Corporate to Calm

Give yourself & your business permission to Breathe - Norma O’Kelly

"Take your time to feel what you want to feel in the moment"

In this episode of Corporate to Calm I speak with Norma O’Kelly. Norma started her corporate life in beverages and quickly moved to tech after an amazing stint in France and a bit of travelling (remember kids, it pays to have a second language). Working with Nokia, Oracle and a few start-ups, Norma eventually landed a role in Salesforce where she has ascended to marketing director.

“We can’t give ourselves permission to pause when the world is not giving us permission”

“Burnout is a cycle that will reappear again and again and again”

Redundancy, grief, and illness have played a role however resilience has been key to Norma’s journey and recognising when to slow down, listening to her head, heart and body.

“I was a natural mentor; my heart was in coaching”

Norma wants to help people; she is open and honest about her experiences, and this draws others to her. We also have an interesting discussion about selfcare and women’s health or lack thereof in Ireland.

“The world we live in is a take system”

Five years of challenges and a lifetime of extremes have brought her to where she is now Balanced, Happy, Content and looking forward to the journey ahead fully aware she is still dealing with her past.

“A coach is not an expert you are there to guide and support”

I loved every bit of Norma O’Kelly’s journey from Corporate to Calm.

I hope you do too x

A Mindset for Menopause - Fiona Staunton

Welcome to Corporate to Calm Season 3

“I make cooking good food uncomplicated"

In this episode of Corporate to Calm I speak with Fiona Staunton from Fiona’s Food for Life @fionasfoodforlife. Fiona has worked in the food industry for over 30 years obtaining a Home Economics degree from Trinity and training in Ballymaloe under Rory O’Connell.

“If you taste, smell and see something being made you are more likely to replicate.”

Fiona spent years in Australia working in event management and travelling extensively. After having her first child in Australia she decided to move back to Ireland to be closer to family just before the Recession, not the best time but she worked hard and created Fiona’s Food for Life where she will Cook, Eat & Nourish you. Fiona began cooking at home and then showed her tenacity and used to her Network to build an extensive business demonstrating in Corporate.

“Let people know what you do, use your Network.”

After her busiest month in February 2020, she was hit with the pandemic and began to focus her business online. Unfortunately, a diagnosis of breast cancer forced Fiona to pull back and focus on her and her recovery. Thankfully Fiona is well now however her experience resulted in early menopause. This led to her hunt for information and discovering what medication worked for her. Fiona then developed her Cooking for Menopause programme which has been a huge success. This marries her love of food and knowing what food will nourish you during this stage of your life.

Fiona has so much advice on how to eat healthier, one of her biggest tips being to challenge yourself to cook one more meal than you are now, so if it’s none cook one, if it’s five cook six and so on.

Fiona is an inspiration, she has taken a situation which many would view as negative and used it to help others, to inspire others

I hope you enjoy Fiona’s journey from Corporate to Calm x

Food is the Fuel of Life & Business - Virginia Ziulu

Welcome to Corporate to Calm Season 3

“You need to really appreciate where food and pretty much everything comes from"

In this episode of Corporate to Calm I speak with Virginia Ziulu from Virginia’s Health Corner @virginiashealthcorner. Virginia is an Italian, mum of two living in Ireland for the past 17 years.  

Virginia is passionate about food and how it helps the body. Her work as a nutritional therapist is aided by her huge knowledge of hormonal and digestive health. She has hit some major health hurdles in her life which has only sparked her passion to help others even more. Virginia simply wants to teach you the mental and nutritional benefits of organic and homegrown food which she hopes will have a positive impact on your life.

What Virginia doesn’t know about quality; local, organic food simply isn’t worth knowing. This stems from her trips to food markets as a child with her father to teaching her children about sustainability and a no waste lifestyle, they love to give leftovers that won’t be used to the compost or the chickens!

“It’s a big change, it’s scary but look at your life are you happy? Do you have balance?”

Virginia embraced the pandemic; her business was easily transferable online, and this opened up markets in other countries. Her business has grown from strength-to-strength and Virginia is proof that if you want something bad enough and are passionate about your business you can achieve it.

“Look at your packaging, most of what people buy is not recyclable”

Virginia very kindly shared her top sustainability tips which are so simple and implementable now, see what you can do today to reduce your food and packaging where you’ll see immediate immediate changes.

Virginia has overcome such adversity to get where she is. She has been on this path for so long, but things have really taken off over the past few years and now even more with the launch of @barrowview_marketgarden where her love for nutrition meets her love organic homegrown. The future is fresh for Virginia and her businesses.

I hope you enjoy Virginia’s journey from Corporate to Calm x

Spark Your Social Media - Laura Stapleton

Welcome to Corporate to Calm Season 3

“It’s not a numbers game, it’s about engagement and community management"

In this episode of Corporate to Calm we speak with Laura Stapleton from Little Spark Media @littlesparkmedia. Laura was always creative, into art, colours and marketing and decided to use this creativity and become a primary school teacher.

Up until the pandemic Laura was managing her career, twins and an up and coming business. Like many of my guests Laura stumbled into her passion when her PT noticed her expertise and passion for social media he asked her to help him with that side of his business. This led to several referrals and Little Spark Media was born.

 

Laura’s knowledge of social media is immense, and she is always learning and will be the first to let you know of any changes across the platforms. Her clients come first but she has cultivated a community of her own and is adamant that you do not need huge numbers of followers to grow a profitable business

“If you have 300 engaged followers, you can sell out”. One of her key tips is to schedule your posts and engage with them later, not to spend too much time on social media.

Laura embraced the pandemic; she was still teaching but her commute was gone, and she was given the gift of time. Her business has grown from strength to strength over the past two years and while growing her business, minding her students online and her twin boys at home sure why not add another baby to the mix. This certainly maximised both her and her partners organisational & multitasking skills.

Laura has proved if you want something bad enough and are passionate about your business you can achieve it.

“You need to do reels, jump on the bandwagon now”

Laura very kindly shared her top three Instagram tips and using reels is not one of them, you’ll have to listen to find out what you can do today to enhance your Instagram account and see immediate changes.

Laura is calm, collected, organised and when I eventually farm out my social media it will go to Little Spark Media to manage.

I hope you enjoy Laura’s journey from Corporate to Calm x

From Retail Rebel to Tech Maverick: Unfolding Success with Collette Doyle, founder Unfold Digital & Shelfleet

Welcome to Corporate to Calm Season 2

“Have the confidence and experience to say no"

In this episode of Corporate to Calm we speak with Collette from Unfold Digital, Shelfleet and the Utu Foundation. Collette is a hive of energy, organisation, and calm. She spoke with me from Austin, Texas where she is now working on her businesses and taking part on the Techstars programme.

Collette originally from Tallaght, Dublin (Ireland) pursued a career in retail, leaving school without telling her parents and running a department on Arnott’s all before she was officially an adult.

A couple of years in Greece, then seven in England. Collette moved back to Ireland at the height of the recession and decided education was where she wanted to be. Working full-time, attending college at night, an 80-hour week was not sustainable. After a few more positions Collette’s love for marketing topped everything and this turned into a passion, eventually assuming the role of managing director in a tech start up.

In 2020 just before the Pandemic, Collette had an epiphany that do you know what  

“I can do this myself” She was working her ass of for someone else and decided enough was enough and to go out on her own. Not the best time, but to be honest, is there ever a good time to start your own business?

 

One of Collette’s other passions is her charity work. She is one of the board members for the Utu Foundation. This charity raises money for a school in Narobi, Kenya. Collette’s move out on her own gave her the freedom to focus on this project during the pandemic and in May 2020 she moved herself and her business to Kenya to work remotely for two years.

Narobi is 3 hours ahead of Ireland so Collette rising at 6am was able to get a 6 hour jump on the day which was essentially the gift of time.

“I go to the gym at six in the morning, which was only 3am in Ireland, which meant I had so much time. Back from the gym, I do yoga for an hour. I journal. I'd make my smoothie. I'd sit on my balcony. I'd read, I'd start my emails. At the time I had like half my day’s done & my clients are only starting their day.”

Collette’s organisation is the key to her success, with everything down to her selfcare captured in her diary.

 

Towards the end of last year @shelfleet was born and the decision to move to Austin, Texas. A move that came a lot quicker than expected. Collette was home in Ireland for Christmas and received a call to say they expected her in Austin on January 6^th

With all her belongings, her life still in Kenya. Christmas was cut short and with a quick trip to Kenya to pack up her life, Collette arrived in Austin to work on her new venture and take up her place on the prestigious, Entrepreneurial Accelerator Programme, Techstars.

Collette has two non-negotiables in her working day

“I will never be in the office before I go to the gym. It's so important to me that I start the day with like a clear head and not like wake his mood in a bad mood and just be fuzzy for the rest of the day. The other thing is I will never eat my lunch at my desk.”

Collette’s journey is so interesting and there is still so much to come before she retires at 40 in a castle, in Italy with 70 dogs.

I hope you enjoy Collette’s journey from Corporate to Calm x

Mothers Reinvented: Redefining Success and Confidence in Motherhood & Careers with Jennifer Santos, founder Mothers Reinvented

Jennifer Santos is a Mum of three and an entrepreneur. She decided to set up Mothers Reinvented when she took some time out after having her children.

“I knew that the work I was doing as a strategy consultant, no longer fit with my new values as a mother, as a person, as a woman”

This is such an important episode for those juggling and struggling with Motherhood and their Corporate Careers. Those who are questioning themselves and looking for answers.

Jennifer took one year off maternity leave and loved it at first and like many of us in her position started to crave her own identity. She was happy to return to work and establish herself again however she felt overwhelmed and, in some situations, unsupported. Jennifer was always running from one place to another, getting those on you’re on a half day looks when she got up from her desk at 5pm to collect her child from creche.

“You do not need your bum on a seat on your office to do your job”

Jennifer decided to take a break and discover what she wanted to do, this resulted in her establishing Mother’s Reinvented. This is where Jennifer offers help, advice and support to Mother’s returning to the workplace after a break or those deciding to change career completely.

Jennifer’s three key tips are:

1. Planning – Plan as much as you can before you return to the workplace. Do dry runs of the drop offs, are you giving yourself enough time?
2. Ask for Help – Simple as for help outside of the workplace. What help can your partner offer, your friends, your family, your children?
3. Ask for training – most women feel vulnerable when they return to the workplace. Don’t get snowballed. Ask to shadow someone. If a new piece of equipment or program has been introduced while you were away ask for training.

 

 

One of the biggest things Jennifer will work on with you is your confidence and reminding you that you have every right to be there, the knowledge that you have and reducing that ever present imposter syndrome. And if you decide that it’s not for you, then why stay? It’s back to planning and deciding what is for right for you and your situation. What is right, maybe a career move, a break or starting a new venture? Jennifer encourages you to explore every avenue.

 

“What’s your biggest fear? That you do nothing, that you fail, or you take action.”

 

Nothing will happen if you don’t act. I hope you enjoy this Corporate to Calm podcast conversation as much as I did.

 

From Redundancy to Podcasting Pro: Key Steps to a Distraction-Free Business with Pamela Nolan, founder Key Step Podcast Management

Pamela Nolan is a Mum of two who decided to take redundancy in 2018 and set up her VA business in 2019, Key Step Support. After a tough first year things started to blossom and in 2021 Pam began managing podcast, Key Step Podcast Management. This is something that she was born to do. Pam knows everything about Podcasts which is very helpful to me….

When setting up the business Pam kept saying to herself what’s the worst thing that could happen?

“The worst thing that could happen is that it doesn't work out and I have to go get a job"

“You need to be able to take a step back and look at a bigger picture. And whether that's taking, like I do see on Mondays, so CEO, Mondays are, I have no calls with clients and I focus on my business”

Pam is all about a distraction free life. She has all her notifications off on her phone, she only checks everything three times a day and her clients know how to contact her of its urgent.

“It is so important to honour your boundaries”

The top three things to know when opening your new business.

1. Know Your Finances
2. Know Your Vision
3. Celebrate Your Milestones

Pam decided to manage Podcasts in 2021 and she loves the fact that her clients give her the raw data and two weeks later she hands it back, it’s a lot less touch than her VA work.

Pam offers fantastic advice if you are starting a podcast and she has a blog full of great information, your authenticity and idea being the crux of your podcast. She gets so excited about the world of podcasting and will launch a podcasting course in 2022.

Her advice on taking that leap from Corporate to Calm is very simple. Have a clear plan, have a clear strategy and have clear boundaries.

So, grab a cuppa, sit back, relax, walk, go on the treadmill, drive to your meeting, and hopefully enjoy Pam’s journey from Corporate to Calm x

 

From Boardrooms to Bestsellers - Emma Jane Leeson, founder Johnny Magory World

“I am a businesswoman with a talent for writing"

In this episode of Corporate to Calm we speak with Emma Jane Leeson from @johnnymagoryworld. Emma Jane is a Mum of 3, holder of numerous degrees, an all-rounder when it came to business. Her energy is contagious and she is so passionate about the amazing world she has created.

Emma Jane wrote her first book at least ten years before she took the leap to solely focus on Johnny Magory. The funny thing is that it may not have happened had she realised Johnny was a well-known name in many Irish households and not just the figment of her dad’s imagination. There was no fear when releasing them, no expectation, just a passion to put on paper the stories from her childhood.

"Bord na Mona was the best learning ground, 7 of us looking after 2.5k people. You learned to do everything”

Emma Jane gained her business acumen from a variety of sources, starting in what became Top Gifts and then progressing to Bord na Mona. A huge opportunity arose when she started in the Central Bank but she quickly realised it was not for her and after only a couple of months took the risk of leaving this most sought position. Then came Kerry Foods, this is our common ground. Our paths didn’t cross but we both knew you earned your stripes at Kerry.

 

"My advice, Write the Book!!"

Emma Jane’s advice to budding authors is plain & simple – write the bloody book. She is frequently asked for advice and then quickly learns that most are seeking information without having put pen to paper.

From the start Emma Jane treated her endeavours like a business with divisions, she may have been the head of all divisions but having different units made it easier to keep track of what there was to do.

Sustainability and the outdoors are a huge part of the business. The Johnny Magory World of books are the first to be biodegradable. It’s hard to have a lot of merch without plastic but they find a way through.

 

“This is Nickelodeon, not diddle-e-ey”

Emma Jane’s vision from the start was global, changing the spelling of the name to fit with an American audience. Although printing in Ireland was always a priority and she makes sure this is the case at all costs. Her PR are always delighted when a book comes out as she has a wish list as long as your arm and a determined, clear vision.

Emma Jane’s advice to any new business is clear, go to your local LEO and tell them you are a business not an author & invest in a virtual assistant.

So, grab a cuppa, sit back, relax, walk, go on the treadmill, drive to your meeting, and hopefully enjoy Emma Jane’s journey from Corporate to Calm x

Strength, Resilience, and Empowerment: Amber Moore’s Journey from Mompreneur to Fitness Queen

“You need the specific tools for the results you want to get"

In this episode of Corporate to Calm we speak with Amber Moore from @coachedbyamber. Amber is a Mum of 5, a strength & conditioning coach and the Queen of Pre & Post Natal movement. Yes, 5 kids. Amber's business is thriving. We chat about the struggles of creating a business with children, running a business with children & how you pivot to ensure you business survives a pandemic.

 

"I dressed them while they were still asleep"

 

Amber chats about how she felt like a fraud having had her kids and not being in the body she believed a fitness professional should. Her empathy for her clients is immense however she is there to do a job and you are paying for a job. She wants to see result however she cannot gift these to you, you have to work hard for them.

 

"Stop Wishing, Start Doing"

 

Amber's dedication to her own goals in life is something I truly admire. Amber's body sculpting journey is astonishing. She set herself a goal and built a plan to achieve it in 2017. Her path to competing last September might seem crazy to some but to the educated it is commendable building her body by consuming 4,500 calories per day. She uses food to fuel her body with zero emotional eating.

 

Amber is my coach and pre-Covid I was in the best shape and mindset of my life. I may not have the same level of energy I had pre last October but I have the same mindset and that is what has kept me going post Covid.

 

Amber's chat is honest and a story I'm hearing all too often, the mother is the primary caregiver, the primary day to day doer.

 

I hope you enjoy Amber's journey from Corporate to Calm x

Empowering Transformation - Dominiquea Kearns founder Divine Discovery

“Reiki makes me feel good about myself”.

In this episode of Corporate to Calm we speak with Dominiquea Kearns from Skin Spirit by Dominiquea. This story is so interesting because Dominiquea is literally mid Corporate to Calm journey. A beauty therapist by trade. Dominiquea developed a keen interest in Reiki over the past two years. This has led to her tapping into her Medium abilities and one Christmas is done Dominiquea will leave the beauty world behind (apart from skin) and focus on what she made to do.

 

I met Dominiquea (virtually) about 18 months ago and all I can say to watch her growth in confidence and herself over the past year and a half has been a pleasure. A shy and timid beautician has blossomed into a confident, positive, and amazing businesswoman.

 

“The Power is Always with You”

 

When Dominiquea starts to talk Reiki her passion shines through. Her knowledge is amazing and when it came to Reiki she has never second guessed herself.

 

I booked myself in for a session with her last week and I loved it. The energy, the positivity. I was open to everything and because of this I received a beautiful experience and a week later I am still on a high with no negative thoughts and a huge appetite and excitement for 2022

 

So, grab a cuppa, sit back, relax, walk, go on the treadmill, drive to your meeting, and hopefully enjoy Dominquea’s journey from Corporate to Calm x