"To thrive, the focus can't be on sales, our focus has to be on providing true value and support."
Lorrie Brook is a mediator and conflict resolution specialist for individuals and their families. With over 15 years of experience in the family law industry, Lorrie has seen families struggling with conflicts that could be avoided. Our egos have so much to answer for when it comes to conflict, and Lorrie can show you how to remove the blame, take away the “if only statements” and start to feel better about yourself and your relationships.
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Table of Contents
We are thrilled to have you join us today, welcome to ValiantCEO Magazine’s exclusive interview! Let’s start off with a little introduction. Tell our readers a bit about yourself and your company.
Lorrie Brook: Most people know that going through separation, divorce or in general just having a crappy time within their relationships, isn’t nice. Yet when you go through this so many individuals and families struggle with what to do, how to do it and what’s the way forward. Far too often, I have seen adults acting like children and children suffering because of it. When I look at the impact that we get to make today, what lights me up the most is that a child that I will probably never get to meet, grows up with parents that they know love them, care about them and whether they live together or not is completely irrelevant because they know that they are safe.
2020 and 2021 threw a lot of curve balls into business on a global scale. Based on the experience gleaned in the past couple years, how can businesses thrive in 2022? What lessons have you learned?
Lorrie Brook: People are the key to our success and it isn’t just businesses that have been thrown curve balls everyone has, and that is where we need to focus. We need to remember that everyone had to struggle through this and the only way through is to support each other. To thrive, the focus can’t be on sales, our focus has to be on providing true value and support.
The pandemic seems to keep on disrupting the economy, what should businesses focus on in 2022? What advice would you share?
Lorrie Brook: Being remarkable. Providing the best possible experience and value at all times, remembering that this pandemic has impacted everyone.
How has the pandemic changed your industry and how have you adapted?
Lorrie Brook: For me the pandemic has shifted a traditional industry to one that is more accepting now of technology. I was lucky in that my business was built with an online focus. I had always been mindful that, for people who are going through a separation or divorce, the ability to take time off work can be tough. I built my business on ensuring that most of the services I provide could be done on a self paced basis, online, at my client’s convenience not mine.
What advice do you wish you received when the pandemic started and what do you intend on improving in 2022?
Lorrie Brook: To settle in for the long run and to be able to develop further offerings that would provide additional comfort and support.
Online business surged higher than ever, B2B, B2C, online shopping, virtual meetings, remote work, Zoom medical consultations, what are your expectations for 2022?
Lorrie Brook: Bringing back some of the human connection. People want to feel seen, heard and felt. They want to know that we are real and are there to serve and work for them. I expect that our ability to be remarkable needs to extend beyond what we are currently doing to provide a new level of service.
How many hours a day do you spend in front of a screen?
Lorrie Brook: On average I try to limit it to no more than 4 hours per day.
The majority of executives use stories to persuade and communicate in the workplace. Can you share with our readers examples of how you implement that in your business to communicate effectively with your team?
Lorrie Brook: I am so lucky to work with a group of people who truly understand what our clients are going through. People who genuinely want our clients to emerge living the life they love. We work on the philosophy that our clients must be able to lead an amazing life of their choice and we are there to support them.
Business is all about overcoming obstacles and creating opportunities for growth. What do you see as the real challenge right now?
Lorrie Brook: Balancing an online working environment with human connection. For many people, priorities have shifted and as business owners it is our responsibility to stand up and foster the shift not try to stifle it. People want to put their families first, and this is so important. There is no reason to keep staff in an office, when they can work effectively from home. There is no reason to make people work a 9-5 when they can achieve their work on a time frame that suits them. This is what we need to start to work with. Our traditional ideas of what a “job” looks like and how we can accommodate a new and improved version!
In 2022, what are you most interested in learning about? Crypto, NFTs, online marketing, or any other skill sets? Please share your motivations.
Lorrie Brook: My interest this year is to focus more on the HR. To be able to develop policies that don’t stifle staff into set hours or days but one that provides flexibility for them and their life. To create a workplace that doesn’t have restricted days and times for work, sick leave or holiday leave but, one that works with staff so that they continue to work for us. Loyalty, honesty and support that is what I want to implement.
A record 4.4 million Americans left their jobs in September in 2021, accelerating a trend that has become known as the Great Resignation. 47% of people plan to leave their job during 2022. Most are leaving because of their boss or their company culture. 82% of people feel unheard, undervalued and misunderstood in the workplace. Do you think leaders see the data and think “that’s not me – I’m not that boss they don’t want to work for? What changes do you think need to happen?
Lorrie Brook: Nobody wants to admit it is them but the truth is, culture and priorities have changed. We need to change with them.
It is so easy for upper management to want to see what staff are doing at every given moment, but when staff can get their work done quickly – why should they be punished by having to hang around and wait for a team member who prefers to work at a slower pace? We are all individual – the challenge is to create a HR environment that supports, encourages and rewards this individuality.
On a lighter note, if you had the ability to pick any business superpower, what would it be and how would you put it into practice?
Lorrie Brook: Well, I’m not sure if it is a business superpower but I for one would love to be able to always know what the right thing to say is … and when to say it.
What does “success” in 2022 mean to you? It could be on a personal or business level, please share your vision.
Lorrie Brook: For me success in 2022 is all about teaching and providing people with tools on how to create a history of doing conflict well. By achieving this goal, it will create a springboard to continue the work and then expand on providing an educational program for children so that we can start to educate our children on alternate ways to resolve conflict.
Jerome Knyszewski, VIP Contributor to ValiantCEO and the host of this interview would like to thank Lorrie Brook for taking the time to do this interview and share her knowledge and experience with our readers.
If you would like to get in touch with Lorrie Brook or her company, you can do it through her – Instagram
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