Becoming Financially Fabulous!

Hello Gorgeous!

What's your money mindset?

Most of us have a terrible blue print around money.   But if you want to, you can change your money mindset and start creating some serious wealth for yourself.  I know this because I've seen a serious shift in my bank account since I've been doing the work around my own money mindset.

To change your belief system around money there are 3 steps:

1. Understand your past money dramas
2. Become aware of your current situation
   • You cannot change what you don't know about
   • You’ve got to draw your attention to the issues
3. Reconditioning your mindset to create your new money story

Then I want you ask yourself the question - what is the frequency that I amputting out there? Because what you think about you bring about. 

When we found out we were pregnant with our baby girl Chloë, we knew we needed to move to a bigger home. So, we sold our lovely little flat in a leafy suburb of London and moved to bigger apartment about half a mile away. It was such a great summer. I was pregnant, the sun shone and we planned the layout and design of our new dream home. We excitedly pressed on to realise our dream home and hired a builder to help us. A little after a month into our renovations we realised that we had hired a cowboy builder who was a transpired to be a drug addict, and he had stolen a large sum of our cash. It was money that had taken years to save.

I was scared, and we had no money left. At the lowest point, I phoned the bank and asked them transfer my last £40 from my savings to my checking account so I could pay a small chunk of the builders merchants bill. 

I had no idea where the next penny was going to come from, we were in serious financial trouble. Our home was in tatters and we had to piece it back together again, but we had no money. 

Thankfully, this is when I discovered the power of your money mindset. Idiscovered pretty quickly that the key to making massive money in my business, was to build a better relationship with money. Instead of putting my head in the sand when it came to my finances, I mastered my money flow and monitored everything that was coming in and going out in my bank account.

My coach helped me listed out all my past money dramas and one by one I started to understand how they had impacted the way I think about money today.  It was uncomfortable, emotional work but it seriously helped me make the shift that I needed!  …what had become very clear to me is you need to get out of your comfort zone - your comfort zone is in direct proportion to your income zone!

If you are not happy with the number in your bank account you need to stretch yourself.  You can't go any further unless you stretch yourself.

I look forwards to hearing all about the shifts that you have made in your life financially and the changes you have seen.  

Make today the start of your richer life.  And let’s start creating some serious wealth, so together we can change the world.

You can learn much more about how to change your money blueprint by taking my self-study course.   Click here. 

https://www.sarahbennettnash.com/financially-fabulous/becoming-financially-fabulous

...This one is a bit emosh! My top 5 tips to becoming resilient

Hello Gorgeous! 

This is turning out to be pretty incredible week. Whoop whoop!!!  

After a year long, roller coaster of a journey that almost broke my marriage (shocker!) we moved into our new little pad in North London.  I’m thoroughly exhausted but elated that we are in.  There is still a way to go finishing everything off, but we have a brand new apartment and it's amazing that we have space for our little family. I’m so grateful to everyone who helped get us to this point!  …so, so incredibly grateful.

I genuinely never knew that I could be so resilient, the human body never ceases to amaze me.  Here's a brief summary of my year so far - make a bold decision to do housing renovations whilst heavily pregnant, queue the entry of a cowboy builder into our lives, set up a brand new business venture, newborn baby arrives, relocation of the Bennett-Nashs’ to a friends house with newborn (yes they really are that amazing!) near marriage breakdown, financial meltdown, get hired to work with some incredible ladies who have set up AMAZING businesses, become a published blogger (WTF!).  I am so honoured to have been published in Thrive Global Magazine - click here to see my article 4 simple steps to break through self-limiting beliefs.  …WOW!  I can hardly believe it’s true myself after reading that list again! 

The Oxford English Dictionary states resilience as “The capacity to recover quickly from difficulties; toughness.” Resilience is an incredible powerful quality and it will pay you back dividends to focus on honing your skills in this area.  As an entrepreneur there will inevitably be times when you’re knocked down by life but if you can come back stronger, bolder and wiser it is incredibly empowering.  Failure wasn't an option, I wasn't going to become a victim of life’s circumstances!  

Just because grown in my resilience does not mean that I haven’t experienced difficulty or stress.  It’s been an emotional rollercoaster but I’ve honestly learnt so much; it has been a real journey of self discovery!  Here are my top tips to helping you along during your turbulent times.  

1. Take action

• There are days when the last thing you want to do is drag yourself out of bed and start hustling!  So, if you’re having a difficult day, week, month, be kind to yourself and celebrate your successes so far, no matter how small you may think they are.  
• Make your bed every single day.  This may seem like a small thing to do, but it sets the tone for the day, your first task achieved! It will also give you a sense of pride to have a tidy bed. 
• Don't bury your head in the sand.  Believe me, the problem won't go away, but by making the list and tackling each issue you will feel a million times better about things.

2. Build a strong network

• Building good relationships with like-minded people is fundamental to your success as an entrepreneur.
• Finding your tribe who share your undying, relentless passion for what you do is key to your ongoing success and will undoubtably pull you through those days when you feel like quitting. 
• Make real connections - sharing your goals with your business besties massively helps with building a sense of accountability.
• Sharing your successes and your struggles builds the sense of trust and mutual respect, and this is gold dust. Let’s face it we all need a kind and caring ear to listen to us every now and again. 

3. Revisit your vision board

• If you haven't got a vision board, what are you waiting for!  Regularly revisit the big picture; it's your big dream that will drive you through the tough times and stop you from focusing on the minor bumps in the road.
• Put your vision board front and centre where you will see it every single day.  It will guide your subconscious mind to continue seeking opportunities that you may very well resist if you are caught in the moment, and a cycle of negativity. 

4. Flip the switch on that negative mind chatter

• You can massively reduce the amount of stress that you feeling mounting from every day issues if you turn your problem(s) on it’s head.  Rather than thinking “why me”, learn from the experience and take a mental note of what you have learnt as a result of the issue.  Consider each complication, or failure as an opportunity to learn something new. Et voila! its no longer a failure it is wisdom in the making.
• Look to the future and focus on the outcome that you want from a particular circumstance.  Remember to listen to the logical side of your brain that tells you, you cannot change the past, but you can shape the future.  You absolutely be in charge with how you respond to a situation and drive the results to the outcome you want.   

5. Be kind to yourself  

• Why do we always leave ourselves last?  There is a very good reason why the cabin crew tell you to put on your oxygen mask first; you are no good to anyone if you don't take care of yourself! 
• Taking care of yourself means eating well and exercising. I know, I know, you might HATE exercise but a walk a day keeps the doctor away!  And take care of your appearance, putting on an outfit you love or adding a splash of your favourite lippy, gives you an instant lift.
• Carve out some time for yourself.
• Quit the comparison game (for some reason this runs rampant amongst women).  Most of us have big misconceptions about what other people are doing. We think they are getting more clients, making more money, marketing themselves better…blar, blar, blar!  In reality, you have no idea wether or not these things are happening. Comparing yourself to other people does not serve you - fact!     

You're in charge of the outcome; you've the choice to see the challenges as opportunities and grow from the difficult situations you experience.  Believe in yourself; you are strong enough to bounce back from adversity and you can reshape the outcome of any given situation.

So if you found this business advice useful, please share it with 2 or more people!

Love you all 

Sarah xxx

The Power of Clarity - Steps to Achieving Any Goal

Hello Gorgeous,

Welcome to September.  The final quarter of 2017.  I can hardly believe that we are here already, this year has absolutely FLOWN by.  Do you know what I mean?  

I love the autumn.  Everyone is back from their summer holidays revitalised, pumped up and ready to roll to the end of the year.  

Q4 is also a time for reflection.  How have you made a difference in 2017?  What have you achieved?  Have you achieved everything that you wanted to so far? If yes! Alleluia, well done you, I LOVE that!  …Now time to go and celebrate, whoop whoop! If no… well let’s not get down in the dumps about it just yet, there are still 4 months to go.  4 whole months to make a REAL difference.  

So let’s get started.  Answer me this, what has been holding you back?  Ready for some tough love …what excuses have you been creating to stop you taking that next step?  By the way, this is the next step that deep down you know you are ready for!

For years (yes years!)  I held myself back by telling myself “I pay the mortgage so I can't become my own boss, because we needed the security of a paycheck”.  I was stuck and I’d come to believe this fiction because I was REALLY scared to step out of my comfort zone.  TRUTH BOMB!   But by being brave and taking action I am now doing the thing I’ve been dreaming about for so long.  Even though some aspects of my life have been caving in around me, I feel the happiest I have felt in so long.  I have so much more balance in life, I love the challenges being an entrepreneur brings, and I absolutely LOVE the ladies that I work with. They inspire me to be a better human being every single day.  I am so happy, I can’t quite believe it some days.  

Are you ready to take the next step?  In this little note to you I have a FREE gift, in celebration of achieving one of my own personal goals this month. I launched a mini offer for the ladies in my private Facebook Group Fiercely Ambitious Entrepreneurs which was so much more successful than I could have imagined! The only reason I was able to gain this success is because I was and I am crystal clear on my goals.

I have a free workbook and bonus audio available for you to download - The Power of Clarity - Steps to Achieving Any Goal.

This incredible workbook will help you get started and enable you to create the success that you have been dreaming about for so long.  Let me know how you get on, I would LOVE to celebrate your successes with you. 

Anything is possible if you have the nerve.

Much love

Sarah xxx

Pinch yourself happy!

It is just me or does anyone else have dark days?  Apart from the death of my dear father the past year has been one of the most difficult of my entire life. I've never felt such a strong opposition of emotions before.   Such massive joys from the successes but huge pits of darkness from other aspects of my life.  Some days I’ve felt like spending all day sobbing. And yes, I've allowed myself to wallow a little.  I’ve taken myself off to the bathroom to cry on a few occasions, but then I’ve had a good chat with myself and snapped out of it.  It has been emotional, incredibly confusing, wonderful and brilliant; this is the rollercoaster we call life… with the twist of a new baby! 

What I’ve learnt this past year, is that nothing …and I mean nothing, is impossible if you've got the nerve.  I've done things that I never thought possible.  I've extended my financial reach more than ever before, I'm raising a child and with the support of an marvellous team including my husband we've completely renovated our home… oh and I’ve set up an incredible international business, learnt how become a marketeer and have completed 4 training courses, all whilst juggling diapers and sleepless nights.  

If you’d have asked me 2 years ago that this year would transpire as it has, I'd have laughed (a slightly crazed laugh) and then laughed at you some more.  

What has given me the motivation is my deep connection to my “why”.  I want to build an incredible life for my baby girl and our little family.  I want more than to see my child just at the weekends, work to pay a mortgage and have one holiday a year.  I want financial freedom.  I don't want to be reliant on a wage in an uncertain industry, where 10% of the workforce is cut annually, or to settle on not receiving the pay rise I so deserve.  I want inspire people just like you, to do the same and reach your true potential.  For years I told myself that I couldn't run my own business because I pay the mortgage; well this story I told myself simply isn’t true.  

Are you done with feeling stuck? And you know you are destined for more? Do you feel like you are poised for greatness?  Do you wish you could snap your fingers and have all your bills paid and a million in the bank.  This was me. 

One day I woke up feeling slightly depressed, I had all the same excuses running through my head.  I knew that I had to do something otherwise we would be in serious financial trouble, but I was still giving myself reason to bury my head in the sand.  The previous day I had heard about the Mel Robbins method of counting down 5-4-3-2-1 before making a big decision, and then I just did it… 

I took that bold next step and hired a coach.  Financially I thought I shouldn't but my heart was screaming to me; I needed to make a massive change in my life.  I lifted the drafted email that had sat in my outbox for months…. 5-4-3-2-1 and then I hit send, in a nano second it was off to my coaches inbox. I was scared of the financial commitment, but I did it anyway.  I said to myself “enough is enough, let’s get this show on the road” …and every single day, I am so grateful that I did! 

I couldn’t have achieved the success I have without my coach and mentor.  She guided me through some pretty dark days and she celebrates the successes with me too!  And right now I as sit writing this to you, I am enjoying every moment of the successes with the sun on my face, outside with my baby girl.  Right now in this moment I am ecstatically, can't quite believe it, pinch yourself happy!  

So, if you think hiring a coach is something that is right for you but you’re giving yourself excuses as to why you shouldn’t, practice Mel Robbins 5 second rule.  Count down from 5, and do the thing! Book a 30 minute discovery call with me. 

Coaching has changed my life and it may changes yours.  I cannot wait to hear from you!  

Much love

Sarah xxx

P.S. if you would like to see more details click here to take a look at my coaching programs.

Breaking through Self Limiting Beliefs

“We learn our belief systems as very little children, and then we move through life creating experiences to match our beliefs.  Look back in your own life and notice how often you have gone through the same experience. - Louise L. Hay”

What is your biggest fear? One of the most common answers to this question is that people are afraid to loose their job.  

Most of us think we have a problem in our lives until a bigger one comes along. Lets assume you have lost your job, it is not a problem until you loose your savings, but then that isn't a problem if you loose a leg, or your child gets sick.  

Once you start exploring this way of thinking you begin to understand that you are more than any moment.  There is no problem that you can't over come and your life is more than that one event.  Your life is controlled by the decisions that you make on a daily basis.  This is what will keep us playing small or really going for our dreams.  

So how do we overcome these limiting beliefs that hold us back?

You unlock your freedom when you face your fear and push through it; this is where the real transformation happens:

1. Identify where you are emotionally - guilty, overwhelmed, stuck, depressed, sad. You cannot change your life when you are stuck in these emotional states, there is not enough energy.  Once you identify the pattern and you see the truth, then you can decide how to fix the problem.
2. What is the antidote?  If fear is controlling things, the antidote is courage.  And in the present moment, being courageous may not necessarily feel good for you, but do it any way!  Push through the barrier.  Treat your emotions like a muscle, if you practice, you will get stronger.   People have patterns.  What is yours? Angry people get angry, sad people get sad.  This is where we naturally live in our “home” our comfortable place. We use triggers as events to get us “home”.  Identify the triggers and then find the antidote.  
3. Practice that emotion.  Know that you can change your frustrations. If you work out what is causing your frustrations, then you can start to take action.  Be consistent in working towards making the change.  Remember your natural instinct will be to go back to your natural “home”, but if you are aware of the trigger and keep practicing, soon a new muscle memory will kick in.
4. Condition the emotion - this is when your life changes, when your found new emotion is the new normal.  

I can attest, these steps do work.  From being a young child my learnt behaviour lead me to think that it was completely acceptable to loose control and have fits of angry rage.  Don't get me wrong, anger is completely normal, usually healthy human emotion.  But when it gets out of control it can be very destructive.  I learnt in my adult years, that getting angry doesn't actually solve the problem, it often exacerbates the issue. By practicing logically walking through an issue and by telling myself that “the world is not really out to get me” I slowly gained a more balanced perspective on life, and began to strip the drama out of my life …Sigh of relief!  

Identify a life where you feel empowered not out of control.  Join us at Fiercely Ambitious Entrepreneurs and be surrounded by likeminded, incredible women following their dreams xxx

The Happiness Plan

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Can you relate?

Hello hello gorgeous ladies! 

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

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

Maybe you can relate to that?

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

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

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

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

How To Grow Your Instagram Following

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

See below the comments from Janelle.

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

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

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

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

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

National Kindness Day

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

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

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

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

Much love

Sarah xx

Gratitude

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

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

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

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

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

Much love
Sarah
Xxx

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

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

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

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

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

Sarah xxxx

International Women's Day - #BeBoldForChange

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

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

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

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

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

Be Bold, Be Brave

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Fundemental Importance of the Right Mindset

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

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

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

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