Shift Your Butt Day!

I love my job and one of the perks is that I get to know some amazing women and occasionally get given some great books to read. Professor Karen Pine combined the two; we did a fab interview together (click here to read it), and ever since she has sent me her books.  I have reviewed a couple of them*,  and others I often use when working directly with women.

I was reminded of the ‘Shift Your Butt’ exercise yesterday when running an in house seminar. I laughingly suggested that participants could try sitting somewhere else in the room after the break. Of course, they didn’t want to and resolutely stayed put. People rarely do. We get comfortable with our situation very quickly and even if we don’t much like the view, at least we know it!

Which is fine sometimes but resolutely staying put doesn’t lead to a life of growth, development and discovery. And more fun!

So, for one day only, why don’t you try the ‘Shift Your Butt’ Exercise?

Today, don’t sit anywhere you would normally sit. Whether it’s at the dining table, at work, watching TV or in a meeting, see the world from a different place.

Go on, give it a go! See what happens and do let me know.

*One of Karen’s books is reviewed here - Sheconomics .  You can read my book policy here but briefly if I don’t think books are helpful to you I don’t talk about them. I have a shelf full of books which didn’t make my grade.

Photo Credit: Juliane Riedl

Inspirational Woman – Amy Trevaskus

Amy Trevaskus is quite an amazing young woman, a full time carer which she juggles with writing her series of children’s books. I found her story to be very inspirational and I hope you will too.

Jane: Amy, before we begin on the story of your books, please can you fill in the background on how you came to be a full time carer at your relatively young age of 31?
Amy: Dad was diagnosed with Progressive Supranuclear Palsy five years ago.….It was such a shock to learn about PSP and what would happen to Dad.  We knew that Dad would get progressively worse over time and in July 2010 we accepted that he would need a full time carer. Mum had been caring for him for 5 years, had given up her job to do just that. So we decided that we would do all we could to make it so that I could care for him. In March 2010 my Mum, Sister and I opened a shop in our local town called The Blue Room – we sell local art and craft, a creative family you see! So, I gave up my day job and took a huge pay cut to care for Dad.  This worked well for all of us as it gave me the time to write and gave Mum the much needed focus.

With regards to writing the children’s books, I woke up one morning a year ago and thought ‘why are you just dreaming about being a writer – let’s make it happen’.  This was all well and good but obviously I needed to be able to pay the bills/mortgage etc and have the time to write. At the same time it was becoming increasingly difficult for my Mum to care for my Dad so to cut a long story short,we decided that I would be his carer.

This worked on many different levels. I was able to be paid to care for Dad and write at the same time.  I started my own company Hartland Creative, which is a copywriting and proofreading service and it developed from there. Through Hartland, I met a chap called Jeff Bartlett who was interested in working on a new project.  I told him about Ping and Pong and what I was writing; he loved it so we set up a publishing company with a relatively small investment from him and my Mum…

You’ve said before that Ping and Pong came about because of imaginary friends in childhood. Can you tell us a little more about that, and also, do you still have an imaginary friend? (Sometimes I think we should all have one!)
It was always a family joke that I had two imaginary friends who lived in a clock! According to Mum and Dad they came about when I was about 3 years old when I would go to the carriage clock on the top of the TV and ask Ping and Pong if they were coming out to play.  This was before my sister was born so Im guessing it was a way of me expressing myself without playing with someone else! Mum and Dad actively encouraged me to have them as I think they saw it as a bit of fun and kind of company for me!

How do you motivate yourself to put pen to paper and actually get writing?
I think of my family. I think about what an amazing childhood I had and how I would love to share Ping and Pong with others.  Recently I have seen the kids faces when I read it to them and they smile…that’s what makes me want to write more…We have faced some tough times over the past year but writing about Ping and Pong makes me smile, even when Im feeling low.

Once you’d written your first book, what did you do then? How did you get it out there to readers?
I used Twitter and Facebook to get it out there.  When you self publish, it is all down to you…the PR, marketing, advertising…everything! Recently I have been going into schools and readings to lots of kids who I have to say have fallen in love with the characters.

What advice would you give to aspiring writers?
Keep going…sometimes being a write can be isolating. I have so many ideas in my head that sometimes I think it will explode – so I write it all down. Use your imagination to create story lines, characters etc…and make sure you get it all down on paper! You learn to be quite tough being a writer and you have to accept that not everyone is going to like what you write. Also self publishing is hard work so I would say as long as you are determined then you can push yourself forward.

If you could have any career you wanted what would you choose? What does your dream look like?
I would like to be able to write full time…I would like Ping and Pong to take off so that I can make sure my Dad is looked after.  I would like to develop other ideas I have for childrens books and even TV shows. I would like to own and run my own publishing company and help others to see their words in print.

Who has the most significant positive impact on your life to date?
My Dad has had the most impact on my life – we were always close but as he deteriorates I see that he is a fighter – he wont give in to it and that spurs me on.  My Mum and sister are also a massive part of my life, we are the best of friends which helps when it comes to the tough times and also when you run a business together! Also my husband, he is the one who has to deal with me! Although on the surface I am a positive person he is the one who picks me up when I fall apart which is quite often! He brings me back down to earth (sometimes with a bang) but he is also my biggest fan. We lost a baby in November last year but have really become so much closer because of it.

Are there any children’s writers that you admire, that have inspired you to write?
I used to love Beatrix Potter. I recently watched a programme about her on TV and saw similarities in some of the things she said about writing for children, she also had a vivid imagination like I do. You have to admire JK Rowling for what she has given to the world of Childrens literature – if I can inspire even 1% of the people she has inspired then Im onto a winner!

As a child what were your favourite books?
Peter Rabbit and any of Molly Brett’s picture books.

How do you like to relax and unwind?
I like spending time with friends, going for dinner with my husband and have recently discovered the gym, which Im finding surprisingly enjoyable!

What’s your favourite piece of advice/tip for a great life?
If you always give what you always give, you will always get what you always got. Also, my own tip: Life is too short to wonder what if…if you want something, try as hard as you can to get it…if you fail, so what, at least you tried.

Amy, thank you so much. You’ve had some hard times but have great inner resourcefulness – and a lovely family too, by the sound of things! Good luck with Ping and Pong; I hope it goes from strength to strength.

And if you’d like to buy a copy of Ping and Pong, (and there’s more than one adventure now) you can get them through Amy’s web site

No 3 – You Can Be Fabulous in 2011!

Even if you don’t make formal New Year resolutions you are probably still thinking about the year ahead and how you’d like it to be- if only because people like me keep talking at you about making resolutions!

It’s in the zeitgeist isn’t it? I’m not necessarily a great fan of having a set of formal resolutions you make in January to feel guilty about in February (!) but I do know that having a reasonably clear idea of where you want to be is half way to arriving there successfully! And the end of one year and the start of another is as good a time as any to reflect.

Dare to Dream

So, even if you are not in resolution making mode, this could still be a good exercise to try:

• Take 10 minutes to yourself, somewhere quiet
• Make yourself comfortable and relaxed
• Close your eyes and just notice how you are breathing
• Notice the rise and fall of each breath for about 10 breaths, this will probably gently slow your breathing
• Think yourself ahead 12 months, imagine you in 12 months time
• Ask yourself the following: What do I look like? What do I feel like? What have I done that has made me feel proud, or satisfied, or fulfilled?

What, if anything, do you need to do in the next 12 months to be fabulous in 2011!

Claire Rayner- Inspirational Woman

I have just heard of the death of Clare Rayner. What an inspirational life she led.

I think Clare Rayner was one of the unsung heroes of feminism. She got stuck with the title of agony aunt but she was so much more than that. She was a talented, well educated, wise woman who talked about her early life with painful honesty. She started life as a nurse, stopped that when her children were born, and carved out a career for herself as a journalist and writer.

She championed the cause of the patient, speaking out on the topic of MRSA and the mundane topic of proper cleaning and hygiene in hospitals.

Honours were heaped on her; she was an O.B.E and a doctor of Oxford Brooks University to name just two. And talk about being a multi tasker! She wrote novels, factual books and was a journalist.  And she was President of the Patient’s Association and took part in a national review of Nursing.

She was fearless in what she would openly discuss and well ahead of her time. She spoke out about safe sex in the 80s, she talked about cancer in a way that was accessible to all, (she herself had a double mastectomy), and she was passionate about the National Health Service. Her views and opinions were regularly sought by politicians and officials. And ill health appears not to have dimmed her spirit, as you will know if you heard her speaking out about the Pope’s visit to Britain a few weeks before her death.

I am surprised by the depth of my reaction to her death. She was an astonishing woman who has saved untold numbers of lives because of her work in the health field, and her caring and compassionate advice. You could, as a friend of mine said, listen to Claire without squirming. Considering the topics she tackled that’s no mean feat!

Inspirational Women – Gee Backhouse

Gee Backhouse is a creator of beautiful jewellery who now lives and works in France with her husband, Chris, and two dogs. She makes a very specialist type of jewellery, tiny compasses cast in precious metals. Beautiful.

Jane: Gee, you live what many women would call the dream life! How do you now make your living?
Gee: I am a goldsmith which means I work specifically with gold and other precious stones and metal. I design and make jewellery and specialise in creating unique compass jewellery.

Calling it the dream life is pretty accurate as I live in a very sunny part of the world, find my work absorbing and am my own boss. I also get to go on gemstone buying sprees which makes me one of the luckiest people in the world. Sweeties for grown-ups.

When you were at school did you have any career thoughts? Did you follow a traditional path, go onto college, or get out into the world of work very quickly?
My career thoughts were that, if I were going to be independent, I needed one! I didn’t have a clue about what I wanted to do, so struggled with how I could possibly choose what to study at A-level. In the end, with good qualifications and the drive to succeed, I studied Computer Studies at degree level.

As a female student, who’d also sneaked in a year earlier than her contemporaries, studying in a male dominated arena was quite a challenge. In spite of having been under the watchful eye of the tutors, I achieved a distinction and came out with results in the top 5%.

What was your very first job? Do you remember how much you got paid?
I started out as a programmer in 1987 working for a company in the private sector. My pay was £7,500 a year. It was a great company to work for; varied work with the space and encouragement to use your initiative. The people were interesting and there was a definite feeling of unity.

What has been the worst job you’ve ever had? With hindsight, what were the lessons you took from it?
Working for a huge organisation as an Analyst/Programmer on a colossal project with no particular visibility was dull dull dull. Oh yes, and there was a strong political undercurrent, too. Yuk. The lesson I learned from that little escapade was that, in an interview situation, the communication needs to be 2-way. My finding out about whether I’m going to like the job is just as important as the interviewer’s assessment of whether I have the right experience and qualifications.

What does jewellery making do for you?
Running my own jewellery making business does several things for me. It allows me to express my practical nature; there’s definitely something very satisfactory about being able to see the tangible results of my efforts. There is also a great sense of achievement in applying skills and techniques to meet some specific requirement or overcome a challenge. The technical requirements of the profession, for example, how different metals will behave in certain situations, also keeps it interesting.

Oh yes, and being able to bash the living daylights out of some piece of work that’s gone wrong (yes, there are days like that) using a big hammer on the anvil, is simply delightful.

Jewellery making is also a wonderful way to celebrate individuality. Each piece I make is a unique, one of a kind creation. Creating compass jewellery adds another dimension, adding independence and change into the mix. Sometimes people want to change. The changes we desire vary in nature, magnitude and significance. How we choose to achieve them is another variable. Each of my compass creations celebrates this complex uniqueness. My hope is to inspire individuals to choose their direction.

Who or what has inspired you the most?
My music teacher was an inspiration to me. As well as a being very accomplished musician, she was an inventor of electronic gadgets, for example, a foot operated page turner for music books. Her independence knew no bounds and she tackled plumbing-in her own bathroom with aplomb when she was in her 60s. She had a pragmatic approach to life; a precious rarity that I admired enormously. Of course, this also translated into her winning all discussions on the subject of my piano practise!

I shall never forget her saying that if I really wanted to learn to play the piano, then I’d make the time to practise. The idea that we can find the time and energy for anything if we’re sufficiently motivated, has stayed with me.

Gee, you grew up in the UK.  How did the move to France come about? Are you bilingual? If so, how did you learn the language? How easy was it?
I grew up in the Cotswolds in the UK. My husband, Chris, had lived in many countries and the thought of living in France had always appealed to him. When pondering the idea of a bolt-hole here in France, a good friend asked us what was stopping us from moving to France entirely. Aren’t friends like that great? Friends who encourage you think about something in a different way are very special. Anyway, it turned out there was nothing stopping us. So here we are living in France!

Bilingual? No. However, Chris and I often find ourselves the only English speaking people in our own home when sharing a meal with friends.  Learning the language was a mix of brushing up our school book French and diving in; making lots of mistakes, some more embarrassing than others, and asking people to correct us. Going shopping, visits to the vet or doctor, getting the car fixed, arranging for a phone line to be installed and registering a business; these are all things that happen without poring over a dictionary before hand. The gestures and shoulder shrugging continue to entertain us. It’s great fun!

What do you miss most (if anything) about being in the UK?
The British sense of humour. Curry take-aways. Cosy pubs (in winter).

What has been the best thing to happen in your life so far?
Realising that my happiness is up to me; that’s the best thing that’s happened to me so far. Actually, it’s sometimes the worst thing that’s happened to me, too! There’s that adage that goes something like this: “If you don’t like your life, change it.  If you can’t change it, then change your attitude”. That sums it up perfectly. It’s not always easy, but where’s the adventure in life if everything’s easy?

How do you relax?
Relaxing, specifically, isn’t something I’m very good at! I find spending time designing creations in my special book (given to me by a friend) very relaxing, experimenting with ideas, sketching out possibilities. Poring over my gemstone collection, admiring them and being inspired by them for creations is lovely, too. They never cease to fascinate me. These activities generally take place in my design room with some aromatherapy oil simmering away, or maybe an incense stick. My design room is a bit of a den with my books, cushions, various surfaces, maps and pictures stuck to the wall, some speakers and invariably a dog or two.

A really relaxing time for me is being tucked up in my sleeping bag when we go camping. The gentle movement of the tent, the sound of the breeze, toasty toes, happy dogs. My husband, Chris, and I love this sort of freedom.

Did you plan your career/life or have events just happened?
I think of my life and career as having evolved driven by the desire to live a life of integrity and fulfilment.  That might sound a bit overly moral but, really, I like being the real me and am happy to be following my dream.  I’ve looked out for, and taken opportunities that have resulted in me being who and where I am right now.  That journey, thankfully, is also ongoing.

Avivah Wittenberg Cox says women in France have got it right re feminism and femininity. Do you think there are significant differences between being a business woman in France rather than the UK?
My exposure to the entirety of being a business woman in France is limited. I run my own business and spend much of my time in my workshop.  Having said that, I must agree with Avivah’s comment that “… French women are confident of their femininity. They wear make-up, heels, feminine clothes and have never thought they have to dress like men.”.  Wherever I look, in whatever role and in whatever city, this rings true. Must get me some heels.

What dreams do you still hold?  What are you working towards?
I love being out on my mountain bike. I read about an incredible bike trail in New Zealand that I’d love to do someday. It incorporated a stop-over hut used by a gold miner. Lakes, mountains, camping, outdoors. You know what, maybe we’ll even live there one day. Shorter term, I’d love for us to get a campervan. We’re very good at spontaneously whizzing off with a tent somewhere and know a campervan would be fantastic!

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?
Be yourself.

What advice would you give to anyone reading this and thinking of changing their lives?
Be yourself.  Life’s a Journey, Choose Your Direction.

You can see more of Gee’s beautiful compass jewellery on her web site rockwaterstudio

Inspirational Women- Maggie Philbin

I have followed the career of Maggie Philbin with interest for years so I’m especially pleased to bring you this interview with Maggie, a well known and much respected broadcaster. Read her story and be inspired to follow your own dream!

Jane: Maggie, you will be well known to many of our readers as the bright young thing on Saturday Swap Shop, voted by professionals as one of the most influential programmes ever, and later as the very knowledgeable presenter of Tomorrow’s World (incidentally a programme ahead of its time I’d say, in terms of how it presented women!)

But what aspirations did the young Maggie have? What did you want to be when you ‘grew up’?
Maggie: My earliest ambition was to be a trapeze artist – very ambitious when you consider I wasn’t the best co-ordinated child and also rather fat! After that I think I had impresario tendencies, rounding up the village kids and staging a puppet show when I was about 9. The profit margin was HUGE – I managed to earn two years worth of pocket money in as many hours. Sadly my parents forced me to give all the money to the local hospital.

Did you have a fairly standard path through school? Were there any early indications of the life you went onto lead?
I owe everything to a French teacher, Mrs Roberts, who joined my school the year of our GCE’s. Up until then I’d only shone at subjects which came naturally but saw no reason to any effort with others  She took me on one side and said, “You’re a bright girl, and there’s absolutely no reason for you to fail French.” She was the reason for an abrupt turn around in my academic life in every subject –and for the 3 As at A level (including French!)

I really loved Physics and Maths but didn’t get on with the Chemistry teacher who used to hurl board rubbers at me, with I’m sure every justification. So I didn’t apply for vet science or medicine – a decision that haunted me at Manchester University because I walked past the medical school every day.

Looking back, one of the things I really enjoyed was doing “sketches”, I loved making people laugh. But I never thought of myself as a performer. By the time I left school, I knew I needed to take a year off to decide what I wanted to do and my Dad was furious when I opted for English and Drama!

How did you end up on Swap Shop? (A Saturday morning TV programme aimed at older children, click here for link to BBC web site).
During my final year at Manchester, I saw a box numbered ad offering “The Chance of a Lifetime” to the successful applicant. I thought it was a bogus agent or a tiny TV company but writing a tongue in cheek reply was a good distraction from revising .To cut a long story short, it turned out to be Swap Shop and to my utter astonishment, they gave me the presenting job. My daughter is named after Rose, the woman who took such a huge risk on a student with no experience.

As a young woman who had the most influence on you, personally and professionally? And why?
I’ve mentioned Mrs Roberts – who taught me early on that it’s worth making an effort with things you think you can’t do, we create most of our own barriers. And Rosemary Gill, the Swap Shop editor, was undoubtedly one of the most talented women working in television, a great mentor to have when you’re starting out. After that I was lucky enough to work with Richard Reisz on Tomorrow’s World – a seriously clever man who absolutely believed in me and gave me the confidence to report live on some of the most complicated Science and Technology stories.

Do you have a mentor now, someone you really look up to and admire?
One of my closest friends is an executive producer, Sally Dixon. Sally keeps a very close eye on what I’m doing and constantly encourages me to think bigger. Every time we meet up for supper she has a list of things for me to think about. It’s really important to have a mentor – otherwise we can slip back into a “comfort zone” and lose sight of what we really want to achieve.

You were a presenter on Tomorrow’s World and still report on innovative technology. Is there one innovation that you think has had a really significant effect on the role of women in society?
You know I’m very enthusiastic about social media – it’s a very powerful connection tool and helps women to build strong networks. And any technology that helps women to work flexibly is great – When I held those early “mobile” phones on Tomorrow’s World, I never dreamed they’d become the “computer in your pocket”.

And if you could invent one, (no limits), what would it be?
Really convincing 3D haptic conferencing, to cut down on travel time to meetings – I loathe telephone conference calls.

Have you experienced femageism in TV? I’m talking about the tendency to have older mature male presenters matched with young female presenters. How do you think women can combat this? (Assuming you think it exists?)
You do still see the “avuncular” pairing of presenters and sometimes it makes me laugh out loud, it’s so cynical! That said, there are probably more older women on screen and on the radio now, than there were thirty years ago. But it’s all about figures… and if your face pulls in viewers, I don’t think broadcasters would care care if you were 120!

What’s the best piece of advice you have ever been given?
Keep it short.

How do you relax? Are you good at giving yourself time off?
I love music, film and food and I make plenty of time for all three.

What advice would you give to any woman looking for a career in the media, TV and or journalism?
Be the very best. Specialise. There’s a lot of competition

Maggie, thank you so much for taking time out of your busy schedule to talk with us. I know our readers will love your story. Thank you!

You can follow Maggie on Twitter @MaggiePhilbin and read her blog here