News and Media
Liza Pavlakos: From Trauma to Triumph
By Stephanie Darling, toastmasters.org
How Liza Pavlakos turned her life into a success story
By Indira Laisram, theindiansun.com.au
Toastmasters’ 2021 Golden Gavel recipient Norliza (Liza) Pavlakos knows that stories can change lives—even save them. In fact, rewriting her own narrative was once a matter of life or death. Against all odds, she reversed a devastating life trajectory into a story of soul-healing hope and kindness.
Once virtually voiceless, Pavlakos now uses her extraordinary life stories to comfort and inspire others. Some of the experiences she shares with audiences around the world reveal memories of cruelty and terror. Others—the ones that illuminate her life’s passion for helping others soar above adversity—are joyous and life-affirming.
Liza Pavlakos’s life story is the stuff films are made of. Raped and abused as a young adult, single mother at 21, kidnapped and then human trafficked—life threw every extreme circumstances it had on her. But for Pavlakos, there is nothing to be ashamed about making the episodes of her private life public because she transformed those adversities into opportunities to make her the successful person that she is today.
Growing up in a conservative family, part Indian, part Malaysian, that moved to Australia from Malaysia when she was 12, Pavlakos experienced abuse at the hands of her own uncle from a young age. To top it all, her cousin raped her at the age of 14.
Interview with Liza Pavlakos — An Entrepreneur Who Defied All Odds
By Kaustav Ghosh, brialliantread.com
40 Top Women Keynote Speakers For 2020
By Trevor Oldham, real-leaders.com
In our latest interview, we spoke to Liza Pavlakos, a renowned motivational speaker and a successful entrepreneur from Melbourne, Australia.
Meet Liza today, and you would see a professional businesswoman, but once her life was a story of sadness and misery. Following a series of terrible events, she turned her life around and now uses her story to guide and motivate others. She is on a mission to encourage millions of people around the world and hence most of her time is spent traveling across continents for keynote sessions and events.
Liza Pavlakos wasn’t always the confident entrepreneur she is today. She was once a victim. As a small child, Liza became homeless after running away to escape sexual abuse. As a young adult, she endured violence and disfigurement. But, not one to be cowed by adversity, she had the guts to take on the challenge and grow and bounce back stronger. Today, Pavlakos is a successful businesswoman and a motivational speaker who helps others overcome their challenges.
She engages and inspires thousands at international events, and guides corporate teams to tap into their leadership potential and achieve their business goals. She has been featured on CNN, Channels T.V., Hello Nigeria and Qatar Airways as an inspirational speaker. She’s a human rights supporter who encourages women to become successful entrepreneurs.
News and Media
Liza Pavlakos: From Trauma to Triumph
By Stephanie Darling, toastmasters.org
Toastmasters’ 2021 Golden Gavel recipient Norliza (Liza) Pavlakos knows that stories can change lives—even save them. In fact, rewriting her own narrative was once a matter of life or death. Against all odds, she reversed a devastating life trajectory into a story of soul-healing hope and kindness.
Once virtually voiceless, Pavlakos now uses her extraordinary life stories to comfort and inspire others. Some of the experiences she shares with audiences around the world reveal memories of cruelty and terror. Others—the ones that illuminate her life’s passion for helping others soar above adversity—are joyous and life-affirming.
How Liza Pavlakos turned her life into a success story
By Indira Laisram, theindiansun.com.au
Liza Pavlakos’s life story is the stuff films are made of. Raped and abused as a young adult, single mother at 21, kidnapped and then human trafficked—life threw every extreme circumstances it had on her. But for Pavlakos, there is nothing to be ashamed about making the episodes of her private life public because she transformed those adversities into opportunities to make her the successful person that she is today.
Growing up in a conservative family, part Indian, part Malaysian, that moved to Australia from Malaysia when she was 12, Pavlakos experienced abuse at the hands of her own uncle from a young age. To top it all, her cousin raped her at the age of 14.
Interview with Liza Pavlakos — An Entrepreneur Who Defied All Odds
By Kaustav Ghosh, brialliantread.com
In our latest interview, we spoke to Liza Pavlakos, a renowned motivational speaker and a successful entrepreneur from Melbourne, Australia.
Meet Liza today, and you would see a professional businesswoman, but once her life was a story of sadness and misery. Following a series of terrible events, she turned her life around and now uses her story to guide and motivate others. She is on a mission to encourage millions of people around the world and hence most of her time is spent traveling across continents for keynote sessions and events.
40 Top Women Keynote Speakers For 2020
By Trevor Oldham, real-leaders.com
Liza Pavlakos wasn’t always the confident entrepreneur she is today. She was once a victim. As a small child, Liza became homeless after running away to escape sexual abuse. As a young adult, she endured violence and disfigurement. But, not one to be cowed by adversity, she had the guts to take on the challenge and grow and bounce back stronger. Today, Pavlakos is a successful businesswoman and a motivational speaker who helps others overcome their challenges.
She engages and inspires thousands at international events, and guides corporate teams to tap into their leadership potential and achieve their business goals. She has been featured on CNN, Channels T.V., Hello Nigeria and Qatar Airways as an inspirational speaker. She’s a human rights supporter who encourages women to become successful entrepreneurs.
News
Liza Pavlakos Makes Professional Help Accessible In Support In Support Of Mental Health Awareness Month
By Positive Breakthroughs
Liza Pavlakos Takes A Stand For Business Owners And Their Mental Health
By Positive Breakthroughs
Liza Pavlakos Makes Professional Help Accessible In Support In Support Of Mental Health Awareness Month
By Positive Breakthroughs
27 October 2021, Victoria, Australia: Every October marks the significance of World Mental Health Awareness Month, purposed to raise awareness about mental health concerns globally and mobilise efforts to support mental health. Positive Breakthroughs, an executive coaching and counselling service urges the general public to seek professional help beyond this awareness month to cope with on-going mental health anxieties that could have exacerbate further in this pandemic and post-lockdown.
The Final Report Volume 1: A new approach to mental health and wellbeing in Victoria by the Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System states that “An estimated 1,147,000 people in Victoria are likely to experience some level of mental illness or psychological distress at some point in 2020–21.” The Melbourne-based company wants Australians to realise a critical factor — being open to professional help is an important step to recovery.
Liza Pavlakos Takes A Stand For Business Owners And Their Mental Health
By Positive Breakthroughs
Toastmasters Golden Gavel Award Winner Liza Pavlakos Makes Executive Coaching Accessible to Business Owners
Victoria, Australia: To cope with ongoing lockdown fatigue in Victoria, Positive Breakthroughs, a coaching and counselling business specializing in executive coaching, psychotherapy, and counselling, believes that caring for business owners and their mental health is key to the next part of its therapy strategy. Though many at the grassroots have lost their jobs, the mental stress that business owners and C-level executives often go unseen. Positive Breakthroughs hopes to help businesses understand they can operate effectively when they adopt a reverse approach of caring for employees from the bottom up.
According to The Guardian, one in five Australians reported high levels of psychological distress due to the pandemic in June 2021. The Australian Bureau of Statistics echoes this in a survey revealing — more than one in four (27%) people living in Victoria experienced high or very high levels of psychological distress compared with 18% in the rest of Australia.
How to Practice Acceptance in the Workplace as a Leader
By Positive Breakthroughs
“Happiness can only exist in acceptance.” — George Orwell. This quote rings true in our life at home, but more so at work. Workplace environments comprise different personality types, beliefs, leadership styles, and more. What does it mean to practice acceptance at work — How and when should we vote for change? Is acceptance of people acceptance of their habits? Here’s what industry professionals say and what we believe:
Acceptance in the workplace
Lindsay-Rae McIntyre, Chief Diversity Officer at Microsoft (then IBM), says, “When every employee feels safe and supported, they can be their best authentic selves.” Several studies echoed this, reinforcing how important it is for employees to feel valued and understood and how it contributes to their performance and gradually the company’s success. Awarded as one of Australia’s most innovative companies in the Smart100 and a Top 10 SME in the DELL Business Excellence Awards, LEXIGO shared simple examples of acceptance.
Equality. Humility. Liberty.
By Positive Breakthroughs
March 8th marks International Women’s Day 2022 with the theme, Changing Climates: Equality today for a sustainable tomorrow – a premise that recognises the contribution of women and girls around the world, who are working to change the climate of gender equality and build a sustainable future.
Being the mother of five children, three daughters and two sons, I am a firm believer that gender equality starts at home. Families are at the forefront for change. From breaking down gender stereotypes to sharing everyday household chores, heads us in the right direction for a glorious gender quality future.
My daughters think nothing of washing the car or tinkering under the bonnet. My sons can whip up a meal of mouth-watering goodness in a flash. They are not so keen when it comes to the vacuum cleaner, but overtime have learned to suck it up. Onwards and upwards as we continue to strive for the right gender balance.
27 October 2021, Victoria, Australia: Every October marks the significance of World Mental Health Awareness Month, purposed to raise awareness about mental health concerns globally and mobilise efforts to support mental health. Positive Breakthroughs, an executive coaching and counselling service urges the general public to seek professional help beyond this awareness month to cope with on-going mental health anxieties that could have exacerbate further in this pandemic and post-lockdown.
The Final Report Volume 1: A new approach to mental health and wellbeing in Victoria by the Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System states that “An estimated 1,147,000 people in Victoria are likely to experience some level of mental illness or psychological distress at some point in 2020–21.” The Melbourne-based company wants Australians to realise a critical factor — being open to professional help is an important step to recovery.
Toastmasters Golden Gavel Award Winner Liza Pavlakos Makes Executive Coaching Accessible to Business Owners
Victoria, Australia: To cope with ongoing lockdown fatigue in Victoria, Positive Breakthroughs, a coaching and counselling business specializing in executive coaching, psychotherapy, and counselling, believes that caring for business owners and their mental health is key to the next part of its therapy strategy. Though many at the grassroots have lost their jobs, the mental stress that business owners and C-level executives often go unseen. Positive Breakthroughs hopes to help businesses understand they can operate effectively when they adopt a reverse approach of caring for employees from the bottom up.
According to The Guardian, one in five Australians reported high levels of psychological distress due to the pandemic in June 2021. The Australian Bureau of Statistics echoes this in a survey revealing — more than one in four (27%) people living in Victoria experienced high or very high levels of psychological distress compared with 18% in the rest of Australia.
How to Practice Acceptance in the Workplace as a Leader
By Positive Breakthroughs
Equality. Humility. Liberty.
By Positive Breakthroughs
“Happiness can only exist in acceptance.” — George Orwell. This quote rings true in our life at home, but more so at work. Workplace environments comprise different personality types, beliefs, leadership styles, and more. What does it mean to practice acceptance at work — How and when should we vote for change? Is acceptance of people acceptance of their habits? Here’s what industry professionals say and what we believe:
Acceptance in the workplace
Lindsay-Rae McIntyre, Chief Diversity Officer at Microsoft (then IBM), says, “When every employee feels safe and supported, they can be their best authentic selves.” Several studies echoed this, reinforcing how important it is for employees to feel valued and understood and how it contributes to their performance and gradually the company’s success. Awarded as one of Australia’s most innovative companies in the Smart100 and a Top 10 SME in the DELL Business Excellence Awards, LEXIGO shared simple examples of acceptance.
March 8th marks International Women’s Day 2022 with the theme, Changing Climates: Equality today for a sustainable tomorrow – a premise that recognises the contribution of women and girls around the world, who are working to change the climate of gender equality and build a sustainable future.
Being the mother of five children, three daughters and two sons, I am a firm believer that gender equality starts at home. Families are at the forefront for change. From breaking down gender stereotypes to sharing everyday household chores, heads us in the right direction for a glorious gender quality future.
My daughters think nothing of washing the car or tinkering under the bonnet. My sons can whip up a meal of mouth-watering goodness in a flash. They are not so keen when it comes to the vacuum cleaner, but overtime have learned to suck it up. Onwards and upwards as we continue to strive for the right gender balance.
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