About us … Two Takes on the same theme

Geraldine & Anne

are two women with lots of experience in life and work. We have had considerable successes and our share of failures, and have encountered the usual ups and downs along our journeys in life.

We are still learning new and better ways — every day. We are completely open to ongoing learning and growth and are always thinking about new and better ways of doing things.

We enjoy all the good things in life, and are curious about everything. We love talking to and reading about inspirational people, and making plans for the coming weeks, months and years.

We had a brief encounter on a train journey many years ago, and then we met properly 10 years ago through a business/artistic support group. We discovered that although we had worked in very different careers and in entirely different sectors , we had many more things in common, plus a similar outlook on life - not to mention a shared joie de vivre!

Anne Scally

is owner of Pro-Activ HR Management and practices as a HR Consultant, Trainer, Facilitator and Coach who draws on 20 plus years’ experience and knowledge to help organizations and individuals enhance their performance and develop to their full potential. Anne provides strategic HR Advice, People Development Programmes, Facilitation and Mediation Services A to both private and public sector clients. She also coaches staff in career development, enhanced performance and effective team based working.

Prior to becoming a consultant, Anne worked as HR Director in a number of blue chip multinational companies. Anne holds an Msc in Organisational Behaviour from Trinity College Dublin and has completed many courses over the years including courses in Coaching, Mediation and Emotional Intelligence, to mention but a few. Anne’s style is warm and person focused, with a focus on improving performance and helping people to develop their own knowledge and skills base. Anne is passionate about life long learning and continuous development in the workplace. She has vast experience of helping managers and staff cope with the many challenges they encounter and she is highly aware of the changing nature of working life in organizations. she is very tuned in to the needs of people and the various dynamics that can exist within the working environment.

She is committed to helping organizations and individuals achieve their full potential through ongoing development and change. As a coach, Anne can draw on a range of diagnostic tools and can vary her style to get the best from both individuals and groups.

Anne’s posts will cover topics such as Career Planning, CV and Interview Preparation, Personal and Professional Development at work and how to survive and thrive in today’s workplace.

Geraldine O’Neill

is an international author of 14 published novels, and has published numerous short stories, poetry and magazine & newspaper articles.

Her first career (of 30+ years) was as a School Teacher, and she has taught in a variety of disciplines in Scotland, England and Ireland. She became a specialist teacher working with children with learning difficulties, and has trained in numerous areas such as ADHD, Dyslexia, Dyspraxia, Aspergers Syndrome, Dyscalculia etc. Although retired now from teaching, Geraldine still retains a great interest in education and child development. She now has lots of hand-on practice again (including nappies!) with her two little grandsons, Edward and Leo.

Geraldine combines her teaching skills with her writing career — and has given workshops in all areas of creative writing in Ireland, UK and in Spain.

She studied extensively with Jack Canfield’s Success course the renowned US Motivational Speaker and Author of ‘Chicken Soup for the Soul’ series. She has attended a variety of lectures by world speakers such as the Dalai Lama, Deepak Chopra, Jack Canfield and Susan Jeffers.

Geraldine is also an accomplished speaker and a Past- President of Tullamore Toastmasters in Ireland. She has given workshops and motivational talks to business groups, various charities and educational establishments. In recent years, she was the main speaker an Inspirational Woman of the Year event, hosted by Offaly Domestic Violence Support Services.

Geraldine’s posts will cover a variety of topics — areas we encounter in general day to day living. She will share tips and suggestions that will help you along your journey to leading your best and most authentic life.

When Geraldine met Anne …

One of the most amazing things we discovered is that we both had around 75% of the same motivational and business books. We also found that apart from studying all areas of Life Skills, we were involved with the same charities, and that we shared common interests in travelling, work ethics, fashion, art, architecture, interior design and lots of other things. When we are together we never stop laughing and chatting (apart from when we are working on our blog — nothing done otherwise!).

We both have had long relationships of 40+ years, plus the experience of being mothers, and Geraldine has now graduated to being a grandmother.

We also found that we had applied a lot of what we had learned about visualisation, planning and organisation in our daily lives. Consequently, by mapping out our goals and planning our routes over the years, we are roughly where we hoped to be in all the major areas of our lives.

Like everyone else, we have hit plenty of pot-holes in our travels — and hopefully learned how to dodge them next time around.

We want to share anything worthwhile that we have learned with other people!