Inspire Women Fall 2018 by KNB Media Group

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PUBLISHER & EDITOR

fall 2018

Katrina Ball

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Entrepreneurs are shaping our Island! omen are stepping forward to make their voices and abilities heard and felt. The creativity and passion of women, whether in business or otherwise, is being recognized. This is reflected in the women featured on our cover as well as throughout all of our publications. Our cover story features six passion-filled women who are thriving in their chosen fields. They share what motivates, challenges and rewards them within their unique entrepreneurial space. Mstira Weeks is quoted as saying: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Be yourself - everyone else is taken.â&#x20AC;? I encourage each of us to make this quote our own, learn how to be comfortable with who we are, make changes as needed and stand firm in your own space. To all our readers, I hope that this issue inspires you to dream big, get motivated and put your passions into action! I want to say thank you to BEDC for all they do for small businesses on the island and helping female entrepreneurs make their dreams into reality.

Wanda Brown wanda@knbmediagroup.com 333-1925

DESIGN & PRODUCTION Kiona Estravit Ampersand Creative & Visual Studio CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Alicia Resnik, Carla Seely, Tania Kowalski, Karolina De Costa, Caroline Caton, Dr. Ayesha Peets Talbot

ON THE COVER: OUR LOVELY COVER LADIES AT THE EARL CAMERON THEATER, CITY HALL. PHOTOGRAPHER: KIONA ESTRAVIT

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PHOTOGRAPHERS Kiona Estravit, Alicia Resnik, Mall Studio

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Katrina Ball

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Alicia Resnik alicia@knbmediagroup.com 236-9218

Inspire Women is published twice a year. Reader correspondence and editorial submissions are welcome. We reserve the right to edit, reject or comment editorially on all material contributed. No portion of this magazine may be reproduced without express written consent of the publisher. The opinions expressed by contributors or writers do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this magazine. Distribution of this product does not constitute an endorsement of the products or services herein.

Be Inspired!

cover feature

spring 2018

24 equality in the workplace 26 the benefits of technology 28 ultimate imaging 30 zoomables!

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ADVICE

BUSINESS

SPORT 32 coach keta

MOTHERHOOD 36 the home birth movement

WELLBEING 38 how to practice gratitude 40 beauty in the balance

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12 ladies who launch part II 14 coral wells & conectech 16 donna jones of just shirts 18 careers at coldwell banker

HOME 42 paint problems

BBW ENTREPRENEURSHIP/cover feature

BOLD BUSINESS WOMEN

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ENTREPRENEURSHIP/cover feature

BBW BOLD BUSINESS WOMEN

BY: A L I C I A R E S N I K P H OTO S : KI O N A E ST R AV I T

Being an entrepreneur takes ambition, passion, determination, creativity and patience - adjectives that perfectly describe Chrisanthi Waldron, Mstira Weeks, Georgina BallRoach, Lisa Rivas, Adenike Carmichael and Elicia Hollis. The ladies sat down with Inspire Women for a ‘round table’ discussion on the challenges and benefits of owning their companies.

flora

Motivation

Love for fashion is what prompted Lisa to start her business over 30 years ago. “I’d just relocated back to Bermuda with my daughter Domonique after living in New York City for 7 years and needed the extra income.” Lisa approached a friend who she thought would make a good business partner with the idea of selling jewellery. “We started oﬀ hosting ‘trunk parties’ which were very successful.” They later incorporated clothing and moved their business to a small store location in North Hamilton. “I like making clients happy and providing them with a service that brings their vision to life,” says Chrisanthi. She credits her mother for instilling entrepreneurship in her. “My first encounter as a small business owner was at 19. I had the “passion bug” for facepainting and tested it non-stop on my college room-mates.” In 2016 Chrisanthi had a light bulb moment, realizing her dream needed a place where people could come and be creative. She enrolled in the BEDC’s Ice House Program. “The program changed my mind-set.

I encountered a few setbacks, but saw these as challenges.” With perseverance and determination she opened Scribbles Art Shack in February 2017. For Elicia, it was caring for her son that prompted her to go into business. “My son Gianni is my world. He was the main reason I made the transition from a corporate oﬃce to becoming an early childhood educator.” She made the move when he was young because it gave her the opportunity to set her schedule around him without having to ask a boss for permission. “Being available for Gianni was important to me.” A zebra print birthday cake started Georgina on her entrepreneurial journey. “Cakes give me the outlet to be creative,” she says. “What I like about owning my business is that it’s part-time. I have a full-time job. With this, I can pick and choose when I want to work and when I want time oﬀ.” For Adenike being an entrepreneur gives her the creative outlet she desires in her daily life. “My day job doesn’t allow for any flexibility or creativity. By Invitation Only allows me to satisfy my creative side.”

ambassador

Flexibility motivated Mstira. “It’s not about money. It’s flexibility. Being kept in a box would make me miserable,” she says. “Owning my businesses means I’m able to make immediate changes without having to go to a boss for permission.” Mstira says she’s creative and likes being able to pivot. “I can make decisions and changes on the fly. If it doesn’t work, I can make another change and another until it works.”

Rewarding For Elicia the best part of owning Sweet Pea Nursery is the chance it provides for meeting new people. “My clientele come from all over. I’ve met people I might never have had the opportunity to meet – people from the U.S., the U.K, America’s Cup families.” She also says interacting with her students is especially rewarding. “There’s no better reward than getting that hug from a child and being there for them.” For Lisa it’s her employees that make it worthwhile. “I love my staﬀ - guiding and coaching them. They’re an integral part of my business. I couldn’t run Touche’ without them. Customer service is also of the utmost importance to Lisa

and she says she encourages her staﬀ to perform to their full potential, striving for perfection in all aspects of their jobs and their personal lives. “One of the things I preach is ‘this should never be enough’. I encourage my staﬀ to follow their dreams and I try to be as supportive of them in any way I can.” Positive customer feedback is always rewarding says Georgina. “When a bride says ‘that was amazing, everybody’s still talking about my cake – that’s the best part.” The validation of happy customers is Mstira’s goal. “It might sound terrible, but, when kids leave and are crying because they don’t want to go - that makes me happy because I know they want to come back.” With FryDayswhen people walk out and say I’ll be back. With MySTiques, when people say ‘I love my phone’ or ‘I love these shades’.” For Mstira when people feel good, she knows she’s doing a good job. Another benefit for Lisa is shopping for inventory. “I enjoy discovering new vendors and unique items. It takes hours but I love it. It’s therapeutic.” She also enjoys making her customers happy.

“When I’m shopping I keep them in mind. We always have customers coming in looking for accessories to complete an outfit or sometimes we have to start from scratch.” Lisa loves being able to find what a client is looking for and having them leave smiling. “I want to exceed my client’s expectations,” says Adenike. Helping customers pull their ideas together is rewarding. “It’s amazing how word travels and how much your work speaks for itself. It takes on a life of its own. People stop and ask if I’m the cake topper lady! That’s a major benefit.”

Challenges With every business there are diﬃculties. For Georgina that’s sourcing supplies, the expense of ingredients, shipping and duty. “Living in Bermuda sourcing items can be challenging. Also getting professional training. A class may start in 2 weeks and you can’t get there. It’s lots of YouTube learning – learning new techniques and getting that professional training.” Good customer service is Mstira’s pet peeve, and a constantly demanding aspect of running her businesses.

LISA RIVAS

Entrepreneurship means blazing new trails. Meet our six cover ladies who have turned their passions into successful business ventures.

Lisa is the owner of Touche’ ladies boutique located on Reid Street in Hamilton. The store specializes in ladies accessories, handbags and clothing. In addition to running the business with her daughter Domonique, she works full-time at a major insurance company as a Senior Claims Analyst. In her spare time, she loves travelling (but hates to fly), shopping, listening to music, exercising and spending time with her children and grandchildren. “Domonique and I have a passion for fashion. We believe that if you look good you feel good. This motivates us to provide our customers with quality products at reasonable prices.”

CHRISANTHI WALDRON Chrisanthi is the owner of Scribbles Art Shack. Her passion is for unleashing “Process Art” for kids and adults. Despite graduating with a background in Psychology and Computers, her enthusiasm for art continued, and after 10 years in the corporate world, she took a leap of “faith” and opened Scribbles Art Shack. “I’m a people pleasing creative, who’s attentive to detail and innovation. It seems like “entrepreneurship” was instilled in me from birth, thanks to my mother.”

“I love fashion - if you look good you feel good!”

Work smarter not harder – bring your passion to the forefront.” 6

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“Where Fashion Matters”

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ENTREPRENEURSHIP/cover feature “Finding good, reliable staﬀ. Getting staﬀ to understand how I want something done, and that it’s the customer’s business that pays for their pay-check.” Mstira says if an employee isn’t happy, they have the capacity to find a new job. “This is my business. It starts and stops with me. Some people say I’m a control freak, but you have to be.” She also stresses the importance of always being present, especially when a company is new. “I go between FryDays and MySTiques. You have to be available. If someone calls in sick, you have to be there. I wanted to be there for my daughter’s first day of school but on that day, I had to do what was best for business.” Indecisiveness makes Adenike’s job challenging. “When clients ask for something, I design it which takes time. I send it to them and they come back with a picture they could have given me to begin with!” Like Georgina, she also has to import things from overseas which is time consuming. Lisa says her standards are high and she doesn’t like disappointing clients. “Sometimes I’m up until 4am, then I have to get up and

go to a full-time job. It’s absolutely time consuming. I’ve started doing funeral programs and getting everything right is very important and often challenging.” For Lisa not being able to spend as much time as she’d like in the store is difficult. “I love the interaction with customers! Having a full time job can be a challenge particularly around holiday time. Also, wearing two hats can be exhausting.” Balancing staff can be demanding says Elicia. “You’ve developed relationships with your staff and separating the personal from the professional, to deal with matters that need to be resolved, can be hard.” She also says getting staff to trust her vision of how the nursery should operate can be difficult. “They may be doing what they think is right but it’s not my vision – getting staff on board is often challenging.”

Balancing Act “Balancing family and business is hard,” admits Mstira. She says success wouldn’t be possible without the support of her husband and her in-laws. “I have to make special mention of Wendy

Weeks, my mother in law and my husband Shane. They’re my support. My father-in-law Tyrone and Chris, my brother-in-law, they do the heavy stuﬀ.” She says “If anyone says it’s easy – they’re lying! We’re an entrepreneurial house. If we don’t work, we don’t get paid. Family is everything.” “Having a great support system in place makes that work-life balance easier to cope with,” says Chrisanthi. She feels it’s important to remember that business and family are equally important and that both require undivided love and attention. “I spend lots of late hours working after 9pm up to 2am, just to ensure home and work are balanced before the next day begins. I’m constantly working on being present. Any tips and tricks, send them my way!” Elicia stresses the importance of family and friends. “Between both jobs, I work many hours outside of my regular business day. It’s exhausting – being engaged and energetic all day. I finish at 6pm, come home, prepare dinner, answer e-mails, do billing. My son is supported by my family, his father and friends.”

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trips. She used to hate it but now looks forward to helping me find the gems.”

Final Advice Despite setbacks and challenges the ladies say being an entrepreneur is worthwhile. They share advice for future business owners. “Don’t let your current situation distract you from pursing your passion,” says Christhani “Put in the time. It’ll be rewarding.” She adds that financial benefits will eventually come when you put in the work. “Stop comparing your brand, yourself and your life to others. Get up, get motivated -bring your passion to the forefront.” Georgina advises future entrepreneurs to “Create a good plan and do it.” She also recommends keeping some things proprietary. “I’ve been asked for my icing and cake recipes. Hold on to things that make your business diﬀerent. Also be willing to move in other directions. That’s why I moved into wedding cakes. My goal - when you think weddings, you think Sugar Rush Cakes!” “Although some days will be challenging, I encourage anyone who has the courage to be a small business

owner to take that leap of faith,” says Lisa. “Nothing is more rewarding than turning the key to the door of your dream. She encourages everyone to live by the Touche’ motto ‘don’t let anyone dull your sparkle!’ Mstira stresses the importance of being unique. “Don’t dilute the market. Bring something new. Carve your own path. Figure out what you can do diﬀerently. Everything I do is against the grain – just to be diﬀerent!” She also advises future entrepreneurs to stay true to what works for them. Elicia’s advice - “Follow your passion and make it yours.” “Guard your ideas,” advices Adenike. “I’m not saying not to help others, but be careful of who you invite into your space and what information you share.” She also encourages ongoing education. “Always look for ways to improve, for how to get to the next level. And build synergies with other companies, invest in businesses that invest in you.”

ADENIKE CARMICHAEL

GEORGINA BALL-ROACH

Adenike is the owner of By Invitation Only. “For as long as I can remember I’ve been obsessed with paper!” Her passion for paper and fonts led her to rescue a lifelong friend from settling for cookiecutter catalogue wedding invitations in 2016. This blossomed into an amazing ‘part-time’ love affair with creating personal and corporate invitations for all occasions. Adenike offers design and printing as well as invitations, programs, seating charts, table numbers, seating tags, menus, centrepieces, backdrops, thank you cards, paper flowers, funeral programs and Christmas ornaments. In 2015, she launched a custom cake topper line. “My business is the place where passion meets paper. Her favourite directive from a client – “Go all out, I trust you.”

Georgina, known by her friends and family as “Sugar Rush”, is passionate about cakes and dessert. Born and raised in Bermuda, Georgina believes in honest, quality work - principles she carries out in her career as a social worker and entrepreneur. She has a Bachelor’s of Science in Social Work, a Master’s in Business Administration with an emphasis in Marketing, and is a self-taught baker and cake designer. Over 10 years ago she was asked to create a ‘zebra print’ purse cake for a friend’s birthday. Word got out and one request led to another, and Sugar Rush Cakes was born. As a previous Best of Bermuda award winner, Sugar Rush Cakes proudly serves the island with theme cakes and cupcakes. In 2017, the business shifted to focus on baking and designing wedding cakes, and gourmet cupcakes for all occasions. In her spare time, she’s in the kitchen experimenting with new and exciting flavour combinations. Sugar Rush Cakes looks forward to being the best part of your next celebration. As Georgina says, “Enjoy. Let us rush your senses!”

It’s okay to say no. Saying yes to everyone stretches yourself, and can reduce the quality of your product.” 8

Georgina says she often calls on her mom for assistance. “There are times when I’m working and a cake needs to be delivered. I call my mom! Pool your resources. Sometimes you can’t do it all.” “My mom and dad are my backbone, and my best friend Angel,” says Adenike. “Having that support system when you need it. My daughter and son are older and don’t need me as much but I feel guilty if I’m not there for them. The positive side - our children see us doing what makes us happy, and that we can earn from it. They won’t grow-up feeling as if they have to settle for a ‘9 to 5’ life. We are ‘multipotentialites’ – we can do everything! We don’t have to choose.” Lisa credits her daughter and partner for helping her. “Domonique’s my major support system. She’s my business partner and holds a full time job as a lawyer. I also have a very supportive partner who I drag on shopping trips and to trade shows. He holds it down at home!” Lisa has two beautiful granddaughters and says spending time with her family is of the utmost importance. “I take my oldest granddaughter on the shopping

Name your price and don’t blink! Know your value.” inspirewomenmag.com

inspirewomenmag.com

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BUSINESS/cover feature ENTREPRENEURSHIP/cover feature

MSTIRA WEEKS Mstira’s passionate about finding innovative products and services. Before her entrepreneurial journey began she worked as a dental assistant, dietary aid and cycle mechanic. She also studied Information technology, working as a technician before being promoted to Assistant Network Manager. None of these careers fulfilled her. She married Shane Weeks and had a daughter, Trinity. “After the birth of Trinity, my entrepreneurial journey began.” She’s the owner of MySTiques, located on the ground floor of the Bermudiana Arcade. Her clothing line “Mstira Selassie” is sold exclusively at MySTiques and Beyond Fitness. She’s part owner of FryDay’s restaurant and PlayTimeZone located in the Bermudiana Arcade, and FryDay’s Trampoline Park in Dockyard. She loves tackling projects from conception to reality, traveling, business research, and working towards adding value to Bermuda. “As an entrepreneur I’ve found my calling, making a unique impact in Bermuda.”

Women in Entrepreneurship

Be yourself – everyone else is taken.”

The Bermuda Economic Development Corporation is proud to support and foster women in entrepreneurship. Our free and confidential advice can help you start and grow your business.

ELICIA HOLLIS Elicia is the owner of Sweet Pea Nursery School. Her desire for a career in childcare evolved after purchasing the nursery. “I’ve always had children at the house and have volunteered with various programs. I never dreamed this could be my career.” Prior to owning the school she was employed by Meridian Fund Services Limited, where she worked her way up to the position of Assistant Vice President of the Share Registration Department. In addition to the nursery, she’s a Supervisor for the Department of Youth, Sport and Recreation’s Afterschool Programme at Francis Patton Primary School. She says “Sweet Pea is currently rebranding - changing our hours of operation, being open most of the year. We’re incorporating STEAM concepts and extracurricular programs.” Elicia believes that children learn through play. “Lessons are based on this concept with activities that are creative and purposeful.” She operates her school based on the core values of what she’d want in a nursery for her son.

Success comes after thousands of hours nobody sees.” 10

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Develop a Business Plan

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Use our Business Plan Checklist and Template to create a comprehensive business plan.

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BUSINESS/cover feature CAREER/entrepreneurship

ladies who LAUNCH

part 2 BY: A LICIA RESNIK PH OTOS SUP P LIED

Tell us about your business?

Fair: “My business is Island Physique, also known as IP. We’re a fitness and wellness boutique oﬀering small group fitness classes such as HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training), Barre, Yoga and 1-on-1 private training. Our unique approach oﬀers a modern twist to functional and mindful movement.”

Fair: “I believe it is diﬃcult being an entrepreneur period. In my particular field, I don’t really see gender as an issue. In fact, often times I see being a woman as an advantage given that most of my client base is female. I’m better able to relate and cater to my clients’ specific needs.”

Jennifer: “Inspired Limited - the parent

Jennifer: “The creative/design industry

company of Inspired Creative (formerly emedia), Inspired Fitness and Inspired Connections. Inspired Creative’s a full service creative studio specializing in Website Development, Print Design and Social Media Management. Inspired Fitness is a co-op studio of instructors running fitness classes. Participants can attend any scheduled class - Yoga, Zumba, Zumba Gold, Pilates and Salsa in an inclusive environment with classes designed for everyone. Inspired Connections is a creative refuge for people wishing to connect, recharge and reenergize in their day. We oﬀer a self-serve café/lounge and casual private meeting areas.” How did you get into business?

Fair: “I’ve always loved being physically active. When I was younger I trained as a competitive middle-distance runner, enjoyed dance, singing and creative writing. I never thought my hobbies could be careers. They were things that enhanced my overall wellbeing. It wasn’t until my mid-20s that I viewed these as potential business opportunities. After working in the corporate world, I decided to make a career change and focused on fitness. I specialize in fitness training for individuals seeking a comprehensive and personalized experience in a 1-on-1 or small group setting.”

Fair Bashir

Jennifer Ward

Jennifer: “I received an Associate’s Degree

In the second part of this two part interview series (see our Spring 2018 issue for the first part), Inspire Women discovers what it takes to become a successful entrepreneur and how the BEDC can help launch your business idea. In this part, the BEDC is pleased to highlight entrepreneurs Fair Bashir and Jennifer Ward. Their hard work, enthusiasm and perseverance led to the establishment of their successful businesses.

in Arts and Hospitality Management from Bermuda College. In 1999 I left the Hospital Industry and in January 2000 emedia was formed, providing website design and development. We quickly expanded to provide a full range of marketing services. I managed the client relationships, marketing coordination and accounts while learning graphic design. There were challenges – the recession, time spent in the UK, having my son Lucas. Returning to Bermuda I was faced with the decision of what to do - an idea came to me that I couldn’t walk away from. In September 2017 Inspired Limited was incorporated.”

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Is it difficult being a woman entrepreneur?

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is fairly used to having women in the lead – especially in Bermuda. I would say it’s diﬃcult for any entrepreneur to start a business from scratch and succeed. There are obstacles for everyone, from raising capital to staﬃng and resources.” How has the BEDC helped you?

Fair: “When I secured my first studio space, I had to consider the overhead and operational costs amongst a long list of other things. I wanted advice on how to manage the financial aspects of my business. I was advised to consult with the BEDC. Jamillah Lodge was my first point of contact. She was super friendly and knowledgeable. I immediately felt safe to share my vision with her. Jamillah helped me create a framework for Island Physique that made sense structurally and financially.” Jennifer: “Over the years I’ve worked

with the BEDC in a variety of ways. With the start of Inspired Limited we worked closely with them as a loan guarantor. In the future I hope to create a partnership where Inspired can act as a resource for BEDC clients - for support functions, space to gain inspiration or simply a place to connect with clients for coﬀee!” Advice to budding entrepreneurs?

Fair: “When you love what you do it shows! There is value in being authentic and invested in seeing your passion succeed. When you love what you do, you’re more likely to commit for the long run. Create a plan that gives you a clear framework for how you want your business to operate. I suggest running your plan by a professional advisor. BEDC oﬀers a free advisory service. I highly recommend meeting with them. Believe in yourself. The entrepreneurship journey can lead you through many rocky roads. Never allow a diﬃcult time to diminish your self-worth or make you lose confidence. Surround yourself with people who are supportive - connect with others who are like-minded, trustworthy and have

your best interests at heart. When you surround yourself with other highly driven people, their passion is infectious and will propel you forward. I don’t believe in failure. Everything that happens in life is a learning opportunity. When one door closes another one is waiting for you. It can be easy to fall into a negative mind-set when things aren’t panning out. I encourage all women to practice positive thinking, whether it’s reading a motivational book, journaling, walking in nature, etc. It’s important to focus your mind on the positive so you can welcome more good things into your life’s experience.”

Jennifer: “Looking back at the early days of

emedia, we were young and determined. Now I’m a few years older and wiser – probably just as stubborn and determined! My main advice is to surround yourself with the right people. Pay attention to the areas where you are weakest and bring in people who complement this. Don’t assume you’re the best person to cover every area of the business whether it be client relations or accounting... no one is an expert at everything. Take your time line and add 6 months! Things always take longer than you initially think. Don’t think that you’ll launch your business with every element perfect. With Inspired, my idea was to have all 3 areas up and running with a spectacular grand opening by December 2017. In January 2018 we launched Inspired Fitness and plan to open Inspired Connections in the next few months. Taking extra time to implement the 3 areas has allowed us to fine tune things, allowing for a better end product.”

Small business are the heart of a thriving community. Founded in 1980, the Bermuda Economic Development Corporation’s (BEDC) mission is to support and assist new and existing businesses by offering free, confidential business advice. The organisation’s key objective is to encourage the establishment of small and mediumsized businesses through education, guidance, data provision, advocacy, networking opportunities and financial assistance Entrepreneurship involves dedication. The benefits are rewarding for the business owner, the consumer and the community. For more information about how the BEDC can help you launch your business call 292-5570, email info@bedc.bm or visit them online at www.bedc.bm.

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CAREER/profile

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inspirewomenmag.com

COMPUTER

CODING

CLASSES

BLOCK CODING PYTHON

WWW.CONNECTECH.BM INFO@CONNECTECH.BM 441.400.3677

PHOTO BY MALL STUDIO

oral Wells began her career in Information Technology (IT) over 15 years ago. She started her first business, WW Solutions Ltd., a software development and marketing consulting firm in 2000. Coral has consulted on numerous large-scale projects for the private, public and non-profit sector’s. She is also the programme manager for the Technology Leadership Forum (TLF), a local charity focused on youth development within the IT field, since its inception in 2008. In 2016 she was awarded the most inspiring woman in the ICT field by the Bermuda Government’s Department of E-Commerce for her continuous eﬀorts in exposing Bermuda’s youth to technology in meaningful ways. Her passion for expanding the IT career sector in Bermuda has been the drive of her latest business endeavors. In November of 2015 when Coral started ConnecTech she truly felt a sense of fulfilment in her career. “Don’t get me wrong, I have always been doing what I love, but I always had the urge to do more. More for myself and my family,

Coral sees this as just the beginning. “Connetech is here for the long-haul. We are continuously reviewing the curriculums to keep up with the pace of changing technology and listening to the demands and requests of the community to add more workshops and initiatives to the schedule.” Some of the exciting workshops in the pipeline for 2018/2019 include Mindcraft, Roblox and Intro to Blockchain. “As long as there are gaps to fill in the IT industry, whether it’s among children, women, seniors or Bermudians at large, my mission will continue. My dream is to see women equally represented at the table in the IT field and to see Bermudians more engaged and equipped with the skills to compete with the global workforce.”

41 CEDAR AVENUE, 2nd FLOOR CEDAR HOUSE, HAMILTON HM02

Coral Wells, 2016’s most Inspiring Woman in ICT and the Programme Manager for the Technology Leadership Forum, discusses her career path, the inspiration for her company Connectech, and why she is so passiontate about Information Technology.

more for young people and more for the greater local community.” With a leap of faith, Coral started ConnecTech through a vison to bring co-working tech-hub space concepts to the island. The concept has been a growing trend since the financial crisis in the United States of America allowing small businesses and start-ups to plant their roots in a shared office environment. The businesses can rent an office or a “hot-desk” for a period of time and have access to all the regular office amenities as large businesses do such as printing, internet and meeting rooms. The co-working space is also equipped with training facilities to host seminars and workshops. “The beauty of co-working spaces is the collaboration opportunities. You have all sorts of different businesses in one area which creates an incubation zone to share ideas and tap into each other’s resources. It is vital for small businesses and entrepreneurs, especially in the early stages, to be able to leverage resources. As a result, the co-working concept really fills in that gap by having such a variety of businesses with different skill sets under one roof.” Coral’s vison for ConnecTech is to make technology skill development available for everyone, especially the underrepresented. The technology field is one of the several industries identified by the Department of Statistics as facing a shortage of Bermudians in general and she is on a mission to help close that gap. Recognizing that enthusiasm for computing and technology starts at a young age, she began a coding afterschool programme and summer camp for primary and middle school aged students in the spring of 2016. “It is so important to encourage innovation and the enthusiasm for the trade. Children are curious and far more plugged in today than ever before. We need to be inspiring their creativity and channeling it into something productive that they can be proud of.” ConnecTech classes are built by skill level from beginners to advanced. Beginners are introduced to a block coding graphic programming language. After successfully grasping the concepts introduced in the beginner and intermediate courses, students then progress to a programming language where they learn more advanced syntax code writing and build a series of projects and games through a text-based and graphical interface. Initiative based progammes are also close to Corals heart. “Responding to a specific gap or need in a meaningful way really gives me a sense of fulfilment, I feel like I am doing my part to correct the problem. Women are statistically underrepresented in the software development field so this year we held a coding camp specifically for girls.” ConnecTech partnered with Hamilton Insurance Group to host the islands first all girls coding camp where 12 middle school aged girls were sponsored to attend the weeklong camp. The girls were trained in web development skills and taught to build their own blog or website from scratch using coding languages Django, HTML, CSS and Python. For adults, ConnecTech offers a coding bootcamp during the evenings where entrepreneurs and enthusiasts can learn basic coding concepts to build their own website. They also offer social media marketing workshops for small businesses and Microsoft Office classes for novice users.

Crank up your activity and explore the world of computer coding fun!

coralwells & connectech

My dream is to see women equally represented at the table in the IT field...”

HTML/CSS

Our classes provide kids with the opportunity to begin their coding journeys through various classes and activities where they learn to think creatively, reason systematically and work collaboratively while learning to program their own interactive stores and build mini games.

JAVASCRIPT GAME DESIGN ANIMATION MINECRAFT ENGINEERING AND MORE!

CONNECTECH teaches basic concepts needed for programming on an easy to learn platform or web-based interface.

fall 2018

CAREER/profile

t s ! u s J abulou F PH OTO & A RT I C L E BY: AL I C I A R E S N I K

Just Shirts Dry Cleaners & Laundry pays tribute to thier General Manager, Donna Jones, who has been instrumental in the success of the business for over 20 years. After 43 years in the dry cleaning industry, Donna Jones knows the business inside and out. A ‘people person’ who is passionate about golf, Ms. Jones lives her life by ‘keeping it simple.”

‘pick-up and delivery’ service within the city of Hamilton. You get your own bag with your name. You call us, we pick it up. We give discounts on Tuesday and Thursdays, when you pre-pay.”

What’s your position at Just Shirts Dry Cleaners & Launderers? “I’m the General Manager. I’ve been in the business for 43 years, starting out as an assistant to John Noble when he was the General Manager of the business. I’ve done everything except the actual dry cleaning. I’ve worked the front counter, done the packing, the sorting, and a bit of pressing. My husband used to be the dry cleaner. We worked together. I was his boss for a while! As John Noble’s assistant, I also learned the accounting side of the business.”

Anything you’d like readers to know about Just Shirts? “We’re a full service dry cleaner. We do everything, plus wedding gowns. We do some of the movie stars when they come to the island. We did Katherine Zeta-Jones clothes. We’re open 7 to 7, 6 days per week. It’s great for early morning customers and for people who work past 5pm. We’re very busy from 5:30 to 7pm.”

How long have you been in the industry? “I’ve worked for Steve since 1997 - when he bought the business. Before that I was at Hamilton Valcleaners, owned by Stanley Evans. I worked for him for over 20 something years. He also owned Paget Drycleaners. As the Manager, I’d go back and forth between the two plants. I’ve always been in retail. I really enjoy it - It’s taken up 43 years of my life!” What do you enjoy most about your job? “I’m a people person. The best part of my job is keeping the customer happy. I get real joy out of it. Dry cleaning is a personal business. Similar to a hairdresser, people want to tell you about the stains on their clothes, what event it was, what they were doing when they wore the garment, what was spilled on them. They know us by name and we know them. I’ve had many instances where customers have written thank you letters. It’s a wonderful feeling. Word of mouth is important. It’s so easy to go the opposite way! I always keep that in mind. I had a lady the other day say she’s going to tell all her friends to use us. Also, managing the staﬀ – it’s 40% of what I do. I’ve got wonderful staﬀ.” Future professional goals? “Growing the business. I work closely with Steve. He’s so easy to work with. We discuss the business, how to boost sales, customer service. We went through that period when Bermuda lost a lot of workers. We closed 2 plants (Quality and Paget Dry Cleaners). As tourism grows, we’ll be doing more with the hotels. We’ve started a

fall 2018

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Toughest stains to remove and most difficult material to work with? “Mustard – it has a dye additive. Also hot chocolate, breast milk and baby poo. Most fabrics and materials are dry cleanable, but any fabric with polyurethane or plastic won’t withstand solvents.” Favorite quote? “Keep it simple. Personally, I find I can deal with things when I keep things simple. When it comes to dry cleaning, when I produce a garment that I would wear – I know my customer will be happy.” Any hobbies? “Golf is number one! John Noble taught my husband and me how to play golf. I have a 12.1 handicap. I met Arnold Palmer at Bay Hill. I also enjoy interior decorating and reading.”

The growth and success of Just Shirts in Bermuda is directly attributed to the hard work and dedication of Donna Jones, and her amazing team of staﬀ. I’ve learnt a lot from Donna and am proud to watch such a dedicated manager rise to the top of her industry. Donna’s an inspiration. I’m honoured to work alongside her these last 20 years.

Mr. Steve Thomson, owner of Just Shirts Dry Cleaners & Launderers

fall 2018

REAL ESTATE/profiles

heather

rochelle

Pictured from left to right:

SWAN

Successful Real Estate Agent, Rochelle Swan, loves her career and considers it her passion. In Real Estate, no two days are alike, and just one of the many reasons why Rochelle Swan sincerely enjoys this business.

ome ownership is important to people” Heather says, However, it turnedJennell out that the Jill move to &Coldwell Banker was a Ingham, Hanson Meagan McPeek “I enjoy helping people buy and sell real estate. A good good one, a full service agency, with an emphasis on training, and Agent can help buyers and sellers navigate their way technology. Maintaining Bermuda’s largest inventory of properties through what can sometimes be a complicated and emotional on the market for sale and rent, both commercial, residential, process, helping smooth the way with good advice and expert luxury and resort and having the largest amount of Agents makes negotiation”. One seller who was downsizing said for a great team. The affiliation with Coldwell Banker Real Estate, “Thank you so much for everything you have done for me. I LLC gives the company a global reach, linking it to more than 3,000 sing your praises to everyone. You are not only experienced and real estate offices in more than 47 countries and territories. Not only know your stuff, but you are kind and thoughtful too. That does Bermuda Realty share the Coldwell Banker spirit as a pioneer makes you the best in my books.” in consumer service, the affiliation lets us share technologies and oshua Bate Trading Bermuda Ltd.ashas wheelhouse, he started his company. skillset sorely needed in theColdwell field Heather began her career a Rentals Agent in 1989 atand what systems developed by thebrings globala real estate leader. Through been was “serving and saving” Bermuda since The business continued to flourish, and patience combined with training and a then the Bank of Bermuda, Real Estate Department. Always Banker Global Luxury®, we gain leverage for our own niche markets 1992. keen Twenty-six years later the company in 2011, became the authorized GE & natural aptitude to make machines work as on doing sales, after five years in rentals she secured a such as resort, new home and luxury properties. continues to flourish by offering great prices Monogram dealer for Bermuda. They also designed. While each contributes in differing position in the Sales Department, but no sooner had this Community and volunteer work is important to her, “I enjoy it” and comprehensive customer service. The opened ‘BATE’S’ their retail showroom. ways, bringbut their bestmore gamesoevery day.” happened the Department amalgamated with LP Gutteridge to she says “Certainly because of they the cause even because company works directly with manufacturers, Going from strength to strength they says Mr. Bate. become Bermuda Home, and the company moved to the LPG of the people I meet and the relationships that are formed”. Heather passing their trade discounts to their to try andopened Quality Service (BQS) 2014, BMDS Building. It was a daily challenge secure aBate’s parking volunteers forinBUEI, is on the Fund Raising Committee Jill and Hanson is the Operations Manager customers, as well as handling the logistics of offering island-wide appliance service and spot on Bermudiana or Par-la-Ville Road every hour Heather for ‘The Spirit of Bermuda’. In theBate pastTrading she has done a Habitat for of Joshua Bermuda Ltd. She’s delivering goods to years your site installation. recalls. Seven laterseamlessly. it was announced that Bermuda Humanity project in Zambia, a transatlantic Ocean Voyage The been with the company for 15 years.on “When Mr.Home Bate started his career inwith the Jones Waddington Mr. and Batebecome never set outSpirit, to hireand women was amalgamating was aover memberI started of Toastmasters, Rotary Club it was Josh,Pembroke a part-time bookkeeper construction and design industry. Finding men, and still doesn’t. “What impresses ‘Coldwell Banker Bermuda Realty’. “Jones Waddington was and St. John’s Ambulance. and myself. We were in the US and had himself unemployed economic meHeather is that each of these weregardener must- she one known to be oneduring of our the biggest competitors,” said “So it women An avid can often at the Royal Bermuda personbeinseen Bermuda who handled the slumpwasn’t of 1991, took a job with candidates upon meeting, because an he easy transition forHome either companyhire to have to get along Yacht Club andthey the Royalmoney. Hamilton tending I toldAmateur Josh thatDinghy I lovedClub his business Depot. This fortuitous, as it was client and shared mybases”. vision.”“IAlso,the among mostHeather others loves and playwas ‘nice’, with overlapping customer gardens. animals, also enjoys model, and and would grow his walking, business gym, if he therewas thatnot he met and assisted his first in the company, these women have, as theirarts, sailing, happy at all” she recalls, and tired of juggling parking yoga, theatre, the traveling and reading. hired me. The business was small, based in few Bermudian beautiful young He Chilvers spaces she customers. remembers Realizing grumpily saying “I’mfirst notpriorities, going anywhere The families. Ask Heather Estate column the Royal Josh’sReal home. Some days, appears I literallyinwaited for Bermuda’s were forced recognizes and honours Gazette the commitments all for unlessconsumers it has a parking lot!” to buy every Tuesday reading pleasure. theyour phone to ring! Not that every day was from a captive-retail-market, he’d found his the company’s staff keep daily. smooth sailing, or that every year was better niche. Providing discounted supply services “Jill delivers her best effort every minute than the next, but over time we’ve steadily and streamlining the importing process of every day. Meagan puts out more fires in spread the word of the value of our work. for Bermuda’s consumers was right in his a day than the world’s firefighters! Jennell

fter spending more than 18 years in the insurance industry, not just working in it, but years of studying to become an ACII (Associate of the Chartered Insurance Institute), I had to be brutally honest with myself and admit that it was just not the career path for me. I took a deep breath, jumped oﬀ that path and for about a year I went through a process of selfassessment so that I could figure it all out. Eventually I realized that no matter where my thoughts wandered, somehow, I kept coming back to the things that I thought about all the time – houses, renovation, decorating and the like. I still giggle at the thought of this, but I realized that even as a little one, I remembered visiting the homes of friends and relatives and in my mind, I would be analyzing what I liked or didn’t like about a house. I would question furniture placement, wanted to straighten crooked pictures and create symmetry before I even knew the meaning of the word. I guess it was there all the time and I just didn’t realize it. In April of 2001, I joined the team at Coldwell Banker Bermuda Realty and I have never looked back! I finally found my niche and it felt wonderful! Daily I have the privilege of working alongside an amazing group of professionals who are passionate about real estate. The experience and expertise are vast and available for me to tap into whenever I need assistance and advice. Real Estate is a “people business” and oftentimes, the interaction goes beyond just the real estate itself. Life situations might require a bit more empathy. There was one person I

inspirewomenmag.com

fall 2018

inspirewomenmag.com

met who was dealing with a terminal illness. They needed a house sold quickly so that they could leave their family in good financial standing. We successfully sold the house within a couple of months and they passed away shortly thereafter. The experience was quite surreal, and I knew I had sincerely helped in that instance. At the end of the day I believe that once you tap into your natural God given gifts, talents and abilities and then link them to true purpose, the correlation between life and career really begins to make sense.

This gorgeous view from the balcony of The Breakers #2 property listed for sale. See page 25 for the full listing.

fall 2018

PHOTO SUPPLIED BY COLDWELL BANKER

Appearing in the Royal Gazette weekly Heather Chilvers provides useful advice about everything concerning buying and selling real estate in Bermuda and beyond. Heather is a Real Estate Professional with nearly thirty years’ experience in residential rentals and sales in Bermuda. She has been the recipient of the Coldwell Banker International President’s Elite Award, which is limited to the top 4% of Coldwell Banker Sales Associates Worldwide.

PHOTO SUPPLIED BY COLDWELL BANKER

CHILVERS

REAL ESTATE/profiles

sarah

was always interested in Real Estate but wasn’t sure how to launch it as a career. Fresh out of University, I decided that I was going to pursue this passion. There were no specific positions being advertised, but I figured I had nothing to lose by trying. So I spruced up my resume and submitted it to a few local agencies. Coldwell Banker Bermuda Realty came back to me and, to my surprise, asked to set up an interview! I landed a position within their Property Management department – not exactly the sales role I wanted at the time, but it was a great way to “get my feet wet”. I worked as a residential property manager, managing 70+ residential properties, for two years. Following those two years, I inched closer to a sales position by taking on the role of Listing Assistant to the President of the company and Agency Manager. The experience I gained in that position was invaluable. It allowed me to learn the ins and outs of the sales process, and to connect with key individuals that I would be working with directly as a full time agent. I learned how to structure my days accordingly in order to be productive and organized, and I developed the necessary skills for this hybrid role of administrative eﬃciency combined with enthusiastic physical presence and in-depth market knowledge. I oﬃcially became a full time sales agent in 2014. Since then I have been involved in over 40 sales transactions. I

fall 2018

Sarah Faiella is the #1 Sales Agent 2017-18 at Coldwell Banker Bermuda Realty and Coldwell Banker Bermuda Realty could not be more proud of her! She is also the youngest, sales agent on the team and has been a full time agent for only 4 years, so this is quite the accomplishment. We asked Sarah to tell us how she got started in this career. Pictured from left to right:

know this sounds cliché,Jennell but IIngham, love myJilljob! Selling or purchasing a Hanson & Meagan McPeek property is one of the biggest events in a person’s life. It’s something special to be a part of and know that I have enabled someone to accomplish. There are so many parts to play as a sales agent – from finding the right property fit for someone, being creative with purposeful marketing tactics, supporting a client/customer through what can often be an emotional experience, to offering guidance throughout the contract phase. I am always using different skills for different aspects of my job. I am looking forward to many more successful years as a real estate sales agent!

This divine pool is located ot the Manor House #23 property. See page 27 for the full listing.

PHOTO SUPPLIED BY COLDWELL BANKER

FAIELLA

inspirewomenmag.com

REAL ESTATE/profiles

karen PHOTO SUPPLIED BY COLDWELL BANKER

BRINE

rs. Brine was introduced to Real Estate in 1985 when she joined Collier Real Estate, assisting with Vacation Rentals. In 1989 she joined the Jones Waddington Limited team – starting as a Rental Agent, then moving to the Sales Department. In 1999 Jones Waddington Limited and Bermuda Realty Company Limited merged, becoming Coldwell Banker Bermuda Realty. Mrs. Brine currently works for the agency as a Sales Representative and Vacation Consultant. Coldwell Banker Bermuda Realty oﬀers a comprehensive range of services that includes residential and commercial sales and rentals, property surveying, valuations, appraisals, property management, relocation services and vacation rentals. In recognition of her sales performance, Mrs. Brine was awarded the Coldwell Banker 2017 International President’s Circle award. This honour acknowledges her outstanding market knowledge, industry experience and dedication to her clients. It also ranks Mrs. Brine amongst the top international sales agents worldwide. Mrs. Brine says “When you are passionate about something you don’t see it as job.” She attributes her accomplishments to her commitment to her clients and customers. She feels the key to her success also lies in having strong motivation and top organizational skills. About working in the real estate industry, Mrs. Brine says her forty-three colleagues make every day a unique experience and keeps her working as an agent for Coldwell

fall 2018

Karen Brine is a dedicated member of the Coldwell Banker Sales Team with over 30 years’ experience in the real estate industry. “I’m committed to making my vendors and purchasers tasks easier, comforting and rewarding. This is one of my favorite things about my job.” Pictured from left to right:

Banker. “I’ve worked with many of myJillco-workers for 20 plus years – Jennell Ingham, Hanson & Meagan McPeek they are like family to me.” How do you see the Bermuda real estate market changing? “The market is ever changing. I feel blessed that 2017 was a good year. Bermuda has endured ups and downs for years and I think we are now seeing areas stabilizing - and good activity for both vendors and purchasers.” TOP THREE TIPS FOR VENDORS AND PURCHASERS? • Curb appeal – manicured gardens, colourful flowers in planters. • Be polite! Ask first if the house is in showable condition. • Have your Vendor write a paragraph on why they purchased the property that you can share with Purchasers. Outside of work Mrs. Brine enjoys outdoor activities, is a novice rower, and enjoys flower arranging, decorating, organizing and cooking. She’s been married to her husband David for 35 years. Together they have two loving children Chantal and Joshua. To contact Karen Brine: Cell – (441) 334-7883. Direct – (441) 2471806. Fax: (441) 296-8212. Email: kbrine@brcl.bm

inspirewomenmag.com

FINANCE/advice

Whatever women do, they must do twice as well as men to be thought half as good. Luckily, this is not diďŹ&#x192;cult.â&#x20AC;? Quote from Charlotte Whitton, a Canadian feminist who in 1951 became the first female mayor of Ottawa, Canada.

fall 2018

inspirewomenmag.com

irstly, it is true that men and women are not equal. There are a lot of things men do better than women, and there are a lot of things women do better than men. However, when it comes to doing the same job or having the same responsibilities at home, are all things equal? In our home, we have chosen to split our chores and our finances evenly, each utilizing our own particular talents. My husband is a saver, so it is probably best that he deals with the monthly budget. I work in the investment industry, so managing our investments and pensions make sense. We have done our best to divide our home chores as evenly as possible, and after 15 years of marriage we work well as a team. In the work place, it can be quite diďŹ&#x20AC;erent. I experienced it first-hand in the earlier part of my career in Canada. While having drinks with a couple of colleagues the topic of remuneration came up, which is when I discovered that all things were â&#x20AC;&#x153;certainly not equalâ&#x20AC;?. Perhaps it was just that particular employer, or maybe it was common in that industry, but it certainly was not due to a lack of education or experience. In all honestly, it was the first time in my life I had ever been faced with that situation, and I remember being completely confused: I had always thought there was â&#x20AC;&#x153;equal pay for equal workâ&#x20AC;?, and to me it really seemed like a basic concept. Based upon that experience years ago, I have now learned what to look for in employers and, more importantly, have recognized traits that might be toxic to the future development of my career. If you are in the process of looking for a job, before you sign on the â&#x20AC;&#x153;dotted lineâ&#x20AC;? it is essential to examine the organizational structure of the company you are looking to work for. If it is top heavy with one gender, ask yourself why. There could be a very valid reason, but there also might be a glaring issue. Your job is to determine if the job and company are a good fit for you and whether the corporate culture clearly supports â&#x20AC;&#x153;equality in the workplaceâ&#x20AC;?. I am blessed to work for a company like that today. Another area that is extremely important is image â&#x20AC;&#x201C; how you present yourself is equally as important as your skillset. It is inspirewomenmag.com

Ready, Set, Grow

easy for men; they just grab a shirt, trousers, shoes, a belt and a tie (if necessary) and theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re done. For women, workplace attire can be complicated. There is a lot more to think about: itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not just your wardrobe, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s also your hair and make-up. The golden rule is that if you want to be treated as an equal and respected by your peers, you have to present yourself professionally as well. A friend of mine is a public defender, and she told me that one of the biggest challenges in her role is not the case being tried, but the defendantâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s poor choice of clothes in court and how they conduct themselves in a courtroom. At the end of the day we canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t forget women have already made huge strides, from getting the right to vote, to being allowed to join the armed forces, to even entering politics. And as the decades pass, inequality at home or in the workplace will be something only read in textbooks by the younger generations. But until that time comes, my advice for women in the workplace is this: make sure you put your best foot forward, speak up when it adds value, be confident in your leadership ability, and negotiate to ensure you get paid what you are worth, because YOU deserve it.

COVERING POSSIBILITIES

The Freisenbruch-Meyer Personal Retirement Plan (PRP) affords you the convenience of transferring and managing all your accumulated retirement TBWJOHT UISPVHI POF QMBDF

Key Benefits: Funds valued daily Investment flexibility Statements on demand Transparent fees Interactive website with helpful tools Invest voluntary contributions at your leisure

PHOTO SUPPLIED BY FREISENBRUCH-MEYER GROUP

Twice as Hard for Half as Much?

Freisenbruch Meyerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Carla Seely discusses inequality in the workplace - how far women have come and how far we have left to go.

Carla Seely is the Vice President of Pension and Investments at Freisenbruch Meyer. If you would like any further information please contact cseelyfmgroup.bm or call 441 297 8686.

For more information on our Pension Products & Services, contact our Pension Team on or Pensionmail@fmgroup.bm

75 FRONT STREET HAMILTON HM 12 BERMUDA

't */'0!'.(3061 #.

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benefits

TECHNOLOGY/advice

THE

PHOTO SUPPLIED BY DEPARTMENT OF ICT

TECHNOLOGY Caroline Caton, 2018 ICT Rising Star, speaks to the incredible benefits of technology and how to embrace it with healthy caution and protection.

fall 2018

ith what seems to be a never-ending list of data attacks, people are becoming more and more nervous when it comes to using technology; but this negativity is only half of the equation. There are quite a few benefits to using technology for people of all ages and professions. If you do not take advantage of the myriad benefits amongst the drawbacks, then you risk being left behind in this increasingly tech-driven world. As tech has become such an integral part of our daily life, the ability to understand and manipulate systems and programmes is vital; coding is the best means to do that. Once someone learns a particular coding language, a world of possibilities opens up to them and allows them to do a lot more with only a small amount of knowledge. Knowing how to code in one language, like HTML, C++, or Python, makes it significantly easier to learn another programming language; while syntax may change, the logic of the language doesn’t. This knowledge means that you can create websites, apps and programmes, which is a highly-valued skill both in your education and throughout your professional career. Learning programming may seem daunting at first, especially without prior knowledge. Fortunately, there are multiple online resources that allow you to learn at your own pace and in your spare time. Websites like Khan Academy, Coursera, and YouTube have ample amounts of tutorials and guides of how to master basic coding problems. These tutorials extend past coding, however, they can be for any medium, whether it be drawing, learning to play an instrument, or even learning how to do complex equations. If you are having diﬃculty learning a particular skill

or concept, there’s almost a guarantee that there is a tutorial online that will explain and break down the concept so that you can understand. Also, when studying online, you’re not limited to just one teacher: you have multiple experts available to you, instantly. These educational resources extend beyond online resources to the hardware itself. Much of today’s technology has builtin features that make learning easier for users with limited abilities. For instance, every iPhone has a feature called ‘Voice Over’ that tells the user exactly what is happening on the device. It reads which apps they are selecting, what they’re typing, it even assists you as you take a selfie! This is crucial for any user who is either partially of legally blind. This is just one example and many pieces of technology are now equipped with similar features. Even on certain platforms, like Netflix and YouTube, captions are provided for most, if not all, content in order to accommodate the deaf or hearing of hearing. Captions, however, can also help anyone who may be watching foreign content in a language with which they’re not familiar. Technology has also helped the medical field make great strides and discoveries. We can now 3D-print prosthetic limbs, which are significantly cheaper than older prosthetics. Researchers are even trying to 3D-print organs! This type of technology means that people with limited financial resources will not have to settle for sub-par medical care. This continuous development of technology has led to better ways of detecting, diagnosing and treating illnesses. This technological revolution has not just brought about changes in machinery, but also the possibility of eradicating severe illnesses in the future. inspirewomenmag.com

National Security Minister Wayne Caines with his mother, Shurnette Caines, showing support at the Safer Internet Day event in February.

The fact that we are able to consume global media is itself a major feat of contemporary technologies. Being able to learn about what is happening in other countries, whether through online news outlets or social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter, allows you to stay informed about what is happening globally. This also means that you can make connections with people across the planet and through multiple platforms. If you’re playing a video game on Xbox, PlayStation or even on Steam, you can interact with people that may be in a totally diﬀerent location on earth, and make true friendships regardless of where that person lives. The fact of the matter is that unless we learn to embrace technology while maintaining a healthy level of caution, we become limited in what we can do. Everyone you meet has a phone and most employers Google you when they receive your resume. Using technology responsibly opens up a world of possibilities that being completely disconnected simply cannot match. Technology creates a level playing field for everyone – you’re rarely limited by diﬀerences of language or ability. Technology has benefitted our community in so many ways, and while, yes, there are some downsides to living in such a highlyconnected world, the opportunities available are far greater than the potential negative implications: it’s all about how you use the technology and access that you have been given.

If you do not take advantage of the myriad benefits [of technology] amongst the drawbacks, then you risk being left behind in this increasingly tech-driven world.”

Using Technology at Work • Keep your personal and professional emails separate and watch your grammar. • Don’t download attachments from a sender you don’t know. • Don’t download attachments from a sender you do know unless you were expecting them. • Scan any downloaded files using your employer’s antivirus programme. • Keep your firewall enabled and your software updated. • Be careful with USB drives. Where possible, use other methods for file sharing, such as online storage or email.

Caroline Caton

inspirewomenmag.com

fall 2018

PHOTO SUPPLIED BY ULTIMATE IMAGING

BUSINESS/cover feature BUSINESS/profile

fall 2018

Obstetric clients benefit from the flexibility of family appointments or the provision of imaging sent to family members anywhere in the world. PEDIATRIC ULTRASOUND services are provided to take care of our little people with a handholding approach that is important comfort factor when providing necessary diagnostic services. Should their doctor recommend the need for an ultrasound, ASK for Ultimate Imaging! MAMMOGRAPHY services, along with self examination, and annual mammograms are important for the detection of early signs of breast cancer. Our trained technologists use a minimally invasive screening process with full-field digital mammography for optimal examination and detection of cancers the size of a pinhead. Clients see the option of services as the gold standard for combining excellence in diagnostic imaging with an approach that is calming and personal. Ultimate Imaging continue to support the community, via Project Pink - an annual innovative marketing, breast cancer awareness campaign and project that educates, advocates and supports. By merging exceptional imaging quality with a personal and customized experience for clients, Ultimate Imaging has become a leading international imaging facility located right here in Bermuda.

The Ultimate Imaging waiting and treatment rooms are designed to have a comfotable and embracing atmosphere.

n ce e ll e c x E g in ir p s n I a n d Lea de rship i am a bhs girl.

I am a leader. I am confident. I am a role model. I am a collaborator and I am a risk-taker. I have opinions and I am confident in my abilities.

i know that i will be successful, whatever I do. PHOTOS SUPPLIED BY ULTIMATE IMAGING

laire Godfrey and partner Nickola Borden in 2007, their goal was to deliver high quality healthcare in a non clinical but holistic atmosphere. The environment had to be comforting and intimate, while combining comprehensive health and wellness services, innovative technology and qualified, caring staff to create exceptional client experiences. With now more than 11 years in business, the facility has grown rapidly while maintaining a hands-on approach that has set them apart from the beginning. Leading-edge technology ensure Ultimate Imaging maintain the highest possible quality of imaging services and continually upgrade their imaging equipment, introducing innovative technology as it emerges. For example, offering the only maternal fetal medicine program in Bermuda and launch of an ABUS (Automated Breast Ultrasound) Programme to compliment their 2D/3D mammography service, the first of its kind on the island. GENERAL ULTRASOUND services include, but are not limited to, Abdomen, Pelvic, Kidneys & Bladder, DVT, Thyroid exams, Carotids, Scrotal and Testicular Ultrasound. OBSTETRIC services are offered In conjunction with the client’s obstetrician providing the global standard of care in Obstetrical ultrasound services such as 3D/4D Technology, Routine Obstetrical Ultrasound, Level II Ultrasound, Biophysical Profile, Doppler Study and Nuchal Translucency screening (1st trimester screening).

PHOTO SUPPLIED BY ULTIMATE IMAGING

With leading-edge technology, Ultimate Imaging Diagnostic Services offers high-quality healthcare in an initmate, comfortable atmosphere.

For more information or to book an appointment contact Ultimate Imaging on 297-6863 or visit us online at www.ultimateimaging.bm. inspirewomenmag.com

As a BHS graduate, your daughter will join a network of accomplished alumnae and find that the knowledge and self-assurance she gains through a BHS education will take her wherever she wants to go.

Come and have a look around!

We’d love to show you our school and answer any questions you may have. Contact Mrs. Kurte Loescher, Director of Admissions & Inclusion, for more information and to arrange a tour on 278-3047 or admissions@bhs.bm

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www.bhs.bm fall 2018

BUSINESS/profile

“

The business caters to parties, events or to those who just want something diﬀerent to do with their family. The scooters are safe for children 4 years and older, and have a weight limit of 250 pounds – so grown-ups can have fun too. The battery-operated animal scooters can be rented for the day or for a minimum of 2 hours. They’re available to rent Monday through Sunday. Mrs. Waldron describes Zoomables as a unique experience that’s the first of its kind on the island. “It’s always nice when families are involved,” says Mrs. Waldron. “When you can combine both the young and the old, you have a win-win situation!”

Families that play together stay together.”

Lions and tigers and unicorns! Oh my! These battery-operated animal scooters come in a varitey of critters that can be rented for a couple of hours or a whole day!

Zoomables is a mobile service that will come to you and your event (as long as you have a smooth indoor or outdoor surface). For more information and booking, contact Zoomables at zoomablesbda@gmail.com or via Facebook @zoomablesbda. Follow them on Instagram -zoomablesbda; or contact 441-735-2399 or 441-535-5841. BY: ALICIA RESNIK PH OTOS: SUP P LIED

This family business is bringing a fun, unique experience to parties and events all over Bermuda. Zoom! Zoom! hen’s the last time you rode a pink unicorn, zebra, elephant or blue dinosaur? Now you can, with Zoomables, Bermuda’s newest party craze! Opened in February 2018, the mobile business oﬀers a new kind of family fun and entertainment. Zoomables are soft, padded, rideable, motorised animals that are operated by the push of a button. They’re easy to control, and manipulate, with a speed of 60 metres per minute. Owners Chrisanthi and Sekai Waldron decided to start the business after stumbling upon the rideable animals while away on a family vacation. “It clicked that the animal scooters would be a great addition to our local community,” says Mrs. Waldron, who’s also the owner and operator of Scribbles Art Shack. The couple decided Bermuda could benefit from this kind of service because they believe the island lacks a variety for fairs, community events and functions that oﬀer family fun entertainment. “I’m a big kid at heart,” says Mr. Waldron. “I love roller coasters, arcades - anything relating to family entertainment. When the opportunity arose to purchase the “Zoomables” from overseas I couldn’t let this pass us by. I love showing up with the “Zoomables” and seeing everyone’s expression.”

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SPORT/profile

My mission is for all girls to have the opportunities I’ve had. To see that football can be a pathway to education.”

Coach Keta rs. Naquita Robinson is driven by her passion and dedication to football. Known as ‘Coach Keta’, she says “I coach to show these young ladies that football can be a pathway to getting an education and more.” Coach Keta started playing football, on a boys’ team, when she was 5 years old. When she was 14, girl’s football started as a competitive sport in Bermuda. She says Lesley White’s vision is the reason why she was recruited to play for Messiah College. “In 1992 Lesley arranged for colleges to see local players. Messiah College, Gettysburg College and Connecticut College came here.” Coach Keta was recruited and played for Messiah College on a scholarship. “I was one of the first Bermudian females to receive financial support to play football.” She graduated with a Degree in Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance.

You’ll be amazed at how much you can achieve when no one cares who gets the credit.” At the end of her college career Coach Keta tried out for Bermuda’s National Team and wasn’t selected. “I went to Vance Brown and asked if I could help with anything. That’s how I got into coaching.” She says Coach Brown was a major influence on her footballing life – playing and coaching. Three years later she was selected as Captain of the National Team. In 2007 Coach Keta retired from playing to have her son Sa-Qui. Her involvement in the sport continued as the Head Coach for North Village. She was also invited by Richard Todd to coach for the Football Academy. For the past 19 years she’s taught Health and Physical Education at T.N. Tatum Middle School. Coach Keta feels strongly about the importance of on-going coaching education. She’s currently studying for her UEFAB License (Union of European Football Association). She credits Maurice Lowe, Maceo Dill, Richard Todd, David Bascome and Vance Brown for helping improve her coaching skills. “I’m always researching techniques and am humble enough to seek guidance.”

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I want the girls to be successful. It’s not just because of me – I bring it together. I can teach any skill you want to learn, but if you don’t have the heart there’s nothing I can do.” Over the past 7 years Coach Keta’s scouted, recruited and approached parents, showing them how football can help their daughters. “Many girls are going to boarding schools and colleges - football has provided this opportunity.” Coaching 7 days a week, she says she’ll continue until she no longer enjoys it. “I go to church on Sunday then hit the ground running!” She admits it’s hard work and says nothing would be possible without the support of her parents Calvin and Beverly Dill, her brother Patches and nephew Khadre.

I enjoy working with the younger kids and the senior players. I see where they started and the end result. Some of my senior players began with me.” Coach Keta says it’s important to coach from the ‘ground up’. “Coaching older kids is easier because the ‘dirty work’ is done. If I hadn’t coached young kids, I wouldn’t have developed the heart or patience which is important.” There are many facets involved in coaching. She stresses the importance of trust – on and oﬀ the field. Her favorite part of coaching is being an instrumental part of her team’s growth. Coach Keta says “hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard.” She tells her girls not to come back to Bermuda and conform, instead share what you’ve learned. “There are always people who can enhance what you know.” Coach Keta has two sons, Sa-Qui who plays football for North Village and Sajan, 7 months. Her husband, Samuel Robinson, plays and coaches cricket. She thanks the Bermuda Football Association for supporting her, and her mentor David Bascome. “I’m the Technical Director for his developmental pro-soccer school. We have a good grass roots program at the BFA – organized by Charryse Bean, Don Vickers and myself.” Her favorite professional team, “Manchester United – hands down!” inspirewomenmag.com

Naquita “Coach Keta” Robinson Sionna Barton

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PHOTO SUPPLIED BY NAQUITA ROBINSON

Inspire Women’s Alicia Resnik sits down with Naquita “Coach Keta” Robinson to discuss her mission to bring all the opportunities that football affords to Bermuda’s girls and young women.

Coach Naquita Robinson

MOTHERHOOD/reading

The Home Birth

MOVEMENT

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inspirewomenmag.com

PHOTO SUPPLIED BY SOPHIE CANNONIER

Natural and Home Birth advocate, Sophie Cannonier, reveals how her personal experiences, and those of other local mothers, have driven her mission for better birthing options in Bermuda. t is nearly impossible to distinguish where life begins and work ends for Sophia Cannonier. Her studio, Lotus Mind Body Spirit Wellness and Birth Centre, acts as a second home to many in the Bermudian community, and its members are a natural extension of her family – not only because of the intimate services she provides, but also because of the genuine care she endows on all patrons. Sophia is known on the island for ‘dancing to the beat of her own drum,’ both literally, from her time as a professional ballet dancer, and figuratively, for the unique way she lives her life. At age sixteen, Sophia moved to New York City to join the Dance Theater of Harlem (DTH). After three years at DTH, she was oﬀered a contract to perform with the Professional DTH Company. Traveling the world with the Company was her version of university - dancing for the Queen of England and for Aretha Franklin along the way. In 1998, Sophia opened the island’s first Pilates studio, and there she began the first branch of her career as a lifelong teacher. And, like a river, widening and covering more ground over time, Sophia has grown in her convictions and has since expanded the studio’s oﬀerings to reflect both her individual values and the community’s needs. The studio is now home to classes and workshops that support nearly all aspects of holistic wellness, physical excellence (with an emphasis on fun!), and natural childbirth and home birth. Among the many titles Sophia already has tied to her name, she can now proudly add the title “author.” Her book, The Home Birth Movement, A Push for Childbirth Rights in Bermuda, was just released this year and can easily be found on Amazon. This book takes on Bermuda’s complicated relationship with maternity services over the past fifty years and, it follows the powerful home birth stories of women all across the island, including Sophia herself. How do you continue to challenge yourself? inspirewomenmag.com

I teach the majority of the classes at my studio. Personally, I love to combine my many years of experience as a Pilates Method educator with the Aerial Arts. I currently train in all aerial modalities (Silks, Lyra, Pole Fitness and Antigravity Yoga) every week. How do you balance work and family life? For us, this is simple. We bring our family to work, teach our children what we know, find mentors for what we do not know, and take every opportunity we can to lead them to do what they love. How would you describe the dayto-day work that you do? Necessary.

Why did you choose to write about home birth in Bermuda? For over fourteen years, I have felt a sense of animosity from the Bermudian medical community regarding my birthing choices. With legislative changes pending over maternity rights, I felt that now was the time that I wanted to share my personal story and the stories of the Bermudian home birth community with the world. My views are strong and simple. Birth options should be in the hands of women. I wrote this book with the hopes of bringing all women back into the decision-making processes surrounding birth.

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WELLBEING/advice

how to practice:

PHOTO SUPPLIED BY OCEAN ROCK WELLNESS

Gratitude

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pointments and caring enough to send me well wishes. Finally, I am grateful for the persons in my life and past who have hurt me deeply for they teach me to practice forgiveness (another healer). It just happened to be morning sickness for me, but it could have been a number of other scenarios that serve as a reminder that life comes with highs and lows. I just wanted to share this experience as I had as a reminder to anyone that maybe riding through a low point in their life…..to think about GRATITUDE, cause it’s Awesome!! I originally wrote this article a few years ago, and as I am expecting my third child. It was amazing to reflect back on and how I have grown with the help of my Gratitude Practice. I wanted to share with you a few more tips on how you can bring gratefulness into your everyday life. One of the easiest ways to get into a habit of practicing gratitude is to start a gratitude journal. I keep a journal at my bedside and each night I write down a list of things I was grateful for that day. My goal is to find at least 5-10 things that truly made me smile, feel happy or a sense of relief or security. The list doesn’t have to be long or complex, just write whatever pops into your head. I am often surprised how much the little things really make me smile, like thinking about how my daughters woke up in a good mood or my husband brought me dessert. By

writing them down each day I get to rewire my brain to happiness. As a bonus, on days I’m feeling low I can just open up my journal and read all of the wonderful things I am grateful for. My brain can’t tell the diﬀerence between happiness in the past or happiness right now, so I immediately feel better as I reflect on my gratitude list! I encourage you to start a gratitude journal. It is proven that gratitude cultivates happiness, so everyone should start practicing today! Ayesha Peets Talbot, Just another grateful person.

PHOTO SUPPLIED BY OCEAN ROCK WELLNESS

ou’ll never be truly grateful unless you practice GRATITUDE….FOR REAL. This May, June and July past I found myself newly pregnant and feeling awful with morning sickness. As if the nausea and vomiting wasn’t enough to make me feel like my life had taken a turn for the worst, the negative thoughts that accompanied my physical pains was enough to bring me to tears. I am not keen on spreading the news of a soon-tobe-bundle of joy “too early” as it is. Therefore, when I found myself telling people in my close circle, I would break out in tears feeling hopeless, depressed and ashamed. Clearly I felt unwell in mind, body and spirit and I really was at a loss about what I was going to do about it. I recall asking myself over and over “How am I going to get through this; how am I going to get better?” One day last month a voice came into my head and it said “Ayesha Be Grateful”. As I reflected on that, I started to think of all the support I had received in the last few months. In my thoughts, I started to thank everyone who had slowly showed kindness and compassion to me. I slowly but surely started to feel better. They say that one of the best mindfulness practices is gratitude. Most or all of our spiritual leaders would attest to using GRATITUDE in their practice to encourage healing of the mind, body and spirit. I’m not sure how it works and truthfully I’m not sure if I care how it works. I am just grateful that it does. Which is why I would like to take out the time to mention the people in my life whom I am truly grateful for. I am grateful for my family, particularly my mom and dad; who are steady rocks in my life. I am grateful for my husband who is caring and compassionate and my daughter(s) who reminds me to live in the moment. I am grateful for my close friends and colleagues at work who have been very understanding, extremely helpful and supportive in their kind words and deeds. I am grateful for my patients who have always been great teachers to me and have been understanding with rescheduled ap-

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Beauty in the Balance working from home

BY: TANIA KO WA L S K I

Tania Kowalski shares her tried and true strategies for the work-life balance that mums that work from home, desperatley seek. Whether you’re a working mom or a stay at home mom I’m betting that you feel the struggle of trying to balance your time between family, home and work. Well I wish that I could tell you that I can always sit down and focus on one task at a time until it’s complete but that’s not my reality…I’m a serial multitasking mompreneur. When I’m not one on one with my clients I’m back and forth between my standing desk which is planted in our living room, the kitchen, and the laundry room. I actually find the summer the toughest since the kids are at home and I’m trying to fit my work in around their activities while also wanting to be sure that I’m making time to be with them while they’re not in their regular busy schedule. It’s constant work to be truly present with my kids & hubby or in my work because my mind’s natural tendency is to drop into something that I want to do for a client or into feeling guilty that I’m not answering every beck and call of my kids when I’m working. I started my business when I was at home after our first daughter was born and it was built out of a passion to inspire other women to make time to focus on finding their balance with fitness and nutrition, a struggle

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that was very real to me. I wanted to simplify strength training and balanced nutrition and share my process with women that share the struggle since I wholeheartedly believe that feeling strong and energized through engaging these practices leads to a healthier, happier, more grateful and productive life. Every woman needs and deserves that! So what have been my biggest struggles with working from home? • Family Time. I care about my business like it’s another baby. So much of me has gone into my business that it’s tough to shut off. I’ll work through long days starting at 5am and then again after the girls are in bed. I’ll wake up in the night realizing I forgot to return a message to a client. My worst nightmare is sleeping in through one of my morning classes. When you care so much about your people it’s hard to disconnect because they’re always on your mind. • Not having an office door. My kids and husband (and house guests) don’t see my office door since I don’t have one, so it seems perfectly acceptable to interrupt me at any time for anything. They also declare that I’m always working which is quite true and also so much more visible since again, I have no office door lol. When my husband has to work late it’s ok since he’s not here and no one can complain. • There is always a distraction to occupy me if I’m in procrastination mode; the laundry, the dishes, the pets, you name it…it’s here needing to be

done too and it’s easy to ‘busy’ myself with those things instead of diving into what I really need to prioritize at the time. • Me time and friend time… Yep, part of the reason that I am so passionate about helping other women find their balance is because I’m constantly striving for my own. There are weeks where I realize that my ‘me time’ has come in the form of a dentist appointment, workout, or on one of my many trips to the grocery store. My friend who works at Lindos always asks me if I have a day off when I’m grocery shopping and all of a sudden, I’m thinking; does grocery shopping constitute down time? I think not – ha! Let’s suffice it to say that it’s not easy so how do I strive for the balance with these things and get anything done? Being present for family time. When I’m with the family I set the intention to be in the moment with them rather than focused on the to do’s. Not to be thinking about the pictures that I need for marketing but rather capturing the precious moments in my mind and immersing myself in the experience. I’ve given myself a shut down time where the computer goes down and I give myself the pep talk that it’s ok to leave some things until tomorrow. My shut down time is 8pm – the kids are in bed (they know to ask me for anything they need prior to this or it’s not happening) and the phone is away & computer put to sleep. Between 8-10 it’s me or me & hubby time. inspirewomenmag.com

PHOTO SUPPLIED BY TANIA KOWALSKI

WELLBEING/lifestyle coach Setting boundaries. When I need to focus and everyone is at home I’ve had to explain to them (on numerous occasions) that I need to work for ‘x’ amount of time and that they need to sort things out on their own unless someone is bleeding or in serious trauma (truly!) and I’ll set the oven timer when need be so that they can see how much longer I have until I can be interrupted. When the kids are at home I find that getting out a craft or some buried toys and getting them started or planning a play date can buy me some time. Staying Focused It’s all prioritization here.. I start the day by setting an intention for the day including listing the tasks that I know need to get done. I shut down distractions (email, phone, etc) and get to work remembering to do the

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toughest things first instead of busying myself with easy wins. Prioritizing Self Care When it comes to the self-care practices that I’m so passionate about it’s squeezing them in even when I don’t feel like it, even when I only have a few minutes. That’s when I need it most and I’m always glad that I did. There are days that I don’t feel like putting on real clothes and going out with my girlfriends, but I never regret doing it. Sometimes we just need to get started. I’m always a work in progress and some weeks are much better than others. Some weeks I’m integrating family, home, work, and me/friend time beautifully and other weeks it’s a hot mess. I’m not sure that we ever find just the right balance but striving for it definitely

helps to keep air in all of the tires so to speak. Keep working for it friend!

Tania Kowalski is a proud wife, and ‘mompreneur’ - a passionate health and happiness coach. Tania is Precision Nutrition Certified, an ACE Certified Health Coach, and ACE Certified Personal Trainer. For more information on Tania’s Bermuda based and online wellness programs, connect with her at www. taniakowalski.com, Tania Kowalski – Health Fanatic on Facebook, and Tania Kowalski on Instagram. Tania is proud to work in partnership with Lindo’s Family Foods to make a positive impact on health and wellness in Bermuda! Thank you Lindos for caring enough to bring in incredible healthy food and for offering it all with a smile!

fall 2018

Health & Wellness

Fall back into healthy habits!

Tips to make this autumn your healthiest season yet. Some folks may be sad summer is practically over, but there is some good news, fall is on its way. Experts suggest fall is the perfect time to boost your health and wellbeing so welcome back the crisp air and prepare for the healthiest autumn yet. Tip 1 - EAT SEASONALLY Even the healthiest diets fall by the wayside when cooler temperatures appear. However, autumn’s arrival is no excuse to stop eating rich, seasonal fruits and vegetables. Fall foods such as roots and cruciferous vegetables from beets to cabbage and carrots, provide tons of fibre to assist with heart health and weight loss. Enjoying seasonal foods means you’re likely eating fresh, local and more nutritious produce. Hit the farmer’s markets and ask vendors what’s best to eat; institute Meatless Monday’s to encourage yourself to try new foods; or try squash to boost your serotonin or sweet potatoes for a dose of antioxidants for your immune system. One of the easiest and simplest ways to lose weight without trying is to stop eating out and cook your meals at home. Fall is the perfect time to start meal planning for the week. Though, fall foods can be prepared in healthy and unhealthy ways, be mindful of your recipes. Consider broth soups instead of creamy ones, or sliced apples instead of apple pie. Tip 2 - GET OUTSIDE The heat of the summer is a thing of the past and now is the perfect time to get back into daily healthy habits by prioritising your fitness and getting outdoors. Outdoor activities combat depression, boost vitamin D levels and immune systems and reduce stress and fall allergies. Once you fall back into a fitness routine, you’ll enjoy a happier, healthier lifestyle. Research shows creating little daily habits, nuances and traditions develop triggers for healthy behaviours. A study found it’s not merely the decision to work out, but instead instigating habits that reminded subjects to workout which made the difference. Whether setting your alarm early to go for a jog or driving past your gym on the way home, these habits “instigate” the decision to exercise without thinking, “I must work out”. Regular exercise comes with more benefits than you can count and each day research is discovering new reasons it’s so important. Try adding a morning workout to your routine and you’re sure to feel more accomplished and energised while boosting your metabolism; sneak in a bit of exercise while doing chores, working in the garden or out having fun; or take a brisk 30-minute walk after dinner to help lower blood pressure, balance cholesterol levels and lower your risk for diabetes. Tip 3 - GET TO BED EARLY Are you going to bed early enough? Be honest with yourself and take stock of your sleeping habits now that the sun is setting earlier in the day and rising later in the morning. The saying— “early to bed, early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise”— may have more clout than initially thought. A study from the University of Toronto found that early risers are both happier and healthier than those who stay up late and wake up late. Previous studies have also shown early risers to have more stable personalities and typically more cheerful moods. Early risers are more likely to be leaders, good problem solvers, more proactive and able to adapt to changing situations throughout the day even when not at work. Research has proven people who go to bed early tend to have less negative thoughts than those who turn in later at night. Also, repetitive negative thinking (a.k.a. negative self-talk) and other obsessive-compulsive symptoms were more common in night owls.

A good night’s sleep has been proven time and time again to be essential for optimal health – arguably more so than diet, exercise or any other healthy habits. Take care of yourself and get to sleep early. Your body will thank you for it. Tip 4 - STAY HYDRATED While you’ve heard this refrain throughout the summer, it remains the same through fall – stay hydrated. It’s easy to forget the importance of water intake when the weather cools, and your body isn’t so quick to remind you to drink water. However, even during the colder months, you still need to consume a fair amount of water to keep your body at peak performance and flush toxins. You can choose to supplement your fluid intake with hot cocoa or apple cider or consider green tea instead of coffee to help combat viruses and increase your metabolism. Tip 5 - WATCH YOUR ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION Most people drink more alcohol in the summer than in the fall but tend to drink plenty in the fall nonetheless. Whether hitting the bars during football season or guzzling cider at family get-togethers, the worst part of cold weather alcohol consumption is that most opt for harder liquor selections. Be careful with how much you imbibe – stick to wine and light beers, and avoid the pumpkin cocktails. Tip 6 - GET YOUR FLU SHOT No one wants to spend a week cooped up at home from fever, fatigue and body aches. According to the U.S Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, the flu shot is the single most effective way of preventing a bout of flu. However, if you prefer not to have an injection, increase your Vitamin C and antioxidants, cover your nose and mouth with a tissue during a cough or sneeze and wash your hands often to steer clear of the common cold. Tip 7 - BE KIND TO YOUR SKIN Though the skin is the body’s largest organ, it’s health is often neglected during the summer months when spending time outside, at the beach or around the pool. Unfortunately, soaking up summer sunshine and chlorine does little to help your skin. With mature skin especially, too much time in the sun can result in age spots as well as increased lines and wrinkles. Autumn months provide the opportunity to hone your skin with much needed TLC. Improve dull and rough skin by exfoliating regularly at home to remove the dry, dead cells. Consider combating ageing effects with a new line of high-quality and all-natural, cannabis-based skin care available at The Phoenix Stores – Cannabis Beauty Defined. Created using hemp derived CBD oil, these products are carefully formulated to protect, nourish and repair the skin from the anti-ageing effects of the environment, leaving your skin looking healthy and youthful.

HOME/advice

PAINT PROBLEMS

Begin by scraping off any loose paint. If you don’t, the new paint will come off with the old paint and you would have wasted an entire weekend. After scraping, take a wire brush and use to get rid of any remaining loose wall material. If you have the time, it’s a good idea to then wipe the wall down with a damp cloth or sponge soaked in vinegar and water. This will remove any leftover chalky residue, clean the wall and neutralize ph levels. Let the walls dry out well (overnight) before moving on to the next step – primer. Make sure to leave on a fan, dehumidifier or air conditioning to dry out the walls as much as possible. Now let’s talk about primer. Think of this like a pair of underwear for your walls. It’s a good foundation that holds everything in place. Sure, most paints these days are selfpriming but often that’s not enough. If you scraped old loose paint off, use a sealer first to penetrate deep into the walls and bind up any chalky residue. Sealers are thinner than primers or paints so they soak into a surface instead of sitting on top of it.

Karolina De Costa from Rowe Spurling Paint Company shares tips on how to deal with some of the most common interior paint problems.

Did you find fine hairline cracks on your walls? They often happen as your house settles or as plaster dries and can let in unwanted dampness (leading to mold). Use a waterproofing primer - preferably with grit to fill in cracks to protect your space from moisture. Now that all the prep work is done, it’s time to pick your

have a confession – I’m addicted to painting. I am constantly finding beautiful rooms online which inevitably leads to the “honey, I’ve been thinking” conversation with my husband (who has an infinite amount of patience.) If you’ve also ever been inspired for some weekend DIY after watching HGTV you know that sometimes home projects are not as easy as they look on tv.

paint. After you’ve chosen the colour think about how shiny you want the walls to be. Remember that flatter paints are harder to clean but will visually minimize wall imperfections. Shinier paints are easier to clean but can make your home look very institutional. That’s why all of our walls at home are painted in a matte finish. It’s flat enough to be forgiving on old stone walls but still washable. Save flat paint for the ceiling where it will minimize glare when you turn on the light and glossier paints for woodwork and trim. Got all your paints but need something to put them on with? Most stone walls will require a ¾” nap roller to get inbetween the bumps. A microfiber cover is great for keeping splatter to a minimum on both walls and ceilings. For cutting in, use a synthetic bristle brush with nylon bristles. Choose one with a angle to cut in evenly against door frames, windows and the floor. If you’re painting out of the can a 2 ½” brush is the biggest that will fit into the opening. And don’t forget the tape! A good painters tape will keep clean up to a minimum. Happy Painting!

For more tips on painting as well as all sorts of design pointers visit our blog at https://rowespurlingpaintcompany.wordpress.com. It’s updated weekly with decorating inspiration and DY advice Also visit our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/rowespurlingpaintcompany.

D O IT YO URS ELF BUT DON' T D O IT A LONE

First of all, our building materials are very different then they are in the States or Canada. Instead of wood and drywall we have good sturdy concrete and plaster. It won’t blow away in a hurricane but it requires a little more maintenance. That’s why I’ve decided to put together some tips on how to deal with some of the most common interior paint problems.

GET PAINT, SUPPLIES AND FRIENDLY ADVICE

I had a high school teacher which drilled into us the 5 P’s – Prior Preparation Prevents Poor Performance – and most of a successful paint job is all in the prep. First, start by moving all the furniture out of the room (if it’s possible), take everything off the walls, and remove all outlet covers. Then take a minute to assess the condition of the walls.

ROWE SPURLING PAINT COMPANY

67 ST. JOHN'S ROAD / PEMBROKE TEL 292-7770 / ROW@NORTHROCK.BM WWW.ROWESPURLINGPAINT.COM

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fall 2018