Building Resilience Skills

It’s 1am and my brain is vibrating at a very high frequency. The next few months are critical for businesses. We’re witnessing global wars, mass layoffs, and a post-AI world where rules are evolving very fast. Everything is shifting ... economies, industries, even identities. Sentiments are unpredictable. And evolution... it’s happening faster than we were ever warned. In moments like this, survival in business comes down to three things: 1. How resilient you are 2. How adaptable your business is 3. And then... pure, blind luck I’ve spent 14 years building through storms. Markets crashed. Partners walked away. Plans fell apart. Teams broke. But here we are ... still building, still dreaming, still growing. Every time we went through something major, I took notes. And today, I want to share the guide I wish I had during my hardest days, in the hope it helps someone out there who needs it now: 1. Embrace change and uncertainty It’s coming, whether you like it or not. Revenues will dip. People will disappoint. Strategies will collapse. Don’t fight the pain — walk with it. Let it sharpen your senses. It always has something to teach you. 2. Cut fast, but with empathy Speed saves lives in a crisis, but souls matter. When you make hard decisions — layoffs, pivots, shutdowns — do it with clarity, not cruelty. People may forget what you said, but they will never forget how you made them feel. 3. Stay uncomfortably close to your customer Your customers are evolving in real time. If you are not listening daily, you are falling behind. Talk to them. Watch them. Let their reality shape your decisions. 4. Don’t worship your past victories What worked last year might bury you this year. Ego is expensive in uncertain markets. Stay humble. Stay hungry. Let go of what no longer serves the future. 5. Focus on energy, not just strategy Your team mirrors your emotional state. If you panic, they will crumble. If you go numb, they will disengage. Be honest, be present, but above all, be steady. Energy is the invisible strategy that holds it all together. 6. Build faith in something bigger When numbers stop making sense and logic hits a wall, you need something deeper ... a belief, a cause, a reason to keep going. Call it purpose. Call it God. Call it madness. Just don’t run on empty. I don’t know how the next few months will unfold. No one does. But I do know this — the ones who feel deeply, move boldly, and love fiercely through the storm are the ones who build companies that outlive the chaos. My company stands more stable than ever today, but I haven’t forgotten the nights I sat up, just like this. So if you are awake at 1am too ... anxious, tired, and unsure — know this: we have lived through darkness to see the light, and you will too. Good days are around the corner. Let’s survive this. Let’s grow through this. Let’s make it mean something!

In 2008, Michael Phelps won Olympic GOLD - completely blind. The moment he dove in, his goggles filled with water. But he kept swimming. Most swimmers would’ve fallen apart. Phelps didn’t - because he had trained for chaos, hundreds of times. His coach, Bob Bowman, would break his goggles, remove clocks, exhaust him deliberately. Why? Because when you train under stress, performance becomes instinct. Psychologists call this stress inoculation. When you expose yourself to small, manageable stress: - Your amygdala (fear centre) becomes less reactive. - Your prefrontal cortex (logic centre) stays calmer under pressure. Phelps had rehearsed swimming blind so often that it felt normal. He knew the stroke count. He hit the wall without seeing it. And won GOLD by 0.01 seconds. The same science is why: - Navy SEALs tie their hands and practice underwater survival. - Astronauts simulate system failures in zero gravity. - Emergency responders train inside burning buildings. And you can build it too. Here’s how: ✅ Expose yourself to small discomforts. Take cold showers. Wake up 30 minutes earlier. Speak up in meetings. The goal is to build confidence that you can handle hard things. ✅ Use quick stress resets. Try cyclic sighing: Inhale deeply through your nose. Take a second small inhale. Exhale slowly through your mouth. Repeat 3-5 times to calm your system fast. ✅ Strengthen emotional endurance. Instead of avoiding difficult conversations, hard tasks, or feedback - lean into them. Facing small emotional challenges trains you for bigger ones later. ✅ Celebrate small victories. Every time you stay calm, adapt, or keep going under pressure - recognise it. These tiny wins are building your mental "muscle memory" for resilience. As a new parent, I know my son Krish will face his own "goggles-filled-with-water" moments someday. So the best I can do is model resilience myself. Because resilience isn’t gifted - it’s trained. And when you train your brain for chaos, you can survive anything. So I hope you do the same. If this made you pause, feel free to repost and share the thought. #healthandwellness #mentalhealth #stress

Do NOT put all your eggs in one basket. Especially if you are a – Content creator. When I first started creating content, I made the most common mistake –  I had put all my energy into just one platform, Instagram. The craze at that time was all about gaining more followers through a 15-second reel and that’s what influenced me, to be honest. I was so naive that I thought, “If I master this, I’ll grow fast and mint a lot of money.” But soon I realized that if I have to see this from a long-term perspective, I can't focus on just one platform where people swipe your 3 days of hard work in 3 seconds. The truth is this creator industry is highly volatile. Algorithms shift, platforms change, and user behavior evolves faster than we can keep up. This makes having a presence across platforms not just a smart but a necessary move: → Helps tackle shorter attention spans  The average attention span today? Just 8 seconds. If you’re not showing up consistently, across different platforms, you’re likely losing your audience’s attention to the next hook.    → Diversification = Safety If one platform underperforms or shifts its algorithm, you have others to lean on while coping up with the change. → Engagement multiplies Creating and engaging on multiple platforms directly impacts a larger audience resulting in higher audience retention than those who stick to just one. This doesn’t mean you need to be on every screen, everywhere, every minute. Don’t irritate your audience by doing that. But you need to be seen ENOUGH to avoid skipping your audience’s mind and to not get lost in the relevance race. Be honest – are you diversifying enough as a content creator? #drishtiispeaks #contentcreation #socialmedia #diversification

Leading in uncertain times is a hot topic today in business as we face a compounding set of unknowns: tariffs, inflation, volatility in our financial markets, the ongoing climate crisis, supply chain disruptions, global conflicts, and the advent of AI to name just a few. Whether you are an operator, investor or board member, I wanted to share a few of my approaches to dealing with the reality we are facing, and I would love your thoughts in response: 1. First, for me, is to remain consistent and committed to our company values. At PSP Partners, we express ours as IDEALS--Integrity, Diversity, Excellence, Alignment, Leadership and Service. Your teams want to know that during uncertainty you will make hard decisions that are grounded in your core values. 2. Radical honesty is critical. Bringing your leadership team to a point of embracing the reality of the landscape that your organization is facing is an essential foundation to then figuring out the vulnerabilities. 3. Ensuring that your balance sheet is strong to weather the difficult periods as well as to have the opportunity to play offense is more essential than ever. 4. Regular scenario planning and pressure testing various outcomes is essential to manage and mitigate risk; it is all the more important right now. This is also known as “red teaming” and it’s a critical thing to do. 5. Being curious about your blind spots and institutional biases will help create an environment where you and your team can safely challenge assumptions. 6. Overcommunicating with your management team and to your company as a whole have never been more needed. Remember it takes about 7 times for a message to break through. Don’t be afraid to repeat it over and over. 7. Embracing the idea that challenges also create unique and unexpected opportunities is so important. During uncertainty the best companies create extraordinary opportunity and returns for the long term. 8. A strong, innovative and resilient culture is always foundational and especially essential to navigating the current challenges. The CEO and your leadership team have to set the example.  

The hardest part of outbound sales? It’s not building pipeline. It’s mindset. Yes, finding the right ICP, writing good messaging, and getting replies is tough. But what’s harder day in, day out - is staying mentally sharp when: - You send 50 emails and get 0 replies. - That meeting you were sure would convert? Ghosted. - You hear “not interested” more than you hear your own name. Outbound can mess with your head if you let it. And when the mindset starts to slip, everything else follows. So what’s helped me stay grounded as I build outbound from scratch at Tidio? - Focusing on what I can control: ICP, messaging, volume, and quality. - Taking wins seriously, even small ones. - Not attaching my value to someone else’s response (or lack of it). - Talking to other people in the same trench. You’re not alone. Pipeline can be built. But mindset? That takes real work. Enjoy the process - Happy Selling 😁

There were months I earned ₹5 lakhs and months I earned ₹50,000. That’s the life of a content creator. Because the income fluctuates and not all months are the same. Payments can get delayed for 3 to 6 months (yes, it happens more often than you'd think!) And with salaries to pay to editors, writers, videographers, etc. on the 1st of every month, it can get difficult for newbies. But here’s what you can do to deal with it smoothly as a creator - 1/ Have a solid emergency fund: Since payments can be delayed, it’s crucial to have a backup plan. An emergency fund for at least 6 months of expenses can help in any financial emergency. 2/ Smart investing: When things are good and the income is flowing, it's easy to feel like the money will always keep coming in. But the fluctuating nature of content creation income makes it necessary to invest for the long term. 3/ Diversify your income streams: Don't rely on just one source of income. Partnerships, sponsored content, affiliate marketing and creating products or courses are all great ways to ensure you don’t rely on one income stream. The life of a content creator means balancing between creativity and finances. The work behind creating content is hard enough, but managing finances, payments and investments is a skill that often gets overlooked. If you’re a creator, be disciplined in your approach to both work and money. #contentcreation #creatorearnings

I had the pleasure of sitting down with Dan Bigman at Chief Executive Group this week to discuss what I am are hearing from CEOs and how we are advising clients in this constantly evolving regulatory environment. In these unpredictable times, reminiscent of the early days of the pandemic, it's crucial for CEOs to remain agile and ready to pivot. The recent tariff turbulence has underscored the importance of controlling what we can and preparing for what we can't foresee. In times of great economic turbulence and uncertainty, leaders should focus on the basics: • Control the controllable: Mitigate costs and maximize cash reserves. • Communicate effectively: Keep your teams informed and aligned. Employees look to leaders to be candid and lead with strength.  • Protect your balance sheet: Ensure financial stability to seize opportunities as they arise. The key to navigating these challenges is nimbleness. Don't be a hostage to outdated strategies. Stay flexible and ready to adapt to new circumstances. By doing so, we can not only weather the storm but also emerge stronger. Read our whole conversation here: https://lnkd.in/ervgidzC

Entry-Level Workers Are Worried—Here’s Why It’s Normal and What You Should Do About It As an executive coach, I see firsthand how today’s entry-level workers are navigating a job market that’s tougher, more uncertain, and more stressful than ever. According to recent reporting—including the LinkedIn News story—entry-level workers are facing record-low confidence and high anxiety about their futures. The reasons for worry are real: Economic uncertainty and layoffs are top of mind for many, especially after multiple rounds of workforce reductions in recent years. AI and automation are reshaping entry-level roles, making it harder to find stability and security. Competition is fierce—over half of new graduates feel pessimistic about starting their careers, and job seekers are reporting unprecedented levels of anxiety. If you’re feeling anxious, you’re NOT alone—and you’re NOT weak. Worry is a rational response to real challenges. In fact, it’s a sign that you’re paying attention and taking your future seriously. Here’s my advice as an executive coach: ✅ Acknowledge your feelings. It’s okay to be uncertain—don’t ignore or suppress your concerns. ✅ Focus on what you can control. Invest in your skills, expand your network, and seek out mentors who can guide you. ✅ Build resilience. The most successful professionals aren’t those who never struggle—they’re the ones who learn to adapt and bounce back. ✅ Remember your value. Your unique perspective and skills matter, regardless of what’s happening in the job market. If you’re an entry-level worker feeling the pressure, know that you’re not alone—and know that you have what it takes to navigate this uncertainty. If you need support, please don't hesitate to reach out. Let’s turn worry into action. #workplace #hiring #jobs #linkedinnews #careeradvice

The economy is uncertain. AI is reshaping jobs. Your industry might be next. But here's what I've noticed: the people thriving right now aren't the ones with the most certainty. They're the ones who've learned to build stability from the inside out. When I decided to expand my business into Indonesia 8 years ago, I spent six months trying to close my first deal. Six months of rejection, confusion, and realizing that everything I thought I knew about business development didn't work there. The difference between failure and success wasn't having the right strategy from day one. It was learning to unlearn my assumptions and adapt faster than my competitors. Most people wait for external conditions to improve before they take action. They think: "When the market settles, when my job is secure, when I know what's coming next then I'll make my move." BUT UNCERTAINTY ISN'T TEMPORARY. IT'S THE NEW BASELINE. The leaders who succeed in this environment have developed what I call "uncertainty resilience" - the ability to make clear decisions and take confident action even when the future is unclear. And at the core of this resilience is one critical skill: the ability to unlearn and relearn rapidly. Here's why this matters: Your brain is wired to create patterns and stick to them. It's efficient, but it's also why most people struggle when their environment shifts. Neuroscience research shows that cognitive flexibility, the ability to switch between different mental frameworks is the strongest predictor of performance in volatile environments. Yet most professionals have spent decades reinforcing the same thought patterns and approaches. In Indonesia, I had to unlearn my Singapore business playbook completely. Different relationship-building timelines, different decision-making processes, different ways of establishing trust. That painful process taught me something profound: the faster you can release what's no longer serving you, the faster you can adapt to what's actually happening. Here's what uncertainty resilience looks like practically: 1. Instead of waiting for perfect information, they gather enough data and move forward. 2. Instead of needing guarantees, they build skills that transfer across situations. 3. Instead of clinging to "how we've always done it," they actively question their assumptions and update their approach. This isn't about being fearless. It's about being functional while afraid and flexible enough to change course when needed. The executives are confident because they've developed the mental agility to unlearn outdated strategies and relearn new ones quickly. I've created the ADAPT Framework, my 5-step system for rapid unlearning and relearning that I developed expanding into new markets and now use with C-level executives. Comment 'ADAPT' below and I'll send you the complete framework with worksheets and real examples. #leadership #resilience #executivecoaching #uncertainty #transformation #cassandracoach