ENTERPRISE + INITIATIVE Page 9 of 33

Do What You Love interview – Penelope Sacorafou

Posted on 2015-12-03 at 8:55 am.

Penelope Sacorafou is one half of the talented young team behind Fox & Squirrel; a London based company that offers creative walks for the culturally curious. Since its launch in 2010, Fox & Squirrel has been voted best guided walks in London and, according to The Guardian readers, its food walk is the best guided food walk in the world.

So what makes Fox & Squirrel walks different from all the other tours in London? Well, rather than focusing on traditional tourist attractions and historic sites, they offer an authentic view of London; one curated by creative professionals who love fashion, art, food and architecture. Guides include art experts, stylists, photographers and foodies who are bursting with knowledge and who are keen to show a more unusual, less experienced and most fascinating side of the city – the side which reflects the diverse creative currents that are contributing to London’s evolution.

Sounds cool to us! We spoke to Penelope to find out more about her company and her journey to doing what she loves… ~Rachel

Penelope Sacorafou, co-founder of Fox & Squirrel

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Top 10 ways to say no and save time

Posted on 2015-11-17 at 8:55 am.

Written by Beth Kempton

This is a guest post by one of the UK’s leading experts in digital distraction and digital detox and author of The Distraction Trap: How to Focus in a Digital World, Frances Booth. Find out more about Frances here.

One time management technique we don’t use enough is simply saying no. We’re quick to say yes, giving away our time, then we wonder why we have no time left for what we want.

If you find your diary is full, or full of things you don’t want to do, then it’s time to start saying no – nicely.

People ask for our time every single day. And if we give our time away to everyone who asks for it, we end up feeling frazzled, tired and grumpy. Often it doesn’t occur to us that we have the option to simply say no.

It’s much rarer for someone to thank us for our time. But when they do, it reminds us that our time is valuable, and we need to learn to value it too.

Learning when and how to say no is a way of valuing and managing our time.

When we say no to one thing, in effect we’re also saying yes to something else. This might be yes to time to recharge, sleep and renew our energy. It might be yes to some thinking space. It might be yes to more time for ourselves, or yes to time for the people and things that matter to us.

Here are 10 key things to think about for when the answer needs to be no.

1. Something has to give

We can’t say yes to every invitation, request, message, question or demand we get – something has to give. So what should we say no to?

Look at what or who you’re saying yes to at the minute. What or who (including yourself) does that mean you are then you saying no to? Is your diary full of things that fill you with great anticipation? If not, how can you make it so? What do you need to start saying no to? Look at how you spend your time, including time online. Are you happy with what you are saying yes to by how you spend your time?

2. Instant answer

Often we make poor decisions when we’re distracted, overloaded and too busy. Perhaps you recognise them … those things you say yes to, and then instantly regret. What happens next? We try and backtrack, spending far too long undoing the commitment or rescheduling, using up extra time before the event has even happened. Or, the appointment sits in our diary like a black cloud, and we spend time wishing we didn’t have to go.

Next time you feel pressure to give an instant answer, stop. Log out of your email or leave the room. Shut your eyes for five minutes, walk round the block, or sleep on it. Think about whether you really want to say yes. Think about whether you’ve really got the time for it. Pausing before responding uses far less time than it takes to backtrack.

Are you always racing against time? Saying no more could be the solution (Photo: North Charleston)

3. Delayed response

“I’ll check and get back to you” is a great way to buy yourself some thinking time and avoid making an instant commitment you might regret. This gives you time to decide whether to say yes and also to decide when is a good time for you if you are committing to dates. Most people will accept this as an entirely reasonable response. It implies you are checking with your diary or another person. It doesn’t fix you to a timeframe by which you need to reply, and it buys you the thinking time you need.

4. Time out

When you turn off digital distractions such as email, your smartphone and social media, you’re saying no to people being able to contact you as and when they please. Instead, you’re deciding to show up online at a time convenient to you. This is a simple way to say no thanks to unwanted interruptions. Yet we don’t always make the most of our ability to be in control here. In my book, The Distraction Trap: How to Focus in a Digital World, I give advice on how to do this and how to be more productive in a digital world.

5. Would you do it tomorrow?

This is a great test of whether you actually want to say yes or no. Would you do it tomorrow, given the chance? If the answer is yes, then great, say yes. It shows you are enthusiastic about spending your time on this. If the answer is no, beware of saying yes. Just because you put something in your diary for three weeks’ time, it won’t become any more attractive by then.

6. On hold

Sometimes, what we need to say rather than no is not now. If someone approaches you with an idea, venture or suggestion that you are interested in, but you just don’t have the headspace to consider it because it’s a particularly busy time, say so. Be specific. For example: “This is a busy fortnight, please can you contact me again after June 27th”. This means it’s back on their To Do list and you can forget about it. If, instead, you try to tackle it there and then, you risk becoming overloaded, not doing a very good job, or making a bad decision.

7. You don’t need to know what the space is for

If you’re feeling overloaded and overwhelmed, then say no to the next commitment that is asked of you. You don’t need to know what the space you are leaving is for. Maybe you are going to fill the space with what seems like nothing – things like sleeping, stopping or having a rest. But these ‘nothing’ times are vital. They mean we can restore our energy and then enjoy the other things we have put in our diary. Nothing times mean we can rest and think and then be productive and innovative when we turn back to our work. If necessary write ‘nothing’ in your diary to make sure you leave the space.

8. Swerve time-wasters

Have you ever worked with someone who wasted endless amounts of your time even on simple tasks? People like this don’t value your time, or their own. So saying no to working with them at the outset will save you an awful lot of time. How can you spot the signs of this early on and avoid getting pulled in to a project with them?

Classic early signs of a time-waster are arranging an initial call or meeting and then cancelling it at the very last minute. Here, they’ve already wasted your time – you’ve prepared, arranged your diary to fit around the call or meeting, and perhaps even shown up in person. Yet they think nothing of re-arranging. Other early signs are that they say they will send documents by a certain time and then don’t, or that they send long rambling emails. Say no politely to the project, explaining for example, that your work commitments have changed (they have – you have just made yourself some valuable time you can now use!).

9. Always saying yes equals burnout

If you work for yourself – for example, as an entrepreneur or freelancer – there can be a temptation to say yes to every project and client, due to the fear that work will dry up. But never saying no can lead to exhaustion and burnout. It can also mean that while you are busy doing the ‘drudge’ work you never get round to the work that makes your heart sing, the reason you do what you do in the first place. Saying no can be really, really difficult in these situations – particularly if you don’t know yet what will come along instead. So you shouldn’t underestimate the powerful steps you are taking when you do say no. Every now and then, let go of the kind of work you don’t want to be spending your time on by saying no. You leave space then for stepping up, getting, and doing the work that really deserves your time.

10. “I’d love to, but …”

How do you go about saying no politely, protecting your time without offending other people? Here are a few suggestions.

“I simply haven’t got time right now.”

“I simply haven’t got time this week / month” (if you want to consider it next week/month)

“I’ll be back in touch after x, y, or z to sort something out” (for delaying)

“I’d love to but I’ve got other work/family/sporting commitments right now.”

“It’s a no I’m afraid. But thanks for asking me.”

Got a good suggestion? Heard a great no? Leave them in the comments box below…

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How it all began

Posted on 2015-11-16 at 5:58 pm.

Written by Beth Kempton

This weekend we celebrate the 4^th birthday of our partner site, Make It In Design, a collaboration I established with designer Rachael Taylor back when e-courses were almost unheard of. We met with our lovely team for an awayday, to reflect on times past and to look ahead, and I felt incredibly grateful to our whole community for being part of this adventure of business and life.

Personally I am always fascinated by how businesses start and evolve, and collaborations are even more interesting to my nosy-parker self. How did they meet? Whose idea was it? Who does what? How do they make it work?

Well if you are a curious type like me, you might be interested in this interview with me and Rachael, all about how Make It In Design came about and how we have grown it to incorporate a design school with over 5000 students (who have created more than 100,000 designs) and a digital design magazine that has had over 2.5 million views!

We also wrote a heartfelt open letter to our community recognizing that we can only do what you love because of you. We are truly grateful and committed to providing ongoing support to help you do what you love. You can read that letter here.

If you are a budding designer yourself, you might want to check out the 2016 Make It In Design Scholarship which has launched today, in partnership with Print & Pattern. It’s worth over $2000 – find out more here.

On a personal note, I am coming to the end of my maternity leave and am preparing for reentry in the next couple of weeks! I look forward to taking back the reigns of this weekly email, starting next week with quite a story.

Until then,

Beth

Our sister site Make It In Design is 4 years old – read the interview with our founders here

Posted on 2015-11-14 at 10:00 am.

Written by Beth Kempton

Celebrating Make it in Design’s fourth birthday, co-founders Rachael Taylor and Beth Kempton share their story of where and how it all began… ~ By Lisa Moncrieff, Sales & Marketing Manager at Make it in Design

Let me set the scene…

It’s five years ago in 2010. Beth Kempton is living in Leeds with her boyfriend, Paul. Beth has recently left the corporate world to set up her business, Do What You Love, which is going from strength to strength helping people all over the world to make positive changes in their lives. Beth is winning awards for her entrepreneurial talent and her online business is attracting the attention of key influencers, companies and media. Behind the scenes she is also working on a host of other exciting passion projects, including a first-of-its-kind creative and enterprise retreat scheduled for May 2011.

Meanwhile Rachael Taylor’s surface pattern design career is soaring. Enquiries, interviews and licensing deals are coming in left, right and centre. She’s proudly becoming a household name and is licensing designs to popular well-known brands around the world. Whilst building her own studio in Leeds, she’s busily preparing for two major shows, marketing her brand and forever living up to her name as the happiest person in the country on Twitter!

Fast forward to present day and you’ll find two very remarkable ladies, now both married with children, living in opposite ends of the country, managing multiple businesses as well as their own special collaboration, Make it in Design.

The first ever course from Make it in Design—Module 1 of The Art and Business of Surface Pattern Design—kicked off on November 14, 2011. Since then over 5,000 creatives from 62 countries have graduated from Make it in Design e-courses, the online design magazine MOYO, co-founded by Rachael and Beth, has been viewed over 2.5 million times and there’s a dedicated team of five full-time staff working hard to make the magic happen.

Rachael and Beth’s journey has been fuelled by big dreams, passion, bravery, hard work, synchronicity and seized opportunities. Today, on Make it in Design’s fourth birthday, they share how it all began and what Make it in Design means to them…

Where and how did you two meet?

Beth: “I first came across Rachael when I bought an original screen print of hers at the Bowery, a café gallery in Leeds. I loved her work and wanted to know a bit more about the person behind them.

“After a little bit of research I saw how Rachael had bravely followed her creative dream by setting up her own label in 2008 and how happy and positive she was. It was a great fit with the Do What You Love ethos and I contacted her for an interview.” (You can read it here, the interview came out in December 2010)

The original Rachael Taylor piece of art that Beth bought at The Bowrey

Rachael: “After I’d done the interview, Beth invited me to speak at the Do What You Love creativity and enterprise retreat she was hosting in Yorkshire the following year. We arranged to meet up to talk about it as we both lived in Leeds at the time. Although I didn’t have much experience of speaking in public at that point, I’ve always loved meeting new people and I knew that opportunities like this would raise my profile and stretch me as a designer. I jumped at the chance to be involved.”

Beth: “The creativity and enterprise retreat was a great success. Ahead of her talk Rachael pinned some of her early designs up on the wall alongside her physical products, to help illustrate the design process and show people how you go from sketch to shop floor. Everyone was fascinated to hear about the process. She also showed a small selection from her range of beautifully designed greetings cards, cushions, t-towels and other homeware pieces, which everyone loved. Everyone left feeling inspired, eager to create and wanting more information about becoming a surface pattern designer themselves. Somewhere a light bulb came on for me.”

Rachael: “Yes, it was so great. I remember it like it was yesterday! It was at the retreat we met you Lisa.”

(Who knew after attending the Do What You Love retreat, where I met Rachael and Beth for the first time, that three and a half years later I’d be Sales & Marketing Manager at Make it in Design!)

Rachael also joined in the delicate wax and wire sculpture class with Priscilla Jones at the retreat

What inspired you to start Make it in Design and how did the name come about?

Beth: “I’ve always had a secret desire to one day have my own line of stationery. I’d been considering doing a surface pattern design course myself and had even gone along to an open day at Leeds University to learn more about it and explore my options.

“But my options seemed quite limited. To do the degree course I would need to be in one place to attend classes, and would be required to work to a fixed schedule. With a business to run and a lot of travel on my plate, this wasn’t ideal. The course was also very expensive, as are all degree courses these days, and I wasn’t sure about making such a huge investment. I looked around for other alternatives and drew a blank. I parked the idea for a while, until I heard Rachael talking at the retreat and suddenly it made perfect sense. To create the exact course I wanted online, combining design and business, in a flexible way, with a much friendlier price tag than the cost of a degree. And so the idea for The Art and Business of Surface Pattern Design was born.

“It was June 2011, about two or three weeks after the retreat, that I contacted Rachael to see if she wanted to do something together. I knew how to set-up, manage and market e-courses, Rachael had the surface pattern design know-how, and we complemented each other perfectly. From my own experience I knew there was a big gap in the market for something like this, which had also been validated by the responses of those in the audience at Rachael’s talk at the retreat.”

Rachael: “I don’t think I even knew what an e-course was at the time and I’d certainly never written one before. I remember sitting with Beth at her kitchen table brainstorming the curricula for Modules 1-3, and planning to launch our first course just a few months later in the November of that year.

“I reflected on my own experience of all the things I’d learned through the years, from my early creative days, time at university and out in the real world. As Beth was new to the industry, she asked a lot of great questions—just the kind of things the students would want to know. You often don’t realise just how much you know and have picked up with experience. Before long there was so much content we both knew it was something that couldn’t be learnt in just a few weeks. That’s how all the different modules came about.”

Beth: “With regards to the name, the e-course was always going to be The Art and Business of Surface Pattern Design, it just seemed perfect for what the course covered—both the design side and the business side.”

Rachael: “Beth came up with the name, and I loved it, so that was it from the start. Make It In Design actually came a year or so later, when we decided to incorporate other elements of design into our resources.

“The more you can do as a designer the stronger and more confident you become. We knew that we wanted to support designers at all stages of their career, from those who were new to the industry to those who were already enjoying flourishing careers. We were keen to offer practical tips and advice to help them overcome any issues and raise their profile. And we also wanted to share their experiences and successes, and take all the lessons learned to inspire and motivate others on their journey to success.”

What was the first thing you did when you decided to collaborate and how did the first year go?

Beth: “The first thing we did was agree why we wanted to the course, then we developed our ideal customer avatar so we knew exactly who we wanted to support with our courses, and then created the curricula that would give them those results.

From then on it was a crazy journey of writing more material for each of the courses and networking with other relevant design industry professionals to balance the course material out. We were keen to share as much information, practical how-to guides and way forwards in the industry – things that have worked for others too.

“In the first year we ran Module 1 starting on November 14, 2011, and then Module 2 in February the following year and Module 3 in the April. The test really was in the first round of courses, if people weren’t securing jobs and felt ready to take on the world we knew we hadn’t done our job properly.”

Rachael: “We went on a work trip together to the Indigo and Premiére Vision trade shows in Paris in that’s where we met Stylesight (now WGSN).

“I remember walking out of that show and Beth saying to me “Let’s invest in Stylesight to give our students access to the best trend information in the world.’” And so we did! It’s now an invaluable part of our Module 3 and The Ultimate Portfolio Builder courses, as awareness of trends in this industry is so important – even if you don’t design to them being aware of them certainly is.”

Beth: “It was on the way back from this show that we had the idea for MOYO magazine, born out of a desire to raise general awareness of and interest in the world of surface pattern design. In August of 2012 our first issue was launched. Suddenly we were editors and publishers of an international design magazine.”

Can you name-drop some of your students?

Beth: “We’ve been so lucky from the start. Within a couple of hours of the first course going on sale we had 30 people sign up. By the end of the week we had more than 100. We knew then that we were offering something new and unique to the market, and that the demand was there. The feedback we’ve had ever since from the thousands of people who have passed through our virtual classroom doors has been incredible.”

Rachael: “I remember nearly all of our students. Some of the names that stand out, including a number from the very first course we ran, are; Wendy Kendall, Mel Smith, Faye Brown, Katy Clements, Bonnie Christine, Deborah Valesquez, Susan Driscoll, Elizabeth Olwen and Mary Tanana.

We’ve had so many amazing students over the years and seen many unique styles. You know, in this industry, there really is room for everyone. That’s what I love about it.”

What’s the key to your partnership?

Beth: “We massively trust each other which is hugely important. Equally we both play different roles in the collaboration and we trust each others’ judgment based on our skills. We are always looking for the next opportunity, regularly update our courses so they are always fresh, and don’t stop learning. And we have had an official contract from day one. That’s really important.”

Rachael: “We also respect that we each also run other businesses too, and that time spent learning about other subjects, technology and ways to do things play a strong part in our future success.”

What have been your defining moments?

Rachael: “Seeing Wendy Kendall win the Wallpaper Design of the Year award, which was presented by Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen, was a huge highlight for me.

Beth: “And I remember walking into Paper Tiger in Edinburgh and seeing cards on the shelf designed by Elizabeth Olwen. I immediately recognised the name and thought: ‘Wow! This is where the artwork from our students is going’. It was an incredible feeling.

“I think for me, I am incredibly grateful that four years on we are still going strong, and continue to see outstanding still results from our graduates. Every student success story is a reminder of why we do it.”

Of all the feedback you’ve received what’s stood out for you the most?

Rachael: “I feel so lucky that we’ve enjoyed such wonderful feedback over the years. I remember in the early days someone fed back that there were too many exclamation marks in the course material and so we frantically went through every post in every course deleting them all!”

Beth: “Getting feedback is so important and we ask for this every time we run a course to make sure we’re delivering the right material, in the right way. We read every single comment and often make changes as a result of what we hear. We feel honoured and grateful to have had so fantastic feedback. I can count on one hand the complaints we’ve received. To have that few when we have worked with over 5,000 students is pretty remarkable. We really do listen and we really do care.

“One of the major things that helped the business grow further was feedback from students coming out of Module 3 saying they wanted more. So out of that demand The Ultimate Portfolio Builder was born. We’ve really put our heart and soul into it and attracted new teachers and partners to help deliver exclusive and incredibly valuable content. It’s still relatively early days for the course but early indications show that people are loving it!”

Rachael: “Our courses are constantly evolving as a result of the feedback we get and also as I am a working designer, when I learn new tips or techniques we update the course. We never stand still, as we want our courses to be the very best available, and always current.”

What have been the key things you’ve learnt along the way?

Rachael: “Ideas! I have so many it’s like I’m cheating on my husband with them! I get so excited by everything and so I’ve had to learn how to prioritise and realise that I don’t need to do everything at once, right now.

“I also think:

Push myself but be realistic
Better myself and be happy
I am just a normal person, like you. I can do anything I set my mind to if it inspires me.”

Beth: “Celebrating and being thankful for all of the successes however big or small along the way is really important. And the power of community. The generosity and support in our private class groups never ceases to amaze me.

“Also, early on we realized that Rachael offers a particular doodle, fun and quirky style which wouldn’t be for everyone. So we tapped into Rachael’s design network to bring in a host of talented contributors to offer a balance. This was a valuable step to take and really added to the course.”

Rachael: “As the business grew, we knew we couldn’t keep doing it all ourselves. Opening up the doors to new team members was pretty daunting but if you’re at capacity you have to accept that you need help.

“I first met Kelly when I was delivering a seminar at Leeds University. She came up to me at the end and asked a few questions. Kelly had distinctive and beautiful red hair and stood out from the rest.

“When Kelly finished university later that year, she emailed me to see if she could work with me in anyway. She’d received 1^st class honours and when she emailed me she introduced herself as the red headed woman – I remembered her instantly. Kelly was the first one to join the team where she helped with the growing number of email enquiries and issue 3 of MOYO. She’s been designing with us ever since and she’s super talented.

“I met Vic (who’s now our Education and Resources Officer) several years ago when I was freelancing at Tigerprint. Vic was a Creative Technology Assistant Manager which involved looking after the website, blog and design competitions. I used to sit opposite her and she was so lovely.

“Vic used to support and promote our Make it in Design initiatives and she actually photographed some of my products in the early days. It’s great having her on the team now.”

What’s your biggest challenge?

Rachael: “Numbers! And I’m allergic to Microsoft Excel!”

Beth: “Staying current in a world that changes so fast. That’s why we invest many thousands of dollars in WGSN for our students, and are always looking into new ways to deliver content to bring our students the very best.”

What has the business enabled you to do that you couldn’t do before?

Rachael: “At times I have been pushed further towards my limit and have faced fear head on. I’m constantly telling students to be fearless and just go for it – and I need to take my own advice too. I think it’s really important for me to let our students know just how much I learn from them too; it’s not just a one-way street. I’m constantly learning and adapting as a designer and picking up new techniques and design tips.”

Beth: “It’s really helped me to understand what creative women want which has helped my other business, Do What You Love, hugely. It’s helped me to be able to reach out to untapped talent, bring people together as a community and help move them forward when they feel stuck.

“Also, for me personally, Rachael has helped me to bring colour into my own life. Seriously, I used to wear black all the time, and now I hardly ever do. You’re much more likely to see me in lime green or coral!”

You both run other successful businesses in addition to Make it in Design. Many people wonder how you do it… how do you?

Rachael: “Surround yourself with positive people. Talk with your friends. Enjoy the little moments as well as the big successes and make sure that you’re always happy with everything you’re doing.

“Before having a baby it was really easy. I was super organised, focused and spontaneous. Now I have Blayke it can get really stressful. I often feel like I’m spinning too many plates and that I’m all over the place.

“I’ve learnt how to be more business savvy and strategic from Beth and I love this quote which I use at every opportunity: ‘You can do anything but not everything’.”

Beth: “Follow your instincts, trust your gut and go with the things that really matter.”

Do What You Love interview – Alexandra Frey & Autumn Totton

Posted on 2015-11-12 at 8:55 am.

Written by Beth Kempton

Hollywood stars swear by it, companies like Google, Target and General Mills train staff in it, and schools are developing ways to teach it. Mindfulness is a hot topic these days and with studies showing that the benefits can enhance just about every aspect of your life, it’s no wonder everyone wants to give it a go.

Two people who are on a mission to make mindfulness mainstream are Alexa Frey and Autumn Totton. The pair met while studying and they went on to form The Mindfulness Project, a social enterprise which combines Totton’s business expertise and Frey’s experience in mindfulness, some years later.

Now, at their beautiful centre for mindfulness in Central London, the duo offer regular 8-week mindfulness based stress reduction courses, plus drop-in meditation classes, workshops, and seminars on mindful-living topics to help support everyone from new parents, to stressed out business people to those who are dealing with illness or bereavement. We hope you enjoy the interview. ~ Rachel

Autumn Totton (L) and Alexa Frey (R), Co-founders of The Mindfulness Project, believe that mindfulness has the capacity to change the world from the inside out

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Do What You Love interview – Johanna Basford + a FREE page from her new colouring book!

Posted on 2015-10-29 at 8:55 am.

Written by Beth Kempton

Feeling stressed? It’s time to grab your Crayolas!

The craze for colouring in is taking the world by storm with adults everywhere using it as a way to relax, unwind and switch off from today’s digital-based world.

One of the leaders on the colouring book scene is Johanna Basford, a Scottish artist and illustrator who currently has three books in the the Top 100 best sellers list on Amazon.com.

Johanna’s first two books, Secret Garden – An Inky Treasure Hunt and Coloring Book and Enchanted Forest – An Inky Quest and Colouring Book, have now sold more than 10 million copies worldwide, and her latest offering, Lost Ocean – An Inky Adventure and Coloring Book, which launched on Tuesday, had an initial print run of 1.2 million for the US and UK alone.

We are delighted to catch up with Johanna to find out how she’s designed a successful career doing what she loves and how we could all benefit from a little art therapy. ~ Rachel

Johanna in her studio

1. What gave you the idea to start creating colouring book for adults?

A few years ago I created a series of illustrations which I put on my website for people to download as desktop wallpapers for free. I was working as a commercial illustrator at the time and always looking for interesting ways to increase my profile and connect with potential new clients.

One of the people who downloaded my ‘Owls in a Tree’ illustration was an editor at a publishing house. She got in touch and asked if I would like to create a children’s colouring book. I pitched the idea of an adult colouring in book – my signature style of illustration was super intricate, hand drawn, black and white work and for years my clients have been telling me that they wanted to colour in my drawings. This was four years ago, before the worldwide trend for adult colouring kicked off, so you can imagine how quiet my editor went. They weren’t sure if colouring in for grown ups was silly and if there would be any demand for books like this.

I sat in my studio and drew the first five pages, then emailed them to my editor. They got back to me that day and said to go for it! And with that, the inky adventure began!

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Do What You Love interview – Megan Dalla-Camina

Posted on 2015-10-15 at 10:30 am.

Written by Beth Kempton

Megan Dalla-Camina is one amazing lady. As a business, creative and leadership strategist, coach, and writer and speaker on women, work and wellbeing, she is a thriving entrepreneur who is truly is doing what she loves.

Before going it alone, Megan enjoyed a high-paced career as a corporate executive. She was an award winning marketing director, head of strategy for a five billion dollar business and had interesting endeavours in gender diversity, leadership development and organisational change. But at the age of 35, it all changed. Like many successful high flyers she hit burnout, or what she describes as a kind of “greyness” in which she felt she was simply going through the motions in all aspects of her life. It was a big wake up call that made her realise it was time to do something different and be her best self. 15 years on Megan has her own flourishing business and has built a life based on all the things that really matter to her.

We hope that this interview gets you thinking about what matters most to you in your life and how you could be the best version of yourself. Enjoy! ~ Rachel

1. So many people, and women especially, struggle with the idea of having it all; a career and a personal life they love. But you know it can be done because you’ve spent the last decade figuring out how to get it! Tell us about your journey to this point…

I grew up as a creative; a dancer, actress, writer, poet, singer, music producer. I was always creating and performing, right through until I was in my early twenties. A car accident then changed my course, and I ended up in the corporate world, which saw me working for big global companies like GE, PwC and IBM for the best part of the next 20 years. I worked in marketing, business development, business strategy, gender diversity, organisational change and leadership development. Really senior roles, in Australia, Asia and the US. My last role was Head of Strategy for IBM, a 5Billion dollar business. During that time I also completed two Masters degrees, one in Business Management and the other in Wellness with a major in Positive Psychology. And just before I made my first big Director role, I got pregnant with my son who is now nearly 15.

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The next leg of our big adventure: cycling 552km from Uganda to Rwanda

Posted on 2015-10-13 at 8:55 am.

Written by Beth Kempton

This is a guest post from Claire Le Hur who is cycling to China with her fiancé Stuart Block. The couple will start their journey in East Africa where they will follow new ‘silk roads’ charting the journey of key natural resources as part of an exciting new education project. Claire will be riding a bamboo bike, built by an African social enterprise and Stuart will ride a tandem, keeping the back seat free for those they meet en route. They will also be raising money and awareness for two great educational charities. Find out more about Claire’s big adventure here.

On Sunday, September 13, we left Kampala accompanied by the Kampala Group of Bikers (KGB), a talented bamboo bike maker called Kasoma, and his apprentice, Khalid. It was a pleasure to finally meet Kasoma, and for him to see me ride the beautiful bike he made me through Kampala. It wasn’t the nicest ride out of the city, mainly due to the huge number of heavy trucks passing by but we were soon back out on the open country road. Every hill we went up had a similar length descent which meant my legs got chance to rest. My kind of hills!

Me meeting Kasoma

We ended up as a core group of five cycling to Namagumo, a village near Masaka just South of the equator and 130km from Kampala.

At the Equator

As we ate our lunch we heard shouts of ‘Mzungu, Mzungu’ and ‘How are you?’ and people slowed down to take our photograph. When we started cycling again children would chase us along the roads.

Children running alongside us

We stayed two nights with John-Paul Rutagarama, or JP as we’ve come to know him. JP is an agriculture student in Kampala and he’s also the keeper of his grandfathers’ beautiful house in the hills above Masaka. This stop came about following a serendipitous encounter that Stu had last term at his school. One day he was having lunch with Michael, a supply teacher, and they were discussing our trip when Michael said he has a grandson in Kampala who would be happy to host us – it was JP!

JP took the back seat of Stu’s tandem (Thandie!) and we rode around local villages like Villa Maria, which is houses the oldest church in Uganda and a school that Michael is funding. Heading off the beaten track caused quite a stir; the children we met looked terrified. JP explained that we are possibly the first white people they’ve ever seen which was amazing given we we were just 10km from the main road.

Stu, JP and Khalid cycling around the banana plantations

The school built by Michael: the children loved staring at us while sheltering from the rain!

During dinner with JP we discovered that the heir to the throne is half Rwandan so conversation turned to relationships between Rwanda and Uganda. It turned out that JP and Khalid both have Rwandan roots. JP was born there, lived through the genocide in 1994 genocide and moved to live with the Ugandan side of his family in 1996 to seek a better and safer future. Sadly his father was poisoned in 1998 – they still don’t know why. His uncle (JB Rutagarama) worked as a translator for journalists in the refugee camps and then moved to the USA and made the famous film Back Home telling the story of his return to Rwanda to find his family after the genocide.

When we entered Rwanda a few days later, I thought back to these conversations many times. At the border was a poster advertising a $5,000,000 reward for information about perpetrators still at large. Then in Kigali we visited the moving genocide memorial museum and burial ground. Here we found JP’s relatives on the wall of names – three Rutagaramas were among the 250,000 buried at this site, around one quarter of the estimated one million Tutsis killed in 100 days in 1994.

The wall of names in the memorial

Stuart and I then continued South West with Khalid as our guide. Khalid is just 16 and wants to be a professional cyclist. “My dream is to cycle and win the World Championships, but a good bike will cost at least $500 and then I need the racing components. I come south to the hills to train as much as possible. I keep chickens and sell the eggs and also work for Kasoma when I am not in school to try to save money. I am staying at school so that if I cannot get sponsorship I can become and accountant. But this would not be my dream.”

En route we visited two schools and Stuart even taught some economic lessons. At the first school, West College, Mbarara, we camped in the headmaster’s garden. The students were so excited to see us. It was as if celebrities had arrived and they all rushed to shake our hands. We’d arrived in the middle of one of their mock O-Level examinations but we were still welcomed in.

Then we headed south to Kabale. Here the hills were tough but although it was hard work, the scenery more than made up for it. At one point the heavens opened, as they do most days here, so we took shelter at the top of the mountain as descending in the rain, at dusk dark would have been too dangerous. I’ve been surprised by how quickly darkness falls here, being so close to the equator.

At the end of a long day we were lucky enough to spend two nights in Khalid’s childhood home – his Grandfather’s house. It turned out that his grandfather was buried in the garden but it is still very much his house, as he explained: “My grandfather owned all the land here but my uncles sold it off and so we are left with just this house now… my three aunts, two uncles and their families live here and although my mum lives in Kampala, they still keep her room. My uncles have sold so much but we don’t know where the money has gone.” Stuart and I slept in his mother’s room and we really appreciated the family’s generous hospitality. They even boiled water so we could shower. We stood in the corner of the house courtyard in the dark pouring water over each other hoping Khalid aunts would not come out of their rooms!

Khalid in his home

We had a well deserved rest day in Kabale and met Khalid’s cousin, Mohammed Ali, who is, of course, a boxer! His father, Khalid’s uncle was the national champion boxers his day and Mohammed is trying to follow in his footsteps.

Khalid and Mohammed: ‘Strong arms and strong legs; boxer and cyclist’.

Then it was the final leg to Kigali. Khalid and Mohammed escorted us as far as the border. It was a mission trying to get across but we made it! We waved emotional goodbyes to our young guide with promises to keep in touch. He is a young man who will surely succeed if he if given the chance. It must only be a matter of time before a black African gets worldwide recognition in cycling… who knows, maybe Khalid will be the first.

We had one lovely long climb, with some super fit children running up faster than I was cycling and then it was freewheeling (or should have been if it were not for the headwind) all the way to Kigali.

Children chasing me up the hill

Our first impressions of Rwanda: absolutely beautiful! Very green, very hilly and so clean, tidy and quiet… it was actually quite unnerving to have people just walk over and stare, without the usual cries of ‘Mzungu, Mzungu’! For now we’re planning a few days rest days before heading north again to visit Team Rwanda at their cycling compound in Musanze and hopefully pop into Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

You can read more about our big cycling adventure in my next post on Tuesday, November 10.

What if…?

Posted on 2015-10-09 at 8:55 am.

Written by Beth Kempton

Making time to do the things we love is essential for our happiness and wellbeing, whether it’s strolling through the countryside, taking a long hot bath or reading the next chapter of that gripping novel.

Imagine then if you could take the thing you love most – fashion, baking, writing, gardening, painting, helping people, even walking the dog – and make a living from it. Starting your own flourishing business is a great way to turn your passion into profit.

However small or large your business, it can be a fantastic way to do what you love. To start dreaming big deep and wide about what could be possible for you in business download our free ‘What If…?’ resource. You might just surprise yourself!

Do What You Love interview – Dr Lynn von Schneidau

Posted on 2015-10-08 at 8:55 am.

Written by Beth Kempton

Lynn von Schneidau became a naturopathic physician following a health crisis when she was just 23. Determined to to find a natural way to heal herself she discovered liver detoxification and live whole foods at an alternative cancer clinic in Mexico and within a few months her tumours had dissolved and she was pain-free. Fast-forward 25 years and she is healthy, happy and has three wonderful children. She’s also grown a fantastic business helping others to discover the healing power of food and healthy living. Enjoy the interview! ~ Rachel

11178_620738827978290_973049903_n-2-1 Dr. Lynn von Schneidau

1. How are you doing what you Love?

I love to travel and have been a healer most of my life. In my daily practice as a naturopathic physician in Seattle, I teach people about the importance of healing themselves, with the right tools. I really enjoy spending time with my patients and building strong relationships with them. As a physician it’s very important to get to know a patient so they can tell you their life story. Only then can you really help the healing process as often it is what someone has experienced as a child that is causing them distress or dis-ease as an adult. The best part of my job is seeing a person’s health change in just a matter of weeks.

I also run retreats, which I love. There’s nothing better than seeing people leave their normal, stressful environment and go to a tropical place to relax and detox. Every time I lead a retreat at the Haramara Retreat, my favourite place in Mexico, I stop when I walk into the yoga palapa overlooking the ocean and say “wow, this is my job!”. Being here and helping others is truly is what I love.

2. Tell us about your journey to this point; how did you discover the world of detoxification, naturopathy and healing and how did it change your life?

My journey to naturopathic medicine began when I was 20 and developed endometrial tumors on my sciatic nerve and ovaries. The pain was debilitating and I had to stay in bed for one week each month. I could barely walk and weighed just 98lbs. Conventional drug treatments and surgery didn’t work and when my condition got worse it seemed the only option was surgery to cut the nerves in my back, remove my appendix, cauterize my tumours and do a full hysterectomy.

Luckily, with my mom’s help, I found Charlotte Gerson, who offered an alternative, non-toxic treatment. She talked me through every drug I was on, its outcome and side effects, and told me about a therapy where the body can heal itself given the right nutrients and and enzymes by removing toxins. So off I went to the Gerson Clinic – a decision which changed my life. I felt my tumours get numb and dissolve.

I’m now 53 and have three grown up children

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