This week, we asked business coach Suki Laniado-Smith a few questions about herself and her perspective on what it means to SHINE.
As we count down to the Shine Legacy Award, we continue our Interview Series featuring the amazing global influencers who are speaking and sharing their brilliance at the LEAP AND SHINE CONFERENCE 2020 coming up in London, UK on February 21-22. Enjoy!
1. When you think of the word SHINE what first comes to your mind? And what does "Shining" look like from your Point Of View (POV)?
Shine is your grace. It’s the aura that surrounds you, it’s almost impossible to quantify with words alone. Many adjectives might come close to describing it, yet it’s the mix of them that creates who you are and how you shine.
2. What would you say is your Shine Factor?
My intuition and ability to understand what’s being said and what’s not being said simultaneously.
3. What are your thoughts about Mentorship and Influence, do you think there is a connection?
Mentorship is very powerful and important. It’s not a one-way relationship. The power lies in the exchange between the mentor and the mentee. Both parties need to have a powerful connection, if not, it’s just transactional conversations, those which you can learn from a book or lecture. The power lies in the relationship, which is the exchange and sharing of wisdom, both parties learn and grow. At some point in time in a true mentoring relationship, they become equals. The mentor thrives by witnessing the thriving of the mentee.
4. Mentorship is a two-way relationship between the Mentor and the Mentee. Can you share two qualities you think mentees should exhibit in other to get the best out of their mentors?
Creating an environment of inspiration. There is a desire to grow beyond what the mentee believes they are capable of doing.
5. Can you think of one specific moment in which you dulled your shine and how you got your luster/sparkle back?
Whenever I become lost in my thoughts and lose sight of whoever I am speaking with. Through years of Coaching, Teaching, and Training, I have learned to recognize this instantly and get back into the conversation in a split second.
"It’s humbling and important to recognize that each of us slips in and out of shining moments." - Suki Laniado-Smith
6. If you could BRAG about one particular Shine Moment in your career or business what would it be?
It’s the moments when I see my younger clients shine. The ones who start businesses with a dream. I have the privilege of supporting those individuals and their businesses. They create a force for good in the world seeing their determination and perseverance at each stage of growth, watching them move up and down each energy cycle continually, maintaining their deep-seated purpose, creation and transformation take grit and most of all belief.
7. You are one of the Global Speakers at the February 2020 Leap And SHINE Conference in London, What should attendees expect from you at the Conference?
I will be speaking on “The value of becoming a force for good in the world. How to navigate between the Me & the We.”
My work is focused on the essential philosophy that by building trust and making conscious choices; a stabilizing effect is created for business and society.
Today, more than ever, each of us has a powerful opportunity "To Be A Force for Good".
It’s important to understand the global environment we are living in.
"Each of us has the ability to make a positive impact whether at a micro or macro level." - Suki Laniado-Smith
About Suki Laniado-Smith
Suki Laniado-Smith is a passionate advocate for the integration of culture as a strategic asset in business. She aligns the human dynamics and business mechanics, and she does so to great effect. A very experienced coach and now also a qualified mediator, Suki brings a balance of candour and warmth to her coaching which earns the loyalty and respect of Clients. After 13 years at Shirlaws, Suki is now a partner at Imaginal Ventures, where she currently channels her talents into the marketplace. She works in partnership with leaders who have a mandate for transformational change. Leaders who “have the authority, commitment and desire to bring about lasting evolutionary change. They understand the value of building a trust-based organisation. This is not just talking about change, it's designing, implementing and living the change.” Her focus is supporting leaders to align & integrate the human dynamics in their organisation with the business mechanics, and approach she believes provides businesses with the resilience, speed, and agility required for growth and dictates the pace at which growth can be achieved.
Connect with her at www.imaginalventures.com
About The Event
The Leap and Shine Conference which started in 2016 as a Virtual Summit is an initiative founded by Clara Rufai, The Shine Strategist offering Creative, Interactive and Transformational opportunities by bringing together global Thought-leaders and Influencers for paradigm-shifting, life-defining discussions with the aim to inspire, equip and empower individuals to break free from their prisons of limitation and take a ‘LEAP’ into their ‘SHINE ZONE’.
The two-day event promises enlightenment, education, entertainment, and networking with a line-up of successful global achievers. The theme for the conference is “Ready to Shine” and targeted at individuals and business leaders seeking to grow momentum and build a network of fruitful collaborations.
Tickets are already available on sale at www.LeapAndShineConference.com