Elaine Sihera

BA (OU). PGCE (Cantab). D.Univ(OU)

Certificate in Counselling

Contact Elaine Sihera TODAY!

at LOVE and LIFE CONSULTING

Summary

A British writer, speaker, social scientist, Cambridge postgraduate and successful businesswoman, Elaine has enjoyed a rewarding career spanning some key innovations. Creator and author of the groundbreaking New Theory of Confidence©, The Winning Formula for Your Success, The Power of Confidence to Achieve Your Dreams, and pioneer of Managing the Diversity Maze, she is particularly passionate about self-efficacy (Confidence) and self-value, its power to affect mental wellbeing, and to promote a strong sense of belonging and inclusion. Her preferred areas of expertise are personal Motivation and Empowerment relating to Gender, Race and Ageing, to match her own personal experience.

As well as a high profile Black role model, the subject of various books, articles and interviews during the past 25 years, Elaine has presented a significant number of keynote speeches, seminars, and professional achievement workshops relating to staff management, empowering women and minorities, and effective diversity practice. These have enabled her unique impact, as a consultant adviser, on numerous private, public service and voluntary organisations.

The key achievements listed below, including a number of pioneering firsts, demonstrate Elaine's personality, priorities and expertise.

Significant Achievements

Author of

Very successful English teacher and senior education manager for over 12 years, in secondary schools, followed by the first major spell as a writer: being education editor of The Voice newspaper.
Not only the first Black graduate of the Open University, but also being honoured in 2016 as a Doctor of the University for her: "Exceptional contribution to education and culture, and protecting and enriching Britain's diversity landscape."
The first Black woman in the UK to own a national multicultural magazine, and the only woman to be simultaneously awarded TWO National Training Awards by the former Department of Trade and Industry.
Creating and organising the pioneering British Diversity Awards (and the Windrush Achievement Awards) which made a huge impact on improving diversity practice in society (1991-2003), as well as recognising outstanding visible minority contribution. Supported by government ministers and the heads of many corporate and government organisations, the BDAs helped to promote effective diversity management practice, changing perceptions in the process. For the duration of the Awards, there were over 5000 entrants, representing nearly 6 million workforce employees.

5. Presenting the first Diversity Lecture to MPs (British lawmakers) in the U.K House of Commons to raise awareness of its importance to society, and being a keynote speaker at the first UNESCO Global Women’s Leadership Conference, which showcased some dynamic high status achievers from across the world.

6. Author of a pioneering research on the power of Confidence on personal perspectives and routine actions (600 participants). One of the key discoveries was that though women may not be as confident, and often lack the self-belief when they're in their 30s, they actually surpass the men once they reach 42+ years old, their confidence peaking in their 50s!

7. Creating and organising a very successful Meet-Up group, which arranged events and provided life coaching for people of all ages who were isolated at home, and who lacked motivation, self-belief, and information about personal options. It ran for four years and grew to over 400 members.

8. She was asked by the OU, in 2021, to contribute a section to their Tackling Racism in Higher Education awareness course, which was distributed to over 160 colleges and universities.

9. Elaine is personally proud of having read every one of the Booker Prize Winners, and some runners up! An enjoyable experience that also revealed much about the selected topics, the authors themselves, the inclusivity of minority characters, and how they are portrayed.

Keynote Speaker

A successful training consultant and motivational speaker, Elaine is keenly interested in personal growth and development. She regards confidence, empowerment, and inclusivity as keys to an enriching and rewarding life, and her work has focused on enabling many people to realise their potential. Her dynamic coaching consultancy has involved several motivational media (like her books, videos, education magazine, national recognition awards, and public presentations) which effectively boosted the self-knowledge, self-belief, and self-appreciation of her audiences.

Elaine first made her mark as a senior education manager in a large secondary school in Oxford, where she dramatically improved attendance and performance in her year group, then as an education editor of The Voice newspaper, and later managing editor of New Impact, a magazine she created that promoted, and advised, multicultural and training issues across Britain. Since then, her prolific writing on emotional health, career development, relationships, and personal confidence (6 books and over 5000 articles), has also made her a columnist, expert commenter on TV and radio, and one of the most quoted British women on the Internet.

Elaine’s main interests are walking, motivational non-fiction, word games, quizzes, music in all genres, disco dancing, engaging discussions, laughing a lot and empowering others to increase their aspirations, activities, expectations, and social interaction.

PLEASE NOTE: Being a small not-for-profit consultancy, Love and Life Consulting is maintained mainly by Elaine's activities. She is unable to give presentations without remuneration. However, the fees are structured to be lower for charities, voluntary organisations and the smallest organisations.