Global Woman Club Cyprus 55 Business News 55 Business News

BUSINESS

WHY DID YOU SET UP GLOBAL WOMAN’S

CLUB It’s a wonderful way for women to connect and as the slogan goes: Global Woman empowers women locally and connects them globally. Starting a club in Cyprus was a test, I wasn’t sure how women would react to it, but the result is that every meeting gets better and better, there’s an amazing number of phenomenal women on the island.

WHAT IS THE PURPOSE

OF THE CLUB It’s for entrepreneurs and businesswomen to connect, network and pitch their business. Members of the club get two minutes speaking time at every meeting, and I make sure that everybody speaks to each other. Women find new opportunities and also make friends; there’s a wonderful feeling of support and we look out for each other.

WHY DO YOU THINK IT

IS SO POPULAR We are creating a safe and nonjudgmental space, women feel comfortable. It’s a friendly, inspiring and meaningful event of people who want to better themselves and the world. There’s no hidden agenda and we also have a good laugh.

HAVE YOU ENCOUNTERED ANY OBSTACLES BEING A WOMAN IN BUSINESS

IN CYPRUS Gender equality in Cyprus still has a long way to go. Me personally, I am a doer and I don’t think too much about obstacles. I grew up with my grandparents and had to fend for myself for a very early age which made me tough and determined, obstacles are steppingstones to grow.

WHY DO YOU THINK YOU CHANGE PEOPLE’S

LIVES I make people understand that they are responsible for their lives, and I make them move from the passengers to the driver’s seat. Not all people have this desire, and Lifestyle chats to Elisabeth Villiger Toufexis , Life Coach, author of “The Soul Kit – first aid for the soul” and founder of the Global Woman Club Cyprus.

they usually only come to see me once because they don’t want to know about their responsibilities because it’s easier to blame someone but of course, at the same time, they give their power away. I walk my talk and love my live and I show it.

DO YOU HAVE ANY UNFULFILLED AMBITIONS

I would love to get invited to motivational, inspirational events all over the world and speak from a big stage because then I can combine my two passions, travelling and inspiring people.

PROPERTY

EXPERT SARAH

HORDLE TELLS LIFESTYLE HOW THE CORONOVIRUS HAS AFFECTED THE PROPERTY MARKET IN CYPRUS... C yprus has been an oasis of tranquility during this pandemic. We went into a very strict lockdown from the 15th March until the 4th May with only one outside movement granted (by text message) per day. Case numbers dropped quickly, deaths were very low and they didn’t rise even after lockdown was eased. People observed the rules and consequently Cyprus was judged the 5th safest place in the world to live during April and May. Citizens have had free movement since the 21st May and beaches, restaurants and bars have been open since the beginning of June for the enjoyment of the local population. As an expat living in Cyprus for the last 14 years I was delighted that my family were here, safe and secure. Of course, tourism is a hugely important industry in Cyprus, and tourist flights are not yet permitted but we look forward to seeing our first visitors later in the summer. Our beaches are gloriously empty, and we really appreciate the beauty of our island during these strange times. However, we greatly miss our visitors and cannot wait to see the sea full of families again. Being an estate agent during lockdown it has been a very interesting experience; we have had to adapt to new ways of working. We are used to working very closely with our clients but have adapted our methods 26

quickly to cover social distancing, video tours, remote signing of contracts and a host of other activities that take place during the sales process. Demand for Cyprus property has been exceptional both locally and internationally. Many clients have told us that the pandemic has given them time to re-evaluate their priorities and to consider their lifestyle choices. Many are bringing forward their plans to relocate, retire or to purchase their holiday home so that they have a safe refuge in case this happens again. If our British owned team can help you find your dream home we would be delighted to welcome you to our beautiful Island.

DARREN LAWRENSON The Happiness of Pursuit

EMBRACING CHANGE 2020

TOP PERFORMANCE COACH AND BUSINESS CONSULTANCY LEADER. T he secret of change is to focus all your energy not on fighting the old but building the new. Socrates Never in our lifetime have we been presented with such an opportunity to re-set and to create a new way of thinking, acting, being and living. This truly is a once in a lifetime moment for all of us. Once in a lifetime moment to decide how we want our future to look, how and where we want to put our energy and focus. I know this change has been imposed on all of us across the globe but if you are fortunate enough to live in a country where you can read this magazine then you live in a country where you have the power to decide how you want things to be moving forward for you and your families Take a moment to ask yourself these 4 critical questions about your current situation. 1. What has been good about this situation personally for you and your family? 2. What has been okay and you now feel you would want to do more of? 3. What have you not brought into your life but feel now would be a good time to? 4. What do you need to stop doing to allow you to move forward? Change is constant we know but never before has change hit us all at the same time and been so seismic. Life may have changed forever for most of us but the question has got to be, what are YOU going to do about it? We have all said at times that we want to make changes to our lifestyle; well here is the gift of opportunity. Will you eat better, exercise more, see friends and family more often, right that book, take up art, right music, take more time for yourself, help others and dedicate our time to serving others. The lists are endless and right now we have the time to think and focus on our new normals. I am a business owner and director of Dasala Ltd a performance coaching and business consultancy business. I work across all sectors with a focus on leadership and senior management with a mind to always help individuals and teams to perform at their best. I speak across the UK and Europe as a keynote speaker to audiences of managers and leaders from business.

I appreciate it has been difficult and everyone of us will have our stories and our tales to tell of our journey and the hardships we have had to endure at times through this journey. My question is for all of us. What are you going to do about it?. We have all witnessed just how short and fragile life can be and so if we are not going to embrace change now then when! If you had total control of how your future life could be and failure wasn’t on the table, what would you attempt? The coming months will truly set us all up for the next chapter of our ever changing lives, how do you want the next chapter to read. You are the writer of your book; why not make it a best seller. To find out methods or to discuss strategies you may want to develop in these areas, email darren@dasala. co.uk or follow me on twitter @dasaladarren.