Blog – Page 4 – Global Man

Blog

Dr Farshid Osh: The ‘Celebrity Doctor’—Passionate Since My First Client

Editor @ Global Man December 9, 2022 No Comments

Dr Farshid Osh lives out the principles that accompany his aesthetical medicine, and it is no wonder that with his extensive portfolio of qualifications he is not only keenly talented but also a high-achieving doctor. His internationally recognised training as an Aesthetic Doctor has gained him a huge amount of experience and respect in the world of Aesthetic and Regenerative Medicine.

He didn’t quite stop there; with his varied background in Aesthetics, it was only right that he would become a Professor of Aesthetics. He now holds the title from LUDES University in Switzerland, becoming the CEO & Founder of the British Board of Anti-ageing and Integrated Medicine (BBAIM).

When Dr Osh is not teaching, you’ll find him in his Aesthetics and Laser Clinic, situated in one of the most desired areas of London. Where did it all begin? What are his most exciting plans and secrets? Check out this article and find out answers to these, and many more questions.

I want young doctors to know that learning never truly ends, and it will flow through their entire practice for a lifetime. — Dr Farshid Osh

How did your journey with aesthetic medicine start?

It all goes back to 2008. I was studying medicine in Iran and decided to undertake an aesthetic training course in TAFE. I clearly remember the day my father came back home from his doctor’s clinic. Seeing how impressed he was encouraged me to choose this field of career. I wanted to make him proud. When I started my aesthetical medicine journey, I became more and more passionate about it.

Is there any common point that makes you especially passionate and has made you passionate since your first client?

My first client was provided by the academy as a live model. I was both nervous and excited, due to my lack of practical experience. Luckily, it went very well. I remember being quite proud of myself!

I get to train and meet new people from various backgrounds all the time. I see it as an amazing opportunity to learn more and more every day. I get insights into their work and try to apply their experience to my own practice whenever it is suitable.  Even though our businesses often differentiate, there is a common point – providing excellent customer service.

What part of your role do you find the most challenging?

…unfortunately, they are far from the reality of aesthetic medicine — Dr Farshid Osh

The unrealistic expectations. There are way too many fake ‘before and after’ pictures on social media. They can often look very impressive, but unfortunately, they are far from the reality of aesthetic medicine.

Many of my clients come to me with edited pictures, wishing to achieve a similar result. I always inform and educate my clients on how to differentiate a real ‘before and after’ picture from a fake one in aesthetic practice.

On my Instagram @Droshofficial, I have shared an educational video on the subject. It shows real photography in the medical aesthetic field. Unfortunately, the ethical part of my work has been both forgotten and ignored by many aesthetic practitioners.

What is the most rewarding part of your life’s work?

Seeing my clients satisfied. Being able to make people feel more confident about themselves makes me feel powerful. I am aware of the fact it can positively affect their mental, emotional and physical status, as well as business and private life. My client’s satisfaction is my satisfaction.

You are a very successful man, Dr Osh, which requires more than talent today. Tell us, what is your consistent recipe for success?

Honesty. Keeping it real with your clients, being well organised and working hard in the frame of quality standards.

Can you pinpoint what inspired you to create your own skin brand? Is there a similar inspiration for why you decided to open an academy?

It was very difficult to find, so I decided to formulate my own. — Dr Farshid Osh

My knowledge and passion for cosmetic ingredients. I was looking for a good skin care product for my clients, one that would contain it all. It was very difficult to find, so I decided to formulate my own.

One of my essays at university was about an effective educational system. I worked hard on my post graduate level and I wanted to utilise my effort in an actual academy.

I train people in more than 10 cities across the UK, as well as 5 countries in Europe.

My agents work in 4 different countries in the Middle East. One of my textbooks is called ‘Desktop Guide.’ I wanted to gather all the protocols in one place, for other practitioners to learn effectively.

Most of our students’ work’s outcomes are similar due to the consideration of the standards in terms of dosage, landmark, depth of the injection, etc.

Do you have any advice for those at the beginning of their aesthetic medicine journey?

My advice is to never stop working on upgrading their knowledge. Try to reduce the unrealistic expectations of clients. It is very important to gain your clients’ trust, and this only happens through honesty.

When I first started my practice in 2008, I was not as cautious as I am now. After undertaking a master’s, a post graduate training in Facial Anatomy at the University of Face and Neck in Nice, I became much more cautious.

I want young doctors to know that learning never truly ends, and it will flow through their entire practice for a lifetime.

Where do you see yourself in the near future? Do you have any exciting plans?

My focus besides the academy is my skin care brand and my medical equipment brand. After that, my next step is to launch a ‘Private Member Aesthetic & Health Club’ in my clinic. It means all clients and patients must become members, and instead of paying a treatment fee, they are going to pay a monthly membership in a variety of categories.

The membership will allow them to receive different treatments according to their needs, my advice, and recommendations.

What is the most common treatment you perform? On the other hand, do men also use your services often?

As for men, I do see quite a lot of male clients. Statistically… — Dr Farshid Osh

Aesthetic injectables are in high demand. Laser and other medical aesthetic machines are a second highly demanded service in the market.

As for men, I do see quite a lot of male clients. Statistically, almost 20% of my clients are men.

Do you feel pressure while performing, and how did you gain the title ‘Celebrity Doctor?’

Pressure, not really. When I am not feeling at my best, I cancel all the appointments on that day. Even though it might seem unprofessional to cancel scheduled clients, I prefer to only work when I am in my right head space.

Concentration and a good mood are a must in providing quality service. Working with someone’s face comes with a lot of responsibility.

One of my clients was a film producer. He introduced me to many famous actors. ‘Word of mouth’ between celebrities brought them to my clinic. This is how I slowly became titled ‘Celebrity Doctor.’ I have a lot of respect for my celebrity clients.

They have brought various opportunities into my life, not only in the business field.

How much filler is too much and at what point would you ever say ‘no’ to a client? Finally, what is the secret ingredient in the fountain of youth?

It varies between clients. I usually use the ‘golden ratio,’ which represents part of the mathematics of beauty. It is very important to have the knowledge of mathematical beauty in aesthetic practice.

I say ‘no’ to my clients a lot, tending towards being selective with who I accept as clients.

The secret is a 3-part answer.
1. A healthy diet. Foods containing suites of collagen, vitamin B, C and E. Plenty of water. Less sugar.
2. A healthy sleep pattern.
3. The daily use of moisturiser and sunscreen for protection from UVA and UVB radiation.

Nurettin Noyan: The Touch of Beauty to Perfection

Editor @ Global Man December 8, 2022 1 Comment

The synonym of perfection now has a noun. Beauty doesn’t have to be difficult or exaggerated and Dr. Nurettin reveals how to go towards absolute beauty to us. Doctor Nurettin comes to Global Man as the voice of experience that reveals his path to success. His clinic in Istanbul has become the headline of beauty in the world and his example of success comes to our readers as a guide to perfection—because Nurettin is the voice of professionalism fused so beautifully with a touch of health perfection.

In recent years, Turkey has become a popular destination for health tourism. Why do you think that is?

Regionally speaking, Turkey was always a prime destination for health tourism. Patients from surrounding countries as well as other developing countries have been coming here to get treatments they couldn’t get at home. That created a healthy industry with experience and state of the art infrastructure. In time, we started to compete with other health tourism destinations and improved our service and operation quality to higher and higher standards. So, the success and the trend might seem sudden; however, although it’s been years in the making, of course the recent exchange rates didn’t hurt as the best doctors here become quite affordable to average people living in the developed world.

Dr. Nurettin, as one of the most well-known names in the field of aesthetic surgery, how has the road to success been for you?

Embarking on your own journey after medical training is like flying alone for the first time. When I was assigned to Erzurum Military Hospital as a military surgeon, I encountered various emotionally and professionally challenging cases. However, there was one patient that made my journey worthwhile. One day a soldier with a ruptured arm was brought to the hospital and his arm was so severely injured that there was a risk of amputation. I operated on his arm and stitched every damaged vein. After a couple of months, someone visited me at the hospital, and it was that soldier with his father. He pulled his arm out of his pocket and shook my hand with the arm I had operated on. So, it has been an emotional journey.

What are the moments that have marked your career?

Everything has started with my interest in geometry and mathematics. After I got accepted to medical school, I realised the strong bond and interrelation between three-dimensional thinking and surgery, especially plastic and reconstructive surgery. Soon, this interrelation became a source of enjoyment for me which led me to this specific field. After graduation, the experience as a military doctor, the great surgeons I had a chance to work with, and the variety of treatments I have been a part of, had built my confidence up.

Once I decided to leave my military career 7 years ago to fulfil my lifelong dream of having my own practice, all these past achievements and my skills as a surgeon have helped me to gain, and later strengthened, my presence in the field. During my career I have operated on many distinguished figures: one of them was an actress, for that matter, who had concerns about the aesthetic procedure and even though she had visited the most prominent figures in our field she was still not convinced.

After our conversation on breast augmentation, she placed her trust in me and chose to go for the surgery. She was so happy and satisfied with the result that she started calling me “lord of the boobs” with a smile on her face. Since then, the nickname also stuck with my colleagues and friends as they also started to call me Lotb. This name spread by word of mouth not only from patient to patient but also from doctor to doctor. Basically, this is the story of my career but the most defining moments of my journey always started in the surgery room.

Every operation has those moments where you had to excel using the best tool humans have: our hands. You had to keep undivided focus to give your patient that fine touch. This “tissue engineering” as one of my apprentices put it is the stone that built my career. And though I see our profession as a mix of art and science, I believe that’s why numerous fellow surgeons come to me for consultation and experience-sharing.

Noyan Clinic as a destination of perfection, what are some of the treatments or interventions that you can call your pride?

Personally, I find pride in making my patients happy. Every joyful tear or heartfelt hug gives me joy and pride.

Of course, each patient’s body is different and there are those moments you, as a doctor, need to execute a procedure in an innovative way for that patient’s circumstances. These moments are why I feel plastic surgery is also a form of art and these instances are like an artist’s brush strokes; although the procedure seems small and only a trained eye can see their effect, it nevertheless makes the end result what it is.

I professionally find these moments fulfilling. Academically speaking my dissertation on burn injury treatments is an important part of my legacy. I analysed two separate groups to find the most effective treatment. And it was fascinating to see that the results have effects not only on burn treatment but also in other fields. The citations and seeing the echoes of this research still gives me goosebumps.

What differentiates you from others?

Besides skill and experience you mean? 🙂 Jokes aside, I think my patients can answer this better than I do. But based on their testimonies I can say that they have always pointed out that I’m more than their surgeon. I am fond of having a deeper connection with my patients and some of them have become my friends.

Also, I never make my patients believe in unrealistic results or let them take unreasonable risks. I always communicate every little detail and explain the possible outcomes before planning anything. I think it all comes down to professional and ethical principles.

Most people know the phrase “primum non nocere,” (first, do no harm) Though it seems simple, this principle has wide and far-reaching consequences for any doctor. Some people might think this as a warning only for doing treatments that we know might cause harm. Not me. Even though it is not part of the Hippocratic Oath I take this principle to heart and refuse to employ any treatment that has not been scientifically established.

This is mainly because I think it also means a doctor should refuse to employ treatments that we don’t understand the consequences of. Therefore, I won’t employ certain techniques, won’t offer certain treatments, and won’t use certain materials. For example, I find it unnecessarily risky to use artificial fillers which I find medically ambiguous at best, instead of using scientifically well-researched and established state-of-the-art silicone implants.

Health comes first, then you take care of the rest. Besides working as a doctor, what is your role this time as a psychologist for your patients?

In the first chapter of one of the main plastic and reconstructive surgery books, it says something like this: “You are psycho-surgeons.” Plastic surgery is not just about enhancing a patient’s appearance, it is also about helping to enhance and boost her/his state of emotional well-being.

Understanding and sympathizing with the patient’s concerns and desires achieved and set aside, creating and explaining the possible solutions within the scope of medical science is crucial.

For instance, while a typical breast augmentation surgery takes around 45 minutes, surgical planning and answering my patient’s questions takes more than 1,5 hours. So, long conversations about the surgery and reassuring the patients is an important part of the process.

In your entire career, which is the most difficult, but also the most beautiful case you have taken on?

Breast cancer is one of the most common types of cancers in the world. Late-diagnosis of this cancer might lead to exhaustive treatments such as long radiotherapy sessions, major surgeries and even death.

In the case of an early-diagnosis, patients can go on with their lives with easier treatments and it is possible for us to preserve the original structure of one of the main femininity centers of the women’s body. But even in those early diagnosed cases it is such a challenge for patients and doctors to overcome this illness both physically and mentally.

When I heard you mention the words difficult and beautiful in the same sentence, I instantly thought of a survival story of one of my patients. She was in her thirties when she came to my clinic. Thankfully, she had beaten the cancer; however, her journey was far from easy or over. Her reconstructive treatment was incomplete and one of her breasts was severely damaged, and she lost one of the nipples because of some complications.

She was already mentally exhausted from fighting the disease and wanted to feel pretty and complete when she looked into the mirror. It was one of those professionally challenging moments where you feel the responsibility upon your shoulders.

I was happy she trusted me with her hopes and dreams, but I also knew what was at stake, so it was one of the most stressful cases for me. In the end it was worth all of it as she burst into tears with a smile when I removed her surgical dressings for the first time.

How would you define beauty today?

Beauty or the ideal face and body has been constantly changing throughout history. Certain body types were cherished at times and shunned during others. For instance, back in the early 1900s, they were all about S-bend corsets which emphasized women’s curves in an s-shape.

When we look at the 90’s women, thin and athletic, we realise that the preferred pear-shaped figures were out of fashion. But today beauty is about confidence and all I do is make my patients feel good about themselves using the state-of-the-art plastic surgery within the limits of safety.

Has the concept of beauty changed or have trends transformed it into perfection?

Perfection is unattainable, it is subjective and ever changing, there are certain principles guiding beauty such as symmetry but as a whole beauty today is much more subjective than before.

Have you had VIP clients?

First, I would like to emphasize that they are not clients but my patients. Each patient is a Very Important Person for me. However, if we are referring to prominent figures in our society then yes, I have had such patients from Turkey and all over the world who are famous singers, models, actors, and actresses like Seda Sayan who has also become a friend after her operation.

What is your life like when you take off your doctor’s suit?

When I’m able to take it off, I’m often enjoying a peaceful night with my lovely wife Oya, my daughter Eylül and our dog Venus. One of my guilty pleasures is to read books when they go to sleep and it’s all quiet. These days I’m reading science fiction books and political-history related ones.

Yet honestly, I would read anything. My three passions since childhood were football, music, and astronauts.

I can admit I’m a Fenerbahçe football fan, whose games I watch with enthusiasm. Music has always been there for me when I needed to take my mind off things, and playing my electric guitar is one of life’s delights.

I also started dancing folk dance at the age of 30 and have represented my country in international competitions. I’m not big on computer games except for aviation simulations where I fly planes occasionally as a substitute for becoming an astronaut.

The best motto that would describe you?

I’m one of those hopeful people, and whenever I face a dead-end I always say that there is and always will be hope and a solution somewhere.

So, I refuse to lose hope.

This is not a motto but a mindset for me, that transcends my professional attitude into my perspective. I never give up on my patients and pursue every possible way to find hope for them. So, I can admit saying: ‘’Don’t lose hope’’, quite often.

Kule T – How I Went From the Church to the Charts

Editor @ Global Man November 29, 2022 No Comments
Kule T

Kule T is a British R&B-Soul singer-songwriter who blends a kaleidoscope of genres. His storytelling comes from honest and first-hand experiences. His first musical experiences came through the church, where he cultivated his craft as a drummer, guitarist and bassist. He soon joined the acappella group, Spirit.

He became one of the lead singers for MN8, an R&B pop group, and Kule toured with Janet Jackson and performed alongside Robbie Williams, Boyzone, Spice Girls, Madonna, Celine Dion and Backstreet Boys.

Kule’s solo career has included hosting and performing on Top of the Pops, appearing on BBC Radio 2’s ‘Sound Of The 90s’, BBC Radio 1 ‘The Scene with Jacueline Shepherd’, ‘At Home With Hayley’ on Sky TV, Never Mine The Buzzcocks and appearing on Happiful Magazine.

Kule T has connected with his fans through social media, sharing his life behind-the-scenes, and giving them access to his latest creations. His debut single ‘I Just Know You Wanna’ was the start of his solo artist journey. A brilliant personality and a promising star—Kule’s story is incredible and inspiring.

What are some of the things you want people to know about Kule T?

I am a singer songwriter, a producer and one of the lead singers of the 1990’s UK R&B band called MN8. MN8 had a hit single called ‘I Got A Little Something For You’ which went to number 2 in the UK Charts and number 1 in the R&B charts. We then went on to releasing, ‘Happy’, ‘If You Only Let Me In’, ‘Baby It’s You.’ These singles went to the top ten in the UK charts.

All 6 singles that were released reached the top ten in the UK R&B charts. We also received a gold album award in France, toured with Janet Jackson and had the song on the Bad Boys movie. I’m also a photographer and video editor.

When did you first get into music, and what was the most memorable piece of advice you received about your music at the start of your career?

I…remember that it was advised to keep other people’s voices and opinions out of your head and just to focus on your goals and nurture your craft.

I first got into music, playing the drums in church as an 11-year-old child. I then went on to playing the bass guitar and the piano. After this I then found real passion in singing and song writing. My first ever vocal performance, at the age of 18, I remember was me performing a song and I was very nervous. As shy as I was, I ended up singing a song whilst looking down at my shoes.

There was a moment of silence as I began to perform, and at the end of the song I heard a loud cheer and applause from the audience. That’s when I knew I was hooked. From this moment I recognised that I had talent and the ability to make people smile through music. The most memorable piece of advice given to me from the start was to believe in my abilities as an artist. I also remember that it was advised to keep other people’s voices and opinions out of your head and just to focus on your goals and nurture your craft.

What is your opinion on 90’s music?

90’s music to me lyrically had a way of pulling in your audience by telling a story. The story allowed the listener to disappear inside the song. Songs of the 90’s were written with reason and meaning behind the sound and the substance behind every song had a memorable hook that you would remember. This memory would last through the ages.

Using ‘I Got A Little Something For You’ as an example: you may not remember all of the verses but the chorus always stood out and made a permanent stamp in your memory. As much as I can appreciate modern day music, there is a very 90’s quality and style that is still coming through now as artists look back to that era for inspiration.

What is your creative process for song writing like? How does this unique approach compliment your performance as a singer?

Because my music comes from such a personal place when I perform, it resonates as being authentic.

My approach to song writing can vary depending on what emotional state I’m in.  If we take as an example the track called “See Me” on my solo album “Emotional Rollercoaster”, with this song I captured an emotional state that was relevant to me at that time. I described a traumatic moment in my life where the thought of being a part of the human race did not appeal to me anymore.

I wanted to be a part of the spiritual world and embedded this sentiment within the hook line of the song, “I want you to see me, rub your eyes, wash your face, and read me.” This describes the feeling of not being noticed, understood or acknowledged, in your own surroundings. It is as though you were screaming in a room full of people, but no one can hear or see you.

Because my music comes from such a personal place when I perform, it resonates as being authentic. Therefore the audience can relate to the lyrics and the emotions that come with it. I have often had people message me giving thanks for creating a voice through my music that highlights delicate issues such as self-harm, mental health, and suicide.

How much do you believe that creativity is a product of nature and nurture? 

I believe that everyone is born with an ability of some sort, and to find what that is takes time; nevertheless, once you discover the ability and your passion for it, you have to start to nurture that.

Creativity comes in many shapes and forms from the world around us. The way in which we nurture that creativity is different for everyone, all though it both are equally important.

Who are some of your heroes, and what did they do to earn that status in your mind?

I used to listen to Luther Vandross and I admired his ability to create an emotional response for his audience. His vocal tone and smooth approach to music made him stand out from the rest.

Stanley Clark is a jazz bass player who caught my attention in the unique way he plays. One of his songs changed my philosophy as a musician. When he played bass with a tap dancer it was unusual and had not been done at the time, so I never forgot it.

The list for me is endless from artists like Aretha Franklin, Al Jarreau, Joe, acapella group Take Six, Connor Reaves and many more. All of these artists had a unique vocal tone—simply unforgettable.

What’s the biggest challenge you’ve faced in your career so far, and how did you overcome it

So my next challenge was to believe in myself again. I had to find freedom from all the pain I held inside.

There have been quite a few challenges so far in my total career. The first would be a realisation that the person closest to you never understood who you were and never quite supported your dreams. This became a conflict which then took its toll on my health.

This resulted in an ambulance being called to my flat – me being hospitalised where I needed MRI and CT scans to find the problem.

I was told by doctors that I had possibly been suffering from internal bleeding. This was blood loss from and on the surfaces of my brain. I then had to have a lumbar puncture in my spine to remove fluid which unfortunately saw some complications. As a direct result of these complications I ended up not being able to work for a month. After this I then had to teach myself to walk again.

My emotional state was out of control, and I had no one to turn to but myself. Being hospitalised instantiated an illumination: I had to take back control. This was lost and had to be regained—in my mind. The only way I knew how to achieve this was music.

So my next challenge was to believe in myself again. I had to find freedom from all the pain I held inside.

What would you say to someone who says there’s no change in the music an artist produces over time?

I would say this to those artists: for one to grow as a creator, producer, and songwriter, one sometimes ought to break barriers and breach their comfort zone.

This is usually where the territory of a comfortable mindset has been entrenched. The way out? Explore different genres of music to make your own genre grow.

What do you think is the most important part of a song – lyrics, melody or rhythm and beat?

The ingredients for a good song are the right amount in each of the above-mentioned elements depending on the mood, subject or message you are trying to convey. However, in saying this, lyrics are important as they are the translation.

What are your plans for the future?

My plans for the future are to release a second album. There is a possibility of a tour coming up and I can’t say too much—watch this space!  Also there will be a couple of TV and media appearances. Simply stay tuned!

Would you like to connect with Kule T, or just explore more?

Follow these links:

Instagram
Twitter
Facebook
Youtube
Tiktok
Apple
Emotional Rollercoaster – Album

Kidd W: My Ultimate Dream; My Absolute Drive

Editor @ Global Man November 23, 2022 No Comments
Kidd W & Co

Kidd Waya is a Nigerian, UK-raised actor, TV host, social media sensation, entrepreneur reality star of the new UK 2-part documentary—how the other half live—debuting on channel 5. Kidd strives to produce insightful, inspiring, and entertaining content and at the same time tackle stereotypes to represent todays multicultural British Community more accurately.

Kidd Waya is a former broker and lobbyist, who graduated from Nottingham University with a degree in Business Management and Marketing and a master’s in international business management. Born in Nigeria and moving to the UK at age 6, Kidd has long strived to shift mindsets and change old narratives through his work as a brand ambassador, presenter, actor, business owner and emotion-fuelled content creator.

“I feel like this is just the beginning and people are yet to see the best of Kidd.”

You have a strong background in health and fitness that might have contributed to your success. How would you define health and how do you think it contributes to individual success in the long-term?

When you have a healthy body, you have a healthy mind—and when your mind is healthy, you’re able to make better decisions.

So, you’re able to have more energy making those decisions and your overall performance simply improves. So, when I am asked what the correlation between health and individual success is in the long term my answer is simple and intuitive. You’re putting yourself at an advantage by being healthy.

Your mind is fresher, your body is fresh, you feel fresher. Your alertness is heightened. Your confidence is up. There are so many benefits to exercise. Moreover, these feelings lead to a clear profit: you can create more, to take more risks, to put yourself in a more advantageous position to be successful.

Kidd W & Co

What are the three most important things that stand between you and your ultimate dream?

Well, the first thing that stands between me and my goal is my mind. Of course, I’ve gone through my fair share of mental illness and it’s a constant battle a lot of people know about. This battle wages between my mind and my body. That’s something I had to do for a while; that is something that definitely gets in the way.

The second thing is my absolute hunger. Starting from a privileged background, I lack the hunger that someone else who is not from a privileged background may have been forced to develop. That drive and desire makes you want your ultimate dream more. I often think and do believe that this is something that only comes from the adversity people who are less fortunate have to face.

The third obstacle I am overcoming is an absolute safety net of being comfortable where you are—this comfort zone. Desperation, the kind that arises out of a mind forced to live on the street, a mind at its absolute lowest, positions you so that you have nothing to lose.

When you have nothing to lose, you become a very dangerous man, a dangerous person. I feel like having a safety net has taken that edge away from me. This can stop me from achieving my ultimate dream.

What was the most recent idea you have had that you have felt was particularly successful?

My company which I started earlier this year is a particular success I am proud of. I brought this company to fruition even though for some time now it’s been “in the works.” Yet this year I decided to actually bring it to life and so far I have been very successful.

I have had great partnerships with big corporations such as Ibis Hotel, one of which I did a campaign with not too long ago. If I might add it was very successful. Just this month I have celebrated a successful Fintech conference which was great. I also manage a lot of talent; I do a lot of brand campaigns—all in a short space of time – within three to four months.

My company, Kidd W & Co has seen a lot of success. Naturally, I am extremely proud of Kidd W & Co.

Who has been the most influential person in your life, and why?

That energises me to do better, to prove myself wrong.

It has to be said that the most influential person in my life has been me and the state of my mind. The state of my mind reminds me every day that this could be taken away from you, and it reminds me that we certainly are all human.

Sometimes this means you’re not as strong as you thought you were. That energises me to do better, to prove myself wrong.

With a strong educational background and a master’s at a prestigious university, you have achieved rare academic success. What are your thoughts on the educational system? Would you say it empowered you and if so, how?

The educational system is flawed. Unfortunately, they don’t teach a lot of vital things, things that are very important in today’s society.

They don’t teach you how to make money nor how to manage money. They don’t teach you how to become a better person nor how to negotiate. They don’t teach you how to be “street smart,” nor how to protect each other and protect yourself.

There are so many things taught that in fact do not apply to today’s society. What the prevailing educational system does teach is how to work for another person and how not to be your own boss; moreover it gives you very outdated tools. For me, the educational system is more of a tick box for your parents. Yet there’s more of a place for the opportunity to go and connect and network with people, make friends, discover a new talent, and so on. Now don’t mistake this: today’s education is far from valueless. I’m asserting it’s not as valuable as it used to be.

Yet and still, I would recommend people go to schools, colleges, universities, but I would recommend it for different reasons. As opposed to going there to try and get a career or to try and make your life a drastically better, there should be more emphasis on going to university and uncovering the discovery of your true self—who you are.

What fuels your daily routine? What would you say intrinsically motivates and drives you?

What drives me and motivates me is the fact that all of this can be taken away in a blink of an eye. Evidenced and proven by the facts—that I’m not where I want to be yet, I haven’t achieved what I want to achieve, and I have so much to offer—I feel like this is just the beginning and people are yet to see the best of Kidd. Another key motivation for me is that the potential in this world is limitless – endless, even. It is very well-said of me that I am someone who has been very hungry for success from the start in spite of my privileged background. I’m someone who was still hungry, still pushing.

Kidd W & Co

How do you stay grounded, despite all the fame?

Leaving my comfort zone and entering into unfamiliar territory was less comfortable but offered a zone where was able to think more and redesign who I am.

I had to leave my comfort zone, which is Nigeria, because I knew that the fame was hindering my progress. It was beginning to affect me, and I realised I soon became way too comfortable. So I took myself to an environment where I could feel less famous. I could feel like a normal person, which would make me work a lot harder to become famous.

It’s almost like a blank canvas and starting again. When I moved to London after the Big Brother show, it was almost like redefining who I was, who I am and who I am going to be. That’s how I stay grounded. I position myself and that’s what’s kept me grounded all this time.

Leaving my comfort zone and entering into unfamiliar territory was less comfortable but offered a zone where was able to think more and redesign who I am.

How do you think social media has changed the consumer landscape in Nigeria?

It is changing and changing massively. I mean, you can travel anywhere on this planet’s four corners upon the click or tap. You can type in “comedy,” you can type in “food,” you can type in “action,” you can type in “music” and find it delivered to your very fingertips.

It has made things a lot easier for entertainers to showcase talent, music, art, and this for everybody. I do not shy away from persuading people to get into it. I feel like it’s a way out of poverty and the hardship that we have in the country.

Nigerians are very joyful people. They’re very entertaining people and very happy people. They love to entertain, to laugh, to have fun and they love to smile.

I think social media is the perfect escape for them as it was for me. And I feel like now it’s a growing market amidst a growing consumer base and it’s getting exponentially bigger because there’s more money going into it.

We have the most loyal fan bases in the world. Speaking personally, my fanbase is amazing! It is full of girls and they’re simply amazing, supportive, and very engaging. That is just a testament to how strong the Social Media and online community is in Nigeria; further, not just in Nigeria but also in Africa. This Social Media presence will only grow bigger and bigger and I can’t wait to be a part of that journey.

What would you like to change within the next 5 years?

The one change I would like to see within the next Five years is in my will power. I want to be at a point where I can say yes or say no, and be precisely decisive—to stick to my decision. I feel like I’m easily influenced by a fear of missing out. That is hinders my progress quite a lot. So I want my will power to improve so that whatever I say, I could just stick to that and nothing else.

Sanjeev Desour, The UK’s No1 Business Mentor and CEO of The Entrepreneurs Academy.

Editor @ Global Man November 3, 2022 No Comments

Sanjeev founded The Entrepreneurs Academy with a vision to help entrepreneurs and business leaders to accelerate and maximise opportunities for growth and success by exploring opportunities, threats and solving challenges with mastermind groups, mentoring, training and accountability. This vision has proven itself to be a success, time and time again. The members of these mastermind groups and coaching clients have experienced more success and with mastermind members also benefitting from meaningful and lasting friendships and strategic business alliances with fellow Entrepreneurs Academy members.

In the early stages of Sanjeev’s entrepreneurial journey, he says he would have benefitted from more support, leadership, and positive role models. Despite the absence of this his entrepreneurial spirit won and inspired him to create an array of successful businesses and become a role model and figure of support for other business leaders and start-ups as a business coach, mentor and trainer.

Sanjeev is no stranger to the idea that the more problems you can solve the more you can succeed. He firmly believes in the unlimited power of a supportive, encouraging and experienced peer group to help you foster growth and success in business and life by sharing experience, expertise, opportunities and challenges with a safe group of like-minded winners who have no agenda other than that of support.

 

If I can keep making a difference, helping business owners grow their businesses, and in doing so grow our companies, that is a good overall win.

– Sanjeev Desour

You are a serial entrepreneur. How did you start this journey?

My entrepreneurial journey started at 15 which is when the flame to start a mobile disco company was born. At the time but I had seen the shortcomings of other mobile disco companies in the Asian wedding market and felt I could do things to a higher and more professional standard. These efforts paid off and went to reshape the industry as we know it today. Years later and the company I had started still embodies the same culture of high standards that was instilled back then.

I had various jobs to start saving. I saved my lunch money to start buying records and saved for equipment and also borrowed money from my brother and my mother too.

I landed my first club gig, and the promoter was impressed, as were the other DJ’s and this was where things started to take off, my next purchase was a phone so I can be contacted. I started advertising and my name was going around, and the bookings were coming in! Since then, I have started and exited a number of companies but have landed firmly within the spaces that I enjoy most. I have interests in live event production, broadcast media, marketing and of course training and mentoring. DJ’ing is my sport so that will always remain a part of who I am.

Do you remember the experience of getting your first job?

My first proper job was working after school. I would stack shelves and work in the cold rooms in a supermarket. I’d get paid a few pounds an hour, it made me feel grown-up.

What made you resign and start your own business?

While I was DJ’ing, I found that I had lots of time on weekdays as most gigs were at weekends.

I got a job with a reputable company but found that I was earning more money DJ’ing than the owner of the business…I found it hard to justify staying on and chose to focus on growing my DJ business to multiple teams.

The next phase was to start a fully-fledged event production company. This was the birth of IGNITE Events where we supply sound, lighting, set, staging, video display and technical support. IGNITE Events have become the go-to authority in that niche for personal development experts, influencers, and motivational speakers. We have produced and delivered events with Tony Robbins, Grant Cardone, Gary Vee, Les Brown, Steve Bartlet, Russell Brand and so many more.

You have been a leader in the events industry – how did covid impact your business?

When covid happened all the events we had in our diary were cancelled. The country went into lockdown but so many assumed it would be back to business-as-usual in a few months.

As time passed, we found that our clients had no way of engaging with their clients. Lacking a meaningful way to serve them and help them with what they needed in a live event like experience. I felt obligated to help.

They needed a way of doing what they do, and they needed a way to deliver events so that their businesses – and the businesses they serve – could and would continue to survive and even thrive during a very perplexed and worrying time.

They needed something more in line with a real event. Working within the restrictions imposed wasn’t easy but there had to be a way! This effort resulted in IGNITE Studios. A fully immersive, 360-degree virtual event studio, with the sound, light and stage of a real event, with screens surrounding the presenter. Hundreds of real, live delegates in real-time offered the opportunity for an engagement that paralleled our clients’ live events.

We didn’t only help our clients survive; we helped them, and their clients thrive during the pandemic. The positive knock-on effect was something I was and still am particularly proud of.

You have changed the direction of your business recently. Tell us more about it?

IGNITE Events and IGNITE Studios are two stolid businesses navigated by a great, inspired, and expert team in-place that ensures clients’ events are delivered to the highest standards. Whilst I still work on these companies, most of my time goes into coaching, mentoring, and consulting entrepreneurs and property investors.

I founded The Entrepreneurs Academy when, gathering six entrepreneurs from non-competing industries around a table to help one another grow and succeed, a decision was made to collectively help solve each other’s challenges, discuss, and explore opportunities too and the underlying theme was to help one another grow and expand our businesses but also improve our personal lives as well. I found that the members of this group made better decisions, achieved greater results, and outperformed their competition.

During Covid19 I offered free coaching services to various business owners and entrepreneurs who were going through tough times. They couldn’t afford our regular fees. It wasn’t about money to me. It was about helping others and there is no better feeling of fulfilment than in doing so.

What is your why?

I wish I had more support, leadership, and good examples as I marked my entrepreneurial journey. I also wish I had more access to real grass roots experience, education, and coaching; if I had, I truly believe I would have been able to achieve and contribute more back.

This is why I created The Entrepreneurs Academy and The Property Investors Academy. Our coaching, mentoring, mastermind groups and courses are world class!

How do you manage the balance between business and family or social life?

So many aspects of life are important but what we can give our attention to is very much dependant on seasons and cycles that we are going through at any given time. It’s a macroscopic ecology – they all affect one another to form one macro view.

How important is it for you to build relationships?

The more people you can build relations with, the more problems you can solve.

The quality of your relationships has a direct correlation to the success of your business and the quality of your life at large.

The more people you can build relations with, the more problems you can solve.

Also, a prospect is more likely to become a paying client if they are ‘recommended’ and recommendations come from those you have good relationships with.

What are the biggest mistakes you have made in business?

Not having a coach or mentor sooner in my career. Constant learning and improvement are accelerated when you have someone helping you, setting outcomes and an action plan; moreover, if this person is holding you accountable the results are massively accelerated.

How do you handle criticism and failure?

I am all for getting honest, meaningful, and unfiltered feedback from people who are credible enough to comment and in fact I welcome that. I always will and always have welcomed that.

I will always consider perspective and understand that these angles of feedback may stimulate growth, so we can become better.

When failure rears its head, we must learn as much as possible—from HINDSIGHT.

Learning from the situation to ensure you can mitigate or reduce the possibility of repeated/repeating failure.

What are some of the biggest obstacles people in business face today? What are some strategies to overcoming those obstacles?

There has been so much turbulence: Brexit, covid, Ukraine, energy to inflation – supply chain issues, food shortages and the countless other changes in UK government. All of this has proven with time to be the breeding ground and recipe for severe economic instability.

Instability limits progress: stagnation stops business leaders from making macro- to micro-decisions; decisions that would have otherwise helped them grow their businesses by injecting more cash flow into a demanding economic system chokes the now-neglected economy.

People and businesses are hesitating to take bold action, the economy desperately needs businesses to grow and expand but the very abovementioned factors are causing businesses to contract.

Get a coach or mentor! Get educated and join peer groups that will support and encourage you and also share their experiences and knowledge to help you achieve success and thrive.

What do you think about women who are running their own business?

This excites me! For years business and commerce have been heavily male oriented, and we need a better balance of perspective, approach, and leadership.

Women in business create a public dynamic that encourages more women to question their ability and perhaps go for it themselves! That can only be good.

The fact remains that women are very capable and social norms have come down to erase the false stigma that business is only for men. Women can and will do greatly.

What is your vision for your business and career? Where do you see yourself in 10 years’ time?

To answer this in a world where things are changing so fast would be naive. It’s okay to have a goal or an outcome based on today’s reality but considering the pace of technological and social advancement we must accept the likelihood of change.

If I can keep making a difference, helping business owners grow their businesses, and in doing so grow our companies, that is a good overall win.

I also have notable plans for The Entrepreneurs Academy, IGNITE and The Property Investors Academy and many individuals and businesses will benefit as will the UK economy.

A Sustainable Values-based View of Life

Editor @ Global Man October 12, 2022 No Comments

By Paul Palmarozza

Our Society Today

The daily stream of newspaper articles and numerous scientific reports about the increasingly high degree of stress, depression, obesity, violence, broken families, drug addiction, self-harm, participation in perverted sexual practices – the list goes on – all seem to point to the fact that we are not following the right path. There is need to first acknowledge the problems and then find a way to improve the conditions.

Here is one view of the main problems:

  • Major values of the day are wealth, power, fame & pleasure. While not wrong in themselves, the problem is that excess in these domains has become the norm. For example, pornography and marijuana are now rapidly expanding businesses. In the business world large company CEOs make 2-300 times the average annual salary of their employees and only stay in that position for 3-4 years. ‘Take the money and run’ seems to guide them, the short-term gain mentality permeates many aspects of businesses and what is ignored is how best to serve the needs of our society, which is the right way to success and sustainability.
  • We are a predominantly materialistic society wrongly believing that greater happiness will be attained by having more wealth, power, fame, and physical pleasure. Media continually lists the 100 richest, 100 most famous and 100 most powerful. Do you see listings of the 100 most Compassionate, Generous, or Humble?
  • There is little or in some cases, no spiritual education offered to young people and participation in the traditional religious services has substantially decreased for the older generations.
  • The family, which is the fundamental unit of a culture, is in a dangerously weakened state causing increased stress and tension in young people raised without the love and discipline offered by both parents. Divorce now is an accepted norm and there is even talk of allowing people to do it online.
  • Highly advanced technology has resulted in increasing dependence on the internet and social media, with unregulated damaging material available, even to young children. Artificial Intelligence will bring even greater dependency on technology, without proper understanding by individuals.
  • There is an overemphasis on my freedom and equality; my rights – not my duties. Ego-based thinking dominates in our highly competitive society.
  • A wake-up call has sounded by Climate Change, which has become a global problem. Examination has revealed that several decisions based on short term financial gains for business, have caused a serious violation of Nature for which the world is beginning to pay a very serious price.

A truly good and rich life

A Good, Truly Rich Life.

These issues must be addressed if a more empathetic, ethical, and healthy society is to be developed. How can this happen?

The essence of the new direction is first honestly acknowledging the problems and challenges we are facing and then turning the attention inwards by quieting the moving mind; surrendering the excess baggage of ego-based ideas and feelings; and simply connecting with our true ‘inner being’.

By addressing the more spiritual dimension of our being we are accessing a great power which has always existed, but has not been availed enough. In recent years several useful practices have been introduced and successfully used to improve the state of being. The main ones are:

Mindfulness

A practice to help bring us to stillness, to be in the present moment with full attention, instead of relying solely on past experiences or letting the mind wander into the future imagining what will be. With a quiet mind and heart, we are then better able to objectively consider important questions, in order that right and good decisions are better able to be made.

Meditation

Meditation has been practised for thousands of years in the various cultural traditions. While there are different systems of meditation, the practice itself is universal. It helps create a real sense of unity, which is crucial in our world today. The essence of the practice is about attention, one-pointed attention, be it on a mantra or on a flame. There will be the inevitable distracting thoughts which consume vast amounts of our energy. We need to let go of these attachments and stay faithfully with the mantra.

Other practices such as Yoga or Silent Retreats are also observed with the same purpose, to quiet the ever-moving mind and calm our feelings to bring one to a more balanced state so that true reason and love can prevail in our daily decisions.

Living Natural Human Values

We will then be prepared to follow the natural human values in how we think, how we relate to others and how we act in our daily life. A natural value is one which is inherent in the nature of a human being. For example, when you ask anyone what it feels like if they consciously tell a lie, the overwhelming response is that it is not comfortable, physically, mentally, or emotionally. This is valid and it is the reason that lie detector machines can work, as there is a natural reaction within when we do not speak the truth. To speak the truth is natural, to lie is unnatural.

Here are some brief examples of the application of these natural values:

How We Think

We should establish a stable and balanced state of mind when making decisions.

There are many decisions that need to be made every day, usually with several options. These may involve significant external pressures, for example, to meet expectations of other people, or internal pressures, such as, I want to win and gain personal recognition. We need to concentrate in order to be clear about our motives and the guiding principle that should be used as the basis for the decision. Key values in this realm are:

Inner Stillness; Self-control; Calmness.

How We Relate to Others

We should establish and maintain a harmonious environment for all activities with other people.

When a high level of voluntary co-operation is in place, the results are greater than the sum of the individual parts. Crucial to the personal efficiency, motivation and satisfaction, is a positive atmosphere, where mutual respect and an active concern for the needs of other people prevails. The values:

Co-operation; Respect; Compassion

How We Act

We must learn to deal effectively with challenges, mistakes and uncontrollable external factors.

As life is full of uncertainties, the best way to respond to the inevitable challenges, be they self-imposed or from an external source, is to maintain a balanced and unattached state, then our full faculties are available to discern the best response. The related values here are:

                                      Equanimity; Steadfastness; Determination.

The Results

By putting these values into practice, by living them, great benefits accrue for all; family, friends, neighbours, work colleagues, the community, nation, society at large, and you. This is real success. The natural results here are:

               Happiness; Peace; Unity

Service

When one lives these values then a natural motivation arises to serve the needs of others, to give. A wonderfully relevant quote from Winston Churchill on the subject: ‘You make a living by what you get, but you make a life by what you give.’

In considering the fundamental nature of service, there are three vital elements that influence the quality:  Intention – the motive behind the service, that is, for whose benefit is the service. Attention – relating to the execution of the service which is at its finest when done attentively with love and care. Retention – refers to the degree to which an individual claims credit for their actions. The less the better.

Service in Practice- Make a Positive Contribution to Climate Change

The key elements of the problem; the greed and corruption of a few and the misuse of Nature’s resources have been noted. A very brief summary of the way forward: Rational Laws, Planting Trees- Protecting Existing Forests, Engaging the Power of the Young & Politicians and Personal Contributions e.g., Support renewable energy either by installing solar energy or using a power company that has good credentials.

There is a long way to go, but we need to start now and continue marching together on the value-based, sustainable way forward. If so:

Considerably more detail on these subjects is offered in the book Cultural Cycles & Climate Change, which offers a Nine-Step Action Plan from More Quiet Time to a Good Life. The lessons learned for history, from not only Western culture but also the Chinese, Indian and Arabic culture over the last 2500 years, are covered. More detail on the Climate Change problem and the proposed solution is provided, along with other examples of the application of natural values. All the subjects covered have benefited from the guidance of respected experts in their field. The book has been published in the UK, US and India and is available on different versions of Amazon.

Paul Palmarozza

Paul Palmarozza has 58 years of business experience including founding a company specialising in e-learning in 1987 which grew and became a listed company on the London Stock Exchange (AIM) in 2001. He retired from the organisation in 2011. Currently he the Founder/ Director of If I Can…CIC, a not-for-profit Community Interest Company which offers free Mindfulness based Values apps, and E-Books. If I can… www.ificanapp.com and Ethical Entrepreneur www.ethicalentrepreneur.org are examples. He is a Guest Lecturer at Regents University Business School, UK and has lectured at the Stillman Business School at Seton Hall University in the US and other business schools in India and UK.

His published books include From Principles to Profit- The Art of Moral Management (co-author with Chris Rees); If I can…Timeless Values for Today; In Praise of Silence; and Ethical Entrepreneur E-Book. His latest book, Cultural Cycles & Climate Change is published in the UK, US and India. The book explores the lessons learned from the Western, Chinese, India and Arabic cultures over 2500 years. The recommended Nine Step action plans involves honestly acknowledging the problems, more quiet time to enable better decisions and then living natural human values and serving the Common Good. The need to serve the Climate Change issue and the way forward are offered. https://culturalcycles.timelessvalues.co.uk/

For 45 years he has been a tutor of Philosophy for the London based School of Philosophy and Economic Science. He has also delivered lectures, seminars and courses and authored numerous articles on the subjects of Spirituality, Values and Principles in Education, Business and Life. See www.timelessvalues.co.uk His email address is [email protected]

Marco Castelli: Let Your True Self Shine

Editor @ Global Man September 18, 2022 No Comments
Marco Castelli - A Model and Founder

Marco Castelli always felt more creative and so felt truly drawn to his modelling material, he got into the modelling world from there. Marco was catapulted to Milan when he was contacted by several agencies and worked for several brands. He also created his own charity gala with an auction where the proceeds went to a cooperative for charity in Sicily. The theme of his auction was a great microcosm of his philosophy: There Is No Light Without Love. The benefits of modelling include the experiences in general, working with geniuses and admirable minds, travelling the globe to be shot where the effect is greatest, and discovering the reality of fashion.

Modelling is a part of Marco’s DNA for whom there are many great designers. Read Marco’s interview to find out what new era fashion is facing. Marco brings out his one true essence through artistic means where he excels into the uncommon. For Marco there is no such thing as coincidence and with good reason. Marco sees the future for what it is: individuated and expressive, and his brand Marco Castelli Collection finds a prescient foundation in this very philosophy. Marco Castelli Collection aims to provide garments that speak with the authentic voice of the wearer, enabling this authenticity to come to the light.

Marco Castelli

What are you most excited about with your brand?

The fact that I can create and share with the world my vision and sense of fashion.

This is central to my “why” and it is a key factor behind my motivation.

What are the benefits of modelling?

The benefits of being a model certainly are the experiences in general. Models have the luxuries of working with geniuses and admirable minds who interest and captivate you. Travelling the globe to be shot where the effect is greatest is of sincere benefit as it means that the job can be optimised for its result all while I am travelling the world and seeing different cultures and people. For my passionate and inquisitive mind, I must say discovering the reality of fashion and what it really is counts for another great benefit for models. Fashion allows models to try such a versatile range of clothing with different qualities and styles. This has allowed me to come to understand the value of each fashion brand and the real difference between fast fashion, mid fashion, and high-end fashion. It is a major reason I know perfectly that my brand has one specific direction and target.

What are your thoughts on the future of modelling?

Modelling is a part of my DNA. I think the model’s life is an opportunity to express one’s sense of fashion not only for a brand but also to identify a personality and give to the audience a dream of the perfect look.

Marco Castelli

Who are your favourite designers and what is it about them that inspires you?

There are many great designers, but what inspires me about them is their nature, music and energy.

This is important to me because this can completely change the appearance, the purpose, and the effect of a brand.

Marco Castelli

What is your opinion on the fashion industry?

We are facing a new era of life in general spheres of thinking and life. So in the fashion industry too: it’s time not to be only eco-friendly but to really be producing what the world needs! Less production and more quality is the climate’s call.

What is your biggest business regret?

I have no business regrets, naturally as a result of always following my dreams. The only thing I miss often is my family whom I love and from whom I have received unerring love.

Marco Castelli

What would you say is the most important life lesson that has shaped you into who you are today?

Fashion is art and art expresses personality.

It comes to eventually determine our identities as it moulds us into who we are to become. The producer behind my art I see again: A determined boy…humble thanks to the education of a splendid family—my great pride. From them I have gained my deepest life lessons. Thanks to them I learned to love myself as I am and to bring out my one true essence (personality). I learned that I have much to appreciate in my life and that loyalty is a key part of everything I do. I understand that you must bring out all the beauty there is in humanity & all our talents. I understand the need for substance’s transcendence over appearance! Another thing that is important is resilience. To me that signifies the ability to cope with stress and adversity, coming out strengthened, drawing on the positive side. Nothing ever happens by chance. We have as a world come to the realisation that everything that happens in the chain of events is exactly that—a chain of events with cause and effect tying each event to the next and the next to the earlier. Everything has a cause before it and every cause has its effect. Take, for instance, the example of dropping a ball. If you drop it, it will fall, and to the ground, because of the force of gravity. If you would like to see the ball do something more than hitting the ground like flying over a tennis court’s net, you will usually hit it with a racket and the harder you hit it, the more likely it is that it will go over the net. What is the central theme behind these laws? Cause and effect, as Paulo Coelho also mentions in his book—the alchemist! Reading that book can sometimes be as simple and necessary as making up the wardrobe.

You once said in an interview that we create our own destiny and go in the direction of our own imagination. What is your vision for the destiny of Marco Castelli Collection?

Through my garments I want to mirror people and bring out their own identity as they begin wearing my garments.

The soul of my project is TIMELESS. Through my garments I want to mirror people and bring out their own identity as they begin wearing my garments. One must be free to feel as they truly are (in a world of fake appearances & influences). The future of my collection will express itself in this: Be yourself & Be Awaken! “Love yourself for what you are, and you will be what you want! It’s nice to be told thank you for the beauty that you bring to the world.

Marco Castelli

Arthur Samuel Joseph: Own Your Power Through Your Voice

Rochelle Martin August 19, 2022 No Comments

The empowerment of others through voice is truly powerful. Arthur Joseph is known as one of the global leaders in communication. He believes that if you own your voice, then you own your power. Arthur is the founder of the Vocal Awareness Institute, where you are trained and taught to become a master of communication.

“THE ROOT OF THE WORD INTIMATE IS INTIMUS, MEANING INTRINSIC OR ESSENTIAL. IT IS INTRINSIC TO BE WHO WE ARE, AND ESSENTIAL THAT WE MUST BE.

What are the fondest memories you have of your childhood?

My fondest childhood memories actually begin when I was two, when my Mother took us to see the classic British film, “The Red Shoes” in 1948. The arts were always very important to her, so when she wanted to see something I accompanied her. The first transformational moment of my childhood occurred when I was four and I had my first accordion lesson. I knew then that music would be my life. At the age of 12, in the 7th grade, I joined the choral group, the Hi-tones, and knew that singing was my musical direction. My next seminal experience came at 15 when I began studying voice with my first teacher, Mrs. Julia Kinsel, whom I studied with for several years.

As a teacher with over 57 years of experience, when did your love for academia begin and what would you credit your success to? 

My love for academia has always been in my DNA. Ever since childhood, I have been a voracious reader and loved learning. Discovery, researching and truly understanding a myriad of subjects are foundational to who I am.

Having had the privilege to teach for almost 60 years, I credit a good portion of my success to the originality of the work, my integrity and the integrity of the Vocal Awareness process. In addition, when someone works with me, they implicitly know that I care, I am passionate about what I do and am trustworthy. Voice is the most intimate art form. The root of the word intimate is intimus, meaning intrinsic or essential. It is intrinsic to be who we are, and essential that we must be. When one allows me to train their voice, they are also entrusting themselves to me, and that trust is sacrosanct.

How was your experience mentoring individuals, from politicians to professional athletes, and what did you learn from this? 

One of the aspects I have always been fascinated with about my work is the breadth and depth of my relationships. There are certainly myriad numbers of voice coaches, teachers, and media trainers… but there is no other practice that I am aware of that trains across the board in virtually any discipline from the arts to athletics, singing, broadcasting, public speaking and leadership. Everyone learns the same Vocal Awareness techniques; learns to embody the same rituals. Depending on whom I am teaching, and for what purpose, the application may change, but the principles never do. One of my paradigms is, “Structure does not impinge; it liberates. Freedom without direction is chaos.”

“I WILL NEVER MAKE YOU INTO SOMEONE YOU ARE NOT; RATHER, I WILL HELP YOU DISCOVER AND MAXIMISE WHAT IS POSSIBLE.

How did you embark on your journey as the founder and chairman of the Vocal Awareness Institute?

I began teaching at 18. Vocal Awareness was fully concretised in my early 20s. My entire practice has virtually been built through word of mouth. From the very beginning, I have been cognizant, albeit it has certainly evolved over the years, that I am teaching Mastery. Mastery in any discipline is only achieved when one integrates mind, body and spirit. In that regard, I have had the same spiritual/meditative practice for 56 years and have literally never missed a day. I say this for no other reason than to say that whatever I do in life, personally or professionally, I strive to do while integrating mind/body/spirit. (Again, the root source of two important words in my lexicon—integrity and integration—have the same root source. They mean wholeness.) The point of sharing this is that from the beginning of my career to the present day, I and the work continue to evolve but the foundation has and will never change.

What tips can you gain from the programmes taught at the Vocal Awareness Institute?

I always tell my clients/students, “I will never make you into someone you are not; rather, I will help you discover and maximize what is possible.” I also say, “I cannot empower you; that is arrogant. But, I can help you empower yourself.” Thus, each of the 7 Rituals, beginning with Stature, which is preparation for the Rituals, are quickly and easily accessible by anyone. When you claim yourself as an individual of Stature, you immediately learn how to be who you are instead of present who you are. Or experiencing the 1st Ritual, which is to say “Thank you to Source.” In both instances, the body’s first impulse is to inhale. Thus, you are beginning to change state. In this regard, through these first two Rituals, we are beginning to establish new neural pathways. 

I used to train the noted motivational speaker, Tony Robbins. He would refer to my 7 Rituals as ‘pattern interrupts’. He would say “To break an old pattern, you have to exaggerate behaviour to create a new one.” For us to break the patterns of ‘habit’ requires us to be in the 6th Ritual of Vocal Awareness, “Pay Attention; Deeper Listening.” We become very keen listeners inter- and intra-personally through this work. 

To assure that I do not make you into someone you are not, I ask you to craft your Persona Statement. The root of the word ‘persona’ is through the sound. One’s identity is largely conveyed through the sound of the voice and an opinion established instantaneously. Thus, your Persona Statement answers the question, “How would I ideally like to be known?” Then going forward, everything we do in Vocal Awareness strives to align with your aspirational Self. There are certainly so many other critically important principles and techniques. Even with these few, you can begin to claim the person you desire to be.

What does it mean to change the world through voice?

My Mission – To Change the World Through Voice – has never wavered. Voice is vibration. It is energy. Over 50 years ago, I was at a seminar with the creator of Transcendental Meditation, the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, when I heard him say, “I want to have a billion meditators on the planet to shift the vibration on the planet.” I want to have a billion people embodying Vocal Awareness to shift their own vibration and energy, claim their sovereignty and thus impact the vibration of the planet. As I approach my sixth decade of teaching, I realise this is my ‘legacy time’. I have been given profound work to share with the world. Thus, I am looking to create a movement I call the ‘Human Achievement Movement.” 

I have created a teacher training program to enable this work to be carried on for future generations. I am partnering with my dear friend/student, the extraordinary Jennifer Hill, in creating a number of online courses. With another amazing student/partner, June Bayha, we have created a program for youth she calls Work Wonder, and Vocal Awareness is a critical component of their learning. I am also in the process of writing two more books. My Journey is a privilege, and I am truly blessed to share it with so many.

In Conversation with Dr Ervin Laszlo: Part 2

Editor @ Global Man July 14, 2022 No Comments

Having turned 90 only last month, it’s hardly surprising that Dr Ervin Laszlo has a lot to say – and that’s before taking into account his distinguished portfolio of philosophical work and research. 

In part one, Dr Laszlo spoke to Global Man‘s Yassin El-Moudden about his beginnings as a young musician leaving Stalinist Hungary for piano recitals on the other side of the Iron Curtain. Discussion also concerned his influences from Bartok to Plato and parallels between the tumult of the 20th Century and the world crisis today. 

With the second and final part of this interview, the intriguing philosopher of science turned to focus on the present and the future. Relating to his involvement in the Upshift Movement, Dr Laszlo takes on accelerationist growth, inaction on climate change and historical determinism. 

Q: There’s an interesting point you made at the end (of part one) about making sure we move forward. History is a topic that quite a few philosophers have grappled with – I think of Walter Benjamin and his notion of history. So, am I right in understanding that you see history as being of a cyclical, rather than linear, nature. It can go backwards, instead of always progressing?

A: Well, that’s the case with any process which is not a deterministic process. There are no laws that define and decide what is to happen. In such a situation, that includes freedom – which in a negative sense is chaos, in the positive sense it is opportunity. There is an element of freedom to choose, to choose the way we want to go.

There are limits to nature – these are the limits of life – but we have to choose if we want to exempt ourselves from the limitations and possibilities of life on earth, which means the ecology of our living systems on earth. To exempt ourselves, go our own way and just try to subdue what is around us, that is the way big business and big government have been moving in the recent period, producing the unsustainability. The crisis – I think, even the health crisis – is human-made, by probably bringing in (for instance, the food chain) elements that don’t belong, because you’re always using everything that is possible to use as long as it makes some profit.

Q: How do you go about changing that? 

A: So, I think the opportunity of making use of this freedom, is here and it is now. We need to introduce the values, the mindset, a new paradigm. It’s what the Germans call, Weltanschauung – an overall “worldview”. Right now, it’s become antiquated.

We thought it would be scientific, that it would compete, because “the strongest survive” as Darwin said. It’s a mistake. Not even Darwin said that, but his followers interpreted it like that. Or that everything is moving according to rigid mechanical laws, that the universe looks like this and humans can’t interfere – that’s the Newtonian heritage. So, we thought it was scientific.

It turns out the new sciences talk about interconnection, non-locality and consciousness having a dominant and key role in life. It’s very different. Quantum physics, quantum biology, psychology and now, emerging trends in society and politics as well. This is a time to change. Above all, we need to change our mindset, so we may change our values and behaviours.

If we can change ourselves, we can help the world around us to change. As you know, Gandhi said “be the change you want to see in the world”. That can be contagious, it’s more contagious than any virus – in a good way, of course.

Q: If we focus on Hungary, after the collapse of the communist regime in 1990, how would you rate the transition from communism to liberal democracy?

A: Under communism, the regime belonged to a left-wing extreme and now it is very much of a right-wing extreme, which may or may not last. It is clear that it is not a truly open, democratic system and that has been the case for the last decade or so.

Q: You’ve talked a lot about the need for change from within. Regarding your involvement in issues such as the environment, what is the role of structures in combatting climate change and building a better world? 

A: You need a democratic society. You need a society that recognises that there are limits to growth. The role here of being aware of who we are is of great importance. Climate change is a key test, actually. We have ignored our belonging to the systems and ecology of life. We are deforesting, we are over-mining, we are polluting, because we thought that anything can be done – anything that is technically feasible.

New technology can be employed to make a profit and as long as that is the case, there are no other boundaries. Sure, there are some laws that we need to respect, otherwise we’ll be caught, as it were. Yet, within these laws, we can do whatever we want without any regards for the consequences and that is the kind of classical liberalism which has backfired. This is because there are natural constraints on structures, on what we can create, on who we are and what our societies are.

We have to act within the confines of the processes of life. By going beyond, we have created artificial forms of living. Artificial foods, clothing and modes of communication that have created negative feedback. The consequence of this is more unsustainability.

Q: That’s intriguing. It reminds me a bit of what somebody I previously interviewed once said. Essentially, even when we develop new technology, we reproduce old ways of thinking within that. When you mention ‘negative feedback’, is it the artificiality that is the problem or what we, as humans, instil within it? 

A: It’s the lack of recognising that not anything we can do, we should do. As long as it makes a profit. That created a human system on earth, that is moving in the direction of being a cancer (even if it is not exactly that). It reproduces itself at the cost of the planet, which is what a cancer does.

Q: Are you optimistic about the near future? 

A: The horizons are shorter than we once thought. The problems are becoming much more acute, much more visible and they are not new problems.

Tre Lowe: When Success Wins Over Pain

Editor @ Global Man April 20, 2022 No Comments

 

We all know him as Tre, the successful artist, the inspirational mentor. But few know that behind this image stands a story almost like a fairy tale with a happy ending. This is the story of a man who refuses to give up no matter what challenge he faces, of an artist who is inspired by his strength and faith. With a successful career and a myriad of achievements behind him, Tre has created a legacy he is leaving for his family, but also his fans.

 

In your career, you have known only successes, at least in the eyes of the public. But for you, who have been on this journey, how would you describe it today?

I would definitely describe it as tough. I know it’s a cliché to state this, but people think success just happens, that it happens quickly, and that you’re lucky. But success is a long bumpy road. Especially when you grow up as poor as I did. The path to success should be tough, it’s the battle, the trials, and tribulations, the setbacks, the pain, the highs and the lows. These things allow you to savour the journey. In fact, without these tribulations, there would be no success – because these are the things that fuel you. Our biggest record, Body Groove, came about because one of the guys in the band, Kevin, who had a recording studio at his house, decided to leave my brother Ashley and me to go solo. That caused problems for us as we didn’t have our own studio, and it was expensive recording records in those days. The sheer frustration of that situation is what led to the writing and creation of Body Groove – our biggest track. I call that pain Juice. I always speak about the power of pain – there’s no better fuel. Looking back today, I would describe my success as simply beautiful. Not just because this little boy, with all his insecurities, achieved a childhood dream, but because that pain-fuelled dream allowed me to create a life of service, and there’s nothing more beautiful than that.

 

Tell us a little about the days when you started creating, what inspired you? How did you create successful music for your audience?

Several things inspired me as a musician. Firstly, my upbringing. Growing up in a Nigerian household, my parents would have numerous parties. I think I became hooked on music whilst still in my mother’s womb. The fact that we grew up in the cultural melting pot of Notting Hill was also crucial to the sound my brother and I created. Back then, especially Notting Hill was one of the most vibrant, creative places in the whole of the country. It had such an eclectic mix of people; artists, designers, musicians, painters, actors, just so much creative energy, a real bohemian vibe. Also, a beautiful mix of ethnicities and cultures. A huge West Indian community, Portuguese, Spanish, Moroccan, and an increasingly white middle-class population as the area gentrified. It all created a crazy melting pot that drew every drop of creative juice out of you. This was cemented by the annual Notting Hill Carnival, Europe’s largest street festival. I loved the reggae sounds, the noise, the steel pans. It was impossible to not be creatively inspired! Musical influences were also key – I loved classical music. I’m a huge Beethoven fan, like me, he suffered from tinnitus – he’s one of my heroes. My brother Ashley had a love of salsa and music from South America. All of that added to that mixture of Nigerian, West-Indian, British pop sounds, fused with elements of American Hip Hop, R&B and house. You hear it all in Body Groove. It’s difficult to not have success with that much life poured into it!

 

In addition to career success, you have also encountered health difficulties. How do you remember those days?

Man, those days were tough at times. I always describe it as the best and worst of days. I had been in hospital as a young teenager for an appendectomy. The operation went well, but I was given a drug overdose during recovery. This caused me to become paralysed twice. When I emerged from the second paralysis, my whole world had changed. Everything looked strange. It felt like I was in a dream. I had a strange sensation at the back of my head, and a faint ringing in my ears. I didn’t know what it meant, I just knew I couldn’t live like this, and I was terrified. The doctors said it would fade, but it didn’t, it just got worse and worse over the years. By the time we did Body Groove, ten years later, in the year 2000, my health had really deteriorated. Life was often challenging, one day it was the high of appearing on top of the pops – a childhood dream, the next, it was having my 8th brain scan at some private MRI clinic. Then being told by the neurologist – “good news, there’s nothing wrong with you”. I was distraught when I heard that, as I knew there was, and no matter what I did, I couldn’t find answers. I saw so many medical professionals over many years, but no one could give me any answers. I would often wait for the royalty payments to come in, just so I could try another possible cure, remedy, or at the very least, find out what the hell was wrong with me!

 

 

When did you realise that you could handle it? How would you describe the healing process?

I guess I always knew I could handle it. I grew up with a profound sense of faith. I was raised Roman-Catholic and the stories of the bible were burned into my heart. Stories of triumph against all odds, stories of faith overcoming fear. Though I had dark days, I always had that flame burning in me. Faith in God, faith in self, and this innate knowledge that all this suffering was for a reason. So, no matter how dark things got, that little flame never went out. And so long as that flame remains unextinguished, there was hope. Where there is hope, there is faith, where there is faith, there is power, where there is power, there is the ability to handle anything life can throw at you. In addition, there’s the potential to alter the world with that power. So, I clung on, safe in the knowledge that I was strong enough to handle it.

The actual healing process began with my closest encounter with extinguishing that flame. I’d always lived with the thought that if my health got really bad, at least I could hop off a tall building. That thought gave me comfort. I know that sounds crazy, but it had merit. It gave me a sense of control. Of course, I never really thought that day would come, because I loved life, despite my horrific conditions. But eventually, that day arrived. I had to stand at the edge of giving up and succumbing to the darkness. That crunch moment came in 2008, following a DJ set at a crazy loud venue in Fulham, London. I knew that night it was foolish to DJ there, the sound system had broken, and they had a makeshift stack of massive speakers right behind the DJ spot. But, by this point, my health had deteriorated so much, I didn’t care! So, I got drunk and DJed. The next day I woke up deaf in both ears. My tinnitus, which was already horrifically unbearable, was ten times louder. I had no way to escape it as it was ALL I could hear. I was faced with two choices; find a tall building to jump off, or dig deeper into faith than I had ever dug before, and relentlessly search for answers.

Thankfully, I chose the latter – I always knew I would, I loved life too much, and I knew, deep down, my suffering had a purpose. I searched the internet furiously, like a man on a mission, determined not to give up until I found answers. I remember crying my eyes out when after hours of searching, with no sleep, deaf, with screaming painful tinnitus, I’d stumbled on someone called “Dream Child” or something like that. She had a blog describing her dream-like condition and her suffering. I was overjoyed at finally finding another individual like me!! I couldn’t believe it, after all these years, it turned out I wasn’t crazy! It had a name – the dream-like condition that had caused massive anxiety was called derealisation, it was a dissociative disorder.

Hours and hours of research into the brain led me to the conclusion that my head pressure, derealisation, and tinnitus were caused by my brain’s response to the trauma of being temporarily paralysed twice all those years ago. My brain had tried to protect me by disassociating me from the trauma. But that caused a type of PTSD. Even though my body regained movement, my brain would not let go of the fear of paralysis happening again. The tinnitus, derealisation, and head pressure were the results, and they became the new source of fear and trauma, and the vicious fear cycle continued. It’s crazy what our minds are capable of.

This insight and experience proved invaluable in my becoming a mindset coach and mentor. I’d finally discovered answers, it had cost me half a lifetime, but I didn’t care. I was now free. Free from fear of the unknown. I incorporated powerful mindful techniques into my daily routine, powerful deep breathing exercises, being centred, affirmations, and so much more. This reversed years of chronic head pressure felt like a miracle. The tinnitus and derealisation remained, but I learned to live powerfully with them. The healing process took years, with ups and downs, but the pain is power. That pain juice – as I termed it, made me unstoppable. It helped me create an incredibly powerful mindset, and I knew my job was to set others free. That’s how I became a tinnitus awareness campaigner, and then started my coaching company – Alpha Clique. I was determined to bring this knowledge to others. Help them discover their greatness despite their circumstances. This ability to impact others was the fuel that helped me finally heal. Looking back, I am so grateful for all those years of pain and anguish.

 

 

From artist to mentor, what does this leap mean to you?

This leap means EVERYTHING!! Today I am so blessed to live a life that impacts so many people. I have spoken on tinnitus awareness all over the British press and beyond, reaching an audience of millions. I coached for 5 years with one of the world’s foremost personal development companies, helping to alter the lives of thousands of people. Every Sunday, I run an Alpha Clique room on the app Clubhouse, where I host and moderate discussions around all aspects of men and their mindset. This is delivered to a mixed audience, where people learn and grow in a safe space with incredible speakers. We have spoken to over 10,000 people on that app – literally helped avert male suicides by giving men a chance to share and be heard and allowing them to heal the traumas in their lives, especially around relationships. I have spoken at schools, institutions, and numerous places.

Being a mindset mentor also helped me during an incredibly difficult time last year, when my brother Ashley, the other half of the band, died unexpectedly. I resolved to celebrate his passing by releasing a new version of Body Groove. The odds of success were slim, post-covid lockdowns, with no clubs open to fuel the hype. Even my own family told me to give up. They could see the pain, and the toll, working on his music and the politics around the track was causing. But I have this deeply embedded drive in me, thanks to years of pain. I never give up – especially in the service of others. Body Groove is a song for the people, especially after the horrors of lockdown. The success of that new version of Body Groove is a rallying cry for people. Never give up, fight for what you believe in, enjoy every second of life, and be all you can be. All we can do is dream, then we die. That track has currently been streamed over 10 million times… a whole new generation has heard my beautiful brother’s infectious voice urging them to “let the body groove”. I am so grateful and excited for all the new music to come.

 

What advice would you give to young people today who wish to have a successful career

Get yourself a coach or a mentor – they will push you beyond yourself. Life happens in your discomfort zone, not your comfort zone. Surround yourself with positive people that believe in you, believe in you so much they will tell you when you’re rubbish or when you’re full of yourself. People that are raw and honest with you.

Then study your craft – lock yourself away and just beat on your craft! Whatever it is that lights you up, do it, and do it well. Ditch any notions of entitlement – the world doesn’t owe you a damn thing. On the contrary, you owe the world EVERYTHING. You owe the world every ounce of your creativity, your passion, and your talent. It is not yours to keep, it is MEANT to flow through you, to impact, soothe, and heal others. So, stop being selfish, stop making excuses, no pity parties. Use every ounce of pain as juice. That PAIN JUICE is golden. Use it, use every drop of it. If you can’t fly, run!! But don’t you DARE give up!

 

A music career and a career as a well-known mentor – in your eyes, what are you most proud of?

I’m proud of being able to honour my parents – their suffering and their sacrifices. I’m standing on the shoulders of giants, warriors that came before me. I feel proud that I’m able to honour them by creating a legacy that I believe will reverberate through time. I am far from done!