Lifestyle Online

#Smiles has a life of its own.

Stories unfold through luck and adversity.

This #Smiles story has grown through insight and experience of pushing the boundaries in search of answers. These answers are now taking on a life of their own, due to the Social Media networking explosion.

My home background was strict and traditional. My dad was a ex WW2 RAF pilot, larger than life. My mum in comparison, was tiny in stature but a very proud, loving mother. Both born in Llanelli, the famous steel working, rugby town in South Wales. Dad became a Youth Leader pioneering the unthinkable building projects – improving youth relations with Southern Germany post WW2. Both my brother and sister travelled with him to Stuttgart, Heidelberg and Heidenheim on various occasions.

It was during one of those fateful exchanges, that I suffered a traumatic cycling accident, which paved my future interest in natural medicine. I spent many years having facial and dental reconstruction, as a result of that ‘head on collision’ with a concrete wall. Ouch! I was thirteen when this happened, a highly impressionable age. Most of my superficial scars healed with nothing more than camomile cream and camomile tea drunk through a straw for weeks. As a direct result of this accident, I am photo phobic!

My Grammar School was Llandeilo, famous for it’s choir, sport and academic prowess. I remember feeling very confused and torn between following my two loves that of Art and Sport. After much soul searching (I’ve always been a deep thinker) I weighed up my career options and decided to apply for Cardiff College to qualify as a teacher in both subjects to a Secondary level.

Looking back it was following the top Sporting people, who inspired me to follow my Corporate dream. Memories of my College days were of watching sport both ‘on and off’ the field. Studying at the same Cardiff College with the likes of Rugby legends, Gareth Edwards, JJ Williams, Alan Martin and so many more. There was a player in every Welsh Club from College, in the late 60’s, early 70’s!!

I watched endless ‘takes’ of our Sports lecturer Lynn ‘the leap’ Davies, win his Olympic Gold Medal. It was Lynn Davies who later gave me insight into the corporate retail world of fitness equipment, when he was Director for Diversified Products, Fforestfach Swansea.

Another sporting love was watching basketball when the Harlem Globetrotters first entertained us on TV. Then along came the legendary Michael Jordon, the Bulls basket ball player from Chicago, and he to this day became another of my Heroes.

“Some people want it to happen, some wish it would happen, others make it happen.” Michael Jordon.

Memories of these images exploding off billboards and screens. Michael Jordon became the face for Nike. Smiley slogan images have stayed with me for ever and a day.

Qualifying as a Comprehensive teacher and later a health tutor/promoter, did not allow me to experience the Corporate Social Media ‘Big Picture’. That desire led me to join the LCYMCA Training and Development Department and later Ford Motor Company.

My love of music, exercise and sport led me to London, Tottenham Court Road to study with the best of presenters, the late Lesley Mowbray and her husband Rodney Cullum then Directors of the LCYMCA and now Robin Cargrave, and Head of PE Sports Science Dept, Loughborough, Bob Smith who wrote so many Fitness and Stretching Books on Circuit Health for Teachers and Triathletes.

Watching classes for all cultures and all ages, from Andy Jacksons ‘Fit Kids’ to Susie Dinan’s ‘Senior Movement to Music’. I was asked to promote all their accredited Exercise Education courses, to South Wales through grants from Adult Education and Sports Council for Wales. I opened the first Comprehensive Fitness Centre for Swansea during this phase in my career.

Later in 1989, I was to read an advert in the Western Mail., Ford Motor Company were looking for someone to champion their Health and Fitness educational programme to their workforce. As a service provider, helping to facilitate Ford Motor Company, Swansea and Bridgend Health and Fitness programmes, added yet another dimension to a growing list of energetic passions, that being my love of Sports cars.

It was this year ‘89 when I first joined the Chamber of Commerce and these meetings brought me in touch with two very determined business women, who invited me to write a Customer Care module on relaxation for the internal customer. These three modules, the others were the internal and external customer, gained a National Customer Care training award. I included this training message in Social Media is it me you’re looking for?

During that period, I struggled to provide my service to two Corporate Ford Plants, due to a bitter divorce in 1993. I made the decision to work part time, keeping one consultancy, so that I could spend some much needed, healing time with my teenage children. During this painful period both my parents died and I was left looking for a place to live. My furniture and belongings from two family homes in storage.

For a short time during the financial settlement phase, I was forced to live in a bed and breakfast, while my teenage son lived with his girlfriends family and my daughter was studying at Cardiff University. That period was the darkest time of my life having been brought up in a secure, protective family home.

My teenage son started part time restaurant work, while studying for his Master Chef which he gained at 18 years of age. The three of us stuck together through this black period, while I tried finding part time consultancy work to survive.

Learning to smile again happened gradually, jogging, cycling then running next to the sea. It was in this life changing phase that I decided to continue my studies at the Health Care Unit in Swansea University. That year they were pioneering the first Counselling Diploma course.

Our family had been rocked and it took us sometime to recover, after such an emotional and financial setback. My faith and love for getting well, through fitness propelled me forward, to develop the corporate and consumer online business started in 1989.

Good times started again living next to the sea and my son went from strength to strength, being head-hunted to open new restaurants.

Being single again I went on holiday in Mallorca with my son ‘94. My daughter worked in Mallorca for three years in Admin and today is a Project Manager for Funding at Swansea University.

Here I am on a ‘girlie night out’ with Emma, my daughter and a good friend ‘95.

Having passed my Counselling course, I needed another challenge to develop Lifestyle Online further. Swansea College were running part time Cambridge Information technology certificate/diploma courses. This was a cathartic period for me, as I got a huge kick out of desktop publications.

I was to develop this further in 2001, when I persuaded my IT lecturer to co own a Internet Cyber Training Cafe, in the student heartland of Swansea. That lasted 5 years. Sadly, this small internet cyber training business, nose dived following the 9/11 disaster.

That tough lesson gave me a personal understanding about the enormous pressure and difficulties in running a small, seven day, internet business.

Meanwhile my son was having his tough lessons working all hours, as a head chef, which took it’s toil on him and his marriage to his college sweetheart. The marriage barely lasted two years. Never being involved with my son’s baby boy was to have a massive emotional impact on us as a family.

Yet another loss to recover from. One day my son came home and out of the blue announced ‘I’ve decided to finish head cheffing and join the Paratroopers!’ That bombshell took me awhile to get my head around but barely eight years later, he’s now qualified as a forward air command officer and will be returning to Afghanistan for his third tour, later in 2010 year. He now tells me that if he had shared that information with me at the time, he knew I would give him my viewpoint. I accepted his decision with grace.

Looking for more consultancy challenges in 2007/08 I set up, interviewed and trained staff for the first Curves – A 30 minute circuit gym ‘for women only’ in Swansea. This project was to finish after 6 months and so I decided to join the Waterfront BNI to contribute to the new Millennium Chapter of the City.

Offering my new Lifestyle Online Business with Smiles coaching style. For me the BNI was very financially biased and I decided to dig deep and look for a Global network to develop my Corporate Well-being brand for #Smiles on Social Media.

One day online, I received an invite to join ecademy, from a fellow BNI member, having met up with her during a IOD Young Entrepreneur Award in Cardiff. This new challenge coincided with my daughter’s wedding. She knew my son was to return to Afghanistan for his second operational tour and wanted to set the date before he left.

My daughters Wedding Day, September 8th ‘08 – Rhys my son, giving her away.

Contributing to Ecademy’s networking I joined the Master Net worker, Victor Marques to promote ecademy with his fine Wines and Olive Oil.

Networking Victor Marques Wine Tasting Events with Nicholas Collis Ambassador and Tanya Igic – Marlborough Nov. ‘08.

Linkedin was my first introduction to social media then joining ecademy brought me full circle, back to Sport through my love of Rugby and the Ecademy Cricket Club!!

Making fabulous new contacts like Jim Ziegler and Jack Kuperman                     who encouraged me to start blogging and Simon Jones ‘Web Wizard’, who installed Word Press for me. Some really helpful members who have now left but I still remain in contact with through FB and Twitter.

Setting up Clubs on Ecademy. A mischievous, loveable member called Keith Whitney invited me to co lead his Inch Club. He and several others wanted to lose weight, so I added my professional Smiles to the Inch Club and combined it with my Wellbeing Club . For me health is total well-being embracing a lifestyle of Smiles.

Joining Twitter @LifestyleOnline for me has been exciting, as it compliments my speed and love of networking. With the ease of making connections on twitter, I decided to set up another Club on ecademy called the #Twunch Club. So far this year, I’ve managed to arrange three #Twunch events. My next one is billed for Jan 22nd at La Parilla. SA1 8PL.

I sincerely believe you need to meet for a 121 to move any business relationship forward. With this in mind and out of being ‘there’ in Spirit I dedicated this Can always hear a smile to Sadie Murray, who I actively encouraged to launch Ecademy USA Chicago.

My list of friends in ecademy continues, Suhad Jarrar Bowne, Emma James, Mehmet Yildiz, Wayne Conyers, Victor Marques and Milton Rodriguez have been simply amazing connections and faithful supporters.

I naturally inspire and influence connections through example. So I was only too pleased to encourage another dear connection to enjoy his passion for sport and music. Milton Rodriguez became a loyal connection and I actively promoted the idea of his taking the lead in organising ecademy’s first Cricket Match on September 20th. Just before this invite, I was finally diagnosed having had a cat-scan with osteopenia the stage before osteoporosis.

So determined as ever to lead a full and active life, I went to add my #Smiles along with Ecademy Founders, Thomas and Penny Power plus their two boys Ross and TJ. Meeting the Power family was ‘icing on the cake’. My other lovely connection John Cassidy                    , who I had previously met for a ‘one to one’ in Swansea was there to capture the #Smiles – Having a Ball

Like X Factor has brought opportunity and heart to the screen, both here in the UK and America, striking a note between hopes and dreams. Inspire Dream Achieve Making dreams a reality is what inspirational people do with #Smiles lighting up a room. It’s an inner belief in your self. It is having an opportunity to meet other inspirational people, who can help you full fill your dreams and hopes, if you dare. Collaborating through Social Media networks, can bring about new ideas and a fresh approach to sharing those positive dreams.

Next comes doing it and having that ‘Isn’t Life Good?’ feeling as opposed to shovelling mud up hill, which gives you that inner Smile.

Recently, I received a tweet from a connection I have met, like and follow, called John Booth who twittered ‘#Smiles is taking on a life of its own then’. Another new connection called InsureExpats said after seeing one of my customer care excellence telephone tweets – Can always hear a smile People will buy into you when you’re just being who you are. When you’re expressing your true self you’ll be speaking directly to people’s hearts and not just their heads” That it is!”

More words from my ecadamates Erik MacEachern “One is aware of the sun being there all the time.. just lighting up someone else’s day for a while”.

Sunil Bali -Sunil makes my #Smiles on Social Media worth it.

Stuarte Harris, added his ‘core competence’s, while focusing on the job in hand’. He enjoys lively interactions. Another would add “at the end of the day it’s the best person for the best buck”

All I know for sure is…”
with the suns hello! it never really gets dark”

This clip was recommended by a clever new connection Sam Borrett                     author of The Alchemy of Love, Sex and Relationships by Sam Borrett                     Listening to Kevin Roberts Lecture – Saatchi & Saatchi? Worldwide CEO. Kevin Roberts shares his vision for the company and gives Wharton students a primer on his unique leadership style. Fail Fast, Learn Fast, Fix Fast. He advocates that insight and foresight are the future business as opposed to ‘kill the idea at birth’. He continues to encourage his students to ‘Learn with, feel with, live with consumers. No point in being brilliant at the wrong thing’.

My daughter rang me earlier in December to ask if I would look after KC Louis for a week, just before Christmas. They had been given cheap flights to Miami as a gift from her friend. Her husbands early Xmas pressie was a CD of them both, swimming with the Dolphins in aqua blue waters! How timely!!

Reading Louis Gray’s Blog today Ecademy is here to help you connect to future business colleagues. Ecademy are entrepreneurs in spirit working to find like-minded individuals who can support their aggressive goals.

‘Connect and become the architect of your future!’ smile Well there ain’t no going back!!

Happy Christmas and Enjoy a Fantastic 2010! We are fortunate we are never really alone on Christmas with all our ecadamates. Thank You Thomas, Penny and Team smile x

Taking Smiles on Social Media (through well-being) on the road with the help of Ces_Creatively brand image creativity and Jay Loftus networking UK Tours. I have met Ces and Jay at my Well-being Ecademy event in May and am really looking forward to collaborating more with them both.