Public Republic

Katerina Stoykova-Klemer’s interview with Joel DiGirolamo

Joel DiGirolamo has over 30 years of staff and management experience in Fortune 500 companies. He has a BSEE, MBA, and an MS Psychology degree. The combination of his diverse work experience and education enable him to relate to individuals at all levels and positions of any organization in any region of the world.

His broad experience has allowed him to successfully lead and participate on teams of individuals with unique backgrounds and various motivations. Joel has been a keynote speaker at several international conferences, is a member of the American Psychological Association (APA), a member of the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology (SIOP), and Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM).

What was the inspiration behind your book Yoga in No Time at All?

When I was working in a large corporation I kept hearing people say, “I’d like to do yoga but don’t have time for it.” I would talk to them about how they can incorporate yoga into their daily life. Since I was hearing this so often I felt there may be a market for a book showing poses anyone can do throughout their day.

Your book has just come out. What has been the initial reaction from the public?

I’ve been very happy with the response. Some people are buying multiple copies – one for their personal use and one or more as gifts! I also enjoy receiving notes from people telling me how much they enjoy the book.

What are some of your current projects?

I’m continually creating new poses for the second edition and have begun work on a novel about leadership. I have always been interested in leadership during my working career, especially after I earned my MBA degree. While working on my Masters Degree in Industrial and Organizational Psychology I became fascinated with the academic leadership research. My goal is to bring this research to individuals who would not normally access it.

The beauty of these two works is the synergy they create. Yoga in No Time at All is about building healthy bodies during our busy, working days. The leadership novel will be about building healthy organizations.

How does your business background enable you to be successful as an author?

Having the education and experience in business has provided a nice springboard from which to launch this effort. From the start I was able to create a business plan to determine whether or not this idea would be economically feasible. Once I found that it was feasible I used my experience in project management, product development, distribution, and marketing to put the key elements in place. They say that over 90% of a successful book is good marketing. I believe that to be true and that’s where my focus is at this moment.

What are your sources of creativity?

I’ve done a lot of personal development in my lifetime, including meditation. There is a model from India that identifies energy centers in our body, called Chakras. This model also identifies a powerful energy in our bodies, called Kundalini energy. This Kundalini energy is what powers our creativity and is an energy source I have worked to cultivate.

How do these creative avenues relate to leadership?

I feel that good leaders are creative. They must craft a vision and be creative in knocking down roadblocks as they appear.

Couple of years ago, you gave up your corporate job to pursue your dream. How did that transform your life?

While I was able to use my creative abilities in a corporate setting, since I have been working for myself I have been able to employ this creativity to a greater extent. It’s nice to be doing something I really enjoy and helping people at the same time.

You have been working on bridging two worlds – the corporate world and the mind/body. Please tell us more about these efforts.

I like to bring depth to the corporate experience, to make it more meaningful. Each of us is here for a reason and each time I work with someone in a corporate setting I encourage them to dig deeper inside to discover what they enjoy in life. As they discover a greater sense of self and can act on their deep desires they blossom and enrich their lives.

It is inspiring to watch people bloom and grow, many in their 40s and 50s. And that is what I feel is the reason for my existence at this time, to help others learn about themselves and their relationship to others. I enjoy working with groups as well because this is where the individuals must build harmonious relationships. Having good relationships in groups leads to high performance and profound respect.

It is at this point where each individual as well as the organization is performing well, sort of like a “zen” moment where everything flows just as it should.