Me and Veggies and Me

The lovely Megan from Veggies and Me invited me over to her pad for an interview recently, go and check it out, there is also a recipe for Moroccan Cinnamon Oranges that I posted on here many moons ago, part of a postcard swap!

Check out the interview HERE

Destroyer Of Domestic Chaos....

That's me! Or should I say, that is how The Japan Times described me. I was interviewed last week for a column they do on people with unusual jobs, or not run-of-the-mill jobs that most foreigners do here in Japan.

I have had loads of lovely comments and people writing to tell me how inspiring it is to see someone carve a niche out for themselves, which I am really chuffed about. I really do hope the piece shows that you don't have to take the English teaching route, if teaching isn't your thing and that these days, thanks to the internet there are so many more options available now.

Louise did a great job of pulling all the info together, makes for an interesting read, even if I do say so myself! Pop over HERE to read the full article.

Inspiration Sunday with April Bowles-Olin

 Today I have another lovely creative lass lined up for you. I discovered April via Mayi (they are a cute set of partners in crime), I am sure you will agree she is another fun creative entrepreneur...

1. Tell us a bit about yourself.... 

I’d love to. I’m April Bowles-Olin and I grew up in Richmond, Virginia. I currently live with my husband and our three rescue dogs in Blacksburg, Virginia. I work with creative entrepreneurs to build the businesses of their dreams around the lives they crave.

I love homemade vegan, gluten-free pizza, walking my dogs, young-adult fiction, college football, photography and Gilmore Girls. I have a low tolerance for laziness and excuses.

Image Credit: April Bowles

2. Where do you get your inspiration from? 

Oh gosh...I get inspiration from so many different things. My favorite blogs including heartmade, A Beautiful Mess, decor8, and Creature Comforts give me lots of inspiration. I’m also inspired by magazines {especially Where Women Create and Artful Blogging}, nature, friends, crafting supplies, fabric designs and books.

Image Credit: April Bowles

3. Tell us about your business...

My business if focused on helping creatives build their dream businesses around the lives they want to live. I’ve seen too many creative entrepreneurs get burned out from working around the clock on their businesses instead of focusing on what they want their lives to look like and building a business that supports that way of living.

I blog daily at blacksburgbelle.com and every week on Wednesdays, I publish a video that’s directly related to helping women build their online businesses. Each year, I also offer courses that dive deeper into specific subjects like my last course, Blogging for Your Creative Business.

Image Credit: April Bowles

4. What led you to start your business.... 

Before making the leap of starting my own business, I was a licensed therapist working with at-risk teens and their families. That job was emotionally draining, so I started looking for creative outlets to relieve some of that stress. I began scrapbooking, making jewelry, and knitting. Then, I decided to sell some of my creations on Etsy. Once I set up my shop, I read anything I could find on building a business and learned about marketing, blogging, and social media. 

After a couple months of having an Etsy shop, I started getting questions from others who wanted to do something similar. I started spending more time helping other creative entrepreneurs set up their own shops than I did on my own. That’s when I realized that my business should focus on helping creatives build successful online businesses.

5. What does an average day look like for you?

One day is never the same as the next. But, here’s an example of one: Wake up at 8am. Drink a glass of lemon water while I brew a cup of herbal tea. Drink tea while I read, journal or browse the web. Drink my daily glass of green juice. Get a load of laundry started. Work on a blog post. Walk my dogs. Take photos for a few blog posts. Have lunch with my husband. Put the laundry in the dryer. Finish the blog post from earlier. Edit the photos from earlier. Knit and listen to a podcast. Spend an hour on the next course I’m going to offer. Fold the laundry and put it away. Chat with my joint venture partner, Mayi Carles, on Skype for an hour. Walk the dogs with my husband when he gets home from work. Make dinner together. Watch an episode of Burn Notice. Get in bed and read for an hour or so and go to sleep. 

6. What is the one thing about your job that makes your heart sing? 

I love getting thank you emails from blog readers or women who have taken one of my courses. I love hearing about their successes and the joy they’re getting out of their creative businesses. Those emails inspire me to keep doing what I’m doing.

7. Share a secret with us that has never been shared online before 

In my childhood home, the stairs to the attic were in my room. I was so terrified that there were ghosts in the attic that my parents had to put a lock on the door, so I could lock it from my room.

About April:

April Bowles-Olin is a licensed therapist turned business maven. She’s the founder of Blacksburg Belle and co-founder of Connecting the Gaps. Her mission is to help creative entrepreneurs construct the businesses of their dreams around the lifestyles they crave. She’s been featured and mentioned on hundreds of sites and publications including U.S. News and World Report, Where Women Create, BlogcastFM, Etsy, and Design*Sponge.

Find April....

Website : www.blacksburgbelle.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/BlacksburgBelle

Twitter: http://twitter.com/blacksburgbelle

Pinterest : http://pinterest.com/blacksburgbelle

Inspiration Sunday with Melanie Sasaki

Inspiration Sunday is a 7 question interview with people I admire and that inspire me, I hope they will inspire you in some way too. Today's guest is fellow foreigner living in Japan, Melanie makes beautiful Waldorf inspired dolls, I am sure you will fall in love with her and them.

1. Tell us a bit about yourself.... 

My name is Melanie Sasaki and I am originally from the USA. I have lived in Japan since the summer of 2004. Currently (until the end of January) I have 4 different jobs: I teach English in the elementary and junior high schools in my town, I am the owner/creator of Beautiful Sky Creations, a mother to a very energetic 3 year old, and a wife. While there isn`t any one job title that I prefer over the others as they are all a part of me and I enjoy each one, the mother is the one that takes up the majority of my time. 

I love having quiet time to myself to either do sewing projects or reading books. For the past few years I have read less and less books geared towards me and more geared towards children. I would have to say my creative side would be comes naturally as my mother is also sews, though her main medium is quilts.

2. Where do you get your inspiration from?

Whenever anyone has told me that I am very creative, I usually tell them I am really good at mimicking. I can`t say that I am taking others ideas but I tend to see something and go “Oh, I could do that.” It might take me a few tries but in the end things usually work out. As for dolls, often times its the material that inspires, whether its a fabric or a yarn. Something that catches my eye. I like trying to make dolls that are unique so while I do make dolls with brown, black, blondish hair, I love making ones with that have blue, pink, or a rainbow of hues. 

3. Tell us about your business? 

I make waldorf inspired dolls. Waldorf dolls are originally made from all natural materials and are in a way simplistic in design, that makes it both a safe toy for children and also inspires their imaginations. A doll with a simple expression can either be happy, sad, surprised, etc. While I do usually use all natural materials, I am not against trying something new either. While my goal is not to devalue other doll makers in prices (I definitely know their work is worth the price) but I do try to keep my prices on the lower end as I know what it is to want to give your child something special but not being able to afford it all the time, which is the whole reason I started.

4. What led you to start your business? 

I would have to say I started, while unintentionally, back in 2010 when I started looking for the perfect birthday present for my daughter`s first birthday. I came across waldorf dolls while on a mommy forum and while I know how much effort is put into a homemade item, I definitely didn`t have the money as a stay at home mom to spend so much. 

I ended up searching the internet to try to find any sort of kit or instructions so that I could make my own. In the end I had the supplies shipped into Japan. After I made my first doll, I had several people tell me that I should try to make some more to to sell. It somewhat put the idea into the back of my head but nothing really came out of it until 2011. 

2011 started with what we thought would be an awesome year as we had just made the decision to buy a house. While our house was being built from scratch the official signing wasn`t until March 14th. Of course, three days before the official signing came the Tohoku Earthquake and while we came out unharmed and without any damage, it did have an unforseen effect on us. Since my husband is in the fashion industry, things slowed down considerably and definitely affected our pocketbook. 

As the year slowly came to end, I was trying to think of more ways to bring in even just a little extra money. Thats when I really got down and started trying to sell my dolls. It was definitely hard going at first because before I could sell any dolls, they needed to be made, and in order to do that, materials had to be bought with money that wasn`t around.

It was definitely started slow but thanks to some very lovely friends, a few dolls were sold. I also started teaching in the schools which brought a much more steady income in to help pay for materials.

5. What does an average day look like for you? 

At the moment my typical Monday through Fridays are very busy. I get up around 6 and get myself and daughter ready for work/daycare. We are out of the house by 7:20 and return home around 4:30. It definitely took some time to work out a routine that fit in some sewing time for me but eventually I would manage to fit in at least a little. After coming home, and perhaps playing outside for a little, I try to get dinner set while getting the bath going. After dinner and bathtime is over, I let my daughter watch some kind of movie or TV show. While she is watching I try to do whatever I can by her so that I can interact with her at the same. Usually its either cutting out a pattern or doing some hand stitching. 

Since I generally go to bed to bed at the same time she does, it definitely doesn`t leave much time to get much done. Major sewing is usually done on the weekends when she goes to bed much earlier.

6. What is the one thing about your job that makes your heart sing?

I definitely love it when a doll is finished and has sort of come to life per se. Each doll is definitely special and definitely has what seems to be their own personality.

7. Share a secret with us that has never been shared online before... 

I love to cook. Before heading to university I originally wanted to a chef. After meeting my husband, he told me he decided he had to marry me after eating my Thai Coconut Curry. In my case, a way to a man`s heart was definitely through his stomach!

Melanie Sasaki is an American living in Japan. She loves creating things, whether knitting, quilting or sewing. She currently not only creates one of a kind dolls but also teaches English all while trying to be mom to an energetic three year old.

For those in Tokyo, look for out for Melanie at Design Festa, May 18th.

How to find Melanie:

Website: Beautiful Sky Creation

Facebook: HERE

Inspiration Sunday with Villa Carton

Inspiration Sunday is a 7 question interview with people I admire and that inspire me, I hope they will inspire you in some way too.

I discovered Villa Carton last year and love their products and philosophies, the designers are artists and I thought it would be fun to learn a bit more about the people behind the genius.

1. Tell us a bit about yourself.... 

Villa Carton is a company created by Manon and Ruud van den Broek. We are two artists, living and working in Holland. We have two small children and we are committed to design and create creative and innovative toys for young children. We hate copycats....

2. Where do you get your inspiration from?

From our own youth and from our children. They finally understand what we do for a living and they are very good judges and advisors. At first they thought that we were packing and taping cardboard boxes for a living....

3. Tell us about your business?

We started with the idea of a big prefab cardboard playhouse for children, based on the history we had in our youth with the package boxes of big products, like washing machines and t.v. sets. In 2006 we were the first company worldwide with a big cardboard play castle. We received many positive reactions which inspired us to keep on designing. We still have loads of new ideas and we want to add some of them each year to our collection. Since 2012 we concentrate more and more on our best talent: the designing part. We started cooperations with several companies for all logistics, sales and production. 

4. What led you to start your business?

It was just the fact that we had an idea for a big cardboard castle, which was too strong to ignore. We started very naive, without having thought about the impact it could have on our lives. We are still happy that we just started. If we had known all the impact up front... But with the focus on the designing part, we are slowly moving to our ideal situation. Be creative for a living...!!

5. What does an average day look like for you?

We answer email requests, update social media contacts, design new products, make samples, have fun with our children....

6. What is the one thing about your job that makes your heart sing?

The moment we have created a new product idea which looks like it always existed and which is approved by our own children...

7. Share a secret with us that has never been shared online before 

When we finished our first product the big cardboard Castle, we went to the international Nürnberg Toyfair with 4 people in our old Saab with a big trailer. The old Saab broke down after 70 km and it took hours to arrange new transportation. But we found a van which brought us to our first adventure. Because of our very late decision to participate at this fair, we had no idea that we would have a very bad pitch on the first floor behind a big pillar, which blocked the complete view to our booth. But the visitors found us anyway. And after a while even big companies were visiting us at that same bad pitch. It was a very promising start of our new adventure.

Villa Carton is a very innovative brand which has already attracted very many international press. Their product designs were already broadcasted on the national TV in Canada, France, New Zealand, Australia and Holland. Their designers were mentioned in 5 international toy design books and in hundreds of international magazines.

Links to the following (just include the ones you wish to link to, you might not want to list everything!)

website : Villa Carton

Facebook : www.facebook.com/VillaCartonOriginal

Twitter : @villacarton

All photographs are ©Villa Carton

Inspiration Sunday with Claire Stone

Inspiration Sunday is a 7 question interview with people I admire and that inspire me, I hope they will inspire you in some way too.

Today's guest is another course friend, Claire Stone. Claire is a nutritionist for sporty types, and she adores sharing the knowledge that energy (for pretty much anything you want to do) can come from food. She is a total realist, so makes sure it all works well in real life. 

1. Tell us a bit about yourself.... 

My name is Claire Stone, and I am from beautiful Bristol in the South West of England. I am a nutritionist, and a mum and I love being outdoors - the sea, the mountains, the snow or just camping! I am eternally optimistic, which annoys the heck out of some people, but I truly believe that there is no point worrying about something until you actually need to. And even then, it probably makes more sense to try to sort it out, rather than just worrying about it. 

2. Where do you get your inspiration from?

I love learning about anything and everything and learning totally inspires me - if I am learning something, I am happy! I really love people - grown ups, kids, the internet, hippies, business people, fitness types and lazy ones too - they all inspire me! 

The outside world is just where I am supposed to be - I might be pondering something, with no answer in sight, but as soon as I get outside, it all becomes clear! I’ve recently discovered running, and just being out in the mud is somehow really inspiring too! 

3. Tell us about your business? 

I am a nutritionist (or nutritional therapist, but no-one has any idea what that actually means - and here in Bristol, people tend to call me a nutritionalist - which I love!) and I work in a very fluid, easy-going way. I see clients on a one-to-one basis - either in person here in Bristol, or on the phone/skype if that isn’t possible. I also work with a company running fitness/weight loss programmes as their nutritionist, so that folks lose weight properly. 

I am really getting into my email newsletter, which goes out twice a month and I have been working really hard on my on-line offering. I am very aware that for most people, the offer of a nutritionist is way too vague and wishywashy (and that there are literally hundreds of thousands of ‘nutritionists’ out there), but the offer of a 5 day mini-detox (which is seasonal!) and the prospect of eating the right foods so you can enjoy your life and whichever sport you fancy, are much more specific and appealing! 

4. What led you to start your business? 

I decided to turn my love of food into something a bit more formal by studying nutrition in 2008. I had no idea what I would actually do with the qualification - my kids were very young, and I had never done anything quite so crazy as work for myself before. But, bit by bit, after qualifying and working with clients in a very part-time fashion, I realised that this is what I want to do, and that I would need to get a bit more serious about it. So, I’ve been learning lots, and last year launched my online 5 day detox which combines my love of food and nutrition with my knack for writing jolly emails! Yeah. 

5. What does an average day look like for you? 

Oooh, well, since my youngest started school in September, my average day has suddenly become so very different! It used to be all about squeezing in a bit of work, or the odd client here and there, and it was all very chaotic. Now, I find myself sitting down, planning things (what!?) and actually being able to do what I’ve planned. I might be heading out to do a client consultation - or it might be from home on the phone. 

I am really trying to figure out the website/social media stuff at the mo, so there will be some blog writing or planning. And I am currently working on my next 5 day detox for the Spring, so there is a lot of trying out new ideas and recipes, and writing and planning - I love it! 

I always make sure that I get outside for a bit - it might be a bit of a mountain bike ride, or a run, a bootcamp session or just a walk to the shops. I just need that fresh air - even if it is cold and dank outside. 

6. What is the one thing about your job that makes your heart sing? 

Ooh, can I say two? The first is that I get to write emails for my detoxes which actually make people laugh - and I get paid for it! I’ve always loved writing emails (even in previous jobs, people always commented on my emails) and it’s great that I have figured out how to use that skill in my work. The other thing that makes my heart sing, REALLY sing, is that moment when people realise that the foods they eat CAN make a difference - whether to a health issue, a weight problem, how well they can do their sport or even how they feel emotionally. It is such an amazing feeling when I am part of making a change for someone. 

7. Share a secret with us that has never been shared online before... 

Something that people who grew up with me know about, but pretty much everyone else wouldn’t know about: I was in a marching band from the age of 5 (as a pompom majorette) until I was 15/16, by which time I had graduated to clarinet and saxophone. We weren’t just any marching band though - in 1985 (yes, I am that old!) we won the World Marching Band Championships - something that has always filled me with pride and makes me realise that I can, actually, do just about anything! 

That's not all, Claire has a special offer for you... 

My newsletter is where you’ll get the super mega early bird offer on my Spring Detox - the detox hasn’t even been launched yet, but if you are thinking that this is the Spring for you to shrug off the Winter coat and jump into the Summer, sign up to hear the details first. 

If you just can’t wait that long, I’d love to offer you a 10% discount if you sign up for four one-on-one consultation sessions with me. Drop me a line, and we can have a quick chat to make sure that what I can do is what you want!!

How to find Claire:

Website: Out and In

Facebook: HERE

Twitter: @claire_stone

Inspiration Sunday with Sew Tara

Inspiration Sunday is a 7 question interview with people I admire and that inspire me, I hope they will inspire you in some way too.

Today I want you to meet Tara, she is a crafty chic with a fun sense of humour and certainly knows a thing or two about Etsy.

1. Tell us a bit about yourself....

I’m Tara and I live just outside Toronto. I’m part mom, part Special Education teacher, part blogger and part Etsy shop owner. I have very little empty time.

2. Where do you get your inspiration from?

I get my inspiration from eating up all sorts of sources of creativity, blogs, Pinterest, books and my best ideas come when I get to have some quiet time to myself (which is hard to come by).

3. Tell us about your business

Mostly I make cup cozies that reflect my silly, geeky and nerdy nature. I fell into the whole cup cozy thing by accident when I had a funny-to-me idea that went a little viral and all of the sudden a lot of people thought it was funny too. I like that they’re reusable, nothing bugs me more than a double cup or cardboard sleeve.
Since I also started collecting beautiful fabrics, and I have a bit of a bag/tote/purse addiction I started making those as well. I find Etsy to be rather competitive for selling those so I tend to stick to custom orders, in person craft sales and consignment deals for those.

4. What led you to start your business?

My business started when I was home with an infant and 2 year old and decided I wanted to be more than a nursing, diaper changing machine. I started my blog as a journal to write about creativity and get myself making things again. As time went on it grew and grew. Eventually, when you make loads of things you need to start selling some of it off and hence my Etsy store was born. It was all a very organic process that just had a mind of its own.

5. What does an average day look like for you?

Well, since I still have a ‘real’ job I have to go there most days.  I teach a small class with 10 students, 3 other adults and me.  My students have slight developmental delays and many have autism.  I do have 2 afternoons a week off, which I use either sewing or blogging or researching.  I usually work late at night, putting my 2 active boys to bed at about 8pm and then heading down to my crafty space in a corner of the basement where I work away until I’ll too tired.  Generally I stay up far too late.

6. What is the one thing about your job that makes your heart sing?

I love the community I’ve found because of SewTara.  Creative people are amazing and I think we all do each other good when we associate with each other, even if it’s just in cyberspace.  Then when you add in all the great in person people I’ve met and things I’ve done because of this SewTara journey I’ve been on, I’m ridiculously grateful for it all.  Even the sleepless nights.

7. Share a secret with us that has never been shared online before

When I was a little kid (I’m an only child) I had imaginary friends.  They had a whole backstory, jobs and an imaginary dog . . . One day at dinner my mom set the table for my ‘friends’ and apparently I looked at her like she was crazy asked her why there were extra plates and when she said for my friends I said “Mom, they’re at work!”.  

HELLO2013 will get you 15% off an order in my shop Sew Tara

Where to find Tara:

Website: Sew Tara

Facebook: HERE

Twitter: @SewTara

Pinterest: SewTara

Inspiration Sunday with Danielle Ford

It's back! I have changed it up a little from last year and set each guest the same 7 questions. Over the 10 months I have met some amazing women, both virtually and in real life. Today's guest is a friend from b-school and she is a great inspiration to all young moms out there. (If you know any, send them over).

1. Tell us a bit about yourself....

My name is Danielle Ford and I'm a Las Vegas native. I have an 8 year old daughter, Angelina, and a 6 year old son, Logan. I'm an online marketer, a poker player, and a self-titled "Stache-onista" (I have a tattoo of a mustache on my finger and have become branded by mustaches.. which I'm proud of.)

I am a learning addict and am always undertaking new projects and starting new ventures. Once I feel like I've learned all I can about a certain topic, I get bored with it and immediately jump into something more challenging. This leads to some inconsistency (I'm working on it!) but it also keeps me interested and I'm always excited about what's ahead. 

2. Where do you get your inspiration from? 

I get a lot of my inspiration from books. I read a lot and especially like reading about leadership, psychology and marketing. A lot of the time, I feel like a weirdo for my interests, especially when scrolling though my Facebook wall and seeing the interests and mindsets of my peers, so I will turn back to my books and re-read what my favorite inspirational authors share about their interests and philosophies and then I don't feel like such a weirdo anymore. 

I'm also very grateful to be part of an online community where thousands of woman entrepreneurs, who have online businesses, all support each other. Even though I don't know many of these women in person, it's great to go into the group and see all these women doing similar things as I am and who are "speaking my language". 

3. Tell us about your business? 

Young Moms Club is a social site that connects and empowers young mothers around the globe. It's more of a personal development website than a parenting site. There are so many resources out there that are helping young mothers be better parents and provide for their child but Young Moms Club is about the mom herself. It's a place to get the guidance and support she needs to keep going after her dreams, despite the challenges that come with having a baby young. 

4. What led you to start your business? 

I was looking for some sort of topic that I was really good at and passionate about to build an online business around and I couldn't really settle on anything for a long time. One day, it just hit me that one thing I had always been really good at was relentlessly going after my dreams, even after becoming a single, teen mother of 2. I know how easy it would be for a young mom to just give in to the stereotyping that comes with it, and give up on herself. I wanted to create a place that was like, "OK, you had a baby young. So What? What's next? What are your goals and your dreams? Here's exactly how you go after them."

5. What does an average day look like for you? 

On an average week day, I take my kids to school and go to yoga or piliates. I come home, make a yummy green juice, shower and go to my nearest Starbucks which has become known as "my office". I work there from my laptop until it's time to pick my kids up from school. We do homework, hang out, and run errands. Then I make dinner and we go through the bedtime routine, baths, teeth brushed, bed time story. After the kids fall asleep, I read for an hour or 2 and then go to sleep and do it all over again the next day. 

6. What is the one thing about your job that makes your heart sing?

I love getting messages and emails from young moms telling me that something I said impacted them. When I was 17 and pregnant, I was part of an online group of moms that all had babies due at the same time. It was very helpful and all the women were very supportive, I'm still friends with almost all of them but I was the only teen mom there and I would've really liked to be part of a group that was only teen moms, because we deal with a lot of different issues than other moms. I'm very happy that I'm able to create that community for girls now.

7. Share a secret with us that has never been shared online before......

This is embarrassing but one of my high school jobs was working at Chuck E. Cheese. Although I enjoyed hosting birthday parties and singing and dancing, every few days or so I had to fill in a job that we all took turns doing and it was the most disgusting and humiliating job of them all.. I had to be Chuck E. Cheese. 

The costume was heavy and hot and I could barely breathe inside of it. I couldn't really see out of the 2 tiny mesh eyes and I used to knock kids in the head as I bent down to give hugs. Kids would hang on me; I couldn't even tell where they were coming from and they would knock me over from time to time. It was awful. I wouldn't wish "being Chuck E Cheese" on my worst enemy.

Danielle Ford is the founder of Young Moms Club, a website designed to connect and empower Young Mothers around the globe. Her mission is to help young moms reach their dreams while changing the stereotype that comes with being a teen mom. She spoke more about this in her TEDxWomen talk "Re inventing teen motherhood". 

Know a young mom? She can join the club and get Danielle's e-book "7 Steps to Being a Kickass Young Mom" for Free at http://youngmomsclub.com/7-steps

Find Danielle at

Website: Young Moms Club & Danielle Ford

Facebook: HERE or HERE

Twitter: @DanielleFordLV

Pinterest: DanielleFordLV

Danielle also did a great TED talk recently.....

Seriously, if you know any young moms that are needing support, not just 'how to be a mom' support but how to be an amazing woman and achieve their goals type of support then share this post with them. In fact, share the post anyway, someone out there, maybe a friends daughter, might just need what Danielle gives.

I'm going to be on a chat show!

That's right, how scary and exciting is that? I will be interviewed by the lovely Katie Adler who is a voice over artist (if you are in Japan you will probably recognise her voice), she works for NHK and she runs English With Katie. 

We will be live at 9pm Japan time, I will list the time conversions below. You can listen in via the web or Skype, the link you need is HERE.

If you haven't listened into this kind of show before, don't panic, it is quite easy to do...

When you click this link you will be taken to this page

About 10 minutes before the show starts, log on and click 'listen in' in the box on the top left. You will be taken to this page....

Now you can decide if you want to listen via the web or by Skype/phone call. If you click 'Listen Via Web' the page will show you a box, just press play. If you click 'Listen Via Phone/Skype' just follow the instructions. For Skype there is a little video - dead easy to follow along. If you use this option you can come online and ask me a question!

You can also ask a question using the black box on the screen, if it is not showing click the 'Ask A Question' tab. Type in your question and details and press submit.

What time is it on where you live? Obviously I can't list everywhere but here are a few...

Thursday October 18th 9.00pm JST

USA 8am Eastern

USA 5am Pacific

UK 12pm GMT

Singapore 8pm

Australia Sydney 11pm

India Calcutta 5.30pm

If you are still not sure you can use this time zone converter. Hope to see you there!

Look where I am today...

The lovely Miranda of Spry Spout interviewed me over on her blog, pop by and have a read! 

Inspiration Sunday with Paula Sugawara

Today's interview is with Paula, a fellow Brit who is also married to a Japanese bloke and lives in Tokyo, she runs a successful business, Tokyo Coaching Services and is forever jet setting to different places.

Could we start off with you telling us a bit about yourself...

Originally from Yorkshire, I am married to Shigeo. Two children - Hugo 13 (Year 2 at Junior High) and Romy 10 (year 5 at Junior School).

How long have you been in Japan?

I have been here 23.5 years. 

What bought you to Japan in the first place?

During my last year at University I applied for the JET program and was turned down for it (maybe due to my strong Yorkshire accent at the time??). However, the whole application process had sparked my interest in Japan so I started reading a lot of Japanese literature such as Kawabata, Tanizaki, Endo etc and particularly fell in love with the work of Yukio Mishima and decided I had to come and see Japan for myself. So I got myself here and managed to find a job teaching English within a week of arriving.  

What kind of level is your Japanese?

 Fluent/bilingual

For a long time you were involved in investment research, what made you decide to switch to coaching?

At Goldman Sachs I was a senior investment analyst with a research assistant, secretary and MBA intern as part of my team. Despite the negative impression a lot of people might have about investment banks firing people at liberty Goldman was not like that. If somebody in your team was not up to the required level then it was up to the analyst to get them up to speed and up that performance curve. So that got me interested in managing people, helping them to improve their performance and working together as a team. Plus, I had both my children when at Goldman and decided that as much as I loved my job I wanted more flexibility to be with them and organise play dates, attend yochien events etc. I had always had a long term plan to work for myself at some stage in my career so decided to leave finance and retrain as an executive coach.. 

How did you start on the coaching path? Did you take any courses?

I wanted to use my business background and interest in people to help other people realise their goals so I decided an executive coach would be a better option for me rather than just a life coach or one of the other niche coaching areas. I did my training online and via conference calls with the International Coach Academy and qualified in their Professional Coaching Certificate Program in 2004. 

What sort of clients do you have as a coach?

Multi-nationals and Japanese companies. As I have a backgrond in finance a lot of my clients are also in the same area - funnily enough my two largest clients are both my former employers - Goldman Sachs and Nomura Securities! Other key clients would be Panasonic, Coca Cola, AON, L'Oreal, Stryker, Guerlain (LVMH Group), Barclays, Astellas Pharma, Komatsu, Hitachi Group, Nippon Sheet Glass, Lenovo etc. 

If someone is interested in having coaching sessions with you, how do that go about that?

Mmmmh, I don't tend to coach people on an individual basis since executive coaching is quite expensive. It is usually the company who pays not the individual, so if I ever coach somebody who is paying out of their own pocket I charge them a much lower rate and it is only if I am feeling very very charitable or it is an interesting coaching case.... However, if somebody is really interested in being coached I can usually introduce them to somebody who focuses more on life coaching than executive coaching.

As a woman and a foreigner, what difficulties have you encountered running your own business in Japan?

I would say a lot of my clients view me almost as third gender. They don't treat me completely as a man nor as a woman - and in some cases are a little bit daunted by a professional foreign woman. I think the fact that I speak Japanese and am quite assertive helps too. But there are always going to be people here who discriminate against women and feel that a Japanese person or a male would do the job better. One very recent case was where I delivered a leadership training program for a client who said they had really enjoyed it and wanted to introduce the program to other management levels within the organisation - but they prefer a Japanese guy to do this so asked if I would introduce them to a Japanese male trainer and train him to deliver the program. They would pay me to train him but then he would take over and do the rest of the training on his own. Even though this would have been quite a profitable project for me I said no. If I am not good enough to train their employees then why should they think I am good enough to train a guy to do it. For me it was the principle of the issue and not the money.

Many foreigners fall into either the ESL teacher or translator style jobs but that doesn't suit everyone, what advice would you give to those who want to do something other than teaching/translating work.

There are a lot of opportunities open if you can speak Japanese so I would very strongly encourage people to work hard on their Japanese language. You can get away with not being able to read everything but if you can speak it then it can open a lot of doors. If you have another skill to offer then that will also strengthen your position. In my area of training and coaching for example, there are very few people who can operate in both languages so there is a real premium on people with those skills.

As a busy mum running your own company and with two kids, what are your top tips for other mums out there?

Delegate!! If you have extra income then use that to make your life easier. I have a cleaner who comes once a week for 3 hours which is not that expensive. If I finish work late then I pick up bentos or something already prepared from the station or local supermarket. I have my shopping delivered and am lucky to have my MIL living nearby so will ask her to do things now and again too. Don't feel guilty about working and make time for yourself.

Try to be at school events - Japanese schools and yochien have a lot of observation days, class events, park gatherings etc. I couldn't go to all of them but I tried to go to as many as possible and if I couldn't then my husband would try and go.

Anything else you would like to add?

I try not to get too heavily involved with some of the school mums! Some of these women have no work, hobbies, interests and spend a lot of time at home texting each other, gossipping and going out to lunch. I try and join them now and again but sometimes find that the gossip etc can get negative - a lot of it is about school, other people's children and other Mums so maintaining a balance between keeping them as friends/acquaintances but not getting in too deep is very important.

Thank you Paula, it is always interesting to hear about other ex-pats and how they make a living, or maybe that's just me being nosey!

If you want to learn more about Paula or hire her services for your company you can find her at Tokyo Coaching Services.