The Best You May 2015 by The Best You Magazine

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THE BEST YOU TRANSFORM • INSPIRE • MOTIVATE • ENRICH • EMPOWER • ENJOY MAY 2015 / Price £3.99

BEAR GRYLLS

THE EXTRAORDINARY LIFE OF AN AMAZING ADVENTURER

FRANCESCA MARTINEZ

CHALLENGES US BY ASKING WHAT THE **** IS NORMAL?

SIR BRADLEY ANNABEL EMOTIONAL KARMEL FIRST AID WIGGINS WHY YOUR FEELINGS HOW TO BE A GETTING READY TO RIDE AS TEAM WIGGINS

MUMPRENEUR

DO COUNT AFTER ALL

PLUS: HOW TO BE A BEST-SELLING AUTHOR

£29.99

EDITORIAL

ARE YOU READY FOR

THE NEW SEASON?

Summer is just around the corner, and it’s almost time for shorts, flip flops and bathing suits. The sun is out (if you don’t live in London it has probably been out for a long time already). It’s time to get our bodies into shape and prepare for the effects of the heat and sun. Three important steps to this preparation include regular exercise, eating foods that are high in antioxidants and drinking plenty of water (not wine!). The advantages of regular exercise includes weight loss, body fat loss and muscle tone development. With increased sunlight and fitness, you will start to hold yourself up stronger, more confidently, and feel more positive. It’s not too late to get in shape so take the first step today and move closer to becoming the best you that you want to be. This issue, we have plenty of advice to help you achieve your goals. We talk with one of the authors of a new book which examines how psychology plays a key part in what and how we eat, and how understanding this can dramatically impact our abilility to lose and keep off weight for good. Elsewhere Rachel Kelly explains how diet can also be a key factor in tackling depression and maintaining a positive outlook. In an interview with psychologist, author and TED Talk speaker Guy Winch, we discover how emotional health is as important as our physical wellbeing. He says that emotional hygiene could increase our life expectancy as well as make us far happier.

This month we are also introducing new ways to get involved and become a contributor to The Best You. We want to hear your personal development stories – how are you transforming yours or others’ lives? Whether you are a writer, blogger or vlogstar, we want to share your articles and videos in future issues and at The Best You TV, so turn to page 7 and visit thebestyoumagazine.co/become-a-contributor to find out how to get involved. We are also launching a series of talks and seminars, introducing you to the best experts in health, wealth, fitness, nutrition and wellbeing. Turn to page 29 to hear more about our exciting plans and how to join us in the coming months.

BERNARDO MOYA,

Editor-in-chief Follow me: @Bernardo_Moya

To enjoy additional digital content, video and online galleries, download The Best You app at

thebestyoumagazine.co

Exclusive bonus shots on iPad, iPhone and Android devices

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REGULARS 03

EDITOR’S LETTER

Bernardo Moya welcomes you to this month’s issue of The Best You

WE SUPPORT...

the Alzheimer’s Society as it raises awareness of dementia and provides support to those in need

BOOK REVIEWS

A few of our favourite recently published books – fantastic reads to change your life

THE BEST YOU DIRECTORY

Where to find the best coaches, trainers and practitioners

FEATURES 22

BEAR GRYLLS

The amazing story of one man’s lifetime of adventuring

SELLING IT

TOP 6 GARDENS TO INSPIRE

An interview with marketing guru Chris Cardell

Where to visit after Chelsea

WHAT’S NEW AT THE BEST YOU

Editor Bernardo Moya unveils exciting plans

TOUR DE FORCE

The rise, fall and rise of cycling legend Bradley Wiggins

INNER YOU 10

EAT YOURSELF WELL

Rachel Kelly shares her insights into controlling depression with a well-balanced diet

SUPER NATURAL HEALER

America’s Super Natural Mom, Beth Greer, explains why our surroundings could be toxic

ENJOY LIFE 16

THE GOOD NEWS

With so much of what we read in the papers being negative, The Best You brings you some good news

TOP 6 GARDENS TO INSPIRE

Where to go to get your garden to grow

MIND OVER MATTER

When psychology and nutrition collide, you have real power to lose weight for good

22 BEAR GRYLLS Exploring the life of the adventurer

EDITOR/PUBLISHER Bernardo Moya · DEPUTY EDITOR Daska Davis · ASSOCIATE EDITORS Cynthia Phillips and Gail Kingsbury COMMERCIAL CONSULTANT Peter Moore · ADVERTISING advertising@thebestyou.co

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LIVE LOVE LEGACY 40

42 FRANCESCA MARTINEZ The outspoken comedian challenges us to define normal

THEIR INSPIRATIONAL STORIES

Living with dementia – how the Alzheimer’s Society supports individuals and families in need

FRANCESCA MARTINEZ

Making us laugh and championing disability rights, plus why we need to rethink our ‘normal’

SHARK TALE

Jim Aitkins says fear can be a positive emotion

WHAT DOES IT TAKE…

…to be an author? Stephanie J Hale shares the secrets to writing a best-seller

FEEL & LOOK GOOD 50

FIX YOUR FEELINGS

Guy Winch has the tools you need to patch up your emotional wellbeing

FIT FOR LIFE

An interview with Shea Vaughn, creator of a unique wellness and exercise programme with lifelong results

7 WAYS TO BE THE BEST YOU

Follow Afzal Khan’s simple steps to boost your chances of success in life

WEALTH & RICHES 58

A WOMAN’S WORLD Dame Stephanie Shirley shares her incredible rise to the top

MEDIA DIRECTOR Allan Banford DIGITAL DESIGNER Monica Notarnicola TECHNICAL CONSULTANT Martin Carter

MOVING ON

Celebrating ten years of the international best-seller S.U.M.O.

START THE STOPWATCH

Nigel Botterill believes you can make the business you really want in just 90 minutes a day

THE ROCKY ROAD TO SUCCESS

ANNABEL KARMEL

The infant nutrition expert is back with a new mission – to empower a generation of mumpreneurs

The Best You looks at people, past and present, who worked hard for their moment in the spotlight

21ST CENTURY LIVING 68

JUST CALL ME STEVE

Dame Stephanie Shirley shares her life story in a male-dominated world

JUST BLOWN IN

Bryan Szabo reviews the latest gadgets

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CONTRIBUTORS

DASKA DAVIS

is deputy editor at The Best You. This issue she interviews Francesca Martinez, Annabel Karmel, Beth Greer, Ruth Wolever, Guy Winch, Shea Vaughn, Paul McGee and Nigel Botterill. “There is so much to inspire you in every aspect of your life, this issue. With our new competitions and upcoming events, don’t miss a single moment and live life to the full.”

@TheBestYou

GUY WINCH

is a psychologist, and author. In his latest book, Emotional First Aid, he explains why we need to take as much care of our emotional wellbeing as our physical health, and outlines the tools to do so. His TED talk, Why we all need to practice emotional first aid, has been watched by more than 1.5m viewers.

@GuyWinch

RACHEL KELLY

BRYAN SZABO

@rache_Kelly

is a Canadian-born freelance editor and writer who specialises in helping authors realise their full potential as writers. He believes that everybody has a story that should be told. His appearance on the acknowledgement page of dozens of titles proves that the voice he is helping budding authors to find is a precious thing indeed.

JIM AITKINS

SHEA VAUGHN

is a former Times columnist and Sane ambassador. Having suffered two breakdowns and battled depression, her strategies for tackling the ‘black dog’ come from the heart. Her memoir, Black Rainbow: How Words Healed Me – My Journey Through Depression is published by Hodder & Stoughton.

is an American author. He speaks and trains for corporations and organisations on the topics that he also writes about. He believes that personal growth is not only easier than most people think, but can be fun as well. Visit Jim’s blog, Obstacle Blaster at

obstacleblaster. com

@eidolonink

is a national wellness and fitness expert, master trainer and presenter, author and a recognised spokeswoman for helping others create individual and business wellbeing. Shea is also the founder of SheaNetics®, a doctor endorsed revolutionary lifestyle practice.

sheanetics.com

FRANCESCA MARTINEZ

is an award-winning comedian and actress. From child star in Grange Hill and Holby City to stand-up star, she entertains around the globe. A passionate champion of disability rights, she talks with The Best You about life and why we should rethink our definition of ‘normal’ to create a happier world.

@chessmartinez

PAUL MCGEE

is one of the UK’s leading speakers on change, workplace, relationships and motivation. His book, S.U.M.O. (Shut Up, Move On) became an instant best-seller and his work has been endorsed by Sir Clive Woodward, blue chip organisations, public sector bodies and a Premier League football club.

@TheSumoGuy

ANNABEL KARMEL

is the author of 37 books on nutrition and cooking for babies, children and families, and has launched food ranges around the globe. In her latest book, Mumpreneur, she interviews the UK’s leading female businesswomen on their experiences of rising to the top, and explains why working mothers really can have it all.

@annabelkarmel

NIGEL BOTTERILL

is the founder of the Entrepreneurs Circle, and aims to help UK business owners escape mediocrity and live the lives they want to lead. He has built a number of business brands with a £1m+ turnover since 2004, and is the author of several business leadership books.

@nigelbotterill

The Best You is published by The Best You Corporation Ltd, 5 Percy Street, W1T 1DG. Opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect The Best You Corporation Ltd, policy. The Best You Corporation Ltd accepts no responsibility for views expressed by its contributors. Advertisements and reader offers are not endorsed by The Best You or The Best You Corporation Ltd.

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COULD YOU BE ONE OF

THE BEST YOU’S

STARS?

Would you like to be part of the UK’s leading personal development magazine? Here’s your chance to share your story of success

At The Best You, we are passionate about helping people to reach their goals and achieve their full potential. Each month, we bring you inspiring interviews and articles from individuals who are living life to the full and realising their dreams through personal development and following their path to success.

Are you a writer, blogger or vlogstar? Now it’s your chance to share your story with The Best You. We are looking to publish articles within the magazine and at our digital channel, thebestyoumagazine.co, plus your videos on The Best You TV channels. Additionally, each month we will be focusing on an area of personal development, and we would like to share your tips for success with The Best You’s audience. Tell us your: • • • • • •

Coaching tips Mindfulness ideas Weight-loss solutions How you tackle phobias Ways to boost your self-esteem Finding a partner and making your relationship sparkle

In addition to having your article published and the opportunity to share your story with those who are actively seeking personal development advice, we will pay for every published article and video.

To find out more and how to upload your content, visit

So, get your thinking cap on and tell us about how you’ve become the Best You.

thebestyoumagazine.co/ become-a-contributor

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INNER YOU Connect with the wonderful, special and powerful inside. Learn ways to get your mind and body in balance, bringing out the rich core of your being. Discover the secrets that will enable you to take charge of your inner life and become

THE BEST

YOU

Life Without Limits

The Best You.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

Rachel Kelly explains why what you eat can make a difference to your state of mind

SUPER NATURAL HEALER

Beth Greer is on a mission to reduce the toxicity in our homes

Put your company in this space! To sponsor this page and be part of The Best You, email us at advertising@thebestyou.co

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Author Rachel Kelly believes that food can be a valuable tool in achieving a positive state of mind

EAT

YOURSELF

WELL

www.thebe sty o u m ag az i n e . co

INNER YOU

1. ADD A DASH OF COLOUR My first colourful tip is to eat foods that reflect the many colours of the rainbow; and not only because it’s a joyful experience to fill your plate with as many vibrant hues and shades as you can possibly find. Greens, purples, oranges and blues – all these are found in fruit and vegetables. They are key sources of the vitamins and minerals that are essential for life and happiness. These colourful plant-based foods are full of phytonutrients, natural compounds that prevent disease and help our bodies achieve optimum health and improve our mood. Meanwhile white foods, be they white bread, pasta or rice, have had much of their nutritional goodness processed out of them.

2. GO WITH YOUR GUT Increase the amount of ‘good bacteria’ in your system. For decades, antibiotics have been used both in medicine and the food chain, which in turn has reduced the presence of good and bad bacteria in our bodies. We need to try and up our supplies of good bacteria. They help speed up our metabolism and improve our mood by producing serotonin and dopamine which are conducive to calm. Thus the birth of ‘psychobiotics’, a catchy name for the live organisms that, when eaten in adequate amounts, can help improve people’s mood. Not for nothing do we use the expression ‘gut feeling’, our gut being connected to our emotional limbic system. Probiotic foods include sauerkraut (a type of fermented cabbage), kimchi (a vegetable dish) and tempeh (a soy product). I must confess I’ve never managed to eat any of them. Probiotic or live yoghurt is easier for most of us. It’s also proved relatively easy to try and eat the pre-biotics that feed our good gut bacteria. They include onions, leeks, artichokes, garlic and asparagus. Trying to avoid factory-produced meats with high levels of antibiotics is another good approach. Organic meat, which shouldn’t have been exposed to as many antibiotics – but given its expense it’s even easier to cut down on meat altogether. Although I know it’s more effective to eat the right foods rather than take a pill, and I do manage to eat industrial quantities of yoghurt, sometimes I resort to taking a probiotic supplement in the morning. I’ve popped a smiley face on the bottle to remind me that good bacteria can make me jollier.

3. BOOST YOUR ‘Bs’ Thirdly, I now try and seek out peas, broccoli, spinach, asparagus, chickpeas, soya beans, peanuts, wholegrain rice and porridge. All are rich in B vitamins. Many people who suffer low mood have been found to be low in vitamin B. It may even be worth investing in a supplement to make sure you’re getting your fill. But we all know eating the right foods is best.

My final tip is to try and cultivate a loving and empowering relationship between your brain and the food on your plate. For me, and I suspect it’s the same for most people, our attitude to food is as much about emotion as it is about satisfying hunger. It is a case of mind over platter. So, instead of allowing a rush of emotion to drive me towards comfort food, I try to stop and ask my body what it actually needs from me. Try not to feel deprived by your positive choices, but rather as if you are gaining something extra; be it the steady and relaxing effect of a bowl of vegetable soup or how much better you might sleep after a grounding bowl of warm porridge at night. And remember

the wise words of one Ancient Greek philosopher.

“Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food” said the Greek physician Hippocrates more than two thousand years ago. Despite such age-old wisdom, it was only after two serious bouts of depression that I’ve followed his advice and learnt how medicinal food can truly be. Initially, I was treated with antidepressants. But their debilitating side effects – I put on a stone – meant that increasingly I’ve searched for other ways to treat my anxiety. Eating carefully has hugely helped me to manage my low mood and tendency to anxiety, and I’m not alone. More and more research is being done to show the impact of food on our emotions. Pioneers in the growing field of ‘food therapy’ are breaking new ground: researchers at Louisiana State University are even treating post-traumatic stress disorder with the common blueberry, and yielding positive results. I was lucky enough to be able to turn to Alice Mackintosh, a highly respected nutritionist who works at The Food Doctor, to help me choose a diet that has improved my mood. Here are the tips that have helped me improve the relationship between my food and mood.

Rachel Kelly’s memoir, Black Rainbow: how words healed me – my journey through depression, is published by Hodder & Stoughton and is available for purchase on Amazon. The Black Rainbow app is available for download on the Apple App store and Google App store for free. All author proceeds to SANE and United Response.

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SUPER NATURAL

HEALER

Her book is endorsed by Deepak Chopra, Dr Jospeh Mercola and Ralph Nader, and her inexhaustible knowledge of the toxins around us have saved lives â&#x20AC;&#x201C; including her own. Daska Davis meets Beth Greer, AKA Super Natural Mom

INNER YOU Air pollution, unhealthy takeaways, intoxicating perfumes. We all know the bad stuff that can damage our health, don’t we? Scratch a little deeper below the surface, and you might be amazed at the toxins, chemicals and pollutants that exist in the everyday products, food stuffs and items that fill our homes. With an ever-spiralling list of ingredients that are potentially life-changing, Beth Greer is an impassioned champion of toxin-free living. Her own life was, she believes, endangered and subsequently rescued by the removal of harmful everyday products from her environment.

everyday cleaner, had a precautionary statement on it. After that I looked more widely at my home and the electro magnetic fields that existed in it, and slowly cleaned up my environment.

“Her doctor had prescribed inhalers and codeine but the cough wouldn’t shift. When I met her and looked at her living environment, there were 20 scented candles in her bedroom.

“Quickly I noticed I was feeling much better and the pain in my chest was gone. A scan revealed that the tumour had disappeared and it was an epiphany to me that our bodies are actually excellent at self-healing. Unwittingly I had exposed my body to so much for so long, and we take it for granted that the products that are on sale on our shelves are safe.

“I explained that they were toxic to her system and she should get rid of them. At first she refused, saying the candles were part of her relaxing ritual as she bathed and prepared for bed. Three days later, after removing the candles, she called and said it was a miracle, and that her cough had disappeared. She hadn’t realised that the ‘pure smelling’ candles were loaded with toxins – in fact, fragrance is a generic description used by manufacturers and can contain up to 100 different toxic chemicals.”

“Just over a decade ago, right before my 50th birthday, I developed a pain in my shoulder,” Greer says. “I hadn’t sustained an injury but it got progressively worse and when I saw a chiropractor they recommended an MRI to see what was the cause. It revealed a mass in my chest the size of a tennis ball.

Greer is on a mission to educate people on how they can reduce their exposure and improve their health. “We need to make positive choices,” says Greer. “Choose organic – strawberries, for example, are grown with pesticides which are injected into the root system, and drawn up into the plants’ flesh, so you can’t just wash off the chemicals.

“I was in shock and disbelief, and thought, ‘How could this happen to me?’ I exercised, I ate what I considered to be a healthy diet, didn’t smoke and was generally well. A biopsy showed that the mass was benign but I saw three different surgeons, each of whom wanted to operate from different points of my body to remove the growth.”

“Don’t buy genetically modified food and reduce or eliminate food dyes from your diet – 30mg of artificial food colouring can create behavioural upset, and the average kid’s lunch of mac ‘n’ cheese, orange soda and a small bag of Skittles has around 100ml, so each day’s meal can make a big difference.

Greer had coincidentally booked a programme at the holistic healing Optimum Health Institute in San Diego. Within three days of arriving, she felt the pain in her chest starting to dissipate, and she no longer needed pills to sleep. “I remember pondering what it was that I had been eating and drinking,” she says. “I realised I was eating processed food, so I resolved to eat real, natural food that contained no product labels, and I started feeling better. “I then thought what else could I do to simplify my environment. I started to look at the make-up and lotions I was putting on my skin, and everyday products like toothpaste and deodorant. I was astounded by the long list of ingredients in each. “In my kitchen, I studied the labels of household cleaners and couldn’t believe what I saw – Windex, an

HOME IMPROVEMENT

Greer and her husband ran an adult education company, The Learning Annex, but her background was in journalism, and she began to write a column for the San Francisco Chronicle. In 2009, Rodale published her first book, Super Natural Home, which highlighted how chemicals in everyday items such as food, beauty products, household cleaners, bedding and electronics make us sick. With a Huffington Post column, Greer continues to educate how simple changes can immediately improve our health. “One of my clients suffered from a chronic cough,” explains Greer.

“The world is a frightening place but when you are educated you have power and choice. Manufacturers will follow consumer demand, so it is up to us to make a difference for our own and our planet’s wellbeing.” Beth Greer’s Super Natural Mom (supernaturalmom.com) moniker stems from her inexhaustible knowledge of what goes in to everyday products, and she shares these in her book, Super Natural Home.

Visit thebest youmagazine.co to discover Beth Greer’s top tips for detoxing your environment.

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ENJOY LIFE Laughter, humour, travel, love – these are the things that add the sparkle that makes life worth living. Climb a mountain, give to others, start a family, embrace life. What are the things you wish you had done but haven’t yet? Life is no rehearsal – enjoy life every day.

THE BEST

YOU

Life Without Limits

TOP 6 INSPIRING GARDENS

We look at heavenly horticulture

IT’S THE GOOD NEWS

The Best You brings you positive stories

DITCH THE DIET

Adjust your mindset and lose weight

Put your company in this space! To sponsor this page and be part of The Best You, email us at advertising@thebestyou.co

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TOP 6

INSPIRING GARDENS

With this month’s Chelsea Flower Show (19-23 May) in full bloom, The Best You picks the finest gardens to add a little magic to your own patch of green.

1. HAMPTON COURT PALACE Celebrating its 500th year, Hampton Court Palace has more than 60 acres of gardens, along with a grapevine planted in 1768 by Capability Brown and an amazing maze over a third of an acre that has to be explored. Don’t miss the beautiful bluebells, which will be in bloom this month.

2. THE LOST GARDENS OF HELIGAN Created by the Cornish Tremayne family from the mid-18th century as part of the family’s Heligan Estate, the gardens were neglected after World War I and restored in the 1990s. Colossal rhododendrons and camellias, subtropical tree ferns and two figures made from rocks and plants, known as the Mud Maid and Giant’s Head, are all part of the experience.

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3. BETH CHATTO GARDENS From overgrown wasteland to a seven-acre horticultural haven, Beth Chatto has perfected the art of gardening against the elements. The site had previously been considered too dry in places, too wet in others, and left to grow wild with brambles. Beth Chatto’s inspired planting has created an oasis that continues to inspire.

ENJOY LIFE

4. CHATSWORTH Capability Brown played his part in the creation of the formal gardens of this stately home which feature stunning fountains that date back 300 years. With more than five miles of walks to enjoy, plus a rose, cottage and kitchen gardens there are also some stunning sculptures that blend art and horticulture seamlessly.

5. ROYAL BOTANIC GARDENS, KEW A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Kew Gardens houses the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s largest collection of living plants. Founded in 1840, today there are treetop walkways to enjoy, a stunning bridge, The Sackler Crossing, made of granite and bronze, to take in views of the lake, along with numerous plant houses to marvel at.

6. HIGHGROVE For a regal touch, a trip to the country home of Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall is an unmissable tick on every aspiring gardenerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s list. Fully organic, with a blend of formal gardens and wildflower meadows, book ahead for a superb two-hour, two-mile guided tour.

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WE SUPPORT

ALZHEIMER’S SOCIETY

On 17-23 May, Alzheimer’s Society will be working hard to raise awareness of dementia

Alzheimer’s Society is the leading support and research charity for people with dementia, their families and carers. There are currently 850,000 people living in the UK with dementia, with numbers set to rise to one million by 2025. The society’s fight for a better world for people with all types of dementia takes a wide range of forms. Through our network of local services, they touch the lives of over 30,000 people every week, providing practical services and support for people with dementia and their carers. Dementia Awareness Week is Alzheimer’s Society’s annual flagship awareness-raising campaign in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. This year, Dementia Awareness Week 2015 is taking place from 17-23 May. Dementia can affect a person’s relationships and their connection to the world they love, leaving them feeling isolated and alone. Alzheimer’s Society does everything it can to keep people connected to their lives and the people who matter most. Alzheimer’s Society believes that life doesn’t have to end when dementia begins. New experiences can still bring huge amounts of joy to a person’s life, even as memories fade. That’s why, to mark this Dementia Awareness Week, it is encouraging people to ‘do something new’. From simple things like dining at a new restaurant and visiting a museum, to more extreme activities such as abseiling down a bridge, everyone can get involved.

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From dementia cafés and one to one support workers to the national helpline and online forum, Alzheimer’s Society services provide essential help and advice. Call on 0300 222 1122 or email helpline@alzheimers.org.uk. For more information about Alzheimer’s Society visit

www.alzheimers.org.uk

ENJOY LIFE

THE

GOOD NEWS LET’S TALK I Can’t Hear (icanthear.org) is a free app developed by entrepreneur Etienne Adriaenssen to help speaking users to ‘talk’ with friends and family with hearing difficulties. The app uses iOS’s speech-to-text capabilities to convert the speaker’s words into text instantly. The message clears automatically after a two second pause, mimicking a conversational style.

GAME ON Getting ready to jet off on a break? Look out for a new-but-retro arcade game installation arriving at airport baggage terminals. Starting with Swedish airports, the machines donate the money spent on a game of Space Invaders or Pac-man to the Red Cross. A great way to use up that leftover change, it’s a win-win in our book.

PERFECT FIT Handmade shoes are no longer a luxury, thanks to an American company which makes custom fit, 3D printed footwear. Feetz allows you to take photos of your feet, design and personalise your own style shoe and makes a pair using the 3D model of your feet. No more blisters, that’s utter bliss.

MASTERFUL TOUCH Madrid’s Museo Nacional Del Prado has created an exhibition of six 3D replicas of famous paintings by Goya, Velazquez and others, which visually impaired visitors can explore through touch, enabling them to experience the masterpieces directly. The display runs until 28 June.

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ENJOY LIFE

I f you’ve ever overeaten, rushed your meal, eaten comfort or junk food, you’re not alone, but knowing each of these things isn’t good for you and figuring our why you do them could be the key to weight loss and a healthy life. Authors Ruth Wolever and Beth Reardon, both leading experts from Duke Integrative Medicine, spent 14 years researching The Mindful Diet, an innovative book that combines health psychology and nutrition. While most of us have a fairly good idea of what we shouldn’t eat, it’s the ingrained unhealthy eating habits that hold us back from succeeding when it comes to making the right nutritional choices. “Our culture is very externally focused,” says Wolever. “People look for external advice, and diets become a set of rules to follow with someone else telling us what to do. That can work for a short period of time, but we are likely to return to old eating habits, and that’s why many people will initially lose weight but then gradually regain or increase their body weight over the long-term.” It’s a challenge that many yo-yo dieters experience repeatedly, but weight-loss success is far more likely to come from within than from others, believes Wolever.

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“Lots of people ignore their own bodies and internal wisdom,” she says. “It’s counterintuitive and leads to a disconnect between our mind and body. If we access the incredible power of our mind and appreciate what we have internally we improve both our mind and self-esteem.” As the book’s title suggests, mindfulness is a powerful tool in changing our approach to food and affecting our behaviour. Stress, unhappiness and unconscious beliefs are all likely contributors to unhealthy eating and so being in the moment and thinking about what and how we eat can make huge inroads to change. Arianna Huffington, Miranda Kerr and Daisy Lowe are all keen advocates of mindful eating. “Mindfulness helps people shift their behavior,” continues Wolever. “We experience behaviours as single events – we buy and eat fries – but what goes into that single action are hundreds of tiny events psychologically. Mindfulness enables you to see those other events and gives you more choices and control. “For example, hunger and fullness are not an all or nothing state. There are gradations of fullness and it’s a powerful recognition when you experience that for the first time. “Instead of eating on autopilot, mindfulness allows you to be far more procedural and see the different neurological events that are at play. When we see how fluid our existence is, and how we can make different choices, we see that we are not so stuck as we think we are, and feel empowerment. “It takes real exploration and practice to make it work, but mindfulness can help people to reap the benefits of making healthy choices, losing weight and keeping it off for life.”

The Mindful Diet by Ruth Wolever PhD and Beth Reardon MS, RD, LDN with Tania Nannan is published by Scribner. To read Ruth Wolever’s top tips for mindful eating, visit thebestyoumagazine.co

MIND

OVER MATTER

Knowing the nutritional make-up of your diet is one thing, but have you ever thought about the psychology of what you eat? A new book combines both to help you lose weight and keep it off for life

WHO DARES WINS

THE ADVENTUROUS LIFE OF

BEAR GRYLLS He’s an ex-SAS trooper, climbed Mount Everest after breaking his back, his shows have more than a billion viewers, he’s a heartthrob, a deeply committed Christian and family man. So how did Bear Grylls get to be... Bear Grylls?

COVER STORY

irst, that name. His real name is Edward Michael Grylls, but the nickname was awarded by his sister when he was one week old. The name implies wildness, unconventionality and danger. Which just about sums up the life of the Bear who spent his earliest years in the Northern Irish countryside, which he says, “was the place where I found my love of the sea and of the wild.” His earliest memories, he says, are walks among bluebell woods and swimming in the cold sea. He was dragged away from the Irish wilds during term time to live in London. His father was an MP and, “above all, a good man: kind, gentle, fun, loyal and loved by many.” Nevertheless Bear found London life lonely. With his parents focused on work, he misbehaved at school, even running away from home. Things got so bad his mother would lock him in his room at night, but he escaped by using a bent coat hanger, describing it as, “my first foray into the world of adapting and improvising”. To escape “smoky London”, the family bought a holiday cottage on the Isle of Wight where they spent their summers, eventually moving there fulltime. It was where Bear really began to discover himself. The island was a benign environment where his family could give Bear free reign. He would head into the hills with his father, or gallop along a beach on horseback. “It was here that I learnt to recognise that ‘tightening’ sensation, deep in the pit of my stomach, as being a great thing to follow in life. Some call it fear.” He climbed hills with his dad, sometimes pretending to storm a German stronghold, throwing grenades at the German position. “In reality this meant lobbing clumps of manure towards a deserted bench on the cliff tops,” he remembers, before adding, “Brilliant.”

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Those early years gave him room to express himself, be unconventional and revel in the physical, natural world. He and his father even talked about climbing Mount Everest and he remembers often returning home caked in mud. They were, “powerful, magical times”, during which he was proud to “push through” physical discomfort. His early life contained a freedom many children have no idea is even possible. For example, he would take his small boat with a 1.5hp engine out to sea and meet his parents at the next bay as they walked around. He thrived on it. The risk also had its down side. A dare from a friend led to them both nearly drowning in mud when they tried to walk across a harbour. They managed to get out, but the RNLI was called and his parents were furious. “It was a good lesson,” he says of the narrowly-averted disaster. “Know your limits, don’t embark on any adventures without a solid back-up plan, and don’t be egged on by others when your instincts tell you something is a bad idea.” Instinct is important for Bear. After becoming completely disoriented in fog during a skiing trip in Cyprus’s Troodos Mountain, he and his father walked on for hours in the dark. Faced with either turning left or right, Bear’s “very strong intuition” was to go right, although his father preferred left. Within a few hundred metres of turning right they found a track to safety. The life lesson? “Listen to the quiet voice inside.” A benign voice guiding him has long been Bear’s belief. A committed Christian, he has quoted scripture to himself in his darkest moments. Part of his self-reliance is also to recognise there’s “something bigger than yourself” out there. That faith was nearly lost when he went to boarding school, where he was surrounded by bullying. “Suddenly all I felt

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was fear. Fear forces you to look tough on the outside, but makes you weak on the inside. This was the opposite of all I had ever known as a kid growing up.” His response was to fight and misbehave. After being caught red-handed trying to break in to the deputyheadmaster’s house to steal his cigars, he received a final warning. When he was subsequently found Frenchkissing the daughter of the headmaster of another school, he was asked to leave. He went on to Eton College where he took up karate to protect himself against bullies, eventually becoming so good that he trained with the Karate Union of Great Britain in Japan. He was unconventional and adventurous, climbing trees in the grounds and having night adventures throughout the grounds. He even climbed the school library dome, just like his predecessor the adventurer Ranulph Fiennes. A dizzying ascent with a 40-metre drop to concrete. Later he was to say: “Small moments like that gave me an identity. I wasn’t just yet another schoolboy, I was fully alive, fully me, using my skills to the max. And in those moments I realised I simply loved adventure. ”He also started mountain climbing, something he loves. So, what is the appeal of the peaks? “Mountains are all about experiencing a shared bond that is hard to find in normal life. I love that fact that mountains make everyone’s clothes and hair go messy... that they demand that you give of yourself, that they make you fight and struggle. They also induce people to loosen up, to belly laugh at silly things, and to be able to sit and be content staring at a sunset or a log fire.”

COVER STORY

Another trait central to his personality came out at university: his extraordinary resilience. Not everyone discontented with student life would enrol on an SAS training programme, but that’s what Bear did when he discovered the SAS Reserve was open to civilians. The physical and mental endurance required to pass the course are famously punishing. So why did Bear put himself through the pain, the exhaustion and mental anguish? Why expose himself to life-endangering cold in the Welsh mountains and to extraordinary demands on body and mind? His answer is revealing. “So much of my life had been privileged. I’d never really had to work that hard for anything. I had grown up with loving parents, with food on the table, warmth, and clothing in abundance. I wanted to work hard. I wanted to prove myself somehow worthy of the good things I had known.” Bear admits to feeling devastated when he and his friend Trucker failed. Until another side took over. “Our achievements are generally limited by the beliefs we impose on ourselves,” he says. Calling on his faith and a saying by Winston Churchill that, “Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm,” he literally soldiered on. He and Trucker re-enrolled and this time they passed. The two young men, in their early twenties at university, were at the same time fully-trained elite SAS operatives. Over the coming years, he recalls disappearing from university for a few weeks, then coming back heavily suntanned after going on a secret operation. Here are the elements of Bear Grylls’s character: He is determined, adventurous, happy-go-lucky, funny, mischievous. He responds to fear and challenges by moving towards them. A man of faith, he also believes in luck. He is willing to endure and overcome, and to test himself to the extreme. He is modest, playful and famously untidy. He’s a unique individual, but he’s not a loner. He loves his friends, believes in teamwork and respects people for who they are. He cares for others but goes after his goals with pure determination. These traits stood him in good stead when disaster struck. On holiday, his chute failed to open properly and he broke his back in three places. Though his spinal cord hadn’t been severed, he was a wreck. It took him nearly a year to walk normally again, and during that period he realised he couldn’t go back to the SAS. Lying in his hospital bed, he remembered climbing with his father and he set himself a new goal. To climb Everest. The dangers he faced, the times he nearly died, make an extraordinary story. After he succeeded, he began to give motivational talks. After this he got his break on television and was propelled to international fame. Nowadays he is married, has two kids and owns an island off of Wales. His series, Man vs Wild, has a world audience of 1.2bn viewers. He is Chief Scout to the Scouting Association, a philanthropist and has his own clothing range. He says he did not seek fame or fortune. The money looks after itself while he lives his life honestly and authentically. His is an extraordinary life.

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Chris Cardell and Robert De Niro on the set of his movie Little Fockers

SELLING

As a child, Chris Cardell dreamt of owning a microphone, so how did a Capital Radio producer become a marketing mastermind? Bernardo Moya found out

Chris Cardell tells me that everyone in business is in marketing. He says it with the confidence of one who has helped numerous businesses succeed. “Everybody asks the question, ‘What should I sell?’” he says. “It’s the wrong first question. The right first question is, ‘Who am I going to sell to?’” Expressed like that, his clear-sighted marketing approach sounds obvious. That’s because part of his skill is breaking down bewildering marketing options into easily reproduced processes. It works. Cardell’s marketing business, Cardell Media, helps others extend their market reach and build on success. He certainly didn’t learn these skills at school or college. Marked by a strong rebellious streak his main memory of school is boredom. “I did my O Levels,

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I did some A Levels. I did okay, but it just bored me. It didn’t seem particularly interesting or relevant. I just didn’t buy into this authority idea.” He recalls hearing how rock star John Lennon realised at an early age he was smarter than his teachers. “I’m not sure I’d go that far,” Cardell smiles disarmingly, “but it just didn’t inspire me. My main aim at school was to leave.” Other inspirations hinted at his future career in communication to come, including his deep passion for rock music. When he was six, growing up in Bromley, Kent – “home of David Bowie,” he interjects – he saw a microphone in a music shop window.

FEATURE

“I remember obsessing about this microphone,” he says. “It was £35, which was a lot of money then. I started saving up. I got to about £28 and then somebody told me I would also need an amplifier, so that was my first experience of dreams being shattered,” he recalls.

and be what you want and all the people around you who are telling you what’s not possible, forget about it.”

ON THE MIC

Aged 12, he appeared on Capital Radio on a feature called The Young DJ, in which kids could DJ for 15 minutes. “I remember walking into the studio and deciding this was what I was going to do. It was really weird because it wasn’t even a decision, I just knew.”

Something about communication inspired him, but paradoxically he was also very shy. After he fell and lost his milk teeth, no-one could understand him and his mother sent him to elocution lessons. The teacher wrote home to say: ‘Christopher will have a lifetime of problems communicating.’ Thankfully, he grew up feeling different to other kids, and wasn’t swayed by such negative inputs. So, did others influence him more positively? Again, that rock ‘n’ roll influence comes through. “My big inspiration as a teenager was Paul Weller of The Jam. I was quite shy and introverted, and he just wrote these lyrics about belief in yourself and not buying into authority. He was the first person in my life who said, you can do what you want, you can go

One thing that’s clear when Cardell talks about his early days is the way he ‘obsesses’ and commits himself to his goal. That’s exactly what happened with his radio career.

After school he joined BRNB radio in Birmingham, then worked for Capital Radio – the top London station. “I ended up working with Chris Tarrant on his Breakfast Show. I did the news with Chris for three years, so dreams can come true.” He says he only realised later that most people weren’t as focussed as him. Which, he adds, is great news for those willing to commit to pursue their dreams. “If you really set your mind on something and you really want to achieve it, you can do it. In a way, it was easier to achieve than I thought,” though he adds that it took lots of hard work.

Sir Bob Geldof at the Cardell Media Entrepreneur Summit

FEATURE MOTIVATED LEARNER After four years with Capital Radio, Cardell launched his own entrepreneurial career. He published a book on the back of a radio documentary he made about Michael Jackson and sold 20,000 copies. Other enterprises were less successful, and he soon realised he needed to understand marketing. “I went to the States and I learnt from people there. I hopefully got very good at it, thinking it was for me and my business. What happened was some of our clients started asking for marketing help and so I accidentally became a marketing expert.” When the internet took off, he added web marketing to his expertise. “It allowed us to reach large numbers of people at the same time. Now I have a couple of businesses, but my main business shows entrepreneurs how to do their internet marketing.” He teaches through big seminars as well as smaller classes. The work has rewards beyond money, such as the businessman who contacted him to say his wife was having a child – and Cardell was responsible. “He’d been running his business, he’d been struggling. They wanted another kid but didn’t feel they could because of financial reasons.” After Cardell’s tutelage, all that turned around and a new person entered the world. Nowadays, his attitude to education has completely changed from his schooldays. For him, being taught something useful is the key to motivation. Early in his radio career he was turned down for a job reading the news because he was young and didn’t sound experienced enough. His answer? Contact a former BBC radio announcer and spend a weekend in voice training. The following year he got the job. “I had a simple belief system in life which I heard articulated later on by people in the field of NLP when they talk about modelling... Go out and find out how they do it and copy and model them.” Describing himself as “obsessive compulsive”, he admits his media experience has been a huge help. “When you’re in the media, especially if you’re on the journalism side, you discover it’s much easier to get access to people than you think. If you ask nicely and with the right questions, you can get access to pretty much anybody.

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So I went and found the very best marketing people – not just in my country but on this planet – and I sat down with them and drilled into their brains and found out how they did it.” In contrast to his childhood, he now talks about the pleasure he draws from education. It never ends, he adds, because there’s constant innovation in marketing. So, what advice would he give to those starting out, and why that question, ‘Who am I going to sell to?’ “There are a couple of decisions people make at the beginning, and sometimes they don’t even realise they’re making them. They will influence literally the rest of their entrepreneurial lives. If you’re having to compete on selling at the lowest price then you’ve got a huge, huge problem. You ideally want a repeat business. Like a hairdresser’s business; you come back again and again, you buy the stuff, the shampoo, again and again, and you refer people again and again. You want to avoid a business that’s a one-off sale. So those factors: wealthier, high-end buyer, repeat business – I’d start with that. Ask yourself: where can I find those people – and then you insert whatever it is you’re going to sell.” It’s a great starting point, and one his students have used to build success. After the deep recession of the past five years, it’s certainly one to take on board.

WHAT’S

NEW

THE BEST YOU With a range of upcoming events, editor Bernardo Moya shares the latest developments at The Best You As our audience continues to grow on both sides of the Atlantic, we are excited to announce our plans to extend the ways that our readers can interact with the UK’s leading personal development magazine and channels to become their ‘best you’. Each month, we bring you fantastic content from many of the personal development industry’s leading names, including John Demartini, Barbara De Angelis and Richard Bandler, alongside insightful profiles of people who have reached the pinnacle of their success. Our partnership with Gail Kingsbury, our assistant deputy editor based in the US, enables us to showcase new talent and distribute The Best You TV which is now being aired in Roku, Amazon, Samsung and soon in Hulu. We are also delighted to announce our close working relationship with Wiley plus the fact you can now see our magazine on Issuu. This autumn we are also planning to launch The Best You Inspiring Talks, a series of events to be held in London where leaders and thinkers will share their insight and expertise. Broadcast simultaneously online, our global audience can also enjoy these presentations from the comfort of their home, workspace or educational facility. With opportunities to be involved in the events both as a speaker and commercially, we would be delighted to hear from you and your business in the autumn and during 2016. We are also developing an inaugural Best You Exhibition – a place for professionals in the industry to market and promote their services and goods, and a place for fans of the personal development world to meet and see the people they admire and follow. At our first Feel and Look Good weekend, we will be joined by the best professionals – including fashion experts, celebrity chefs and nutritionists, and outstanding athletes – offering advice on style and fashion, techniques to lose weight, exercise and eat better. Download the app at thebestyoumagazine.co and tune in to The Best You TV to be among the first to learn more about our events and join us to help yourself become ‘The Best You’.

FEATURE

TOUR DE FORCE

THE POWER OF BRADLEY

Famously focused, outspoken, confident to the point of cocky yet respectful, kind and even shy, he is a powerful role model. The Best You celebrates the achievements of cycling genius, Bradley Wiggins

W ith his gnarly calves, lean figure and famed sideburns, he looks like the typical hero from an earlier age of cycling history. Yet Bradley Wiggins is very much a modern day hero, his story that of the ‘boy made good’. Wiggins didn’t have the greatest start. Born in 1980, he was an ordinary kid living with his mum, Linda, in Dibden House, Paddington. They were a oneparent family after his dad ran out when Wiggins was just 18 months old. He wasn’t particularly interested in academia and had the usual interests of a kid growing up in London in the 80s, predominantly football. But Wiggins had a sporting heritage that hinted at the heights he would achieve in later life. His absentee father, Garry Wiggins became a professional cyclist in 1976, helping to win the Australian Team Pursuit title for Victoria. In Europe during the 1980s, he went for broke, performing well in the 1983/4 World Pursuit championship, but as his son comments, falling “just short of greatness”. Interestingly, Wiggins senior was nicknamed ‘Doc’ by other racers because he used and supplied amphetamines to them – something for which his son has no patience whatsoever. Not that Wiggins was aware of this at the time. His father never contacted him and his mother rarely mentioned him.

INSPIRED MOMENT The father figure in his life was his grandfather, George, and his life was “surprisingly devoid of angst” despite the break-up. Then, one day in 1992, his mum called him indoors to watch a cycle race between Chris Boardman and Jens Lehmann at the Barcelona Olympics. As soon as Wiggins saw cycle racing he was hooked. He went to the local Hayes track – actually a piece of unfinished dual carriageway – and started training on an ordinary bike. He threw himself into his new interest obsessively, helped and guided by club members who admired

his enthusiasm. Then Wiggins was struck with a piece of luck. Or more accurately, he was struck by a car while he was cycling on the open road. The insurance payout his mother assiduously pursued enabled this working class boy to spend £1,000 on a proper race bike. His generous side came out in payment of a further £700 to his mum for her hard work. He never looked back. By 1994 he was racing and winning regularly as he learned his craft, and in 1997 won three medals at the national junior championships. The British selectors spotted him and his international career started. By 1998, he was Junior World Champion in the Individual Pursuit, which he won in Cuba. It was exactly as he’d dreamed.

SOLE RIDER Wiggins is a motivated self-starter. Part of his inner myth is the notion that he “did it entirely on his own”, without anyone else’s help. This shows how deeply he is self-focused and highly competitive, but it only tells part of the story. His mum did the right thing to call him to watch that race between Boardman and Lehmann, perhaps guessing it would ignite his interest. Linda and his stepdad, Brendan, spent long hours taking him up and down the country to various races in his teens, and he had informal coaches early on at the clubs he trained at, who would advise and help him. But Wiggins’ performance on the track, the hours of training, fitness and hardships he underwent were all down to himself. He was and is deeply self-motivated and part of the story that he is the archetypal hero making his way alone in the world is undoubtedly true. However, a lone young rider in the big world of international cycle racing was always going to need support. As well as having funding from the National Lottery he has also had the guidance of the British Olympic Association. The latter, through Chris Boardman, helped him overcome confidence issues when competing with Australian Brad McGree. Boardman is the man who should be credited with bringing the fiery youth’s brilliance under strong discipline. Boardman was a hard taskmaster, keeping Wiggins’s nose to the grindstone, and asking to see his training plans for the coming year in meticulous detail. When he received his first spreadsheet from Wiggins, he tore into it. He would keep minutes of their discussions and then pull Wiggins up on any variation from what they’d agreed. This approach worked well, and in 2004, Wiggins finally beat McGee to take gold at the 2004 Athens

Olympics. It was an extraordinary moment for a young man of 24 – to be the number one Individual Pursuit cyclist in the world, but it was also very nearly his undoing. nAfter the highs of that win, Wiggins went on to what was essentially a nine month bender. He drank everyday, sometimes for days at a time. Perhaps like his father, Wiggins also has the ability to drink like a fish. After Athens, he reports how he crashed and burned, losing all self-control.

RETURN TO FORM When his wife, Cath, gave birth their son, Ben, Wiggins had the “jolt to the system” he needed, and stopped drinking. He went on to rebuild himself – with her and Boardman’s support, and with guidance from the British Olympic Association’s psychiatrist Steve Peters. Along the way, Wiggins has had much to deal with. In the 2007 Tour de France, his team was excluded because a member’s drug test proved positive. A staunch anti-drugs critic, he loudly denounced drugs cheating to the press in the strongest terms. He coped with a brief rapprochement with his father, rejected him and then had news of his death. In every case he has come through, stronger and wiser. Wiggins went on to become an unstoppable force in world cycling. At the Beijing Olympics in 2008, he brought home two gold medals in Team Pursuit and Individual Pursuit. He aimed to bring back three, including the Madison, but was boxed out when the Spanish and Argentinian teams worked together to block him. The difference between his success in Athens and in Beijing he summed up as follows: “In Athens I was a mature rider and an immature bloke, in Beijing I was a mature rider and a mature bloke.” This is evidenced by his extraordinary performance in the London 2012 Olympic Games in which he took three gold medals, in the same year that he won the Tour de France – the first British cyclist to do so. His performance puts him up there with the greats of world sport. In total, Wiggins is a man who has extraordinary talent shaped by experienced hands. This combination – of sheer brilliance, a degree of utter self-belief, of knowing his mind and going for what he wants alongside the firm hand of those wanting to keep him on track are the keys to his success.

To read more about Bradley Wiggins, visit thebestyoumagazine.co

BOOK

THE BEST

YOU

Life Without Limits

CLUB TM

This month we are giving away a wide range of fantastic books. If you’d like to be in with a chance of winning , simply email your name and contact details to prizegiveaways@thebestyou.co with the name of the prize you would like to win in the subject title before 31 May 2015.

THE MINDFUL DIET BY RUTH WOLEVER “Every year millions of people vow to lose weight and get healthy, but the largest roadblock to these changes are ingrained eating habits. Commercial diets not only fail to address the root of unhealthy behavior, but also damage self-worth, as adopters cycle through success and relapse in what can become a painful emotional spiral. Now, for the first time, two leading experts from the Duke Center for Integrative Medicine offer a new paradigm for eating and health – a step-by-step programme that dismantles old patterns, provides new tools for making healthy choices, and fosters deep, internal motivation. Loaded with meditation exercises, behavioral techniques and food charts, this book provides the tools to avoid cravings, stop emotional overeating, identify when you are full and find time to exercise. By tapping into the root of unhealthy triggers, readers can make healthy choices, lose weight and keep it off for life.”

WIN!

We have three copies of The Mindful Diet by Ruth Wolever PhD and Beth Reardon MS, RD, LDN with Tania Hannan to give away. Discover how to transform your relationship with food for lasting weight loss and vibrant health.

S.U.M.O. (SHUT UP, MOVE ON) BY PAUL MCGEE This is the long awaited second–edition of Paul McGee’s international best-selling personal development heavyweight S.U.M.O. Weighing in with humour, insight, practical tips and personal anecdotes, it’s a thought provoking – and possibly life–changing – read. S.U.M.O. has helped tens of thousands of people fulfil their potential, seize opportunities, succeed at work and respond to adverse situations with a positive attitude. S.U.M.O. stands for Shut Up, Move On. It′s a phrase to say to ourselves (and sometimes others) when we are acting or thinking in a way that is hindering our ability to succeed. It doesn′t necessarily mean ′get over it′ or ′pull yourself together′ (although there may be occasions when both responses are necessary). ′Shut Up′ means stop what you′re doing, take time out to reflect, let go of baggage and beliefs that hinder your potential. ′Move On′ means tomorrow can be different from today, look for new possibilities, don′t just think about it, take action.

WIN!

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To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the best-seller with its straight-talking advice for overcoming life’s challenges, we have five copies of S.U.M.O. (Shut Up, Move On) by Paul McGee to win.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS:

One entry per household. Entry implies acceptance of rules and conditions. No purchase necessary. Open to all UK residents aged 18 years or over, other than employees of The Best You and companies associated with it. Draw will be conducted by The Best You Corporation. Prize is as stated and will be awarded to the entry drawn at random on the draw date. No cash alternative is available. No correspondence will be entered into. Delayed entries will be deemed invalid. Winners’ names may be published and the winners may be required to participate in publicity. Promoter: The Best You Corporation.

Need some inspired thinking? Enter our ‘lucky dip’ and we’ll send one winner a book from The Best You’s bookshelf.

BUILD YOUR BUSINESS IN 90 MINUTES A DAY BY NIGEL BOTTERILL & MARTIN GLADDISH

Have you got a brilliant business idea, but are not sure how to find the time to start making it a reality? Or perhaps you have your dream up and running but you need help to grow? Join best–selling author and multi–award winning entrepreneur, Nigel Botterill, and his co–author Martin Gladdish, as they explore the history, wisdom and uncanny natural phenomena that surrounds each 90 minute chunk of time that we live in and equip you with the tools to think big, grow fast and build your successful business in those 90 minute chunks! Build Your Business in 90 Minutes A Day reveals lessons from the true stories of everyday entrepreneurs who dedicate 90 minutes a day to building their success. Amidst pages of the science surrounding this magical number, you will learn just how powerful it can be when applied to your life. An hour and a half will never seem quite the same again.”

We have five copies of Build Your Business in 90 Minutes A Day by Nigel Botterill and Martin Gladdish to give away. Discover how to create new focus and build the business you really want.

WIN!

THE 4-HOUR WORK WEEK BY TIMOTHY FERRISS Forget the old concept of retirement and the rest of the deferred-life plan – there is no need to wait and every reason not to, especially in unpredictable economic times. Whether your dream is escaping the rat race, experiencing highend world travel, earning a monthly five-figure income with zero management, or just living more and working less, this book is the blueprint. This new updated and expanded edition includes more than 50 practical tips and case studies from readers (including families) who have doubled their income, overcome common sticking points, and reinvented themselves using the original book as a starting point.

A New York Times best-seller, The 4-Hour Work Week explains how to live more and work less. We have one copy to give away.

WIN!

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THE BEST

YOU

BOOK Life Without Limits

REVIEWS

With the power to entertain, enrich and empower your life, books are as important today as they have been for millennia. Here’s what’s catching our eye at The Best You this month…

PAPER TOWN We may be on the final chapter of our love of ebooks, with a return to public affection for print. That was the conclusion at last month’s London Book Fair where industry experts dismissed the ideal that digital will kill the paperback. Total spending on print and electronic books increased 4 per cent to around £2.2bn in 2014, according to Nielsen, accounting for 30 per cent of all books

published. However, millennials appear to be closing the door on digital with a 9 per cent rise in children’s print literature – the figure is supported by Waterstones’ reported 5 per cent rise in physical sales in December 2014. “Ebooks will continue to grow,” commented Steve Bohme, consumer director at Nielsen, “but the speed of growth has started to slow and perhaps we are getting close to saturation in some areas.” “A book is a dream that you hold in your hand,” Neil Gaiman

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BOOK REVIEWS

WHAT THE **** IS NORMAL? BY FRANCESCA MARTINEZ

What the **** is Normal?! is a funny, moving celebration and exploration of learning to be happy with who you are. Neither an autobiography nor a selfhelp book, it’s a powerful and political call-to-arms that rails against the relentless media bombardment of what is culturally perceived as ‘normal’. MArtinez equipped herself with the tools to stick two shaky fingers up to society’s unrealistic and damaging expectations, and she hopes to help more people to do the same. THE WOBBLY REVOLUTION STARTS HERE.

“Her observations and perspective are unique and powerful. This is a funny, compassionate and inspiring story of how ’being different’ can become, with the right attitude, an unlikely advantage. Also, it’s bloody funny and touching” – Russell Brand

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BOOK REVIEWS

EMOTIONAL FIRST AID BY GUY WINCH

Why is it we have medicine cabinets for common physical injuries like cuts and colds but no toolkits for common psychological injuries such as failure, rejection, guilt, and loss? Well, now we do. Each chapter in Emotional First Aid is dedicated to a specific common emotional wound; how the injury impacts us in the short-term and the long-term psychological fallout that results if we leave it untreated.

“Outstanding work…a valuable addition to the self-help oeuvre” – Publisher’s Weekly

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BOOK REVIEWS

BUILD YOUR BUSINESS IN 90 MINUTES A DAY

BY NIGEL BOTTERILL & MARTIN GLADDISH Build Your Business in 90 Minutes A Day reveals lessons from the true stories of everyday entrepreneurs who dedicate 90 minutes a day to building their success. Woven amongst these inspirational tales are the remarkable accounts of worldchanging events from English history, space and popular culture, that were determined in just 90 minutes. Amidst pages of startling science fact surrounding this magical number, you will learn just how powerful it can be when applied to your life. An hour and a half will never seem quite the same again.

“A remarkably simple yet inspired approach to cracking those business goals that you want but never seem to achieve. Fun, friendly advice to inspire you” – Lily Sampson

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BOOK REVIEWS

CELEBRITY AUTHORS’ SECRETS BY STEPHANIE J. HALE

Twelve of the world’s greatest living authors reveal their tips for writing a book that sells over a million copies. A must-have guide – filled with publishing and book marketing information – for aspiring writers, authors, literary agents, publishers, editors, writing coaches, creative writing tutors and anyone who loves books!

“I read this fascinating book in a single day because once I had started, I was unable to put it down. Sleep and eating became annoying distractions and even a train journey was almost inadvertently extended, because I nearly missed my stop” – M. Leal

LIVE LOVE LEGACY What do you want to be remembered for? What are your relationships like with those around you? How does life treat you… and how do you treat your life? There is so much good in you. Enrich your life with the passion you feel and the connections you make.

THE BEST

YOU

Life Without Limits

THEIR INSPIRING STORIES

How Alzheimer’s Society is helping people with dementia and their families

THE WOBBLY REVOLUTION

Francesca Martinez throws off normality

WHAT DOES IT TAKE… to be an author

Put your company in this space! To sponsor this page and be part of The Best You, email us at advertising@thebestyou.co

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RAISING

AWARENESS OF DEMENTIA Alzheimer’s Society supports many people living with dementia. Here, people share what it’s like to live with the illness, and how the society supports them

GEORGE AND ENID, LIFE WITH DEMENTIA “We came out of the consultant’s office, Enid having been diagnosed as having Alzheimer’s disease, and we both looked at each other and said, ‘Where do we go from here?’ We realised that it’s not just loss of memory, it goes far deeper than loss of memory. Before Enid was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s we lived what I would call a normal life, we both worked together in childcare, we had a daughter, Alison, we would go on holiday. Enid enjoyed cooking, sewing, we just enjoyed life, you know. I was in hospital having a knee operation and Enid could drive and her friend came over to stay with her and they were coming by bus, and I said ‘I wonder why you’re not using your car’ and it didn’t strike me then until I came home she was a bit frightened of driving and taking the car. Things in the kitchen were in a different place, all of a sudden something I always knew where it was would suddenly move. Enid didn’t always appear to remember what had been said to her all the time, so we started going to the doctors. I don’t think either of us knew what Alzheimer’s was and we were just numb in lots of respects. It’s like living with someone different, someone that you didn’t know, someone who at times was confused, sometimes was ok. But she loved to do things herself. She loved to go in the kitchen and put the kettle on or something, you know. I had to be very careful I didn’t take those things away from her around the house,

I’d just be around to make sure it was done properly. We had planned to have a golden wedding party in a local hotel and there was about a hundred people there, and she thoroughly enjoyed it but she didn’t know her own brother that night. Fortunately my daughter knew that there was an Alzheimer’s Society branch in Bradford. We approached them, which was one of the best things we have ever done because they have been absolutely terrific and fantastic. Life is quite pleasant in many respects, until about four years ago when I realised it was getting far too much and Enid needed some help and I needed some help. I always vowed that I would keep Enid at home as long as I possibly could. We got someone coming in at night from social services and they would wash her and put her to bed because she was losing all her mobility, we couldn’t understand what she was saying and I realised I couldn’t give her the care and attention she needed and I had to agree for her to go into full-time care. I didn’t want her to. She hasn’t known me for about 18 months now but I understand she still shouts my name out, whatever world she’s in Enid seems to be happy but it’s the family that have to carry it and think about it. It hasn’t torn the family apart but we have all handled it in our own way and supported each other because without the support of each other we would have gone down, because it’s such a blow, particularly to us towards the latter stages. It has been 24/7 over the past four years, but it’s something I had to do and I wanted to do.

LIVE LOVE LEGACY

SYLVIA, A CARER’S EXPERIENCE “My name is Sylvia and I’m a moderator on Talking Point, it’s a support forum where people can offload. Mainly it’s a help to carers and then it’s a help indirectly, it is a help to sufferers because the carers have got more support. My husband has dementia, my mother had dementia, so I looked after my mother for quite a few years until she went into a home, but with my husband it was a completely different thing. I felt very lucky, for want of a better word, when my husband developed dementia because I had no other responsibilities, I was retired, I had no dependent children and I could just concentrate on him. So I just lived with dementia. I just adapted my life to suit my husband and to suit his needs. My husband had been prescribed Aricept, prescribed Reminyl, neither of them agreed with him – they gave him hallucinations and nightmares and it was really awful and he was going through a very, very aggressive period. It was a really difficult time, far more

difficult than I had had with my mother, and it was just out of desperation really, I just thought, maybe I can find out some better strategies to cope. I found Talking Point and I read other people’s posts, I didn’t know what a thread was, I didn’t know what a post was, I wasn’t particularly computer literate, and then from what I can remember there were odd posts that I felt I could respond to and so I started replying. As I replied people responded to me, and that kind of built up my confidence in a way. I couldn’t really go out for more than an hour at a time or leave my husband, so I was on Talking Point more or less 24 hours a day, it was just, it was my social life, it made me feel that my husband’s aggression wasn’t just him, there were lots of people who became aggressive. My husband blaming me for everything that went wrong wasn’t just peculiar to him, everybody blamed the nearest to them for what was going wrong. I don’t think I would have got through without it. A bonus of it is that I have made friends, personal friends.”

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THE WOBBLY

REVOLUTION Comedian and actress Francesca Martinez is on a mission to make us rethink our definition of normality

www.thebe sty o u m ag az i n e . co

LIVE LOVE LEGACY

With her striking looks, the genetic inheritance of her Spanish father and half-Swedish, half-English mother, gamine haircut and sparkling wit, Francesca Martinez is the stand-up artist who can cut a politician down to size with a quick one-liner – with a wry smile, of course. Oh, and she has cerebral palsy, something she describes as making her ‘wobbly’. If these facts are unusual, she’s doing better than most of us, having risen from child actress on Grange Hill and Holby City, to The Observer’s 2003 ’50 funniest acts in British comedy’ and, more recently, one of Britain’s Most Influential Women on BBC Woman’s Hour’s 2014 Power List. An outspoken campaigner on disability and welfare, Martinez turned the tables on society with an awardwinning stand-up show called What The **** Is Normal? and a subsequent best-selling book of the same name. In it she asks if you’ve ever met a ‘normal’ person, and demonstrates that society’s perceptions of conformity perpetuate unhappiness for so many, regardless of ability. “I realised that everybody is different, and there is no ‘normal’,” says Martinez, when I ask her what she discovered on her journey. “Society makes us believe that there’s a right way to be and there’s so much pressure on us to hide our imperfections. A certain appearance is deemed to be ‘ok’, and, if we differ, we are made to feel abnormal.” Our self-perception influences so many aspects of our lives, and this is evident from Martinez’ own experience. “Growing up wobbly, the pressure was heightened for me, and I felt I was seen as abnormal,” she says. “I grew up in a happy home and was very loved and confident, but when I realised the world saw me the other way, I struggled for a few years. “Then I figured that I had never met anyone ‘normal’ and thought, ‘Why am I getting my knickers in a twist? I’m Francesca, and I’m wobbly’. Acting had a profound effect on that, and it was very empowering.” Growing up, Martinez found the transition to secondary school difficult, and, a performer from a young age, landing the part in Grange Hill at the age of 14 came as a huge relief. “Between the age of 1219 I felt ashamed of myself and became quite myopic and depressed. I was incredibly unhappy at school, so it was fantastic to be given the opportunity to act and some of my confidence did come back.”

I had always used humour from a young age, to relax people, as I hated to be pitied. I always joked about things, and I think dad saw that in me. I started gigging around the UK and a year later I performed at the Edinburgh Festival.” Martinez won the Festival’s 2000 Open Mic Award and since then has toured the world with her unique take on life, performing with Jo Brand, Johnny Vegas, Al Murray, Lee Mack and Ricky Gervais. She continues to combine her stand-up with a successful acting career, alongside her role as a campaigner for disability rights, social and climate justice. “I think anyone in the public eye should use that platform to highlight issues,” she says. “People should use fame for a positive purpose. Disability is still hugely underrepresented, and there are many people living in poverty without a voice, so if I am able to bring a focus to a really serious situation I will do so. “Disability can affect any of us tomorrow and if the safety nets aren’t in place to support people there’s something hugely wrong. We shouldn’t live in a society where people are losing their homes, or have to choose between heating or eating.” With a General Election this month, Martinez doesn’t feel positive about the future for disabled rights. “Disabled people have been hardest hit in recent years. They didn’t cause the recession, or take out loans or huge bonuses. Austerity is making the most vulnerable pay for the greed of others. The rich are getting richer, and the poor are becoming poorer and I feel very scared about what is happening. “Many of my friends are young, capable people, but they need support and when services are eroded it can ruin lives. There’s a lot of rhetoric about maintaining independence, but the cuts are impacting that reality for many people.” Alongside political debate and reform, Martinez believes a media that represents and embraces diversity will have a hugely positive effect on society. “Right now we have a very narrow focus of beauty and health,” she says. “Culture reflects such a shallow section of society and it makes millions of people unhappy with themselves. We obsess about what we don’t have.

After Grange Hill, Martinez’s father, a novelist and playwright, wrote a film and asked if she would play a character who was a stand-up comedian. While Martinez loved the script, she told him she couldn’t possibly do stand-up.

“’Normality’ is different and no matter what body we are born into, all human experience is important. We need to give people the mental tools to fight back and think, ‘My body gives me life and without it I wouldn’t exist.’” With such an insightful and powerful perspective, Martinez’ ‘normal’ is something we should all aspire to.

Perhaps with a paternal insight into his daughter’s real abilities, even before she realised them in herself, Martinez’s father encouraged her to research the role with a stand-up comedy workshop. At the end of the workshop, she was persuaded to do a gig. “It felt incredible,” recalls Martinez. “I loved it and knew that I wanted to do it for a living.

Francesca Martinez’s book, ‘What The **** Is Normal’ is published by Ebury Publishing

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Your time can make a big difference for children. Volunteer for ChildLine in schools. Imagine a generation of children who have the knowledge to stop abuse. We believe itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s possible through the ChildLine Schools Service. You can help us make it happen by going into primary schools to talk to 9-11 year olds about staying safe. Join us. nspcc.org.uk/volunteer ÂŠ 2014 NSPCC - all rights reserved.ChildLine is a service provided by the NSPCC. Photograph by Jon Challicom, posed by models. J20141027. Registered charity numbers 216401 and SC037717.

SHARK

LIVE LOVE LEGACY

TALE

Jim Aitkins believes the way we act when we are afraid can make a big difference to the outcome The fear of being attacked by a shark is, by many people, exceeded only by the fear of speaking in front of an audience. This is odd because I have yet to hear of an audience attacking a motivational speaker. Just the thought of it is absurd: a fellow giving a speech to a large audience shares a poignant story and suddenly an angry woman stands up and yells, “That’s not motivational!” And then another guy chimes in, “Yeah, I’m not motivated at all you son of a ****” as he rushes the stage readying a rolled up issue of The Best You to be used as a club. Audiences don’t really attack, but sharks really do. When I learned why predatory sharks attack – and why they don’t – from a good friend of mine, I was immediately fascinated by this aspect of underwater wildlife because I find that it is not unlike some scenarios we encounter here on dry land. There is at least one powerful life lesson from it that I will share with you here. My friend, Paul Padgett, is one of the leaders of a group of marine researchers that works closely with National Geographic to document, in words and pictures, the shortfalls as well as the successes in mankind’s quest to be kind to the planet by being good stewards of the world’s oceans. As a gifted photographer, one of the more exciting elements of his job is to take pictures of threatened reefs in

places like Belize. And while underwater, he has, on occasion, encountered sharks like the Great White shark shown above (he took that picture while in the open ocean; not in the safety of a protective cage). One day I asked him if he thought sharks sense fear. He said, “Oh, I know they do.” An accelerated heart rate, the sudden, thrashing movements, indicative of fleeing or panic are among the things these killing machines read and pick up on. When a large predatory shark senses fear, they surmise it is safe for them to attack and enjoy their next meal. Conversely, when they do not sense the tell-tale signs of fear, they assume they are in the company of neither a threat nor a meal; a peer. Sharks are just like any bully; they seek the defenceless and they tend to avoid situations that indicate a possible threat. So, what is the life lesson? If you find yourself in a situation where you feel afraid, do not act afraid. Think rational thoughts about the situation. Ask yourself, ‘What is the worst thing that can happen right now?’ Thinking things through will help you break through the barrier between acting like you’re not afraid and actually not being afraid. Both sharks and people can sense a fear-based lack of confidence. So no, audiences don’t actually attack, but if an audience, or just the one person you are dealing with, can sense that you are nervous and pensive, you will lose credibility, respect and maybe more. Like it or not, we are all swimming in a big ocean. The best you is bigger and better than whatever you might be afraid of. Act like it until you really, really believe it.

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WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO BE...

AN AUTHOR

Stephanie J. Hale is a publishing expert who helps high-profile entrepreneurs and speakers to write bestselling books. She is the founder of Oxford Literary Consultancy and author of award-winning books including How to Sell a Million Books

www.thebe sty o u m ag az i n e . co

LIVE LOVE LEGACY

HOW DID YOU COME TO WRITE YOUR BOOK, CELEBRITY AUTHORS’ SECRETS? Well I thought about the question that I’m most commonly asked by my clients, which is, ‘How do I sell more books?’ It doesn’t matter if they’ve sold millions of books or if they’ve sold a hundred, they still ask me the same thing. So this was the obvious topic that would help the most people. It was then a natural progression to ask the gold medallists of the literary world to contribute and give tips. I’ve worked with a lot of famous authors over the years, both while working at Oxford Literary Consultancy and while lecturing at Oxford University. So I asked authors who have sold not just a million books, but who have sold over a million books several times over. I chose authors from all genres: from spiritual to business, relationships, even children’s books. This included authors as diverse as John Gray (Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus), Brian Tracy (Eat That Frog), and Eric Carle (The Very Hungry Caterpillar) in my book. I wanted to show what they do that’s similar and what they do that’s different, so that other authors can learn from them. It’s easy to look at a successful person and forget that they were once unknown too. SO, WHAT IS THE SECRET TO WRITING A GREAT BOOK? The secret is getting really clear about who your target reader is and then thinking about what their most pressing problems or questions are. You have to understand your reader inside out and to write in a way that resonates with them emotionally (both in the language and content) so that they think, ‘This book is written for me.’ It’s much easier to achieve this with a non-fiction book than it is for fiction, though in reality the same principles apply. Next, you have to have a catchy title and a compelling plot: you have to give the reader a really good reason to keep turning the pages. Surprisingly few authors do this. Most write the books for themselves rather than their readers, and spend very little time thinking about their book title or blurb. They then wonder why their books aren’t selling!

THE IMPACT OF TECHNOLOGY ON OUR READING HABITS IS MUCH DISCUSSED. DO YOU THINK WE ARE STILL AS INTERESTED IN LONG-FORM WRITING AS BLOGS AND PAPARAZZI-STYLE MAGAZINES? People still read books, especially if they have a pressing problem that needs resolving, or if they are an avid fan of a particular fictional genre. Yes, you can hunt out the solutions to your questions

piecemeal on blogs, etc, but it’s not the same as having all the answers in one place from a trusted authority. Books still have kudos within our culture that the internet doesn’t really have. This is why famous people keep writing them. If books didn’t have this power, everyone would just write blogs.

CELEBRITIES ARE REGARDED AS SOCIETY’S SUCCESSFUL INDIVIDUALS. WHY IS THIS AND WHAT DO THEY DO DIFFERENTLY TO THE REST OF US? ‘Celebrity’ status is all about perception and being regularly in the limelight – in addition to having a talent for offering huge ‘value’ to other people. To illustrate: you can have a new author who appears on a high-profile TV show or in a glossy magazine who suddenly becomes well-known as ‘the expert’ on a topic such as property. Or they might win a prestigious literary award or have a high-profile book launch on social media or via blogs. In comparison, you can have another property expert with a portfolio of 500 properties who is lowprofile and no-one has ever heard of. In truth, the person who is unheard of may have the greater expertise and experience, but they simply don’t have the same exposure. They have an audience or several hundred people, whereas the celebrity is reaching millions or tens of millions. Celebrities understand what their readers are looking for and they understand what the media is looking for. This is backed up with hard work, determination and the ability to bounce back from life’s setbacks. Many people face rejection or challenges and simply give up, rather than keep going. I hear a lot of negativity around publishing. But that is not my reality. I have worked with many first-time authors who have gone from being ‘unknown’ to making regular appearances on TV shows and in glossy magazines as soon as they publish a book.

WHICH AUTHOR WOULD YOU CHOOSE AS A DINNER GUEST, AND WHY? Gosh, I’m not sure that’s a fair question as I wine and dine a lot of authors and it’s not fair to pick out any single one. But if I were picking someone not living, it would be Dr Seuss. I loved The Cat in the Hat books when I was a kid as they were a bit zany. I think he’d be great to chat to over a bottle of wine. It’s always fun to let your hair down and have a good laugh!

Follow Stephanie at www. MillionaireAuthorsBootcamp. com/report

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FEEL & LOOK GOOD Feeling good about yourself has a hugely positive impact on your appearance, persona and the response you ignite in others. Explore new ways to enhance the impression you make and enjoy the benefits of a positive self-image.

THE BEST

YOU

Life Without Limits

OUCH, THAT HURTS

Take care of your emotional injuries

EAST MEETS WEST

Shea Vaughnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s unique fitness and wellbeing blend

STEP BY STEP

7 simple ways to boost your success

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FIX

YOUR FEELINGS

Psychologist Guy Winch wants us to pay as much attention to our emotional health as our physical wellbeing

To read more about Guy Winch, visit

www.guywinch.com

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FEEL AND LOOK GOOD Is your medicine cabinet bulging with painkillers, plasters, bandages and all manner of medicines to cure the physical symptoms of illness? How about a first aid kit for your mental health?

trying. So many people function below their full potential as something has convinced them that they can’t succeed, and they believe it. By fighting feelings of helplessness, you can turn failure into a positive.

Hmmm, not so much.

“Rejection surrounds us daily – if we post on social media and no-one responds, we start to believe that no-one likes us and we start thinking of our faults and shortcomings. When our self-esteem is low, we become more vulnerable to stress and anxiety, so we need to revive our self-worth. Treat yourself with the same compassion that you expect from a good friend.

You’re not alone, and it’s uncommon for most of us to focus on our emotional hygiene, but that could be about to change. Psychologist and author of Emotional First Aid, Guy Winch, wants us to make as much effort in looking after our state of mind as we do our bodies. Last year, the author gave a TED Talk where he shared how a healthy mindset enabled him to cope with the potentially devastating news that his twin brother had an aggressive form of cancer. Winch used a simple technique to distract himself whenever a potentially wounding negative thought came into his head about the battle his brother faced against the disease. “In my work as a psychologist, I have seen people struggle with emotional injuries over many years,” says Winch. “There is a basic ignorance about emotional hygiene and yet there is plenty of research that shows us that there are lots of things we can do to help ourselves. “Science keeps advancing in psychology but the message isn’t getting out there. If we can educate the next generation so that emotional hygiene becomes as everyday as physical hygiene, like cleaning our teeth twice a day, we can make vast differences to our society.” Winch’s idea for an emotional medicine cabinet to treat psychological injuries is as obvious as it is revolutionary. “I got the most incredible response from my TED Talk,” says Winch. “I receive 20-30 emails each day from people who say it opened their eyes to a new way of thinking about their mindset. We place more value on the body than the mind, and while we all know how to maintain our physical health we lack the basic knowledge to tackle our emotional hygiene.” Winch identifies four key negative emotions which can seriously affect our health, as significantly as any physical injury. “Loneliness creates a deep psychological wound,” he explains, “in fact chronic loneliness increases our risk of early death by 14 per cent, can lead to high blood pressure, high cholesterol, suppresses our immune system and poses as significant a risk as cigarette smoking. “Failure can be the most fantastically constructive experience if you look at it in the right way. We all have a default reaction to failure but if your mind convinces you

“Finally, rumination of negative thoughts can be hugely self-destructive and lead to the risk of clinical depression, alcoholism, eating disorders, even cardio-vascular disease. But a two-minute distraction is enough to break the rumination of a negative thought, so it’s a great way to counter and rebalance your mindset.” Winch believes that the tipping point for tackling mental health will come when we start teaching emotional wellbeing in schools. “We need to educate children to be kind to themselves. Particularly just before puberty, there is great pressure on being socially accepted and part of a group – everyone wants to fit in and if we enable children to deal with rejection they will have an emotional toolkit to support them for life. “One hundred years ago we embraced personal hygiene, and life expectancy rose by 50 per cent. Change will happen when we institutionalise emotional health, it’s so essential and when we teach our kids how to deal with it, we will create a far happier world to live in.”

FIX YOUR EMOTIONAL HEALTH • Take action when you are lonely • Change your response to failure • Protect your self-esteem • Battle negative thinking • Build emotional resilience and thrive Visit thebestyoumagazine.co and watch Guy Winch’s TED Talk, Why we all need to practice emotional first aid.

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FIT

FOR LIFE Energy, stamina, strength and the power to succeed â&#x20AC;&#x201C; itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s what we want in every aspect of our lives. Shea Vaughn has a plan to help us achieve it

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FEEL & LOOK GOOD

When Shea Vaughn arrives for The Best You’s interview, there’s an immediate energy in our conversation. The creator of SheaNetics®, a unique blend of wellness and exercise, is the perfect embodiment of how the power to be our very best lies within each of us. “My mom said I came out turning somersaults from the beginning,” laughs Vaughn, “and as I got older I was a kid that loved to move.” With an impeccably well-toned physique and perfect posture, Vaughn’s lifelong love of physical activity is evident. “I’ve been a dancer all my life,” she says. “As a young child I attended ballet, tap and gymnastics classes. Later on, the fitness and wellness industry chose me and, even when I studied and worked in other areas, I always taught classes. I loved the performance of exercise, but I also enjoyed the gratitude that came from others whose lives changed and benefited from those sessions.” Inspired by the people that she taught, Vaughn embarked upon creating a unique and powerful programme that combines positive mental wellbeing with physical exercise to achieve optimum health and fitness. Blending Eastern and Western values and physical activities, she aimed to balance and satisfy the needs of both the body and the mind. “I was teaching so many different platforms, and conflicting ideas didn’t make sense to me,” explains Vaughn. “Plus each discipline was self-limiting, for example I taught Pilates two or three times a week, but originally there were just 36 moves with the programme, so it was limiting. “I realised that a mix of things would work far better. That was the breakthrough. I started experimenting with a blend of disciplines and my students encouraged me as they were really reaping the benefits of doing different things combined in a single session.

“Slowly SheaNetics® was born and students enjoyed its many benefits. Meditation is directed focus. In yoga we are encouraged to listen to our breath as it clears the mind and enables us to be stress-free. SheaNetics® is meditation in motion and thought.” SheaNetics® draws upon yoga, pilates, tai chi, martial arts, ballet along with Shea’s own TriCore Power Training, and advocates achieve high levels of strength, flexibility and balance. Simultaneously many say SheaNetics® reduces stress, improves their ability to relax and enhances positive energy. While many exercise programmes provide short-term benefits, SheaNetics® offers a lifetime resource for mental and physical strength. “I’ve always had the mantra, ‘mind, body and heart – not soul, as the heart is the first cell that is formed and to me it starts there and comes back to it,” Vaughn adds. While Vaughn radiates the physical benefits that SheaNetics® provides, she says the same core principles can be applied to almost any life challenge – from business goals to weight loss. “Mental and physical strength are necessary to achieve every life goal,” she says. “In order to be truly a well human being, you need to be healthy and joyful and SheaNetics® helps you to achieve these things.”

www.sheanetics.com Visit thebestyoumagazine.co to watch Shea Vaughn’s introduction to Shea Netics® and discover her five living principles of wellbeing.

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TWO FANTASTIC DAYS IN LONDON, WITH TWO MASTERS OF PERSONAL CHANGE

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3rd - 4rd OCT 2015

WAYS

TO BE THE BEST

YOU

1. GET MORE ZZZZ

Aim for at least eight hours of sleep each night. Try to be in bed before 10pm as the body detoxes the liver between then and 2am.

Don’t leave success to chance, says health transformation coach Afzal Khan. Boost your holistic wellbeing with these simple steps…

5. STAND UP STRAIGHT

If your body is not in correct alignment then you place unnecessary tension on your neck, spine and joints. Poor posture leads to shallow breathing, which in turn affects confidence and mood.

2. DRINK MORE

Water is vital to human life and is the second essential after oxygen. Try to drink at least two litres of water each day starting 30 minutes after you wake up. Try substituting your regular tea or coffee for a herbal brew, many of which have healing properties, can improve digestion and reduce stress. Green tea can help promote healthy weight loss, dandelion is good to detox the liver, peppermint is good for digestion and chamomile has a relaxing, soothing effect on the body.

3. BE GRATEFUL

It’s said that, ‘gratitude is the door to more’. It is a great way to dissolve stress. Living in a state of gratitude trains your brain to seek things to be appreciative of. This mindset is open to possibility and seeks abundance and success.

4. EAT MORE RAW

Water rich foods such as fruits and green vegetables, nuts (providing you don’t have an allergy) and seeds can improve the quality of your digestion, skin tone, mental clarity and energy levels.

6. STRIDE RIGHT

Be outdoors for 15-20 minutes a day and walk. It promotes deep breathing and relieves stress. In China, locals perform gentle exercises such as Tai Chi early in the morning in parks. The movements are soft, slow and rhythmic. The belief is that life force energy (Chi) can be absorbed from the natural environment and through deep breathing. You can adopt this philosophy when you walk outdoors. Focus on your breathing and imagine you are absorbing energy as you walk.

7. INVEST IN YOURSELF

When you invest in your own growth, life becomes much richer with possibilities. As you gain new knowledge you gain a deeper understanding about yourself and others. As you expand your level of awareness you also expand the possibility for success in life.

To be the best you will take an investment of your time, energy and resources. This is how winning happens and growth occurs. Improve in each one of the areas – pick one at a time, one a day for the next seven days.

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WEALTH & RICHES Building your career or business can bring both financial reward and personal growth in every aspect of your life. Seek out advice and support to ensure your success today and for the future.

THE BEST

YOU

Life Without Limits

MUMPRENEUR MAKER

Annabel Karmel shares the formula for success

GET GOING

Paul McGee celebrates 10 years of S.U.M.O

CLOCK WATCHER

Why 90 minutes a day is the game changer

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THE BEST YOUâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S Q&A

ANNABEL KARMEL

Annabel Karmel rose to fame with her first book, The Complete Baby and Toddler Meal Planner, and has since written 37 books on infant nutrition alongside numerous columns for magazines and newspapers. With her own food ranges and a new book, Mumpreneur, we caught up with her

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WEALTH & RICHES Your new book, Mumpreneur, is a practical guide to juggling building a business with motherhood, something you and many of the contributors have done for decades – what’s the unifying advice that you can share? It’s all about finding your guilt threshold. Of course everyone feels guilty about leaving their children to go to work but some mums wouldn’t be good mums unless they had a career as they would be miserable and frustrated, so don’t be too hard on yourself. It takes real confidence to return to the working world after having children – whether that’s as an employee or becoming your own boss. It’s important for women that motherhood is valued in its own right but equally true that having children shouldn’t necessarily be the full stop at the end of a CV. Shattering the glass ceiling with a changing bag over your shoulder is no longer limited to the realms of fantasy. However, it’s vital that you believe in yourself,which makes confidence asimportant as competence. The great thing about running your own business while raising a family is that you have the freedom to work to your own schedule. Juggling the dual demands of work with family life is no mean feat by any stretch of the imagination; I remember completing my first recipe book in between the children’s naps, managing a busy toddler group and running a house. It’s difficult keeping all the balls in the air without dropping one occasionally! You are widely credited with having transformed the way that parents fed their children over the past 25 years, and this was recognised with an MBE in 2006. How does it feel to be a parenting legend? I wouldn’t quite call myself a legend! When I was awarded an MBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours for my work in the field of child nutrition, I didn’t believe it until I saw my name in the newspaper. I’m passionate about making a difference to people’s lives, and this award made me realise that there was a lot more that I wanted to do. Having built my book business based around weaning and fussy eaters, I wanted to turn these popular recipes into a quality supermarket range. You can now find my Organic Purees, Disney Snacks, Chilled Toddler Meals and Older Kids Meals in various UK supermarkets. My aim has always been to be there at every age, stage and occasion to support mums – and my Mumpreneur book is an exciting new step towards helping mums in their own lives as well as their child’s. Before you became an author, you were a successful musician – what advice would you offer to someone looking to change career? Yes that’s right; I was working as a harpist having studied classical music at the Conservatoire in the Hague Holland and then continued at the Royal College of Music in London. Unfortunately it was the tragedy of losing my first child Natasha, who was born healthy but who died at 13 weeks old from a viral infection that led me to change direction into the field of nutrition. It was a diet related to ensuring that my second child, Nicholas, was provided

with foods that optimised his health. It proved that it’s never too late to be what you might have been. Life is too short to stay in a job where you are not happy. You can derisk a move into self-employment by saving up three to six months’ salary to act a buffer. Once you have a business idea you need to believe in yourself. The more you can do this and your chances of succeeding, the more likely you are to do just that. Of course, we all have doubts from time to time – the danger is if those doubts spiral out of control, creating unnecessary anxiety and negative self-limiting beliefs, which prevent us from doing something that we really want to do (and, deep down, know that we can do). For your latest book, you interviewed some of the UK’s most successful women – do you think women approach business differently? I think women, especially mums, are very smart at multitasking and juggling working demands with family life. With so much going on they have to be organised and focused which are necessary qualities to bring to the business table. Women are also very good at making the most of any dead time, whether it be responding to emails on a train or checking their to-do-list in a supermarket queue. With my book Mumpreneur, I’m on a mission to empower savvy mums who want to become their own boss. This is because an increasing wave of mums are desperately seeking ways of securing an income which they can fit flexibly around their family commitments. Starting a business gives mums a way forward which embraces their need for independence. The statistics even show that the number of self-employed women is rising at nearly three times the rate of men – there are now more than 1.2m self-employed women in full- and part-time work and 300,000 of these are working mothers – and growing! Which of your ‘Kitchen Cabinet’ team inspired you the most, and why? I’m extremely grateful to the fantastic women that helped me out with the book. They all have such a compelling story to tell. It would be impossible to choose who I was most inspired by. However, Chrissie Rucker’s story really struck a chord for me. It all began over 20 years ago when Chrissie Rucker spotted a gap in the market for affordable but beautifully designed, good quality white bed linen. Having recently met her then boyfriend (now husband), Chrissie wanted to show him that she was ‘excellent wife material’! She invested her £6,000 of savings to establish The White Company as a mail order business and started with a 12page brochure from her boyfriend’s spare room. Twenty years later, The White Company is one of the UK’s fastest growing multi-channel retailers with 50 stores across the UK and a reported turnover of £150m.

Mumpreneur is published by Vermillion and sponsored by Direct Line for Business. Visit Annabel’s Mumpreneur resource hub at www.annabelkarmel.com, or connect on Twitter and Facebook. w w w . t he b e s t yo uma ga z i ne . c o

WEALTH & RICHES

MOVING ON Life has a curious knack of leading us towards our purpose. When Paul McGee became unwell and lost his management job with a multinational company in his early 20s, he could have resigned himself to a future of ill-health and missed opportunity. Instead, he took stock of his life and pursued a path of personal development that has seen him become one of the UK’s leading motivational authors and speakers. His book, S.U.M.O. (Shut Up, Move On), is the culmination of McGee’s unique approach to overcoming and mastering life’s challenges. He recalls his own S.U.M.O. moment, saying, “I became ill with ME for three years. I lost my job and almost lost my home. It forced me to take stock of myself. “I’d had a fairly dysfunctional upbringing and to find myself washed up at 22, unable to walk without a stick, was devastating. Then I got into personal development and realised how important attitude is in life. “I had a background in psychology through my degree and work as a probation officer, but at university we had studied the psychology of failure, looking at why people are deviant or criminal. I was, quite literally, on my knees with illness and then I stumbled across the psychology of success via Dale Carnegie’s and Tony Robbins’ books, and it helped me move forwards. “By 1991, I was self-employed, promoting Dale Carnegie courses, but it’s fair to say I was not an overnight success. However in 2005, I was running a life coaching course in Scotland and a delegate said to me, ‘Well, if all else fails, tell them to S.U.M.O. (shut up and move on)’. It was a line that stuck with me and I began to weave it into my talks, and gradually it got a life of its own. In essence, S.U.M.O. is about taking time to stop, reflect and then move forwards. “Delegates were really buying into S.U.M.O. and someone said I needed to write a book. By now I had a menu of ideas, but the last principle came when a delegate on another course suggested the HIPPO philosophy, which recognises that sometimes it’s good to not feel OK, and to ‘have a right great wallow,’ as they described it. It’s a bridge to moving on.”

It’s ten years since Paul McGee’s straight-talking book, S.U.M.O (Shut Up, Move On) first hit bookshelves. With a special anniversary issue out this month, he reflects on the impact the title has had McGee’s brand of personal development is grounded in reality, delivering a no-nonsense message, combined with compassion and understanding that helps people realise and move past the obstacles that are hindering their lives. “I share my struggles, as well as my successes,” says McGee. “S.U.M.O. has helped people because it’s an authentic message that is well-meant. The book opened doors for me – I’ve had speaking engagements in Australia as a result, and I’ve even been approached by a prisoner after his release, who thanked me as the book had been so empowering for him when he read it in prison.” The S.U.M.O. programme has even been adapted for schools, where it is delivered through games, art and drama. “Children love the simplicity of S.U.M.O.,” explains McGee. “For example, a beach ball’s range of coloured panels demonstrate how we can look at a situation and each see something different, even though it’s just one scene. “We’ve had kids making large hippos and learning how to develop fruity thinking. For them, it’s not complicated but a great way to teach and encourage wellbeing, resilience and emotional maturity. It equips them with skills for life.” In the ten years since the publication of S.U.M.O. (Shut Up, Move On), the world has experienced a global economic meltdown, but have our attitudes shifted? “I think they have changed,” says McGee. “When I wrote the book, stress was an overdone term but since then we’ve started to talk about wellbeing and resilience too. During the recession, many people have experienced tough times, but S.U.M.O. provides tools for coping with those challenges.”

Find out more at thesumoguy.com Visit thebestyoumagazine.co to discover Paul McGee’s S.U.M.O. principles.

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START

THE STOP WATCH

A serial successful entrepreneur, Nigel Botterill says he has built his business successes in 90-minute chunks of time For most people who have started a business, the story usually goes as follows. Have a great idea. Decide to go for it. Get busy. Get really busy. Tick over. What then, if you could take your business to the next level, moving it from ‘getting by’ to growing faster than you could imagine. That could mean employing staff, delegating and concentrating on the future instead of today and tomorrow. If it sounds idyllic, Nigel Botterill, who has grown several million pound enterprises, reckons that it’s completely achievable – in just 90 minutes, every day. There are a few rules attached to this approach. The 90 minutes must become sacrosanct, uninterruptable and focused.

‘When are you doing that today?’, and it was the most simple yet difficult question I’d heard. He was entirely right – the business was my most important focus, and any sane person would put time aside to work on their criteria for success. “Next day I started a habit that I have adhered to ever since. Each morning I spend 90 minutes working on the things I need to do to make my business successful. Since that time I have built million pound businesses and this has been achieved in 90-minute chunks.” Botterill has teamed up with author Martin Gladdish to share his simple yet powerful concept in a book, Build Your Business in 90 Minutes A Day. A fun, factfilled read, the book looks at the science behind the 90-minute approach – for example, King Alfred is believed to have worked in 90 minute bursts, punctuated by the burning of candles which provided an early stopwatch. “Research shows we can concentrate and stay in the zone for 90 minutes,” says Botterill. “Of course the magic of 90 minutes depends on the quality of what you do in that time, and it’s imperative not to be deflected from your course of action. “Firstly you need to get in the right environment with phones and emails turned off, so that you are uninterruptible. My staff and family know that, unless the building is on fire, they can’t come in for those 90 minutes. We all need to recognise that the world won’t fail without us for this length of time. You need to have a clear plan of what you are going to do. Make a plan of what you want to tackle and stick to it. “You must also turn it into a habit, observed at the same time each day, and eventually you will start to crave it. Once I’ve had my 90 minutes, I am able to deal with whatever the day throws at me.

Botterill says the approach originated when he first went into business for himself, 12 years ago. “When I started out in business, I was hugely ignorant about what it would take to succeed,” he says. “But a wise, retired man in my village was very supportive. One day he called in for a cup of tea and as we chatted he asked, ‘What’s the most important thing you’ve got to do to make your business a success?’

“Finally, the time must be focused on your business. Don’t just fill it up with sorting out customers’ work. That’s how businesses stagnate. For many it could be marketing, generating enquiries and leads – most companies are good at what they do but if marketing is not their natural state, this is a good starting point. Everyone is busy, but 90 minutes gives you the time to do the important stuff.”

“I replied that if I could get and keep customers, everything would be alright. He responded,

Build Your Business in 90 Minutes A Day is published by Capstone.

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WEALTH & RICHES

THE ROCKY ROAD TO SUCCESS

AMANDA STAVELEY

CHUCK PALAHNIUK

UNBROKEN BROKER

FANTASY, REALITY AND PROSPERITY

While her father was an influential part of Amanda Staveley’s life, she spent much of her formative years with her grandparents in and around Yorkshire. Her maternal grandfather owned a betting shop, making good, if not exactly clean money. Staveley has surmised though that she learned most of everything she knows about business and investing from her grandfather’s shrewd financial savvy. And after her father made it clear that he would only pass his money on to a son, Staveley began to plot her own course to success. During her educational years, Staveley had more than enough energy to fuel athletic ambitions. However, after a sports injury sidelined those hopes, she redoubled her scholastic efforts and was able to enter university early. Frequent struggles with bouts of depression and anorexia forced her out of school. But Staveley, after running the books for a small restaurant, soon discovered she possessed a very keen knack for numbers.

An American West Coast success story, Chuck Palahniuk had a rise to prominence not often imitated. Palahniuk was born in Washington State and spent part of his childhood living in a trailer home. Subsequent to his parents’ divorce when he was in his teens, Palahniuk lived off and on with his grandparents, who offered a much more open, at least as far as living quarters, experience for a teenager: a cattle ranch. Leaving rural life behind, Palahniuk matriculated to The University of Oregon. He majored in journalism while working at the National Public Radio affiliate. Perhaps informing the surrealistic and jack-of-alltrades nature with which he often imbues his fictional characters, Palahniuk segued into what some would call a backwards career move; he left a journalism job to work as a diesel mechanic. Many would scoff at this seemingly odd move, but only Palahniuk knew that the experience would help him find the way to his words.

After chance encounters with powerful Arab controlling families, Staveley proved her worth with a successful tech venture; she was then able to secure the Middle Easterners’ financial faith in her. A move to Dubai put Staveley in close proximity and contact with her wealthy friends.

He didn’t begin writing fiction until well into his 30s, but it was clear when he did that Palahniuk had unleashed a true talent. He had one grand run-in with rejection, and then tapped an even deeper creative river in himself to write what many consider to be his defining work, Fight Club.

Several subsequent years of careful relationship building and brokering earned her a stellar reputation. She became an expert in identifying deals beneficial to both westerners and Middle Eastern power players. Amanda Staveley was soon brokering billion-dollar deals and cementing her own legacy in the process.

The novel was quickly optioned for its film rights, with the movie going on to massive worldwide acclaim. Chuck Palahniuk has since written several bestsellers, bringing his previously hidden voice to the surface for all to hear.

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THE ROCKY ROAD TO SUCCESS

WEALTH & RICHES

KURT WARNER

SARA BLAKELY

PAST INTERFERENCE

SNAP TO SUCCESS

Kurt Warner was born in Iowa in 1971, and was raised there through high school. All was not an ideal dream in America’s heartland however. Warner’s parents divorced when he was still a small child. He went to live with his mother and brother during his formative years. It was here that he turned to sports to find comfort away from an often chaotic home life. After distinguishing himself as a football talent among Iowa’s smaller high schools, Warner was left hugely disappointed when he did not receive any offers from top-tier university sports programmes. He settled for playing football at a small Iowa college, and was again disappointed when he didn’t receive significant playing time for several years. When his chance came to start as a quarterback, Warner rocketed the team to instant success and a winning season. No stranger to adversity, he was once again passed over, this time in the NFL. Using the ever growing chip on his shoulder, as well as his steely resolve, Warner took the overnight shift at a minimum wage job and trained harder than ever during the days. After stints in smaller, professional feeder leagues, Warner was finally given a shot in the NFL as a backup quarterback for the St. Louis Rams. He earned the starting job after an injury sidelined Warner’s predecessor. He ended up leading the team to a Super Bowl victory and shot to instant fame. Kurt Warner led two more teams to Super Bowls in later years, proving his worth to those who had doubted him all along.

One could argue that Sara Blakely grew up as a perfect blend of both her parents. Raised by a lawyer father and artist mother in Clearwater, Florida, USA, Blakely was raised to achieve and succeed, but ultimately did it with a focus and flair reminiscent of both of her parents. After college, and toying with the idea of heading to law school, Blakely began to dabble in standup comedy. She also did what a lot of people do growing up in Florida: spent time working at Disney World. Taking the face-to-face sales skills she honed at Disney, Blakely jumped to a new job by which she would inadvertently discover her destiny. Peddling office equipment door-to-door in the baking and humid Florida sun, Blakely had a revelation for a new product (and a possible way to get out of selling door-to-door). She noticed that the control-top of her pantyhose was the only thing she liked about what the garment did for her looks, while walking around outside all day. After some pavement pounding around the world of American hosiery, which she discovered was dominated by men, Blakely was able to secure distribution of her newly minted ‘Spanx’ product line into a handful of Neiman Marcus stores. Several high-end department stores followed, and after an on-air endorsement from none other than Oprah Winfrey, Blakely quit her day job and spearheaded the nascent Spanx brand to first-year sales of $4m.

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21ST CENTURY LIVING We live in a technological age and the opportunities that new ideas and developments bring to both our personal and professional lives are amazing. Discover fresh thinking and technologies that can enhance daily life.

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21ST CENTURY LIVING 21 CENTURY LIVING ST

JUST CALL ME

STEVE

From Jewish child refugee to leader of a billion dollar software company and philanthropist, Dame Stephanie Shirley’s life story is both incredible and inspiring

When I wrote my memoir, the publishers were confused. Was it about me as a child refugee, or as a woman who set up a high-tech software company back in the 1960s, one that went public and eventually employed over 8,500 people? Or was it as a mother of an autistic child? Or as a philanthropist that’s now given away serious money? Well, it turns out, I’m all of these. So let me tell you my story. All that I am stems from when I got onto a train in Vienna, part of the Kindertransport that saved nearly 10,000 Jewish children from Nazi Europe. I was five years old, clutching the hand of my nine-year-old sister and had very little idea as to what was going on. “What is England and why am I going there?” I’m only alive because so long ago, I was helped by generous strangers. I was lucky, and

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doubly lucky to be later reunited with my birth parents. But, sadly, I never bonded with them again. But I’ve done more in the seven decades since that miserable day when my mother put me on the train than I would ever have dreamed possible. And I love England, my adopted country, with a passion that perhaps only someone who has lost their human rights can feel. I decided to make mine a life that was worth saving. And then, I just got on with it. Let me take you back to the early 1960s. To get past the gender issues of the time, I set up my own software house as one of the first such start-ups in Britain. But it was also a company of women, a company for women, an early social business. And people laughed at the very idea because software, at that time, was given away free with hardware. Nobody would buy software, certainly not from

a woman. Although women were then coming out of the universities with decent degrees, there was a glass ceiling to our progress. And I’d hit that glass ceiling too often, and I wanted opportunities for women. I recruited professionally qualified women who’d left the industry on marriage, or when their first child was expected and structured them in a home-working organisation. We pioneered the concept of women going back into the workforce after a career break. We pioneered all sorts of new, flexible work methods: job shares, profit-sharing, and eventually, co-ownership when I took a quarter of the company into the hands of the staff at no cost to anyone but me. For years, I was the first woman this, or the only woman that. And in those days, I couldn’t work

on the Stock Exchange, I couldn’t drive a bus or fly an airplane. Indeed, I couldn’t open a bank account without my husband’s permission. My generation of women fought the battles for the right to work and the right for equal pay. Nobody really expected much from people at work or in society because all the expectations then were about home and family responsibilities. And I couldn’t really face that, so I started to challenge the conventions of the time, even to the extent of changing my name from ‘Stephanie’ to ‘Steve’ in my business development letters, so as to get through the door before anyone realised that ‘he’ was a ‘she’. My company, called Freelance Programmers, and that’s precisely what it was, couldn’t have started smaller: on the dining room table, and financed by the equivalent of $100 in today’s terms, and financed by my labour and by borrowing against the house. My interests were scientific, the market was commercial -- things such as payroll, I found rather boring. So I had to compromise with operational research work, which had the intellectual challenge that interested me and the commercial value that was valued by the clients: things like scheduling freight trains, time-tabling buses, stock control, lots and lots of stock control. And eventually, the work came in. We disguised the domestic and part-time nature of the staff by offering fixed

prices, one of the very first to do so. And who would have guessed that the programming of the black box flight recorder of Supersonic Concord would have been done by a bunch of women working in their own homes. All we used was a simple ‘trust the staff’ approach and a simple telephone. We even used to ask job applicants, ‘Do you have access to a telephone?’ An early project was to develop software standards on management control protocols. And software was and still is a maddeningly hard-to-control activity, so that was enormously valuable. We used the standards ourselves, we were even paid to update them over the years, and eventually, they were adopted by NATO. Our programmers -- remember, only women, including gay and transgender -- worked with pencil and paper to develop flowcharts defining each task to be done. And they then wrote code, usually machine code, sometimes binary code, which was then sent by mail to a data centre to be punched onto paper tape or card and then repunched, in order to verify it. All this, before it ever got near a computer. That was programming in the early 1960s. In 1975, 13 years from start-up, equal opportunity legislation was introduced in Britain and that made it illegal to have our pro-female policies. And as an example of unintended consequences, my female company had to let the

men in. When I started my company of women, the men said, ‘How interesting, because it only works because it’s small.’ And later, as it became sizable, they accepted, ‘Yes, it is sizable now, but of no strategic interest.’ And later, when it was a company valued at over $3bn, and I’d made 70 of the staff into millionaires, they sort of said, ‘Well done, Steve!’ It’s one thing to have an idea for an enterprise, but making it happen is a very difficult thing and it demands extraordinary energy, self-belief and determination, the courage to risk family and home, and a 24/7 commitment that borders on the obsessive. So it’s just as well that I’m a workaholic. I believe in the beauty of work when we do it properly and in humility. Work is not just something I do when I’d rather be doing something else. We live our lives forward. So what has all that taught me? I learned that tomorrow’s never going to be like today, and certainly nothing like yesterday. And that made me able to cope with change, indeed, eventually to welcome change, though I’m told I’m still very difficult.

Visit

thebestyoumagazine.co to watch Dame Stephanie Shirley’s TED talk.

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21ST CENTURY LIVING

BRIGHT

IDEAS

We’re at the half-way point between the big tech conferences, so gadget fiends will have to content themselves with their smartwatches and phablets until the summer months bring a spate of new finds. Here are a few springtime sleepers you might have missed…

BUSTER + PUNCH LIGHT BULBS Billing itself as the world’s first designer LED bulb, this device does exactly what you expect it to do while adding a touch of sophistication and elegance to any room. The bulb’s ‘resin light pipe’, which runs vertically through the bulb, gives an eye-catching look unlike anything else on the market. While Buster + Punch’s bulbs serve well as lighting accents, diffusing soft light around the room, they don’t emit the kind of light you might need to brightly illuminate a large room. Like any piece that weds design and functionality, these bulbs sacrifice some of the latter in favour of the former.

Suggested retail price: £39

BIG AGNES COPPER SPUR UL2 MTNGLO TENT For those of us who long to bring some of the comforts of urban life into the great outdoors (but don’t want to rumble overland with a caravan in tow), Big Agnes brings you its range of mtnGLO tents. The top-of-theline model features strands of LED lights that have been integrated into the tent body. The lights have three different settings (on, off or 50 per cent), which means no more fumbling for the zipper in the middle of the night. Whether you need to find something in your bag, do a bit of late-night reading or writing, or even to just have a pleasant conversation with your tent-mate, Big Agnes has got you covered.

Suggested retail price: £299

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21ST CENTURY LIVING

MONSTER SUPERSTAR BACKFLOAT Enhance your hot-tub with this waterproof, shock-resistant Bluetooth® speaker that can float on the surface of your pool or hot tub, syncing with your mobile device, which you can keep a safe distance from the water’s edge. The sound quality is no more, no less than what its price point suggests it should be, but the cool factor is through the roof.

Suggested retail price: £115

4IIII HUD The list of features for this clever little device would stretch well onto the next page. Whether you’re a runner or a cyclist, the 4iiii HUD will allow you to track your performance in real time, providing you with a wide range of data which will display on your sunglasses (the unit attaches to whatever sunglasses you have) or, if you prefer, it can talk in your ear, telling you how far you’ve come, how far you have to go, speed, pace, training zone, etc. There’s probably no need to drop a bundle on this if you’re just getting started on an exercise programme, but for those who are looking for a training companion, one that can perhaps push you to be better, stronger, faster, this might be the boost you’re looking for.

Suggested retail price: £120

THE DRAGON COFFEEMAKER The brainchild of Todd Carmichael, Esquire Magazine’s 2011 American of the Year and co-founder of Philadelphia’s premier coffee boutique, La Colombe Torrefaction, the Dragon Coffeemaker promises to bring the insights of one of the world’s greatest coffee connoisseurs into the kitchen of regular joe-lovers like you and me. This is definitely not a device that will simplify your relationship with coffee. Quite the opposite, it will demand a degree of meticulousness that few people bring to the beverage. This is not for making a pot of coffee on the go; it is for bringing the absolute most out of your beans; it is a chance to peer behind the barista’s curtain. The Dragon’s price tag is small beans compared to the kind of dough you’d need to shell out to come close to a flavour analogue.

Suggested retail price: £275

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THE BEST YOU DIRECTORY The best professionals in personal development

UNITED KINGDOM SPORTS THERAPISTS AND NUTRITIONISTS Dr Stephen Simpson NLP, hypnotherapy and havening Email: doc@drstephensimpson.com Website: www.drstephensimpson.com Clients include leading names from the world of sport, business and the entertainment industries

Shayna Schulman Attitude adjuster and flexibility enhancer Email: Shayna.s@virgin.net Phone: +44 (0) 208 960 7715 Licensed trainer, coaching, consulting, yoga, nutrition

NLP TRAINERS Tina Taylor: Licensed master trainer and practitioner Email: kay@the-me-group.com Phone: +44 (0) 7946 351640 Website: tina@tina-taylor.com Tina’s experience allows her to create and provide some unique coaching services, from stopping addictions to pregnancy and pain control

Ulrika Shaw: Thrive consultant and hypnotherapist Email: enquiry@shawmind.co.uk Phone: +44 (0)7810 556029 Website: www.shawmind.co.uk Are you suffering from anxieties or depression? Maybe you’re struggling with bad habits such as overeating or smoking? I help people overcome anything that holds them back!

Geoff Rolls: Corporate coach and kinesiologist Email: geoff@geoffrolls.co.uk Phone: +44 (0)7905 056 513 Website: www.geoffrolls.co.uk Learning and development, NLP trainer, TFH kinesiology instructor

June O’Driscoll: Exec coach, business coach, trainer Email: june@thoughtitude.co.uk Phone: +44 (0)7876 657 8055 Website: www.thoughtitude.co.uk NLP, coaching and hypnotherapy training school and consultancy

LIFE COACHES Dr Andrew A Parsons Mindfulness, resilience and finding clear purpose Email: aaparsons@reciprocalminds.com Phone: +44 (0)7854 029 268 Support people, build awareness and make changes for success

Dustin Vice Personal and business development coaching Email: dustin@alliancecoachingsystem.com Website: www.alliancecoachingsystem.com Professional coaching, coaching business system for professional coaches

Gail Cherry: Torchlight coaching Email: gail@torchlightcoaching.co.uk Phone: +44 (0)1143 489 161 Website: www.torchlightcoaching.co.uk Helping people with their personal and professional development. We work together to be the best you

Ruth Hepworth: Life coach Email: ruth.hepworth@ntlworld.com Phone: +44 (0)1252 655 849

Those Life Consultant Guys: Coaching, seminars, business, goal setting and more Website: www.thoselifeconsultantguys.com A coaching company which prides itself on helping you to live your best life; every day, through one-on-one sessions and seminar programmes

Nick Nanton Career and life coaching, consultancy and public speaking Website: www.nicknanton.com Phone: (407) 215-7737 Recognised as one of the top thought-leaders in the business world

Edson Williams: Life coaching Email: edson@leadbyexample.com Phone: +44(0)7867517777 Website: www.leadbyexample.com Specialising in leadership development and sport coaching

David Owen: Life coach & NLP trainer Email: bestyou@excel-yourself.com Phone: 07900 243494 Website: www.excel-yourself.com Stop smoking, slimming, phobias, relationships, stress, confidence, self-esteem

THE BEST YOU DIRECTORY The best professionals in personal development

PHOBIA SPECIALISTS John Vincent Public speaking without fear Email: John@JohnVincent.tv Phone: +44 (0)7808 545 421 Website: www.johnvincent.tv

Paul Wright Phobias, anxieties, panic attacks Email: paul@phobiagone.com Phone: +44 (0)203 086 8444 Website: www.phobiagone.com

NLP THERAPISTS / HYPNOTHERAPISTS Linda Cameron and Gail Walshe Inspire for impact Email: say-hello@inspireforimpact.com Phone: +44 (0)845 601 7567 Website: www.inspireforimpact.com NLP trainers, NLP master practitioners, NLP life coaches, hypnotherapists

Debbie Williams Birmingham NLP Practice Group Website: www.debbiewilliams.co.uk Phone: +44 (0)121 241 0728 Life coaching, public speaking, sports coaching, all eating disorders, emotional mastery, OCD, stopping blushing, cocaine addiction, binge drinking

Edson Williams Coaching, NLP, personal development Email: say-hello@inspireforimpact.com Phone: +44 (0) 7867517777 Website: www.leadbyexample.com With an holistic approach, Edson specialises in performance coaching

Laura Spicer: Public speaking skills and confidence Email: laura.spicer@gmail.com Phone: 01752 361 576 Website: www.laura-spicer.com The only accredited sound practice trainer for the Society of NLP

EATING DISORDERS John Arroyo Coaching, personal development Email: john@johnarroyo.co.uk I have been a therapist and personal development trainer for 20 years, specialising in eating disorders for the last 10 years

EUROPE

NLP TRAINERS

Pasquale Acampora (Italy) Master trainer and mental coach, NLP, team building Website: www.blackship.it Phone: +39 (0)335 70 99 000 Pasqualeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s key areas are sport and business; he has worked with top athletes and multinational companies

Alessandro Mora (Italy) Sport coaching Email: a.mora@ekis.it Phone: +39 (0)522 337 611 Website: www.pnlekis.com NLP, coaching and team building applied to sport and business all over Italy

Xavier Pirla (Spain): NLP master trainer and NLP coach Email: kay@the-me-group.com Phone: 91 002 84 44 (Madrid) 93 193 6449 (Barcelona) Website: www.the-me-group.com NLP, NLP business applications, coaching workshops and consultancy

Aleksander Sinigoj (Slovenia) Mastermind academy Email: info@itnlp.com Website: www.aleksandersinigoj.com Leadership, motivation, sales, business NLP

To include your details in The Best You directory, call 0203 011 0866 or email advertising@thebestyou.co Visit www.thebestyoudirectory.co for more personal development professionals

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