An invite from the Prime Minister

The Prime Minister, Gordon Brown invited Vision's MD Sharon Roberts to 10 Downing Street on Monday the 8th of March to discuss the opportunities and challenges facing women's leadership in business and enterprise. The meeting was very successful and a number of developments are already being discussed.

The Prime Minister was also very interested in Visions International Development Programme and has personally requested an update following our latest trip to LA for business leaders which returns at the end of this month.

For further information please contact Vision directly.

Photo courtesy of Steve Back of Political Pictures

Regional award for Vision's MD

Vision Managing Director and owner Sharon Roberts, has been successfully appointed as the East Midlands Enterprise Champion, one of nine regional Champions appointed by respective RDAs. The East Midlands Development Agency were tasked with overseeing the recruitment process for this voluntary post and found Sharon to be the perfect candidate to provide them with advice and offer guidance to Ministers from Business Innovation and Skills. The role will involve looking at ways to raise the profile of womens enterprise regionally and nationally. A key element of the project is to promote enterprise to women from low income families.

Laura-Jane Ranby, Business Support Diversity Manager, emda comments, Sharon has been heavily involved with the Womens Ambassadors Network, international trade development and a number of events encouraging women to look at enterprise. She is an inspirational woman on all levels.

As you know, Sharon is an executive management & performance specialist, facilitator, author and motivational speaker. She is an unconventional, dynamic business woman and a self made entrepreneur. She owns and runs Visions two companies which trade in 5 countries. She continues to work in Los Angeles, and is there at the moment, alongside some of the top U.S Entrepreneurs and her new book Formula for Success was nominated for the East Midlands Women of Worth Awards in 2007. Her company Vision Development are specialists in leadership training.

Sharon will now be the regional voice of womens enterprise and a champion for the agenda on all stages.

Vision and Dragons Den

At Vision we are always very proud of the individuals and Organisations who achieve success whilst working with us. Below you will find an article from one of our clients and how she has achieved.

Hello and welcome to Storyshaping. I am Julia Damassa and I am the owner of Storyshapes Limited, the company that makes and sells the tools of Storyshaping and delivers training in the techniques of Storyshaping. Storyshaping supports children and families in creating stories orally. It's a great way to develop communication skills through talk. It is also a great way for us as parents and teachers to actively engage in our children's creative thinking and learning. Storyshapes serve as prompts and visual tactile reminders of the key features of story structure. The collaborative approach is supportive and inclusive, and we may be storyshaping in any spoken or signed language. All ideas are valued equally, and children and families have a real sense of ownership as the authors of their story.

I developed the concept of Storyshaping to help my own family with their Speaking and Listening skills. As a parent and teacher, I want my family to be confident, articulate communicators. Now I extend my skills as the Storyshaper, helping other parents, practitioners, trainees and professionals, to become positive role models in communication for their children.

I love my work and I firmly believe in the far-reaching and life-enhancing benefits of Storyshaping. I feel proud to have shaped the idea into a viable business, which now two years old, is investor-ready and has received several national awards.

I am very grateful to Sharon and Brendan of VISION who are my EMDA Business Champions. Their mentoring and support over the past six months has significantly contributed to my applying for the Dragons Den. Although I am not yet able to mention the outcome of my experience, my raw pitch as part of the application process can currently be viewed on the BBC Dragons Den website.