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Ioannis Giannakakis: A Proficient Legal Practitioner, Delivering Unparalleled Legal Solutions Globally

Striving for excellence since its inception, the G+P Law Firm is a legal advisory firm dedicated to offering personalized legal advice and strong litigation services to its clients. Spearheaded by highly qualified, experienced, and dynamic professionals, Ioannis Giannakakis & John Psomas, G+P Law Firm adds great value to various corporate giants and people around the world. The unique approach followed by the firm has been a key factor driving success for the brand.

Ioannis Giannakakis, the Group General Counsel & Chief Compliance Officer of Avramar Seafood Group, can be best described as a go-getter, philanthropist, and visionary who is an entrepreneur par excellence. She is armed with 30 years of extensive experience. Her experience and expertise have landed her in an influential position.

Becoming an Influential Leader

The professional journey of Ioannis Giannakakis started 30 years ago when she qualified in Greece and became a member of the Athens Bar Association. During these years she has worked both as corporate counsel in regulated matrix organizations, usually global companies like Unilever Novartis, G4S, NN but also as a freelance consultant and litigator, especially in civil, administrative, and criminal cases. Her consistent goal was to focus on the clients’ needs, deliver pragmatic and sound legal advice but also keep a hands-on follow-up approach until the task has been completed. His litigation experience has proved valuable in his later corporate experience. This journey led Ioannis Giannakakis through more than 6 industries (insurance, real estate, FMCG, Pharmaceuticals, Security & Investigations, Agriculture & Food Manufacturing), however, a critical distinguisher from other colleagues has been his deep dive and accumulated expertise in the field of Data Protection Cybersecurity and disruptive technologies, which clearly differentiates from other “one-sided” corporate counsels focusing only on their corporate role and career.

A Glimpse of G+P Law Firm

The G+P Law Firm was established in 2018 by John Psomas and Ioannis Giannakakis with the vision to be a legal partner of choice for their clientele. Their boutique Law Firm has absolute specialization in Digital Transformation, Data Protection, Cybersecurity, and Disrupting Technologies, being one of a handful of law firms in Greece with accumulated experience and expertise in the aforementioned subjects.

The firm serves corporate clientele, spanning from very large to very small and medium-sized businesses in Greece and the EU. The team prefer to nurture strong relationships with their clients favouring long collaborations Their consistent client-centric philosophy combined with their pragmatic and business-oriented advice led to a multitude of international awards e.g Data Protection Law Firm of the Year 2021 in Greece by Corporate INTL Magazine, Boutique Law Firm of the Year in Greece, by Advisory Excellence, and many others

The Inspiration

Ioannis Giannakakis has always valued social and private justice as a key balancing factor of all controversies embedded in modern life full of inequality and differences. Her passion for justice led her to study law and become a lawyer but his later acquired passion for Privacy – as a key personal right and value- harshly attacked by multiple factors – search engines, social media, etc- led her to create the G+ P Law Firm with a clear vision the enhancement and protection of privacy of their clients.

While discussing the interesting part about working in legal industry, Ioannis shared, “The fact that every day is different from the other, the sense of accomplishment when a deal is closed but foremost the sense of serving the provision of justice in all aspects of social and economic life”.

Indicative Challenges for the Current Legal Market

The digital transformation of the modern business world, the consequences of the pandemic driving to new business environments ( with telework and employees isolation being catalysts ) the adaptability the constant learning and adjustment of the legal professional, the transformation from lawyer to business legal partner are some indicative challenges for the current legal market.

Edge Over the Peers

When asked the unique factors about G+P Law Firm, Ioannis Giannakakis shared, “The passion with which I pursue my goals, the consistent vision guiding my practice, the combination of vast corporate practice in a variety of industries, which is rather rare for most corporate counsels usually serving for long periods in the same clients combined with my attraction becoming a passion for Privacy, Data Protection and new Technologies that led me to deep dive at the age of 45 in a whole new world and become one of the leading and most acknowledged and awarded Data Protection Counsels in Greece and amongst the 200 top Privacy Professionals in the European Union.”

Difficulties of Young Lawyers in Entrepreneurship

Young lawyers face a variety of challenges. Some key challenges being digital work, use of technology in everyday business life, global mentality in the sense of being a “ universal” legal business partner instead of a local lawyer are some indicative challenges in my opinion.

The Significance of Technology Infusion in Legal

With proper technical education of the modern legal professional living in a world where legal AI started becoming a usual feature in many large legal firms. The use of legal technologies, digital tools, and platforms are part of the date-to-date legal practice and legal professionals need not only be accustomed but actively utilizing the aforementioned tools to improve their practice.

Accomplished Milestones

A series of litigation victories in Ioannis Giannakakis’s early 30s ( 200.000.000 ML drachmas fine annulment when I was with NN, ) the successful closing of a game-changer acquisition of EVGA ICE Cream by Unilever, the smooth transition of GSK Oncology Portfolio to Novartis, the successful design and execution of G4S GDPR Compliance Program are some career milestones of which she is proud of.

Favourite Book

AMNET by Maggie o Reilly

Words of Wisdom

Don’t be afraid to move outside your comfort zone. Try new things, experiment, stay curious. Be consistent, focus on the needs of your clients and try to be proactive in addressing them, be direct and trustful, be curious, and don’t waste time triumphing over your successes. but strive to become better. Don’t be seduced by easy money, social status, and social image. Success is measured only by the feeling of accomplishment that is unique to each individual. Value justice is the ultimate mission of all legal professionals irrespective of age, experience, or status.

Closing Quote

Quote by Albert Einstein, “Try not to become a person of success but rather try to become a person of value.”

C. F. Tsai: One of the First Patent Practitioners of Taiwan and the Leading Man behind Deep & Far Attorneys-at-law

In 1992, Deep & Far Attorneys-at-law embarked its incorporation with a focus on and specialization in all aspects of intellectual property rights (IPRs) under the guidance of C. F. Tsai,  who is the first patent practitioner in his country who both has technological and law backgrounds and is qualified as a local attorney-at-law.

A thought leader with 39 amazing years of experience, Mr Tsai handled diversified disputes over intellectual property laws. He has extensively been involved in works related to mechanical, electric, electronic, civil engineering, chemical, semiconductor, and medical fields since his involvement in intellectual property in 1982.  This expertise enabled him to successfully lead the firm and provide an excellent range of legal solutions.

In academics,  Mr Tsai had his marine engineering background and majored in National Chiao Tung University.  He finished his law degree from National Taiwan University and then passed the bar examination having a pass rate of about 5% on average.

In securing his master’s degree in comparative laws from Soo Chow University, Mr Tsai had the opportunity of perceiving, interlinking and integrating interdependency, interaction, and macroscopic strategy in various aspects of laws. He is admitted to practice before the ROC Supreme Court, the Administrative Court, the Taiwan High Court, IP Court, and various district courts.  Certainly, he is admitted to practice before the ROC Intellectual Property Office. He is a member of ROC, Taipei, Kaoshiung, and Hsinchu Bar Associations, APAA, AIPLA, AIPPI, and INTA.

Even with years of experience and extensive knowledge, Mr Tsai still strives for himself to keep pace with all relevant knowledge and practices relating to intellectual property laws and this is what makes him one of the most influential leaders in the industry.

More about the Firm

Deep & Far Attorneys-at-Law is one of the largest law firms in Taiwan. It is a full-service law firm with a focus on all aspects of intellectual property rights (IPRs). Its IPR work includes patents, trademarks, copyrights, trade secrets, unfair competition, and/or licensing, counseling, litigation, and/or transactions thereof. The firm is highly regarded and is often one of the main sources from which foreign filing orders originate.

Managed by the highly qualified, experienced, and dynamic leader, Deep & Far Attorneys-at-law strategically supports corporates and individuals around the world in disputes related to IP through competence and efforts.

“We provide competent IP services for clients across the world. We are not just claiming provisions of the most valuable and competent IP services”, apprised Mr Tsai.

“Because we found that other firms’ services may not be imaginarily satisfactory, or cannot provide wonderful services for the clients, we decided to establish the firm”, he further added.

Edge over the Peers

Deep & Far’s philosophy is to provide competent legal services that other firms cannot comparably provide. And, the edge comes from providing the most competent services. Taking the patent as an example, the claim is the core of patent protection. Because everyone tends to boast how wonderful he is or would be, this film feels like taking challenges to show their extraordinary competence by receiving from the client, e.g.:

  • A pending or granted patent specification for comments about how it can improve the claims.
  • A patent specification without the claims for the firm to draft the claims for the client’s comparison with the original claims.
  • With the firm the client is currently using at the same time, an initial disclosure based on which the team and the currently used firm can respectively prepare their claims so that the client can compare and find out which firm can provide the better claims.

Clientele

The clientele includes Armani, Baidu, Beckhoff, BYD, CICC, Chep, Cypress, Dr. Reddy, Gleason, Grenzebach, Haribo, H & M, Infineon, Intercept, InterDigital, Lenovo, Lupin, Motorola, MPS, NovaLED, Oppo, Piramal, Schott Glas, SeeReal, Sun Pharma, Teva, Torrent, Toyo Ink.  Long term relationships come from win-win considerations all the time made possible by competence and price competitiveness.

F. Tsai’s Take on

  • Today’s legal market: Competition is very rigorous nowadays because the number of firms drastically increases.
  • Dealing with Challenges: Try hard to become experienced, focussed and known to factors leading to success
  • Infusion of technology: Some new technology will enhance the performance of services and should be introduced into the working facilities.
  • Achievements: Fame may not straightforwardly come from competence but may brew therefrom if there are no or very few complaints from any client all over the world.
  • Success: The satisfying look of the clients we saw is the biggest prize we win after they receive our services.
  • The Secret of Becoming an Influential Leader: The base or secret for surviving in the market or becoming influential is perseverance, toughness, and courage.
  • Future Plans: Because all firms may have a difficult time, we have no intention to expand unless we find a service that can be provided only by this firm.
  • Favourite Books: Ancient books like the Bible, Kuran… which were authored thousands of years ago.
  • Nature of advisory services: We have 60% patent services, 20% trademark services, and 20% general law services.

Words of Wisdom

Try all efforts to stay with the virtues of perseverance, toughness, and courage related to cognition of quality services at all difficult opportunities because one’s fate means what s/he deserves through adhering to such virtues.

Success may not come very soon, but the virtues of perseverance, toughness, and courage may hasten the budding of success.

Closing Quote

If you dare wait for success through virtues, success is a shadow you cannot get rid of.

Axis Geffen: Dealing With Investigative Needs Comprehensively With His Venture, Axis Vero Incorporated

Headquartered in Ontario, Canada, a Private Investigation Agency, Axis Vero Incorporated offers an extensive array of investigative services and security consulting to a broad spectrum of clients worldwide under the competent leadership of Axis Geffen. Designated as the President and Founder of Axis Vero, Axis Geffen is an investigations specialist with extensive experience in Investigations, Undercover Operations, Technical Surveillance Countermeasures (TSCM), and Digital Forensic Matters. His experience encompasses all aspects of the investigative industry, and he is a commissioned author as well.

More about the Firm

Incepted in the year 2015, Axis Vero provides only the best investigators who are carefully vetted, hands-on specialists with real-life experience and proven track records within their respective area(s) of practice.

Apart from the head office in Brampton, Ontario, Canada and they are currently opening branch offices throughout Canada to service the demand of their government and corporate contracts. The firm offers almost any investigative service you can think of from research to surveillance to fraud and criminal investigations, and are also industry leaders in TSCM “Bug Sweeping” and Digital Forensics (imaging, analysis. investigation, and data recovery).

Axis Vero serves mostly lawyers or law firms, but they also have a broad base of corporate and government clients. There is no set demographic for who they help. Striving to build long-term relationships with their clients, they are not a product to be bought, but a resource to hold close. Axis Vero is equally committed (if not more so) to resolving their client’s matters quickly, accurately, and as cost-effectively as possible.

The Inspiration behind the Public Initiation

Mr. Geffen was at one time contracted by several firms at the same time. He opened his doors to the public due to a push from one of those former customers that became greedy and wanted to make his services exclusive. Faced with an ultimatum that would have left numerous firms without options, Mr. Geffen agreed to open his firm. If not for that push and the immediate need to survive, he states “I would never would have made the leap”. After opening to the public, Mr. Geffen realized the positive impact that his firm has made on not only his employees’ lives but the overall file quality and influence on his clients’ lives. That has kept him motivated.

What Fascinates Mr. Geffen in the Legal Field?

The visionary loves the interactions with the lawyers and clients that contact him. It has always surprised him how little most lawyers know about what qualified investigators can offer them to build, fix or defend a case they’re working on. He sees this most in the Family Law sector but it applies to every form of law. As lawyers begin to learn what his firm can offer and more importantly how different his firm is to deal with than competing firms, relationships (and many friendships) grow and “it truly feels like you’re helping your friend solve a problem. That’s rewarding.”

What Gives Axis Vero an Edge over your Peers?

Axis Geffen and his entire team care about each case they take in. While it’s important to make money, that is not the primary motivator for this firm. As such, they make a legitimate difference in the lives of those they assist and that tends to be remembered and rewarded in the long run.

Hurdles on the Way

“Although we are investigators, the challenges we face are very similar to those we see in young lawyers or paralegals. When you come in the door you want to be the best on day one, but there is no script to achieve this and it depends on your own attitude as well as who you meet along the way as to whether or not you learn anything at all on the trip. I think the biggest hurdle (certainly for investigators) is finding someone that is invested in making you better at what you do. In many cases, people are happy to keep you where you are rather than risk you succeeding beyond them”, asserted Axis Geffen.

From the Founder’s Desk

I started writing Security Site Post Orders for Burns International Security Services at the age of 14. My mom was a Security Site Supervisor for the company at that time but lacked English writing skills and so I helped her. At the age of 18, the company surprised me with my first Security Guard Licence and gave me a Security Guard job. I remained a Guard for several years learning about the security industry, client care, and the importance of solid documentation.

After a few years, I was hired as a subcontractor by a Private Investigation Agency and very quickly became popular in the field because of my superior documentation skills, attention to detail, and client support. I worked for a few investigation agencies this way. In 2015, one of the PI firms that I worked for gave me an ultimatum, I could either open my own firm and continue to service all of my clients, including his company, or I could become an exclusive employee to his company and stop working for the other security and investigation companies in our industry.

“This was a difficult choice to make because the agency that issued the ultimatum was my best customer at the time; however, becoming exclusive would mean that nearly a dozen other agencies would have to drop TSCM services from their offering to the public. I agreed to open my own firm and the day that I did, the agency that forced the ultimatum terminated my contract stating that I was now a competitor to them. Luckily, the remainder of my client base appreciated that I did not sell them out and work began to come in almost right away. Over the years I’ve trained hundreds of security officers and private investigators and in turn, I’ve learned tremendous skill sets from some of the best investigators in the industry.” In the present day, Axis Vero employs dozens of competent private investigators and Mr. Geffen imparts that knowledge to them. “Collectively, we’ve built this firm into the Best Investigative Support Firm – Canada Wide (as we’ve been recognized for the last three (3) consecutive years and our clients include government agencies, law enforcement bodies, charitable organizations, law firms (around the world), everyday people, and yes, many of those same (and some new) competing firms from around the world.”

Milestones & Achievements

Axis Vero has won a lot of awards but it’s rare that Mr. Geffen displays them or ever accepts a physical award, to begin with. The greatest achievement for him is watching demand for his firm grow. “Every new client that calls feels great. Every existing client that calls in again makes me excited. Now, opening our firm across the country has me elated. It speaks to the quality of our work, the dedication of our employees and the need for our presence in markets that we previously only serviced from a distance”, advised Mr.Axis Geffen.

Message for Readers

It’s not easy to get to the top of your field. You will not do it alone despite what those around you claim. Treat everyone you interact with courtesy and respect regardless of who they are or what you think they may or may not be able to do for you. Many of those interactions will be the foundation of how you are seen in the industry you serve for years to come.

Don’t Know Where to Begin as a Woman Entrepreneur? Implement these 8 tips.

Women, pay attention! Is it still challenging for you to thrive in a male-dominated workplace? The brave decision to start your own business is not one you have to make alone.

More than 550 women-owned firms are opening in the United States every day, and the trend is spreading around the world.

With this in mind, I put together a list of essential pieces of advice for women who want to start their own businesses.

Create a Plan and Document It

Is there a brilliant winning idea in your head, but you’re not sure how to get started? Making it a reality begins with a business plan written on paper (or iPad).

To convince people to believe in your firm, you need to lay out its objective, explain what sets it apart from the competition, and identify your target market. A clear financial forecast is also essential.

Focus on what drives you.

For many people, starting a business is a way to realise their dream of working in a dynamic field. It will also take a lot of effort to get your own business up and running the way you want to. If you’re going to spend a lot of time working on your business, you’ll want to make it something you’re excited about.

Your enthusiasm for your product or service will inspire potential clients and partners, making them more inclined to cooperate with or purchase from you.

Make the Time – Create with Intention

Make sure to think about how your work and personal lives are intertwined as part of your planning strategy. Just how much time do you have to spare? Consider all of the factors that could affect your time. Will you be required to travel as part of your job? Make a work schedule that you can stick to. It doesn’t matter if you intend to work on your business part-time. Those hours must still be set aside for commercial purposes.

Some people have lofty goals of conquering the globe, while others prefer to run a smaller business that generates a steady cash flow. Keep in mind that your business might grow and change along with your circumstances.

Look for a Female Mentor

In the early stages of launching a new company, it’s normal to be overwhelmed by inquiries. If anyone can address these concerns, it’s someone who has been there. It would be best if you had someone who could challenge and encourage you in a mentor relationship.

Team Doesn’t Have an “I.”

It’s critical to have a robust support system around you to delegate effectively and make use of the talents of others. It’s possible that you wouldn’t have thought of some of these ideas without your Team’s assistance. The importance of working together cannot be overstated.

Finding the appropriate people who share your enthusiasm for expanding your business is always worthwhile. Many businesses fail because they don’t have the necessary Team to take advantage of the opportunity.

Take Courageous Actions

Starting your own business or putting your entire resources in a start-up can be extremely scary, so if you want to be successful, you need to have a lot of faith in both yourself and your product.

Be confident in your abilities, but don’t overdo it when advertising yourself before possible investors and clients. When you’re attempting to start a business, there’s no room for phoney humility.

Engage in Conversation with Others

“It’s Not What You Know, But Who You Know” is a common adage. One of the finest strategies to market your firm is to attend events geared toward your industry as well as local businesses. In addition, consider the power of the internet and what you have at your fingertips. Utilise online networking to expand your professional network. You should make these sites your best friends, and if you need help with this, I’m more than happy to assist you.

It’s time to keep swimming.

As female entrepreneurs, we must always think about the future and how we can grow our company. Despite the difficulties and bumps in the road, the result is well worth the effort. Avoid distractions and recall why you started in the first place to keep yourself motivated.

Women Entrepreneur is bucking the stereotypes and carving out their niches in practically every industry. Increasingly, women in the country are looking for new ways to get involved in the economy.

For a successful women entrepreneur, these are the six C’s

Women’s entrepreneurship is on the rise, and it’s well-known that their numbers will far outpace those of men. Only a handful of women entrepreneurs are capable of achieving greatness. If you want to succeed as an entrepreneur, you’ll need to possess these attributes, which are common among successful female entrepreneurs.

Conviction, competence, communication, and conceptualisation are the six C’s of confidence, courage, and conviction.

Confidence:

First and foremost, you must be confident in your abilities. “Confidence is developed over time, by not being wrong but by refusing to be afraid of being wrong.”

Confidence is a trait built up over time, based on previous successes, accomplishments, and education. It’s a skill that needs to be honed and put into practice. The more confident a woman is in her business, the more likely she is to succeed. Women entrepreneurs who lack self-confidence are doomed to failure. Open up new avenues to success by being confident in what you’re doing.

Courage:

If we have the bravery to pursue our ambitions, they will come true. As stated by Walt Disney:

To be courageous, you must be able to recognize that something else is more imperative than fear. The growth of courage is a result of a rise in self-confidence. “Fortune favours the brave,” as the saying goes, does not apply to courageous women. A woman who has the fortitude to break through the barriers in her way is a success.

Conviction:

Courage cannot exist without confidence or assurance, and half the battle lies in the belief that we can accomplish our goals. Theodore Orison Swett Marden Most women entrepreneurs succeed in their endeavours because they have a firm idea of what they want to achieve. Experience isn’t as vital as a conviction.

Competence:

Competence is described as the ability to carry out a task successfully. In order to be competent, one must actively seek out new opportunities, create goals, take risks, persuade others, network, and insist on high standards of quality and efficiency.

Communication

The ability to communicate effectively is critical to the success of any business.

It’s essential to a company’s start-up, survival, and expansion. One of the most important aspects of communicating efficiently is ensuring the message is displayed clearly and accurately. When you’re a woman entrepreneur, good communication is key to going the additional mile and making things work in your favour.

Conceptualization:

“The process of establishing and clarifying new and existing concepts is known as conceptualisation.”

As a female entrepreneur, it is essential to identify and implement your unique ideas to succeed. Complex circumstances necessitate thorough research and careful planning. To be a successful female entrepreneur, you must specify the current challenges and hurdles and develop a new and better solution for them.

After graduating from high school, more and more young women are starting their enterprises. Women company owners face difficulties in expanding their enterprises. As a result, they don’t have access to the same networking opportunities and socialising venues as male business entrepreneurs. In addition, the only way for women to grow their available funds or savings was to be frugal in how they managed their home finances. Many firms have prospered without taking out loans.

Women must rethink their perspectives on growth financing.Borrowing money to pay for a car loan or other business expenses is a common occurrence. Taking out a loan can be compared to driving from one sales call to the next in your company’s growth cycle, and it should be treated as such.

Wies van ‘t Slot, An Award-winning Business Woman, Mother,& An Outcast Visionary Entrepreneur Heading 365Werk in Pursuit Of Excellence

With a passion to do things differently. More transparent above all, and more digital, Wies van ‘t Slot, Director, 365Werk spearheads her brand to do just that – Digitalize the recruitment and hiring process. She aimed at creating her own culture in her teams and this is what kicked her off and keeps her speeding forward. Forty two-year-old Wies became director and co-owner of 365Werk six years ago, after a career in the Randstad and YoungCapital world.

Full of ambition and full of confidence, Wies van ‘t Slot, a passionate, enthusiastic, hard-working entrepreneur, is the mother of three beautiful boys (13, 11, 9). Being a mum has always been her active wish, as has to be an entrepreneur. The inspiring lady had been dreaming of leading her own company for quite some time before she actually had collected enough guts to go out and give it a shot. “Being an entrepreneur is who I am. It’s who I’ve always been”, said Wies.

More about the Firm

In a shrinking market, the online employment agency, 365Werk has managed to grow, year after year. Besides, Wies started concentrating on the service, saying: if we want to be as online as possible, we need the best human service ever in combination with that’. It was a decision and a focus that really led the team to where they stand now. Investing in the software continues undiminished, A-level service is their main goal. To achieve that, the way the teams are composed and working together is key.

In the last six years, 365Werk has been honoured with FD Gazellen Awards four times, a prize for companies with the largest rise in revenues. Also, because of the rapid growth of 365Werk, Wies has been recognized as one of the hundred most successful businesswomen in the Netherlands.

Clientele & Branding Strategies

365Werk is operating in four different industries: catering, logistics, cleaning, and business services. To ensure their service level keeps surpassing the expectation of their clients, the 365Werk team regularly investigate their wishes and criticism. Their wishes are put directly on top of their innovation agenda. Wies and her team always keep in mind that they have to stay flexible, being able to adapt to new insights and desires.

“We are young, fresh, different, a bit puckish, cheerful, not formal at all. Our message is that anyone can be a boss. That’s our tagline as well. Thanks to us, you’re able to manage how, when, and where you’re working”, asserted Wies while talking about her unique branding strategies.

Impacts of Covid-19 & Solutions

From one day to the next, 365Werk lost about two-thirds of their revenues, mainly due to their hospitality and catering clients being closed down. Immediately following that shock, they started mediating their people to other branches. Meanwhile, they went out to connect more clients from businesses that weren’t torn down by the crisis. One of the riskiest parts of their strategy was that Wies decided to stop sending bills to her clients in hospitality, to protect them from stressing out. The plan worked out beautifully when the government started to help out businesses, which she had anticipated. Today, their client portfolio is more differentiated than it ever was, thanks to the strategy during the deep Covid crises.

From the Founder’s Desk

From within my organization, I can’t see any challenge other than always keeping in mind our teams having an eye on diversity. And of course, there’s the ever-going struggle to use ‘female skills’ like empathizing and being vulnerable on the one hand, and being strict and clear on the other, without growing the label ‘bitch’. Outside my own company, challenges are bigger. Inside the business networks, I feel part of, there are only a few women. It’s always difficult to mix naturally with large groups of men. Whereas they seem to be pals, talking about guy’s stuff, I will never completely fit in. Partly because the stuff palls talk about doesn’t really interest me, but mostly because palls tend to feel forced to switch subject and attitude when a woman is around. That’s something no woman wants to happen.

Wies’s Approach to Entrepreneurship

First of all – and this sounds a bit trite – you have to maintain your own course, stay close to who you are. In her opinion, the worst thing you could do is try to change the way you act. Being a woman in a male-dominated surrounding offers opportunities to your advantage as well. For example, it’s much easier for me to stay top of mind than it is for a man in a blue blazer.

Challenges Faced by Women Entrepreneurs & Wies’s Advice

Wies said, “In my country, the biggest challenge is facing criticism regarding motherhood. A lot of people don’t understand or do not wish to understand how a mother can spend so much time being an entrepreneur whilst having young kids. The danger of being labelled a “bad mother” is one of the biggest factors of woman entrepreneurship being relatively rare. ‘How do you manage at home?’ is a F.A.Q. to a female entrepreneur. Men never receive that question.”

She continued, “I think the way to handle this pressure is to believe in what you are doing. The only way to feel free to do so is to make sure things at home are well organised. Once you’re convinced your family is taken care of, and your professional ambition is undisputed, you should be able to withstand the criticism of that kind and move forward in order to achieve your goals. Just accept that people might have other opinions.”

The Current Hurdles

Wies’s main worry now is how to move the company to the next step, with revenues of around 60 million euros. It’s a big and fantastic challenge to figure out in which way my teams are up to it and to prioritize the tasks ahead. It means She is looking into investments, opening new branches, hiring new talent, and strengthening the IT backbone.

A Day in Wies’s Life

The alarm rings at 06.30. Wies gets up, goes out to have a short hike with her dogs, returns to have breakfast with her husband and sons, takes a shower and leaves at 08.00 for a twenty minutes drive to the office. Every day, the leading lady’s agenda is filled with numerous appointments inside and outside the office. Most of the time, she arrives back home at around 1800 so she can assist her kids with their sports training and have dinner. A couple of times a week she goes out in the evening to the gym, on other nights there’s a network meeting. And sometimes she is at home, watching Netflix with her husband.

365Werk  in the Next Five Years

“The next few years are dedicated to growing even faster. We’re going to achieve that thanks to a combination of IT and an ever-improving service. Our means is to extend our efforts on making the best ‘Tinder for work’. That’ll give us the possibility to stay strong and grow. In the next five years, we’ll definitely open more offices around the country and strengthen our brand”, Wies proudly shared.

Words of Wisdom

Just do it. Take it step by step, but get started. You don’t need extensive plans, because they’ll change along the way. There are a thousand reasons not to start as an entrepreneur. Don’t listen to them. Give it a shot, the best shot you have.

 

Dr Sharon Jones: A Passionate Techpreneur & Award-Winning Educator Spearheading dot. Consulting & Dottie Rose Foundation Successfully

“Believe in yourself, your talent, and your ambition.”- Dr Sharon Jones

A self-motivated, out-of-the-box thinker who brings real-life business problems to tech training and teaches applicable technological solutions to those problems, Dr Sharon Jones leads the dot. Consulting & Dottie Rose Foundation in the key position of CEO.

An award-winning, dedicated educator of computer science and technology for 17 years and throughout her career, she has created, implemented, and facilitated computer science workshops that apply the concepts of technology to everyday activities. She has found her passion in education and has served as a Career and Technical Education teacher in Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools and Wake County Schools as well as a Sr. Technical Trainer with Central Piedmont Community College (CPCC). Besides, she is a well-known industry teacher, trainer, and mentor working for organizations with like-minded missions.

The Initiative & Exclusive Product Portfolio

At the dot. is dedicated to providing innovative solutions to Computer Science education and technology learning. From face-to-face training to blended training techniques, their technology consulting services deliver a distinct advantage for organizations looking to grow. They help people invest in the technical knowledge of individual employees to create an overall collective sharpness, savviness, and greater productivity. Thus, increasing the technological speed and quality of the expertise in your organization. Delivering the key strategies and tools for immediate implementation of short-term and future value. They partner with companies and customize the plan. They offer three ways to work: strategic planning, professional development, and coaching. Their specialty resides in the development of the K12 technology/Career and Technical Education curriculum. Through their hands-on and real-life scenario approach, teachers will use critical thinking and technology skills to solve problems and gain insight.

thedot. Consulting offers three signature virtual or in-person Professional Development opportunities, or they have the ability to create customizable options, so one can choose what best fits his school’s current needs. Below are the three top professional development workshops.

Hello World: Big Concepts of Computer Science and Computational Thinking

Finding Your Tech Genius

Data Science Applied: Creating a Data Culture Through Application

Clients & Branding Strategies

The clientele consists of K-12 entities, including but not limited to Schools, Districts, and even K-12 programs outside of a school. Dr. Jones works directly with teachers, principals, and even the State to ensure they have what they need to integrate Computer Science standards into their curriculum.

 Their branding strategy is one that gives educators a glimpse into opportunities to bring computer science into their classrooms. They provide engaging content through their social media, website, and their newsletter that allows teachers to see how easy it is to implement technology into their everyday curriculum.

Major impacts of Covid-19

“The major impact has been to move our work to a virtual platform. All of the in-person workshops were moved to online platforms. In addition, we created videos and content to be shared virtually and created opportunities for students & teachers to connect with community members through virtual talks, podcasting, and live video demonstrations and chats. As we continue to navigate the COVID 19 pandemic, we continue to do a blend of virtual and in-person work. As a technology education company, we have utilized online platforms to communicate and build content for many years as a way to expand our reach, however, the power of in-person can never be replaced. Therefore, the key to our continued success and impact will be with the blend of virtual and in-person” shared the leading lady when asked about the challenges and opportunities during the pandemic.

Challenges for Women Entrepreneurs & Advice to Overcome Them 

There are many challenges but here are the top four according to Sharon Jones:

  •     Defying social expectations
  •     Accessing Funding
  •     Owning your accomplishments
  •     Coping with the fear of failure

Each of these challenges has its own hurdles but at the core, each challenge can be approached one step at a time. Own your strengths and be clear on what success means to you. Success is defined by you, not anyone else. Define your goals and take one step forward to achieve them each day.

From the CEO’s Desk

When I went to college, my sophomore year I was asked to create a PowerPoint for our project and I clearly remember turning to the person next to me and asking, what is PowerPoint?

And that is the pivotal moment that really changed my direction in technology. I taught myself PowerPoint and realized how much I enjoyed the learning. Fast forward a few years, and I go to East Carolina University to work on my master’s in education. There I entered my first programming class, Visual Basic.net. I had never programmed before and mind you had just figured out how to do the Microsoft suite of products.

However, I read, worked, failed many, many times, and finally mastered my first two projects of Hello World and turned the light bulb on and off! I received my master’s in teaching in Business and Information Technology and started my teaching career teaching in Career and Technical Education high school in Apex, NC, and then back to my home city of Charlotte. Over the years, my teaching career has been so rewarding as I have adapted learning technology to real-world applications.

I am self-taught in all of the programming languages I know and have continued to learn from my students, in professional developments and continued my education to earn my doctorate in Adult Education. My business started as a side hustle to bring in extra income for my family. I started doing workshops for teachers through Code.org and showcasing that platform and the success of those workshops grew to districts hiring me to lead further workshops around computer science. I stepped into

I have been a K12 educator, a secondary education professional, a corporate trainer, and now a business owner. My work has been a wonderful path of discovery, failures, and finding my true passion.

A Day in Sharon’s Life

  •     Wake around 6:30
  •     Short workout (try to do 30 minutes at least 3 times a week)
  •     Coffee! I love a cup of coffee
  •     Email catches up (8:00-9:00)
  •     Meetings begin
  •     Planning meetings for workshops or content
  •     Collaboration connections
  •     Curriculum planning with teachers during their planning sessions
  •     Curriculum/Content development for Dottie Rose Foundation and schools
  •     Lunch
  •     Meetings continue or in-person visits with schools or Professional Development sessions Dinner with my family
  •     After dinner research and planning for the next day
  •     A good girly show on TV
  •     Bed by 9:30

Future Plans & Jewels in the Crown

Sharon Jones wants her to venture to be the go-to for all things strategy and professional development for computer science integration into a K12 school or district. Here is the list of achievements;

  • NC Tech Education Technology – Industry EdTech Finalist
  • Jones was Woman of the Year, Charlotte Magazine
  • National Women’s Business Enterprise Certification
  • Top 100 Global Educators Presented by the Global Forum of Educational Leadership, June 2021

Launching a meaningful brand

As two co-founders, Eileen and I wanted to launch a brand that would empower women and give them confidence. There are plenty of women’s fashion options out there, but we believe clothes should do more than just dress a body. We are providing multifunctional designs that slip perfectly into every woman’s wardrobe.  Cutting-edge, quick dry performance fabrics; pieces that drape and feel luxurious next to the skin in materials that remove moisture from clothing at speed so busy women can get on with their day (or night) without worrying about being crushed, hot and sweaty. All our collections are anti-crush, keeping the wearer confident and crease-free day and night.

We also wanted to launch a responsible brand. From the very start we knew we wanted to build a company that we could be proud of, one where there was nothing to hide away. We wanted to be as open and transparent as possible in everything from how we chose our 100% vegetable starch completely biodegradable and compostable bags and why we use Royal Mail, to our thinking on vegan clothes, sustainable washing (it’s a thing – and an important one) and why we expect our garments to be around for a very long time indeed.

The key thing we have learned on our start up journey is that sustainability is not a static creature. With each new fabric created, with each new piece of research, with each new creative attempt at circularity, the ‘how’ of sustainability morphs a bit, making it impossible to be ‘perfect’.  So, if we put aside any attempt to be 100% sustainable (impossible anyway since we are creating new collections and creating anything uses energy and materials), we would call sustainable fashion, conscious, transparent and responsible fashion.

Conscious, since careful thought needs to be put into every level of the company and its practices, from packaging materials, working practices, transport, trim…the list is exhaustive and exhausting and there is always more to add to it.

Transparent, since it is much better for a company to say, ‘hands up, we hadn’t thought about that aspect of our chain, thank you for pointing it out and we will now investigate and see how we can improve’, rather than ignore dangerous, unethical and environmentally damaging practices with a view to trying to ‘protect’

Responsible, since we do only have one earth, and many people to share it with, including (hopefully!) many, many future generations who will not be amused to find that whatever the wealth and ingeniousness of their ancestors (we put a man on the moon! we wiped out polio!) they neglected to save the planet.

When we launched back in September 2017, ethical was not at the forefront of consumers’ minds, but it was very much on our minds. Since Covid, the world is rethinking how and what they buy and we feel we are in the right space to provide what women are looking for. With our five-mile radius and constant reviewing of our working practices, we are increasingly being asked to contribute to thoughts on what sustainable means in 2021 when so many brands are jumping on the bandwagon without much thought. Most recently, I was on a panel hosted by the British Chamber of Commerce in Slovakia as part of the UN Climate Change Conference 2021. This is no mean feat for a small brand to be showing how things can (and we believe should) be done. Small can mean agile and adaptable in this ever changing world and we are using this to our advantage.

At Cucumber Clothing we will never claim to be perfect, but we will always be trying to be better. That’s a promise.

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