It’s been a very busy Summer for me, both in business and in my personal life.

I cannot believe 3 months have gone by so quickly since I sent my last newsletter. So much has happened both in my personal and business life but in this newsletter let me share a few things.

In my personal life, our older dog Neo suddenly found that he could not use his back 2 legs as his knee ligaments ruptured. We had to take him to numerous vet appointments before finally he had his surgery. He now has metal plates and screws in both of his back legs, our very own bionic boy. He is doing well and is now able to walk on a lead but there is still a long journey ahead with hydrotherapy, physio, lots of love and cuddles.

Our other baby Ri, who is a rescue, has had to learn to live each day playing and chasing squirrels on her own. It was hard at first, but she is a confident girl who is showing us each day that she is a survivor, (sounds just like me), but will make sure that she checks in on Neo a few times a day. Her maternal instincts have definitely kicked in. It has been so great to see just how resilient our children are, just like human children.

I also tested positive with Covid again and some of my Long Covid symptoms that I had learned to manage have come back again. So, if you do hear my dry cough again – sorry……

Now, having had 3 vaccinations, the support of Royal Brompton Hospital and my GP, I have the tools and processes to help me through. You know what, I really do hope that scientists find a cure for Long Covid soon, as so many of us struggle everyday although, if I am honest with myself, I don’t think we are a priority for the Government right now.

July is always a fun month for me, as the sun comes out and I get to celebrate another birthday even with the Long Covid. What I have learnt this year from all the wonderful birthday messages I received is that I have so much love and support across the globe. I just wanted to take a moment and share a big heartfelt Thank you to all of you.

Who is Justine Maher?

Hi, I am Justine, I live on the sunny east coast of Lowestoft (the most easterly point in England). I have lived here all my life, it’s such a lovely part of the country and the beach is beautiful!I live with my husband and my two young boys aged 7 and 2.

I have been working within the marketing industry for nearly 14 years now and I set up my own Marketing Agency 8 years ago as a result of being made redundant. My intention was not to go into Marketing but to work in a science lab in research. I always enjoyed Science and I did a degree in Biological Sciences back in 2005 but when the course ended I soon realised that working in the lab was not for me.

I joined a local marketing agency as an account manager and realised how much I enjoyed it, and as they say the rest is history!

In my spare time (when I manage to get some) I run a charity called Angels and Rainbows. The charity is to help support families that have suffered pregnancy and baby loss. Unfortunately I lost my little boy in 2014 and there was no help locally, I felt very isolated and in 2018 I decided to set up my own local support group to help other families in my situation.

As a marketing and social media strategist/manager, I have helped 100’s of businesses with their marketing to get seen online and run a successful business using the power of marketing, especially social media. I deliver local workshops and online training sessions and I also manage and run people’s social media accounts for them.

I have been working with Sonal for a few months now and I have enjoyed getting to know her and supporting her with running her business. It’s great to be working with someone who is passionate about what they do and who is also very inspirational in her field of work. I look forward to building more on our business relationship and getting to know her business even more.

Life Events

In my business, there has been so much happening with Life Events. In my Celebrant role, I am now specialising in Multicultural weddings which is honestly just wonderful and allows me to use my knowledge, and experience to create the most beautiful ceremonies. Each couple comes with their own journey, experiences and vision for their wedding and I get to create, personalise and deliver it for them both in the uk and abroad. I’ll share more about the destination weddings another time, but I feel so blessed to be able to do them.

As a funeral Celebrant, I have been working with families to create ceremonies for some wonderful individuals who have passed away. I include live music, poetry, extracts from religious books and ensure that the family are part of the journey creating the ceremony.

In my Toastmaster role, there have been weddings in grand hotels in London, barn weddings, both indoor and outdoor. I really am so lucky, not only because of the wonderful couples I get to work with but also the beautiful venues I get to work at.

Exciting New Product Launching Soon

A few years ago I knew that with my Public Speaking and Communication Work, I wanted to find a way to be able to help both children and adults from the neurodiverse community.

I am so so so excited to say that very soon, I do mean very soon, I will be launching a product for them. The process to get here has been interesting. It started with research, then finding the individual who would be able to help me with this and then with the support of a number of key individuals in my focus group, it is in the design phase. I cannot even start to tell you how excited I am as I know it is going to be so helpful and useful. I genuinely feel so proud that I have achieved this as it will be my first physical product. To be one of the first to know what it is, please sign up for the waiting list HERE.

I can’t wait for the launch in a few weeks’ time, so please keep your eyes open!

Sonal.

I cannot believe how quickly this year is flying by and we are already at the end of April. So much has already happened and I wanted to take a moment to thank everyone who has been in touch to check in on my recovery.

For those that don’t know, I have had 2 years of struggles from Covid and then Long Covid. I am not yet fully recovered but I am definitely on the road to recovery. Will I be back to 100%? probably not as I have never been at 100% but I am ok with that.

My respiratory system still plays up which has affected my upper airway so for someone who is all about communication this has been a struggle both physically and in my mental health. I have been lucky to have great doctors looking after me and with the support of my husband, some dear friends and my own resilient character I keep going, but I am better at resting now – promise 🙂

So what has really helped me through?

If I have to be honest, it’s been having my own ability to say what has been happening to me, what I have been feeling and hearing and importantly what I needed.

I was lucky and had the confidence and resilience but not everyone does. These skills helped me to cope and get the help I need and still need. I share this as it really is a passion of mine to help others grow in confidence, resilience and be able to support their own mental health.

What have I been up to?

In my world of events and weddings, I feel so happy being back helping couples and clients have their life event the way they want. From corporate annual dinners, weddings and funerals its just been so great to help and create events and ceremonies again.

There are a couple that really stands out for me in these months and I hope you will enjoy hearing about them.

One was a beautiful multicultural wedding in France in Courchevel, on a ski resort in a forest. Just imagine the snow, the cold, beautiful ribbons, hot wine, a live band and a beautiful couple from Kuwait and Italy. It really was a fairytale wedding and how lucky was I that through my Celebrant work I can give couples choice for their special day. Here is the view. Just stunning.

The other was a scattering of Ashes ceremony for a family that had lost their father very suddenly. Just the mother and daughter with myself and my husband playing guitar. A boat on the Thames travelled to the peace pagoda where beautiful memories and prayers were shared. The biodegradable urn and petals were placed in the water and this poem was recited.

When Great Trees Fall by Maya Angelou

When great trees fall, rocks on distant hills shudder, lions hunker down in tall grasses, and even elephants lumber after safety.

When great trees fall in forests, small things recoil into silence, their senses eroded beyond fear.

When great souls die the air around us becomes light, rare, sterile. We breathe, briefly. Our eyes, briefly, see with a hurtful clarity. Our memory, suddenly sharpened, examines, gnaws on kind words unsaid, promised walks never taken.

Great souls die and our reality, bound to them, takes leave of us. Our souls, dependent upon their nurture, now shrink, wizened. Our minds, formed and informed by their radiance, fall away. We are not so much maddened as reduced to the unutterable ignorance of dark, cold caves.

And when great souls die, after a period peace blooms, slowly and always irregularly. Spaces fill with a kind of soothing electric vibration. Our senses, restored, never to be the same, whisper to us. They existed. They existed. We can be. Be and be better. For they existed.

Before you go…

A number of you have been asking about my face to face workshops for both children and adults. I am just working out the logistics and will be announcing the dates shortly. If you would like to be one of the first to hear about the dates when released please do sign up to the waiting lists by clicking the correct one below.

Adult Workshops

Children’s Workshops

My NEW Facebook Group

I have created a new Facebook Group for those that want to learn and develop their Public Speaking, Communication, Confidence and Storytelling Skills as well as support their children to learn these skills.

Join the group
So enough of me now and over to you. There have been school interviews, exams and I even know of interviews where promotions have been achieved after working with me. So do share with me any successes you or your children have had as I love to hear good news stories.

Please send me an email at sonal@sonaldave.com

Until next time,
Sonal

Firstly, where has January gone?

I hope the first month of 2022 has brought you all health, happiness, and the inspiration to tackle any personal and work-based challenges with a positive mindset.

I’m starting off this newsletter with a quote that is to be my motto for the year.

It sums up for me the way that I am going to approach 2022. We often spend a lot of time and energy doing things that we feel we must do.

Is this the right approach?

If the last year has taught us anything it should be to approach situations with kindness and empathy. But the same also applies to ourselves and our own wellbeing doesn’t it?

I shared this quote on my social media platforms at the start of January and I’ve since had many people message me to say that this quote resonated with them. I hope that you take something from this quote too and that it helps you when things get overwhelming or tough.

Often, the start of the year always brings a focus on ourselves and embracing who we are. Many of us deal with challenges in our lives. I’ve spoken to many people recently who have shared with me their realisation of where their mental wellbeing is and where they want it to be. It’s one of the reasons I created my free managing mental health download.

I hope that it helps you or anyone else you know.

Download my FREE Mental Health Resource

On the subject of mental health, if you had to list a number of things that can help you keep your child’s mental well-being in check what would they be? Here are some ideas that I have:

• Acknowledge and accept the child for who they are. A unique individual.
• Stop and really listen to your child when they are talking to you and let them know that you have understood.
• Accept the journey that your child wants to take. Not every child needs to go to university. They may flourish as an apprentice or by going straight into work or even travelling may be the way they learn.
• Do not buy your child every toy, pair of trainers, latest fashion outfits when they want it. Allow them to save up and understand the value of money.
• Teach your children all skills, not just the ones that are supposedly meant for women and men.
• Teach your children respect for each other, parents, teachers, elders, difference, disability, diversity and equality.
• Teach your children to be able to stand on their own feet.
• Teach your children the difference between religion and culture.
• Teach them how to ask for help. Not to expect it.

I would love to hear what else you would add to this list, email me at sonal@sonaldave.com and share your ideas. Through the power of communication, we can help make parents’ and children’s daily lives easier.

I’m going to end this newsletter with a short tip on a topic I get asked about a lot! Public speaking. Or, should I say the fear of public speaking. Some of us enjoy public speaking and some of us avoid it at all costs, and some people have a genuine fear of getting up and speaking in front of a large group. This skill can hold you back at work, but it is something that you can overcome with my help.

Thank you for reading my newsletter. I hope the thoughts and information shared give you the inspiration that you can use in your and your family’s everyday life.

Until next time,

Sonal

What a year it has been. 

I hope that for many of you things have started to return to a ‘normal’ that you are comfortable with. 

Children are off for half term and I know from speaking to many parents at the weddings I have been at recently as Toastmaster and as a Celebrant, that half term can sometimes be fraught!

So, I wanted to share with you a recent blog post that I wrote. 

In this article, I share my top 10 tips to better communicate with children. I hope that it brings a stress-free final few days of October for those of you with children. 

For those of you that don’t have children, I still encourage you to read the article. Some of the tips I share could equally be applied to many situations we as adults face in life and at work when communicating with people.

One of my delights of late has been returning to in-person events. 

It has been such a joy to get back to being a Toastmaster and a Celebrant at events. I have had the pleasure of attending many weddings these past few weeks. 

I wanted to share with you one wedding that was a little different in the location from the others I have recently attended. 

When planning your wedding, sometimes you have to be inventive. Sometimes you have a picture in your mind of how you want your wedding to be. Other times you have limitations such as budgets, or a limited capacity to deal with. 

This past year has placed many limitations on brides and bridegrooms to be. But, when you feel that things are spiraling out of control such as suppliers canceling or your ideal venue not being available, I urge you to take a step back and think creatively. 

That is exactly what S and N did with their wedding. Their wedding was a fusion of cultures but also held outdoors at a glamping site. 

I’m sharing the video of their wonderful wedding, but if you feel you are coming up against a brick wall when it comes to planning your wedding, please do reach out to me. 

As a wedding celebrant with many years of experience, I can give you some ideas and help make the path to your wedding as stress-free as possible. Both in the lead-up and on the day itself. 

In case you missed it, my recent book collaboration is now available. It’s called ‘A New Woman’ and in my chapter, I share my story of disability, challenges, adversity, resilience, and success. I discuss how Disability is still a taboo subject and not discussed in the positive way it should. I share my thoughts on how people still do not understand hidden disabilities and I discuss the focus people put on inability when it should be about ability. I even share how sometimes those closest to us do not realise how their words and actions are negative and not supportive which can have a detrimental impact on an individual’s life.

Available to buy on Amazon and digital download now. 

If you’ve read my chapter I’d love to know what you think. 

Drop me a note at sonal@sonaldave.com if my chapter has resonated with you. 

Finally, I wanted to end this newsletter with a thank you. I cannot believe that I am now celebrating my 3rd year business anniversary.

So much has happened since I started back in late 2018 and I want to first thank you all for being there with me through the journey. The ups, the downs and not forgetting the pandemic. It’s been a bit of a roller coaster for all of us.

 When I look at my own personal journey, a lot has happened. I have never really been a healthy person for numerous reasons, which I won’t go into today, but I have always fought hard to break down barriers, face challenges head-on and make a positive change. I hope that I have been able to inspire a few of you over the years.

 I do hope that with your support, I will continue to do the work I am passionate about supporting couples and clients with their events and services, as well as helping both children and adults learn the life skills of Communicating with Confidence, Storytelling, Interview Skills and more.

 Thank you so much for sharing the journey with me.

 Sonal

“Dare to Dream, Dare to be Different, The World is YOUR Stage”

Welcome to the July edition of my newsletter. I can’t believe I am writing this but it’s the end of July!

How has that happened! Schools will have broken up for the summer holidays and hopefully, the summer will bring some relaxing time for everyone as a family.  It’s been a disrupted year but I am and always have been someone who looks for the silver lining in everything. 

It’s been a while but one of my silver linings has been knowing that we have returned to in-person events. It felt so good to be able to be back doing events again and my first event back was a Renewal of Vows Ceremony.⁠

⁠The ceremony was for Tam & Mo and was held on 24th June 2021 at a beautiful venue, Tudor Barn Eltham. The ceremony was small and intimate and all about the couple and their children.⁠

The beauty of a Renewal of Vows Ceremony is that it can be held whenever the couple wants. Some choose to have the ceremony after major years like 5, 10, 15, and onwards.⁠

⁠Others choose to have them to mark special moments like getting through the pandemic, being away from each other due to work commitments, surviving a major illness, or even when their family grows in numbers. There is no right or wrong time to have a Renewal of Vows Ceremony. It is all down to what feels right for both of you.⁠

⁠I cannot wait for the next one!

You can watch the Renewal of Vows Ceremony here.

For many of us, the summer wedding season is upon us. It’s an exciting time for everyone when it comes to a wedding. 

For those of you who have been involved in organising a large event, you will know that organising a wedding is no different! There are many suppliers to deal with, preparations to make, and not to mention the on-the-day nerves hoping that everyone turns up, suppliers are on time and the wedding goes without a hitch. 

These are common nerves for a bride and a bridegroom. Simran and Bish were no different. They both wanted to write their own wedding vows as well as ensure that the run-up to their big day was as stress-free as it could be. 

As their Celebrant, I helped with all of their questions, whilst creating their special ceremony and using my many years of experience helped when it came to writing their wedding vows. A couple’s wedding vows are such an important part of the wedding ceremony and it was a pleasure to be able to use my knowledge to help them write their perfect vows to each other.

What’s been your silver lining from the past year? Or something that you’ve taken away as a positive from the past year?

Do let me know at sonal@sonaldave.com

I know that many of you will have been affected in different ways with the disruption in classes and children reacting in different ways. I’ve found that taking a mindful approach to everyday life has helped. I’ve written a blog on mindful communication that I wanted to share with you. I hope it helps enhance your life the way it has mine. 

Read my mindful communication blog here. 

If you have any tips that you would like to share on mindful communication then drop me a note at sonal@sonaldave.com

Finally, I’m excited to share that my second book collaboration ‘‘A New Woman’ is now available to buy and download from Amazon! 

In this collaboration, I talk about how I overcame my own disability from childhood. 

Here is a quote from my chapter that I hope will entice you to go and buy the book:

“I wonder why there is a feeling that if you or your child has a disability you should keep it quiet, you should not tell anyone, as they will treat you differently. I have even heard some people mention that if you or your child has a disability then God is punishing you.’’

My hope is that it starts a more open and positive conversation about disability and how disability isn’t a barrier to achieving success. Whatever you want success to look like. 

This month’s newsletter is all about feeling the fear but doing something about it.

The world is slowly opening up. It’s a time to move forward but also a time to reflect and see how far we have come. How much we have grown as people, and to celebrate what we have learned. 

Did you know it’s Adult learning month? 

It’s a perfect opportunity for us all to celebrate our achievements. 

What have you learned over the past few months or even the past year? 

For me, it’s learning to say no.

Our learning doesn’t have to be mastering a new skill or learning a new language. Often the small things that we learn about ourselves help us in our day-to-day life.

So, go on. Get in touch and email at sonal@sonaldave.com

Tell me what you’ve learned recently. Let’s celebrate our achievements together. 

As a Celebrant, I am often contacted by couples who are from different cultural backgrounds but want to bring together their heritage as part of their wedding celebration. Often couples are a little worried about the elders in their family and want to make sure that they honour their traditions in the right and appropriate way.

This was the case with Supreet and Francesco. Both wanted to blend the Eastern and Western parts of their cultures together as part of their wedding. I worked with them both to understand their values, who they were as people, and what they wanted their wedding to stand for. 

It was an honour to be part of their wedding ceremony. 

What are your burning questions when it comes to weddings? 

Let me know your questions and I will answer them. 

Drop me a note at Sonal@sonaldave.com

I know many of you ‘feel the fear’ when it comes to presentations. 

Do you have a presentation coming up? If you haven’t then I am sure that over the near future many of you will have a team meeting, perhaps an interview, or even dare I say it a networking event slot into your diary soon. 

If you are ‘feeling the fear’ when it comes to presenting then here are some tips to help you prepare: 

1. Know your topics
2. Tell your stories
3. Practice to make it perfect
4. Plan the day

You can find out more of my presentation 101 tips here

You can also watch me share some of my presentation tips over on my YouTube channel here 

If you have any questions when it comes to communicating with confidence please do get in touch or you can check our my Communicating with Confidence courses here

I’m ending this month’s newsletter with some very exciting news!

The New Woman book launch

I am so excited to be part of another collaboration of stories with 33 other women all sharing their Kintsugi experiences through each thought-provoking chapter. It has been a pleasure working with this group of awesome women who have come together to share, inspire and have a voice under the banner of Kaushalya UK.

The collaboration book has the potential to change lives through the stories of transformation and impact. 

My chapter is titled “Shhh, Don’t Tell Anyone, They Will Treat You Differently”.  

I know my chapter is going to resonate with so many of you out there and it may just trigger some things about you and your views, but that’s ok. 

It’s how you manage things after.

In my chapter,  I share my story of disability, challenges, adversity, resilience, and success. 

I discuss how Disability is still a taboo subject and not discussed in the positive way it should. I share my thoughts on how people still do not understand hidden disabilities and I discuss the focus people put on inability when it should be about ability.  

The New Woman is launched on the 24th of July as a hardback and digital download. 

I can’t wait for you to read my chapter and of course the whole book. I am so sure that you are going to learn so much from all of us fantastic women who have supported each other, cried, and laughed together. 

Each chapter is real and shows how even when you feel broken you can mend, heal and rise again.

I’m sharing this quote with you all as it seems to describe how many of us are feeling right now. 

Would you agree?

Weddings that were postponed but are hopefully now taking place in the coming months. 

Life events that you wanted to celebrate as a family but couldn’t last year are now being planned. The warmer weather of May is starting to make you feel more positive and hopeful. 

Let’s face it, the past few months have been difficult for some. 

So, if you are looking for a dose of encouragement, then I’d like to share with you a podcast. It’s called the ‘Happy Life Habits Inspiration Points’ podcast and is all about positive people sharing their journey, challenges, and daily habits. 

Can you take inspiration from the (extra) ordinary people on the podcast? I’m hoping that I can perhaps give you some, I’m on episode 5, you can watch it here on Youtube

Or if you prefer to listen to it on your phone when out for a walk or doing the household jobs you can listen here

Springtime used to be known as the start of the wedding season. 

But after the year we have all had, that isn’t really true anymore. 

Are you a couple excited for the wedding you have planned or do you have a wedding to go to? Do let me know. I love hearing good news.

I had the pleasure of being the Celebrant at Binit and Chaitaly’s wedding. For me, as a Celebrant, I take great pride in helping both the bride and bridegroom create a day that they can remember. For many couples, their focus is creating a day that their guests can remember! 

As guests, we often look forward to the speeches don’t you think? It’s an important part of the day. From my experience, it’s also the part that the bridegroom and the father of the bride are most worried about!

Like many bridegrooms I’ve met, Binit wasn’t feeling totally confident about delivering his speech so I was able to provide him some advice and guidance through my public speaking course. 

I was thrilled that for the bride, the bridegroom, and the guests the day was relaxed, bespoke, fun, and upbeat. This is what we all want from a wedding day, whether that be our own or someone that you know. 

If you would like further information on how I as a Celebrant can help you make your day relaxed and memorable take a look here.

Thinking of speeches, whether that be for a wedding, an event, or within the workplace how do you start a speech? Often when we are giving a speech we are nervous, we have a tight throat and we are dreading those first few opening lines. 

Will they like me?

How will the audience react?

Will I remember what I am going to say?

The opening few lines of a speech are important as they set the tone for the rest of what you want to say. 

Here I share some ways that you can start a speech and things to consider when writing your speech. 

I am a firm believer in sharing our good news stories. It provides others with inspiration and shows that anything is possible. It’s something that I encourage you all to do. I wanted to share two things this month that have made me proud. 

It was a real honour to receive The Indian Achievers Award recently for my services in teaching public speaking and helping others to learn this Life Skill. The Indian Achievers Award, recognises outstanding achievements of Indians at International platforms.

I was also delighted to receive The Sutra Excellence Award for my work as a Public Speaking Expert, Toastmaster, and Celebrant. The Sutra Excellence Awards are based in India and were set up to recognise excellence in various fields across the globe. 

I enjoy what I do, I had a passion that I followed which led me to what I do now. These awards are a lovely testament and show that when you dare to follow your own path and follow your dreams you can achieve great things. 

If you need any more inspiration on following your own path and achieving your dreams then I can highly recommend a book called ‘It Starts With Me’.

This book is a compilation of stories from women who have embraced their own life stories and taken this to achieve their own kind of success. I share one of my stories and I would love to hear your thoughts on my chapter. 

I hope you have enjoyed this month’s newsletter. If you’d like to keep up to date with me more frequently, then why don’t you follow me on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest. 

With clocks having gone forward bringing longer and lighter evenings, I hope that you are all feeling positive about the coming months. 

As things reopen and we return to some sort of normality, some of us may be excited and ready to embrace the coming months. Others may be feeling a little apprehensive about getting out and about so I wanted to share this quote with you. 

I hope this goes some way to ensuring that no matter how you are feeling about the road ahead, you can look at it with positivity and acceptance. 

Springtime often brings with it the excitement of forthcoming weddings. Some of you may be in the final stages of planning your or your children’s wedding. Perhaps your wedding has been re-scheduled or is going ahead slightly differently than originally planned. In any case, those pre-wedding nerves for Father, Mother, Bride, or Bridegroom around your day running smoothly and to plan are natural and will always be there until the wedding day itself ends!

I wanted to share with you the story of Vipin and Purnima, who were the Father and Mother of the Bride. Sometimes with weddings, even with the most meticulous of planning, things do not go according to plan on the day itself. 

One of my roles as a Lady Toastmaster is to do everything that I can to ensure that any problems encountered on the day itself are resolved. Whether that be acting as a mediator or even anticipating issues before they happen. 

In the case of Asha and Vik’s wedding even though there were some unexpected issues that occurred during the day, I was able to resolve these issues with no impact to the day. This ensured that the beautiful Bride and Bridegroom’s wedding day was memorable for the right reasons and for Vipin and Purnima, the Father and Mother of the Bride their day was as stress-free day as possible. 

If you would like further information on how as a Lady Toastmaster,  I can help make your or your son or daughter’s wedding memorable then more information can be found here. 

I know from speaking to many people who have contacted me over recent months, that many of us have seen our jobs or roles change slightly. 

Whilst change brings great opportunity it can also bring feelings of self-doubt or fear especially when it comes to a change in role that involves you having to communicate and engage more or even speak publicly. 

Whether it is leading a meeting and engaging senior members, presenting to a group of people formally or informally, public speaking and communicating with confidence is becoming more and more part of everyone’s roles at work. If I asked you whether you enjoyed public speaking what would you say? 

I’m sure many of you would say no, but, that doesn’t have to be the case. There are many ways that you can make public speaking a part of your role that you enjoy and look forward to. 

To help you on that path I’d like to share with you my top three tips for public speaking. You can watch it here

If you’d like to delve deeper into how you can build your confidence and self-esteem when it comes to speaking in public then take a look at my adult online confidence course. You will learn about body language, voice control, how to engage your audience, lots of practice time, and importantly self-acceptance, a much-needed skill for all. Just follow the link to find out more.

In this newsletter, I have talked about positivity and building confidence due to the changes that perhaps previous months have brought. But as I mentioned earlier, there will be some of us who are feeling overwhelmed about what the future holds. 

You may be feeling anxious about returning to your workplace and perhaps asking for a change in your work patterns due to family reasons. Or you may be feeling apprehensive about getting out and about and speaking with people you meet in your day-to-day life. 

If this is you then I’d like to share something that I hope will help bring you some comfort and positivity. I have written a blog to help understand how mindful communication and confidence can help in many situations and better our lives. You can read the blog here.

For those of you who are feeling anxious about returning to the workplace or if you know someone who is, please do grab my free download to find out more about ways that you can help and places to find help. Here is the link.

I do hope you have found this month’s newsletter informative and helpful. As always please do let me know if there is anything specific you’d like to see more of. If you have a family member or friend who may benefit from the information in my newsletter – please feel free to share; and if you’d like to keep up to date with me more frequently, then why don’t you follow me on Facebook, Instagram or Pinterest. 

I love sharing good news and it’s so important that we all celebrate the good things that happen and even the small things. I’m over the moon to share with you all that I was awarded SHE Awards 2021 Winner in the Business Woman Category. I take huge pride in my work as a Celebrant, Toastmaster and Public Speaking Expert and it is always an honour when recognition such as this is received – so thank you to everyone who has supported me and my business over the last year. This includes The SHE Awards Team and this year’s sponsor of the Business Woman Award, New Vision Opticians. 

So what is happening next month? I am excited to be appearing in the “Happy Life Habits Podcast” led by Shaileen Shah. 

‘Inspiration Point – A Happy Life Habits Project Series 3’ – Inspiring, positive, (extra) ordinary people sharing their journey, challenges, turning points, daily habits and learning through personal development, happiness and spirituality.

“The Difference between Ordinary and ExtraOrdinary is just that little Extra.”

You can join us on Wednesday 7th April at 8pm – for more details email shaileen@happylifehabits.co.uk to ensure that you secure your place to attend live.

For all you couples planning your weddings and wedding suppliers, did any of you spot me in the latest issue of Your London Wedding magazine? It was great to be featured and talk about my Toastmaster services. If you haven’t seen it already, the article is below and you can get your copy of the e-magazine totally FREE from the link here: www.yourlondon.wedding/free-download

Today I want to tell you about John. John works in marketing, and although very successful in his work, still found himself avoiding public speaking as much as possible – even hosting zoom meetings made him nervous. John decided to take action – he enrolled on my Adult Online Communicating with Confidence Course and put all his effort into improving his skills. John has been back in touch having completed the course to say…

“I am so pleased I made the decision to do Sonal’s course. I always thought I was a fairly confident person in life, but would crumble as soon as I had to do a presentation at work. The nerves would make me stumble my words, forget what I needed to say, and lose track of where I was in my speech. Since completing Sonal’s Adult Online Communicating with Confidence Course these things are no longer a worry. I am able to stay calm and focused throughout my speaking and have even been complimented by co-workers on how much more enjoyable my presentations are to watch. I would recommend this course to anyone who would like to feel more confident at work and speaking in front of others. Thanks again Sonal!” – John Berry – London

What have you done this year to invest in your own personal development? Continuing to learn life skills is just as important in work as it is in everyday life – we should all be striving to grow and achieve a little more each day.

If you’d like to give yourself a self-esteem boost and learn some new skills as well as more about you, then have a look at my CPD Accredited Adult Online Communicating with Confidence Course. This course is designed to improve your confidence in all aspects of life, from work to home and provide you with skills you can take with you for the rest of your life. For more information click here: https://www.sonaldave.com/adult-online-course-teaching-communicating-with-confidence/

I do hope you have found this month’s newsletter informative. As always please do let me know if there is anything specific you’d like to see more of. If you have a family member or friend who may benefit from the information in my newsletter – please feel free to share; and to keep up to date with me more frequently, then follow me on Facebook and Instagram. 

This month has been a great month for getting noticed in the media. I had the honor of featuring in this month’s Women & Home magazine with my husband.

“To find love so late in life on your own terms is rare in my culture. If anyone was coming into my life they would have to accept me exactly as I was. As an Asian female growing up in a traditional Indian family, there were expectations. My parents weren’t pushy but in my 20s countless conversations began……….”

Unfortunately, I can’t share the link here but to read the full article, do pick up a copy of Woman & Home Feb 2021 on your next essential shop. The article tells you about how age is just a number when finding your true love.

I was also interviewed for Iglobal news –

Toastmaster & Celebrant, Sonal Dave on living by ‘dare to dream, dare to be different’ motto

Reena Ranger, Chair of Women Empowered, is In Conversation with Sonal Dave as part of her regular series for ‘iGlobal’ to explore some inspirational facets from the life and achievements of prominent Global Indians. Follow the link to read the full article and hear how Sonal has found a way to help her cope with Long Covid.

You can read the full article by following the link:

https://www.iglobalnews.com/icommunity/toastmaster-sonal-dave-on-living-by-dare-to-dream-dare-to-be-different-motto

Key Dates to Remember following the Government Roadmap announcement on the 22nd February 2021

• 8th March 2021-Schools and colleges are open including wraparound childcare
• 8th March 2021- weddings can take place with 6 attendees
• 12th April 2021 – weddings allowed with up to 15 guests, 
• 17th May 2021 – weddings allowed with up to 30 guests
• 21st June 2021 – all legal limits will be lifted on weddings

There are many other dates for you which can be found here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/prime-minister-sets-out-roadmap-to-cautiously-ease-lockdown-restrictions

All the talk about love this month really has me missing my Celebrant & Toastmaster work. I can’t wait to get back to doing what I love, hopefully soon, but for now I will continue to reminisce about all the lovely couples I’ve worked with over the years.

For many postponing their wedding has been the best option but for some, continuing with a small intimate wedding worked out just perfectly. 

Joanne & Laura are from opposite sides of the world, but fell in love when they met in London in 2015. Their wedding was due to take place last May, with many of Joanne’s friends and family travelling over from Australia for the occasion. Due to the pandemic all plans were put on hold, flights cancelled and Joanne & Laura left confused as to when they would be able to wed. After many discussions they decided that the uncertainty of travel meant their big wedding might not take place for years, so rather than waiting they decided to go ahead and marry in a very intimate wedding, with a handful of guests. The wedding took place in their favourite park, with 6 guests and a zoom link to family in australia. It was a beautiful ceremony, fully focused on the love they shared, and the commitment they were making to each other; and although not the big wedding they had originally planned, it was just as good with a beautifully created ceremony unique to the two of them.

I still do have a couple of dates available for later this year, and then it’s into 2022 & 2023. To discuss your special day and book my Celebrant or Toastmaster services you can contact me on sonal@sonaldave.com

If you would like to find out more about my services these free downloads will help. 

What is a Celebrant:

https://www.sonaldave.com/celebrant-download/

What is a Toastmaster:

https://www.sonaldave.com/blog/what-is-a-toastmaster-and-do-i-need-one/

Did you know that the 26th February is Tell a Fairytale Day? Do you have a favourite fairy tale or story?

How are you feeling about your children returning to school soon? Many parents are nervous and feeling uncertain. Have you asked your children how they are feeling? Some will be nervous and others excited to see friends but they will have some worry about the transition back into the real classroom? Children have been at home for a long time, learning through online classes, so it might take a bit of adjustment. 

In preparation for their return and a boost to their confidence my Children’s Online Communicating with Confidence Courses could be just the help they need. These online courses are designed to be done at home, at their own pace, increasing their confidence and self esteem. Your child can do these as often as they want. For more information click the links below. 

Age 4-7 years:

Communicating With Confidence Online Course

Age 8+

Communicating With Confidence Online Course

I do hope you have found this month’s newsletter enjoyable and informative. As always please do let me know if there is anything specific you’d like to see more of. If you have a family member or friend who may benefit from the information in my newsletter – please feel free to share.