Raising Successful Kids Podcast Irene Santineer

It was difficult to be a normal teen for Despina Hapeshis (or Des, for short), particularly because she was a refugee. Eyes were always on her and bullies often made fun of her background.  To be truthful to yourself and to live your life when so many saw you differently was difficult.

In this episode of the Raising Successful Kids Podcast, we hear more of Des’ personal stories and even her passion project turned business, the Transforme Fitness. It’s through Transforme that she helps people achieve transformations in their lives and relationships. Learn more about how she was able to keep her chin up whilst growing up differently and how she continues to inspire others by listening in today.

KEY TAKEAWAYS


Des was born in Cyprus, but she and her family had to seek refuge from different countries during her childhood. It was in 1999 when she and her family moved to England and then stayed there for good.

Contrary to most refugees, Des, as an extrovert, got along well with other people easily. There was a culture shock at first, but she was always adaptable and ready to learn. Being surrounded by other Cypriots in her neighbourhood helped a lot.


Though Des became a medical doctor, she didn’t feel that was where she should be. She was happy that she was helping others, but felt there was something else out there for her. Then, she discovered Zumba.
At first, she was only planning Zumba to be a side hobby, but it crossed her mind that she could do this for the rest of her life, she could train others and help them achieve their fitness goals. So this is what she did. It made her happy to see others being the best versions of themselves.
Influencing a community involves responsibility and compassion. It’s the people who should be at the centre of your cause, not you. The priority lies in bettering them, guiding them to attain their transformation. Everything else is will follow—the fulfilment, success, and even wealth.
For kids, it’s important to not to pamper them. While, yes, parents and educators are big influences, keep enough distance for them to discover and find their values and skills. It is also important to instil some discipline and responsibility as early as possible.
Success leaves clues. It’s easy to learn from other people’s journeys. You can tweak it according to your needs and capabilities. It should be easy to do this if you’re self-aware and determined to push forward. Des suggests that you find a coach or a mentor that jives with you so you have someone who can be there alongside you.

BEST MOMENTS


“The wealth will come but the wealth is not just money.” - Irene
“We become slaves of our business.” – Des
“You don’t know how far our ripples of our lives are gonna touch. So, you have a responsibility… whenever you are teaching kids or young people.” – Irene
“If you have an element of faith in your life, it’s like adding an extra ingredient into a dish to make it tastier.”
“Never stop seeking. Search deeper. Be open-minded. Your life is your life. You’re responsible. You’re able. You have the power inside you to make your choices.”

VALUABLE RESOURCES


Listen to the Raising Successful Kids Podcast on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/raising-successful-kids-podcast/id1378597983
Take the course Lose Weight, Tone Up and Balance Your Hormones on Udemy: https://www.udemy.com/course/lose-weight-tone-up-and-balance-your-hormones/
Book a Zumba class with Despina Hapeshis: https://www.zumba.com/en-US/profile/despina-hapeshis/108551

ABOUT THE GUEST

Despina Hapeshis runs Transforme Fitness.

She is the daughter of refugee parents who came to England from war torn Cyprus. Des became a qualified doctor and scientist but gave all of that up following a severe bout of anxiety and depression.

She has built a successful fitness business for women, along with a community of people that help and inspire. Des has always been passionate in helping

How is it lately being stuck with your kids 24/7? For some, the current living situation might be very difficult and also have a significant impact on family dynamics.

In this episode of Raising Successful Kids Podcast, Irene talks to Elaina Jones about how parents and children can cope together during this very worrying and stressful period. Irene also reminds us that it’s important to keep a check on our mental health and maintain healthy relationships. Tune in as she gives you tips on how you can survive all of this as well as annihilate the stigma of mental health.

KEY TAKEAWAYS


How can parents and kids cope together during the coronavirus quarantine?

If you’re anxious about the pandemic and the new living situation, learn how to work out your feelings and communicate it to your kids.
Treat them as important as anyone in the family. Don’t coddle them. Respect their input, so they’ll listen to you.
Schedule family activities. This can help beat the cabin fever. Or let them volunteer to do some chores in the house. This way they also learn about responsibility.


Social media has its pros and cons. For some, this is where they get news updates. Elaina Jones advises choosing what and who you see on your news feed or timeline. If someone makes you feel bad about yourself, think twice. Maybe it’s time to cut them off. You’ll find the right people (the ones who help you grow) soon.
Attend a therapy with your family. When we’ve exhausted every way to reach out, and nothing’s still working out, then maybe it’s time to consider an intervention. Openly communicating thoughts and sentiments among family members is always possible.
What are the traits of successful people?

Happiness and wellness. When people are happy with what they’re doing, they try to step out of the confined box and take on fresh adventures.
They’re aware of their failures and they’re unafraid to face and get through them.



BEST MOMENTS


“The things that make us comfortable, look at them if they’re making situations worse.”
“It takes courage to say, ‘I will not fall for it.’”
“Find your people. Find your tribe. Find those who you truly feel good about yourself.”
“Kids know when you talk them down.”

VALUABLE RESOURCES


Listen to the Raising Successful Kids Podcast on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/raising-successful-kids-podcast/id1378597983
Listen to the Cope Queens Podcast on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/cope-queens/id1482485234
Listen to the Cope Queens Podcast on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2EmgzXF4Til5nez4q8omgm

ABOUT THE GUEST

Elaina Jones is the host of Cope Queens Podcast, which is on a mission to annihilate the stigma of mental health. Alongside this, she is a Learning and Development professional with over 15 years of business experience. Among her areas of expertise are instructional design, course / curriculum design and development, adult learning principles, learning styles and multiple intelligences, course implementation, needs analysis, evaluation and measurement, leadership development and coaching, stakeholder analysis and management, process improvement, and employee engagement.


Elaine’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elainajones/

ABOUT THE HOST

Irene Santineer is a working mum of an entrepreneurial child and shares a passion with her husband to see him succeed. She’s the creator and host of the Raising Successful Kids Podcast which aims to help parents, educators and mentors effectively guide children towards success.

 CONTACT METHOD

https://www.facebook.com/Irene-Santineer-1827282224265825/

https://twitter.com/irenetwin1

We’re in the middle of a lockdown because of the COVID-19 outbreak. And for sure, for parents who have a teenager stuck at home, they might be at their wits’ end right now.

In this episode of the Raising Successful Kids Podcast, Irene shares how to deal with strong-willed teens. She herself has been trying her very best to engage with her son, who has been locking himself inside his bedroom a lot. Though we refuse to accept it, our kids will grow up, mature, and form their own opinions. They now have their own preferences and know their own boundaries. Learn how to communicate with your strong-willed teens today.

KEY TAKEAWAYS


The lockdown has changed how things work inside the house. Irene doesn’t have to wake up that early, but has to do in-house exercises instead. Her husband, who manages their business from home even before the lockdown, likes it though since his family keeps him company. Her son, though, has been spending his time inside his room.
Your kids will grow up and mature. Your child has now become more independent. They think critically and form their own opinions. Call them stubborn or strong-willed, but this is something you should be happy about. We can’t control them.
There are some things, though, that you still need to butt in for. For their own welfare and safety. Check in and remind them of the importance of limits and boundaries. Openly communicate. Since you live in one house, let them know how important it is that they also be mindful of other people’s presence.
Recognise too if it’s you who’s the problem. You might cling to a carefree youngster that won’t ever get old. Face the fact that they will grow up. Instead of trying to relive your kid’s childhood, why don’t you enjoy and be supportive of their new journey instead?

BEST MOMENTS


“I am not expecting him to be hanging on my coattails all the time, but it has become of a challenge to get him spend the time with us.”
“This push and pull between teenagers and parents is perfectly normal. It’s something that we should be aware is going to happen.”
“You have to acknowledge what you’re feeling, part of the reaction you’re going through, is because you’re not prepared.”

VALUABLE RESOURCES

Raising Successful Kids Podcast

ABOUT THE HOST

Irene Santineer is a working mum of an entrepreneurial child and shares a passion with her husband to see him succeed. She’s the creator and host of the Raising Successful Kids Podcast which aims to help parents, educators and mentors effectively guide children towards success.

 CONTACT METHOD

https://www.facebook.com/Irene-Santineer-1827282224265825/

https://twitter.com/irenetwin1

In this episode, Kay shares some great advice and practical tips on how to start and grow a successful online business.

Having an online business is a powerful way of helping other people and an effective way to reach people you wouldn’t otherwise be able to access.

Your online business could be an extension of your passion or based on a product or service you already have but there are key processes that you need to have in place and follow to ensure success.

Kay explains how to get organised, plan, market and build a trusted team, listen in and get started because it’s always the right time to start an online business.

 

KEY TAKEAWAYS


Organisation - This is a vital element for any online business and needs to be in place from the start.
It’s essential to success as not working in an organised way will slow your progress.
Planning  - If you are starting an online business in addition to other daily commitments such as work or university then block out time slots to ensure you can achieve the required tasks.
Make your daily actions achievable steps in the process that will result in you meeting the goals you have set over the longer term.
Promotion - Be visible and active on all social media consistently, different people use different platforms so you need to have an effective presence across all platforms.
Share your passion and pride in your business when you are communicating with others – this will be why they tell others about you.
Mental and Physical well-being - Make sure you are accessing information that will help to build your mental well-being.
Stay hydrated and eat the right foods – It’s important to develop mental health strength, you need to be able to cope with all types of people and situations.
Build a team - Have a team around you of people that you can trust and rely on. They don’t have to be people employed by you but they need to be people who can help you if you have a particular challenge to overcome, to ensure you can serve your customers.

 

BEST MOMENTS

‘It’s essential to your success to be organised’

‘Until you get the first sale it can be very challenging but when you help the first person you will know that you can do it again’

‘To be successful in your business you need to remain mentally strong and physically fit’

 

VALUABLE RESOURCES

Raising Successful Kids Podcast

ABOUT THE HOST

Irene Santineer is a working mum of an entrepreneurial child and shares a passion with her husband to see him succeed. She’s the creator and host of the Raising Successful Kids Podcast which aims to

help parents, educators and mentors effectively guide children towards success.

 

CONTACT METHOD

https://www.facebook.com/Irene-Santineer-1827282224265825/

https://twitter.com/irenetwin1

‘I’ve seen people stumble through the traditional curriculum year after year and come out with nothing at the end. Ultra is an amazing vehicle that exposes you to an entrepreneurial mindset’

Irene is with Nathan Shillingford at the Ultra children’s event. They discuss Nathan’s drive to create better opportunities for young people and the events in his own journey that have fuelled his passion for creating the ultimate legacy, listen in and find out more.

 

KEY TAKEAWAYS


I followed the expected route through education and after obtaining my degree I expected I would get a job.
I found myself in the world of self-employment through adversity
The challenges have helped me find my ’why’ and it’s developing the entrepreneurial skills that will enable our young people to gain experience and the skills they need to move forward successfully.
I co-foundered ‘the future melting pot’ supporting young people in gaining work experience and upskilling their existing skill sets.
I believe the tradition systems are restricting the talents and gifts our young people have they need an alternative route.
Our young people need to be exposed to success and understand how they can achieve it.
For me, Ultra is a way of giving back and making sure there is a legacy.
We have to show them who they are not what they are.
We are learning from each other and it’s an ongoing process.
Once you learn you need to be able to apply what you have learnt and continue to develop your skills.
It’s about developing the individual.
We are working from our passion, creating more opportunities and showing young people how they can create their own opportunities.

 

BEST MOMENTS

‘The future melting pot helps hard to reach young people gain the experience and skills they need to move forward’

‘I found myself in the world of self-employment through adversity’

‘I’ve seen people stumble through the traditional curriculum year after year and come out with nothing at the end’

 

VALUABLE RESOURCES

Raising Successful Kids Podcast

Ultra Education

 

ABOUT THE HOST

Irene Santineer is a working mum of an entrepreneurial child and shares a passion with her husband to see him succeed. She’s the creator and host of the Raising Successful Kids Podcast which aims to help parents, educators and mentors effectively guide children towards success.

 

CONTACT METHOD

https://www.facebook.com/Irene-Santineer-1827282224265825/

https://twitter.com/irenetwin1