Isn't it great when you can honestly refer an insurance broker? This is the case with M. Gerard Fossati that I've worked with since 1996. He is now an associate of the company UNEO which is based in Carouge. M. Fossati has followed our family through pregnancy, births, moves, house purchases, car and scooter insurance, business insurances and more. What is lovely with UNEO is that you have one broker who deals with everything and is always willing to respond to queries and needs immediately. M. Fossati always ensures face-to-face or phone calls to explain in layman's terms all the details to help you understand.
I asked M. Fossati how a brokerage works and why it is beneficial to the expat community and beyond. The client does not pay insurance brokers like those at UNEO as they are remunerated directly by insurance companies. When we had water damage in the shower, M. Fossati dealt with contacting the insurance company and pleading my case. He was fantastic.
What is it about insurance that attracted you in the first place?
Proximity, trust, referral: Being a people person and solution-oriented, I found in insurance a form of proximity and trust with my clients.
What was the inspiration or the path?
At ease with customer contact, I began my professional life in the hotel industry as a maître d' in renowned establishments.
Being able to listen and use my skills to advise my clients and help them achieve their goals has been the driving force of my career.
Why branch out to be an independent broker now?
I started my career in a large insurance company. After 20 years invested in the development and management of insurance solutions, I decided to take flight in order to offer my clients an even wider range of solutions for a more personalized follow-up.
Shiatsu is a Japanese massage technique founded on the principles of Traditional Chinese Medicine. It is a form of therapy using thumbs and palms to apply pressure to the human body in order to correct internal malfunctions and to improve health. The gentle touch and pressure helps regulate the body’s natural flow of energy. Shiatsu is received on a futon on the floor wearing comfortable clothes. Headaches, back problems, sleeping disorders, stress, anxiety are some of the areas where shiatsu therapy is beneficial.
We tried it out for you and interviewed Maria Larsson Greppin (see video link below).
Why did you start? What has been the inspiration?
I started my journey in the field of shiatsu about 7 years ago when I was at a turning point in my life. At this time I strongly felt the need to develop a professional activity with a deeper sense of humanity. An activity which made a difference and really helped others. My inspiration goes back to when I experienced shiatsu myself for the first time. I was surprised how powerful this art of touch was in the way that it made me feel completely connected to my inner source. It made me feel “at home” again. To me, shiatsu is true physical and emotional well-being. It leads to deeper self-understanding as it helps us to connect to our inner strength and who we are.
After some very glowing recommendations from a few of our readers, we had to check in with Lee Eldridge from The Athlete Tribe. He has promised us to write a few articles for knowitall.ch in the next year so we look forward to hearing about subjects such as: Developing Stress Tolerance, Building a Physical Activity Routine, and The Importance of Rest and Recovery. Read on to win a free Firstbeat Lifestyle Assessment and find out how you can help yourself. He has developed a great online coaching system and once the pandemic settles down will be able to visit clients in Geneva and Zurich once more.
What has been the inspiration?
For as long as I can remember, sport and exercise have been my outlet: my happy place. As a child, I found school tough. Some subjects interested me, but a lot didn't. Sports lessons were the thing that I most enjoyed.
My passion for coaching began when I was 17. That’s when I earned a swimming coaching qualification and got to coach for the first time. It was terrific to pass on knowledge, stay active, and also get paid for it. I felt immediately at home in this role. The best part was being able to share my passion for sport with these young swimmers and see them improve.
Have you been working on this idea forever, or was it something that came to you recently?
I have been coaching for more than 20 years, in both professional sport and business. The Cognitive Athlete idea came to me during a conversation with a client while discussing what we can apply from sports science research in a business environment. There are so many parallels in terms of performance expectations.
The biggest difference is that in professional sports we take each individual athlete into account. We plan their training carefully in order for them to achieve peak performance at the right time. Whereas, in business, we expect people to perform like it’s game day 365 days a year. Everyone's measure of peak performance is different. That's always my first question when working with a team or individual. What does peak performance look like for you?
Every now and then, someone very special appears in your life. Linda Roser is one of those people. As a client of Linda's for reflexology (ASCA and EMR/RME accredited), I can highly recommend her. Read down to find out more about her and what she can do for you as well as a special offer.
What is Reflexology?
Reflexology is based on the zone theory (every zone on the feet/hands reflect an organ/structure in the body) and the flow of qi (pronounced “chee”) from the ancient Chinese belief for vital energy. Qi flows through each person and it is blocked when a person feels stressed. Reflexology is a gentle treatment method and an option for anyone seeking relaxation and stress relief. Reflexology aims to keep qi flowing through the body to keep it balanced.
In Reflexology, different body parts correspond with different pressure points on the body. Reflexologists use maps of these points in the feet, hands, and ears to determine where they should apply pressure. See the chart behind Linda in this photo.
Pssst... do you know about La Côte's best kept secret? If I told you that Clinique La Lignière in Gland is open to everyone, with English-speaking staff, and are loaded with a great range of doctors, equipment, and facilities, would you want to know more? Did you know that Clinique La Lignière was inspired and cofounded by an American doctor in 1904 (Dr. Kellog — the same doctor that invented cornflakes)? I met with the young dynamic staff of Clinique La Lignière recently and was shown around.
Currently, the Clinic offers 95 beds and specializes in cardiovascular rehabilitation, neurological, orthopedic and rheumatological rehabilitation, treatment follow-ups, internal medicine, and psychiatry.
