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Menopause Matters: So Let’s Talk, Know and Do More About It

SHE Malta — Wed, 16 Nov 2022 14:22:09 +0000

Written by Prabjit Chohan-Patel

SHE Malta is not qualified to offer medical advice nor proof of the efficacy of conventional or alternative treatments. This article should not be used to make any final decisions about perimenopause or menopause management or treatment. Its sole aim is to provide clarifications and information as a starting point for a consultation with your doctor to discuss the best route for you individually.

Today’s increased life expectancy means more women are living a third – even half – of their lives in a post menopausal state. As the SHE Malta community is made up of women who will either hit this life stage in the future or already have done so, we’re departing from our usual business-focused content and looking at this significant and inevitable health and life issue. An issue that the SHE Word host Trudy Kerr tellingly describes as “affect[ing] every single woman on the planet but the most un-talked about topic I think I have ever come across”. This is no exaggeration. Menopause and everything surrounding it seems to be the elephant in the room.

While we can’t cover this topic entirely, we will be addressing the main aspects in a three part series, starting with this article. Part 1 presents an overview of menopause, historically and sociologically and explains the biology of what happens to the female body and the consequent health implications. We’ll list the available options for symptom reduction and relief. Part 2 will look at HRT, the background, options, benefits and risks. Part 3 will address some common misconceptions about menopause and hopefully answer many of your own questions (including the ones you didn’t know you had!) in the hope of forging a path through the confusion.

Society…a brief history of menopause

Often referred to as “The Change”, menopause is a stage of life that all women – fortunate enough to reach a certain age – inevitably experience. While many things in life are a woman’s choice, menopause is not. It is unavoidable. The chain reaction it sets off is complex and goes way beyond the simplicity of its name (Greek: ‘meno’ = month, ‘pausis’ = cessation) and its impact on female health and quality of life is far-reaching and profound.

Yet for some reason, this significant health issue has often been misunderstood, misdiagnosed, overlooked or incorrectly treated. The hush hush taboo status that has been – and continues to be – attached to this part of a woman’s life has compounded the situation, resulting in generations of women feeling that menopause is an automatic life sentence of decay and deterioration to be simply endured in silence. In fact, some of us may recall it affecting our mothers/grandmothers/older sisters but not understanding what was ‘wrong’ with them.

Many societies have commonly viewed women going through this change as permanently depressed, crazy and written off as no longer useful (as if the physical and mental realities of menopause are not punishing enough). Vanessa Coleiro – brand consultant and natural health enthusiast – mentions that American women in the 1950’s were routinely told their menopausal symptoms were “in their head’ and that they were simply bored, attention-seeking housewives who should join the PTA!

Moira Delia, speaking on Trudy Kerr’s podcast admits people tended to react in shock when she mentioned she was in early menopause and also feels denial is a big issue.

It is also not inconceivable to suggest women (more so in certain parts of the world than others) are more likely to address the visible signs of midlife by going to a med-aesthetic practitioner for Botox, dermal fillers etc than they are to address the physical and mental aspect by going to a gynaecologist for HRT.

Menopause and Geography

The Western view of menopause as being something to be dreaded is vastly different from the one held by certain other cultures. The Japanese for instance appreciate this as a welcome transition towards renewal and regeneration. In New Zealand, traditional Maori culture respects middle aged women for the wisdom they can offer. And the Mayans value older women so greatly they place them at the very centre of their culture and community for the life experience they can teach future generations.

It’s worth noting that women’s symptoms vary according to country (lifestyle including diet could play a part in this). In her article “An Overview of Menopausal Disorders”, Dr Heidi Grech mentions that Japanese and Chinese women tend to suffer fewer symptoms than North American women.

Although we are beyond the decades-ago thinking mentioned earlier, menopause education and treatment has still not advanced to the level one might expect. And it seems to be a case of geographical lottery as the BBC also recently revealed. Depending on where one lives, the level of attention and support given to peri menopause management can vary greatly, either resulting in a woman feeling supported, well informed and able to make the right decisions for her health and quality of life. Or instead unaware, in physical discomfort, abandoned and helpless to take charge of her current and future medical safety.

A 2021 study conducted in the USA found 73% of women were not treating their menopausal symptoms and 45% of women didn’t know the difference between perimenopause and menopause.

On a positive note, many women themselves can feel liberated by no longer having to endure pain, weakness from blood loss, expenditure on sanitary products or limited activity due to monthly periods.

Awareness

The fact there is an entire month dedicated to menopause awareness each year perhaps bears proof of the incredibly common scenario that is emerging: many women themselves often fail to recognise what is happening to them or know what to do even when they have realised their body and health is changing negatively. The commentary I see on menopause forums, the interviews and research I’ve done (and indeed my personal experience) all confirm this.

As Yvonne Midolo, Podiatrist, says “Health literacy is not automatically connected to one’s intelligence”. Below are just a few of the discoveries I’ve made the last few years from talking to several friends across the UK, France, Germany and Malta:

-Many women revealed their difficulty in obtaining clear advice – some women ‘laughed out of’ their appointment by a dismissive doctor (in most cases male) unwilling to offer relief options to any woman under the age of 50.

-Conversely, three people in Malta said any ailment they mentioned to their GP was automatically associated with perimenopause with no discussion of other possible causes.

-Only two people – including myself – in their mid 50’s had done a bone density scan.

-Several of my friends have never seen a consultant or done independent research for HRT

-Hardly anyone had heard of perimenopause until their early 50’s (i.e. after it had finished)!

-Almost everyone was initially uncertain over which medical professional to see: general practitioner, gynaecologist, endocrinologist?

-Absolutely everyone said they no longer recognised themselves but couldn’t pinpoint when they started feeling this way.

On her podcast, Trudy admits she only discovered she was well into menopause after visiting a doctor regarding unexpected symptoms she was experiencing: “I had not prepared for it but of course, I’m 48 and you would expect that this might happen!,” she says, adding “I had never heard of perimenopause”.

Maybe it’s not so surprising then that Dr Olivia Anne Cassar, Malta-based gynaecologist, revealed that out of all her annual patients, only two visit her to discuss menopause (interestingly, these are usually expat, not Maltese patients).

What are the possible contributing factors?

-The inadequate infrastructure within many healthcare systems resulting in a lack of obvious, accessible and robust information on menopause – in stark contrast to the amount of information (depending on country) on other female health areas such as breast cancer screening, pregnancy and fertility, contraception, STD’s, cervical cancer screening etc.

-A tendency in many Western medical cultures to only deal with the mental aspect of menopause via antidepressants instead of adressing the other symptoms via HRT or supplements etc.

The frequent inability – and in many cases unwillingness – of partners or family to understand or provide support for their female partner’s/relative’s mental and physical state in midlife.

-The absence of guidelines or policies within the workplace to support female employees, a valuable and vital part of the economy – in menopause. (400k women resign annually in the UK due to the grave mental and physical impact of menopause – a huge amount of the workforce and skills force lost.)

Doctor, doctor.

In light of this, it is not that surprising that many general practitioners or family doctors are not well equipped to help patients in this area. Edinburgh GP Dr Maria, admits “Menopause is barely covered at medical school: the onus is really on individual general practitioners to ensure that they are up-to-date and knowledgable about current menopause management guidance, by paying to attend or study specific courses on the subject.”

In fact, a doctor I spoke to at a leading clinic in Malta admitted to feeling embarrassed at her lack of menopause knowledge. It also transpires that doctors only recommend synthetic HRT in Malta, despite there being a clinic offering customised bioidentical hormones.

So you could be forgiven for thinking menopause matters don’t…well…matter. But menopause is a hot (flush) issue…

So WHAT exactly are perimenopause, menopause and postmenopause?

In the bloom of life, the female body’s ovaries produce the key reproductive hormones oestrogen, progesterone and testosterone. Around ages 40-44 (on average), oestrogen levels decrease, throwing off the balance with progesterone. (Testosterone decrease is more a symptom of natural ageing rather than menopause.) This is perimenopause. As oestrogen and progesterone are both responsible for ovulation and menstruation, their decrease inevitably leads to unpredictable menstrual cycles. Perimenopausal hormone levels can resemble a rollercoaster, causing numerous symptoms including anxiety, mood swings, brain fog, hot flushes and increased sweating, all marking the transition towards the next stage.

Menopause (between ages 45-55, but most commonly 51 years) is defined as the point at which 12 months have passed since your last period. This is the stage where your body is making so little oestrogen that your ovaries stop releasing eggs altogether, causing the end of menstrual periods.

Once more than a year has passed after the last period, the body enters postmenopause. This stage defines the rest of a woman’s biological life, from which there is no return or further stage.

What does the female body experience?

The list of symptoms is long and the number and intensity of symptoms experienced varies between individuals. Some symptoms are short term and more prevalent in an individual stage eg perimenopause and other symptoms are connected to long term postmenopause health.

Physical:

Joint aches and stiffness (unrelated to previous illness or injury)

Weight gain

Increased sweatiness

Tension headaches due to hormonal changes

Low libido and pain from intercourse

Palpitations

Hot and cold flashes (most often together)

Night sweats

Osteopenia

Vaginal dryness (atrophy)/itching

Frequent urination

Incontinence

Increased fatigue

Hair loss: widening parting, receding hair line, thinning hair texture

Nail breakage and dry skin

Formication prickly skin sensation

Bleeding gums

Height shrinkage

Mental

Poor concentration (causing slower learning time) and brain fog

Confusion and less ability to think logically, plan simple tasks and make decisions

Memory loss (difficulty recalling everyday words, placement of items, names of people and places)

Clumsiness from impaired judgement of space and distance.

Emotional

Anxiety, overwhelm and nervousness

Feeling low and/or easily weepy.

Apathy, feeling directionless or uninterested in life, reclusiveness and withdrawing socially

Feeling invisible, loss of identity, self confidence, feminine self (also connected to physical sexual dysfunction above)

My menopause, your menopause.

No two women’s experiences are the same. Some women are lucky enough to pass through the various stages with mild symptoms and little physical discomfort while others suffer greatly, to the point where they can barely function. Chances are if you chat to a handful of friends, you’ll all have different stories and symptoms about the same natural physiological event!

Dr Olivia Anne confirms: “I have seen women who sail through these years without any problems and I have encountered patients who burst into tears in clinic as they cannot put on a spot of make up without it melting off their faces within the hour.”

A few things are certain: it is important to be aware of your symptoms in order to know what to do about them. And it is essential to be kind to yourself. Self care is not a nice-to-do but a must at this stage of life.

What options are available to relieve or minimise symptoms?

The adage prevention is better than cure couldn’t apply more and it is a good idea to take steps during the perimenopause years to increase your chances of a more comfortable menopause. Nevertheless, whatever stage of menopause you are at (peri, menopause transition or post menopause), it is not too late to tackle your symptoms as long as you do not leave it til many years after your last period. (Post menopause, if left unsupported, can have serious ramifications for long term health including osteoporosis, heart disease, osteoarthritis and dementia.)

Many women wish to address this stage in life as naturally as possible, without pharmaceutical intervention. This requires a ‘whole life style’ approach including the aid of:

– exercise – cardiovascular, weight-bearing, yoga, pilates

– consistent sleep schedule and sufficient rest

– diet high in proteins, vegetables and food groups that are low on the glycaemic index

– low to moderate alcohol consumption

– mindfulness – meditation

– acupuncture

– massage – abhyangha (Aryuvedic), aromatherapy and Swedish

– supplements

Interestingly, Vanessa Coleiro, Brand Consultant and Natural Health Enthusiast, has spent time studying the connection between liver and colon health and the endocrine system, discovering that menopausal hormonal imbalance is potentially worsened by a clogged up liver and colon. A big believer in the new generation of plant-based detox and power nutrition programmes, Coleiro is convinced that cleansing the liver and colon – thereby supporting the endocrine system – greatly reduces and even eliminates many significant symptoms including weight gain, hot flushes and poor sleep.

Supplement Me

The potential use of supplements for menopause is worthy of an article in itself (or even its own three part series!). Evening primrose oil, curcumin, moringa, turmeric, collagen, Vitamin D, calcium, red clover, black cohosh, Flaxseeds, Ginseng, Valerian have been shown to deliver benefit (to different degrees) when used with an understanding of dosage and potential side effects.

In addition, an increasing number of menopause-specific supplements are hitting the market, designed for those women not wishing to go down the ‘pharmaceutical HRT’ route. Companies such as Happy Mammoth and Better Body are tackling some of the most common symptoms such as the midlife tyre, hair loss and fatigue with a range of different products including Bloat Banisher and Provitalise. Biocare and Vitabiotics have been offering their own ‘complete menopause’ supplements for years.

Meanwhile, Femarelle® is another leading provider of menopause-focused supplements. Available in several territories worldwide, the Femarelle® range consists of three different lines designed to support different stages of the menopausal journey: Rejuvenate, Recharge and Unstoppable. We’ll be taking a closer look at how the Femarelle® products work in Part 2 of our Menopause Matters series.

HRT

Today, HRT is credited as being the most effective way of relieving the most common menopause symptoms and reducing the risk of osteoporosis and dementia. Combined HRT – oestrogen and progesterone – can either be taken in separate forms or both hormones are combined in one preparation called progestogen. Different factors influence what is prescribed for the patient. Oestrogen-only HRT is only for women who have had a hysterectomy.

HRT is available in three forms:

– traditional ‘classic’ synthetic (chemically produced and not identical to human hormones, sometimes the only form available in a country)

– body identical HRT (increasingly preferred, considered by medical professional as safest and available in many countries)

– bio identical (less commonly available depending on where you live and currently not FDA approved).

HRT can be taken in numerous ways such as oral tablets, sprays, dermal patches, creams, gels, vaginal pessaries and intrauterine coil, depending on the symptoms, medical history and needs of the patient. Not all methods are available in all countries or available in bioidentical HRT form. We’ll be delving into HRT more in Part 2 of our Menopause Matters series.

Let’s turn the tide.

Awareness campaigns are being seen in certain countries. Known media personalities such as Davina McCall are publishing books on menopause and raising an immense amount of publicity about the daily struggle of women in menopause. Conversations are happening aimed at destigmatising menopause. Gynaecologists are also more willing to prescribe HRT as treatment. It’s a step in the right direction.

As Dr Oliva Anne puts it: “Patients are also more aware that menopause is not something they have to endure but rather something they have to live through with a positive attitude. I feel this shift in mentality is a healthy one and I look forward to seeing it improve further in the coming years as I approach my own!”

DON’T MISS PART 2: “To HRT or not to HRT?”

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The Advantages of Using Pinterest to Help Grow Your Business

SHE Malta — Fri, 30 Jul 2021 08:44:42 +0000

Pinterest. The image sharing app we all turn to when looking for inspiration for recipes, home décor, style, DIY projects, arts and crafts, and more. Whilst many view Pinterest as another social media platform, the truth is that Pinterest is more of a visual discovery search engine – and we use it just as we would use Google search to find images of things we want to try and experience for ourselves. This concept is exactly what Pinterest wants of its users, with their mission being to bring everyone the inspiration to create a life they love.

And because Pinterest acts as more of a search engine for pinners that are looking for something to do, try or buy, this presents a huge opportunity for businesses globally. In fact, many renowned businesses have run targeted campaigns on Pinterest, including the likes of Burberry, Häagen-Dazs and Fenty Beauty, to help drive sales and increase brand exposure.

Let’s look at some of the stats:

– over 90% of active pinners claim that Pinterest guides their purchasing decisions

– 78% of pinners say content from brands on the platform is helpful

– 95% of the top searches on Pinterest are unbranded (meaning pinners are open to discovering new products and ideas)

– 2 billion searches are performed on Pinterest every month (remember that Pinterest consider themselves a search engine, and not a social network)

Despite there being over 100 billion pinned images and over 400 million international annual users, many brands fail to utilise Pinterest to its full potential as they don’t see how it could help them to grow, or add value to, their business. If you are a business owner, think of it this way; Pinterest is still a platform in its infancy, and is not yet as widely used as other channels such as Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. That being said, user base has been growing year on year since its launch in 2010 and this presents an opportunity, an opportunity to build a solid community on Pinterest before it becomes as saturated as other names mentioned previously.

Pinterest offers several advantages for businesses, namely:

– increasing brand exposure: get more eyes on your brand by creating shareable pins that sell your product or services

– driving traffic to your website: possibly one of the best things about Pinterest is that it drives traffic to your website. The interface makes it incredible easy for users to click through to a page on your site or article, simply by clicking on the pin itself

– increasing brand authority: by creating pins that clearly follow the same branding and colour scheme, users will begin to recognise your brand’s pins as being distinctly yours, and once you’ve established your brand’s authority and expertise in a relevant subject, pinners will recognise your brand, and that it is the place to go for said topic

– helping to convert browsers into buyers: since 95% of top searches are unbranded searches (for example – red sole shoes rather than Louboutins), every brand has the chance to be discovered

All of the above are great reasons to start promoting your business on Pinterest today! And so, if you are considering opening a Pinterest account for your business here are some tips and tricks to get you started on the right note:

1. Open a Pinterest Business account (not personal) and verify your site. This ensures you are in line with Pinterest’s terms and conditions, as well as allow you to access Pinterest analytics and ads.

2. Enable Rich Pins. Rich Pins pull titles and descriptions from your website and show this information directly on the Pin.

3. Create 3 to 5 boards for the area your business falls under, to make the subject matter of your brand and its products or services clear to users. This, however, is just the start. As content for your website increases and you become more familiar with pinning, you can (and should) pin each piece of content you produce for your website to at least 3 relevant boards.

4. Remember quality is critical and is applicable to pin quality, website quality, your overall account quality and the optimisation of boards and pins

>>Pin quality – pins should always be vertical and use dimensions of 1000 x 1500px (aspect ratio of 2:3)

>>Website quality – ensure site is verified and Rich Pins are enabled

>>Account quality – consistency with pinning and overall quality of your boards and pins in terms of SEO and engagement. Accounts consistently creating new content are considered of a higher quality

>>Optimisation of boards and pins by using relevant keywords (see next point)

5. Pinterest SEO. Just like with the search engines we are all familiar with, SEO is just as important for Pinterest. Keyword research still needs to be carried out, albeit not in exactly the same way (it’s actually much easier on Pinterest!).

6. Keywords should be used wherever possible to clearly indicate what your page and profile is about. Keywords should ideally be placed in your display name, profile description, board titles, board descriptions, pin titles and pin descriptions! Always, of course, in a natural fashion so as not to keyword stuff as this can come across as spammy!

>> Written by SHE member; Sarah Borg Barthet. Sarah is the founder and editor of Dukes Avenue – a luxury lifestyle online resource for the modern woman.

Sarah also seeks to educate readers and aspiring entrepreneurs on the world of SEO, and all of the undiscovered opportunities and possibilities that come with it. She offers an online course, private sessions or group trainings.

Follow Dukes Avenue on Pinterest here.

The post The Advantages of Using Pinterest to Help Grow Your Business appeared first on SHE.

A Story About Right Timing

SHE Malta — Mon, 14 Jun 2021 07:26:24 +0000

Written by; Andrea Britton – Mother, Singer, Songwriter, Brand & Marketer and the Founder of Gozo In The House – A Digital Platform For Gozo.

Malta became my second home nearly 15 years ago. I had a string of tunes hit the Maltese charts back in 2006 and travelled a lot performing all over the world in that time, but as my Gozitan manager of ten years will confirm, there was always an unmistakable pull to return here. Who knew I would later call the little island he grew up on, home.

Over those years, I raised a son, got married and began a second career in preparation for when I hung up my touring shoes. I learned a lot. I was always working on projects, businesses and events – mine and other peoples, and in March 2012, I launched a project in Malta, called GETMALTA, aimed at uniting Maltese businesses and creatives in one online space. The first glimmer of what has now become Gozo In The House. There was very little in the way of online hubs and resources on Malta at that time – especially when it came to the arts, culture and lifestyle. The project had huge potential and great support from all the right people, but it just wasn’t the right time.

Not long after the launch, I was asked to support Kylie Minogue on a global tour and as a young, ambitious artist, I jumped at the chance to travel around the world singing my heart out with a superstar! Leaving the GETMALTA project felt like such a big deal but it became clear my energy was required elsewhere and I knew I had to follow what had presented itself, no regrets.

By 2017, I felt I had finally reached a place in my career when I could be proud of myself. All the blood, sweat and tears were finally paying off! I was busy, I was earning. That equals success, right? [shakes head]

But at that very time, I burned out. I had reached the point of no return and felt completely lost.

The truth of it was, I hadn’t stopped for twenty years. Consistently pushing forward with little reflection had resulted with me at the bottom of my own list. I have always been firmly rooted in my heart but somehow I had found myself up in my own head and rarely in my body and at the height of this crash, I decided to follow in my husbands’ footsteps, literally, and walk the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage. By the end of that painfully exhilarating but life-altering 300k hike, I knew I had to make some hefty changes. My London life was no longer serving me and after lots of soul-searching we ended up moving to Gozo.

Finding myself at the beginning again was such a scary process. I had to re-think my whole identity and leaving my grown-up son, and my wonderfully (comfortable) internal and external family was a big deal.

I spent the next two years, in the bosom of Gozo’s healing energy, understanding and tending to my wounds and learning to know and love myself again. Mainly, I learned the essential art of putting myself first. Having always been heavily invested in the evolution of the collective, and a feeler of energy, this was one of my biggest life lessons to date. The oxygen mask simply has to go on me first, before I could even attempt to help anyone else and deciphering the intricate differences between my own energy and the energy of others is ongoing and wonderfully fulfilling practice. Now – it makes total sense that this learning had to take place far away from everything and everyone I knew!

“Timing is everything. If it’s meant to happen, it will, at the right time for the right reasons.”

I am so grateful to Gozo, for the opportunities for such intense growth. It was time to give back. Fast-forward eight years (almost to the day) from the birth of GETMALTA, I launched Gozo In The House. The rest is a short history to most, but a long one for me! In those eight years, a lot had happened, enough it seems, for the project to be birthed and do what it needs to do now…at the right time. Looking back, especially when I feel challenged, I realise I have numerous examples of when I had to trust my inner compass. Of course, I made mistakes and circumstances were learned from, but these have proved vital for my personal and professional growth.

The classic question echoes through my mind; ‘What advice would you give your young self today?’. My answer is simply to trust your intuition, as it will never let you down. All I had to do was reconnect and start listening, once again – to mine.

That being said, it has been no easy ride starting a business in a foreign country, especially launching when the world was shutting down and the horrific effects of the Covid 19 virus were sweeping across the globe like a steam train. I have found difficulties with slowing down my pace, relearning a culture I thought I knew well, not to mention finding the right people to believe in me and help me on my journey, this part has felt almost impossible at times. There have been countless days when I wanted to give up, throw my laptop out the window and cry in a heap on the floor! But, always, within those moments, I am reminded of all the things I already know and all the things I don’t and more importantly – that my instinct is never wrong. So I stop the self-sabotage, give myself a warm inner hug (and most probably reach for the chocolate) until the storm clouds pass and I have the spring back in my step to face another day.

I have always been a deep believer in alignment, cycles and things happening for a reason. There has to be times of both light and shade, night and day, good and bad and along with the bad, there will always be a silver lining somewhere. If things are meant to be, they have a habit of finding their own way through don’t you think?

It could seem unfitting to speak about such things when we have lost so many of our loved ones due to Covid, but a bright side does exist that can honour the pain and I have found focusing on the positive aspects will no doubt cultivate more of those brighter moments. Everyone on the team at GITH started their own project during the pandemic. Aligned with heart and love, our collective aims are to serve our communities, work together and create positive change where we can.

Personally, I get butterflies at the thought of the numerous people who have aligned with their true purpose through these dark times and who have created heart-led projects and businesses. To think of the positive effects these will have on our collective future is nothing short of joyful.

To summarise, I am so incredibly grateful for the opportunity to give this old idea new life on Gozo. Timing is everything. If it’s meant to happen, it will, at the right time for the right reasons. I feel aligned with the island on an intensely deep level and will continue to work from a place of heart with the amazing GITH team to do it justice.

>> For more about Andrea, find her here; Website | Facebook | Instagram | Video

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Top tips for re-igniting your mojo in pandemic times

SHE Malta — Sun, 18 Apr 2021 14:13:13 +0000

As the pandemic drags on, many of us are feeling like our tanks have run dry and our energy and motivation have been drained. The term ‘COVID fatigue’ has been bandied around and many are definitely feeling tired by endless hours stuck to computer screens at home, living with restrictions, and not being able to engage in work and personal life as we used to. Some of our businesses have been impacted and uncertainty about the future may weigh upon us. And with the end not yet in sight, we do wonder how much more we need to contend with? We know there will be an end, but we don’t know when, and living in limbo seems to drain our energy and enthusiasm, leaving us feeling somewhat demotivated.

Often after a long-term illness, where there is physical tiredness and lack of energy, patients are prescribed some kind of revitalizing tonic to help them recuperate and build up their strength again. In a similar fashion, what are some useful strategies we can engage in to positively boost our emotional energy, motivation and morale as we continue to deal with the challenges of this pandemic? How do we get our mojo back? Here are some top tips to inspire you:

1. Reconnect to purpose and vision

It is easy to lose track of why we are doing what we are doing, as well as where we are headed, especially in this ever-changing landscape of the pandemic and the uncertain future we face. Use this time to reflect and to remind yourself of what you are passionate about in your work and the ‘why’ that guides what you do. What do you love most about what you do? What motivated you to enter into this work in the first place? What meaningful contribution do you make to your colleagues, team, organization, customers and society as a whole? How does that contribution make a positive difference to each of these? Connecting to meaning and purpose is known to be one of the main pillars to wellbeing and a great driver of motivation. And if you want to be even more inspired watch this great TED talk by Simon Sinek, the author of “Start With Why”.

Also review where you are heading with your work or business. If things can work out well, if you can navigate the challenges of this pandemic successfully, where do you want to see yourself and your business in a year or two? What does your best possible future look like? One strategy I found particularly useful in past challenges was to create a Vision Board. I answered the above questions and then created a visual representation of my answers on a board, adding pictures, phrases, colors, quotes, strengths and mottos to create a collage of my aspirations for my work. I placed this vision board on the wall above my desk and every time I felt disheartened or discouraged, I would look at that board and it would excite me and remind me to keep persevering to accomplish my dreams!

2. Set SMART goals

When I work with organizations I often get them to set some BHAGs (Big Hairy Audacious Goals). These goals are linked to setting the vision for the future direction of the company. I tell them to dream big! But then over the following months we work at breaking those BHAGs down into smaller, more accomplishable goals, taking a step-wise approach to achieving the dream.

In this pandemic, the wider, more long-term goals can feel almost unreachable at times or else like they will require us to overcome big hurdles, and sometimes this can feel overwhelming and deflating. Instead, break down the goals into smaller chunks, making sure they are realistic and can be achieved in a shorter time span. Think about how you will measure successfully accomplishing these and then when you do, ensure that you reward yourself for each milestone you overcome. Breaking down bigger goals into more tangible, achievable steps can help you stay focused and on track, and is a great way to boost your motivation and keep going!

3. Create new routines

When one day seems to morph into another, it is often easy to aimlessly drift through our days on auto-pilot. Mixing and matching your daily routines, so that each day is different is a great way to re-energize yourself and create more interest in your day. One day you might start your day with a vigorous walk, another day may begin with some mindfulness meditation, or perhaps some stretching and yoga. Alternatively change the time of day that you might engage in these.

Some days you might choose to have a virtual lunch with your colleagues, other days you might make a packed lunch and drive to the sea or countryside and take a relaxing break in nature.

The important thing is to create a different schedule each day, building in some self-care daily, to counteract the stresses of these difficult times we are living and working in. You will soon see how revitalized you feel and ready to plow this renewed energy and zeal back into your business!!

4. Invest in social connection

‘No man is an island’ yet this pandemic has left many struggling with social isolation, especially those who are solo-preneurs and running their own business. Even if you are not working alone, working remotely can be lonely too and many say they are missing the camaraderie that we experience at the office when we can chat and connect in the coffee room, during lunch breaks or going off for drinks after work. This too can really dampen our motivation.

So what do we do? Try to set up a virtual lunch with colleagues once or twice a week, or else virtual cocktail hour at the end of your working week, where you all get glammed up even if it’s just for an online drink together, you will be surprised at how much something simple like this can uplift you, especially if you each play one of your inspirational songs to really motivate you!

Another option I have tried and loved is creating virtual ‘accountability workgroups’. Myself and some other business owners set up regular slots in the week where we want to focus and get work done, and we create a zoom room to work together in, which makes us feel like we are in an office, and helps us focus better and be accountable. We set targets for each half hour sprint and check in with each other to see what we have accomplished and support each other if someone gets stuck.

And finally one of the biggest motivators can be joining a community of like-minded people with regular events where you can get together to support and encourage each other. The SHE hub members group has been one of those for me, and getting to connect to others who are on a similar mission, as well as learning new things from each other or from guest experts has been inspiring and uplifting! The atmosphere has been so genuine and authentic, everyone wishes the best for each other and cheers each other on, and hearing other people’s challenges and successes has encouraged me to keep going and ploughing on. So if you have not already joined, I highly recommend it – it’s definitely got the essential ingredients to revive your mojo!

>> Written by SHE member; Mireille Pellegrini Petit. Mireille is a Positive Psychology Coach and Trainer. She has completed a combined Masters degree in Positive Psychology and Coaching Psychology, and has a special interest in Positive Organizational Psychology. Mireille is the founder of Thrive Positive, a practice that offers positive, strengths-focused leadership and team coaching programs with a mission to help businesses, organizations or teams to develop positive leadership and workplace practices, so that they and their employees can thrive and flourish.

Beyond helping leaders and their team members optimize their performance to materialize their full potential, Mireille has a mission to “humanize” workplaces, by helping businesses prioritize the wellbeing of their workforce and empowering them to build “cultures of care”, where people feel valued and appreciated.

The post Top tips for re-igniting your mojo in pandemic times appeared first on SHE.

Pathways to success: An interview with Little Isle Studio founder Becky Kamsky

SHE Malta — Fri, 18 Sep 2020 11:35:09 +0000

On the 30th September, we’ll be welcoming digital marketer and social media strategist Becky Kamsky to lead an exclusive online workshop “Your Brand in a World of others”. Becky is no stranger to the SHE platform. Last November she photographed beautifully, our end-of-Year event capturing the day’s most memorable highlights.

Over the past decade, she has worked internationally creating ROI focused digital strategies encompassing every channel in the digital space.

In this interview, we explore more about the woman behind the brands Rebekah Kamsky Photography and Little Isle Studio whose passion for helping female start-ups is what drives her.

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You are the sole founder of a photography and digital marketing business, how do you manage to stay on top of the load?

The beauty of working in digital marketing and photography is that they are very complementary of each other. So, often when I work with a client I can give them a complete experience where together we can take a seed of an idea and turn it into a brand, a website, a photoshoot, social media campaign and bring all of the elements to life. There is no getting lost in translation from one provider to the other and this is something that most clients really value when working with me.

I’m regimental with my working day and working hours and have set up efficient processes and use several tools which I have learnt over the years to ensure I have the best time management in place. I have a good morning routine which keeps me sane and ensures that I remain creative and up to speed with what’s going on, and furthermore allows me to disconnect. It wasn’t always easy and at times it still isn’t easy, but I am constantly learning and growing and finding new ways of doing things.

I never over commit and always accept work that I know I can deliver on and will enjoy doing as it will align with my own values. When you’re enjoying the work it some how keeps things in flow.

What are the kinds of services you offer at Little Isle Studio?

At Little Isle Studio we are intentionally working with passionate, committed and driven businesses, creatives and entrepreneurs to outfit their business with stunning, timeless and functional design and all types of digital marketing support. This includes digital marketing strategy development, social media planning and content creation, website design and development, branding as well as photography. While it is lead by myself, I have now built a team of creative freelancers who are called in on a project by project basis. Our studio is also listed as an accredited supplier of the EU Scheme. Which means we can also support businesses and startups in getting funding for website creation through EU projects such as the ERDF business grant scheme.

Furthermore, In the last two years I’ve also added mentorship to the list of my services and it’s a space that I’m really passionate about and excited to see grow.

Something that a lot of people don’t know also is that every year a percentage of our profits contribute towards https://theschoolfund.org/ and OneGirl.org to help fund scholarships for high potential students who can’t afford to attend school. We are also working closely with the founder of a school for a rural community in Siem Reap, Cambodia. Thus when someone chooses to work with Little Isle Studio they are contributing and having a direct impact on helping out someone else in the world.

Who are some of the female brands you’ve worked with. What is it that draws you to this particular clientele?

Probably because I am a female founder myself, I’m extremely passionate about supporting and uplifting other women. I love knowing I can help someone realize their dreams because I also know what it feels like when someone helps me achieve my own.

Some female driven brands I have worked with, whether in photography, digital marketing or website design include: Pippa Toledo, L’Allee, The Dressing Room Malta, Bijou Michiko, Alaria, Saz Mifsud, Active Spirit, Cycle Seeds, Gaia and Nina, and Amy Camilleri Zahra.

You’ve worked internationally throughout your career of over 10 years. What are some of the skills you’ve learnt and implement in your work today?

Having worked in Melbourne, Australia as Head of Digital for a large agency for several years on very large and varied accounts, I really learnt a lot about the creative process, people management and how to find ways to deal with maximising time and budgets as efficiently as possible. I’ve been extremely lucky to have worked with some brilliant minds and incredible creatives over the years in all parts of the world.

The digital marketing world moves at a frightening speed with new updates and changes taking place daily. You need to be prepared for (and willing to embrace) change in your career too. To succeed it’s best to be someone who is not only open to change, but someone who thrives on it (and almost fears being stagnant).

Has Covid affected the way you do business? How so?

Yes, it hasn’t been easy. I obviously had to pivot quite a bit and focused all of my energy in helping support my clients get through this hard time.

Also, it’s been quite hard being a mum of a toddler and having to cope with working with 101 distractions a day. I’ve had to shift my hours to early morning and late evenings and find ways to cope with it all.

In some ways it has been extremely rewarding too as I have helped businesses who had to shut shop – re-open online and regain losses they would have otherwise incurred.

What would you say has been a win for you this year, given so much uncertainty?

When Covid first started I sort of resided in the fact that I would lose a lot of clients and that work would be hit hard. I’m quite a positive person, so I decided to shift my energy early in the day to opportunities that may exist even in times of crisis and challenge. That was a huge win for me because I was pleasantly surprised by the outcomes of my efforts to think outside the square and grow in times when I would have otherwise thought I might not even see any growth at all.

The biggest win of all though is as I mentioned earlier, is knowing that I could be of help to those facing extremely challenging times. Knowing that I offered some value and helped some businesses survive is a massive win for me personally.

You’ve often described what you do as a “holistic experience”. Tell us more.

The importance of digital strategy is not seeing things in ‘silos’, but seeing the holistic experience a consumer has on their customer journey and the many touch-points they can encounter your brand. Knowing these touch points means knowing how many opportunities there are out there for you to grow and succeed in each channel.

I’m a firm believer that digital marketing is not limited to just paid campaigns, and that an effective marketing strategy is not just one funnel, but a virtuous circle, where each part of the strategy feeds into the next.

Having studied business, graphic design, photography and having the experience of working in various digital roles means I can genuinely give my clients the comprehensive holistic insights and experience they need to really get the most out of every strategic workflow and campaign.

What is often the result (or results) of combining your skills in photography and graphic design?

It’s extremely helpful when you have someone who can combine the aesthetics of graphic design with the creative eye of photography. In today’s world most especially its absolutely crucial, when social media and digital, require so many visual elements and content. You simply need an extremely practical mindset to think ahead of all the elements you will require, with all the variations you will need your assets to include. For example, when doing a shoot at the back of my mind, I will not only be thinking about the beauty of the photo, but also about the clients needs for their website, their social media, the size variations of where they will have to upload their shots (e.g instagram, instagram stories, website landscapes, etc), the space they may need for graphic design elements and so many other aspects. It’s something my clients always say they are so grateful for having worked with me because I take a big bulk off their workload.

You’ve suggested having goals you’re consistently working towards, what are these?

I always set myself yearly goals, but pivot when I think they are unrealistic or when things change. Right now, my goals are to continue working with businesses that bring me joy and that I feel I can add value to. Also, to grow my mentorship programme and work closely with more female entrepreneurs. I’m also hoping to start a podcast at some point too.

In much the same way, my goal for the next year is to invest in myself, and take some further risks in my business which means growing the team and learning to delegate, and work with my own business mentor and build trust to maximise my own potential.

When I set my goals, I always check in with the following – Why am I doing what I do, does it bring me joy, does it meet my current lifestyle needs, is it aligned with my values, does it allow me to give back, and does it make me feel positive?

Our online Workshop – “Your Brand in a World of others” is coming up on the 30th September. What can participants expect from this live and interactive session?

Here’s what you can expect from this wonderful workshop:

? The Algorithm – Why is it always changing? Is it always changing? Why is it so hard? What should I be doing?
? Brand Assessment – Identifying your voice.
? The importance of knowing your content pillars in social media
? Understanding how to use these pillars in the context of your brand presence on social media
? Using competitor insights to your advantage
? How to be consistent and make the best use of time management
? How to overcome content blocks
? Influencers – Should I work with them? How can I work with them? What approach to take.
? When you hit a content block – hacks to overcome
? The importance of video
? Tools I use constantly and why I think they can be valuable for you too
? Your other digital components – tying into your core brand and digital strategy
? The importance of having a holistic strategy

What is your biggest marketing obstacle at the moment? Let’s tackle it together! I’m excited to see you all at the workshop!
Thanks again to SHE for this wonderful opportunity.

Get your tickets for “Your Brand in a World of Others” online workshop here.

The post Pathways to success: An interview with Little Isle Studio founder Becky Kamsky appeared first on SHE.

Where Focus Goes, Energy Flows: Interview with A Life I Choose Founder Emma Hogg

SHE Malta — Thu, 27 Aug 2020 17:38:57 +0000

Meeting Emma and later her participation as a special guest in a number of our events are some of the most wonderful moments in our community’s history. Through her, we were able to open our senses to what truly needed to be learnt…ways to focus our energy, discover our drive, build on ambition and gain confidence in the process.

As we prepare to welcome Emma back to lead a virtual workshop – Charge Up Your Ambition on the 16th September 2020, we put to her a set of questions to gain more insight into the woman behind A Life I Choose and the influence she has and indeed has had, over many of us the last few years.

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Emma, you’ve come a long way since first appearing on our panel back in February 2018. Tell us what it was like for you to start up at the very beginning. What inspired you to do so?

That panel was a lot of fun and I met so many wonderful people!

Starting up at the beginning felt like a lot of experimenting. I hadn’t yet developed a clear vision for A Life I Choose – it was more of a gut-feeling and I followed that all the way and I still do. All I knew was that I wanted to share what I had gained through my own journey of personal development with others. I had no thought of a business at the time or of how to make money, I just wanted to dialogue with people about all things therapy and personal growth.

What events have been the most transformational in your career so far?

There was a time when A Life I Choose was starting to become more recognizable, but I struggled to make it financially profitable, and I felt so dis-empowered and frustrated by this that I committed to myself to find a way, whatever it took, to transform A Life I Choose from a blog into a thriving business.

I had no idea what I was doing as I had never done it before, so I got mentors. I invested more money than I had into seeking guidance from the best mentors I could possibly find, I flew overseas to work with them and I researched people who were successful and I studied their stories.

Following my intuition, I applied the strategies that I felt would work best and within 1 year, my practice was full and I had increased my income by 800%. So, the most transformative events have been those moments when I’ve made a decision to change something; those moments when I committed to myself to figure out something that I’ve never done before. There’ve been several of these events. This is just an example.

Do you believe that mentors are needed to support budding entrepreneurs?

Absolutely. Entrepreneurship is a game of constant learning. A business is either growing or dying, and in order to grow, you need to be on the edge of your comfort zone, stretching yourself, learning new things. To learn, you need teachers – whether virtual or in-person. This is where mentors come in.

So, mentors aren’t just necessary for budding entrepreneurs, they’re necessary even for seasoned entrepreneurs.

It’s important that you choose your mentors wisely. Don’t just settle for whoever is closest to you; choose the people who are generating the results that you want and then go learn from them. Also, be willing to pay for their input whether it’s through your time, your energy, or your money. Giving to them, ultimately is an investment in yourself, because you’ll be learning big time. And choose mentors who challenge you. Being challenged by someone who wants to see you succeed is a real gift.

Are there any particular individuals/mentors who have helped guide you along your path?

Tony Robbins is a massive mentor for me; especially when it comes to personal transformation and business. I’ve invested a lot into learning from him and being mentored by his coaches. Other mentors of mine include:

Esther Perel, who I’ve learned from in her online supervision sessions – she’s taught me immensely about the process of therapy and relationship dynamics.

Lidija Pecotic who is local, was a game-changer in my life. I wouldn’t have got to where I am today without her teaching me the processes of healing and therapy.

Alex & Mimi Ikonn, Seth Godin, Joe Dispenza, Sara Blakely…the list goes on and on. There are so many amazing people to learn from, and we have access to some of the greatest minds on our planet thanks to the internet, so we’re never limited. Anything we need to learn, we just have to look for it and it’s out there.

Personal development and mindset change are themes which feature prominently in your work. Why so?

80% of success is due to mindset, 20% is strategy. You can have the most amazing strategy, but if your mindset focusses on “problems” (which the majority of people do), you’ll have one hell of a hard time growing your business.

50% of businesses die in their first 4 years, and another 40% die in the next 5. And the ones who survive aren’t necessarily thriving, many are just surviving. A lot of people put not reaching the results they want down to luck and circumstance – they’ll say that they had a bad year, or that the economy wasn’t right or no one was listening to them. But if you are fully committed to your outcome, you’ll find a way no matter what. What’s important is that you constantly train yourself to shift your focus from “problem” to “solution”.

Your mind will go to problems and that’s not a bad thing; it’s important to identify what’s not working. But whatever you focus on grows, so when you get stuck on the problem, you create more of it. You need to get into the habit of asking yourself, “Even with this challenge, what’s my outcome and how am I going to get there?” And whenever your mind tells you, “I don’t know”, you answer it with, “If I did know, what would I do?”

Your work mostly involves helping others to discover their potential and develop a healthier way of thinking and living. Can you think of a time when you needed this guidance/healing yourself?

For sure. I study what I study because I needed to learn it. When I was in my teens I had an eating disorder and I struggled with anxiety and depression. In my 20s, I was diagnosed with a chronic physical condition and the general medical consensus was that there wasn’t much to do about it but live with the agony and take medication. At 30, I had a stroke.

I found myself feeling very lost at several moments in my life, and my way out was always through learning and growth. It became really clear to me at a young age that my life was my responsibility and that no one was going to bring me the results I wanted on a silver platter. I had to go out and create them for myself. Also, my parents have a kick-ass work ethic and that rubbed off on me.

I’m super grateful that life has challenged me in every way that it has because I’ve learned not to take it for granted. It could end at any moment, so I’m not going to waste it.

What advice would you give to others who’ve experienced similar?

Don’t stay alone. Get the best mentors you can possibly find. Whether in person, or virtually, choose people who will challenge you to find the strength within yourself to create the quality of life that you want. That’s what you want ultimately – you don’t want someone else to save you, you want to save yourself.

We’ve always been in awe of the energy your bring to your audiences, so much so that you almost make it look effortless. Tell us in a few words, what it takes to plan your annual event the A Life I Choose “New Year’s Evolution”?

Thank you! It’s not effortless! 😀 It takes a lot of energy and months of planning, but it’s totally worth it every time someone tells me, “I set this target at your workshop and I achieved it.” I’ve seen people participate in races they never thought they’d be able to, I’ve seen people start their own really cool businesses, I’ve even seen people on the verge of relationship breakdown, recommit to and reignite their passion for each other. The transformation is incredible, and the fun we have together is infectious!

How do you intend to transfer some of this knowledge and passion into your upcoming SHE workshop – Charge Up your ambition on the 16th September?

Through my work (and my own experience of building A Life I Choose), I know that people struggle most when they don’t have a clear vision for what they want. When we haven’t chosen a desired outcome for our work, we end up reacting to everyone else’s demands of us and we end up exhausted, frustrated and unfulfilled.

There’s nothing that gives me more satisfaction than guiding people to connect with themselves and their big dreams and creating a pathway to the career they desire. I’m super excited to share this with you all at the workshop and also to meeting all the passionate people there!

For tickets to Charge Up Your Ambition Online! Click here.

Do you have any words of wisdom for those searching for a better life plan during these times of grave uncertainty?

Remember that it’s not our circumstances that determine our fate, it’s our psychology, so always shift your focus from problem to solution. Ask yourself, “Even with these limitations, how can I deliver utmost value so that I can generate the results that I want?” Then, commit to your outcome no matter what, and when your strategy doesn’t work, no problem, adjust it and have fun.

**Towards the end of 2020, Emma will be launching her first digital course through A Life I Choose that will lead you to create a kick-ass career you’ll love! To stay up to date, follow her on her socials; Instagram, Facebook and Youtube

The post Where Focus Goes, Energy Flows: Interview with A Life I Choose Founder Emma Hogg appeared first on SHE.

Greening the Grey: Interview with the ladies behind Vivacity

SHE Malta — Sat, 27 Jun 2020 06:52:13 +0000

From time to time we come across innovative and forward-thinking projects which grow our garden of curiosity until it begins to overflow! In this interview, we hear from two inspiring women Vanya Veras and Pia Vassallo, who have embarked on creating a business that offers a unique, highly sustainable product and service helping to transform homes on the Maltese islands. Their brand is “Vivacity” and their business model – “A Mediterranean green rooftop ecosystem that can survive the oven-hot weather and desiccating winds just like the wild plants do, with little water.” Following this intriguing summary, here’s a bit more of what we learnt from the women behind the brand…

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Ladies, you sound very inspirational to us already. Tell us more about yourselves…how and why did you begin this journey?

Vanya: I have always felt very close to nature and because of this, chose a career in environmental protection. Growing up in Athens and the Peloponnese, I’d be be up a tree reading a book, lying in the grass, gardening with my father, riding my bike and walking in nature for hours on end. Initially this led to Brussels and working in environmental legislation – primarily waste management. During my 6 years working in Greece, I met a green roof system developer and was fascinated by his understanding of the local ecosystem and how when applied to a roof, it could dramatically reduce energy consumption. This led me to analyse how much CO2 could be avoided and absorbed as this was a way to counter climate change. I worked with him for 3 years before returning to Brussels and at the end of 2016, moved to Malta. During our first summer here, I felt the dust and the extreme heat in our house which forced me to put on the air conditioning – something I truly dislike, both as I find it unhealthy and because of all the energy it consumes. I then found that as soon as the air-conditioner was switched off, it was as though it had never been on. At this point I said to myself that I just had to bring the benefits of green roofs and green walls to Malta!

Pia: I feel happiest when I am in nature. I would choose wellies and flip flops over high heels any day! I remember reading an article on global warming and sustainability in my late teens. These were novel concepts to me but it was from that moment that I became aware of the environment and the consequences of our actions on the planet.
At University I met one of Malta’s pioneers in environmental activism – “Choppy”, Julian Manduca. He taught me a lot, making me aware of certain environmental and social issues I hadn’t known about previously. A few years after University, I left Malta and settled in the UK, remaining there for 15 years. Here I worked in media and education while raising a family in the Sussex countryside. In this part of the world, sustainability, respect for nature and organic farming were very much part and parcel of every day life. This became a lifestyle for me so when I came back to Malta 7 years ago, it was hit by a huge culture shock! The reason we returned to the island, was for a more laid back Mediterranean lifestyle, yet we discovered it was the opposite. Malta had changed so much!

Suddenly from being very much immersed in nature, I was living in a concrete jungle. The construction, the dust, noise pollution, lack of urban green spaces, traffic jams, made me feel helpless.

So when Vanya asked me to join her as a business partner I jumped at the opportunity. I very much believe that we can all make a difference. 25% of Malta is built up and the most densely populated country in Europe. 5 people a week lose their lives due to air pollution in Malta and we are slowly losing our beautiful countryside to more and more construction. Taking all these issues into consideration, it just seems logical to use our flat roofs and mitigate the environmental issues we all have to live with such as air pollution and the destruction of our biodiversity. I would love to see a more sustainable, greener Malta.

How would you describe the work that you do in a nutshell?

We create self-sustaining ecosystems for roofs and walls that bring electricity savings, pollution control, flood avoidance and biodiversity to each building we green.

Where does the name of your brand “Vivacity” come from?

We originally chose the name because we were thinking of ‘vivacious’ plants and plant growth. Then we realised that is also means an alive city, a living city- VIVA CITY, which made us love it even more. Our logo is also one of the ancient Greek symbols for life.

Do you have more than one type of client? Who are they?

Our clients include everyone really. We have had private individuals, NGOs, heritage organisations, public bodies, private companies and even schools contact us. People are becoming more aware of the environment and the benefits of green infrastructure.

What do you aim to achieve from building green rooftops to mimic the Mediterranean ecosystem?

Our aims are multiple, as the positive environmental and social impacts of our sustainable Mediterranean rooftop ecosystems are numerous and we are both very enthusiastic about achieving them all.

One of our goals is to increase the amount of living greenery per person in Malta and to help reach the World Health Organisation’s recommended minimum of 9m2 per person.
Also to reduce the overall need for heating and cooling buildings, the urban heat island effect and air pollution in Malta – which will also first reduce and then eliminate the need to purchase carbon credits from other EU countries. We also aim to increase the surface area of greenery that can absorb rainwater and avoiding flooding.

Our green roof ecosystems attract and support local biodiversity so another of our aims is to positively impact Malta’s farming community and their ability to embrace chemical free farming methods.

How recent is the concept? What has been the response to your work so far?

Green roofs were developed in Germany in the 1980s and have since spread throughout the world. A green roof in Germany compared to one in Malta is very different, even though they follow the same basic principles. The concept of Mediterranean green roofs and the technique we use was created in Greece in 2007, arriving in Malta in 2018. So too the idea of safely putting plants on a roof in a green roof system was new to Malta as it is a very difficult thing to do in a hot, arid climate. Interest is growing and we have successfully installed a number of green roofs and walls in Malta which are all thriving.

What are the challenges presented to you by this business? How do you manage to overcome such scenarios?

Our challenges right now are the same as for any growing start-up. We are getting busier and are looking to scale up. We are tackling each challenge one at a time such as finding the right people for our team.

How do you envision your work developing in the not so distant future?

We expect demand to increase as Maltese citizens have realised through COVID19, that they need to make their home environments more comfortable, more energy efficient and greener. With only balconies and roofs as outdoor space during the lockdown, it became much more apparent that gaining living space by improving the roof environment is important.

In addition, The European Green Deal and the United Nation Sustainable Development Goals are pushing for a greener, sustainable circular economy. Both stress the importance of green affordable energy, preserving and restoring biodiversity, resilient communities and energy efficient buildings. Green infrastructure plays an important part in fulfilling the goals set by the UN SDGs and The European Green Deal. We believe that Malta should embrace the European Green Deal and lead in this transformation towards a climate-neutral, green and circular economy.

What do you hope to achieve for yourselves and your business?

Making a difference is at the forefront of any decision we take. We aim to continue being leaders in sustainable green infrastructure and nature-based solutions.
Our hope to grow the business to create a positive effect on our environment and community, as well as well as provide a healthy, work environment for each member of our growing team.

We want to achieve that growth by greening as many roofs as possible. Our focus is on roofs more than walls, as roofs provide much more efficient thermal insulation and flood relief.

Do you believe that attitudes to the environment and house-building trends on the islands are changing?

Having been back on the island a few years now, we’ve witnessed a gradual awareness by locals of environmental issues, in particular pollution. People are waking up to the importance of nature-based solutions such as green infrastructure.
With regard to construction trends, we collaborate with many architectural firms who are now building for energy efficiency, looking at incorporating green infrastructure and going back to ancient practices of water efficiency and storage.

To find out how you too can transform your home to a greener, more sustainable nesting paradise check out: www.viva-city.com and follow vivacity’s incredible journey on Instagram and Facebook.

*If you’d like to be featured on our website, write to us at [email protected]. We aim to deliver quality interviews where we delve into your world and highlight your work in a way that has meaning for our audience.

The post Greening the Grey: Interview with the ladies behind Vivacity appeared first on SHE.

A welcome space: Experiencing the Zen Entrepreneurs Women’s Group

SHE Malta — Sat, 13 Jun 2020 06:22:24 +0000

It’s been a journey, yes really, without exaggeration it’s been exactly that!

Having recently been faced with huge changes both on a personal level, as well as for our community, we, like many others became caught in headlights, desperately seeking to salvage everything we had built since day one.

Then we remembered! Something we could always rely on to pick us up when we were at a cross-roads or experiencing some sort of dilemma was:
A. One another. Being partners in business has taught us a lot about ourselves and learning to understand where the other needed space and encouragement.
B. To find support and a life-line in friends, in particular supporters of our community and some members of our family.

One of the most amazing things to come out of our community has been the people and we say this with utmost conviction. We began to search for guidance beyond our closest confidants and here’s where we discovered “Zen Entrepreneurs – women’s group” – a new project created by Yasmin De Giorgio. A tag line used in the promo “if you value community and are ready to be part of something bigger than yourself” immediately drew us in! The message continued as Yas also put together an explanatory video detailing what the course would entail and what we should expect to take from the experience. We were not used to being guided previously, often doing things our way and living a frantic day to day routine juggling home and work life.

Being a tight partnership we’ve been engaged in every aspect of our business. Not for a moment did we think that so soon down the line, we’d land in completely unknown territory. So we thought, why not go down a new path and open ourselves to new ideas? Yasmin has always been a person we admired and in many ways, has been a mentor to us both. Just over three years ago we asked if she’d be a guest speaker at our opening event. Back then this was a fledgling idea and we hadn’t intended to share our plans with anyone else. To our delight, not only did Yas accept the invitation, but she also offered us a space in the form of Sanya-Eco Spa to host our launch.

Ever since that day, we’ve carried the belief that genuine support is out there and that our community would go further if there were people like Yas willing to see our idea flourish. Having an inspirational friend lead the sessions, was reason enough to join the Zen Entrepreneurs Women’s group. Here we were the observers, listeners, learners and our situation slowly began to make sense. Discussions played on our desire to go deeper within ourselves and find out if there was anything missing in the way we had been operating so far.

On our first day joining, we were greeted with warmth. We found we were among a small and intimate group of women, each with their own story and seeking ways in which to take their business to the next level. You could tell from some of the faces that we’d all been hit with similar challenges beyond our control. The “new normal” seemed distant then. As we expected, Yasmin’s sensitive and honest approach to ensuring we were each gaining something from this experience made for a more comfortable sharing platform. Her expertise in dealing with matters such as external change and ultimately managing stress in an all-consuming world shone through. Over the next few sessions we’d be working to get our businesses up to speed and performing tasks including optional meditation. The latter would open our minds to many areas in life that we would have otherwise not had the opportunity to explore.

There were times we found ourselves, speaking from a deeper place, offering advice to one another and taking others’ opinions on board for our own self-development. Needless to say every session was meaningful and like any relationship or friendship, we became more familiar and more comfortable with one another. There were clues in the background of the homes of participants such as motivational quotes on the wall or young children suddenly appearing in view. These intimate weekly sessions, showed up our vulnerabilities, insecurities and strengths in terms of what life’s circumstances had dealt us.

So, what should you expect to take away from your journey with Zen Entrepreneurs Women’s group? Feeling more empowered to move forward with pending plans for your new business and dusting off the cobwebs of procrastination. You will learn tips and tricks that could easily be modified and applied to whatever project you are working on and be inspired by the many ideas shared within the group. It’s comforting to learn, that through the teachings of Yasmin De Giorgio and the views of individual participants, that opportunities can be born of a crisis and that you need not experience the struggle alone.

For more information or to join the next group of conscious entrepreneurs check out the Zen Entrepreneur Women’s Coaching Group.

To get a taste of what you should expect;

Yas will be conducting our upcoming 2/part workshop “Grow Yourself: How to find Opportunity in Crisis” via Zoom-online on Wednesday 17th and Wednesday 24th June from 5:30pm to 7:00pm CET. You can get your tickets here.

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Post-lockdown trends: Diary of a mum entrepreneur

SHE Malta — Fri, 29 May 2020 14:09:39 +0000

“The new normal”, remote living and connecting to the world now

In a way I’ve been living this “new normal” since 1998. After working in London I said no to the corporate 9 to 5, city life, Waitrose meals in plastic and daily commuting on the tube. Instead, I signed up to an online marketing course, invested in a laptop, dial-up connection and started my first business online. So in some ways I was prepared for the “new normal”. For me it has always been about remote working, meetings over Skype, creating a flexible business structure and a team of self employed tech and design experts from all over the world which allowed us to grow together, freely and sustainably.

Everything was possible at the start of the dot com era and I believe the COVID-19 crisis will bring about the same opportunities. I believe the pandemic has opened a portal many of us have been waiting for. In times of crisis and change we are thrown into a new reality, where everything is possible because people’s minds are open. Success is measured differently and there is an openness to new systems, new ways of working and living.

Lockdown is announced. Ibiza is preparing for openings .. what next?

Because I organise events and work with hotels and venues on the island of Ibiza, I spent the first couple of weeks contacting local businesses and partners, cancelling bookings, events and days out with the pioneers of green boating. I realised fast the seasons would not happen, travel and events will never be the same again and I had the pressure to reinvent myself for the new brave new world.

It has been one of the toughest times of my life economically as a single mum, however I am aware it has been even tougher for some – with a rise in domestic violence, depression and mental health as well as losing loved ones to the virus. In Ibiza the neighbourhood community came together online through music, meditation, fitness, caritas programs, shopping locally, supporting local businesses and generally looking out for each other. I feel grateful to be a part of this community.

The travel industry post-covid ..

We were already seeing a shift in behaviour in the luxury travel market before COVID-19 happened. The quarantine has accelerated it. We defined an “ecosystem” in the International Luxury Travel Market conference in Cannes in December 2019. The luxury travel segment is focusing on conservation, sustainability, moving away from the hotel fripperies towards experiences and local traditions where less is more. The recent projects I was involved with such as Can 7, the artists residence for family and friends in Formentera and exploded hotel concept Chateau Castigno, a sleepy village in nature, South of France were all about being in nature, connected to the local community and culture. Travellers want to wake up in nature, dine barefoot, eat locally sourced food and celebrate traditions with locals.

Lockdown is giving us the chance to find and support the hidden gems close to home. For me, this is Ibiza and the Balearic islands. In some ways I am excited that travel is going back to its roots. I believe we will see a decline in business travel due to the success of zoom meetings. It will be less about fast and cheap travel and more about slow conscious experiences. I hope to see a rise in sustainable, purpose driven travel based on transformational experiences through cultural activation. People may travel for longer periods of time and immerse themselves in new cultures and community.

The future of tourism in Ibiza and Malta ..

Sustainability. Conscious Travel. Experiential Travel. Celebrating art, culture, music, history, ancient traditions, nature, living like a local. Supporting local businesses and community. Creating safe travel bubbles. I would like to see governments, movements and businesses sharing the same goals so travel is about heart and soul, style and sustainability. I would like to see incentives and support towards owner managed businesses with heart, soul and sustainability. I would like to see hotels, restaurants and venues serving from field to plate and buying produce locally so the planting season is aligned with local demand. I would like to see NGO’s, foundations and preservation funds working closely with schools so heart, soul and sustainability is a part of the education system as “We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children”. Sustainability is a subject on its own. It is more than just “no plastic policies” but the management of water and waste, fat traps, striving for carbon neutrality, bio-architecture, solar energy, traffic management, zero waste concepts, circular product development, behind the scene practices and supply chains.

Suddenly finding my everyday ..

Lock down has been tough in Ibiza, where I live alone and solo parent my daughters Maya 10 and Luli 8. We were not allowed to leave our homes for two months. Overnight, I took on many new roles – a full time home schooling teacher in three languages Catalan, Castellano and English, house maintenance & plumbing (our water stopped working), gardener & field to plate chef, fitness instructor, as well as keeping up with clients and divorce in a separate jurisdiction to the one we live in.

There is nothing more powerful than a global crisis to emphasize what really matters. For me it was keeping my daughters positive, home schooled and in high spirits. I set up a very simple daily routine for us:
> Get dressed & do our beds every morning
> Prepare breakfast, lunch & supper together
> Prioritize home schooling projects.

Once this was done, I was flexible to do what inspired my daughters.

My “new normal” realised ..

Islanders are village people and survivors. In Ibiza we have been living the new normal by remote working, buying local, living in nature, car pooling, supporting local businesses and not over consuming. As we are slowly emerging, I feel I want more immersion in nature, connection with my nearest and dearest, being in the outdoors, living in the moment.

I will carry with me to the “new normal” :

> Focusing on boosting our immune systems through nourishment & lifestyle
> Close connection with friends, family & community
> Living a slow life, celebrating “just being”
> Daily walks in nature – foraging wild local garlic, asparagus, sage and rosemary
> Cooking with my daughters & gratitude rituals before every meal
> Planting and tending to our veg, herb garden & fruit trees barefoot
> Creating and managing our own compost
> Painting, reading, dancing, and getting creative together
> Keeping a diary and journaling
> Learning to listen to my intuition
> Aligning work, life and travel to be more conscious

Quarantine highlights:

> Writing Love Letters from Ibiza to the world to keep the spirit of the island alive
> Participating in 21 days to abundance, a group led by Vanessa Coleiro
> Celebrating life and gratitude with Robyn Pratt at sunrise
> Having good laughs with my daughters
> Banning all things processed from home
> Participating in the “Meet my Wilson” campaign to support the vulnerable
> Breaking in the quarantine with the Giggle Water founder Catherine & Nagai owner Melchior
> Pilates classes with Carolyn Bonello, my childhood BFF
> “The unconference” zoom conversations with futurists Canay & Rudy
> “Conversations about change” with David Leppan
> Intimate conversations with friends on daring topics, I would never have touched upon previously
> A 3 day water fast with a group of empowering water babes, lead by Saskia Griffiths, Ibiza Bow Spring
> Chance encounters, knowing glances and conversations outside the local veggie shop

Alexea Grech has been working remotely since 1999 when she co-founded NMS one of the first online marketing agencies in the UK and online travel portals ARC Corporate Housing and Hotique, the world’s most desirable hotels. She works in travel and events in Ibiza and around the world, and acts as an ambassador for Threefold, Openstage and While, all impact projects to make the world a better place. A trailblazer, entrepreneur and single mum, she shares some of her quarantine insights and post lockdown trends with SHE.
Instagram @alexeagrech_ibiza Linked In: https://es.linkedin.com/in/alexea-grech-b4bb4b156

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Mindset is key: Interview with serial entrepreneur Robyn Pratt

SHE Malta — Sat, 25 Apr 2020 07:04:27 +0000

It’s been really special getting to know more about this lady. Last November we had the pleasure of having Robyn Pratt, a serial entrepreneur leading Impact Solutions Ltd and Super You Coaching join the SHE event panel at The Casino Maltese in Valletta, Malta. Upon first meeting Robyn we were struck by her warm, calming presence. Robyn has been in the hospitality industry for over 40 years and knows a thing or two about keeping individuals and team members motivated, as well as communicating skills to better perform in life and business.

In this interview, we put to Robyn a set of questions designed to explore more about the woman behind the brands and the types of services being offered during these unprecedented times…

How would you describe the career you’ve built in a few words?
One of service – from serving guests as a casual waitress to the various roles in hospitality industry in Australian and on an international level and now 45 years later serving individuals and teams with insights, experience and knowledge to be the Best they can be.

What are the pros of owning more than one business?
I own and operate 3 companies at present and yes it has it’s trials and tribulations however, what I have found is that I have needed to appreciate that I cannot do everything and effective delegation is key. Ilona is responsible for Healthy Heat which is our company which sells Healthy Heat Infrared Heating Panels. She supports me with Impact and SuperYou Coaching however I take responsibility for the overall strategy of all 3.
Definitely a con is being able to maintain a discipline to focus on each and at times when all three may be busy at the same time it can be a balancing process which doesn’t always go right.
Planning is key – each night I set myself my goal-achieving actions and really strive to achieve these each day.
Being an effective decision maker is key – procrastination can be an enemy of success in any company but when managing multiple businesses you need to make your decision and commit to it and if something doesn’t go the way you wanted then learn and move forward.

How do you view the challenges stemming from the types of work you do?
I am learning that we can choose how we consider “challenges”. We can either react or respond in the way we think about them. Important not to get bogged down as “it is what it is” and take action and move forward.
There is always different ways of considering situations and what is a challenge to one person is an opportunity to another and the more I take this perspective on the less challenges I seem to have.

Something happened in your life which made you gain a new perspective. Tell us more about this and where did this unfortunate event lead you to?
I had recently moved to Brussels around 20 years ago and had what was supposed to be pretty routine sinus surgery. I had a major allergic reaction to chemical in anesthetic and as a result lost my memory. I guess it was around 6 months or so before it came back however, I learnt a lot about the impact of “listening from nothing” over that time.
For many years I had wanted to write a book and had told myself I was not capable of something like that and when I didn’t have anything telling me what I couldn’t do (my internal programming) I found myself writing and I published it – To Build A Lifetime.
To be honest it wasn’t as scary for me as it was for my family as I didn’t know what I didn’t know however, my boys and husband were faced with a mother and wife who didn’t know them at that time.

What do you enjoy most about working with people?
The potential that we ALL have to grow. My life has been about doing all that I can to exceed customer expectations and this continues into all areas of my life. When working with clients I am constantly focused on what I can do to achieve more for them. Sometimes I guess this can work against me however, it is so ingrained in me that it has become my way of being now.

How important is it that we develop a more positive mindset especially during these times of uncertainty?
This is absolutely critical – I think more than being positive it is about learning how we deal with all the noise going on around us and how we choose to take this in. Either with thoughts of doubt, anxiety, negativity which will turn into stress, fear and create feelings of ill health when we allow to go to far or we can choose to consider these things with a mindset of gratitude, belief, courage which helps us consider how we can grow and be strong in our conviction to get through these times in the best possible way. We have a choice. Our mindset is key.

What are the most common issues your clients come to you about?
“Robyn, I should be happy but I am not – WHY?
“Robyn, I want more but I don’t know what it is that I want.”
I think these may be the two most often asked questions and then there are many other reasons both from individuals and teams but the overarching theme is “how can I be, do, behave BETTER.”?
In relation to my hospitality clients we work on various aspects of the hospitality customer experience from either an internal or external customer perspective.

How do you stand out from other lifestyle and business coaches? What should your clients expect?
I was honoured in February at our Proctor Gallagher Coach training to receive recognition as one of Bob Proctors top 1% of coaches worldwide. I think that with my 40+ years of insights and experiences, (both life and professional) I can combine with Bob’s 56+ years and am able to offer guidance and support with a solid backbone of practical experience and knowledge. I also love the programs that I can offer, as a licensed Proctor Gallagher coach, which are on-line so the coachee can have the benefit of referring to the material at any time and then the actual coaching discussion is much richer and can be reinforced on an ongoing basis.

Would you say coaching was a natural progression from hospitality? Which skills would you say, are necessary for both?
Actually, I haven’t progressed yet from the Hospitality Industry – I still very much have my toe in the water there and have a vision to support the Hospitality Industry with the programs I am facilitating. I think mindset growth is an absolute opportunity to support Hospitality Professionals to deal with these very different times ahead of us.

Do you have any tips to remain positive especially during these times?
Practice gratitude daily – focus on what you have and not what you don’t have. Remember you have the potential to change the way you think about things and sometimes when you change the way you think about something that something changes!
Support those around you – focus on giving and serving.

What are your plans moving forward? Are there any specific offerings, practices your company will be putting into place to help potential clients deal with the current climate?
We have taken this time to solidify our framework of offerings and offer webinars and information more freely to both clients and anyone who we can support. My goal is to grow into an international organization which serves individuals and teams across the world in having the tools and resources to BE THE BEST VERSION OF THEMSELVES EACH AND EVERY DAY.
My commitment has become even more solid over this time as I am experiencing myself and with my clients just how much having a Growth Mindset supports our coping ability.

*If you’d like to be featured on our website, write to us at [email protected]. We aim to deliver quality interviews where we delve into your world and highlight your work in a way that has meaning for our audience.

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