JANUARY 2019
NR. 1
BUSINESS
Janiece Evans, The woman Behind Swift Travel Deals
MOTHERHOOD
6 Reasons Moms Make the Best Entrepreneurs
FASHION & BEAUTY The 10 things we’ll *all* be wearing in 2019
HAVING IT ALL AND DOING IT ALL IS POSSIBLE THE WIFE
THE MOTHER
THE BUSINESS WOMAN
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WHAT’S INSIDE 4 6
Editor’s Note Business Janiece Evans, The woman Behind Swift Travels
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Women of Strenght Having It All and Doing All Is Possible
12 Fashion & Beauty The 10 things we’ll *all* be wearing in 2019
15 Health The Truth About Women & Mental Illness
18 Motherhood 6 Reasons Moms Make the Best Entrepreneurs
20 Travel Five-Star Meals You Can Only Have in the Caribbean
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Welcome the new in 2019 We are embarking in a new year that will bring new experiences, people and relationships. It is important to remember how they make you feel and if any or all do not feel good, walk away. Your time should not be wasted or used. You can never get it back. Observe people with your time. See how they treat you. When your time is wasted, you become frustrated and upset with the person. But, you should be upset with yourself. You made the choice to wait hours for the person. You chose to give up what you love to make time for the person. When they show you how ungrateful they are you get hurt. But it is all on you. You have to carefully know to who and what you are giving your time to. Not everyone deserves your time. Leave the ones in 2018 who you know never respected your time and make sure in 2019 you show people how to respect your time. You know the value of your time on earth. Don’t let anyone abuse it. Welcome the new in 2019 and be conscious with whom and what you are giving up your time for.
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Woman’s Essence magazine is for and about powerful women all arround the world. About the Mothers , workers or business women , and about the Wifes. They all fit into one body. Our mission is to engage, ins-pire and cultiver each soul that reads our magazine by sharing hopes, stories, dreams, etc. This magazine would not be existing if not by each of our readers support. We are looking for Inspiring Women Do you know a woman that is interesting and has all the assets to be on the Cover of WEmagazine? Or are you the one and want to share your story with other women ? Is there a special project or organization you would like us to feature in our magazine? Let us know! Email your suggestions at wemagazinee@gmail.com Share your special events. Are you part of a business or an organizations and have planning an event, seminar or important meeting? Send us the details about your upcoming event or the flyer/advert design at wemagazinee@gmail.com Share the Hapiest day of your life! You recently got married and had an unique andspecial wedding event? If you want to share that with other women for inspiration and the joy of it, send us a short description of the event and yourself and your wedding photos. Email photos at wemagazinee@gmail.com All photo submisisons must be 300dpi. If you have any questions related to this feel free to ask, we’ll assist you.
January 2016, Issue 1
Publisher Adriana Okpalaugo adriana.okpalaugo@gmail.com Editor-In-Chief Claire K.Guerre claireguerre@hotmail.com WE always welcome your comments and suggestions Contact us at: wemagazinee@gmail.com Follow us! FACEBOOK www.facebook.com/womans.essence INSTAGRAM @womansessencemag PINTEREST www.pinterest.com/wemagazinee Advertise with us! Email us at wemagazinee@gmail.com All submissions must be submitted as JPG or PDF, or 300dpi.
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BUSINESS
Janiece Evans, The woman behind Swift Travel Deals J
aniece Evans is a woman with important and many responsibilities. She makes sure family comes first. She is the Chief Operating Officer for Swift Travel Deals. A multi million dollar company that caters to high profile clients. She has made positive changes that increased revenue for Swift Travel Deals. She does not give in to pressure. She focuses on being a problem solver. WEmag had the opportunity to get to know Janiece Evans and we appreciate her taking time to answer our questions.
What in the one experience in your life What did you do to stay focus in order that made an impact in shaping you to to accomplish your personal goals while be the woman you are today? being head of the house hold? There was not just one experience. There were many experiences that shaped me to be the woman I am today. To choose one of the most life changing experience would be becoming a mother. Pushing to go hard to be an example for my kids. Even in my darkest moments I had to focus on being there mentally and physically for them. I knew they were watching me and that would set the tone for the rest of their life. What are your core values you live by to help you achieve your goals?
Continuing to push myself beyond my limits no matter what has happened or is happening now. Knowing that my goals will not get accomplished by doing absolutely nothing. How did you become the Chief Operating Officer for Swift Travel Deals?
What did you to do to prepare for the position? I prepared by learning many different aspects of the business and working hard at any task that I was given. How do you encourage women to never give up no matter what challenges they face?
In those moments of being overwhelmed its ok to take a step back to clear your Honestly thought of being COO was not my mind. Instead of giving up focus on your focus. I was focused on working hard at my “why”. Also take your time and that it’s current position with the company. God not a race. No matter what you see on the had other plans for my life which landed outside everyone is fighting some type of me in this position. battle.
Always keep God first, Family, Continually working on self-improvement, Remembering to give back. How did you stay strong when caring for your disabled child and husband who was in a major accident? Lots of prayer and my support system. Also knowing that its okay to not be ok. Understanding that having a moment for myself was not a bad thing. Its so easy to forget to take care of yourself when you are busy taking care of your love ones.
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WOMEN OF STRENGHT
Having It All and Doing It All Is Possible 8
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amta Purbey was born in North India and raised by her father in her teens when her mother passed away. Her perseverance, dedication and desire to achieve her goals helped her to obtain 2 Masters Degrees while having the position as the Executive Director of Enrollment Management & Institutional Analytics at American University of Antigua College of Medicine owned by Manipal Education & Medical Group, a privately held healthcare conglomerate in India.
Woman’s Essence Magazine (For & About Powerful Women) had the pleasure of interviewing Mamta. She authentically shared how having and doing it all is possible.
Share an experience in your life that earned the respect of senior management as forced you to depend on your strengths? well as my colleagues. Staff in my department Every experience in life reveals new (hidden) strengths that we possess. In my teens, I moved away from familiar surroundings, family/friends to pursue undergraduate program in arts and education (BA. B Ed) and never knew that I would be comfortable and confident to cope with the challenges that this would entail. Although the 4 year program was a residential program in a place that was quite far from home, I was among people of same culture, language, food habits, etc.
would come to me and ask doubts they had or seek ways to improve their efficiencies in their assigned tasks.
Having a very competitive full time job is very demanding. Further, being a wife and a mother come with other challenges. Having no societal support (unlike in India where family/friends/domestic help, etc. are very much prevalent) further accentuates these problems. Drawing on my strength of believing in myself and not giving up, with the right kind of attitude towards my tasks and mastering time management skills, enabled me to earn my 2nd MBA. Throughout the time it took to complete the Masters program, my family supported me and helped me to focus on what was required rather than demand more of me at home.
The experience that forced me to look into myself and leverage my unknown strength was when I had completed my MBA in Human Resources & Marketing and secured my first job in the Manipal Group. While, previously I moved to another “familiar” region to pursue undergraduate program, this time, I had to move from North East part of India (Guwahati) to South West (to the university town called Manipal). I knew no one in Manipal, had no friends and the languages spoken were all different; many were adversarial too. Food habits were different – I was not used to the South Indian spicy curry and culture. I had to then draw on one of my strengths of “never giving up” and focusing on what was required to be done and not think/worry about an unknown place and block all unpleasant thoughts. I relentlessly (and tirelessly) worked and in the first few weeks established myself as a go-to person to the senior management team. When I started in Manipal, colleagues would talk in the South Indian language (Kannada) and I would constantly think that they were talking about me. They would laugh at my eating habits since I wasn’t able to manage to eat the spicy South Indian curry – so would add sugar to every dish before eating (BTW, now I cook spicy food, eat spiciest curry without any issues!!). But, within a few months, with my confidence in myself and untiring work, I
Marketing from a very reputed educational institution in India, the fact that I was engaged in medical education and healthcare, prompted me to pursue an MBA in Healthcare Management.
Who inspired you to be a woman of strength? Although I would love to say that I am self-inspired woman, I would not be fully accurate. My mother was a source of great inspiration. We were 8 siblings and my mother had some significant health issues. There was never a day in our lives when my mother wouldn’t have anything and everything that we would need to go through our days – both at school and at home. She would ensure that everyone went about their respective lives – work, college, school, etc. – even with severe illness and several hospitalizations. I could never understand where she got her energy/strength to do all these day in and day out. She truly was a Superwoman for me!
What motivated you to earn a 2nd Masters Degree while having a demanding I have learned from her that no matter what career, being a wife and raising your the adversity is, we learn from our experiences and build our inner strength, character daughter? and resilience.
Learning is never ending. Knowledge acquired through education and experience are the only things that are “our own” and no one can take these away from us. Despite having an undergraduate degree and an MBA in HR/ 9
How did you cope with losing your mother? How has becoming a mother changed What role did your father play to shape you? you to be the woman you are today? Parents are the first teachers and they are instrumental in instilling the foundations of good character in all children. They are the ones who selflessly guide children in achieving what they set out to. Having both parents at all important phases of one’s life is very important. An imbalance sets in if one of the parents is lost. My mother passed away when I was still in my teens. She succumbed to a serious heart condition and did not recover from an open heart surgery. The void created by my mother’s demise will always remain. During the first few weeks, I was devastated – in my young mind, I thought she would always remain and be proud of my successes. Once I realized the reality, I slowly started concentrating on my immediate task – of successfully completing my undergraduate program and focus on taking one step at a time. I still miss my mother, but I am certain that wherever she is, she is proud of how I have come through from losing her. My father, even when my mother was alive, always used to guide us to do well in our school and would encourage us to be independent by learning, being competitive and at the same time be helpful to others and be a good human being. He continued to support all our educational pursuits. He would ensure that we push ourselves beyond our limits to succeed in our chosen paths. He continues to do that even today.
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Becoming a mother has made me realize that I am SUPERWOMAN. Until I became a mother, I never knew that I could do so much – cook, get my daughter ready, take care of her every need, ensure she does well at school, ferry her around for her swim practice/ meets, shop for her, etc. All these have been made fairly easy since she is a wonderful and a caring daughter. Needless to say, my husband pitched in too and encouraged me to achieve greater heights in bringing up our daughter.
Can women have it all? If yes, why and how? I don’t see why not! Success and achievement is not gender specific. Women can achieve (and there are several examples of women achievers in every sphere of life) anything that a man can. All that is required is self-belief and confidence that we can achieve anything that we set our minds to. Challenges in our lives help us gain the right experience. Experiences coupled with our knowledge will shape us to grow into well rounded personalities. Exposure to different cultures also helps one to understand, empathize and learn to cope with difficulties. There will always be instances of male dominance. But one shouldn’t give up and one should constantly tell oneself “if anyone can, it’s me” so that self-confidence is always protected.
What is next for you? How would you advise other women who are working, married and raising children that are having a challenge balancing it all? Keep learning and acquiring relevant knowledge. Continue to grow in the corporate world. Find opportunities to support communities. In today’s world, finding work-life balance is very difficult. We normally spend more than 8 hours in our day working and for many women it is a few hours of commute daily to and from work. It is all the more challenging for married women with children to manage everything. Work and commute leaves very little time to focus on family, children and other important life activities. Without excellent time management skills, it increasingly becomes difficult to get everything done on a daily basis. However, we have to find that balance to keep going without giving up on anything. If necessary, one should take a break – but just enough to rejuvenate – and continue facing the daily challenges with a great attitude and utmost confidence. My advice to other working women who are married and have children is that find “my time” – even if this is just a few minutes, every day. Believe in yourself and be confident. Everything seems overwhelming initially – but take a stepby-step approach and never give up. There may be failures in anything that we attempt – but celebrate the small successes which will help sustain self-confidence. Constantly learn and upgrade your knowledge – this will help you achieve more and for longer time.
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FASHION & BEAUTY
The 10 things we’ll *all* be wearing in 2019 Whether you’re ‘into fashion’ or not... BY CHARLIE TEATHER
www.glamourmagazine.co.uk
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ust as you were all getting comfortable with your And next year looks set to be a scorcher... winter wardrobes and rediscovering the art of layering, the close of 2018 has got some of us thinking about We may have another few months to wait before we can our 2019 wardrobe. *truly* indulge, but before these pieces land and the trends inevitably take hold of the high street (hey, did And - despite a growing number of designers experi- we or did we not predict the animal print renaissance menting with the calendar by producing 'see-now-buy- back in Feb...?) we can have a lot of fun conjuring up now' collections (to keep up with the impatient demand visions of our next season aesthetic. to own things IMMEDIATELY) - thankfully the majority So which #lewks are going to prevail? of the fashion industry still shows its pieces a season in advance, giving the impatient amongst us a sneak peek at upcoming sartorial highlights.
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Oversized Hats If you so much as glanced at your Instagram feed this summer, you no doubt spotted a Jacquemus La Bomba hat. Now entirely synonymous with SS18, it seems brands are vying for similar cult status next season by producing their own delicious incarnations that we already can’t get enough of. Spotted at: Rejina Pyo (left), Xiao Li (right), Ryan Lo and Simone Rocha
Sensible shorts
Tight Pleats
Cycling shorts may have stolen the show this year, but - and thank the Lord - next season things are looking a little looser. Tailored, micro, knee-length... skirts may be given a few months off as we all look to the more boyish alternative for our new summer go-to. Spotted at: Alexa Chung (left), Margaret Howell (right) and Preen by Thornton Bregazzi
Having had a successful run this year, pleats are back for SS19 but this time they’re a whole lot more intricate. Tighter than before, the micro pleat provides maximum impact as it generates not only more movement but also a more fluctuating silhouette as it expands and contracts. Science-y, eh? Spotted at: Givenchy (left), Preen by Thornton Bregazzi (right), Pringle and Roland Mouret 13
Tie - Dye I know. We were all surprised at the recurrence of this 60s print, but alas it seems tie-dye truly is back in fash. Admittedly, 2019’s take on the trend is a hell of a lot chicer. Make like Stella with a no-holds-barred approach and opt for a bold matching twopiece, or - if you’re anything like us - you’ll likely favour a more subtle beach maxi. Spotted at: Stella McCartney (left), Prabal Gurung (centre) and R13 (right)
Fancy Flats While models over at Halpern, Ashish and David Koma were teetering precariously atop stiletto heels, things at Valentino and Simone Rocha were a whole lot more down to earth. About six inches closer to said earth, to be precise. And boy are we looking forward to spending next season in comfy, fancy flats for the sake of #fashun. Spotted at: Simone Rocha (left), Temperley London (center), Valentino (left) and Burberry
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Summer Waterproofs
Fringing
If this summer’s unpredictable weather taught us anything, it’s that you can never be too prepared. So providing you also carry a bikini, sunglasses and knee-high wellington boots with you at all times, these fair-weather waterproofs should serve you well. Spotted at: Max Mara (left), Marc Jacobs (centre), Sportmax and Etro
With this autumn’s obsession with the cowboy boot, it was almost inevitable that there would be another Western-inspired trend infiltrating our wardrobes next season. Adorning everything from jackets to skirts via handbags and everything in-between, who knows... maybe we’ll be cutting our hair to fit too. Spotted at: Tom Ford (centre) and Cushnie
Puffed Shoulders
Sequins
Bold shoulders are no new thing, but rather than padded, boxy numbers, next season’s take is a whole lot puffier. Often gathered at the shoulder with pleats of elastic, they work particularly well with square necklines on feminine dresses. Here’s hoping the weather allows us to forgo a jacket, or that volume could provide a stumbling block. Spotted at: Brock Collection (left), Rodarte (centre), Saint Laurent (right), Mara Hoffman and Preen by Thornton Bregazzi
Have sequins ever *not* been on trend? Perhaps not, but they were so prevalent at this month’s shows that we can’t ignore them. Offered up in endless incarnations, opt for a more gently beaded style - like Ashish’s mint green jumpsuit - for a friend’s birthday dinner, before swapping into blindingly glitzy Halpern-like number for your own. Spotted at: Ashish (left), Halpern (centre), House of Holland (right), David Koma and Roberta Einer
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HEALTH
The Truth About Women & Mental Illness A
ccording to the National Alliance on Mental Ilness (NAMI), mental illness is a condition that affects a person’s thinking, feeling or mood. In the early 1900’s, women with mental illness were viewed as being hysterical and placed in mental institutions for treatment. If a man did not agree with a Woman’s behavior he would have her admitted to an asylum to receive therapy for clinical depression, schizophrenia and bipolar. The asylums were similar to prison. A research study conducted by Cecilia Tasca, Mariangela Rapetti and Bianca Fadda found that hysteria is the first mental disorder attributable to women in the early 1900’s. This disease was known as scientific and demonological. The techniques used to treat women with “hysteria” in the early 1900’s were insulin induced comas, lobotomies, malaria infections and electric shock therapy. Today, women suffering from mental illness are given more options for treatment. They have been more outspoken about their mental health. Women came a long way to be heard about the causes for their mental illness. The warning signs of mental illness are persistent sadness or feelings of hopelessness, abuse of alcohol or drugs, appetite and weight changes, fatigue, excessive fear or worry and social withdrawal according to National Institute of Mental Health (NIH.)
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There are many treatment facilities for women to receive effective therapy to help them deal with mental illness. It will always be the woman’s decision to seek help and to choose the type of therapy that fits her. In the early 1900’s women with mental illness were treated horribly. It was the men who had a say about women’s mental condition and the type of treatment the women would receive. It took a very long time for a big change to take place for women’s mental illness. If you or someone you know is suffering from mental illness you can overcome it by clicking this link: www.mentalhealth.gov/gethelp/immediate-help
How to Recognize the Warning Signs of Mental Illness in Women Many familiar mental illnesses such as depression and anxiety are more common in women than in men. And unfortunately, women sometimes live with a mental illness for months, even years, before seeking treatment. At times, this is because they don’t even realize the severity of the problem until life spirals out of control. Due to today’s busy lifestyle, women may chalk symptoms up to stress or burnout, when they actually have a bigger problem. So, how do you know? How do you know if you are just stressed? Or, how do you know if you might be experiencing a mental illness that should be diagnosed and treated by a mental health professional? Let’s look at some common signs of mental illness to help you figure this out.
Signs Unique to Women
Women tend to experience mental illness slightly differently than men. Specifically, women are more prone to internalizing mental illnesses such as depression and anxiety, while men are more prone to externalizing mental illnesses such as drug abuse, alcoholism, and antisocial behaviors.[i] An internalizing mental illness is one which causes a person to turn inward. It often leads to withdrawal, ruminating, loneliness, and feelings of sadness. Women who find themselves retreating from life and internalizing their emotions should consider the possibility of a mental illness when this sign is combined with other factors.
ness are seen in decreased functioning. This might appear as bad grades, poor work performance, failing to following through on responsibilities, difficulty coping with stress, or problems in personal relationships. • Changes in mood and emotion. Unexplained or uncharacteristic changes or fluctuations in mood are another primary sign of many mental illnesses. This might be displayed as a depressed mood, feelings of euphoria, excessive energy, lack of emotion, or feelings of apathy. Alternatively, a person might experience excessive guilt, fear, shame, or anger. • Cognitive deficiencies. These can include memory problems, difficulty concentrating, or spells of confusion. Any troubling cognitive symptoms of this nature should be assessed for a possible mental illness. • Risky or uncharacteristic behaviors. Mental illness sometimes leads to risky behaviors such as spending exorbitant amounts of money, engaging in risky sexual behaviors, or experimenting with drugs and alcohol. Sometimes a dual diagnosis is present in which a person experiences an addiction to drugs or alcohol in addition to a diagnosis such as depression or PTSD. • Breaks with reality. Breaks with reality are found in psychotic disorders. These might manifest in the form of delusions, hallucina-
tions, paranoia, or a sense of detachment from the world.
What You Can Do
If you notice signs of a possible mental illness in yourself or a loved one, take the time to check this out. Seek out a treatment center for women where you can be assessed and diagnosed by a trained mental health professional. Various forms of therapy can help you manage a mental health diagnosis. Therapies such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for depression or anxiety or dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT) for borderline personality disorder or bipolar disorder may be options provided by your therapist. Take the time to remember these signs and be on the lookout for them in your life. Sometimes, the earlier you catch the onset of a mental illness, the more easily it can be treated and managed.
Source: www.clearviewwomenscenter.com
Women also tend to experience more physical symptoms in the context of mental illness than men.[ii] Headaches, stomachaches, chronic pain, and high blood pressure can all be symptoms of mental illness. Other physical signs include sleep difficulties, weight fluctuations, lack of energy, or a low sex drive. Physical symptoms should always be checked out by a medical doctor. But, once a medical diagnosis is ruled out, women who experience unexplained physical symptoms may consider the possibility of an undiagnosed mental illness.
General Signs of Mental Illness
There are also a number of universal signs of mental illness that are equally applicable to both men and women. See if you can find yourself in the following list. • Difficulty functioning in life. Sometimes the first signs of mental ill-
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MOTHERHOOD
6 Reasons Moms Make the Best Entrepreneurs
BY LISA JANVRIN
www.entrepreneur.com
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otherhood and entrepreneurship have a lot in common, meaning raising kids can do wonders in preparing you to run a business.
To all women who have raised kids, if you are new to entrepreneurship, switching career gears or possibly jumping back into the work force after having kids you are in the right place. As a mother myself of three older step-children and a 5-year-old, I’m here to say, you couldn’t be any better prepared for being an entrepreneur than being a mom and raising children. 18
We’ve all heard that motherhood is a thankless, underpaid job, right? Turns out, so is entrepreneurship. You aren’t going to start your own business if you are looking for pats on the back and a huge salary. None the less, like motherhood, this shouldn’t stop you from jumping head first into the most amazing experience of your life. Here are six reasons why moms make the best entrepreneurs.
1. No drama mama.
Moms are used to things not always going their way. From middle of the night diaper blow-outs to middle of the store tantrums, life as a mom is messy.
As mothers we’ve learned how to keep our composure to get through these unwelcome situations with a little more grace than our single selves could have. We know that while one minute we’re up to our elbows in poo, the next moment can bring pure bliss from a simple gesture like child’s smile. Suddenly, we are reminded that all our hard work and effort is well worth it. Entrepreneurs live a similar existence, finding themselves in many icky and uncomfortable situations. One day they feel like their business is a failure, but then, with a small win, they’re reminded of why they went into business in the first place.
2. Don’t sweat the little stuff.
If we moms dramatized every time our kids erred, we wouldn’t have any time to enjoy all the good stuff that’s happening around us. We quickly clean up a mess, bandage a booboo or side-step piles of dirty clothes to get to what really matters: Quality time spent with our kiddos. As an entrepreneur the ability to stay focused on the big picture will be advantageous to success. This leaves them with more quality time to spend developing relationships and a long-term growth business.
5. It’s not you.
ones for all the new moms Sometimes an This who’s baby chooses daddy to hold them over you and to entrepreneurial moms of teenagers who day decides they don’t effort will be focused one want your hug in front of their friends. We have on making it through poured our heart and soul children, and when to the next day. weintogetourrejected, it’s hard not
3. Time flies when you’re having fun.
Juggling a full schedule of children’s play dates, practices, nap times, homework, dinner menus or whatever, truly sets mothers up with superior time management skills. Moms easily wade through daily to-do’s distinguishing urgent tasks from long-term goals, making us very efficient at our job. Sometimes an entrepreneurial effort will be focused on making it through to the next day. Other times it’s about developing a strategy that will ensure the future of the company. Knowing when and where to invest time is a huge part of running ones own business with high level efficiency.
4. Hats look good on you.
Most entrepreneurs possess a variety of skills that are applicable to starting their particular business. But as they really get into running a company, they’ll be forced to learn all sorts of new skills and gain knowledge in areas of expertise they didn’t even know existed.
Moms are used to wearing many hats. We become short-order cooks, doctors, therapists, teachers and chauffeurs. While we may possess some applicable skills already, for others we’ll just jump on YouTube for help from experts.
to take it personally. But mothers keep an eye on the prize. We continue giving of ourselves because we know unwavering dedication makes all the difference in raising a good human.
difference, and because they believe in themselves.
6. Money doesn’t grow on trees.
As moms we are more likely to be the one that budgets spending and makes the majority of the purchases for our household, from school necessities to family vacations. Making smart and savvy decisions is a high-pressure gig. Knowing where to save and where to splurge can make all the difference in a family’s survival. The large majority of startups are initially funded by the founders own personal savings. That makes every spend a big decision. An entrepreneur must decide between fees that are imperative to manage and grow their business versus those that just sound nice. It seems like I am constantly applying a skill I’ve acquired from being a mother that I now apply to my new role as entrepreneur.
The same sensitivity applies to the way entrepreneurs experience rejection. Whether it is the failure of their initial company idea or repeated passes from financial investors, it’s hard not to take those rejections personally, when it’s about something you created. Regardless of times or by an entrepreturned down, will choose to keep going. Why? Because they believe they can truly make a
how many w h o m neur is they
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TRAVEL
Five-Star Meals You Can Only Have in the Caribbean BY DAVID GRAVER
www.esquire.com
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or its sun-drenched beaches and warm, crystalline waters, the Caribbean has long been a destination for those seeking rest and relaxation—and others desiring luxuriant celebration. Its proximity to the United States draws many looking for a quick, close escape. Additionally, its acclaimed resorts, private escapes, and various adventures pull in visitors from all over the world. This grand chain represents so many cultures, languages, sub-regions, and roughly 1.06 million square miles of land and sea. Unsurprisingly, all of this plus the vast array of cultures, languages, sub-regions, and roughly 1.06 million square miles of land and sea paints a landscape that delivers culinary options you can only have in the Caribbean—including fivestar dining experiences located in the midst of island life. In a region frequently defined by mega-resorts and all-inclusive getaways, The Ritz-Carlton will set a new standard with The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection. The first of 20
three yachts in the fleet—set to take to the seas in February 2020— will feature an à la carte restaurant from Chef Sven Elverfeld of Aqua, the three Michelin-starred restaurant at The Ritz-Carlton, Wolfsburg in Germany. Sailing between the British Virgin Islands, St. Barths, Barbados, the Grenadines, and Carriacou, guests onboard will live with the same comforts they expect from a Ritz-Carlton hotel or resort. (Depending on the season, however, the yacht will also venture to the Mediterranean, Northern Europe, the Northeastern United States, and Canada.) Of course, with the sea being such a defining characteristic of the Caribbean, anyone seeking out culinary perfection on any one of its islands should expect its freshest offerings on their plate or its various blue hues in their line of sight. The eight options below cover a range of the finest culinary indulgences available.
Blue, Grand Cayman
Arguably the most acclaimed restaurant in the Caribbean, Chef Eric Ripert’s Bluefeatures the only AAA Five Diamond level of recognition. Found at The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman resort, the fine dining experience is one of substance and spectacle. The multiple Michelin-star recipient has crafted a menu of local seafood and seasonal ingredients, complemented by a list of more than 700 wines. It’s truly spectacular.
The Cliff, Barbados
Unsurprisingly, Chef Paul Owens’ Saint James, Barbados hot spot The Cliff also features a name worthy of the location. The restaurant is accessible by a set of very steep steps which rise up along a cliff face. This allows guests to arrive via boat—and many do make their way from nearby yachts to try the astounding, sophisticated prix fix menu. Further, every table— candlelit by night—has a view.
Rhodes, Grenada
At Rhodes, one dines in the open air, surrounded by a canopy of plants, palms and vines. The restaurant embraces its home island, Grenada, from decor to cuisine—including an elegant use of local ingredients. It’s all the vision of Michelin star Chef Gary Rhodes and the food pairs well with their top tier cocktail program and a Caribbean ambiance that’s delicately lit by night.
The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection
Designed by The Ritz-Carlton and luxury cruise ship firm Tillberg Design, the first yacht will be a small capacity vessel with 149 suites and two penthouses. Ultimately, it will offer an intimate luxury experience on the high seas. Seating just 30 guests, Chef Sven Elverfeld’s à la carte restaurant will focus on the harmony of textures and the taste of high quality ingredients. Reflecting the values of The Ritz-Carlton brand, service will be unparalleled and presentation precise. From delectable European cuisine to attentive staff, it will be an experience of impeccable beauty
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