Business Fit Magazine March 2021 issue 1

Mar/Apr 2021

How can fashion be

Sustainable?

3 Steps

to Making Omnipresent Content Celebrating International Women’s Day!

www.businessfitmagazine.com

a s s i r Cla n o s s n a j t s Kri use a p o n e m n o t ndse i m e h t g n i t f i Sh

CERTIFICATION IN

OPTIMISM COACHING

WWW.IIHWORLD.COM

Dear Business Fit readers, It is a great honour for me to see what started out as a dream has now evolved, grown and become the amazing projects that are Business Fit Magazine Magazine and SHE. Let me tell you more about what SHE represents. It is the greatness produced by a group of diverse women who are united by values and by a phrase: “TOGETHER IS BETTER.” But what does this phrase represent for SHE as well as for Business Fit? It is transformation and taking responsibility to grow individually and as a team, recognising our differences and working to improve them.

It has already been a year since our freedom was taken from us, leaving us unable to live as we had before and realising the importance of this word and what it encompasses.

For me, it was not being able to travel and present in different countries to our business circles, which before had allowed me to connect from the soul with so many women.

However, SHE did not fade away, quite the opposite, we found opportunities to create more than 50 events carried out by wonderful women, and our dear Ambassadors.

They, every year, help us and encourage us to grow like SHE does for them, through emotionally intelligent connections. In addition to participating in our magazines, our meetings and seminars, the Ambassadors receive greater visibility of their brands as our allies.

So we have still managed to maintain our work and helping others through these difficult times.

Covid has brought us many shadows but it has also pushed us to improve, innovate and grow because, after all, when women work as a team and with conscious love, we are unstoppable and because together, definitely, it is always better.

A big thank to Claire Morley Business Fit Magazine editor and Leo Collier-Bett, the magazine designer, as well as to all our contributors, and to Viola Edward for her work and values that support us!

Together is better!

Verónica Sosa Publisher www.businessfitmagazine.com

Pashion Fashion - p44 Sustainability in Fashion Jennifer Rönne Spice it Up - p58 From Factory Worker to Michelin Star Recipient Claire Morley

FIT FEATURES

Awakening - p 24 Our Loving Mother Earth Hatice Ozalp

What I Have Learned from Women Arnon Barnes p10

Five Efficient Hugs to Cope with Changes Viola Edward p16 A Crisis can Become an Opportunity Heleniq A p26 When Will Issues Related to Discrimination End? Tahira Amir Khan p32

Clarissa Kristjansson p34

Health & Body

5 Steps to Eating a Healthy Lunch Jules Francis p50

4

Nine Steps to Help you Face Challenge Yola Fortes p48

Intrapreneurship Malish p20 A Crisis can Become an Opportunity Heleniq A p26 Helping to Promote Feminine Entrepreneurship Irma Sanchez p40 Being a Young Business Owner during the Pandemic Maria Kim p54

Publisher & Founder Verónica Sosa Business Fit International Advisory Board Viola Edward Vikki Thomas

REACH OUT For information on advertising or placing an article in Business Fit Contact us: Email: editorbfm@gmail.com Phone: +32 472 134 230

Contributors Andrea GuZZi Arnon Barnes Claire Morley Clarissa Kristjansson Heleniq A Hatice Ozalp Irma Sanchez Jennifer Rönne Jules Francis Malish Maria Kim Tahira Amir Khan Viola Edward Yola Fortes General Editorial Coordinator Claire Morley

The Facemask Rivalling the Plastic Bag Claire Morley p12

Environment

What Does Professional and Personal Reinvention have to do with Spirituality?

Andrea GuZZi p6

Art and Design Director Leo Collier-Bett Graphic Designer Adverts Javier Sanchez

Copyright © 2021 by Verónica Sosa.

All rights reserved.

This Magazine or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher.

M-20318-2017

5

Spirituality

What Does Professional and Personal

Reinvention

have to do with Spirituality?

6

Helping businesswomen to transform themselves into their best version, Andrea GuZZi, tells us about the process of reinvention through spirituality in order to discover your truth and remember who you really are.

Spirituality as the key to your maximum potential

When I speak of spirituality, I mean a very personal and internal aspect: the connection with the most essential energy that all human beings have. What we usually call soul or spirit.

I believe we are spiritual beings living a human experience. If you don’t, ask yourself: what is there beyond your body? What is it and where does the energy that insufflates your life come from? What are you in this life for? What do things happen to you for?

This connection is invisible and impalpable, but absolutely present and powerful. And if you know how to listen and nurture it, it will give you all the answers for your journey to reach its full potential.

And the amazing thing about this process is, as you go through it, you realise the potential is enormous, almost infinite... and it goes far beyond your wildest dreams.

What is professional and personal reinvention from spirituality?

I want to tell you that my understanding of reinvention has been changing in recent years. I have gained perspective, depth and scope. And it amazes me to keep learning every day.

Today, I understand reinventing yourself is generating high-impact changes in your life, in a holistic way: mind, body and soul. As a consequence, they also progressively cause changes in everything around you (or in almost everything). I can say this after going through a few reinventions.

The path of reinventing yourself and becoming your best version is what leads you to discover your truth, to get back to you, to reconnect with your most essential part. And therefore, to remember who you are.

How my reinventions have been over the years.

As I understood reinvention before, I’ve gone through all kinds: some have been changing country or city, others work, home, partner... in 2012 it was all of them at once!

Oh my God, what a year! I left the corporate world because what I was doing no longer made sense to me. I was anxious going to the office and I felt very far from my colleagues. I have spent a long, long time with depression and anxiety; taking pills and not being able to cope with my life.

This is how I began my transition to the world of entrepreneurship. It was a hard road at the beginning and, although there are still many challenges, everything now flows more and more.

Since then, I have chosen to take care of my health, my body, my mind and my soul. I prioritised myself and continued to deepen within myself and heal wounds from the past.

That is why this reinvention is the most significant and the one I like the most. Also because: • •

Dare to come out of your closet and be who you really are

• •

I am applying the knowledge and tools on personal, professional and spiritual growth in my day-to-day life.

I am passing on these tools and knowledge to other women.

I feel immense joy seeing how they evolve and shine.

I feel I am providing a service, fulfilling my purpose.

7

Spirituality

What does it mean to reinvent yourself and become your best version?

This process involves daring to come out of your closet and be who you really are, to choose to do what really brings joy to your heart and to express what you really feel. To think, feel, say and do what you really want. And to make all these truths line up.

This is the best possible reinvention, because from it you will create your most genuine leadership. Allowing yourself to shine with your true light.

Once you shine with your own light, you are finally fulfilling your purpose, the mission you have come to do in this life. This radiates your light to others, expressing it through your gifts and putting them, together with your knowledge and tools, providing a service.

8

It is important to have lots of patience, love and compassion for yourself

For me, this is the true empowerment, because it comes from your inner alchemy, from turning your lead into gold. Transforming your life by doing your own magic. And this is available to you. Creating the life of your dreams is up to you.

the things you do not want in your life anymore, because they are pushing you back. This is one of the hardest steps because it takes you out of your comfort zone, and at the same time, it is crucial.

And if this all sounds so good... why is it so hard to do?

Action

So much so, they control and limit our lives; because they filter everything and give us partial vision, which has nothing to do with our true greatness. And so we survive, running on f*cking autopilot.

What to keep in mind during the process of reinventing yourself.

We have been programmed for many years to believe certain things, which we inherit and integrate from our parents, ancestry and environment, and which are deeply ingrained within us.

How to stop living on autopilot.

The reinvention process has four cyclical and interacting bases, always allowing new depth levels:

Self-knowledge

It is essential you observe the events of your life with the greatest objectivity and compassion for yourself and others as much as possible. Asking yourself, for example: who you are, what you want, if you are happy with your current life, what things happen to you for, what is it you no longer want in your life. Plus a lot of other questions which, quite possibly, do not occur in your dayto-day life.

Learning

It is important you get the knowledge and tools you need to expand your vision of life and, above all, that you know the rules of the game; because there are rules: all life which exists in this universe is governed by those rules. And you are not the exception.

Unlearning

It is vital to take action, apply what you’ve learned and change your habits to those the person you want to become would have, in order to start creating your new reality. If you don’t know how to do it, having the guidance of someone who has already been there will be very helpful.

It is important you have lots of patience, love and compassion for yourself. You are learning new things and, at the same time, unlearning old ones. This job requires courage, confidence, focus, resilience, and faith. Lots of faith in life and in yourself.

So when you fall, whatever the cost, you can get back up and continue on your way. Remember there are no mistakes; just learning. Keep in mind how babies learn to walk. And do the same: baby steps, dear.

You will see, even if you stumble over the same stone, the fall will not be the same: you will be aware much earlier, you will get up with more enthusiasm and you will add what you have learned. And big changes will begin to come to your life.

The Good news: you can start any time!

Regardless of your age and circumstances, instead of blaming yourself, complaining, or victimising yourself, you can start right now: TAKE ACTION. As my grandmother Maria said: “it is never too late, if happiness is good.”

It is also absolutely necessary to leave behind what no longer serves you, what you do not need anymore, if you want to take your life to a new level. When unlearning, you may need to detach from people, situations, patterns, emotions and

Based on her own life experience, Andrea GuZZi helps businesswomen to reinvent themselves, transforming themselves into their best version, so they can create the life they dream of. She believes true leadership, purpose, reinvention and empowerment come from the inner alchemy every woman produces. And that alchemy is always available to start doing magic. www.andreaguzzi.com

9

Business

What I Have Learned from

WOMEN

10

International speaker, author, investor, Business Mentor and regular contributor to Business Fit Magazine, Arnon Barnes, shares with our readers what he has learned from the women he has worked with.

Over the years I have worked with some amazing business owners and entrepreneurs, some being men and some being women. Before we get into this I would just like to clarify, I am not an expert in sociology, gender diversity or anything of the sort. I am just a successful (by my own standards) guy who has been blessed to have met some amazing women in my lifetime. And due to the fact that it is International Women’s Day in March, I have decided to share with you what I, a street-smart, rough around the edges, businessman, have learned from the powerful ladies I have worked with and met along the way and how I’ve applied these learnings in my own company.

But it’s logical!

As a man I often think and live in the world of logic.

This trait comes in handy when doing business deals, making plans and decisions. To me logic is simple. No emotions, no additional layers, just clean-cut logic. Great strategy, if I were a oneman show living on an island. The fact is, I am not, and my company is made up of a team of actual human beings. If I were to make all of my plans and decisions based on logic, I would lose my team and many business deals I have made over the past years. The women I have worked with have helped me understand that by adding more consideration and empathy to my negotiations, conversations and decisions, I am able to go the distance with everyone involved. By working together we all achieve more. As the saying goes; “Alone you might go fast, but together you will go further.”

Let’s race

For me, business and everything to do with it, used to be one big competition and one big race. Who had the biggest company, who was operating in the most countries, who was making the most money, you name it. Still a part of me gets my juices flowing and becomes excited just thinking about this competition. But always racing and competing, comparing even, isn’t very sustainable. The women on my path have taught

me to be more humble and that it’s not all about competing, but being good at my craft.

Let me clarify in a more logical way (see what I did here?): Who has the bigger pay-check? The general practitioner or the surgeon? Obviously, the surgeon, a specialist, of course. In the beginning this was difficult for me to grasp. As a visionary, I see opportunities everywhere and with my confidence levels, I know I can succeed at anything I put my mind to. However, after a while I started to relax because by shifting my energy and focusing on becoming a master in my field, I started to reap the rewards.

Together with my team, led by a female COO, we make sure to keep track of all the opportunities the visionary in me spots and we re-evaluate every quarter if and which opportunities we want to incorporate into my business models. This allows me to keep on doing what I love and stay open to all opportunities whilst at the same time keeping me focused on my expertise and how I can best help people from my passions.

Balance

I used to be really bad at keeping a healthy worklife balance. I would wake up and sprint, day in and day out. Work hard month after month, year after year. That is how I was programmed; that is what I saw my father do when I was a little boy.

That is how I became financially free at the age of 28. Growing up as a man and as a business owner, working with some powerful women in my business, on stages around the world and with the many multinational teams around events it has helped me understand that business is not a sprint, it is in fact a marathon. Nowadays, I make sure I sleep enough, my eating habits have become super healthy and I make time for exercise and spending quality time with my son. Taking care of me from a holistic standpoint enables me to go the distance in my businesses and personal life.

The biggest take away for me is that we men can learn a lot from women. Adopting traits of the opposite sex makes us better individuals. Man or woman? One is not better than the other. We need each other to develop into well rounded, understanding leaders of the future. Thank you, ladies for all the love, light and teachings you bring wherever you go.

Arnon Barnes started his first business at age 11 and built and sold his first multi million euro company by the age of 28! In the past 7 years Arnon has personally trained and coached more than 90,000 people from well over 65 different countries. Arnon is an explosive international speaker, author, investor and one of Europe’s leading and most exciting business mentors.

11

Environment

THE

FACEMASK Environmentally Rivalling the Plastic Bag

12

As the world begins to slowly emerge from the clutches of the COVID-19 pandemic, we can start to see what the environmental impact has been on the planet and not all of the news is good.

It is still too early to predict the long-term effects of COVID-19 on the environment, however, there is no doubt it has had some impact, both positive and negative.

One of the first highly publicised positive effects of the lockdown imposed to try and reduce the spread of Coronavirus, was how clean the canal waters in Venice had become. Wild animals began to roam around locked-down cities; blue skies appeared over Delhi and in New York alone, the levels of pollution dropped by nearly 50%. This had been due to lockdown measures reducing the numbers of cars on the road and planes in the sky, industrial facilities and power plants halting their production. Since pollution accounts for more than 16% of worldwide deaths, (with air pollution being responsible for 8%) according to The Lancet commission reports on pollution and health* these were all positive effects from the pandemic. In addition climate experts believed the emission of greenhouse gases could fall by almost 8%.

Hopeful for some positives to come out of the pandemic, many thought the situation might cause humanity to re-evaluate how we treated our planet and result in a shift to more sustainability, greater interest in renewable energy and a circular economy.

However, the impact of the pandemic has not all been positive. It has been responsible for a sharp increase in deforestation, particularly in Africa and Asia. In Brazil the destruction of rainforest intensified with the amount of land cleared in April 2020 64% higher than in 2019.

Part of this has been due to increased prices for commodities such as palm oil, soy, and timber, but with collapsing economies and job losses, more people have turned to illegal logging in order to survive and in some cases the pandemic has been used as a cover to deforest. Governments attentions were diverted to health and social programmes as the fight against Coronavirus increased, resulting in fewer resources being available for environmental issues.

There will soon be more masks than jellyfish in the Mediterranean

With China being the first country to begin the road back to reopening, it is possible to get an idea of how things will develop in the rest of the world once lockdowns start to ease and it isn’t good news. Desperate to make up for lost time, factories ramped up production and pollution levels returned to pre-coronavirus levels.

Now more aware of social distancing, and to avoid contracting the virus, people will avoid public transport leading to an increase of traffic on the roads, higher than before the pandemic as people prefer to use their own cars.

But perhaps one of the worst environmental threats to come out of the pandemic is the disposable face mask.

Pre-pandemic, people were beginning to understand the impact of single plastic use on the planet. The realisation of the existence of The Great Pacific Garbage Patch, estimated to cover 1.6 million square kilometres, an area twice the size of Texas or three times the size of France, along with high profile environmentalists David Attenborough and Greta Thunberg had helped raise awareness. COVID-19 has eclipsed environmental concerns, as demand for disposable medical masks, gloves, and other personal protective equipment caused a surge in plastic demand.

13

Environment

14

Disposable masks are made of polypropylene, which is a type of plastic and one mask can produce millions of plastic particles. In the UK alone 53 million of these masks are finding their way to landfill every day. That’s not including the untraceable number of masks abandoned elsewhere as people treat them like cigarette butts, dropping them into gutters, onto pavements or into hedges, polluting green space, streams, rivers and oceans like the plastic bags before them.

In the UK only 10% of people use reusable facemasks and it is estimated 194 billion disposable masks and gloves are used worldwide every month. Disposable PPE is not recyclable as it is made of a mixture of materials and they cannot be separated. Masks and gloves are being found on beaches around the world.

Campaigners are already warning that there will soon be more masks than jellyfish in the Mediterranean. And just as the plastic bags, the facemasks will cause a slow and painful death to turtles and other sea creatures.

And it’s not just affecting marine life, on land, wildlife is getting tangled in the ear loops on the masks, animal rescue organisations are now calling for people to snip the straps before disposing of them.

In order for society to open up again, the facemask is likely to remain mandatory for the foreseeable future. However, there has been very little guidance on how to dispose of masks safely and with billions of them required every month, the mask is likely to rival the plastic bag in environmental terms.

So how can you help the situation before it becomes a crisis? Here are seven tips to help reduce the impact of the Facemask.

1. Invest in a reusable mask with disposable filters and machine wash them regularly.

2. Carry a spare in case something goes wrong with the one you are wearing, so you don’t have to buy a disposable mask.

3. If you do use a disposable mask, make sure it is put in a bin with a lid.

4. Don’t put disposable masks in the recycling.

5. Do not flush disposable masks down the toilet.

6. Make your own unique mask.

7. And finally - don’t litter them.

* Landrigan PJ, Fuller R, Acosta NJR, Adeyi O, Arnold R, Basu N, et al. The lancet commission on pollution and health. Lancet. (2018) 391:462–512. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(17)32345-0

15

Mindset & Emotion

5

Efficient Hugs

16

to cope with changes

Breathwork therapy expert, multi-awarded Mentor and member of Business Fit Magazine advisory board, Viola Edward, looks at why we fear change so much and offers us some advice on how to accept it more easily.

Changes happen constantly, our body nature attests to that. We are continually changing, from eyelashes to cells, and yet we resist accepting change as an inherent part of life. Why are we so afraid of change?

We fear we will not know how to face new situations in which we are not in control. In addition, we maintain the belief that with changes, we could lose what we have and, if we make a mistake, we would look like fools in front of others.

Those fears, in their different intensities, are signs of resistance preventing the new from becoming the new day to live. By delving into the pre-judgment of “better the known bad than the unknown”, fear cancels out the infinite possibilities of positively influencing what is about to happen. What resists, persists.

The greater the resistance to change, the greater the fear of change itself. Life follows the course we give it with our intentions, emotions, feelings and reasons. So how do we overcome this negative resistance to change? How can we get away from victimisation and self-sabotage?

Accepting is the first embrace of changes

The first thing is to stop the complaints, the crying, the fights, the blame, the curses...Accept we are afraid of the new reality which has arrived.

Acceptance is a state of blessing, wholeness, and peace. Accepting is the first embrace of changes.

When we are in this state, we stop fighting; we surrender to the inner self we share with divinity.

It is a feeling of security like that felt by a baby in the protective arms of its mother. In the fight we breathe raggedly as if we were short of breath; In acceptance, our chest and abdomen are released and the air, which is energy, enters and leaves without stumbling.

The word acceptance is a transitive verb meaning to voluntarily receive what is given: to approve, to assume, to give input. The term comes from the Latin acceptare (to receive, accept, admit, approve, welcome, host). In turn, the past participle of the verb is acceptus which means welcome, well received, loved. Acceptance is not a defeat, rather it is an act of love and like all love, it takes great courage to approve and receive it.

From this first hug, we move on to the second, which is to review our limiting beliefs, asking ourselves what do we feel, perceive, believe, and think about the new situation that is emerging?

In our essence we are beings full of skills and virtues. From a spiritual point of view, we would say we share divinity with God himself: “made in the image and likeness”, so we have created the limitations wrongly, but after repeating them they have become a veil which seems true. Maybe at this moment you need help from someone, be it a therapist or a friend who will listen to you without judgment. It is a blessing to have the opportunity to review our deepest beliefs, because then we will know a little more about what lies behind our unconscious.

This is one of the best benefits of change: they bring us closer to ourselves, to what we believe, feel and think. This invariably causes an awareness driving us to transcendence. The unconscious is like our DNA, evolved from memories acquired through existence, both ours and that of our parents and other ancestors. This is housed in what C. Jung called ‘the collective unconscious’ which is difficult to access through the rational mind. Rather we can arrive through the green paths of altered states of consciousness, which can be induced by changes in our lives.

Biochemist and neuroscience doctor Joe Dispensa says that if we change our thoughts, it

17

Mindset & Emotion

automatically changes what we choose, as well as our behaviour, experiences and emotional state. “All of this will lead to important biological and physiological changes in the body and the brain. In a way we will become another”. When we discover our fears, face them and breathe into them, we reveal our ability to mobilise, to take action, plan objectives. This is the third embrace of changes. The awareness of change leads us to ask ourselves what we want in our lives.

At that moment we open new realities, new possibilities. Dispensa says that the frontal lobe of the brain selects different neural networks.

Things learned or experienced in our lives are conjugated in a change of scenario and something new is created. “If the person can begin to imagine choosing new options in their life, reaching new goals and experiences, what the research teaches us is that, by mentally recreating it, they are preparing their brain for the belief that the experience has already taken place.

If you can combine this intention with a heightened emotion like joy, gratitude, appreciation, or inspiration, the body begins to believe that it is living that future reality. It signals new genes to adapt to the experience that has not yet occurred,” emphasises Dispensa.

The fourth hug begins with the question: How am I going to achieve the new dreams that have arisen? The answer is with the strengths and qualities which have accompanied us since we were born, together with those we have developed during the course of life. Faced with changes, the intelligence we have emerges with known and unknown gifts as a way to protect ourselves, giving us confidence in our potential creator.

Also, and very importantly, is to know we are not alone in the challenge of living the changes.

Viktor Frankl, Austrian neurologist, psychiatrist and philosopher, says “existential self-realisation cannot be achieved without others. It is necessary to build bridges from one existence to the other...This means that the human being

18

projects beyond himself, attracted to something that is not himself: to something or someone, to a meaning that must be fulfilled or to another human being whom we meet ”.

This awareness of being part of a family, a group, a community, makes us feel empowered.

Empathy is food for the soul. Every time we help or are lovingly supported, our essence shines in expansion. For Frankl “the man reaches above himself towards something that is not himself, towards something or towards someone”.

The fifth hug is the positive attitude of cultivating our own happiness. Feeling responsible for our decisions and their consequences, implies our well-being does not depend on others. Assuming the changes implies leaving the confines of melancholy that lead us to think about the past.

Our mind resonates with our emotional state. If we are happy, the positive expansion illuminates our thoughts; but if we are hooked by the sadness of what we are living, we will experience a perennial litany of negativity which will limit our thinking. Every change implies a new scenario in which we can find problems to solve and opportunities to enjoy.

If we are over-burdened by change, our vision blurs and we will only see derived problems.

Our mind goes into negative resonance and we become unable to see the train of opportunities passing right in front of us. By paying attention to the colour of our thoughts, we can exit the drabness of monochrome and dive into rich thinking with a wide colour palette.

Empathy is food for the soul

Viola Edward is a Personal and Corporate Advisor and multi-awarded Mentor. Humanitarian, pioneer of Breathwork and mental health fitness in the workplace since 1993, she is convinced that the practice of Conscious Breathing is at the core of every person’s wellbeing. Co-owner of GRIT Academy and Kayana Consulting, Author Breathing the Rhythm of Success and Who Makes the Bed?, co-author of 10 more books. www.violaedward.com

19

Business

INTRAPRENEURSHIP

Driving Innovation from within an Organisation

20

Business Fit Magazine regular contributors, Maike Benner and Lilli Rohde of MaLish Consulting, explain what Intrapreneurship is and how identifying employees in your company to become intrapreneurs could benefit you.

You as a company leader and decision-maker are bound to be faced with the question: How can we stay or become more competitive, innovative and a great employer by leveraging the status quo as regards to people and budgets?

A common belief is that external short-term help from experts i.e. consultants who have undergone transformation many times before, is the fastest and best way to tackle the challenge.

As consultants ourselves we have witnessed and produced many success stories. However, this article focuses on another concept of business development.

Have you ever heard and thought about establishing intrapreneurship in your company?

Let´s have a look at this concept.

What is Intrapreneurship?

The term intrapreneurship refers to a system which allows an employee to act like an entrepreneur within a company or organisation.

Intrapreneurs, as their entrepreneurial counterparts, are self-motivated, proactive, and action-oriented people who take initiative and do not shy away from challenges, hurdles and setbacks in business development or product innovation. Intrapreneurs are more courageous employees who drive innovation, while still valuing the benefits of being part of an organisation such as a fixed job, steady income, social security and ultimately not being responsible for losses and failure as an entrepreneur.

Intrapreneurship creates an entrepreneurial environment by allowing employees to use their entrepreneurial skills for the benefit of both: the company and the employee. It gives employees the freedom to experiment, as well as the potential for growth within an organisation.

Intrapreneurship fosters autonomy and independence, while trying to find the best solution.

How do you establish intrapreneurship in your company?

It is important for you as an employer to find and recognise these employees. Most likely the skillset needed to become more competitive, flexible, innovative and to drive down costs lie within your organisation already.

Not promoting intrapreneurship or recognising employees who demonstrate an intrapreneurial spirit, can be negative to a brand or company both financially and reputation wise.

Employers who encourage intrapreneurship profit, because it leads to a closer connection with the fate of the company. Establishing internal entrepreneurship can help solve problems, and lead to innovation and growth. Companies that do not promote intrapreneurship may lose capable people to other companies, or to the start-up world.

Identifying intrapreneurs can sometimes be difficult. Sure, there are some traits and characteristics which may be displayed in a worker or team already, like self-motivation, ambitiousness and goal-orientation. The people we are referring to are often able to solve problems on their own and come up with ideas leading to process improvements.

An intrapreneur may also take certain risks by assuming multiple tasks—even some that he or she may not be comfortable with—and look for new challenges.

Is there an employee who in a way is getting on your nerves because he or she constantly comes up with new ideas, executes them without checking back with you? That person could be among your intrapreneur-team.

As the business world is complex and the intrapreneurial spirit often not that obvious as described above, we as consultants, have started using assessment tools. This can be questionnaires for example – to assess the underlying values, work ethics, characteristics to ensure that the most capable people of an organisation are selected and not the ones who make the most noise about it. This is also where we take our own entrepreneurial experience into account. After founding our own company

21

Business

MaLish three years ago and having coached many start-up, entrepreneurs, sidepreneurs and wanna-preneurs, we know: it is not that simple and obvious. Assigning the right tasks to the right people avoids a lot of stress, burn-out, tension and re-work along the process.

Why is intrapreneurship good for your business?

Intrapreneurs can develop and use their creativity to enhance existing goods and services within the background of the business.

The company profits from an environment (even if it is only a team or department) that does not shy away from risk, feels responsible for results and budgets, can really dig into the challenge, test theories, and decide which methods are most effective for solving problems.

The intrapreneur (team) also profits from freedom, responsibility for a result but without any of the risk attached to being an outside entrepreneur.

22

By including employees from every age group when resolving issues, a variety of answers are proposed and resolutions determined in a more efficient manner, benefiting everyone in the organisation. Many millennials are embracing the intrapreneurial style of work. They desire meaning, creativity and autonomy when working.

Millennials want their own projects to develop as they help their companies grow and this is a great opportunity for you as a company.

Businesses like Google (an employee came up with Gmail) and Sony (an employee had the idea for PlayStation) showed how, by providing employees with time and incentives to search for innovative new product ideas/product innovation or cost-saving processes significant rises in both revenues and profits can be achieved.

If employees are given time to be creative, new product and process ideas are more likely to be researched and developed, especially if employees have financial incentives to come up with good ideas. The most promising innovations can then be analysed and the ones which suggest positive financial returns can be supported.

How do you create an intrapreneurship culture?

When companies build an intrapreneurial environment, one fostering risk-taking and innovation, they gain a great power. Enthusiasm increases when people believe they are not only given a real opportunity to think, try and transform but will be rewarded for it! Teams become more productive, consistent, satisfied, and efficient.

An intrapreneurship culture is not an overnight event and must be led or initiated by the management team. When people start thinking like intrapreneurs - more naturally than forced – that is when the “culture” is born.

Here are some practical tips to start building such a culture: 1. Identify your Intrapreneurs In every company, intrapreneurs already exist but they need to be discovered, nurtured and boosted. As this can be a challenge, we recommend taking experts on board who can spot the intrapreneurial spirit and help a team come together.

2. Give equal opportunities for all Allow all individuals to voice their views and opinions freely. Titles and levels have nothing to do with intrapreneurship 3. Empower your people Each person must feel ownership for the improvements and progress they have made.

4. Foster a risk-taking environment Intrapreneurs make decisions, they must be willing to take smart risks and, although be fully prepared to be held accountable, they should not be afraid of mistreatment or mockery if they fail.

5. Encourage collaboration and healthy competition Often seen as two separate things, in intrapreneurship collaboration and competition need to be balanced.

6. Be transparent Providing employees with important company information and considering their views in managerial decisions will make them feel more involved, regardless of their own individual roles.

7. Give enough time and space To come up with ideas which are out of the box, your employees need time and space for it.

8. Celebrate intrapreneurial successes together with your teams Acknowledgment and rewards are important positive boosters for intrapreneurs and provide them the incentive to stay and continue to add value in the future.

9. Provide needed resources On the list of resources are tools, finances, people, networks, but also access to experts who can be asked for advice.

As shown, to establish intrapreneurship within your organisation has many advantages. Of course, it is not done overnight, but it is definitely worth it.

We invite you to get in touch with us, for feedback or further questions and we would love to consult you on developing a customised strategy for your intrapreneurial journey.

When companies build an intrapreneurial environment they gain a great power

Maike Benner and Lilli Rohde founders of MaLish Consulting, an international business consultancy and coaching company. Combining their experiences and strengths in people management, financials, tools and system, communication and leadership MaLish offers a variety of services for companies and individuals. www.compagneur.com - malish.global/about/malish-business/

23

Awakening

Our Loving

Mother Earth

24

Holistic pharmacist and health and solution focused coach, Hatice Ozalp, shares a story with us to gives us hope that people will wake up and realise how precious our planet is.

“Slow down! SILENCE” she said, “All you need is to remain silent, so silent that you can hear your own breath”. And then the Earth woke up from her sleep without having the chance to ask how.

In a time, older than time, there lived a loving mother with hands which created and eyes that saw. This mother would roll the pieces she tore from her own body into little balls between her hands while singing songs. And she would place these little balls into the void and watch them lovingly.

While pondering “Silence… Silence but how?” she realised at that moment how the HUMAN, among the many creatures which had been living on her, were so noisy. With so much noise, it was impossible for the Earth to hear its own breath. She had to silence the voices first. While she was thinking about how the Humans would be silenced, she immediately thought, and her inner voice told her “Don’t Worry, I know you love humans, it will not be for ever, they will find the way…”

Looking affectionately at the blue-green coloured ball she recently made, she said: “Here you are now, you are ready” and placed it somewhere in the void that is neither too hot nor too cold, neither close nor far. She put a kiss on the blue-green ball she made with her hands and whispered in her ear: “I name you the EARTH”.

The blue-green Earth grew whirling and playing with her other friends who also whirled. Maybe millions, maybe billions of years passed, the Earth still whirled. And there came a time for the Earth when it was not enough just to whirl, the beautiful Earth felt that her body could not contain her soul. As if these were not enough, she also started to question the meaning of life…

•

How long have I been whirling like this?

•

For how long will I keep whirling?

•

What is my purpose?

•

What are these changes in my body?

•

Certain parts of me have grown larger, I do not like myself, and no one understands me!

it will not be forever, they will find the way…

While all this was happening and the Earth was feeling worse and worse, the loving mother with hands that created and eyes that could see, appeared in her dreams one night.

Hatice Ozalp is a Pharmacist, a traveller, Health Coach, wife and mother of

two, GRIT Coach, writer, researcher of the alternative education for children and creator of “Connection before Correction”. info@haticeozalp.com @hatichozalp

25

Mindset & Emotion

The Greatest Crisis Becomes

the Greatest Opportunity

ARE WE READY?

26

Innovative Clinical Psychologist, Peak Performance Expert and Speaker Change Leader, Heleniq A, talks about the Women of Truth Summit and how we can learn from these female thought leaders We at YinAlithea WOMEN OF TRUTH are, mainly because we have realised two things: There is simply no other choice and many global female leaders feel they were born for this time. Born to Wake up the World.

Global dialogues began during COVID-19 lockdown hitting crescendos of community thinking and uniting consciousness unseen before. Clearly some incredible women are ready to lead in these epic times.

Continuing in the old paradigms, born out of industrial revolution age thinking, or following on mythical ideas embedded in the fabric of our societies which delude and deceive us, is simply not that attractive anymore, to anyone.

Change has begun and following through with it, these ‘Paradigm Shifters’, find that completing their ‘soul contract’ of reaching into their higher destinies - what they promised themselves they would pursue before they were born - is how they can finally fulfil the calling that tells them they are meant for more.

The powerful surge of individuality, personal insight and self-development work that swept our planet during the last generation has certainly shifted the paradigm already. All people are growing more self-aware and conscious all round and leadership is advancing. Humanitarian work, the SDG focus, social endeavours, scientific innovation advancing healthcare and the boom of solo entrepreneurship show our precious earth is already busy with her little, or large makeover.

Dig a little deeper and you will find that the marriage between body and mind, science and spirituality has evidence-based research slowly convincing us that mind affects matter and we can ultimately create a new reality.

We are ready enough, it seems and where we are not, these female thought leaders will guide us to discerningly ‘ignore’ and refocus our future vision of what we wish to create. So instead of having our minds sucked into the vortex of concern, fear and negativity about the future, we learn from them to practice the ‘higher law’. A law of self-discipline, stopping us from indulging in the anxiety of uncertainty, and teaching us rather to tap into a head with heart intelligence/coherence and focus on what we wish to create. These ‘Paradigm Shifters’ are our midwives, they are helping us create our new world.

They show us how to create a onepointedness on our higher aspirations, how to increase our skills and invent an ability to mature and navigate change. To activate the higher frequencies of a growth mindset far away from our comfort zones and even expand that into the source origin of all of life. One where we can finally integrate the dance between the complimentary opposites of order and chaos, so that the ultimate swing of the pendulum can find its dead centre and a new future reality can awaken.

The Women of Truth on Marketing new style summit 20-27 September interviews Female Thought Leaders on how ‘truth’ affects their business. They then teach growth strategies influenced by authenticity, teach you to walk more of the talk, increase your integrity as the masks slip off your face, and reveal your vulnerability in social media in reflecting on how the future of a business is evolving and deeply influenced now

by FQ - Feminine Intelligence. The summit reveals how important it is to get into a new reality with more transparency ethics and common values between client and coach.

Learning from this feminine wisdom can help us all as we begin to see the guidance from these midwives of our new world, who help us accept adversity as the mother of invention and crisis, the best catalyst for change.

Heleniq A is an innovative Clinical Psychologist, Peak Performance Expert

and Speaker Change Leader. She has special talent in integrating science and spirituality and elevating and promoting excelsior epic female leaders for the future in her WOMEN OF TRUTH INNER CIRCLE. She believes “what the world needs now is feminine wisdom”. www.heleniqa.com New Style Summit information: www.heleniqa.com/women-oftruth/

27

Business

3 STEPS

to Making Omnipresent Content

28

Seasoned entrepreneur and Founder of the World Women Conference & Awards, Ragne Sinikas, gives our readers some guidance on how to increase your online presence and stand out from your competitors.

While you should make a great effort to get your content everywhere, it is almost impossible to literally be ‘everywhere’ on the internet. What I learned in 2020 was how to strategically choose the relevant areas to be present in, to create an omnipresence effect for my audience and I am sharing the first three steps with you here.

Step One: Where is your content being consumed?

Establish where and how your audience consumes your content. Simply sharing content on social media and measuring its performance is not enough. You need clarity, by knowing where your audience is you will be able to target your content more effectively.

To do this, you need to evaluate how your content is consumed. For example, if your YouTube videos aren’t getting the views you hoped for, you need to analyse why they are underperforming. Are you on the wrong platform? Are your audience younger and more active on TikTok? Maybe you are not promoting it on the right platform. Rather than distributing it via your blog, try promoting it on Facebook instead or other way around. It is important to experiment with different social media platforms to see which gives you the most reach.

How do you do this? By using reach in conjunction with other metrics like click-through rates and average time spent on the page will provide clarity on whether your content is attractive enough and captures their attention; whether people being targeted with your content and if they’re consuming it.

Step two: Make your content unique.

Attention to the detail never goes out of fashion, so keep your eye on the detail of your content.

And if you want to stand out from the crowd, you need to make sure your content does the same.

Look at ways of making your approach unique.

You content should be completely different to

29

Business

the rest of the information online. And it needs to appeal to your target audience.

In reality the smallest aspects of web design can appeal, build strong trust, and provide more value to the maximum number of users and remember It is unrealistic and unnecessary to try to please everyone.

Too often, we try to emulate our competitors and industry leaders. While it is useful to learn from them, and see the types of ideas which work, you should never copy them. Don’t just be better! Be different! And remember, copying in the digital world, is the same as any other industry, it is a form of plagiarism and Google can penalise your website for copying content. Instead, add in your own ideas, creations, thoughts and opinions.

Create value that has not been delivered before.

This will provide value to your audience and help build your customers list.

How can you be different?

Look at the unique value you offer to your customer and tell them about it, educate your audience.

Keep it simple, focus on adding value and showing how it’s done in the simplest of ways.

Find the solution to their problem before they even recognise they have one.

Define the gaps the market leader is missing and create your own message to address them.

Find out your competitors’ strengths and learn from them. Know their weaknesses and overcome them. Yours can be the unique voice providing the missing content and giving you the advantage.

Connect and communicate with your audience.

Promoting your unique voice and content will help you build a sustainable and loyal following for your business.

Don’t just be better! Be different!

30

Experts recommend that 80% of the content creation process should be spent on promoting the material you create. The channels in which you share your content with your audience are just as important as the content itself.

Step three: The 3 R’s.

You need to learn how to repurpose your content by using The 3 R’s: Re-use, Repurpose and Recycle Let us start with your blog. It is true that blogging has become an increasingly saturated market, but the great news is, if you have an existing blog with many articles, you already have most of the ingredients needed to create omnipresent content.

Omnipresence is about being everywhere that your audience is, so you need to leverage this.

You can convert your existing articles into a diverse range of content mediums to target a wider audience.

How do you do this? Firstly choose a list of your most popular articles and categorise them into chapters. Congratulations, you now have an eBook and are one step closer to becoming an author. Next, edit the articles, so it has the look and feel of a book. This is a great opt-in for your sales funnel or you can even monetise it as an end-product on Amazon. Now you are just one step away from converting it into an audiobook format. There are tools to do that, or you can hire someone to do it, depending on your preference.

Being the author of an Amazon eBook, is a marvellous way to establish legitimacy and become an authority in your niche. Having your own book these days, is an essential tool.

It has many benefits, you can use it instead of a business card, or for an opt-in to give value and get people interested in what you do. And it establishes you as an authority and expert in your specific niche.

It may sound pretty scary at first to think as yourself as an author but you can sign up for a course to give you the tools and knowledge to do it and be successful.

Next let’s talk about becoming the star of your Connected Tv channel or having a YouTube Channel. Let’s say you’ve already written a highly popular article about losing weight without needing to be on a diet. Use that article as the script and adjust it to use on the screen.

Omnipresence is about being everywhere your audience is Overcome your fear and get in front of the camera. You may feel awkward at first, hearing yourself talking but if you practice you will get good at it.

Obviously, it might need some editing, but these days there are so many platforms which are affordable and easy to use for that purpose. So now, you have produced a new way to connect with your audience and you have a video ready to be shared on YouTube, connected TV and other social media platforms.

Next you can extract the voice track from your video and create a podcast episode. Please make sure all the hard work you have invested is leveraged to the maximum. Take the visuals from you video and create even more smallform content. You can use them to promote the episode or as Thumbnails or for Ad creation. For example you could turn parts of it into a gif to promote on your social media platforms.

With just a single piece of content, you can create multiple types of different content mediums. This method saves you time on thinking about what to produce. You will already have access to a wealth of content.

Get creative in the type of content you can repurpose. Could you create a handbook within an interactive phone app? Or a VR video? You can do it yourself or find your dream team, you are not alone and do not need to do it alone. There are so many tools out there which can make this an enjoyable experience. Once you have learned how it will become automatic. With even a small budget, you could hire somebody to create them for you.

A good example is Starpreneurs.TV. This is a Connected Tv Channel on Roku and Amazon Fire Platforms. Do you want to leverage the power of the multi-billion dollar TV industry by having your very own TV shows on Roku and Amazon Fire TV. Have you ever wondered what the next big entrepreneur and influencer distribution channel is going to be?

What would it be like if you were teaching, sharing, and communicating on hundreds, thousands or maybe even millions of televisions, all around the world? Would that be helpful for your business? What if you had access to an untapped market where you are one of the firsts in your industry who leverages this brand new digital channel. Would that help you get ahead of your competition?

Imagine being admired and positively envied among your community, imagine having increased your authority by being on TV, and finally imagine tapping into a brand new set of eyes who aren’t watching YouTube or Social Media.

If you can imagine yourself on TV, then you are going to love what I have to tell you. I am launching my very own TV channel called StarPreneurs and I’m inviting you to be the star of your very own TV mini-series. If you have ever wanted to be on TV and get your content in front of millions of people around the world or If you want to position your content in a cutting-edge way and leverage a brand new way to market your brand. Then having your own TV show on my Starpreneurs TV channel is for you. Your 3-5 episode TV miniseries will be put on the Starpreneurs Roku and Amazon Fire TV channels. You can be the star of your own TV mini-series by joining the Starpreneurs TV channel: starpreneurs.tv Although you will need to spend money creating these content pieces, you will be able to re-use them. This method of repurposing your content for different marketing purposes means you will have content for a very long time.

Get to work on the first three steps on how to make Omnipresent content. It is truly the worst and the most exciting times for us as entrepreneurs. So we need to pivot and find new ways to survive.

Ragne Sinikas is a seasoned entrepreneur. She is the Founder of Complex

Holding, Starpreneurs TV, Untold Story Foundation and the World Women Conference & Awards (WWCA) - advancing women’s leadership for political, economic and social development around the World. She is also a Change Makers Coach, Public Speaker and Philanthropist.

31

Mindset & Emotion

When Will Issues Related to

Discrimination End?

After working successfully in technology for 20 years, Tahira Amir Khan, changed her life forever in 2015 placing herself in near-isolation for 9 months. From technopreneur to a storytelling Renaissance woman, she talks here about continued divisions in the world.

“In your writings, avoid the word ‘race’. These racial labels have caused society enough trouble as it is,” my father would say.

Each time the topic of racial division would come up or anything related to separation and segregation, his face would well up with tearful emotions. I always wondered why and wished he had opened up to me completely. There were some things he always kept to himself.

My father passed on, on the fateful day of 15th January 2020. He was a strong advocate for unity. While his earthly trade was that of a Carpet Connoisseur, his heavenly task was unity within

32

Humanity and with Planet Earth. Since he left the earthly realm, I knew his legacy would carry forward through me, and with all who were connected with me.

His Truth on “unity” has been a virtually unending, elusive pursuit for Humanity. The divisiveness through our obsession with labels is destroying the impeccable beauty of our natural diversity.

The ‘Black Lives Matter’ movement sparked by the 25th May 2020 highly coveted media coverage of the killing of George Floyd in police custody, along with the related protests have brought a new wave of attention to the issue of inequality within criminal justice. It also brought to question whether Black Lives Matter was true or cleverly conjured by a clandestine body to create more disunity than we have in the world today.

Then there was closer to home, Malaysia’s Sultan of Johor, reminder to all state representatives as the virus of Covid-19 spread the whole world, “Now is not the time for fighting to obtain political

mileage or personal gain as this will only lead to the emergence of a dangerous virus called disunity.”

With global disunity between social structures and cultural differences while the game of untruth plays in the background, some claimed the worst was yet to come for the developing world. The following month after the death of George Flloyd, the former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Samantha Power, made this statement, “COVID-19 is poised to tear through poor, displaced and conflict-affected communities around the world.”

Fast forward to October 2020, and we saw the greatest division within the United States itself. At the same time, the 2020 Belarusian protests stretched over four months with tens of thousands gathering. Worldwide government guidelines on social distancing, although very much needed to protect against the virus, exacerbated the issue further.

Titles of economic status, titles of privilege, and religious titles add other layers of disunity that can be unforgiving at times. If my father was still alive, his tears would have streamed with disappointment.

We tend to define ourselves by titles all the time.

They get us through life, for the most part, more effectively than if we operated without them. But as we get comfortable relying on them, we forget that their utility is in what they accomplish, and not what they represent. They are valuable, yes, but what they represent is an approximation, occasionally wrong and often problematic.

A flashback to Dec 2019

My brother was with me by the hospital bed with my late father. The sound of the BBC Radio station was playing in the background. The quaint AM/FM radio my brother bought for my father to keep him up-to-date with the news developments of the world. The radio broke the monotony as it blasted frantic and repeated news announcements of a potential Iranian attack on the USA. A retaliation that was so predictive yet so frightening at the same time. What would happen next, if it did, was unthinkable.

Raised with the family trade of rare and antique Persian carpets, my siblings and I were wellversed with the age-old fact about the American embargo on Iran that has been going on for decades. Ironically, back in 2012, Christopher Thornton wrote in the ‘The Atlantic’ that a 2009 World Public Opinion poll found that 51 percent of Iranians hold a favourable opinion of Americans. This means that Americans are more widely liked in Iran than anywhere else in the Middle East.

When will issues related to race, language, religion, and gender end?

An un-enlightened humanity is clearly destructive. If there were a hypothetical ‘Wheel of Unity’ to symbolise the state-of-affairs (with the multi colours to represent race, religion, family, business and more), it would be tearing up from all sides. While an enlightened one is cohesive in every approach, creating wonders abound, with vibrant colours becoming white as they become ‘One’.

Living in Singapore which is considered one of the most tolerant countries in the world, my occasional grievances from life’s experiences were microscopic. However, when you read the stories of minorities, the suppressed and the “underdogs” you will notice many similarities to the never-ending and replicating fractals.

Humanity has a perplexing welter of beliefs, lifestyles and mindsets. Add ‘ego’ to the equation, and we start carving out a cliff-hanging calamity.

The times of great divisiveness stretches forth like an ominous road to an unknown. But once we reach the end of the road where the cliff hangs, creating a dizzying spell spinning some of us out of control, anything can happen.

Humanity has a perplexing welter of beliefs, lifestyles and mindsets.

Tahira Amir Khan is the author of the upcoming book series “Golden Truths: Truth is Unifying”. Her first book “Through the Golden Door: The Doorway of Our Advancement” launched her career into truth-writing as a lifelong commitment. She is also Founder of GOLDEN DOOR - Truth & Integrity of the Written Word. www.TahiraAmirKhan.com

33

Interview

Clarissa Kristjansson Empowering Menopausal Women

34

In this issue we interview Clarissa Kristjansson, a neuroscientist, mindfulness, and beliefs-based practitioner. Her mission is to shift the mindset on menopause, by getting employers to acknowledge it is an issue and breaking the taboos surrounding it.

Who are you?

I am a neuroscientist, mindfulness, and beliefsbased practitioner. I spent 28 years leading transformational change in global FMCG. In 2013 I suffered a burnout during my menopause transition that stopped me in my tracks and set me on a mission to empower women through this transformational life stage. Opening the conversation about our beliefs and behaviours and shifting the collective mindset to seeing this life-stage as an opportunity for reinvention and revitalisation.

Today after living and working across Europe and Asia, I am living back in Sweden, my childhood home. I am a menopause mentor, host of the Thriving Thru Menopause podcast, a keynote and virtual speaker, and an international bestselling author. I love that we can work globally from our own homes, connect and collaborate with amazing people worldwide, and spread our message farther than at any other time in history.

What is the single best piece of business advice which helped shape who you are now and Why?

The best advice I had was from my first manager in Unilever. He told me: ‘Don’t be decorative. Be the leader who speaks up, contributes fully, and moves the conversation forward’. This was a big step for an introvert, but my corporate career skyrocketed once I found my voice.

My voice is my vehicle to drive change for millions of women through my podcast, speaking engagements, and upcoming TV show. Plus, I am intrigued about how new media like Clubhouse will also drive conversation into new countries and niches. Someone recently described me as a menopause activist, a mantle I have embraced.

Things don’t change if we stay silent and whisper like earlier generations of women were forced to do.

What was your motivation to achieve what you have?

In my earlier career, my motivation was to ensure a good start in life for my son. But now, achievements are driven by the fact that silence around menopause does not serve women.

My journey of burnout and the realisation that had I known more about menopause and the symptoms that could be part of this life stage, I would have been better able to wrest back some control. Also, had I been supported by my healthcare provider and my workplace, I would have made different choices around my health and wellbeing.

How do you take care of your body, mind, and soul?

As a neuroscientist, I am a firm believer in the power of the gut-brain connection. Nurturing a healthy gut is at the heart of how I take care of my body. My diet is plant-based and organic. I have a morning routine which starts with grounding the body, and I love Wim Hof’s invigorating breathing meditation.

I also practice daily qigong and sit in quiet contemplation for at least 30 minutes. My mindfulness community of practice supports me to deepen my meditation, and there is a unique energy to meditating together, even if in today’s environment, that is a virtual event.

If you were in the jungle, what kind of animal would you be?

This made me smile. I would say I was an elephant because I feel I have confidence and approach all aspects of life calmly. And like an elephant, when I set my mind to something, it won’t waver in its commitment until the task is completed.

My voice is my vehicle to drive change for millions of women

35

Interview Tell us about a time when things didn’t go the way you wanted and how you dealt with it?

Twenty years ago, I went into business with my then-husband. Like many small businesses, although we had great patented ideas and funding from venture capitalists, we had to liquidate the company due to cash flow issues.

This takes a lot of courage to let go because there is heartache when something you believe in fails. The way forward was to acknowledge the loss, see the failure as a series of lessons, and move onto the next stage in life to resurrect my corporate career. I value that experience in my current business.

Why is it time to start talking about menopause at work?

Menopause is rarely openly discussed in the workplace and remains one of the strongest taboos. The mental and physical symptoms

36

and their adverse effects on productivity can be exacerbated by a lack of policies and persistent, outdated gender-and age-related assumptions.

In 2020 there were 61 million women over the age of 50 in the U.S. workforce, alone. Menopause often intersects with critical career stages, where women are most likely to move into leadership positions.

A recent Chartered Institute of Personnel Development survey in the U.K. found that 59% of women experiencing menopausal symptoms said these impacted their work. Many find it difficult to cope with their tasks, often those that require extra focus. Confusion, self-doubt, and severe anxiety can practically kill careers.

In some cases, menopausal symptoms can lead to women leaving their jobs. According to the Wellbeing of Women survey, one in four women has considered resigning their role. That is not good for them and not good for their employer.

Unfortunately for some, their symptoms are so intense they receive negative 360-degree

feedback and deteriorating performance ratings which can lead to a dismissal. Because of the taboo, nearly a third (30%) surveyed reported taking sick leave because of their symptoms, but only a quarter could give their manager the real reason for their absence.

Why the silence?

There is still within our society and in organisations, significant gender bias. Although there has been more discussion on the impact of menopause on working women, it is clear why silence patterns remain rooted in the workplace when society persists in pressuring women to keep quiet on menstruation issues; this extends into not speaking up about menopause.

The best way to manage menopause at work is first to talk about it

Privacy has been cited as a key reason why women do not disclose menopausal symptoms, according to 45% of the 1,409 women surveyed in the recent CIPD report. A third (34%) said they were too embarrassed to say why they had taken time off, and 32% said their manager was unsupportive.

37

Interview

38

For menopausal women, this fear is particularly prevalent when the manager is male and young.

Their fears are well-founded: Women speak of being ridiculed, harassed, or stereotyped for being menopausal. In the current employment climate, women are openly stating they fear speaking up could lead to managers assuming they are underperforming and should withhold promotion or target them during layoffs.

How can we create a culture of change?

It starts with talking and gaining support from leadership, which includes: •

There may be an opportunity to address the issue as a group. Be proactive with others to help influence policy, education, and communications.

In the U.K. Civil Service, a menopause network has been established to provide support, including specific guidance in creating a workplace where menopause is acknowledged and understood.

Also, women can support themselves with simple lifestyle changes. Is it possible to work during the hours when the brain is clearest? Dress in layers at work. Take breaks in the coolest room.

Figure out the triggers by tracking and journaling symptoms. It might be stress from one person at work or a morning coffee, which can be managed.

acknowledging this is an issue and seeking to understand.

Listen empathetically to women’s needs.

Initiating and integrating policies supporting menopausal women.

Perhaps most important is the grace women give to themselves. Practice self-care. Take time off when needed and be honest about what they are going through. Know that there are people out there who can help and speak up!

Managers don’t need to be menopause or medical experts. A basic level of knowledge, understanding how they can support, and having a good, supportive conversation make a big difference.

The best way to manage menopause at work is first to talk about it. Together, we can work to end the stigma. All of us can and should play a role in breaking the silence.

• •

Appreciate that it is intimidating for employees to speak up. Supportive managers can pause and consider how they can be more available and enable these conversations. Also, guarding their innate bias if someone raises the subject, instead listen, and inquire: Ask the women what their experience is like and what can be done to alleviate their challenges.

Many organisations already have more in place than they might think. Sometimes it is making some adjustments to ensure these policies and procedures work for menopausal women.

These approaches create an inclusive culture, and given that women are working for longer, an organisation supporting menopausal women is good for retention, motivation, and loyalty. As more companies move in this direction, it will become more important for recruitment and future-proofing their businesses.

What can women do to support themselves?

References 1. Chartered Institute of Personnel Development

survey (CIPD) 2019

2. What do working menopausal women want? A qualitative investigation into women’s perspectives on employer and line manager support Claire Hardy, Amanda Griffiths, Myra S Hunter. Maturitas 2017

Be proactive with others to help influence policy, education, and communications

Open a dialogue at work. Women leaders in menopause can normalise their experiences and support others to be empowered to speak up.

39

Business

Helping to

Promote

Feminine

Entrepreneurship

40

Official ambassador of the Women Economic Forum worldwide, Irma Sánchez, tells us about her role to support women so they can carry out businesses beyond border barriers and develop strategies to promote industry.

After that, I was invited to * WEF Egypt * on behalf of Latin women in the USA. There I met so many powerful, kind, creative women who are committed to change. I also met one woman, who is today my personal and Business Advisor, Viola Edward.

How it all started

I was appointed official ambassador of the Women Economic Forum worldwide and President of the Indian Chamber of Commerce chapter in the West of the USA, and representative of chapters in Los Angeles, Silicon Valley and Houston.

It is thanks to coincidences I found on the way, when my soul decided to commit to a beautiful social responsibility, wonderful beings who one day believed in me. I am infinitely grateful to “Coca-Cola”, “Inca Kola”, “USHCC” and all my community who have accompanied me for years and especially my children.

One day I arrived in India without really knowing what was waiting for me. In the middle of the WEF conference in New Delhi, I was told to get ready to make a presentation about where my inspiration had come from to help Latin women in the USA. I was a little surprised, but also confident, feeling this would be a great opportunity.

The presentations was to take place in an elegant hotel and I entered taking note of all the details, committing them to memory. Then I noticed at the end of the corridor, Dr. Harbeen Arora, founder of the WEF and other organisations.

There she was, simply shining with her welcoming smile and warm embrace, her team around her.

I introduced myself and spoke simply of * Love and Gratitude * for my community… and the rest is history.

Never forget miracles do exist and we ourselves must believe in them!

My role

My role within Women Economic Forum and as president of the Women’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry of India (WICCI) is basically to unleash the role of women. It is to support them in their progress, create an ecosystem where women can carry out businesses beyond border barriers, develop strategies to promote the industry and the role of women in different sectors of the economy.

Each woman should feel supported, guided and protected when it comes to wanting to grow her company, we have platforms in the digital world to generate global connections!

Women’s Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (WICCI)

WICCI is a premier National Business Chamber for Women in India envisioning Global Impact for Women Entrepreneurs, Businesswomen and Professionals from all walks of life.

Never forget miracles do exist

Supported by the massive global networks of ALL Ladies League (ALL) and Women Economic Forum (WEF), WICCI aims to bring about fundamental changes in governmental policies, laws and incentives with a view to robustly encourage and empower women in business, industry and commerce across all sectors and fields.

We all know that currently women form a fraction of overall business and commerce. Women face monumental challenges when it comes to accessing bank funds and other funding; confront glass ceilings in senior management

41

Business

roles and board directorships; and struggle with excessive household and caregiving roles.

WICCI and its multiple Councils at the international, national, regional, state, sector and municipal levels, as representatives of a wide variety of sectors, suggest to the relevant government authorities and institutions concrete actions and recommendations to help mitigate the many challenges, facilitate the possibility of doing business and empowering companies created and run by women to be more competitive.

The various councils in India and abroad represent more than two hundred sectors.

Each council is made up of a president, a vicepresident and twenty members who develop different areas of focus to defend the interest of women through the formulation of policies in all fields and ensure that their voices can influence the decision-making of all levels. In addition, their efforts help improve women’s access to experience, finance, mentoring, training, global networks and B2B collaborations - among others - to promote the expansion and empowerment of businesses in feminine entrepreneurship.

Another important factor was my appointment as a member of the Miami Dade County Public Schools Wellness Committee, a position of honour that furthered my commitment to continue supporting educational initiatives for the well-being of future generations. This, added to the fact of being an ambassador for great brands recognised worldwide, contributed to my being able to actively join in various social assistance projects to empower Latino women and disadvantaged children.

Everything that I experienced inspired me to found Women in Leadership, a movement supporting women and their endeavours in favour of social transformation. And that is my purpose: to support and educate women to take action and to eradicate the poverty in which they find themselves.

largest global organisation dedicated to helping women and their progress and the Women’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry of India (WICCI), where my role is to develop strategies to promote the industry for the advancement of women in business.

We are organising powerful events this year in Silicon Valley, Los Angeles and Houston. Thank you very much for your commitment to me and to the organisation: Maria Kim, Vice-president of WICCI Western USA We will have national and international figures representing five continents, among our guests are María Ríos, called the Queen of Trash, Viola Edward corporate Advisor and social entrepreneur, Olga Balakleets, Cultural Entrepreneur, Maria Kim from the Textile Industry, Elizabeth Chalas Berman owner of Inka Cola a Coca - Cola brand , Verónica Sosa Businesswoman and our Media Sponsor, Dr. Pauline Long Philanthropic and social entrepreneur, Carlos Fraga, Author and social communicator host of TV and Radio, Steve Sandoval Strategy and Corporate Advisor, Leopoldo Nieto Strategy and Corporate Advisor, Perla Buenrostro Entrepreneur, Karen Bruges Entrepreneur.

There is much to do in these uncertain times to support women and families and the community.

Each woman should feel supported, guided and protected

This year’s events

The most important mission in my life now, is to help humanity to regain economic stability and I do so through the Women Economic Forum, the

42

Irma Sánchez is president of the Women’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry of India Western USA Chapter. She is a social communicator, Strategy and Corporations Advisor, Latina Women’s Advocate, Brand Ambassador, Entrepreneur and Philanthropist. She is also a developer of American and Latin American corporations for national and international markets; working in conjunction with embassies and Chambers of Commerce.

WOMEN oFTRUTH

MASTERCLASSES monday night 7pm cet

tickets on eventbrite

MAY

April

March

February

January

Body Mind Integration where Spirit & Science

REVOLUTIONISING

womens www.heleniqa.com CONFERENCE+RETREAT

Health 43

1-10 OCTOBER 2021

Pashion Fashion

Sustainability in

Fashion 44

Founder of Victoria Grace Fashion, Jennifer Ijeoma Rönne, discusses the direction of Sustainability in Fashion and how it is the responsibility of the consumer and the fashion industry to tackle the effects of fashion on the environment.

Is Sustainability in Fashion becoming a buzz word that is seen to be thrown around and sometimes lacking depth and substance?

The conversation about Sustainability in Fashion involves many facets. It can start by addressing the issues, plights and trials in any ecosystem where fashion items are being produced and consumed and needle its way through the supply chain from crop to cloth with/without consideration for the culture, economic development and societal norms and habits of the country and people.

What is becoming more evident is that one shoe does not fit all. For example, when Sustainability is used in the Fashion space for the issues of an African-American, it can be quite different for an African designer living on the Continent. Both are BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and People of Colour); and can be addressed under the umbrella of black owned business, but as one faces issues strongly from race and colonialism, the other faces issues strongly from bias and nepotism.

Therefore discussions in this Sustainability sphere come and go in different directions and need to address specific issues which bring current and totally new facets to the same topic of Sustainability. So buzz word or not, Sustainability is relevant and here to stay.

The question of Sustainability depends on the person and where they operate from and live

45

Pashion Fashion

In my opinion, the question of Sustainability and its answers or solutions would also depend on the person and where they operate from and live. There are many definitions of Sustainability, today this is my best, it addresses where I am at now on the subject. This was by McGill University: ‘’Sustainability means meeting our own needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. In addition to natural resources, we also need social and economic resources. Sustainability is not just environmental- ism’’. This definition touches on how an African Designer can be active in the Sustainability dialogue, and since Sustainability can mean Inclusion, which means that some have been excluded from the dialogue, that is some have not been counted or represented, it also touches on the rising issue of Bias in Fashion.

Whether Sustainability means radical transparency and accountability, what is beginning to matter are the individual steps taken with honesty, and about the difference one can make and show they are making. We have

46

noticed during COVID-19 a culture of calling out.

It has positively made the Fashion industry leap frog towards becoming 100% responsible for their contribution in record time, but it has also created a culture of Green washing which has further confused the customer on what is really going on.

Both consumers and producers are encouraged to be conscious, to opt for slow fashion, to reuse, recycle, repurpose and up cycle. The producer is encouraged to use natural and recycled fibres as well as adapt to pattern cutting techniques that keep waste to its minimum. The battle is to curb fast fashion and pressurised consumerism. This is a fight shared by all on the planet.

African designers are encouraged to continue in their way of slow fashion; by making made to order luxury fashion, heritage fashion, keeping up with the use of local artisanal skills such as embroidery, textile designing and woven techniques. Some have had to clear up the second-hand markets by upcycling; using up the

excess deadstock which fills the local markets, to make timeless and essential designs. African designers continue to look for ways to turn their food and fruit waste into natural dyes and biodegradable fabrics.

In 2019, the UK consumed 11.1 million single use outfits for holidays which later got binned.

According to WRAP (the Waste and Resource Action Plan), the average clothing is used for 3.3 years (UK). As a result, options to swap, reuse, repurpose and even not buy at all are at the top of the Sustainability dialogue which involves everyone’s participation.

Gucci announced its new climate strategy at the World Economic Forum 2021 in Davos. The Natural Climate Solutions Portfolio champions regenerative agriculture, looking beyond the brands commitment to carbon neutrality towards restoring environments impacted by deforestation. Tackling the effects of fashion on the environment requires all stakeholders to be fully responsible for their output. The abuse and issues with deforestation, wildlife preservation and biodiversity affects both us and the planet in many harmful ways.

It takes up to 10,000 litres of water to produce a single pair of Jeans. It goes without saying that upcycling Jeans is great way to go. One should also choose to re-wear and repair.

Consumers should be exposed via Social Media to brands which choose to make timeless products that can be ones companion for years and a brand that takes damaged second hand clothes and upcycles and repurposes. Victoria Grace Fashion based out of Togo West Africa is committed to both.

Designers should reduce their production and use past purchases as indicators to create.

Seasonal collections may have to be a thing of the past. If a products end-of-life cannot be recycled, upcycled or will end up in a landfill, then do not create it.

In the meantime, we look forward to seeing more qualified manufactures who meet the standards of the GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standards)

Certifications – A textile production certification limiting the use of toxic bleaches, dyes and other chemical inputs during the production process of textiles. It is internationally recognised as the toughest organic textile standard because it goes beyond verifying the organic farming process to include every step of manufacturing.

In conclusion, I would like to take insights from The Circular Economy Action Agenda for Textiles released February 2021 which outlines the key opportunities available to enable a full system shift: (a) To incentivise and support design for longevity and recyclability. (b) To produce virgin natural fibres sustainably, including land use. (c) To encourage the market to use less clothing and for longer. (d) To guide and support new business models for environmental, financial and social triple-win. (e) Where used textiles trade occurs, ensure environmental and socio-economic benefits. (f) To strategically plan collection, sorting and recycling operations. (g) To increase efficiency and quality in textiles sorting. (h) To make the recycled fibres market competitive. (i) To integrate and advance decent work in the transition to a circular economy for textile. (j) To investigate the socio-economic impacts of a circular economy for textiles In the words of Vivienne Westwood: Buy less, Choose well and Make it last Victoria Grace is an ethical fashion and lifestyle brand created in Africa. Our label is a fusion of world cultures; bridging differences in a blend of styles, fabrics and colours, each style tells a story. It was established in Lagos, Nigeria in 2016. Today, we have reinvented ourselves as a social, ethical and sustainable brand building communities, helping those found along our value chain, advocating for change, transparency, and fair trade whilst actively promoting Made in Africa. Victoria Grace has featured on several media platforms worldwide for their contribution towards Style and Sustainability.

Jennifer Ijeoma Rönne is the founder of Victoria Grace Fashion. After first working in the fashion industry, Jennifer changed course to work with KPMG, Lehman Brothers and Morgan Stanley before relocating to Lagos, Nigeria in 2008. She returned to fashion in 2016 after holding a couple of conferences supporting the Nigerian textile and manufacturing industry. www.victoriagracefashion.com - pr@victoriagracefashion.com

47

Mindset & Emotion

9 Steps to help you Face

CHALLENGE

48

Mentor and Facilitator of Creative Strategies, Yola Fortes, offers some guidance on how not to give up in the face of challenge especially in this time of the Covid-19 pandemic, with nine positive and easy to follow steps.

Incredible that it has been a year since the beginning of the pandemic... a year full of challenges, but above all, of extraordinary growth and efforts.

So how can we NOT GIVE UP IN THE FACE OF CHALLENGES? Well, by taking steps, one after the other, with firmness, even if the soul trembles.

Let us take the FIRST STEP: Recognise you are stronger than you want to assume. And that happens because we make the ugly words others tell us our own. The more people tell you that you can’t or don’t know, the more strength you must apply to do what you want to do or learn what you don’t know.

For the SECOND STEP: Be good to yourself.

Stop looking at yourself in the mirror and thinking negatively. Stop criticising and judging yourself, every step you take. Think well of yourself, look at yourself with the same eyes you look at the one you love and speak in the same tone you want to be spoken to.

In the THIRD STEP: Rest. Rest. Rest. Turn off the phone. No cell phone in bed. Take the opportunity to read a book or write in your magic notebook...

Smile, even if you don’t feel like it.

the one in which you leave your shadows. Empty your mind of your daily life and sow expressions of light...

Next, the FOURTH STEP: Smile. Smile, even if you don’t feel like it. Smile because after two seconds you will feel how your inner expression changes and your heart beats...

Let’s go to STEP FIVE: Have fun. Don’t lock yourself up when things are forced. Go for a walk, have a drink with friends, have lunch with your family, but don’t lock yourself away, because that will only cause your mind to collapse and you won’t be able to see or feel objectively...

For the SIXTH STEP: Analyse where you are and everything which depends on you. Work on what you can change and write a script so you don’t lose your vision, your spirit or your motivation...

And as a gift... THREE MORE STEPS! Let’s go to the SEVENTH STEP: Breathe.

Breathe being aware of how your abdomen swells as you breathe in and deflates as you breathe out. Three breaths before, for example, a complicated meeting, and you will enter serene and focused.

Now STEP EIGHT: Meditate. I know it’s a trendy thing to do but... meditate. If you empty your computer or cell phone files so they stop running slow, how do you empty your mind? Yes... also... in previous steps we talked about writing, but meditating involves emptying, calming down, improving focus and concentration. Sit in a chair, back straight and hands resting on your knees.

Breathe three times, deeply, and let the thoughts come and go until they find their place....

Finally the NINTH and last STEP: Live “comfortable”. Check your notebook daily and repeat the phrases you write down which give you strength. Work on new habits to make you feel safe. Give yourself reminders, for example, with a glass writing pen, write a phrase on the bathroom mirror to help you remember.

BUT ABOVE ALL, BE GENUINE...

BE YOURSELF!

Yola Fortes is a Mentor and Facilitator of Creative Strategies for Building

New Leadership and Eliminator of Mental Straws. She is the CEO and Founder of WeAllWin! Mentoring Intl, with a mission to help create collaborative value, genuine leaders and adaptive organisations. She has a Masters in Motivational Social Coaching and is studying for a Masters in Social Innovation.

Hola@yolafortes.com - www.yolafortes.com

49

Body & Health

5 Steps to Eating a

Healthy Lunch

Whilst Working from Home

50

Having helped hundreds of people to understand why they have unhealthy eating behaviours, Jules Francis, provides us with five tips on how to ensure you eat a healthy lunch while working from home.

Are you bored of the same lunch day in and day out? Or are you struggling to find time to prepare something healthy and nutritious? You are not alone!

During the first lockdown in 2020, I helped hundreds of people with ideas and motivation for eating well when working from home and now I can share some of those tips with you. All you need is a simple system.

The thing to remember is that everyone’s relationship with food is so unique. You might be someone who already had a great relationship with food and being at home more is now an incredible opportunity to bake more, batch cook more, experiment with new recipes, even detox your kitchen!

Or you could be someone who was already challenged by food, cooking or eating and this has heightened those challenges as added distractions which have now been thrown into the mix. This might be home-schooling, needing to share your workspace with someone else, organising the house, and being so close to the fridge!

Some of the biggest challenges I find my clients struggle with when it comes to preparing healthy lunches are lack of boundaries, lack of schedule,

Everyone’s relationship with food is so unique

lack of time, lack of ideas and lack of other people around inviting you to take a break.

There are so many benefits to eating well during the day. For a start, it boosts your concentration and productivity, gives your body the right nutrients to thrive, gives your mind a break from work to rejuvenate, helps with digestion, absorption and elimination processes and avoids snacking.

So, let us look at the five steps you can apply right away to improve your lunches whilst working from home.

Step 1: Schedule in the time

If you work for someone else or run your own business it is so easy to find your diary being booked up with meetings, appointments or phone calls right when you were meant to take a lunch break. Not being able to cancel at the last-minute leaves you at risk of skipping lunch all together and before you know it, time has flown by and its nearly dinner time!

To avoid this, book some time out in your diary in advance, every day for a lunch break. At the very worst, 15 minutes, at the best, an hour.

Somewhere in between is also a great start!

Please be aware that if the time you schedule out is on the lower end of the spectrum – like 15 minutes – this is the eating time – not the prepping time. It’s important that you eat and digest properly and not gulp it down and then wonder where the food went!

Which brings me on to Step 2: Get organised

The thing about working from home is that food is more readily available and right in front of you – especially if your desk is set up in the kitchen.

So, it’s best to plan in advance to avoid too much snacking or grazing.

Begin by selecting a couple of options from the following three suggestions.

The first option is to select 3-5 dishes which take between 5 and 10 minutes to prepare.

51

Body & Health

52

Some suggestions are scrambled eggs/tofu with smoked salmon/beetroot/spinach or smashed avocado on sourdough toast or a variety of salads, an omelette with mushrooms/sweetcorn or a wrap with various fillings.

The next option is to go with something you have already prepared and perhaps frozen or ate the evening before for dinner. Ideas for this could be quesadilla, soup, dhal, roasted veg, stews or stir fries. They are simple to re-heat and enjoy with hardly any preparation time needed.

And the third option is a combination of the 2!

Pre-cook a grain like rice, bulghar wheat or lentils and on the day, throw in a few things to make a quick salad with the grain as the base ingredient.

Then simply add ingredients like avocado, feta, beetroot, tuna, walnuts, sugar snap peas or simply anything you have in the fridge!

Let’s now look at Step 3: Prepare snacks in advance

It is so easy to graze when you are under stress or are feeling anxious, overwhelmed or even bored. In order to avoid grazing on processed food which will drain you of energy and make you want to fall asleep at the desk – try having healthy snacks available instead.

A few quick ideas are roasted chick-peas, hummus and carrot sticks, apple and nut butter, rice cakes and tahini, or yoghurt and fresh fruit.

Step into the designated eating area so you can really enjoy eating. Ideally this is where the rest of the family enjoy their food with you too and even more ideally is that it is at the same time as you!

Eating mindfully, really enjoying the food and the company is so important to our mental and physical wellbeing.

Step 5: Stay hydrated

I would like to ask you what do you do when you see a plant wilting? Yes, you water it. Well with people, if we are wilting, we are already dehydrated. To avoid this, sip water regularly throughout the day. There are so many benefits to drinking water and it is by far the best choice of drink to keep all the organs of your body at their optimum health.

If you don’t like the taste experiment with adding fresh mint, cucumber, strawberries or a slice of lime.

Being well hydrated not only keeps your brain and your body alert but also prevents you from snacking when in actual fact it could be thirst you are feeling, not hunger.

If you found these tips helpful and would like to receive a free recipe e-book, click on this link to receive your copy. julesfrancis.com/ healthylunches

If this feels too much – throw some veg and fruit in a blender and have a smoothie!

How about putting a few small bowls around the house full of fruit like blueberries or strawberries or satsumas which you can easily grab, or even nuts and seeds?

Step 4: Eat away from your desk

You may or may not have a separate room to work in like an office or a study and that’s okay – you can still eat away from your desk even if your desk is the dining room/kitchen table.

Book some time out in your diary in advance, every day for a lunch break

Simply change position – section the room (or the table) into working and eating spaces so your brain knows if you are in the eating space it’s a technology free zone.

Jules Francis is the go-to-expert for career-driven women who are looking to transform their relationship with food. She has helped hundreds of people from all walks of life to help them understand the underlying causes of why they have unhealthy eating behaviours. International speaker, an awardwinning health coach, best-selling co-author of a book on Confidence. www.julesfrancis.com - jules@julesfrancis.com

53

Business

Being a Young

Business Owner during the Pandemic

54

Multicultural specialist in foreign trade, Maria Kim, talks about her business success during the Pandemic and how it has been an opportunity worldwide to make us stop and think of the changes we want to make.

You may think starting a new business during the Pandemic is too challenging and risky. Will you make any mistakes? Is it too dangerous to innovate? What if you make a bad investment?

And the answers are – yes, mistakes are inevitable, innovation is always dangerous, and we need to face all the consequences of our actions. Now, whether we turn this danger into success is up to us. Actually, the Covid-19 Pandemic brought hidden business opportunities which can be discovered and transformed into advantages for our companies and personal lives.

Pandemic effects and challenges

I come from a family business operating in the trading of textile products all over Latin America and Asia, giving them consulting and logistic services.

By the beginning of 2020, the struggles were real: tendencies in consumption suddenly changed, and so did the sales of many standard products.

By April, sales in the retail apparel/accessories stores dropped more than 50 percent. The US exports in apparel products decreased around 30 percent as people worked from home and spent less on garments. In the US, the flow in trade of raw material and shipments of yarns decreased 30% and fabrics around 20% . In Guatemala, the imports of yarns decreased by 11%, while the imports of textiles (fabrics) decreased by 22% (Banco de Guatemala).

Moreover, the increasing lockdown orders, the application of new non-tariff measures, and the restrictions on exits/entrances at borders, created a disbalance in trade. While many of the containers travelled from Asia to all over the world full of medical products, they came back empty, creating supply-demand problems, skyrocketing the price of sea and air logistics.

In order to make real profit, I opened my own business in April with what I thought were millionaire opportunities: I had suppliers of

Covid-19 related products, potential buyers and enormous margins on the table.

What I did not know then is that, at the same time, many people were also joining the market: people who had never done international business before and were trying to trade products, creating a toxic market full of scams, threats and mistrust.

In addition, I made a big mistake: I invested the little money I had in the imports of masks right before the market prices dropped dramatically.

By the time they arrived in LA, it became extremely hard to sell them.

All of these experiences have been a real challenge and sometimes discouraging. And yet, by the end of the year, our sales in textile yarns had increased over 22% year-over-year and my own business increased the quantity of customers exponentially, its sales and visibility once I found the right opportunity. How?

It is not about the unicorn

Covid-19 has been - and still is - an opportunity worldwide to make us stop and think of the changes we want to make, how we can improve, and the new potential networks we can create to grow both professionally and personally.

I learned that it is not a matter of becoming a unicorn company from one day to the other, but instead, we need to know to adapt to the current context and work hard to achieve our goals.

One of the most important recommendations I would make is to leave Netflix on one side and expand our networking. Keep in touch with your current customers and contacts, but continue trying to reach new ones, doing videocalls, joining online conferences and creating strategic partnerships. You never know when you will meet the right people who may change your life and the right customers to make the difference in your pocket.

Although I spent several months on many calls that did not make me a penny, many of them allowed me to create a great network that in the end involved me in organisations such as the Women Economic Forum, Women in International Trade and the USMCOCCA.

55

Business

Plus, because we kept advising our current and potential customers from the textiles industry, when the opportunity came, many of them started purchasing like never before. We were just there for them at the right moment to assist them.

Another issue is the importance of having good presence in social media and online marketing.

Investing in the right communication strategy is the key on how you want to show your company and yourself.

When I started investing in Facebook ads, someone posted a gif in one of our publications saying that the money invested in this platform was completely worthless. In the first two months I thought it was somehow true, but my communication team kept insisting we needed to keep trying to promote different services and exploring our market until we found the right target and star service. When we finally found them, the interactions of the publications increased more than 16000% (yes!) and the visits to our social media pages increased by 300%.

because I was being selected as a paymaster of the group instead of him!

These challenges may actually discourage you when you are doing business. However, if we start believing in them as disadvantages, they may become our reality. We need to let our positive thoughts lead us, be constantly creating good habits, and sustaining ethical business.

By continually looking to educate ourselves, there is no doubt we shall discover opportunities and transform them into the advantages to change our lives.

This is also true with the clothing industry.

Although the traditional sales decreased during 2020, the Pandemic benefited those companies which innovated and invested in online platforms.

Last but not least, it is important to constantly analyse the market and find a niche for your company.

If you haven’t done so, I strongly recommend you learn about the market you want to deal with, the political and economic context of the country, and find a specific target to make you unique amongst the competitors.

Believe in yourself!

Personally, as a business owner I face different challenges: as a woman, as part of a minority group – being from Argentina with Asian featuresand for my age.

Last year, during a negotiation, someone called me “f*** little housewife” behind my back and in a very disrespectful context. Why? Simply

Maria Kim, M.A. in International Economy Relations, is a

56

multicultural specialist in foreign trade and the application of non-tariff measures with years of experience in the textile industry, logistics, trading and international business. Vice-president of the WICCI Western USA, Board Member of the Women Economic Forum West Coast (WEF) and of the Women in International Trade (WIT) Los Angeles Chapter.

May 25th - 28th

+300 SPEAKERS

+100

PARTICIPATING COUNTRIES

+50.000 ASSISTANTS

www.wefcaribbean.com

The most important event led by women, connecting the Caribbean to the world in 2021

+50 MASTERCLASS

Spice it Up

From

Factory Worker to

58

Michelin Star Recipient

We are very honoured in this issue of the magazine to feature the Boo Raan Restaurant in Knokke-Heist, Belgium, serving traditional Thai food, they were awarded their first Michelin Star in January.

In January a small Thai restaurant in Knokke-Heist received a Michelin Star, the first and only Thai restaurant in Belgium and Luxembourg to do so.

In their review the Michelin inspectors said: ‘Boo Raan is the best Thai restaurant in Benelux’.

The Boo Raan Restaurant doesn’t have the appearance of a typical Thai restaurant found in most European countries. Not an elephant or lantern in sight, it has a very contemporary feel from the tableware to the interior. This was one of chef Dokkoon Kapueak or Koon’s stipulations when she and business partner Patrick de Langhe started the restaurant in November 2016.

Their story began eight years ago when Patrick asked Koon for a Thai restaurant recommendation. She was working at her Aunt’s Thai massage salon at the time and told him she only ate the Thai food she herself prepared.

Intrigued Patrick asked if she would prepare a traditional Thai meal for him and some visiting friends from America. He was impressed with her cooking and challenged her to provide the food for an event he was organising.

“As an event organiser, I wanted to offer something different from the usual buffet or classic French cuisine,” Patrick says. “Koon delivered and that was when we began discussing the idea of a restaurant. I felt it wasn’t fair not to share her food with other people!”

Koon hails from Isaan, in the north east of Thailand. Her parents were construction workers and she learned to cook living with relatives, while her parents worked.

“I come from a very poor family, we had very little, I finished elementary school and went to Bangkok to work in a factory. My aunt suggested I take massage courses which is what enabled me to get a visa to work for her in Belgium. I had taken some cooking classes in Thailand, but I don’t consider myself a chef, I was never trained properly, but Patrick believed in me, so we started to work on the restaurant project together.”

worked, and every time Patrick came away thinking: Koon cooks better than they do and we will organise our restaurant better. For Boo Raan’s co-owners making money was not the objective, they were driven by a passion to create somewhere people wanted to eat, with a nice atmosphere, smiling people and great food.

The name they decided on, Boo Raan, means Following the Tradition. This they do not only with the food, refusing to tone down the spiciness or adapting to European tastes, but also with the way people eat their food.

“In Thailand they eat with a fork and spoon,” Patrick explains. “So you won’t find chopsticks or knives on our tables. Thais share their food, the dishes are put in the middle of the table for people to share, which is very different from the traditional way Belgians eat.”

They explain these traditions to all new customers arriving at the restaurant. “It’s the event manager in me,” says Patrick smiling, “I want to make each visit to the restaurant an event for people.”

Another tradition they have at the restaurant is no telephone. It is important to Patrick and Koon that all attention is on the customers and not diluted by answering calls. Bookings are taken remotely, with the staff receiving notification of them or any changes by an online booking system.

I want to make each visit to the restaurant an event for people

The first step they took was to check out the competition. They visited at least 20 Thai restaurants in Belgium, to find out how they

Photo Credit: Louise De Langhe

59

Spice it Up

“it may be a small thing, but for us, it is all part of the service we give our customers,” says Koon.

food, it is actually very basic it has always been about the taste.”

Working in the open restaurant is an all-female team of four, all of which were Isaan born, although they met in Belgium. Koon is the only chef. With two sittings each night they are open – Wednesday to Sunday - they are able to serve up to 80 people.

In their guide, Michelin has this to say about the restaurant: “Boo Raan is the best Thai restaurant in Benelux.

The buzzy vibe of this exotic establishment immediately incites you to take a seat as you drool over the menu. Dokkoon Kapueak prepares authentic dishes in the open kitchen to order. A festival of fresh ingredients, spices, unctuosity and manifold flavours explain why Boo Raan is such a benchmark locally and nationally.”

On the night of the Michelin Star awards announcement, Koon and her team were working in the restaurant. As with many events this past year, the Michelin Star awards were held virtually.

Busy in the kitchen, they had the television on in the background and were only paying it limited attention. so when Koon heard the name of Boo Raan mentioned it didn’t sink in at first.

“It was such a shock,” she grins at the memory.

“I only listen to the announcements to keep updated. I was really not prepared for it. I always thought to receive a Michelin Star, the presentation of the food played such a large part. There is no amazing presentation with our

60

However, sticking to the traditional Thai recipes has its challenges. Although there are many Thai shops in Belgium, it is still necessary to import some of the items from Asia and a large part of their budget goes on sourcing the correct ingredients. With COVID-19 this has proved even more challenging with fewer flights and doubling prices. The pandemic has proved a testing time for all, fortunately Boo Raan has been able to continue serving food through a take-away service.

“We are very lucky, our kitchen is set up in such a way we have been able to adapt and continue cooking, “ explains Patrick. “Our food is simple, we are not reliant on lots of fancy sauces and decoration, so we have been able to stay open for take-aways.”

When you are given a chance, take it and make the best of it

Having come from such modest beginnings, Koon is determined to help young people in her native country. Two years ago they started to support the Baan Som Rong school in the part of Thailand Koon is from. They put aside part of the restaurant budget each year and they ask their customers to pay an extra Euro when they want to take their leftover food home from the restaurant, to go to the school. Koon visited the school to discuss what was needed and then presented them with the items.

“I wanted to give back, I had nothing and I understand what it is like to have to go to school in slippers,” says Koon. “We have bought them desks as the children were sitting on the floor, as well as books and sports equipment. They are so grateful for every little bit of help. I find

61

Spice it Up

62

it very emotional, but also very fulfilling to be able to do this. Unfortunately, it hasn’t been possible for me to visit again due to the pandemic, but we continue to support them.”

Despite her success and the Michelin Star, Koon remains very humble. As a young women entrepreneur and an immigrant to Belgium, we asked her what her message would be to other women. The answer is a simple one – Never forget where you came from and be grateful every day for the little things. Never give up, learn every day and when you are given a chance, take it and make the best of it.

“I am lucky to have met Patrick, he is my mentor, my brother, my family. The vision for Boo Raan came from him and together we have made it work.”

Will there be more restaurants?

Koon laughs, “We have this discussion every year. Patrick would like to, but I tell him: you only have one Koon, if you have more of me, it might be possible, but I am only one person.”

Patrick concludes by saying: “It’s not just about knowing how to cook, it’s about having the right people, the right team.

Restaurant hours are long and it’s hard work. Having a good life/work balance is very important.”

So what is next for Boo Raan and its inspiration owners?

The changes they make will be small.

They plan to have their own garden so they can grow their own ingredients and would like to make their own coconut milk.

Their aim is to continue to provide great food in a relaxed environment. They feel receiving the Michelin Star is the highest appreciation and to have achieved one is above anything they expected.

The Boo Raan restaurant is located in Knokke-Heist, Belgium, a seaside resort along the North Sea.

63

Celebrating

International

Women’s Day

As a magazine aimed predominately at female entrepreneurs, we are always supportive of International Women’s Day, which is March 8th.

One of our fundamental beliefs at Business Fit magazine is equality, in all areas of life. Both SHE and Business Fit Magazine work to support women in the entrepreneurial world and we strive to work towards a world where there are no divisions, whether national, ethnic, linguistic, cultural, economic or political.

Significant changes have been made with regards to equality since 1908 when the first seeds were sown to improve the status of women. But there

64

is still a long way to go, with some countries lagging seriously behind in their recognition of women’s rights.

IWD became official in 1975 when the United Nations started celebrating it. In 1996, an International Women’s Day theme was announced and since then a new theme has been announced every year. The purpose of the themes is to spread social and political awareness of women’s struggles around the globe, but it is also aimed at appreciating and expanding the role of women and to empower them in society.

The first theme in 1996 was: Celebrating the Past, Planning for the Future. The UN themes since then have been: • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

• • • • • • • • •

1997 - Women and the Peace Table 1998 - Women and Human Rights 1999 - World Free of Violence Against Women 2000 - Women Uniting for Peace 2001 - Women and Peace: Women Managing Conflicts 2002 - Afghan Women Today: Realities and Opportunities 2003 - Gender Equality and the Millennium Development Goals 2004 - Women and HIV/AIDS 2005 - Gender Equality Beyond 2005; Building a More Secure Future 2006 - Women in Decision-making 2007 - Ending Impunity for Violence Against Women and Girls 2008 - Investing in Women and Girls 2009 - Women and Men United to End Violence Against Women and Girls 2010 - Equal Rights, Equal Opportunities: Progress for All 2011 - Equal Access to Education, Training, and Science and Technology: Pathway to Decent Work for Women 2012 - Empower Rural Women, End Poverty and Hunger 2013 - A Promise is a Promise: Time for Action to End Violence Against Women 2014 - Equality for Women is Progress for All 2015 - Empowering Women, Empowering Humanity: Picture it!

2016 - Planet 50-50 by 2030: Step It Up for Gender Equality 2017 - Women in the Changing World of Work: Planet 50-50 by 2030 2018 - Time is Now: Rural and urban activists transforming women’s lives 2019 - Think Equal, Build Smart, Innovate for Change 2020 - “I am Generation Equality: Realizing Women’s Rights ”

For 2021, the UN theme - Women in leadership: Achieving an equal future in a COVID-19 world

was launched. It celebrates the enormous efforts made by women and girls worldwide in shaping a more equal future and recovery from the pandemic. It recognises that women have been at the front line working as health care workers, nurses, caregivers, community organisers. It also highlights that some of the most effective national leaders during these challenging times have been women. Leaders in Denmark, Ethiopia, Finland, Germany, Iceland, New Zealand and Slovakia have been recognised for their rapid, decisive and effective response to the pandemic, while communicating public health information in a compassionate and factual way.

Unfortunately COVID-19 has also highlighted new barriers for women, with increased domestic violence, unpaid care duties, unemployment and poverty.

In more recent years a hashtag campaign has also been introduced with the campaign theme for 2021 being #ChooseToChallenge.

On the International Women’s Day website, they explain the thinking behind this year’s theme as: “A challenged world is an alert world. Individually, we’re all responsible for our own thoughts and actions - all day, every day.

We can all choose to challenge and call out gender bias and inequality. We can all choose to seek out and celebrate women’s achievements.

Collectively, we can all help create an inclusive world.

From challenge comes change, so let’s all choose to challenge.”

The #ChooseToChallenge campaign asks for Individuals and organisations to send in their photographs adopting this years theme pose, which is to raise your right hand showing your commitment to challenging inequality. To participate, go to: internationalwomensday.com Previous campaign themes have included: 2020: #EachforEqual 2019: #BalanceforBetter 2018: #PressforProgress, 2017: #BeBoldforChange 2016: #PledgeforParity We at Business Fit Magazine join with all our readers and contributors to celebrate International Women’s Day 2021 and continue to work towards a world of equality.

65

66

67

68