Feminist Entrepreneurs Magazine - 2nd edition May 2021 by House of Hives

FEM

FEMINIST ENTREPRENEURS MAGAZINE 2-2021

TIPS TO MAINTAIN YOUR MENTAL HEALTH WHILE RUNNING A BUSINESS IS CARING ABOUT EMPLOYEES’ HEALTH FUNDAMENTAL IN BUSINESS?

IS YOUR MINDSET THE SECRET TO LIVING YOUR DREAMS?

WHAT’S INSIDE THE RISE OF EMOTIONAL LEADERSHIP IS YOUR MINDSET THE SECRET TO LIVING YOUR DREAMS? 28 TIPS TO MAINTAIN YOUR MENTAL HEALTH WHILE RUNNING A BUSINESS ARE YOU A FEMINIST ENTREPRENEUR WITH STORIES TO TELL? IS CARING ABOUT EMPLOYEES’ HEALTH FUNDAMENTAL IN BUSINESS?

YOU NEED ZERO TALENT HOW TO UNCOVER YOUR PASSION AND CREATE A MOVEMENT OF CHANGE HOW STORIES HELP YOU NAVIGATE THE MORE MORE MORE ECONOMY STAY TRUE TO YOUR VISION BY CARVING OUT YOUR OWN PATH

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WELCOME. Welcome to another edition of FEM, the magazine for entrepreneurs who are ready to ditch the over-competitive hustle culture and want to embrace balance, collaboration and diversity. In honour of Mental Health Awareness Month, I’ve asked your fellow entrepreneurs how they balance their mental health while running their business. We explore the importance of emotional intelligence in leadership, look at how hustle culture dismisses mental health and how stories can help us navigate the culture that is always pushing us to do more.

I hope you enjoy this second edition of the magazine, and if you would like to contribute to the conversation, just get in touch! Have fun!

Mags Thomson Editor In Chief

THE RISE OF EMOTIONAL LEADERSHIP Leadership is about productively challenging the status quo, and finding innovative solutions. Though this can be accomplished by logical, directive study of what already is, the essential ingredient to progressive change is daring to think outside our already established box. No innovation has ever been accomplished without creativity, yet creativity is rooted in our emotional capacity. By Yasmin Igné

THE TIME HAS COME FOR WOMEN TO COURAGEOUSLY TAP INTO OUR CREATIVE CAPABILITIES IN ORDER TO BECOME TRULY VISIONARY LEADERS.

If we, as women in business, block our emotions to be “more efficient”, we are essentially suppressing our ability to access our creative powers.

The challenge of emotional intelligence Whether it is already valued as a leadership skill or not, emotional intelligence is an innate quality available to all humans. The challenge is though that we can only access as much of it as we have personally experienced ourselves. Opening ourselves up to profoundly exploring our own emotions can be a daunting task, to say the least. Given that it is not part of any job description or performance review, we often opt to avoid such “unproductive” discomfort. Instead, we focus on getting more universally recognised, intellectual qualifications that do not entail having to face our feelings. Over the years, the suppression of emotions has become an acceptable — if not required — protective mechanism for women in business. It has been so widely accepted for us to shut out our feelings that it has become the status quo. So far so that in fact

IF WE, AS WOMEN IN BUSINESS, BLOCK OUR EMOTIONS TO BE “MORE EFFICIENT”, WE ARE ESSENTIALLY SUPPRESSING OUR ABILITY TO ACCESS OUR CREATIVE POWERS.

5 “being emotional” has evolved to become an undesirable characteristic, if not an insult, in a business context. In a competitive situation where candidates are on par with respect to academic qualifications and professional competencies, it is not unusual to resort to emotional warfare. Women have experienced this at work as well as in their personal life. It is a cruel tactic used when competing for the attention of a potential partner. But it is furthermore being commercialised in all forms of advertisement which, on a daily basis, emotionally pressure female consumers into buying whatever it is they promote. Therefore, we have developed the self-sabotaging belief that the more effective we become at suppressing our emotions, the better our defence is in times of competitive criticism. However, essentially all this does is limit the depth of our capacity for emotional intelligence.

The cause and effect of emotional warfare For millennia women have been conditioned to be primarily occupied with their physical appearance, to attract a male provider and therefore ensure our own survival. It is obvious that this preoccupation (deeply connected to our fear of survival) is a subconscious and highly effective emotional trigger for others to take advantage of. While it is morally reprehensible, it is has become common practice in business as well as in private. We have come to a point where it is second nature for many women to have become fiercely emotionally guarded. Oftentimes how our body looks is the source of our greatest vulnerability, so we see it as a weakness and do anything possible to protect ourselves from the emotional fallout of being criticised about our appearance. Nevertheless, one of the primary concerns about becoming emotionally guarded and suppressing emotions, especially in regards to how we look, is that we are essentially rejecting a part of ourselves. When we subconsciously reinforce such behaviour over years, if not decades, we end up rejecting not only our one true competitive advantage in a business context but also the key to our personal happiness: our uniqueness.

Quest for emotional self-leadership In order for us to have full access to our emotional intelligence and therefore our creative capabilities, we have to embark on the daunting journey of facing our feelings. This includes all of them, the good and particularly the bad. It is in the negative feelings we harbour about ourselves that we find our greatest potential. Not only that but for this emotional endeavour to truly become effective, we have to discover the root cause of our self-sabotaging feelings, as well as uproot and transform the respective thought patterns our brain has programmed in response to past emotional difficulties. It is the challenge of allowing ultimate emotional vulnerability. Given that most of us (myself included) have spent a lifetime being “strong” and “pushing through”, this outlook feels incredibly uncomfortable. For an ambitious, career-minded businesswoman, like I used to be, it seems a dauntingly high price to pay to acquire an underappreciated professional skill. We sense that it is needed but it does not feel save to let our emotions take over. Furthermore, due to the lack of emotional leadership role models, our brains have little to no evidence that this approach will be worth the risk of letting our well-constructed walls down. It is indeed a courageous act to approach this new frontier, but the world of possibilities and vision we find once we break our own emotional barriers down is far beyond what we could have ever imagined possible. Embracing our uniqueness feels uncomfortable, even vulnerable at first but when we become courageous enough to discover ourselves, something inside us welcomes that long-awaited curiosity with open arms. The professional and personal rewards of doing this work are immeasurable and eventually, we become those role models that others will feel inspired by. Because it all has to start with us. It all starts with courageous emotional self-leadership.

IS YOUR MINDSET THE SECRET TO LIVING YOUR DREAMS? I had the pleasure to sit down with transformational mindset coach Jane Adams to talk about all things mindset and how embracing your natural wiring can change your life in any number of ways.

By Mags Thomson Jane proudly confesses that she is first and foremost a mum to Chloe and Hannah and a wife to Steve. She is also a transformational mindset coach who specialises in helping women shift subconscious blocks and limitations holding them back from getting clear on what they really want from life. She loves helping people break down and silence the critical, negative chatter living inside their heads. It all starts with your mind, if you can change your mindset, you literally can change your life.

How did you get here? What inspired your business? I was born and raised in the UK, my mum died when I was just seven years old, and although my dad remarried two years later, I was already extremely emotionally damaged by this point. School was hard and I struggled with weight issues and low self-esteem. I suffered endless bullying about my weight and became a massive emotional eater. Eating to feel better, getting fatter, feeling worse, eating more to feel better - and round and round it went. After losing the weight some years later, I developed an eating disorder that hampered my life for a long, long time. It caused a deep depression and more than ones I questioned if I could carry on. Fortunately, I managed to pick myself up, dust myself off and live in some state of semi-normal. It was the best I could without

any outside help. I kept myself shut away from the world and totally shut down my emotions because if I felt anything, I couldn’t cope. By some miracle, I met and later married my husband Steve. Some years later, we made the decision together to move away from the UK and start a new life for ourselves. I guess you could say I was running away, hoping that things would change. They didn’t. If anything, running away from my issues just exacerbated them. And now I found myself in a new country, no family, no friends, no support at all. The thought of going back to work after the birth of my daughter Chloe, leaving her with someone else was heart-breaking. So, I decided to become a stay-at-home mum, which unfortunately added to my low self-esteem and lack of self-worth. I had been a successful careers adviser, I was professional and extremely good at my job. When I took this away from myself, my negative self-talk went into over-drive. Then came the devastating earthquakes in Christchurch, in 2011. It killed 185 people. I never thought I would live through something like that, something so terrifying. That’s when I truly lost the part of myself that was the successful businesswoman. I lost all of Jane and I became just Mum. I was more introverted, suffering from depression again and not caring about myself or my appearance. I was lonely. I was tired. I felt like I had no purpose in the world and my selfesteem, which was never great to start with, fell to an all-time low. So what I did next might have seemed a very strange decision, I joined a network marketing company selling makeup. I was not interested in makeup, hardly ever wore it. The thing that drew

JANE ADAMS

8 for many years. I was striving to be that perfect woman with the perfect body and the perfect face. I could never live up to that image because it’s fake. So at the root of everything for me is authenticity. When we are confident enough to show all sides of ourselves. When we truly show up as ourselves and start to care less about what people think of us. When we stop trying to conform to the box life wants to put us in. That’s when real change happens. I teach my clients to connect with their intuition more and to trust themselves. Our bodies know what’s right and what’s wrong. We have just forgotten to ask and to trust ourselves

What sets you apart from other people in your field?

me in was that it was an online-based business. It meant that I could hide behind my computer and pretend. The introverted, confidence-lacking, tired, depressed side of me loved that - and social media was something that I was good at. I delved deeply into the side of network marketing that people don’t see, self-development. I started to really delve into the law of attraction and studied as a life coach, a law of attraction practitioner, a manifestation & mindfulness specialist and added many modalities such as numerology, EFT and meditation to my skillset. I knew I was good at coaching from my life before children, and I had a passion for self-development. Putting those two things together was a natural progression. Now I’m living and working in a role that I am truly passionate about.

How do you hope your work will impact the world? There is so much stress and negativity in the world, everywhere we go we are bombarded with it. As women especially we feel we have to look a certain way and act and dress a certain way to be valued. I don’t conform to that anymore, that world view was at the root of my eating disorder

I have worked as a coach and I have that professional experience, but I have also lived through the trauma and so I have that personal experience to bring to the table as well. I know how my clients are feeling, I am not just teaching things I have trained in, I am teaching things I have lived through. I feel that in itself is massive. I really know how it feels to be in my clients’ shoes. I work with coaches myself, I absolutely 100% believe coaches should have coaches of their own. But I have experienced coaches who didn’t have a clue how I was truly feeling about the issue I brought to them. I think that all the training in the world does not make someone a good fit for clients. For me, it’s about life experience as well as business experience. It’s about making true connections with people. That’s why I have my private Facebook community where I truly get to know the people I work with.

Do you have one practical tip from your business to help people empower themselves? I truly want people to trust themselves more. To trust their intuition. I don’t believe we can do that until we learn self-love. I think women - mums especially - put so many people and their needs before themselves and their own needs. There

9 is a reason why we are told to put on our own lifejackets first. We need to learn self-love, we need to learn to value ourselves more, to see our own importance. More often than not that’s the place I start with my clients, building their own self-love muscle. The rest flows much more easily after that and it can be as simple as taking 30 minutes once a week to do some self-development, meditate or just do something that you really, really enjoy. Most importantly, it has to start somewhere. A lot of women have forgotten how to do something that they really enjoy or even what that might be. I call it our natural wiring and it can almost always be found in what we used to love to do as a child. Was it a walk in the forest? Was it singing? Was it reading a book? Was it drawing or colouring in? The things we used to do as children and really got lost in, those are the places to start. It can literally begin with something as simple as putting on your favourite song and singing at the top of your lungs, just to feel the release and the joy that brings. It’s not a coincidence that some

people feel alive by the water, while others prefer the city or the forest. That some love singing, while others prefer reading or sitting alone in solitude. Whatever fills your cup? That’s your own natural wiring, start there.

Where can people find you? I can be found on social media in my private Facebook community which is the place I would love you to connect with me, it’s the place I hang out the most. If you would like to get some free help to start transforming your mindset, I post free content once a week on YouTube. My ‘Surviving to Thriving’ podcast is also free. You can also check out my blog. I also wrote an amazing book containing gratitude and journaling exercises that will change your life. If self-paced, easily digestible, affordable video-based courses are more your thing, then check out my short courses on mindset and manifestation. You can also follow me on Instagram or just email me, I’d love to hear from you!

YOUR M

In my “interview” in last month’s FEM , I shared that my dog has been very helpful in maintaining a work-life balance. She forces me to get more structure into my day, which, when working from home as a solo entrepreneur can be really hard. I am sure I am not the only one who has found myself still in my pyjamas at 5 pm faced with having to go to the shops, haha! By Mags Thomson This blending of our work and personal life, the relentless to-do list, clients emailing late at night, demands from our friends and family, a household that needs to be managed, the list of things needing our attention can seem endless. Sometimes it may feel enough to be in a constant state of anxiety and burnout. I asked 28 experienced entrepreneurs about their experiences maintaining their mental health while running their business. You know, in case you are not up for adopting a dog right now.

28 TIPS TO MAINTAIN MENTAL HEALTH WHILE RUNNING A BUSINESS #1. Start Your Day With Uplifting Music

That alarm sound that pulls you from your dream? It triggers the adrenal glands and sympathetic system into fight or flight mode. You are better off programming your phone to play music that will be uplifting and get you excited for a new adventure.

Dr. Jennifer Hastings, President and Owner at Employee Wellness (website | Facebook)

#2. Be Clear What You Spend Time On

I think the first and most important thing is to really make sure your schedule is time blocked and you’re consolidating activities and either delegating tasks to team members or getting help with things that aren’t contributing to your overall growth (whether this is with tactical stuff in your business or help around the house with cleaning, errands, cooking, etc.) When you’re super intentional about your time, you create more space in your life to prioritize the things that are most important to you. Set aside time each day to step away from technology and spend with family, friends or doing activities that bring you peace and fulfilment. Kelly Roach, CEO and Business Coach at Unstoppable Entrepreneur (website | Instagram)

#3. Change It Up!

It’s important to consider what parts of your brain your business uses and introduce a heavy contrast to it a few times a week. If you’re an accountant who’s working with numbers and data, introduce some creative writing or poetry. By finding your contrast and introducing something completely different to your world, you give your brain a break (or at least a completely different job). Not sure how to find your contrast? Consider your first title then try to think of the most unexpected thing you can for your “and” to follow it. Mine is Freelancer Writer and Amateur Fire Dancer!

Camila Reed, Body Positive Blogger at Live Life Big (website | LinkedIn)

#4. You’re Not Everyone’s Cup of Tea

Adopt the motto: Not every client is my client. Recognise your sweet spot and don’t take any client on. You’ll end up being drained. A problem from the beginning is often a problem to the end. Working with clients who don’t respect the way you work, what you do or what you offer or your time results in you getting twisted up and drained for no reason.

Samantha Bateman, Director and Talent Acquisition at Integria Consulting (website | LinkedIn)

#5. The Sound of Silence

If you enjoy silence, find a moment in your day to get some. Try not to think about anything at that time and just relax.

Ebony Miller, Founder and CEO at Industry Makeup Academy (website | Instagram)

#6. Take Small Steps Rather Than a Time Management Cash Diet

I made a promise to myself that I would stop putting myself last. I had to retrain people around me (and myself!) that my needs were important - and was met with some resistance of course - change is hard. I created some new ways to carve out time for myself. It was a slow progression to improvement- not a crash diet in trying to better manage my days. I stopped saying how busy I was all the time - I mean who wants to hear that over and over. I wrote in fun free time into my calendar in pen so I wouldn’t replace it with a meeting or call. Andrea Siy, CEO and Lunchroom Cleaner at Siy Communications (website | LinkedIn)

#7. Read Self-Empowering Books

Being a business owner oftentimes I experience situations that make me feel overwhelmed and stressed. For instance. Situations like business hitting a slow-down or the recent pandemic bringing the entire world to a stand-still etc. It is very important to stay motivated in such times. For me reading self-empowering books has been a great help. One of my favourites is A Yogi’s Guide to Joy by Sadhguru.

Samiksha Sanket, Owner of Yummy Tummy Recipes (website | LinkedIn)

#8. Celebrate Good Times

We are a company that puts a huge spotlight on mental health, so we do our best to not only translate that into our customer service but also into how we interact with our team. We make it a priority to celebrate our team’s successes often. Motivation stems from feeling a sense of accomplishment from the work you’re doing, so we like to reinforce that.

Olamide Olowe, CEO and Co-Founder at Topicals (website | LinkedIn)

#9. Get a Gatekeeper

It’s all about realising that you only have a certain number of hours in the week. Work and clients will take up all of your waking hours, and even some of your sleep hours, if you don’t set clear boundaries. One way to do that is by delegating the gatekeeper function so that only the relevant emails and calls even get to you. Flavia Berys, Host of the Lifestyle Solopreneur Podcast (website | Instagram)

#10. Help Someone Less Fortunate

The majority of the work I do with families and students is paid, but I try to work with at least two or three pro bono students each year and it’s always a wonderful experience. This form of giving back, not just doing something routine like donating food to a food bank, is so rewarding. I can actually change a student’s life by helping them attend college with a full scholarship. It is extremely rewarding and keeps me feeling purposeful in my work.

Rachel Coleman, Independent Education Consultant at College Essay Editor (website)

#11. Balance Is an Illusion

Don’t beat yourself up for not having achieved a perfect work-life balance. Being in balance means you’re in equilibrium, which is literally defined as “a stable situation in which forces cancel each other.” In other words, stuck in one place and going nowhere. By the laws of nature, creating momentum in any one thing will actually create imbalance. What’s more practical than chasing balance is choosing priorities and getting clear on what you want.

Ellen Yin, Founder and Podcast Host at Cubicle to CEO (website | Instagram)

#12. Don’t Take Your Work Home

Running a business requires a lot of monitoring, and setting healthy boundaries is important. Not taking work home with you doesn’t have to be literal, it means knowing when to stop working and have a life outside. Simple practices like turning off your phone, stopping answering emails at a certain time, and having time for yourself every day are great places to start. Baidhurya Mani, Founder at Sell Courses Online (website | LinkedIn)

#13. Don’t Believe the Hustle Hype

Remember that anyone can craft the perfect image of wealth and success online, but it doesn’t mean it is accurate. Not everyone who claims to be “self-made” is. Not everyone who claims to be an overnight success is. Pria Maineri, Owner and Co-Founder at 88kitty (website | Instagram)

#14. Identify What Stresses You Out

Identifying what makes you feel stressed is the first step in preventing that stress from happening again. Make sure you counter it through holistic means such as journaling, meditation, and physical exercise instead of simply hanging around and doing nothing about it.

Girish Shukla, Digital Marketer and Author of Maroon In A Sky Of Blue (website | LinkedIn)

#15. Comparison Creates Anxiety

It’s tempting to look at the social accounts of other entrepreneurs and compare our success to theirs. It’s distracting to try to adjust the way we live and work to try to achieve the same results as others. Spending too much time looking at what others are doing can disrupt our workflow, lead to feelings of anxiety and depression, and interrupt our sleep cycle. To protect your mental health, spend less time on digital devices. Set time limits manually or through settings and apps on your phone. Whitney Lauritsen, Podcast Host and Social Media Advisor (website | Twitter)

#16. You Cannot Keep Pushing Without Burning Out

When running your own business you must make time to look after yourself. We all know life gets busy and it is easy to push yourself to the background thinking this will give you the extra time to finish up other tasks. However, long-term this can be detrimental to your health and your relationships, but also the bottom line of the business. You don’t have to work yourself into a breakdown to prove you are worthy and dedicated. Because you are most effective when your cup is full and overflowing! Plan downtime in for play and fun, so you can rest, relax and realign and feel good!

Susanne Grant, Work-Life Balance Expert, Lifestyle and Business Coach for Busy CEO’s, Entrepreneurs and Conscious Leaders at Grant Method Coaching (website | LinkedIn)

#17. Exercise Both Body and Mind

Take a small amount of time out of each day to exercise both the body through exercise and the mind through meditation. It’s essential to continually improve both personally and professionally. They are synonymous, especially when you are the one setting the example for the rest of your team or even your clients. Running your own business clearly can be stressful and you have to take some “me time” during the day!

Joshua Margolis, Fitness Consultant and Founder at MindOverMatter Health and Fitness (website | Facebook)

#18. Don’t Be Afraid to Ask For Help

It’s important to be realistic about your work and your schedule. Don’t just cram everything in, regardless. Identify your priorities and learn to identify those things that are dragging you behind. When things seem to be out of control, it’s always a good idea to ask for help from loved ones or a professional.

Julian Goldie, SEO Link Builder at Goldie Agency (website | LinkedIn)

#19. Ground Yourself

It’s really important that you ground yourself as a business owner and that hit home for me during the pandemic: slowing down and starting relaxed. We are in a constant hustle culture. In order to navigate a pandemic, it is important to make sure you are balanced and slow down. For example, before the start of the workday, show up grounded and intentionally move slow when the world is fast. Mike Veny, Certified Corporate Wellness Specialist (Website | Facebook)

#20. Tap Into the Positive Psychology of Peak Performance Known as Flow State

In psychology, the flow state is defined as an optimal experience when we feel our best and perform our best. In neuroscience, it’s been discovered that when people are in flow, hormones are released that makes us feel happy and motivated. Being conscious about what gets you into flow state, can help you create a strategy to get into flow on purpose.

Diane Allen, The ‘Own Your Potential’ Speaker and Violinist (website | TED Talk)

#21. Schedule Your Naps

For a small business owner like me, it’s really hard to stop working. That’s why I intentionally build margin into my life so that I can rest and spend time doing things that bring me joy outside of work. Whether that’s time to read a new book, create in my bullet journal, or even take a nap, it’s important for workaholics like me to schedule these things into my life. By doing this, I’m able to give myself some structure and still exist freely within it. Angela Delahoussaye, Owner and Photographer at Angela Sue Photography (website | Instagram)

#22. Don’t Go It Alone

I have a co-founder. This is a crucial aspect of how I can stay stress-free and feel invincible as I founded and created my own company. We were able to work off of each other, provide support during tough times, and have each other’s back when we really need it. Lindsey Allard, CEO and Co-Founder at PlaybookUX (website | Instagram)

#23. Acknowledge Your Accomplishments

It’s crucial to aim for improvement within your business. But it is equally crucial to take a step back and appreciate how hard you have worked, regardless of the size of your accomplishments.

Samantha Barrante, ECom Entrepreneur (website | LinkedIn)

#24. Boundaries Are Everything

One of the most important things is creating boundaries between your business and your personal life. It is important to limit your time and energy on the business. When the day is done, let it be done, and walk away! Super Julie Braun, CEO and Founder at Super Purposes (website | TikTok)

#25. Enjoy Weekends and Holidays

Make sure to keep at least one day per week free from work. This day should be dedicated to recouping your energies as well as spending quality time with your friends and family. Try and book some holidays quarterly or at least twice a year so you can regroup your thoughts as well as revitalise your mind - body and soul.

Sam Dossa, Emotional Intelligence Business and Personal Coach at Create Your Destiny - Success Lies Within You! (website | LinkedIn)

#26. Prioritise a Loving Relationship With Yourself

When I moved my business entirely online in 2013 working in my pyjamas whenever it fits into my day was exciting at first. Without any boundaries or structure, everything in my life became centred around work. I allowed work to bleed into every area of my life because I loved it. Work became an unhealthy relationship. My identity, validation, and self-worth were completely dependent upon it. It became clear that the relationship with myself needed to come first. Practising self-love means you put the same effort, time, and energy into yourself as you would any other important personal relationship. As a by-product, you’ll naturally be more invested in protecting your well-being through all areas of your life.

Ashlie Pappas, Transformation Coach at Naturally Ashlie (website | Facebook)

#27. The Right Team Is Essential

Building the correct team was the biggest challenge and stressor for us. We are a family-owned business, and we had a set value proposition from the beginning - we wanted to simplify the entire jewellery buying experience. Carrying yourself through the ups and downs that come along with executing every aspect of starting a business comes down to the confidence you place in yourself and your team.

Omid Semino, CEO at Diamond Mansion (website | LinkedIn)

#28. Ten Minutes Is All It Takes

As small business owners, we wear so many hats during the day. Starting your day off with a clear head is so important. I’m productive and work efficiently when I begin my morning with a ten minute guided meditation. If I’m having a jam-packed day, sometimes I’ll even take a break and do another 10-minute meditation after lunch to get recharged. Josephine Geraci, CEO at My Mom Knows Best, Inc. (website | Twitter)

Are You a Feminist Entrepreneur With Stories to Tell? FEM is a platform by and for feminist entrepreneurs who want to change their business and the world to be more balanced, inclusive and compassionate. We include articles about such topics as Work/ Life Balance, Mindset and Mental Health; Career, Business and Entrepreneurship; Success, Money and Abundance; Creativity and Innovation; Law of Attraction, Intuition and Energy We hope to inspire and support entrepreneurs as they build their businesses in enjoyable and sustainable ways, by sharing stories and tips from thought-leaders and change-makers like yourself.

We started FEM as a platform for entrepreneurs to share their stories and expertise around business and lifestyle while co-creating reach and impact. FEM invites everyone who feels aligned with our goals to contribute, we are all about inclusivity and equality after all!

Are you interested in contributing to FEM? Your contribution will help establish authority, share your offerings with new audiences, and it will even improve your SEO. All of those things will help you grow your business. Would you like to know more about being featured in an interview or becoming a regular contributor? Get in touch with the House of Hives team by sending us an email.

IS CARING ABOUT EMPLOYEES’ HEALTH FUNDAMENTAL IN BUSINESS? As part of the ongoing Inspiring Interviews Series, I had the opportunity to sit down with award-winning mindset & wellbeing coach, Charlotte Cheetham. By Mags Thomson Charlotte’s passion is to help stressed people in mid-life to find a better way of living through re-discovering confidence, clarity and freedom in their lives. She is an award-winning mindset & wellbeing coach, and also a corporate mental health facilitator and helps businesses to improve mental health in the workplace through running a series of three workshops. These workshops teach managers and their staff how the brain functions, the negative impact technology has on us, how we can reduce stress and how we can improve work performance.

HOW DID YOU GET HERE? After marrying my husband who was a pilot in the RAF, I found myself moving house every six to twelve months for 16 years. During that time I felt isolated as my husband spent many weeks away on detachment with the RAF. Being stuck at home and raising 3 children almost single-handedly was difficult. I had no family support and never had the opportunity to get to

know anyone locally very well so life was lonely. Although I worked as well, I found it hard to balance work with child care. When my husband left the RAF and became a civilian, life became a little easier as we were settled in one place. However, by then my daughter had started to develop epilepsy and had seizures almost daily at school. This led to frequent visits to Great Ormond Hospital as the cause of the seizures was found to be a very rare brain tumour, which eventually led to her having major brain surgery to remove it. As time went on and my daughter’s health improved, we were able to start living a more normal life. I started to reflect on all the difficult times we had encountered as a family and decided that I needed to take back control of my life. After attending a taster weekend for life coaches I decided that that was what I wanted to do. I wanted to learn how to improve my own life. I enrolled on a coaching course and became a trained life coach. I then went on to train as an NLP master practitioner. This course gave me the skills and techniques to make real changes to my own thought processes and I soon learnt how to make my life more positive using the tools I had learnt from these trainings.

“ONE OF MY DREAMS WOULD BE TO SEE OFFICES LOCKED AT MEALTIMES TO ENSURE THAT WORKERS GET OUT AND SPEND THEIR MEAL BREAKS DOING SOMETHING TO STIMULATE THEIR BODY AND BRAIN SUCH AS GOING OUT FOR A WALK OR DOING SOME OTHER EXERCISE OR ACTIVITY.”

CHARLOTTE CHEETHAM

WHAT INSPIRED YOUR BUSINESS? Having spent so many years struggling to cope with life, feeling stressed, alone and depressed I found real inspiration in becoming a qualified coach and NLP master practitioner. The courses taught me how to use the tools positively and I am now able to pass on those skills and tools to other people and help transform their lives. There is nothing more incredibly satisfying than seeing someone change from being depressed, losing hope in life and not knowing what to do, to developing skills to become happy, and confident. Knowing what to do to find happiness and freedom is truly embracing a lifechanging way of life.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE QUOTE? My favourite quote is:

“EVERYONE CAN RISE ABOVE THEIR CIRCUMSTANCES AND ACHIEVE SUCCESS IF THEY ARE DEDICATED TO AND PASSIONATE ABOUT WHAT THEY DO” NELSON MANDELA This quote is so inspirational especially when we consider what Nelson Mandela went through to develop a new status as President. For me, it sums up what I do. I have learnt to rise above my old circumstances and made a better life for myself as I have learnt to be passionate about helping others to become the person they have always wanted to be.

WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR DAILY PRACTICES TO MAINTAIN YOUR WORK-LIFE BALANCE? In order to maintain a healthy work-life balance, I have created some daily habits. Every morning I spend 5 minutes doing deep breathing and

mindfulness exercises before getting up. This helps me to relax and prepares me both mentally and physically for the day ahead. I make sure I eat healthy, well-balanced meals and make time to walk our two Jack Russells every day. This ensures that I get fresh air and exercise every day and don’t spend too much time indoors especially at the moment when we are all stuck at home. Every morning I make a plan of activities for the day so that I know what I am doing. Having a timetable of what I need to do helps to stop me from procrastinating and watching the birds outside all day! During the day make sure that I take regular breaks from my computer to prevent my joints from getting too stiff and I make sure that I do plenty of stretching exercises as well.

WHAT CHANGE WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE IN THE WORLD OF WORK AND BUSINESS? I would love to see more responsibility for the health their workforce, although it is employees to recognise their to keep fit and healthy.

businesses take and wellbeing of also important for own responsibility

It is really important for employees to feel valued and are supported in the workplace and not made to feel inferior or that they are failing. Having good management policies in place helps employees to feel able to discuss any issues they have at work such as high workloads, high demands or any other issues. Having flexible working policies is one way of giving more control to employees to plan their own work. It should allow employees to fit family commitments into their daily routines so that they have a good work-life balance. All too often, I have seen employees in mid-life

burning out because of unmanageable workloads and perceived expectations or unreasonable demands of working long hours. One of my dreams would be to see offices locked at mealtimes to ensure that workers get out and spend their meal breaks doing something to stimulate their body and brain such as going out for a walk or doing some other exercise or activity.

WHAT SETS YOU APART FROM OTHER PEOPLE IN YOUR FIELD? My own uniqueness and my own personal approach to life set me apart from others in my field. My own life experiences are unique to me and I have learnt to overcome so many struggles in my life in my own way. I have developed my own approach to coaching and I have found that doing things my way is better than following what others do. I coach and teach in a style that is my own and I have found success in following my own intuition rather than following the crowd.

HOW HAS YOUR (MENTAL) HEALTH IMPACTED YOUR BUSINESS? Since completing my coaching and NLP training I have learnt skills and tools that I am able to put into every day use to deal with any mental health issue that may arise. I have learnt how to be resilient and know how to recognise if I am becoming stressed and how to knock it on the head. I am also now practising meditation, as research has shown that after eight weeks of meditating daily the brain biology changes. So the prefrontal cortex that helps us to learn new skills enlarges and the amygdala which is involved in triggering stress hormones shrinks. Thus demonstrating the benefits of meditation to help keep us happy, calm and allowing us to improve memory and performance.

WHERE CAN PEOPLE FIND YOU? People can contact me on Linkedin. More details are also available on my website: www. lifeinsights.co.uk

YOU NE

EED ZERO TALENT A Little Rant About Hustle Culture and Mental Health I came across a LinkedIn post recently, that really rubbed me the wrong way. Now, that’s nothing to do with Mads who posted this gem. I am sure he is a nice enough bloke, he just lives in the productivity-driven hustle culture we know as ‘mainstream society’, but that’s not his fault. By Mags Thomson

Here’s the seemingly inspirational and inoffensive message Mads shared with the world:

Effort

with unresolved trauma, are trying to navigate an abusive relationship, are dealing with financial stress, are caring for a family member, are being bullied by an aggressive neighbour, trying to navigate life in yet another pandemic lockdown or dealing with anything else that causes you stress and anxiety, then — talented or not — you will likely struggle with some if not all of these items.

Energy

Mads, You Are Worthy

10 things that require zero talent Being on time Work ethic

Body language Passion Doing extra Being prepared Being coachable Attitude Mads is probably right, these things do not require any particular set of talent, zone of genius, and they would make you pretty darn employable none-the-less. All Mads meant to say was that there is always something you can do to show up in productive, positive ways to improve yourself and your work life. What Mads didn’t think about is that, although not requiring any talent, all these items require you to be mentally stable and healthy. So, if you have a mental illness, are dealing

I hope that Mads is okay, and still dazzling the world with his talentless list of professional courtesies. But if he’s not, or if you are not, I hope he realises that he still has worth and still adds value to the world. Rather than traumatising yourself further by punishing yourself for not being able to make the simplest things work, try and show yourself some compassion. See if you can reach out for some help, or — if it feels safe — talk to your employer and see what flexibility they can offer to accommodate your mental health needs. Talk to a professional to help you navigate things and hopefully improve your situation. But most of all remember, even when you can’t quite manage to do the things that don’t require talent, you are still talented, and amazing, and worthy of everything you dream of.

ARE YOU READY TO UPGRADE YOUR BUSINESS? Your business is doing well, but it’s time to reach new audiences, talk to bigger fish and truly step into your dream for becoming a thoughtleader. ARE YOU READY TO BECOME THE GO-TO AUTHORITY IN YOUR FIELD? WOULD YOU LIKE TO GET NEW LEADS ON AUTO-PILOT? READY TO TAKE NETWORKING TO THE NEXT LEVEL? CRAVING MORE REACH IN YOUR MARKETING AND HIGHER RANKINGS ON GOOGLE? READY TO START MAKING MORE MONEY? Becoming a published and even best-selling author will give create the kind of momentum your business needs to get ready for the next step. With the House of Hives Author Programme, we take all the hard work out of the publishing process for you. We’ll help you and your fellow authors promote the book so you all make the best-selling list. We help you with visibility mindset and provide you with resources to make the most of the momentum created for your business.

Join the House of Hives Author Programme today and reap the benefits of being a published author, at a fraction of the time and money investments!

☎

BOO DISC K A CAL OVERY L TO DAY

How To Uncover Your Passion and Create a Movement of Change As part of the ongoing series of inspirational interviews, I had the pleasure of sitting down with creative business strategist and co-founder of The Kansha Academy, Steph Shinabery. By Mags Thomson Steph is not only a creative business strategist, she is also an artist, nurse anesthesiologist and international bestselling author. She is co-founder of The Kansha Academy, where appreciation meets bold business growth. At The Kansha Academy, they believe beginning your journey with appreciation and gratitude for where you are, gives you a greater appreciation of the process while shooting for your destination.

27 Kansha is the Japanese word for appreciation. Appreciation lives in the moment. We have never lived in a time with so much abundance and opportunity available to us. Steph and her team want to help women show up in their bold authenticity, developing their business through leadership, leading movements that impact social change while building a legacy. Oh, and while having fun! After spending most of her adult life in a profession that didn’t give her the fulfilment she was looking for, she found the online space and knew she wanted to help women self-express, speak their truth, create a business that was fun and provided financial freedom.

Can you tell us a little of your origins story? I started my career out of alignment. I literally knew the thing I was doing wasn’t right for me. My heart was with art and creativity, but my head was filled with fear of not being able to support myself - probably seeded by my parents. I had gone to nursing school with the plan of going back to art school and having a way to support myself independent of my art. I think backup plans kill a lot of creative dreams. I didn’t love being a nurse and began looking for a way out, but by now I had a family a care for, too. About ten years into my nursing career, I found myself pretty miserable with life, and daily drinking. It was time to make some big, daring changes. I got sober and went back to finish my art degree. It was the best time of my life. I learned so much about myself! I found my genius! I found my voice and the way I best express myself. I’m a creative problem solver, or what I like to call a Creative Results Architect. As much as I loved what I was doing, I could not figure out how to make the jump from my really good salary in a job I didn’t love to the creative life I dreamed of. For some reason, I decided to go back to anaesthesia school, to try and find more gratification in my day job. It didn’t take long before I found myself drinking again. I managed to get sober again,

and I really started looking at my life. What is was missing? What did I really want? This deep level of self-inquiry is one of the best things I ever did. When I found the online world I was just fascinated that you really could be anything you wanted to be. I knew the thing I was missing was purpose in my life. What I found was that I wanted to help women choose a life of creativity, self-expression, financial freedom and realising their highest potential and with it, I did the same for my life.

How do you hope your work will impact the world? I hope to inspire women to believe they can choose the life they want to create and give them the tools to do it. I want to see more women show up as bold leaders. Locking arms to create movements that create the change we need to see in the world. The more we are able to realise our potential, the easier it is to pay it forward. Everyone has a unique gift and the world is hungry for yours.

What are some of your daily practices to maintain your work-life balance? I absolutely love my meditation and gratitude practices, and I also journal often. I have just started practising breathwork and I’m really diggin’ it. Up until the last couple of years, I was a cycling fiend. For time sake. I am now a Peleton fan, but the exercise helps me stay balanced. A hard lesson for me was for me to build in breaks and recovery time and not to overdo it.

What is the magic ingredient to creating the life and business of your dreams? In the words of the great bard: To thine own self be true. It took me forever to really understand what this truly meant. Now that I do, I’m all about creating a business that’s fun, impactful and in line with my values. I believe the magic ingredient is knowing who you are and where you want to take your life and your business. This allows you to create your business to fit into and support the lifestyle you want to design.

Do you have a “business pet peeve” that you come across often?

EVER HAS A GIFT THE W HUNG YO

I am often annoyed by coaches who say things like: “My client has only been with me for 7 days and had her first 90k month.” While that might very well be true, can you really take credit for that? Where did your client start, how much work had they already put in? I just think that this kind of marketing is setting up expectations that may not be in line with their experience. Which is either going to have them down on the programme or in the worst-case scenario with themselves.

Do you have one practical tip from your business to help people empower themselves? Look through your past. Examine your story. Find the emotional challenges you overcame. There will be lots of gold there for helping others over similar obstacles. You may very well find your purpose there as well.

Where can people find you? You kind find out more about me and my work on my website. I love to connect. Hit me up in the DM’s on Facebook or email me to find out how the Genius Identity Code™ can help unlock your genius and go from best-kept secret to biggest name in your industry.

STEPH SHINABERY

I THINK BACKUP PLANS KILL A LOT OF CREATIVE DREAMS

RYONE A UNIQUE T AND WORLD IS GRY FOR OURS. 29

HOW STORIES HELP YOU NAVIGATE THE MORE MORE MORE ECONOMY How often do you feel overwhelmed, stressed, out of time? Do you have a bad case of FOMO? Is your todo list a reason for despair? It seems that wherever we turn there are people and devices demanding our attention, and adding to a never-ending stream of demands on our time. We have 168 hours a week, and that sounds like quite a few but somehow they seem to evaporate. By Mags Thomson I’ve dealt with a fair share of that myself, and it always seems like self-care is one of the first things to be eliminated. There is no time … and yet … I am also known to binge-watch Star Trek for a couple of hours on the weekend. So, I decided to dive into some reading around this topic and consider my own good and bad habits when it comes to time management. I am happy to report that I haven’t suddenly become an efficiency machine and that stories can, in fact, help us make better choices in how we spend our most valuable resource: time!

“THERE’S NO SUCH THING AS TIME MANAGEMENT, ONLY SELF-MANAGEMENT” — RORY VADEN Some of my reading and researching filled me with a sense of despair. Honestly, the number of books written to help us feel less overwhelmed is astounding. “Make every minute count” seems to be the name of the game when it comes to time management and increasing your efficiency. There is a real issue with The Hustle Worship, which we’ll get into a little later. The idea of having to schedule my days to every five-minute interval made me feel exhausted, even before attempting it. Besides, I don’t know about you, but some days I just don’t

31 feel like sticking to a planned activity. I wake up tired after too many vivid dreams or interruptions from furbabies. Other days I feel super focused, and just want to get to work, even if it is Saturday morning and I “ought” to relax. So, my question quickly became how I could find the sweet spot between spending my time more consciously, without falling into time management freakazoid territory. Curious to know what I learned about time management, the more, more, MORE economy and how we may be able to build a more rewarding life for ourselves?

“TODAY’S ECONOMY DOESN’T HAVE AN OFF BUTTON. EVERY MOMENT OF EVERY DAY IS A FINANCIAL RESOURCE TO BE CAPTURED, OPTIMIZED, AND APPROPRIATED. SNOOZE AND YOU CAN EXPECT TO LOSE.” - JENNY ODELL

with an article. That’s a different state of mind than just drawing because I enjoy it. This side-gig culture blurs the lines between our personal and professional lives, and as Jenny Odell explains in How to Do Nothing (2019), this creates nothing but mediocrity. When we organise our lives to the belief that time is money, we are stuck in a system that views doing nothing as an utter waste of resources. But ask yourself this: how often do you have a great idea when you are on the toilet, or in the shower? I often leave voice messages for the House of Hives team that start with “I was walking the dog, and an idea struck me …”. We all seem to have our best and most creative ideas when we are in fact not doing much of anything. I previously encouraged people to Embrace The Power of Nothing in a short article on Medium:

“We need rest, we need some boredom sometimes, so we have some synapses available for our next stroke of genius.”

Challenge One: Capitalism (I know, it’s a biggie!) I think we all agree that we are part of this system called capitalism, where it seems that everything we do, feel, or think should somehow lead us in the pursuit of making more moneys! Google, Pinterest, and Facebook are all full of ads and blog posts telling us how to successfully build a side gig, create passive income, and generally win at the hustle game. When people ask us how we are, we proudly state we are “super busy” as if we’ve just won the gold medal in the Olympics of Hustling. In this system of always chasing money, we’ve become used to the idea that every aspect of our lives should somehow be monetised. In fact, I found myself utterly unable to relax a few years ago, because I had somehow monetised all my hobbies. This meant that even when I was having leisure time, I was still effectively working. That’s not to say that I do not enjoy taking photos or making illustrations anymore, or that I dislike adding them to my work. It’s just that when illustrating, I now think (at least to an extent) about what my audience wants or how it ties in

Because, as we try and cram as many tasks as possible into our days, we are in fact sabotaging creativity, innovation, and intuition. All important aspects of creating a life that feels aligned, fun, and successful (whatever that means to each of us). This is one of the reasons I like the quote I used at the start of this article: “There’s No Such Thing as Time Management, Only Self-Management.” The simple truth of the matter is that there are 24 hours in each day, regardless of our management skills. So, time management has nothing to do with time, and everything to do with how we decide to spend our allotted 24 hours. Many of the choices we make about the priorities we decide are rooted in the stories that we tell ourselves. Whether they are societal beliefs, values we’ve inherited from our parents, or behaviours we’ve developed while dealing with potentially traumatic experiences, that doesn’t matter. We all have ideas of the things that we should, must, and want to do, and on top of that we’re all influenced by a culture that unrelentingly bombards us with the more, more, MORE message. More information, more products, more speed, more work, more systems, more apps, more likes, more, more, MORE.

Challenge Two: FOMO We all have our FOMO moments, right? That slight twinge that we don’t get to do all the amazing things our friends get to do? Our Fear of Missing Out is the basis of so many marketing messages. And don’t even get me started on the social media algorithms and smartphones that are specially designed to make us want to stare at our news feeds for hours on end, just so we don’t miss an important update from a friend or celebrity. I recently read in Flow Magazine (sorry, can’t remember which one, I went through a whole pile of old ones recently) that we might as well give up on FOMO as there are so many choices and opportunities at our disposal every single day, that it is physically impossible to do them all. So, why even feel bad about the inevitable fact of life that we are going to miss out on some things? It put some things in perspective, but it also highlights a massive time management challenge. That is that: in order to feed the hungry beast that is our FOMO, we often over-commit quite spectacularly. We take on extra projects at work to show our bosses how indispensable we are. We volunteer to bake 50 cupcakes for our kid’s school bake sale, because … well isn’t that what good parents do? We go out with the girls for drinks and some shopping because we deserve to have some fun! We join our partner at their work event because you know it’s important to them. Our list of commitments is endless, and somehow resting and sometimes even a good night’s sleep gets compromised for fear of not being able to experience it all, and quite frankly for being judged for not achieving it all. Since busyness, ambition, and hustle are such central values in society our FOMO seems firmly tapped into our innate need to be part of the group. It’s pure survival instinct to want to be a valued member of our community. That’s just your monkey brain keeping you safe from predators. Luckily, the article in Flow made some suggestions on how we can reframe our FOMO, and it allows us to still experience the connection that our monkey brain so craves. What if, rather than being envious at not having joined your partner’s work party, you look at this as an opportunity for storytelling. Rather than rehashing

“WE NEED REST, WE NEED SOME BOREDOM SOMETIMES, SO WE HAVE SOME SYNAPSES AVAILABLE FOR OUR NEXT STROKE OF GENIUS.”

the party together, your partner now gets to share their experience with you when they get home. And you get to tell them about whatever you did while they were out. This means that you still get to be part of your partner’s experience and that you can deepen your emotional connection through storytelling. I for one, having spent most of 2020 locked down in a one-bedroom flat with my husband, would not mind a day when we are not doing everything together so we have some new conversational input some days. I am sure I am not the only one out there either. So, in short, stop chasing the unattainable FOMO Unicorn and instead embrace the Joy Of Missing Out as an opportunity for engaging sharing stories with loved ones.

STORIES Help You Prioritise In Time and How to Spend It (2019), James Wallman shares his STORIES checklist as a tool to decide on the importance of various activities and choices. STORIES stands for Story, Transformation, Outside & Offline, Relationships, Intensity, Extraordinary, and Status & Significance. James argues that we should add activities to our days that tick one or more of the boxes on the STORIES checklist. In other words: Will this give me a story to tell? Will this create transformation? Does this take me outside and offline? Will this help me build relationships? Does this add intensity to my life? Is this extraordinary? Will this contribute to my status and significance in the world? For all those questions, it’s good to remember your own definitions of life and yourself. Status and significance can mean different things for us all. We may feel resistance to this, because we think of status as the commonplace definition of Power Over Others. I personally feel very uncomfortable with this, and it used to make me try to shrink away. I must admit though, that it feels good when I experience contributing to the world in ways that I, and the people closest to me, see as important and significant. It also feels good to make money that I can spend and invest in ways that I feel contribute to a better world. In other words, when using my personal definitions of status and significance, the pursuit of those does contribute to my sense of achievement and happiness. The more boxes something ticks, the higher we should prioritise it. And, if an activity doesn’t really tick any boxes but still has to be done, can we find ways to add value? For example, our weekly groceries run doesn’t really seem to rank high on the STORIES list, but if we make the conscious effort to do the shopping with our kids, and create a ritual of going out for a cup of coffee or hot cocoa on the way there, suddenly we are reinforcing our relationships. This checklist can help you make choices and create more substance in your daily activities. This should help you manage your FOMO a little more, but it may still feel like a responsive tool to whip out when life presents us with choices. How do we take charge of our life and start truly creating experiences that we feel are worth spending our valuable time on?

“IF YOU INVEST IN THE SKILLS YOU’RE REALLY GOOD AT AND LOVE, YOU’LL END UP LIVING YOUR BEST LIFE.” - LAURA VANDERKAM

Focus on Flow, Values, and Core Competencies In the introduction of my book, Reframe Your Goals & Reclaim Your Dreams, I write: “This world is constantly telling us that we aren’t enough: not good enough, pretty enough, successful enough, productive enough, and the list goes on. As a result, much of our drive to grow and develop seems rooted in our wish to convince the world to like us. We just want to be loved, feel that we belong, and — at the end of the day — have a sense that we’re accepted for who we are.” This same constant drive to fix our flaws is getting in the way of our time management. We seem to be obsessed with tasks that we feel we should be able to do, should be able to fit in, or even things that we simply feel that are an unfortunate part of life on earth. In the last section we looked at adding value to such menial tasks, but what if we take a more radical stance? What if we just stop doing things that drain us dry? If you’re not really into meditation, trying to fit in that 10 minutes of stillness that your neighbour swears by can be a challenge. If you are not good at writing social media captions, managing your company’s social media campaign may take more than an hour a week, as your manager suggested. Rather than trying to learn skills we don’t have or don’t have an aptitude for, what if we focus on improving and deepening our innate talents? Rather than just trying to tick off as many tasks as we can, how about we focus on the activities that get us in the zone? Rather than putting up with annoying tasks, what if we outsource them? (How about that social media campaign your boss wants you to do?) We may not be able to go from zero to a hundred in this process overnight, but it is worth looking at our life and determining where we want to create this space and consider ways in which we can. Being aware of ways you’d like to organise your life and knowing what tasks you would like to outsource when you can, helps you to organise yourself so that outsourcing becomes easier when the opportunity presents itself. Identifying what tasks come easy to us, are

important to us, and allow us to contribute to the world in a way that aligns with our core values, makes for much more quality time. Because if we are honest, the reason we feel we are always running out of time, is because we are not spending our time on the things that bring us true joy and a sense of accomplishment. We are doing things we should and they drain us dry. Doing things you are good at and shining at them gives you energy, and allows you to truly contribute to the world. As they say: you didn’t come to this world to just do chores and pay your bills. In the end, we may not be short on time at all. Maybe we’re short on boundaries and priorities. In the rat race of hustle culture, we feel pressured to always be productive and never to turn our back on opportunities. In order to feel more on top of our workload, we need to start considering

how tasks contribute to our happiness and wellbeing. This means focusing on the activities that we are good at and make us feel accomplished and aligned. It also means becoming aware of, and changing the stories we tell ourselves about what we should prioritise, should be good at, and should incorporate in our daily routines. Check in with yourself. How do you feel about this activity? How does it contribute to your life story? How does it help you grow and make a positive impact on your world? What is the story you are telling yourself about this activity, and perhaps most importantly, who is the narrator? You, your critical mother, your nosy neighbour, or society at large? So, what did I learn about time management, the more, more, MORE economy, and how we are able to build a much more rewarding life for ourselves? Here are my personal take-aways:

FOCUS ON YOUR STRENGTHS, INTUITION, AND CORE VALUES. CREATE EXPERIENCES THAT ARE WORTH THE RETELLING, AND ENJOY THE STORIES OF OTHERS TOO. EVEN IF YOU CAN’T OUTSOURCE YET, START PREPARING FOR THE MOMENT YOU CAN. DON’T COMPROMISE REST, DOWNTIME, AND SELF-CARE!

STAY TRUE TO YOUR VISION BY CARVING OUT YOUR OWN PATH The Inspiration Interviews have been all about sharing stories of people who have defined life on their own terms. That is certainly true for International AwardWinning Tea Specialist Jennifer Nowicki.

AWARD-WINNING TEA SPECIALIST JENNIFER NOWICKI

By Mags Thomson Jennifer has two degrees, in business administration and humanistic studies with an expertise in tea. She is Wisconsin’s only certified tea specialist and only one of eight U.S. representatives invited by the Chinese government to two world tea conferences in China. She was the only Wisconsin representative invited to the prestigious 2019 Draper Competition for Collegiate Women Entrepreneurs and the first to represent UWGB at the competition. She was also part of gBeta, a nationally recognised accelerator in 2018. On November 7. 2020 she won an international award for best unflavoured white tea for her silver needle from the International Tea Cuppers Club. It’s safe to say, Jennifer knows her tea! But there is more to this extraordinary changemaker. She has been told all of her life she thinks differently. Her dad and sister joke that they can’t use the elevator when Jennifer is around because she usually insists, they walk the stairs if it is only a few flights up and they’re not carrying a really heavy load. Jennifer volunteers at many different organisations, including being a judge for the semi-annual University of Wisconsin-Green Bay Pitch Contest, co-starting a women positive organization WOLF-Women Organized Looking Forward in her twenties, and committee member of one of the oldest and largest organic community gardens in the

USA (Eagle Heights) amongst other things. Her company is called Cultivate Taste, where she sources direct, blend, and sells handcrafted and single origin loose leaf teas online, at farmer’s markets, in tea salons, and wholesale. Her teas do not contain candy, sugar, or flavourings. She uses eco-friendly and is in the process of changing over to biodegradable packaging because she has been a strong advocate for sustainable living since her teens.

What inspired your business? I started drinking tea with my grandmother as a child and truly discovered some great loose-leaf teas when I lived in Seattle in my early twenties. Later I wanted to open a tearoom and decided I needed some education before I felt comfortable doing that. So,

WHEN I WAS YOUNGER, I COULD WORK FOR OTHER PEOPLE, BUT NOW I AM TOO USED TO BEING MY OWN BOSS AND LEADING OTHERS. IT CAN BE STRESSFUL TO BE A WOMAN ENTREPRENEUR. STILL, I WOULD NOT CHANGE A THING.

in 2005 I took classes from the Specialty Tea Institute and in 2009 graduated. I truly fell in love with loose leaf tea: the scent, the different taste profiles, the nuances. I love the complexity of such a simple drink. You take the camellia sinensis plant and add water, yet there is so much more to it than that. When I was studying to become a certified tea specialist, I met many incredible people from around the country and the world. Because of my certification, I was invited to China and met many more great people in the industry. I really enjoy my connections with these people.

What is a challenge that you’ve recently managed to overcome? Of course, COVID-19 was a challenge for many businesses. I still have my business and in the process of opening a physical location, so I definitely overcame that challenge. When I was younger, I could work for other people, but now I am too used to being my own boss and leading others. It can be stressful to be a woman entrepreneur. Still, I would not change a thing. I managed to overcome not only entrepreneurial challenges in my business but personal ones too. Some people have gotten really angry because I am in business, especially for as long as I have been (25 years), and the knowledge I have. I received physical threats and many have tried to spread lies about me. People have tried to dumb down my experience, so it

makes them look better. All I can say is if you look for the worst in me, you can find it. Just like you can find it in anyone, but the vast majority of me is good, so maybe focus on these parts of me.

What are some of your daily practices to maintain your worklife balance? Being outside in nature is where I find rest and I recharge. I try to go for walks regularly or ride my bike, especially when it is nice outside. When I travel to mountainous areas I like hiking in those mountains. I also really love gardening, partially because I find it meditative and sometimes when I am frustrated, I like to take my emotions out on the weeds. In the winter, there is more time inside. I tend to spend some of that time by cooking more. I love making food from scratch because I am focused on preparing, cooking, and eating the food.

As you grew the business, what have you learned about leadership? Leadership is staying true to your mission, while also being adaptable to ideas that you may not have thought of and could help the mission. The trick is to find the balance between your own commitment and the input from others. It is important to consider ideas and outside perspectives, but ultimately you need to stick to your mission.

What is the best advice you have ever been given? This advice comes in two Stay true to yourself and your Do your research but trust your gut.

parts. vision.

You will get many naysayers along the way, people who cannot see your vision and will unravel it with doubtful questions. This is why you need to do research and also trust your vision.

What sets you apart from other people in your field? I tend to be a trailblazer and visionary. I am a certified tea specialist from the Speciality Tea Institute in New York City there are very few of us. I was one of eight people to represent the tea industry in two world tea conferences in China. So, it’s safe to say I know my stuff. I am even in a tea promo for the Chinese government (watch around the 56-second mark)!

Where can people find you? You can find me at my physical location 520 N Broadway Suite 120 Green Bay WI 54303, or if you are not in the neighbourhood come by my website. Of course, you can also follow me on your favourite social media platform Instagram | Facebook | Pinterest | YouTube | Twitter I have some nice tea boxes that have 4 different 1-ounce teas that make great gifts to yourself and for others.

FEM IS A HOUSE OF HIVES PUBLICATION.

Editor in chief: Mags Thomson Contact FEM by email.

Resources How Stories Help You Navigate The More More MORE Economy: How to Do Nothing (2019) by Jenny Odell; The 4-Hour Workweek (2009) by Tim Ferriss; 168 Hours (2010) by Laura Vanderkam; Time and How to Spend It (2019) by James Wallman; The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck (2016) by Mark Manson; How to Break Up With Your Phone (2018) by Catherine Price; Procrastinate on Purpose (2019) by Rory Vaden, MBA; The Productivity Project (2016) by Chris Bailey; Free to Focus (2019) by Michael Hyatt; Embrace The Power of Nothing (2020) by Mags Thomson; Reframe Your Goals & Reclaim Your Dreams (2019) by Mags Thomson