Towards a fitter image

I'm not a fitness guru nor a dietician but keeping fit really is essential as far as prolonging life is concerned and also speaks to the image you portray. If you keep fit you feel well - if you feel well, you look good I think! Too boot, clothes look, hang, and drape better on a fitter body as today much of what we wear is about fit and cut.

There also seems to be a misplaced notion that wealth and girth are intrinsically linked in a positive manner. You don’t need to have the body fat of an elite marathon runner but neither is taking up two seats on a plane considered kosher anymore - it's true you'll pay double on some airlines! It's ok to have a little extra weight around you so long as it is not shortening your life expectancy nor hindering your ability to carry out your day to day activities.

In the good old days before colonization we spent a large part of our time roaming the plains and eating sparsely. Modern life has brought these activities to a grinding halt and there seems to be a marked lack of exercise accompanied by an alarming increase in Kenchic Inns. Trying to stay fit is vital at this point in human evolution, in fact anything to get the heart pumping. The exercise options available are so many from kick boxing, aerobics, yoga, weight lifting even walking instead of using the car, or taking the stairs rather than the lift. If the thought of jogging for miles appalls you and you cannot get (or afford) a gym, there are exercises you can do at home. Even ten minutes every other day is better than nothing.

It’s all very well to exercise every day but it has to be coupled with discipline when it comes to diet. You are what you eat! To look good, feel good and create a positive image we need to eat foods that are going to help replenish cells quickly, give us energy as well as give us pleasure too (it doesn’t have to be a diet of cherry tomatoes and black tea). If our diet is not well balanced, we'll experience low energy levels that can affect confidence in both professional and personal life. If we are tired, irritable and lethargic through a poor diet, there is no way we are going to perform at our best at work.

As we get older our weight redistributes itself around the body, sadly often ending up as a spare tire around our middle. The premise of this piece is that diet and exercise can help, but it is important not to fight too hard against nature. There is pressure to look a certain way but for many of us, it is not what nature intended, so look at your body and ask yourself how easy it is going to be to achieve the shape and weight you want to be. Most people do wish to be leaner but we should not get hung up on trying to lose too much weight. It is essential however that we keep fit, and not allow the body run to too much fat. Most people who are overweight eat too much of the wrong kind of foods. Over indulging in nyama choma, beer, masala chips, and ovenfuls of white bread are clearly hazardous for health and weight. Cutting out junk and fatty foods, drinking plenty of water (at least a litre a day), snacking on fruit instead of crisps, eating smaller portions, eating plenty of leafy green vegetables and making sure to chew the food properly all help. It really can be as simple as that. It is also a good idea to have two or three alcohol free days a week, you know who you are. Also calculating your body mass index(BMI) is a great way to see if you are at your ideal weight. Let me conclude by saying to create a positive image we must portray fitness and energy, whatever size we are.

To being the best man you can be

Men, yes you manly men out there - I think we all need to pay a little more attention to dress, style and grooming for success both socially and in business. Here are some tips for the fellas which your mama may not have told you and for the women with jamaa's who may need some prompting courtesy of Primer Magazine with one or two life lessons thrown in for good measure.

1. You know that feeling you get when you’ve finished dressing and you know you look good? You should strive for that feeling every time you dress. Those times where you look at yourself in the mirror and you’re not sure something matches correctly? Trust yourself, it probably doesn’t.

2. Want to start dressing better? When you don’t know what to wear in the morning the default should be a button up shirt. And polo shirts and t-shirts are not the uniform for weekends either.

3. A guy should always have a blazer he can wear with jeans. Most times a suit jacket won’t work, you need something shorter.

4. You’ve bought that nice new suit great – now do everyone a favour and please REMOVE the tag on the sleeve

5. Different scents for different events. Consider having a fresh, light cologne for the daytime and work hours, and a more full-bodied scent for evenings and going out.

6. The proper way to put on cologne: Hold your arm straight out and spray towards your chest. You only need one, two tops. Don’t spray it into the air and walk into it; that smelly water is expensive and this method wastes most of it. If you’ve got a bottle with no spray, apply small dabs under your ears and to your wrists.

7. Keep those nails cut. Next time you’re on the toilet for 5-10 minutes, put down the newspaper and use the time for grooming your finger and toe nails (yes those trotters of yours should not be shredding bedsheets) The goal is to maintain a thin white line at all times.

8. Here’s a priceless tip - dark or patterned underwear will mask ahem...“normal wear and tear.”

9. Tt only costs about Ksh3000 to replace your entire underwear collection. Why are you forcing yourself to wear ratty undies from god knows how long ago? For the cost of a medium priced bottle of whiskey, everyday can be nice underwear day.

10. White athletic socks should only be worn with athletic shoes.

11. Rejection is just an emotion. Learn to not take it personally or you’ll never be as successful as you want to be.

12. Skip the formalities of talking to a stranger and trick yourself into being more friendly by pretending that you know the person. Think about those greetings you give and the faces you make when you’re happy to see someone you know. Do that, but with a stranger.

13. You have to stop worrying you’re going to offend someone and really go for it. The worst case is you lose something you never really had, the best case is you get what you want.

14. Always have one spare birthday card and one spare multi-purpose card for emergencies.

Full list

African Movie Academy Awards

The seventh edition of the African Movie Academy Awards 2011 was hosted at Ole Sereni last week. A good friend of mine in the business attended the glitzy awards show. I was too far down the totem pole to be invited but here is their unvarnished, no-holds barred take on the event. Be warned this is not for the faint hearted....
When one thinks “movie awards event”, one would automatically revert to the American Oscars, which have become synonymous with some serious pomp and circumstance, and not to mention class. Here's their 10 point review of the event.

1. LOCATION LOCATION LOCATION
No offense to the very lovely Ole Sereni, but let’s face it; Mombasa Road on a Friday evening is a nightmare! Granted, any road on a Friday evening especially when it is end month, is a nightmare. I still think that Sankara, or Crowne Plaza would have been more befitting to this event. Centralization of location is critical! Plus the above two hotels to me are the most synonymous with glamour and class within the city limits. They both have ample, secure and TARMACKED parking as well. Everyone got there pretty haggard and in a foul mood from combating City Hoppas and Matatus in traffic. And everyone was LATE.

2. HALF A RED CARPET IS NO RED CARPET
The red carpet was the shortest one that I have seen, of any VIP event I attended. The organizers would have done well to extend it right from the beginning of the walkway, all the way to the lobby entrance. The media were also nowhere in sight! I counted a mere three photographers! I have been to an A List concert with more media that the AMAA nominations! The ladies will understand me on this one. The parking lot at Ole Sereni is fine gravel. By the time you parked your car and made it to the red carpet, you had more likely than not gathered a fine layer of dust on your feet, and caused serious injury to your fabulous heels! Sigh…. I had to formally apologize to my shoes for the grave injury I caused them!

3. BASIC CUSTOMER SERVICE
If I had paid KES 10,000.00 I would have at least expected to find complimentary bottles of water on the table. It took quite a while to actually flag down a waiter and get a simple bottle of water. To add insult to injury, it was a cash bar! A glass of wine was KES 1500.00. A bottle of Bellingham’s Cabernet Sauvignon at Nakumatt is KES 1440.00 give or take. Now why would I willingly pay a similar amount for a glass of cask Drostdyhof wine? This was blatant daylight robbery, and a complete disregard of good service. Granted, there was some complimentary Baileys and Johnny Walker Black from EABL who was a partial sponsor of the event. But I can assure you that only 2 hours into the event, they had completely “run out” of both. And we all know what “run out of” actually translates to: the rest of the bottles were in someone’s boot, house, or hotel room! 


4. AFRICAN TIMING
The saying “T.I.A.”: which stands for This Is Africa, has never been truer than on this balmy Friday night. This event that was pegged to begin at 6pm, which based on the location was a virtual impossibility, actually began closer to 10.00 pm. We actually had time to go upstairs to the REAL bar, that had REAL bar prices, have a drink, relax, come back downstairs, freshen up, take photos, mingle, sit down, update our Facebook and Twitter accounts, check email, call mum, make plans for the rest of the weekend, update Facebook again, Tweet about the fashion faux pas witnessed, and the event still had not began! The MCs started without a majority of the celebrities being there. The likes of Noah Ramsey and Rita Dominic came in much later. People’s attention span was short, and no one was listening to the MC due to a decided lack of coordination of the event, not to mention the rumbling stomachs, because there was no soup, bread or salad in sight even as late as 10.30 pm!

5. CATERING 101
Anyone who has any Catering 101 experience can tell you this:
- Never serve the soup at the buffet line! It makes more sense to serve the soup while your guests are seated. The tables were already set up after all. Can you imagine balancing a soup bowl, a plate of food, and a dessert plate, all the while trying not to trip over your fabulous swanky gown? It is a nightmare!
- Secondly, everyone knows that you should make a buffet line double sided to speed up service and keep the queues short. This was not the case. Each buffet line only had service on one side. All they had to do was push the tables forward and add serving spoons on the other side, and bam! The speed of service goes up!

6. “YOU CAN PAY FOR SCHOOL BUT YOU CAN’T BUY CLASS!”
Jay Z said it, I believe it! This event was about movies. But the nominees were announced using a projector and a PowerPoint presentation. I think that is hilariously ironic! I do not think that it would have been that difficult to get a flat screen set up and arrange to show clips of the movies that have been nominated, as well as the actors, actresses, directors, producers, and others. I think I even noted the Times New Roman 12 font on the PowerPoint. I mean I had no choice but to laugh out loud!

How can you have plastic center pieces with humongous peacock feathers as your center pieces? I mean these things were a sight to behold! And not in a good way! We actually took photos like people did back in the day, where you pose looking like you’re holding KICC, or you are at Uhuru Park holding a sunflower. I mean it was just plain tacky. Oh the horror! What made it worse was a passing comment that I heard, about plastic center pieces being the “future of décor”. Ughhh! I thought I was going to pass out from grief! Next time, dear AMAA organizer, if you’re stumped for ideas, a fishbowl with colored water and beautiful floating petals or flowers, with tea light candles on the table (also notably absent) would do the trick. Ps: the feathers did a good job of obstructing our view.

7. DRESS CODE! ENFORCE IT!
At the risk of being seemingly mean, it is high time Kenyans started enforcing dress code and adhering to it. Sadly, it is our men who seem to have lost the plan. At least I know the ladies came looking fabulous, with the exception of some fashion faux pas that shall be discussed at some other time. I saw men in jeans, for crying out loud! Sigh…. It is very sad. If you actually want your event to be taken seriously, as a top tier event, then it is important that you enforce the dress code. Only then will you be able to set yourself apart from other events and event planners, by setting the correct impression. After all, image is everything in showbiz!

8. AN MC IS THE LIFE OR DEATH OF A PARTY
That was the most boring MC ever! I tried to listen to him, but the rambling went on and on, and without much food in the system, it was impossible for me to focus. I think my rumbling stomach, in a symphony of other rumbling stomachs may have drowned him out. Emceeing is one of the most important jobs for a successful event. The crowd gave him no air time. He might as well have been my Form 2 Biology teacher, who used to walk in, and I mentally check out. 

9. GOODIE BAGS… OR WERE THEY BADDIE BAGS?
As an invited guest, would probably have had to get one to actually have a discussion about the goody bags. If you had planned for it, how is it that invited guests (almost a whole table) could not find any to save their lives? This takes me back to the KES 10,000.00 cover. I would have been a very unhappy camper to have paid this amount, and leave even without a token of appreciation, especially if I had actually paid KES 1500.00 for a glass of wine. Don’t you think?

10. ATTITUDE… THE RIGHT ONE!
As an event planner and host, it is important to be accessible and WARM. Not cold, and aloof. You are in the business of people, and not events. It is people who attend your events. Taking time to courteously acknowledge guests is important. They are after all your bread and butter. And believe it or not, you need them, more than they need you. Some of them did in the end fork up the whooping KES 10,000.00 didn’t they?

Now it is important to note that when the event began, each table did receive one bottle of red wine. This was pretty okay. And lucky for us, not everyone on the table wanted a glass; otherwise we were all looking at roughly half a glass of wine each, at which point we would have to fork up the KES 1500.00 for an additional glass. As you can tell, I was unimpressed by the beverage price list.

The celebrities who attended the show were mostly warm and gracious, Rita Dominic above all. The band “The Villagers” was spectacular, and reduced the impact of the above mishaps. DJ Adrian on the Ones and Twos was also pretty cool, and Ole Sereni’s buffet wasn’t too bad either.

The overall moral of the story is that high expectations were set for this event, and sadly it ended up being another case of over promising and under delivering, which is the true bane of our existence within our society.


Looking glamorous in white - when at a glitzy event, go all out to impress


Can you spot the Kenyan?


That centre piece

Your thoughts?

How contrast in dressing can influence others

You know clothes are the first thing other people notice about us. It’s no coincidence that when the police are asking us to describe a suspect the first thing they ask is what they were wearing. Colour is key to what we wear and contrast is then the difference you see between any two colors. Now some of you reading this might think to themselves “is this really that important” but what if I told you that mastering this relatively simple technique of the right contrast in the colours you wear could greatly influence your next presentation, meeting, interview, press conference or sales pitch. Colour doesn’t only affect how others view us but the contrast in those colour combinations can also change impressions. Confused? Ok, here’s a quick and simple primer – there is high-contrast, medium-contrast and low-contrast clothing combinations.

High-contrast refers to the difference between the clothes where one article of clothing is considerably lighter and the other is very dark. High contrast dressing (also known as power dressing) is used to create the greatest influence and to come across as powerful and in-charge. Look at Obama’s uniform – dark navy blue suit, white shirt (with red or blue tie) - this says leader of the free world and forms a large percentage of our perception of him, especially when he is giving a speech. When he wears a blue tie he is actually looking for consensus or trust as opposed to the red tie which is a power play. Look at the different audiences he speaks to and notice the difference. So high contrast is good for politicians, CEO’s, if you’re leading a meeting or if you want to come across to your audience as authoritative.

Low-contrast combinations on the other hand are where there is a minor or no colour difference between clothes e.g. brown shirt and brown jacket. This monochromatic dressing is considered the least influential especially in business. Not only does it reduce your influence but can actually make you less noticeable – great if you want to hide during that Monday morning meeting, but not so great if you are on TV reading the news as ideally you should come across as authoritative and powerful.

A medium-contrast combination will be a light and medium or dark and medium change in colour and this combination comes across as most friendly and approachable yet without completely diminishing authority. An example of this is combination is a light grey suit with a white or blue shirt.

Bottom line, you can use this knowledge to gain the advantage in any situation, certainly to command attention and influence your market.


High-contrast - Navy blue suit, white shirt, burgundy red tie - most authoritative


Low-contrast - Monochromatic taupe outfit - least influential


Medium-contrast - Light grey suit - friendly and approachable

Is there a style manual for men out there?

Ok gentlemen, it’s officially a new decade and it’s time we pulled up our socks (literally) when it comes to dressing. My co-conspirator on the Fashion Show and editor of Drum Magazine, Carol Odero wrote an article on her weekly column chastising men in Kenya for their wardrobe choices and I have to say she was spot on. I don’t think most Kenyan men necessarily prioritize dressing. In fact just Google ‘best dressed men + Kenya’ and you will find a dearth of information or lists. Some of the common dress faux pas I regularly see include: wearing clothes that are too big, too short ties (top of the belt buckle please), tags on jacket sleeves, white socks with leather shoes, branded polo shirts, matching pocket handkerchief and tie combo’s, and watches so large they swallow your wrist. And a special dishonorable mention must go to that long nail on the finger – enough said!

You know being a man of a certain age and disposition, my nights out are few and far between, but last weekend, I put on my party shoes and revived the days of my misspent youth by doing a club crawl. Most of the girls were predictably wearing their uniform of skinny jeans, heels and tops. That’s a blog post for another day but I won’t be giving any demerits to the fairer sex for they may have been predictable for a night out on the town but they put in a little effort. As for my fellow gentlemen (and I use that word loosely sartorially speaking), to put it mildly I was disappointed. It was a sea of baggy t-shirts, sagging jeans, baseball caps, sneakers and even shorts and mandals (male sandals). And this was irrespective of age or venue. I may have been off the scene for sometime, but what happened to bouncers enforcing dress codes - and did I miss that memo that said anything goes?

Gentlemen, if you are no longer in school or college, start dressing like an adult when going out. I know it is particularly challenging during this warm weather to look stylish and dress comfortably at the same time but evenings can get a little chilly so try wearing a blazer or jacket for one. You can throw that over a pair of slim dark jeans and keep the sneakers but at least you’ll look a lot less than you’re starring in your own rap video. In my humble opinion men should never expose their toes in public unless there’s sand between them tootsies. Khakis and corduroys are a great alternative to jeans – just make sure they are cut on the slimmer side.

Guess what guys, a recent survey (admittedly done in America, but still relevant I believe to us here in Kenya) reported that 87% of women in relationships would be willing to sacrifice something (going out to dinner, cell phone, vacation days, etc.) to have a better-dressed partner. The same survey reported 85% of women "think a guy who dresses well is sexier than one who has a lot of money," 78% of women "believe dressing well is one of the hottest things a guy can do" and 64% believe that "women are more likely to marry a well-dressed man than one who isn't as well put together." See the full results of the survey here

Put down the croissant and get networking

I attended a networking breakfast earlier this week. While it should be fun, do remember that you are there representing both yourself and your company, and therefore are always ‘on show.’ At my table were two international visitors and a smattering of us natives made up the rest of the numbers. I don’t know whether people were still on holiday mode or brains were still woolly with the excesses imbibed over the past few weeks but conversation was awkward and stilted. It was literally heads down, everyone stuffing themselves with treats from the breakfast buffet.

“Keep hope alive” was Reverend Jesse Jackson’s rallying cry – how about “Keep the conversation alive!” How do you stave off the dreaded dead silence when no-one has anything to say? Well, show more than just a passing interest in your companions. Try to find similarities or joint interests by asking open ended questions. Networking is not all about you and your business but if your mindset is how you can help the other person, then this will build lasting relationships which eventually will lead to business.

When it comes to conversation, I am all for finding common points of interest but does every Brit visiting our country have to be asked to declare what football team they support? A brief mention that you are a football fan will let people know that you have a life other than work, but not a full scale inquisition into the current state of Liverpool FC. That and politics, enough already about the Hague – everyone is entitled to their opinion but don’t shove it down your neighbours throat. Doing a little bit of research before the event allows you to bring up topics that are interesting, not necessarily impassioned, but at least you can come across as someone with perceptible social skills. At the very least plan a few conversation starters to get the other person talking about themselves. Remember to talk to the person on your left as well as your right no matter how fetching the lady might look in comparison to your other companions. And try as much as possible to include others in conversation especially the naturally shy people so that they don’t feel left out.
I also do that thing where if I line up the business cards I receive on the table in front of me so that I can easily remember names and job titles. Also when it comes to conversation the way that you say something also makes people remember and take notice. The way you use your voice is meaningful if you want to make a positive and hopefully sophisticated impression.

A quick word on non – verbal communication. Research has found that we make major decisions about one another – assessing credibility, friendliness, trustworthiness, confidence, power, status, and competence – within the first few seconds of meeting. In a business setting, these first impressions are crucial. Once someone mentally labels you as “likeable” or “un-likeable,” “powerful” or “submissive,” everything else you do will be viewed through that filter. If someone likes you, they’ll look for the best in you. Be confident, hold your head high and let your natural charisma, charm and presence come through in your communication and you’ll be well on the way to becoming a master networker.

Positively 2011

Welcome to 2011, I enjoyed the peace and quiet of the holidays which gave me an opportunity to reflect on the year that passed and going forward what I hope for in 2011. I’m not one for bandying resolutions about but I thought a few words on positivity might be in order as much for me, as for anyone else. A positive image starts the minute you get up in the morning, and it is as likely a matter of attitude as anything else. The way you react to other people builds up an image. Try and think of the effect your actions and reactions will have on others. Show that you care, not only about yourself, but other people. We are all human beings living in society together and life is a compromise. We have to show respect for others, which in turn brings respect for ourselves. To get your new year off with the right frame of mind here is an inspirational video on positive thinking from a man who seems to have it all - Will Smith.
Enjoy