Nora Plesent, Founder and CEOMany professionals in today’s climate are feeling anxious, isolated, and disconnected. They are worried, exhausted, and overwhelmed, often on the verge of burnout.
Nora Plesent, drawing from over 20 years of experience as a lawyer and another 20 years as an owner of a multi-million-dollar legal staffing company, understands the impact of stress. She is uniquely suited to working with high profile and high stress professionals and has developed a wellness plan that keeps her clients calm, centered, and focused. Nora’s work helps her clients respond rather than react when personal or professional challenges arise. Her guidance and teaching provide employees at corporations and law firms with the tools needed to combat burnout and become more present in their own lives.
Nora Plesent, Founder and CEO of Be Still and Soar Coaching and Consulting, knows firsthand how stress affects the quality of our lives.
“I’ve seen burnout in myself and many of my employees while I was running a business. It’s taken years for me to train in meditation, breath work, psychology, and other wellness practices. My goal now is to work with individuals who are experiencing that same debilitating corporate burnout and help refresh and reinvigorate their spirit.”
In her workshops, Plesent offers valuable insights for individuals in high-stress professions, guiding them to proactively manage stress and prevent burnout. Drawing from her own experiences regarding the challenges of high-stress jobs, she provides practical strategies for well-being and stress management.
Staying Calm Amidst the Chaos of Work
There is a common sentiment among individuals that employers only value their productivity, often overlooking the human aspect, especially for women balancing family and career. The shift to remote work post-COVID has created a sense of isolation, blurring the boundaries between work and personal life. The constant availability has led to difficulties shutting down after work hours, contributing to burnout. Lack of recognition and the perpetual pressure to do more has left individuals feeling undervalued, with a sense that their efforts are never enough.
Plesent emphasizes proactive stress management, promoting the importance of setting boundaries, taking mini time-outs in nature, breathing deeply, paying close attention, fostering a healthy work-life balance, becoming flexible, and acknowledging one’s own and others’ contributions. Especially for companies undergoing leadership changes, she assists employees in navigating uncertainties by encouraging a present mindset. Rather than anticipating problems, she guides them in addressing changes practically and staying grounded in the current moment.
Nora provides practical tips for managing elevated stress levels, promoting mindful responses, and offering techniques to maintain composure in challenging situations. Another key area she addresses is morning routines, drawing on research that emphasizes their impact on overall daily well-being. By starting the day stress-free, individuals can better cope with external stressors. She emphasizes that managing stress is an inner job, teaching strategies for responding to stressors rather than feeling overwhelmed.
A Staunch Advocate for Women’s Personal and Professional Success
Throughout her 40-year career, Plesent has been advocating for women’s well-being. Starting as a prosecutor handling sex crimes, she later co-founded The New Girls Network, a pivotal organization in the ‘90s and early 2000s, offering guidance on balancing family and career for women. When coaching women, she prioritizes fostering self-compassion, combating self-criticism, and promoting support among peers.
Her company, Lexolution, initially focused on contract legal staffing, aimed to create flexible work arrangements for women. She championed part-time work and job-sharing to empower women to pursue their goals.
I’ve seen burnout in myself and many of my employees while I was running a business. It’s taken years for me to train in meditation, breath work, psychology, and other wellness practices. My goal now is to work with individuals who are experiencing that same debilitating corporate burnout and help refresh and reinvigorate their spirit
An Engagement Approach Based on Customization
Plesent is dedicated to thoroughly understanding each company’s unique needs and challenges. She actively engages with clients to customize her programs, placing a strong emphasis on tailoring solutions to meet their requirements. Plesent delves into the company’s past experiences, identifying what has and hasn’t worked. This analysis ensures that her programs are meaningful, highly effective and valuable for every client, be it a women’s group, a leadership team, or any other specific segment.
Her customized approach is exemplified in one of her notable programs, ‘P.A.V.E. the Way: Leading Leaders,’ which focuses on empowering leaders through presence, authenticity, vulnerability, and empathy. This equips them with essential skills to navigate the corporate landscape and manage stress effectively.
Another workshop, ‘The Art of De-stressing,’ addresses key points such as stress management, diffusing distractions, escaping the worry wheel, and establishing routines.
‘From Woe to Flow’ is designed especially for women juggling family responsibilities and corporate pressures. This program guides them from worry, overwhelm, and exhaustion (‘WOE’) to a state of flow, promoting balance and success in both personal and professional aspects.
Plesent’s impact resonates beyond workplaces, reaching individuals striving to balance personal and professional demands. In a society often prioritizing productivity, Plesent pinpoints the importance of becoming more grounded, calmer and less self-critical, befriending rather than berating ourselves.
