Advice – Page 4 – Global Man

Advice

How to motivate and inspire yourself to achieve better results

Editor @ Global Man February 18, 2020 No Comments

Before working in sales, Jenci Declerck  has worked for several years in the food & beverage industry. Following a hospitality, school instilled his passion for restaurants and hotels, with a focus on serving customers. Today he works in sales, but his ultimate goal is to become a General Manager, ideally for an international luxury hotel. He shares with us his passion for tourism, sales and traveling, giving some insights for anyone interested on a career like his.  Finding a mentor and finding your own purpose is a crucial thing for a happy and fulfilled life. 

What is your prior experience in the hospitality industry?

Before working in sales, I have worked for several years in the food & beverage industry, as well as front desk through internships and short-term contracts. Initially, when I was 12 years old, I wanted to become a Chef. That was the main reason I went to hospitality school at the age of 14; to learn how to cook and manage a kitchen crew. At that time, I had no idea I would work in sales one day.

My family always respected my choices and supported me a lot; they just wanted me to be happy and successful in life.

I am very grateful for the freedom they gave me in terms of study choices; I disagree when I hear parents forcing their kids to do studies they are not really into, often for their own image and status. I am convinced it creates the wrong outcome and reduces the possibility for kids to be at their best in whatever they want to be.

 What are the challenges you have faced throughout your journey?

Leaving home as a 14 years old kid to go on boarding school was quite hard, especially as an only child very close to their mom. The first year was very tough; I did not have many friends, was struggling with my sexuality, and missed my family. On top of that, I actually did not really like the “cooking” classes and especially the kitchen atmosphere, but showed more interest in the service part of the restaurant business. The three other years were much more productive and reinforced my passion for restaurants and hotels, with a focus on serving customers. Later, during High School, I also faced difficulties with my level of English, which was not good at that time. That is why I later decided to study four months in Vancouver, which helped me a lot in improving and practicing the language.

 How do you balance work and life?

I travel a lot, and when I am not traveling, I like to cook or decorate my home. I also love to dine out, with friends or family. I actually do not mind traveling alone; it allows me to reflect, giving me positive energy and makes me enjoy the smallest things. Since I see work more as a hobby than a “job”, it is honestly sometimes hard for me to disconnect, but leaving the country helps me a lot to forget about emails and to-do lists. I also try to travel at least once a month to Belgium, my home country, to see my family and friends.

 What advice would you give to those who want to have a great career like yourself?

Firstly, pursue your own dreams and never give up. Secondly, find a mentor. Finding the right mentor will help you better understand the path you need to cross and the things you need to undertake to reach your goals. Even better if the mentor has a similar career to the one you aspire to achieve. Having a mentor will also inspire you to become a leader yourself and coach others to become like you. Furthermore, you need to ask yourself the right questions, to make sure that what you are doing suits what you are aiming for. I also believe that anyone can achieve anything whilst remaining focused and bringing together all possible efforts.

 What are your goals and plans for the future?

My ultimate goal is to become a General Manager, ideally for an international luxury hotel. For now, I am enjoying my experience in sales and would like to continue growing and learning from my leaders while developing my client portfolio. On a personal level, I would like to live in several countries to expose myself to different cultures and learn more languages. If through all of this I can also find the right husband, that would be nice too (laughing).

There are no failures, only feedback

Editor @ Global Man June 20, 2019 No Comments

Paul Boross – There are no failures, only feedback

By Fatima Gorezi 

Paul Boross — aka The Pitch Doctor — is the award-winning ‘Best Corporate Speaker’ who specialises in the “art and science” of corporate communication. Drawing on a career that has taken him from primetime TV, music and stand-up comedy to production, development, consultancy and motivational psychology, Boross works regularly with such power players as the BBC, Google and MTV, training executives in communication, presentation and pitching. His frontline experience of performance — his credits include a 12-year stint at London’s legendary Comedy Store — coupled with a strong commercial grounding enable him to deliver effective and focused skills to clients from a range of industries, from media to medicine. His latest book, Leader On The Pitch (co-authored with rugby legend Scott Quinnell), is rising fast up the Amazon charts.

How did your life look like before being an entrepreneur?

I was an entertainer. I had a band called “Morris Minor and The Majors”, and we had a couple of pop hits. I also was in a comedy and music duo with my good friend Ainsley Harriott, who is now a famous chef. We were an act together for eight years playing at places such as The Comedy Store, The London Palladium and all over clubs in New York and Los Angeles.

Whilst it wasn’t a traditional business, it was still reliant on having an entrepreneurial spirit with getting gigs, marketing and working to convince record companies to sign us. We got a deal with Virgin and that was when all the hard work started, because I realised that getting into business and making those kinds of commitments means that other people have much higher expectations of you.

Have you always been entrepreneurial? What led you to taking that first step and setting up your own business?

I think that the entrepreneurial signs have always been there in me. As a child, I used to buy raw materials like felt and make soft toys which I would then convince parents to buy for their younger children.

Whilst in my youth I had various jobs – like working at the post office at Christmas and doing a few weeks on a building site – for periods of time, to earn money. I really was a self-starter and preferred to create my own enterprises. When I was at school most of my friends had jobs working in shops on a Saturday or newspaper delivery rounds. I found out that you could earn more by being in teenage ‘photo-love’ magazines. Once I had been in a couple, I discovered that you could earn three times as much as my friends earned by also writing and directing the stories. Basically, I was always a person who said ‘I can do that’ and had the courage to go for it. I think there was certainly an element of showmanship in this too, but I don’t think you need that to be an entrepreneur. I think you just have to find something that you get a buzz out of, because that gives you the energy to keep going.

What has been the role of luck in your success?

Of course, I am lucky. I am lucky to have been born in a country where, if you worked hard and smart, you could achieve. I believe that luck is an attitude.

My father – who was a Hungarian refugee, arriving in this country with nothing but the clothes on his back, – always said that he was lucky. That was despite the fact that he had been in the 2nd world war at 17, gone into Berlin with the Russians in 1945, been put into a prisoner of war camp for six months. Then, eleven years later had to escape from Hungary and spend 5 months in a refugee camp. He had many more tough times in his life but he always told everyone how lucky he was. I believe that luck is all about that attitude, of seeing the opportunities that life presents, to know that while you’re still breathing you’ve still got a chance to get to where you want to be.

What is the one accomplishment that you are most proud of?

I am not sure that I have achieved it yet! Like most people who succeed, I am always looking forward rather than backwards. I suppose part of the entrepreneurial spirit is the belief that you can always do a little more, or a little better. Or sometimes, a lot better!

Overall, I am proud of having raised a son I love and admire. I am proud of making my living in some of the toughest professions, namely, music, comedy and the media. I think we can only judge our life’s work looking backwards. Perhaps this is what drives me to achieve more.

If you could go back in a time machine to the time when you were just getting started, what would you do differently? And what advice would you have given to yourself if you could only relay one piece of advice to your former self?

I genuinely wouldn’t do anything differently. There are no failures, only feedback. When I failed, I learned to get up quickly and move forward. Everything that didn’t turn out how I planned was part of the journey, and I would not be where I am today without those faltering steps.

As for advice to my younger self… I would remind myself that nothing is so important with the perspective of time. The old saying of, ‘this too shall pass’ is something that you should live by as much as possible. This applies to good times as well as bad times of course, and I think it helps to have a perspective that averages all of the ups and downs. Even thinking of a time as being good or bad is only a matter of perspective, because we never know where something will lead.

The only things I ever regretted were things I didn’t do but thankfully they were few and far between. At 19 years old, there was a very tall beautiful Australian woman that I didn’t ask out when I had the chance. I still think about that from time to time!

What is your experience of working with women? And what is your opinion about their talents and skills?

I have always had a very good easy relationship with women. As a teenager, I had both girlfriends and friends who were girls. Being able to share and talk with young women gave me an insight that I think hold me in good stead today. I now work with very influential and powerful women and men and I treat each with equal respect.

It is a generalisation but many women are better at listening to their intuition than men. Men can be overly analytical and practical at the expense of trusting their innate feeling. In business, it is crucial to be in touch with your instincts. Perhaps that’s a result of the environment that we’re working in, where many men feel that they are expected to be strong and decisive, and women are given more leeway to be intuitive and emotive. In that regard, I think men and women equally benefit from expressing those capabilities.

Where I do see an issue at times is where someone is trying to fit in with a cultural stereotype which doesn’t fit them. Whether that’s a female executive thinking she has to be tough and ruthless, or a male executive trying to be emotive and gentle. These stereotypes don’t help the individual to be at their best, and I don’t think that, in general, we take enough notice of the individual’s unique strengths.

I don’t see that men and women in general have any different skills; certainly when it comes to mental or creative skills. Of course, there are some physical jobs which are better suited to the male stereotype, or vice versa. But in terms of the majority of jobs around today, I don’t see a difference, and certainly the world of work that younger generations are getting into now is a much more level playing field than it was a few decades ago.

 

Cover photo credit: Emma Hughes Photography

The passion that drives to success

Editor @ Global Man June 19, 2019 2 Comments

Ronny Barthel  – The passion that drives to success 

By Fatima Gorezi 

Ronny Barthel is a professional photographer, very talented specializing in media design, photography and video production.He has  worked for some insanely powerful companies and from 2018 he has worked as  photographer for coaches, speakers, coaches on the way in the field of personality development and spirituality. He shares with us some great details from his life and speaks about the passion that drives him to do what he does every day. Photography is his muse, his true profession. He says that he don’t photograph things, but only  the way they make him feel. He aim to engage the reader through his photos; to focus on interesting subjects. He also loves snapping quicky and unusual things encountered in daily life. Portraits are a particular favourite. He says that it’s a joy seeing individual history reflected through people’s eyes and mapped on their faces.

Can you tell me a bit about how you became a photographer? What was your first exposure to photography?

My beginnings in photography were more than 10 years ago. At that time, I photographed portraits with analogue cameras and developed them myself in black and white labs. Then, over the years, I’ve been more and more concerned with photography. When exactly I get the first camera and why I do not remember exactly.

How big a role did photography play in your life before? When did you start taking photographs?

The role of photography has always been there but not the primary one in my work. I think that was due to the fact that I had to gain experience first of all because even with me this was not laid in my cradle but through much practice and repetition.

Who were your early influences?

I do not really have big names from photography that influenced me. I’ve always been an outsider in my youth, doing my thing in my own way and not looking at others that much. I still do that now.

Among your works, which one is your favorite? Why?

Basically, I photograph everything that has to do with people. Photographing beautiful landscapes does not really motivate me. I would like to capture people with emotions and hold them forever. In my work, I like to do the most idle snapshots as well as my lifestyle shoots. These are already provided but should nevertheless look as natural and unimpressed as possible and depict the person in front of the camera as authentically as possible.

Whose work has influenced you most?

Most have influenced me rather good wedding photographers but these are rather not so known in public. I have photographed weddings for several years, sometimes up to 40 per year.

What is the one thing you wish you knew when you started taking photos?

There is no special thing because I now know that all things are related. Capturing people with emotions is very complex and I do not mean that in terms of technology. In order to capture someone authentically and in the emotions, there are many qualities that one has to possess. You have to be authentic yourself, have a certain empathy, your own energy has to be very positive and attractive, you have to own personality yourself.

How do you get inspired? And what inspires you the most? Movies, books or magazines? Or is it just what’s around you?

Meanwhile, I am most inspired by myself and my environment. I try to be as outside as possible, but simply with me, to see where I want to go, what I want to achieve and implement this easily. The environment is a very important factor, which Feedbach gives you for your work, supports and guides you.

Has the industry changed a lot since you started shooting, or is there still a lot of work there?

Yes, of course, like everything else in the world, everything is always changing faster and faster, and it’s important to stick to it so you do not lose yourself. Twenty years ago, technology was still the limiting factor, it was expensive and harder to learn. Today, in the age of cell phone cameras, photographers are in need of completely different skills. It will only be successful and stay with the times, dealing with the new technologies and using them for his benefit.

What can you recommend to other photographers trying to find their niche?

You should just try different things and not stiffen. Especially with photography it is very important that you love the thing that you do otherwise it detects the opposite and there is simply no connection. For example, I had thought about making money with travel photography, but I did not know how to do it. Now I have come to the niche by chance coaches, speakers, coaches and entrepreneurs to photograph and photograph in Germany and also at their events, retreats and create your images for all social media channels.

What are you passionate about besides photography? What do you do in your free time?

In my free time I like to do sports (jogging, swimming, snowboarding), I like to listen to podcasts and I am also involved with personality development. I like to go to the movies and spend time with my son. I like to travel and experience crazy adventures and meet new people.

What are three things that people  need to know about the photography business?

– Make the photography out of passion

– Be the best in your niche

– You have to be authentic to represent people authentically

The world through the lens

Editor @ Global Man June 19, 2019 No Comments

Fadil Berisha -The world through the lens

By Fatima Gorezi

The successes of Fadil Berisha – internationally renowned photographer – are consecutive, as he has transformed his work into art, bringing a unique style of world-wide photography. While browsing his photos, whether of Hollywood celebrities, or people not necessarily with a public profile, create the idea of ​​visiting a real art gallery where colors, energy, style, elegance, thought, sensation beauty, deep artistic spirit, and so on.

The conversation with her looks as interesting, as exhausted as possible (with returns on the past and the present), just as her photograph would surely know to withstand time and generations, changes and technological overthrow. He has a special relationship with Albania and Kosovo,  two countries that he has always kept at heart. Undoubtedly, this explains why he is one of the most beloved personalities among Albanians, and his contribution to the Kosovo war, where by his art he managed to make the world aware of the size of the Kosovo tragedy of that period, thus sparking the political response.

Fadil has today the exclusivity of photos for Rolex and is the official photograph of Miss Universe and Miss USA; with contributions to sound magazines such as Elle, Vogue, Glamor, Seventeen, People Magazine, Harpers Bazaar, Esquire, Vanity Fair, GQ and others.

He has also photographed many personalities such as Halle Berry, Tyra Banks, President Bill Clinton, Snoop Dog, Sugar Shane, Hostly, Jenifer Beds, Beverly Johnson, Robert Evans, Jamie Lynn Sigler etc., which further demonstrates the magnitude of his universal success.

Among the lines, you will learn from Fadil talking about his art and important moments that have marked his life and career, as an existential meaning for a man who has seen the world from the wonderful window of his camera.

How do you remember your early life, your childhood? You have left your country when you were 9 years old. What trace did Kosovo leave in what would happen next to you and your life in America?

I had a beautiful childhood … with very beautiful memories and surrounded with lots of love. These beautiful feelings I have taken with myself into the art of photography by pointing out the beauty.

Fadil, you’ve been working on many fashion fairs by promoting campaigns for global brands. Your work is featured into the front pages in many prestigious magazines. Going back in retrospect, how do you remember the beginning?

The beginning has been incredibly difficult … I did three jobs to get and collect income just so I could go to school.

What are the most difficult challenges you have faced during these years of your journey?

Among the hardships associated with the profession are many trips for work reasons in different places and coordination of photographs in my private studio, as well as my effort to help every young Albanian artist.

What would you classify as your most special picture, which carries a special memory for you personally, emotionally?

One of the most special pictures I have realised is a picture of Miss Albania, Hasna Xhukici and Miss Kosova Marigona Dragusha. Both girls qualified in the ten of the most beautiful girls in the world and Miss Kosova was second in this so prestigious female beauty contest.

 What is beauty for you? Should the subjects of your focus be necessarily beautiful?

I like classical beauty! I think everyone has something beautiful… somebody’s eyes, somebody’s neck.

 How much do you think has changed the image of women and the concept of beauty over the years?

I believe classical beauty goes and comes. As the saying goes: ” class is forever ”. At this time the concept of beauty is exotic, but always returns to the classics.

 Has the technology changed / influenced photography? Is this a positive or negative change?

The digital photography has changed the art of photography and I think this change is positive.

As you look at the range of your photos, it seems that the portraits are your strong point. How easy or difficult is to point out their character/ personality?

It is difficult to point out the character’s personality, but it is important to gain their trust in highlighting the best that those people have.

Is it a public figure you want to photograph but still have not done?

Maybe I want to photograph Angelia Jolie, it’s a classic face to me.

What is the report that you have today with Albania and Kosovo? What keeps you connected tightly to your mother country?

I go back often because it is the passion and love that I have for my people.

 People who deal with art, creativity, usually have a deeper understanding and perception of social life. How do you see the situation in Kosovo and  Albania today? I mean from an economic, political and social point of view ? How is your image for them in your mind?

Albania and Kosovo have advanced a lot. There is art everywhere!

What is your greatest ambition in life, as a human being and as a photographer?

 My personal ambition was to open the doors for Albanian artists to inspire them with my art and I think I have achieved this; in some ways I have become a tie.

How many photo albums does Berisha family count? How is  your relationship with your children and wife?

Maybe not so much. I have many pictures of the children when they were young. We have a very good family relationship.

 You are well acquainted with being a philanthropist and participating in charity campaigns. Can you share with us some more details about this?

I am always ready to support various issues, including organisations against various diseases. Charity is important to me. It is also important to give your contribution to the human community.

Shaping the future

Editor @ Global Man June 10, 2019 No Comments

Richard Sibalier – Shaping the future

By Fatima Gorezi

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

What attracted you to become involved with coaching?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Human capital” is our most valued asset.

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

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

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

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

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

. Long Term Potential

. Enthusiasm

. Ambition

. Putting Skills to Action

. Team Player

. Responsiveness

. Communication Skills

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Instead, the wider customer experience is key.

Customers don’t buy PRODUCTS !

They BUY Stories, Relations, Emotions.

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

Our group are loyal to our DNA.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Editor @ Global Man December 10, 2018 No Comments

By Fati Gorezi

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Tell me a bit about your professional background?

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

What inspires you in everyday life?

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

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

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

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

What is the formula to ‘Living Forever Young’?

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

What is your greatest strength?

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

What is special about your lifestyle?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

Editor @ Global Man December 3, 2018 No Comments

 

By Fati Gorezi

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

What has been your personal key to success?

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

What is special about your lifestyle?

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

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

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

 

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

Editor @ Global Man December 3, 2018 No Comments

By Fati Gorezi

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Gil Petersil: Strategic Partnerships Can Work Wonders

Editor @ Global Man September 12, 2018 No Comments

By Fatima Gorezi

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Anders Eklund– In the noble business creating successful leaders

Editor @ Global Man September 1, 2018 No Comments

By Fati Gorezi

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Contact info:
[email protected]
leadership2success.com

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