We recently had the opportunity to interview Liesa Euton, Director – MENA & Caribbean Region, of EHP International. From being a keynote speaker to a workshop leader, Liesa Euton is dedicated to helping people transform their lives and realize their true potential in personal and professional life. Besides, Liesa is also an International public speaker, Radio/ TV Presenter, and Educator. In this insightful session, Liesa Euton shares about her career journey over these years, challenges in her businesses, as well as services of her business, and offers valuable suggestions for aspiring entrepreneurs.
The Beginning
To learn about the advent of Liesa Euton, we asked, “Could you start by telling us about your professional career path?”
Liesa Euton shared, “I am American-born and educated in NYC. My parents are from the Dutch and French Antilles (Caribbean). I have served my career in both the Public and Private sectors with 23 years in the Hospitality business. With a degree in Psychology as well as Hospitality Management, I started as General Manager at The Sea Palace Resort where I remained for 17 years. During her tenure, I served as President of the St. Maarten Hospitality and Trade Association for 4 years while on the Board of Directors for 17 years. I am responsible for helping to create Timeshare Law during her term as President of the Timeshare Association.
I have served on 29 Boards in 20 years in St. Maarten, participated in Parliamentary Federal elections for the Senate as well as served on the board of SESNA, pre-approving soft loans for the European Union which was established to stimulate the economy. I hosted ‘The People’s Voice’ Radio talk show for 15 years. Also, I co-hosted the TV culinary program – Best Bites of the Caribbean. I taught at the St. Maarten Culinary School and later opened the award-winning “Los Gauchos” Fine Dining Argentinian Restaurant and The Bistro International Grill where I remained open for 8 years till moving to Dubai in 2009.”
Liesa Euton added, “I currently continue to serve as a Rotarian in the Rotary Club Jumeirah Dubai and have been a Rotarian and Paul Harris Fellow for over 30+ years serving as a Board member and President for 23 years and one of the first women. In Dubai, I served as International Relations Director, VIP and Protocol Director, and Campaign Strategist for the UAE Athletics Federation as well as the Co-Founder and Race Director for the Dubai Women’s Run 2010-2018.
I currently spend my time as director of the MENA and Caribbean Region for EHP International Ltd. providing customized training and leadership skills for businesses from various industries. I participate in events and conferences as a keynote speaker and moderator as well as mentoring clients to transform their lives by changing their mindset and mentoring women about financial technology. I want every woman to be financially independent.”
Overcoming Major Hurdles
Challenging phases are an inevitable part of every business. To learn how Liesa Euton overcame all these phases in her business, we asked, “What have been the most significant barriers you’ve overcome, and how have these challenges influenced your leadership philosophy?”
Liesa Euton responded, “Life is full of many challenges, and you’ll face barriers and obstacles that seem impossible to deal with throughout your career. Some require stepping outside your comfort zone and working hard to solve complex challenges. Others will shake you to the core and make you want to quit on the spot.
I was very young when I started my career, 25 years old to be precise. I was in a male-dominated career and the Boards I served on were also men, but that was not the challenge, I never even thought about the male and female aspects. For me, it was my age, and my experience was not there yet but I was smart, and this helped me through many situations.
Most people don’t want to do the hard work to get ahead, but I was willing. So, I showed up on time, followed through, and did the work with a smile. So, I did excel up the corporate ladder with much respect.”
Encouraging Innovative Approaches
We were intrigued to learn how Liesa Euton promotes innovative culture in her company. So, we asked, “How do you foster a culture of continuous improvement and innovation within your organization?”
Liesa Euton shared, “The first step to creating a culture of continuous improvement and innovation is to define your vision and goals. Question yourself- What are you trying to achieve? How do you measure your success? What are the values and principles that guide your actions? Communicate your vision and goals clearly and consistently to your team and stakeholders and align them with your business strategy and customer needs. This will help you create a shared sense of purpose and direction and inspire your team to pursue improvement and innovation opportunities.
The second step to fostering a culture of continuous improvement and innovation is to empower your employees to take ownership of their work, make decisions, suggest ideas, and solve problems. You can do this by providing them with the necessary tools, resources, training, and feedback, and by creating a safe and supportive environment where they can experiment, learn, and grow. Recognize and reward employees’ contributions, encourage knowledge sharing, provide regular training, and use awards to foster cultural development.”
Staying Ahead of The Curve
Eager to learn about the approaches adopted by Liesa Euton to ensure her company maintains a strong global presence, we inquired, “In the context of global competition, how has your company adapted its strategies to maintain a competitive edge?”
Liesa Euton shared, “To maintain a competitive edge in a global market, it’s crucial to understand your target audience and tailor your offerings to their needs. Innovation and quality assurance are key to staying ahead of competitors and building a strong reputation. At EHP International Ltd., we are dedicated to providing customized training solutions to give your business a competitive edge.”
Incorporating Client Insights
Customer insights are a great tool to enhance services. We asked, “What role has customer feedback played in shaping the direction of your products or services?”
Liesa Euton shared, “Customer feedback plays an important role for us at EHP International Ltd. and provides invaluable insights into what is working well and what needs improvement in our services. It helps identify pain points, glitches, or areas that may not meet customer expectations, enabling you to make necessary adjustments and enhancements. We deliberately ask for feedback using distinct surveys. To stay ahead of the competition, we never stop listening to customer feedback, whether positive or negative, prompted, or unprompted.”
Embracing Corporate Responsibility
We further asked, “How do you approach corporate responsibility and ethical business practices in your operations?”
“Some ways that we at EHP embrace CSR include being environmentally friendly and eco-conscious; promoting equality, diversity, and inclusion in the workplace; treating employees with respect; giving back to the community; and ensuring business decisions are ethical.
Ethical business practices are essential for several reasons.
Firstly, they help to build trust and credibility with our clients. We operate ethically and transparently, which demonstrates that we are committed to doing the right thing, which can help to build long-term relationships with our clients, suppliers, and employees.
Secondly, ethical business practices help to mitigate risks and reduce costs. For example, by operating in a transparent and accountable manner, we reduce the risk of legal action and reputational damage.” Liesa added.
Current Offerings
To learn more about the services offered by Liesa Euton and if they have any upcoming events, they asked, “Could you tell us more about your services/products and if you have any upcoming plans regarding them?”
Liesa Euton shared, “We design, develop, and deliver customized training solutions to enhance competitive advantage for our clients in the key areas of customer service, sales and sales management, marketing, supervisory, management, and personal skill development. Our focus is always to help our clients develop their most important asset – Their people.
We provide training solutions for industries ranging from hotels, shipping, finance & banking; and merchandising to logistics. We provide sales training to Real Estate companies for their staff, Dubai has over 10,000+ agents and many come into the real estate market with no experience, we train them how to make sales using C.A.S.H Methodology and how to identify their clients’ personality types using the DISC method which makes it easier to make the sale. We deliver training programs through a highly participative and interactive approach, making immediate connections to participants’ real job scenarios. We adopt an approach that creates a FUN learning environment thereby ensuring higher receptiveness. We train through games, role plays, case studies, and other activities.”
Advice To Beginners, we asked Liesa Euton
Lastly, addressing the beginners, we asked, “Would you like to give beginners in the same industry some advice?”
Liesa Euton shared, “Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Find a mentor in the same field you are in. Listen to people and take advice, what they see as your trajectory and the path you choose do not have to be the same as theirs. Be positive. See the potential for good outcomes, while still being aware of the risks. Focus on the prize – if you fail, course correct, learn, and move on.”
Follow Liesa Euton on LinkedIn.
Find EHP International on LinkedIn and visit their website https://ehpinternational.com/
Also Read :-
Wellness From Home Kitchen With Dawsat: Mas Watad
Empowering Agriculture Through Digitization With FarmERP: Sanjay Borkar
Building Authentic Leaders And Guiding Their Path To Success: Fatima Ibrahim
