Be Fascinated With Yourself

June 18, 2022 Melanie Hawken

by Safiyyah Boolay-Jappie

Sometimes you just have a good day. Today was such a day!

On the brink of burnout and with a catastrophic loss of confidence after some challenging life events, my client reached out for some support. She wanted more confidence and to be more effective, more efficient, and more organised. According to her, she couldn't organise a drinks-party in a brewery. She lamented that she had been such a go-getter, but now was such a disappointment ... to herself, her family and her boss.

Keep moving!

June 18, 2022 Melanie Hawken

by Nontobeko Mbuyane

Most of us will experience hard choices, stressful events and difficult situations that will impact us in one way or another for the rest of our lives. Hard times happen and they teach us lessons, make us stronger, and give us a deeper sense of self. After all, would sitting in the sun mean as much if you hadn’t experienced the storm first? Elizabeth Taylor once said: “You just do it. You force yourself to get up. You force yourself to put one foot before the other, and darn it, you refuse to let it get to you. You fight. You cry. You curse. Then you go about the business of living. That’s how I’ve done it. There’s no other way.”

Moving Matters

June 11, 2022 Melanie Hawken

by Safiyyah Boolay-Jappie

By now, this probably doesn’t need mentioning, but I am mentioning it anyway. Moving matters. As a natural stress reliever, moving matters for your body, your mind, heart and soul. It is one of those mysterious things. When we get moving, it’s a restorative experience for us ALL ROUND.

What Do We Really Do When The Past Is Too Bitter?

June 11, 2022 Melanie Hawken

by Elohor Oderowho

Almost every successful person has had pivotal moments in their lives that nearly turned their worlds upside down – there was usually a setback, a traumatic experience or an event so painful that made them for a moment, stop believing.

The “why” of Your Why. A closer look at meaning and purpose

June 11, 2022 Melanie Hawken

by Ashika Pillay

The topic of purpose and meaning is often an uncomfortable one. One that feels heavy and sometimes feels undone. Do you know your purpose in life? Do I know mine? It’s sounds lofty and unattainable. We look at those who look like they have found theirs’ with envy and sometimes sadness. When will this bolt of enlightenment strike me too?

Women and Resilience

May 28, 2022 Melanie Hawken

by Elsa Figueiredo Tchikanha

Due to the financial crisis the country is facing as a result of the fall in oil prices and more recently the Covid-19 pandemic, part of the strategy of companies to avoid bankruptcy and remain competitive is to reduce costs, among which are lay-offs. The layoffs have been throwing a significant number of people into unemployment, and thus many women have no choice but to become entrepreneurs and start small businesses, from catering to personal shoppers and influencers.

Beware qualification fraud when hiring

May 28, 2022 Melanie Hawken

by Jenny Reid

Recently there have been interesting news articles relating to qualification fraud and with organisations where you would believe that the verification of qualifications was the norm.

How to Press Your Internal Reset Button and Get Unstuck

May 28, 2022 Melanie Hawken

by Lori Milner

When your laptop or phone begins to slow down to the point of unbearable speed, a wave of terror takes over you. You have horrifying visions of being without your precious device for a few hours. The good news is the simplest solution is often the most effective. Most likely, once you restart the device, it will work again perfectly. It’s the same with you. No matter what work you do or where you are in your career, you also feel as if your operating system is not functioning at its maximum capacity.

Growth Comes in Many Forms – Are You Ready?

May 28, 2022 Melanie Hawken

by Anja van Beek

One thing we know for certain is that we can’t solve today’s challenges with yesterday’s wisdom. We need to choose a growth mindset. What I have seen in my coaching practice is that if we don’t stretch ourselves, we are often nudged by some external event to be stretched to grow. But what does this mean? How do you embrace a growth mindset?

Are you Co-dependent?

May 22, 2022 Melanie Hawken

by Kathy Mann

In my corporate life I spent a lot of time mentoring graduates and I can tell you that it was the best part of my experience. Better than the projects that saved the bank millions. I felt appreciated and I knew that I was making a difference. The relationships were mutually beneficial even though the graduates thought that only they were getting something out of it. They were enthusiastic, grateful and eager to learn. I found working with them enormously rewarding.

Dear Entrepreneur, you can take a day off

May 22, 2022 Melanie Hawken

by Brigette Mashile

Many of my peers struggle with taking a day off. There are many reasons why, but it’s taboo to just not work for 24 hours. We fail. Especially in an era where all communication is tied to the phone, we keep it with us every minute of the day. You would have to switch it off the entire day to have a day off. And then, find a way to switch off your brain. Then, you need a day or two to actually get over the constant anxiety of wondering how it is really going without you!

How To Know What the Customer Wants, It Must Be A Priority

May 22, 2022 Melanie Hawken

by Josefa Massinga

Let’s talk about the importance of customer feedback. But what does feedback mean and what is its importance in our business? Being an entrepreneur it is not just about selling and profiting. As entrepreneurs we offer products or services that are sold with the aim of meeting a demand. Consumers have needs and buy what they think is important to them. Because we are in this area of selling products, it is very important to hear or know what they want.

Close Shop

May 13, 2022 Melanie Hawken

by Safiyyah Boolay-Jappie

Gone are the days when we clocked into our work day in the morning and clocked into the rest of our lives in the late afternoon. There was a clear separation between home life and work life and we could attend to the different parts of our lives without it being contaminated by the other parts of our lives. Where we were was where we were and we were able to give it our full attention.

What Exactly is Media Relations?

May 13, 2022 Melanie Hawken

by Felicity Cowie, The Media Relations Coach

Media relations is frequently muddled up with public relations and that is very unhelpful for businesses seeking media coverage. Fundamentally, media relations is about working with journalists. Whilst the intention is to ultimately reach the public (be it customers, investors, talent or the world at large) via media coverage, it’s critical to understand that in all media relations work your audience is journalists. And journalists are under no obligation to do what you ask. You have no rights to approve or request changes to their work otherwise it wouldn’t be the independent third party endorsement which makes it so valuable.

How Digital Transformation is driving Disruption in Wealth Re-Distribution

May 13, 2022 Melanie Hawken

by Nkemdilim Uwaje-Begho

I spent yesterday evening talking to my friend and leading wealth coach in Nigeria, Abiola Adekoya, on her maiden edition of Disruptors with Abiola Adekoya, an IG LIVE series focused on Disruptors, Industry Trends, Wealth Creation and how to navigate the 21st century with all its quirks and kinks.

Firebreak

May 13, 2022 Melanie Hawken

by Kathy Mann

This weekend I went on a women’s retreat. On the first night I admitted to the ladies that I was really there to escape my children. Of course, I also went to renew myself and spend some time alone. It is the first time I have attended a retreat and I’m glad to say that there were no intolerable team exercises or war cries. The activities included art, dancing and reflection (including guided meditation).

African Art as a financial asset but what needs to happen first?

May 7, 2022 Melanie Hawken

by Rewa Udoji

In Africa, Art has rarely ever been a priority. In schools, the Arts are considered a lesser educational endeavour and pursuing a career in this space has long been openly discouraged. On the transactional side, African Art collectors were seen as eclectic with most buying African art more for the aesthetics than as an asset - the latter attribute however, being assigned to art by international artists. In recent years however, African art has been accruing higher prices at auction houses all over the world. This, coupled with increased demand have placed a spotlight on the African art scene, highlighting a lively arena that had previously been viewed as unsophisticated by the international art community.

4 Ways you procrastinate without knowing it

May 7, 2022 Melanie Hawken

by Lori Milner

If you could stop one habit today, what would it be? As a professional coach and trainer, I have asked this question in hundreds of workshops, and without fail, the one habit that always comes up consistently is procrastination. Procrastination is the habit of putting off something until later. When you repeat this habit on a consistent basis, it becomes detrimental not only to your productivity but also to your emotional state. Feelings of self-hatred, self-criticism, judgement and fear taunt you when you’re at you’re lowest.

How to Manage Team Members Older Than You

May 7, 2022 Melanie Hawken

by Anja van Beek

We currently work in businesses where we find five generations in the workplace. This means if you’re a manager in your 30’s you’re most probably managing team members that are 10 or 20 years older than you. In my career as an HR leader for a multinational business, we have appointed many younger managers based on their leadership potential - not their technical skills - which resulted in them managing older team members. How do you feel about reporting to someone younger than yourself?

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