Jo's Journal - July 2019

I think we are all glad that we had some sunshine at the end of June, after such a wet and soggy start to the Summer! But as the message of our ‘Mantra of the Month’ this month is to fill the world with sunshine every day, this is a timely reminder that we can all create our own happiness, without having to wait for the sun to shine.

And that is what we did in June, with the launch of two new collaborations with two very upbeat and positive people. Both Holly Matthews and Persia Lawson are brilliant people to spend time with, as they have an energy and enthusiasm for life that is truly infectious.

Persia Lawson is ‘one of the UK’s most successful love coaches’ – according to The Saturday Times magazine. Having once been a serial cheater, Persia is now proud to be in a happy and committed relationship, and is passionate about helping women get and sustain healthy, lasting relationships in the chaos of the modern dating world.

We launched our collaboration with Persia on Wednesday June 24th – the first day of Glastonbury. Festivals are very important to Persia, as she met her long-term partner and now fiancé at a festival, and is a big believer in doing more of the things that make you happy. Her mantra, ‘Surrender to the festival of life’, reminds us that, by doing the things we love and by surrendering to the magical joy of life - instead of trying to control everything – life will find a way to bring us what we need, including the right partner.

Holly Matthews is another truly inspirational person I spent time with this month. Holly is a tv actress, award-winning vlogger and mindset coach, as well as being mum to two young girls, Brooke and Texas. In July 2017, Holly’s world changed forever, when her husband Ross passed away from brain cancer.

She has somehow managed to come through the tragedy with a positive and determined mindset, focused on moving forwards, while she supports her two daughters. As a mindset coach, she inspires people to find the positives in life, and to find ways of keeping on going, no matter what life throws at you.

Holly brought Brooke and Texas over to our office in Leamington to help with a photoshoot for her new ‘Unbreakable’ bar necklace. The girls recently helped mum Holly run a positivity workshop, and made a Father’s Day video for everyone who is missing their dad – it was inspiring to see the girls focused on helping other people who have gone through tragedy and difficulty in their lives.

Towards the end of the month, we held our Summer Garden Party for my ‘Fabulous’ jewellery store, at which Mantra played a starring role. A lovely event at Mallory Court Hotel, we showcase various brands and designers which we stock in our Fabulous store – including Mantra, which proved very popular.

Personally this month, I’ve been sticking to my new running habit – interval training every morning and evening, just 20 minutes a day – and I have found it genuinely transformational in terms of how energised I feel and how much I get done in a day.

I have also been listening to a great audio book, ‘High Performance Habits’ by Brendon Burchard – an excellent listen – as I love self-development books. This year, there are so many great books I’d like to read - Amy Cuddy’s ‘Presence’, Chloe Brotheridge’s ‘Brave New Girl’ and Shonda Rimes’ ‘Year of Yes’ are all on my list this Summer. 

The month drew to an end with me heading to my very first Glastonbury – something I have always wanted to go to, at least once in my life. ‘Do more of what makes you happy’ is this month’s mantra for me. I’ll be there at the end of this week – so I’ll let you know how I get on, next month!

Have a great July!