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

Editor @ Global Man December 9, 2022 No Comments

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

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

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

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

How did your journey with aesthetic medicine start?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nurettin Noyan: The Touch of Beauty to Perfection

Editor @ Global Man December 8, 2022 1 Comment

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

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

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

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

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

What are the moments that have marked your career?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

What differentiates you from others?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

How would you define beauty today?

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

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

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

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

Have you had VIP clients?

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

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

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

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

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

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

The best motto that would describe you?

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

So, I refuse to lose hope.

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

What should we all know about money?

Angela Azuar March 16, 2022 No Comments

Global Woman held a Financial Empowerment conference that included a Men’s Panel, where they discussed their knowledge of money and their support of women’s financial independence. 

Global Woman hosted an event about empowering women financially for International Women’s Day in Richmond, London, on 8th March 2022. Women from all backgrounds and generations celebrated this special day together, with some men attending as well. Stepping on stage, women shared their journey and the lessons that they have learned. Sharing a different perspective, Global Woman hosted a Men’s panel session talking about their knowledge of earning money in a world that often favours men. 

Why were a group of men speaking to women on International Women’s Day, about financial empowerment? Because their voice is important too. Events like these are not only about women supporting women, but they are also inclusive for anyone supporting women empowerment.  

John Hassard, Baiju Solanki, Allan Kleynhans, and Tre Lowe at Global Woman Financial Empowerment Conference, London 8th March 2022

John Hassard, Baiju Solanki, Allan Kleynhans, and Tre Lowe (pictured above from left to right) all had views from education and academia to spirituality and culture. For example, Baiju shared an interesting thought about the relationship between working hard and luck. His parents believed that everyone works hard, but some people are simply lucky in money. He explained how that belief is limiting and untrue. It is not about luck, it is about “your money mindset” and how willing you are to work hard and to “look for opportunities”. Get out there, meet people, go to events, “you never know where your wealth will be”. 

Baiju Solanki and Tre Lowe at Global Woman Financial Empowerment Conference, London 8th March 2022

Another example of a powerful insight was from Allan. He boldly told the audience his wrecking story of how he lost all his money and his family and had to spend a night in a train station, nowhere to go. That’s when he realised that money didn’t make him happy, and he had “to learn to be happy without money”. Allan explained that in order to attract money, you need to fall in love with yourself. Once you value yourself, you learn how to keep and manage your money. 

They also commented on their view about men who feel intimidated in dating women who earn more than them. They all agreed that women earning more than their partners should be irrelevant and that they loved a powerful, financially independent woman. John added “Without trying to give dating advice, if you meet these men, you should just dump them!”. Adding “They are not worth it, and this world doesn’t need people like them”.

Mirela Sula and John Hassard at Global Woman Financial Empowerment Conference, London 8th March 2022

A woman asked a question from the audience; “What could she tell her teenage son, growing in a world where the future is focused on women?”. The answer was clear for Allan: “The future is for human beings. Women are not trying to overpower men in this world but to have equality in every aspect of life. There is still a gap between genders, but we are all working hard towards a world where that gap is gone. A world of human beings”. 

John Hassard, Baiju Solanki, Allan Kleynhans, Tre Lowe and Enas Daeki at Global Woman Financial Empowerment Conference, London 8th March 2022

The audience learned that the men might not have had the same obstacles as women, but they have faced other obstacles. And it is important for women to hear what they have to say about earning money in a male-dominated world, and how to keep it. It is not only women’s fight for equality; it is also theirs. 

Waking the Real You, Mind and Body: David Michigan

Editor @ Global Man May 1, 2020 No Comments

By Randi Morse

 

David Michigan is a celebrity life coach and fitness trainer that specializes in mindfulness. He helps his clients achieve their physical fitness goals through personalized nutrition and training programs that include accessing the power of the mind through hypnotherapy and visualisation. He founded The Michigan Academy, which offers online training to help others get in shape physically and mentally. He also works as an actor, model, and motivational speaker.

Can you tell us a bit about your upbringing and your life before fitness and mindfulness?

Before devoting myself completely to fitness and mindfulness, I was a fan of human psychology and I was always fascinated by emotions, and more precisely, transmitting strong positive emotions to people. So, I practiced magic a lot as an activity because I saw that I could instantly get very strong emotions thanks to that. Then very quickly, I became interested in mentalism and hypnosis, in order to go even further in the transmission of emotions. But I was limited. At the time there were not all these social media [platforms], so I always had to exercise in a small group, which was quite frustrating for me because there was a discrepancy between what I was doing and my ambitions.

What inspired you to start your personal journey towards physical and mental health?

My mother, [who is] very athletic, always encouraged me to do a lot of sport activities – judo, football, bodybuilding – while my father was more focused on mental techniques – personal development, healing – and unconsciously transmitted to me the importance of working the mind as well as the body. So I’ve always been interested in physical and mental health from a very young age, it was done gradually and naturally. But my desire to help others deeply comes from the fact that I’ve always felt happy. I know it may seem strange to some people, but my close friends from childhood will confirm it. I always felt good, whatever the events.

While trying to analyze why I felt happy almost all the time, I realized one thing [was] extremely important. Happiness really does not come from outside stimuli, but from inside our thought system. At the time I had no money, no muscular body, no real resources, yet I was always happy. And I spent my time analyzing why, so that people could model this thought system and find happiness.

During your journey, can you recall a single moment that had the biggest impact on you?

One moment that had a big impact on me, was the death of my grandfather, because he was very well in his mind, but his body did not follow. It was the day I realized that the mind and body really work together. You may have the best mind possible, [but] if your body doesn’t follow, you’re not going to go very far. And vice versa. I really understood [that] day that we should not separate the body and the mind, [but] work the two as one entity.

You’ve spoken a lot on the power of the mind through visualization and affirmations. Can you tell us about the first time you realized the power this had on your own life?

The first time I realized the power of visualization was in my romantic experiences. I realized that I could get what I wanted if I already experienced it in my mind. Then I reproduced the law of attraction in every aspect of my life – work and sport – and I noticed that I also managed to get what I wanted.

The secret of visualization is to involve [not just the] senses but also emotions. The unconscious mind does not make the difference between what you imagine and reality. You must already live 100% of the experience in your mind and in your body, to see and feel it materialize quickly.

What inspired you to take your personal success and turn it into a career of helping others?

I was 14 years old and one night I had a founding dream. I saw my future parading before me, and I saw that my vocation was to help others. I know it may sound a little crazy. But that’s how it happened, and that vision never left me. That morning when I woke up everything seemed clear to me. I knew what my life path was going to be. I still didn’t know how I was going to act, but I knew what my direction was going to be. I was a very happy child in my family and I felt that I could give to the others a little of this solar energy of which I was the depository somehow.

Can you go into depth on what ‘Wake the Real You’ means to you?

In every human being, there are actually two entities. On the one hand, there is the culturally programmed self, who has all the roles and social rules. And on the other hand, the natural one, where it keeps all its emotional memories, where you think of your fantasies, your desires, [and] your dreams; the kind of things you do if no one is looking at you and the things you wouldn’t even want your best friends to know. And often what happens is that because of the roles that society forces you to play, or perhaps a relationship that you have had in your past that has limited you, a person must enclose all these fantasies, all his desires, everything is a dream in itself to keep them safe, and yet they are always there, deep down, waiting for something or someone to make them emerge in you.

Waking the real you is simply unlocking all your abilities and potential, that you always had inside of you, but [is] not awake yet.

Do you believe COVID-19 will cause more people to refocus on awakening their real selves?

For some people, of course. But for the majority, I don’t think so. Because many people live this experience in a passive way and not in an active one. We need a more radical change to really focus and awake ourselves. For instance, completely change the environment permanently to have a real “click”. Leave the job that we don’t like to do, stop a relationship that harms you, embark on your passion permanently and definitively.

You must take action and not go back.

Have you achieved all of your goals? What is next?

Of course not, I have a lot of objectives, and I think that we must continually have them. We don’t really take pleasure when we achieve a goal, this pleasure is very short and limited, we really take pleasure in the path we take to go towards these goals.

I would like to do three things now; enlarge my Michigan Academy and have more than one million students, start doing major seminars in public, and release a documentary series about my life and my future with Netflix – coming soon.

In working to help others, what has been your favorite success story?

When I lived in Marseille, in the south of France, I did a lot of hypnotherapy sessions during the day to help as many people as possible. And I managed to heal a man of 50 years old who had his back blocked for more than 15 years. He managed to get up painlessly, hug me, and cried in my arms. He was so happy but at the same time he told me that life was unfair and that he should have met me 15 years ago, and that he would have avoided all these setbacks. I explained to him that the most important thing was the present moment, and that we should not focus on the past.

What is the biggest piece of advice you would like to leave our readers with?

To do everything in your life that you truly want, in order not to have regrets.

During my quest for well-being and fulfillment, I have managed to determine what seems to me to be the main obstacle to this feeling that we all seek. This toxic obstacle is regret. You may not need to reach all of the goals you have set in your life, but regret will appear if you don’t even try to get there. And if there is one thing you will not want to take with you to the grave, it is regret.

When I was younger, I spent a lot of time with the elderly, and all of them told me that they had regrets that they could no longer erase – [not] changing jobs, moving to another country, leaving everything to start over, [or] change of a romantic relationship. I [could] go on, but these are the regrets that were expressed most widely.

In order to prevent this kind of extremely negative feeling, you will have to accept a certain amount of selfishness. Always remember that you live for yourself, and that time flies. If you need to make room for your attention to others, remember that you can do [this] without their judgment. Move away from sources of regret, listen to your desires and especially your needs, and learn to draw from them the most superficial moral judgments, and you can start to [create] certain fulfillment.

Cover Photographed By : Jim Winter

Green Entrepreneurship – A path towards a more eco friendly future

Editor @ Global Man October 20, 2019 No Comments

 

Bjørn Wik is the CEO and founder of the Eco Friendly Water Brand, Pure Blue of Norway. Bjørn recently signed a contract with the Non-Profit organisation WATER is LIFE,which secures safe drinking water for children in need all over the world. This partnership is a match made in heaven Bjørn says. Now they can help saving the planet and children’s lives.He is truly passionate about environmental concerns and is clear about our obligation to save our planet, the oceans and the animals from the terrible plastic pollution. His biggest motivation is to succeed with something that has the potential to change the world. His slogan is: “Be the change! Change starts with YOU!”

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

My childhood was pretty normal. I was a shy little boy who behaved well most of the time. My parents taught me how to behave and respect both people and the nature. I did sports like most others. Swimming, skiing, and after 16 I started Taekwon-do which changed my life. Taekwon-do taught me to believe in myself, to work hard, to have discipline and respect. It also gave me self confidence and dedication. These gifts rewarded me with a gold medal in the world championships in the year 2000.

What I learned from Taekwon-do I have always brought with me into the jobs I´ve had. If you believe in something and you believe in yourself, then anything is possible!

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

I think it is different from entrepreneur to entrepreneur but in my case it is definitely about instinct. I am very impulsive and dedicated to things I believe in. In the four years this journey has last so far I have met lots of obstacles and disappointments, but my dedication for the nature and environment keeps me fighting. Being an entrepreneur is something I don’t recommend if you don’t have enough passion for your idea.

What drew you to become involved with environment?

A few years ago I started to notice all the plastic-related problems in the world being posted on social media and it made me sad and angry. Then four years ago I got introduced to the idea of an eco friendly bottled water product and I immediately saw the potential of what this product can do. It has the potential to replace the plastic bottle, which will have a huge impact on nature. Only 9% of the plastic in the world gets recycled and a big part of that is plastic bottles. This is game-changing and something I believe can make a difference.

More and more cities and countries are banning single use plastics and cities and airports like San Fransisco has also started to ban plastic bottles with still water. This shows that we are moving in the right direction and I am confident that in a few years the plastic bottle will be obsolete and unavailable in the market.

My biggest motivation is that this is the way I can make a difference. I finally found my purpose in life. This is my mission! Being one of the first who are taking the steps towards a more eco friendly future. My sincere hope is that we will motivate others to do the same. We can’t save the planet alone….

Your say that ‘’change starts from you”. In your own words, how would you define the nowadays situation of the world and what do you wish changed for better?

We all see that the world has some major challenges with the environment. There is no question about it. It is about temperature rising, it is about the oceans having more nano plastic than we have stars in the sky, it is about fish and birds dying from eating plastic when they think it is food for them. There is no question about it! The world has a BIG challenge. The larger responsibility goes to the politicians and the UN but we all can make small changes for the better. Choose the eco friendly product instead of the non eco friendly. Change your habits. Use a reusable bag instead of buying plastic bags every time. Recycle every little plastic piece you use. Change your habits! Every little move you do for the nature will make you feel better! And it helps….Then you will be part of the change…

How is green entrepreneurship different or related to traditional profit-based businesses?

Being on the road promoting this eco friendly product has taught me one thing. Most of the big supermarket chains are very hard to deal with. They get paid from the big traditional producers to promote their products and give them a good location in the stores. This makes it very hard for new thinking, small companies with new eco friendly products to get through to the consumers. On the other hand, the importers, the distributors and hotel managers I have spoken to absolutely love this new eco friendly product. The consumers loves it so we will succeed in making it available for the consumers. It is all about availability. The consumers can’t choose it if it’s not in the stores.

The challenge is that money talks….We need distributors, hotels, and retail who are willing to make a change…so that’s what we do. We find the partners who believe in the product and the cause and we work hard together.

So, I believe that in green entrepreneurship we need to think different, use different channels than the traditional profit-based businesses.

What is your overall philosophy for leading an organisation?

Our organisation is still small and the philosophy is quite easy. I listen more than I speak, try to find the right persons for every position in the company, and I partner up with people and organisations whose knowledge and network I don’t have.

An example is my partner WATER is LIFE. They are an amazing non-profit organisation who secures safe drinking water for needy children in 46 countries. They save children every day.

I love what they are doing and they love what I am doing, so we are supporting each other. You can say we are a perfect match. I feel so lucky and blessed meeting and partnering up with these guys. They really are amazing and I want to encourage all the readers to check their website www.waterislife.com and support their mission. 1800 children under the age of 5 die every day from polluted water, so you understand the importance of their mission.

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

“Follow your heart”. It is a tough job to succeed as an entrepreneur so it has to be meaningful for you.

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

Our goal is that within the next 5 years, Pure Blue of Norway will be in all the continents and easy to find for the consumers that want to make a difference. Pure Blue of Norway will be well known among the consumers. Not only for being eco friendly and supporting WATER is LIFE, but also for the quality of our Norwegian mountain water which tastes amazing.

Also, we are always looking for partners who can contribute, so if any of the readers feel the same as we do, that we need to change, and they have the right network or distribution, then please feel free to contact us at [email protected].

 

 

 

 

Building self leadership

Editor @ Global Man May 8, 2019 No Comments

Mark Stephen Pooler – Building self leadership

By Fatima Gorezi 

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

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

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

 How do you develop yourself and continue to grow?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Jack Canfield Success Principles.

What is special about your lifestyle?

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

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

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

What are the secrets behind your success?

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

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

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

http://www.markstephenpooler.com/       

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

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.

 

Les Brown – You have greatness within you

Editor @ Global Man September 17, 2018 No Comments

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Gil Petersil: Strategic Partnerships Can Work Wonders

Editor @ Global Man September 12, 2018 No Comments

By Fatima Gorezi

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Luca Spaghetti- A name to remember

Editor @ Global Man April 30, 2018 33 Comments

Luca Spaghetti- A name to remember

 

By Fati Gorezi

Luca Spaghetti was born in Rome, Italy. His name, but above all his nice surname, has become famous thanks to his meeting with Elizabeth Gilbert, the author of the bestseller “Eat, Pray, Love”, which then became a film with Julia Roberts and Javier Bardem, in which Luca was present as a character because of his name. Being connected to a great book (and later a film)  brought  many changes  to his  life.  Now  Luca is a  completely charming writer too. His first book “Un romano per amico”, is published in thirteen countries.

 ‘Eat, Pray, Love’, The story of Elizabeth’s life, literally, became a sensation in many countries captivating millions of readers (and later viewers) All of the “characters” in her book are real people and you are one of them. How do you feel about that?

Well, first I have to say that I didn’t know I was going to be in the book. When in 2003 Liz explained to me her project she told me that her book was going to be a ‘sort of biography’ but I couldn’t imagine a “real” biography. When she sent me the draft of EPL and I read my name for the first time I fell down from my chair. Then I started to appreciate it and the book became a phenomenon and people began to search me out and asked me: “Are you the Luca Spaghetti of EPL? Do you really exist?”

Then the movie came out where I am depicted as being bald and fat – but the problem wasn’t that I’m bald and fat in the movie but that the production team tried to make me become a Roma fan!!! Probably you know that in Rome there are two soccer teams, Lazio (The Good) and Roma (The Evil). And when we went with Liz on the movie set in Rome one night to meet Julia Roberts I met “myself” for the first time and I saw the actor who played me (Giuseppe Gandini) coming with a yellow-and-red Roma’s scarf on his (my!) shoulder.

At that time I said laughing: “I need a lawyer! It’s okay being bald and it’s okay being fat – but I’ll never be a Roma fan!” So they took mercy on me and I returned to being a Lazio fan in the movie.

You became a tour guide/guardian angel to Liz (the protagonist) How would you describe your relationship and friendship with Elizabeth Gilbert?

A gift! When a common friend wrote to me to say she was coming to Rome for three months and asked me to take care of her I was scared. I knew she was a writer and I thought of her as a very boring, intellectual, snobbish and a sophisticated person. Then, day by day, after some “penne all’arrabbiata” and a few glasses of wine I discovered how wonderful she is. I learned from her how to stop hiding my feelings and now I’m not ashamed to say: “Leave your door open always and take care of those you love.”

And we also found out a lot of things that we have in common: we have the same way of protecting our friendship deeply and strongly and we have the same sense of humour and we love eating. Most of the people remind me how lucky Liz and I are to have such a great friendship. And I completely agree. Even after her great success she’s still the same girl I used to know.

Being a person in a great book (and later film) what changes have been brought to your life?

First of all, I am now at peace with my last name! When I was child I suffered a lot, then, on becoming an adult, I learned to laugh about myself and I started to think that it wasn’t such a giant problem, and now I am a good friend with my last name. My grandmother always used to tell me, “Your last name is going to bring you luck! When people meet you it will make them happy and a little bit hungry too.” Now I can say that is absolutely true!

It has brought me luck and a lot of new friends and experiences like becoming friends with my idol James Taylor, becoming a member of the ‘Carbonara Club’ as Ambassador, and it has given me a funnier and happier life.

The book marks a revolution for women. An uprising and a rare search by Elizabeth Gilbert about how women should rise again after every failure and seek success. In your opinion what are the biggest challenges that women face today?

Probably their equality with men based on all the recent stories about abuse in the media and economic factors in terms of pay and remuneration. In a civilized and equitable world women should be paid the same as a man but I’m afraid it still isn’t so. Economically there are some tasks that have different remunerations if the worker is a man or a woman. My wife, for example, is the Director of a chemical laboratory with two hundred people. She is the first woman trusted with this task and she’s happy and appreciated. But many of her colleagues are sure that if her job was done by a man he would have better pay. Personally, I prefer to work with women. I have two girls who work for me and I would never change them for men. Every day I work with clients who are women and every day I appreciate their skills. I’m happy that Liz is a fantastic living example of every positive thing a woman could dream or plan to be.

You are a completely charming writer too. How would you describe your experience of writing books?

Thank you. A fantastic experience and the realisation of a dream. When I was a kid I dreamed of becoming a soccer player, then a songwriter like James Taylor, and at 40 years old I discovered that writing was easy for me. This was, and still is, a great lesson to me. I tried and I loved it. I started just to tell the EPL phenomenon seen through my eyes – the story of an ordinary guy with a special last name, who was born and grew up in the most beautiful city in the world and how a friendship and a book changed his life. Then I found that writing is one the best ways for me to let my emotions come out and so I went on. I’d love to write more, but often my other work doesn’t leave me so much time to do it – so I try to exploit every free minute I have.

What we should know about Italian women and men?

You should know that Italian women are the most beautiful women in the world and that Italian men are the most charming men in the world (not me of course!) Italian women and men are the funniest creatures on the planet, the best cooks, the most elegantly dressed, the insuperable wine makers and of course, the most romantic lovers in the universe. Of course I’m kidding, but I can swear we all have a great sense of humour too.