Rocking the Journey

Ann believes “we are all responsible for writing the scripts of our own lives” and that taking the time to understand and work on ‘what is my script today and what’s it going to look like in 10 years -time’? - helps achieve happiness.

Is there still a glass ceiling for women?

Ann Olivarius, powerful champion of women’s rights, ground-breaking feminist lawyer, and philanthropist, strongly believes the glass ceiling is still in place - and that women still struggle to influence the workplace, shape cultures and impact leadership to change Systemic behaviours.

She questions whether we have really moved that far in the last twenty years and whether women are truly heard and their contribution as valued as that of their male counterparts. She believes women must be greater activists in order to shape the contemporary businesses of the future and this starts within our own homes – making positive changes and influencing the people closest to us first. The ripple effect can be powerful.

“No doubt a few have gotten through (to the top) but it hasn’t changed or progressed as much as I thought it would or should. I thought if you worked hard enough as a woman and were focused and the world was yours – that was such a naive view – no matter how hard you work or how good you are, how excellent you are in mind and spirit and integrity there are still blockages”.

When I saw a new book out called ‘Fat Cow, Fat Chance’ and it was by Jenni Murray, I knew I had to take notice!

The journalist and broadcaster who presented BBC Radio 4’s Women’s Hour until last year, manages to pull off both an intimate portrayal of a women challenged by a body shape that has yoyo’d throughout her life and a very informative look at why diets don’t work.

Whilst the book is about the science and psychology of body shape it’s also an intimate perspective on the relationship we have with our bodies  - the continual dieting, trying keeping weight off and people not realising that body shaming is not just incredibly cruel, but it just doesn’t work.

I love that it's a mix of very personal story that I think many of us, if not all at some point in our lives, can relate to and really useful technical information about eating habits

Shocked into doing something by a comment her son made about her mobility, Jenni decided to stop hiding away her size and putting on an Oscar performance that size didn’t matter, and went in search of a solution.

 

Why are we women less likely to believe we can be wealthy and yet at the same time we can be more successful as investors

And given our reticence, why are more women engaging in sustainable investing?

Cleona Lira a Financial Adviser specialising in building investment portfolios for women shares her perspectives on:

• Why women are more affected by climate change and therefore can benefit more from the impact of sustainable investing
• How ‘being stewards of the earth’ connects us more to the sustainable principles
• The barriers to us taking the first step; fear of making mistakes, shame around having more money than others, confusion around the financial process
• The virtue of patience and not over controlling the process - women tend to trust more which can reap greater rewards over the long term

I felt a strong alignment between our own coaching ethos and the approach Cleona takes, particularly around the deep listening and non-violent communication which really helps to get the ‘why’ someone wants to invest and their deep beliefs around money.

 

At a time when so many of us are working towards ‘planet positive’ it feels like a great time to be thinking about this topic. And perhaps as important - to ensure we get to feel more empowered and confident about the role money plays in helping us live life to the full💃

 

And for more information on Cleona’s approach to financial planning: https://www.cleonalira.co.uk

 

Please note: This interview reflects personal opinion & should never be considered as Financial advice.

 

 

As a clinical psychologist Dr Lara Pence has spend the last decade working with elite athletes, business leaders and individuals as they peel back their outer shell, cast aside unhealthy patterns that are keeping them stuck and unfulfilled and begin to build a new more resilient and adventurous sense of self. 

But be warned, says Dr Pence, this isn't easy.  This straight talking mind doctor is out to call out the "quick fix" approach where people try to hot-wire inspiration, motivation and momentum without first putting in the hard work to understand who they really are. 

Curiosity, says says, is the super power that can lead us all to a better, richer, more authentic life.

Lots of tips here about how to live better and improve mental and physical performance 

 

 

It was only when Gill Whitty-Collins, author of Why Men Win at Work, reached the top of a global consumer company that she realised how sexist the workplace can be,

In a provocative call to arms she urges all men and women to take action now for better diversity friendly workplaces so that everybody can reach their potential.

According to a report by the management consultancy Mckinsey the business case for diversity has never been stronger - put simply those companies with more diverse boards perform better on every scale.

By researching the top 7% of women who do reach the highest positions Gill reveals some fascinating insights... worth listening just for these. 

 

 

 

 

Keeping women emotionally and physically safe in the courtroom, in the family, on the streets and within organisations is everybody's business.

So says Baroness Helena Kennedy QC in this powerful call to arms for more men and women to be bolder and call out injustice wherever we see it.

As one of Britain's most distinguished human rights lawyers, Helena says she has seen throughout her career the terrible consequences of unchallenged male entitlement. 

A fabulous, fearless and wise voice for a change to a better, more compassionate, more equal society.

Such an important conversation for all of us.  

Enjoy and visit us at www.rockmyage.com 

 

The idea of ‘democratiSing therapy’ is such a powerful idea and a much-needed mission in the world today, that I couldn't wait to speak with Clare Laurent – one of the founders of SHRINK. It’s an app that literally ‘puts therapy in your pocket’. 

Clare started life as a corporate lawyer and was, amongst other tech companies, General Counsel for AOL. She jumped ship from corporate life when she had a family at 38 yrs old and in 2008 began a journey into psychotherapy doing a Masters in Organisational Psychology specialising in Women’s Careers and a PHD in Mentoring. 

We chatted about the themes we find women our age can most often struggle with and can affect their wellbeing and mental health such as: what does the next phase of life look like, fear of giving up a long-term job, finding purpose and fulfilment after the children have left home, becoming invisible, isolation, building confidence and financial security. And we agree how important it is to have good friends, family, community or a trusted sounding board to share and discuss these aspects of their life with. 

Join Erika as she chats with Tim Malnick on the role of money in our lives, it was an eye opener – and really got us thinking…

Tim who founded Different Space - is a coach, facilitator and a passionate activist on sustainability, runs money workshops that are focused on helping us become more conscious about how money impacts our lives. I really resonated with many of the themes Tim explores and the idea that understanding how we see money and how it links with many of our other mental constructs, determines whether we ‘live a rich life’ or not. 

Join Erika as she talks with Tamsin Calidas about leaving the rat race and restarting in a rural idyll. 

In 2004 Tamsin Calidas the author of I am an Island, disenchanted with life in London and after a terrible accident moved to a remote Island in the Scottish Hebrides. Her life changed beyond anything she could have imagined, although, she does say at the beginning that she had….

’The dream of living a wilder life – lifting your eyes above the skyline’