Female Fusion NZ

The secret to long-term success is simple. Think 10 years ahead. We often overestimate what we can achieve in a year, but underestimate what we can accomplish in a decade. With the right plan, your dream life 10 years from now is within reach. Why have a plan? If you don’t know where you’re going, how will you get there? A clear roadmap keeps you focused and helps turn long-term goals into reality. I always work towards a 10-year plan that covers everything: my business, lifestyle, and health. It keeps me on track and ensures consistent progress toward my vision. Here’s how to create your own 10-year plan: 1/ Define Your Dream Life ↳ Picture your ideal life 10 years from now. ↳ What does your career look like? Your relationships? Your health? ↳ Think big - nothing is too ambitious! 2/ Break It Down ↳ Your 10-year vision might feel overwhelming, but it’s achievable. ↳ Split it into key areas: career, health, relationships, personal growth, finances. ↳ Identify what needs to happen in each area. 3/ Reverse Engineer It ↳ Start with your 10-year goal and work backward. ↳ What milestones need to be hit in 5 years? 2 years? 6 months? ↳ Map out a clear path from your future back to today. 4/ Set Milestones ↳ Define clear, measurable milestones along your journey. ↳ Regularly check in and track your progress. ↳ Be open to adjusting as priorities change. 5/ Take Daily Action ↳ Big dreams are achieved through small, consistent steps. ↳ What can you do today, this week, or this month to move closer to your vision? ↳ Keep yourself accountable. 6/ Stay Flexible ↳ Life is unpredictable, and plans may need to change. ↳ Adapt, but keep your ultimate vision in sight. ↳ Flexibility is key to long-term success. 7/ Play the Long Game ↳ Success takes time, patience, and persistence. ↳ J.K. Rowling, Sara Blakely, and Jack Ma all took years to build their success stories. ↳ Your long-term plan will help you stay focused, even when the journey gets tough. Your future self is counting on you to start today. Every small step you take builds toward a bigger future. ⬇️ Tell me in the comments: What’s your plan for the next 10 years? Have a specific goal or success story to share? ♻️ Share this to inspire others to start planning for their dream life. 🔔 Follow Jen Blandos for daily business, mindset, and growth tips.

The fastest route to growth? Beyond your current market. Many businesses - whether small start-ups or established companies - are missing out on global opportunities because they feel uncomfortable exploring unknown markets. But the reality is, multinational companies, governments, and international organisations are actively seeking businesses of all sizes for infrastructure and capacity-building projects. Here’s one for our American friends (but it’s likely similar in many countries): only 3% of U.S. small businesses currently export, despite 96% of the world’s consumers living outside the U.S. The global market is vast, and there’s untapped potential for those ready to explore new opportunities. For example, countries in the GCC region are investing heavily in infrastructure projects and highly value international perspectives. Whether you’re applying for global tenders or joining a network like Female Fusion, the opportunities are there for those willing to take the leap. Here are my top 10 essential tips for selling globally, drawn from working in more than 70 countries: 1. Time Zones ↳ Align your working hours with your clients’ or communicate your availability clearly. 2. Spelling ↳ Match your language to local spelling and phrases (e.g., UK vs. US). 3. Local Language ↳ Translate key content for clarity and connection in each market. 4. Customs or Laws ↳ Respect local business customs and ensure compliance with regulations. 5. Currencies ↳ Decide if you’ll price in your currency, the customer’s, or a universal option like USD or EUR. 6. Domain Name ↳ Choose a globally recognisable domain (e.g., .com). 7. Marketing ↳ Consider local holidays and cultural moments in your campaigns. 8. Local Payment Methods ↳ Offer familiar payment options for local customers. 9. Local Regulations ↳ Seek legal advice to ensure you comply with local regulations. 10. Customer Support ↳ Provide support that’s available in your customers’ language or time zone. Which tip do you find most useful - or do you have others to add? Let me know in the comments! ♻️ Repost this if you found it helpful. And follow Jen Blandos for more.

Most people miss these 5 unwritten rules of networking. Master these to transform your career & life. When I first started my career, I thought I was “too busy” to network. I spent all my time working. But I felt stuck doing the same job every day. What I didn’t realise was how critical a strong network could be. Once I committed to networking at least 3x a month, my career took off. And when I eventually launched my own business, my network became a powerful source of referrals, helping me achieve my goals faster. I discovered the five unwritten rules of networking that made all the difference: 1/ Build authentic, long-term relationships ↳ Focus on asking open-ended questions and listening more than you speak. ↳ Show a genuine interest in people’s stories and goals - not just their business cards. 2/ Give more than you take ↳ Offer help, whether through insights, introductions, or resources, without expecting anything in return. ↳ Prioritise adding value to the relationship before you ask for anything. 3/ Follow up and follow through ↳ If you promise to connect or send information, make sure you do it. ↳ Consistency is key - trust is built through actions, not words. 4/ Respect people’s time ↳ Be punctual and reliable - everyone’s time is valuable. ↳ Honour your commitments and show you respect their time as much as your own. 5/ Treat networking as a long-term investment ↳ Networking is like a savings account - it grows steadily over time, not overnight. ↳ Focus on lasting connections, not quick wins. Your network becomes your net worth. When you make networking a priority, you’ll build connections that can open doors, offer support, and accelerate your success for years to come. 👇 Share in the comments your #1 rule for building a great network.  ♻️ Repost this to help your connections build better networks. 🔔 Follow me, Jen Blandos, for daily business insights.

Pink ribbons don't save lives. A culture of wellness does. October shouldn’t be the only time we talk about breast cancer. Health at work should be a year-round conversation. I have mixed feelings about Breast Cancer Awareness Month. I’m 12 years clear of breast cancer this month. (the photo in this post is me at my final radiotherapy session!) It was one of the hardest times of my life, but my team carried me through it. They took on my workload, so I could focus entirely on getting better. I learned something incredibly powerful: When we trust our team to step up, they always will. I often say no to speaking opportunities in October. I don’t want to be part of just another pink-themed PR stunt. True wellness goes deeper than that. We need to create a workplace that prioritises health all year long. Why? Because healthy employees perform better. They’re also more likely to prevent serious illnesses, including cancer. A wellness-focused workplace: ↳ Normalises health conversations. ↳ Supports preventative care. ↳ Offers flexible policies for medical needs. ↳ Encourages work-life balance. Breast cancer awareness is just one piece of the puzzle. The real question isn’t whether you’re wearing pink this October, but whether your workplace truly supports employee health every day of the year. What can you do? ↳ Encourage open conversations around wellness. ↳ Advocate for flexible schedules and medical needs. ↳ Promote work-life balance and mental health. ⬇️ Give me examples of how your workplace supports health beyond October. ♻️ Share this post to spread the message of workplace wellness this month. 🔔 Follow me, Jen Blandos, for daily insights on business and leadership.

Loud voices often win the room. But thoughtful minds build lasting solutions. Introverts make up 40-60% of the workforce, Yet they're often overshadowed by more vocal colleagues. Studies show that introverted leaders often deliver better outcomes in complex situations. "We pay too much attention to the most confident voices— and too little attention to the most thoughtful ones." This isn't just about personality types. It's about building inclusive workplaces. It means valuing thoughtful introverts as much as charismatic extroverts. It’s about recognising real competence in a world that often mistakes volume for value. How often do we mistake confidence for competence? In business: ↳ Do we fall for smooth sales pitches or value thoughtful strategies? ↳ Are we promoting the loudest voices or the most insightful minds? ↳ Are we overlooking quiet, strategic thinkers in favour of charismatic speakers? Certainty isn't always a sign of credibility: ↳ A colleague once answered every question with confidence. ↳ We all believed him without question. ↳ One day, he confessed: half of what he said wasn’t true. ↳ No one fact-checked. He got away with it! ➡️ We’ve all seen it before: someone speaks with certainty, and no one questions it. How often do we stop to ask if they’re actually right? The next big idea in your organisation might come from the person who's been quietly strategising all along. ⬇️ Tell me below: how do you make sure all voices are heard at work? ♻️ Share this with a colleague who values thoughtful leadership. 🔔 Follow me, Jen Blandos, for daily business insights.