Her Inspiration Magazine

Her Inspiration | Issue 1 : June 2015 | Page 1
HER INSPIRATION
Breathe. Live. Love. Love and loving makes life brighter
Issue 1| June 2015 | Pages 46
BERNADETTE
DOYLE
CREATIVITY IS OUR
NEMESIS, OUR LOVE,
OUR DOWNFALL AND
OUR DESIRE~
THE VITAL
TRANSMITTER:
REDUCES THE NEED FOR FOL-
LOW-UPS BY MONITORING
PATIENTS WIRELESSLY.
BUSINESS
5
questions to ask beforelaunching a passionmotivated business.
Unleashed
5
TOP FOODS FOR
HIGH-ACHIEVING
WOMEN
INSIDE STORY
“My own weight loss
journey served as the
biggest motivation”
-Neha Monga
“Master the ability to have
conversations that lead to
money changing hands”
THE SUFFERING
CREATIVE

WELCOME TO
HER INSPIRATION MAGAZINE ISSUE ONE
SHARE YOUR DISCOVERIES WITH US AT
FOUNDER’S MESSAGE:
WELCOME TO THE PILOT ISSUE OF
HER INSPIRATION MAGAZINE.
For a long time now, I have had the dream to create a
platform from where woman can share their thoughts and
experiences with other like-minded woman around the
world. Many of you will be familiar with my message to
empower yourself and “unleash your greatest potential”.
I have always believed that every woman has amazing
power that, if ignited, can transform the lives of the people
around them.
The idea of creating a digital magazine started to hatch
almost four years ago. I struggled with finding the ideal
name and over clarity of the themes within the content.
I needed a name to encapsulate the spirit, soul and body
before I proceeded.
During a conversation, with a friend in America, the name
“Her Inspiration” came to me.
As I began my preparations, building structures, content
and themes, I became more excited as I found willing
writers busting with enthusiasm. Then suddenly, out of
the blue, I fell seriously ill. I had a reaction to a casual sip on
an energy drink that almost ended my life and put me in a
coma for 24 days. I felt like I died in 2014 and was reborn in
2015.
My editor, Aisha, during a visit to the hospital while I
recovered, reminded me about my pre-coma dream. It was
hard to remember anything pre-coma. I had to learn to talk
and walk again. During a test by one of the doctors, I could
not even recognise a picture of Prince Charles.
Five months have passed now. My dream is here. Thank
you so much for subscribing to my magazine. Please
tell all your friends and pass them the website link. Her
Inspiration is your voice as well as mine.
In the words of Dr. James Emmanuel Kwegyir-Aggrey
(1875-1927) “If you educate a man you educate an individual,
but if you educate a woman you educate a family (nation).
Enjoy and give feedback. Pass the word. Unleash your own
potential and make a difference.
Many blessings
PLACIDA ACHERU
Business Accelerator
Coach and Mentor to Women
Branding,Visibility and Monetization
www.Placidaacheru.com

FOUNDER
& PUBLISHER
EDITOR
CORPORATE
OFFICE
CONTRIBUTING
EXPERTS
GET FEATURED!
Email us at:
Placida Acheru
Aisha Datubo
BAJWEN & CO LTD
#17 Ensign House
Admirals Way
Canary Wharf
London. E14 9XQ
Joleene Moody
Tracy Reid
Raine Marlowe Graves
Barbara Fernandez
Daniella Blechner
Sue Howard
Tokunbo Osunbayo
Jo Smith
Kate Harper
Shaima Majeed
Patricia Ikiriko
Jane Oma Okoro
Want to get featured in an
upcoming issue. We’d love to
hear from you.
editor@herinspiration.co.uk
– Anita Roddick
Whatever you do
BE DIFFERENT–
that was the advice my mother gave me,
and I can’t think of better advice
FOR AN ENTREPRENEUR.
If you’re different, you will stand out.

Hello and welcome to Her Inspiration. It’s
a privilege to be launching this magazine
for all the unleashed women out there. If
you are aspirational, determined, have a
strong work ethic and an innate belief in
your own value, you are the Unleashed
Woman!
This magazine is about inspiring and
empowering the Unleashed Woman
to continue to thrive in herself and all
she does. It is also for the woman who
wishes to be an unleashed woman
but may be experiencing some mental
block on how this can be a reality. The
magazine focuses on every aspect
of your life - health and fitness, love
and relationships, business, money
management, personal development,
career, technology, style and spirituality.
The experiential and expertly written
articles inside will guide you through
your own personal journeys, opening
your eyes to new paths, challenging your
thinking and leadership style, inspiring
and motivating you to be the best you
can be.
This issue promises to set you on the
path of self-discovery and self-mastery.
Are you ready for this? Are you ready to
see things and do things differently so as
to get different results? Are you ready to
do better as a result of knowing better?
Whilst you are ultimately responsible
for making your life choices, changes
and decisions, we will be here with you,
enabling you to reflect on the changes
you feel you need to make. We are here
to ignite the flame that sparks your next
idea and we are here to ensure you don’t
burn out but rather burn brightly!
My tip for this issue - Every day is
a new day that brings with it new
opportunities and blessings that only
grateful hearts can grasp. Unleashed
woman, Ignite your grateful heart.
Enjoy your read and please do write back
with your feedback and personal stories
of success and/or achievement as a result
of our articles. I would love to hear these,
and where possible use your personal
story to share and inspire others.
Editor’s Note
Content
Aisha Datubo
4Joleene Moody / The
Suffering Creative
6Tracy Reid / 5 Questions
to Ask Yourself Before
Launching A Passion
Motivated Business
8Raine Marlowe Graves
talks to Uta Dammann -
Profitable Business in a
Warzonearzone
12Aisha Datubo / Interview
with Bernadette Doyle
16Barbara Fernandez / 5 Top
Foods for High Achieving
Women
20Daniella Blechner / Valuing
Our Needs, Wants and
Desires
22Preeti Lamba / Interview
with Neha Monha
27Jane oma/Breathe, Live,
Love
28Shaima Majeed / The Vital
Transmitter
30Sue Howard / Seek a
Spiritual Life and You’ll Find
One
32Jo Smith / Personal Style.
Find it! Own it!
34Tokunbo Osunbayo /
Money Management Made
Simple
38Patricia Ikiriko / Unleashed
Woman Continues To
Thrive
40Kate Harper / Give Yourself
Some New Beginning
42Words of Wisdom by
Unleashed Women
LET’S GET SOCIAL
We’re ready to connect with you
HerInspirationMag
groups/HerInspiration/ Inspiring_Her
@Inspiring_her

Creativity is never ending.
It is rarely perfected and
constantly evolving. It is
our nemesis, our love, our
downfall,and our desire.
It is everything we are
and everything we don’t
want to be. And it simply
cannot be ignored. Because
of its addictive bipolar
tendencies, we often close
the door on it because we
don’t believe it can be a part
of an abundant, prosperous
life. But this is a lie. And if
you’ve been ignoring your
talents and desires because
you believe that, I urge you
to continue reading.
I spent the majority of
my career as a television
reporter. But it wasn’t –
right.
I wanted more.
For close to a decade,
I chased fires, filmed
car crashes and wrote
about broken politics.
While it allowed me to
satisfy the writer and
wannabe actress inside
THE
SUFFERING
CREATIVE- By JOLEENE MOODY
Your creative
abilities are a
gift that must
be nurtured
and explored

of me, I did not feel fulfilled. There
was more in me. I knew there was
more. No one had to hand me a ten-
pagequestionnaire for me to figure
out what really made me tick. But I
ignored my burning desires anyway.
I tried to tell myself my current line
of work was enough to satisfy me.
Primarily because I thought I had
to do the “sensible thing” in order to
make a living. But more that that,
I didn’t believe what I really, really
wanted was attainable.
It took a serious breakdown at the
peak of my coaching and speaking
business for me to see the truth of
how I was living my life. For starters,
I wasn’t really living. I was merely
existing. Which is ironic, considering
I teach my clients not to fall prey
to their life as a lie. But there I was,
living a lie. For the better part of
12 months I was a bottom dweller
in thedarkest places of pain and
uncertainty. What was life even
about? What was I about? Did I have
purpose? If I truly did, what was that
purpose? And for the love of God and
all that created me, why wasn’t I
acting on the very things that made
me feel alive?
It wasn’t until I pulled a two-act play
out of an old box of my writingsthat
I decided I’d had enough.I flipped
through the 17-year-old script
laughing and crying. Laughing,
because what I wrote was damn
funny, and crying, because what I
wrote had been buried for almost
two decades in a box of fear.
I fought the voices that told me I was
a lousy writer, the voices that insisted
it was too late to be a playwright.
Or a screenwriter.A crippling,
debilitating chorus of words,
which told me I wasn’t worthy of
bringingmy creative passions to life,
made a valiant attempt to force me
tothrow my script back in the box.
But I wouldn’t have it. I was tired of
suffering. The very thoughtof going
to my grave without ever knowing
what my life would have been had I
stepped into my creativity, slapped
me square in the face.
In a tiny space of hope and courage,
I stepped up. I submitted my play to
five different theaters in New York. I
took action. Even when the negative
voices were ripping me to shreds,
I took action. That action resulted
in a very eager directordeciding
to produce my show.Seeing the
characters, the words, and my
brilliance come to life made me
realize something very powerful
about creativity: It cannot be ignored.
It cannot be stifled. The desire to act
on what fills you will continue to
spread thorough you like cancer, no
matter how hard you try to ignoreit.
Someone said to me once, “If you
can’t stop thinking about it, you must
do it.”
And so must you.
Do not be the suffering creative.
Revisit what pulses through your
veins. Give it life. Give it possibility.
Les Brown, one of the world’s most
renowned motivational speakers said
once, “The ideal situation for a man
or woman to die is to have family
members praying with them as they
cross over. But imagine if you will,
being on your deathbed and standing
around your bed are the ghosts of
the ideas, the dreams, the abilities
and the talents given to you by life.
And you, for whatever reason, never
acted on them. You never pursued
that dream or used those talents.
We never saw your leadership. You
never used your voice or wrote that
book. And there they all are, standing
around your bed looking at you with
large, angry eyes saying, “We came to
you! And only you could have given
us life. But now we must die with
you.” The question is: if you die today,
what ideas, what dreams, what
abilities, what talents, what gifts –
will die with you?”
I encourage you to answer that very
question. And then act. Take a baby
step toward what you want. There is
no rush in the creative realm. There is
only beginning. And everyday you get
the opportunity to begin again.
Because a creative soul is who you
really are, and whom you will always
be. And that, my friends, is a beautiful
thing.
Joleene Moody is a creative transition
coach, author and speaker based in
the United States. Visit her at
www.joleenemoody.com

There are many successful business-
es that have been started by people
who have a passion or special inter-
est that they turn into a profitable
business.
The main thing is that this business
is work that they love to do and that
feels like an expression of their true
selves.
People create passion-based busi-
nesses because they feel passionately
about the change that they want to
bring about in the world orwant to
share some knowledge that they
know will transform the lives of oth-
ers. This type of workcan feel more
like a hobby, enabling you to live
your dream life and career basedon
your passions.
“Can you imagine the joy you would feel spending every day doing the work you love and
that feeds your soul”?
Questions to ask before launching
a passion motivated business
-By Tracy Reid
5
Her Inspiration | Issue : June | Page 7

TRACY
REID
Clarity Visibility Growth
Coach & Mentor
#1
What do you love doing that you could
spend your days and nights doing, for
little or no money at all?
#2
What do people usually ask you for help
with?
#3
What are your unique talents, gifts and
specialist or expert skills?
#4
How can you turn your skills, gifts or
specialist experience into a product or
service that will help provide the trans-
formation in the lives of others that you
want to achieve?
#5
What evidence do you have to support
your passion-based business being
profitable, where people are already
paying for this product or service?
If you can provide positive answers to the above 5 ques-
tions, then you are well on your way to creating a successful
passion-based business that you can start right away.
Live your life, love your business and fulfil your dreams!
Here are 5 questions to ask yourself if you are considering starting a passion-based business.
Founder of Stiletto Millionaires
Transforming the lives of
women who want to be visible
in the world whilst making a
difference

-Raine Marlowe Graves talks to Uta
Dammann, who has taken her work as
a Telecoms Programme Manager just
one step further – right into a warzone
called Iraq
Uta Dammann is an international
Business woman and Telecommunica-
tion expert.An accident of chance led her
from a flight bound for Washington DC.
- where a discussion with her seat-
mate - blossomed into a new world to
be explored, the perilous world of Iraq.
Never could Uta imagine it would lead
to her being held hostage in a deal gone
wrong. Only through the strength of her
faith and her fearlessness would she
make it out alive, and get paid in the
process!
She explains:
‘I was very happy in my project in
London and had my sights set on
returning to China, where I had
worked previously’, however a
chance conversation with a fellow
passenger lead me to investigate
the opportunities the oil rich Middle
East nation of Iraq could offer’.
It was a comment she had read by
the then U.S. Secretary of State, Hilary
Clinton, who expounded on the growth
factor of this Middle Eastern country,
far surpassing that
of China’s at the
time, that lead her
to investigate the
opportunities the
country had to offer.
‘The danger factor put me off for a lit-
tle while, but as a practicing Christian
I kind of gave it all to God and events
took over!’
Another accidental encounter in Lon-
don introduced her to Canon Andrew
White, who is also known as ‘The Vicar
of Baghdad’, now a close friend and
advisor.
‘Again fate intervened and I was intro-
duced to the British-educated son of a
wealthy Iraqi family, running multiple
projects across Iraq. I was engaged
to deliver projects in Smart Metering
initially, this lead to other work later.
Whilst I had worked in the area on nu-
merous occasions, nothing could have
prepared me for what was to come.’
In her line of work, leading engineering
teams, she claims she developed a ‘cer-
tain durability’ with a laugh, ‘but I soon
found out I was the first woman ever
to have worked for the company!
The tea boy would not bring me tea, he
had never seen a woman in a Manage-
ment role before…’
And of course the office had no re-
strooms for ladies….
‘The engineers on the whole were not
used to working to Western standards,
I remember having to conduct my first
Project Meeting through a haze of blue
smoke, the output of twenty chain
smoking men!’ It was the first project
meeting the company had seen in its 20
year history!’
Uta’s first taste of working in Iraq was
exciting and she truly enjoyed herself
- despite a growing sense of unease at
the corruption she frequently witnesses.
She saw unbelievable poverty, archaic
practices while on the other side of the
balance sheet accounts of Iraqi compa-
nies containing hundreds of millions of
dollars.
‘Corruption is just endemic, she sighs,
‘I just knew it was the root problem of
Iraq’s failure to thrive, despite all the oil’
Many Iraqis are desperate to advance,
yet many more have a limited sense
of the common good, it is not easy to
explain to an American or Western
mind-set.
Uta’s own projects were successful,
her German father had instilled in her
a legacy of hard work and a natural
‘engineering mind’ whilst her moth-
er had a love of the Middle East; both
traits necessary for success in such a
different world. Uta spent almost six
months training her engineers and an
18-hour day was not unusual, when
they couldn’t manage to handle 6 hours
PROFITABLE
BUSINESS
IN A WARZONE
-being captured and
receiving a paycheque
(Uta dressed for business)

a day!
There were indeed stumbling blocks,
more than she can remember, one that
will most likely be enduring: ‘I was
once kidnapped and held by lots of
guys with machine guns that was quite
scary!’
Praying her way intensely through the
situation, it was fortuitous her gov-
ernment connections were better than
those of the kidnappers. In the end,
threats of exposure in the western me-
dia prevailed.
‘I even got paid most of my fees, but my
smile was a little forced for a few days
after’, she says in her strong British
accent and typical understatement.
‘Oppression and force is the way a lot of
Iraqi men treat women, I always have
to be one step ahead.’
Has the rise of ISIS made a difference to
your working life?
‘Absolutely!’ she says: ‘The ad-
vances that have taken years of U.S. tax
dollars to achieve towards building a
more stable society were reverted in a
space of less than two weeks
The bombing of the US Consulate, in a
suburb of Erbil, North Iraq (which was
previously considered safe) was literally
within eyesight of my office, which I
had only just vacated recently.
Western companies who were keen to
work in Iraq are simply not investing
at the moment, it breaks my heart to
see the suffering of innocent people by
Islamic Terrorism, Iraq is the birthplace
of modern civilisation and simply does
not deserve this.’
When asked if she has any plans to
return to the Middle East, Uta remains
enthusiastic: ‘I have never felt more
alive, of course I will return to the Mid-
dle East!’
Thank you so much Ms. Dammann for
this fascinating insight into your work
in Iraq.
(Snapshot of a humorous mo-
ment with Uta and her security
team)
A
merican expatriate Raine spends her days and nights with her
beagle ‘Beansidhe’, known to her fans as ‘Boo’ and her mu-
sician/music producer husband, Gwydian Graves. A passion
for the written word led her to long hours revelling in the literature
of Britain during a return to studies in Oxford and she now loves
playing with words and writing in all forms. Currently working with
Gwydian on finishing their joint love letter to England, ‘Me and You
and a Dog Named Boo’, she is also in the midst of a play illuminating
the plight of the suburban homeless in the UK, editing a collection of
Victorian Gothic Poetry. Raine also sings, plays a bit of keyboard and
guitar and crafts songs.
AMERICAN
EXPATRIATE
RAINE

How to use your head
and your heart to
inspire others
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Is it time for leaders to think more
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Aisha: Can you tell
me something about
yourself; perhaps a
bit about your background?
Bernadette: My
background is fairly
straightforward. I
went to
CambridgeUniversity then
then started on the
management training
program with Procter and
Gamble. I quickly felt like a
square peg in a round hole
in corporate; and so by the
time I was 26 I started my
own company doing sales
training for corporates. That
went well and we did nicely
with that first term. In 2004,
I decided to move to Ireland
and shortly after I found out
I was expecting my first
child; and as soon as I did, I
realised that the business
model I was working with
wasn't going to be
sustainable. As you know
with your background in
Human Resource, Trainers
have to travel to client sites
and spend nights in hotels
and I couldn’t make this
business work with a small
baby. So,I focused on
utilizing the internet.To date
I hadn’t really got the
internet part of my business
going, but now I had a big
motivator, so I started
creating products and
programs really using the
internet as a way of
delivering my services to
clients as well as marketing
to clients; and it just really
took off. So that was 2006;
by 2009 I'd reached the
million dollar mark in
revenue and the business
continued to grow; I was
always really striving just to
grow the business, grow the
business. There's a saying -
turn-over is vanity, profit is
sanity, cash is reality; and I
was chasing the bigger
numbers. Honestly, now I
think it was really ego-
driven. And then in 2011, the
youngest of my two sons
nearly died. He got sick right
as I was due to be in London
(we were living in Ireland at
the time), at the same time
that I should have been on a
plane flying to London, I
was in an ambulance
traveling to a hospital in
Dublin with my son.
That was a real opportunity
to re-evaluate everything
that was going on in my
life, and I realised that even
though I had this so called
freedom business; there
were still a lot of time-
based elements - there was
still travel in it, and there
were still a lot of adrenalin
launches; and it just wasn't
what I wanted.
Over the last 3 or 4 years,
I've completely re-
engineered my business,
and I am now making the
same money that I was but
working a fraction of the
time. I really believe it's not
just the money you make in
business, it's how you make
it and it's how much of it
you keep. So that's what I'm
passionate about sharing
with women today.
Aisha: Excellent! Did
you encounter any
difficulties and
challenges in trying to grow
your current business as
you re-engineered it and
BERNADETTE DOYLEInterview By : Aisha Datubo

changed it from the way it was
before?
Bernadette: I think the big
challenge was my son getting
sick. I mean that was the big
thing. Even though I thought I had a
freedom-based business model, it
wasn't really that freedom-based. So I
think the obstacle is more like you are
in denial.
Aisha: And of course your
business now involves
empowering and inspiring the
small businesses and entrepreneurs;
where do you get your inspiration and
empowerment from?
Bernadette: All sorts of
sources; I was really lucky
when I was 28 and I was
growing my first business, I met an
amazing woman called Dottie Walters.
She has since passed, but she was a
massive inspiration and support for
me. These daysa very successful
business woman that springs to mind
is someone like Michelle Mone who’s
built the Ultimo Bra brand. I think for
women it's so important that your
business has to work with your life.
Unfortunately, I guess there aren't
really many role models out there. I'm
sure there are other women who have
this kind of a successful business that
is balanced with their life; but
normally, the role models that are in
the public eye have often achieved
success at the expense of their
personal life; and I think that is a big
challenge because I think what
happens then to men and women is
that we take on this idea that to have
financial success, to have business
success, there has to be some type of
compromise and I just don't believe
that anymore.
Aisha: You don't agree with that?

Bernadette: No, I don't. I think you can
have both but I think it requires you to
really think in a different way. I used
to compare myself to other women
or other business women a lot, and
I just refuse to do that now because
I'm on my path and the measure is
how balanced is my life? That is my
measure as to how well I'm doing -
how much balance am I experiencing.
It used to be about my bank balance
but now it's about my life balance.
Aisha: What do you think has
been your biggest
achievements so far?
Bernadette: My greatest
achievement; nothing comes
close to my two sons, raising
my two sons. Then I think after that
was realising that the business I’d
created was compromising our family
life and setting about re-engineering
the business.
Aisha:What would you say would be
your greatest disappointment?
Bernadette:That’s a tough question.
You know, I don't think I have one. I
mean I can think of times when we
might had let's say a sales target or
a campaign and we didn't reach the
target, but I don't even think that's a
disappointment because my attitude
is; well, okay, we'll do better next time.
We'll try again. It's not over 'til it’s over.
That's an interesting question because
I don't think I've felt a disappointment.
Aisha: I know you've
mentioned a couple of
inspirational people; is there
anyone in particular at the moment
who is your mentor or someone that
you admire; and why would that be?
Bernadette: Female mentor or
male?
Aisha: Either.
Bernadette: Well, I'm very
lucky that I've met Richard Branson on
several occasions and I've even stayed
on his private island three times.
Actually as a model for life balance,
living on his island and seeing how
he lives is really inspirational because
he is up early every morning. He is
very active. He'll go out and swim or
kite surf or something like that and
he normally works in the morning
and then he is free in the afternoon.
One of the times I was there he told
me that he spends more time with
his kids growing up than any other
parent he know. I don't think many
people know that about him - on the
one hand he is this adventure-seeking
entrepreneur that runs an airline and
a music business; and actually family
is massively, massively important
to him. I remember on one of the
times we were there, I was with the
mastermind group and we were
making plans to work- he said no, no,
the rule on Necker Island is no work in
the afternoons. He was just reminding
us of balance. So yeah, he'd be an
inspiration bothin terms of what he
has achieved in business but also, it's
how he lives his life that I find really
inspiring. I think people think that you
have to go and make a load of money
before you can live that way; and
what I want people to understand is it
doesn't work like that. You decide the
terms of your life and you decide how
you're going to live; and the more you
get into the groove of the life that is
right for you, that's when actually the
money flows in; and the money flows
in with ease because you started living
your millionaire or billionaire life
before you had the money.
Aisha: Interesting; and if you
were to go back to your 16-year
old self; if you could see that
person now; you at 16; what advice
would you give yourself; what would
you say to your 16-year old self with
your lessons and achievements in
mind?
Bernadette: That's a good
question; I've never thought
about that before. Well at 16 I
was ambitious and I was a hard
worker, so I probably would have told
myself just to relax a bit; that
everything would work out. Yeah, I
probably would just have said trust
yourself.
Aisha:Interesting one here for
you; if you were to lose
everything tomorrow, what
would you do?
Bernadette: Just start again.
I've said this to my clients over
and over; I make a business

now that makes me money while I
sleep, thanks to the internet; to
technology; but even if that were all to
disappear overnight, I know I would
absolutely be fine because I would just
pick-up the phone, start talking to
people and start making sales. I’ve told
my clients that the most important
skill to develop in business is the ability
to have conversations that lead to
money changing hands; because once
you have that, you could be dropped
anywhere. You could be dropped in a
different country with no money and
be okay.
Aisha: If you were stranded on
an island who would you wish
to have for company?
Bernadette: My kids, my
partner; if I have them then
everything else will be fine.
Aisha:How would you rate
your satisfaction with your life
now out of 10; what is your
score?
Bernadette: 9
Aisha: Pretty good – why not a
10?
Bernadette: Because there is
always room for
improvement.I'm really happy
and satisfied; it's just that you always
leave that little bit of room for ongoing
developments I guess.
Aisha:What would you advise
a woman who wants to start
her own business and wants to
build something of her own?
Bernadette: Business is really
about money changing hands
and that is the most important
place to start, and that is the most
important place to focus.Master the
ability to have conversations that lead
to money changing hands. If you can
do that, you'll be in business. People
think about branding, image, website;
product development; and actually
business is about understanding what
people want and giving it to them. As
long as you focus on that, you're going
to be okay.
Aisha: Obviously you're busy
and family is important for
you as well; how do you allow
yourself some time to indulge
yourself?Do you create some time for
you?
Bernadette: Every week I do
things that are just me –like
getting a massage. In fact this
weekend, I'm going away with my
partner for a couple of days on our
own – the kids will be joining us next
week. Clients areset are aside in the
meantime.As a matter of fact my
partner and I were not long discussing
how important it is that we make the
time for this. I think it's a necessity not
a luxury.
Aisha: Finally, what's new;
what exciting projects are you
working on? Is there anything
on the horizon for you?
Bernadette: I've created a new
program called "Step by Step"
which is taking 10 years of
what I've learned about growing a
business online and packaging it in a
way to make it really accessible for
women. We have men in the program
as well but mainly women, justtaking
the right steps in the right order to get
their business off the ground. What's
really exciting is to see the results that
people are getting inside of the
program in a matter of weeks; and I'm
just looking forward to rolling that out
and reaching out to a bigger audience
to really make a difference.
Aisha: Excellent, we wish you good
luck with that, it sounds amazing!
And thank you so much for taking the
time to interview with us, I'm sure
that a lot of people will be inspired
by this. I certainly have been in this
few minutes that we've spoken. I'll
get online and have a look at "Step
by Step" as well, as will many of our
readers I’m sure.

Barbara Fernandez, known as
The Rocking Raw Chef, loves
creating super fast, raw vegan
recipes that she can share with
others. She is also a professional
rock singer, and can be found on
SoundCloud belting out her own
'raw' lyrics to her spoof versions
of Katy Perry and Pink songs.
Asked to open a restaurant, she
replied, “Not yet!” When she's not
creating in her kitchen, making
comic videos, writing or teaching,
she loves to travel. She tastes all
kinds of food (she draws the line
at creepy crawlies) to then create
her own raw versions at home. She
lives with her two cats and two
teenagers, all of whom require lots
of attention, so she loves winding
down with a good book or film.
She shares more recipes and tips at
rockingrawchef.com
BARBARA
FERNANDEZ
– THE ROCKING RAW CHEF
facebook.com/rockingrawchef
twitter.com/rockingrawchef
instagram.com/rockingrawchef
youtube.com/therawrockchick

Did you know that the food
you eat can help you get
clear on your vision and
stick to your life's purpose?
Just as the wrong foods can
clog our digestive tract and
make us feel sluggish and
tired, the right foods can
give us energy, youth (yay!)
and mental clarity.
I've put together a selection
of my top 5 foods that will
help you feel light, think
clearly, look younger, have
more energy - and even
help stabilize your mood
and combat stress.
And I've included a 5-min-
ute recipe that will enable
you to eat all of them at
once!
If you exercise, you want to be
eating bananas. Two bananas
are said to give you enough en-
ergy for a workout of an hour
and a half. If you prefer to eat
them afterwards, they will still
be beneficial, as they feed your
muscles after exercise.
Bananas also increase our
ability to absorb and retain
information (thank you po-
tassium), and sustain mental
activity over a long period of
time (thank you slow release
carbs!)
Bananas are also great for your
sleep, as well as your mood.
They contain the neurotrans-
mitters tryptophan, serotonin
and norepinephrine, which are
our in-house ‘drugs’ that give
us 'feel-good' sensations when
we eat certain foods. They also
contain vitamin B6, which
feeds the neurotransmitters
that we've already got.
Tryptophan in particular is
very helpful for regulating
sleep. If you've ever eaten
turkey and felt sleepy after-
wards (think Thanksgiving
dinner...), tryptophan is partly
responsible – different from
overeating, which tires out the
digestive system and therefore
isn't a good way to try to get
more sleep!
I cover neurotransmitters in
more detail in relation to food
cravings in this article.
MORE DETAIL
5 TOP FOODS
FOR HIGH-ACHIEVING WOMEN
BANANAS
CACAO (RAW CHOCOLATE)
The supreme mood booster,
chocolate in its natural state
(raw, not roasted) has tons
of benefits, both nutritional
and psychological. It is often
referred to as cacao, especially
when raw. You can buy raw
cacao powder, the whole
cacao beans, or cacao nibs
(a delicious alternative to
chocolate chips).
Cacao is one of the best
foods for reducing stress.
This is because cacao
is rich in chromium,
which helps regulate our
blood sugar levels. Cacao
contains magnesium,
which helps nourish and
relax our muscles. Cacao
also helps us access more
neurotransmitters, which is
why it's so good for helping
with depression.
It's even good for the heart, as
cacao contains phosphorous
iron, copper, zinc, and
theobromine. Theobromine
dilates the blood vessels to
help let everything else in,
so it's good for maintaining
a healthy heart as well as
helping lower blood pressure.

CHIA SEEDS
COCONUT
(COCONUT WATER, COCONUT MEAT, COCONUT OIL)
Drinking coconut water is
incredibly good for you: in fact
coconut water is said to be bet-
ter for hydration than water,
as it is a natural electrolyte.
If you can get young Thai
coconuts, the gelatinous flesh
is a great hormone-builder for
both men and women. Even
the flesh of mature coconuts is
full of benefits: it's anti-viral,
anti-microbial, anti-fungal
and full of fibre. And it's deli-
cious!
Coconut oil – or coconut butter
as it is sometimes called – is
very good too, provided it is
virgin coconut oil (unrefined).
Coconut oil has a high percent-
age of MCTs (Medium Chain
Triglycerides), which the body
burns as a pure energy source
far more efficiently than pro-
teins, starches, or sugars.
It's also an excellent source of
calories and fat, is great for the
skin, and is a supreme brain
food.
You can use it instead of butter
over vegetables and other
dishes, or add it to shakes and
smoothies.
Chia seeds release energy
over a long period of time,
so they're great for sports or
before a busy day. They are a
complete protein, but they're
much lighter to digest...and
they contain virtually no
cholesterol. They can even
help lower overall levels of
unhealthy cholesterol (LDL and
triglycerides).
Chia seeds are also an anti-in-
flammatory, and they soothe
the entire digestive tract. They
do contain fibre, but they are
easy to digest and are very
gentle on the stomach. They're
a good source of omega 3s,
which are crucial for your
brain as well as your heart.
They're good for your bones
too: one serving contains 18%
of the recommended daily
intake of calcium, but as they
are a natural plant source, you
can access the calcium they
contain much more easily than
you would by taking tablets
or trying to get the equivalent
amount of calcium from dairy.
They're also good for bones
and teeth (thank you manga-
nese and phosphorus).
Chia also helps stabilize your
blood sugar, which can help
prevent insulin resistance.
And if you suffer from stress
or sleep problems, chia can
help, as chia seeds also contain
tryptophan.

Goji berries are known as the
most nutritionally dense fruit
on earth. They contain a high
amount of vitamin C, fifteen
times more iron than spinach,
and 21 trace minerals. And un-
like other fruits, gojis contain
all the essential amino acids:
they are an excellent source of
protein.
In Chinese medicine, gojis are
believed to increase both over-
all strength and longevity.
They are also anti-bacterial,
anti-fungal, and anti-inflam-
matory.
Gojis are excellent if you are
feeling stressed, out of sorts, or
just generally confused. They
literally help clear out some of
the 'food fallout' that clogs our
bodies, and consequently our
thought processes (particularly
bad estrogen, called xenoestro-
gens, which you can read
about here)
READ ABOUT HERE
Gojis are perfectly suitable for
most people, but if you are tak-
ing medication for diabetes or
high blood pressure, or if you
use warfarin (a blood thinner
medication), consult your med-
ical practitioner before adding
gojis to your diet.
Here's a recipe for a deliciously thick
chocolate shake that enables you to eat
all of these in one go, either for break-
fast, before or after a workout, or for a
filling snack.
Creamy Chocolate Shake recipe
» 1 heaped tablespoon goji berries,
soaked
» 1 tablespoon of chia seeds, soaked
» 2 cups/480ml coconut water (or use 2
cups/480ml water with 2 teaspoons
of coconut oil or dried coconut)
» 1 ripe banana
» 1 heaped tablespoon raw cacao pow-
der (you can find it on Amazon here)
AMAZON HERE
» 1 tablespoon maple syrup, honey or
xylitol, or 2 pitted dates (to sweeten,
optional)
Put the gojis and chia seeds to soak in a
bit of warm water (about ¼ cup/60ml)
while you get out the other ingredients
(they'll be easier to blend).
Then put everything into the blender
(including the soak water from the
chia and gojis), and blend well.
Drink immediately, or pour into a PVC-
free container to take to the gym (add
ice if you like it nice and cold).
Sorted!
HOW TO
INCORPORATE
ALL OF THESE
INTO YOUR DIET
AT ONCE
GOJI BERRIES

“What is Love?”
I naïvely asked a group of pubescent
teenage Year 9 boys. As I stood at the
whiteboard ready to elicit ideas, I
wasn’t prepared for the response that
would stay with me for the rest of my
life.
“Loving an imperfect person perfectly”
replied 14 year old Nikesh, unfazed by
the wisdom that glided so effortlessly
out of his mouth. I stood still in my
tracks. Yes! That is exactly what it is.
It was then I realised that there are
many different types of Love and that
Love does not always have to be an
outward projection, but something
that exists within. Love is something
we must exercise internally. For if we
cannot Love and accept ourselves as
imperfect people, with all our flaws;
quirks; warts and all, how can we pos-
sibly Love and accept others uncondi-
tionally?
At this time I was a young teacher,
with bags under my eyes from the
sleepless nights endured after being
dumped unceremoniously by a man
who I’d thought was my knight in
shining armour. Unbeknown to me,
two years later, I would find out he
was engaged the entire 10 months
of our relationship. His armour was
his ‘costume’ and it certainly wasn’t
shining! Although this was clearly laid
out in front of me and I could now see
the red flags, I wanted to ‘skin teet’
and believe the sky was green when it
was blatantly blue! At the time, I was
riddled with regret and insecurity. I
battered myself, criticised myself and
believed myself to be unworthy. As
I wrote Nikesh’s words on the board
I realised that it was I who did not
Love myself perfectly. It was I who did
not realise what I truly deserved and
certainly had no clue as to what I was
worth.
Sometimes we become so embroiled in
what is wrong with us that we for-
get to appreciate and cherish all that
is great. We abandon our own values
and value and allow ourselves to be
validated by the views of others. Lov-
ing ourselves as imperfect people and
honouring who we are and what we
value is the key to creating and mani-
festing all that is great within us. Here
are the first 2 of my 7 Steps to Creating
the Greatest Version of You workshop.
STEP 1
What Are My Values?
Everyone has values and these values
vary from person to person. The word
“value” derives from the Old French,
feminine past participle of valoir ‘be
worth’ and originates from Latin
valere. Values are the core beliefs and
principles that you live by or a person-
al “moral code”. Just as the word value
comes from the word “worth” our
values should reflect what we deem to
be worthy.
How many of us have focused on,
or have been influenced by society’s
ideals of having a “tall, dark and
handsome man” time and time again
only to end up with a good looking Mr
Wrong? Are we focusing on just the
exterior or do we have deeper values
beyond that? How clear are you on
your own values? It’s easy to assume
that Mr Good-Looking will treat you
like a Princess and be the man of your
dreams, however how important is
getting to know a man and examining
his values and beliefs about love and
relationships?
Being clear on our values will allow us
to establish and identify what is im-
portant to us. This does not mean we
have to have exactly the same values
as our partner but it is essential that
we are able to respect and accept them.
Remember, just as the word ‘value’
means ‘worth,’ it’s important to find
someone who sees your values and
beliefs as worthy of respect. You are of
value too.
STEP 2
Own Your Needs,
Wants and Desires
Needs, Wants and Desires are very
essential in relationships. Everybody
has Needs, Wants and Desires that
they would like to have fulfilled. The
question is how often do we remem-
ber them? Have they ever been written
down? In some cases they haven’t
even been recognised or identified un-
til we are treated badly. Just as we set
out our values and Needs, Wants and
Desires we must also ensure that we
are demonstrating them in our day to
day lives. We attract what we reflect.
WHAT ARE THE DIFFER-
ENCES BETWEEN NEEDS,
WANTS AND DESIRES?
Needs are essential prerequisites that
are required to survive in a situation.
They are the basics as it were, some-
thing we literally cannot do without.
For example, we need air to breathe
and food to sustain us, and in the
context of a relationship, we all have a
basic need to be loved and a basic need
for respect.
Wants are things we would like to
have but can survive without. For
example, I want a car but as I live in
London and am close to an abundance
of transport links I do not NEED one
desperately. Wants in relationships are
VALUING OUR
NEEDS, WANTS AND DESIRES

Daniella Blechner is the author of Mr Wrong, a
powerful and witty collection of real life relation-
ship stories, and the poetry anthology 7 Shades of
Love. She’s passionate about inspiring and em-
powering women through the sharing of stories,
identifying and challenging negative belief systems
and patterns, and unleashing the True inner voice.
¶Daniella also does one-to-one book coaching via
face-to-face meets or Skype.
For more information on services and workshops,
email info@daniellablechner.com
www.daniellablechner.com
www.dingdongitsmrwrong.com
DANIELLA BLECHNER
not essential to physical survival but are essential to
emotional and spiritual well-being.
Desires are add-ons, things we really, really want
but that are not necessary for our survival or our hap-
piness. They are luxuries, the icing on the cake that we
crave and deep down dream of and yearn for. For ex-
ample I desire to go to Cuba this summer, visit Brazil
and camp out in the Amazon, however practicalities
and real life means that I may not necessarily get to do
these things just yet! Desires are something to aim for
and never give up on.
Once we own and recognise our Needs, Wants and De-
sires we have a greater understanding of who we are
and what or who we want to attract. In turn we may
begin to attract the things that we need and want.
These exercises are not restricted to Love and Rela-
tionships but can work in any area of your life. Now
I’m just awaiting my trip to Cuba!
Here are the 7 Steps in full
What Are My Values?
Own Your Needs, Wants and Desires
Manifest Your Intentions
Exercise Forgiveness
Nightly Gratitude
Reawaken My Vision
Love. Live. Laugh
“You draw in maximum happiness when you are in align-
ment with the Greatest Version of You!”
Amazon Link

Preeti Lamba - Tell us a bit
about your fitness studio Bliss?
Neha Monga - Bliss is a
professionally run Fitness
Centre dedicated to Health and
Fitness. It opened in March 2013, with
multiple branches across Navi Mum-
bai, India. We offer different interna-
tional fitness programs like Zumba®,
Labooca®, Pilates, Booiaka®, Yoga,
Cross Fit, Zumba® Step, Resistance and
Weight Training, Flexibility and
Endurance Training, Aerobics etc.
These programs focus not only on
weight loss but also on building overall
well-being to ensure a healthy body
and a healthy mind.
We at Bliss try to make our clients
workout in the most fun way so that
they look forward to their workout
sessions. We include a lot of variety
and integrate the latest fitness trends
& workouts in the fitness world to
keep our sessions unique and interest-
ing.
Bliss has centers open in different loca-
tions in Navi Mumbai and more than
300 happy and fit members.
Preeti Lamba - What led to
the germination of this idea?
When did you know this was
what you wanted to do? (Tell us the
story)
Neha Monga - I am a qualified
Electronics and Telecoms
Engineer. Bliss was never a
thought when I was young. I have
always been a good academic student.
While dancing has always been a
passion for me, I never thought of
taking it up as a career option and
fitness was something I never even
thought about. I was an overweight
kid because I come from a Punjabi
family where love for food cannot be
denied. During my engineering studies
I lived mainly on the convenience of
takeaway food, leading to an increased
weight gain. After my engineering, I
worked as a Business Analyst in the
corporate sector for 3 years in compa-
nies like Tata Communications and
ICICI bank.
But no matter how much I tried, the
work I did never gave me satisfac-
tion. Something was always missing,
but I couldn’t determine what it was.
During this time, due to prolonged
hours spent sitting in an office and
all of the stress that a corporate job
brings, my weight reached a whop-
ping 104 kg at a height of 5’3’’.
Now my weight really started affect-
ing me. It was affecting my health, my
self-confidence, my work, everything.
So, I decided to do something about it.
I joined a gym, but couldn’t continue it
for more than a month because I found
it too monotonous. Finally, someone
referred me to an Aerobics class. The
first day I took a class, I was so happy
because it seemed less of a workout
and more about the dancing which
has always been my love. The more
sessions I took, the better I felt. I start-
ed losing weight and looking forward
to that one hour class every day. One
day, when my instructor was taking a
dance fitness routine, she called me up
front and asked me to lead the class.
That was the defining moment of my
life. For it was at that moment that I
could see my future as an instructor
leading the class and people dancing
along, and I realized this was what
I had always wanted to do. I knew I
could do this and do this really well be-
cause this is what I loved. That was the
day when the idea of Bliss Fitness was
born. I lost 30 kg in a year and I knew
my life had changed. I wanted to give
this to everyone – the gift of fitness,
the joy of dancing and the happiest
hour of the day. I immediately quit my
job and with the help of my extremely
supportive parents, I set up my first
Fitness Centre and it was named Bliss
– Worship Your Body.
Preeti Lamba - What was
your inspiration?
Neha Monga - My own weight
loss journey served as the
biggest motivation because I
knew the effects of being overweight.
It not only affects your health but also
your self-esteem and overall happi-
ness. So when I knew that weight loss
was possible I wanted to make sure
that everyone who wants to do it
should do it and in the most fun way.
It was my aerobics instructor who
NEHA
MONGA

gave me that life defining moment,
that missing spark I needed to ignite
my passion for this excellent and in-
spiring work, without which I would
have never known what I wanted in
life.
Preeti Lamba - You're now
also expanding from fitness
studio into e-commerce.
What are the plans for the future?
What's the larger dream here?
Neha Monga - Yes, that’s true.
We are looking forward to
e-commerce as a way of
serving our clients even better by
showing them that we care. The idea
here is to get selected merchandise to
our clients at very reasonable prices.
It’s our little way of saying thank you
to every Bliss member for choosing us
to partner them in their journey to a
healthier and happier future. With the
love and support of the entire team at
Bliss, we plan to take it forward to the
world in the coming months where
we can offer these amazing products
to everyone. We also plan to start our
own online fitness stores where all
kinds of recommended sports and
fitness wear will be available.
We at Bliss remain committed to,
and keep working for, the cause of
Women Empowerment. With the help
of e-commerce, we can offer many
housewives an option to work from
home which will help them in promot-
ing and selling products and becoming
more confident and independent in
their lives.
We have always believed in taking
people with us while we work to-
wards achieving our dreams. I believe
that business should always be about
serving people and helping them
become better. Success and money are
just the by-products of doing well.
Preeti Lamba -What was your
childhood ambition?
Neha Monga - As a child, I
always wanted to do well in
my studies and make my
parents proud. Whenever anyone
would ask me what I wanted to be
when I grew up, I’d happily say,
“Engineer!” I don’t remember when I
started giving this answer without
actually thinking about it. However, if
anyone would ask me about my
favorite hobby, I’d smile and say
“Dancing!” My passion for dancing
was always encouraged by my parents
and when I performed in various
interschool events it made them really
happy. I also started choreographing
for various dance events at an age of
12. Back then, none of us could imagine
that I had the talent and skill that
would allow me to transform lives
someday.
Preeti Lamba -Since your
career involves what most
people would do to relieve
stress, what's your stress buster?
What do you like to do?
Neha Monga - My stress
buster is my work. Yes, I know
I am really lucky to say that.
But nothing in the world makes me
happier than dancing to a piece of
music and forgetting the world. And
when I pass on the same feeling to my
clients and see them smile, those are
the most gratifying moments.
No matter what we go through in our
lives the moment we enter our class
we have to be a happy person, enter-
ing the room with a huge smile. Yes,
we fitness instructors are considered
superhuman at times. Sometimes,
when your life outside is rough, it
gets tough to maintain that façade,
but that’s the rule I always follow. The
moment I step into Bliss, I know I have
this huge responsibility to make my
clients smile and sweat and give my
best, and I do this ceaselessly and un-
tiringly. And at the end of it, they are
smiling, and I am smiling with them,
and all my stress seems to disappear.
There are shortcuts to happiness and
dancing is surely one of them.
Preeti Lamba - What
have been the biggest chal-
lenges in starting your own
business? How did you overcome
them?
Neha Monga - Being an
Engineer and having a well-
paid job, it was really difficult
to convince myself and others around
me that switching career and taking
such a big risk would pay off. Switch-
ing career path for me meant leaving
all my qualifications and experience
behind and moving forward towards

something I love and am passionate
about, but yet something that is
unknown and never tried out before,
venturing out to tread on uncharted
territories.
But if one is passionate about what one
wants to do, one can do it. I worked
really hard for the first year. I used to
take a class in the morning, then go to
the office and do a 9 hour shift before
coming back in the evening to take
another class, after which I’d crash out
on the bed. So my work day started
at 5am and ended at 11pm at night.
It was exhausting but that was the
testing time to see and to prove what
I have got. With the grace of God, I got
an extremely good response in both
my morning and evening classes and
my clients, my parents and every-
one around me motivated me to quit
my job and take this up as a full time
career.
With my savings from my job, I
started my first Studio and then there
was no looking back. One of the few
things that helped me set up from
scratch was my great work ethic. I had
tremendous stamina to work non-
stop for 16 hours a day because I had
relentless drive to chase my dreams. I
had many people telling me that there
is a huge chance that your business
might not work or give you substan-
tial income like my previous job, but I
had no fear of any failure because I did
not just have BIG dreams, I had huge
dreams. And I knew that my success is
not dependent on anyone else but me
and me only and I was willing to do
what it takes and overcome all chal-
lenges.
In life, no goal is unachievable and no
dream is unrealizable. If you go out
there and work as if your life depends
on it because it does, then even the
Universe will work for you.
The same happened with me and
everything fell into place one after the
other - I had achieved BLISS.
Preeti Lamba - What's been
the biggest success so far?
What did that feel like?
Neha Monga - My biggest
success was when I organized
my first show viz. “BLISS-O-
FEST 2013” where more than 50
amateur ladies aged between 5 and 70
performed for the first time in their
life in front of more than 500 people.
They all found a new confidence that
day and it changed their lives. And the
fact that I could make it happen within
1 year of starting Bliss has been a big
confidence boost. “BLISS-O-FEST“ has
now become an annual event where
we conduct various activities and give
our clients the platform to showcase
their talents.
OTHER SUCCESSES INCLUDE:
» Every day in this work feels like a
big success because even if one person
tells me “thank You Neha, you made
my day.” that’s the biggest compliment
for me and gives me a truly fulfilling
sense of genuine accomplishment.
» I wake up every day and do the
work I really love. How many
people can actually say that? That’s
success.
» Every training that I attend, be it
Aerobics, Zumba®, Labooca®, Boo-
iaka®, Pilates etc. feels like a success
because with every training I grow
and become a new and different
person.
» I have clients who have lost more
than 15-20 kg and when they say
that Bliss changed their Lives, that’s
success.
» I started out alone and now I have
a team of over 10 instructors. Most
of them are my clients who became
instructors because they said that
they too were inspired by me and I
gave them the confidence to do this.
For me, that’s success.
» We have opened several branches
and our clientele base has increased
from 2 members in my 1st class to
over 300 members in just a short
span of two years.
As I said, every day in this business
feels like a big success because every
day we are transforming lives and
success for me is not about how much
money I make, but about the differ-
ence I can make to peoples’ lives.
Preeti Lamba -If you had a
choice to do some things
differently, what would that
be?
Neha Monga - I would have
really taken this career up 10
years back because I love what
I do so much that I don’t want to live a
single day not doing it. But, better late
than never. I have students who were
coming to me to attend my classes and
have now become instructors and
conduct classes alongside their studies.
It feels good to see them inspired and
independent at an early age of 16-18
years.
Preeti Lamba -
What's next on the wish-list?
Neha Monga - Next on the
wish list is taking Bliss to a
national level by offering
franchises and trained instructors
across the country to generate more
awareness of fitness for Women and
Women Empowerment.
We are also planning large scale fitness

concerts across the country so that
more and more people can participate
and make fitness an integral part of
their lives.
Other than that, on a personal front, I
am trying to lose more weight, build
muscle and get into fitness modeling
to inspire and help more and more
people to get in better shape.
Preeti Lamba - If you could
be someone for one day, who
would that be and why?
Neha Monga - I would like to
be Beto Perez (Creator of
Zumba® Fitness). Yes, this man
has reached millions of people across
the world and has been spreading the
magic of Fitness like never before.
Zumba has changed the way people
look at fitness. So have other workouts
like Labooca® and Booiaka®. But they
are yet to spread their wings in India
and we are working on that. But Beto
Perez has done it with Zumba®. I
would love to be on stage like him and
dancing and making more than 10,000
people dance along, smile and enjoy.
Preeti Lamba - Who's your
fitness mentor? Anyone you
admire? Why?
Neha Monga - Everyone who’s
fit inspires me! I have no
particular mentor because I
have learned something from every-
one. Even my own clients who have
lost 15-20 kg in 6-8 months inspire me
and amaze me with their commitment
and drive. These are real people who
you see in everyday life, who know the
value of a fit lifestyle and I really
admire them for their dedication.
Preeti Lamba - If you were
stranded on an island, who
would you want for compa-
ny?
Neha Monga - I would just
want my iPod with music for
company. Laugh
Preeti Lamba - What does
fitness mean to you?
Neha Monga - Fitness
now is my life. But I don’t
believe in torturing myself for
it by following fad diets. Life is meant
to be enjoyed to the fullest. So, I enjoy
eating like I enjoy my workouts but
everything has to be in a balanced
way. Anything in excess is bad.
And I don’t obsess about weight too
much. You should focus more on
building stamina, feeling fit and happy,
having strength, and weight loss will
happen automatically. No point being
skinny but having no stamina. That
way you can’t enjoy life.
Fitness for me is more about mental
and physical well-being and about
leading a disciplined lifestyle for the
rest of your life. This is life transfor-
mation, not just body transformation.
When you focus on living the health-
iest, happiest life, you don’t really
sweat over the little things.
Preeti Lamba - You've set up
your studio in Navi Mumbai,
do you think things would
have been easier/difficult in any
other city of India/Abroad?
Neha Monga - Yes, Mumbai is
a metropolitan city and people
here are more aware about
fitness. It would have been quite
difficult to start in a small town in
India like my home town in Jalandhar,
Punjab. Because at the time I started,
people there were not too much into
fitness or didn’t think it was important
enough. Also the idea of fitness was
limited to traditional gym workouts
and morning/evening walks. People
there are not very open to try out new
forms of fitness. So yes, it would have
been difficult but not impossible. It
would have just taken me a little bit
longer to get this far.
Preeti Lamba - Any cultural
impediments in your path so
far?
Neha Monga - Thankfully, not
many. My parents have been
very supportive and encour-
aged me to take this up. In small cities
in India, there is still this mindset of
not choosing such career options and
going for more established ones.
But I have been lucky to be surrounded
by people who have always helped me
and inspired me to do what I love to
do.
Preeti Lamba - Has there
been a favourite food that
you gave up on your journey
to achieve fitness?
Neha Monga - Yes, Chinese
Cuisine is my favorite and I
love to binge on fried rice,
noodles etc. When I was working in
the corporate world I used to have
Chinese food most days; but on the
journey to fitness, I had to give up on
that and now it is an occasional
indulgence like just once a month. But
I look forward to it.
Preeti Lamba - How often do
you allow yourself indul-
gence?
Neha Monga - Every Sunday I
have one favourite food that I
crave during the week like I
will go for a pastry or a cheesecake, or
a Chinese dinner, Biryani but only one
of these. So, during the week I follow
my diet plan which is mainly home-
made food and no salt intake after
7pm, and on Sunday I treat myself
with
Preeti Lamba -What advice
would you offer to women
wanting to start something
of their own?
Neha Monga - I would like to
tell them that if you really
have passion for something, go
for it! If you do what you love to do,
then the sky is the limit. Believe in
yourself and listen to your heart. Have
no fear or complex about your gender.
Being a woman does not make you
any less capable, and should in no way
obstruct your Empowerment if you
have got that burning desire to chase
your dreams, and steely resolve to
prove yourself. You are capable of
doing great things, so don’t hold back.
Take a step forward now towards your
dream and all these small steps will
take you there. Start now, else a year
from now, you would wish that you
had started today. Have a Never Say
Die attitude, and no matter how
difficult life gets, never ever give up on
your dreams because as long as you
are alive, there is always a possibility
of your dreams coming true.
Remember, if you really want a thing
then go out and strive for it, work day
and night for it. Give up your time,
your peace and your sleep for it. If all
that you dream is about it, and if life
seems useless and worthless without
it, if you will gladly sweat for it, fret for
it, plan for it and lose all your terror of
opposition over it and if you will sim-
ply go after the thing that you want
with all of your capacity, strength and
sagacity, faith, hope and confidence,
then with the help of God, YOU WILL
GET IT.

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My name is Jane Obioma Okoro,
and I currently live in Madrid,
Spain. One of my life’s most
important lessons is the under-
standing that before you can
inspire anyone, you must first
be inspired.
To go through life without in-
spirations and motivations is to
make the already hard journey
even more tedious.
And, so every step of the way, I
seek inspiration and the people
or circumstances that bring it.
As an experienced Coach, Teach-
er, Business Communications
Consultant and Motivation-
al speaker, life and work has
taught me that we all need to
share, to build each other up, to
learn and to grow.
A love for God, a passion for
living, learning and writing, a
deep rooted admiration for the
human spirit and a generosity of
heart and spirit that runs deep is
the driving force behind every-
thing I do.
My faith ensures a peace and
unending joy, which has seen
me through many of the life’s
storms that I have had to weath-
er.
And, I have learnt that the best
way to live a life of impact is to
share your life’s lessons as you
learn them, to share your inspi-
rations as you receive them.
BREATHE.
LIVE.
LOVE.
You are more than enough.
First shed the slough
Being you is the key word
Let your heart be stirred
Be authentic Be unique Be real
Live with zeal.
Being open helps,
but above all manifesting love in all its glory is
the only way that you get and hold the attention of the world.
Really, your life will definitely be better
when you understand that there are two sides to every coin.
Your world will definitely be better
when you understand that it´s not always about you.
Your work will bear more fruit
when you comprehend that a seed until
it is sown can neither reproduce nor multiply.
So, today and every day for the rest of our lives
Let us remember the foundations that stay
Let us identify priorities and not stray
Let us build on the things that will bear fruit
Let us consolidate noble pursuits
Let us manifest love, in thoughts, in words and in deeds.
Love and loving makes life brighter
Love and loving makes the heart feel lighter
Let your heart and your words breathe
Let your heart and your words live
And let them love.
JANE OMA OKORO

With the marvellous growth of
technology developed through years
of telecommunication engineering
research, has come our reliance on
these new technologies within a wide
variety of sectors. One such example
shown during the last decade is
wireless telecommunication which
now plays a big part in healthcare
applications, providing remote medical
monitoring among other services and
capabilities.
With the hope of constructing a
continuous, instantaneous remote
medical monitoring system, wireless
sensors started a new era of developed
devices, from external hand-held
devices to implantable chips that
send out the vital signs of the patient
to certain receivers. In addition,
the transmitting of the signal has
gradually improved in sophistication
from Radio frequency identification
(RFID) to Bluetooth combined with
mobile communication General
Packet Radio Service (GPRS). This new
system has now overtaken the market,
creating new business opportunities
with newly launched products
competing for even more reliability
and continuity.
As part of my Masters degree I
researched monitoring patients’ vital
signs (blood sugar, blood pressure,
heart pulse, body temperature)
wirelessly and maintaining a personal
record (user’s mobile) and official
medical record (in the hospital) of these
vital signs. By establishing a WPAN
(Wireless Personal Area Network)
based on low energy Bluetooth (BLE)
it is possible to transfer the vital sign
from the measuring device into the
user’s mobile phone and send it from
there as a Short Message Service (SMS)
through cellular network to hospitals
and/or emergency centers.
This technology evolved during
the years of my education, when
telecommunication technology
invaded most of the known fields
of life. During these years, wireless
medical monitoring became a
prevalent subject and improvements
in this sector has meant that in recent
years we have come to expect a
quicker turnaround of information
following medical monitoring. For
instance, up until recently (and even
today in some countries), patients
would have to be admitted for 24
hours in order to have their vital
signs monitored, allowing doctors to
maintain a simple flow record of his/
her progress leading to a treatment
plan or diagnosis.
“Monitoring the vital signs
wirelesslywill simplify the medical
follow up process. It will allow a
personal record for the patient,
giving them more control of their
own recovery plan” (e.g. diet, sport
The Vital Transmitter

programs), and will simultaneously
provide medical research data for
future use. Parents will be able to
constantly and instantly monitor their
child’s condition.
The wireless service would help take
on the role of a virtual family doctor
through linking medical records with
Google Health and a patient’s personal
mobile phone. The record of the
patient could be uploaded and saved,
to be accessed by the family doctor
wherever he/she is located.
Being able to monitor patients
wirelessly will reduce the need
for follow-up visits, reducing
overcrowding in hospitals and clinics
and freeing up doctors’ time to
concentrate on urgent cases, thereby
achieving a more efficient medical
system. Long waiting times in clinics
could be a thing of the past!
Considering the Vital Transmitter as
a whole project, it simply consists
of the vital sign-measuring device
sending the result through the built-in
Bluetooth to the mobile phone that will
activate the alerting SMS according to
the medically approved algorithm.
My project succeeded in producing
a continuous wireless medical
monitoring system. By considering
all the possibilities for longer battery
life for both involved devices – the
BLE and the SMS deployment - it also
succeeded as an instantaneous system.
It allowed for programming the
automatic transmission of the alerting
SMS, and used the pairing concept for
the Bluetooth connection along with
the development of the application
for the mobile phone. Because there is
no surgical connection required and
few devices are involved, it serves as a
practical monitoring system.
The Vital Transmitter has also formed
the base and enables the development
of much future progress in the field.
You can easily see the Ultimate Vital
Transmitter as the natural second
step, where all the vital signs can be
addressed.
“This UVT can serve in accidents and
inside the ambulance, helping to
reduce fatal emergencies.”
I am now focusing on this area in my
doctoral research and I am hoping
to solve a lot of the current problems
paramedics and ambulance services
are facing during catastrophes.
“The promise that I made when
I chose to become an engineer
was fulfilled and the dream was
accomplished in 2012 when the Vital
Transmitter became a reality.” I feel
proud of my role in this achievement
but the journey is not finished.
This is just an example of what we,
women, can do when we set our mind
to something. There is no field that
we cannot shine in. I am not the first
and certainly won’t be the last woman
to make a difference. Stay tuned as
I keep you posted on what women
can achieve in the field of technology
through this column, because if
anyone can unleash the potentials of
technology, it’s us women!
Shaima Abdelmageed is a Telecommunication
Engineer, who is currently pursuing her Ph.D. in the
same field. Shaima now leads the development team
in one of the technology companies in Finland
SHAIMA
ABDELMAGEED

In our 21st century busy and demand-
ing lives it can be easy to leave the
development of a personal spiritual
life off our agenda, but to do this is
to make a grave mistake. If we don’t
nurture our spiritual life we can easily
shrivel as people. Without an active
spiritual compass we can become
disoriented, our lives can lack direc-
tion and we can become disillusioned,
cynical and depressed. A lack of
spiritual awareness may also lead to
us becoming shallow, superficial, and
self-obsessed. If we want to live a full
and abundant life then it is important
to pay attention to maintaining our
spiritual health just as we might pay
attention to our physical, social or
financial well-being.
There are many ways to enhance our
spiritual health, but the first is per-
haps to become aware of our self as
a person with a spiritual dimension.
Integral to all of life is a spiritual core
which is what gives us as humans
everything that is rich, beautiful, and
compelling. Consider the following:
What have been some of the best
moments of your life so far? Have you
experienced a sense of sheer joy in
just being alive which came upon you
unexpectedly? Have you experienced
something beautiful? Has someone
who has touched you, in such a way
that has had left a lasting impression?
These glimpses of joy, beauty and love
open us up to a conscious knowledge
that there is something ‘more’ to life
than we can explain. These moments
move us, they change us for the better
and enrich us. The spiritual life is one
where we search for the source of
such inspiration. Consider for a mo-
ment what you think a healthy spir-
itual life would mean to you. Would
it mean taking time to be still? Or
maybe getting out into nature and the
countryside? Would you like to engage
in a creative activity like art or music?
Or give of your time or money to help
people in need?
What I have come to understand about
spirituality is that it is a holistic con-
cept. Whilst it is perhaps most recog-
nisable as a personal inner experience,
it is also very much about our ability to
be in relationship and to express love
with and for others; it helps us to find
the resources and resolve to influence
the communities where we live and
work with goodness, kindness, and
generosity as well as to take action on
issues of social justice and fairness.
More broadly still, an active spirituali-
ty helps us to notice our surroundings
in new ways; whilst we can enjoy the
rich diversity that life on planet earth
offers we might also become motivat-
ed to support causes that help to bring
positive change in the world. The ho-
listic nature of spirituality means that
embarking on an examination of our
spiritual life may have far reaching
consequences. It is a journey towards
adventure since inevitably you can
expect the unexpected.
Since our spirituality is not to be
ignored, it becomes instead a challeng-
ing aspect of our personal develop-
ment journey. Spiritual development
can, and does, take many forms, and
is integrated into many aspects of ev-
eryday living. We can however make
it our particular focus of attention.
The term ‘spiritual formation’ con-
veys a range of intentional, conscious
ways in which we might set about to
develop our spiritual lives. According
to Dallas Willard, “Everyone receives
spiritual formation, just as everyone
gets an education. The only question
is whether it is a good one or a bad
one. We need to take a conscious,
intentional hand in the developmental
process. We need to understand what
the formation of the human spirit is,
and how it can best be done...this is an
indispensible aspect of developing a
psychology that is adequate to human
life.” By intentionally developing the
spiritual life we can also find a way to
engage meaningfully with the spiri-
tual realities that lie outside ourselves,
which are in evidence through the
different philosophies, lifestyles,
religions and faiths all around us in a
multi-cultural and diverse world.
In my work to support the spiritual
growth of others, in connection with
their leadership potential, I have used
a variety of processes which can help
to unlock a deeper spiritual foundation
to life choices. Beginning in this article
and continuing in the next couple of
SEEK
A SPIRITUAL
LIFE AND YOU
WILL FIND
ONE
By Sue Howard,
MA, MPhil – Founder,
Holistic Leadership

We support leadership formation with individuals, groups,
communities and organisations. Using the Holistic Development
Model we position learning within the leadership context, encourage
connection to and alignment with spiritual purpose, and explore
application within the particular work environment.
See www.
holisticleadership.
co.uk
or contact
suehoward@
holisticleadership.
co.uk
issues, I will share some of the approaches I
have found helpful and which I use with my
clients.
The first and most central process that I en-
courage is an ongoing and intentional use of
reflection which helps to raise self-awareness,
and I supply some questions to help spark
thoughts. In my experience, clients always
find new insights when they take time to
reflect on their own journey through life. Each
of us is unique. Our experiences, relationships
and situations contain their own struggles,
issues, and assessments. By examining our
lives, and our thoughts, we can become more
aware, and more discerning. May I suggest
you take ten minutes sometime today just to sit
and consider what is meaningful to you about
your life right now? The following questions
might serve as useful prompts: Where have I
been? Where am I now? How am I? Who am I?
Where am I going?
To aid you in developing a habit of reflection
you may find that now is a good time to start
writing a journal which is another process that
I advocate. Here’s an experiment for you to try:
If you only do one thing as a result of reading
this article, try to write down a sentence which
conveys your deepest desires and intentions.
Then ask for these intentions to become real.
Keep alert over the next few days, weeks,
months and notice how your intentions are
being fulfilled. It is amazing how often just by
articulating our inner desires a change is set in
motion.
Read my article in the next issue where I will
share more ways to nurture inspiration.
SUE
HOWARD
Sue is the founder of niche consultancy Holistic
Leadership and has been a pioneer in encouraging the
need to explore the spiritual dimension of individuals
in relation to working life. She co-authored ‘The Spirit at
Work Phenomenon’ in 2004 and has a number of other
publications including the ‘Spirit at Work’ topic in ‘Alchemy
for Managers’, People Alchemy’s e-learning website
http://www.peoplealchemy.co.uk. Sue’s website www.
holisticleadership.co.uk offers some free resources and links
to some of Sue’s publications.
Sue previously worked in management development at
Cranfield University School of Management, and with
World Vision UK where she supported UK managers, and
a Leadership Development programme for West African
managers. Sue now works in collaboration with a variety
of associates, and is also the Director of Consultancy for
Workplace Matters www.workplacematters.org.uk. She
serves on two editorial boards of Grove Books, that of
Leadership, and Spirituality – www.grovebooks.co.uk.
Sue is currently completing a PhD within the faculty
of business at the University of Winchester. Her
research explores the spiritual formation of leaders in
organisational contexts and has led to the development
of a unique approach to spiritual mentoring aimed
specifically at business leaders. Her work in the field
has influenced the recognition of spirituality as being
core to authentic leadership development in a variety of
post-graduate management contexts including Ashridge
business school and Roffey Park Institute. Sue works
with a range of approaches and interventions using the
holistic development model as a basis for reflection and
dialogue. Workshops encourage self-awareness, and
transformational change. Sue has been invited to address
both international and UK audiences, including Cass
Business School in London, exploring in these various
contexts the importance of paying attention to spirituality
and the difference this can make within organisational
settings.

Okay.... so looks don't matter, it’s more
about the inner stuff, blah,blah,blah -
what you are made of, that’s what real-
ly counts. Yes....but…making the best of
how you look, does and should matter.
wanting to look good and appreciating
natural style in others comes as a nat-
ural instinct. Often we find ourselves
sizing up the lady walking down the
street or the one in the supermarket
thinking ‘she would look better in red
than black…maybe a longer top over
those trousers…’ or something serious-
ly judgemental like ‘heck no, definitely
not with those jeans!’
Well let's face it, nobody wants to look
'wrong' and how you present yourself
makes a big difference. It should not
come as a surprise that a big part of
how you present yourself is what you
wear. I always say - if it's your time to
go out, go out looking good - prefera-
bly in killer heels, clutching a vintage
Prada bag!It’s all about making the
most of what God and your genes gave
you. Surely it has to be against the laws
of creation (melodramatic, I know) to
settle for less. Rewind to biblical days
- Proverbs 31 says a lot of great things
about the virtuous woman of God. To
my delight it includes 'she is clothed
in fine linen and purple'. I found one
translation of this that says “she uses
her creativity and sense of style to
create beauty in her life and the
lives of her loved ones”.Frankly, I am
not at all surprised that looking good
has God's endorsement. I have often
thought that if God were to take the
human form in these modern times,
it would probably be in a superbly cut
'made to measure' Armani suit.
What am I talking about? Personal
style. Find it. Own it. Get to know what
PERSONAL
STYLE.
FIND IT!
OWN IT!

works for you. Get help if you need
it. As a self-confessed style addict
-, I say it's not about how much
you spend, but what you spend it
on. I have bought good stuff for
a fiver (I am serious)..... ...but you
have to invest the time to look for
these gems, or find someone who
can. I’m not going to pretend that
a great wardrobe comes easy. Your
hard work will pay off when you
get the right attention you know
you deserve., Whether it's the
cool, calm professional, or 'power'
dressing for the board room, or
even the 'jogging pants' mummy
at the school gate scan be pulled
off with a style attitude.
I am truly not a celebrity freak but
on these shores you have to give
'props' where it’s due and hand it to
the Beckhams - love or loathe Vic-
toria, the woman knows what to
wear. She always manages, what-
ever she wears, and wherever she
is, to please the eye. Even her kids
are shaping up to be 'apples that
haven't fallen far from the tree'.
The rock chick in me also celebrates
Madonna for her uniqueness. If the
truth is told, Lady Gaga may be a
step too far into the unknown.
My seven year old son would not
wear jeans that are not skinny,
loves his shirt buttoned all the way
to the top and often experiments
with jeans, a tie and a waistcoat.
You can't argue that he knows
what he wants and when he
throws it all together, it just works.
After his hard work, he generally
strikes a few poses in the mirror
before cheekily announcing“I think
I look good mama!” He will go far!
For those who are professionals
of course you will have to deliv-
er, i.e. do the job you are paid for.
There is much to be said for sub-
stance, however there is no harm
in 'setting the scene' a little. I have
personally tried my version of
what I call the 'seriously looking
to achieve' image which may
otherwise be known as 'the game
face’ look and attitude. Difficult to
describe, but does involve a great
pair of heels (not the tottering
kind - but decent) and oodles of
emotional intelligence that does
not condone losing your cool. Often
my boss would say (in our open
plan office akin to several feet of a
runway) “walk with me”; I needed
no further invitation to ensure that
I created the impression I wanted
- ready to rule, powerful yet subtle,
cool but also confident - ready to
start putting the chess pieces into
place. Oh, and don't forget to hone
your strut. Posture is very import-
ant. Head up, chin high, shoulders
square. You only need to look at
Naomi Campbell - an image of a
thoroughbred race horse comes to
mind, muscular and groomed to
within an inch of perfection.
The right consumer reaction is
generally what advertisements
strive to do for products. I say do it
in the flesh - be your own adver-
tisement. If you talk to anyone in
marketing you will soon hear the
word 'personal brand'. When I first
heard this term, I couldn't help a
number of other random words
cascading through my mind: pres-
ence, potential, influence. Need I
say more? Make of this what you
will, and like most things in life
- it's up to you. Your style should
help you feel like you are shouting
from the rooftops. Bring it on, let
the day begin.
JOSEPHINA SMITH
(a.k.aholyrebel)
Jo Smith is founder and owner of Holy Rebel, a
business that offers seriously discounted high
end designer fashion to clientele.
Apart from hunting down designer bargains
for her first retail event, she enjoys investing in
personal development and making a difference
to people’s lives. She has a passion for all things
stylish and believes in people being the best
they can be. Costa Coffee is an absolute must
most mornings plus dysfunctional family hang
outs pretending nothing needs to get done.
akaholy.rebel@gmail.com

I don’t know about you but as a Finan-
cial Skills Trainer, I’ve come across too
many people who tell me they hate
mathematics and it is the reason they
are bad at managing their money.
Some people have literally gone into
panic mode when I talk to them about
managing their finances. They quickly
try to change the subject.
The view that it is hard to manage
money is a fallacy. Handling money
is not as difficult as people make it
out to be. Actually it is quite simple to
get started and you definitely do not
need to be a mathematician to do it.
Far from it, all you need to manage the
basics is how to add, subtract and use a
calculator. We all know how much we
need to pay or collect as change when
we make a cash purchase. No matter
how bad people are at maths, they
hardly ever get it wrong when they
are paying for something or getting
change back. You make the attempt
to give someone who hates maths the
wrong change and you will be sur-
prised how much they know about
money.
You see money management starts
with you knowing how much income
you make and how much of it will be
going towards your monthly upkeep.
Two other things you’ll need to add
to your money management list is a
piece of paper or notebook and a pen.
With these few things you can become
a money management guru.
But first, let’s look at the meaning of
money management. I say, it is the
appropriate allocation of your income.
A good money manager will live with-
in the confines of the funds available
to them. This is the best way to get
started once you decide you want
to become a better manager of your
finances.
Too many people are currently liv-
ing way beyond their means. Some
have created self-inflicted financial
problems, while others are in finan-
cial difficulty due to a change in their
financial circumstances. This could
have been caused by a change in the
economy, a loss of job, or a reduction in
their income generally.
One thing I’d say for sure is that learn-
ing to manage money is no longer
optional. The global economy is mov-
ing at a fast pace and there are more
demands on our finances. We are con-
stantly bombarded with things we are
made to believe we need, so we can
live better lives. This has caused us to
stretch our income to breaking point;
many now rely on credit cards as their
extra source of income. Debt has been
on the rise for quite some time, while
income has stagnated in many people’s
lives.
So, how can you learn to manage your
money?
A good money manager will first
identify how much money regularly
MONEY
MANAGEMENT
MADE SIMPLE
BY TOKUNBO
OSUNBAYO

Tokunbo Osunbayo is a Financial Skills
Trainer. Her passions are Financial Education and
giving Financial and Business Talks.
Tokunbo turned to Finance when she discovered
she knew very little about money though she was
financially successful. She learnt, it is one thing to
make money but another to keep it.
She has now dedicated her life to teaching money
and business skills through her talks and writ-
ings. She has written for many publications over
the years both in Africa, UK and online.
She runs the MoneyStart Club, an arm of her
company MoneyStart, where entrepreneurs and
professionals learn ways to boost their financial
confidence and skills. She also is the founder of
AbsoluteExposure a female entrepreneurial event
promotions company in the UK.
She is a Serial Entrepreneur, Author, Writer and
an International Speaker. She is happily married
with three children.
flows into their lives by listing the
sources and amounts of their income.
Next, list all your expenses. Doing this
on a monthly or weekly basis is the
best way to go. Also, I would recom-
mend you learn to use a budget. I’m
not talking about a comprehensive one
where you make titles and sections,
just a simple two column list on paper
or in a notebook. One side listing your
income and the other listing your
expenses.
The budget makes managing your
money so much easier, as it gives you
a quick picture of where you stand
financially.
Also when managing your money, you
must know your priority expenses and
your non-priority expenses. Your pri-
ority expenses are the things you can-
not toy with when it comes to manag-
ing money, like paying your taxes and
your rent. Many who avoided paying
taxes have ended up in trouble, some
have even gone to jail for tax avoid-
ance. I won’t talk about the different
types of taxes, though there are a
number of them and it’s important
you know the ones that apply to you.
Paying your rent is another priority, as
your home is a necessity, not a luxury.
There are some lesser priorities that
are still quite important, like utility
bills, phone bills, transport, insurance
and a number of others; you need
these to make your life more pleasant
and easier to live.
Some non-priorities such as holidays
or a monthly allowance for socialising,
which are also important, though not
essential to living; they are things you
personally want as it makes you feel
life is getting better for you. It is a per-
sonal thing and we all have our own
little financial perks.
So when it comes to managing money,
learn the basic things, like how much
income you make monthly, where it
is coming from, where it is going and
learn to live within your means. You
will need this no matter your financial
level. Even when you move to your
next financial level, make sure you
take your money management skills
along with you. With this information
even those who think they hate maths
will find that managing their money is
not so bad after all. Good luck!
TOKUNBO
OSUNBAYO

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Gone are the days when women’s lives
were restricted to performing house-
hold chores. With the advancement of
time and development of a new gener-
ation, the women’s era has witnessed
an upsurge. Women want more than
a life of domesticity.A woman’s life,
as Newton’s law suggests, is all about
‘The survival of the fittest’. If you have
it in you, bring it on or die trying!
Today, a strong woman LIKE YOU
wants to achieve the real meaning of
success, realise your dreams and live
up to your real hopes. If you are yet to
achieve your dreams ask yourself why.
What makes you incapable of achiev-
ing everything you desire? What
mental blocks keep you far from your
desired destination? Why can’t you
fight for your own dreams?
Here are a few of the hurdles faced by
strong women on the path to achiev-
ing their dreams:
» CHILDREN - The utmost pri-
ority of any woman is her children.
You want to shower all your love and
blessings on them, often putting your
career on hold while you do so. Can
you strike a balance between career
and motherhood that doesn’t com-
promise your commitment to your
children? This isn’t an easy task but the
many success stories from successful
working mothers is testament to the
fact that you can be a successful career
woman AND a caring mother.
» FAMILY – maintaining a healthy
relationship with our partner, parents,
in laws and relatives is important. We
feel the responsibility of meeting the
demands and expectations of others -
if you want to fulfill your dreams, who
will fulfill the dreams of your family?
You want to ensure achieving your
success doesn’t come at the price of
letting down your family.
» AN AVERSION TO LONG
WORKING HOURS - This is
one of the most common reasons why
a woman gives up on her passion – the
challenge of dedicating the time re-
quired to make it work.A reluctance to
work late can kill your passion for the
job, not to mention leaving you fewer
job options in this post-recession area
where jobs are considered precious,
and overtime is the norm.
» FEAR OF LOSING THE
BATTLE - The battle here refers to
the challenge of exploring new oppor-
tunities. What if I am not able to be
a good leader? Will I be able to influ-
ence my followers? Will I perform my
duties responsibly? Such fears restrict
you from reaching your potential.
The unleashed woman will thrive
when she breaks through her mental
blocks and frees herself from society’s
imposed predicaments. She knows
what she has to achieve in life and
completely directs her mind towards
the accomplishment of her goals.
She has the ability to strike a balance
between her work and family. She is
not restricted to a small boundary but
explores all worldly opportunities.
The charm of doing different things
captivates her mind and she performs
them with perfection. Do you know
what makes her thrive? Her unleashed
attitude!
THE
UNLEASHED
WOMAN
THRIVESPATRICIA
ORLUNWO
IKIRIKO

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