Oh, this is a joy because as your client, I got to spend 90 minutes with you on a call yesterday. Now I get to see you again today and see you in Slack obviously. So thank you for being the first person to hop on one of these clients spotlights podcast episode with me and I'm very excited to share more about your journey in your business and really let my audience hear the types of things that you have had to do and lean into to create the success of where you are now because I think it's super important that we see that so, first of all, would you like to introduce yourself to the listeners and tell us a little bit about the businesses that you own?

Yes, and thank you for having me. I'm super excited for this conversation. And yeah, so I'm Lauren and I have a business Lauren Lee OBM and also recently launched OBM associates

so excited. So let's start with the most interesting thing. What's your Myers Briggs Type? Indicator

AFK day so for me, probably quite obvious.

And yes, you are correct. They do work with introverts, but Lawrence and II and I remember when your application form to work together popped in. First of all, I didn't know it was you because you use a different name in your actual name. So this form came through super detailed I was reading that this is amazing. This definitely an ideal client. Like I'm mentally going through like, Oh, she wants help with that. Yep, I can do it. Yeah, we can do that. And you'd put like, 100% ready, and I was like, oh, okay, this is great. And, and then something clicked and I realised it was you and I remember I reached out to you and I was like, Do you want to book a call? I was like, But Lauren I think you're an extrovert like you're okay with

Yeah, it's so funny because I'm definitely a bit of both have definitely got the introverted side of me but also the extroverted side. So yeah, it's definitely interested.

It's super interested in and also your human design is really interested. So tell us what your chart looks like.

Well, it's a little so all nine funds was defined and I'm a six to emotional manifesting generator,

really defined. This is so the opposite of the majority of my clients who are generally very open, which is where the introversion and the sensitivity can come in. So that was super interesting to me when you shared that when we kicked off together, as well. So you do have emotional authority, but you also have some really interesting circuitry with the sacral and the spleen.

All three, actually the spleen the sacral, and the emotional centre of the solar plexus. Those three can feel when the three really work together, and almost live together like when it's a full body. Yes. So yeah, yeah. And it's a double split. The split is with the head and the arms and then the rest of the body is a complete circuit. So I also experienced that split between the row and the the chief Centre

in love it, I remember on a call about working together, and I said, I guess I'll send you the details. After we chatted like go away, lean into your authority. There's no rush. Take your time. And you emailed me about five minutes later and you were like, No, it's an old buddy. Yeah. So powerful because and this is why I implement human design now with all clients because having that knowledge you are steered from a different kind of it's not just knowledge, it's wisdom. And it's an innate knowing and you can trust yourself when you're making a big decision, like a big investment like this, because you know, yourself and you know how your body reacts.

Yeah, absolutely. And I think integrating human design into my work as well and with my clients, something that I did quite early on, and you know, some people might find it a bit strange that they've been asked for their birthday and time of birth and place of birth. And obviously, I get that as an option, but it really helps me understand how I can work better with that client in terms of communication and support. And I've worked with all the different types. So you know, that's been also really interesting just to test out different communication methods and different types of support, knowing what their needs and maybe what they don't need so much of but yeah, learning learning Human Design and my authority and strategy was such a huge help and permission given situation from a not just for me, but even when I was having client calls, you know, potential client calls and being able to identify whether these are the people that you know, I want to work with them, whether they're, you know, is there any, like little red flags in there, you know, and my body will tell me what, you know, if I really want to work with them, and it's not that I wouldn't want to work with them, you know, sometimes it's, oh, maybe it's not quite right for now. But when it's a yes, it's really weird squeal that comes out of my body that I did. And I just know that that's all buddy. So even though I'm meant to take 24 hours, to kind of sit on that emotional wave, and sometimes I will. I did it actually last week when I was a conversation with a potential associate. After the call, I actually went and recorded the invitation into her because I was just so excited and I was like, Okay, let's just pull back just for a little bit and let's just leave it until tomorrow and let's just see, but it was the excitement settled down. And then it's like, yeah, it's still a full body. Yes. But when the squeal comes, I just I just know.

That's what you said to me in that email. You were like, I do this squeal and the squeal came so but also, it's not like I just would just collided on the call. You didn't know me, you'd have you'd obviously considered that you're growing the business. You needed support. You filled out the application, we'd had some emails back and forth. So you've got that time to write the emotional wave as well, which I think is a little bit different than like making an instant decision.

Yeah, absolutely. And I think what kind of sealed the deal as well before I even completed that home was listening to one of the podcasts and you were having a conversation with me Brown, who I also knew and had met before. The riots will find that me and me have got some similarities in terms of like personality. And it was gathered listening how you have both supported each other and how, you know, you're completely the opposite. But the way that you've got our data that was just that okay, I know that you are absolutely for me.

I just that I didn't know that

that's so true. Because and this is why it's interesting with the Myers Briggs as well because you and I pretty opposite in that because INFJ J in common. But with your clients and things like that, you know, people outsource quite often, especially for like VA OBM SEO type roles, and they think they need a carbon copy of themselves to do all the things they too busy to do but actually having this awareness and with the human design of when you've got strengths to help complete the other person. Obviously, you want things in common. I would say you and I have a lot in common in terms of interests and the way we look at the world, but yet also we're very different and our energy complements in that way.

Yeah, absolutely. I think it just I think working with somebody who is maybe a little bit opposite to you really brings that special perspective. And you know, if you both think the same if you go with other similar background or go some similar things in business, you know, where's the challenge and thinking differently? And that's one thing that I notice a lot with my clients is, you know, that we can challenge each other in thinking differently and how, what the possibilities are in terms of scaling and building that business. Yeah, I think like the opposites can be a bit really beautiful.

I totally agree. So give us a little high level overview of what you were doing before you start your own business and, and how your business came to exist in the world.

Okay. We're gonna go way, way back. We're gonna go way back to the beginning of 2000. Net. Yeah, it hasn't been 1617. I've been in a corporate role and I was actually a European Business Manager. So it's really interesting. That title is what I was, you know, bothered in, in corporate and I'd been in that role. For years and I'd really grown up within this business. I've been in that business for 11 years. And I've come from actually a background of him. I was their temporary receptionist that came in nevertheless, and I developed within that business right which are European Business Manager. And I absolutely looked at, I was managing multiple six figure projects, as you know, many different times and managing a remote team across Europe and I was visiting all the different businesses. It was quite a huge role and got, I remember it got to 2016 I was like this it, you know, I was approaching? I was 29. At the time I was approaching 30 I was like this it is this life kind of setup. You know, some proposed at that time. I was due to get married. Are we going to have kids we've got the house all the things. And it was like as this and that kind of freaked me out a little bit. I was like, oh, and then at the beginning of 2018 there was some restructuring within the business that allowed me to actually take redundancy for my role. And I thought, Okay, I'm ready for a new challenge. I'll absolutely get a new job with all the skills that I've built within this business. And that shouldn't be a problem. And I remember I walked into a few interviews with my laminated portfolio almost like they didn't believe what I'd actually done in you know, in my time in corporate and I couldn't get a job it's almost like I was too qualified for the roles and and I wish I could remember this moment and I caught him when it when it happened, but it dropped and I was like Shall we go travelling to start with we decided that it was the time to do that. So he was willing to kind of leave his job. And we were also getting married that year. So we got married at the end of 2018. One week later, we flew out to India we threw ourselves in the deep end. And then we travelled for 16 months across Asia and Australia. And during that time, I knew that I couldn't go back to the hall and that there was something else that I was meant to do. I had no idea what it was going to be. And I set up an Instagram account, a travel Instagram account, and I'm naturally started learning about online marketing and a travel page and ended up building a website, free resources and just really diving into all that those kinds of areas. And listening to masterclasses on how to you know work remotely and build a business and all these different things. And one day I then dropped on the online business manager role. And it was just like the biggest lightbulb moment ever. Like this is like reading my corporate career that can actually transition into the into the online world. So I began learning systems. I was building out dubsado I was setting up my project management tool because I'd already implemented Asana into the corporate business that I was working for. So I naturally set all that up and came back from our troubles in in March 2020. And within a couple of months, I'd launched my Obion business, but that's how I came into the online space. As an online business manager super exciting. And yeah, just started working with so many different clients and clients that stayed with me for a long time and I really built upon my knowledge and skills, you know, working with these clients. Yeah, that's the that's the that's the journey to entrepreneurship, which was amazing.

And that is kind of our journey of being connected also because I can oh gosh, but March or April 2022. I was looking for an online business manager. And funnily enough, it was Amy Brown, who mentioned you she sent to be strict because I went to her and I was like, you know where do I look if you've got any recommendations? And she was like, oh, Laura, and if I was going to hire an OPM, it would be Lauren. She's amazing. I think you'll really get on with her. She's a bit woozy into human design. That was his actual thing. So I was like, okay, and she also said to me, oh, there's an Obeah matchmaking service. There's a girl who runs a course and people that have been through her course they do a matchmaking thing. So that's what I did. I reached out to you to book a call. And I did the matchmaking thing which didn't bring up any good matches. But we had a call that you know, from my point of view, got on really well it was all great, but then I decided not to hire an OPM at that. Time for various reasons. So we were connected, actually recommended you to one of my clients who you went on to be a retainer client for for for quite a long time. And then like as you dropped for maybe six months later dropped in to apply to work. Maybe I didn't realise it with you. And the reason I'm sharing that is because I think so much pressure in the online space to write the perfect post or have the perfect email sequence and all of these things which absolutely do work. However, it's the relationships and the people and that sometimes people are in your world. I would never have dreamt of you as a client because when we've connected I was looking at it from the other way. And sometimes it's the relationships that we're not expecting that actually become you know, client and customer and I just want people to know that it's a you can't vote, your brain will have a way of thinking it should be like this people should follow the funnel or they should drop in this way. I would say nine times out of 10 For me it's been completely different.

I think what's also really beautiful about that story is that client that you recommended to me came to visit me from across the world and ignited the new business that's just been launched this year. From your recommendation like when you look at it like that, that's just it just that just blows my mind.

The most spiritual amongst you listening, maybe thinking Kismet? It's also cabinet and it is and you can it's like the Steve Jobs quote. It's only when you look back that you can connect all the dots. And who would have known that me booking a call with you and then say no to working with you which you know, didn't feel great. Maybe didn't feel great for you either. But you know it wasn't meant to be and now you were like, Oh, thank God, because if I'd have ended up as your lion, we probably wouldn't have ended up in this dynamic. So you've got to trust that everything's working out perfectly. Yeah, absolutely. Yeah. Amazing. So you've just said, your client flew across the world spend time with you and ignited this spark and literally the following week you applied so what was it about that time? What was it that made you go I need to make a change. I want to do something else my business and particularly like I'm going to hire support to help me with it.

I think even going back to March 2022. At that point, I was by all with clients. I've got return a client project clients, consulting clients, long term project clients. I've had clients that have been with me for over a year. And as amazing as with that was I was kind of capped at my capacity. But also I was like, what else is there? There's something else that I think I should probably or should be not even should be doing. I felt that there was something more for me. And I had no idea at the moment and a lot of people I would speak to they're like well what about having a team? You know, I have a team behind yo can do the work for us. They can take on more clients but that was some of that business model was something that I just never dealt with it as much as I absolutely a DA key management. It's not for some reason I just did not want my own team. And it's one of the things as well. I'm one of them people that doesn't want something that everybody else has got. I always want something completely different. So from March 2022 For the next i The six months, and I've kept a journal since I was such a really really young age and then moving more into like a third journal capacity to then coming back to written journals. In flight to travel and looking back over those channels and looking at where it was tough trying to figure out what it is that I wanted to do, what's next where I'm affecting the business. It took somebody to get in touch with me and ask actually for mentoring that I was like, Okay, this could be an opportunity. This could be something that I could, you know, branch out into, and I'd actually we'd actually swap services whilst I was travelling. So before I launched my service, my business I was testing out my services and frameworks and the setup and everything as I've just watched services that this was a person and she'd come to me asking for mentioned because she wanted to launch as an online business manager. So obviously I knew I knew her background. I knew where she'd been I knew what she was doing. I knew what she had. And she also had the experience of working in the online space because I knew she was like the perfect mentoring clients and we set up working together and that was all working amazingly. And then yeah, so then this client came over to stay with me and we were talking and we were brainstorming and then something just completely dropped in and I was like oh my gosh. associates are meant to have associates work with me. And it was like OBM associates and that was just like, that was it. It was a done deal. I just knew that that was it. I didn't know how to know when but I just knew that that was going to be the next thing that I was going to work on and launch. And during that time with that client, you know she very headstrong, challenging in a good way, you know, we both challenged each other. We've got a fantastic relationship and friendship. And she challenged me in terms of my competence, my self worth. And she pulled things out of me that I think I knew what that were always there, but maybe not fully addressed. Even though I've had the confidence and the courage to leave, you know to move on from corporate to launch my own business. There was still some underlying self worth and competence issues that have not been addressed. And obviously she suggested you know, working with you, and I knew that we were similar. I knew that we were very opposite. But I was like, Okay, let's you know, let's have the call. Let's have the conversation. I'm going to be outrageously open, shatter all the figures. And then yeah, that was it. And here we are. And here we are now, in Portugal for the first time.

We did so that was very serendipitous as well because I got invited to Lisbon for the week. And you happen to be there at the same time. And funnily enough, my coach Joe Sweeney happened to be there at the same time. So it was crazy that I went to this but on my own and ended up doing all these things. So we did your half day kickoff in Lisbon over avocado toast and choreograph

the most amazing play.

I just remember we spent three hours and you had your laptop and you had the clicker up and you had these mind maps and all these things. And by the end of it, we deleted half of them because I was like, here Lord, are you really sure are you sure do you really love this service? Do you want to offer the service and I feel like that was a real clear in of you getting rid of those things that like had got you where you were you'd got which is great. But then we were looking, you know, future focused. I just remember saying to about something, I was like, do we want to do this? You were like, no and just delete it that I can't even remember what it was. But that I feel like that shakeup was what really gave you the space to be able to come and create associates.

Yeah. I think that that from from that moment, because I am. I am I do love to put all the bells and whistles into something and then you know Nishi downtime in a way. I'll do that so naturally for like everybody else but I've come with this massive math of these are the things I'm going to do all the things I'm going to do. These are all the people all the ideal clients. That I want to serve and bring into. You know, the evolution of nation nation down within that idea was really amazing.

I think something that's important. Just to clarify here, it's so obvious to me, obviously because I've been working with you but to the listeners, your idea of success is not financially driven. Now, you had a very profitable business already, which was fully booked with a waitlist. You know, you could have just done that and raised your prices and you know or worked more you could easily have increased your revenue by you know, multiple four figures a month by taking on extra clients. But that wasn't what was important to you and your your version of success is having a three day work week it is being able to travel or have that freedom while still having a business that lights you up so that's the only when you come with like you say the mind maps and the plans and and all of that. And we have to balance that because I'm like, Okay, well if you do all of that, how many hours are you going to have to work and everything I really feel like with your decision making comes back to and that's not saying you're afraid of hard work or you don't mind putting in longer days in different seasons of business but you were very clear about what you want your lifestyle to look like as we all should be and creating your your business around it. So that just to anyone listening to your why why did you say like get rid of all these services? Partly it's because we needed to keep your lifestyle the way you want to have it.

Yeah, absolutely. I think a lot of people that out to build a business and the lifestyle get caught on the back burner. When you know it's just see it's all too often, you know, and it's it's really picking out what you do value at the beginning of building a business and making sure that you can kind of keep hold of those and build the business around that. You know, we can all offer multiple services, especially as an online business manager because we have such a huge role and quite a privileged role with the amount of stuff we get to see behind the scenes in businesses and we can break down so many little services into one off packages and VIP days and oh, I mean, it's endless. I will roll it out and list of what we can offer and we can build but really tune in into what it is that we really, really really love to do. Because we can do so many things. It's what I didn't think you'd really love to do. And that's like the secret sauce that kind of comes out because you're so passionate about that. Whatever that channel of work is. And the impact that that then brings to the clients I think is yeah, it's just amazing what can come out of what it is that you're personally passionate about.

So one of the things you put on your form to work together was that you wanted someone else with like a strategic brain to look over as you were building this out to, you know, kind of CO create a sense check it and quote someone to call me out on my shit so let's look at what we did. So yeah, we got rid of some of the services that weren't serving you in your in your OBM business because you needed a bit of whitespace you needed the time and the capacity to build up the associates thing. Also, the context we started in October and in January you were going travelling in south in south and central park for three months. So we knew again that yes, you were doing this you're creating a second arm of your business. But you also had another priority with spending time away travelling right.

Yeah, I think when this when OBM associates dropped in in September, I actually just made the choice to not take on any new clients. I actually stopped my marketing which I wish I'd not done, but I also didn't have the language to be able to start talking about OBM associates. And I also didn't have the language to continue talking about what I've been, you know what I do because it's I was in a very, very unusual void. And I thought you know, what if I haven't got anything to say then I'm actually not going to say anything. Whilst I took a step back and I made a very conscious decision to take that step back to not take on any clients to invest in you and the investments after that to be completely transparent, where I was actually making a small loss within the business when you look at the balance sheet. And but again, that was a conscious decision to do that. As well as travelling across Central America for the next four months while still maintaining and working with the clients that we're already working with as well as building out a completely second business. So it was a very interesting time. And yeah, you know, I only had so much time to be able to work. You know, my clients obviously came first they were absolutely number one priority. Whilst I was travelling. I'm building OBM associates came second. And obviously the travel was, you know, part of that plan, but we would you know, we would travel Friday to Monday and we would be working tuesday wednesday thursday, so we travelled quite slowly through Central America. But it was so amazing to have that space to be able to focus on the couple of clients that I've got develop Obioma services but also be in a completely new environment and with a new lens to build OBM associates and that whole new perspective of how I'm gonna do this, how I want to come home and do this and with and obviously with your your support with that. And I'm just so grateful to have had that time and your support and just a call. Yeah, I don't know whether I could have built it at home because I've been in the same environment for so long. I'm actually still stuck at the kitchen table. You know, building a business. We're building an office from now we're back so that was you know, that'll be a nice change of scenery, but I just think me personally my environment is absolutely everything.

And I know that more than anything now so whatever comes next for lonely OBM or LBM associates, I'll be absolutely I take myself away to kind of build it with a new with space and with a new environment and I got to live vicariously through you because it was grey cold winter here. Like I'm in Costa Rica I'm doing these zoom calls with amazing tropical background. This is great. But you made an important point there is that you made a small loss on the business but you didn't see that as a negative because well your business was set at you knew that your business was set up, you knew what your income was. You're very intentional around your business finances and money, which is great. But also you knew that the things you'd invest in, which was not just me and we'll talk about that in a while. You see the long term benefit. This is a legacy business. And I think you're investing from a very empowered place, which is important. You knew exactly what you wanted. When you filled out the form. You were like, I want this, this and this, which is great for me because I'm like yes, it's not like this, oh, I will invest in because I need to start making 10k months next month, which is from a very disempowered place, or you know, people making big investments but they can't afford because they think oh, this is going to be the key or the magic bullet or the secret or whatever that gets me the success. Yours was very and probably because of the way you think and your background and understanding how business works. It was very strategic. Like if I invest in these things, I can see how I'm going to get the ROI over a decade.

So our journey was the first couple of months was when you were getting set to go travelling. Here in the UK. It was a very wet cold November, December. And I would say this was like this contraction phase. We knew like you say you weren't marketing but you you're getting things together. You're getting the ideas together. And I know and of course you know sacral fashion. You were very frustrated that you felt like you weren't doing it fast enough.

That was a really, really tough time. I think it was towards the end of November. It was it was so

there was also the Mars Retrograde kicked off at the beginning of October. And it was quite mindful of that my rising Gemini and I just could not get more than I just could not do anything every time I sat down to like, right, I'll be able to I will be doing this. What's my part, the project plan mapped out all the things and there's an online business manager. I should be quite easily be able to do that. And I knew exactly what I needed to do.

But I just couldn't do it. I could not do it. And I'm still frustrated with myself. I was trying to give myself all the self love and self care and compassion. But then obviously then we would get together. No, but I haven't done anything.

I just can't. I just could not do it. I couldn't do it. And I can't even describe the frustration because you know, I am somebody who is ambitious. I am so consistent in everything that I do.

And when I say I'm gonna do something, I am gonna do it. So I've got all this built up against me and I was just I was just fighting against the brick wall. And it wasn't until we've just flipped over to December. And I was like, You know what, I need to just surrender to this. Whatever it is. I just need to surrender to it. And finally gave myself some grace. Now.

It's December. It's Christmas. It's family time. You need to make the most of your friends and family before you go on this travel trip on the sixth of January. Just put it away. Just close it up. Have a complete mental break from it. Right?

even describe how beneficial that is actually to do like having you know really giving yourself like the weekend off from your work week to not think about it not open your emails, not check slack. It's so powerful to do that. So to actually close this away and not think about it was really difficult because I wanted to get started with it.

I just surrendered and I just focused on Christmas and family and friends and just having a really good time. I have a whole month off from my wife. It's been one of the date 15th of December fell and I didn't return until the 13th of January and I had a good month Greg, actually, you know, pack up, pack the bag, pack the backpack and get out of the country and get into a completely new environment and I finally get myself back surrendered to that final line. And then once I got out of the country, oh my god.

Just it just flowed so much better.

What's really interesting about this as a couple of things I'll give context for anyone listening is we kicked off in October middle of October. I think it was in Lisbon and you by the end of November. So six weeks you were frustrated that you hadn't done enough. So it felt like forever at the time, but it was six weeks, and you had COVID for one of those and you had a full client roster and you were actually doing stuff. But it's this thing about creation. You did have ideas and things were percolating and you're starting to map things out, but because it wasn't out in the world, I think it's very easy for us to say, oh, I want the end result ready and if it's not this, I haven't done anything or I haven't done enough and actually through November December a lot of our work together was not on the strategy. It was a lot of growth work because you had been like but this time last year I was really productive and there's that comparison so there was so much around like you say the surrender and the acceptance and also knowing because we talked about the lifestyle and travel knowing that when you got away, things would change because you know yourself with your human design all of these things. And like you said, I think our first call in January I think you're in Belize if I remember. So I was somewhere very very nice. And you were like a different person. Yeah. Yeah. Ready to go. And it's so important to I think, to give this permission to people because when they feel like they're stagnant and nothing's happening for a long time, when you look back and you go, Oh, it's five weeks.

Something like that. Like it's not a big deal when you're in it. It feels like forever. Yeah, it did fill out and that's the even if we looked at what I did what I actually did do it. I got the trademark I got the trademark in the middle of it all mapped out our that's we're gonna do it but even though it's not really detail and and then I'd hired somebody to write some blog comments. And that was a really interesting person and an amazing process.

Because I've not fully fully landed still because I kind of needed to get out the country to get the new perspective of what I'm going to do and the ideal client actually changed after a month working with a copywriting agency.

And they did such a great job taking my vision and putting it into it without me even fully understanding what we were crystal clearly doing. Like they did such a fantastic job for that. And that process actually helped me solidify what OBM associates was all about. So yeah, and like you said, we obviously did a tonne of work in the background going to the depth.

We went to the dad we did we in the depths of winter as well we went to and that's one of the things that I love about you setting up associates in this way is that that was another very mindful decision. Now that agency was a significant investment and obviously you brought that to our cold we we discussed whether it was a good investment but like you say you knew that first off, you didn't want to spend the time writing lots of blog posts, that wasn't your best use of time. You you're a good writer, but you wanted someone to really like wow with it. And I think what it was able it enabled you to do is empty your brain as you say and they put it together they develop these blockers which often nominal, so good, which are there, you know, they're going to last you forever for SEO but you can repurpose content from the it's another one of those investment decisions but it can feel like a big lift, but if you're looking at the long term vision, and what is it going to save you and what what's it going to enable you to do going forward. That was spot on the correct thing for you to invest in.

They did, they took my words and just just streamlined this, like this streamlined my brain. That's the only way that I can.

did a really great job. It's so great and one of them is something like eight signs that you need an OPM in your business and I used that to one of my clients because she was very reluctant to upgrade from a VA to an OPM but she clearly and I was like, just read this and then she went, Oh, I'm all of those apps like, which is exactly what you want, right? You want you want your content to speak to your ideal clients. Oh yeah. Now I understand why I need this service. So So I love that. So that was kind of our journey through till January and then like you say you really picked up momentum while you're away in creating the you have new website as well. You had a rebrand you had a new photoshoot, like so much went on during our time together, but then earlier, the share of VM associates actually came out into the world. You know, we had the discussion you were like, but will anyone apply? Well, anyone wants to be the first week it's announced how many applications 12 You know, well, I was I was launching the launch in the website.

It was so funny. Because I actually said when we started working together that I was going to launch this in March. I'd already said I'm launching it on the 23rd instead.

And even though we thought about launching it a bit sooner, I stuck. Do you know well, this day still feels really good for me further in the future, because the more time to build the website gives me more time to build the brand. The more time to really nail down the real details of what OBM Associates is about the intention the values and also work with the copywriting agency, you know that we really worked together on that because everything came out of me the values and the intention and those details of the ideal client. I asked to give that to them. To create the content.

But I launched the website and the launch OBM associates on the same day and I was in Costa Rica in the middle of a storm.

The Wi Fi was going on and off the power was on and off.

And I launched the website and I was then in the middle of trying to launch OBM associate and I've got two applicants come through the programme associate just from the website and I was just like no way.

No way.

I'd say to Sam I was like oh my god, like you don't care.

And I was so oh the class hive and describe the feeling and I was just so it was it was real. It finally became real.

You know you we work on his laptops and computers and it's like, where is the describe it the physical like this is happening right now. And that was like a massive moment for me. But then like I said, we launched OBM associates and within the first week with a product just blew me away. And the application form we're just wow. Like, the ideal client that I'd find the niche down to every single one.

Oh my god.

Between the amazing people. I know it was a good problem to have. This person's amazing. This person is amazing. And I can't take them all on at this time. But it may be in the future. And he kept saying in the future when you've got when you've got more capacity for them. But yeah, I I love that because I got to see it in real time, obviously and you know what I will say for anyone listening is could you have launched it quicker? Yes. If you didn't have a full roster of clients and you weren't travelling and you were happy to work five days a week someone else yet maybe you could have launched this. But was there any rush did you need to this isn't like a get rich quick or you know, there was no I've got to get this out ASAP. There is a balance sometimes between doing it properly and managing your own energy and still enjoying your life especially when you're travelling so that again when we kicked off in October March felt a long way away. But it actually went in no time

to quit really when when you think about it super quick. So we are recording this in May and it's going out a little bit longer. We have just wrapped up our six months together. We've pushed a couple of calls because you had COVID with you travelling and stuff. So we've just wrapped up although you are still applying on Slack, which is wonderful. So I'd love to talk a little bit about that because you had three calls a month as you know a private client and slack access and we discussed at the start slack because you were rightly so cautious that you didn't want to create a codependency so you didn't want a relationship where you will run in, you know to coach to ask permission or you know, run everything by them which is a very, very valid point. And, you know, a well trained coach should be looking out for and aware of anyway. And it took a while I would say for you to settle into the use of slack and how to do it. But to the point that at the end of our contract you were just like I want to keep slack because because you've now you see the value in in that and what I would say sometimes I wouldn't hear from you for a couple of weeks because you didn't need anything I'm fine. Sometimes you would drop in with you know three or four voice notes give me an update and sharing things.

I think I know against this but how beneficial was the slack to you as well as the calls?

Yeah, so like you said at first, it took me a little bit to settle into it because I think I found myself and this is obviously just a way that I've been operating every day is that something might come up. And I think okay, this is happening and I might journal and I might work through it. And then I might move past it and move on.

Or I was saving it for our call. But then it was Columbia what was happening or what I was thinking about. And I think there might have been a moment where I'm just like, unleashed all this stuff. And it was like Well, why didn't I do it in the moment? Why didn't I open up slack? And record the real raw situation? That's what I'm meant to be doing? Why am I not doing that? So when I finally you know we had that conversation and we finally grasp that.

I was then I suppose challenging myself to share in the moment so that we could move through it because not only was it that supporting me really even though I couldn't probably see it at the time. It was helping you help me and until I started doing that it then allowed me to also, I've always said from the beginning, I find it really difficult to sometimes be myself. And that's why I say you know, call me out on my shear. And I don't know why I can't seem upset. Well, there's a couple of reasons why I think I might not be able to do it might be to do with my human design where I'm fully defined I've got that consistency, I've got the certainty and I've also got that unconscious too. So anything that comes natural to me, I just can't see it.

But the moment that we have a I started sharing in the moment you were able to call me out on anything and you're able to highlight things maybe you're able to reflect back to me on why I was thinking like that or maybe why I was doing that and it just pulled me out so much quicker. So much quicker.

And I particularly love like you say that to sharing raw in the moment because vulnerability is hard, especially when we are high achievers and we've been conditioned to you know, just get on with it and, and not be here don't share and all of that but actually when you're in this type of container where you are pushing yourself for personal growth, it's really important to be vulnerable.

The way you have I would say utilise slack beautifully. I think the other week showed this perfectly. You were you left me a voice note. And the problem was you hadn't had enough whitespace so you'd let my voice out and your mood was like Oh, I'm struggling with boba. And then I haven't listened because you left it in the evening. You left one the next morning, you were like a different person because you like white space now and by the fact that it's all done. And I literally find I said you can put yourself through that. So it's not so much that you're coming and asking for an answer or asking for permission. It was more having the space and giving you for you to be able to reflect and then come back and be like it's okay now. And you know, the reflection there was we need to make sure you've got more whitespace because otherwise we know how you're going to feel and I think being so stuck in your own head and go in over and over and talking to yourself and be like okay, I need to do this and that and no like you know, I've been a big brain dump on a piece of paper is a really good way to do it and stuff like that. But for me, it's like literally speaking out loud. That helps me realise what's happening and what needs to happen next. And it was like get pulled a 13 hour shift that day. It was 11 o'clock at night. I was like I need to close this down. This is absolutely not how I want to be operating or renew my business.

Hold that shift so that I could have a three day for the great mental break. That could backfire in the following week. So that was kind of my way of getting ahead with that. But in that moment of need to do this as it is and I can't I couldn't think clearly because I've got that much on of what I needed to do about something that was really high level and then and to work on the high level scenarios. That was for my own business but also for like my clients business. I need the space to be able to sit and think about that. And I didn't have it and it was okay. I need to close this down. I've kind of been dumped it on me a little bit like what do you think about this?

And the Emerald public come back to me in the morning, but I actually went to sleep. I actually got in the bath 11 o'clock at night for an hour and that that will that will always help me to ground myself and trying to come round from those situations and close up the day then go to sleep. Wake up let's start fresh don't open flex don't check. Personnel vendor family don't check were literally open it up. Do what I need to do first time I'm only making activities at the end of the day. There should be 11 So that's what happened. I literally had well and now we're on it.

It's okay.

All done.

Perfect outcome but but knowing that you've got that space there as well. I think like I say rather than just jotting it down on a piece of paper that you can empty, empty your head.

Sorry love that. I love supporting you in Slack for that very reason. So tell us about OBM associates. So we are like say we're recording this in May this will be a bit later in the year. It's all up and running. All the trademarks are done. associates are being on boarded as we speak. So tell us about it from the point of the associates and what you offer for them but also for business owners and the service that you offer.

Yeah. Okay, so I'm just so excited about it. So OBM associate, I think is really, really unique because of the intention that it's been built on. So there was a gap in the online space that I could see and what I was hearing from other online business managers because I do a tonne of market research. Also during that time of the last six months, what is it that missing? What is it that they're not getting from their role or their business?

Personally and professionally?

And for me what I value and what I wasn't getting opposed was connection community.

I could see that other people weren't getting that either. So I also had clients still getting in touch wanting to work with me being on the weightless.

Obviously, I was at capacity, because I actually took on a couple of the clients towards the back end of the travel trip.

And

that will allow the associates that have come on board will help with the clients that have come in.

But the beauty of it is that the intention that's been built for this for the community is that the associates also value the values of OPM associates. So the associates I have handpicked vetted auditors.

They've got the foundational experience from a corporate background. So they've been involved in operations, managing processes, processes, working with high level executives and high expectations, managing a remote team. They've got those foundational skills which I believe an online business manager absolutely need for this role. And then they've also had the experience of taking the leap into entrepreneurship. They've faced fears. They've had courage. It's typically the imposter syndrome, but they've done it anywhere. And it takes us it takes a certain type of person for that. And they've got the built the business. They've set up the framework. They've got the processes above the client about the client experiences, they've worked with different business models. And they're also looking for more they're looking for community, they're looking for connection. So I saw this gap of why are we doing business? Why don't we do business together? Why are we doing it individually? Why can't we come together

to share the work and support and impact small business owners. So behind the scenes, we are a small community and we're supporting each other personally and professionally. Because we understand what it takes to be an online business manager we understand the challenges that when we have such a huge responsibility in our clients, businesses that you know so people don't understand what it is that we do, and the responsibility that we actually have. Even our friends and family they try to understand the best that they can you know where we from my experience and loads of people that I've spoken to is that we can't quite understand that we're not getting, we're not getting that level of support that we might need. So being able to kind of lean on each other.

really support them personally. But then when it comes to working with our clients, the clients are coming in and they are paired with an OBM that I think that will work really, really well together. And they'll go off and have their own relationship, their own partnership. I'm not here to look over anybody's shoulder and sign off any work. You know, we've already done the audit and if there's been any gaps we have filled with any resources.

And then if the OBM needs any support, then they come to the community. Now they can have the initial strategy session with the client and they can map out the roadmap and come back to the community and say, Okay, this is what I'm doing. What does everybody think? Is there a better way of doing it? What does this infrastructure look like to you? And because all the associates have had different experiences they've got different knowledge.

We can really share that. And it's like a powerhouse. I've seen that as like a powerhouse where we can come together and we can support the OBM. So the OBM is also getting additional knowledge and experience through the community. But the cayenne is just an unbelievable amount of support. They're not just getting one, there'll be Ambrym the kind of getting money as I'm kind of opening it up for the minute as well as me. So for me, the energy exchange between all of us, works really, really well. And it supports each other and it impacts us all. And it's all about doing business together.

The applicants that have applied for that. It's really resonating with them and the associates that are in there.

Yeah, they're just so perfect for it. And they're all on board and everybody's so uniquely different. And yeah, it's really and this is why you said earlier, that whole model of bringing on your own team didn't resonate with you because we're looking at everyone, this is the perfect business for you because because of your experience, because of what you've done in corporate because of your zone of genius, but also because of your values because I know that connection is hugely important to you and excellence. And being able to, you know, mentor these VMs and audit a business and make sure they've got everything that they need to provide the excellence to their clients. So when we look at it like that, it's so obvious. It's like of course you wouldn't do anything different this

isn't it becomes so there's nothing.

We think that business has to be complicated.

And at first I was complicating it with all the minds map with all the services and all the different things. I was complicated without complicating it.

And even when I was looking for the ideal client for this, I was I want to help people get out of corporate and get into OBM associates and get into the online business manager role that want to get VA that was their role and into online business managers. And it was just over complicating it again. And for this first phase of the business model to work, it just needed to be the absolute right OBM and the more established OBM so that they can support the clients at the level that I've been supporting. You know, the quality of service is something that is the most important for me and it all comes down to also the relationships are building that relationship with our clients. And that's why connection is so important to me because without that it's going to be a really rocky relationship.

So you really got to connect with the client and motorists if they understand that. They appreciate the relationship that they and they want to build they want to build but with the clients, the clients that have come into the door also understand that

You know, this isn't getting out of hand your business and not be involved in it. You know, that's not how business works or works well.

So yeah

I'm really excited for it. I'm excited for the associates just kind of everybody building that relationship and friendship. And just, yeah, impacting and support in my businesses that are out there. Good quality eautiful obviously I'm gonna drop all of the links in the show notes. So if anyone's listening and they are in OPM and they like, I like the sound of being an associate or if you're a business owner looking to be paired with an OPM that has been obviously audited. Trane is working to an excellent standard. Then Lauren is Lauren is your person, so I'll drop all the links there. Before I let you go. Firstly, thank you so much for coming on. And being the first client spotlight. Thank you for being so open and sharing your journey. And it's been a joy actually to reflect back on how much has happened in the last six months. Yeah, it's been amazing and yeah, just thank you. Thank you for having me. And thank you for all your support as well because yeah, it's been I've just looked at I've looked at so I'm gonna amend my final questions ever so slightly, been sure a client and I would love to know, what's the biggest change in yourself or the biggest learning that you would take away from our six months together?

My gosh, as a manifesting generator, there's never one thing

I think the big ones that have probably stuck with me are the ones that I really plan especially to build OBM associates and transition, continue transitioning into the C role that I'm in is understanding that my value is not in the implementation 1000 steps such a big one, and may lack some that a couple of times, and I've had to learn that lesson. I've actually really learned that lesson. And that's definitely been like a letting go process as well. And so yeah, I think that's probably the biggest lesson that one of the biggest lessons that I've had to learn through that. I think also in that process of things aren't going to be the same. So like the way that I was so frustrated during the autumn season was well last year. I was so productive and I was getting up before the sunrise and that's not happening this year.

That's been quite a big wake up call to be like, well, and it happened even with travel. It was like, Okay, this is what happened on the last travel trip. But this was a completely different trip, but I can't expect to get anything that I got from that trip on this trip.

And I'm glad I learned that during that before we went on those travels because my expectations of what I got from the last trip would have been put on this trip.

And yeah, I'm glad I learned that and I was able to let that go.

But yeah, I would. I would agree with that. And I think that's a huge lesson for for anyone because whether it's like whether you're comparing a launch to a previous launch, or whether you're, you know, comparing your revenue to previous revenue or any anything, there's so much nuance in it and it can really make us it can really bring us down and be all but it's not like it was and it's not like it was because it's a different it's a different thing like you say yes it's autumn but it's a different autumn. Yeah, it's travelling but it's it's different travelling. So I agree. I think that one has been huge for you to be able to like let go of the expectation and just be be in The Now.

Absolutely. Which leads me on to my final question, of course, which is which book would you recommend to any audience members that are listening that are looking to grow their online business?

So I usually read between a mixture of like business books, spiritual books, self help books, don't really read that many novels or anything but I think the big

one the one that comes to mind is in my mind, and I'll always recommend it. It's the power of now. And I'm actually going to read read that because I think it's learned differently. I've not read it for so long, but it was such a lightbulb moment to learn to be in The Now.

For all also take control of your thoughts and your mindset. So within that book is practical practices that teach you how to manage you know, your mindset and your thoughts and your thought process. And I was like, you know, is, again, it's permission given. It's like, everybody kind of has thoughts and things and wakes up with these thoughts and thinks that but okay, how can we actually stop them? How can we ground them? How can we understand them? That was the Yeah, quite a simple book. And I know it's not all of their business related but it helps me. It helps me within my business for sure. Beautiful. Thank you, Lauren so much. I'm gonna pop that in the show notes along with all of your links and see you in Slack. Thank you for having me.