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A quiet alarm in the body can be louder than any strategic plan. That’s where our conversation with Annie begins: the moment joy dimmed, restlessness rose, and an inner knowing said it was time to step away from nonprofit work and build something rooted in freedom, fairness, and love. From that leap came Love Before All, a practice that pairs self-regulation with compassion to create real, measurable change in people and the systems they live in.

We dig into the mechanics of that change. Annie walks us through how history and power shape institutions, why scarcity cultures persist, and how a relationship-first lens reframes leadership. We talk brain science in plain language: the amygdala’s threat response, somatic signals as data, and how a pause-and-breathe habit restores choice. She shares a grounding question that guides hard moments—what is the most loving thing to do now?—and a practical method for tough conversations: look for patterns, ask permission, lead with positive intent, and time it for trust.

Annie’s path from Haiti to New York adds a powerful through line of empathy and perspective-taking. That experience sharpened her ability to “put herself on a shelf,” meet others without judgment, and build bridges across difference. We connect this to culture change at scale: when individuals grow compassion from the inside out, teams regulate better, organizations collaborate more, and wellness becomes a shared priority. If belief can outrun truth, then let’s design beliefs that steady the nervous system, expand our options, and make room for facts to land.

You’ll leave with tools you can use today—how to notice somatic cues, interrupt reactivity, and deliver feedback without burning trust—as well as a bigger vision for how compassion can propagate across homes, schools, and workplaces. If you’re ready to integrate who you are with how you lead, press play, share this conversation with someone who needs it, and leave a review to help more listeners find the show.

To learn more about Annie Paraison, visit LoveBeforeAll.com

Connect with Beki on LinkedIn: Linkedin.com/in/BekiFraser
Learn more about her coaching: TheIntrovertedSkeptic.com

Learn more about 75 LEAD: FocusForGrowth.com/75LEAD

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Short Story Long is produced by Crowned Culture Media LLC