Knowler Consulting
Welcome to the
CAREER SUICIDE IS OVERRATED Media Kit
“When it comes to the mental health of you and your team, a Leader doesn’t have to be an expert in everything. You just need to know what the pieces do, put them on the board, and play the game with as much heart and integrity as you can.”
-Brian Knowler
I'm comfortable rolling with interviews and have done so lots of times. Regardless, I feel like some preparation always helps. I know you're busy, and if you can read Career Suicide, fantastic! But I don't expect you to. That's why I put together this media kit.
We take your time very seriously and we don't believe in wasting one second of it! If you're interested in scheduling an interview, please email careersuicidebook@gmail.com. If you need to get in touch with us immediately (24 hours or less) please email: brian@knowlerconsulting.com
If you're on deadline, include your phone number too and our team will call you back quickly.
When I’m doing our interview it’s the most important thing in the world to me. I’m committed to making you the hero and your audience the focus. I’m here to serve you, not the other way around. I know if I do my job well your audience will feel valued and they’ll naturally be interested in the book.
Once the interview posts, please send me all the relevant links and I will repost. I’d love to send my traffic your way!
Below you'll find an outline of this website. It's been designed for easy navigation, so you can get what you need quickly. I look forward to connecting.
—Brian
"I only wish such a comprehensive guidebook on leadership that focuses on the mental well-being of our employees was available earlier in my career."
-Deputy Chief Rick Derus, Windsor Police Service (ret'd)
Thanks for Visiting Our MEDIA KIT
Leaders can no longer afford to bury their heads in the sand when it comes to mental health. The number of people impacted by psychological injuries, and the magnitude of those injuries, are growing year after year.
Are you equipped to lead a team member through the worst days of their life?
Can you be a beacon of light for people who are surrounded by blackness?
Is YOUR mental health being maintained while you lead others?
Brian Knowler is a PTSD survivor and leader who regained his life using the methods you will read about in Career Suicide Is Overrated. The book is designed for leaders at all levels who want to become more comfortable with and explore the ever-expanding links between leadership and mental health.
In the only book of its kind, readers will discover a new set of skills and tools that will allow for empathetic and informed mental health leadership at both work and home, including:
INCLUDES MATERIAL ON PIVOTING LEADERSHIP DURING THE COVID CRISIS
What is 'Career Suicide Is Overrated' About?
Through personal experiences and conversations with thought leaders from many fields, Brian illustrates the importance of understanding and honouring mental health, through good times and bad, for both yourself and your team.
Leaders who fail to acknowledge the increasing impact of mental health on those they lead will inevitably be left behind. Take steps NOW to prevent that!
Mental health Leadership is a soft skill that you need to develop to succeed!
About The Author
Brian is a veteran police officer, retired lawyer, international speaker, and author who has been involved in the justice system since 1994. In 2004 he was the lead investigator in a motor vehicle crash involving the death of a close friend, causing his life to spiral until he was finally diagnosed with, and began therapy for, PTSD in 2012.
Through Knowler Consulting, a practice co-owned with his wife Cathy, Brian speaks to and consults for organizations and media outlets on issues surrounding trauma, leadership, and public safety across North America.
He is the creator the CAPITAL L Leadership training program and facilitates ongoing Mastermind groups and training sessions exploring the CAPITAL L Leadership concepts for modern professionals. Brian’s CAPITAL L Leadership program received the 2019 Corporate Livewire Award for Excellence in Mental Health Support.
Brian is a graduate of the Queen’s University Workplace Mental Health Leadership Certificate program, a certified leadership coach, a mindfulness coach, a critical incident stress supporter, and a member of the International Institute for Mental Health Leadership.
Why is This Important Now?
1. Mental Health issues among the populace are at an all time high
-1 in 5 people in Canada in a given year will experience a mental health issue
-by age 40, approximately 50% of the population will have or had a mental illness
-depression and anxiety affect 5% of the Canadian population
-1% of Canadians experience bipolar disorder and another 1% schizophrenia
-substance use disorders impact 6% of Canadian
-just over 4000 Canadians died by suicide in 2019
(all courtesy CAMH.ca)
2. The number of mental health issues in the workplace is steadily increasing
-500,000 Canadians miss at least some work every week due to a mental illness
-30% of disability claims in 2020 were related to mental health
-lost productivity due to mental health issues cost Canadian business approximately $6 billion a year
(courtesy CAMH.ca and HRPA.ca)
3. COVID has completely changed the face of mental health in all facets of life
-40% of Canadians say their mental health has worsened during the pandemic
-61% of people with a pre-existing mental health issue report their condition has worsened
-60% of young adults between 18 and 24 report their mental health has deteriorated
-57% report increased stress, 48% increased depression, 39% increased loneliness
-54% increased use of substances as a coping mechanism (the same percentage used outdoor exercise for coping)
(all courtesy CMHA.ca)
4. Teams with Leaders who honour the mental health of their teams are more productive, have better retention rates, use less sick time, and have better morale
-health care expenditures at high-pressure companies is 50% higher
-stress alone costs 550 million workdays a year
-between 60 and 80% of workplace accidents can be attributed to stress
-long-term high-stress jobs almost inevitably lead to disengagement
-disengaged workers have 37% higher absenteeism, 49% more accidents, 60% more errors, 18% lower productivity, and 37% lower job growth
(all courtesy Harvard Business Review and are US numbers)
5. Today's Leaders can no longer afford to consider mental health leadership a 'nice to have'
-only 23% of Canadians would feel comfortable disclosing a mental health issue to their employer
-60% have never heard the subject raised in their workplace
-less than 50% feel mental health is prioritized at their workplace
-less than 50% felt their leadership were in any way advocates for mental health issues
(courtesy CAMH.ca and Harvard Business Review)
What Will Readers Learn?
Modern leadership must include an innate and empathetic understanding of mental health issues both large and small. Mental health concerns in society are growing in both scope and severity, and this trend will not be reversing itself anytime soon.
The concept of CAPITAL-L Leadership is built on enhancing, or, if necessary, developing, skills and traits that today’s leaders need to ensure that the mental well-being of those they lead is paramount. Ahead of profit margins, ahead of stock prices, ahead of the bottom line, the health and wellness of the team is the best barometer of how successful it is, regardless of whether your organization has two employees or two thousand.
In short chapters, punctuated by quotes from famous leaders and thinkers, the book covers areas such as:
• When to act versus when to talk, and, sometimes, when to stay silent
• Making your ‘open door policy’ mean something
• Having difficult, but powerful, conversations in a timely fashion
• Recognizing when anger isn’t really anger
• Building up your own personal suit of armour to increase your resilience
• How to truly look in the mirror and self-reflect
• Setting a strong example to get buy-in on mental health and wellness
• The importance of mentors for your own well-being
• The overwhelming need to know, support, and advocate for your team
• Your role in a mental health crisis, both immediate and long-term
• How admitting mistakes allows you to get in front of them and still build credibility
• Why the concept of ‘career suicide’ is overrated
• Creating a legacy as a CAPITAL-L Leader and leaving a trail for others to follow
Sample Interview Questions
1 - In 60 seconds, what is Career Suicide Is Overrated all about?
2 - Is mental health a crisis in today's world? Today's workplace?
3 - Did leadership, good or bad, play a role in your recovery from post-traumatic stress?
4 - Your background is in public safety. Are the lessons in the book just for first responders?
5 - What about for people who are just starting on their own path to being a Leader. Is this book still valuable for them?
6 - Why do you think mental health still seems to have a stigma connected to it when other issues like gender and race have been widely discussed in society?
7 - What kind of changes have Leaders had to make due to COVID?
8 - Are more Leaders willing now to consider mental health as more than just a checkbox on a yearly evaluation or performance review? Are you hopeful change will start to come where it's needed?
9 - Do you offer any other tools for Leaders who want to keep developing the skills and practices you talk about in the book?
Social Media Links and Images
Business Email - brian@knowlerconsulting.com
Book Launch Email - careersuicidebook@gmail.com
