Entrepreneurship | Workplace Archives

Women’s Spirit Festival’s Charlotte Saint Jean

15th June 201718th June 2017 admin 0 Comments Charlotte Saint-Jean, Elodie Garamond, Wellbeing Events, Women's Spirit Festival, Yoga Festivals in Paris

In an attempt to make “volunteering” to help worthy causes a more integral part of my life, whenever my “chargé” timetable allows (further to an experience in this regard earlier this year ), I found myself, yet again, offering my services after seeing an appeal for volunteers by the co-organiser of the festival on their Facebook page.

The 1st ever Women’s Spirit Festival, an event created by Charlotte Saint Jean and Elodie Garamond, the founder of Le Tigre Yoga Club in Paris, took place at the Hôtel National de l’Industrie in Place Saint-Germain-des-Prés in early June 2017.

The Festival offered a weekend of Yoga, Meditation, and Wellness conferences, but also “a safe and sacred space for women to be the woman they want to be, to open new doors, to listen to the voice within, to feel supported and to thrive, with shared moments, tears, laughter and joy”…

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There is something extraordinary happening in the world…

1st December 20161st December 2016 admin 0 Comments Collaborative Economy, Entrepreneurship, Gustavo Tanaka, New Economy, Sharing Economy, Spirituality

Oct 14, 2015 – by Gustavo Tanaka

Most of us haven’t quite realized there is something extraordinary happening…

A few months ago I freed myself from standard-procedure society, I broke the chains of fear that kept me locked up into the system. Since then, I see the world from a different perspective: the one that everything is going through change and that most of us are unaware of that.

Why is the world changing? In this post I’ll point out the 8 reasons that lead me to believe it…

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2016 International Women’s Day.. at the OECD

11th March 201631st March 2020 Lettre de Paris 0 Comments 2016 International Women’s Day, Angel Gurria, Conferences in Paris, OECD

Speaking recently to the American Ambassador in Paris’ office regarding a request for her support to our local charity, I was told by her assistant that the “protocol” department will not be able to treat our correspondence in the coming week, as Her Excellency will be extremely busy attending International Women’s Day events taking place in Paris. That was an excellent reminder for me to arrange to cover this poignant day, which brings to light globally the importance of celebrating women, and related issues such as gender parity, equality, equal opportunity, etc… bref, all the things that affect me as a professional woman in the 21st century.

On the 8th of March, I found myself entering the impressive halls of the OECD Conference Centre close to Porte de la Muette… The halls were full of people there to attend the myriad conferences and plenary sessions that the OECD hosts every year. I was transported back to a time when I was a member of the hallowed young professionals set, all well-dressed in suits, conference delegate identification tags around their necks, impressive C.V.’s, and the confidence to go with it…

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An Expat Working in Paris – A Personal Insight

19th August 201331st March 2020 Lettre de Paris 0 Comments French working methods, Paris expat life, Working in Paris

Since settling in Paris many years ago, my experiences of working in the capital have been exclusively with international companies, where the working language was English. Most recently, I joined a French, very Parisian institution.

I soon discovered that working methods, reporting lines, social interactions, attitudes towards clients can greatly differ within French companies, as compared to those of the more Anglo-Saxon corporate cultures of companies I have worked with previously in London and Paris…

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“Women’s Forum Brazil 2013” – A Case of Empowerment…

9th June 201331st March 2020 Lettre de Paris 0 Comments Publicis Group, Véronique Morali, Women’s Forum Brazil 2013, Women’s Forum for the Economy and Society

I recently asked a wise, enlightened acquaintance a topical question: “How, in your opinion, is women’s role changing in the ‘5th Dimension’, from a spiritual point of view?” The answer came quickly and clearly: “Because of women’s increased empowerment, they now have a stronger platform to show that their way can work in a more beneficial way…”.

Since the discussion moved on, I was left to wonder about this simple yet startling reply later, in the privacy of my thoughts. “Their way”… I presume meant women’s naturally more diplomatic, nurturing, consensus-driven method of operating, versus the more power-driven, competitive, authoritative, sometimes confrontational approach of men. Given the current unstable, chaotic, and down-right dangerous state of the world, I mused, we need every bit of help, every useful suggestion, to move us through this turbulent period in human history, and on to a more peaceful, balanced, harmonious place in our collective state of existence.

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What Hope – Women Entrepreneurs in France?

7th April 201329th May 2016 Lettre de Paris 0 Comments Agnès Audier, Cécile Philippe, Deauville Global Meeting Conference, Women Entrepreneurs in France, Women’s Forum

I was looking through the Women’s Forum’s “The Book” recently and a quote from one of the sessions at the 2012 Deauville “Global Meeting” conference, entitled “Can economic austerity be an opportunity for women?” caught my eye :

“In France, the dialogue between the government and the private sector is very poor. At the end of the day, it’s not surprising that the decisions taken by government are far from what the private sector expects.”

Given that this quote was uttered by Agnès Audier, Partner and Managing Director of The Boston Consulting Group, and a highly respected professional who’s previously held senior advisory positions in both the private and public sector… she must know what she’s talking about. The next headline, further down the page, made me gulp even more: “In France, 90% of women entrepreneurs do not draw a salary”.

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Women and the Workplace: a Personal Perspective

17th March 201331st March 2020 Lettre de Paris 0 Comments Chrystia Freeland, Hanna Rosin, Lean In, Sheryl K. Sandberg, Simone de Beauvoir, Women and the Workplace

In this weekend’s edition of the International Herald Tribune, I was drawn to read an article entitled “In Sandberg, Echoes of De Beauvoir” by Chrystia Freeland, where the author makes the correlation between some of De Beauvoir’s thoughts on women and their perception within society and Sheryl K. Sandberg’s recent book “Lean In”, which argues that some of those misperceptions of women described long ago, still hold true today. I was riveted.

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International Women’s Day 2013…

6th March 201331st March 2020 Lettre de Paris 0 Comments Franco-British Chamber of Commerce and Industry, International Women’s Day, Véronique Morali, Women’s Forum for Economy and Society

Being a British professional and single mother living in Paris, I fully understand the trials and tribulations that women have to face in their working lives, in France and the wider world.

That is why I was interested to commemorate “International Women’s Day” this year, yet again, by attending the Franco-British Chamber’s conference entitled “Women and Corporate Social Responsibility: What role for business?”, being held at the sumptuous British Ambassador’s Residence located in the heart of Paris.