Conscious Business

'The secret of a good life is that you have to put yourself on the list of the people you most admire'  -  Socrates - 2,000 years ago!  

business conciousness

A few years ago I believed that it was not possible to integrate the values closest to my heart with business. The material and spiritual way did not mix - it was a choice of one or the other. Well my revelation happened when I read and heard Fred Kofman speak about his book 'Conscious Business: How to build value through values'. It changed how I thought about business in a profound way - how often can you say that!

Fred proves that you can act in business in total alignment with your values and this is why he wrote the book 'Conscious Business'. Fred believes that the way to build value in any business is to come from your heart - you do not have to sell your soul. The way you engage with the world becomes the vehicle for you to express what is truly dear to your heart. So you can be fulfilled in your spirit and soul in business and life. How do you bring this into practice? It is through 'consciousness' and how to build value through your values. You don't have to sell-out to be successful. You can engage with the world from the perspective of your values and not sell-out. Think of what you want to do with your life? What qualities do you admire in other people? Write it down - you can create your values from this exercise. There is no trade-off. You need to see business as an area of expression. It is not a life/work balance. It is both together. The values you practice in life and business become the vehicle that is truly dear and important to you.

This book is so profound and touches on such an important and fundamental issue and yet still not enough business leaders practice this method of working. Yes - there is a lot of philanthropic work going on and that is terrific - but we have seen in the last few years in the city and banking no values to speak of and a lack of empathy too i.e.,'I win, you whatever.'

Consciousness - is taking a stance in the world - having values and living by them in your everyday personal and working life. Fred Kofman's teaching is the concept that conscious actions and communications are a central component of a successful business and a happy working enviroment. I think this fundamental practice is the way to get out of any financial crisis and the way forward for business in the 21st century!

I realised that I was here to help spread the message about integrating values into working life - so no-one has to sell out - to make the world a better place to live and work - the two are intertwined.

'Connect with the music you have in your heart' - Fred Kofman

Girl Power!

"Who runs the world? Girls!" - Beyonce

Girl power

My friend Olivia gave her baby shower last week for her friends, mother and new baby daughter called 'Rosie'. Can you believe that Olivia is the one in the pink dress who had her baby only 3 weeks earlier and her mother is in the blue dress and I'm holding the baby!!

It was such a fun, great occasion with mostly Olivia's female friends that it got me thinking about the world that Rosie has come into and how as a female she will fare. The era of the woman has been building for the last 70 years or more and it arrived on January 1st  2013 - the shift from a masculine patriarchal society, to a feminine, Gaia, society from this date was predicted by many trendspotters, astrologers, futurists and marketeers.

In the last 100 years the evolution of women has accelerated and the right to vote came into being in 1918 thanks to the Suffragette movement and other brave women before them. In the last 50 years women have taken giant steps. Women have become Prime Ministers, CEO's, Supreme court judges, doctors, lawyers, Film and TV Producers, Film Directors etc., etc., and hopefully in 2016 we'll see the first ever female USA President in Hillary Clinton. Female members of the UK Royal Family are to be given equality with men in the rules of succession. So Rosie will be in good company................! The next Royal baby due next month will be the first British monarch born in the 21st century - the age of the personal brand. There is no mention of gender yet of the Royal baby but I'm sure she/he will be the first Royal baby with a registered URL and twitter account! So this is the world that Rosie has been born into - yes, I know there is still a long way to go but women are already succeeding and on their own terms. I believe there has never been a better time to be born female!

I am an auntie, great aunt and godmother and I believe womanhood has to be taught. As Steve Biddulph says in his book 'Raising Girls' (a must read I believe for all parents raising daughters): "Modern womanhood is tough. Your daughter will need to be self-reliant, clear thinking, emotionally strong, good with people and responsible for her own life. They will need mum, aunties, great teachers and other older women to help them get there." I believe with great parenting and education you can teach your daughter to evolve spiritually, emotionally, physically and mentally. However, I do believe that to embrace Eastern philosophy which offers a much more profound view of the world is so important and that's where Rosie will be very fortunate!

To teach her that this life is an inside job - the way you think creates reality for yourself - your thoughts create your life. The law of attraction is a science. So teach her to make a conscious decision to be happy because that is infectious and attracts other like minded people. I also believe that by living naturally and exercising regularly, the body will tell the mind to be happy. There is loads of data that proves that the mind can believe itself well by optimising the body's natural self-repair mechanisms. Most doctors now agree that the mind has a profound effect upon a person's sense of well-being. The mind is the most powerful tool we have - so teach your child how to use it by opening up their mindset to bigger picture thinking with travel and life enhancing experiences that broaden their horizons and help them find their spark!

Here are a few more tips I'd like to tell Rosie:

• Learn yoga and meditation and deep breathing - it will do wonders for your peace of mind!

• Remember that there will be people around you with low self-esteem who covertly undermine you to make themselves feel better. Don't listen to gossip - it corrodes the gossipers and those who listen! Those who gossip are usually jealous of you - so rise above it. Do as the Royal baby will be taught "never complain, never explain."

• And remember there is no 'glass ceiling' only the one you create in your mind.

Finally this is my Buddhist blessing to Rosie:

May you be safe and protected

May you be happy and peaceful

May you be healthy and strong

May you carry your life with ease and grace

Go girl!

With love

xxx

PS    "Be yourself. Everyone else is taken."  - Oscar Wilde

PPS  And remember boys are wonderful too!!

The importance of The Arts

"The gift of being human is that we have deep creative resources and from these we cancontinuously transform our lives if we choose. Whether you aim to change the whole world or the world within you, the limits are set as much by your imagination as by your current circumstances. This has been true for all people since the beginnings of human history."   - Sir Ken Robinson

As you've probably gathered I am a huge fan of Sir Ken Robinson. He is a recognised leader in the development of creativity, innovation and human potential.  He advises governments, corporations, education systems, and some of the leading cultural organizations. He understands the importance of The Arts in education and peoples lives which is an issue very close to my heart.  He believes that in The Arts we can focus on the qualities of our human experience and what it is to be a human being in vision, in sound, in movement and in words.

Theatres, galleries and other arts organisations are feeling the squeeze from government funding cuts. In the midst of austerity-driven cuts to UK local council budgets, the Local Government Association (LGA) recently said that while cutting arts budgets is understandable under the current circumstances, it may not be the right thing to do. It has been proven that investing in the arts can generate growth and create jobs. It says that for every £1 invested in the arts another £4 is generated. Investment in the arts can deliver an impressive rate of return. However, I think more importantly, the arts bring joy and a calming cohesiveness to communities. Without the arts life would be pretty boring!

The Arts ..........promotes diversity of culture
The Arts...........encourages expression
The Arts...........help to improve social well being
The Arts...........start a dialogue
The Arts...........brings people together
The Arts...........entertain and brings joy to communities
The Arts...........improves and strengthen communities
The Arts...........drives economic development

At the new St James Theatre in Victoria (where I'm an ambassador) they have created a new paradigm for The Arts and Business for the 21st century. They are setting a grand example of how Arts and Business can work together to create an economically successful, powerful and effective coalition in changing the face of Victoria with the local developers Land Securities.

A theatre, cinema, museum or festival draws visitors who do not simply spend money on their ticket or entrance fee, but also buy meals in local restaurants, go to local shops, or perhaps stay in hotels as part of their visit. These people may never have visited that location without the pull of its cultural attractions. The St. James Theatre is positioned in the heart of the Land Securities development scheme - creating a whole new Victoria. This is living proof how The Arts and business can work together and create a dynamic that works creatively and economically!

The Arts are a cultural expression of society. The Arts are so important to the human spirit and soul. People get closer to reaching their full potential when they can express themselves through The Arts. The Arts make the world a better place to live. That's why they are so important in education too! Please support your local arts communities wherever you can by going to all the incredible entertainment they produce and spread the word!

'Imagination is everything. It is the preview of life's coming attractions"  -  Albert Einstein

(PS - Talking of fantastic creativity - please go and see the film 'Behind the Candelabra' about Liberace starring Michael Douglas and Matt Damon. I was fortunate to go to a small Bafta screening last week with Michael Douglas - the man himself. He and the film are superb! Rob Lowe as the plastic surgeon is hilarious. I highly recommend it - to be released on June 7th.)

Image courtesy of Imaginative Creative Therapies

Do you like what you do each day?

'The Thinker' - Auguste Rodin

Do you like what you do each day? I asked myself this a few years ago - having had a very successful 30 year career in advertising and marketing non stop.

I began to realize it was time to realign my goals with what's on the inside now. I wanted my career path to better reflect the values closest to my heart. I wanted time to set new goals differently and to listen to that inner voice of mine and to find a new career that was fulfilling and meaningful. Don't get me wrong I was always pretty headstrong about being true to myself, my values and my drivers and I had much to be happy about and producing had been my first love, but you move on - time, you and goals change..........

I do think knowing that I was on the right track for me, doing what I had been put here for and to believe that you will only be truly satisfied when you find your place in the world was important. That is the place where your skills, ability, personality and dreams all come together. I'd found that in producing - I loved it - but it was now time to set new goals which might include producing skills too! There was a need to connect to other personal talents and passions.

I found clearing space in my head was very important, to think clearly, dream, make concrete plans and also just to have restful thoughts was very beneficial. I would often have to physically remove myself from my house/environment in order to get the space and peace I needed - phones, e-mail, household noise are very distracting from deeper thoughts. I found reading books like 'Finding Your Element' by Sir Ken Robinson helpful - he shows that age and occupation are no barriers to discovering what makes us happiest and once we have found our path we can help others to do so as well. The breakthroughs that happen in our lives are the breakthroughs that happen within us.

Being good at something is not enough, you have to have a natural aptitude for it and you have to love it! I believe the new celebrities are the one's who inspire, who know how to link the inner world with the outer world and who make our lives richer in the deepest sense of the word. Those who inspire by speaking with feeling - from the heart, moving others emotionally, perhaps moving them to action, to change or to happiness. That's where my new career began...........

As Sir Ken Robinson says: "Recognizing your own dreams and the conditions you need to fulfill them are essential to becoming who you can be. It will give you a deeper sense of who you really are and the life you could and maybe should live."

I'm now inspiring other people to find their element and much more too! I love being involved in The Arts - hugely important to my spirit and soul, being positive in a negatively orientated world and stepping outside your comfort zone are all important and treating self-doubt as a hurdle to overcome, not a stop sign!

'What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us"  -  Ralph Waldo Emerson

The visual is of course Auguste Rodin 'The Thinker' which I have always loved - very powerful isn't it? (Two early casts of The Thinker have just sold in New York on May 8th 2013 to a private collector for £10.3 million - a record price - you see always a marketing girl!)

Serendipity

Do you believe in serendipity? I do. Wikipedia defines 'serendipity' meaning a 'happy accident' or 'pleasant surprise'. I believe it's much more than that - it's being open to chance, luck, happenstance and having gratitude. Serendipity smiles upon people who know what they like, love and want. Life follows you. Choose what you love and remain relaxed but sticky enough to attract and magnetise the good stuff to yourself. I'd like to give you an example of this in my own life. At the time I wasn't consciously aware of the fortuitous circumstances I'd created but by loving something and showing gratitude I had attracted it to me. In 1984 I was flying out to Sydney, Australia to produce some Quantas commercials with Michael Parkinson and Barry Humphries (Dame Edna). The flight at that time was @26 hours (with stop offs) so we knew we were in for the long haul. One of the creatives I was travelling with handed me a book called 'White Mischief' by James Fox and said 'I think you'll enjoy this'. I could not put the book down. I was riveted start to finish. Isn't it great when you get a book you love - well done James Fox! Anyway the book is based upon a true story about the Happy Valley set in 1940's Kenya and the murder of the philandering Earl of Errol. Whilst I was reading the book I began to realise I would go there, not just to Kenya but to the Djinn Palace on Lake Naivasha. In fact I loved the book so much I was certain I would go there - it all seemed so familiar - maybe I was visualising the movie!

I had travelled a lot by this time, but I had never been to Kenya yet. My father had been there as a young man - before his marriage to my mother - and had loved the place, so I must have picked up on this as a child. He'd regale stories of his adventures there, meeting Karen Blixen, Joy Adamson, etc. He'd also said whenever you go to Kenya you always leave a little piece of your heart there - it's a very spiritual place that gets to your soul.

So I remembered all of this, especially the 1940's were very much my parents era - so throw in the nostalgia factor too - I was hooked. So much so that when we arrived in Sydney I rang London to try to get the film rights of the book. However, the director Mike Radford had already snapped them up and the rest is history. An excellent film was produced called 'White Mischief' starring Greta Scacchi and Charles Dance which was released in 1987. However, by 1986 I'd already met the friends who would take me not only to Kenya but to stay at the Djinn Palace on Lake Naivasha - the Earl of Errol's original home where much of the action took place in the real and filmed 'White Mischief'. Coincidence or serendipity?!

Since then I have spent many Christmases and holidays there with the owners, June and Hans Zwager and family and have loved every minute of it! They run as a family the biggest flower farm in the world - Hans Zwager is truly the flowering Dutchman! I was also asked by June Zwager to oversee the filming of the 'Safari' perfume launch commercial for Ralph Lauren who had chosen the Djinn Palace as the location to make the ad with his New York ad agency. I didn't realise back in 1984 what an important part in my life Kenya would play but the Zwager family are like extended family now and when they are in London they have a house 5 minutes from mine in Kensington. Coincidence or serendipity?

I am now embarking on helping raise awareness of the poaching of white rhino from their animal sanctuary at Lake Naivasha which specializes in protecting endangered species at great annual cost. You can find out more  about this wonderful charity at their website www.oseriantwolakes.com. As you probably know this is a worldwide issue with great supporters such as HRH Prince William and Stephen Fry rallying the cause. I would hope that the serendipity factor works for me with this!

'Meaning' is the new money

I believe we are in a period of massive change and generally people are looking for deeper meaning in their lives. With the global financial crisis and lack of trust in governments and corporations many people are hungry for something different and may have lost the connection to their deeper selves. After decades of pursuing riches, wealth seems less alluring and meaning has become the new money. Whilst I was researching this I came across a book by Dan Pink called 'A Whole New Mind' about how the 21st century is all about the Conceptual Age and the future of global business will belong to the right brain thinkers. The era of 'left brain' predominance of the logical, linear, computer based Information Age that it engendered are giving way to a new world of 'right brain' qualities that predominate which are inventiveness, empathy and meaning. The future belongs to those with a right brain mindset - creators, empathizers, pattern recognizers and 'meaning makers'. These people -  artists, inventors, designers, storytellers, caregivers, consolers, big picture thinkers will all reap the rewards of this new age. We need to maintain our left brain directed skills but now master six essential right brain directed skills. The six essential aptitudes on which professional success and personal fulfillment now depend are Design, Story, Symphony, Empathy, Play and Meaning. Pink reckons that these six senses will increasingly guide our lives and shape our world.

The four historical major ages:

1.  Agricultural Age (farmers) 18th century - left brain domination

2.  Industrial Age (factory workers) 19th century - left brain domination

3.  Information Age (knowledge workers) 20th century - left brain domination

4.  Conceptual Age (creators and empathizers) 21st century - right brain skills now required

According to the latest research, IQ accounts for between 4 and 10 per cent of career success. However, IQ tests are based upon excessive left brain directed thinking. The qualities that are more important and tougher to quantify are imagination, joyfulness and social dexterity - right brain qualities. Pink says the most valued degree in business is now the Master of Fine Arts (MFA). The MFA is the new MBA.

Research also found that the most effective leaders were funny (ha ha, not peculiar) and these leaders had their charges laughing three times more often than their managerial counterparts. Interestingly in my 20's before I started my own business I only had 3 great bosses all called Ian and all hilarious and well loved - so I can testify to this!

I think this book is more relevant now than when it was first written just before the financial crisis. I'm even more delighted that the future belongs to skills that I embrace where creativity is key, but I do think if you can integrate the right brain and left brain qualities equally you'll go far!

Happy Conceptual Age!

'Leadership is about empathy.  It is about having the ability to relate and to connect with people for the purpose of inspiring and empowering their lives.'   -  Oprah Winfrey

Female style 2013

Happy New Year to everyone reading this and here's to a great 2013! Over the Christmas break I managed to catch up on articles that I had marked and wanted to read but hadn't as yet. As part of being a Bafta voter I get an on-line subscription to The Hollywood Reporter. It really is a terrific magazine even if you don't work in the business - it has many interesting articles to read. One that stood out for me was in the November 9th issue 2012 on 'Power dressing: The New Rules of Hollywood Female Style.' To sum up it was music to my ears and I'm sure to many other women as Hollywood seems to lead the way in fashion.

It appears power dressing for women has evolved and changed.  A woman no longer has to be a devil in Prada she's allowed to indulge in her femininity in a way power women never did before. Dresses and separates rule the day and night - dress like a girl because we already have our own power. Expressing your individuality is the order of the day. At one time all the women just dressed like the guys - now no longer - femininity is the way to go - pantsuits are out and dresses are in! Fashion can be an asset in today's entertainment business. Funny - I always thought it was in any business!

One thing I really applaud is that red carpets aren't for actresses anymore. Women film executives now turn-up in as many photos as the star's they represent. As the film awards season is underway.....check it out.

I've worn dresses for as long as I can remember - I think looking feminine is great - but what I'm pleased about is the psychology behind this change in dress code for women. They are choosing to show their femininity and softness and still remain powerful.  To me this is freedom from the shackles of power dressing - to dress as a woman and not to stifle your individuality or femininity.  As the Dalai Lama is reported to have said "The world will be saved by the western woman........" and I say she'll be wearing a frock in the process!

Can I recommend a book that's to be released on Jan 17th 2013 by author Steve Biddulph called 'Raising Girls'. A must read for girls and boys of all ages!

Images courtesy of 1. Larry Busacca/Getty Images North America), 2. Pinterest 3. Jane Fuller 4. Mirror.co.uk 5. The Weddingbox.com, 6. Atlantic Pacific blog

The Brand Personified

Donna Karan & Jane Fuller

Being a marketing girl I understood early on that your image is a tool. From the top of your head to the tips of your toes, whether you like it or not, you are revealing who you are – your brand – with your hair, teeth, complexion, hands, nails, feet, fitness, body shape, clothes. I also believe there is far too much emphasis on looks today – but what are you going to do – fight it?! I happen to enjoy the process. So I try not to step out of the door without looking my best – because if you look good, you feel good and that affects your confidence and point of attraction. Having worked in the glamorous and creative world of film and music video and working with many first class directors, music artists and actors, wardrobe, hair and make-up talent, has taught me many valuable lessons. My father had also been one of the original 'Mad Men' in marketing – in fact he was Peter Mead of ad agency Abbott Mead Vickers/BBDO’s first client – and my mother had modeled in Lucozade ads etc., in her day.  So I had naturally understood that image was important and that pride in yourself and the way you look does not convey or cover-up any deficiency. It’s smart to care and clothes are part of the deal.  Clothes reflect how you feel about yourself.  So much is communicated by what we wear.  I also think you learn about fashion, design, quality and style from great designers.

I was invited by Harvey Nichols to ‘An Evening with Donna Karan’ and met the fabulous designer in person. She was interviewed by the stylish and influential Paula Reed who has just been appointed group fashion director at Harvey Nichols from Grazia magazine. The fashion show was great and proved Donna Karan’s clothes are timeless, sexy and elegant - I have been a fan for many years and will continue to be – she just gets how women want to look and feel.

Donna Karan

Donna Karan

Jane Fuller

I was also invited to the Valentino fashion evening SS/2013 at Harrods penthouse with my friend Olivia. We had such fun and the clothes as always were superb. Clothes are part of the deal when looking good – have fun with them!

Talking of superb brands I had a business meeting at Little House in Mayfair last week with the savvy Lesley Everett. Little House is one of the latest sibling clubs in the Soho House group – Nick Jones seems to be on brand with every new opening – its well worth a visit.

Jeremy King and Chris Corbin seem to get it right with each new opening too. Their latest restaurant Colbert in Sloane Square is now my new local – I love it!

Have you noticed with all these successful brands that we know the face behind the name? They have a personality. Even with the big corporates now - it's the one's who have got the personality that are going to succeed. It's not good enough to have that great brand with the chief exec. sitting in his glass office all day - they have to get out and show their personality. People feel they need to know the face behind the corporate name or designer. People buy people.

I think this is why Sir Stuart Rose and Sir Terry Leahy are greatly missed don't you?

‘Give the girl the right shoes and she can conquer the world’  -  Bette Midler

Words that Burn

This week I've been researching and writing 2 speeches and a separate article for a business magazine. I visited the London Library  in St. James Square SW1 and I'm considering becoming a member - it truly is a brilliant and inspiring library. I've always found that if something is troubling me and I write it down I can bring order to the situation and I am able to look at the it more rationally. The power of words....... My blog this week is about the power of words.  I was invited by Lord Saatchi to his Friends and Family opening night of his late wife Josephine Hart's Poetry Week at the Arts Theatre. Over five nights the work of some of the world's greatest poets were celebrated and brought alive with the help of Josephine's words and the poems themselves, read aloud by some of the finest actors. This first night were poems by TS Eliot read by Edward Fox and Harriet Walter. The evening was a real treat.  There was a fantastic audience of family and friends too from Edna O'Brien, Bob Geldorf, Sir Simon Jenkins, Sabrina Guinness, Lord Gowrie, etc etc. I have The Josephine Hart Poetry App on my iPad which I highly recommend too. However there is nothing quite like seeing poetry performed at this level.

St James Theatre Bully Boy

Last Wednesday (October 10th) was World Mental Health Day and I was invited to the charity performance of the play 'Bully Boy' at the St James Theatre in collaboration with Combat Stress. There was a lively Q&A session afterwards with the play's writer Sandi Toksvig, the cast - Anthony Andrews and Joshua Miles, director Patrick Sandford and Commodore Andrew Cameron who is the Chief Executive of Combat Stress.

The play is about a young squaddie in Iraq who is court-marshalled for his role in the death of an 8 year old Arab boy, it's a question of class and rank when his defending officer is a Falklands War veteran. Anthony Andrews is brilliant as the war veteran and Joshua Miles as the young squaddie - his first play - is just excellent. I have never seen a play with a continuous standing ovation before - it is seriously a must see. The energy, the stress the emotion all powerfully portrayed. The Q&A were good too and then we had drinks with everyone afterwards downstairs in the studio bar.

The play highlights a very neglected area of PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder) soldiers returning from war with little help for them to integrate back into society. So as Sandi said its either The Priory or prison. The soldiers need our support and understanding - that's where Combat Stress comes in but they have had cuts implemented............Sandi's script is very powerful.

My guest was Hugh Lillingston, a Master Practitioner and Trainer of NLP and Hypnosis and a teacher of Huna who is one of the practitioners of the warrior programme a charity which has helped many ex-soldiers get their lives back on track. I met Hugh and his wife Catherine through Tracy Worcester.

My next event was a dinner with the entrepreneur, Luke Johnson (Risk Capital Partners) at CSFI (Centre for Study of Financial Innovation) - a financial think-tank in London and New York. I've been asked to produce a TV Channel for Entrepreneurs - so it seems in the same week appropriate that I go to a dinner with one of the UK's most high profile entrepreneurs. Luke was great despite us exhausting him with questions - he answered all of them - no complaints - mind you the food was delicious so I think that may have helped sustain us all.

"Poetry is thoughts that breathe and words that burn" - Thomas Gray.

The Healing Power of Nature

My blog this week is about how nature and our physical and visual surroundings can deeply affect us. One of my daily treats is to exercise for @ 30mins in Kensington Gardens. It happens to be a 4 minute walk from my house and it is one of the joys of living in this area. The beautiful trees and gardens, the lake, the cute dogs, bumping into neighbours, the wild flower area to encourage bees etc., the sunshine, the rain, the seasons! It's nature in all its glory - I love it - as well as the exercise giving me a feel good factor, I find nature spiritually enriching. As it is often said "its the simple things in life". Nina Simone got it right with her song 'Feelin'  Good' - listen to those words. It is a well known fact that appreciating and getting close to nature is good for us - but our physical surroundings at home and work do affect us too. I love having a beautiful home to come back to - the orchids, the fire, the cosy sofas - that's why I love to make properties look great! A visual feel good factor.  Very important to our spirit and soul. It's proven that a lovely office has a huge impact on the way staff perform too. None of that hot desking either!  Give everyone their own nest not to procrastinate but to make them feel happy.......that's one of the reasons why I started my own business. Flowers grow in the sunshine.

Talking of visual feasts I was invited last Monday to a Harvard Business School evening at Kensington Palace. It's 5 minutes from my house so we just walked there. Kensington Palace has been newly transformed by a 2 year (much needed!) £12 million refurbishment undertaken by Historic Royal Palaces. The evening was about the challenges and triumphs and the planning and realisation of the project.  We arrived to a champagne reception by the Kings Stairway - a wonderful backdrop - then sat in the magnificent King's Gallery for the discussion and then drinks were served in the King's Drawing Room and Cupola Room. It really was an interesting evening - I love history brought to life and leaving the Palace on a dark moonlit night was very filmic - you felt you were in the deepest darkest Dorset countryside but High Street Ken was 2 minutes away!

My next visual feast was seeing Mike Newells film adaptation of Charles Dickens classic 'Great Expectations' at the Mayfair Hotel. It really is one of the best cinemas to view a movie by the way. The film is well worth seeing and looks wonderful. The DOP (director of photography) is John Mathieson who I have worked with on commercials - it looks stunning. Fantastic cast and Ralph Fiennes as Magwitch is brilliant.

My third visual feast was having lunch in the brasserie at the St. James Theatre (SJT). Le grand fromage of SJT very kindly bought me and a business associate - Caroline Garnham of Family BHive network - lunch. The food was not only a visual feast but tasted delicious too. Now you may think I'm biased but the brasserie is well worth a visit on its own, but great to have an early supper there before seeing a theatre production - and they do prosecco by the glass!

My fourth visual feast was a week-end in the country - heaven, heaven, heaven. It really looked like my favourite poem by John Keats 'Ode to Autumn' - season of mists and mellow fruitfulness.......the photos were taken on one of our walks - soothing eh?

National Poetry Day was 4th October 2012

Luck

I mentioned last week that I was going to talk about 'luck'.  I landed on my feet at an early age in my career. Many people have asked me since how did you manage that? I just expected to. I didn't realise at the time that I attracted my own luck by expectation in my thoughts. I knew if I worked hard and found the area I wanted to be in - in my case TV producing - I was in the right place at the right time, but in retrospect I realise that luck, whether good or bad is actually manifested by the way we think. I just naturally thought the best! So expect the best! Talking of best - I went to see the film 'Untouchable' which has just opened in London but has broken box office records around the world. A French comedy based on a true story about the friendship that develops between a wealthy quadriplegic and his unlikely caretaker. I laughed, I cried - its great! Omar Sy as the black Muslin ex-con caretaker is fantastic - watch his dance sequence! I've been playing Earth Wind & Fire on my iPhone ever since. It's a must see. Perfect timing too just as the Paralympics are changing perceptions about disability - impeccable Mr. Weinstein!

I also went to see the documentary Diana Vreeland: The Eye Has To Travel at Bafta this week. Researched and produced by her granddaughter-in-law. I have been a fan of DV for as long as I can remember - one of the great doyennes of the fashion industry who demanded the best of life. Courageous, dramatic, determined and funny - well worth seeing.

Don't you think London seems to be rocking at the moment despite the global woes? It really is one of the best cities to live. We really are lucky to have such amazing entrepreneurs and designers who want to live here too. I went to the London Design Festival party at the V&A Museum - what a turn out and in such glorious surroundings. Thank you London!