Let’s go running ladies!

So. It has been a while. Hi guys 🙂

Tomorrow (Sat 8th March 2014) is International Women’s Day #IWD2014. And I for one am proud to be a female. We rock!

To celebrate all things wonderful about womanhood I will be running in Central London tomorrow with the lovely Bangs of Spikes & Heels and a bunch of other dope women. We will be running roughly 4 miles (and it’s not competitive so you can run at your own pace – I’ll be keeping the back in good company!) and stopping every now and again to remember the awesome women who have lived before us and amongst us in this beautiful city.

As I have somehow committed to running the New Orleans Rock ‘n Roll (half) marathon next January with a motley crew of Exploring Mindset Sea Dragon pirates this will be as good a start as any to get me back into running again (I haven’t run properly for about a year given ongoing back problems).

The run starts at Green Park tube station at 9am tomorrow, so if you are about, come on down and bring friends! Don’t forget to wear your most comfy running shoes and bring your water bottle & neon bandana (PS neon bandana is optional).

See you there!

Passion Tears – Advent in Poetry

Hello!

It’s been a while.

So my last blog post here was over a year and a half ago. I guess when I stopped working for myself full time I felt I had less to write about and document. In retrospect of course I know that’s definitely not true, in fact being a full time employee is teaching my an awful lot! And as an entrepreneur on a sabbatical (if you will) I think I have a lot I should be sharing. So maybe I will recommence blogging here shortly.

Anyway in the meantime I’ve started sharing some of my old love poems (written between 2005-2009ish) over at www.passiontears.wordpress.com – I’m sharing one a day for the whole month of December, a sort of Advent in Poetry.

Some of them were previously shared on this blog, but I recovered them all en masse when I recently got my old hard drive fixed and some have made be laugh, some have made me cry and some have made me cringe!

I hope you enjoy them and I look forward to hearing your thoughts!

www.passiontears.wordpress.com

NJ x

WYSE International Leadership Programme – application deadline looms

Boxing Day 2008 I left my Nanny’s house, said good-bye to the family as they continued with Christmas celebrations, packed a bag and caught a flight to Sao Paulo, Brazil.

The next two weeks were sprinkled with some of my life’s most defining moments. Two weeks earlier I’d been offered a place on the WYSE (World Youth and Social Enterprise) ILP (International Leadership Programme). I jumped at the chance to get away from dreary UK, explore a new country and do some much-needed ‘soul searching’. I learnt so much about myself and developed such fantastic relationships there I often wish I could relive those two weeks again and again. I had the time of my life.

There is now less than a month to go before the deadline for applications for the 2011 WYSE ILP which is taking place in beautiful Lucca, Italy (28th July – 12th August).

WYSE’s world renowned International Leadership Programme provides a unique and inspirational opportunity to:

• Develop your leadership potential through team projects, personal reflection, physical activities, deep discussion and the arts.
• Explore the underlying causes of global problems, and develop a social entrepreneurial approach.
• Identify your values and guiding principles in order to gain a clearer sense of balance, purpose and life direction.
• Develop an international network of friends and peers who wish to collaborate and make a positive difference.
• Increase your understanding of the influence of and relationship between individuals, local NGOs and international organisations such as the United Nations.

WYSE International is a global charity that supports young people with vision and awareness, who care about what’s happening in the world, and want to do what they can to make a positive difference. We promote visionary leadership capable of responding to evolving world needs such as peace, human rights, democracy and sustainability.

People who have attended WYSE in the past have found the experience extremely beneficial, and have come away with a clearer sense of who they are and where they are heading in the future.

If you are 18-35, passionate about making a positive difference to the world and seeking purpose and perspective I strongly encourage you to apply.

For more information please email ilp@wyse-ngo.org and WYSE will send you a full Information Pack with programme brochure, self-assessment (for you to check your suitability) and application forms.

‘WYSE is a gift, accept it and cherish it.  It will help you grow into the best person that you can become’ (Hyatt, Kuwait)

Nominate your Team London Star!

Do you or does someone you know spend time regularly volunteering to make London a better place to live and work?

Boris Johnson, Mayor of London is calling for nominations to be made to celebrate the countless hours of volunteering completed by thousands of Londoners every day.

If there is someone you think deserves some public recognition please nominate them by completing the simple form.

Where is my ‘Motivation’?!

All I have to say is 2:24.

PS The remix with Busta, Trey and Fabolous is also delicious, but the visuals above are FABULOUS.

Art is The Cure (AITC)

Had a meeting this morning with Rich Simmons and Graham over at the Art is The Cure HQ in Norwood Junction. There studio is awesome, floor to ceiling murals and amazing street art propped up all over the place, as well as covering every possible surface.

Am pleased to be able to announce that 4WD Foundation will be working in partnership with AITC and Ignite on a few youth projects based at AITC HQ this summer. For more info on Art is The Cure watch this short (pretty old school!) video featuring founder Rich Simmons:

Tomorrow Rich will be creating a street piece outside the Opera Gallery prior to featuring alongside the likes of Banksy and D*Face at The Street Art Show, which he has kindly invited me and Goldie to! My first ever art gallery private party invite! Apparently Hugh Grant is on the guest list and there is free champagne…

Win a FREE Marketing Video for your Company

Mediathirsty Productions in association with CIDA (Cultural Industries Development Agency) is offering 1 creative business owner the opportunity to win a one-minute online marketing video for their company. This video can be placed on your website, YouTube and Facebook pages to significantly increase your business.

Mediathirsty Productions creates media for promotional purposes giving a valuable first impression to website visitors and potential customers. The creation of quality media gives you the power to control those all important first impressions. By providing better insight from a distance, you can alleviate potential customer concerns. Good quality media will also increase traffic to your company’s website.
CIDA – Cultural Industries Development Agency is the leading support organisation for the creative and cultural sector.

To enter this competition, simply complete the simple registration form on the Mediathirsty website before the end of TOMORROW 15^th June 2011 – all entries will need to be received before this date.

This offer is only open to CIDA members. For more details on becoming a member, please email Rebecca@cida.co.uk or call 020 7247 4710.

Conditions: Your business premises must be based in London. The winner will need to prepare a 2 minute script for the hour long shoot. This script must be received by Mediathirsty 2 weeks prior to the arrange shoot date. Delivery of the video will be made online – the winner will be required to download the video within 24 hours of receiving email notification.

RSA Lecture – Who’s Failing Our Kids? – Audio

A few months ago I was invited to speak at the RSA (Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce) on a panel regarding who is failing the children of Britain.

I felt honoured to be on a panel alongside Katharine Birbalsingh, John D’Abbro and Michael Gernon.

Here is the audio: Who’s Failing our Kids? (Please click the link to access)

I totally forgot that it would be uploaded online so apologies for the delay in getting it up!

I am now featured on the RSA speakers archive HERE.

Please feel free to share your thoughts on this important issue below.

Frank Ocean – We All Try

You gotta believe in something…

Rio Breaks – London Premiere

My homie from LA Justin Mitchell is coming to London for the premiere of his film Rio Breaks this Friday at The Empire, Leicester Square and I am so looking forward to seeing him and watching the film as it is all set in one of my favourite places: BRAZIL.