PGMAG Jan 2022 # Issue 32

GLOBAL MAGAZINE (PGMAG)

Lady Anita Duckworth-Bradshaw Powerhouse Global Brand Propagator

'Life is not a Sprint race, but a Marathon - everyone will have to run at their own pace."

– Anita Duckworth-Bradshaw

We have received another opportunity to be the voice of hope and possibilities. Powerhouse Global Magazine is set to make this year a good one for her global supporters.

We have teamed up with some of the best in various industries to share ideas and opportunities for our growing community. We have commenced a monthly columns on Technology, Leadership, Health and other relative subjects that could help our community to excel in this Year and beyond.

I am excited to introduce to us Mark D. Demers (Sr. Director of SAS) who will be educating us on matters around Technology, and we have Inderjit Singh who is an all round in Leadership matters. Amongst others who will be sharing ideas on other subjects - we are truly grateful for the contributions of these leaders.

This year is a special one because Powerhouse Global Summit/Awards event will be taking place in London, this May - lookout for more information.

Of course, our publication will be what it is today without the support of our global readersthank you.

To the amazing design team of #pgmag, you are the best and I count it a great privilege to serve with all of you.

Happy New Year to you and yours.

Lady Anita Duckworth-Bradshaw

POWERHOUSE GLOBAL MAGAZINE (PGMAG) EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH: VIN LEE (VL)

PGMAG: Vin Lee, so good to have you on today’s interview with Lady Anita.

VL: Thank you so much for your kind invitation. It is an honor to meet you Lady Anita and to be featured in your fine publication Powerhouse Global Magazine. I am a big admirer.

PGMAG: The last two years has been a ‘wake up’ call for the world due to the pandemic (covid-19) As one of the change makers in the global market, how would you describe the impact of the pandemic and some of the lessons learned from this global change?

VL: I think many people have realized how vulnerable we are as a society socially, financially, and emotionally. I have not ever publicly voiced my political views as they are not pertinent to our business. But it has become a pandemic unto its own that politics has seeped into every aspect of life across the planet dividing people in yet another way.

PGMAG: As a global influencer, what are the key factors of building a sustainable business?

VL: Grand Metropolitan has been around for several decades. Most of our almost 100 portfolio brands have been around for longer than a century and become leaders in their respective industries and communities. I can only take partial credit for continuing the relationships our many founders had established with consumers and within their businesses.

PGMAG: Our research shows us a man who has worked extremely hard to get to where he is today What is your prediction for the future in terms of business growth and relevance in the global market.

VL: I was very fortunate to have been surrounded by a great many people that supported me as a teen. They helped create situations and introductions that made success at an early age very easy. Our brand portfolio maintains leadership positions in their respective categories. We have the largest privately-held jewelry group and home furnishing groups in North America. Transitioning from a brick & mortar footprint of over 5,000 locations to a digital platform enables us to capitalize on our

I was very fortunate to have been surrounded by a great many people that supported me as a teen. They helped create situations and introductions that made success at an early age very easy.

talents and quality of service worldwide.

PGMAG: The wind of change is ever present in our pursuit of purpose. What are some of the steps you have taken to overcome adversity as an industrial leader?

VL: Much of our growth over the last three decades has been in the position of white knight to failing enterprises. This has enabled us to come into an operation with limited overhead and eliminated debt service and save jobs while preserving the brands integrity. Our overall enterprise revenue has topped $250 billion across almost two centuries. I refuse to borrow funds to close acquisitions. So that we start from day 1

cash flow positive. Most of our predecessors were able to achieve great scale and name brand recognition on a national level as a result of relaxed credit terms throughout the 1970s-1990s. Eventually the time came to pay the piper, this coupled with recession and a pandemic destroyed hundreds of companies that were institutions across America.

During these down periods we took great efforts to support our staff and vendors. This way our supply chain always

prioritized our operations and we never lost any of our talented management to competitors. In addition, because of our financial strengths, we never had to pivot our business model to fashionable risky trends. As an example, in the jewelry industry many retailers found themselves becoming "pawn brokers" for precious metals begging customers to sell them their old gold in a way to increase foot traffic and cash flow during down markets. It tarnished the image of many

fine jewelry establishments. More recently the pandemic has caused jewelers to add Lab-Grown Diamonds to their inventory mix as a way of shoring up low cost inventory. We refuse to participate in this product offering at this time.

PGMAG: What is your message for world leaders?

VL: To be honest I am not a sociologist or economist. There is so much I do not understand about the leadership of several countries. I was raised to be a competitor. No one taught me that the world was a team sport. You work hard and do your best to care for your family and friends.

I really believe that one of the biggest problems in our society today is people not keeping their eyes on their own plate. There is too much entitlement going on with individuals seeing on social media how other people life and feeling they deserve that too. What makes it worse is that it has begun to compound to where those wanting a better life have morphed into just wanting

I was raised to be a competitor. No one taught me that the world was a team sport. You work hard and do your best to care for your family and friends.

everyone to not have anything together.

PGMAG: Let’s talk about ‘Grand Metropolitan’- very inspiring I must say So, who is ‘Vin Lee’ what inspired him to build such a huge portfolio of business with over 60 luxury brands around the world?

VL: Thank you. That's very kind of you to say. But certainly I cannot take the credit for what Grand Metropolitan has grown to be. There are so many talented people that help to keep the lights on each and every day. As I had previously mentioned I had an early start that brought me into the perimeter of some of the world's most successful people in my 20s like billionaires A Alfred Taubman,

Sumner Redstone, H. Wayne Huizanga. This was during the same years that Bernard Arnault started his takeover of LVMH and François-Henri Pinault created Kering (PPR).

So it was very difficult not to become a voyeur of their efforts and successes.

Once you get a taste of that lifestyle, it becomes very difficult to settle for anything less. My parents had already provided me the background of fine art and introductions to horse back riding and F1 racing. My brother and I had very privileged childhoods in the manner of chauffeured coach vacations and private clubs. But the one thing more prominent than becoming a member is to be the one that owns the clubhouse.

PGMAG: What were the top three books that changed your life?

VL: I wish I could say I was more of a voracious reader. While I am constantly soaking up multiple screens and news sources, literature is not much a part of my current life. But

I promise there have been hundreds of occasions where I felt like I was on the wrong path in life. Especially when my personal life took such a toll from all of the travel and distraction.

I prefer business biographies and have a small collection on Howard Hughes.

1. The Fourth Estate

2. Cecil Rhodes

3. The Invisible Billionaire: Daniel Ludwig

PGMAG: What keeps you motivated when you feel like giving up on your dreams?

VL: I promise there have been

hundreds of occasions where I felt like I was on the wrong path in life. Especially when my personal life took such a toll from all of the travel and distraction. It was when I stopped fighting so hard to make my life a certain way that everything fell into place. Sometimes when you push and push towards something, taking a step back you realize the door you are trying to get through is actually a pull. I was finally able

to reach my goal in my late 40s. And then magically we doubled in size and several of the deals I wanted badly finally happened.

I don't want to say that making your dreams come true all of a sudden makes you happy. At least it didn't for me. What it did do was make me realize how unhappy I had been for so long. I did not have enough balance in my life.

PGMAG: Just out of curiosity; how did you become so successful at such a young age?

VL: At a young age I had a passion for animation and my high school art teacher facilitated an internship where I studied under a famed director for Hannah Barbera Studios. During my junior year in high school I created a 3 minute film treatment that my tutor took to

At a young age I had a passion for animation and my high school art teacher facilitated an internship where I studied under a famed director for Hannah Barbera Studios.

Lion's Den Studios in California. It eventually became a Saturday morning cartoon called Shamu & Friends.

It was suggested that the studio had a job waiting for me when I finished my animation degree in three years. During that time I was introduced to Hip Street Productions in Toronto that employed me as art director for the 1988 Calgary Winter Olympics doing graphics for tshirts, posters, and merchandise. I was 17 years old.

After the Olympics I started tinkering around with several designs and inventions. I was eventually awarded patents

for a mechanical billboard that I designed for Blockbuster Video Stores. This would ultimately grow into a $6 billion a year industry. During this period I was moonlighting as a consultant and scored a 3 year, $50 million contract with the City of Detroit Pension Fund to bailout their $80 million investment in Grand Traverse Resort. It was with the first payment of this deal that I bought my first fine jewelry store for $800,000. I was 22 years old.

PGMAG: What would you say to your younger self?

VL: If I knew then what I know now I would reassure myself that everything would work out fine. Marry the girl and buy stock in Apple, Facebook, and Tesla. Then dump it all into Bitcoin and cash out. You will save yourself thirty years of heart ache and ultimately a heart attack and end up where you are anyway!

PGMAG: Finally, what does legacy mean to you?

VL: I have to draw the comparison to our legacy

If I knew then what I know now I would reassure myself that everything would work out fine. Marry the girl and buy stock in Apple, Facebook, and Tesla.

brands. In particular HeiligMeyers Furniture subsidiary Glick Furniture.

One of the things that made Glick so successful, and grow quickly and move ahead and become the leading furniture company, was in 1913 there was a flood in Columbus. Thousands of people were left homeless. Their houses were flooded, the furniture was ruined. Many of those people were customers of our company who had purchased on credit. We ran an ad in the newspaper to make an announcement to all the good customers, to consider their bill paid in full. As soon as they got back on their feet, come in and pick out some more furniture, and we’d refinance the new purchase.

and it spread throughout the city, what the Glick Furniture Company did for its customers, that it just zoomed business tremendously. I wish to have a similar legacy someday. Remembered for the good we were able to do for our family, friends, and communities around the world.

PGMAG: Thank you for your time – much appreciated.

VL: I wish all the best wishes for you and your amazing publication PGMAG.

PGMAG: Please share your links with us.

VL: Here are my social links https://www.linkedin.com/in/ mrvinlee/ https://twitter.com/mrvinlee

That gesture was so notarized,

INTERVIEW WITH:

ANNIE GIBBINS

THE TOP BOOKS THAT INFLUENCED YOU.

As a woman who spends her life on the run, my downtime is everything to me. And the best way to decompress after a hectic week at the helm, is being nose deep in my favourite books. But, with a thirst for growth and expanding success, it's what I choose to read that makes all the difference. As an influencer myself, I know it’s all about what you know, what you know about and who you know. I choose to read from those who have converted their challenges into opportunities. As a Global Women’s Empowerment Coach, C-Suite leader, podcast host and #1 Best Selling Author, it is my passion to debunk mindset myths, and educate women that transformation and a 7-figure salary is doable, with the right set of formulas. And I have learnt from some of the best. Here are my top four reads, inspirational authors and life-changing books that showed me how success is at our fingertips, when it comes to backing ourselves in the boardroom.

MINDSET BY CAROL DWECK.

I just love this book. And what I love even more, is that we all have a choice when it comes to the way we think. Dweck explains why it's not just our abilities and talent that bring us success, but how we apply our ‘fixed or growth’ mindset.

She makes it clear why praising intelligence and ability doesn't foster self-esteem and lead to accomplishment but may jeopardise success, because as individuals we are not doing the work. That is exactly how I feel when it comes to coaching my top-tier clients. We know that CEOs are no strangers to knowing their worth. But for so many who are on the cusp of success, it’s the way they think that gets in the way. It sounds simple because it is. But for so many, working longer hours isn’t going to get the job done. Whether we are teaching our children or our clients, the tapestry behind every good decision is based on a set of mindset guidelines. Like Carol Dweck, learning is important, but

how we approach learning is everything. Adopting a positive growth mindset can literally change your life.

START WITH WHY BY SIMON SINEK

Behind every great idea, purpose, passion, campaign and global movement, there is a person or people who are fiercely motivated with ‘their why’. Simon Sinek is an author and viral TED speaker, who’s seamless philosophies are being adopted worldwide. He asks, ‘Why are some people and organisations more innovative, more influential, and more profitable than others? Why do some command greater loyalty from customers and employees alike? Even among the successful, why are so few able to repeat their success over and over? And it all starts with WHY’. So many organisations can brilliantly explain how they make money, who drives the revenue, where their markets are placed and what leading products are boosting their bottom line. But if we really asked an entry level administrator or a Board Director the ‘why’

behind the concept, they will likely refer to the company's values, however that’s not the conceptional purpose. Sinek isn’t referring to this. Behind some of the greatest leaders, such as Martin Luther King and Steve Jobs, they captivated a global audience because they identified their ‘why’. They deconstructed their ‘why’ and reconstructed a dream.

Sometimes, the simplest of questions has the greatest impact. Every day I know my ‘why’, and every day I learn the ‘why’s’ of my clients. Therefore, this is why I love what I do.

UPSTREAM: HOW TO SOLVE PROBLEMS BEFORE THEY HAPPEN BY DAN HEATH

We all need a reminder that sometimes we are spending our lives, both personally and professionally reacting and not living. This book is a gamechanger for me. New York Times best-selling author Dan Heath asks what happens when we take our thinking upstream and try to prevent problems before they happen. He so perfectly says, ‘we all tend to work around problems. We

We all need a reminder that sometimes we are spending our lives, both personally and professionally reacting and not living. This book is a game-changer for me.

are resourceful. We improvise. We’re so accustomed to managing emergencies as they strike that we often don’t stop to think about how we could prevent crises before they happen. Why 'solve' crimes when we could stop them being committed?’ Yes! We have all written a strategic plan, five-year forecast and board paper to suggest ways in which we can tackle our top ten drawbacks. Not only does this approach gear towards a negative mindset, it is also draining a budget that was not calculated to enable problems. When I am on a one-on-one coaching call or speaking at a symposium on how to enhance the economic climate for international organisations, I don’t list everything that is going against their business. I

am sharing how prevention is better than intervention. How foresight is insight. This is a must read, because with Dan Heath on my bookshelf, life just got so much more successfully, simpler.

THINK AND GROW RICH BY NAPOLEON HILL

My final top 4 book pick is this incredible read. This is an oldy but goody, after being written by one of the greatest business legends of all time. When Napoleon Hill started putting ink to paper (literally),

he structured this book as a professional development and how-to-guide on how to make your business a success. Now, ‘Think and Grow Rich’ is considered one of the greatest pieces of economic literature there is. I think every CEO needs a book close-by that heralds the importance of championing wealth. Afterall, there is nothing wrong with backing your back-pocket. Hill explains how achievement occurs, and a formula for success is available for the average person. This is how I model my programs. I want every woman, from a budding

We have all written a strategic plan, five-year forecast and board paper to suggest ways in which we can tackle our top ten drawbacks. Not only does this approach gear towards a negative mindset, it is also draining a budget that was not calculated to enable problems.

We are living and working in a world that is moving faster than ever before. Being busy is a state of mind that we have come to call ‘normal’ and emerging from a pandemic will one day, be our ‘new normal’.

start-up to a global leader to understand that fortune, be that accolades or dollar bills, is available. If Hill went on to advise President Franklin D. Roosevelt from 1933 to 1936, then perhaps you can be the person who guides your government to greater things.

RELEVANCY IN THE MARKETPLACE?

We are living and working in a world that is moving faster than ever before. Being busy is a state of mind that we have come to call ‘normal’ and emerging from a pandemic will one day, be our ‘new normal’. That’s why we need

to ensure our slice in the digital marketplace is bigger and bolder than ever. There is something I do that a lot of CEOs have been taught to avoid. I inject heart and humanness into every one of my team members. Many times, I have led companies over the line, with thousands of employees in tow, because I am infectious. And I have no scruples admitting that I am a

liked leader. I know we all have company surveys and HR polls that substantiate that we are doing a great job, but how I treat my clients, whether that is a struggling mother-of-five, or a Senior Vice President, is actually no different. Why? Because I want to exude trust. And trust is contagious. When we feel safe in an organisational framework, we increase the space to create,

innovate and sometimes, fail. I am a big believer that failure is what comes before success. In fact, if you aren’t innovating with a few failed attempts, then I am not sure you’ll ever be listed in the Fortune 500. So, trust brings joy, happiness, satisfaction and commitment. Isn’t that what we are ultimately striving for. Retention over attrition, and growth over decline? Your competitive advantage must bring out these feelings. Your suite of skills and attributes will cement contentment. I know for some, this may all sound a bit ‘woo, woo’. But, there is not one person on this planet who COVID-19 hasn’t impacted. With so much decline, loss and impact, despite some businesses thriving, many have folded. If we apply our emotional intelligence and equip ourselves with a downstream mindset, then the global economy stands a chance of mass and magnificent revival.

WHAT WOULD YOU TELL YOUR YOUNGER SELF?

birth to twin boys and 26 months later, another set of twins arrived. Completing my family with a beautiful daughter, I was no stranger to long nights. Even in the thick of sleep deprivation, I knew I wanted (and could have more). Climbing my particular career ladder hasn’t been easy. Afterall, anything that comes too easy is rarely worth sacrificing for. So, I fought hard. I fought for my CEO roles, and education. I strived to be a leader that never lacked integrity. But what I wish I had more of were clearly defined boundaries, with clear intention. Boundaries protect everyone. We often struggle placing boundaries in our lives, because we feel we are ‘putting someone out’ by asking for our needs to be met, our values to be understood and our feelings heard. In fact, it’s the opposite. Boundaries offer clarity, worth and respect. You cannot misinterpret a boundary but you can easily misinterpret a shady line in the sand. Learn yours early and stand by them with pride. If I could have a conversation with my younger self, and in fact, to every

young person in the world, it's to dream big and act bigger. Women have often muted and shrunk themselves because society said so. Fortunately, the gender tide is turning but we have a long way to go. As the G100 Australian Country Chair - Equity & Equality, I am an advocate for change. I want to ensure that everyone understands that a person’s opinion is an impermanent statement that has nothing to do with you. It's just that, an opinion. Don’t be shamed into suppression or give-up on that next big promotion, because you are brilliant. Harness your passion, back yourself to success and be 100% committed, even when no-one is watching.

Aged just 23 years old, I gave

Business & Leadership Column

7 STEPS TO LETTING GO OF PEOPLE AND THINGS THAT NO LONGER SERVE YOUR PURPOSE

- ANITA DUCKWORTH-BRADSHAW

Often times we hold unto things and people for longer than necessary. Just because we have become familiar with such people or things, we become afraid to let go of them even if they are limiting our potential. This behaviour in turn prevents us from moving to a higher level of personal development and successes. Most times it requires a mental shift for the change we are looking for to take place. These things and people that we hold unto instead of letting go, becomes toxic to our system.

I have discovered that the longer we hold unto such belief, the more desperate we become to save such relationship with things or people. We build a wall of defence filled with excuses telling ourselves reasons why we should hold unto them for much longer. We keeping telling ourselves that everything is ‘ok’ but on the

It’s very easy to ask someone to let go of people and things that no longer serve them. it is much harder to convince such individual to totally and completely rid themselves of such ‘baggage’. I call them baggage because anything holding you back from moving forward is a weight.

contrary, it is ‘not ok’. This behaviour is often exhibited by women. In my little journey of life, I have experienced the ups and downs of life storms and challenges. In all of this, I have built a mindset of a ‘warrior’. Life has taught me to navigate my ship (thinking and action) towards what ‘serves me’ the most.

I have experienced poverty, hate, bulling, rejection, relationship breakdown, death of loved ones, debt, homelessness, fear, lack, shame, discouragement and betrayal. In all of this, I refused to give up on my dream to

do, have and become more. Some people reading this book might say: ‘Lady Anita you won’t understand’. Yes! I might not understand because our life experiences are different, and the way we each handle situations are totally and completely different. In saying that, you have to decide what works best for you at each point in time, and discover the best possible ways of dealing with such situations.

It’s very easy to ask someone to let go of people and things that no longer serve them. it is much harder to convince such individual to totally and

completely rid themselves of such ‘baggage’. I call them baggage because anything holding you back from moving forward is a weight. They come in various forms and sizes. They come in form of people (love relationship, friendship, colleague, business partners, family members etc). they also come in sizes (familiar territory, cars, houses, shoes, clothes, accessories, bank account, luxury, a place of comfort etc). you may have to identify the area of your life that is holding you back.

“Let go of the past, but keep the lessons it taught you.”-

Chiara Gizzi

Here are some quick questions to guide you towards letting go:

1. By holding unto this person, of what benefit is this act to me?

2. What is this person doing to my personal growth?

3. What is this person doing to my health?

4. What is this person doing to my finances?

5. What is this person doing to my Spiritual growth?

6. What is this person making me become?

7. By staying in this relationship, what would become of me in the next 1 year, 3 years and 5 years?

The beauty of letting go of someone or things is the opportunity it creates for ‘the new’ to come into your life. Let’s look at the scenario of a closet filled with clothes, the more we take out those extras we no longer need, we create room for better styled and more trendy fashion into our closet. There is pain in selecting those clothes, shoes, bags and accessories we no longer need, but there comes a sense of freedom once we

The beauty of letting go of someone or things is the opportunity it creates for ‘the new’ to come into your life.

take those clothes out to the charity shop or give them away to those who need them. we discover space and clarity in the process. It even brings healing to our mind. In other words, the more we hold unto people and things that no longer serve us, the more we wrap ourselves in unpleasantness. Just like we tell ourselves that we still need those clothes, which when we tell ourselves the truth, it becomes obvious that we don’t really need them. that is the same way we lie to ourselves in order to hang unto things and people because we are afraid to see them go.

Now is the time for you to do the needful. Search your Soul and tell yourself the truth. That person who causes you more pain, that person who puts you down in front of others, that person who sees you as a burden rather than a

blessing, that friend who only contact you when they need your help, those associates who only come to you when they want to pick your brain, that person who tolerate your presence instead of celebrating your brilliance, that person who rather give others the opportunity rather than pass them to you, that person who leaves you high and dry each time they come around you, that person who discourages you from pursuing your dream, that person who would rather take someone else to the party instead of you etc….the list is endless.

These people are all ‘destiny destroyers’. You need to detox yourself from such relationship. What do you do if you find yourself in such situations? If you find yourself in the above-mentioned situations, you just have to go on the mission of ‘DE-CLUTTERING’. De-clutter your circle of influence and association. Yes! The same way we de-clutter our closet could be used to ride ourselves of people that no longer serve our purpose. The only difference is that you have to place them in the order of

importance.

Here are a few ways to declutter:

1. Limited association - unlike our clothes which we can give away without the hope of getting them back (we don’t really need them back), people are different. When we are able to place them in the order of importance, it becomes a lot easier to manage their effects on our emotion. You have to decide where to place each person in your board of importance. Once upon a time I was that girl who tried so hard to keep relationship with people who devalued her. I was once that girl who would travel over four hours to be with people who only tolerated my presence. I was once that girl who thought it was ok to be looked down upon by those who at that time.

thought to be better than me. I was once that girl who would make room to accommodate people who only need her for their own benefit.

Now! I am that woman who thrust people out of her field

thought to be better than me. I was once that girl who would make room to accommodate people who only need her for their own benefit.

of purpose, because they no longer serve her being, and without apologising for wanting to live her full potential. You too can!

2. Disassociation – yes! It’s a tough decision but it is the necessary one to make. When we remain in a toxic relationship, we hamper our personal and professional growth. When we stay with people who are constantly putting us down, we lose our self-confidence which in turn limit our productivity. When we keep holding unto people who walked away from our lives, we shut the doors for better people to come through. When we allow the pain of our past to determine our behaviour towards others, we hide our brilliance because of the fear of rejection. When we keep

relationship with people who would rather be elsewhere than be with us, we hurt our Soul and deny our existence. We give our power away completely.

3. Repackage yourself –several times in my life I have had to repackage myself (my gifts, talents, ability and my strength). Several times life had thrown stones at me, and I had to find the best possible ways to bounce back. The process of repackaging is a ‘self-discovery’ time.

4. Reposition – a few years ago I spoke at an event in Houston, Texas on this topic (Reposition for change). I later published an anthology book with a few incredible women from across the globe on this same title (Reposition for change).

So, in order to see clearly and differently, you must reposition yourself. Often times when we are in relationships, we become blinded by our emotional attachment to such people. We become less motivated to keep being brilliant. We become complacent to our duty of love. Nothing anyone says about

our toxic relationship matters, because we live in self-denial. Unless we break the siege that holds us in such relationship, we would end up broken on the long run. “One of the most courageous decision you would ever make, is to finally let go of what is hurting your heart and Soul.”- Brigitte

Nicole

5. Invest in your personal and professional development – this is a never- ending journey if you must become relevant in the world today and tomorrow. As a qualified life coach, my brilliance was discovered when I went on the personal development journey. The Coaching Academy UK was the place of my brilliance discovery. It was a personal choice to uncover what lies beneath my physical eyes, or what people say about me. I know there was more to life than what I already knew as at that time. This could be an uphill struggle if you do not have the right support. Many would discourage you not to invest in continual personal development due to the cost involved. “What doesn’t cost you much will matter less to you on the long run”. – Anita Duckworth-Bradshaw

Share your success story with others – the world is waiting for you to show up. Don’t hide your brilliance. Find new people who are interested in hearing your story.

6. Love yourself – yes! So many people out there are waiting for validation from others before they can be happy. “You cannot give what you don’t have.”- Anita Duckworth-Bradshaw If you are struggling to love yourself due to broken relationship, you must seek for extra support through a counsellor or coach. I understand that some people have deep psychological wounds which has completely messed up their will to love and be loved. The truth remains that, “Yesterday is a cancelled cheque.”- Anita DuckworthBradshaw

A wise person said: “You cannot build today with yesterday’s broken pieces. By filling up your space with guilt and regrets, you deny yourself

the opportunity to give and to receive love. At the age of 19, my heart was first broken by my then fiancée who ended up marrying my proposed maid of honour. I shall tell this story at another opportunity. This event took place over 20 years ago, and I have grown into an inspiration for others because I never gave up on my definite resolute to be ‘brilliant’. I love without reservation because love is what makes all the difference in life. I have become a ‘global voice’ for so many others because I chose to love myself despite my setbacks. You too can start right now to heal the pain of the past WATCHOUT for my other book ‘HEALING FROM WITHIN’ coming out soon.

7. Share your success story with others – the world is waiting for you to show up. Don’t hide your brilliance. Find new people who are interested in hearing your story. As you share your experiences with others, you gain more inner strength, and you become an inspiration for others. That is the beautiful thing of going through life challenges. By letting go of people and things,

your wings become un clipped as you work daily towards your personal and professional freedom. Remember this;

YOUR VOICE IS YOUR POWER. Go out there and make things happen for you and those that matters in your life. Don’t forget to celebrate your wins no matter how small. You are more than you think you are. Break free from the hold of your past, and walk into the beauty of your brilliance. I hope this book has been valuable to you.

Please share it with others and send your feed back to me via womanthepowerhouse@gmail. com

Global Conferences). Her eye for beauty, her talent for design, and her imaginative and creative skills have led her to build a global social media platform that helps further her social work. Culminating in an elegant and most sophisticated publication that serves humanity and shares their stories, she’s managed to create a world where to feature women and men alike. Her brilliant use of social media allows her to vastly influences the masses. With a distribution reach of 73 countries from around the world Lady Anita helps feed minds and touch souls.

– especially women.

Lady Anita Chioma DuckworthBradshaw is an Award winning Global Impact Leader, Best Selling Author, Change Agent, Life Coach, and the Creator of the Powerhouse Global Brand (Powerhouse Global Magazine, Powerhouse Global Awards and Powerhouse

Providing basic education for children, designing skills acquisition programs for women, and fostering social skills for youngsters, feeding over 1000 children and supporting more than 1000 women through her work within her foundation since the inception in 2016. Lady Anita is a true embodiment of a servant leader. She has created a platform for men and women alike from all spheres of life to showcase their brilliance. A place leaders have come to love. Through online presence she gives hope to many people

Her own personal struggles gave birth to her purpose. Having grown up in Africa, she understands first hand, the importance of supporting others and helping provide ways to have life’s basic needs met. She found a solution and therefore, created her foundation Powerful Global Women Foundation (PGWF) in 2016 in Nigeria and subsequently, her most radiant Powerhouse Global Magazine publications. She lives by her motto of: Transforming Lives –one person at a time. Utilizing her voice, she addresses pressing issues and topics related to her work. Topics such as: Global Visibility; Your Voice. Your Power; Reposition for change;The Leading Leader; Risk to Reward; Healing From Within; The Road To Discovery and others.

Websites: http://www. powerhouseglobalmag.com http://www. powerhouseglobalstars.com http://www. powerhouseglobalwomen.com

LADY ANITA DUCKWORTH-BRADSHAW ABOUT

NEW YEAR, A NEW & A BETTER ME ...magnificent dreams; fresh starts

… Cheers to 2022 and fond farewell to 2021…. for last year’s words belong to the last year’s language….and this year’s words await another choice…. I believe that the dreams of the future are better than the history of the past… says Inderjit, a prolific writer and a journalist, a career diplomat, a bureaucrat; and more importantly, a crusader of realigning & redesigning work-life-love-play equation for all to live more wholesome and fulfilled lives….

— BY INDERJIT SINGH

OEvery moment is a fresh beginning. Life is not about expecting, hoping and wishing. It is about doing, being and becoming.

n New Year’s Day, when the singing, fireworks and champagne toasts are over, many of us become more serious about life. We take stock and plan new courses of action to better our lives. This is best seen in one of the most popular customs and the key to the meaning of New Yearmaking resolutions.

“There are two mistakes one can make along the road to truth; not going all the way, and not starting.” said Lord Buddha,

known as being a "teacher of the gods and humans", superior to both the gods and humans in the sense of having attained nirvana or spiritual enlightenment.

Everyone should be born again on the first day of January to start with a fresh page. I personally have determined to go all the way on the course of my resolutions and have already started in that direction, in all earnestness. I have opened a new book. Its pages are blank. The book is called “An Occasion to Evolve” and its first chapter is selfassessment leading to selfawareness. I am going to put words on them myself for last year’s words belong to the last year’s language and this year’s words await another choice. I strongly believe that the dreams of the future are better than the history of the past. You can’t go back and change the beginning but you can start where you are and change the ending. Remember when you have no interest in looking back, you’re on the right way.

I have also made my choice to embark on the path of being

New Year's Day is the most active-minded holiday, because it is the one where people evaluate their lives and plan and resolve to take action.

a better me in more than one way, in fact in many ways. Yes, it is all about choices that we make, our individual choice, a new chapter, a new verse or just the same old story? Ultimately since we write it ourselves, so the theme ought to be ours.

What is your choice? What about your indulgence and engagement in writing with me

as a co-author, putting together the thoughts and demystifying the script that lies in my and your head to unfold? For me, the secret of getting ahead is getting started. The secret to getting started is breaking your complex overwhelming thoughts into small manageable and actionable tasks and then starting on the first task. Never underestimate the power you have to take your life in a new direction. Every moment is a fresh beginning. Life is not about expecting, hoping and wishing. It is about doing, being and becoming.

Almost every country in the world observes a significant national holiday in honor of an important patriotic event such as, the winning of the

country's independence, commemorating the day of liberation, a revolution or a new constitution. For USA the Independence Day July 4th; for France the French Revolution Day July the14th; for Germany the German Unity Day October the 3rd; for Malaysia Hari Merdeka on August 31, Malaysia's independence from British colonial rule and the formation of Malaysia itself, and so on.

New Year’s however, has a deeper significance. What is it?

365 NEW DAYS; INFINITE NEW OPPORTUNITIES

The meaning of most holidays is clear: Valentine’s Day celebrates romance; Thanksgiving, blessings & productivity; Christmas, good will towards all; but New Year, is a different ball game! Each new year offers an exciting opportunity for a fresh start and new beginnings, which is probably why we all look forward to New Year’s Eve so much. No matter what your goals are for the coming year are or how many new year’s

resolutions you plan on making for 2022, ringing in the start of a new year is a moment to acknowledge. One, to celebrate all of your experiences from 2021; and two, to welcome the new year ahead.

The meaning of New Year, the world’s most celebrated holiday is associated with the celebration of Self - selfawareness, self-assessment, and self-actualization; new aspirations and new orientations. On this day, many people take stock of the last year’s achievements and failures and look forward to

the promise of a new year, of a new beginning. This celebration and reflection are not merely the result of an accident, the turning of the leaf of the calendar. On an average each American makes 1.8 New Year's resolutions. When the rest of the world is taken into account, the number of people making resolutions skyrockets to hundreds of millions. From New York to UK, Paris to Sydney, New Zealand to Africa, interesting similarities arise as shown in two very common resolutions: people wanting to be more attractive by losing weight, and to be healthier by

I choose one word to inspire me this year, and let that be “Kindness”.

exercising more and smoking less. They want to do things better, become better people. New Year's Day is the most active-minded holiday because it is the one where people evaluate their lives and plan and resolve to take action. One dramatic example of taking resolutions seriously is the old European custom of: "What one does on this day one will do for the rest of the year." What unites this custom and the more common type of resolutions is that on the first day of the year people take their values more seriously. If people were to apply the value-achievement meaning of New Year's Day explicitly and consistently 365 days each year, they would be more happier and content. Values are not only physical and external. They also can be psychological. Many New Year's resolutions reveal that people want to better themselves

by improving psychologically. Every resolution you make on this day implies that you are in control of yourself, that you are not a victim fated by circumstances, controlled by stars, owned by luck, but that you are an individual who can make choices to change your life.

But what is the purpose of making such goals and resolutions? Why bother? Making New Year's resolutions and doing so even after failing last year's expectations, reinforces that people want

to be happy. On New Year's Day many people accept, often more implicitly than explicitly, that happiness comes from the achievement of values. Afterall, it is happiness that is the motivation and purpose of one's life. It is New Year's, more than any other day, that makes the attainment of happiness more real and possible. This is the meaning of New Year's Day and explains why it is so psychologically important and significant to people throughout the world.

PROMISE YOURSELF; RENEW YOUR VALUES IN NEW YEAR

I wish to share the following thoughts for you to perhaps, adopt & follow as your New Year’s resolutions. For me these words have served as a reminder every day of my life; that my happiness and my optimism does not depend on the external circumstances but my own internal decisions. Promise yourself, to be so strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind. Promise yourself, to talk health, happiness, and prosperity to every person you meet. Promise yourself, to make all your friends feel like that there is something in them. Promise yourself, to look at the sunny side of everything and make your optimism come true. Promise yourself, to think only of the best, to work only for the best, and to expect only the best. Promise yourself, to be just as enthusiastic about the success of others as you are about your own. Promise yourself to forget the mistakes of the past and press on to the greater achievements of the

future. Promise yourself, to wear a cheerful countenance at all times and give every living creature you meet a smile. Promise yourself, to give so much time to the improvement of yourself that you have no time to criticize others. Promise yourself, to be too large for worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear, and to0

happy to permit the presence of trouble. Promise yourself, to think well of yourself and this fact to the world not in loud words but great deeds. Promise yourself, to live in faith that the world is on your side, so long as you are true to the best that is in you.

MY TAKE

Embrace self-love and selfacceptance. Stop negative selftalk & silence your inner critic. Start a daily journal or blog to improve your mental health. Learn to be more optimistic & think more positively.

Resolve to complain less & appreciate life more. Practice daily gratitude. Start spending more time alone. Disconnect from social media to the extent possible. Stop procrastinating. Learn to say no and not feel bad.

This is the year! I will be stronger, braver, kinder, unstoppable. This year I will be a game changer. I shall stand strong, believe in myself, chase all my dreams.

Time is precious. I shall, if at all, waste it wisely.

I choose one word to inspire me this year, and let that be “Kindness”.

At the end of 2022, the only questions I will ask myself and you are:

I conviction is “Those who leave everything in God’s Hand, will eventually see God’s hand in everything”.Inderjit

Did we live enough?

Did we love enough?

Did we laugh enough?

Did we make a difference?

Our intentions and our resolutions notwithstanding; my conviction is “Those who leave everything in God’s Hand, will eventually see Gods hand in everything”.

Wishing you Merry Christmas & a very Happy New Year 2022.

God be with you!

KNOW THE AUTHOR

Inderjit has recently been honored with Doctor of Philosophy by a renowned Brazilian Institution of higher education for his contribution in International Diplomacy. He is an Aviation Consultant with the UN. He has served in

senior level diplomatic positions in several countries of Asia, South-East Asia, Middle-East, Africa and South America. He was the CEO of IGI Airport –the 16th busiest in the world. He is an MBA, followed by advanced management courses at “Henley-the Management College”, Oxford shire, UK and the University of California, Berkeley, USA. He can be reached at inderjit.singh@ aviationanalyst.net

WHY TRANSPARENCY IS IMPORTANT TO BUSINESS

CHRISTOPHER SALEM

TRANSPARENCY ESTABLISHES TRUST

Transparency builds trust, and makes employees feel that they’re working for a company with higher ethical standards. According to a 2014 American Psychological Association Survey, 25% of employees do not trust their employer. Half of them believe their employer is not upfront with them and open to the overall vision of the company.

When transparency is added to the corporate culture, employees will be more engaged and committed to the vision of the company. The reason is they fully understand the mission and feel vested to share ideas, display their creativity, and bring about innovation to achieve the

Transparency builds trust, and makes employees feel that they’re working for a company with higher ethical standards.

desired objective. People are always going to be first and best choice for operating within the solution before automation since when committed will add more continuous value to the process.

So how does a company being about the full value of transparency to the workplace? The answer is communication.

Please note not just any communication but direct and clear communication that comes from the highest level of honesty and integrity. It is

important that communication be a two way street both coming from top down and down up. Employees are most engaged and committed to the process when senior leadership continually updates and communicates company strategy, value, and the truth about their current situation.

Companies that adopt the concept of transparent leadership see a stronger bond of trust and commitment from their employees to strive for efforts not achievable the other way around.

TRANSPARENCY EXPANDS RELATIONSHIPS

You have probably heard that people do not leave the job itself but leave the managers associated with it. Solid relationships with

strong foundations are built from being transparent. A 2014 CareerBuilder survey showed that 37% of the 3,008 employees surveyed were likely to leave their jobs due to poor relationships and lack of confidence with their boss’s performance.

So how do we improve relationships in the workplace?

The best advice would be to have an open environment that encourages transparency and sharing of ideas without judgement. While this is not easy, there are training programs to improve workplace communications and teach people from all backgrounds to relate to one another without judgement. Keeping an open office is to keep the flow of communication steady to prevent bottlenecks or issues from arising. This means for senior management to engaged employees and relate to them as people. They should go out there and have meaningful conversations that build not only trust but a foundation of confidence for everyone to succeed as one. Once you establish this open line of

A 2014 CareerBuilder

survey showed that 37% of the 3,008 employees surveyed were likely to leave their jobs due to poor relationships and lack of confidence with their boss’s performance.

communication you will see a shift in the mood and even your company culture.

TRANSPARENCY INCREASES

PRODUCTIVITY

Most employees over the years when asked felt their employers were not straight forward with the company vision and not providing the right information to be truly successful in their jobs. This creates lack of trust and a huge drop off with level of commitment to apply their full potential toward the job.

Senior Management has to be fully transparent about their organization’s vision, mission, and values with

employees. Transparent leadership starts with the CEO or President. This critical information depicted above must be communicated clearly to gain trust and commitment from employees to be fully vested and for them to apply themselves as a team to achieve company goals. Companies have to put together training programs holding everyone accountable to have alignment with the values, vision, and mission of the company. Investing in your core people will be less expensive and a far better investment than constant onboarding of new people.

TRANSPARENCY STRENGTHENS INNOVATION

The difference between companies like Amazon and Apple to others is how together a company can solve problems beforehand and come up with new ideas to disrupt the marketplace in a good way. A transparent leader main goal should be to identify each of their employee’s strengths and leverage them together

to handle bigger and more complex problems. Your best solutions and innovations come from truly understanding what makes your people tick and leveraging their strengths. It is important for people to be out of their comfort zones but not dwelling on their weaknesses. Situations that allow them to leverage their strengths foster innovation and more creativity to succeed.

When employees feel micromanaged or not trusted by their manager, the result is less effort, less productivity, and most likely to leave the organization. On the other hand, employees who are empowered by their managers and feel trusted will be better performers, exert more effort, and always go above and beyond role expectations. They feel part of something big and often get tasks done on time and have greater confidence in the workplace to perform at their highest level.

So what else is important to communicate to them to strengthen innovation? It is important to let your employees in on company

problems they will either have a solution for you or help you work on one. In addition, you will get a solution a lot faster than if you, alone, spent all that time trying to come up with one just because you did not want to let others know there is a major problem.

Being transparent is not a weakness but actually strength at the core level. Sharing ideas and information will allow companies to get a new perspective, new opinions and better insight. Problems will be solved faster and more efficiently if you learn to be open and honest. Below is a list of suggestions to improve innovation and trust in your organization.

1. Invest in your people first and ongoing for maximum development

2. Make sure your current policies and procedures are truthful and establish trust

3. Give up full control and leverage strategically people’s strengths as a team. Empower coming from trust and manage together as a team.

4. Share information upfront and always be honest with every situation no matter how bad it may be. Be

proactive and not reactive.

These reasons provided will not only benefit you personally but everyone in your organization. Being transparent does not cost much to implement within your organizations. You will see major improvements in your business when you are open, honest, and communicate effectively with your team. A team effort always prevails in the long run. Establish an open environment by keeping your people in the loop and work together as one to come up with solutions rather than manage the problem. Your business is ready to reach the next level when transparency is part of the process every step of the way.

To your health & prosperity, Christopher Salem chris@christophersalem.com www.christophersalem.com www.efamovement.org

Chris is an accomplished business process strategist, world-class speaker, awardwinning author®, certified mindset expert, radio show host & media personality, and wellness advocate partnering with entrepreneurs, corporations, & small businesses with overcoming their limiting beliefs so they can adopt the process to operate within the solution and not manage the problem for sustainable success. It gets to the root cause of business challenges and employs the principles of becoming transparent leaders. This addresses solutions to enhancing corporate culture, improving workplace communications, increasing employee engagement, increasing sales & production, and streamlining processes for maximum performance.

Chris has worked with

organizations such as JP Morgan – Chase, Ralph Lauren, Microchip Technologies, Anthem, US Consensus Bureau, Hubbell Corporation, and NYPD Forensics Department including universities such as University of Hartford, Bay Path University, Worcester State University, and spoke on overcoming limited beliefs for peak performance at Harvard University’s Faculty Club.

Chris is the originator of the term Prosperneur™—an individual whose health and wealth are in alignment in a way that leads to true prosperity. His book Master Your Inner Critic / Resolve the Root Cause – Create Prosperity addresses this and went international best seller in 2016. He also coauthored the recent edition to “Mastering the Art of Success” with Jack Canfield. His weekly radio show Sustainable Success is part of the Voice America

Influencers Channel.

Chris Salem is the CEO and CoFounder of Empowered Fathers in Action, a 501c3 organization dedicated to strengthening the father - son bonding process through a sustainable solution process to build future leaders in the home, communities, and business from a place of higher self confidence & esteem. This process resolves the root cause to limited beliefs for both for parents and their children as not to repeat the cycle over again that leads to dysfunction, miscommunication, and problems within the family, community and businesses.

For more information, please visit www.efamovement.org, and www.christophersalem.com

CHRIS SALEM

IT’S ALL ABOUT THE PEOPLE JOY ABDULLAH

T“Brains, like hearts, go where they are appreciated”

—Robert McNamara former US Secretary of Defence

The regular world of business, as one had known it, is no longer in play.

he days of one-way brand communication or a cold transactional approach or simply using the latest in technology, to bring efficiency and cost-saving, are no longer able to create sustainable profitability.

There’s a new paradigm in doing business now.

Given the numerous crises’ trust and value have emerged to be of key importance for any and every business. The technological advancements and adoption have brought the global community closer, with regards to sharing of information. Resulting in the word-of-mouth reference being a key driver of trust.

Change, trust, engagement, value and sustainability are now key management jargon bandied about in every organization as they grapple with this new paradigm of doing business.

Today any business clearly needs to show tangible social benefits.

Benefits that impact positively on the employees and customers. On people and society.

The business world is slowly realizing that the strategic advantage is, actually, in their people and in their purpose.

PEOPLE ARE WHAT MAKES A BUSINESS

People make organizations. Without people organizations are just empty shells. Employees and their leadership and its behaviour create culture. That culture is expressed as the brand experience which then forms the perception of the organizations’ identity and ability and ultimately is

reflected on their stock price. Employees are the most important stakeholders for any brand.

Strangely enough organizations fail to acknowledge this importance. It’s resulted in creating some major gaps in the overall brand experience. As an example, view the brand experience that occurs from an employer brand perspective in the recruitment stage to a potential employee; compare that with the ongoing employee experience felt by current employees and hold these two sets of experiences up against what’s being delivered to a customer.

ONE WOULD NOTICE THE GAPS CLEARLY.

This occurs as each of the functions are operating in a silo. Often with no overall connectivity to the organizational purpose or with the operating strategy. Each function runs its own activities, which is measured and reported, based on the all-famous numerical KPIs. Yet we wonder why we aren’t

having higher engagement and not achieving the forecasted revenue numbers.

VALUE PEOPLE

In this new paradigm, for businesses stability occurs only by focusing on employees. By valuing them through exploring and using their ideas, strengths and their advocacy. It not only strengthens the purpose it creates empowerment.

WHICH LEADS TO INCREASED ENGAGEMENT.

With increased engagement comes brand advocacy that creates trust and leads to sales and financial sustainability.

WHERE DO WE START?

Change starts from within. Not from outside.

Businesses need to re-learn how to touch the hearts. Create emotional connections with its people—employees and customers. That becomes possible when the experience delivered is a positive and

relevant one.

It needs attention, planning, and leadership support for effective implementation. Every organization has positional leaders and then there are the actual influencers who work cross-functionally. These influencers need to be identified, assessed for selfmotivation and alignment with the business purpose, recognized by leadership and then empowered as change champions. These are the employees who work from within in impacting on changing behaviour.

This is the most difficult part as work habits are part of our individual cultural make-up that we carry with us when we walk into a job.

Affecting change requires having consistent interaction where values and the strategic objective are held up all the times through one-one-one conversations to ensure an employee has clarity on goals and expectations.

a safe environment that enables creativity, ideation, accountability, responsibility and most importantly brand advocacy to flourish.

The more a business focusses on using its employees as its advocates. The more it will attract and obtain engagement from its customers. Creating a experiential cycle that brings sustainability to the business.

ABOUT JOY ABDULLAH

Joy Abdullah is a strategic marketing leader who helps CEOs make marketing decisions, which are based on having a unique brand experience that creates sustainable profits.

He creates strategic marketing solutions which emerge through having clarity of business purpose and strength.

His mission is to humanize the workplace by guiding employees in creating a unique brand experience, for themselves and customers, and getting business heads to engage, appreciate and recognize the value employees bring in creating this strategic advantage that results in sustainable profitability yearon-year.

He has Asia-centric international experience in business strategy, marketing, and business operations that deliver measurable and profitable growth. His expertise is in helping businesses harness the value of their employees in creating a unique brand experience that delivers sustainable profits.

He guides, consults, and speaks on the importance of brand experience in business strategy from an Asian market perspective.

The conversations create

3 POSTURES OF LEADERSHIP FROM AN ADOPTIVE DAD - EUGENE PETROV

Do you want to learn leadership lessons? Be a parent.

Do you want to learn those lessons in overdrive? Be a foster and adoptive parent. Do you want to learn those lessons at warp speed? Foster and then adopt 5½-year-old triplets.

No problem, right? I’m joking of course.

However, my personal leadership journey accelerated exponentially when my wife and I accepted triplets (two boys and a girl) into our home.

Let me be clear: fostering and adopting kids is a very worthy and gratifying mission. We need all the help we can get to tackle the problem. It

is also an intensely laborious mission. These kids have needs on multiple levels – physical, emotional, psychological, and intellectual. The day to day work of teaching them valuable and fundamental life lessonslike kindness respect, and self-control- takes its toll on the body, mind, soul, and spirit. I have experienced exhaustion like no other. Yet, it is in this parenting journey that I have also experienced the most joyful moments like my now 8-year-old daughter standing up to bullies on the playground. My buddy Bruce Van Horn simply says that “parenting is leadership.”

I agree with him. Over the last few years, I have been able to pluck leadership lessons out of my time as an adoptive dad. I

call them the three postures of leadership. I believe they are applicable to leaders in any area -whether you are a homemaker, a small business owner, a government worker, or at the top of the corporate environment. Leadership is vitally important everywhere. I hope you benefit immensely from these three postures. But remember, leadership is about more than reading. It is about doing. Leadership is an action. It is crucial, first of all, to properly define posture.

The precision of language has always been important to me. When I speak of posture I don’t refer to someone who stands up straight and never slouches over their computer. I don’t refer to nations putting on a show of force for other nations.

I certainly don’t mean power poses. A quick Google search reveals the idea of an attitude or mindset. That’s not a bad start. But I believe it is so much more. Robin Sharma- in his inspirational videos- refers to mindset, soulset, and heartset. The combination of these three gets much closer to the idea I want to convey behind posture. The deep fundamental beliefs and values a person holds greatly influences the way he or she approaches and engages with people. This is posture. And leadership requires the right posture.

THE 1ST POSTURE OF LEADERSHIP IS HUMILITY.

The importance of humility in a leader’s life cannot be overstated. A quote by Rick Warren comes to mind here: “True humility is not thinking less of yourself; it is thinking of yourself less.”

Self-worth is incredibly important but the counterweight is humility. This humility helps the leader to adopt the learner’s mindset.

The importance of humility in a leader’s life cannot be overstated. A quote by Rick Warren comes to mind here:

“True humility is not thinking less of yourself; it is thinking of yourself less.”

Now you don’t have to be a student in a formal educational setting. Rather think of all the learning that takes place outside the classroom. Books, audiobooks, podcasts, articles, journals, and trade magazines are a few of the informal ways to educate yourself at home, in the car, at the gym, and while running errands. I often run into a statistic about CEOs reading 60 books a year. I don’t want you to get stuck on that number. If it takes you two months to read a book, so be it. Small steps taken consistently will lead you into a greater posture of humility.

Practice saying this with me: “I don’t know everything and I certainly don’t know everything

about leadership.”

Being an everyday student and having a humble attitude lead to personal growth. This results in being a better dad and leader. Sometimes the lessons come from unexpected places. My kids are a constant source of learning. They are a mirror of the things I most need to work on. The things that frustrate me the most about my kids are the things that I need to work on as well. I am talking to myself as much as to my kids when I repeat our favorite mantra around the house: “kindness, respect, and self-control.”

Even if your team members are not mirrors, you can still find ways to learn from them. You have authority and responsibility for your team but you cannot succeed alone. I exhort you to draw upon the unique perspectives and experiences of your team members. They have insights that are valuable and powerful and stem from a background that you may never fully understand. A posture of humility is one of understanding that there is more than one way to look

at things and more than one way to solve complex problems. As a bonus: the very act of actively seeking out those various points of view will endear you to your team. Everyone appreciates being acknowledged for their contribution and being validated as an essential part of the team. That is the power of humility for the leader.

THE 2ND POSTURE OF LEADERSHIP IS EMPATHY

Empathy is something we hear a lot about these days. It is widely talked about by psychologists, leaders, marketers, executives and more. But do people really get it? Or is it simply lip service? A quick Google search shows empathy to be: “the ability to understand and share the feelings of another.” The closely related word sympathy simply denotes “feelings of pity and sorrow for someone else’s misfortune” (again from Google).

I think an example quickly demonstrates the difference between the two.

Empathy is something we hear a lot about these days. It is widely talked about by psychologists, leaders, marketers, executives and more.

Sympathy

Speaker A: “My cat just died.”

Speaker B: “Sorry to hear that.”

Empathy

Speaker A: “My cat just died.”

Speaker B: “Wow! That’s terrible. I had a cat die last year and it really tore me up inside. That cat was a part of the family. Let me know how I can help you through this.”

The difference should be easy to see. Speaker B in the empathy scenario has made a choice to become emotionally involved and to ease the suffering of the other speaker. Even if Speaker B never owned a cat, they would still make that choice. The wording might go something like this: “I’ve never had a cat but I can tell that this is a really difficult time for you. Anything I can do to help?”

The idea of empathy is vital to

our humanity and fundamental to authentic leadership.

My recommendation is for current and aspiring leaders to familiarize themselves with Emotional Intelligence (EQ/ EI) by Daniel Goleman. Even though the book is some 25 years old, it is a firm foundation for increasing empathy. Developing a posture of empathy won’t be easy for some. It takes time and practice. First, leaders need to be able to identify feelings in their team members (pain, fear, concern). This is not an easy task. Some team members may be more adept at hiding their feelings. One tip I can share is to look for opposite and extreme behaviors. Is this person normally friendly and happy? Do they look sad and hurt? Do they display way more than is normal for their sunny disposition? Is somebody who is normally on the quiet side or reserved suddenly lashing out and yelling at people? Have they disappeared altogether? Once you have identified that someone is experiencing some hurt or pain, you have a choice to make: are you going to step into that other person’s pain

knowing full well that you risk being subjected to pain? Do you have the emotional stamina for what comes next? This is a critical juncture in developing a posture of empathy. Leadership is a choice – the choice to step into the unknown. The reaction may be negative. Some team members may not want you to meddle in their affairs (personal more so). That is totally fine. However – and this is a great however – you just might connect more deeply with that team member through the simple act of caring. This is regardless of your ability to solve the problem.

My wife and I have experienced firsthand the choice to be empathetic when it came to our kids.

We initially indicated to our foster agency that we would be open for a placement of two boys between the ages of 4 and 8. Imagine our surprise when the agency called us to say they have two 5-year-old boys who have a triplet sister! The agency offered to send the girl to a home in a neighboring

county. After the initial shock wore off, my wife and I talked it over, prayed about it, and decided that we didn’t feel comfortable separating triplets. We believed that separation would cause further harm. So we opened our hearts and home to all three.

This choice did not come without its own unique challenges. Aside from just being triplets, our kids came from a deeply troubled background. Their biological parents were Meth addicts who routinely abused and neglected their kids. Our triplets came to us severely emaciated and with serious developmental delays.

As the days became weeks and months, the kids began to tell us the stories of their nightmare life before us. Things that made us weep and hurt. My wife and I went through a period where we experienced what is called “secondary trauma” – the pain of hearing the horrifying stories.

However, there is a great beauty, hope, and positivity on the other side of the choice to be empathetic. My wife and I

see the tremendous strides our kids have made in the almost three years since they came into our home. They no longer have developmental delays. They are excellent readers and learners. They are sprouting like weeds. They are on a path to wellness and wholeness in each area of life. We are grateful to play our part. It would have been impossible without empathy.

THE 3RD POSTURE OF LEADERSHIP IS SERVICE

I hope you noticed the progression of these postures. They build on one another. I have purposely laid them out in this order: Humility is the foundation for empathy and likewise, empathy is the foundation for service. Crawl, walk, run. The order matters. I am a big proponent of the idea of Servant Leadership.

I simply define it as going out of my way to find ways to serve my people. After all, leadership is service. Some ways that I have found to be effective include taking somebody out to lunch or getting donuts for

the team. Think of the phrase surprise and delight. These are classic methods but small acts lift the spirits of the team (especially during stressful periods) and make them feel valuable. Handwritten notes of appreciation are also a great way to serve your team. Be creative, be consistent, and think of the needs of the team member (here I highly recommend the book 5 Love Languages or 5 Languages of Appreciation in the Workplace by Gary Chapman). Some of the more introverted individuals will not like public appreciation. Small acts of service done over a long period of time will yield great results such as more trustworthy and productive team members.

I would be remiss if I didn’t also mention the big acts of service. These are one-off occurrences but they come with significant cost. Leadership is sacrifice. I have had team members who had a sick relative and needed some extra time off from the job. I could have been a stickler for the rules (when they didn’t have paid time off). However, I wanted to build trust, understanding, and quite

frankly love and friendship with my team member. We were able to work an arrangement where he was able to take the time off with no penalty to him. He was inspired and appreciative of how I handled the situation for him. He wanted to work to his best capacity for me.

On another occasion, I had a team member who was a very diligent employee. He drove 1½ hours to and from work (a total of 3 hours each day he came to the site). I wanted to serve his needs by helping him to reclaim some of that time back. I was able to transfer him to another site within the organization (same job/same pay) that happened to be 5 minutes away from his home. I hated to lose him. He was no longer working as one of my direct reports but I was happy to serve him in that way. His quality of life dramatically improved and he was inspired to do great work for his new boss. There was a cost associated with making the transfer but I gladly bore the cost because it served my team member’s needs and ultimately it was the right thing to do in my book.

Developing a service-oriented perspective has also been crucial with regard to my kids. My wife and I are in the trenches every day helping our kids to move towards recovery, stability, and eventually healthy independence. It is difficult working with the heart. Interior work takes time and energy. Patience is a virtue as my mom used to tell me quite often. My kids have to overcome trauma to move forward. It is a slow process but its working and we will reach the goal of raising fully functional adults. We, as leaders, have to apply that same mindset toward the long-term health of our team members. Even if they outgrow our leadership; we don’t hold people back out of a selfish desire to maintain the status quo. Instead, we serve their needs for advancement to grow and develop into who they are meant to be. Leadership is selfless.

I admire those who have served me even at the cost of long-term pain for themselves. I am indebted to them for their sacrifice. It is a debt that cannot be repaid. I can simply

try to find ways to serve. My kids, for instance, will never fully understand the sacrifices we made for them. I, myself never fully understood what my parents did for me. The same situation occurs for just about everybody in a leadership capacity. It doesn’t matter if your team member understands the ramifications of the act of service. Do it anyway. Do the right thing. It’s going to be hard. But it will be worth it.

I hope this article has blessed you.

It has blessed me tremendously as I wrote it. I hope you remember these 3 Postures of

• Leadership:

• Humility

• Empathy

• Service

But more than just remembering them, I hope you find ways to apply them in your life personally and professionally. Learn from the situations I described. Be the leader you were meant to be! Little humility equates to little empathy. Little empathy equates to little service. Little

service equates to poor, unsuccessful, and ineffective leadership. That’s not for you! Develop your posture of humility by practicing one small act of humility each day until you master it Develop your posture of empathy by practicing one small act of empathy each day until you master it. Develop your posture of service by practicing one small act of service each day until you master it.

Think outside yourself. Connect with your people. Build upon a bedrock of trust, belonging, love, admiration, and connection. This is exactly the kind of environment people want to work in and you can be the leader that people want to work for. Your posture as a leader frees your team to be creative, to be innovative, and to do their best work because they feel supported by you!

ABOUT EUGENE PETROV

Gene Petrov is the owner of Petrov LMC - Leadership and Management Consulting. He has worked for the last twenty years in various leadership capacities. He was a leader in a mom and pop bakery, in the United States Air Force, and in a corporate environment for a Fortune 200 company. He holds an M.S. in Management from The University of Maryland University College. He currently works with social media professionals to help them become the leader they were meant to be by developing their soft skills. He can be found on: Twitter @GenePetrovLMC Facebook and LinkedIn: Gene Petrov Website: https://petrovlmc. com

Technology Column

MARK D. DEMERS SR. DIRECTOR, SAS

By the grace of your respected Publisher and Editor-in-chief (Lady Anita DuckworthBradshaw), I am honored to start a monthly Powerhouse Global Magazine Technology Column; where I will be sharing knowledge and tips that would enhance our understanding on how technology affects us all. First you should know that my life’s learning over almost 40 years have always been in Technology. I learned to love it in college and have been fortunate to be in Tech industry now in various executive positions ever since.

Today and for the past 18 years I have worked for the world dominant leader in Artificial Intelligence (before it was even a “thing”) and Analytics – SAS. I run Industries here globally with my team and so I cover every industry and offer unique perspectives – through the lens of customers in industry. This column will discuss TRENDS

Given the remarkable changes in the world during our two years of COVID-19, business leaders have become more open to share how their outlooks have been changed by the ongoing challenges.

shaping ALL industries and insights into the people reshaping them.

Given the remarkable changes in the world during our two years of COVID-19, business leaders have become more open to share how their outlooks have been changed by the ongoing challenges. I aim to tap into that and bring it to you the reader each month. I hope that you, as a reader and leader will reach out to me to share your interesting story of inspiration as well.

EVERYTHING IS TURNED UPSIDE DOWN.

Forget about the so-called “new normal.” There is no new normal. There is only what is happening right now. And what is happening right now is nothing we have ever seen before. And what happens tomorrow will be nothing like we have ever seen before either.

As the world in general and organizations across industries more specifically deal with an altered landscape, analytics technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning are helping them adjust quickly, align resources, and better meet the evolving needs of their customers.

Industries including sports and entertainment, travel, manufacturing, education and government benefit from analytical insights.

In all parts of the world, there are signs. Dreaded commuter traffic again. Surging demand for workers. Consumers spend. Amidst a continued push to vaccinate. The pandemic and its effects are still very much with us, but life seems to be returning to normal, or more precisely, a “new normal.”

As organizations across industries deal with this altered landscape, analytics technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning are helping them adjust quickly, align resources and better meet the evolving needs of their customers.

To give you a taste, here are but five industries using technology to move to a new normal:

SPORTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

This year’s Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo were different than others. Because of Covid concerns, this year’s Games were held believe it or not without spectators. The Winter Olympics in China are upon

Travel on airlines is picking but up again thankfully. For one I look forward to moderating and speaking on a technology panel at the May Powerhouse Global Summit.

us and who knows what it will bring but I expect it to have its challenges like the Summer games.

The Canadian Olympic Committee, used advanced analytics leading up to the Games, both to help its athletes optimize training to reach the medal podium, but also to train safely during the pandemic.

Coaches and the Canadian Olympic Committee medical team continue to rely on AI and machine learning capabilities to assess training processes, identify at-risk sports, and recommend precautions.

With a dashboard powered by data visualization, coaches track athletes’ performance. In the months before the Games, the

coaches also helped Canadian Team members return to their sport after a positive COVID-19 test or potential exposure.

With AI and machine learning at its heart, advance analytics helped Canadian Olympic Committee coaches and athletes re-calibrate when training disruptions occurred. Coaches could then make strategic adjustments to the routines of athletes recovering from illness or facing lost training days.

TRAVEL & HOSPITALITY

Travel on airlines is picking but up again thankfully. For one I look forward to moderating and speaking on a technology panel at the May Powerhouse Global Summit.

During the pandemic, people did still take vacations, though in the United States many of those trips were by car and to nearby destinations. With its pristine beaches and laid-back lifestyle, the Outer Banks of North Carolina, where I’m from, has remained a tourist magnet.

Even after the summer travel

Dashboards provided insights into factors associated with athletes who tested positive for COVID.

season, people all over the world still take road trips and book long-delayed family vacations.

For Twiddy & Company, a family-run company that manages more than 1,000 rental vacation properties on the northern Outer Banks, one key to its success has been analytics.

Twiddy & Company uses Analytics to provide home management and maintenance on behalf of owners while ensuring repeat visits from rental guests.

And Twiddy & Company has seen record booking of its

Twiddy & Company uses analytics to provide memorable Outer Banks vacation experiences.

managed properties over the last two years – including the 2020 peak COVID-19 year –and the data points to another record season this year. Using analytics, the company can forecast and streamline the management of routine services, such as cleaning hot tubs and pools before guests arrive for vacation.

Twiddy & Company relies on remarkably specific home-pricing information to compete in the Outer Banks rental market with other local firms and large international companies like HomeAway and Airbnb.

“What we deliver is hospitality – that's our passion and our business,” says President Clark

Twiddy & Company relies on remarkably specific home-pricing information to compete in the Outer Banks rental market with other local firms and large international companies like HomeAway and Airbnb.

Twiddy. “Data analytics helped us to deliver it with a higher degree of confidence.”

MANUFACTURING

WaterRower, a US-based fitness equipment manufacturer was concerned with how to manage the health and safety

of its employees at work during the pandemic. When gyms and workout studios were closed, coupled with more Americans working from home, demand rose for its rowing machines. But increasing its workforce without implementing advanced safety measures was simply not an option.

The solution: Peter King, CEO of WaterRower, decided to implement AI capabilities to help WaterRower employees safely return to the workplace.

WaterRower developed and deployed a computer vision system so that they monitor physical distance.

The physical distance monitoring solution consists

WaterRower uses an AI-powered dashboard and alert system to keep its workers safe.

of a real-time dashboard, an alert system, and a postfacto dashboard to monitor compliance with physicaldistancing and crowddensity guidelines. Existing security camera footage from WaterRower was used to train the model, and all employee data was anonymized.

The real-time dashboard consisted of a front page displaying the activities of employees. It also included a summary of total violations and an email alert system.

The results: WaterRower’s team of engineers and manufacturing leaders continuously

WaterRower, a US-based fitness equipment manufacturer was concerned with how to manage the health and safety of its employees at work during the pandemic.

reviewed the SAS AI-powered dashboard and alert system. By implementing strategic changes to work areas, employee workflow and internal movement paths, WaterRower achieved record production volume while significantly reducing cases of close contact

within its manufacturing facilities.

WaterRower uses an AIpowered dashboard and alert system to keep its workers safe.

EDUCATION

As stadiums, arenas and other venues welcome back in-person events, venue optimization software can help optimize attendance and create a safer fan experience.

For universities and colleges, helping its graduates attend their graduation / commencement ceremony is an important goal.

Venue optimization software helped Univ. of Wisconsin plan socially distanced commencement ceremonies.

The University of WisconsinMadison Department of Athletics used technology to determine socially distanced seating layouts for recent commencement ceremonies at Camp Randall Stadium. This home to the Wisconsin Badgers football team has a normal capacity of 80,321 people.

“An in-person commencement was an important milestone for our university. Creating a memorable experience while supporting the safety of our graduates, faculty and operations staff required significant flexibility and planning,” said Daron Jones, Wisconsin Athletics Director of

Venue optimization uses models and data visualization to provide an ideal seating layout based on a set of ticketing and social distancing parameters and objectives.

External Engagement.

Venue optimization uses models and data visualization to provide an ideal seating layout based on a set of ticketing and social distancing parameters and objectives. Wisconsin’s two ceremonies, one for

undergraduates and another for graduate degree candidates, were limited to participants only. However, even in a venue as large as Camp Randall Stadium, it was a challenge to accommodate graduates while allowing for six feet of social distancing.

Potential ceremony participants were sent seating request surveys to identify groups who wanted to sit together. The venue optimization models factored in the survey results and pandemic rules and restrictions.

Data visualization showed the Wisconsin athletic department what the stadium seating

The State of Odisha’s public Covid dashboard.

arrangements would look like on graduation day. The athletic department easily uploaded the venue optimization results into its ticketing system for fulfillment.

Venue optimization software helped Univ. of Wisconsin plan socially distanced commencement ceremonies.

GOVERNMENT

While there is continued talk of a “new normal” all over the world variants of COVID-19 mean that many countries are still grappling with rising infections, complex vaccine rollouts and in some cases shortages of these vaccines and other critical supplies. India is one such country. Its eastern state of Odisha, on the Bay of Bengal, is home to more than 46 million people. That’s more than in the state of California, the most populous US state.

The Government of Odisha has turned to technology to create a public COVID-19 dashboard.

Odisha’s citizens and government officials proactively

While there is continued talk of a “new normal” all over the world variants of COVID-19 mean that many countries are still grappling with rising infections, complex vaccine rollouts and in some cases shortages of these vaccines and other critical supplies.

use the Odisha State COVID-19 dashboard as the single, trusted source for tracking trends in infection rates, hospitalizations and available medical resources. Using this platform, high volumes of data on citizen registrations, contact tracing, health conditions and quarantine compliance are aggregated, transformed and processed to generate insights.

In addition to rich visualizations, this data has been successfully used in forecasting peak infection times and modeling the optimal infrastructure augmentation and distribution by the State. In essence, the dashboard has enabled Odisha to stay ahead of the virus and

save lives.

The State of Odisha’s public Covid dashboard.

MY HOPE AND PROMISE

In this column you can find simple truth that ultimately, we are in control of our lives by virtue of the choices we make and how we respond to events, even though at times it seems we have little or no control over what is happening to us. It's easy, especially the past two-years, to lose sight of that truth when we are embroiled in events happening all around us like the loss of a loved one or friend, health issues, career challenges and financial setbacks. It's hard at times to see the path we need to follow amidst all the obscurities. My aim is to give insights and hope through stories like the above that just maybe can not only give you a more objective view of circumstances but also help guide us to the path on which we need to be.

Mark Demers leads an expert global team of industry practice directors, industry marketing, principal industry consultants and thought leaders that drive vision and product direction, messaging and support sales for Industry-centered SAS products and solutions. Mark and his team work closely with SAS’ customers, sales, Partners, R&D, and technical staff around the world, to position, market and sell SAS solutions for Government, Banking, Insurance, Manufacturing, Healthcare, Life Sciences, Energy, and Education and Communications sectors using analytics.

SAS is the world leader in analytics. It’s internationally recognized for providing an innovative, supportive workplace that blends different backgrounds, experiences, perspectives and cultures from almost 60 countries around

MARK D. DEMERS

the world where all ideas are encouraged, and everyone is respected for their unique contributions and abilities. SAS’ employees empower, encourage and inspire women to pursue excellence in STEM and their careers and fulfillment in their personal lives. Employees are encouraged to expand professional networks, showcase thought leaders and attract women to careers in science and technology.

Demers’ decades of management experience include executive positions at several public and private companies prior to SAS. Mark serves as Board member for an emerging innovative Company – Visual Farms, audaciously inspired to help strike out world hunger. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from Penn State University.

Phone: +1-919-601-9756

Email: Mark.Demers@SAS.com

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin. com/in/markddemers

Health & Wellness Column

Work Place Culture & the Essential Need for “Diverse Mental Health”

We cannot fail to recognise, how leaders and businesses are now faced with the challenge of how to genuinely and realistically respond to the burning interest and need for sufficient diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), as well as good mental health, wellbeing and wellness within their workplace culture. Such focus has never been stronger; sparked by the Me-too Movement highlighting abuse against women, the recent Global Covid-19 Pandemic and its impact on mental health, as well as the powerful wave of racial and social justice protests and commentaries.

— BY CAROLINE RIBEIRO-NELSON

The path to meeting this challenge, is one less travelled and is not an easy one, however with genuine commitment and on-going investment hugely valuable progress can be made. One thing clearly required, is the willingness to acknowledge, discuss and address the very issues, many people and organisations find uncomfortable and difficult to address. Namely, the stigma, prejudice, discrimination, abuse and inequity related to poor mental health, mental illness, women and people from diverse backgrounds.

MENTAL HEALTH & DETRIMENTAL DIVERSITY, EQUITY & INCLUSION FACTORS

There reality is, that within the workplace and wider society, there exists negative bias and harmful behaviour, which is perpetrated through racism, sexism, other isms, discrimination, violent attacks, threats, abuse, exclusion, inequity,

injustice and mistreatment. This is particularly evident for Women, Black people, “People of Colour” (POC)”, Indigenous communities, members of the LGBT+ community, those with a disability, from a different ethnic background, religion, economic or social status and the older population. The impact, of these detrimental DEI factors can be seen in higher rates of mental health problems in comparison to their counterparts and other groups.

When people within society are continually confronted, from an early age, with negative and harmful experiences, the development of poor mental health, deficient well-being and mental ill health is inevitable.

HOW BUSINESSES CAN EFFECTIVELY MOVE FORWARD WITH PRODUCTIVE MENTAL HEALTH, WELLBEING, WELLNESS & DEI

We have generally looked at mental health, well-being and wellness as being separate issues to DEI, when in fact these issues are closely and strongly connected. In order to create inclusive work cultures where everyone, has the opportunity to be well and healthy, it is vital to develop constructive mentally healthy DEI environments, which address the detrimental DEI factors, that harm people’s mental health and well-being. This fundamental “Diverse Mental Health” Approach essentially takes into account a person’s lived experience, diverse background and the

mentally damaging aspects associated to DEI. Work cultures, which incorporate this perspective can significantly contribute to:

• The necessary creation of greater human equity and inclusion

• Enhanced creativity

• Increased productivity and engagement

The building of positive and constructive relationships

Understanding the connection and effectively addressing the issues, related to mental health and detrimental DEI factors, enables the development of safer environments, functional

When people within society are continually confronted, from an early age, with negative and harmful experiences, the development of poor mental health, deficient well-being and mental ill health is inevitable.

communities and positive employee interaction and work dynamics. All of which benefit healthy development, along with personal and business growth.

FIVE MAJOR BARRIERS TO DIVERSE MENTAL HEALTH

There are no quick and easy solutions here. The fact is, working to change negative cultural attitudes and behaviour, towards mental health, women and people from diverse backgrounds, is a tough reality. These perspectives and behaviours

have been formed through an enduring cultural and historical progression, which is deeply ingrained from childhood and has consequently become psychologically embedded in our reactions and mindset, as well as reflected in societal dynamics and established within institutional structures. Five major barriers, which have tended to cloud and hinder progress on the creation of mentally healthy, diverse and inclusive work cultures is the major lack of:

Understanding around the in-depth, complex and difficult

issues involved.

Genuine and significant commitment to engaging with the relevant people and groups Willingness to invest the necessary time, resources and finances.

Willingness to challenge the status quo and to change the deep-rooted ideology and structures, which maintain a dysfunctional, harmful and inadequate system. Willingness to take responsibility, to hold oneself or relevant parties accountable.

SEVEN EFFECTIVE STEPS TO OVERCOMING BARRIERS

Without a doubt, overcoming these barriers, requires strong leadership, clear vision, intentional action and on-going personal and professional commitment, along with the willingness to address the difficult issues.

Seven essential steps, which effectively tackle these barriers, and enable progress relate to: Self-reflection: Taking time to reflect on pre-conceived

ideas about mental health & DEI, through questioning one’s own bias, along with examining the basis on which one’s perspective and feelings are based, can develop greater awareness helping to form more constructive responses. Challenge: Questioning and calling out negative mental health attitudes, behaviour and messages, as well as harmful DEI factors is tough. This is not only because these are deeply rooted and often established from very early on in life, but is further compounded by the fact, that this process is very uncomfortable and risks unfavourable consequences.

Focusing on positive leadership, role modelling and the creation of a constructive no tolerance culture, which is safe and supportive can foster environments, which enable detrimental experiences to be challenged and beneficial ones to be formed.

Re-learning: It is easy to recognise how difficult it can be to change perspectives, behaviour and feelings, which have been embedded from childhood. Allowing oneself space and patience is important

It is easy to recognise how difficult it can be to change perspectives, behaviour and feelings, which have been embedded from childhood.

in being able to put aside and let go of this learning and to invest time and energy in relearning. Individuals need to be pro-active in seeking out and engaging in activities and experiences, which promote knowledge and understanding regarding the development of good mental health & DEI.

Re-learning can be achieved through actively engaging in relevant reading, training, listening & the sharing of diverse perspectives and relevant experiences.

Interaction: Spending time with people, who we perceive as most like us, results in less diverse interactions and tends to narrow our experience and perspective. Having contact and engagement with people, from diverse backgrounds and who have experience of mental

health problems, has been shown to increase awareness and understanding. This leads to more positive interactions and responses. Developing and pursuing broader interests, being intentional and having more diverse and inclusive interactions can contribute to greater knowledge, increased awareness, better understanding and cooperation, along with mentally healthier relationships and more productive work cultures.

Co-operation: Gaining guidance from relevant experts and professionals, sharing knowledge and resources, working together with relevant individuals, organisations and communities can help develop understanding, reduce conflict and assist in the creation of strong, appropriate and effective support structures.

Courage & Conviction: There is no denying, that dealing with mental health and DEI issues are challenging. The difficult aspects of life involved, can be distressing, uncomfortable and sometimes entail personal and professional risk. The courage to face and tackle these issues, along with the deep and strong belief to follow this path are

essential and powerful factors in instigating change and taking important steps forward. We all have a valuable role to play in travelling a path, which can greatly benefit ourselves, diverse communities, work cultures and vast members of society.

Genuine Allyship: In the recent trending of mental health & well-being, wellness and DEI we have witnessed wide spread reactions from people and organisations seeking their own advantage through; jumping on the band wagon, performative and self-serving allyship, tokenism, empty and superficial gestures and unfilled commitments. These actions do more harm than good and tend to diminish, as well as side-track from addressing the profound and vital issues.

For significant and fundamental change meaningful and committed support is required. This can be found in: Courageous leaders who are the willing voice and face in promoting these crucial issues. Individuals and organisations taking responsibility and being held accountable for their

role in the development of a mentally healthy, diverse and inclusive work culture.

Speaking out against harmful mental health and DEI factors and actively supporting those who are impacted.

Stronger commitment in the implementation of effective policies and practices, in order to achieve significant goals and lasting change.

Sufficient Investment of time, resources and finances, which make a fundamental and enduring impact.

Consistent promotion and adequate support for the issues and those who are doing this work.

Challenging the status quo and seeking to instigate positive change.

Ultimately, it is important to recognise how meaningful progress and effective change stem from confronting and constructively dealing with the fundamental and systematic factors, which perpetuate inequity, exclusion,

discrimination, abuse, negative bias and stigma, which serve to seriously harm mental health.

“Embracing a fundamental Diverse Mental Health Approach, works to support everyone in an equitable and inclusive manner, where challenges can be more effectively addressed and mutual benefits can be realised.”

ABOUT CAROLINE RIBEIRO-NELSON

Caroline Ribeiro-Nelson is Head of Free Choices I Diverse Mental Head. She is a Diverse Mental Health Consultant, Executive Coach & Trainer, who has been working in the fields of employee assistance and mental health & well-being for 25+ years https://www.freechoices.co.uk/ diverse-mental-health/ourdiverse-mental-health-services. html

HEALTHCARE AND MEDICINE IN 2022 AND FORWARD

— BY JEAN LUD CADET, M.D.

Since 1975 when I entered the College of Physicians and Surgeons at Columbia University in Manhattan, there have been discussions regarding shortages of Black physicians and scientists in the USA.

In every subsequent decade, there has been a report deploring the low number of Black science students, the low number of Black students in medical schools, and shortages of physicians in various subspecialties including surgery. These are important issues because lack of representation of Black physicians working in medical schools and research has been shown to impact the care of African Americans (AAs). Specifically, Black Americans are known to suffer from several medical, neurological, and psychiatric diseases. These include hypertension, diabetes mellitus, strokes, depression, anxiety, and shortened life spans. Moreover, there is increased maternal and infant mortality among AA populations, irrespective of class. Although these issues impact other underserved global communities as well, the present essay will focus mostly on members of the African Diaspora.

The shortages of physicians who take care of AA patients might be related to low numbers of AA students in STEM courses during their high school and college years. Enrolment in those

classes can be improved by helping student to develop science-related identities through exposure to AA scientists and physicians. Indeed, the development of science identities will propel AA students to then pursue careers in science and medicine. It is important to note that, despite the problems that AA students have encountered, there are, nevertheless, enough Black college graduates that could serve to increase their numbers in medical schools.

The number of AA students in medical schools could be increased further by increasing the number of medical schools at HBCUs. Presently, there are only 4 historically Black medical schools in operation: Charles R. Drew (California), Howard (D.C.), Meharry (Tennessee), and Morehouse (Georgia). The opening of 6 additional medical

schools in cities with a HBCU and large enough hospitals that provide care to a majority of Black patients would be very helpful to the care of AA patients in the USA. My personal choices are (1) Morgan State University in Baltimore, (2) Xavier University in New Orleans, (3) Florida A&M in Tallahassee, (4) Jackson State

COVID-19 has ravaged the lives of many AAs who were already impacted by racisminduced stress disorder (RISD). I think that we can care for each other better by getting vaccinated, practicing physical distancing, and wearing masks.

in Jackson, (5) Norfolk State in Norfolk, and (6) Southern University in Baton Rouge or South Carolina State in Orangeburg.

In the meantime, we all can try to have positive thoughts in the presence of very difficult times. COVID-19 has ravaged the lives of many AAs who were already impacted by racism-induced stress disorder (RISD). I think that we can care for each other better by getting vaccinated, practicing physical distancing, and wearing masks. I am very aware of the reasons why not to trust American medicine. However, the vaccines can help to alter

the course of COVID-19 if you are infected. We owe a debt to our ancestors to do the right thing for future generations by protecting our health.

As I pointed above, these are some diseases that disproportionately influence the lives of AAs in the USA. However, we can learn to take control of these diseases by seeking help from Black physicians and nurse practitioners who might be more empathetic when we are sick. In the case of

hypertension and diabetes mellitus, exercises and certain changes in diet can be very helpful in in controlling their longterm negative consequences that include strokes, peripheral neuropathy, and kidney ailments that are very disabling. It is therefore very important to take medications that are prescribed in addition to a regular exercise program.

Other diseases of interest include anxiety and depression. These are issues that can

However, we can learn to take control of these diseases by seeking help from Black physicians and nurse practitioners who might be more empathetic when we are sick.

be dealt with by seeking well trained psychiatrists or psychologists who are familiar with issues that AA patients face on a regular basis. Going to your friends and pastors might not be enough because these diseases affect your brain and are not related to any ‘personal weakness’. The stigma associated with mental health is a powerful deterrent to seeking help but good care is available for those who seek it.

In conclusion, I am very hopeful that 2022 will bring better tidings for all of us. However, it is important for us to participate in maintaining our own health because, without our own personal physical and mental health, it is difficult to care for ourselves and our families. Steps that include exercises, annual visits at your primary care, self-examination, and not delaying care if you are worried can all help to improve our health. I believe that we should all push our congress men and women to push for the opening of new medical schools at HBCUs so that we can have more AA physicians to go to. Finally, although the

I am very hopeful that 2022 will bring better tidings for all of us. However, it is important for us to participate in maintaining our own health because, without our own personal physical and mental health, it is difficult to care for ourselves and our families.

essay has focused mostly on issues that impact AAs, many of the same principles described apply to other communities that are underserved on the global stage.

ABOUT JEAN LUD CADET, M.D.

Jean Lud Cadet, M.D. was born in Cap Haitien, Haiti, in 1953. He attended the most prestigious Catholic High School in his hometown, The College Notre Dame du Perpetuel Secours. He left Haiti in 1970 and moved to Brooklyn New York. Subsequently, he attended medical school at the

Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons in 1979. Dr. Cadet is a known neuroscientist internationally. Presently, he is a tenured senior investigator and Chief of the Molecular Neuropsychiatry Research Branch at the National Institute on Drug Abuse, a part of the National Institutes of Health. He is also a member of the Society of Haitian Neuroscientists and Black Psychiatrists of America, among other organizations. He has co-authored more than 500 papers, book chapters, and abstracts on various aspects of neuroscience. He was recently listed as one of the prominent 1000 Black scientists in the USA.

THREE INITIATIONS THAT LED TO PERFECT HEALTH

— BY ANTONETTA FERNANDES

My first initiation on the blockages that the modern lifestyle can have on our bodies came at me through a naturalist called Paul Skey, who I coworked with in the early 1980s. His conversations with me was about being free from everything that did not feel natural. We covered so much in the 3 years I worked for him. The topics ranged from underarm deodorant, perfume, underwired under garments, nutrition to environmental issues and so much more.

One of the topics was the effects of use of underarm deodorants/ antiperspirants

• Antiperspirants: Stops you from perspiring or sweating.

• Deodorants: Stop the bacteria in your perspiration from smelling, often by killing the bacteria or neutralising the smell.

Here are some natural tips and methods I have used in the past for my armpits

• Applied baby talcum powder

• Washed the armpits with alcohol or white vinegar

• Added a few drops of rose water in the bathtub before taking bath.

More recently my friend/coach and International Breathe Therapist Desiree Ferrari introduced

me to Tea tree which is an antibacterial herb. Made a deodorant by mixing two drops of the essential oil and one ounce of water.

The next initiation was something I picked up from my dear mother (who recently passed away). For a brief period, my mother lived with me while she was waiting to move into the care home. Seeing my mother pop 20 pharmaceuticals in the morning, 30 at lunchtime and 10 in the evening was a bitter pill to swallow. I found it extremely difficult

My third initiation came in December 2016. I had begun to feel very tired, had zero energy to complete tasks, felt my brain was in a fog and I was totally overweight and the finally straw was my Doctor confirmed that I had high blood pressure.

to communicate with her during my frequent visits to the care home. I asked myself what happened to my very independent active mum? She was now in the late stages of dementia and I felt helpless. My visits got better because I started using my supercoherence tools* from my personal life coaching and gave her some Angelic Reiki healing**. I recall one session when she said I love these stones can I keep them. *Supercoherence Return To Love Frequencies (RTLFs)*, has produced major shifts and life changing successes for my clients. It balances both male and female energies hence,

coaching from zero point. These tools are precious when you want to get to the root of the problem, and the light bulb moment is instantaneous.

**Angelic Reiki a healing method that combines the traditional Reiki healing therapy and the angelic healing. Over the years I have been searching and learning about diverse types of alternative methods of healing the body

from within. My third initiation came in December 2016. I had begun to feel very tired, had zero energy to complete tasks, felt my brain was in a fog and I was totally over-weight and the finally straw was my Doctor confirmed that I had high blood pressure. Wow this was a sign, I was offered pharmaceuticals which brought home my words to myself – I was never going to go through what my mum went through.

So, during one of my morning meditations I put out the thoughts of wellness and wellbeing. I came across something which sounded too good to be true on Facebook. Even though I was skeptical, I registered for a body scan with NESS Health. The scanner arrived a few days later and I had my 1st remote scan with a NESS Health Practitioner on Skype. The scan showed me something I did not expect to see; the level of details was so overwhelmingly and though I was still slightly skeptical the alternative was a life on pharmaceutical. Four weeks later I saw the change and is was phenomenal, my energy level sky rocketed, loved the feeling of wellness and I knew I finally found something I could work with passion and gusto. Today I am a qualified NES Health Practitioner with global clients, and I love the difference I can make to other people lives. Using the Supercoherence Personal Life Coaching, Angelic Reiki Healing and the NES Health Total WellNES system I am able to customise to individual client needs.

Here is why I think the NES Health system is the perfect addition to my practice:

• It Re-asseses your physiology with a single click in seconds with multiple screens and physiologically accurate graphics

• Shows you the information that your body needs to heal

• Shows you the distortions and clear energy blockages

• Shows you how to get well, stay well and excel.

• It Re-juvenates and unblocks the energy-field with NES miHealth

• It is an easy-to use hand-held device which tells you how and where to place it

• It is non-invasive and clinically researched

• It uses the proven benefits of biofeedback and Pulsed Magnetic Field Therapy to locates, unblocks and releases energy blockages

• It Re-imprints the information of the body’s control system with NES Infoceuticals (NES Infoceuticals are a wide range of liquid remedies imprinted with propriety bio-information. They contain filtered water, plant-

derived micromineral and 5% alcohol for preservation.)

• They help re-imprint the body to its original and optimal blueprint.

• They interact directly with the human body-field to address blockages connected to physical, emotional, environmental chemical toxins

For more information or to see case studies/testimonials please visit www.antonettafernandes. co.uk. For a special discount on NES Health system for readers of this publication please email antonettafernandes8@google. com.

3 WAVES OF WELLNESS

— BY MINA KAKAIYA

The 3 waves of wellness is an approach which enables individuals to begin to become aware, move and practice towards nurturing their true inner wellness or “inner me”.

Sharing my thoughts on wellness has been a personal life long journey in enabling myself and others to find their own inner wellness through mentoring, coaching and training. What has also been a great help was developing wellbeing programmes in the workplace and across health and social care and non-for-profit sectors of mental health, HIV and domestic violence. By bringing awareness to improve others personal mental wellness, I realised that our source of wellbeing is innate within us and it is fundamentally our true natural state of being, that is in a continual state of change and transformation.

Wellness in essence is an emotional state of unconditional self-love and appreciation that is eroded or lost and found again along our life journey. Our sense of who we are and our values, believes, attitudes and behaviours are moulded by our past experiences, family situation, culture, education and life experiences. Often our wellness then gets lost or what gets in the way of our wellness and happiness is pleasing and conforming to the wider cultural

pressures and norms we begin to adhere to. Pandering to needs and wants of others hence neglecting our own. Experiences of loss or trauma in different areas of lives such as loved ones, health, money and purpose.

We then try to find it again, and for many of us through developing unhelpful and negative thought patterns, believes, fears and habits such as addictions, self-harm, lack of self-worth, low expectations and negative perceptions about self, others and the world around us.

The 3 waves of wellness is an approach which enables individuals to begin to become aware, move and practice towards nurturing their true inner wellness or “inner me”. We are all born from water and our wellness journey is a personal one of self-discovery, which is unique to each one of us. Like the waves, our life experiences come in cycles of ebbs and flows, bringing crests of positive high waves and negative low crashing waves. Wellness like the waves is not fixed but flexible, forever dynamic, evolving and changing and to embrace all aspects of our mind and body and by adopting an attitude of inner kindness and self-love.

When I run my wellness

Wellness in essence is an emotional state of unconditional selflove and appreciation that is eroded or lost and found again along our life journey. Our sense of who we are and our values, believes, attitudes and behaviours are moulded by our past experiences, family situation, culture, education and life experiences.

sessions I ask the participants to describe what wellness and wellbeing means to them and what it feels like. The general responses are feelings of happiness energetic, and

confident, joy, and content, having clarity, safety and security, loved, appreciated, kindness and satisfaction. When asked what un-wellness or poor well-being feels like, responses such as feeling of fear, anger, dissatisfaction, trapped, no choice, despair, not being good enough, failure, judgemental of self or others, blame, guilt, duty, responsibilities, not having enough or lack of, clarity, time, money, negative relationships or purpose.

Like the waves, we come in or out of wellness on a daily basis as we experience life and things that disrupt our wellness state. So wellness is about changing your inner experience from the external situation in the way we

think and feel about the things and the quality of the thoughts we choose to pay attention to and focusing on doing more of what feels good to you with an attitude of self-appreciation.

THE 3 WAVES TO WELLNESS

The first wave of AwarenessNoticing your feelings and thoughts, about any given situation you are experiencing. What are the stories you are telling yourself about the situation? We often told not to show our emotions as it perceived as a sign of weakness and vulnerability. However, recognising the value of your feelings as your inner guidance systems is an indicator of your level of wellness at that moment. It’s a bit like a radio and noticing which station and song are you creating, listening and paying attention too! Is it the tunes of wellness or tunes of un-wellness that you tuned into right now? Noticing what the stories you are telling yourself first thing in the morning and throughout the day. Our daily life experiences evoke certain negative and positive thoughts and feelings

The first wave of Awareness- Noticing your feelings and thoughts, about any given situation you are experiencing. What are the stories you are telling yourself about the situation?

all the time and we all deal and respond emotionally differently to the same situation as we all hold differing opinions.

For instance, I had been fearful of dogs and particularly Alsatians for many years as I was chased by one when I was a child. Then recently I came into an encounter with an Alsatian at a friend’s home over a few days celebrating a family wedding and this Alsatian was so placid and friendly that my perceptions and fears around this breed of dog changed. So noticing how we label our past experiences and we have the ability to change and control our inner experiences of thoughts and feelings about the situation.

Epictetus (55- 135AD) said….”It is not things in themselves which trouble us, but the opinions we have about these things”.

We often treat our states of mind as absolute reality, when actually, we each react differently to the same events. If we question our thought processes, we can change the way we respond to the world around us so that we can have a better life. By noticing our own self-limiting thoughts and believes and recognising that our own personal attitudes and believes are your own and different from others which is often either blocking or enhancing our wellness at any given moment in time.

The Greek philosopher

The second wave of Allowingby choosing to challenge and change our current thoughts and believes and focusing on more about by caring the way we feel. Gently allowing ourselves to shift our attention to thoughts and moods from a place of dissatisfaction to satisfaction. Therefore, easing off the pressure on yourself and doing more of what makes you feel better or good to you

right now. Focusing away from what’s lacking or negative aspects of your current life and towards positive aspects of your life that can improve your mood and make you feel better. Have you noticed when you keep focusing on the negative things in your life they become bigger and bigger and vice versa when you focus on the more positive aspects of your life the better you begin to feel?

After my redundancy, I decided to do Master in CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) full time in one year. However, I did not anticipate the level of stress it would cause me and the reality of writing 3 essays in a 3 months deadline seemed very daunting to me at the time and then I started to feel increasingly worried and anxious and the panic set in with feelings of overwhelmed, fear, doubt. My old negative belief about myself crept in of not being clever enough and good enough and the fear of failure and I became tearful all the time and found it difficult to eat or sleep or focus. I was at a breaking point and then

made a decision and talked myself into telling myself to let go and do the best I can and if I failed my essays I would drop out the course as it was not the end of the world. At that moment of relaxing and easing the pressure from myself from my current reality and shifting my negative perceptions and believes from fear to hope and optimism, I passed my Masters with flying colours! My biggest learning lesson I received from doing my Master was realising that the impossible was possible!

Ways to take yourself out of your own head:

• Awareness of your inner mind chatter and noticing if it is helpful or unhelpful, you’re negative self-talk.

• Practicing the process of quieting your mind through simple activities that help stop the momentum of the inner critical voice or from the unpleasant experience for a while, by having a nap, doing some relaxation, meditation or mindfulness practices on a regular basis.

you feel good, whether it’s pampering yourself, having a lying, baking, dancing, or listening to music and learning or taking up a new interest or hobby.

• Taking care of your body by eating better, getting a good night sleep and exercise that you enjoy doing, whether it’s walking, cycling, swimming, sports activities or going to a gym.

• Connecting with people that uplift, support and inspire you.

• Giving back and by doing things for others. Often random acts of kindness can make us feel better.

• Having hope and optimism that things will improve and change and appreciation of the good things you have in your life right now. Living in the present moment enjoying the full experience. Often, we are in autopilot and so in our planning, worrying mode and so we fail to notice the wonderful things around such as the birds or trees, the sky, clouds and stars, or savour the flavours from the food we eat.

• Doing things the make

The third wave of Awesomeness –is about

unlocking and knowing your true “inner me” or awesomeness that has the limitless potential to create and the power to choose and change the course of your life and acknowledging your own ongoing journey of transformation is in constant seek of wellness that is forever changing and growing. It is also about truly accepting and being comfortable with who you are with an attitude of being kind to yourself and appreciating all aspects of yourselves. We are often our own biggest critic.

• So it about moving away from self-judgment and criticism of others.

• Shifting towards feelings of worthiness and deserving and stop comparing ourselves to others.

• Accepting that we are all unique with our own skills, talents, and abilities and are always evolving in our own ways.

• Discovering and honouring what is important and matters to you by reconnecting with your passion and purpose, no matter how big or small.

• Honouring my “inner me” by appreciating where you are right now with the attitude of

inner kindness and self-love.

ABOUT MINA KAKAIYA

Mina is a social entrepreneur, trainer, wellbeing coach and public speaker. She has a background in social work and over 20 years’ experience in community development working in collaboration across health and social care NHS and not for profit sector and education in developing a diverse range of mental health and wellness projects and initiatives and influencing NHS service commissioning to improving health and social inequalities for the wider population and those experiencing mental health problems and long term conditions. Mina is also a freelance mental health and MHFA (Mental Health First Aid) trainer, resilience in the workplace, and mindfulness practitioner. She has also developed peer support training in Mental Health, HIV and Domestic Violence. Mina holds a degree Neuroscience and a Masters in CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility). CSR is how prioritising people, planet

and then profit can enhance business success and Mina has developed wellness approaches into SME’s.

She is passionate about promoting awareness of inner wellbeing towards personal transformation and empowering individuals and communities to unlock their inner potential and collective wisdom to tackle the wider issues of health and social inequalities and improve personal mental health and wellbeing.

Mina practices yoga and meditation and has a love for music and dance and interests in sustainable living and with a dream of building her own Eco home in the near future. She has her pink hard hat already! For more information please connect with me on LinkedIn page.

THE SEED YOU WATER BECOMES THE FLOWER!

— BY ROSSANA SNEE, MFT

You may not know this, but you are a portable garden. You are the landscaper in charge. You either tend to your grounds or you ignore them. Either way, the results will be obvious to those around you.

You’re probably wondering what I’m talking about. “Me, a landscaper?” you ask. “Are you mad?”

No, I am not mad. Let me explain. When I refer to you as a portable garden, I’m talking

about your mind being that garden. It is an extremely fertile ground. Anything can be planted in there. And based on the seeds you plant, you’re either going to have a joyful life, or a miserable and depressive existence.

For a lot of you, weeds have overtaken your garden. You’ve been negligent and it shows. What are some of those weeds? They are doubt, fear, jealousy, negativity, and hatred, to name but a few. Those seeds you’ve planted, (along

with the help of other people), have taken root, and have now become a normal part of your landscape.

How do those seeds get spread and create chaos in your life? Let’s take a look…

• Doubt – Any time you question yourself, your worth, your ability to become the very best version of yourself in this journey called Life, you plant Seeds of Doubt. They weaken you; keep you frozen in place and unable to take even the smallest step. To others you appear as ineffective and helpless.

• Fear – This is one of the most damaging weeds in your garden. This seed can wreak havoc powerful enough to destroy You. Fear can keep you on lockdown. These seeds are fear of success, fear of failure, of new opportunities; fear of the differences in others, of making commitments, and on and on. If you have planted Seeds of Fear, you walk around in a constant state of anxiety. Tell me, what quality of life do you think you might have with a garden full of

This seed is literally dangerous—one of the most injurious seeds to the psyche and the body. Carrying Seeds of Hatred, poisons the garden. It is like vines that strangle every other seed.

Seeds of Fear?

• Jealousy – Wanting what others have, resenting them for having something you don’t, creates Seeds of Jealousy. This shows up when you belittle others, when you downplay who they are in order to puff yourself up. A garden full of these seeds choke out anything else in your garden that is beautiful, leaving only ugliness in its wake.

• Negativity – There is an abundance of these seeds threatening your landscape. Complaints about health, the government, your neighbor, your spouse, your flaws, the weather, etc. Seeds of Negativity show up everywhere. They are one of the most common weeds in almost every garden.

Complaints are not made as a way of figuring out a better way, they are an end in and of themselves. The responsibility is shifted out there, instead of where the responsibility lies. In You!

• Hatred – This seed is literally dangerous—one of the most injurious seeds to the psyche and the body. Carrying Seeds of Hatred, poisons the garden. It is like vines that strangle every other seed. Seeds of Hatred can result in sickness, anger, resentment, and sometimes even murder. This weed, if left to fester and grow, can destroy your entire landscape, and possibly that of others.

• Intolerance – Your garden is not better than the garden of others. That is to say that you are not superior to anyone else. Everyone is unique. Just because someone is different than you—darker, lighter, bigger; just because they prefer a partner of whom you wouldn’t approve, or pray to a different God, is of no concern to you. Being intolerant of others has caused more destruction and death than anything on this planet.

Concentrate on what you’re planting and disregard the rest.

So, now you know what some of the Bad Seeds are. Let’s talk about some of the good seeds that can create the most beautiful Garden on Earth.

• Confidence – This seed allows your garden to flourish. If you plant Seeds of Confidence, you will be able do anything. Your garden will thrive, and you’ll draw much attention and respect. Be who you are. Embrace it. Don’t feel small in front of others. You are as big as anyone else. Your mind is what keeps you small. To attain these Seeds of Confidence, trust yourself and your uniqueness. There’s no one else out there like you. The more Seeds of Confidence you plant, the more resplendent your garden will be.

• Trust – Seeds of Trust are essential in your landscaping. They will eradicate the Seeds of Fear. As a professional landscaper, trust that you have the knowledge you need to create something amazing. Trust your instincts. Trust in your uniqueness and your worth, regardless of what anyone says. Trust that there is

I will invest time and learn how to make it better.” Or, “What’s the point of planting Seeds of Positivity, nothing’s going to get better,” to, “I’m going to keep planting these seeds until they finally begin to sprout.

a purpose that is grander than you. All things eventually work out. Say to yourself, “I trust that everything will unfold the way it’s supposed to in its own perfect timing. All I need to do is tend to my garden with tenacious focus. The rest will take care of itself.”

• Contentment – Stop thinking that if you had that “special thing” you’d be happy. Tend to your own, personal space. Wishing you had someone else’s life doesn’t yield any positive results. Instead of looking at what you don’t have and wish you did, want what you have, and improve upon it, if need be. This will entail work, but with your Seeds of Confidence and Trust, you’re good to go. Remember, The

grass is greener where you water it. ~Neil Barringham.

• Positivity – The Seeds of Positivity are the foundational seeds for your grounds. They are what give you the strength and fortitude to get up every day and tend to your life; to weed out the ugly and unnecessary because of the fetching vision you hold that lies just around the bend. To start planting Seeds of Positivity, the landscaper has to produce a mental shift. The language has to change. For instance, “My life sucks, I’m useless.” Change to, “My life is filled with potential. I will invest time and learn how to make it better.” Or, “What’s the point of planting Seeds of Positivity, nothing’s going to get better,” to, “I’m going to keep planting these seeds until they finally begin to sprout. I will do everything in my power to turn things around. I can and will do it. Nothing is stopping me but me.”

• Love – These seeds will turn your garden into a showstopper. With these Seeds of Love, you cannot lose. Weeds cannot survive. These Seeds of Love will catch the light and reflect your beauty

out and about. These are the seeds you want to have the most of in your garden. Get them from wherever you can and scatter your garden with them. You can spread the Seeds of Love to everyone you meet and collect it from family and friends. There is an abundance of these seeds to go around. Remember, you’re either coming from a place of Love or coming from a place of Fear. You get to choose with every interaction you have.

• Tolerance – These seeds are amazing. They work amazingly well with every other seed. In fact, these Seeds of Tolerance bloom best when surrounded by all the other august seeds. Seeds of Tolerance are all inclusive. No one is left out of the mix. Differences are tolerated because they are what make people, people; make life exciting and challenging. Cultivating the Seeds of Tolerance can be worked on by accepting that not everyone is like you. Differences in sexual orientation, belief system, intellectual acuity, political and religious views, are all part of the general landscape. All

those seeds make the whole landscape grand. Spread plenty of these Seeds of Tolerance. Watch them grow and multiply. You’ll see your circle getting larger, more diverse. This is what you ultimately want. Try it! You’ll be amazed at the beauty you create in your life. You are the landscaper of your portable garden. What do you want others to see? Beauty, variety, healthy growth? Or, weeds, lots of them, so rooted that it makes you, your life scape ugly?

It is your choice. You can continue disregarding your garden, letting the weeds control every imaginable space, or you can take charge of it. You can water, nurture, and tend to your fertile terrain. All the great seeds are readily available. It’s not necessary to go to a nursery to purchase them. They are free. Start working on your landscaping today. It’s a lifelong journey, so don’t despair. Having a green thumb doesn’t always come easy. It’s OK. Get some help if you need to. There are always other landscapers that are willing to share their knowledge so that your garden can bloom

like theirs! The soil has never been more alive and ready.

Rossana Snee, MFT, author of The Healing Alphabet, 26 Empowering Ways to Enrich Your Life. She is a wife, mother of two. She loves reading, writing, working out, painting, playing the viola and violin, and learning languages. Follow her on Twitter@askjoshsmom, Periscope.com, and https://www. rossanasnee.com.

She is available in a therapeutic capacity, and also for speaking engagements.

ABOUT ROSSANA SNEE, MFT

POWERFUL GLOBAL WOMEN FOUNDATION

SUPPORTING WOMEN AND CHILDREN GLOBALLY (03RD APRIL 2021)

Powerful Global Women Foundation in collaboration Royalty Kids Montessori School present A one day easter retreat for children and teenagers. Theme of the program was: The Total Child. The program includes reason for the season, cinema, POP quiz, music, baking and losts more. Mrs. Josephine, Phillip Itsuokor (Proprietress, Royalty Kids) was present as host. Over 100 children were in attendance during the program.

POWERFUL GLOBAL WOMEN FOUNDATION

CHILDREN RETREAT EVENT (12TH SEPTEMBER 2020)

We had various workshops for them during the gathering. We also gave facemasks each child that was in attendance. Over one hundred children attended the event. They were all fed as part of our tradition to do. A massive thank you to Ross Swan for supporting our mission.

This project was led by our amazing Vice-president (Mrs Josephine Itsuokor).

POWERFUL GLOBAL WOMEN FOUNDATION

COVID-19 PROJECTS

As part of PGWF mission to support more families during this challenged time, we have been able to hold two projects (one in April and the other on 13th July 2020). We distributed food supplies to several families and orphanage homes.

Our team lead by Mrs Josephine Itsuokor (Vice-president of PGWF) made these projects a success. We will continue to reach out to more families through the support of our global partners.

VICE PRESIDENT

MRS JOSPHINE PHILIP ITSUOKOR

Powerful Global Women Foundation (Powerhouse Charity) was founded in 20l6 in Nigeria, West Africa, by Lady Anita Duckworth-Bradshaw. The core objective of this organization is to transform the lives of women and children, through various projects centred around the need of the service group.

In 20l6 Lady Anita single handedly fed over 400 children as part of “project feed l000 children globally”, and held an empowerment conference for the women. Through this project, so many women have gone to do great things with the knowledge they gained from the event.

She recently held a life transforming event for women in Lagos, Nigeria as part of International women’s month celebration 20l8. The turnout was very encouraging. She is working towards supporting more families to keep their children and wards in school through” project back-to-school” starting in September 20l8.

We are seeking for global support from individuals and organisations who would love to be a part of this service to humanity.

To support us, please visit: www.powerhouseglobalwomen.com or email womanthepowerhouse@gmail.com or powerhouseglobalmag@gmail.com

CHARITY PROJECT: As part of our Global Annual commitment, we were able to successfully complete project feed the children 2019 mission. Over 150 children were fed at this year’s event. Powerful Women Global Foundation (PGWF ) is a charity set up by Lady Anita Duckworth-Bradshaw in 2016. The service users are women and children. To support PGWF, please email womanthepowerhouse@gmail.com