about Hat Trick (noun): 1. A sports metaphor for three achievements by a single player in a game. 2. A magic trick. We happily accept both deÞnitions. Hat Trick Magazine is a special project targeted at sharing spiritual and professional growth with likeminded people from around the world. We share strategies that truly will change your life, business and career (with a little help from some pro friends). We’ve all been there: under/un/employed, in a bad situation, in transition, wondering what the options are and not knowing the skills we would need to get us there. We won’t lie to you. Coming out the other side isn’t easy, but we can show you what we learned along to way and help you get the confidence to turn that leaf over and pursue that which is your destiny. Knowledge is power. Not everyone fancies themselves to be an entrepreneur but the truth is, even when seeking employment these days, pulling together your resume requires some sly articulation to showcase your skills, be keywordoptimized and with a strong, personable presentation to get noticed. We feature inspirational people who have great careers, amazing businesses, tips and a host of amazing stories will inspire and amaze you. Our editors and contributors are some of the most connected in their industries and specialisms. Hat Trick Your Life! Take control of your lifestyle, your career, your dreams and your journey. We’ll share what we know and we invite you to join us. If you or your business would like to be featured or simply would like to contribute a feature in an upcoming issue, please email us on content@hattrickmagazine.com
Hat Trick Strategies cannot accept responsibility for unsolicited coverage made by our contributors including reviews, articles, manuscripts or photographs of products, services. While every care is taken, prices, details or availability of items are subject to change and we cannot accept responsibility for omissions or errors. We reserve the right to publish and edit letters or correspondence received via email, social media or other communication. All advice is given in general terms or as a matter of opinion, for entertainment purposes only, and may not be exhaustive nor suitable for all situations. Always seek specialized professional advice, specifically suited to you or your business needs. Absolutely no part of this magazine should be taken as medical, professional or other advice - always seek the advice of a qualified practitioner. © Hat Trick Strategies, 2013 All Rights Reserved
Make Somet hing Magic al Happe n TM
Published by
Hat Trick Strategies
TM
Unit 4 Vista Place, Coy Pond Ingworth Road, Poole BH12 1JY, United Kingdom Registered in England and Wales Number 07819796 UK: +44 1383 279 879 US: +1 501 588 2248 clientcare@hattrickstrategies.com
Editorial Team
Michelle Fitz Editor-In-Chief, Page Design
Michael Hartley Associate Design Editor
Michelle is originally from Arkansas and the head of Hat Trick Strategies, a UK firm for Emerging Technologies, Business Change and Corporate Strategy. Her firm has served US and UK household names, government departments and a portfolio of business coaching clients, based globally. Michelle produces all page layout, custom graphics and ad designs for this publication. She holds professional qualifications in LEAN Six Sigma, PMI PMP, is a Practitioner in both PRINCE2 and MSP and is a leader in digital synergies linking content, the customer journey, social media and customer care words/SEO.
Michael is a British entrepreneur based in Manchester, England and is an expert in graphic design, digital artistry, branding and design management. He is a trained violinist, and brings a tremendous breath of creativity to projects. His firm, Michael Thomas Designs, are experts in brand research for target demographics, image and the production of a consistent brand identity for mid-sized companies. Michael understands how to get at the heart of a firm’s offerings and customer base and works closely with select web designers to implement a consistent look and feel across digital, print and online platforms.
Eleni Sofroniou Illustrator
Andrea Sullenger Business & Tech Editor
Eleni is an illustrator based in London and owns Fall Into London.
Andrea is a mix of “kick butt” sales/marketing coach and inspirational possible-i-tarian. She has been working with solo-entrepreneurs for the past 16 years, helping them build their own thriving transactional businesses all while creating streamlined and successful digital products to maximize and leverage their income streams.
She produces the majority of the illustrations which appear in Hat Trick Magazine (which compliment and give our magazine its distinctive look and feel). She has previously created pieces for ELLE Magazine, Essex Style Magazine, and The Female Entrepreneur Association. As well as creating personalised illustrations, Eleni’s illustrations can be purchased from her website.
Andrea shares many of her strategies via Hat Trick Magazine, but to get the latest, subscribe to her list.
Editorial Team
Sandra Cunningham Career & Learning Editor
Shalanda Turner Style Editor
Sandra contributes to the Careers column for the Financial Times and is the owner of Outside In Coaching and Communications, where she helps mid-career women make a successful transition from a soul-sucking, dead-end job to a meaningful and fulfilling career, while creating a lifestyle they can afford and enjoy. Sandra truly believes it’s possible to be wildly successful doing work you love whilst having the work/life balance most people can only dream of. Visit her website for free articles, resources and to sign up for your free e-booklet “21 Pointers to Sharpen Your Career Edge.”
Shasie has a B.S. Degree in Chemical Engineering and works as a Project Engineer for a Specialty Chemicals company in Houston, Texas. When Shasie is not at work, she moonlights in the Fashion Industry. She is the creative voice behind the top Fashion Blog; Live Life in Style, Founder of Houston Fashion Bloggers, Style Editor for online media site FashionMingle.net, Fashion Brand Ambassador for Monarch Magazine, Owner of Shop Shasie’s Closet and Houston Fashion Examiner for Examiner.com.
Charlene SanJenko Wellness & Learning Editor
Amanda Cook Beauty Editor
Charlene SanJenko is a serial entrepreneur with a successful lifestyle and fitness practice serving Canada. She is an accomplished figure competitor and has served her community in local government.
Amanda Cook is an award winning Certified Health Coach who helps women look & feel naturally radiant!
As a social entrepreneur, she believes there is an intrinsic link between physical and emotional fitness, leadership and excellence. She is a thought leader whose emphasis is in helping transform ordinary ladies into “HIP�, High Impact Performance women. www.powHERhouse.com
Through her online and inperson classes and workshops, Amanda teaches her clients to eat healthy whole foods, detox their beauty routines, feel good in their skin, and tap into their natural energy stores. www.vintageamanda.com
Editorial Team
Tanya Jackson Food, Home & Family Editor
Karen Salmansohn Faith & Self Help Editor
Tanya is the author of our popular Southern recipe column and the editor for our Food & Home section. She is married to a pastor, her high school sweetheart, and is a proud Southern mother and grandmother. Tanya has lived all over the US, but wherever she has lived, she has brought her love and curiosity for local foods and flavors. Tanya believes the best aspect of having cooked in the four corners of the US, was learning to cook what grows around us; because it is our families that make a difference in our lives and sharing our love and enjoyment of good food together goes hand-in-hand.
Karen is an ex-Senior VP, award winning ad writer/creative director (at age 27) who left her successful advertising career (having worked as a writer/creative director/ image consultant for numerous household names), to pursue her passion of writing. She owns notsalmon.com, is an Oprah columnist and a best selling author and book packager with over 1 million books sold. Some titles: How to Be Happy Dammit; Enough Dammit; The Bounce Back Book; and many more. Journalists call Salmansohn “Deepak Chopra Meets Carrie Bradshaw�, merging empowering psychology/ philosophy tips with edgy humor and stylish graphics.
Contributers
Lorraine Hill Head of Global Planning
Michelle Holmes Business Contributor
Sorelle Amore Style Contributor
Mina Muirhead Health Editor, Lifestyle
Gina Hussar Lifestyle Contributor
Manuela Wahnon Lifestyle Contributor
Mellissa Mallaya Lifestyle Contributor
Dara Avenius Career & Learning
Suzanne Perry Faith & Self Help (Victim Support)
Katie Clifton Faith & Self Help (Christian)
Cherie DeBurger Home Contributor (Life & Family)
Sukh Pabial Career & Learning
Marina Berberyan Style Contributor
Lisa Wynter Style Contributor
Joey Phelps Cartoonist
Amber Hamilton Henson Associate Home Editor
Ann Pissard Graphic Artist
Michael Phelps Cartoonist
Kate Spencer Lifestyle & Wellness
Nathalie de Ahna Lifestyle & Wellness
Katie Geddes Business Contributor
18 From the Editor
14
Business & Tech Tips
38
Gain Maximum Exposure & Create Powerful Connections on LinkedIn The Power of No
38
44
Career & Learning
52
Why Company Executives are Taking a Walk
52
Mindfulness in Facilitation
60
Graphic Art by Ann
62
10 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com
Cover Story
63
Style & Beauty
63
Lil Nipper Snapper Cartoon
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Karen Salmansohn
66
You’re Doing Fine... Bad Hair & All
70
Shasie’s Style Picks
70
Is Inner Skin Care the Missing Link?
74
Confessions of a Hollywood Stylist
Faith & Self Help
80
Lifestyle & Wellness
86
Muscle & Mindfulness
86
7 Foods to Boost Your Skin Protection During Summer
92
It’s Not What’s Happening... It’s How You Deal with It
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Food, Home & Family
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Making Mini Muffins
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A Rare Phenomenon
Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com •
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From the Editor
5 Lessons In Being
A First Time Entrepreneur As most will be aware, I started my business journey through the world of freelancing. It’s a great intro to business in that you get a front row seat to the inside of a huge companies from their operating strategies, objectives and even the jargon they use, which you can adopt to attract them and people like them. You can see weak points and industry trends that you can leverage to build up new skills and offerings both for them as continuing clients and also other companies, perhaps not so large in size. As I took the real leap into making my company more than simply about freelancing and into the great unknown of a true small business, I learned some hard truths and was able to strike a template of sorts for our firm. 1) Starting and launching an idea, however flawed, is better than waiting for perfection and missing the gravy train. I was in the coaching closet for years. In delivering complex global projects, I was able to share with clients what I knew first-hand in product and concept development, whether that be financial/legal rules, industry strategy and even marketing and delivery best practices. I remember friends saying “yeah but how does Michelle know all this stuff” and it was because with every project, there would be consultation with various experts to guide the project through its own unique set of challenges and opportunities. You get bits of 14 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com
the wider puzzle laid out for you bit-by-bit and despite all of that experience, because I was not a qualified counsellor or attorney, I felt uneasy putting myself out there in a bigger way. All around me, business and life coaching exploded as an industry with numerous, far less experienced, people now leveraging the online space and making a killing on a global basis. I was so busy toying with perfection that I missed out on a volume of clientele who frankly went with early coaches who were confident enough to not only launch but to launch in a very open and public way. 2) If you can’t explain it to a 10 year old, it’s probably too complicated. When my oldest daughter was 10, she asked me what I do for a living. As a management consultant, we are masters of multiple domains. That’s because in order to stay chargeable, we are put on all kinds of training courses and qualifications. So, I have worked as a developer, managed business and IT projects, delivered transformation programmes and designed and published a magazine. Explaining to Katie what I did for a living was tough because I was unable to articulate to her what I do without falling into the lingo we use in the field. I help companies, of all sizes, determine their goals and services, and I manage the projects that will help them achieve those goals and connect with people online so they can do business with them. My company has a magazine which shares these strategies, for free, to people all over the world. The reality is, what I do can be technical and the above is over-simplified. After all, we are often configuring and installing software, changing business processes, coordinating people and 3rd parties and training. We also could be developing websites and marketing funnels. Sometimes we are designing the way a client wants their new product or service to look. But once you go into business, you really do need that elevator pitch because if you don’t have it, and if it isn’t understandable, you’ll lose out on opportunities to network, to sell to unforeseen clients and meet cool, savvy service providers, as you live your life. And yes, it does happen. Not everyone has 30 minutes to understand your industry or your very technical expertise. Moreover, you’ll never Letter From the Editor, Michelle Fitz •
15
get those first 2 minutes back once they’re gone. I once met an HR representative sitting in the seat next to mine on a plane from London to Glasgow, who worked for her brother’s designer clothing brand in London. It turned out that they were working with Paloma Faith, a British singer, and knew of a project management contract for her O2 shows. So, bear in mind that opportunities come in the most unexpected places and that 10 year old may very well be the person who makes you realise how confusing your message actually is (thanks, Kate). 3) Simple and less, is actually more in websites. Oh the web is changing, friends. Does your website have so many bells and whistles that users miss out on whole chunks of your offerings as they get lost in the minefield of content, clickable links, pictures, galleries and sidebars? Web 2.0 as I’ll call it, is a simple version that allows a user to scroll in continuous reading, jump back to top, and contains only icons and photos that actually do or mean something. If it’s not a critical component or if you have a number of icons or other visual components, it’s simply useless clutter that truly confuses your user journeys and makes for a frustrating user experience. Embrace white space, enable as much scrolling opportunity as possible and jump-up links, and ensure that your user journeys are mapped properly so that they function without confusing the people who have to use your website. 4) Beta testing is awesome but asking friends or forums en masse can be confusing. Are you a part of a Facebook group? I am. One of the easiest ways to put a question for opinions out and come out more confused than when you started is posting your concepts, drafts or designs online and asking a large group for feedback. When I lived in Chicago, the consulting firm I worked for at the time frequently used carefully selected focus groups for feedback on everything from packaging, names and even functionality on software. These people mapped to specific customer groups and there were no more than 7-10 people at a time, answering specific questions and giving targeted feedback. 16 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com
In a web forum, there are always very opinionated people who will give you a free critique, but for every extrovert there are several introverts who won’t speak up who actually may represent the buying capacity, and other key demographics which make up your ideal customer base. There are numerous online beta testing groups which are not expensive and will give you a far more controlled, and more importantly, digestible feedback and testing. So remember, crowd asking can either become opinion gold or greater confusion. 5) One good offering or service online is all you need. If you’re a bakery which does really amazing cupcakes but whose apple pie is, well, not very good, you would be wise to focus on the cupcakes. If people come searching for apple pie in droves and are let down by the experience, there’s little scope for them coming back for your award winning cupcakes. The same applies to all businesses and all offerings. As long as you have one excellent offering with a clear marketing message, sales funnel and targeted mechanism for reaching, serving and distributing to your customer base, you’ll hit return on investment. In my coaching practice, I have seen a handful of clients whose number one issue is either confused online offerings (many of them the owner isn’t enamoured with themselves) or damaged customer impressions based on an interaction with something that the owner admits is not his forte in the first place. When I was starting out, frankly I suffered the same issue because my business partner and I had different gifts and interests. If this is you, either break your concepts into different businesses and websites or simplify on the basis of demand. Clarity over quantity, every day of the week.
By MICHELLE FITZ, Editor-In-Chief
Michelle
Letter From the Editor, Michelle Fitz •
17
Cover Story
Rewriting Your
Story
Elizabeth McLaughlin on
Doing It
18 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com
For Yourself
Elizabeth McLaughlin
In the fall of 2009, it looked like everything was going well in my life. At least, that is, from the outside. I was a senior attorney at a powerhouse Wall Street law firm. I was earning a very good living. I was engaged to marry to a wonderful man, and I lived in a beautiful, huge loft in Fort Greene, Brooklyn. I was healthy, successful, and I seemingly had the world at my feet.
So why was I so miserable? I hated, and I mean HATED, my job. But that was only the beginning of the story. I’d hated my job FOR YEARS. On a daily basis, for as long as I could remember, I’d found myself swearing to myself in my office, beating myself up, feeling like I was pounding my head against a wall with no escape. Over and over again I found myself caught in a repetitive thought pattern: There’s no way out. This is all my fault. I got what I deserved by choosing this profession. I’ll never be able to make as much money anywhere else. I’m completely stuck. I’m going to be this miserable forever. I felt like such a victim of circumstance. I had become a 20 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com
lawyer because it “seemed like a good idea” at the time. It had made my dad really proud of me. It gave me instant cred at parties, and it was a classic marker of success. But since joining the profession, I’d felt like everyone but me was in control of my destiny, my time, and my future-- my horrible bosses, the economy, the fact that my parents had failed to teach me how to handle money-- it was everyone’s fault but mine. In a pit of despair, I decided to spend the whole of 2010 focused on how I got to such a place of misery, with an eye toward changing it once and for all. Fast forward to the end of 2010. I had gotten married in Elizabeth McLaughlin: Rewriting Your Story •
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a beautiful, intimate ceremony surrounded by family and friends. My husband had gone back to school to become a chef. But I was still working at that Wall Street law firm when, on December 23rd, the day before I was leaving for the Christmas holiday, my boss called me into his office and told me that I was on the chopping block for the next round of layoffs. Within six months, he told me, unless the firm’s economy radically changed, I’d be entirely out of a job and out of a profession that I’d been in for almost fourteen years. I left his office, went back to my own, and cried. Mostly because I was terrified. That lasted for about thirty seconds.
And then suddenly, I began to laugh out loud. And as I fell into belly laughs, I realized something: over the course of 2010, I had started telling myself a different story. Rather than the constant mantra of victimization that ran through my head for so many years prior, my thought patterns had shifted. Somewhere in the middle of the year, I’d begun to tell myself a different story: There IS a way out. I just have to find it. All that I want in life is coming to me. If I keep searching, I will find the answer.
Herein lies a great truth: the stories we tell ourselves about who we are and what is possible for us predict our future. I realized, in short order, that though it came in a manner that shocked me, the Universe was in fact finally handing me my exit on a silver platter. And the work that I had done on myself over the prior year had taught me a very important lesson: we are only victims to the extent that we are willing to give away our power. I had a choice. I had agency. And even though it didn’t appear that way, I was in control of what was happening to me. The way that all of that had shifted was by changing the story I was telling myself about what was possible for me. Herein lies a great truth: the stories we tell ourselves about who we are and what is possible for us predict our future. For me, the shift was so profound that a month later, I marched into my boss’s office and announced that I wanted to opt in to the layoff, not just in six months but right then Elizabeth McLaughlin: Rewriting Your Story •
23
I came to realize that every time I described myself as a victim, I was taking away my own ability to control my path.
and there, and I wanted the maximum possible severance package. That same day, the firm agreed to my terms, and I was on my way. A month after that, I launched the international coaching practice that is now my life’s work. I love this work, I love my life and I am honored to do what I do.
So how did I get to this place? Over the course of 2010, during my year-long commitment to change my state of misery, I did my own work with a coach. One of the primary areas of focus in that work, and in the work that I do now with my clients, concerned mining the stories I was telling-- in my own head and to other people-- about my life, my work, my relationships and my self. I came to realize that every time I described myself as a victim, I was taking away my own ability to control my path. Every time I described my relationships from a place of complaint, I was eliminating what was possible for me in terms of growth, support, respect and even love in those relationships. And every time I described myself as lessthan, I was limiting my ability to succeed. Rewriting my story-- both in terms of the limiting beliefs and thought processes in my own head, and also the way in which I described my world to others-- required some painful and challenging work. But once I did it, my entire life changed. Elizabeth McLaughlin: Rewriting Your Story •
25
I now guide my clients through the same process that I undertook way back when, and it is one of the great joys of my life to see those clients emerge from the other side of this difficult work to lead happy, successful lives that are exactly as they wish them to be. One of the keys to these profound life shifts is recognizing that the stories that we tell about ourselves that are less than ideal are learned, and not inherent truths about who we are. Frequently, they are rooted in painful experiences of childhood, most often in our families of origin. Finding ways to rewrite our stories from a place of empowerment requires mining those experiences in detail. So, for example, I have a client who is in a job where she is so vastly underpaid by market standards that I was truly floored when I found out her salary. When I asked her to tell me the story of how she landed there, her story went like this: “I totally screwed up coming out of graduate school. I didn’t participate in on-campus interviewing, and I should have known better. I relocated, I suck at networking, and I just had to take whatever came along. Seven years later, everyone I went to school with is so far ahead of me, and I’ll never catch up. I’m a total loser.”
When we began to explore the story she was telling with an eye toward how it might be rewritten, an interesting theme emerged. 26 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com
Throughout her entire upbringing, at every beck and turn, my client had been ignored. Not once had her parents celebrated her accomplishments. She graduated from high school at the top of her class, and no one even noticed. She succeeded in a variety of ways in college, and no one in her family remarked on it in any way. When she emerged from one of the top tier graduate schools in the US, she had an extraordinary grade point average, had won all sorts of awards, and was a huge success by any objective standard. No one took her out to dinner to celebrate. No one threw her a party. No congratulations, no “great job,” no nothing. Over the course of her life, these messages became internalized. Particularly, my client came to believe that her accomplishments didn’t matter, weren’t worth anything, and didn’t deserve to be marked-- and that therefore, she didn’t matter either. This translated into a belief that she shouldn’t even try for a better job or a better life, and that she “just had to take whatever came along,” because that was all she deserved. Hence why she didn’t apply for on-campus interviewing, why she didn’t network, and why she hadn’t applied for a better, higher paying job in years. And when she didn’t apply for those jobs because “they’ll never take me,” she heaped on more self-abuse for not having the courage to try.
Yucky stuff, right? Although the path has not been an easy one, by recognizing that the beliefs she internalized were learned and not inherent truths, my client has begun to rewrite
her story. She now sees that the lessons she learned in childhood have no correlation to her value as a person or in her work. Her story now goes like this. “I’ve done amazing things in my life. I’ve got great credentials. I’m a huge success in my current job, and I have skills that others want. The choices I’ve made in the past are stepping stones to my future. I made the best choices I could for where I was at the time, and that’s all anyone can do. I’m on to better things, I have choices, and I deserve the life I want. And, most importantly, I celebrate my accomplishments, because I am worth it!”
“...consider this: you have a CHOICE as to how you tell the story of your life. Your life can be all that you want it to be.” This change in her story has also changed her life. She’s recently gotten married to the love of her life, taken a vacation of a lifetime as a honeymoon that she had never previously given herself permission to take, and has been applying for jobs like mad with a number of positive responses. She is no longer a victim. She is in control of her destiny. And most importantly, she knows that she deserves the life she wants. 28 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com
The stories we tell matter. I, and my clients, are living proof. If you’re interested in changing the story of your life, I’d love to hear from you. In the meantime, consider this: you have a CHOICE as to how you tell the story of your life. Your life can be all that you want it to be.
Change your story, and you will change your future. Elizabeth Cronise McLaughlin is a former high-powered Wall Street lawyer turned Executive Coach. She works with executives in professional and personal turmoil to get them to new levels of success on their own terms. Her specialties include career transition, job hunting in the new economy, overcoming limiting beliefs, and addressing shame. Elizabeth has been featured in Forbes, The New York Times, MindBodyGreen and Yoga Journal, on international television and radio, and has taught courses at Columbia University and in corporate and non-profit settings to thousands of executives worldwide. Elizabeth works with clients one-on-one nationally and internationally via phone and Skype, and through group coaching and online programs. Elizabeth McLaughlin: Rewriting Your Story •
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To learn more, go to www.emclaughlin.com or connect with her on Facebook, Twitter.
Interested in a free 1/2 hour consultation to find out how you could rewrite your story? Click here 30 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com
Business & Tech Tips
Gain Maximum Exposure
and Create Powerful Connections On LinkedIn
FIND ME ONLINE HERE
By Andrea Sullenger 32 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com
It’s not enough to simply be on LinkedIn. If you want to gain maximum exposure and create powerful connections that elevate your business then you have to think and act strategically while engaging consistently. All three activities, when set up correctly, can be executed with very small amounts of time and effort. LinkedIn, at times, can be the “step sister” of the possibly more social and fun feeling Facebook but if you serve and add value to those that are in the professional arena then LinkedIn should be your go to source for social media connections above and beyond any other site. Simple steps to leverage your LinkedIn real estate…
1
Fill It All In: sounds simple and fairly
straight forward, but the reality is that many LinkedIn users take the time upfront to fill in everything and create a gleaming profile. The issue with this, other than being lazy and proving you like to take shortcuts, is that it is your outward facing introduction. Remember the saying “you only have one shot to make a good first impression?” It is 100% true. You want to be detailed. Specifics and keywords are crucial on LinkedIn. Make sure you are leveraging the title space and adding in keywords here also. Add as many tabs, skills and expertise, using key industry lingo so those keyword searches will throw you a bone. If you have a tag line then make sure you add it. Tell the world what makes you unique. They really do want to know. Gain Maximum Exposure...on LinkedIn •
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2
Write a killer profile: Your profile should
3
Go the EXTRA mile and if you use video
4
Be like the pro’s and go get endorsed:
5
Upload a professional picture: None
always be written in first person and should be roughly around 2000 words. Share more than just your professional bio here - add things like your interests, hobbies and goals.
or have any videos that reflect your profession then take time to add them as well. People that frequent LinkedIn will take the time to read over your bio, but they are busy like the rest of us and enjoy engaging in quick, easy sound bites and visual bites with way of peaking at a video just like any us. Don’t forget to tap into the lost art of bragging and load up any press or awards you have earned. It impresses, and that is a good thing.
The best and most efficient way to do that is to serve first and endorse others, then ask for the return favor.
of these photos that were taken twenty years ago, or look like you are trying out for Sports Illustrated...unless of course you are. The picture might be your 34 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com
absolute favorite and people may compliment it, but when it comes down to it, acceptable pictures from Facebook or other social media outlets are not always suitable for the professional environment that LinkedIn carries.
6
Get involved: This isn’t the kind of
7
Seek out who you want to know, who would
involvement you do once a month or once every six months. LinkedIn and its culture needs you to be consistent. They want you to show up each day or at least three to four times a week. You don’t have to stay long but they do want you to stay for at least twenty minutes. Update what you are working on, an accomplishment or better yet, do that and then head on over to a group. Groups are just like groups that live on other social media platforms. Go in, introduce yourself and begin chatting.
be amazing connections, and then do the hustle to make that connection happen. Sometimes you can just send out the connection but please, I beg of you, write something about the reason why you wish to connect. Keep in mind this isn’t a friend request so we can see what their weekend plans are. This is a professional introduction you are seeking out. If you can’t get to someone specific then do the six degrees action; channel Kevin Bacon and ask the person that knows who you want to know to make the introduction. People love to help and they will do it. Gain Maximum Exposure...on LinkedIn •
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8
Personalize your page: There is an
9
Serve the community: What can you
option to change your LinkedIn URL from a generic one to one that is personalized and has your name in it. I recommend this because it allows you and your profile to be searched via Google and other search engines.
offer to bring credibility, visibility to you and your work and value to your potential clients? I know many successful entrepreneurs that offer their talent in the way of speaking. Large or small groups doesn’t necessarily matter. What matters is the match up. That both parties are being served. There are a million and two ways to offer value, be creative and begin. Waiting until you have it all figured out and making your profile ‘just perfect’ won’t bring you new clients. It will just bring you a pretty LinkedIn profile.
By playing smart, slowing down and taking the time to engage consistently, you can leverage LinkedIn to grow your exposure, credibility and connections. 36 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com
WITH S E M L O H MICHELLE Click to Watch Online!
Embody Your Sexy Geek Quick Techie Tips to Let Your Sexy Geek Shine
The Power of No
Why you must set clear boundaries in your entrepreneurial wonderland FIND ME ONLINE HERE
By Katie Geddes 38 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com
Do you feel you have good boundaries in your life? In different areas? Some of the areas that come to mind are with your closest relationships, both romantic and friendships, with your family, parents and children, with your clients and work structure; with how you schedule and structure your commitments and especially your commitments to yourself. This is especially challenging if you’re an entrepreneur because lines can blur (fine as long as you make conscious choices).
It can be a challenging juggling act to feel you’re
paying proper attention to the competing demands of your entrepreneurial life. No matter how good your intentions, sometimes balls get dropped. Here are thoughts to help you juggle with more dexterity and grace, to claim your worth and to let things flow with room to breathe so that life and business feel magical. Note: techie tool tips at the end. Embody Your Sexy Geek •
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The Air Mask Metaphor
Have you heard the air mask metaphor? The one that says, if an airplane is in an emergency state, you MUST put on your own air mask before you try to help others. This is a factual principle. You literally cannot help someone else if you can’t breathe.
Are You Breathing?
So are you breathing? Are you taking in nice, big, clean, easy, free breaths of luxurious air in between the parts of your business and life? Maybe you’re breathing nicely in some areas of your life but not so much in others. I invite you to think about the areas that could use more free, open, unconstricted air and suggest you consider how this will help you more than rushing and jamming things in without putting on your own air mask first.
How This Fits with Entrepreneurship As an entrepreneur, you make choices and set up guidelines frequently. You have a way of structuring your work, your calendar, your offerings. We all want to serve people well and be richly rewarded. Many of us struggle with creating the right balance — of putting in good effort, being paid well so we can live with ease and flow, pay our bills, take a much-deserved vacation and continue to contribute new ideas and growth. So what’s the magic formula for pulling the pieces together without overweighting any?
The Power of No 40 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com
Possibly the biggest foundational key to structuring your work and life boundaries lies in your ability and learning to say NO. Saying yes to the right things is important too. But it turns out that you can’t get to those right things if you don’t say no to the wrong things. Knock this into your, “I wanna help everyone but am ending up not doing so” head. An analogy. If you want to meet the man or woman of your dreams and you keep coming up empty, you gotta start saying “no” to the “wrong” matches to let in the right alignment. Same holds true in business. You gotta say “thank you but no” to the wrong business matches to say yes and let in the ones that will be easy, flowing, take you fascinating, rewarding places and allow you to use your best gifts. Wrong project / client matches include:
Budgets that don’t fit
Timelines that aren’t realistic Hyper impatient people with interesting projects People who want lots of “extras” at no charge
Whatever you know won’t jibe wel l with your approach
You can like someone plenty and not make a good working match.
What Doesn’t Work
Sometimes it’s easier to see and say what does NOT work than what does. And by doing that, you come to see what’s needed. I believe that applies to this important topic. Here’s what doesn’t work when it comes to clients. One of the things that will backfire is what you may have fooled yourself into thinking is “over-delivering.” When overdelivering is you giving away lots of your valuable time and services for free, you’re not helping your clients or yourself. You’re under-valuing both of you. There’s a reason we have this money system. Money represents value. Absolutely there’s a place for “free” but it’s not all over the place. Constantly saying yes and giving your goods away (not planned freebies, which are part of a smart and helpful strategy) without adding up what the costs will be for your time, your life and your other clients is not serving anyone and can seriously degrade your client relationships and threaten your business’ long-term survival.
The Price of Undervaluing Your Contributions
What tends to happen when you give and give without setting proper boundaries for charging or time needed to
clients is that they don’t even remember what you’ve given them because they’re not properly valuing what you’ve provided. They may truly not realize that these things took you a lot of time and effort if you didn’t point it out.
When is “Being Helpful” Actually Not Helping Anyone
The right clients want you to charge them for your valuable goods. They don’t want to “steal” from you. It’s like a parent giving a kid non-stop ice cream; the kids will like it for a moment but quickly get a stomach ache. Children and clients want structure and discipline and respect you when you provide it.
Valuing Your Own Worth So Others Can Too
Entrepreneurship brings up all your “stuff,” like close relationships. This is because as entrepreneurs, you put your heart and soul into your business and create real relationships with clients based on your unique essence. There’s emotional risk in these waters. And if you don’t value yourself, the people receiving your value won’t either, just as in romance.
Get Your Ego Out Of It
Generosity disguised as undercharging or giving away your time regularly is not ultimately about you trying to be helpful. It’s about you wanting to be loved and appreciated so intensely that you’ll do almost anything to get it. Because Embody Your Sexy Geek •
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if you charge a decent amount and someone turns you down, you may feel rejected.
The Right Rejections
Be willing to accept those right rejections and accept them with an open heart, so that the right people who can’t wait to connect with you will come in. They are there, waiting for you to clear the space for them. But if you fill your life up with giving your goods away, you’re keeping out the right options. This takes a little faith, like most important things in life. Consider yourself sent some here and now.
Here’s the Good News
The good news is that this sometimes difficult journey is going to make you an amazing human being, happy and successful. The courage of standing up for your worth — fake it till you make it, baby — will lead to you wholeheartedly believing in your real worth and others will follow suit. So that’s some payoff, right? That’s why it’s worth it. And you’re worth it.
The Techie Touch
Here are a few techie tools to help you implement your boundaries.
Use Scheduling Software
Simple scheduling software helps you and your clients respect your time. It’s a beautiful tool. I use Timetrade. I also hear good things about Satori and Acuity. 44 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com
Use Project Management Software or Structure Your Own Setup as Long as You Create and Follow a Map
Set up clear project structures and communicate them clearly to help clients respect your boundaries too. The ones I like the most are Trello and Basecamp. I also love Excel.
Be Aware of and Charge for Add-Ons
Be conscious what you choose to charge for and back up your clarity. Many people sing the praises of Freshbooks to manage project billing and not let add-ons slip through the cracks. I love tried and true, powerful Excel spreadsheets and couldn’t work without them.
What About You?
Have you struggled with boundaries with clients? Have you created a structure and learned to say no so you can say yes when it’s right? Share your experiences for the inspiration of all of us. Declare your worth. Write me at:
sexygeek@embodyart.org
Katie Geddes can be found Lovin’ geeking Bytes, it up at Embodyart.org, where she’ll show you how to profit from your passion. Katie designs thriving businesses for spiritual entrepreneurs. E-mail Katie at sexygeek@embodyart.org to say hi, ask a question, sing a song or apply for a FREE discovery session that’s worth a friggin’ fortune.
Katie Geddes
Embodyart.org
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Career & Learning
Why Company Executives
Are Taking a Walk
FIND ME ONLINE HERE
By Sandra Cunningham 50 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com
Think Executive Coaching, think stuffy office, boardroom or a therapist or coach sitting on a leather couch. Like many cringe-worthy cliches, it’s an image that smacks of a modicum of truth. But that’s exactly what Walking Coach has set out to change. And why not? At last, public awareness about the benefits of walking seems to have taken off. Much of this is driven by understandable concerns over our health. Apparently, we spend more time sitting on our bums nowadays than we do sleeping. The sedentary life of the average office worker is gradually killing us.
In a recent TED talk, Nifoler Merchant made a
compelling case for walking meetings. They make business life healthier, more creative, more sociable, more sustainable. Take a look below:
Taking Control of Your Career •
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In UK, May has been pronounced ‘National Walking Month’ and in the last few weeks, charities, Living Streets and Mind have been campaigning hard to raise our awareness about the benefits of walking for mental health. More than just exercise, walking is a philosophical, spiritual and creative activity, which has played a central role in the work of thinkers, artists and writers throughout history. Frederic Gros has just launched his new book The Philosophy of Walking, in which he extols the activity of walking and slowing down as necessary in this era of speed, efficiency and consumption. Henry Thoreau, Goethe, Wordsworth and Whitman, Henry James, Thomas Mann, Thomas Wolfe, Gretel Ehrlich and Iain Sinclair are among the countless authors who talked of walking as their favourite source of creative inspiration. The idea of getting off the couch and going outside to connect with nature has been reinforced even further by Richard Louv in The Nature Principle, where he writes:
“The future will belong to the nature-smart— those individuals, families, businesses, and political leaders who develop a deeper understanding of the transformative power of the natural world and who balance the virtual with the real. The more high-tech we become, the more nature we need.”
52 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com
At Walking Coach, we have witnessed for ourselves the numerous benefits offered by walking combined with coaching. An increasing number of clients now choose to take their coaching outdoors – they invariably know they need more exercise and welcome the opportunity to embrace walking as part of the coaching process. So we encourage all professional men and women to put on their walking boots and take their professional and personal development into the open air, in beautiful countryside where the environment itself inspires great results!
While the outdoor sessions are as structured and planned as they would be indoors, people usually find that once they escape from the familiar work environment, its interruptions and associations, their minds are free to function far more creatively and effectively than would otherwise be the case. Taking Control of Your Career •
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Mindfulness In Facilitation What is mindfulness and how do you know when you’re practising it? It’s something I often question on my blog as it’s something I want to get right. For me, mindfulness happens when I’m faced with a situation where I need my wits about me, and I need to be aware of what’s happening in the physical space around me, the emotions I’m feeling, and the state I think others are in.
FIND ME ONLINE HERE
By Sukh Pabial 54 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com
I think I’ve always practised this element of mindfulness, and it’s only in recent times I’m gaining that understanding that this is what I’ve been cultivating. Previously I understood it as emotional intelligence, and I consider that the two are so intrinsically linked that it’s actually hard to differentiate the two. This is also influenced by Daniel Goleman often writing about mindfulness too over on his LinkedIn page. The practise I find most challenging, though, is
when I’m by myself. See, I’m a real people person and generally like to be part of the crowd that’s doing things. I’ve written before about how I believe I’m a better follower than a leader, and this is certainly true when it comes to experimenting with new practises. In the case of mindfulness, I’m much happier trying it when with others than with myself. There’s that connected experience of what we’re doing together which means I want to do it again and live the insights as well as gaining them.
When I’m facilitating is when I’ve got my mindfulness
gauge turned up all the way. There is so much to be attuned to, that it’s easy to miss small cues, little whispers, uncomfortable movements, quiet banter, engaged discussions, and so much more. I find that if I haven’t prepped properly for a learning session then I can’t act mindfully because I’m too worried about the learning Mindfulness in Facilitation •
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content and not worried enough about the learning experience.
I am quite a self-aware kind of guy, and know within
myself when I’m in a good place and when I’m not. When I am it means I find myself being quite playful and free with the facilitation. I start to let go and find myself in flow. When I’m in flow is when I’m amongst the group and I’m part of them while maintaining my role.
When my focus goes elsewhere is when I am
thinking about things I shouldn’t be. I wonder if I can tweet this? What time is the next break? Is that person talking again? I wonder if the kids are home yet? Should I check my emails to see if there’s something more interesting happening? Maybe I can quickly take my turn on Words With Friends?
So it’s important for me to be free of those things when I’m facilitating. Because when I’m mindful is when these things are happening for me: 56 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com
I’m aware of what I’m experiencing and how this is affecting my delivery and facilitation.
I’m hearing the emotions in the group and that tells me how people are reacting to the learning they’re either receiving or not.
y I’m shaping the discussion to happen in a wa which makes sense to me and to them.
I’m aware of the time and how it might be influencing the group.
I’m noticing my own energy levels and how this is affecting the energy of the group.
I’m paying attention to the task th e group are doing and how well they’re involved with it all.
So I guess I wonder, have you now realised as I have that being mindful is easier than it seems? Mindfulness in Facilitation •
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““If you had to identify, in one word, the reason why the human race has not achieved, and never will achieve, its full potential, that word would be ‘meetings.” Dave Perry
Faith & Self Help
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By Karen Salmansohn
You’re Doing Fine Bad Hair & All
FIND ME ONLINE HERE
By Gina Hussar 62 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com
For years I had only 2 kids. Then one day, when my oldest was 8 and my youngest was 6, I found out that I was pregnant again. If the world ended right now while I was typing this, I would not be more surprised than I was that day. I had a business. I had a social life. I had a clean house and manicured nails. That was all about to change as my incredibly cute but exhausting third child splashed onto the scene! Suddenly, a daily shower was a feat of Olympic proportion and I went from a woman who was proud of her home to a woman who closed the curtains so that no one could see the toys all over the floor. I went from a woman who considered herself well versed in literature, new movies and CNN, to a woman who found herself mindlessly singing The Wiggles theme song out loud in the grocery store. So this article is dedicated to all of the busy moms out there who have ever looked in the mirror and wondered “Who in the hell is THAT?” I hereby give you permission to drastically lower your expectations of yourself. We don’t want to do this every day, mind you, but it is absolutely OK to, on particularly challenging days, turn in your cape, exchange it for fuzzy slippers, and just get through the next 12 hours. I salute you, and I want you to know that every once in a while it’s OK to: You’re Doing Fine... Bad Hair & All •
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Order chicken nuggets for yourself and only eat the outside Be 37 and eat cake for breakfast... and lunch Put the kids to bed without brushing their teeth, or reading to them, or remembering which bed is theirs To be just a little picky about approving which pictures of you your friends can post on Facebook To think that mismatched sweats are perfectly alluring bedroom attire To prefer cheesecake over sex, but sex over cooking To admit that you do not understand the political situations abroad, but feel totally connected to The Real Housewives To protest Skype, Facetime or any other technology that requires you to be suitable for public viewing To fluctuate between wanting to take over the world and help millions of people, or sit on the couch with a pint of cookie dough ice cream To love your children immeasurably but at 8pm breathe a sigh of relief that can be heard all the way from China 64 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com
To pretend that you don’t even see the juice in the carpet, the crumbs under the couch or the girl scout at your door (you can leave money in her mailbox tomorrow) To not be worried about being stuck in traffic because there is probably enough random food in your car to feed a family of five and enough clothes to get you through four seasons To pretend that you have to go to the bathroom just to grab five minutes of uninterrupted time with your iPhone To eat the last cookie while hiding in your closest, not share it, and not feel the least bit guilty about it.
The point of this? It isn’t to go so completely
off track that you offend the neighbors and end up on the Learning Channel. The point is to be compassionate with yourself. Let go of perfectionism. If, at the end of the day, the people you care for are alive and mostly happy, you’ve done well. No one wants you to be perfect. Perfect isn’t fun at parties. And when you allow yourself a “human” day you are teaching a valuable lesson about self love. Just get up and relight the fire the next day. Don’t beat yourself up. Your imperfections make your loved ones feel safe about theirs. Show yourself the same empathy you would show them. You will forget things like school snacks and birthdays. You will lose your patience with a tired child, with your spouse and with your computer. You will screw up your calendar and forget to return phone calls, but you will also love unconditionally, forgive wholly, live passionately and serve selflessly...
...and I promise you, all of that cancels out the cake you had for breakfast. Gina Hussar is a Spiritual Success Coach. She specializes in Integrated Success, Inner Peace and Purpose Clarity. She is a certified Law of Attraction Practitioner and a Certified Reiki Healer. To learn more or to schedule a complimentary Strategy Session, visit www.30secondstopeace.com 66 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com
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Style & Beauty 5 2
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ANTIKBATIK Shasie’s Fashion Picks •
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Is Inner Skincare
The Missing Link?
Every woman is searching for the ultimate anti-wrinkle cream. (I know this, because the TV ads and magazines say so!) So…have you found it? That one magic potion that makes your skin smooth and glowing, every day?
No? Neither have I FIND ME ONLINE HERE
By Amanda Cook 72 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com
In fact, as I’ve written about before, antiaging products can’t deliver the results. But before you despair and resign yourself to a life of heavy foundation, let’s expand our view beyond cosmetics. When you apply cosmetics to your skin, they do get absorbed into your body (that’s why it’s so important to choose natural products!) …but they’re being absorbed into the skin that’s already there. The missing link we often forget is that we can influence the new skin being created. We can improve our skin, organically, from the inside – out!
How?
Through the choices we make three times a day, everyday. It’s all about the food, baby.
What’s inner skincare? Inner skincare is the idea that we can care for our skin through eating cleansing and nourishing foods, and drinking pure water and beauty-boosting herbal teas. Our skin is the largest organ in our body – and it’s an organ of elimination. Our bodies are constantly cleansing and detoxifying themselves. Any byproducts or toxins produced by our cells are excreted through one of our elimination organs. This starts in the liver and then either ends up Is Inner Skincare the Missing Link? •
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in the toilet, sweated out through your skin – or, if it has nowhere else to go, as some kind of skin freakout (pimples, blackheads etc.). By keeping our bodies nourished with whole foods, and hydrated with clean water and herbal teas, we support the natural processes of detoxification and elimination. That means the elimination pathways are working efficiently, which puts less pressure on eliminating through our skin! Inner skincare isn’t just helpful for acne. In fact, you can moisturize dry skin from the inside out, and even plump up your skin by keeping hydrated, AND when you nourish your body, you will feel better. You’ll have more energy and sleep better…and when you’ve had a good night’s sleep and are feeling good, you look better.
So should you throw away your beauty products? No! Inner skincare is the missing piece of the equation for many women struggling with skin problems. But that doesn’t mean you should ditch the beauty products. 74 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com
Au contraire. Beauty products are really useful – and
fun! We just need to shift our thinking from ‘hope in a jar’ to taking a proactive approach of nourishing our bodies from the inside FIRST…and then using the beauty products to buff & polish the outside. A regular routine of cleansing, moisturizing, and exfoliating will improve the look of your skin, is relaxing, feels good, and gives you much needed ‘me’ time for self-care.
But the most thorough beauty routine in the world doesn’t excuse you from eating your greens.
Is Inner Skincare the Missing Link? •
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natural
health & beauty.
Find simple tips & recipes at VintageAmanda.com
“Let your plans be dark and impenetrable as night, and when you move, fall like a thunderbolt.� Sun Tzu, The Art of War
The First Annual World Armenian Entertainment Awards
2014
Red Carpet FIND ME ONLINE HERE
By Marina BerBeryan 78 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com
The First Annual World Armenian Entertainment Awards was held on May 11, 2014 at The Show, Agua Caliente’s Casino Resort Spa in Rancho Mirage, CA. The 2,500 guest gala was conceptualized and produced by Global Arts International and US Armenia TV, to honor and recognizie the Armenian superstars from around the world in the entertainment and music industry. The red carpet rolled out in Agua Caliente’s Casino Spa Resort where superstars like Julio Iglesias, Liza Minnelli, Dolly Parton, Brian McKnight, Paul Anka and Ringo Starr have headlined previously. Mher Baghdasaryan hosted the red carpet pre-show interviewing all the fabulous celebrities. Some of the celebrity attendees included the biggest stars and artists such as Tata Simonyan, Sirusho, Armenchik, Arman Hovhannisyan, Lilit Hovhannisyan, Harout Pamboukjian, Andre, Razmik Amyan, Hrant Tokhatyan, Ashot Ghazaryan, Hayk Marutyan, Hovhannes Azoyan, Luiza Nersisyan, Erik, Sofi Mkheyan, Mihran Tsarukyan, Hrach Muradyan, Ani Christy, Arpine Gabrielyan, and Sibil. Walking down the red carpet, I was greeted by “Marina Fans”, friends, and surprisingly, family members. I was photographed by many paparazzi and had a red carpet interview with Mher for US Armenia TV. Confessions of a Hollywood Stylist •
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I was utterly privileged and honored to have been asked to attend the world’s largest Armenian event. Sharing the stage with the Legends from the Armenian entertainment world was indeed extraordinary and an unforgettable lifetime experience. I had the pleasure to present, along with Azature, the most prestigious award of the evening - the “Queen of Armenian Pop Award”, awarded to the beautiful and talented Armenian pop megastar Sirusho. The daughter-in-law of Armenia’s former president, Robert Kocharian, has been known as Armenia’s “National Treasure”, and is a recipient of multiple awards. He was the Armenian spokesperson in 2007 for the Eurovision Song Contest and Armenian representative in 2008. It was extremely gratifying for me to support my Armenian Community and preserving the Armenian culture and history with this magnificent event. World Armenian Entertainment Awards was hosted by Arpine Gabrielyan, Hrach Muradyan, and Nazeni Hovhannisyan. The three-hour event wowed the guests with an assortment of performances from superstars 80 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com
around the world. The awards ceremony and the red carpet event were broadcast throughout Southern California and the US, and internationally in South America, Europe, Armenia, Russia, and online through USArmenia TV. An estimated five million viewers are expected to have tuned in via terrestrial, cable, satellite and online platforms.
The nominees of the World Armenian Entertainment Award 2014 were announced from
different categories, including cinema, television, music, non-traditional media and fashion. Some of the biggest actors, living legends, and music icons were honored with golden statuettes. Please see below for the award categories and nominees. Confessions of a Hollywood Stylist •
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Best Song - Erik “Arajin u miak” Best Female Singer - Lilit Hovhannisyan Best Male Singer - Razmik Amyan Queen of Armenian POP - Sirusho King of Armenian POP - Tata Simonyan Best Armenian Movie - Garegin Njdeh - dir Hrach Kheshishyan Best Diaspora Movie - Lost and Found in Armenia directed by Gor Kirakosyan Best TV Project - Kargin Serial Best Music Video - Emmy “Qez gta” directed by Arthur Manukyan
I would like to take a moment to congratulate all the winners of the World Armenian Entertainment Awards 2014 and wish them all continued success! In response to a high volume of emails and social media messages inquiring about my gown, I decided to wear Zhang Jingjing Couture Spring/Summer 2014 Collection, from LA’s top showroom Runway Archives and Showroom. Last month,during LA Fashion Week, I saw a model walking down the runway at the Rock That Fashion event wearing this breathtaking handmade gown. It was just the most beautiful dress I have ever seen! It reminded me of a 17th century Chinese royal gown with a modern twist. The long-trail pink sheer gown was adorned with a shimmering pink beadwork and gorgeous pastel white, pink and yellow floral lace print designs, accentuated with feathers decor of a white long-tailed tropic bird. This breathtaking haute couture gown seemed to have escaped from a fairy
tale. The dress definitely stood out to me and I couldn’t wait to wear it to The World Armenian Entertainment Awards. Zhang Jingjing has dressed many nationally and internationally A List celebrities from the LA’s Runway Archives Showroom. My personal favorite was when Katy Perry performed Firework at The X Factor Finale 2013, held in London, United Kingdom, where she wore Zhang Jingjing Couture’s golden eagle ensemble.
It was indeed a spectacular evening filled with laughter, socializing and glamour; a much needed Armenian-gala in the United States - The First Annual World Entertainment Awards 2014!
To stay up to date with my style, celebrity trends and runway fashion subscribe to my social sites at...
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Lifestyle & Wellness
Muscle and
Mindfulness
FIND ME ONLINE HERE
By Charlene SanJenko
There are many similarities between muscle and mindfulness and the roles they both play in our lives:
Living and leading from a grounded place When you train with weights, you learn to ground yourself in your body (your posture) in order to prevent injury, to support your lift and practice good form. You learn to sit back through your hips and heels, keep your knees slightly soft to stay in your leg muscles, roll your pelvis forward slightly to protect your lower back and continually keep your chest up and shoulder blades back and down. You learn to connect with your core and be in your body. You practice this stance over, and over and over again – your ‘power stance’. As your body begins to live daily in this stance, you naturally start to breathe more deeply and purposefully as you do when you lift, you engage into your muscles and connect with the strength that is within you as well as in your muscles. Living, learning and leading from this place allows you to perform with positive focus as you connect your mind with your body and your internal strength with your external.
Increasing performance effectiveness We are all hungry to learn to how to best achieve and sustain optimal performance. In order to survive let alone thrive in this fast-paced, high-on-demand world, we need to be playing at the very top of our game, fully charging on Muscle and Mindfulness •
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all cylinders, maximizing our ultimate potential. Increasing your muscle and your mindfulness can do just that. Athletes understand that in order to increase their speed and performance they must increase their power. In order to increase their power, they must increase their strength. Leaders in our society are also realizing that in order to optimize our performance and sustainability, in order to live, learn and lead from a vibrant and magnetic place, we must also optimize our power physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. Those we are leading are looking to us for one thing and one thing only‌ that our actions support our words.
Greater protection from unexpected demands and overuse Those who continually perform at a high level know how to effectively manage stress. In fact, they actually think about stress quite differently from most. Again, if you consider Olympic or pro athletes, consider how they perform under huge demands, huge pressure, expectations and stress. With practice, they learn to manage these situations and shift their perspective to ultimately perform within the ‘positive chaos’. A good deal of their success can be attributed to the confidence they have built in themselves over time. They feel courageous in their bodies. They feel strong. As a result, they stay grounded, calm and mindful. They manage their emotions to a place where they can perform at their best amongst the distraction, unexpected demands and overuse.
Consistency and practice Whether you are increasing your muscle or your mindfulness, both require consistency and practice. Both are a discipline that will greatly improve your life’s quality. Physically speaking, the more muscle you have on your frame, not only the stronger, more confident and powerful you will feel in your body and your life, but you will also level out your weight and end your ‘battle of the bulge’. Muscle increases your metabolism. Mentally, emotionally and spiritually speaking, the more mindfulness you incorporate into your life, not only will you live and lead from a calmer more focused place, you will also experience a greater sense of contentment and fulfilment in your daily life. Mindfulness increases ease. Live Your Dream.
Just the right amount of stimulation and rest Muscle and Mindfulness •
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Many people believe that “...once if they train harder and you decide on harder they will attain the components – the best possible perhaps they include results. The truth of the matter is mindful walking, journaling, with your physical reflecting, deep-breathing, practice, you must yoga, good conversation find the perfect with like-minded peeps balance between – your Practice must stimulation and rest – be committed to for you. It’s an individual consistently.” thing. Every single body is different. If someone tries to tell you exactly what you should be doing, ignore them. They can only offer you this advice after getting to know you and your body for quite some time, and even then, you are the only person who should be making the final decision. It is your body. The same holds true for your spiritual practice. The online world is filled with ‘experts’ who will tell you exactly what you should be doing to experience the greatest joy, satisfaction, abundance and fulfillment in your life. The only person who can decide this is you. It is your life, your experience. The most important thing is that once you decide on the components – perhaps they include mindful walking, journaling, reflecting, deep-breathing, yoga, good conversation with like-minded peeps – your Practice must be committed to consistently. We call this the Practice of PowHERful Living. 90 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com
At PowHERhouse, we have built a simple and effective framework which may help you with the consistency of your Practice – on all levels – physically as well as mentally, emotionally and spiritually. We’re not saying that we have all of the answers, but we have definitely asked the right questions and continue to ask. PowHERful Living Explored was built after working with and listening to the needs of hundreds of women over the past decade and interviewing 50+ high-impact performance women over the past year. Our 90-day online program includes effective performance principles, successful strategies, excellence habits, tangible tools and winning best practices all pulled together within a simple, doable and common sense framework to help ensure your consistency stays constant. Now you can experience this program with our complimentary...
Taste the PowHER 14-day sampler! Our mission is to help you experience on a consistent basis the intentional integration of lifestyle and leadership, to redefine the role that you allow fitness to play in your life, and to fully appreciate the concept of ‘The stronger we are, the stronger we are!’ Welcome to your journey of living, learning and leading from a PowHERful space.
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7 Foods to Boost Your Skin Protection During Summer Summer is about to begin. Finally! Time for me to get my skirts and dresses out of the closet, fine-tune my DIY sunscreen recipe, shop for some books I want to read on endless evenings on the balcony and ... stuff my kitchen cabinets.
FIND ME ONLINE HERE
By Nathalie de Ahna 94 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com
Stuff my kitchen cabinets?! Yes. You heard right. Because sun protection is not only about the things we put onto our skin, but also into our body. Here are my favorite “eatable sun protectors”.
Watermelon Full of Lycopen (a very useful Carotinoid), this tasty summer fruit effectively blocks UV light and, hence, protects your skin against sunburn and skin cancer. You can also find Lycopen in tomatoes, red bell peppers or papaya, but watermelon definitely is my no. 1. Eat about 2–3 slices a day and always combine the melon with a little bit of fat (e.g. nibble on a few nuts or so) for perfect absorption.
Pomegranate The seeds of this lovely fruit are loaded with nutrients called “polyphenols” which increase your skin’s resistance to both UVA and UVB rays. Also, they prevent hyper-pigmentation, which is important for all rather light-skinned beauties. Make sure you eat the whole seeds and not just drink pomegranate juice (sugar!). They are really good sprinkled over salads or as a snack in-between. 7 Foods to Boost Your Skin Protection During Summer •
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Carrots, apricots & mangos Fruits and veggies with bright colors are full of Carotinoid which are great to reduce the harm that can be done by UVB rays. Actually, the substance which gives plants their rich color is what also acts as a sunscreen for them. Include as many red, orange, yellow & green fruits & veggies into your diet and let the Carotinoid protect your skin, too.
Brocolli & green leafy vegetables
Broccoli is loaded with an antioxidant that helps your cells fight off UV radiation & causes cell death to cancer cells. Green leaves such as spinach or kale prevent the activation of (skin) cancer-causing substances.
Foods containing lots of Omega 3 fatty acids Think fatty fish (e.g. salmon or mackerel) and seeds such 96 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com
as flax, hemp and chia seeds. They do not only protect your skin from sunburn, but have tons of other health benefits, too. Simply include fish in your diet about two times a week and pimp your muesli or salads with seeds.
Spirulina & chlorella These micro-algae smell kind of funny but actually taste good in green smoothies. They contain a super Carotinoid called Astaxanthin which might be the most powerful nutrient of its kind.
Dark chocolate (70% cocoa) Even more antioxidants providing even more natural sun protection. Enjoy about 2 ounces daily.
, r e m m u s y p p a H ! e n o y ever 7 Foods to Boost Your Skin Protection During Summer •
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Mindfulness and the Art of Managing Anger Retreat, June 2014 With Mike Fisher What to expect: We will develop more on your anger management skills and there will also be time for yoga, meditation, great conversations, eating, swimming, laughing, dancing, singing, walking, horse riding, taking photo’s and soaking up the sun. Engage in whatever you enjoy to slow down, meet some great people and engage in something bigger than yourself.
Key Benefits: - Lowers blood pressure - Improves concentration and creativity - Helps decrease anxiety and depression - Improves self-esteem - Reduces pain levels - Improves immune system functioning - Results in a greater sense of well-being and satisfaction with life
When & Where? This 7 Day Retreat will be taking place in the beautiful Foothills of Malaga at Molino del Rey from the 8th of June 2014 to 14th of June 2014.
If you have any questions or would like to learn more, please get in touch.
MYA
Mind Your Anger
Mind Your Anger, The Studio, 14 Railway Approach, East Grinstead, West Sussex, RH19 1PB Email: admin@mindyouranger.com Phone: +44 (0) 345 1300 286
It’s Not What’s Happening
It’s How You Deal With It
Life is never boring, there is always something going on that we have to deal with or process, and never more so than in the fast-paced world we live in now. Stuff happens, good and bad. Being human means that there is constant change and flux in our experience of life. I am a great believer in ‘it’s not what is happening, it’s how you deal with it’. FIND ME ONLINE HERE
By Kate Spencer 100 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com
Now you may be thinking at this point that I don’t get it, I haven’t been through what you have been through, and that’s true. But I have been through a whole lot of my own stuff and sometimes I have dealt with it brilliantly, and sometimes not. Herein lies the lesson - We are all walking our own path and the life experiences that we draw in are unique to us. Some come in as a result of that good old Law of Attraction we’ve all heard about, and some are lessons that we need to grow and expand.
No matter how it shows up, its how you look at it that counts. When the proverbial sh*t is hitting the fan it’s so easy to go into victim mode and cry “poor me!” It’s a human reaction and we all do it. But the trick to leading a more empowered and conscious life is to not get stuck in this. Have what I call a “tea and sympathy day.” Allow yourself the space to be upset and hurt, and call your friends up to tell them how bad things are. Eat chocolate and cake and watch movies that make you cry. Get it all out in that one day and then make a commitment that you are going to help yourself as much as you can and take some positive action. Here are some ideas about what you can do when life sneaks up on you and throws a stick in your spokes: It’s Not What’s Happening... It’s How You Deal With It •
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Step back from the drama of the situation that is playing out and breathe, try to take a higher self attitude and see what other influences are at play. Look from another person’s perspective. y you Know that every single bad da you r fa so e lif r u yo in d a h r ve e ve ha 100% a s t’ a th so , h g u ro th n e tt o g have track record you have. ge n a h c n a c u yo t a th ys a w r fo k Loo ys a your perception, there is alwa focus on silver lining, find it and start to that.
Give yourself a break, yo u are doing your best here so don’t b eat yourself up. not re a u o Y t! n e m o m it *K F* a ve Ha the controller of the universe.
u Look for things that will make yo a ke ta t, n e m o m e th in r e tt e b l e fe for a walk, listen to some music, go de up haircut, read a book. Life is ma u can yo re o m e th d n a , ts n e m o m f o into bring calm and good feelings join the present, the more you will feel up these moments and start to better.
Don’t be a right fighter, this is an ego reaction and will not serv e you - look at how you can be hap py and at peace rather than need ing to be right. Sometimes you just have to let go and release your expectations. We are all going through our own learning experiences and challenges, and the truth is you never know what it is like to be another person and how it feels to live their life. We are all fighting private battles.
Be kind to yourself and to others, as we are all doing our best to get through this crazy life on earth.
Love Kate
About a Homemade Year
www.bobbibrowncosmetics.com
Food, Home & Family
Making
Mini Muffins Making Mini Muffins - otherwise known as ‘M to the 3rd power!’ We all love muffins, but what I don’t like are wasted muffins. I found that our appetites (you should know I’m talking about children of a certain age) are bigger than our stomachs. I hate seeing leftover muffins; I either give them to the dog or throw them away, and either of those choices do not make me happy. If their ARE leftovers your kids can fix their own snack. (Just remember to make them clean up their own mess. It’s good for them. Really.) This is also my favorite way to use quinoa. The recipe is from “Ancient Quinoa Harvest” brand, and is versatile enough to use as a soup muffin, salad muffin, or even as a substitute for toast at breakfast. My favorite way to eat them is as a snack. I toast them, spread some pepper jelly on top, and treat myself to a nice cup of coffee. Larruping good!
By Tanya Jackson
108 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com
Remember too, baking can be a family event; you are teaching chemistry but you never have to pick up a text book! How does a little heat turn gooey stuff into a solid form? Go on, let them think you are brilliant for a little while!
Method!
Ingredients « Bucky’s Quinoa Cheese Puffs « 1/4 pound butter (softened) « 2 large eggs (room temperature) « 1 3/4 cup milk « 1 cup cornmeal « 1 cup quinoa meal « 1/4 teaspoon salt « 2 teaspoon baking powder « 1/4 teaspoon black pepper « 1/2 teaspoon basil « 1 cup graded sharp cheddar cheese
Makes 36 mini-muffins: Preheat the oven to 425
degrees, then prepare the quinoa meal by grinding raw quinoa grain in a blender. Blend milk, eggs and butter together. Mix dry ingredients together and add to liquid. Fold in grated cheese and then bake in a greased mini-muffin tin for 10-15 minutes, until golden.
s ’ t a h t w o ! ’ N n i t a e d o go
A Rare Phenomenon
Cherie began as a weekly columnist for the main local newspaper in her area. Her articles focus on a humorous look at married life with five children and the ups and downs we can all relate to. She has won 2 international short story contests as well as being published in Our Canada magazine. Cherie is a breast cancer survivor and a huge advocate of self-exams.
By Cherie DeBurger 110 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com
Some things in life don’t happen very often. Halley’s Comet for example, only passes by Earth amazing us with its beauty and regality once every seventy-six years. Certain people, like my wonderful Aunt Shirley have to wait four long years to be able to celebrate a birthday on February 29th when we experience a Leap Year. Of course when my parents argue, or in their words discuss, the times that my father actually admits he is wrong and my mother is right are few and far between. Most of these examples don’t equal how long I have to wait to have a night alone with my husband. I’m not talking about date night or hanging out with another couple, I’m talking about when ALL the kids are gone and we have the entire house to ourselves. I remember the last time this rarity occurred, my oldest two children had been asked to stay over at their friends houses’. I was talking to my mom on the phone and jokingly said all I had to do was find someone to take the youngest three. That is when the insanity began. My mother, (A.K.A. WONDERWOMAN) graciously, albeit foolishly, offered to take the three youngest for the night.
I couldn’t believe my ears and for a moment was stunned into silence as I realized the A Rare Phenomenon •
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shear magnitude of the moment. Was it possible? Was it really going to happen? Do I dare to get my hopes up, one of them would surely come down with some sort of puking or pooping ailment before my husband got home from work. I was giddy with anticipation of what I could accomplish without the constant interruptions or the “help” the little ones always wanted to give when I was doing something. It’s funny how things would take twice as long when ten little fingers managed to work their way into the center of things.
“I walked into the TV room and decided to just plop down on the couch and do absolutely nothing. That may not sound exciting but when it is something you never get to do it can be euphoric.” The other option was not accomplishing anything at all. I wouldn’t have to go into the bathroom and lock the door just to have a few moments of quiet bliss. We used to have weekend getaways or overnight trips but as we kept adding to our family it was harder and harder to find someone that we trusted and that was able to watch our big brood. Going away is great but to actually have the house to ourselves was like winning the lottery. You knew it could happen but 112 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com
the probability was really low. We would be able to enjoy the comfort of our own home. When my husband got home from work I had the kids packed and dressed and ready for him to drive them over to Nana’s. No sense wasting time or taking any chances right? After kisses and hugs they ran to the car with almost as much excitement as I was feeling. As I closed the door I wondered what to do first, the options were endless. I stood in the middle of the kitchen and listened to the quiet. I walked into the TV room and decided to just plop down on the couch and do absolutely nothing. That may not sound exciting but when it is something you never get to do it can be euphoric.
By the time my husband got back from dropping the kids off we were both kind of hungry. We looked at the stove and I looked at him and laughed out loud. The only thing I was using in the house to make dinner tonight was the phone to order it. I began my beached whale impersonation on the couch while we waited for the food. I was reminded how wonderful Chinese food was this time because I actually got to eat it while it was still warm. As the evening progressed I found my mind wandering over to how my kids were doing. Come on! They have been gone a mere three hours and I have fantasized about free
time like this for so long. I concentrated on the movie we were watching trying to curb the urge to call and just make sure everything was good.
The peace and quiet was a treat that my mind was having trouble accepting and my ears played tricks on me. A couple of times I thought I heard one of the kids call for me and I would start to get up to see what they needed and then I would remember they were miles away. One thing that I had no problem dealing with was getting to sleep in the next morning. That seemed to take no effort at all. I basked in the glory of drinking my whole cup of coffee without it getting cold or moving my butt from my rocking chair, yes this was heaven. Through out the morning I bounced back and forth between missing them and knowing my “alone time” was coming to an end. As much as I had enjoyed the break I was anxious to see them and cover their faces with kisses. I heard my mom and dad’s car pull up and the doors open. I imagined my kids eager to see me because in my mind I’m the only one that really knows how to take care of them 114 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com
exactly right. We reach the front door excited to see our little rug rats. Stepping out onto the front porch we expect the kids to run into our open arms all the while telling us how much they had missed us.
When they finally had their pillows and backpacks under control they did indeed come running toward us onto the front porch but instead of latching onto our legs and telling us how much we were missed my son went running by me and into the house. Instead of my daughter saying “I missed you Mommy” the first words out her mouth to me where “ When can I go back to Nanas?” It may be sooner than she thinks... If you have any comments please feel free to email me at lifes.moments@live.ca
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