2. loved the independence I gained in my own pursuits and again, unintentionally, I uncovered my path into
understanding people and developed the behavioural skills sets I now use as part of my service to my clients.
My reference to the turn of events being ‘un-intentional’ is critical here in terms of lessons learned and shared with you
all. My underpinning positive philosophy about ‘harmony, abundance and freedom’ drove both my natural evolution
and eventually my ‘intentional’ and high value of ‘life’ itself.
Was I intentional from a young age and did I know where my path would lead me to now, aged 64?
No, I evolved one step at a time and as I look back in order to study that journey, I realise I allowed my natural love
and desire for harmony and happiness to motivate me to tune into my logical mind combined with my artistic creative
side. These lead me to create concepts that frame certain propositions about people and how we behave in a corporate
context as well as life. My intention was to use my natural skills, my personal talents and passions and relate these to
the ‘business’ and ‘life’ I was creating. This was exactly what I teach my clients and it works every time once we
recognise who we are and how best we work with others.
Write down your intentions daily
Nowadays I know for sure that writing down my intentions works for me. These are never fixed them in stone, but laid
down with a strong sense of flexibility; always with deep integrity alongside one’s most personal desires. You then
need to act out your intentions by adding in a few spoonfuls of perseverance and a bucketful of courage!
I know my courage was born from my upbringing, where my parents encouraged us all to be ourselves and always do
(and work) our best. We were loved, praised, guided and valued in our childhood. My brothers and sister did not
choose my entrepreneurial path yet I know that my ‘business’ desires and my ‘life’ desires became entwined. My work
from 1989 was to help people help themselves to be their best and to do this in the context of their business life
whether that was as a corporate being or an owner manager, or one person business or whatever. “Who we are and
what we do” needed to emerge from a passionate core that lay within me, embracing natural talents and creating a
lifestyle that was ‘healthy, wealthy and wise’.
One of my favourite quotes is from Eleanor Roosevelt “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their
dreams”
I didn’t wake up to this dream of how I might influence the future until I created my very own business Corporate
Heart Ltd in late 1999 which underpins all that I do now. This is a Performance Consultancy “unlocking people’s
passion to drive outstanding business results” www.corporateheart.co.uk
Prior to that, my return-to-work-after-babies had turned into a career, starting with Image Consultancy in 1989, then
setting up a partnership enterprise with an Image colleague over 1990-96, a period in which I was also President of the
Federation of Image Consultants UK 1992-94. This was a highly impactful time for me and helped me see that much
was possible with confidence in oneself. I grew in stature, in confidence to deliver my messages, and a desire to do
more for the world around me.
How transformation occurs
As the year 1997 arrived, I had grown so in touch with my own independence and desire to do well, that my intimate
relationship with my first husband dissolved. We had a 30 year relationship, started at University, married 24 years
and we had played out our time together. I became single once more, and as my children were just adults, I could
focus on how my career and life might blend into a new lifestyle. I know this can often be the greatest challenge for
women who love to work (or need to work) and my advice is to ensure you retain respect from your family while also
forging your own path. The best way is to be honest and open, and own your decisions whatever they are.
Now CEO of my own Performance Consultancy, Corporate Heart, I carry on my mission to engage my clients to
develop healthy well-behaved, excellent performing cultures which would produce not just the best employees but the
healthiest results for all.
As I grew into this part of my life, I grew confidence in presenting my concepts to large audiences and started to enjoy
a reputation for my pioneering work on “Who’s in Charge – men or women?” through my work on Gender Dynamics.
With the mounting cry for more “women in the boardroom” and the questions about why there is a lack of women
coming through, I am well positioned to gather all my experiences from my days in the Image world, studying body
types and personalities, combined with my study of people and communication behaviour. I believe there is a new
world emerging, where women are forerunners in enterprise and entrepreneurial pursuits - growing micro businesses
across the world - as well as entering and running for top corporate jobs. Not all women want business to the
exclusion of their life at home yet they want a balance that may not be fully accepted yet by men. My work in this area
3. is my greatest passion and pleasure to deliver. Ask yourself, does your work give you that fulfilment? If not, what is
missing?
The Missing Link – my new husband
As my story and my work continued, a vital aspect was missing – to find love and a co-pilot for my onward journey.
As my story is about intentions, I cannot finish without my love story being told.
During the years prior, every moment of achievement and joy was mirror by the desire to meet my soul mate, to be
with and work with my co-pilot in this life. It was something I always felt would happen. I had always enjoyed
working with team mates yet a soul mate would be the true path.
I had written this intention many times over the past 6 years in journals, yet the years continued and I was alone for 15
years since my divorce. Then late in 2011, November, I flew to a business conference in Budapest on a curious
unrelated work assignment and one I didn’t want to do, and met my now American husband, Dr James A Omps,
Professor and President of The International University of Entreprenology IUE. www.iue-edu.org
Never give up on intentions – expect the unexpected
A chance opportunity to connect – or destiny? The lesson here is that never give up on intentions, write them down,
live and breathe them and they will come although not always as you might expect.
He too did not want to be there but was. He had looked for me all his life, his dream woman, one who is strong yet
sensitive, yet all woman. He is my counterpart, a “feminine-minded” man. After 6 months and 45,000 email words, I
flew to Las Vegas and stayed with him for 10days, he proposed, I accepted. We married October 7th
in Las Vegas with
my kids watching over the webcam in Brighton England and Elvis walking me down the aisle!
He and I have decided not just to marry but to merge our business ideas. He like me had always wanted to work, love
and live with his wife (and his previous 3 wives had not!) We are transforming our whole life to walk a new path,
combining our working experience and integrating Entreprenology and Gender Dynamics to produce a program
selection and delivery that will, we believe, change the face of business by connecting people with their natural skills to
create entrepreneurial success.
So watch this space as I begin to fulfil my new roles with him in IUE and in a new joint venture in the UK which will
be launched later this year. We fly to Malaysia this month to set up IUE there and to launch my work with Women’s
Entrepreneur Networks. The world is opening up for us and we hold a strong belief in our dream coming true and that
we can leave a legacy of hope for young and old, men and women alike, wherever they are right now.
It’s never too late... but are you ready?
I do believe that the world is ready for great and courageous yet amazingly caring women – such as those profiled here
on Zars Media. I am honoured to be in that roll call. My mission is to lead by example and to share with you what I
have learned about the dual nature of being a woman, and honour us all as we can be strong and sensitive in a truly
female mix that influences the world around us.
My major advice to all women, always be true to your nature as a woman, look to see the world from others view and
never give away your personal power to either a man or woman because you think they are superior, they maybe be
senior by role but never by nature!
Dr Pauline Crawford BA MBA PhD
CEO Corporate Heart Ltd
Vice President The International University of Entreprenology
Head of Program Development
