As the ‘Entrepreneur of the month’ Womenlines takes pleasure to introduce Leza Parker, founder of Spendless Academy and Spendless Cosmetics. Leza Parker a mother of 3 children is the CEO of SC Beauty Network Pte Ltd. SC Beauty, which is an internet marketing platform with over 20,000 resellers, promoting some of the top brands in the beauty space. Operational in more than 17 countries, SC Beauty has more than 80 full time and contractual employees. Leza Parker is also an active investor, have invested and incubated in many small businesses. She lectures from time to time, and has spoken at more than 100 conferences, universities and participated in numerous panel discussions. She won the award “Youngest Business Guru in Singapore” at the age of 28, and her story told in a book called “The Lady Boss” published in Singapore bookstores. She has authored four books over the last 4 years and is currently writing modules for universities to launch her own Diploma certification. Listen to Leza and read about her entrepreneurial journey in her own words –

1. Please share with our reader’s little bit about yourself.
I am a mompreneur with 3 children. I started my first business from home seven years ago, with a simple eCommerce platform to sell children’s hair accessories. Since then, I’ve grown and developed and with investments and resources, fast forward, I am now the CEO of a global tech company in the beauty industry empowering over 20,000 women across 14 countries. I love business and entrepreneurship and despite my busy schedule, I commit to also homeschool my children. Pretty much, a busy working mom.

2. So when did you started this venture and what inspired or motivated you to take a plunge into this venture?
I started Spendless Cosmetics in 2014 with the intention to empower women, to be financially independent as a beauty reseller. I had several businesses before that, majorly in brick and mortar investments or manufacturing of goods. I became interested in technology and since I’m very interested in women empowerment, Spendless Cosmetics started in 2014. This also largely inspired by my own story being a stay home mother, for many years wanting to earn extra income for my family. I tried ordering cosmetics in 2011 and have been selling to my friends and family. The extra income helped me grow my business, feed my children and improve my household income. So I thought, why not develop the same process to make it possible for every woman to have the same opportunity – reselling cosmetics from home.

3. Can you share with us some of the challenges you faced during your initial days?
My company has just undergone bankruptcy end of 2014, due to poor investment in human resources when I expanded. I was still determined to start the new business with Spendless Cosmetics, but convincing people around me is hard. I work endlessly on Spendless Cosmetics, despite the lack of funds and support from anyone I know. I barely could afford the tech resources and had to borrow money to sustain my family expenses. I still had so much belief in the vision, that eventually, an investor came forth to support me in the capital. I finished the development and expanded regionally. One of the challenges I faced, is managing people. Leading people is one of the hardest roles to play, not to mention the time investment to guide others who may or may not bring expected returns. I am still learning how to be a better manager.

4. So how do you balance your personal and professional life?
I integrate both my personal and professional life. I do spend 8-11 hours to my work each day, but making sure that spread over a time that does not affect my parenting role. I might start a few hours in the morning, focus on my children in the afternoon, and get back at it after dinner until wee hours. I enjoyed my work, especially when I get to learn and improve, connect and collaborate with others so long hours do not bother me much. I try to keep my health sustained so having small healthy meals in good proportion. I do some sports every other day to stay fit – so a bit of running and Yoga keeps me happy enough.

5. What would you suggest to other aspiring women who want to venture out on their own?
Three things I would suggest is to first (a) Outsource – You are not an expert in everything, even if you invest time to learn it. Hence, spend time identifying your weakness and let someone else takes over the role but outsourcing the work. Earn more from your capabilities and skills, and use that to fund the outsourced experts. So things are concurrently accomplished and your business levels up. (b) Embrace mistakes. Don’t try to deny them, when you’ve realised a mistake has been done. People learn from mistakes to ensure they improve in their future decisions. So for every mistake, must be seen as an opportunity to learn and do better. That is the only way to be successful. (c) Collaborate. Be open to networking for the purpose of collaboration. There is only so much you can achieve and do, but through collaboration, you will achieve more and do better.

6. Is there any person who has mentored/supported/inspired you?
The people who sub-consciously mentored me does not know they did that. It’s always through random conversations with a random person, that provoke my thoughts and inspire me to improve what I do. It amazed me, sometimes I find solutions to my problems in conversation with someone on a totally different topic. I’ve always admired women not based on what they have accomplished but where they come from because I appreciate strong women with emotional and mental strength for that control of the mind is truly make them powerful and successful.

7. What do you have in the pipeline for your venture’s future development?
I have the intention to further scale the business in the various markets, we are already in hoping to create local communities of women. The aim is to use technology to reach them, to educate, empower, inspire and motivate them for whatever it is they choose to pursue. I intend to do that as my life’s mission for as long as I can.

Visit https:/www.worldofsc.com, http://www.leza-parker.com/ to read more about Leza!

Womenlines team wishes very Happy Deepawali 2018  to its readers!!

Hope the festival of lights brings your way bright sparkles of peace, contentment, joy, and happiness which stays with you throughout this year and also in the years to come. May the lamp of joy remain illuminated in your life now and forever.

Let’s rise above the average and liberate ourselves to become the best version of one’s own self. Let’s celebrate this Deepawali to light up this entire universe with positivity and warmth

Have a joyous Diwali everybody!!

Charu Mehrotra

Founder Womenlines!

Womenfolk are always on move. Work, family, to do list, kids, with so many priorities in life self-care becomes last priority. In rush of life, it is so challenging to take out time for proper makeup. So many days happens when my eyeliner refuses to be straight or my lashes refuse to curl and then you feel so helpless as being a woman, we all want to look our best. Recent ‘Easy Makeup Steps And Hairstyle’ workshop by Makeup Artist and Image Consultant Gayathri Menon in Singapore helped me to pick up certain tricks and tips to save my precious time and also to apply makeup right way to look my best-

1. Spraying Foundation mist on the face is the new trend. Giving a dewy look and settling on skin perfectly it saves lots of time and avoids putting up layers of different products. Gayathri loves using Jeunesse Youth Enhancement System which has primer, foundation, bronzer and shimmer. The lightweight formula blurs skin imperfections and delivers high-definition photo ready coverage
2. In a hurry, you can use fingertips to spread eyeshadows over eyelids. Use dark colours at the corner of eyes mixing it with light colour at the centre with a touch of shimmer at the corner above eyes.
3. To avoid lipstick stains on teeth Gayathri recommends using a lip liner before lipstick to help the lipstick stay on longer
4. Highlighters are the magic trick which can just change your overall look if applied correctly on high cheeks and a touch on nose and chin and doesn’t require much time.
5. To avoid smudging over eyes use small mascara brushes for fast application of mascara.
6. Spraying mineral water mist from a distance on the face, after application of makeup, is a small trick to give a fresh makeup look.
7. Hairstyling can be given perfection by usage of hairstyling tools. As per your requirements, you can give little curls at the bottom or give a straight look. Make sure you bring hair near to the plates of the tuft styler to have a smooth look overall. She recommends ‘Play By TUFT  Heated Styler’ which provides versatile styling to hair. It also smoothes and creates volume, lifts, flips and waves.

Check out details about upcoming workshops by Gayathri Menon at   www.gayathrimenon.com

Charu Mehrotra

Founder Womenlines

Promoting Excellence in Women!

Womenlines is delighted to welcome Nisha Bansal as a guest contributor at Womenlines. As a Certified Ayurveda Practitioner, Nisha is sharing a very interesting aspect about how Ayurveda and Vedic Astrology are related and how proper understanding can help us improve ourselves and our relationships –

Ayurveda to many of us is about home remedies or bitter herbs or massage. Very few are aware that Ayurveda is much more than that. Ayurveda is about “wholesomeness” and “balance”. “Svastha” or health as per Ayurveda is “sva”, that is, self or pure atman and “stha”, that is, situated within. Hence, health as per Ayurveda is the integrity of mind, body and consciousness. It realizes that health is much more than diet and exercise and we are much more than our physical body. Even a corpse is a body but it’s not us. It is the life force or prana, the aliveness and consciousness within us that define us. Hence, Meditation, Aromatherapy, Vaastu – Vedic system of architecture and Jyotish – Vedic astrology are all part of Ayurveda. Ayurveda understands that not just diet & physical exercise but what is within and around us also impact our health. That we are a miniature manifestation of pure consciousness and hence, change of seasons due to earth’s rotation and even position of sun, planets and constellations with respect to earth because of its rotation and revolution has a significant impact on us. That understanding led to the evolution of Vedic Astrology.

To me, Vedic Astrology is not about what the future holds. It is more about the understanding of our inner wiring, our psychology and to evolve from the patterns that we come across in our lives and in our behaviour and the behaviour of people around us. It gives us an insight into what emotional and mental habits we are born with, why we are passionate about certain things and what brings satisfaction to us.

At the time of our birth, the placement of planets and constellations define our constitution and makeup of our basic personality. Many of these character traits are so inbuilt within us that many times we are not even aware of them and often end up projecting these on people around us and suffer in our relationships. Jyotish is the light that shines on these areas which are so deeply embedded in our subconscious mind that they become part of us. When we understand our Jyotish chart we learn where we have to grow and evolve, we start noticing these patterns clearly and work to transform ourselves. That is the whole purpose of our life. It is not just about paying bills or making money or materialistic achievements. We are here for a much larger reason, to make ourselves and our community better, to understand the spiritual reality and attain real freedom.
When I analyzed the Vedic charts of my family and my own, we all got such clarity of the challenges we face as a family. This has inspired many positive lifestyles and attitude changes for us and has brought much more harmony, peace and acceptance of each other. That has resulted in much more love, compassion and openness to each other. That is what Vedic Astrology means to me, gateway to ultimate satisfaction and harmony!

 I am a Certified Ayurveda Practitioner & Spiritual Counselor and Healing LIght Yoga Teacher. I am also an Engineering Graduate from a prestigious institute in India and had worked in the corporate world for about 15 years. My quest for preventive, holistic health system led me to Ayurveda and I love to educate, empower and support people in their journey of health.

My contact information: nisha_bajaj@hotmail.com

Leadership Demystified is a podcast series where leaders from different industries discuss the most recent leadership trends around the world. The podcast is Co-hosted by Leadership Coach Puja Talesara, who is mentored by John Mattone (coach for late Steve Jobs) and Ixchel.life. Leadership Demystified team is glad to start  ‘Women Entrepreneur Segment’. They are delighted to introduce Renuka Arora Bhagat as the first speaker of the series.

Renuka Arora Bhagat excels in her dual career choice with ease & has inspired people in her leadership journey. She is an astute HR professional & also the founder of only Bollywood radio in Singapore, Radio Masti. Renuka believes in “When life puts you in the tough situation, don’t say why me, just say try me ” Today, she is sought after, revered professional & inspiration to many people.

She believes it is important to-

1. Be focussed rather than fixated.

2. Practise proactive communication than reactive communication.

3. Build bridges rather than wall through our communication and gesture

Renuka Arora Bhagat leadership`s journey is an epitome of “When you have clarity of intention the universe conspires with you to make it happen” Listen to her journey to hear how she carved her Entrepreneur journey from her hobby?? How she strikes a work-life balance with dual career role?  

Curators Ixchel.Life Puja Talesara Global Goodwill Ambassador GGA Thought enablers Hardik Lashkari Subi Nanthivarman Ross Swan Dr Vanditaa Dar Media collaborator Human Capital

Womenlines takes pleasure to welcome Underneath the Pink Umbrella as a guest contributor on Womenlines panel. Underneath the Pink Umbrella is a student in Singapore and feels strongly about women issues. This month she is sharing her views regarding the importance of pursuing your passions:

Underneath the Pink Umbrella: The power of choice. A great show once said when the gun is pointed at you and you are forced to choose between two unrealisable options, take the gun and twist it back at the person pointing it at you. Therefore, sometimes we feel in order to do something we have to forego the other, but in reality, if you can manage it, you will be able to do everything you put your heart into!

As kids, we were asked: “What do you want to be when you grow up?”

We would respond with innovative responses such as “pilot”, “firefighter”, “astronaut”, or in my case “Fashion Designer”.

Watching my fashionista of an older sister get dressed up was an entertaining way to pass time. She would explain each stage of getting ready and the secrets behind how she looked so perfect all the time. Her love for fashion and shopping extended to me as I would read all the magazines she subscribed to, go shopping with her, and help her in whatever innocent way I could in her work while she pursued a degree in Fashion Marketing and Management. She did it, she followed her passion, and succeeded by opening her own brand. She was always talented in that one field and mastered it.

A blessing with its drawbacks, I loved everything I did and managed to perform decently well in most subjects. Therefore, it was very difficult to decide subjects and choose my field of education. Furthermore, even in higher education, my chosen subjects reflected no clear direction and the prospect of choosing one to pursue as a degree felt like I was betraying my love for the other subjects.

I chose to study business in SMU. Here there are multiple CCAs and see the potential to continue pursuing a few of my passions. I teach French once a semester here, organize Literature-themed events, and write for Womenlines. My hobbies and interests were hence taken care of. But that tussle between passion and education was eating away at me. It caused me to have a nervous breakdown during which I nearly left SMU since the lack of creativity made me feel trapped.

There and then I made a promise to myself, that if something has to happen, it will, and I will make a conscious effort to practice art or do part-time courses in universities nearby.

Come Semester 1 of Year 2, one month in, two months in, getting caught up in the work I confronted myself about the promise. I opened my schedule, researched courses and signed myself up for an Oil Painting class and Fashion Illustration class. I had scheduled in an art class once a week, which fit in beautifully with my SMU timetable.

On my way to the class, I realized I hadn’t smiled the way I did before attending any class in SMU before. When buying the canvas, the paints, the brushes, the familiarity of it beckoned me. I had forgotten about one of the most essential parts of my identity for the past 4 years, and nothing was going to prevent me from pursuing it now. In the first art class, I was anxious, it had been 3 years since I last held an oil painting brush, however, the muscle memory took over. I recollected every skill and every art class I had since age 10.

I could not have imagined that it could get any better… At LASALLE College of the Arts, I stepped into the classroom. I saw the designs and colours and sketches which I’d seen on shows such as Project Runway. I saw a room full of passionate people who were here for the same reason I was, to reverse the damage of cheating on their passion. Learning how to professionally draw something that I used to doodle in my notebooks in 4^th grade felt like I was doing justice to my younger self’s dreams. I would doodle designs of eccentric gowns in my notebooks, textbooks and worksheets. Without a doodle, my teachers would question whether it was truly my work. The satisfaction gained from doing something you are passionate about is unparalleled. I am fortunate enough to have the opportunity of doing so as well.

Work is work, it cannot be neglected. But I believe, having a balance is important, and fueling that passion is essential to excel in your work.

Underneath the Pink Umbrella:

Hey! I am currently a freshman studying business, quite boring you might think, right? But I’m passionate about it! Besides that, I’m passionate about women’s rights, which is a topic that has been debated for centuries. A historian and artist, I try to research the story behind everything and imbue creativity in whatever I do. My contributions will show you my stance on women’s issues and offer a historical background and a fresher and more relatable perspective on the world and women around you.

Womenlines welcomes Anji Hallewell as an Influencer of Positive Mindset on the Womenlines panel. Anji is a Natural Strengths Coach, Trainer, and Founder of Hidden Lava.  In her sharing for this month, Anji is telling tips for living in the ‘Present Moment’-

When you are on public transport, what is everyone doing? Are they alert and aware of their surroundings or are they buried in their phones and minds? How much of your waking days do you spend thinking? Whether that be thinking about the future or what has already happened. How much of that thinking turns in to worry and frustration? How much of that causes stress and physical complaints? And how much is even necessary?  All of this is a product of the mind running away with itself and the opposite of being conscious, aware and connected to what is happening now. It’s time to take control.

I was in my 30’s when I started to feel that life had become very serious. Where was the fun and zest that I had experienced in my 20’s? I felt very torn because I wanted a successful career, but I didn’t want to be burnt out and miserable with it. Despite working in more -creative environments, I still felt overworked, stressed and drained all too often. It really was time to do something about this, because this was no fun or any good for me in mind, body or soul.

Both spirituality and science understand that in shifting your attention to the present it can settle the mind. And by continual practice, something powerful happens, because as you increase your awareness you are also becoming more conscious of how you think, feel and behave. This may not sound like a very big deal, but the majority of the issues that we face are behavioural and behaviour stems from what we think and feel. Now you see it as a bigger deal!

Being present allowed me to become more aware of what was happening in situations, so I could cease opportunities and just generally respond better. I was more switched on in meetings and in conversations that it became very obvious what I needed to do to get the outcomes that I desired. I also worried less and because of this, I became less stressed and nicer to be around.

Suddenly, I was able to think outside of the box and see a whole range of different options and solutions to problems and obstacles. I became the go-to person in the department, I was trusted with larger projects and my relationships were so much stronger. I had become far sharper in mind and happier too. Who wouldn’t want that!

So, how can you start to become more present in life? Here are three simple things that you can start doing.

1. CURIOSITY: Reconnect with that childlike curiously that you once had. Children are fantastic at being curious. They are naturally inquisitive as they are growing up and learning about the world. Then at some point, we stop asking questions. Either we think we should already know and are too embarrassed to let other people know our little secret or we think we already know all there is to know.  Curiosity allows you to stop and appreciate whilst learning more about something you’re interested in. It also ignites positive energy and creativity, so you elevate your thinking to another level!

2. PAUSE: Secondly, pause every once in a while. We are always busy doing something. The one thing we don’t have an abundance of is time, but if you whiz through life at high speed you’ll miss out on the things that matter to you. So, if things feel a bit too busy and you need to stop, just momentarily pause.  Slowing down is not a sign of weakness, it’s smart.

3. REFLECT: Become aware of who you are and how you operate. Sometimes you will achieve great things and other times you may not handle something as well as you had hoped. The point that we often miss is that both give us great insight into ourselves. You must take the rough with the smooth to fully understand how you can improve yourself. Being able to see your shortcomings and not be self-critical is a very powerful place to be because it means that your mistakes will not define you.

Learning how to be more present doesn’t mean that you will be in a constant state of euphoria, nor will it make your life perfect, but it will allow you to see things clearly and put you in control to determine how you live your life.

Anji Hallewell

Coach, Trainer & Founder

+65 8408 5042

It is such a pleasure to welcome Puja Talesara, co-founder of Leadership Demystified, a podcast series on Linkedin, as a ‘Guest Influencer’ at Womenlines panel!

A leadership coach mentored by John Mattone (former executive coach to the late Steve Jobs ), HR expert, podcaster and mother of 2 lovely kids, Puja Talesara has donned multiple hats with success.

Podcast 3 is about-   Find Your ‘Purpose’ in Life following tips from Leadership Coach Puja Talesara. Key takeaways from the podcast-

• Live your life intentionally. Whatever role you are playing in life, whether of a wife, a mother, a professional woman, play it with clear intentions, what are you looking forward to doing for that role?
• Start journaling. Whatever you like take a note of it. What are the things you don’t like? Then connect the dots and see what common connection is coming in front.
• Think about when you will be 70 years old what you would like to get introduced to your grandkids as?
• Read out the statements and you will get to know your ‘Purpose’ in life.

Charu Mehrotra

Promoting Excellence in Women

Founder Womenlines!

Have you ever thought of maintaining mental hygiene or has someone close to you suffered from anxiety, depression, stress, neurological problems etc. anytime in your life?

We hear a lot about it nowadays. Even a 6-year-old kid is using stress and depressed word very often.

Almost all the clients I talk to, everybody mentions that they have varying degrees of anxiety. Everyone talks about how anxious they get over small things. How stress has occupied their every aspect of life.

We have the best healthcare available, but we are still behind in managing our mental health.

Statistics show that 1 in 6 adults experiences a common mental health problem, such as anxiety or depression.

5.8% of the adult population in Singapore has suffered from depression at some point in their lives

51% of mental illness patients suffer from a chronic physical illness because there is a link between the two.

Yes, physical and mental health is interconnected. The physical illness causes mental disturbance. It affects confidence and energy. Also, mental illness affects the physical body. When it affects the physical body, these diseases are called psychosomatic ailments, which means diseases connected with the Mind and body. Which is hypertension, diabetes, asthma, arthritis, anxiety and depression, Migraine etc. It is all about empowering oneself with the knowledge to take proper care of health all over. There are many health and wellness websites sharing health-related information. vetted by certified physicians, for example, CFAH which also shares about the latest news in the field of medicine.

Multitasking, peer pressure, overthinking, impatience, fear, and unknown and unexpected outcome causes stress and anxiety.

Do you agree with that?

So positive Mental health is very important to have a balanced, healthy and happy life.

Let’s see, how one single thought is responsible to create an effect on an emotional and physical levels.

A thought creates either negative or positive emotions, which affect the energy level and are visible on the physical body e.g: Angry thought creates fast breathing with muscle tightening. Positive thought brings joy. It affects your actions e.g: If you are angry, you either shout at the person next to you, start throwing things etc. Depending on the pattern of actions, it becomes your habit e.g: Some person is always angry, or frustrated. It becomes their attitude, where we label that person as angry, kind etc. It becomes their nature, which becomes their destiny.

We give energy to thoughts. Actions fairly depend upon what we concentrate on positive or negative thoughts.

Here are a few tips to maintain positive mental hygiene so that it doesn’t become our destiny

Acknowledge

Many times, we are not ready to accept the issues we are going through or what we are dealing with e.g: We don’t accept that you are still thinking about a past event, which is bothering us.

Everyday activities cause stress affecting health, but you think that this is part of life, which I must go through it.

So, acknowledging the problem, it makes easier to find a solution.

You cannot fix a problem that you refuse to acknowledge.

Exercise/Yoga

The body is meant to move, but very often we choose to rest, due to our lifestyle, work conditions etc. Exercise or simple yoga stretching improves blood circulation. It improves cardiovascular health. Yoga improves brain function, structure and connectivity, which helps in improving learning, memory and cognitive functions. It is proven an effective treatment for depression, anxiety, insomnia, ADHD etc.

To keep the body healthy is a duty…otherwise we shall not be able to keep our mind strong and clear…~ Budha

Meditation

We have thousands of thoughts throughout the day, out of that 85% of thoughts are from the past, 15% of thoughts are related to the future and only 5% are present. So basically 95% of thoughts are repeat thoughts. Meditation helps to reduce these repeated thoughts. It brings awareness and consciousness. It increases the silence space in between thoughts.

The goal of meditation isn’t to control your thoughts, it’s to stop letting them control you.

Talk to friends/close ones

Often, we don’t want to be vulnerable to the problems, and issues we are facing. Sometimes, we think that we can deal with it all alone but talking to a friend, just relieves the stress or tension you are holding on to. Sometimes you might get a solution as well.

Talking to your best friend is sometimes all the therapy you need.

Positive Affirmation

Affirmations are autosuggestions. When practised sincerely and consistently, they reinforce chemical pathways in the brain, strengthening neural connections. Affirmations are short, positive and powerful statements about yourself, your abilities, your goals and your intentions. It helps to change the way you think and feel about yourself and as a result, change your reality as your subconscious mind accepts these statements as truth.

An affirmation opens the door. It’s the beginning point on the path to change. ~ Louise HA

Journaling

Journaling is a way to release emotions. It is the healthy way to deal with overwhelming emotions where you can express yourself freely, which helps in managing anxiety, reducing stress and coping up with depression. It also helps to prioritize your activities and be aware of your fears and concerns. It can help to identify the cause of stress and anxiety. So at least write your thoughts once a day.

Journaling is like whispering to one’s self and listening at the same time..~ Mina Murray

In addition to that, you can also

• Spend time in nature regularly
• Take up any hobby and interest like dancing, singing, swimming etc.
• Do some volunteer work
• Maintain daily health routines

Your mental health is more important than the test, the interview, the lunch date, the meeting, the project deadline, the soccer game, or the grocery run. Take care of yourself.

Archana has served the corporate industry for twelve years, she finally decided to give up her corporate career and explore her inner self through Yoga and help people to find their life balance using Yoga as a tool. Her gentle teaching style makes her students at ease and comfortable in the class. She believes that Yoga is a way of life and aims to incorporate all aspects of Yoga into her teaching. She is very enthusiastic about learning new things and new ways, which makes her classes interesting, and focused on mind body and soul wellness.
http://Www.ojasyog.com
http://Www.facebook.com/ojasyog
Instagram: ojasyoga0704
Linkedin: Archana Amlapure

Pic credit to BD Hypno Plus 

Womenlines takes pleasure to welcome  Lenny Suijkerbuijk, expert guide for essential oils benefits, as a Guest Influencer on Womenlines panel. Every month she will be sharing informative articles related to various benefits of Essential Oils.