There’s nothing quite so focussing on ones weight than putting on a freshly washed pair of jeans.
I’d sailed through Christmas and New Year. Had the odd chocolate and mince pie – nothing excessive. Nothing out of control. Lots of walking and activity. A feeling in fact that, for the first time in years, I had actually managed my weight remarkably well, that is until I put on my freshly washed jeans! Ouch! I could hardly zip them up, and if I did, the overflow would have looked horrendous! ‘OK! Focus. Get on with it’, I said to myself.
Mike, my husband, has been away skiing in Colorado for the last seven days so now was my opportunity to get back on track and lose a few pounds.
I don’t weigh myself because it has a perverse affect on my psychology and I gain weight (I accept I’m peculiar) but I do measure myself with my Magic Measure. I had to move my ‘slim’ tag up one inch which was humiliating. My weight gain was real, and not just that the jeans being washed in some stupid shrinking washing powder!
So I embarked on my week. Back to teaching classes on Monday – two classes which I thoroughly enjoyed and at which I burned loads of calories – and because Mike wasn’t at home, I had a smaller supper.
Next day I went ice skating and skated on my new Christmas-present-ice-skates which was a nightmare. It was as though I had never skated before – but stress burns calories! Then on Tuesday afternoon I helped launch the Active Together in the Workplace initiative in Leicestershire and had to teach an aerobics workout to a very mixed group for 30 minutes. Challenging to say the least but great fun! And great for the weight loss!
Wednesday saw me sitting in the car for 6 hours as we drove to and from London for QVC shopping TV channel. Fortunately my products almost sold out during our slot so that was great news but during the feature I tasted some soup cooked in my wok. The problem was it was boiling and I nearly choked on air, totally burning my throat! Excruciating and still painful now – Sunday!
Home for 7 30pm and ready for two writing days. No treats in the fridge. No treats in the cupboards. And it made me realise that had I had a yogurt in the fridge, a mousse or some ice cream in the freezer, I would have been right in there. But there wasn’t and by Saturday morning I could see in the mirror a big difference. I measured myself with my Magic Measure and a whole inch had gone from my waist. I was so happy. I tried on my jeans and they zipped up and I went shopping and felt I was walking on air. Yes – it really is true - nothing tastes and good as being slim feels!
It is still newly into the New Year and the opportunities are there for the taking. Check out our website for everything you need to help you find a new body for 2011. If there’s one of our classes near you, join it. Click here to find your local Rosemary Conley Diet and Fitness class. There is not a better class in the land because we teach exercise as well as weight loss and all of our franchisees are professionally qualified and outstanding. If there isn’t a class, try Rosemaryconleyonline.com. It is an outstanding service and every one of the coaches is an ex-franchisee, fully qualified and totally experienced to help you reach your goals.
And if you want a diet to help you succeed, look no further than my Amazing Inch Loss Plan book. It really works. Look in your local supermarket or buy it online. But if you want to succeed, just get rid of temptation!
Monday, 17 January 2011
Friday, 7 January 2011
Slimmer of the Year Celebrations in London
Wednesday was such an exciting day! This year we awarded 10 Slimmer of the Year titles including Bride Slimmer of the Year, 50+, Super-Fit, Biggest Loser, Entrepreneur, Student and we also gave our first ever Slimmer of the Year title to one of our Online members.
The event was held at the glorious Marriott County Hall Hotel on the Thames in London. Each winner enjoyed being made-over with our team of hair and make-up artists and, once dressed in their beautiful evening wear – except the Bride who wore her wedding dress, and our two male winners in their evening suits, they were ready to meet the press. They looked stunning – toned, confident, beautiful - and you would never have guessed that between them they had lost a monumental 100 stone! It was a very proud moment.
Press PLAY to watch a video from the event:
Dr. Hilary Jones also joined us for the celebrations and had a one-to-one medical consultation with each winner to establish their current health status. With several of the winners having halved their weight the results were impressive. Not only had they turned their health around by losing their weight, they had added years to their life expectancy – in fact, cumulatively, 87.5 years!
I had asked Dr Hilary to come along this year because I had never had so many successful slimmers who had lost weight so fast. I wanted to be able to confirm to the press that with a healthy low fat diet, group support and regular exercise, it is possible to lose weight fast but safely. Dr. Hilary confirmed this and he was really impressed by their levels of fitness and improved overall health. Depression, diabetes, asthma, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, joint pain - the list of conditions that these 10 folk had had was endless, but now it was different. So many were now off their medication completely. They really had saved their lives!
The champagne flowed, the TV cameras rolled and the flash bulbs went crazy as the press captured the moment. Many regions carried their stories in their 6 O’clock News bulletins that evening. It is such an exciting time for everyone and has a real touch of Hollywood about it!
But the best bit of it all is just seeing the smiles on the faces of the winners and the pride on the faces of their husbands, wives, families, RC class instructors and friends who were there to witness this exceptional event. An event that celebrated a massive amount of dedication, determination, will-power and energy expenditure! These worthy winners had worked very hard to achieve the trimmed down and toned up body that they owned today. They each totally deserved their £1000 prize.
Here is a quick rundown of our winners but check out http://www.rosemaryconley.tv/ and click on Slimmer of the Year 2011 to see them in person. You can also see them being individually interviewed on the channel.
Biggest Loser – Female: Stephanie Hughes. Steph lost 12st 7 lbs in a year on my Amazing Inch Loss Plan and at her local RC Class.
Biggest Loser – Male : Michael Hutchinson. Michael lost 12st 7lbs in a year on my Amazing Inch Loss Plan and at his local RC Class.
Super Fit – Male: Carl Williams. Lost 10st in 9 months on my Amazing Inch Loss Plan and at his local RC class and by using his Wii Fit for two hours a day!
Super Fit – Female: Joanne Dreher. Jo lost 11st 6 lbs and halved her weight as a member of RC Classes but now she is a qualified exercise teacher taking six RC classes a week!
50+ Margaret Balneaves: Margaret lost her husband because he was so overweight and decided to lose weight in his memory. Margaret lost 10 stone.
Online : Patricia Harvey works night-shift for NHS 24 in Scotland and couldn’t attend classes. Patricia lost 6st 6 lbs with RosemaryConleyOnline.
Entrepreneur: Sarah Humphries suffers with dyslexia and dyspraxia and had been bullied throughout her life. When she was made redundant from the bakery at Morrisons she set up her own dog walking business and now walks between 5 – 25 miles a day! Sarah has lost 10 stone!
Bride: Laura Powell: Laura lost 11 stone to look like a princess on her wedding day last week!
Yummy Mummy : Fiona Dunn. Fiona lost 8st 7 lbs to become a slim and fit mummy who can now run around with her two young boys.
Student : Eve Leonard. Eve shed 6st 4 lbs to transform herself from an unfit student to a stunning young lady!
A massive well done to all our winners and I hope you will be inspired. If they can do it, so can you!
A massive well done to all our winners and I hope you will be inspired. If they can do it, so can you!
Monday, 3 January 2011
Happy New Year!
Well, at last it is the New Year! And a very happy and healthy New Year to all of you!
I love January because it’s the time when our business is at its busiest. We announce our 2011 Slimmers of the Year to the press on 5th January in London at a glittering ceremony and on 6th January my latest book is published – my Amazing Inch Loss Plan in its new paperback version that has many chapters added to it and lots of wonderful testimonials from slimmers who have followed the diet over the last 12 months and transformed their lives as well as their bodies. At only £6.99 I know it will fly off the shelves. You’ll find it in your local supermarket or bookstore - no doubt at a very low loss-leader-price - or, of course, you can buy it from our website.
This year’s Slimmers of the Year are outstanding. There are 10 winners have lost 100 stone between them. Four of them have lost all their weight over the last twelve months on the Amazing Inch Loss Plan diet at their local RC Diet and Fitness Club. Because we teach exercise as well as weight loss at our classes, their bodies are amazing. Toned up, sylph-like and looking as though they have never been overweight in their lives. I so love the moment when the press meet them in the flesh. The photographers often say to me, “Your Slimmers of the Year are always the best because they are always so toned up”. I am like a proud ‘mum’ as I show off these wonderfully transformed, confident folk to the world. It is what we work towards all year! This is what we do. We help people to lose weight, get fit and live life!
All of our Rosemary Conley Diet and Fitness Club franchisees will have been walking miles over the last week or so delivering leaflets advertising their classes because January is the time when most people join a slimming club. Just think - the four Slimmers of the Year I mentioned earlier who, this time last year were embarking on their own war on their weight - it you could be you standing in their shoes next January! They will be rewarded with not just a cash prize of £1000 each on Wednesday but they have a new body that they didn’t think could be theirs and instead of wearing size 28 they are wearing size 10! Money can’t buy a new body but with the help of our wonderful instructors at our classes, or our coaches on www.rosemaryconleyonline.com , we can support, nurture, encourage and motivate you to success – success that is sweeter that you could ever imagine. As one of my own members told me before Christmas, ‘I can now get into my old wardrobe of clothes I haven’t worn for three years. I can’t believe it! It is so exciting’. To find your nearest Rosemary Conley Diet and Fitness Club click here.
We are also launching our Solo Slim range of ready meals that can be delivered to your door or purchased at our classes. In a Solo Slim trial we asked 30 folk to stick to the Solo Slim plan for four weeks. They lost 32 stone between them! That means that the average weight loss over a month on Solo Slim was 1st 1 lb. That’s amazing! Just check out our website for more details. It’s the easiest, foolproof way to lose weight healthily. There’s no tie-in tricks or hoops to jump through, you just select what you want to order, add fruit and veg and your preferred breakfast and you lose weight like never before. You decide how long you want to stay on the Solo Slim plan or you can dip in and dip out. It’s dead simple. My new Amazing Inch Loss Plan book has a couple of chapters offering menu suggestions where I have done all the calorie counting for you for your accompaniments or alternatively, you will get a free booklet at our classes or when you order a 28 Day Solo Slim food box. It really is so easy.
So, yes, I am excited about January and I hope you are too. It’s a time for new beginnings - making a decision to look after our body because if we don’t, no one else will!
I love January because it’s the time when our business is at its busiest. We announce our 2011 Slimmers of the Year to the press on 5th January in London at a glittering ceremony and on 6th January my latest book is published – my Amazing Inch Loss Plan in its new paperback version that has many chapters added to it and lots of wonderful testimonials from slimmers who have followed the diet over the last 12 months and transformed their lives as well as their bodies. At only £6.99 I know it will fly off the shelves. You’ll find it in your local supermarket or bookstore - no doubt at a very low loss-leader-price - or, of course, you can buy it from our website.
This year’s Slimmers of the Year are outstanding. There are 10 winners have lost 100 stone between them. Four of them have lost all their weight over the last twelve months on the Amazing Inch Loss Plan diet at their local RC Diet and Fitness Club. Because we teach exercise as well as weight loss at our classes, their bodies are amazing. Toned up, sylph-like and looking as though they have never been overweight in their lives. I so love the moment when the press meet them in the flesh. The photographers often say to me, “Your Slimmers of the Year are always the best because they are always so toned up”. I am like a proud ‘mum’ as I show off these wonderfully transformed, confident folk to the world. It is what we work towards all year! This is what we do. We help people to lose weight, get fit and live life!
All of our Rosemary Conley Diet and Fitness Club franchisees will have been walking miles over the last week or so delivering leaflets advertising their classes because January is the time when most people join a slimming club. Just think - the four Slimmers of the Year I mentioned earlier who, this time last year were embarking on their own war on their weight - it you could be you standing in their shoes next January! They will be rewarded with not just a cash prize of £1000 each on Wednesday but they have a new body that they didn’t think could be theirs and instead of wearing size 28 they are wearing size 10! Money can’t buy a new body but with the help of our wonderful instructors at our classes, or our coaches on www.rosemaryconleyonline.com , we can support, nurture, encourage and motivate you to success – success that is sweeter that you could ever imagine. As one of my own members told me before Christmas, ‘I can now get into my old wardrobe of clothes I haven’t worn for three years. I can’t believe it! It is so exciting’. To find your nearest Rosemary Conley Diet and Fitness Club click here.
We are also launching our Solo Slim range of ready meals that can be delivered to your door or purchased at our classes. In a Solo Slim trial we asked 30 folk to stick to the Solo Slim plan for four weeks. They lost 32 stone between them! That means that the average weight loss over a month on Solo Slim was 1st 1 lb. That’s amazing! Just check out our website for more details. It’s the easiest, foolproof way to lose weight healthily. There’s no tie-in tricks or hoops to jump through, you just select what you want to order, add fruit and veg and your preferred breakfast and you lose weight like never before. You decide how long you want to stay on the Solo Slim plan or you can dip in and dip out. It’s dead simple. My new Amazing Inch Loss Plan book has a couple of chapters offering menu suggestions where I have done all the calorie counting for you for your accompaniments or alternatively, you will get a free booklet at our classes or when you order a 28 Day Solo Slim food box. It really is so easy.
So, yes, I am excited about January and I hope you are too. It’s a time for new beginnings - making a decision to look after our body because if we don’t, no one else will!
Monday, 29 November 2010
Snow and soon it will be Christmas!
There is something very magical about snow when it first arrives. It looks so beautiful and so fresh and when there’s a really heavy frost the trees become fairytale-spectacularly beautiful.
For us it was lovely to see our black labs, now aged 9 months, experiencing snow for the first time and it made me realise the fun the children will be having, particularly the ones who are just old enough now to realise that it’s ‘different’ and not just very cold!
The good news for dieters is that the extreme cold causes our body to burn lots more calories so going out for a walk, well wrapped up, of course, will burn extra fat from your body. Getting to our classes will be challenging this week but when we get there we’ll be glad we did and there’s nothing like that weekly weigh-in to motivate us forward towards our goal.
We’re all looking forward to our Christmas party at my own diet and fitness classes. Since I moved venues for my Monday night class I have never had so many members nor seen such spectacular weight losses as I have this year. It has been brilliant. We have our Christmas party at our offices, Quorn House, which looks amazing when it is all dressed up for Christmas – and the trimmings are going up on Friday. My clever and artistic friend Jennie is coming over to weave her magic and turn the office into a gloriously festive country house. On party night (20th Dec) all my members bring food and drink and a small charge is made which we will give to Steps – the charity I work hard to support. We will have a lovely time and it would be lovely if there was some snow on the trees to make it look particularly Christmassy! We just need the roads to be clear!
So, if you have snow this week – and apparently it is going to be bitterly cold – do your best to get to your Rosemary Class to tone up and slim down ready for the festivities. If you do, you’ll be all the slimmer for Christmas for you to enjoy a few treats! Wear sensible shoes and wrap up warmly and enjoy the beauty of the snow!
For us it was lovely to see our black labs, now aged 9 months, experiencing snow for the first time and it made me realise the fun the children will be having, particularly the ones who are just old enough now to realise that it’s ‘different’ and not just very cold!
The good news for dieters is that the extreme cold causes our body to burn lots more calories so going out for a walk, well wrapped up, of course, will burn extra fat from your body. Getting to our classes will be challenging this week but when we get there we’ll be glad we did and there’s nothing like that weekly weigh-in to motivate us forward towards our goal.
We’re all looking forward to our Christmas party at my own diet and fitness classes. Since I moved venues for my Monday night class I have never had so many members nor seen such spectacular weight losses as I have this year. It has been brilliant. We have our Christmas party at our offices, Quorn House, which looks amazing when it is all dressed up for Christmas – and the trimmings are going up on Friday. My clever and artistic friend Jennie is coming over to weave her magic and turn the office into a gloriously festive country house. On party night (20th Dec) all my members bring food and drink and a small charge is made which we will give to Steps – the charity I work hard to support. We will have a lovely time and it would be lovely if there was some snow on the trees to make it look particularly Christmassy! We just need the roads to be clear!
So, if you have snow this week – and apparently it is going to be bitterly cold – do your best to get to your Rosemary Class to tone up and slim down ready for the festivities. If you do, you’ll be all the slimmer for Christmas for you to enjoy a few treats! Wear sensible shoes and wrap up warmly and enjoy the beauty of the snow!
Wednesday, 10 November 2010
Strictly weight loss!
We are away for a few days in Portugal which means that I buy a daily newspaper to read on the flight and occasionally to read while away. I don’t normally buy newspapers (other than our local evening one) and rely on the television news to keep me up-to-date with world events. But, ridiculously, I do enjoy reading all the comments and self-written columns on the subject of Strictly Come Dancing!
I enjoyed reading Pamela Stephenson’s column in the Mail on Sunday as she described being squeezed into her dress, with microphone back cleverly secreted in her bra and donning two pairs of tights to keep her legs in good shape. She was brutally honest about the wizardry of the hair and make-up artists that went on to make her look so glamorous and I found her refreshing and entertaining.
For some reason Strictly does seem to generate masses of interest and of course, Ann Widdecombe’s entertaining presence is a gift to the tabloids. Completely resistant to any bad press or judges’ comments (after all, by her own admission, compared with the criticism she endured as a politician anything thrown at her during Strictly is small fry), Ann is enjoying being the centre of attention while Anton bravely soldiers on. He deserves a medal for his strength in throwing and dragging her around as well as his good humoured efforts in creating entertaining choreography. The BBC must be rubbing their hands – and why not? It’s good, clean family entertainment that makes you laugh out loud. Brilliant!
Yesterday the press were reporting that Pamela Stephenson and Felicity Kendall had both dropped two dress sizes and Patsy Kensit had lost two stone since signing up for the show. It reported that apparently celebrities were now seeing Strictly as the best route to take to lose those unwanted pounds that have crept on over the years. And it’s not really surprising, is it? Being physically active for around six hours a day, six days a week is enough to trim down the most stubborn figure but dancing with such precision and with adrenaline pumping nineteen to the dozen, is a sure-fire way to slim down!
However, the newspaper reported that Ann W had not enjoyed the same slimming down effect. Are we surprised? I don’t think so. Ann doesn’t appear to be spending a huge amount of energy within her dance routines. It seems to me that to execute the 90-second routine Anton is burning enough calories for both of them as he carries, spins and drags Ann across the dance floor.
Hopefully all this publicity about weight loss due to increased activity will help the penny to drop to the nation that if we want to lose weight we need to eat less and move more. It isn’t rocket science but it is a very simple and serious message. Being overweight and unfit is really bad for our health yet we have it within our control to do something about it. Let’s get more active today and if you want to lose weight as well, just have a look on www.rosemaryconley.com to find our slimming and dance/aerobic classes. They are fun and they work! Enjoy!
I enjoyed reading Pamela Stephenson’s column in the Mail on Sunday as she described being squeezed into her dress, with microphone back cleverly secreted in her bra and donning two pairs of tights to keep her legs in good shape. She was brutally honest about the wizardry of the hair and make-up artists that went on to make her look so glamorous and I found her refreshing and entertaining.
For some reason Strictly does seem to generate masses of interest and of course, Ann Widdecombe’s entertaining presence is a gift to the tabloids. Completely resistant to any bad press or judges’ comments (after all, by her own admission, compared with the criticism she endured as a politician anything thrown at her during Strictly is small fry), Ann is enjoying being the centre of attention while Anton bravely soldiers on. He deserves a medal for his strength in throwing and dragging her around as well as his good humoured efforts in creating entertaining choreography. The BBC must be rubbing their hands – and why not? It’s good, clean family entertainment that makes you laugh out loud. Brilliant!
Yesterday the press were reporting that Pamela Stephenson and Felicity Kendall had both dropped two dress sizes and Patsy Kensit had lost two stone since signing up for the show. It reported that apparently celebrities were now seeing Strictly as the best route to take to lose those unwanted pounds that have crept on over the years. And it’s not really surprising, is it? Being physically active for around six hours a day, six days a week is enough to trim down the most stubborn figure but dancing with such precision and with adrenaline pumping nineteen to the dozen, is a sure-fire way to slim down!
However, the newspaper reported that Ann W had not enjoyed the same slimming down effect. Are we surprised? I don’t think so. Ann doesn’t appear to be spending a huge amount of energy within her dance routines. It seems to me that to execute the 90-second routine Anton is burning enough calories for both of them as he carries, spins and drags Ann across the dance floor.
Hopefully all this publicity about weight loss due to increased activity will help the penny to drop to the nation that if we want to lose weight we need to eat less and move more. It isn’t rocket science but it is a very simple and serious message. Being overweight and unfit is really bad for our health yet we have it within our control to do something about it. Let’s get more active today and if you want to lose weight as well, just have a look on www.rosemaryconley.com to find our slimming and dance/aerobic classes. They are fun and they work! Enjoy!
Monday, 25 October 2010
What a fantastic day!
On Friday 22nd October we held our Annual Franchisee Convention which is the main event of our year when all our franchisees are invited for a day of motivation and information, rewards and Awards. And it’s fun!
It was wonderful to see almost all our franchisees in one place, all looking fabulous and fit, and ready to be inspired. Running a franchise means you are running your own business but under the ‘umbrella’ of the franchisor who creates the marketing, systems, training and in our case, the diet and materials needed for the members to achieve their weight and fitness goals. The system works because our franchisees are exceptionally special and highly talented and motivated as well as caring by nature so that our members really are well looked after and supported. The Convention is our opportunity to share our plans for the next twelve months to enable the franchisees to be as successful as possible whilst, at the same time, giving them the tools to enable them to help our members to achieve their goals.
Our Keynote Speaker was awesome. Adventurer, rock climber and runner Karen Darke fell off a mountain when she was 21 and became paralysed from her chest downwards. But she turned despair into challenge and has returned to her adventures and has completed the London Marathon alongside Tanni Grey-Thompson and has, after massive challenges and trials, managed to climb the 3000 ft El Capitan mountain in Yosemite National Park in California. The room, filled with over 200+ high-energy women was silent as she told her story and inspired and motivated everyone. The hour passed like five minutes. Karen was captivating!
Another highlight of the Convention is the presentation of 5, 10 and 15 Year Awards and I take great delight in presenting a smart glass award to those franchisees and staff who have loyally worked alongside us for five years. For the ten year Awards we are delighted to present a diamond studded Gucci watch, whilst those wonderful folk who have been franchisees or staff for fifteen years receive a diamond necklace. Needless to say, these awards are greatly appreciated and treasured. And this year, I presented our Chef Dean Simpole-Clarke with a rather fabulous watch as a thank you for working alongside me, creating recipes for my cookbooks and magazine and now featuring so much on http://www.rosemaryconley.tv/. He is a very special and talented guy. Thank you Dean!
The day was packed full of inspiring presentations from our staff and some of the franchisees. It was all brilliant.
At the end of the afternoon is the Awards Ceremony where top franchisees are rewarded for their incredible efforts to run brilliant businesses that help their local communities to become fitter and healthier. I presented our franchisee for Norwich, Sarah Skelton, with my own personal award because Sarah has been working with us to enhance and improve how we operate our classes. Sarah is an amazingly talented, bright lady and thoroughly deserved the Rosemary Conley Award.
Our Newcomer of the Year Award went to Sandie Martin (from Bournemouth) for launching her new franchise this year and turning it into a massive success story.
Our Business Development Award was given to Cherie Hunter from Swansea. Two years ago Cherie was thinking of leaving her franchise but after attending our Annual Convention that year she realised that it was her attitude that was wrong, not the business. So, with a change of heart - and attitude – Cherie set herself a goal to reach the Top 10 of all our franchisees in the network. And this year she did just that!
Our Franchisee of the Year Award is greatly coveted and highly respected and we always have ten finalists. To be in the top ten you have to be incredibly good on every level so all the finalists should feel extremely proud. Our winner this year is Lindsey Peters for Ware, Welwyn Garden City and St Albans. Lindsey was an instructor (working for a franchisee) for over 10 years before she bought a franchise herself. Since then she has won Newcomer of the Year in her first year and Franchisee of the Year in year two and she has been a finalist every year since starting as a franchisee. In that five years Lindsey, (supported by her partner Michael who also works in her business), has raised over £180,000 for charity and has also supported and mentored many other franchisees along the way. When I announced Lindsey as the overall winner the room immediately sprang to its feet as everyone applauded her with a standing ovation. Lindsey was totally shocked and just dissolved into tears – as did I – at being given the Award again. It was richly deserved as her class numbers, business performance and so much more are outstanding.
Well done to all our Award winners but also a massive ‘well done’ to all the finalists who had also achieved amazing performances.
The day finished with a glittering Black Tie Dinner and Dance and everyone looked stunning. There is always much dancing, laughter and general celebration and a warm feeling of satisfaction. The franchisees are re-energised. We have delivered our plans and everyone is happy. It’s a nice feeling.
It was wonderful to see almost all our franchisees in one place, all looking fabulous and fit, and ready to be inspired. Running a franchise means you are running your own business but under the ‘umbrella’ of the franchisor who creates the marketing, systems, training and in our case, the diet and materials needed for the members to achieve their weight and fitness goals. The system works because our franchisees are exceptionally special and highly talented and motivated as well as caring by nature so that our members really are well looked after and supported. The Convention is our opportunity to share our plans for the next twelve months to enable the franchisees to be as successful as possible whilst, at the same time, giving them the tools to enable them to help our members to achieve their goals.
Our Keynote Speaker was awesome. Adventurer, rock climber and runner Karen Darke fell off a mountain when she was 21 and became paralysed from her chest downwards. But she turned despair into challenge and has returned to her adventures and has completed the London Marathon alongside Tanni Grey-Thompson and has, after massive challenges and trials, managed to climb the 3000 ft El Capitan mountain in Yosemite National Park in California. The room, filled with over 200+ high-energy women was silent as she told her story and inspired and motivated everyone. The hour passed like five minutes. Karen was captivating!
Another highlight of the Convention is the presentation of 5, 10 and 15 Year Awards and I take great delight in presenting a smart glass award to those franchisees and staff who have loyally worked alongside us for five years. For the ten year Awards we are delighted to present a diamond studded Gucci watch, whilst those wonderful folk who have been franchisees or staff for fifteen years receive a diamond necklace. Needless to say, these awards are greatly appreciated and treasured. And this year, I presented our Chef Dean Simpole-Clarke with a rather fabulous watch as a thank you for working alongside me, creating recipes for my cookbooks and magazine and now featuring so much on http://www.rosemaryconley.tv/. He is a very special and talented guy. Thank you Dean!
The day was packed full of inspiring presentations from our staff and some of the franchisees. It was all brilliant.
At the end of the afternoon is the Awards Ceremony where top franchisees are rewarded for their incredible efforts to run brilliant businesses that help their local communities to become fitter and healthier. I presented our franchisee for Norwich, Sarah Skelton, with my own personal award because Sarah has been working with us to enhance and improve how we operate our classes. Sarah is an amazingly talented, bright lady and thoroughly deserved the Rosemary Conley Award.
Our Newcomer of the Year Award went to Sandie Martin (from Bournemouth) for launching her new franchise this year and turning it into a massive success story.
Our Business Development Award was given to Cherie Hunter from Swansea. Two years ago Cherie was thinking of leaving her franchise but after attending our Annual Convention that year she realised that it was her attitude that was wrong, not the business. So, with a change of heart - and attitude – Cherie set herself a goal to reach the Top 10 of all our franchisees in the network. And this year she did just that!
Our Franchisee of the Year Award is greatly coveted and highly respected and we always have ten finalists. To be in the top ten you have to be incredibly good on every level so all the finalists should feel extremely proud. Our winner this year is Lindsey Peters for Ware, Welwyn Garden City and St Albans. Lindsey was an instructor (working for a franchisee) for over 10 years before she bought a franchise herself. Since then she has won Newcomer of the Year in her first year and Franchisee of the Year in year two and she has been a finalist every year since starting as a franchisee. In that five years Lindsey, (supported by her partner Michael who also works in her business), has raised over £180,000 for charity and has also supported and mentored many other franchisees along the way. When I announced Lindsey as the overall winner the room immediately sprang to its feet as everyone applauded her with a standing ovation. Lindsey was totally shocked and just dissolved into tears – as did I – at being given the Award again. It was richly deserved as her class numbers, business performance and so much more are outstanding.
Well done to all our Award winners but also a massive ‘well done’ to all the finalists who had also achieved amazing performances.
The day finished with a glittering Black Tie Dinner and Dance and everyone looked stunning. There is always much dancing, laughter and general celebration and a warm feeling of satisfaction. The franchisees are re-energised. We have delivered our plans and everyone is happy. It’s a nice feeling.
Wednesday, 13 October 2010
Celebrating women everywhere!
On Monday I was privileged to be invited to the Women of the Year lunch at the Intercontinental Hotel in London. The Women of the Year Foundation have given hundreds of thousands of pounds to help support, care for, cherish and respect women across the world. Women who need our help and who are valued. It is a brilliant charity run by exceptional women who bring together, twice a year, a group of women who work hard to make a difference on this planet.
The women who are given awards at the event are exceptional. They are women who go beyond the boundaries, some are completely selfless, some are phenomenally talented and some are just extraordinary.
The Window to the World Award went to Susie Hart. Sue changed the lives of many disabled people in Tanzania by creating businesses to employ special, but rejected, people and to give them a sense of purpose, worth and respect. Tears trickled down my cheeks as I heard what this very special lady had achieved. Well done Susie!
The Outstanding Achievement Award went to Zaha Hadid, an exceptionally talented architect. Zaha has designed the stunning Aquatics Centre for the London Olympics among many, many other stunning creations across the world. There is no doubt Zaha has an amazing gift and vision.
The Yes You Can Award went to a wonderful woman who has created a youth dance and cheerleading group called Ascension Eagles. Shara Brice has put the purpose and motivation, inspiration and energy into young people in Newham in London and has changed their lives unbelievably. Instead of muggings and violence caused by young folk with nothing better to do, Shara created a challenge which the young folk of the area embraced and perfected to become a world class act. I cried when this award was given too. Shara is an exceptional woman and the award was so well deserved.
The Women of the Year Award was given to Annie Lennox for her amazing work in campaigning for HIV Aids victims in Africa to be given medication to help their condition, as well as her exceptional talent as the most successful female singer in the UK, having sold 8o million records. She made a moving and inspirational speech and the work she does in Africa is awesome.
There were almost 400 women who attended the lunch and I was on a table hosted by Baroness Floella Benjamen. What an extraordinary woman Floella is! She is feisty, inspirational and incredibly beautiful. And she made us all feel like we were the only women in the room that mattered. Thank you and ‘Well done Floella’!
Monday honoured women who had made a massive difference to this world in vastly different ways. It wasn’t about fame or fortune. It was about women who have actually made this world a better place and who make we women proud to be women. Yes. Monday was a very special day. Not for ourselves, but for the exceptional women with whom we shared this very special occasion.
The event was spectacularly well organised so well done to all the exceptional women who are the Women of the Year Foundation! Monday was very special.
The women who are given awards at the event are exceptional. They are women who go beyond the boundaries, some are completely selfless, some are phenomenally talented and some are just extraordinary.
The Window to the World Award went to Susie Hart. Sue changed the lives of many disabled people in Tanzania by creating businesses to employ special, but rejected, people and to give them a sense of purpose, worth and respect. Tears trickled down my cheeks as I heard what this very special lady had achieved. Well done Susie!
The Outstanding Achievement Award went to Zaha Hadid, an exceptionally talented architect. Zaha has designed the stunning Aquatics Centre for the London Olympics among many, many other stunning creations across the world. There is no doubt Zaha has an amazing gift and vision.
The Yes You Can Award went to a wonderful woman who has created a youth dance and cheerleading group called Ascension Eagles. Shara Brice has put the purpose and motivation, inspiration and energy into young people in Newham in London and has changed their lives unbelievably. Instead of muggings and violence caused by young folk with nothing better to do, Shara created a challenge which the young folk of the area embraced and perfected to become a world class act. I cried when this award was given too. Shara is an exceptional woman and the award was so well deserved.
The Women of the Year Award was given to Annie Lennox for her amazing work in campaigning for HIV Aids victims in Africa to be given medication to help their condition, as well as her exceptional talent as the most successful female singer in the UK, having sold 8o million records. She made a moving and inspirational speech and the work she does in Africa is awesome.
There were almost 400 women who attended the lunch and I was on a table hosted by Baroness Floella Benjamen. What an extraordinary woman Floella is! She is feisty, inspirational and incredibly beautiful. And she made us all feel like we were the only women in the room that mattered. Thank you and ‘Well done Floella’!
Monday honoured women who had made a massive difference to this world in vastly different ways. It wasn’t about fame or fortune. It was about women who have actually made this world a better place and who make we women proud to be women. Yes. Monday was a very special day. Not for ourselves, but for the exceptional women with whom we shared this very special occasion.
The event was spectacularly well organised so well done to all the exceptional women who are the Women of the Year Foundation! Monday was very special.
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