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Elena Fernandes, The Supermodel Who Works To Fund Her Charity Work

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I don’t always get time to write about the things I am up to and the people I meet, but I could not let this event I did for Bridge India, slip by, when I interviewed, supermodel, actress, social media influencer and philanthropist Elena Fernandes. Why? Well, it wasn’t just because Elena so charming to interview, but completely candid, interesting, and thought-provoking. The evening, Elena inspired us all in the room with her heart and passion.

Elena was born in London to a Peruvian mother and Indian father. She still lives in London, and today is a globe trotter, working out of London, Dubai, Mumbai, and New York. Elena’s impressive career started with a 12-page editorial for Vogue India, has graced the front covers of big magazines from Vogue, GQ, and Harper’s Bazaar and has been featured in advertising campaigns for well-known brands such as Adidas. Elena is leading the life, that some of us probably dream of – walking the red carpet, attending the British Fashion Awards, Cannes Film Festival, as well as the fashion week schedule.

And there’s something for Bollywood lovers too, Elena has a flourishing film and tv career, with her first role was with Dharma Productions’ “Kapoor & Sons” and has since starred in Housefull 4 and Jawaani Jaaneman. Her starring role in ‘Cheat India’ was well received and is currently in talks to appear in multiple big budget film projects in India and abroad.

Elena has beauty and brains, holding a Law degree from Kings College, University of London, and is very proud of her philanthropic work.

One of the things that struck me about Elena before I got to meet her, was all the different roles that she had, which got me thinking…most of us think when we are growing up that we want to be a lawyer, a teacher, a nurse, doctor – it’s just one thing. I was curious and my first question to Elena was “when you were growing up, did you say, I want to be whatever I want to be?” and her answer was “Yes”, she explained that she believed that we all can be who and what we want to be, irrespective of what age we are, and that we are constantly evolving.

My interview with Elena criss-crossed a whole host of topics from the challenges she has faced to her proudest moment, and what it was like working in Bollywood. We also chatted about whether the modelling industry has really changed to be inclusive and diverse. My takeaway is that colour still matters and while there has been some shift in thinking, a real change of mindset is needed for inclusivity and diversity to become normalised in this fickle industry.

I really wanted to explore Elena’s philanthropic work, which is very important to her, and she has set-up your own charity, iAmChange, which looks after stray animals in India. Elena’s passion really comes through when she talks about her charity work and the causes close to her heart. She told us that she worked to fund her charity work and causes. That’s what drives her.

I wanted to know who was inspiring Elena right now and I loved her answer, it was fresh and honest, it was a simple, “Me.” It was pure. It made me realise we should all be able to say that, but we don’t allow ourselves to acknowledge how far we have come, what we have done or the wins that we have had in our lives.

The final bit of wisdom that Elena gave us is if people try to put you down, question your dreams, your success, or just give you any negativity, “Remember it is their problem, not yours.”

 

Nari Tu Narayani

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On 5 June from 3pm to 4pm on Sky TV channel, 711, I will be on this programme called, Nari Tu Narayani (which means woman you are a Goddess) discussing aid to India during this devastating second wave. I will be representing Bridge India, a charity that has been doing critical, humanitarian work in India right now – sending medical supplies, oxygen machines and food parcels.

These efforts are still continuing, as this second wave of the virus is far from over in this part of the world, and while India may have slipped off our national news agenda, the situation in India is still dire. Like many others, over recent weeks, I know of many people who have lost their lives…young, fit and healthy people.

I will be discussing the situation in India, what it means to us sitting here and the work of Bridge India.

Also on the show will be another panellist, Dr Renu Jainer and we will be hosted by journalist, Smita Sarkar, I hope you will tune in.

Corporate Social Responsibility Is Not Public Relations: The Book Is Flying

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It is Spring, Easter has come and gone and here in the UK we are about to re-emerge from lockdown and suddenly, we have a lot to look forward to…time has flown and yes, it has taken me this long to write about all the wonderful and positive things that have happened and are happening for my new book, Corporate Social Responsibility Is Not Public Relations

 The Launch

I cannot believe that it has been a full month since the book had its official publication day on 18 February this year. Like everything that has been happening, the launch event was virtual, and on the day we had just over 100 people join from all over the world. It was great to see so much support for the book, which has continued. The book has been warmly received by both the media and the public.

Irish Tech News & Podcasts

Interest in the book has led to different opportunities and conversations, which includes me creating a special mini podcast series for the award winning, Irish Tech News. The first podcast from this series, launches this April. I have interviewed a mix of people, some of whom are in the book and some new voices, who are all talking about corporate social responsibility (CSR) and the things that they are doing to create change and make impact.

The first podcast is now live and is with entrepreneur, Leigh Kathryn Bonner who is one of Forbes Under 30, who is behind her CSR led-business, ‘Bee Downtown.’

In this particular podcast, Leigh gives us an insight into bees, who we discover are one of Mother Nature’s best storytellers!

The other, Irish Tech News podcast interviews I have coming up, are with – a  new purposeful tea company; a clown who is helping to make children laugh in refugee camps; an expert on sustainable and ethical investments; an ethical fashion entrepreneur and more.

Publicity Received

The book has been featured on Reputation Today, who ran a few pieces; India CSR Network also showed the book a lot of love and ran four stories; Asian Voice Newspaper; India Global Business; Viewdigital; Digital Journal; Enfield Dispatch; and Irish Tech News did a podcast with me about the book, which led to the mini-series.

Coming Up

I also have a few interviews just around the corner, including being interviewed on other podcasts. In fact, I am looking forward to joining Books and Friends on 19 April.

The book launches in the US in May and there’s more exciting news to announce soon.

Gratitude

But, the most important thing right now is to thank everyone who has bought the book! Thank you!! As an author, there’s nothing like the thrill of knowing someone is reading ‘your book.’

 

Little Bit Of More Book Love For The PR Knowledge Book

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I was delighted to see this unexpected book review for  – The PR Knowledge Book from Rusen Kumar, founder and managing editor of India CSR Network, India’s largest ethical news platform. Rusen is a respected media mogul in India and well-known in the areas of social entrepreneurship, social journalism and social-economic development.

Rusen has been at the forefront in driving change for not only the vulnerable people in society, but also getting corporates to act differently in India.

You can read his full review here and am hugely grateful for all his support.

Falling In Love with Bollywood Again

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During my time in lockdown, I have rediscovered my love of Bollywood films again compliments of my Netflix subscription, which has the bonus of subtitles and maybe it’s also because you need ample time to watch a Bollywood film, as they average three hours long!

There’s something for everyone, the cinematography, the dance, the music and storylines. The closest Hollywood film to Indian cinema, in my view is ‘La, La Land’, which has all the magic ingredients of a Bollywood blockbuster – fun, music, songs and dance. Bollywood has songs for nearly every situation and you can never see a Bollywood movie without experiencing a great soundtrack. Plus, Indian film offers storylines about ordinary people facing challenges that help them grow as individuals. Movies like these have become global hits because of their strong storylines.

I experienced my first ever Indian film with my dad when I was about six years old and we went to see Arandhana at the local cinema in Southall, London. I remember it was a Sunday evening and as we came out of the cinema hall, my dad bought the Arandhana LP, which we would go on to play regularly. This is a film that captured my heart and at only six, I fell in love with Indian romantic drama. I have memories of my dad singing me the tunes, and as I got older, he would insist that this music was better than anything was being featured on Top of the Pops at that time!

So, what have been I have been watching on Netflix?! Well, I have been making up for my years of Bollywood void and have enjoyed the classics such as Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham (Sometimes Happiness, Sometimes Sadness); Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna (Never Say Goodbye); Heroine; and Hum Aapke Hain Koun (Who Am I to You?). I have wanted to go back into time and watch my favourites such as Silsila (this is an Arabic word that means chains) and Kabhi Kabhi (Sometimes), but sadly these are not on Netflix.

 

But I think my favourite film, which not quite a Bollywood production, as it’s only an hour and half long and there’s no dance or music, is Bulbul, a Netflix original. It is a period drama that looks at old beliefs and superstitions. Set in a village plagued by mysterious deaths and stories; the storyline is haunting, revolving around Satya and his brother’s child bride who are separated when Satya is sent to a foreign country. When he returns, he finds that his brother has abandoned his wife. Everything about this film is sumptuous – the acting, the costumes, the settings. It’s one of those films that stays with you, long after you have watched it.

So, if you fancy watching something different during lockdown and you have Netflix, press play for Bulbul. It might just whet your appetite for something more full on Bollywood… Mujhe Bollywood se pyaar hai (I love Bollywood).

 

 

Finally – PR & Media Together Are Making The Right Headlines About Climate Crisis

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There’s not a day that goes by when we don’t see a climate, environmental or sustainable story making the headlines. I think it is safe to say that these topics are now high on the daily news agenda and it is about time. I have been actively involved working on raising the profile of the issues surrounding climate change, the impact of humans on the plant and sustainability for the last two decades…and during this time it has been a hard PR slog. As till now there has been a lack of apathy with the UK media.

I recall an environmental journalist working on one of the national broadsheets in the 90’s explaining to me his challenge of convincing his news editor to run a climate change story, that I was working on at the time. He said that unless it was directly affecting people here in the UK, it wasn’t a strong story for his editor – a story about climate change in Africa wasn’t going to interest his paper. Well fast-forward to 2019, where we are all experiencing the global butterfly effects of climate change or should I say what has since been upgraded to ‘climate crisis’ and what is happening in Africa, India, Singapore or any other part of the world is now our news.

Recently, The Guardian announced that it was updating its style guide to introduce terms that more accurately describe the environmental crisis facing the world. Where instead of “climate change” the preferred terms are “climate emergency, crisis or breakdown” and “global heating” is favoured over “global warming”, although the original terms are not banned. “We want to ensure that we are being scientifically precise, while also communicating clearly with readers on this very important issue,” said the editor-in-chief, Katharine Viner. “The phrase ‘climate change’, for example, sounds rather passive and gentle when what scientists are talking about is a catastrophe for humanity.”

This news narrative is also being driven by the private sector, as corporations have started to wake up to the long-term implications for their businesses of global warming. Companies, such as Coca-Cola, Google, Apple and Tesla are vocal about climate change and their pursuit of sustainability; and this is also changing PR.

However, some argue that this kind of media reporting creates public fear and that a ‘war on the climate crisis’ is not a positive or a balanced media response.

I say that we have wasted the last twenty years trying to put this issue on the news agenda in order to raise public awareness about the state of the climate, an issue that affects us all. We are now at a tipping point and according to the eminent, Sir David Attenborough we only have ten years to make the planetary changes that we need to survive.

At last the PR and media industry are together making the right headlines about climate crisis. It’s a start. We need consistency across all media channels. The clock is ticking.

 

Last Month’s India Britain Trade Expo, Makes The News

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Last month’s India Britain Trade Expo that took place at the Queen Elizabeth Centre was a hub of conversations, exchange of ideas and strong connections; and we were delighted to receive this coverage the next day in Asian Voice newspaper featured here. The bottom line from the Expo is that India is an important trading partner for the UK and there’s a lot of opportunities to explore. Businesses here and in India are ready to trade!

We were pleased to have not just our Deputy Mayor, Rajesh Agrawal at the event, but also Arlene Foster, leader of the Democratic Unionist Party and one of the most influential women in politics right now.

The ‘women in business’ session that I moderated with four other women – Penny Power, OBE; Kamel Hothi, OBE, Dr. Priya Virmani; and Shanu Hindhuja was powerful. Each of the panellists spoke about their own journey and experience. They were all exceptional storytellers, which is why this session was so powerful. Stories have the power to engage us, connect with us and inspire us. There is nothing like a good story.

One of the main points that all the panelists agreed upon and spoke about in detail – is that men are integral to the conversations to end gender inequality — and to do that we need everyone to be involved. This is the same premise of the “HeForShe” campaign launched by the United Nations in 2014 by the actress Emma Watson, who said at the time, “We want to try and galvanize as many men and boys as possible to be advocates for gender equality. And we don’t just want to talk about it, but make sure it is tangible.”

Image Credit: Asian Voice, Newspaper

India Britain Trade Expo On 12 March, London

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I am looking forward to participating at the India Britain Trade Expo on 12 March 2019, which takes at the Queen Elizabeth Conference Centre in London, where I am moderating a ‘women in business’ session.

I will be joined an illustrious line-up of inspiring women that includes entrepreneur Penny Power, OBE; British banker and financial adviser Kamel Hothi, OBE; journalist and founder of the children’s charity Paint Our World based in India, Dr Priya Virmani; and leader of the Democratic Unionist Party and politician Arlene Foster.

Together we will be exploring the challenges that women in business face both here in the UK and in India; are these challenges the same; what are the solutions and importantly each of the women speaking will be sharing their own experiences and stories. It promises to be an interesting and spontaneous conversation.

The backdrop to this session, is the India Britain Trade Expo, a timely event with Brexit looming, particularly as India is the world’s fastest growing trillion-dollar and poised to become the fifth largest economy overtaking the UK by 2019 according to the IMF. The wealth of opportunities for both countries to benefit from each other is enormous.

This one-day action packed event is being supported by the House of Lords, with a delegation from the Indian High Commission and is set to be one of London’s biggest trade events focused on India, where Rajesh Agrawal, London’s Deputy Mayor for business will open the Expo.

This is an event for anyone who wants to expand and go global. It will be here where conversations will happen and partnerships created. Tickets and information visit http://www.indiabritainexpo.com/ or call +44 (0)20 3693 1940

 

 

Woman At Work: #Backtoschoolweek

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In June this year I was delighted to be approached by the Indian women’s magazine, Woman At Work for an interview about my background and career. It’s a magazine for the working woman, where in India, women constitute to more than 30% of its workforce. Working women here, have made their presence felt across sectors and professions. Woman At Work magazine is a first-of-its-kind professional magazine and with a digital platform for talented women at work in India, which launched in 2015.

The magazine aspires to go beyond the conventional domains of home and family management, instead showcasing the different aspects of an everyday career woman. Perhaps quite understandably and to be expected, within a year of its launch, the magazine reached more than 300,000 readers across India; showing how ready people were and are for – Woman At Work.

The questions asked were really thought-provoking and made me take stock of my diversity and cultural heritage. It was a great personal exercise for me to do – a chance to reflect and actually be proud of myself of how far I had come and all what I had done. Sometimes we can be really focused on providing others with encouragement and support that we can forget to do the same for ourselves. Or perhaps, we are moving from one task or challenge to another without a chance to stop and take stock, to realise how far we’ve come and to congratulate ourselves for what we’ve done.

So, it was a lovely surprise to see the magazine, which arrived through my letter box last week, during #backtoschoolweek

A great start to my new term!

 

#WorldEnvironmentDay2018

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If you did not know already, today is World Environment Day – to raise awareness about protecting the environment, United Nations (UN) has designated June 5 as World Environment Day. Each World Environment Day is organised around a theme that focuses attention on a particularly pressing environmental concern.

The theme for the World Environment Day 2018, “Beat Plastic Pollution”. Every World Environment Day has a different global host country, where the official celebrations take place. This year it is India.

We’re all guilty of using too much disposable plastic – and despite the EU’s plans to end all non-recyclable plastic by 2030, change can’t happen soon enough. So with the theme #BeatPlasticPollution – here’s four simple things we can all do to help clean up the planet:

 

  1. Invest In  A Canvas Bag
    Every year the world uses 500 billion plastic bags with each one taking an average of 100 years to decompose and that’s only if it’s exposed to sunlight and air, which landfill rubbish often isn’t. That means that plastic bag you are using will probably outlive us all. Instead carry a canvas bag.
  2. Say No To Straws
    Straws are the fifth most common item of rubbish – taking up to 500 years to break down! Only a fraction of plastic straws that we use for our drinks are recycled and the majority end up in landfill, in rivers and the sea, where they seriously damage marine life. The EU has proposed a total ban on plastic straws and cutlery, and many restaurants and bars have already switched to biodegradable options in a bid to help the environment.
  3. Use A Reusable Cup
    Only one in 400 coffee cups are recycled in the UK and many can’t be reprocessed due to their inner plastic coating, designed to stop the liquid making the cardboard soggy. Now coffee shops are rewarding customers for bringing in their own reusable cups. Starbucks offer customers with reusable cups 25p off their beverage, they also sell reusable cups for £1, and will soon begin to charge 5p more for takeaway paper cups; Pret and Costa give 50p off any hot drink; while Caffé Nero gives double loyalty stamps; and independent shops have their own discount schemes.
  4. Drink Tap Water
    Globally, we buy 1m plastic bottles every minute and each year 17m barrels of oil are used to produce them. Instead, invest in a reusable water-bottle.

 

 

Photo Credit: Wikipedia/Jedimenta44