Zuricka - A Minimalist Entrepreneur

Through this project, I share the exact steps that have been documented and practised through ancient history and that I find useful. Topics include
-- the power of reprograming the mind
-- how to declutter and let go of Chaos
-- How tp set goals and achieve them

At the end of the day, to transform your life as a professional/ business owner/founder or a self-employed professional, strategies and tactics can only work if we figure out what we want at a deep inner level.

Founder

StraightUp

http://www.straightup.net.nz is where you can learn about how we operate as software tech recruiters.

🚀The core purpose of StraightUp is to enable New Zealand companies to find talented software engineers and at the same time to enable software engineers to find companies that are worth investing their careers with. We only get involved when they are unable to find the right talent or workplace.

We span the globe for software engineers with the rare skillset that New Zealand software teams require to stay ahead in the market.

🔥We solve one problem in a very competitive marketplace: That problem is finding talent for hard-to-fill software engineering roles and workplaces that are stable, financially strong and a joy to work at.

I feel grateful that I have had the opportunity to work with some of the most talented software engineers from all over the world who wish to contribute to the New Zealand economy.

Our software engineering clients are down-to-earth, driven and with a mission that is clear and measurable. They look after their people and their suppliers, and I am grateful to work with them.

CEO - Software Tech Recruiter

Defense Task Force

Being an Indie team, we have to wear various hats. My role at Defense Task Force is to make sure we get our Tower Defense PC Game across in front of Game Publishers, News and media personnel, to raise funds through crowdfunding platforms such as Kickstarter to get the game to its finished stage. The end goal is to have a successful launch on the Steam Gaming Platform. Day to Day my work involves connecting with Media Personnels, YouTube Gamers, Kickstarter Backers, Social Media Planning, Advertising and Project Managing our Game Development Cycle.

Marketing Director

Worked on Commission only with a Recruitment Firm

The job market is going through a complete change. My role as a Recruiter is to work with High Tech Cloud Companies, Software Development teams to find their next developer, tester, lead developer, software development manager, business analyst. If you are looking to work with a company that values you for you, gives you flexibility, understands work life balance then drop me a line and I shall seek to place you in some of New Zealand's thriving workplaces. If you are working for an amazing company that values their people and if you are seeking to fill a role with exceptional talented human beings, then I may be able to connect you with that person you are looking for. You will never know until you seek.....

IT Technical Recruiter

Zap Strategy Ltd

Zap has been an amazing place for me to work with. Having started this business with my best friend, it was fun and our sole purpose was to find consulting work. Zap had no big Vision or mission. It was setup with the prime motive to find contract jobs.

Today after so many years I am thankful that I went down the consulting path as it taught me what to do and what not to do in business. It enabled me to appreciate that working long hours and thinking I will be able to live my life of abundance is folly. Consulting gave me insights that I have everything right in front of me, it taught me when to walk away from toxic environments and who not to work with. Through this experience Zap began to change in personality and values.

Today Zap Strategy for me is not an entity it's my virtual friend who offers very specific services:
Internet Marketing for Entrepreneurs and medium size businesses
Cloud Computing business applications
Coaching for Small to medium size businesses on setting up businesses the right way
Finding the right talent for Entrepreneurs who are seeking staff

What's my Role:
I am involved in being an enabler for my entrepreneur buddies and small to medium size owners. I hire the right talent that will enable me to move forward in life and train my team to handle a large portion of the day to day activities.

I also reach out to find the right partners to partner with so that we are not reinventing the wheel to offer business mentorship to our clients

Director

ChillX Limited

When we started down the path to create a social network presence in India, it was patriotism and giving back to my nation that got me on this journey to start ChillX. It was to connect fellow Indians to their roots. I did not realize the competition we would have with the mighty gods. I would just be another small fish. When we launched most people who came across us laughed and said why should we be part of your social network when all our friends are already on a different network. We got into the circle of being compared. It's amazing how emotion can take the better of us. Having an MBA and having done the right steps in a business plan the numbers for ChillX as a social network were not massive for a country like India. 

This created a flow on effect to attract advertisers and ChillX was suffering in the early stages for 2 years.As a team we had a choice to downscale our dream or to move forward. We took the path to move forward and re brand our service with a purpose. We accepted that we could not serve those who laughed at us or who wanted us to prove our worth especially for a free service. We embraced those members who took time to register and communicate with others on the network. Today ChillX enables people in India who may be introverts, shy and struggle to find friends. It enables people who struggle to move out of their villages to the metros for a better life. It enables people who are being abused to seek help.

So what's my role at ChillX

Understanding the needs of our members.
Researching what personality books could help our members to change their mind perception
Find out what areas our members struggle with e.g. relationship issues, toxic marriages, finding a job to pay their bills, self confidence, communication etc
Providing customized tailored solutions to our members to uplift their lives by partnering with people around the world who have in depth knowledge in their respective field e.g. clinical psychology, marriage counselors, etc

Director - User Experience

Express Couriers

Business Analyst

Sovereign

Ferrit.co.nz

E-Commerce Business Analyst

New Zealand Trade and Enterprise

Played a significant role in the Online Trade Portal for the government. This Trade portal allowed buyers to submit tenders and enquiries to Exporters of New Zealand.
Generated new development deals, Comprehensive database management, capturing business requirements, etc

Online Service Consultant

My mission is to spread one simple concept: keep life simple, enjoy life while building wealth. There is power in designing a life that you truly enjoy. 

If we know the kind of lifestyle that makes us happy, then re-engineering exactly the career/ business that can support that lifestyle  becomes simple👋 

I have adopted a Minimalist Life and document what I learn along the way. These are topics on the power of the subconscious mind, habits, and self-discipline. 

These are learnings that ancient minds in history practised to build empires, conquer battles, and build wealth with clarity.

I document these learnings as short videos or written posts for another fellow being who may be on the same path.

As Buddha graciously defined, " What you think, you become. What you feel, you attract. What you imagine, you create.😊 

For work, I run 2 ventures.

❤️Zuricka - A Minimalist Entrepreneur - Through this initiative, I enable a solopreneur/self-employed professional to design their life and then re-engineer how to structure work that makes that lifestyle possible. I share how to reprogram the subconscious mind and build a working schedule to make this happen.

❤️StraightUp Tech Recruitment - This project enable software engineers aiming to live + work in New Zealand to find meaningful work with thriving New Zealand tech teams. Instead of the vanilla recruitment model, I share with software engineers how to market their skills to find work in thriving, happy workplaces. I work with a selected few tech teams .

In my personal life, I have adopted the core principles of 
❤️Minimalism - For me, minimalism is having more peace, focus, and wealth & less worry, confusion, and overwork. That, to me, is power.

🚀 My ultimate aim is to unlearn chaos and let go of superficial metrics. Through living this way of life, I hope to inspire others too. 

🔥Some Work Accomplishments so far :
- Failed in 5 business initiatives that allowed me to pause and rethink
- Bootstrapped a recruitment software firm from scratch to making it profitable in 3 years as a 1-person business with 2 freelance team members.
- Enabled 80+ global software engineers to find work in awesome workplaces within New Zealand.
- Enriched 100+ professionals, solopreneurs, small business owners, startup founders, to go from inconsistency to having a clear execution plan.
- I am a daughter, sister, partner + friend and animal lover.

*For Software Dev Recruitment visit www.straightup.net.nz
⭐If you need help with simplifying your professional work life, or goal setting - you are welcome to message me.

Zuricka Azavedo

Is Your Spoken English Holding You Back? | Follow to Master It | Accent & Fluency Specialist | Executives, Founders & Teams Hire Me To Become Top Tier Communicators 🇺🇸🇨🇦🇬🇧 | Fluent in 5+ Languages

You’re brilliant in your native language.
You’re a confident and credible leader in your field.
But in English, it doesn’t 𝑠𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑑 like it - and it’s costing you.

You might be competent at reading & writing in English,
But the moment you open your mouth, it's like you're not as sharp...
It's like they're working extra to understand you, and it's not getting better.

You feel it in meetings. In pitches. At events.
You know you’re not being seen as the expert you really are.

That’s what we fix.

I help international professionals speak English with 𝑐𝑙𝑎𝑟𝑖𝑡𝑦, 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑓𝑖𝑑𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑒, and 𝑐𝑟𝑒𝑑𝑖𝑏𝑖𝑙𝑖𝑡𝑦, without needing to sound 100% native or study for hours a day.

We get real-world results:
	•	Ismail tripled his US sales in 3 months.
	•	Louise now leads European teams with confidence.
	•	Serge grew his law firm internationally and speaks at global events.

Our method works fast, because it’s not generic.

We start by identifying your highest-impact pronunciation, fluency, and communication issues with a data-backed diagnostic.
Then we build a 𝑐𝑢𝑠𝑡𝑜𝑚 𝑟𝑜𝑎𝑑𝑚𝑎𝑝 that targets the 20% of habits holding you back, and upgrades them step-by-step.

It’s called the EAR Method:
• Energy – Speak without strain or hesitation
• Accent – Sound clear and natural, not “foreign”
• Recognition – Be seen as the expert, not just “the person from ...”

We measure your progress.
We train with impact.
We make your English work 𝑓𝑜𝑟 you, not against you.

I’ve personally used this method to pass for a native in 6 languages, in under 3 months each time.
But this isn’t about me. It’s about your voice being heard, respected, and remembered.

If you’re not at a 9 or 10 on Energy, Accent, and Recognition…
It’s time to change that.

Book your consultation and get your custom roadmap:
www.latourlanguage.com

Ben Latour 🗣️

You can be the smartest, most skilled person in the room,
But if you don't sound like it, 
Does it even matter?

You might even have a richer vocabulary than the average American,
But if people don't understand what you're saying,
Does it even matter?

You might have an excellent score on your TOEIC,
But if listening to you speak is painful,
Does it even matter?

Do you need a "perfect" accent? Not always.
But if people hear A, but you wanted to say B,
That's a problem.

If your pronunciation is 8 or 9/10, you have an accent.
Hakuna matata.

But if it's 4-5/10, and that's 𝑎𝑙𝑙 people can focus on?
They might think you're cute, but that's not why you're here.

Pronunciation matters.
Stop studying vocabulary & grammar until you get it right.
Or you're just wasting your time.

P.S.
The comic is a true story,
From a client who 𝑢𝑠𝑒𝑑 𝑡𝑜 make this mistake.

Unlock Your Spoken English | Pronunciation & Fluency Specialist | Executives, Founders & Expats Hire Me To Become Top Tier Communicators 🇺🇸🇨🇦🇬🇧 | Fluent in 6+ Languages

No alternative text description for this image

You can have perfect grammar and vocabulary,
but people still won't understand you correctly.
Why is that?

If people correct you when you speak English,
and all you can think is: 
"That's what I said!"

The issue probably isn't your sentence structure.
(Especially if this never happens when you write an email)

Instead, ask yourself what you actually sound like when you talk.

Are you accidentally saying something different?

Take this example:
My client used to always confuse the TH and F sounds, because the TH doesn't exist in his language (French).

So,
Whenever he wanted to say "three", he said "free".
If he wanted to say "thirst", he said "first"

You can see how that could get confusing.

So next time you think about improving your English with more vocabulary and grammar, ask yourself first:

𝐷𝑜 𝑝𝑒𝑜𝑝𝑙𝑒 𝑐𝑙𝑒𝑎𝑟𝑙𝑦 𝑢𝑛𝑑𝑒𝑟𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑤ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝐼 𝑎𝑙𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑑𝑦 𝑘𝑛𝑜𝑤?

If not, studying more vocabulary and grammar will be a waste of time until you fix the real issue.

It doesn't take much to sound like a pro.
Just like it doesn't take much to make foolish mistakes.

It's time to rethink your approach.

❌ Tu veux passer le TOEIC? 𝐃𝐨𝐧'𝐭 𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐦𝐞.
✔️ Tu veux être clair et compétent à l'oral pour ton prochain panel/pitch/podcast en anglais? 𝐓𝐮 𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐮 𝐛𝐨𝐧 𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐫𝐨𝐢𝐭.

Why does speaking a language seem easy for some people, but a real struggle for others?

The answer isn't talent, but technique.

We're all born with the ability to speak any language perfectly 
(with some exceptions in the case of physical or mental disabilities).

The better you apply the techniques, the more skilled you become.

The more skilled you become, the better results you get.

The better results you get, the more you enjoy the process,
And the more you believe you will succeed.

Of course, the opposite is also true.

If everyone around you says it's impossible and speaks only 1 language, 
Why should you believe otherwise?

Perhaps you take classes, get no results, and then lose confidence in your ability to learn another language.

You silently give up, 

And unless you can get some sort of measurable method that will prove you're improving, you will continue to believe you can't do it.

So if you have a genuine interest and a big enough reason to learn a language, make sure you find an approach that suits your learning style.

There's no reason at all you can't sound and feel completely comfortable in a 2nd, 3rd, or 15th language.

The only factor is how much you care, and whether you're using a strategy that actually works.

In other words, 

Does learning the skill mean enough to you that you'll invest the time and energy to make it a reality?

If not, 
I guarantee you will never learn.

And it doesn't only apply to languages!

On the flip side, 

If it 𝑑𝑜𝑒𝑠 mean enough to you that you'll invest to make it happen, 
All you need to do is figure out ℎ𝑜𝑤.

If your goal is to break past the plateau in English and speak naturally & confidently, just send me a message.

We'll look at the gap between how you speak and your goal, then build you a custom action plan to get you there.

🇺🇸 English Pronunciation Quiz
Select your response, then check the comments for the answer.

Not sure if you're clear when you speak English?
Do you often make embarrassing mistakes?
Do you feel less impactful in English?

Make sure your pronunciation is accurate first.

Take the first step by joining the Weekly Fluency Intelligence

Link in the first comment.

🇺🇸 In ONE of these words, the S sounds like a Z. Which one?

How I became fluent in Korean. Master English the same way.

When I finished my degree in linguistics, I had a theory:

That no matter your skin color, 
Anyone can pass for a native speaker of an other language.

So I went to a place I knew nothing about.
With a language completely different than anything I knew.

And I applied the exact method I teach today,
To see if I could pass for a native speaker
(over the phone 😉)

4 months later, I succeeded.
Starting from ZERO prior knowledge.

When I started teaching business English classes in Korea,
I decided to take a few of the lowest-level students aside,
To test the opposite methodology the school made me teach.

And to everyone's surprise, 
The worst students became the best.
Suddenly others were asking 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑚 for tips!

Eight years later, 
I teach executives & founders the same methodology 
that helped me become fluent & confident in 6 languages,

So that the English they already know actually reflects
the expertise and credibility they have in their native language.

Start with pronunciation.
Set a specific goal.
Lots of feedback.

The rest is all details.
Send me a message to find out more!

latour-language-coaching

li_at

JSESSIONID

Talks about #anglais, #english, #confidence, #communication, and #accentreduction

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Zuricka Azavedo

Ben Latour 🗣️

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The Battle

Zuricka Azavedo

Ben Latour 🗣️

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