There’s nothing like waking up in the morning and feeling inspired. Sometimes there’s clarity, and sometimes there are so many inspiring ideas buzzing around in my head I don’t know where to start – either way, I always welcome ideas and inspiration that influence my decisions and help me make better choices.
Sources of inspiration are all around us – from reading news in the media, attending conferences and industry events where you’re presented with new technology and platforms that are pitched to automate and solve today’s marketing challenges, to listening to music and reading a good book… Personally I always find it beneficial to speak with my network, take a wider look at the challenge at hand and let inspiration arrive through participating in a mixture of activities.
For me being outside and connecting with nature, taking a walk in the woods or by the beach is particularly good for clearing my head and mulling over challenges faced in my working life; moreover I find exercising, mostly cycling, yoga or swimming, a great way to let ideas roll in and out. Being on the bike also provides a great networking opportunity as lots of people in my network have a passion for technology and all things digital, as well as a passion for this beautiful sport.
That’s one of the most incredible things about working with entrepreneurs – they see the world differently, they’re passionate about what they do, they’re open to new ideas, they’re innovative and they’re always looking for creative ways to solve a problem.
Pearls of wisdom
Here are some of my favourite inspirational quotes that I refer to when I feel like I’ve hit a bit of a brick wall – they help to get me in the right mindset for creativity, curiosity and conscious creating.
Impossible is nothing…
“Impossible is just a big word thrown around by small men who find it easier to live in the world they’ve been given than to explore the power they have to change it.
Impossible is not a fact. It’s an opinion.
Impossible is not a declaration. It’s a dare.
Impossible is potential.
Impossible is temporary.
Impossible is nothing.”
Muhammad Ali
Creativity…
“Creativity is just connecting things. When you ask creative people how they did something, they feel a little guilty because they didn’t really do it, they just saw something. It seemed obvious to them for a while.”
Steve Jobs
Follow your heart…
“Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.”
Steve Jobs
Failure…
“Failure is simply the opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently.”
Henry Ford
Change…
“It’s not the strongest species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the most responsive to change.”
Charles Darwin
“The secret to change is to focus all of your energy not on fighting the old, but on building the new.”`ins
Socrates
Knowledge…
“The knowledge that you have emerged wiser and stronger from setbacks means that you are, ever after, secure in your ability to survive.”
“It’s our choices that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.”
K J Rowling
Respect…
“Brands that respect you as a person and make you feel like you are you, and that you, rather than they, have control over you, will be the ones who are successful.”
Martha Lane Fox
Take a risk…
“The biggest risk is not taking any risk… In a world that’s changing really quickly, the only strategy that is guaranteed to fail is not taking risks.”
Mark Zuckerberg
Imagination…
“Logic will get you from A to B. Imagination will take you everywhere.”
For as long as I can remember I’ve been drawn to colour, perhaps as a means to express my individuality and personality, perhaps it also reflects how I’m feeling as I do believe colour has an energy, a flow, and the power to change how we’re feeling: Just as listening to music has the ability to influence our state of mind, because of the rhythm, beat and lyrics, colour has the ability to change our mood and influence how we feel in an environment – both natural and man-made.
Texture also has the ability to alter our state of mind – from rugged, rough, and spikey to smooth and soft – when our fingertips and flesh come into contact with different textures it will react in a mixture of ways. For example, from a pleasurable sensation if the texture is soft and sensual, which would make me want to lean in and get cosy – to painful if the texture is hard and angular, which would make me want to lean out and move away. It really all depends on what you’re aiming to create.
We all have the ability to consciously create with colour – to make us feel confident, comfortable and charismatic when the need arises, and marvellously mellow when we’re at the end of a long week and we’re looking to relax, re-cooperate and refresh our senses.
Colour yourself – brand me
The way we dress and present ourselves also has in instant visual impact on the people we meet – this doesn’t mean that their interpretation is right or wrong, it just means a bigger picture of who they think we are (or may be) has been instantly formed in their minds, quite literally in a matter of milliseconds. One stereotype being the freshly pressed suit and tie wearer representing a serious corporate city type; another being the Diesel jean, fitted shirt and brogue wearer being a London Westend Agency type. Whatever you choose to wear, you’re reflecting ‘brand me’.
As for my choice of attire, be it smart or casual, for some reason I just don’t feel like me when I wear black. I have a couple of select items that are black, for example a leather jacket, a knitted roll neck, and several pairs of lycra cycling shorts (it’s the most flattering colour when you have curves). However, I’m more drawn to colours that are warm, are evocative of an emotion, stir memories of times gone by, or locations and environments visited – usually the colours I choose reflect how I feel or how I want to feel on any given day.
Moreover, I like individuality and items that have a history, like silk scarves from second hand shops – their distinctive colours are rarely seen in more modern, mass-produced clothing lines. My niece Issy thinks I have a somewhat eclectic taste – her saying being “That’s very you Em” – I take her comment as a compliment that I choose and select items that are unique, both to wear and to have in my home.
I also enjoy wearing colours that are opposites on the colour wheel – such as orange and blue, and pink and green – they fuel me with good energy, yet other opposite pairings like yellow and purple don’t feel good on me at all, so I avoid them. Our skin tone has an influence on the colours we choose to wear – yellow makes me looked washed out and I associate purple with Cadbury (I don’t wish to walk around looking like a chocolate bar). What colours are you drawn to? How do they make you feel?
Colour your environment – home and office
As an adult, the two places we spend the majority of our time is either at home with our families and friends, therefore an environment where we want to create comfort, stability, nurturing, and warmth – and our office space – where hopefully our employers wish to create something similar, only with a commercial, collaborative brand lead influence.
For me my home is my sanctuary and it’s very much a reflection of myself. I have objects that are IOU (Interesting, Old and Unusual) that I’ve lovingly sourced from my travels, brocantes and car boots sales (I love finding a hidden gem). Each room has a different purpose – my lounge is painted a dark grey neutral green called Treron, houses a pair of mid-century modern 1950s Italian chairs, and has a hint of pink and silver in the soft furnishing and accessories; my bedroom is painted an exotic and adventurous pink called Rangwali and houses a gorgeous 1930s haberdashery unit purchased from the Decorative Antiques and Textiles Fair held in Battersea twice yearly; and my kitchen / dining room is painted a calm and serene protective olive green called Bancha, which connects the inside with the outside (an extension of my garden), and also lets the orange accessories stand out and sing. Yes, in my kitchen I have an orange fridge, a beautifully ornate orange glass vase from a brocante in France, chunky orange candles on the fireplace, an orange and green glass light fitting on a lamp featuring a semi-naked reclining lady found in a car boot sale about 15 years ago, and the curtains that dress the French doors into the garden have a bold orange, pink and silver leaf print – combined together, the choice of colours and objects in my home radiate my unique taste and personality.
In addition, each room has two walls painted a colour, and two walls painted white – I do this because I want the colour to be reflected by the natural light on the white walls, and because I want each room to give me, and those that visit, a welcoming hug.
With regards to our work life, the office environment and space we spend up to 40+ hours a week at is vitally important to supporting a thriving company culture and mindset. I recently talked about the importance of brand power, and the values that are driving your company and your competitor advantage. Your brand extends to all areas where there’s human and virtual interaction with employees, partners, agencies, sponsors, investors, and each touchpoint is an opportunity to deliver a memorable, engaging brand experience. How do you reflect your brand in your environment?
Colour your business – brand DNA
Some business ideas evolve over time, some out of passion, some out of necessity, some from a light bulb moment experienced in the shower, some from a need to use a product that’s not yet been created, therefore the desire to create this product or service becomes your focus, and as such, a new market with a new audience is created. Who knew we all needed a smartphone – yet where would we, and many businesses be, without it now?? We use it communicate with friends and family, collaborate with colleagues, connect with industry leaders and influencers on social networks, purchase products on the move using the plethora of apps that are readily available at our fingertips – the list is endless.
Speaking of smartphones, there’s still a battle between Apple and Android for market share – I’m not sure who’s winning that currently. But the brand that stands out as a brand that’s recognised globally is Apple, I view it as head and shoulders above Android on various levels. For me, the Apple brand represents sleek and beautiful design, forward thinking technology, secure products, excellent customer service, seamless simplicity, and an iconic, inspirational, detail orientated, fastidious founder in Steve Jobs. When thinking of my own or someone else’s transformational change, I regularly reflect on one of his many quotes…
“Follow your heart and intuition. Somehow they already know what you truly want to become.”
Steve Jobs
At any stage of your journey, you have the opportunity to set new goals, launch new services and target new markets to build revenue, become a unicorn even – all of these businesses have a few things in common – a core brand DNA and huge brand value – they incorporate their brand experience into every marketing and communications touchpoint, both on and off line.
All my life I’ve been consciously creating with colour – as a student and artist studying textile design 25+ years ago, and latterly as a marketing and brand strategist. The colours we choose to wear, to dress our environment such as our home and office space, and those we choose to brand our business with, have a huge impact on human behaviour, and how we are perceived by others. It’s a subject I’m really passionate about.
So last September I was hugely flattered and honoured to be invited by Debbie Pinder, the Programme Leader and Senior Teaching Fellow for the MA Luxury Brand Management course at Winchester School of Art, to be a guest speaker, to present to her international students. Debbie had read an article I had published in Hotel Designs Magazine titled ‘The psychology between colour in interior design and wellbeing’, so the remit for my talk was to expand on the piece, share my industry experience and real case studies on brand development, and guide the students on the key stages to develop a brand strategy.
Arriving on the campus was pretty daunting but also exciting. Having not stepped inside a university building for many years, I found the smell of turps and paint oozing from the print rooms strangely comforting, and the sight of all the sculptures and pieces of clothing being made utterly beautiful. It definitely stirred many wonderful memories of being a student and appealed to my creative spirit.
Luxury hotel design
When drafting an article titled ‘The psychology between colour in interior design and wellbeing’ for Hotel Designs magazine, I was asked by the editor Hamish Kilburn to checkout and review three luxury hotels from around the world, namely Plaza 18 in Andalucia, Spain; the Riveria Hotel and Spa in Mykonos, Greece and Nhow in London, UK. For now, I’m going to further explore the luxury elements of Plaza 18.
In many ways, luxury is in the eye of the beholder but for me there are some key ingredients that make something stand out as ‘luxury’. When I think about hotels, it’s a combination of the richness, depth and tone of the colours chosen, and the textures of the fabrics applied to the soft furnishings, to the reception and welcome experience, the dining lounge and bar, to the hotel rooms and suites. It’s also about the art, sculptures and artefacts that have been added to spaces to embellish the atmosphere and create a sense of mystery and intrigue.
When I look at the design and colour applied to Plaza 18, this hotel showcases discreet, understated luxury with a hint of history and heritage. The choice of monochrome design and classic style, demonstrated in the chequered black and white floor tiles is bold and classic, and creates wonderful geometric lines. There’s also a splash of vibrant red that pops out in the artwork featured on the wall, in contrast to the soft green foliage that brings a hint of nature, softness and balance to the space.
Black as a colour portrays glamour, elegance and sophistication and for many gives a sense of allure and mystery. In this room it adds gravitas and presence. However, if used excessively it will create an experience of heaviness and oppression.
White as a colour suggests clean and quiet, and helps us keep our emotions in check. In other environments white can feel stark and cold, therefore it’s important to use colour with context and purpose. Here the white creates contrast next to the black, and the sharp lines draw a guest into the space.
It’s worth remembering that all colours have psychological duality in how they can change and influence our behaviour, both positively and negatively (with the exception of grey – it has no positive traits). Also, we never see colour in isolation so it’s always a combination of colours that evokes an experience, feeling or behaviour.
Developing a brand – Workshop framework
Whilst the students at Winchester University learn the theoretical knowledge and practical skills required to succeed in the management of complex luxury brands, they were keen to hear about some case studies of how a brand is created and developed outside the luxury space, and to identify where there are synergies. So, it was fantastic to share my experience of 20+ years of building brands in the agency and technology space, and to give them guidance on a workshop framework to kick-start conversations when building a brand from the bottom up.
The business of applied colour psychology
To expand my knowledge and to better understand the behavioural science of colour and its impact on us as human beings, I’m studying a course aimed at professionals in applied colour psychology. It’s funny going from guest speaker to student, but I’m a firm believer in paying it forward, giving back when I’m able, and in continuing to grow – personally and professionally – to better serve myself and those around me.
In this course I’ve been recapping on colour terminology, debunking colour myths that exist in the colour industry, understanding more about the psychological properties of the 11 main colours and much, much more. As the months progress I’ll be learning about colour physics with colour psychology and how, when brought together, they can evoke predictable psychological responses, to how to apply specific colour combinations to create positive behavioural effects in any given situation and space – from building a brand, to creating a home, an office, and every other environment or building space you can think of.
It’s time to get creative and consciously create with colour
So, this is where you come in… If you’re curious about colour and how you can better apply it in your life, your home and your business, I’d love to hear from you. I’m keen to put what I’m learning into practice so I’m inviting friends and family to experience a little of this journey with me – we will grow together.
Initially this will take the form of us meeting (most likely virtually for 30 minutes) and us exploring your thoughts around colour. Over the duration of the course, the end result for me will be me embedding my learning and knowledge, and hopefully you will have a better understanding of your relationship with colour and how to apply it in various areas of your life.
Continuing the theme of colour and its subconscious impact on our lives – physically, mentally, emotionally, socially and on our environmental wellbeing – last week I visited an amazing company in Soho called MyCoocoon. For those that are not familiar, MyCoocoon are experts in colour wellbeing products and they design bespoke colour experience solutions. Based on chromotherapy (wellbeing, light and colour therapy), and aimed at relaxing and re-energising, they combine ancestral beliefs with cutting-edge technology. I appreciate that for some people who are unconvinced of the impact colour has on our lives this may seem a little ‘woo-woo’, but for me I was like the cat that got the cream, all my Christmas’s had come at once.
Speaking with Valerie and her team of colour experts was incredible – I knew I had found an inspirational group of people that were speaking my language. For years I’ve had a fascination with colour, its energy, it’s vibration, and its subconscious power to influence our mindset, our heart rate, our decision-making power and even our body temperature. My approach and interest is quite holistic covering all aspects such as nutrition and the food we choose to put into our bodies, clothing and how we choose to dress on a daily basis, interior design and how we choose to decorate our homes to nourish and nurture our souls, business and how we choose to create a brand and identity for a company, its products, and services.
Whether we like it or not, the colours we choose to feature and be present in our lives say a lot about us.
A fully immersive experience – Spectrum Yoga Meditation
From my experience, the only way to understand the power and influence of the MyCoocoon approach to colour is to get inside a Pod for a 30-minute meditation. There are no words to describe it… immersive certainly doesn’t do it justice, it’s more like embodiment through every fibre of your body and beyond.
Whilst laying in the Pod, with a blanket over my body to keep me comfortable, I place the headphones over my ears, the pod is lowered so I’m literally cocooned inside, the ‘play’ button is activated on the tablet, and then I hear the relaxing voice that will guide me during the meditation and talk to me through the experience so I receive the optimum benefit.
Slowly and gracefully the transformation begins. My body and my mind are immersed in key colours in a pre-determined sequence. My eyes are closed but the intensity of colour makes me feel like I’m absorbing it through every part of my body. Being a yoga meditation, the colour sequence follows that of the Chakras (red, orange, yellow, green, light blue, indigo and violet). What surprised me most is that as I’m lying there I’m transported to a completely different world – almost like an outer body experience. Some of the colours are so intense it’s like you become part of them, fully absorbed and almost living in them. They are not just present in front of my eyes, they occupy my body, extending past the ends of my finger tips and toes – the intensity, vibration and energy overflowing every aspect of my being – truly transformative experience.
Feeing curious? I actively encourage you to find out where they are next exhibiting and experience it for yourself. There are various methods – the Pod, the Cloud, the Immersion Wall and Energy Hub.
Let your senses come alive
Designed to cater for each of our five senses of sight, hearing, smell, taste and touch – the colour passport gives insight into how we can engage our senses. Did you know for example that our sense of smell increases when it gets dark? Why – because our sight is reduced another sense is naturally amplified.
Feel rebalanced when taking time for yourself with purple
See a lavender field, listen to the birds and the bees, smell the scent of lavender, taste a blueberry and touch amethyst to relieve stress
Feel peaceful with blue
See the sky, hear the sound of the wind, smell the scent of a geranium, taste elderflower and touch lolite to inspire creative self-expression
Feel and project yourself to be successful with turquoise
See the sea, hear the sound of the waves, smell the salty water, taste old fashioned lemonade and touch topaz to enhance your communications skills
Feel balance with green
See a forest, listen to the rustling of leaves, smell the scent of cedarwood, taste a kiwi and touch peridot to open your mind and gain clarity
Feel optimistic with yellow
See the sun, hear the sound of energy, smell the scent of bergamot, taste a grapefruit and touch citrine to cleanse your mind and regenerate
Feel happy with orange
See a sunset, hear the sound of joy, smell ylang-ylang, taste a carrot and touch cornaline to bring positive energy
Feel connected to the earth with red
See a fire, hear the crackle of wood burning, smell the scent of sandalwood, taste a tomato and touch red jasper which helps control our emotions
Feel connected to love with magenta
See a rose, hear sounds of love, smell the scent of the rose, taste a strawberry and touch rose quartz which symbolises love
From stimulating energy and encouraging self-confidence, to activating our memory and calming the nervous system, the benefits of colour to our wellness and wellbeing are endless.
What colour would you say reflects your personality the most?
Last week I joined a networking event hosted by the Surrey Blogger Collective. A totally new event for me as my usual stomping ground is London, but in recent month’s I’ve made a conscious decision to connect with entrepreneurs in the great boundaries of our wonderful capital. Why? Because there’s so many inspirational people out there living incredible lives, establishing new career paths, that in previous years were unimaginable.
The rise of the influencer
With Fatima Truscott, Fashion Journalist and Lifestyle Blogger behind the FT Times hosting, the Autumn Social networking event titled ‘Success Behind The Squares’ presented a fantastic line up of speakers, namely psychologist and blogger Anna Mathur, YouTube Star and Channel Mum SJ Strum, Parenting and Lifestyle Blogger Keely Busby, and Co-Founder and Company Director of Wickerwood, Shirley Leigh-Wood Oakes.
Here are some of the insight’s speakers shared on the night…
Quality and authority
Focus on quality and authority, both micro and nano influencers, look at who they are, what stories are they telling, are they stimulating their audiences, and are they real, authentic and honest? Your followers will see through content that isn’t genuine, especially when sponsored ads pop into their feed. It’s essential to engage with your followers… reply, comment, feedback… and have a voice. As consumers, we have a love hate relationships with ads – the lines are becoming more blurred. Do consumers even know or recognise one from the other?
Authenticity
Write about what you think and be authentic. As an influencer you are the middle person between the brand and the audience, you have a responsibility to have a two-way communication, and feedback audience comments to the brand. Be natural. Be human. Focus on great followers, know your community, and don’t be anything that you are not.
Recognise your worth
Know your value and what you’re giving to the brand. Remember brands have a budget to work with so don’t work for free. Be confident in yourself and recognise your worth. We proud of the brands you work with, and work with brands that fit into your lifestyle. Influencers used to be at the end of the conversation, now they are right at the start – for example a real mum showing how a product fits into her and her family’s life, in her home – for a brand this is priceless.
Be relatable
Be gentle, relate to your audience, and understand how you connect. Think audience first, how will my audience feel about me sharing this post and be responsible for your representation of a brand.
Gifting
It’s been suggested that influencers need to make it known when they have been gifted a product that they are posting. Or do they? It’s not legal, but remember your audience and community want authenticity, so it’s probably best to reflect reality. It’s an interesting question to ask and address as currently celebrities are not subjected to this… so why the influencer? Do you think influencers should write a disclaimer if they have been gifted a product? I’m sure this conversation will continue…
Click and pay
Platforms and new technology have launched features that make it easy for the consumer to ‘click and pay’ on social, so in theory a follower is only three clicks away from making a purchase. If that’s the case for Instagram, imagine what’s coming for TV?
Maximise what’s available within Instagram, use all of their features and get familiar with IGTV. Understandably they want to keep users within the Instagram platform and video content is more-sticky; it also helps to increasing dwell time. Embrace the changes and be the early adopter of new features and channels. Instagram TV has vast volume and reach.
Themed content and frequency
It’s incredibly useful to have a schedule, not only for your structure, but it also provides a reason for your followers to come back and check in with you. For example, create one themed video a week on YouTube on a Monday – your followers will grow to expect an engaging piece of content from you, so give them what they want. Read the YouTube bible, go to workshops, they will show you how to use the channel and tools available. When picking a theme, stay true to what your content is and stay true to you. Stick to your principles, share what you’re passionate about and know what you are there for.
Establish your boundaries – Instagram is always hungry, what are you feeding it?
It’s good to understand why you have chosen to use Instagram. It’s also good to know what it’s giving back to you – for example escapism, financial freedom, community, friendship, connection, a place to freely express yourself. With this in mind, know and establish your boundaries, the frequency that you wish to post, and stay healthy. It’s very easy to fall into the trap of feeling like you need to respond straight away, DM and reply to everyone who’s messaged you, follow up and review all notifications… but this can be a challenge and also very time consuming.
Here, Anna Mathur – psychotherapist, mum, writer and speaker – discusses and shares her thoughts about the pros and cons of being an influencer on Intragram. With 79K followers, there’s potentially a lot of people for her to respond to – yet she makes a point of responding to all of her messages. People are emotionally connected to influencers, however, being a psychotheratist means Anna follows an ethical code of conduct and can’t give mental health advice.
Without knowing it, people and Instagram will take and take and take, so it’s imperative to know what Instagram is giving back to you. As an authentic influencer our soul is in our content – it’s hard therefore, to hear negative feedback. But there’s always more positive than negative. Be mindful to not base your value on what other people think (they may be having a really bad day). Trolling can also become an issue… so remember to stand strong in your foundations, know you are loved, these are the truths, and know you are enough.
Moreover, as an influencer it’s not uncommon to get what Anna calls an ‘Insta wobble’ or ‘funk’. She deals with them by taking the pressure off having to post every day. It’s also important to remember that not every post will receive the same amount of likes and that’s OK, not everyone or everything appeals to your audience. People are drawn to authenticity so going back to a point mentioned earlier, be true to you and stick to your principles. Don’t be scared to take a break and don’t filter yourself.
On the flip side of being connected to thousands of people, downtime must also be a priority. Leave your phone in another room so it’s out of reach. Find a balance and do things that fuel and energise you – exercise and doing something physical is really important. If yoga keeps you stable, do it daily or weekly. We need to find ways to reinvest in ourselves to stay healthy. Selfcare (or self-preservation) is essential. Everyone benefits when we look after ourselves.
Don’t berate yourself for not finishing things… life happens
To all influencers… some final words for @annamathur – My content enables other people to have a voice. I consider the content that I put out, there’s thought behind it – it is filtered to keep my boundaries in place. I value my family’s privacy therefore I don’t show my husband or my children’s faces, and that’s the right decision for me and my family. I am a professional and I have to be accountable – when necessary I signpost people for help – see their GP, call 111, or call 999.
When in doubt, ground yourself by putting your feet on the floor. Be grounded in your truth, you are loved, you are doing good stuff (teaching and educating), everything else is just subjective, it’s noise, it’s opinion…
You can find out more about the Surrey Blogger Creative here. I know I will be attending more of their events in the future. Feel free to come and join me.
For those that haven’t had the privilege of meeting or working with Judith, she’s the founder of ‘Your Whole Voice’, and is a public speaking coach, vocal confidence specialist and sound healer. With a background in acting, she is high energy, extremely inspirational and through her business, is on a mission to transform the lives of over 100,000 million people. From ripple to wave, slowly but surely her voice and vibe is going viral, globally.
This year started with me participating in a competition hosted by Judith whereby I had to create, daily, a 60 second video following a specific challenge; each video was then shared in a closed group Facebook group with other great people from all over the world, vying for their chance to win the range of prizes Judith had on offer. To my surprise, I won a two-day workshop, to take place in London, that gave all participants the opportunity to explore their voice, and to improve their style of public speaking. I had not expected to be filmed during the training (before and after), but there was a marked difference. It’s incredible what 48 hours can do for your vocal confidence.
Many of the exercises to explore and gain confidence with our voice stemmed from Judith’s professional training as an actress, she truly understands how to connect with your voice, and to find a natural pace and tone where your audience are able to receive and fully hear what you’re expressing.
Immersive retreat – sound your voice
From completing the workshop, I felt compelled to join a three-day sound your voice retreat being hosted by Judith in Sussex, to explore my voice, and sound, further. Just for the record, by now I’m feeling well and truly out of my comfort zone – as a child I had a lisp and a stutter, and to this day I still get stuck on certain words. At a very early age I devised a strategy whereby if I got stuck on a letter or word, I was unable to speak, I’d deviate and find alternative words that meant the same thing, that more readily came out of my mouth. So, for the retreat, l decided to adopt the approach of ‘feel the fear and do it anyway’, with the caveat of ‘enjoy the journey, play, and have fun’.
And what a journey it was – what I experienced over those three days was quite enlightening. From getting up early in the morning and doing silent walks and barefoot yoga on the grass, to sounding on a hill top in a bracing breeze and at the beach with waves crashing in, there’s no doubt in my mind that, for me, being in nature is an essential part of enhancing my wellbeing.
Prior to the retreat I was relatively familiar with chakras, energy and colour, but I had not fully made the connection with sound and yoga, which is strange because I’ve been doing yoga on and off for 20 years – perhaps it never featured as part of the classes. Either way, as someone who’s passionate about colour, its energy, vibration, and in the business world how it’s highly influential in how we relate and feel about a brand, I was really intrigued to discover this extended knowledge.
Colour energy – it’s relation to our body and our voice
I’m going to dive right in… For those that aren’t familiar with what Chakras are, the part of our body they focus on, the colour they represent, and the sound they are associated with, I’ve provided a snapshot overview – in total there are seven.
Chakra – means ‘wheel’ in Sanskrit. A chakra is an area in the body connected with life energy. There are seven main chakras in the body – each is an interface for the flow of life energy. A chakra vitalises a physical body and is associated with interactions of a physical or mental nature… each carries a specific meaning and colour.
Red
The theme for the colour red is survival, security, grounding, family and community. Red is representative of the ‘Root’ and ‘Muladhara’ chakra; located at our coccyx – the sound associated with the Root is ‘Haw / Hore’, and the yoga poses are warrior and tree.
Orange
The theme orange is sexuality, creativity and emotional stability. Orange is representative of the ‘Sacral’ and ‘Svadhisthana’ chakra; located by our belly button – the sound associated with the Sacral is ‘Hoo / Who’, and the yoga poses are wide-angled seated forward bend and goddess.
Yellow
The theme for yellow is power, purpose, and wisdom. Yellow is representative of the ‘Solar Plexus’ and ‘Manipura’ chakra, is located at our solar plexus just at the bottom of our ribcage – the sound associated with the solar plexus is ‘Hoe’, and the yoga poses are half lord of the fishes, boat and lion.
Green
The theme for green is love, healing and compassion. Green is representative of the ‘Heart’ and ‘Anahaha’ chakra; located at our heart – the sound associated is ‘Haah, and the yoga poses are cobra and camel. \
Light Blue
The theme for light blue is communication, self-expression and authenticity. Light blue is representative of the ‘Throat’ and ‘Vishuddha’; located at our throat – the sound associated with the throat is ‘Hi’, and the yoga poses are bridge, fish or shoulder stand.
Indigo
The theme for indigo is awareness, intuition and imagination. Indigo is representative of the ‘Third Eye’ and ‘Ajna’; located in the middle of our forehead – the sound associated with the third eye is ‘Hay’, and the yoga pose is child.
Violet
The theme for the violet (or white) is spirituality, enlightenment and interconnection. Violet is representative of the ‘Crown’ and ‘Sahasrara’; located just above the top of our head – the sound associated with the crown is ‘Hee’, and the yoga poses are half lotus, corpse and head stand.
Raise your energy
I can’t remember the last time I did a head stand but over the last 25 years I’ve benefitted hugely from practicing yoga – more recently Vinyasa Flow (which focuses on the smooth way the poses run together), Yin (mostly floor based postures held for 3-5 minutes; it may sound easy but believe me it isn’t, however I do feel like a new person at the end of the class) and Bikram (90 mins, 40+ degrees, 26 postures, from head to toe, a full body and mind workout) – now when participating I have this additional knowledge to tap into.
Speaking of vibe and tribe, synergies and synchronicities this year have been happening with a wonderfully warm frequency – with opportunities crossing my path, introductions being made through my network, new projects I’m being invited to participate in – perhaps the colours I’ve consciously decided to surround myself with and energy I’ve created around me is acting like a magnetic? What do you do to raise your energy?
Nationwide, throughout the month of May, Mental Health remained topical in many publications. The Telegraph explored whether working in the City is bad for your health?, BBC One showed a programme called A Royal Team Talk, which bought together five current or former professional footballers, and amateurs, to talk openly with the Duke of Cambridge about the effects of mental health in sport, demonstrating that mental health is no longer a secret folded away in sport’s dressing rooms, and BBC Two showed the mini-series called ‘Depression and me’ where Alistair Campbell candidly talked about his experiences.
Moreover, Stephen Moon, Group CEO, Science in Sport Ltd recently shared his thoughts on the challenge’s executives face in dealing with the subject of mental health – his key question being ‘Is mental health the last taboo in business’? – a really insightful read.
Continuing the theme, locally in Richmond I attended a panel discussion about mental health in sport, hosted by Bella Velo, a south west London cycling club dedicated to women who cycle. The event invited a panel of male and female speakers to talk about their own personal mental health stories following challenging life experiences that have been thrown in their path.
And in central London, The Happiness Index hosted an event at Google called Happiness and Humans – it was truly insightful sharing a day with so many inspirational people and speakers who champion freedom to be human. On a personal and professional level, it’s great to be part of a growing wave of momentum, where businesses and organisations are recognising the importance of investing in employee wellbeing.
Introducing My Arkeo – Fitness for your brain
In December 2018 I was fortunate enough to connect with Jana Dowling. A friend, Matt Phelan, had mentioned her and her business idea in a LinkedIn post and I was keen to hear more, so dropped Jana a note to connect directly.
I’m a firm believer that mental fitness and physical fitness go hand in hand. Yet, at seemingly opposite ends of the scale, whilst mental fitness is less talked about, physical fitness represents a booming global industry of personal trainers, gyms, apps and other wearable technology – all in favour of actively talking about, participating in, and building communities (virtual and in person) to support our physical fitness and to help us achieve our goals.
Which begs the question – What are we doing to support our mental fitness?
From seeding a thought – to seed investment
Pardon the pun, but a seed was sown when Jana and I first met in person in January 2019. Over recent months it’s been extremely exciting to see MyArkeo preparing to step out of the shadows, and into the limelight. Yes, there are competitors out there, and that’s healthy, but MyArkeo is slowly but surely carving its own path, gaining traction and recognition at every turn. The overall objective of MyArkeo is simple – to empower individuals and organisations to take control of their mental fitness.
Built from the ground up, on real-life experience of monitoring and measuring her road to recovery post burnout, Jana built a tracking system to give her insight into how her own actions, food consumption, sleep pattern, level of activity – and a whole lot more – influenced and accelerated her road to recovery. Recognising that her tracking system was the KEY component in her own recovery, she wanted to share her system with others – millions in fact – starting in the UK, with a vision to launch in other territories when the time is right.
In the past six months I’ve downloaded the beta version of the MyArkeo app, used it daily, talked about it to friends and family, fed back on my user experience – as have hundreds of others – delivered a brand and messaging workshop to establish the foundations to build the brand both internally and externally from a marketing and communications perspective, and latterly discussed and agreed seed investment.
This is a completely new path for me, personally investing in a business. But MyAkreo brings together many things I’m passionate about, namely, sport, fitness (mental and physical) and technology – a hattrick of happiness. I feel extremely privileged to be in a position to invest, to contribute my ideas, and to see the business go from strength to strength.
So why did I choose to invest in MyArkeo?
9 in 10 UK workers affected by mental health challenges
48% of employees in the UK have experienced a mental health problem
300,000 people lose jobs over mental health every year
Poor mental health in the workplace is costing the UK economy about £99bn a year
MyArkeo – the mental fitness management app, facilitates users to ‘TRACK’ lifestyle habits and symptoms, ‘ANALYSE’ and highlight user pattern and trends, ‘SET TARGETS’ to change behaviour and alleviate symptoms, and to ‘TAKE ACTION’.
In addition, Jana is an incredibly inspiring individual. Her personal knowledge and experience put her firmly in the driving seat to speak authentically, and her passion and energy for building a global brand and business are unbound.
Go to market strategy
There are multiple benefits for businesses and organisations who choose to invest in MyArkeo, namely improved mental fitness, less absenteeism, and higher productivity – so in fact a win-win situation all round – for both employees and employers.
In addition to those benefits, the MyArkeo app will help reduce the 300,000 people losing their jobs due to ill mental health in the UK, and increase the number of people actively taking care of their mental fitness.
For individuals (B2C) the app presents a simple four-step process:
App – self tracking and analysis
Data analysis – of your stats over time
Set targets – around what’s important for you
Take actions – empowered to make choices that serve you
Employee tracking on the MyArkeo app – empowers staff to take control, and facilitates self-tracking and improvement
Data feedback – view aggregated anonymous employee trends and patterns via a company dashboard
Training – MyArkeo bring in experts and qualified trainers focused on hotspots highlighted in data feedback
Jana and her team of experts have developed an ambitious go-to-market strategy, targeting businesses and organisations, cross sector, public and private, with 250+ employees; that are prioritising employee wellbeing, diversity and inclusion; and are looking to invest to further develop their wellbeing strategy.
What will seed investment be spent on?
Whilst funding rounds continue to secure the £250,000 Jana is seeking to raise, the initial funds will be utilised for app development to build out tech to version 1, to develop UX, and to drive adoption of paid pilots with hero clients and early adopters.
From a traction and growth perspective, with pilots booked with global organisations, NHS Trusts, Financial Services, and Media and Broadcast businesses, and interest from London Sport, the next 12 months are shaping up to be extremely interesting.
My prediction for the future
MyArkeo will become the measure of mental fitness and will become a global fitness brand, and the platform will help organisations measure and support staff in improving their mental fitness.
MyArkeo is so simple to use – it’s informative, it empowers people to make more informed choices about how they support their mental fitness, there’s so much more in the pipeline, and some great features to be revealed in V1 of the app that will enhance the user experience, and provide more insightful data to individuals and organisations.
The more I read, adventures I undertake, and clients I have the opportunity to work with, the more I believe there’s a budding storyteller inside all of us just waiting to find our stage – no matter how big or small.
Irrespective of our age, we all have previous life experiences to draw on that do, in most cases, teach us some wonderful insights, wisdom and gems to cherish, and on the flip side, show us things we’d rather not experience or want to know for that matter.
As someone who had a stutter as a child, and subsequently went to elocution lessons to iron out the creases, reading and ‘storytelling’ was not something I jumped at the opportunity to do – however I did love having stories read to me, especially when the reader embraced the words and delivered the narrative with energy, pace and passion. In addition, being forced to read pages of books I was studying and to speak out loud in class at secondary school and sixth form was not an activity I relished.
Delicious delights of the written word
At secondary school I had a wonderful English Teacher – ‘Thank you Mrs. Turner” – who took the time to show me the delicious delights she experienced with the written word from various authors – subsequently her enthusiasm rubbed off on me.
To this day, when delivering workshops and presentations, I still get stuck on words that start with certain letters, so have to pause, take a deep breath, and gently rummage through my memory bank to fish out an alternative piece of vocabulary to slot into place – whilst hoping my audience hears a poignant purposeful pause.
Stir your curiosity – My top 5 reads to inspire new thinking
So decades later, now an enthusiastic reader with a passion for personal development and transformation, keen to continue growing and giving back, which books have inspired me to keep turning the page? Both in paper and digitally on my Kindle…
The Code of the Extraordinary Mind
Author – Vishen Lakhiani
The founder of Mindvalley, Vishen is widely recognised as one of the most influential people in personal growth. A unique blend of personal stories and cutting edge theories delivered with compassion and humour, The Code of the Extraordinary Mind shares wisdom from interviews with Elon Musk, Richard Branson and Arianna Huffington, reveals a 10 point framework for understanding and enhancing our everyday lives, and shows you how to bend reality using consciousness engineering to help you grow at speeds like never before. If you’re looking to accelerate your growth, this is a great place to start.
Nonviolent Communication – A Language of Life
Author – Marchall B. Rosenberg
When a friend and fellow marketer told me they were reading this book I questioned why as the title seemed quite confrontational. However on doing a little research I discovered that the book is based on the integration of four things – consciousness – to support living a life of compassion, collaboration, courage and authenticity; language – to understand how words contribute to connection; communication – to know when and how to ask for what we want and how to hear others to move toward solutions; and means of influence – which means sharing ‘power with others’ rather than using ‘power over others’.
If you’re looking to increase your ability to live with choice, meaning and connection, and to connect empathetically with yourself and others to enjoy more satisfying relationships, then you’ll gain invaluable life long insight from delving into this book.
The Magician’s Way – What it Really Takes to Find Your Treasure
Author – William Whitecloud
I was introduced to this book when on a course with Natural Success, a business that is run by coach and author, William Whitecloud. I’ve worked with William at various workshops, in London and last summer in Africa on a voyage called the Soul Safari. The narrative of The Magican’s Way takes you on a journey on how to create the success you want to see in your life – by focusing on the end result, and not the process. I’m currently reading this for the second time and discovering new insights.
Pivot – The Only Move That Matters Is Your Next One
Author – Jenny Blake
A fascinating lady, Jenny Blake was the co-creator of Google’s Career Guru Programme that shows people how to build on their assets, identify their strengths, bring out their interests and to build on their networks to launch a new meaningful and adventurous career, doing something they love.
Her book Pivot shows you how to channel your energy to identify new opportunities, to facilitate and transition from your current work environment, and to whole-heartedly take steps to build the next. If you’re looking to expand and grow, this book will help you discover your next move.
In her own words…
I LOVE HELPING AWESOME PEOPLE LIKE YOU ORGANIZE YOUR BRAIN, MOVE BEYOND BURNOUT AND BUILD A SUSTAINABLE CAREER YOU LOVE.
Jenny Blake
Daring Greatly – How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead
Author –Brene Brown
I was first introduced to Brene Brown when I listened to and watched her very funny and engaging TED Talk on The Power of Vulnerability.
By means of a brief intro, research professor and author Dr. Brené Brown has written several books having studied courage, vulnerability, shame and empathy. She challenges everything we think we know about vulnerability, and dispels the widely accepted myth that it’s a weakness. She argues that, in truth, vulnerability is strength and when we shut ourselves off from vulnerability – from revealing our true selves – we distance ourselves from the experiences that bring purpose and meaning to our lives. It’s a fantastic read that encourages you to be courageous, to show up, and to dare greatly.
On the subject of Brene Brown, I’m looking forward to reading her new book ‘Whole Hearts’ – which is due for release this October.
When your ears prefer to do the reading
Encourage your mind to open and be prepared to think differently. Stir your curiosity by checking out some TED Talks – there’s something there for everyone.
Serial entrepreneurs and inspirational leaders such a Richard Branson, Vishen Lakhiani, Marisa Peer and Steve Jobs have spoken many a wise word about their learning’s and insights as they’ve grown their respective multi-million dollar global empires; the latter is quoted as saying…
“Follow your heart and intuition. Somehow they already know what you truly want to become.”
Steve Jobs
My question is ‘How many of us do this?’ – Do we really follow our heart and listen to what our internal compass is telling us? I’ve often thought ‘Am I on the right path?’ and ‘Am I bringing the best me to the table?’ – When I’m tuned into my intuition, when I’m fully aware and fully conscious, I find it’s almost impossible not to follow it. However, at other times questions arise – do I go left, do I go right, or simply ignore what I’m hearing and plough straight ahead because its what’s familiar?
Follow your intuition
In many situations throughout my life – both personal and professional – I’ve had a feeling, some may call it gut instinct, others a flash of intuition, that I’ve chosen to follow or ignore in a split second. Needless to say every time I’ve chosen to ignore it, it’s backfired. I was told whilst growing up ‘don’t be selfish – think of others first’ and whilst I value advice, often times it’s not advice that I was seeking, but more to be really heard and listened to. Those who have been lucky enough to experience coaching will know what I mean by this.
Now more than every it’s so important to follow your intuition, to listen to the whisper that’s inside – I have no doubt that it will lead you to where your heart wants to be and where your passion truly lives.
Insights for everyday
I’ve always had an active interest in personal development, and during the last four years or so I’ve created the opportunity, and created the time and money, to really invest and explore my curiosity – it’s been an incredible journey to date and one that I know will continue to evolve.
During that time I’ve come up against some opposition (people who don’t value or understand personal development) and those that have been keen to know more – thankfully the latter has been more prominent; an open mindset certainly generates more insightful and interesting conversations. Fundamentally I guess you can say it’s about finding the ‘essence’ of who we are, through words, thoughts, feelings, images, experiences, and looking at what they create. Similarly you could say it’s about finding a special kind of people – a tribe who share your values and beliefs – who enable you to explore the real you.
What I do know is that when people can feel you through what it is that you are doing, and creating, it enables a new level of connection and a new level of relationship – the kind of relationship that delivers new insights every day.
Find our personal brand voice
Brands are built on visions, values and beliefs – and these criteria can equally apply to businesses as they do to individuals.
I believe we live in a world where finding our tribe is so much more important than material things that give momentary pleasure. I want to attract people that resonate with me, who share my values, and who believe what I believe – because it makes me feel real and connected. Moreover, I believe people invest in people because of who they are, the stories they tell, the insights they share, and the knowledge they bring to the table – people buy based on what they want to become and achieve. Therefore it’s essential to live in the fullness of your potential and find your brand voice – you’ll find fluid, natural synchronicities start to happen.
Be curious and inquisitive
Focusing on personal development and coaching has been truly transformational, so much so I’m now a MOE certified coach. It unlocks our potential, enables us to tune into our intuition, gives us real insight, and helps us to make the right choices on what’s true, and to create what we love in all areas of our lives.
Having completed an NLP Diploma in January I’m now half way through the NLP Practitioner. Why do I continue to study? Because I love learning, I’m inquisitive about how our brains are wired, and I’m keen to discover and understand a range of tools and techniques to better serve myself, and my clients.
Focus on the end result
When we have an end result to focus on and a goal in mind we’re actively moving towards something that will serve us, rather than moving away from something – be that an environment, person or place – that doesn’t. In this mindset our energy propels us forward, we have a real sense that what we are doing will nourish our soul; benefit ourselves, and also those around us – family, colleagues, friends, neighbours and the wider community.
Be in alignment with you
We’re way beyond a time where people buy just information or products or services, because they need that information or that product or those services. No matter how good the product or service is, people buy in to people.
Become more congruent in the way you present yourself both online and offline – be prepared to stand out, because when you are that one person, saying the same thing, in the same way as everybody else, nobody is really paying attention.
It’s no longer enough just to be awesome at what you do – it’s really about who you are and how you make people feel – this is what people remember; this is what makes you stand out.
In other words
Give to yourself, be in alignment with you, refocus your energy and create what you love. Leave footprints of love and kindness wherever you go and be the type of person you want to be – shine brilliantly and lead change to a positive future.
In celebration of International Women’s day 2018 I thought I’d share my top five things that make me happy. I’ve stumbled across them at different stages of my 44 young years – some of them I’ve known for decades but haven’t actively embraced, others I’ve discovered in more recent years and now feature as a daily practice. Irrespective of your cultural, economic and educational background, or political views, I’m sure some of these will resonate with you.
Focus on the journey not the destination
Of course it’s a great feeling to reach a final destination – to be named as a winner for a prestigious digital experience industry award, to be awarded a gold medal at a sporting event (I’m thinking of Mo Farah as he stormed to won Gold in the 10,000 metres at the IAAF World Championship in 2017), and for those that know me and my passion for cycling, arriving at the end destination of a long distance, multiday ride, for example the Raid Pyrenean or the Raid Alpine.
But it’s not just about that mille-second when you are presented with your award, accept your gold medal, or pass the finish line – it’s about the relationships developed, new connections made, unique experiences enjoyed, places visited, conversations participated in, the up and downs, and learning’s along the way.
The journey is 99.9% of the experience – the destination is the icing on the cake.
Being grateful – for everything
There are many benefits of practicing gratitude on a daily basis – from a stronger immune system and better sleep, to feeling more alive and experiencing more positive emotions. Some people create a gratitude jars and write a note on a piece of paper every day, then open the jar at the end of the year to read what they’ve written, making the moments captured more meaningful. Others write letters to people who have had an impact on their lives to thank them properly. The simple act of being grateful can change your life.
It doesn’t need to take much time, just a few minutes every morning or evening, which ever suits you best – I guarantee you’ll begin to see the benefits almost immediately.
Play – do what you love
For me this covers all aspects of my life. From being involved with work that I love and that inspires me, spending time with family and friends, making time to do things that I love – just for the sheer fun of it, to investing in personal development to stretch my thinking, and to keep my mind open.
This quote says it well…
“I was early taught to work as well as play,
My life has been one long, happy holiday;
Full of work and full of play-
I dropped the worry on the way-
And the universe was good to me every day.”
John D. Rockefeller
I’ve made one small amend – you can work out what it is – the word ‘universe’ works better for me.
Have a goal – and go for it
Everyone has goals they’d like to achieve. It could be to launch your own business, to take your family on a special holiday each year to experience an amazing part of the world, to be financially independent by the time your 50, to live fearlessly, to handle conflict with integrity.
Some goals can be achieved in the short-term (3-6 months, like passing your driving test), or over a lifetime (like living your life purpose 24/7). The key thing here is to know what you want to achieve – what’s makes you tick, what’s your bliss, what’s your calling?
Discover and identify your goal or goals, believe you can achieve them and go create.
Go with the flow – change is good
Whether we realise it or not, we often subconsciously try to control situations to avoid change, or to engineer circumstances to achieve a specific outcome (and avoid change). Yet however I look at it, change is good. When one door closes, another door opens. Be open to change, to new ways of thinking, and new ways of doing things – you may just find change helps you make improvements in your life, and the lives of those around you.
As the big man from Apple said:
“You can’t connect the dots looking forwards; you can only connect them looking backward. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in the future. Believing the dots will connect down the road will give you the confidence to follow your heart, even it if leads you off the well-worn path; and that will make all the difference.”
Brand Strategist | MarComms | Coach 