John Stix is a transformation specialist. John co-founded Fibernetics; the 5th largest telecommunications company in Canada. He has implemented a holistic shift in culture, strategy and values-based actions within the company. John credits his personal transformation with enabling him to lead his company through a significant shift in mentalities. John’s success with workplace culture and helping others discover the same journey for themselves, has led him to consulting and speaking across the world. While continuing to lead his organization and build several others, John has delivered keynote speeches at venues from private insurance firms to a group on behalf of the White House. John witnessed the positive change that occurred within his own company when he decided to focus on unity, teamwork, empathy, happiness and gratitude. After introducing his “I’M IN™” corporate initiative, John received the Best Employer Branding award in 2015 from the Canadian Human Resources Association and was also a finalist for Leader of the Year. As an entrepreneur, John has been a visionary, thought leader and mentor taking start-ups to enterprise level organizations and figuring out innovative ways to keep all employees highly engaged, through all stages of growth and transformation. John’s most recent venture as president of KidsWifi, is allowing him to transform the way parents view the internet and to protect kids globally while online. John’s plan to deeply care and empower employees and allow them to be their true selves, not only translated into a passion, but to happiness. Happiness then led to productivity and productivity led to the results. Contact Info Company: Fibernetics Website: www.Fibernetics.ca Website: www.LivingInward.com Most Influential Person Jody Schnarr (My business partner and best friend since I was sixteen.) Effect on Emotions Mindfulness has allowed me to be able to understand what deeply matters to me because mindfulness to me is connected to the inward journey. Without living inward, how can you find out what truly matters to you? It’s almost like, over time we’re become numb within all of the pattern and busyness that we think is living. That’s through no fault of who we are, that’s society, it’s busy. It’s going to be for the rest of my life and I think for all of us for the rest of our lives. Mindfulness for me has allowed me to feel what truly matters to myself as an individual more and have the confidence and understanding on how to process those feelings and communicate them and live my life within them. Thoughts on Breathing When I practice prayer, (my own ways of being mindful), that peaceful area and then focusing on the peace inside me, my breathing changes. Throughout the day, if you really could look at your breathing, I think it’s safe to say we all shallow breathe. We’re breathing rapid, not deep. I notice that when I enter into a really peaceful, mindful state, my lungs fill up. I’m not even planning for it. I breathe deeper. I feel wholistically more relaxed. Sometimes I use breathing techniques to try to center back to breathing. I think breathing and mindfulness is so connected. There’s tremendous anxious wisdom embedded within all of the yoga teachings and yogi teachings. Breathing techniques and understanding the power and importance of proper breathing seems to be incredibly important. Suggested Resources Book: N/A App: N/A Bullying Story Being bullied comes in so many different forms. Sometimes the verbal accusations can be so terrible. I remember as a young boy, not confident in who I was, like any young child trying to figure out their place within schools. I moved around a lot. At the one school I was going to, I remember this one individual for whatever reason didn’t like me and wanted to focus on me as an individual that they thought they could bully me. If I would have known more of these types of thoughts of how I could take time to be in a state of peace or to try to find