Vol. 002: Stress Management
🤠 Howdy/Hiya/Ciao:
Welcome back to the second edition of BCK’s blog and newsletter!A lot has happened since my initial update. I am seeing synchronicities everywhere (i.e. the simultaneous occurrence of events which appear significantly related but have no discernible connection)For example:My son was born at 8:52pm. My late grandfather - who recently passed away just before my baby's arrival - had a special connection to #52, as he wore this number on his 1948 State Championship football team 🏈 (Texas, y'all!)Today, on April 2, my baby boy turns 2 weeks old 🥰
In honor of these special occurrences, our Feature Story will include a profile on TWO phenomenal student-athletes who each embody confident resiliency in the face of stressors at the highest levels 🏀 👀But before you read on, an acknowledgment that April marks the beginning of Stress Awareness Month. Stress is a universal experience that impacts us daily. How we respond to stress can greatly impact our physiological health. One thing that has been stressful for me recently has been learning how to juggle attentive care for my newborn baby, along with disciplined care for my "other baby"... my book. I had previously shared with this community that a pre-sale campaign would commence on March 18. That was bullish of me. Thanks to the generosity of my publisher, pre-sales for my upcoming book release - The Charisma Craft - will, instead, begin on July 29. I can't wait for leaders to get their hands on this manual for how to access, embody, and deploy a more magnetic leadership style.With all of this in mind, life is full of learning lessons...My lesson: When you feel stressed, name it. Ask for help. You control your awareness and responses. If stress were a car, then remember that you are driving it. It’s easy for our auto-pilot tendencies to allow stress to feel like cruise control mode—all we have to do is hit the brake and pull back.
As you read on, consider your own relationship to stress. How can you become more confident and kind in the ways in which you respond to your daily stressors?As a reminder, in the sections that follow you will discover three things:💭 a quote that moved us📰 a feature story on self-confidence & resilience☎️ a call to action for a random act of kindness
Thanks for reading. Now, let’s get to it! -MM💭 Quote of the Moment
On Stress Awareness“Stress is caused by being 'here' but wanting to be 'there'.”
―Eckhart Tolle
Longing lives in the past. Fear lives in the future.
👉 If you want to be less stressed, then be present.
📰 Featured Story
On Two March Madness Stars🐐 CAITLIN CLARK:
In the second grade, Caitlin Clark wrote down her dream of wanting to play in the WNBA. In a few weeks, that will become her reality, likely as the #1 overall pick by the Indiana Fever.
She has smashed record after record on her latest quest to clinch another Final Four berth. However, the road to this point has not always been easy.
Much has been written about Clark’s deep three-point shooting, electric passing, and fiery on-court personality. However, she has experienced some humbling setbacks as well:
As a high schooler, Clark clinched a spot on Team USA’s youth squad—winning a gold medal. Yet, as a rising Junior, she was left off the squad.
As a college recruit, her goal was to play for Coach Geno Auriemma at UConn. As coaches lined up in the gym to witness her brilliance, Geno never showed.
Now, Clark has a chance to take her Iowa squad back to the National Championship, having just beaten LSU in a rematch of last year’s game they lost. This time around, Clark put on a 41-point master class that left no doubt on the scoreboard of who would advance.
When asked how she handles all of the pressure and stress, she says, “To be honest, I don’t get nervous for games, because I just know, this is fun for me.”
Winning is fun, sure. But loss is a natural part of the process. A winner will lose, but they always have choice to keep going.
💡 The Lesson: Clark reminds us that true resilience comes from getting back up when you fall down, to keep believing in yourself, and to have fun along the way.
💅 JARED McCAIN:
For those who have never seen the name, Jared McCain is a Freshman basketball player for Duke.
Perhaps you watched him consistently drain threes or drop 32 points on NC State, who eventually eliminated the Blue Devils in the Elite Eight.
Or, perhaps, it’s more likely that you spotted McCain’s blue & white finger nails out on the court.
While McCain’s season is now over, his story is just beginning. At just 20 years old, he has received quite a bit of negative backlash for his personal choice to, simply, paint his finger nails.
When pressed on the matter, McCain has confidently responded:
“I like to get manicures… the hate is funny because it’s usually grown men. You’re a grown man hating on a kid.”
“I know a lot of people disagree, a lot of people don’t like it, but I’m just going to be myself and do what I think looks nice.”
It would be easy for McCain to conform to the social pressures of what most men do—not paint their finger nails. However, McCain’s authentic self-expression has paid off (literally).
McCain has amassed over two million followers on TikTok, which has helped him become one of the most sought-after NIL earners in all of college sports. His most recent deal? Nail polish company, Sally Hansen.
💡 The Lesson: McCain reminds us that external expectations and stressors do not define us. When we choose self-confidence over conformity, then we stand out from the pack. In short, keep doing you!
☎️ Call to Action
For Stress Awareness MonthACTION: Ask a colleague to go on a short walk. This can be pre-meeting (to ground), post-meeting (to recap), or even a mid-day break (to breathe in fresh air)
If you’re a fully remote employee, then request to have an audio-only, walking call for your 1:1 weekly check-in.
Anything internal not requiring a visual review can easily be turned into a ‘walk & talk’—you just have to ask!
RESULT: Why? A study from Cambridge University says that taking an 11-minute brisk walk every day, or walking 75 minutes per week, will lower your risk of stroke, heart disease and a number of cancers #worthit
About Us
BCK was founded by Milam [my-lum] Miller in July 2022He previously worked in professional football (read: soccer) and has been described by clients as “The Real Life Ted Lasso”He hustled from being an Executive Assistant to Senior Leader in the Sports & Entertainment industry, resulting in a #burnout case studyOn his healing journey, he's become a registered yoga teacher (RYT 200) and a trained Co-Active Institute (CTI) Coach; he integrates these skills, as well as other mindfulness tools, to help corporate leaders navigate workplace disconnection Milam has spoken at Amazon HQ, facilitates interactive workshops, and offers both 1:1 and group coaching programsHis heart is as big as his home state, yep, you guessed it—Texas!📍Milam currently resides in Toronto with his wife and newborn babyReach out to learn more about how we are building a more confident and kind future of work 