Most memorable journeys

Sarit is one of the people that I instantly liked and felt connected to. We met on social media and when she visited me in Cyprus and became a member of the Global Woman Club Cyprus, I knew that I had found a new friend who would inspire, motivate and support me. Sarit Shavit Qwabe was born and raised in Israel, in the Negev desert town of Be’er Sheva. After meeting and marrying her South African husband, they relocated to Johannesburg where they now live with their two children. “Surrendering” is Sarit’s first book, written in English with a nod to her Hebrew mother tongue, and published as the family are poised to begin a new adventure in Cyprus....but that’s another story! It won’t be her last.. I can’t wait to see what’s in store. https://www.amazon.com/Surrendering-Learned-Letting-Transformation-Mindfulness-ebook/dp/B0CW3MVSR9

I met Emilia at the Cyprus Diaspora Forum where she was an amazing emcee; thank you Paul Lambis for getting us together. I instantly fell in love with her beautiful, honest and down to earth personality. In this podcast she talks very openly about her struggle to get pregnant. Emilia is an award-winning Television and Radio journalist and presenter. She is a Senior Broadcast Journalist at the BBC and a News Correspondent for BBC News, BBC London News and BBC World. She also reports on BBC Breakfast, the BBC One O'clock News, Outside Source, Radio 2, Radio 4, BBC World Service, BBC Radio 5Live and is a guest presenter on Inside Out London. Before joining BBC London as a Sports Journalist and producer in 2009, Emilia was part of the Radio Wimbledon team and also covered The World Rally Championships. She's reported on the London 2012 Olympics & Paralympics, The London Marathon, Wimbledon, Queens, The ATP World Tour Finals, The Champions League, The Premier League, The NFL at Wembley, The Queen's Diamons Jubilee, The Epsom Derby and The BBC Sports Personality of The Year Awards. She also covered the Royal Family’s Christmas celebrations at Sandringham in 2016 & 2017 for BBC News and presented the BBC's Inside Chelsea FC, West Ham FC and Tottenham Hotspur FC Podcasts on iTunes. In 2015, Emilia was commended by the judges of the CIRCOM Prix Awards as European Rising Star Journalist of the year. https://emiliapapadopoulos.com/

I met Sarah many years ago when she was doing TV here in Cyprus and she interviewed me on “The Money Show” on Sigma TV. I have been following her on social media for a long time, and I am fascinated about all the things she does. Sarah Fenwick is a multi-talented artist living in Germany with roots in England and Cyprus. She is renowned for her soulful jazz vocals that have captivated audiences across Europe. In addition to her music career, Sarah is an accomplished painter and writer, known for her book Digital Marketing for Musicians and artworks that reflect musical themes. With a passion for creativity and a drive to explore the grooves between music, writing, and art, Sarah Fenwick continues to make her mark in the world of arts and entertainment. https://www.sarahfenwick.com/

Pauline is an award-winning self-development Senior Executive/expert, Business Coach , Neuroencoding Speciaist, coach trainer, firewalker, mentor, and senior transformational trainer with over two and a half decades of experience at senior executive strategic levels in local and multinational organizations. The founder of Swift Shift Coaching & consultancy Ltd, and the Success Academy providing state of the art accredited life changing programs Pauline has a wealth of experience spanning over two decades in both local and multinational organizations. Widely recognized as an esteemed leader, Coach, Consultant, and trainer who has helped executives, senior managers and employees achieve their career aspirations and personal growth through coaching, mentoring, NLP and training. With her extensive knowledge, she has been instrumental in guiding organizations through structural changes, developing effective strategies, and fostering team building, leadership and culture change. She is an Accredited Master Coach, Master NLP, Leader, consultant, HR, transformational trainer and Neuroencoder. Pauline's passion lies in elevating the self-development world and empowering both individuals and corporations to make a Swift Shift from their current position to where they want to be, and beyond. Her highly experiential, practical approach creates a professional yet fun self-transformation journey that sets her apart always. Pauline holds a Bachelors & Master’s degree in Business Management from Notre Dame University as well as several coach certifications,I, Master NLP Practitioner by the American Board of NLP, Time Line Therapy & Hypnotherapist Practitioner, Accredited InternationalTrainer, Mentor Coach, Laughter Yoga Leader & Neuroencoding Specialist , Firewalker.. Pauline is a mentor at the Blessings Foundation for Women empowerment, Mentor at the Challenge to Change, Mentor Coach, Member of the Women Leaders Council, Member of IWCLondon, Ex Vice President & member of Cyprus International Women of Today -CIWOT, Founding member of the BPW English Speaking Club Cyprus, Board Member at the ICF Cyprus Chapter, Member of the Life Winners Association She is a senior expert at several top universities in the region. https://swiftshiftcoach.com/

Panayiotis Panayiotou, also known as Panikos, was born in 1979 to parents Anastasia and Mihalis Panayiotou. Panikos began this whole journey into production with the publication Amathus to Birmingham (2016) inspired by his own parents who are also refugees from the 1974 Turkish invasion. ‘A2B’ as this project is known, documented the stories of families who moved from Cyprus to Birmingham. During this project it became apparent that the female perspective needed more attention and he was inspired to search deeper into the stories of the strong females in the community. This then inspired him to create his 1st documentary Queens of Amathus, and in his own words ‘due to the sacrifices of the Queens of yesterday, is the reason we live the life we live today’. Panikos is now an established documentary maker currently working on a series of projects which include ‘The Queens of the Commonwealth’ a celebration of migrant women from various backgrounds and their journey to the UK. He is also currently working on the sequel of Queens of Amathus re living the journey of Cypriot women from Cyprus to the rest of the world. Panikos also followed his father Lakis' dream and created Lakis Greek Kitchen where he shares, cares and supports people in need. LGK is a traditional Greek Taverna with a clay oven serving authentic Greek Cypriot cuisine. Annual pop up taverna and charitable organisation running a series of projects and fundraisers supporting the community. https://lgk.org.uk/productions/

I met Natasha at my Global Woman Club Director’s Training in Albania, she was a very established business women and gave an impressive presentation. Apart from being successful at everything she does, she has a great sense of humour and a beautiful worldview. Natasha Waldron used to be a professional ballerina at The Royal Ballet Company. Reaching her 30s made her realise that she needed to leave the world of dance and prepare herself for the business world. Eventually she established UKG Lifestyle in 2007, initially as a concierge company. However, her focus was on providing excellent cleaning services. 18 months ago, she founded a training Academy which now offers accredited and recognised qualifications for her own staff as well as other external organisations. Along her new journey, the business has enjoyed steady growth and continued re-investment. However, turning 50, she realised that there’s more to dream about than business and she handed over UKG Lifestyle to her staff. Her latest project is to a mature model and conquer the catwalk and I have no doubt that she is going to nail it. https://www.tiktok.com/@natashawaldron5/video/7345474067450858784

Talking about her home country Malta, her trip to Peru and walking the Camino. She is a wonderful lady with a beautiful personality. Thanks to her I learned to balance my Chakras and become even happier. She is Catherine Galea, Empowerment Coach and Mindfulness Teacher in Cyprus. She shares 5 strategies to help people unlock their purpose and transform their life to the one they are meant to live. She helps people start loving their life now whilst becoming self aware and reclaiming happiness. She lives with her daugher Sophia in Cyprus who is the co-author of the book “Welcome to the Rainbow Zoo” https://www.catherinegalea.com/ https://www.amazon.com/Welcome-Rainbow-Zoo-Place-Dreams-ebook/dp/B0B7YY8LQW

Noémie Frischknecht was my guest on episode 93 in December 2022. She had just recently completed all her training for long haul and short haul flights with Swiss Airlines. She took a leap of faith and decided to become a flight attendant after being a lawyer for SWISS for a few years. In the meantime, she has visited me in Cyprus, we swam in the sea together in January 2023, we hiked and talked. She has been crossing the globe and fills her layovers with adventures. I have never seen anyone with so much zest for adventure and sometimes get dizzy when I check her Instagram @‌articflyingfox. She also travels in her free time and talks about her recent trip to Saudi Arabia and snowboarding in Japan. Her journey is a testament to the art of reinvention and the relentless pursuit of personal happiness. From law to operational aviation, she embodies the spirit of courage and resilience and has made it her mission to inspire and lead others to fearlessly follow their own heart and redefine their own path if they aren’t truly, fully happy where they are because if she can do it, you can, too. Fact. https://theflyingfox.com/

I met Sebastian because I had the opportunity to speak on the Swiss Radio about my life in Cyprus. The producer of Radio Show “The 5th Switzerland” is the lovely Pascale Folke who is Sebastians wife. Every Swiss German knows Sebastian’s voice, he is the speaker in the Swiss National News and he also acted in a few movies including one of the famous “Tatort” episodes. When he reads new stories, he gives them life and adds emotion to the text. He also teaches individuals how to prepare presentations and trains them how they can inspire the audience. Born to a Swiss father and a Peruvian mother, he grew up in multicultural surroundings that made him an openminded and empathetic person who understands that kindness and compassion go a long way. https://www.sebastianarenas.com/

Marie Cosgrove is a certified Resilience Expert, Award-Winning International Speaker, Accomplished Entrepreneur, and Author. I met her 4 years ago at a Global Woman Summit in London and was fascinated from the beginning by her story and her kindness. As a single mom of four, she bought the company that fired her, bringing a unique perspective from her experience to small businesses and corporations. Marie has worked with some of the most recognizable Fortune 500 companies, including FedEx and Sprint. She has been very supportive and helpful whenever I get in touch with her. She helped me get in touch with Les Brown and record a podcast episode with him, I will never forget that. Marie's background of being born into poverty to a mentally disabled single mom and persevering through a turbulent childhood and abusive marriage; plus raising four children on her own while struggling to make it in the business world, taught her to not only survive but turn her experiences of adversity into advantage. Marie shares lessons and actionable strategies to help you find your greater fortune. https://mariecosgrove.com/

Growing up as the son of a winemaker, Marcos was introduced to the wine world from a young age. He first completed his Bachelor and Masters degree in Chemistry at Imperial University London, and worked for a few years in the corporate world before realizing that he wanted to spend his future making wines. He went to the Provence and New Zealand to gain hands-on experience, and continued his journey to Adelaide in order to learn the scientific side of the discipline at Adelaide University, where he gained his Masters Degree in Enology. This life changing adventure was the starting point of an exciting life as a winemaker. Through his international exposure, Marcos acquired the knowledge of the latest practices in modern winemaking and his pioneering and inventive mind is constantly in search for improvement, from the smallest detail in the winery to experimenting with indigenous grape varieties. He simply loves every moment of the creation. The history of the Zambartas family in wine goes back to the 1970’s, when Akis Zambartas, a then young man, went to France to study Chemistry in Lyon and then Enology in Montpellier. He returned to Cyprus as the first university educated enologist of the island and was set for a successful career at one of the major wineries of the island. https://zambartaswineries.com/

Treasure Hunter, Founder and Director of Julia Castelli Lifestyle Management, a luxury goods and services boutique firm based in London operating globally. Enterpreneur, public figure & TV personality, Public Speaker, Life and Business Coach, hypnotherapist & RTT therapist. In 2010 I began working with numerous luxury brands, partnering in the organisation of small exclusive VIP events. This developed into the creation of additional VIP events, business development, targeted brand promotion to high net worth individuals, sales training and much more. As things continue to grow, in June 2019, the JCLM eBoutique was launched, offering a unique curation of some of the world’s most exquisite jewellery and lifestyle items. With over 23 years of experience exploring all facets of luxury, she is one of the key players who Influence and shape the world of global luxury. A true Hurricane of Luxury, as some call her:). Others call her Queen of Diamonds. She is launching her very own podcast called “Show me Your Diamond” https://juliacastelli.com/

As one of the world’s most renowned motivational speakers, Les Brown is a dynamic personality and highly-sought-after resource in business and professional circles for Fortune 500 CEOs, small business owners, non-profit and community leaders from all sectors of society looking to expand opportunity. For three decades he has not only studied the science of achievement, he’s mastered it by interviewing hundreds of successful business leaders and collaborating with them in the boardroom translating theory into bottom-line results for his clients. As a premier Keynote Speaker and leading authority on achievement for audiences as large as 80,000—Les Brown energizes people to meet the challenges of the world around them. He skillfully weaves his compelling life story into the fabric of our daily lives. The thread is forever strengthened, touting why you can’t afford to be complacent and to aim high, achieve and actively make an impact on the world. Les Brown never tires of using his energies to transform the world, well-beyond the podium and public appearances, meshing traditional and social media to empower his audiences. Hundreds of thousands are watching him on YouTube and tens of thousands interact with him regularly on Facebook. He has a keen way of turning what he touches into gold. Over 20 years ago, he won a Chicago-area Emmy® for his unsurpassed fundraising pledge drive for the Public Broadcasting System. Followed by several bestselling books and hosting popular national talk shows on television and radio. Addressing audiences from Denmark to Dubai, Canada to the Caribbean, Les Brown is invited back again and again for his powerful message and the ability to connect deeply with people from all walks of life. It isn’t just his great smile and his way with words that motivates people to take action like never before; when people face roadblocks or adversity it is the depth of his knowledge on achievement that creates lasting results. Les Brown’s straight-from-the-heart, passion and high-energy, motivates audiences to step beyond their limitations and into their greatness in many ways. Over the past decade, Les has expanded his role from keynote speaker to Master Trainer, creating the kind of workshop learning experience that got him committed to personal-and-professional development many years earlier. His charisma, warmth and humor have transformed ordinary people into extraordinary achievers by using his own life, and his in-depth study of others’ challenges, to build an understanding of what works, what doesn’t work, and why. Revered as an icon by his colleagues, Brown received the National Speakers Association coveted Council of Peers Award of Excellence (CPAE), and ultimately, its most prestigious Golden Gavel Award for achievement and leadership in communication. Toastmasters International also voted him one of the Top Five Outstanding Speakers. Worldwide. Legions of followers flock to stadiums and arenas to hear a man who never stops believing that with proper guidance and training you can achieve anything you desire in life. A stumbling block in elementary school was when he was mistakenly declared, “Educable mentally retarded,” teachers did not recognize the true potential of little Les Brown. However, he used determination, persistence and belief in his ability to go beyond being a sanitation worker to unleash a course of amazing achievements including broadcast station manager, political commentator and multi-term state representative in Ohio. Les Brown is committed to motivating and training today’s generation to be achievers and leaders as he introduces new audiences every day to It’s Not Over Until You Win, Up Thoughts for Down Times and Fight For Your Dream. Les Brown’s audio series,“Choosing Your Future,” remains his all-time bestseller for its acclaimed impact worldwide. In...

Dr. Fabrizio Mancini is a renowned health and lifestyle expert with over 30 years of experience as a wholistic health provider, author, and speaker. He has inspired audiences worldwide through his media appearances on shows like "Dr. Phil," "The Doctors,” “CNN News” and "FOX News," as well as “Univision”, “Telemundo” and “Televisa”. His engaging lectures have transformed audiences in most States and over 25 countries. Dr. Fab is an international best-selling author of books such as "The Power of Self-Healing" and "Chicken Soup for The Chiropractic Soul.” He is the host of his radio show with Hay House “Self-Healing with Dr. Fab”, his Podcast “The Fab Life” and his TV Series “Thriving in the New Normal”. Dr. Fab became one of the youngest Presidents of a College or University at the age of 33, Parker University, and continues to serve as President Emeritus. He has received numerous awards and accolades for his contributions to the field of wellness and leadership and has been featured in many documentaries. For his contributions in the healthcare and education systems, the President of Mexico named the library of UNEVE University after him. Dr. Fab’s passion for health and personal development has inspired and empowered millions worldwide to unlock their full potential. He also mentors over 100 CEOs and serves as a global consultant to companies that are making a positive impact on the world. https://drfabmancini.com/

Pien wrote a book as combination of her modelling (now since 44 years) with autobiographical short stories. Especially the change in her life since 27/4/1996, her devastating car-accident when she was 28 years old, gets attention. And her life before that date and after. Since more than 4 years her lifestyle changed a lot with functional medicine and nutritional therapy and gives her much more energy. Living with brain damage is her challenge which she meets with great courage and hope. She was born in Breda, South of the Netherlands, close to Belgium border and she studied in Amsterdam. Lots of travelling was done because she was following men in her life as she says so beautifully herself, especially with one of her men, a psychiatrist, she took longer trips to South Africa and Indonesia and later they saw Rome, Florence, Toscana and more times we went to Spain. And he had a holiday house in the Dordogne were they were twice a year. Today she lives in Paphos, Cyprus and spends a lot of time helping people in need and cheering people up with her positive and happy attitude.

Born in the USA, growing up in Switzerland, Venezuela and finally settling in the United Kingdom, Gregory was raised in 4 major global languages and continues to remain fluent in both spoken & written English, French, German & Spanish In his first position at Marcus Wareing at the Savoy Grill, Gregory gained the necessary experience in cooking Michelin-starred quality food under the tutelage of acclaimed Kiwi Chef Josh Emett. As he was promoted through the ranks he gained considerable insight into the factors influencing the management of a multi-million-pound turnover restaurant. Gregory went on to be sous chef as part of the opening brigade at the Gordon Ramsay group’s first venture in the USA, in New York’s London Hotel, where he worked until 2007. Gregory left Gordon Ramsay Holdings to help grow his family’s boutique catering company, Sissi Fabulous Food Ltd from a small home-based private chef business to a large events catering firm. As the Head Chef, Gregory brought his culinary expertise to the development of new menus and to the execution of the dishes at the events. As company director he used his considerable business experience to market the company and continually improve the supply chain management. To this day Gregory has evolved his role in the company as the team grew to become Executive Chef and Operations Director. Major global corporate clients have included The Duchy of Cornwall, Louis Vuitton, HSBC, MINI (BMW). Since 2012 Gregory has been regularly in demand as a Food & Beverage consultant by a number of global hotel and restaurant chains including Holiday Inn (IHG), Genting Casinos and East Coast Concepts. Gregory has recently trained as a Diet & Nutritional Advisor and has consulted on vegan restaurant menu concepts. He has consulted in Germany, France, Switzerland and the UK. https://gregorysj.com/

Dick Wybrow was born in Canada, grew up in the US, and now lives in New Zealand (the past 10 years). In this episode, he shares what he knows about this beautiful country. On a personal note, he is a bestselling author on Amazon, writing humorous supernatural fiction. He is also a former CNN producer, major market rock jock, and stand-up comedian. His radio and stage work has gifted him with the ability to entertain an audience. Dick Wybrow is a thriller and humor author. Or, depending on how many cups of coffee he's had, a humor and thriller author. https://www.dickwybrow.com/

Samantha Wood is a British-Greek-Cypriot resident of Dubai for 23 years who wears a number of hats – a food writer, event organiser and communications consultant with nearly three decades of experience in the UK and the Middle East across a diverse range of industries including food & beverage, hospitality and tourism. Samantha left the corporate PR world to set up her own business in 2011 – an impartial restaurant review website, http://FooDiva.net , which has won a steady stream of 12 awards. In 2021, she was honoured with the UAE Golden Visa, a ten-year renewable residency in the category of talented creative individuals – and also joined the UAE Restaurants Group as Board Advisor. Samantha curates ticketed and bespoke chef-led #ThreeChefsDinner and #DineAroundDubai experiences, whilst also organising events and B2B fam trips for industry trade, chefs and media. FooDiva has featured prolifically in local and international media including multiple segments on CNN’s travel programmes, France 5 TV and Dubai TV. Furthermore, she takes on freelance writing and broadcasting commissions, including a regular guest on Dubai Eye 103.8FM’s food programme. Samantha is a member of the global Guild of Food Writers, holds a WSET Level 2 wine and spirits qualification, and is a speaker and industry awards judge on her favourite subjects – food, restaurants, travel and communications. At the start of the pandemic, she launched a pro bono social media campaign, #UAERestaurantsUnite to support the F&B industry which has morphed into a long-term strategy championing the country’s homegrown dining scene. With her advisory hat, Samantha provides strategic consultancy support in F&B (restaurant ventures, chef consultancy, guest chef activations, pop ups/ supper clubs, mystery shopper reports & menu writing) - and on a brand level (marketing communications, public relations, crisis communications, social media strategy, website & newsletter content, fam trips, event organisation & copywriting).

I met Evelina because my daughter Natalie was volunteering at the Saffron Kitchen Project in Athens. Fascinated by the project, I happened to meet Evelina and want to share what this amazing person does to make the world a better place. You can support her by checking out the link at the end of these show notes and donating. Evelina's six years in the food industry, working and training in restaurants and ultimately setting up her own catering company, helped her to recognise the importance of food and the joy it can bring to people. She spent the following five years working in humanitarian aid, running a warehouse in a refugee camp and setting up as well as managing an education and community centre. This helped refine her aptitude in working with vulnerable people and running teams of staff and volunteers. All of this experience has equipped her with the necessary skills to start Saffron Kitchen Project, whose goal is to provide both opportunity, and a sense of community, for refugees and vulnerable people. Her favourite meal is pasta cooked by someone else (obviously by someone who can cook pasta). https://www.saffronkitchenproject.org/ https://www.saffronkitchenproject.org/donation

Born and raised amidst the natural wonders of the Galapagos Islands, Fernando Diez is a proud Ecuadorian who has dedicated his adult life to sharing the unique beauty and rare wildlife of this enchanting archipelago with adventurous travelers from every corner of the globe. Fernando is the proud son of the founders of Quasar Expeditions, a high-end expedition cruising company that pioneered small group travel in the Galapagos Islands 37 years ago. His parents dream? To show this precious eco system to the world, ensuring its preservation for future generations through responsible tourism. Beyond his role at Quasar Expeditions, Fernando is loving father of 3, a proud husband and a man of many passions. He is a skilled photographer, an avid scuba diver, a high-altitude climber and overall just a lover of nature and the outdoors. A natural story teller at heart, Fernando has an ability to bring the stories of this unique archipelago to life, connecting listeners with the magic of the place that possessed Charles Darwin's mind.