Heilindi

28/05/2024

Feeling safe inside an organisation can make all the difference for the people - employees, collaborators and clients.

Systems are changing nowadays, and the policies we are adopting are benefiting the people more and more. I love the times we live in!

And the best thing is, once a company adopts this type of safety for its people, absolutely everyone benefits from it
✅ neurotypicals
✅ neurodivergents
✅ interns
✅ C-suite level

Image by the talented Heidi Pickett

08/05/2024

I'm a nerd. 🤓

Today I went to the dentist and couldn't help myself but notice their processes.

Everything was flowing so easily.

The assistant was managing up the main doctor - she anticipated the doctor's needs, even before she asked for the specific materials.

The doctor was praising the assistant, noticing her skills.

They prep the room, everytime in the same order.

For each procedure, they have different processes that are followed, to ensure both the team and the client are safe and feeling good.

The fact that they are working so well together, communicating at all times, trusting each other -- allows me to trust them too, and just close my eyes and relax while in the dentist seat.

And while I was there with my eyes closed, I had the following thought in my mind:

If procedures are so important for in-person teams, I think they are even more important for the remote teams.

Besides working far away and never even meeting in person, remote teams are usually composed of people from different cultures.

Each person has a different way of structuring their work, a different way of seeing the information, of communicating.

Creating SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures) is crucial for remote teams.

Having a clearly defined structure, that allows each team member to ease into their role, to feel that they are doing a great job, to see a beginning and a finish line for their work.

SOPs allow not only the team to feel good while working, anticipating steps and needs.

They also allow the C-Suite to see in advance which resources might be missing for each project, and ensure the team has all the necessary tools for completing their work successfully.

I'll never get bored of noticing how different teams act in different situations - and how their training and procedures are built to help.

What do you think?
Are SOPs more important for offline or online remote teams? 🤔

02/05/2024

Companies that get to work with neurodivergent people are lucky.

They get to work with loyal people, who have some of the most brilliant minds.

Neurodivergent people also have integrity.

They work with passion and can sustain their workload easily, because it gives them energy.

Neurodivergent people are the fuel to the engine, the creatives, the ones that bring innovation and new ideas, they see things before they even exist.

And every company is lucky to have at least 1 neurodivergent person in their team.

I'd love to get in touch with European Companies and NGOs that aim to help neurodivergent people.

I've always dreamt about helping the community, simply because I've been struggling so much in the past.

I'd love to think that we can build a better world for the future generations.

In the last few years, I learnt so much about neurodivergence, the nervous system, the biology behind our actions and thoughts.

I'd like to pay it back by building a list of resources for Neurodivergent people.
A list where they can easily find resources, for free.

This is why I'm looking for suggestions of European Companies and NGOs specialised in helping Neurodivergent people with:
- career advice
- therapy
- medical help
- autoinmune diseases

I'd love love love to build such a list and help people! 😍

08/03/2024

Despite advances in gender equity, many professionally ambitious women still struggle to find balance between their career and that of their partner. While these spouses are happy to have successful, high-earning wives, they are often caught off guard by trade-offs they were not expecting. All too o...

11/11/2023

When someone asks me what is the definition of integrity for me, I never know what to answer, even though my business's name means exactly this in Icelandic. ✨

It's a mix, honestly.

It's a bit like the people who have been through hard moments, like really though moments, but chose to remain good people during and after the difficulties.

It's a lot like dogs and animals, in general.

It's honesty.

It's being who you say you are, without exception.

It's apologising if you're hurting someone, in a vulnerable way.

And it's this type of people I resonate most with.

It's the people who've been through the tunnel.

The people who, even when they can't see the light, remain who they are, against all the obstacles. And they're good people at their core.

The ones who are not only living a beautiful life without hurting anyone, but they are also helping the other people, the animals and, in itself, the planet.

This is why I love what I do. 🫶🏼
I love that I get to help good people who are helping other good people. That's when magic happens for me and I feel truly happy.

30/08/2023

Passionate about operations, communication, and research, I enjoy connecting with people and creating flawless processes, with a special focus on communication and customer experience. I love making sure that clients are well-served and well-informed at all times.

The name Heilindi represents my main value. This is what they call integrity in Iceland and I simply fell in love with the name, with its soft pronunciation but firm meaning.

I think our brand's personalities merge with our own and, in my case in particular, the name can also show my love for languages and different cultures, for understanding more of what's out there, a curiosity for discovering new ways of thinking and living.

Soon, you will find more information on this page about Operations and Project Management, with a focus on Customer Experience and Onboarding. Always happy to answer any questions you might have as well. ✨

15/01/2023

How do you feel after a full week at work?
Excited and energized?
Exhausted and burnet out?

👉Doing what you love + finding your purpose = gives you energy and helps you push through, even in the hardest moments.

👉Doing your job for any external purpose + not knowing what you're looking for = will bring you a fragile structure that will crumble everytime you try to go away from your purpose

This is my measurement for a successful professional life.
Your life's balanced when you are happy and satisfied,
while your life becomes chaotic when you're feeling disconnected from your purpose.

28/07/2022

We probably all have stories about bad teamwork.

But how many of you also have positive examples of being part of a team or a group?

More often than not, I've been part of teams where my capabilities have been disregarded and where colleagues were trying to prove themselves in front of the boss, while treating other team members poorly behind closed doors.

For a lot of time I thought others treated me this way because I was still young and learning. Fair enough.

After turnning 30, I started to ask myself if these behaviours are coming from me being a woman (in 80% of the previous jobs, most of my colleagues were men).

After being part of a team run by women however, I understood that none of the previous reasons were necesarily the issue. Even if that said team was running on an adapted version of agile methodology for keeping the team united and the projects in place (outside of the tech world), the team was far from being united and the workplace was far from being healthy.

Over the years I've read a few times about Project Aristotle, but it wasn't until yesterday that I really really read all about it. Reading the project's conclusion gave me shivers, the good ones:



As I'm moving through the freelancing world, I see the same is true for client work: being a good team member and getting along with the clients is not at all different from being an employee.

As a project manager, I always strive to create a safe environment, where people feel safe to speak about their personal lives (and struggles) too.

After all, we are not living in the Apple series "Severance", where people's brains were split between work and personal life, with no connection between the two. We are a mix of personal and professional life, and together these parts of ourselves make us who we are.

And if who we are gets accepted and we feel safe, wonderful work can be created as well. It's as simple as having empathy and communicating with each other, with no fear, but with vulnerability and kindness.

21/06/2022

Project management is about data, tools, systems, timelines, and sometimes agile methodologies.

To me, however, it is mostly about people.

I love holding space for people.

If you've ever been part of a company where people are seen and encouraged to do their best work, you know that we can't all perform the same.

We might have identical job titles, but at the end of the day, each team member will have different strengths.

And this is ok.

Allowing the team members to excel at what they do best is, in my opinion, creating a positive company culture.

I don't like the phrase "if it was easy, everybody would do it", because it implies that we need to struggle in order to achieve something, without taking into account each person's personality and special skills.

The same task can be easy for me and very hard for my colleague with the same job title, and vice-versa, and it makes sense for each person to do more of what they do best.

We all come from different cultures, and we all have different personalities and levels of understanding.

And I’m a firm believer in accommodating all of these differences.

26/04/2022

As a Social Media Manager, this is proof that authentic communication reaches the desired audience.

As a person however, the fact that LinkedIn selected my post for their News Section (Europe and UK pages), brings 100% motivation for continuing on this path. So grateful!

You can show your support too, here: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/linkedin-news-europe_the-wrap-up-26-april-2022-activity-6924754048600444928-rgw6?utm_source=linkedin_share

And since you're going on LinkedIn, let's become friends there too! 🌱 https://www.linkedin.com/in/andreea-alina-celmare/

25/04/2022

Just found this photo of me and Xúquer the dog, from September 2017. I was really really happy during those days, back in Benimaclet, Valencia.

I didn't have material posessions or money (I was volunteering with the EU Volunteering Service) but man, I had a great time being part of various communities, allowing my body to heal after a burnout and basically living in the sunlight.

If you're wondering how can a sabbatical year help you, just remember that it can recreate and reshape you in wonderful ways, helping you grow and reconnect with your body, soul and mind.

One year prior to this photo, I was so tired, so incredibly tired and unable to enjoy any of the previous passions and hobbies.

The year 2017 was my most magic one, where everything simply fell into place - and I'm so grateful for taking the leap of faith and following the path that, in the end, felt more like a quantum leap.

If you experienced a sabbatical before, how did it help you, personally and professionally? Share your experience with us. :)

15/04/2022

During the past few months, I've been working with Julian, helping his team offer the best type of Customer Experience, in the SEO - Link Building industry.

Training and leading the Account Management team, creating new strategies for improving customer relationship & satisfaction, as well as creating new processes for better communication & workflow.

13/04/2022

One day per week, I let things flow.

Life goes easy and unplanned, while my partner and I discover new places without the need of using a GPS.

Spring in the north of Tenerife means lots of rain, green scenery and thousands of butterflies flying around, while the birds are singing.

April is really a good month in this part of the world.

And Sundays, well Sundays are the days when I always take the day off.

I'm not religious but I'm grateful that others are: cities are finally free of noise, cars and pollution. Rhythm is finally slowing down, people finally walk down the streets relaxed and smiling.

One day per week I let things unfold naturally, and I'm grateful that today the road brought us to this magical spot, in Orotava.

01/04/2022

One year ago, on April 1st, I officially became a freelancer, so this day completely changed its meaning.

Instead of fools' day, it is now my celebration day. 🥳

Thank you for following me during this time, encouraging and sharing your views.

I feel lucky and affortunate to have a community around.

My promise for this year is to post and speak more, sharing useful information and building more together with you.

14/02/2022

Have you noticed how taking care of yourself and respecting your boundaries can have a ripple effect?

I had my confirmation today, after 4 months of joining a new team as Lead Account Manager.

At first, some team members were surprised that I don't work at all for 2 full days, but then, little by little, they each started to take a few hours more each weekend, for their personal hobbies, rest or meeting with friends and family.

Today they told me how they've realised that they've been working 7 days a week without even realising and how, looking back now, they definitely see productivity improvements after taking weekends off.

Hustle culture is slowly ending, as even the most workaholic of us recognise how free quality time helps us be better humans overall and, therefore, better freelancers or employees.

Curious to learn about your habits. 😊
How do you spend your weekends?

15/12/2021

This is my favourite reason for being a freelancer, right here in my arms.

Working from home means that I get to spend more time with my dogther, Brisa.

She’s a great little helper and it feels so good to share the office with her.

It’s true that sometimes she forces me to type using one hand, just like here in the picture, but I think it’s totally worth it.

How about you, having any little furry helper around your desk as well?

08/11/2021

done well! 👏

Happy to see more and more organisations create smart systems for bringing back . Our world needs to be able to move forward, fish and other marine creatures deserve a home without garbage and of course, rivers and forests deserve a clean .

What do you think about the solution proposed by the NGO The Ocean Cleanup?

The nonprofit global cleaning crew called The Ocean Cleanup, led by founder and CEO Boyan Slat, announced recently that it had reached viability of its ocean...

07/10/2021

The Wing, Dumbo, NYC. This exclusive women’s coworking space’s design was inspired by the women’s club movement in New York, in the 19th and 20th century.

I love the books arranged by colour codes. But then again, I'm part of their target. It is amazing how much we can be attracted by certain images and spaces, and how architects and interior designers can do so well in creating spaces especially designed for a certain type of public.

For me, this image is soothing. How do you feel about it? Would you like to be a member of this coworking space?

Image: Dezeen

05/10/2021

Your thoughts, words, and actions are characterized by integrity and honesty. You, therefore, have nothing to hide and therefore experience fearlessness and great inner strength.

Dr. Brené Brown said: “Integrity is choosing courage over comfort. You choose what is right over what is fun, fast, or easy. And you choose to practice your values rather than simply professing them."

I chose the name Heilindi for my business because it represents my main value. This is how they call integrity in Iceland and I simply fell in love with the name, with its soft pronunciation but firm meaning.

I think our brand's personalities merge with our own personalities at one point. And I believe, in my case, in particular, the name can show my love for languages and different cultures; for understanding more of what's out there, a curiosity for discovering new ways of living or thinking.

An understanding that, even if we may pronounce words differently, we are all human beings with wishes and hopes for a better world.
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03/08/2021

I absolutely love this year’s Olympic games.

I see more collaboration than competition, more accepted LGBTQA athletes and normal attitudes towards mental health and self-care.

This is important for me because I finally feel like they speak my language as well. Growing up, I couldn't understand the competitive educational systems and it got even worse while working in corporations, where the notion of teamwork mainly consisted of contests for who can sell more in a month.

Also, as a child who struggled with depression, I didn’t know that I have the option of saying it out loud. I was shamed by other kids because I was different and lived for most of my youth through guilt and burnout, trying to push a very big rock up on the hill. It was heavy, but I didn’t know it can be different.

This generation of Olympic athletes is just so different. Be it Simone Biles who stood up for herself, the Norwegian handball players who refused to play in ass-baring bikinis, tennis champ Naomi Osaka, Yulimar Rojas and her colleague Ana Peleteiro who hugged each other, or the two friends in real life Gianmarco Tamberi and Mutaz Essa Barshim who chose to share the gold medal instead of continuing the competition. They are just a few.

Their values are representing our generation and it feels incredible to be here and witness their positive examples.

Their actions help people understand that they are valuable even when they can’t finish that mandatory book for school or impossible robotic tasks set by demanding managers.

In the end, it is perhaps a good thing that 2020 was the year when we all took a long pause. Maybe it helped people worldwide to recalibrate for a better future, where compassion and collaboration are part of the daily routine, where understanding and honouring other people while having respect for ourselves are becoming the norm and not the exception.

Thank you, dear sportswomen and sportsmen, for competing while collaborating. Your actions will remain with us for a long time and I surely hope that you will establish a new set of unspoken rules for the future of sports and society in general.

30/07/2021

“Up to this generation, people could be accepted, good people, if they diligently followed the rules,” Drayton says. “The rate of change and constant changing of the teams and combinations of teams means that is not an option anymore. If you try to be a good person by diligently following rules, you will hurt people will disrupt groups.”

Great interview with Bill Drayton, founder and CEO of Ashoka. The NGO was founded in the 80’s and he is the one who first promoted notions such as “social entrepreneurship” and “changemakers”.

On this journey, he began to appreciate that an entrepreneur could make systemic changes that could have profound implications in the lives of large numbers of people.

07/07/2021

🇪🇸 Excelente reflexión sobre los horarios diferentes de España, país que lleva más de mitad de siglo viviendo en un horario impuesto por las estrategias de la segunda guerra mundial.

Como extranjera, viví 4 años en la península, y llevo medio año viviendo en una parte de España más lejana, las Islas Canarias, las que si están en el horario normal para esta parte del mundo, el mismo horario que tenía la península Ibérica antes de la guerra.

Viajar desde Canarias a la península y tener una hora de diferencia, siendo el mismo país, no sé justifica.

Desde mi punto de vista personal, estoy segura que la vida laboral y la vida personal pueden compaginar mucho mejor si el horario de la península vuelve a ser el normal (Western European Timezone en vez de Central European Timezone) - y con eso, tener acceso a horarios sanos de comidas y sobre todo cenas.

Pasamos demasiado tiempo en la oficina, cenamos a las 10 de la noche, conciliamos mal y dormimos poco, arrastrados por unos horarios caóticos. El resultado es un país cansado que debe repensar cómo maneja su tiempo.

09/06/2021

🇬🇧 'For trauma to happen, you don't need World War II and you don't need racism, you don't need genocide and you don't need the privations of war. You just need parents who are so alienated from their own gut feeling that they will let their infants cry without picking them up while that child is desperate for a relationship.'

Amazing movie about trauma, featuring Gabor Maté. A must watch for anyone who is interested in a more healed world, starting with their own healing and their own self-care.

The movie premiere is available only this week, between June 8th-14 and includes subtitles in Italian, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Russian and German.



https://wisdomoftrauma.com/movie/

28/04/2021

Something happened this week, that would normally infuriate me.

During the past two days, I've been working and eating while listening to my neighbours next door tearing down their kitchen wall. 🏠

I've not only listened to a hammer drill while trying to write creatively, but also the floor trembling beneath my chair, while sitting at my desk.

However, I'm not angry about this.

In the past, I would have been though. Angry, complaining, and not able to think straight.

But this time it's different, because I know why they need to break the wall. 🎯

A few weeks ago, on a normal Saturday morning while preparing the breakfast, she passed out on the floor. My neighbours are a lovely couple in their late 60's.

The ambulance brought her to the hospital, she had suffered a brain stroke.

Not only she was rushed to the hospital and he was not allowed to see her (due to Covid restrictions), she was not allowed to have her cell phone either. She also got paralysed on one side. So she was alone in the hospital with no visits and he was alone at home, worried sick and incredibly sad.

But she is coming back home next Tuesday and her husband, together with their grownup kids, are preparing the bottom floor of the house to suit her needs, as she won't be able to climb the stairs anytime soon.

Bigger bathroom, a bedroom in the living room and more space for her wheelchair.

So knowing all of these, of course I didn't mind the noise. Not only this, but today I realised that I managed to carry on with my life and be productive, despite the terribly loud noise.

I just couldn't hear most of it.

Our brains are able to do these things, allowing us to focus on what's important. For the good and the bad part of it.

Had I stayed angry, counting every hit on the wall, I would have chosen to focus on the noise and not do my VA job properly.

I truly believe these words are true: 'where your focus goes, energy flows'. 🌿

And I think the way we see the world has so much to do with our mindset and the way we talk to ourselves about our experiences.

Do you ever experience this kind of peace, which doesn't make sense seen from the outside?

- photo with Santa Cruz de Tenerife and the northern mountains in the background -

15/04/2021

Via elmueble.com about sustainable architecture, geobiology and how they can help us have healthier houses.

Houses where we can sleep and eat well, feel good and spend quality time. 🌿

The full article in the first comment. 👇

28/03/2021

For me personally, one of the mysteries of life and being a human is the change of the hour, from summer to winter and viceversa. I never know what time it is, honestly. 🤷

Especially after moving and changing timezones between mainland Spain and Canarias. 👇

So mainland Spain is on CET timezone, same as Germany and Austria for example. But for its geographical position, it should be on the WET timezone, same as UK, Portugal and its Canary Islands.

However, it wasn't always like this. This change happened during World War 2, as Franco (the Spanish dictator) wanted to maintain the same timezone for its country as Germany, and so it did. The mainland however never got back to its original timezone, WET.

💃 This is why, when you visit Spain, you eat breakfast, lunch and dinner one hour later than it should be. And generally speaking, one hour later than the rest of Europe:
- lunch is served between 2:00 - 4:00 pm,
-while dinner is served between 9:00 - 11:00 pm.

I must admit, it was hard to get used to this schedule. But I had to, especially if I wanted to have a social life and enjoy the company of my friends. 🍳

Furthermore, their restaurants are closed outside of these hours, so everyone is respecting the eating schedule, which is one of the healthiest habits to have. 👏

🏝️ In case Spain will ever officially go back one hour as it's supposed to, looking at it's position on the global map, then it will still have one hour difference from its eastern islands, the Baleares: Mallorca, Ibiza and Menorca.

For now however, it maintains the one hour difference from the Canary Islands.⏰

☺️ How about you?

📍 Where is your country located?

⌚ What time is it there and which do you think should be the permanent hour?

⏳ Do you feel better with the summertime or the wintertime?

02/03/2021

📱If you're the type of person who likes to unplug their phone as soon as it's charged, you might find this surprising:
"Powering the average website produces 4,500 pounds of CO2 a year, equivalent to driving the average new car for more than 10,000 miles." 😲

Now, this is something that, in all honesty, I don't hear many people talk about: eco hosting solutions for their websites. 🌿 And yet, such companies exist. They invest in the usage of green energy, making your website carbon-neutral or even helping to carbon-reduce the impact on the environment.

As small business owners, we tend to believe that, as individuals, we cannot change much. And yet, there are always changes that we can apply to our lifestyle, taking small actions towards a more sustainable future. 🌳

Have you tried any of these eco web hosting solutions yet?
* Full description and link in the first comment. 👇

19/02/2021

𝐂𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐦𝐚: the warm wind coming from the desert of Sahara, bringing with it dust, sand and humid air, crossing the Atlantic Ocean. 🌊

This natural phenomenon can be seen from the orbit and felt by the Canarian residents as a fog; in the worst days, it even stops the public life or transport. Why is nature acting like this? Well, the explanation might be more miraculous than we thought and it might even be the reason why we breathe. 🌬️

The reason is called “𝑑𝑖𝑎𝑡𝑜𝑚𝑠”. These small microscopic particles living in the oceans are the reason all of us can breathe. This is how the cycle of nature works:

Dust and sand from the Sahara desert are crossing the Atlantic Ocean, reaching the Amazon forest - approximately 27 million tons of African dust falls on the Amazon river basin per year. This is the perfect fertiliser. As the plants and trees are growing, they transform the CO2 into oxygen.
“For all these years, I’ve been thinking the rainforest is the lungs of the planet. Sure, it makes a lot of oxygen, but it also uses all of it. The rainforest does help us breathe, but not because of air.”, Will Smith, “A strange rock”

The Amazon forest is always covered by clouds which get condensed and transform into raindrops that fall into the Amazon river, eroding the land and bringing the sediments into the ocean, serving as food for the diatoms. These microscopic organisms use the silica from the sediments, multiplying every day. 🥳

The diatoms are the secret of the oxygen on Earth - and even if we cannot see them directly while we’re in the ocean’s water, they can be seen from the space as a multitude of colours. When they die, their rests fall on the ocean’s floor and transform into “sea snow” that never melts, instead transforms into a salty desert, in a process that takes millions of years. 🏜️

Now, do you remember how we started this story? ✨

“About the sand that leaves Africa and goes all the way to the Amazon forest? One day, it was a seafloor. And the dust that makes the rainforest’s plants and trees grow? They’re diatom shells”, Chris Hadfield, astronaut, "A strange rock".
This is how amazing our planet is, a very good-working interconnected system. 🌏

Sources:
Nasa.gov
"A strange rock" series, "Gasp" episode
Aemet Canarias Twitter account