the business ladder

2 July 2010

Lonneke Kwantes is the founder of Inspirational Speakers 4 Schools (IS4S) who source, recommend and organise inspirational speakers for pupils and teachers in schools across the UK.

TBL: Tell us a bit about your personal background.

LK: I was born in Holland but spent most of my youth in Southeast Asia, primarily Singapore. I graduated university with a psychology degree and worked in the Education sector. I think growing up in such a multicultural, global setting has really given me an important appreciation of diversity.

TBL: How did you come up with the idea behind IS4S? How did you get started?

LK: My work background is in Education, and I have a passion for young people and sharing inspiration, having read and attended several inspirational talks myself. The idea simply came to me early one morning. Whilst working as an employee I spent all the free time I had working on IS4S, then I took the first step and speakers just seemed to come to me. The feedback from schools was great. I set up a free website and started spreading the word. I then decided to commit to IS4S full-time, leaving a ‘secure’ job and going for it with all my energy.

TBL: What is IS4S’s mission or philosophy?

LK: We say on the website that “along with our academic curriculum we need to educate our children on a wider level – what does it really mean to be a human being?” There’s more to life than acquiring, accumulating, chasing pleasures, projecting an image. We all have unique, amazing abilities that we should nurture and cherish. And a speaker who delivers this message will change lives.

My mission is to inspire via great speakers. I had a narrow perspective on life growing up, I thought you just had to do what was expected and follow the norm... but actually there’s so much more that we can do with confidence and self-belief. In particular we mustn’t label ourselves or believe that we aren’t good enough.

TBL: What kind of ‘clients’ is IS4S targeted at?

LK: We organise talks at independent and state schools across the UK, both primary and secondary, as well as further education colleges.

TBL: How does your vision for IS4S interact with ‘mainstream’ education?

LK: I think the educational system is changing, as more and more schools broaden their curriculum with exciting learning opportunities. For me the big message is that we all have unlimited potential in what we choose to do, despite your marks or exam results. It’s crucial to promote self-esteem and the realisation that we are all creative and have wonderful contributions to make. There is also, I suppose, a spiritual element in a non-religious way... perhaps, a realisation that we’re much bigger than what we realise. Just look up at the sky and ponder the greatness which we form a part of.

TBL: What are some specific benefits of having your speakers in for a talk?

LK: Our inspirational speakers offer firsthand experience of what they have achieved and endured. Pupils can interact and ask questions, and that creates a positive energy that can be felt by everyone. Theoretical knowledge can really be enhanced by having someone who explains things firsthand. Often the simple presence of someone positive can make a difference.

TBL: What range of topics do your speakers address?

LK: Our speakers talk about a range of topics as diverse as Motivation & Achievement, Conflict & Forgiveness, Personal Development, Disability Awareness, Enterprise, Diversity, Creativity, Science and the Environment.

TBL: Tell us about some of your current speakers. What attributes do you look for in a speaker?

LK: Camilla was captured in Chechnya and held hostage for 18 months: she describes the terrible ordeal but also conveys a message of humanity, forgiveness and better understanding. Mike talks about stress, explaining that we’re in control of our emotions/feelings/reactions at all times and you can’t blame anyone – this knowledge and practice changes the way we think and relate to the world. Alastair has cycled around the world and talks about motivation, a positive mindset and the crucial lesson that anything is possible!

With regard to speakers in general, I look for passion, authenticity, and the desire to share and make a difference. Those qualities above all ensure that a speaker can get their message across powerfully and, as I said, change lives.

TBL: Do you find it especially rewarding to run a business aimed at helping people achieve things and improve themselves?

LK: Absolutely! I find the only truly fulfilling role in life is to serve others in some form.

TBL: What’s your opinion on this difficult economic period, especially in terms of its impact on young people?

LK: Well, I believe it’s all about perception. You can focus on the recession and difficult situations, or you can choose to focus on the wonderful opportunities ahead. When you focus on the latter this is what you will create – opportunities! As Wayne Dyer said: “When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change”. Maybe young people will have to look further afield, better still maybe they will have to create their own roles in life and set up something themselves. Whatever they choose, we hope to inspire young people to do their best through creativity and self-belief.

TBL: What are your plans for developing IS4S in the future?

LK: I would like IS4S to be the main resource for school speakers in the UK. I intend to work hard to spread the word and source more wonderful speakers. For me this isn’t work, it’s a joy to spend time with inspirational people. That’s what I hope people will take from this... do what you love and love what you do, the rest will fall into place.

TBL: Thank you for chatting with us, Lonneke. We wish you all the best.

To find out more about Inspirational Speakers 4 Schools and to discuss arranging a talk for your school, please call 05600 947389 or visit www.inspirationalspeakers4schools.com.

To stay up-to-date on Inspirational Speakers 4 Schools, you can also follow Lonneke Kwantes on Twitter at http://twitter.com/lonkwantes.

© Copyright 2010 The Business Ladder (UK) Limited

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