 Spending time at home as part of a hybrid working week is now a norm, not an exception. Yet apart from some beautifully curated framed art on your walls (we all envy a good Zoom backdrop) how much thought have you given to the space you're now working in and how tweaking it could maximise your potential? That's where Zoë Vita James comes in. She's a classical feng shui practitioner who uses the centuries old practice to help women understand their true selves, desires and help make their dreams come true. Classical Feng Shui is the very much tailored to the person, however there are still some tips that you can pick up and use straight off the bat and she shares some of those with us here. Zoe spent 17 years in the professional services industry (PwC) advising internationally renowned investment banks (and as a Chartered Accountant). Now she brings that same clarity, calm confidence and gentle empathy to Astrology & Feng Shui work. 

Show Me The Way

...To Generate Energy And Success with Feng Shui Expert Zoë James

Ebinehita Iyere left school and went into care at 15 by that time she had lost five of her friends to violence. She was put in an 18+ hostel and says she was forgotten about. Having been taken in by the system, she felt invisible to the system. She turned into a nurturer looking after older males and females who were in the care system. Ebinehita thinks she was forced to become an adult too early but says she learnt from the people there how to protect herself. And without that experience she believes she wouldn't be doing what she's doing now. Ebinehita is a therapeutic, diversion practitioner working with boys and young women who come into contact with police custody as well as safeguarding issues. She is also the founder of Milk Honey Bees, a black-girl led expressive safe space for young women to flourish and put H.E.R (Healing, Empowerment and Resilience) first.  It gives them a safe space to express themselves and heal from their experiences of youth violence. Ebinehita was nominated for the 2021 Veuve Clicquot Bold Future Award.  For Emmeline's bookshelf she recommends Look Up  by Nathan Bryson and Dapo Adeola about little girls dreaming big.  The book is written and illustrated by two men which she thinks perfectly demonstrates the fact that it's not just about women understanding each other but about men and boys understanding the role they play in making women more visible. 

….To Put Girls First With Milk Honey Bees' Ebinehita Iyere

Julia Yule is the co-founder of Bloom and Blossom which provides natural skincare products for the whole family. She started the company 10 years ago with her sister-in-law Christina Moss. In that time alongside growing a business they have had 5 children between them. not to mention caring for a dog, cat and a tortoise. She left her job at Glamour Magazine to start the business and has grown it from just two people with an idea to a large team with stockists including SpaceNK, Waitrose and Sainsbury’s. For Emmeline’s bookshelf Julia recommends Roald Dahl’s Matilda and Kindness Rules by Hello Lucky which she says is a particular favourite of her youngest daughter. She says it’s about what truly matters and shows how we can teach our children about being kind.

….To Self-Care At Speed with Julia Yule from Bloom & Blossom

Being a female bodyguard isn't one that was top of the list of potential jobs when I was speaking to my careers advisor at school but Kate Bright thinks it should be. She is one of only a handful of female bodyguards in the UK. In today’s episode she explains how important safety is for the smooth-running of our lives and gives simple tips on how we can protect ourselves and our families.    

…To Keep Myself Safe with Female Bodyguard, Kate Bright

 The chance of you being born is 1 in 400 trillion and so I believe that everyone is on this planet for a reason and everyone has something remarkable about themselves Holly Tucker MBE, Founder of Holly & Co Holly Tucker is a woman on a mission to change business forever. The co-founder of Not On The High Street and creator of Holly & Co did an Instagram live every day during the first lockdown to help small businesses navigate the choppy waters of those times. She believes there’s a real opportunity to thrive despite the year we have had. As the UK Ambassador for Creative Small Business, her aim is to empower everyone to turn their passion into profit. Her new book "Do What You Love What You Do" is a love letter to the transformational joy that can come from running your own business because you get to directly tap into your creativity. Holly believes identifying your purpose will help you build a business that you love. Holly Tucker MBE, Founder of Holly & Co In this episode of Show Me The Way Holly tells her story of how she came to start Not On The High Street, the challenges she has faced and how she used creativity to overcome them and gives one of her 'Holly Hacks' to help you to identify your purpose.     Holly's new book Do What You Love, Love What You Do is out now.   In this episode of Show Me The Way Holly explains one of her 'Holly Hacks' which helps you to identify your purpose which in turn will form a foundation on which you can build your business. For Emmeline's bookshelf Holly recommended Humankind: A Hopeful History by Rutger Bregman.     Holly's podcast is packed with inspirational guests who run their own businesses.   You can find out more about Holly on her website Holly & Co. Every Monday we are treated to a new episode of Holly’s Conversations of Inspiration podcast. And on her instagram @hollytucker she does a regular Mastering your Money on Mondays and Holly’s Business Pharmacy LIVE every Wednesday at noon. Holly's book Do What You Love Love What You Do is out now.   

...To Do What I Love And Love What I Do with Small Business Champion Holly Tucker

 Gillie Barlow had anything but a conventional start to life. She went from working in a fish farm to buying her first property in a French ski resort with no money at the age of 21. She then built a property portfolio and is now a successful mentor and coach teaching the property strategies she has learnt through her career.   In the latest episode of Show Me The Way she explains her assertion that our success must come from a belief in ourselves - if we do not like ourselves, how much harder is it to like other people and ultimately do business them. Gillie's book ‘Understand Your Truth to Find Success’ aims to help anyone who wants to excel and succeed. It is for those who feel something is holding them back from being the best version of themselves.  Gillie Barlow, property entrepreneur, coach and philanthropist 

...To Understand My Truth To Find Success with Gillie Barlow

When you’re rushing through the mayhem of life it is sometimes hard to stop and consider what someone would actually want as a gift. New mum. Flowers. Tick. Mother-in-law Birthday. Flowers. Tick. Best friend’s heart break. Flowers. Tick. But Steph Douglas, the founder of the alternative gift company Don’t Buy Her Flowers has another idea – gifts that require no effort but that produce a little pocket of TLC. In this episode Steph tells the story of how life can get in the way of connecting properly to those around us. She set up her company to help those connections go a bit deeper through thoughtful gifts that people actually want. She gives tips on the best thing to say to a new mum (“you must be shattered” doesn’t cut it), advises you not knock the day job (having a salary and colleagues to chew the cud with shouldn’t be underestimated) and how it’s ok to lower your domestic standards to get just get on with life! 

...To Buy A Gift That Someone Actually Wants with Steph Douglas, Don't Buy Her Flowers

Kim Palmer was in the middle of a major presentation for her company when she had a panic attack. That led her confidence to spiral downwards...out of control until eventually she couldn't speak at meetings and would delegate juniors to do it in her place. She went on long journey of therapy to find the thing that worked for her. On this episode Kim explains how hypnotherapy worked for her and how it was so good she founded an app to enable others to find help. 

...To Rewire Your Whole Life with Clementine Founder, Kim Palmer

2020 may have been a washout but that doesn't mean 2021 has to be the same. The guest in this episode has used property to propel herself into a different life. Ayesha Ofori started life as a banker. She advised very rich people about how to get richer effectively! Whilst doing that she was building a property portfolio on the side. When she started making more money from property than from banking she ditched the day job and put all her focus into bricks and mortar. Since then she has set up organisations to help other people who wouldn't normally have access to resources, networks and funds. In this episode she explains how property had an empowering impact on her life and how she's using her knowledge to inspire others. For Emmeline's bookshelf for her age now Ayesha recommended Maybe by Kobi Yamada which she explains is a story about the endless potential in all of us. And for Emmeline in the future she recommended Becoming by Michelle Obama. Ayesha found so many things in it about being a woman, race, dealing with failure and raising a family.

...To Propelle You Into Property with Investor Ayesha Ofori

Imposter syndrome can cause a constant fear of being found out   - you feel like a fraud and are paralysed by the idea you're not good enough and you're going to be humiliated. Saatchi and Saatchi's former Vice Chair, Rita Clifton CBE has the answer. In this episode of Show Me The Way she debunks the "fake it 'til you make it" myth and advises us to be properly prepared with personal branding, financial literacy, and perfecting the art of excellent communication. Love Your Imposter: Be Your Best Self, Flaws and All is out now. For Emmeline’s bookshelf Rita recommended the Ruby Ferguson Jill series.

...To Love Your Imposter with Branding Guru Rita Clifton CBE

It's safe to say that watching people be intimate on screen can either be electrifying or extremely cringe-making and if we feel that as the audience, imagine how it feels as an actor.  That's where the intimacy co-ordinator comes in. This relatively new role in film, TV and theatre facilitates conversations first between the actors about what they're comfortable with doing and then acts as liaison between them and producers, directors and crew. It not only helps to set boundaries but also enables deeper conversations about why the scene is there and how to make it the best representation of that moment between two consenting adults. Ita O'Brien is the leading light in this field, pioneering an intimacy playbook on how to do this work with the highest possible standards. She started out as an actor and then became a movement director and is now the go-to for this type of work.  Some of the most compelling scenes of 2020 (lockdown) TV have been as a result of her input. Remember the unhurried sex between Marianne and Connell in Normal People; when Arabella doesn't give her consent to sex without a condom in I May Destroy You and the exploration of sex in all its guises in Sex Education....she's the magic sauce behind all these.   Hear how she got to where she is today and how she creates the beautiful, consensual, compelling scenes that she does.  

...To Make Sex Scenes Compelling And Consensual

Anna Downes is the author of this Summer's most addictive crime thriller The Safe Place. It's her debut novel and the writing process was part therapy as she recovered from post natal anxiety after the birth of her second child. Anna grew up in Sheffield and started life as an actress having trained at RADA. She went on  to do roles in EastEnders, Casualty, Holby City as well as a long running stage production of The Dresser in the West End.  In 2009 she left the UK to go travelling around the world before settling in Australia. The safe place is partly inspired by working as a live-in housekeeper/caretaker on the French coast during her travels.  In this episode of Show Me The Way we talk about how the story came to her, the writing process, how she got published and the pressure of a second novel. Anna's debut is out in the UK August 2020: The Safe Place Anna's recommendations for Emmeline's bookshelf: Big Magic and The Girls Synopsis: Emily Proudman has been offered the chance of a lifetime - leave her messy London life, move to a beautiful estate in France and help her boss's wife take care of their daughter. It seems like the perfect opportunity to start again. But once there, Emily soon starts to suspect that her charismatic new employers aren't telling her the whole truth. That there are even dangerous secrets hidden beneath the glamorous facade.

...To Ease Anxiety Through Writing with Crime Thriller Author Anna Downes

Katherine Moore is Head Coach at Track Record. She spent 10 years in sport working with multiple Olympic champions — she was Head of Sports Science and Medicine for British Canoeing and Lead Physiotherapist for The English Institute of Sport. In those roles she used biometric measures to help improve performance and she now applies those methods in the business world helping FTSE 100 bosses and others improve their stress resilience and confidence. In this episode we talk about those methods: how to take control of your confidence and unleash your potential by exploring her four domains of resilience that will enable you to perform at your best: the physical (how well you're sleeping, nutrition, recovery); mental (what's your mental load); the emotional (how good are you at self regulating and shifting out of negative moods) and identity (what are your values and what do you want your legacy to be). Emmeline’s bookshelf: Goodnight Stories for Rebel Girls Katherine's book: Take control of your confidence: The inside track to unleashing your potential 

...To Succeed In Life Like An Olympian with Coach Katherine Moore

 "I walk into diamond bourses around the world. I’m the only black person. I’m the only black woman. People expect me to fail. Yes I’m a small fish in this big pond full of sharks but I don't care. Things have to change. We will try to fix it because it’s our own people." Vania Leles, founder VANLELES DIAMONDS Vania Leles is the first African woman to own a fine jewellery store on London’s Bond Street. That’s pretty remarkable in itself but her journey to this point is even more so. Vania Leles is shortlisted for Veuve Clicquot BOLD woman award 2020 CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO SHOW ME THE WAY WITH VANIA LELES Vania was born in Guinea-Bissau - a small country on West Africa’s Atlantic coast and moved to Lisbon to be educated when she was six.  She saved all her money to do an English course at SOAS, working in restaurants to pay her bills and eventually took a job as a social worker in Camden but then got scouted by Select Models and landed a massive Diesel campaign. That campaign would pay her four times what she would have made in a year so she decided to become a model full-time and moved to New York. She came up with the idea for her business Vanleles Diamonds when on a photo shoot in New York. It was whilst on a photo shoot on New York that she started to release that although 75-80% of the gems that exist in fine jewellery comes from the continent but as she says "it’s absurd that we don't have representation on this side of the industry - more African fine jewellery brands, more African diamond dealers across the bourses of this world." Because as she says, "how come countries do not produce an ounce of diamonds and they trade all the diamonds in the world....We have to be human enough to realise that is unfair." Recommendation for Emmeline's bookshelf: I Can Be Anything. Don't Tell me I Can't by Diane Dillon 

...To Make Representation Matter with African Fine Jeweller Vania Leles

 Every couple wants a happy relationship and a meaningful career but how do we balance both especially when we're both at home, sharing office space and childcare? That's the question for this week's guest Professor Jennifer Petriglieri. Professor Jennifer Petriglieri, author of Couples That Work CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO SHOW ME THE WAY WITH PROF PETRIGLIERI She is a Professor of Organizational Behaviour at INSEAD, Paris and has pent over a decade researching how people’s close relationships shape who they become professionally and personally, and for the past 6 years she's been studying the lives of dual-career couples which has culminated in her book Couples That Work: How Dual-Career Couples Can Thrive In Love And Work. One of the biggest career decisions you will make is who you choose as a partner, she says. And one of the things that the global covid lockdown has highlighted for some is that they've made the wrong decision. There are many couples who are spending all this time together but feel like they’re drifting apart. She says a lot of couples who she is speaking to are feeling the strain because they’re polarising in terms of how they’re reacting to the crisis and it’s putting a lot of strain on the relationship itself. Professor Petriglieri asks us to consider when the last time was that we had an annual review with our partners as you would at work. Possibly/ probably never! She says that right now just a little time each day to check in with each other can make the world of difference. It can be over lunch to find out how the morning has gone or whilst cooking dinner. In the episode she explains that the more we understand about our partner and the more they understand about us, the more it flicks us into an mindset of empathy. "When we’re in that mindset of empathy we are much more likely to be sensitive to each other and to support each other. So it’s a win, win and it doesn’t take a lot of time". Her recommendation for Emmeline's bookshelf is Sophie's World. Her book is Couples That Work: How Dual-Career Couples Can Thrive In Love And Work. 

...To BOTH Thrive in Love and Work As A Dual-Career Couple with INSEAD Professor Jennifer Petriglieri

This is a series of conversations with women at the top of their game about how they got there - triumphs, tribulations and trust in their gut. How they did and whether it was all worth it. Illustration by Clare Mallinson Music by John Chambers