Stories of Technology, Innovation, & Entrepreneurship in the Southeast

If you read yesterday’s alternate feature story about sessions held during the first full-day of ImpactED ’25, the annual conference of the National Association of Education Foundations (NAEF), you know that we found the content applicable to more organizations than just those raising support for educational endeavors.

Thursday’s second keynote address was even more relevant to anyone who feels stress in their lives, and one might ask, “Who doesn’t?”

In a humorous yet substantive and somewhat personal presentation, Sarah Ohanesian, Founder of SO Productive, talked about burnout and how to avoid it. Noting that she was a self-described Type A, the resident of King of Prussia, PA said she always “felt my worth was tied to my work.”

Ohanesian used several personal experiences to share what she has learned about dealing with stress and the burnout that frequently comes from it.

One of those experiences occurred when she was introduced to the individual who became her husband, but thought, “Do I have time for a date?” Fortunately, she made the time. Another occurred with her husband’s business – a mailing service for candidates for public office – which is obviously very stressful during campaign season. There’s a lot of overtime and abnormally long hours.

Ohanesian explained that was the very time when the phone rang at 1 a.m. with the news that her father-in-law had suffered a massive stroke and was not likely to live through the night. Later that afternoon, the couple was flying to Florida to make funeral arrangements.

“You reprioritize fast when you are forced to do it,” she explained.

Noting that many people are addicted to being busy, Ohanesian cited a term that was new to us. It was stresslaxing, and she said those afflicted with it are so stressed that relaxing makes them more stressed.

She described “inbox zero,” which was defined as no unopened emails, as the “crystal meth of email.”

What’s Ohanesian’s solution to avoiding burnout? It is saying “yes” to the right things, and she offered an acronym for how to do it. It was the word COAT which is a protective metaphor.

1. The C stands for clarity. She said individuals should take one step forward, then one step back, and ask themselves, “What is the task and why is it important?”
2. The O stands for organize. “Our brains are not great at remembering everything,” Ohanesian said, so she encouraged a weekly brain dump. Have everything in one location and make sure that ideas – things you might want to work on in the future – are separate from more immediate actions you need to take. She even suggested that people could “Tinder Their Tasks,” which drew a chuckle from attendees about the famous dating app. “They look good, they’re worth your time, and they make money,” Ohanesian said.
3. A stands for action. How does that work? She recommended starting with three priorities for the day – the most impactful things you can do, then allocating time on the schedule to complete them.
4. T stands for time. “Take time and celebrate the wins,” Ohanesian advised.

NAEF Recognizes Imagination Library

Before the keynote address, the Association presented its Game Changer Award to Dolly Parton for her Imagination Library. The 30-year-old program that was launched in Sevier County mails 3.2 million books a month to young children.

While Dolly was not present for the award, she recorded a video message that was played. She concluded the video by expressing her appreciation for the award and saying and singing, “Even though I’m not there, I will always love you.”

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