Empowered Magazine UK Issue 1 (October/November) by empoweredmagazineuk

EMPOWERED MAGAZINE ISSUE 1 | OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2021

UNLEASH YOUR AWESOME

TEN STEPS TO A STRONG IMMUNITY

Meet Taz Thornton and learn why she is the amazing dose of positivity that you need in your life!

Caroline Peyton shares her top 10 tips with us to help us gain stronger immunity!

MEET THE TEAM! We're introducing our new team who have helped rebrand and relaunch our great magazine!

FROM THE EDITOR

We’re back and we’re different! If this past year has taught me anything it’s that I’m a determined little bunny and I woke up one morning and decided that the magazine should come back but it should be better. We’re publishing every other month so although it’s less issues a year than last time it gives us a lot more time to include some AH-MAZING people! We’ve got ourselves an amazing team of columnists who are going to be joining us every issue. This issue we have some great stories including decisions made during the pandemic, why laughing yoga has become such a great business and why pets during lockdown have been a great decision for some people. As you’ll see we’ve gone from business only to business and lifestyle so there’s stuff here for everyone! But that isn’t everything. I cannot wait for you to get reading and sharing your thoughts with us. All links that you see are live so you can click straight through to their websites. Once you’ve had a read through we’d love to get your feedback at empoweredmagazineuk@gmail.com and if you want to feature in the December 1st issue drop us an email and the same address with why we should feature you! HANNAH EDWARDS EDITOR IN CHIEF

MEET THE TEAM We have a fantastic team contributing to each issue and we wanted to be sure that we introduce you to each one. You've already met Hannah our Editor and now it's time to meet everyone else!

LOUISE HOPSON Our newly married Louise is our Assistant Editor and you'll find her on video calls with Hannah discussing themes for future issues!

Hannah and Louise have been friends for close to 12 years now so when Hannah wanted to rebrand and relaunch the magazine it made complete sense to bring Louise on board!

If she's not building up her own business or in a meeting with Hannah, you'll find Louise studying towards her Open University degree or curled up with her animals and relaxing with her husband.

Look out for articles and discussions with Louise in this and future issues.

SAMANTHA JAYNE

Samantha Jayne is an Author and Spiritual Coach with over 20 years’ experience in her industry. She has appeared in numerous TV shows, radio shows and the press. A qualified Entrepreneur Coach, she now coaches others in how to tap into success energetically, to allow success to flow with ease.

TRACEY KEARNS Hi, I am Tracy and I run Truly Listening,

This business is an accumulation of my passion for supporting parents and families with my education and studies.

After years of looking for support, I took things into my own hands and created what I felt was missing!

I combine a mixture of Relax Kids sessions, positive psychology, creative mindfulness, CBT and bespoke parent toolbox sessions!

My job is to empower you into a confident parent!

NOT to parent you or have you mimic my parenting!

I have 15 years plus of experience (my mum was a childminder and as a headstrong person I was often taking care of the little ones even back then!) degrees in childhood and psychology and a whole host of certifications to create parenting support sessions for you and your family. Some of the things I currently do are: • Relax Kids via zoom • Bespoke parenting session • Empowered parenting course • CBT • Mindful art session • Positive parenting group • Meditation evenings

A qualified Entrepreneur Coach, she now coaches others in how to tap into success energetically, to allow success to flow with ease.

TALK TO ME TO FIND OUT MORE AND BOOK YOUR DISCOVERY SESSION TODAY:

HTTPS://LINKTR.EE/TRULYLISTENING

MEET THE TEAM JANE LACEY-CRANE Although writing stories is something that I’ve always done, I never thought anyone would pay me to do it so instead I focussed on learning to act instead. I was dumb enough to think that this was a much more reliable way to earn a living. Predictably, my career as an actress was short lived - actually it was nonexistent – so I turned my attention to another reliable line of work - Cable Television! This was where I finally managed get paid (albeit very badly!) doing something I enjoyed. I began with scripts for a series all about Serial Killers (imaginatively entitled 'Serial Killers') and then moved on to a series of history documentaries. Although this series never saw the light of day in the UK, I have been informed that it used be very popular with insomniacs staying in hotels in the Far East. This may or may not be true.

Eventually though, I couldn’t ignore the little voice in my head that kept telling me to write a book. It felt like an unachievable dream until I joined the Romantic Novelist’s Association New Writer’s Scheme in January 2017 – a real turning point for me. I’d written the beginning of the story that would grow into ‘Secrets and Tea at Rosie Lee’s’ as an entry for a competition on Good Morning Britain. They were looking for the next Fifty Shades of Grey, and I don’t think my story of second chance love in the East End was quite saucy enough! But I loved the characters I’d created and the world I was building, so I carried on with it. I submitted the finished manuscript to any publisher I could find that didn’t require you to have an agent and I was overjoyed – and more than a little shocked – when digital first publisher, Aria Fiction, offered me a three-book contract. My first book, Secrets and Tea at Rosie Lee’s, was set in East London, where I grew up, and featured characters that were inspired by some of the people I knew back then, and for my third and most recent release, The Little Shop on Floral Street, I’ve returned to my roots in London again. The book tells the story of the Watson sisters, Grace, Hope and Faith, and their relationships with each other, and the complicated family dynamics that have played a significant role in where they are in their lives. I’m so excited about becoming a part of the Empowered Magazine team and I love to hear from readers so do get in touch! Facebook – Jane Lacey Crane – Author Instagram – @janelaceycrane Twitter - @JaneLaceyCrane Amazon Author Page - Amazon.co.uk: Jane Lacey-Crane: Books, Biography, Blogs, Audiobooks, Kindle

LIS MCDERMOTT I grew up in Leicestershire, as an only child to older parents, leaving home at eighteen to follow my dream and go to the Royal Manchester College of Music. After three amazing years, I left to study for a Teaching Certificate, at Trent Park, London. I then embarked on a teaching career that lasted for thirty-four years. During that time, I taught in secondary education, before becoming a schools Music Advisory Teacher, and then the Music Adviser for Wiltshire. During that time, I also taught the harp at Cheltenham Ladies College, became a mentor for the CT ABRSM course for the Associated Board of Royal Schools of Music, and I was also an OFSTED Inspector. Life was busy, but I loved it. I left teaching in 2008, at the age of 56, feeling disillusioned about where the ‘arts’ education was going. 2008 saw the birth of Lis McDermott Photography, which I ran successfully, until the beginning of lockdown, 2020, when I officially set up my Writer Mentoring business. My first foray into publishing actually happened while I was still in education. Along with a friend, Mary Edwards, I co-wrote ‘Nelson Music’- books 1,2 and 3, which was a very successful music scheme for schools, used in England, Wales and Scottish schools. I didn’t publish again, until 2014 when I wrote “Headshot Diva” – Why your business profile affects your bottom line. My first fiction book, “Changing Lives” – eight short stories, was published in 2017. I began writing seriously following this publication, and my next book was the autobiography of me and my husband’s lives, “Mixed Feelings”, published in 2018. I also rediscovered my love of writing poetry, and the same year, I published my first book of poetry “A Tilted View”, following up with “Lis’ Little Book of Limericks” in 2019, and a second anthology of poems, “Blossom Falls” in March 2020. Over the years I’ve come to realise I have to be involved in work that is creative. Also, I love to help support others in their learning. As a teacher, I helped children and teachers to understand and learn to love music; as a photographer, as a musician, I particularly loved accompanying people – supporting the soloist. I helped people to enjoy being photographed, and as a writing mentor, I help to support people in fulfilling their dream of writing their book or poetry. Personally, I need to be able to access my own inner ‘creative’. My husband, Conrad and I have lived in Royal Wootton Bassett for 19 years. Conrad is extremely supportive, some would say, long-suffering. As soon as he sets foot in the house, arriving home from work, he is bombarded with me reading him my latest poem!

TEN STEPS TO A STRONG IMMUNITY BY CAROLINE PEYTON

Winter is approaching and now is a good time to look at building up a strong and resilient immune system. Our immune system is a wonderful complex system of specialised cells and antibodies that has enabled the human race to survive and thrive. The human body is remarkable and given the right tools can and will fight infections every day. Here I’ll show you my top ten steps to keep it fighting for you this Winter.

You should supplement with 1000 IU Vitamin D3 daily throughout the Winter. Supplementation is important since vitamin D is activated from sunlight coming into direct contact with the skin. In the Winter in the Northern hemisphere the sun has too little UVB to provide sufficient vitamin D plus our bodies are covered in clothing. Step 2: Vitamin C

Step 1: Vitamin D

How are humans similar to guinea pigs? We are the only mammals who cannot manufacturer vitamin C so must obtain it from our diets!

Vitamin D helps to enhance the function of immune cells. Low levels can increase susceptibility to infections. Vitamin D also helps to modulate your immune response (meaning it is neither too weak or too strong).

It has remarkable immune fighting properties. It helps to speed up the production of immune fighting cells. It has anti-viral properties. It’s also a powerful antioxidant scavenging and neutralising free radicals helping to prevent damage to cells.

Step 5: Balancing Blood Sugar

Keeping blood sugar levels stable is the foundation to my whole practice to stop yo-yoing blood glucose. Two pieces of fruit a day is sufficient due to the sugar content. Reduce refined carbohydrates (white bread, pasta, rice, crackers and the foods they are baked in) and choose wholegrain every time. Keep portions to just 20% of your plate. After vegetables, the remainder of your plate should be protein with good fats. Aim to follow these rules 80% of the time, you’ll be surprised how good it makes you feel and will give your immune system a boost too.

Step 6: Supporting gut health 70% of your immunity is in your gut. It has specialist lymphatic tissue home to white blood cells which fight infection and it secretes its own anti-microbial compounds that prevent pathogens taking a hold.

These foods are rich sources: dark green leafy vegetables (kale, cabbage, broccoli, parsley, Brussels Sprouts, cauliflower), kiwi fruits, peppers, cherries, berries, tomatoes and citrus (not the richest source). Step 3: Minimise Processed Foods Eat a diet low in processed food and refined sugars. Processed food is high in cheap processed fats, chemicals and sugar which delivers no nutritional benefit to your body and utilise more nutrients metabolising this “junk” creating a nutritional debt. it will impair the immune system and sugar consumption has been shown to suppress the immune system for up to five hours. Step 4: Eat a Vegetable Rich Diet An ideal diet has closer to “10 a day”! Vegetables are rich in vitamins and minerals. They are high in fibre (that keeps our gut healthy). They contain compounds called phytonutrients- plant based nutrients that confer their health benefits to humans. Half your plate should be vegetables and aim for as much diversity and colour as possible.

It’s also home to 100 trillion bacteria “microbiota” which reside in the colon – ten times the cells in your body. When we have a healthy diversity of beneficial (commensal) bacteria it promotes resilience and defence against pathogens. Follow a high fibre diet of vegetables, berries, nuts, seeds, pulses and brown rice that feeds the beneficial gut bacteria. The average fibre intake is 15g when we require double that. And in turn the bacteria produce compounds that keep the gut healthy.

Step 7: Zinc and selenium

Whilst these minerals are only required in small amounts they are often lacking in our diets. They are essential for the immune system so we should take care to be eating foods that are a rich source of each. The richest source of zinc by far is oysters! More common foods are meat, seafood, dark meat of poultry, dairy, cashews, pumpkin seeds, chickpeas and almonds. The richest sources of selenium are organ meat, seafood and brazil nuts. It’s also found in meats, wholegrains, eggs and dairy.

Step 8: The restorative power of sleep Increasingly scientists are discovering how powerful sleep is to your overall health. Sleeping 7-8 hours per night is associated with healthy ageing and a lack of sleep has been shown to depress immune function. When you sleep your body enters the growth and repair phase. New cells are produced including those associated with your immune system. Try to increase your exposure to natural light during the day as this helps the natural body clock and recognise when it is time for sleep. Ensure your bedroom is a cool 17c and your curtains are dark or use black-out blinds or lining. Try to follow a relaxing evening routine: an evening bath with lavender, read a book or watch a relaxing TV show. Night-time is not the best time to watch a thriller! A small snack before bed can also be beneficial to help you stay asleep.

Step 9 –Appropriate Exercise We tend to group together exercise as one activity and classify it all as healthy. Excessive high impact intensive cardio exercise may act as an immune suppressor, reducing important immune fighting cells and their efficiency, causing inflammation and oxidative stress. Walking for 30 minutes a day has been shown to stimulate immune response and white blood cell production. Movement is the key. Spend less time sitting and more time moving. Step 10: Stress Stress has a negative effect on immunity since cortisol suppresses the immune response making it harder to fight infections. In the modern world we can find ourselves in a stressed state more often than not. Aim to lower your intake of stimulants like tea, coffee and alcohol to 2-3 cups of tea/coffee a day and have four alcohol free days every week. Allow time to still your mind. Whether this is deep breathing exercises, a walk in fresh air, yoga, meditation or using a specially designed App. These activities help to turn off the fight or flight switch and move your body into a calm state. Take action to introduce these steps into your lifestyle to help fight infections this Winter.

READ ON TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT CAROLINE PEYTON AND HOW TO CONTACT HER!

REVAMP YOUR DIET IN AUTUMN TO BOOST HEALTH AND IMMUNITY THIS WINTER New healthy lifestyle course launches online next week BY CAROLINE PEYTON

Nutritionist Caroline Peyton has created a two-week online course to help people kickstart their healthy eating habits as we move into the colder months. The 14 Day Autumn Reboot starts on Monday 4th October. Peyton is a qualified nutritionist, naturopath and gut health expert with 12 years’ clinical experience. She runs her own successful practice, Peyton Principles, with clinics in The Cotswolds, Wiltshire and Swindon. She finds that this can be a tricky time of year when it comes to healthy eating. “The long summer holidays, especially after all the lockdowns, means many people have lost their way a little health-wise,” says Caroline. “They might have gained a few pounds, or are feeling sluggish or confused over the right thing to eat. They might also be worried about their immunity as cold and flu season kicks in. This course is designed to get people back on track and going into winter with confidence.” The Reboot includes: Two seven-day meal planners with options for meat-eaters, vegetarians and vegans. No more worrying about what to eat! Six live videos with advice and inspiration. Easy-to-follow modules designed to keep you motivated and on-track. Downloadable sheets with insights on nutrition and lifestyle. Expert advice from Caroline, plus a supportive online community.

The 14 Day Autumn Reboot costs £35 and Caroline is donating 50% of the proceeds from the course to Cirencester-based wellbeing charity The Churn Project.

“It’s been such a challenging 18 months for us all and I wanted to support a charity that helps the community,” she says. “The project does amazing work with isolated and vulnerable people and it’s incredible to see what they’ve achieved.” Caroline is a founder member of the Naturopathic Nutrition Association (NNA) a professional association for nutritional therapists. She graduated with a Diploma in Naturopathic Nutritional Therapy in 2009, before setting up her own practice a year later. Caroline runs clinics at Whiteway Court, The Whiteway, in Cirencester, another in Kempsford and a third in Swindon’s Old Town. She specialises in nutritional therapy, gut and digestive issues and often advocates for health and wellbeing in the national press. To find out more about the 14 Day Reboot or to book a place, go to https://www.peytonprinciples.com/14-daykickstart-health-immunity/

Contact Caroline Peyton www.peytonprinciples.com caroline@peytonprinciples.com

THE ENERGY OF OCTOBER SAMANTHA JAYNE, SPIRITUAL COACH

As we enter the month of October, we do so under the influence of Mercury Retrograde, but what does that mean? How will this affect us in our lives and our businesses? Well, this retrograde is going to draw our attention to our business relationships that need some work, whether clients, suppliers, colleagues, or staff. There is the possibility that old issues creep back in and now need to be dealt with in order to move forward with things. There is a potential to experience disappointment in people this month. How we do business is shifting and changing. Morals and values and how we treat the world, our clients, our team are all going to impact how much business we do, how much success we have. Many of us will be changing our systems, rebelling if you like, as we feel compelled to react to injustice in matters such as equal rights, equal pay etc. So, clashing with people in positions of authority is possible. You have been warned! A time of learning the art of compromise with those around us. We are going to need to be wiser in our relationships and in our financial affairs. Some of us may need to deal with things and have conversations that make us feel uncomfortable. However, this is a good month for anyone who works as part of a team. Great things can be achieved through teamwork.

A time for moving forward on our projects but we will need to shield ourselves from the negativity of others as we find ourselves able to make big changes and take huge leaps forward in business and in our lives. This is a month for innovation. Many will find themselves wanting to gain clarity and new information that can show them how to step forward, how to achieve things, how to progress. So if your business is about providing this or supporting people on their journey through growth, then this really should be a good month for you. New ways of connecting to wealth, health and happiness are now opening and there is a whole new feel to how we do business, how we create and how we present ourselves to world. Don’t be surprised this month If you discover that business is not always about doing the next logical thing, the next obvious step, sometimes it is about listening to your inner self and acting on what feels like your calling. As if something, paranormal, is steering you towards a greater vision for your work and your life. This is a powerful month, as is the rest of 2021.

Need a business bestie?

Discover more about how I am helping Business Owners achieve success with ease here at www.samantha-jayne.co.uk

SWINDON-BASED MORTGAGE ADVISER CELEBRATES OVER 200 GOOGLE REVIEWS Tom said: “At the start of the pandemic, like many other business owners we were uncertain how the unprecedented situation would impact our business. However, what we’ve seen is an uplift in demand, partly because this life-changing period of time has prompted people to make different life choices around working from home, where they live and what they want from their lives.” Reaching over 200 reviews on Google (209 in fact at time of writing) has come as an immense delight and shown the four-strong team that their hard work and determination has been worth it. Here are just two of their recent reviews: “TED Mortgages have been no less than amazing from start to finish with arranging our mortgage after being refused by our bank. The whole process was explained to us without hesitation, emails were answered in no time at all and a great deal was sourced with a mortgage offer within two weeks of being in contact with Chris. We can’t recommend TED Mortgages enough and look forward to them helping us for many years to come!” “Tom at TED Mortgages helped us recently and his attention to detail, responsiveness and knowledge of the best and most appropriate products was outstanding. Tom took time to listen and understand our needs and carefully and quickly provided sound advice and a recommendation. He took care of the whole process from start to finish and we could not be happier with the outcome. Highly recommended!” Swindon-based independent mortgage broker TED Mortgages celebrates receiving over 200 google reviews making it the town’s most recommended mortgage broker on the global platform. The reviews have come as a reward for the team due to the amount of hard work and time they have put into making the business thrive and grow. It was mortgage expert Tom Brennan, who decided to quietly start his own business in May 2018 and was later joined by his former colleague Chris Blackwell, now a company director. The pair decided to start the business from their homes, way before the pandemic made that a regular ‘thing’. Their USP was being independent, offering free impartial advice to best suit each client’s individual needs. Unlike many other businesses, the pandemic has meant a huge surge in activity for Tom and Chris who have now been joined in the business by two other advisers, also working remotely.

Now due to the continued support from their customers and their reviews, Chris, aged 28, has been able to give back to the community by recently donating new kit to Wroughton Youth Football Club’s Under 8s Wolves team and by sponsoring the senior team, and the whole junior section of the Swindon St George rugby league club. Chris said: ““We are over the moon to have reached this milestone. When we started we were excited to get our first review and ever since then have been determined to keep on doing the best we can for our clients. To have surpassed 200 reviews on Google in under two years is beyond what we could have expected. We love supporting our clients and are forever grateful for the support they give us.” TED Mortgages is a specialist, independent, fee-free, certified mortgage brokers that will work with their customers with a ‘whole of market’ approach that is tailored to each person’s circumstances. To find out more, visit: https://www.tedmortgages.co.uk

BOOK REVIEW

BY JANE LACEY-CRANE

As a former Head of Drama Series for HBO, you’d expect Miranda Cowley Heller to know a thing or two about what it takes to keep an audience gripped, and you’d be right, well, mostly right. The Paper Palace is Heller’s first novel, and for the most part it is an absorbing read. The book tells the story of Elle Bishop, a middle-aged mother and wife, coming to terms with events in her past that have indelibly shaped her future. Elle is a woman at a crossroads – no spoilers – but the story begins twenty-four hours after she has done something that threatens to change the course of her marriage, her life, and the life of her family. The narrative moves from present day to events in Elle’s life that begin when she is a small child, almost fifty years before. The story of Elle’s upbringing, shunted between a feckless father and a narcissistic mother, tells a tale of trauma and sadness that has the potential to be highly triggering for some readers. If you are uncomfortable reading about child sexual abuse and rape, then you may want to think twice about this book. That’s not to say that the subjects aren’t handled sensitively, but they’re mentioned in the story in an almost casual way that some readers may find upsetting. I have to say, the most compelling thing for me about the book, was the setting. The Paper Palace mentioned in the book’s title is a family cabin set by a lake in the woods of Cape Cod; a place where Elle’s family has spent every Summer for generations. I found these segments of the book so absorbing. I could almost smell the damp old cabins and the pine needles on the paths through the backwoods. There is much that I enjoyed about this novel. The settings were engaging, whether the reader was being taken through the woods of Cape Cod, or through the urban jungle of New York City, where Elle spends the rest of her childhood; here Heller succeeds in taking you with her as you walk those streets or pathways, or swim in the lakes or go sailing on the ocean. But for me, where the book is less successful, is in its ability to make you care about the people that exist in these places.

In addition to Elle, the book’s cast of characters is quite a long one, from her husband, Peter, to her mother, her father, sister, various step siblings and stepparents, grandparents, neighbours in Cape Cod, inlaws and lastly, Elle’s childhood sweetheart, the enigmatic Jonas. Combine all these characters with the frequent jumping back and forth through different time periods and I felt like I was left without any substantial emotional connection to Elle, or any of the novel’s main characters. I might even go so far as to say that I grew to dislike most of them by the end of the book! Don’t get me wrong, Miranda Cowley Heller’s prose is rich and evocative, and there were some beautifully written passages, but at times I felt as if I was reading a travel guide for New England, rather than an emotionally complex story about love and family and the toxic nature of secrets and regrets. Elle’s character spends a lot of time wafting about in a self-obsessed fog, and when she isn’t wafting, she’s swimming naked in the lake quite a lot. I’m sure all of this is intended as a metaphor for something, but it made Elle’s character rather unlikeable. Jonas, the childhood sweetheart, the man by whom all others in Elle’s life are judged, comes across as immature and selfish, whilst her husband, Peter, is a stereotypical Englishman written by an American. By this I mean he is a cross between Hugh Grant, Colin Firth and with a sprinkling of Hugh Bonneville thrown in for good measure; tall, stiff, a little bit awkward but just good looking enough without being overtly handsome. My other main issue with the book, and having read some other reviews, I realise I’m not alone in this, is the ending. As a writer, I know endings are notoriously difficult. Sometimes it can be hard to decide where to stop, and you will never please everybody, but I always feel like I should give my readers an ending that is unambiguous, a full stop at the end of the tale, or at the very least a clear signpost that the story has come to an end. In my opinion The Paper Palace fails to do that. As a reader I felt cheated, rather than intrigued, and because I didn’t feel any emotional attachment to Elle, when the story finished, I was almost relieved to not have to spend any more time with her. I didn’t care enough to be intrigued about what might happen next. The Paper Palace has been likened to another debut by a US author, Where The Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens. The similarities are obvious – a narrative that moves backwards and forwards in time, a tragic event, the consequences of which reverberate all the way through the characters’ lives, a beautifully drawn landscape that functions almost like another character in the story – but that’s where the similarities end, I think. In Owens’ book, although the landscape is integral to the story, it never overwhelms or detracts. Set in a quiet town on the North Carolina coast, Where the Crawdads Sing, is the poetic tale of Kya Clark, a young girl who lives alone in the marshlands. It is a beautiful coming-of-age tale that is also a love story to the natural world and if I had to read one book again and again for the rest of my life, it would be this one. The Paper Palace was undoubtedly a beautifully written work, the author’s skill at creating a real sense of place is undeniable, but for me, I found the characters to be unsympathetic and lacking in any real emotional depth. The external world of the book was far superior to the interior world, and as such I was disappointed to come away feeling no real connection to the characters or their journey. Happy Reading to you all!

SOMETHING TRAGIC TURNED INTO A MOMENT OF CLARITY By Jane Lacey-Crane

As human beings we only really know what we’re capable of when the chips are down and we’re put to the test and this was certainly the case for BUEvolution founder, Anthony Abis. After many years of trials and trauma, things finally reached crisis point in June 2020. Within the space of two weeks, Anthony lost his job, his relationship and was then hospitalized with a kidney stone that required extensive surgery. On top of all this, as if this wasn’t already enough to test his limits, he was diagnosed with cancer in January 2021. It was whilst he was recovering from his surgery that Anthony had his moment of epiphany. “… as I lay in hospital after the operation, I had an unexpected sense of euphoria. I allowed myself to let the fear dissipate and to look positively into the unknown for the first time ever. I made some affirmations and had an image of a blank canvas … all I had to do was learn to paint my own picture.”

His previous studies of philosophy and spirituality were a tremendous source of support for him but during this time it was the connections and support he had from friends and others that gave him pause for thought; showing that connectivity is the thing we humans need more than anything. Armed with this newfound zest for a life filled with connections, Anthony scraped together some cash and took off on an adventure that led him to Tomar, a medieval town in Central Portugal. There he met new people and shared new experiences with them that reinforced his desire to build a platform to share these kinds of connections and interactions with others. “Moving to Portugal … it felt amazing, free, the creative process was alive with possibilities … and in this place … I realised my life’s purpose.” Blu-Evolution was born – a platform for connecting wellbeing practitioners and to create a way of sharing affordable, diverse and inclusive classes, live from teachers around the world. Anthony says, “Most of us humans are pack animals and despite our fear, we need to connect with one another. COVID and lockdown showed us this. If there is one good thing that we can strive for post-lockdown, it’s connection and I want to do my part.” With over nine million days taken off sick in the UK alone through anxiety, stress and depression, Anthony hopes that BU-Evolution can help to begin to redress the balance, and he has some big plans in store to help him achieve his goal. “We are currently looking for more teachers and volunteers to help bring the platform to the masses and in five years, I would like to be building a retreat for our collective and producing more great live content and documentary videos.” You can find more information about BUEvolution at : https://www.bu-evolution.com

Anthony is also offering readers the chance to try ten free classes on the platform over ten days with the following link :

https://sutrapro.com/buevolution/pricing/checkout/DvkeXqifKUOlTAUm11 Ta

UNLEASH YOUR AWESOME WITH TAZ THORNTON!

It’s fair to say that when you need a dose of positivity, Taz Thornton is the person you find! Her entire personality just automatically wants to make you smile so it was a no brainer to have her on the cover of our newly rebranded magazine. Read on to find out why! Everything about Taz Thornton screams ‘AWESOME’ which is perfect when the first thing you see on her website is: “Be Heard, Be Seen, Be You and Unleash Your Awesome!” Her journey has not been an easy one. When she describes her 20s, going into her early 30s, Taz says that she was falling to pieces. She shares her journey so that she can empower and inspire others to keep going no matter where they are in their journey. Back at the beginning of her career Taz was in the corporate world and from the outside she had a great life - a high-flying job in publishing having been everything from a journalist to an editor and everything in between. On the inside, however, Taz was desperate for a change. She was in such an abusive relationship that she needed to escape and hide to be safe. Taz is very honest when she says that she spent so many nights praying for a terrible illness that could give her an escape from this situation.

Whilst on this journey Taz trained in Neuro Linguistic Programming, coaching, and mentoring, conflict management and more so that she would be able to help others in the same situation. Taz also used this time to study with shamans and medicine people for several years and says that she learnt some of the most powerful personal development she ever experienced. Taz is authentic and not the type of coach who makes you promise that she has no intention of keeping. There are so many ways that Taz could help you become the best you without making all of the shiny promises to entice you in. You can find Taz all over her social media - she won’t tell you to make sure you have a presence without having one herself and she offers courses for platforms like LinkedIn where everything is easy to understand and implement. Taz learnt some amazing tools over the years, and she has definitely put them to great use leading to some big results including: In her early 30s she had a life that people would consider amazing - holidays to America, top of the range cars, designer clothes and watches, the perfect partner and more! But this wasn’t fulfilling Taz anymore and she knew that to have her happy life things needed to change. In 2006 Taz had her period that she calls her ‘8 weeks of hell’ but those 8 weeks were the period that changed her life! In such a small space of time, Taz lost her uncle, then her father, her parents’ home was then burgled on the one night she was away for business and her financial safety net disappeared. On top of all that a close family member was diagnosed with a degenerative health condition and her partner was made redundant. All of this led to memories flooding back leading Taz to realise that the old wounds she thought she had dealt with were still there and waiting for her. All of this trauma led Taz to realise she needed a change. It was her time to reinvent herself, rebuild herself from the group up and creating the life for herself that she truly wanted to have. People often wonder why Taz shares so much about herself with people she works with and those that she hasn’t even met yet, but she is all about authenticity and her story is one of empowerment that she is happy to share.

Becoming a bestselling author. She’s brought out two books that have clearly worked their magic! When you go to Amazon and search for her books, you’ll find they both have over 4 stars with huge amounts of reviews! In 2018 Taz was named the UK’s Best Female Coach and one of the UK’s Most Inspirational Businesswomen. A group of her clients all joined forces to enter her into the most prestigious of national awards campaigns! Taz has given 3 TED Talks! In fact, Taz is so great at what she does that she is establishing herself as an expert in her industry and has recently been named as of the WORLD’S 10 MOST INFLUENTIAL BUSINESS LEADERS by World’s Leaders Magazine! Is it really any wonder she has been named as part of this list when you can learn so much from her?! When you search her social media, you find that Taz Thornton is not only authentic, but she is positive and gives so much information away for free and still has more to teach us all!

Throughout her career Taz has gained a lot of news coverage which speaks to the type of business coach and speaker she is and at the end of this article you can find a list of her accolades. As you can imagine she has impacted so many people and, on her website, there is a page with testimonial after testimonial praising Taz for the knowledge she has shared and how she has helped her clients.

WHAT OUR EDITOR SAYS:

If you find yourself with a spare moment and wanting to know more about Taz, we highly suggest you check out www.TazThornton.com where not only will you find the many ways that you can work with Taz and the above mentioned page of testimonials, you will also find that Taz has an extensive list of features in the press, both news and TV. I knew that there was no way we couldn’t rebrand and relaunch and not feature Taz as our cover star!

I’ve never had the chance to meet Taz in person (yet!) but I’ve watched her on social media, I’ve had the chance to be on a webinar provided by Taz and Fiona Scott where Taz has shared her knowledge on LinkedIn and as soon as I put into practice the information that she shared I saw my insights grow dramatically compared to the previous figures.

ACCOLADES AND PRESS FOR TAZ: Winner - Best Coach, national Best Business Women Awards 2018 | One To Watch Speaker Trainer Award 2019 | Finalist, UK’s Most Inspirational Businesswoman 2019 |

HOW DO I TEACH THEM THE IMPORTANCE OF KEEPING THEMSELVES SAFE WHEN THEY DON’T TAKE ME SERIOUSLY?

In short, we’ve found that timeline of your checklist has a powerful part to play: it allows for you to set up clear goals and boundaries. It gives your bridesmaids time to explore their budgetary limitations (hey, sometimes it takes sitting down for a few hours with a calculator!), As a mum whose son is looking at university next year, I cannot help being concerned about whether he is ready for the realities of life and the full blown independence! How do I teach them the importance of keeping themselves safe when they don’t take me seriously? In this article I will go over some of the things that I think are the most important for your young adults to learn! And as a parenting coach I can tell you even if you think they do not listen the lessons still go in so don’t be discouraged!

Stranger Danger at a whole new level! How open have you been with your teenagers growing up? If you have struggled to talk about the dangers, you wish didn’t exist, now is the time to dive right in there! Some points of discussion: Protecting Drinks Personal Alarms Using buddy systems Parking in light areas How to keep a house safe Social media safety (don’t tag where you are going, the realism of catfishing and putting personal stuff online) Yes, I know you’re going to sound paranoid, and your teenagers will roll their eyes! BUT its better to have them frustrated with you that to have the worst happen because they didn’t know it existed!

Housekeeping such an old-fashioned concept! I am talking about cooking and laundry those things that if they are like my teenage boys they seem to avoid, personally my son wants to take all my kitchen gadgets with him to university! We are now doing budget cooking lessons as often as possible, so he is a pro at making food on a tight budget! Now the question is does your teenager know how to use a washing machine? I thought mine did till I actually asked him to do a load and then it was like watching car crash TV! He had no clue! He has been helping me since he was 5 but apparently had not picked up this valuable life skills! See if they really know what they are doing or if they are talking the talk!

Money management So first one do they have a bank account? Money management is something that can be started very young with budgets at the corner shop and helping to buy meals for a certain cost. It may be worth sitting and budgeting their new income out so they can see what they can party away and what they really need for food, so it is at least in the back of their mind! Hygiene! Bathing in teenage years can be a touchy and stinky subject but hopefully they are past that by the time they hit uni! If not, then I would suggest sitting down and having a safe honest conversation about hygiene as it is something that is easy to forget if that habit has not got a strong foundation! Maybe worth a parent smelly hamper as well!

IF ANYONE CAN, PETE CANN! The Laughter Man, Pete Cann is on a fun filled mission to bring the positive benefits of laughter to the world. Since discovering Laughter Yoga, company owner Pete has transformed his business and family life and now wants to share his infectious secrets and get the planet laughing along with him. Pete took time out of his busy schedule to talk with Hannah about lockdown, Laughter Yoga and what's next on his journey. H: Pete, can you tell us a bit about your background? P: I'm a father of two - my daughter Neala is 10 and my son Charlie is 8, I'm married to Chloe and we live in Bristol. We've run a chef agency for 12 years where we provide chefs for different hospitality venues in and around Bristol. I used to be a DJ and promote club nights. This was all precovid.

H: Why did you choose Laughter Yoga? P: I discovered laughter yoga in 2016 at WOMAD festival. When I walked past the tent I thought there was a comedian when I heard laughter but instead was greeted by 100 people lying on the floor laughing. I decided to join the session the next day and felt really energised, alive and focused. I knew then that I needed more of it in his life. In 2019 I started practicing on a daily basis – before work to get myself ready and it was a great way to start the day – it ticked all the boxes. I've stopped drinking and smoking and now I use laughter yoga as his tonic.

H: How are you balancing The Laughing Yoga and your chef agency? Has one taken precedent over the other? P: I’m still running the agency and we’re back to trading now. I run it with my wife Chloe but I’ve taken more of a backseat director role and am only there about 10% of the time now and Chloe runs the day to day. When Covid shut us down we lost the office and had to start working remotely. We’re back to trading now and are at about 60% and growing. When Covid hit us I dove straight into laughter yoga. We had needed to take payment breaks from the main bills due to a lack of income. After working on the Laughter Man for about three weeks online I had the realisation that is can work and that there is a huge benefit to it. I reached out to companies and did sessions with them over Zoom and within 14-15 months of starting the business I’m at the point where I can start paying myself. Christmas 2020 was the time I realised that this is something I could do properly after being booked for 3-4 sessions a day and this has let us gain a second income stream into the household.

H: What are the benefits to doing laughter yoga on a video call over people physically attending a class? P: During Covid times it has been an activity that can still be done from your own home.

Being in your safe space helps you to feel less conscious of what other people are thinking. It's more accessible to those who are working from home as this is an activity that they can do on their breaks.

H: Your website mentions hitting 1million people with your laughter by the end of this year. How are you getting on with that? P: I don’t have the exact numbers because this is the type of activity that can create a ripple effect. By putting that number out there it expanded the goal and got me in the headspace to reach out to everyone and create that ripple effect of laughter and happiness.

H: What do your family and friends think of your business?

P: After the first session at WOMAD, Chloe wondered if I was on something because my eyes were wide, and I was completely relaxed. When we went again the following year in 2017, I took part in the 4 sessions and Chloe saw the positive effect that it was having on me. When we went again in 2019 I ran the sessions at WOMAD with 100 people surrounding me. My family saw how happy it made me and are proud of me.

My friends ask me questions about it and watch the videos that I do online. People see a video and see me in it and then laugh because of the ripple effect. Once I started getting paid it showed that this was a serious business. In the future we want to move to the coast and send out children to private school. The Laughter Man is going to be paying the fees for them to get this great education. All of this is giving me the money to pay for my children’s futures.

H: Where do you see your journey as The Laughter Man taking you? P: My vision is in to be front of 2000 people in San Francisco on stage. By being there it means I have created the life I would like to live.

I'm planning on two years max for that vision. and then in 10 years I see myself on stage educating people on the benefits of laughter in their life. H: Is there anything that you would like to say to our readers? P: If you really want something badly enough just go get it – the only person stopping you from getting what you really desire is you and if Pete Cann you can!

You’ll find Pete, his trademark red hat and his happy vibe on the following channels;

pete@petecann.com

www.petecann.com

https://www.linkedin.com/in/thelaught erman/

https://www.instagram.com/petecannt helaughterman/

https://www.facebook.com/thelaughte rman

https://www.youtube.com/c/petecannt helaughterman

https://www.tiktok.com/@petecannthel aughterman

Pandemic Pivot has led to Business Success! Baby sleep expert Jemma Munford has revealed how her fledgling business flourished as a result of her pandemic pivot. Blissed Out Babies specialises in sleep coaching and baby massage working with new parents across the UK. As the pandemic hit in spring 2020 Jemma’s face-to-face work stopped overnight and she took her business online in just 48 hours. Her decision to run baby massage classes online and do digital sleep consultancy with families proved a hit and now the business is on track to smash its targets and grow by more than 300% in 2021. Jemma said: “Blissed Out Babies’ pandemic pivot was transformational for my business. I went from doing four face to face local baby massage classes weekly to delivering multiple courses to people all over the world.” Jemma started her Manchester-based business after the birth of her first child whilst on maternity leave from her high flying corporate job. She said: “The skills I gained working in the IT sector for more than a decade meant that I was quickly and easily able to transfer my services online.

“I have been told my online support groups have been a lifeline for Mums and babies during the lockdown - I am so proud of that.” The lockdown also meant that Jemma, who has two young children, had more time to invest in upskilling and expanding her services to include ‘4th Trimester’ wellbeing and online sleep coaching courses. Jemma said: “These are things I could only have dreamed about doing because life before lockdown was so busy that I didn’t have a minute to focus. It has been brilliant to get back face to face work, but I’m thankful for the new opportunities to support more people that lockdown has given me.” Jemma runs face to face baby massage classes in Sale, sleep consultancy online and does a free monthly SleepWalk offering informal support whilst getting out and about with your baby.

For more information visit www.blissedoutbabies.co.uk

Launching the Ice Warrior

When the constant juggle of home-schooling, a full-time corporate career, working from home and the whole world adjusting to lockdown became just too much, Angela Bentley, mum of 2 primary aged children took to the ice for her daily sanity. Prior to lockdown Angela was no stranger to anxiety in her life, saying that “anxiety has come and go all my life, but over the years I have worked hard with prevention tools rather than cure.” Like many parents she found a whole host of brand new challenges on the table when the world changed in March 2021. Managing her own needs as well as those of her family, losing the control of a world that once was familiar and secure, and getting a perspective over home-school in uncertain times, it all became just too much. Angela brought in daily mediation, journaling anything that promoted calm and peace. She let things go that weren’t worth sweating over, like home-schooling, saying “I would let my youngest go to the park in his PJs rather than battle with him to get dressed. I also tried to limit my time on social media as it was full of so much rubbish, but it was there that I stumbled across the Wim Hof method. I was fascinated and intrigued.” Angela described it like nothing she had ever come across before, it was so extreme that Angela had to give it a go. “I couldn’t stop reading about this extraordinary guy who climbed Everest in his shorts and held countless world records for sitting in ice baths! I was drawn to the science behind it and how he had trained his body to cope with the cold extremities. More importantly he reckoned he could teach everyday people like me, the same skills.” Each morning without fail Angela would start the day with Wim Hof breathwork and either a cold shower or plunge. Knowing she was limited by traveling due to the restrictions she brought the cold into her own back garden. And says in no uncertain terms, “I now could not live without my daily breath work and cold exposure.” Waking up each morning at 6.30 to make sure she wasn’t interrupted, she confessed to swearing and screaming in the cold initially. Even now she said “I always go cold in the shower, some days are much harder than others but the strength of mind I have built gives me the courage to turn that tap and I have never once regretted it. It gives me the feeling if I can do that, I can do anything that day.”” Within a few weeks Angela started to notice the life enhancing benefits with practicing the Wim Hof method. Her anxiety reduced significantly, mental focus and connection to what was important around me increased. Then after a few months she noticed stability in my hormones, reduced symptoms and improved sleep. Angela said, “I feel fitter and stronger than I ever have. I can run further, I sleep deeper, I can do over 50 bloody press-ups in one sitting! Each day the results amaze me. This is not about boosting my ego, I go at my own pace. All due respect to those people who can swim under ice and hold their breath for 5 minutes at a time, but I don’t feel the need to do this and neither should anyone else.” This is where The Ice Warrior was born and Angela wanted to help and support others with their own Ice Warrior journey. Her mission is to empower people with the Wim Hof method to lead healthy and happy lives with strength and purpose. Using Wim’s method of breath work, cold water exposure and meditation she helps people from all walks of life find levels of clarity, courage and calm that they didn’t know were possible. When working with Angela she makes it an individual journey where she supports you to unlock a whole host of benefits including increased energy, reduced stress and anxiety, better sleep, heightened focus and determination, stronger immune system, reduced inflammation and so much more. She finishes off by saying, “I am not a life coach and I do not have your answers, but YOU DO! My job is to teach you these skills so you can find strength and clarity in your daily life. I will support you at each step and will challenge you where you need that kind push.”

STARTING POINTS FOR EDITING WRITING FOR BUSINESS BY LIS MCDERMOTT

Editing is one of the hardest things to do well. Even if you are a seasoned writer, to edit your own work is still hard. We know what we want to say, so our brain tricks us to see what we expect.

Why is editing important? As a business owner, you want to appear professional, even if writing isn’t the focus of your business. Therefore, typo’s, mis-spellings, bad grammar and punctuation are all important to correct. Editing on Social Media platforms. Sometimes, the actual platform you are posting on doesn’t help either, because predictive text kicks in, and you end up writing gobble-de-gook! When writing longer posts for any media platforms, even though some do highlight spelling mistakes, it is safer to type the post in Word first, then check it through. This also gives you the opportunity to make changes without inadvertently hitting the ‘post’ key too early.

Check your computer is set to the correct language spelling. Computers can often be set to American English. This means that if you are working in the UK, wrong spellings may not be flagged. Conversely, the system will notify you when it decides you have spelt something wrong, when in fact you haven’t – you are using English spellings. E.g. colour vs color; humour vs humor etc. Read on for 5 tips to help with initial editing!

5 TIPS TO HELP INITIAL EDITING: 1. Read your writing out loud, preferably to someone else – you will notice spelling mistakes, missed words and where writing doesn’t make sense. 2. Alter your writing into a new format: convert it to PDF, or change the font, or colour of the writing. 3. Take a break, have a coffee, tea or a walk and come back to it with fresh eyes. 4. Check for over repetitive words, especially if they appear in close proximity to each other. Ensure you start paragraphs and sentences with different words – unless you are making a strong point, and the repetition adds impact to what you are saying.

5. As a business it is often easy to keep writing about how we can do something for our clients. Find different ways of saying the same thing, by completely reordering the words in the sentence, or sometimes, add in the name of the company, or if sole business owner, their name. Example: We organise events, …. We can help you to… We can look at your needs… Could become: Providing organisational support for events… Organising the layout of an event is something we have…. ‘Eventis’ is here to help you with the organisation of your event… Your event is special to you and we can support you to… Another example: For example, when writing information for an ‘about’ web page, it isn’t always easy to find ways to start sentences without say, ‘he/she….’ He started to bake…. He began his hospitality career in … He looked into training for. He was about to… Could become: Once he began baking, he… Beginning his career in hospitality, he … Looking back on his busy career, he noticed how much he enjoyed… James particularly started to enjoy working with fish… When writing, the main outcome you are looking for is to engage your readers, whether it be a social media post, or words on your web page. Next issue; ‘Removing weak adjectives, versions of the ‘to be’ verb and connectives’.

“SOCKS WERE THE PRODUCT THAT I DECIDED TO QUIT MY DAY JOB FOR!” BY JANE LACEY-CRANE

When it comes to making big changes in our lives, we can all be guilty of coming up with excuses; it’s easier than taking a risk or stepping out into the unknown. But Lucy Jeffrey, owner, and founder of eco sock brand Bare Kind, knew she had to let her feet do the talking when it came to setting up her own business – literally! “Socks were the product that I decided to quit my day job for!” says Lucy, “I genuinely really love socks, they’ve always been my favourite Christmas present, and I think a jazzy pair of socks can bring such joy.”

With the rise of eco awareness around fast fashion, Lucy made the decision to build her business around a new kind of material – enter bamboo. “I wanted to build something that could be my legacy to the planet,’ explains Lucy. Bamboo’s eco credentials are undisputed. It absorbs five times more CO2 than hardwood trees and it requires half land that cotton does to produce the same number of fibres. Add to that bamboo’s natural moisture wicking and antibacterial properties and you have the recipe for the world’s freshest and most comfortable pair of socks.

As Lucy explains, “Bamboo socks are the kind of product that once you’ve tried them you can’t go back!” From a business point of view, the huge market potential combined with the product's relatively low unit costs meant that Lucy didn’t have to go completely broke in order to start her business. But there were still struggles. Like a lot of small business owners, Lucy initially struggled with ‘wearing all the hats’ required to run her own company.

“You are finance, marketing, product development, design, operations … the list goes on.” Lucy says that the best she did for her business was committing to it full-time and bringing on her first employee. With help from her Mum, who took over operations, and her partner, Andrew, who is a spreadsheet whizz kid, Lucy was able to develop her business to the point where she could take on employees. Ironically, whilst many other businesses have floundered in the current climate, Lucy credits the recent pandemic situation for being the thing that finally gave her the push that she needed to fully commit to her business.

“It was horrible not being able to see friends and family, but the pandemic really spurred me on to discover what really makes me happy, which turned out not to be my day job!” she says. As part of the legacy that Lucy is keen for her business to create, she also donates 10% from her profits to charities linked to the animals that feature on her designs. Lucy tells us, “I began with turtles because they had become a bit of a mascot for Bare Kind … but then I started looking at which animals require more funding for their conservation and now I do more focussed customer research to see what animals’ people are clamouring for.

As well as donating, Bare Kind also donates socks for raffles, or helps charities with promoting their other fundraising efforts. So far, the company has around twenty different charities that it works with, and that list will only continue to grow as customers begin making requests for Bare Kind to feature other specific animals in their designs. On the website, you can order socks that feature everything from sloths to orangutans, from bees to penguins. One of the perks to being her own boss that Lucy intends to take full of advantage of in the future, is the ability to run her business from anywhere.

“That freedom is very exciting … and my partner and I are hoping to move abroad in the next few years to try a new country to work in.” So, what does the future hold for Lucy and Bare Kind? Well, in two words, World Domination! Lucy is aiming to have the largest range of animal socks in the world, with each pair contributing to saving the species featured on the sock. Her plan is to get established in the UK and then start bridging the gap with other markets. After all, who doesn’t need socks? Like most small business owners, Lucy is committed and driven when it comes to her business, and she recognises the value of developing good relationships with her employees, her customers, as well as other business owners. “I have some wonderful friends who back me to the end, and now I’m lucky to say I have amazing employees and a growing business network. It can seem like an isolating thing, being a solo founder, but it’s up to you to build the community you need.” Lucy has definitely found her passion, but what advice would she give to someone who is just starting their own business or is thinking about it? “You are the only person stopping you. I think it’s easy for people to come up with excuses to not do something. It’s scary, but it’s so exciting once you throw yourself in. Don’t get caught up in being a perfectionist – try something, learn from it, and then try the next thing. I didn’t land on bamboo socks straight away; they have been my most successful product, but it took me a couple of years to get to that point. You’ve got to be a little bit fearless!” And if you’re stepping out into the great unknown, do it whilst wearing a great pair of socks!

Website https://barekind.co.uk/

Insta https://www.instagram.com/barekind/

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/barekind8

LinkedIN https://www.linkedin.com/in/lucy-jeffrey-b53851108/

Twitter https://twitter.com/LucyJeffrey9

PETS DURING LOCKDOWN BY REBECCA LOCKWOOD

The recent pandemic became the perfect time for people to bring a new pet into their home. Sadly since the UK restrictions lifted rescue centres are being inundated with pets that people are actually unable to look after. Rebecca Lockwood told us why getting her pet during lockdown was actually a positive experience for her. When we got Cooper we didn’t really take into consideration all of the other factors and benefits of having the dog at home with us throughout lockdown and the mental health benefits of having him around. I thought that he would be a great companion for my young children who are 3 and 6 and he has been. But when they go off to school and nursery we are left at home with our companion and his quirky ways. I didn’t truly take into consideration the mental health benefits of having him here and how my thinking about having a dog would change. We opted for a Frenchie, he has such a big personality and he is really fun to be around, although sometimes tiering. He is like having another child. The main benefits I’ve discovered from having him around, and the things to consider if you are thinking about getting a dog to keep you company whilst working at home are: He is always there. I no longer feel lonely when being at home alone. Cooper is always there to keep me company and when I speak to him he actually grunts back at me like in conversation. It is so funny but also very calming and cute. Nipping out for a quick walk has huge benefits to my mindset Taking the dog out for a walk at different times of the day really helps to clear my mind and have the breaks between working, calls and training sessions.

It is comforting It is comforting to know he is always there and he sits under my chair whilst I work and deliver my training. I never feel alone and previously when I worked from home alone I would feel a bit lonely sometimes.

Although there have been occasions where he has planted himself in the middle view of my online zoom calls and training sessions, legs spread and very noisily scratching or licking himself. It has been a bit distracting whilst working, and thankfully my students don’t seem to mind too much. Overall the benefits of having our four legged companions are incredible and so much more than I first considered. He really is our best friend and having him around the place is so beneficial to my mental health, mindset and he keeps me company so I’m never alone.

PAGEANTS ARE GREAT FOR YOUR CONFIDENCE By Charlotte Lister

Like everyone I haven’t had a normal 18 months due to the pandemic but my pandemic experience was different to most as back in April 2019 I signed up to compete in a pageant called Ms Diamond U.K. This was my first time competing for some time and even though I couldn’t have a normal regional reign due to the pandemic but I’ve still tried my hardest to not only promote my system but also the charities I support and to also raise awareness of my platform which is Cancer Awareness and End of Life Care. Now for those that don’t know about pageants let me give you some insight into a normal pageant reign pre lockdowns. During 2019 I was taking part in charity fun runs for various charities, arranging charity days in my workplace, volunteering at my local children’s hospice and I also did a bungee jump to raise money for charity. But lockdowns put a stop to all this so in Lockdown 1 I created my pageant lockdown blog where I interviewed 150 queens from across the world as well as taking part in virtual events to continue my fundraising efforts. Then during Lockdown 2 in my spare time I decided to strengthen the knowledge of my pageant platform by completing 2 Level 2 college courses in End of Life Care and Understanding Cancer Support. I then got the college bug and completed a number of courses in digital skills. This then led me to create Crowns and Sashes Magazine as a way to not only continue to share Queens journeys but as a way to fundraise for the Samaritans! 8 issues have been released and over £1700 raised and it’s going to continue and keep growing. The way the magazine raises money is by asking for a £2 donation to be featured and a £5 donation to enter the front cover competition which is then judged by a different pageant queens and experts each month.

When the first edition was released it was U.K. only but now we have featured women from America, Canada, Greece and even Cuba. It’s become that big I had to get a team to help me with social media and filmed interviews which again a £2 donation is required. In the future I want Crowns and Sashes to be one of the biggest pageant media outlets so there are plans for a podcast, mentor programme for the future pageant contestants in the U.K. as well as an awards night. At the end of August 2021 my time final came to stand on that stage and represent South Yorkshire and I’m overwhelmed to say that I won the title of Ms Diamond U.K. which means that I will be heading to Las Vegas in 2022 to represent the U.K. over the U.K. final weekend I also won Ms Ms Ms Ms Ms

Spokesmodel Swimwear Model Style Queen Diamond Spirit Diamond Charity

It was amazing getting to see old pageant friends as well as making new ones. I’m a firm believer in having a positive mindset which I implemented throughout lockdown by having different projects to keep me busy, without pageants my lockdown experience wouldn’t have been as productive.

Find out more about Charlotte at https://www.crownsandsashesmagazine.co.uk/

Has it hit you that the summer holiday is well and truly over, and it's back to business?

Maybe you're feeling a bit flat and you know you need some help to boot up your business mojo... and you're looking ahead...

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Running a business can be lonely and challenging and it helps to surround yourself with other ambitious, like minded business owners. You know the ones who "get" you, who share your ambitions your hopes and dreams.

I'd love you to take a serious look at my PR & Business Retreat.

Start now by investing in you and your business by spending a powerful weekend with like minded and ambitious business owners just like you. It is going to be AMAZING!!!!

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Check out the details here >> https://bit.ly/ThePRBusinessRetreat2022

FIRST EVER HUMAN FACTORS IN DIVING CONFERENCE RECORDINGS ARE NOW AVAILABLE The latest news from Gareth Lock, The Human Diver

Technical diver and human factors expert, Gareth Lock, held the inaugural Human Factors in Diving Conference in September – and it’s now available online. The event which featured worldleading speakers speaking on how applying human factors can improve diving safety, incident reporting and team performance. The first ever event of its kind, the conference provided a unique opportunity to share the knowledge and skills to make diving safer, more effective, and more enjoyable, by allowing divers and instructors to take more informed risks and reduce uncertainty. The speakers highlighted how they have created positive change, sometimes when faced with significant challenges and how attendees could be inspired to create change in their own diving, diving operations or diving community.

Over the space of two days, 27 presenters from around the globe including Ashley Bugge, Professor Simon Mitchell and Diane Chadwick-Jones from bp held 30 presentations with more than 20 hours of content and now the recordings are available for you to purchase. The written proceedings for the conference will be available before 31 December 2021, acting as a formal record of the learning opportunities provided. Feedback from the conference has been positive: “This was a terrific conference, certainly the most engaging virtual conference I've attended, and while the diving-specific context and takeaways were terrific, the applicability to non-diving realms was a positive outcome I wasn't necessarily expecting.”

Gareth has written a book ‘Under Pressure: Diving Deeper with Human Factors’ which is THE textbook when it comes to applying human factors in diving and comes highly recommended. He lives with his family in Malmesbury, Wiltshire and travels the world sharing his knowledge of how human behaviour can affect diving, facilitating ‘counter-errorism in diving’. Through his company, The Human Diving, Gareth trains high performance teams and speaks at conferences focused on diving, extreme sports and supporting teams in high-risk sectors. As the Human Factors in Diving Conference was a global first, tickets sold quickly and is aimed at all divers from beginner open water divers to cave and CCR divers to commercial and military divers. The recordings of the conference are now available to purchase from https://www.hf-in-divingconference.com/buytickets

WHERE ARE THE FEMALE FOUNDERS? WE ARE TOO FEW... In 2013 Kelly Swingler had a successful career, yet she was burned out & missing a life with her family. Today she's the founder of The Chrysalis Crew & Executive Coach at Kelly Swingler.com.

She helps women leaders prevent & recover from burn out.

I’ve made no secret of the fact that after my burnout I continued in my corporate career and that’s where I thought I’d stay, until, three months after two operations in 48 hours, I heard myself say for the very first time that I wanted to start my own company. Never had I ever imagined that this was a path I would take. Firstly, I had no real idea what I would do, secondly I knew nothing about starting a business, and thirdly, my dreams of the super large global role that I would be able to take on once my sons were finished school was the thing that had kept me in my employed senior role.

Within three months, I’d left my six-figure salary, created a business that was aligned to my values and started to really focus on the change that needed to be made in the world of work. And seven and a half years later, I’m still here and growing from strength to strength. Women need more options: Recent research carried out by Deloitte in their Women@Work report and the more recent report published by McKinsey in their Women in the Workplace report states that 1 in 3 women are either stepping away from their corporate roles or stepping down into a different role as a result of burnout.

A few months into the pandemic this figure was 1 in 4 and a year previous this figure was 1 in 5. This is going to be a problem for the world of Big Business where it seems to be difficult for senior teams to grasp the value of having more women in senior roles. We know that organisations with more women on the Board outperform those that don’t, and yet with some many women wanting to leave or step down, not only does this impact the women in these roles, but their companies and their performance too.

Through my coaching with senior professional women this is a constant quandary. Do they stay, feeling unfulfilled, burned out, exhausted and missing time with their families, or do they leave, and start up something for themselves? Something that gives them purpose, and balance and energy and fulfilment? Even when they are starting a business - women are disadvantaged: Starting a business isn’t easy. Keeping a business growing and thriving even less so. And with research showing that European companies with female-only founders receive less than 1% of all VC capital investment despite the number of female-led companies almost doubling over the past decade - as reported by Yoppie - it seems that not only are women feeling forced to leave their corporate roles, but they are also significantly less likely to receive investment than their male counterparts. In 2019, I was recommended by the Institute of Directors (IOD) to participate in a funding panel for businesses in my local LEP (local enterprise partnership). It was a Dragons’ Den type panel, without the comfy chairs and TV cameras, and the paperwork had already been submitted and shortlisted. The shortlisted companies would pitch, based on their submission to receive the funding outlined in their application. I was deemed more ‘harsh’ in my scoring than many others on the panel even though I thought I was fair. It wasn’t until I was later asked to then become a member of the Business Board, that I realised a lot of the shortlisted submissions, were in fact, also members of the Business Board, and, all male. I’d asked throughout the process how companies had been made aware of the funding in the first place, to be told that all local business owners had been notified repeatedly via email. As a business owner in the local area I’d heard nothing and received nothing, and at the time, as my first business was growing, some investment to help with our systems development would have been ideal. I wasn’t on the list and I contacted many other local business owners in my network to ask them if they had been notified about the funding. None had and we were all women. I started my company from ground zero. The pace at which I’d left my job and started my company, having spent everything on a house just beforehand, meant I started with no financial cushion. And I’d never approached anyone for money, loan or funding, and yet, as I learned through the pandemic, many of my peers had applied for and been granted funding of some kind since the inception of their businesses. What was I missing? Where were people getting this information? Why was this information not as visible to me as it was some of my peers? In late 2020 I was one of 100 featured women in the Nat West awards for women in business and at one of our Zoom updates, the 100 of us were told about the Nat West report talking about funding opportunities for women in business and what needed to be done to increase funding for women in business. At last progress! And yet what all of these reports clearly show is that somehow, women are still being left behind whether we are in work or starting out on our own. What’s the answer? Firstly, we have to tackle burnout. We have to make changes so that women are not burning out at a higher rate than men. And this change has to come from two directions, the workplace and women themselves.

The workplace needs to more inclusive. It needs to tackle the ‘token’ woman and recruit us, develop us and listen to us as happens to the men in the room. Leaders need to stop ignoring the ideas of women unless they are spoken by a man. Leaders need to stop seeing flexible working patterns as a weakness. They need to stop thinking that the appearance of women is more important than our message. And the ‘difficult’ women, need to be seen and encouraged just like the ‘strong’ male leaders.

A quick aside: I met with a very good friend of mine a couple of weeks ago. She’s a finance genius, works for a large financial services company and a couple of years took a role in projects reporting to a strong female leader. Within a few months, the strong female leader was seen as difficult, bossy, unable to listen and not providing the right solutions. She was replaced. By a man. A man who walks into meetings and gets into the middle of conversations, gives solutions that people may not like but that are right, and stands his ground. He is well respected, he is listened to, his ‘no messing around’ attitude is admired and highly regarded. My friend stated the only difference between her two bosses are gender. The workplace still needs to change significantly. And if leaders can see that women will flex to juggle more responsibilities at home and at work to help eliminate burnout, they must also too, allow us to be more entrepreneurial in our role. Allow more space to test and experiment, to produce work that has a purpose and alignment with something bigger. What do women need to do? As for us as women, we need better boundaries. We need to believe in ourselves. We need to live and lead with integrity and we need to keep standing our ground. We cannot do this, disappointingly, without allies and leaders that listen. Because for many of us, we’re already doing all of these things and still reaching burnout because we’re being ignored, pushed out and stabbed in the back in our workplaces. I know this to be true for me and many, many of my clients and the data is saying the same.

And whether women to choose to stay in the workplace or start out on their own, we need support, we need development, we need to be heard and we need the same financial opportunities as our male colleagues, be it through equal pay or equal access to and the receiving of funding. And it needs to start now. Women need more choices than to step out or step down. We need to be able to grow and flourish and to thrive not survive.

Find out more about Kelly here https://www.kellyswingler.com

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