Monthly Archives: April 2019

Best Self is the perfect inspiration for Graduates

THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO HEALING AND DESIGNING YOUR BEST LIFE!

BEST SELF

Be You, Only Better

by Life Coach Mike Bayer

Foreword by Dr. Phil McGraw

*On Sale Now*

________________________________________________________________________________

Praise for BEST SELF:

“When you read Best Self, you’ll understand that Coach Mike’s formula puts the power of change in the hands of the individual. He encourages people to dig deep and ask themselves basic but important questions like—What do you really want? What are you afraid of? Who is holding you back? He challenges people to strive to live authentically. This book is a must read for anyone who wants to thrive in all areas of life.”

Jennifer Lopez

 “Coach Mike is a true professional and Best Self is his bible, his ‘how to’ manual on maximizing your potential by discovering the best person you can be in the most effective way you can. Mike Bayer is not a buzz word dispenser. He is a common sense, action-oriented coach that will tell you how to get from where you are to where you want to be in every area of your life, whether it be personal, family, professional, spiritual or all of the above.”

Dr. Phil McGraw

________________________________________________________________________________

Ask Yourself…Are you truly who you want to be? Is this the life you really want? Are you living each day as your best self? What can you change, today?

Mike Bayer isn’t a typical life coach. Modest and mellow, Mike (or “Coach Mike” as he is often called) has spent years helping his clients break through obstacles to live their best life. Acting as a behind-the-scenes superstar, his wildly successful techniques have recently earned him a spot as the first-ever regular contributor on the #1 rated Dr. Phil Show, as well as a key member of Dr. Phil McGraw’s advisory board which consists of 18 of the most accomplished and respected health care professionals in the country. Mike has worked with clients from all walks of life—from celebrities, athletes, and executives, to rageaholics, gamblers, agoraphobics and everyone in between—to confront their fears, acknowledge what is holding them back, and transform their lives into ones that are authentic, passionate, and well-rounded.

This January, Dey Street Books is proud to publish Mike’s first book, BEST SELF: Be You, Only Better (On Sale Now). In this empowering guide, Mike provides readers with an action-oriented, personalized plan for becoming their own life coach. This is not a self-help book that preaches about change. This is not a book that you have to read in-between the lines to glean life wisdom. This is an incredibly interactive, inspiring, and self-revealing book that as Mike says, “only works if you work it, so work it; you’re worth it!” Plus, after all, Mike doesn’t come to this only as a trusted teacher. He is living proof of the hard work, soul searching, and necessary change that can be obtained through these practices because he faced and worked to overcome his own struggle with addiction.

Full of revealing quizzes, provocative questionnaires, and creative drawing exercises, BEST SELF will provide readers with problem-solving strategies to examine where their life is now and determine once and for all who they want to be and where they want to go.

To start their BEST SELF journey, Mike suggests that readers first draw their Anti-Self and Best Self characters directly in the book. A person’s Anti-Self, the side of us triggered by negative situations and emotions like fear and anxiety, is important to identify so that we can attempt to reduce the amount of time we spend in this role. Is our Anti-Self a certain gender? Inspired by a character in a book or movie? Do they behave a certain way when feeling threatened? Is our Best Self warm and considerate? Are they clever and think anything is possible? Interestingly, Mike says it is typically easier for clients to identify their Anti-Self character than their Best Self and they are often shocked to see their results. By starting the book with this exercise, Mike argues that the next time a person is faced with a situation that would usually bring the Anti-Self to the surface, the goal is to let the Best Self character handle it instead. What starts as a conscious decision at the start will, over time, become automatic. The Anti-Self runs contrary to the Best Self, and the first step in taking their power away is to recognize they exist.

Once Anti-Self and Best Self characters are created, Mike takes readers through each of the seven SPHERES of our life:

• Your Social Life: Communication skills are incredibly important, and they can reflect how a person feels in their own skin. Prioritizing this aspect of their life should be at the top of the list. People need to find freedom to be their BEST SELF always—alone and with others.

• Your Personal Life: The most significant relationship in your life is with yourself. Living your BEST SELF means having a respectful internal dialogue, focusing on self-care, and prioritizing your passions. Taking care of yourself is not selfish; it’s crucial to your wellbeing.

• Your Health: If there’s a problem with your health, it can disrupt everything else in your life. Readers must do whatever they need to preserve, protect, and promote their physical health. The healthier you are, the greater your potential for accomplishing your goals.

• Your Education: Education helps us to grow as individuals and improve upon ourselves each day we learn something new. Your BEST SELF seeks knowledge all the time, no matter your method or speed; your job is simply to determine what interests you.

• Your Relationships: Relationships are never as complicated as they may seem. Though people may evolve and veer in different directions, Mike argues that extended periods of animosity with friends, family, or significant others can and should be easily avoided. Even if you can’t control others, you can condition yourself to key into your core values and let go of the baggage.

• Your Employment: Mike notes that personal development lies at the heart of your career development. He believes that if people put more emphasis on discovering their authentic selves starting in their school years, they could allow life to dictate their career path, rather than struggling to determine what they want to do and settling for dissatisfying or unfulfilling careers.

• Your Spiritual Development Life: Once you dive into all other aspects of your life, it’s time to examine your spiritual development, which underpins everything else. Too often ignored in your everyday, faith may be the very basis for tackling your fears, regrets, and sudden crises. Rather than waiting until something implodes, be in touch with your spiritual self so it is ready to tackle any storm that comes its way.

We might only have one shot at life, but it doesn’t mean that we are stuck with the life we’ve got. The tools needed to achieve a better version of ourselves are inside of us already, but BEST SELF will show us how to get there. Mike says, “There is a pervasive belief in society that people can’t change, not really. That is absolutely 100% untrue. If people couldn’t change, I’d still be penniless and addicted to drugs. I’ve seen people overcome all odds. People change. They did. You can.” So now the question is: Are YOU your BEST SELF? With Mike’s guidance, you can be you—only better. Let’s start living our best lives today and reach unimaginable heights in 2019.

GET THE BOOK AND JOIN THE CHALLENGE!

This May for Mental Health Awareness Month, Life Coach Mike Bayer is encouraging people from all walks of life to participate in the #BestSelfChallenge. Rarely on social media do we see authenticity. Everyone (at times, myself included) posts photos and videos showing only the “best” version or perceived version of themselves. We don’t often showcase the other, more vulnerable side of our lives. I created the #BestSelfChallenge as an inclusive way to embrace and showcase the parts of ourselves that we struggle with. By doing this challenge, it creates a space for people to be honest about what they are struggling with. Let’s show people they are not alone in dealing with these struggles and create a world where we feel free to discuss our vulnerability in a safe and open environment. Everyone, no matter how “healthy” they are, deals with internal battles.

As featured in his New York Times bestselling book BEST SELF: Be You, Only Better (on sale now), Coach Mike’s #BestSelfChallenge is a fun and easy exercise in which you define your Best Self (all of the positive attributes and qualities that make up the core of who you are; i.e.- compassionate, brave, loyal, loving, creative) and your Anti-Self (your inner critic, that provokes you and that gets in the way of your Best Self by focusing on negative qualities; i.e.- fearful, doubtful, anxious, angry), in a side by side drawing.

HOW TO PARTICIPATE IN THE #BESTSELFCHALLENGE:

• Share a side by side image of your Best & Anti-Self on your social media channels (post on May 1st, or shortly after)

• Tag @coachmikebayer in the photo

• Use the hashtag #bestselfchallenge

• Tag three people, including someone who inspires you, to join in

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Mike Bayer received his B.S. in Alcohol and Drug Counseling from Metropolitan State University in Minnesota. He was a California Certified Alcohol and Drug Abuse Counselor (CADC II) as well as a Board Registered Interventionist (BRI II). He began his career as a mental health and addiction counselor. After a residency at The Hazelden Foundation, Mike spent five years in the field, becoming one of the leading interventionists in the country. He did crisis consulting for several of the country’s top treatment programs, including the Hazelden Foundation. Fifteen years ago, he founded CAST Centers, a treatment center providing a network of professional support including doctors, psychologists, counselors, and instructors, to help clients heal and improve their mental and emotional health, and overall well-being. Mike continued promoting his message by founding the CAST Foundation, a 501(c)3 that raises awareness to promote cultural and social changes to de-stigmatize mental health issues. For more information about Mike, please visit www.coachmikebayer.com.

Facebook: @Coachmikebayer | Twitter: @Coachmikebayer | Instragram: @Coachmikebayer | YouTube: Coach Mike Bayer

ABOUT THE BOOK:

BEST SELF
Be You, Only Better
by Mike Bayer
Dey Street Books | On Sale Now |
Hardcover ISBN: 9780062911735 | $26.99 |
eBook ISBN: 9780062911759 | $21.99

###

MEDIA CONTACT:

Heidi Richter
Dey Street Books
212-207-7478
heidi.richter@harpercollins.com

Quest Diagnostics Launches New Consumer-Initiated STD Tests

Available nationwide through QuestDirect, the new services link consumer-initiated testing with medical oversight and counsel to help combat the nation’s record rate of STDs.

Quest Diagnostics (NYSE: DGX), the world’s leading provider of diagnostic information services, today launched three new sexually transmitted disease (STD) laboratory test packages that individuals can purchase online for some of the most prevalent STDs in the United States. The new STD test packages are the first to be offered directly by Quest Diagnostics or any other major national laboratory to allow individuals to purchase tests at their discretion. These new packages have been designed to meet the needs of individuals who want accurate basic or comprehensive STD testing.

The services are available at QuestDirect.QuestDiagnostics.com.

The new services are designed to empower individuals to access STD screening when they are reluctant to engage their healthcare provider directly. Research by Quest Diagnostics shows that patients and healthcare providers often fail to discuss sexual behavior and STD risk. According to a survey commissioned by Quest, 51 percent of females age 18-24 years say they don’t want to bring up for discussion the topics of sex or STDs with their clinicians and 49 percent claim their clinician has never asked if they want STD testing.

Rates of syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia have climbed for four consecutive years in the U.S. and are at epidemic levels, with nearly 2.3 million cases of diagnosed STDs in 2017 alone, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Half of all new STD cases are acquired by young people between the ages of 15-24, and one in four sexually active adolescents has a sexually transmitted disease.

“Too many people are not being screened for STDs, and one reason is reluctance to discuss risk with healthcare providers,” said Damian “Pat” Alagia, III, MD, FACOG, FACS, an OB/GYN and medical director of woman’s health for Quest Diagnostics. “Services that empower individuals to access STD testing extend physician-based care so more people can receive the evaluation and treatment they need.”

Clinical Grade Testing Made Easy

The STD test services are available in 45 states starting today through QuestDirect, an enhanced online consumer-initiated testing service provided by Quest Diagnostics to empower patients to manage and take control of their healthcare by purchasing health and wellness lab testing from the convenience of their home.1 Test results are available on MyQuest, the company’s secure patient portal accessible on a smartphone, tablet, or desktop, typically within a week, and may be shared with the individual’s own physician.

Licensed physicians provide oversight for all lab tests, based upon the information that individuals provide to Quest. This includes ordering tests, if appropriate, and evaluating results once available. Individuals have the opportunity to speak with a physician to discuss any of the lab results. These physicians may provide treatment for certain conditions in some states and recommend further medical follow-up.

“Our research shows consumers believe that the ability to purchase certain tests and receive results would facilitate better communication with their physicians and improve their health. Greater access to accurate testing, diagnoses, and treatment is particularly critical in sexual and reproductive health, where medications can often quickly cure many common STDs,” said Cathy Doherty, senior vice president and group executive, clinical franchise solutions and marketing, Quest Diagnostics. “With these services, Quest is meeting consumers where they are, empowering them to access and take actions from diagnostic insights to improve their health.”

QuestDirect provides the convenience of access to the company’s national network of 2,250 patient service centers and uses the same clinical-grade lab technology and STD test services physicians order on behalf of patients. The packages include tests for chlamydia and gonorrhea, trichomonas, hepatitis B and C, syphilis and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Individual STD tests begin at $49 and the new STD test packages beginning at $199.

Many STDs are asymptomatic for various people, so infected individuals may be unaware they are infected and unknowingly spread disease to partners. Untreated, some STDs can lead to pelvic inflammatory disease, chronic pain, and infertility in both women and men; untreated HIV can lead to acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS).

The new services are the latest addition to the company’s QuestDirect offerings. Launched in November 2018, QuestDirect now offers more than 35 individual tests and test packages focused on general health, men’s and women’s health, digestive health, heart health, infectious disease and sexually transmitted disease testing.

Quest Diagnostics has long been a leader in the movement for consumer empowerment in healthcare. The company has been a strong advocate in the effort to provide patients with direct access to lab testing. The company further expanded convenient access to testing services through its collaborations with Safeway and Walmart, and has approximately 200 patient service centers in retail store locations. Additionally, Quest performs genotyping test services on behalf of Ancestry’s AncestryDNA, a service that today identifies and quantifies an individual’s ethnic origins based on results of DNA testing. Blueprint Fit, the first athlete-specific direct-to-consumer service from Quest Diagnostics, includes an at-home, self-collection option.

About Quest Diagnostics

Quest Diagnostics empowers people to take action to improve health outcomes. Derived from the world’s largest database of clinical lab results, our diagnostic insights reveal new avenues to identify and treat disease, inspire healthy behaviors and improve health care management. Quest annually serves one in three adult Americans and half the physicians and hospitals in the United States, and our 46,000 employees understand that, in the right hands and with the right context, our diagnostic insights can inspire actions that transform lives. www.QuestDiagnostics.com.

Quest, Quest Diagnostics and all associated Quest Diagnostics registered or unregistered trademarks are the property of Quest Diagnostics.

1 Available in OK, AZ and IN through joint venture partners Sonora Quest, Diagnostic Laboratory of Oklahoma, and Mid America Clinical Laboratories. Not available in HI or AK.

Media Contact
Kimberly Gorode
kimberly.b.gorode@questdiagnostics.com
973-520-2800

THE ADVENTURES OF BARRY AND JOE by Adam Reid

In the vein of Andrew Shaffer’s Hope Never Dies and Irin Carmon’s The Notorious RBG comes a celebration of Barack Obama & Joe Biden’s ultimate bromance and their epic journey through history to restore our belief in American ideals and our hope for the future.

THE ADVENTURES OF BARRY & JOE
Obama & Biden’s Bromantic Battle for the Soul of America
by Adam Reid

“It’s basically Jonny Quest meets Quantum Leap if Jonny and Hadji were actually former Democratic leaders and the entire Hanna-Barbera writing staff was on mescaline during development.”—VICE

“Barry & Joe is the time traveling Obama/Biden adventure we never knew we needed.”—NERDIST

“If you are missing the light-hearted bromance of Barack Obama and Joe Biden, filmmaker Adam Reid understands your pain. And he is working on a project to ease your woes.”—SYFY WIRE

*On Sale Now!*

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

Dey Street Books is thrilled to announce the publication of THE ADVENTURES OF BARRY & JOE: Obama and Biden’s Bromantic Battle for the Soul of America by Adam Reid (Hardcover; ISBN: 9780062882905). A visual feast that’s both graphic and novel, the book is a love letter to cheesy science fiction and two men—Barack Obama and Joe Biden—who can still be counted on to inspire us.

We all know and love the memes and gifs highlighting Obama and Biden’s bromancy bond, and The Adventures of Barry and Joe is an extended tribute to that. Complete with comic books by Titmouse Inc. (Big Mouth, The Venture Bros.), a gorgeous bromatnic portrait gallery, and even a play, it’s 224 pages of adventure that will melt snowflake brains everywhere and give hope to humanity at the same time. It’s basically Schoolhouse Rock meets Quantum Leap!

In this fantastical world, just moments after the election of the 45th President, Barack and Joe find themselves escorted to the lab of America’s most brilliant scientists. Asked to disrobe and curl into a fetal position, the men feel a painful tingling sensation and everything goes black. When they awake, Barry & Joe discover they’ve been trapped in their younger bodies and sent back in time. Determined to find each other, and way to save America, with only Samuel L. Jackson to guide them, the duo must fight against evil forces, poor decisions, and Republicans to save democracy from the ultimate villain—as represented by one tiny orange hand.

The genesis of THE ADVENTURES OF BARRY AND JOE was a Kickstarter campaign Reid launched, born out of his deep despair and frustration after the 2016 election. People immediately latched on to the idea and the projected met its fundraising goal. Now as the book hits shelves, Americans longing for pre-2016 election days can finally escape reality and revel in the best bromance around. A hybrid of comic book and political fan fiction THE ADVENTURES OF BARRY AND JOE is destined to join the ranks of beloved books highlighting political figures that have become pop-culture darlings!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Adam Reid is a creator, writer and director best known for his award-winning feature film Hello Lonesome and high-end commercial work. He co-founded the content creation company Bodega Studios. Adam lives with his wife, two sons, and a collection of beloved Muppets.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

###

THE ADVENTURES OF BARRY AND JOE
Obama and Biden’s Bromantic Battle for the Soul of America

ON-SALE NOW
Dey St. Hardcover | ISBN: 9780062882905; $26.99
Also available as an eBook | ISBN: 9780062951250; $12.99
And as an audiobook | ISBN: 9780062909541; $26.99

MEDIA CONTACT:
Julie Paulauski
William Morrow & Dey Street Books
212-207-7108
Julie.Paulauski@harpercollins.com

The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi Celebrates National Volunteer Week

The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi, the nation’s oldest and most selective all-discipline collegiate honor society, is proud to celebrate National Volunteer Week beginning today, April 8, through April 13, 2019.

In honor of National Volunteer Week, Phi Kappa Phi celebrates the outstanding efforts of its board members, committee members and chapter officers who serve more than 320 chapters nationwide. The commitment and support of these volunteers enable Phi Kappa Phi to continue its almost 125-year history of recognizing and promoting academic excellence in all fields of higher education.

“Each year, nearly 2,000 active members of Phi Kappa Phi serve our members and chapters as volunteers, almost 100 on award selection committees,” said Executive Director Dr. Mary Todd. “We could not do what we do without the commitment and partnership of these members to the mission of the Society.”

Phi Kappa Phi was founded in 1897 under the leadership of Marcus L. Urann, who had a desire to create a different kind of honor society: one that recognized excellence in all academic disciplines. Each year the Society inducts approximately 30,000 students, faculty, professional staff and alumni on its chapter campuses in the United States and the Philippines. More than 1.5 million members have been initiated into Phi Kappa Phi since its founding.

National Volunteer Week was established in 1974 as a way to recognize and thank volunteers who lend their time, talent, voice and support to causes they care about in their communities.

To learn more about volunteer opportunities available for Phi Kappa Phi members, visit www.phikappaphi.org/volunteer.

More About Phi Kappa Phi
Membership in Phi Kappa Phi by invitation only to the top 7.5 percent of juniors and the top 10 percent of seniors and graduate students. Faculty, professional staff and alumni who have achieved scholarly distinction may also qualify for membership. Its mission is “To recognize and promote academic excellence in all fields of higher education and to engage the community of scholars in service to others.” Some of the organization’s notable members include former President Jimmy Carter, NASA astronaut Wendy Lawrence, novelist David Baldacci and YouTube co-founder Chad Hurley. Each year, Phi Kappa Phi awards almost $1 million to qualifying students and members through graduate fellowships, undergraduate study abroad grants, member and chapter awards, and grants for local, national and international literacy initiatives. For more information, visit www.phikappaphi.org.

###

CONTACT
Marla Elsea
Digital Content Editor
melsea@phikappaphi.org
225.923.7733