It was difficult to be a normal teen for Despina Hapeshis (or Des, for short), particularly because she was a refugee. Eyes were always on her and bullies often made fun of her background.  To be truthful to yourself and to live your life when so many saw you differently was difficult.

In this episode of the Raising Successful Kids Podcast, we hear more of Des’ personal stories and even her passion project turned business, the Transforme Fitness. It’s through Transforme that she helps people achieve transformations in their lives and relationships. Learn more about how she was able to keep her chin up whilst growing up differently and how she continues to inspire others by listening in today.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Des was born in Cyprus, but she and her family had to seek refuge from different countries during her childhood. It was in 1999 when she and her family moved to England and then stayed there for good.
  • Contrary to most refugees, Des, as an extrovert, got along well with other people easily. There was a culture shock at first, but she was always adaptable and ready to learn. Being surrounded by other Cypriots in her neighbourhood helped a lot.
• Though Des became a medical doctor, she didn’t feel that was where she should be. She was happy that she was helping others, but felt there was something else out there for her. Then, she discovered Zumba.
• At first, she was only planning Zumba to be a side hobby, but it crossed her mind that she could do this for the rest of her life, she could train others and help them achieve their fitness goals. So this is what she did. It made her happy to see others being the best versions of themselves.
• Influencing a community involves responsibility and compassion. It’s the people who should be at the centre of your cause, not you. The priority lies in bettering them, guiding them to attain their transformation. Everything else is will follow—the fulfilment, success, and even wealth.
• For kids, it’s important to not to pamper them. While, yes, parents and educators are big influences, keep enough distance for them to discover and find their values and skills. It is also important to instil some discipline and responsibility as early as possible.
• Success leaves clues. It’s easy to learn from other people’s journeys. You can tweak it according to your needs and capabilities. It should be easy to do this if you’re self-aware and determined to push forward. Des suggests that you find a coach or a mentor that jives with you so you have someone who can be there alongside you.

BEST MOMENTS

• “The wealth will come but the wealth is not just money.” - Irene
• “We become slaves of our business.” – Des
• “You don’t know how far our ripples of our lives are gonna touch. So, you have a responsibility… whenever you are teaching kids or young people.” – Irene
• “If you have an element of faith in your life, it’s like adding an extra ingredient into a dish to make it tastier.”
• “Never stop seeking. Search deeper. Be open-minded. Your life is your life. You’re responsible. You’re able. You have the power inside you to make your choices.”

VALUABLE RESOURCES

• Listen to the Raising Successful Kids Podcast on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/raising-successful-kids-podcast/id1378597983

ABOUT THE GUEST

Despina Hapeshis runs Transforme Fitness.

She is the daughter of refugee parents who came to England from war torn Cyprus. Des became a qualified doctor and scientist but gave all of that up following a severe bout of anxiety and depression.

She has built a successful fitness business for women, along with a community of people that help and inspire. Des has always been passionate in helping people to build community and see transformations in lives and through friendships.

• Connect with Despina Hapeshis on LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/despina-hapeshis -14884237

ABOUT THE HOST

Irene Santineer is a working mum of an entrepreneurial child and shares a passion with her husband to see him succeed. She’s the creator and host of the Raising Successful Kids Podcast which aims to help parents, educators and mentors effectively guide children towards success.

 CONTACT METHOD

https://www.facebook.com/Irene-Santineer-1827282224265825/

https://twitter.com/irenetwin1

How is it lately being stuck with your kids 24/7? For some, the current living situation might be very difficult and also have a significant impact on family dynamics.

In this episode of Raising Successful Kids Podcast, Irene talks to Elaina Jones about how parents and children can cope together during this very worrying and stressful period. Irene also reminds us that it’s important to keep a check on our mental health and maintain healthy relationships. Tune in as she gives you tips on how you can survive all of this as well as annihilate the stigma of mental health.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• How can parents and kids cope together during the coronavirus quarantine?
  • If you’re anxious about the pandemic and the new living situation, learn how to work out your feelings and communicate it to your kids.
  • Treat them as important as anyone in the family. Don’t coddle them. Respect their input, so they’ll listen to you.
  • Schedule family activities. This can help beat the cabin fever. Or let them volunteer to do some chores in the house. This way they also learn about responsibility.
• Social media has its pros and cons. For some, this is where they get news updates. Elaina Jones advises choosing what and who you see on your news feed or timeline. If someone makes you feel bad about yourself, think twice. Maybe it’s time to cut them off. You’ll find the right people (the ones who help you grow) soon.
• Attend a therapy with your family. When we’ve exhausted every way to reach out, and nothing’s still working out, then maybe it’s time to consider an intervention. Openly communicating thoughts and sentiments among family members is always possible.
• What are the traits of successful people?
  • Happiness and wellness. When people are happy with what they’re doing, they try to step out of the confined box and take on fresh adventures.
  • They’re aware of their failures and they’re unafraid to face and get through them.

BEST MOMENTS

• “The things that make us comfortable, look at them if they’re making situations worse.”
• “It takes courage to say, ‘I will not fall for it.’”
• “Find your people. Find your tribe. Find those who you truly feel good about yourself.”
• “Kids know when you talk them down.”

VALUABLE RESOURCES

• Listen to the Raising Successful Kids Podcast on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/raising-successful-kids-podcast/id1378597983

ABOUT THE GUEST

Elaina Jones is the host of Cope Queens Podcast, which is on a mission to annihilate the stigma of mental health. Alongside this, she is a Learning and Development professional with over 15 years of business experience. Among her areas of expertise are instructional design, course / curriculum design and development, adult learning principles, learning styles and multiple intelligences, course implementation, needs analysis, evaluation and measurement, leadership development and coaching, stakeholder analysis and management, process improvement, and employee engagement.

ABOUT THE HOST

Irene Santineer is a working mum of an entrepreneurial child and shares a passion with her husband to see him succeed. She’s the creator and host of the Raising Successful Kids Podcast which aims to help parents, educators and mentors effectively guide children towards success.

 CONTACT METHOD

https://www.facebook.com/Irene-Santineer-1827282224265825/

https://twitter.com/irenetwin1

We’re in the middle of a lockdown because of the COVID-19 outbreak. And for sure, for parents who have a teenager stuck at home, they might be at their wits’ end right now.

In this episode of the Raising Successful Kids Podcast, Irene shares how to deal with strong-willed teens. She herself has been trying her very best to engage with her son, who has been locking himself inside his bedroom a lot. Though we refuse to accept it, our kids will grow up, mature, and form their own opinions. They now have their own preferences and know their own boundaries. Learn how to communicate with your strong-willed teens today.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• The lockdown has changed how things work inside the house. Irene doesn’t have to wake up that early, but has to do in-house exercises instead. Her husband, who manages their business from home even before the lockdown, likes it though since his family keeps him company. Her son, though, has been spending his time inside his room.
• Your kids will grow up and mature. Your child has now become more independent. They think critically and form their own opinions. Call them stubborn or strong-willed, but this is something you should be happy about. We can’t control them.
• There are some things, though, that you still need to butt in for. For their own welfare and safety. Check in and remind them of the importance of limits and boundaries. Openly communicate. Since you live in one house, let them know how important it is that they also be mindful of other people’s presence.
• Recognise too if it’s you who’s the problem. You might cling to a carefree youngster that won’t ever get old. Face the fact that they will grow up. Instead of trying to relive your kid’s childhood, why don’t you enjoy and be supportive of their new journey instead?

BEST MOMENTS

• “I am not expecting him to be hanging on my coattails all the time, but it has become of a challenge to get him spend the time with us.”
• “This push and pull between teenagers and parents is perfectly normal. It’s something that we should be aware is going to happen.”
• “You have to acknowledge what you’re feeling, part of the reaction you’re going through, is because you’re not prepared.”

VALUABLE RESOURCES

Raising Successful Kids Podcast

ABOUT THE HOST

Irene Santineer is a working mum of an entrepreneurial child and shares a passion with her husband to see him succeed. She’s the creator and host of the Raising Successful Kids Podcast which aims to help parents, educators and mentors effectively guide children towards success.

 CONTACT METHOD

https://www.facebook.com/Irene-Santineer-1827282224265825/

https://twitter.com/irenetwin1

In this episode, Kay shares some great advice and practical tips on how to start and grow a successful online business.

Having an online business is a powerful way of helping other people and an effective way to reach people you wouldn’t otherwise be able to access.

Your online business could be an extension of your passion or based on a product or service you already have but there are key processes that you need to have in place and follow to ensure success.

Kay explains how to get organised, plan, market and build a trusted team, listen in and get started because it’s always the right time to start an online business.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Organisation - This is a vital element for any online business and needs to be in place from the start.
• It’s essential to success as not working in an organised way will slow your progress.
• Planning  - If you are starting an online business in addition to other daily commitments such as work or university then block out time slots to ensure you can achieve the required tasks.
• Make your daily actions achievable steps in the process that will result in you meeting the goals you have set over the longer term.
• Promotion - Be visible and active on all social media consistently, different people use different platforms so you need to have an effective presence across all platforms.
• Share your passion and pride in your business when you are communicating with others – this will be why they tell others about you.
• Mental and Physical well-being - Make sure you are accessing information that will help to build your mental well-being.
• Stay hydrated and eat the right foods – It’s important to develop mental health strength, you need to be able to cope with all types of people and situations.
• Build a team - Have a team around you of people that you can trust and rely on. They don’t have to be people employed by you but they need to be people who can help you if you have a particular challenge to overcome, to ensure you can serve your customers.

BEST MOMENTS

‘It’s essential to your success to be organised’

‘Until you get the first sale it can be very challenging but when you help the first person you will know that you can do it again’

‘To be successful in your business you need to remain mentally strong and physically fit’

VALUABLE RESOURCES

Raising Successful Kids Podcast

ABOUT THE HOST

Irene Santineer is a working mum of an entrepreneurial child and shares a passion with her husband to see him succeed. She’s the creator and host of the Raising Successful Kids Podcast which aims to

help parents, educators and mentors effectively guide children towards success.

CONTACT METHOD

https://www.facebook.com/Irene-Santineer-1827282224265825/

https://twitter.com/irenetwin1

‘I’ve seen people stumble through the traditional curriculum year after year and come out with nothing at the end. Ultra is an amazing vehicle that exposes you to an entrepreneurial mindset’

Irene is with Nathan Shillingford at the Ultra children’s event. They discuss Nathan’s drive to create better opportunities for young people and the events in his own journey that have fuelled his passion for creating the ultimate legacy, listen in and find out more.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• I followed the expected route through education and after obtaining my degree I expected I would get a job.
• I found myself in the world of self-employment through adversity
• The challenges have helped me find my ’why’ and it’s developing the entrepreneurial skills that will enable our young people to gain experience and the skills they need to move forward successfully.
• I co-foundered ‘the future melting pot’ supporting young people in gaining work experience and upskilling their existing skill sets.
• I believe the tradition systems are restricting the talents and gifts our young people have they need an alternative route.
• Our young people need to be exposed to success and understand how they can achieve it.
• For me, Ultra is a way of giving back and making sure there is a legacy.
• We have to show them who they are not what they are.
• We are learning from each other and it’s an ongoing process.
• Once you learn you need to be able to apply what you have learnt and continue to develop your skills.
• It’s about developing the individual.
• We are working from our passion, creating more opportunities and showing young people how they can create their own opportunities.

BEST MOMENTS

‘The future melting pot helps hard to reach young people gain the experience and skills they need to move forward’

‘I found myself in the world of self-employment through adversity’

‘I’ve seen people stumble through the traditional curriculum year after year and come out with nothing at the end’

VALUABLE RESOURCES

Raising Successful Kids Podcast

Ultra Education

ABOUT THE HOST

Irene Santineer is a working mum of an entrepreneurial child and shares a passion with her husband to see him succeed. She’s the creator and host of the Raising Successful Kids Podcast which aims to help parents, educators and mentors effectively guide children towards success.

CONTACT METHOD

https://www.facebook.com/Irene-Santineer-1827282224265825/

https://twitter.com/irenetwin1

Irene is speaking to Helen Pritchard, founder of a hugely successful coaching and training business specialising in LinkedIn for lead generation. Helen built a  successful business on LinkedIn leads and now she teaches others how to do this. She is focused on helping others attract the clients they really want through understanding their ideal avatar and being able to generate productive inbound leads.

Her approach is different and has helped people move away from viewing LinkedIn as a recruitment platform to being able to use it as a business tool.

What she doesn’t know about LinkedIn isn’t worth knowing and in this in-depth episode she shares her story, achievements and motivation. As a successful business owner, Helen knows exactly what it takes to achieve the life you want, listen in to find out how you can too.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• LinkedIn is very powerful for me and using it my way completely changed my life and the fledgling business I had founded.
• I knew who my ideal avatar was - a middle-aged guy with a brick and mortar business who knew about social media but didn’t want to do it so would pass it over to me.
• I knew what I had to earn each month to survive – my ‘need to earn’ amount
• I only teach how about how I use LinkedIn for my business.
• I used my LinkedIn page as a landing page instead of an online CV.
• I’d been in the marketing space for some time and I understood marketing techniques.
• I knew that I had to grab attention with my headline because everybody sees that part.
• I’m not for everyone and my ideal client isn’t for everyone, I wanted that ideal fit with someone who appreciated my direct approach.
• When you make a decision that something not going well and you pivot you have to be prepared to go all in.
• The process works whatever the business, I wanted to help the 10 years ago me and I became the LinkedIn woman.
• Earning money is different when you are earning it in a way that lights you up.
• Money flows through you and it is high vibrational money that brings energy and motivation.
• We can use adversity as an excuse or as a catalyst using the energy to do something great.
• Whatever you chose to do it has to be something aligned with your values that you are going to enjoy doing every day.
• If I can do it anybody can do it, we are at an incredible intersection with technology and knowledge.
• Part of raising successful kids is being a role model and my children have always seen me having a full and interesting life.
• I live my life on my terms and they need to live theirs how they want to.
• Investing time and energy finding out how my mind works has been a journey of self-discovery.
• It’s about becoming a master of your own mind. Once you understand you have the control then anything is possible.
• I’m open and honest with my children about mental health and wellbeing.
• We are winging it every day, there is no manual that comes with children, but they are winging it too.
• The key to raising successful children is not positioning your version of success on them and enabling them to be comfortable with who they are and showing up in the world.

BEST MOMENTS

‘You can’t make something new fly until you let go’

‘Symbolic things and rewarding yourself are important’

‘The person who inspires me most is me because I understand that no one is going to save me except me’

‘Money doesn’t make you happy but it helps to address the hierarchical need for security by ensuring you can pay your bills and have a home’

VALUABLE RESOURCES

Raising Successful Kids Podcast

Helen Pritchard website

Helen Pritchard LinkedIn

ABOUT THE HOST

Irene Santineer is a working mum of an entrepreneurial child and shares a passion with her husband to see him succeed. She’s the creator and host of the Raising Successful Kids Podcast which aims to help parents, educators and mentors effectively guide children towards success.

CONTACT METHOD

https://www.facebook.com/Irene-Santineer-1827282224265825/

https://twitter.com/irenetwin1

Darren is passionate about entrepreneurship and in particular young entrepreneurial people. When he started out Darren didn’t know what an entrepreneur was and after several unsuccessful businesses failed he founded Expert Apps a company that is now generating 8 figures.

As a workaholic, he has along his journey faced many challenges and has had to understand what motivates him to move forward.

This podcast has something for everyone and is a great opportunity to hear about the importance of sticking with it and finding your own ‘why’ – even if it’s not you are expecting.

Listen in and enjoy.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

What is your ‘why’

This is a question that is often asked and I have been very honest with myself and others – my why is the need to be significant. For years I was the one who couldn’t connect and wasn’t going to go anywhere.

I felt I was unable to achieve, but I have to acknowledge that the need for significance has shaped who I am

Blending the entrepreneurial businessman with a family

I balance it because in the past I neglected my family and wasn’t present and ultimately it cost me my relationship and living a normal life.

I balance my business with my relationships because I know what will happen if I don’t put in the time to keep my relationships going.

Staying connected

I connect and disconnect repeatedly

The hardest thing has been letting them make their own mistakes

But I understand that everyone’s mistakes make them stronger

How you speak to your kids and conflict management are the key to successful relationships with them

In the past part of my problem was my ‘minimum wage mentality

Because I was undereducated and thought I was worthless I didn’t think I was worth more than the minimum wage.

I try to teach my children about their worth.

I lead by example because I don’t want them to only think they are worth the minimum wage.

It’s about having a choice, understanding there are different possibilities

There will be challenges in any journey and it’s about moving through them to achieve success.

BEST MOMENTS

‘I didn’t even know what entrepreneurial meant’

I was 10 years in business earning less than the minimum wage’

‘It will never happen again as a result of my actions’

‘I finally got my wife and kids back and we had to completely rebuild our relationship’

‘We’ve got to learn from each other’

VALUABLE RESOURCES

Raising Successful Kids Podcast

Darren Galvin LinkedIn

Darren Galvin FaceBook

Expert Apps

ABOUT THE HOST

Irene Santineer is a working mum of an entrepreneurial child and shares a passion with her husband to see him succeed. She’s the creator and host of the Raising Successful Kids Podcast which aims to help parents, educators and mentors effectively guide children towards success.

CONTACT METHOD

https://www.facebook.com/Irene-Santineer-1827282224265825/

https://twitter.com/irenetwin1

‘They are always passionate about what you are passionate about’

In this episode, Irene's son Caiden discusses his journey with Ultra and the role they have played in the development of his multiple businesses.

He has been involved with them for several ways and attended numerous events so is able to offer a great perspective on what has worked for him and why.

Also discussed is how technology can be used to facilitate business and develop self-education.

Technology can break down the barriers for young entrepreneurs because if you are getting the job done and doing it well then your age shouldn’t be important.

The social media space is a second home for the majority of teenagers so running a business as a young entrepreneur has many positives but this has to be balanced with interaction with real people it is a continual learning process for everyone involved.

Listen in and find out what this young entrepreneur thinks in this inspiring episode.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• First impressions
• It took time for me to get involved but now I’m able to take advice when and where I need it
• Ultra provided an opportunity to meet and discuss our businesses with an international brand consultant.
• A live streaming event by Ultra provided a great opportunity for networking and the opportunity to see what the next level of Ultra looks like. What you could aspire to
  
  TAKEAWAYS
  
  

BEST MOMENTS

‘We wanted Caiden to have every opportunity and junior entrepreneurship was a great way to further his entrepreneurial journey’

‘It was very useful to me working 1 on 1 because he was working only with me and focusing on my business’

‘It’s not about your age it’s about your following and credibility’

‘Social media has helped people to connect with big influencers from older generations’

Lots of school homework is set online’

‘He is a strong-willed person but he is getting to an age where he has to be responsible for himself’

VALUABLE RESOURCES

Young Achievers Podcast

ABOUT THE GUEST

Caiden Santineer is an inspiring young entrepreneur, sharing ideas and experiences to help you achieve your goals and dreams, however young you are. Caiden Santineer is an Author and YouTuber interviewing high net-worth individuals and business owners bringing you their tips to success.  

CONTACT METHOD

• Caiden Santineer Instagram
• Caiden Santineer - YouTube Channel
• Caiden Santineer - Twitter

ABOUT THE HOST

Irene Santineer is a working mum of an entrepreneurial child and shares a passion with her husband to see him succeed. She’s the creator and host of the Raising Successful Kids Podcast which aims to help parents, educators and mentors effectively guide children towards success. 

CONTACT METHOD 

https://www.facebook.com/Irene-Santineer-1827282224265825/ 

https://twitter.com/irenetwin1 

Irene is talking with Rob Smallbone, Number 1 best-selling author, co-host of the Property Nomads podcast and a founder of the Property Nomads company - a sourcing and management business for properties in and around Hull and Bournemouth. 

In this in-depth interview, Irene and Rob discuss how things started and the skills Rob values. 

If you have an entrepreneurial youngster then this episode is a must providing great advice about the skills that really make a difference and foster success. 

Being successful comes in many formats and its’ good to encourage young people to think differently listen in and find out more. 

KEY TAKEAWAYS 

• The travelling changed me – from being materialistic to being more entrepreneurial and wanting to be the shaper of my own destiny. 

• It took less than 5 years to move from being materialistic, working for someone else and thinking that was how it had to be, to the opposite gaining time back, and understanding you can be whatever you want to be. 
• Keeping a journal where you focus in-depth on one thing you are grateful for each day is a positive daily habit. 
• As entrepreneurs we talk about freedom and the paradox is that to create really good time freedom you need to be disciplined with your time and have a routine. 
• Being disciplined is an important element of being successful 
• Young entrepreneurs need to learn that it is not all about doing it yourself, leveraging is an important aspect of any business. 

• Surround yourself with knowledgeable people and find out what you are good at and not so good at. 
• Know what your strengths are,  focus on these and work with people who can complement your skills. 
• Make sure there are people in your network who are more successful than you so you can learn from them and grow. 
• Every year I set goals in 7 different areas; Personal wealth, Business, Mental, Energy, Physical, Spiritual and Emotional. 
• Goal setting is the key to success, if I had been taught this skill earlier on I would have been further on in my journey 

• Writing it down gives you something to work towards and a better sense of direction 
• If you break goals down into achievable steps for younger people it teaches the skill without it being overwhelming. 
• Those people who are successful have set goals, it's ok not to reach the goals but you should be constantly updating them. 
• If you don’t achieve you need to review why and learn from it moving forward. 
• Curiosity can be used in many ways and being curious is positive when working in property. 

• In business you need to focus but also have the necessary periphery vision to understand how you can make all aspects mesh together. 

BEST MOMENTS 

‘If you are in a closed mind state, opportunities pass by and you do not see them because of your state of mind’ 

‘They thought life would go on and on, they were too comfortable and had no motivation to change anything’ 

‘If you start getting it ingrained into your system early on you can implement it successfully’ 

VALUABLE RESOURCES 

Raising Successful Kids Podcast   

Buy-to-Let: How to Get Started book by Rob Smallbone 

The Property Nomads Podcast Series 

The Property Nomads 

 Rob Smallbone Facebook 

ABOUT THE HOST 

Irene Santineer is a working mum of an entrepreneurial child and shares a passion with her husband to see him succeed. She’s the creator and host of the Raising Successful Kids Podcast which aims to help parents, educators and mentors effectively guide children towards success. 

CONTACT METHOD 

https://www.facebook.com/Irene-Santineer-1827282224265825/ 

https://twitter.com/irenetwin1