February 19 Digital Business Women EMagazine

ISSUE NO.07

Digital Business Women

BADA*SS BUSINESS WOMEN LEARN ABOUT THE CHALLENGES, THE UP AND DOWNS, THE ADVICES, THE WHY AND ALL GLORY OF BEINGÂ IN BUSINESS.

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WELCOME LADIES! by

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Costa

This edition is all about women who found their place in this world and want to encourage others to do the same. Being strong and kind are their moto and we want to salute them.

You can only make a difference if you stand out and Be Bold for the Sake of the Next Generation who needs to find their voice and believe in themselves.

Thank you for accepting my invitation to speak out loud about experiences and all challenges that you faced in life - THANK YOU! Our main goal is support women with genuine advise and practical ideas and observation of facts or events that would impact our lifes. If you are looking for support and collaboration, you have found your place here - we believe in collaboration and serious business.

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Candyce Costa - Founder and CEO

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To empower and nurture digital and tech women in business and life to achieve their true potential and connecting them to create a collaborative and powerful community.

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People do not decide to become extraordinary.

They decide to accomplish extraordinary things Quote by Edmund Hillary

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BE BOLD FOR THE SAKE OF THE NEXT GENERATION by

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Last year, our campaign Raise your Profile was a huge success with 750K engagements on LinkedIn only - between personal and guests posts. We reached and grow so for 2019, we want impact the new generation, not only to be BOLD but to find Role Models like you! Are you in?

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We are looking for like minded business who aligned with our mission and community style to built business colaboration, Interested? Email us!

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EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEWS

DIGITAL INTERVIEWS

TECH INTERVIEWS

Gail Orenstein talking about being the first drone pilot. Page 19

Flo Awolaja Katie Cunningham Nicola Huelin Roisin McCarthy Sayuri Nishimoto Sukvinder Kathuria

Claudia Mendes Silva Erica Stanford Kamila Hankiewicz Rachel Keane Rachel Stuve Sarah Norford-Jones

Hira Ali talking about her book "Her Way to the Top". Page

RECOMMENDATIONS by

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Every edition we recommend gadgets and books, as well, places to eat, work and relax - not only in London. Also. conferences and business events that we believe you should join with us.

If you want to recommend to our community any services, places or gadgets and books, contact us emma@digitalbusinesswomen.comÂ

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TECH ARTICLES

BUSINESS ARTICLES

BUSINESS COLUMNS

How software robots will bring humanity back to your work

Should we be teaching the next generation to be entrepreneur?

The Buzz - Oana Tache

Why do we need more women in devops?

Small business: marketing hacks

Shelly in High Heels - Shelly Elsinger

Let's close the deal: 4 tactics to improve your chances to getting a yes

Book Club

7 Ways to Earn and Give Respect at Work

Gadgets Recommendations

How can blockchain tech help charities The importance od data visualization for your business Women in tech unique literacy: is it possible and relevant that we have our own?

A Male Perspective on Women in Technology

I admit… I've been using!

Baroness K Brady and Lady Michelle Moneto headline WiB expo 2019

The Most Underrated Strategy To Grow Your Network On LinkedIn Mentoring - Making a difference

Women in Tech - Lisbon

5 Essential Anatomy Parts Needed To Make The Perfect Blog Post: Part 1…

Become one of our Guests VISIT OUR WEBSITE

Clรกudia Mendes Silva, IT Project Manager at Siemens and WIT Ambassador for Portugal.

CLAUDIA

MENDES SILVA

It's no secret that many women in tech have felt their gender affected the way that they are perceived/treated. Have you ever been in a situation like that?

How did you handle it?

STEM is still a male world due to the history: only recently women take place and embrace areas frequently labeled as man job.

As a student, quickly perceived that women normally had lower grades when evaluated in a heterogeneous work group.

This said, confidence was affected and created a confidence gap, also. To deal with this, I've learned that time is a partner to redeem credits of our work.

How did you decide to go into Computer Science?

At the age of 14 and, when the career coach shared the psychological tests results with an orientation to Medicine with 99% result, my father (also an engineer) give to me and my brother, a computer. Back in the early 90's, it was the start of an era of personal computers and I remember being fascinated with the capability of that machine. The choice of my career it was easy to decide: against all odds, I was the only girl attending computer lessons and code at high school.

Tell us about you and your career.

I am a tech-savvy professional with a Master and Bachelor Degree in Computer Science at Coimbra University and over 15 years of experience in technology across a variety of disciplines, including but not limited to Project Management, Program Management Office (PMO), Demand Manager, Technical Pre-Sales, IT Consultant and Software Developer.

CLAUDIA

SILVA

What advice would you give to a woman considering a career in tech or what do you wish you knew before started your career?

Looking behing and if it was given the opportunity of change anything, I wouldn't. Even for the less grateful job, the sum of all experiencies made me the professional that I am nowadays.

For anyone that considers to embrace a tech career: be curious; be bold; be passionated, be confident. Women in tech tends to be more cautious and sometimes is confused as lack of confidence.

What do you think we should be doing more of to encourage more girls to consider a career in tech?

Young girls should be involved in STEM activities since young age to give them the opportunity to gain confidence in their skills. For that, educational system should be aware of the context and adapt as long as changes in the tech world are being made. As important as that, is the knowledge sharing from women in tech: mentoring, speaking and do activities like bootcamps for young tech girls.

What's your favorite quote?

“Life is not measured by the numIber of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.”– Maya Angelou.

In your opinion, how could the tech industry be more inclusive for women?

To what do you attribute your success?

Bring more women to work in tech it becames almost a mantra for every corporation nowadays but, in fact, it is not easy to see the turnover. When you look at C-level leadership, the gap is even bigger. As so, in order to mitigate the gender gap and apply a program that brings diversity in any organization, it should be encourage to have more women in leadership positions.

I think my willingness to take on new challenges and work hard sets me up for success. My friendly personality with my ability to communicate effectively helps me establish relationships and achieve results.

In your opinion, what is the biggest obstacle to women succeeding in the workplace/business?

Women faced many challenges within the workforce and many have broken down many barriers over the years. Still, it is perceived that exists a lack clear career paths and equality in pay.

Besides that, the struggle to balance work and leadership positions with family life,is still a barrier.

How do you find inspiration in your life?

In my family and friends. I am blessed to have a large family and so many different groups of friends that support me in all y activities through life. Also, as a mum of three, I am trying to make a change to leave an easier career path in STEM to the new generation, especially for the girls.

Fun fact about you.

During my master course in Coimbra's University, I was member of Academic Association of Coimbra (AAC). It is the largest and the oldest student union in the country, European champion in university sports for several times and home to 16 cultural sections and 27 sports, AAC is the central pillar of the life of the University and its students, enabling me to participate in EXPO'98 as an artist.

LIFE IS NOT MEASURED BY THE NUMBER OF BREATHS WE TAKE, BUT BY THE MOMENTS THAT TAKE OUR BREATH AWAY. MAYA ANGELOU FAVOURITE QUOTE CLAUDIA MENDES SILVA

Erica Stanford, Founder of Crypto Curry Club, co-founder of a blockchain platform, consulting for blockchain companies on business strategy.

ERICA

STANFORD It’s no secret that many women in tech have felt their gender affected the way that they are perceived/treated. Have you ever been in a situation like that?

How did you handle it?

It's fairly common at networking events for guys to look genuinely surprised when you say something intelligent. Lots of guys who you meet at networking events and talk about business to, will propose a meeting for coffee or at your office, take your number, then proceed to send unnecessary messages, with some seeming to think it's ok to send quite graphic messages, out of the blue.

How did you decide to go into Cryptocurrency/Blockchain?

I heard about cryptocurrency and blockchain early in 2017, I was fascinated by the potential and went down the rabbit hole of reading everything I could.

I'd once had my third card stolen on a trip to Guatemala and had had to wait 3 days and pay Western Union 14% to receive money - and billions around the world are still victim to the extortions of banks and remittance companies. I saw blockchain as an immediate improvement to many centralised systems that until now have had no competition.

Tell us about you and your business.

I'm working on a blockchain platform focused on micropayments and tracking and transparency of spend.

I started the Crypto Curry Club- fun networking with industry leaders in blockchain and emerging tech- over curry.

It's gone slightly viral, and we're doing Blockchain / disruptive tech consultancy and education around that.

ERICASTANFORD What advice would you give to a woman considering a career in tech or what do you wish you knew before you started your career business?

99% of the time it doesn't make any difference being female or anything else- London is one of the most liberal places in the world and people will judge you on your intelligence, contributions, personality or experience. Probably 95% of people in the blockchain and emerging tech space are men.

It's up to women to see and treat themselves as equals, and will mostly be taken seriously for doing so.

What do you think we should be doing more of to encourage more girls to consider a career in tech?

Education and awareness raising of the opportunities in tech.

Girls and students have come up to me saying they really want to work in tech, but they love marketing, creativity or any other niche- and many seem to think they'd have to change fields. No! Tech needs people from all specialities and areas of expertise and it would help to emphasise all opportunities.

In your opinion, how could the tech industry be more inclusive for women?

Many tech companies seem to be run by egos who don't always consider other opinions.

Emerging tech and blockchain adoption would be considerably advanced if sometimes the tech geniuses would accept that they need to translate their ideas and decks into concepts understandable by the masses.

Working with creatives, marketing & PR experts for example is essential to spread mainstream adoption.

In your opinion, what is the biggest obstacle to women succeeding in the workplace/business?

Their own confidence.

How do you find inspiration in your life?

Constantly meeting and surrounding myself with incredible, inspiring and positive people.

To what do you attribute your success?

Consistent effort & optimism/ hope.

Fun fact about you?

Total phobia of Jellyfish.

What's your favorite quote?

Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness.

Concerning all acts of initiative and creation, there is one elementary truth the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then providence moves too.... WH Murray.

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IT'S FAIRLY COMMON AT NETWORKING EVENTS FOR GUYS TO LOOK GENUINELY SURPRISED WHEN YOU SAY SOMETHING INTELLIGENT. ERICA STANFORD

Flo Awolaja Mental Health Advocate, Creative Consultant Chief MischiefMaker Edupreneur, Curious Inquisitive & Wordsmith.

FLO

AWOLAJA

Did you always know that Creativity was what you wanted to do?

From an early age I have always had an interest in being creative. I guess it just runs in the family. We are all in some way gifted. My mother was a printer and my father was an engineer. I can remember at an early age sitting on my father's knee watching him avidly draw circuits with such meticulous detail. Each evening my mother coming home from work brought us so many reams of coloured paper.

Have you ever been in a situation where you have felt discouraged to pursue your dreams as a woman?

How did you handle it?

I think coming from a household where education was key, we were always encouraged to pursue what made us happy. I am extremely grateful to my parents for allowing us to spread our wings, even if they were not always happy with our choices...nevertheless we dreamt big. Having exposure to that sort of vision never curtailed me. Even at school as young women we were encouraged to aim high.

Tell us about you and your career.

Growing up in a household rich in colour has always been the basis of my artistic intentions.

Born to parents of Nigerian heritage, the culture into which I was born has inspired my artistic talents. An ardent educationalist, achievement for all is central to the work that I do.

THERE IS NOTHING THAT SHOULD BE OUT OF BOUNDS FOR WOMEN, WHY SHOULD THERE BE. GENDER SHOULD BE NO BARRIER TO SUCCESS. PIECE OF ADVISE FLO AWOLAJA

FLO AWOLAJA To what do you attribute your success?

Oh my gosh, to whom do I attribute my success, that's a loaded question. I believe we are all helped on our journey to greatness; I thank my parents who gifted us with the strength of resilience and tenacity, my Art teacher who instilled in me a love of all things creative, friends and family who have been inspirational beacons on my journey.Â

What advice would you give to a woman considering a career in your industry or what you wish to know before started your career? Â Personally as an individual who was always told 'skies the limit' and to aim high. I would take that same mantra and pass it on. There is nothing that should be out of bounds for women, why should there be. So for me it is a question of continuing to empower women to assert themselves in all careers. Gender should be no barrier to success.

How do you find inspiration in your life? l love this question...it goes to the core of who I am. I am inspired by many things, life, my son, friends and family, my interests and creativity.

For those who know me, as long as I am creating and thinking ideas then I am happy.

I think having the knowledge that you have the skills to create beautiful things gives one an immense sense of satisfaction.

'Homage to Olapaeju' 2015

AWOLAJA

FLO

In your opinion, what could the workplace/business environment do to be more inclusive for women?

To exclude 50% of the population in the workforce is to deny the existence of talented individuals within business.

Research highlights the benefit of having an inclusive workforce. Diverse and inclusive companies are more adaptable, promote creative and innovative thinking. They become adept at retaining and attracting talent individuals interested in working in such an environment.

In your opinion, what is the biggest obstacle to women succeeding in the workplace/business?

The removal of bias through gender and ethnicity would be one of the biggest obstacles to women succeeding.

Women should empower women, create a culture of belonging, i nclusivity. Promote the voice of women at work, have flexible working patterns that actually work...and are not just a glorious tick box exercise.

Find a way to champion new talent and give talent an opportunity to shine.

What did you learn from your biggest failure?

In an ideal world we would all like to be recognised for the work we create. The fear of failure can be the spur that drives creatives, after all some would say you are only as good as your last job. I try not to think about failing, giving up. The passion that drives us is also what saves us... we do not give up. We continue to develop our craft, knowing that it is a long journey.

How did you decide to go into creativity?

Like all things the best things are a mixture of happy accidents and being in the right place at the right time, more a question of when 'Lady luck and necessity meet.' They do say 'necessity is the Mother of invention' and in my case this has never been truer. The body of work that I am now exploring happened by accident. (The best things usually do!) it occurred whilst I was at home looking after my son, who had been unwell.

Fate and the universe really have a lovely way of conspiring to tell you something different, the question is will you listen. From a two week internship at the BBC, this turned into a four year permanent job; to a successful career as a freelance graphic designer, designing books, posters, and working with some fabulous organisations. All my early creative skills and work ethic came from these moments of excellent training. Spending several years as a freelance has honed my skills to explore all aspects of creativity.

Personally, if I could square that elusive balance between making a living full time from being an artist, instead of [like most creatives] working the Nine five to pay bills, then life could not get better.

Contact: floraawolaja@hotmail.com

I have been extremely fortunate to have had a portfolio of creative careers spanning several years. How many of us can truly say we are in a career that we love, and have the opportunity to get paid for what we do.. Yes I get paid for being able to indulge in my hobby. There really is no better feeling for me than when I am doodling in my ideas book, or thinking of new pieces to create (I have over 20 small books each one an extension of me and my thoughts).Â

exclusive My name is Gail Orenstein, I am a Drone Journalist.

GAIL

ORENSTEIN Tell us a little bit about your journey up to today, for example what did you study, where did you work before, what education or training did you have to help you in your career?

I was born and grew up in New England and my parents had a huge influence on me, they were very big into photography and my mother was a great story teller.

My mother had photographs of the family, her parents, my father’s parents all over the house and all over the walls and in scrapbooks she kept family artefacts. As soon as we came home, she would bring the scrap books out of the closets of my dad on Titian island in World War II and she would start telling wonderful stories about him, my mother was a fantastic story teller. My father was actually a very private person, but he would add onto the stories that she would tell. So, although he was quite private, he would add some wonderful pieces to the story that my mother was telling, it wasa great synergy. I learned a lot from them about the importance of photography and how it brought the family together and in some cases, how it separated a family. For example, my great grandparents didn’t make it from Europe over to America, so there was a real wide range of stories that came to me through my formative years

and it a profound impact on me. I went to the school of the Art Institute of Chicago and studied photojournalism, I studied extremely hard and I was out every day street shooting. I didn’t have any time to do anything but study and learn all kinds of equipment,2 ¼ cameras. Developing film and reading. I was quite a fan of Diane Arbus at the time and all of the photographers that used medium format cameras. So, I started taking to the street and I started learning my craft in the streets and some parts of the streets of Chicago were a bit rough. But I felt very comfortable actually back then people were fine being photographed. Doing street photography sometimes you can catch a great natural moment, so I felt really comfortable doing it. Then I was awarded some internships as a photographer and I worked as a press photographer for the Immigration and Naturalisation Association in Chicago. I also just started getting assignments on top of that, so it was really wonderful.

Tell me about your career background, what were you doing before, tell us how you ended in the career you are today, any particular unexpected changes, any mentors, or even a movie that inspired you.

When I was studying photojournalism I studied a lot of the Vietnam war photographers, I studied the twins David and Peter Turnley, I studied Don McCullen. I studied Nick Ut. The Vietnam war photographers had a huge influence on me and some magnum photographer like Susan Mieselas impact on me as well as Mary Ellen Mark.

One of my mentors who was in college, she was a photojournalist and I was lucky enough to have her as a teacher and she just really encouraged me to go out, spend a lot of time on the street and spend as much time as I could travelling.

So, she was a huge influence on me, but really I spent most of the time in the library and every time I went to work, I would save money to be able to travel to Central America, since it was relatively close. I was only a 3 hour flight from Guatemala and El Salvador. and I used to go to Haiti a lot So, I started in places like that had a difficult environment.

Tell us an interesting fact about yourself?

I will tell you that I actually have dreadlocks in the back of my head. Often I cannot get a proper brush, becuase often when I am in the field as much as I am this is the last thing we are thinking about and most female opposition fighters put their hair up so they don't have to deal with it.and so the back of my hair has become dreads. People ask me where I had my dreads sewn on and I tell them this is natural, I have real dread-locks. I also am addicted to Haribo, isn’t that disgusting. I upload my work and always have a pack of Haribo on my bed while I am working!

Why do you use drone technology in the field?

GAIL

Well it started really 3 years ago when I was working as a photo journalist covering Kobani, Syria, there was a siege in Kobani from Islamic State, and I was covering it with a few other photojournalists. I was the only female and I was using traditional photography, still cameras and video cameras and when I got back, many news rooms and Humanitarian agencies asked me if I had any drone footage. It hadn’t even occurred to me as this was very new technology, so I really didn’t have a choice because newsrooms were suddenly demanding drone footage, they wanted to see how big an impact the area had on that conflict and also Humanitarian wanted to see how large refugee camps were from the air.

The way Humanitarian Agencies were distributing aid really changed because they could see from the aerial footage just how big the camps were. We could now see the scale of the devastation of the conflict on the ground more so then ever before as a civilian, we did not need to depend on going with the military on helicopters.

From an aerial stand point you can fly very, very far and you can see so much more. The aerial perspective has changed the way that we can review what we need to do after we see the footage. It’'s very important to have more information so that you can have more help on the ground and your story that you tell can have more information to get to the right people who can send food distribution or who can send evidence based news that is accurate. So, this is why drones will change the way we both work in the Humanitarian arena and in the news arena.

Explain to us, how you prepare for a working day?

So a typical day for me, well I have a lot of preparation that I do because I’m a global drone journalist. So, I could be on assignment in anywhere from let’s say West Africa to East Africa, South East Asia to Europe. I could be all over the world, so depending upon where I’m flying, I prepare for different things. If I’m going to certain regions where there is let’s say Malaria, I will have to bring particular Malaria tablets and stay on those if I am going to areas where there is high risk of yellow fever, I need particular shots. So, you have to do a lot of prepreparation before you can even leave for these places, I have a medical pack that I take. I’m a certified First Responder. So, if I see somebody is injured which is quite often, you know if there’ s not a medic there I will try and help as much as I can. So, I do bring specific stuff and of course and I have had hostility lots of training.

So, there’ s quite a lot of preparation that goes into being a conflict and Humanitarian drone journalist. Even if you don't go to remote places, you could twist your ankle, you could there’'s all sorts of things, you have to be very, very careful. There’'s no real particular software other then for post-production, I'm very lucky a lot of my agencies take care of the post-production, they would rather I spend the time shooting so I don't spend too much time on postproduction unless I'm with a filming team.

It's really important when you’'re doing the work because these are very, these places I go to as a drone journalist, they can be very, very far and very difficult to get to and in all my interviews I do you’ll hear me talk about the preparation of the paperwork. Just to be clear, it's not like you’re going to land one of these remote places like Central African Republic without the proper paperwork. You'll need your press credentials and you’'ll need them notarised. So that it will have the proper seals on them, otherwise a lot of people might think you just downloaded them from the internet. You'll need a UAV licence for sure. I'm both FAA and CAA certified, I feel that’s really important that I'm certified with both countries in the United States and UK because as journalism becomes more of a dangerous profession and we’re putting ourselves in a more dangerous position as we try and cover stories, it’s really important to try and be as legitimate as you can. I am not saying that that will completely take you out of danger, but it may avoid any risk of being arrested or having your drone's confiscated.

As I say I would never recommend going to these places unless you're extremely experienced, it’s very dangerous and I would never do it or recommend anyone do it.

GAIL

What are the main challenges as a drone journalist you have today?

I would say first and foremost that drone journalism in its infancy and it is important to remember that I was a photojournalst for 23 years. Now I am one of the pioneers of drone journalism but it is a natural extension for me as I am going to the same place but now with UAV equipment. Remember, we don’t really see many people using UAV technology the way that i use it and many people ask me still what is a drone journalist is, they say they have never heard of it before.

They don’'t know, so why don’ t just give you a little explanation about that. A drone journalist is usually comes from a photojournalist background and that’'s very important I feel because you have to have had years of experience in conflict area or a humanitarian areas.

That's more likely where you’re going to find a drone journalist. We usually cover these areas using UAV equipment because more and more newsrooms and Aid agencies are asking for aerial footage, rather then traditional footage. I’m asked to do a lot of different things because now we live in a post-truth world. So, in this world we are asked as drone journalists to use more mapping technology, surveying, more mathematical information that is attached to the meta data that we send back to Humanitarian Agencies and to newsrooms.

This is now required so we now have more evidence based news challenging fake news.

I use more of a hybrid technology which is traditional photojournalism and a combination of a fleet of drones more and more the drone are taking over my equipment in the filed.

We have heard a lot about the challenges women having working in tech, have you ever experienced negativity or bias, if yes, what would be your advice to deal with that?

Well I did touch on that a little bit, the negativity of sexual harassment and of groping. And I try and deal with it first of all, I don’'t get myself in a situation where I'm alone, but sometimes I am in a situation where I'm alone and there's nothing I can do. So, if I am in that situation I take some serious steps for example, I tend to walk in the middle of the road, I will only take rides if I see there's women and children in the car, if I'm stuck somewhere. I will be very careful, but I'll take to social media to let people know where I am all the time. If my GPS goes off, I'll make a video and I'll usually borrow one of the local’s phone, so I'm always a voice or a face away from some support. Social media plays a huge part for women, it also plays a negative part depending how you use it as you can see women are harassed a lot on it. But if you're travelling off the beaten path, it can play a very, very positive role in tracking where you might be.

So, I would definitely not hesitate to use it for showing the world where you are last reporting from.

Also check into the Consulate upon arrival and make sure they know where you are staying. So, there are some preventative measures you can take. There are cases where you do not want the government to know where you are so you may have to be off the radar for awhile, like when I was always in Syria, I never used any geo-location equipment.

Tell us something totally insane that happened in your career? I've looked at your web site and see you worked in difficult places.

Yes, I've worked in difficult places, and it has left me deeply humbled when I am around so many displaced people and how caring they are. For example, when I usually drone in a remote area, a lot of the refugees, will help me find a clear path for take off and landing my drone. I’m always shocked that they can take a moment and I'm always deeply humbled that with all their suffering they take a moment to actually help me and I’ve witnessed this throughout my whole career. ’m very moved by people and under such distress and yet they are so brave.

Some insanities I suppose are the, sexual advances made on me in these surreal environments. I've got mud all over me, I’'ve just probably ridden on a rickshaw for several hours and my hair is muddy and I smell like a damp tent, no matter what I look like, I'm amazed at the unwanted advances, the harassment that takes place and it is not by the refugees, it is by the locals.

We need to unite and recognise that photojournalists and drone journalists certainly have their days of sexual harassment and have their days of being groped and it’s very unpleasant. People ask me if drone journalists will have a #metoo moment, I cannot answer that.

What advice can you give someone who is looking to follow your path?

I think I said that already, if you don’t have the money to go to University, take some hostility training classes, all that you can, like make sure you take self-defence, make sure some martial arts, take first aid. I would also recommend you study fiercely at whose is doing what right now, the pioneers the drone journalism field, in the photo journalism field and try and reach out to them. I would start out as a documentary photographer, work locally in your area, or maybe in one of the cities, start out doing street photography. I would never recommend anyone go to a conflict zone before they do any of some early kind of building up to very edgy work. Street documentary shooting is believe it or not is very hard work and try and see how you like that, see how that goes before you go jumping into a very dangerous unprepared situation you have no expereince in dealing with.

ARTICLES

HOW SOFTWARE ROBOTS WILL BRING HUMANITY BACK TO YOUR WORK

Business Automation has emerged as a significant tool for organisations in recent years. The technology is growing and evolving constantly and it’s certainly here to stay. Automation is and has always been a great force affecting the job market. Any technology that takes care of a process or a task that gives you time to focus on something else can be considered automation.

Historically there has been a lot of fear associated with it. Especially in blue-collar jobs. This sentiment was at the forefront of political leaders programmes. As computers began to appear in offices and robots on factory floors, President John F. Kennedy declared that the major domestic challenge of the 1960s was to “maintain full employment at a time when automation is replacing men”. In 1964 a group of Noble Prize laureates, known as the Ad Hoc Committee on the Triple Revolution, sent President Lyndon Johnson a memo alerting him of the danger of a revolution triggered by “the combination of the computer and the automated self-regulating machine”. This, they said, was leading to a new era of production “which requires progressively less human labour” and threatened to divide society into a skilled elite and an unskilled underclass. The advent of personal computers in the 1980s provoked further worries over potential job losses.

Yet, in the past, technology has always ended up creating more jobs than it destroys. That is because of the way automation works in practice. Automating a particular task, so that it can be done more quickly or cheaply, increases the demand for human workers to do the other tasks around it that have not been automated.

Focusing only on what is lost misses an economic mechanism by which automation affects the job market, it raises the value of the tasks that can be done only by humans. Ultimately, the job market is not a zero-sum game. The notion that there’s only a finite amount of work to do, and therefore that if you automate some of it there’s less for people to do, is just wrong..

Automation redefines the jobs, making them more interesting, requiring more creativity and more of "the human element". It moves careers to another level. There are many historical examples of this pattern. The advent of ATMs meant sure doom to the bank employees. Rather than destroying jobs, ATMs changed bank employees’ work mix, moved them away from routine tasks towards more human interactions like sales and customer service that machines could not do.

Predictions about what types of jobs will be replaced and how fast vary widely. One commonly cited study from 2013 estimated that roughly 47 per cent of jobs could be lost over the next two decades because they involve work that is easily automated. The way that number was reached has a big flaw. The study considered a job to be doomed if it contained a routine task. Most jobs though, are not so one-dimensional and involve many different tasks. Only some are repetitive. Automating them gives people a chance to excel at the other, most probably more interesting and more human ones.

Our experience shows us positive impact automation has on the employees, and obviously the company as a whole. It is never the case that this is done to cut budgets and make people redundant.

The fact that the employee doesn't have to work on the mind-numbing tasks anymore means she can focus on more creative, business enhancing task rather than greasing the wheels.

We see this routinely within projects we do. Work automation executed properly is always positive change throughout the company. On all levels, from junior employees to the CEO. Employees that have a chance to express their intelligence and creativity at work are happier and thus more productive. What’s more, they quit less frequently. In the long run that creates thriving companies and boosts financial and resource-led growth.

A common misconception about AI and Automation is that it is best leveraged by finance, banking and insurance organisations. We believe that business automation is a vital tool for every industry, each of which has an array of processes that can be successfully automated.

About the author :Kuba Misiorny is the Technical Director at Untrite, company that applies latest analytics and automation technology to help businesses achieve greater potential for their employees by spotting workflow inefficiencies. Kuba can be reached at kuba@untrite.com or LinkedIn..

Girls in Tech London: Educate, inspire and empower women to advance their careers in technology. We are the London chapter of Girls in Tech, a global organisation focused on empowering, educating and engaging with women to enter or advance their careers in the high-tech industries. What we do in a nutshell: we engage with strong female leaders in the corporate sector, from start-ups to multinational companies, to help us encourage more young women join STEM education and work in technology. We create communities and facilitate learning through various initiatives, such as conferences, coding bootcamps, hackathons, mentoring programmes and start-up pitch competitions.

Girls in Tech is not just for professional women. We exist for anyone with an interest in technology, startups and providing women with a platform for growth. But we operate with the spirit of the girl within all of us—fearless, lively and determined! Follow us on Twitter to get updates on our initiatives to end gender inequality in high-tech industries and startups by supporting & empowering women.

Upcoming projects for 2019: Getting into Tech: Continue the successful 2018 Tech Spectrum series where we showcase various roles and careers in tech, and present women role models to encourage and inspire young girls to get into tech roles.

Startup F*ups: Series of events showcasing successful entrepreneurs who share their learnings from failure to show that building a successful business is not an overnight success and encourage morewomen to get into entrepreneurship. Our 2018 successful editions have seen guests CEOs of Monzo,GoCardless and Babylon Health.

AI in Action: A half-day conference where attendees will discover case studies of leading companies integrating AI in their businesses and have practical learnings to share.

LET’S CLOSE THE DEAL: 4 TACTICS TO IMPROVE YOUR CHANCES OF GETTING A YES!

You’re faced with a great opportunity. Landing this deal could mean a 150% increase in your company’s revenue.

You’ve heard it’s down to you and two other firms and you’ve got just one mor opportunity to make a winning push.

You want this and you’re going to go to great lengths to make it happen.

HOW DO YOU CLOSE THE DEAL? As you can imagine, there’s tonnes of advice on negotiating and how to get it right. There are now whole courses on Negotiation offered at the London School of Economics and Harvard, to name a few prestigious institutions.

Typical research tends to cover similar aspects of negotiation. Get clear on your negotiating goals; play hard to get - come in at a higher price than you expect to close at so there’s wiggle room; never accept the first offer you get; don’t lapse on your professionalism, no matter how well you’re getting on with your counterpart, etc. I give my top three negotiating skills to master here.

However, experience shows that whilst negotiations are a science (specific information will need to go into your proposal and contract, it must make business sense in terms of revenue and profitability and time factors), it is also an art involving human emotions and therefore tactics which take behaviour into consideration are sometimes more successful.

NEGOTIATIONS, LIKE POKER, ARE LESS ABOUT PLAYING THE GAME, AND MORE ABOUT PLAYING YOUR COUNTERPART. It’s my business to conduct research on these sorts of topics, and pass on that knowledge to my clients. Having read lots of research papers and books on the subject, I want to offer the best four tactics that I have come across. In his book “Never Split the Difference”, former FBI hostage negotiator, businessman and author, Chris Voss provides valuable tactical advice on how to increase your chances of getting a positive outcome in your negotiations. I love this book because Chris comes at the subject of negotiations from a very practical, very gritty, very emotionally-intelligent angle.

Here are my top four tactics he writes about.

1.BUILD RAPPORT Establishing rapport is going to help you achieve several things. You’re going to establish relationship and build trust, which are the two primary pillars on which business is done, especially in the service industry - people buy other people.

You’re also going to ease the interactions. How many times have you met someone that made you feel dis-ease and decided “yeah, let’s jump into a long-term project together!” Heck no!

2. ACTIVELY LISTEN Most people engage in the type of listening where they are subconsciously preparing their response while the other person is speaking. This is highly ineffective, because you are splitting your attention and not picking up on the nonverbal queues your counterpart is communicating. Learn to listen at a deeper level – what in coaching we call Level 3 listening, so that you can identify what’s most important to your counterpart. You do this by totally focusing on what they are saying, observing their body language, inflections in their voice, mood, etc.

3. SLOW IT DOWN How many times have you been in a pitch, and things got quiet and you rushed to fill the silence? Or you’re presenting and you start to speak quickly, so you can give all the information you think they need? How did all that work for you?

It’s a common mistake we all make.

Studies by researchers, psychologists, and even the FBI have shown that in negotiation type situations, there are three types of voice that can be adopted.

The Assertive Voice.

A Playful Voice.

A Late-Night Radio Personality Voice. This is the voice you want to aim to adopt in negotiations.

4. LEARN TO MIRROR YOUR COUNTERPART What is Mirroring? It’s when one person subconsciously imitates the gestures, speech patterns, or non-verbal queues of another. It is what babies do in the early stages of their life, when they are learning how to talk and walk, and it is why we find it so compelling (or cute). Mirroring implies similarity. Humans don’t like differences and the more they feel you are like them, the more compliant they will be. Skillful negotiators have learned to consciously employ this tool. A top tip is to start your mirroring with “I’m sorry” then repeat the last few words your counterpart just said.

There you have it – four tactics that get you closer to a yes in negotiations. For the full version of this article visit www.augmentresults.com/blog and tell us what you think. We’d love to hear about your negotiation tactics. Share them in the community. Till next time, keep living courageously!

Uzo Ijewere is the Managing Director of Augment Results www.augmentresults.com where they focus on powering performance in individuals, groups and organisations through leadership development.

HOW CAN BLOCKCHAIN TECH HELP CHARITIES Blockchain has been a big buzzword throughout 2017 and 2018, with a lot of hype happening around Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, one of the many use cases of blockchain and DLT (Distributed Ledger Technology). Yet the core underlying technology of blockchain itself has a perhaps number of real world uses and use cases. One of the most basic and yet undervalued uses and benefits offered by blockchain, is that of tracking money sent or spent. Blockchain offers full transparency and live time accountability for any money or value on the system – showing in real time where any value is and how it is being spent. Blockchain also allows for ‘rules’to be set- offering control over spend – to prevent funds being spent on anything other than the intended aim- be that equipment needed for a specific charitable cause, or organic ingredients, in a supply chain. One of the more undervalued sectors where blockchain will have a great impact in the coming years is the Charity sector, an area where several recent scandals have brought trust and donations to an all-time low. Blockchain can ensure transparency and accountability for donations to this area chnaging the actual landscape.

THE ISSUES CHARITIES ARE FACING TODAY THAT CAN BE ADDRESSED BY BLOCKCHAIN

Trust in charities is at an all-time low, with multiple recent scandals. Both donors and charity workers are becoming disillusioned with lack of proof of spend and progress. Charities tend to be inefficient, with up to 75% of donations going on admin, running costs and marketing. There is currently very limited accountability for where donations end up, no way of tracking and monitoring donations, and no legal requirements or pressures calling for maximum efficiency of spend.

This is especially true in times of emergency or disaster – when chaos reigns and even higher percentages of donations are left unaccounted for. The old model of charity fundraising isn’t working and charities are increasingly struggling.

Smaller charities tend to be more efficient- but there is no real way to prove this, and it requires more faith or knowledge of the charity – whereas large charities tend to bring worse efficiencies but more trust based on name, and as such, get the absolute majority of all donations. Studies have shown that many more people would be willing to donate to charities, if they had more evidence of impact and evidence for how their donations are spent.

HOW CAN BLOCKCHAIN TECHNOLOGY HELP CHARITIES?

Blockchain allows donors to track their donations, to see that their donations arrive at their intended cause. The technology can even be enabled to allow one to see what percentage of donations end up at a specific chosen project.

Instead of just sending money to a chosen charity- say- Oxfam- blockchain technology allows for one to be able to specify which project money goes to- for example- a certain Panda Sanctuary. This has multiple advantages: donors can see where exactly and even how their money is spent, reduced forex costs, any possibility for corruption or inefficiencies is cut out, and there is no chance for funds to be taken by middlemen such as (corrupt) border controls.

Blockchain allows for any digital currency to be tracked from initial wallet, until it arrives at its intended destination wallet address. Digital currencies can also be sent fast- in some cases, instantly, at zero cost. This allows for live time proof of funds arriving at their intended recipient. If donors can track their donations, and see for sure that their donations have arrived at their intended cause, and know that a high percentage of their donation is going directly to their chosen project, then this would increase their confidence, leading to higher levels of donations. Often large percentages of donations are lost due to corruption and inefficiency, especially in cross border donations and in disaster relief. Sending donations tracked via blockchain allows for direct sending, cutting out any border and third party entirely. Money can be sent in one transaction direct to the intended recipient. Charities could also choose to make their incomings and outgoings- donations and expenditures- publicly accessible on the blockchain – this might be a huge leap of faith for them – but the added transparency could bring them massive financial benefits. It would be possible for trust scores to be built for charities- using blockchain to give rankings based on what percentage of donations is sent to the intended project, or even showing how donations are spent.

Blockchain encourages transparency. In this way, blockchain effectively acts as an informational database. Traditional databases, CRMs or excel spreadsheets can be tampered with, manipulated, or be used to hide certain transactions or inefficiencies. It happens in companies all the time. On blockchain, every transaction, addition, change or information added is stored on a ledger - where the information is stored on multiple computers- so even if one computer is hacked, the data is still secure. Any new transaction or piece of information on blockchain will be attributed to a user with a unique ID and can be fully traced- highlighting any misspent funds, corruption, or inefficiencies. Blockchain also allows donors to track their individual donations and see that they arrive at their chosen project or cause – this provides a whole new level of accountability for charities and would, if done well, increase user engagement from donors.

Blockchain and smart contracts can be used to automate a lot of processes, such as internal admin and accounts, allowing greater percentages of funds to go to the end projects. Over 300 UK charities had their funds cut off in 2016-2017 – by banks- for being accused of involvement in illegal money flows- because they were sending money (in the form of donations) to projects in countries with terrorist activity. With blockchain, there is no dependence on a third party, so no one to close accounts or determine who can send what where. Blockchain allows for each party to have a digital wallet without needing permission from any centralised company – allowing anyone to send funds, and charities to receive funds, from anywhere in the world, without any forex fees and without any interference from any bank or government.

Blockchain can also be used internally within charities to add accountability for their own projects. Charities might manage money and give that money out to many different projects- in some cases, thousands of projects. It can be hard and require a lot of charities’resources to manage these projects and hold them accountable.

Blockchain can be used to help charities track how their funds are spent by projects and help them ensure their funds go to the best uses.

Erica Stanford, Founder of Crypto Curry, Club & co-founder of a blockchain platform, Cryptocurrency simplified. www.cryptocurryclub.com Erica.stanford@swcircle.com

THE BUZZ with

Oana

Tache

Our Digital Marketing Manager shares with you what’s hot and what’s not online!

RECORD: The hottest trailer in the digital history

You are now LIVE on…

LinkedIn!

Get ready to “freeze” again with your family in in front of the big cinema screens! The trailer for the sequel to Disney's megahit Frozen became is the most watched animated trailer of all time. The trailer got viewed 116.4 million times in its first 24 hours. That puts it ahead of the trailer for Pixar and Disney's Incredibles 2, which until now held the record with 113.6 million views. Yup! We think this is only the beginning for Frozen 2 to set new records and yes, this is happening exactly when you thought the winter is over.

Ready! Camera rolling! And…ACTION! Ladies, get ready as LinkedIn launches LinkedIn Live.

Microsoft announced that the 600 milion LinkedIn users will be able soon to use the platform to arrange LIVE sessions as they tested a beta version last months in the US. LinkedIn Live will be focused on live streaming video for events, Q&A sessions, conferences, award ceremonies and product launches.

BARBIE IS AN APPLE “ENDORSER” NOW! Apple has acquired PullString, company also known as ToyTalk that owns a large range portfolio of…toy “talents”. The acquisitions comes as an effect of the digital development strategy that the company founded by Steve Jobs is implementing taking a step forward to make talking toys a part of Siri, HomePod, and its voice strategy. PullString is a startup founded in 2011 by former Pixar executives, went on to raise 44 million dollars. until 2019 and its focused on voice experience design, AI these experiences and own projects astalking Barbie and Thomas The Tank Engine toys in partnership with Mattel. Get ready, ladies! Your young digital daughters will talk to Barbie through Siri in no time.

ADVERTISE WITH US HIGH QUALITY CONTENT Our content is very important for us and because of that, it has been curated with extremely care. We make sure that our guests are sharing the real advise, the real recommendations, the real experiences. And why is that?

I was sick and tired of people making money out of me.

Selling the courses and training where they say "you will learn all my secrets" and ended up sharing the "commom sense" information that you can find in Google - I did not pay for that! Here our audience expects no BS, straight forward and honest information with tips and advises. I am too!

STUNNING!

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Our Visual Signature is bold and strong at the same time, feminine and sophisticated like our community. We craft our Social Media with our audience in mind and their preferences and it has been working. Some our guests and fams expressed their thoughts and share with us: "A work of Art!" "Creative and so beautiful!"

"Candyce's style is definetly chic and classy!"

"Stunning! Love the style, the colours, the content!" details

Katie Cunningham, LYFETYMES, Founder & CEO.

KATIE

CUNNINGHAM How did you decide to go into entrepreneurship?

Last few years, I've had to plan a Life Celebration, Baby Shower, and a Graduation Party while balancing work and family. It is stressful, timeconsuming, and task-oriented. It is very personal, takes a ton of effort and time, and you want to put on the best party. I was shocked there was not an end to end digital solution that was easy to use.

Being that I was working with innovative solutions focused on digitalizing the mortgage industry, I knew a better solution could be built, hopefully improving women's lives as they are usually organizing most of the events for their families.

Tell us about you and your business.

LYFETYMES is a DIY multi-functional platform and Celebration marketplace that helps people plan and celebrate important milestones in life by removing the pain points and automating the entire end to end process. I have 20+ years of banking and lending experience primarily focused Client Experience,Acquisition, Innovation, and Strategy.

Did you always know that Entrepreneurship was what you wanted to do?

Not at all. Personally, growing up we did not celebrate Holidays and Birthdays due to religious reasons. So I would obsess what a Birthday Party was like, etc. I had a great upbringing, but it had an impact. When I had kids, I loved celebrating with them. I couldn't afford a party planner, so I DIY’d like most moms.

KATIE CUNNINGHAM Have you ever been in a situation where you have felt discouraged to pursue your dreams as a woman?

How did you handle it?

Women executives and role models were sparse, but I never felt discouraged. You pay a higher price to get to the club level. You have to choose if that price of admission is worth it. I think today, women recognize our power is in our numbers and encouraging each other is our key to success.

Madeleine Albright once said, "There is a special place in hell for women who don't help other women."

What advice would you give to a woman considering a career in your industry or what you wish to know before started your career/business?

Protect your time and your happiness. Time is something you cannot get back. When you are younger, time seems infinite- it's not- nobody can buy it back once it is gone. Spend it with family, friends, kids and on yourself. Protect your happy, you can have all the money in the world or the biggest job title if you are miserable it's not worth it.

Protect those two things like your bank account.

What's your favorite quote?

“I love to see a young girl go out and grab the world by the lapels. Life’s a bitch. You’ve got to go out and kick ass.” – Maya Angelou

What did you learn from your biggest failure?

I think it is life's redirection at times. I've had three jobs "fail" in my 40's- a time where I thought I had it all figured out.

At the time I thought my world was ending, but each one gave me insight and experience to bring me exactly to where I am today. Wouldn’t be here without it. Distance gives you perspective. The biggest lesson? Always get back up, never stay down.

In your opinion, what could the workplace/business environment do to be more inclusive for women?

Include more women. That was too easy. There has to be more of a concentrated effort. Not just with women but diversity in women. If every woman in the room all have the same background or experience that won't equal success either. It's an important topic right now and we can't confuse effort with results.

To what do you attribute your success?

It’s the people around me – my family, my network of colleagues, the folks that work so hard on LYFETYMES. I’ve also always been able to take a good punch or have a good sense of humor in life. Would I say I am a successful founder in the terms of a giant startup yet? Nope. Would I say I am successful in believing in myself, going for it and can be?

Yep.

In your opinion, what is the biggest obstacle to women succeeding in the workplace/business?

Seize every opportunity you can. You get such few at-bats, take them!

Ask for assignments, raise your hand, take risks if it is outside of your comfort zone, collaborate on a project. Fear of failure can hold you back but doing nothing is a zero-sum game.

Search out mentors, build relationships and networks.

When things are not going your way, or you need advice, these networks are critical.

How do you find inspiration in your life?

I try to surround myself with people and things that add value and bring me happiness. My mission is to have families and friends spend more time enjoying each other and making memories that will span a lifetime. Not only does it inspire and motivate me, but it also requires me to be creative and solution oriented. I am lucky, it is an aesthetically beautiful industry, so inspiration finds me.

I LOVE TO SEE A YOUNG GIRL GO OUT AND GRAB THE WORLD BY THE LAPELS. LIFE’S A BITCH. YOU’VE GOT TO GO OUT AND KICK ASS. Maya Angelou Favourite Quote Katie Cunningham

Kamila Hankiewicz, Managing Director Untrite.

KAMILA

HANKIEWICZ

Tell us about you and your business.

I'm an entrepreneur and a Managing Director of Girls in Tech London, an NGO org. supporting women in STEM careers.

I moved to London over 11 years ago to study Business Management, after which I worked for banking and retail as BA and PM until 5 years ago I started my company Untrite, where we analyse and improve work efficiency with AI. In your opinion, how could the tech industry be more inclusive for women?

It's all about starting early. Many little girls do not think that they can become tech scientists or doctors. We need to engage the younger generations in the equality process. The tech community needs also to be more outspoken about dismantling ideas which are responsible for the disparity between men and women.

How did you decide to go into Tech?

I was always tech-saavy and at 14 years old I founded my first fan webpage (copying and tweaking CSS and HTML in MS FrontPage) about The Sims game. It was a huge success in Poland - it was 2nd the biggest site (at that time). The bits of that website can still be seen on WebArchive - it's funny to read 14-years old myself. This experience gave me the feeling that you can achieve and create anything you like with tech - and find your audience who will appreciate that.Â

In your opinion, what is the biggest obstacle to women succeeding in the workplace/business?

Our own self.

As cheesy as it sounds, if you believe you can succeed in the career you have chosen for yourself - you will find the way to make it happen. It may take longer or shorter, but there is no point on dwelling on unfairness.

Do your best job and be fearful. If you disagree with something - say it.

Finally, people will start listening and noticing your work.

KAMILA HANKIEWICZ It’s no secret that many women in tech have felt their gender affected the way that they are perceived/ treated. Have you ever been in a situation like that? How did you handle it?

Obviously, numerous of times, and out of those cases, few made me doubt in myself and my skills. I decided those incidents to turn it into my stronger motivation - to prove those people wrong and do what I've set myself to achieve.

Surrounding yourself with good, helpful people, ideally in safe environment like Women in Tech or Girls in Tech will help you immensely, as together we are stronger.

What advice would you give to a woman considering a career in tech or what do you wish you knew before you started your career business?

Find yourself a role model. Approach anybody who you admire career wise and ask them to mentor you. Join groups like Girls in Tech and network A LOT. People are everything, in any business. And most important - share your knowledge in the field you want to work in (even if you feel like you know next to nothing). Blogging / vlogging is the easiest way to establishing yourself as an expert.

What do you think we should be doing more of to encourage more girls to consider a career in tech?

Men and women should offer their help as mentors - few moments a month spent on giving advice could be a breakthrough for some girls who are just starting their career.

Also, we women should support each other instead of seeing each other as a potential competition.

New generation of women entering workforce needs as much help and role modelling as we did.

To what do you attribute your success?

I believe my strong, positive personality, openness and charisma help me immensely in surrounding myself with ambitious, brilliant people.

I think my vulnerability and openness re: failure are my strength - I even write about it on my blog hankka.com.

And I find entrepreneurship the best way to create yourself - to choose projects I want to work on and grow professionally.

Fun fact about you?

I run a side business where we trade... Japanese knives :) and since recently - also Japanese design minimalistic homeware and apparel - such as t-shirts with silk kimono fabric appliqué. I became fascinated with Japan when I learned that in ancient times there were Japanese female samurai called Onna Bugeishas - they were brave, fearless and skilled and proved their worth to the world.

How do you find inspiration in your life?

I love technology for its fairly democratic rules.

You can find the brightest, most innovative-thinking people doing startups and working on the next big thing. This is where I find most of my inspiration - by surrounding myself with likeminded people who (as cheesy as it sounds) want to make the world a better place.

What's your favorite quote?

“Sometimes the only way to stay sane is to go a little crazy.”

Susanna Kaysen from Girl, Interrupted.

BY SURROUNDING MYSELF WITH LIKEMINDED PEOPLE WHO (AS CHEESY AS IT SOUNDS) WANT TO MAKE THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE. FINDING INSPIRATION IN LIFE KAMILA HANKIEWICZ

Nicola Huelin, Business Coach & Mentor, Founder of Mpower for Mums in Business & GrowYourCoaching Business.co.uk

NICOLA HUELIN

How did you decide to go into entrepreneurship?

Business has always been a huge passion - from my younger years of being a university student of business, through being the business-geek on holiday with a stack of business books by her sunbed (before the days of Kindle and smartphones), through to quitting a successful career in business consultancy to become my own boss.

I’ve also always had a very deep and natural desire to help others, so I guess evolving into business coaching and mentoring to help others succeed in business was a very natural extension evolution of my life’s work.

To what do you attribute your success?

I would not be who I am, or where I am, today without the love and support of my family.

Did you always know that entrepreneurship was what you wanted to do?

If you’d asked me at the start of my corporate career, I would honestly say, I couldn’t have even begun to imagine the coaching business and lifestyle I am blessed to have today.

What did you learn from your biggest failure?

My failures have taught me that there is no such thing as failure, and that F.A.I.L stands for 'Free And Inspired Learning'.

Tell us about you and your business. .

Nicola Huelin is a multi award-winning business coach & mentor, TEDx Women speaker and author of The Invisible Revolution - on a mission to empower one million mums in business through her work as founder of Mpower for mums in businesswww.mpower.global

NICOLA HUELIN Have you ever been in a situation where you have felt discouraged to pursue your dreams as a woman?

How did you handle it?

The day I told my boss I’d been offered a job in a business consultancy. I was 27 years old, and his parting 'advice' was “Be careful not to rise too quickly” he said, “the higher you rise, the further you have to fall, and the harder you will hit the ground”. A powerful first lesson that other people's comments are often a projection of their own fears and limiting beliefs.

What advice would you give to a woman considering a career in your industry or what you wish to know before started your career/business?

Believe in yourself. Self-belief is the seed of all possibilities.

What's your favorite quote?

If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go with others.

(African Proverb).

In your opinion, what could the workplace/business environment do to be more inclusive for women?

I think the one key change that all workplaces and business environments need to make, is to offer more flexible working opportunities. I believe future generations will become more and more discerning about where and how they choose to work regardless of gender, and regardless of family status.

Flexible working will become key to the workplaces and businesses that thrive long term.

In your opinion, what is the biggest obstacle to women succeeding in the workplace/business?

Different people will always face different types of obstacles and challenges – I believe the key to success in the face of obstacles, is having the courage to keep going and find a way to overcome them.

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How do you find inspiration in your life?

My most inspired thoughts, ideas and visions come to me when I am walking in nature, driving through beautiful countryside, riding my horse or meditating. We can find motivation in the words and actions of others, but inspiration comes from within, and it’s only when we’re doing those things that quieten our mind that we can begin to hear its whispers.

IF YOU WANT TO GO FAST, GO ALONE. IF YOU WANT TO GO FAR, GO WITH OTHERS. (African Proverb)

Favourite Quote Nicola Huelin

Rachel Keane Co-Founder of Women in Data UK.

RACHEL KEANE

It is no secret that many women in tech have felt their gender affected the way that they are perceived/treated.

Have you ever been in a situation like that?

How did you handle it?

I believe every woman has incurred gender conflict in the work place, regardless of industry sector. My advice is to report any situation that has made you uncomfortable to your Manager, or HR representative who will be able to advise you further. If the problem is not dealt with in a professional and serious manner, then the behaviour will never change.

How did you decide to go into Recruitment?

I was incredibly lucky to be approached by Datatech Analytics in 2009 to work alongside such a talented team.

I instantly fell in love with the variety of data disciplines and how they could affect change in any sector, thus opening up the potential to create an exciting and creative client base to offer candidates truly wonderful career opportunities.

Tell us about you and your business/career.

My career has been very sales orientated since graduation, with a large chunk of it dedicated to recruitment.

I have worked across many industry sectors, with the last 10 years focussed in the data and analytics space.

RACHEL KEANE What advice would you give to a woman considering a career in tech or what do you wish you knew before you started your career business?

I think the advice I would give to any woman starting her career in any discipline is to believe in yourself. Understand that you have and will have a lot to learn. Cherish every opportunity to do so, and to embrace knowledge and advice from every possible angle, but more Importantly embrace your mistakes, the best learning tool of all time!

What do you think we should be doing more of to encourage more girls to consider a career in tech?

Start early! Early education is a huge influencer in our children's life. Reading is a mandatory subject as homework when they start school, but maths and science is not introduced as a serious subject to much later in their development! Why? Maths and Science can be as experimental, rewarding and fun and teaches and tells different stories. Fun = confidence = exploration in tech in later life!

In your opinion, how could the tech industry be more inclusive for women?

Start listening! It is fact that blended teams and skill sets make for commercial success. The data and tech sector is evolving and a rapid rate and requires more than strong statistical and technical skills and experience to achieve. It needs a true mix of skills both technical and commercial and welcoming diverse and inclusive teams into business will achieve this.

Celebrate the need for this mix and start enjoying the benefits!

In your opinion, what is the biggest obstacle to women succeeding in the workplace/business? Â Confidence! It is fact that women are prone to suffer Imposter Syndrome on a far higher scale than men. We need to be encouraging more diversity and inclusion within teams, allowing everyone to have a voice, an opinion and opportunity.

When you work in a blended team, you are able, to not only differentiate skills, but appreciate how beneficial they are to reach the end goal.

When people understand how important their input is, confidence grows.

How do you find inspiration in your life?

That’s easy!

The people I surround myself with!

They encourage me to shine and to follow my dreams.

Their love and support gives me the energy and courage to believe in myself and to carry on achieving.

To what do you attribute your success?

Same as above!

Fun fact about you?

I used to sing in a Funk band!

What's your favorite quote?

All that glistens isn’t gold!

ALL THAT GLISTENS ISN’T GOLD! Favourite Quote Rachel Keane

Rachel Stuve, Senior Analytics Manager.

RACHEL STUVE

Tell us about you and your career.

I love analytics!

I've built my career out of de-mystifying data for people so they can truly leverage data to make better decisions. I do this through my corporate employment, mentoring, speaking, and activity in the analytics industry.

How did you decide to go into Data and Analytics?

I've always loved problem solving and building things.

I was very STEM oriented throughout school, so data was a great career fit. At the time I was entering college, data analytics was a new space that I found very exciting, and the rest is history!

It’s no secret that many women in tech have felt their gender affected the way that they are perceived/treated. Have you ever been in a situation like that? How did you handle it?

Absolutely! The best way to handle these situations that I've found is to keep selfconfidence, make sure to eliminate emotion (especially anger), and step up to make sure that my voice is heard.

Pick the battles worth fighting, but when you do fight, make sure to be bold :)

RACHEL STUVE What advice would you give to a woman considering a career in tech or what do you wish you knew before you started your career business?

It's a difficult field that is always changing. It can be very challenging to keep up with technology and skills. Make sure to continue learning outside of one's specific job to remain relevant in a very volatile industry.

What do you think we should be doing more of to encourage more girls to consider a career in tech?

We need to do a better job and showing girls the breadth of the tech industry so they can understand that IT is a diverse industry that reaches past pure tech organizations and coding.

Tech touches almost every industry, so it can be a great fit for a variety of interests and talents outside of "pure coding."

In your opinion, how could the tech industry be more inclusive for women?

The tech industry needs to realize the issues first -- admitting there is a problem is the first step. From there, we need to put more formal mentoring programs in place to encourage and groom female leaders with the skills and confidence to lead and remain included.

In your opinion, what is the biggest obstacle to women succeeding in the workplace/business?

Fun fact about you?

Women are not given the same opportunities as men, especially when it comes to mentoring and professional relationships. This is a huge obstacle when new opportunities arise, that these women are often overlooked because of the lack of relationships and mentoring with senior sponsors and management.

I have a Lionel Richie sweatshirt that I bought for an Ugly Holiday Sweater party that I actually routinely wear now.

It's one of my favorite tops and I get TONS of complements on it (and I secretly hope one day that Lionel Richie finds out and offers to meet me!).

How do you find inspiration in your life?

There are many things that bring me inspiration. The biggest inspiration, though, is the power and identity that can be found through others' stories. There is a definite inspirational aspect to each person's stories, struggles, and triumphs that motivates me to put things in perspective and charge forward bravely!

To what do you attribute your success?

There are many facets to my success: from the support I've received from my network, to continuous learning, to communication skills, to plain oldfashioned grit. Never underestimate the power of a woman!

What's your favorite quote?

If it doesn't challenge you, it doesn't change you (Fred DeVito).

IF IT DOESN'T CHALLENGE YOU, IT DOESN'T CHANGE YOU. FAVOURITE QUOTE RACHEL STUVE

Roisin McCarthy, Datatech Analytics Director and Co-Founder of Women in Data UK.

ROISIN

MCCARTHY Tell us about you and your business/career.

Starting my career as a junior recruiter in 2000, focusing exclusively on data and analytics, I forged my career by building relationships between people who want to develop their careers and those who need the rare skills that these people can provide. In 2014, I Co-Founded of Women in Data UK.

How did you decide to go into Recruitment?

I chose recruitment first.

But, very quickly, I established a passion for the subject matter of data.

Its diverse application, innovation, tangible business impact and the breadth of individual skills sets makes data a unique and everchanging landscape that is simply invigorating.

Did you always know that Recruitment was what you wanted to do?

No, like most people I did not seek this career path, however as soon as I recognised my aptitude for recruitment and passion for people in Data, I made sure to keep learning, growing my knowledge base and not stop questioning.

ROISINMCCARTHY Have you ever been in a situation where you have felt discouraged to pursue your dreams as a woman? How did you handle it?

What did you learn from your biggest failure?

In 2014, I was made a public joke of at a Data event. I was asked in a public domain, "what WiD had achieved?" with our 1st conference. Before I was given the opportunity to respond, a senior male leader from business, suggested I had given women the opportunity to discuss nail varnish & the latest fashion trends. WID has grown from 125 to 20K in 2018.

In your opinion, what could the workplace/business environment do to be more inclusive for women?

What advice would you give to a woman considering a career in your industry or what do you wish you knew before you started your career business?

Its a well paid, international, exciting industry. Data is the epicentre of UK business and women have a key part to play in driving the UK economy through Data and Analytics.

Dispel critics, those who do not support you in your dreams, should not be on your journey!

Every business is different, however, simply encouraging women to develop, showcasing role models, ensuring women have the right infrastructure should be textbook. Ultimately business needs to look at culture and ensure that Men and Women and driving effective change together!

In your opinion, what is the biggest obstacle to women succeeding in the workplace/business?

Lack of visible role models, to quote Edwina Dunn "You can't be what you can't see".

How do you find inspiration in your life?

Wow, tough question! I surround myself with people who have the same energy and aspirations as me. That gives me daily inspiration and motivation at the toughest of times.

To what do you attribute your success?

A constant need to connect people, I am driven by opening doors and I have never lost this passion.

What's your favorite quote?

"God laughs at those who plan."

Totally relevant in my personal life, totally irrelevant in my professional life.

Planning, goal objectives and strategy has contributed to our success.

LACK OF VISIBLE ROLE MODELS, TO QUOTE EDWINA DUNN "YOU CAN'T BE WHAT YOU CAN'T SEE" BIGGEST OBSTACLE TO WOMEN SUCCEED ROISIN MACCARTHY

Sarah Norford-Jones, YEO Private Messaging, Co-Founder & CMO.

SARAH

NORFORD-JONES Tell us about you and your business/career.

Sarah is an experienced business leader, known to solve problems and help launch businesses. Sarah’s current focus is YEO an ultra secure private messaging platform and the world’s first private messaging app to use facial recognition to ensure messages and content sent is viewed by the intended recipient.

How did you decide to go into Tech?

I have always been interested in tech. My father moved our family to Silicon Valley when I was 9 for his business, so I literally grew up surrounded by it.

What really excites me is using tech to solve problems and then communicating that using beautiful design.

With my design background I sit on the fence between tech and design - I believe when you achieve success in both areas that is where the magic happens.

It’s no secret that many women in tech have felt their gender affected the way that they are perceived/treated. Have you ever been in a situation like that? How did you handle it?

I have met with a VC firm recently, in which the gentlemen we met with directed every question at my male co-founder instead of both of us. In that situation, it is better to be poised and assertive with your responses - they will soon understand. Luckily, I have a great team (I am the only woman) who treat me with respect and equality.

Confidence is key!

SARAH NORFORDWhat advice would you give to a woman considering a career in tech or what do you wish you knew before you started your career business?

Tech is super fast paced everyday there is something new - an app, new tools, or gadgets! You have to love moving quickly and intensively to work in tech. Be proactive this is something I am really big on now... always be on the lookout for new opportunities on how to improve your knowledge, your product, and your company.

What do you think we should be doing more of to encourage more girls to consider a career in tech?

Break down the boring stereotype! Let's make tech cool! The stereotype of 'working in tech' has a bad reputation.. I encourage more women in tech to speak up and show that it is a really cool and exciting industry to work in.

In your opinion, what is the biggest obstacle to women succeeding in the workplace/business?

Their own perception.

In your opinion, how could the tech industry be more inclusive for women?

The more women we get in tech the more inclusive tech will be. Women need to support women whether its through groups, empowering students, or mentoring programs.

Having an all inclusive diverse environment in the tech industry leads to more innovative products, and a more well-rounded company and ethos.

How do you find inspiration in your life?

I find inspiration in a lot of things.

My surroundings impact me. I try and work in different places rather than in the same room at the same desk.

Working out - not only for my health but I find occupying my body with a physical task can help to stimulate my mind.

I also find that listening to music can be motivating and helps me to feel inspired.

JONES To what do you attribute your success?

I was very lucky to have a great education and parents that pushed me to do better.

They encouraged me to find out what I was passionate about and make a career out of it.

Other than that.. it comes down to working hard, staying focused and never giving up.

Fun fact about you?

I binge read books - I go through a couple of books a week.

Oh - and I have a french bulldog called Bruce.

What's your favorite quote?

Go as far as you can see; when you get there, you’ll be able to see a little further. Â

GO AS FAR AS YOU CAN SEE; WHEN YOU GET THERE, YOU’LL BE ABLE TO SEE A LITTLE FURTHER.

FAVOURITE QUOTE

SARAH NORFORD-JONES

Sayuri Nishimoto, Digital Consultant @ LinkedIn, Co-organizer @ Tokyo Digital Marketers Meetup.

SAYURI

NISHIMOTO Tell us about you and your career.

I am a digital marketing consultant at LinkedIn which  I help agencies and clients to succeed in their marketing campaigns.

I also run a Tokyo Digital Marketers meetup in Tokyo as a co-organizer.

The meetup is for Japanese/English bilingual marketers in Tokyo to connect with other marketers and learn new marketing technique.

How did you decide to go into Digital Marketing?

Since I was young, my favorite activity was to build websites where I share my hobby and to use search engines to explore new exciting sites. I was curious about how the world works on the internet. It was very natural for me to get into this business as my passion has never been changed. I also wanted to do something with helping small business companies to go abroad and be successful. I believe that digital marketing is one of the most critical factors to get recognized in the global market.

Did you always know that Digital Marketing was what you wanted to do?

No. I didn't know. However, I knew I wanted to use my bilingual skill and passion for IT as my career since I was young; it took me a while to truly understand what to do with it. Working for different industries helped me to expand my horizon as well as discovering my passion, which is giving back something to my home country Japan using my skillset. I noticed that the maturity level of digital marketing in Japan was quite low, yet many Japanese companies ignored to start using digital marketing, so I decided to pursue this career path.

SAYURINISHIMOTO Have you ever been in a situation where you have felt discouraged to pursue your dreams as a woman? How did you handle it?

My parents always told me to go out of my comfort zone and achieve my goal regardless of what other people say. Â Of course, I still have my weakness and regrets, but I learned to face the weaknesses and transform them into strengths or eliminate them completely, so it was easier for me to ignore the noise.

What advice would you give to a woman considering a career in your industry or what do you wish you knew before you started your career business?

Currently, the market demand for digital marketers are quite high, so if you have a passion, it's never too late to start! If you are not sure about where to start, you can build a personal brand by creating a LinkedIn profile. It will help you to make professional relationships and job hunting, in addition to raising your presence, getting referrals and recommendations for your work.

What did you learn from your biggest failure?

I believe that no matter how careful you take each step, the mistakes are sometimes unavoidable. So I try to embracing failure in order to create growth opportunities.

How do I embrace them?

I listen to my favorite music and dance them off with my friends!

In your opinion, what could the workplace/business environment do to be more inclusive for women?

In Japan, we hardly talk about a professional woman on media. If we talk about them more, people and media will start to pay more attention and eventually it will lead up to improve the infrastructure for a workplace. It is also important to build a community for a woman where female professionals meet and communicate and exchange information.

How do you find inspiration in your life?

I get inspiration from my friends, colleagues, movie characters, arts, and...pretty much from most of the things I see and hear every day, and I try to carry over that same inspiration to my life. Â What's your favorite quote?

Never lose your childish innocence.

It is the most important thing.

Frances Mayes.

NEVER LOSE YOUR CHILDISH INNOCENCE. IT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING. FRANCES MAYES FAVOURITE QUOTE SAYURI NISHIMOTO

Sukvinder Kathuria, Founder and Director of TechGirls.

SUKVINDER

KATHURIA

Tell us about you and your career.

After completing my degree in computer communication and networks, I set out to work in the Tech Industry.

My first role was working on a helpdesk. I then went on to progress into various technical roles. I founded TechGirls to make a real impact on developing a diverse workforce. TechGirls delivers interactive and fun workshops within schools.

How did you decide to go into Tech?

I am one of three siblings. I was a happy but overweight child and the one who always achieved average grades at school. My parents resided themselves to this, the fact that I was happy and made others happy was good enough for them. I didn’t really have a clear career path or have elaborate aspirations like my friends. I fell in to doing Computer Communications and Networks at University and absolutely loved it! Much to the surprise of my family and friends I qualified with a first class honours degree. That was my first step into the Tech industry and I have never looked back.

Did you always know that Computer Comms was what you wanted to do?

Whilst studying at school I was not clear on which pathway I wanted to take.

I fell into Tech industry by chance. I thought it was a lucky omen that without any experience I landed myself a job on a helpdesk and that was the start of the journey.

What's your favorite quote?

“You've always had the power my dear, you just had to learn it for yourself” The Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum.

SUKVINDER KATHURIA Have you ever been in a situation where you have felt discouraged to pursue your dreams as a woman?

How did you handle it?

During my career I have felt that being a woman in the Tech industry has definitely been a disadvantage. Whilst I was pregnant with my first child I was working as a desktop support analyst for a top five law firm. After announcing my pregnancy things started to change, I felt as though I was no longer being supported in the workplace. However, perseverance and strength helped me get through.

What advice would you give to a woman considering a career in your industry or what do you wish you knew before you started your career business?

I would advise a female going into the Tech industry to be focused and strong. Ensure that every opportunity is taken. You don't have to prove yourself - as females we always feel like we have to prove our worth. This is not the case and I feel it is important to just focus on the job.

What did you learn from your biggest failure?

I learnt that I am stronger and more resilient than I think I am.

Thinking outside of the box and being courageous is a real asset.

In your opinion, how could the workplace/business environment do to be more inclusive for women?

Currently, the Tech industry is developing and growing so fast, it is essential that the industry is diverse and cultured. The solution is to start with schools to displace social stereo-types that Tech is just for boys. By doing this, the industry will become inclusive to not only women, but also to those who have additional needs.

In your opinion, what is the biggest obstacle to women succeeding in the workplace/business?

There are multiple obstacles for women in the workplace.

One of the main obstacles in my opinion is maternity. The return to work process is not always easy, Coming back to work can cause considerable anxiety. This can be resolved by using technology and ensuring women who have given birth are still integrated into their teams.

How do you find inspiration in your life?

The students who I deliver TechGirls workshops to inspire me.

The students have so much potential and listening to their ideas about technology and its uses really motivates me to continue to grow and develop TechGirls. Â To what do you attribute your success?

My parents are from East Africa. My dad came to England at the age of 16 to gain a good education. He qualified as a pharmacist and runs a successful business.My mum was the homemaker.

When my dad came home from work she would go to college. She has completed many courses ranging from beauty to book-keeping.

Having grown up in this environment, I learnt the skills of working hard and persistence.

BE FOCUSED AND STRONG. ENSURE THAT EVERY OPPORTUNITY IS TAKEN. ADVICE TO A WOMAN CONSIDERING A CAREER IN TECH SUKVINDER KATHURIA

exclusive Hira Ali- Author, International Leadership Trainer & Executive Career Coach

HIRAÂ

ALI

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW ABOUT HER BOOK "HER WAY TO THE TOP" Tell us about Her Way to the Top. Her Way To The top examines the myriad of challenges women face on their road to professional success. Informed by my 13 years of coaching experience and survey responses from 300 working women, I reveal the universal internal and external roadblocks that can impede a woman's climb to the top, regardless of her culture or geography. This go-to guide for working women explores FOMO (the Fear of Missing Out), Imposter Syndrome, perfectionism and sexual harassment, among other issues. The book moves beyond problems and empowers readers with real solutions to help them break the glass ceiling.

Written for the benefit of career women around the world, Her Way to the Top demonstrates that women are all in this together, and together they can make a difference for each other.

Tell us a little bit about your idea to create this book.

After training women for 13 years in various regions of the world, I began to notice a trend among the internal obstacles women face in their career path. It is assumed that where you live has a large impact upon your behavioural patterns, or that challenges are specific to your background or the country in which you live - however many of the issues faced by women defy country boundaries and are universal. This was reinforced by the survey conducted on 300 businesswomen internationally. And that’s where it all began-the idea to create a book which highlights these universal challenges.

What makes this particular topic you are involved in so interesting?

We are often unaware of the issues and challenges faced by women in different parts of the world other than where we are living. Her Way to the Top addresses this issue by exploring universal challenges faced by women in not just US, UK and Europe but Asia including the Middle east and Africa too! What makes the book interesting in the words of Valerie Young is the international perspective it brings.

We heard a lot about the challenges women have in different industries. Have you ever experienced negativity or bias? If yes, what would be your advise to deal with that?

I have dedicated a whole chapter to this in my book!

There will always be challenges to address where you are in minority. Bias and negativity are everywhere so my advice would be to change the way you look at these things. Some of this negativity can change as people get to know you bettercommunication and creating awareness about your concerns can be an effective way to dissolve barriers and misunderstandings. But know that despite your best efforts, there will always be some people who will never open up as they operate with what is called a tunnel vision. And that's okay!

Focus on those that do-find reasons to be positive and grateful and feed your mind with positive thoughts only.

Hira Ali is a Leadership Trainer, Motivational Speaker, Writer, Executive Career Coach & Licensed NLP Practitioner.

She is the founder of Advancing Your Potential and Revitalize & Rise.

Over the past decade she has had the privilege of training & coaching hundreds of people belonging to various professions, cadres, ethnicities and across a wide range of industries with a 98% above average rating review and diverse audiences.

You have mentioned FOMO is the major primary challenge holding them back. Can you give a litte bit more for our readers? (explain how you get there and what are the others challenges).

FOMO was the number one challenge reported by women across all regions, especially working mothers who feared missing out on the responsibilities of their different roles, be it wife, mum, working/businesswoman, daughter or friend.

Not surprisingly, the most notable FOMO role is that of mother. But it’s important to know FOMO exists in non-mums too. Moreover, women experience different types of FOMO details of which have been highlighted in my book.

What is yours?

It's funny that when I was writing the book, I experienced and identified with nearly all the challenges highlighted in it including FOMO, Impostor Syndrome, Perfectionism, stress and time poverty. The greatest one for me would FOMO which in turn leads to other related challenges.

Click here

ARTICLES

I ADMIT… I’VE BEEN USING! I admit…I’ve been using!

Five years of nonstop hustle, 24/7 connected, managing groups, mails, infos, developing, creating, producing, delivering, consuming on all possible ways and on all possible platforms, devices, channels. I didn’t even know how my hand palms looked anymore without my phone. Took me like 2 months to recover and I’'m still analyzing very well how much time I spend online. I even have a timetable now and I try as much as possible to do not touch my phone if I don’'t have to. I am a tech addict. And I've been burning out in front of my laptop, ipad and phone screens.

We all know how it started. As teens or young adults we’ve got on board with the social media platforms and in the beginning our main focus was to get informed and create friendships with others. An utopial worldwideweb where you can find everyone you want to connect to. Well, the digital Eden didn’t last long.

Teenagers nowadays experience on a daily basis not only the infotainment part of the internet but also the dark side, often confronting cyberbullying, trolls, toxic comparisons. And this is only the top of the iceberg.

Studies say that while we grow older we all start to suffer from depression, sleep deprivation and less frequent face-to-face interactions because of the massive use of digital.

It’s not a secret that the digital world is shaping us from outside and transforming us on the inside

It’s not a secret that the gen z’s real social skills, abilities and lifestyle are more and more affected by tech.

Universities started to study the phenomenon from the beginning of the 2000’s. For example, University of Pittsburgh discovered how affected teens are regarding their body image based the time spent scrolling through social media apps. Those who had spent more time on social media had 2.2 times the risk of reporting eating and body image concerns, compared to their peers who spent less time on social media.

THE PARADOX: One issue creates the next digital trend

Now, even if it’s a fact that we are all sick of digital consumption and the way it’s thansforming us, newest online trend it’s all about the mental health. It’s true, it started from micro – influencers like Lrissa May and her #halfthestory last year, but the issue is and will be on everyone’s attention and agenda in 2019. From Gaga’s Grammy Awards speech to Prathiksha Bhat’s illustrations, it’s all over the www and it’s definetely the next fav subject. And this is how actually trends are taking birth online.

While organizations like OC87 Recovery Diaries have their clear mission to bust stigma around mental illness through their instagram account @letstalkaboutmentalhealth, some trendsetters need real therapy while others are making a business out of it.

At the end of the day we all benefit from digital and we all get harmed from it. But do we know, are we prepared or have we learned when to stop? Even for 5 minutes? Close your laptop now. See you again soon… online.

Oana Tache A trendsetter, a digital media prodigy, a visionary that managed to combine the traditional media experience with the digital era challenges. After working in print, radio and TV since she was 5 years old, after being the Brand Manager for MTV Romania for more than 6 years and a Digital Development Manager for top brands and events, Oana becamed the owner of www.medialike.ro – a 100% digital content production agency. She has created, developed, managed and implemented projects for premium clientsfor more than 10 years and now she is joining forces with Digital Business Women to take up the Digital Marketing Manager role.

Instagram @oanatache www.oanatache.ro

OANA TACHE

WOMEN IN TECH UNIQUE LITERACY: IS IT POSSIBLE AND RELEVANT THAT WE HAVE OUR OWN? Hello, empowered and amazing readers!

First of all, I would like to thank so many wonderful comments in my LinkedIn profile and sent by email about my last Digital Business Women article. What a great start in this e-magazine sharing ideas with you, people who are rocking projects which are changing the world. In this issue I would like to invite you thinking about something that has become one of the greatest concerns in my PhD research. We are living a fast and revolutionary gender equality change in technology. After participating in so many women in tech events (online and in person) and having interviewed international references, among other methods of investigation, I came to a question that I consider fundamental to all of us: Will women in technology ever develop unique female ways of working, researching and thinking about IT from a literacy that is perhaps being formed in this revolution?

I´ll make things clear. To start this discussion, I need to put this subject in historical, sociological, technological and business perspectives. Technology was always produced and consumed by men. There were very few female developers. STEAM careers and Academia were a very distant dream for young women, not options.

Computing software and tech devices became close to women since the World Wide Web release, between the end of 90´s and the beginning of this century. Manuel Castells, University of Southern California professor, pointed out how minorities - especially feminist groups and women in general - benefited from the Web to access technological artefacts which provided access to the experience of technology in personal and professional routine. In The Information Age: Economy, Society, and Culture trilogy, the researcher contextualizes how the emergence of digital platforms, virtual connections between people and the flow of information increase around the world allowed individual immersion for topics of interest.

What came next was an immense awareness among women about new personal, academical and professional opportunities in STEAM careers. This magazine can be considered one of its results. Technology also became a domain where women not only had developed skills but also form new gender and identity relations. It means women started a social, political, economical, sexual empowerment from and through this biggest patriarch field. Here we are talking about our IT achievements, sharing business cases and experiences. Aren’t we doing it in a masculine way and perspective, reproducing old models which are living inside ourselves? Are we prepared to teach next women generations how to perform in technology from a female business and scientific canon and perspectives?

Developing female IT business models, coding, teaching and lead teams might seem awkward but Science has been proving that we have different and special skills. The results of a GitHub study were published in The Guardian two years ago: “Women considered better coders – but only if they hide their gender” 1 . “The researchers examined several different factors, such as whether women were making smaller changes to code (they were not) or whether women were outperforming men in only certain kinds of code (they were not). ´Women’s acceptance rates dominate over men’s for every programming language in the top 10, to various degrees, the researchers found”.

Literacy happens after achieving technical and procedural masteries dealing with electronic devices and computing programmes. It occurs when we interiorize specific IT skills and become able not only to deal with them but also to share and teach them to other people. Is it possible to work, teach and study technology in a specific female cognitive path and literacy? How long will we take to have our own voice, manners, procedures being women in tech? As I said before we are living in the middle of a revolutionary transition.

Now we are occupying and owing tech companies and academic researches. I leave you a suggestion: start paying attention in your daily relation to technology in personal and professional perspectives. See what you needed to learn with woman and man and what you discovered by yourself. Make a list of it and be disruptive: develop your tech model and discuss it with other women. I think it might be a really good start having you in this conversation. Send me your ideas, perhaps they can turn to be a continuation article about women in tech literacy. I´m really looking forward to hearing from you.

About me: I’m a PhD candidate in Doctoral Information and Communication in Digital Platforms Universidade de Aveiro and Universidade do Porto programme. I´m also a Portuguese and Brazilian entrepreneur who have been working, researching, developing and teaching Communication, Transmedia, Digital Marketing and Technology in the last 16 years in Brazil, USA and Europe. I've been working with NGO institutions as a volunteer and consultant since 2004, such as Girls in Tech.

My PhD thesis is a new, disruptive and unprecedented research: building a organizational, communicational and transmedia of empowering and entrepreneurism model to help women in tech become more representative with equal social and economic rights.

Contact me: https://www.linkedin.com/in/renatafrade/ frade.renata@gmail.com @renatafrade

RENATA FRADE

The LinkedIn in High Heels Manifesto came out in 2017.

The first manifesto came outlines a list of affirmations that women can take to effectively, proactively, and positively lead online.

The manifesto includes 10 rules for women to abide by: We have Powerful Stories to tell! We use our stories to empower people and lift others up.

We Inspire Positive Change! We lead change with conviction and confidence and improve our online community for all.

We collaborate and work to build strong People Pods! We ensure engagement, tap into the collective intelligence, and believe in the power of collaborative efforts.

We believe in our Superpowers! We are humble, strong, curious, determined, caring, ambitious, and pay things forward.

We don’t focus on taking but rather focus on giving! We act as mentors and role models in all we say and do.

We have a strong Vision and Mission! We don’t focus on creating followers, we focus on creating more leaders.

We are Strategic, Present, Genuine, and Personal! We are strategic yet check in with a genuine hello.

We recognize and believe strongly in Diversity, Inclusion, and Space! We create an atmosphere in which all women feel valued, respected and have the same opportunities as others.

We separate ourselves from Negative Energy! We don1t believe in the excuses our minds come up with. We find the good side of any problem and set ourselves up for success.

We are Kind! We share, like, comment, endorse, introduce, recommend, thank, collaborate, and connect regularly.

And now the second LinkedIn in High Heels Manifesto is “hot” off the press. This time around, I am thrilled to have some tips from some strong, bold, and powerful women from my LinkedIn People Pod who always rise up and LEAD ONLINE: Donna Hunter, Maureen Wixon, Michelle Pena, Candyce Costa, Anna Sabino, Omozua Ameze Isiramen, Sharon Gill, Tracey Maxfield, Sarah Elkins, Ashley Horner, Mirella Scalise, Louise H. Ried, Judi Fox, Toni Abraira, and Caroline Fernandes.

Shelly Elsliger President, Linked-Express and LinkedIn in High Heels

A MALE PERSPECTIVE ON WOMEN IN TECHNOLOGY We delve into the reasons why it is crucial that men are included in the push for gender parity in the tech sector, featuring insights from Executive Agile Coach Paul Klipp, an attendee at last year's European Women in Technology.

“Gender equality is in the interest of countries, of companies, and of men, and their children and their partners,” stated sociologist Michael Kimmel during his TEDWomen 2015 talk. It is not “a zero-sum game.

It is not a win-lose. It is a win-win for everyone. And what we also know is we cannot fully empower women and girls unless we engage boys and men.” The ‘zero-sum’ mentality is just one reason why many men do not concern themselves with gender diversity issues. It derives from a fear that diversity and inclusion in the workplace will lead to them being displaced.

Kimmel's words echo a growing feeling in the technology sector, where men occupy 76% of computer science jobs and, according to Mercer’s most recent findings, are paid 25% more than women in high-tech companies.

Statistics from Women Who Tech reveal that 82% of men in the field believe that their company spends too much time focused on diversity, whereas 40% of women think their employer does not spend enough time addressing the issue. The notion that gender diversity will negatively affect men is a myth. To alter this ‘zerosum’ attitude, men need to be invited into the gender diversity conversation. By doing this, they will be made aware of the personal and professional benefits of gender equality.

Whilst some men are opposed to gender diversity, many more are indifferent to the cause. Dispelling this apathy will lead to tangible industry change – only once those in power choose to speak for those who can’t, will the tech sector improve its gender parity figures. To initiate this, indifferent male tech workers need to recognise that they should be taking part in the dialogue. If you are a man reading this, then you are taking the first step. Bill Proudman, CEO of White Men as Full Diversity Partners, uses the analogy of men in the workplace being like fish in a fishbowl to explain this. “The hard work for men is noticing and acknowledging that we have a distinct culture that is often the dominant one in most organisations and that that culture impacts everyone’s behaviour. Like fish who never have to leave the fishbowl, we don't see our own culture.

We are surrounded by it, especially at work,” he says.

This goes further than the tech industry. Only 41% of men surveyed by the Gloria Cordes Larson Center for Women and Business (CWB) at Bentley University in 2017 said they had publicly advocated for a woman, with 21% admitting they had never advocated or acted as an ally. Men leaving the fishbowl, i.e. involving themselves

with groups that do not (on the surface) represent their own interests, is so important. Once they are involved and realise the influence that their support can have in promoting the role of women in technology, substantial change will occur.

With the United Nation’s HeForShe campaign creating a global impact, as well as distinguished public figures, like former US president Barack Obama, declaring their support for feminism, the time is now to act as a gender diversity ally in the corporate arena. There is more than just a moral imperative involved in the desire for equality. There are multiple, even quantifiable, reasons why women and men should be on a level playing field. What are the benefits of diversity in the workplace?

Gender equality is smart economics

Women have a significant impact on the success of a tech company. Research shows that female-led technology businesses achieve, on average, a 35% higher return on investment than those run by men.

Despite receiving 50% less venture capital funding, findings reveal that women leaders in tech are bringing in 20% more revenue than their male counterparts. It is also worth noting that female minds influence the success of tech patents. A National Center for Women & Information Technology study found that software patents produced by mixed-gender teams were cited 30-40% more than similar patents from allmale groups.

In all industries, gender diverse companiesare 15% more likely to perform above the national industry median.

Furthermore, a 2011 diversity report by Catalyst found that companies with the most female board directors outperformed those with the least on return on sales by 16% and return on invested capital by 26%.

Women also influence global growth. Raising female employment levels would increase GDP significantly – a report from McKinsey Global Institute estimates $12 trillion by 2025. Increasing the labour force participation of women accounts for 54% of potential incremental GDP and shifting women into higher-productivity sectors, like technology, would add a further 23%.

There are many personal benefits for men and millennials know this

Employees are getting much younger, according to corporate gender strategist Jeffery Tobias Halter. In America, there are “10,000 boomers a day leaving the workforce”. Of the new entries into the labour pool, 85% are women and minorities. Indeed, there is a business case for diversity – millennials are unlikely to want to work for companies that do not represent their values.

Of the millennial men entering the workforce, reports highlight that most are more aligned with women' s concerns about gender bias than previous generations. They are much more likely than their predecessors to be part of a dual-income home where child-rearing responsibilities are shared. Of the men surveyed, it was also found that they are more likely to adapt their behaviour to support female co-workers. indeed, older men are often dismissive of the personal benefits of gender equality. Freedom to share financial responsibilities with a partner, more rewarding relationships with female co-workers, the chance to be more involved in the lives of their children and better health, both psychological and physical, are just a handful of the positives.

Paving the way for successful women in tech is key to keeping the future workforce content.

Tech is designed for men and it's dangerous

More female minds are needed to design technology. There have been several instances where women have not been considered in the conception of a new piece of tech. Considering the fact that women are more likely to buy tech products than men, the industry is missing out on a goldmine. For example, early AI speech recognition software struggled to recognise women's voices as it was programmed by men. Of course, this is something women could do without – it's when technology becomes the difference between life and death that gender bias is an issue.

Initial developments in the field of heart transplants left women behind. Artificial hearts are pieces of technology powered by rechargeable lithium-ion batteries that are three times heavier than an actual human heart. Just 20% of women were compatible with the artificial hearts designed back in 2013, whereas 86% of men qualified for an artificial heart transplant.

When airbags were initially introduced into cars, evidence showed that women and children were injured disproportionately in comparison to men. The reason for this was that all the tests had been carried out on male-sized crash dummies. It took three decades for a "female"; crash dummy to be introduced.

Female voices in the field will, therefore, minimise blind spots, making new tech safer for half of the population. This unique perspective also offers tech industries the chance to cash in on new markets, with women highlighting niches that men may not be aware of.

How can men help to promote women in the tech world?

Attend a Women in Tech conference.

The best way for men to help promote powerful women in technology is to show solidarity – attending a Women in Technology World Series conference demonstrates this. These events are an opportunity for male allies to learn about the topics affecting women in their sector in addition to acknowledging their own privilege and unconscious biases. Hearing personal stories is the best way to digest information and build empathy. After attending, men are more likely to become champions of women in their sector.

The Women in Technology World Series also offers extensive opportunities for networking and the chance for male tech workers to find a mentee. Female mentorship in the workplace is more important than ever in the wake of the #MeToo movement. Senior men are becoming increasingly resistant to the idea of mentoring women, which is cutting off opportunities for young female professionals. Without the support of senior men, women are going to struggle to climb the corporate ladder – they need someone fighting their corner.

Mentorship works both ways, it is as beneficial to the mentee as it is the mentor.

Furthermore, traditional networks yield traditional hires and the Women in Technology World Series is an excellent opportunity for recruiters to tap into the business opportunities female tech workers offer.

BY GEORGINA VARLEY

We’re excited to be supporting Women of Silicon Roundabout 2019, Europe’s largest conference for women in tech.

Join us and 6,000+ tech professionals like Google, Groupon, eBay at Women of Silicon Roundabout on 25 and 26 June in London to be empowered, drive greater diversity & inclusion, and create the modern workforce! #WinTechSeries Use our exclusive discount cod e [discount code] & get 15% off tickets for Europe’s largest women in tech conference, Women of Silicon Roundabout 2019 be inspired & supercharge your career! #WinTechSeries

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THE MOST UNDERRATED STRATEGY TO GROW YOUR NETWORK ON LINKEDIN LinkedIn is officially a virtual networking platform where you can easily connect to and reach out to people that you would have problems getting in touch with previously.

In one of my previous posts, I've also covered on how to utilize the "new LinkedIn" to amplify your career and business opportunities.

If you haven’t tapped into the power of virtual networking, read on to learn about the most underrated strategy to grow a valuable professional network on LinkedIn.

Ways to connect on LinkedIn Similar to other platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and Twitter, LinkedIn IS a social media platform.

The difference between LinkedIn and the other networks is — this platform is targeted specifically at professionals.

Working professionals and business owners and students.

In the old days, we typically connect with these three main groups of people Recruiters People we work with — current and ex-colleagues, customers/suppliers People we used to go to school or college with Aside from that, it’s considered random to connect with other unknown professionals on the platform. And people think twice about accepting an invitation from a stranger on LinkedIn. Stranger being - someone they've never met face to face in their entire life and they have no real life mutual connections.

The preferred ways to connect with someone — to do a search by their job role or company name and add them to your network presumably for potential business purposes. Or if you know someone from your previous company, it’s normal to add them on LinkedIn too (maybe after you left ;) ).

Of course, that also included accepting an invite from a recruiter especially if you are an employee looking out for future opportunities.

The LinkedIn Platform Today It’s about conversations. Being social.

Socially acceptable to connect with someone you’ve never spoken to beforehand nor met before.

As a professional virtual networking platform, LinkedIn encourages communication between the members.

Publishing articles and videos becomes the spark for discussions and (polite) disagreements. Or as I like to call it — exchanging ideas! Encouraging learning and growth through content and comments. If you are ready to expand your network yet NOT ready to write a post or article yet, this is what you should do: Start writing long comments!

Instead of lurking in the shadows or tapping only on the like button, share your thoughts. Begin a dialogue!!

Why do longer comments help you to grow your connections? ✔You voice your thoughts and exchange ideas with others.

It creates a conversation. And conversation is the starting point of a connection & leads to a relationship. ★Communication is the foundation of relationships★ When you only tap on the like button or don’t elaborate on why you agree or disagree, people don’t get to know what goes on in your head. They don’t feel connected to you.

It’s not just me. When I posed this question to my LinkedIn network, do you comment actively on LinkedIn? If not, why? What are your thoughts about the commenting strategy? I received over 500 likes and over 200 people responded with their thoughts about meaningful comments on LinkedIn. The Golden Result of Longer Comments

When everyone adds in their perspective and illustrates with a personal experience on a post topic, it becomes a goldmine.

A repository of great ideas on top of the opportunity to network.

Let’s look at this scenario: When you leave a thoughtful comment on A’s post updates or article and catches the attention of A’s connection, Z. When Z (who is not connected to you!) replies to your comment, you get the chance of Z’s connections reading your comments and getting to know you too!

That’s the incredible power of commenting!

As an added bonus, after you’ve written a long comment, you can repurpose it for your own source material as an article, post update or even a video!!

The next time you comment, keep this in mind, each comment is the building block of a relationship

Clarice Lin, LinkedIn Marketing, Content & Social Media Strategist

CLARICE LIN

THE IMPORTANCE OF DATA VISUALISATION FOR YOUR BUSINESS. Visualising your business internal and external online marketing data can provide your business with powerful insights. You can learn about where your market is going, what kind of customers you are attracting and what they are doing on your website and app.

Cost is not an excuse anymore - there are plenty of free or low cost tools out there. I am a big fan of Google Data Studio which has a free beta version. Google has been releasing new features regularly. Microsoft Power BI is also a great and low cost tool and has a community of visualisation template developers. If your company is larger you can also look at enterprise level tools like Tableau or Alteryx.

However, there are a few pitfalls to avoid before you get started and here are my top 5 tips.

Audit your data collection No matter how good your analytics implementation was, with every new product release there is a risk of missing out on critical tags or forgetting to track a certain site section or form.

Companies can avoid that by regularly auditing the data or getting the analytics team more involved in product releases.

Ensure your data is not sampled Before you go ahead and present your shiny new data visualisation to your senior stakeholders make sure you are confident about the numbers. Google Data Studio will not warn you if Google Analytics numbers are sampled so check a few data points against the Google Analytics interface to be on the safe side.

Use custom dimensions in your tracking Custom Dimensions can be used to categorise your data in different ways or to segment your users. When tracked correctly they can significantly enhance the power of the standard analytics tool tracking creating powerful visualisations as a result.

If your data looks too weird look for bugs If your data looks odd and there are spikes from one day to another check with your QA team or engineers if there aren't any technical bugs.

Import other data sources and join tables Importing other sources of data such as the weather or other business critical data depending on your industry will get your company ahead of the curve. Looking for correlations between your business data and market data for example is a very powerful way to understand where you stand as a company.

Happy Visualising!

Helena is a Digital Analytics/CRO Consultant and the Director of Digital Marketing Agency IdeooHub. She knows exactly what is needed to grow the online presence of a business and has spent the last few years helping large corporates transform digitally and influencing at C-suite level. With over fifteen years’ experience in the digital industry, she has a wide reaching knowledge base and a real passion for data. Thriving in fast-paced environments, Helena has developed a solid understanding of all things digital, from SEO and market research to web analysis and UX design. https://www.ideoohub.com

HELENA KLEIST

THE HOUR OF CODE - LISBON Women in Tech is happy to announce the WIT Hour of Code - Build your app in one hour in association with Volkswagen Group Services – Portugal OutSystems Landing.jobs HourofCode.

This event will bring together young girls, women and men who wish to dive into coding and tech industry around Portugal. If you wish to make a change, please join us for the hands on workshop followed by a cocktail networking session.

We will be delighted to welcome you all early in the evening on Thursday 7th March 2019 at: Volkswagen Digital Solutions Rua do Sol ao Rato, 11 1250 – 261 Lisboa Portugal Programme 6:30pm : WELCOME Welcoming speech by AYUMI MOORE AOKI, Founder and CEO Women in Tech 7:00 pm : WELCOME DEBATE 7:30 – 8:30 pm : “Build your App in one hour” Learn to build an app with Sónia Ferreira 8:30 – 9:15 pm: NETWORKING

Register

AYUMI AOKI

CLAUDIA SILVA Portugal Ambassador

BOOK CLUB QUIET GIRLS CAN RUN THE WORLD

by Rebecca Holman

Embrace your inner Beta and get ahead - on your own terms.

What does success look like? 5AM conference calls and late nights in the office? Winning every argument in the office and always getting your own way? What does a successful woman look like? The shoulder-pad wearing Alpha? The dogmatist who rules with an iron fist? The reality is far more nuanced. Yet women are still reduced to Alpha boss, or the Beta secretary or assistant but when 47% of the workforce are reduced to two unhelpful stereotypes, how can you embrace your inner Beta and be a success on your own terms? It's an important question because the world is changing, fast. Successful companies need people who can lead with emotional intelligence, be flexible to new ideas and adapt their plans when required, leaving their ego at the door. The Beta woman's time is now.

Beta celebrates the collaborators, the pragmatists, and the people who believe that being nice works and getting your own way isn't always the most important thing. It explores the unsung workforce of Beta women who are being great bosses, great leaders and are still living their own lives: having relationships, making time for friends, having families. Fully researched and rich with interviews, anecdotes and case studies, Beta will be a smart and entertaining read that really explores the role of women in the workplace today.

THE MULTI-HYPHEN METHOD

by Emma Gannon

The world of work is changing - so how do you keep up?

You have the ability to make money on our own terms, when and where you want - but where do you start?

If you've been itching to convert your craft into a career, or your side-hustle into a start up, then The Multi-Hyphen Method is for you.

In The Multi-Hyphen Method award-winning blogger / social media editor / podcast creator, Emma Gannon, teaches that it doesn't matter if you're a part-time PA with a blog, or a nurse who runs an online store in the evenings - whatever your ratio, whatever your mixture, we can all channel our own entrepreneurial spirit to live more fulfilled and financially healthy lives.The internet and our phones mean we can work wherever, whenever and allows us to design our own working lives. Forget the outdated stigma of being a jack of all trades, because having many strings to your bow is essential to get ahead in the modern working world. We all have the skills necessary to work less and create more, and The Multi-Hyphen Method is the source of inspiration you need to help you navigate your way towards your own definition of success.

GADGETS

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ARTICLES

LIFE OF A SUPERMUM: SAMANTHA’S STORY Mum of 3 Samantha discovered a passion for Salesforce when starting a business with her husband, and went on to join our Supermums Programme to learn more, get back in to the workplace, and help make a difference!

We spoke to Samantha about what attracted her to Supermums and the difference it has made to her life...

What did you do before the course?

Prior to starting a family, I had a successful career in the beauty industry, but knew this was not a viable option once I became a mother to my 3 gorgeous children. After 9 years, my husband and I started a Salesforce consultancy, where the passion really began! Initially doing behind the scenes admin work or managing the financials but then evolving more into Salesforce and that’s when the passion began!

Why did you choose to retrain in Salesforce?

Having used Salesforce for 4 years and my knowledge growing rapidly, I realised this was a perfect step to get me back out into the work place, whilst allowing me to still maintain the flexibility I wanted as a mum.

What attracted you to the Salesforce Supermums course?

Both the project work and support on offer were a very big attraction for me, having not really been out in ‘the work place’ for 13 years and not had job interview in 16, my confidence needed a boost! I liked the flexibility the course had to offer. And the friendships formed with the rest of my cohort was just a bonus (and huge support).

What difference did the work experience and mentoring make to your learning?

Prior to starting a family, I had a successful career in the beauty industry, but knew this was not a viable option once I became a mother to my 3 gorgeous children. After 9 years, my husband and I started a Salesforce consultancy, where the passion really began! Initially doing behind the scenes admin work or managing the financials but then evolving more into Salesforce and that’s when the passion began!

What are you doing now? What does a typical week of work look like?

Since March I have been based at one of Economic Change’s clients, Power to Change as their Salesforce Consultant.

I work 2-3 days a week some of which can be from home.

I have the flexibility that still allows me to be the parent I always wanted to be whilst enjoying the balance of working life.

What guidance would you now give others who are considering a career in Salesforce?

Don’t think you “can't do it” – I am living proof that you can do anything you put your mind to! Yes, it’s hard work, and challenging at times, but definitely worth the effort!

Would you recommend this programme to others if yes, why?

100% yes! The programme is great, and the ongoing support you receive once the course has ended is equally as good (and very rare). Everyone from Heather, Debra and the trainers genuinely want you to succeed in your new career and go above and beyond to support and advise you in the best way they can.

SHOULD WE BE TEACHING THE NEXT GENERATION TO BE ENTREPRENEURS?

If you have children who are currently working their way through the school system, have you ever stopped to think about how our education system came to be the way it is today? As a digital entrepreneur I'd hoped that my children's school would prepare them to make a balanced choice between a more traditional career or business ownership. But what I found was quite the opposite.

I hadn't given it much thought either, until I started my own business and realised that I was totally ill-equipped for the realities of working for myself. So I started to do some research and I realised that compulsory, universal education was introduced as a way to educate former farm labourers and prepare them for life on the factory floor. We've come a long way since the Industrial Revolution and our children aren't being moulded into subservient machine operatives any more, but there's still a very definite emphasis on sending children down the accepted path of school – university – job.

But what about the rising number of gig workers and entrepreneurs? It's estimated that by 2021 almost half the workforce will be self-employed - that's only a couple of years away so our schools should be focussing on that shift and spending less time pushing children into pigeon holes that won't work in the future. So what should schools be focussing on to help our children thrive when they enter the modern workforce?

Not too long ago I made a decision to create an online coaching business. It aligned perfectly with who I wanted to serve and how I wanted to blend my personal and professional life. So what did I do? I enlisted the help of a coach who could get me there. I very excitedly looked at all my materials in front of me, scanned through all the online tools I was going to have to master (many of which I had never heard of previously), and looked the time frame I had to complete it all in. And then it happened.

Help to design the life they want If your school had a career's department or advisor you'll probably remember having an enormous encyclopedia of every job and corresponding further education course available land in your lap. You were probably told to browse the directory, pick a job and then choose the right degree or NVQ you needed to get you there. That's great if, at the age of 15 – you already have a burning desire to be an engineer or a surgeon but the reality is that most teenagers don't have a clue what they want. I know I didn't.

We were told that if we wanted to squeeze in to the right career box we had to make massive life decisions at a time when we were too busy deciding on whether to start wearing mascara to school or not. It was only after a lot of independent soul-searching, at the age of almost 30, that I realised I didn't want to fit into a box.

But I thought the only way to do that was to say "screw you" to working and become a stay at home mum - if I wasn't going to be an employee, I'd have to fall out of the workforce completely. Now I know that, as an entrepreneur, it's absolutely possible to work in a way that fits around the life I want, but that's something I had to figure out on my own. And it took me a long time to get there. So rather than asking children what they want to be when they grow up, schools should start with the question "what kind of life do you want when you grow up?" By asking this question our children will see that there are other possibilities out there besides picking a job title and shaping themselves to fit.

Business Basics During secondary school I had a vague inkling that I wanted to run my own business one day, so I chose A-Level Business Studies, thinking that it would give me the tools I'd need. What I soon found out was that Business Studies wasn't about teaching students to set up their own business, it was about teaching students how to become the factory foreman or the middle manager of a large corporation.

It's no wonder business survival rates in this country are less than 50%. Even a course which should be teaching children about business, isn't doing what it says on the tin.

Children should be given a basic understanding of assessing the feasibility of their ideas, product-market fit, identifying ideal customers, time management etc, instead of learning about out-dated HR management theories.

Mental Resilience Running your own business is a whole different kettle of fish to being an employee and I see so many entrepreneurs dealing with anxiety and stress-related problems when they go it alone. A huge part of working for yourself is having the mental strength to deal with failure and fear – issues which I rarely experienced when I worked for someone else because there was always the safety net of a guaranteed salary even if my ideas didn't work out.

Relationship-building and Social Skills When you're browsing job advertisements, "ability to work as part of a team"; is often pretty high on the list of personal qualities that companies are looking for.

It makes perfect sense if you're going to work in an established business with large groups working together on projects.

But what if you're working on your own? Teamwork isn't going to serve you particularly well if you're a solopreneur or freelancer. At school, we were taught team sports, subjected to team-building activities like the Duke of Edinburgh Awards and made to work on group projects, so we could learn how to work together to get things done.

What we weren't taught was how to generate interesting conversations with complete strangers, how to network, or establish trust amongst our peers or potential clients.

All of these skills are critical for entrepreneurs who aren't working as a part of a team but need strong relationship- building skills to set up joint ventures and generate new leads. It's probably why so many business owners are so bad at it and jump straight into selfpromotion and spamming new contacts!

With the speed of the changes in our workforce there needs to be a big shift in the way that schools prepare our children for what lies ahead. With more and more people working for themselves, it's time for them to ditch the path to the factory floor and educate our children in what it takes for them to build the life they want and give them to skills they need to get there.

Schools are picking up on the need to discuss mental health issues with our children, but it tends to focus around social. media and self-esteem, rather than coaching them to build resilience and overcome fear.

Anna Iveson is an entrepreneur, mother to three children and campaigner for work freedom. She has just launched VAzoom - an online community connecting entrepreneurs with virtual assistants. www.vazoom.co.uk.

Anna Iveson

Small Business Marketing Hacks HOW TO MAKE THE RIGHT TECHNOLOGY INVESTMENT

How to make the right Tech Investment The rapid pace of digital change has made it challenging for small businesses with limited budgets to decide what to invest in, and when. Some so-called digital innovations can turn out to be passing fads or at the worst, an expensive mistake.

However, the right technologies can bring on a return on investment, drive customer satisfaction and retention, increase business efficiency, even provide a competitive advantage in a crowded, fragmented marketplace.

3 questions So how do you, as a business owner with a finite budget, know what to test or to invest in?

If you, like me are easily distracted by that next new shiny toy, or feel that you’re being pulled in different directions by sales people pressuring you into buying something you may not necessarily need now, ask yourself these questions when considering a digital marketing investment: Does the marketing investment...

1) eliminate or alleviate the customer’s pain and if so, how?

2) enhance customer service and create a unique personalised customer experience?

3) get you and your team closer to realising your company’s mission?

Eliminating Customer Pain What are your customer’s biggest pain points? Start by identifying those, and then use digital technology to alleviate them.

Audit the customer buying experience and all customer touch points, including suppliers, employees, hardware/software, physical locations where you meet customers.

The assumption here is that you have a product or service your customers actually want or need.

Auditing the buying experience applies regardless of whether you are a professional services provider with a loyal client base, selling business to business, retail products or services.

Example If you’'re a business coach, consultant or professional services provider, using an online appointment booking system on your Instagram or Facebook page will allow your customers and followers to book appointments with you whenever and wherever on their mobile phones, whilst they are on the go. Setting this up will enable the customer access to your business on a 24/7 basis, at the same time ensure that your business will not miss an opportunity to get a new customer. There are many appointment scheduling software to use, some allow you to plug into your social media pages and your website. I use Setmore which has a free subscription and allows you to easily plug into your Facebook, Instagram account or your website. Or YouCanBookMe which also has a free subscription and very easy to use.

Enhancing Customer Service Use digital technology to materially improve customer service. How this can be applied will depend on the type of business. The introduction of technology should enable better delivery of the main components that your brand promises to deliver. Even if your customers do not regularly need your product or service, chances are they will remember the experience they had with your business and would have made a conscious or unconscious decision to 1) buy from you again 2) not buy from you again 3) recommend or engage with your business, positively or negatively.

Use digital technology to create a buying experience that is unique to each customer, delivering real, lasting value to the customer as a result. A key to long-term success will be data mining and matching consumer data to products and services that meet each consumer’s specific needs in a way that other competitors are unable to do.

Example If you have an app for your business, you are able to track which of your push notifications with your specific offer will generate the most responses from your followers or customers. App platforms can allow you to schedule push notifications to specific user groups that you set up, and at the same time, generate the same push notifications on your social media posts.This means that you are able to monitor which content within each user group of followers or customers will fetch the most engagement on your social media and your app. Once you know this, you will be able to laser target your content and offers specific to that user group and easily schedule them on your app, in a matter of minutes. In short, what you’re doing is quite the opposite of bombarding customers with offers they don’t want or need. Instead you’ll be sending your customers more of the content that they have responded to, in a positive way.

Your Team, Your Mission Is the tech that you invest in aligned with your company’'s mission, and how can you get your team involved from the outset so that they are able to support you? This is a whole new topic in itself. Essentially, you will need to have done some research to get a clearer understanding of the type of customers you are inviting to engage with you via the tech. Ask yourself, your team or your customers questions such as: 1) Will this group of customers be inclined to use that tech, and why?

2) How can you involve your team in designing, developing and implementing this tech in your regular marketing activities?

3) Realistically, what sort of results would you like to see and how can you track them?

Example An example of what not to do will be to fall into the trap of the “shiny new toy” syndrome – when I started out, I received enquiries from business owners telling me they want an app without much thought about how this tech will work for their business, their team and their customers. 6-12 months after the app was developed, the business owner realised the app hasn’t worked for them in the way they expected. So what went wrong? Unfortunately the business in question hadn’t factored in the time, effort or set aside a budget to take the app to market, and to consistently integrate the tech into their regular marketing activities. In many cases you would need to set aside a marketing budget of at least 30% to 50% of your app investment – this is over and above the initial investment you put in for design, development and project management of the app. A marketing budget in this case is essential to see the results that you want.

A Final Note Stay focused on your digital investments, give them time to take root, get your team on board right from the beginning, make that commitment of time and effort, regularly track and review results, discard those activities that ultimately do not work for your business.

Joyce Ong Marketing Tech www.MarketingTech.london

Joyce Ong

7 WAYS TO EARN AND GIVE RESPECT AT WORK

The late Aretha Franklin sang it

R-E-S-P-E-C-T

Find out what it means to me

R-E-S-P-E-C-T

Take care, TCB A little respect (just a little bit) is what we all want isn’t it? In my experience there are times and places where I have felt highly respected, cared about and valued at work and then times when ‘banter’ has gone too far, and I’ve felt bullied or belittled. You can guess which environment got the best from me.

Perhaps you’ve met those people who seem to throw their weight around because of their job title? It might get things done but it doesn’t earn respect. Demonstrating integrity in your words and in your actions, as well as showing how you make a positive impact is essential to earning respect.

In respectful environments people perform, they follow rules while also calling out poor behaviour, they feel good about being there, feel secure in their work relationships and cared about. The Society for Human Resource Management released a report stating that “respectful treatment of all employees” was the number-one contributor to job satisfaction. And “trust between employees and senior management” was the second.

This means that above all of the perks and management tricks, treating each other like people is what really matters. Whether you’re starting a company or part of growing one, developing a culture of respect and trust should be a priority.

Change makers develop good respectful relationships in the workplace, and with February being the month of love, caring and compassion, here are 7 ways to bring that respect into your work life.

1. Engage with Compassion and Curiosity

Years ago, I looked on in awe at a colleague, Trevor, who could connect with anyone, a fifty plus white male who was just as comfortable speaking to a disaffected working-class black teenager as he was to a senior government official. When I observed him, I noticed that he suspended judgement while taking the time to truly understand other’s behaviour. Understanding the needs, values and beliefs that influence an individual’s behaviour can really change your attitude toward them.

When you truly listen to them, you are able to develop empathy for their position or situation. Trevor was also able to accept facts. This does not mean that he agrees with or approves of other’s choices, it simply means that he was able to acknowledge the facts without any value judgment. This engagement with compassion and curiosity is the type of behaviour that creates an inclusive culture which can help organisations to be more productive and creative in the long run.

2. Address Conflict Positively

There’s always that one person who riles you, who you struggle to communicate with, or perhaps it’s gone as far as you being enemies. How you handle conflict is probably a fair indication of your ability to cope with both your own stress, and the reactions of others to stressful situations. Too often, handling conflict isn’t done respectfully. Instead, we blame, criticize, have angry outbursts or just avoid dealing with the situation.

To communicate with respect, you need to depersonalise difficult situations. It’s likely that if an individual is angry at the situation, it’s not about you personally. Do really listen and allow the other person to speak. If it’s appropriate to apologise, do so and mean it, don't blame others. Be the sort of person that does what you say you will and if it’s in your remit, train your people in how to solve their day-to-day disagreements informally, rather than escalating them to formal grievances.

3. Cooperate and Collaborate

Have you ever felt excluded?

Whether in the playground when everyone played a game, and you weren’t picked, or in a corporate meeting where there is no space for your voice. While not every person can participate in every activity, it is important not to marginalize, exclude or leave any one person out. Find ways to work with others and work as a team, an individualistic approach doesn't garner respect.

You can use people’s ideas to change or improve work, and praise much more frequently than you criticize. This builds exciting and satisfying relationships.

Listening is a big sign of respect.

Communication is at the core of human relationships, and it should be no different with your colleagues. Open a dialogue by listening and making people feel comfortable sharing. This is an ongoing process that should go beyond a single engagement survey each year. Collect regular, ongoing employee feedback. Send surveys, host focus groups, plan one-on-one meetings and participate in conversations around the office whenever possible. Sometimes the best feedback happens in these casual settings, when formal barriers are not in place.

4. Offer Help

I belong to a Women in Business Group, the dynamic and go-getting host mentioned recently that people rarely ask her how she is, they assume that all is going well with her and that she is strong and resilient.Think of the last time you were struggling. Maybe you were swamped and overwhelmed, or perhaps you were stuck on a challenging project?

Wouldn't it have been nice if someone had provided some advice? Or even offered to take something off your plate?

Absolutely. So, why not do that same thing for a colleague? When you see someone who's stressed or confused, just ask: Is there anything I can do to help?

Even if your colleague doesn't actually take you up on your offer, just the fact that you recognised the challenge and wanted to do something about it goes a long way in fostering a more empathetic culture..

5. Provide Recognition

Everybody loves to get a pat on the back for a job well done - that's universal. But gratitude and adequate recognition can easily fall by the wayside when we're wrapped up in the stress and busyness of life.

Step up and be that colleague who always applauds the hard work of your team members. Maybe that involves sending a quick message to let her know how much you enjoyed her presentation.

Or, perhaps it means highlighting your colleagues’ contributions when your boss commends you for your own hard work on a recent project.

6. Show Colleagues that you care

Little acts of kindness won't go unnoticed - particularly at work. So, when's the last time you did something nice just because you felt like it?

1. Pack an extra snack. Not all acts of kindness need to be grand gestures. You can just share a snack with one colleague on a day they seems out of sorts. Pack an extra one in your lunch or keep a few in your drawer for such an occasion.

2. Buy coffee for everyone on the team. If you can splurge, then pick a random day to swing by the local coffee shop and surprise your colleagues by bringing everyone their favourite drink.

3. Mentor a new colleague. Think back to your first few months on the job. Chances are, you felt like a fish out of water.

Anyone new to the office probably feels the same. Take a recent hire under your wing and show him the ropes.

7. Be A Mensch

The term “Mensch” has become fairly common in American English and is often understood as meaning “a good person.”

This Yiddish term also goes much deeper. In fact, it is steeped with Jewish concepts of what it means to be an individual of integrity. Ultimately to gain respect, you would do well to embrace these mensch qualities of ‘doing the right thing in the right way’ and ‘striving to be the best you’, as well as the six qualities that I’ve already mentioned.

Remember: Respect is something you have to earn - you need to work for it!

Further Resources: PODCAST: How to Build or Rebuild Trust https://michaelhyatt.com/051-how-to-build-or-rebuild-trust-podcast/ [35 mins] BOOK: Awakening Compassion at Work: The Quiet Power that Elevates People and Organizations https://www.amazon.co.uk/Awakening-Compassion-Work-Elevates-Organizations/dp/1626564450 VIDEO: Kindness is the Cure - A Call for Kindness https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pg3P1U37Avs E-BOOK: Download our free e-book - The 12 Essential qualities of good leaders. https://www.jennygarrett.global/the-12-essential-qualities-of-good-leaders/ Jenny Garrett is an Award Winning Executive Career Coach, Author, TEDx, Speaker, TV Expert. Inclusion|Gender Balance|Youth|Leadership

Jenny Garrett

WHY DO WE NEED WOMEN IN DEVOPS I believe the very best thing my parents ever did for me was getting me a ZX Spectrum (and moral values along with everything else). I was already a self-taught guitar player and I fell in love with that tiny little BASIC manual the second I laid eyes on it. Soon enough, while everybody was playing their computer games, I was building my own.

It was no surprise that before completing my management degree (in fact, when I had just started the 3rd college year) I began working with a management consulting firm, building their HR system. The BASIC language was long gone and I was now playing in premier league! My boss at the time, an amazing woman in many aspects, was my first female role model in this newly-discovered tech world, and she is still today one of my strongest role models ever. She put together an allfemale consulting crew to work with a newly-created, men only, financial institution, implementing a new methodology for requirements analysis and implementation. It is not hard to imagine that wherever we went, whatever we did, every single action was under fierce scrutiny! Eventually we got the job done and not long after that we heard they started hiring women.

Some years later, on the turning of the century, my team and I at a small software company were the first to implement an e-commerce solution for the male-dominated public administration. And in the beginning of this millennium, when I arrived to the biggest telco company in Portugal, the scarcity of women in management positions was overwhelming. There I was, leading a team doing high visibility projects (corporate e-mail, internal network for the group, the first e-business and ecommerce initiatives, etc) meeting with more than 20 people coming from all PT companies, where I was more often than not the only woman in the room.

During all this time I heard all kinds of things, like "honey, get us some coffee" or "are you here to take notes? please do not interrupt" when I actually was there to lead the meeting. It also was not rare to walk to other tech companies and realizing that the woman behind the receptionist counter was in fact the only woman in the company. So when my team and I started adopting agile and DevOps principles I thought maybe this will be different, because most women are keen on empathy and empathy is one of the keys to DevOps. Actually, according to a 8-year study developed by Google, it is one of the most important keys to building effective teams. Effective teams run on TRUST and trust is built by listening (asking

questions, seeking to understand the other party opinions and behaviour out of curiosity), by being authentic even when you're imperfect and vulnerable, and by practicing cognitive and emotional empathy.

You can automate and improve processes without empathy but you cannot run a blameless postmortem without it, without believing nobody wins until everybody wins!

But not only did the numbers not increase, they decreased! So I went to study Puppet's State of DevOps Report 2017 and I realized that only 6% of the respondents were women, against a stunning 5% in 2015! One third of the respondents even mentioned working in teams with no women at all! What has became of the female STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) graduates? The Portuguese ComissĂŁo para a Cidadania e Igualdade de GĂŠnero recently issued a report where we can see that, aligned with the western tendency, female graduates on computer science are less than 20%. And those numbers have been falling for 23 years. Twenty-three years!

Doesn't that bother you? Are we building a world where boys go to computer science and girls go to life science? It surely bothers me, especially because I can't think of a definite reason for this. Is the male computer geek stereotype of the 80's still stuck in our minds? Do we still lack solid female role models? Is the cultural assumption that computer science is a 24/7 job killing any girl's aspirations, especially when they are thinking of maternity? Whatever it is, we need to change it! Not just because it is the right thing to do but also because it is more profitable. McKinsey's study on diversity from 2018 clearly shows that top quartile companies on gender diversity are more likely to present 21% higher than average profits. When it comes to ethnic diversity, the numbers increase to 33%! On the opposite side, bottom quartile companies for both gender and ethnic diversity are 29% more likely to experience below average profitability, and 7% more likely to experience below average value creation. And also because technology is better for everyone when it is designed by everyone.

So where do we begin?

At home, educating our sons and daughters, showing that emotions matter and must be dealt with.

At school, where us women can volunteer to speak and present our jobs, providing girls with female role models and enabling their experience with all kinds of technology.

At work, partnering with those who get it and challenging those who don't. Partnerships and referrals are of extreme importance. And please women do not try to behave like men!

We need to start crafting a world of equal opportunities for our sons and daughters.

Because the future is not a place where you get to go, it is a place we get to create!

Cristina Moura Rebelo has more than 10 years of experience in complex project management.

Cristina is passionate for project management, especially using agile approaches as a means to optimize time and resources. Currently she manages a team of 20+ developing Meo TV. With a degree in Management, a graduation at Universidade CatĂłlica Portuguesa and two project management certifications, blogger and writer (both professional articles and poetry books), married and mother of two, she often participates as speaker/host in tech and leadership events and is often involved in volunteering activities.TV Manager at IT, DevOps evangelist; team coach; speaker, blogger, writer, women advocate.

Cristina Moura Rebelo

MENTORING MAKING A DIFFERENCE Wondering what to do in April for Community Service Month? Please think about making a difference to someone’s life by mentoring them. Why? Because I would not be where I am now without the help of others and in particular one special person who made time for me as a child when I needed it most.

I know mentoring makes a difference; I experienced it first hand. My grandfather was a miner in Merthyr Tydfil for 47 years, my grandparents lived in a council house and my Mum worked in a jam factory. In my family it was normal to leave school at 16. Paul, a local Conservative councillor sat with me on Monday nights to go through 11+ papers. That hard work paid off and thanks to Colchester High School - a leading Grammar school - I became the first person in my family to take A levels and go to University where I studied Microbiology.

Paul taught me the value of hard work and ability and he inspired me to succeed on my own merit. Those values have guided my life through a successful career at GlaxoWellcome where I worked in the production of interferon, UBS where I was one of its youngest directors and HSBC where I won awards as a leading pharmaceutical analyst. Paul also taught me to give something back. I now teach maths to disadvantaged adults at the Masbro Centre in Brook Green giving them the skills to succeed. For me being a Conservative is a way of life. It is about working hard, identifying your skills and then using those skills to ensure you are successful, not a burden on society and then helping those that are less fortunate than yourself.

Most people don’t ever get to thank the people that truly inspired them but I had that privilege recently. I had the honour of speaking at the Harwich and North Essex Conservative Women’s Group with Bernard Jenkin MP - it’s the area where I grew up. I spoke about my early life and all the people that have helped and supported me. I spoke about my job training dolphins, what it was like standing as the Parliamentary Candidate in Rhondda and how I now arrange ‘Make It Your Business’ entrepreneur events for my Grenfell community. Sitting in the front row with tears streaming down his face sat Paul the Conservative councillor who changed my life. In the spirit of full disclosure - I cried too.

I am privileged to live in Kensington. It’s a great community, a place of exciting contrasts that draw people to live and work here. The average annual salary is £123,000 - the highest in the UK - and yet there is an 11 year life expectancy gap between the north and the south of the borough. I live next to Notting Dale ward which is ranked as one of the most deprived wards in the country. The Grenfell Tower stands in this ward.

The Grenfell tragedy will always cast a shadow over our community. I realised early on that our community had to work together to give the residents of the Tower hope and was intent on providing mentoring and support. People would ask me ‘How can I help?’ And I would reply - ‘Open up your address book - speak to your work about having a Grenfell summer student’. Over the summer of 2017 I arranged work placements for students from the Grenfell community with City banks, PR companies, local businesses and even Number 10!

Supporting young adults has enriched my life in so many ways. I have made life long friends and learned about so many different businesses from gardening to yoga to teaching Spanish and Ghanaian textiles. I play a real part in my community and I am excited about helping shape its future. Mentoring has taught me to listen, to work with people where they are, to work out their needs and to work to add value to their lives. It has also helped me to develop as a teacher. It takes passion and strength to run a classroom, imagination and humour to keep students motivated and empathy and patience to provide useful feedback.

‘Virginia believed in me. She encouraged me and supported me and dragged me. Now I have my own textile business and it is me who is encouraging other women to develop their talents’. Talibah, Social Entrepreneur A mentor changed my life and gave me access to opportunities that have enriched and shaped my journey. I want others to have the support I had at a critical time. If you are thinking about how you can support your community then please think about mentoring a disadvantaged talented young adult. Reach out and find someone that can’t find you; local schools, youth groups or charities are a great place to start and hopefully you too will make someone cry.

Virginia Crosbie is National Director of Women2Win which leads the campaign to elect more Conservative women to Parliament.

Virginia Crosbie

5 ESSENTIAL ANATOMY PARTS NEEDED TO MAKE THE PERFECT BLOG POST: PART 1…

Are you already writing your blogs and wondering if the pieces of your article fit together?

Creating the perfect blog is more than words. It’s what you say, how you say it and how much you say it. But it’s also creating flow, making a great title, breaking down large portions of text with white space, alongside the sparing implementation of numbered points and highlighting with bold and italics; that bring together and form the perfect blog post.

The anatomy of your blog post should be clear about who it’s writing to, what the call to action is and whether or not you include the complimentary addition of pictures, infographics, visual aids, vlogs and interactives. Let’s look at each essential anatomy part in more detail and see why you should include them in your blog…

1) Create good flow…

Creating good flow in your work means to create fluency for your readers. Avoid capitals where they’re not needed. Try not to have too many commas or other forms of punctuation if you don’t need them. Your objective is to get them to the end of your piece.

Don’t make your paragraphs too lengthy. Break down your paragraphs into 3-4 lines maximum. This ensures that there is not the appearance of too much bulk text for the reader to need to take in. Consider the use of bullet points, numbered points and subheadings.

Even think about adding a hint of colour for emphasis on certain points or headings. Only use it sparingly to create impact as too much can cause your reader to have too much to absorb. The chances of them then finishing the piece and any other work you print can be seriously reduced.

Having flow in your writing creates an easy to follow article for your intended reader to digest and engage with.

2) Make a good and bold title…

Carefully consider your title. It should say what your piece is about in a few words. Keep it short. Adding in numerals, emotive language, and questions within your titles helps to appeal to your reader.

You may find that trying to write the title after you finish your piece works better. It gives you time to compile your copy and think about what will fit best as your heading. The introductory text that directly follows the title should say what the piece is about and compliment your leading title.

Make your blog stand out: keeping your introduction to one or two paragraphs will grab and maintain your readers attention and ensures you stick to the point of your piece.

3) Write for your audience…

Knowing who you’re writing for is a good place to start. Who you’re wanting your copy to speak to will dictate the language you use and how you write your piece. Think of the words to include and how you’re going to engage your reader in the point that you’re trying to get across. Use a style and voice that is natural –– as if you were speaking directly to that person.

Always remember you’re speaking to another human. Think about writing how you speak. Don’t be unnecessary with words or sentences.

4) What’s your call to action?…

Your every piece should have a call to action within it and it needs to be clear for your reader to digest and easy to navigate. It could be that you want your reader to follow you on social platforms or you want them to share what you have written. Or you may want them to subscribe to your newsletter, take advantage of an offer or purchase a particular product etc.

Whatever your call to action is ensure that it is there in your copy as clear as day. If you don’t ask your audience they won’t know what you expect and want them to do.

5) A picture says a thousand words?…

Be original, a picture certainly does speak a thousand words. Use pictures to help break up your text and set the tone for your piece of copy.

Handy tip: Ensure you use relevant pictures to your piece or you could hinder your rapport and loyalty with your reader.

Consider video to accompany your piece to complement and enhance your message. Can you then use chunks of your text as short form copy on social platforms? Use your hard work in as many forms of content as possible to market you and your brand and to deliver your message.

Bonus tip: Break up large chunks of text

It’ s important that you keep paragraphs short and as well as pictures to break up text, you can also take advantage of creating plenty of white space surrounding your copy. This allows your reader to read with focus, flow and less distraction.

The readers concentration is less overwhelmed when consuming white space whilst reading.

Combining all of these essential anatomy parts within your blog posts will ensure that you’re offering your piece every chance of success with your reader.

If you're short on time why not liaise with and utilise a copywriter that can help your business market itself and progress forwards?

You can email me on ambersmith@simplyamberlou.com or visit me on Twitter@simplyamberLou and contact me through LinkedIn @Amber L Smith.

Amber Smith

BARONESS KARREN BRADY AND LADY MICHELLE MONE TO HEADLINE WOMEN IN BUSINESS EXPO 2019 Leading UK businesswomen to share knowledge and experience at new two day event Two of the UK’s most well regarded businesswomen, Baroness Karren Brady of Knightsbridge CBE and Lady Michelle Mone, Baroness of Mayfair OBE, will be bringing their business experience to the first annual Women in Business EXPO in 2019, a brand new conference and exhibition that delivers guidance, inspiration and business services to women at any stage of their career or business journey.

Launched by Hub Exhibitions, Women in Business EXPO is a new free-to-attend event designed to provide an environment where women can learn, network and share experiences. The event, which will take place 16-17 October 2019 at Farnborough International Conference and Exhibition Centre, Hampshire, will provide attendees with a range of fascinating talks and access to leading companies which will be providing business, franchise and career opportunities along with support for future career moves.

Baroness Karren Brady will kick off the event on day one with an empowering session on business and career development, drawing on her work as Vice Chairman of West Ham F.C, a Peer in the House of Lords and Small Business Ambassador for the Government. Star of The Apprentice, Karren is recognised as the first woman in football, having transformed Birmingham City Football Club, taking it from administration to the stock market during her time, the latter of which made her the youngest Managing Director of a PLC in the UK .

Lady Michelle Mone is set to open day two of the conference with a fascinating and inspiring look at how she built her multi-millionpound lingerie business, Ultimo Brands International, from the ground up. As a peer in the House of Lords, OBE recipient and Start-Up Business Tsar for the Government, Michelle is one of the UK’s leading entrepreneurs and is set to provide attendees with practical and honest business advice. Michelle commented: “I’m delighted to be speaking at Women in Business EXPO. This event is so important to highlight and show how women of today can overcome the unique challenges faced in work and business, and provide the inspiration for a new beginning.”

Christie Day, Group Event Director for Women in Business EXPO also commented: “According to the Women’s Business Council there has been a ‘significant shift’in the experiences of women in the workplace in the last five years. But there’s still challenges to be overcome. We want to empower women to confidently take the next step in their working lives, and to feel comfortable juggling the work/life balance. Whether you’re returning to work, planning the next chapter in your career, looking to start a business or considering franchising, we launched Women in Business EXPO with you in mind.”

This year’s event, sponsored by Vodafone, Avast, Pure Storage and RedHat, will include a focus on Women in Tech, Women in Franchise and Women in Finance. For more information about Women in Business EXPO 2019, please visit www.wibexpo.co.uk or follow us on Twitter @wibexpouk

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