage it effectively. Instead, I sought solace in alcohol, using it as a way to numb the stress and difficult emotions. 

If you think you are experiencing burnout and want to partner together on strategies to overcome it, let’s connect via email here.

Gradually, this habit took over, and I found myself reaching for a drink without any valid reason. That's when things spiraled out of control.

I neglected my mental, physical, and spiritual well-being. Stress management and self-care went out the window, and I didn't provide my body with the right nourishment and rest it needed. 

As a result, my energy levels plummeted, and I struggled with negative self-talk. 

However, after hitting a low point, I finally reached out for professional help, which, I believe, saved my life. Recognizing the importance of seeking support was a turning point in my journey towards healing and recovery.

Let me show you how to begin the process to living a more fulfilled life.

It required considerable time and effort on my part to grasp the art of recognizing negative thoughts. Learning to say no and establish boundaries was crucial. 

Adopting habits such as exercise, meditation, and healthy eating became essential for nourishing my body and mind. 

Perhaps the most challenging lesson was discovering how to prioritize self-care, as my life had been primarily devoted to serving others. While I excelled at giving, I struggled with receiving.

Throughout the past year, I've come to realize that burnout can indeed be managed, but it demands a profound comprehension of one's boundaries, stress management, and mental well-being. 

These skills are not innate to humans; rather, they need to be taught and cultivated intentionally. 

Recognizing the signs of burnout and taking action promptly are essential for overall well-being. 

By shifting your mindset, setting healthy boundaries, embracing challenges as opportunities for growth, and prioritizing self-investment, you can effectively treat and overcome burnout. 

Let’s collaborate now if you are ready to shift your mindset.

Remember, the power to change your mindset is also the power to change the world, paving the way for a more balanced and fulfilling life. 

Take your first step in living a more fulfilled life by emailing me here

Christin

P.S.

Whenever you are ready, here are several additional ways I provide daily support to hospitality leaders.

• If you are a restaurant owner looking for a strategic partner to scale your business, retain and develop your managers, let's connect. DM me, email me at christinlmarvin@gmail.com or you can even text me at 719-494-6074.

(Rest assured, I won't attempt to sell you anything.)

• If you are a hospitality leader looking to level up and position yourself for career advancement without sacrificing work-life balance, let’s start a conversation. Email me at christinlmarvin@gmail.com

• Each week, I provide hospitality leaders with valuable tools and resources to shift from surviving to thriving by embracing mental fitness. Subscribe to my newsletter below to receive these helpful tips directly in your inbox.

Christin

How to Know if Coaching is Right for You

I receive numerous inquiries from people who are curious about my coaching process and the potential impact it could have on their life. Today, I'm excited to invite you into my unique approach to coaching, answer some commonly asked questions and give you insight into the steps you would take to start working with me. 

How Coaching Comes to Life

First, when I connect with someone in person or over the phone, I look for ways I can serve them. I am genuinely curious about people's challenges and what is standing in their way of living a fulfilled life. When I recognize a moment where I can serve someone powerfully, I ask if I can help. If someone is open to that, I gift them a coaching session to work through whatever challenges they'd like to discuss and see if coaching is right for them.

Second, if someone reaches out to me and is interested in coaching, whether I know them or not, we schedule a time to chat over the phone, in person, or on a video call to further discuss their challenges and delve deeper into why they are seeking coaching. If I feel like their challenges are something I can guide them through, I also offer them a coaching session as a gift, allowing them to experience coaching firsthand and determine if it's suitable for them. If I am not certain I am the right coach for someone, I will suggest another coach who specializes in helping them achieve their goals.

Email me if you want to schedule a coaching session

Once the coaching session has ended and someone is interested in learning more about how we could work together, I present them with my package options, which are designed to fit everyone's budget and schedule.

What to Expect

My approach to coaching blends a combination of the tools and resources I've learned through the Co-Active Training Institute (CTI), my experience in coaching, leading, and developing teams over the years, and my core values. I offer a tough love approach to my clients; being direct and firm when needed and supportive when they require me to hold space for their processing. At times, I take on roles such as a strategic partner, cheerleader, mentor, consultant, and listener. I will present challenges, encourage you to make commitments, and hold you accountable when necessary, pushing you beyond your comfort zone.

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Coaching vs. Therapy

Lastly, I’d like to address the most common question I get which is what’s the difference between coaching and therapy. Coaching is future-oriented, goal-focused, and aimed at enhancing performance and success, while therapy is past-oriented, focused on emotional healing, and designed to address mental health challenges. Both coaching and therapy can be valuable, depending on your needs and goals. I personally have a coach to help me identify my blind spots with myself, my coaching practice and my business so I can ensure I am being the best version of myself, especially when I am coaching. I have also worked with a therapist in the past to help me with past issues with sobriety, family and marriage. 

Working with a coach is one of the most effective leadership development plans I've encountered because it's customized to the client. In each session, the agenda is set by the client, focusing on real-time issues that hinder success and happiness. Coaching provides sustainable ways to improve mental health, enhance confidence, develop leadership skills, make more strategic decisions, and reduce stress and anxiety, among many other benefits.

Through coaching, I have experienced transformative growth, becoming a better communicator with my husband, designing and living the lifestyle I desire, nurturing self-love, and prioritizing my health. Moreover, it has led me to become more compassionate toward myself and others, fostering a positive and fulfilling outlook on life.

Coaching isn’t for everyone but if you are curious, let me gift you a session to see if now is the right time.

Email me to schedule your coaching session

Christin

Start Treating Your Applicants Like Your Guests

I keep reading that so many companies are short-staffed, yet I know great people whom I've worked with that are applying for 50+ jobs and hearing radio silence.

Something's off. Hiring practices need a hard look.

When someone applies for your company, chances are they know someone who's worked there, they've had a great meal at your spot or you have a great reputation.

Whether or not you hire that person, you still have an opportunity to make a connection, offer an experience that exceeds their expectations and create a guest.

No one likes to be kept waiting at a table without being greeted.

Why should them reaching out about a job be treated any differently.

Putting it simply, a job application is not just a resume; it's a human being with experiences and dreams.

It's about time we put 'hospitality' back in 'hospitality industry'.

The next time someone applies, deal with them not as a number in a database, but as a prospective customer who might review your restaurant on their next visit.

Take-action: The next time you have a job application, don't just read the CV. Engage them, treat them like a potential customer, and watch how it impacts your business positively.

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Christin

Why Your Employees are Not Using their Benefits

I have a client who is currently seeking a new job, and our discussions have revolved around their desired lifestyle and finding a job that aligns with it, in regards to schedule, salary and benefits. 

This process has prompted me to reflect on my experiences interviewing managers throughout the years, particularly the conversations I've had with candidates where I focused on promoting the company's benefits.

In retrospect, I realize that I should have been inquiring about the lifestyle they aspired to lead in order to determine if the company would be a good fit.

While most candidates seemed impressed by the comprehensive benefit packages we offered, many of them didn't fully take advantage of these benefits beyond the basic health insurance coverage.

This has led me to ponder whether we were providing the right set of benefits. After all, benefits are intended to attract and retain talented individuals.

However, in most of the companies I've been associated with, we primarily discuss benefits during the onboarding process and rarely revisit the topic unless it's time for open enrollment, when we inform employees about increases in insurance rates.

Today, I want to highlight an exceptional case that occurred during my tenure at Sweet Cow in Denver. As part of our benefits package, we provided a $100 monthly wellness stipend to each manager.

This stipend was clearly outlined in their profit and loss statements, and it was my responsibility to review these statements and inquire about any unused funds.

The unused funds were not a result of desire, but rather the result of poor time management or a lack of understanding of what the benefit could be used for.

During these conversations, we realized the need to enhance the flexibility of our wellness stipend to better cater to the individual needs of our managers.

We also began to understand the importance of having monthly conversations with employees to remind them that we offer benefits to enhance their quality of life, something that was important to our company culture.

Rather than simply reacting to their requests for specific benefits, we aimed to foster a proactive approach to self-care among our managers.

The outcome was the development of a clear, concise, and customized benefit package that aligned with the unique needs and lifestyles of our managers. This new package served as an excellent reflection of both the collective and individual preferences of our team, as well as the culture of our company.

When was the last time you evaluated your benefits to assess their utilization and determine if you're investing resources in benefits that don't meet your team's needs or desires?

Christin