Kelmendi – Bringing You a Piece of Home

Editor @ Global Man February 11, 2022 No Comments

promotional feature

By Sujany Baleswaran

From the Balkans to the heart of your home – Kelmendi GmbH global products have become staple products in millions of households, from Kosovo to Finland. The name Kelmendi is stamped with the approval of customers, a guarantee of freshness, delectability, satiety, quality and a taste of home. Stepping back from the jars of delicacies lined on pantry shelves, Kelmendi is the intricate concoction of business and traditions.

Starting with a small single shop in Essen, Germany, Kelmendi products were born and has now developed into an international company and a market leader in Europe. Valdet Kelmendi, a German entrepreneur with Kosovar roots is the man behind the global brand. Born in the village of Ruhot, to a large family immersed in Albanian traditions, Valdet tasted the beauty of secret family recipes. He learnt the first steps of his business, from those very steps, watching his father manage a grocery store in the 1970s, expanding the business further out in the Municipality of Peja until the 1990s.

When struck with the aggravated political situation and the persecution of hundreds who worked for the good of the country, Valdet was forced to leave his roots behind, emigrating to Germany. Uprooting his life came with challenges, days questioning the future but the thought of surrendering to those obstacles never crossed Valdet’s mind.

As a persecuted refugee, he worked as a clerk cultivating vegetables but it was in 1992, when he was employed in an international factory engaged in wood processing, DERIX, Valdet’s path began to change. Although a world away from his Kosovar roots and the comfort of food, his skills, tireless work and leadership rewarded him with the position of Manager of the Sales department, a foundation for the future.

The team behind Kelmendi GmbH, Valdet, Blerim and Oliver

An entrepreneur’s journey is always filled with the ups and downs of failure and success, but with determination and perseverance to create this business in Germany, Valdet rose from all the obstacles he faced. After repeated success and great will, Valdet turned to his dreams that began in Kosovo, sealing the deal in 1998 with the success of the Kelmendi company, with products not only being sold in Germany, but all over Europe. Touching upon every sector of food products from dairy to meat, Kelmendi products circle back to one thing, the unique taste of traditional and modern family recipes.

From the launch of products inspired by Albanian recipes, the food empire has branched out to numerous other societies and culture, creating your taste of home. The Kelmendi network has expanded to Germans, Baltics, Turks, Arabs and African and many others who have formed the pillars of success.

‘Preserving the spirit of cooperation without distinctions.’

Supplying products for over a quarter of a century, Kelmendi has grown immensely as a business, maintaining a leading position in the overall European ethnic food market. With growth at the forefront of the company, Kelmendi has not stopped at KELMENDI products, they have continued launching a stream of success stories such as NAKJA, ALBINA, BOSNA, Öz GURBET, KRISTAL, FUNDAM and MARRAKESH. Kelmendi food products have become synonymous with quality and tradition, achieving a high level of international recognition. With success after success and the increasing demand for products, Kelmendi GmbH, established their new company in 2018, Kelmendi Lebensmittel Ratingen, a symbol of growth. ‘In the business world there is always a target and always room to grow,’ says Founder Valdet Kelmendi. In 10 years, this food empire hopes to bring products closer and closer to customers all over the world. With goals set high, Valdet leaves us with the secrets of success, ‘believe in yourself, have a desire to work, value precision, and try not to work for money, instead find a way to make money work for you.’

5 Ideal Gifts for Valentine’s Day

Editor @ Global Man January 29, 2022 No Comments

Valentine is near! It is an opportunity to express your love with gifts. And when these gifts are made with good taste, even better for your loves. What do women want? What makes them happy? What is that precious memory that they want to carry with them forever? Of course a precious piece of jewelry. We are recommending you 5 gift ideas that for this Valentine will surprise you your partner. For your convenience, you can find 5 of these gifts at Markis Jewelry, now also online.

Necklace

Make her have you in her heart with a diamond heart. This necklace will be ideal for this Valentine. She is in your heart, so this heart can now be in her neck.

Ring

Rings are a great gift, perhaps the most special and important. If you choose to propose on Valentine’s Day, be careful to choose the right ring. Be sure that no one can resist the precious brilliance (nor the desire to say YES)

Earring

Give more finesse and color to this accessory that will make your girlfriend even more charming. The earring are accessories that can be easily combined. And if they have precious stones, the more precise this gift becomes.

Emerald Necklace

If your girlfriend loves gemstones, this ring with emerald stones is ideal. Make her love the color green again and give the feeling that she is special, as much as this stone.

Rings with multicolored stones

Who said the ring should always have a proposal behind it? Maybe your girlfriend will be disappointed when she see that you’re not proposing her, but be sure that she will fall in love with the ring, as much as with you. So give her the ring she deserves.

Find these precious gifts and more clicking on this link

https://shop.markis-juwelier.ch/

Arif Anis: The Global Influence Magnate

Editor @ Global Man January 28, 2022 No Comments

Mr I’MPOSSIBLE to Exploring the Art of Possible

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

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

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

It doesn’t interest me

how old you are

I want to know

if you will risk

looking like a fool

for love

for your dream

for the adventure of being alive.

“The Invitation,” by Oriah Mountain Dreamer

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

Charles Ward- Great Ideas Work

Editor @ Global Man April 30, 2018 No Comments

Charles Ward- Great Ideas Work

By Gulia Lucci

Charles Ward is uniquely suited to his position at the helm of IWG. With a background in TV news, public relations and advertising in Texas, Ward founded “Idea Works Global” (IWG) in 1980. From then until now, here are a few of his notable accomplishments: He changed the marketing strategies of yachting after raising $16 million in sponsorships to help Skipper Dennis Conner win the ‘America’s Cup Yacht Race in 1987’, in Western Australia. He also executed a cross-marketing strategy that aligned ‘Bombardier Aerospace’ and luxury brands such as ‘Graff Diamonds’, ‘Cartier’, and ‘Rolls-Royce Motor Cars’ to create an annual three-day party held in a hangar where private jets land to deliver business moguls and celebrities to the Super Bowl. He was also recently named the exclusive sponsorship agency for the ‘Federation of International Polo’ (FIP). Represented in 88 countries, FIP’s 19,000+ members include Royals, Generals, Business Executives, and some of the world’s wealthiest individuals. Idea Works Global is a marketing and brand-development firm focused on facilitating strategic partnerships between heritage brands to reach the most affluent connoisseurs of art, autos, fashion, travel, jewelry, spirits and sports.

Tell us about your business and why you started your business in Texas 38 years ago?

We were always interested in luxury products and services and decided to start a company that brings together the wealthiest families and unique luxury brands through strategic alliances. ‘Idea Works Global’ was born with creating corporate partnerships for America’s Cup Yacht Racing.

What has been the biggest challenge you faced as a businessman in Texas and how did you tackle that challenge?

Since we are involved in events around the world, from Australia to Sardinia, sometimes remote co-ordination is a huge challenge. We are constantly learning and improving in this regard.

Who has motivated and inspired you towards success?

I believe some of the entrepreneurs who are our clients continue to inspire me personally and I have learned so much from them in thousands of hours of meetings.

Can you tell us more about your marketing strategies and what is the formula for your international success?

We look for opportunities that are not crowded with competition already. For example, over the past two decades we have achieved an international reputation in marketing strategic alliances for the sport of polo, often overlooked by the major luxury brands. In fact, we’re told we are the only independent company in the USA with a specialty in polo branding. So, we found an incredible niche with practically no competition.

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

Our Houston office had 30 employees: 29 women and me as the only male. I find women more organised and often more creative in the fields of advertising and marketing. It has contributed to our success.

What is special about your lifestyle?

Ah, my lifestyle. It is incredible because our events are in the most desirable resorts of the world and our clients manufacture the largest private jets and most luxurious cars. And that makes up our world.

What ’motto’ in life do you live by?

Always stand for excellence and exceed client expectations and you’ll have business for life.

Adam Markel – PIVOT Your Way To Success

Editor @ Global Man April 20, 2018 No Comments

Adam Markel

PIVOT your way to success – reinventing your life and your business

By Gulia Lucci

Adam Markel is a speaker, author and entrepreneur who inspires, empowers and guides people to achieve massive and lasting personal and professional growth.

A recognised expert in the integration of business and personal development, Adam speaks and mentors around the globe in the areas of business, entrepreneurship, leadership, and transformation. His latest book is the best selling “PIVOT: The Art and Science of Reinventing Your Career and Life”. Adam also hosts the ‘Conscious PIVOT’ podcast, where he shares his insights on pivoting in today’s fast paced market and interviews experts, innovators and influencers to share their stories and wisdom in the areas of business and life. Adam is the CEO of “More Love Media”, a Company dedicated to empowering individuals and businesses to re-imagine, refocus, and capitalise on change in order to thrive.

How would you describe your early life?

I grew up in Queens, a borough of the City of New York and I had a wonderful childhood. We didn’t have a lot of physical space or privacy in our little four room apartment (where my younger brother and I shared a converted dining room space as our bedroom), but we had lots of love, good food in ample supply, and encouragement to speak freely. I was sensitive to my surroundings and remember not wanting to step on the dandelions that stood between me and the grass field leading to Public School 169. That sensitivity could be sensed by other kids who were finding their way as well. It resulted in bullying and I was on the receiving end from time to time. Slowly I figured out the process of survival – fight or flight was not an abstract concept for me between age 6 and 14. I learned what it took to stand my ground and also how to avoid conflict. I loved my small world and the few friends that I could truly be myself around. Through sports and some pivotal moments of self-trust I developed self esteem and confidence to speak up and out and even defend others that were not ready to do so themselves.

How did you go on to become a motivational speaker?

After spending a few years as a middle school English teacher I returned to school and studied to become a lawyer. I spent 18 years as a litigation attorney and represented the side of the underdog and disenfranchised many times. After several years of doing “ok” my practice became financially successful representing more businesses and banks. At a certain point though, I could sense that my enthusiasm was disappearing and in its place was anger and impatience. I would wake up in the morning feeling dread and anxiety about the day ahead and I felt out of control. At a certain point, when I could not stand those feelings any longer, I picked up a book called “The Road Less Travelled” by Dr. Scott Peck. When I was done reading that book my life was different. I could see options including not settling for the way I was feeling. I knew I had a chance. I knew I could make it to the next peak even though I didn’t know how. I devoured book after book and eventually invested in coaching and workshops to take my new energy to an even higher level. I had increasingly more frequent moments of clarity and eventually decided that what I was experiencing could also help others. I set a goal to become a transformational speaker and trainer and over the course of two years I reinvented my career and became a lead trainer and later CEO of a large personal development training company in San Diego. I wrote a book about the process of career transition called “Pivot: The Art & Science of Reinventing Your Career and Life”. The body of work that has been developed from Pivot has enabled me to speak all over the world.

What are your secrets in terms of motivating people?

I love people with all of my heart and soul. I tell them what most other people won’t say to them. I see them. I hear them. I respect them. And I don’t accept their limiting beliefs or limiting behaviors as the truth.

What has helped you to become more effective in growing your business?

I have showed people how to create clarity and make better decisions, how to take baby steps so they can get into momentum and how to take better care of themselves so they can be resilient as they continue to pivot into a business and life they can love.

‘’The Art and Science of Reinventing Your Career and Life’’ is your latest book. Can you tell us more about it?

Pivot is remarkable in its usability. The book details the “process” of making small changes that lead to massive growth and even transformation over time. The book is foundational because it provides a detailed program to create clarity, take action, and plan for the road ahead. The book also helps people to create powerful new rituals or master habits to find greater self-love and self-trust. There is a 21 Pivot Plan to further support the process and provide continuity for the reader’s journey.

What are your three top tips for personal development?

My three top tips for personal development are (i) It is so important to both learn and practice unconditional Self-Acceptance and Self-Love. This means taking excellent care of your body, your mind and your spirit. Find fun and new ways to keep it exciting. When teaching about relationships we call it ‘FLY’ or ‘First Love Yourself’. (ii) We must all continue to develop master habits which include gratitude, presence and forgiveness. I personally have both a morning and an evening ritual, which I find are the keys to my Inner Peace. (iii) To continue to be a constant and never ending learner we must make sure our minds are the fertile soil that we nurture and garden with tender loving care – everything grows from there.

What would be your four pieces of advice for women who want to start a career in business?

First, authenticity is key! Women must develop their business practices as authentic women, rather than ‘pretend men’ which can be pretty tricky in the business arena. I’ve found that it is necessary to conduct business in any way that is genuine and right in your heart and to share that message with others from a place of service. Next, the most successful women entrepreneurs I have met, and many who I mentor, all are exceptional at conveying their message and enrolling others around them. My third piece of advice is that I always recommend that all business owners, men and women, learn the skills of pivoting because change is a constant in our world. Change and disruption are always taking place and the way we manage and make the most out of change is the difference between succeeding in the long run or not. Lastly, I also recommend finding mentors or coaches to work with since they have knowledge tools and experience that save us time and money – I still work with coaches and mentors to this day and they are worth their weight in platinum!

What is next for you?

Like most people, I am always pivoting in one way or another. I am always looking for creative opportunities, projects that inspire and challenge me and I make sure to tend to the garden of my mind. I am excited to be working on my next book, “The Next Pivot” and seeing what gems I can share with others. I am also learning more and more what unconditional love really looks like, for myself and others, and embodying and sharing it with everyone I meet. Our company “More Love Media” holds the big vision of helping people actualise their dreams in their career, business and life through our ‘Pivot Incubator’ and ‘Speaker Mastery’ training.

Michael Mathews: Investing for success and investing in life

Editor @ Global Man April 16, 2018 No Comments

Michael Mathews:

Investing for success and investing in life

Michael Mathews is the co-founder of “The Mathews Entrepreneur Group” (TMEG). He is dedicated and committed to providing Personal Financial Literacy education programs and one-on-one financial literacy guidance using books, workshops, online programs and one-on-one personal results coaching. Michael also provides his clients with entertaining and exciting books for pleasure reading. His wealth building portfolio also includes property investing and land banking.

By Gulia Lucci

How do you remember your life as a young boy, growing up in Chicago?

I grew up on the Southside of Chicago during the 1960’s and 70’s. Being in the baby boomer generation, I experienced my friends being drafted into the Vietnam War, the 1963 assassination of President John F. Kennedy (when I was 8 years old), the 1965 assassination of Malcolm X (When I was 10 years old) and the 1968 assassination of Martin L. King Jr. (When I was 13 years old). Chicago was a racially-filled melting pot within the inner city. Segregation and racial tension ran rampant. I was the youngest of three children, having my older brother and sister as buffers while navigating the streets to and from home. My father and mother both worked, and I came from a loving working-class family, living in a working class neighbourhood, where our entire community was the village that raised me.

You have a passion for financial literacy education. Was it difficult to get into this industry?

The initial difficulty first came from me not knowing how money worked in terms of wealth building strategies. I did not come from generational wealth. I had to learn how money worked. How to save it, how to invest it, how to grow and maintain multiple streams of passive income. I made the decision to read financial books, listen to financial tapes, attend financial seminars, and associate with successful people whom I could learn financial literacy and wealth building principles from.

Fast forward to my marriage to Robbie, we believed that financially speaking, the best Improvement starts with Self-Improvement. We decided to be co-founders of the “Blessed to Invest Investment Club” along with several family members and friends. This is where we learned how to invest in the stock market using dollar cost averaging during both the ‘Bull’ and ‘Bear’ markets.

We took advantage of our employee sponsored investment options to begin our wealth building process. Next, we invested in income producing real estate, land banking in Palmdale-Lancaster California, commercial real estate development and mobile home investments along with a group of like-minded investors to further maximise our financial growth.

The ‘Mathews Entrepreneur Group (TMEG)’ was founded in 2007 by you and your wife. What can you tell us about your Company? What is the mission?

The Mathews Entrepreneur Group (TMEG) was initially founded as a self-publishing company. TMEG has evolved into a brand that’s committed to empowering people to both “hone” and “own” their personal and small business finances.

TMEG’s mission is to raise the awareness level of consciousness about the need for personal financial literacy education on a global scale. We can all agree that debt is a global problem. Bad money habits are destroying the dreams and futures of individuals and families across the globe. It doesn’t matter what country you live in or currency you use – US Dollar, South African Rand, Euro, or the British Pound, debt is the same in any language. We expanded our reach by speaking publicly in the United States and internationally about ‘Financial Literacy Education’ because “It’s not a priority in our educational systems. It’s important that the issue be addressed by all of us and at all levels of society.”

We are committed to giving our clients a comprehensive, easy to use, set of tools providing them with the knowledge, skills and support system needed to take control of their personal finances. In addition to speaking we provide one on one coaching, workshops, seminars, books and online programs.

What made you decide to start your own company?

Early in life we experienced financial struggles long before we knew one another. We did not know or understand how to build wealth. We were taught, or at least told, that we should get a good education, get a good job and work the 40-40-40 plan, work for 40 hours per week, for 40 years of our lives, only to retire and live off of 40 percent of our income. That was not the American dream that we had in mind.

We decided to start TMEG because we learned how to make our money work for us on the passive income stream side of the spectrum. We saw first-hand the benefits of helping others improve their lives which inspired us to take up the mantle of financial education.

While my wife was on a business trip in London, I wrote our first book; “Financially speaking: The Best Improvement Starts with Self Improvement-Create Your Own Economic Stimulus Plan” in 2007, and the revised edition in 2016. Financially Speaking along with our 7 LIVE W.E.A.L.T.H.Y. principles became the cornerstone that formed our company’s financial education wings.

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

Unexpectedly, in July of 2017, I was nominated, and later received, the John H. Johnson “Business Man of the Year” award presented at the “We Dream in Colour” humanitarian celebration by Mr. Quinton de Alexander in Chicago. In October of 2017, still unexpected, my wife was nominated and received a special “Inspirational Global Woman Award” in London.

What motivates you to succeed?

As a former basketball player, I was trained and motivated how to succeed in basketball and in the game of life off of the basketball court. I was taught to understand that with winning, you must also lose some games along the way. With every loss of a basketball game, it’s just like failing to achieve your business goals. In the game of basketball, like in the game of life, losing a few comes with winning the big deals, as long as you don’t keep on making the same business mistakes.

I am highly motivated more than ever because early in my adult life, before I met my wife, I enrolled in the so-called ‘University of Hard Knocks’. I spent my money on my life-style. I went broke, I drained my bank accounts, I maxed out all of my credit cards, I filed for bankruptcy, my car was repossessed, and I moved back in with my parents. I felt frustrated and I felt ashamed.

My financial situation did not change until I took control of how I was thinking about money, feeling about money and acting with money. I was able to move out of my parents’ home as I started to become the responsible man that I was meant to be. I graduated with my PhD from the University of Hard Knocks around the age of 40 because I took my personal financial literacy education seriously.

Both my wife and I are motivated and passionate about giving back to society. While working at the ‘Chicago Transit Authority’, I began giving back to the historically black colleges and universities to help encourage our young leaders not to make the same mistakes that I made. One of our investments ‘Even Stevens-fast casual sandwich shops’ mission is ‘Eat-To-Give’. For every sandwich that is purchased, one sandwich of equally nutritional value is donated back to the community. With 20 sandwich shops operational in the United States, together with our investors, we have donated 2.5 million sandwiches back to local charities who feed the many hungry men, women, children and babies in need of a hand up and not a hand out.

My wife grew up on the West Side of Chicago. She was a single teenage parent living on welfare, raising four children. She was a high school drop-out but she went back to school and received a certificate in ‘Computer Technology’. She also attended night school and received her bachelor’s and Master’s degree. During her corporate career, Robbie donated financially to the ‘United Way’ on a regular basis as well as volunteering her time. She retired as a Vice-President and Technology Manager of that firm. Our story is that any excuse is a reason to fail, and If we can do it so can you.

What are three ways to obtain money for real estate investing?

Personal Funds: You can use your retirement account by rolling over your traditional IRA or 401K, etc., to a self-directed IRA. Then purchase real estate through your self-directed IRA. You have all the risk and all the reward.
Joint Ventures: Enter into joint ventures with other investors. Depending on how the deal is structured, you might not need to put up any money, if so the initial seed capital should be equally divided between all joint venture partners, thus offsetting your investment amount. Make sure your joint venture partners are people that you trust. You share the risk and you share reward.
Lenders: Traditional or Hard money lenders (usually the loan will be backed by the real estate deal). If your credit is good enough use institutional loans. You can invest alone or also have a joint venture opportunity.

How is it in business working together with your life partner, and how do you balance personal and business life?

What matters most to me is that our business and personal relationships are balanced to our satisfaction. When my wife and I travel in the United States or Internationally Speaking, we take a few days off after business and become tourists. We understand that our life together is more about living in the moment because tomorrow is not promised. We are blessed to actually live some of our wildest-bucket list dreams.

Like when we were in the beautiful country of South Africa, on the top of Table Mountain in Cape Town. We also cuddled with some big baby lion cubs. In Dubai, on the 124^th floor at the top of the Burj Kahalifa. Being on the French Riviera in Cannes France or eating dinner in Paris at the Eiffel Tower was another beautiful experience. Add Disneyland, Mickey Mouse, and having good meals with our global friends in California and London are memorable occasions.

I’m proud of the dream team that we make and the work that we do. I’m grateful to the universe that I was able to find my soulmate. Being able to love, work with, speak on the same stage with, travel the world on business and pleasure with, create products and services with, be of service to others with my best friend-my loving Wife-Robbie Mathews is priceless. We share the same goals, dreams and vision. Yes, sometimes we agree to disagree, however, I’ve learned that being in the same vortex with my wife, with our energy frequencies tuned in on the same dial tone, the airways of mutual respect and understanding are always on the same channel.

If you could give one piece of advice to all the women out there who want to start their own business, what would that be?

Begin with your idea, step out on faith and fulfill the vision that the universe has planted within your mind, body, soul, spirit and everyday thoughts. Then become a fearless-tigress, confident woman. Wear your crown! Don’t allow anyone, woman or man to get in your head with “you can’t” and allow them to steal your dream.

But do your due diligence, define your business model, develop your business plan, consult your mastermind group of professionals, develop your product or service, identify your target market and marketing plan, and know your numbers. Seek business coaching from a trusted source to guide you along the way.

In your opinion what are three things that women need to know about finances?

Get out and stay out of debt, unless it’s considered good debt that is making you money in the form of positive cash flow or positive interest payments instead of bad debt that is costing you money.
Achieve, monitor and maintain good personal and business credit, by paying your bills on time and at least pay the required minimum. No need to pay late fees or have your interest rates increase. Keep your personal credit score at 770 or higher. This will stabilise your borrowing power with creditors.
Have an emergency savings account of about 6 to 9 months of your total living expenses. Have a regular savings account that you can have available investment capital ready for investment opportunities. If you’re working, utilise your employer sponsored retirement plans, especially if your company gives you matching contributions at any percentage. Don’t leave free money on the table. Before investing, complete your due diligence. If you are still unsure, seek coaching from someone that you trust, or from someone who is highly recommended.

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

Because of the historically male dominated glass ceiling way of doing things, the Global Woman is fighting a harder fight than her male counterparts in business, as well as big stage speaking opportunities. As a result, today and in the future, women will not be denied (I did not say it will be easy) their opportunity to shine as business leaders and speakers on the big stages in our global community. I know there are men who oppose my words, and I know there are men who agree with me! Men need not FEAR the rise of the global woman business leader and big stage speaker.

Just as women do when men are speaking, men should also sit down, pay attention, and take notes when the global woman is speaking in the board room or from the stage. Men might learn a thing or two, because women have a thing or two to say!

I’ve met some incredible global woman business leaders who are already speaking on the big stages of the world. Robbie Mathews, Randi Zuckerberg, Bethany Frankel, Christie Brinkley, Lisa Nichols, Dr. Kara Scott Dentley, Francie Baldwin, Joanna Mukoki, Mirela Sula, and other Global Woman Business Leaders. As Les Brown’s say’s “that’s my story and I’m sticking to it.”

I wrote the following poem in dedication to my wife Robbie, Mirela Sula and the Global Woman Business Leaders around the world.

THE GLOBAL WOMAN BUSINESS LEADER ROCKS

She is a global woman leader with a new paradigm for changing the world

She helps the business woman, young ladies, and aspiring little girls

She is an empowering global woman leader, operating outside of the box

She is business savvy, and extremely smart like a fox

She is a global woman leader with foresight, because hindsight won’t do

She moves her agenda forward and her vision is true

She is a quick witted global woman leader with blood vessels of steel

She makes hard decision sometimes wearing high heels

She leads with her left, she leads with her right

She’s doubted in the board room, backing down from no fight

She’s in the 15^th round and still stand strong

She has the right leadership skills so she can’t go wrong

She knowns the secret that makes her a global woman leader

She fully understands that the world really needs her

She has patience and understanding but will leave you in the dust

She is a symbol of integrity, and worthy of the worlds trust

She doesn’t sit around waiting for opportunity to knock, because

She is an empowering global woman leader, who definitely ROCKS!

Swedish Wealth Institute: Secrets To Start Up Success

Editor @ Global Man March 7, 2018 No Comments

Swedish Wealth Institute:

Secrets To Start Up Success

By Fati Gorezi

Daniel Wood is an entrepreneur and investor that, together with his wife and business partners, runs three businesses – the ‘Swedish Wealth Institute’, ‘Completed Connections’ and ‘Property Effect’. The mission of each Company is to help individuals to achieve financial independence through investing or entrepreneurship. The ‘Swedish Wealth Institute’ in particular, is an events based Company that brings together potential investors and entrepreneurs to learn from experienced business mentors and coaches from all over the world.

Can you tell us more about yourself and how you became successful?

My name is Daniel Wood and I was born and raised in Stockholm in Sweden. My father is American and my mother Swedish. This mix has been very important in shaping me into the person I am today. It has given me both American confidence and the Swedish attitude of caring and recognising the importance of having a good support group around you.

My wife Gisela and I originally started investing in property in the UK. As we became more successful in this venture we started to invite friends and others who were interested in property investing to free events where we shared our experience, lessons learned and tips for success. This led us to setting up the ‘Swedish Wealth Institute’ and now we hold events every month with the aim of helping people to become successful property investors and entrepreneurs.

When did you decide to create the ‘Swedish Wealth Institute’ and can you tell us more about it?

We started the Company in January 2016 and we have been busy ever since. There are some world class Companies that have been founded in Sweden like IKEA and Ericsson and yet there is still a huge knowledge gap when it comes to cultivating an entrepreneurial spirit and having the courage to start new a new Company. There seems to a willingness to learn these skills in Sweden and we are here to encourage people to turn their ideas into a business.

Historically most Swedes would tend to travel to the UK or the US to seek out top class business advice and coaching but few business people would come out to Sweden for that sort of advice. We wanted to change that perspective and make Sweden an attractive place for new businesses to flourish. It takes three things to help entrepreneurs and investors reach their goals – knowledge, guidance and passion and that’s what we are here to provide.

We meet passionate and creative people every day and our goal is give them the guidance and knowledge they require to take the next steps to success and to help them find specific expertise or mentors. Through the Swedish Wealth Institute more and more highly regarded international speakers are now coming to Sweden. So when people come to our events they can be sure of hearing wisdom from the very best. All of our speakers have achieved success and are keen to share their stories and tips and lessons that can be applied in the real world.

What makes the difference between an average Company and one you should consider investing in?

All entrepreneurial success stems from the vision of the organisation founder and the core team. If there is a clear vision of the organisational goal, a passion for creating value and a solid revenue model and marketing plan then you have all the right building blocks for success.

I always like to ask would-be entrepreneurs questions like ‘Why do you want to start a Company?’ and ‘If you become a billion dollar business how is this making the world a better place and what positive changes will it bring?’ If these types of questions are answered with honesty and integrity and you and your team believe passionately about what you do then you have the fundamentals for success.

Do you think there is any particular pattern or formula for starting a successful business?

If you have an idea for a product or service that you truly believe will make a difference to people’s lives then you will need a will and a passion to succeed as well as the strength to face and overcome the inevitable obstacles that will get in your way. Persistence to succeed is often as important as the passion to make the business a success. This where a good mentor can help you stay focused and avoid mistakes based on the lessons they learned themselves. A good mentor can also help you to spot opportunities that you otherwise might have missed.

Many successful business people say that before they became successful they had to face many challenges or setbacks. What have been the main challenges you have had to overcome?

Like all new businesses we had many challenges to overcome and we also made mistakes along the way. We didn’t always see the risks and we also lost money when we made bad decisions. You learn a lot from making mistakes and the key is to structure your business and partnerships in such a way that you stay protected even through the tough times. This is why a good mentor is so important.

How do you promote and encourage the women who work for you?

Two thirds of our Board are women and approximately 70% of our clients are women. It is encouraging to see so many women stepping up and having the courage to start their own businesses. The most important thing today is to look beyond any gender limitations because it no longer matters whether a business leader is a man or a woman. It is what they bring to the table that counts.

What are your three top tips for individuals that want to succeed as investors and entrepreneurs?

To succeed you must have passion about what you want to achieve. You also need to acquire knowledge about your profession and you also need a good revenue model. You also need the determination to push through every challenge. It’s also essential that you know about the intricacies and risks of your chosen marketplace. A good mentor can help you to spot potential deals and how to optimally structure your business for success. Most importantly, if your business doesn’t make money then it won’t survive so you need to know how to convert clients into buyers and how to maximise the value you give to your clients and the value you bring to the business.

What are your own personal goals for the next three years and what are you seeking to achieve?

Our goal is simply to continue to help more and more people across the world. We want to expand into more markets and help more people become successful entrepreneurs and investors. Our dream is to make one million people become successful. Most people who find success are willing to give something back and many of our investors donate around 10% of their income to charities. If one million successful people gave back ten percent of their annual income to charity it would generate one hundred billion dollars a year that could be used for good causes like ending poverty, improving education for all, provision of better healthcare, improving water quality and even reversing global warming.

What type of marketing strategy would you suggest for a new business owner?

A good marketing strategy should start with answering some specific questions such as:-

What is my passion?
What are my values?
Can I find a way of turning my passion into a business?
Is my idea scalable?
What is my revenue model?
Who are my target customers?
How can I bring my product or service to market?

Once you have answered these questions then find a good mentor or business coach who can guide you and support you on your journey to success.

People Are Capable Of Re-Inventing Themselves at Any Time

Editor @ Global Man January 4, 2018 No Comments

Bernado Moya

People Are Capable Of Re-Inventing Themselves at Any Time

Bernado Moya is a Neuro-Linguistic Programme Practitioner, with a business delivering NLP courses. He is also the founder and creator of The Best You, specialising in personal and professional development. In this interview, Bernado tells us about the importance of family to him and the challenges of balancing that with being a committed entrepreneur. He has learned from experience that business has its ups and downs and the essential value of having resilience and the ability to reinvent yourself. We also learn more about his interests in travel and motorbiking.

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

My parents were Spanish immigrants that met in London and I was born in London. My Dad was a head waiter and my Mum was a chef so I was brought up with food, quality food and working hard, and then also getting together with family and friends on weekends. So it was a very family orientated, Spanish environment that I got brought up in and what it has meant is my love for food and my passion for kind of working hard really, and understanding the importance of family life and the family upbringing.

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

Unfortunately, my Dad died when I was 15, but my Mum is around luckily and I have a brother. I also have three great kids. My two sons are working, one has a business and the other one is working in yachts. They both live a great life and they’re great people. My daughter, well she’s amazing too. She’s just finished University so we’ve had a family life where we’ve spent a lot of weekends together surrounded by family but yes in an environment where I suppose where they’ve seen me work hard. I’ve worked very hard and maybe I missed out on some opportunities with them but I think they’ve had a great upbringing and they’re great kids so I’m very proud of them. It’s my legacy.

The world needs inspiration, it needs leaders that can help and inspire the newer generations but also can make the world a better place.

What were your earlier career or business ventures and what did you learn from those experiences?

Well, I have been in real estate off and on doing different things from timeshare to running my own real estate. I had up to 23-25 employees so selling and engaging with clients has been something I’ve done from an early age, since I finished in the army at the age of 19. But I would say that it’s provided me a great life but also challenges. I lost my business twice, once when I was 26 and then again at the age of 38-39 which is where I pretty much re-started all over again. From my experiences, I’ve learnt that I’m very resilient, I’ve learnt that I can re-invent myself as needed and work hard to create something new. I’ve been very passionate about everything that I’ve done, I’ve always had big dreams and I’m still on a journey.

As an entrepreneur, how much is it in the nature, in your genes and how much is it instinct and nurture, do you think?

Well, I think there’s a special type of person that has to have that within them to become an entrepreneur. I understand that not everyone wants to build their own business and I understand that people are happy to live an easier life, less stressful. Becoming an entrepreneur is very challenging, it’s something that you’ve got to be prepared to put more hours than you can imagine, be prepared for failure, be prepared for disappointments with staff and employees, be prepared for people not to buy into your products but also it has amazing rewards. If you understand your business, if you understand your customer, if you really study marketing, sales, and how to build relationships with your customers, if you build something that’s unique, that inspires people, it’s a very rewarding job.

I’ve had three children, but I know that my businesses have always taken a very important part of my life and I’m aware of that, yet it’s something I’m proud of. I’ve always done my best and I would prefer to at least know that I’ve tried than not ever even attempting it. So I’m very happy with being an entrepreneur and the rewards that it has given me in my life.

What attracted you to become involved with NLP?

It was Paul McKenna’s book ‘Change your Life in 7 Days’. It was packed with NLP techniques and it was the first time I read about Dr Richard Bandler and Neuro-linguistic Programming. I remember that after reading the book I asked a friend of mine who worked with Paul Hay, I would love to do the course. I did the ‘7 Day Practitioner’ and I remember at the end of the course I knew that I wanted to do something different. I wanted to do something with more meaning and I felt that NLP could provide me that, and would provide me with the set of skills that I needed.

Can you tell us more about NLP and how it works?

Neuro-linguistic Programming is the study of excellence. Richard Bandler, the Co-creator, looked into how did successful people do what they do? How do people that have phobias overcome them? How did they leave those phobias and fears behind? So he put those techniques together and he packaged them. Neuro, stands for the head linguistic set of skills, language patterns that we use and the programming set of skills and strategies. Part of NLP is simply allowing you to think. It gives you a set of skills to become a better communicator, more confident, to be able to become more motivated, and to understand how you can change how you feel by simply thinking differently. If you think differently you feel differently, if you feel differently you act and behaviour differently.

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

I think the older we get the more we understand the importance of investing in ourselves. When we’re at school we take learning, not everyone, but I think generally we take it as a burden, something that we have to do. I think with age we understand how important it is to really be at our peak and how we can become a better version of ourselves; how we can think better, how we can communicate better and that’s what personal development brings you.

You know people are looking for love, they’re looking for ways to increase their self- esteem to become more confident, to become happier. And you do that by learning from the best, from reading books, from attending talks or attending Expos and being surrounded by positive people that can provide you inspiration. If we think of ourselves as a device, as a phone, we’re always looking at the latest version or downloading the latest update and software. But when it comes down to us, we’re always reluctant to upgrade our own software. We need to be permanently pushing ourselves and reading the best, not just because we need to, but additionally the world needs it too. The world needs inspiration, it needs leaders that can help and inspire the newer generations but also can make the world a better place.

You have two Expos in early 2018 in London and Long Beach California – can you tell us more about these and what to expect?

It is our third Expo in London, that’s on the 16th and 17th February and in Long Beach on the 24th and 25th March, which will be our first run in the US. The Expos have grown and doubled in size every year and the reason being is because there wasn’t any personal development experience like this. It’s an opportunity to meet all these fantastic inspirational speakers, brands, companies and organisations that are dedicated to improving people’s lives.

It’s a great format. We have loads of workshops, 8 or 9 seminar rooms with more than 140 speakers. We have a variety of other activities, like the Inspiration Zone, where we teach people how to overcome phobias, learn how to dance Salsa, and walk on glass. We have the Yoga and Meditation Zone, fresh juices, we’re screening some amazing documentaries with some fantastic partners; Netflix, and Sky. There is so much going on at these Expos and we’re very excited about them.

What are your favourite places in the world from your travels and why?

I have travelled and I would like to travel a lot more. I loved Vietnam, it was beautiful. One of the things that I like doing and have done quite a few times, is I’ve gone with friends on motorbike tours, which have always been amazing and very appealing to me. I’ve also been to Madagascar, South Africa, and Canada. I’ve done a few small trips around the US, but I have many future plans. I want to travel the whole of South America. I feel that travelling is a very important part of life and I believe that as The Best US Expo starts licensing around the world, it’s going to be something that’s on my plate and I’m looking forward to it.

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

One of the beauties, I think, of personal and professional growth, as we’ve seen it many, many times, is that people are able and capable of re-inventing themselves at any time. I would always say that it’s never, ever too late. I always insist on that, it’s never ever too late to become who you want to become, to become the best you. You’ve just got to take action and start today, start now. And be resilient, just be prepared. Life is going to throw things at you. It’s not what happens, it’s how you deal with what happens that’s the important bit. You can have a bad day, you’ve just got to wake up the next morning, take the dust off, brush yourself and get on with it. So keep going, never give up, never allow anyone to say it’s too late and then again surround yourself by positive people. I love the hash tag ‘no negativity’. I follow that through, I’m not interested in working or being surrounded by any negative people in my life.