Dynamic Business Magazine - issue 30 by Platinum Media Group

ISSUE #30

THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE FOR WOMEN

BIG STORY

Claudia Goldin Nobel Prize winner TRAVEL

SPOTLIGHT

Glorious Bath DINING

The Pass at South Lodge

Movers & Shakers

What Corporate women want Women in STEM

THE DYNAMIC FESTIVAL FIRST KEYNOTE ANNOUNCED

TH E IC M A N DY IVAL T S E F A FESTIVAL OF BUSINESS  EXCLUSIVELY FOR WOMEN

APRIL 29TH 2024 THE GRAND BRIGHTON Following on from the phenomenal success of the all-female Dynamic Awards, we have decided to go one step further and launch a full-day Dynamic Festival of Business, exclusively for women. In our effort to level the playing field, Dynamic Magazine will be presenting a full day of Education, Motivation and Inspiration at The Grand Brighton on April 29th 2024. This will be followed the next day by the third year of the Dynamic Awards. It will be a packed day of inspirational speakers, riveting interactive panel discussions, motivational workshops and educational seminars run by some of the leading experts in the UK, to aid women’s continuing professional development.

TICKETS GO ON SALE FROM NOVEMBER 15TH 2023

Contact info@platinummediagroup.co.uk to pre-register

PLATINUM ME DIA GROUP

WE ARE DELIGHTED TO ANNOUNCE OUR FIRST KEYNOTE SPEAKERS BARONESS MARTHA LANE FOX, CBE, HonFREng Martha was the founder of the world’s first comparison website, lastminute.com which she sold for £577million having started it in a broom cupboard; was the UK’s Digital Champion and created the Government Digital Service, the team that launched gov.uk, and she has a seat on the board of the Cabinet Office Efficiency and Reform Board. She is also the Chancellor of the Open University; a non-executive Director of Chanel; trustee of the Queen’s Commonwealth Trust; Founder of karaoke chain, Lucky Voice; Chair of WeTransfer; Board member of Twitter. She was ranked 15th on the list of 100 Most Influential British Entrepreneurs and became a crossbench peer in March 2013, becoming The Right Honourable Baroness Lane-Fox of Soho. Martha Lane Fox is currently the President of the British Chambers of Commerce.

Justine Roberts CBE Founder and CEO of Mumsnet Mumsnet has grown into the UK’s busiest and most influential network for parents, with over 10 million unique users per month. Mumsnet was awarded the Online Comment Site of the Year (Editorial Intelligence Comment Awards) 2011 and 2014. Justine was the Institute of Internal Communication Communicator of the Year in 2014, and EY Entrepreneur of the Year London and South Winner in 2016, and was one of EU-Startup’s Top 50 Most Influential Women in Startups and VC in 2019. Before Mumsnet, Justine was a journalist for the Daily Telegraph and the Times, and before that, she was an economist and strategist for SG Warburg.

YOUR HOST FOR THE DAY NATASHA KAPLINSKY OBE Natasha spent many years as the main news anchor on Sky News, BBC News, Channel 4 and ITV, and was the very first winner of Strictly Come Dancing with her partner Brendan Cole; she co-hosted the second series with Bruce Forsyth. In 2014, the government appointed her a Holocaust Commissioner and in 2017, she was awarded an OBE. Natasha is currently the President of the British Board of Film Classification.

CONTENTS

FEATURE

What Women Want

Kreston Reeves

STEM education

FEATURE Stephanie Aitken researched women in the UK Corporate sector to ﬁnd out what it is they really want

Alison Jones talks about planning for the future – tackling the ‘what if’ scenarios

I intend to leave after my death a large fund for the promotion of the peace idea, but I am skeptical as to its results Alfred Nobel, Swedish inventor

PLATINUM MEDIA GROUP

ISSUE 30

More women are studying and working in STEM-based ﬁelds, though recognition and work environments need to improve

The number of women who have been awarded the Nobel Prize for Economic Sciences in 54 years.

All rights reserved. The views expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the publisher. The publisher cannot accept responsibility for any errors or omissions relating to advertising or editorial. The publisher reserves the right to change or amend any competitions or prizes oﬀered. No part of this publication may be reproduced without prior written consent from the publisher. No responsibility is taken for unsolicited materials or the return of these materials whilst in transit. Surrey Business Magazine is owned and published by Platinum Media Group Limited.

www.platinummediagroup.co.uk | NOVEMBER 2023

REGULARS

EVENTS

News

2 The Dynamic Festival 2024 Announcing our host and ﬁrst keynote speaker at next year’s festival of business for women

8 Upfront: The top international news stories involving women in business 22 In The Right Direction: Good news stories from around the world

Spotlight

24 Highlighting four female business leaders who ought to get more recognition than they currently receive

20 The Dynamic Awards 2024 The prestigious business awards for women returns for a third year in April next year

Wellbeing

30 The importance of a seriously good night’s sleep

Further reading

32 Desiree Anderson, HR and coaching expert, is the author of Your Voyage to Success, plus four more pertinent titles

Art Scene

One never notices what has been done; one can only see what remains to be done

34 Kellie Miller discusses the colourful works of Maria Ten Kortenaar

Travel

36 For opulence, luxury and relaxation, Tess de Klerk loves South Lodge Spa

Marie Curie, double Nobel Prize winner

38 If one spa wasn’t enough, Dynamic visits an entire city built on one – Bath

BIG STORY

Claudia Goldin

Dynamic chronicles the life and works of Claudia Goldin, the recipient of the 2023 Nobel Prize for Economic Sciences

Fine Dining

40 With wonderful views over the sea, the Grand Brighton’s Cyan Restaurant is not to be missed

What’s On

42 A brief snapshot of art and culture cross Sussex and Surrey

Girl Torque

44 Fiona Shafer, MD of MDHUB was given her – to date – most expensive car to road test, an Audi R8 V10 Coupé

CONTACTS PUBLISHER: Maarten Hoffmann maarten@platinummediagroup.co.uk EDITOR: Tess de Klerk tess@platinummediagroup.co.uk MOTORING EDITOR: Fiona Shafer fionas@platinummediagroup.co.uk COMMERCIAL DIRECTOR: Lesley Alcock lesley@platinummediagroup.co.uk EVENTS DIRECTOR: Fiona Graves fiona@platinummediagroup.co.uk EVENTS MANAGER: Žaneta Bealing zaneta@platinummediagroup.co.uk HEAD OF DESIGN: Michelle Shakesby design@platinummediagroup.co.uk SUB EDITOR: Alan Wares alan@platinummediagroup.co.uk

WWW.PLATINUMMEDIAGROUP.CO.UK NOVEMBER 2023 | www.platinummediagroup.co.uk

Financial advice, built around you. • Personal finance advice • Retirement planning • Business support • Generational planning • Tax year-end advice

I’m proud to represent both male and female clients. And, while it goes without saying that both can experience the same stressors, there’s no avoiding the fact that women face several unique challenges. My 20 years’ experience has shown that women can therefore greatly benefit from highly personalised financial advice, which takes these challenges into account. This is why I’m so passionate about empowering women with the confidence and tools to help them achieve their long-term financial goals. So, whatever your financial journey so far, let me give you the guidance, support, and stability to help you plan a happy and financially secure life.

Call me for a no-obligation initial meeting on 01444 712672 to find out more.

Wellesley House, 50 Victoria Road, Burgess Hill, West Sussex, RH15 9LH 01444 712672 | info@wellesleywa.co.uk | wellesleywa.co.uk SJP approved on 08/03/2023 Wellesley is an Appointed Representative of and represents only St. James’s Place Wealth Management plc (which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority) for the purpose of advising solely on the group’s wealth management products and services, more details of which are set out on the group’s website: www.sjp.co.uk/products. Wellesley is a trading name of Wellesley Investment Management Limited, registered in England & Wales No. 6530147. Registered Office: 44 The Pantiles, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN2 5TN.

EDITOR’S NOTE A very warm welcome to the November issue of Dynamic Magazine. This month, we feel privileged to bring you our big story coverage of Claudia Goldin, who was awarded the Nobel Prize for Economic Science this year. The citation for her work reads, “…advanced our understanding of women’s labour market outcomes.” She is only the third female awarded this prestigious prize since its inception in 1969. As always, we bring you more. We take a look at what UK women really want from the corporate world – not based on US-centric data, while Alison Jones from Kreston Reeves warns against the perils of insufficient planning for disaster management within your business. Our regular feature, Spotlight, celebrates four brilliant women as we hear their stories. You’re treated to a double Travel section this month – what can I say? We like working AND we like relaxing. Always striving for work/life balance! Thanks, Fiona Shafer for regaling us with your review of the very, very alluring Audi R8 Coupé! We hope you enjoy reading Dynamic as much as we enjoyed creating her.

Editor, Dynamic Magazine tess@platinummediagroup.co.uk

NOVEMBER 2023 | www.platinummediagroup.co.uk

WOMEN IN THE WORKPLACE STUDY Women are more ambitious than ever, and workplace ﬂexibility is fuelling them. Yet despite some hard-fought gains, women’s representation is not keeping pace. That’s according to the latest Women in the Workplace report from McKinsey in the US, in partnership with LeanIn.Org. McKinsey collected information from 276 participating organisations across the US and Canada. At these organisations, the firm surveyed more than 27,000 employees and 270 senior HR leaders. The headline news is that there have been deserved gains at the top, with women’s representation in the C-suite at its highest-ever. However, there is also lagging progress in the middle of the pipeline, and a persistent underrepresentation of women of colour. True parity, McKinsey states, is still out of reach.

UPFRONT THE LATEST BULLETINS FROM AROUND THE WORLD

MEXICO TO ELECT FEMALE PRESIDENT Mexico goes to the polls in June 2024 to elect a new government and president. The winner will be a woman. We know this because, for the first time, two women have been the nominated by their respective political alliances. The left-wing Claudia Sheinbaum will run off against her conservative counterpart Xóchitl Gálvez next year. Their candidacies reflect remarkable progress in female representation in positions of power across the public sector in Mexico, where women only got the right to vote in 1953. Today, half of congress, half the cabinet, the Chief Justice, Central Bank Governor and almost a third of state governors are all female.

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Women have discovered that they cannot rely on men’s chivalry to give them justice Helen Keller, advocate

‘BURNT CAKE’ A WOMEN-ONLY TRADES BUSINESS Southampton-based Kirsty Henderson-Jones, an educator with a 25-year teaching tenure, has transitioned her passion for teaching into a groundbreaking venture. Embracing the world of trades, she recently unveiled ‘Burnt Cake,’ a pioneering women-only business poised to revolutionise the industry. Kirsty intends to empower women in traditionally male-dominated fields, offering an array of services from plumbing to carpentry, tiling, painting, decorating, and even comprehensive interior and garden design services, the business is set to redefine the standards of craftsmanship. Kirsty’s journey into the trades was motivated by a desire to challenge stereotypes and create opportunities for women seeking to excel in hands-on professions, coming at a time when the demand for skilled tradespeople has never been higher. For more info: info@burntcake.co.uk

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FEMALE ENTREPRENEURS HONOURED AT GLOBAL EVENT Entrepreneurs from Uganda, Nigeria and Saudi Arabia took the spotlight on October 18th at the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) 8th Women in Business Awards in Abu Dhabi, UAE. Held during the organisation’s World Investment Forum 2023, the event honoured female entrepreneurs from developing countries who’ve achieved success and promoted business models that deliver a positive impact. “It gives me immense pride to recognise the female entrepreneurs present tonight,” UNCTAD Secretary-General Rebeca Grynspan said “You have demonstrated what it truly means to have a vision steered by passion, strength and an unyielding commitment to making a diﬀerence by breaking age-old glass ceilings, introducing groundbreaking ideas and carving out new pathways.”

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We need women who are so strong they can be gentle, so educated they can be humble, so ﬁerce they can be compassionate, so passionate they can be rational and so disciplined they can be free Kavita Ramdas, advocate

SEXISM IN THE CITY The UK Treasury Committee, investigating sexism in the City, has heard how clamping down on hybrid work is hampering gender equality in the City of London. The Committee heard a recent deposition from Fiona Mackenzie, CEO of The Other Half, a UK-based think tank dedicated to developing practical policy in women’s interests. When the outbreak of Covid-19 forced firms to adapt to working from home, the change benefitted working parents in particular, Mackenzie told the Committee. “One problem with hybrid working is that very few people are now defending it and lots of CEOs do not love it. They know that their people love it, but they are quite keen to switch it off.”

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There’s something special about a woman who dominates in a man’s world. It takes a certain grace, strength, intelligence, fearlessness and the nerve to never take no for an answer Rihanna, musical artist

CALLS FOR BETTER SUPPORT FOR WOMEN EXPERIENCING MENOPAUSE The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development has called for increased employer support to help those experiencing menopause to stay and progress in work. As we reported in Dynamic last month, over a quarter of women (27%) aged 40-60 in the UK, who are currently in employment and have experienced menopause symptoms – an estimated 1.2 million – say that menopause has had a negative impact on their career progression. • 36% of women with a disability or long-term health condition say their symptoms have had a negative impact on their career progression, compared with 24% who don’t have one. • 38% of women who identify as from an ethnic minority background say their symptoms have had a negative impact on their career progression, compared with 25% who are white. NOVEMBER 2023 | www.platinummediagroup.co.uk

FE ATURE

What do UK women REALLY want in Corporate Britain today? STEPHANIE AITKEN found herself frustrated by the US-centric data about women in the workplace. Here she shares with us her home-grown research

As gender diversity consultant, Stephanie spent years reviewing research on women in the workplace in the UK, and had been frustrated by the fact that most of this research was US-centric; or combined data from multiple territories; and was primarily or exclusively based on quantitative surveys. She wanted to hear from UK women themselves about their wants, needs and experiences. So Stephanie did something simple that few people seem to have done before – she asked the women. The outcome is a research report that spells out exactly what it is that women working in UK corporates really want, and how that differs from their lived experience of work. Gender-based inequality is a pervasive issue, with women constituting the largest group affected. A critical aspect of this inequality is the underrepresentation of women in the workforce, obstructing the attainment of true gender diversity. The current talent pipeline for women in the corporate sector is flawed, impeding progress. While men and women enter the workforce in equal numbers, women occupy less than a third of senior leadership positions in most corporations. This discrepancy endures despite two decades of media coverage and concentrated efforts by governments and companies to address the issue. 10

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Recent studies reveal an unprecedented exodus of senior women from their jobs, underscoring the ineffectiveness of the current approach. This research seeks to delve into the underlying causes of these challenges as perceived by corporate women themselves, rather than relying on external rhetoric.

KEY CHALLENGES WOMEN FACE

Superficial support initiatives: Many corporations engage in what can be termed ‘support-washing.’ Their initiatives to support women in their careers are often sporadic, inaccessible, incomplete, or inadequate to meet women’s genuine needs. These initiatives can be seen as mere ‘checkthe-box’ exercises or superficial embellishments. Timing of support: Women often do not receive appropriate support at various stages of their careers. They are frequently treated as a homogeneous group with a one-size-fits-all approach, or tailored support is offered too late in their careers. Incompatible work culture: The working culture of senior leadership teams is often perceived as incongruent with women’s values, preferred work methods, and life priorities, casting doubt on their prospects for advancement within their companies.

WHAT WOULD MAKE THE DIFFERENCE FOR WOMEN?

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I commissioned this research because even after decades of media coverage and campaigning – corporate Britain is still failing women and I wanted to understand why STEPHANIE AITKEN

Communication bias: Corporations frequently assess performance based on criteria and biases that favour a narrow ‘masculine’ communication style, where the loudest and most dominant voices take precedence, drowning out women’s contributions. The confidence paradox: Most women contend with confidence issues, which is challenging in a corporate culture that values assertiveness. Those who display confidence often feel they are not respected and are negatively perceived as a result. Mixed role models: Women seek role models within their organisations but frequently encounter senior women whose behaviours make them feel that progress with authenticity and balance is unattainable. Toxic work environments: Some women, especially in traditionally male-dominated industries, face problematic and exclusionary behaviours, including sexist comments, unprofessional advances, and outright discrimination.

6 7

Navigating these challenges can feel like a labyrinth, and the journey is even more challenging for women of colour.

Universally, the decision to have children and caregiving responsibilities were identified as the most significant influencers on women’s careers. Women desire comprehensive and progressive maternity and caregiving policies embedded within a culture that supports mothers, ensuring their careers do not suffer as a result. Women also seek sponsors and mentors to guide them and provide opportunities for flexibility.

FOR EACH CAREER STAGE, PROVIDING TAILORED SUPPORT IS CRUCIAL EARLY-STAGE WOMEN: • Explicit guidance on career development and pathways • Skill development relevant to their roles • Learning professional approaches aligned with the corporate world • Opportunities to build their network with senior stakeholders • Sponsors to advocate for them • Confidence-building support MID-STAGE WOMEN: • Flexible working options • Coaching to manage job and family responsibilities • Leadership skills training • Mentorship on career advancement SENIOR-STAGE WOMEN: • Coaching to navigate the culture, demands, and politics at the top • More ﬂexibility in achieving objectives • Internal and external mentors • Peer support for leadership pressures • Menopause policies and awareness training • Acceptance of diﬀering leadership and communication styles.

FE ATURE

KEY INSIGHT

Many of the support measures women seek would benefit all genders. This approach can facilitate corporate investment in initiatives that improve the talent pipeline for women, as they are seen as constructive for all staff. It avoids potential pushback from those who view it as unfair and unnecessary, reducing the likelihood of career penalties for women or others who take advantage of these initiatives.

FURTHER RECOMMENDATIONS FOR CORPORATIONS

• Engage women before implementation: Gather input from women to design and implement initiatives that will deliver tangible results at the right career stages. • Lifelong career support: Implement interventions at each key stage of women’s careers, tailored to their phase-specific needs and ensuring cohesion and progression. • Inclusivity: Make initiatives available and relevant to all employees, regardless of gender, while retaining womenonly initiatives when needed to address unique challenges. • Transparency and communication: Maintain open communication with staff regarding data, initiatives, and progress, fostering a two-way flow of information.

It’s right that we shouldn’t ﬁ x women, we should ﬁ x the system

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• Caregiver accessibility: Ensure programmes and events are accessible to caregivers. • Awareness training: Provide training for managers and staff on policies to embed them within the culture and facilitate discussions on sensitive topics. • Senior support: Engage senior leaders and appoint ongoing champions to maintain initiatives on the strategic agenda, including accountability measures and incentives for follow-through. • Regular audits: Measure the impact of initiatives regularly and update them as needed. • Publicise support provisions: Promote gender-specific support provisions in recruitment materials to enhance competitiveness. Addressing the gender imbalance and supporting women throughout their careers is not only an ethical imperative but also essential for corporate success and diversity. Initiatives tailored to the needs of women at different career stages can benefit all employees, fostering a more inclusive and equitable workplace. www.stephanieaitken.com

RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW, WE NEED YOUR HELP

Could your business be part of our moving story and Help Keep Martlets Caring? If you want to discuss ways your business could support Martlets call our Fundraising team on 01273 747455 or email fundraising@martlets.org.uk

Help Keep Martlets Caring Registered Charity Number: 802145 MN0041

FINANCE

Do you know what issues are likely to aﬀect your business and its ability to operate in the future? How prepared are you and your business in the event of a disaster happening? If the “what if?” happens, how will you and your team respond? By ALISON JONES, Partner of Kreston Reeves

Head in the sand, or planning for the future? I recently experienced an unexpected ‘disaster’ in that, due to ill health, I completely lost my voice and subsequently ended up needing unexpected treatment. Thankfully I am making a full recovery and due to our business continuity systems in place, my colleagues were able to help me with my workload, so that client work continued seamlessly. It isn’t just a bout of ill health that can throw a business off course. A surprising number of business owners I meet haven’t thought about what broader issues are on the horizon. What if this develops into a crisis, or how an unexpected disaster can strike at any time. How this would affect the ability of their business to run smoothly? If the Covid pandemic has taught us one thing, it is whatever the size of your business, you should think about how your business can be affected by many different factors. Have business continuity plans in place as, the faster 14

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you can adapt, your business will be more likely to survive. The smaller your business, then potentially the more at risk it is, and it is hard to plan for every scenario. But I would, however, like to encourage business owners to ask themselves “what if?” frequently and how their business would respond or adapt. As a further example, a client we worked with experienced a serious fire a few years ago at their premises and they lost most of the products they supply. By chance, they had a delivery due for arrival and they were able to act quickly and to redirect products out to customers without the need for finding storage for them. Their customers also agreed to store additional products for them temporarily. Not only did this help with their cashflow and save the relationships they had with their customers, but it also gave them time to organise a new premises and to restock.

They learned important lessons from this disaster which continues to shape how they do business now. Fire is an unfortunate and extreme disaster, but other issues happen regularly and can have a serious impact on your business. Before you draft a business continuity plan, you need to understand the risks your business faces and the potential seriousness of each. Drafting and maintaining a risk register is a vital business tool, and a good place to start to consider how you would continue trading if any of the things on your register happen. It should also consider changes in government policy such as tax, law etc especially as we approach the next General Election, as a change in government and government policy could significantly impact on how you conduct business in the future. Not only does a risk register help you to stand back and take a 360º look at your business and where it might be exposed, it also allows you to plan for all the scenarios that may happen. As part of this review, you should consider and document your business processes and check that you have sufficient procedures in place that would allow your business to carry on trading if one of your risks materialised. Don’t forget to ask your team for their input as part of this process as they may identify risks you were unaware of. A risk register is a document which should be reviewed regularly and, of course, some types of organisation, such as a charity, must have one in place. Once you have identified all the risks then having a plan in place for ensuring business continuity is important, and this is a plan that should be referred to and updated regularly, as it will guide how your business operates and achieves its business goals and objectives.

A key focus for business continuity planning now, especially post pandemic, is supporting the employees of a business, and maintaining their mental health and physical well-being. Businesses should also monitor the speed and impact of technology changes, especially artificial intelligence and the pace that this is now evolving. Other issues which may affect your business in the future might be linked to supply chain issues beyond your control, the impact of climate change, the ongoing war in Ukraine and continuing financial uncertainty across overseas economies. Forward thinking businesses integrate their risk register and business continuity planning to help increase their resilience and to allow them to evolve and adapt quickly. Knowing what processes to keep and what to get rid of during a crisis allows for greater flexibility within an organisation, and that often comes from educating and empowering your team to respond quickly. Those organisations which are thriving will be stress testing their business planning on a regular basis to identify and adapt to change before a situation develops and takes hold or a disaster occurs. Finally, it is frequently said that a crisis never comes in isolation, so ensuring your team can identify and prioritise all issues as they arise is essential to longer term success.

The smaller your business, then potentially the more at risk it is

Alison Jones can be contacted at alison.jones@krestonreeves.com Visit www.krestonreeves.com or call us on 0330 124 1399

Before you draft a business continuity plan, you need to understand the risks your business faces

NOVEMBER 2023 | www.platinummediagroup.co.uk

STORY BIG

US economist Claudia Goldin was recently announced as the recipient of the Nobel Prize for Economic Science 2023. The citation for her work reads, “for having advanced our understanding of women’s labour market outcomes.” It means she is only the third female to be awarded this prize – and the first solo – since its inception in 1969. Dynamic looks at the ongoing life and work of Claudia Goldin, the groundbreaking researcher, economist, historian and egalitarian, who has blazed a trail with her work into this magazine’s prime bête noire – the gender pay gap.

Claudia Goldin

A TRAILBLAZER EARLY STUDIES

Claudia Dale Goldin was born in New York City on May 14th 1946. Born into a Jewish family, she grew up in Parkchester in the Bronx. Her father Leon worked as a data processing manager at Burlington Industries, and her mother Lucille Rosansky Goldin, who lived to the age of 101, was the principal of Public School 105 in the Bronx. As a child, Claudia had her heart set on becoming an archaeologist, but upon reading Paul de Kruif's ‘The Microbe Hunters’, she became drawn to bacteriology. As a high school junior, she completed a course in microbiology at Cornell University and, after graduating from the Bronx High School of Science, she entered Cornell University – an Ivy League university in New York State – with the intention of studying microbiology. 16

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In her sophomore (second) year, Goldin went to class with Alfred Kahn, "whose utter delight in using economics to uncover hidden truths did for economics what Paul de Kruif's stories had done for microbiology.” In a ‘Eureka’ moment, she became fascinated by regulation and industrial organisation, and she wrote her senior thesis on, of all things, the regulation of communications satellites. After earning her BA in Economics from Cornell, Goldin entered the PhD programme in Economics at the University of Chicago with the intention of studying industrial organisation. She began her PhD programme in that field, but soon after, she added Labour Economics and further drifted into economic history. She received a PhD in Industrial Organisation and Labour Economics from the University of Chicago in 1972, at the age of 26.

POST GRADUATION

After graduating, she became assistant professor at the University of Wisconsin. She moved to Princeton University, New Jersey in 1973 and to the University of Pennsylvania in 1979, where she became a tenured full professor. She joined the economics department at Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts in 1990, becoming the first woman to be offered tenure in that department. Goldin is best known for her historical work on women and the economy. Her research had led her to realise that female workers had been largely overlooked in economic history and she set out to study how the female labour force evolved and its role in economic growth. She wrote several papers in the late 1980s on this subject, while her book, “Understanding the Gender Gap: An Economic History of American Women’ (1990) told the story of the rise of women's employment in the US from the 18th Century to the late 20th Century, its role

in economic growth, and why gender gaps have existed in earnings and employment and continue to exist. “I realised that what I was interested in was what portions of the labour force were doing,” Goldin told Bloomberg Weekly. “There were now freed black women and there were obviously free white women and were they doing different things in the labor force? The answer was ‘yes’. “I started working on families and immigrants, collecting data to understand what immigrant families were doing. I realised that the part of the family that no one was studying was the adult woman, the married woman, the mother, the wife, etc. That’s when I started working more intensively on that.”

Although her Nobel Prize was for the study of the women’s labour market, Goldin continued to work on various topics of current concern

NOVEMBER 2023 | www.platinummediagroup.co.uk

STORY

In the mid-noughties, she began to focus on college women’s quest for career and family, and the reasons for the persistent gender gap in earning

BIG

GROUNDBREAKING RESEARCH

After writing about the economic history of the female labour force, Goldin set out to research the history of US education. She wrote a series of articles on the high school movement and the shaping of higher education in the US that culminated in her Economic History Association presidential address, “The Human Capital Century and American Leadership: Virtues of the Past” (2001). She subsequently worked with - and married - Lawrence Katz to understand the history of social and economic inequality in America and its relationship to educational advances. Their research produced many papers and resulted in the publication of “The Race between Education and Technology” (2008). Although her Nobel Prize was for the study of the women’s labour market, Goldin continued to work on various topics of current concern, and many became part of volumes she jointly edited. These include the role of the press in reducing corruption, the benefits of providing clean water and effective sewage systems to reduce infant mortality (in ‘‘Watersheds in Child Mortality: The Role of Effective Water and Sewerage Infrastructure, 1880 to 1920”), the origins of immigration restriction, or the creation of US unemployment insurance. All of these subject matters have been of importance in US history, and - somewhat pertinently – are very much at the forefront of UK social and economic concern. In the mid-noughties, she began to focus on college women's quest for career and family, and the reasons for the persistent gender gap in earnings. Her American Economic Association presidential address, “A Grand Gender Convergence: Its Last Chapter” highlighted what the last chapter must contain for there to be equality between men and women in the labour market.

Upon being asked about closing the gender pay gap, Goldin is unequivocal and to the point. “I would focus primarily on the fact that if women do the lion’s share of caregiving, then they are not going to be able to take the same types of jobs that men take who are not required to be on call at home. “Am I saying that there’s no discrimination, that pay transparency doesn’t matter, that there aren’t bad actors in the workplace, that there is total fairness? Of course not. But we can get rid of all of the bad actors and harassment and discriminatory practices, and we would still have a very large difference. “The proof of that is that the large difference appears when women have kids. That doesn’t mean that women without kids have a labour market that’s completely balanced and fair, but things really do change with family formation and care duties that women disproportionately take.” “With regard to affordable care, we can see in northern Europe – even the UK – that preschool day care in some of these countries is heavily subsidised and it’s very high quality. “It’s expensive to subsidise that, but it has gone a long way to increasing the ability of women to be equal – or I should say more equal – partners in the workplace. It’s not clear that it completely eliminates all the problems, but it goes a long distance.”

Swedish Academy – Nobel Prize laureates are elected here

WHO CHOOSES THE NOBEL PRIZE WINNERS?

The Nobel Committee invites more than 6,000 individuals to submit names for consideration. You can’t nominate yourself! The individuals include Nobel laureates (past winners), members of the Nobel Committees, holders of chairs in chosen prestigious universities, national governing body members, and other selected notable scientists and leaders in each of the categories. The committee then screens nominations and gets a working list, up to 350 names, depending on the field (physics and economics, for example, have the most, but the peace award list is much tighter). That list gets whittled down to around 15 names in all, with the help of expert consultation.

THE GENDER PAY GAP

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Recommendations are given to the prizeawarding institutions, which determine final selections: the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences confers the prizes for physics, chemistry, and economics; the Karolinska Institute in Solna, just outside Stockholm, confers the prize for physiology or medicine; the Swedish Academy confers the prize for literature; and the Norwegian Nobel Committee confers the prize for peace. Once you’ve secured your victory, keep your calendar clear for a December awards ceremony, where you become an official Nobel laureate and can embrace your cash prize, diploma, and gold medal.

To Goldin, winning the Nobel Prize is recognition for a type of work that is long-term, big picture and concerns two large subjects. The first concerns women and their evolution in the labour force. As women are more than 50% of the world’s population, Goldin points out, why shouldn’t commerce and society as a whole be concerned about that? The second area, for Goldin, is gender. Workplaces and occupations, professions, much of everyday life has become gendered. That’s an area that many people have been working on. What it ultimately means to her is that this work is finally understood to be of incredible importance. Our congratulations go to Claudia Goldin on her amazing work over the past 50 years, and recognition through this highly respected and influential international award.

Our congratulations go to Claudia Goldin on her amazing work over the past 50 years

THE MOST RECENT NOBEL LAUREATES FOR ECONOMICS The past ten Nobel Economics Prize winners, or – to give the accolade its proper title – The Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel 2022 Ben S. Bernanke, Douglas W. Diamond and Philip H. Dybvig “for research on banks and financial crises” 2021 David Card “for his empirical contributions to labour economics” Joshua D. Angrist and Guido W. Imbens “for their methodological contributions to the analysis of causal relationships” 2020 Paul R. Milgrom and Robert B. Wilson “for improvements to auction theory and inventions of new auction formats” 2019 Abhijit Banerjee, Esther Duﬂo and Michael Kremer “for their experimental approach to alleviating global poverty” 2018 William D. Nordhaus “for integrating climate change into long-run macroeconomic analysis” Paul M. Romer “for integrating technological innovations into long-run macroeconomic analysis” 2017 Richard H. Thaler “for his contributions to behavioural economics” 2016 Oliver Hart and Bengt Holmström “for their contributions to contract theory” 2015 Angus Deaton “for his analysis of consumption, poverty, and welfare” 2014 Jean Tirole “for his analysis of market power and regulation” 2013 Eugene F. Fama, Lars Peter Hansen and Robert J. Shiller “for their empirical analysis of asset prices” Stephanie Mitchell/Harvard University

WINNING THE NOBEL PRIZE

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CELEBRATING THE REMARKABLE ACHIEVEMENTS OF BUSINESSWOMEN ACROSS THE SOUTH EAST SUSSEX – SURREY – KENT – HAMPSHIRE

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Conﬁdence is 10% hard work and 90% delusion, just thinking foolishly that you will be able to do what you want to do Tina Fey

UN INSTRUCTS WOMEN ON CLIMATE-RESILIENT FARMING The UN Women and Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) partnership, ‘Empowering African Women through Climate-Smart Agriculture,’ has benefited women farmers in sub-Saharan Africa. The initiative has empowered tens of thousands of women with farming skills, business guidance, and climate-conscious agricultural practices. The programme’s goal is to provide women with the necessary skills, financial support, technology, and market access to transition into the formal economy. In South Africa, 4,560 women received training in crops such as maize and beans, while Malawi focused on groundnut cultivation for 10,461 women. Uganda taught 1,400 women fish farming, and Nigeria empowered 12,500 women with shea butter and rice production techniques. These programmes also promote climate-resilient farming and responsible land management.

IN THE RIGHT

DIRECTION ❛❛

The trouble with the rat race is that even if you win, you’re still a rat Lily Tomlin

MORE WOMEN IN INDIA’S PARLIAMENT On September 21st, India passed the ﬁrst legislation considered in the country’s new Parliament building: the Women’s Reservation Bill, 2023. The bill, which passed both houses of Parliament almost unanimously—with just two votes against—will ensure that women occupy at least 33% of the seats in state legislative assemblies and the Lok Sabha, the lower house of Parliament. At the time of the bill’s passage, about 14% of Lok Sabha legislators were women. “Typically, achieving a critical mass of 30% representation by women in Parliament is known to yield positive outcomes for women’s empowerment”, Susan Ferguson, UN Women’s India Country Representative, said.

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SWISS METHANE SOLUTIONS Swedish research conﬁrms seaweed in cattle feed slashes methane emissions. Cows’ belching and ﬂatulence account for 3% of global emissions, akin to the shipping industry. Sweden’s Naturvårdsverket reports that feeding red algae seaweed, Asparagopsis, can reduce methane by a whopping 90%. Volta Greentech, a Swedish company, develops this innovative additive, inhibiting gas production in cow digestion. The report urges Swedish government support for further research and farmer adoption.

CALIFORNIA FIGHTING THE GOOD FIGHT The state of California has passed ground breaking legislation, becoming the world’s ﬁrst to mandate greenhouse gas emissions disclosure for over 5,300 local corporations with yearly revenues exceeding $1 billion. Governor Gavin Newsom signed this law, compelling companies to annually report both direct and indirect emissions.

MALE CONTRACEPTION A ground breaking male contraceptive research project, aimed at impeding sperm movement and preventing their ability to fertilise an egg, has received a substantial funding boost of $4.4 million (£3.58 million) from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Scientists from the University of Dundee are spearheading this endeavour, with the ambition of transforming the landscape of birth control through the use of chemical compounds. This innovative contraceptive approach would serve as an alternative to medications that disrupt female hormones and menstrual cycles. While its primary trials are slated for women, around 2026, scientists anticipate that the success of these trials will open the door to a version tailored for men.

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This regulation aims to increase environmental accountability and transparency for clients and citizens. While it’s set to begin in January 2025, Newsom acknowledges that the deadline may be too optimistic. He lauds this policy as another instance of California’s leadership in addressing the climate crisis through information transparency turned into climate action.

The moments that make life worth living are when things are at their worst and you ﬁnd a way to laugh Amy Schumer

PARKINSON’S PROGRESS There has been encouraging progress in the ﬁght against Parkinson’s, as global researchers have made signiﬁcant strides in early detection. In Denmark, the University of Copenhagen’s scientists found that mitochondrial DNA damage in brain cells spreads rapidly, mimicking Parkinson’s symptoms. Detecting these DNA fragments in blood could enable early diagnosis and treatment. Meanwhile, Australian researchers at Melbourne’s Florey Institute uncovered a potential Parkinson’s diagnostic tool. They introduced a synthetic compound binding to the brain protein VMAT2, making neuronal loss visible on scans. This innovation could allow screening for Parkinson’s two to three decades before symptoms surface. Professor Kevin Barnham of Florey expressed the institute’s intent to identify the disease earlier and administer treatment before it becomes irreversible, as Parkinson’s typically remains latent until old age.

NOVEMBER 2023 | www.platinummediagroup.co.uk

In our exclusive Spotlight feature, we highlight women who are doing good things in their community. They’re not always seen but we think they should be.

SPOTLIGH T Dr Olivia Hum Dr Olivia Hum is a Menopause specialist who founded Myla Health, oﬀering women the best quality care I had always wanted to be a doctor, and General Practice gave me the variety, continuity and patient relationships that I wanted. I always knew, however, that women got a bad deal in the healthcare arena. After setting up an award-winning NHS sexual health clinic for young people in my surgery in Lewes, I became interested in menopause. Why were we not recognising the implications of this stage of life for women? I trained further to become one of (then) 160 BMS Menopause Specialists in the UK in 2019 and launched ‘Women’s Health Sussex’ as a one-afternoon-a-week clinic in November 2020, a hobby alongside my NHS work. After 20 years in the NHS, suddenly entering the private sector was a shock. Charging for my services was very new. I had never had to market my ‘product’, reach an audience, or run a business. I had to learn a whole new vocabulary and master a variety of new systems and media. Word soon spread and the clinic started filling up. The ground-breaking Davina McCall documentary in 2021 made sure that menopause was on everyone’s agenda. Patient numbers increased markedly and I could not handle the volume on my own, so I took on two associate doctors. I had always known Dr Zoe Schaedel to be a formidable force of energy and intelligence and she joined me in July 2022 to launch Myla Health.

Myla’s mission is to ensure every woman has access to high quality menopause care 24

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Myla’s mission is to ensure every woman has access to high quality menopause care. We run clinic bases in Hove, Haywards Heath, Sevenoaks, Sheffield and Exeter with our team of associate doctors. We have developed a corporate education programme and have worked for a variety of local, national and international companies delivering menopause talks and training. We have trained hundreds of GPs in workshops, webinars and conference sessions, and have worked with several charities that support women. We work nationally with NHS England and the BMS to produce guidelines and systems to support doctors and patients. It has been amazing, overwhelming and exciting, and all done with both of us still working two days a week for the NHS. The future? Hopefully more of the same. Expanding our clinical and corporate offering, and continuing to teach and support doctors until every woman in the UK gets the help they need. www.mylahealth.co.uk

Mi Elfverson Mi is a photographer, founder of The Vlog Academy and creator of EyeStorm Women I grew up on a large farm in Sweden, but moved on to Stockholm, New York and London to study and work with television, film and photography, which I’ve always been passionate about. I now live in Hove, actually. After 25 years in high-end production, working on everything from Kellogg’s and Volvo commercials to Harry Potter and the Bond films, I started my own business, The Vlog Academy. I now support people to get more comfortable in front of the camera and help their brands get seen online. As I started holding corporate vlog workshops in the City of London, I noticed that men and women had very different levels of confidence in front of the camera. I saw it again and again, and it developed into a pattern; as I set up the cameras and asked the group to get filming, all the men stepped forward, ready to share their expertise, but all the women took a step back – most of them just wanted to melt into the wall. It turns out, women have very different blocks and fears than men, and need and want more long-term support and accountability to be able to step forward with confidence. If it’s like this on a high corporate level in London, I thought, what must the rest of the world look like? This is why EyeStorm Women was born in 2018 – a now award-winning community for women, offering a more holistic pathway to confidence, with a mixture of training, events and campaigning for women to develop courage from the inside out, to step forward and speak up.

I am just launching a brand-new public speaking platform for women and we’re super excited to hold our ﬁrst event in Brighton My interest in gender equality matters has deepened and I’m now a UN Women UK delegate as well as part of other organisations promoting and elevating women globally. I am just launching a brand-new public speaking platform for women and we’re super excited to hold our first event in Brighton already on December 13th this year. I hope you can support us one way or the other. We’re looking for sponsors, speakers and an audience – so welcome on board! www.eyestorm.org.uk www.vlogacademy.com

NOVEMBER 2023 | www.platinummediagroup.co.uk

SPOTLIGHT

Emma Draper Dynamic Businesswoman of the Year Emma reveals her fascinating story of success through challenging times

My story is about resilience, staying power and sheer determination. But it is also a tale of how to find the utmost pleasure from the most important things in life; a business built with passion and dedication, the joy of family life even during the hardest times, and staying true to your own beliefs and goals, and never losing sight of the road ahead. My primary business is Velvet – a large two-floor independent retail store in the heart of Hove. We sell a fantastic range of women’s fashion, delightful and affordable homeware and gifts. We really are a destination store for many of our customers, some of them travelling across the country to visit us. I started Velvet in 2000, after a move to the south coast. After many ups and downs, a recession, those dreaded lockdowns, and numerous other challenges, we enjoyed our busiest ever year in 2022. I am lucky enough to have three fabulous teenage boys. As a single mum, it has been extremely challenging to balance the demands of motherhood with the pressures of running a successful high street business, but I have come through it stronger than ever, and even more determined to push on and achieve greater things. The secret of our success at Velvet isn’t anything magical – just adhering to our principles, and empowering our colleagues to achieve greater things every day. We have a fabulous team of 16 women, including a management team of five. The most important aspect of what we do is remembering that we are a customer-facing business and we would be nothing at all without them.

All of our team are laser-focussed on ensuring our standards and service are delivered to the highest degree. We always strive to go one step further to make our customers feel valued and welcome, and that is our guiding principle. My mum still works alongside me at Velvet as my bookkeeper, and she is indeed my inspiration. Velvet has always been my overriding passion in business life but as we have grown our profit base, I have looked around for a way to invest, and now have a burgeoning property portfolio of local, high-end flats. Despite the challenges of the current market, we will aim to develop this further over the coming years. Though both these businesses give me great joy and satisfaction, I am also now looking to expand my horizons and hopefully offer my knowledge and experience to women in business, and imbue them with the confidence and courage to pursue their own goals and dreams. I want to help them realise that despite the difficulties and barriers that so many woman face, they really can succeed on their own terms.

The secret of our success at Velvet isn’t anything magical – just adhering to our principles

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www.velvetstore.co.uk

Katy Jobbins Founder and head trainer of the Permanent Makeup Training Academy, and star of two peak time TV shows, Katy Jobbins shares how she runs a busy treatment and training centre, gives free treatments to cancer patients, all whilst raising three young children

With nearly 50 major award wins and finalist places in the past decade or so, Katy has been named ‘Mentor of the Year’, ‘Entrepreneur of the Year’, ‘Success Story of the Year’ and was even crowned ‘Sussex Overall Woman of the Year’ back in 2014 at the age of just 30. Only last year, she was also a finalist for both the ‘Inspirational Award’ and ‘Businesswoman of the Year’ at the Dynamic Women in Business Awards. However, it’s been far from an easy ride. After leaving home at 16, she started a new life in Sussex as an artist. Aged 19, she moved into the beauty industry and used her passion for art to turn a derelict building into a luxury beauty spa, employing five other girls. Eventually finding her niche in permanent makeup, she set up and ran over 50 private clinics, culminating in opening her own treatment and training centre in Wivelsfield, near Haywards Heath in 2011. “Having attended many of the best permanent makeup training centres across the world, I was always frustrated to have to train in a large group and be tied into buying that company’s tattoo machines, inks and supplies etc. at very inflated prices.

“It was also near impossible to get hold of any of my trainers once I left my course to answer even the simplest of questions. I set up my training centre to be different; to offer high quality one-to-one training, and unlimited help and support whilst being able to use the best equipment and supplies on the market at any given time. “For over a decade, I have been able to train people from all walks of life in both the technical skills and in guiding them on how to set up and grow their own businesses. By training this way, I give each and every student I teach 100% attention, 100% of the time, and no question ever goes unanswered.” As a result of both Katy’s success, and that of many of her students, she was approached to be the youngestever female entrepreneur to appear on the popular peak time Channel 5 TV show, ‘Rich House, Poor House.’ After the success of the show, she also recorded a follow-up show a year later. Despite her busy schedule and raising a young family of her own, with three children under the age of 12, Katy believes in giving back when she can. She achieves this by, for instance, offering free treatments to cancer patients who have had to undergo breast surgery. She finds that artistically tattooing their areolas back on helps to restore their confidence. With her ‘Pay With a Smile’ campaign, she also encourages her students to do the same. www.permanentmakeuptraining.co.uk

I set up my training centre to be different; to offer high quality one-to-one training, and unlimited help and support NOVEMBER 2023 | www.platinummediagroup.co.uk

FE ATURE

There is a surge of women studying STEM – but we need to tackle toxic workplaces to retain them. By LAUREN NEAL

MAKING ALL COLLEAGUES FEEL VALUED The number of women studying science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) subjects is on the rise, and more diversity in STEM drives greater innovation. However, this upwards trajectory comes with a caveat: organisations must engage and enable women in order to retain them. Failure to do so can lead to attrition, negatively impacting innovation and the bottom line. In 2021, ‘The Great Resignation’ became a term synonymous with the global trend of employees, particularly those from under-recognised groups, leaving their jobs. Common reasons included: •H ostile work environments •L ack of opportunities for career advancement, and •G enerally non-inclusive workplace cultures. But as a leader, what can be done? To improve these workplaces, there needs to be conscious and consistent efforts driven by visionary organisational leaders focusing on workplace behaviours, inclusion of the right skills, and empowerment of future leaders. Successful leaders understand and value their workforce, creating truly empowered and diverse teams to deliver top business outcomes and innovations.

ACKNOWLEDGING YOUR ORGANISATION’S BEHAVIOURS

Leaders must first acknowledge the behaviours within their organisation by gathering data from those involved to understand their experiences. • Listen to employee experiences by creating or joining an employee resource group. In these safe spaces employees can share experiences without fear of retaliation nor fear of their experiences being shared outside of the group. • Beware of inauthenticity especially in leadership. Identifying and showcasing authentic role models at all levels based on performance, behaviours, and recognitions is essential. Those individuals will feel seen, and can help build relationships throughout the organisation. • Measure psychological safety regularly to understand the team’s level of comfort with each other and areas for improvement. Leaders with high emotional intelligence who show vulnerability and authentic humility connect with their teams by building trust and transparency. 28

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INCLUDING THE RIGHT TECHNICAL SKILLS AND RECOGNISING PERFORMANCE

Recognising existing talent within an organisation is essential for employees to feel valued and engaged – it is troubling when highly competent and confident individuals are stuck in unchallenging roles. Here are key areas leaders should consider: • How much office housework does this person do? This includes sharing their screen during meetings when not presenting, booking meeting rooms, organising away days etc. Continually assigning these tasks that are outside of their job description to the same person is a problem to be solved. Ask employees regularly if their work is meaningful and conducive to career development.

Successful leaders understand and value their workforce, creating truly empowered and diverse teams to deliver top business outcomes and innovations • Is constructive feedback provided? Timely and actionable feedback is crucial for individual growth, but disingenuous feedback is unhelpful. Ask employees about the last time they received feedback and rate its quality and impact on their development. This practice helps identify areas where improvements are needed in providing feedback. • Is bias getting in the way? Bias hinders inclusion and can stifle employees, e.g. where a man is “the boss” and the woman is “bossy”. Open discussions about the impact of bias on team members are essential for creating a culture of transparency.

EMPOWERING YOUR FUTURE LEADERS

Leadership is evolving, and today’s leaders must cultivate the next generation of leaders to ensure the business remains competitive and employees feel recognised and valued. Key elements of this empowerment include: • Ethical leadership – Leaders who do the right thing regardless of potential short-term consequences earn respect. Showcasing role-models who speak up without any negative impacts on their careers or reputations will encourage employees to act ethically without fear of retaliation. • Diversity means nothing without inclusion – Organisations perform better with diverse teams, but diversity requires inclusion. Ensure efforts to create diverse teams are not seen as ‘box-ticking’. Leaders should cultivate a culture of inclusion, for example, requesting input from each person during meetings and ensuring each input is genuinely considered by all. • Trust and advocacy for career progression – Recognising great work and advocating for others is essential. This advocacy helps set employees up for success when transitioning into a new role and team when a leader publicly recognises their skills and capabilities. Too often, employees in under-recognised groups feel invisible, frustrated, and undervalued in the workplace. Organisational leaders have a unique opportunity to change this. Great leaders invest time to get to know employees at different levels and learn about their experiences, needs, and expectations at work. While some attrition is inevitable, the goal is to keep it within acceptable levels and be consistent across both recognised and under-recognised groups. By driving inclusive workplace cultures that benefit everyone, leaders can create psychologically safe environments where everyone feels valued. Lauren Neal is the author of Valued at Work: Shining a Light on Bias to Engage, Enable, and Retain Women in STEM (£14.99, Practical Inspiration) NOVEMBER 2023 | www.platinummediagroup.co.uk

WELLBEING

Sweet slumber BY TANYA BOROWSKI Embedded deep in the brain, lies an area called the suprachiasmatic nuclei (SCN) which is known as the ‘master clock,’ controlling the timing of the sleep-wake cycle and regulating the body’s circadian rhythms. These rhythms control the daily timing of many body systems including our metabolism - how well we burn fat, heart and lung function, hormonal rhythms and various elements of the immune system. Sleep is an essential part of daily life. With research over the last few years, it has become increasingly evident that a lack of high-quality sleep is detrimental to the brain, body and especially the immune system, making it more likely to catch the common cold or the flu. Women report struggling more with insomnia during perimenopause. This is down to the hormone progesterone, a hormone women make in abundance in their cycling years, as it’s produced every time she ovulates. It has a calming, sedative effect that promotes good sleep via GABA receptors. When we enter perimenopause, we don’t ovulate every cycle and this causes a decline in 30

www.platinummediagroup.co.uk | NOVEMBER 2023

progesterone which has far more dramatic a decline than oestrogen and, as such both the quality and quantity of sleep is compromised. But fear not, I have some fantastic strategies to help rebalance your circadian rhythm and sleep patterns, thereby supporting your immune system as we enter this winter season. Broadly I’ll focus on two areas: sleep hygiene and lifestyle changes are necessary for managing stress and insomnia, and then certain herbs and nutraceuticals can also be an integral part of a support plan.

WHAT DETERMINES HIGH QUALITY SLEEP?

• You fall asleep in 30 minutes or less. • You wake up – for ﬁve minutes or longer – no more than once a night. • You fall back asleep within 20 minutes. • You’re asleep 85% of the time you spend in bed.

BOTANICALS

The ability to fall asleep is partially dependent on a drop in body temperature at night

HEALTHY SLEEP HABITS

Allowing the body to adequately prepare for sleep is important. The brain begins releasing melatonin approximately two hours before it assumes sleep, to calm and relax the body, which promotes uninterrupted sleep. Even though melatonin production decreases with age, taking measures to preserve and support its production can be beneficial. Reading books, rather than anything from an electronic device, is key as the blue light emitted from electronic devices cancels the effects and reduces the production of melatonin. While light of any kind can suppress the secretion of melatonin, what blue light at night does is potent. Harvard researchers and their colleagues conducted an experiment comparing the effects of 6.5 hours of exposure to blue light to exposure to green light of comparable brightness. The blue light suppresses melatonin for about twice as long as the green light, and shifts circadian rhythms by twice as much (three hours, as opposed to 90 minutes). The Sleep Council UK have these wonderful Nodcasts (what a great name) if you are more of an auditory being. A warm bath with added magnesium salts is a fantastic bedtime ritual. Alternatively, taking magnesium (in either a glycinate or malate form) can help relax muscles and encourage better rest. Finally, it is important to sleep in a dark room, void of lights and distracting pets (that jump up on the bed at 2am!), to support optimal melatonin production and uninterrupted sleep.

Secondly, there are a number of botanicals and nutraceuticals that can help promote sleep: Nervines are the botanical world’s answer to insomnia, with actions that have a beneficial, and sometimes tonic effect on the nervous system. Some of the herbs promote relaxation supporting a natural sleep, while nourishing and restoring balance to the nervous system. • CHAMOMILE Chamomile is well-known and commonly used for anxiety and insomnia. Having carminative properties, the herb is also often used to settle the stomach in bouts of indigestion or gastritis. The flavonoid constituents of chamomile have demonstrated anti-anxiety and slight sedative activity without muscle relaxant effects in mice, likely due to modulating GABA receptors. . • GLYCINE This is another amino acid that helps with sleep. The magic dose is 3g, 30 minutes before sleep. When glycine binds to glycine receptors in the brain, it inhibits the firing of neurons, allowing the mind to feel more at ease and become less responsive to certain stimuli. • L-THEANINE This amino acid found in tea leaves increases the levels of GABA, serotonin, and dopamine – calming neurotransmitters in the brain that regulate emotions, mood, concentration, alertness, sleep, and energy. For a proper punch take this in supplement form. The ability to fall asleep is partially dependent on a drop in body temperature at night. Taking glycine has been shown to promote sleep and shorten the time to get into non-REM sleep through mechanisms entirely related to a drop in body temperature resulting from vasodilation of blood vessels. By following some of these tips I hope this helps you to get some extra healing ‘Zzzs’ in for your immune system this autumn/winter season. sleepcouncil.org.uk/nodcasts www.tanyaborowski.com NOVEMBER 2023 | www.platinummediagroup.co.uk

RE VIE W

FURTHER READING…

YOUR VOYAGE TO SUCCESS: How to Ride the Crest of a Wave & Reach your Full Potential in Life & Work by Desiree Anderson

Desiree Anderson is an international No.1 bestselling author and founder of Crest Coaching & HR. She is an HR expert and Master level Coach, and works with ambitious customers to help them reach their unique version of success.

Desiree encourages you to become the captain of your ship as you transform your life and career TWELVE AND A HALF

LEVERAGING THE EMOTIONAL INGREDIENTS NECESSARY FOR BUSINESS SUCCESS By Gary Vaynerchuk Harper Business (2021) In his sixth business book, bestselling author, entrepreneur, and investor Gary Vaynerchuk explores the 12 essential emotional skills that are integral to his life and business success, and provides today’s (and tomorrow’s) leaders with critical tools to acquire and develop these traits. For decades, leaders have relied on ‘hard’ skills to make smart decisions, while dismissing the importance of emotional intelligence. We’ve been taught that emotional intelligence is a “nice to have” in business, not a requirement. However, Vaynerchuk argues that soft skills can actually accelerate business success.

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This Amazon No.1 bestseller gives a formula for reaching your unique version of success whilst navigating the inevitable ups and downs of life and work. The book is aimed at those who have achieved success, but don’t always acknowledge it. They’re currently feeling stuck and overwhelmed by pressure, battling upstream. They feel undervalued for the contribution they make and often doubt themselves. They see others effortlessly pass them by and reach the success they dream of.

ANATOMY OF A BREAKTHROUGH

HOW TO GET UNSTUCK WHEN IT MATTERS MOST By Adam Alter Simon & Schuster (2023) A guide to breaking free from the thoughts, habits, jobs, relationships, and even business models that prevent us from achieving our full potential. Adam Alter has spent the past two decades studying how people become stuck and how they free themselves to thrive. Here, he reveals the formula he and other researchers have uncovered. The solution rests on a process that he calls a friction audit—a systematic procedure that uncovers why a person or organisation is stuck, and then suggests a path to progress.

HOW SHOULD WE VIEW SELF-SABOTAGE TO OVERCOME IT?

One of the key aspects to consider is the areas of self-sabotage that are currently holding you back, keeping you trapped in a limiting version of yourself. Perfectionism, procrastination, comparison and fear of success will limit your ability to move forward. By understanding the role these beliefs have played in protecting you, you begin to show empathy for your shadow self, and develop new neural pathways towards growth.

THE ANXIOUS ACHIEVER

TURN YOUR BIGGEST FEARS INTO YOUR LEADERSHIP SUPERPOWER By Morra Aarons-Mele Harvard Business Press (2023) A timely and compelling guide to managing the anxiety that comes with succeeding and leading, from entrepreneur, mental health advocate, and top-rated podcaster Morra AaronsMele. Anxiety disorders are the most common mental illnesses in the world. But in our workplaces, anxiety has been a hidden problem – there in plain sight, but ignored. The Anxious Achiever is a book with a mission: to normalise anxiety and leadership. As leadership expert and self-proclaimed anxious achiever Morra Aarons-Mele argues, anxiety is built into the very nature of leadership. It can, and should be, harnessed into a force for good.

Re-looking at a timeline of the significant moments in your life can help you recognise sabotaging patterns as well as your unique strengths. By using a combination of visualisation, meditation, success habits and empowering goal setting, you will be able to improve you relationship with yourself and others. Packed with practical but easy to follow activities, Desiree is your coach and guide. She encourages you to become the captain of your ship as you transform your life and career.

RADICALLY HAPPY

A USER’S GUIDE TO THE MIND By Phakchok Rinpoche & Erric Solomon Shambala (2019) In Radically Happy, a meditating Silicon Valley entrepreneur teams up with a young, insightful, and traditionally educated Tibetan Rinpoche. Together they present a path to radical happiness—a sense of well-being that you can access anytime but especially when life is challenging. Using mindfulness techniques and accessible meditations, personal stories and scientiﬁc studies, you’ll get to know your own mind and experience how a slight shift in your perspective can create a radical shift in your life.

NOVEMBER 2023 | www.platinummediagroup.co.uk

SCENE ART

By KELLIE MILLER

Colours of the seasons THE WORKS OF MARIA TEN KORTENAAR Internationally recognised ceramicist Maria ten Kortenaar started her creative path as a goldsmith, but once she encountered clay in 1995, she became devoted to porcelain. Porcelain is a medium that allows her to express what she perceives, feels and experiences in everyday life. Happiness, sunsets, rainy days, seasons and landscapes observed in real life all find their way to her creations. Even her cat features in her pieces; recently, she has included its tail as a motif. Inspired by the cat’s character, she calls this series Curiosity Kills the Cat. The titles of Maria’s pieces are links to personal memories and places. The Flower Bomb series, for instance, was a response to visiting Wakehurst Place and seeing the stunning explosion of flowers. Continuing her fascination with flowers, a recent visit to Musée Marmottan Monet in Paris inspired her Waterlilies works. She works on small sections like a jigsaw puzzle, meticulously creating a bigger picture, piece by piece. The intricate patterns are visible inside and out using a technique called nerikomi, also known as neriage. Developed in Japan, it is a process that involves colouring and cutting clay, stacking it and either moulding it, hand building or throwing it on a potter’s wheel. She talks of two distinct layers in creating her ceramics— the ‘Visible Layer’ and the ‘Emotional Layer’. The Visible Layer refers to the form, which are simple cylinders to emphasise the many colours. She says, “The cylinders are built up from smaller fragments. To draw the attention of the viewer, I disturb the pattern. There is harmony, and there is disharmony created with a rhythm. This uneasiness catches the eye.”

Drops from Heaven

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With the Emotional Layer, meanwhile, colours and composition are applied to tell a story. The white porcelain serves as a sheet of paper on which her narrative is written. Maria aims to translate her inner life so that it becomes visible to others. Maria is a widely celebrated artist whose work has been exhibited extensively worldwide and is held in museum collections. She has won and been shortlisted for competitions in China, Korea, Japan, Holland and Taiwan. Kellie Miller is an artist, curator, critic and gallery owner.

Flowerbomb Purple

Curiosity Killed the Cat

Maria talks of two distinct layers in creating her ceramics—the ‘Visible Layer’ and the ‘Emotional Layer’

NOVEMBER 2023 | www.platinummediagroup.co.uk

TR AVEL

By TESS DE KLERK

SOUTH LODGE HOTEL & SPA

A luxurious country retreat for both business and leisure Situated amidst the picturesque West Sussex countryside is the venerable South Lodge Hotel. Known as much for its unique blend of luxury, relaxation and impeccable service as it is for its historic charm and superb dining. I was absolutely delighted to be invited to go and see for myself - on behalf of our readers, of course! This grand 19th Century country house, set amidst 93 acres of sweeping lawns, lush gardens and the biggest rhododendron you’re ever likely to see, exudes timeless luxury and serenity. Its rich history envelopes you at every turn. A true country get-a-way. Spoil yourself, spoil your loved-ones, spoil your team.

ACCOMMODATIONS

The rooms at South Lodge are spacious and elegantly decorated, each featuring modern amenities and many with spectacular views of the surrounding landscape. The suites, in particular, offer an added touch of opulence; perfect for special occasions.

FACILITIES

I absolutely loved the beautiful, well-equipped on-site spa that is undoubtedly one of the hotel’s crown jewels, merging seamlessly with the natural contours of the land. Enjoy a sauna with a view and a dip in the wild swimming pool for the ultimate wellness thrill, or simply laze in the large heated outdoor hydro pool and let it do its magic. An array of treatments ensures that there is something for everyone in this world of relaxation. My hot stone massage was fantastic while the Sacred Nature Facial delivered by the deft hands of therapist Lee Zondi went well beyond my expectations.

+ EVENT SPACES • THEATRE STYLE: from 10 to 170 • BOARDROOM STYLE: from 8 to 50 • CABARET STYLE: from 8 to 88 • FORMAL DINING: from 8 to 130

If you can manage to drag yourself away from the lovely spa, pop upstairs to the Botanica restaurant for a healthy lunch or freshly squeezed juice. A state-of-the-art gym is also part of the centre with, you guessed it, another gorgeous view.

BUSINESS AND CONFERENCE FACILITIES

For business and conference guests, South Lodge provides a comprehensive range of facilities and services that cater to your every need. The hotel boasts a mix of meeting and event spaces, from intimate boardrooms to grand spaces, all equipped with the latest technology and high-speed internet access. Whether you’re hosting a corporate meeting, a product launch or a gala dinner, the hotel’s versatile event spaces can accommodate various requirements. South Lodge also prides itself on its professional and attentive event planning team. They are dedicated to ensuring your event runs smoothly, from initial planning to execution, leaving you with peace of mind. Customisation is key, and the team is adept at tailoring every aspect of your event to meet your specific requirements.

I’m not sure what the kitchen did – alchemy, magic, each bite a delight WINING & DINING

Dining at South Lodge is an experience in itself. The Pass restaurant, with its Michelin-starred status, offers a gourmet culinary journey with its eight-course taster menu. Chef Ben Wilkinson and his team who uniquely serve and explain the dishes themselves, are not only artists but absolute perfectionists too. The open kitchen concept delivered the thrill of watching the chefs at work, all evidently in the zone, creating the most intricate little dishes, each eventually destined to burst with a symphony of flavours. I’m not sure what the kitchen did – alchemy, magic, each bite a delight. Who would have thought of freezing delicate morsels of crumble topping? What did they do to that jus to awaken tastebuds I hadn’t even realised I had? Of course, sourcing the finest local ingredients, often from its own kitchen garden, combined with its innovative techniques is part of what creates a dining experience that is unique and likely to linger with you long after you’ve bid the passionate and knowledgeable staff good night. Three AA rosetted Camellia is your choice for a la carte dining. Head Chef Josh Mann, along with his brigade of chefs, delivers seasonal lunch and dinner menus inspired by the fresh fruit and vegetables from the hotel’s garden and the finest local Sussex ingredients. Try not to miss Camellia’s traditional afternoon tea either, served outside on the terrace in the warmer months or in front of a blazing fire in The Drawing Room when its chilly outside.

FAVOURITE BITS (THAT I HAVEN’T YET MENTIONED)

Firstly, as we know, staff can make or break a place. At South Lodge, they only add to the experience. Each encounter I had, from the spa to the restaurants were warm, welcoming and professional. Secondly, the gardens are a given – just stunning with touches such as a love seat hanging from an old oak. Plus... South Lodge has B Corp status. From £415 for a double room per night (breakfast inc) www.exclusive.co.uk/south-lodge

+ GOOD TO KNOW • DISABILITY ACCESS: Yes, two rooms are fully adapted. • FAMILY-FRIENDLY: Family rooms and cots available. Little ones can borrow board games and gaming consoles but there is plenty to do outside too. Over 12s only at The Pass • PET-FRIENDLY: Dogs are welcome

NOVEMBER 2023 | www.platinummediagroup.co.uk

TR AVEL

THE GLORIOUS CITY OF BATH Bath is one of the most beautiful cities that just grows on you the more time you spend there. The architecture is sublime, the history is all around you and the range of bars, restaurants and coﬀee shops are abundant. By TESS DE KLERK

Built for pleasure and relaxation, Bath has been a wellbeing destination since Roman times. The waters are still a big draw today, both at the ancient Roman Baths and the thoroughly modern Thermae Bath Spa, which houses the only natural thermal hot springs in Britain you can bathe in. Plus, it’s on a rooftop with a view of spires, other rooftops and distant hills! Bath’s compact, visitor-friendly centre is overflowing with places to eat and drink, plus it has some of the finest independent shops in Britain, making it the ideal city break. Immerse yourself in Bath’s remarkable collection of museums and galleries, and enjoy year-round festivals, theatre, music and sport. The city’s stunning, honey-coloured Georgian architecture

is straight from a Jane Austen novel; highlights include the iconic Royal Crescent and the majestic Circus. There’s plenty to see beyond the city too, with beautiful Somerset countryside to explore, as well as attractions including Stonehenge, Avebury, Wookey Hole caves, Castle Combe, and Longleat Safari Park. I stayed in the superbly located Hotel Indigo Bath, which is just around the corner from the centre of the city, and just a one minute walk to the Roman Baths. Indigo is part of the IHG Group of hotels, and the company has a reputation for stylish hotels, great service and fine attention to detail. I was not disappointed on any point. Indigo is a boutique hotel set within a Grade One-listed Georgian terrace with 154 individual bedrooms, all with wonderful Hypnos beds, Egyptian cotton linen and very-well equipped en-suite bathrooms. Part of the hotel, The Elder restaurant and bar is independently run and owned by restaurateur Mike Robinson with a focus on sustainability, seasonality, locally-sourced and wild produce. This is where breakfast is served, and hotel guests can book a table for lunch or dinner or have a drink and snack at the bar during the day and evening.

The city’s stunning, honey-coloured Georgian architecture is straight from a Jane Austen novel

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Royal Crescent

Sally Lunn’s Bun Shop

If you haven’t been to Bath, do go…

Thermae Bath Spa

As I stay in countless hotels around the world every year, I expect many things, and demand others. I am failed on the demands so often, as they are the small, picky things that, to me, make all the difference, such as the lighting in the bathroom, the amount of tea, coffee and sugar in the room, room service that comes missing one vital item. These sorts of things drive me nuts, and any good hotel should be paying attention to such things. Well, ‘Bravo!’ the Indigo Hotel as I couldn’t pick at anything like this – and I tried – as someone had thought it all through, and that is such a wonderful relief. The hotel is a three-minute walk from Bath Spa station; direct trains from London take 1h 20 mins, with easy access on the roads from London via the M4 corridor – and IHG Business Rewards can be claimed. Interestingly, the hotel also has a private house for up to ten people. I don’t have enough pages here to list all the great dining locations but I will note the close proximity of the Indigo to my favourite funky dining location, Sally Lunn’s Bun Shop, the oldest house in Bath. It was built in 1482, and is the producer of the famous and original Bath Bun. A Huguenot refugee, Solange Lyon arrived in Bath in 1680 to escape persecution in France and found work in a bakery. Moving on a few years, she moved into the house in North Passage, known as Lilliput Alley, and began baking a generous (read huge!) brioche bun similar to the French festival breads, which rapidly became a popular delicacy in Georgian England. Eaten with sweet or savoury additions, it is a triumph and, if you go, ask for a takeaway that comes in a beautiful single serving box and wow your friends. One particular attraction of the city I love is the Roman Baths. I can never quite get over the fact that absolutely nothing has changed in 2,000 years and where you stand is where the ancient Romans stood in their togas, ready to take

the health inducing thermal waters that bubble up hot and steaming from the earth’s core. They are accepted as some of the finest historic sites in Northern Europe. The Romans came to the site to worship the goddess Sulis Minerva. The water arrives at 46ºC, which is hotter than your bath water at home. The spring was thought to be a direct link with the Underworld, and people visited to pray to Sulis Minerva, throwing presents like jewellery and money into the spring. If you haven’t been to Bath, do go – and if you have, do revisit as there are so many things to do and see. When you go, check out the Hotel Indigo Bath as there is no better place to stay in town. Hotel Indigo Bath, 2-8 South Parade, Bath BA2 4AB T: 01225 460441 M: enquiries@bath.hotelindigo.com W: www.bath.hotelindigo.com Rooms from: £149 per room (season dependent)

Hotel Indigo Bath NOVEMBER 2023 | www.platinummediagroup.co.uk

DINE & WINE

The Grand Hotel’s

Cyan Restaurant Within the storied walls of the iconic Grand Hotel on the Brighton seafront lies Cyan, a restaurant where classic elegance meets modern innovation. By TESS DE KLERK We had visited Cyan before, and it was fine back then but changes have been made – and this time around we were truly impressed. Walking through the heavy doors into the high-ceilinged bar area felt like being invited into the inner sanctum of an exclusive club, all plush and decadent. The décor seamlessly blends contemporary design with elements of the hotel’s historic charm. Period touches such as beautiful crown mouldings and marble pillars remain, married with modern amenities and my favourite touch, two stunning images that will make you do a double take on plastic waste.

Of course, the challenge for a hotel restaurant has got to be catering to the differing needs of the many – those celebrating a special occasion right through to guests who had just returned from a day at the beach and just want to grab a casual bite. Cyan does that successfully. The lounge dining area has the feel of indulgence while the terraced dining area with its large windows overlooking the seafront feels more casual but no less special. No matter where you choose to be seated though, you’re likely to feel like a valued guest.

The lounge dining area has the feel of indulgence

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SERVICE

The service at Cyan Restaurant was warm, welcoming and attentive. Wellversed in the menu offerings, servers were eager to answer questions, and their recommendations were spot-on. It’s clear that the restaurant places a strong emphasis on providing top-notch service to its patrons and this added to our lovely evening.

CUISINE

Now, onto the star of the show – the cuisine. Cyan tantalises the palate with seasonal dishes centred upon experimentation and exploration. Quality ingredients are non-negotiable, while fresh seafood is delivered twice daily. Menus change but you will find classic crowd pleasers such as thyme roasted chicken breast as well as more daring dishes – the likes of lobster and macaroni cheese croquettes with bisque mayo. Our supper was superb. From my succulent pan-fried scallops with bearnaise foam, peas, tempura shallots and crispy chorizo, to the perfectly cooked rack of lamb, with carrot and beurre noisette puree accompanied by radicchio with honey and garlic. My partner’s plate of chicken, potato and garlic puree, confit baby gem, crispy onion and prosciutto, asparagus, parmesan, pulled chicken leg and bacon croquette felt like a gastronomic journey. He loved it and his palette is not easily pleased! Dessert did not disappoint either. The bitter chocolate plus ginger sponge perfectly complemented the citrusy flavour of my creamy satsuma cheesecake while my companion lazily enjoyed his cheese plate.

DRINKS

Cyan boasts an extensive wine list that complements its diverse menu. Alongside award-winning international wines, you’ll find a superb selection of English sparkling wines from a choice of vineyards. Whether you’re a wine connoisseur or a casual enthusiast, you’re sure to find a bottle that suits your palate. If cocktails are more to your liking, fret not. The cocktail menu is exciting with seasonal drinks designed for your pleasure, in addition to the classics.

WILL I BE BACK?

For sure. In fact, we’ve already booked in for Cyan’s Sunday roast. We could not fault Cyan and would happily recommend it to not only hotel guests but also everyone else fancying a lovely meal in a beautiful location. Plus, prices weren’t preposterous and well-worth the spend. www.cyanbrighton.co.uk

Cyan tantalises the palate with seasonal dishes centred upon experimentation and exploration

NOVEMBER 2023 | www.platinummediagroup.co.uk

CHICHESTER

LIFE OF PI

Life of Pi is the popular story of an epic journey. Lolita Chakrabarti’s stage adaptation stars an extraordinary life-size puppeteered Bengal Tiger. After a storm in the Paciﬁc Ocean, Pi is stranded on a lifeboat with four other survivors – a hyena, a zebra, an orang-utan, and a Royal Bengal tiger. Time is against them, nature is harsh, who will survive? Chichester Festival Theatre, Chichester November 16th - December 2nd www.cft.org.uk/events/life-of-pi

WHAT’S ON... A brief snapshot of art and culture in Sussex and Surrey

HASSOCKS

FUNNY THAT! Join a high-calibre comedy line-up Stephen Grant, Ria Lina, Eric Ruston and Jeﬀ Innocent - in Hassocks for Funny That! Laughs a-plenty, together with the usual brutal treatment of those sitting at the front! The Hassocks pub, Hassocks November 11th https://funnythat.co.uk

UCKFIELD

STEAMLIGHTS AT BLUEBELL RAILWAY

Martin Hopgood works tirelessly to prove life is a continuation by bringing through messages of love and validation from your loved ones who now reside in Spirit. Join him for an evening of happy tears and laughter and a very alternative way of working…without the ‘pink and ﬂuﬀy’!

SteamLights returns in 2023 with a sparkling new theme and a new lighting up performance to capture your imagination. Before boarding, witness the new, big switch-on performance as we light up the darkness of Sheﬃeld Park Station. Arrive at Horsted Keynes Station to disembark, take photos of the lit-up train, before returning to Sheﬃeld Park.

Civic Centre, Uckfield November 17th www.civiccentreuckfield.com/ events/an-evening-with-martin-hopgood

SHEFFIELD PARK

AN EVENING OF MEDIUMSHIP

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Bluebell Railway, Sheffield Park Station November 17th - December 30th https://www.bluebell-railway.com/ whats-on/steamlights

BOLNEY

AUTUMN YOGA

BONFIRE NIGHT

ROBERTSBRIDGE

BRIGHTON

Join Caz from CJ Yoga to oﬀer an exclusive autumnal yoga event; a morning of calm and relaxation nestled right in the heart of the stunning Sussex countryside overlooking Bolney’s Eighteen Acre Vineyard. Enjoy a blissful hour-long yoga session followed by a delicious Breakfast in our Eighteen Acre Restaurant. Open to all abilities but please ensure you bring your own mat.

The Sussex bonfire season goes out with a bang with the Robertsbridge Bonfire and Torchlight Procession. Don’t leave until you’ve watched the explosion of this year’s controversial effigy – top secret until Saturday afternoon! Look out for the Robertsbridge Bonfire Society in the procession – they’re the ones dressed as monks.

Celebrate a greener Christmas this year with the Royal Pavilion Ice Rink. Stunning, twinkly, romantic, child-friendly…and ice powered entirely by Green Energy, Brighton’s Royal Pavilion Ice Rink is open to the public this season.

Bolney Wine Estate, Haywards Heath November 15th https://bolneywineestate.com/ product/autumn-yoga-bolney

ROYAL PAVILION ICE RINK

Throughout Robertsbridge November 18th www.robertsbridgebonfiresociety.com

Royal Pavilion, Brighton From October 28th 2023 until January 7th-15th 2024 https://royalpavilionicerink.co.uk

LOWER DICKER

LEONARDSLEE ILLUMINATIONS Walk through the beautiful grounds of Leonardslee Lakes & Gardens as they come to life with spellbinding illuminations, large scale projections, and music. Leonardslee Gardens, Lower Dicker November 24th - December 21st https://leonardsleeilluminated.co.uk

NOVEMBER 2023 | www.platinummediagroup.co.uk

TORQUE GIRL

DYNAM IC

Audi R8 Coupé V10 The last thing Maarten said to me before this Lioness of a Super Car arrived was, “I took it round the Nürburgring 12 times and ripped the backside out of it – 0-60 in 3 secs and 210 mph. You go, girl…” By Motoring Editor Fiona Shafer, MD of MD HUB So, no pressure then, to break the law, whilst trying to keep myself alive and stop my eyeballs falling out in the midst of Storm Babet skirting over Sussex when the R8 finally landed with me. I welcomed a rather classy Kemora grey R8 as its V10 engine quite literally growled and prowled its way into my drive. My immediate note to self was, “best start the engine after people have had their morning muesli to avoid risk of choking, and make sure I return home before any blood pressure tablets are administered - to avoid any trips to A & E.”

It is glued to the road, so easy to drive and is a supreme piece of automotive engineering 44

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Th is is the fastest car – 0-60 in 3 secs with a top speed of 204 mph (so Lord only knows what naughty things Maarten was doing), and most expensive car at (£154,957) – I have ever driven, so forgive me if I had a little anticipatory moment before actually getting in it. Th is in itself was a feat of personal engineering and flexibility as it is very low and I am very tall. I would challenge even Houdini to get out of it quickly. Not a stranger to low slung cars and having thought I had sort of mastered the art of getting in and out of sports cars, this was at a whole new level, not helped by the pretty tight bucket seats. If you have a pair of gorgeous hips, this car is not for you. If you are built like the first whippet out of a race trap, then please buy one. To be clear – this is not a sports car. It is a very manageable, iconic Super Car with a space frame chassis, up there with the comparable but lot less stylish, Lamborghini Huracan. The fact that it is so manageable to drive to mere mortals such as myself felt rather disingenuous but really rather fabulous. The main problem I encountered was the uncanny testosterone effect of the car on others. I have had this with a couple of cars that I have previously reviewed –Mercedes AMG and the Jaguar F-Pace – but this was in a different league. It was only when rather too many young men thought it would be a jolly jape to try and race me in their Toyota Yarises and Golf GTIs, that I decided to put my foot

DYNAMIC

This thing is fast if you have the courage to ﬂoor it

POSITIVES • It is an iconic R8 V10 (that is not going to be around for much longer) • It corners beautifully, better than any other Audi I have ever driven. • The brakes are like emergency stops – every time. • It feels and is solid and safe. • It is truly exciting – when driven on the best roads you can ﬁnd.

down and… hell, yeah! I really will see you in another life time boys… Good Lord! Th is thing is fast if you have the courage to floor it. It is glued to the road, so easy to drive and is a supreme piece of automotive engineering. The absolute star of the show is the V10 engine – the rest of the car is built in formulaic Audi style. I actually preferred the Audi TT RS Sport to which I gave a 9.5/10 and I am pretty sure if those super talented Audi engineers could combine the latter with a V10 engine, I would give it my first 10/10. But sadly, Audi have said that this will be the very last of this R8 model to be made. Rumour has it that they are potentially going to be looking at comparable electric versions – but can it ever really be comparable? I suspect not.

NEGATIVES • Very poor visibility angle from driver windows at road junctions (hence why it should really be on a race track) • In low sunlight, the reﬂection oﬀ the V10 engine in the back on the window reduces visibility to nil. • Water gets into the car doors - I opened both doors after Storm Babet, and rainwater had clearly got in, and poured out of the gap between exterior and interior. • Storage for drinks set too far back at your elbow so you can’t reach them. • Noise – unless you LOVE listening to the engine all the time – I had to turn up AC/DC to drown the roar out.

Like many Rock Stars, their amazing performance often hides the ﬂaws, that we always forgive them for in the end

9/10

NOVEMBER 2023 | www.platinummediagroup.co.uk

NOV/DEC 2022 #19

THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE FOR WOMEN

WHY YOU NEED A MENTOR

THE TRUTH ABOUT THE MENOPAUSE

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PREMIER WOMEN

Female political leaders across the globe

GIRL TORQUE

The all-new electric Fiat 500

SPOTLIGHT

Women in business making a difference

TRAVEL

The Highlights of the Highlands

NEURODIVERGENCE

Is it a superpower

THE UK’S ONLY MAGAZINE FOR WOMEN IN BUSINESS

ALL THE BUSINESS NEWS, VIEWS AND OPINION FROM ACROSS THE REGION

ESSENTIAL READING FOR ANY BUSINESS IN THE SOUTH EAST

PLATINUM MEDIA GROUP

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