PRESS RELEASE

Published April 1, 2023

On a mission to empower clients to live their best lives, Tony J. Selimi launched an intensive coaching program that will provide participants with the tools they need to create an inspiring vision for their future and an actionable plan to achieve it.

More information is available at https://tonyselimi.com/growth-and-empowerment-retreat-find-your-path-to-success/

Selimi explains that detailed planning plays a crucial role in empowering, growing, and succeeding in all critical areas of life. The new retreat is based on the holistic, "360-degree" approach to personal and professional development that Selimi developed over his 30-year career. The goal of the program is to create a vision and plan for each of the eight spheres of life - spiritual, mental, emotional, physical, relationship, professional, business, and financial.

The life coach adds that a detailed plan and life strategy are essential for achieving goals, as they provide clarity, accountability, and motivation for taking action. As a mentor and accountability partner, Selimi will teach participants how to build a growth mindset, overcome self-imposed limits, and set smart goals that are in alignment with their core authentic values.

"Deep inside your mind, heart, and soul, you know you have a dream you would love to get into your existence," says Selimi. "The truth is that fears, societal demands, indoctrination, and expectations of you take hold. You stop believing in your abilities to consciously create an inspired life designed by you."

At the end of the 5-day retreat, participants will have a detailed Vital Plan, comprising a financial strategy, a relationship and family fulfilment plan, a business growth plan, an emotional self-mastery blueprint, and more.

The retreat takes place at an exotic resort or another location of the client's choice, and combines private 1-on-1 coaching sessions with relaxing and inspiring activities, such as yoga, walks on the beach, swimming with dolphins, and sightseeing. The change of scenery and break from the usual routine and daily stress gives participants the opportunity to recharge, reconnect to their true authentic self, and reassess their life goals.

"Tony is an amazing transformational life coach, a business mentor and the world's best healer," said a satisfied client. "He is not only the most loving human being but also incredibly challenging, intense, sharp and to the point. You leave Vital Planning Retreat and his coaching sessions feeling blessed, empowered, enormously content and blissfully happy."

Interested parties can find more information by visiting https://tonyselimi.com/growth-and-empowerment-retreat-find-your-path-to-success/

Tony J. Selimi - Life Strategist and Business Coach Specialising in Human Behaviour and Maximising Human Potential

4 Riverlight Quay

United Kingdom

COMTEX_428102014/2824/2023-04-01T01:08:00

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Life Planning Coaching Retreat: Business Success & Productivity ... - Digital Journal

St. John's graduate now a part of three championship teams on UConn staff

Tom Moore was ordering a large coffee from Starbucks Wednesday afternoon and looking forward to a great nights sleep, but, some 36 hours after the University of Connecticut mens basketball team captured the national championship, obviously was still exhilarated.

UConn defeated San Diego State, 76-59, Monday night in Houston, and amidst the swirling confetti in the postgame celebration, players, coach Dan Hurley and his assistants wore nets around their necks, took turns hoisting the trophy, and proudly held up five fingers to acclaim the programs fifth national championship.

Moore, who grew up in Millbury, graduated from St. Johns High, and is in the fifth season of his second stint on the Huskies coaching staff, has been part of three of them.

It feels great, Moore said in a phone interview.

The 57-year-old Moore, whose first head coaching job was at Worcester State, spent 13 seasons (1994-2007) on former UConn coach Jim Calhouns staff and helped guide the Huskies to their first two national titles, in 1999 and 2004.

All three (national title teams he has been part of) were really different, Moore said. In 1999, there was the pressure for Coach Calhoun to make a Final Four. He had been considered probably the best coach in college basketball to that point not to make a Final Four. It was such a relief that year just winning the Elite 8 game. Winning it all was just the cherry on the top.

UConn entered the 99 final against Duke as a 10-point underdog and won, 77-74.

The 2004 team, considered a front-runner most of the year, overcame some injuries, peaked down the stretch, and beat Georgia Tech, 82-73 in the final.

This years team started 14-0, dipped in January, and dominated its NCAA Tournament competition, winning six games by an average margin of 20 points.

The thing about this team that was different from the other two, Moore said, is Ive never been around a team where all eight players in the rotation were playing well throughout the whole month of March. Ive never seen anything like it.

They were all super comfortable in their roles, Moore added, and they were on a hot streak the whole month. They went into every practice and every game with a confidence and a swagger, and feeling good about how they were playing. It was like this magic carpet ride. They looked like the team they were in November and December again.

Earlier on Wednesday, Moore joked with graduate guard Joey Calcaterra and junior guard Andre Jackson that he wished there was another regional to go to next week.

It was that type of group of guys, Moore said. You wanted to keep coaching them.

Freshman forward Alex Karaban of Southborough, who started all but one game in 2022-23 and was a solid contributor all season, averaged 7.5 points and 5.5 rebounds in the NCAA tourney.

In the final, Karaban, who starred for one season at Algonquin Regional, had 5 points, 5 rebounds and 3 blocks.

To get that consistency and poise out of a first-year player is amazing, said Moore, who had an important role in recruiting Karaban.

This season, Karaban led the Huskies in minutes (1,129).

Hes just that valuable, Moore said. You didnt want to take him off the floor.

Moore, who left UConn after the 2006-07 season to take over at Quinnipiac, where he led the Bobcats for 10 years, shared the 2004 national title with former Holy Cross coach George Blaney, who was a UConn assistant from 2000-13. Their relationship goes back to Moores youth, when he attended Blaneys HC basketball camp.

After Mondays game, Hurley, who played for Blaney for two seasons at Seton Hall, thanked his former coach.

Two games into his junior season, Hurley left the Seton Hall team, taking a personal leave of absence and unsure if he would play basketball again. When Blaney took over as Seton Hall coach the next year, he convinced Hurley to return.

Dan credits Coach Blaney for saving his basketball life, Moore said, for helping him relocate his passion for the game. Coach Blaneys touch and his compassion and his understanding came into Dans life, from a basketball perspective, when he needed someone like that the most. Knowing what a caring person Coach Blaney is, someone who understands the game and what the game can do for people and the redeeming power of the game, its not surprising.

Moore hasnt yet spoken to Blaney since UConns win Monday night, but he will. Moore received a congratulatory text from Blaneys son, Brian.

The Huskies returned to Storrs Tuesday afternoon, and fans welcomed them back to Gampel Pavilion with a national championship rally. Among those in attendance was Calhoun.

Dan has done a great job bringing him into the fold and having him talk to the team, Moore said.

There will be a victory parade in downtown Hartford Saturday.

Its been really good winning and going on a run like this, Moore said. It gets people so excited. Thats the best part of it.

Contact Jennifer Toland at jennifer.toland@telegram.com. Follow her on Twitter @JenTolandTG.

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Millbury's Tom Moore celebrates winning another championship ... - Worcester Telegram

Janelle Brown from Sister Wives is by far one of the most relatable stars on the show. The second wife of Kody Brown has always been surprising with her ability to talk her husband off a ledge. Through all the polygamous family's moves and issues, Janelle was the calmest of the bunch, often lending some good advice to the rest of the group.

Sister Wives' Janelle Brown came across as cold to the other wives most of the time, but she was a friendly face in the Brown family. Janelle married Kody in 1993 after divorcing Adam Barber, who happened to be Meri's brother. Even though Janelle and Kody are step-siblings, she never accepted anything but an equal partnership with her husband. Janelle is a hard worker with a special knack for numbers. She was often found balancing her and Kody's checkbook, while crunching numbers for upcoming ventures. Janelle was one of the few sister wives to leave the family homestead and go to work. Her personality made her relatable and helped the show soar in ratings.

Janelle's independence is something to be admired. Since the spunky blonde first appeared on Sister Wives, she's had a love of being able to do things on her own. Even though she lived in the same home with Meri and Christine Brown during the early seasons, she rarely asked for help and assistance. Even though Kody at one point also favored Janelle, she never leaned on him for much. Janelle's career was an immense help to put her ahead of Kody's other spouses. When she moved to Las Vegas, she also decided to get her real estate license.

Before Kody and Janelle went their separate ways, Janelle decided to give herself roots on Coyote Pass by buying a luxury RV. Even though Kody was livid, he wasn't consulted about the major decision. Janelle stood her ground and claimed that she wanted to live on the land they owned, noting that since no one else was making a move, she would be the first. In many ways, Janelle was a pioneer of the family, paving the way for other members to go off the grid too.

Janelle has come across as one of the most hardworking members of the Sister Wives clan. It's easy to relate to the mother of six, since Janelle is a career-oriented working mother. Nowadays, more women are choosing a career over staying home with their children. This admirable trait that Janelle possesses, which makes the working mother relatable.

The Sister Wives star has worked all her life and has often been the only other breadwinner for the large polygamous family. Along with her real estate license, Janelle has had a few other side hustles that have kept her extremely busy. She works with Christine to promote Plexus and their supplement drinks. Janelle is doing the best out of all the Browns, as she's reached the diamond level. Janelle also launched her own life coaching business called Strive with Janelle, where she updates subscribers about healthy living and encourages others to join her.

Janelle has six children, Logan, Hunter, Gabe, Garrison, Madison, and Savanah Brown. Without a doubt, Janelle is one proud mom, which is easy for Sister Wives viewers to relate to. In the latest season, Janelle made it perfectly clear that she would not only always choose her children over Kody, but also her dogs. One major issue showed Janelle clashing with Kody and his strict COVID-19 rules. Instead of kicking their sons out as the father of 18 wanted, Janelle allowed her children to stay in her home rent-free.

Not only is Janelle a good mom, but she's a wonderful grandmother. Janelle now has three grandchildren, Axel, Evie, and Joey. The Sister Wives star often goes to her daughter Madison's home in North Carolina to lend a helping hand or spend some quality time with her grandchildren. Janelle's strong sense of family allows followers to resonate with her, and shows that she has a big heart.

Even though Kody may have dubbed Janelle as disloyal after she went against his rules regarding the worldwide pandemic, the Plexus pusher is always loyal to a fault. Janelle has made it her mission to remain friends with Kody's third wife Christine after they separated in November 2021. The two women have gotten together for birthdays, holidays, and babies' births.

Janelle was also extremely loyal to Kody for years. When no other wife would support his endeavors, Janelle stepped up to be the patriarch's sounding board. Janelle would often try to reason with Kody and lead him in a direction that would be mutually beneficial for the entire family. Throughout the years, Janelle often put herself out on the line for Kody, who never seemed to appreciate her or her fidelity.

Sister Wives star Janelle loves to connect with nature. After spending almost two years inside due to the coronavirus, Janelle's love of the outdoors is relatable. The mother of six often posts about her hiking trips, as Arizona boasts some of the best trails in the nation. Janelle often comes off as a hippie, which makes sense since she was born in 1969. She allows people to connect with her by being a free spirit much more easily than some of the other wives.

Sister Wives season 16 showed Janelle trying to grow her own vegetables in her garden in an attempt to eat healthier even though she lives in a desert. She was hoping to make the garden more sustainable by having her own farm-to-table menus with items she could pluck from the greenhouse. Janelle's ambition to connect with "Mother Earth" has been admired for seasons, as it seems like her interests have kept her extremely grounded, especially through trying times.

Source: Strive with Janelle

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Sister Wives: 5 Reasons Why Janelle Brown Is So Relatable - Screen Rant

Da Prato said he has received an overwhelming amount of support from the staff, players and his family. ORACLE PHOTO/ALEXANDRA URBAN

Despite the pressure of taking on the role of interim head coach, Daniel Da Prato said the moments he spends talking with his family make him feel supported.

The best thing about family and the best thing about kids is youre still dad. Nothing changes, he said. It doesnt matter that we walked out on the field before the game, Im still dad. And those parents that are out there know your childs smile will light you up any time.

Da Prato stepped into the position during a challenging part of the season, as the Bulls are currently 1-9. The news of Da Prato leading the team comes after the recent firing of former coach Jeff Scott.

Although the team is facing a lot of changes and uncertainties, such as multiple player injuries and coaching changes, Da Prato said the mission of the program has not been lost.

My role has changed, but the purpose and the reason that Im here is still to help these young men and that makes the transition in that area with our players as smooth as possible, he said.

Were here to help guide them, lead them and serve them on their path.

One aspect of the transition that has been difficult for Da Prato to adjust to is time management, he said.

Da Prato said he still holds the responsibilities of his role as special teams coordinator alongside his new position, so balancing these duties to ensure he is able to put his best effort for the team has been a priority.

A part of this time management is ensuring he makes time to talk and visit with his family, who he calls his support system.

My wife and my girls, whenever I can see them or theyre awake I try to. And then obviously FaceTiming them brings a smile to my face every time, he said. My parents had actually been in town, my mom and dad had a trip planned to be here which just happened to be last week so it was neat to be around them a little bit as well.

Before arriving at USF, Da Prato has been on the staff of many university teams. He began his career as a graduate assistant for the offense for the 2004-05 seasons at the University of Louisiana-Monroe, and eventually became the director of operations and recruiting coordinator in 2006. Da Prato served as the special teams coordinator at Arkansas the year prior to being hired at USF.

As a player, he initiated his college career at New Mexico Highlands University in 2000, where he played as the starting quarterback for one year. Da Prato finished his time as a college athlete with the University of Louisiana-Monroe as a quarterback.

With this experience under his belt, Da Prato said he feels he is more than equipped to take on the role of interim head coach.

I think going through this both as a player and as a coach, I had an idea of how some of these situations may come about. And I think anything in life that youve experienced already can help you and prepare you for a similar situation, he said.

Now theyre all different, but my past experiences of being on a staff and being a player have helped guide me, and learning from those experiences helped me in this process.

Beyond aiming to successfully coach the team, Da Prato said his goal, along with the rest of the staff, is to be there for each player to make sure they are emotionally and mentally prepared to practice on the field while navigating through difficult circumstances.

Be there for them. Have them come into your office, put your arm around them, help them. Ask everybody in the facility, if you see our young men, love them up, reach out to them and be there for them over and over and over again, he said.

They are going through a difficult time, and as leaders, we need to be here to help them. What you put your time into is whats important to you, and we have our doors open and our phones on to help these young men at any point in time.

Though the team has faced a challenging season, Da Prato said he sees a bright future for the program given the hard work produced by each player on the team.

I see greatness. We have an incredible location in Tampa Bay and the community is incredible, he said. We have a phenomenal university that is rising to the top as we speak. We have an incredible athletic department. We have an incredible administration. We have incredible support from our fans, from the board, from our president right through Michael Kelly.

Then you get in the locker room and weve got great players. Weve got great young men that are continuing to push through a difficult time, and I see this as a phenomenal place to work, to live, to play, to go to school. And I see greatness in this programs near future.

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'I'm here to help these young men': Da Prato's goal to support players, ensure smooth coaching transition - The Oracle

Sidney's great tradition in Cross Country and Track and Field was again recognized as Sidney High School Head Coaches Donna Wiedeburg and Matt McKay were named Coaches of the Year.

Courtesy Photo

McKay with daughter Maddox at Omaha Burke Stadium after the Sidney Raider Boys team won the 2022 Class B State Championship.

Wiedeburg was named 2021-22 State Coach of the Year for Girls Cross Country by the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) and Nebraska School Activities Association (NSAA). This annual award is to recognize Nebraska coaches for their dedication and achievement to the coaching profession. For sixteen years, Weideburg has coached the Sidney Middle School and High School Cross country programs, for ten years as an assistant coach and the past six years as head coach. Wiedeburg thanked all of the coaches and student athletes that have participated in the Red Raider Cross country program, saying, "The Sidney Raider Cross Country program is a family and I'm honored to be a part of it. I am hopeful for the positive impact this program will continue to have on its runners."

McKay was named 2021-22 State Coach of the Year for Boys Track by the NFHS and NSAA. He has coached track at Sidney High School for thirteen years, and four years as head coach. Prior to joining the Sidney Raiders, McKay was a track coach at Gering High School for nine years. McKay said, "This award was very unexpected and I am incredibly humbled to receive it. I have loved track all of my life and this is an incredible honor. I am pleased to have assistant coaches who work hard and are dedicated to helping each athlete get better."

Originally posted here:
Wiedeburg, McKay Named Coaches Of The Year - The Sidney Sun-Telegraph - Sidney Sun Telegraph

I think that it's sometimes tempting to see someone like me who looks like they have a pretty "successful" life...happy marriage, healthy children, booming business, and assume it came easily.

But the truth is, I didn't have an easy, normal childhood and I haven't even had it easy as an adult. I have lost people dear to me. I have lost friendships. My home was totally robbed once. I have had 2 miscarriages. Jason and I have been broke. We've gotten laid off from jobs. We've been taken advantage of. We waited years and years and years to adopt. I have been rejected by my biological father and paid dearly for that. There are many things that haven't gone right or normal or as planned in my life.

But...I have refused to let trauma and hardship in the past define me today. I have worked hard to retrain my brain on how to think about all of the things that have happened to me in order to not get stuck today.

I have done tons of coaching and therapy in my life. I have had incredible success in the business coaching space coaching well over 10,000 women and making well over $10 million in recent years.

But I want to help all of the women who need additional help. The women who maybe don't have a business. The ladies who feel alone, stuck or in a rut.

So I got my life coaching certification in spring 2022 so that I have the professional tools I need to help set other women free as well. Changing how I think has been the difference maker for me and I believe is the secret to my "success."

The bible says we are to renew our mind daily (watch our thoughts). The bible says that as a man thinks in his heart, so he is. The bible is full of scriptures that teach us how important our thoughts are. And I am determined to help women think differently so that they can get different results and do all that God has for them to do on this side of Heaven.

Read more:
Reframed Life Coaching with Jennifer Allwood

There were quite a few surreal moments in Dalton Grants 34-minute chat on his YouTube channel with Toni Minichiello this week, in itself his decision to interview Minichiello at all more than a little odd. If he had opted to be challenging, to ask a few tough questions, then it might have been fine, but well, its hard to know where to start.

It was only last August, after all, that UK Athletics banned Minichiello for life from coaching after their investigation into him which had been prompted by complaints from multiple female athletes and coaches. They found that he had engaged in sexually inappropriate behaviour, emotional abuse and bullying during his coaching career.

Minichiellos best known charge was heptathlete Jessica Ennis-Hill who won gold at the 2012 Olympic Games, an achievement that subsequently saw him given the BBC Sports Personality of the Year coach award.

While insisting that she was never on the receiving end of any sexual behaviour, she described the allegations as shocking and upsetting, but Minichiello vehemently denied them. I have been a coach for over 30 years and while I have been robust and demanding, I have not behaved inappropriately towards any of my athletes, as very many of them would confirm, he said.

He is, he told Grant this week, intent on challenging UK Athletics findings and his ban, describing their investigation as one-sided and unfair.

Among the allegations made against him, the details of which you will be spared, were the inappropriate touching of athletes, the making of inappropriate sexual references and gestures towards them and engaging in inappropriate and sometimes aggressive behaviour, bullying and emotional abuse. An example of the latter was him making an athlete sit with a cone on her head to mimic a dunces cap.

His habit, meanwhile, of referring to a particular part of his anatomy as his spicy Italian sausage probably tells us a little more about his personality, and his levels of maturity, than we really wanted to know.

So, for Grant - a former British high jumper of note and now a coach, mentor and motivational speaker to invite Minichiello on his YouTube show was, to say the least, strange. Kelly Sotherton, another successful former British heptathlete, went a little stronger: Disgraceful.

As hard a watch as it was, not least the parts where Minichiello portrayed himself as the victim in all of this, and received a sympathetic ear from Grant, it was revealing too. And gave an even greater understanding of why it must be so hard for sports people to come forward with the kind of allegations that were made against him.

Take this exchange. (And you have to remind yourself that its not just a chat between two random blokes on the internet, its between one of the leading coaches in British athletics over the last three decades, and one of Britains top athletes during his day who was a captain of the British team, a board director for the London 2012 Olympic bid team and who is now a coach).

Minichiello: Athletes will use you, they will accuse you, and theyll abuse you. They want success, they want your knowledge, they want you to make them better ... and then eventually, theyll just abuse you because that is human nature.

Grant: Yeah, definitely... do you think theres a jealousy because of how you are and the way you coach?

Minichiello: Athletics is like life, there are elements of jealousy..

Grant: Jealousy, jealousy, jealousy!

Jealousy, jealousy, jealousy.

And then this.

Grant: Is there anything you could have done differently to protect yourself . because, you know, some people might be tactile or whatever. You must look back and say, hey, this has happened me, but why?

Tactile or whatever.

Minichiello didnt think so because, he said, society has changed massively . with Twitter and things like that.

It is a very, very different world out there certainly in the last five years it has changed phenomenally. A lot of the accusations about me are nothing to do with the modern era, theyre historical stuff. The difficulty we will find in life is that Im going to judge you by todays standards its impossible to defend yourself because the standards [now] are so vastly different.

By that logic the behaviour he was accused of was A okay back in the day. It was just robust and demanding. And if it wasnt for Twitter and things like that his career would have remained uninterrupted.

A slip by him was revealing too when he talked about his own situation after the 2012 London Games. In 2012, having won the Olympic gold medal .... having coached the Olympic gold medal..

Granted, a top-class coach makes no small contribution to an athletes success, but that slip suggested he claimed ownership of that medal, much like he appeared to claim ownership of the lives of the people he coached.

One of the charges he was found guilty of by UK Athletics: Failing to respect the athletes right to a private life by making intrusive inquiries and comments about their personal lives

Read up on any of the depressingly large number of coaches, across every sport, who have been found guilty of similar charges in recent years, including a host of them in womens football in America of late, and youll see much the same charges. That they felt so empowered, they believed they had the right to intrude on, and claim ownership of, every aspect of their charges lives.

Along with that came the belief that if an athlete was resistant to their efforts to control them then the coach would opt to try and break them like they were horses, and then rebuild them with the expectation of dependency and gratitude. Make them sit with a cone on their head to mimic a dunces cap, leave them so humiliated theyll never want to fail you again. Or, if they chose to walk away from their sport, so be it, that meant they were weak and never worth the effort. And if that left them feeling crushed as human beings, with knock-on issues, no matter.

It was great to get that insight to see what the coach goes through, Grant concluded, Minichiello having invited coaches out there who wanted the benefit of his wisdom to contact him. Because helping coaches is the way I can help the coach to help the athlete, he said.

Surreal? Certainly. Revealing? Enormously. All you could do was further salute the courage of those who come forward to expose the coaches who wrecked, or at least attempted to, their lives. Not to mention their apologists.

Jealousy, jealousy, jealousy? Good grief.

Original post:
A surreal look into the life of the 'unloved' coach - The Irish Times

During the social unrest that took place in the summer of 2020, protesters took to the streets in record numbers. Polls conducted at the time indicated that as many 26 million people marched to demand justice and reform in cities and towns across the country1nearly 40% of U.S. counties in all2.

But for nonprofits across the country committed to bringing about social justiceincluding equal access to education, healthcare, affordable housing and economic mobilitythe battles, while energizing, are not new. Nor are they now over, as much more work still needs to be done.

Morgan Stanleywhich is committed to an integrated and transparent diversity, equity and inclusion strategycontinues to help drive those efforts. As part of that commitment, we are supporting Centri Tech Foundation, a national nonprofit based in Washington, D.C, in launching the first Social Justice Innovation Awards. These awards represent a new strategic initiative created to advance social and racial justice and help drive greater inclusive economic opportunity.

We are thrilled to congratulate the winners of the inaugural Social Justice Innovation Awardsan impressive cohort of innovators already addressing complex social issues in an impactful way, says Susan Reid, Morgan Stanleys Global Head of Diversity & Inclusion and Head of the Institute for Inclusion, which the firm launched in 2020 to invest in underserved communities, advance equity through giving, and promote workplace diversity and inclusion. We look forward to seeing how this investment will better empower their work and enact change within the communities they serve and beyond. Adds Rey Ramsey, Chairman of Centri Tech Foundation, These visionary leaders are advancing solutions that put people and communities first. Their bold ideas bring to bear our mission of leveraging technology to accelerate systems change and promote shared prosperity.

The founders of the five organizations in the inaugural class of Social Justice Innovation Awards will participate in a nine-month program modeled after the Morgan Stanley Sustainable Solutions Collaborative, during which they will receive leadership coaching and support, as well as access to professional networks. The program is designed to promote collaboration, build capacity, and provide resources to leaders focused on achieving transformative impact. Each winner will also receive an award of $250,000 to help accelerate their ability to scale their solutions to some of Americas most complex social justice issues and drive systemic change. The winners, who were selected for developing a breakthrough concept aimed at solving critical social justice challenges and represent a diverse group of organizations, backgrounds and social issues, are as follows:

Together, with the help of Centri Tech and Morgan Stanley, these forward-thinking organizations hope to continue to advance real change. Says Matthew Slovik, Head of Global Sustainable Finance at Morgan Stanley, Tackling complex sustainability challenges requires creative thinking, innovative ideas and unique partnerships, and we are proud to work with Centri Tech Foundation in establishing this new initiative.

Read more:
Social Justice Innovation Awards: 2022 Winners - Morgan Stanley

Shop small, do big things for your community

Why Small Businesses Matter puts a spotlight on the local merchants who donate their time, talent, goods, and services for the betterment of our community. The shop local movement spreads virally as local businesses who are tagged have the opportunity to share their story!

You're ITThe Parent Collective!

Three questions withJessica M. Hill,founder ofThe Parent Collective.

Why did you start your business?

I started The Parent Collective because of my experience with having my boys in the UK. The UK gets a lot of things right when it comes to having a baby. This includes a 1-year maternity leave, in-home midwife visits postpartum, health visitors who are focused on the physical and emotional health of the mom but their approach to prenatal classes had the biggest impact on my transition into motherhood. The UK looks at prenatal classes as an opportunity to build a community without mom dates or trying to talk over baby music classes.

Our signature prenatal series, which sorts participants by neighborhood and due date, not only teaches you all you need to know about labor and how to care for your newborn, but throughout four classes, you will connect with other local expectant couples and develop your modern-day village - a support network of couples that will help you through illness, loneliness, marital problems, and the run of the mill baby drama. They also provided each other with companionship during those sometimes endless and monotonous days with a newborn.

What is your best-selling product/service?

By far our in-person prenatal series is our best-selling service. During Covid, we shifted all of our programs to zoom and still offer zoom options, but since returning to in-person classes, our series are selling out months in advance. I think couples are hungry for that connection and feeling of community we all missed out on during the pandemic.

I couldnt do what I do without our amazingly supportive venue partnerKaia Yoga!

I am also so appreciative of the network of support for new moms that we refer to all of the time includingMilk Street Lactation,The Fairfield Motherhood Cooperative,The Alliance Center,and many more.

Have you "reimagined" your small business?

Through my years working with expectant and new mothers, Ihave seen many women who are struggling with the transition to motherhood. Whetheritis managing the juggle of responsibilities between work and home, resisting the pull of perfectionism, fighting against mom guilt and burnout, or feeling disconnected from the woman they were before they became a mother; oftenthese women need a safe space to work through some of the thoughts in your head to gain clarity and develop strategies for making life smoother and more enjoyable.This needinspired me topursue certification as a life coach.

Coaching is focused on looking at the present day and moving you forward so I work with moms to identify priorities, craft goals, and experiment with weekly action steps that help them see concrete change.

I offer 1:1 coaching as well as group programming for new mothers, working mothers, and one dedicated to exploring Fair Play; a game-changing solution designed to illuminate the invisible work of domestic and childcare tasks and spark conversation between partners with the goal of more fairly dividing responsibilities.

VisitThe Parent Collectiveonlinehere, and make sure to check out theirFacebookpage as well!

HamletHub thanksFairfield County Bankfor making our Why Small Businesses Matter series possible!

Read more here:
Why Small Businesses Matter in Westport: The Parent Collective - HamletHub

For Teresa Ferreiro, reentering the workforce after surviving cancer felt overwhelming. So Ferreiro, of A Corua, Spain, founded the online platform Soul Reconnect to help other breast cancer patients and survivors navigate the frightening, often isolating, journey.

If you dont know how to go back to work, talk to others, or face your fears, then things can get very difficult, said Ferreiro, who was diagnosed with breast cancer 12 years ago.

Her return to the workforce after cancer included getting certified as an executive professional coach and pursuing a doctorate in communications. Those skills form the foundation for Soul Reconnect, which provides health care coaching and other tools to help patients navigate medical appointments, improve nutrition and exercise, and return to work.

The business, which uses methods informed by scientific research and patient feedback, also offers webinars and retreats to foster personal growth. Most importantly, Ferreiro says, Soul Reconnect empowers women through their recovery. The patient is no longer just a passive person who waits for a treatment, or others, to make decisions, Ferreiro said. Now, the patient is in the center, and she is the one who runs her life.

She credits the Academy for Women Entrepreneurs (AWE), a U.S. State Department program that empowers women to start and scale businesses, with helping her develop a business plan that incorporates her professional and personal experience, and launch Soul Reconnect.

AWE has trained more than 16,000 women worldwide since it launched in 2019. Ferreiro was accepted into AWE in 2021 as the COVID-19 pandemic forced more companies to conduct business online. AWEs online community of women entrepreneurs supported Ferreiro as she launched her business during the tumultuous economic time.

What I didnt know was that, for example, I would be constantly pivoting starting and stopping three times due to COVID, she said. So, it was more like being part of a community where we all are in the same place; otherwise, you feel very alone.

She also says AWE helped her realize the possibilities for expanding Soul Reconnect. She hopes to partner with companies seeking to offer wellness programs to employees, and add and translate content to reach patients outside Spain, and with other illnesses.

The program helped me to be brave, and think, OK, theres nothing to lose,' Ferreiro said. This is my idea, and it is going to work!

A version of this article was previously published by the State Departments Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.

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Coaching others through the fight against cancer - ShareAmerica