The Business Anecdote Issue 1 | Cover feature | Heather Monahan by Hubert Nomamiukor

ISSUE #1 MAY 2021

HEATHER MONAHAN CEO OF BOSS IN HEELS

TED

SPEAKER BESTSELLING AUTHOR CONFIDENCE CREATOR

10 WAYS TO BUILD CONFIDENCE TODAY

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WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT THE COLONIAL PIPELINE HACK

CONTENTS INTERVIEW

HEATHER MONAHAN CEO BOSS IN HEELS

EDITORIAL ARTICLES 18

WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT THE COLONIAL PIPELINE HACK

REBECCA BONNINGTON CEO OF TRICRES DISCUSSES WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A BUSINESS CONSULTANT AND COACH FEATURES

10 WAYS TO BUILD CONFIDENCE TODAY: AN 14 EXCERPT FROM CONFIDENCE CREATOR REDIRECTED NOT REJECTED: 21 AN EXCERPT FROM CONFIDENCE CREATOR

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Editor's note In the last five months, the most important lesson I learnt is that, credibility is one of the most important currencies of an entrepreneur. It is also the most overrated, and possibly one of the main reasons why so many business ideas die before ever getting a chance to breath. Securing interviews with business leaders is a difficult tasks when you aren't Forbes, The Economist, The Insider or any other big brand. I cannot count the number of business leaders I have contacted that have chosen to ignore my email or Linkedin messages. Yet, I choose to believe that there are business leaders out there, that don't only think about what a brand can do for their credibility, but what they can do to help upcoming brands establish themselves. Hard work doesn't always equal success. For those who have found success, I hope they understand that they are in a position to support and guide others who are trying to achieve the same thing. Help if you can, it shouldn't always be about you or about their credibility. Today we launch our new business magazine called "The Business Anecdote". It is a magazine for both established and aspiring business leaders, and entrepreneurs. On our cover, we have featured Heather Monahan, the CEO of Boss In Heels. She is an amazing author and keynote speaker. More specifically, she is a great motivator that sees the positives in any situation. She talks about her entrepreneurial journey and her business enterprise. We hope you enjoy the magazine Issue.

hubertn.

HUBERT NOMAMIUKOR Editor-in-Chief

MAY 2021 INTERVIEW

“Sitting around waiting for validation from others before I take action is not something I'm interested in anymore.” ― Heather Monahan, Confidence Creator

HEATHER MONAHAN: CEO OF BOSS IN HEELS Interview by Hubert N. Photos by Heather Monahan

Heather Monahan is an American entrepreneur, a revered keynote speaker, a TEDx speaker and the founding CEO of Boss In Heels. She was named one of the Top 40 Female Keynote Speakers for 2020 by Real Leaders. She is also a best-selling author of Confidence Creator, and Harper Collins Leadership is publishing her new book "Overcome Your Villain" in November 2021. 4 |

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Heather’s has been featured on USA Today, CNN, Forbes, Fast Company, Gary V’s Audio Experience and The Steve Harvey Show. We had the great pleasure of interviewing her, and we talked about her entrepreneurial journey, her book Confidence Creator, and her company, Boss In Heels.

She exudes confidence and captivates audiences when she speak. Continue reading to learn from Heather's entrepreneurial journey

“One bad chapter doesn't mean your story is over” Heather Monahan

INTERVIEW

MAY 2021

“Comparison is the greatest thief of all joy. When you stay focused on you, the view is much better!”

― Heather Monahan, Confidence Creator.

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Hi Heather! It's an honour having you on the first cover of The Business Anecdote. We would like to start this interview by looking at your origin story. Please give us an overview of your background, initial career aspirations, when and how you got into entrepreneurship?

Heather: I grew up poor in Worcester Massachusetts. I was one of four kids and we were raised by a single mom who worked three jobs to put food on the table. My childhood taught me that I never wanted to be poor so I started working at a very young age. I started with a paper route then working at diners and fast food restaurants and eventually becoming a waitress and bartender. When I graduated college I got into sales, first in the wine business and then in radio. I was so focused on chasing a pay check, I really didn't think about much else. That led me ultimately to becoming a VP of Sales, and then becoming a Chief Revenue Officer. I had an incredibly successful career in corporate America, however I never felt fulfilled. That is why I eventually launched my personal brand which the company I worked for hated. They threatened me and told me to take it down. I knew what I was doing was trying to help others, and there was no negative intent so I refused to shut it down. Eventually within a year I was fired. That is how I began my journey to becoming an entrepreneur.

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INTERVIEW

MAY 2021

What’s your book “Confidence creator” about, and what’s the

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Above Heather Monahan

inspiration behind it? Heather: The inspiration behind my book comes from getting fired after a 20 year successful career in corporate America! That was an incredibly low moment for me, not knowing where my next pay check would come from. I had given so much of my life to the company that I worked for, and I had attributed a lot of self-worth to my title, pay check and team that I had built. I felt like I had lost everything when I got fired. That ultimately reminded me of other low moments in my life like when I got divorced, and when I led my company through the recession, and countless others experiences. Thinking of all of

"My book Confidence Creator is a compilation of my low moments, how I learned to leverage them to create confidence, and how the reader can do that too."

those low moments helped me to remember how I eventually leveraged them to create confidence within me and bounce back. My book Confidence Creator is a compilation of my low moments, how I learned to leverage them to create confidence, and how the reader can do that too.

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―Heather Monahan

INTERVIEW

MAY 2021

Talk to us about the “Monahan Method”. How can this be used to elevate oneself in business and life? Heather: The Monahan Method are the steps that I took to elevate myself in corporate America. They include a variety of strategies like pitching myself for a job that didn't exist and closing that deal because I put myself in the other person's shoes ahead of time to anticipate their potential objections. Another key strategy I share is to never take direction from someone who hasn't been where you are going. It also includes one of the most important lessons I have ever learned, Never take a No from someone who cannot give you a YES!

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“Another key strategy I share is to never take direction from someone who hasn't been where you are going. It also includes one of the most important lessons I have ever learned, Never take a No from someone who cannot give you a YES!”― Heather Monahan.

INTERVIEW

MAY 2021

How have you used your brand to advocate for women

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Above Heather Monahan

empowerment, equality, diversity and Inclusivity? Heather: In 2015 the Florida Diversity Council presented me with the Glass Ceiling Award for my work to advance women and advocate for diversity and inclusion in the workplace. I absolutely use my voice and my brand to speak my truth which certainly includes advocating for equality, diversity and inclusion for all. For eight years I was a member of the Board of City Year Miami, working to empower and support at risk minority youth in our city. I was not only a board member but I also personally contributed thousands of dollars to the charity to help these children. I have continued that work as a champion for women and minorities at large. Most recently being appointed to the Board of Directors of Healthlynked as their first and only female director. I believe glass ceilings are meant to be shattered and I am hoping that the small part that I contribute will help to pave the way for others, just like so many did before me.

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"I believe glass ceilings are meant to be shattered and I am hoping that the small part that I contribute will help to pave the way for others, just like so many did before me." ―Heather Monahan

INTERVIEW

MAY 2021

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Let’s talk about Boss In Heels LLC. Where did the idea come

“As I became more

from and how did you validate its value generating

experienced I realized I had

potential?

just as much potential as

Heather: The idea came from me growing up and only having one type of boss: a white male in his fifties wearing blue pant suits. I never questioned this when I was younger, it was simply who the boss was wherever I worked. As I became more experienced I realized I had just as much potential as any male counterpart I worked with, so I started pitching myself for advancement. I advanced countless times and I finally reached the c-suite. The idea for "Boss In Heels"

any male counterpart I worked with, so I started pitching myself for advancement. I advanced countless times and I finally reached the c-suite. The idea for "Boss In Heels" came from my life experience and the realization that a boss

came from my life experience and the realization that a boss

can look any way you want.

”

As a new entrepreneur I had no idea how to evaluate revenue generation potential, so I leaned on what I did know. I knew I needed to move fast and develop a product to sell. That is where my book "Confidence Creator" came from. Then when I was out selling books I stumbled into the speaking business. That exploded revenues for me until the pandemic hit. Then I looked at the messages people sent to me to see what problem I could solve for people from my computer. I found messages asking me if I ever offered consulting or coaching, so I put a post up on Linkedin announcing my new consulting and coaching business. I had no idea what to charge but I offered a 100% money back guarantee because I knew I wanted to do a fantastic job for my clients. I charged too little at first but I amassed so many amazing reviews of my work and increased my prices. The whole process has changed immensely over the last three years and it continues to evolve as my goal is to drive revenue for my company while delivering products and services that help my clients achieve their goals.

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― Heather Monahan.

INTERVIEW

MAY 2021

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What key challenges has “Boss In Heels”

““Comparison is the greatest thief of

faced to date, and how have you navigated

all joy. When you stay focused on you,

these? Heather: I have faced countless challenges and more fails than I can remember! One of the big failures I had was partnering with Perry Ellis to launch a clothing line. We worked on it together for almost one year, only to be told "No" by HSN when we delivered the product line. That was incredibly frustrating as it was my first year working for myself and I was sure we would sell the line into HSN with great success. Next, I partnered with a skin care line to launch my own product and that fell apart as well. Then, I met with 5 different agents to bring my second book to life and none of those partnerships materialized. However, that was a major blessing in disguise, because it led me to my agent I am with now, and my deal with Harper Collins Leadership for my new book "Overcome Your Villains" which launches this November.

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the view is much better!” ― Heather Monahan, Confidence Creator

INTERVIEW

MAY 2021

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What are your future plans for the “Boss In Heels” brand,

“As far as future plans go, I

and does the COVID-19 pandemic pose a constraint to these

am open! I know that I will

plans?

continue taking major risks

Heather: Absolutely! Covid-19 has made the last year incredibly difficult as I am a single mom raising a thirteen year old son in an apartment building. For much of the year we stayed in our apartment to stay safe where I worked and he went to school virtually. It was incredibly isolating and my number one revenue generator the speaking business nearly disappeared overnight. However a few amazing opportunities did arise from this awful year. I was brought on to teach Professional Selling & Sales Leadership at Harvard which was completely unexpected. Then I met someone in my coaching program that eventually nominated me for my new Board position with Healthlynked. I also used this time at home to finish writing my second book which will be out this November. As far as future plans go, I am open! I know that I will continue taking major risks and moving my business forward to help others. However, this year taught me that there is no way to predict the future so simply trust yourself to figure it out along the way and enjoy the ride.

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and moving my business forward to help others. However, this year taught me that there is no way to predict the future so simply trust yourself to figure it out along the way and enjoy the ride. ”

― Heather Monahan.

INTERVIEW

MAY 2021

Before we conclude the interview, we would like to know what advice you have for female entrepreneurs aspiring to start a business? Heather: Just start! So many women are paralyzed by fear or more specifically a fear of not being perfect. There is no such thing as perfect, the key is to move fast and break things. Speed to market is critical in business and I can promise you this, whatever idea you have, someone else has it too, so get moving. I always think to myself, "Do I want to be the author with a book with 3 errors in it or the woman on her death bed telling her child about the book she never wrote." That's it, once I think about that, I start taking action and figure it out along the way. That is the key! Successful people don't know the how but they trust themselves to figure it out along the way. Don't be afraid to ask for help! Strong people ask for help.

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“Speed to market is critical in business and I can promise you this, whatever idea you have, someone else has it too, so get moving. I always think to myself, "Do I want to be the author with a book with 3 errors in it or the woman on her death bed telling her child about the book she never wrote." ― Heather Monahan.

INTERVIEW

MAY 2021

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We have come to the end of the interview and would like to thank you participating in it. We look forward to the launch of your new book in November titled "Overcome Your Villains". Heather: Thank you

You can follow Heather on social media using these handles

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You can also visit her website at https://heathermonahan.com/

10 WAYS TO BUILD CONFIDENCE TODAY An excerpt from Heather Monahan’s book “Confidence Creator”. Get your copy on Amazon

Unlike talent, confidence is a skill that anyone can learn. We may or may not have certain talents, and we can work to improve particular talents, but for the most part you either have a talent or you don’t. Skills are different. Skills are a like a muscle that can be developed over time. Confidence is a skill that can be learned at any age and in any socioeconomic situation. Confidence is one of the most important keys to building a successful personal and professional life. If this is a weak spot for you like it has been for me, here’s how you can get started.

1. FIND YOUR BASELINE You need to know where you’re starting from. We are often blind to our weak areas. I was a very outgoing and competitive kid. I made sports teams and won contests so many people assumed that I was confident. I even assumed I was confident. It wasn’t until I got divorced that I realized I wasn’t confident atall. Sometimes something very negative has to happen to get your attention and make you look at yourself clearly. Divorce was that event for me. I felt like a failure, a loser, a quitter and a terrible mother. That was when I realized I wasn’t confident and I took a closer look at why. How can I be so hard on myself? Why am I talking to myself like this? That started me down a new road which has vastly improved my life. Sometimes we really need to fail in order to see what’s holding us back. Try to be as honest as possible in your assessment of your confidence level. It’s easier to chart where you’re going and how much progress you need to make if you know where you’re starting from. 14|

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2. FOCUS ON YOUR STRENGTH

4. IT’S TEMPORARY

We all have one. If you’re not sure what your strength is ask a good friend to point it out to you. I promise you that it’s there. It might be your warm smile or your empathetic ear. Identify yours and appreciate it as your Superpower. Remember all the times your Superpower has given you strength and allowed you to rise above. Think of all the times you’ve succeed while doing something you’re good at. You have that confidence inside you already. Build off that and get the ball rolling.

When you hit a rough patch remind yourself that life is like an ocean. There are times where you’re riding high on a beautiful wave and times when that wave comes crashing down. The important thing to remember is that life is a cycle and you will inevitably get back up on that wave again. If you need some occasional help, keep a snapshot of the ocean on your desk to remind you.

3. BE GRATEFUL Write down three things that you are grateful for each day. The more time we spend focused on what we are grateful for instead of dwelling on what we’re lacking the better we feel about ourselves and the faster our perspective in life changes for the better. Things are never as bad as they seem.

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5. LISTEN TO YOUR INNER-VOICE I used to think confidence was all about winning, but that’s not how it works. If I win or lose, that is just another life experience. It’s the act of taking a chance and doing something that you want to do when you know there is a chance of failing. Confidence is having the courage to know you’re enough regardless of your bank balance, hair color or child’s report card. Confidence is feeling good about yourself in spite of those things. I’ve learned that if I listen to my intuition and then act on it I will build confidence in myself. That doesn’t mean that I’m going to get what I want or win every time. I won’t, but that doesn’t matter. What matters is being true to myself and who I am. Don’t shut yourself out or silence your desires. When was the last time you listened to your intuition and acted on it?

6. BE YOUR BEST YOU

8. PRACTICE

Take care of yourself. I don’t mean that you have to focus on looks. I mean put yourself first. Women often have a hard time doing this. They feel guilty putting themselves before their loved ones. If you don’t workout, sleep, meditate, relax or do whatever special things you need to do for you, you won’t be the best version of yourself. When you’re not your best version of yourself you can’t do things for others. In a way, it’s actually selfless to take great care of yourself because it allows you to be more present for your family and friends. You will also feel better, which is a natural way to build confidence. What are the things that make you feel good? Write them down. Do those things every day. Make yourself a priority in your life. No excuses.

Just like working out at the gym, we need to train multiple times a week to get results. Confidence is no different. Put yourself in the best position for success. That means practicing, researching and preparing for whatever it is that you’re trying to do. If you need to make a presentation at work, preparing at home the night before will boost your confidence in that meeting the next day. If you’re nervous about a social situation, researching the best conversation starters and trending hot topics will help you feel better prepared. Whatever the situation, you will feel more confident going in if you prepare and practice. You can’t control the outcome, but you can rest easy knowing that you did everything possible to prepare.

7. YOU DON’T HAVE TO BE PERFECT No one is perfect. If you find someone who is trying to give the impression of being perfect, RUN! Those are the least confident and most insecure people. After turning 40, I’ve learned that the people who put up a front have a lot to hide. By letting the world see your flaws and imperfections, you boost your confidence and accept yourself. It also draws others closer to you. We are all flawed and there is beauty in those flaws. We just have to get to a place where you can appreciate them. #workinprogress

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9. FAKE IT TILL YOU MAKE IT This is a standby and it works. If you stand up tall, make eye contact, deliberately shake hands, smile and put on your best superhero gear you automatically appear like a confident person. Whether you have it or not in that moment is irrelevant because it appears like you do. People treat you different when they think that you’re confident. If I’m given an opportunity at work that I’m not prepared for, I always take it and try to figure it out on my way. If there is a challenge or opportunity that I’m interested in, I go for it even when I don’t have the confidence that I can do it. Confidence is built during preparation and in taking the chance. That’s when I realize that I can make it work. This may seem like backwards logic, but I promise you that it works.

10. GIVE BACK It doesn’t have to be a big donation or a time-consuming gesture. It can be something small, like being polite by holding a door. This makes you realize that you are capable of bringing value to others. This can be a powerful realization. If you’re feeling low, try helping someone else out. Listen to their problems. They will appreciate you for that. Those confidence builders pop up around us every day. You’re the one who has to take the initiative and go after them. Work the confidence muscle daily and watch it grow!

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ARTICLE

MAY 2021

CYBERSECURITY

What we know about the Colonial pipeline hack Article written by Rosanna Hayes Head of communications STORM Guidance

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Unlike other threat actors currently at play such as Maze, DarkSide it seems, wish to operate ‘ethically’, prohibiting attacks against hospitals, schools, and non-profit organisations. An article by CNBC revealed an unusual statement from DarkSide, which seemed to be an attempt at being perceived as more of a ‘Robin Hood’ style operation. “We are apolitical, we do not participate in geopolitics, do not need to tie us with a defined government and look for our motives. Our goal is to make money, and not creating problems for society. From today we introduce moderation and check each company that our partners want to encrypt to avoid social consequences in the future.” This was followed by their code of conduct, which outlined to their customers what type of targets are acceptable to attack and which should be protected, including entities based in former soviet countries. They went on to declare that a percentage of their profits are also given to charity.

Earlier this month we heard about the operator of the Colonial Pipeline falling victim to a ransomware attack. On Friday 7th May, the U.S. saw the most damaging cyberattack to its critical infrastructure, and all operations to the largest fuel pipeline in the United States stopped. The FBI confirmed that hacker group DarkSide, was behind the cyberattack - an organised gang with a ‘ransomware as a service’ business model which they sell to other criminals seeking to carry out attacks. Using ‘double extortion’, they encrypt the victim’s data, whilst also threatening to leak it publicly to ‘DarkSide Leaks’, if ransoms are not paid. A rapidly expanding operation, Cybereason reported a new version of the malware: Darkside 2.0. 18|

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INTERVIEW

MAY 2021

Five days after the Russian linked hackers forced the pipeline to shut down, operations were back up again and running, however, 3 out of 4 gas stations in North Carolina still had no gas, and half of the gas stations in Georgia, South Carolina, Virginia, and Washington DC, were also out of fuel pushing prices to extreme levels. The proceeding investigations into the East Coast pipeline company found their vigilance to be under scrutiny, as findings from a 2018 audit revealed flagrant failings which had not been addressed. Press were informed that the outside audit found “atrocious” information management practices and poorly connected and secured systems. Robert F. Smallwood, whose consulting firm iMERGE, delivered the 89-page report after a six-month audit claimed, "an eighth-grader could have hacked into that system". It is still unclear whether Colonial Pipeline addressed the 2018 audit, however, they claim to have increased their overall IT spending by more than 50% since 2017, hiring four independent cybersecurity risk assessment firms. Although they did not name these companies, Rausch Advisory Services in Atlanta affirmed they were among them, with Colonial’s chief information officer a member of its advisory board.

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With Colonial responsible for providing the East Coast with 45% of its gas, jet fuel, and petroleum (a staggering 2.5 million barrels a day), there is no doubt the firm will be investigated by federal authorities seeking answers as to why the security issues highlighted in the audit were not addressed. Colonial admitted to implementing several of Smallwood’s recommendations, with active monitoring and overlapping threat-detection systems on its network, and its IT network strictly segregated from the pipeline control systems. They identified the ransomware attack as soon as it was detected and found the pipeline control systems were unaffected by the ransomware. It seemed the pipeline was shut down due to the firm's billing system being compromised. Referencing an article in The Drive, company officials were concerned over the accurate billing of gas delivered to customers, and so chose to cut off the supply of its fuel. On the 7th of May, due to the uncertainty over how long its billing systems would be affected, the pipeline paid the $4.4m ransom. Colonial’s Chief Executive Mr. Blount, conversed with experts who had previous dealings with DarkSide and claimed, “I didn't make [that decision] lightly. I will admit that I wasn't comfortable seeing money go out the door to people like this, but it was the right thing to do for the country".

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INTERVIEW

MAY 2021

According to Bitcoin records, since August 2020, DarkSide, received at least $90m in ransom payments from around 47 victims, and the pandemic levels of cybercrime have driven the reignition in calls to governments across the globe to ban ransom payments to criminals. The US government has recommended in the past that companies do not pay criminals over ransomware attacks in case they invite further hacks in the future, however, as it stands today, paying ransoms is not illegal.

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DarkSide have since announced they are shutting their operations after they lost access to their servers which were used to house the victims’ data and ransoms, and funds were withdrawn to an unknown account. U.S. officials have argued that military cyber operators did not have any involvement in this, nor had any other U.S. agency. Concerns over the credibility of DarkSide’s disappearance have emerged as cyber experts believe it is merely a smokescreen, and that the criminals will simply regroup and return.

Clearly Colonial did not have a Cyber Incident Response Plan in place for such events, which considering the continuously increasing prevalence of global cybercrime, and the firm’s critical role in the U.S. energy system – they may now be exposed to claims of negligence. Further, their executive team demonstrated more concern over billing, than being a responsible player in the provision of Critical National Infrastructure services and the flow of vital fuel to U.S. businesses and consumers. The reactions of Colonial Pipeline clearly exposed their lack of effective cyber risk assessment and business continuity plans. In reflection, perhaps the onus should not exclusively be on the provider, in this instance Colonial, to properly plan for, and execute business continuity arrangements when something like this happens. The U.S. Federal and Local government have a Critical National Infrastructure oversight role, and one may call into question whether they have delivered on their responsibilities here.

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REDIRECTED NOT REJECTED An excerpt from Heather Monahan’s book “Confidence Creator”. Get your copy on Amazon

I was on the road to recovery from my back injury. I was feeling better. Nothing could bring me down. Then I got fired. It was Tuesday and I was on a work trip in Los Angeles when I received an email from my new CEO saying that she wanted to meet with me that Thursday morning in her office when I returned. I knew something was wrong – not because she wanted to meet, but because she was so nice to me in the email. That woman was never nice to me. It was going to be ugly. I tried to reschedule because getting there for the meeting required me to take a six-hour flight on Wednesday and then drive three hours in the car, but she told me that I needed to be there regardless.

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I knew I was walking into a bad situation. I spoke to my fiancé and we decided that if she was going to fire me, I would say as little as possible and leave as soon as possible. I didn’t realize that the meeting was only going to be a couple minutes long. After fourteen years of leading the sales organization and being an executive at the highest level in the company, she simply told me that my position was being eliminated. I could sign a paper saying that I resigned or she was going to let my team know that I had been terminated. I knew it was going to be bad, but that caught me off guard. I had just been recognized as one of the 40 Most Influential Women in Radio and now I was getting fired. I told her that I wouldn’t sign or agree to anything. I didn’t want to resign and I had no idea why any of this was happening.

Walking out of that office was hard. I felt that I had been treated so poorly and felt used. It felt like something had just been taken from me for no reason at all. The next twenty-four hours would be the toughest. I cried the entire ride home. I was not only defeated and discouraged, but I was also exhausted. I had never been fired before so the situation was completely new to me. The uncertainty was terrifying. That feeling morphed into anger and disgust the next day. That whole week was a rollercoaster of emotion. At times, I was crying because I was so upset while other times I almost felt happy to be away from such a negative situation. I knew that one day I would be okay; I just had no idea when that day would be. My fiancé and son were great during that time. They helped me to create a “no negativity zone” at home to make sure that I remained positive. Without their support and encouragement, I don’t know where I’d be today It took about seven days for the volatile rollercoaster to come to an end. I began to get some much-needed clarity. I had already changed my phone number and bought a new phone so I could start over. It wouldn’t be easy, but I knew that I needed to reach out to others so I made the following post on social media. “After 14 years with Beasley Media Group, leadership has eliminated my CRO position. I want to thank my team, partners, clients and all of the amazing people that I have known over the years. It has been an emotional few days and I wanted to thank everyone for their love and support. If I have impacted you in any way over the last 14 years, please leave me a comment below. I would love to hear from you! Thank you!”

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That changed everything. Some people were shocked that I would post something like that. I figured people would find out anyway and, if I didn’t reach out, I wouldn’t be able to get any help. By the following day I had received a tremendous amount of encouragement and made some great new connections. The comments on my social media were amazing! What I enjoyed most was how people shared with me their own stories of how they overcame adversity after being fired. My friend Elaine shared a story with me about being unhappy with her job at a salon. She worked at one of the biggest salons in Miami Beach, but the owner was a terrible woman who was awful to her employees. It was beyond draining so Elaine put her foot down and was promptly fired. She was petrified and didn’t know what to do next, but suddenly the clients started to call her. She would go to their homes to cut their hair. She doubled her income the first year and opened her own business the following year. She made sure to tell me that if she hadn’t been fired, she’d still be working for a nasty person and not living her dream life. That gave me hope and it truly lifted my spirits when I needed it the most. My mindset was beginning to change. A week earlier, I was petrified and now suddenly I was hopeful that things were going to work out for the best. Those responses were huge. Even today, I will often go back to read some of those responses because they move me so much.

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Many of the people who responded also offered to help. The easy thing for me to do would have been to ignore that, but I decided to take advantage of it by asking them to do one specific thing for me. That might be making a connection, writing a letter of recommendation or even just advice. By making one specific ask, those that were offering were now delivering. That helped me piece together a plan. I tracked my progress. I made a grid that I hung on my wall so I could go back and look at how far I came – just like I did when recovering from my back injury. That was a game-changer because I found strength in that progress. Up until that point I had been the person others relied on for help, but now the roles were reversed. I felt painfully vulnerable at first, but the experience brought me closer to my friends and family. There were plenty of roadblocks that first month. One big one was having to change my old company profile on my LinkedIn account. I desperately wanted to change it, but I didn’t know what to write. That may seem simple, but I wrote thirty different versions of my profile and still couldn’t get it right. I called friends to see what they thought and was encouraged to just write a draft up on the platform. If I liked it I could save it. Little did I know that when you begin rewriting your profile, it simultaneously appears on your page for all to see. I guess my rough draft was good enough to go live. In the end, I had agonized over that and wasted so much time. When in doubt, sometimes the best course of action is just to take action. Don’t hesitate. It turns out that I still have that same profile on my account to this day.

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Suddenly, I felt a whole new sense of freedom. After a lifetime of doing what I thought I had to do, I was in a position to do what I wanted. That seemed so foreign yet so exciting. Instead of working for a paycheck and consuming myself with that work, why not decide where I wanted my life to go? Who knew when I’d get that opportunity again? At the same time, I was under pressure. I did not have a paycheck coming in for the first time in my life. Being someone who had worked since they were twelve years-old, and was used to being the primary breadwinner, that made me nervous. I had a son to take care of. That panic can drive you to take a quick job and essentially trade one bad situation for another. I was getting offers, but I wanted to hold out long enough to make sure my head was right and my confidence was rock solid before I made a decision. Being terminated reminded me that confidence is not static and needs to be built up again when it is weakened. Things were looking up in my third week after being fired. I felt better and was able to think clearly. I was also removed enough from my job to see things from another point of view. How much had that toxic work environment impacted me physically and mentally? Over the previous year my hair started to thin, but it was suddenly starting to grow back. I started to realize how that negative person was like an anchor weighing me down. My body was sending me signs that I needed to get out of that situation, but I hadn’t been listening. It started to make sense. Only after I shed that anchor was I able to take off. I was finally getting the chance to do what I was meant to do. I was getting the chance to soar.

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Things were looking up in my third week after being fired. I felt better and was able to think clearly. I was also removed enough from my job to see things from another point of view. How much had that toxic work environment impacted me physically and mentally? Over the previous year my hair started to thin, but it was suddenly starting to grow back. I started to realize how that negative person was like an anchor weighing me down. My body was sending me signs that I needed to get out of that situation, but I hadn’t been listening. It started to make sense. Only after I shed that anchor was I able to take off. I was finally getting the chance to do what I was meant to do. I was getting the chance to soar. After my fourth week, I was presented with amazing opportunities. I had been asked to appear on a television show, consult for a company and even endorse a brand. No longer did the future look bleak. I was actually excited about what the future had in store for me. The fear had slipped away. The rollercoaster ride had finally come to an end. More importantly, I was back to looking at things in a positive light. I didn’t focus on the anger or hurt feelings that came with being betrayed. Instead, I focused on all the new opportunities that were coming my way. If anything, I was overwhelmed by hopefulness. I was in the driver’s seat and the ability to create my dream job seemed like a very real possibility.

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Getting fired came as a blow that I was not prepared for. It felt like I had lost everything, but I realized that they couldn’t take away the reputation that I had built over the past twenty years or the work I had done. They couldn’t take away my network. They couldn’t change the quality person I had become or the confidence I had in myself. It’s funny how the uncertainty that felt so scary at first had become exhilarating. Instead of focusing on all the negative things that could happen, I shifted my perspective to focus on all the possibilities that would allow me to change my life for the better. Some of the greatest success stories began with an unexpected firing. Oprah Winfrey was told she wasn’t right for television and fired. She turned that setback into an opportunity to create a brand that transcends all others. Mark Cuban was fired from his sales job and that termination allowed him the opportunity to go out on his own. J.K. Rowling was fired from her admin job because she was too creative. While unemployed, she began to write. Sometimes it takes being down and hitting bottom to realize that doing what we want doesn’t have to seem so unrealistic. Have faith that there are better days ahead. Speaking from someone who has been there, I can tell you that it’s true. I am constantly reminded that life isn’t about what happens to you, it’s about how you respond in the face of it.

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REBECCA BONNINGTON CEO OF TRICRES DISCUSSES WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A BUSINESS CONSULTANT AND COACH Written by Allison Cruise

Inspired by her hero David Bowie as a creative visionary, Rebecca has always sought to disrupt, rewrite the rules, and question everything. At the tender age of 9 this tendency used to land her in hot water more often than not. But after buckling down and gaining qualifications it led to land a job as the first female office manager with a maledominated company.

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Soon after her entrepreneurial spirit took hold and she had her own recruitment company that was successfully turning over £1m+ within 6 years until the 2008 economic crisis brought that to a shattering halt. Undaunted, she moved into coaching after getting a Masters qualification and then decided she could do better on her own. From that Tricres was born. Let’s see what happens next!

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The words ‘consultant’ and ‘coach’ are often bandied about in the workplace on a regular basis. There are countless people who have had successful runs in their career or entrepreneurial ventures who then decide to exit, change career, or even retire that find themselves jumping on to the consultant and coaching bandwagon. And why not? It isn’t essential to have any qualifications to be a coach or consultant, but they sound pretty impressive. There are some qualifications out there, but how do you know what you’re getting when anyone can decide to just be one? What exactly is a business consultant or coach, and what is the difference?

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““Strictly speaking, a business consultant will spend a predetermined amount of time in your company then deliver strategies that will enhance it operationally, increase profitability, and revise structure or management where necessary.”― Rebecca Bonnington

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Rebecca Bonnington, CEO and founding partner of Tricres talks to us about what it means to be a business consultant and coach. “Strictly speaking, a business consultant will spend a predetermined amount of time in your company then deliver strategies that will enhance it operationally, increase profitability, and revise structure or management where necessary. They provide a tactical to-do list of things that will impact your business in a meaningful way and then it depends on the receptiveness of that business to incorporate their expertise. They are telling you what needs to be done to elevate your business from experience. The difference with a business coach is that they will ask really good questions that help you, the business owner or team manager etc. figure out what is needed for your business. It’s kind of like a guidance journey and this is a longer term process that aims to get whoever is being coached to figure out the solutions themselves. It is about recognising fundamentals to a successful business that include purpose, vision and values; people and culture; talent succession and having the right employees in the right roles; leadership and the growth mindset.”

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Rebecca started Tricres with her co-founder (and brother) Nick because they were convinced that professional services were often neglected from the coaching and consulting sectors. Being the disruptors to the industry that they are, taking a no holds barred approach has gained them great respect in an industry that can often seem oversubscribed. Tricres will still have their bespoke coaching and consulting, but brand new for 2021 saw the launch of their Partner Programme and Fuel My Business App which function for every SME business and industry sector. “The Partner Programme allows us to hand-pick existing coaches and successful owners and entrepreneurs that want to coach and consult and nurture them in the Tricres approach. They get the Tricres support and toolkit from people who know how to successfully deliver on both fronts, and in turn they get to work alongside and bounce ideas off others so they aren’t feeling that complete isolation striking out on their own.” Says Rebecca, “It also gives us a wider range of skills and business sectors that can benefit from Tricres’s guidance and professional expertise.” Even more exciting is the launch of the Fuel My Business app, a standalone platform that offers coaching your way, 24/7 with your mobile device straight from your pocket. It’s a unique proposition that allows SME’s to build their scalability in a clear focussed way whenever they want to or have the time. “It’s been incredibly rewarding to see this idea and concept through to launch. It’s been an even harder slog than I thought possible, but knowing what it will offer our subscribers is exciting to see in a fully formed app that delivers.” In terms of the Partner Programme the inaugural group of three who were hand-picked from over 100 successful applications come from diverse backgrounds and locations.With the three new partners hailing from South Africa, Switzerland, and one from the UK it goes to show that the Tricres initiative can be fully inclusive. It doesn’t matter where you are, if you think you have what it takes to coach the Tricres way and you like what you see then anything is possible. There is real certainty that this sector truly is global for coaching companies aiming for a team of successful coaches. There are no geographical limits. The proof is there that it can all be done remotely and this has vastly opened up the talent pool for Tricres.

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If you have ever considered the coaching profession for business and feel you have experience to share to help other businesses grow and flourish, get in touch with us by speaking to our Team Manager Sally Davies at sally@tricres.com .

This article was written by Allison Cruise, Digital Strategy Manager Tricres

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