FEATURED DECEMBER 2008 GUEST:

Ariane de Bonvoisin, CEO and Founder: The First30Days

"Life begins at the end of your comfort zone."

-  Neale Donald Walsch

The 9 Principles of Change

with Ariane de Bonvoisin

Principle 1: People who successfully navigate change have positive beliefs.

Your biggest need right now is to develop new beliefs: about yourself, about this change, and about life in general. Nothing will have a bigger impact on the way you move through change.

Principle 2: People who successfully navigate change know that change always brings something positive into their lives.

Every change has a gift associated with it. While it’s natural to find change hard it’s important to remember that there are two sides to every coin and that something positive will always come. This is by far the most important belief to have during the first thirty days of change.

Principle 3: People who successfully navigate change know they are resilient, strong, and capable of getting through anything.

You are much stronger, much smarter, and much more intuitive than you have ever been told. You are more resilient and more powerful. Once you truly know and believe this, you will be able to get through any change- even the hardest one you can imagine.

Principle 4: People who successfully navigate change know that every challenging emotion they feel is not going to stop them and will guide them to positive emotions that help them feel better.

Negative emotions can stall us, making change harder, while the positive ones can help us move through a change in a simpler, quicker, and more conscious way.

Principle 5: People who successfully navigate change know that the quicker they accept the change, the less pain and hardship they will feel.

Let go of the idea of how life should be.

Principle 6: People who successfully navigate change use empowering questions and words, think better thoughts, and express their feelings.

At your most stuck point, if you can speak with different words, think a slightly better thought, and get in touch with how you are feeling, you can become unstuck in a matter of minutes.

Principle 7: People who successfully navigate change know they are connected to something bigger than themselves.

When everything around you is changing, look for the part of you that doesn’t change. The part that is calm, centered and always there.

Principle 8: People who successfully navigate change are not alone; they surround themselves with people who can help, who have the right beliefs and skills. And they create an environment that supports their change.

One of our biggest flaws as human beings is that we keep thinking we are alone. Whatever the situation, there is always, always someone who can help.

Principle 9: People who successfully navigate change take action. They have a plan and know how to take care of themselves.

Actions come in many forms. Some are big and obvious; some are so small you may think they are irrelevant. But any good action you take is a choice to move forward.

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Learn more about Ariane de Bonvoisin....

The First30Days is a New York City-based media company focused on guiding people through all types of changes, both personal and professional. Ariane is both Founder and CEO of the company, which launched its beta web site with nearly 50 life change subjects in February 2008.

With Ariane’s experience in new media, she knew the impact it could have when used in the right way to help people, build community, and share information and resources. Building the First30Days online seemed like the best place to reach people quickly. Ariane and her team are also intent on extending the First30Days brand from the Internet to books, mobile devices, television, radio, magazines, and newspapers.

Prior to her launch of First30Days and her time at Charlie Rose Productions, Ariane spent a year as a Senior Advisor on a Humanitarian Project, A DAY IN THE LIFE OF AFRICA. The project involved the top 100 photojournalists placed in the 53 countries of Africa on a single day.

Her previous professional experience includes being tapped by Time Warner to become the Managing Director of a new $500 million digital media venture fund in 2000. The Fund’s mission was to take non-controlling equity stakes in early stage, potentially strategic, technology companies.

After acquiring a degree in Economics from the London School of Economics and International Relations at the age of 19, Ariane began her professional career at the Boston Consulting Group based in London. She worked in over a dozen countries during her tenure at BCG.

Upon receiving an MBA from Stanford University, she moved to New York, and began working with media giants BMG and Sony Music. She held the position of Strategic Assistant to the Worldwide Chairman and CEO of BMG Entertainment.

Ariane’s duties at BMG involved presentations to the Board, updates on profit center performances, analysis of new business initiatives, review of budgets and business plans. At SONY, her responsibilities included sourcing, evaluating, structuring and negotiating Internet deals for Sony Music and the Sony Venture Fund.

Ariane also is an accomplished athlete, having been a professional swimmer, a ski instructor, and completed a series of marathons and triathlons. Constantly seeking new challenges, she reached the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro in January 2001 and accompanied a group of students to Antarctica in December 2002.

Ariane was also recently touted as an “up and comer” to Silicon Alley Insider’s annual list of the most influential folks in New York digital business. She has a monthly column in Redbook magazine; is a Life Balance expert for Health Magazine and will be a contributor to Best Life magazine in December 2008.

Her new book entitled, “The First 30 Days: Your Guide to Any Change” was published by Harper Collins in May 2008. Ariane appeared on NBC’s Today Show, and the CBS Early Show, among other media outlets as part of her national book tour.

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To learn more about Ariane de Bonvoisin, please visit her website:The First30Days.