Charles Morgan How Playing Poker Helps Us Negotiate | Does Money Really Mitigate Burnout? | Fitness Founders Face T

Plus: How Tia Mowry Is Helping Black Women Take Wellness Into Their Own Hands

This past weekend, I spent time reading CNN anchor Brooke Baldwin’s forthcoming book, “Huddle,” which is all about how women can come together and harness their collective power. (It comes out on April 6, but if you want a preview, I’m interviewing Baldwin all about it live on Forbes’ Instagram page today at 12pm ET!) 

Ever since finishing the book, I’m seeing “huddles” of women, and particularly female entrepreneurs, everywhere I look. One such group is DealmakeHers, a community of the most impactful female dealmakers in the retail and consumer space. It’s invitation only, but I had the privilege of moderating a conversation with its members and star poker player Maria Konnikova last week, and I’m still reflecting on the conversation today. Konnikova is also a psychologist, and she draws many ties between the poker table and the board table.

“Life is poker and it’s a game of incomplete information…it’s probabilities,” she told me. The goal, she says, is to make the best decision possible with incomplete information. Crucially, she said, the best decision can mean walking away from a deal or negotiation. Konnikova acknowledges that walking away can be easier when you have money, an established brand, or good reputation, “the ‘f--- you’ attitude can exist without the ‘f--- you’ money.”

Cheers to that!
Maggie

P.S: Between the time away from the physical office to an uptick in home improvement projects, I’ve often wondered if the past year of pandemic living is giving me a preview of my retirement years. I’m not the only one to draw this analogy: Forbes retirement contributor Joseph Coughlin lists seven retirement “surprises” that millennials have learned during Covid, and I found myself nodding my head at every single one.

ICYMI: Stories From The Week

The celebrated children’s book author Beverly Cleary, who brought to life the famous Ramona Quimby, died Thursday at 104, her publisher, HarperCollins, said Friday. 

Women are not getting the healthcare they need during the pandemic: According to a national survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation, more than one-third (38%) of women had skipped preventive services, such as checkups or routine tests, over the last year. Nearly one-quarter (23%) had forgone a recommended test or treatment. In comparison, only 26% and 15% of men had missed preventive or recommended care, respectively.

Diane von Furstenberg and Mindy Kaling teamed up with Amazon to spotlight women-owned businesses on the e-commerce platform. The month-long campaign highlights companies from different countries who’ve been handpicked by von Furstenberg, Kaling and other A-listers. 

As gyms and fitness studios begin to slowly reopen, fitness founders like barre3’s Sadie Lincoln and Sculpt Society’s Megan Roup are reflecting on what they’ve learned over the last year and which parts of the “pandemic pivot” they’ll keep as part of their ongoing businesses.

Corporations and sports leagues are facing national pressure to oppose Georgia’s new voting restrictions, but voting rights activist Stacey Abrams says companies should not boycott her home state, instead urging employers to “stay and fight.

Businesses are looking for new ways to reduce burnout: Citigroup CEO Jane Fraser has barred internal video calls on Fridays, declaring them to now be known as "Zoom-Free Fridays,” while firms like Credit Suisse and Apollo Global Management are offering employees bonuses. But does money really mitigate burnout?

Check List

#1: Train—and sustain. “What you put into it is what will sustain you through any situation on your way to your dream,” says Laurieann Gibson, an Emmy-nominated creative visionary and choreographer. She’s learned this lesson through dance, but it’s applicable in any industry. 

#2: Remember that recovery is not linear. Over the past year of the pandemic, we’ve all experienced a lot of loss. Some of these have been big losses; others seem small. But each one can trigger grief that ebbs and flows—so give yourself some grace if you’re experiencing an array of different and difficult thoughts.

#3: Regroup after a bad day. Today is the first day of a new month, so if you’ve had a bad March, or a bad prior week, reset by following these six tips.

Across Forbes