Pink Expertise

An instinct for news

What I loved about Shannon's talent is that it's rare. I speak to my clients all the time about PR hooks for their businesses and how to get great PR news stories – the concept of selling in a story or finding a news angle is a powerful one but it's not often it comes naturally. This is exactly what this blog and campaign was set up for, to inspire people to find the talents that others have. Do you have a talent for finding a good angle? Do you use your intuition or gut instinct to 'feel' your way through your business and home decisions? Then Pink Expertise wants to hear from you! Shannon has answered the questions below and if you can too – then e-mail them to me, lynette@pinkskills.co.uk. For now, I'll let Shannon take centre stage!

1. What talent do you naturally have that makes you successful?

I have a gut instinct on what's a good news story. (My former news director once called it 'the best BS Detector in news'.) It's helped me craft great news stories for my public relations clients - getting them great media coverage - even on Oprah!

2. When did you first realise that talent was going to help you and how do you use it?

In my youth, I often used it for more evil purposes - to embarrass people who were bragging too much. Now, I am much better at using it for good, by helping good people find their voice, tell their story and be heard with the power of publicity.

Visit Shannon's website by clicking here!

Victim or Survivor?

Wow, when I read Geraldine Vinall's answers to the Pink Expertise questions, they suddenly made me feel all calm and relaxed!  It's true!  Geraldine's biggest strength and talent, is resilience, and I loved the bit she says about rising above daily pressures.  She's right, we do have to do that, if we don't, if we completely immersed ourselves in daily stresses, we'd be too stressed to be effective.  I also loved her views on choosing to be victims or survivors.  This comes naturally to some people, but it can be taught too – when my clients take a shift in mind frame and put themselves in control of their choices, their options really do open up.  Read Geraldine's answers below, are you a victim or a survivor?

1. What talent do you naturally have that makes you successful?

My natural talent is resilience! It’s important to take people seriously – especially yourself – but rise above the pressures of daily life that can otherwise rob you of your energy and confidence. We can’t choose what happens to us, but we can choose what we do next. The decision to be a victim or a survivor is a life choice that helps keep us cheerful and limit the effects of anxiety and stress.

2. When did you first realise that talent was going to help you and how do you use it?

When I qualified in hypnotherapy and NLP and started my practice, I realised that finding the light at the end of the tunnel was helpful to my clients. I specialise in enabling them to be anxiety-resistant and stress-proof. It’s not what we go through but how we deal with it that ultimately makes us who we are. Learning to be positive and self-nurturing ensures resilience through challenging times; while protection and growth of self-esteem ensures the confidence we all need for survival and success.

Read more about Geraldine by clicking here.

Pink Expertise also wants to hear from you – have you got a talent that makes you successful? Go on, let me know, e-mail lynette@pinkskills.co.uk and let me shout about it on your behalf!

Optimistic, Adventurous & Creative

Three very strong words, three very strong talents and one woman has them all.  Beth Blair uses all three in her work and is exactly the kind of woman this campaign was set up to profile.  She's clearly extremely happy in her work, loves new projects and squeezes every drop of success from her talent – if you're not using your talent, take heart – it can be done, be inspired by Beth Blair;

1. What talent do you naturally have that makes you successful?

My success derives from my optimistic and adventurous spirit combined with my strongest talent, creativity. I am happiest when I am able to dive into a project that not only challenges me but puts my creative nature into action.

2. When did you first realise that talent was going to help you and how do you use it?

I have always had a passion for travel and aviation. I worked as a flight attendant for many years and loved it, but when I started writing (usually in a hotel room far from home) I realized I had found an outlet that allowed me to combine my creative talent with my passion – the true recipe for success. I am now living my dream working as travel expert, writer and speaker. I don’t remember a time in my life that I felt more fulfilled in a career.

Want to hear more from Beth?  Then click here to be taken to her website - alternatively e-mail me with your talent and let me profile your talent!  E-mail me, Lynette - lynette@pinkskills.co.uk

How's your bedside manner?

It's interesting the number of women who only really realise their talents because someone takes the trouble to point them out.  In the case of our next Pink Expert, that's exactly what happened over 20 years ago!   Anne's clients certainly recognise her talent too and it literally takes her from strength to strength.  I love reading all my pink experts' answers but I have to admit Anne's really struck a chord with me and I think it will with you too.

What would recognising your talents do for you? Read about Anne's experience and then tell me about yours;

1. What talent do you naturally have that makes you successful?

A laser-like ability to nail the issues. It's an insight that comes from having an acute sensitivity to people, feelings and external environments. I've subsequently honed it by working with many different types of businesses and market sectors. I'm very think/feel oriented and learnt as a child to Intellectualize my way out of trouble. This has developed into a business skill for understanding markets and cultures and an ability to make deep connections for clients by putting them in touch with what they're capable of being. I spend time understanding them, assessing strategic options and using insights creatively to develop business capabilities. I'm pragmatic and like to get to the nub of any challenge, being mouthy makes me a good orator and deep down I'm a bit of a maverick. Companies find the combination refreshing and a good sounding board for when they're thinking about how to manage change, scope out new opportunities or right-size to make the best of what they have.

2. When did you first realise that talent was going to help you and how do you use it?

In my first job, as an Account director at Saatchi & Saatchi over twenty years ago, my boss told me half-jokingly I had a 'very good bedside manner' - that's when I realized this talent was showing up as a strength in terms of inspiring others and creating enduring relationships. I've been good at this all my career. The clients and companies I work with see me as an enabling force because my focus is on them and developing their capabilities for their own sake. Sometimes the more I aim to make myself redundant the more work I have, people can trust me, it's something they value.

You can visit Anne's website by clicking here but don't leave it there, consider your own talents, why not answer the questions above yourself and send them to me, lynette@pinkskills.co.uk I'd love to read them and feature you aswell.

A perfect combination

My next Pink Expert is Stephanie Breesan. She's always been aware of her talent and has just recently taken the step of setting up her own business to be able to offer that talent on a formal basis and be recognised for it. Her talent means people talk to her easily that she understands other peoples perspectives and is only ever interested in seeing people improve. I don't know about you but I think Stepahnie is going to be very successful – her whole personality and natural talent is completely aligned with her business and its product – a perfect combination, read on to find out more;

1. What talent do you naturally have that makes you successful?

When thinking about the “natural talent” I have that makes me successful, I wanted to say empathy – it is one of the things I do like about myself; but I don’t think that alone makes me successful.  I think it is my passion combined with empathy.  I have been told my passion is infectious, but what makes me able to help others is my ability to see how people can improve, by simply finding the confidence within.

2. When did you first realise that talent was going to help you and how do you use it?

I must have been very young, I always remember wanting to help people who were upset or confused, soothe their ills, make them smile, fix their issues.  Where ever I have worked, I have always fallen into the role of training and mentoring new staff or staff who were struggling.  I have always wanted to own my own business and just last month decided that I needed to build my own company instead helping someone else – hence Stellar Strategies was born!  Now I am finally on my way, by helping others make a success of their lives I genuinely feel I have found my place!

Click here to be taken to Stephanie's website or to tell us all about YOUR talent, e-mail the answers to Stepanie's questions to lynette@pinkskills.co.uk

Creating connections

We all know that when we're working at full potential, creating connections between the different aspects of our lives or our clients lives is a skill that's highly regarded. It means you become a massively valuable resource to everyone around you, and things fall into place. Wouldn't it be nice if we could work like this all the time? One woman who does is Lisa Murray. Her business is based in Australia – a long way from where this blog and campaign are based, nr London in the UK but this is the power of women in business, the power of the web and the power of how to inspire – go ahead, read on and be just a little bit inspired!

1. What talent do you naturally have that makes you successful?

I am fortunate that my left and right brain work in an extremely connected way – I can “join dots” and form ideas and strategies from things that look completely disconnected on the surface! My business coaching clients known me as the ‘Resource Queen’ as I store immense amounts of useful ‘stuff’ in my brain – where it very usefully just pops to the surface when I need it.

This talent is partly intuitive, partly strategic, partly creative and works very well for my clients. Once the dots are connected, I then use this same capacity to act like an opportunity sieve to recognize the really valuable insights. It’s a really fun approach to developing new business perspectives which create real results. What fascinates me is that potential coaching clients seem to sense this capacity in me even from very brief (but enthusiastic) conversations, and are drawn like bees to a honeypot!

2. When did you first realise that talent was going to help you and how do you use it?

This is a talent that feels like a second skin – I can’t remember when I recognized it first… I do know that a large part of my early success as a marketer (in my first career) was definitely attributable to the capacity to see patterns, ideas and solutions that no-one else could, and then to turn these into strategic advantages. I do know that this talent was one of the key skills that lead me into business coaching. This talent feels so joyful for me as the ideas just pop out of my mouth! Anyone who talks to me will probably get at least one idea in the course of conversation…even my hairdresser benefits from my latest business ideas…I just can’t stop!

I use my connective capacity in a multitude of ways. I match client needs with people and information from my huge ‘resource toolbox’. I help small business owners come up with new (profitable!) ideas that have their own unique twist. In essence, I make problem-solving for small business owners easy and fast! I am always generous in sharing my ideas and insights because I know I have an unending supply.

What's your talent? We'd love to know. This blog and campaign is spanning the world as you can see from Lisa's business location. E-mail me, Lynette, with your answers to lynette@pinkskills.co.uk

Born to multi-task

What I love about this next Pink Expert, Anne-Louise Harbutt is that she recognises why multi-tasking is so necessary in a womans life!  We do after all have to be all things to all men, and far too often, we just multi-task all day long without even thinking about how good we are at it and without recognising the sheer skill and talent it takes to even do it!

Well, a talent it is and Anne-Louise has it - fortunately for her boss!  Here's what she says;

1. What talent do you naturally have that makes you successful?

My talent seems to be that of multi-tasking and being able to change seamlessly from one task to another. This I find is key to my job as Personal Assistant to a dynamic entrepreneur.

One minute I am singing and dancing with the Tweenies on Cbeebies (this is with my 5 and 2 ½ year old you understand!) and the next I am organising my boss’s latest business trip to the Middle East.

As a busy Mum and PA I try to be focused and dedicated in whatever I am doing as I feel this is important.

2. When did you first realise that talent was going to help you and how do you use it?

As a PA, I have always had to be pro-active, efficient and able to multi task but not until I combined the roles of part-time PA with that of a mother to two young children was this fully put to the test. 

Life is somewhat hectic at times but I try to be organized and intuitive to meet the challenges of juggling a young family with a busy job.

Were YOU born to multi-task?  Then Pink Expertise wants to  hear from you!  Simply answer the questions as Anne-Louise has done here and we'll feature you and your talent.  Inspire another woman today by being brave enough to spotlight your talent!  Send your answers to me at lynette@pinkskills.co.uk

Having the 'look'

No I don't mean the right suit or the matching shoes...'having the look' in this instance means understanding HOW to put a look together. If you have a natural flair for what go's and what doesn't, you could be earning a living doing just that. We all walk around showrooms and show houses admiring how the colours, the furniture and the 'look' all just works but in reality this takes time, know-how and more than a little flair. Do you have that flair? Do people walk around YOUR house ooo'ing and ahhh'ing over the little touches you've put in place? Well if you're not using your talent of creating the look, you could be missing out! Lesley Blume definitely isn't though, read on for more!

1. What talent do you naturally have that makes you successful?

For putting 'a look' together which makes the best use of someone's living space which reflects their personality and style.

2. When did you first realise that talent was going to help you and how do you use it?

When many of my friends continuously advised me that I should establish a business in interiors as I have a natural talent/flair for making the best use of the space and putting items together which complete 'the look' and meet their aspirations. To establish a business, you need to possess tenacity, be prepared for hard work and above all have self belief.

What's your natural flair? I really want to know and so do the readers of Pink Expertise, so come on, don't be shy, answer the questions above and send them to lynette@pinkskills.co.uk. To visit Lesley's website and discover why she's so talented at her job, click here!

Curiosity didn't really kill the cat

Your mother might have called it 'Nosiness', we'll call it 'Curiosity' and in my opinion, it's one of the biggest talents a woman can have!

Be honest – we all want to know what's going on and when you ask the question, people open up and tell you! 

The very best way to use your natural curiosity as your biggest talent in business is to do exactly what Françoise Murat does. It makes her popular, people like her because she's interested in them and makes for a strong connection. Read all about Françoise below;

1. What talent do you naturally have that makes you successful?

I think I have a natural talent to connect to all kinds of people from all walks of life. I like people and being very curious about anything and everything, it makes life interesting. Being curious makes one inventive and dynamic, might as well die if you don’t want to learn! As a garden designer and interiors designer, being inventive is everything. These days budgets are top of the list and my talent to put together a scheme for a tight budget has really excited my clients. You can still have design on a budget!

2. When did you first realise that talent was going to help you and how do you use it?

When people started buying from me without me trying to sell! I worked out that using what you have, being nice and polite and giving as much as you get back, was the way for me. It has only let me down a few times but for all the times it hasn't, it's been worth it. You don't have to be a shark to be successful in business, you truly can enjoy it. I also know the difference between being assertive and being pushy – many women need to learn that. Know what you want is the first thing to figure out.

I'm curious to know your biggest talent – so tell me what it is!

E-mail me lynette@pinkskills.co.uk with the answers to Françoise's questions and you could find you and your business being profiled right here. For now though, sit back and flick around Françoise website by clicking here

Personality, personality, personality

Ah! I'm so pleased someone finally mentioned personality!  Phew!

My top tip when helping clients to reassess their talents is to remember to use their personalities. If nothing else, your personality is what sets you apart from everyone else and it's imperative that you use it.  Especially if you have a natural propensity to make people laugh, to see the funny side of things and don't mind playing on it!

I love using my personality in business, so often, you're meant to be 'serious' and 'hard hitting' but bring your personality to the fore and you'll be remembered – that's better than any business card in my book! I'm not the only one though, Jo Plumridge thinks the same – here's how she uses hers!

1. What talent do you naturally have that makes you successful?

I seem to have a natural ability to make people laugh and to put them at ease very quickly! It probably all comes down to the fact that I enjoy meeting new people and finding out about them. I also have no problems with making a fool of myself, and playing up for laughs!

2. When did you first realise that talent was going to help you and how do you use it?

I first realised this talent when I did amateur dramatics as a teenager, and always got cast in comedy roles. I loved being able to make people laugh and enjoy themselves. Now, as a freelance photographer, I’ve found this an invaluable talent. Getting people to relax and enjoy themselves is half the battle with photography – once you’ve achieved this, you’re guaranteed to get much better and more natural results. I feel it’s also made me a better networker, as I’m genuinely interested in finding out about people.

How does your personality help you in business?  Do you get more business when you make your clients laugh?  Don't be shy, I want to hear about your biggest talent!

E-mail me lynette@pinkskills.co.uk and to be taken straight to Jo's website, simply click here!

Warmly optimistic!

If you find yourself always buoying other people up with the positives about their situation, you could well find that's your biggest talent.  Being optimistic is sometimes seen as being unrealistic, but what actually happens when you focus on the good is that, the good usually focuses on you back.  Even the most unrealistic positive outcomes happen just because people believed they 'could' – that's the key here 'could' instead of 'can't'. When Claire sent me her questions about talent, her optimism was high on her list. Take a tip from Claire and think 'half full' today and see what you can make happen!

Here's what she says;

1. What talent do you naturally have that makes you successful?

I think that my warm personality and overriding optimism are the talents which have contributed to the success of my business. I think being approachable, friendly and honest are also characteristics that are embedded in me and they have also helped.

2. When did you first realise that talent was going to help you and how do you use it?

Ever since I was young I wanted to own my own business. I have been fortunate enough to have had an amazing education and, combined with my optimistic and persistent personality, I have managed to grow BoBelle to what it is today. I am always striving for success and am extremely self-motivated. I have grown up with a family who is also self-motivated and are high achievers - I'm aiming to be the same!

Are you the optomist type?  Do you prefer to see your glass as half full?  Perhaps good things happen to you when you think they will – tell me about them!

I'm looking for more Pink Experts to feature on Pink Expertise. This campaign is incredibly important to get women looking for the talents and using them everyday.  You can take part. 

E-mail the answers to Claire's questions above and send them to me lynette@pinkskills.co.uk or to visit Claire's website and see just how positive she can be, click here!

Be a cheerleader

No you don't have to wear a tiny skirt and wave pom poms around to be a cheerleader!

You do have to love your job though – I do - probably for the much the same reasons as my next Pink Expert. Imagine having the support of someone and just knowing that whether you screw up or succeed, they'll be there. That's what a coach does and that's what Leona Charles does – she calls herself a 'cheerleader' for her clients and she sounds a pretty special cheerleader at that – read on to find out more;

1. What talent do you naturally have that makes you successful?

 

I am a natural 'cheerleader'. Whenever someone is trying something new or experiencing something difficult, I've been the friend to say 'Well done' or 'It will get better!'. I have limited attention for negativity and find that people can chose to be either a blessing or a burden to the people they come across. This mind frame led me to be a business coach. Many leaders don't have that supportive base that's so essential in running a business. You need someone to tell you the risks honestly and say 'But if you choose to do this, I will stand by you all they way'. I hope that I provide that type of guidance and support to my clients in addressing the direction they want to take their companies in.

2. When did you first realise that talent was going to help you and how do you use it?

I first realised this talent when I was in grad school. I was elected the unofficial leader of my group, due to the way I organised and pushed everyone to create the assignments we needed to complete. I found that I enter a group, uncover what needs to be done, and set about making sure everyone is motivated.

Do you feel like being a cheerleader and leading the way to inspire someone you've never met? Well you can, click here to learn more about this campaign or simply answer Leona's questions and e-mail them to me lynette@pinkskills.co.uk.  Click here to be taken directly to Leona's website or if you've considered becoming a coach yourself, click here

Be the organiser - you know you want to!

Let's not beat around the bush here, women are renowned for being the organisers, both at work and at home. The men in their lives, and the children, are allowed to walk around the planet with only one thing on their minds – themselves and their schedules because it's very often women who co-ordinate everything from above. We look at everyone's schedules and how they fit together, we look at everything that needs to happen and be achieved in order for events to be a success.

The thing is, most of my clients do this naturally without ever realising their power. This campaign is about realising the importance of talents like these. Steph is exactly like this and her friends and family rely on her to do just that. How does she use it in business though? Read on to find out;

1. What talent do you naturally have that makes you successful?

My talent is being organised. I use this talent in work and in my personal life. Being organised helped me achieve my targets and objectives. You can't go wrong being organised. My friends and family can rely on me because of this.

2. When did you first realise that talent was going to help you and how do you use it?

I have always looked after everyone else and sorted out there work loads or problems. In work everyone always came to me for answers to a question. I was told my name came up in most conversations between managers when it came to who would organise their projects.

No one was surprised when I announced I was opening up my own virtual PA business. Everyone told me what a natural move it was and they asked why I hadn't done it sooner. To be able to help someone achieve there own goals and dreams in business and in personal life is so satisfying to me. It nice to hear people say they didn't know how they coped without me. I'm so proud of my business PA Angel of The North.

Fancy employing the services of our chief organiser Steph? Click here to be taken to her website. You may however, be wondering how Steph got to be featured here? Well she was brave enough to answer the questions above. Answer them too and you could find yourself here too. Go on, shout about your talent and e-mail your answers to me, Lynette at lynette@pinkskills.co.uk

Bring out the best bits

We've all had to take part in training days and seminars at one time or another and when we work in companies or for other people, we may not always want to be there. So imagine, if you will, being drawn into a training session that you don't think you need, being listened to about your concerns, problems or fears and having a Trainer who genuinely wants to see you getting the best out of the day – no I'm not dreaming, this is the talent that Debra Roberts has and my guess is that her approach has made her very popular! Here's what she says;

1. What talent do you naturally have that makes you successful?

I think it's my character; how I work with people. I always try to find the handle that will bring the best out of my delegates experience, when attending one of my training sessions. I'm approachable, respect others talents (which may not include IT), I'm honest and always try to find a solution.

2. When did you first realise that talent was going to help you and how do you use it?

Talent comes from interest in the subject; I enthuse about training and this gets me contracts! I love my job, only have to be shown how something works once, and off I go!

Click here to be taken to Deb's website or to have your answers featured right here, click here. Not only do we want to hear from you – we want to hear about your very best bits – what are yours?

Think about it...bring out your best side

Oh I can't tell you how much fun building this site is! For me, the biggest buzz is getting women thinking about what they're' intrinsically good at. They never think about it you see? Day to day, they just get on with their 'stuff' and get things done, they don't often think about 'why' they end up getting things done and Judi Walsingham is no different. She had to think about her answer here, for Pink Expertise, but I'm so glad she did – her talent, it seems, was there all along, except now, she knows what it is!

1. What talent do you naturally have that makes you successful?

Like most of us I found this a hard question to answer, but after some thought it became clear that my natural talent is to bring out the best in others. I have a passion for helping others achieve their potential and this drives everything I do.

2. When did you first realise that talent was going to help you and how do you use it?

I have been driven by this need to help others achieve because I am dyslexic, it wasn’t recognised at school in my time, and I had a tough time. I failed my O levels exams even though my school work was good, yet I knew I could achieve great things. Despite this set back, I left school and had a successful career and held jobs as Regional training manager National sales manager and European training manager. I never went on to university so a little later in life I decided to try again and I went to study with the Open University where they picked up on my dyslexia and helped me. I now have BSc(Hons) awarded in 2003 at the age of 49! This was one of my all time life highlights. I believe we all have hidden talents that are waiting for someone or something to say 'Yes you can'. I am thank full for my dyslexia because it made me a fighter and has helped me see talent and abilities in others that they may not see in themselves.

In 2000 I set up a successful training and development company with my husband. I design and deliver a range of tailored soft skills workshops to a range of clients from small business to large organizations like the NHS. We either go to their offices or we run open courses in Watford. I use accelerated learning techniques and make the learning fun and meaningful . I love to see people develop and go on to greater achievements and when they get the ‘light bulb’ moment, you know, when something dawns on them, its just so rewarding and I feel so pleased I have been able to help them, help themselves.

Click here to be taken to Judi's website or to have your answers featured right here, click here and all will become clear!