I had great fun speaking with Keith Vaz on his radio show, Talking Points on Lyca Radio, who is a wonderful warm host, who keeps his guests on their toes. We talked about lots of things from brands, PR, my book, Corporate Social Responsibility Is Not Public Relations, Donald Trump, speech writing, and Ben and Jerry’s ice cream.
If you want to listen to the show, you can catch it here and you will also find out what’s my favourite Bollywood film song and why…
The 15th edition of the Green Events & Innovations Conference (GEI), the foremost conference for sustainable events, was a sold-out success with over 350 delegates and an agenda with heavyweight speakers, innovators, and industry leaders in the global live music, sports, and event sector. I was pleased to be part of the event and its success, which took place on 28 February at the Royal Lancaster, London.
GEI was supported by Ecotricity and this year’s edition tackled the critical sustainability issues with a gender-balanced lineup of speakers who brought their knowledge, insight, and formidable passion to the panels and conversations.
The conference kicked off with the Adapting to a New Climate Panel and Boom Festival’s Artur Mendes boldly stating that “we won’t work with brands or policymakers who aren’t aligned with our values.”
While I moderated a double-bill session, where the first part focused on the Platinum Jubilee Pageant with its CEO Rosanna Manchando, looking at the sustainability actions and takeaways from organising this huge and iconic event. The second part was with carbon removal expert, Mark Stevenson from CUR8 highlighted some key facts in carbon offsets, saying that “Any new fossil fuel exploration is a gun held to humanity’s head.”
It was a powerful day of learning, and networking, jam-packed with inspiring insight and conversation.
The day ended in a special ‘in conversation’ session with Brian Eno and Jacob Collier, who explored ‘music as a social synchroniser’ which was the keynote. An enlightening conversation that saw Brian comment that “The arts are where we develop our instinct and our conscience,” and Jacob state that “things become possible as you start doing them.” We even got to sing with Jacob Collier, which created a moment at the conference.
Nothing, and let me say again, nothing gives an author more joy than seeing their book being read, being with book lovers, on bookshelves, and being at book fairs. So, this photo received today, sent by my publisher was special and they have been making sure the book got all the spotlight it deserves at the World Book Fair happening in Delhi this week, which ends on 5 March.
This book has its own energy, it makes things happen and can be bought on Amazon UK and Amazon India.
This is the 31st edition of the New Delhi World Book Fair (NDWBF), which began on February 25 and has been organised by the National Book Trust (NBT) in collaboration with the India Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO). The event has invited France as its guest of honour and will be attended by a total of 16 French authors, including Annie Ernaux, the 2022 Nobel Prize in Literature winner.
This year’s theme of the Fair is based on Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, an initiative of the Government of India to celebrate and commemorate 75 years of independence and the glorious history of its people, culture, and achievements.
NDWBF was first held in 1972 after it was inaugurated by the then-President of India VV Giri. Today, it’s one of the biggest literary events in the world with a total footfall of over two million people.
I have a love and an interest in wellbeing and Ayurvedic products.
If you are curious about Ayurveda, join me for this special event where I am speaking with Anita Kaushal co-founder of the multi-award-winning Mauli Rituals, which is one of my favourite Ayurvedic brands. Heralded by Vogue UK, Tatler, Harpers Bazaar, and others it is a fabulous brand with lots of soul.
I got to know the brand first before I met Anita Kaushal and I had the privilege of interviewing Anita for the Indian edition of my book, Corporate Social Responsibility Is Not Public Relations and I fell in love with this brand more!
There’s so much to learn and know about Anita, Ayurveda, and her very successful brand, as Mauli Rituals is one the first Ayurvedic brands to enter the UK market… I am pleased to be back in conversation with Anita on 16 Feb at 6.30pm hosted by Bridge India
So if you are interested in wellbeing, want to know more about Ayurveda or just want good company and conversation, come along. Book via Bridge Indiahttps://www.linkedin.com/company/bridgeindia/
I hope everyone has had a good Christmas and now enjoying the time off before we hurl ourselves into 2023. I thought I would take this quiet moment of reflection between Christmas and the New Year to get around to updating everyone about my book, Corporate Social Responsibility Is Not Public Relations, which was published in India on 23 November 2022 by Jaico Publishing.
You will immediately notice that the book has a different cover and is one that has been designed to suit the Indian market. I just love the way on the front cover, if you notice, the line that says ‘For sale in the Indian Subcontinent only’ – that to me, makes this my book extra special. On a personal note, to have my book published and sold here, is a fairy tale come true. I spent my teenage and young adult life in India, where we had books published by Jaico on our bookshelves. Never in my wildest dreams, did I think that one day, I too would have my book published by the highly regarded publishing house.
I wanted to make this edition of the book special, and I decided to include three new interviews with business leaders that will be of interest to the market here. One interview is with an award-winning luxury British Ayurvedic wellbeing brand that has a strong Indian heritage; the other is with one’s of France’s influential ESG and CSR thought leaders and activists, who has worked in India, and the third interview is with a multi-award-winning Indo-German sustainable fashion brand that is doing great things.
I could not be prouder to have my book published in India, a country that was the first in the world to implement a national CSR law in 2014. A region that is a superpower, and has the fifth largest economy in the world, according to the International Monetary Fund. This means my book could not be timelier, because it is now vital for all national and international brands and businesses in India, to authentically commit to their CSR initiatives and build CSR into the heart of their brands and business strategies, and my book explains how to do this with purpose.
The Indian Government has started to raise consumer awareness, with its efforts toward reducing the country’s carbon footprint. Currently, India is the world’s third-largest emitter of carbon dioxide, after the US and China. According to an Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India and PricewaterhouseCoopers International report, landfills are brimming with so much urban waste that by 2050, India is going to need a landfill that’s the size of its capital, New Delhi. Indian consumers aren’t ignoring these horrifying numbers anymore.
More and more consumers are becoming aware of their choices and realising that whether it is clothes that they decide to throw away, nothing ever really goes ‘away’, it all ends up in a landfill. Human activities are clearly harming the global environment and brands have no choice but to migrate to sustainable solutions and work towards building a circular economy. Information is not only to educate people about environmental issues but also to guide them on how they can make a difference every step of the way.
In October 2022, PM Modi launched Mission LiFE movement (Lifestyle for the Environment), which is an India-led global mass movement that will nudge individual and collective action to protect and preserve the environment. PM Modi said the mantra of Mission LiFE is ‘Lifestyle for Environment’ and “Connects the powers of the people for the protection of this earth and teaches them to utilize it in a better way. Mission LiFE makes the fight against climate change democratic, in which everyone can contribute within their capacity. It inspires us to do all that can be done in our everyday life to protect the environment…and that the environment can be protected by making changes in our lifestyle.”
PM Modi added that the mission emboldens the spirit of the P3 model, Pro Planet People, uniting the people of the earth as pro planet people, uniting them all in their thoughts. It functions on the basic principles of ‘Lifestyle of the planet, for the planet and by the planet’…making my book both timely and relevant to the Indian market. Jai Hind!
A reminder of why this book is important and relevant to your business, and your work.
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.”
I have to say since I founded Serendipity PR and Media, I have had the privilege to meet some inspiring people, attend great gatherings, international travel for client work, speak at events featuring great minds…and I think on Friday 18 March, is one of my best moments. As you can see here, I was delighted to have been photographed with the Royal Air Force (RAF) at the Women in Conversation (WiC) event that I was moderating for Asian Voice newspaper.
It was the first WiC event, after a two-year hiatus due to the global pandemic, and there is a lot of time to make up for, as since 2019 the work on equal pay for equal work or for more diversity of the boards of companies has been stalled. This WiC event was back, bigger and bolder, with a strong panel that included acclaimed British singer songwriter, Rumer; award winning celebrity jeweller, Sam Ubhi, and Sahera Chohan, a business coach who was a TV presenter. We also heard from Group Captain Joanne Swainston, who spoke about some of the strides that have been made in the RAF towards diversity and inclusion.
The conversation we had struck a chord with the audience, and you always know it is a good event when the questions keep coming.
I think I also need to mention that having the RAF associated with the event was tremendously special. When I mentioned to people prior to the event that the RAF were supporting it, people were immediately in awe and impressed. It reinforced the idea to me how respected, trusted and loved the RAF is to many. Especially in this day and age, when sadly there are few organisations that we can truly say that we trust and hold in high-regard…but the RAF is one such institution.
This has been a good news week and humbling set against all the devastating news that is happening in Ukraine right now. The book, Corporate Social Responsibility Is Not Public Relations, which was published in 2021 has been shortlisted by the UK Business Book Awards.
It is such a proud moment for me and the book, for it to be acknowledged and to be shortlisted, alongside a strong list of books and authors.
There are 15 global interviews in this book and I was lucky to interview these brilliant minds, as their wisdom and knowledge makes the book. I was also incredibly lucky to have environmental journalist, Lucy Siegle write the foreword for the book, which gives it context.
When I was writing the book, we were going into a global pandemic and I had no idea at that time, how much the pandemic would influence the book. COVID-19 has accelerated the need for corporate social responsibility (CSR) and put it high on the agenda for all types of businesses and sectors. Now more than ever, it is important for all organisations to have authentic CSR at the heart of both their business strategy and brand.
There is also a special chapter on India within the book, which for me is an important part of the book because we can learn so much from the East. In this chapter, I have interviewed an Indian Yogi, who talks about CSR and mindset, and that CSR is a shift in thinking for all entrepreneurs, CEOs, and business leaders, across all sectors and regions.
On a personal note, this book has been an achievement, because when writing it, I had just lost my mum. At that time I had this block in my head, where the words did not make sense. I now realise, that I was writing through grief.
I feel like a winner, and I have no fingers crossed. My hope now is that more people buy the book so that we can make the changes that this planet so desperately needs.
Spring has sprung and we are re-emerging from this global pandemic, which means real-life events are back with a wonderful bang! Between March and April, I have a few events coming up, including this Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) Sustainability Summit on 31 March in London.
If you want to:
Then come along to CIM | The Chartered Institute of Marketing which has a host of amazing people – Sue Fennessy, James George, Michelle Carvill – MA, FCIM, Author, Emily Laws, John Grant, Helen Hepworth FCIM, Phil Korbel, Jennifer Wilson, Purpose Disruptors (with more names to be announced) all eager to share and drive change for a better future.
Come and ask questions, get involved in discussions, and most importantly grow your sustainability network to help support you and your business moving forward. For more information and to book click here – https://bit.ly/35GkIAE