We were lucky to catch up with Dr. ReBecca Heckl recently and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Dr. ReBecca, thanks for joining us today. What’s one of the most important lessons you learned in school?
The most important lesson I learned while earning my doctoral degrees is persistence and passion. In grad school, there is an element of motivation where one must stay on track and dedicated, yet we are all aware that motivation comes, and goes, in many forms.
Beyond motivation, there is the choice of persistence and the act of passion. To be persistent, one must choose to behave consistently, and repeatedly, to reach their long-term goals. To act in passion, one must find what brings them joy and incorporate that into their daily routine in any area possible. This includes academic goals, career goals, and personal goals.
As a grad student going through the doctoral process, there are many rejections and setbacks which is a normal part of the process. It is quickly ascertained that if it were easy everyone would do it, and to achieve the goal, I must remain strong, persistent, and passionate.
Dr. ReBecca, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
My name is Dr. ReBecca Heckl and as a Psychologist and the President of West Coast Pride, an LGBTQIA+ non-profit, I work diligently to ensure others are assisted and we are bringing out their best.
West Coast Pride was formed out of necessity as there was a lack of LGBTQIA+ representation along the West Coast of Florida north of the Tampa Bay area. West Coast Pride serves the local LGBTQIA+ community of several counties.
We provide services such as monthly meetings, fundraisers, charity drives, resources for free HIV and STI testing, and more. Our Mission is that West Coast Pride promotes and provides support within our community for the pursuit of indisputable respect, acceptance, understanding, and embracement for all individuals through solidarity.
Our Vision is that no matter your identity in the LGBTQ+ community, you are heard, valued, loved, respected, and accepted.
Our Purpose is that through support, education, and awareness, all individuals are valued, respected, protected, and safe within our society.
I am most proud of how the community has come together, and we share, support, and strengthen each other more every day.
Do you have any insights you can share related to maintaining high team morale?
Having an amazing team is key for our non-profit. The board consists of creative and incredible people who all shine in their own areas. For example, the Vice-President, DJ Sin, is also a DJ and music manipulator. They constantly have ideas on how to further engage people at events, and ideas on how to provide an element of fun and celebration to all our gatherings. Our Secretary Melissa is amazing in many areas. She is a local Floridian and helps to plan outings that involve the sun and fun. Some of the most memorable have been the beach days, tubing trips down the river, and casual park gatherings. She always seems to find the next best spot to have the best time. Our Treasurer and Social Media manager Krystal is incredible also, she provides much-needed information to our board of medical factors that impact the LGBTQIA+ community such as local providers accepting patients and resources on where medical services can be located. She also provides light-hearted, uplifting, fun, and informational posts for our social media sites. Our Committee Coordinator, Kayla is also a phenomenal and the welcoming face for the West Coast Pride organization. She ensures the community hears about our work, that they are welcome to join, support, and follow, and also helps people to learn about how to become more involved if they are interested.
To properly manage a team and maintain morale, it is key to understand each person’s strengths and what they excel in, place them in that area, and watch them do what they do best.
Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?
As a business owner, and having a degree in business, many of the required readings from college are applicable. Outside of school, there are books that are applicable to business, psychology, philosophy, and more, such as that of ‘The 7 Spiritual Laws of Success’ by Deepak Chopra and ‘The Powers of a Positive Team’ by Jon Gordon. Jon Gordon has several books in the field of business that are also great.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.westcoastpride.org/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WestCoastPrideInc
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/revdrrebecca/
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/west-coast-pride-homosassa
