Thriving

8May By Martin KagweriNo Comments

issue 14, Issue One 3, Mother's Day, Thriving

The Voice You Almost Silenced and the Legacy You Choose to Leave – Divya Parekh

I used to believe confidence came first. That one day I would feel completely ready, certain in my thoughts, steady in my voice, and then I would step forward and say what I had been holding back. It sounded logical. Almost responsible. But life, and especially motherhood, has a way of interrupting that illusion. Because when you are raising a child, there is no moment where someone hands you certainty and says, now you are ready. You show up in real time. Simultaneously, you respond, adjust, and learn. You don’t wait to feel fully formed. You become through the process. And somewhere in that experience, I noticed a quiet contradiction in my life. I could show up for everyone else. I could lead, support, guide, and give. But with fully expressing my voice, I hesitated. Not loudly. No...

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8May By Martin KagweriNo Comments

issue 14, Issue One 1, Mother's Day, Thriving

Moving Places and Breaking Cycles – Viktoria Höller

The Women Who Came Before There are women who inherit silence. Women who are taught early that survival means shrinking yourself, staying agreeable, and never questioning the systems built around you. In many families, these lessons are passed quietly from one generation to the next until they begin to feel normal, almost invisible. For generations, the women in this family lived within those expectations. Their lives were shaped not by their own choices, but by the decisions of men and the rules patriarchy placed around them. They were expected to subordinate themselves, remain agreeable, and avoid stepping out of line. Leaving a marriage, pursuing higher education, or building an independent life were not things women in the family dared to imagine. The writer describes these...

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8May By Martin KagweriNo Comments

issue 14, Issue One 2, Mother's Day, Thriving

The Unstoppable Story of a Woman

A Mother’s Day Reflection on Voice, Legacy, and the Joy of Becoming Seen by Divya Parekh There are seasons in a woman’s life when she is asked to keep so much in motion that even her own inner life recedes from view. Everyone needs her everywhere. Her attention splits into a thousand tender fragments. She becomes, almost without noticing it, the steady hand, the remembering heart, the keeper of the details, the one who knows who needs what, and when, and how much. She carries birthdays, griefs, groceries, expectations, disappointments, unfinished conversations, old wounds, and fresh hopes, often all before noon. If she is a mother, she does this in ways the world praises too lightly. If she is not a mother in the literal sense, she may still know this pattern intimately, for women have ...

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8May By Martin KagweriNo Comments

issue 14, Issue One 1, Mother's Day, Thriving

Motherhood & The Rise of the Stellar Woman

By Stella Olivia Kikoyo Motherhood has often been portrayed as sacrifice.A role of constant giving. Constant nurturing. Constant service to others. And while motherhood is deeply selfless, many women have unconsciously inherited the belief that becoming a mother means slowly disappearing from themselves. Their dreams become secondary.Their identity becomes attached only to who they serve.Their voice becomes quieter.Their light becomes dimmer. But the modern woman is rewriting that story. A Stellar Woman understands that motherhood is not the end of her becoming - it is the expansion of it. She realises that she was never designed to lose herself in the process of loving others. She was designed to evolve through it. The Stellar Woman Does Not S...

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8May By Martin KagweriNo Comments

issue 14, Issue One 2, Mother's Day, Thriving

Motherhood Without a Manual: Learning to Love, Heal, and Grow Along the Way – Theresa Russell

There is no handbook placed into our hands the moment we become mothers. No perfect guide for the sleepless nights, difficult decisions, or the quiet weight of wanting to do everything right. No chapter teaches us how to calm our fears, trust our instincts, or silence the endless question that whispers, Am I enough? Most women step into motherhood carrying what they learned from their own childhoods — what they witnessed, what they received, and what they longed for but never had. Some were raised in homes filled with warmth, security, and tenderness. Others grew up shaped by instability, absence, criticism, or survival. Whatever our beginnings looked like, those early experiences leave an imprint. And yet, motherhood has a remarkable way of calling us higher. It asks us not ...

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8May By Martin KagweriNo Comments

Cover Story, issue 14, Mother's Day, Thriving

The Legacy You Carry, The Life You Choose

Because My Mother, I Am a Resilient Stellar Woman Tamara Steele Honours the Legacy of Her Mother, Barbara Wiggins Interview by Stella Olivia KikoyoStellar Woman Mother’s Day Edition Barbara Wiggins is the kind of woman whose life speaks before she does. Widowed at just 35, she chose not to surrender to grief, fear, or limitation. Instead, she stepped into leadership, raised three children, and continued running an automotive parts business in a male-dominated industry for over 60 years. Her daughter, Tamara Steele - visionary founder and CEO of Evolve, a global women’s collaborative community - reflects on the remarkable woman who shaped her faith, resilience, discipline, and purpose. With a distinguished career spanning more than three decades, Tamara has worn many hats with g...

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8May By Martin KagweriNo Comments

Cover Story, Feminism, issue 14, Mother's Day, Thriving

Motherhood Didn’t Come When She Expected. Here’s What the Wait Taught Her

Rene Byrd: Waiting on the Lord, Becoming a Mother, and Never Giving Up For the Stellar Woman Mother’s Day Edition Rene is a British singer, songwriter, award-winning creative visionary, founder and host of the Who Am I Talk podcast, and founder of Rene Byrd London, a luxury lifestyle brand rooted in identity, confidence, and empowerment. One of her most powerful journeys has been becoming a mother after IVF. After years of waiting, hoping, praying, preparing, and surrendering, she welcomed her son in November 2024. Her story is one of faith, resilience, womanhood, delayed dreams, and divine timing. “Wait on the Lord. I understand those words now more than ever.” Rene, welcome back to Stellar Woman. Can you tell us more about your journey? Thank you so much ...

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8May By Martin KagweriNo Comments

Cover Story, issue 14, Mother's Day, Thriving

A Mother’s Love Can Change the World – Heather McCarthy 

Heather McCarthy on Motherhood, Literacy, Compassion, and Raising a Generation That Believes It Can Change the World Interview by Stella Olivia Kikoyo Some women leave impressions.Others leave legacies. Heather McCarthy is building one library, one child, and one act of compassion at a time. An award-winning author, educator, librarian, humanitarian, literacy advocate, wife, and mother, Heather’s work stretches from classrooms in Illinois to villages in Zimbabwe -inspiring children to understand that age does not limit impact and that compassion is one of humanity’s greatest forms of leadership. Yet beyond the accolades and global initiatives is a woman deeply rooted in motherhood, emotional presence, resilience, and service. In this heartfelt Mother’s Day conve...

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16Feb By Martin KagweriNo Comments

Thriving

Pamela Gurley on Success and Being a Stellar Woman

Who is Pamela Gurley? Who I am is so many things to so many people. Who I am is a go-getter, a loving daughter, an overprotective sister, amazing aunt to 5 nieces and 5 nephews, “Pma” to two wonderful pseudo-grandkids, the empowering friend, and devoted significant other to a wonderful and supportive man. I am also a worldly traveler, wine lover, poet (not many people know that about me), and I love to cook. What’s your backstory?This is such a loaded question because I have done so much in my life. I guess the easiest is the backstory of how I became a writer, which is a full circle phenomenon. I pretty much grew up writing because as far back as I can remember I wrote poetry. Writing was also my outlet (I had many diaries). While in highschool I attend the Upward Bound program at S...

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16Feb By Martin KagweriNo Comments

Thriving

Liberian fashion designer, poet, and entrepreneur Patrice Juah on life, success and being a stellar woman

In your own words who is Patrice Juah? What do you do? Patrice Juah is a child of God. She is an International Affairs and Communications Professional, awarding-winning poet, and author, working globally to advance Girls’ Education, Social-Emotional Learning, Women’s Leadership, and Youth Development. She is a perpetual knowledge seeker, adventure lover, and multifaceted woman, with a fascination for languages, and a passion for service and fostering global collaborations. She’s the founder of the Martha Juah Educational Foundation, and its Sexy Like A Book academic and leadership initiative, which takes a social and academic approach to address some of the barriers to girls’ education in Liberia. She’s an Executive of Karanga: The Global Alliance for Social-Emotional Learning and Life ...

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16Feb By Martin KagweriNo Comments

Thriving

Strategy matters and strategy can change with Mary Pagano

Strategy matters and strategy can change with Mary Pagano.In this episode you will meet, continue to learn and be empowered by this amazing guest and Stellar Woman whose story is also in issue 5 of the Stellar Woman Magazine. She is currently focused on all things concerning women empowerment and is producing a TV series to help spread free education. She is the CEO and Founder of Hera Media group. She is a board advisor, Angel investor in female funded organisation with 25 years as the only female profit and loss leader in the fortune 30 companies like Motorola and AT&T. She is well versed in smart city experience and tech solutions. In this article, Mary covers strategy and its importance. She talks about the importance of strategic partnerships . Collaborations being the strat...

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16Feb By Martin KagweriNo Comments

Thriving

Alison Edgar MBE ‘The Entrepreneur’s godmother’ & Chief Goal Smasher

Alison’s story and knowledge will help you break down all the limiting beliefs and doubts you may have had before and open up your mind to new possibilties. She smashed it in sales just as a new entrant and later moved into business at 46 after raising her two boys. She has been able to smash it again in business, got awarded an MBE and became known affectionately as ‘The Entrepreneur’s godmother’ for her commitment to transforming small businesses through education and mentorship. She is dyslexic and struggled a lot at school. Today, Alison has smashed it with two best seller books – Secrets of Successful sales & Smash it! The Art of getting you want. She shares some of her strategies to help you get there. I cannot believe that there’s anyone better to empower you on your life and...

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23Dec By Martin Kagweri1 Comment

Christmas Issue, Cover Story, ISSUE 13, Thriving

Leading With Compassion, Equity, and Courage – Jessica P. Hansen, MSW

For over two decades, Jessica P. Hansen has worked at the intersection of humanity’s deepest needs and its highest potential. From refugee camps and rural villages to global nonprofits and corporate leadership spaces, her work has centered on dignity, protection, and access. In this conversation with Stellar Woman Magazine, Jessica reflects on who she is, what shaped her, and why compassion remains at the core of everything she does. WHO IS JESSICA HANSEN?“That is such a huge question,” Jessica says. “What comes up for me immediately is a quote by Neil deGrasse Tyson. He talks about having two purposes in life. One is to understand more about the world today than you did yesterday, and the other is to ease the suffering of others.” She explains that if she had to capture her life in a f...

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21Dec By Martin KagweriNo Comments

ISSUE 13, Issue One 1, Thriving, Wellness

My Festive Reset- Monica Bradley

Here’s how Monica Bradley, Founder of MB Associates, plans to use the festive season to recharge and reawaken her goals. It’s the same every year. Christmas is portrayed as a season of joy and togetherness – and this can be true. But it can also be a time when we’re most depleted after a busy year. As a business owner, I know this only too well. After 12 months of managing the needs of clients, colleagues, family and friends, the festive season arrives. Instead of resting, I find myself racing around ensuring I have everything I need for festive gatherings at my home. As the managing director of MB Associates, a thriving mortgage brokers in Surrey, I spend most of the year with a hectic schedule. My role entails helping clients, managing my team, leading the business, attending event...

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21Dec By Martin KagweriNo Comments

ISSUE 13, Issue One 2, Thriving

Every Day and Season Are New for You – by Ann Justi

Every year there is a new year and that gives way to reflect on the past year and deciding on how we want to spend the new year, like new year resolutions. The intention is to reflect on the ending of one year and plan for the new year. A chance to begin again reigniting your passions, dreams with personal rebirth and reinvention. Most plan big and fall short of the annual delivery. It does not have to be that way. Every day is a new day. A chance to take a step towards what you want in the new year and learn from the past year. Take inventory every season not just at the end of the year. Adjust as you go. Consistency and vision are key. Don’t let that you may not have had the year go like you wanted it to be. Small steps even if you are discovering what you want to do or achieve can ha...

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21Dec By Martin Kagweri1 Comment

Christmas Issue, Cover Story, ISSUE 13, Thriving

Building Equity, Leadership, and Belonging – Dr Joanna Abeyie MBE

Stellar Woman Magazine | Christmas Issue: Radiance Reborn Christmas is a season of reflection. It invites pause, honesty, and renewal. For Stellar Woman Magazine, this Christmas issue is shaped around Radiance Reborn. Not radiance as performance, but radiance as renewal. The kind that emerges when women continue to lead, question, and rebuild themselves and their work, even when the journey has been demanding. Dr Joanna Abeyie is a leader shaped by education, advocacy, and lived experience. Her work sits at the intersection of inclusion, leadership development, and social impact. In this conversation with Stellar Woman Magazine, she speaks candidly about her journey, the systems that shaped her, and why equity must be intentional rather than performative.\ QN. WHO IS DR JOANNA...

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11Nov By Stella Olivia KikoyoNo Comments

Business, Thriving

From Selling Fruits and Vegetables On a Veranda to Owning 7 Businesses – Susan Nyachwo

As part of our partnership with Street Business School, Stellar Woman Magazine had chat with some of their success stories. Street Business School empowers women to become thriving entrepreneurs, lifting themselves and their families to a more vibrant future. In this interview, Susan Nyachwo shares her experience growing from selling fruits and vegetable to owning 7 businesses. Tell us about yourself and backstory.  I am Nyachwo Susan and I'm 50 years old. I am a japadola from Tororo and my residence is in Luzira. I am a mother of five children and I am a What business did you want to do as a child? I just wanted to be a shopkeeper. Somebody who can make money in so many ways. That was my dream. What was your life before Street Business School? What were you doing? ...

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11Nov By Stella Olivia KikoyoNo Comments

Business, Issue one 5, Thriving

How I became financially empowered – Rose Nalubega

Rose is a 40-year-old mother of 3 children. 2 daughters and a son. Rose’s first daughter (Shalom) finished university. Her second born is at the University offering an engineering Course. The last child is still at primary school level. Rose joined Street Business School in 2018. By then she had a retail shop but didn’t know how much sales and profits she made in her shop.   One day when Street Business School was mobilizing and registering women to join for trainings, she was motivated to join with the hope of learning how to calculate and understand the profits her business brought her. She attended all the training and says the modules that changed her life were finding capital and starting small, plus record and bookkeeping.  She decided to Practice record a...

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11Nov By Stella Olivia KikoyoNo Comments

Mind & Body, Thriving

The Quest for Excellence: Unleash Your Limitless Potential – Uma Subramanian

Picture a life where you consistently push beyond your limits, achieve remarkable success, and become the best version of yourself. This is the essence of striving for excellence—a transformative journey that promises fulfillment, growth, and a profound impact on the world around you. As you embark on this transformative path, it's essential to unlock your limitless potential and embrace the pursuit of excellence. In this article, I will share valuable insights and actionable tips to guide you on your journey, helping you unleash your full potential and strive for excellence in every aspect of your life. Throughout my personal and professional journey, I have encountered numerous challenges and opportunities that have shaped my pursuit of excellence. From breaking through boundaries in ...

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11Nov By Stella Olivia KikoyoNo Comments

Business, Cover Story, Thriving

How Hala Taha transformed obstacles into opportunities

Hala Taha is the host of Young and Profiting Podcast, frequently ranked as the #1 Education podcast across all apps. Hala is also the CEO of YAP Media, a full-service social media and podcast marketing agency for top podcasters, celebrities, and CEOs. She is well-known for her engaged following and influence on Linkedin, and she landed the January 2021 cover of Podcast Magazine. Hala is an expert on networking, personal branding, Linkedin marketing, side hustles, entrepreneurship, and podcasting. Who is Hala Taha? What is your back story? So they call me the podcast princess. In terms of my background story, I started my career in radio. I used to work at the radio station Hot 97. I started my journey in broadcasting 10 years ago working as an intern at the radio station. I worked th...

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11Nov By Stella Olivia KikoyoNo Comments

Feminism, Thriving

Viola Davis: A Story of Triumph in The Face of Turbulence.

Viola Davis is a critically revered, award-winning actress, producer, and New York Times Best-Selling Author.  She is the first black actress to win two Tony Awards (“Fences” & “King Hedley II”), an Oscar (“Fences”), and an Emmy (“How to Get Away with Murder”). Davis was most recently seen starring in "The Woman King," which she also produced. Here is the story of Viola Davis: The life into which she was born was hardly one of abundant promise. Viola Davis (born August 11th, 1965 in Saint Matthews, South Carolina) is the second-youngest of six siblings. Her father was a horse groomer and her mother a maid. As a young child, she often went hungry. Even though her parents were hard-working and received a welfare check, what money there was always gone after a few days. Growing...

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11Nov By Stella Olivia KikoyoNo Comments

Business, Cover Story, Feminism, Mind & Body, Thriving

Creating Impact, Influence and Income – Hui Hui Lek

Hui Hui is a coach, a course creator, and the Founder, and CEO of Impact University and Inner World Training. She is the creator of the Mission To Movement 10-Day Course Creation Challenge through which she helps new entrepreneurs and coaches create digital courses and coaching programs. Who is Hui Hui and what is your backstory? I was born and raised in Singapore, but I'm Chinese. Growing up, I was a very shy and introverted child. And because I'm the youngest child, most of the time I played alone at home and at times with my mom. Ever since I was young, I wanted to be an entrepreneur. So after my first job, which was book editor, I decided that I didn't want to just work for other people anymore. I wanted to start my own business. So I started my entrepreneurial journey. I have to...

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11Nov By Stella Olivia KikoyoNo Comments

Cover Story, Thriving

Karen Spens on striving for excellence: Listen, Learn, and Lead

Karen Spens is the president of BI Norwegian Business School. She received her PhD from Hanken School of Economics in 2001 and became Professor of Supply Chain Management and Corporate Geography in 2007. She has since held several administrative positions at Hanken and in 2015 became the Rector of Hanken. She has mainly taught Supply Chain Management and has primarily published in the field of Humanitarian Logistics.  Watch Karen Spens' full interview with Stellar Woman Magazine below: So who is Karen Spens? What's your backstory? Thanks for inviting me. It’s my pleasure to be here today. One important thing women need to do when trying to move forward is to be daring enough to take on a new challenge. I was bold enough to leave my native...

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11Nov By Stella Olivia KikoyoNo Comments

Business, Thriving

The only limits are the ones you set for yourself – June Dennis

June Dennis has two amazing careers - in marketing and higher education. After working in marketing and PR management roles for a decade, June Dennis started to teach professional courses in the evenings and got the teaching bug. She has over 25 years experience in higher education, and now in senior management roles. She is a leading specialist in academic partnerships with significant knowledge of the Higher Education sector, curriculum design and development and student experience. She is also a chair of the Chartered Institute of Marketing Board, a marketing NED & board advisor, expert witness, a business trainer and coach. June is on a mission to help small businesses succeed through accessing the full power of marketing and not just social media. in this chat with Stellar Woma...

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11Nov By Stella Olivia KikoyoNo Comments

Business, Thriving

Don’t Let the Fear of Failure Hold you back – Beth Lapides

Beth is the creator, host and executive producer of the legendary and revolutionary UnCabaret which she has shepherded through 25 + years of weekly live shows, TV, CD’s, streaming and touring. UnCabaret has been called a ‘comedy be in’ by Rolling Stone. Vanity Fair said there's ‘Nothing cooler’. Variety called UnCab’s 25th anniversary show “a triumph!” and UnCabaret a ‘progressive comedy institution.’ The LA Times called Beth the ‘godmother of alternative comedy’. And Vulture says UnCabaret has ‘a magical life giving mystique and hilarious storytelling’. Beth is also the author of the critically acclaimed original audio book, So You Need To Decide, published by Recorded Books. Available everywhere audiobooks are. Get it on Amazon here! So You Need to Decide was ...

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11Nov By Stella Olivia KikoyoNo Comments

Business, Issue one 5, Thriving

5 Leadership Lessons from Sheryl Sandberg to help you in decision making.

Self-Perception Plays a Key Role in Success Leadership starts at the top, setting the tone and establishing the code of conduct and goals for the business and its employees… But leaders also need to listen to feedback. If your company isn’t thriving as you want it to, you could be part of the problem. Are you making the right decisions? Do you trust your ideas enough? Are you decisive enough? Confidence is important if you want to lead a company to success. Trusting your ideas and skills leads to better decisions. However, truthful feedback is important too – and this can’t happen without engaging your employees. Talking to all your employees, regardless of departments or status, can provide a big-picture view of how you handle things. It can provide a boost of confidence and change ...

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11Nov By Stella Olivia KikoyoNo Comments

Thriving

Tina Baker on Leading by Example and Making Tough Decisions

Tina B is a vocalist and songwriter whose voice and songs have been featured on gold and platinum records. Her music has helped create a musical movement that defines music today. The 1980s brought an explosion of new music coming out of New York City - dance, electronic, funk, hip-hop. Tina B's singles “Honey To A Bee”, “Bodyguard” and “January, February” contributed to the legacy and sound as fresh today as the day they were released. The “Bodyguard” video was written and directed by Beastie Boy, Adam Yauch. She made her first debut with Afrika Bambaataa and the Jazzy Five on “Jazzy Sensation, Manhattan Version” on Tommy Boy Records in 1981. Following her debut with “Jazzy Sensation,” Tina B joined Rockers Revenge in 1982, a funk and soul group founded by pioneering dance, pop, and e...

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11Nov By Stella Olivia KikoyoNo Comments

Opinion, Thriving

The Power Of Decisions Survey

We asked several people to share with us decisions that they have made that have had a big impact in their lives. Could you answer the same question for yourself? Could you please share the one decision that you have made that you believe has had a great impact on your life?Mastermind teamThe decision to shift my mindset. It all started there. Having the right mindset will make you see the world differently and positively.WoodieBecoming a child of God is worth more to me than all the silver and goldRachna R JInvesting in myselfAnna T BodinMarrying my husband.Applying to Harvard.Building my own business.All three were life-changing!Nicole Amy L.Morning to KoreaNatalie J WStopped drinking  5 years ago, it has had a phenomenal effect on my life Terri MI decided to teach. I decided that eve...

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11Nov By Stella Olivia KikoyoNo Comments

Business, Issue One 4, Thriving

10 Books to Guide you in Courageous Decision Making

Thinking in Bets: Making Smarter Decisions When You Don't Have All the Facts by Annie Duke. "Thinking in Bets offers a compelling and eminently useful, new way to think about life's decisions. Annie Duke has written an important, and often hilarious, a book that will help you understand your own shortcomings--and make smarter choices as a result.  Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman.  In the highly anticipated Thinking, Fast and Slow, Kahneman takes us on a groundbreaking tour of the mind and explains the two systems that drive the way we think. System 1 is fast, intuitive, and emotional; System 2 is slower, more deliberative, and more logical. Kahneman exposes the extraordinary capabilities—and also the faults and biases—of fast thinking, and reveals the per...

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11Nov By Stella Olivia KikoyoNo Comments

Cover Story, Thriving

Daniela and Annette Felder on Gaps in Leadership in the Fashion Industry

Twin sisters Daniela and Annette Felder launched their womenswear line Felder Felder whilst studying at Central Saint Martins. Following their graduation in 2006, they were selected by Gen Art to showcase their collection during New York Fashion Week, and swiftly won the attention of the international fashion press and buyers, including Selfridges and Browns Focus. The sisters' signature style–feminine silhouettes toughened with chunky knitwear and bold accessories–garnered support from Simon Robbins of Russian Vogue, photographer Lorenzo Agius and stylist Patti Wilson. The German-born siblings received support from the Topshop/NewGen scheme three times, including for S/S 09. They were also featured in Hywel Davies' book 100 New Fashion Designers, published 2008. Daniela an...

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