Modern Woman Issue 6 -2019 Christmas Issue by Modern Woman

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WOMAN ISSUE 6 £3.95

BE FEARLESS

INSIDE Kelly Hoppen Dragon’s Den and interior insights

Blondie Debbie Harry in her own words

The Kensington London’s hidden gem this festive season

Wellness Immune boosting tips for winter

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CONTENTS 8

News from strong women around the globe

Lisa Boissel, MD of Miss Jones PA

Sandra Federighi, CFO at Stella McCartney

Business or pleasure: festive looks for both

Nature’s medicine: get outside for health

Where to eat, drink and be merry

Inside story: Kelly Hoppen talks

Blonde Ambition: Debbie Harry reviewed

Tram Anh Nguyen, founder of the CFTE

Beauty spot: Jo Sugar’s hot picks

Tune! Ronnie Herel’s sounds of Christmas

Check in: the Old Lady of Theadneedle Street

PUBLISHER: MODERN WOMAN LTD 35 BOW ROAD, LONDON E3 2AD 020 3011 1194 HELLO@MODERNWOMAN.CO EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: ROSIE COXSHAW ASSOCIATE EDITOR: EMMA MILLS SUB-EDITOR: NANCY LARMAN BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT: SAMANTHA ROMERO DIGITAL MARKETING: CLARICE PARROTT BEAUTY & FASHION EDITOR: JO SUGAR DESIGN & PRODUCTION: STEWART HYDE WEBSITE DEVELOPMENT: TOTALDESIGNWORKS.COM CONTRIBUTORS: MAUDE HIRST, RONNIE HEREL, NICOLE BREMNER, PAULA LOGAN, LILY ROBINSON, ALEX LARMAN, EMILY CUTTS, SAM BAINES

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CONTRIBUTORS

MAUDE HIRST

ALEXANDER LARMAN

Maude is a born-and-bred east Londoner. An actor, writer and yoga teacher, she is best-known for her role as Helga in the hit TV show, Vikings. In her work both on- and offscreen, she is dedicated to creating roles that showcase women’s talents and address gender inequalities in the industry. As a yoga teacher, she focuses her practice on reconnecting breath, body and balance to promote well-being in our busy modern world. @maudehirst

Alexander Larman is an author and journalist who writes food, travel and lifestyle features for titles including The Resident, The Arbuturian and many more. Additionally, he is the author of three non-fiction books, including Byron’s Women and Blazing Star. He contributes book reviews and arts features regularly to The Observer, Drugstore Culture and The Chap. He lives in East Sussex with his wife, Nancy, and daughter, Rose. @alexlarman

JO SUGAR

RONNIE HEREL

From fashion to the media, Jo has a client list that reads like a celebrity Who’s Who (Serena Williams, Vanessa Feltz and Lorna Luft). One of the most sought-after make-up artists in the country, she is also an educator, lecturing at events and seminars throughout the year. She is a regular at LFW, heading her own shows each season. Jo says, “Every job is different, so you never stop learning.” @jo_sugar

Ronnie Herel is a true ambassador for urban music after over a decade at the BBC, as one of Radio 1 Xtra’s first DJ signings. He is a champion of new talent and, indeed, was a talent scout for The Voice UK. Today he is Head of Music at Mi-Soul Radio, as well as presenting its drive time show and #TheBigRnBShow on Monday evenings. Check out ronnieherel.co.uk to find out all about his latest gigs. @ronnieherel

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LAUNCHING SOON WORKSHOPS • NETWORKING • EVENTS • PODCASTS • NEWS Modern Woman Property exists to inspire, empower and enable property professionals to make all the right connections in a relaxed environment. The concept is synergetic, designed both to help you grow your business, as well as to help one another. The ultimate aim is to generate optimal ROI by working both with those developing their businesses, as well as professionals from across the industry, from property right through to construction. It is a space in which to exchange and share ideas, and to shape the future of property. For further information and how to be part of the community, head to: www.modernwoman.co/mwproperty

EDITOR’S letter As Christmas creeps up on us once again and 2019 – and indeed the decade – draws to a close, it’s a time for reflection. Endings, and the new beginnings that are born of them, always make me take stock of changes and achievements made, as well as making me set new goals to head into a new decade with hope and opportunities ripe to be seized. The power of connecting with others and how we present ourselves to the outside world can make a huge difference when building our all-important networks. Whilst face-to-face communication will always be unrivalled, we are fortunate that today’s technology has enabled us to connect through many channels. Inside these pages, we grill those who have really harnessed their black books and do well at communicating exactly what their audience wants and needs to hear. Kelly Hoppen and Sandra Federighi, CFO of Stella McCartney, are two such giants of their creative industries; both share their trajectories with us, as well as their top business tips. We also package up inspiration in the form of Debbie Harry’s new memoir Face It, as well some essential information on how to sell yourself – and your business – in order to make big things happen. We love to connect with our Modern Woman readers, listeners and followers, especially in person at our Business Series events at which we host workshops, masterclasses and live speaker panels with a cool pool of modern women with whom to network. Plus, do make sure you keep abreast of our launch dates for our Modern Woman Chapters (look out for more information within). As we head into 2020, I’d like to wish you a very Merry Christmas and may you keep growing as the formidable women you are and dream to be. With love, Rosie

We would love to hear from you! Do get in touch on... hello@modernwoman.co @moderwoman_int Modern Woman International

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WOMEN OF THE WORLD All the must-know news from women in work across the globe

BRAZIL Congresswoman Tabata Amaral: from poverty to politics ‘I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else in the world. And when you’re 25 years old, it’s a lot to feel that I am exactly where I wanted to be. The agendas that matter most to me are under threat now. So this is where I will wage the battle I need to wage.’ Congresswoman Tabata Amaral grew up in a poor neighbourhood of Sao Paulo surrounded by drugs and violence, losing her own father to addiction as a child. Against all the odds, last year, aged just 24 and campaigning for better public education in Brazil, Tabata became a congresswoman with Brazil’s Democratic Labour Party. Now she has revealed her plans to support education as an activist too. ‘Education can have such an impact on a person’s life. The people around me faced very different realities — not because they didn’t try hard enough, or because they weren’t smart, but because they didn’t have the same opportunities. When you’ve experienced inequality so intensely, you feel the urge to do something. I realised that if I really wanted to change Brazilian education, I had to change politics as well’. A video of Congresswoman Amaral grilling the education minister recently went viral and made international headlines.

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NEWS: GLOBAL ROUND UP

USA Taylor Swift to receive ‘Woman Of The Decade Honor’ at Billboard’s Women in Music American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift is globally known for writing narrative country pop songs about her personal life. She has racked up an impressive 200 million-plus record sales since first appearing on the scene back in 2006. The Pennsylvaniaborn star, who aspired to the likes of Stevie Nicks and Shania Twain growing up, has recently been placed at number eight on Billboard’s list of ‘Greatest All Time Artists’, the highest for anyone starting their career in the 21st-century. Swift will be honored at the 2019 Women in Music Event on December 12 at the Hollywood Palladium in LA, where she will also become the first-ever recipient of Billboard’s ‘Woman of the Decade’ Award. The singer-songwriter is being recognised not just for her musical achievements but her commitment to protecting creative rights, music education, literacy programs, cancer research, disaster relief and the ‘Time’s Up’ initiative.

BAHRAIN Mentoring and leadership of women professionals in the Middle East Reach Mentoring is the first non-profit organisation dedicated to the mentoring and leadership of women professionals in the Middle East. Establishing its second cohort in collaboration with the Bahrain-based consultancy, FinMark Communications, the programme has welcomed a further 20 women to be guided by a seasoned group of mentors, equipping them with the skills needed to succeed in the Middle East workplace. Founding board member of Reach Mentoring, Racha Alkhawaja, said, ‘While the region is making huge steps towards empowering women in the workplace, mentorship still plays a key role in the corporate world, helping to bridge the gender divide. Gender disparity in the workplace is a reality across the world, and means that it can be a lonely place for women, whether at the start of their careers or at the pinnacle of their success. Our aim is to empower with the guidance and support of a trusted mentor.’

UNITED KINGDOM Meet Sarah Creal, the expert behind Victoria Beckham’s new beauty line After announcing back in February that a beauty line – ‘Victoria Beckham Beauty’– was on the horizon as part of her eponymous brand, it’s finally here. It’s often said ‘behind every successful woman is a tribe of other successful women’ and no one knows this better than Victoria herself; she went straight to the top, to none other than New Yorker, Sarah Creal. Creal is said to be one of those rare weathervanes who really understands the science as well as being able to pre-empt what consumers need and want. When Beckham got the go-ahead to launch her own line, she immediately called Creal, knowing she was the woman she wanted associated with the brand. Both Victoria and Sarah made it their mission to find leading experts in clean and cruelty-free formulations for the make-up line, and insisted upon consciously designed packaging that doesn’t compromise on the sophisticated Victoria Beckham aesthetic.

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HUMOUR: SAMANTHA BAINES

PHOTO CREDIT: MATHEW FOSTER

ONLY Connect SAM BAINES is done with looking for romance. This year, to save her from tears, she’s only putting on lippy for more rewarding dates with friends

ou walk into the bar, lippy and good shoes on, and there they are. You met them on a dating app yet here, in the cold light of reality, they look, ahem, a little rougher around the edges than in their online pictures. You say hello, sit down and you know almost instantly that this isn’t going to work. They’ve ordered a Sex on the Beach, for goodness sake. They clearly don’t brush their teeth and they are reading a tabloid newspaper. Failed connection, right there. Think about the effort we put into a date; picking out an outfit, doing our hair, blocking out time in our calendar and even booking a table in a nice place. We do all this in hopeful expectation but, so often, we’re left disappointed. In fact, I’ve known disenchantment so pronounced before that I’ve been annoyed I even bothered put mascara on for a date. Why, then, don’t we treat our friends or work connections like dates? When it comes to work and friends we are not looking for ‘the one’, and so the odds are stacked in our favour. Making connections with like-minded individuals can enrich your life,

both in your work and play – so why not go on some dates? This holiday season I have given up on looking for love and instead I am dating my friends and colleagues. I am blocking time in my calendar and picking out a nice outfit to meet the CEO of a start-up that is doing great things and doing my hair for my best friend who is just as busy as I am but who can still make time for her pal. It makes so much more sense than mindlessly swiping on certain apps. Some of the most rewarding moments in my life have come from connecting with people. From David Stevens of Knights Of, the funny children’s publisher I met at an event who recently published my debut children’s book, to Ohne, the company that sends you organic tampons in the post and with whom I work with via social media, to Gina Martin, a brilliant activist who made upskirting illegal and who I met at a TV pilot and is now one of my best friends. Social media gets a lot of bad press and rightly for so many issues, however, it is an excellent way to cultivate connections and set up dates. Look up some inspiring women and their

companies and slide in their DMs. ‘I love what you do and would love to connect. Fancy grabbing a coffee sometime?’ is a great opener. I can honestly say that no-one has ever said no when I have asked them for a coffee to make contact, although I have never tried it with Michelle Obama or Emma Watson. We need to reach

‘I can honestly say that no-one has ever said no when I have asked them for a coffee to make contact, although I have never tried it with Michelle Obama or Emma Watson’ out to people and now, with so many ways to do it – email, Twitter, Instagram a letter, a phone call, LinkedIn and even IRL – there is just no excuse. So I am dating. I am looking for new friends, inspiring mentors, driven women and companies making a difference. And I never regret putting on mascara for them.

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BOOK REVIEW: DEBBIE HARRY

BLONDE Ambition ROSIE COXSHAW reviews Face It, Debbie Harry’s long-awaited and hard-to-put-down autobiography charting her rise, fall and rise again

ebbie Harry, better known as Blondie is, as her long-awaited autobiography Face It makes clear, the ultimate queen of rock. The woman who fronted a male rock band in a highly macho game back in the 1970s – unheard of back then – sets out her store: ‘I was kicking ass, kicking him out, kicking my own ass too. My Blondie character was an inflatable doll but with a dark, provocative, aggressive side. I was playing up, yet I was very serious’. I haven’t put this book down since it landed on my desk a week ago. In the highly turnable pages of Face It, Debbie Harry strips her story bare and reveals how she, once a shy young girl at school, rose to fame to front the

biggest global rock band of the day with Chris Stein. There are fascinating details scattered throughout. Born in 1945, when the first name bestowed upon her was the less-than-stellar Angela Trimble, few know that she was given up for adoption three months later, when her adoptive parents renamed her Debbie Harry. Possessed of a perennially curious mind, she rebelled at school despite her shyness, eventually leaving in search of the thrills that she would, inevitably, find in New York. And the city that never sleeps delivered, as it always does to those who look; the by-product was that she also found both herself and her aptitude for and obsession with music.

ABOVE Debbie Harry, aka Blondie, who went from shy school girl to rock star pin up

RIGHT With Andy Warhol in New York

This musical memoir delivers a truly intimate portrait of an iconoclast, unveiling all the grit, grime and glory that got her there. Face It atmospherically recreates the downtown scene of 1970s New York City, where Blondie played alongside David Bowie, Iggy Pop and Talking Heads. Charting her path from commercial success to heroinaddiction, a heart-wrenching bankruptcy and her breakup with her band to her multi-faceted acting career in more than thirty films, her life has been endlessly fascinating and illuminating of a time as well. Face It by Debbie Harry is published by HarperCollins; RRP £20

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Modern Woman

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Have You Met

MISS JONES? W

LISA BOISSEL is the managing director of Miss Jones PA, a one-stop shop for everything an assistant needs

ABOVE Lisa addressing one of her PA events

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hether itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a little black book of contacts, an unmissable events calendar or full concierge services, Miss Jones PA is a fully comprehensive resource. Lisa Boissel acquired the business in its early stages, fulfilling her lifelong dream of running her own company. Here, she shares her story, the challenges of operating an online business and the best ways to network effectively and enjoyably.

MARKETING: LISA BOISSEL How did you first encounter Miss Jones? I moved to London on a bit of whim and decided I wanted to be a PA. When I moved, I met a woman who told me that there was this networking group called Miss Jones for PAs, but she wasn’t sure if it was still going. So I contacted them and the investor who had just bought it got in touch with me, saying he wanted to relaunch Miss Jones, liked the look of my CV and wondered if I would be interested in taking it on. This was during my first week in London so the whole thing was very flukey! My experience had always been in events so I decided that if I started doing some really nice events in the top places in London, people would come. And they did! What did you do before acquiring Miss Jones PA? I used to work in the nightclub business running events and student nights. It was very unsociable hours, so it’s great to be out of it now. But that experience gave me huge insight into how to run events. I also worked for Red Bull on the promotion and events side of things so I gained a lot of incredible experience there. What three tips would you give in order to network successfully? Firstly, have a clear goal and know what you are trying to achieve before you attend the event. Second, don’t be afraid to approach people – everyone is in

the same boat. And finally, chat to the organiser when you arrive to see if they can introduce you to somebody of relevance, or even message them before the event to see who is going. As an online business, what challenges do you face? For us it’s important to be current whilst keeping our personable reputation. That’s why we do weekly events to stay in touch with our members. The online content we send out needs to be interesting, so that people read it – we are always asking our members for tips on how to help us. We ensure we have ongoing interaction with the PAs and dialogues with venues and suppliers. How do you generate revenue? We generate revenue through memberships and suppliers, and also through advertising and events. We started out with 70 members and have grown to 24,000 this year. In today’s ‘influencer’ culture, it’s increasingly difficult for people to know who to trust when it comes to recommendations. How do you choose the places and services that appear on your website and on your books? We have a very particular style of venues and suppliers we favour. We do not promote or work with anyone unless we have personally experienced a venue or service. Our members know this about us and, luckily, trust us in those decisions.

ABOVE Lisa poses outside an event

‘We generate revenue through memberships and suppliers, and also through advertising and events. We started out with 70 members and have grown to 24,000 this year’

How do you communicate with clients on a personal level? Through our weekly events, meetings, calls and showcases. For me it’s important that anyone we work with has a personal relationship with someone from my team. No matter how much we grow, this is something I never want to lose. People invest in people. What challenges did you face in the early days? I had absolutely no knowledge of the PA world in London, no industry contacts in hospitality and I barely knew London. Because of that, it was really

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MARKETING: LISA BOISSEL hard to get venues to host the events as they had no idea who or what we were and it was difficult to get people to attend. It took about two years to really grow our reputation. A lot of credit goes to the PAs who were delighted to have an opportunity to not only get to see the locations but also to network and spread the word about us. We’re so thankful to them. What advice would you give to those starting out in business? Be clear on what you want to do and set your goals. Remember it’s not easy and all good things take time, but keep focused and you will get there. Make sure you are constantly asking others for help and advice.

TIP OFFS Hotels for client meetings: • The Langham • The Lanesborough • The Hoxton • Ham Yard Hotel • The May Fair Hotel • The Edition Spas for keeping well: • Cowshed • The Corinthia • Cafe Royal • Four Seasons • Ten Trinity Square • Spa at Mandarin Oriental Outside London: • Thyme Hotel • Cliveden • Cowarth Park • Pennyhill Park • South Lodge.

‘Be clear on what you want to do and set your goals. Remember it’s not easy and all good things take time, but keep focused and you will get there’ ABOVE Lisa surrounded by fellow PAs at a weekly event

Venues for hosting events: • The Langham • Hawker House • Mortimer House • Meet in Place • Bunga Bunga • Archer Street Best spots to work from: • Soho House • The Ned • Allbright • Hoxton Hotels • Riding House Cafe • Ace Hotel • The Curtain

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RIGHT Lisa with her team

How do you balance work with home life? It’s so hard. I always have Monday evenings as my gym night or for a sauna/steam and I try to cook something healthy at home. The rest of the week I am usually out and about at different things, but once it hits 5pm on Friday, I try my best to switch off for the whole weekend to start again fresh on Monday morning. I also make sure I stay in touch with my friends on a daily basis. I am very grateful for them and try to see them regularly.

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Nature’s

NURTURE The impact of nature on health and wellbeing should not be underestimated, says EMILY CUTTS

magine there was a secret weapon, a tool that could prevent mental illness, improve health, build resilience and creativity, boost learning and education and make people happy. Then imagine that this weapon has no downside or cost. It’s hard to dream up something so powerful, right? This secret weapon does exist and it’s all around us. It’s not

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a pill or a potion. It’s not a therapy or a class. The weapon we have readily at our disposal to counteract mental ill health and build strong resilient people is green space and the natural world. Getting outside into nature has a variety of positive effects on people, and the evidence from psychology and other fields is growing. People tend to think of nature as providing a context for

ABOVE Getting outside daily boosts creativity and learning while couteracting depression

nice activities or hobbies, or even as a luxury reserved for those who can make the time to get outdoors. But nature is a necessity; it is good for all of us. We have this wonderful and powerful resource around us, yet so many don’t take full advantage of it to make a positive change in their lives. It’s lamentable that nature has been factored out of our lives thanks to the reign of cars,

PSYCHOLOGY: EMOTIONS IN BUSINESS

‘The weapon we have readily at our disposal to counteract mental ill health and build strong resilient people is green space and the natural world’ computers, offices, gyms and cinemas. Many of our jobs and recreational activities happen indoors and involve an unhealthy amount of screen time. Collectively, we need to make more effort to get outdoors – something that leaders can play a role in by creating green opportunities for all staff. The positive influence of nature on health and wellbeing is myriad and far-reaching. Studies show that living in a green neighbourhood and exposure to green space is strongly associated with good mental health, while people who spend time in nature show decreased activity in the subgenus prefrontal cortex, a brain region active during rumination (receptive thought focused on negative emotion). In other words, being outdoors actually has an ameliorative effect on depression. Powerful stuff, right? But that’s not all. There are cognitive benefits too; walking in nature can increase thinking skills, and even a glimpse at nature can help you feel better. One famous set of studies into the correlation between nature and health showed that when patients had a view of nature from their hospital window, they recovered quicker. Getting a blast of al fresco time reduces chronic stress in adults and also leads to healthier behaviours. Spending time in nature can increase health-orientated choices, even lessening desire to engage in unhealthy activities like smoking. Spending even small amounts

of time in a natural green space can increase attention span and focus in adults. Studies have found that the capacity for concentration in adults tends to dip in the afternoon. We’ve all known that feeling and The Attention Restorative Theory (ART) asserts that this is because tasks like writing reports or number work tire out our thinking skills, which require concentration. The way to restore this ‘direct’ attention, according to ART, is to meditate or spend time in nature. Even just spending 10 minutes in an outdoor setting can recharge

BELOW Studies have shown that having a view of nature helps patients in hospital to recover faster

our direct attention since it engages our more ‘indirect’ and involuntary attention mechanisms and recharges our direct attention. In a nutshell, adults who spend even just small amount of time outdoors will perform better. If you do one thing as a leader, do ensure that staff have access to the natural world during breaks or at lunchtime – or that they at least have a view of it from their office window. Increasing access to nature is a simple, and free, way to create a happy, motivated workforce.

Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheDearWildPlace Twitter: @dearwild @childrens_wood Emily Cutts is the author of The Dear Wild Place: Greenspace, Community and Campaigning (Postcards from Scotland Series is published by The Centre for Confidence and Wellbeing)

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BUSINESS: HEART CENTRED BUSINESS

HEART

of the Matter

Heart Centred Business’ CHRIS and KARENE share their story

ver since meeting in January of 2011 at a yoga studio opening, Chris and Karene have worked together to build a successful future, both financially and in finding work-life balance. As they say, ‘It is rare to be able to work with your life partner and we are truly lucky to share so much together whilst we support others to grow their own businesses’ Together they launched Heart Centred Business in 2015 with the driving ambition to support people who have training and qualifications, yet don’t know how to make money from their expertise. Heart Centred Business trains these experts to create a six-figure business and the work-life balance they desire. A lot of the structures they implement are drawn from personal experience, which is why the results speak for themselves. Chris began his

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professional life as an osteopath. After suffering from cancer aged 16, Chris felt compelled to focus his life on helping people transform their health and spent the next two decades helping his clients resolve long term back pain. It was when his daughter was born Chris realised despite his expertise, he had no idea how to financially support a family and was massively in debt. This spurred him to get business training and twelve months later, he had grown his business over 650%, adding over £100,000 in revenue and was humbled with the first of many business awards. Karene was a highly paid management consultant in Australia, Singapore, the UK and Europe, until she decided to change careers to have more time and better relationships. With her one year old daughter in tow, Karene built a £2m+ property portfolio in less than 12 months and created the

MAIN Chris & Karene’s 6 Figure Practitioner Training ABOVE Karene training their clients how to grow their businesses

freedom she always dreamed of. Today, Karene is proud to still look after her daughter full time whilst managing their multiple businesses. Chris and Karene are passionate about solving the challenges of balancing home life whilst building a successful business. It is this expertise and genuine care that allows Heart Centred Business to provide the personal service and outstanding results that so many people in business need today.

ADVERTISING PROMOTION: HEART CENTRED BUSINESS

Heart Centred Sales Five Key Points Key #1 Your Business has to solve a problem If your business doesn’t solve a specific problem, it is a nice-to-have rather than a necessity. This means paying for your products or services will be one of the first things dropped when time or money is short. Action step: Write down what problem your business solves in just one sentence. Then get on the phone and tell this to five different people every day.

Key #2 Sales is the Discovery of a Match A sales conversation has one purpose: to discover if you are a match to work together or not. Instead of trying to make everyone a client, refer people who are not a match to someone else, because this will actually grow your business. The clients we refer to someone else often become the biggest referrers of other clients because they know you’re not just going to sell people something they don’t need. Action step: In your next sales conversation, focus only on learning what you need to know to determine if you are a match to work together or not. .

Key #3 Sales is Service If you want to get paid more for what you do, how could you better serve your clients? By focusing on

serving your clients rather than selling to them, you will earn a lot more money and get a much better reputation.

on asking questions and actually listening to the answers. Action step: Set yourself the challenge of actively listening to every person you talk to today. See how long you can stay 100 per cent engaged before your attention wavers.

Key #5 Ask for the Money!

Action step: Phone every person within 24 hours of a sales conversation to check how they’re doing and thank them for their time. Customer service is everything!

Key #4 You Have Two Ears and One Mouth. Use Them in this Order! Most of us spend too much time telling our potential clients what they need and why they should work with us and too little time listening to discover what they actually want and need. Focus

If you don’t ask, you don’t get! Too many of us shy away from actually asking our clients to pay us. The thing is though, by avoiding asking for money, the subconscious message you give your clients is that you don’t feel you are worth paying. Own the fact that you are making a difference in someone’s life. It is ok to get paid for that! Action step: Get comfortable handling money. Draw out an amount of money you wouldn’t normally have in cash and carry it around for one week. This will reveal any obstacles in your money mindset.

As a Modern Woman reader, Chris and Karene are offering a FREE Guide on how to get more clients walking through your door. Visit http://bit.ly/2OhPJ1b now to download their invaluable advice. If you would like a complementary Business Strategy Session to explore what you actions you need to take to get maximum growth in your business contact: +44 (0)333 987 4245 hello@heartcentredbusiness.com

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Education, Education

EDUCATION TRAM ANH NGUYEN built an enviable track record in traditional finance before launching CFTE, a fintech education centre offering resources entrepreneurs can’t get anywhere else. By Rosie Coxshaw

ram Anh Nguyen is the co-founder of CFTE, a centre of finance and technology entrepreneurship. She is also an Industry Fellow at Imperial College Business School. Nominated as one of the ‘Top 100 Women in Fintech in 2019’, she has an extensive background in finance, having held posts in Asia, Europe and the US for major financial institutions like Standard Chartered, Dresdner Kleinwort and UBS. She believes unwaveringly in the power of learning, and through CFTE

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offers ‘an education you can’t get anywhere else,’ according to Rob Frohwein, the CEO of Fintech Kabbage. What’s your background and what do you do now? I started my financial career in 2000 on the trading floor of Standard Chartered Bank in New York. I went on to join Dresdner Kleinwort Benson in London, remaining in the trading room but with a role in institutional sales. I then made a career shift to wealth management and worked for UBS in London with UHNW clients from Asia.

ABOVE Tram Anh Nguyen had the idea to launch CFTE in 2016 after attending the Singapore Fintech Festival

In 2016, I attended the Singapore Fintech Festival and that was when I realised the new disruptive force that was shaping finance: Fintech. After seeing 12,000 people joining the discussion, I started thinking about all my colleagues who were still working in traditional finance. This was a turning point for me – the moment when I decided to launch CFTE (Centre for Finance, Technology and Entrepreneurship) and educate professionals in digital finance.

TECHNOLOGY: TRAM ANH NGUYEN What is the CFTE? We are the largest corporate university in digital finance. Our mission is to help people to learn and to encourage lifelong education in the sector.We provide education at scale to professionals working in financial services. The accelerated pace of innovation in the industry is transforming in every aspect and organisations are catching up to adapt. This creates an urgency for professionals to upskill or face losing their job. I was myself in this need of exactly this type of education. Our purpose is to bring knowledge and to empower people to take the opportunities out there. What inspired you to start CFTE? Today, it is impossible to be in finance and not understand how technology is impacting it and not understand the use of AI. It is vital to have a good understanding of fintech if you want to be in finance. In this world of rapid change, it is about staying relevant.We want to allow people from totally diverse backgrounds and industries to access a quality knowledge of finance and technology. When I started my career in

finance on the trading floor in New York approximately two decades ago, the sheer lack of women in the industry quickly became apparent, and it is still the case. This experience, together with the desire to make an impact, has prompted me to support women in finance, technology and fintech spaces, who now make up to 40 per cent of our learners. I am proud to witness some incredible female learners within CFTE. Companies used to be able to make five-year or even 10-year plans, but today, it seems tricky to say what will be happening next month. How do you navigate that pace of change? I totally agree. I think it will be impossible to predict what’s going to become of all the companies in the next five-to-10 years. The world will be totally different with an emergence of totally new companies. Let’s take the example of Revolut. Six years ago, it did not exist and today it’s one of the fastest growing startups in fintech. Same for Monzo or N26, for example, in the UK and for companies such as Credit Karma in the US or Alipay in Asia. And who’d have thought that Grab Asia would

be getting into finance? It is very promising. I see more tech companies shaping the new world of finance. How do you decide which courses to run and how do you get your courses accredited? We start with Fintech Foundation knowledge and then we build other programmes on top to help people to keep up their learning. We’re launching new programmes about Regtech, Open Banking and more Extrapreneurship programmes with amazing startups. Yes, we’re very pleased that our programmes are accredited around the world. Some are even subsidised by government.

BELOW On the panel at InsurTech Rising International

You recently expanded into Abu Dhabi. What are your hopes and plans there? I am very excited that CFTE has partnered with Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) Academy to launch the Programme of Artificial Intelligence in Finance. It prepares institutions and professionals for the changing landscape of finance that is transformed by AI, machine learning and automation. We will help to deliver knowledge from world-class experts to support ADGM Academy’s vision and contribute to the development of the new-age workforce. CFTE sees this launch as a natural expansion to the Middle East market and wants to act as a link to the MENA region and the rest of the world. What are some of the biggest challenges you have overcome and what did you learn in the process? One of the major challenges for a business is finding clients. We spend a lot of time going around the world to speak to people and to work with governments, organisations, academics and experts to ask questions and to find ways to encourage continuous learning for adults. We are framing learn-ing

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TECHNOLOGY: TRAM ANH NGUYEN

ABOVE With her team at Singapore’s Fintech Festival

TALKING BUSINESS What are your three top tips for women working in finance and tech? 1. Surround yourself with great people. 2. Understand your strengths but also weaknesses. 3. Understand technology. Try to adapt your mindset and be able to learn new things – learning how to learn is the true skill of the 21st-century. What are the key things an entrepreneurial women today needs in her toolkit? Many women are leaving corporate life because their jobs just don’t inspire them anymore (if they ever did). Starting a business allows you to find meaning and gives you the ability to leave behind a legacy that you can be proud of. To be truly successful, you need to find work that you’re passionate about. Do you work across time zones – any practical tips on that? We do start early. Thanks to all the new agile ways of working, with Slack for example, it helps to keep us very updated on the workflow. What are the top courses every modern woman should consider taking for success as an entrepreneur? • Fintech Foundation course in eight hours • Coaching course: Entrepreneurship programme • Network in London is huge and brings a great opportunity to meet other incredible women. cfte.education

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methodology for people so that they can upskill. As young girls while growing up, we are taught above all to behave, to be nurturing and pleasing to those around us. We are shown continuously that the most important thing is to stay quiet, and SMILE. Today I spend most of my time working and speaking in front of large audiences to bring awareness of the importance of upskilling workforces, convincing people to start learning digital finance. In some part of the world, being an outspoken woman is not the norm.

best team and keeping them engaged? We’re a team of 25 based between London and Singapore and I love working with them. My team consists of young, dynamic people who are very driven and love what they do. They have a great sense of purpose. We spend a lot of time with all of them. We organise lunches and events together. We spend time learning new things together with them. They want to keep pushing boundaries and leading. I am very proud to work with such a diverse from different backgrounds and countries.

What is the best business advice you’ve been given? To stay focused, work agile and understand yourself as a founder. You must understand who you are and where you add your main strengths. Build a team that shares your vision and work closely with them to get to the results you want. You’re only as good as your team. You need to understand your strengths and your weaknesses too.

How has being a mother influenced your work approach? Yes, I am a proud mum of three daughters. They are smart and understand well the constraints of being a working mum and an entrepreneur. They are our best supporters. I spend a lot of time with them at their schools and while they love me being around, they understand my work. They are starting their own societies and clubs at school – I’m surprised and impressed by them every day. cfte.education

Do you manage a team? If so, any tips for finding your

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Sandra Fe

Fashion

derighi

FIGURES U

tter the words ‘CFO’ and ‘Stella McCartney’ in the same breath, and the image that comes to mind, unbidden, is of unimaginably high-powered luxury. For Sandra Federighi, a finalist in the Black British Business Awards in 2017, that may now be true – at least at times – but it hasn’t always been that way. As she recalls, her nascent days in the world of so-called uber-luxe were far removed from anything resembling opulence or comfort. ‘Right at the beginning, when I entered the luxury fashion business in Italy, my salary was very low,’ she explains. ‘I had to do other jobs in order to survive and that was the toughest because at the same time I had to put in extra hours in my day, as well as being a barmaid in the evening.’ The slog was, she insists, eminently worth it.

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SANDRA FEDERIGHI is CFO at Stella McCartney. She tells Rosie Coxshaw about her path to the top, and why the woman behind the brand is an absolute visionary

Her trajectory into the world of high-end fashion wasn’t a totally linear tale of goal aimedfor followed by goal-won. Her first job was in banking – a far cry from the world of catwalks and Vogue coverage. As she elucidates, ‘I started in banking right after I got my masters degree in economics. I wanted to go into banking at the time, or at least I thought I did, but I immediately realised that it wasn’t right because of the culture and the environment. It wasn’t as I expected. From there, I decided to move forward and look for something that I was passionate about. And that

ABOVE Sandra Federighi was a banker before becoming CFO at Stella McCartney

thing happened to be fashion. I thought, ‘Why can’t I combine my degree with what I really, really love?’’ And just like the girl who worked day-and-night in those embryonic days, Sandra was undaunted by the idea of a move away from that which she knew and into unchartered fashion territory. It was, as she says, all about one thing: perseverance. ‘I was literally dropping my CV everywhere, researching any opportunities,’ she recalls. ‘There was a big push at the time in Italy, where all the biggest brands in the luxury business were offering a form of

FINANCE: SANDRA FEDERIGHI mentoring and a place to drop your CV, which was an amazing opportunity for me.’ In the context of the fashion world, there was always one role that represented the apotheosis for Sandra: that of global CFO. ‘I’ve always been ambitious,’ she explains, ‘so I always wanted to be at the top one day. As a person, I’m very curious, always wanting to grow and achieve more. I knew that I wanted to be high up in management. Being a CFO with a degree in economics is the highest you can get. However with experience and enlarging your scope and views, there’s always space to grow.

I’m really happy with what I have achieved but I know I can keep growing and learning.’ Today, her work as CFO at Stella McCartney sees her in charge of the finances of the brand on a global level. It’s vertigo-inducingly high-level stuff, but not content with that role alone, Sandra has also taken on the duties of business services director, which involves looking after other services of the company as well. Given the wide-ranging capacity of her job description, what does the dayto-day look like for her? She is impressively unflappable. ‘Kind of normal,’

‘Being a CFO with a degree in economics is the highest you can get, however with experience and enlarging your scope and views there’s always space to grow. I’m really happy with what I have achieved but I know I can keep growing’

RIGHT AND LEFT Stella McCartney campaign shots

she shrugs, as though looking after the business and financial interests of a global company is little more strenuous than a walk in the park. ‘I come in in the morning, I deal with the team. Most of the time I meet with the people and go through the emergencies that come up and take it from there.’ Despite taking her considerable responsibilities in her stride, there are, of course, the inevitable crises as she refers to. But even in conversation with Sandra, it’s evident that her capacity for cool, logical thinking means that she reliably meets them with an admirable common sense, and an enviably natural handle on the most effective solution. The key is, she says, to be involved in the micro and the macro at all times when it comes to business. ‘It’s all a balancing act. I get involve in the overview stuff, and in the nitty gritty as well. We are a relatively big company

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FINANCE: SANDRA FEDERIGHI

FAST FASHION: QUICK FIRE QUESTIONS Raising investment or grow organically? It’s a combination of both. Obviously you need to have a good product but it’s also about the message. When you have a strong brand identity, it’s then reflected in your product. You do need investment, but in order to get the investment you need to make sure the product is well done. There are loads of people who want to invest in great ideas. You just need to believe in what you do and do it authentically.

but our structure is growing. The more you expand, the more people management is the most challenging thing because we are all different.’ One factor that has helped in her tenure is her unwavering belief in Stella McCartney, both as a woman and as a brand. ‘Stella is visionary,’ she eulogises. ‘She started in 2001 using no leather or fur and obviously it’s really difficult because there’s loads of constraints in terms of trying to find the balance between creativity what actually is sustainable. It’s not always the cheapest choice and what you can achieve with leather is different to other materials – that’s something manufacturers weren’t used to so it made it challenging at times.’

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ABOVE Classic looks from the McCartney fashion house

She is proud that while trends change seasonally and the business has grown exponentially in its 18-year trajectory, the message has remained constant. ‘That’s one of the things is different about this brand,’ she says. ‘The DNA has always been the same and that’s what people can relate to. I think by changing the message constantly you confuse your customers.’ Personally, she is excited about watching her team grow; and about her enriching work as a mentor which has enabled her to connect with the new generation – all while being a mother to three children under five. It’s a dizzying workload, but she wouldn’t have it any other way: as she says: ‘I love my work.’ Besides, at this particular moment in our collective story, it is a better time than ever to be a woman in business. ‘I think we are going in the right direction,’ she says. ‘There’s loads of companies accommodating flexible working, which I think will help women flourish and achieve their goals and juggling all the hats we have to wear. I always want to support the creativity that women have to be able to do many things simultaneously.’ Amen to that.

The secret to financial success in business? The mindset. Be mindful of the spending. You always need to start with a business plan that is realistic. Put your idea and the vision you have strategically for the brand on paper. Do this first so you know that financially you’re not going to incur any big trouble. Obviously we always talk about projections but the more experience and history the company has, the more reliable the business plan will be. Biggest differences working across a number of countries? It’s all in the people and culture of the different structures across the regions we are in. We work with the US, Japan and Asia, so obviously there are several different languages. You have to find a connection with the people you’re working with; it’s very important to understand this and to ensure we give everyone the appropriate tools depending on the environment they are in. Crucial competent to having a successful fashion brand? It’s difficult because there are lots of fashion brands and it’s very volatile because it’s linked to people wanting to buy your products. I think what makes a brand successful is authenticity. Really be true to who you are. Stella’s vision, the DNA, her beliefs are what has grown the brand to where it is today.

Beautiful fashion jewellery for every occasion buckleylondon.com

ELYS WEARS: Top: Zach www.john-zach.co.uk Scarf: Zara www.zara.com Trousers: Zara www.zara.com Gloves: Adhoc www.adhoclondon.co.uk Shoes: Office www.office.co.uk

OLGA WEARS: Jacket: New Look www.newlook.com Shirt: Zara www.zara.com Scarf: Zara www.zara.com Gloves: Adhoc www.adhoclondon.co.uk Jumpsuit: Topshop www.topshop.com Belt: Alexanda Mcqueen www.alexandamcqueen.com Boots: Pour La Victorie @ Harvey Nichols www.harveynichols.com

Business or

PLEASURE Key catwalk looks to work with this Christmas, whether youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re dressing to impress clients or to be the belle of the festive ball Photography by Stefan Sieler Styling by Bernard Connolly

ELYS WEARS: Jacket: Zara www.zara.com Scarf: Zara www.zara.com Shirt: Zara www.zara.com

ELYS WEARS: Jacket: Zara www.zara.com Shirt: Zara www.zara.com Tie: Moss Bross www.moss.co.uk Braces: Harvie and Hudson www.harvieandhudson.com Gloves: Adhoc www.adhoclondon.co.uk Sunglasses: Hermosa Sunnies www.urhermosa.com

ANDRESSA WEARS: Dress: Anoushka G www.anoushkag.com Shoes: Office www.office.co.uk

OLGA WEARS: Top: Closet www.closetlondon.com Trousers: Closet www.closetlondon.com Bustier: Zara www.zara.com Shoes: Office www.office.co.uk

ELYS WEARS: Dress: Forever Unique www.foreeverunique.co.uk Shoes: Office www.office.co.uk

OLGA WEARS: Dress: Anoushka G www.anoushkag.com Shoes: Office www.office.co.uk

CREDITS Photographer Stefan Sieler @stefansielerphotography www.stefansielerphotography.com Fashion stylist Bernard Connolly @bernardstylist www.bernardconnolly.com Hair Tim Furssedonn using R&Co  @tfurssedonn Make-up artist: Jo Sugar @ Agency 105 using One Skin Skincare, Delilah and Revolution Pro @jo_sugar @agency105world Model 1: Elys Hutchinson at First Model Management @firstlondon @elys_hutchinson Model 2: Olga at First Model Management @firstlondon @olga_datsenko_777 Model 3: Andressa Class at First Model Management @firstlondon @andressaclaas Make-up assistant Mia Agar @muahbymiaaa Stylist Assistant Lourenna at L’s Boudoir @lsboudoir1 Location Jet Studio’s 18-19 Lettice Street, London, SW6 4EH. Tel: 020 7731 1111 @jetstudios.co.uk www.jetstudios.co.uk

From left to right:-

OLGA WEARS: Top: Closet www.closetlondon.com Trousers: Closet www.closetlondon.com Bustier: Zara www.zara.com Shoes: Office www.office.co.uk

ELYS WEARS: Top: Zara www.zara.com Trousers: Zara www.zara.com Shoes: Office www.office.co.uk

ANDRESSA WEARS: Top: Zara www.zara.com Collots: Zara www.zara.com Scarf: Zara www.zara.com Shoes: Office www.office.co.uk

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ADVERTISING PROMOTION: OPATRA

Timeless Beauty Introducing Revolutionary Skincare Technology

aking care of your skin is often categorised under that catch-all and often dismissive term: ‘beauty’. But at Opatra, we take skin and its health seriously – and with good reason; it is, after all, the largest organ in the body. And because we believe in the positive power appropriate skincare can have on our clients’ overall wellbeing – and we are tapped into the latest scientific and technological breakthroughs and advances – we are uniquely positioned to offer evidence-based scientific solutions to help you really take care of this vital organ. Launched in 2014, Opatra has been at the vanguard of revolutionary at-home devices that feature high-grade technology ever since. Its Synergy Collection is the latest innovation from the stable and, from the comfort of your own home, it allows you to achieve clinic-quality firmer, brighter and younger-looking

DISCOUNT CODE FOR ANY ONLINE ORDERS: MODERN25 skin. And for those who want to achieve the effects of a facelift minus an invasive procedure? Enter our Dermisonic device, which combines four scientifically cutting –edge treatments: galvanic technology, ultrasound stimulation, LED light therapy and ultrasonic sound waves. Since Dermisonic’s launch, the plaudits from our clients have continued to roll in. Smoothness, radiance and even skin ‘perfection’ are terms that have been cropped up again and again, and that is thanks to the multi-action device’s capacity to smooth out facial wrinkles; tighten facial muscles; boost blood circulation; and stimulate new skin production. Once upon a time, this could only have been achieved with extensive visits to a dermatology clinic, and an under-the-knife procedure. Today, all this comes in the form of one single powerful hand-held tool. For clients who wish to plump skin, we are proud to

BELOW Left to right: 1. Dermineck 2. Synergy Neck 3. Dermisonic 4. Synergy

introduce Opatra Synergy, our newest innovation that creates its stunning effect by using a winning combination of LED light and heat therapy. Toegther, these act as a catalyst for collagen production by stimulating the fibroblasts to create more of the skin’s natural plumping agent. Plus, thanks to its dual wavelengths, infra-red and red light, any pain is lessened, all the while making skin as radiant as it can be. Opatra’s excellent anti-ageing creams or serums reach deep under the skin, courtesy of the red LED Light (which also improves circulation, expression lines and regenerating cell connections), while the green LED restores cells and enables the oxygen to reach them, which in turn improves dark circles, sunspots and other blemishes. We have supreme faith in our ground-breaking products; in fact, so deep-held is our belief that all of our products come with a lifetime warranty. Who says beauty is only skin deep?

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HEALTH & BEAUTY: PRODUCTS

REVOLUTION PRO X Lan Nguygen Grealis’ Ultimate Artist Palette Brought to you by multi-award winning make-up artist, Lan Nguyen-Grealis, this is the ultimate sleek and stylish full face palette for any artist to rely on. I joined Lan and her team backstage at LFW in September, where we had a blast creating catwalk looks using this bit of kit and other products from the Revolution Pro range. With a good colour pay off, it’s affordable, convenient, and a one-stopshop for creating multiple complete looks. A great gift for anyone who loves makeup. £15; www.revolutionbeauty.com/uk

BEAUTY Spot Jo Sugar rounds up the magic items you need on your beauty radar now

DELILAH

Colour Intense Cream Lipstick Luxurious, soft and creamy, this parabenfree velvety lipstick contains vitamin E, and gives a silky matte effect which lasts for hours. Check out the great neutrals which are so on-trend. ‘Hush’ is my favourite, and obviously others’ too since it’s one of Delilah’s bestsellers. Dermatologically tested and vegetarian-friendly. £24; delilahcosmetics.com

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Colour Gloss Ultimate Shine Lipgloss

V76 BY VAUGHN Pomade Strong Hold This clear nourishing pomade brings high-shine and a re-workable hold. Water-soluble, it easily rinses away in the shower, while its high-memory flexibility allows you to re-comb and re-mould throughout the day. A great stocking filler. £20; www.v76.com

Perfect for winter, Colour Gloss is moisturising and gives ultimate shine with incredible staying power. It is enriched with vitamin E and emollient oils, as well as a botanical cellular activator derived from olive and jojoba. It offers a regenerative function, giving the illusion of youthful lips. £22; delilahcosmetics.com

HEALTH & BEAUTY: PRODUCTS

R&CO Body Wash, Dark Waves A luxurious gel formula that revitalises and cleanses, this body wash nourishes and leaves skin feeling soft and supple. It lathers beautifully and is infused with an R&Co signature fragrance, Dark Waves, for a truly divine shower experience. £13; www.randco.com

R&CO Scented Candle, Dark Waves Who doesn’t love a scented candle, especially at Christmas? This cardamom, pineapple, tangerine, lavender, bamboo and blonde woods-scented one from R&Co is rich and longlasting. A must for the festive season and beyond. £35; www.randco.com

LASHIONISTA LUXURY LASHES Long-lasting lashes Lashionista Luxury Mink Lashes are cruelty-free and come in lots of fabulous styles. My favourites are the aptly named ‘Famous’ lashes which I use on the fabulous Lorna Luft when she is performing. The look is softer than synthetic alternatives and can last up to 30 times longer. Great value. £10 - £12; available at Instagram: @lashionista_18

BALMAIN Limited Edition Silver Cosmetic Bag

ONE SKIN PRODUCTS Vitamin C Booster and Protective Shield The One Skin formulations offer limitless possibilities in skincare, enabling you to personalise your skin depending on its daily needs and lifestyle changes. Loved by my celebrity clients and models alike, I love the flexibility of this range. At this time of year, your skin needs an extra boost. A favourite of mine is Vitamin C and Protective Shield for leaving your skin nourished and protected. Vitamin C Booster 10ml, £20.16; Protective Shield 15ml, £24.75 www.oneskinforlife.com

This is a great gift set. I love the bag and the products are amazing; just what your hair needs at this time of year. The moisturising shampoo nourishes, revitalises and boosts natural shine and elasticity, while the moisturising conditioner protects, detangles and revitalises. Enriched with pure organic Argan oil, which gives extra moisture during the cold weather, it is perfect for travel. I will be packing this in my case over the Christmas period. There is a cool little mirror too so that you can check you still look amazing on-the-go. £34.95; www.balmainhair.com

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WELLNESS: MAUDE HURST

Fighting

FIT

hristmas and its excesses, combined with the cold weather, can take its toll as the annual bout of colds and flu do the rounds. Here’s how to do battle with the lurgies and keep well through the festive merry-go-round.

Healing soups There’s nothing like a homecooked, nutrient-rich soup to boost your mood on a wintry day. Do yourself a favour and batch-cook a large helping, using your favourite seasonal vegetables. Add a portion to your thermos and you’ll be able to enjoy hot, homemade soup wherever you go. Too busy to cook your own? There are some great pre-made soup options available on the high street. We

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ABOVE Boost your vitamin D supply by getting out into the fresh air at regular intervals

Baby it’s cold outside. Time, then, to boost your immune system with these top tips for a healthy Christmas

love Amy’s Kitchen Organic gluten-free chunky tomato (get it in Waitrose); Press Nourish Soup’s kale and kelp; and Daylesford’s sweet potato dahl, both available at Planet Organic.

Fresh lemon and ginger tea We love the health-giving properties of fresh lemon and ginger tea. To make it, you’ll need a couple of lemons, some fresh ginger, a little ground turmeric and a jar of high quality Manuka honey. Add a slice or two of lemon and ginger to your teapot along with a teaspoon of Manuka honey and a quarter of a teaspoon of ground turmeric. Top it up with hot water and enjoy at your desk on a chilly winter morning.

Looking for something a little quicker? The Pukka Herbal Collection features a wealth of herbs drawn from the ‘Immunity’ family range, such as echinacea, lemon and ginger, Manuka honey and mint (£2.80 for 20 Herbal tea sachets; get it at Tesco).

Aromatherapy Don’t underestimate the life-enhancing power of aromatherapy. Choose a quality essential oil blend to boost your energy, lift your mood or ease your stress and then pick a medium that fits your workspace. For example, a candle, a reed diffuser or a room spray are all popular choices, and will help you create a stress-free zone wherever you go. Our Christmas picks are Neom Organics’

WELLNESS: IMMUNE BOOST Christmas Wish Scented Candle (£46) and Neal’s Yard’s Uplifting Organic Aromatherapy Room Spray (£17). www.neomorganics.com www.nealsyardremedies.com

Home cooked food, delivered It’s often the times when you most need a home-cooked meal, that you simply don’t have time to make one. Pure Foods is London’s premium choice for quality pre-prepared meal delivery. With packages catering to healthy eating, weight loss and training, you’ll find a luxury, healthy meal delivery service at your fingertips (prices start at £39.95 per day). Meanwhile, offering great food at slightly lower price point, Bespoke Office Fuel promises healthy, nutritional meals delivered to you daily. Prices start at £19.99 for a meal and two snacks. www.pure.co.uk www.bespokefuel.co.uk

Fruit There are several great office fruit delivery companies, such as Eatfruit, which takes care of replenishing your fruit basket so you don’t need to step out of your office to stock up each day. If you start the week with an overflowing fruit bowl, you might find yourself making healthier snack choices during the week. Choose berries for anti-oxidants, bananas for potassium, avocados for healthy fats and lemons for vitamin C. www.eatfruit.co.uk

Fresh air This winter, many of us will leave home in the dark, spend the day in an air-conditioned workplace and arrive home in the dark too. Low levels of vitamin D (absorbed through sunlight) are associated with increased risk of infection and, according to the NHS, ‘the lack of sunlight means your brain produces more of a hormone called melatonin,

which makes you sleepy.’ Make the most of the daylight hours by taking regular fresh air and sunlight breaks during the daylight hours.

ABOVE Essential oils are a great way to boost your mood in winter

Gut health Many important processes that relate to both the production of serotonin (the happy hormone) and the immune system take place in your gut. It makes sense then to ensure you’re topped up on probiotic, immune supportive foods this winter. Looking for a supplement to help? Try Nueco signature’s Prebiotic + Probiotic, which delivers some 15 billion spores per dose ($75.00 for 30 days supply, available online) or Viridian Synbiotic T Daily Veg Caps 150s (£28.85 for 150 caps, available at Planet Organic) for a good gut feeling. www.thenueco.com www.planetorganic.com

BELOW Lemon, honey and ginger packs in much-needed vitamin C

Fitness Just like a healthy diet, regular exercise can contribute towards overall health and good immune function. Embrace the elements and set yourself a goal of two 20-minute sessions of running or brisk walking per week. If your walk includes the local park, all the better. The wellbeing benefits of spending time in nature, also known as biophillia, have been highly documented. Just too cold and rainy? Indoors exercise classes are a great way to relax and keep fit through winter. Try out your local yoga, dance or pilates studio, or take up a racket sport like badminton or squash.

Be thankful Grateful people tend to be more optimistic, a characteristic that researchers say boosts the immune system. Why not try it out? If you take the train or bus to work and usually browse social media, why not spend five minutes of that time counting your blessings and noting them down in your diary or notes app? Or get into the habit of texting or writing cards to the people you work with letting them know how much you appreciate them. Voila; happiness breeds happiness, and gratitude breeds gratitude.

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WELLNESS: MAUDE HURST

MAGIC Moments

hristmas holidays are wonderful – and not just because of the time spent making merry. They come at a time of year when we all really need a break. It is, however, all too easy to get to the end of the festive period feeling as though you’ve done nothing but work. Between cooking, hosting and keeping family get-togethers from sliding into bickering, it can be a relief when you reach the end. But it doesn’t have to be that way. The key? Take a few moments to pause and gain a little time to yourself to breathe. Here’s how in three easy steps.

Train your brain to focus. Spend five minutes each morning with your eyes closed, focusing on your breath coming in and out. Each time you get distracted (which inevitably you will) put your focus back on your breath. This will build your concentration muscle and may well come in handy later in the day when the emails, jobs and calls are coming in from all directions and you need to be able to stay on task.

One big reason we get stressed is because we are taught to spend all of our time in our minds, trying to solve every problem logically. When

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we do this we’re ignoring our bodies, forgetting that the body holds many of the answers we’re looking for within if we just listen. So try and bring some movement back into your life and tune back into your body. Introducing a yoga practice or even turn some music on when you’re alone and dance around like no-one is watching. Emotions are energy in motion. Move the body and the emotion can move through. Get a coherent breathing pattern. When you feel anxious or stressed, your breath tends to get shallow and short. One of the most powerful tools to change your state is to change how you’re breathing. Simply pay attention to how you’re breathing and choose to deepen and slow down the breath; you’ll notice the body calming. For stressful moments like these, I recommend Coherent Breathing.

HERE’S HOW TO DO IT: • Sit up straight, either with your legs crossed or on a chair with your feet firmly on the ground. • Set an alarm for five minutes and cue up Bells by Coherence, The New Science Of Breath on Spotify to assist you. • Close your eyes and begin to bring awareness to you breathing. • Tune into the sounds of the track and you will begin to match your inhales and exhales to the sounds of the bells or music, inhaling for six seconds and exhaling for six seconds. • Notice the impact on your body. For more information and for more mindfulness practices, visit www.energyrise. co.uk and do get in touch with any questions.

PHOTO CREDIT: @GRITSIWONIA

MAUDE HIRST is the founder of EnergyRise, a mindfulness, yoga and meditation resource. She tells us how to take time to stop, focus and breathe this festive season

ModernWOMAN

SPORT BE FEARLESS

Shoot and score: hitting aces in the sports world The winning formula in the sports arena

LAUNCHING SOON WORKSHOPS • NETWORKING • EVENTS • PODCASTS • NEWS Modern Woman Sport is an arena in which aspiring professional sportswomen and athletes from across all fields can inspire, be inspired and make connections to enable them to achieve their goals. It is a place in which to shape the sports world of tomorrow. For further information and how to be part of the community, head to: www.modernwoman.co/mwsport

FOOD & DRINK: EATING OUT

THE WIGMORE

EAT, DRINK & BE MERRY Alexander Larman whisks us around the capital’s festive food and drink scene. And just like Santa, he has something for everyone AL WAHA Perfect for a big group Referred to as ‘London’s best Lebanese restaurant’ by virtually everyone who has ever been there, this veteran Westbourne Grove establishment offers excellent food and a reassuringly old-fashioned feeling. Al Waha’s confidence in having a name that means ‘oasis’ is justified by the excellence of the food, ranging from the tabbouleh to vine leaves that, for once, actually taste how they are supposed to. There are plenty of carnivorous and fish options, too, especially anything that’s come from the charcoal grill, and drinkers will be pleased with a wine list that offers lots of Lebanese choice beyond the ubiquitous Chateau Musar – although the Musar Jeune is something of a bargain at just £28 a bottle. www.alwaharestaurant.com; 75 Westbourne Grove, W2 4UL

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A life and soul of the party kind of place The Langham is one of London’s finest and grandest hotels, and its cocktail bar, Artesian, is a deserving award-winner. But sometimes you want something more informal, and its pub, The Wigmore, is the perfect place to enjoy a refreshing drink with friends or colleagues. There’s a great wine list, lots of fantastic cocktails (we love the ‘hoptails’, which are made with beer) and bar snacks designed by Michel Roux Jnr. What else could you ask for? www.the-wigmore.co.uk; 15 Langham Place, Regent Street, W1B 3DE

FOOD & DRINK: EATING OUT

CORE BY CLARE SMYTH For discerning tastes and big expense accounts. If you want a truly fantastic festive experience, head to Core in Notting Hill. Why? Because Clare Smyth is the only woman in the world to have been awarded three Michelin stars for her cooking at Restaurant Gordon Ramsay, and it comes as no surprise that her restaurant has waiting lists the size of a telephone directory and an A-list clientele fighting one other for a table. The everchanging menu has a series of ‘Core classics’ which include likes of ‘potato and roe’, monkfish and a deconstruction of the Malteser, the ‘core-teser’. Whatever you order, you’re assured of excellent cooking with a rare sense of fun. www.corebyclaresmyth.com; 92 Kensington Park Road, W11 2PN

ROAST For a quintessentially London meal, whether for a big party or just two This Borough Market stalwart has been going nearly two decades now, but it has managed to stay fresh, relevant and exciting, even while London’s culinary scene has changed in all sorts of different directions. Its bright, white space is perfect for big groups or dinner à deux, and the menu offers a reassuringly comprehensive range of everything from lip-smackingly fresh fish to – of course – roast meats served with aplomb and a wide range of delicious side orders and sauces. It’s not cheap, but for an annual treat, there are few nicer places to push the boat out. www.roast-restaurant.com; The Floral Hall, Stoney St, SE1 1TL

BOB BOB CITÉ Great for a no-expense-spared blow-out experience Those who have been to Soho’s Bob Bob Ricard talk glowingly of its excellent food and quirky touches, such as its ‘press for champagne’ button. Its City cousin, conceived on a grander and even more adventurous scale, is perfect for festive frolics. It has something of a Blade Runner feel to it, all flashing neon lights and hi-tech design, but the food – lobster mac ‘n’ cheese, beef Wellington and no doubt some sort of pimped-up turkey – is solidly traditional and beautifully cooked, and the list of wine and cocktails is reassuringly comprehensive and thoroughly excellent. www.bobbobcite.com; Level 3, 122 Leadenhall St, EC3V 4AB

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FOOD & DRINK: EATING OUT

FLAT IRON The budget-friendly Christmas party option The rapidly expanding group of no-frills steakhouses, which began in Beak Street and recently expanded into Bevis Marks in Aldgate, has a simple proposition throughout its branches. A cut of flat iron steak costs £11, and comes with a simple green salad. Chips, sauces and salad are extra, but you could easily leave spending no more than £20, even including a glass of wine. Perhaps because of its increasing buying power and reputation, the flat iron steak is superb; tender, beautifully cooked and just the right size for a treat-yourself lunch. A special of rib-eye, at £16, is also unusually good value. This is high class on a low budget, and will enable steak-starved Londoners to get their fix all over their city. www.flatironsteak.co.uk; 112 – 116 Tooley Street, SE1 2TH

SATAN’S WHISKERS A naughty alternative to Christmas cheer. If you’re looking for London’s most stylish and seductive cocktail bar – and this is probably a place to take a loved one rather than descend with a horde of colleagues – then head to east London and make for the excellently named Satan’s Whiskers. Here, invariably tattooed and bearded bartenders can frighten up a diabolically delicious range of cocktails, including a Campari and lime frozen Daiquiri, and many, many more. But book a table, otherwise things could go hellishly badly. 343 Cambridge Heath Road, E2

OLI’S THAI A fancy an out-of-town treat (if you can get a reservation) Fancy venturing outside of London? Head to Oxford. The city’s most exclusive dining spot, this Thai restaurant, situated in a residential side street off the diverse Cowley Road, proudly boasts that you need to book your table three months in advance, although if you fancy your luck on the day, there’s normally a couple of seats at the bar held back for walk-ins. The food, from chef Laddawan Thurston, specialises in innovative takes on traditional Thai cuisine, and the confit duck panang is justly famous. Do make sure you leave space for an exquisite – and decidedly non-oriental – custard tart. olisthai.com; 38 Magdalen Street, Oxford, OX4 1RB

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AVAILABLE NATIONWIDE IN WAITROSE, MAJESTIC, 31DOVER.COM AND UK DUTY FREE

FOOD & DRINK: BARS

SOFAR SOUNDS Music: mixed genres Looking for something spontaneous? This one isn’t a bar per se, but a live music event or gig, that takes place at a small selection of secret locations: sometimes bars, sometimes shops, occasionally an art gallery and, once or twice, even someone’s living room. It offers the perfect chance to have a sing-along and a good old dance at a great price; tickets are given out by lottery to all those who apply for them and the location is revealed to winners the day beforehand. You won’t find out who is playing until you get there, which is all part of the experience. Various locations in cities across the country; www.sofarsounds.com

THE SKY GARDEN BARS Music: House DJs and string quartets Located an impressive 35 floors above the twinkling lights and bustle of the city, Sky Garden has won votes as the best music venue in the city. Head up to the Sky Pod Bar this festive season and you’ll get to enjoy the hottest tunes from DJs and/or live bands bringing the coolest new talent from the capital’s music scene, alongside a stunning cityscape background and a cocktail – all for a minimal £10. Sky Garden, EC3M 8AF skygarden.london/sky-pod-bar

BOOGIE NIGHTS Christmas is a time to let your hair down. Here’s a pick of the capital’s best music and dance venues for a festive knees-up THE OLD QUEENS HEAD Music: Club night, Disco/House, live indie/ electronic/acoustic/ folk bands

The Old Queen’s Head hosts everything from raucous nights with live music and dancing to cosy chilled ones on the sofa by the fire. It’s a rough-around-the-edges lively boozer overflowing with an edgy yet charming attitude and quirky decor in the heart of islington. Known for its massive parties and hearty crowds every Friday and Saturday night, it’s gained a reputation for being Angel’s most buzzing bar. 44 Essex Rd, The Angel, N1 8LN theoldqueenshead.com

UPSTAIRS AT RONNIE’S Music: Jazz Funk/Soul/House We all know Ronnie Scott’s as one of the most legendary Jazz clubs in the world, but those in the know head straight upstairs to the cocktail bar for a more relaxed evening. Its red interior with leopard-print accents sets the tone for the less serious vibe whilst creating an atmosphere that’s both brooding and intriguing all at once. 47 Frith St, Soho, W1D 4SE www.ronniescotts.co.uk/ upstairsronnies

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ModernWOMAN

MUSIC BE FEARLESS

Hitting the high notes in the music business Keeping your business in beat

LAUNCHING SOON WORKSHOPS • NETWORKING • EVENTS • PODCASTS • NEWS Modern Woman Music is a platform for professionals in the music industry to exchange ideas, make connections and build an all-important little black book of contacts. It also exists as a space for those passionate about music to develop their careers and to learn from one another, to build industry knowledge, to lend one another support and to make contacts in harmony with you. Moreover, it is a space in which to share ideas, and to shape the future of music. For further information and how to be part of the community, head to: www.modernwoman.co/mwmusic

MUSIC: LEADING LADIES

Over It (album) SUMMER WALKER Summer Walker’s new album, the mellow Over It, just happens to contain the massive duet with Bryson Tiller, Playing Games, which has already ratcheted up some 8.5 million YouTube views (at the time of writing). S.W is responsible for an R&B sizzler that’s already been covered by many YouTube singers and current stars, such as the selfproclaimed King of R&B, Jacquees, who has released it as a mixtape track. The 23-year-old Atlanta native has recently and deservedly scooped the Soul Train Award for Best New Artist. With slow and sultry grooves like Annie Mae, the title cut Over It and the featured Usher Raymond track Come Thru on the album, something tells me this is only the beginning. A superstar in the making.

MUSIC Box

Modern Woman’s resident DJ RONNIE HEREL picks out his top tunes to see us through Christmas Honeymoon (album) EMMAVIE There have been some fantastic albums released throughout 2019 and Emmavie has undoubtedly unleashed one such. A singer, songwriter and producer, she’s already highly rated amongst those who know within the R&B fraternity. But not content with that, Emmavie is determined to break into the mainstream, all whilst maintaining her musical integrity and credibility. On Honeymoon, you’ll find crazy cuts like Stop the Tape inspired by Kelis’ Millionaire. It’s a gutsy piece of electronic, experimental soul that is musically potent, proving that you can make great pop music with appeal to the soul-loving masses. On the flip of that quirky number is the mammoth Can’t Get Over You, which is just a straight-up neo soul banger. She calls it limitless, soulful, future R&B. Well, if this is the future of R&B, then happy days.

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MUSIC: LEADING LADIES

Into You (EP track) QUIN Ultra-talented LA-born singer/songwriter, QUIN, returns with her new project, LUCID. A seven-tracker follow-up to her previous outings, Galactica and Dreamgirl (both on her own Fantasy Soul Records), there are sweet collaborations, with singer 6Lack featuring on two of them. The first of which is Mushroom Chocolate which happens to be making early ripples in the pop R&B world. Some other great moments on the EP come in the form of Fairy Love and Callin, but for me, the pick of the bunch is definitely Into You. It’s six minutes of ear milk gorgeousness with swirling pads, light guitar melodies, all driven by an almost hypnotic bass line coated with QUIN’s drifty vocals lacing the groove to make it all fit like a glove. Here’s a talented artist determined to make things happen on her own terms. Into You is one corker of a tune for the repeat button.

Sabotage JOJO FEAT CHIKA Wow, JoJo has come a long way since 2004’s Leave (Get Out). For as long as I can remember, she has rebelled against being the pop prin-cess that previous record labels had wanted her to be, taking on legal battles and all sorts along the way. Sticking to her R&B guns, she continues to put out powerful music in a soulful format, never afraid to tackle life and love issues through her music. In an interview with Billboard, she says of the lyrics to this track, ‘A lot of people self-sabotage… I tend to do it in romantic relationships.’ On this track, she expresses all of the above as soon as the monster baseline kicks off proceedings. Definitely one of my favourite records of the moment and in my top 10 tracks of the year thus far. Watch out for a release of a full-length album in 2020, but in the meantime enjoy this.

(Cherries EP) LAYFULLSTOP This soulful rapper first came to my attention on the 2018 Children of Zeus album, Travel Light. I then had to go investigate. Based in Manchester, LayFullStop has delivered her five-track EP Cherries which is absolute hip hop with pure soul. The music is oozing with flashes of Erykah’s Baduizm era, with standout moments PMT, SOS and title cut Cherries which is also the single. What is so refreshing about Lay’s delivery is the flow. She’s not trying to be a powerhouse vocalist or a saccharine sweet R&B-laden performer, but rather a more laid-back rhymester with her quirky storytelling rap switching to melodic rhymes in key places and chorus hooks. Keep your eyes and ears firmly fixed on this UK talent. I haven’t been able to leave the Cherries EP out of my playlist. It’s out now.

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The Waiting

GAME Brexit nerves have translated to demand outstripping supply in the property sales market and significant slowing in the rental market. Now’s the time to sit tight, writes NICOLE BREMNER

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he property market has been especially hard-hit by Brexitled procrastination. Transaction volumes are down dramatically since the 2016 referendum. So too are property prices and the number of properties listed for sale. Many of us naïvely believe, or hope, that once we finally do reach an agreed exit date, this extended period of limbo will be over. Much like an acrimonious divorce, we’re likely to have years of negotiations over the financial settlement. We

entered the EU, or EC (European Communities) as it was known in 1973, so leaving isn’t as simple as setting a date and agreeing terms with our friends across the Irish Sea and English Channel. But what is the likely impact of these continued negotiations if you’re interested in purchasing a property? Regardless of whether your intention is to purchase a property as a home or an investment (to rent out or develop and sell), it’s a buyer’s market right now. As a property development company we are

PROPERTY: NICOLE BREMNER

‘This is definitely a market where the narrow margins can slip very easily; a buying mistake, developing or costing mistake or a shift in market values could create a loss. It’s critical at this time to get the numbers right, assume the worst case and walk away from anything less than solid’ being approached regularly by investors offering 20-30 per cent off the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) red book valuation (the gold standard of property pricing) to purchase a whole block of apartments. Many developers are taking advantage of this to sell down and pay back debt to appease nervous lenders. If you have deep pockets and can negotiate a deal like this, now is an opportune time. But once you’ve made the purchase, how is the rental market fairing? In short, it depends on where the property is situated. Rental growth in London since the Brexit referendum vote has stagnated.

Across the whole of the UK, excluding London, rental growth is at its lowest since February 2013, according to data from the Landbay rental index. Year-onyear rents have increased in UK outside the capital by just over one per cent, some seven times that of London. ‘Falling rents in London have masked relatively strong growth in the rest of the UK since the Brexit vote, but we are now firmly in the midst of a nationwide rental growth slowdown,’ said John Goodall, who is the chief executive officer of Landbay. London is also dragging down national average property prices and the outlook remains mixed.

Anna Cottrell of Realhomes. com writes, ‘By far the biggest problem with the UK housing market right now – and for quite some time past – is one of insufficient supply and growing demand. This has been exacerbated by Brexit, with home owners anxiously holding on to properties, reducing the available number of properties further still.’ The other side of the argument is the growing borrowing bubble, with some economists already predicting a 2008-style recession in the near future. Property economist at Capital Economics, Andrew Burrell, points to an inflated property market which is at capacity. ‘It’s just a matter of 30 years of falling interest rates and people taking out bigger and bigger mortgages. We’ve now reached the size where it’s probably about as big as we can manage.’ He believes that rather than a spectacular crash we’re more likely to see continued slow growth with further declines in the prime central London market. I asked Paul Luetchford, CEO of SeventySeven Wealth Management, how his team are advising clients interested property investment. ‘This is definitely a market where the narrow margins can slip very easily; a buying mistake, developing or costing mistake or a shift in market values could create a loss. It’s critical at this time to get the numbers right, assume the worst case and walk away from anything less than solid. Very much buyer beware.’ The overwhelming advice is to wait it out. Brexit and election headlines are causing an even greater degree of hesitancy and it’s probably best to heed the warnings, wait until the market takes a collective exhale and measure the impact of leaving the union. Until then remember as in any big decision, marry in haste, repent at leisure.

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INSIDE Story Interior designer, entrepreneur, broadcaster, podcaster and product designer: KELLY HOPPEN is a woman of endless talents. She tells Modern Woman why east-meetswest will always be her go-to aesthetic, and why research, quality and a neutral palette is everything

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sk anyone to name a British interior designer and they’re likely to pipe up with one name: Kelly Hoppen. Having begun her trajectory designing a friend’s kitchen, today hers is a multi-million pound business with a dizzying number of offshoots. Here she chats her stellar turn on Dragon’s Den, her new podcast and why her signature style has stood her in excellent stead over the course of a 40-year career. Tell us about what makes the Kelly Hoppen look – is it something that developed organically over time? I’ve always stayed true to my signature east-meets-west style, but that’s not to say it hasn’t developed over time as I have

as grown as a designer and as fashions have changed. I always tailor my style to different tastes and functions but typically I use a lot of neutrals, which are complemented by rich golds contrasted with deep blacks. What three pieces of advice should everyone consider when decorating at home? Firstly, make sure that your home is as functional as it is beautiful. The style needs to suit your lifestyle and family and the life you live. Second, don’t get caught up in trends and instead elaborate on your own style to make your house feel like your haven. And third, have fun! Interior design shouldn’t be an intimidating undertaking left to the professionals. Play with lighting, accessories and colour

INTERIORS: KELLY HOPPEN to change the mood of the room and remember small changes can make a big difference. What are the key trends in interiors right now? This year we’ve seen matte black everywhere throughout the home, which gives a touch of modernity and hides surface blemishes which is a lifesaver for people with busy, bustling lives. To offset this, bold patterned carpets have been popular to add a pop of colour to a room. However I always vouch for a neutral colour palette, which remains a classic choice as trends change and can be dialled up with accessories and artwork. Many more people are living in shared spaces these days. How would you approach interiors to bring people of diverse tastes together? Keep the larger pieces and surface areas neutral and then the occupants can add their own personal touches, such as books, pictures, accessories and so on. Tell us, how did you became a designer? I’d been obsessed with interior design from a young age and was given my first foot in the door designing the kitchen of a family friend. This was a huge opportunity that went on to open many more doors. My career in interior design has now spanned more than 40 years. You became a familiar face beyond the interiors world when you became a dragon on Dragon’s Den. What was it like getting into broadcasting? It was amazing being part of a show like Dragon’s Den. I loved it, it’s a great buzz and I really had a lot of fun behind the scenes with the other dragons but it was really time consuming whilst running a big business! How has working in television affected your business? And has it had an effect on the way you

work with others? I had to be really organised and ensure I was checking emails before filming and in the breaks, and make sure my team had extra time with me when I wasn’t filming. It took up a lot of time, not only on camera but you have a lot to do a lot off camera, especially for a show like Dragon’s Den as I spent a lot of time coaching entrepreneurs. I am selective on TV projects but I do love it and I feel comfortable in front of the camera. Any tips for growing your work through media partnerships? It’s important to build relations in as many ways as possible to help grow your business and working with the media is a good way to this. My main tip is to not be afraid of sharing your tips in the media to help others learn from you. You’ve designed your own range of wonderful products for the home to help maximise contentment. Can you share more with us about them? Yes I’m really passionate about designing my product ranges but it’s not something that has happened overnight; my development in creating products for the home comes from years of experience of knowing what I want and what clients want and putting that into practise. What advice would you give the woman in business who wants to create a product range, for example, the aromatherapist who wants to make candles? Research is really important. Look at ways to source quality materials and the right manufacturer. I partner with different companies and license my brand so I pick partners who have similar values. Quality is of utmost importance. Finally, you’ve also turned your ever-capable hand to a new podcast. Tell us more? I launched The Kelly Hoppen

“My main tip is to not be afraid of sharing your tips in the media to help others learn from you.” LEFT AND ABOVE Kelly Hoppen advises a neutral base palette that can then be accessorised with new trends

Show because I wanted more people to have access to the wisdom and advice I’ve been privy to over the years. The women who joined me on the show are hugely successful in their various fields and have a wealth of information and insight that can be transferred to any walk of life. I love the idea that my podcast could inspire a future female CEO or entrepreneur and that what they learn from my guests can be shared amongst their own networks to spread these messages further. Follow Kelly on Instagram @kellyhoppen www.kellyhoppen.com

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INSPIRATIONAL Quotes

“You can make more friends in two months by becoming interested in other people than you can in two years by trying to get other people interested in you.”

“Individual commitment to a group effort--that is what makes a team work, a company work, a society work, a civilization work.” VINCE LOMBARDI

DALE CARNEGIE

“Networking is marketing. Marketing yourself, marketing your uniqueness, marketing what you stand for.” CHRISTINE COMAFORD-LYNCH

“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” MAYA ANGELOU

“If your business comes from relationships, relationships should be your business.”

“In order to build a rewarding employee experience, you need to understand what matters most to your people” JULIE BEVACQUA

“Train people well enough so they can leave. Treat them well enough so they don’t have to.” SIR RICHARD BRANSON

“Giving connects two people, the giver and the receiver, and this connection gives birth to a new sense of belonging.” DEEPAK CHOPRA

DOUG ALES

“Nothing liberates your greatness like the desire to help, the desire to serve”

“If your actions create a legacy that inspires others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, then, you are an excellent leader.”

MARIANNE WILLIAMSON DOLLY PARTON

Issue 6

TRAVEL: THE KENSINGTON HOTEL

The Kensington

SYSTEM ROSIE COXSHAW checks in to The Kensington Hotel for the most sumptuous of staycations

here’s nothing quite like travel: the thrill of the new, the learning about other cultures, the curious licence you give yourself to indulge as you see fit. And yet, sometimes, staying at home is the very thing that soothes the soul, and on a chilly night in November, London was the only place in the world I wanted to be. That might just have had something to do with having moments earlier checked in to The Doyle Collection’s The Kensington, one of the capital’s most cocooning and luxurious hotels, but who am I to overanalyse? Its gleaming stucco-fronted Victorian grandeur, its bowler-hatted doorman, its classic-meetscontemporary interior all add up to form a picture-perfect place we never wanted to leave. Less than a mile from South Kensington station, the Albert Hall and Kensington Gardens and its resplendent Albert Memorial, are right on the doorstep. From there, it’s a skip across onto Queens Gate, and the beautiful twinkling lights loom up before you, stunning door wreaths beckoning you into a world of festive magic. The welcoming staff liberate us of our luggage before we’re shown to The Luxury Studio Suite, which is beautifully decorated with a luxurious fourposter bed, 55’ smart TV and

plush velvet chairs to sink into. The bathroom is equally opulent and practically the same size as the bedroom, as befits its castiron roll top bath, marble hisand-hers sinks and walk-in power shower. We tuck into some home-made lemon cheesecake and get ready for the evening. The hotel’s restaurant, Town House, is classic, smart and refined yet relaxed, in all the ways you’d hope for in this chi-chi pocket of town. Open plan and sublimely comfortable (think clean lines softened by velvet furnishings), the emphasis here is on the local and the seasonal. We start proceedings with a medium-bodied Château du Moulin Rouge, Haut-Médoc 2015, which is bold enough to appreciate over the course of

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP A grand fourposter bed in a well-appointed bedroom; the opulent bar; velvet reigns supreme in the beautiful lobby

the evening. For our mains we opt for the grass-fed Hereford fillet steak, which comes cooked to perfection with peppercorn sauce, and the organic salmon which is light and delicious. We wolf down sides of exemplary French fries, a sublime creamed spinach, and purple sprouting broccoli. Our waitress is friendly and accommodating; nothing is too much trouble, and before the evening is out, we’ve already decided we’ll be back for afternoon tea. We plump for breakfast in the comfort of our quarters. A textbook full English and a runny yolk over sourdough toast dream arrive and we linger over them so long we have to request late checkout. We leave feeling refreshed, relaxed and ready for the day. The Kensington displays all the opulence you’d expect from this part of town, minus any stuffiness. Five stars all round. www.doylecollection.com/ hotels/the-kensington-hotel

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TRAVEL: THREADNEEDLE STREET HOTEL

The

GRAND LADY of Threadneedle Street T

Doing business in the City has never been easier or more welcoming, for that matter. Alexander Larman shows us around the exceptionally hospitable Threadneedles Hotel in the Square Mile

he City has a surprisingly small number of five-star hotels, and most of the recent attention has gone to Threadneedles’ near-neighbour The Ned, a vast behemoth with 10 restaurants and hundreds of bedrooms. Yet if you want something more intimate and enjoyable, Threadneedles, which is based around near-boutique proportions, has 70-odd rooms,

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ABOVE The dome of the sweeping lobby at Threadneedles

meaning that, for this part of town, it feels personal and friendly, rather than just vast. The staff remember your name, and your daughter’s, meaning that one feels welcome from the outset. By the time we arrived at our room, the socalled ‘Armstrong Suite’ – I was amused to find it was named after Neil Armstrong, and not, as I had feared, after Lance – and an excited little girl found

a selection of colouring books and treats just for her, we were completely sold, even before a welcome bottle of Prosecco appeared. The wet and miserable weather suddenly seemed a distant memory. Threadneedles, as the name might suggest, is a converted bank, and it boasts a hugely impressive dome in the main hall, dating from the mid-19th century. I’m given a quick

TRAVEL: THREADNEEDLE STREET HOTEL

whizz-round by the admirably on-it manager, Cedric, who points out the listed features that will remain in all perpetuity; admirers of rich dark wood and chandeliers will be in seventh heaven. This dedication to keeping the past preserved, however, does not mean that the comforts are neglected. A large and sumptuous bed, a wellappointed bathroom and cleverly designed sitting area all make lolling about upstairs a pleasure, especially with a glass of cold, sparkling wine to hand. But, in spite of all this, it would be a mistake to miss the treats that lurk downstairs. The restaurant here is presided over by Marco Pierre White, and it feels like a transplanted version of Wheeler’s of St James. Mr White’s record with his restaurants these days is, to put

it politely, mixed, but this one feels as if real love and effort has gone into it, from the splendidly high-ceilinged room to the red leather banquettes. Yet this would be nothing without the staff, from the endlessly welcoming and friendly maitre’d to the genuinely nice waiters; one gets the impression that, given the chance, they would be happy to sit down with you, pour you a glass of something excellent, and chat like old friends. Sometimes, this can feel intrusive, but here it just feels like a pleasure. The food is, as you’d expect for the City, heavy on meat and seafood; highlights include flawless oysters Rockefeller, with which we are liberally helped to glasses of Veuve, a fine lemon sole for my wife and a very good fillet steak for me – with

ABOVE The sumptuous dining room presided over by Marco Pierre White ABOVE TOP AND RIGHT The beautiful rooms, of which there are 70 to choose from

LEFT The bustling bar at Threadneedles is smart and buzzy

the unusual side order of snails – and triple-cooked chips. I am intrigued by a prawn cocktail, and order it, almost on a whim; it turns up, and I am very glad that my whim has been indulged. Our daughter, who has been overwhelmed by the day, keeps threatening to fall asleep at the dining table, but she is kept going by a plate of sausage and chips. We are more than sated on the wine front; at any point that our glasses seem to be in danger of being half empty, someone rushes to top them up. By the time that I float upstairs to bed, after a particularly good espresso martini, I’m amused by the serendipity of Tom Jones’s Delilah playing in the bar: forgive me, Delilah, I just couldn’t take any more. We leave with fond farewells from the staff, who seem genuinely sad to say goodbye. We have been splendidly looked after, and the memories of the previous day recede far into the distance. This particular lady or gentleman of Threadneedle Street is a very good prospect indeed, and we cannot recommend investing in a night or two here strongly enough; a pleasure from start to finish. 5 Threadneedle Street, EC2R 8AY; www.hotelthreadneedles.co.uk

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TRAVEL: HOTEL INDIGO

Into the

WOODS Alexander Larman’s wet weekend in Stratfordupon-Avon is salvaged by a spectacular visit to the new-look Hotel Indigo’s The Woodsman restaurant

t was raining in Stratford-upon-Avon when we arrived, which always makes me think that a visit here is going to consist of more Avon than Stratford. The weather was cruelly changeable, which meant that every moment we lowered our brollies, another squall of rain would attack us. With this in mind, the first day was not spent doing the usual things that a visitor to this fine town would do, but instead lurking in the comfort of the Hotel Indigo, the latest addition to the town. It was not, all things considered, such a hardship. The Intercontinental group has taken over what was once a ramshackle and down-at-heel old building called The Falcon and skilfully and tastefully remodelled it. The architecturally unexceptional modern building

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ABOVE The gloriously cosy but stylish renovation at Hotel Indigo in Stratfordupon-Avon

RIGHT The Woodsman specialises in interesting and unusual cuts of meat

has been renovated beautifully; the rooms are sublimely comfortable, the mosaic-tiled bathrooms, complete with huge walk-in showers, are particularly spectacular and, despite the absence of much of a view – you could just about spy Shakespeare’s old school at the end of the street – have established themselves as

some of Stratford’s best in an increasingly crowded field. The renovation will, by now, be fully complete, meaning that the more characterful buildings in the main part of the hotel should also be open to the intrigued – and they should offer better views as well. However, the raison d’etre of the building is already up, and firing on all wood-fired

TRAVEL: HOTEL INDIGO cylinders. There is an especially happy feeling when one visits a restaurant that offers a uniquely satisfying experience from beginning to end, and The Woodsman is that very place. It’s an offshoot of Fulham’s The Harwood Arms, and is owned and run by proprietor of both, Mike Robinson, a genial and hospitable man who was much in evidence on our visit, a few weeks after opening. Robinson is an evangelist about unusual and interesting meats and fish that can be grilled over a woodfired oven, and much of what’s on offer is truly next-generation stuff, whether it’s a muntjac deer ‘lollipop’ and a venison Scotch egg every bit the equal of the Harwood’s; a T-bone of deer; or a fine tail of monkfish. The room, which was packed to capacity, is lovely – a combination of old and new school – and the food is sublime. I shan’t forget my starter of corned beef and duck egg mayonnaise any time soon (a clue: it’s nothing like the corned beef you might have had out of a tin once) and a dessert of strawberry gateau is a truly rare and delightful experience. We also enjoyed a suitably bohemian touch; a drinks trolley that appears by every table offering sparkling wine, champagne or home-made gin, then magically transformed into a sublime gin and tonic at your table. Robinson’s also in charge of the breakfast service, which is especially good; my wife

pronounces her avocado with poached eggs and tomato amongst the best she’s ever had, and my full English is a thing of beauty. I’ve visited some excellent restaurants this year, but it would take somewhere pretty exceptional to beat this as an experience. Thus sated, we venture out into Stratford itself. There are a plethora of places to visit, most intimately connected with Shakespeare himself. The birthplace, on Henley Street, is always worth a visit, although the house itself is probably the least interesting thing about it; inevitably much changed and reconstructed since Shakespeare’s time, it now has a faintly ersatz quality, although the costumed re-enactors do at least offer a higher calibre of tour guiding than usual. Far

TOP Hotel Indigo is a great place for larger parties ABOVE One of the spectacularly renovated rooms

LEFT The Woodsman is one of the openings of the year, thanks to the vision of Mike Robinson, also properietor at the famous Harwood Arms in Fulham

more interesting is the initial exhibition, complete with a very watchable short film. Even the shop is interesting, although if you want your ‘a gift from Stratford-upon-Avon’ mug, you’ll find that here as well. Another spot worth visiting is New Place, the grounds of what was Shakespeare’s house in Stratford; it was demolished in the 18th-century because its owner was sick of tourists gawping in at it, and when he was asked to pay his taxes, he simply knocked the building down. Thanks to some careful and painstaking work by the Birthplace Trust, a visit here offers a mixture of archaeological speculation, historical intrigue and a beautiful garden to relax in. All in all, it’s one of the nicest things to do in Stratford, and only a moment’s walk from the Woodsman, too. www.stratford.hotelindigo.com

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LAST WORD: HISTORICAL HEROINES

ver sixty years ago, a new musical language began to its exert its joyful influence over the planet. Originating in Jamaica, it took several names – Blue Beat, then Ska, and Rock Steady – before finally arriving at the term that continues to have the power to put an instant smile on faces and get us moving in anticipation: Reggae. For the origins of this joyous music, we must travel back in time to the Alpha Boys Club in Kingston. An unlikely birthplace for a musical movement, it began life as an establishment intended for the advancement of ‘wayward boys’; later, however, under the guidance and development of one Sister Mary Ignatius Davies, a nun of the Order of the Sisters of Mercy, the Alpha Boys Club began to provide an alternative to a life of crime and poverty on the streets of the city. Under her auspices, teenage boys were brought in and encouraged to develop skills, particularly in sports and music. Sister Iggy, as she became known, had a great record collection which spanned Jazz, Soul and Blues and, from the early Sixties, she held a sound system called ‘Mutt and Jeff’ every Saturday afternoon at

SISTERAct Sister Iggy, The Reggae Godmother (1921 - 2003). By Donna Graham

Using her considerable charisma, she exuded determination and dedication and was a great example to her ‘Alpha Boys’, teaching them resilience, honesty and hard work in whatever endeavor they chose. the club. She also knew many local musicians and decided to invite them to teach the youths how to play a whole variety of instruments. The result, of course, was the development of the boys’ own unique style, which would later, and forevermore, come to be known as Reggae. Sister Iggy was born in Innswood Parish, Jamaica, in 1921

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ABOVE The diminutuve Sister Iggy taught ‘wayward’ boys music that would give rise to the Reggae movement

and she herself attended the corresponding Alpha Girls School before taking Holy Orders in 1939 as a nun. Though diminutive in stature, her personality was outsize. Using her considerable charisma, she exuded determination and dedication and was a great example to her ‘Alpha Boys’, teaching them resilience, honesty and hard work in whatever endeavour they so chose to follow. Sister Iggy lived her whole life at Alpha Boys Club and, as well as nurturing young musicians, she also oversaw the development of sports there. Her goal was to create gainful employment for all her pupils; her driving passion was a great success. In 1996 she was awarded the Badge of Honour for services to Jamaica but, perhaps, her best legacy is the verdict of her old boys, many of whom maintain that they’d have been dead without her. All hail Sister Iggy.

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