Thank you for joining me this morning over our beverages of choice!
Nice to sit down and have a catch-up with you all. How are you doing? Tell me below
I want you to remember something important; there is always a solution to any problem no matter how big or bad it is. It may not be instant, it may take effort, yet a solution is and always will be there.
You can drown out that noise and find peace once a solution is found. This gives you that chance to rediscover YOU because you are important.
Lord, wouldn’t it be great to have that as a constant counsel and support?
Many people have asked me how I got through the time I was a crime victim, and I will tell them I got through it by applying certain principles I’ve learnt.
Sadly, we usually have to go through adversities to garner the wisdom to survive. Which is really how I personally got into teaching and comedy. Both give the recipient so much while making me feel rewarded when I’ve helped them.
It’s a great feeling to make someone smile.
And next weekend I’m hoping to do more than make someone smile as I return to stand-up at Brighton Fringe.
Another mad busy week here at CS HQ with a to-do list as long as your arm, feeling slightly overwhelmed most days to straight out frazzled!
So since we last got together, in case you missed the last post, I’m going to be performing on a Triple-Bill at the Brighton Fringe Festival! So I’ve been working on a set that I’m now refining for stage.
It’s been well over a year due to COVID restrictions that I’ve performed live and yes I’m extremely nervous. However, I’m very much looking forward to this experience and a little anxiety is a good motivator sometimes.
I’m back at Uni too, so my head is buried in reading and assignments for the next 2 years.
I also launched the Podcast finally! You can listen here: Intro Episode
While this is going on, I’m still working on Online Learning HQ and it’s impending launch.
Join me for a Virtual Coffee Date on Sunday morning where I’ll go into more detail about this.
Prioritising is hard when there’s so much to say and do, isn’t it?
In the sprawling metropolis that is Brighton, three women will defy the odds, and doctors’ orders, to finally meet for the first time in real life.
They will share epic tales of sibling rivalry, near death and the theft of diesel.
Find out if they saved the world, themselves or just one slice of pizza for the next day.
It’s funny, that’s all you need to know.
Lucy Orchard is Welsh, but we still love her. A notorious female truck driver, Lucy still travels the country delivering goods and punchlines.She will regale you with stories from the open road and she’ll even let you into a few secrets.
“Hysterical tales of her glamorous award-winning day job” – G&B Comedy
Women in Live Music Truck Driver of the Year: 2019
Lu Williams the Londoner in the North. Of Italian descent, with a family that won’t stop growing and more comeback fights than Tyson Fury, this woman is a warrior. A proud Gen X-er, she now observes life with hilarious ‘Middle Rage’ treatment.
“Likeable, came far in a few gigs” – Dave Twentyman
Lizzy Lenco isn’t right in the head and she has the MRI to prove it. Play ‘near death bingo’ with a woman who really has made hell wait for her.
“I can’t believe I laughed about Typhoid” Bloke in Northampton
Shows at the Caxton Arms Brighton
Sat May 29 @ 9:15pm
Sun May 30 @ 5:30pm
Mon May 31 @ 8pm
About the Acts:
Lizzy parked her car upside down on the A34 and went for an amazing two-week spa holiday at Southampton General Trauma Centre. Due to 12 fractures, 53 stitches and multiple other injuries she was one of the ‘shielded’ during lockdown. Her act pays tribute to the emergency services that saved her life, considers the toxic element of social media and finds humour in the darkest of places.
Lucy is a Welsh comedian and notorious female truck driver, she still travels the country but instead of delivering goods, she now delivers punchlines. She graduated the renowned Amused Moose comedy course, under the tutelage of King of Comedy Markus Birdman and has studied further with the hardest working man in comedy, Scott Bennett, Lucy has performed live throughout the South West, but you are most likely to catch her regularly on her self-produced online shows, ‘The Lucy Show’ and ‘The Kitchen Sink.’ Lockdown has not slowed Lucy’s commitment to practicing her craft, by any means necessary. She has become a regular host at the New Act New Material night at ‘The Drop Comedy Club’ South Bend, Indiana and through web broadcasting has made the whole world her stage.
Lu from a failed suicide attempt, believes she’d been given a second chance so she decided to pursue the lifelong dream of stand-up. Tackling the obstacles of age, society’s beauty standards, stage fright and terrible IBS while juggling Higher Education and Parenting, she began her comedy hustle in Rhyl and has since covered most of the North West of England and North Wales drifting from venue to venue and racking up Fixed Penalty Notices along the way.
You ever wonder why people do the lame shit that they do?
You ever look back on certain things that happened in school, college, work and ‘think why didn’t I say that?’ after years of thinking up the perfect response or roast?
These usually come to me years after an event while I’m on the loo!
And what makes it worse? When people come with advice AFTER.
Hindsight has 20/20 vision.
Imagine being able to pre-empty potentially disturbing exchanges and situations? How would that affect our self-belief and confidence?
Imagine being able to spot the signs and red flags so you can decide whether to continue with caution or extricate yourself from anything that could cause you harm. How does this make you feel? Tell me, right now here
Imagine being armed with the tools that help you in life…
There are so many things I wish I knew BEFORE. I probably would have still carried on but at least I’d have been more aware, more prepared, more able to take back control of my life.
And while I could have had the chance to be more self-assured I’ve learnt to understand, reflect, learn and cope with all the negative scenarios I’ve experienced.
Now I have a choice…
Either move on and leave it there or pay it forward?
I choose the latter and offer you or anyone you know that can benefit from the opportunity to investigate interpersonal relationship behaviours and shift their mindset. Find out more NOW
Join me again very soon for a virtual coffee date!
Well last Friday, I told you all about how I was the victim of a crime a few years ago and through official referral went on two programmes to aid my recovery and mental well-being. And that while I found it brilliant, I found some flaws that didn’t sit right with me.
I’m still working creating my course loosely based on those 2 programmes so it will be LIVE soon!
Accessible to all
No official referral needed
Suitable for all situations not just that specific situation the original training I did pertained to.
My aims are to raise awareness of the impact on each of us within mis-aligned interpersonal relationships and to provide tools that encourage safer and more informed choices in our lives going forward.
Today, I’m joined by Yker Valerio, Founder/Editor of Bon Vivant Caffè. Which makes perfect sense as this is a virtual coffee date! It is almost impossible to not smile when you talk to Yker because he is such a passionate character.
This is his story:
“When the Pandemic began, I was working for a consulting firm. I’d been there almost ten years. I was teaming up with another consultant and a client’s Project Manager. Although it was an exciting project, something felt a bit, ‘off’. I couldn’t put my finger on why though.
Leading up to this, I’d been directing my energy into some freelancing projects, mostly translations and writing. I didn’t realise at the time but I’d found my calling.
Writing is a lifelong passion for me, and I just felt it was time to write more. So in 2020, I made my mind up and decided to start my own business as a freelance writer and entrepreneur”
Yker’s next move is great advice to any budding entrepreneurs out there.
“Well, I decided to start my niche research right away, was a coffee blog a good idea? I took Authority Hackersapproach to advance and started working on my coffee blog in July.
Curiously enough, the quarantine helped me to focus and my productivity rose very quickly. Commuting time and small-talk at the office suddenly transformed into productive time and made a huge difference for me.
Then, I realised that I needed some time to work alone. So, I prepared to launch my blog and took a part-time contract as a writer, so I could transition away from my full-time job”.
So as the World rolled down its shutters, Yker was able to reflect on his place and purpose in this world.
“All of my career I’d been around HR-related consulting, with some hints of innovation, transformation, and change.
From my standpoint, I was working in supportive roles most of the time, which was essential to me.
I felt worried about the people around me, but something made me think I would be better working on my own. So, when the crisis was becoming overwhelming for most people, I felt liberated actually.
It sounds terrible, and self-centred, but my experience as a remote freelancer and entrepreneur have given me so much autonomy and productivity I can barely understand how I functioned before this.
It still worries me the current status of the people around, but I can’t think about returning to work the way I did it before. I wouldn’t do it, as I know how I can be a lot more productive now.
With the support of my wife of course, she has always been very supportive. I was a bit afraid of my parents’ response, but without my wife I don’t think I’d have progressed as well as I have.
Fortunately, my whole family and friends have been at my side at every step. I can’t thank them enough for the encouragement and good vibes.
I think it’s key to have a supportive circle of people around to sort the hard times, and I am lucky enough to have a beautiful family and good friends around me”.
See? It’s impossible to not smile…
“I can’t ignore the huge pain the Pandemic has inflicted on so many people.
Still, it has forced many organisations, institutions, and individuals to be more open about remote working, engaging in chats, social media, and all-sorts of new conversations.
I have enjoyed many online events during this year, including some coffee-related stuff like High Density, which was completely mind-blowing. I still watch the replays and learn from them.
E-learning was another huge part of my year, since I developed lots of new skills through online learning. I worked, and studied, and researched, and wrote, round the clock. I can’t imagine how difficult it’s for people without access to the internet to face this pandemic.
Every time I hear the story about people struggling because they don’t speak English, or don’t have access to the Internet it saddens me.
I honestly wish more people could have more opportunities to thrive, even in these challenging times.
Many people are afraid and anxious. Others are optimistic. Still, I think the major difference between them is those want to return to the old normal opposed to those who want something different.
As I touched on before, when I realised I was more productive and energetic working on my own, I chose to take the entrepreneurial path.
It’s risky, but no one is safe during a crisis like this one. So I took the bold step.”
Iagree with Yker, itwasa riskthoughI understand the motivation behind it.
“Energy or lack of, was the biggest reason that compelled me to take action. I felt tired after a meeting as a consultant, but could write the whole Saturday for my blog!
When I noticed I could focus for 10 hours in a row on my writing, I decided that I needed to take it seriously.”
I asked Yker to reflect on the decisions he made, here’s what he said.
“I have had my ups and downs, but I feel confident that I took the best decision.
It’s challenging to deal with financial instability, but I didn’t have any guarantee it was going to be any different as a full-time employee anyway.
I have a lot more mental stamina than before. The Pandemic put everything in perspective and it’s easier for me to see petty obstacles, just as they are.
Additionally, I am more creative and productive than I was. On the downside, I am more sedentary!”
Yeah, you and most of us now!
“I care more about impact than perceptions now. Working as a full-time employee I did my best to contribute to my employer’s bottom line, while presenting myself as an expert consultant.
Today as a freelancer and business owner, I can only see clients, providers, and partners as people. It’s incredible how alienated I was from this simple idea, but as I see human beings in business, my decisions are better grounded and easier to make.”
And that’s not all Yker learnt from this experience…
“Process and results are equally important. We tend to focus so much on goals that we forget that they come from our effort, energy, time, and skills. The pandemic has made me think about my fragility.
My advice is don’t overthink about your purpose, and put top. skills to work instead. I tried to convince myself about my purpose. Yet, my goals and skillset are evolving, day after day. Looking for a purpose can be exhausting and confusing. Since I found that out, I do my best to put my skills to work whenever I can.”
And last piece of advice?
“Love. Sounds cheesy, because we’re so blind that we’re afraid of loving and even say the word. It’s the most powerful thing we have, so sharing love with everyone has become crucial for me”.
Yker drives home a great point here.
“There’s no magic solution or a Eureka moment that deals with lack of purpose or an odd feeling about your job or your business. It’s easier to find good things in what we have, than waiting for dreams to come true.
I just prefer to enjoy the journey as much as the destination. And I honestly believe everyone can do that as well”.
And as that concludes our interview, readers can connect online with Yker.
