Tuesday 30 April 2013

A week of inspiration and invaluable learnings!



Date:Saturday, 27 April 2013
Place: Started in Washington, bulk up in the air, finishing touches in New York :)

This morning marks the end of the incredible orientation week of the Fortune/U.S. State Department Global Mentorship program!

The week was spent engaging with prominent leaders from the U.S. State Department; determined and passionate business and social entrepreneurs; inspirational CEOs, Directors, Presidents and Chairpersons of a multitude of amazingly successful companies, organisations,initiatives and institutes; various charismatic media and communication specialists; and the incredibly dedicated Vital Voices team - all working towards the common goal of empowering women and encouraging positive change for women around the world. 

Then there was, of course, the amazing dining- lunch at Nora's (an incredible entrepreneur herself), getting a feel of downtown Washington at Zentan, and being welcomed into the beautiful home and being graciously hosted by the CEO of Vital Voices herself, Alyse Nelson. And then, without a doubt, the highlight event of the week: The Fortune's Most Powerful Women's Dinner hosted in the prestigious Benjamin Franklin Room at the U.S. State Department and attended by an incredible array of special guests.

Fortune journalist Nina Easton interviews Senator Barbara Mikulski, the longest serving woman in U.S. Congress (Left); Passionate and charismatic Vital Voices Chair Susan Davis being interviewed by Bloomberg corespondent Indira Lakshmanan (Right)

But yes, as mind-blowing as all that sounds,this week was just so much more than the glitz, glamour and big names. It was about incredible women leaders, taking time out of their jam-packed diaries,stepping out of their fancy corner offices and high-powered boardrooms to engage with us - a group of 27 ordinary individuals from around the world,wanting to make a difference. 

And yes, I specifically use the word"engage" because that's what it was! It wasn't just about these phenomenal women standing up behind a podium and presenting their message to us.  Rather it was us, together, talking about stories that resonate with each other, participating in interactive conversations, open and honest Q&A sessions, and these amazing women simply making themselves accessible in a way that made us feel like peers, friends sharing experiences over a good cup of coffee. I, personally, was taken aback by their humility, generosity,authenticity and passion, but mostly by their openness and enthusiasm to learn from us! 

Engaging with the State Department Leadership panel: Assistant Secretary of State, Ann Stock; Chief Economist, Heidi Credo-Rediker; and Counsellor to Secretary Kerry, Heather Higginbottom

Conversations ranged from how each of horsewomen became the success stories that they are; to the challenges they faced and sacrifices that were made; to the role of determination, passion and resilience not to stray from the course; just to having the self-belief to know that you can. The stories were all so different, yet all the same. There was certainly a golden thread that ran through every story - it was the message that Anythingis Possible!

Another integral commonality that every single woman not only spoke about, but showed she had made it a way of life,was the message of Paying It Forward! No matter how successful you become, how busy your schedule is, how powerful your story is, it only becomes real and meaningful when you commit to helping others succeed. For me this really stood out, mostly because one of the main enemies to success that repeatedly come up when speaking to women about the challenges they face is not that men aren't ready for it, or that their families hold them back, but rather the epidemic of "PHD (Pull Her Down) syndrome" where women are the main barrier to having other women succeed. So it was incredible to hear these women preaching the exact opposite and encouraging the success of their peers and mentees! After all, it was the great Madeleine Albright who said"There's a special place in hell for women who don't help other women." :) 

Panel Discussion with Inspiring Leaders: Kathleen Matthews, Executive VP Marriot Int.; Susan Molinari, VP Public Policy Google; Dr Carol Lancaster, Dean Georgetown University; chaired by Alyse Nelson, CEO Vital Voices

But beyond all this, one of the most inspiring moments was sitting at lunch with 2 incredibly powerful and successful women and listening to them talk about their everyday happenings like their relationships woes and planning their next holiday. It just makes you realise that despite the titles, fame and extraordinary stories, they are just like you and I, which then in turn instills the belief that you and I can be just like them! 

Over and above the inspirational sessions spent with these phenomenal women, time was also dedicated to workshops focusing on our own circumstances, leadership enhancement and grooming as we go forward creating our own success stories. There was a powerful sense of affirmation in not having people look at you strangely or cynically when you say you want to change the world, that you want to leave a legacy of positive change! It really was a space where I felt that I was given an opportunity and a platform to make sweeping statements about the incredible feats I hope to achieve and not only have others believe it's possible, but more so to really believe in myself and what I am capable of. 

I learnt that one of my biggest strengths,and indeed my driving force, is the ability to introduce people to their Amazing self! I am committed to going forward and through my work, my life and my everyday doings, bring out the best in people, and go on to leave a legacy as someone who made Paying It Forward fashionable. :)

So after a powerful and inspiring first week,already with so much growth and personal enhancement, I feel better equipped and more ready than ever to continue my learning as I head to New York to begin my mentorship program! 


Wednesday 24 April 2013

An Opportunity of a Lifetime

Date: Tuesday, 23 April 2013
Time: 06:15 EST (12:15 SAST)
Place: Still in bed, listening to the sounds of DC waking up

So once again, I'm sitting here, wide awake in bed during the early hours of the morning. But today it's not because of jet lag. Today it's out of the sheer excitement and anticipation of what lies ahead in the coming hours.

From my last few posts, you already know that I'm currently in Washington. I also mentioned that I'm here in the US for four weeks as part of an incredible program that I've been selected for. Well, it's this very program and the potential that it holds, that is the cause of my excitement and the reason that I'm up blogging right now instead of indulging in my tenth dream.

When I returned to South Africa in December 2012, after living in Germany for just under two years, I was absolutely thrilled to be appointed as MD of SAWomEng. Anyone who knows me, knows what a significant part of my life the organisation occupies. And in my new role, I wanted to make sure that I could deliver on providing sound but innovative leadership and really take the organisation to the next level of functional, operational and strategic excellence. As such I decided that this would be the year to invest in my personal leadership development and equip myself with the adequate skills set to help me in my agenda. Little did I know that an opportunity would come along so soon, and let alone one of this magnitude.

Towards the end of March I received a call saying that I have been selected to participate in the Fortune 500/U.S. State Department Global Mentorship Exchange Program! The program brings together about 25 high-potential woman leaders from around the world, between the ages of 25 - 45, and partners them with a senior female executive from a Fortune 500 company for a month long internship in the US, focussing on mentorship, leadership skills development and social responsibility.

As if it wasn't hard enough to contain the enormous wave of excitement that I was engulfed by, I was further notified that I was to be partnered with... *takes a deep breath and does a quick reality check to make sure I'm not dreaming*... the Senior Vice President Global Business, IBM - Bridget van Kralingen (Yes, I will certainly be writing more about this incredible woman and IBM soon). It took me a good few days to really digest the information and what was actually happening.

Fast forward to a month later, and as I sit here now, halfway across the world from home, in my hotel room in Washington, D.C., it all still feels so surreal! This is indeed, an opportunity of a lifetime and one that I am so incredibly honoured and humbled to have bestowed upon me.

In a few hours time the program officially commences. I will get the opportunity to meet the other mentees and we will spend a week in Washington on an orientation program hosted by the program's facilitating company Vital Voices, before we each depart for individual mentorship assignments across the US - being partnered with IBM, I will be based in... *wait for it* ... New York City!!

Now as you may have gathered from my writing so far, I am beyond excited to be a part of this esteemed program. But more than that, I am also fully aware of the level of responsibility and social obligation that comes with embarking on a program of this calibre. For me, my objectives from the program are not just limited to my personal leadership enhancement and business skills-set building, but more so, sharing my learnings and really living the message of Paying it Forward.

I am incredibly fortunate to be able the have the exposure and learnings that I will be obtaining as I engage with a number of amazing leaders, business women and social entrepreneurs in the coming weeks. But it would be selfish to just keep this information and use it only for self enhancement. So as I go forward on this program there are a few things I commit to doing:

1) Go in with a beginner's mind and thirst for knowledge and growth so I can really maximise the learnings to its full extent
2) Remain humble, but at the same time exude with the right amount of confidence and poise to be able to build a reputation as an emerging leader with potential to make a difference and leave a legacy of positive change
3) Share my learnings and enable the knowledge and skills transfer to have as greater reach as possible. I currently foresee myself doing this by bringing my experiences back home to South Africa to first make an impact in a local context - by making myself available to mentor future leaders, by training and enabling the SAWomEng teams to become leaders in their own right and simply by writing about my experiences and sharing them with whoever may be interested. If even a simple interest is sparked, which results in a positive chain reaction of any sorts, then that is already progress.

I'm sure as I embark on this incredible adventure, so much more will come through. So I look forward to sharing this journey with you and have you be a part of my own growth and development as I strive to establish myself as The Passionate Change-Maker!

Monday 22 April 2013

My Travel Methodology



Date: Sunday, 21 April 2013
Time: 04:15 EST (10:15 SAST)
Place: Wide awake in bed, feeling the effects of jet-lag

Yes yes, just by the name I'm sure you can tell this is the blog coming from The Passionate (OCD) Planner ;) 

So as I sit here in bed at about 4 am dealing with the effects of jet lag, I was sorting out my plans for my 2 free days in DC. It was then that I realised that, even though I haven't put it on paper before, I have a pretty set travel methodology, a list of objectives so to speak, that I usually follow when visiting a city. I thought that it would be fun to share this. So here goes (in no particular order)...

1) The traditional tourist approach
So first is the obvious high-level, quick run-down of the city - learning about how/why/when things got to be the way that there are. This is often best done in the obvious, traditional touristy way - walking tours, bike tours or that famous red hop on/hop off bus.Yes, this typically takes you to all the hustle-bustle, crowded places, but I must admit, I like that. I love being where the action is (although not so much the queues that are a horrid consequence of this). So yes, pretty stock-standard but for me this still beats reading Fodor's or Lonely Planet and self-navigating through the hot-spots (probably because I have little to no sense of bearing and directions)

2) Off the beaten path
Having said all I did in no. 1, an absolute must for me once that is done, is to also go exploring off the beating path. I love walking around a city, with no agenda or planned route, and simply seeing what exists beyond the touristy hubs. It's often a great contrast from what you see from the traditional tours, and this is exactly why I like to to both - to be able to get a full appreciation of the different aspects of a city. 

3) The local hangout
I love finding a local hangout - especially the corner cafe types. Now most of my recent travels have been done solo. As recent as about 3 years ago, the social butterfly in me was absolutely mortified at the thought of sitting ALONE in a restaurant and having a meal by myself. During my first few solo trips, I would rather opt for grabbing a quick bite on the go, or taking some take-aways back to my hotel. Then on one trip, I saw this absolutely beautiful coffee shop that I simply had to try, so after a short internal battle with myself, I decided to just take the plunge and sit down alone. Yes, it was rather uncomfortable but by no means unbearable. So I started doing this more and more often. And now it's become an absolute must!!! No doubt, having company is great, but I realised that when you're with someone else, you're more focused in engaging with each other, as opposed to your environment. When sitting alone you can actually observe your surroundings, the people, the food, even the waiters etc. and it really does give you a different experience beyond just the norm. This is, coincidentally, how my hobby of people-watching also came about :) 

4) Make friends with a local
This is one of my favourites! There's is no better way to get an impression of a new city than through the eyes of a local. There are numerous ways to do this (point no. 3 above is definitely one of them) - speak to a shop keeper at a local store, make friends with a local tour guide (not the foreign ones who just learn the notes about the city off by heart), take a walk through the local park or sit next to a local at the bus stop and make conversation. However you do it, it's always so enriching for me to see how people of different cultures engage with strangers, how the locals see their own city and hey, sometimes the friendship can extend beyond just that conversation and there you go building a network of international friends :)

5) Travel on local transport
I love cities that have public transport - trains, trams, buses - I love trying them all. Also, it can definitely assist with the point above ;) From bracing the traffic in a tuk-tuk in India, to the perfectly timed trains in Germany, to rush hour on the tube in London, it's just such a fantastic way to do it the way the locals do it!

6) Visit the local supermarket
This is an absolute must for me. I can spend hours in the local supermarket and/or even the local health & beauty outlet (like those in the Clicks/Boots category). These kind of stores are often overlooked or just used to get some necessities that you may have forgotten. But if you really take some time and venture through the isles, it's incredible what you can find. Everything from the type of snacks that the locals eat, to the popular brands that they use, to the price ranges of similar products, etc - this teaches you more than just meets the eye. It gives you an insight into marketing strategies,  economic standing of the country, standard of living, it shows you how different cultures prioritise different things. I find it fascinating!

7) City by night
Going back to the traditional tours in point no. 1  - I also love doing the night-tours. Especially in historical cities sprawled with monuments, memorials, castles and bridges. A city really does transform at night and the way you experience it during the day and night can often be a completely different adventure altogether.

8) Getting onto the water
Having done most of my recent travels in Europe, a common feature in almost every major city is having a body of water run through it - be it the Thames in London, the Danube in Budapest, the Vistula in Poland or the endless canals in Amsterdam. Whenever there is a river flowing through a city, I absolutely must do a river cruise/boat ride of sorts. I simply love being on the water and it also makes for great viewing of the beautiful city sights that often line the banks of the river. Depending on the set-up of the city of course, but this often makes for a great night tour to view the illuminated city skyline.

9) Find a local market
Be it a food market, an antique market or even a flea market, this is usually fun! I must admit the farmer's market or any food markets are my favourites, as these are often the best place to sample the local delicacies. I think markets are pretty universal, as I think every city that I've visited has had one of sorts. It's a completely different experience than just popping into a shopping mall or restaurant. Everything from bargaining in India, to auctioning fish at the Hamburg Fish Market, to getting stuffed on tasters at the fresh food market in Versailles... The idea of markets go back centuries and centuries, and is still a thriving concept in this day and age - enough said! 

10) Visit for a reason that makes that city famous
As I mentioned at the beginning, I love the hustle-bustle and being where the action is. So for me, when  possible, I plan my trips around various famous festivals/events! Munich for Oktoberfest; Scotland for the Edinburgh Festival; Cologne for Karnival; Pamplona for St. Fermin; Amsterdam for Queen's Day - the list is long and exciting, and I've got ample to still tick off! But having said that, even if the trip isn't specially planned for a specific festival/event, it's worthwhile to check what's happening in that city during the time you've already booked for. I inadvertently managed to catch a popular International Open-air Film Festival and Food Fair in Vienna, and that ended up being the highlight of my trip. So ever since then, I've made an active effort to suss this out! 

And just because I thinks lists don't have to necessarily stop at point 10...

11) Sample the local delicacies
This is already built into points no. 3, 6 and 9, as each of them present an opportunity to do just this, but I thought it deserved a point on its own. When I tell people that I'm vegetarian, I'm often met with the response "Oh shame!". I still don't get that! Being vegetarian doesn't stop me, in the least bit, from being an absolute foodie and from finding the various local veggie delights that every new city has to offer. After all, some of the best delicacies are vegetarian - deep fried bananas smothered in Nutella,  Swiss cheese fondue, French toast with honeyed strawberries, fresh hand-made pasta in a creamy mushroom sauce... I could could go on, but now I'm getting terribly hungry!! 

But yes, over and above everything else, when visiting a new city my main rule is to go in with an open mind, no expectation and a readiness to explore!! 

So there you have it... Now let me get back to seeing how much of this I can squeeze into my next 2 days in DC :))

Saturday 20 April 2013

The Passionate Traveller


Date: Saturday, 20 April 2013
Time: 09:00 EST (15:00 SAST)
Place: My hotel business centre, Washington D.C.

It's rather apt that I started my blog and wrote my first post 33000 ft up in the air. Travel excites me to no end! I'm absolutely enthralled by the endless possibility and riveting adventure that I often say is synonymous with travel. Now I know some will argue and say that travel isn't always about exciting expeditions and glamorous gallivanting. Especially when, for example, it's always for work. And yes, to some the thought of leading such a nomadic life can be a bit unsettling. I certainly see where these folk are coming from and perhaps the day may come when I will share in those beliefs. But fortunately today is not that day! For now, I will jump at any opportunity to hop on a plane and venture into new lands, and old :) 

This morning I landed in Washington, D.C. My first (and only) trip to the U.S. was back in 1996 when we visited Disneyland on a family holiday. As you can imagine, that was a child's dream come true! That was in fact, also my first trip overseas. It was back then already that the travel bug started to visit. There was something about this thing called travel that captured the imagination of this curios teenager.  Subsequent to that trip, I was fortunate enough to have travelled fairly extensively - initially mostly on family holidays to the U.K., Mauritius, Malaysia, Singapore, India and then in more recent years for work to South Korea, The Netherlands and an incredible opportunity to live in Germany for just under 2 years! Now it was during these past 2 years that the travel bug not only became a more frequent visitor, but happily sunk down an anchor and decided to make itself at home. During my time in Germany, I pretty much conquered Europe. Well, to as far as my Schengen Visa would allow at least! 

Initially the travels were just for fun, for keeping myself busy over the weekends. But then something happened, trip after trip I started seeing a change in me (yes over and above the extra pounds I was putting on as a result of the foodie in me indulging in my adventures). I realised how I started seeing the world through different eyes, how I had become more confident in my ability to navigate through unknown lands (both literally and figuratively) and just how much I was learning about everything from people, food, culture, history, economics, and simply the ways of the world. This is the type of knowledge that one can merely not, as powerful as they are, receive from books or television or word of mouth. I returned home a changed person, one with a different purpose in life and an even deeper curiosity to continue to explore the enormous world of untapped possibility that lies out there. 

So you can imagine just how over-the-moon I was when, only 3 months after I returned, I found out that I was selected to be part of an incredible program (which I will most definitely be blogging more about this in the coming weeks) that would take me to the U.S. for 4 weeks! And this is how I ended up in Washington this morning :) 

I fortunately have 2 and a bit days free before the program officially starts so I am looking so forward venturing out and exploring the city. Any hints, tips, must-do's are most welcome! I can't wait to share in my adventures, so since I can’t check in for another 6 hours, let me sign off here and get started... :)) 

Getting started...


Date: Friday, 19 April 2013
Time: 20:00 SAST
Place: Up in the sky, somewhere over Africa


So here I am, sitting snugly on the plane (fortunately with an open seat next to me), wrapped in my blanket and iPad in hand. With an 18 hour journey ahead of me, I decided what better time than now to finally take the plunge... And officially start my blog! 

Those who know me, know just how much of a talker I am. By starting this blog, I'm venturing into the new, unknown world of... *gulp* ... Writing! I'll admit upfront, this is rather daunting territory for me. Despite having a multitude of thoughts running through my hyperactive mind at any given time and churning them out through my mouth at super-sonic speeds, I find it incredibly difficult to articulate my thoughts on paper. But as someone with a thirst for knowledge, an eternal desire for growth (no, not in a physically lateral way!), and simply, as someone who wants to share the incredible adventures and opportunities I have been fortunate enough to have bestowed upon me, I decided to embrace the challenge and explore the possibilities of sharing through a new medium of communication. So yup, here we go!!

What’s in a name?...

So let’s start with the name of the blog... The Passionate Professional. 

Passion is defined as "an intense enthusiasm for something".  Well, as someone who is enthusiastic about just about almost everything I choose to engage in, passion is certainly a central theme in my life. I honestly believe that a life lived with passion, is a life of fulfillment, a life of happiness :)

 Now there are many things that I'm passionate about, and as I blog you 
 will fast get an insight into where my passions lie...  sometimes it will be around pertinent issues impacting our day-to-day lives, probably a lot about people development, women empowerment and leadership growth, at other times it may be on the lighter side talking about my passion for food and most definitely travel, or the simple and silly things that make me smile. But irrespective of the topic, I'm most passionate about sharing my thoughts, ideas and learnings with the purpose of engaging the mind and imagination of my audience in way that can add value to their lives. 

With regards to the professional part... Well, in the literal sense of the word, I'm a chemical engineer by profession. I do, however, believe that being a "professional" goes far beyond a piece of paper with a qualification scribbled on it. Experience is the most powerful educator and that coupled with the passion I spoke so, well, passionately about makes for my favourite kind of professionals :) So I definitely will expose you to my professional self beyond just the engineer - in my adventures you'll encounter Hema the professional foodie, the professional change-maker, the professional napper, certainly the professional traveller and adventurer... And when you don't see a blog for a while, the professional procrastinator :) 

So be it what it may, I couldn't think of a name more fitting than The Passionate Professional 

Welcome to my journey...

Now as I go forward, I welcome you to join in my journey and invite you to be a part of my adventures. I do, however, add the disclaimer that these are merely MY opinions developed from the glasses through which I see the world. You may agree or disagree, relate or disconnect, be bewildered or disinterested - whatever it may be that's absolutely okay. I am going in with an open mind, and invite you to do the same. Having said that, I do welcome feedback and am always open to learning, so please feel free to share any thoughts or comments triggered by my writings. I look forward to exploring these thoughts and emotions that are sparked... 

Here we go... 

So there you have it, with all that down, I'd like to officially inaugurate The Passionate Professional! :)