Q and A with Heather V. from Northumberland, England, UK
“Each day, we have a choice to reach beyond, to do just enough, or to complain about our lot. Where we focus our energy goes. In my experience, the longer you resist the harder things become.”
Q: What are you passionate about?
A: I am passionate about so many things; the core being that every human being learns who they truly are and operates from that powerful place. I am passionate about humans helping humans and understanding that we are all the same in terms of energy and dust. I love coaching and serving folks in breaking through their limitations. It’s a beautiful and magical thing.
I am passionate about advanced techniques such as Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP), hypnosis, provocative coaching, and intuitive coaching. I am passionate about continuous learning, spirituality, and consciousness and uncovering truth. I am passionate about securing a hopeful future for our children and future generations. I am passionate about freedom, Natural Law, and Free Speech. Freedom comes with massive courage and responsibility. I am not sure there are really that many people willing to take on freedom and all it requires.
I also have a love of writing and technology. I grew up in a town near Newcastle Upon Tyne in the UK at a time when computers were just becoming a thing. I decided that’s what I wanted to do and become a computer programmer. The subject was just being introduced to schools and I loved it. It was quite a struggle for me to achieve a role as a programmer. I finished school at a time when unemployment in the Northeast UK was at its highest. I got offered a job in a neighboring city for a Retail Bank, so I skipped college and a degree and moved away from my parents and family for work. I was 18 and embarking on my life under my own steam.
After a couple of years working in admin for banks, I transferred to the IT Department as a trainee programmer for a local building society and my IT career began. I worked in IT from trainee to VP of professional services for over 15 years. I then trained in business/executive coaching, NLP, and hypnosis and worked with women in business in London. I continued as a coach, trainer, and tech/business consultant over the next 20 years as life unfolded in extraordinary ways.
My career took me around the world and I worked for three years in South Africa, as well as training in India, USA, and Europe. I fell in love with South Africa–it felt like I had found home.
Q: What were your younger years like?
A: My father was very influential in my life and career. He was a very dominant man and really wanted me to have a career in accounting. I think computing was the next best thing. I think being the youngest in my family really challenged me to prove myself. I spent most of my early years believing I was stupid and not good enough, yet the desire to prove my family and myself wrong is what drove me into my IT career.
As a woman, it was easy to use a lack of qualification as a reason not to give equal pay or officially promote me while I was actually fulfilling the role of a team leader. I decided to study for a master’s degree while working in order to remove that excuse. If an obstacle was put in front of me, I would find a way to overcome it. I had this fire in my belly to meet any challenge.
I think being the youngest also taught me to read people and situations. I had three brothers and a sister, so the dynamic growing up was always fluctuating. Some of my siblings were master manipulators and being able to spot this was one way to survive and keep from being at the wrong end of any conflict. That helped me in my leadership roles and as a coach. Being able to read people and understand the structure of their thinking was a powerful tool to have.
In my teenage years, I studied Judo. I do think that helped me in not only reading people but also getting comfortable being the minority female in a male-dominated world. That experience of really served me for my time in IT. I kind of got on with things and looked for ways around any blocks rather than playing the victim or sexism card.
Did it always work? No. The boys’ network can be a powerful force and I feel fowl of that on occasion during my career. That was one of the main reasons for moving away from IT in any sort of leadership role and retraining in coaching.
I now coach online entrepreneurs and assist them with technology and systems. I have a particular focus on the revolution that is taking place with AI, Web3, Blockchain, NFTs, etc., and how entrepreneurs can learn to use the technology to differentiate themselves, grow their businesses, and make life easier. At the same time, becoming aware of the potential pitfalls.
Q: Can you tell us more about AI?
A: AI and new technologies are hot topics at the moment. I did a short video last week on Rumble that touched on things and will give you a brief overview. It might be a bit controversial. Here is the link:
https://rumble.com/v4x4nic-friday-features-tech-money-safety-and-reach-top-concerns-of-online-entrepre.html
Q: What is something valuable you’d like others to know?
A: Don’t give up on your dreams. The journey to what you want is rarely a straight line, and often the universe wants to give you more than you’ve asked for. Don’t get too attached to the how of things.
The difference between effort and struggle is that struggle is effort with attachment. Learn to like yourself and respect yourself.
Build routines, habits, and systems in your life that nurture you, honor you, and stretch you to keep growing and becoming.
Find something greater than you, something that gives your life meaning and a ‘why’ that keeps you alive and passionate.
I cared for both of my parents until their deaths ( over four years). Honor them, love them, refuse to take anything personally, and accept that they are flawed people, just as we all are.
Treat those you love as if it’s their last day, and resolve issues as soon as you can. You really never know the minute.
Release survivor’s guilt by focusing on the ‘why’ that you are still around. The Creator never makes mistakes. You count. Your life counts. Be the best you can be.
I know life is challenging. I know there can be so many things thrown at you that you might think you can’t take it anymore. When you ask yourself Why me?” just know there is a bigger purpose for you and you just don’t see it yet.
We’re all in the university of life. We’re on an apprenticeship for the future version of ourselves. Each day, we have a choice to reach beyond, to do just enough, or to complain about our lot. Where we focus our energy goes. In my experience, the longer you resist the harder things become.
Learn about yourself and don’t give up on you. Know how you prefer to operate and stick to your way when it works for you. Don’t change for others because they don’t understand your perspective or system. If something works for you, stick with it.
The person who insists you do something that goes against your better judgment is rarely around when things go very wrong. In my experience, you’ll be alone to pick up the pieces.
Keep your boundaries, be true to you, and learn what you truly love. Then do more of it.
Look after your body because it’s the only one you’ve got. Look after your mind and your soul and find peace and grace in each day. Make friends with your intuition and learn to trust it. It really is there to make life easier. Following it when you really don’t know why can turn your life into a magical mystery tour.
Q: What does feminism mean to you?
A: This is an interesting question. I used to believe it was about equality and being rewarded on a level playing field. I have discovered so much about the true origins of feminism, and I now have a very different perspective. I feel it’s about having a choice. It feels like our choices have been eroded over the years without us realizing it. I feel women have been gaslighted into a position of having to work just to make ends meet. I would like to see a world where everyone is paid enough for the work they do so that mothers can make the choice to be full-time mothers if they want to, without being judged.
So that women aren’t working three jobs just to survive while trying to bring up their children.
I got it wrong. I am one of the women who thought she was paving the way for others, when really, I was paving the way for the government to double its labor force and double its tax income. An unpopular view I’m sure until you dig a bit deeper. The truth was a wake-up call for me.
Embrace the feminine, make choices on your terms, and resist being gaslighted by a system that has been set up to disenfranchise women under the guise of feminism.
I love women. I celebrate women, and I want to see us make choices based on a full understanding of what got us to where we are today. I want women to thrive. I want our daughters to have more choices than anyone. Without sacrificing their divine feminine to fit someone else’s agenda.
Connect with Heather:
Thanks for reading!
The Woman Wednesday Blog 