Screw the Naysayers

Lucy Schalkwijk is a Women's Empowerment Champion and Founder and Chair of the Career Women's Network Kigali, in the African country of Rwanda. She also holds a senior management position for a German subsidiary where she is responsible for all Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) activities in Rwanda.

Born in the Netherlands Lucy has always been a person that attempts to break out of patterns. She moved to Belgium to do her studies and then began a career in finance. Then the financial crisis hit. After the birth of her first child she decided it was time to return to her original dream, which was to travel. So she moved to Burundi and started working in international development. Four years later, and pregnant with her third child, she moved to Rwanda.

She loved her work but a series of events made it obvious to Lucy that the workplace was not set up to work for women as it works for men. Instead of complaining about it Lucy founded the Career Women’s Network Kigali. What began as an informal monthly gathering has now grown into an organization with more than 400 members.

In this episode Lucy talks about the systemic barriers that are holding women back including unconscious gender bias. Lucy was speaking to me from Rwanda but the issues she describes are the same ones career women face around the world. Lucy is an inspiring, articulate, and passionate voice that needs to be amplified.  Enjoy.

You can reach Lucy at:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lucyschalkwijk/   

Please do not hesitate to reach out to me. I’d love to hear your thoughts, comments, and stories, or just make a connection.

Anna Sabino is a personal branding/business building strategist, a career coach, an author, and host of Anna Talks, a daily video show.

Those of us that know Anna on LinkedIn have grown accustomed to seeing her smiling face on video each and every day. When I noticed that Anna Talks was coming up on its one year anniversary, I thought it would be cool to honour her work on Screw the Naysayers. That’s the cool thing about being a podcast host. I get to do things like that.

Anna’s story is fascinating on so many levels. Born in Poland, Anna set her sights on the Big Apple with dreams of working on Wall Street. Her lofty goal attracted many naysayers, but that didn’t phase Anna. Her first stop was France where she went to University, and then she made the leap across the pond. Anna didn’t know any better and started applying for jobs online. Much to her surprise her approach worked.

Then came the big let down. Her dream life didn’t live up to her big expectations. A restlessness started to stir in Anna, in many ways driven by her  desire to control her own schedule. So she did the unthinkable, left her Wall Street career, and started her own business.

In this episode, Anna talks about her journey, explains how she made the transition from employment to location independent entrepreneur. She also share valuable tips on client attraction strategies, and even shares her strategies for getting spots on popular podcasts! Enjoy.

You can reach Anna at:

Please do not hesitate to reach out to me. I’d love to hear your thoughts, comments, and stories, or just make a connection.

In this episode of Tim Talks I bring attention to one of the most common mistakes new business owners make. They find the courage to start their own business, but then in an effort to avoid further risk, refuse to pay for advice. The truth is most small businesses will spend a minimum of $50-$75k in the first 2-3 years. Most of this money is spent on tactical short term activities, often with poor results. There is an alternative. 

Tabitha Cavanagh a.k.a. Tab The Recruiter is a Sales & Marketing recruiter, public speaker, a colon cancer survivor and a kickass mom. Tabitha is determined to live life on her terms and to set the best possible example she can for her daughter.

At age 31 Tabitha was diagnosed with Stage 3 colon cancer. She had only been married for 4 months and her daughter was not even two years old. It’s the kind of news that can bring a lot of people to their knees. Not Tabitha. I could just feel the fierceness in her voice when she explained that there was no way anyone was going to take her away from her family.

In this conversation we went deep into the impact cancer had on her mindset. I’ll give you a hint. Tabitha makes it clear that cancer changes what we see as a problem. She also makes it clear that her focus is on enjoying every minute that she has, and not stressing over getting more time.

As a parent Tabitha knows that the best way she can teach her daughter is to live be example. You won’t find a disconnect between the advice she has for her daughter and the way she lives her life.

This episode is just a slice of real life from a truly inspiring woman. Enjoy…

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tabtherecruiter/   

Please do not hesitate to reach out to me. I’d love to hear your thoughts, comments, and stories, or just make a connection.

Andrew Haley is a Paralympic Gold Medalist and two time World Champion in swimming. As a child, Andrew had cancer twice and each time was given a 35% chance to pull through. It was a battle to survive but survive he did. Andrew ultimately lost part of his right leg and part of his left lung. His life changed at the age of 15 when he joined the local swim team. To use Andrew’s words, that’s when he found his happy place.

That’s not to say that it was easy. In this raw and open conversation Andrew speaks about the many challenges he’s faced, including being afraid to show his body to the world and being disqualified at the paralympics. While still competitively swimming, Andrew began his business career in sales. He worked in sales for one of Canada’s highest profile sports team, never once missing his sales goal over a 13+ year stay. With that level of success Andrew thought he was insulated. He wasn’t. With a change at the top of management came a decision to eliminate Andrew’s department. At the time of this interview Andrew was still looking for work. It makes you wonder what a person has to do to keep a job these days.

Andrew is a champion on so many levels. He truly believes that anything is possible and that with hard work and determination you can choose your own destiny. As the father of 2 young children Andrew is adamant that parents need to step up and educate their kids to believe in the possibilities, while also instilling in them the continuous need to learn.

This discussion provides a fascinating insight into the mind of a Champion.  Enjoy.

You can reach Andrew at:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ahaley1/  

Please do not hesitate to reach out to me. I’d love to hear your thoughts, comments, and stories, or just make a connection.

iTunes: https://apple.co/2LkWSPV