Category Archives for Blogs

Our first birthday

I just thought it would be nice to let everyone know what a great meeting we had at Friern Barnet yesterday to celebrate our first birthday.  Natalie Levitan from Thoughts kindly donated a beautifully wrapped vase as a gift for us to raffle with the proceeds going to Ovacome, our charity and we managed to raise £22.  Gary Markwick came along and talked to us about weight management through positive thinking – I think this was pretty hard after we’d just eaten either a healthy portion of chocolate or banana cake, washed down with bucks fizz – but we all got the point!

Croydon’s meeting next week

Only a few days to go before Croydon’s meeting ,  Tues 6th May. Come and join Val and myself at The Kelong, Selsdon Rd, South Croydon. The food is good and the company even better.

Hints and tips on taking superb portraits

Let’s get high! One of our most useful pieces of photographic equipment is a folding step-ladder. Shooting ‘from above’ is great for groups, and flatters features like nostrils and double chins. For safety’s sake, always use a step-ladder with wide steps and a guard rail, and never try to balance on the top. A lightweight step-ladder is easiest to transport (for obvious reasons). When you’re not using it, make sure it doesn’t appear in the background of your shots! With practice, you can also get a good angle if you hold the camera at arm’s length above your head.
It’s all in the angles If your subject sits or stands with their head and shoulders facing straight towards the camera, the result will be a bit like a passport photo. Not great. If you swivel your subject so they are sitting or standing at an angle, and looking over their shoulder towards you, you’ll get a much more flattering shot.
Pretty as a picture Under harsh photographic lighting, make-up can lose almost 40% of its colour and tone. In order to look ‘normal’, women should apply make-up that’s a bit heavier than their usual ‘day’ make-up (but not as heavy as their ‘evening’ look). Applying the correct base is important, to smooth out blemishes and avoid shine, but go easy on the lip gloss and shimmery finishes, as they may reflect the lights badly. Deeper colours for lips and eyes are particularly effective in black-and-white photography. As for men – a dusting of powder can be applied to avoid flare from balding heads!

Inspired and humbled with Ovacome

On Saturday I was both inspired and humbled by the lovely ladies and their families that I met at Ovacome’s Members’ Day.  All the ladies were patients and during the afternoon attended workshops on Art, Hypnotherapy, Relaxation and Health & Well-being (the latter run by our own 1230 East Grinstead and Sevenoaks Manager, Beverley Hamilton).
I also met Ollie!  Ollie is a little knitted fellow and is going to help Ovacome with their fund-raising.  So this is a request on behalf of Ovacome; Ovacome is looking for a knitting wool company sponsor – if you have contact with such, would you please get in touch with Louise Bayne at Ovacome on ovacome@ovacome.org.uk
I had an amazing day – thank you Ovacome

A la recherche … French speaking PR whizz

Hello, I’m not sure if I am 1230’s only international member but am currently looking out over a grey day in Lyon – yes, don’t believe that life in France is all sunny aperitifs at 11am with the locals on the petanque pitch!
Anyway, this brings me to today’s need: I’m looking for a French native speaking PR freelancer (based UK or France) who could place articles/comment in French business, management and trade press. Not the first time this request has come up and it would be wonderful to find someone who could fit the bill for an immediate project.
If anyone can help me find this person, please email me at diane@dianestevenson.com.  Now, time for a cup of tea – yes, you can take the girl out of England but …

Small Business Award launched by Dell

Dell today announced it is partnering with British Chambers of Commerce and The Daily Express to launch the Dell Small Business Excellence Award in the UK (details on the Dell website – search for ceaward). The award, which Dell has been successfully running in the US over the last four years, has been expanded and will now seek out and reward those small businesses in the UK who can demonstrate how they have applied innovative technology to create an exceptional customer experience.  Dell has also teamed up with its global partners Independent Council for Small Businesses (ICSB) and Endeavor, creating a world-class partnership team for the award.

Entries are now open online at www.dell.co.uk/ceaward, where ten UK finalists will be shortlisted before a national winner is announced.

Winner could receive up to £25,000 in Dell technology and services
The UK winner will receive:

• £15,000 in Dell products and services, a day of best practice sharing with Dell executives, including time with Michael Dell, and a 10-year membership to an Accredited Chamber of Commerce in the UK. The nine UK Finalists will receive:
• Dell business class laptop and a one-year membership to an Accredited Chamber of Commerce in the UK.

Personal Safety – 1230 Bromley

Today was a brilliant 1230 Bromley meeting, with more people pouring into the room so that we had to move to a different area of the restaurant.  Guest Speaker Gill Twyford from the Suzy Lamplugh Trust had our total concentration as she asked us questions of how we would react in potentially threatening situations.  And we didn’t always know the right answers.  In a calm and non-alarming way, Gill made us aware of our own vulnerability, of the choices we had and how we should prepare should we be attacked, or look as though we maybe attacked.  The statistics were interesting and some surprising, for example only 10% of crime is violent – we all thought it would be much higher than this but it’s the media which creates fear and therefore makes us feel more vulnerable.  Two-thirds of violence comes from people we know.  Men are twice as likely to be attacked than women.  Gill gave us tips to keep us safe, such as – how much of the contents of that expensive handbag do we really need in one place, spread it around our person, carry a personal alarm and how to use it.  Watch out for the next issue of 1230 Insight where there will be some more tips.  The next 1230 Bromley meeting is on Wednesday 21 May.

1230 East Dulwich’s Lola Fayemi on Westside Radio’s Business Show 89.6FM – Friday 18 April 2008 10-11am

I am being interviewed by Westside Radio on the Business Show with Pooja.
The topic for my interview is “What’s stopping you from your success?” and will be all about the underlying unconscious beliefs we have that are in conflict with our desires, and the negative impact these have on our businesses and lives.
I will also be sharing tips on how to overcome this conflict and so that everything within you is in alignment towards the same goal.
I’ve heard this will be a little different from their usual interviews on business, but it’s very reflective of my style and approach.
In my opinion this topic is about building a successful and thriving business on solid foundations.  Many people go into business seeking financial success but have conflicting beliefs around money like “rich people are greedy” and “money is the root of all evil”.  If you have underlying beliefs like this you will not ALLOW yourself true financial success.  Until this issue is addressed you may find yourself periodically sabotaging your efforts.
This is why this is foundational information and affects ALL of your business decisions.  Listen in for more of the same.
* * *
If you are in the West London area you can tune in to 89.6FM.  You can also listen live online or listen to the podcast after on www.westsideradio.co.uk.
I hope you can tune in!

Angels/investors for Film

I’ve just formed a film production company, Pivotal Pictures, and although we’re a very professional, well connected bunch, we’ll be looking for investors, either private or corporate.  The script is nearly finished and then we’ll be approaching directors and actors.
Also, if anyone knows Kate Winslett I’d be ever so grateful for a contact!!
My other company, SMA Talent, is always on the lookout for new writing talent – that’s writing for film and tv.
Would love to talk to/meet any other film & tv 1230’s.

Sub-Post Offices saga continues!

The saga of the government’s forced closure of sub-Post Offices continues with the strange sight of cabinet and non-cabinet ministers campaigning against the closures in their own backyards.
It’s true that in some countries there has been wholesale closure of post offices. That might be a solution to the economic crises those PTT’s face but in  UK more is at stake. Most sub-Post Offices here are co-supportive of other businesses, usually an attached shop, and closure of one will in many cases inevitably lead to closure of the other. Further, those shops, especially in rural locations, are typically the last remaining shop in a community. Close it and another thread of social, business and cultural life is severed for ever.
Unwelcome it might be, but perhaps the answer lies in turning over post office services to a private contractor as has happened in the Netherlands. I now receive letters from that country postmarked TNT. Another answer might be for the government to stop squeezing life out of the Post Office by withdrawing services (for which the government pays a service charge) such a vehicle taxation, from many sub-Post Offices.