The Invisible Mentor

Posts Tagged ‘Nelson Mandela’

Wisdom of Life: “Pick the right people to surround yourself with, it will set the bar, encourage and support you. However, if you choose the wrong people, they will bring you down a different path,” Invisible Mentor, Jeanne-Marie Robillard tells her 12-year old son.

Interviews for Mentoring: Key Lessons from Jeanne-Marie Robillard

• Be grateful for what you have in life and count your blessings.
• Prepare for your day the night before, to help to decrease stress the following day.
• Network, network, then network some more, and never let little things such as shyness or “introvertedness” stop you. (Note to self)
• Allow people to get to know the real you.
• People rarely remember what you said to them, but they remember how you made them feel.
• Give a new job sufficient time – at least two years – before you decide if the fit is right

Invisible Mentor: Jeanne-Marie Robillard, Senior Account Executive

Company Name: National Speakers Bureau/Global Speakers Agency

Website: http://www.nsb.com 

Avil Beckford: Tell me a little bit about yourself.

Jeanne-Marie Robillard: I am currently a senior account executive, which is an agent to public personalities and celebrities for their speaking engagements. I’ve been doing that for 11 years. Prior to that, I was an agent to the performing arts community – groups like the National Ballet, Canadian Opera Company, to helping place them into seated environments for audiences to enjoy.

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

Jeanne-Marie Robillard: It’s not always easy, is it? It’s hard when people are passionate about their work and passionate about their family. I would say that I’m trying as best as I can to compartmentalize tasks, responsibilities, chores, commitments and obligations, so setting time aside to do specific tasks as opposed to running around doing too many things for too many people.

I try to put my phone away at home in the evenings and try not to look at it as often even when I’m tempted to. I log on to the computer and try to get an hour or two later in the evening. I get so much done preparing for the following day that I go into the next day feeling confident to start the day in a safe place if you will.

It’s a constant challenge, and it’s one of the top topics we get asked for speakers, is work-life balance and it will continue to be so as we improve technology.

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

Jeanne-Marie Robillard: Entertaining absolutely! I love entertaining. I love to have people over. I love to cook. I love to shop for food. I love everything around food, going to the market etc. Planning a dinner party and setting the table, and picking which guests will love each other, another form of connections. As you can see, I apply that everywhere, and yes that would be my favourite thing and I’d like to record those times in a book as well.

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

Jeanne-Marie Robillard: It’s a little bit of what I’ve already said.

1. Be honest.
2. Approach life with intent, purpose and meaning.
3. Even if you’re shy or introverted, try your very best to get out and about. Take someone with you if it’s hard. Having another person with you will be the best thing you ever did. They can brag about you, you can’t really brag about yourself because that comes off a little odd. They can pull you away from someone who may not be the person you need to speak to all night if you’re trying to network. They can also be a great support if you’re feeling a little nervous about the experience. So get out and meet as many people as you can. People do want to help each other – inherently it’s human nature. It’s like so many things in life, the more you do, the more you try, the more chances you have on landing on what’s more meaningful for you.

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

Jeanne-Marie Robillard: I believe we come to better decisions and better results when we do things in a group. Pulling a team together and brainstorming, sending a mass email out to those in your network who have a common experience with what you’re struggling with, reaching out for ideas and bringing those ideas together. I also use the Internet quite extensively and subscribe to many different chats and blogs.

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

Jeanne-Marie Robillard: That’s hard for me because I live a life that’s filled with quotations because of the people I represent. But if I had to choose one it would be, “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel,” Maya Angelou, American Poet.

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

Jeanne-Marie Robillard: Success is when you’re truly happy doing what you’re doing. When you’re happy with your life, you’re proud of your life. Proud in a good way, that you’re contributing. Contributions to your community, your workplace, your family and your friends are essential to defining success. The formula for success is trying as many things as you can in life. It’s trial and error.

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

Jeanne-Marie Robillard:

1. Asking a lot of questions to the right people, that means asking questions to a lot of people until you figure out the right people.
2. Taking chances.
3. Staying in a job and seeing it through for at least a good two-year period. I think that’s very important that full cycles be lived. A calendar year is a full cycle, rarely do we start in January so you are landing in the middle somewhere in that second year, so give it the time it deserves, unless it’s clearly for some interpersonal reasons. Give it the time it deserves and give yourself the chance you deserve.

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

Jeanne-Marie Robillard: I would give the same advice to someone just starting out. I would say, ask around, you can make an educated decision, but once you’ve made that commitment to something, commit to it and give it your best shot. And it also looks a lot better on a resume quite frankly.

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?

Jeanne-Marie Robillard:

1. Maya Angelou
2. Oprah Winfrey
3. Nelson Mandela
4. Madam Michaëlle Jean (I represent her and have met her a handful of times but would love to get to know her better)

They are truly good people making a difference in the world, and I would tell them “Thanks!” I would thank them for their great contributions to bettering the world.

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

Jeanne-Marie Robillard:  One of our current speaker on the roster is Izzeldin Abuelaish who wrote I Shall Not Hate: A Gaza Doctor’s Journey. It’s a bestseller and an unbelievable book that I highly recommend to anybody and everybody.

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?

Jeanne-Marie Robillard:

Five Books

1. I Shall Not Hate: A Gaza Doctor’s Journey on the Road to Peace and Human Dignity
   
2. The Five People You Meet in Heaven
3. Maybe I’d like to learn more about the Bible.
4. Ulysses
5. Jane Eyre

One Movie and Music CD

Big Night for Big Night movie and Big Night: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack.

Big Night – Trailer

If you cannot view the movie trailer for Big Night click here.

How I Will Spend Two Years

I would spend the two years learning, reading all the classics if I could. I would like to learn more about classic literature, religion, and learn to meditate.

Avil Beckford: What excites you about life?

Jeanne-Marie Robillard: People, I love that everybody has a story. My current husband is an architect, and he laughs when I say that I love looking at office towers or high-rise office buildings, or condos. I think, “All those stories in there, that’s so cool.” So people for sure.

Avil Beckford: How do you nurture your soul?

Jeanne-Marie Robillard: By surrounding myself with positive people, and finding the time to be alone to refuel when I need that time. I go to bed quite early by most people’s standard. I try to head to bed by 9:30 pm on weeknights, and I read. So that’s how I nurture my soul.

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

Jeanne-Marie Robillard: To help the disadvantaged, to make less suffering in this world.

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

Jeanne-Marie Robillard: I’m helping others.

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.

Other articles you may enjoy

• The Chief Mentoring Officer Interviews Annemie Ress, Senior HRD eBay & Global Engagement Lead at eBay, Part Two (theinvisiblementor.com)
• Chief Mentoring Officer Interviews: Do Big Breaks, Mentoring, and Hard Work Equate to Success? Part Two (theinvisiblementor.com)
• Adventures in Learning: DIY Mentoring Program, Episode Two (theinvisiblementor.com)
• The Chief Mentoring Officer Interviews Annemie Ress, Senior HRD eBay & Global Engagement Lead at eBay (theinvisiblementor.com)

Book links are affiliate links.
Video Credit: Uploaded by MahatmaCartman on Dec 2, 2010

Interviewee Name: Annemie Ress, Senior HRD eBay & Global Engagement Lead at eBay

Company Name: eBay EU

Website: http://www.ebay.com 

Avil Beckford: Tell me a little bit about yourself.

Image via CrunchBase

Annemie Ress:  I’m South African by birth and grew up there. I studied law, worked in Switzerland for a short while and have been living in the United Kingdom for the past 13 years. For the past 13 years I have worked for Pepsi (for a short while because I worked for them in South Africa). I also worked on the trading floor for the International Petroleum Exchange and since then I have been working at eBay. I have had multiple careers at eBay.

I’m totally passionate about diversity, positive psychology, human rights and I just did the New York Marathon with my husband.

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

Annemie Ress: I’m not going to lie to you, it’s very hard working for an American corporation, working in an environment that we work in now, I’m not great at integrating my personal and professional life. Although I say all these things, and the reason why now is so important to me as a concept, is I feel I’m always rushing. I started doing yoga with my husband a year ago, and hatha yoga has been fundamental in terms of transforming and just bringing a sense of calmness into my life. And again surrounding myself with diverse people. I make sure that I also read a very diverse range of material, and I constantly listen to diverse conversations, articles and podcasts so in that way I do fun things, but sometimes they are professional things that contribute to my work-life but I do them while I’m walking. Or I learn while I’m out exercising. I’m not great at it but that’s how I try to connect and keep both parts going. 

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

Annemie Ress:

1. Don’t be afraid of the unknown.
2. Surround yourself with people who are very different from you – people who you do not think you have anything in common with.
3. Live in the now or try to live in the now.
4. Have compassion.
5. Realize that not everything is black and white. Grey is an interesting colour.

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

Annemie Ress: I don’t have a specific process. Most often when I’m not thinking is when ideas come to me. I will consciously try not to think about a challenge or a solution that I’m facing but switch to doing something creative or relaxing, and that’s when the best ideas come.

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

Annemie Ress: I don’t have one, there are so many and I think I’ll do an injustice by just choosing one. I’d say the one for today is “Honesty without compassion is cruelty.” I think the quote relates the concept that life is complex, and it’s not a set of rules by which we play – if you do A, B will happen. It really helps us to understand the full complexity of life.

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

Annemie Ress: I think success is very personal and I don’t think there is a formula for success. I can be very self-help-like and say this is the formula for success so read the Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. I think for me success is all about being able to go to bed at night and go to sleep feeling that you’ve had a fulfilled day and contributed in a small way to making the world a better place and I know that sounds idealistic, but I really mean that. For me, failure would be going to bed at night and not being able to say, “I showed compassion to someone today,” or I did something that was hard to do, but I did it in a way that helped someone to do something that was really tough.

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

Annemie Ress: Relationships and sponsorships and being authentic. It’s about building meaningful relationships with key opinion makers and stakeholders at all levels in your organizations. It could be with the person who brings you your coffee in the mornings, if you work in that type of environment. Or it could be with the security guard who is at the entrance when you come in to work, or the president of the corporation. But it’s not just about the relationships it’s also about celebrating the uniqueness in the other person and really connecting with them authentically. In my environment that’s the one thing I’ve tried consistently to do because it builds trust, integrity and respect and that stands you well in both good and bad times.

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

Annemie Ress: Be brave and don’t think that you have to have a planned journey in life. Go a little bit with the flow and be open to what may come your way, and unexpected things will happen.

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?

Annemie Ress:

1. I’d like to meet some evil people because I want to really understand their minds, I think that would be interesting because I cannot understand how one can commit some really commit some horrendous things, whether it’s Stalin, Hitler. I would try to understand how their minds worked. One could say they’re delusional but who knows. I just don’t understand that level of evil. Out of the two I think I would choose Stalin because so much has been written about Hitler.
2. I’d like to meet Mother Teresa because I know she’s had moments of doubts – I read that in a book recently – in her life and faith and I find that really interesting.
3. I met Nelson Mandela briefly, but I would love to understand the compassion he could show after all those years in jail and the wisdom that he had.
4. I would love to meet someone who lived in the Middle Ages – people who were suspicious of everything, and believed in witchcraft. I would find it fascinating interacting with them.

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

Annemie Ress: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho and the Power of Now
by Eckhart Tolle. Both those books impacted me. I have read all of Paulo Coelho’s books and I loved all of them. I love how he combines mystery, religion, magic and life experiences, challenge and it started with The Alchemist, and that unlocked my interest in him as an author. I find it a powerful story that never dates. And for the Power of Now, back to my earlier comment that we have nothing now but the second, what’s passed is gone, and we can’t ever be sure of what happens next, so value every minute that you have.

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?

Annemie Ress: I have a Lisa Se Klavier CD of Afrikaans – which is my mother tongue – of folk music that is lovely poetry that I’d like to take with me. It’s about a girl who sits and plays the piano while the sun goes down in Cape Town. It’s absolutely beautiful. I love The Killing Fields as a movie and the books I would take:

1. The Alchemist
2. Power of Now
3. Blank book that I could write in. I love writing poetry and I would love to write a story. I’m trying to so about all my memories from childhood. Everyone says that, but if I had two years on an island I’ll take the blank book and do it.
4. I would like to take a Chinese language lesson book that teaches me how to speak Chinese.
5. A children’s story, something that makes me really happy, whether it’s Dr Seuss or something like that. That would keep me smiling in a fun and uncomplicated way.

During the two years, I would write the book and I would meditate, sit quietly and look at the waves, clouds, just calm down and breathe a lot, and practice everything I’m being taught in yoga. I would slow down and become in touch with my body, mind, and nature and really connect with who I am.

“Lisa se Klavier” – DOZI – Afrikaans Lyrics with English Translation

If you cannot view the YouTube Video please click here.

The Killing Fields Trailer

If you cannot view the YouTube Video please click here.

Avil Beckford: What excites you about life?

Annemie Ress: The unknown, both the scariness and the excitement of it – we don’t know what will happen. I don’t know what’s ahead for me and I really don’t want to know.

Avil Beckford: How do you nurture your soul?

Annemie Ress:  I have to read more than one book at a time. Reading is absolutely critical. I love to listen to philosophical arguments, debates and podcasts and stay in touch with news in Africa, and without that I don’t feel alive.

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

Annemie Ress: I’d wish that my mother and my husband who are the most important people in my life would always be happy.

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

Annemie Ress: I have the freedom to do whatever I want to do.

How can you use this information? What do you have to add to the conversation? 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 links are affiliate links.

YouTube Video Credit: http://www.youtube.com/user/Afrikitty, http://www.youtube.com/user/francesco99?feature=watch

Related articles

• The Chief Mentoring Officer Interviews Annemie Ress, Senior HRD eBay & Global Engagement Lead at eBay (theinvisiblementor.com)

Interviewee Name: Alison Duke

Company Name: Goldelox Productions

Website: http://www.alisonduke.com/ 

Avil Beckford: Tell me a little bit about yourself.

Alison Duke: I was born in Canada after my parents moved from Guyana. I was the only girl in the family of four boys. I am a proud Canadian who makes films about social justice.

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

Alison Duke: I tend to keep those two things separately, although I tend to work with people who I enjoy being around. I feel like I have to be a businessperson so I tend to set boundaries and separate things. I had to work a lot around boundaries in my life so I try to keep business and the personal life separate. 

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

Alison Duke: I like to spend my down time outdoors. That includes being outside in my yard. We just renovated our backyard so I’ll be spending more time out there. I also love traveling to different places. I think being outside and traveling really reconnects my spirit and my soul with the universe, with the world. So I love to spend as much time as I can outdoors. Most of my work is indoors so getting outside is very important to me.

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

Alison Duke:

1. Try and enjoy the moment, whatever it is, whether it’s a challenge, or a success because sometimes you miss out on an important life lesson because you’re moving too quickly when something happens. You move too quickly trying to get to the next phase, when something good happens, or you try to fix something when there is a challenge or a disappointment. I think you really need most of the time to stop and listen to what life is saying to you.
2. Take as many risks as you can, especially when you are learning something new. By taking the risk you’ll discover what you really like to do and why. Some people in the film industry wait a long time before making a film and I often tell people, “As soon as you learn a skill test it out, try to make a film, and see what you like about it.” You might start out thinking that you want to be a director or producer, but then you realize that you’d like to be a camera person, you’d like to be the art director or you’d like to do everything. It’s only through risk-taking that you’ll learn that.
3. Don’t sweat the small stuff. I think this is really true about a lot of things. You really have to pick your battles because if you are always flying off complaining about somebody, people won’t take you seriously after a while. That kind of anxiety leads to illness, and it’s just not good, so pick your battles.
4. Don’t be afraid to ask for help when you need it. Working too hard or burning the candle at both ends will cause your work to suffer. You have to not be afraid to ask for help when you need it. And that could be asking around for a mentor, it could be saying, “You know I don’t know this aspect of my job.” Do some information interviews with people who are doing that job. It could be taking courses online, or it could be reading books that will help you learn what you need to learn. If you do not know how to do something, maybe a friend or a colleague knows how to do it, learn when and how to collaborate because collaboration is also good for creativity, and for getting things done.
5. Try to be as organized as possible when it comes to business. I find that when I’m organized I can get a lot of my business done before 11 am and that leaves the rest of my day to be creative, and I can be a little bit more loose with my schedule because that helps me with my creativity. So I tend to be as organized as possible, do all my emails and phone calls before 11 am.

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

Alison Duke: I do many things. I read a lot of newspapers. I read a lot of journals and I read anything about current events. I also go through historical documents. I peruse the web, but nothing beats watching people and eavesdropping on conversations, not to be nosy but to get a sense of how people talk, what are they talking about, what’s important to people? I love watching people – it could be on the subway, standing on my friend’s porch. Sometimes it’s a look people have, or the way they do what they are doing. A lot of those situations when I’m watching people inspire a shot or a dialogue or how I construct a narration or something. It’s always funny to me when I might listen to something on the streetcar, and then all of sudden I realize that’s the way people are saying this kind of thing and I’d incorporate it into my work.

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

Alison Duke: It’s a Nelson Mandela quotation, “No one is born hating another person because of the colour of his skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite.”

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

Alison Duke: The way I define success is being able to call your own shots in life, not being a slave to anyone or any system, being free to set your own schedule. The formula for success is taking risks, investing in yourself, and when I say investing I don’t mean going out and spending a lot of money on different things but it could be through taking the time to invest in your education, about whatever you want to do. It could be about being an entrepreneur that’s selling baked goods. You need to learn everything you need to know about running a business and baking.

In terms of taking risks, don’t play it safe, take the time to try things that may fail because it’s through the failing that you learn the most. Through failing I’ve had a steep learning curve. I remember when I didn’t know how to use a camera and I had to film something and none of my cameramen were available. I went and shot it myself, and was it the best it could be? No! It wasn’t technically sound, but when I was editing that piece it became a very powerful part of the film. And even when I was showing it to people who are experienced, like cinematographers, and I said my lighting wasn’t good, they said, “You know what, that was a very powerful part, leave it in the film.” And I’ve learned so much about how to film better through that process. And now I film more of my content as well.

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

Alison Duke: The steps I took were investing in myself, taking the courses because I didn’t go to film school, so I had to backtrack and take courses. So when I was starting off, every year, I would go to all the film industry events, the film festivals and buy an industry pass and go to all the workshops. I would take workshops outside of that, for every single part of my profession and learn all about it, even if it came down to learn how to write production grants. I took so many of them and I would retake them to the point where I’d say to myself, “Stop taking that, start doing it.” And then I’d start doing it. But even to this day, I take two to three workshops a year.

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

Alison Duke: Take risks. As soon as you learn something, take the risk of applying that practically. So if you’re going to learn directing, go out and direct something. If you are going to learn to be a cameraperson go out and try to film something. Take that risk and learn from it. But on top of that, as you are learning, invest in yourself and go and take those workshops so you can become better at it. Learn different skills and learn how to hone your skills better. There is a lot to learn all the time, so you can’t just sit on your hands and think that you are always going to get work, and believe you’re always going to be a part of the industry. You have to grow with the industry and stay relevant.

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?

Alison Duke:

1. Martin Luther King: I would love to hear him speak, but I would have to ask him the question, “Why did you write your speech I Have a Dream?” And I’d also want to know if he was satisfied with the results today, and what he thinks about today’s society.
2. Steven Spielberg & Martin Scorcese: I would love to meet and ask them how they became A-List directors, what film made them an A-List director and why?
3. Barack Obama: I would love to ask him how he takes so much pressure, how he deals with all the pressure around him. I think he is under an enormous amount of pressure and I don’t know how he deals with that on a daily basis. That’s extraordinary.
4. Harriet Tubman:  Harriet Tubman was an extraordinary person. I want to know what would possess her to be a freedom fighter and an abolitionist, what gave her the courage to do it, and how did she do that – lead the slaves to freedom, and the smarts to evade the authority at the time.

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

Alison Duke: I think it was a A Course in Miracles: Combined Volume by Dr. Helen Schucman. It’s a book that answers those lifelong questions about your existence and where I as a human being fit into this huge universe. For me it’s about the connection to your soul. One of the saying in the book is “Nothing can be threatened”, “Nothing unreal exists.” In those two phrases that’s where I find peace. With all the chaos in the world, that’s where I find peace and my god – what I think god is.

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? 

Note from Avil: I did this interview before I changed the question!

Alison Duke:

1. A Return to Love: Reflections on the Principles of “A Course in Miracles” by Marianne Williamson. It’s a reflection on the principles of the Course in Miracles.
2. A Course in Miracles: Combined Volume because you can’t just read it front to the end, you have to take your time. Sometimes you read a chapter and have to step away from it for a week and then read another chapter. Or you read a page every day.
3. Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman’s Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia by Elizabeth Gilbert: I love that book, it’s such a great book. On a deserted island, that woman in the book is a character, and she was sort of on a deserted island so the metaphor for that book and being on a deserted island I think would bode well with me thinking about the possibilities in life, that maybe some day I would be rescued. I think in her journey in life she was looking for someone or something to rescue her.
4. I would also love to have a book about my ancestors, maybe that’s a book that I would start working on, trying to retrace my family.
5. I don’t know if I would particularly have The Bible or the Koran but I’d like to have some kind of book that talks about spirituality. I think it would be a combination of all the spiritual books from the Koran to the Bible to the Tipitaka (Buddhist holy book) so that I can compare and contrast what they are saying.

My music CD that I would take is Michael Jackson’s Off the Wall and I remember as a young person dancing to that from the first to the last song, over and over again without tiring, and I think the title of the album says it all. You have to live life off the wall, you have to be outrageous. Make your life the best it could be and I really felt that when I used to listen to that album. The movie would be The Wizard of Oz (Two-Disc 70th Anniversary Edition). I love that movie because there are so many life lessons about your fears, and the scarecrow, just the life lessons that are played by the characters is amazing and I love to watch that movie over and over again.

OFF THE WALL – MICHAEL JACKSON

If you cannot view the YouTube Off the Wall video, please click here.

The Wizard of Oz

If you cannot view the YouTube Wizard of Oz video, please click here.

Avil Beckford: What excites you about life?

Alison Duke: You can make choices in life and through those choices you are in charge of your destiny.

Avil Beckford: How do you nurture your soul?

Alison Duke: I nurture my soul through my spiritual practice. I think everyone has to believe in something that is beyond them.

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

Alison Duke: I wish there was peace on earth. I wish that people would be respected and that there would be human rights for all. And I think if there was human rights for all there would be peace on earth.

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

Alison Duke: I’m happy when I can make people smile and laugh.

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YouTube Video Credit: Off the Wall Uploaded by BigMTown4, Wizard of Oz Uploaded by  Ravenswood17

Interviewee Name: Heather White, Director Membership – Large & Mid Markets

Company Name: Board of Trade

Website: http://www.bot.com 

Avil Beckford: Tell me a little bit about yourself.

Heather White: I’m a wife, mother, volunteer and a hardworking professional doing a job that I really like. I am married to a guy I really love and have two kids that I really love.

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

Heather White: I’m not sure if I do a very good job, but I do keep things separate. So when I’m at work, I don’t do personal stuff, and when I’m at home I don’t do work stuff. Sometimes I do some work stuff but I try not to mix the two. If it’s family time, it’s family time. However there is a transition time, so if there are issues at work, when I go home I will talk to my husband about them, so I need that transition period. But outside of that, there is no real integration per se because some of the things that you tolerate at home you wouldn’t tolerate at work and vice versa. 

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

Heather White: I love to travel – driving or going away, and I love to read and I love to play sports. I play basketball, table and lawn tennis. I play whatever the kids play. I love movement.

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

Heather White:

1. Be sure of who you are.
2. Stay focused.
3. You always have to study and find ways to improve yourself.
4. I have a range of interests that have served me well. I don’t know if everybody can handle it but it has worked very well for me to have a wide range of interests.
5. Every person you meet you should treat them well andwith respect.

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

Heather White: I’m a groupie so I find conversations with people help me to generate new ideas because someone might say something that you can build on, or might trigger something for you. I also think that you have to listen to what other people have to say because no idea is off limit. That has helped me but the group dynamics has been my biggest idea generation tool.

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

Heather White:

“Until you make peace with who you are, you’ll never be content with what you have.”  Doris Mortman

“We are what we repeatedly do; excellence therefore is not an act but a habit.”  Unknown

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

Heather White: Success is a very elusive term for me. I think you have to be good at what you do, so that’s a big thing and if you’re good at what you do you’ll make money at it easier than someone else. But I think it has to benefit more than just yourself. I grapple with the definition for success all the time. But I don’t think that success is in your wealth, it’s in products or services that you offer that can help a wide range of people, or even help to make the quality of someone’s life better. The formula for success, especially in the early part of your career, is to work hard, be open to suggestions on how to improve yourself, and be a subject matter expert. And never think that you know everything there is to know about that area.

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

Heather White: I don’t know if I’m successful, but I know that I’m good at what I do because my clients affirm that all the time. The people aspect was very critical for me and I was never intimidated by people who were not nice. I deal with senior level executives daily, some are rude and intimidating, but for the most part they are nice. I think it’s a reflection of how you treat people – I treat them with respect, but I am also very confident in myself.

I learn a lot from people and I evaluate criticisms. If someone said something about me I always analyze it and I take it back to my mentors, my family and say, “This is what someone said about me, is that how you perceive me?” I also have people in the office who I can talk to, and my mentors are good for me. Family and mentors play a key role in my life.

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

Heather White: I would say to be flexible in the early stage of your career. Be open to learning a lot of things. I’m a trained forensic chemist, and now I’m in sales and account management. I had to be open. You have to be open to opportunities, learn from others and get a mentor.

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?

Heather White:

1. I’d like to have met Abraham and Daniel in the Bible because of their stories – moving from one place to next, to the unknown, and hearing the voice of the Lord.
2. Nelson Mandela has had an incredible life so I would like to meet him personally. I read his book Long Walk to Freedom and I thought the time he spent in prison all those years was simply incredible. I think his focus is amazing.
3. I’d love to meet Barack Obama and I’d love to meet him now when the markets are crashing. The challenges he has are pretty incredible.
4. I would also love to have met Winston Churchill.

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

Heather White: For me it has to be the Bible because it has nuggets of truth that have helped me. It’s tried and proven and it works like clockwork. It also helps you to focus on the real things in life and that’s my reference points. I have read some wonderful books, but nothing compares for me like the Bible.

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?

Heather White: I have several praise and worship music CDs that I listen to so I would take one of those and I would take The Color Purple for the movie. I would take the Nelson Mandela book Long Walk to Freedom: The Autobiography of Nelson Mandela. I love Debbie Macomber who wrote two books, one on giving and the other on how things work out in your life. I also read a nice book Return to Fitness: Getting Back in Shape after Injury, Illness, or Prolonged Inactivity that I really like.

For the two years, I would read and exercise because it would be a great opportunity to lose some weight. I would exercise, eat healthy and memorize the Bible. I would try to find other people because I have never had to be alone.

Avil Beckford: What excites you about life?

Heather White: People, experiences and how those two can come together.

Avil Beckford: How do you nurture your soul?

Heather White: Reading, going to the spa and spending time with friends.

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

Heather White: I wish I had the resources, know-how and power to help my friends in Africa and make life better for them – people in places like Somalia, Darfur and Congo.

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

Heather White: I’m happy when I’m with my good friends and family and in an environment where I feel loved and people think a lot of me. I am happy at work, with the people I work with because I like them and we get along very well.

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: 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.

Book link is affiliate link.