indulging my retail therapy needs by buying what I actually need - my groceries

Like everyone I have times when a bit of retail therapy just hits the spot. It's lovely to buy something luxurious like a gorgeous new perfume or beauty product, or something fairly practical, but still fabulous like wonderful Autumn shoes - to transition you from Summer to Winter, but I've found the best way possible. I make a game out of seeing where I can get what I really need such as my groceries for the cheapest price. I live within easy reach of an Aldi, Lidl, Dunnes, Tesco, Superquinn and Centra. After making a careful study of all the things I regularly buy and all the shops' prices, I know where to buy the most reasonably priced meat that suits me (Tesco 3 items for 9 Euro), the cheapest fruit (Aldi 6 items for 49 cents each), which can then be topped up by (Tesco 3 items for 3 Euro). I know that Superquinn is the only shop I can find that sells the ribbon noodles I like which are an extravagance at just over 2 Euro, but so worth it. I buy my facial moisturisers in Boots on 3 for 2 offers and combine that offer with any extra points they have sent me, so I get enough points on my Boots card to buy myself a little unexpected treat when it's coming up to payday and there isn't much cash knocking about.  I use my Tesco clubcard vouchers as well to get myself treats. Sure you can cash them in for groceries in store, but you get 4 x their value if you convert them to days out, restaurant vouchers or what I like best - magazines, so I get my Image magazine now through Tesco, so a year's shopping pays for that.

I suppose with the realisation that more tax cuts are starting in January 2012 and a water charge and a household charge coming down the line. I don't want to have to compromise my lifestyle anymore than I already have over the last few years, so while I've made significant cut backs in my entertainment budget, now it's time for some careful analysis of the best places to get the groceries. It'll also keep the retailers on their toes if no single one gets all my custom.

I do get a buzz out of this, knowing that I'm eating well for as cheaply as I can and managing to save the money for the equally important, but more fun things in life like going on holiday or doing up the house.

so much to be proud of...

I went to the Creative Island craft and design show at the RDS last week sponsored by the Crafts Council of Ireland. Wow! Wow! Wow! What a lot we have to be proud of as a country. Gorgeous craft and design. Beautiful colours! Wonderful people. Great prices. I love Ireland and the people who are doing things which make me proud to be Irish.

On the Late Late Show on Friday Bob Geldof came across as a rock of sense and musical inspiration. Look at what he's done for the world in so many ways and he's proud to be Irish.

Pauline Bewick on the Saturday Night Show with Brendan O'Connor,  (who I went to college with and has turned into a really nice guy), was wonderful and an artistic inspiration and looked unbelievably fantastic and sexy and vibrant for 75.

I have stopped listening to the news and reading the papers. I am choosing my energy fields at the moment and they are the ones which make me proud of our country, our heritage and our success in so many areas.

Tell me what makes you proud to be Irish.

Empathy in Business - Women's Executive Network - 16th September 2010

I have one of the most empathic careers you can imagine. I listen to people when they perceive there is nowhere else to turn and in six sessions, I get them to a point where there is light at the end of the tunnel, but what about other types of business? Is empathy useful or not  in today's recently changed environment?  - read on...


“Should Ireland be focussing on our relationship skills as our unique selling point?” Gina Quin CEO, Dublin Chamber of Commerce, asked the panel at the Women’s Executive Network (WXN) breakfast meeting in the Conrad Hotel Dublin on the 16th September? Bernie O’Hanlon, Director of Channel Management for Microsoft Ireland, with 22 years of experience with the company, responded by saying, “yes, while Europeans in general and the Irish in particular were known for their people skills, we have not been making full use of them in recent times and need to begin concentrating on them again”.

Bernie O'Hanlon

Kim Majerus originally from Chicago, General Manager of Cisco Ireland, added that people buy from people and the Irish are very interested in you and your life. This reinforced a point made earlier by Rachel Mooney, Head of Organizational Culture and Capability for Vodafone Ireland, that empathy means being human and not cutting off what makes each of us unique when we enter the workplace. Mooney’s empathic business role model is Sheryl Sandberg, a phenomenal networker, and a former colleague of hers in Google, who genuinely listened to her team and would let nothing stand in the way of doing the right thing. As a result her team would have run through fire for her.



Empathy can also be defined as putting ourselves in someone else’s shoes and as Celine Mullins, psychologist and founder of Act4 Business explained, “research proves that 65% of us who have a secure attachment with our primary carer as children will naturally develop this skill, unfortunately the 35% who don’t will need help to foster it.” O’Hanlon’s example of the empathy demonstrated by a Northwest Airline ground crew member in getting her life-containing laptop flown back to her destination city after a fellow airport passenger accidentally picked it up, thinking it was his, while they were going through security and boarded his plane with it, clearly shows this. She had to go to 48 desks before she met a Northwest Airline ground crew member who empathised with her predicament. O’Hanlon works for a company of 90,000 people - that’s a lot of business flights per year and a clear indication of how empathy translates into sound business sense.

Rachel Mooney and  Kim Majerus

Irial O’Farrell, moderator and founder of Evolution Consulting asked the panel, “if empathy can be developed?” It was agreed that it’s easier to grow in smaller groups and Majerus pointed out that for those who are not naturally empathic, relating a particular situation with a fellow employee in work, to how a family member might feel if the same thing happened, develops understanding and increases empathy.



Fiona O’Connor from Boardmatch.ie queried, “if women tended to be more empathic than men?” In a move away from the stereotype, Mooney believed that men are more open with their feelings in the workplace than women and are becoming more empathic. Majerus, on the other hand, felt that women traditionally listen to their gut more. Mullins was clear, however, that while testosterone can initially inhibit the production of oxytocin (the bonding hormone), men are highly capable of empathy, with which Conor Hurley from Arthur Cox sponsors of the event strongly concurred.



Andrea Cusack of Sheppard Moscow posed an interesting question on the right balance between empathy and leadership. It was roundly agreed that in times of crisis, people want a clear message delivered by a strong leader and that empathy, the response to the message, is not necessarily competing with leadership, the message itself.

Pamela Jeffrey and Celine Mullins

Pamela Jeffrey, founder of WXN thanked the panel and contributors for their stimulating input. A couple of very nice prizes were won, a few new contacts made and a good breakfast eaten - all by 9am.

Sarah Newman Motivational Speaker at Women's Executive Network

I attended a Women's Executive Network (WXN) breakfast event on Thursday the 22nd July at the Conrad Hotel, Dublin  with Sarah Newman as the main speaker. Sarah is an English entrepreneur living in Ireland who sold her business needahotel.com for a sizeable sum. She is also the only female on the Irish Dragon's Den (see photo).

Sarah gave a really inspirational talk focusing on her life to date, her childhood, schooldays, her apprenticeship with Gulliver, the discount hotel room supplier in London, run by an Israeli Jew who congratulated her on her chutzpah – which Irish entrepreneur Bill Cullen refers to as liathroidi (balls).


She came to Ireland initially because she married an Irish man with whom she had two children Grace and Patrick. She then started her business using Gulliver as her supplier of cost price hotel rooms, which she subsequently sold on to Irish tour operators and from there to Ryanair.

What came across was her passion, determination, strong work ethic and commitment to her business and her staff. All staff, she believes, should be bought into the success of the company; all staff are rewarded financially when the company does well and need to take the hit when grey days are looming.


Recognising that while still making a significant profit, the margins in needahotel.com were diminishing her management team and herself decided to sell the business. She was very much involved in pushing the deal over the line and spat and shook on it with the new owner of the company. She then decided that she would reward each employee individually on a pro-rata basis from the profit she made and her management team bought into that idea sharing some of their profit as well, which in my opinion demonstrates tangible leadership qualities.

I was particularly impressed that from her time on Dragon’s Den she has made the decision to invest in hand crafted hurleys,  contributing her expertise in web site design and marketing. The hurleys are now being pre-ordered from all over the world.
I see Sarah as a fantastic example of : a woman achieving great success in business, of an English business woman seeing a future in a traditional Irish craft and an unique, indigenous Irish sport and the strengths that can come from that partnership. Liz O'Donnell, expressed similar sentiments as she was wrapping up the session.


As I think you can tell, I really enjoyed listening to Sarah and felt highly motivated by her. She shared the best piece of advice she ever got – from her Mum - reach for the stars, there’s one with your name on it!
On a personal level, I met some really interesting, lovely people at the event with whom I spoke about my confidence building business and who in turn told me about their businesses, so hopefully we may work together or pass on each other’s details to interested parties in the future.


We also got a very nice goody bag. Who doesn’t like a little treat at 7 in the morning? There was a copy of the Rte Guide, a reusable shopping bag, an Rte keyring , a very useful Weight Watcher’s starter pack and a Weight Watcher’s pen. There were also complimentary copies of The Irish Times available and a great raffle with a gorgeous Clarins hamper as the first prize - which sadly I didn't win!


Goodies, good company, networking opportunities,  a truly motivational speaker and a fine breakfast in the Conrad Hotel in city centre Dublin – not bad for €49. I’m looking forward to more events like this.

Free/Complimentary Counselling Session in Dublin

Dear everyone,

as some of my clients are off on their holidays at the moment, I have a few hours available to offer a number of complimentary/free introductory counselling sessions. If you are in the Dublin area and would like a free counselling session to give you a little support at the moment, then please email me at eva@evaleecounselling.com with your name, email address and your phone number and I'll be in touch soon.

Please visit my website to learn more about me and my way of working.

Be All You Can Be!
Eva Lee

Being Happy Where You Are Right Now!

A very wise friend said to me the other day that we'd all be a lot happier if we could be happy right where we are now in our lives. It's good to have goals and it's good to strive for things, but it's also good to relax in the moment, give yourself a pat on the back and take a little time to appreciate what you've done to get where you are now, before you get back in the race to achieve your next goal.

Don't be too hard on yourself. Say to yourself what you would say to a friend who had achieved what you already have in your life. Be kind to yourself this Summer!

Dublin Holistic Centre Open Day - Saturday June 26th

Dublin Holistic Centre Open Day - Saturday June 26th

Building on the success of the Dublin Holistic Centre relocation to our beautiful new Georgian premises at 28 South William St., we will be holding an Open Day on Saturday June 26th to introduce even more of Dublin to the uplifting, fun therapies available. There are FREE classes and treatments on hypnotherapy, yoga, pilates, nutrition, homeopathy, facial rejuvenation and other interesting and fun topics. I'll be there too to talk one to one with you or a friend who might need some support at the moment To find out all about Saturday's event - click here.