Category Archives for Blogs

what a terrific line-up!

Hot off the Press!
These are the brilliant women we have head-lining for you at 1230 AOB? on Tuesday 16 March 2010.

Guest Speaker – Jan Cavelle of Jan Cavelle Furniture. Pauline Crawford of Gender Dynamics will be leading a workshop as will Nikki Pilkington of NikkiPilkington.com
The Amazing Women panellists are – Ida Horner of Ethnic Supplies, Annabel Kaye of Irenicon and Emma Jones of Enterprise Nation

We’re so thrilled – it’s an inspiring, informative and fabulous line-up for all women! Plenty of sponsorship opportunities available at the moment, but there won’t be for long, so please let me know if you would like to secure a sponsorship opportunity.

Further details and booking will shortly be available on www.1230.co.uk

Sevenoaks Business Links

A big thank you to all those who attended the Sevenoaks Meeting today and made it a great success.

We were fortunate in having Jennifer Swain from Business Link Kent as a guest speaker.

Jennifer gave a very informative talk on the work undertaken by Business Link and the services they provide. We are fortunate in Kent to have the opportunity to attend FREE Business Link Workshops ~ a saving of £350.

Jennifer gave us an overview of how Business Link can nurture businesses from conception, sustain focus and vision so they can grow.

It was lovely to see so many regular attendees and also some new faces. Linda Larter MBE ~ Chief Executive of Sevenoaks Town Council, was there and discussed her role with The Council and her secondment to Stag Community Arts Centre.

It was also lovely to have Angela Ward from The Sevenoaks Chronicle there as a member/attendee and to cover the event.

It is always heartening to see how members’ business are developing from month to month and to see new enterprises emerging.

Maidstone Launch

After a huge attendance last week at Kings Hill, we are set for a great launch of the new Maidstone TWC this Wednesday. We have a great speaker, a launch cake, the press will be there, as will Jackie and Penny and we are thrilled with the venue which is The Pippin, on the London Road in Maidstone. It does great food, the atmosphere is lovely and we have the conservatory to ourselves.We are expecting over 30 attendees so far! See you there!

Pain? What pain!

A couple of months ago I finally plucked up the courage to go to see a surgeon about my varicose vein and then decided to go for EVLT, a laser treatment to close the valve at the top of the saphenous vein.

I had the treatment on Tuesday. I opted for local anaesthesia as I didn’t think the procedure sounded particularly invasive or traumatic. I’m glad I did. Although I needed quite a few injections it was nowhere near as bad as dental anaesthics.

The surgeon recommended Voltarol and Codydramol post opertively, neither of which I am keen on so I gratefully declined.

Unfortunately I had an allergic reation to the sticky bandage they strapped my leg with so after 24 hours had to remove it. This I did with trepidation as the surgeon had warned me my leg would be most painful at this point. Not so!

I took 2 lots of ordinary 500mg paracetamol during the first 24 hours post surgery and have taken none since. I believe this is due to the lack of painkillers I normally take and that I have taken nearly half a bottle of Arnica 30c before and after the op. I have also given myself Reiki and have no doubt that my Reiki fellowship have also been sending me Reiki.

I am delighted. I have some quite spectatcular bruises but they are not painful. I am wearing a compression stocking, just to encourage the blood flow up my leg away from the treated vein.

I wanted to share this as so many people are terrified of procedures and consequent pain. Your body can certainly cope with plenty, especially if your mind is in the right place. Complementary medicines definitely have a part to play.

Great week ahead!

We’ve a great week ahead of us for Penny and me at meetings in Bedford, central London, Maidstone – how exciting this is the inaugural meeting on Wednesday, great number going, just know everyone is spreading the word & through Twitter – and 1230 TWC Mayfair meeting on Thursday.

More business opportunities this week for everyone with 1230 TWC Sevenoaks, Bromley, Bury St Edmunds and free 1230 web site training on Thursday.

See you there!

My house to be featured in national magazine!

I have just heard that there is to be a photo shoot of my house in 4-6 weeks time and it will be featured in the magazine ’25 Beautiful Homes.” This will involve an interview with me, so will be a good way to (hopefully!) promote my Interior Style Consultancy business-Metamorphosis. It is really exciting!!
Denny Gaskell www.metamorphosisstyle.co.uk

Technology! Technology! – 1230 TWC East Grinstead

What a great meeting today and I could see you were all getting much from it.

Thank you also for your support when technology let me down.

Look forward to meeting up again soon – and I look forward to seeing your Blogs, Testimonials, etc.

What a fascinating talk from Gill Bentham of Hens Dancing too! A snapshot of women through the ages from the First World War to the modern day. If you missed today’s and get another chance to listen, do book in.

Lucy Locksmith won the business card draw – 3 months free membership of Hens Dancing!

We made it!

Chicken in the soup (tourists in the rain) – Chinese saying

“There’s nothing bloody heavenly about this Jim!” – swearing at our Guide as we reached the top of Heaven’s Ladder; a steep, crumbling stairwell of 300 steps up the side of a mountain.

Stretching 6000km in a dotted line across China, the Great Wall was begun in the 5th Century BC. As it snakes across the mountains it conjures up a sense of history which is difficult to grasp until you have had the opportunity to experience it.

Fortunately (or not), my mum and I were some of the lucky ones who, along with 36 others, spent 10 days in China taking on the challenge of the Great Wall. We had some fantastic Guides, including a local called Alan who spoke flawless English and knew the wall like the back of his hand. Each time we conquered a mammoth section of the wall, Alan would sit us down and give us a lesson on China and answer our burning questions! At night we were welcomed into the homes of local farmers who’s food and hospitality gave us a true cultural experience of rural China.

The trek itself was both a physical and mental challenge. Some sections would wind through remote woodland and terraced farmland with slippery stones and crumbling rocks. Other parts would lead us up the sides of mountains and across some high, narrow ridges with gale force winds – there were a few hairy moments!

But we couldn’t have reached the top of those mountains if it hadn’t been for all the support from our family and friends back home. So far the grand total is at £5,823 and we’re still collecting! Your generous donations will go towards Great Ormond Street Children’s Hospital’s new cardiac theatre. This new facility will provide the flexibility to accommodate future advances in surgical techniques ranging from cardiac transplantation to keyhole surgery.

Overall, the new cardiac theatre will allow GOSH to maintain the quality of care expected of a centre of excellence, and ensure that the future vision for cardiac surgery is delivered, and children needing cardiac surgery get the best care possible.

As well as fundraising for GOSH, this trek gave us the chance to get our new charity, My Ten Days, off the ground. The charity encourages owner/managers of small to medium size businesses to give an extra ten days’ paid leave to one member of their team to do something worthwhile, either in the UK or overseas. www.mytendays.org

When we arrived at Gatwick in our hiking boots and oversized rucksacks, we didn’t know a soul. By the flight home, we had left China as a team who had helped each other out of some sticky situations and been together along one of the most incredible journeys any of us will ever experience.

Donations can still be made at www.justgiving.com/brightley-hodges

If you have been inspired to do something amazing, get involved with Great Ormond Street Children’s Hospital at – www.gosh.org or lobby your boss and visit www.mytendays.org

Zero Cost?!

Marketing yourself and your business at zero cost

What an informative talk by guest speaker Jackie Barrie of Comms Plus today at 1230 TWC Croydon. This was certainly notdeath by PowerPoint.

We nodded in recognition and learning as Jackie took us through “Ten Key Messages to make online networking work for you”

Jackie’s presentations are always a delight – presented in her own fun, commonsense and interactive style. Big THANK YOU Jackie… look forward to meeting again.

oooo, the company and food were great too!

What on earth is Twitter??

Have you recently found yourself asking that question? Or feeling as if the whole world (except you) seems to be on Facebook?

Find out how Twitter can help you to develop meaningful networking relationships in person! At this month’s Woking meeting, we will be joined by 1230 TWC member Callie Carling to discover how we can all boost our business profile with social networking – mixing business with pleasure!

Callie is an integrated holistic therapist and trainer at Holistic Feathers who is passionate about online social networking. Callie has helped a wide range of clients develop their e-visibility with Moonpoppy Enterprises.