The Happiness Plan

I was beavering away reviewing a client’s incredible website copy, when I lifted my head and for a split second I was horrified with what I saw.  The family sitting on the table in front of me were having a huge argument.  The father walked off leaving 2 teenagers and the mother at the table.  It was so desperately sad.  

Both teenage girls were visibly upset; one started crying and ran to the ladies bathroom and the other looked at her mother exasperated. The mother offered no comfort to her daughters, she turned to her phone and logged onto her Facebook account.  This heart breaking scene that unfolded reminded me of days of old when my own family would have huge fights and then not speak to each other for days.  I do not miss those dark days, but it was those experiences that really helped shape who I am today.  I made a very conscious decision to leave those dark days behind me and focus on creating a happy life full of fun and laughter… for the most part anyway!  

Being happy didn't just happen over night, I needed a plan.  I started reading books on the topic and attended a number of happiness lectures, only to discover that there are some very simple ways of refocusing your energy to get back into the happy zone.  It doesn't have to be complicated; here is what I learnt on the journey:

1. Go on a mission to discover your strengths and then use them!  The happiest of people are those that have discovered their unique gifts in life and then regularly use them; incredibly rewarding in many ways.

2. I have written many blogs about the power of gratitude and I am so thankful for the incredible gifts present in my life every single day.  Flipping the switch on the “woe is me” thinking, that leads you to the pit of doom and keeps you there, literally changed my life.  Grateful people have been shown to have greater positive emotions, a greater sense of belonging, and lower incidence of depression and stress.

3. Be kind and do something lovely for someone.  You can do something so simple, such as buying a friend a coffee or taking some time to listen to someone in need.  Or you could sign yourself up to a volunteering day for an incredibly worthy cause.  Such a relatively small investment will undoubtably pay back several times over, just try it and see! 

4. Go ahead and express yourself!  People who have close friendships are known to be happier. It doesn’t seem to matter if we have a large network of close relationships or not. What make a difference is if and how often we cooperate in activities and share our personal feelings with a friend or relative. "Active-constructive responding," which is the ability to express genuine interest in what people say, and respond in encouraging ways, is a powerful way to enrich relationships and cultivate positive relationships.  If you want to cultivate incredible relationships, join us at Fiercely Ambitious Entrepreneurs. 

5. Get your frame moving. Exercise gets those magical happy hormones dancing around your body and has a huge impact on your sense of wellbeing.  People who regularly exercise have lower incidence of depression.  The same can be said of being mindful of the food that you are fuelling your body with.  When I am tuned into what I am putting into my body, I feel much more in control and ultimately much happier.

6. Do at least one thing you love every single day.  Make time for that one special date with a friend or partner, enjoy a scrumptious cup of coffee or perhaps take 10 minutes out to listen to the music that gets you back in the zone.  Make your little ritual your non-negotiable every day, put down your phone, enjoy that moment, be present and enjoy.  

Cultivate some incredible relationships and join us at Fiercely Ambitious Entrepreneurs.

#thehappynow #lovethelittlethings #beingaleader #creativeentrepreneur #savvybusinessower #nothingisordinary #everywomancan #successcoach #businesscoach #mumpreneur #bassassfemale 

Can you relate?

Hello hello gorgeous ladies! 

I’ve finally recovered from a bout of illness, and weirdly I feel lighter in so many ways.  I feel so very thankful for my good health and I am enormously grateful to wake up every morning feeling happy and fulfilled.  Even in the midst of feeling pretty hideous, I was thinking about the long list of exciting things that are happening right now.

Amongst the thoughts of sheer joy for my own business growth I had time to reflect on days of old.  I thought back to the monotony of the pay rise discussions, the pain of questioning why there were no female senior manages and I cringed thinking of awkwardly laughing at the sexist jokes rather than putting a stop to it.  

Maybe you can relate to that?

For years I had been an active member of the “Women’s Networks” within the corporate world.  Even as a co-chair of the Women's Network, taking a prominent role in the discussions I struggled to ensure that gender diversity was at the top of the agenda. I say it was a struggle because I never felt the true shift in the masculine thinking that would be a true breakthrough in ensuring that women have an equal place in the workforce.  I found it incredibly emotionally draining.  I hit an all time low one day when my boss described the Women’s Network as a place where we swapped knitting patterns.

Since setting up may own business, I have not once felt the need to justify my position as a women in the world.  I am creating something quite spectacular, surrounded by the most incredible women who love, trust and support one another.   Maybe I have been lucky, but somehow I don't think this is the case. What I have learnt is that women make incredible entrepreneurs.  We build our network wisely and with ease, we are flexible and dynamic and we most importantly we empower each other.

I love that every day I make a difference in the world.  And know this, we all have the capability of making a huge impact on the world!  If I can show just one woman like you, that she can set up her own business and make it in this crazy world that we live in, I have achieved something quite wonderful.

If you are seeking an extraordinary life, have an entrepreneurial spirit and you are looking to skyrocket your business. Join our Facebook Group Fiercely Ambitious Entrepreneurs .  This is a place to celebrate our accomplishments, professional milestones and achievements.

How To Grow Your Instagram Following

Wow!  What an incredible week this has been, thanks to the awesome ladies and gentlemen and in my Facebook Live 14 Day Challenge Group who have asked lots of questions this week about Instagram.  I completely immersed myself in the wonderful world of Instagram, and although I already use this social media platform, I never truly grasped its power until I started to do my research.  

Did you know that there are over 700 million users of Instagram, that is less than Facebook but a much larger group than Snapchat.   Instagram has massive engagement rates with very impressive levels of interaction. 75% of Instagram users take action after looking at a post, e.g., book a call or visit your website, so this is an incredibly powerful social media platform.   

Instagram is not just for your beautifully curated content.  You can use Instagram to grow your audience, build your email list, sell your products and services, sell tickets to an event, expand your impact, connect with an influencer and attract brand partnerships. It is huge! 

If you have not already entered the world of Instagram, don't delay any longer!  Once your account is up and running, ensure you have a professional profile set up.  You need to write a snappy bio that concisely sums up your business and simultaneously portrays your personality in one very short sentence.  You should also have a killer profile picture, just make sure that it is formatted correctly and not stretched or pixelated.  Business accounts also benefit from more detailed insights, allowing you to gain a much better understanding of how your posts are performing, All you need to do is simply go into your settings, tap on the cog and switch to a business profile.  

My golden nugget is to ensure you engage.  Connect with your industry authorities and get inspired.  Instagram is a very friendly platform and a lot of people collaborate, so there is a world of opportunities out there for you.  And make sure you use your #.  You can use websites such as Buzzsumo to research the best hashtags to use for your posts and you can use these to attract your tribe.   

Tomorrow I will be interviewing the incredible Nataly G who has over 2,000 subscribers to her Youtube Channel, a blog, and a massive Instagram following.  Check her out  @nathanjennings__ Oh, did I also mention she runs her own photography business.  This lady is unstoppable!   Nataly will be talking to us about how she earned her great Insta following and how she has attracted sponsors to her business.  

By the way, there is still time to join the Facebook Live 14 Day Challenge Group. If you are looking to grow your business then this is the tool for you, and it really is not as scary as you think it is going to be!

"Corporate To Entrepreneur: How you know it's time to start your dream biz!"

Wow what an incredible afternoon!  I was interviewed by the beautiful Janelle Mason.  Take a look at the video footage.

See below the comments from Janelle.

"Sarah is an incredible woman, Business Coach, Mother and Entrepreneur who started her business while pregnant with Baby #1, and nearly homeless (hear her renovator's nightmare story and how she lost her money, her nursery and nearly her home!)! Through all of this, while on maternity leave, she's started her online business.

Her story is truly inspiring, and if you're looking to leave your corporate job, wanting to know how to make the move, when it's the right time, and if you can do it, then this interview is for you.

We're going to cover those questions and more + tomorrow at 4.30pm BST (London).

Add this event to your calendar and FB will send you a reminder beforehand.

This will be a LIVE broadcast - and this is YOUR CHANCE to ask us your questions about leaving the Corporate world and starting an online business (even when it feels like the wrong time!)..."

National Kindness Day

Thursday last week marked National Kindness Day.  Just one act of kindness can make a huge difference to someones life, and whilst (I know, I know, you are right) you shouldn't need a specific day to encourage people to be nice, it is a good reminder that even when you are living your life at a million miles an hour, that a simple gesture can make a make someones day.  

So I decided to run my own little social experiment.  I smiled at literally everyone I made eye contact with.  I gave up my seat on the bus, chatted to the elders on the bus instead of burying my head in a book, and took a coffee order from the chap sitting outside Starbucks.  I think it may have taken perhaps an extra five minutes out of my day.  Everyone I came into contact with responded with smile or reciprocated with another act of kindness.  In turn I had a brilliant day, I felt energised and tremendously happy.

Research from The Diana Award has revealed that the UK is a caring nation, with almost three out of five (56%) Brits saying they have received a random act of kindness in the past year. Interestingly the research highlights that women are more likely to receive an act of kindness than men; three in five women said a stranger had been generous towards them compared to only half of men surveyed. Age also appears to be a factor, with millennials more likely to receive a random act of kindness than any other generation. 

So given the conclusions in the research, why are us ladies not helping each other more in the workplace and in our businesses? Women are notoriously bad at giving each other mentorship andoffering support that can be so valuable. Finding a mentor can be an invaluable career asset for any woman, so link arms ladies!  A great next step is as simple as joining a Facebook Group that offers you a supportive forum to ask questions, test drive ideas, increase visibility or find powerful connections with likeminded ladies.   These partnerships are game changers.

Much love

Sarah xx

Gratitude

Last week I was enormously grateful to our friends who rescued my daughter and I from the building site that is our flat!  The boiler broke leaving us with no heating or hot water.  I could at this point have spiralled into pit of doom, however our amazing friends came on their proverbial white horses and now we are temporarily living in their beautiful home in SOHO.  Wow, such generosity at a time when we needed it the most.  I am enormously grateful to our friends and calm has thankfully been restored to our lives!  

The word gratitude come from the Latin work gratia.  It means grace, graciousness or gratefulness.  In many ways gratitude encompasses all of these meanings.  It is an appreciation off all that you receive.  It helps you refocus on what you have rather than what you don't have.  Historically there has been little medial research done on gratitude, however the profession is starting to take notice of the enormous benefits that appreciation offers. 

In the field of positive psychology research, gratitude is strongly associated with greater happiness.   Gratitude helps people feel more optimistic and this in turn improves your overall health and wellbeing.  When things get tough reminding yourself of the things that we are grateful in life goes a long way in dealing with adversity.  

It is so easy to cultivate gratitude.  Many people build in 5 minutes of gratitude journaling first thing in the morning as part of their routine.  This starts the day off on a positive note and sets the tone for the day.  But you can also say thank you to someone mentally or write a thank you note to someone who has had an impact on your life.  

However you express your gratitude, it is a simple way of improving your happiness and is proven to help nurture relationships. You have got nothing to lose so trial it and see the outcome. 

Much love
Sarah
Xxx

Adversity, challenges, and bumps in the road, are often the first signs that a great healing has begun!

Life is sometimes sent to challenge us and this weekend certainly felt like a challenge!  We've had a series of unfortunate incidents recently... a cowboy builder, someone drove into our car and didn't leave their insurance details leaving us with the cost of repair, and then the tyre on our car needed to be repaired (we didn't have a spare) so we had to hired a car for our planned trip up to north England.  All relatively trivial, nothing terrible happened! but the compound effect off all these events left me feeling exhausted.  

It felt like the time had come to have a word with myself and check in with the big picture; in the grand scheme of things life is not so bad.  Life's challenges are a reminder that you need to revisit the things in life that you are grateful for... and I have a lot to be grateful for.  I have a gorgeous daughter who has a heart-breaking smile, an amazing husband and brilliant friends and family.  Gratitude is so important to your daily routines. When you are grateful, you can't be angry and you can't be fearful.  It only takes a minute or two and it's as important as having a nutritious breakfast, fuel for the soul.  

I remembered during this thoughtful moment, the email that had dropped into my inbox earlier in the week that read "adversity, challenges, and bumps in the road, are often the first signs that a great healing had begun" and that's when I made the connection.  I have recently made the decision to focus on closing out some issues from the past.  It is time to let go of a few old demons that have remained with me for several years.  It can often be a painful journey facing past adversity, working on your personal development takes time and patience, but it is liberating.  You will make big transformations in your life and your business when the weight of the past is lifted.  Creating a successful business is 80+% about your mindset, its so important to tackle the past issues that create big blocks.

The email that dropped into my inbox could have been a complete coincidence or it really could be that the adversity, challenges and bumps in the road that I've experienced recently is a sign that a healing has begun... 

Sarah xxxx

International Women's Day - #BeBoldForChange

Today is International Women's Day. On March 8 every year, International Women's Day is celebrated to felicitate women and their achievements. Women have come a long way in their struggle for equality, but there is still a long distance to cover. Research issued by the World Economic Forum found that it will take 170 years to close the gender pay gap around the world.  In the UK it is estimated to take 60 years to close the pay gap at the current rate of progress and 42 years in the US.  I find these statistics absolutely staggering and deeply disturbing that my (newborn) daughter may not experience pay parity in her early working career, or indeed ever at the current pace and unpredictability of the change!  

The UK government's attempt to make the pay gap reporting mandatory for all companies with more than 250 employees had been met with a lot of resistance.  The fact that the government has to legislate under the Gender Pay Gap Reporting requirements, to force change is a sad reality that there is still a huge reluctance for corporates to address the issue.

Some organisations have made monumental leaps ahead for equal pay and gender balance, addressing not only the policies that impact women but tacking the rights that men have have access to, such as better paternity entitlement equalising the balance for both genders.  Google is a great example of where huge progress has been made, they say they have closed the pay gap. CEO Marc Benioff also made sure they would not be a gender pay gap in his company.  After conducting intensive research within his company he paid out US$3M (£2.4M / AU$4.1M) to address inequalities in pay.  However these examples of corporates voluntarily doing the right thing and ensuring pay parity are few and far between.  

The that fact that in 2017 there continues to be gender inequality, with extreme inequality at its highest in single parenthood families, is a huge a social issue and will ultimately impact future economic growth.  In the UK alone PWC estimate that pay parity would boost female earnings by around £85bn per year.

Ladies, it has become so important for us to work together to remove barriers preventing pay parity and create better opportunities for women. Together we can forge a better working world - a more gender inclusive world. Empower yourself, vocalise your self-worth, be less subservient, support your fellows and #BeBoldForChange. 

Be Bold, Be Brave

This week has been an exciting week, stepping out into the world as a new Mummy.  Completely out of my comfort zone, and still fumbling around with unfathomable buttons on the buggy, it has been great to venture out to meet some of the other local Mummies.  

It would have been very easy to stay indoors with our little Chloe in the warmth, and the comfortable surroundings of our home, safe in the knowledge that nothing would be too complicated to deal with. There are lots of reasons to stay in your comfort zone including reduced stress and less anxiety, however there are unlimited benefits to stepping outside of your comfort zone.

Everyone's comfort zone is different, and what may expand your horizons may paralyze someone else.  There are so many ways to stretch your personal boundaries.  Trying news things or putting yourself in a new environment is a good way to start.  You could take a different route home or try a different local restaurant.  In a small way you are increasing your view of the world.  These are easy transitions and after making these first small steps, you may feel like you can be bolder and braver.  

Saying yes more often, even when you think you are not ready is a great way to open yourself up to new opportunities.  Say yes to new projects, new assignments and new roles, even if you haven't done it before.  As Richard Branson said "if someone offers you an amazing opportunity and you're not sure you can do it, say yes - then learn how to do it later".  

We are all creatures of habit.  We build our lives on patterns of thought, emotions and behaviours, but your success depends on your getting out of your comfort zone.  Magical things in life happen when you get out of your comfort zone. You are far more productive when you are working on something that you are not familiar with, which leads to much higher output.  You will achieve goals that you may not have thought possible before and you are certainly more creative.  

If you want to live a great life, have an amazing business, and unimaginable success you have to leave your comfort zone and put yourself out there.  Be bold, be brave and get comfortable with the uncomfortable. 

The Fundemental Importance of the Right Mindset

Yesterday was an important day in our little household, it was the due date of our long awaited little bambino.  The day pasted with no indication that there was going to be any imminent action.

I confess I did have a grumble to my husband about the woes of being pregnant (still) and as he rightly pointed out to me, this was the exact time I should be working on my mindset skills!  Alleluia he does actually listen (!) and then it dawned on me how absolutely spot on he was. 

Having the right mindset is the most fundamentally important constituent of being a successful leader, entrepreneur and business owner.  So of course your powerful mindset skills will and should spill over into your everyday routines; they are the essential part of your life toolkit.  

You attract what you feel and what you are.  What you think about expands, encircles you and will take you into a realm of endless possibilities.  Believe and visualize, anything is possible.