Featured Man – Page 4 – Global Man

Re-Wired: A Life on the Circuit

It’s quite a leap to go from electric guitar to electric car, but then again, Adam Kelbie is no stranger to remaking his career to suit his positive drive for happiness, as Yassin El-Moudden finds out.

The innovative founder of marketing firm, A Hand Online, and KLB Global Solutions opens up – on challenges he’s faced, why young men need direction and how he found himself playing Jackson Maine in a stage show adaptation.

And when the conversation turns to tech, the former All Together Now TV judge takes the chance to wax lyrical on his plans to bring the digital and social together: from cryptocurrencies and NFTs to tackling expensive fuel bills and building 8-minute homes!

All befitting for the Herts man who once set out on tours with his band, ready to “take on the world”!

 

“You just have to act and believe”

 

Take us back to a young Adam Kelbie in the early 2000’s music scene – what was the story behind you joining a band? Which groups influenced you and was there an element of you “finding yourself” through this musical journey?

 

Our music was a mixture of The Prodigy/Kasabian meets Madness. We were a very laddie band and I think that best describes this moment of my life.  I really learnt how to write good songs with the team and there was no bigger rush than being up on stage performing them. We were just 6 lads taking on the world and it felt amazing.

I definitely found parts of myself that I liked and also discovered areas that really needed work.  I learnt that you have to be persistent to achieve your goals.  There are a lot of promises made in the music world. A lot of hype that sometimes doesn’t live up to what you expect.  You could get down and disillusioned, or dust yourself off, believe in yourself and keep on battling.

 

Talk us through how you moved from travelling across the country on music tours to travelling across the world promoting the Formula E circuit. The last 2 years have seen any number of people switch and make radical career changes. How did you cope with adjusting and what advice would you give others?

 

For a couple of years after the music finished, I really did not know what to do with myself.  I was stuck in some dead-end promotional work – giving out free samples of products and the like – and I noticed I was starting to get very low.  I had NEVER actually thought about what I would do apart from music. In fact, I really did not know what I could do.  All I knew was that I’d begun to get frustrated with myself, feeling as if I was not amounting to my true potential.

During this period of my life, I struggled with some mental health issues – having no direction can do that to a person. Still, I refused to give up on myself and when I was offered the chance to join the Formula E PR team, it really brought me back to life!  All of a sudden, I had purpose. There were goals to achieve and I became part of a networking circle that you could only dream of being in.  This really kick-started my corporate career and encouraged belief in myself.

I have seen many people, including my own brother, restart their careers during the last couple of years. I believe the pandemic gave everyone a chance to reflect.  Are they happy doing what they are doing? Do they look forward to getting up and working on their own goals? Could they do something else?  The answer is YES.  You just have to act and believe. Then, you really can achieve what you want.

 

You moved into the world of business, with a focus on communication. You say that you helped CEOs out with improving their on-screen persona and networking at events. I note that you featured as a judge on a primetime BBC One talent show. To what extent would you describe yourself as an extrovert and does that stem from your touring days? Would you describe it as innate, or did you have to take steps to build your confidence?

 

Well, I am an entertainer at heart and I just can’t help but bring that into my social and business surroundings.  I like to know what’s going on in the room and I like to build a happy environment.  Does it make me stand out in a room because of my entertainment traits? Most certainly.

During lockdown, I asked myself “what is the best value that I can offer people?”.  I took for granted how nervous people can get in front of crowds, peers or in face-to-face business meetings.  For me, it’s always been a skill that I had to put aside or I would never have got up on stage or in front of the camera.  I had no choice if I wanted to succeed in this career.

In modern times, I believe that the CEO’s and top execs are the rockstars of the business world. This is something they might never have trained in and may find it very uncomfortable. A good CEO knows he has to break through his comfort zone, and so I help them to believe in that side of their persona. That may involve working a room at a networking event, standing up on stage and giving talks or doing a piece to camera.  It’s amazing how great these individuals are once they believe in that side of themselves.

 

“I’m an entertainer at heart and just can’t help but bring that into my surroundings”

 

At Global Man, we’ve recently been setting our sights on the future, from ecological sustainability to developments in new technology. As someone who has been involved in Formula E, the world of cryptocurrency and describes themselves as “a big campaigner for world energy solutions” (Hertfordshire Mercury), could you tell us some more about what draws you to this particular sphere, in addition to what you’re currently working on?

 

There are a lot of technologies out there that can really help the planet but unfortunately, they never see the light of day.  They get swallowed up by the big boys or ridiculed, as it goes against what the bigger companies’ plans are. However, I believe that the tide is turning and with the introduction of raising money through cryptocurrency, a lot more of these projects will soon come to fruition.

As for me, I’m now working on modular homes that can help with the UK’s housing crisis and reduce carbon footprint – and it’s amazing technology! They can literally put up a house in 8 minutes, I kid you not.

Another project that I’m currently spearheading and raising finance for, is an NFT project involving real estate. Now, real estate is quite a stable investment but you need to have a lot of money to get involved in it.  My project will ensure that anyone can invest in real estate and receive the gains, whilst also putting extra emphasis on building out social and affordable housing.

Banks don’t need to rebuild our nations and shouldn’t be the only ones to gain. We, the people, can both rebuild and reap those rewards.

In the past, I also raised money for waste-to-energy power plants. This is great technology and also should be paramount in helping to reduce the rising energy costs we’re all facing.

 

If I could pick up on your work and focus around affordable, social housing. Why did you decide to concentrate on the housing crisis as a matter to address? You’ve also used some profits to donate to the Red Cross. In light of post-pandemic developments, do you believe there needs to be a closer connection between business enterprises and social awareness, that they can’t be divorced from their surroundings?

 

Social and affordable housing is important to me because everybody needs and deserves a home. Home life is so important and there really is a shortfall of housing in the UK and across the world.

Raising money for the Red Cross is actually something I have been doing. I have been helping with an app along with some amazing guys over at a crypto currency platform. They are giving 10% of all proceeds to charity. Good on them.

There is definitely a responsibility that business leaders need to take on their shoulders in how we shape the world for the better.  That’s to say, it should always concentrate on what’s good for the collective and not just for personal gain, as I believe some huge greedy companies are doing.

 

Like nearly everyone, you were adversely affected by disruption brought about in the pandemic. You were cast in a stage show that was brought to an early end. How was time during lockdown for you? Was it a time of reflection and how difficult (or otherwise) was it?

 

Yes, the tour was brought to an abrupt end as the pandemic spread and shows were cancelled. So, I used lockdown to reflect on how being on stage made me feel, and why I had built up these stupid beliefs that I had to do one or the other.  Either be a performer or a businessman.  Rubbish! I can do both and I will do both.

 

Founder of A Hand Online, Adam Kelbie, puts his hand to acting in a new theatre adaptation

 

Looking to the future, your stage show “A Star is Born This Way” – a theatre adaptation of “A Star is Born” – is ready to hit the roads again and go back on tour. You’ve said that you no longer have to choose between business and music – now it looks like we can add acting to the list! Where do you hope this path will take you and what can say to those who feel that they have to choose?

 

Although I do like acting, the stage show I was involved in, playing Jackson Maine, only featured songs from the famous movie.  It was something I never expected to do again but when you are offered an arena tour and it’s a chance for your little nephews to see old Uncle Adam – you take it.

All we want in life is to be happy and I am happiest when helping others and being on stage myself.  Why I ever thought I had to choose, is only because I allowed other people’s opinions to influence mine.  Finally, I’ve realised that me being me – doing what makes me happy – is the only thing that brings the best Adam out in all walks of life.

5 Ideal Gifts for Valentine’s Day

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Necklace

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Ring

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Earring

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Emerald Necklace

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Rings with multicolored stones

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Arif Anis: The Global Influence Magnate

 

Mr I’MPOSSIBLE to Exploring the Art of Possible

Arif Anis is an influence magnate. If you are in London, Dubai, New York or some other cosmopolitan European capital and moving in the circle of movers and shakers, then it is hard to escape the James Bondish charm of Arif Anis. You might notice him rubbing shoulders with the titans, royalty and newsmakers to Forbes richest alike; from the US president Bill Clinton to the British prime minister Boris Johnson and Pakistan’s premier Imran Khan, HRH the Prince of Wales to the Archbishop of Canterbury and Malala Yousafzai, Donald Trump to Richard Branson, Deepak Chopra to Tony Robbins, George Clooney to Angelina Jolie, Maria Sharapova to David Beckham and Amir Khan, Arif Anis might be visible everywhere uplifting people, businesses, organisations and inspiring lives for better. Heads turn when Forbes winner of the highest-earning woman in music and Time magazine’s “25 Most Influential People on the Internet” Katy Perry is found cooing along with him ‘I am Katy Perry, and I am possible.’ I’MPOSSIBLE is one of his ten mega-bestselling books that got translated into multiple languages.

Anis has been voted “Brain of the Year 2020” by the famous Brain Trust UK, a trophy previously awarded to the likes of Professor Stephen Hawking, astronaut and Senator John Glenn, former World Chess Champion Garry Kasparov. The tale becomes further intriguing when we find how he started his life as a shepherd in Pakistan’s Soon Valley some four decades back and then became a success story by following and living his dreams. Anis’s tenth book and an anthology, “Habits of Success”, recently became a USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestseller. I should not forget mentioning Arif Anis won the ‘Global Man of the Year’ award in 2019 at the Global Woman Summit. Anis was also praised by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth and Boris Johnson for founding the ‘One Million Meals’ campaign during the first lockdown in 2020. Anis is the president of Akhuway UK, part of the world’s largest interest-free microfinance loan provider Akhuwat with an over 1 billion dollars portfolio. Power100 placed him among the 100 most influential trailblazers in Europe in 2018. His initiatives have been featured by BBC, ITV, Sky, CNBC, The Telegraph, Yahoo, and many other global platforms.

 

Arif, what a fascinating story! How do you see all the dots connecting together when you look back?

It doesn’t interest me

how old you are

I want to know

if you will risk

looking like a fool

for love

for your dream

for the adventure of being alive.

“The Invitation,” by Oriah Mountain Dreamer

 

I was born in the small village Anga in Soon Valley, a craggy and mountainous valley in the North-West of Khushab District, Punjab, Pakistan. Soon Valley is beautiful, with many lakes, waterfalls, jungles, natural pools, and ponds. Since ancient times, the Valley has been settled, including by the Awan tribe, whose descendants still live in the Valley. I was raised in a family of five. My father was a Junior Commissioned Officer (JCO) who had served in the British and Pakistani army. My mother was a typical housewife who looked after her kids and nurtured them with love.

In Anga, the school was located miles away from home around a treacherous path. The roads were not paved, and the village did not have electricity. The environment was more conducive to games, hunting, and fighting. Nerds were looked down on as a bit feminine. I found a treasure of a library in a neighbour’s deserted house and fell in love with books. The fantasyland of One Thousand and One Nights and other stories helped me survive the otherwise tough terrain and hostile environment of my early years.

Books became my refuge while growing up. These books introduced me to a world of fantasy, magic, and surrealism where anything was possible. I dreamt of being a warrior leading a pack of knights. Sometimes I was the Aladdin on the flying carpet. At the same time, the stories of the great men and women who left their fingerprints on history inspired me. The conquerors, adventurers, dreamers, fighters inspired me to become more than my circumstances. Due to the prevalent misery around me, I imagined being someone who could inspire lives, uplift people, and change them for the better with some magical, healing touch. These ideas kept transforming from a warrior to a career in the armed forces, a teacher to a counsellor, and a civil servant to an international speaker.

 

 

Well, you seem to have come a long way from being a shepherd to being endorsed by Katy Perry, the most influential artist of our times. How do you make sense of your journey?

A burning quest to find my purpose aided me to weather the storms on the way. I used to question the meaning of existence. Gradually, I realised that even if there might be no divine purpose for ordinary lives, ordinary lives could still serve some divine purpose. Consistency and perseverance were the main keys. It was not easy, but it was very much worth it.

In my teens, I was merely a spectator to the events of my life. It felt like I was tossed in the giant whirlpool of life with no rudder or oars. I slowly worked out my tenacity muscle to get hold of myself, growing it daily by going a few extra feet out of my comfort zone. When I looked back, I had travelled hundreds of miles by doing it, living it every day.

In those early days, books were just an escape from reality. But when I stumbled upon books from Jim Rohn, Paulo Coelho, Napoleon Hill, and Tony Robbins, they introduced me to another kind of world where my intentions could invoke some law of attraction and that could create miracles. The idea of personal development that one can write one’s fate was a game-changer.

I have met many twists, turns, and surprises during my journey. In February 2020, after a meeting in London with His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall, I was seated at the table with singer-songwriter Katy Perry, one of the greatest music icons alive, where I introduced her to my book I’MPOSSIBLE, and she was thrilled. “I am Katy Perry and I’MPOSSIBLE.” The “Firework” girl beamed at the camera while endorsing the message of possibilities. But she was not the only one. “I Am Possible and The Time Is Now” became a battle cry at thousands of places among the personal development junkies, at boot camps, seminars, and stadiums. Several heads of state and influencers endorsed this message. It is a One Thousand and One Nights tale for someone who was born a shepherd.

It was not smooth sailing. Every time I would fail and fall, I would hypnotise myself with the most powerful and inspirational quotations. I gradually found that obstacles led me to find my way; I must not resist the pain of discipline or struggle but rather find meaning in it.

 

One of your first books was ‘Follow Your Dreams’. How much of luck has to do with following and achieving one’s dreams?

Somehow, most of my craziest daydreams came true. They included a dinner with a US president, a toast with Ms World, and an official Buckingham Palace invite. I discovered that the harder you work, the luckier you get. You earn it by sweat and blood, by walking out of the comfort zone, by challenging yourself and shedding your old skin and habits. It is a GRIND, my friends. Luck can be a break or a chance, but that is it. Once, I conducted research and wrote an exclusive on the winners of the lottery. I discovered most of their lives got worse after the win. They became lost to addictions of various types and lived fractured lives. You will have your fair share of rising and falling, success and failure, applause and curses; no one is exempt. In my life, I have not come across anyone lucky enough not to be scarred by life. No one will come out alive, as they say. Higher awareness, compassion, and love are luck, and I have been lucky enough to receive them in abundance.

 

At the release of your ‘The New Psychology of Love’, we heard of how you found the love of your life. How did it happen, and how did it impact your life?

Well, as a hopeless romantic, I wear my heart on my sleeves. In my early twenties, I fell in love head over heels. It was a breathtaking place full of colours, songs, and sunshine. It still is. That time I was utterly broke and just starting on the ladder of life. Naturally, her family demanded a settled life and a career that was non-existent for me at that time. Culturally speaking, I had to throw a big fat wedding that I could not afford. However, through a strange series of events, somehow similar to the movie A Slumdog Millionnaire, I managed to win a million rupees jackpot in a TV quiz show after competing with over 50,000 participants. The top reward enabled me to follow my heart. It is still one of my most significant breakthroughs. After becoming my life partner, my wife Uzma impacted my life profoundly. We are a happy family of four with our two sons Sarosh and Fariqleet. My family means the world to me. They are also the biggest reasons for whatever I achieved or accomplished in my life.

 

You seem to have met some incredible people along the way. Who really influenced you?

Jim Rohn, Jack Canfield, Brian Tracy, Chopra, Ahmad Nadeem Qasmi, Ashfaq Ahad, the legendary British writer and creator of Mind Mapping Tony Buzan, all mentored me. Buzan and I travelled together to many countries to speak to big audiences. Buzan was one of the most intelligent minds I came across. Armed with a sheet of white paper and a fistful of coloured pens, he would sit in his office overlooking the Thames at Marlow, Buckinghamshire, “mind mapping” his day. An affable figure who always looked crisp and dapper, he had a rockstar persona. I still remember a critical lesson from him explaining “contact” and “connection.” He said, “It is not important whether you are in contact with someone or not; the most important thing is having a connection. Without having a connection, contact is merely a waste of time, energy and emotions.” He used to define “attention” in the simplest form as “staying there where you are.”

 

 

As an author and a thought leader, in your view, when is the best time to take off and live the life we deserve to live?

A human’s success is determined by the number of uncomfortable conversations the person is willing to have. We may not know the outcome of a choice we fear. The unknown road to the known destination paralyses us. We are petrified to even think about the time and the effort it may take to get to our final point. Heck, we are not sure if we are going to reach the end or not. It is a necessary risk we have to take. Our future is wrapped up in uncertainty. There is no amount of insurance that could cover it. When you gotta do it, screw it – just do it!

As Kurt Hahn says, “There is more in us than we know if we could be made to see it; perhaps, for the rest of our lives, we will be unwilling to settle for less.” You can’t fathom yourself exactly, and there is much more in you than you think. You are stronger, faster, and abler than you think you are. So don’t be afraid to give your fullest and roar with your might.

The words of Sven-Göran Eriksson offer great insight pertaining to personal desire: “To wish you were someone else is to waste the person you are.” Indeed, comparing ourselves to others is rarely a positive or productive experience; most of us have a tendency to idealise other people while undercutting ourselves. Partly due to this negative bias, many individuals end up concluding that they are years behind where they “should be” in life. Remember, you will arrive at your destination in your own time. You don’t need to spoil your journey thinking of your speed because this journey is more important than the destination.

 

I have heard your mantra of ‘walk your own damn path’? Isn’t that a tough choice to make in life?

What I learnt in life is that it is essential to walk your own path. Make your own path. Walk your own darn path. Don’t toe the line because it’s easy. Don’t copy your parents or significant others for emotional reasons. It must spring from your own being. Also, you must not be deceived by the trap that you are walking your own path while you are trudging along with societal norms. However, there is no harm in conforming to the norms but not because you cannot walk out of your comfort zone. Unfortunately, you will never embrace the essence of your existence until you walk your own darn path.

Life is not a straight road. There are bends here and there. However, a bend in the road is not the end of the road. Sometimes you will try so hard to accomplish something. Sometimes you can be so prepared and still fail. You will sweat, toil, labour, bleed, and it will amount to nothing. And every time you fail, it’s painful. It breaks something within you. It is a dark and lonely place. However, this is the place most visited by all the champions. A man’s character is not judged after he celebrates a victory but by what he does when his back is against the wall. So, no matter how great the setback, how severe the failure, you never give up. You pick yourself up, you brush yourself off, you push forward, you move on, you adapt, you overcome. Just never give up. You only lose when you give up. You are not beaten until you give up. So, never, never give up!

 

How do you see fear impacting our lives, and how we can outrun it? How o do it and who can help us do it?

There are two ways to live. You continue running or ducking away from what scares you. This will make a small bugbear grow into a monster. Or you face your fears, eyeball to eyeball, and in one second you realise that it’s the most blissful experience of your life. There’s zero fear. You realise that the point of maximum danger is the point of minimum fear. It’s bliss. Why were you scared in your bed the night before? What do you need that fear for? It just ruins your day. The best things in life are on the other side of terror, on the other side of your maximum fear.

Most of us waste too much time frozen by the fear of failure, fear of being judged, fear of everything. All it takes is one first step forward. No matter how small. You’re the tallest wall to climb. The longest bridge to cross! Because of your mental stoppers, you fail to reach your full potential and you betray your dreams every day. You can overcome all this by finding your true self, and tuning into the positive, hopeful voice in your head that’s pointing towards the light. Follow the light.

The truth of the matter is that no one else can do pushups for you. It is you, yourself, who has to run that mile, stay up that night, smile at that fear, face those demons, and walk up that road to your heart’s calling. No one else, however close to your heart, may determine your route.

Follow your heart, and walk that road. Others can walk with you, but nobody can walk it for you.

 

 

Giving seems to be a big part of your life. Tell us more about your ‘One Million Meals’ campaign.

Giving is a substantial part of my existence. I have mentored thousands of leaders in various industries. My protégés include coaches who have inspired countless lives, world champions, Olympic athletes and ordinary people with extraordinary dreams. Around one-third of my time, efforts, and resources are dedicated to charitable campaigns.

On 13 May 2021, the British Cabinet Office announced that Prime Minister Boris Johnson had awarded the Points of Light award to the One Million Meals campaign, acknowledging the four of us (Arif, Suleman, Bilal & Momin). I had co-founded and named the campaign on the outset of the Coronavirus pandemic in April 2020. The campaign was initiated to feed the National Health Service doctors, paramedics, keyworkers, and vulnerable people during the lockdown. Through June 2020, we had supported 203 locations across the UK, including 47 NHS hospitals. The campaign was recognised by Her Majesty The Queen, HRH the Prince of Wales, David Beckham, Amir Khan, and many others. We were thrilled when I managed to get backing from the world-famous band, ‘The Proclaimers’ who are a Scottish rock duo formed in 1983 by twin brothers Craig and Charlie ReidI. They dedicated their world-famous song, “I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles)” to the campaign to raise funds.

I am a trustee and lifelong supporter of Akhuwat, the world’s largest interest-free microfinance organisation with around a billion dollars turnover that has changed more than five million lives in Pakistan and abroad for the better.

 

You are among the top-notch coaches on the art of influence and impact building. You have helped prominent businesses and individuals in scaling up their impact. How could the readers benefit from your expertise in this area?

Noise is defining our current existence. Attention span has shrunk to a couple of seconds, with the world’s top corporations vying for their ‘nano seconds’ of the attention pie.

Power and influence are both used synonymously. However, these both are distinctive, and they work in widely different ways. Power is a zero-sum game as the more we give it, the less we have it. However, contrary to that, influence spreads and multiplies as it is distributed. Plato famously argued in The Republic that a tyrant, however powerful, ultimately suffers in the end by corrupting his own soul. Power is forced, while influence is voluntary. Power makes use of one-way dialogue while influence creates a conversation.

I help businesses and individuals to gain influence in their respective fields of choice through reputation management. Due to the shorter attention span, reputation management is the effort to influence what and how people think of a brand or person when viewed online. Put another way, a character is who you are, and reputation is who other people think you are. The world’s best brands use reputation to forge strong relationships between customers and communities. Through an extensive network of partnerships, collaborations and expertise and alliances, businesses and individuals are offered a one-stop-shop to position them in the respective markets, build their narrative and story, enhance their digital footprint and transform feedback from reviews, likes, listings, comments and clicks into their competitive advantage.

 

 

So what is next for a person of your dreams, calibre and ambition?

It is living to the fullest, creating more success stories, harnessing the fullest potential of individuals, institutions and organisations and enabling a world of influence where the hope is bigger than the fear. As an executive vice president of Tony Buzan Global, one ambition is to reach out to more than 500 million mind mappers, dreamers and practitioners globally to make this world a better place through mental literacy.

In my view, COVID-19 is not just a medical challenge, but a spiritual challenge too. To defeat COVID humanity need to follow the path of self-purification, compassion, nonviolence, God and Nature. This pandemic raises serious questions about the way this world has been run in the last hundred years, by using greed, power, lust and obnoxious use of privilege. This pandemic has laid bare what was already obvious, but we buried our heads in the sand like ostriches.

We have a chance to do something extraordinary. As we head out of this pandemic, we can change the world. Create a world of compassion. A world where we are kind to each other. A world where we are kind no matter what class, race, gender, creed or the job tag we have. A world we don’t judge those at the food bank because that may be us if things were just slightly different. Let love and kindness be our roadmap. If the world after coronavirus is not going to be a much more greener, much more environmentally friendly, much more vegetarian, much more just and equal, then human beings will deserve a much worse virus than coronavirus.

Throughout the centuries, an earthquake or a volcano or a pandemic or a tsunami shake the world. There is always a message in the shake-up. Wake up! I am sure we would get rid of coronavirus. Say, in a year, or two or three. But I fear what comes next. We go back to our routine stupidities, namely the wars, supporting the dictators, fueling divide through extremism, voting for politicians without integrity or character, destroying the forests, killing earth’s climate etc. This is worse than the pandemic itself. Let’s finally wake up.

 

Dale Vincent Hancock: Our Challenges Are Our Catalysts To Greater Success.

By Cynthia Vera

Growing up, Dale Vincent Hancock was a victim of physical and emotional bullying which greatly affected how he perceived his value, making him an adolescent without any confidence or self-belief. His tormenting challneign only seemed to escalate when he grew into an adult, experiencing a draining romantic relationship, job losses, a car crash, and more. When enough was enough, Dale decided to take control over his life and use his challenges as a driving force to change and success.

Upon discovering his passions and true self, he finally became the person that he needed when he was in his most vulnerable struggle. Now a #1 best selling author and mentor, the confidence coach has impacted over 80,000 young lives by making space for children and young people to express their emotions, feelings, and find the confidence they need. For Dale, confidence is a key and virtual quality that must be taught to children and young people – “the architects of our future and role models for their younger generations”. 

You have over a decade of experience as a confidence coach, teaching young people how to find their own voice along their journey of growth. What made you follow this path and how did you realise this was your calling?

Pain. To put it simply. Throughout my adolescent years in education, I was physically and emotionally bullied. Now everyone has a bullying story, whether you were the victim, bully or witness. But, if you have ever been a victim at a young age and unconsciously live with the acceptance that ‘they are better than me, so I shall just put up with it’, then it will damage your living experience. Even worse, you could pass this on to your children. I ever want any child to feel manipulated, controlled, belittled or abused at the hands of unfortunate insecure peers around their age. The key in my 22 years of coaching and impacting children is … confidence. This is what helps a child say “no”, “stop”, “enough man”, and stand up for themselves. When you convert a child’s level of thinking based on their own beliefs and values – not mummy’s or daddy’s – then you see them stand 10 ft tall because they value their own self worth.

 

Unfortunately for me, I never had a coach to show me the social interaction life ropes and I put up with it. In my career, I was bullied by my deputy head. In my previous relationship, my partner at the time sought physical attention from other men for the entire relationship to which I forgave her for …foolishly, as it occurred numerous times after. When she fell pregnant with another man’s child, enough was enough. But I still went with her to the clinic to terminate it, which broke me.

Over the course of this time I lost my job, I had a car crash, my mum had a heart attack and I was in £15,000 worth of debt taking her off the mortgage. I felt like life was attacking me with no safe way out. Eventually, a now dear friend recommended a coach and after 12 weeks, I was a changed man; growing in confidence, getting my life back together. To prove to myself that I was who I wanted and deserved to be, I applied for a national TV show and won it! Undoubtedly confirming to me that confidence already existed within me, I just had to find the key. Now, it is my responsibility, mission, and privilege to help billions of children find theirs before it’s too late.

Being a coach who inspires hundreds of thousands of students and youths worldwide who will shape our future must be very rewarding. Why is it so important for you to focus your attention on creating a safe space for young people to find confidence in their identity?

Children find it tough to express themselves and when they do, they often get shut down, told to “be quiet”, “sit still” “shhh….concentrate”. I wonder when the education system will recognise that it is crucial for a child to express feelings and emotions with guidance and nurture? Because after teaching for 12 years, I have noticed a huge rise in mental health disorders and this was way before covid. Let’s not forget children are the architects of our future and role models for their younger generations. When a child understands themselves, they operate with an air of certainty and little to no self-consciousness. We need to help them grow in confidence and self assertion for a more sustained future and progressive society.

You have over a decade of experience as a confidence coach teaching young people how to find their own voice along their journey of growth. Can you explain what you might do in a session to help people?

Help them see their miracle. It’s difficult for children not to see themselves as part of a tribe, whether it be a family tribe, friend tribe, class tribe and when children construct this mentality, they cultivate behaviours of just ‘fitting in’. I don’t want children to fit in, I want them to stand out but after years of society, parents, school, and peers condemning them for talking out or acting differently, children get unconsciously locked into this mindset. After impacting over 80,000 children globally, the best way that I have found is to combine the physicality and the psychology to show a child what they are capable of and where to find their confidence within themselves.

When you’ve been faced with challenges, how did you overcome them throughout your journey?

At the time I allowed them to consume me because I had no previous experience of how to deal with these fearful situations. I accidentally stumbled across a Tony Robbins YouTube video, which was incredibly strange because I had never searched his name or personal development prior to this. I felt as if Tony was solely speaking to me, his voice penetrated my being and shook my foundations to the core. It immediately motivated me to take physical action, so I ventured to the gym. In doing so, I bumped into an NLP Master practitioner and the way he articulated sentences with the words he used, again, further blew my mind. He recommended I research personal development and I later met his coach who helped me release my capabilities, my challenges served me and showed a light in the area of my mind that I never knew existed; exposing my confidence and zest for life. This confidence manifested into fearless self belief that I used to apply for a National TV Show called Cannonball. To this day, I cannot explain the thoughts knowing that I was going to win. I actually told the producers before the final that I was going to win and it came from an authentic place in my heart, not arrogance. As you know, the rest is history. I am not telling people around the world to discover their worth, they must win a TV game show, far from it. To discover our worth and grow our courage, we must face our fears and challenges because those challenges are not there to block us. They are our catalysts to greater success.  

Are there any defining moments from your career that stand out from the rest?

Many. But the one that always sticks out to me isn’t speaking in the House of Commons, winning a TV show, hanging out with celebs, speaking around the world or even financial freedom, it’s the messages from children and parents. I received a private message from a once broken parent. Broken due to the suffering and struggle her son was enduring, endless bullying, daily anxiety, and frustration believing they were a “useless” parent for not having the answers. The uselessness could not be further from the truth because this powerful mum reached out to me and after a month, a message popped up on my phone whilst I was having dinner. My partner looked across to me concerned, noticing my crestfallen facial expression and asked me what was wrong. As I began to cry, I explained that nothing was wrong, everything was right as that once broken mum sent me this: “I can honestly say, Dale, that you have saved my son’s life”. These are my defining moments.

You’re a #1 Amazon best seller of Raw Confidence – a book you wrote to your 10-year-old self about how to be unapologetically yourself. What does confidence look like in young people to you?

It’s hidden, unfortunately. Children learn not to show their greatness, they learn that commending themselves is arrogant, they get told to sit still, be quiet, don’t climb, and so much more. It is alarming how adults are placing their own insecurities onto children and it is simply robbing them of their self confidence. A child’s early years should involve as many mistakes, exploratory moments, emotions, new things and relationships as possible. Not barriers or judgement. Give opportunities for children to try new things that require consistent practice. Teach them the value of effort and to strive for their personal best, rather than measure up to someone else’s. It is not quick and certainly not easy, but will take time and consistency. Our role as parents is to support our kids in their efforts, showing them the correlation between effort, and achievement. When this progress occurs, you will see the confidence shining from within. I see confident parents impacting the young lives they have the privilege of guiding by doing it themselves so that the child can absorb. 

How does a lack of confidence and direction impact young people’s mental health?

In my book, I share the 3 main areas that when a child shows confidence in these areas, it will show up for them in life. The 3 S’s are Self, Skill and Social. When we have a healthy relationship and progress with confidence, it will greatly affect our life journey. But, what if we had low self confidence? In my research, I have found that children seek a ‘low confidence confirmation’ in other areas of their life to almost confirm their suspicions and give them the comfort of knowing they were right. This could show up as low self worth, low self esteem, poor self body image and in turn allow others to possibly take advantage of you. It is clear to see that any of the above has a damaging effect on one’s mental health.

The conversation around mental health has always been a taboo one with stigmas attached to people experiencing such hurdles, leaving many to struggle alone. However, in recent years, mental health awareness has been steadily gaining more recognition. What can we as individuals do to facilitate an open and welcoming environment to discuss mental health?

We can understand and respect each other. We must see that everyone on this planet is completely and utterly unique and in that same thread, will have endured many different experiences. Some that challenge, some that hurt and some that power. Either/or each one has helped design the person we are today, and if we can learn to love that person, then we give others permission to love us too. Support, encourage, and motivate others to be better versions of ourselves yesterday. 

Bobby Del Rio: Chase Passion, Not Stardom.

By Cynthia Vera

For some, their career path is one that is planned and pursued with the intention of fulfilling this purpose. For Canadian actor, screenwriter and director Bobby Del Rio, the path to the filmmaking industry revealed itself slowly and soon enough, Bobby fell in love with filmmaking.
With a career spreading across two decades, the storyteller follows his heart with every project he takes on like utilising the expressive creativity of screenplays and turning into a theatricalisation of anti-racism and activism.

Now with a foot in the door of Hollywood, Bobby Del Rio will continue to do what he always does: “star in, write, direct and produce whatever” is in his heart. Finding passion to create new stories and share a message with his audience, the actor values the pursuit of purpose in every one of his projects in the film industry. As seen with his new feature film “The Market” that’s been described as “cinematic brilliance” by the Jagran Film Festival.

1.You’re a multi-talented man with a career in the entertainment industry spanning over 20 years, from directing, producing, writing to acting. Where does your story begin within the world of filmmaking? What made you fall in love with entertainment? 

I never intended to become a filmmaker. I worked as the Canadian Feature Film programmer for ReelWorld Film Festival in Toronto. I did that job for 5 years, then fell in love with filmmaking. I loved supporting the work of filmmakers, then decided I wanted to try it myself. 

2.Aside from filmmaking, you’re also involved in theatre with your play “Professionally Ethnic” gaining critical success at the 2017 SummerWorks festival and published in the prestigious Canadian Theatre Review. What was this experience like for you? What motivated you to create a play?

I was a notable anti-racism political activist in my 20s. “Professionally Ethnic” was the theatricalisation of all my activism. I wanted to educate an audience on everything I learned being on the front lines of race politics for so many years.

3.Your most recent project is the well-received feature film “The Market” which you wrote and directed. It’s been called a “cinematic brilliance” by the Jagran Film Festival, so what can you tell us about the film? How did it come to be?  

“The Market” is the film I wanted to make before I died. It was my best play in my 30s, and I wanted people to see my best work. It’s special to me because it took so many years to make, and has subsequently opened more career doors for me than any other of my works. I had never directed a film before when I decided to take that on, but I always believed in my heart I could do it.

4.The Covid-19 pandemic has heavily affected the entertainment industry and put many performers’ lives on hold. How has the pandemic and resulting lockdowns made an impact on your career?

To be honest, the pandemic blew up my entire career. Not sure if it was luck or good timing, but I ended up getting a distribution deal for my film “The Market” at the beginning of the pandemic. And I became one of the top film moderators of Clubhouse by having so much time available to devote to it. While the pandemic has been a terrible time in our history, I have to admit that many good things surprisingly came out of it for me personally.

 

5.Where do you find inspiration for storytelling?

 Whatever is in my heart.

6.Does your writing process change with every role/project? 

My writing process is fairly consistent. It’s actually quite boring. Once I align a concept with a premise, I write the first draft very quickly. Usually in 3 days or less. Then, I undergo readings with actors, and rewrite until I feel the script is ready to be produced. While my first drafts are known to happen very fast, I take months or years for subsequent readings – based on actor feedback.

7.You’ve had a very impressive career, with credits as the Creator & Showrunner of “IRL the Series”, a director of the short film “Dusk” which was nominated for a 2020 Leo Award, playing the male lead role in both seasons of the web series “My Roommate’s an Escort” , and much more! What moments from your career are most proud of and why?

I’m most proud of any moment in my career that changes somebody’s life in a positive way. While I have been blessed to have lots of individual successes, everything I do is for the audience. If I have helped somebody in the audience move forward in a significant way, I have done my job.

8.Have there any step-backs you’ve had to overcome throughout your journey?

My entire career feels like setbacks. I have had to struggle for every single inch – while at the same time having considerable success. I do believe that success and struggle are tied: if you do not struggle, you cannot know what it takes to succeed.
Our setbacks prepare us for our victories. Nothing comes easy, but everything is possible.

9.What direction do you see your career heading into for the next 20+ years in the filmmaking industry? 

I’m now legitimately starting to work in Hollywood. I will continue to do what I have always done: star in, write, direct and produce whatever is in my heart. I am blessed to be playing at the highest level in the world, and I’m eager to tell important stories to international audiences.

10.With a long and seasoned career, what advice would you give to those wanting to pursue the path of filmmaking and acting? 

My advice would be to chase passion, not stardom. Money & fame come and go, but the work always remains. Those who chase the spotlight are always unhappy, but those of us who tell the stories that scream from our souls are very content. The only reason to be in the film industry is the work itself. The field is too volatile to pursue it for any other reason.

Per Bristow: The importance of voice in music, in business and in life

Per was a music teacher when he first realised that everything he knew about the human voice could serve many more people than just his music students. This realisation led him on a different career journey which placed the emphasis on the human voice as a crucially important component for everyone – not just musicians. In this interview he also reveals the importance of voice in the field of business as well as how important our voice is in developing our character and our confidence.

As a ‘Voice Coach’, is it important to have a good voice yourself?

As a coach, to be able to be somewhat of a role model for what you are teaching is definitely important. Then again, we are all unique so we could all have very different opinions of what ‘good’means.  I have trained my own voice extensively and what I would like to encourage everyone is to realise that any voice can be improved significantly. This doesn’t mean we are ‘changing’ your voice or making you sound like someone else. It’s about releasing a greater version of you and of enhancing you. Yes, we are all unique and my job as a coach is not only to improve and free the physical voice, but to free and empower the inner voice.

When did you decide to become a voice coach and how did you first make that decision?

I was a full-time music teacher after high school, mainly because I was already known as a musician. I’ve always loved teaching and coaching to help someone discover their greater abilities within. My method was born out of my experience as a musician, but also from being an elite youth athlete, which made me interested in anatomy as well the aspects of performing under pressure. As I came to Los Angeles from Sweden and began coaching voice, clients were getting wonderful results and I soon realised that I had a unique method in the making.

Can you tell us more about your work with famous singers? How much do you help them and what are their most common requests?

I’ve actually never considered how famous a client is. I am, however, empathetic to the fact that ‘fame’ often adds additional pressure and fears. As I moved away from coaching one-on-one to one-to-many via my online training programs, I seldom know who has done my online training. However, I often receive messages from people who have been helped through the home-study training. That includes high in-demand singers who’ve overcome voice problems through my online training. The most common problem for a high-in demand singer or speaker is indeed when a problem occurs with their voice. Understandably, this causes them enormous pressure and fear, as their livelihood is at stake. Just as for the athlete, we need to heal and condition/strengthen the voice to be able to perform at high levels.

Is it more difficult for you to work with an individual, or work with a famous name?

No, it really makes no difference to me. However, every life situation brings with it different fears and pressures as mentioned above. Much of my training also goes beyond voice training to developing peak performance skills. These are things like becoming a more effective and influential performer/presenter, improving health to be more creative and productive and to be able to perform at high levels on stage and in life. So however famous or successful we might be, we are still just human beings.

As a professional, can you tell us how important communication is, not just in the business world, but also in other areas of life?

Communication is vital and key to any business success in my mind, whether it is to communicate with prospects, customers, business partners or teams. The ability to positively influence, inspire, guide, negotiate, and sell is directly related to your income, as well as to your personal relationships. It all goes hand in hand with how you are able to resonate with the person you communicate with. It’s not necessarily always about what you say, but the resonance and energy of you voice that makes the difference.

How much does the voice help in self-esteem?

Enormously so. Our fear of expressing ourselves may go back to our childhood needs to belong, fit in and be loved. Many times, being silent as a child became a good strategy to not disturb the peace. Many people have grown up with the belief that a child should be seen and not heard, or that their voice and opinions aren’t important.  Likewise, when we experience a problem with our voice, our ability to connect and influence is severely impacted. A restricted voice goes hand in hand with a restricted personality. A timid voice goes hand in hand with a timid personality. A forceful voice goes hand in hand with a forceful personality. A free and resonant voice goes hand in hand with a free and resonant personality. When the voice becomes freer, you become freer and that dramatically affects your confidence, self-esteem, feeling of self-worth, and how others are impacted by you.

Have you ever considered yourself in another profession? If so, what would you do best?

Well, I think that what I do is a blend of many professions. Coach, performer, singer, speaker, media creator, entrepreneur, marketer. Much of my coaching incorporates voice, expression, negotiation, selling, presentation, health, creativity, sleep and also attaining peak performance.

Do you have any messages for all those who are in the first stages of their career? What advice do you have for them?

Implement your ideas in order to discover greater ideas from doing that. Embrace the love and art of constantly learning and discovering. And enjoy the beautiful experience of making a fool out of yourself in the process 🙂

Lucas Serby – A Swedish Star in the Making

By Fatima Gorezi

He has already worked with some of biggest stars of the movie and entertainment industry of today and there’s no sign of him slowing down: Lucas Serby is a young Swedish actor, model and creative currently situated in New York City. He is a graduate of the prestigious American Academy of Dramatic Arts, the oldest acting school in the English-speaking world, and an institution that has previously been home to acclaimed alumni such as award-winning actor, director and Sundance Film Festival founder Robert Redford and Hollywood Golden Age legend, Oscar winner and Spartacus himself Kirk Douglas. Lucas was the first of his graduating class to book a part in a professional New York theater production, and has been seen on stages all around the city and on TV by millions since then. He talks to us today about what made him take the leap to pack up his things and move to a different country, what drives him as an actor and overall creative,  and what it’s like to be a part of one the fastest changing industries in the world.

So I’m very curious, what was it that made you decide to move to a completely new country to pursue your dreams? Because as I understand it, you’d never been to New York City before moving there and you didn’t know anybody there?

Yes, that’s true. You know, I was watching this TV show, Sweetbitter, on STARZ pretty recently. It’s about a girl who moves to New York City to… get away, I suppose, but at a job interview she’s asked why she decided to move there all by herself and her answer is “it’s kind of a calling, moving to New York” or something similar, but I think that that’s definitely what it was for me. It felt like a calling. I’m a big fan of Marlon Brando and James Dean and they both got started in New York, so being the romantic that I am I just thought to myself that “of course, there’s no other place to go or that I should go to”.

And bringing it back to you moving there all by yourself without knowing anybody in the city. Did that scare you?

You know what, it didn’t at all. Looking back at it now I feel like I should’ve been absolutely terrified, because New York City is huge and it was a completely new city to me at the time, and that would have been the normal reaction. But I wasn’t. It just felt right to me, like it was meant to be.

Also, my first night there I was staying at a hotel right around the corner from where I was going to go to school, and this was right in the middle of New York Fashion Week so there was a lot of models staying at that same hotel and I got to talking to one of the girls outside, and she asked me what I was doing there, if I was there for Fashion Week and so on. So I told her that I was from Sweden and had just moved there to pursue acting, and after a bit of talking she told me that she wouldn’t mind introducing me to her manager and she gives me her email address and asks me to send her a picture to forward it to him. So I do, and I get a response from the manager basically saying that he thinks I look like James Dean and that we should work together. Nothing really came of it in the end, but I always took it as a sign that I had made the right choice.

Obviously acting is a big part of your life, what was it that made you want to pursue it?

Well, I started working as an actor professionally in Sweden in my early twenties, but I’d say my relationship with acting goes back way beyond that. If somebody were to ask me about my first love, my answer would always be “movies”. Movies have always been a big, big part of my life for so many reasons, for example one of them being my mom who used to be a movie critic when I was growing up, so I had the privilege of getting to watch a lot of films, many of which that hadn’t even been released yet, so I was very lucky. That definitely fueled my interest. I also had a very vivid imagination as a kid, and I loved to reenact scenes from my favorite films, for instance, one of my earliest childhood memories is pretending to be Simba from the Lion King in pre-school.

A good quote that sums it up, I think, is from an older video I saw of Heath Ledger, another actor that I really look up to, may he rest in peace.

His agent asks him: “So how long have you been acting?”

Heath replies “About… 20 years.”

Steve, his agent, notably confused goes “How old are you?”

“20.”

I always liked that one.

You say you started acting professionally in your early twenties, what made you decide that it was time to really get into it, so to speak?

It had always been there in the back of my head. Always. But life is life, and things happen, and after school I found myself working in an office, unsure of… Well, unsure of a lot of things in general really. But I was lucky. Incredibly lucky even. At the office where I was working we were an incredibly tight-knit group of people, and the CEO and Founder, who is still one of my closest friends today and like an older brother to me, taught me that I was good enough at a time where I really needed to hear that. It really taught me the value of having a supportive group of friends and the importance of surrounding yourself with people that inspire you and always want what’s best for you. So I just want to give a shout-out to Aria Asgari, I love you brother.

So anyway, I think I just realized at one point that I wasn’t supposed to be working in an office for the rest of my life, and, as cliché as it sounds, realized that you only have one shot at life so you might as well take the chance and pursue what it is that you really want to do.

Tell me a little bit about how it is working as an actor professionally in New York and Sweden respectively. What have your experiences been like?

They’re obviously two very different places! But starting from the beginning, I started off in Sweden with not a lot of experience except for a couple of amateur shows, so at first I had no clue what I was doing. I had a few small parts here and there and worked as an extra for a bit, and then it started to finally feel like it was going well when I got a part in the Swedish comedy TV show Jävla Klåpare which aired for a season in 2016. But I quickly realized that as somebody who didn’t have an education as an actor and with very few contacts, Sweden did not have a lot of opportunities, which is why I started looking into moving to the US, which had really always been the plan.

New York City on the other hand is a crazy place. There are so many opportunities, and there’s so much going on, and I’ve been lucky to have met some great people there who have really taken a chance on me. It made me realize that it’s all about who you know. You can have a lot of credits on your resume and a fancy education, but what really matters is if people want to work with you, as a person. We’re also at a point right now where there’s a big shift happening in the entertainment industry, and being in New York City when all of this is going on, you just kind of feel that you’re in the middle of it all, and it’s very exciting.

So tell me about your work in New York, what have you been up to since you started working over there?

I actually started booking jobs even before graduating. I was very eager to start working, and I started going on auditions during the time that the school set up so-called “mock auditions” for us to practice for the real thing. So I’d be in school going on a fake audition, and right after I’d have to leave because I had to attend a real one. It was a very interesting experience.

The first job that I booked was a full rendition of Shakespeare’s The Winter’s Tale with the absolutely fantastic theater company Classics on the Rocks. It was about 3 hours and 30 minutes long, and it was amazing. It was just a great thing to work on right after school because everybody was just so passionate about the work, just like it should be. It’s definitely still one of my favorite productions that I’ve been a part of to this day.

Other highlights include playing Sid Wells on the Investigation Discovery show In Pursuit with John Walsh in an episode that premiered to 1,36 million viewers, and of course working with the Scandinavian American Theater Company. I got to play the part of Jonte in a production of the extremely talented Tanja Lorentzon’s play The Courtyard. I got to work with some brilliant people and the play was seen by a couple of actors that I really admire.

Currently I’m promoting a film called Dead Air which I’m really excited to be a part of. It’s kind of an homage to 80’s horror movies and rock music and it’s a lot of fun. It’ll be playing at several different film festivals this year so I’m really excited about that.

And you’ve also been working as a model over there?

Yes, I’ve been fortunate enough to see what that industry’s like as well. Acting and modeling are similar in a way, but very different in another. They’re both a lot of fun, and I’ve had the privilege to see these big fashion events up close, working with brands such as Louis Vuitton and Ralph Lauren. I hope to do more of that in the future as well.

Finally, you’ve already achieved a lot in such a short amount of time, what is the source of your drive and motivation?

Honestly, I think that, to me, the entertainment industry is one of the most important industries around. What we get to do is to tell and share stories that need to be told, and it’s just such an honor to me that I get to do that for a living. If I can have an impact on just one person’s life through the work that I do on stage or on screen, then it would have all been worth it in the end for me.

Lucas can currently be seen in Dead Air which premieres July 27th at the Peekskill Film Festival.

There are no failures, only feedback

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

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

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.