As an ex-neuroscientist, I was super excited to hear about Adaire Byerly’s plan to integrate the fashion and entertainment industry with the neuroscience world. As an ex-model herself, she saw an obvious hole in the fashion and entertainment industries where people are not looking beyond the visual, and she wanted to dive in deep, cellularly deep.

Currently, Adaire is looking at the neural exploration of compassion, and she is applying that sensitivity to her company, Entertainment Mindframe, which is bridging the gap between the entertainment industry and science. By incorporating modern-day sciences and her first-hand experience in the industry as an actress/model, she hopes her findings can be implemented into intellectual and developmental training for professionals. Please read our exclusive interview below to learn more about Adaire and her work.

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Foreword and interview jointly written by Kira Bucca, Editor in Chief of Jejune Magazine, and Brian Uluocha, Jejune writer and contributor.

Where are you based?
I am located in Plano Texas. However, most of my clientele are out of Dallas, Los Angeles CA, and currently Las Vegas NV.

You were a professional model within the industry for over a decade. What was the turning point that led to your transition to academia?
Truth be told, I was always an undercover nerd for science. But I did not begin transitioning in studying and fully observing the Entertainment and Fashion industry until 2015. Through my years in the industry, I would go on a hiatus, because I experienced moments of desperately needing to recharge and center myself. Most people may translate that as “thin skin”, but it actually comes from the stipulation I have when it comes to doing business. That stems from me growing up around hard and smart working entrepreneurs that knew how to build successful businesses from nothing. Anytime I dealt with an “unprofessional” professional, I did not have much patience and eventually it would drive me away from the industry.

It was not until 2015 when I decided, instead of running from and complaining about the challenges, why don’t I try to solve it? So, I began to read, study, fully observe the industry and officially start working on my licensing and certifications related to human behavior, perception, and the wiring of our minds.

As an ex-neuroscientist, I want to nerd out for a second. Can you please tell me all about your current research and dissertation?
A current focus point I am applying with research done by neuroscientist, Misty Huckabey, is compassion within the workplace. Misty is leading research in neural exploration of compassion. She has worked with The Center for BrainHealth located in Dallas, TX at UT Medical center and presented her personal findings on compassion and its affect at the Compassion Conference Seminar in 2019. She states:

”Compassion is not the same as empathy or altruism, though the concepts are related. Empathy refers more generally to the ability to take the perspective of, and feel emotions of, another person. Compassion is when those feelings and thought include the desire to help.”

Working in a world full of creative geniuses, it is common within these industries to find much ego, rebellion, stubborn behavior, gossip, and power dynamics that make it difficult for anyone to properly conduct business. These types of behaviors induce friction in communication and productivity.

You may know this, but for those not in the science world, I preface our approach by explaining it as a domino effect. We start at the root (the beginning) and it creates a chain reaction. Misty explains this as “ripples of kindness, but the ripple starts with us and works outward, similarly to when you throw a rock in a pond. In this sense, “Kindness is contagious.” We have mirror neurons that work this way, as mirrors of others’ behavior. The empathy circuit is closely tied to feelings we have for our own self near the pain and reward system. When we see others and are kind to them, we are rewarding ourselves as well. This positive feedback loop makes it easier for us to exercise compassion pathways. This can be used in the office as well, and the more this mechanism is used, the stronger it will become because we also know that neurons that fire together, wire together. Meaning; the more we use this pathway, the stronger it will become.”

Within Misty’s research, she focuses on the neurotransmitters linked to our emotions and our emotional systems of the brain to highlight how our brains create compassion. In previous cognition studies, the rSMG (Right Supramarginal Gyrus) is responsible for correcting our social judgement, bias, lack of empathy or egocentric way of thinking. Increasing activation in this area can reduce emotional misunderstandings and perceptions. By implementing acts of compassion, this can activate more positive neural pathways and correct the interaction and productivity in a workspace. Misty has coined the expression “COMPASS-ion” explaining that we are capable of an incredible intellect in emotional direction by utilizing this neural compass.

What inspired you to merge your love for the fashion industry and your love for science?
Through my years of pursuing modeling, I knew very early on that being only a model was not fulfilling for the way my mind works. Because I am business minded and so fascinated with human behavior, I was naturally more attracted to the operations and politics in the business behind fame, rather than the big lights.

Even when I was on set for hours on-end working as the talent, I was always observing. I noticed psychological patterns in behavior that were constantly and unknowingly projected into the work environment, ultimately effecting the outcomes of a project.

It is exciting that you are interested in the mind of models and people in the fashion world. I feel people inaccurately assume that models are just to be looked at, but to be a good model one has to be very smart and sensitive. Can you talk to us a bit about this?
I have a two-part answer to this. Yes, most models do receive this stigma. However, it is not only limited to the fashion industry. These stigmas exist in entertainment, sports, and media as well. As spectators, people believe these industries are not only glamorous, but if you are in it you have it made. A model, actor, journalist, entertainer, professional athlete, and even a TV personality all deal with the same stereotype. We make our jobs look easy — that is actually a part of our job! You are not supposed to see the hours and hours of prep and exhausting work that is put in behind the scenes. You are only supposed to be entertained or buy the product.

My second part of this answer is, because of those stigmas many people come into Fashion and Entertainment thinking it is a platform to showcase their talent, overlooking the fact that these are actual businesses that effect our US economy by billions of dollars. Therefore, you must not only understand the business, but you must operate as your own business. So yes, you have to be smart, emotionally literate and aware. If you are not, it will result in a false reality and false confidence building an image that you are not capable of maintaining.

You are the CEO and founder of Entertainment Mindframe, LLC. Can you tell us about your business and what inspired you to start it?
Entertainment Mindframe provides cognitive enhancement for professionals in the entertainment, media and fashion industry by applying brain and behavioral sciences into the business side of fame through communication.

I combine my personal knowledge of industry politics, as well as my studies in NLP, Neuroplasticity and CBT to focus on linguistics, belief systems and the perception in communication. To ensure change in my teachings, I have neuroscientists and psychologists that I work with and input their expertise to verify the methods concur with brain science.

Over the years, I had seen a very large gap in communication and understanding human nature across the industries that was recognized as a normality. Many people do not realize that mental health is widely overlooked in these industries. Again, that perception of “having it made” or believing fame cures mental disturbances places a false belief system that causes professionals in this industry to avoid receiving the proper resources or practices, and instead subconsciously distract themselves by diving further into their work or image/brand. This can actually worsen the development of anxiety, depression, disassociation, mental health break downs and/or causes emotional, physical or mental dependencies that lead to major infamous scandals or even suicides.

Starting with the individual, you can probably see how this can project into a career workspace. I have witnessed teams and companies lose or miss out on MAJOR opportunities and even contracts due to this issue. As a nation, we have all seen companies and beloved celebrities become sued or even imprisoned because their mental health took control of their career by taking advantage of others. We like to believe that emotions do not belong in business, but unfortunately our emotional brain is working on a subconscious level that we are not able to cognitively separate. The neural firings often make decisions for us before we even speak or believe we are making our own decision; this shows why understanding emotional intelligence and enhancing cognitive enhancement is crucial in communication and business.

In a quote, you stated “In the Fashion & Entertainment Industry, we have perfected the art of communication so precisely, that we have inadvertently neglected the science of it.” Can you explain your sentiment? What is your ultimate goal and hope for the future of fashion and entertainment?
Yes. The art of communication lies in the final images we produce from these industries. The cover of magazines, movies, award shows, fashion shows, press, anything that allows us the stage to showcase, we are great at creating that within a team and communicating that to the public. Where we fall short is understanding the science of communication internally, which is the way our brain perceives and processes words, or nonverbal cues within a work environment.

Below is a brain scan showing the different areas of the pathways activated regarding words in our communication (This is a scan recognized in the science community. This was not done by my company.):

Linguistics can become complicated within communication because we have so many different interpretations and meanings of words. We also relate certain words, phrases, or body language to experiences that we have had. This can prevent us from perceiving communication as it is intended to be. My goal is to eliminate that friction for professionals so they can have faster turn times in business and enhance productivity in the company.

I often tell clients that communication is a science as much as it is an art. It is not just made for you to express how you feel. The purpose of communication is to become fluent with another person by speaking at their comprehension rather than enforcing your own.

Can you tell us a little bit about being a licensed practitioner in Neuro-Linguistic Programing and Neuroplasticity, (certified in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Techniques)?
A short definition of Neuro-Linguistic Programming is a psychological approach to quickly find solutions in communicating and perceiving the world around you. This is the focus on verbal and nonverbal communication. Neuroplasticity is the ability for the neurons in the brain to change, and how information travels through the nervous system. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is a short-term psychotherapeutic technique that changes toxic thinking patterns. Scientifically, it changes the neural circuits related to negative emotion in the nervous system.

How has the COVID-19 crisis and shelter-in-place affected your company and how you are working with your clients?
Lots of things have slowed down for me with the normal business, but on the other end I have a wave of professionals reaching out looking for mental relief during this time. As a result, I placed multiple resources for financial, medical or even mental health relief on my website for professionals in both the Entertainment and Fashion Industry. The scientist that I work with have shifted in providing information and resources that professionals can utilize during this time, as well, that is more focused on mental health. We have done free virtual seminars discussing what isolation does to the brain. I have also started a Q&A forum relating to covid-19 where people can submit questions and I will answer them live.

As someone who works with mental health, do you have any advice for anyone struggling at this time?
I try to have people focus on this being temporary. Keep your body moving daily as you would if you are going to work to continue to hack your mind into producing dopamine (the hormone that gives us motivation). Get out and walk or stroll everyday if you can. If not, try to get some movement in your house. Do not utilize social media or even the internet to read articles that will spike your fear and anxiety. There are a few people I know who have lost loved ones from this virus, and for those who are dealing with the same, I would say to not seclude yourself during times of grief. Stay connected to people who will support you, utilize social media as a means to stay connected to loved ones. Everyone’s circumstance is different at the moment, but I think as long as we can remind ourselves that we are not alone and this is not forever, we will be able to keep our heads above water.

What is your motto in life?
I honestly don’t have one.

To learn more about Adaire Byerly please follow her via the below platforms:
Website: https://www.entertainmentmindframe.com/
Facebook: entertainmentmindframe
Linkedin: emindframe
Instagram: adaire_b

Images courtesy of Adaire Byerly.

Brains and Beauty: Adaire Byerly's Neural Observations On Human Behavior