Misha Safran is a trilingual ICF Professional Certified Coach, international speaker, and award-winning leadership trainer with a combined professional experience of more than 35 years. In 2022, she founded the Center for Empathy and Emotional Intelligence (CEEQ), a Northern California-based organization.
GGBA: Please tell us about the CEEQ.
Misha Safran: Our Differences Don’t Have to Divide Us: At CEEQ, we nurture deep peace, effective communication, and harmony among groups, cultivating sustainable and positive relationships. Our mission is to promote sustainable inclusivity and cohesion through empathy, emotional intelligence, and joy in the workplace and beyond. CEEQ aims to improve team dynamics and foster self-leadership through CAPE©: Compassionate Communication, Assuming Positive Intent, Principles of IDEAB, and Empathy before Accusation. Our keynote talks and leadership trainings promote open dialogue, individual belonging, and the role of empathy and emotional intelligence in creating positive, joyful environments.
Our vision is to help over one million people feel seen, heard, valued, and understood.
GGBA: Why did you decide to create the CEEQ?
Misha Safran: When people get stuck in extreme thinking, they rely on accusation and assumption, over understanding and curiosity. This creates perpetual conflict, which, in turn, causes deep hurt and long term damage in relationships. It is time to stop this trend of “hurt people hurting people.”
In order to support people to compassionately acknowledge their human experiences and those of others, CEEQ helps them to focus on leaning into the “yes and,” and centering empathy and emotional intelligence. At CEEQ, we want to see a world where people strive to be a better version of themself each and every day to create connection, enhance healthy collaboration, and effectively increase currency: time, energy, and money.
GGBA: Who are some of your role models, and especially those who helped to influence your business?
Misha Safran: Martin Luther King, Jr., Mother Theresa, Michelle and Barack Obama, Audre Lorde, Maya Angelou, Carol King, Helen Reddy, my parents, and my wife. They are my role models because they have contributed to the world in peaceful and loving ways impacting people across the globe with compassion and loving determination!
GGBA: Why did you decide to join the GGBA, and how long have you been a member?
Misha Safran: I joined GGBA to meet other small businesses and to help each other grow. I was also looking for support to create more ways to support my community since many of my clients are in the Queer community. It is very important to me to be able to offer referrals to services who also value Queer people.
GGBA: How has being a member of GGBA helped your business so far?
Misha Safran: It has helped me stand up and claim who I am and what I do. I have been able to meet people and practice being boldly visible, which, in turn, has helped me in other networking or pitching situations.
GGBA: Do you go to the GGBA monthly Make Contact networking events? Have they benefited you and your business, and would you recommend them to others?
Misha Safran: I haven’t been able to make many of them because of the distance from my home or scheduling conflicts. Evenings are difficult for me, especially when a long drive is in the mix. However, when I have attended, I have loved meeting new people, seeing the ones I had met before, and learning about their businesses.
GGBA: What advice would you give to someone who is thinking of starting their own business?
Misha Safran: It takes grit, but if you have a dream and you are willing to put in the work, don’t let anything stop you but do not do it alone. There is a huge community of people and so many wonderful resources, free and at a cost. Seek them out! It can only help you.
GGBA: Is there anything else that you would like to share?
Misha Safran: At CEEQ, we really want to bring more joy into the world and especially into the lives of Queer, BIPOC, and differently abled folks. Please consider reaching out to me to organize a “Joy Wellness Retreat: Laughter Yoga and More” for your company, community, and/or your family. We look forward to supporting you to maintain joy amidst adversity!
GGBA Member Spotlight
Published on February 27, 2025
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