Sherina Shawe, Author at Leads 2 Business Blog

17 Feb 2016

Mine! Mine! Mine!

by Sherina Shawe | posted in: Uncategorized | 0

Mine1

So….here we are… 2016…. and how’s it going?

To be perfectly honest this year has already started to kick my butt all over the place, some good …. some badish, but mainly just so much change, and even more prospect of change, but don’t get me wrong, [tweetthis]I love change just as much as the next butterfly, but man it’s exhausting!!![/tweetthis]

But here, here is something that hasn’t change…. My knowledge about African Mining!! lol! Yip and this is what I am blessed to be blogging about today! Buckle up friends, its going to be a “blast”… get it? Blast? Mining? ye…..

African Mining

Anyhoo, here is the “411” on Mining in general right now…. we may get to Africa later… hopefully!

Well as I write this, the biggest mining gathering in the world has just taken place, More than 6,000 delegates from 100 nations gathered at the Mining Indaba in Cape Town , from the 8th – 11th Feb 2016.

large_ba888069_7fc2_74b9_38d2_1cd4456c5247

Why? Well, with commodity prices plummeting as they are, the struggle to retain or obtain foreign investment is a real one #TheStruggleIsReal

Let me start by saying….The feeling is not good thus far.

[tweetthis]In South Africa alone 47,000 jobs were lost between 2012 and 2015.[/tweetthis]

Half of the coal mines and iron ore mines and 80% of the Platinum industry is losing money – not exactly a good investment for anyone I’m afraid.

I found this very interesting and really just horrifying! …..South Africa is ranked number 11th in Africa as one of the “most attractive investment countries”????? What? am I the only one who feels like we should be number 1!?!

One of the Presentations of the Indaba came as a “bail out plan”, and was presented by 474615293 Nikolai Zelenski, Chief Executive Officer of Nordgold, he claims Nordgold has a Proven Strategy in a Lower Price Environment.

nordgold

So Who is Nordgold?

“Nordgold (LSE: NORD) is an internationally diversified low-cost gold producer established in 2007 and publicly traded on the London Stock Exchange. The Company has expanded rapidly through carefully targeted acquisitions and organic growth, achieving a rate of growth unmatched in the industry during that period. In 2015, Nordgold produced 950 thousand ounces of gold. The Company operates 9 mines and has 2 development projects, 4 advanced exploration projects and a diverse portfolio of early-stage exploration projects and licenses in Burkina Faso, Guinea, Russia, Kazakhstan, French Guiana and Canada. Nordgold employs more than 8,000 people.”

Now to be perfectly honest with you, I don’t have what it takes to break down and unpack a strategy of this magnitude to anyone, so I’m not even going to try, but I do know how to copy and paste, so go wild;)

www.nordgold.com/investors-and-media/presentations/

Mining in Africa… well here it is, I have searched high and low and here is the low down….

Commodities dropped sharply last year, and news from Matthew Davies of BBC Africa is that there will be no recovery this year, he reported that In Zambia, the country’s main export, copper, now sells for less than half than it did just three years ago, now my math is not great, but that sounds terrible!!!

And I’m right because some mining companies have even halted production all together and miners are losing their jobs at the rate of knots.

This has led to a plunge in the currency, and a rise in inflation which is expected to continue…….

And as fate would have it several other African countries are in the same boat, including big oil producers like Nigeria and Angola!

[tweetthis]I’m starting to think mining is at fault for everything bad in my life![/tweetthis]

Ridiculous Avo prices, cellulite and rising fuel prices!…. I know they are at fault for at least one of those.…

But I am an eternal optimist, romantic and impossible dreamer, so I believe the cellulite will pass…. lol! no really, I have hope that yes, maybe not this year, but in the future our Mining economy will rise once more, the fact that people are talking about it, must mean it’s important and is being made a priority so I will not need to fret another moment about this!

Relief, the pressure was really getting to me!

But apparently pressure in the mining industry is a good thing….

Well this has been real… thanks. If you find the time and want to get in touch with any of the mining projects we currently following at

Leads 2 Business, please feel free to contact myself, SherinaS@L2B.co.za or Support@L2b.co.za and we will be more than happy to oblige!

I look forward to hearing from you 😉

About Sherina Shawe

"You have to do everything you can, you have to work your hardest, and if you do, if you stay positive, you have a shot at a silver lining." from: Silver Linings Playbook.

25 Nov 2015

Welcome to the Silly Season!!!

by Sherina Shawe | posted in: General, Life Lessons | 3

So here we are again!
One month til’ Christmas!!!!!!!
I’m sure my head isn’t the only one spinning by the idea!

Now just so you know, I use the word “silly” in this title of my blog very loosely as I’m sure many of you can relate, this last month has just taken off with full speed.
People have all of a sudden woken up and have become very demanding of my time, clients, kids, cats, cousins, you name it, they want something from me right now. There are all sorts of deadlines whether at work or in our personal day to day lives that now need our undivided attention!! Not to mention, I feel as though my mobile number has been broadcast on some “marketers paradise” website!

In the last week I’ve been offered 3 mobile contracts, medical insurance for my pets, a free toaster with a “dream holiday” – timeshare no doubt…. and another funeral policy – I already have 4 of those!, for some reason I just battle to turn those ones down, I guess the thought of my family not having a bus on the day haunts me! lol!

So anyway, I’ve come to realise there are two kinds of people right now….
One is the person who has been slacking / cruising until now, and has just realised this and because they have done very little until now, they have a spring in their step and oozing energy and getting things done and frankly making us, the number two kind of people, look bad!
They are excited to no end about the Christmas shopping that awaits, the packing of away trips, the spring cleaning of their houses while on leave and all the super fun stuff they are going to bake!!!!
kill me right now!

Now the second kind of people we have are the people who consistently working hard through out the year in all aspects of their lives, we forever taking on more, pushing for extra and expecting more, from ourselves, our partners and if they have any, their kids too!

It’s Tiring, I’m Tired!!!!

So when I think about traipsing around busy shopping malls over the Christmas session having my achilles heel knocked in by rogue trollies pushed by faces buried in cell phones!!!!, thinking of new ways to entertain my 3 kids for 6 weeks of their summer holidays, cooking and baking endless Christmas delights, not to mention picking up and redecorating my Christmas tree daily because my lovely cats seem to think I erected it for their personal pleasure!
I want to cry…… really, I want to cry!

Oh there I go sounding like a complete grinch… which I am not! I swear!

No Wait!….I’ve just thought about it and there is a third kind of person out there, and they’re are the worst!
These are the peeps who never put in the time or energy but are always complaining about how much they have done and how tired they are!

You know what, lets not talk about these people anymore, they just making me feel worse!
Let me see if I can try recover this blog from doom and gloom ;).

So, just for curiosity sake…. have you worked out which kind of person you are yet? I think it is very apparent that I class myself firmly in the number two spot! Lol! And even though it sounded like I was totes whining about it all the way, I am here to tell you that I wouldn’t change a thing!
Hard work always reaps reward, even if this doesn’t manifest into something material, it is a great feeling to get to the end of the year and know I have done everything I could do to be better than I was the year before!

So a blog wouldn’t be a blog if I didn’t do some kind of real research…. so I went forth and found you some Christmas hacks to make your lives a little easier this “silly” season!

HACK #1

Shop online!
Now for some this is still a really scary place to shop…. don’t be scared, it is amazing, I did a huge chunk of my shopping online last year and I did it all in my jammies!

HACK #2

This is for the Singles or couples that don’t have kids to think of (and have liquor lips!)
Jello Shot Christmas Tree!

HACK #3

This one is for the die hard organiser!

how exciting for you all……

HACK #4

For the eternal cheap Skate……You’re welcome 😉

HACK #5

For the traveler – roll it, don’t fold it! This will save you space as well as save your clothes from creases 🙂

And finally for the Foodie

HACK #6

Cut your Ice-Cream instead of fighting with an ice-cream scoop!

Make your brownies or fudge in Christmas cookie cutters!

Use Christmas cookie cutters to make flapjacks 🙂

I love these ideas!

I’m not sure about you but I’m already feeling better, I’m not quite ready to break out the Boney M cd’s….. but I’m considering it;)

Possibly even putting my tree up a little earlier, sending out a few Christmas cards this year and maybe even making some of those “jello-shots” we saw a little earlier;)

The possibilities are endless at this point!!!

But back to what kind of person you have been this year…. it doesn’t matter…. its pretty much too late to change that, however there is still plenty time to do better going forward!

Whether you working through the festive season or taking a well deserved break, please, take the time to be thankful for all the people who make your life easier, fuller or happier.

Do something that will make you feel proud to be you, do something for someone who you know can’t do anything back for you.

I wish you all a wonderful and safe festive season regardless of your religion, this is still a time of goodwill, so go out and spread it!!

…..and then come back next year ready to work harder, be better and do better!

About Sherina Shawe

"You have to do everything you can, you have to work your hardest, and if you do, if you stay positive, you have a shot at a silver lining." from: Silver Linings Playbook.

28 Oct 2015

Too close to home! What the Frack!

by Sherina Shawe | posted in: Construction Chat, General | 5

So here I am again, it is almost exactly a year since my last Fracking blog entitled “What the Frack”. Although I left the blog wide open for a follow up, I was secretly hoping we would never get there….. and I never imagined it would be involving a town I spent so much of my teenage years in.

For those of you who are not familiar as to what exactly fracking is, I urge you to take a look at my last blog and get all the facts so you can make an informed decision as to which side of the fence you sit.
To give you a brief catch up on where the process is so far, I thought it would only be fair to start with a background on the “who & where”, as this is what will be affected first and fore most.

Matatiele / Matat is located in the Eastern Cape, though it didn’t start there….No it didn’t move! Lol! However In 2005, the municipality was moved from the KwaZulu-Natal province to the Eastern Cape.
Matat is located at the foothills of the magnificent Drakensberg and borders Lesotho.

Now, the proposed area for this Fracking is not some arid land in the middle of nowhere. It is a community, a community who is facing the terrifying prospect of being fracked in the future.

And while the affected area itself seems small to outside folk, it is not! It is host to towns folk, farming folk and a large rural community. It is large in heritage, culture and beauty. It’s primary economic activity is derived from cattle farming, but has a healthy agricultural industry too. This area stands to lose a lot as it is now under threat by an international company proposing exploration with the possibility of having hydraulic fracturing ripping through 120 000 ha of land including a total of 240 farms!

However people are not sitting back. It has been amazing to do the research for this blog, finding such a large outcry from an array of environmental groups and community members. I came across this response to the bid and I found it to be powerful and inspiring and absolutely made me want to be part of the solution. Take a look. Their concerns are for good reason – some of the very worrying factors surrounding their concerns is the impact on the land and its water. A lot of people don’t know this, but Matat suffers from stressed water supply in the winter months and their water supplies over 1 million downstream users. So the concern of contamination or depletion is a very real one.

There are health concerns too, both for human and herds alike, so while fracking may mean money for our economy at large, what does it mean for our local farmers and their families and the farm worker’s family? The farms themselves will undergo changes resulting in loss, if exploration to this land goes forward, there will be 10 core boreholes drilled, the land will then be home to water borehole rigs, water tanks, pumps, trailers, farm trucks, compressors, caravans etc.all brought on by new access roads tearing through the land, each operation area will be +-1000m2.

And…. here is the kicker! Very little local jobs!!! Yes the bulk of the work force will be contracted out! So who is really benefiting here?

Now in no way have I covered the severity of the situation, but I thought before I get ahead of myself I should go through the process and what we know for sure thus far, so here are some points to date.

The Parent company looking to explore the possibility of fracking in the Eastern Cape is Rhino Resources, their local subsidiary is called Rhino Oil and Gas Exploration South Africa (Pty) Ltd.
Rhino Oil and Gas Exploration South Africa (Pty) Ltd have logged an application for exploration rights with Petroleum Agency South Africa.
The Proposed exploration time is for a total of 3 years.
PASA has to approve the application before any exploration can take place in terms of the Environmental Management act, 107 of 1998.
SLR Consulting (Africa) (Pty) Ltd (SLR) has been appointed by Rhino Oil and Gas Exploration South Africa (Pty) Ltd to undertake the environmental assessment process.
A draft scoping report made available to IAP (Interested and affected parties)
Interested and affected parties had until the 10 October 2015 to submit their concerns.

So What’s Next?

From January to June 2016 the EIA and EMP (Environmental Management Programme) will take place and once again be made available to the IAPs.
Public meetings will be held and then all the reports and concerns will be sent on to the decision makers, PASA.

I have attached the initial report SLR Consulting has done and what I found interesting and hopeful was what they said in their motivation for the exploration project, and I quote:

“Petroleum products remain a vital source of energy. Natural gas comprises mostly methane and is a relatively clean, environmentally friendly form of energy. It can be used to generate electricity or provide heat for domestic and industrial purposes. Once extracted, gas can be easily contained, transported and safely used in many applications. The type of downstream use is entirely dependent on the commercial scale of the resource.”

Now I’m not sure if I’m reading too much into this but their motivation was 4 and a bit lines long, where the list of Potential Environmental Impacts spreads down the whole page, with concerns arranging from, Farm Safety, Farm Infrastructure, Biodiversity, Surface and Ground Water, Air, Noise and that is just to mention a few. Please go take a look at the full report.

I know for sure which side of the fence I sit on and it’s the side where we look after the beautiful country we have, and yes, I know our Country is in economic trouble, but after all is said and done…. we can’t drink money!
Now while my blog has been centered around the possible fracking in Matatiele, don’t for one minute think you are safe.

It will seem that KZN Midlands has been deemed a very desirable fracking ground!

$frack water02$

The fracking belt in KZN:

Lies against the Drakensberg (among other areas) – the birthplace of our rivers
Crosses three major rivers – the Tugela, the uMngeni and the uMkomaas. The Greater uMngeni River Catchment is of strategic significance to South Africa as it supports the third largest economic hub in the country, namely the City of Durban, through the supply of water necessary to deliver water and sanitation services for social and economic needs.
Below are two maps which reflect a little more detail in terms of the Rhino Gas Exploration area affected HDLA (HowickLand Owners Association) & NRLA (Nottingham Road Land Owners Association) areas. Whilst not reflected on the map, the Hilton College area, Umgeni Valley, Karkloof, Mt Gilboa, Rietvlei and Mt West areas will also be included.

The USA has already started cancelling fracking projects as water supplies in the areas dwindle! Can KZN really afford to spare the water we have? I say this as we go through one of our driest spells, as we speak, restrictions already imposed in some areas!

As we speak, currently, 19 percent of the rural population lacks access to a reliable water supply and 33 percent do not have basic sanitation services. While rural citizens suffer the most, over 26 percent of all schools (urban or rural), and 45 percent of clinics, have no water access either.

Just a thought….Should getting fresh drinking water to every person in our country not be government priority before we start exploiting the water we have?

Risks and Concerns of Fracking
Contamination of groundwater
Methane pollution and its impact on climate change
Air pollution impacts
Exposure to toxic chemicals
Blow-outs due to gas explosion
Waste disposal
Large volume water use in water-deficient regions
Fracking-induced earthquakes
Workplace safety
Infrastructure degradation

More needs to be done, our Government needs to know that it is no longer OK for them to leave our Country vulnerable to International land Vultures!
We need to feel protected, we will not sit by and not be heard!

So If you to feel the same, then head over and sign the PETITION and show your support, not only to a small community you may have never heard of but to our Country in general.
Say No to Fracking;)!!!

$stopfracking2$

$frackig kzn$

I hope you have enjoyed my blog today, but more importantly I hope I have inspired some of you to do something about the impending problem we face with these proposals to frack our beautiful country.

And while you are signing the petition, please can you take a look at these worthy causes and show them your support too as they stand up against fracking in our country.
https://www.facebook.com/happyearthforum?ref=nf
http://www.wessa.org.za/what-we-do/environmental-governance.htm
https://mpophomeniconservationgroup.wordpress.com/mnandi/
http://enviros.co.za/
https://midlandsconservanciesforum.wordpress.com/tag/fracking/

https://www.facebook.com/CentreEnvironmentalRights

http://www.midlandsconservancies.org.za/prpagefracking.php

Sources:
http://www.iol.co.za/business/news/new-oil-exploration-bid-sparks-fear-1.1920822#.ViT0MCsYHtJ

Rhino Oil seeks approval for pre-fracking tests

Fracking – In the Midlands?

http://12.000.scripts.mit.edu/mission2017/case-studies/water-access-in-south-africa/

About Sherina Shawe

"You have to do everything you can, you have to work your hardest, and if you do, if you stay positive, you have a shot at a silver lining." from: Silver Linings Playbook.

12 Aug 2015

ACSA – The low down

by Sherina Shawe | posted in: General | 0

Planes, Trains and auto-mobiles!!! Yes, this seems to be the theme for L2B blogs this month…..

Now given that I know nothing about any of these, believe me when I say I’m struggling!!!

But never fear…..I had a little chat to myself and I was reminded that these blogs are not entirely for my entertainment, and perhaps I had judge this topic to harshly.

…..And maybe, just maybe, if just one of you find any of our South African transport systems interesting then possibly so could I …..

So, I choose ACSA! That’s right Airports Company South Africa – l got this!!!

ACSA Logo

Who are they? Well I’ll tell you – They operate and own 9 South African Principal airports, namely O.R Thambo International, Cape Town International, King Shaka International, Bram Fischer International, Upington International, East London International, George Airport, Kimberly Airport & Port Elizabeth International mmmmm Impressive start!

Now while I’m sure you would all loooooove for me to go into the history of this formidable South African company, I’ve decided to rather concentrate on the present and believe me when I say that there is a LOT going on! This Company is on the ball, socially aware is something they do not shy away from.

I’m talking Staff Volunteer work, Community work, Environmental awareness, Job creation, you name it, these peeps are on it!

So sure, while reading through their website may have warmed my heart, and given me a new found respect for the ACSA, I also knew that all this warm fuzzy stuff would not keep you reading ….so…

I’ve taken it upon myself to change the subject ever so slightly, and to rather talk to you about Leads 2 Business! Yes, that’s where I work so it makes way more sense that I talk about them right!:)

And there I am, safely back in my Comfort Zone!

So Let me tie these two incredible companies together for you;).

Here at L2B, we like to make your life a whole lot easier, so whether you are a Vendor/sub-contractor, a Contractor or perhaps a Professional, if you are interested in any of the Developments or Tenders that the ACSA are involved in, you should be talking to us!

It really is that simple.

When it comes to information regarding Construction and Construction related industries, we are on top of our game. I will go as far as stating we are the Leaders in this field. Our Clients are constantly given up to date and relevant information, and along with this we follow it all up with friendly support!

So whether you are interested in ACSA Tenders, SANRAL Tenders or perhaps Eskom is more your speed (Just to mention a few) – let me assure you, we’ve got it!

For instance, do you know about the CCT Airport Precinct Project, this is a multifaceted Cape Town development comprising of Commercial offices, Residential and Retail components.

This is a huge project, and Leads 2 Business is following this step by step, supplying our clients with ongoing updates regarding it.

And not to mention the 10 current ACSA tenders featured on our website at this very minute….. as I said we’ve got it!

And so could you;).

Believe me when I tell you that, picking one project out of the thousands that we are following really doesn’t do us any justice, so instead do your self a favour and and give us a call 086 083 6337, you can speak to myself Sherina Swart, or any of my capable colleagues and let us take your though our website and see for yourself what we have.

Lets get you started!

I look forward to hearing from you – 🙂

Is it a Plane?

Is it a Train?

No Its Leads 2 Business!!!!

You’re Welcome 😉

About Sherina Shawe

"You have to do everything you can, you have to work your hardest, and if you do, if you stay positive, you have a shot at a silver lining." from: Silver Linings Playbook.

29 Jul 2015

Mid Year Motivation

by Sherina Shawe | posted in: Frequently Asked Questions, Life Lessons | 0

So we are over the half way mark, and how are you feeling?

For most, you have now reached that time in the year where all your New Years resolutions have failed and long gone, even the guilt has started to fade and you are back to being the smoking, drinking, fast-food eating, non-gyming, gym contract owner….. yip! You know who you are!

Obviously there are the chosen few who are super humans, you are the ones who have given up all your vices and are looking and feeling amazing, and all I can say to you is, well done! You are awesome! Teach me! Teach me!

Nevertheless the middle of the year for all of us can take its toll, the excitement of our promises to ourselves has past, our goals not quite reached seem even further away now as we have less time in the year to reach them.

Summer has long forgotten us, we wake up when its dark and get home from work when its dark… Gosh!! I’m depressing myself, this was not the purpose of this blog!!!

“Motivation wherefore art thou??”

Well here it is:)

The amazing thing about this time of year is, the best is on its way, we are less than a month away from Spring people!!!

I’ve thought long and hard about how I will see the rest of this year, and I’ve decided, instead of seeing it as a downward spiral to “year end madness” with no real time to start or finish anything, instead I have set new resolutions of change and set new goals. A challenge if you will.

This, along with spring cleaning is bound to give me a new lease on life!

We all know the old wedding bridal tradition of “Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue”?

Well I’ve devised my own!

It’s titled: Something for my Heart, Something for my Soul & Something for my Health!

For My heart I have pledged to give up some of my time and devote it to my kids who have developed a strong love for board games, and I’ve decided to cultivate this before it turns to evenings of “Charades”!!! ‘cos once that happens , I’m out! And I will need to find a new place to devote my time, I’m thinking watching paint dry sounds fun!

For My Soul I have committed myself to a life change, this change, many may regard as me giving up something, where I truly see it as gaining a whole lot more. I will be giving up one of my vices, and I’m totally excited for the change:)

And last but not least, my health.

For my health I have joined my local gym – Yes I know its August! Don’t judge me! Lol!

The way I see it, I’m giving myself a head start on the New Years Resolutioners!

And by the end of December when all my passion and drive for change has started to loose its appeal…. guess what? It’s New Year again and I will be ready to recommit myself to a better me all over again! It’s a win, win, it’s a fool proof plan to remain motivated all 12 months of the year:)

When you feel better, you do better and it will show, at home and at work and it will even start rubbing off on the people around you. I urge and challenge you all to do the same – find a goal or better still, a few goals, these should inspire you and give you something to see you through the next 6 months of this year:).

For your mid year goals – dig deep! Take yourself out of your comfort zone, challenge yourself, don’t celebrate mediocrity!! If you expect your best, you will give your best – it’s a fact I promise:) I have chosen 3 things to change, all of which will take a great lot of effort to master, but once I have them down I will be a way better person for it, and isn’t that what goal setting is all about? Being better? And let me tell you, I can already feel it, I know I can get through the rest of this year with the same excitement I started it with!

However if you feel you just not up to any life changing challenges, how about doing a few small ones, some more fun than challenging….

Once a month offer someone a cup of coffee that you don’t usually make for.
Find someone new to complement every day.
Call someone you haven’t spoken to in months and find out how they are.
Give away something you haven’t used in the past 8 months.
Find a children’s story book and read it out loud with passion and expression.
Give up all social media for 3 days.
Compete wholeheartedly for something.
Say yes as often as possible.

And last but never least – Smile Smile Smile!

……And because I always like to leave you all with something to think about when I end my blog, here it is:

There are only 21 Fridays left until Christmas!!!

“Yip! You’re welcome!!” 😉

About Sherina Shawe

"You have to do everything you can, you have to work your hardest, and if you do, if you stay positive, you have a shot at a silver lining." from: Silver Linings Playbook.

10 Jun 2015

Intellectual Health

by Sherina Shawe | posted in: Life Lessons, Safety | 0

Intellect…. now this is something I thought evaded me my whole school going life, or did I just do a really good job avoiding it?…..Hmmmm, I was more of a social butterfly you see, but lucky for me not all is lost because it turns out you can be both!

It’s a good thing because planning my social life from Monday to Friday and recovering from it from Sunday to Tuesday may have made me a fun friend to be around at school, but it sure wouldn’t pay the bills now that I work!

I would like to think I now have a fine but workable balance between the two 🙂

I’ve come to realise I was never “stupid” I was just never pushed or motivated.

This didn’t hamper me though thankfully, yes it may have taken me longer than some, but I got there!

I developed the need to be & do better and that turned into the need to be the best (Status of Mission: currently still striving for!), now sure, this unfortunately only occurred to me once I was firmly out of school and coincidently working for the company I’m currently working for….

Is that really coincidental? I think not!

Answer yourself this question, have you ever enjoyed learning anything whereby the person teaching you was someone you really didn’t like??? The answer is NEVER!!!

So would I be wrong in saying that in order to improve your intellectual health you need to find yourself in an environment whereby you are motivated, encouraged and ultimately rewarded?

So whether it be at school, college, your work place or even in your day to day life, FIND THIS!!!

Take my word for this, It will make a world of difference in your life :).

The wonderful thing about humans, is that we never stop learning or teaching, I mean, just last week I was at work, in our canteen and was disturbed by the smell of burning toast, turns out it wasn’t the toast burning but rather the crumbs within the toaster, so, I simply pulled out the bottom tray of the toaster and emptied out all the crumbs… needless to say this left some of my colleagues speechless!!

Seriously! Are there people out there that didn’t know about this tray????

Well, before I get carried away, I had my own little “learning” experience around the same time….

First let me ask, there has to, has to be other people out there that didn’t know this? Please!

I have to believe I’m not the only one!

So…. I have NEVER used the word “utmost” in my life, I always thought the phrase was “up most” (which I secretly still think makes more sense), but anyhoo, who am I to judge the Oxford Dictionary!

Now I suppose you are waiting for me to bestow upon you some practical ways in which you can improve your intellectual health, so here it goes!

First and for most, place yourself in a place that inspires you to learn.

Physical Exercise – Get the blood pumping, this is not only for your muscles but for your brain.
Minimizing Stress – take “you time”, put your phones, tablets, friends and family on silent for a bit, breath, relax and when you do sleep make sure it is uninterrupted.
Healthy Eating – Include in your diet Essential fatty acids, these build the insulation of the neurons in the brain – FACT!
Cut out foods with a high glycaemic index like sweets, most breads and a whole list of other stuff. http://www.theingredientstore.com/amescompany/GIindex.html
Mental Exercise: The brain is a muscle so exercise it, do a puzzle, download one of many brain games available for computers and for smart devices, do a crossword, Sudoku, discuss topics of real substance – not the latest celebrity pregnancy.

I also thought before I go, I would like to touch on another health issue that I think is equally as important and that’s emotional health, because lets face it, if your head is not in a good place, nothing else matters, your ability to see past your emotional problems mess with your ability to learn and ultimately puts a hold on your personal growth.

I recently found myself having to reassess what is important to hold on to and what I need to let go of, and which of these cloud judgement and stunt “awesomeness”!
My findings – well lets just say that anger, resentment, judgement, grudges and gossip have to go!

Its a process, but some people find it easier than others not to hold on to these things, and I’m fortunate to be one of these people. 🙂

So, go do some unpacking and reshuffling of the soul and see how revitalised you feel, this will unclutter your brain and you will think clearer, then once that has happened, CHALLENGE your brain, and CHALLENGE it some more!!

Albert Einstein wrote, “Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.
So find your place and find your purpose;)

About Sherina Shawe

"You have to do everything you can, you have to work your hardest, and if you do, if you stay positive, you have a shot at a silver lining." from: Silver Linings Playbook.

27 May 2015

Human Resources and Human Capital Tips

by Sherina Shawe | posted in: General | 1

Say what now????

This topic is definitely not something I sit around on the weekend bantering about, so believe me when I say I was not 100% excited to write about it…. well, at first anyway, then I gave myself the “Knowledge is Power” pep talk and took to Google for some assistance!

Human Resources vs Human Capital

Human resources is the set of individuals who make up the workforce of an organization, business sector, or economy.

Human capital is the stock of knowledge, habits, social and personality attributes, including creativity, embodied in the ability to perform labour so as to produce economic value. (not limited to the work place)

So from what I can gather, Human capital is the development of your work force. This in theory gives them a feel-good feeling, encouraging performance and in turn grows your company revenue. 😉

This seems like the most logical way to run an organization right?

Well I remember being in my early 20s in my first few interviews and being shot down right after being asked “So what experience do you have?”… “ummmm well I’m 20… so anything other than how to wait tables and a killer coinage hand… not much!”

Where exactly would I acquire this experience they are all talking about????

Yes I understand its important to hire employees who can come into your organization and pick up right where possibly the last person left, but…. wouldn’t it be more important to hire some one who WANTS to do that? Eager and ready to learn, grow, develop and improve their skills?

So what I’m getting at is, Attitude has to trump Experience!

Now for obvious reasons, this strategy is only going to work if you follow through and actually grow your newbies. Hiring someone with zero experience followed by no development is going to break your business!

So where do you start?

How do you improve your companies Human Capital?

Don’t let employees become complacent or stagnant.
Offer and encourage education in terms of in-house courses, training, webinars and literature.
Reward – this will inspire your workforce to do more and be more.

Now Human capital goes both ways, it is not solely the employers responsibility.

As an employee, you need to initiate development within yourself.

Know the philosophy of the company you work for, this will give you an idea of where your employer is striving to take his company, giving you an advantage over the rest of your colleagues that are only interested in collecting their monthly pay cheque.
Don’t limit yourself, further your education where possible, this doesn’t have to be formal if finances don’t permit it, but use the resources the world-wide-web so readily provides us with.
“Wear more than one hat” meaning don’t be scared to learn every aspect of what your company does.

Ultimately realise that Human Capital is personal, better yourself where ever possible, learn a new language, a new skill, read about a topic you would not usually read about, broaden your vocabulary, start a blog, get involved in a community sport or fund raising activity, get creative!

Learning something new has to be one of the most rewarding feelings and very seldom goes unnoticed, not to mention, more often than not, this will inspire the next person:) So here’s my final food for thought.

Something for the employer to think about…

CFO asks CEO: “What happens if we invest in developing our people & then they leave us?” CEO: ‘What happens if we don’t, and they stay?”

And something for the employee to think about…

“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.”
― Dr. Seuss,

And look…. I just wrote about something I started out knowing NOTHING about, and now I think I may possibly have the ability to hold a 2 minute uninterrupted conversation about it…. ahhhh look at me grow!

About Sherina Shawe

"You have to do everything you can, you have to work your hardest, and if you do, if you stay positive, you have a shot at a silver lining." from: Silver Linings Playbook.

12 May 2015

Human Resources & Human Capital Tips

by Sherina Shawe | posted in: Business Risk, General, Life Lessons, Uncategorized | 0

Say what now????

This topic is definitely not something I sit around on the weekend bantering about, so believe me when I say I was not 100% excited to write about it…. well at first anyway, then I gave myself the “Knowledge is Power” pep talk and took to Google for some inspiration!

So Human Resources vs Human Capital….

Human resources is the set of individuals who make up the workforce of an organization, business sector, or economy.

Human capital is the stock of knowledge, habits, social and personality attributes, including creativity, embodied in the ability to perform labor so as to produce economic value. (not limited to the work place)
So from what I can gather, Human capital is the development of your work force, this in theory gives them a feel good feeling, encouraging performance and in turn grows your company revenue. 😉

This seems like the most logical way to run an organization right?

Well, I remember being in my early 20s and going to my first few interviews and being shot down right after them asking “So what experience do you have?”… “ummmm well I’m 20… so anything more than waiting tables and a killer coinage hand… not much!”

Where exactly would I acquire this experience they were all talking about?

Now for obvious reasons, this strategy is only going to work if you follow through and actually grow your newbies.
Hiring someone with zero experience followed by no development is going to break your business!
So where do you start? How do you improve your companies Human Capital?

Don’t let employees become complacent or stagnant.
Offer and encourage education in terms of in-house courses, training, webinars and literature.
Reward – this will inspire your workforce to do more and be more.

Now Human capital goes both ways, it is not solely the employers responsibility.
As an employee, you need to initiate development with in yourself.

know the philosophy of the company you work for, this will give you an idea of where your employer is striving to take his company, giving you an advantage over the rest of your colleagues that are only interested in collecting their monthly pay cheque.
Don’t limit yourself, further your education where possible, this doesn’t have to be formal if finances don’t permit it, but use the resource the world-wide-web so readily provides us with.
“Wear more than one hat” meaning don’t be scared to learn every aspect of what your company does.

Learning something new has to be one of the most rewarding feelings and very seldom goes unnoticed not to mention, more often than not this will inspire the next person:)

So here’s my final food for thought.

Something for the employer to think about:
CFO asks CEO: “What happens if we invest in developing our people & then they leave us?” CEO: ‘What happens if we don’t, and they stay?”
And something for the employee to think about:
“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.”
― Dr. Seuss,

🙂 😉

About Sherina Shawe

"You have to do everything you can, you have to work your hardest, and if you do, if you stay positive, you have a shot at a silver lining." from: Silver Linings Playbook.

11 Mar 2015

How to Negotiate a Raise….

by Sherina Shawe | posted in: General, How To | 0

So is there a right or wrong way to ask for a raise?

Well to be perfectly honest, I’m not the most rational thinker when it comes to this very delicate situation, and have never personally gone forth and requested a raise let alone negotiated one, but I’m pretty sure my method of blurting everything out in an email to my CEO, closing my eyes while I press send and then cringing until I receive a response is not the best way to go, for one it reeks havoc on your nerves and in some cases provokes sleepless nights and comfort eating.

The one thing I am positive about is this has to be one of the most awkward and uncomfortable situations you can find yourself in at the work place, so I started by finding some useful don’ts to get you on to the fast track to negotiating a salary increase.

Timing
Now get this right!
If your company is meeting targets, profit margin is looking good, expansion is viable, then by all means go and

“Risk it for the Biscuit”!

But…..If the talk around the water cooler is retrenchment letters have just gone out and there has been a mail sent out about saving on water and toilet paper then maybe, now is not a good time.

Finances
So you’ve decided to buy a house or a new car, or you are now unexpectedly expecting twins….
while this is all very exciting news and I’m sure your boss will be happy you are experiencing any one of these fun filled events… ultimately they have no bearing on whether or not you deserve an increase!

No Guilt Trips
So while trips are fun and we all like going on them, Guilt is not a trip anyone enjoys, so trying to send your boss on one is never a good idea!
And yes I understand divorces are expensive, your spouse losing his or her job is tough and having your 10yr old cat named Whiskers in and out of the vet is heart breaking…..
Once again this is not your bosses troubles, hardship doesn’t warrant an increase, that would be saying that your colleague who’s in a stable relationship, who’s partner is a top earner and who has no pets and who is ultimately a better employee doesn’t deserve an increase as much as you.

Increases are earned and are not handouts!

I’m sure most can agree that the above mentioned circumstances are generally the reason we start scrambling for more cash, so if you can now eliminate these reasons and you actually deserve an increase then go for it.

I suggest speaking to your HR manager first, find out if the timing is right, if it is then be professional with your approach, send an email requesting a meeting to discuss a revision of your salary.

In the meeting, look presentable, speak confidently and directly, have your ducks in a row, have a list of what you are putting into your current position, this would be great if it’s over and above what you were originally being paid for, whether it’s a case of targets being reached and blown out of the water, or overtime you constantly putting in without request or complaint.

If you feel you are truly not paid for your full worth, then sell it!

However, If your company is one that is good at recognizing your achievements and who compensates reasonably in the form of an increase on a yearly basis, then my personal advice would be to sit tight and have faith that once again you will receive the increase you so deserve!

But whatever you decide to do, I wish you all the luck ….. And let’s hope hard work is the winner in the end and you get what you are worth 🙂

About Sherina Shawe

"You have to do everything you can, you have to work your hardest, and if you do, if you stay positive, you have a shot at a silver lining." from: Silver Linings Playbook.

11 Feb 2015

What does Value mean to You…..

by Sherina Shawe | posted in: General, Life Lessons | 0

I have been pondering this blog topic since it was assigned to me weeks ago and to be completely honest I wasn’t quite sure what approach I should take…. however this morning I woke up with ideas rushing through my head. Don’t you just love those moments! 🙂

Now believe me when I say not every idea I have should be written down…. but it’s my birthday today and I think its me turning 30…. (the end of that number is irrelevant!).
Anyway it was this, I think, that got me thinking about what value really means….

I’m sure you will agree that this changes with age. In your 20’s you generally find value in possibly your first car, furthering your education and for some perhaps simply their favourite high heels will bring value to their life! Please don’t get me wrong, this is just a very general synopsis, I know there are plenty of 20 odd year old’s who have started families and long life careers by their mid 20s 😉

But I assure you, your values, and what you value will change with age!

Now being in my 30’s (and I’m sure all of you that are alongside me in this age group can relate) I feel that value is measured differently. It comes in the form of a morning smile from your partner, or a hug from your child and the memories we hold safe, along with the careers that quite often make a lot of this all possible.

“Family over friends” now starts to make more sense and finding your happy place at home and work really means a lot, because by now the decision’s you have made are usually the ones you would like to stick with.

I’m sure most of us have somewhere along the line heard someone of the “older” generation talk about how they got to go to the “bioscope” with popcorn, a coke and a packet of what I envisioned looked like wine gums, all with a coin, few of us have ever laid our eyes on!

Now this is what value was. “More Bang 4 your Buck” is the term I remember being thrown around freely while I was growing up.

So….Is there still value in the commercial world?
Now I’m no business owner but I think value is often derived from value. When your employees are valued this brings on a sense of encouragement, fulfillment and an all round eagerness to please, which in turn, turns into creating or delivering a valued product or service.

Makes sense right….

Now I leave you with a quote from Chris Holmes US musician and member of the band W.A.S.P. (once again this is of no relevance, but I do like his quote!)

“ Kindness doesn’t cost a penny but its Value is beyond measure to the recipient”

So go out today and do something that will bring value to someone’s life, this will more than likely bring value to your own…. and if not….you will at least be left with a warm fuzzy feeling in your belly!

Until the next time, this is me signing off and wishing you a super day! 🙂

About Sherina Shawe

"You have to do everything you can, you have to work your hardest, and if you do, if you stay positive, you have a shot at a silver lining." from: Silver Linings Playbook.

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