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Thinking of Self Care When Burned Out as i was Heading to Dallas from Kansas City recently, I heard the familiar tone of the voice over the intercom start up: “Ladies and Gentlemen, we’ve got a full flight to Dallas today…” Travel is BACK and flights are almost always full again, so I couldn’t be […]

This season is all about being thankful, even when you have nothing to Using Thankfulness as a Core Value. If your current situation doesn’t reflect the ideal person and/or life you want, it may be difficult to stay positive. However, when you look at everything you do have, as opposed to what you don’t have, […]

You don’t just suddenly wake up one day, and digitally transform To Make AI Work. You don’t suddenly wake up with the know-how, where you solve your problems with artificial intelligence. It’s a journey that you have to progress through! Video Transcript Brett St Clair Welcome to teraflow.ai. And I’m really excited about the question, […]

Having the right mentors will help you immensely on your path to pursuing your dreams and goals, Have you got a mentor? But there are some specific rules you should follow when finding the right mentor. Y ou can’t simply pick anyone to provide you with good advice and support. Here are my six key […]

According to leadership guru Warren Bennis, “leadership is the capacity to translate vision into reality.” Rugby and Leadership captains have that innate ability to do just this, Rugby and leadership go hand-in-hand . Here in South Africa we have witnessed numerous leaders connected to the sport of rugby who have displayed such qualities. I have […]

Like so many around the world, we are also taking this time to venture near – to Discovering our doorsteps what beautiful destinations we have close to us, some that we had overlooked for the more exotic. Every week we’ll be sharing a new destination in Turkey, trying to unravel the mysteries – one road […]

A little while ago, I wrote an article titled “Critical thinking for the Adaptive Leader – nine key characteristics to What are your sacred cows”, which featured on the Conference Speakers International website. I briefly highlighted nine characteristics that Adaptive Leaders adopt to navigate a changing world. For this article, I am going to be […]

Few months ago, I was supposed to go somewhere with someone and realized What Drives You. We’d agreed to meet at a particular spot but I was trying to renegotiate our meeting place so I can avoid having to take multiple local taxies. And so this person exclaim in total shock…and said, “Nicky, you mean […]

We’ve recently been on an investment drive to raise massive capital for our product, Lohocla and the number we are gunning for is rather massive relative to what we were thinking years ago and as such we Earn Your Stripes, The funny thing is that the people we are contacting today are the very same […]

Communication Represents You and Your Future Perspectives and Communication Impacts Your Success Communication skills are skills you will use for the rest of your life. Positive improvements in these skills will have a positive impact on your relationships, your prospects for employment, and your ability to make a difference in the world. An individual with excellent communication […]

The Role of a Virtual Emcee, a guide is the one steering you on the right course – a firm hand halting you from treading where you shouldn’t, and it’s the instructions researched and tested to provide you with the best results too. Therefore, a guide is also intrinsically necessary for the optimization of an […]

What does it mean to be an inspiring leader? An inspirational leader is someone that people follow, if you’re a leader and nobody’s following you, you’re not really a leader or you lack leadership skills. Think of the world’s most inspiring leaders, who are inspiring leaders throughout history?   What does it mean to be an inspiring leader? An inspiring leader is someone […]

Firstly, let’s take a quick look at the definition and statistics of Employee engagement in small businesses. Employee engagement is a property of the relationship between an organization and its employees.  An “engaged employee” is one who is fully absorbed by and enthusiastic about their work and so takes positive action to further the organisation’s […]

Yet Mr Gates’ programme itself is not inherently evil and why you can do better without slides. Ouch!’Death by PowerPoint.’ That’s the commonly used term. Jim Nelson, a man who served as a translator between the American and Russian troops in Bosnia, tells a story about the Russians watching with bemused fascination as their unlikely […]

going through the Pondoland at 04h00 I listened to the voice note from Chris, a friend of mine who had invited me to join him on a MTB ride from Mboyti to Port Edward. Having hiked and run this section a few times before I was keen to experience it by bike, a sport I […]

To succeed, you have to Training Others to establish boundaries.   But boundaries are only as good as your ability to communicate them.   If people don’t know your boundaries, they become ineffective and are more likely to be discarded.   Training other people on your boundaries requires learning how to say no. That doesn’t […]

Are you hiring employees of the past or employees of the future and Do You Need People Analytics? How we think about employees and what they value has changed drastically over the years. Decades ago, employees were there to punch their time cards and climb the corporate ladder. Even just a few years ago, employees […]

There’s one thing between you and the results you want – Discover what discomfort is stopping you to be it a higher functioning team, more leadership, more money or just more joy and happiness – you know what it is? That’s right, discomfort. If you’ve read anything about the upcoming book (or listened to me, […]

On a recent flight, at almost every stop along the way, the airline I had chosen reminded me that I was flying with “the best” So can you over-compliment your CX. Airport signage told me…the CEO appearing on the pre-flight safety video told me…the flight attendant announcements told me…well, you get the picture. The problem […]

Ten years ago, I was retrenched from a marketing and sales position. My story is the same as many other people. Sometimes losing a job can point towards a better life and opportunities you never thought possible and now Ten Years as an Entrepreneur. After my retrenchment, I didn’t have an epiphany about starting a […]

Build your leadership confidence with these 7 Ways to Be a More Confident Leader instantly-actionable tips from leadership keynote speaker and relatability expert Rachel DeAlto. In leadership, healthy confidence is key. Your team is looking to you for guidance, security, and support. But what if self-doubt is crowding out that inner boldness?   First of […]

My mind jumped from one random thought to the next, my heart raced, and my mouth went dry, Using Are Eustressed to fuel performance. Radio calls were being made, but I wasn’t processing what was being said. I was behind the aircraft. I was experiencing a helmet fire. In reality, I was sitting securely in […]

TAKING THE STRESS OUT OF EVERY DAY with Highly Resilient People! Every morning they wake up and say today I choose joy – consciously – and then; They observe their thinking all day and stop thoughts that create stress. They work at being present in every moment and not worry about or dwell on what […]

#NoMatterWhat is a system to get results regardless of outside circumstances. A set of 5 practices to create transformational growth for people, organizations and companies. The world is more uncertain and more unpredictable than ever. We have a pandemic, civil unrest, tech disruption, misinformation and still brutal competition and more customer, community and family demands […]

Have you heard about the mildly seductive and The Unbearable Pain of Pleasure extremely elusive ‘I’ll be happy’ game? I used to play it all the time. “I’ll be happy when I lose 10 kilograms.”, “I’ll be happy when I find a lifetime partner.”, “I’ll be happy when the millions come rolling in.” There’s an […]

Leadership Hack: How Sticky Notes Can Help Your Career Sticky notes have been my savior. And I don’t mean in a “don’t forget the milk” kind of way. True, sticky notes are great for grocery lists, but what I’m talking about here is how a few small squares helped me become a better leader, and […]

This The Incredible Desert Elephants expedition was the first in a series of five Beyond Expeditions with Jacques Marais and Peter van Kets. The idea was to mountain bike the edge of the incredible Namib Desert from Serra Cafema on the Angolan border to Swakopmund along the coast of Namibia. In this episode, we take […]

A sales slump is a time in which a sales pipeline loses its momentum, leads slow down, or stop coming in altogether, opportunities that are already in play begin to stagnate, and deals that we were sure to win we either lose to a competitor or to a lack of decision-making readiness from the customer. […]

‘Quick! The business is dying! Find me the humblest possible consultant to solve the problem!’ as Experts don’t disqualify themselves. Author Allen Weiss makes this tongue-in-cheek point in his book, ‘Million Dollar Maverick.’ And it’s a good one. As we strive to position ourselves as top-level experts in our industry, a demure and deferring persona […]

With all the recent fervor over the confrontation between Will Smith and Chris Rock at the Oscars® over a comment made about Jada Pinkett Smith, there’s one character I have yet to see explored in the aftermath to change your perspective: G.I. Jane.   Several years ago, when I was building my business as a […]

We have been waiting, hoping, praying, and looking forward to Managing the Flood Gates for over a year—people are ready to meet again.  Clients are sending RFPs (Request for Proposal), booking events, and are considering various cities to host their events. We are once again seeing increased interest in utilizing our DMC (Destination Management Company) services in Asheville. Clients want DMC planning time for Charlotte. They […]

Life has suddenly become potentially very thorny. The goal posts have shifted completely and now the Necessity is the mother of reinvention.  The COVID-19 pandemic has thrust us all into a strange new world.  The rules of engagement have been turned completely upside down.  There is no more ‘normal’. We don’t even know where or […]

11 WAYS TO LIVE with a New year. New goals. New opportunities. #NOMATTERWHAT IN 2022 Welcome to 2022. 11 WAYS TO LIVE #NOMATTERWHAT IN 2022 What separates the high-achievers that actually reach what they strive for from those that don’t? Even in the face of assuredly new challenges, limits and obstacles… I’ll tell you – […]

I was fantasising about a new Outlook feature today. No really, I  am that sad! Here was my fantasy, Stop inviting everyone whenever you create a new meeting event, there is a little box showing the estimated meeting cost. This cost should double as you double the length of the meeting and also double when […]

As a seasoned frontline journalist and broadcaster, Mandy Wiener has a unique perspective on current affairs and A Country Worth Fighting For on how history unfolds in South Africa.   Mandy has had a front row seat to the nine wasted years, the anatomy of the state capture project, the evisceration of state owned entities […]

Worrying is psychologically debilitating and The Opposite of Worrying Planning Recently, I helped a client eliminate the worrying component in his narrative which was causing serious procrastination. This is not unusual, and here are some thoughts for those who find themselves trapped in this wheel of hell. I understand worry intimately. I know those who […]

THE ACCELERATION OF RISK as a few months ago, the National Safety Council had me as the closing keynote speaker for their massive annual conference – and I spoke to a few thousand safety professionals on issues surrounding new, emerging, acceleration of risk.   Including a story of what happened when Rosie the Robot from […]

Hey there, are you a white person wondering what Things You Can Do As An Ally for Black people right now? A lot of my white friends have been asking, you’re not alone. I’ve received several questions from friends wanting to do something so I thought I’d compile these all on one place. This is […]

The following are our Top 10 Keynote Guest Speakers for a global impact for any conference event. Guest Speakers are available to present as the opening or closing keynote speaker on Motivation, Innovation and as event hosts or Facilitators for your next event and conference. Discover YOUR SIGNATURE MOVE, with Jason Hewlett Having delivered thousands of […]

One evening in December 1994 a life-threatening situation with a friend of mine was getting her washing off the passenger seat of her car when the door opened, a man put a knife to her throat and said, “Move over or I’ll kill you.” She moved over into the passenger seat, and even helped him […]

I had a recent team meeting where I brought our Caring Inclusive Listening Leadership coaches together to discuss an idea regarding the community. The call ended up going in an entirely different direction, but ended up in an amazing place. As the conversation grew, many strong opinions came forth on all sides, but I trusted each of them […]

A lot has happened in the past few years since my book, We’re Really All In This Together: Creating a Team Culture of High Performance, Trust, and Belonging, was first published in the spring of 2020. I completed the manuscript for this book (which was just released this week in paperback) at the end of 2019. I […]

Some say great leaders are born. We say great leaders are made, HOW TO BE A GREAT LEADER. There are many different types of leaders and leadership styles. While it’s important to find your own style, there are many qualities of leaders throughout history that have stood the test of time. While we will view […]

It’s a great time to have Rules For New Entrepreneurs —in the last decade, technology has leveled the playing field and propelled an entrepreneurial revolution. As an entrepreneur, you now have more access to information that enables you to make intelligent choices quickly. You have an advantage over big businesses in that you’re lighter, more […]

Clarity Certainty and Hope. Many have spoken about VUCA times, where it all becomes Volatile, Uncertain, Complex and Ambiguous. We had a large taste of it in 2008, during the global financial crash, but the Coronavirus has really challenged every nation, and every person. We will share some thoughts and insights that may help you […]

Almost every industry today is undergoing a radical reimagining and a Transformation story about leadership. Yet simple catchphrases’ like ‘strategic pivot’ and ‘disruptive innovation’ do little leadership to encapsulate the complex challenges that organizations face in the accelerated world unleashed by the pandemic. The problem is particularly acute for technology companies. When decision-makers are inundated […]

“Have a great day!” We say this statement to friends and loved ones so often in Inspiring Others that it may become perfunctory. Just because it may seem cliché, does not mean it is not a sincere remark. I truly want the people in my life to have an awesome day all the time and […]

Boost Your Optimism and have Positive affirmations for anxiety are often used to reinforce positive thinking among people, especially during times of stress. These positive statements help us manage our anxiety levels to live a daily life without having to worry about anxiety and depression ruining our usual daily routine. It can really be tough to […]

Do you have to be a manager or executive to Being A Leader? No! Leading others is a choice. It isn’t about your title. Many people with executive titles are terrible leaders, and many people without a fancy title are outstanding leaders. More than your title, being a leader is about influencing change and inspiring […]

As a keynote speaker on the topics of leadership, connection, resilience, and relationships, I’ve been spending a lot of time thinking about Choose Compassion Over Empathy over the past year and Why Leaders Must Choose Compassion Over Empathy. In fact, in my virtual presentations on personal connection, I quickly became aware of the buzzwords associated […]

17The Wonderbag is up for yet another accolade; the Food Planet Prize rewards excellence in environmental-based food innovation.   South Africa (14 September 2022) – Wonderbag, a South-African-based startup founded by social entrepreneur Sarah Collins, has developed a simple yet pioneering cooking tool that continues to cook food which has been brought to boil by conventional methods. […]

I attend a lot of WHY EVENTS MUST ALWAYS HOST all over Australia as a professional speaker and I have noticed a trend of WHY EVENTS MUST ALWAYS HOST WELCOME TO COUNTRY. When events are hosted by government, they are always opened with a Welcome to Country from a local indigenous person. At the very […]

For Africas growth path it is important to recognize that lessons learnt in a particular place and time in history are not automatically transferrable to another part of the world. However, the growth of Africa mirrors to some degree that of Asia over the past 40 years. The development of the four main Asian Tigers – […]

Sara Sutton Fell, the founder of 1 Million for Work Flexibility, and CEO and founder of FlexJobs, shares tips on how to negotiate workplace flexibility.   Workplace flexibility is not just an issue that impacts working women; working men are also eager for solutions that help them balance work and home, and a new survey […]