Marks & Spencers, Food Marketing Team Away Day
The brief given to Ali of what we wanted to achieve was to give our marketing colleagues an understanding of what mindfulness is and how it can be used and integrated into their busy and often highly pressured days. The goal was to offer tools that will help reduce stress levels and make the working environment a happy more fun place to be. Ali responded to the brief by sharing her personal story and delivering a fantastic, interactive presentation that engaged the whole room. She coached the audience through a mindful minute which really illustrated the power of taking a moment to reset and also how mindfulness can easily and quickly be incorporated into anyone’s day.
The highlights from the feedback from the audience who attended were having the insight into how to use and apply mindfulness into everyday life and what the benefits can be. The most useful tips and/or techniques to bring about a change were that 60 seconds are all you need to implement some mindfulness into your day as well as the ideas for other ways to destress and come together with colleagues to take some time out as a group.
The most significant overall change we have noticed since Ali’s presentation / workshop colleagues are being kinder to each other and giving appreciation to one another. We are celebrating success more than we did and groups are going for lunch breaks together or walks along the canal. These might read like baby-steps but this approach is also what will be sustainable in the long term.
As a Health Coach, presenter and educator, I would describe Ali as authentic and open – everyone I spoke to from the session commented on this too. She made her content bespoke to her audience and gave specific ideas and examples that would resonate with them. She delivered the information and her message with the perfect mix of passion and realness.
I would recommend Ali because she has a great personal understanding of the corporate world, particularly retail and the pressures that exist in that environment. Sharing her story alongside her knowledge and skill as a health coach makes her authentic and relatable. She had a packed room of 80 people thoroughly engaged and open to trying something new.
This won’t be the last time we see Ali at an M&S away day – Ali’s session has been specifically requested again by the team. Her message and skills were exactly what the team needed to hear – biggest thanks from all of M&S Food Marketing.
