Readers can shed the funk with Lakewood Ranch author's 'Unfunkt'

In 2008, Greenbrook’s Jaime Marco was running late for a flight out of Tampa International Airport to Phoenix.

She simply hates being late. 

It was early in the morning and her stomach was empty, which added to her frustration. As she went to grab her I.D. to be checked by airport security, change from her wallet fell all over the floor.

It was her breaking point. She fell to her knees, crying. 

An older man approached her and told her she needed to “shed her funk.”

Marco had no idea what he meant at first. The man told her shouldn't get on the plane in such a state because it would impact the flight by affecting the mood of the other passengers. 

“Whatever's going on here, it, too, shall pass,” the man told Marco. 

He helped her gather her coins, and told her take "shake it off," by shaking her arms.

She started to question him, and he sternly told her to just do it.

They both started shaking their arms, and in a few seconds, they began laughing together. 

“I literally felt this wave of energy come off me, and I was like — It's not that big of a deal,” Marco said. “I'm not too late for my plane. I'm going to get there. I'll get coffee. That concept of shedding the funk stuck with me from that day on and I share it with every team I talk to, because we all have moments like that.” 

Marco owns her own business called Evolve Business Consulting and is an active public speaker who works to inspire others to “shed their funk” and have a positive impact on themselves and others. She even came up with her own word to encompass that — “Unfunkt.” 

Photo by Madison Bierl

 “Unfunkt” is defined by Marco as “the state of feeling fully you again; clear, confident, and reconnected to your spark after shedding the weight, fog, and funk of the world. It’s when you reignite your light, your purpose is loud, and your presence feels like home.”

 Marco released her book titled “Unfunkt: Quiet the Noise. Ignite the Light” on Dec. 1. Although the book is a new release, Marco has been living by the advice in the book for quite some time. This summer she set aside three-and-a-half months to focus on the book.

Marco carries the goal of interacting with new people everyday, whether it be on the street, at the grocery store, or wherever else her day takes her. Marco never asks “How are you?” because it is a question that can be answered with a lie. A question Marco likes to pose to people is “What's the best part of your day today?”

Marco recalls being in Whole Foods, at a time she didn't feel any positive energy. When she posed that question to the cashier as she was checking out, he ended up asking the same question to the next customer.

“It was contagious,” Marco said. “He would never have asked that before. We can be contagious both ways — with the negative energy or with the connected energy. We can be either way and we choose which way to do it.”

In her book, Marco set up the book to be like a "choose your own adventure," so it is not designed to be read all at once. She wanted to combine her love for her job, personal experiences, and her thoughts on culture and leadership.

She has “11 Micro Moves” that list ways for people to positively influence those around them. They are “Bring the Vibe,” “Pause with Purpose,” “Choose Your Words,” Dare to Compare Just Don’t,” “Fuel with Appreciation,” “Lead with Intention,” “Ask for Help,” “Celebrate the Wins,” “Trust your Second Brain,” “Own Your Impact” and “Little Moves, Big Impact.”

The chapters can be read in 10 to 12 minutes and at the end of each one, there are questions that ask readers to reflect on what they learned.

David Marco, Jaime’s husband of 11 years, said it was no surprise to him that Jaime wanted to write a book. He has tried to support her in any way he can, giving her space to write but also acting as a sounding board for her ideas. He helped edit the book and gave her feedback on the cover.

“Through her keynotes, training sessions and the plethora of other work that she does with various companies and organizations, she is consistently working to help people be better individuals, workers and teammates,” David Marco said. “The book was a natural extension of that thought process, one that allowed her to spread her message to more people than those that she meets in person.”

Photo by Madison Bierl

One of Jaime Marco’s biggest inspirations is her daughter Hannah, who is 10 years old. Hannah said her mom inspires her every day as well.

“It's amazing, because every day when I wake up, she's always there for me,” Hannah Marco said. “She gives me lots of information and helps me with all the stuff that I need in life.”

Hannah Marco said the most powerful advice she has received from her mom is to be a thermostat, not a thermometer.

“The goal there is that you either show up to set the temperature of the room, or you take the temperature of the room,” Jaime Marco said. 

Even though "Unfunkt" was just released, Hannah and Jaime are planning to write another version of the book for children from the ages of 8 to 12.

“All the research shows that the information heard by kids from the ages of 8 through 12 impacts them the most,” Jaime Marco said. “By the time that they're a teenager, their minds have been formatted on so many different things, so we want to get in front of that.”

"I hope they get good vibes and actually follow the lessons that my mom is teaching," Hannah Marco said.