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When you start out as an entrepreneur, networking can feel daunting yet exciting. It’s not just about handing out business cards; it’s about making genuine connections and leaving a lasting impression. Discover the essential rules of networking, the importance of follow-up, and the lessons learned from both successful and failed attempts. From beautifully designed cards to the reality of clutter, this journey reveals the true value of relationships built through networking. Join me as I share insights and experiences that highlight the power of connection in business and beyond.

Networking and Business Cards

  • 6 min read

<658 words> I have a sideways pear tree in my backyard. It fell over some years ago before I moved here, so I don’t know what happened. But, by the time I moved in, it had developed a very different stance from what one normally expects of a pear tree. The… Read More »TENACITY AND RESILIENCE

TENACITY AND RESILIENCE

  • 4 min read

“Mother-in-law” – The most maligned role in our society. Does any little girl ever dream of becoming a mother-in-law? When you were pregnant with your baby (who is now your adult offspring who is married), were you eagerly anticipating becoming a mother-in-law? If you answered ‘Yes’ to either of these questions… Read More »Being a mother-in-law is no joke

Being a mother-in-law is no joke

  • 3 min read

  <1312 words> Faltering can happen any time, no matter how well prepared you are and how experienced and skilled and everything. No doubt faltering has many causes but to my mind, when emotions simply will not remain in the back row of a command performance, the prospects of faltering happening significantly… Read More »When Faltering Happens

When Faltering Happens

  • 7 min read

<1609 words>

Recipe for Conflict

A minimum of two people and an issue on which they disagree.

Add to the recipe the factors that the people each bring into the relationship:

Values, Culture & Triggers

Our values are what we judge to be important in life: our personal principles.  The rules we live by. They typically originate in our culture but over time our values may shift as our relationship with our culture shifts (e.g. young adults and their elderly parents may share a culture but have very different values as regards to how kids are raised; dealing with garbage; ethnic diversity, and so on).

“Culture is the collective programming of the mind that distinguishes the members of one group or category of people from others.”[1]

Triggers: What sets you off causes a quick change in your mood/attitude, rooted often in values or cultural practices you hold dear would be called a trigger.  For example a South African grandmother whose half-Japanese grandson slurps his tea.  Tea slurping is what one does in Japanese culture.  Not so in ‘polite society’ in South Africa.

Conflict Style & Skill Level

Read More »Conflict Management Starts with Self

Conflict Management Starts with Self

  • 9 min read

  <1197 words> Twice in the past 48 hours my GPS on my not so smart phone encouraged me onto roads very infrequently travelled. My standard mode of transport is a 9 year old Toyota Corolla – so middle of the road that I regularly have to use the little… Read More »The Roads Less Travelled

The Roads Less Travelled

  • 7 min read