https://strengthandmindset.com/blog daily 0.75 2025-10-11 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6707afd3db55dd29878ee7db/99d5b97f-e99b-4beb-84c5-178bc41c5318/eliza-sandu-strength-conditioning-coach-3.jpg https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6707afd3db55dd29878ee7db/91e505fe-3dde-4361-bd5c-92ccaf076ef3/strength-and-mindset-members-studio-anerley.png https://strengthandmindset.com/blog/the-mindset-part monthly 0.5 2025-10-13 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6707afd3db55dd29878ee7db/5f48f10b-4d11-4817-a407-cd4a337e1015/IMG_8849.jpeg Blog - The mindset part… - Make it stand out We think mindset and stubbornness are very similar, what do you think? https://strengthandmindset.com/blog/fjt0na9c4669r2q64duvzpwap6dt87 monthly 0.5 2025-02-18 https://strengthandmindset.com/blog/do-you-do-pay-as-you-go-sessions monthly 0.5 2025-01-31 https://strengthandmindset.com/blog/what-to-expect-in-a-one-to-one-trial-assessment monthly 0.5 2025-01-31 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6707afd3db55dd29878ee7db/052115ec-d272-453a-ae09-eef0efe15ae1/one-to-one-trial-strength-conditioning-session.jpg Blog - What to expect in a 1:1 trial/assessment? - What can I expect from the trial session? In the first part of the trial we will have a chat. We are a small business and we know each other well, we go to socials quarterly and many members have become friends even outside the studio. We don't disclose any of your information, but we do want to know if you are struggling with any particular issue or injury, if you take any medication, what is your preferred training time, if you live in the area etc. https://strengthandmindset.com/blog/what-kind-of-shoes-should-i-wear-when-i-train monthly 0.5 2025-01-31 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6707afd3db55dd29878ee7db/ea55f73b-65cd-4a87-a9d1-b65871d2c57f/funky-trainers.jpg Blog - What kind of shoes should I wear when I train? - We have a dream …that the perfect shoe exists! We get this question so often and it never stops being a trending topic. It seems that people either know very well what to wear or have no idea. If you don’t wear adequate clothing and shoes, it can be very uncomfortable to train, even dangerous! https://strengthandmindset.com/blog/how-do-i-choose-the-right-strength-and-conditioning-coach-for-me monthly 0.5 2025-01-31 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6707afd3db55dd29878ee7db/01f66337-8c15-432e-aead-7ff3f8f8d55f/strength-coaching-client-south-london.jpg Blog - How do I choose the right strength and conditioning coach for me? Our friend from North London asked us this question and we thought it makes for a good post. And to be fair, when a client plans to move away, it is one of the first thing we talk about - what is the plan for their future sessions? https://strengthandmindset.com/blog/i-am-struggling-with-severe-menopause-symptoms monthly 0.5 2025-01-31 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6707afd3db55dd29878ee7db/306a9258-54d0-487a-a709-3f4995228642/sunset-anerley-south-london.jpg Blog - I am struggling with severe menopause symptoms…can resistance training help? - The best time to start resistance training was yesterday, but the next best time is now! https://strengthandmindset.com/blog/i-dont-have-the-motivation-can-a-personal-trainer-help-me monthly 0.5 2025-01-31 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6707afd3db55dd29878ee7db/a6ee122e-d110-460c-88ac-bb33bd12f86f/training-schedule-strength-and-mindset-anerley.jpeg Blog - I don’t have the motivation? Can a personal trainer help me? - As you can imagine we would need to gather the best scholars in the world to exhaust this topic. #mindsetmatters If you feel like you don’t have the motivation and you are waiting for it to suddenly kick in - this can generate a lot of frustration. There is no easier way to say it, but motivation is the result of action. Action brings motivation! https://strengthandmindset.com/blog/money-tree-talk-will-training-once-a-week-be-enough monthly 0.5 2025-01-31 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6707afd3db55dd29878ee7db/1861ce5d-cbc3-4c6e-a5c7-e31cedbaa8bd/money-tree.jpeg Blog - Money-tree talk - "Will training once a week be enough?" - Yesterday we got asked this question and most new clients will bring it up at one point in our first chat. We decided to write an article about it to break things down and maybe give you some clarity if you are considering personal coaching. https://strengthandmindset.com/blog/screaming-personal-trainers-will-my-sessions-be-like-that monthly 0.5 2025-01-31 https://strengthandmindset.com/blog/53365-for-our-girls monthly 0.5 2025-01-31 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6707afd3db55dd29878ee7db/f4313285-11e9-4a98-afbe-df927ed02e9c/eliza-2008.jpeg Blog - 53/365 Fight club confessions - part 2 - Make it stand out Eliza in 2008 https://strengthandmindset.com/blog/52365-stay-grounded-reflect-on-your-first-impulse monthly 0.5 2025-01-31 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6707afd3db55dd29878ee7db/52ca5213-c1df-4b45-b2ab-9c8abba45875/summer-sky-crete.jpeg Blog - 52/365 Stay grounded, reflect on your first impulse! - Make it stand out Summer sky, Crete 2022 https://strengthandmindset.com/blog/51365-happy-birthday-kid monthly 0.5 2025-01-31 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6707afd3db55dd29878ee7db/09226822-9eb3-484f-a96e-e6c1a2e36a16/ian-sandu.jpeg Blog - 51/365 Happy Birthday, kid! - You keep us guessing, you obsess, you are driven, you inspire, you’re relentless… you zoom in and out… we’re in awe even when we don’t fully comprehend you. There’s something about you kid, you are a spectacle! At one point, in the future, we will have to take the backseat and just watch your story unravel, but I hope we poured enough love to your roots to last you three lifetimes and we are not stopping here. We love you! https://strengthandmindset.com/blog/50365-come-as-you-are-as-you-were monthly 0.5 2025-01-31 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6707afd3db55dd29878ee7db/bb02441d-d177-424c-a4fe-100a9cf42830/eliza-sandu-2022.jpeg Blog - 50/365 - “Come as you are, as you were…” - I find some posts triggering, they make me feel unwell and for a long time I blamed myself for that. I thought that feeling like that made me a bad person. It’s hard to imagine what a teenager or a child can feel like, if it has this effect on an adult. I am not talking about celebrities, they have no cure. Pictures that send a clear message - society only accepts perfection and happiness. It’s hard to see any balance between the good and the bad. It’s like we are avoiding the whole idea of humanity. And we wonder why kids grow up to be vain… https://strengthandmindset.com/blog/49365-boredom monthly 0.5 2025-01-31 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6707afd3db55dd29878ee7db/aaa3dc47-450f-4372-b1f5-f8f85c4f43b1/eliza-sandu-doorway.jpeg Blog - 49/365 Boredom - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://strengthandmindset.com/blog/48365-healthy-expression-of-anger monthly 0.5 2025-01-31 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6707afd3db55dd29878ee7db/a3b5bcfd-39ca-45b7-8b80-03761c4e827a/ian-sophia-outdoors.jpeg Blog - 48/365 - Healthy Expression of Anger - Again, I’ve debated for along time with myself if I should post this or not, but at the end of the day, this whole open communication movement I started has been an amazing journey so far. It has opened doors that I had no idea they were closed and has allowed me to feel closer to the people I am in contact with. https://strengthandmindset.com/blog/47365-i-have-met-evil monthly 0.5 2025-01-31 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6707afd3db55dd29878ee7db/715060e8-8390-4ce6-846b-101424debd8a/eliza-primary-school-romania.jpeg Blog - 47/365 - I have met evil - I always talked openly about my primary school teacher. In Romania for the first four years we have the same teacher, unlike the UK where each year it’s a different person. Even for that period, she was a monster! They say not to speak ill of the death, but the violence she was capable of was shocking. Now she would be jailed. https://strengthandmindset.com/blog/46365-are-you-breathing monthly 0.5 2025-01-31 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6707afd3db55dd29878ee7db/16f546b5-a3b8-4a08-96fc-7bdbf1d0b167/beckenham-blue-sky.jpeg Blog - 46/365 - Are you breathing? - Make it stand out Beckenham sky https://strengthandmindset.com/blog/45365-bean-soup monthly 0.5 2025-01-31 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6707afd3db55dd29878ee7db/3bf017a9-6580-4f86-be49-651967c8805c/eliza-christmas-romania.jpeg Blog - 45/365 - Bean soup - I was raised in a time when I didn’t care I was a single child, because I was always out and about. The door to our flat was almost never locked, anyone could come in and out without knocking. Sleepovers were a normal thing, they would happen at least once a week and I would eat meals with one neighbour or another almost every day. I had food at home, but it was more fun to wander. One neighbour even had a box under her doorbell button so that I could climb to ring. My favourite dish was traditional bean soup and I could have huge amounts of that, I still could, especially if you throw next to it an onion with salt. Yes, it took a village to raise me and I loved it! One day my neighbour from across the floor did just that (my favourite soup) and called me over. I must have been around 6-7 years old. I ate greedily the whole, delicious bowl, but after that I had to make an exit. I don’t know how long I sat there thinking, but the next thing that came out of my mouth was: “I need to go home, because I forgot the kitchen door open!” I don’t remember how many years I was teased with this phrase, but I reckon about a decade. https://strengthandmindset.com/blog/44365-the-f-word monthly 0.5 2025-01-23 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6707afd3db55dd29878ee7db/6da58ae1-a12c-4b58-b1c0-08ef0a8ae6b2/eliza-strength-conditioning-coach-london-2.jpeg Blog - 44/365 - The F-word - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://strengthandmindset.com/blog/43365 monthly 0.5 2025-01-23 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6707afd3db55dd29878ee7db/01ea0089-bb47-46fa-bb1f-7c864ceb8f9b/tree-landscape-blue-sky.jpeg Blog - 43/365 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://strengthandmindset.com/blog/42365-task-chew monthly 0.5 2025-01-23 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6707afd3db55dd29878ee7db/68e716aa-8dcc-485b-a8f9-72d6c14e7c7e/eliza-office.jpeg Blog - 42/365 - Task: Chew! - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://strengthandmindset.com/blog/41365-bullies-from-the-past monthly 0.5 2025-01-23 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6707afd3db55dd29878ee7db/0d3d1154-781d-481f-bbe1-7a471dc214e0/eliza-2009.jpeg Blog - 41/365 - Bullies from the past - Make it stand out Eliza in 2009 https://strengthandmindset.com/blog/40365-catharsis-through-uncomfortable monthly 0.5 2025-01-23 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6707afd3db55dd29878ee7db/9a737020-5801-4ce8-9b00-9ce2381a47e7/eliza-crouching-kettle-bells.jpeg Blog - 40/365 - Catharsis through uncomfortable - These posts are part of an extensive journey that I’ve embarked on more than a year ago. The centre of this journey has been to do every single day at least one thing that makes me very uncomfortable and I have to be honest, I feel cringy posting, even if I leave out many things from my stories. I like writing them, for my kids, but pressing “post” is hard. I believe the uncomfortable fine-tunes the character and gives the capacity to push mental barriers. Being stuck in a loop where every day looks and feels the same is the opposite of personal growth. That is not evolution and what can result from that scares me more than being uncomfortable. https://strengthandmindset.com/blog/39365-welcome-baby-girl monthly 0.5 2025-01-23 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6707afd3db55dd29878ee7db/3c4e95d8-976f-4ed9-a8e2-65935eec2586/baby-sophia-2015.jpeg Blog - 39/365 - Welcome, baby girl! - Make it stand out Sophia, Christmas 2015 https://strengthandmindset.com/blog/38365-you-do-you monthly 0.5 2025-01-23 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6707afd3db55dd29878ee7db/623287b5-9f4e-4f07-9f04-67c74b077cc1/sophia-2022.jpeg Blog - 38/365 - You do you! - June 2015 On my second pregnancy the sickness kicked in much earlier than first time around, but three months in and I was still breastfeeding. Struggling to hold food in and losing weight, I had a choice to make - “This kid here is old enough to feed himself, the other one needs more!” I have heard of women breastfeeding for very long periods of time, but I thought it was ok to stop at that point. I did the transition gradually, in three weeks and it worked great for the both of us. https://strengthandmindset.com/blog/37365 monthly 0.5 2025-01-23 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6707afd3db55dd29878ee7db/1466061e-0a3e-4bb3-ac94-63ba88da1ab8/eliza-ian-paris.jpeg Blog - 37/365 - Make it stand out Eliza and Ian, Paris 2015 https://strengthandmindset.com/blog/36365-now-tell-me-how-good-were-you monthly 0.5 2025-01-23 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6707afd3db55dd29878ee7db/791274f4-cd48-4fc3-b083-086e617b5e1c/eliza-black-top.jpeg Blog - 36/365 - Now tell me, how good were you? - I sometimes worry I am not fun enough for my kids…. By the time I was 8 years, same age as Ian, I had already climbed every single tree and had stolen flowers from every garden on a 3km radius from the flat I lived in. I would sell some of the flowers I stole, to buy chewing gum with cool stickers. I burned my eyebrows smoking cigarette butts with my friends and I chased, hugged and was bitten multiple times by street dogs. I had a new bruise or a cut every day, but I never slowed down. https://strengthandmindset.com/blog/35365 monthly 0.5 2025-01-23 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6707afd3db55dd29878ee7db/f213716d-ce8b-4536-b3a8-183d5928b0fc/eliza-blue-vest.jpeg Blog - 35/365 - 2014 - Should I put a trigger warning on this? I don’t see how having a child can mend a broken relationship, but I can clearly see how it can break it. When we had Ian, we had been together for a decent seven years. That’s a lot of time by many standards! And still it was one of the biggest challenge of our relationship, because each of us have “luggage”. https://strengthandmindset.com/blog/34365-first-months-of-motherhood monthly 0.5 2025-01-23 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6707afd3db55dd29878ee7db/4d9d95c9-ac13-4f16-bc42-3272dd601478/eliza-blue-vest-2.jpeg Blog - 34/365 - First months of motherhood - First couple of months of motherhood were a big haze for me. I wish I could say I remember more than what I see today in pictures and random images like pieces of puzzles, but I would be lying. I had one mission and that took every moment and every waking breath. The days blended into each other and before we knew it, an awkward Christmas came and went by. I know I took as much joy as I could from those moments, but they were so brief and hard to hold on, they are never enough. You cannot avoid nostalgia! The baby weight kept coming off. Breastfeeding was making me a thirsty monster and I was drinking water night and day! Before I knew it I had a very different body shape that I did not recognise or liked. https://strengthandmindset.com/blog/33365-first-days-home-with-a-newborn-baby monthly 0.5 2025-01-23 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6707afd3db55dd29878ee7db/d50c1230-33da-4e03-ac25-dd78081c814d/eliza-back-bend.jpeg Blog - 33/365 - First days home with a newborn baby - End of November, 2013 After I got home with a new born baby, the last thing that I even thought of was to look in the mirror. Both Silviu and my auntie looked at me a bit worried, but I never thought it was because I had bursted some veins on my neck from the push. Oh, the perks of giving birth! While the things we do not see, do not bother us, the ones we feel, are not so easy to brush off. It started as a dull back ache and it was getting more and more intense each day, and by day four I was crawling in pain. I kept thinking that it was a muscular pain, like a contraction and was massaging it all the time. https://strengthandmindset.com/blog/32365-my-first-birth-part-ii monthly 0.5 2025-01-23 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6707afd3db55dd29878ee7db/097dbbef-9cd9-454d-b990-d6528644b963/eliza-baby-ian.jpeg Blog - 32/365 - My first birth part II - 26 hours of labour later on the 25th of November 2013 we became parents to a baby boy. The contractions never became regular, I lost a lot of blood and the whole experience was traumatic. I said I will never have a second baby! Sorry Sophia, you say a lot of stuff when you are exhausted. I gave birth at St Mary’s Hospital in Paddington and the only thing I can say is that a bit of care and humanity would have gone a long way. The hospital was chosen according to proximity, not because it was the birth hospital for royalty. https://strengthandmindset.com/blog/31365-my-first-birth-experience monthly 0.5 2025-01-23 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6707afd3db55dd29878ee7db/483df4e7-da7e-4780-a9f1-7bb7192a30eb/pregnant-eliza.jpeg Blog - 31/365 - My first birth experience - Saturday morning, 24th of November 2013 - I went into labour. My auntie was just landing in London to help and Silviu left me home for a few hours to go pick her up. They got back in time and it was all fun and games at first. We were having a laugh because the contractions were bearable, but after eight hours I was not amused anymore. https://strengthandmindset.com/blog/30365-i-say-yes-every-day monthly 0.5 2025-01-23 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6707afd3db55dd29878ee7db/d386eca8-09fc-457b-8d9f-305b3f7bf2fd/eliza-silviu-sandu.jpeg Blog - 30/365 - I say yes every day! - Make it stand out Happy wedding anniversary to us! https://strengthandmindset.com/blog/29365-pregnancy-story monthly 0.5 2025-01-23 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6707afd3db55dd29878ee7db/f30e9287-009a-4548-aa61-4fff8b5c8c9f/eliza-iron-man-mask.jpeg Blog - 29/365 - Pregnancy story - Mid November 2013 and two weeks before I gave birth, we were moving homes. I carried boxes, cleaned, climbed on counter tops, whatever you have to do when you move out - to the dismay of some people that were saying that it will speed up labour. Not only it did not speed up labour, but the baby arrived one week late, I call him over baked baby, both of them actually. https://strengthandmindset.com/blog/28365-work-hard-play-hard monthly 0.5 2025-01-23 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6707afd3db55dd29878ee7db/d01e32ca-19ce-40a9-a8cf-5c4bb378cb9a/eliza-silviu-medelene.jpeg Blog - 28/365 - Work hard play hard - In the Summers of 2012 and 2013 we went to Turkey with a dear friend, she was also my colleague at Harrods. The ideal partner in crime, always up to mischief. We even gatecrashed a wedding in Turkey and ended up dancing there for hours, eating delicious food and drinking Rum and Coke (of course). We always had something to chat about and even if she was twice my age she never talked down to me. She had this way of pulling you close, talk to you in a low, soft voice and make you feel like she was sharing the most valuable of secrets and you were a very special person. https://strengthandmindset.com/blog/27365-no-pride-when-learning monthly 0.5 2025-01-23 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6707afd3db55dd29878ee7db/7d74b5d8-eb78-4bbd-b7c6-1ec0d31004ff/eliza-plank.jpeg Blog - 27/365 - No pride when learning - In early 2013 I enrolled in a course and I started going to classes three days a week, the other four I was working. I am not sure how they are viewed now, but ACCA qualifications were at the time very popular and I thought they would help me build my career. I paid in full and in advance for all the modules. Big mistake! https://strengthandmindset.com/blog/26365-grudge-is-a-waste-of-time monthly 0.5 2025-01-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6707afd3db55dd29878ee7db/c707c407-0d74-4743-87a4-8f7bda7a521a/eliza-grandad-1989.jpeg Blog - 26/365 - Grudge is a waste of time! - Today I should not write, I should excuse myself from myself and take a day to think and to process the death of my grandad. I should give myself time to dig a hole in my soul and bury in there all the things I should not say. Close them tight and let them boil, that is what normal people do, right? I am not burying things anymore, not since I heard that children learn more from your subconscious than from what you think you are teaching them. https://strengthandmindset.com/blog/25365-more-on-pcos monthly 0.5 2025-01-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6707afd3db55dd29878ee7db/36921928-f10e-4300-a1d6-389ec7479832/eliza-ian-london-2012.jpeg Blog - 25/365 - More on PCOS - I went against doctor advice and stopped taking the pill. It was known that some women get depression from them, but it was not openly discussed. Since then we have more research on synthetic hormones, but also into PCOS. The doctors at the time told me that PCOS has no known cause and that it is most likely hereditary. More recently it has been linked to insulin resistance. When I first read about this I was not surprised. https://strengthandmindset.com/blog/24365-dream-big-even-when-you-hit-rock-bottom monthly 0.5 2025-01-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6707afd3db55dd29878ee7db/b0f7aa8b-14d1-4f09-ae68-06618d5c0b4c/eliza-london-2009.jpeg Blog - 24/365 - Dream big, even when you hit rock bottom - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://strengthandmindset.com/blog/23365-toxic-friendships monthly 0.5 2025-01-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6707afd3db55dd29878ee7db/d064a682-7697-4a86-b56a-c413f99422cf/eliza-weightlifting.jpeg Blog - 23/365 - Toxic friendships - The year of 2011 found us with a tight circle of friends. We would visit each other frequently or go out to eat. It was all fun until one of them gave me hints that she did not like me. She was tolerating me because I was good friends with the others. Am I really writing about these sort of things? Hell, yeah! Toxic friendships are not uncommon and I am hopeful my kids will read these posts one day. Kids, there will be people that do not like you, what are you going to do about it? https://strengthandmindset.com/blog/22365-bring-your-heart monthly 0.5 2025-01-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6707afd3db55dd29878ee7db/c78cf620-b26c-4cc8-85ce-7d79d13db8e5/eliza-romania-2008.jpeg Blog - 22/365 - Bring your heart - Make it stand out Maramures, Romania 2008 https://strengthandmindset.com/blog/21365-exercise-and-mental-wellness monthly 0.5 2025-01-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6707afd3db55dd29878ee7db/bf5ab738-dcfc-47ba-9e6e-13864401c34a/eliza-barbell.jpeg Blog - 21/365 - Exercise and Mental wellness - October-November 2010 Around this time we moved from Fulham and rented a place of our own in Roehampton, near Putney. In the Summer the flat was lovely and we had a view over Richmond Park from the seventh floor. During winter it was freezing, the wind would break through the cracks of the window frames and mould would form, it was hard to keep it under control. https://strengthandmindset.com/blog/20365 monthly 0.5 2025-01-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6707afd3db55dd29878ee7db/85d79211-7a75-4520-a372-43312dd48fb1/eliza-baseball-cap.jpeg Blog - 20/365 - September 2010 Silviu: “There’s a bike left a few steps away from the rubbish bin outside!” Me: “Maybe it belongs to someone from around here!” Silviu: “Nope, that’s there to take!” Me: “It must be broken!” Silviu: “It needs a new wheel, but I can do it!” https://strengthandmindset.com/blog/19365 monthly 0.5 2025-01-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6707afd3db55dd29878ee7db/e30811ce-853b-4f36-87da-e500b0041c88/eliza-barbell-2.jpeg Blog - 19/365 - Small towns and diversity - May-August 2010 On the internal career website at Harrods it said that they were looking for staff in the Chocolate Department so, I went to the ground floor to check out the place for myself. I approached the counter and spoke to a girl there, she said that they do not need staff. Well, that has not put me off before! I looked for the manager and he was kind, friendly and three interviews later I was a Chocolatier. The team was quite big because it also included the Tea and Coffee Department and that added to about thirty people at the time. https://strengthandmindset.com/blog/18365-money-and-time monthly 0.5 2025-01-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6707afd3db55dd29878ee7db/25698c8f-2d3e-4334-bea7-771d52494217/eliza-beckenham-2022.jpeg Blog - 18/365 - Money and time - January - April 2010 My temporary contract with Harrods finished at the end of January. After three more interviews I was allowed to stay, but because of all the human resources procedures and slow communication I ended up staying at home for three weeks. I knew I had a job promise from a reputable company - I could relax so, I went through this phase where I slept like a log. https://strengthandmindset.com/blog/17365-my-story-with-pcos monthly 0.5 2025-01-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6707afd3db55dd29878ee7db/ca0e79fb-b26d-4320-a6de-56e93921bbde/eliza-christmas-2009.jpeg Blog - 17/365 - My story with PCOS - Make it stand out Christmas 2009 https://strengthandmindset.com/blog/16365-magic-mike monthly 0.5 2025-01-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6707afd3db55dd29878ee7db/9ca725b0-9113-4e1c-bf1d-1b986e2b0374/silviu-sandu.jpeg Blog - 16/365 - Magic Mike - December 2009 I will continue with my storytelling tomorrow, but I know I am not the only one that when I feel like I have hit rock bottom I ask myself what was life a month ago, half year ago and so on. It is not hard to find a moment when you were happier and you felt like things made sense. https://strengthandmindset.com/blog/15365 monthly 0.5 2025-01-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6707afd3db55dd29878ee7db/df51cf05-4c26-4990-abc9-078190f925ac/eliza-priscilla-harrods-2009.jpeg Blog - 15/365 - The beginning of a beautiful friendship - November- December 2009 Christmas season starts early in London, right after Halloween. In Romania it used to start on the first day of December, I am not sure now. I saw that as an excessive marketing move. Since then I have turned that thought around, I embrace the habit now, it just gives us longer to enjoy it. It is what you make it to be, as long as you are smart with your money. https://strengthandmindset.com/blog/14365-got-a-job-at-harrods monthly 0.5 2025-01-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6707afd3db55dd29878ee7db/a85b1745-3c9a-4490-b98a-b72e8580eb21/eliza-london-2009-2.jpeg Blog - 14/365 - Got a job at Harrods! - Make it stand out Baby face 2009 https://strengthandmindset.com/blog/13365-you-are-enough monthly 0.5 2025-01-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6707afd3db55dd29878ee7db/dde103b0-b120-4391-a1ec-9310c43bac27/eliza-september-2009.jpeg Blog - 13/365 - You are enough - Make it stand out 2009 https://strengthandmindset.com/blog/12365-help-others-when-you-are-in-a-position-to-do-so monthly 0.5 2025-01-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6707afd3db55dd29878ee7db/c02552e9-1b14-4a2a-b693-16addf324f5b/eliza-laughing.jpeg Blog - 12/365 - Help others when you are in a position to do so - Make it stand out A little bit too much to drink on Silviu’s birthday https://strengthandmindset.com/blog/11365-compromise-when-you-know-it-is-worth-it monthly 0.5 2025-01-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6707afd3db55dd29878ee7db/b7527b10-257d-4724-bc6c-d96ea875c406/silviu-westminster-2009.jpeg Blog - 11/365 - Compromise when you know it is worth it - September-October 2009 Those were the days when tea in the thermos and walks in the park were all that we could afford and whenever I think about that I smile. But there were also days when we were feeling resentful, stressed and sad. https://strengthandmindset.com/blog/10365-work-is-work monthly 0.5 2025-01-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6707afd3db55dd29878ee7db/aedd9ce7-d11a-42fe-bda6-e3459911c340/eliza-silviu-september-2009.jpeg Blog - 10/365 - Work is work! - September 2009 It had been three weeks since my arrival and Silviu was due to come in two weeks to stay. My friend was very kind to find us a room to rent in Fulham, about an hour walking distance to work so, I moved out of the hostel. We had three flatmates - two women from Philippines and a man from Pakistan, married to one of the two. https://strengthandmindset.com/blog/9365-first-week-in-london monthly 0.5 2025-01-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6707afd3db55dd29878ee7db/422215ee-3138-49c4-97cd-870f727a6121/mr-salvatore-ian-2013.jpeg Blog - 9/365 - First week in London - Make it stand out Mr Salvatore and Ian, 2013 https://strengthandmindset.com/blog/8365-first-day-in-london monthly 0.5 2025-01-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6707afd3db55dd29878ee7db/b0f7aa8b-14d1-4f09-ae68-06618d5c0b4c/eliza-london-2009.jpeg Blog - 8/365 - First day in London - On the early morning of 17th of August 2009 I landed in London, UK. I remember going through customs at the airport, but cannot remember which airport. There were big posters greeting us at the airport saying that if you are a Romanian or a Bulgarian national you cannot work without a visa or you risk all sort of fines and prosecutions. https://strengthandmindset.com/blog/7365-about-marriage-and-some-men-in-power monthly 0.5 2025-01-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6707afd3db55dd29878ee7db/366955c8-bc21-43c0-b05b-18140161e0a5/silviu-sophia.jpeg Blog - 7/365 - About marriage and some men in power - 16th of August 2009 - one day to go to say goodbye to my loved one knowing we will be seeing each other soon, even if I did not know exactly when. Goodbyes suck and I am not going to go into that! We all had to say goodbye, sometimes forever and it will never get easier. I met this man when I was 20 years, happy to finally be alone and wanting to keep it like that, but he had other plans and I am as smitten with him as ever. He has never felt like he had to make me look small so that he could feel strong. He has always been ahead of the trend - always supported women, pointed out unfair treatment and I could not appreciate his support and respect more. I love you, dude! https://strengthandmindset.com/blog/6365-know-your-worth-and-how-i-did-not-know-mine monthly 0.5 2025-01-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6707afd3db55dd29878ee7db/d3b7b7d2-8c38-497b-b6aa-9c12a2146ca1/eliza-august-2009.jpeg Blog - 6/365 - Know your worth and how I did not know mine - 5th of August 2009 The departure was less than 48h away and I was working tirelessly on my CV and applying for jobs. I was staying away from banking jobs - the recession had kicked in and before resigning from the bank I was involuntarily transitioning from a Client Advisor’s position to being a loan shark. They encouraged people to take mortgages in Swiss Francs and guess what? The CHF went up so much in value against the Romanian RON that their mortgages almost doubled over night! https://strengthandmindset.com/blog/5365-reading-and-luggage monthly 0.5 2025-01-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6707afd3db55dd29878ee7db/c32e3ee4-7061-409e-a4ed-1bd68837fa0a/eliza-valencia-2022.jpeg Blog - 5/365 - Reading and luggage - 14th of August 2009 A few days to go and I was putting my luggage together. “Will I be there when winter comes? How cold does it get at night? Will I need bed sheets? Is there a risk of getting robbed? It is a hostel after all…” Probably a lot of stuff that do not represent me anymore ended in that suitcase, like office shirts, jewellery and dresses. Apparently, I also took 5 books, I have no recollection, but this is what I mentioned in an email. I bet they were fiction books, all of them! https://strengthandmindset.com/blog/4365-the-law-of-attraction-is-a-weird-thing monthly 0.5 2025-01-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6707afd3db55dd29878ee7db/4ef6e351-7299-4d94-b2b5-b221e7d135bf/eliza-poole-dorset.jpeg Blog - 4/365 - The Law of Attraction is a weird thing - 13th of August 2009 and 4 days to go till London. Clearly the subject of money came up multiple times. I was €1,000 short, thanks to that Earls Court flat scam and I was still very affected by it. My friend had found that ad and needless to say she was not feeling better either. We were so young! I kept trying to get my money back and I was sending as many emails as I possibly could to the companies involved, but it was time to face reality and start breathing normally so, reluctantly I decided to let it go. Silviu still had a job, we were not big spenders, we will manage somehow. https://strengthandmindset.com/blog/3365-i-decided-i-am-enough-and-everything-changed monthly 0.5 2025-01-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6707afd3db55dd29878ee7db/2b65ce0d-1f78-4c1e-aab4-8ba7eeb8ccbf/eliza-sandy-beach-valencia.jpeg Blog - 3/365 - I decided I am enough and everything changed - 12 August 2009 I must have changed my mind about a hundred times before coming to London. I remember friends stopping by our place in the days before or going out in the evenings, having drinks, having a laugh… “What are you doing? Are you crazy?” But you see, I knew this was going to work, because I had decided that there was no other option. https://strengthandmindset.com/blog/day-2-365-how-well-did-i-speak-english-before-coming monthly 0.5 2025-01-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6707afd3db55dd29878ee7db/9b18491e-76a2-406e-b082-258db2fc3ca5/eliza-westminster-2009.jpeg Blog - Day 2/365 - How well did I speak English before coming? - 11th August, 2009 The day when I would leave my whole life behind was approaching and I wasn’t very worried about my English skills. I had under my belt about 30 hours of College English and a few more thousand hours of Cartoon Network and movies with Romanian subtitles. What could go wrong? https://strengthandmindset.com/blog/day-1365-deciding-to-come-to-london-and-getting-scammed monthly 0.5 2025-01-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6707afd3db55dd29878ee7db/b40b014a-9b76-4243-9ea8-1daf7964419e/eliza-medicine-ball.jpeg Blog - Day 1/365 - Deciding to come to London and getting scammed - 10th of Aug, 2009 and one week to go till I would arrive with a friend in London whilst leaving my hubby temporarily behind in Romania. I was 23, I had spontaneously resigned from my job at a bank a week prior and had no idea what I was doing. The stress was peaking and on top of that I had fallen out with most of my family and decided there is no point in staying in Romania so, convinced that we (Romanians) were allowed to work in the UK at the time (more on that later), I started looking for accommodation. I had never visited London or knew anyone in the UK. https://strengthandmindset.com/blog/coaching-is-personal-who-is-your-coach monthly 0.5 2025-01-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6707afd3db55dd29878ee7db/ba650a95-6350-4f3d-beb6-3f95cdebe841/eliza-strength-conditioning-coach-london.jpeg Blog - Coaching is personal, who is your coach? - I find the relationship between a coach and an athlete - yes you, you are the athlete - to be very unique. Here you are all of a sudden, talking to a professional about your body, your sleep, your food, your health, your mood, what you did the day before and beyond that. 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