Community Tutor
How did you first come into contact with Flourish and what have been your projects so far?
I was introduced to Nickala and Flourish almost a year before I came to the Time To Grow programme. I was interested in meeting women who were growing their skills and passions and wanted to tackle social problems. Nickala let me know about the Time to Grow programme and I was really interested in joining! At the time, I didn’t know how to frame what I wanted to do however I was really interested in developing a project revolved around growing one’s money mindset and having a better relationship with money.
I am currently teaching a money mindset course through the Wai Yin society. I joined Flourish’s mentor-a-thon last year and Atiha Chaudry – one of the mentors – connected me with Wai Yin and their work which focuses on empowering people from the BAME community through employment, education, and community services. I also teach English to adults with Wai Yin and I teach English to children online. I always go after work that’s close to my heart and that usually leads me to new ventures every time!
How has Flourish helped you?
Flourish helped me increase my confidence as I was able to have a place where I could share my ideas and connect to people who are willing to give their time and energy to listen. I also benefitted from having the opportunity to communicate with other people who are on the journey and realised how important it is to hear from other people who are going through similar challenges. Since then, I’ve presented a money mindset workshop at a health & wellbeing event hosted by Flourish and I will be presenting another workshop for the FreelanceHer project – a business accelerator for female freelancers – in early March!
Where has your journey taken you? Tell us about your highs and lows of the experience
My highs were definitely participating in the workshop, the other one is being introduced to the Wai Yin society. I love the freedom to explore more than one passion. However, with Covid, it has been difficult not being able to meet up with people and has made things a little more challenging. One thing that I continued doing was creating videos online and when I went to the SOUP event in July of last year, I was grateful that I was able to pitch my idea for equipment funding and was able to buy lighting and a tripod. However, I did burn myself out a little bit so I’m taking a break from creating at the moment. I was overworking constantly and not seeing a lot of people, especially between September and December of last year, so I’m taking a step back for some clarity on how I want to move forward.
What has been your proudest achievement so far?
My proudest achievement has definitely been working with people and seeing them take action in regard to their money mindset. Lots of women have told me they started to budget, and they have started taking more interest in looking at their finances!
What do you do to keep yourself motivated?
I’ve stopped using social media and I read news that are more uplifting. Being bombarded with so much negativity daily warps our perception of reality, so I think it is important to be conscious of what we’re looking at and at least counteract what is being fed to us on a regular basis. I exercise which helps keep my mood up and I love yoga – I plan on getting a yoga teach certificate in the future! I also practice affirmations and self-reflective mindset work to keep me motivated. And I dedicate 2 days a month to dive deeper with self-reflection as it gives me an idea of what I’ve accomplished so.
Any tips to share to other people looking to start their own projects?
Work on trusting your idea and yourself every day. Wanting to start your own thing is not easy, and there will be a lot of challenges that you won’t know how to deal with at the start. But you’re strong enough to deal with whatever comes your way!
What elements of the TTG programme have been of particular use, what have you used from it?
There was a day focused solely on nourishing our mindset. We looked at our fears and reasons behind them and we also did a timeline therapy where we were able to have a visual representation of our past, present, and future. This helped a lot with my self-reflection. To get up and participate with each other was also powerful as it gave us the space to be vulnerable with one another.
I also benefitted from visiting different organisations. Although the organisation I went to wasn’t relevant to ‘money mindset’, I met Rose – the founding director of SharpFutures – who shared her adventurous journey with us. It was really inspiring to meet with women who are strong willed and able to break the mould to go after what they believe in.
Is there anything you would like to add?
Don’t be afraid to share your ideas. Lots of women are afraid to speak up, but your ideas are a part of who you are and your journey. The more you speak about your journey, the more you will inspire other people on theirs. So, don’t downplay your passions and interests!
Who/what is an inspiration to you?
Naomi Timperley – she connected me to Nickala in the first place and has helped me believe more in myself from day one. When I first met her, I had no idea how I wanted to materialise my ideas. And everyone who works at Flourish! Working at Wai Yin has shed a light on how Flourish and other organisations work incredibly hard to help people actualize their dreams. People only see the end-product, and they don’t see what goes on during the process. Seeing women get together and be sincere with each other is not only powerful but much needed for social innovation.
