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Shaping the future

Editor @ Global Man June 10, 2019 No Comments

Richard Sibalier – Shaping the future

By Fatima Gorezi

Founder of Richard Conseil Consultants, Senior Consultant Executive Coach and Corporate Trainer. He advises and helps leaders to make distinctive, lasting, and substantial improvements in performance.

Richard believes that continued self-development is something very important  and one of the pillars of growth. In this cover story for Global Man Magazine he shares with us some important details of his journey, his experience in coaching and why he believes that coaching can help people to get results in their projects, business and everyday life.

He speaks about how to build a real business and not just one to be self-employed. He also goes into detail about what’s needed at this time when technology is flowing and how some things in the modern workplace have changed and improved.

What can you tell us about your childhood and upbringing and how it has influenced you?

I came from business family: my father was a well-known businessman.

I grew up close to him, accompanying him in every step in his business life since I was child.

Being surrounded by this professional business life influenced me a lot to be an entrepreneur.

Who are your family today and what are your personal interests?

I have a beautiful wife with three adorable successful children. At the main time my personal interest is business clubs membership, voluntary work, community involvement, blogging and sports.

Being an entrepreneur, how much would you is due to nature, your genes, and how much is it instinct and nurture?

To be an entrepreneur is something to born with. It’s something in your DNA. But this alone is not enough. These genes must be refined with study, hard work and experiences.

What attracted you to become involved with coaching?

I believe in the power of sharing our experience. The key to make your life really unique Is to share what you know. I wanted to share my experience with the world, because when you discover something, it only has a value if it provides benefits to the society. The first thing that you should think about is: How can I share it with the world? And How can I make it available for everyone?

Why do you believe that continual personal development is so important for everyone?

I believe in change; change is one of the pillars of growth.

The continual personal development is a powerful tool to raise skills and competitiveness.

You are a very Corporate Trainer as well. What are the common challenges faced while training coordinators?

There is a big gap between what people learn in universities and in the real business life. The way of theoretical training must change.

Corporate trainers must be more than typical trainers. They have to be interactive course designers and must deliver real value.

After 20 years of experience, I express my corporate training philosophy in one sentence: “I don’t teach words, I teach a real business experience”.

What life and business lesson did you learn from these experiences?

Life is a journey of tenderness: the more you give, the more you take.

How do you see the role of women in business and as speakers on the big stages, now and in the future?  

Nowadays we see a lot of successful feminine leadership across all business sectors. Women have started to take their real place in business life. It is inspirational to see keynote speakers on the big stages, help and influence more women into leadership.

Why and how did you find your passion for empowering people in business?

The idea to be useful, making an impact and changing the business life of someone to become better naturally attracted me.

My passion is to transfer my experience and to help entrepreneurs to fulfill their ambitions to achieve growth and to turn their passion into a successful business.

What words of wisdom would you give to our readers, either already successful or aspiring to succeed?

If you ask me to describe myself in one word, I will tell you that I am the risk itself. So take the risk and enjoy the journey of entrepreneurship.

As someone who’s built successful, large-scale teams, I’d be curious about your leadership and people-management philosophy?

“Human capital” is our most valued asset.

“My management philosophy is to provide an environment that leads to productive employees. Provide guidance, direction, leadership, and finally set an example to subordinates.”

Our group established a training center to train our employees. The programs cover all areas of:

  • Strategic management
  • Strategic Planning
  • Brand Management
  • Marketing strategy
  • Sales strategy
  • Customer Experience

What are some of the characteristics you look for in the people you hire?

Actually there are “10 Qualities to Look for in New Hires”

. Long Term Potential

. Enthusiasm

. Ambition

. Putting Skills to Action

. Team Player

. Responsiveness

. Communication Skills

But the most important thing is to be Passionate about our group and about what they do.

How do you ensure that you enjoy brand loyalty among your customers?

Loyalty Is not a given, it needs to be earned,

It needs to be earned and constantly nurtured. Loyalty is all about the customer.

The biggest misconception brands have when it comes to the loyalty question is the definition of where it starts and what it looks like.

Too many brands make the mistake that loyalty begins and ends with great offers and meeting the customer’s needs at point-of-sale.

Any brand can offer great discounts. Any brand can undercut competitors and make an offer a customer really can’t refuse.

That’s a good offer, but it doesn’t build loyalty.

Instead, the wider customer experience is key.

Customers don’t buy PRODUCTS !

They BUY Stories, Relations, Emotions.

We determine who we are and what our brands stand for.

Our group are loyal to our DNA.

Our brand identity tells our customers who we are, what we do and why we do it.

Best Brands are built on great STORIES. We have an authentic story, so they are passionate to be part of our story and to our brand. We built a strong strategy that makes our customer experience uniqueness in each visit to our shops.

What are the main reasons why people attend your workshops and seminars?

Actually I am not an academic professor; I am an executive with 20 years of concrete experience.

I don’t believe that one size fits all; every company is different. I have to design a customised & tailored training program for each company depending on the needs and the weakness points of a given company.

I help my audience to achieve sustained massive success with confidence & to take their business to the next professional level. They will benefit from my 20 years of international experience in strategic management & business development.

I design & conduct 100% innovative & dynamic tailored-made trainings, workshops, career paths, coaching programs that incite the desire to change. I am constantly looking to give something different to my audience, to add value in a way that others don’t. And I provide the best services by offering innovative solutions to answer their needs. I’m going to show them how they can make it happen.

Where is your company heading to in the next 5 years?

Since it’s birth to what is now known as the CHIC Group 1960, we made a promise that we will be the leading partner for luxury business across the Middle East.

After 50 years of doing business internationally CHIC group keeps building bridges and strong relationships between the Middle East & the West.

The wide experience  and the unique history with the High reputation will led the CHIC group to become a REFERENCE for luxury business internationally in the next 5 years.

How have you incorporated technology to deliver a better experience for your customers?

Technology has had a major impact in the modern workplace, revolutionising the way businesses conduct their daily activities.

Whatever industry you are operating in, technology helps our customers access all the information they need to successfully interact with our group. It can also help staff perform their jobs more efficiently.

Technology allows businesses to speed up production processes, maximising productivity. Technology improves company’s flexibility to deal with queries quickly and efficiently. Interactive websites, online chat support services and 24/7 customer service via social media set us apart from our competitors and help us to increase our profits.

And finally email marketing can also be effective, allowing us to reach out directly to our customers with news, updates and special offers.

Building self leadership

Editor @ Global Man May 8, 2019 No Comments

Mark Stephen Pooler – Building self leadership

By Fatima Gorezi 

Mark Stephen Pooler is a professional speaker, host, coach, author and international press and PR expert. His area of expertise is self-leadership and transformation born out of his amazing life and near death experience. He is passionate and dedicated to inspiring others to overcome their own adversity and find their inner entrepreneur to transform their lives. He helps entrepreneurs to create  a mindset and belief system that makes their success a reality. He told the Global Man Magazine : ‘’Everyone is a leader we lead our own life everyday from getting up brushing our teeth to creating the day.’’ Mark’s early life was a less happy one because of bullying, something he has overcome to grow from a person of low self-esteem to be the outgoing and confident person he is today.

Tell us a bit about your background and how you became involved in speaking?

I was always the guy at school who got bullied about the way I looked and about my sexuality before I knew it myself. I suffered from low self esteem and low self confidence. Late teens, early twenties, my life had spiralled out of control. I was addicted to crack cocaine, heroin and many other drugs. At age 21 I collapsed and died from drug use: my heart stopped. That was a wake up call for me, as I slowly started to rebuild my life. I have always been a hard-worker and have worked for some of the biggest names in hairdressing in the UK. Aged 30, my entrepreneurship journey started. I set up as a freelance hairstylist. I then joined a network marketing company, which really opened up my world to social media entrepreneurship. After a couple of years, I decided to leave network marketing. I used to watch the speakers at network marketing events and knew that was what I wanted to do. It’s been a great journey of speaking the last 2 and half years. I am very proud to have built a successful professional speaking business and my passion is coaching entrepreneurs in public speaking. I have built a great public speaking coaching business. My one to one brilliance speaker coaching program is very popular and I am soon to release my brilliance speaker online program. I am super excited about the launch of my new book “Step into your brilliance”; a story telling how to positively influence. Additionally, there are public speaking and a social entrepreneurship course book coming soon. Doing international press and PR Radio are two things I love, and am currently working with big names in media, celebrities, business leaders, and contributing to big publications in business.

 How do you develop yourself and continue to grow?

I read and work with great coaches and mentors. I have had a business coach, life coach, voice coaching courses  seminars, and attend many events to grow and evolve.

 How does the critical, self-sabotaging internal voice (the voice of self-doubt or lack of  believing) limit your clients?

My public speaking coaching clients can let their self doubt hold them back from moving forwards. That’s why I love my job as their coach so much. I love giving them the skills and tools and self belief needed to create a successful speaking and social media entrepreneurship business.

A lot of people don’t consider themselves as  leaders. What would you say to them?

Everyone is a leader: we lead our own life everyday from getting up, brushing our teeth to creating the day. I would like to say that we can create any reality or future that we desire. It starts with having positive belief systems and making good choices. With repetition, anything is possible. I would like more people to follow their true dreams and goals and lead a life of purpose that serves others.

So what can leaders do to create a more motivating environment for their people?

Firstly, as a leader, you must lead by example and do what you would like to be done. Have empathy and love, be a good listener, and most importantly, come from a place of service.

Which leader has had the biggest personal influence on your life?

I was recently lucky to meet and have dinner with Jack Canfield, and feel blessed to have spoken on the same stage as him this year. His work on moving forwards in business and in life is incredible.

What book would you recommend to someone taking on new leadership responsibilities?

Jack Canfield Success Principles.

What is special about your lifestyle?

Coming from the past that I have, I am a true example that your past doesn’t define who you are. Waking up everyday and coaching my clients in public speaking and social media entrepreneurship. Interviewing celebrities and big business leaders on Radio and contributing to international business publications. Speaking and sharing my story of self leadership and transformation. I am living a life I have created by design, taking action, lots of personal development, working on my mindset. I am living a life that makes me proud from a past of hardship to a future of serving and success. I am excited about an event coming end of this year – early 2020, with some big names in show business. I have to pinch myself sometimes because of how special my life is becoming.

 What is the most important tip you can give for developing self- leadership skills?

Focus inwards on your own goals, your own dreams and desires; don’t look at your outside circumstances. Work on your mindset belief systems, be aware of the choices you make. Meditation, visualisation, and journaling are so important. Take big actions and never let anyone tell you you can’t achieve your dreams. Consistency and repetition are very important.

What are the secrets behind your success?

Hard work, failing lots, getting lots of no’s before the yes-es, personal development coaches, mentors, taking big action, never giving up, building good relations, and coming from a place of love and honesty.

You are a great advocate for supporting women as well. Can you tell us more about why you choose to do this, and the importance of it in today’s world?

Women today are really shining. Bright women throughout my life have always supported me. My grandmother, who I lost recently, was one of the strongest women I knew. My mom has always been a great support in my life. Women are close to my heart.

http://www.markstephenpooler.com/       

https://www.facebook.com/MarkStephenPooler/

Soft Words on Hard Days- Strengthen Your Team

Editor @ Global Man January 4, 2019 No Comments

By Keith Martino

Charlene’s always a step ahead.

Across the crowded Dallas Metroplex, corporate cowboys and print shop tabloids alike regale her as the reigning champ. For good reason! In a rough and tumble industry like commercial printing, Charlene makes difficult decisions daily. She hurdles declining margins. And she seldom flinches under financial duress. She is amazingly resilient.

Technology obsolescence is a constant threat in Charlene’s world. To make matters worse, upstart competitors constantly circle her customer base like a pack of wolves at feeding time. Clients demand more for less. Yet Charlene remains committed to providing a premium quality service at a profitable price. She refuses to knuckle under. Technology traps and pesky competitors are merely external irritants that she will always be engaging.

But when Charlene’s management team gets crossways with one another, that’s a different matter entirely. If peers begin to question each other in an overtly aggressive manner, and life gets too tense too fast, that’s when Charlene calls timeout. She realizes some level of dissonance between departments is normal. But she also knows that too much employee conflict within the four walls of her spacious facility can be a fatal blow. She is instinctively in tune with the temperature of her in-house climate. She sets the mood. She monitors any mischief.

And Charlene understood the escalating labor issues she observed one recent Monday morning couldn’t be tolerated. Open antagonism certainly wasn’t going to create camaraderie or gain positive momentum in her shop. Not on Charlene’s watch! Tossing in the towel isn’t her style. She is a seasoned strategist and she responded with swift resolve and determination. In fact, her recent tactical move caught everyone (even her closest confidants) off guard. She picked up the phone and made an unexpected call. She tapped a resource no one supposed she had cultivated. We answered on the second ring.

Charlene invited us to come in and interview her senior team. Her mantra, “No topic is off-the-table!” She asked us to help quell the storm and objectively identify the rabble rousers. She realized her proximity to and appreciation for certain long term employees made it difficult for her to seem impartial. And she wanted the facts not the fables.

Charlene also wanted to ensure her executives had the tools to extinguish future forest fires before they became catastrophic. It had been a while since they had received training.

So how did we help Charlene combat the combative mood? It was a three step process.

1.We probed past the easy alibis to understand the super sensitive issues.

2.We repeatedly raised the topics that senior executives didn’t want to confront.

3.Charlene took action on our findings. Fast!

Charlene had the political will to fix whatever department(s) needed repair. She had the relationships it required to apply the appropriate pressure in just the right spots. She simply wanted a fresh set of eyes to see beyond steeped perceptions and active landmines. And she needed someone with unbiased ears to listen with empathy to employees who were deep in the heart of her team.

Don’t Let Petty Differences Crush Your Corporate Values

It’s often difficult to distinguish between the political ambitions of certain employees and the real business requirements.

Remember… Those who talk most often don’t know. Those who know often won’t talk.

Getting past the road noise and listening to the hum of your automobile engine is a skill that your trusted auto mechanic must possess. Sometimes it’s equally valuable to bring in a trusted advisor to hear from your team. It neutralizes politics and shows you want the truth.

Once you have successfully developed the right set of values to underpin the foundation of your culture, you must be relentless in the pursuit of excellence. Get your employees up to speed on how to connect the values on your wall plaque with their daily behavior. Reward success.

Charlene’s determination to maximize the impact of her consulting investment to stabilize her company’s culture made it possible to turn her situation around quickly. Her proactive commitment to stay a step ahead of troublesome problems continues to serve her well. It’s been our experience that effective women entrepreneurs have a distinct sensitivity when it comes to building a bond with their often male dominated executive teams. Successful women often notice broken relationships first.

And in tough times the most potent women business owners hold the ace of spades. Their use of soft words rebuilds the confidence of their team. Differences in key departmental interactions get recalibrated. Stated differently, women often sense the pain and relate best to those injured unnecessarily. They also recognize the crucial nature of maintaining healthy alliances.

Never forget… When peers begin to question one another in an overtly aggressive manner and relationships get too tense too fast, that’s when Charlene calls timeout. How about you? As CEO, instinctively measure the temperature of your climate. You set the mood. You are the Empathizer in Chief.

No one does it better!

 

Keith Martino, author of Expect Leadership

Martino is head of CMI, a global consultancy founded in 1999 that customizes leadership and sales development initiatives. Martino is the author of Expect Leadership, a series of four leadership books –The Executive Edition, in Business, in Engineering, and in Technology.  After more than 20 years and numerous awards at FedEx, Xerox and Baxter Healthcare, Martino and his team were recently featured in an article published by Women in Technology International.

 

 

Skip Archimedes – ‘How positive psychology is influencing wellness coaching’

Editor @ Global Man December 10, 2018 No Comments

By Fati Gorezi

Skip Archimedes is a ‘Transformational Coach’ and internationally acclaimed Speaker and Author, dedicating his life to helping people overcome the physical, financial, personal, nutritional, emotional and spiritual problems in their lives to become the best they can be. His mission is to bring back energy, positivity, achievement, health and vitality into the lives of those who have lost that focus along the way. He says that we should all be living healthy, vibrant, fulfilled lives up to and beyond the age of 100 and improving all the way.

What are a few of your success stories regarding your journey as an entrepreneur?

The first one I remember clearly like it was yesterday, was an idea I came up with at school and came very close to being expelled. I had a very simple idea of selling 50 numbers from 1 to 50 for £1 each totalling £50. I would then draw 3 numbers after I had sold all 50 numbers and the 1st prize was £15, 2nd prize was £10 and 3rd Prize was £5 and I would keep £20. Without knowing any of this was wrong I ran this for many months and everyone including myself loved it. Even though I was totally innocent I was introducing gambling to the school. When the teachers found out I got called in to see the Head of the school and I was told I was going to be expelled from school for the behaviour of encouraging people to gamble. It was only when my step-dad spoke up saying that I had showed great signs of an entrepeneur by not lying to anyone and actually generating an income through initiative. They spoke for some time and it was agreed that if I stopped my little lottery then I wouldn’t get kicked out of school. This hooked me into making things happen and spotting and creating opportunities.

After being told I would never walk again, I learnt from Bruce Lee about activating the Mind, Body and Spirit and getting in tune with universal energy. When anyone does this, the most phenomenal things start to happen in their lives simply because all resistance is gone and flow states emerge. I went back to gymnastics and won the English ‘Sports Acrobatics’ championships. I then got approached by an agent who said I had a very commercial look and would be great for doing acrobatics in TV commercials, pop videos and for live shows etc. I soon landed my first TV commercial and got paid £10,000 for a single day of filming which I loved because I had never earned that amount of money in that short time before and this was over 20 years ago. What I soon realised was that I started getting creative with ideas for things that I could do in shows and for filming that no one else had thought of. I spoke to the clients to find out what they were looking for and then I started making suggestions whilst on set for ideas that I thought would add more value. The response was amazing and soon I started to be the ‘go to’ guy for bringing acrobatics into different environments and I ended up working with incredible companies like ‘The Royal Opera House’, ‘X-factor’, many TV commercials and pop videos, Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber, ‘The Royal Albert Hall’ and artists/bands that would fill stadiums. Basically, I would come up with ideas for adding a flavour of acrobatics into the mix. This was before ‘Cirque Du Soleil’ became popular – so basically I was in the right place at the time with the right talent and creative ideas and I loved it because each contract was a different adventure. And, as far as the business side went, I could literally charge what I liked because no-one else was doing what I was doing – so for a short period I had an open market which was great.

While all this was growing, I started to come up with my own stage show ideas and soon ended up owning and producing shows and sending these shows out on tours all across Europe. One that became very popular was an explosive and dynamic show that involved dancing, acrobatics, fire, stunts, great showmanship and this particular show was a male cast only and was produced for female audiences so we added the element of tease into the production which made it a very unique type of show. I had no clue that this was going to explode, driving audiences crazy all over Europe. I ended up with 16 guys working for me and we would do sell-out theatres with audiences from a few hundred to thousands of women at each event. No one before had produced such a show and we literally dominated the European market and had lots of copy cat groups pop up. But we were known as the industry leaders. It was a great way to see many countries, meet so many great people and I soon found that travelling was becoming one of my best teachers because I learnt that there are so many different belief systems and some serve and some don’t. I feel blessed to have had that chapter because not only did we have lots of fun with so many celebrations, there was millions of pounds made – which is always great.

Since then I invested some of the money I made and owned different businesses, but found that the ones I always did best in were the ones I had passion and drive for that served a specific need. The businesses that really make positive changes in peoples lives are the one’s where that sense of fulfilment really shows up because in my mind, success without fulfilment simply equals failure.

I have faced many challenges, as we all do, but learnt how to turn my challenges into my blessings. I got asked to share these techniques with others and before I knew it I started public speaking to share these life changing nuggets with more people. I then started running my own live events, workshops and retreats around the world. I could see that the processes and experiences I started taking people through were helping people to transform on so many levels. I had never experienced this before and I found it so humbling to be able to assist in improving the quality of people’s lives through these powerful teachings.

I care deeply about doing my part in helping to create a better world, plus I had a real hunger for serving at the highest levels. It became apparent very quickly that a lot people were, and still are, feeding their minds and bodies with things that are draining them of energy and having detrimental effects on them.

I also started to learn the truth about truly nourishing the body and mind – and found that we have drained essential minerals from our soils on a global level. For example, our fruits and vegetables only contain 5-20% of the nutritional value compared to 100 years ago. Natural food is simply a shuttle system to be able to get the nutrients in the food into your body. If the minerals are no longer in the soils then how do they get into our bodies? The answer is – they don’t! This quote got me doing my research: “You can trace every, disease, every sickness and every ailment to a mineral deficiency” – Dr Linus Pauling. This amazing gentleman is a 2 X Nobel Prize winner which, in itself, is pretty remarkable.  I didn’t find anyone who contested what he said and through my deep intensive research I soon realised that eating healthy wasn’t enough in todays world if you want to really get the most from your mind, body and life. I knew supplementation was needed, so I looked into that world and continued my research.

I couldn’t believe that all the supplements and superfoods I found weren’t at the standard I would be satisfied with putting into my own body. This, to me, was shocking because these were being sold as health products but were actually doing people more harm than good long term. I ended up starting my own line of ‘Superfoods’ and didn’t put in any bulking agents, fillers or sweeteners and only used the highest quality of ingredients – and also ‘no cheat’ farming techniques. If people knew what was going on behind closed doors and what the harmful effects are of so many supplements I think people would be seriously shocked because the industry isn’t regulated yet.

My strategy was to create the most effective superfoods available that would serve the human body and mind at the highest levels. I knew this would not satisfy a lot of people’s sweet palettes for taste and thus would potentially put off sales. Not a good plan for a business! However, I was looking at this from the angle of simply serving the human body and mind with superfoods and nutrients at higher levels than what was already available. I had to let people know that “It tastes so bad, that you know it’s good for you!”.

Ironically, serving at that level, people really starting noticing a difference in the way they looked and felt and then – as their taste buds started changing – they actually started liking the taste which was great. It’s funny that when you eat and drink things that don’t serve you, you get addicted to those things. And the things that are actually good for you don’t taste good. So many people are out of balance because of poor dietary choices and unfortunately for them, they are suffering for it.

To be able to produce these superfoods that are helping people every time they ingest them is something I’m super proud of. I could have sold out and used cheaper ingredients and cheat farming methods that so many brands use to simply earn more profit. However my motivation was in producing something that was of the highest quality available. I never wanted my name or face on the Superfoods but all the experts around me said that people don’t buy into brands today as much as they buy into people. It was said that I’m a living breathing version of someone who has daily demands and responsibilities at high levels. I’m doing business all over the world and travel all the time in and out of different time zones so I need to be on my game consistently. I’m running and working on so many projects and need to have constant clarity, focus and to take actions so that we continue to grow and serve more people. It didn’t make sense from a business point of view to have my name and face on these superfoods but it felt like the right thing to do – to be a living example that these superfoods serve those with a busy lifestyle. They want to be sure that their body and mind can still be nourished at the highest of levels on a daily basis.  For me these superfoods are the building blocks that help me to recover, detox, nourish, revive, recharge and energise so that I don’t just survive but I really thrive. And that’s what these do for others who use them too, which of course is a great thing.

Tell me a bit about your professional background?

I never had any formal training in business which I’ve found does have it’s advantages – because today things are moving so fast. I was lucky because I owned my own Companies so always had the mindset of serving at that level. All the responsibility ultimately ended up on me – so I would always have to figure things out to make things work. Of course I made lots of mistakes, and usually we learn the most when we know what doesn’t work, so we can learn to do what works. I’d like to think I’m a fast learner and learn from my mistakes. Its important to move on and to keep adding as much value as you can. I’ve found myself doing all sorts of tasks and jobs and as long as I bring a good vibe to the table I seem to find the needed solutions always presented themselves at the right times. I have been really fortunate to have had so many great CEO’s, Managers, Business owners and Celebrities that include movie stars, pop stars and one of the Dragons from the TV show ‘Dragons Den’. They all say that my teachings have had the most profound impacts on their lives which is always very nice and humbling to hear.

What inspires you in everyday life?

I now find that the simple things in life inspire me; like nourishing my mind and body with great nutrition, moving my body in fun ways, getting out in nature, meditating to help let go of what isn’t serving me and reconnecting to what will serve; creating and building great relationships and basically living what I teach. Plus, I enjoy working with teams on common visions. I’m sure you’ve heard this: “teamwork makes the dreamwork”. I love feeling those goose bumps all over my body and this is a sign for me that we are on the right path with something and I feel blessed because these always happen multiple times throughout each day. In short, for me its all about helping to raise consciousness and to bring about more awareness to people’s lives so that they can truly live their dreams.

‘’Living Forever Young ‘’? Is this possible?

A massive ‘YES’ jumps out of me to answer that. Firstly I’m living proof because, at 45 years old, I literally feel better today than I did in my 20’s. As well as teaching this amazing lifestyle to people all over the world, the person I’m most proud of is my mother. She was overweight, in and out of hospital with many operations, had high cholesterol, low blood pressure, arthritis, a cupboard full of pharmaceutical drugs and couldn’t walk from one side of the room to the other without being in serious pain. She came to one of my retreats and afterwards lost 28 pounds in body fat and started ‘Living Forever Young’ and continues to do so today. She only started when she was nearly 70 years old and has turned into someone who is hungry for life again. She is a living example that it’s never too late because she now does yoga most days, swims about 100 lengths when she swims, and is more active now than she was 10 years ago.

In the last few years my mum has travelled all over the world for different adventures which she never thought was possible at one point. To see those positive shifts in someone whom I care deeply about and having nothing but love and admiration for is one of the best gifts ever – because she has added another 30 years onto her life and she gets to enjoy the freedom we all deserve. Of course this works especially great for business people because we must learn how to override the stresses of the corporate world and be in a position to add great value BUT the first person we need to learn add value to is ourselves.

What is the formula to ‘Living Forever Young’?

Unfortunately it isn’t something I can write in a single paragraph because its combination of many elements working in harmony with each other but the formula is contained within my book ‘Living Forever Young’ and the secrets can only be uncovered when you actually apply to them to your daily life. This book is a game changer because nothing tastes as good as ‘Living Forever Young’ feels. You basically handle all forms of stress better and lock into a way of living where you thrive in every environment because your mind and body function better – and the side effects are more productivity whilst looking and feeling better, which we all need more of.

What is your greatest strength?

One thing that many people comment on is my everlasting energy. And we need energy for everything in our personal and business life, otherwise things can get on top of us and once the stress takes over (whether its physical, emotional, financial, mental or nutritional) it’s game over for thriving. Along with having this abundance of energy I’ve found that keeping a child-like (not childish) spirit, keeps me learning new things everyday. Some may say I should grow up, but children learn faster than most adults. They seem to naturally have more natural joy and wonder plus they have more energy. They speak more truth and they are now teaching the elders new things because of technology. It’s so important to be able to learn fast in todays society otherwise you can get left behind and by keeping some of the powerful traits that children have, I think it adds more strength and wonder to one’s life. Plus you dream bigger, and, as an adult, you then get to enjoy making those dreams come true.

What is special about your lifestyle?

I simply live what I teach and that means everyday I get to do things I love and am passionate about. Every month I’m in pretty much in a different country and time zone so I get to see so many beautiful places around our amazing planet with amazing people which I’m very grateful for. Whilst on my travels and adventures I always make sure that I have lots of fun creating as many memorable and magic moments as possible whilst serving. There was a time when I never dreamed this was possible – but I’m living proof that this lifestyle works on so many levels.

How are the current innovations happening in positive psychology influencing wellness coaching?

Anything positive is always a good thing and there are many coaches all using different techniques to help their clients. I personally feel that if you’re going to take on responsibility to coach someone then you need to have a high level of understanding psychology in depth – otherwise you simply won’t be able to serve at levels that really help the client to breakthrough their challenges. Taking a holistic approach to the study of human strengths can only be a good thing because all the successful people I meet seem to create positivity and find strength from that.

In your opinion what is the mindset that new entrepreneurs require in order to actually succeed in a digital world?

I actually think that the mindset needs to direct all entrepreneurs so that they never sacrifice their own health for their wealth. In my seven week online programme called ‘Connect NOW’ (for Limitless Empowerment) I teach entrepreneurs how to activate themselves and to create the right balance so that the body, the mind and spirit can all function at higher levels which will help produce better results. You’ve heard the saying, “use it or lose it” and the same goes with your mind, your body and your spirit. So many people then take action but in the wrong direction which then does them more harm than good.

If you don’t use your mind, body and spirit correctly and consistently, they won’t function well and you may even risk things shutting down on yourself which could be disastrous for yourself and your loved ones. Through the seven week journey on ‘Connect NOW’ you simply use the activations for your mind-body-spirit and let the force of life start working through you. This plugs you into life where you have more balance, more alignment, more energy, more creative solutions and a lot more fun – even if, at present, you have a busy and stressful lifestyle. The reason this is essential is so that we spend time away from things that are digital to work on ourselves – so that when we do use technology we learn to use it efficiently and productively. This, I actually think, is something very important to address because technology is only going to keep evolving. But we, as humans, must unplug from the addictions that can cause the body, mind or spirit to suffer. Learn how to activate your body, learn how to properly activate your mind and learn how to open up – so that life, universal intelligence, source energy – call it what you will – can pulse through you at these high levels. Then you’ll want more and more because this is life at its best – and ‘Connect NOW’ assists in giving people this. This entire programme is actually digital but it does teach you how to go inside to find the answers you seek whilst helping you to create the body you’re proud of inside and out. The only thing that is with you from the day you’re born to the day you pass is your mind and body and this will teach you what most people never get to learn in their lifetime. The digital age is one that I think is serving humanity and business well in general, because ultimately it allows more truth to be shared. Ignorance isn’t bliss in today’s world so learn what you can from the digital world because it is great. But you must also learn how to unplug from it too.

I would like to gift a place on my ‘Connect NOW’ for Limitless Empowerment by sponsoring someone. Simply send me a private message on facebook explaining why I should gift you this seven week journey where your mind, your body and your spirit will be activated within you, so that you function as the best version of yourself. I look forward to seeing why I should select you for this life changing experience. You must be committed to your greatness and committed to serving yourself and others at higher levels. This will have so many positive impacts on your business because you will become a better leader. I believe we need more honest and authentic leaders in our world today and it would be my pleasure to assist you on that journey.

Do you have a favourite quote regarding business/entrepreneurialism that you would like to share with the readers?

“As soon as something stops being fun, I think it’s time to move on. Life is too short to be unhappy. Waking up stressed and miserable is not a good way to live” – Richard Branson.

 

Ian Pelham-Turner – ‘My journey as the Commissioned Royal Photographer’

Editor @ Global Man December 3, 2018 No Comments

 

By Fati Gorezi

Ian-Pelham Turner is a Presenter and Producer on ‘The Great British Good News Show’ on Sky Community Channels. 

He has spent​ the last fifty years in journalism, working with national and international newspapers and magazines. He is also a commissioned Royal photographer who has worked with five generations of the Royal family and won Royal awards for the first official Christmas photographs of Prince William with Prince Charles and Princess Diana at Kensington palace in 1982. This was the last private occasion for Princess Diana before her untimely death. Ian has also appeared on major television channels across the world giving his expert opinions on the Royal family. In this interview he shares with us some of the best moments of his career, his passion to support women’s empowerment and some tips for new aspirants to journalism.

Tell us a bit about more about your background and early career in journalism?

Journalism has been a career, a lifestyle and a best friend for the past 52 years, ever since I entered the profession as an apprentice photo-journalist in 1966, working for a local newspaper in my home town of Chatham, Kent. I often say I have loved every day of my working life and I still do at 67. I am still as ambitious as on my first day all those years ago. I feel the other great passion in my life is supporting womanhood because of the values and qualities that women offer. To this end, I am a great supporter of feminism and communities in Britain – my mantra being ‘I want everyone living in the country to be seen as a first-class citizen, to be honoured and respected for their skills and achievements and be seen as human beings’.

Thus, on every occasion when I am working for television broadcasters across the world, I beat the drum just as much about supporting people as much as discussing the latest issues relating to the British Royal family.

What was your first job in journalism and how did you get it? Share with us some sweet memories.

In that role, early on in my career, my first commissioned photograph of the Royals was to take images of Princess Margaret opening a new road bridge. I was just 16 and I thought I had made it in my career!

Over the years, since moving to London, I have worked with five generations of the Royal Family, including taking the first official Christmas shots of the then baby Prince William with Diana and Charles at Kensington Palace which won me a Royal ‘Photograph of the Year’ award the following year 1983. Then Digital photography came along and I found it difficult to technically continue at the time, and so, in 2009 I decided to leave newspapers and seek pastures new.

Who was the most-inspiring celebrity you have ever met?

During my career as a photo-journalist, and then an investigative journalist, I have seen the highs and lows of humanity; from working with major stars like John Wayne, Frank Sinatra, Harrison Ford (freshly after the first Star Wars) to the killing fields in Bucharest, Romania, where children from the streets were permanently removed by killing squads – and also the effects on life during the troubles in Northern Ireland.

What has been your personal key to success?

Luck has played a hand all my life, and when it was announced that Prince William was going to marry Kate Middleton, I was asked to comment about it on ITN. Then CNN saw this interview and asked me to be an ‘anchor’ on one of their wedding shows. NBC, another massive USA channel, saw this and invited me on to their shows and, before I knew it, I was working with more and more channels – and I still am to this day. I have regularly appeared on TV shows across the world as a Royal commentator for the past nine years. A great friend – and working partner on a lot of the Royal projects, is Royal photographer and broadcaster Helena Chard. We have spent many a happy time working on Royal commissions. Five years ago, with my great friend William Kapuku Bwabwa, I started “Good News Britain” which seeks to support communities in the UK via television and I created a new career as a TV producer.

What is special about your lifestyle?

Recently, I have a regular spot on ‘Sky 585 Loveworld channel’ with Wilma Ezimako, which goes out to 360 million homes across the world. And my latest passion is to work with ‘ALB UK TV’ and its owner, Helidon Kastrani, promoting the wonderful Albanian community, the country of Mirela Sula, the founder of ‘Global Woman’.

What advice would you give to wannabe journalists wanting to break into this industry?

How you get into broadcasting, how you become a successful journalist, travelling the world seeing untold adventures, for me, is a simple answer, ‘just be yourself’. Work hard, be passionate about what you do, have ambition, drive and determination and a bit of luck helps too. This is what has given me the energy and pleasure of loving every day of my life.

 

Ntando Makwela – Investing in Youth as the next generation of Innovation and Economic Growth

Editor @ Global Man December 3, 2018 No Comments

By Fati Gorezi

Ntando Makwela was born in Johannesburg, South Africa and has been a dynamic person from birth. He started reading books at the age of three and by 16 years of age he had done what many people only dream of doing – and he continues to stretch himself to be the best he can be. Ntando attributes most of his extraordinary feats to attending seminars and courses, particularly ‘Success Resources’, where his inaugural attendance of a seminar was at ‘Millionaire Mind Intensive’, in September of 2013, at the tender age of 11.He encourages the youth not to wait for authorities or someone else to come to their rescue but to learn, grow and be the best they can be for a better
future.

What motivated you to start a career in entrepreneurship at such a young age?
I was inspired by my parents, who encouraged entrepreneurship as a pathway. I was exposed to business seminars and attended training course since the tender age of 11. I also learned that there were many problems in our society, particularly with the youth in my country. I believe I can use the information and knowledge that I have learned, share it with other young people and motivate and inspire them to know that they can do anything that they put their mind to.

How did you build up an entrepreneurial spirit? Do you believe you were born with it or you developed it?
I believe I was born with an entrepreneurial spirit. Since the age of five I’ve developed business ideas and concepts that I am still yet to use. I could never settle with working for someone else. From a young age I knew that entrepreneurship was the answer for me.

What has been the biggest challenge that you have faced?
Writing my book, ‘The Dynamic Kid’. I love writing and I had so much content that the book took twice as long to edit than to produce the first draft (writing the book took me six months and editing almost an entire year) It required a lot of time and dedication to create the final copy.

Who has been the greatest mentor for you?
Apart from my parents, I have had an amazing mentor in Robert Kiyosaki through his books and seminars. I have been attending his seminars since he started coming to South Africa and his wisdom has inspired me to write the ‘Dynamic Kid’ book.

How do you generate new ideas?
My ideas are usually generated through a daydream or a spontaneous thought. I don’t spend a lot of time creating new ideas on a conscious level, I usually refine ideas that have emerged during the most unexpected of times. For example, the bulk of ‘The Dynamic Kid’ came out from daydreaming during class (don’t tell my teachers), and was only refined at home.

What advice would you give to other young entrepreneurs who are starting out?Perseverance, focus and dedication are three keys you need on this journey. Most young entrepreneurs have great ideas but want to implement all of them in one go, which is impossible. Set goals, have a plan and action it. A business requires patience because you don’t start and make money immediately, you have to give it time. I spoke at many events for free and at that time I was still growing my brand. Through word of mouth people got to know about my book and motivational talks. So, take time to develop a good system and choose your networks wisely.Things may not necessarily start out the way you imagine them to be. I know it can be mentally and physically exhausting, it’s all part of the process of learning how best to build your business. Remember to reward yourself, as it’s one of the best ways to keep yourself motivated. Believe in your vision, continue to develop yourself by attending training and seminars, get a mentor and a coach. Never quit or give up and you will eventually succeed.

What about your free time?
This is a tough question to answer, because there is no such thing as “free time”. I try to accomplish as much as I can in a 24 hour day based around my priorities on that particular day. Apart from work, work related activities and a few hours of sleep, I do 25 to 40 minutes of high intensity exercise every day and I read for at least 30 minutes a day. Whenever I can, I try to attend business strategy seminars and business networking events as well as major sporting events. When I am on the road, I try to visit or train in as many different training centres as I can. I also have a passion for wildlife and conservation and try to visit my family’s Private Nature Reserve, BRACKENHILLS, in South Africa whenever I can.

What is next for you?
My focus at the moment, and for the next 3 years, is to grow the ESP Fitness brand and our associated portfolio of health and hospitality businesses internationally. At some stage in the future, I would like to share my experiences and help other aspiring entrepreneurs to grow their businesses and avoid the many obstacles that I have encountered.

Dr Vern Neville- Living life to the full

Editor @ Global Man September 17, 2018 No Comments

 

By Fati Gorezi

Dr Vern Neville is an athlete, coach and performance director. He has been involved in elite professional sport for over 20 years, including having trained 4 International teams in 3 different sports. He was a professional America’s Cup sailor and the ‘Head of Sports Science & Medicine’ for top America’s Cup teams, Prada and Luna Rossa. He holds a PhD in Sports Science and is a world leading expert in athlete fatigue and recovery management. He developed the world’s first online athlete recovery monitoring tool, RESTWISETM., which is used and relied on by thousands of elite athletes and teams. He has published, as lead author, over 12 first class research papers in top medical and sports science journals including a book chapter in the ‘International Olympic Committee Encyclopedia of Sports Medicine’. Vern has consulted for teams in International Soccer, Rugby, NFL, Formula 1, UFC, Netball and Olympic Sports, and has Coached and mentored hundreds of the world’s top athletes in more than 15 different sports, including a 7-times Olympic medalist and multiple World Champions

How do you remember the beginning of your career?
I never planned for my career to follow the path it has. My only true goal has always been to be the best at whatever I did. Sport and fitness have been my life since a young child and I have been fortunate to have experienced a career as a Pro Athlete, a Coach, a Sports Performance Director and now the Managing Partner of a gym equipment company. I have always had a keen interest in engineering and having visited and trained in more than 2,000 gyms and sports performance centres around the world. It was probably inevitable that I would end up designing gyms and fitness equipment. Each career has had its challenges and a steep initial learning phase, but without doubt, the toughest has been starting my own company and getting it to a profitable level.

Let’s talk about the growing popularity of fitness. Where is the market heading?
Health, energy management and longevity are hot topics at the moment. We all value, more than ever before, the importance of being healthy, having greater energy, being able to work harder and longer, and trying to slow the ageing process. Exercise and eating a ‘healthy’, low calorie, low sugar diet has now become a high priority to a larger percentage of the population, evident by the booming gym industry, with new gyms opening almost on a daily basis. But this isn’t sustainable, and the market will soon become extremely competitive which will lead to more creativity in the industry and a greater demand for boutique and different gyms.
However, I believe that there will be an even greater shift in the fitness industry in next few years with more and more people investing in high quality gyms at home. If one calculates the cost of going to a gym including the time to travel to and from a gym, and the time spent in the gym, this can equate to between £25,000 and £500,000 per year depending on one’s hourly value. So, it makes sense to invest in a quality and customised home gym, which can cost between £10,000 and £50,000, allowing for more efficient use of time for work or family.

Tell us about your specific ‘speciality’ in the fitness industry?
I founded ESP Fitness 6 years ago, out of frustration that there wasn’t any high-quality user-centered strength and power fitness training equipment. I felt that the majority of gyms and fitness equipment did not understand the requirements of the high- performance athlete or individual. ESP equipment is now used worldwide by many of the best athletes and teams including the UFC in Las Vegas, England Soccer Team, Manchester City FC, Mercedes F1 and hundreds of others.
ESP Fitness is about winning. It’s about being the best and demanding the best. We want to inspire everyone to become a champion and to be the best version of themselves. So, we strive to create equipment and facilities that inspire the individual to push themselves harder and further than they ever thought possible. ESP focuses on 3 main area; 1) The design of high performance strength gyms, 2) the design and manufacture of heavy duty, innovative, user-centered strength and power training equipment, and 3) the design and fitting of specialized acoustic gym flooring.

What would you say is the secret to success in the fitness industry?
The fitness industry has become extremely competitive and one has got to differentiate one’s self from the competition to be successful. The industry is evolving at such a rapid rate that it is important to have a thorough understanding of what is important to the user and how one can add value to their life. We all know that understanding the consumer is key, but do we take the time to really understand what is important to our target market and how we can add value to their life through our products or services? Modelling and learning from the market leaders with regard to how they are thinking, and evolving, is the fastest way to success in this industry. High quality products or services with as much added-value as possible are becoming more important. ESP guarantees all equipment steelwork with a lifetime warranty. When someone buys an item of ESP Fitness equipment, they buy for life.

What has been your biggest challenge and how have you met that challenge?
We manufacture almost all of our products in the UK and the cost of labour and materials is extremely high when compared with products imported from Asia. As a result, we have a far smaller margin than many of our competitors which can be challenging. It demands that we be creative in how we manage our sales and cashflow. Manufacturing in the UK allows us not only to ensure extremely high-quality, but also gives us the flexibility to provide a ‘customised’ service to our clients. We look to tailor our designs to the specific requirements of each client and by having control over the manufacture process allows us to provide a bespoke service and greater value for our clients.

Where do you see yourself in five years from now? And what will keep you going to reach your goals?
We are creating a global fitness Brand. I have a clear vision of where I want to take the brand and how we are going to achieve this. ESP’s slogan, “WINNING IS EVERYTHING” defines ESP’s approach to everything we do. ESP is a winning brand, for winners. We are looking to expand our brand globally and will be launching 16 new products this year and a big part of our focus will be on providing top-end customised solutions to the ‘Home and Hospitality’ markets. We are also looking to expand the ESP portfolio into other markets within the health sector, especially in education and nutrition.

What about your free time?
This is a tough question to answer, because there is no such thing as “free time”. I try to accomplish as much as I can in a 24 hour day based around my priorities on that particular day. Apart from work, work related activities and a few hours of sleep, I do 25 to 40 minutes of high intensity exercise every day and I read for at least 30 minutes a day. Whenever I can, I try to attend business strategy seminars and business networking events as well as major sporting events. When I am on the road, I try to visit or train in as many different training centres as I can. I also have a passion for wildlife and conservation and try to visit my family’s Private Nature Reserve, BRACKENHILLS, in South Africa whenever I can.

What is next for you?
My focus at the moment, and for the next 3 years, is to grow the ESP Fitness brand and our associated portfolio of health and hospitality businesses internationally. At some stage in the future, I would like to share my experiences and help other aspiring entrepreneurs to grow their businesses and avoid the many obstacles that I have encountered.

Les Brown – You have greatness within you

Editor @ Global Man September 17, 2018 No Comments

 

*This interview is transcribed from the Global Woman Show with Mirela Sula

Today I feel very fortunate to have met an amazing person called Les Brown. I hardly need to introduce him because almost everybody knows about him and the way that he has touched the hearts of millions of people around the world. I am so happy that I can now share my interview with him that I know is going to inspire all the women who support the ‘Global Woman’ platform.

Les Brown, thank you so much for being with me today and giving your time to ‘Global Woman Magazine’. You know women love your work so please tell us more about what you do.
I am very glad to hear that you appreciate my work and I am very happy meeting you. But there’s something important that you said to me. I asked you about something that I want to get done and you said, “Anything is possible” and you said it with such conviction. That’s exactly the mindset that people must have, because, according to psychologists over 87 % of people’s negative ‘self-talk’ goes undetected by the conscious mind. But you have deliberately programmed yourself to believe, as an optimist, that anything is possible. And when you said that I believed it because you didn’t just ‘say it’ but you spoke with great conviction. This is what I say to Speakers when I train them. That having conviction is more important than the actual words you speak. So – I guess what I need to say is, ‘Thank you for blessing me with your presence’.
Your own story is incredible – and probably there are a lot of people who are feeling a bit down and trying to find excuses or complaining about politics or the situation of the world or, of course, they come from a poor family background or from a dysfunctional family. There are lots of reasons to complain about things – but you never seem to complain.
I do talk about things that have happened to me, but I don’t allow them to stop me. My new book is called; ‘You have got to be Angry’ and it’s about saying to yourself, “Here’s something I want, and I am going to get it in spite of the fact that it’s an unfair world – and also it’s not right that women doing the same work as men in the USA get paid less than the men get paid”. We all know that such inequality is simply not right. I was once working in a job that claimed that if you are the number one salesperson you become the Sales Manager and you will then get a bonus and I did it for six months in a row but they passed me by and then I was required to train other people that they would put over me. Clearly that was not right or fair. The only reason they did it was because they had the ‘complexion of connection’ and ‘I had the complexion of rejection.’ However, I decided I was going to ‘make it’ in spite of everything. Helen Keller said ‘when one door closes another door opens’ but most of us spend time trying to open a closed door rather than creating a door ourselves that we can then walk through unchallenged. In other words, we need to be able to live our own dreams and there are many women who have always had to fight against all the odds to make it through. There’s a gentleman by the name of Fred Astaire and back during the time he was in Hollywood they said he was the greatest dancer in the world – but the young lady that he danced with – she had to dance with him step for step but backwards and in heels! So, what I’m saying is that women have always had to be persistent to make it against all the challenges they have had to face. My mother adopted seven children and I was one of the seven. She made it against all the odds and although she didn’t have a great education she definitely had a PhD in ‘Mother’s wit’ and she always found a way forward even when there didn’t seem to be a way! Women have always had to do that and that is why I am excited to be a part of this interview and to be in the presence of women like you.

Thank you. So basically, you are saying that there is a lot of injustice out there in the world, but our duty and responsibility is not to complain about the unfairness women face but to prove that we can make anything possible if we face up to the challenges.
Yes. You have to do it ‘in spite of…’ Communities and countries are created by people and they can be changed by people and the secret is to maintain commitment through all the frustrations and disappointments we are going to encounter. We must all attempt to change the way that we function and also attempt to change the way women are treated – and in attempting to change the way we treat each other we need to understand this is a human problem. Human beings created it and human beings can therefore resolve it!
Well, as human beings we usually tend to see the problem not the solution. But not all the people have this ability to turn their perception in a direction that can guide them to the solution. Is there a secret to making this happen?
You know Einstein said “I don’t think I am so smart. I just have more patience than most people.” Most people want change to happen directly but it’s not that kind of world. You have got to be willing to be patient and it takes persistence and it takes going through some frustrations and disappointments and setbacks and things happening to you that you cannot anticipate. Some setbacks and problems just keep coming back again and again and I believe that sometimes angels are dispatched – and I believe that those angels support us by saying, “You know what? She’s really determined and she’s not gonna stop or ever give up.” That’s tenacity!
They did this study once and found that with a certain mathematical angle a spool of thread – after it’s released – hits against a two-ton steel beam. After so many hits – ‘pip pip pip’ – eventually it will begin to vibrate and then eventually the beam will move. Well, that’s what you are doing. That’s what we are doing in tapping into the consciousness of people and helping to create a different kind of world and changing how women should be seen not as just ‘receptacles for men’s orgasms’ but as thinking, feeling human beings who have something to give and something important to contribute to life. And it takes time to reverse that conditioning. I saw in the newspaper yesterday an article about a beautiful young lady that was raped and killed by her uncle. What kind of society have we created and what kind of mindset can give someone the permission to be that inhumane to another human being? It’s going to take time to reverse that sort of thinking and that type of behavior.
It feels that the shift is happening in the world and that more and more women are waking up. It feels like we have been sleeping for a long time. Now it’s time to wake up, to come to a higher level of consciousness, to connect with ‘higher self’ inside us and to see things like you just said. But sometimes we can’t anticipate things and we don’t have control over things. We can take responsibility for certain things we do in the world – but how can we coordinate and co-create with men? Not by feeling that we are against them or that we are separate but by working together. As we all know – we have left the world in men’s hands for a long time and it looks very messed up. So how can we get to the level when men see us as partners?
Think about where the world would be now if those who are in control had been inclusive in their thinking rather than exclusive. In other words, if women were allowed to participate and if people were allowed to participate even though they’d had an accident, even though they had slanted eyes, even though they came to the table with different sexual orientation, even though they might be in a wheelchair. Where would we be if all the thinking that’s available on the planet came together to collaborate and to work together with a mindset that said; ‘We can solve this. We can create a different kind of world’. Where would we be now? It’s like the way it was in the USA for coloured people in the USA. I am 73 now, but when I was a kid I would get on the bus with my mother and people would be seated in the back and there were seats up front where white people sat and even though there were some free seats there, mama said, ‘’keep walking Leslie’’ and I had to go past a yellow line to sit down. I said, “Why we can’t sit up there?” and she just said, “You can’t”. But the only reason we couldn’t sit there were because we were black. So that culture effectively said, ‘you are less worthy’. That culture and those laws in Society were designed to make people like me feel inferior.
I was invited to speak at the beginning of my career in Florida and unbeknownst to me they thought I was a different Les Brown. So, when I knocked on the door at the back of the theatre a guy said, ‘’May I help you?” I said, ‘’Yes, I am Les Brown’. He said, ‘’You are Les Brown’s driver?’’. I said, “No – I am Les Brown”. He said, “You are not Les Brown the bandleader!” I said, “No I am not”. You know he looked at me and then he was trying to spit on my shoes. I was so glad that he didn’t spit in my face because if he had I wouldn’t be here now. I would have grabbed him. He said, ‘follow me’ and people were already seated in the theatre and they had these album covers of Les Brown the bandleader. And this guy went at the microphone and says, “Ladies and gentlemen – Les Brown!” He then looked at me with contempt and walked off without shaking my hand and greeting me. So, I walked up to the microphone and I’m thinking, ‘How am I gonna deal with this?’ Everyone in that room were shocked because they only knew black people as football or basketball players but not as a Speaker. I am the only black face in the room and then I looked up and there was a sign that says, ‘You have the power to seize the hour’ and then I looked at the audience and I said to myself, ‘Right, I need to take control of this room. So, I said ‘I want you to think about why we are here. We have the power to seize the hour, to recognise your children and to give commitment to these young people because they are being moulded into who they will be in the future. I said, ‘Let’s give them a tremendous round of applause’. I knew they were gonna clap for their children. I needed to be strategic, so I said, ‘And all the parents would you please stand up? There are many people that loved you and believed in you and prayed for you – right up until this moment where we are now. Let’s seize this opportunity to recognise them with love and respect. Give them a tremendous round of applause!’

So you created this crazy energy in the room?
I just increased the energy by taking over the room and filling it with love and appreciation. After that they looked at me as if to say ‘Okay. What are you going to do? We will listen to you now.”

All this power and this energy. Where does it come from? What is the source?
The source is in all of us, who we are behind our eyes. We are all the same and so what I do is call for that source which I call ‘greatness’. I believe that when you are pursuing greatness you don’t know what your limits are – so you act like you don’t have any limits. And then I looked at the audience and I said, ‘You all have greatness in you. I don’t know who you are, I don’t know anything about you but I you all have greatness in you and we all speak from that place – the universal language of acknowledging each other and seeing the value in each other and loving each other.
That began to dispel the rejection, the hostility, the racism in the room and they began not to focus on my colour but focused on me as a human, because at the end of the day and – Jane Elliot said this – it’s not a black race and a brown race or a yellow race and a red race – it is just one race and it’s called the human race. It is brought together by love and God is love. Women are the greatest embodiment of love for me and I am here because of two women. One gave me life and the other gave me love. God took me out of my biological mother’s womb and placed me in the heart of my adopted mother and I think that there is a shift that is taking place and women are the pioneers of that shift. Women will help move us into a different future that Mother Teresa spoke about when she said, ‘’Lord I know you know how much we could bear, and I could bear”.

I am sure a lot of women will resonate with you and so much admire you for the fact that you speak so highly about your mother and the way that you put her on a pedestal. Can you share with us something that you never shared before about your mother?
Interesting that you said that. I had a moment with myself last night praying for my son and I asked myself is there something I have not done? As a kid I had a congestion of the lungs and another friend named Gramps he had the same condition. We were ten years old and we would sit in the back yard with two chairs side by side. One day I came to the backyard and Gramps had died. I remember that night when Doctor Johnson came over as doctors used to make house calls at that time and said, ‘Mamie give Leslie these drops every two hours’ and she had to be up all night to do that. Then she had to go to work on Miami Beach to cook for families with hand-me-down clothes and I remember distinctly my mother hands trembling as she was getting the drops out and putting them into my mouth and she‘d wrapped me in some leaves called ‘Palmer Christian’ leaves and was saying, ‘God don’t take my son, take my life, let me die, but don’t take my baby”. She didn’t give birth to me, she didn’t carry me for nine months and she is asking God to take her life and allow me to live. So, when I was praying for my son the other day I said, ‘God I had not asked you to do this. What mama can love me more than I love my son Calvin. I beg you take my life but give my son more time. I am 73 and I am an old man now and I am okay with going now so take my life instead.” I told this story on the Internet and a lady texted back. ‘God don’t listen to this fool. The God I serve could do it all – he could save you and your son. We don’t serve a limited God”.
What I learned from, my mother is that we must push forward in spite of everything. She believed everything is possible and that’s the kind of mindset that we must have to leap and grow our wings on the way to understanding. If you are not willing to take risks, you can’t grow. And if you can’t grow you can’t become your best, and if you can’t become your best you cannot be happy and if you can’t be happy then what else is there but to walk by faith and not by sight alone.

So you sometimes have to say ‘yes’ but you don’t always need to know how you are going to get there?
The key is to make a commitment. That’s what it will take for us to create a culture in our cities, in our countries, in the world and in the work place for women to be seen as equals. We just need ‘the will to do it’. What will it take for us to reduce the sexual abuse, the physical abuse, the domestic abuse and violence to women and children – those who are powerless and voiceless. Just the will to do it! What will it take for us to stand up to the universal bullies – the most powerful bullies on the planet? Everything that exists is because somebody had the will to do it.

You seem to be enjoying your life a lot now?
Yes. Because we don’t know how much time we have. Someone asked me, ‘What do you want your legacy to be?’ and I said, “I aspire to inspire until I expire” and I always tell my children that when they say ‘Your dad is dead’ don’t allow them to embalm me for three days! Come down to the funeral home and bring a microphone just in case!’ I’m here to teach people to live fully and not die empty. We have to develop the courage and the willingness to follow our life purpose in spite of the fact that we might live in an environment where women are treated inferior or in an environment of racism that does not recognise humanity. You must decide ‘I’m gonna do this no matter what’.

You mention a lot in your speeches that lot of people probably hope to have an easy life because it is difficult to lead a hard life, but you have turned this around and said that when life is hard work then your life is going to be easier. I really love that idea. Can you tell us more?
If you do what is easy your life will be hard. But if you do what is hard, your life will be easier, and we must be willing to do hard. Let’s talk about struggle. I am reminded of a little boy going through an area in the forest when he saw a caterpillar trying to come out of a cocoon. So he watched and he observed and after a while a butterfly came out of the cocoon and hit the ground of the forest fluttering its swings and then flying off. And a few weeks later he came through the same area and saw another butterfly struggling to get out of the cocoon and naively he decided that he wanted to help it to come out faster. He took a safety-pin out of his pants and he made a little incision and the butterfly fell out of the cocoon, hit the ground and fluttered his wings and died because it was the struggle itself that gave it life. The struggle itself – when the dream is big enough – means the odds don’t matter. In life you will always be faced with a series of god-ordained opportunities brilliantly disguised as problems and challenges. Challenges will introduce you to a part of yourself that you might not know right now. We must embrace the challenges because we grow through the challenges of life.

Thank you for this area of our discussion because this is very important especially for women who have realised that if they want to connect with their power and to stand in that power they also need to become more entrepreneurial. Financial freedom is where get most of the power because a lot of women are abused because they are dependent on the finance of other people. A lot of women are starting their own journey as entrepreneurs and starting their own business, but they are facing a lot of challenges. A brilliant idea is not always easy to achieve and so they give up. What is your advice and your wisdom to share with women entrepreneurs to motivate and inspire them to keep going and to be successful?
Three things. My mother was an entrepreneur when she could no longer work at Miami Beach for these wealthy families because they fired her. So, my mother had to become an entrepreneur and she didn’t have multi-level marketing during that time it was like a lottery. She sold moonshine and she sold homebrew. I never talked about it on stage because I don’t have the emotional bandwidth to do it without crying because at one time she went to prison. So, one of the things that I am training Speakers is never tell a story that you are not emotionally capable of handling yourself because this is no place for therapy. What I learned from my mother is she always said, ‘Every tub must stand on its own bottom’. My mother become an entrepreneur and she made a commitment to my birth mother that we will that we will never go to bed hungry – and we never did. We always had a roof over our head and we always had clothes on our back.
Women have always been the catalyst to say, “I am going to provide for this child or these children.” I remember talking to a man who should have been paying ‘Child Support’ and he said, “Oh they’re gonna let the mother take care of him instead.” I said, “But she didn’t get a child through immaculate conception – so you played a part in this child’s life too – so you should participate.” But a lot of guys who I call ‘sperm donors’ just walk away and leave the woman to struggle and make life difficult for her. That’s why the ‘Global Woman Magazine’ is so important in teaching women. Now is easier than before because of technology. These are women who are becoming entrepreneurs and becoming healthy through the comfort of their home with a computer. There are more women now that have a level of independence and more women who have a strong sense of identity. When your life has a sense of identity it gives your life a sense of purpose and a sense of direction and so they are now women who don’t just see themselves as wives or as mothers but as a global entrepreneur. They are living a life of contribution, not just standing in the shadows but can live and be fulfilled and make a difference to the planet. Women now have more access in certain areas of the world than ever before and that’s a good thing.

Gil Petersil: Strategic Partnerships Can Work Wonders

Editor @ Global Man September 12, 2018 No Comments

By Fatima Gorezi

There is a belief that you are the ‘average’ of the five people you spend the most time with. Indeed, your immediate circle determines your lifestyle, your income, and even your health. So, it is vitally important to choose these people consciously and wisely. The most efficient way to do that is through proper networking and strategic partnerships. We talked about it with Gil Petersil, a leading networking mastery coach, serial entrepreneur, innovator and public speaker.

Can you tell us more about your early life and your first steps in business?
I spent my childhood in Israel growing up in a traditional Jewish family. Later we moved to Canada and it’s there that I made my first money at the age of 14. My father would often go to Israel on business. One day he asked me what to bring from there for my birthday. I requested a box of audio cassettes with national Jewish songs. Right before Hanukkah (which happens before Christmas), I sold all these cassettes almost instantly.

The reason was that I was selling them at the shopping mall, where I could meet more interested people. Moreover, I did that on Saturday, when my competitors didn’t work over the weekend enjoying themselves. Of course, such a success was a true inspiration for me and I decided to venture into entrepreneurship. During my early years as an entrepreneur, I made attempts to engage in the restaurant business, bakeries and even mobile apps. Some of these efforts were more successful than others. But it was then when I realised: you never achieve anything on your own. No matter what move you make, you always need the right people to help and support you. So, I started paying a lot of attention to business networking and I saw how it helped me reach my goals faster and easier. Afterward, I decided to focus on networking and turn it into my primary field of expertise. Now I teach it at business schools and business events.

What motivated you to get involved in being inspirational for change?
Actually, it all started with my mentor and, I now daresay, my business partner Tony Robbins, the #1 life and business strategist in the world. At first, he was my virtual mentor and a role model as to how I should be developing my life.

Now my company “Meet Partners” which is based in Moscow are exclusive representatives of Tony Robbins in Russia and his number one partner in the world. We annually bring over 2000 Russians to Tony’s events in different countries. After one of the first Tony’s seminars that we went to, our Company’s focus moved from doing events where people can connect through networking to events where people can connect through education. Later on, when I developed a personal connection with Tony, he told me: “Stop running businesses. You are a Speaker and this is what you should be focusing on.”

I took Tony’s advice because management is really not my strength. I now hire great managers to handle all the operating procedures. Instead, I give speeches at global events where I teach people how to achieve any goals in business and life through the art of networking and the power of resourcefulness. When someone tells me how inspired they were by my speech and especially what great results they have obtained, it makes me a happy man.

What major challenges and problems have you faced? How did you handle them?
I would say that the major challenge for any entrepreneur is self-doubt. I lost motivation many times and I disconnected from the world of big goals. About seven years ago I went completely broke. I lost all my money, but the most terrible thing was that I lost faith in myself. I’m so grateful to my wife Katya who never stopped believing in me even when I stopped believing in myself. She is the one who always helps me overcome insecurity.

Therefore, my advice to the folks who are facing a similar challenge: don’t try to handle it on your own. Find someone who you can lean on in your troubled times. And stay away from those who tell you that your failure was inevitable because life is unfair, or any business is dangerous. I’m sorry to say that some people are happy to see you fail. It’s not because they are evil, it’s just that they want to feel better about themselves at your expense. So, the clear message is stand strong and associate with the right crowd.

What keeps you up at night when you think about Strategic Partnerships and moving from integration to optimisation to transformation?
My whole life is about serving people and Strategic Partnerships are one great way to do it. When you find a partner, you both can add more value to your clients and make them happier. There is one common misconception about partnering up with another business. Some entrepreneurs think that they need to find a Company which is working in the same niche and join forces with it. In fact, a partnership is when you find a business which is different from yours, but you have the same target audience. For instance, one coffee company partnered up with a car dealer. Now the car showroom has a cozy sitting area with free coffee. The coffee company gets support from a strong brand, the car dealer enjoys great coffee and the clients receive an excellent service that motivates them to come back and recommend the car dealer to their friends and colleagues. Everyone is happy.

Such cases always inspire me because I see how beneficial they are for all parties. And from my own experience, I see how Strategic Partnerships can really work wonders. For example, five years ago I could not imagine that I would become a strategic partner for Tony Robbins. Now he is coming to Moscow and is giving his first Russian seminar on September 1st, 2018. It’s a big amazing event, not only for Tony and me, but also for thousands of Russian people, and this is exactly what counts.

How is it in business, working together with your life partner, and how do you balance personal and business life?
Having the same person as both my business partner and soulmate is truly an exception, a great fortune. I always say that it’s not a good idea to mix personal and business life. Even when you start your business based on friendship, you run the risk of losing both, business and friendship. However, I don’t want to discourage anyone from starting a business together with your loved ones. After all, there are no rules without exceptions and our family business with my wife Katya is a living proof.

As for finding the right balance between business and family, we have a few life-hacks for that. The first one is planning. You write down all your goals, both short-term and long-term. That way you allocate time for everything that is important to you: visiting relatives, attending a global business event, having a romantic dinner with your wife, etc. By the way, Katya and I have a tradition: every month we go to a new Michelin-starred restaurant. And that is our method number two: traditions and rituals. Observing a daily, monthly, or a yearly tradition is very helpful. No matter how swamped we are, we always make time for each other and of course our little daughter Elly. And finally, I highly recommend talking to your partner about everything. Communication is the key to a healthy relationship. Don’t store up your resentments and grievances, talk about them, talk about your feelings. When your relationship is built on complete trust and you can openly discuss any problem, you succeed both in business and marriage.

What is your definition of women’s empowerment?
Of course, I believe in equal opportunities for men and women – but I also believe in a natural difference in genders. Thus, to me, ‘women empowerment’ means enabling women to achieve their goals using their unique female energy. I think that by nature women are more loving, compassionate and empathic. I would love to see more women bringing that to all spheres of life, including politics and economics. It will definitely make the world a better place.

My wife is from Russia and all Russians celebrate a big holiday on March 8th called the ‘International Women’s Day’. Historically, it was a feminist holiday designed to raise awareness about women’s rights. But gradually the 8th of March became a day of men’s declarations of love to women. I never miss the opportunity to congratulate all my female followers on social networks. I always say how grateful I am to all women in my life for their encouragement and support, for making us, men, better versions of ourselves. Both men and women have their strengths and weaknesses. So, what we really need to focus on is complementing and empowering each other. Therefore, my slogan with regard to this issue is: don’t compete, complete!

What are some key characteristics of an empowered person?
First of all, it’s taking responsibility for your own life. An empowered person will never blame the circumstances, the government or other people for any problem that he or she may be facing. As Bill Murray put it in the iconic movie “Groundhog Day”, “We make choices and we live with them.” So, an empowered person learns to make choices and deal with their consequences.

Secondly, it’s constant growth and development. No matter how successful you become, there is always room for more. And this is where life-long education comes in. Empowered people are curious and motivated to improve their skills. Therefore, they never stop learning: from books, business events, from others, and so on. It’s important to know what skills you lack to achieve a new goal and how to obtain them. But being aware of your skill gaps should not let you down. An empowered person is also self-confident and knows how to deal with fears and limiting beliefs that prevent them from growing.

Finally, an empowered person is a great communicator. The ability to maintain an open dialogue at all levels is essential. Through good communication skills, an empowered person inspires and empowers others changing their lives for the better. Of course, these are not all characteristics of an empowered person. Among other traits I can name such things as being proactive, innovative, making quick decisions, and the list goes on.

What advice would you give to those who want to give up due to a lack of empowered feeling, thinking and action? (e.g. What is an important first step)
As a strong believer in networking and the power of human relationships, I would advise seeking support from others. Reach out to those who respect you and the things you do. Look for them among your family, friends or colleagues. First, there is a chance they have been in a similar situation. In this case, they will be happy to share their story and let you know how they managed to overcome such crisis. What’s even more important is that these people will not let you give up because they appreciate what you do. They don’t want you to quit. Therefore, they will encourage and motivate you not because they want to cheer you up but because you make their lives better. So, if you feel a lack of empowered feelings, let other people empower and support you.

What do you want to achieve from this life and what is the future holding for you both on a personal level and in your business?
I’m very grateful for the blessed life that I have. Sometimes I even get to thinking: can I really want more? But as I said before, life is about constant growth and development. I want to continue changing people’s lives for the better because this is what fills me up with joy and purpose.

As for the future, it is whatever we make it. I am sure that there will be more amazing people coming into our lives, more opportunities and certainly more challenges. Of course, no one can guarantee that the future will be flawless and cloudless. But as the famous entrepreneur, Sara Blakely, said, “The secret to success is failure”. So, I am not afraid to make mistakes or to fail. As long as I have the two most important women by my side, my wife and my daughter, I am sure that we can achieve anything.

Anders Eklund– In the noble business creating successful leaders

Editor @ Global Man September 1, 2018 No Comments

By Fati Gorezi

Anders Eklund is the co-founder and Managing Director of “Geneswiss Consultancy”, an international Coaching and Consulting firm headquartered in Zurich Switzerland. They develop, improve and empower organisations by using their own S.P.E.A.K.™ methodology (Systems, Purpose, Excellence, Analysis, Knowledge).

What started as a burning interest to anything engineered, made Anders a successful leader, whose purpose today is to improve the world through excellent leaders. As team leader, Anders was recognied as very trustworthy and target-oriented with the ability to co-operate smoothly with people from different cultures. His great leadership qualities include strong team building and change management skills. Tools, which he has used to build up his wide and global network for optimising and delivering results.

Can you tell us more about your entrepreneurial journey?
My entrepreneurial journey started in my childhood. In the village where I grew up, my late father was a shop owner and it was the only grocery store in the area. I can vaguely remember when I was with him in the shop, how he was jotting down prices on paper and counting the final sum together for the client. By the time he passed away the store was closed. I was then seven years old – a lively first-grader. As the youngest, still living at home, I had to step up the game and help my mother with everything around the house. The following years taught me responsibility and gratitude. Early on, I was the ‘man in the house’. If I wanted something, I had to work for it. Today I can appreciate this; it drove me into many entrepreneurial endeavours very naturally and sculpted me into an action-taker.
In my teenage years, I had a very clear vision about one day becoming a schooled, mechanical engineer. By that time, I had already taken apart and assembled probably every machine and engine in the house. Even our old ‘Telefunken’ television and other apparatus were often spread out on the floor for “improvements”. It was simply my “thing” – a talent of mine. A decade later I finally had my university diploma of ‘Mechanical Engineering’ in my pocket, which yielded me a 25 year-long successful and rewarding global career in the corporate world.
One could say that two years ago my circle had become full. I had returned to my entrepreneurial early roots and was finally ready to start my own Company – ‘Geneswiss Consultancy’. I love Coaching people around the world to become successful leaders. It is very rewarding.

Did you always aspire to reach a leadership role in your career?
Early in my career, becoming a leader was not my target. My focus was on becoming a very good Design Engineer, to learn all the tricks and to be an ‘improver’. In early 1993 my career took a swift turn, when I was promoted to the position of ‘Design Manager’ for one of the most important projects, at that time, in a Finnish Company called ‘Wärtsilä’ – world leader in the Energy and Shipping sector. Looking back, I think I landed this, my first leader position, because of my impeccable engineering skills combined with good people skills, my integrity my willingness to learn more. In addition, I was also striving for good results and wanting to help others succeed.

What are the biggest challenges that you have faced in life?
We all face challenges in life. It is a part of living, “growing”, if you will. If I had to pick one big challenge, it would be the one when we moved from Finland to Switzerland in 2008. Our daughters were 8 and 12 years old. Coming from a Finnish school system and with no or very little English language knowledge, it really was a tough move for our girls. As I was working and often travelling, my wife spent long nights and all weekends helping them with English, homework and to simply adapt to the school requirements. We almost gave up and were seriously considering returning back to Finland after one year. Those were tough times for the whole family. But fortunately, we managed to push through and we are all very happy that we stayed on course. This episode in our lives gave me an indelible understanding of the challenges which expats meet. What their families go through, how everyone is affected, how challenging it is to create balance between work-related travelling and home-time. Without life-balance one can’t reach his/her highest potential. There simply has to be balance. We all are in the ‘people-business’.

What defines a great leader?
To describe a great leader, I want to quote Chris Hadfield, a Canadian astronaut who was the first Canadian to walk in space: “Ultimately, leadership is not about glorious crowning acts. It’s about keeping your team focused on a goal and motivated to do their best to achieve it, especially when the stakes are high, and the consequences really matter. It is about laying the groundwork for others’ success, and then standing back and letting them shine.”
In other words, great leadership is about serving others before oneself. This, one must whole- heartedly understand and live by. You see, it is like this: Great leaders act with others in mind. Great leaders give. Great leaders “live on” and leave a legacy. In my “Leadership 2 Success” Coaching programme, I focus on three core-elements which cover all the above traits and qualities: Purpose, Life-Values and Communication. Successful leadership always starts from within.

What is keeping people from living their best life?
This is one of the most important questions one can ask. There are so many on this Earth who are not living their fullest lives. I think that people are not listening to their inner voices and what their hearts are telling them – their true purpose in life. So many are stuck with what they somehow “landed on” mostly due to circumstances or pressure from the “outside world”. Whether it derives from parents, siblings, peers or friends. Even when people feel and know that a change is a must in their lives, in order to feel happier, in order to be fulfilled and enjoy life, they don’t make changes.

Why is this?
I am a trained Coach and I utilise the latest knowledge of neuro-science for helping in leadership, management and organisational transformation. Meeting with teams and people, I see from close up how difficult it is to change and how a great deal of effort needs to take place in order for it to happen. Normally, only when it is an evident “must”, a “forced” change takes place. Why wait so long? 95% of our time is guided by our earlier habits and behaviours and our learned attitudes. This means that change doesn’t come naturally to most people. We prefer to stay in our comfort zones. We ourselves are our worst limitations. That’s why it is so difficult for us humans to seek, find and embrace our best lives.

Why are you in business?
I am really glad that you asked this. As I see it, great leadership is a dying form of art. What do I mean? Today’s business environment doesn’t properly recognise the imminent fact that leadership skills must be learned, trained and most of all, practiced with dedication and with one’s fullest heart. Being a great leader is a ‘calling’, not a job. Great leaders inspire us all to be better humans and propel us to reach our highest potential. As the best versions of ourselves this world will be a better place to live for everyone.I am passionate about my programme, “Leadership 2 Success”. Not only business-wise but also personally. Through my own hard work and gained experience, I know that great leadership inevitably leads to success stories. That is why I love to share my experience and teach this important art to as many as I can around the world. I say to my students “Leadership is simple, but it is hard work”. Good leadership always starts from the man, or the woman, in the mirror. This is why I am in the noble business of creating great leaders.

What inspires you most?
I am very inspired by the fact that I can start and establish positive improvements in people’s lives. To see when the “light bulb” goes on and someone really gets, when I am explaining, what great leadership truly entails. Great leaders in business, and in life in general, inspire us to find our strengths and missions and help us to go through challenges. Witnessing this happen is great and it inspires me the most. During my long career, I have also had the great privilege to work with different kinds of people from all parts of the world. Together we have created many success stories, and leading such driven and multi-cultural teams consisting of the smartest people I know is awesome! What can I say!? Achieving outstanding results is my passion!

What are the secrets behind your success?
Can we even call them secrets? I am very privileged and lucky, too, to be where I am today. There are many people I have to thank for my success. First of all, my Mother. I can truly thank her for the words she always used to say to me: “If you lie, you will always fail. If you tell the truth, whatever the situation, you will succeed beyond belief”. Those words of hers have truly guided me throughout the years.
Another person who has greatly influenced me on my path to success is my wife Marja. Today she also is an entrepreneur (@ marjaK). She is a remarkable woman and she has always supported and believed in me – ever since I started my career as a young engineer. Even when I did not fully believe in myself, she always did. Without her unwavering help and insight, I would not be the leader I am today.
I also need to mention Berit. She is a Norwegian Leadership Coach. I will never forget that two-hour coaching session with her; it truly turned ‘my lights onto full beam’. Berit made me fully understand the importance and the amazing power of “Life-Work-Balance”. How it can create great leadership, and how the lack of it can ruin everything – everything! Looking back, it is a perfect example of the power of Coaching and how crucial it is to be coached by the right person at the right time.
People behind the concepts of “Behavioral Theories” claim that people can become leaders through the process of teaching, learning and observation. According to them leadership is a set of skills that can be learned by training, perception, practice and experience over time. Learning Leadership skills is a life-long project. I have never believed in the saying that “Leaders are born.” All leaders are made! Hence, it is crucial to surround yourself with the right kind of supportive people. People who genuinely and wholeheartedly want to help you grow and become a better person – a better leader.
However, that is not enough. One must also want to become a better person by their own will. There are way too many people in managerial positions who unfortunately will never reach a leadership level. Why is this? It is because they don’t like (even want!) to listen to other people’s advice and recommendations. Their ego just doesn’t allow it. They spend their days living in their own “bubble”: and it prevents them from exploring and reaching their truest and highest potential as leaders. Also as human beings, to be honest.
I have always worked hard to learn from my mistakes and I have always kept an eye on how good leaders behave and how they do things in order to make their teams successful beyond expectations. Such leaders are wonderful role models and offer valuable “coaching” sessions in real-life-situations – for free!
How can more women become successful and start their own businesses? Can you share some advice?
To me it seems that, one of the biggest challenges many women struggle with is to believe in their own strengths, skills and capacities. I am convinced that this has much to do with the past. We don’t need to go far back in time when it was men who went to work, and women were expected to run the homes. When in truth, running a home is an extremely great entrepreneurial achievement and a lot of hard work.
I think that women are really great leaders and very creative thinkers – fantastic problem solvers! We men are “one target at a time” people, but women are able to juggle many things at the same time, staying focused, handling a crisis and still staying calm until the desired results are achieved. As an entrepreneur and business leader these capacities are priceless.
If I am to share my advice, it would be that all women who want to start their own businesses should simply trust their instincts, their skill sets and “just do it”. At the same time, we men must support all the women out there! It is rewarding to help someone overcome their fears in order to become a business owner. The secret is: “togetherness”.

What do you love most about Speaking and Coaching?
It very inspiring to contribute to others to help them grow and achieve their goals in becoming better leaders and happy human beings. It makes me feel good. My purpose is to create great Leaders so that we can all strive and thrive. It is that simple.

Do you have projects that you are currently working on?
Yes, I have. Through my “Leadership 2 Success” Coaching program I meet and work with people from different occupations and circumstances. It doesn’t matter whether we are talking about a CEO, a VP or a start-up business owner or a “private” person, they all need a Coach. Mind you, even a Coach needs a Coach!
Currently I work with two senior leaders who want to make changes in their lives; not only in business, but also on a personal level. My Coaching is always holistic and tailor-made; be it 1 on -1- Coaching or team Coaching. Creating a sustainable and purposeful change always starts from the personal level. To be a successful Coach one must be “all-in”, to give his/her fullest heart and attention to the client. How else can one understand the other person, his/her situation and what is hindering him/her from achieving the desired changes? This is my niche; this is how I differentiate myself from big Coaching firms and their programs. And this approach of mine has gained me many wonderful testimonials; the very best feed-back and reward one can ask for. I am truly working in the right business! I love my work as I’m sure you can see!

Contact info:
[email protected]
leadership2success.com

Photo credits to “MarjaK.me / Marja Katajisto-Eklund’’