NOVE M BE R 2 0 2 0 I S S UE N O . 10 ÂŁ2.25
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Andrea McLean
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FOREWORD
TAKI NG
CHARG E A few weeks back, we were having a lunchtime chat and talked about plans, ideas, and life choices. Buying a house, getting married, and all in the midst of a pandemic. All of a sudden, overwhelm washed over us. I quickly gathered my thoughts and stood up in the middle of the room to do an improv acting representation of how our worries are either related to something that is not there yet or things we cannot do anything about. As I was shuffling between past, present, and future in my best rendition of a charade game, I pointed out that, although valid, the outcomes linked to the 250 future scenarios that may happen at any given time is something we sadly cannot control. Living too much in the future is taxing our little brains with questions we seldom have answers for. I was trying to use this example
as a reminder that, if we focus too much on what we cannot control, anxiety and pure paralysis will kick in. After my improv session, we sat down and both wrote up to 5 things we could control in that given moment. This is a very simple way to reframe the way we look at ourselves and the world. Currently, so many people are feeling the pressure of carrying the weight of the world on their shoulders. What can you control today? Maybe it’s the way you talk to yourself, or how you manage your day or the way you interact and support your partner. Write down up to 5 things you can think of. If you are feeling overwhelmed this month, remember that as human beings we are constantly learning and that listening within sometimes is all you really need.
Fab Giovanetti Editor in Chief
FAB’S FAVES PUMPKIN SEASON
Call me a walking cliche, if you may, but nothing screams cosiness more than pumpkin spice lattes.
FAIRY LIGHTS
Days are getting shorter, we are spending a lot of time at home. Anything that can brighten up our home is an added bonus - so the fairy lights are coming out of retirement early!
SAD LIGHT ALARM
My mum bought me a SAD light alarm clock 8 years ago. I use it in Winter to mimic the sun rising and wake me up much more refreshed. Best investment ever.
CREATIVE IMPACT MAG | 03
CREATIVE IMPACT
EDITORIAL
MAGAZINE
Editor-in-Chief Fab Giovanetti Contribution Editor Amy Lanza
CONTRIBUTORS Columnist Charlotte Willis; Hannah Wallace Special thanks to Andrea McLean, Niomi Smart, Greta Solomon, Amy Meegan, Jessica Barlow, Sarah Wasser, Alexandra Taylor, the team at Beder's as well as shortlisted for this year's awards.
Did you know our members get FREE issues every month?
BACK ISSUES Creative Impact is the ultimate tool and resource for creatives and conscious entrepreneurs. Current members of the Collective will be able to download each issue directly for free as well as back issues on the online platform.
CLICK HERE
Website creativeimpact.group/collective
VISUALS & MORE Lead Designer Michael Cavalli Stock photography Pexels; Rawpixel; Unsplash Affiliate links Amazon Associates
Creative Impact Mag
is part of Creative Impact group For inquiries or suggestions, contact us at: Website creativeimpact.group Email info@creativeimpact.group Advertising brands@creativeimpact.group
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04 | CREATIVE IMPACT MAG
FIND OUT MORE AT
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CONTENTS
18
I N TH I S I SSU E POSITIVE CHANGE
|
NOVEMBER 2020
32
ISSUE NO. 10
34
ESSENTIALS 03
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68
FEATURES
WELLBEING
18
Cover feature
58
Best Brands
05 Contents
26
Andrea McLean
61
On the bookself
06 Good news
34
Words for the soul
62
STOP anxiety
09
Monthly calendar
40 Reading list
66
Hannah Wallace column
10
Awards calendar
68
Manage stress
13
Mission statement
70
Promo: FiiT
14
Charlotte Sophie column
44 Future creatives
14
Podcast
47
16
Expert profile
50 Marketing 101
74
Awards Special Intro
32
Founder series
52
Instagram carousels
78
Promo: One Planet Pizza
39
Behind the content
54
5 Instant upgrades
80 Recipes
Editor's note
PRO SECTION
FOODIE
Stories for thought
CREATIVE IMPACT MAG | 05
Good
IN THE NEWS
NEWS As we are consuming news more than ever, we thought we’d bring you our very own special roundup of happy news.
Howling With Joy NATURE | US
After 45 years the gray wolf has successfully been lifted off the US endangered species list. After more than 45 years as a listed species, the gray wolf has exceeded all conservation goals for recovery. Numbers of gray wolves have soared over the last four decades—from under a hundred refugees hiding out in northeastern Minnesota and Michigan’s upper peninsula to around 6,000 individuals. Gray wolves inhabit mostly wild and inaccessible areas and are very territorial. They tend to claim familiar den sites, travel routes and feeding grounds. Wolves have been populating forests for centuries. In recent years, they have suffered not only from habitat loss, but they also endure revenge killings for attacks on wild stock. YOU CAN HELP This month, you guessed it. We are highlighting the wolf. Search online to find more information from WWF, and many zoos around the world that need your help. ADOPT A GRAY WOLF FROM WWF
06 | CREATIVE IMPACT MAG
IN THE NEWS
Be cool and dope FOOD | US
After facing bullying at school, the spirited 7-year-old decided to channel his energy into something positive instead. Initially funded by his own savings, Bell started out by distributing care packages filled with food and toiletries for his elderly neighbors. Over time, the popular project snowballed. With contributions pouring in from Amazon and GoFundME, he launched a food pantry staged in space donated by a local warehouse. In addition to his humanitarian aid work, Bell has also launched his own nonprofit, Cool & Dope. The organization’s mission is to combat bullying and spread positivity through acts of kindness.
Veganuary welcomed its 1 millionth participant
Saving the planet ENVIRONMENT | JAPAN
The race to net-zero accelerated this week with Japan, the world’s third largest economy, and South Korea, its 12th, committing to becoming carbon neutral by 2050. In a speech that made the economic case for tackling the climate crisis, Japan’s prime minister, Yoshihide Suga, said: “We need to change our thinking to the view that taking assertive measures against climate change will lead to changes in industrial structure and the economy that will bring about growth.”
Facebook’s wellness plan HEALTH | GLOBAL
It started out as a conversation between a husband and wife at a kitchen table in Yorkshire. 6 years later, Veganuary, the movement to get people to go vegan for 31 days in January, has inspired one million people to take part. “When my wife Jane and I decided to launch a new year’s vegan pledge in 2014 we expected 1,000 people,” said Veganuary co-founder Matthew Glover. “Veganuary is a bigger feature in the retail calendar than Christmas. One million official Veganuary participants in just 7 years is a huge achievement.”
Facebook has published a new report which looks at evolving consumer behaviors as a result of COVID-19, specifically focusing on 'mindful wellness' and conservative shopping habits. The report looks at the causes, and how the stresses of 2020 have prompted many to re-think how they spend their time and money. That leads to new marketing ideas for brands as 50% of consumers have "sought out small indulgences to treat themselves".
Are you a genius?
Pinterest representation
During an episode of Hello Monday, a LinkedIn News podcast, Craig Wright, PhD, author of The Hidden Habits of Genius, explains that the term encompasses so much that we don’t realize. Dr. Wright explains that there are a lot of traits that can signify genius, but having them doesn’t guarantee that someone actually is a genius. One thing all geniuses do have in common, he says, is thinking against the grain. “We need contrarians. If you’re a contrarian thinker…then you’re on the path to genius.”
Pinterest has announced some new initiatives to ensure creators from minority groups receive equal representation on the platform. Pinterest says that it will now ensure that 50% of the managed creators it works with come from underrepresented groups. Pinterest is also adding a new Community Information tab in business profiles, which will enable retailers, advertisers and creators to self-identify if they’re from an underrepresented group, so that their content can be highlighted in relevant spaces.
BUSINESS | UK
SCIENCE | GLOBAL
BUSINESS | GLOBAL
CREATIVE IMPACT MAG | 07
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08 | CREATIVE IMPACT MAG
COMING UP
NOVEMBER11 CALENDAR
November | VEG PLEDGE CHALLENGE Take the Veg Pledge Challenge yourself to go vegetarian for the month of November to raise money for Cancer Research UK.
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Thur 5th | GUY FAWKES NIGHT UK Guy Fawkes Nigh, also known as Bonfire Night, marks the anniversary of the discovery of a plot organized by Catholic conspirators to blow up the Houses of Parliament in London in 1605. In the UK, many people light bonfires (and now set off fireworks) to celebrate the fact that King James I had survived the attempt on his life.
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CREATIVE IMPACT MASTERCLASS: Goal setting mastermind Tue 3rd November | 2pm Join us at the beginning of each month we gather for this live workshop. We'll welcome members to join us on Zoom to share, brainstorm, and explore ideas and solutions as they're building, launching, and growing their brands. FIND OUT MORE HERE
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Fri 13th | WORLD KINDNESS DAY
Sun 1st | WORLD VEGAN DAY
CREATIVE IMPACT AWARDS 2020 Tue 11th - Fri 13th November Find out more on the next page
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Sat 14th | WORLD DIABETES DAY
16 CREATIVE IMPACT MEMBERS: Office hours + welcome new members Tue 17th November | 4pm Each month, we're hosting live 1-hour sessions to discuss any questions or struggles you may have. This is a special office hours, as it also introduces the platform to new members and is geared towards some fun networking prompts. FIND OUT MORE HERE
Wed 25th | SHOPPING REMINDER DAY Fri 27th | BLACK FRIDAY Sat 28th | SMALL BUSINESS SATURDAY
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Mon 30th | CYBER MONDAY
Wed 18th | MICKEY MOUSE BIRTHDAY Mickey Mouse first appeared publicly in the short film “Steamboat Willy� on November 18, 1928, the day fans officially recognize as Mickey Mouse’s Birthday.
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Thur 26th | THANKSGIVING The annual holiday celebrating the harvest and other blessings of the past year. Americans generally believe that their Thanksgiving is modeled on a 1621 harvest feast shared by the English colonists (Pilgrims) of Plymouth and the Wampanoag people.
CREATIVE IMPACT MAG | 09
NOVEMBER11 SPECIAL CALENDAR - SUBJECT TO CHANGE
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Creative Impact Awards 2020 The awards provide a unique opportunity to celebrate creatives from the UK and Ireland (and this year open also to Europe!). Celebrating the best creatives who make a positive impact in the world representing the epitome of all digital content platforms.
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For our fifth year anniversary, we are looking to test a new way to create a whole inclusive experience at scale by connecting with talented creatives to bring the whole experience online – without losing out personal touch.
WEDNESDAY 11 th
8
THURSDAY 12 th
November
9
November
10 11
11:00
Networking and welcome
11:00
Networking and goal setting
12
11:30
ow to write from the Heart H with Greta Solomon
11:30
Overcoming sabotage workshop
Plant-based lifestyle and benefits of cold-press juicing
12:30
Goal pillars workshop
13:00
ow to create urgency when H going evergreen with Deadline Funnel
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12:00
Early afternoon
Early afternoon
12:30
Confidence workshop
13:00
riting better emails W with Convertkit
13:30
rganise your social media O content calendar
13:30
ow to use podcasts H to grow your brand
14:00
mpowering women in fitness E and on social media
14:00
elling a story through T visual content
Mid-afternoon break
Mid-afternoon break 15:00
Integration + networking session
15:30
How to overcome selfdepreciation workshop
24
15:00
Integration + networking session
25
15:30
ey steps to create an engaged K community with Mighty Networks
15:30
ow to nail your next H online meeting
16:00
ow to successfully H build an expert brand
16:00
ow to empower a healthier H society in the online world
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End of day
End of day
17:00
ioneering the plant-based P space and industry
17:00
ow to build long-lasting habits H for yourself and your health
18:00
Closing day + meditation
18:00
Closing day + meditation
AWARDS CALENDAR
FRIDAY 13 th November
12:00
Networking and goal setting
14:00
n creating viral content and O engaging online through video
THE AWARD CATEGORIES
Mid-afternoon break 15:00
e-thinking PR and fostering R relationships with the media
15:00
ow to create effective sales H funnels
16:00
ow to hack your mindset to H manifest business growth
17:00
teps to creating a more inclusive S and accessible brand
End of day 17:45
Ceremony: 20-min sponsor panel
18:30
Ceremony: winners
Wellbeing
The shakers
Mindful living
Best of the best
• • • •
• • • •
Best Vegan and Plant-Based Lifestyle Best Allergy and Free From Best Nutrition and Science Best Chronic Illness
Best Fitness and Movement Best Sustainability and Zero Waste Best Mental Health Awareness Best Recipe and Food
• • • •
• • • •
Best Campaign Best Book Best Conscious Brand Best Wellbeing Event
Best Podcast Best Instagram account Best Blog Best Coach or Mentor
Get your tickets today to avoid disappointment
ON SALE WEDNESDAY 7 th OCTOBER Click here to find out more or go to
creativeimpact.group/awardsconference
CREATIVE IMPACT MAG | 11
COVER FEATURE
MISSION STATEMENTS
WHAT’S YOUR MISSION? We asked our collective members what’s their mission and how they are looking to make a positive impact on other people and the planet, and here’s what Sarah had to say.
About Sarah
aka sarahwasserpt
Personal trainer and Pilates coach
Bristol, England I’m truly passionate about movement and exercise and hope that I can get everyone I speak to excited and inspired about what it can do for them (and beyond just a fat-loss goal!). I also want to educate people on the fact that their health is not something they can sort out with quick fixes and that it’s more of a long game. Being a mum in midlife I find that many fitness messages and influencers don’t speak to me at this stage of life. We’re fobbed off with one-sizefits-all solutions and the belief that we all want to have that bikini body or that we want to ‘get our pre-baby body back’. My mission is to show women that life is more than this and that we have to work and do things differently at each life stage. And this isn’t just about exercise, but nutrition, habit forming, self-care and more.
MY MISSION IS TO H EL P W O M EN F EEL S T R O NG ER , M O R E C ON F ID E NT AND M O R E E M POWE R ED , G I VI NG T H EM THE TOOL S T O NAVI G AT E THE IR M I D L I F E J O UR NEY ( A N D BE YO ND !) I N A F I T A N D HE A L T H Y W AY . ” Sarah Wässer www.sarahwasser.com
C lic k h er e to se e m o re a b o u t Sa ra h o n In st a
The idea is to provide a full package that will positively impact their health and their lifestyle as a whole. My aim is to have clients leave me with a stronger healthier body, and a body that they can accept and with new found confidence. I’d love for mums to become role models and pass on this love of a healthy lifestyle to their children!
CREATIVE IMPACT MAG | 13
COLUMNIST
CONTEMPLATING WITH CHARLOTTE
Your inner hype man Our columnist Charlotte explores with it's time to own your own brilliance and become your very own 'hype man'
H
ow often do you give yourself credit and thanks for what you do? Whether it be professionally or, more importantly, personally, when was the last time you told yourself you did a great job, or showed yourself some gratitude? If your answers to the aforementioned were anything other than just last week or just the other day, we’ve got some work to do dear reader. An important part of self-care is the reflection, rumination and recognition of your achievements, positive moves, brilliant qualities and personal triumphs. Yet, most of us are swift to sweep our accolades away in favour of wanting to seem humble or unassuming. I like to think that giving yourself credit and appreciation for your achievements, big or small, is akin to channelling your inner Hype Man. When you’ve accomplished something worthy of a self-five and an internal (or external) celebration of your brilliance, your inner Hype Man is channelled onto the main stage of your life, and comes out to give you a boost of energy alongside some much-deserved praise. For those of you who don’t know what a Hype Man is, they’re typically an individual who supports the main artist on stage at a gig, whose sole job it is to get the crowd excited (hyped) and to big-up the main act. A Hype Man is a support system, and makes sure that everyone in the room understands that the main act is kind of a big deal. From the main stage to your inner cognitions, here’s how to channel your inner Hype Man in your everyday life.
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Be strict with yourself at first and schedule a self-checkin every week, perhaps on a lazy Sunday afternoon or during some free-thinking space, such as during a morning run. Use this time to fully and wholeheartedly reflect on your achievements over the past week. These can be as big as acing your interview and being offered a new role, as small as waking up on time every morning this week (equally as impressive), or personal achievements such as ending a toxic relationship, choosing to prioritise yourself over a social “We need to do a better job event, or absolutely of putting ourselves higher bossing it up in the on our own to do list” kitchen last Taco Tuesday evening. Michelle Obama As you give yourself praise, allow yourself to fully appreciate, and fully feel, your own brilliance. This may take the form of a smile on your face, a sense of inner joy or a positive rush of endorphins around your body. Take a few moments to affirm to yourself how unique, creative and wonderful you are. Make a note of these feelings for later reflection when you need a boost. With practice, you’ll begin to get comfortable with praising yourself, and channelling your inner Hype Man will become effortless and frequent. So, next time you do something wonderful for yourself, take the time to contemplate your positive move and give yourself some praise. Celebrating your little moments of genius every day will bring a little more joy, self-compassion and self-love into your consciousness. @charlottesophiewrites
WHAT WE’RE FOLLOWING
DID YOU KNOW
THE LAUGHS OF YOUR LIFE 35+ EPISODES
We have a podcast of our own! The Make an Impact show is now back for its third season. Expect more interviews, inspiring stories and insightful hacks on how to grow your brand online whilst making a positive impact on other people and the planet. CLICK TO SUBSCRIBE
What’s not to love about listening to Doireann’s bubbly and upbeat voice. She brings in guests and you’re just smiling and laughing for the duration of the podcast. I was going to suggest, if you only listen to one episodes to listen to Simon Harris. I remembered how much I loved the interview with Paul Meschar, or with Aoibhín, Doireann’s sister.Instead, I’m going to suggest listening to every episode from the beginning. Enjoy.
Cli ck on an y po dc as t ar tw ork to ge t the lin k
PODCASTS
S P EC I A L E D I T I O N C H OS E N F RO M S H O RT L I ST E D A M Y M E EGA N
THE POWER HOUR 135+ EPISODES
Do you aspire to be that person who leaps out of bed at 6am to get stuff done before the day has even started? If you answered yes to that question then Adrienne Herbert is the lady you need to listen to. Listening to this podcast could help you get into a better routine and set you up for more productive, successful and enjoyable days.
REAL HEALTH 140+ EPISODES
From the day it launched, I’ve been a huge fan of Karl Henry’s podcast. Firstly, I love the length of the podcasts – they’re ideal for my walk to and from work. Like Hazel Wallace, Karl cuts out the poop when it comes to health advice and only interviews qualified experts. It delivers compelling and timely topics every single time.
THE FOOD MEDIC 40+ EPISODES
Hazel has made it on to my podcast list for two years in a row now – congrats to you Dr Hazel. She filters through the nutri-babble and health-waffle to provide the listener with only sound and solid advice for living a healthier and happier life. In fact, Hazel has even been interviewed by Adrienne as part of The Power Hour podcast .
CREATIVE IMPACT MAG | 15
IN PROFILE
EXPERT PROFILE
Jessica Barlow
CV
I’m Jess. I started two businesses in the middle of a pandemic. The first is, changing how care is being delivered in Hackney and the second is making PR easy for founders, solo-prenuers and startups to do it themselves and get the attention on their business that it deserves. I call it the No Agency Method. I’ve helped meditation, nutrition and business coaches as well as cool brands you’ll know and love. In a nutshell, I make PR easy to understand.
Pivoting my career twice!
Job title: Founder Skills that help you:
How can people feel more confident about improving in your field of expertise? Feeling confident is everything, it changes how people perceive you. In order to feel more confident my number one tip is
THE STORY NEEDS TO BE COMPELLING Put yourself in the shoes of the journalist. Ask yourself, would I care about this story/ product I am selling? How do I get a journalist to care about this. Find that sweet spot: gold.
Expertise:
Communication INSTAGRAM WEBSITE
to remember that you are already the expert in what you do. You already are the expert. So, as the expert lead with your knowledge and your expertise, come at your communication from that place of expertise. The confidence will follow, as you’ll be tapping into your zone of genius.
DO RESEARCH ON YOUR AUDIENCE Don’t go for vanity, go where your audience is. If you’re building a business that reaches students, what media are students loving? Don’t target Forbes, just because you read it!
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JUST START. You’re never going to get PR by wishing, hoping and dreaming - it takes action. Write down your goals, get clear on who you want to approach and start pitching he right journalists. Just get going with it.
What is the biggest mistake people make when it comes to your field? Assuming that what they do, or their product is inherently important. Chances are, outside of your inner circle, no one is going to care about what you do more than you. So, in order to take that outsider view and shine a light on your product or yourself, you’ve got to put yourself in that space and think. Why would I care about this? How do I get a journalist to care about this? What is your favourite thing about being part of Creative Impact? Community is everything. When you’re trying to build a business it can be extremely lonely, so being surrounded by a smart, warm and welcoming bunch is really encouraging and keeps you going. It’s like having a space you can dip into and there are cheerleaders there waiting to tell you you’ve done an awesome job today.
Free monthly training
Click to view calendar
Email marketing for online creators CREATIVE IMPACT MAG | 17
COVER FEATURE
W E G O T H E
U N D E R S K I N
with Niomi Smart Interview by Fab Giovanetti
COVER FEATURE
"This is what Smart Skin is all about – being YOU, celebrating being in your own skin, making a positive change in the world and doing better by our people and our planet" N I O M I
N
iomi Smart is a content creator, author of best-selling cookbook Eat Smart. She started her online career around 8 years ago on YouTube: “I had just graduated from University, studying law, but realised that it really wasn’t the career path for me. Instead I somehow fell into the world of social media. Back then it was a very different place, and I used to vlog as a hobby and a way to be creative and talk about the things I’m passionate about like beauty and a plant-based lifestyle.” With a global following of more than 4.6 million across her digital platforms, Niomi puts conscious living at the heart of everything she does, sharing her learnings on sustainability and how we can all make small changes that together, can make a huge difference to protect our planet: “Over the years my online presence has changed, I still only talk about my passions, beliefs and ethos but it’s now a lot more about well-being things like conscious beauty, sustainable fashion and learning to love yourself. It’s been quite a journey and
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S M A R T
it’s opened so many doors.” As an advocate for sustainability, Niomi is the founder of Smart Swap; one of the most successful clothes swap parties in the UK, with her latest event having been sponsored by BBC Earth: “I had the idea to gather women together for a fun Smart Swap party, to swap each other’s clothes instead of going out and splashing the cash on new ones. One person’s ‘old’, becomes another person’s ‘new’!”
She worked on a Stacey Dooley documentary called ‘Are Your Clothes Wrecking the Planet?’ where they looked into ways we can become more sustainable when it comes to fashion: “So many women have clothes at the back of their wardrobe that they haven’t worn in a long time, and probably never will again. We are under constant pressure to keep on top of trends, making us feel like our current clothes are old fashioned, even if they’re only a few months old.” She also hosts educational video series, Smart Chats on her YouTube channel in which she discusses topical matters with figures of note from within the wellness and sustainability space. Last year, Niomi was the UK face of L’Oreal Botanicals, the all-natural, vegan haircare brand and is a proud ambassador for Women for Women International; an initiative to provide women survivors of war with the tools they need to rebuild their lives: “I see my platforms online as an invaluable opportunity to spread these messages, and share what I am
COVER FEATURE
ABOUT NIOMI Follow her work on Instagram @mysmartskin
CREATIVE IMPACT MAG | 21
COVER FEATURE
THREE WAYS TO CREATE SUSTAINABLE WELLBEING HABITS Yoga – A main purpose of yoga practise is to become more aware of your surroundings, so I find that it helps keep me really grounded and connected to myself. I’m actually training to be a yoga teacher at the moment so I’m feeling super in-tune with it all. Eat well – Nutrition can have a massive impact on our mental health, so I’m always conscious about what I put into my body. I live a plant based lifestyle so naturally I eat a lot of healthy foods – fruit, vegetables, nuts, pulses etc – but all in moderation. It’s also important to allow yourself a little treat here and there. Digital Detox – Despite having a career that is predominantly based online, I can’t stress enough how important it is to take a step back from it all every once in a while. Time away from social media is essential to recharge and stay strong.
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COVER FEATURE
"I wanted to create a range that was sustainable but didn’t compromise on luxurious ingredients, allowing both our skin and our planet to flourish" N I O M I
learning along the way of this journey into sustainability. We are all responsible for doing our bit and making the small changes that together can make a huge difference.” Like most successful creators, Smart is always looking for ways to make a positive impact on her audience and educate in an engaging way. Her latest project, Smart Skin, was born from a need to create a space that encourages smart choices, celebrates passion and allows people to take the time to reconnect with themselves during their skin care ritual.
S M A R T
“I’ve been living a plant-based lifestyle now for years, so skincare being cruelty-free and vegan is incredibly important to me. I really wanted to create my own brand that was exactly what I was looking for” she points out. “Smart Skin ticks all of the boxes and incorporates the things I’m passionate about; being vegan, using sustainable packaging, natural ingredients etc. I came up with a list of things that I love and I created it so I’m really proud to finally share it with the world.” The beauty industry as a whole is working to become more environmentally aware, Smart
agrees that there is still a long way to go but people are becoming more aware of what to look for now, and that’s a really positive thing. Nevertheless, prioritising sustainability comes with its challenges which is why this brand has been two years in the making. “We searched far and wide for manufacturing partners who share our vision for creating skincare and beauty products that are kinder to ourselves and to our planet” explained Smart “We work with amazing companies like the FCS to ensure all of our packaging is made from certified recycled card, and all
CREATIVE IMPACT MAG | 23
COVER FEATURE
of our products are cruelty free, vegan and with 95% natural yet high-quality ingredients. We got our COSMOS certification prior to launch which was huge and meant that all of the hurdles were completely worth it.” This whole venture is not just about Smart, as it is thoroughly inspired by her audience and some very strong women - particularly those who just ‘make it happen’. The creators, adventurers, innovators, heroes, entrepreneurs and artists who take on the world day after day and pursue their dreams: “For the September launch, we are championing 7 amazing women whose stories motivate me. Kitti for example, trained to be an accountant but took a huge risk to follow her heart and launch a web design and branding business on her own. Francesca is paving the way for black women in geography, Bella is training to be a doctor and works with autistic children to give them a voice in the world of healthcare.” This launch campaign is perfectly in line with her mission is to build a community of like-minded people to share our ideas and discoveries with, aiming to provide educational resources for those who wish to expand their knowledge into ethical beauty and wellbeing: “this is what Smart Skin is all about – being YOU, celebrating being in your own skin, making a positive change in the world and doing better by our people and our planet.”
"My content online has always been a true representation of my personal passions and interests, so naturally as I have become more aware of our responsibilities to protect the planet, my content has also adapted and changed to reflect this" N I O M I
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S M A R T
COVER FEATURE
S M A R T
O U R
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this girl is on fire Meet the woman on a mission to change the way women lead their lives Interview by Amy Lanza
A
ndrea McLean’s mission is to empower 100 million women around the world to live, learn and thrive in a life they love. She is the Sunday Times bestselling author of Confessions of a Good Girl and Confessions of a Menopausal Woman. She is an award-winning TV broadcaster, journalist and radio presenter, and the CEO and co-founder of the female empowerment site This Girl is on Fire: “My goal is to one day have This Girl Is On Fire sites in every continent of the world, each articulating the cultural idiosyncrasies of where it is, to best serve women and girls. My wish is that every woman and girl is empowered in their
education and personal freedom to make the life choices that serve them best.” Her latest book talks openly about her battles with experiencing burnout and breakdown while putting on a brave face. She wanted to help women learn how to overcome whatever it is that is causing them to feel stuck. “It’s for women who feel overwhelmed or frustrated in their life, no matter whether it is something big and traumatic from their past, or small, everyday irritations that they can’t seem to overcome. It is to show women that it doesn’t matter what your personal ‘thing’ is, there are ways that you can overcome them.”
ANDREA McLEAN
CREATIVE IMPACT MAG | 27
ANDREA McLEAN
“My wish is that every woman and girl is empowered in their education and personal freedom to make the life choices that serve them best” Andrea, you are one of the nation's mostloved faces, how do you cope with such incessant media attention? I see it for what it is. It’s not about ‘me’, it’s about what people think they know about me. I understand why people make snap judgments based on what they have seen or heard about me, rather than their own experience of me, as they haven’t met me! I don’t look for it, or check the papers or online to see it all. It’s not in my control so I just take control of the bits I can - what I personally put out. The rest is up to the universe. How do you see the role of social media playing in your own personal journey with mental health and self-confidence? How do you maintain mental clarity while using it? Because I use social media for work, there is a line of separation. I am being myself, but I am not cataloguing every single aspect of my life which some seem to do. I put out what I think my followers will be interested in, what they can learn from etc. I have never got to the stage where I am addicted to putting out every single moment of my life, and if I feel I am picking up my phone too much to check how something has been received then I step away. At the weekends I tend to leave my phone in my bag and just get on with my life. I can really feel the pull for the first couple of hours, then it eases
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away. These things are addictive, so it’s vitally important that we treat it as such and take breaks from it. As a family, we also insist that everyone leaves their mobiles downstairs overnight - no phones in the bedroom at night! The role of the media has greatly changed over the last few years. What changes have you noticed from within the space and what have been the effects on the wider public? The main change is the plummeting drop in quality of output. The tail is now wagging the dog, which is genuinely worrying. Media outlets no longer care about the truth, they care about how many clicks they get, how much traction they can generate, and they do that by causing as much outrage as possible, regardless of how much damage it causes to the person involved. Fake news spreads seven times faster than the truth (according to the very people who invented social media in the first place) and what’s scary is that people don’t seem to care whether something is real or not if it feeds their need for drama. It’s scary. You have interviewed some of the world's most influential individuals, Oprah Winfrey, Drew Barrymore, Will Smith and Amy Schumer, to name a few. You must have been given some amazing advice! What one piece of advice have you been
ANDREA McLEAN
Three takeaways from the book 01
I f you don’t know where you are going, how on earth can you know when you’ve got there? So many of us exist as if we are driving around not knowing where we’re headed, and one day we just run out of petrol and stop and decide “this’ll do”. Then we wonder why we are unhappy! Think about what you want, why you want it, and then how to get it. Trust me; you’ll feel much better.
02
Y ou think you can’t - that it’s too hard, too scary, too big - but you can. Maybe not right away. But you can.
03
hatever you are going W through right now is just that - your ‘right now’. It’s not your forever. It will pass.
3
BEST-SELLING BOOKS
Andrea wrote two best-selling books. Her book, Confessions of a Menopausal Woman, is an honest account of the mental fallout of a difficult menopause.
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ANDREA McLEAN
“You think you can’t - that it’s too hard, too scary, too big - but you can. Maybe not right away. But you can” given over the years that has really stuck with you? The wonderful thing about each one of these incredible people is that they are one hundred percent themselves. They aren’t trying to be like anyone else, which is what makes them so unique. In this crazy world where everyone is trying to be the next somebody else, they have all stayed true to themselves - which is not something they have necessarily said to me, but by osmosis it is advice I have observed and taken on board myself. How do you manage to remain positive? I am a pretty positive person most of the time, and I appreciate what I have around me - the love of my husband, my family, my health. However, you have to feel the shade as well as the light that life throws at us, otherwise we don’t appreciate any of it. So when I feel that things are getting on top of me I speak up and I step away. That gives me the head
About Andrea
Find out about Andrea and her latest book This Girl is On Fire thisgirlisonfire.com
space to recoup and come back smiling. Looking back over the past few years must have been truly emotional. What would be the one thing you wish you could tell your younger self? If someone has to make you feel small to make themselves feel big WALK AWAY from them. Don’t hope they’ll change, don’t try to love them more so they’ll feel less insecure, don’t dim your light and lower your voice to keep them calm. Walk away. You deserve to be treated with love and respect, whether that’s from partners or friends and anyone who makes you feel afraid or unloved does not deserve you. Leave. And what comes next for you, Andrea? Where do you see This Girl is On Fire taking you? Oh my goodness! I have so many plans! We are working on the launch of a brand new membership for the site, where we offer mentors, workshops, courses and support for women in business and in their personal lives as well. It’s really exciting to know that we will be able to help more women feel empowered and supported.
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EMILIE VANPOPERINGHE
FOUNDER SERIES
Save the planet from your doorstep With Emilie Vanpoperinghe
O
DDBOX is London's first and only sustainable fruit and veg box tackling food waste. Oddbox works closely with farmers, rescuing fresh, seasonal surplus fruit & veg which are at risk of becoming food waste. With every box Londoners reduce food waste, save CO2 and water. Emilie is co-founder of Oddbox. Emilie has over 15 years' project and team management experience in Fortune 500 companies (3M and BT) across the globe. Emilie is originally from France and has been in the UK for the past 10 years. Her grandparents were potato farmers and so she knows what it takes to grow fresh produce. My eureka moment It was 5 years ago when we went on holiday to Portugal. Every day we would go to the local market to do our shopping and we would buy these huge and seriously ugly tomatoes which were truly delicious. I had seen the French supermarket Intermarché’s 'ugly' fruit and veg campaign and Hugh FearnleyWhittingstall's War on Waste and this sparked an idea. When we came back from Portugal, we researched about the produce supply chain and that’s when we realised the extent of food waste and the fact that perfectly good fruits and vegs were left in the field or discarded just because they didn't look perfect. Validating the idea Before we started Oddbox, we met with some growers to understand better what was happening in the industry and when I went to visit the facility of one of the UK’s largest fruit & veg supplier, I was
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CV
Oddbox Founded: 2016 Job title: Co-founder Experience: 15 years'
project and team management experience in Fortune 500 companies
INSTAGRAM WEBSITE
shocked by the perfectly good quality carrots which ended up in the skip just because they had cuts or had small blemishes. We also spoke to some apple growers who told us of the recent issues they had with early frost, how it impacted the look of the apples and their struggle to sell these. In terms of research and marketing, we actually made the assumption that we were the target market, did some research on the competition and then thought that the best way to get insight was to launch and see. We started with a 6 weeks' trial with 20 customers which we found through door to door flyering, Facebook posts and our friends network. The failure I am glad I experienced 2 years ago, after our crowdfunding raise, we decided to do a brand refresh working with a small brand
3 TOP TIPS FOR...
ANYONE STARTING A BUSINESS PRIORITISE TEAMWORK
Our most worthwhile investments have been in the team we have recruited. They all brought different ideas and experience.
agency. After several brainstorming sessions and iterations, we made the decision that it wasn't right, stopped the work and kept our existing branding. In hindsight, it was the right decision as we then realised that the creative execution looked very similar to the branding of another company and so it might have looked like a copycat. It also would have worked for a FMCG product but not for us, as a D2C brand. The role of social media It took a long time for us to fully and successfully use social media. It initially started with a vegan influencer who was one of our customers and helped promote us to her followers, without us even knowing about it initially. More recently, we have been growing our community by gifting Oddboxes to
influencers aligned with our values and who could help spread the word about Oddbox. We aim to provide value to our community by giving them insight into the hardship of our growers, the different factors creating food waste and promoting a more sustainable lifestyle and conscious consumption. What is one of your biggest wins? We’ve just delivered our one millionth box. That means that together with our community, we’ve rescued 5,820,013 kg of ridiculously delicious fruit & veg that could have otherwise gone to waste. That is close to 5m tonnes of Co2E carbon emissions, the same as 5,000 return flights from London to New York! It’s close to 1.2 billion tonnes of water, that's over 8m showers. That was enough produce donated to make over 2m meals for vulnerable people.
BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE The hardest part is not in the idea but the execution and the best way to push through is by being accountable to several people.
DO YOUR RESEARCH
The first thing I did when I had the idea for Oddbox was to send an email to 10s of friends and ex-colleagues to let them know and get feedback.
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W r it in g fro m th e H e a rt
n o m o l o S a t e r G h t i w Tap into free writing as a way to reflect and reignite the creative spark. Learn how to freely pour your emotions into each page with Greta Solomon. Interview by Fab Giovanetti
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WORDS FOR THE SOUL
"It's safe, it's just for you, you write and you can hide your journal away, and no one ever needs to see. So it can be messy and it can be real and I think that is so powerful." GRETA SOLOMON
reta Solomon is a writer, author, teacher and Journal Healer. Through her books and courses, she guides people to use journaling, writing and creative selfexpression to wake up, connect to inner wisdom, and heal the tender, violated parts of their inner worlds. “My work really is about teaching people to use writing, creativity and creative self expression to really wake up and to heal some of the more tender inner parts of our world” explains Solomon “ and also to more fully get in touch with who we are discovering and recovering those parts of us that we kind of left by the wayside, perhaps in childhood, or perhaps more recently.” Greta is a qualified life coach, lyricist, and lifelong learning teacher, and has clocked up thousands of coaching and tutoring hours with her clients. Her writing is peppered with writing exercises to help you write from the head, heart, and soul: ”My books and courses are designed as a sort of safe spaces to explore those issues and find out who you really are and be your true self" She has a degree in psychology from University of Warwick, a former career as a women’s magazine journalist and priceless life experience from several years of making a living from acting, modelling, promotions, sales, public relations, and freelance health, lifestyle and travel writing. “I started out as a journalist, 20 years ago, working in women's magazines, I worked
in two magazines in London. For my second magazine job, it was working at a dream publication, it was a weekly, and national weekly. And it was really fun” she shares. Although she was good at writing and had been hired as a writer, she felt creatively blocked: “When that ended, I decided to get to the bottom of this and go freelance and explore my creativity. I had this four year period where I was a freelance journalist, and I was going to drama school evenings on evenings and weekends, traveled a lot, I was doing lots of movement and voice and was a travel writer and doing all these things that really unblocked me.” The true change happened as she studied lyric writing at Berkeley College of Music, and learned a technique called object writing, which is something that songwriters used to get the raw materials for their songs: “by learning that technique, it really completely opened me up and freed up my creativity” she reveals.
“This seems so simple, but that's getting you out of your mind straight to the heart space, when you're focusing just on what you see” she points out. During her lyric writing diploma, they did this exercise every single day, they would choose an object like an apple, or a banana, and they would time themselves for 10 minutes, or five minutes or 90 seconds, and write any word related to the object, tapping into all five senses. When you have that container of time, it puts you under a gentle pressure to give you some time specifically to create and come up with as many ideas (or words in this case) as possible. If you do this exercise, you'll find that you learn to tap into your creativity and your self expression.
Why we write for the mind
She also offers up spiritual words, guidance on how to be not only the author of your own journal but the author of your own life.
Object writing is focusing on your senses. When you go in for a walk, for example, you can look and start noting things. What do you see, what do you hear? What do you smell? What do you touch if you are touching anything? And also what do you hear his message here? What are you feeling? What's your inner movement, what's bubbling up within you?
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WORDS FOR THE SOUL
"How do I create space for me? And it was about using my own techniques to sort of go with it and say, Well, why have I been this good girl? Why am I not? Haven't I given myself space in my life, to express myself on a deep personal level?" One of the key models that she mentions in her book is something called the communication pyramid. That’s a pyramid where you have your mindset at the top. So you have the mind at the top, you have the body, you have the heart level, you have the soul level, and then you have the voice. The thing that stops most people is that we're stuck in the mind: “the mind covers things like grammar, writing hacks, all those niggling thoughts you have about yourself, as a writer, like I'm not good at this, or this is hard. And that's the mind that we would need to really get out of that. And most people are writing from the mind, we actually need to get deeper.” As she mentioned this, something truly hit me. As a second language writer that really hit me. Whenever I approached writing in the beginning, I was always very wary because I was always second guessing myself. And that came with my written and my spoken word, and grammar became something that overall stopped me from expressing myself. “The thing about grammar shaming is to know that it's never about you. Even if your grammar was really bad, even if you had loads of spelling mistakes.” Solomon explains how you can see it as a technique by the person doing it to make you feel small: “that's the only reason they do it is to cut you off. It’s never about your grammar anyway, so it gives you a chance to relax. Microsoft has spell checkers, it's all it's all good.”
Writing from the body, heart and soul
The body is actually when you're in your body when you're moving. And also writing techniques. So it's also about learning some tools, learning some craft techniques, so that you know what you're doing. Deeper down, we have the heart level, which is things like the kind of unique words or phrases you might use the expression, what you really want to say. ”A really great way to get into that heart space, no matter whether it's for business or for yourself, is to literally move your body. And that gets you out of your head straight away.” One of the tools she recommends a lot is walking and writing. Going for a walk, taking your notebook, taking your iPhone and just jotting down whatever comes to you and learning that, as you're striding out onto the road with no agenda: “It can really help as well to think about that to have a deeper purpose, that also gets you out of your mind. And then the voice is at the very bottom.”
Journaling and freewriting are a big part of Solomon's habits and practices, and truly help her put her ideas and feelings into paper. Writing is one of the few times where you're actually listening to your own thoughts, listening to your own voice and putting it on a piece of paper, which then makes it real:
"When you come to think about the way you approach your writing, you're doing it from a more centred place, which really helps you to write more clearly and more concisely, and just more freely" 36 | CREATIVE IMPACT MAG
WORDS FOR THE SOUL
“It means that you can actually see what you are actually thinking, what are you actually feeling. And it's so powerful because of that, because you consistently write even if it's just free writing every day, you're putting yourself on paper, and you're allowing yourself to see yourself, and how you see yourself may be different to help other people see you.” This is when you can start to say ‘who do I want to be? Am I this person? I think I am, am I the person that the world thinks I am or then who am I.’ According to greta, free writing is the most important thing because is getting out all the gunk from your head and getting out all those negative thoughts that you're thinking: “an exercise I really
recommend is, is thinking back to an occasion where someone shamed you about your writing and think, well, who shamed you? Why did they shame you? What negative thought did you then have?” She encourages me to change any negative memory into a positive affirmation. For example, if you think writing is not really good, or you're not that creative, find a positive affirmation is to write on your notebook every day: “Whatever you can do to get your pen writing freely on the page is the most important technique. So I suppose for me, it's free writing, because that's how I'm feeling the page. But whatever you can do, to free yourself up is what you need to do.
And to give yourself a break and be kind to yourself, is really, really important.” The key message is that self love and self acceptance come from discovering and recovering who you are. And the way you do that is through your writing, your creativity and your creative self expression. As Solomon rightfully adds “when you do that, everything opens up. So it's just remembering that it's all there. And it comes from your creativity.”
Find out more
Make sure you follow the lovely Greta on Instagram @greta.solomon
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BEHIND THE CONTENT
@ Rebecca Pytell AKA REBECCAGF666
Founded in 2013, Strength and Sunshine is a healthy gluten-free & allergy-free food, recipe, and lifestyle website helping individuals and their families manage and navigate Celiac Disease, food allergies, and autoimmune disorders through delicious and healthy recipes that won't have them feeling left out or deprived of their favorites! Rebecca also offers coaching and mentoring to her community to help them navigate a new diagnosis, meal planning, etc. with her 12 years of experience & BSPH. Behind the content My website is the hub of Strength and Sunshine and every recipe every recipe I produce is tested, photographed, and written by me. As my brand has evolved, I’ve learned what my audience wants and have adapted my content to fit their needs. I only use my social media account as a tool to push my content out to my audience “where they are”. The only exception is Instagram Stories, which is used to break new products, brands, and food industry updates. On making a bigger impact Navigating celiac disease and food allergies that are life-threatening and can seem so restrictive can be scary when you’re first diagnosed or trying to care for your loved ones with these conditions. I’m here to
bring delicious, healthy, FUN recipes that are free-from so you don’t have to be scared of food, cooking, or miss out on favorites ever again. Lessons and achievements I wish I would have invested back into my business and brand sooner. 7 years in and many “duck-taped” changes later, I’m only just starting to take things seriously and stop undermining the authoritative brand I’ve built. My biggest achievement is simply growing Strength and Sunshine to what it is now, all by myself and through so many hurdles. However, it’s at the point where scaling a team and hiring more help is needed!
FUN FACT I was a nationally ranked baton twirler, when I was younger
CLICK HERE... Find out more about Rebecca and her work on her Website here
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READING LIST
New Year’s
Resolutions WHERE ARE WE AT NOW? Written by Amy Meegan
C
an you believe it? No, you can’t. How on earth is it almost October? For everyone, I’m sure, 2020 has been a time-warped year. We basically had two months of bliss and then BOOM; we all experienced our first (and hopefully only) ever global pandemic.
The dreaded COVID-19. A pain in the backside is how I would describe it. I know people who have gotten the virus. Sadly, I know people who have died from the virus. One of my good friends cancelled her hen party and wedding. Another friend cancelled her 30th birthday party. I moved back in with my parents for 13 weeks. My brothers completed their college exams from their beds. So many tragic stories have come out of 2020 and for many it will be a year that they wish to forget.
For anyone who follows me on social media, you’ll know that in 2020 my new year’s resolution was to read 30 books before the year is out. In 2019, this target was 25 books and I achieved that with approx. one week to go at the end of the year. Adding an additional five books to this seems somewhat optimistic, I hear you say. I accepted that I’d need to dedicate more time to reading, given that in 2019 it took 51 weeks to read 25 books. Little did I know, COVID-19 would mean that I would have PLENTY of hours to dedicate to reading. In Ireland, we had three months of intense lockdown from midMarch to mid-June, after which restrictions eased slightly and I was able to move back to my flat in the capital and return to my office. During the three months of heaving restrictions, I read 10 books, ranging from The Lord of the Flies which has won a Nobel Prize in Literature, to Something from Tiffany’s which was total fictional escapism and a real treat to read. The challenge didn’t feel like a challenge after all. I had time on my hands and I truly enjoyed spending an hour or so reading each day. Even now that I’m back in the “real world” again, I enjoy getting into bed each night to get lost in a fiction or learn from a biography.
That said, I am, and always have been, a glass half full type of gal. Even in the most dismal situations, I always try to find the positive. I am a firm believer in the power of the universe – if it’s meant to be it will happen. My mom would have a similar outlook and regularly mentioned during lockdown that this dreadful situation that we found ourselves in could be a wake-up call for us to slow down, to calm down and to really see what is going on Message me on Instagram around us. And I did just that. @thebakingnutritionist or email The Baking My social life became non-existent from March Nutritionist here. I’ll give to June, inclusive. I was working from home you a shout out on my but in the evenings and weekends I had hours stories if you’re to spare. What did I do with these hours? suggestion is one of the I walked. I baked. I read. lucky chosen two.
Any ideas?
Heading into the last quarter of the year, I am on book 23. I am right on schedule. I have three books in my to-be-read (TBR) pile on my bedside locker and I’ve got two books ordered in my local library. That leaves me with two spaces to fill. Let me know if you too are embarking on a reading challenge or if you want to be inspired to read more. I’m a granny at heart and will always encourage a good book over Netflix.
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CREATIVE IMPACT
PRO SECTION DID YOU KNOW?
The average daily time spent on social is 142 minutes a day.
Content upgrade THIS ISSUE
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Does the future belong to the creatives? Written by Fab Giovanetti
W
ould you ever go back to working in an office?” My fiancé asked me during our walk, one morning. “Nope.” No hesitation, not second guessing. I am taking it after my mum, who once said to me (at the very beginning of my solo career): “I just cannot see you working for anyone else” I took it as a compliment, by the way, as she mentioned how I have far too many ideas to be contained by anyone - I mean, I guess it was a compliment? When I am creative and I take time to cherish it (whether it’s by writing, recording a podcast, working on an online event or workshop) I feel most alive. It’s just the way the ol’ cookie crumbles. As well as looking at entrepreneurship as a path, there is something to be said about the way creativity will be shaping the economy going forward, in a brilliant piece last year, Scott Belsky hinted at how “in the age of A.I. and machine learning, just being more productive won’t cut it. The future belongs to the creatives” (Marker, Medium, 2019).
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TO HELP YOU GET STARTED Click on icon for links
BCAST
The future belongs to the creatives
Think about entrepreneurs like Gary Vee, and the incredible flock of fans he amassed over the years. As even actors and singers are now cultivating a personal brand, it’s no surprise that consuming content has become a big part of everyone’s daily routine. This shift in attention has created a new form of celebrity: the creators and creatives. Creatives publish the digital material that comprises the online world. They’re grabbing the attention previously allocated to traditional media, consumer habits, and - most importantly – consumer spending. It is pretty much where the term creator economy comes from. Rather than 10 TV shows consumed by billions of people, we now have 100s of millions of shows that cater to billions of people, accessible at any time. By understanding the core needs of their audiences, creatives can start producing content their audiences will be willing to pay for. Understanding your audience’s persona is more important than ever. However, market saturation and standing out from the crowd is harder than ever. Creating a clear set of values and branding persona is at the
MIGHTY NETWORKS
HEYSUMMIT
forefront of creating your own personal brand and telling your story effectively. Before, creatives were deemed to work in agencies, or find static roles within corporate companies and 9-to-5 settings. You needed to know the right people, work with the right agency, get discovered by the right scout, and work your way up the ladder, constantly pitch yourself to the next client, or fight hundreds of thousands of people on Fivver. With networks like Pinterest for discovery, and marketplaces like Etsy, Substack and Patreon, we’re starting to consume unique goods, music, and entertainment from creators who are finally able to find their market without having to build a resume and portfolio. 22% of self-employed workers have multiple revenue streams, compared to 11% who work for an employer, according to a 2019 Intuit survey. Other platforms can also benefit creatives, such as Tumblr and WordPress (for bloggers), Twitch and Mixer (for live streamers), Instagram and Pinterest (for photographers), and YouTube and TikTok (for filmmakers). If you are a creative, you can find a platform to grow your following, build trust and a
“The rise of “micro-entrepreneurs,” or free agents, creators, freelancers, and independent workers who utilize digital platforms to make a living by leveraging skills and knowledge in the absence
PAYHIP
TEACHABLE
reputation, and by that grow a loyal group of fans deemed to become clients, yet, you have to research your market and focus on one platform you think you can harness the best. Instead of focusing on too many things at once, you want to nurture a strong following in one specific platform to make sure you can turn followers into clients.
On joining the business-in-a-box model
In her brilliant Substack newsletter, user Li mentions the idea that: “work is being unbundled from traditional employment.” She mentions a whole new set of platforms, what she refers to as the “business-in-a-box” model, wherein companies provide individuals tools to build an independentlyowned business for a given line of work. As an example, as a company we use platforms like bCast to host our podcast, or Mighty Networks to run our membership and courses. As the emphasis on creatives is growing tenfolds, it’s now more important than ever to be able to think about your journey towards building a profitable creative business.
The creator economy is currently at its peak, and that is truly exciting - yet, what is even more interesting to see is how it will be able to evolve to cater for a younger generation, ready to embrace the creative space. On a positive note, it has led people to innovate, and has truly changed the work landscape forever. As the survival of the fittest, only the platforms that will be able to cater for this fast-changing economy will be able to survive.
of a traditional employer-employee relationship.” Li’s Substack newsletter
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How to Use Linkedin and Pinterest Stories for your Brand Written by Fab Giovanetti
I
n the space of less than 10 days, both LinkedIn and Pinterest have released their own version of stories. This is not a surprise, since Instagram Stories have unofficially become the most sought-after feature on the platform (yet Reels are catching up kids). We know what you are thinking. Twitter’s Fleets have been leaving a very mild impression (almost a fleeting moment, some would say), and Facebook Stories are pretty much mindlessly reshaped Instagram stories on most pages. How will Pinterest and LinkedIn Stories be different? Let’s think about some fun ways we can jump on the trend before it even catches on.
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LinkedIn STORIES As LinkedIn Live has been soaring in popularity, and LinkedIn as a officially become THE place to develop and strengthen one’s personal brand, we could argue there has not been a better time to invest some behind-the-scenes action in the space. LinkedIn has been testing Stories over the last few months, with users in Brazil, the Netherlands, Australia, UAE and France able to access the option. Albeit very slow, the roll out has not been completed, and apparently the reception has been amazing. LinkedIn Stories will enable members and organisations to share images and short videos of their everyday professional moments. Creating and posting Stories is an easy way to share your experiences and insights and to build meaningful relationships with your professional community. “Two years ago, our brand evolved to better reflect LinkedIn’s community of members and organizations that come together to help, support, and inspire one another. Now, we’re bringing the next chapter of this brand evolution to life across our platform with an entirely new look and feel that embodies our diverse, inclusive, warm and welcoming community.” (Social Media Today)
The ‘day in the office’ stories: As a starter, you need to be quite honest with yourself for this one. Will your day be filled with videos of Karen putting the kettle on for a tea break? When we think about ‘days in the office’ we are not all as inventive as the Washington Post on TikTok. Yet again, from Zoom meetings to team bonding experiences, Linkedin Stories could show a different aspect of your brand
Meet the team: People buy from people, remember? Sharing a fun fact from team members, or maybe having them taking over the stories for one day could be a great way to show a different side of your company Ask me anything: Perfect for consultants, coaches and personal brands alike, AMAs on LinkedIn could easily catch on as a format. This is a great way to grow and consolidate your expert status
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PRO SECTION
Pinterest STORIES It may be slightly later in the game, but Pinterest has no intention of being left behind. The format of Story Pins is similar to other Stories options, with a full-screen, swipe-able feed of Stories frames.
Yet, Pinterest is throwing a curveball, as stories are contained within a Pin, as opposed to a separate Pinterest Stories feed, while Story Pins also don't disappear after 24 hours. ”Story Pins can be saved to boards for later, and will be discoverable over time. They’ll also be distributed across home feed, search results and places like the Today tab, and benefit from the visual discovery engine that matches new ideas to people with relevant interests and tastes." Story Pins will initially only be available to selected creators in the US, with more regions to follow in the coming months. This could be the perfect time to think about how to incorporate Story Pins for businesses. “Story Pins is an all new type of Pin and publishing option that gives creators a way to tell dynamic and visual stories with videos, voiceover and image and text overlay. We’re making it easier for creators who are eager to share their talent, passions and creativity to flow back directly into Pinterest without the need for a website. For Pinners, this means the ideas within a Pin will be more engaging and actionable.”
Step-by-step: Story Pins are a great way to show a stepby-step process for a static pin. From a recipe to a craftproject, the possibilities are endless. This is a great way to show any product in action. Feature overview: For specific products or services, this feature could be the perfect way to outline some of the core features and aspects of your core
offering. It’s important that the may Pin is appealing to the audience, in order for them to engage with it. Carousel-style tips: very similar to Instagram, carousel-style tips are a very popular format that people can use to educate their audience on their core expertise. This can work for both companies and personal brands.
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PRO SECTION
MARKETING 101 WITH FAB GIOVANETTI
Cold subscribers This new series will focus on one simple marketing hack, or little tip you can read in 3 minutes or less, and take action straight away to improve your overall marketing. First up, I am coming back to a good old friend. Email marketing.
E
mail marketing? Not so much. Yet, it’s one of the most important tools in business, when used wisely. This tip is for people who already have an email list, and are looking to improve their deliverability. Deliverability can be helped in a variety of ways, one being having a healthy open rate - this is the percentage of subscribers opening your emails. Now, open rates are darn near impossible to calculate accurately. In fact, email providers often have to use weird data to define what “opened” really means. Yet, email platforms like ConvertKit will give you a good idea of where you are sitting. What seriously can affect your open rate are cold subscribers. Cold subscribers are those who have been subscribers for at least 30 days, but have not opened an email in 90 days. First thing first, no matter how engaging your content is, some subscribers will always lose interest over time. This is why it’s so important to have a plan of action for those people. In this example I am using ConvertKit, as it’s our own email provider and truly the best tool out there.
First, you want to make sure you have a segment or tag for cold subscribers. ConvertKit already filters these people, but for other providers you may have to create a manual segment of people who have not opened your emails in the last XX days. You could delete all of these subscribers, but chances are there are people in here that are falsely tagged as being cold. That's because all email marketing providers determine opens based on whether or not a 1px transparent image was loaded in an email. If someone has been reading all of your emails, but has images disabled, they will show up as cold—even though they aren't (I know, ruthless). This is why it’s important to give them a chance to re-engage with you. In ConvertKit you have the chance to create rules and automations. In this case, you can create a rule that says that whoever clicks on a specific link will have the tag cold subscribers removed. This saves you from manually having to check who has opened or clicked on the specific break-up email we’re going to create.
“Email deliverability is the ability to deliver emails to subscribers' inboxes. It is what some marketers use to gauge the likelihood of their email campaigns
reaching their subscribers' inboxes related to actual delivery–like ISPs, throttling, bounces, spam issues, and bulking. (Campaign Monitor)” 50 | CREATIVE IMPACT MAG
Once you have filtered all cold subscribers, it’s time to write a break up email. We also call this email the it’s not you, it’s me email. Next you want to send an email to all of your cold subscribers to give them a final chance to stay on the list before you delete them. An example can be found right
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Hey XYZ, It’s me, XYZ. I want to make sure that I'm only sending emails to my readers who are getting a lot of value from them. So I'm removing everyone who isn't engaged from my list. My stats show that you fall into that category... Is that true? If that's true, no hard feelings. I get it. Inboxes are overflowing. If so, no action is required. You'll get removed sometime next week. But if you're freaking out right now thinking, "Wait! I love your emails!", then just click the link below to stay on my list. Link here
Plenty of people will click that link to say that they're engaged! Now that you've set up an automation for this, they'll automatically be removed from the cold subscribers tag. (Wait about a week, to give people time to do this.) Once you've waited, it’s time to rip the band aid. You can bulk select all the Subscribers in your Cold Subscribers Tag and delete them all. Now your open rates will be higher, and your email list much healthier. All in all, this is an advanced process, so if you don't feel comfortable with the process, then don't do it just yet. When it comes to cleaning up our subscribers, we tend to send breakup emails every quarter to make sure we have our list under control and in a healthy shape. I cannot stress enough how powerful this has been, and overall positive for the deliverability of our emails overall.
PRO TIP
As well as adding a segment, create a tag for cold subscribers, which you can then remove when people click on your breakup email.
WANT UP TO YOUR GAME? Find out more about Convertkit on their website
PRO SECTION
FOUR FUN WAYS TO USE
INSTAGRAM CAROUSELS
AS CREATIVES Written by Fab Giovanetti
L
ove them or hate them, Instagram carousels are one of the fastest rising formats out there. Why? Because they are incredibly versatile. They are a great way to repurpose written, audio and even video content, but they can also work as a standalone post to enhance and grow your personal brand.
I believe that being able to see and adapt trends to our own advantage as creatives is key for growth. As my very own Instagram has been flooded with carousel-style content, I threw the towel and put my investigator hat on (and that is when you know I mean business).
2
Carousels are a trend that is here to stay, and encourage saves and shares, two incredibly important Instagram metrics these days. I love saves (aka the ability for followers to save Instagram posts they love for later), as it gives a whole new host of insights in the mind of our followers. Carousels as a format allow marketers like myself to get to know much more efficiently what our audience loves. “Saving� content is a strong sign that our audience finds our content useful. Carousels also encourage shares. Those are a great way to improve discoverability, which in return will also grow your following - score! Seriously, shares are a great way to boost your reach in a variety of ways, so I would not underestimate them in any way. These work incredibly well to show that your content is inspiring enough for people to share it and expose you to a whole new audience. The fact that your analytics are now allowing you to get a full spectrum of data from the last 30 days to a year, is a powerful asset not to be underestimated.
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1
PRO SECTION
01
COLLECTION OF TIPS
02
ASK ME ANYTHING
Carousel-style tips are a very popular format that people can use to educate their audience on their core expertise. By using the first image as a ‘cover’ you can set the scene and allow followers to save your tips for later.
3
Perfect for consultants, coaches and personal brands alike, AMAs on Instagram could easily catch on as a format. This is a great way to grow and consolidate your expert status, and using a combination of Stories question stickers and repurpose them as a static post.
4
03
STEP-BY-STEP TEASER
04
RECOMMENDATIONS
Carousels are a great way to show a step-bystep process for a static image. From a recipe to a craft-project, the possibilities are endless. This is a great way to show any process in action and make it a bit different and unique.
For specific industries, this feature can be a great one to provide specific recommendations to your audience. This can be a great way to summarise the takeaways from a written review, or maybe a video or even a podcast and turn it into a visual format.
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PRO SECTION
CAROUSEL TEMPLATES These templates are designed for those creatives who are looking for a new way to boost their Instagram Feed. These Useful Carousel Templates can inspire or educate your audience by tips, brief tutorials, interviews, mood boards, photo galleries, quotes, stories, and more. This package has completely unique templates that are dead simple to use and can be edited online (for free) using Canva.
PRO TIP
Use a Canva pro account to access even more editing options with your templates and personalise your posts even further Sign up now
ENTREPRENEUR TEMPLATES This entrepreneur social media pack will help you to communicate in a visually consistent way to get more attention and gain more customers. These Templates are designed to keep your visitors engaged for longer and spend more time interacting with your content. You can tell a story about your trip, share a recipe, show your product, or highlight your new blog key points. Boost your engagement by starting a conversation with popular alerts, quotes, checklist, and challenges.
FIVE INSTA (NT) UPGRADES FOR YOUR FEED Are you looking to create some amazing Instagram posts, carousel ideas and punchy graphics but have no design skills whatsoever? I recommend you checking some of the links here for some little help - all Canva-friendly, which is a bonus!
PUZZLE TEMPLATES This Canva Instagram Template is perfect for bloggers, influencers, and/ or Instagram enthusiasts who love to share their content in an organized and aesthetic way. Also, with this social media template, you can easily plan your Instagram feed and posts for 18 days ahead - and you know that consistency is key to the Instagram algorithm.
ENGAGEMENT BOOSTERS Easily create tons of engaging Instagram posts with these Instagram Canva Templates for more engagement. Create viral social media posts with this blush pink template set including graphs, quotes, word search, mockups, pie charts, and more.
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WELLNESS SOCIAL MEDIA GRAPHICS.
Click on the products to get sales websites
Wellness coach social media pack will help you to communicate in a visually consistent way to get more attention and gain more customers. Promote your latest workshop, podcast, blog or course or get more readers to your blog by sharing knowledge with easy steps by step and graph templates.
INSPIRATION
"The most certain way
to succeed is to try just one more time." THOMAS EDISON
CREATIVE IMPACT
WELLBEING DID YOU KNOW?
Pronounced hue-guh, not hoo-gah or hig-gee, the word Hygge is said to have no direct translation in English.
Cosiness THIS ISSUE
WELLBEING
TOP PICKS HYGGE INSPIRED
Hygge (pronounced hoo-guh) is a Danish word that gets thrown around alot in the wellness space. Without a direct translation, the term is more of a feeling than a thing. We understand the word more as intimacy, connecting with loved ones, and finding happiness in the small things. Embracing a little more hygge into your life allows us to slow down the pace of life, connect to the present moment and live more mindfully. Here are a few simple things we like to welcome a little more hygge into our lives
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WELLBEING
THE LITTLE BOOK OF HYGGE MEIK WIKING
TAN FRANCE ETSY COLLECTION I fell in love with the Tan France x Etsy collection, an exclusive line of elevated must-haves for the home, handmade accessories, and unique apothecary items that are perfect for treating everyone on your list (including yourself). This Hyggeinspire collection includes handcrafted ceramic mugs, luxurious linen bathrobes, cozy slippers and so much more.
This book unveils why Denmark has an international reputation for being one of the happiest nations in the world thanks to the magic of hygge. This introduction to hygge is written by CEO of the Happiness Research Institute in Copenhagen, Meik Wiking. It is full of research, as well as beautiful photographs, recipes and ideas to help you add a touch of hygge to your life.
GIVE THE GIFT OF HYGGE THIS YEAR This letterbox gift is a lovely treat for yourself or the perfect way to let someone you know that you are thinking of them whatever the occasion. It includes a jasmine scented tea light, one organic detox Pukka teabag, handmade heart bath Click on any product bombs, body moisturiser pouch picture to and bath salts in a test tube. get sales websites
VEGAN BUNNY CANDLES If you ask any Dane what we can all do to live more “hygge-like” they’d say candles, and for good reason. The warm glow adds a gorgeous sense of peace, comfort and spirituality that is really grounding. Vegan Bunny Candles have a wide selection of beautiful scents - and are vegan and cruelty-free.
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WELLBEING
UNTAMED: STOP PLEASING, START LIVING Glennon Doyle To quote web design expert, Marci Angeles, this work from Glennon Doyle is “pretty darn good”. A Sunday Times no.1 bestseller packed full of advice on how to shake conformity and embrace your best life. This manifesto for independence is part inspiration, part memoire, Doyle unveils the peace we find when we stop trying to please the world around us.
Click on the books to get sales link
BOOKS H E LF CHOSEN FROM OUR COLLECTIVE MEMBERS
What is better than cosying up with a cup of tea/coffee/hot chocolate and getting lost in a good book? Maybe you are looking for a serial killer detective plot or a light-hearted romance novel with a twist or you want to brush up on some life and business skills? There’s sure to be something for everyone and we asked our wonderful collective members what they are reading at the moment to inspire your bookshelf...
REBEL IDEAS: THE POWER OF DIVERSE THINKING Matthew Syed This inspiring book challenges the wider notions of creativity and how to problem solve, using real-life examples from US fighter pilots, to dieting, climbing Everest and we learn how Amazon runs internal meetings. Jessica Barlow recommends this book to harness the powder of the greatest problem-solving, business-transforming and life-changing ideas we have.
CONTEXT MARKETING REVOLUTION Matthew Sweezey Our very own founder Fab is loving Context Marketing , a great book for marketers and businesses alike.- The book is a great introduction to the idea of how you can build a marketing strategy based on the way your users access and interact with you online. Incredibly relevant for this day and age, it's fascinating and truly thought-provoking.
BREATH: THE NEW SCIENCE OF LOST ART James Nestor Nestor’s book Breath was an eye-opener for Stephanie Dominiguez. The book delves deep into everything surrounding our breathing day to day from a mental and biological point of view. Supported with scientific experiments and leans on history to show how the way in which we evolve is changing our posture, the shapes of our skulls and ultimately, how we breathe.
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STO WELLBEING
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OP WELLBEING
A NEW WAY OF MANAGING YOUR ANXIETY
Written by Alexandra Taylor
T
he other day I was re-reading Mark Williams and Danny Penman’s book on Mindfulness. It stated a fact that said by 2020, stress and anxiety will be the biggest cause of illness n Great Britain. It’s sad to say that this prediction made in 2010, is indeed the case with 85% of people in the UK reporting that they are feeling stressed on a regular basis. And what with the uncertainty of this year and the months to come, these levels of stress are simply going to continue to rise unless we learn how to manage our anxieties. Now stress is not a modern phenomenon. Stress is essential to our survival. It is what enables us to be alert and respond to perceived threats in our environment. So it is not stress itself that is the problem,
rather the way we respond to it. Prolonged exposure can, over time, lead to high blood pressure, muscle tension, anxiety, insomnia, gastro digestive complaints, and a suppressed immune system. This simple technique from Cognitive Behavioural Therapy offers a way to interrupt the anxious thoughts and emotions, and get back to the present moment so that stress levels in the body can reduce. When we are present in the moment, we have a better perspective and see that we have the power to choose how best to respond to pressure. When you find yourself having anxious emotions or spiralling into negative thinking, STOP!
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WELLBEING
S
for Stop Action – Stop what you’re doing; put things down for a minute. Rational – This moment to pause is essential to reframing the situation by putting a space between you and the trigger. Most of our responses are automatic and not particularly helpful. By slowing down, we can actively choose how we would like to respond in that moment.
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T
for Take a Breath Action – Take a few deep breaths. If you’d like to extend this, you can take a minute to breathe normally and naturally and follow your breath coming in through the mouth and out of your nose. You can even say to yourself “in” as you’re breathing in and “out” as you’re breathing out if that helps with concentration.
Rational – Slow, conscious breathing reduces adrenaline and activates the parasympathetic nervous system allowing the body to enter a state of relaxation. Furthermore, by focusing on the breath, we are not so consumed by the thoughts and feelings that created our distress. In this space, we can begin to think a little more rationally.
O
for Observe Action – Observe your experience just as it is— including thoughts, feelings, and emotions. You can reflect about what is on your mind and also notice that thoughts are not facts, and they are not permanent. Notice any emotions present and how they’re being expressed in the body. Then notice your body. Are you standing or sitting? How is your posture? Any aches or pains? Rational – Noticing our thoughts creates distance allowing us to detach from the thinking mind and recognise our thoughts as just thoughts. From this perspective they
W E LXLXBXEXI NXG X
“Between stimulus and response lose their power and control over us. Research shows that just through labelling your emotions, you can turn the volume down on the fear circuit in the brain, which has a calming effect.
P
for Pull Back Action – Pull back from the experience, remember just because you think something, doesn’t mean it is true. What is another way of looking at the situation? What would you tell a friend? Is the thought fact or fiction? What is a more reasonable explanation? How does this thought serve me? Remember it will pass. Use this pause to reframe the situation and substitute a more rational, helpful thought. Rational – Much of our human suffering stems from the way we think about the world and a situation. This is what Cognitive Therapy seeks to address. Thoughts are thoughts, not truth, not fact. By stepping back emotionally from an event we can start to see the bigger picture in a realistic way.
there is a space. In that space
lies our freedom to choose our
response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom” Viktor Frankl Note: This is not an attempt to get rid of the thoughts or to stop ourselves from thinking… that only serves to exacerbate the problem. This is about giving ourselves the space to think more clearly on how we would like to respond as opposed to reacting from our emotions. It is a gentle pause to reset the balance of the body. As with learning any skill, it can take time, patience and most of all practice to master. So find times during the day where you can stop, like in the shower, before a meal or arriving at work. Using this technique at times when you don’t even need it will help you in the moments you do. Clients
that I have used this technique with in the past find it so helpful to write the steps on a small piece of card and carry it with them so they can read through the steps often and have a reminder in the moment. Or creating a note on your phone perhaps. In time, you will find that this becomes your automatic response.
Author bio
Alexandra is a transformational life coach and yoga and meditation teacher, hosting classes online and live www.aeglemind.co.uk
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WELLBEING
FINDING GRACE WITH HANNAH
Find joy in celebrations Especially during uncertain times, it's important we make time to celebrate the little things that bring us joy.
W
ith the current times we are in and with so many people struggling, the idea of celebrating can feel a bit icky, as we don’t want to be seen to be rubbing it into people's faces. Yet, the key to everything is perspective. It matters how we approach things and how we can inspire others to bring some joy into these tough times. Without joy things can become very flat, so celebrating each other and with each other is the perfect way to elevate things. Joy is an emotion that, when we access it within ourselves, will really shift us and illuminate a murky space for when we are feeling low. We won’t be feeling joy all the time but it's an important feeling to tap into regularly. It can really change the space we are and can be game-changing. It gives us something to work from by seeing that what we’ve been doing has paid off. In times like these, we all need a confidence boost. What better than to celebrate our achievements and others achievements? Slowing down will allow us to see how far we’ve come and the journey we have been on. We need these stop points to celebrate so we can feel the joy around us. The great thing is that when we celebrate another, even though it's not about ourselves, the energy is contagious. It changes up our vibe - which may sound a bit woo woo, but the
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fact is when we tap into something continuously it really does shift us. What about when you’re feeling low or you’ve been struggling? The idea of celebrating can feel difficult, so begin with yourself and the things you can celebrate - though I often find personally that celebrating another helps shift me when I can’t feel that about myself. It helps lift me out of that space and inspires me to see what I can aim for and do. Inspiration is what we need right now, it keeps things moving and gives you something to aim for or even just dream about. We all need a dream, no “Joy is an emotion that, matter how small or when we access it within big, and the great thing about dreaming is we ourselves, will really can tailor it exactly as shift us and illuminate we want it and that really is the key. a murky space” Once we plant that seed from the dream we open up potential which shifts the place we are in. I find that having something cooking away feels good, even when no one can see it. Remember this when you are celebrating achievements: it started with a dream and a seed that got planted, no matter what size the outcome is. Thinking about this alone makes you see how magical that is and is worth celebrating in itself. So here’s to celebrating all things no matter how big or small.. @thehannahwallace
WELLBEING
AFFIRMATION
"Appreciation is a wonderful thing. It makes what is excellent in others belong to us as well." VOLTAIRE
Author bio
Find out more about Hannah, writer, blogger, and podcaster at @thehannahwallace or head to Hannah’s website to download her free meditation. CREATIVE IMPACT MAG | 67
WELLBEING
TAKING THE FIRST STEP TO MANAGE
STRESS
H
Written by Isabel Barjaktarevic ow’s things going for you right now? Have you been feeling a little (or a lot!) stressed lately? I’m here to help you shift things by sharing 3 tips that have helped me out personally. Small daily habits create huge success, so even if you start with one for now, it’ll help you tons. Choose to add in one or all three of these within your daily life, to start you on your path to optimal wellness and manage stress without pulling your hair out anymore!
01 MOVE YOUR BODY
Do you move your body daily? When I say “move”, I’m not even talking about strenuous exercise or crazy workouts at the gym! I mean any movement of the body. Whether it’s going for a morning walk, stretching, yoga, or HIIT workouts. It’s an awesome stress reliever and when you make it a daily habit, your mind will also thank you for it. The most important thing to remember is that it must be something that brings you joy and is fun for you, otherwise for sure you would not be sticking with it for long. Personally I love doing any of the following: Tibetan rites, kickboxing and HIIT workouts. I choose to alternate them as I get bored easily! What brings you joy and makes you feel good?
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WELLBEING
LOOKING FOR FITNESS INSPIRATION? Check out how to move from the comfort of your home on page 70
02 EAT THE RAINBOW
Do you move your body daily? When I say “move”, I’m not even talking about strenuous exercise or crazy workouts at the gym! I mean any movement of the body. Whether it’s going for a morning walk, stretching, yoga, or HIIT workouts. It’s an awesome stress reliever and when you make it a daily habit, your mind will also thank you for it. The most important thing to remember is that it must be something that brings you joy and is fun for you, otherwise for sure you would not be sticking with it for long. Personally I love doing any of the following: Tibetan rites, kickboxing and HIIT workouts. I choose to alternate them as I get bored easily! What brings you joy and makes you feel good?
03 GO INWARD
When was the last time you sat in silence listening to your beating heart, or just switched off from the world? In today’s day and age, we are surrounded by “noise” and information overload that it can be hard to switch off and relax. We’re in a constant state of stress. My number 1 major tip for you, would be to turn off the news or at least limit your attention to it. It creates so much fear and stress within our body and does nothing for our wellbeing whatsoever. Going inward means to sit for at least 5-10 minutes a day and focus on your breathing. You can also practise gratitude or do a guided meditation, with several popular apps to help you.
Author bio
Isabel Barjaktarevic is a holistic health coach helping women go plant based, prevent dis-ease and live a longer, more optimal life. She believes that we all have the power within ourselves to create massive changes in our lives, we just need to find that fire within us and be encouraged to go for it! www.isabelbee.com
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PROMOTIONAL FEATURE
FiiT STRESS RELIEF Three ways movement can support your mental health
D
escribed as a ‘wonder drug,’ exercise improves blood supply and neuron signalling, growth and connections. So it has a direct and immediate impact on the brain. In The Real Happy Pill, Dr. Anders Hansen describes exercise as one of the most effective ways to alleviate stress and anxiety, and improve mood levels. “Modern neuroscience has shown that maybe the most important thing we can do for our brain — and therefore ourselves — is to be physically active.” Anders Hansen Regular exercise can decrease the amount of cortisol in your bloodstream, which leads to a reduction in symptoms of stress. That doesn’t mean you have to go cardio crazy. A HIIT class is an excellent outlet for stress (especially if Jamie Ray’s got a say in it). But any dynamic movement will help you produce endorphins and enkephalins. And everything seems much more manageable once you’re fuelled with those coveted ‘happy hormones.’ For example, evidence has also mounted to suggest Yoga is a ‘low risk, high yield’ approach to improving overall health. FIND OUT MORE HERE
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1
By lowering the heart rate and blood pressure as well as improving respiration, Yoga completely changes the way we respond to stress. Combine it with breathwork and you’ll learn to retrain your nervous system. Below are three ways to make the most of movement at home with the help of FiiT.
2
Regular practice of yoga, pilates as well as mindful movement have been shown to calm the mind, ease stress and promote a sense of inner peace. Try Feel Good yoga to join Fearne Cotton and Richie Norton for 12 Feel Good flows. (with beginner and advance levels)w
3
Exercise is a great way to release tension, which we may otherwise keep inside. Stressful day working from home? High impact classes may be the outlet you need - join one of the leaderboard classes and sweat it out.
PROMOTIONAL FEATURE
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Authentic vegan-friendly family recipe
100% natural & certified organic
CREATIVE IMPACT
FOODIE DID YOU KNOW? Ancient Egyptians were the first to enjoy a gooey treat now called marshmallow as early as 2000 BC
THIS ISSUE
Community
FOODIE
FOODIES TO WATCH FROM OUR SHORTLISTED
Food lovers, it’s time to rejoice, as we share 10 of the top food creatives to watch. Taken from our vegan & plant-based and our allergy & freeform awards categories, these foodies know a thing or two about making recipes accessible to mainstream audiences. With exciting flavours, photos and recipes, as well as lifestyle tips and illness recovery stories, these accounts will definitely give you food for thought. Whether you’re looking for healthy vegan Nigerian cuisine or the latest coeliacfriendly product on the supermarket shelves, these food-fanatics use their online platforms to educate, inspire and make us all very hungry... vegannigerian
veg an _at _tif fs
18.5k followers 12k followers
foodie and content Tiff Williams is a 27-year-old vegan creating recipes. creator with a love for dining-out and her Instagram After turning vegan in 2016, Tiff started d diary grew into account, and what started off as a foo wing audience. sharing her vegan lifestyle with a gro
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Tomi Makanjuola is a Nigerian-born chef and blogger living in London, with a never-ending love for food, travel, writing and cooking. Her platform, the Vegan Nigerian, is dedicated to making vegan lifestyle and Nigerian cuisine accessible to the mainstream via online resources, catering, workshops and events.
FOODIE
shivanilf
Click on all the posts to find out more about our lovely 2020 creatives shortlisted
FOODIES TO WATCH
VEGAN & PLANT-BASED AWARD char lotte emmma
2.4k followers
Shivani Raja is a food blogger with a passion for photographing and sharing her veg an recipes. She started her blog at just 16 years old, and it has since blossomed ve g a beauty gir l into a community who enjnoy not only her recipes, but the photographs she takes of them!
37.7k followers
nt creator and vegan recipe nte co A r be eb W te lot ar Ch about making plant-based developer who is passionate ipes to everyone. Charlotte's rec food exciting and accessible ds and smash myths about foo are delicious, easy to follow lude de vegan. Her specialties inc we thought couldn't be ma and toast toppings! the best looking porridge
24.7k follower
s
Nicole Whittl e, who has bee n vegan since 2 kinder alterna 007, offers tives to your fa vo u ri te b ea through Vegan uty products Beauty Girl. O ri g in a ll y focused on ve and cruelty-fre gan e swaps, the a w a rd winning VBG p also prioritises latform sustainability, diversity and a Her videos are ccessibility. inspiring, inform ative and fun, too! CREATIVE IMPACT MAG | 75
FOODIE
ever ylastbite _
FOODIES TO WATCH
ALLERGY & FREEFROM AWARD be ck yexcell
133k followers
Carmen Sturdy After be ing diagnosed with an au toimmune disease 7 years ago, Carm enshecanteatwhat drastically changed her die t and discovered the Specific Ca rbohydrate Diet (no grains , gluten, refined sugar, processed food, lactose or soya). Sh e created the “Every Last Bite� webs ite to share healthy recipe s for those following the diet an d now lives symptom fre e!
126k followers
ger based e creator and food blog Becky Excell is a recip ls, she llowers across all channe in the UK. With 250k+ fo people to reuniting gluten-free og bl r he ed at dic de s ha g to - everything from bakin iss m y all re ey th s od fo e with th e looks or tastes gluten-fre it of ne no , all of st Be . fakeaways one bit.
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28.9k followers
Emma Hatcher is cookbook author and cookery writer, who was diagnosed with not-so-sexy Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) 12 years ago. She started to experiment with the food she was eating and started following FODMAP-friendly recipes which decreased her symptoms and completely changed her life - which she shares along with recipes, online.
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glutenfre er hii
AND THE WINNER IS...
FRIDAY 13 th NOVEMBER Don't forget to join us for the Awards ceremony and much more goodness for our awards conference, starting on November 11th. Unlike physical conferences where you can end up sitting through content you just don't need, 2020 Awards Conference is delivered entirely online. FIND OUT MORE HERE
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14.7k followers
dicated to en Free Rhii is a page de Rhianne Stewart Glut ten free es, posting about new glu cip re e fre n te glu ing at cre ac urants offering safe coeli sta re ng wi vie re d an ts produc 'make coeliac easy' after to ion ss pa a s ha ne ian options. Rh en she information or advice wh her struggle to find help, was first diagnosed.
“Cooking is like love. It should be entered into with abandon or not at all.” Harriet Van Horne
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Grace O’Brie n Grac Nutrit e is an ion stu MSc G dent w others lobal P h o set u who su ublic H p h ff e er from r blog ealth her pa t ssion f o chroni conne o c r c illness food a t with wellne nd we and th ss arti l o l c n s l ess. Sh es and e who wome share e post writes n’s hea s recip as a N lth pla es and utritio tform n Cont ‘All Th ributo ings W r for omen Share’. CREATIVE IMPACT MAG | 77
PROMOTIONAL FEATURE
D E S A B T N A PL S I E R U T THE FU
T
G N I Z A M A S E T S A T AND IT
hese days, we’ve never been more concerned for the health of the environment and the future of the planet we call home, and for very good reason. Just ask Sir David Attenborough, who’ll undoubtedly tell you, in his ever so soothing tones, that we’re on the edge of a climate crisis. So how do we begin to make a difference to a situation which seems far beyond the reach of individual human beings on the planet? Ok, so I’m not going to tell you that by eating more pizza you’ll save the world (although, you’ll enjoy yourself so much more whilst doing so), but by making smaller changes, where possible and accessible, towards a more sustainable way of eating, we can begin to help turn the tide on climate change. The World Health Organisation states a “diet that has a lower environmental impact includes a wide variety of foods – with an emphasis on plant-based foods” going on to inform how “plant-based diets tend to produce less greenhouse gas and, overall, use less water than meat and dairy foods.” It turns out that we can make a huge impact to the future of the planet through the things we put into our body every day, sitting right there, at the
end of your fork, or in your grocery basket as you’re checking out. Feel empowered? You should do! Plant-based foods have come a long, long way since the days when our co-founder, and my Dad, Mike, first went vegan just over 30 years ago. Back in those days, you’d struggle to find plant-based milk on the shelves of a supermarket, let alone plant-based cheeses or readymeals. The taste? Not so great either! But since the boom in popularity of a plant-based diet just over 5 or 6 years ago, you can buy almost any and everything you could ever want to eat, made using 100% plant-based ingredients. So now, there’s no need to compromise on the products you know and love when making a plantbased switch for Meatless Mondays or Veganuary. But what about the taste? The taste, flavour, mouthfeel and enjoyment from what I eat matter just as much as the food’s eco-credentials. I eat plant-based foods not only because it does good for the environment, but because the new wave of plantbased cooking and the range of pre-made products available to purchase taste so unbelievably good that it doesn’t ever feel like I’m missing out. In fact, our favourite reaction to when customers try our plantbased pizzas for the first time is you’d never know it wasn’t real cheese or real meat on there. *jumps for joy* If the future of food is plant-based, and if you’re not a plant-based eater just yet, have no fear. There’ll be no compromising, no craving and no boring meal times to be had. Cardboard food and salad aren’t what plantbased eating is about. Nope, think again! Think cheezy pizzas, juicy burgers and juicy burger pizzas…
Joe Hill Co-Founder & Co-Owner, One Planet Pizza
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WANT TO TRY?
Check out our recipe section to find out more recipe ideas to test for yourself..
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Recipes
B ROUG H T TO YOU BY
B E D E R’S K I TC H E N
Written by Amy Lanza
We are passionate about mental health, as well as being massive foodies, so when we heard about From Beder’s Kitchen, we knew we have to share this inspiring story with you. Beder is a new charity raising awareness about mental health and suicide prevention in various ways such as interactive events and their brand new cookbook, From Beder’s Kitchen. The family charity was founded in loving memory of Beder Mirjam by his older brother, Razzak Mirjan, in November 2019. The family speak of finding the positives even in their darkest days through their charity work. As such, the charity aims to normalise the conversation around mental health and overcome the stigma surrounding these incredibly important, yet underestimated, issues. Their debut cookbook, From Beder’s Kitchen, is a charity cookbook bringing together amazing food creators and their recipes from all over the world. “For many people, cooking or baking is a form of therapy, and research supports the fact that cooking is good for your mental health; it provides an outlet for creative expression, a means for communication and can be an act of mindfulness.” Beder believes that looking after loved ones at home with delicious food is a great place to start in tackling mental health taboos. The cookbook takes you through everyday recipes to suit any mood and it is divided into several chapters: Start Your Day The Right Way which contains delicious recipes for breakfast and brunch; Happy Gut, Happy Life is filled with nutritious and healthy recipes; Fast Food (but not as you know it!) provides mouth-watering recipes which can be made in under 45 minutes; Soul Food is packed with everyone’s favourite dishes; and Sweet Treats offers scrumptious desserts and baking recipes. The key focus behind the book is to gently raise awareness of mental health issues as prioritising your mental health is not something to be apologetic or embarrassed about. Beder’s Charity hopes to spread the message that “you are not alone” and that opening up is crucial in understanding and appreciating the help and support around you. CLICK HERE Find out more about Beder’s Charity online www.beder.org.uk
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SERVES 2
Butternut Squash
Mac ‘n’ Cheese By Amy Lanza
PREP TIME 10-15 mins | COOKING TIME 1 hour EQUIPMENT Bowl, food processor, oven, oven tray, saucepan, Sieve
A warming, comforting bowl of the classic with a plant-based and healthier twist. The sauce is thick, creamy, flavoursome and vibrant with added vegetables; a great meal to show off how vibrant, wholesome and delicious vegan food can be. INGREDIENTS For the sauce • ½ a butternut squash (200-250g flesh) • 4 tbsp plant-based milk • 2 tbsp tahini or olive oil • 2 tbsp nutritional yeast • ½ tsp each of smoked paprika, ground turmeric and Dijon mustard DIRECTIONS For the sauce 1 | Preheat the oven to 180°c fan and line a tray with baking parchment. 2 | Place the butternut squash cut side up on the tray and drizzle with a bit of olive oil. Roast in the oven for 40 to 50 minutes or until tender and starting to brown at the sides. Remove from the oven and allow to cool. 3 | Scoop out and discard the seeds, then scoop out the flesh and place it in a food processor with the remaining ingredients. Blend until smooth, scraping down the sides as necessary and seasoning to taste. 4 | You may need to add a splash more milk to make a runnier sauce. This can be made up to 2 days in advance when kept cool in an airtight container in the fridge.
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COMFORT FOOD ALERT
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INGREDIENTS For the pasta • Olive oil • ½ a white onion, finely diced • 1 small courgette, finely diced • 2 cloves of garlic, crushed • 1 tbsp tamari • 180g pasta of your choice • 160g frozen peas • 1 handful of spinach, chopped • 10 cherry tomatoes, halved For the ‘cheesy’ topping • 1 tbsp shelled hemp seeds • 1 tbsp nutritional yeast • ¼ tsp turmeric DIRECTIONS For the pasta 1 | Heat a good drizzle of olive oil in a saucepan and fry the onion for 10 minutes until caramelising and translucent. Now add the courgette and garlic and continue to fry for 5 to 7 minutes until cooked through, adding the tamari for the last minute. 2 | Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to the packet instructions, adding the peas for the final 5 minutes. Drain, reserving some of the cooking water, and leave to one side. For the ‘cheesy’ topping 1 | Make To topping by mixing all the ingredients together in a bowl. 2 | Return the cooked pasta to the saucepan then add the onion and courgette mixture, chopped spinach, tomatoes, butternut sauce and four tablespoons of the cooking water. Stir the pasta over a low heat until creamy and well coated in sauce, adding more cooking water if required. To serve Divide the pasta between two bowls and sprinkle over the ‘cheesy’ hemp topping.
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WEEKEND BAKE IDEA!
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SERVES 8-10
Raw Chocolate Cheesecake
By Naomi Buff
PREP TIME 20 mins | SETTING TIME 2-3 hour | EQUIPMENT Bowl, cake tin, food processor, fridge/freezer, spoon
Recipes like this have changed my relationship with chocolate and I have also transformed the attitudes of many others with my raw chocolate treats; they can be life changing! For the base INGREDIENTS • 140g almonds • 40g oats • 2 tbsp raw cacao powder • Pinch of salt • 12 pitted Medjool dates (200g) • ¼ tsp vanilla powder or essence • For the filling • 120ml coconut milk, chilled for about 4 hours • 2 large ripe avocados • 60ml maple syrup • 20g raw cacao powder • ½ tsp vanilla powder or essence • Pinch of salt • For the chocolate sauce • 2 tbsp raw cacao powder • 2 tbsp melted coconut oil • Pinch of salt
TOP TIP Use a spoon to neaten the top of the crust.
DIRECTIONS For the base 1 | Grease a 20cm loose-bottomed cake tin with a little bit of coconut oil. 2 | If you are using a silicone mould of the same size, there’s no need to grease it. Put the almonds, oats, cacao powder and salt into a food processor. Blend until the nuts and oats have broken down. Add the dates and vanilla then blend again until the dates have broken down and you have a sticky mixture. 3 | Transfer just over half of this mixture to your cake tin and press down firmly with the back of a spoon or your fingertips to create the base. 4 | Spoon the remaining mixture around the edges of the tin and use your fingers to press upwards from the base, creating sides about 2.5cm in depth from the base. For the filling 1 | Make sure your coconut milk has been in the fridge for about 4 hours so it solidifies. Halve and de-stone the avocado, scoop out the flesh and put it
into the food processor with all the other ingredients. 2 | Blend until completely smooth and creamy, then spoon the filling into the base. For the chocolate sauce 1 | In a small bowl, mix the ingredients together until fully combined then drizzle the chocolate sauce on top of your cheesecake. 2 | Finish by decorating it with chopped nuts, dried fruit, edible flowers, cacao nibs or anything else delicious, colourful and edible you can find in your cupboards! 3 | Pop the decorated cheesecake into the freezer and leave it to set for about 2 hours, or 3 hours in the fridge, and it should be ready to eat. You can either keep this stored in the freezer for up to 3 months (it will need a little bit of defrosting before eating) or in the fridge for up to 5 days. If you used a silicone mould, you will need to completely freeze the cheesecake to remove it from the mould cleanly.
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WEEKEND BRUNCH SORTED!
Share you creations on Instagram by tagging @creativeimpactco as well as the team at @beder_uk SERVES 2
Sunshine Eggs
By Jessica Rothman
PREP TIME 5 mins | COOKING TIME 20 mins | EQUIPMENT Bowls, knife, pans, pestle and mortar
This recipe takes inspiration from one of my favourite Turkish breakfast recipes, known as menemen. I’ve made a few edits to the traditional method, adding ‘sunshine’ with the saffron which instantly lifts my mood and transports me somewhere else. INGREDIENTS • Pinch of saffron • 2 medium-sized tomatoes • 1 white onion • 1-2 tbsp olive oil • 2 red peppers (I like to use the pointed type as they are much sweeter) • 2 cloves of garlic • Pul biber (Aleppo chilli flakes) or chopped fresh chilli (optional) • 2 tbsp tomato puree • Large pinch of salt • 4 free-range eggs
TOP TIP You could even make them the centerpiece of an entire breakfast spread including fresh breads, chopped vegetables, preserves, cheeses, olives… enjoy!
DIRECTIONS 1 | In a pestle and mortar, finely grind the pinch of saffron until it forms a powder. Add a splash (a tablespoon or so) of boiling water and leave to brew while you prepare the other ingredients. 2 | If you want to remove the tomato skins, use a sharp knife to just slightly cut through the skin of each tomato in a criss-cross pattern. Put the tomatoes in a bowl, pour over boiling water and leave for 5 minutes. Remove the tomatoes and, when cool enough to handle, peel the skins off. 3 | To start the sauce, finely chop the onion while you heat a non-stick frying pan on medium. Add a large glug of olive oil and begin to gently fry the onion. 4 | While that begins to sweat and soften, finely dice the red peppers (roughly 1cm pieces). Add these to the pan and fry with the onions, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes until both are very soft and cooked through. 5 | Crush and peel the cloves of garlic then add them to the pan
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along with however much chilli you like, if you are using any. Cook and stir for just a couple of minutes. Roughly chop your tomatoes and add these to the pan alongside the tomato puree and stir to combine. Add two tablespoons of boiling water, the brewed saffron and salt. 6 | Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook uncovered for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally until a thick sauce is created. If the pan appears dry at any point, add another dash of boiling water. 7 | In a bowl, whisk the four eggs together using a fork. Pour this mixture into the pan and turn the heat down low. Stir the eggs into the tomato and pepper sauce, folding until they are just set and cooked (this will only take a couple of minutes). Serve the eggs straight away. I like to finish these with a sprinkle of Aleppo pepper flakes and a generous blanket of fresh parsley (or other green herbs) alongside some warm flatbreads and salty feta.
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