EMPOWERING WOMEN LEADERS TO LIVE HARMONIOUSLY

INTRODUCTION 

Everyone is looking for the “holy grail” of what makes a successful leader. As we all know, no one is perfect, but we do know that there are KEY traits and processes embodied by a harmonious leader. As Jeff Bezos eloquently stated:  “I prefer the word ‘HARMONY’ to the word ‘BALANCE’ because balance intends to imply a strict trade-off.”

Throughout history women have been striving to reclaim POWER over their lives and careers. Women have had to face greater challenges for creating and maintaining their share of responsibilities in life and business. The Wholly Living Research Institute will strive to discover the contributing factors of a harmonious lifestyle by investigating successful women leaders across a spectrum of sectors.

Our findings strive to confirm the discovery and impact of a harmonious lifestyle and contributing factors to a women’s ability to be an EMPOWERED leader.

Our research focuses on the 7 PILLARS of HARMONIOUS LIVING, which we believe are the essential elements that propel a leader from AFFECTED to EFFECTIVE. These 7 PILLARS work together to create a state of FLOW that empowers women leaders to be the best version of themselves.

research overview

Due to the high volume of application responses FOR OUR 2020 STUDY, we are currently ONLY taking new applications for 2021 study.

If you would like to join our wait list for the second phase of this  study please fill out the form below.

mission + Agenda

Our mission is to advance evidence-based research and understanding of the actual traits that harmonious women leaders embody, and the processes they employ, that contribute to outcomes not possible in the more traditional power-based leadership paradigm.

Our approach involves both applied and academic rigor—ensuring our findings provide trusted, real-world utility. We specialize in Grounded Theory methodology: setting the highest standards of theoretical saturation to ensure our findings have far-reaching value and application. In addition, Wholly Living Research Institute has gathered data using proprietary methods of face-to-face interactions with each woman selected to give emotional and intuitive foundation for this research study.

Our qualitative paradigm is a belief that HARMONIOUS women in leadership have an innate desire—that may not yet be in their awareness—to create outcomes where their team mates are also empowered. We believe harmonious leadership is the result of identifying specific traits and processes, and that building capacity in these elements are the fundamental foundations to success in an exceptional way. This class of success moves beyond the level based on the conventional outward measures dictated by societal conditioning, and happens at the level of the soul cultivated by self-discipline plus surrender which equates FLOW.

Our number one priority in sharing these trusted findings through our research is that leaders and society can utilize these ongoing studies to develop an empowered leadership dynamic to create a harmonious environment in workplaces, and, by extension, the world.

OUR WORK IS DRIVEN BY KEY QUESTIONS:

• What makes some leaders gravitate to a more empowered leadership paradigm over the traditional power-based paradigm?

• What attributes and practices describe leaders who lead from this harmonious style?

• What have been the choice points of leaders who actively choose soul-driven leadership?

LISTEN

Listen to the Wholly Living Podcast weekly with Dr. Janét Aizenstros featuring women leaders globally sharing the latest insights about harmoniously living.

RESEARCH TEAM

RESEARCH DIRECTOR & Scholar

jANÉT M. AIZENSTROS, MSC.D. EMBA

Dr. Janét Aizenstros is a signatory with the United Nations Business Action Hub (UNBAH) for the United Nations Global Compact program. She is an award-winning businesswoman with several leadership awards such as the Top 40 under 40, the Top 10 Inspiring Women in Canada, 2019 Conscious Company Media’s Top 22 Business Leaders, 2013-2014 YMCA-YWCA Woman of Distinction of Business and Entrepreneur, the current nominee of the 2020 WXN Canada's Most Powerful Women Entrepreneur Award: Top 100, the Stevie® Award winner for Female Entrepreneur of the Year Canada, her company was ranked 12th on Canadian Business Magazine’s 2020 Growth List -- making her the first Black Canadian woman in history to scale a 9-figure organization. Janét is also a member of the Young President’s Organization (YPO), a participant with Concordia Leadership Council and a Global Goodwill Ambassador for the Global Goodwill Ambassadors Foundation.

She is a Canadian serial entrepreneur with a Ph.D. in metaphysical sciences specializing in Conscious Business Ethics & Conscious Centered Living along with an EMBA. Janét is the Chairwoman & CEO of Ahava Group Global (AGG)—a women-led modern media parent company is compromised of five companies Ahava Digital Group, LOVE Lifestyle Publishing Group, Twelve Twenty One Illustration, Luxe House Publishing and Ahava Entertainment. In 2019, Ahava Group Global was selected by YPO to be Ofactor Pulse’s (OP) select organization for OP’s Organizational Trust Study. On July 20. 2020, Ahava Group Global and over 200 other Canadian companies signed an inaugural pledge with the BlackNorth Initiative that committed their organizations to measurable initiatives to dismantle anti-Black systemic racism in Canada.

She has spoken for top-tier companies, organizations and governments including Google, Innovation Guelph, Microsoft, MadCon for IAB, Conrad School of Entrepreneurship & Business at the University of Waterloo, the U.S. Department of Commerce for the Office of International Trade Administration, the U.S. Department of Energy for the Office of Science & Technology and Economic Impact and Diversity, U.S. Small Business Administration for Entrepreneurship & Innovation in the Office of American Innovation for the White House, Concordia Leadership Council and the Female Quotient.

Through podcasting she has interviewed some of the world’s most recognized celebrities, authors and thought leaders on empowerment, leadership, metaphysics and emotional intelligence. In 2014, Janét created two highlighted interview series which were What Do You Believe? and 21 Answers to Emotional Freedom, that featured leaders answering questions on emotional awareness, self-love, soul healing, happiness and money.  

Janét' is the first Afro-Canadian woman to be inducted in the Guelph Public Library Archives as a Famous Guelphite Author. In addition, her writings have appeared on platforms such as the Huffington Post, Mind Your Mind, Dove, the Richard Dawkins Foundation. Global Trade, Thrive Global, Forbes Agency Council and Concordia Leadership Council.

RESEARCHER ADVISOR

Hillary Goldthwait-Fowles, Ph.D. ATP

Hillary Goldthwait-Fowles, Ph.D. ATP, is the Assistive Technology Specialist for RSU 21 in Kennebunk Maine, and serves as a Special Education, AT, AEM, and UDL consultant. She is also an adjunct faculty member at the University of New England's Graduate Programs in Online Learning, as well as the University of Maine at Farmington.

Hillary is a nationally certified Assistive Technology Professional, providing consultation, training, and evaluation services to educational and other institutions in the areas of Assistive Technology, Accessible Educational Materials, and Universal Design for Learning. She has presented to educators across the country on a variety of topics, including accessibility, UDL, iPads and apps, and Chromebooks and apps. Prior to this position, she has served as an Intervention Specialist and Special Educator with 20 years of teaching experience.

Hillary is most passionate about educating others about the importance of ensuring that the curriculum is accessible to all students first, rather than after it's been developed. Hillary was awarded her Ph.D. in Education with distinction in March 2015, with a focus on Curriculum and Instruction that is centered around UDL. Her book, One Size Does Not Fit All: Equity, Access, PD, and UDL is available on Amazon, which illustrates how a one hour training in Universal Design for Learning can lead to transfer of learning and improved lesson plans.

Home is where her heart truly is —with her husband, son, and stepson in Saco, Maine.

RESEARCH ADMINISTRATOR

Sharelle L. Guyton, M.A.

Sharelle L. Guyton is a researcher and transformational life coach with a master’s and Ph.D. (anticipated May 2020) in Human Development and Family Studies. She has over ten years experience developing and applying qualitative social science scholarship in both academic and clinical settings. Specifically, using empirically-based techniques to guide positive behavioral change that supports individuals in reaching their highest potential.

She is known for her commitment to empowering women and championing for African American families. Sharelle’s recognition of the systemic and generational consequences of historical under-service towards these populations is what drives her passion to contribute towards their societal advancement. This is evident in her implementation of exceptional phenomenological qualitative research, which brings authentic awareness and voice to these communities. She believes in the power of words to tell stories -- a complex phenomena that cannot be captured in numbers alone.

Sharelle is currently working for a tele-health company based in the Silicon Valley as a mental health coach. In this line of work, she helps individuals from all over the world overcome barriers inhibiting their comprehensive well-being. Through her academic scholarship and professional career, Sharelle has been privy to thousands of narratives rooted in both pain and triumph, which keeps her on the cutting edge of research application, community needs and continues to fuel her drive as a change agent for injustice and inequality.

Of all her endeavors, Sharelle is most inspired at home in her role as a wife and mother. Her family reminds her of the power of unconditional love and its ability to change the world.

RESEARCH ADVISOR

DR. CHARLOTTE MARSHALL POWELL

Dr. Charlotte Marshall Powell is fueled by opportunities to connect people and organizations with social psychological insights that help them evolve, excel and make a lasting impact for humanity. Knowing the usefulness of data in developing solutions, innovation and legacy, Charlotte co-founded Reveal Research with Sharelle Guyton, M.A. As co-founder and Chief Operations Officer, Dr. Powell embodies the work of the company and is committed to educating brands on how to connect and embrace African-American women consumers. Her devotion to this work stems from an observed pattern of African-American women who are often misrepresented in media and/or ignored in marketing research. Believing that through the power of culturally responsive data-driven investigation and insights, she can advise companies in effectively building long-lasting relationships with African-American women consumers.

Prior to co-founding Reveal Research, Dr. Powell served as a Senior Researcher leading various projects in education research as well as teaching undergraduate and graduate psychology courses. She is skilled with quantitative and qualitative ethnography, survey construction, conducting online and in-person focus groups and other consumer experience methodologies. In addition, as a certified and practicing doula, she remains greatly committed to maternal and family well-being and addressing health disparities that disproportionately affect African-American women. She has authored several articles examining academic learning culture as well as many blog posts. Dr. Powell is the recipient of the Bringing Theory to Practice Grant, Widener University’s Sustainability and Civic Engagement Pathway Teagle Grant, and Widener University’s Office of Civic Engagement Service-Learning Fellowship. She holds a B.A in Psychology from Spelman College, and a Ph.D. in Psychology from the University of Delaware.

In Portland, Oregon, Charlotte was raised and nurtured by parents and siblings who instilled the importance of living a principled life. She loves nature and finds a walking trail wherever she goes. In her spare time, she can be found sharing food from her garden, and above all, valuing her faith and spending time with her husband and family.