The brain drives, if we like it or not – and the brain drives everything – how we think, our emotions, our sleep, our physical functioning, and even our spiritual understanding. When the brain is more balanced we have a more balanced – and therefore a more powerful – existence.
Lee Gerdes is the founder of Brain State Technologies® and the Cereset™ BrainEcho™ technology, a wellness technology to support restful sleep and enhanced quality of life. Cereset is headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona, with 24 franchises nationwide and more opening in 2019. Gerdes’ patented algorithms have helped 130,000 clients worldwide and driven clinical trials with over 500 participants at Wake Forest School of Medicine, U.S. Military and Nevada Department of Corrections. Gerdes is an experienced software engineer with a background in math, physics and psychology, who contributed to over 24 peer reviewed publications and authored Limitless You; The Infinite Possibilities of a Balanced Brain.
Where did the idea for your company come from?
I was assaulted. In minutes following the baseball bat striking my head, I changed. Everything changed. From those few minutes, and for the 8 years that followed, nothing helped me to return to “pre-assault Lee”. I was unable to focus, I had paranoia, depression and extreme trouble sleeping. Nothing was working. As an engineer I began to more closely observe the problem – and the problem had to be in my brain. So, I created a technology that reduced my PTSD symptoms and I was finally able to get quality sleep. Word spread quickly, and soon friends and even strangers were contacting me to see if I could help them too. The technology I created grew from that effort and my career path was then chosen for me.
As my company grew, we evolved the software to the new Cereset™ technology. Even though we had over 130,000 clients and 500 participants through clinical trials with our legacy software, Cereset offered full computer-based BrainEcho™ capability without human intervention – it worked 3x faster, 5x more efficiently, required only 2 weeks to learn, and could now be the basis of a truly robust business – Cereset was born as a franchise.
What does your typical day look like and how do you make it productive?
The challenging thing about being ahead of the curve of understanding regarding a problem – especially a problem which is so personal as the balance of our own brain – is that you stand alone. To do that, we have research affiliates in a medical school and from the military to talk with, and we have over 25 Cereset offices and their staff to discuss client procedures and best practices with too. And still, there are a lot of decisions that need to be made. In a typical day I will work on research questions for an hour or two, staff questions for an hour or two, respond to emails for an hour or two, and engage in discussions with influencers who have barely heard of Cereset and what we do and are seeking to know and understand our technology and our business model.
How do you bring ideas to life?
In our business, it is not possible to hurt someone, but it is possible to make their use of Cereset less successful than it should be. A new idea needs to be tested, so we make software/hardware changes based on a collective internal think-tank and then I try it on my own brain. Then we test it with staff or we contact past clients who may have been wrestling with an issue which this new idea may help solve more fully and invite them in to see what kind of experience they have.
What’s one trend that excites you?
This is the best question ever! The world – the whole bloody world – is learning that the brain can heal itself and that the essence of that healing can be measured in restful sleep. Nearly 20% of all research now is pointing to this same conclusion which is the basis of Cereset. It puts us in at the point of the arrow.
What is one habit of yours that makes you more productive as an entrepreneur?
Ask anyone at Cereset and they will tell you the same answer – take an hour and enjoy a Cereset session. The results are faster and give users clear thinking, improved creativity, and a major improvement in stress handling capability.
What advice would you give your younger self?
I would tell myself to consider decisions more carefully and slow down, lower expectations and extend planning for a longer time forward. I would also strongly recommend that I play more along the way, and schedule it as I do meetings.
Tell us something that’s true that almost nobody agrees with you on.
The brain drives, if we like it or not – and the brain drives everything – how we think, our emotions, our sleep, our physical functioning, and even our spiritual understanding. When the brain is more balanced we have a more balanced – and therefore a more powerful – existence.
As an entrepreneur, what is the one thing you do over and over and recommend everyone else do?
I think it is so important to share the journey with my employees and also our consulting support. Sharing the ups and downs makes it a team effort so everyone feels invested and everyone can celebrate wins together.
What is one strategy that has helped you grow your business?
Everyday, I ask the question, “How can we make this better?” and I work at helping everyone on the Cereset team to do the same. The only way to keep growing our business, attract new franchises and new clients, and evolve our technology is to continue our push to even bigger frontiers.
What is one failure you had as an entrepreneur, and how did you overcome it?
I overestimated what could be done in the time which was allotted to it. In doing that, I had put a lot of pressure on myself as I had to trim the project to a smaller size or extend the time frame. Expectations for investors need to be set lower and not higher – especially where time and money are concerned.
What is one business idea that you’re willing to give away to our readers?
I wouldn’t be a “full blown” entrepreneur – especially not going it alone. There are too many unknowns and the job is rather lonely. I would instead search for a franchise – so all of the detailed painful work would be done for me and I could then run the business.
One business idea that would be a guaranteed success is to take a franchise that provides all the materials, training, branding, and marketing for a low cost under $100,000 – like Cereset, and combine it with another wellness business. Whether it is a therapy practice that helps people talk through their issues, or a retail store that sells soothing spa music, a business that combines wellness treatments to optimize health would be highly successful in any town. Plus, it would afford you the ability to set your hours and have a better balance of work/health/play/relationships, etc.
What is the best $100 you recently spent? What and why?
I joined one of the airline clubs as I had an extended layover. I’ve used it many times, ate for free, enjoyed comfortable surroundings, and had good internet connection too.
What is one piece of software or a web service that helps you be productive? How do you use it?
It is Cereset. I would lie if I didn’t say that – Cereset is not only what I sell, it is what I live by too – it makes me much more productive and assists me in discernment and energy. I don’t think anyone can be in business, however, without their cell phone.
What is the one book that you recommend our community should read and why?
“Global Chorus” provides a perspective for being human in a manner most positive for the Greater Good of the planet. 365 authors including Nelson Mandela, Stephen Hawking, Dali Lama, and many others offer a perspective on the future of the planet. When they asked me to contribute a page in this book, I was thrilled to provide my insight on how trauma, both physical and emotional, can impact individuals and society as a whole.
What is your favorite quote?
“I have always felt that the only trouble with scientific medicine is that it is not scientific enough. Modern medicine will become really scientific only when physicians and their patients have learned to the forces of the body and the mind that operate via vis medicatrix naturae (the healing power of nature).” Rene Dubos, Professor of Biology, Rockefeller University.
And, “the opposite of love is not hate, it is “self”” – unknown
Key learnings:
- Your team matters – nurture them.
- Respect the process that got you to where you are.
- Never be afraid to turn around.
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Instagram: @wearecereset
Mario Schulzke is the Founder of ideamensch, which he started a decade ago to learn from entrepreneurs and give them a platform for their ideas.