Meet TurkishWINner: Özlem Erol

What do you do for a living? Tell us more about you. 

I have two businesses: I help individuals find their passion and purpose in life so that they can actualize it as a career/new business they start or do it as a volunteer. I also help leaders of organizations create humanistic environments where engagement increases, turnover is diminished and everyone who works there is inspired to work for an organization that has a clear purpose beyond profit. 

What's the best piece advice you've received?

Listen to your inner voice that wants you to take risks and make meaning out of your life. 

Dark chocolate or milk chocolate 

Used to be only milk now it is only dark :)

One think you wish you have known earlier in your career

 It is OK to ask the hard questions like “do I really like what I do?” “What can I do as a career to be more aligned with who I am?” I asked these questions but because it was not common I ignored them for a while. 

If you could have any three people (dead or alive) over for dinner – who would they be? 

Oprah, Obama, Richard Branson. 

Name a book you read that positively shaped you.

 Love from Leo Buscaglia

You believe in the sisterhood at work because…

We still have a long ways to go to be equal and also we have a lot more emotional intelligence that is very much needed in the workplace now

Who are your role models? 

Ataturk, Richard Branson, Oprah, Obama, Simon Sinek, Brene Brown 

If you had one superpower, what would it be? 

To make everyone feel normal

Do you have any pets?

I had my yellow lab Romeo for 13 years whom I lost this year. 

Describe yourself as a teenager in 3 words 

Happy/Curious/Loving

What’s in your handbag right now? 

A book (always)

Last book you read or are reading now 

21 Lesson for 21^stCentury by Harari

If you have a time machine to which era do you want to travel in time? Which era? Past or future and why?

I like the times we are living now.

If you weren’t in your industry – what would you be doing? 

Handcrafting, Art or helping challenged athletes 

What’s on your iPod (or cell phone playlist) right now? 

No Tears Left to cry by Arianna Grande

If your house was on fire, what two things would you run back in to get? 

My diaries and my photo albums (from the time where we did not have them on our phones)

Who would play you in the movie of your life? 

The fun PrimeMinister  on Love Actually 

What's your favorite thing in your closet right now? 

My soft and cozy high school sweatshirt

Any tattoos?

No. only temporary ones in summer. 

Now you live in Germany in 1930, your child is Hitler. How to inspire him to become a good person and save the world? 

Teach him compassion and how we are all the same. 

If you can explain your personality like a food; which food and why?

Nutella. Sweet & Soft

You have a trip from İstanbul to Bodrum by car. Choose a famous people whose sit near you and join your trip. 

Obama.

If you are a new festival:  What would be your name and how people would celebrate?

Purpose and Passion Festival. They will celebrate who they are, their own potential, and be happy to write their own life story with no need for approval. 

You have your own talk show on tv and your childhood self is your guest. What would be your first question to her? 

What does your heart say? What is your biggest dream? 

If you were to create the  5. Season, what would be her name and how would be the weather in your Season 

Just an extension of fall.