Ortenzia Borre’s eight secrets to building your most rewarding life at work and home
Ortenzia Borre’s resume spans across modelling, journalism, TV presenting and mentoring, plus she’s the author of two novels, which combined are a testimony to her ability to persevere in fulfilling each of her goals with grace and maturity.
Currently a news presenter throughout Australia for ARN, Borre believes that passion is the glue that holds everything together. Whether she’s writing, mentoring or interviewing CEOs at the top of their game, Borre shares what it takes to perform at your best by empowering people to take the necessary steps towards achieving their aspirations.
If there were a common denominator across the top CEOs and managing directors she’s spoken with it would be their strong work ethic. "They wouldn’t be in that position if they weren’t very quickly bouncing back, being resilient, moving forward and focusing on the task at hand," she says.
"All the little steps you take, the choices and decisions you pursue, are either putting you on your path to becoming the person you want to be, or they are hindering your progress."
"You need to have internal strength, but it can be done with tact and diplomacy and you can still get the message out there and achieve what you want to achieve with grace."
No stranger to the less glamorous aspects of modelling and the realities of working in the corporate world, Borre believes that adopting a growth mindset and learning at every stage of life are critical to navigating challenges and adapting to new expectations within the next phase of our careers.
Having mentored in the areas of deportment and etiquette also adds a unique perspective to dealing with obstacles, one which highlights Borre’s emphasis on being tactful and diplomatic, especially with the uncertainty the world is currently experiencing. In fact, she's coached individuals in the corporate sphere to prepare them for new roles, career changes or to elevate their interpersonal skills when working at a higher corporate level.
"You need to have internal strength, but it can be done with tact and diplomacy and you can still get the message out there and achieve what you want to achieve with grace."
Informed by the myriad conversations and questions she had over the years from women, Borre’s latest globally distributed book Graceful Grit: Navigating Your Way to the Best Version of ‘You’, available for purchase in November, offers guidance on "looking after yourself, but at the same time ensuring you’re able to fulfil all the roles in life that you’ve been asked to do".
Here, Borre shares what has helped her to become the best version of herself and overcome any adversity along the way.
Ortenzia Borre’s rules for fulfilling all your goals
Check in with yourself regularly
"I believe we always have to grow and check in with ourselves on a regular basis, and if we feel like we need to change our attitude towards something, to shift a mindset on how we think about something, then that’s what you have to do. Navigating your best version of you is about identifying and checking in with yourself to do what works for you and for your lifestyle."
Prioritise sleep
"People see sleep and rest as a reward or something that you leave until the end of the day when you’re completely exhausted. Whereas again, shifting that mindset, I believe that rest, recovery and sleep are not supposed to be seen as rewards. They’re not supposed to be seen as the last thing you do at the end of the day because you’re exhausted. Your body needs to rest, so I exercise, I monitor my sleep and ensure that I sleep well and I also drink a lot of water."
Keep learning
"I talk about skill-stacking in the book, which is combining your skills and always learning more. When I finished high school I went and did a journalism degree and then I also went and studied my Juris Doctor, which enabled me to understand more about the corporate sector in terms of politics and business. However, it doesn’t matter if you’re at university or whether you’re a much senior person, you are always learning and growing, and I think that’s a very important message."
Act with integrity
"Something I’ve learned from the corporate sector is that you do business with people you like. People like to work with people they like. Being a good citizen in life, being respectful to colleagues, doing your job, staying in your own lane and focusing on your own grass will work wonders for you moving forward."
Find mentors
"I’m fortunate to have some great mentors around me whom I go to for advice. The main message I have around mentors is that your mentor needs to be someone that you trust and someone that you genuinely know has your best interest at the forefront."
She also suggests "Quality over quantity as with a lot of wonderful things in life. If you have one great mentor that is all you need."
Maintain a harmonious mindset
"You need to reinforce that you are capable of achieving what you set your mind to if you are willing to take the steps, and permit the time, to let it evolve. When you have some sort of setback you’ve got to find the opportunity in that setback. You learn and you grow from anything that may set you back, anything that may put you on another path or another journey."
Don’t be afraid to edit your life
"If you don’t like something, change it and analyse why it isn’t working and what you can do to move forward, but also put steps in place to have an end goal."
Set gentle boundaries
"One of my all-time favourite sayings is, ‘People treat you the way you let them treat you.’ I heard this said as a young girl and it has stuck with me ever since. Keeping personal mental notes of what you will or won’t accept from yourself – towards yourself – will hold you accountable for your own behaviour. This, in turn, will resonate with those around you."