Series 2 Talk on the topic ‘Women Empowerment’ by Founder Womenlines Charu Mehrotra at Bringle Academy
Women Empowerment is defined as a process by which a woman becomes aware of her visions and goals and work towards achieving them in life. To my understanding mindset plays a huge role in strengthening women empowerment. Womenfolk should not take women empowerment only to work and earn but they should be empowering themselves through growth mindset also!
I want to emphasize friends, use the power of mindset in your favour!
Have you seen kids playing pretend and play? Some kids become batman, some become superman. Some play like doctor and patient, some even student and teacher games. While playing they are fully in that role and thinking like the character they are playing. We, adults, know that it is not real but don’t you think friends if actually, we want to become something in life we can follow the footsteps of the women leaders. We love to follow celebrities, the way they wear clothes, the way they do makeup, why don’t we push ourselves to have women leaders as our role models. There is so much to learn from them and achieve in life.
Here comes a very important role in mindest friends. Many of you will say what is the need of having a growth mindset. We are happy where we are. But you don’t realize friends world around you is changing. If you will not put efforts now to change yourself it will be difficult for you later.
I am listing down 10 ways of how a growth mindset can help you-
- A growth mindset will help you to gain confidence as you will be much aware of yourself, your vision.
- You will start working with mindfulness and that will help you to deliver your work a much better way.
- A growth mindset can make you responsible for yourself. It will help you to understand yourself better and you will be fully aware of what vision goal you want to achieve in your life.
- If you are a parent you can set an example in front of your kids and teach them the right values.
- You will start taking challenges as opportunities to learn in life.
- You will stop seeking approval from others
- You will cultivate a sense of purpose
- You will start portraying criticism as positive
- You will take responsibility for your attitude
- You will start taking the risk in life!
Let Excellence be your Brand!
Charu Mehrotra
Founder Womenlines
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, an international campaign which aims at increasing awareness about the second most common cancer in women, to someday stop it. Throughout the month Womenlines will be sharing very informative interviews, articles, and information about various webinars to empower viewers and readers with knowledge related to prevention of cancer.
It is pleasure today to share the interview with an amazing fighter who is not only a breast cancer thriver for last 8 years but also is a cancer coach and teaching people how to prevent cancer or thrive with cancer.
Welcome Anju Kurien at Womenlines ‘Health is Wealth’ show. Anju has valuable knowledge which she wants to share across the world. Anju Kurien is also a Cancer Coach under Cancer Awakens ( founded by Vijay Bhat) organisation which supports the daunting journey from ‘victim’ to ‘survivor’, to ‘cancer-thriver’, via a Holistic & Integrated approach to healing!
1) When were you diagnosed with breast cancer and how did you find out?
I had a distinct lump in my breast and was pushed by husband with help from my sister to get myself checked. I was behaving like an Ostrich and hoping it would disappear. This was in October of 2011.
2)What form of treatment did you receive?
The protocol defined for me was the first Chemo (as my cancer had metastasised in the Liver and the Doctors wanted to reduce and eliminate as many of the cancer cells with Chemo) This was followed by Radical Mastectomy of the left breast. Followed by 25 cycles of Radiation. Post the 8 cycles of Chemo I was administered 12 doses of Herceptin once a month and Zoladex injections for 6 months.
3) How has breast cancer impacted your life over the years?
Losing a body part just makes you realise what a beautiful piece of machinery has been created where every part has an important role to play. Today its a reminder of my neglecting my inner self.
4) Are you still taking some medicine?
Yes, I am on 20mg of tamoxifen daily!
5) What helped you to keep your spirits up and gave you support?
Support and unconditional love from family and friends. Accepting all advice as good advice and embracing them wholeheartedly.
6) Must to follow tips for womenfolk based on your learning journey as a thriver!
- Take one day at a time
- Understand and acknowledge your stressors
- Love yourself
- Meditate
- Embrace life
If you are looking forward to helping out people suffering from cancer to thrive with cancer or to gain insights about the prevention of cancer, reach out to ‘Cancer Awakens’ at contact@cancerawakens.com!
Womenlines takes pleasure to share about Ms Ketki Vinayachandra as an ‘Influencer of Health’ at Womenlines panel. Ketki is sharing articles and videos related to excellence in health through Naturopathy at Womenlines on first and last Thursdays of every month. The first series ‘Flab to Fab’ is a must watch as Ketki is sharing incredible tips to reduce weight. Ketki is a trained Naturopath and she is quite passionate about creating awareness about Naturopathy across the world. Listen to Ketki in this episode 6 of ‘FLAB TO FAB’-
Diabetes Epidemic
Statistics
Risk factors
Symptoms
Types of Diabetes
Impact of Diabetes
Ms Ketki Vinayachandra, BscM (Hons), ND, AND, Dip Nut, ( Aust), NHAA Member Naturopath, Herbalist, Nutritionist, Iridologist
“As a Naturopathic health practitioner, I strongly believe that we need to invest wisely in our health. The everyday choices we make in terms of our lifestyle and how we treat our body can either create healing or disease. While ageing is inevitable, diseases are not. Talk to me to customize a treatment plan for you today!
Womenlines highly recommend that you check out John Mattone’s new book, The Intelligent Leader. John is the world’s top-ranked executive coach and this book brings the insights and tools that are usually reserved for only the top echelon of the business world right into your lap. Reading The Intelligent Leader is like having your own leadership coach, urging you to go deeper, pointing out your blind spots, and always encouraging you to become more. Plus, if you order a copy today, you’ll get free access to the Mattone Leadership Enneagram Inventory ($110 value), which is a tool he’s developed for people to determine their unique leadership style, strengths and developmental opportunities (a $110 value).
“I have found the MLEI to be an accurate measure of a leader’s inner-core maturity as it isolates strengths and gifts that need to be leveraged as well as the weaknesses that need to be addressed. Problems with leadership almost always boil down to immaturity. But the great news is, immaturity can be addressed and overcome once you know where it resides and what it looks like. Based on my leadership enneagram, the nine-pointed diagram that dates back to ancient Babylon, the MLEI helps a person chart their own (or someone else’s) thinking patterns, emotional make-up and feelings, and provides an accurate picture of someone’s overall inner-core maturity. There are three basic leader trait combinations, each of which is further subdivided into three subtypes. We all operate in all three trait combinations and we all possess each one of the nine traits. The most important questions for a leader, however, are: (1) which trait is my most active or predominant trait? and (2) how mature are each of my nine traits and how mature am I overall?
Knowing which of your traits are more active than the others is important, but so is understanding the thoughts and behaviours that can derail you. The person who knows these things stays true to himself or herself, and can often get back on track when derailing attitudes or actions arise.”- John Mattone
Check it out at www.theintelligentleaderbook.com
Womenlines takes pleasure to welcome Leadership Coach Puja Talesara as an Influencer for Leadership at Womenlines.
Puja Talesara is recognised as a change agent by her coachees globally. She is an intuitive passionate coach, her life experiences piqued her interest in Personal Leadership coaching. She has headed a leadership position in her corporate career for which she was recognised and awarded. She is being admired by her clients for the way she simplifies topics into easily actionable items. She has nudged and facilitated people to unlock their potential in 4 countries. She is privileged to be mentored by John Mattone, coach of late Steve Jobs. She was recognised as 51 influential women in Maharashtra and for her work in Millennial space. She believes “Inward excellence leads to outward excellence”. Every month Puja will be sharing powerful leadership nuggets to empower readers and viewers for excellence. The theme for this month is transformation-
Switch and Practise ‘I’ script rather than blaming. Activate your inner compass. Experience transformation in your relationships at work and at home once you transform yourself.
Puja Talesara
Leadership Coach, Co-founder of Leadership Demystified Webinars & Rewire
To know details about online or offline for personal or corporate group ‘Leadership Coaching’ programmes with Puja Talesara email contact@www.womenlines.com!
Womenlines is delighted to welcome Danielle and Agy, founder of ‘Green Collective’ the coolest eco-friendly shop in Singapore, as guests in the ‘Entrepreneur of the Month’ show at Womenlines. In present times ‘Go Green’ attitude is really catching up and Green Collective is giving an opportunity to shop so many varieties of eco-friendly products which are made with care, under one roof. Visitors can also check out the series of workshops from soap and accessory making to parent-child creative sessions at the outlet. Listen and read about the interesting entrepreneurial journey of the founders in their own words-
1. Please share with our readers a little bit about yourself?
Danielle: Originally from Quebec, Canada, Danielle has been living in Asia for over 20 years and 12 in SG. A primary school teacher for most of her life, she decided to venture into sustainable entrepreneurship in her 40s after facing some health challenges. All the personal changes made daily resulted in a greatly improved quality of the file. As a teacher, she knows how education is a key factor in changing mass habits and mindsets and The Green Collective’s mission to “Make Sustainability Mainstream” is an extension of her convictions and experience. Not only being more conscious of our daily choices have a direct impact on our personal lives and people around us, but it also goes a long way in improving the conditions of everyone involved in the production along the way.
Agy: Agatha Lee “Agy” is a textile artist specialising in embroidery based in Singapore. She was born in England and grew up in Hong Kong where she spent her childhood making daisy chains and walking in the hills. She was previously working as an environmental policymaker in the National Environmental Agency before embarking on a career in environmental education through art. Her previous life as a policymaker has enabled her to bridge the gap between nature and art and has encouraged her to create works to reconnect people with the environment.
2. So when did you started this venture and what inspired or motivated you to take a plunge into this venture?
The idea of The Green Collective SG was conceptualized over networking between green business owners, Danielle Champagne, Mayur Singh and Agatha Lee “Agy” in March 2018. While coming from different backgrounds and different countries, the common challenge faced by the 3 of us was that small brands focused on sustainability find it tough to be financially sustainable. With a vision to make sustainability mainstream, The Green Collective SG was set up as a one-stop space for consumers to find green alternatives to their everyday products. We also wanted to ensure that this business should be run by the community and therefore created a unique business model which is run like a rural cooperative and is based on sharing principle. Each brand within the collective contributes to, in some form or the other – by being a cashier for a few hours in a month, providing digital marketing services or any other expertise you can bring to help the Collective run smoothly.
We first set up in April 2018 as a pop-up in Payar Lebar with just 15 local eco-friendly brands, and in a matter of 6 months, we grew to over 30 brands. Today, The Collective has over 45 brands occupying more 2,600 sq ft at the centrally located FUNAN mall. CapitaLand has been very cooperative and our great partnership with them is one of the keys to our successful expansion. What’s even more exciting is that we are possibly the first-ever retail concept globally, to be curated based on the UN Sustainable Development Goals. The 17 Goals are the basis of the sustainability and each brand in Funan is linked to two or more of these goals.
3. Can you share with us some of the challenges you faced during your initial days?
-Setting up an entire shop with no budget at all. We dumpster-dived a bit, brought stock from home etc
-Managing the different expectations of so many people was challenging
-Keeping everything fair and streamlined. (space allocation, location within the shop etc)
4. So how do you balance your personal and professional life?
Danielle: Ah! THE question! Some days we just feel like we don’t! As a business owner, you can never disconnect 100% and always need to be available just in case. But our sanity needs to take time “off”. Be it just turning the phone to silent for a few hours and do whatever is making us feel good. For me, I spend family time, exercise, run with my dog, connect with friends and trying to get back into piano.
Agy: I wear many hats – partner, parent, textile artist and co-founder of The Green Collective SG, so I find it important to have chunks of quiet time to myself so that I can reset my mind! Having quiet time enables me to focus and commit to both business and personal life. I’m also very grateful to have a supportive husband and family!
5. What would you suggest to other aspiring women who want to venture out on their own?
-It’s a tough world out there but with passion, perseverance, flexibility and patience, we can do it all!
A bit of humility is necessary too in my opinion. Entrepreneurship can be quite lonely and learning how to accept our limits is what will help the most. We cannot be good at everything and asking for help with what we are not so good at will save you lots of time and keep you sane. We all wish to be able to do it all to save money but often, an investment in efficient help may be what makes the business grow or die.
6. Is there any person who has mentored/supported/inspired you?
Danielle: my 2 co-founders. We are a very different trio and we had to learn how to work with each other but they truly inspire me every day.
Agy: Same! My co-founders and the people who run the brands at The Green Collective SG. They are a passionate bunch of people, and being around them keeps me going!
7. What do you have in the pipeline for your venture’s future development?
We are working on a few sideline growth projects that will help us with our goal to Make Sustainability Mainstream… stay tuned!
Visit Green Collective at #02-18 Funan Mall, North Bridge Road. Nearest MRT, City Hall
Fb Page https://www.facebook.com/thegreencollectivesg/
Womenlines is delighted to be a Digital Media Partner for Women’s International Networking (WIN) Conference at Athens. Grab the golden opportunity to nurture the Leader within you at the WIN Conference at Athens from 2-4 (5) October 2019!
The Global WINConference, a pioneering women’s leadership forum, is one of the world’s leading learning and development experiences. The world is still not an equal and inclusive place and we believe it could be.
The UN is referring to gender equality and women and girls’ empowerment in their SDG5 and we are doing our part to reach that goal. The WINConference has an ambitious vision to transform the world, companies and individuals in an authentic, feminine and global way. WIN looks at how to run companies that prosper, where people flourish and the planet thrives. Participants will network with purpose, passion and pleasure, while getting up to speed on a wide range of topics ranging from the future of work, AI, the circular economy to inclusion, resilience, organisational creativity and feminine leadership. They will meet women in STEM, business and the arts while learning how to tap into their inner power and make things happen – at work, in the world, and in their lives. There is no balance between the feminine and masculine in the world, whether in politics, business, society or our own lives. This imbalance has consequences to the planet, to organizations and to human well-being. It doesn’t need to stay that way.
We all see that the world is polarizing; it is clear that women’s natural voices and contributions have never been more important. Join WIN Conference in Athens as we step up as awake, empowered and inspired women and men and create new ways of living, working and leading in the world. Through plenary sessions, working forums, workshops and mindful networking sessions, you will enhance your life and propel your work to an entirely new place.
Join to expand your mind, join to enrich your soul, and join to become part of a powerful network of influence!
Register: https://bit.ly/2M642DP
Womenlines is delighted to share about Anjalika, an IITTI (CANADA) certified professional Image Branding & Lifestyle Consultant, as an Influencer for Image Branding at Womenlines. Yes womenfolk, gear up to learn the tips and tricks to carry yourself with excellence and make excellence your brand. In her sharing for this month, Anjalika is sharing about how to look fabulous at any age-
It was not until I turn older did I realise that as women, we are capable of being beautiful at any age. I love the fact that I am getting older. I embrace every change that comes with well, an ageing self. I bask in the very fact that certain qualities are only attainable after the arrival of a certain decade. I never dwell on or lament on the fact that certain parts of my face or body are never going to be the same again.
In the age of social media, women especially, are often made to feel less than; the many unattainable standards of beauty is rampant, everywhere; the smorgasbord of cosmetic surgeries, fillers, laser treatment advertisements are easily part of our lives. As though that is not enough, we are also slapped with image after image of branded handbags, shoes and clothes, adorning the body of a very blessed individual who looks like she can very well afford all the luxury while it very much seems that she is not even batting an eyelid to earn all that money to be able to afford them. If you ask me, what a stressful decade this has been!
As an Image Branding and Lifestyle Consultant, I often meet with women, who, over time lost their zest for life; especially those nearing the half-decade mark. One thing is for sure, it does not have to be that way. Feeling and looking good is a birthright. It does not have to be complicated or expensive, something that is very much misunderstood.
Having said that, there are a couple of ways to make yourself shine – a decade after decade. Here are my top tips.
* Determine your Style Personality
Once you are in touch with your style personality, it will not take much to feel and look on top of the world. Are you more classically inclined in your choice of clothes, romantic perhaps or maybe even bold? Once you know your style personality, wardrobe shopping will be way easier. You will be able to weed out what is not of interest or what will not look good on you. In a nutshell, someone with the inclination towards classic style will love classic type blazers, white crisp shirts, pencil skirts and on their feet, the classic pumps. Those who lean towards bold will opt for splashy patterns and loud colours, while our romantic counterparts, choose frills, laces and flowy fabric as part of their ensemble. Look within yourself and ask yourself questions like what makes you feel good, what kind of image you want to portray. In doubt, get help from an Image Consultant.
* Wardrobe essentials
There are a couple of essential items that I feel every woman should have in her wardrobe. Just to name a few; (1) white shirt, (2) well-fitted dress; doesn’t have to be black – choose a colour that flatters you. (3) long well-fitted trousers (4) well-fitted blazer (5) jeans; usually bootleg or straight cut ones are the most flattering for most shapes (6) white and black basic t-shirts (7) denim jacket (8) hoop earrings (9) diamond or diamante studs (10) a good pair of white sneakers (11) good quality, (does not have to be branded), roomy work bag (12) a classic clutch in black or gold
* Know the current fashion trends
Have a few of current fashion pieces in your wardrobe. Make sure you only pick those that work for you. An example will be wide-legged pants or culottes which is a current hit. Mix and match them with your wardrobe essentials and voila, you are heaps more trendy!
* Accessorize
Your belts, hats, necklaces – accessorizing create a unique look for you. Use this to your benefit. I have always been a great believer of dressing for my body and taste; never copy and always be creative. Put together outfits that screams you.
* Wear trendy shoes
Footwear can singlehandedly change the vibe. You do not have to wear four-inch heels to feel desirable. There are so many choices these days. The ballet pumps, kitten heels, mules, slingbacks – go try around and see which ones make you feel so good, you do not want to take them off!
Finally, the most important thing….
* Not too matchy
Looking too matchy or polished can age a person. Have fun with your clothes and try to mix-and-match them. I will advise a client to pair a jacket with a skirt or pants, not a matching one; like that of a suit. This will give you a more relaxed and chic look.
Bottom line is, have fun with whatever you throw on you. Adopt a confident stride, if you have not already. With that confident walk, you have already won before you even started.
Zu Anjalika Kamis Gunnulfsen is the Editor (Singapore) for Marketing In Asia and certified Image Branding & Lifestyle Consultant. She was also crowned Mrs Singapore Globe 2017. Born in Singapore and blessed to have lived in a couple of other amazing cities in the world, Anjalika is currently expatriating in Kuala Lumpur. Follow her on LinkedIn, Instagram and blog
LinkedIn –https://www.linkedin.com/in/zuanjalika/
https://www.instagram.com/anjalika_mrssingaporeglobe2017/
Womenlines takes pleasure to share about guest contributor Vijayalakshmi Veluchamy, founder, Public speaking mentor @ Jump Out Kids – a venture in building a confident next generation. She is also a Senior Recruitment Consultant by profession. This month Vijaya is sharing a very insightful article on the importance of listening skills-
There is a huge difference between hearing and listening. Hearing is a physical ability to perceive sound whereas listening is a skill, it’s a conscious effort by the brain to understand and make sense of what the other person is saying.
Most of the time the standard way of listening is to reply rather than to understand. Which means, instead of listening to what the other person is saying we start thinking of what we need to reply. Effective Listening is becoming a difficult task these days due to information overload and shortened attention span.
So let’s see how effective listening can be done?
- The first step in effective listening would be to stop thinking of what you need to reply and actually listen to the person.
- Keep an open mind, do not judge the person or jump to conclusions while you are listening.
- Do not interrupt while they speak, wait for them to finish before you add on. Sometimes listening long enough, helps clear your doubts.
- Ask questions only to ensure understanding, if your questions have made the speaker astray, take responsibility to make them feel comfortable and help them get back to the track.
- Throughout the interaction try to maintain eye contact, nod, smile, give verbal cues and affirmations wherever needed assuring that you are with them.
- A short summarizing at the end assures them that their views have been well heard and understood.
- Once this is done, you can now put forth your ideas, suggestions and the points where you differ, setting the stage for a healthy discussion.
Effective listening might seem like a lot of effort but remember that listening is a skill and it takes time, effort, patience and practice to master it.
Let’s understand the Benefits of Listening Effectively:
Builds Trust, confidence and strong relationships:
Sometimes all a person needs is someone to listen to them without judging or giving any kind of suggestions or advice. Just being there actively listening ensures that the person is important and what they say matters. This helps build a trustable relationship, be it a parent-child or peer to peer or any workspace relationship.
Better Productivity and understanding:
Good listeners are able to better follow instructions, inputs and information given to them. This helps them to clearly understand what is expected from them, ask better questions to get clarity, provide valuable feedbacks and addons where needed. So be it classroom or workspace they deliver the desired results on time or even faster!
A Good Listener is a Good Leader, a Good Communicator:
A good listener is able to see the world from the eyes of others. Instead of repeating what you know, listening helps you to learn what you may not know.
It helps you understand different kinds of people, their opinions and point of views. This eventually helps you lead people of different personalities to work towards a common goal. Communication is effective only when you actively listen to people first and then put forth your points.
No one is born knowing how to read or write similarly listening is a skill and can be learnt. By slowing down your thoughts and being present at the moment you will be amazed to see how much you actually listen and remember.
Vijayalakshmi Veluchamy
Founder, Public speaking mentor @ Jump Out Kids – a venture in building a confident next generation. I am also a Senior Recruitment Consultant by profession. I love following my dreams and passion as I strongly believe if you can dream it, you can do it.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1769851159935761/?ref=share
Womenlines takes pleasure to share about Jahnavi Katti as Success Mindset & Social Branding Influencer at Womenlines panel. Jahnavi is an Abundance Mindset Coach, Lifestyle Entrepreneur, #Story2Satori youtube chatshow host, and CEO of Keykonnecct. Jahnavi creates compelling visual stories, partners with brands to reach their target audience and provides consultancy on Storytelling & Branding. She has shared a powerful article on the importance of self-discovery and how to have a clear vision about what you want–
Confusing situations outside in your external environment is a reflection of your internal environment, your Mindset. Usually confused people are not clear about what they want in life. It is also a result of a Fixed Mindset. People with a fixed Mindset think that they cannot change in fact they are not open to change, but on the other hand, they expect others to be accommodating and expect a lot of change in their lives like great relationships, joy, a healthy Lifestyle and Career growth. They don’t realize it is a result of their own Mindset that they are suffering in life. Maybe many are not at extreme spectrums of either having a Fixed Mindset or a Positive growth Mindset, In fact, many may be swayed by the circumstances of life to either extreme.
Ways to hack your Mindset
Observing the words and the language one uses when talking to others and also the internal dialogue ie the thoughts or the self-talk can show how much self-conscious you are. If you use the negative words either with others or in your self talk your consciousness is absorbing this and brings it into your reality.
Many Women have a nagging and complaining habit and this has become a way of life or attitude creating their reality. They may have guilt trips about it and about other things like what they eat, how they look or how much their weight is. Observing the feelings when they speak or eat can help them start their journey to self-discovery.
Self Discovery is the road to success and it is the beginning of Change. The only change is constant. Once you realize this you will be better equipped to deal with life’s challenges.
Create a New Identity
For experiencing new things in life one needs a new Identity. To create a new Identity you must change your beliefs about your own Self. This way you can recreate your Identity. Exercise to do is saying “I am becoming a positive person with a winning attitude “ in place of “I am a loser “ Redefine Failure: See failure as an opportunity to learn, a stepping stone to success. Bounce back by responding well to failure. Attend the Self Discovery webinar by Success Mindset Coach Jahnavi Katti. Connect with Jahnavi Katti on Facebook Page Story2Satori and DM “Success Mindset Webinar “ and you will receive the link to attend the Webinar
Jahnavi Katti CPC
Lifestyle Entrepreneur
#Story2Satori Host
Mindfulness & Abundance Mindset Coach
CEO KeyKonnecct
Two Decades of Corporate Mindful Leadership Training and Coaching Experience
https://www.linkedin.com/in/keykonnecct/