People

Inspired — Nicolas Van Erum

How a meditation app makes this Sid Lee L.A. managing partner a whopping 25% better.

 

“Lately I discovered the meditation app 10% Happier, created by author Dan Harris after his book of the same name. I live in California, so meditation is everywhere and becoming more and more ubiquitous, but I’d never found a system that worked for me. It was always too moon-and-stars-and-hippie-hippie-happy rather than a scientific look at how the brain and performance work. I needed an approach that addressed life in the fast lane rather than a balanced lifestyle, which seems fantastical to me. This app is full of content, from articles to videos, plus all sorts of simple techniques that can be applied to work. And not just in regards to leadership, but for things like building self-awareness. It’s teaching me mindfulness so I can create a certain distance between me and a situation, an emotion, a conversation or a level of intensity, which in our work is a daily occurrence. I practice every day; it’s the last thing my brain does before rest. And I hope it’s making me 25% better.” Nicolas Van Erum, Managing Partner, Sid Lee L.A.