The Kharisma Magazine - Premier Issue

thLe eap{ PREMIER ISSUE 2018 } KHARISMA MAGAZINE 51 BY:VANESSA MENTOR chance I would have to step into my feminine flow, my nurturing and soft side. It was no longer working for me. Meet Vanessa Mentor, a customer experience But, here’s the dilemma: I’m not yet ready to make the leap strategist and spiritual seeker. She teaches and run my business full time. soul–driven female entrepreneurs how to create powerful connections with their So, naturally, I find myself in that transition period and clients and grow their business by tapping trying to be creative with it. At first it was overwhelming and into their feminine power and soul purpose. stressful. I had to find a happy medium between a full time Her business is all about holding a safe space job, taking care of a four year old and the house, launching for women entrepreneurs to reconnect with a new business, getting into a new relationship and taking their true self so they can be generous and care of myself. I knew I could not make any changes, if I did compassionate enough to share their gifts not decide to make a mental shift from corporate warrior and truth with the world. to soul–driven CEO. Embracing my soul meant I had to slow down, ask for help and support when I was --------------------------------------------------- crawling under the struggle, the pain. I had to put myself I’m in my office, staring at the computer. I’m lost in thought first and believe that I would arrive at the destination no and wondering what my life would look like if I were living matter how many times I stopped during the drive. I had my dreams: I’m running a business that I love and I’m making to accept that this transformation was not going to happen a difference in women’s lives; I work 4 days a week; money overnight and agree to navigate through it as best as I could. is no longer a source of stress and anxiety. I finally can gift my Mom the cruise she’s been dreaming of doing. Life Besides the mindset work, here are some other practical feels good. ways I’m personally making my time within the corporate structure tolerable until I build the platform to leap on to: I got clear. I no longer wanted to be the “corporate warrior”, because the way I show up in one area of my life, is the 1t.hPe siagnysattention to way I show up in every other area. Indeed, I bring the energy of a man in my love life. I’m the doer, the Life is happening whether I’m conscious of it or not. Buried go–getter, the one making the decisions without giving under the multitude of obligations, I sometimes ignore or her partner the space to embrace his role. I’m more the fail to hear the whispers of my inner wisdom telling father than the mother for my daughter. I decided that it me that I need to slow down, take a different route: was time for me to take serious action and find my way out. To change direction. The feminine energy is all about The more I stayed in that soul–sucking job, the less honouring the natural flow of life and being attentive to the subtle changes. I’m in the habit of asking myself theseBE ICONIC three questions regularly:

52KHARISMA MAGAZINE { P R E M I E R I S S U E 2 0 1 8 } a) How am I a contest. I’m not in this to feeling? If it’s a be trendy, to feel important or special, to please others negative feeling, I or just get rich. I’m here to make the shift to being follow the calling that God physically active (I placed in my heart and I move, dance or walk). recognized it’s a journey of I know it’s normal to a thousand steps. feel down but I’m not allowing myself to gssB3coruyn.osupnutpiSenelocdmdrtteteamddyy-and remain in that space. When we decide to live on b )What is my our own terms, we tend emotional state? to think of all the good benefits: More freedom, c) What is my more joy, more love and body telling we forget that life will still me? This practice knock us down or throw the next curve ball. As is called emotional motivated as I am and embodiment. I sit highly aware that I’m and feel where in my committed to going after body the emotion is my dreams, the journey showing up. I give it a voice — ask myself remains bumpy and chaotic. what it wants to say and peel off the The challenges are real and constant: Finding my natural layers. It’s a simple rhythm, getting out of the employee mindset; letting go process, but yet very of the fear of being vulnerable and breaking the chains of powerful, because of the corporate identity. That’s why I have put in place some the emotional charge rituals to keep me grounded and centered. Usually, in the that can be released and the clarity gained. morning, I pray and meditate. During the day, I drink enough water to keep me hydrated and I take small breaks, a2t.–ACucktntohwel“eodvegrewwhheelrme”.I ‘m 1–2 minutes, where I stretch, close my eyes and breathe in whatever I want to feel at the moment. As weekly The internet has given us easy access to almost everything practices, I integrate journaling, storytelling and balancing and I am sometimes of the illusion that transformation my soul centers. can happen overnight. I had to literally decide to get off the shining object syndrome that made me think that Besides these practices, I try to connect with people who if I read one more book (I’m a book lover, by the way) are walking the same path. Life is meant to be shared. I and enroll in the next hot program it would be easier and hired a coach. I’m developing relationships with people, faster to let go of this job. whether online or in my local community. They give me the support I need to keep moving when things make I realized the old masculine paradigm was still running no sense or when nobody else understands and thinks the show in the background. I needed to calm down and I’m crazy for not following the status quo. accept that I was not ready to leave, be completely at peace with this fact and take concrete actions to get me Your take away: Trust your intuition. Make a commitment to where I wanted to be. I prepared my way-out plan: to start somewhere. Your best is enough. How long do I want this transition to last? What will it take financially, emotionally, and physically? What is the new lifestyle I want? How much income do I want to earn? What is my passion? What kind of business do I want to build? Do I hire a coach? I came to the conclusion that I’m not in

LIST OF { P R E M I E R I S S U E 2 0 1 7 } KHARISMA MAGAZINERESOURCES 53 BOOKSspirituality meditations & energy healing practice1. Conversation with God Series by Neal Donald Walsh2. A Return to Love by Marianne Williamson 1. Meditations for Manifesting by Wayne Dyer3. The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle 2. Soul Temple Ritual: Melissa Sandon ( can be downloaded as4. The Journey Into Yourself by Eckhart Tolle5. Archangels and & Ascended Masters by Doreen Virtue a free gift on her website) www.melissasandon.com6. Soul Shifts : Transformative Wisdom For Creating A 3. The Reiki Touch: Complete Home Learning System by William Life of Authentic Awakening, Emotional Freedom & Lee Rand Practical Spirituality by Dr. Barbara De Angelis 4. Learn how to Meditate by Deborah King7. There’s a Spiritual Solution to Every Problem by Wayne Dyer https://deborahking.com/courses/learn-to-meditate/8. Ask Your Guides by Sonia Choquette businessself help/self development 1. Turbo Charge: How to Transform Your Business as a Heart-repreneur by Terri Levine1. The War of Art by Steven Pressfield, Shawn Coyne 2. Fascinate, Revised and Updated: How to Make Your Brand2. The Art of Self Care by Cheryl Richardson Impossible to Resist by Sally Hogshead3. The Power of Intention by Wayne Dyer 3. How the World Sees You: Discover Your Highest Value Through the Science of Fascination by Sally Hogshead4. Excuses Begone by Wayne Dyer 4. Hustle + Flow = Success by Lisa Toste5. Manifest your Destiny by Wayne Dyer 5. Customer : New Rules for a Social Media World by6. The Vortex by Abraham & Esther Hicks Peter Shankman 6. Emyth Mastery : The Seven Essential Disciplines for7. The Biology of Belief by Bruce H.Lipton Building a World Class Company by Micheal E. Gerber8. Think & Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill 7. E-Myth Revisited by Micheal E.Gerber 8. GIVE: 16 Giving Strategies To Grow Your Business, Increase9. The Success Principles by Jack Canfield}10. Leadership 101 Sales and Network More Effectively by Sam Rathling, by John C. Maxwell Beth Misner, Iain Whyte, Julia Foerster, Rick Itzkowich11. Relationships 10112. Excellence 10113. Attitude 10114. The Gifts of Imperfection by Brene Brownrelationships1. The Soulmate Secret: Manifest the Love of Your Life with the Law of Attraction by Arielle Ford2. Loving in the Grown Zone: A No-Nonsense Guide to Making Healthy Decisions in the Quest for Loving, Romantic Relationships of Honor, Esteem, and Respect by Zara D. Green, Alfred A. Edmond Jr.3. The 5 Love Languages of Children by Gary Chapman, Ross Campbell

KHARISMA MAGAZINE { P R E M I E R I S S U E 2 0 1 8 }54 RULE BREAKERIMMAPKAINCGTANTRTHAWEVWHEILOLLERINLDG INTERVIEW WITH NATALIE SISSON MteaecehtinNgatyaoluiehSowissoton,ruankiywouirebnutsrienperssenfreoumr SHE IS ALSO THE AUTHOR OF THE BOOK, FREEDOM IN BUSINESS AND ADVENTURE DARE TO

{ P R E M I E R I S S U E 2 0 1 8 } KHARISMA MAGAZINE 55Natalie is passionate about using online tools, social Kharisma: It never is, right? It never is; it never is. I mean,media and outsourcing to create more freedom in in life we go various paths before we get back on the pathbusiness and adventure in life. Everybody has the we were meant to travel. So, how did you evolve into theright to build a business from anywhere and design suitcase entrepreneur?a lifestyle they love, and that is what Natalie’s latestbook, The Suitcase Entrepreneur, will teach you to Natalie: Well I think it was at a conference around 2010.achieve. I was in Las Vegas, of all places, and I was kind of sick and tired of telling people that, when they asked me theKharisma: In your book, and I quote, “I grew up in New same questions, ‘What’s your name, where do you live andZealand, one of the most beautiful countries in the world, what do you do?”, and I always say that, “Well, my name’swhere my European parents had settled after a world– Natalie Sisson, I live in my suitcase, and I help peopletour honeymoon. I spent my childhood outdoors playing build businesses so that they can, you know, run fromsports. Dad worked hard so that we can enjoy as many anywhere”, and I don’t think that I was ever that clearvacations as his job as an insurance salesman would about it back then, but I knew that my mission was to helpallow. I started to travel with the family at the age of two. people create freedom, particularly women, and peopleBy the time I had turned six, I ended up having to repeat were always like, “Ooh, that’s sounds really cool!; Oh mya school year due to our family having taken too much God, that sounds crazy!” and they were all just focused ontime off to travel. Fast-forward to age 27; I was still stuck why I didn’t live anywhere in the world; and why I didn’twith the travel-bug. In fact, I found myself with the strong have a home–base. And it was to, you know, person afterurge to leave New Zealand, possibly indefinitely. I packed person, and someone said, “Oh, so you’re like a travellingmy bags in February of 2006, and spent the next 300 entrepreneur!” And then they said, “Oh, so you are like adays living out of a suitcase.” Wow! What an amazing suitcase entrepreneur!” And I was like, “Oh my God! That’sbeginning to your life as a suitcase entrepreneur! it!”Natalie: (Laughs) Yeah, I guess so, actually! So I’m So I ran out and I said, “Buy the domain!” I bought thehaving somebody read your book in fact, it’s quite domain, and I have to say that from then on, everythingcool, I like it! that I was doing became that much clearer, because I really think about targeting women. I have a site called Women’sKharisma: Yeah? I just found it pretty fascinating— World, but it really wasn’t any (one type) - it was just allthat desire, or that innate nature in you to travel was women entrepreneurs around the world. And just havingbirthed from the time that you were a kid growing up. that name was so amazing for me because I suddenlySo it’s amazing to see how you’ve used that, and you’ve realized, “Well, yes, that’s what I do! I help people buildmarried that to launch a successful online business; a business that they can run from anywhere.” So, that’sit’s pretty cool. where it really stemmed from. I changed my blog’s name, I got a re-design, and I really started honing in on what itNatalie: I always saw it as a straight–forward journey. is that I offer.Anyways, we’ll talk about that. The things that areobvious now. Kharisma: That is pretty awesome! So, what do you say really takes to be freeing in life and business?and adventurer, who travels the worldanywhere and create your ideal lifestyle.“THE SUITCASE ENTREPRENEUR - CREATE IN LIFE”.BE ICONIC

56KHARISMA MAGAZINE { P R E M I E R I S S U E 2 0 1 8 } Natalie: That is one heck of a question! I would say that it that other people aren’t good at doing yet. And that is head– takes, really, what you want out of life, and that may seem value— and that’s something! And that’s what I really try to really obvious to people, but I would think if you ask nine talk about in the book, about a couple of ways that you can out of ten people in a café tomorrow, “What is your ideal make money doing what you love, and that is one of them: lifetime? Are you living it?” I would say those nine out of It’s being in line with your sweet-spot. So for example, if you ten people would probably not be. And, you know, it’s not are great at cooking French meals and you always do that something that people would think up in a weekend, but and you hold parties at your place but you just think that people don’t often take time out to get really clear on what it’s something that comes naturally to you, but other people their ideal life looks like to them. To them, it may be that may be commenting all the time saying, “I just don’t know they work a great 9–5 (o’ clock) job and then they switch how you create these great recipes and these incredible off at the end of the day and they go home and they spend meals! Teach me how to do it!” or “How do you do it?” time with their family. For other people, that may include nothing to do with a 9–5 job; they might want to just do their And that should be a sign to you that you have something own thing, create their own artwork, write books, travel the that they potentially don’t and you know, you can monetize world, hang out at swimming pools all day. that. I know that the word may sound a bit meh to some people, but that’s the value right there: People who are no So, it’s really just about getting clear on exactly what you good at French cooking, who desire to learn how to do that, want your life to look like, and then going after it. And that’s you can share your gifts with them and teach them, whether what I really think the freedom aspect is: It’s the freedom it’s through creating a cooking book, series of cooking to do what you want, when you want, with whom you want. videos or a program that helps them to become ‘Being At Home With French Chef’, so that’s what happens when you Kharisma: And you were able to have that freedom, and also can align your sweet–spot with your business idea. You can marry the adventure in travel, which was pretty awesome! create some pretty amazing magic, I think. And to have a successful business, but still yet enjoy the life that you want, which is pretty awesome. For many of us, Kharisma: I also love how you describe the three key you know, venturing out there and doing something that we traits of successful entrepreneurs. And those three key really love, but at the same time, it should be something that traits are; Responding Positively and Learning From All we love, because, as you mentioned in your book, it becomes Mistakes, which I think is very important, because as we play, and because you’re loving it and you’re enjoying it at know, as entrepreneurs, there will be challenges, and we the same time and you’re making money and you’re, you will make mistakes, and how we respond to these things know, making a difference in people’s lives, so– which is happening is very key; and also Taking Personal Initiative, pretty good. which is also important; but then your last point was Having Great Perseverance, which I always say to people, or Now, I know you refer to – I guess some people would know entrepreneurs, and women entrepreneurs, perseverance is it as passion – as a “Sweet-Spot”, which I think is a pretty so important because there are days and times that you will cool way of describing it. So how does one go about building be challenged on all fronts and if you’re really passionate an online business from scratch based on their sweet-spot? about what you love and want to see it successful, you have to have that tenacity and that perseverance to sort of stride Natalie: First off, the “sweet–spot”, for those who’ve through the good times and the bad times, so I really love never heard of it, it’s got nothing to do with a sweet store, those three key areas that you mentioned. although there are a few similarities. It’s all about you loving to do what you are good at, and what people are willing to And you also said, “What this tells you is the road is hard, pay you for— and that, the inflection right there, is called long and bumpy. You and the business necessarily become your sweet–spot. So I think a lot of people get really hung inseparable. To preserve your mental health, you have to up on stuff when they say, “You know, I’m really not expert absolutely love your work, then your work becomes your enough, I don’t actually have a specific skill–set” but, every play, and you never tire of it.” You also said, “The lifestyle single person in this world knows something that somebody part of me is having enough discipline to not overwork. Be else is not as knowledgeable about yet, or can do something sure to set boundaries for yourself and your family. So that

{ P R E M I E R I S S U E 2 0 1 8 } KHARISMA MAGAZINE 57they respect and expect that \"EVERY verge of a break-through.you have to work but live up SINGLEto your commitment. That’s PERSON IN I often find that, in thewhen it’s time to play; and THIS WORLD past when I’ve been keenyou will play!” KNOWS on, or close to giving upWell said! I love those words. SOMETHING on something, I’ve just . . . T HAT pushed through that,Natalie: Awesome. Actually, SOMEBODY and then I’ve come outgeez! Was that me? I feel like ELSE IS NOT AS the other side with greatthat was Liz Dickinson, who KNOWLEDGEABLE results. And had I givenwas it? ABOUT YET\" up earlier, it just wouldn’t have worked out, and you’llKharisma: It was you! know when something is just you fighting an up–Natalie: Oh, wow! I should hill battle and it’s reallyread my book again. Yeah, not a good idea to go on,definitely! I think people get or when you’re just feelingreally caught up in work–life fearful or a little stressedbalance, and just trying to out and you’ve been reallybe this super human being, pushing hard and you’reand has everything together, not quite there yet butand that’s quite honestly not that’s the time to not justthe case, like I never have give up because that’s thework–life balance, I actually kind of thing that’s goingadore doing the work that to come through for you.I work on, and then I goout and I blitz it and I play Kharisma: Absolutely!hard and I play my sports Now to date, Natalie’sand I spend time with adventures, claims tofriends, but I wouldn’t say fame, so far: Natalie hasit’s particularly balanced, crossed the Myanmarand when I’m focused border illegally by mistakeon projects like my book and got chased out bylaunch, that’s my focus. locals with rifles, she tried to joke around with aI’ll go out running with a dog security guard in a Sydneythat I’m dog sitting or go and airport, saying, “I haveplay my favourite sport, but explosives on my chest,people get really hung up on do not get any ideas”, shethinking that they have to do said; She cycled 6500km,it all and do it perfectly, and which is about 4000 milesthen on top of that, when from Nairobi, Kenya tothings aren’t going well, they Cape Town, South Africatend to quit early, and as you in 2012, raising $12, 500and I know, that’s probably for charity.the best time for you to stickwith it, because that’s pretty She has also won a goldmuch when you are on the medal in the Ultimate Frizbee in the 2007 World

58KHARISMA MAGAZINE { P R E M I E R I S S U E 2 0 1 8 } Beach Championships in Brazil and played at championship level on AND THE FA C T 4 different continents since 2006. Natalie has also broken a gold record for dragon boating across the English Channel in 2007 with, among others, Kate Middleton, the future queen of England; and also completed a year long experiment in 2004 to get really lean: 10% body fat by eating lots of chicken and broccoli and working out seven days a week to win a body sculpting competition, and then competing in the NZ (New Zealand) Nationals. Wow! Quite an interesting list of claims to fame! Quite interesting! Natalie: You make me sound like a lunatic! Well, it was all about diversity and adventure, so really I think that’s what I was trying to highlight, by pointing those out, not to say, “Oh, look at me, look at me”, because you can put a lot into your lifetime, and certainly push your boundaries and do some fun things. Kharisma: Quite adventurous! So what would you say are the key things to consider when you say you want to live a location–independent lifestyle? Natalie: Some of the key things that you need to consider, I guess, are, “Is this lifestyle for you, actually?” I would say that’s one of the biggest things that I really try to talk about in the first act of the book, because not everybody is cut out to be an entrepreneur, and certainly not everybody is cut out to do it while on the road, and at differing levels of locations and independence, and for some people that THAT WE CAN R U N OUR LIVES FROM ANYWHERE NOW; TA K E A DVA N TAG E O F T H AT.

{ P R E M I E R I S S U E 2 0 1 8 } KHARISMA MAGAZINE 59means going and living six months of the year in Thailand lived in the Philippines for a while. Actually, I didn’t liveon the beaches, and then six months of the year back in, there. I stayed there for three and a half weeks; I was infor example, a city in the USA, and for others; it’s moving South East Asia for four months this year, then, as I said,around every month, for some it’s moving around every day. I’ve been in Berlin for two months, now I’m going to be in America for two and a half months preparing to go on aAll those things require parts of you to be really present book tour and visiting friends, then I’ll either be going toand engaged, so are you a really good decision-maker? Colombia or potentially Bali, back to the US, on home toAre you good at expecting the unexpected? Can you deal New Zealand then to Australia, so it’s kind of a fun movingwith disruptions in services? How do you handle different park, for me!cultures and languages? And how do you handle differenttime zones, and flying, and trains and planes and making Kharisma: So what does dictate where you go? Is it youryour own plans, etc? adventurous side of things? Does it dictate actually, the destination, where you go to next?So I personally love all that. I think it makes me as a personso much more grounded. And then when you meet travellers Natalie: I think I generally aim to do one of three things:in general, they have a more worldly perspective. They’re Whether it’s with friends or people that I’d love to meet inoften more open-minded unless they’ve had a lot of bad locations around the world, maybe that’s combined with aexperiences, and I can have deeper conversations with them conference; it’s a country that I’ve never been to before andbecause they’ve experienced so much more of the world. would like to experience; and/or there’s an ultimate Frisbee tournament, which is my sport of choice, that I can combineSo I think that if you can consider all those things, and it still while I’m in those places.sounds good to you- and coming back once again to what theideal setting of your lifestyle is, location-independence is So, I always kind of look at the combination of three, andjust crazy-cool! And the fact that we can run our businesses look at what country or location it’s going to be best forand run our lives from anywhere now; it means that I want me to head to next. And more and more as I’ve gone on, Ito take advantage of that. I don’t think that there’s ever been have definitely considered whether it has decent interneta better time than now, even a few years ago. It’s improved access and the right set of infrastructure, because I’ve dealtso much, with the online tools, the access to great Wi-Fi, with some really crazy lack–luster infrastructure, whichand the amount of businesses and people who are starting had made it difficult to run the business, and I’m gettingto realize that it’s actually possible to not be based in one much more to the point now where I just would like decentlocation and still have a profitable business, and a great internet and places where they’ll have Wi-Fi in cafés andlifestyle. they’ll understand that you’re an online entrepreneur.Kharisma: So can you share with us the places that you’ve Kharisma: Now, you’ve touched briefly about why there islived this adventurous entrepreneurship lifestyle so far, no better time than now to build an online business. Canto date? you elaborate a little bit more for our audience to really get that understanding that now is the time that it can be doneNatalie: I’ve been to 61 countries now, it’s either 61 or with everything that’s possible, right?62 countries, and in the last few years alone, I’ve lived inArgentina, as I said, and from there I’ve moved on to, actually Natalie: Well, I did a whole chapter on future trends becauseI’ve lived in Berlin, Germany; I’ve lived in Amsterdam, I’ve I love looking at the trends that are coming out and I justOUR BUSINESSES AND RUNIT MEANS THAT I WANT TO

60KHARISMA MAGAZINE { P R E M I E R I S S U E 2 0 1 8 } kind of make it a little bit more simple because if you listen to what AND THE FINAL the real future has to say, there are ACT IS ALL ABOUT some crazy things that are coming, BECOMING A PRO... like 3-D printing and being able to print anything you want, and space travel, et cetera, but from my point of view, they want to invest in more and more countries around the world that have really excellent internet access, which is pretty much the main key for being able to do this. And on top of that, laptops, and tablets, and smartphones are becoming incredibly smart so you can pretty much run your business from a couple of smartphones now; they’re getting that powerful, and that’s a scary thing because that gives you so much more mobility. On top of that, things like video and mobile payments, et cetera, are just making everything so much more accessible, so I’ve loved being back in the US and seeing small shops having just an iPhone or an iPad with a terminal port square so they can accept credit cards just by swiping across their phone or iPad, I mean, you never would have seen that in past years, you would have had to have a cash register and all those things, so this is just making it easier to do business and be anywhere, really in a cash–less society and just doing so much more online. Online tools are either free or very, very reasonable, and they allow you to store all your important documents and information in the cloud, pretty much everything can be done either online or in the cloud now, which I think, is crazy. And on top of that, you have these virtual workforces from people around the world, and the world is getting smaller so it’s much more accessible

. . .AT { P R E M I E R I S S U E 2 0 1 8 } KHARISMA MAGAZINE 61 BEINGH O M E L E S S ;for you to be able to access people is this mindset of, “Can Iin India, and the Philippines and do it anywhere? I’ve alwaysGermany and Brazil and be able to IS been known to be working in an office and work betweenW H I C Hwork with teams across the world,using things like Skype, which is these hours and peopleamazing, Gmail - you know, Google expect to see me face to face.dropbox and then sharing all your I have friends, and family, and community that I need to beN O T W H A Tfiles, et cetera, and have kind ofan international team that you can around.” And my challengeaccess at anytime, you know. back to you is, well, why? Because that’s kind of whatE V E R Y B O D YThat used to be incredibly difficultand a lot of people weren’t keen we’ve always grown up with,to work with cross-cultures, but but it’s changing so rapidly, you know, you don’t have toW A N T Snow it’s so much easier becauseall these tools help connect us so be in the same locations asmuch more quickly, and with a lot your team, you can continueof reliability and security. TO DO to have relationships with your friends and family fromThese are all just a couple of afar, thanks to all these greatreasons. I think I touched on a little tools, and you certainly don’tbit more than that but these are have to be in an office; yousome of the more exciting things don’t even have to be insidethat I know people are aware of, but I sometimes wonder to be able to work successfully. So really I think the biggesthow aware we really are of the advances in technology and pushbacks that I see from people, or the biggest challengethe knowledge that we are acquiring; it’s just going to open is getting past that, which is what I’ve always done, andup so many doors. moving into the newer times where anything is possible.Kharisma: It is indeed, especially as you said, with everything Kharisma: Awesome! Now, Natalie, as you know, Timothychanging so rapidly and, social media and all these various Ferriss, he is the author of the book called The Four-online tools makes it really easy to do that, so since you have Hour Work Week, and in that book, he talks a lot abouta number of individuals out there listening, want to do the outsourcing. Why is outsourcing so critical to being asame thing, want to create more freedom in their lives, but suitcase entrepreneur?yet still have a successful business, what would you say itwould really take to do that? Natalie: It really is! In fact, I actually don’t think it’s really just for a suitcase entrepreneur, I truly think that as ‘solo-Natalie: I think it takes you getting really clear on what preneurs’ we tend to take on so much and we’re never reallythat lifestyle looks like as we talked about but they’re all going to grow our business, or be able to have more freedommore of your perfect days, but what it really takes is belief in our lifestyle if we are doing everything.in yourself, as I’ve found, as I said before, everybody has askill–set or talent that is valuable to somebody else where So regardless of being a suitcase entrepreneur, outsourcingthey can package their knowledge and skills in a certain way workers helped me to get rid of certain tasks that I amthat will allow them to make money, and be able to do that capable of doing, but it really was not the best use of myfrom anywhere. Within reason, I think almost anybody, and time, or tasks that I can’t stand doing, or tasks that I’mpeople can push back on me on that, but I think it’s really actually not that good at, and handing them over to peopletrue. who excel in them, which makes so much more sense, and usually can do it in half the time that I can and for a lot lessSo then, once you have those kind of abilities to be able to money that I would be charging myself out of personally.do that from anywhere, what a lot of people struggle with

62KHARISMA MAGAZINE { P R E M I E R I S S U E 2 0 1 8 } So, that’s how I got started with outsourcing. I hired out a around the international aspects - bank account set up, few tasks that just wasn’t one of my fortes or just frustrating et cetera, right through into social media, which is pretty me, and started focusing more of my efforts on what I really much how I built my business, and also outsourcing. enjoyed doing and I’ve actually now built a team around the world, it’s pretty cool; it’s a pretty international team And the final act is all about becoming a pro at being all through finding these people through eLove.com or homeless, which is not what everybody wants to do, so it’s oDesk.com, or through referrals from friends, and it’s just not just talking that but it’s about where you want to travel me having a small team with you to work on things when in the world, what are some things that you really need to you can’t work on them around the clock, at different time consider. Are you okay with different languages? Do you like zones; it’s pretty neat, and it’s been critical for me to be able colder weather? Warmer weather? What sort of cultures do to grow my business and also just take time off and go and you want to be involved in? What do you actually need to travel more and take weeks away from my business, like pack, both mentally and physically; and it also delves into biking across Africa last year. things like how do you deal with relationships on the road, keeping fit and healthy and keeping a sense of routine. There’s no way I could have done that without a virtual assistant at that time and some really great systems in place, I venture into some travel-hacking tips and the kind of tools so I am a really big, big fan of outsourcing. It took me a little and applications that I’m using and that you can use as well while to get into it but now I think it’s fantastic! in order to make your travels more pleasurable or just more exciting. So, it’s a pretty comprehensive book, actually. For a Kharisma: Great! Now your book, The Suitcase Entrepreneur- while there I thought that I was writing a travel book, then I Create Freedom in Business And Adventure In Life, you’ve thought that I was writing a business book, so therefore I’ve actually structured it in three sections based on say, a had views and feedback from how many resources and how particular need for an individual starting out a business or much value was packed in there because I’ve just included already in business. Can you share how that’s structured? so many cool tools, so I’m hoping it’s going to be a bit of a bible for many years as well for people to refer back to. Natalie: The book? For sure, it’s actually three acts. I know that act is not even applied, but you got to have fun and Kharisma: Awesome. So you mentioned that you are adventure in life, right? So the first act is all about becoming currently, or about to embark on a book tour? a digital nomad really, and figuring out your propensity for risk and adventure. So it’s, “Are you cut out t0 be an Natalie: Umm-hmm. I’m tired of being out on a range instead entrepreneur, and also a travelling one, at that?” And I share of my pre-launch; I don’t know who does a pre-launch, but the important things that I think you need to have in order I do. I just wanted to really meet my community on the road to be free. and create some buzz, and I did a really tough deadline of having my book finished by the World Domination Summit, And also looked at some case studies of people around the which was in early July (2015), and so as a result I held a world that I think are pretty inspiring; they’re all living celebration there and I knew so many of my community and their life on their own terms, some single people, true friends would be there, and it was fantastic and I decided adventurers, married couples and families, and I just think while I was going on a road trip from there down to LA that I really put them in there to show just what’s possible and I’d hold one in San Francisco and also one in Santa Monica. how these different people are living their life on their own terms. And then the second act is all about building So it was really just- it wasn’t all about cost but it was just your online business from anywhere, so it talks about the a really good, fun way to meet people, to have them buy future trends that I discussed and then how to apply them the book or get access to the book, do some fun give– to yourself, going into how you actually make money online aways of some “Choose Freedom” t-shirts, and really just and how do you build a business that’s sustainable for you talk through what’s in it and get some of their experiences that you can run from a laptop; and in terms of the tools that and meet people who are a part of my community and at I’ve used to do that, the things you need to consider from the same time create some buzz. So the official launch is

{ P R E M I E R I S S U E 2 0 1 8 } KHARISMA MAGAZINE 63in Vancouver and then I’m going to be going back throughthe US just while I’m over this way. It’s just such a criticalmarket for me; it’s where most of my audiences is, and thenthe rest of the world! So I just think it’s a great idea for meto get in and amongst my community and find out what theyreally think and see how I can impact them and spread theword.Kharisma: Awesome. And what’s next for you? Any majorlaunches? I know you have your first book now. What elsedo you have planned, say within the next five years or so?Natalie: That’s a great question! You know what, I actuallyfigured out my five-year plans when I was on a road trip; Ithink that I’ve always had them in my mind, but I actuallyflushed them out and wrote about them, so for me, I want tocarry on making an impact.I have a big goal of impacting 100,000 entrepreneurs by theyear 2020 to turn them into “freedom-seekers”, I guess Iwould say, location–independent entrepreneurs and somekind of attempt to measure that but really that just requireshaving a bigger platform and reaching a larger audience.And on top of that I definitely want to build the business to apoint where I can become an angel investor in other people’sbusinesses, I dabbled a little bit in that last year when I rana scholarship program and gave small amounts of moneyto businesses to help invest in it, but I would really love tobe able to make more of an impact by seeing and believingin peoples’ dreams and investing in those, and mentoringthem to the point of being successful.And I also have a passion for helping young girls and women,particularly in developing countries. When I went to Africalast year, I raised about $12,500 for a charity called WomenWin and they basically help young girls to become moreknowledgeable, better educated and more independentthrough sport, and as a result, they got on to really leavingtheir communities.So I’m pretty passionate about their work and I’d like toeither join or found an organization that is doing moretowards that and really spearhead that and become anadvisor and a person who is on the ground as well; getting inthere to help make that happen, so I’m pretty excited aboutthose plans, to be honest.

KHARISMA MAGAZINE { P R E M I E R I S S U E 2 0 1 8 } 64 EXPANSIONIST AIEBOXNLFTNPSROIOSMS INTERVIEW WITH ASH AHERN DARE TO

{ P R E M I E R I S S U E 2 0 1 7 } KHARISMA MAGAZINE 65 Meet Ash Ahern, an International Speaker, Money Mindset Coach and Chief Expansionist at #theExpansionProject. SHARE A LITTLE BIT WITH US ABOUT YOUR JOURNEY. WHERE DID YOU START AND WHY YOU TOOK THE LEAP INTO ENTREPRENEURSHIP? After 10+ years as a successful financial broker and planner, my heart just wasn’t in it. I cared deeply about my clients and their futures. I think I cared even more than they did, because no matter how hard I tried, they kept coming back for more “fixing”; more debt consolidations and more premature redemptions from their retirement account. For years, I took their lack of financial responsibility as my failure as an advisor. I would blame myself if a client decided to take money out of their home equity for a trip, or feel guilty if they reduced their monthly savings plan due to their lack of budgeting discipline. I would lay awake at night and worry. I started to doubt my abilities as an advisor. I stepped back from reaching out to new prospective clients. I was afraid I would only fail them, too. With no new clients coming in, my family’s financial situation suffered. That only perpetuated the problem! Who would hire a financial advisor that was broke!?BE ICONIC

KHARISMA MAGAZINE { P R E M I E R I S S U E 2 0 1 8 } 66 I cried as I boiled the last of the pasta.... HOPING IT WOULD BE ENOUGH to feed my kids...

{ P R E M I E R I S S U E 2 0 1 8 } KHARISMA MAGAZINE 67As the months grew more and more tight and the bills were ever met; women on missions of purpose so much biggerstacking up, I fell into a deep depression. With three small than their businesses and themselves. It was incrediblychildren and my husband pulling triple duty, I felt like the inspiring and beyond anything I had experienced in my tenworld’s worst wife and mother. Why couldn’t I just get over years in business “offline”. Although I had been passionatethis silly fear of mine and get back to my old self? about helping families help themselves with free financial literacy workshops and free financial planning services, thisSomething inside me had changed. My mission to help was even BIGGER than that. I had so many ideas runningfamilies had been tainted by their unwillingness to help through my head about how I could scale my company andthemselves. I wanted desperately to spread my wings and integrate a giving back component, that I spiralled for ashow the world what I was truly capable of, and felt deep little while.within me that I was not living up to my true potential. I hired a business coach in January 2017 who helped meI cried as I boiled the last of the pasta in my bare pantry, work through some of the ideas and how to ensure I washoping it would be enough to feed my kids as I contemplated following my bliss to make it a successful endeavour. Andhow I would get us out of the mess we were in. Collections honestly, that was something I had NEVER done before. Inagencies were calling. Rent was due. Car repossessed. the past, I did what I enjoyed and was skilled at, but didn’tEverything was falling apart. follow my BLISS: the one thing that I love to do so much in this world that I would pay a LOT of money to do it. ForOut of desperation, we moved from our downtown city home me, bliss is connecting with other souls and helping themto a townhouse in a neighbouring suburb. I was desperate discover their true calling, alongside travel. Now that I hadfor someone to give me guidance. I read every free online e– the pieces to the puzzle, so I began brainstorming waysbook and resource I could find. Enough was enough. I knew I could travel, while connecting with men and womenI needed to change, I just didn’t know how (yet). seeKing more meaning and purpose in their lives, AND give back to the causes we care so deeply about. After 2 weeks ofIn September of 2016, I attended a live event for female journalling, meditation, talking with coaches and a LOT ofentrepreneurs hosted by Chantelle Adams. I had to borrow prayer, #theExpansionProject was born.money and pay bi–monthly instalments to go. I carpooledand shared an Airbnb to cut costs, and it was the best decision WHY ARE YOU PASSIONATE ABOUTEVER. I made some incredible new connections and learned GIVING BACK?a lot from the various speakers who had travelled from allover the world to present. My eyes were opened to a whole One of the biggest reasons I am so passionate about givingnew way to do business, and it sparked something inside back is because I was once a recipient of charity. I grew upme. I realized I wasn’t a failure. I realized the market I was with a single mother, putting herself through college, onserving just wasn’t ready for what I was offering. welfare, and were often nominated for food baskets and Santa’s Anonymous. Most of the clothing I wore came fromWHAT LED YOU TO FOUND THE donations, and we frequently shopped at second–hand#THEEXPANSIONPROJECT? stores. Despite my meagre childhood, I never went without. I never missed a meal, and I always had a warm roof over myAfter attending that live event in September 2016, I head. When I look back at those times, there was so muchconnected with some of the most incredible women I had

68KHARISMA MAGAZINE { P R E M I E R I S S U E 2 0 1 8 } we DID have compared to other parts of the world. purchasing handmade merchandise directly from artisans in third–world countries across the globe, retail the When I started helping clients work through some of their products online and at our live events, and forward those money issues about 4 years ago, I began to dig for deeper proceeds back to the creators. meaning underneath their beliefs of where money comes from, who controls it, and what kind of relationship they I see a hope for a future where philanthropy doesn’t exist; have with money. What I found was some people had been meaning the practice of the wealthy 1% contributing 1.5% (on brought up in much more tragic upbringings than my average) of their annual incomes to foundations around the own—true poverty, where access to clean drinking water world. What if it was standard protocol to have a business and electricity were every–day challenges. My eyes were model and back end that supported an automatic 1% opened to a world I knew existed but felt so detached from. charitable giving component for ALL businesses from day It sparked something inside me that wanted to change it. To one!? Itis mydesire to design such a business model and teach me, it seemed completely unfair that I had a very different it to new entrepreneurs while providing the resources and life just because of where I was born on the planet. support they need to make it happen. #theExpansionProject will be launching a membership platform Summer 2017 It is my firm belief that simply by being born in a first–world for entrepreneurs looking to integrate giving back into country, we have a RESPONSIBILITY to help those who were their businesses and have access to our events framework, not. How can we call ourselves a part of humanity when coaching and administrative support. our fellow brothers and sisters are dying from hunger and disease!? Each meal I share with my family at our table, I ExpansionLIVE is for business owners, corporate am overwhelmed with gratitude for the life I’ve been given, executives, 9 to 5ers, stay–at–home parents, or basically and I will use this blessed life to make a difference, of that anybody looking for more joy and fulfillment out of life. The I am sure. hybrid layout of seminars and workshops, sprinkled with meditation, movement and guided fear challenges, attracts HOW DOES #THEEXPANSIONPROJECT those who not only want to discover more satisfaction, but GIVE BACK? challenge themselves to overcome old fears and rediscover the spark of creativity and passion they once had. Every event we host is centred around a Giving Back project. We do this in two ways: First, 10% of all event proceeds are ExpansionLIVE is designed to stretch the mind, body and donated to a registered charity or non–profit as determined soul, with a twist of unusual fear-conquering challenges. by the event facilitators and attendees. A presentation The event model also has a built–in charitable portion, with from the charity or non–profit is conducted during our 10% of all proceeds being split between a local non-profit workshops so we can see how our contribution will be used. and KIVA, an international non–profit founded to alleviate Second, part of our fulfillment exercises includes volunteer poverty through micro loans to underprivileged families all work. Our greatest sense of purpose is achieved when we over the globe (www.kiva.org). give our time and efforts freely without an expectation of return. Incredible transformational and spiritual experiences happen when we give ourselves openly, and lifelong memories are made! Through our Ambassador Program, ambassadors have the ability to affiliate event tickets and merchandise sales for #theExpansionProject and choose a cause for proceeds to be passed onto. Future plans for this program include

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KHARISMA MAGAZINE { P R E M I E R I S S U E 2 0 1 8 } 70 AMBASSADOR A JOUFRINNEDY ITNOG DARE TO

{ P R E M I E R I S S U E 2 0 1 7 } KHARISMA MAGAZINE 71 SHARRON J. BROWN LOST HER VOICE AROUND THE AGE OF FIVE WHEN SHE WAS VIOLATED. THEN SHE WAS RAPED AS A FRESHMAN IN COLLEGE AND LATER ON COERCED INTO THE WORLD OF ADULT ENTERTAINMENT BY TWO FEMALE RECRUITERS. SHARRON DIDN’T HAVE ANY IDEA THAT HER LIFE AS A STRIPPER WOULD EVENTUALLY LEAD HER INTO THE HORRIFIC, DARK WORLD OF SEX/HUMAN TRAFFICKING AND EXPLOITATION. THAT DARK WORLD GAVE WAY TO A PLETHORA OF EXPERIENCES THAT CAUSED HER TO HIT ROCK BOTTOM. SHARRON EVENTUALLY ESCAPED THAT DARK PLACE, BUT TRANSITIONED INTO ONE OF THE TOP DRUG SMUGGLERS IN THE COUNTRY AND WAS EVENTUALLY INCARCERATED.HER Kharisma: Sharron, I truly believe that your story is going to change lives and impact so many generations of women to come. I’d love to start off by talking about who you are and what you do, and then, we’re going to get into a little bit of background, a little bit of your journey and your powerful story. Sharron: Who I am: Today, I am an ambassador for (the prevention of) human trafficking, I am an advocate, I am a lobbyist, I am an award-winning humanitarian. There’s so much to describe the person that I’ve become today, that I am an award-winning proclamation from our former President Obama. I’ve done a lot of things that I never thought that I could achieve. I dreamed of it, but I did not know how to get to this place, so today, I do stand on the shoulders of many women and men that have VOICEINTERVIEW WITH SHARRON BROWN ​SUBSCRIBE TO READ ​ SHARRON’S F U L L I N T E RV I E W​BE ICONIC

72KHARISMA MAGAZINE { P R E M I E R I S S U E 2 0 1 8 } helped me to get to this place. Today, I am proud to say that at another organization here in Atlanta, and it’s a big I am an ambassador, and that I am a humanitarian. organization. You should do it. If you complete the course, they will make you an ambassador.” I’m just like, “Really?” Kharisma: Wow, that’s an amazing, amazing role, that you Along that line, I felt like God was always speaking. That’s stand in the gap for so many women. Now, share a little bit how I feel like He saved my life so many times because I didn’t of what led you to do the work that you do in the world and grow up in the church and so I didn’t have a relationship impact that you’re having; part of your journey that led you with God in a religious way. I used to hear His voice and He to this place. said to me – I remember God kept saying– “Ambassador.” He kept dropping that in my spirit. When she said it, I was Sharron: What led me to this place was, again, wasn’t like, “Okay, that’s it. That’s it. That’s a nugget to lead me something that I imagined was possible, but I started many somewhere else.” years ago, almost about, as a matter of fact, this month. May would be my anniversary that I actually started running to I ended up taking the class and while I was in training, it become a delegate. I became a delegate for the democratic was just amazing because I ended up staying... I saw myself party and anonymously, I received an e-mail that invited through the whole training. Everything that the instructor me to run for office. I’m thinking like, “I don’t know even was teaching, it was me. Every detail, it was me. I had to get know who the fifth president is. Surely, somebody made a up out of the training, go out of the room because I could mistake when they sent this to me. This could not be so.” I not stop crying, and I knew that I had... That was an Aha! thought about it, and I thought about it. I ended up deciding moment. At that time I identified, I pulled the instructor to at the last day to send my application in. I ran for delegate, the side and said, “I can’t stop crying because I am a victim and the first time, I did not win. It was for my local district, of human trafficking and I did not know it.” and I didn’t win. I always tell people, “You know, if you don’t make it the first time, it’s okay. That’s why God may erase Mind you, I’m 46, so that was just 2012 that I identified as this, you know? Just erase it and start over again.” My gut, being a victim of human trafficking. After that, God just my spirit, my heart told me to try it again. kept dropping the nuggets. I teach it now: As long as you do not stop, you will find you will get to that ultimate place The second time I ran for delegate at large for the whole that you’re supposed to be at. So many things that led me entire State of Georgia, and I won. I was one of the ones that here, to your question: What led me to do the work that I’m ran. I’ve never ran for office or anything. I actually ended up doing, it’s because I found out that I had lost my voice many winning and that really sparks the morale, the boost. It gave years ago and now I am on the quest to make sure that every me hope. Although I always felt like I would do great things, woman... I feel like God has given me the key to set many I just did not know how to get there with all the layers of women free. That looks different for many people. It may be trauma that had taken place in my life. I ran for delegate. today, it may be someone that is stuck in their career, it may Once I became a delegate, I was trying to find where do I fit be someone that’s stuck in a relationship. With all of that, I in, in the political arena? How can I really make a difference? am giving myself over to serving in the capacity that I do. I Someone suggested, “You know, you should look into maybe hope I answered that. human trafficking.” I was like, “Human trafficking? What is that?” I never identified that I was even a victim, let alone Kharisma: Yes, you did. Let us go a little bit deeper. You a survivor of human trafficking. I decided to take a class. said that in the class you saw yourself and you had this Aha! I took some training. When I took the training, it was a moment and sort of, clarity almost, that you were actually a cookie-cutter training. It wasn’t in depth. I saw myself a victim of human trafficking. Can you shed light on that part little bit in the training, but did not know, did not wholly of your journey? What were you feeling? What memories did identify with it. it bring back for you? What experiences did you have that you realized at that moment, “Hey, I’ve gone through this.” I took the training, I ended up meeting the lady in the class and she said, “You know, they’re having another training Sharron: When she started to talk about specifically how

{ P R E M I E R I S S U E 2 0 1 8 } KHARISMA MAGAZINE 73I identified with human trafficking. Human trafficking taking place. There were signs. Now I teach these thingsis either fraud, coersion, or it is when someone has been to other people so you’ll know what to look for when youthreatened into that industry. I found out for me, I’ve had have a daughter, when you have a son, that is being ... And ityears of trauma that took place in my life. I started listening may not yet be sexual assault or anything like that, but theto the layers of things that made me identify with this, so exploitation that takes place... 80% that are exploited: Therewhen she started talking about the adult entertainment... will be trafficking, and I was in that 80%.which is how I was lured into human trafficking. It was bytwo females. I tell and share my story of different layers of I was being exploited in many different ways and thentrauma. From the age of five I was molested by my babysitter. before I knew it, the right opportunity for the wrong person to exploit me, it happened. When I got into adultWe normally think that these things will happen with a entertainment, it just got worse. I had no voice, I had noman, so the very people that really — not all of them were power, and I had no guidance when it came to... I wantedfemale, no, but the people that I did trust, my mum trusted something greater for my life. I was looking for the power,I would say... When I was five it was my babysitter and then though. I was looking for the control to take back my lifeby the time I was a teenager, before I was a teenager, it was but I did not know how to go about doing it because I didn’tother people I trusted, that my mum trusted, that ended up know who I was.inappropriately touching me or molesting me. Along thosejourneys, by the time I got to the age of 18, my freshman year Kharisma: Did your mum know? How long did this last?in college, I was raped at gunpoint. Three months after that- How long were you in this arena?going right back to college, going right back not having anycounseling or anything— I was introduced to the Number Sharron: One thing led to another, so after I got out of theOne Strip Club here in Atlanta. adult entertainment industry I ended up being introduced into smuggling drugs, so I used to smuggle drugs. It wasMy mum thought I was in college, what she was working from one exploitation to the next. I stayed in that lifestylereally hard for - to put me there - and then two females for several years and so my mum goes with me now whenintroduced me to this strip club. They were females from I speak and travel across the world and she identifies andmy home town. When I would see them they were would be talks about it. My mum used to pray, not knowing what dayin nice Mercedes Benz, they had nice cars, they had a lot of somebody was going to call her and tell her that I was dead.money, nice clothes, and so the coercion just started to take I always say I’m not supposed to be here because I flat linedplace. Every time I would see them they would reach out to twice and God brought me back. Once, almost 13 years ago,me and start luring me into that industry and my mother I flat lined at the hospital. I flat lined when I was a little girlhad no idea that I was at the strip club. The thing about it is during that same 5-6 year old age. I had a concussion andthat, these young women, they ... From media, and all of this my mother had to throw me in a tub of ice water to shockhas glamourized that whole industry but I had no idea what my body back. She has her own stories about the journey ofI was about to get into once I stepped beyond those doors. my life.I went from one day saying, “Yes”, and immediately I was Kharisma: You said that you used to smuggle drugs and sothrust into working at the club. I write in my book about were you also a user as well of drugs?how the owner, how he ended up, I won’t go too much intoit, I don’t know what your audience wants to hear, but in the Sharron: Yes, but I did more like smoking marijuana. I had,book I tell it all. From me meeting him and the interview at some point, tried to commit suicide when I was in highthat I had, where most people would think an interview school and after that. I was so depressed and I was veryfor a job is, “Might as well take off your clothes, bend over suicidal and just trying to find my way but then I just feltand open it up so I can see it.” For me, 18 year old girl that useless. I felt, What’s the point of living? And who would evenhad no idea, I didn’t come from that. Although I had been want me after all the things that had happened?abused, my mother did not know that these things were

74KHARISMA MAGAZINE { P R E M I E R I S S U E 2 0 1 8 } WHILE I WAS IN JAIL,“THAT’S WHEN I HEARD GOD’S VOICE.

{ P R E M I E R I S S U E 2 0 1 8 } KHARISMA MAGAZINE 75For me, yes. I would say yes, I did do drugs. That’s considered sometimes it seems like its in a rough place for us, right? Anda drug. I have been drugged before, and my best friend— ’til it seems like, God, why am I here? Sometimes He just slowstoday, I remember one time I was working at the strip club us down and we think it’s the devil, we think it’s because ofand we were mandated to do these underground, after hour somebody else. I’m a believer that sometimes He puts us inparties and you’re going to do it. You want to do it because a pause-break moment to give us time to re-calculate someyou want to fit in and you want to be that ‘Yes’ person so that things. While I was in jail, that’s when I heard God’s voice.people would like you. I wanted to be validated, I wanted tobe accepted. I wanted to fit in because I did not know who I ended up getting a job two weeks later. I had never had aI was and so I found myself going to one place but when job really, or anything. That’s when my life started to moveI woke up I was butt naked somewhere else. I don’t even forward for me. I was really afraid because all I knew wasremember how I got there, where my clothes were, who had the streets and hustling and surviving in that way.them, who were the people around me, I didn’t know any ofthat. My dear friend, she had to come and get me. I was like, Kharisma: How long were you in jail for?“I don’t even know where I’m at. I don’t even know who sleptwith me that night.” Sharron: I was in jail for a very short period of time, but it seemed like it was forever because I felt like God wasKharisma: What led you to hit rock bottom and say, working on me and preparing me.“Something’s got to shift, something’s got to change?” Whatwas that moment? Kharisma: What kind of impact do you desire to have with your journey, going through the scenes of HumanSharron: I’ve had several rock bottoms, I did. I can identify Trafficking and exploitation?to the dope addicts. I had several bottoms. You know howsomebody does drugs and then you’re like, “Are you back at Sharron: I believe that my voice is called to the nations. I hadit again? You said you weren’t going to do it no more.” I’ve someone who asked me — it was a Muslim lady, she askedhad several of those moments where... But I think the last me...We never talked about religion. I went into her store totime that I can recall - because, mind you, because of all the buy something and so she asked me, “What are you calledtrauma that has taken place, I talk about in my book, about to? Who are you? What are you called to?” She noticed or feltpolyvictimization, and how you have so many so sometimes or seen something in my life. Immediately I could hear God’sfor me, processing or timelines, I’ve lost some of those so voice say to me, “I am called to the nations, I am called toits hard for me to put some of that together. To answer your the black, the white, the gay, the straight, woman, man, boy,question, I believe the last time was when I went to jail and no matter what religion you are, I’ve been in the greatest ...I got pulled over because they were suspecting that I had Some of the greatest opportunities that I’ve had have notdrugs on me. been among the people that I know.”At this time I had a drug house, where I had someone I believe that God has created me not to take from anybodyholding drugs for me at his house. They had been watching else that helped pave the way for us, but I believe that He isme and so they pulled me over because of that, then I ended going to use my voice as a movement in itself, to shape theup having a warrant out for my arrest for something else way that we see human trafficking; to shape the voice andso I went to jail. While I was in jail doing that time, I had a the way that we look at how we treat women, how we look atvisitation. I saw and felt the presence of God in the cell. This ourselves. I believe that, without apologizing, I am one that...is not the first time I heard his voice say, “Either you live for I’m an advocate, so sometimes I offend people. Sometimes IMe today or you shall die.” So I said, “Okay. I don’t know how say things that are contrary to what people think that shouldto live for You, I don’t know how to do this.” come out of my mouth because I’m a Christian. I am very edgy because this is how He found me.Sometimes I think that when our lives are put in pause and

76KHARISMA MAGAZINE { P R E M I E R I S S U E 2 0 1 8 } He didn’t find me in a place where I was primmed and power. How would you describe your soul purpose? Why did proper and put together. God put my life back together and you think God created you? What is that purpose that... so I feel like God is going to use me to be able to shake the I know you’re an advocate and you’re inspiring women to foundation of this world, not just our country, but people all find their voice, what is that? If you had to describe it in one over the world. sentence, that would that be? Kharisma: I know you’ve found your voice and you’ve shared Sharron: What describes me in one word is hope. Hope is that in your book, I Found My Voice. Why do you think it’s so my roots that causes my tree to grow and I understand that I important for women to find their voice? have many liens that’s connected to it and so what describes me is: I believe that I was created to be a bridge. I believe in Sharron: We must find our voices, we must help each other symbols and God gives me all kinds of signs and so for me, to find our voices. With my non-profit organization I am I identify with the bridge. I feel like I am the bridge that’s creating some avenues so that women all over the world- connected to so many roads and so many people can use this. we can share. When my voice is connected to your voice, it I do feel like He has given me the power to be an effective makes us even more powerful. It bothers me, it saddens me bridge. I just look at myself and just think that about myself. to see women individualize themselves, and they stand on I am a bridge to help people connect with their purpose, their own by themselves and they think that they can do this to their destiny, wherever they’re leading. When you think by themselves. We were created because of the strength that of a bridge you think the bridge has a connection on both we have as women, the power that we have. sides and so in between is that bridge, which lies purpose, destiny, a person’s dreams. Sometimes we get stuck and in There was a Naomi and a Ruth for a reason, because we that place is where He uses me to help navigate. need each other. Although you may have come before me, why can’t I stand on your shoulders so that other’s can come Kharisma: Beautiful, love it. As a humanitarian you with me? That’s why we have to have our voices, that’s why mention about your non-profit organization Treasure Box women have to be raised up to a place where we know who International, which assist girls, young women and adults we are. When we don’t know who we are it robs us from by teaching them how they can discover the power within our destiny and our purpose and you cannot live and do and how we can all impact others’ lives for the better. It’s a the things that you desire to dream to do if you don’t have place where you will discover the treasure that is inside of a voice. It’s important because your voice always needs to you. And through Sharron’s Closet, an online boutique for have a voice. women, where you donate a portion of the sales to help fight human trafficking. I think about Rosa Parks. I have a very powerful mentor, and I love her dearly - she’s a mentor to me, Dr. Rochelle Roland Why do you believe that giving back is important? Why is - she is an amazing woman, and she told me that one day, giving back important to you? just like Rosa Parks, there wouldn’t have been a Martin Luther King if there hadn’t been a Rosa Parks. She said, Sharron: Giving back is so important to me because “Sharron, there’s going to be others that will say the same I do remember, if God did not ... He healed me on many thing about you so you have to begin to use your voice more occasions, many things, but he didn’t allow those wounds to now than ever and understand that everyone will not agree just completely go away. I can see the scars and I remember with the things that God has commissioned you to do.” when people gave (them) to me. I remember when ... And I’m not talking about just stuff or money— (who) gave their Kharisma: So powerful, so powerful. You touched on time, laboured with me - I’m about to cry - laboured with me something about the soul purpose, the soul purpose when I had nothing. I was homeless before. It was by choice advocates. I believe that’s why I was created, so that I could but I was. I have that wound so when I meet someone that’s ignite and inspire others to really tap in and get clear on what homeless, I can have empathy for them. Not just sympathy their soul purpose is and really tap into their own inherent but I can empathize with where they are and understand

{ P R E M I E R I S S U E 2 0 1 8 } KHARISMA MAGAZINE 77how they got there. questions so I did that.When I see a prostitute, a ho, or somebody in the streets Asked this lady.... I knew that in my heart that she wasn’tselling drugs, doing drugs, I know what all of that is like. doing what she really was called to do and part of that isThose are my scars, and somebody helped me, somebody coaching but the other part is my gifting. I ended up askingprayed for me, somebody laboured with me through all of her and she said, “Well, tell me what you think?” And I’mthe ugliness. I wasn’t the person that I am today. I didn’t on vacation, she said, “Well, tell me what you think?” I said,feel, I didn’t love, I was very bitter, I really just did not care “Well, tell me. What is it that you would fight for? For justiceabout the betterment of people and so now that I have this for? What is it that you will stand on a rooftop and you willnew life and I found my voice, I am reminded. scream for justice for? What is that one thing?” She said, “I don’t really know.” I said, “Okay, what is it that you are soI know it sounds big, but I just want to be able to globally passionate about? That you love. That when you do it, whenhelp, all over the world. I want to be a part of seeing every you feel it, when you touch it, it loves you back?” And sheperson, every woman get to where they’re supposed to be couldn’t figure it out. So I said, ”Okay.”and that’s me giving. I use my non-profit organization todayto be a means for other people, other women, to be able to I took another turn, I started telling her, speaking to myconnect with other women. I’m starting this philanthropy ... younger person. I say, “You know, well, if someone wouldI was like, “Well, I’m not a philanthropist, Lord.” But He was ask me these questions, if I was that little girl, what wouldlike, “Okay, but everybody who’s connected to you, there you say if you could change things right now in your life?you are. We all are.” If you had one opportunity to do something different,” and then I began to share with her my story and before I knewI really believe in the power of the circle of love, and it, she was crying.giving and that has really saved my life. Now that I have theinfluence and the ability to do it, I want to do it all over the What I would tell if I had someone, I would say, “It doesn’tworld. I want to connect you, as a brander, as a life coach, take a lot to figure out what your purpose is because you’reand all that you do. There’s someone in Kenya that has the already doing it. It doesn’t take a lot for you to figure outsame idea, that just doesn’t know how she’s going to do it. what you’re passionate about because you’re already doingIf I can connect you and her, you can touch somebody all it.” The reason why most don’t understand or don’t knowover... You may never meet her. I’m going to do something it is because they really don’t know their value and theyreally phenomenal to not just myself, to be able to give, but don’t know their worth and so I would begin to ask herall of us to be able to impact lives in many ways. those questions. “Who did you always want to be? Who did you always dream to be?” I do this with women who are inKharisma: Pretty awesome. The final question is, the prison, who are incarcerated, behind bars, that may not bewoman who’s reading your interview and your story and getting out no time soon but when I leave, they have someyour personal journey - she may be at a similar place, not sense of hope because they know that life doesn’t end here.understanding the meaning of her life, why was she created; Actually, it’s a birthday.Feeling very hopeless, like there’s no future for her. Whatwould you say to her? What would be your last words to her? Kharisma: Powerful, powerful, powerful. Thank you, thank you, thank you. This was amazing! How can our audienceSharron: I do this thing and it seems to work: Organically, connect with you?I will probably speak to the little girl in her because we allhave a past, we all have some things that are hidden in our Sharron: They can connect with me through my website,treasures. My non profit is called Treasure Box - there’s sharronjbrown.com and sharronscloset.com. Thank you fora lot of things that are hidden in our boxes. I recently had having me!an experience with that. I had to utilize this because everyquestion, as life coaches, it’s all about asking powerful

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KHARISMA MAGAZINE { P R E M I E R I S S U E 2 0 1 8 } 80 CONNECTOR HER TBRUIBILED, AT A DARE TO

{ P R E M I E R I S S U E 2 0 1 8 } KHARISMA MAGAZINE 81 POSITIVE FABULOUS WOMEN™ WAS FOUNDED IN JANUARY OF 2008 BY KATIA MILLAR WITH THE GOAL OF CONNECTING, EMPOWERING AND INSPIRING WOMEN TO LIVE A LIFE OF PURPOSE AND PASSION. The community has since grown to over 10,000 members, fans, and followers in the Toronto area, and many more in North America and around the world. They have created a vibrant, collaborative space – both online & offline – for passionate ,inspired women to share experiences, insights, and resources, all while having fun and creating authentic connections.INGTOINME ELEADER INTERVIEW WITH KATIA MILLARBE ICONIC

82KHARISMA MAGAZINE { P R E M I E R I S S U E 2 0 1 8 } Kharisma: Share about the Positive Fabulous Women online presence, because women benefit from it. community. There are women all over who can benefit from what we offer. So obviously, we can’t support women everywhere Katia: Sure. Well, I had gone through a process of trying to right now with live events, but we can provide the learning figure out what I wanted to do with my life. I think a lot of and the online community to support that, and at some women get caught up in various roles, and then we get to a point, we may have some events outside of Toronto, some point where we say, what am I doing? Is this what I want to Canadian cities as well. But, really the next thing for us is do for the next 40-50 years? So that’s where I was. just the online presence and really working on the learning part and building the online community. There’s a lot of And it took me probably 5-7 years to figure out that I was online communities, but I’d like to think that what we do a connector, and I wanted to bring people together. So I is a little bit different, as we are a little bit more focused on decided that the way I was going to do that was to create those soft things, like the heart and the connections. a space for other passionate, heart-centered and purpose- driven women to come together and support them on their Kharisma: How did you come up with the name, Positive path, by providing them with the resources, the connections, Fabulous Women? and the platform to network and build relationships. That was the vision. ATFEOCACCEROPITMS EAP Kharisma: Why the focus on specifically women? Katia: Well, it’s interesting because when I was going through my own journey, and doing my own soul-searching and all that stuff, I took a lot of courses, went to meet-ups and tried to connect with like minded people such as, men, women, all ages, all ethnic backgrounds and all that. But the vast majority of people who are searching and looking are women. I have a marketing background, and I understand the power of targeting and speaking. You communicate most effectively when you’re really clear on who your audience is. So I decided that I was going to just work with women Katia: Well, it’s a long story. The word ”Positive” was inspired because they connect differently. It’s not better or worse, or by the Law of Attraction book and movie, The Secret, so it’s not an exclusion of men, it’s just supporting women in a the funny thing is, I can sit here, and I can give you all the way that they relate to, appreciate and understand. We are analysis of the words, but, it was just something that came connectors, we build friendships differently, we do business up very impulsively. differently, and I wanted to create a space with those values and those preferences. And we added ”fabulous”, as that give us attitude. Now, I am attached to the word ”fabulous” more than the ”positive”. In Kharisma: Awesome! Does your community have, like, a some ways because I like that it’s got that little attitude and preferred location, or are you just online? it focuses on the women that we attract. They’re all heart- centered and wonderful, and it virtually connected all of us. Katia: We are online with our roots in Toronto. When we started, it was primarily in event spaces where I ran Kharisma: How can a woman live a positive, fabulous events almost every week - from workshops, seminars and lifestyle? networking events, dinners to brunches, you name it. We did a whole range of events, and it was very community Katia: Everybody obviously has their own formula or recipe. focused. After six years, I felt the need to kind of expand There is no secret. I don’t have a secret sauce on that, but a little bit more. So, we’ve really focused on growing our

{ P R E M I E R I S S U E 2 0 1 8 } KHARISMA MAGAZINE 83 I’ll tell you my opinion: It is about balancing the inner with the outer. We focus too much on spirituality and business and all that stuff, but, there’s something missing. The first thing you must do is the inner work and figure out your big why and what we want to do. What’s your purpose? If we’re living a life for a job that we don’t like, or relationship that is draining. That’s just the foundational thing. There’s a lot of work that needs to happen, before we can be positive or fabulous. Let’s start with that. And it’s not an overnight job. It’s also important to get support. That’s where I come in, and that’s where the group of PFW (Positive Fabulous Women) comes in. It’s the support and connection with other people who get it. Especially when we’re taking action and we’re scared.ANUDRPT.LSIOVOFE JLWUIFSIETT.HEITIMT’S.BRGAOCINE,G Fear is part of life. It’s going to come up. So just embrace, accept and live with it. It’s actions but, inspired action. So, it has to be connected to the community and the world even if we feel so small, like, who am I to change the world?, but we change it. One tiny baby step at a time. When you do all the work and you love yourself, then you’re going to honour yourself and it’s not just about meditating all day and being all spiritual, but loving yourself, dressing in a way that really expresses who you are, and showing up in the world, just being you. Does that make sense? Kharisma: Yeah that’s fabulous. And I really thank you for sharing with us. It’s been awesome!

KHARISMA MAGAZINE { P R E M I E R I S S U E 2 0 1 8 } 84 INNOVATOR HOW CROWDFUNDING INFLUENCES IN NOVATION INTERVIEW WITH KHIERSTYN ROSS DARE TO

{ P R E M I E R I S S U E 2 0 1 8 } KHARISMA MAGAZINE 85 ​M EE T K H I ER ST Y N R O S S , A N O N LI N E CROWDFUNDING ADVISOR WHO HAS HELPED COMPANIES DRIVE OVER $1M IN SALES THROUGH KICKSTARTER AND INDIEGOGO. Her passion lies in helping to arm entrepreneurs with the skills they need to bring their businesses to the next level. She is the host and founder of the Crowdfunding Uncut Podcast, where she interviews entrepreneurs in the space a n d w i t h a f o c u s o n g e t t i n g t h e i r c a m p a i g n s f u n d e d .​BE ICONIC

KHARISMA MAGAZINE { P R E M I E R I S S U E 2 0 1 8 } 86 WE REALIZED THAT MARKE CAMPAIGN ISN’T THE SAME A Kharisma: I know you have a really unique story and journey Our best option was going back to Indiegogo to see if we into the crowdfunding space. What were you doing before could relaunch the campaign. So, knowing we had to do you got into the crowdfunding market? it, we really studied to see what we did wrong and what we could do to improve to make sure that we at least hit Khierstyn: Before I was crowdfunding, I was a start-up our $20,000 goal the second time. So, we relaunched two advisor. The problem with that business model was I was months later with a $15,000 goal, and ended up raising close a little broad with my scope of services. I was basically a to $60,000 in a 40-day period. jack of all trades. If you needed someone for Infusionsoft (email marketing and sales), I would learn it. If you needed Kharisma: Wow, that’s amazing! Breakdown what a sales funnel built, I would do it. This is just because I loved crowdfunding is for our audience. coaching and advising businesses. But, I also wanted to learn the online space, so I would just do whatever I can get Khierstyn: Crowdfunding is such an attractive model, my hands on at that point. Crowdfunding happened when because 5-10 years ago, if you had a business idea for a I moved back to Canada from the UK and I started working product that you wanted to launch, the way that you would with a client who, at the time, had this really cool business do it, is you would need to find money to manufacture the idea for a wearable weight loss technology and he said, I product, then manufacture it and then sell the product. really want to do a Kickstarter project and I had no idea what But the manufacturing process and the prototyping is Kickstarter was at this point. really expensive. You’d have to go for angel investment, you’d have to go to your parents, remortgage your house, I didn’t really understand crowdfunding, but as we get a bank loan... like, the process is just crazy. It’s really started looking more and more into it... as I had a lot more dangerous, because after you spend thousands of dollars experience online than he did, but he had a really good and years developing this thing: What if people don’t want visionary mindset with the product, so we decided to to buy it? Crowdfunding is actually the reverse of that partner up and launch this thing on Kickstarter, but, we model, where it allows you to put up a marketing campaign ended up not going with Kickstarter at that time, instead for a set period of time, and the goal is to raise money to going with Indiegogo. bring your product to life. That first campaign was a disaster. We only raised $16,000 For example, Pavlok was another project which we needed out of a $50,000 goal. We realized that marketing for a to raise $40,000 to manufacture the first run of the crowdfunding campaign isn’t the same as marketing for just product, because we knew we needed it for tooling and the general business, because there is a build-up period and manufacturing and stuff. The whole point is that you put a bunch of other factors. With that failure, we’re like okay, up a marketing campaign on Indiegogo or Kickstarter. well screw this, I’m not doing crowdfunding again, but then Customers can pre-order the product, but they don’t get we realized that for funding models, we didn’t have enough the product for six months or nine months, but the product to get the product funded and we had no choice, but to raise creator or the entrepreneur will be able to take that money money again. from pre-orders and develop the product and then bring it to market. And I get the question a lot: Why would someone

{ P R E M I E R I S S U E 2 0 1 8 } KHARISMA MAGAZINE 87TING FOR A CROWDFUNDINGS MARKETING FOR .... BUSINESSwant to support a campaign for a product they can’t get for think about crowdfunding, so it’s the go-to. Also, they havesix months? It’s because generally, people want to be a part a lot more traffic than Indiegogo, maybe like three to fiveof the novelty and new cool ideas that are out there and times. You’d have to verify that. But frankly, I don’t thinkavailable to the retail market yet, and they get to be first the traffic matters because well, to be fair, there is a lotpeople to get their hands on it. more campaigns that go on there, so where you get more traffic, you get more competition as well. Also, IndiegogoThey’re supporting start-ups, and they know that they’re has a generosity platform for cause-driven campaigns.getting it for a lower price than what will be in retail in acouple of years. Kharisma: Finally, what would you say to someone who is considering crowdfunding to launch a product or serviceKharisma: There are two main platforms that you into the marketplace?mentioned: Indiegogo and Kickstarter. If someone isconsidering doing a campaign, how do they determine Khierstyn: To guide them on the successful path, the firstwhich platform to use? thing is to either build an audience around their product, or they want to validate their idea. Which means that provesKhierstyn: Well, it depends how you look at it. I’m a little that somebody will buy it. You have to validate it before youbiased because of the campaigns that I’ve managed have all even think about crowdfunding. I mean, how do you reallybeen on Indiegogo and the difference in the platforms is know that someone is going to give you money for yourit’s very much like an Apple versus Android. Apple is very product?regulated and closed source and doesn’t let you do a lot ofstuff development wise, as opposed to an Android which is There’s a really good book by Pat Flynn called, Will Itopen source and is like a free for all. So Indiegogo is really Fly?. I interviewed him on my podcast, because I kept rantinggreat for the project creator because you can do pretty that people missed this first critical part of crowdfundingmuch anything you want on there. and that you have to look at it like launching a business. You have to make sure there’s a market for it. Pat Flynn hasYou don’t need to apply to have your campaign put up. You a really great process for it, and it’s all about talking to yourcould just press launch and you’re up there. You have a lot customer beforehand to see what their pain points are,of flexibility over customer data and you could do affiliate what they struggle with and what is the niche, the area thatschemes on its own. It’s really flexible and easy to work you’re looking to serve. Once you’ve validated your productwith. Generally, if they love your campaign and you reach and you know 100 percent that someone is going to buy it,out to Indiegogo, they will give you a campaign strategist you should keep talking to your customer because it reallyto work with you to optimize your page and make sure that helps to understand what they struggle with and it is goingyour campaign is ready to make money for both you and to help you craft your marketing message.for them. Kharisma: Awesome! So, the critical thing is to validate,So, they’re much easier to work with than Kickstarter. The validate, validate and then validate some more. Thank youbenefit to that is, it’s the platform people think of when you so much, Khierstyn!

KHARISMA MAGAZINE { P R E M I E R I S S U E 2 0 1 8 } 88 ANIMAL ADVOCATE HOW HER GORDON,NEW FUR BABY, OPENED UP HER HEART AGAIN INTERVIEW WITH JANET TURNER M E E T J A N E T T U R N E R , T H E M O M O F G​ O R D O N , A BEAUTIFUL, LIVING BEING WHO WAS SHOT AND STILL LIVES WITH A B U LLE T IN HI S S PINE . HE C AN ONLY WALK ON HIS FRONT LEGS , BUT​GORDON HAS NOT LET THAT TERRIBLE THING THAT HAPPENED TO HIM STOP HIM FROM LIVING OR ENJOYING LIFE . HE MAY BE A SMALL DOG, BUT HE HAS A BIG HEART! F​ R O M T H E M O M E N T J A N E T S A W T H AT G O R D O N W A S AVAIL ABLE FOR ADOP TION AT THE MARLE Y ’ S MUT T DOG RESCUE, SHE KNEW SHE HAD TO HAVE HIM IN HER LIFE. DARE TO

{ P R E M I E R I S S U E 2 0 1 8 } KHARISMA MAGAZINE 89 Kharisma: Share a little bit about who you are and your journey to adopting Gordon. Janet: I currently reside in Mineral Wells, West Virginia. I’m an avid runner. I love dogs, I love all animal, but especially dogs, and through running and through animals, that allows me to have balance in my life. Without one or the other, I don’t function very well. Running offers me confidence. It increases my self esteem. I feel empowered because I can run X number of miles. With dogs, they’ve taught me unconditional love; they’ve taught me patience; they’ve taught me compassion; they’ve taught me that I’m not the only thing that’s important, that there’s other things around me that are important, so it allows me to get out of myself and to get back to the animals. I recently lost a dog named Moose on December 23rd, 2016. I lost Moose to behavioral issues that couldn’t be corrected. I was looking for another dog to adopt. I had noticed Gordon prior to losing Moose, and I knew that would never work in my home because of Moose. Once I lost Moose, I saw Gordon posted again on the Marley’s Mutts website where Zach Skow (owner of Marley’s Mutts) had posted. He didn’t know why in the world Gordon hadn’t been adopted, and I jumped right at the chance, and shot off an email to Amanda, who is one of the ladies who coordinates adoptions. Long story short, Zach allowed me to adopt Gordon.BE ICONIC

KHARISMA MAGAZINE { P R E M I E R I S S U E 2 0 1 8 } 90 ”GORDON.... HELPED ME ON THE DAYS THAT I DIDN’T EVEN WANT TO GET OUT OF BED” They came to see me March 13th, 2017 and brought Gordon to me. They were doing the Drooling Across America Tour. Had Marley’s Mutts had not been doing that, Gordon probably wouldn’t be sitting here today. I wouldn’t imagine they would adopt a dog way out here in West Virginia from California. I’m lucky to have him. I feel like I need to give back to Marley’s Mutts, so I’ve decided to run the Chicago Marathon and help them raise money to keep rescuing dogs like Gordon and dogs like Moose. I’m just still in the honeymoon stage with Gordon right now. I’m so blessed to be able to have him. Kharisma: Gordon had a very traumatic experience. Share a little bit about that and the special needs that Gordon requires. Even though you treat him just like a regular dog, there’s still some special requirements and special care that you have to do on a daily basis, right? Janet: He was shot with a 22 caliber bullet. He is what you call an incomplete paraplegic dog. He does have some paralysis.

{ P R E M I E R I S S U E 2 0 1 8 } KHARISMA MAGAZINE 91He does have some sensation, but he’s very inconsistent then I’ve got to bathe him and then I’ve got to diaper himwith incontinence, due to the paralysis. Therefore, he has and I’ve got to feed him. So, there’s a few steps that I haveto be diapered, sometimes multiple times in a day, which is to take when I first come home, but I don’t get caught upokay. At first, it was a challenge, to try to figure out how to in, “Oh, poor, pitiful me,” when I walk in the door. I takedo it. I’ve never had children and I’ve never diapered a dog the old therapist hat off and come home. So, Gordon hasbefore. We got it all worked out. He walks on two legs, and I definitely given me back my life, in a sense. I was definitelydid take him to the doctor to see about what that would do down, it was some bad days. So, if it weren’t for Gordon, Ito him long-term. Yes, he looks really good walking on two don’t know where I’d be right now. So I’m forever indebtedlegs, but over time... I provide physical therapy to people, to Zack Skow for allowing me to adopt Gordon.and over time, I knew that it would do some damage to hisshoulders and to his spine. The doctors also said the same Kharisma: You’re preparing for the Chicago Marathon, andthing. this is to help raise funds for Marley’s Mutts. You’ve got a special knapsack design, if you can run with Gordon on thatWe’ve looked into a cart from Eddie’s Wheels. We did receive day. How is he taking to the training that you’re currentlyone, but it didn’t quite work. We’re actually going to pay a doing?visit to Eddie’s Wheels, and see if we can’t get something tofit Gordon properly. I think that that will increase the quality Janet: So far, so good. He seems to be running a little warm,and the quantity of his life. He gets a bath, I think, at least so we’re going to go see Dr. Eliot about that, just to see if it’sonce a day. He gets one when I come home from work. If he ... Maybe he’s nervous, or maybe there’s something goinghas any accidents throughout the evening, he gets his butt on. I’m going to have him checked out by Dr. Eliot, our localwiped. Other than that, he’s just like any other dog, except vet, and make sure that everything’s okay. He doesn’t go forfor diapering. every run. I always say we, because I don’t know, I’ve talked about him so much. I have a pack that weighs 10 pounds,Kharisma: I know this is still tender for you to talk about, but it’s an old trail pack that I weighted down with water in theshare a bit how your life was impacted after losing Moose. belly of it, and also I’ve stuck some water bottles in the back of it, to kind of simulate him. It weighs about 10 pounds. IJanet: After the loss of Moose, Gordon, along with Sam and do most of my training without him. I still want to get himLefty and Carter, have helped me on the days that I didn’t comfortable in the pack. He does some training runs witheven want to get out of bed. I’ve said once before that I love me. Typically, he runs Sundays with me. He doesn’t run toomy dog more than I loved anybody or anything, except my many weekdays with me.dad. Moose knew all my secrets. She didn’t judge me. I toldher everything. Moose was a 24-hour, seven-day-a-week Kharisma: You have stepped up and you are raising fundssupervised dog, so when she was not in her crate, I had to support Marley’s Mutts, and we are doing that the sameto have eyes on her. So, when I lost her, I was lost, I was way through the magazine. Every purchase of the magazine,completely lost. I didn’t know what to do when I came home we are donating a percentage bag to support Marley’s Muttsfrom work. At work, I provided physical therapy to patients and another organization that we’ve partnered with. We’refor 28 years, I think I know what to do, and it’s all I know. But really excited to support an organization like Marley’s Mutts,when I come home, for seven years I had to make sure that who is rescuing dogs, who’s taking care of dogs that requiremy dog didn’t bite another dog or didn’t bite a person. So, some special care, medical needs, who have been abusedwhen we lost her, I was lost. or have been abandoned, or haven’t been given that quality of care and quality of life. I’m really happy to connect withToday, I feel so grateful to be able to have a dog, in general, you, Janet, and support you and support Gordon, supportbut especially Gordon, because he has some special needs Marley’s Mutts, and it’s really great that we can comeand requires a little extra attention, so instead of coming together to support this mission.home and feeling sorry for myself, I let Gordon out first and

92KHARISMA MAGAZINE { P R E M I E R I S S U E 2 0 1 8 } Janet: Thank you! I really appreciate your support. Janet: Sure! The fundraising page for Marley’s Mutts is www. crowdrise.com/JanetTurner2, for those that would like to Kharisma: Is there anything you would like to say to anyone donate to us. We’re all on the same team. There’s 26 runners who’s on the fence of supporting Marley’s Mutts, whether for the Chicago Marathon. If you want another runner that it’s through the magazine or through your fundraising you’d like to support, or you just want to make a donation efforts? What would you say to them? to Marley’s Mutts, feel free to pick another runner or just simply shoot them off a check to Marley’s Mutts, and say that Janet: For one, I really appreciate all the folks that have you’d like to donate some money towards the fundraiser for supported Gordon and I. For all those folks that have any the Chicago Marathon. It is their largest fundraiser of the doubts about dogs like Gordon, Gordon’s a prime example year. It’s pretty exciting to be a part of that. that all lives matter. You can have a productive life as a dog. Just because you have some physical challenges, you can still Kharisma: What are the dates again? have a normal life. Those that are on the fence about dogs like Gordon, maybe they’ll learn something from Gordon. Janet: The date is October 8th, it’s a Sunday, and it will be televised. If you would like to partake in watching the event. I want to give back. I want to give back because Gordon’s I usually watch it every year. In fact, last year I tracked Zach given me so much and I feel like I owe it to Marley’s Mutts. I Skow to see how he was doing. I was creeping on him a little feel I owe it to dogs like Gordon. I feel like I owe it to dogs like bit, just to see how he was doing, because he had had back Moose. So, we’ve been fundraising since March and there’s surgery. I wanted to see, I was rooting for him. I was hoping 63 days left in the training phase before Chicago, and we’ve that he would be able to finish the race, and he did, he did raised $2,700. There’s been 48 people that have donated to quite well. us, and I want to continue to plea to the people that haven’t donated to do all we can to try to help us, whether it be share Kharisma: Awesome. Any other information you want to a post or to donate a dollar, anything would be grateful. If share before we wrap up? you only send a cheque for a dollar or whatever you want to do, just let me know. I’ll definitely do my best to take care Janet: If you’d like to follow Gordon and I, he does have a of you if you don’t want to pay the fundraising, or the fee on Facebook page. It’s G-DogGordon. The prisoners, I guess CrowdRise or, let me know. Send me a cheque and I’ll do it. in Tehachapi, (where Gordon was part of the prison’s rehabilitation program) named him G-Dog, so I left that in Anything that we can do to try to get you guys to donate his name. G-DogGordon is his page. will be greatly appreciated. I’ve worked hard with my training. I’ve done fundraisers out in the community that Kharisma: Before we wrap up, how has Gordon.... How has are extremely awkward for me. This is all new to me. So I’m Gordon opened up your heart again? trying to step out of my comfort zone and I’m trying to face that awkwardness head on, because it’s for a good cause and Janet: I felt absolutely broken when I lost Moose. I had I appreciate anything you guys can do to help us. mentioned to you, I loved Moose more than any other person or thing, except my father. When I lost her, I felt Kharisma: Yes. We can learn a lot from Gordon. He’s resilient. just devastated. I felt broken. When I got Gordon, there’s a The fact that he only has two legs, it hasn’t stopped him from lot of responsibility to having a dog that has some physical enjoying his life, and really moving around. It’s a beautiful challenges. In fact, the first few months were actually great sight to see him just moving like nothing. It’s so beautiful. in hindsight, in terms of getting that routine down. I was a little frustrated with the challenge at first, which was good, Anything else you want to share with the audience about the because it got me out of my head and got me to focus on upcoming marathon, like any dates and any way that they someone or something besides myself and thinking about can reach you to connect with you?

{ P R E M I E R I S S U E 2 0 1 8 } KHARISMA MAGAZINE 93my loss of Moose. It was actually, in hindsight, it was a On that note Janet, thank you again for sharing your storyblessing. Now, he keeps me pretty busy. He’s incorporated and love for Gordon.in my day, with running. I don’t really have time to focus onthe sad thoughts of Moose. I have to focus on some happy Janet: Thank you.times with Gordon. He’s definitely changed my life for thebetter. Update: Janet completed The Chicago Marathon in October, 2017.Kharisma: Awesome!Janet: He’s definitely given me purpose again.Kharisma: I know, I’m all about purpose. That’s reallyawesome to hear, that he’s giving you purpose. He’s openedup your heart, and really he’s being a beacon for other dogswho need special attention, special care, and also shining alight on neglect of animals, abuse, abandonment, etc., etc.,etc. Thank you for stepping in and being there for him.Janet: I feel like I’m the lucky one.Kharisma: Yeah. It’s like second nature to you. It’s shiftedyou, because you mentioned that you were kind of shy, interms of being on camera, and now every day you’re givingupdates, sharing with the world what’s going on with youand Gordon, which is pretty awesome, so people can keepupdated and keep in tune and in touch with what’s goingon. He has changed you for the better in so many great ways.Janet: Yes. I’ll be forever indebted to Zach Skow, for allowingme to adopt him.Kharisma: Yes, Zach is doing amazing work in the world. Hisheart is, like, so large. I know they just got access and keysto their new 20 acre dog rescue ranch. That’s pretty, prettyawesome. As he continues to do the work, his purpose orbody of work, in terms of rescuing animals, taking careof them, and he’s full of heart and courage. He’s a goodexample to follow. Check him out if you don’t know whoZach Skow is. You can head on over to Marley’s Mutts DogRescue marleysmutts.org, or you can follow his Facebookpersonal profile @ZachSkow, which is S-K-O-W. Check himout and really support the organization.

KHARISMA MAGAZINE { P R E M I E R I S S U E 2 0 1 8 }94 TOP CHEF RdearliesiangmherFoodthrough DARE TO

{ P R E M I E R I S S U E 2 0 1 8 } KHARISMA MAGAZINE 95 Interview with Maha, Mark and Monika Barsoom After years of dreaming of Kharisma: It’s so great to have you all here today! I would opening her own little love each of you to share the journey that led you here to Egyptian restaurant, give birth to the Maha’s Restaurant. Head Chef Maha Barsoom Mark: I used to be a barista at a coffee shop called Grinder. opened Maha’s on Monika and I used to both work there. We pretty much ran the place ourselves. I did the afternoons, she did September 28th, 2014 the mornings. It just really helped us develop the tools alongside her two children, to understand how to run a business and run a shop. A couple of months after our dad was laid off, my parents Monika and Mark. decided to take a little vacation in Cairo. To blow off some They converted their space from steam and have some fun. When they were gone, Monika what was once a kitchen and and I were really looking at what we wanted to do with our lives and what we wanted to do in the future. bath cabinet store into a cozy restaurant of t​heir​own. Monika: I had just finished my undergrad at York, and It has been named by Mark finished two years of Centennial College. At Grinder, we worked very closely with our boss, James, who was Toronto Life as “...a contender an amazing inspiration. He started like us. He took the for the city’s best.” initiative and started a restaurant called Morning Glory. It’s a brunch place that now his sister runs. I know hisBE ICONIC story. He knew that our mom was an amazing cook and she’s very passionate. We’re all very passionate individuals, so he was very supportive. We’d talk about opening a restaurant, but opening a restaurant was very high-risk and we were always kind of against it, but it was always our mother’s dream to open a restaurant. I think it took our parents leaving and having that bit of separation to really begin to step back and assess what we were doing with our lives, and how we can actually achieve success in opening a restaurant. Kharisma: What about you, Maha? Maha: I had been thinking of opening a restaurant for quite some time. I love to cook, and I’ve been cooking since I was 15 years old. I just enjoy it. I started my kitchen business. I have a degree in English literature, and my background is in translation. I worked as a translator in Egypt and here in Canada, as an interpreter. I was just a little bit hesitant about opening a restaurant. Then a friend, encouraged me to do some catering because we had a get-together at one of the facilities that I interpret at and everybody was bringing something, so I brought

KHARISMA MAGAZINE { P R E M I E R I S S U E 2 0 1 8 } 96 food. I made some food and then they said, ”Oh my God, you have to open a restaurant.” She was really very supportive. She was telling me, ”You should do it because I think your food is amazing, and you cook with your heart and passion.” Mark: We grew up eating Maha’s food, so we were used to the flavour and the amazing taste. Obviously, you can tell it’s amazing, but we started really noticing how good people reacted to it when people would come over for dinner. Monika: And when we would go to other friends’ houses for dinner and taste the food is really different. It’s that saying, you don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone, kind of thing. Mark: Exactly. Monika: Even though our mom cooked for us our entire life, but it really took going to someone else’s house and eating different food or going out to eat, for example. We went to an Egyptian restaurant once that opened for a couple years. My mom and I went. And we were very disappointed, because it just didn’t taste the same. We grew up spoiled, I think, by our mom. Kharisma: Wow. So, then your mom and dad went away, and you guys started thinking about your future. How did it all come together? Mark: Monika had graduated at York University with a degree for photography — being that photography is a tough field to get jobs.

{ P R E M I E R I S S U E 2 0 1 8 } KHARISMA MAGAZINE 97Monika: Yeah, the arts, it’s very difficult. basically spending, spending, spending and no money is coming in. That was really stressful, for sure. To be 24 and 21Mark: I did two years of college. I didn’t really enjoy it, and I and feeling that financial load on your back, it’s somethingdidn’t really want to continue with the school, to be honest. that we’ve never experienced. But we were able to do, asI don’t mind going back, maybe taking a couple courses, everyone was very supportive. It’s all ”the family’s in thisbut what my dream was is to run my own business. But I together”, so everybody was stressed, but we still have eachdidn’t really know what type of business. So I was like, you other.know what? I can do this and still satisfy my passion so thatI could run a business and be with my mother and sister. Kharisma: Which is important.Monika: It took some convincing for sure, even throughout Monika: Yeah, of course. Throughout this whole process, Ithe whole process of getting to open. I tried very hard to was trying to remain calm, even though there were internalalways keep a level head and not freak out about certain thoughts of doubt. Especially with the permits never comingthings, because we had a lot of problems with the permits in and not hearing anything from the city. We wanted tofrom the city and renovating the place. We had to do the open for June. We ended up opening on September 28th,build-out. There was never a kitchen here. There’s so many 2014. That was all because of delays from the city.things that had to be done according to the city, and buildingcode, etc. Monika: Our dad handles the financial side of the business.Mark: And we had no experience building a kitchen. Maha: He’s the managing controller.Monika: My mom had experience with building a kitchen at Monika: We’d be totally lost without him. It really is a truethe private school that we attended in Cairo, but that was family business.totally different. Kharisma: That’s an amazing journey to this point thatMaha: The thing is, I worked as the kitchen manager of the you’ve opened, and I can tell things are going well.school. I started this kitchen from scratch, but with the helpof other people. I had a sales person, I had an accountant, I Monika: Thank God!had a cook, I had bus people busing around. I did inventoryand all that stuff. I prepared the menu. I just looked over Kharisma: So why Leslieville? Why not downtown Toronto,how things are being done, never did it with my hands. But, or even on Danforth Avenue? Why this location?you know, I learned from this stuff. Then when I startedmy catering business, I learned also from catering because Monika: We looked at a lot of different places. Maybe threeI never catered before. But, I was very happy to cook and places. Then the rent was extremely expensive.deliver food to people, because they loved it. I was thinking,okay, this is another thing. But then I wasn’t very satisfied Mark: We all grew up in the East End. We’re very proud ofbecause still, this is not what I wanted to do. I’m cooking, the East End.I’m happy, but this is not exactly what I wanted to do. ThenI said to Monika and Mark, ”Okay, let’s do the restaurant.” Monika: We love the East End. It’s totally underrated, and weThen they said, ”No way. This is out of the question.” want to bring more people from all over to the East End to see the wonderful neighborhood it is. But yeah, also, I thinkMonika: Starting up, Mark and I took out loans from the price range is totally crazy. We looked at a couple of spacesbank. Our parents sold a piece of land that is a family right on Gerrard Street, and the difference between justproperty. So, they were able to contribute a small chunk of being a block away from Gerrard versus right on Gerrard—money. but, our whole budget was very humble to do this the rent is astronomical. It’s insane. To start up a business,whole project. There were definitely huge financial stress. you don’t want to be spending all your budget on your rent,Mark and I left our jobs at the coffee shop. There was a on your first and last.period of unemployment, and what we were doing was

98KHARISMA MAGAZINE { P R E M I E R I S S U E 2 0 1 8 } Maha: Also, when we were looking, we were looking at the spices, but not hot spice. Just the flavour of different kinds place that has been already established, and that’s why it of spices. was very expensive. And then we were thinking it’s better to start fresh and buy new equipment to put our own place Kharisma: Awesome. Like in any business, there are ups together. Because I have to tell you, I feel at home, honestly. and downs. There’s challenges, and there’s great days and Because I wanted the kitchen to be very homey, so I feel bad days. What is the most challenging experience to date, comfortable. Because that’s what I do. I cook food as if I’m since opening? cooking at home. Mark: Opening in the mornings. At least for me, it is. Got to And the kids are happy, because we designed it together. get up at five. Monika wanted to do the layout this way for the coffee so Mark, when he’s serving people, he’s comfortable. I wanted Kharisma: Oh, wow. to do the layout inside just the way that we can manage, because both of us are in the kitchen all the time. The most Mark: And then late nights. important thing was to build it the way we want, not get it how it is. I think this made a big difference for us as well. Monika: Well, I think because we’re just starting out, we’re And of course, the windows. I love them. very attached to the business. It’s our baby. So, we’re here every single day from 5am till we close, which is usually at Kharisma: That’s pretty awesome. How would you describe 7pm, but by the time we get out of here, it’s either 8:30, 9:30 your menu? sometimes. We would love to leave at 7:30pm, but that’s never happened yet. That’s the dream. That’s the goal. Maha: The menu is Egyptian cuisine and is mainly based on legumes and vegetables, because of the geography. The Maha: Today I left about 9:30 pm. country is mostly desert. Meat is usually very expensive in Egypt. Poultry, buffalo meat or lamb meat, this is what we eat Monika: So there are long days. That’s the biggest challenge. in Egypt. We are from Coptic Orthodox background, so we fast a lot in the year. Not necessarily us, but general Coptic Maha: We don’t have early leavings. population. When we fast, we have to eat vegan. Completely vegan. This drove so many dishes- vegan dishes- with lots Kharisma: What about you? of varieties and lots of flavour, so it’s not boring, and it’s healthy at the same time, because not so much meat and Maha: Me, the most challenging thing would be when not so much chicken in it. But we have lots of influence from Jeremy, Mark’s friend - he’s our dish washer - is sick. Or the history. our cleaner is sick. We hired a cleaner, we hired Jeremy as a dish washer because we don’t have a dish washing machine. Of course, ancient Egypt has a big, big hand in the cuisine, So, he’s our dishwasher and he fell sick a couple times. because the main dishes are still cooked now since the ancient pharaohs. A big staple is the onions and vegetables, Kharisma: Oh wow. because Egyptians are the ones who discovered cultivation. Maha: Yeah. And the cleaning lady... because after all the We have so many dishes with fruits, vegetables and legumes. prepping for the following day, and tidying up and cleaning Also, when we had the Ottoman Empire, the Ottomans the fridge every single night, you don’t want to be cleaning stayed in Egypt for many, many years, and the cuisine was the floors. very affected. So we have lots of Turkish influence in the cuisine. When the French also occupied Egypt, we have lots Kharisma: Exactly. of French influence, especially in desserts and sauces. We have Spanish also, a little bit of Greek, a little bit of Italian. Maha: And washing them and stuff like that. So these are It’s like a big bowl of salad. It’s not very spicy. It has lots of the really challenging days for me, when they don’t show up.

{ P R E M I E R I S S U E 2 0 1 8 } KHARISMA MAGAZINE 99“ I wanted thekitchen to be very homey.....Because that 's what I do.home”.I cook food as if I'm cooking at

100KHARISMA MAGAZINE { P R E M I E R I S S U E 2 0 1 8 } Monika: We’re very lucky, because we’re very tightly knit, talking with them and I’m asking questions. and we were also able to get very great help with Mark’s friend, Jeremy. He’s amazing. My boyfriend, he’s also a chef Monika: We’re making jokes. It’s funny because we’ll be and he works at a restaurant downtown. He actually works upset for a minute or two, but then we crack a joke here and with us on weekends, which makes a world of difference, for say something there. sure, because he knows what he’s doing, he’s very clean and efficient, and very patient with myself and my mother, who Maha: Yeah. I think it’s my nature with everybody, not only can be very demanding. with the kids, with my customers, my sisters and brothers. I just go mad and get upset and get all what I feel out. Kharisma: I know it’s family and you’re knit very close together, but I’m sure there’s times when you disagree. Kharisma: What would you say is the most rewarding experience to date? We talked about the challenging Monika: We want to strangle each other? Yup. experiences. What would you say is the most rewarding so far? Kharisma: How do you handle that? Monika: I think every day, there are little rewards that make Maha: They want to strangle each other, then they are you realize how much everything has paid off, and how making up the next minute. much we love what we do. I’m so proud of my brother, I’m so proud of my mom. They’re amazing people. We all bust Monika: That’s one of the biggest rules for us, is never go our asses, so it did pay off. That’s one of the things that when to bed angry. When someone’s in a bad mood, it affects people talk to us about getting to where we are now and how what you’re doing. It doesn’t matter that you’re speaking in it all came to be, it’s like talk is talk, but you actually have to Arabic, people can still pick up on tones. take initiative and do it. And yeah, taking risks is scary, and we always talked about if worst did come to worse and we Kharisma: Yeah, exactly. And your body language. did fail for whatever reason, it wouldn’t be so bad. We would just file bankruptcy or whatever it takes to get out of it, and Monika: Yeah. then we’ll move on. Maha: And I do have a very loud voice. People can tell Money is money. It comes and goes. And as long as we’re in she’s mad. it together and still bearing the weight of whatever we’re doing, we’re going to be okay. But we also talked about Monika: Yeah. We try to separate business from emotions, failure is not an option. We are not going to let it fail, because but it’s still very hard. we’re confident in what we’re doing. Confident in our food. It’s what we grew up on, so we know that it’s good. Maha: Well, you know what, it’s like being with your son or with your daughter 24 hours. It’s not easy. Mark: And the coffee, too. Monika: And your mother. Monika: Yeah, the coffee of course, because we come from a coffee background. Maha: Yeah. That’s why I think it takes lots of patience. It takes lots of wisdom to deal with these mistakes. Of course Kharisma: I love your attitude, because I wish more at times I just freak out on them, and they freak out on entrepreneurs would think that way. They see the risk or me. But you know what, we have to manage, and it’s my consider the risk and then they get afraid, they don’t want character. I never get upset more than half an hour. I just to take the inspired action that’s required to launch or move get mad for a second. Then the next second, I’m fine. I’m forward.