Author Archives: Lyn

About Lyn

I'm a fun-loving granny, mother of 3 and granny of 5. I have a teaching background of 30 years and having nurtured little ones, I love to nurture bigger people - helping them to grow in confidence and grow their businesses. I help raise their visibility and brand awareness with social media and out of the box thinking. I am known as the #Golivegranny as I have been live streaming on a regular basis since August 2016 when - I live-streamed the Ryde Carnival on a completely blank page on facebook. My son, Tristan taught me how and helped me to get in front of 1000 viewers on that first broadcast. I now Livestream as many Isle of Wight events as I can on https://facebook.com/isleofwight.live and I have a regularly broadcast at 10 pm on https://facebook.com/golivegranny and the audiences both are growing on an almost daily basis. The #golivegranny community has become an amazing group of people - a friendly and supportive group. I will add to the blog about what happens and what is achieved through this group. You will learn about some amazing things achieved.

It’s how you react that matters!

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When I was younger, I used to be fiery but I have mellowed over the years. Why on earth increase my blood pressure unecessarily over other people’s misdemeanours?

I have been running my own businesses since I was 27. I have worked extremely hard over the years – firstly running a very successful nursery school (for 21 years!) then running successful book businesses. Sadly, during that time I have encountered many who have tried to bring me down. At times, life has been extremely challenging but I learnt to pick myself up, dust myself down and start all over again and again and again. Also during that time I have helped many others to do the same, benefiting from my life’s experiences. Why on earth are people so unkind?

(taken from http://topcreativeproducts.com/we-cant-choose-what-happens/)

I find now that by keeping my cool and remaining very calm is the best way to deal with things. Last year, whilst on a ferry home to the Isle of Wight, I opened the back of my van to put my bag in. I was very careful to make sure the door was no where near the car behind. Along came Mrs Grumpy from the car behind – shouting at me and telling me I was about to smash her headlight. I pointed out that I using my knee as a door stop. I went on to as follows!

“I’m so sorry you have had a bad day. I have had a lovely day. I hope your day gets better. ” It rather took the wind out of her sails. :) I soooooooo wish I had a jar of the chocolate smiles. I would have given her one as she clearly didn’t have one of her own.

Keeping my cool has proved so successful in many different challenges. Whilst those who are challenging me push their stress levels up, keeping my cool keeps mine down.

I know the challenges will never go away but how I handle them makes such a difference.

How do you handle difficult situations and do you have any examples?

Do as you would be done by

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Do as you would be done by! This is one of my favourite quotes and one I live by. There is too much doom and gloom in the world and many people taking out their frustrations on others. I have been a victim of this behaviour but it has never made me turn away from the lessons my daddy taught me. I always try to treat everyone in the way I would like to be treated. It costs nothing and can pay big dividends!

What favourite sayings do you have?

If I had one wish

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Smiling is infectious, you catch it like the flu
When someone smiled at me today I started smiling too
I walked around the corner and someone saw me grin
When he smiled I realised I had passed it on to him
I thought about that smile and then realised its worth
A single smile like mine could travel round the earth
So if you feel a smile begin don’t leave it undetected
Lets start an epidemic and get the world infected.  (Author unknown)

 

So which three people would you make smile and why?

 

How I was inspired by a book and an entrepreneur!

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Day 2 of the 30 day blog challenge.

I have entered a 30 day blog challenge (posting a blog post everyday for a month) as well as a 30 day video challenge (again posting video clips every day and being accountable.) What a great opportunity to get the business moving in 2013. I have been inspired by many entrepreneurs and also by many books and so what better than combining both in a video,  as the video challenge was to talk about a book that had inspired. Not only did the book inspire me, Allison Marlowe, of AllisonMarlowe.Com  and of Winning Women has also been a source of inspiration to me. When she set the challenge to win a copy of Peaks and Valleys by Best selling author Spencer Johnson

 

So folks, what books have inspired you?

 

Things that money cannot buy.

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I have never been driven by money and whilst it is necessary, it isn’t important to me. The most important things in my life cannot be bought. Top of my list have to come family. My children are my  world.

I have three children, Toby,

who arrived on my sisters  birthday 37 years ago (gaining me enormous brownie points with my mum as her first child and first grandchild shared a birthday – something that pleased her greatly.)  Natasha followed 2 and a half years later

and married her Prince Charming in 2006. Tristan arrived when Tasha was 3 and a half.

I have always been proud of their achievements and encouraged them always to do their best. I also, always encouraged them to do what was right for them and not what other people thought was right! I believed in them and taught them to believe in themselves. (I had a very proud mummy moment last week when Toby posted a comment on facebook telling the world exactly that  :) ) No amount of money could buy the pride they have made me experience over the years not just in ordinary life but when things have challenged them greatly.

Further pride was exuded when Tasha and her husband Craig, presented me with my first grandchildren – twin daughters, born on my parents 61st wedding anniversary (and again brownie points were awarded – my daughter making the day even more special.) A baby sister arrived two and a half years later. These little people, as I love to call them, fill me with pride and joy as they chatter to me on the phone or visit me or welcome me to their home. I love to arrive with them before bedtime so I can share those precious bedtime stories and as an ex – nursery school teacher – I always add in lots of lovely bedtime rhymes too.

 

Other family things that have filled me with pride – my fathers funeral! Now that might sound odd but my dad was such a lovely man that the church was full for his funeral on July 1st 2010. It was actually mum’s and my niece Zoe’s birthday – but we chose that date as we knew that it would be a joyous occasion as we celebrated his long and fruitful life. I. along with my siblings and mum all delivered tribute speeches. Such happy memories so fondly remembered. What a celebration that was – we even had the service videod and I have enjoyed listening with immense pride as we all recalled amusing and happy incidents throughout his 89 years – after all he had encouraged us to enter speech competitions when we were at school so that we would not be scared of speaking in public as adults. I wonder what score out of ten we would have got. I’m thinking maybe 9 and a half – he never awarded 10!! Always room for improvement!)

He always believed in me and encouraged me even through all the very tough times. He remains with me even now guiding me. No price can be put on that wonderful warm ReadyBrek glow that gives me.

Over the last few years, I have had many challenges but through social media, I have “met” many super people with whom I have built up great friendships (and some of them I have now met in real life too!) Again – no money could ever buy!  They have inspired and supported me and pulled me through my long dark tunnel. I do try and pay it forward and hope I am now helping and inspiring others. (I have been told I do :)

I have been honoured to have received several awards over the last three years which I display  in my lounge and admire – remembering all the stories and challenges behind them.

I now run a network group for the small/medium businesses on the Isle of Wight. Wightbuzz has given me many warm readybrek glow moments as I watch my members become friends and collaborate with each other, providing solutions or advice etc. I threw the pebble in the pool as I created the group but then I watch and enjoy as I watch the ripples :)

I could add much more but I need to finish – I should have posted this 35 minutes ago as Im taking part in the Ultimate Blog challenge 31 blog posts in 31 days. I will add more in subsequent blogs. So come back and visit again soon. :)

 

 

 

 

 

Welcome to my ecofriendly world and see what’s on offer in my ecofriendly supermarket.

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Welcome to my ecofriendly world.

I am just approaching my third birthday as a distributor with Wikaniko. Back in 2009, I decided to start taking small green steps to help save the planet. What better way than joining an ethical business that is set up as a cooperative. Trevor and Karen Blake work tirelessly to grow Wikaniko I have an online ecofriendly supermarket which contains over 900 items from raw chocolate and a range of health and nutrition items to bamboo items, from cleaning products to garden products, pet products to mineral makeup and much more. I am so lucky as I don’t have to stock the supermarket or employ staff. This is all part of my membership. Members merely pay £79 to become a distributor and then for a monthly fee of £3.50 we have access to a super online shop that stocks more than 900 items to lead to a greener world. Not only that prices in my supermarket often beat the big national supermarkets! Many people still seem to think going green means paying more. We also have offers to help the family budget. As I write – the following offer is current but you will have to be quick as this offer finishes on December 16th so check it out quickly.

CHRISTMAS SPECIALS

Don’t forget to take advantage of the Christmas Special Offers this week. These particular offers are only available until midnight on Sunday 16th December, so grab them whilst you can:

*Buy the bespoke Cremoil, get a FREE Lavender Essential Oil to put in it.

* Buy 2 Aloe Vera gels, get the third FREE. (This offer is worth almost £10!)

*Lip balms – buy 2, get a random flavour FREE

*Buy 1 brown flaxseed, get 1 brown flaxseed FREE

*Buy any 6 packs of dog treats and get a FREE roll of dog waste bags

all of these can be found in my supermarket

I have a team of distributors on the Isle of Wight . We are all working from home and have many ways of promoting our businesses from catalogue drops to stalls at fetes and fairs, buying for ourselves to selling to family and friends. Just recently, the business has gone global and we are able to recruit across the globe :) I would love to help many more people take those green steps to a better world. I would like to help lots of therapists promote their own brand products for a minimal fee. There is so much to benefit to connecting with Wikaniko. I also have a facebook page and I can be found on twitter at @lynsgreenbiz

I would love to help you either as a customer of distributor. Lets work together for a greener world.

MumsClub top 100 winner inspires first Isle of Wight Shock Cash Mob

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Recently I was delighted to be named as a winner in the grandmother section of the MumsClub top 100 mums. As a result I am privileged to be part of the Top 100 mums Facebook group where we exchange knowledge and ideas. I am very much enjoying getting  to know all these lovely ladies and hearing about their achievements.

I am known as rather a night owl and recently, having fallen asleep on the sofa during the evening, I woke at about 4 am. I couldn’t resist just checking the computer. I was very inspired  by the following you tube  clip posted by fellow winner, Karen Mercer.

Imagine my surprise when I reposted on my Wightbuzz members wall and immediately, member Julie Jones Evans was reposting on her wall. Suddenly, Julie and I were having a very buzzy conversation and 10 days later we hosted our first Shock cash mob.We managed to engage much media interest for which we are very grateful. We were interviewed on Vectis Radio, Isle of Wight radio, BBCradio Solent and we have been tweeted and face booked by them. On the Wight, formerly Ventnor Blog, and the County Press have also covered our story. Julie and I are both local independent traders and passionate about flying the shop local flag. The Isle of Wight has particular problems. Like most areas, redundancy has hit hard but unlike other areas, we are surrounded by the most expensive stretch of water in the world to cross. Many have used their entrepreneurial spirit to set up their own businesses. I support many of these via Wightbuzz, my own affordable networking group which has just celebrated its second birthday.

Our first Shock cash mob was a great success. We targeted Trade Winds in Scarrots Lane, Newport and Ian and Sheila Ferguson have reported that they had their best day of the year.
We used social media and word of mouth to invite people to meet us in Newport at a well known spot and to bring £5 they were willing to spend in a local independent trader. Only Julie and I knew the destination.

It was a short walk to Trade Winds. It was so successful that we are planning the next one on Sunday 9th December and our Shock Cash Mob group is growing in numbers.

Many of my Wightbuzz members attended as well as other shoppers. We met in a well known spot in Newport and got into the spirit

The event was a great success. Ventnor Blog and the County Press hailed it a success.

We hope to see lots of people joining us to shop local on Sunday 9th December

End of an era – now for a more eco-friendly lifestyle

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Today is the end of an era! My van and I have had some exciting adventures across the country since 2004. What fun we have had together. I bought the van back in 2004 when I was a book distributor for a well known publisher. I often used to fill it to the top with books, racks, tables and stands and traversed the country setting up at exhibitions and country fayres from the Isle of Wight to Aberdeen – often travelling on my own. I would sit in the cab, which warmed up very quickly, and pop on Classic FM and pootle along in my own concert hall!! If the van could talk it would have some great tales to tell. In 2010 my circumstances changed and I set up new businesses so have since used the van for my Wikaniko business as well as my Phoenix Trading and Primary Stars businesses. It has also served me well in getting me to my Wightbuzz networking meetings.

Earlier this year is got sick!!! £500 later and it was sorted but sadly it got sick again. The cost to get it back on the road is £1000 + so I have made a decision to part company. I felt that a £60 spend on a new pair of comfortable shoes coupled with my bus pass was a way to go. After all, I run an eco friendly business – Wikaniko -. so now for a more eco friendly lifestyle. I am already feeling the benefits as my fitness levels are increasing. I have friends who are happy to give me lifts but in the mean time – have bus pass will travel. It is amazing how much you can see and appreciate when you are not driving. I have read books and updated social media on the bus and of course there is always the chance to network enroute too. So I’m off on different adventures now – bus pass, comfy shoes and shopping trolley at the ready!!! Oh and just for good measure I bought myself a big umbrella!!

MumsClub top 100 Business Mums award

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Business Mum Awards - Nominated 2012

Imagine my delight when, having been nominated in the Mums Club business awards, I was listed as a winner. After nomination, it went to a public vote. It all happened in such a busy week that I hardly had time to seek votes for myself. There was a major competition going on - Team Green Britain where David Green, of the Isle of Wight (where I live) was bidding for a £10,000 prize to be  used for the community and voting was fierce and in fact finished two hours before the Mums Club votes had to be in. I had spent all week on community votes so I was quite burnt out when it came to my own votes. I am thoroughly honoured to find myself voted in in position 25 of the top 100 and am grateful to all those who voted for me. I am now getting to know a new group of business friends as I learn more about the other 99 awards winners.