Friday, January 01, 2010

To be the leading international website offering inspiring, fun and relevant resources about ritual and ceremony in our everyday lives.

To support celebrants in their professional and creative role in the community and welcome their participation in the content of the website.

To inspire individuals, couples and families as they celebrate and honour every day events, as well as the most significant and heartfelt milestones in their lives.

To be respectful, inspiring and reliable in the provision of all services and valuable products.

To have fun, enjoy life and laugh a lot!

Monday, December 21, 2009

Thursday, September 03, 2009
Networking is one of the best marketing tools for local businesses. It is also lots of fun especially when it is the Coffs Harbour Business Women's Network breakfast meeting. There are so many gorgeous women to chat with, meet and laugh with. As part of the ''Breast Cancer Awareness' event I was asked to donate some of books as a giveaway which I am always happy to do. In return I was invited to speak for two minutes about the books - see below.

If you are interested in growing your business look around for a business group near you. Check out the papers, community bulletin boards, Chamber of Commerce, Business Womens Network, BNI for their contact numbers and give them a call. Ask a business that you admire if they go to any meetings and ask if you could join them. When you do go - have a stack of business cards ready to hand out and introduce yourself to others letting them know what you do. (If you are not so confident, this is a huge ask, but the more you do it, the easier it becomes - trust me - I found it so hard many years ago!)

Reaching out can make a difference. Many women came up to me afterwards and said that they had been touched by the words I spoke, saying that they are going to start contacting the young people they know in their lives, so I would like to include by short speech here...

One of the key aspects of a successful business is to surround yourself with great business coaches or mentors and a vibrant network. What a beautiful group of women here in this room – rich with inspiration, advice, friendship, support, courage – as well as fear, disappointment, procrastination, challenges – all part of the mix of being human.

If you are confident it can be easy to build strong connections. However, if this is not the case, reaching out can be a real challenge. In either situation it is always a joy when someone reaches out a hand.

Let’s step back a few years and put ourselves in the shoes of a young child or teenager. Imagine what joy it would be to have a mentor, a special person who took the time to be interested in you. To receive a card that just says, ‘hi, thinking of you … if you need me I am here’. Or have someone pick you up to take you out for lunch for no reason whatsoever. Have someone who is interested in reading through your work, ask you questions about it and shows a genuine interest in what you are doing. It is important that we, as adults, create vital and healthy networks for our young people so they have someone to turn to other than mum and dad.

Many parents choose godparents when they have a naming ceremony but for most, it is a role that is not fulfilled… and yet, it can offer so much.

The Godparenting/Mentor book was written so inspire people in this role. To be able give to children at all ages – it doesn’t have to be much, but it does have to be constant so the young person knows they have someone they can turn to. There are lots of ideas and stories that will encourage people along this path.

The wedding book… the wedding ceremony can offer a real celebration of what marriage means for the couple and affirms what they love and appreciate about each other. This book asks all the right questions, with lots of stories and examples to make the perfect ceremony a reality.

The naming ceremony… is a celebration of the child and the family…

I have been inspired by many people and these books are an expression of the many couples and families I have worked with.

Thank you.