Voyage Phoenix - Conversations with the Inspiring Vicki Mayo

Conversations with the Inspiring Vicki Mayo

Today we’d like to introduce you to Vicki Mayo.

Vicki, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
Entrepreneurialism is in my blood. My dad and all of my uncles lived the “American Dream” by immigrating from India and growing successful businesses over the course of their lifetime. My brothers and I had excellent role models, and I started my first business when I was 14 years old. Since then, I have started and grown businesses across the finance, hospitality, tech, and most recently the wellness industry. When I was 20 years old, I adopted two teenage boys who had been abandoned by their parents. I was a single mom for several years before marrying my husband and having two biological children of our own. Today, I’m the CEO of The TouchPoint Solution, a wellness company that offers neuroscience-based solutions to manage stress.

I’ve been knocked down and gotten back up more times than I can count, but I would never have gotten to where I am today if I let stress hamper my motivation and passion. Stress is a reality that we all have to deal with — but learning to channel properly can help you reach new heights. I am a firm believer in the law of abundance and the power of manifestation, and my goal is to share these secrets with the world.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Navigating the highs and lows of starting up life is never an easy road! The #1 thing I’ve learned is to reach out to people. Get their advice, ask their opinion. We’re better together and we can’t do it alone. My husband, who is also the CEO of a global IT firm, has become my confidant throughout this journey. Having gone through this experience himself, he has been able to offer guidance and advice to me in so many ways. I encourage all women to seek advice from others who have embarked on this journey. There’s something to learn from everyone – all you have to do is ask!

So let’s switch gears a bit and go into The TouchPoint Solution story. Tell us more about the business.
Stress is a global epidemic that underlies 80% of all mental and physical diseases, yet only a small percentage of people receive treatment due to rising health insurance costs and lack of available resources. Traditional methods of managing stress include prescription medication, therapy and living a long-term healthy lifestyle (think yoga, meditation, proper nutrition, etc.). The problem is that both options are time intensive before any tangible results are seen – a high price to pay for our wellbeing. Today, advances in neuroscience and new technology can actively work with the brain to offer a natural and effective solution to stress and anxiety in real time.

This is why my co-founder and I, neuropsychologist Dr. Amy Serin, teamed up: to provide neuroscience-based solutions that are scientifically proven to reduce stress by up to 70% in as few as 30 seconds. Dr. Serin discovered that a component of successful PTSD treatment can be used as a stand-alone product for a range of individuals whose stress and intensities hamper performance, relaxation, sleep, and their ability to cope with sensory stimuli. We realized that this method was too powerful a treatment to be confined to a doctor’s office, which resulted in bringing TouchPoints, neuroscientific wearables, to the world.

Using gentle, haptic micro vibrations called BLAST (bilateral alternating stimulation tactile), TouchPoints give the user a gentle vibration that affects the brain and alters the body’s fight, flight or freeze response to restore calm nervous system functioning. This not only helps to reduce the amount of perceived stress experienced, but also the associated body sensation that comes with it (i.e., stomach butterflies or tightness in the chest). Having the ability to think rationally without an associated body sensation helps the brain create new neural pathways that are net positive, and this has a lasting effect on your brain.

Working on this product for the past two years has been one of the most humbling yet exciting experiences of my entire life. I used to think that stress was something we had to “just live with”. And to a certain extent, it is. Some stress can be good for you if you learn how to channel it properly. But for many people, myself included, stress can build up over time. If we don’t find ways to manage it, it can lead to much more severe physical, mental and emotional long-term side effects. Stress is a universal concept, but how it manifests in each of us is highly personal. TouchPoints are a tool that anyone can add to their toolbox to de-stress at the touch of a button.

The most rewarding part of my job is hearing from our customers about how TouchPoints have changed their lives. From overcoming childhood adversity to learning to manage their anger and becoming more productive at work – TouchPoints have helped more than 100,000 people across the world live better lives through neuroscience. Including myself and my family!

What do you feel are the biggest barriers today to female leadership, in your industry or generally?
As Mr. Wonderful Kevin O’Leary said, he prefers to invest in women-owned companies because they perform better than male-led companies. Women have a knack for not just out-of-the-box thinking but for literally getting rid of the box. I think it’s up to us women to change the conversation from challenges to our successes.

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