A few stories to make your mind boggle

JUST PLAIN NUTS

Recently, an airline asked two Indianorigin siblings with severe nut allergies, to “sit in the loo” while the cashews were being served on the fl ight, writes the India Times. Shannen Sahota, 24, and Sundeep Sahota, 33, said they informed Emirates Airlines three times when booking, checking-in and upon boarding about their allergies. But 40 minutes into the fl ight from Birmingham Airport to Dubai, the cabin crew started serving fried nuts, leaving them “panic-stricken”.

However, when they scanned the fl ight menu they found that it contained cashew nuts. Just before the meal service began they were asked to shift to a toilet with cushions and pillows to avoid discomfort owing to their allergy. Furious over the suggestion, the two spent the next seven hours of the fl ight sitting at the back of the plane with blankets covering their faces.

NIGE-FEST

Nigel’s from across the world have gathered at a Worcestershire pub to celebrate their shared ‘Nigel-ness’. Pub landlord Nigel Smith, who runs the Fleece Inn, has made it his life goal to boost the popularity of his name. In doing so, he’s created the dedicated ‘Nige-fest’ which attracts hundreds to toast to all things Nigel. Mr Smith came up with the idea after realising his name had become offi cially extinct according to new birth records in 2016 and 2020. Janice day coming up l guess!

bizarre NEWS

TRUTH CAN BE STRANGER THAN FICTION

PLASTERED CAT

A woman was in for a shock when she returned home to fi nd her builder had plastered her cat into the bathroom wall.

Ashlin Hadden, who had been away on a business trip, was left wondering where the muffl ed meows were coming from, only to discover that they were coming from behind the wall. It turns out Stripes had been stuck in there for three days.

Ashlin managed to track down the sound but ended up punching a hole in the wall before being reunited with her beloved pet who, she assured her followers, is doing fi ne.

COTTON CALORIES

A vet was stunned after a poorly dog’s X-ray reveals what was making him sick. When 13-year-old border collie, Jip mysteriously started to choke late at night, his owner feared the worst and rushed him to the vets – where medics were stunned to fi nd out he had actually swallowed a pair of socks.

WOMEN CAVE

A British mum-of-two is on a mission to build the “most luxurious cave imaginable”, complete with chandeliers, a sauna and a gym - by digging a hole for a home all by herself in the sweltering Australian desert. Jennifer Ayres, 50, a water engineer from Darlington, Durham, is building the 2,400 square metre recess in the town of Coober Pedy - which is a nine-

hour drive from her family!

HEART ATTACK PENDING

A Dad ordered the UK’s ‘biggest’ bacon roll from Greggs – with 51 rashers. The man ordered the 2,920 calorie butty from Greggs after hankering for a big breakfast, and the 51 bacon rashers did not disappoint – as he urged staff to pile on more meat.

He didn’t manage to fi nish is and said, “It’s fi nished me – l think l might take a break from bacon”.

❛ ❛ You can tell the strength of a nation by the women behind its men

Benjamin Disraeli

TROUSER SNAKE

A New York City man was charged with smuggling three Burmese pythons in his trousers at a U.S-Canadian border crossing.

Calvin Bautista, 36, is accused of bringing the hidden snakes on a bus that crossed into northern New York state on July 15th, 2018. Importation of Burmese pythons is regulated by an international treaty and by federal regulations listing them as “injurious to human beings.” The charge carries the potential for a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a fi ne as high as $250,000, according to federal prosecutors.

Given that a Burmese python’s main line of attack is constriction, Calvin is… well, it doesn’t bear thinking about.

❛ ❛ The connections between and among women are the most feared, the most problematic, and the most potentially transforming force on the planet

EX-BOYFRIEND?

A woman has been left outraged after her boyfriend decided to treat himself to a business class seat on an upcoming plane journey – and he left her sitting in economy. The woman said she and her partner were going on their fi rst holiday together since they started dating seven months ago, and they had planned to split hotel costs 50/50, but had agreed to pay for their own fl ights. But when she asked her boyfriend about his plane seat, he said he had given himself an upgrade – and told her they could meet up once the plane landed. Now an ex-boyfriend methinks!

ANA BRNABIC 47, Serbia

In a country known for its machonationalism, Brnabic is the fi rst openly gay person to be Prime Minister. She continues to be hawkish over Kosovo and Bosnia.

INGRIDA SIMONYTE 47, Lithuania

Also on the front line against Russia, Simonyte began her career as an economist and civil servant.

LIZ TRUSS 47, UK

She was elected in September 2022 and is the UK’s third female Prime Minister. Critics say she is trying to emulate Thatcher, cribbing from her playbook of hardline Conservatism. She ruled for 44 days, the shortest in UK history.

WOMEN IN CHARGE

Women are stepping up and taking charge across Europe, a political club that wields real power following the trail blazed by Margaret Thatcher and Angela Merkel. Who’s in the club?

MAGDALENA ANDERSSON 55, Sweden

Andersson led Sweden’s move to counter Russia by dropping its neutrality to join Nato this year. Her days in the top job are numbered as she leads a caretaker government after losing an election to a rightwing bloc recently.

SANNA MARIN 36, Finland

Marin is taking her previously neutral country into Nato after the Russian invasion of Ukraine. She is the world’s youngest sitting Prime Minister.

KAJA KALLAS 45, Estonia

Kallas is on the front line of Nato’s eastern shelf against Putin. Estonia has delivered proportionally more military equipment to Ukraine than any other country.

METTE FREDERIKSEN 44, Denmark

Frederiksen was praised for her leadership during the Covid pandemic, when Denmark had the lowest death rate in the EU.

KATRIN JAKOBSDOTTIR 46, Iceland

Despite her personal opposition to Nato, the Left-Green leader has kept her country in the alliance. She is the country’s second female PM.

NATALIA GAVRILITA 45, Moldova

Moldova is the only country in the world to have both a female Prime Minister and president. Gavrilita is the third woman to head her country’s government.

+Neurodiversity refers to variations in the human brain and cognition, for instance in sociability, learning, attention and other mental functions. It was coined in 1998 by sociologist Judy Singer, who helped popularise the concept along with journalist Harvey Blume, and situates human cognitive variation in the context of biodiversity and the politics of minority groups.

Many businesses are not making use of neurodivergent employees, concentrating on the problems involved rather that the power that can be harnessed. Adjustments can be minor whereby the benefi ts can be huge. By GEMMA NORTH

Neurodivergent women and work – unleash the power

Awareness about neurodivergence in women is growing with increasing numbers receiving diagnoses in adulthood. Th e notion of ‘Neurodiversity’ celebrates the strengths of neurologically diff erent people instead of focusing on their perceived weaknesses. Creativity, bigger picture thinking and a greater appreciation of diff erence are some of the ways in which neurodivergent employees can bring value to the workplace. As Richard Branson said, ”People on the autistic spectrum are often overlooked for jobs that they might be brilliant at. It’s a staggering statistic that 85% of autistic adults are unemployed or underemployed. Th is has to change.”

However, ‘disordered’, ‘dysfunctional’ and ‘defi cient’ are all words commonly associated with neurodivergent people despite more public fi gures than ever before showing up, sharing and embracing their neurodivergent selves. Th e term ‘neurodiversity was fi rst coined by Judy Singer as including people with traits including autism, ADHD, dyslexia, dyspraxia, dyscalculia and Tourette’s syndrome. She said it best when saying, “Neurodiversity is really just a new word for a very old idea – a fancy 21st century way of repeating the old adage, ‘From each according to their ability; and to each according to their need.’”

Continued over >

Unfortunately, at the point of knowing why they MAKING PROGRESS function diff erently to non-neurodivergent people, the ways Support that is both targeted and wide-reaching for neuroin which neurodivergent women can be supported, particu- divergent women at work must be a priority. On an individlarly at work, are still inadequately understood. For exam- ual basis, they may be supported through coaching or menple, workplaces often focus on attending to individual dif- toring in the workplace that enables them to understand ferences rather than making their spaces accessible to all. their needs and communicate them eff ectively to employers.

Women already experience inequalities in career devel- Employers and managers have a responsibility to attend opment opportunities and pay. Th e disability employment training sessions and share information about neurodiversigap is largest for disabled women aged 45-49 years and ty in the workplace that increases awareness and promotes 55-59 years*. meaningful inclusivity. It is important to remember that

While the employment gap is smallest between disabled not all neurodivergent people may disclose their diff erences and non-disabled people aged 16-19 years, both groups are at work. Th ey may choose to ‘mask’ or ‘camoufl age’. Th ey least likely to be employed at this age. may not even be aware of why they are Research by the UK’s National Autistic struggling to carry out their tasks; why Society (NAS) shows that the fi gures it feels uncomfortable and tiring for for the employment of autistic people example. in the UK are still very low. In a sur- On a wider level, employers can vey of 2,000 autistic adults, just 16% promote healthy workplace cultures by were in full-time work, despite 77% of improving access for disabled people to people who were unemployed saying hybrid workspaces. Research following they wanted to work*. Autistic wom- the pandemic indicates that workplace en could be described as experiencing fl exibility can be particularly benefi ‘double-glazed’ barriers at work. cial in enabling people to control their working environment more eff ectively. UNDERSTANDING 70% of disabled workers said that if Employers are required under the their employer did not allow them to Equality Act 2010 to provide ‘reason- work remotely, it would negatively imable adjustments’ so that neurodiver- pact their physical or mental health**. gent people have as fair a chance as An appreciation of the skills and non-neurodivergent people to access expertise employees bring rather than and sustain employment. However, over preoccupation with preferred barriers are often less easy to see as communication styles is one small they may be embedded in cultural assumptions about how change. Employers who take a strengths-based approach people should behave. Employers are often unaware of some to employment practices may reap the benefi ts. Career outthe social rules that prevent neurodivergent women from comes and employment opportunities for neurodivergent getting on in their chosen careers. women can be improved through increasing awareness of

Extra tasks that involve adapting to social norms like their strengths, promotion of inclusive workplaces cultures making prolonged eye contact can often feel unnatural and and provision of accessible working environments. exhausting. Th e nature of this additional ‘emotional labour’ autistic women take on in order to fi t in at work is not often * O ce for National Statistics (ONS) 2021) acknowledged or recognised. ** e Work Foundation, 2022

An autistic woman, Farah, who was interviewed for a recent research project said she was regarded as “obviously untrustworthy” by her managers for not making eye contact. Farrah was sent on a training programme to improve her interpersonal skills whilst men performing the same work with similar communication styles in her workplace were not. Farah was pressured to adopt more gender-appropriate behaviour, rather than simply having her diff erence in communication style recognised and accepted. People on the autistic spectrum are often overlooked for jobs that they might be brilliant at. It’s a staggering statistic that 85% of autistic adults are unemployed or under-employed. This has to change. Sir Richard Branson Gemma North is a researcher and consultant from North Consultancy with expertise in neurodiversity, mental health and wellbeing.

Making adjustments and supporting disabled people at work makes the whole workforce feel welcome and engaged

Dr Nancy Doyle Founder and chief research offi cer of Genius Within CIC

SAMANTHA KAYE from Wellesley discusses why it’s important to consider the tax implications when dividing your assets upon divorce

Time to split: Talking about tax around a divorce

Splitting up with your spouse or civil partner is one of the most difficult events you can face, and is certainly not a time when you’d welcome interference from other parties – least of all, the taxman. Unfortunately, though, there are significant tax CAPITAL GAINS TAX (CGT) Currently, spouses splitting chargeable assets have up to 12 months to complete the transfer from the point at which they ceased living together – not from the point that the divorce is granted – to avoid Capital Gains Tax. implications to splitting your assets, as everything must be However, from April 6th 2023, these rules are changdivided in the right way. ing – the ‘no gain, no loss’ window is set to be extended,

But this is no bad thing. Divorce can be a particularly giving separating spouses and civil partners up to bumpy road for women – with divorced three years to make the disposwomen’s median pension wealth at retirement just 25% of that of their male counterparts1 – so being tax savvy is Getting the best advice you can – both als they need to from the point at which they separate. essential in making sure you get what’s due to you. legal and financial – PRIVATE RESIDENCE RELIEF

Here are four things to think about: will help you ensure There’s an additional change that PENSIONS that all aspects of the allows any spouse or civil partner who retains an interest in the couple’s Pensions are often overlooked, but they can be one of your most valuable assets. There are three ways pensions can divorce settlement are covered former matrimonial home to have the option to claim Private Residence Relief when it’s sold. The spouse or be split: earmarking, offsetting against civil partner who transferred their other assets, or sharing. The latter means the pension is split interest in the marital home to their ex will also be able between the spouses or civil partners into two pots – so each to apply the same tax treatment to any proceeds they’re person runs their pension the way they want to and aren’t entitled to receive from the eventual sale. relying on their ex-partner to do things the right way.

Nearly three quarters of divorcing couples fail to consider their legal right to share pensions

SPOUSAL MAINTENANCE AND CHILD BENEFIT

If you’re paying maintenance to your former spouse or civil partner, it’s possible to claim tax relief against this, which will help to reduce your tax bill. What’s more, if you split from a higher-earning spouse or civil partner, you may be able to claim child benefi t. Your fi nancial adviser can talk you through all the options available to you.

Getting the best advice you can – both legal and fi nancial – will help you ensure that all aspects of the divorce settlement are covered, for that all-important peace of mind as you plan for a secure future.

If you have any questions about divorce or pensions planning, please contact me today. Sources: 1 NOW: Pensions, 2020 2 Chartered Insurance Institute, 2019

Samantha Kaye Chartered Adviser, Wellesley E: samantha.kaye@sjpp.co.uk www.wellesleywa.co.uk

Th e levels and bases of taxation and reliefs from taxation can change at any time. Th e value of any tax relief depends on individual circumstances.

St. James’s Place guarantees the suitability of advice off ered by Wellesley when recommending any of the services and products available from companies in the Group. More details of the Guarantee are set out on the Group’s website www.sjp.co.uk/products Wellesley is a trading name of Wellesley Investment Management Ltd. Th e Partner Practice is an Appointed Representative of and represents only St. James’s Place Wealth Management plc (which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority) for the purpose of advising solely on the Group’s wealth management products and services, more details of which are set out on the Group’s website www.sjp.co.uk/about-st-james-place/our-business/ our-products-andservices. Th e ‘St. James’s Place partnership’ and the titles ‘Partner’ and ‘Partner Practice’ are marketing terms used to describe St. James’s Place representatives. Wellesley Investment Management Ltd: Registered Offi ce: 44 Th e Pantiles, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, England, TN2 5TN. Registered in England & Wales, Company No. 06530147.

In our brand new Spotlight feature, we highlight women who are doing good things in their community. They’re not always seen but we think they should be.

SPOTLIGHT

Louise Poffley

Dynamic chats with Louise Poffl ey, founder and CEO of the charity Project Eileen, to hear what it does and what motivated her to start this fantastic organisation. Here she is in her own words…

“At school in the 1970s, when my close friend was orphaned, I realised I hadn’t got a clue what to say or do to support her. Around the same time, a girl in the year below me died suddenly from a brain haemorrhage. Th e next morning, we received just a brief announcement in assembly. Years later, when my father died, it was apparent many people still didn’t know what to say or do, and I felt compelled to do something to change the status quo.

“Th e charity, Project Eileen, is the result of my drive and determination to achieve a vision of developing a way to proactively help young people cope with bereavement,

death and grief by giving them the tools and life skills to help themselves and others. Its multimedia programme of lessons took shape. “With a multifarious career background, including a spell as a funeral arranger, I believed my writing would be the best starting point upon which the programme could be built. I spent 2017 writing and rewriting Eileen, a fi ctional but true-to-life story about a bunch of teenagers who have Project Eileen is the to cope with the death of their friend. Th e story almost has a story of its result of my drive and determination own. Sir Tony Robinson narrated it, Nina Pfeifenberger animated it, the programme’s lessons reference it, it’s the to achieve a vision springboard for class discussion, and students can even develop their own of developing a way improvisations from it. to proactively help “I believe collaboration is key to success. Never shy of approaching someyoung people cope with bereavement one I’d like to involve, and needing music, I leapt onto the stage at the end of a concert to fi nd out who’d written the ska songs. Th at led to a great working partnership with the composer, Alex D Hay, who wrote the music to accompany my lyrics. “Yet, none of this would have happened without former teacher, Annabelle Shaw. Following her experience of bereavement, she felt as strongly as I did that something had to be done, and leapt at the opportunity to establish the charity and devise the lessons. “Commended for my enormous enthusiasm, I sometimes worry I talk nonstop about Project Eileen. Fortunately for me, I have very patient friends and family.”

Left to right: Louise Poffl ey, Patron, Andrew Barton and Annabelle Shaw, Programme Director Project Eileen CIO, Community Base, 113 Queens Road, Brighton BN1 3XG E: info@projecteileen.co.uk T: 01273 894757 www.projecteileen.co.uk

Hannah Blackwell

Dynamic caught up with the lauded, up-andcoming chef, Hannah Blackwell. She used to be in the kitchen at Etch in Brighton and is now doing a work placement at The Fat Duck in Bray

Congratulations on securing a work placement at Heston Blumenthal’s The Fat Duck. That’s no easy feat! Who has helped you on your way and perhaps inspired you as well?

“I wouldn’t be where I am right now if it wasn’t for a lot of people. One of them is Matt Tilt who was the head chef and owner of the fi rst restaurant I ever worked in. He taught me a lot of skills and pushed me to try new things. George Boarer and Steven Edwards at Etch also mentored me and made me more confi dent in myself. Another inspiration is Clare Smyth. She is a very good role model for young female chefs like me.”

Female chefs do seem far and few between. Do you feel that there is bias in the industry?

“It has always been heavily populated by men and you notice that massively when you step into a kitchen and you are the only woman to about seven men. Sadly, I don’t think this will ever change. Saying this, every work environment I have been in personally has been incredible and I have been welcomed with open arms, which is why I love the job and have continued to do it.”

Do you think that women are perhaps less interested in the job? Why?

“I think the main reason is the long hours because either women have children or want a job that is more fl exible. You see women more in café/ bakeries because it allows them to have evenings off and socialise more. Another reason could be because of the pay. After hours of stress, hard work and dedication you put in, the pay packet doesn’t necessarily represent that for most people.”

What are your three favourite dishes that you cook at home?

“My favourite dish savoury-wise is fi sh pie, just because this is something I would always make with my dad when I was younger. For sweet I would choose a meringue roulade as this was something Mum and I would make for dinner parties or celebrations. My other choice would be a double chocolate brownie. Who doesn’t love a bit of chocolate as a treat every now and again?”

Any advice for aspiring female chefs?

“My advice is enjoy it! Just go for it and aim as high as possible. You won’t regret it. My recipe for being around a lot of male chefs is to add an extra bit of sass. It shows that you mean business and that you won’t be walked over - but in a polite and jokey way.”

In 2017, community-owned Lewes FC caught the headlines by becoming the world’s fi rst football club to pay the men’s and women’s playing staff equal salaries.

Maggie Murphy, CEO of Lewes FC tells Dynamic about her journey to the top of the club she has come to admire.

HEAD OF THE PACK

I never meant to be the CEO of a football club. Mexico to Canada to Tanzania to France to Saudi Arabia to

To this day, I don’t think I would be here if, as a girl, and Nepal. From elite players who had played in World Cups to later as a young woman, it was as easy for me to play the grassroots players in Nepal or Mexico. All were asking the most popular game in the world as it was for my brothers. same questions.

I’m only here because I got angry. We decided to do something that would demand respect

No matter how hard I try, when I look back on the bril- that we could use as a rallying call and that nobody could liant memories I have from playing, I can’t help but feel a take away from us. sense of loss or frustration. At fi rst there were no girls’ teams. I don’t think we And so together, over six days, we climbed to the top of Mount Th en when there was a team, it had terrible coaches, hand-me-down kit will stop climate Kilimanjaro, in the ice, and rock and ash. Th ere were some days and nights and muddy bogs for pitches. We had change or end people where it was diffi cult to breathe, and to travel so much further. Our parents had to pay so much more. traffi cking unless we all had that fear that we wouldn’t make it. Because we weren’t there just Boys would line the pitch laughing or catcalling. Our games were cancelled so the guys could use our pitch there are angry people trying to to climb a mountain. At the end of the fi nal night of climbing, we laid a full-size pitch, put and let theirs rest. Our referees didn’t know the rules. Our universities didn’t make it happen up our FIFA regulation goalposts, and set about a 90-minute match, barely pay for a coach so we had to train the team between us. able to breathe, barely able to run. When the fi nal whistle went, we were Guinness World “WOMEN ARE SUCH AN AFTERTHOUGHT” Record holders.

My career in global advocacy, tackling corruption and promoting human rights took me overseas. I worked for organisations lobbying the UN and G20 to adopt better laws.

When the latest in a series of FIFA corruption scandals hit – almost ten years ago – I was tired, angry, frustrated, but now knew a lot more about good governance. Budget lines were being stolen for votes to hold prestigious tournaments and yet there was nothing for women’s football.

Wherever I looked, the people in decision-making roles seemed to care very little about growing the game, encouraging participation, debate and discussion or creating inclusive environments. Women were an afterthought – and they were never in these roles. I was getting angry.

I found I wasn’t alone. In all my travels I had picked up quite an international group of friends and colleagues. Th rough a chance meeting I found myself involved with a crew of like-minded women from more than 20 countries; HEADING DOWN THE PAN

About a month after climbing down the mountain I saw an announcement on Twitter from a small community club that I couldn’t place on a map.

Th is small club was a tiny part of the problem but seeking to be a big part of the solution. Th ey announced that they were bringing in pay parity for the men’s and women’s teams and had become the fi rst club in the world to do so.

I immediately clicked three times and became an owner – it was 100% fan-owned and only costs £50. Aside from getting to own a football club, I fi nally felt like there was a football club out there that cared for and valued me, and if I showed up one day, might even greet me with a smile and make me feel welcome.

My path started to cross with those of Lewes FC, and in 2019 I was asked to consider coming on board as the

I’m only here because I got angry

General Manager. Football had always been just a side story for me but I was now being asked to put this front and centre.

Th is club was special.

Lewes FC is trying to take all the bad things that people hate about football and turn them around. I don’t blame you if you don’t like football. A lot of the time there’s lots to dislike about it.

But now I was being asked to put my money where my mouth was.

Is it possible to create a transparent, accountable, equitable football club that listens to and serves its local community and global community of supporters? Is it possible to reconnect football with purpose and social impact? Is it possible to create a football club dedicated to results on and off the pitch? LEWES FC – CHANGING THE WORLD

It was a challenge too great to turn down. We’re Lewes FC, an exceptional club trying to change the world.

Football is more than a game. It’s about our social fabric. And how we relate to each other. And if women are not part of that conversation, then we are being sidelined from society as a whole.

And I don’t want to be on the sidelines.

So yes, I’m a CEO because I got angry. And I’ve learned it’s OK to get angry. In fact, I don’t think we will stop climate change or end people traffi cking unless there are angry people trying to make it happen. You just need to use that anger in a really smart way – and fi nd some allies and teammates to work with you.

I’ve now found these allies and teammates, and we are dedicated to the best possible type of football club, on and off the pitch. We hope you join us.

Lewes FC is a community-owned football club. To purchase your shares, go to www.lewesfc.com/owners

For match tickets, go to www.tickettailor.com/events/lewesfootballclub2/ Lewes FC, Th e Dripping Pan, Mountfi eld Road, Lewes. BN7 2XA

The menopause

One thing we know for certain about the phases of menopause is that the experience varies widely from individual to individual

Ifind it odd that so many female references are a derivation of men - feMALE, woMAN, MENopause, whereby none of these subjects have any relation to men. I see from the news section this month that the Italians are changing their entire dictionary to finally publish the feminine forms of nouns and adjectives due to the bias embedded in their language - and ours! Anyway, l digress.

The menopause is a subject that we will all have to deal with at some point whether we like it or not. The menopause is a perfectly natural part of a woman’s life and occurs when your periods stop due to the decreasing hormone levels in your body and this is usually between 45 and 50 years but that is a vast generalisation. The perimenopause is where you might have symptoms before your period have actually stopped.

Menopause and perimenopause symptoms can have a big impact on your daily life, including relationships, social life, family life and work. It can feel different for everyone. You may have a number of symptoms or none. Symptoms usually start months or years before your periods stop. This is called the perimenopause.

The first sign of the perimenopause is usually, but not always, a change in the normal pattern of your periods, for example they become irregular and eventually you’ll stop having periods altogether.

Common mental health symptoms of menopause and perimenopause include changes to your mood, anxiety, mood swings and low self-esteem, problems with memory or concentration (brain fog). Physical symptoms can be hot flushes, difficulty sleeping, palpitations, headaches and migraines that are worse than usual, muscle aches and joint pains, changed body shape and weight gain, skin changes including dry and itchy skin, reduced sex drive, vaginal dryness and pain, itching or discomfort during sex and recurrent urinary tract infections (UTIs).

The point to make here is that we are all different. Some women suffer and some don’t even know it has happened. Some suffer all the symptoms and some just a few. The menopause is as different as we are as individuals.

To gain some perspective on this, we asked several leading business women about their experience and, as you will see, the response are as different as women can be.

Continued over >

MENOPAUSE Tess de Klerk

“I’m 40 years old and in all honesty, simply don’t want to hear about the menopause! I’m not there yet and feel that I would prefer to not have to think about it until the time comes when I absolutely have to. Yes, I see the irony having decided on, and edited, this article.

“Obviously I recognise that any inkling of a taboo around the subject must dissipate, that workplaces must accommodate and support women through it and that sharing experiences and knowledge empowers us all… but still, I just don’t want to have to think about it – not yet.”

So many women I’ve talked to see menopause as an ending. But I’ve discovered this is your moment to reinvent yourself after years of focusing on the needs of everyone else. It’s your opportunity to get clear about what matters to you and then to pursue that with all of your energy, time and talent

OPRAH WINFREY, CHAT SHOW HOST

Fiona Shafer

In 2018, the MDHUB ran a peer group to explore ‘The Menopause and The Andropause’. The latter being the less publicly acknowledged diagnosis for men of a collection of symptoms, including hot flushes, loss of libido and depression, experienced by some middle-aged to older men and attributed to a decline in testosterone levels.

Sadly, often joked about as a ‘midlife crisis and a time to buy a Harley Davison’, it is a subject that we hope will one day have an equal acceptance and acknowledgement.

My menopause quite literally arrived like a massive tidal wave in the midst of the global pandemic. This made it even harder to pinpoint what was happening in and amongst the ridiculously long hours that we were all working to support businesses through the crisis. The combination of adrenaline and exhaustion masked many symptoms.

After what I can only describe as clockwork history of menstruation with no spear throwing side effects at all, the good karma fairy passed the baton to the bad karma fairy in July 2019, and changed direction, heading into the depths of my body and brain. 14 months later, my body full of the alternative route of Ginseng, Red Clover and Black Cohosh, there was no let up from the night sweats, sleep deprivation (a deep sleep

formerly being my super power), sweat running down my back in meetings, glasses steaming up during ZOOM calls, irritability and feeling at times like I did when I was 15 with hormones running amok.

The defining moment came when the classic ‘brain fog‘ started to appear. As someone who has been blessed with an excellent memory and has to keep a huge amount of info stored in my brain, this was a terrifying moment at a very deep level and became the key moment that changed my approach to the menopause.

Thanks to the incredible support of four amazing women with whom I share a peer group as part of my own support and development , they all recommended HRT ( and gently suggested why had I taken so long to do so…).

It was a massive turning point.

If you deal with it in a healthy fashion then I think you come out the other side a better person. I’ve got so much more energy now than I ever had in my early 50s before the menopause

JULIE WALTERS, ACTRESS

Rosemary French OBE

“I think I am having a heart attack,” I spluttered to my male Business Development Director, while descending in our work lift. It was late and we had been working hard on a key contract renewal. I collapsed on our reception sofa panting for breath. Within minutes I was in our nearest A&E, but I was discharged later with no medical view on what had just happened. I was so spooked that I even paid a private heart consultant to check over my heart.

There then followed a ten-year period of repeated panic attacks in the oddest of places; no rhyme or reason, although the scariest were those when driving, or when I would jump up in the middle of night insisting that I was dying! My husband was brilliant at calming me down, but we put it all down to my stressful job.

I also had the most awful headaches which I did mention to my doctor. Extraordinarily, I was given an expensive brain scan and yet no mention was made of hormonal changes! I never had hot flushes, the only menopausal symptom that I had ever heard of.

It was hard pretending to my business colleagues, friends and family that all was well, while trying to suppress an approaching panic attack. I would make a quick exit to suffer alone in some private corner until it passed.

During all those years, I concluded that it was just one of those work stress related things I had to put up with. Frankly, I am embarrassed to say that it just never crossed my mind until the recent menopausal awareness campaign started by Davina McCall. The Daily Telegraph featured celebrities’ stories and I realised that I was just like them!

I do feel bitter that I was not offered HRT. However, with my new learning, I was able to advise my younger sister-in-law that her panic attacks were menopausal, and she needed to get on HRT right away. She tells me that it has made a huge difference. I just wish I’d had that opportunity.

Continued over >

MENOPAUSE

I see menopause as the start of the next fabulous phase of life as a woman. Now is a time to ‘tune in’ to our bodies and embrace this new chapter. If anything, I feel more myself and love my body more now, at 58 years old, than ever before

KIM CATTRALL, ACTRESS

Joanna Williams Alison Jones

I don’t want to upset anyone but l have to say l hardly noticed that the menopause was upon me. The first signs occurred when l was 52. Of course, my periods stopped which was a delight to be honest and l did notice that l was generally hotter at night than usual but once that stopped, l had no further symptoms then or since, and l am now 61.

I feel pretty awful saying this as l know some women suffer dreadfully but l understand that HRT generally works very well and l would certainly have taken it had it of been needed. I read that women who have not had children tend to get the menopause earlier and might be prone to more dramatic symptoms but l am delighted Dynamic is tackling this subject as there seems to be ten contradictory answers to every question you ask and it can be very confusing.

The internet has certainly benefitted society in many ways but the downside is there are thousands of sites for every subject and with so many contradicting the last one, it can lead to mass confusion. Your doctor and anecdotal views from your friends is surely the best way to gain the information needed. It is so brilliant to see that the menopause is no longer a taboo word and there is now a better understanding of the issues facing almost half of the population. That said, I think there is a still a long way to go before there is a more balanced conversation.

Before you throw up your arms in dismay let me explain more.

At the moment, the majority of the conversation is about the wonders of HRT, and there is very little discussion or research into alternatives.

Unfortunately, not everyone is fortunate enough t o be able to take HRT. Those of us unlucky enough to have high blood pressure, heart problems, breast cancer or are at a higher risk of breast cancer, for example, are unable to take HRT.

Our options are very limited, and NHS guidelines suggest a change in lifestyle including eating well, exercising and staying cool at night! They also suggest stopping smoking and cutting out alcohol and caffeine.

All of which is of course sensible advice but I am not convinced that any of this really helps deal with the significant impact of the change in your hormone levels that the menopause creates. They also suggest taking anti-depressants but is the menopause depression?

There are a variety of herbal supplements available, all of which suggest that they will cure all symptoms, none of which in my experience made any difference. They are not supported by medical evidence and you do have to be extra careful as some of the ingredients can cause side effects if taken with other medicines.

So, just like our mothers and their mothers before them, sadly, we just have to grin and bear it. My advice would be to enlist the support of your family. For me, air conditioning was the only way to deal with the night sweats which I have had for more than 10 years now.

I’ve just come back from a holiday in Canada and what a time to have been away, writes ALISON JONES of Kreston Reeves

ALL CHANGE

Not only did we have a new Prime Minister, (we now need another new one) but sadly we lost our Queen. Although the news was all over Canadian TV, being eight hours behind it did feel like we were spectators to all that was changing back at home with little opportunity to join in. Life at home seemed to have radically changed in a blink of an eye as Charles became our King.

And then, just over a week later, and as I write this piece, the markets have gone crazy in terms of the value of the pound against the dollar following the recent emergency budget and interest rates look to rise again. Maybe it wasn’t as bad as Black Wednesday on September 16th 1992.

You might not remember it but interest rates jumped from 10% at 10.30am then to 12% and 15% before returning to 10% the following day as the UK left the ERM (Exchange Rate Mechanism). Turbulent times indeed as the UK fell into a deep recession, many businesses failed and the housing market crashed. It is diffi cult to imagine now having spent so many years with interest rates at under 1%. Hopefully, by the time you read this, the markets will have steadied, but we might need to wait until the next announcement on interest rates in November for that.

And in this complicated picture is the current situation in Ukraine, following the Russian invasion. Th is has had a signifi cant impact on the price of energy and basic food supplies resulting in the current cost of living crisis which is impacting all households and businesses.

However, history shows us that even after the bleakest of times, an economy does recover, businesses become profi table again and many new opportunities do arise.

Just think about the changes we’ve seen since 1992 and how they’ve shaped how we do business; the emergence of the internet and mobile phones having the greatest impact. And since the pandemic, Zoom and Teams have, in just two years, become everyday means of communication for us all. Real time data continues to provide better business insight thanks to online banking and accounting systems such as Xero, allowing for more confi dent and timely decision making.

Th ere is always a rainbow after a storm and there will be better times ahead for us all. It’s not easy, it might not be the same type of business as it was before but it’s important that you stay calm.

So, what can you do? Firstly evaluate both your business and your personal budget and what you need to continue. ■ Talk to your accountant as not only can they provide you with a good sounding board to discuss issues, but they can also help you monitor your business and start raising fl ags when things appear to be going wrong, or indeed give you the good news when things improve ■ Increase your prices. One of my clients recently phoned all their clients and explained in detail why they needed to increase their prices by being transparent about the increase in the costs they were facing. As a result, they were able to increase their prices and only lost one customer ■ Don’t hide away. In a recession you shouldn’t stop marketing as you don’t want to be forgotten ■ Talk to your team. Th ey will be worrying about how the cost of living rises and potential increase in mortgage rates are going to impact them, they may also be worrying about their jobs. In some instances redundancies may end up being your only option, but keeping in touch with your staff is key and they might have some good ideas on how you can improve your business ■ Keep talking to your suppliers, banks and HMRC. From my experience they are far more likely to be supportive and to help you if you are open and honest with them and less likely if you bury your head in the sand. Don’t be afraid of making new arrangements with them

My fi nal piece of advice is remember that you are not alone in this, and you don’t need to manage everything by yourself. It’s better to talk to your friends, family or business partners, as a problem shared always becomes a smaller problem once it has been voiced. Th ere is a huge network of support available to you both from a business and personal point of view and don’t be afraid to use it.

So, in the same way that the UK recovered from the crash back in 1992, try to remain positive, we will recover again soon.

Alison Jones is a Partner at Kreston Reeves and can be contacted by email at alison.jones@krestonreeves.com or call 0330 124 1399. www.krestonreeves.com

The markets have gone crazy in terms of the value of the pound against the dollar following the recent emergency budget

MENTORING

Finding this great person is a bit like fi nding a Yoda in a haystack!

There’s no doubt about it – leadership can be lonely! Being in business has many highs, and often just as many lows, especially if we feel that there is no one to turn to. By DESIREE ANDERSON, Crest Coaching & HR

COACHING COULD BE A LIGHTSABER

Statistics show that remote leadership has accentuated feelings of isolation, akin to being adrift in the business galaxy. Additionally, you might also often expect yourself to know all the answers. Th ese expectations of oneself may accentuate feelings of rising panic about what to do next, either strategically or operationally. You may have concerns about how to motivate your teams to be productive, committed, loyal etc.

Th ere’s also a lot of emphasis right now on mental health – but there usually aren’t quick fi xes. We may struggle with balancing our own worries with the needs of others and the inevitable pressures that running a successful business in this global universe brings.

In truth, all sorts of issues can prevent us from being the great leader we aspire to be. Fear of success or failure, comparison with others, procrastination, perfectionism and people-pleasing can cruelly prevent us from shining our lightsaber.

It’s no wonder that, with all these issues to overcome, we are frequently perplexed.

In our attempt to solve our problems, we either tend to hide our feelings and pretend to know it all or reach out desperately to a coach or mentor for help. If any of the adverts are true, will they wave a magic wand and increase turnover? Will the incessant people issues cease? Will I fi nally be recognised as the leader I dream of being?

STOP! You are already good enough; you have amazing unique skills and abilities that are already a success.

Appointing someone as a coach/ mentor doesn’t make you a failure – nobody knows everything, including the coach. If we reach out to someone through a feeling of ‘lack’, things are bound to come unstuck. But if we recognise that a coach/mentor is someone who either has specifi c expertise that we need and can give us specifi c guidance (usually a mentor), or someone who can help with our development by challenging us and encouraging us to come up with the answers (usually a coach) - then we may be off to a good start.

Let’s pause for a minute to remember that many great leaders throughout business history have had coaches or mentors. We have Richard Branson, Oprah Winfrey and Elon Musk to name but a few (dare I sneak in that Luke Skywalker had Yoda). Great leaders and entrepreneurs have shown us that they can elevate and develop faster by having a trusted person to guide them. And if we see what these leaders have achieved, then the whole aspect of coaching sounds like a no-brainer. Th ere are some vital prerequisites before embarking on this mission. • A good coach/mentor should be in partnership with you but allow you to take centre stage. You may be hiring them to be your trusted confi dante, to help you via a mastermind, a batch of coaching sessions or for a longer-term journey through stages of your business or career. • Th ere should always be a relationship of mutual respect and boundaries agreed upon between both parties from the off set. A contract setting out mutual roles, behaviour and responsibilities should be drawn up. Having this looked over by a solicitor is always a good idea. • Your coach should be someone with values congruent to yours - a role model of sorts who leaves you feeling educated, inspired or sometimes a bit uncomfortable, but in a way that constructively develops and elevates you to do better next time.

Let’s pause for a Finding this great person is a bit like fi nding a Yoda in a haystack! To minute to remember make it easier, you should be clear on that many great what your end goals for coaching are, what your budget is, and what the goleaders throughout business history have ing rate is for this service (tip: conduct a comparison analysis). You may fi nd an appropriate person from within your had coaches or mentors network, from previous clients or a coaching association. Whether you are aspiring Jedi or you’re in charge of a fl eet of star ships, Mentoring and Coaching is a great way to help guide you in reaching for the stars in the realm of your career! But before you go ahead with it I recommend that you take a look at yourself in the mirror and acknowledge the infi nite potential that already exists within you. Desiree is a Level 7 Advanced Coach & Mentor, an International Bestselling Author, Mental Health First Aider and owner of Crest Coaching & HR. Contact her at info@crestcoachingandhr.com

MENTORING

Even if you have a technical skill or vision that could form the basis of a successful business, the whole ’how to run a business’ side of things can seem quite daunting. Not surprisingly, therefore, numerous mentors off er their business experience to new entrepreneurs. By JAMES O’CONNELL

WHEN MENTORS TURN NASTY

At their best, mentors can be a phenomenally useful resource. Regrettably, I often get to see those who have gone over to the dark side and used their superior knowledge of business processes to grab a slice of a promising business before their clients outgrow them. Too often, I see 20-40% of a business given away in return for vague mentoring ‘promises’ with few tangible outcomes and invariably no measurable ones.

At worst, dark-side mentors demand a shareholders’ agreement containing technical or arcane legal points that slyly elevate them to equal control of somebody else’s business (but leaving the original founders to do all the work

and take all the risks). Clients are always shocked to fi nd themselves in an unwanted but unbreakable partnership with a mentor because of clever legal wording. Mentors are often in a unique posiToo often, I see 20%- tion of trust. Clients assume that their mentors act, if not in their best interests, 40% of a business given away in return at least fair and reasonably. Learning otherwise is a huge business lesson, but it comes at one hell of a price. for vague mentoring So, what do you do if you have a mentor demanding not only payment ‘promises’ with few but a stake in your business?: tangible outcomes • Buyer beware! It may be a fantastic off er, or it may be the start of your business imploding. • If you are already paying the mentor, then ask yourself what extra value will you get?

Clients are always shocked to fi nd themselves in an unwanted but unbreakable partnership with a mentor because of clever legal wording

• Put a cash value on the shares demanded. If you would reject a cash off er from an investor at that price, then the mentor’s off er had better be something truly amazing. • Make any shares conditional upon targets met. • Don’t automatically throw in a directorship with the shareholding; they are separate things. • Understand the total reward. Monthly payments and capital value of shares and dividends and director status and a say in your business? • Watch out for a ‘land-grab’. Under the guise of ‘I just want to protect my shares,’ the greedy mentor may demand to be treated as an equal ‘partner’ with the same right of veto as the owners. Again, if someone off ered to buy, say, 13% of your company, would you give them all the rights of infl uence, disclosure and veto over crucial aspects of your business as if they had 51%?

If (hopefully!) not, why would you give it to a mentor? • Make sure you can sack them if a director, and that you can buy back their shares (at fair value) if they are a shareholder.

Th ere are many great mentors, and this article is not trying to dissuade you from using them. But equally, you may encounter a mentor who sees you as an exploitable opportunity. So make sure any deal makes hard commercial sense.

James O’Connell, Partner E: joconnell@mayowynnebaxter.co.uk T: 01273 223209 Mayo Wynne Baxter www.mayowynnebaxter.co.uk

MENTORING

By ELLIOTT WISE, founder of Limitless Mentoring

BUSINESS MENTORS

Are they worth it and how to fi nd the right one for you?

Iwill come straight out and confi rm my bias on this topic. I run a business skills mentoring programme called Limitless Mentoring, so if you couldn’t guess, I am pretty “pro mentoring”. However, I will say that while mentoring is worth it, not all mentors are. And this is a crucial distinction to make, but let’s start with why I believe mentoring is worth it.

While ‘mentoring’ seems to be undergoing a resurgence in recent years, the principle has been in practice forever. Th e passing of knowledge gathered through experience has been an incredible driving force for human progression.

Take ancient Greek philosophy as the perfect example. Socrates mentored Plato, who mentored Aristotle, who mentored Alexander the Great. Each refi ned, developed and furthered the work of the predecessors to create some of the most timeless, insightful knowledge that has remained relevant for over 2,000 years.

Th is example works so well because it perfectly explains the premise of mentoring (as opposed to teaching). Mentors guide an individual’s growth instead of lecturing them from a theoretical point of view. Each of the philosophers mentioned above had lifelong relationships with their mentors. Th ey didn’t just attend a couple of talks at the local amphitheatre. Th ey spent their lives learning from and growing alongside their mentors.

To bring it back to a business mentoring perspective, unless you are willing to commit a sizeable length of time to a mentor, don’t bother. A mentor should be there to help and guide you through your business life or a particular time in your business journey. So, if you think you’ll get all the wisdom and answers you need in four weeks – think again.

With the right mentor, you will get much further ahead, faster than if you muddled through by yourself. Sure, there are plenty of examples of ‘self-made’ business owners – but if you asked any of them if they wished they could have done it in half the time – they’d all say yes. It’s a no-brainer.

For this reason, mentors should have been there and done it, and can now use their business and life experience to help you navigate your own journey. As such, mentoring should be a deeply personal relationship between the mentor and

the mentee. A mentor should be able to understand and relate with their mentees life on a holistic level. Th is is why the ‘group session’ model that many business ‘mentors’ apply frustrates me. How well can you truly understand your mentee’s needs, problems, hopes and aspirations to connect with them and help them grow if your only contact with them is in a group setting? Th at is teaching, not mentoring – which, don’t get me wrong, has its place. But, when you’re trying to fi nd the right mentor, it should be something you think long and hard about. If you want business coaching or business lessons, group sessions will likely do you just fi ne. But if you want someone to take the time to underUnless you are willing to commit stand you and your business completely, this can only be achieved at a one-onone level. If it’s not one-on-one, it’s not a sizeable length mentoring as far as I’m concerned. When you’re looking for a mentor, I of time to a mentor, would recommend fi nding one that has don’t bother the battle scars, and lived to tell the tale. I would always choose a mentor who had it all, lost it and got it all back rather than someone who has never experienced this sort of hardship. No business journey is going to be without diffi culty and having a mentor who has stood precisely where you are in that moment can be invaluable. A good mentor will even be able to give you an early warning signal and help you avoid making the same mistakes as them altogether. So, in summary, I do believe that business mentors are worth it. Th ey can help guide you through your business journey and avoid the pitfalls and mistakes that they made themselves. If you want to grow a business, it will become your life. So, when fi nding a mentor of your own, remember that real mentoring will be a deeply personal service that will guide you in life, not just business – because ultimately, both will go hand in hand. Elliot Wise is a self-made serial entrepreneur, business growth expert and mentor. He is the founder of Limitless Mentoring – an entrepreneurial skills programme for aspiring business leaders.

When you’re looking for a mentor, I would recommend finding one that has the battle scars, and lived to tell the tale

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