6 | February 2012 | woman this month Letters Thank You STAR LETTER Write Here Write Now Interview 17 woman this month | January 2012 | Totally in Charge Young, Fun and Woman This Month Editor Natasha Bird chats to journalist, designer and talented entrepreneur Wafa Alobaidat about creativity, social media and the key to early success. Post millennium we have seen a wonderfully steady increase in daring, young entrepreneurialism. This is fantastic because it means that the shape of modern business is continually transforming. The success of the latest generation of super-youths is largely down to a clever ability to take advantage of new media environments. Social networking, digital artwork, viral advertising — these are the key components of efficacy in the 21st century. There is a dangerous trend, though, that sees new media as an exclusively “young” concept. If older businesses are to compete with their younger rivals, they are going to have to get on board, but can you really teach an old dog new tricks? I sat down with Wafa Alobaidat who, in her early 20s, has already set up and oversees popular niche magazine Sketchbook and runs successful design agency Obai and Hill, to talk about her own achievements and the need for better understanding of social networking and digital design in Bahrain. 16 | January 2012 | woman this month Tell us a bit about your businesses: I set up Sketchbook magazine in 2009, after having worked for a number of luxury magazines, including Vogue China. I just felt that there was something missing in many of these high-end magazines; something that was going unexplored. I think that interactivity is really important and I was getting frustrated by the need to conform to strict word counts and space allowance. I wanted to find a way to marry blogging, social media, art in the city and fashion under one roof, so to speak. I used my experience from my art degree and we got people to draw and sketch some of the most current and respected voices — Susie Bubble, Henry Holland, the Sartorialist, for example. It was creative and, incidentally, it was also one of the cheapest ways we could have chosen to be productive! I think part of Sketchbook’s success is down to sheer determination and persistence. I met with at least five people a day for about a year. Obai and Hill grew organically out of the process that I had started with Sketchbook. People began requesting the illustrations. They wanted us to make t-shirts, cards, invitations and eventually advertising packs. I saw a new gap in the market and I moved in to fill it. I set up an agency which concerns itself with graphics, illustrations, websites and design consultancy. How do you think your youth has affected your work? In the beginning it was really hard. Website designers and illustrators would laugh when I asked them to work for me. I had to do a lot of problem solving. I had to convince hundreds of people to put their faith in me and do work for free. I began emailing people so that they wouldn’t see me face-to-face and underestimate me. I had to be proactive about it and I didn’t let myself get fazed by people not being interested. I’d just say, “Okay, thank you for your time, don’t worry if it’s not for you”. But I always wanted to do it this way. I know that in my 20s I have the most energy and passion that I will ever have. I needed to set up my businesses quickly so that I could develop the brands and maintain them. What do you think explains the success of your two businesses? With Sketchbook, we aren’t in the business of telling people what to do. We ask them what they would like to do for us. It is about celebrating people’s unique individualities, the talents that make them special. Once you take an interest in someone else’s work, they become incredibly willing to go above and beyond for you. We ended up receiving some of the coolest and most unique content, purely because we took the time to check out their previous work, their blogs and their interests before talking to them. Obai and Hill is willing to take on all sorts of challenges. We have helped to shape brands, providing them with fun newsletters, advertising packages and web designs. We’ve produced custom t-shirts, put tearaway lyrics on canvas bags. It’s a constantly creative process and it generates a different, interesting impression for companies. What do you think of Bahrain’s relationship with online technology? I still feel that people in Bahrain tend to be relatively uneducated about what PR and social media is all about. They don’t often look past the basics and people see it as a luxury rather than a necessity. There is a bit of a cultural gap. Islam is a very reserved religion and people worry about too much information being disseminated, but there are ways to prevent things being out of your comfort zone and, at the end of the day, if you don’t embrace these sorts of online advances, you’ll be left behind. Online tools are completely invaluable. Sketchbook is available online, in PDF and in print, we have our own online video channel and we keep track of all our users and subscribers via Twitter or Facebook. Content can be offered in so many different ways, so why not take advantage of all of them? People love new and different experiences — it keeps them hooked. What do you reckon is the most useful online tool? Twitter, without a doubt. It gives you the fastest record of response. You can tell very quickly whether an idea is appealing or destined for success. People love to feel like they are being heard. We had a follower who kept sending us Twitpics of her artwork as she developed it. I didn’t know what to make of it at first, but it turned out to be dedicated to Sketchbook and we loved it so much we did a whole piece on it for the blog! It also gives you an amazing, direct access to many of your idols and allows you the immediacy of being able to see what other creative people are up to at any time. It’s not too difficult to get the hang of Twitter. You just have to be willing to give it a go. Do you think online resources will eclipse print publishing? No, I think they work hand-in-hand. I read about ten to 20 blogs a day, but I don’t keep them or go back to them. Whereas I love to buy Brownbook, Monacle, Wallpaper or, of course, Woman This Month. Sometimes you want to collect things and savour them. Print is a different experience — there is an association with quality and durability. I make room for both print and online publications in my life. Final message? The online world has changed, in fact made, my career, My experience wouldn’t have been possible without all the amazing online resources. So my advice is to always have an online strategy. Don’t be left behind, assuming social networks are just for young people or personal use. Get with the programme! The Younger Generation I enjoyed reading the article about Wafa Alobaidat. I think her company sounds very interesting, although I am not sure I completely understand what she offers, but I think the really good thing for her is her age. Even though she is so young, she has achieved and travelled a lot and I think she is setting a good example to other women her age. I also think that the writer makes a good point about needing Bahrain to become more aware of the resources on the internet. Although I am not on Twitter myself, I do have a business and I have a Facebook page for it. It is a really good way of getting information to a lot of people and if you use it in the right way it can be a really useful network. I do think there was a point in the article about the Middle East being behind other places when it comes to this, so I think it is good if we all begin to learn what is out there and catch up. Lana, by email WRITE IN AND WIN Send your letter to editor@womanthismonth. com, by fax to 17 813-700 or by post to PO Box 20461, Manama. The star letter will get the chance to attend three free classes of their choice at Life-Fit [DASH] the brilliant lifestyle and fitness centre in Budaiya. Choose between Zumba, Dance-Fit, Boot Camp and many more! I just wanted to say that I really appreciate the Woman This Month parenting pages. Both Clare McInroy and Jinan Darwish seem to have some really thoughtful and wellinformed ideas about child-rearing. I always read these pages with an avid interest and they, more often than not, do give me ideas about activities and methods to use with my own children. I thought the focus on New Year’s resolutions for children and parents was a really special one. It didn’t just stick to the usual subjects and the clichés that you associate with resolutions, but it encouraged you to think hard about what your child might actually find achievable and what would be good for their development. Every week I do admire these two experts, because time and time again they are able to approach parenting with a really positive and loving attitude. It makes me happy to think of the children that will grow up having benefited from this sort of advice. Lisa, by email. Encouraging our Children Dear Woman This Month team. I just wanted to say thank you so much for writing and printing that article about Gaynor Morgan’s invention to prevent incontinence. I have had a problem with this for some years now and have been too embarrassed to get any proper help for it. I didn’t know there was such a product out there. I think that Gaynor is an inspiring woman who will help many other women out there and I think this article is going to bring some relief to a lot of people looking for a solution to such an embarrassing problem. I just wanted to bring something to your attention and the attention of the readers, though. There was a mistake in the website address at the bottom of the article. It should say www.incostress.com, not “incostess”. I hope this helps people looking for it. Anonymous, by email. Interview 15 woman this month | January 2012 | In-flight to In-vent From Gaynor Morgan speaks to Annabelle Godwin of her journey from Gulf Air Stewardess to inventress of one of the most useful female products on the market. Gaynor Morgan is something of a phenomenon. At the age of 20 she decided to up and leave the safety of the UK to take up a position as a Gulf Air stewardess in Bahrain. Although many women have made similar decisions before her, it is what she did with the opportunity that really strikes a chord among the ambitious and independent women among us. It is fairly common for women in the Gulf to slip into a well-paid position, especially one with the benefit of travel, and to stay in the same job for a decade without noticing the time pass. While this is a fine idea if it suits you and keeps you satisfied, there are others who use these sorts of jobs as a platform or leverage to further themselves even more. Not satisfied with remaining a member of the in-flight crew, Gaynor decided to look at what else Gulf Air might be able to offer her. “Gulf Air has one of the toughest training programmes for safety and survival”, she recalls. Speaking of this training, Gaynor says, “It taught me a great deal about discipline and self-control”. Her career progression within the famous airline didn’t stop there, however. Within four years Gaynor was promoted to purser in charge of cabin crew flying on B737 B767 and L1011 aircrafts. She continued in her 14 | January 2012 | woman this month role of safety and survival instructor at the same time. “Gulf Air made me who I am today”, says Gaynor. “It taught me management skills, which I still use today in my own business. It shaped the way I am now able to deal with all sorts of people from all walks of life”. During her time at Gulf Air she came in to contact with the full spectrum of humankind. “One day I would be serving a Royal and the next I would be interacting with a labourer who earned about 50BD a month for hours of arduous work”, she remembers. This experience proved entirely invaluable. “Now, dealing with large retail stores and distributors with C&G Medicare Ltd., I need the best sort of negotiating skills. Living in Bahrain, dealing with tricky customers and haggling in the souk gave me a great head start!” Unfortunately for Gaynor, although her career in Bahrain had been looking to bear some exciting fruit, the region hit troubled times and her situation changed. Her time in the Middle East was interrupted by the first Gulf War, during which she helped evacuate passengers to safer, nearby countries. “After the Gulf War things were very difficult for everyone in Bahrain,” says Gaynor, “Bahrain changed, leaving many local people jobless. Gulf Air were encouraging Bahrainis to apply for jobs within the airline. All the expatriates holding teaching positions in the safety school were made redundant.” After a stint as an English teacher for the British Council, Gaynor realised that her career in the Gulf was drawing to a close. Although she didn’t immediately move back to the UK, she still made regular trips back to the place of her roots. It was during one of these visits back that she became inspired to embark on the most important venture of her life. “My mother Carole had started having problems with incontinence around the age of 40. At 45 the incontinence was such an issue she had the TVT operation (a procedure to help women with stress incontinence). Although this worked on a temporary basis, a few years later the symptoms returned”, she explains. Gaynor, witnessing her mother’s embarrassment, set about trying to find a solution. Millions of women experience incontinence, largely due to insufficient strength of their pelvic floor muscles. Some may lose a few drops of urine while running or coughing, while others may feel a strong, sudden urge to urinate just before losing a large amount. Many women experience both upsetting symptoms. Incontinence can range from slightly bothersome to totally demoralising and, for many women, the risk of public embarrassment stops them enjoying many activities and impacts on their quality of life. Additionally urine loss can also occur during sex and cause tremendous emotional distress. As incontinence isn’t a life threatening condition, very little money is spent on research. The most common solution offered for incontinence is pads, which only hide the problem but never solve it. Gaynor and Carole were looking for a more permanent solution. Carole and Gaynor began brainstorming. During one of their discussions about the intricacies of the condition, Carole mentioned that the problem was not so bad when she was menstruating. After some research they discovered that when Carole wore a tampon it went some way to support the urethra and the exerted pressure was able to gently suppress the loss of urine, while not interfering with the normal flow. Knowing the dangers of using a tampon outside the recommended period they decided to look for a re-usable tampon. There was nothing available, and so they made their first working prototype in 1998. Testing the design, “she started doing star jumps in the middle of the kitchen,'’ says Gaynor, “and though she had a full bladder, she didn't leak at all. ‘It works, it works!’ she yelled. She wore it every day after that, and started to go out again without the slightest leak.” Gaynor financed her business with savings earned with Gulf Air. The product they developed grew from strength to strength. What started as a daughter’s attempt to help her mother with an embarrassing condition has now won many international awards [DASH] and has transformed the lives of thousands of others who suffer from incontinence and pelvic floor weakness. Gaynor works on a personal level with her distributors, ensuring that the right information and advertising is given. She supports them in promotions and raising awareness about the incontinence issue and has been commended by her government for the amazing work she is doing. For more information visit www.incostess.com 63 woman this month | January 2012 | What Do Children Learn From New Year's Resolutions? This is really a “how long is a piece of string?” style of question. Children will learn what you teach them, but it might not be what you wanted to teach them, or thought you had taught them. The way that children view goals varies from child to child and from goal to goal. Some of it depends on how a child sees time and how he/she views herself in the world. Time is not experienced in the same way by everyone. Consider that one year is 20 per cent of a five year old’s life! If you have spent any time with a five year old, a week is a very long time, so a one year plan is probably too big a commitment. The things that children will learn from goal-setting also vary. One child might learn to be proficient in making and working towards a resolution, another might get a lesson in delayed gratification. A different child might learn about how best to access new information or pick up a new understanding of how the world works. Children are endlessly learning new things, helping them to cultivate more of a sense of how adults see the world, but this doesn’t mean that we should forget that their world view is very different. They are still developing skills and control over their world that we take for granted. They are still learning how to build and attain a goal. What would seem a small goal to an adult can seem huge to a child as he/she is still developing mastery over the process. Learning the process with a very small goal is probably the most appropriate thing to do. Children with larger-than-life imaginations, for example, will need to begin to see the world more realistically. This can be done through realistic goalsetting. However, some imagination is no bad thing, so it is important not to quash the “dreamer” mentality altogether. Small steps and small goals will lead to bigger feelings of triumph. If your child takes on a goal that they need your help with, be sure that you can follow through with your fraction of the agreement. If you have agreed to drive the child to Karate lessons regularly, for example, make sure you take this agreement seriously. Adults and children will experience days when it seems that things are not going to plan. They will need encouragement and rewards. Talk to your child about setbacks and challenges and help him/her to envisage what obstacles might be encountered along the way. When the obstacles do crop up, you can make light of them, empathically, as they are anticipated and part of the process. Remind them of how fabulous it will be when the goals are achieved! Teaching children to set goals and follow them through to completion is all part of growing up. child apart For feedback, comments or questions contact Dr Jinan Darwish via email at: [email protected] • Don't turn New Year's Resolutions into a chore! • As soon as your child has made his/her resolutions, make sure he/she takes immediate action. This is an important part of the process as it creates momentum. • Praise and encourage him/her as they work through the process. Be supportive when he/she gets discouraged, or hits an obstacle. Help him/her to see that it is not the end of the world, and that obstacles are part of the process. • When your child reaches an obstacle, this is the time to remind them why they wanted to succeed with this resolution, and to repeat the visualisation of success, just as they did when the list was first made. • Succeeding with goals and resolutions involves more than just following a set of instructions. It also involves having the right mindset, overcoming negativity, problem solving, and being persistent. Tips Setting your
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