BusinessLive Wales’ Post

Me at the end of 2024: If I were to detail everything that happened to me this year, this post would be much longer than the Miller [2019] judgement (special thank you to CaseSnappy for summarising the judgement for me <3). To keep it short, here is a roundup of my 2024 in 10 bullet points: 1. Finished my A Level mocks at school. 2. Missed a lot of time from school due to mitigating circumstances. Said circumstances decided to continue during my A Levels too. 3. Completed my A Levels and proceeded to worry about the results for the rest of my summer. 4. My gut feeling was right- got the worst-case scenario A Level results and got rejected from my dream Russell-group university. 5. Plot twist- got accepted to study law at uni eventually and proceeded to make some of the greatest memories ever including spending time with friends, going to lectures and becoming part of the The 93% Club and Law In Colour Society. 6. Officially became a UniScoops writer- keep your eyes peeled for my piece on BoJo to be released in the next year. 7. Got accepted into the Aspiring Solicitors Excel programme, the mentorship scheme for applying to the prestigious A&O Shearman first year scheme. Posting more on this very soon :) 8. Also got accepted into the Aspiring Solicitors First programme aimed at helping socially mobile first year students like me get those first-year schemes from law firms. 9. Became a GROW Mentoring mentee. This is so useful to me as a first-generation aspiring solicitor, as I am still ‘figuring it out’ and am super happy to be doing so under the guidance of Marta Pawlowska. Your network is truly your net worth. 10. Attended my first ever open day at Osborne Clarke. This deserves another special post- stay tuned for another one from me today. During these holidays, I’ve had a rest and I’m excited for my 2025 to be a lot more successful, productive and restful. In the Quran, it says that “Allah (SWT) does not burden a soul beyond that it can bear” [2:286] and I’m so thankful that He gave me the strength to pass those obstacles, which He decided was necessary for my personal growth ❤️ With that said, I hope everyone is enjoying the last of 2024 and I hope you have a wonderful 2025 too. I have a lot of drafts of posts that I was intending to make but I never got around to, so please don’t judge if you see me making multiple posts today 😭 Peace out (at least for another few hours anyway). #firstyearlawstudent #lawstudent #aspiringsolicitor

Every journey is different, and it's the challenges along the way that shape us. In my recent article for ‘TheBottomLine’, I dive into the importance of celebrating small wins, staying curious, and fostering meaningful connections as keys to both professional and academic success. Find the full article below. #ContinuousLearning #NetworkBuilding #CelebrateTheWins"

Just one month to go till the SME National Business Awards 🤯! We can’t believe how quickly time is passing by. SME Business Awards #HABLaw #SMENationals #Finalists #Awards #BusinessAwards #FamilyBusiness #PositiveImpact #CommunityBusiness

Calling all Scottish Families Businesses!! Tomorrow at 6pm is the deadline for the 2024 The Herald Scottish Family Business Awards in association with Business Gateway. ⏰Don’t think you have time to enter?? Let me tell you why 30-60 minutes out of your day tomorrow will be a great opportunity for you and your business. ❓Entry forms ask questions of what you’re doing and why you’re doing it. They prompt you to take stock of you and your teams achievements, something we rarely get the chance to do. 🤝It’s an opportunity to put forward what makes your business great and have this reviewed against other entries. Its an opportunity to find out how you fair against others in your sector. And more importantly on the night share best practice and learn about how other Family Businesses are succeeding or growing. 🗣️Lastly, you get to shout about your team. Family businesses are made up of the fabric of support, be that from generations of past or by those who choose to join your family (business) and support you and the business goals and values. It’s a fantastic opportunity to say well done and thank you!! So, as we come into the latter part of 2024, grab a cuppa, set some time aside and look back on all you’ve achieved. ☕️ Information on how to enter is below 👇🏼

I often say I’m the “poster girl” for not making career decisions at 12 years old. At that age, my favourite school activity was debating. I thrived on making and winning arguments and having the last word as 3rd speaker of the negative team. I then concluded my best career would be life as a hot shot barrister making arguments in court all day and winning! I doggedly pursued this goal through high school, achieved a summer clerkship and accepted a position as a grad lawyer. I knew I really preferred my business degree. I thought seriously about management consulting. The response from others: ‘but you always wanted to do this, you should at least give it a go!’ - and so I did! What followed were fabulous roles in great organisations with amazing people … together with an endless quest for something more meaningful, more satisfying and closer to the action. So why I am sharing this? Last week I spent 2 days at the Sydney Alliance Foundations Training and last night I attended the Amplify seminar on polarisation in society. These organisations have a similar goal – bringing diverse people together to find common ground. The Sydney Alliance seeks to do this by building relationships between people of diverse backgrounds and being an ‘antidote to the current fracturing’ of our society. They promote storytelling as the shortest distance between people and believe we find mutual understanding through ‘who we are’ not ‘what we think’. They use discernment and seek a re-balancing and re-building of civil society to achieve better outcomes. They create space for respectful debate and dialogue to find common ground. Amplify has a similar objective. It promotes the finding of ‘uncommon’ ground – where agreement is found among unexpected people and places to achieve a common goal, where the alchemy of different ideas and opinions make it happen, where the rigour of a think tank with the heart of a community organization brings people together to find solutions. The most inspiring moment last night – a reminder we should be proud of our democracy and the things we achieve when we work together. That democracy means we will have differing opinions and that we need plurality, passion, democracy and commitment to make progress. That we should fight for what we believe in and not leave anyone behind. I’m no longer 12 but I still have a passion for ‘argument’ – not for the simple pleasure of winning but for understanding different views, exploring different perspectives and finding common ground to achieve exceptional outcomes. This is tough. It requires us to look others in the eye and sincerely seek to understand their position. It’s a skill we need in our governments, boardrooms, leadership teams, organisations and communities. I wish I could conceptualise that when I was 12 - things may have been different! And so I ask this question – what are you doing in your circles of influence to defeat the risk of polarisation and find common ground?

If it is to be, it is up to me. Ten little words... That mean so much! I'm quoting local entertainer Sunny Bling who was the Master of Ceremonies at Tuesday's grant awards ceremony hosted by the National Entrepreneurship Development Company (NEDCO) which I attended as a grant recipient. I want to underscore something else he said at the ceremony because I often hear people complaining about "Babylon system" or "de government" too bias! That's Trini lingo for: "the system / government favours some more than others". Some complain that opportunities are only for "certain people". Let me confirm that YES the system is totally biased in favour of "certain people" who invest the time and energy to APPLY for those grants & jobs❗ I can guarantee you will NEVER be selected for a grant or a job or an opportunity if YOU eliminate yourself by not applying 🙄 Now, reread the start of my post. Look at yourself in the mirror. Doh complain if you doh apply 🤷♀️ If you read my post and felt like I was shouting, I AM! Why? Because some folks are content to look on and complain rather than make an attempt to invest their energy into something that could bring rewards to them. Another thing that makes me want to shout is when folks tell me, "you're so lucky!" FYI I'm not lucky: I'm blessed 🙌 And also, I put in the work 😉 #growthmindset #grantee #grantingsuccess #reapwhatyousow

We love seeing our clients win awards, 2024 has been a good year for it and its great seeing their hard work celebrated. Awards can be tricky, usually lots of great things to say with not a lot of space or word count to say them. A few tips in this article on how to keep them focused, engaging and backed up with evidence. I also admit we need to practice what we preach and do a few ourselves! I'll add it to the 2025 to do list.

Your journey to certification starts here📍 This month, we're diving into the New York State's Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprise (MWBE) certification process, designed to empower businesses owned by women and minorities. We will cover key requirements and tips, from ownership to operational control, to help your business gain the certification it deserves. Why seek MWBE certification? It's about leveling the playing field, gaining visibility, and accessing resources that might otherwise be out of reach. Plus, learn what you need to know when it comes time to recertify your company. The State is just as serious in its review the second [or third or fourth] time as it was for your original certification. Don't be fooled into complacency! Read More: https://lnkd.in/gM2pCerT Attorney Advertising | The Coppola Firm | 4033 Maple Rd | Buffalo, NY 14226 | 716.839.9700 #MWBE #DiversityInBusiness #NewYorkBusiness #EmpowermentSeries #BusinessGrowth #WomenOwnedBusiness #MinorityOwnedBusiness #BusinessDevlopment #TheCoppolaFirm

Our next Learn & Connect session is about everyone's favorite taboo topic: MONEY!! 💰Years ago, when I was just starting my practice, I had one of the best conversations about pricing. 💰It was with two phenomenal women who had their own thriving practices and who were so generous with their knowledge: Kirsty Lewis and Joyce Matthews (乔诗宇) 💰I learned so much from this conversation that I applied it directly to my own practice. When I assumed my current Board role at International Association of Facilitators (IAF), I reflected on the topics that our membership would find intriguing and noticed that pricing was particularly challenging for facilitators running their own practices. I knew I just had to bring Kirsty in to share her expertise. Here are some reasons to attend this session: - Kirsty runs her own practice, the @School of Facilitation, a Professional Training and Coaching which is tailored especially for facilitators, so she knows a thing or two about what makes us tick. - She conducted a global pricing survey, which provides her with comprehensive insights into the financial aspects of our field. - As a facilitator, Kirsty brings both lived experience and lived expertise to the table. - She keeps it real. I've been fortunate enough to get to know Kirsty over the years, and I truly admire her authentic approach to life and seemingly tough topics—including money. - She's simply awesome. On May 30, we hope you'll join us because in the words of Barret Strong, love don't pay the bills! #facilitator #facilitation #facilitate #pricing #business