“Who we are is how we lead.” – Brene Brown

The Pandemic was rough.

But you made it through. The world opened up. Everyone transitioned back to in-person activities at work and in life. The new normal came and went. It was obvious things would never be the same again.

Lots of changes at work. At first everyone was quitting. First the Great Resignation, then “Quiet Quitting.”

But now, something more insidious is happening.

“Quiet Termination.”

As a coach with clients across the country, this is a pattern I am seeing everywhere. The powers that be, making decisions that feel reactive, shooting off the hip, in ways that feel out of alignment with the values and mission of the organization you have sacrificed so much to serve.

It all feels surreal. One moment, someone is here, and the next moment, positions are cut, programs canned.

In a profession where job security was guaranteed, now it feels like everyone is disposable.

Everyone feels on edge at work now. Everywhere you look, you see signs of shame at work.

Blame, nostalgia, gossip.

People seem withdrawn and are not sharing as openly at meetings like they used to for fear of losing their jobs. Rumors spread like wildfire. No one seems to know exactly what’s going on.

It feels like the bottom line is the order of the day. Profit over people.

It feels unfair.

After all the sacrifices for your profession, you feel deserving of respect, security, consideration.

Everyone is expected to carry on as if nothing is happening.

But there are signs of disengagement everywhere, the disengagement that happens when there is a gap between values professed (the values you say you hold dear) and values practiced on the ground.

And then there’s the world, which feels like a dumpster fire. Wars, genocides, political fallouts, the never ending COVID.

You feel different somehow. Lots to do but you feel so tired, unmotivated yet overwhelmed, overstimulated and have a hard time concentrating.

And yet, you are supposed to operate as usual at work, home, parenting, love… Business as usual, productivity as usual, profit as usual… You as usual?

Not really…

You wanted to make a difference in the world.

You wanted to help people, make a positive impact, create something meaningful to change the world.

You made deep sacrifices to train and equip yourself for your profession. And you find yourself continuing to make more sacrifices, day in, day out.

Overwhelm, Overwork, Overgiving…

Everything feels harder, awkward, out of sorts. Out of control. You are working harder and harder but feel scattered, lacking confidence, uncertain and not really feeling in touch with yourself or the world. .

You seek a way out.

Numb, escape, avoid…

You need a break!

So you plan the vacations (revenge travel!), binge on Netflix, self medicate with wine, shopping, food, but deep down you know these are temporary fixes. You will return to the problem after a week or two of vacation. You will be roughly in the same position after the numbing, escaping and avoiding.

You are starting to dread going to work.

You wonder, “how did I get here?” “What would it take for me to thrive at work, enjoy my life, get back to feeling like myself again?” “Why does everything feel so hard? I am smart, I am good at what I do but why is everything taking so long? I feel like I am not 100% – I am feel like I am failing at work and at home even though everything looks fine.”

You sense there is something more for you.

You know you are capable of so much more.

You have more to give, accomplish, discover – but you can’t quite tap into it. On the surface everything looks fine. But you feel like a mess on the inside. You long to take off the mask and armor and really show up as yourself. You long to set boundaries, have those hard conversations, take courageous action, align with your values and cut out the habits that are no longer serving you so that you can focus on what really matters to you. You long to tap into the truest and highest expression of yourself in your work, marriage, parenting, leadership and relationships.

If you find yourself longing for a more courageous, aligned, integrated and authentic life, thriving at work and home, you are in the right place!

I hear you. I see you.

For over a decade, I have been on a mission to help highly skilled mission-driven professionals overcome disillusionment, overwhelm, compassion fatigue and burnout to thrive while making their positive impact in the world.

Personally and professionally, the pandemic was rough for me with reckonings in every arena of my life – parenting, race, faith, identity, work, love.

Steeping even deeper into this work as I taught, coached, facilitated saved me again and again. I was able to show up for myself, children, work and my community when fetal position would have been completely understandable. I am deeply grateful for it!

So, I know, there is a way forward with clarity and purpose.

You will need a strong practice, an evidence-based framework and community to help you give you the skills for leading and living courageously so you can make 2024 your most aligned and thriving year yet!

I invite you to a more aligned option.

I am offering my 12 week Dare To Lead online workshop starting Thursdays April 11th- June 20th, 2024 at 5:00pm PT, 8:00pm ET. I Invite you to join a group of mission-driven heart-centered leaders and professionals in learning the skills for answering your personal call to courage, the call to show up and live your life fully, the call to brave leadership.

You will learn all the skills for brave leadership and courageous cultures at work and home including transitioning from Armored leadership to Daring Leadership, Rising Strong from Failure and Setbacks, Living into Our Values, Braving Trust, Rumbling with Vulnerability.

“Yvonne, I am too tired to take care of myself, much less lead anyone. I am not a leader. Why should I attend your Dare to Lead workshop?”

“A Leader is anyone at ANY level who takes responsibility for finding the potential in people and processes and has the courage to develop that potential.” – Brene Brown

I have run several Dare To Lead Groups for groups of physicians, hospital teams, mixed professional groups, and individuals. I have seen the powerful transformative impact this work has had on individuals and organizations alike.


This is about learning how to show up as you are.

I say, dare to show up – Show up for yourself. Show up for those you love and serve.

What if in place of feeling lost, you discovered your compass, your values and learned how to live them?

What if in place of feeling stuck and paralyzed by the setbacks, disappointments and failures, you learned to grieve, learn from the experiences, rise strong from them and thrive?

To find out more, continue reading below for details. To register, click the link below. Here’s to you thriving!

SIGNUP!

A 12 week Online Workshop
Two hour Sessions: Thursdays 5:15pm PT, May 16th – August 8th, 2024

“To be the person who we long to be—we must again be vulnerable. We must take off the armor, put down the weapons, show up, and let ourselves be seen.” – Dr. Brené Brown, Dare to Lead: Brave Work. Tough Conversations. Whole Hearts

About The Dare To Lead Workshop

Hello!

Thank you for your interest in the Dare To Lead ™ Workshop.

The “Dare to Lead” Workshop is based on the research of Dr. Brené Brown. Dare to Lead™ is an empirically based courage-building leadership program designed to be facilitated only by Certified Dare to Lead organizational development professionals.

The most significant finding from Brené’s latest research is that courage is a collection of four skill sets that are teachable, measurable, and observable.

The Dare to Lead™ program focuses on developing these courage-building skills through workshops, trainings and coaching to help individuals, teams and organizations move from armored leadership to daring leadership.

This 12-week Dare to Lead™ Workshop will help you:

• Be the kind of leader others will want to follow
• Be the kind of partner/parent/friend you want to be
• Get results and be even more effective and productive
• Create a stronger, more effective team
• Tap into your values and lead authentically

Individuals who successfully complete the full 24-hour Dare to Lead program will receive a Dare to Lead Trained certificate and badge that can be posted on their LinkedIn account.

Align with your values and who you really are by digging deep into the principles of wholehearted living featured in Daring Greatly, Rising Strong and the Gifts of Imperfection by Brene Brown. Dare To Lead is the application of these principles in the workplace and organizational setting. Connect with a growing tribe of wholehearted professionals like you who value authenticity, creativity, compassion, connection, vulnerability, altruism, empathy, embracing imperfection and resilience. Get inspired and equipped to thrive in the life you deeply desire to live.

You and 9 other wholehearted professionals will step out of your autopilot life for 12 weeks of laughter, growth, insight, inspiration, rejuvenation as you explore and realign with your own values, connect and discover new friends and like-minded kindred. You will dig deep into exploratory exercises on creativity, authenticity, rising from failure, Daring Leadership, connection, shame resilience, letting go of perfectionism, mindfulness, to name a few.

Total cost is $2499 and covers workshop, workbooks, certificates and teaching. The recommended cost of Dare To Lead is $2499. Payment plans available for a fee upon request. 10% of all proceeds go to charitable organizations as well. So by signing up, you partner with me in making a positive impact in the world.

Early Bird registration, use code IDEALIST before March 28st for $500 off

You will also receive a “Dare To Lead Trained” badge on LinkedIn. NO REFUNDS. Your fee will be applied to a coaching program or workshop of your choice at equal value.  REGISTRATION ENDS on March 31st to allow the workbooks to be mailed to you on time.  If you sign up later than March 31st you might receive your workbook days after the start.  Only 10 spots available. . Email thrivingideals@gmail.com if you have any other questions

SIGNUP!

AGENDA

Series of 12 Weekly Gatherings (each session is 2  hours in length)
Sessions: Thursdays, 8:15-10:15pm ET,  5:15 -7:15 pm PT 

Session 1: Introduction – Brave Leaders & Courage Cultures LESSON 1 – The Heart of Daring Leadership
Session 2:  LESSON 2 – Armored Leadership versus Daring Leadership
Session 3:  Brave Leaders & Courage Cultures (cont.); Rumbling with Vulnerability LESSON 3 – Self-Awareness & Emotional Literacy LESSON 4 – The Myths of Vulnerability 
Session 4:Third Meeting: Rumbling with Vulnerability (cont.) LESSON 5 – Shame Resilience 
Session 5:LESSON 6 – Empathy and Self-Compassion LESSON 7 – Armored Leadership to Daring Leadership Circle Back Fourth Meeting: 
Session 6: Living into Our Values LESSON 8– Living Into Our Values LESSON 9– Grounded Confidence and Rumbling Skills    
Session 7: Living into Our Values (cont.) LESSON 10 – Engaged Feedback LESSON 11 – Armored Leadership to Daring Leadership Circle Back
Session 8: BRAVING Trust LESSON 12 – BRAVING Trust LESSON 13 – Armored Leadership to Daring Leadership Circle Back
Session 9:  Learning to Rise LESSON 14 – Learning to Rise: The Reckoning
Session 10: LESSON 15 – The Rumble and The Revolution 
Session 11:  LESSON 16 –  The Revolution (cont’d) and Integration 
Session 12: LESSON 17 – Armored Leadership to Daring Leadership Circle Back LESSON 18 – Closing  

SIGNUP!

Here’s to you cultivating Daring Leadership and inspiring courageous cultures wherever you lead, love and work!

Sincerely,
Yvonne

Yvonne Ator, MD, MPH
Coach, Facilitator & Advocate
Certified Dare To Lead Facilitator
Certified Daring Way Facilitator
Certified Unbeatable Mind Coach
Certified Personal and Executive Coach in Positive Psychology
Founder, Thriving Idealist
Founder, Thriving Physicians
“Grow into your ideals so that life will not rob you of them.” – Dr. Albert Schweitzer

SIGNUP!

DARE TO LEAD TESTIMONIALS

What was going on in your life before working with me? How were you
feeling?

Prior to working with Yvonne life was a struggle to plow through the
pandemic, but at least the kids were returning to in person learning. I
was feeling a sense of languishing and despair from staffing shortages
and a sense that there is no end in sight.

How was your experience during the first session?
The first session feels so long ago! I was nervous to share so openly
with complete strangers, but Yvonne created a container of support and
trust.

How was your experience for the duration of the course? What were the
sessions like?
Each session was better than the last with a growing foundation of
grounded confidence and expanded self-awareness. The sessions really
valued everyone’s unique voice and perspective and it was really great
to be supported by such like-minded strong positive women.

What results or benefits did you gain from the sessions? What were the
results of working with Yvonne? What exists now that didn’t before and
how do you feel about that?

I feel like the course exposed the tip of the iceberg for where this
journey of living BIG can take me. I feel like I have a better sense of
the type of person, leader and mom I want to be. Yvonne was a great
facilitator, which was enhanced along the way with her coaching nuggets
of knowledge and insight. The course would not have been as impactful if
she didn’t take the script to a deeper place that was personal and
specific to each of the members in the group. I had not ever really
thought about how important values are to every decision and action I
take. I want dig deeper into the values work for myself and my team that
I support.

How would you describe Yvonne’s coaching style? What did you enjoy about
the way Yvonne works?
Yvonne’s coaching style is kind, positive, direct. Yvonne has so much
training and coaching knowledge and her laugh is infectious. She makes
you feel very comfortable from day one is not afraid to go deep with
personal vulnerable moments from her own life experiences. This gives
permission for others to share similarly.

What worked for you? What was your biggest aha?
Hearing everyone’s personal stories really connected me to the work. My
biggest aha’s: if I’m feeling burnt out I need to have more
self-compassion for myself; stand in my power but also be aware of the
effect my power has on those that I lead; living BIG!!, awareness of
values and how they guide actions.

Would you recommend a workshop or coaching by Yvonne to others? 
Definitely!!

Anything else you would like to share? I want to continue on this
journey through coaching. I will be reaching out in the future 🙂 Thank
you so much!!
Courtney Anders, DVM
Pearl Animal Hospital



About Your Dare To Lead™ Facilitator 

Speaker, Coach, Author, Facilitator and Advocate.

Yvonne Ator, MD, MPH is deeply passionate about helping helpers thrive. Nicknamed, “Helper For the Helpers, Yvonne has served several mission-driven physicians, veterans and other helping professionals for the past several years.

“When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, “Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.”― Fred Rogers

Fondly called “The Helper For Helpers and Sheepdog for Sheepdogs”, Dr. Yvonne Ator is deeply passionate about serving those who serve and lead. 

As the Founder of Thriving Physicians and Thriving Idealist, she has spent the past several years coaching mission-driven Physicians and other helping professionals who desire to serve and lead sustainably and thrive in their personal and professional lives while making their positive impact in the world without succumbing to disillusionment, moral injury, compassion fatigue or burnout. As a sheepdog for sheepdogs, she equips helpers and leaders struggling with overwhelm, overwork or feeling stuck with tools and resources to master themselves so they can live authentically and serve to their fullest potential. Yvonne is also passionate about creating daring  leadership and courage cultures in the workplace. 

An immigrant born in England, raised in several states in Nigeria and the United States, Yvonne was the quintessential multipassionate idealist who wanted to change the world through medical missions and music. However, after finding herself at a crossroads, overwhelmed and compassion-fatigued as a new mom having to choose between her mental health and burnout in the medical profession she had sacrificed everything for, Yvonne became an avid advocate for physician wellness, courageous service and leadership,  suicide prevention and a more wholehearted culture in the workplace. 

After losing her comatose dad during a physician strike and finding herself homeless, divorced and financially destitute, Yvonne realized the pitfalls of burnout and quitting medicine without a safety net. She now empowers helping professionals to step back from the tunnel of overwhelm and burnout, rediscover their values and strengths with a new lens and mindset to see the options before them and make more aligned and empowered decisions.

In addition to a doctorate of Medicine from the Brody School of Medicine and a Master of Public Health from Johns Hopkins University, she has attained several certifications in resilience, wellness, personal, leadership and organizational development. She is a certified Personal and Executive Coach in positive psychology, Certified Daring Way Facilitator, Certified Dare to Lead Facilitator (Brene Brown’s work) and a certified Unbeatable Mind Coach (Integrated Training in Mental Toughness and Emotional resilience with  Retired Navy SEAL Commander Mark Divine!).  

 A physician, musician, coach, writer, author, speaker, advocate  and serial-quester, Yvonne is tireless in her mission  to empower, equip and inspire those who have sacrificed to serve. She co-created the Veterans Integrated Program with the Courage Foundation to help veterans with post-traumatic stress cultivate the tools and practices to thrive. She has served schools, non-profit organizations, hospital teams and mixed professional groups as a sought-out keynote speaker, executive coach and workshop facilitator on leadership, resilience, work culture and emotional development topics such as Daring Leadership, Rumbling with Vulnerability, Living Our Values and building TRUST, disciplines of the warriors and the big 4 of Mental toughness. 

She has also spent the pandemic hosting Respite sessions for frontline workers to help with stress, overwhelm and burnout. She has internationally published several articles including laughter as medicine, caring for caregivers, mindfulness meditation, grief, crisis intervention, trauma resilience and cultivating values. She serves as a Founding Executive Board Member of the Mindful Healthcare collective. She is a co- author of the book “Thinking About Quitting Medicine?”  and her story is featured in the bestselling personal development books “SPARKED” by Jonathan Fields and “I Quit!” by Coonoor Behal. She has also served as  adjunct professor at  the Cal State University San Marcos Master of Public health program. 

When she isn’t being chased around by her two unbeatable warrior-princesses, she is either playing guitar in bands, meditating, latin dancing, wanderlusting, hosting free virtual Respite sessions for physicians and other Frontline workers during the Pandemic, doing burpees to support Courage Foundation’s mission to help veterans with Post-traumatic stress, dreaming up her next quest or geeking out on values, leadership, antifragility, emotional intelligence, Unbeatable Mind and Oprah! 

SIGNUP!