Perseverance is not always the answer

July 10, 2022 Melanie Hawken

by Kathy Mann

I enjoy reading entrepreneurial books and articles. I have a fascination with people’s passions and what makes them do what they do. I’m also a fan of research and while running a business I wanted to know more and to ensure I was doing the right things. I remember reading some quote about how success is just on the other side of feeling like giving up. Reading that advice was really detrimental for me, in fact. You see, I’m not a quitter. I persevered so much that my health collapsed. To be fair, I didn’t heed the advice in the same articles of weeding out toxic elements and doing what you love.

Exercise your Super Power

July 10, 2022 Melanie Hawken

by Safiyyah Boolay-Jappie

“Choosing” is the most important activity of your mind. "Choosing" is the most important activity of your mind. Yes, I wrote that twice. Because it is that important. I'll write it again. "Choosing" is the most important activity of your mind. Whether you are exercising choice in the moment or in respect of the bigger picture, choice is a proclamation to your subconscious mind and a prayer to the universe. Choice is the mechanism with which you harness and focus your resources and it is how you collaborate and co-create with forces beyond the comprehension of your logical mind.

A minha Carreira ou a minha família?

July 7, 2022 Melanie Hawken

Erica Paiva

A mulher empoderada dos dias de hoje, recebe essa questão quase todos dias de forma irônica como se nao pudesse escolher e tivesse que cegamente consentir que não existe a possibilidade de seguir com a carreira em detrimento da família, e apenas ao homem e dada essa possibilidade de poder aventurar na sua carreira acadêmica ou profissional e deixando o cuidado da família na responsabilidade da mulher. Mas será isso correcto?

27 Useful Facts About Communication

July 3, 2022 Melanie Hawken

by Laura M Camacho, PhD and Culture Fixer

Small changes in the way you communicate can bring big changes in the life you live. I see this reality every single day.

My ABC of business: Woman, stop being emotional about your business!

July 3, 2022 Melanie Hawken

by Lizl Naude

Woman, stop being emotional about your business! If you are a woman in business, you might feel offended by this! How can you say that Lizl? Well, as tough as it is to say...it's time to put the emotions away! And believe me, I am preaching to myself!

Why is it so difficult to ask for help?

July 3, 2022 Melanie Hawken

by Teboho Seretlo

In an article that I recently read, which led me to a TED talk with the same topic by Heidi Grant, I came across some very useful tips, coupled with a deeper understanding of why I am always struggling to ask for help. I used to be the top student in my class since primary school and getting a prize at every prize-giving ceremony was etched in my childhood memory. Seeing my parents sitting there and watching with pride as I stood up to claim my prize. I never participated in any sports. Could it be that the individual achievement was an incentive for me to perform well and that all the praises were for me and not a team? Could it be that I valued being viewed as an independent person who was good at solving her own challenges without “bothering” others and asking for help? Luckily, as I progressed in life, I quickly learnt that collaborating and asking for help is very normal and was not a sign of weakness on my part.

How to Press Your Internal Reset Button and Get Unstuck

July 3, 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.

My career or my family?

June 26, 2022 Melanie Hawken

Erica Paiva

The empowered woman of today receives this question almost every day in an ironic way. As if she could not choose and had to blindly consent that there is no possibility of pursuing a career to the detriment of the family, only to the man is given that possibility of being able to venture into his academic or professional career and leaving the care of the family in the woman's responsibility. But is that right?

Most People Think Imposter Syndrome Reveals Your Gaps. The Truth Is It Reveals Your Growth

June 26, 2022 Melanie Hawken

by Lori Milner

Imposter syndrome is not based on logic. The most successful people still experience the feeling that everyone will find out that they know nothing, that their success is based on luck, and that they don’t deserve to be there. It’s a debilitating pattern and one that can keep you playing small if you buy into your own story.

Create your underlying theme

June 26, 2022 Melanie Hawken

by Safiyyah Boolay-Jappie

Determining what our purpose is in life can be one of the hardest questions that we as humans are compelled to answer. It is the guiding light we seek to help us create value that is meaningful to us far beyond the remuneration, adoration and adulation we may enjoy from our worldly pursuits. Our purpose is also where we are challenged the most.

My ABC of business: How to gain the support of your clients, even though you disappoint

June 26, 2022 Melanie Hawken

by Lizl Naude

Recently in the span of 48 hours, I received complaints from two individual customers about product breakages. Because I am so pedantic about delivering a quality product, I was initially completely stunned. It felt like a barrage coming my way. I remember a heat rush going to my head, as I tried to make sense of it all. I took a deep breath and took a 5 minute walk before I replied.

Follow Your Bliss

June 18, 2022 Melanie Hawken

by Kathy Mann

I’m crazy about MasterChef Australia for a number of reasons. I am, of course, really interested in people who are changing their careers and who have the courage to switch paths, sometimes quite late in life. It’s so interesting to see how the contestants often comment on how they have grown as a person so much more than they anticipated. They entered the competition to gain skills and a head-start in becoming a chef. Not only do they all (not only the winner) pick up new skills in their chosen profession, but they push themselves to grow. In doing so, they discover a profound flow experience in the creation of food. It is a creative exercise and requires imagination, skill and knowledge. What an amazing journey they are taken on and it’s no wonder there are tears as each contestant is eliminated from the competition.

Your people don't want to come back to the office…

June 18, 2022 Melanie Hawken

by Paula Quinsee

We live in a world where we glorify professional stress, extensive work hours, extreme dedication. We live in a world where saying ''no'' to extra work is seen as a weakness. As a result you end up over-worked, exhausted, traumatized... which you then simply call ''the price of being successful’'. As my colleague Bogdan Manta says, ''Balance is not something you find; balance is something you create.''

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.

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