The Invisible Mentor

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Interviewee Name: Shirley Adrain, COO

Company Name: Asia Pacific Technology at Societe Generale

Website: http://www.societegenerale.com 

Avil Beckford: Tell me a little bit about yourself.

Shirley Adrain:  I’m a mom and wife and I’ve got a career in investment banking information technology. In addition to that I sing, paint, cook and try to keep fit.

Avil Beckford: How do you integrate your personal and professional life?

Shirley Adrain: I timetable everything. To cope with everything, I write a list and make sure that everything is timetabled. For me, that just gives me a bit more control – that I can cope with everything. 

Avil Beckford: When you have some down time, how do you spend it? 

Shirley Adrain: I like spending time with my friends and family just relaxing, doing something with my daughter, generally outside doing some exercise.

Avil Beckford: What are five life lessons that you have learned so far?

Shirley Adrain:

1. Take responsibility for your actions and not blame other people.
2. Surround myself with positive people and use them to help me develop and act as a sounding board for issues.
3. Face my fears and do them anyway.
4. Take the road less traveled.
5. Have as much fun as possible.

Avil Beckford: What process do you use to generate great ideas?

Shirley Adrain: Have confidence that you’re going to have an idea and use lateral thinking. I always know that I’m going to come up with a solution, and I sit there for a while, and quite often I come up with the idea in the middle of the night if I haven’t thought about it and didn’t get the answer during the day. It comes to me in the night. But I think it’s knowing that you are going to come up with a good idea and letting your subconscious work on it. So it’s really harnessing the power of the subconscious mind.

Avil Beckford: What’s your favourite quotation and why?

Shirley Adrain: Well being Scottish, I have to go for a Scottish quote, “What’s for you wont’ go by you,” which means what’s for you in life won’t go past you so it’s having that confidence that you’re going to get success.

Avil Beckford: How do you define success? And in your opinion what’s the formula for success?

Shirley Adrain: Success is being what you want to be in life, being happy, achieving something and looking back at your achievements. The formula for success is simply believing in yourself. It has to be key; and choosing excellence, always trying to do the best you can, and learning and growing from your mistakes. You have to focus and continue to improve, that’s important.

Avil Beckford: What are the steps you took to succeed in your field?

Shirley Adrain: I’ve had some great bosses who I have learned a lot from, and it is good to have different bosses because they teach you different things. My job requires working with a lot of people and building relationships. I enjoy doing that, as well as building a great team is really important. A lot of my roles have been global and regional and in those circumstances it’s really important to build relationships with all the people in all the locations to spend time with them and understand their needs. And when you want to roll something out, when I have rolled things out on a global and regional basis, I spend time lobbying the key people before hand, before I ask for a decision to be made. It makes it that much easier and ensures that I deliver what they want, so they’ll buy into it.

Avil Beckford: What advice do you have for someone just starting out in your field?

Shirley Adrain: The world of work is now very different from when I started out working. Today it’s key to build a good network and to use the network to help you. There are so many people and not enough jobs so it’s about thinking about yourself and your personal brand, having that level of confidence and building that network and trying different ways to get into your field of work. And also getting as much coaching and mentoring as possible really helps.

Avil Beckford: If trusted friends could introduce you to five people that you’ve always wanted to meet, who would you choose? And what would you say to them?

Shirley Adrain: I guess I would want to meet inspirational people.

1. Nelson Mandela would be a great person to meet.
2. Gandhi has so many successes so I’d like to look at some of what he did.

Avil Beckford: Which one book had a profound impact on your life? What was it about this book that impacted you so deeply?

Shirley Adrain: It is The Road Less Traveled because it’s a book that I’ve read a few times, and it makes you think about how you live your life and what decisions you make. It’s about where you are going in life. For me it made me realize that I had to look at my life mission statement, and where I wanted to go in life. I’m sure that once I’m clear on what I want to be doing in my life, to make sure that what I choose to do is in alignment with that, so when I look back I know that I’ve done the right thing, and can be proud of what I have achieved. I don’t want to be looking back and having a lot of regrets.

Avil Beckford: You are one of the 10 finalists on the reality show, So, How Would You Spend Your Time? Each finalist is placed on separate deserted islands for two years. You have a basic hut on the island and all the tools for survival; you just have to be imaginative and inventive when using them. You are allowed to take five books, one movie and one music CD, and whatever else you take has to fit in one suitcase and a travel on case. What would you take with you and how would you spend the two years? T he prize is worth your while and at this stage in the game there really aren’t any losers among the 10 finalists, since each are guaranteed at least $2 million?

Shirley Adrain: I would want to learn a lot of things so I would take a couple of big books and spend time reading and thinking about them. I would also write a book since I would have so much time, and think about what I could give back to others.

Avil Beckford: What excites you about life?

Shirley Adrain: All the different challenges that life has. I have been very fortunate to work and live in different countries, so I’m continually learning about the different cultures I am exposed to. I think it’s about learning new things and I also like meeting new people. I like not knowing what’s going to happen next – uncertainty and change is something that I enjoy.

Avil Beckford: How do you nurture your soul?

Shirley Adrain: Helping others and trying to make a difference! I get a lot of pleasure when I’m able to help others.

Avil Beckford: If you had a personal genie and she gave you one wish, what would you wish for?

Shirley Adrain: I would wish that people could live together more happily – have more fun and get along.

Avil Beckford: Complete the following, I am happy when…..

Shirley Adrain: I’m with the people I love and I’m doing something that I’m passionate about.

How can you use this information? What do you have to add to the conversation? Let’s keep the conversation flowing, please let me know your thoughts in the comments section below. Many readers read this blog from other sites, so why don’t you pop over to The Invisible Mentor and subscribe (top on the right hand side) by email or RSS Feed.

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Name: Tina Brillinger, President & CEO

Company Name: Global Food Safety Resource Centre Inc.

Website: http://www.globalfoodsafetyresource.com

Avil Beckford: How do you integrate your personal and other aspects of your life?

Tina Brillinger: As a fairly new business owner, this is something I struggle with daily, often feeling pulled in so many different directions. I am trying to make changes to strike a greater balance between my work/life balance. As time passes, I am getting better at this, without feeling guilty and knowing my mental and physical health depend on it.

Avil Beckford: When you have some down time, how do you spend it?

Tina Brillinger: Time is spent with family, friends and my Sheltie Jewels. I enjoy cooking, travelling, entertaining, reading, movies, scuba diving, golfing, skiing and Nordic pole walking.

Avil Beckford: What are five life lessons that you have learned so far?

Tina Brillinger:

1. Regardless of circumstances, your past does not have to dictate how your life will turn out. The beauty of being an adult is that we have the freedom to make our own choices; eliminating those things or people who are not good for us.
2. A good education is a prerequisite to a life well lived, never to be taken for granted.
3. Everyone deserves a second chance – give yourself permission to have that second chance, that is, a second marriage, new job.
4. We learn more from our mistakes than the things we do correctly.
5. What constitutes a family depends on who is being asked; outside regular blood-relatives, a family can be represented through non-blood relations, friends who become family of the heart; same-gender partners – in essence anyone with whom you have a strong emotional connection that cares about you deeply.

Avil Beckford: What process do you use to generate great ideas?

Tina Brillinger:

1. Research by always reading interesting books.
2. Brainstorming with others to come up with “out-of-the-box” ideas.
3. Driving in my car where I’m relaxed listening to music.
4. Scribbling, sketching or writing down as many ideas as possible .

Avil Beckford: What’s your favourite quotation and why?

Tina Brillinger: “Givers have to set limits because takers never do” (unknown). Generally all people fall into two categories: givers and takers. Most givers don’t know how to set limits opening themselves up to constant takers. Takers like to find givers who don’t have set limits because they will take advantage of them and their generosity sometimes leaving the giver in a compromised situation. If you are a giver, set a limit on your time, money or energy that you can reasonably afford to give, and won’t compromise your well-being or circumstances. Develop a backbone because once that limit has been reached, takers will challenge you to cross it. Make a commitment not to let others cross it, unless it’s life threatening. If you set limits, chances are takers will not see you as weak and exploitable.

“Be the change that you want to see in the world” (Gandhi). In my view, there is no room for armchair pacifists in this world – they will never make a change to improve their circumstances or the world around them. If you truly want something to change then you must not wait for others to take action; be the impetus for change, no matter how big or small it is. The one thing successful people have in common is the belief that they alone can make a difference and they don’t wait around for others to act.

Avil Beckford: How do you define success? And in your opinion what’s the formula for success?

Tina Brillinger: Courage + Determination + Hard work + Perseverance = Success!

Success comes from a feeling of satisfaction in knowing you’ve reached your goal.

Avil Beckford: What steps did you take to succeed in your field?

Tina Brillinger:

1. Listening to what others had to say.
2. Continuous learning, no matter how irrelevant or seemingly benign it may be at the time.
3. Determination, strong work ethic; perseverance and courage.
4. Recognizing talent; surrounding myself with people who know more than me.
5. Making a business plan.

Avil Beckford: What advice do you have for someone just starting out today?

Tina Brillinger: There is room at the top for those who do things well. Keep high standards, be creative, be open to change and opportunities. If you don’t derive a certain satisfaction out of what you do then change it up. Don’t be afraid of failing….be afraid of belonging to the status quo!

Avil Beckford: If trusted friends could introduce you to five people (living or dead) that you’ve always wanted to meet, whom would you choose? And what would you say to them? 

Tina Brillinger: 

1. Elton John – Your music comforts me and has touched my soul when I hear it
2. Nelson Mandela – Your strength and determination to fulfill your vision has made your country and world a better place. Thank you!!
3. My Great-Great Grandmother who was full-blooded Algonquin – I’d like to hear about the kind of life she lived with my Great-Great Grandfather a French-Canadian. My family dates back to circa 1642.
4. Thomas Edison – I’d Ask him about his process for coming up with brilliant ideas
5. Indira Gandhi – Ask whether she would change anything in the course of her life, knowing she would be assassinated.

Avil Beckford: Which one book had a profound impact on your life? What was it about this book that impacted you so deeply? 

Tina Brillinger: A Long Way Gone, Memoirs of a Boy Soldier, by Ishmael Beah – This is a first person account of his life as a boy soldier, one of the 300,000 child soldiers living in Sierra Leone. Ishmael’s narrative voice had such clarity when describing how he became indoctrinated as a boy soldier, what he witnessed and how he survived. Riveting, yet disturbing; Ishmael’s takes the reader down his road to hell describing how the rebels use children to commit genocide against their own tribes. His determination to survive and escape, through what can only be described as hell on earth, was extremely courageous. His willingness to share his painful story with such honestly is admirable. After becoming rehabilitated, Ishmael joined the United Nations, as a Spokesperson to help end the practice of recruiting child soldiers. Surviving such hell to tell his story is inspiring.

Avil Beckford: You are one of the 10 finalists on the reality show, So, How Would You Spend Your Time? Each finalist is placed on separate deserted islands for two years. You have a basic hut on the island and all the tools for survival; you just have to be imaginative and inventive when using them. You are allowed to take five books, one movie and one music CD, and whatever else you take has to fit in one suitcase and a travel on case. What would you take with you and how would you spend the time? The prize is worth your while and at this stage in the game there really aren’t any losers among the 10 finalists, since each are guaranteed at least $2 million. 

A toothbrush, hair accessories and sun hat; two deck of cards; pens and journals for writing; Movie: Fried Green Tomatoes, Elton John’s Tiny Dancer Album, my mask, snorkel and fins plus my dive knife, and hiking boots.

If you cannot view Elton John’s Tiny Dancer YouTube video, please click here.

The five books:

1.  The War of the End of the World, Mario Vargas LLosa

2.  Identifying and Harvesting Edible and Medicinal Plants in Wild, Steve Brill

3.  The Catcher in the Rye, J.D. Salinger

4.  Wuthering Heights, Emily Bronte

5.  Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking, by Malcolm Gladwell

What I would do for two years:

• Get lots of sleep until I was fully rested, enjoy some solitary time unfettered by a rushed world.
• Take my mask, fins and snorkel and explore the underworld around the island.
• Go hiking in search of edible and exotics plants, cook interesting dishes.
• I would read books, play backgammon and solitaire and write my memoir.
• Have many fires and sing songs, make up different instruments with whatever was available.

Avil Beckford: What excites you about life?

Tina Brillinger: Things that visually delight me, nature, travelling to new places, learning something new, pushing limits and taking risks, that is, sky-diving, scuba diving, starting my own company, reaching a goal.

Avil Beckford: How do you nurture your soul?

Tina Brillinger: Being with people who comfort me (my husband, children and friends), music, and being in water (bath, scuba)

Avil Beckford: If you had a personal genie and she gave you one wish, what would you wish for?

Tina Brillinger: Ten years of great health and the financial resources to travel and participate in greatest adventures: Europe on the Orient Express, take an underwater tour of the Titanic or orbital flight, African safari.

Avil Beckford: Complete the following, I am happy when…..

Tina Brillinger: I am underwater, scuba diving with my dive buddy and husband Randy – the serenity balances and soothes me, against an otherwise chaotic world.

How can you use this information? What do you have to add to the conversation? Let’s keep the conversation flowing, please let me know your thoughts in the comments section below. Many readers read this blog from other sites, so why don’t you pop over to The Invisible Mentor and subscribe (top on the right hand side) by email or RSS Feed.

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Elton John’s video uploaded by vikomak.

Interviewee Name: Karen Parsons, Human Excellence Coach

Company Name: Successful Solutions

Website: http://www.karenparsons.com

Avil Beckford: Tell me a little bit about yourself.

Karen Parsons:  I am a life and business excellence coach, speaker and author.  I help empower successful professionals and organizations to further excel, using my depth of understanding about human potential and how to leverage it.  The beginning of any change must start with awareness.  You cannot change what you cannot see.  So I assist my clients bring to the surface; limiting beliefs, perceptions and behaviours that are the hidden barriers to achieving their highest potential.  I then provide them with transformational tools, processes and techniques for implementing lasting and positive change!

Avil Beckford: How do you integrate your personal and professional life?

Karen Parsons:  I learned the hard way through my back injury what can happen when you continually push yourself and don’t listen to your body.  The culture within most corporations is that the more you do, the more you can get accomplished.  The faster you move, the busier you are, the more you are getting done.  This is not true and I have a lot of proof to back this up.  This is one of the things I teach corporations.  Stay vigilant to balance.  It will make you more successful, it will make your company more successful.  Most achievers are about doing, doing and doing more.  So they find it difficult to shut off the computer, lock the office door and do something for themselves but it must be done.  Schedule personal time into your schedule.

Avil Beckford: What are five life lessons that you have learned so far?

Karen Parsons:

1. Life is short so figure out how to enjoy it.
2. Work shouldn’t be work.  It should be gratifying, meaningful, interesting and fun.  Don’t settle for just a pay check.
3. You are responsible for your own happiness don’t expect others to behave in ways that make you happy.  Happiness comes from learning self mastery, meaning that you control your inner experience instead of trying to control your outer experience, which is impossible.
4. Live a life of gratitude.
5. Leave a legacy

Avil Beckford: When you have some down time, how do you spend it?

Karen Parsons:  Walking the dogs, kite surfing, mountain bike riding, spending time with my family, playing the drums, snowboarding and I meditate or do yoga every day.  I also help a school in the Caribbean, developing their sponsorship program.  It is very gratifying.

Avil Beckford: What process do you use to generate great ideas?

Karen Parsons:  Meditations, long walks, deep breathing.  Dreams.  All of these things help me connect to my most creative self and inspire ideas for me.  If I am feeling overwhelmed, stressed or any negative emotions, I don’t’ try to generate ideas in those moments.  It is futile and a waste of time.

Avil Beckford: What’s your favourite quotation and why?

Karen Parsons:  “Only he who can see the invisible can do the impossible” by Frank Gaines. Most of us go through life very unconscious, just going through the motions without full awareness.  The more you increase your awareness, become more present and conscious, the more you make the invisible visible, you see more possibilities, more choices, and this is how you create your greatest life.

Avil Beckford: How do you define success? And in your opinion what’s the formula for success?

Karen Parsons:  Success to me is when you can wake up with a smile on your face and go to bed with a smile on your face and in between you made a positive difference doing what you are passionate about.  The formula for success, is don’t settle for anything less than the greatest you and when you are the greatest you, you create great success.  Don’t buy in to the dogma that life has to be a struggle, yes of course there are difficult times and many challenges but it doesn’t mean you have to give in to them and let them control who you are.  Grow from them, become stronger and figure out what you need to change to make you happy and then do it.  This to me is real success.

Avil Beckford: What are the steps you took to succeed in your field?

Karen Parsons:

1. Making sure and always asking the question, “Is this what I want to do, is this making me happy?”
2. Creating a vision and then making goals and objectives of how to get there.
3. Staying connected to my most creative self that constantly gives me guidance on where to go and what to do next.
4. Discipline, working hard but also realizing that hard work is not the most important part of the formula for success.  Are you self sabotaging your success through negative self talk, are you creating a lot of inner conflict?  Staying true to practices that keep me aware of what my real thoughts and intentions are because this is what really can make or break success.

Avil Beckford: What advice do you have for someone just starting out in your field?

Karen Parsons:  Stay true to your vision, and get in touch with your authentic you. This will give you the vision and strength to create the life and work that will be most gratifying to you.  Find a mentor, or many mentors.  Of course I really believe in coaching.  It can save so much time and energy and create meaningful success faster.  Read self-help books and find balance.

Avil Beckford: If trusted friends could introduce you to five people that you’ve always wanted to meet, who would you choose? And what would you say to them?

Karen Parsons: Oprah Winfrey, Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King, Gandhi, and Wayne Dyer.  I would be interested to be in their presence and see what that feels like.  I wouldn’t say much to them, I would be more interested in listening to what they have to say.

Avil Beckford: Which one book had a profound impact on your life? What was it about this book that impacted you so deeply?

Karen Parsons:  There have been so many books that have impacted me at different times in my life.  But if I had to choose one,  I think it would have to be the The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment by Eckhart tolle.  It really helped take me to the next level in my development and was a powerful influence.

Avil Beckford: You are one of the 10 finalists on the reality show, So, How Would You Spend Your Time? Each finalist is placed on separate deserted islands for two years. You have a basic hut on the island and all the tools for survival; you just have to be imaginative and inventive when using them. You are allowed to take five books, one movie and one music CD, and whatever else you take has to fit in one suitcase and a travel on case. What would you take with you and how would you spend the time? T he prize is worth your while and at this stage in the game there really aren’t any losers among the 10 finalists, since each are guaranteed at least $2 million?

Karen Parsons:  I would bring my make-up, hair dryer…just kidding.  The necessities of life not withstanding, I would bring:

• Hat, pen and paper or a laptop to write about my experience.
• Educational books that would help keep my mind sharp.
• Joke book and inspirational book to help get me through the difficult times.
• Picture of my loved ones and perhaps some home movies.

I would spend my time meditating, exercising, doing yoga, exploring, writing, reading, eating.  I would learn how to survive on my own. I think that would be a challenge, that is, make a fire from sticks, make a shelter and so on.  I would observe nature a lot and really figure out the ecosystem and how it all interconnects and I would write about it.

Avil Beckford: What excites you about life?

Karen Parsons:  Life excites me.  I love life and I love people.

Avil Beckford: How do you nurture your soul?

Karen Parsons:  My relationships, charity, my work nurtures my soul and that is why I do it, mediation, yoga, the feeling of freedom I get from the many sports I do and reading and writing.

Avil Beckford: If you had a personal genie and she gave you one wish, what would you wish for?

Karen Parsons:  I would wish that people would come to understand that they have the power to be happy.  I have found the formula to happiness and success and I am living it.  It is possible.  We all just need some guidance and support to get there.

Avil Beckford: Complete the following, I am happy when…..

Karen Parsons:  I am happy NOW!

How can you use this information? What do you have to add to the conversation? Let’s keep the conversation flowing, please let me know your thoughts in the comments section below. Many readers read this blog from other sites, so why don’t you pop over to The Invisible Mentor and subscribe (top on the right hand side) by email or RSS Feed.

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Interviewee Name: Mike DeSousa

Website: http://www.mikedesousa.ca

Avil Beckford: Tell me a little bit about yourself.

Mike DeSousa:  I am a Career Social Media specialist who helps recruiters & employers find superior employee talent FAST using Social Media.  As well, I am a Public Speaker who trains Non-Profit Agency staff on how to market their job-seeking clients, helping them to find work FAST.

Avil Beckford: How do you integrate your personal and professional life?

Mike DeSousa: My work is based on the personal aspects of my life; I see them as both revolving around helping others. I consider myself the same person in my personal life and in the other aspects.  I actually seek to integrate them together, which my wife doesn’t appreciate — she looks at work as something she does outside of her personal life, and believes in keeping them separate.

Avil Beckford: What are five life lessons that you have learned so far?

Mike DeSousa:

1. Work your buns off
2. Give yourself a lofty, challenging goal — don’t set the bar too low
3. Out-strategize others
4. Ask more of yourself & set tight deadlines
5. Tie in your daily activities towards your long-term goals & reward yourself each time you complete  a tiny step

Avil Beckford: When you have some down time, how do you spend it?

Mike DeSousa: Reading, learning, surfing the net, working on my passion (“Public Speaking”). No ‘downtime’ for this guy. Sometimes watch some movies, though I’d rather do something active than escape to the “mind candy of TV”.

Avil Beckford: What process do you use to generate great ideas?

Mike DeSousa: I make connections between different areas that I read; stream-of-consciousness thinking. Forced Morphological Connections — generating categories of aspects of different things & recombining them into something new.

Avil Beckford: What’s your favourite quotation and why?

Mike DeSousa:

“Two roads diverged in a wood, and I,

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference.”

It reminds me of our decision-making process for life “decisionism,” and reminds me of the life decisions that I’ve reached… Being a contrarian, I also choose to take the path that “was grassy and wanted wear”. Given that Robert Frost also suffered with depressions, it feels that both him and his words speak to me.  Personally, I rhyme like Dr. Seuss!

Avil Beckford: How do you define success? And in your opinion what’s the formula for success?

Mike DeSousa: My definition of success is making a difference in others’ lives, reaching your personal goals, making the world a better place, and working towards the flexibility to make your own choices through financial independence.  The formula for success? No one has the same formula — each one has to find their own personal formula based on their strengths, needs, interests, etc.  My personal formula entails hard work, strategic thinking, creating value for others, having an unquentionable thirst for knowledge, discipline, pursuing your passion, and following your strengths.

Avil Beckford: What are the steps you took to succeed in your field?

Mike DeSousa: I used an existing media (Social Media) and apply it into a new arena.  I researched and ‘power-learned’ this new area, developed innovative workshops, my Brand, started presenting at Conferences, building relationships, and helping others. I’d find opportunities found me in proportion to the amount that I helped others and took a sincere interest in them, giving without expecting something in return, listening to others with my Heart/Brain/Gut/Soul, identified areas of value & gaps for them, offering them solutions, and tieing in my Value Proposition to their needs while focusing on the benefits for them.

Avil Beckford: What advice do you have for someone just starting out in your field?

Mike DeSousa: Identify exactly what you want that is “play” and fun that also pays the bills (your end goal), help others achieve theirs, wake up early to work towards your goal, tie in your daily goals to your end goal, become an expert through reading/watching YouTube videos/doing, market yourself, and have fun. Do what you love that also pays the bills or that can help you pay the bills.

Avil Beckford: If trusted friends could introduce you to five people that you’ve always wanted to meet, who would you choose? And what would you say to them?

Mike DeSousa:

1. Jesus Christ:  I’d say “teach me”
2. Alexander The Great:  “What was your secret to getting men to follow you?”
3. Winston Churchill:  “What led to your greatness as a speech-writer and orator?”
4. My (recently deceased) Dad: Tell me your life story and that of our family
5. Bill Clinton, Barack Obama, Pierre Trudeau, or Brian Mulroney: What were your secrets to winning in politics?

Avil Beckford: Which one book had a profound impact on your life? What was it about this book that impacted you so deeply?

Mike DeSousa: Either of the following three…

1. The Bible (no one single story — the impact of cumulative parables, interlinked for a common message of Love
2. The Little Prince, for its simplicity and many parables, that takes on new meaning with each life event that you experience
3. The Art of War, on winning, outworking, and out-strategizing everyone.

Avil Beckford: You are one of the 10 finalists on the reality show, So, How Would You Spend Your Time? Each finalist is placed on separate deserted islands for two years. You have a basic hut on the island and all the tools for survival; you just have to be imaginative and inventive when using them. You are allowed to take five books, one movie and one music CD, and whatever else you take has to fit in one suitcase and a travel on case. What would you take with you and how would you spend the two years? T he prize is worth your while and at this stage in the game there really aren’t any losers among the 10 finalists, since each are guaranteed at least $2 million?

Mike DeSousa:

Five Books:

1. One of Winston Churchill’s
2. Compendium of Marvel Super Heroes origins in English & Spanish
3. Learning Mandarin/Cantonese
4. Learn Yoga & Chinese
5. Some comedy book

• Movie: The Shawshank Redemption
• Music CD: With my MacBook & iPhone with satellite capabilities & iTune, I’d download unlimited music selections
• One Suitcase: Sunlight-powered satellite MacBook tripped out with a lot of software titles to learn, laptop with extended battery life, mosquito net, mosquito-free clothes, solar-powered iPhone with satellite wifi connectivity, soccer ball, weather-appropriate clothes
• Travel on case: Soap, Razor, nail clipper, nail file, pen, anti-mosquito device

For the two years  I’d spend the time learning (languages, tai chi/yoga, history), playing soccer, dancing, listening to music, playing music (forgot to mention a harmonica & a flute), Skyping/Google Circling Friends, contacting Invisible Mentors, journaling, developing a portfolio of products & services, reading comic books, becoming an expert on investments… I would be doing what I love to do, rather than pandering to the audience of viewers; one must remain authentic.  “To thy self be true”.

Avil Beckford: What excites you about life?

Mike DeSousa: Being of service to others.  It makes me so happy to know that I have helped to “unstick” someone from a state of complacency or a limiting belief, and that I have given them hope, taught them new knowledge, and motivated them to develop new skills and use one of my ideas to propel themself forward in life.

Avil Beckford: How do you nurture your soul?

Mike DeSousa: I learn, help people, speak professionally, listen to music, think, feel, swim….

Avil Beckford: If you had a personal genie and she gave you one wish, what would you wish for?

Mike DeSousa: 1,000,000 more wishes, of course!

Avil Beckford: Complete the following, I am happy when…..

Mike DeSousa: I use my strengths to help others discover and act upon their talents and strengths.

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Interviewee Name: Martha Mertz, Entrepreneur and Founder of ATHENA International

Website: http://marthamertz.com

Avil Beckford: Tell me a little bit about yourself.

Martha Mertz: I’m a businesswoman who started company in 1978, at a time when woman weren’t starting companies. Women weren’t running companies, women weren’t considered leaders. I started the company, it was small, it was modest and I grew it into a very successful company. I ended up developing properties, most of which I retained, and these were commercial properties that were in Michigan. So that’s my business track and I learned a lot about business and life and about myself by having that experience. Along the way I started an initiative that has to do with women in leadership, which has now become international in its coverage. That has also been an experience from which I have drawn deep understanding, great motivation, and incredible perspective about the world we’re living in now, and the progress we’re making, and where we need to continue to go.

Avil Beckford: How do you integrate your personal and professional life?

Martha Mertz:  I know that I need time to relax and to regroup and re-nourish myself. And I also know that there are times when I have lots of things that are required of me, so when that happens I spend a lot of my energy, I go full out, but then I know that I need to stop and re-nourish. If I don’t I’ll just get sick, so either my brain follows my advice or my body shuts me down. But I have never really had a problem doing that because – maybe this is unique and maybe it isn’t – I have the capacity to close my office and leave everything behind and go home and be there and fully BE there at home, and not drag all of the concerns and assignments at home with me, unless they’re so pressing that I cannot ignore them, then I do something about them. But I’m pretty good at being able to separate the two and I think for any person who works really hard and have a lot to do it’s really important to find a balance.

Avil Beckford: What are five life lessons that you have learned so far?

Martha Mertz:  I have been talking about them through this conversation. Things like be authentic and I think those were things that were learned the hard way. I have had to go to a lot of life experiences to come to those understanding, but when a person does get to a point of understanding something you have the choice of adopting it or ignoring. Maybe the best thing I can say is to learn the lessons when they happen to you and alter whatever it is you need to do to get to understanding, because if you don’t learn it the first time, it’s going to come back around, and it will be a bigger circumstance and a harder hit. Stay alert so when something comes along and bumps into you it’s best to learn it then.

Avil Beckford: When you have some down time, how do you spend it?

Martha Mertz:  I have a wonderful relationship with my husband and part of the reason that it is so wonderful and rewarding for us is that we make a point of spending some time together every day without interruptions. So there is no television, no phone, no other people, it’s the two of us having a conversation every day unless he’s gone or I’m out of town. But when we’re home together that’s been an important part of our mutual understanding, keeping up with each other. Some of the great advice and support come mutually back-and-forth so I do that. I love to cook, I love to entertain, so we do a lot of that. Sometimes when I travel I’ll bring home spices from other places and use them, or bring back recipes or cooking utensils that I have never used before. And of course reading, I do a lot of the reading.

Avil Beckford: What process do you use to generate great ideas?

Martha Mertz:  The most active way that I have used to generate great ideas is through meditation, and I’m not very good at meditation, but often times if I manage to quiet my mind, and usually it’s in the middle of the night. I sit in my living room and look at the sky and something will occur to me, something that I wasn’t conscious of thinking about or dealing with, but some idea will come which will present itself as a solution to a circumstance that I have been musing about. Great ideas have come from putting together various pieces of information and ideas from other people, weaving those things together ultimately is a new idea and it’s coming from many sources. Many of my best ideas come through this kind of weaving of all the people’s thoughts along with my own and it equals to a new place.

Avil Beckford: What’s your favourite quotation and why?

Martha Mertz: A long time ago I was inspired by a quotation by Plato, “What is honoured in a country will be cultivated there,” and that is the founding quote for Athena International. The whole philosophy of Athena is behind that quote. What that means is when you honour someone for a certain kind of behaviour, or certain qualities and characteristics they have, then other people will look at that person and their characteristics and they will find them honourable and they will be inspired to emulate those things, so that’s what gave rise to Athena. We wanted to honour one outstanding woman who was a leader in a community for her excellence and her giving back and her opening up opportunities for others, particularly for women. When we put those criteria together, we hoped other people would find those qualities something valuable for themselves, and ultimately that’s what happened. So Plato wins my bet for a quote.

Avil Beckford: How do you define success?

Martha Mertz:  Success isn’t always what the culture tells us it is, and I think success comes in different realms. There is personal success and there is professional success. For professional success for me it has been to set out a set of goals for myself and then to achieve them. And some of those goals in my mind have been moving mountains kind of goals. But when I’ve achieved it, it seems like a very large accomplishment, and indeed it is. For personal goals, I think it is being happy with who and what I am. That is success for me.

Avil Beckford: In your opinion what’s the formula for success?

Martha Mertz:  Envision the goal, where you want to go, and let the path toward that goal find you. In other words, know where you’re going, what is the ultimate goal, get a picture of it in your mind and don’t plan every step to get to it, a strategic plan works in business but it doesn’t necessarily work in life. Hold it in your mind, as long as I can see it, what it will look like, then I will find my way to that, and that’s been my formula for success. Some would call that having an intention.

Avil Beckford: What are the steps you took to succeed in your field?

Martha Mertz:  The ones I outlined in my formula for success and that’s what I would also advise someone who is just starting out – envision the goal, visualize what it looks like when you have arrived at where you want to get to, and you can make a plan and work the plan but always know what the outcome is going to look like. Most of us don’t do that. Most of us decide these are the things I have to do today, we go day-by-day but we don’t stop to contemplate where we are going. And it isn’t just necessarily about making money. I’ve never thought that women just work for money, we do need it, but it isn’t the satisfying factor for women. Women prefer to affect change in the world, to cause something to happen, and satisfaction comes from finding a way to make a change in the world.

Avil Beckford: If trusted friends could introduce you to five people that you’ve always wanted to meet, who would you choose? And what would you say to them?

Martha Mertz:

1. I would like to meet Mary Robinson who was the first female president of Ireland. I would just love to have a conversation with her. She went on to be the UN special envoy for human rights. All of the values in statements I have read of hers are aligned so closely with what I value and admire.
2. I would like to meet Barack Obama. I think he is a change agent in the world. I read an article once that said he leads like a woman, which is the highest form of praise from me because I think women’s ways of leading are the gold standard for this new century. I would love to have a conversation with him just to know what happens in his mind, what he is thinking as he carries so much weight right now in the world because it’s so important for all of us.
3. I grew up looking at Audrey Hepburn thinking she was beautiful, then finding her to be appealing in lots of ways. She ended up also being a special envoy for the UN and I liked her values too, but she lived at a time, and she was a celebrity whose values I thought were worth looking at. She wasn’t just beautiful but she also had substance.
4. I would like to meet Martin Luther King and Nelson Mandela. Those two people during this last period of time were the greatest change agents in our world. Both of them had great struggles and came through them in ways that were admirable. I wouldn’t necessarily want to say something to them because if I was with somebody like that I would want to be there to listen. It’s not what I want to say, it’s what I want to learn, so I would be there to listen.

Avil Beckford: Which one book had a profound impact on your life? What was it about this book that impacted you so deeply?

Martha Mertz:  Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl because it was such an understanding of courage and hope and personal empowerment in the face of impossible circumstances. That uplifted me in a way that never went away. I was very moved and influenced by Viktor Frankl.

Avil Beckford: If you were stranded on a deserted island, what are five books that you would like to have with you and why?

Martha Mertz:

1. I would like to take a large, bound copy of the New York Time Crossword Puzzle.
2. The Oxford Dictionary.
3. The Complete Works of Shakespeare.
4. War and Peace, Leo Tolstoy.
5. I would take millions of pages of empty pages to serve as a personal journal, as well as an opportunity for me to write a book. If I am there on a deserted island I might have to resort to my own imagination and creativity, so I might write novels – mystery stories or fantasies, or whatever I remember or whatever I’ve learned. So I’d like to do my own writing.

Avil Beckford: What one music CD and movie would you like to have with you (on the deserted island) and why?

Martha Mertz:  I’d like to have a CD of Beethoven: The 9 Symphonies [Box Set] and the movie would be Breakfast at Tiffany’s.

If you cannot view this YouTube video of Beethoven’s Symphony, please click here.

If you cannot view this YouTube video of Breakfast at Tiffany’s, please click here.

Avil Beckford: What excites you about life?

Martha Mertz:  Everything! Having the opportunity to explore, learn, grow, make friends, step up and make a difference. Having the opportunity and the ability to making a difference is the biggest of those.

Avil Beckford: How do you nurture your soul?

Martha Mertz:  I write in a journal. I learn a lot about myself when I write and I always date the entries that I make. I keep them, they are only for me, they are private and I can go back, and I find it interesting how certain thoughts or circumstances have evolved over a period of time that’s both instructive and nurturing. A great relationship with my husband is also nurturing, and I must say that my children have been my greatest teachers in my life, and they nurture me.

Avil Beckford: If you had a personal genie and she gave you one wish, what would you wish for?

Martha Mertz:  I would like her to allow me to start all over again in this life, but allow me to carry with me what I know now. I think I would stop and enjoy the moments more. I’m one that’s so focused on getting things done and moving another mountain that sometimes I have forgotten to just enjoy being where I am. If I had a chance to go back and start all over again I would pay attention, I would learn different things and I would enjoy being where I am.

Avil Beckford: Complete the following, I am happy when…..

Martha Mertz:  I am happy now, I’m always happy. Maybe it’s because I live in Sedona. Everybody says there are vortexes here, and that it’s the positive vibration in the energy. Or maybe it’s because there are so many days of sunshine. So I’m happy when I’m at home enjoying this beautiful place I have chosen to live in. I’m happy for all of the blessings that I have in life.

How can you use this information? What do you have to add to the conversation? Let’s keep the conversation flowing, please let me know your thoughts in the comments section below. Many readers read this blog from other sites, so why don’t you pop over to The Invisible Mentor and subscribe (top on the right hand side) by email or RSS Feed.

Book, movie and film links are affiliate links.

Source of videos

Beethoven “Pastoral” Symphony – 5th Movement

Breakfast at Tiffany’s trailer