(Re)Fresh(Re)Fresh

November 2008

(Re)Fresh(Re)Fresh

Hello

November is the time of the year when the no matter how much we crave a rest, we are all trying to

finish the year on a high note and plan for the next one. After I read Time to Unwind (page 6) I decided

that I have to plan some time out soon but before I can even think that far, I have a lot of work ahead of

me.

I was recently asked where I would like to see myself in the next 10 years. That is a horrible question to

ask any woman but for some miraculous reason I didn’t even think about wrinkles, I thought… ‘I just want

to be happy and have balance in my life.’ Cémanthe Harries, life change specialist shares Keys to Success

each month do that we can all find ways to balance work, love and life. Enjoy the first three on page 4.

No matter how balance you are, sometimes life throws you a curve ball, like it did for our anonymous

writer who was Retrenched at 22. She is throwing it back and if you find yourself in a similar situation, you

may also be inspired to going back to study or start your own business.

And if you are going to start your own business, think about how you can get customers interested from

Talking Online (page 8).

Wishing you all a very productive November!

Cheers

Monique Monique Monique Monique

(Re)Fresh Editor

Email:refreshednow@gmail.com

Blog: http://refreshtoday.blogspot.com/

Facebook Group: http://www.new.facebook.com/group.php?

gid=57821985270

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Keys to Success Keys to Success 4 4 by Cémanthe Harriesby Cémanthe Harries Time to Unwind Time to Unwind 66 by Lauren van Onselenby Lauren van Onselen Talking Online Talking Online 88 bby Monique Boucher y Monique Boucher Retrenched at 22 Retrenched at 22 1010 by Anonymous by Anonymous

November is the time of the year when the no matter how much we crave a rest, we are all trying to

Contents Contents

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It is important to keep focused on your personal goals,

writes Cémanthe Harries, Life Change Specialist of Puzzle

Piece – Inspiring Change.

Keys to Success

In these times of uncertainty , it’s important to keep focused on your

personal goals and aspirations. Cémanthe Harries, Life Change

Specialist of Puzzle Piece – Inspiring Change, helps us re-evaluate the

life we really want to be living by sharing 3 of the 10 keys to success.

Define your version of success

It’s a word that’s used often, but we are sold on the idea by the media that it has to be material

based (like big houses and expensive cars). This means that people are constantly striving to

‘keep up with the Joneses’; instead of realising that they might already be successful by their

own standards.

Before you start working towards achieving success, it’s important to define what it means to

you… Is it having a bigger house, better job, or more time with your family..?

List what ‘being successful’ means for you…

Model the masters

We each have an area of our life that we would like to improve, maybe even more than one.

Find someone who you view as successful in your area you wish to improve on, and find out how

they got to where they are. This could be someone like Richard Branson or Donald Trump if you

want to be successful in business, Oprah Winfrey if you want to get into TV, or even someone in

your close circle of family and friends. Who is the master for you?

Once you have that person in mind, the key is to find out how they got to where they are, read-

ing their biography, interviewing them, research them, so that you can model each step.. You’ve

heard the saying ‘don’t reinvent the wheel’? They’ve already made the mistakes and also made

the corrections, so you can learn form them and develop yourself this way.

Have a goal

In order to know what action steps you need to take, you need to know where you’re going… If

you don’t know where you’re going, then it doesn’t matter what you do, but then you could

spend your life doing aimlessly. Reach your potential by making your goals SMART: Specific,

Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Time-bound (more to follow on goals)

For the rest of the 10 Keys to Success, read next month’s edition of (Re)Fresh or view the full

article at www.PuzzlePieceLimited.com

We each have an area of our life that we would like to improve, maybe even more than one. Find someone who you view as successful in your area you wish to improve on, and find out how they got to where they

are.

If you feel as though you've been working on fast

forward, for too long, you probably have. You de-

serve a break and Temenos is just the place.

Temenos It is a garden sanctuary, faraway enough

to feel like you have gotten away from it all, but

only 2 hours from Cape Town in McGregor.

This retreat provides guests with tranquil rural

surroundings and a place reconnect mentally and

spirituality.

The name ‘Temenos’ comes from ancient Greece in

an area where a natural spring was discover after an

earthquake parted the ground. It became a place of

restoration for the body, mind and soul. The modern

day, in McGregor offers restoration with gorgeous

and serene gardens to meander through, including a

Zen garden and a spiral garden. Daily meditation

sessions, held in the morning and evening, help

guest reconnect with their calm centre. Temenos

offers holiday workshops including healing therapies

from yoga, pilates to deep meditation.

A selection of cosy self-catering cottages offer the

perfect accommodation for quiet evenings. Cottages

have a fully equipped kitchen with a patio, a fire-

place and bathroom with shower. If you are looking

for a beautiful country setting for a special event,

Temenos caters for weddings, Christenings and con-

ferences and there is even an event coordinator to

help make sure your event runs smoothly.

Tebaldi's is the on-site restaurant and offers an ar-

ray of delicious meals to ensure you have a truly

restful holiday as well as catering for your special

event.

There are many holistic healers in McGregor who

practice various forms of healing through music,

crafts, aromatherapy so it’s no surprise that

Temenos has a collection of healing music, candles,

meditation stools, massage oils, spiritual literature

and gifts for sale.

McGregor has much to offer from wine tasting at

one of the numerous wine farms, to a hike through

one of the surrounding nature reserves.

The peaceful landscape is a painter’s perfect back-

drop so set up your easel and discover the artist

within. And if the landscape is not inspiring enough,

visit one of the art galleries in the small town.

McGregor is an artist's haven and many have settled

there displaying the ceramics art, painting and pho-

tography.

Visit www.temenos.org.za or email

temenos@lando.co.za for more information.

Time to Unwind

Lauren van Onselen found a

sanctuary in McGregor where you

could to refocus, unwind and

relax.

About the Author:

Lauren van Onselen, 2nd public relations management student at Cape

Peninsula University of Technology, is working hard to hone her writing skills.

She loves life for the chance to explore, learn and enjoy an adventure. Her

motto for the moment is the Sufi saying: “When the heart weeps for what it

has lost, the spirit laughs for what it has found.” She is deep, very deep.

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crafts, aromatherapy so it’s no surprise that

Visit www.temenos.org.za or email

Photography by Lauren van Onselen. 2008

Monique Boucher

The telephone book is obsolete. In the age of the information economy, if you

want people to connect to you or your business, you better be online.

While there is still room for the generic websites, the interactivity of Web 2.0 means that social media and

networking platforms are where people are at. Social networking sites like Facebook and MySpace have

become virtual worlds where you can post your photographs, speak your mind and let all your friends

know just what mood you are in.

Ingrid Rubin, MD of digital marketing and strategic consultancy agency Longtail, posed the question in

Bizcommunity.com if being ‘online’ is enough to get your business heard above the information ‘noise’.

“Customers want to connect to the custodians of the brands they use and “feel as though they hang out in

the same places”. (Rubin.2008) Hanging out in the same places as your target market has never been

easier with the most-trafficked social media site and the fourth most-trafficked website in the world,

Facebook.com (Facebook/Statistics. 2008) There are a few businesses, organisations and personalities

who have caught on and to use it for more than sending a virtual hug. Starting a Facebook group is still

one of the simplest ways to get the word out and attract an audience to hear it.

Meg Shout, Heart 104.9FM DJ who started her a Facebook group for her show called ‘Heart 104.9FM Late

Night Show!’

“My Facebook group allows listeners to explore the 'visual' element of my show such as Heart FM events I

have attended,” says Shout who regularly sends messages to her group members in order to maintain and

increase a loyal following. “It keeps members up to date with my activities and any new information re-

garding my group,” but adds that it’s important not to ‘spam’ your group members by sending too many

messages.

When Bernd Röthel, Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) alumni , started the group’ Cape

Peninsula University of Technology (Cape Technikon, CATS)’ he did so because he could not find one while

all his friends were joining their college groups. Today it is the largest CPUT Facebook group with close to

a thousand current and alumni students. Recruiters have used the group to post job opportunities and of

course, there are those that post their ‘ads’ to the wall, namely a link to their sites.

Talking Online

“My Facebook group allows listeners to explore the 'visual' element of

my show such as Heart FM events I have attended.” - Meg Shout,

Heart 104.9 FM DJ

Ingrid Rubin, MD of digital marketing and strategic consultancy agency Longtail, posed the question in

From a Facebook group you could create a direct link to a website and/or blog, a great way to direct

internet traffic to a site. According to Shel Holtz and Ted Demoloulos, authors of ‘Blogging for Business -

Everything You Need To Know and Why You Should Care’, blogs are powerful because they offer a range

of features that make it easy to build community spread ideas, engage in a conversation and solicit feed-

back…(Holtz, & Demopoulos 2006: 20)

You could say it’s the difference between meeting for coffee shop or meeting in a boardroom. In a coffee

you are going to get to know your client like a friend and are more likely to come up with creative ideas.

While social networks like Facebook may be a great place for networking and drawing interest to your

site, blogs offer the space to be creative and more personal. Some business owners are even choosing

blogs over traditional website.

Mitchell Wong Ho, of ‘I DO Photography’ switched from a traditional website to a blog two years ago.

“I found traditional website portfolios didn't allow for the story-telling format that blogs (web-logs) by de-

sign, allow for,” says Wong Ho. On his blog, he posts the photographs and commentary from his many

photographic assignments, mostly wedding and engagement photographs which he specialises in.

“I use the Wordpress blog application and my blog is well supported with many 'plugins' which has al-

lowed me to customised my blog according to the content and theme, “ says Wong Ho, “ I am fortunate

to have some web development skills, which has helped me to personalise my blog.”

If you want to be heard, you need to talk and listen...Today your audience controls your messages and

the only hope to influence it is to engage the conversation wrote Holtz, & Demopoulos (2006: 4). We

don’t have to look far to see this, just think of how many of your friends use social networks, blogs and

micro-blogs like Twitter and you get an idea of the impact Web2.0 has had on how we communicate and

how we do business. So until the next great Internet revolution, we will be meeting on Facebook, speak-

ing our minds on our blogs and sharing our ideas online while we wonder what will come next.

Sources:

Facebook. Statistics. 2008. Facebook.com (Online) Available: http://www.new.facebook.com/press/

info.php?statistics [22 September 2008]

Holtz,S. & Demopoulos,T. 2006. Blogging for

Business – Everything you need to know and why

you should care. Chicago: Kaplan Publishing.

Rubin, I. 2008. Is your CEO a brand champion

online? August, 28. Bizcommunity.com (Online)

Available: http://www.bizcommunity.com/

Article/196/18/27828.html [29 August 2008]

Find Meg Shout’s Facebook @

http://www.new.facebook.com/group.php?

gid=13542358559

‘Cape Peninsula University of Technology @

http://www.new.facebook.com/group.php?

gid=2364832866

The ‘IDO Photography’ blog:

http://www.idophotography.co.za/blog/

Photography by Mon

ique Bou

cher. 2008

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Finding a good job is hard. Finding a good job is hard. Finding a good job is hard. Finding a good job is hard.

Finding a job that you love but Finding a job that you love but Finding a job that you love but Finding a job that you love but

have to leave is even harder.have to leave is even harder.have to leave is even harder.have to leave is even harder.

by Anonymous by Anonymous by Anonymous by Anonymous

Photography by Mon

ique Bou

cher. 2008

In July 2008 I began work at a young, exciting printing company as a “Traffic

Administrator” handling media campaigns and the day-to-day craziness that

surrounds them. In essence this was mini-project management at its best.

At first the work was difficult to adjust to but after I became familiarised with the ins-and-outs of the

company, I began to love the work. The challenges of the campaigns (and believe me, there were

challenges) really stretched me but for the first time in a long while I felt content.

The staff enjoyed end-of-month braai’s and an open plan office kitted out with a large screen TV and a

Wii. The atmosphere was always jolly and playful, and when it wasn’t – the stress-freak-outs were wel-

comed as a way to keep everyone on their toes.

My fellow traffic administrators became friends and mentors. Our design team, were in my eyes, “the

boys” - guys who were (and I’m sure still are) kids at heart. They really made the stressful times

bearable. The company had a funky vibe and its products were “off da hook!” I enjoyed boasting to

friends about the services we offered.

The salaries offered to staff were some of the highest in the industry, and the company offered further

perks to those who made it through the three month probation period.

After almost two months of being at the company, and finding myself quite happy, the HR Manager

pulled me aside and explained to me that the company was refocusing itself. All this sounded so

strange, almost like ‘what has that go to do with me?’ Oh it had plenty to do with me (and two oth-

ers). We had until the end of the week to wrap up and clear out. I said I didn’t mind staying till the end

of the month but boy was I wrong to say that, after one day the agony was just too much. Everyone

KNEW we where leaving and it was so strange and sudden. All three of us just wanted to get out of

there that same day. Somehow we made it through the week and walked out with dignity.

The company looked after us though, they didn’t just leave us in the lurch. However I still feel a deep

sense of loss as it was the first job that I felt truly at home with (and the money wasn’t bad either!).

Nevertheless, you get up, dust yourself off and move on. I plan to further my studies in the new year,

giving myself more of an edge to take into industry. I learnt that I could survive retrenchment... and if

it happens to you, you can too. Plus, I have an impressive battle scar – how many people can say that

they’ve been retrenched at 22?

After almost two months of being at the company, and finding myself quite

happy, the HR Manager pulled me aside and explained to me that the com-

pany was refocusing itself.

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Retrenched at 22Retrenched at 22Retrenched at 22Retrenched at 22