I make privacy program management simple

Samara is a results-oriented strategic privacy leader, lawyer and consultant, who leverages operational privacy leadership experience into practical strategies for program and project success. Samara is the founder and Managing Principal of INQ Consulting and Partner at INQ Law.

We understand the importance of good governance and criteria-based decision-making about personal information. We know that strong practical organizational privacy practices reduce risk. We enable access to data using privacy best practices for both private and public sector clients, from IT implementations that help your company’s efficiency to research and innovation technologies that improve health outcomes. 

Samara can be contacted at sstarkman@inq.consulting  or sstarkman@inq.law
www.inq.consulting or www.inq.law

Samara Starkman

Cyber Risk Advisor | Speaker | Coach | #CyberSecurityMatters Podcast Host | Positive Troll | Board Director

Your biggest customer just told you they need proof of your cybersecurity practices in 60 days or they're walking.That $5M contract? Gone. 

Or your cyber insurance renewal got denied. 

Or you're sitting in a board meeting, and they're asking security questions you can't answer without sounding incompetent.

Here's what you probably tried: Your IT guy started talking about firewalls and acronyms. He wants $200K for new tools. You have no idea if you need them. 

Or you hired a big consulting firm. They sent a junior analyst with a 47-page report. It's in a drawer somewhere. You still don't know what to DO.

The truth most cybersecurity consultants won't tell you: They're boring as hell and can't talk to business leaders.

They lead with technology because they get vendor kickbacks. 

They'll tell you everything you're NOT doing (easy), but can't tell you what NOT to do (that requires business judgment). 

They can’t explain to you which risks are worth the money. 

I do this differently:

I start every engagement the same way: What makes you money? I don't care about compliance frameworks or your tech stack yet. 

I need to understand your critical business processes first. Then what data supports them. THEN we look at technology. 

I care about the systems that generate revenue and the contracts that depend on you proving you're not a security liability.

I work with manufacturing and B2B companies (50-2,000 employees) in three situations:

→Major customer demanding security proof or killing the contract - I helped a client keep their $5M Walmart contract. My fee? $150K. Easy math.

→Cyber insurance denied or demanding new requirements - Insurers want proof of fractional CISOs and real security practices. I provide that.

→Post-breach, board wants guarantees that significant breach cost never happens again - I rebuild programs from scratch and build sustainable security teams.

What you get:→No kickbacks on tools. No jargon in board presentations. No shelfware reports. Just a prioritized 12-month roadmap focused on protecting revenue and satisfying your customer’s cyber security questions.

My background:20+ years in cybersecurity. Companies from 50-2,500 employees. Built security teams from scratch. Fractional CISO for dozens of organizations.

Speaker at industry associations. 

I work with manufacturers and B2B firms honest enough to say "we need help."

If you're facing vendor security requirements, insurance issues, or board questions you can't answer, let's talk.

 https://meet-with-dom-vogel.appointlet.com/

Dominic Vogel

An uncomfortable truth about the cyber consulting industry:


Big firms are great at producing reports. Impressive documents. Deliverables that look good in board meetings.


But execution? That's not their business model.


They bill by the hour to create the plan. Then they leave. And you're stuck trying to figure out how to turn 200 pages of recommendations into real security outcomes.


That's where I come in.


I don't just write plans. I make plans come alive.


I take the complexity and turn it into clarity.


I take the theory and turn it into action.


I take the overwhelm and turn it into momentum.


And I do it with kindness because your team is already stressed enough.


A COO who sounded exhausted reached out to me the other day


"Dom, we paid a fortune for this plan from one of the big consulting firms. Everyone told us it was exactly what we needed. But we have no idea what to do with it. Our IT team looks at it and gets overwhelmed. Our leadership team can't figure out where to start. It's like we bought a Ferrari but no one can drive it."


I took a look at the plan


The plan wasn't wrong. It was actually quite thorough.


But it was completely divorced from reality.


It recommended enterprise-grade solutions for a 50-person company.


It outlined a three-year roadmap with no prioritization everything was labeled "critical."


It used technical jargon that made sense to the consultants who wrote it but meant nothing to the people who had to implement it.


It had zero consideration for budget constraints, staffing limitations, or the actual day-to-day operations of the business.


It was a plan designed to look impressive not to be executed.


So here's what I did at a fraction of the cost:


✅ I translated it into plain English. No jargon. No theoretical frameworks. Just: "Here's what this means. Here's why it matters. Here's what it looks like in practice."


✅ I prioritized ruthlessly. Not everything is critical. I identified what would actually protect their revenue-generating systems and their critical data. That became Phase 1. Everything else could wait.


✅ I made it actionable. Instead of "implement a zero-trust architecture," I said: "Start with MFA on your customer portal. Here's the tool. Here's the cost. Here's who implements it. Here's the timeline."


✅ I aligned it with their reality. Their budget. Their team. Their actual risk profile. Not some theoretical "best practice" written for a Fortune 500 company.


✅ I coached them through execution. A plan is useless if no one can implement it. So I walked alongside their team, answered questions, removed roadblocks, and kept them moving forward.


Six months later?


They'd implemented 70% of the prioritized roadmap.


Their team felt confident instead of overwhelmed.


Their leadership finally understood what they were paying for and why it mattered.


And they spent a fraction of what that $100K plan cost


Why?


We focused on doing instead of documenting

I Help Manufacturing & B2B Avoid Million-Dollar Cybersecurity Losses | Fractional CISO | 20+ Years Protecting Revenue, Not Networks | No Jargon, No Kickbacks | Proud Dad & Beard Grower

Let me tell you an uncomfortable truth about the cybersecurity consulting industry:


Most consultants are biased.


Not because they're bad people. Not because they don't care about your security.


But because they're incentivized to sell you specific solutions.


A consultant comes in to "assess your security posture." They find gaps real ones, usually. Then they recommend a specific solution.


Sounds helpful, right?


Until you find out they're getting a kickback from the vendor.


Suddenly, that "unbiased recommendation" isn't so unbiased anymore.


Maybe that $80K security tool is the right fit for your business. Or maybe there's a $15K solution that does exactly what you need but the consultant doesn't mention it because there's no commission on that one.


You have no way of knowing.


And that's the problem.


Businesses get sold tools they don't need.


Budgets get blown on "enterprise solutions" when a simpler approach would work.


IT teams get overwhelmed trying to manage five overlapping products because three different consultants recommended their "preferred" vendors.


It's not malicious. But it's not honest either.


I don't take vendor kickbacks. Period.


I don't get paid more if you buy expensive tools.


I get paid to tell you the TRUTH.


If a $5K solution solves your problem, I'm going to tell you that even if there's a $50K option on the table.


If you don't need a tool at all, I'm going to tell you to save your money.


If your current vendor is actually doing a great job, I'm going to tell you to keep them even if that means I don't get to sell you something new.


My incentive is singular: Help you protect what matters most, in the most effective and sustainable way possible.


Not the most expensive way. Not the flashiest way.


 The right way.


I worked with a manufacturing company that had been told by two different consultants they needed a $120K security operations center (SOC) platform.


They didn't need a $120K SOC.


They needed better visibility into their network, which we achieved with a $12K solution and some process improvements.


Saved them over $100K. Got them the security outcomes they actually needed.


Why would I do that?


Because I'm not trying to maximize my commission. 


And here's the thing: That approach builds trust.


 The kind of trust that turns a one-time engagement into a long-term partnership.


That CFO didn't just hire me for that project. She brought me in as a fractional CISO for all her companies. She referred me to her network. She became one of my biggest advocates.


Not because I sold her the most expensive thing.


 Because I told her the truth.


The next time a consultant recommends a tool, ask them:


"Do you have a financial relationship with this vendor?"


"Are there other solutions that could achieve the same outcome?"


"What happens if I choose a different product?"


You deserve unbiased advice. And if they can't give you that, find someone who can.

Ask a CEO about their top financial risks. They'll give you an answer.


Cash flow concerns. Market volatility. Rising costs.


Ask them about their top legal risks.


Contract disputes. Regulatory compliance. Employment issues.


Ask them about their top operational risks.


Supply chain disruptions. Equipment failures.


Ask them about their top personnel risks.


Key employee retention. Succession planning. Skills gaps.


They'll answer every single one without hesitation.


Now ask them about their top cyber risks.


Nine times out of ten?


They'll shrug. Look uncomfortable. And say:


"I don't know. Ask the IT guy."


And that right there? That's the problem.


Not because executives need to become cybersecurity experts.


But because cyber risk is a business risk and they're treating it like an IT problem.


You wouldn't shrug off a financial risk question and say "ask the CFO."


You wouldn't defer a legal risk question and say "ask our lawyer."


You wouldn't ignore an operational risk question and say "ask the plant manager."


Because as a leader, you own those risks. You understand them. You make strategic decisions about them.


But cyber risk? Too often, it's treated as someone else's problem. Something technical. Something you can delegate completely and never think about again.


And that's why we're losing.


That's why ransomware attacks are running unabated.


That's why breaches keep happening.


That's why companies lose contracts because they can't answer basic security questions.


That's why boards are blindsided when an incident happens.


Not because IT isn't doing their job. But because leadership isn't treating cyber as what it actually is: a strategic business risk.



If you're a CEO, a CFO, a COO, or any executive leader, you need to be able to answer this question:


"What are your top three cyber risks, and what are you doing about them?"


You don't need to know how firewalls work.


You don't need to understand zero-trust architectures.


You don't need to be able to configure endpoint protection.


But you do need to know:


What systems are critical to generating revenue?


What data, if compromised, would damage client trust?


What contracts depend on proving you're not a security liability?


What's your plan if you get hit with ransomware tomorrow?


That's not IT knowledge. That's business knowledge.


And if you can't answer those questions, you're shirking your responsibility as a leader.


I say that with kindness but also with urgency.


Because the cost of not knowing isn't just technical. It's financial. It's reputational. It's existential.


Because you wouldn't shrug off your financial risks.


You wouldn't ignore your operational risks.


So stop treating cyber risk like someone else's problem.


It's yours. Own it.


And if you need help understanding it and managing it I'm here. 


With kindness, clarity, and zero judgment.


Let's get you to a place where you can answer the question.

Let me tell you what you DON'T get when you work with me:


❌ No kickbacks on tools. I don't care what vendor is wining and dining me. 


❌ No jargon in board presentations. Your board doesn't need to hear about "zero-trust architectures" and "advanced persistent threats." 


❌ No shelfware reports. I'm not writing a 200-page document that looks impressive, collects dust, and changes nothing. If it's not actionable, I'm not delivering it.


Here's what you DO get:


✅ Unbiased truth delivered with kindness. I'll tell you what's broken, what's working, and what you're wasting money on. But I'll do it in a way that's honest and human. No shame. No fear-mongering. Just clarity and a path forward.


✅ A prioritized cybersecurity roadmap that makes sense. Not a wish list. Not "best practices" copied from a framework. A clear, sequenced plan based on your business, your risks, and your budget. And yes, we might even have some fun building it together


✅ A relentless focus on protecting revenue and people. Because cybersecurity isn't about compliance checkboxes or theoretical threats. It's about protecting the systems that make you money, the contracts that depend on trust, the reputation that keeps clients coming back, and the people who make it all happen.


Most cybersecurity consultants have conflicts of interest baked into their business model.
They're resellers. They get paid to push specific tools whether you need them or not.


They speak in technical jargon that makes them sound smart but leaves you confused and dependent on them


They deliver massive reports that check a compliance box but don't actually tell you what to do


And worst of all? They lead with fear instead of care.


I don't operate that way.


I'm not here to scare you into buying tools. I'm here to help you make smart, human-centered decisions about what you actually need.


I'm not here to impress your board with buzzwords. I'm here to give them clarity in plain English so they can sleep better at night.


Because cybersecurity shouldn't feel like punishment. It should feel like protection. And protection is an act of care.


I worked with a manufacturing company that had been sold six different "essential" security tools by three different consultants.


Half of them weren't configured. A quarter of them overlapped. And none of them were protecting the one system that actually generated revenue their customer portal


We sunset the tools they didn't need, reinvested that budget into what actually mattered, and built a roadmap focused on their critical business processes and on making the team feel supported, not overwhelmed.


That's what unbiased consulting looks like. 


You need someone who cares more about protecting your business and your people than padding their commission.


And that's exactly what you get. With kindness, clarity, and maybe even a few laughs along the way


With humanity at the center.

"I don't trust our IT provider and I don't know if I'm being taken advantage of."


That's what the COO of a $20 million dollar company told me when we first met.


His company was paying $15K a month for managed IT services. Every time he asked questions, he got tech jargon in response. 


Every time there was an issue, he was told it was "complicated" and would cost extra to fix.


He felt uneasy. Uncertain. Like he was flying blind while writing big checks every month.


So I became his IT couples therapist.


No, seriously. That's what I do.


I step into the messy, uncomfortable relationship between businesses and their IT providers and help both sides actually communicate.


I don't come in guns blazing, ready to fire your IT team. I come in curious, kind, and focused on understanding the truth.


✅ I talk to your IT provider in their language. I understand the tech. I know what's reasonable and what's BS. I can tell the difference between "this is genuinely complex" and "we're charging you extra because you don't know better."


✅ I translate for you in business terms. No jargon. No condescension. Here's what it costs. Here's whether it's worth it. And here's what you should be getting for your money.


✅ I remove inefficiencies and unnecessary costs. Sometimes your IT provider is doing great work but charging for things you don't need. I find the gaps, the overlaps, and the waste.


✅ I give you clarity. Because the worst feeling in business isn't paying too much it's not knowing if you're paying too much.


Here's what I did:


 Talking to the provider. Reviewing contracts. Understanding what was actually being delivered versus what was being billed.


Turns out? The IT provider wasn't malicious. They were just sloppy. Billing for licenses the company didn't use anymore. Charging "project rates" for routine maintenance. Providing coverage the business had outgrown.


I sat down with both sides like a couples therapist and facilitated an honest conversation.


The IT provider adjusted their pricing, tightened up their deliverables, and started communicating in ways the COO could actually understand.


The COO went from feeling uneasy to feeling confident. He understood what he was paying for.


 He trusted his provider again because now there was transparency.


And the company saved $4,500 a month. Over $50K a year.


Not by firing anyone. By creating clarity.


Most businesses don't have an IT problem. They have a communication and trust problem.


Your IT provider might be great but if you can't understand what they're doing or why it costs what it costs, you'll never feel good about the relationship.


Or your IT provider might be taking advantage and you'll never know because you don't speak the language.


I speak both languages. Business and tech. Risk and revenue. Strategy and systems.


And I do it all through my trademark kindness because no one benefits from blame, fear, or adversarial relationships.

Imagine how beautiful our world could be.


Not perfect. Not without conflict or struggle.


But beautiful because we chose to approach one another with empathy instead of judgment.



Most of the time, when someone acts in ways that frustrate us, anger us, or hurt us they're not acting from wisdom.


They're acting from pain.


Pain in their hearts. Pain in their souls. Pain they might not even fully understand themselves.


And that pain prevents them from showing up as their best selves.


So they react emotionally.


They lash out.


They withdraw.


They make decisions that don't make sense to us because we can't see the weight they're carrying.


And here's where we have a choice:


We can judge them by their actions alone react with anger, fear, or frustration of our own.


We can ask: "What might they be going through that I can't see?"


We can choose empathy over reaction.


We can choose understanding over judgment.


We can choose to see the full human being not just the behavior in front of us.


And when we do that? Everything changes.


Because empathy doesn't excuse harmful behavior.


 It doesn't mean we tolerate mistreatment or ignore our own boundaries.


But it does mean we respond thoughtfully instead of reactively.


It means we give people the space to be struggling and still worthy of dignity.


It means we recognize that our kindness, our understanding, our willingness to see someone fully that can be the thing that helps them find their way back.


The next time someone acts in a way that frustrates you—whether it's a colleague, a client, a family member, or a stranger—pause.


Before you react, ask yourself:


"What pain might they be carrying that I can't see?"


"What struggles might be driving this behavior?"


"How can I respond in a way that helps instead of harms?"


You don't have to fix their pain. You don't have to solve their problems.


You just have to choose empathy.


Because our ability to respond with kindness even when it's hard, even when we're frustrated, even when we don't understand that can make a real difference.


It can be the spark someone needs to find their strength again.


It can be the moment that shifts everything.


It can be the choice that creates the kind of world we all want to live in.


A world where understanding and support are at the forefront.


Let's be those people.


Starting today.

Anyone can tell you what you're not doing.


That part's easy.


A checklist can do it.


A framework can do it.


Honestly? AI can do it right now in seconds.


Ask ChatGPT about your security gaps and it'll spit out a beautifully formatted list of everything you're missing. 


Complete with recommendations, best practices, and a prioritized roadmap.


Free. Instant. Comprehensive.


If identifying security gaps is that easy, why are organizations still struggling?


Why are breaches still running rampant?


Why are security plans still sitting on shelves collecting dust??


Why are teams still overwhelmed, disengaged, and unsure what to do next?


Because knowing what to do and actually doing it are two completely different things.


And the gap between those two things?


That's where leadership lives.


It's not writing the plan. It's making the plan come alive.


It's not identifying the gaps. It's building the team and culture to close them.


It's not recommending the training. It's inspiring people to actually engage with it.


It's not pointing out what's broken. It's holding people accountable with kindness instead of fear.


It's not producing the roadmap. It's navigating the politics, the resistance, the budget constraints, and the competing priorities to actually execute it.


That's the hard part. And that's what most consultants and definitely AI can't do for you.


Because execution isn't a technical problem. It's a human problem.


And human problems require human leadership.


Real leadership isn't about being the loudest voice in the room.


It's not about wielding authority or instilling fear.


It's not about pointing fingers when things go wrong.


Real leadership is showing up with kindness, accountability, and an unwavering commitment to making things happen.


It's sitting with a team that's overwhelmed and saying: "I see you. Let's figure this out together."


It's holding someone accountable for a missed milestone not with shame, but with clarity and care.


It's inspiring a room full of skeptical executives to care about cybersecurity not because you scared them, but because you helped them understand what's actually at stake.


It's taking a 200-page security plan that nobody understands and turning it into something a team can actually execute step by step, with confidence.


That's what I bring to the table.


Leadership. Execution. Accountability. Delivered with kindness.


Security plans get executed.


Teams get trained and the training actually sticks.


Cultures shift from reactive to proactive.


Leaders stop deferring and start owning their cyber risk.


That's the transformation I create. And I do it all through kindness.


What's rare is someone who can make it happen.


With accountability. With humanity. With kindness.


That's what I do.

We're not ready for a security assessment right now.


That's what the CFO told me when we first spoke.


She was overseeing a group of companies.


 Multiple business units. Hundreds of employees. Millions in revenue.


And she had no idea what the current state of cybersecurity looked like across her organization.


I could have pushed harder. I could have leaned into fear. I could have painted worst-case scenarios until she felt backed into a corner.


But that's not how I work.


Instead, I was kind. But firm.


I said: "I understand you're not ready. 


But I want you to understand something too: The cost of action versus the cost of inaction is vastly different. If we do this assessment now, we can address gaps proactively. 


If you wait until after a breach, my cost will be 3x and that's just my cost. The real cost to your business will be far higher.


She thanked me for my time. And said no.


I didn't argue. I didn't guilt her. I didn't send follow-up emails painting disaster scenarios.


I just said: "I'm here when you're ready."


Five months later, my phone rang.


I was on vacation. Middle of the afternoon.


 Unknown number.


It was her.


"Dom, we need to talk. We just discovered we've been compromised. I need your help. And I know what you said your cost is going to be 3x now. I get it."


I didn't lecture her about ignoring my advice.


I didn't make her feel worse than she already did.


I responded with kindness and compassion.


"Okay," I said. "Here's what we're going to do. First, let's contain this. Then we'll assess the damage.


 Then we'll build you a roadmap so this doesn't happen again. We'll get through this together."


There was a pause on the other end of the line.


Then she said something I'll never forget:


"Dom, I didn't forget about the 3x. But I also didn't forget how you treated me when I said no. You were kind. You didn't resort to fear tactics. You didn't make me feel stupid. You just told me the truth and let me make my own decision."


She continued: "That's why I'm calling you now.


 Because I know you're going to help me fix this not shame me for it."


People remember how you make them feel especially when they're in crisis.


You can be right and be cruel. Or you can be right and be kind.


The outcomes might look the same in the short term. But in the long term? Kindness builds trust.


 And trust builds loyalty.


Not because I scared her. Because I respected her.


The next time someone says no to you whether it's a client, a colleague, a team member resist the urge to manipulate, guilt, or fear them into saying yes.


Tell them the truth. Give them the information they need to make an informed decision. 


And then respect their choice.


Because kindness isn't weakness. And patience isn't passivity.


It's leadership.


And when the crisis comes—and it will—they'll remember who treated them like a human being.


 And they'll call you.


And that's why people call me when it matters most.

We have sophisticated backups. We're covered.


That's what the construction company's IT guy told the CEO.


State-of-the-art backup system. Multiple redundancy layers. Offsite storage. Cloud replication. The works.


So when ransomware hit, they weren't worried.


"No problem," the IT guy said. "We'll just restore from backup."


Then they tried to restore a critical file.


A contract document they needed to close a $2 million deal. Time-sensitive. Client waiting.


Nothing happened.


They tried again. Nothing


They called me. I started digging. 


Hours passed. 


Then the truth came out:


The backups had never been tested.


They'd been running for two years. Generating reports that said "Backup Successful" every night.


But no one had ever tried to actually restore anything.


The sophisticated backup system was useless.


By the time they figured it out and recovered the file through other means the $2 million deal was gone.


Here's the brutal lesson:


Having a backup system and having a working backup system are not the same thing.


If you're not testing your backups regularly, you don't have backups. 


You have a very expensive false sense of security.


It's like having a fire extinguisher that's never been checked. It might work when you need it. Or it might not. And you won't know until it's too late.


Here's what I told them needed to happen! 


✅ Test your backups. Once when you set them up. Quarterly at minimum. Monthly is better.


✅ Test the full restore process. Don't just verify the backup ran. Actually restore files and make sure they work.


✅ Document your recovery procedures. When disaster strikes, people panic. You need clear, tested steps anyone can follow.


✅ Time your recovery. How long does it take to restore critical systems? Can you afford that downtime?


This isn't optional. It's fundamental.


I've seen this scenario play out too many times:


"We have backups."
"Great, let's restore."
"Oh… this isn't working."


And suddenly, what should have been a minor inconvenience becomes a business-ending crisis.


Here's what I told that construction company CEO:


"Your IT guy didn't lie to you. He thought you were covered. But he made a critical mistake: he trusted the system without validating it. In cybersecurity, trust but verify isn't just good advice it's survival."


We rebuilt their backup strategy from scratch. But more importantly, we built a testing cadence into their operations.


Now? They test quarterly. They know their backups work. They know how long recovery takes. They've practiced the process.


And they sleep better at night.


Who I am:
I'm Dom Vogel—the Dopamine Dealer on LinkedIn. I help manufacturing, construction, and B2B organizations build security that actually works—not just looks good on paper. I provide fractional CISO services that focus on validation, testing, and real-world resilience.

I put a picture of a luxury yacht on the screen.


Dead silence in the boardroom.


Finally, the chairman spoke up: "What does this have to do with cybersecurity?"


I smiled. "How many of you spend time on one of these?"


Several hands went up. This was a well-to-do board. $250M+ manufacturing company. 


Luxury lifestyle wasn't uncommon.


"Great," I said. "Now let me ask you this: How attached are you to keeping this lifestyle?"


They looked confused.


"Because if this company suffers a data breach and the board is found to have failed in its oversight duties around cyber risk management, you could be held personally liable."


"Personally. Liable."


I let that sink in.


"That yacht? Your vacation home? Your retirement accounts? All of it could be at risk if you're not fulfilling your fiduciary responsibilities when it comes to cybersecurity."


The room got very quiet.


Suddenly, cybersecurity wasn't some abstract IT issue they could delegate and forget about.


It was personal.


Here's what changed after that conversation:


They started asking the right questions.


They stopped deferring to "the IT guy" and started owning cyber risk as a board-level issue.


They brought me in as a fractional CISO to help them build real oversight, not just check boxes.


Not because I scared them. Because I made it relatable. 


These were smart, successful people. But cybersecurity felt distant technical jargon, compliance frameworks, things that happened to other companies.


A yacht? That's real. That's tangible. That's theirs.


And once they understood the personal stakes, everything shifted.


If you're presenting to a board and they're not engaged, you're speaking the wrong language.


They don't care about zero-trust architectures.


They don't care about penetration test results.


They don't care about compliance frameworks.


They care about what's at risk. And sometimes, you have to make it personal to get their attention.


I do it with kindness but also with clarity.


Because board members sometimes are only motivated when they understand their real personal stakes. 


Organizations need boards that actually lead on cyber risk instead of deferring it.


Because sometimes, all it takes is a picture of a yacht to wake people up.

🎯 DROP EVERYTHING and watch this. 🎯


My BRILLIANTLY AMAZING friend Mandy Morris, LPC delivered a TEDx Talk for the ages that genuinely stopped me in my tracks and I NEED you to see it.


She's talking about something we ALL carry but rarely name: trauma. Not the Hollywood version. The real definition a wound. 

And here's what blew my mind: those incredible stress patterns that helped us achieve? They were survival strategies. Genius ones. But survival isn't the same as freedom. 


If you're a high achiever who's ever felt stuck in the same cycles same work dynamics, same relationship patterns, same internal loops despite doing EVERYTHING "right"... 

Mandy just connected the dots in a way that will shake something loose


This talk is for every person who's been disciplined, capable, committed... and still wondering why certain patterns won't shift.


👉 Watch it here: https://lnkd.in/eN9VnCmM


Mandy, thank YOU for having the COURAGE to name what so many of us are quietly carrying. You are a true hero!!! 


Share this with someone who needs it today. You might just change their life. ❤️

Executive Psychology Coach & Co-Founder, SoFree™ | International TEDx Speaker | Creator of The Internal Edge™ | Helping High-Achievers Reset from Burnout, Rewire Stress Loops & Lead with Clarity

In my TEDx Talk, I name something no one likes to talk about.

There’s an invisible force shaping the way we think and react. And for high achievers, it often disguises itself as strength.

I’m talking about trauma.

Not as a buzzword. Not as something extreme. I mean the original definition: a wound. And we all carry them.

Many of the stress patterns that built our success were once survival strategies. They helped us cope, perform, and stay steady under pressure.

But survival is not the same as freedom.

If you’ve ever felt stuck in the same work environments, relationship patterns, or internal cycles despite being disciplined and capable, this might explain why.

👉 Watch the full talk here: https://lnkd.in/eN9VnCmM to see what decades of research say about rewiring those patterns and reclaiming real freedom.

I’m deeply grateful to the TEDxSwansea  organizers for creating a platform where conversations like this can reach more people. Mark Davies & Roxani Oikonomou  - thank you! It means so much to be able to share this message in spaces where high achievers are quietly carrying more than they show.

If you’ve ever wondered why discipline alone hasn’t changed certain patterns, this might connect some dots.

• Share this with someone who needs to hear it today. 

#HighAchievers #BurnoutRecovery #NervousSystemRegulation
Niki Papaioannou

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The Battle

Samara Starkman

Dominic Vogel

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taplio

The Battle

Samara Starkman

Dominic Vogel

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Dominic Vogel's LinkedIn Performance

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