Imagine closing your eyes, letting go of the past, and setting your intentions for a fresh, exciting year ahead. That's exactly what we've been doing at the Conscious Salon, and we're inviting you to join us. As we bid adieu to another eventful year, we take you on a reflective journey, pouring our hearts and thoughts into our journals, reminiscing the good and the not-so-good moments, and mapping out our grand plans for the future. We even give you a little glimpse into how this podcast has shaped our lives, both professionally and personally.
Our story doesn't end there. We put a spotlight on our personal journeys, the trials we've faced, and the growth we've achieved. Remember Mick's pursuit of an ADHD diagnosis? Or my endeavor to control my ego? We walk down memory lane, reliving those moments with you, sharing our four-year journey of perseverance, passion, and pride.
The last part of our journey takes a personal turn. We talk about the significance of being there for our loved ones in the most meaningful ways. We share our transition from a scarcity mindset to an abundance mindset, and how it has been our game-changer. We also touch on the importance of cherishing the memory of our dear ones and truly appreciating the people in our lives. It's a heartwarming tale of learning, growing, and giving, and we can't wait for you to be a part of it.
To follow our journey:
Instagram @aheadhair_
@the_conscious_salon
This podcast has been produced and edited by Snappystreet Creative
Imagine closing your eyes, letting go of the past, and setting your intentions for a fresh, exciting year ahead. That's exactly what we've been doing at the Conscious Salon, and we're inviting you to join us. As we bid adieu to another eventful year, we take you on a reflective journey, pouring our hearts and thoughts into our journals, reminiscing the good and the not-so-good moments, and mapping out our grand plans for the future. We even give you a little glimpse into how this podcast has shaped our lives, both professionally and personally.
Our story doesn't end there. We put a spotlight on our personal journeys, the trials we've faced, and the growth we've achieved. Remember Mick's pursuit of an ADHD diagnosis? Or my endeavor to control my ego? We walk down memory lane, reliving those moments with you, sharing our four-year journey of perseverance, passion, and pride.
The last part of our journey takes a personal turn. We talk about the significance of being there for our loved ones in the most meaningful ways. We share our transition from a scarcity mindset to an abundance mindset, and how it has been our game-changer. We also touch on the importance of cherishing the memory of our dear ones and truly appreciating the people in our lives. It's a heartwarming tale of learning, growing, and giving, and we can't wait for you to be a part of it.
To follow our journey:
Instagram @aheadhair_
@the_conscious_salon
This podcast has been produced and edited by Snappystreet Creative
Here at the Conscious Salon, we acknowledge the traditional owners of the land in which we stand today, the Boon Rung people of the Kula Nation. We pay our respects to the elders, past and present, and extend their respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Welcome to the Conscious Salon.
Speaker 2:Welcome back to the Conscious Salon podcast. I'm just laughing at me already.
Speaker 1:Well, you just pulled your note. Nikki's left her prescription glasses at home and she's got her prescription sunglasses on which, if you're like sitting in your lounge room, it's in quite a dark lounge room. What I add, it's very I can't see the computer screen.
Speaker 2:I left my house without my glasses and I only got my sunglasses, so I can't read anything or do anything, so I have to sit in this dark lounge room with my sunglasses on.
Speaker 1:I'll pick up the lamp that Stevie Wonder is sitting opposite me. It was just funny then, because Nikki asked me a question and then I like I think I hesitated. Nikki pulled the glasses down just to like make eyes with me, but I couldn't see your face, I had to do that, those glasses, so they're so big they take up like, they're very like Nicole Richie. They're great, they look great, but you know, like when Nicole Richie went through that phase of wearing this is a pretty niche reference to like anyone.
Speaker 2:This is an iconic like 2000s reference.
Speaker 1:But not everyone would know this reference Anyone that watched Simple Life, etc. Back in the day.
Speaker 2:Half of our team are like who's Nicole?
Speaker 1:Richie 100% when she used to wear the really big glasses. That's what Nikki's ones look like, and then when you pull them down, it's like that is such a compliment. Like the rest of my outfits not screaming Nicole Richie but that's such a compliment. No, the rest of the outfits screams like white lotus. I guess the rest of the outfits like I'm wearing a linen the bunion white lotus. Actually it's not, camilla.
Speaker 2:I'm wearing a linen button up t-shirt as its shirt and some linen shorts and it's sort of giving the. I'm in an all inclusive crew shirt.
Speaker 1:I said to Nikki when she walked in you look like you're stepping onto a yacht, which I have also been watching a lot of Below Deck Down Under, so that could be more into my little personal niche there as well. Absolutely.
Speaker 2:Tess, today we have a really special episode. So, guys, it's been a wild little year for us in our industry and we really thought long and hard about how we wanted to close off the year and how we wanted to start 2024 with our potty community. Because you what are you laughing at the?
Speaker 1:glasses. Can you take them off Over it oh?
Speaker 2:my God, get over it. Whatever I'm just going to, I hope you're able to read my answers.
Speaker 1:I'm going to be able to see how many minutes something going for. Do you want to try some of mine? Maybe that'll be helpful. Glasses don't really work like that.
Speaker 2:But we did think long and hard about what we wanted to do to close off the year, because this podcast has been such a beautiful outlet for us and such an amazing way for us to share what's going on in our business, provide a heap of value for people who also have businesses there's a lot of people who listen on here that don't even have businesses. Yep, it's been such a beautiful space for us over the last couple of years to be able to share and really make a lot of impact, and we feel so grateful to be able to have this platform. We still don't really understand how this thing has become so successful and such a great I'm not going to really know how it all comes together.
Speaker 1:I'm already doing it, but we're very happy about it.
Speaker 2:But it's been such a beautiful space for us and we really want to give back to you guys in the next two episodes and do something that was really tangible. A little activity, if you will where we can set some really beautiful intentions for next year and reflect on this year and what went well and maybe what we need to give ourselves more of next year Absolutely.
Speaker 1:So this one is going to be a bit more of a practical podcast today. So Niki and I are the Tangible Queens and we are going to Tangible Tip Queens, tangible Tippers, tangible Tippers, tangible Tippers.
Speaker 2:Everyone's straight away like sound two Totally, I might get my mind right there.
Speaker 1:Okay. Well, everyone's mind went to the gutter then. So all grow up and get your pen and paper out. We're going to do some little journaling today, so let's all grab our journals and a pen, get somewhere cosy and comfy, or relaxed. Can I just say?
Speaker 2:anyone who's listened to this on Boxing Day, like you know, heading down like to Yara Wonga with the family or something they're just like. Oh shit, this is not the podcast.
Speaker 1:With me, go and pop on Hamish and Andy. If you're in that pod, why not? Let's just go to another episode. Maybe Not if you've got kids in the cars. Fair bit of swearing, and carrying on Exactly.
Speaker 2:I think it's one of those places, probably not the episode that people are driving with their families.
Speaker 1:I don't know. I was going to say I don't reckon that they do. Well, let us know if you listen.
Speaker 2:If you're a parent go for it.
Speaker 1:Yeah, absolutely.
Speaker 2:But we're going to do. We're going to give you guys a really beautiful exercise to do with us. It's going to be like we're all just sitting in the room debriefing on the year and setting some beautiful intentions for next year. We really love debriefing and journaling and the benefit of. Obviously, tess and I have partnerships in two businesses, so we have each other to always lean back on and debrief with and talk through things with. But for a lot of you guys, you're solo printers, so you are solo operators or sole traders, and this is your opportunity to really lean on us, and we'll lean on each other as a community and really share what we have done and are doing. That's right. So we're going to read out the prompts, we're going to give you some time to fill it in and then we're going to also share what we have done too.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Tess, I'm just giving you a warning. I'm popping my sunglasses back on. If you can hold your laughter until the end of the episode.
Speaker 1:I might have to face the wall.
Speaker 2:This week we're going to be doing a reflection on 2023. And then next week we're going to be doing an intention setting podcast for 2024. So two really special episodes ready for you guys.
Speaker 1:Great, well, the first one. So we're just going to start with our reflection of 2023. The year that was, the year that was, and the first prompt is what was your moment of the year in business? Now if you don't have a business or you don't. That in part doesn't resonate. What was your moment of the year?
Speaker 2:And if you don't have a business and you listen to this podcast, we'd love to know why there's lots of people that don't. Yeah, our mum, but yeah, moment of the year, it's a pretty big question. So what was your moment of the year test?
Speaker 1:My moment of the year was our 10 year anniversary celebration on the beach.
Speaker 2:That was my new dog. Why was that your moment of the year?
Speaker 1:Did you look at mine, because you didn't have an answer for a while? No, and I left the room, and I actually left the sheets on the bed, so now I'm.
Speaker 2:It's not an exam.
Speaker 1:I had that sort of level of trust. But now I'm a bit curious about because I did say you left that to last.
Speaker 2:No, I mean, mate, I probably have my sunglasses on, probably going to see a sheet. But to the 10 year event that we had was really special.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's amazing.
Speaker 2:So why was it your proudest moment I?
Speaker 1:definitely reckon you read my sheet.
Speaker 2:I'm convinced of that, it's a great sheet.
Speaker 1:I don't know, we'll never know. We do know and we all know that Nikki cheated. My reason that that was up there was because I think, first of all, we really didn't want to celebrate the 10 years. I think it had been a rough couple of years in business and it's been. You know, it's been a bit of a tricky time. I think we were just kind of like I don't know, we weren't really in the celebrating mode, we weren't really wanting to do anything and I think we just kind of sensed that no one really wanted to do anything.
Speaker 1:So the thing where that was a big stand up for me was that our emerging team, hannah and Tayya, wanted to do this and brought their idea forward with us. And I think, just the fact that sometimes you need to remember, like your why and your like reason for wanting to celebrate the small it wasn't even a small moment to celebrate those moments and have that opportunity to celebrate and then that community becoming such a, of course, really wanting to be a part of that and to celebrate with that and also creating more of the mindfulness aspect that we do and, like for anyone that's not too sure, you're like, what the fuck did you do? I know, don't worry. Well, I'll reveal. We went down very early hours on a Sunday morning on our 10 year anniversary birthday weekend and we did a breath work and ocean dip journaling ceremony. It was pretty meaningful.
Speaker 2:It was a members of our community.
Speaker 1:And our beautiful team members Tayya and Hannah came up with the whole idea, created a lot of magic for it. There was like goodie bags, gifts, all of these sort of things, and we sold out and it was an amazing experience and event and incredible humans and people that were there and sharing.
Speaker 2:There is actually we did an episode on it. It's called 10 years in business.
Speaker 1:Yes, and it was just amazing to have that opportunity to celebrate together and having that connection and realizing that this place is so much more than just a salon and how much it means to the community and how much yeah it was just, it was really beautiful to share that and there are a lot of.
Speaker 2:That was a really big point that you make there, like the salon has gotten, the company has gotten bigger than both of us and yeah, it was pretty spectacular yeah.
Speaker 1:Yeah. So I think that was a really special moment and I think also realizing there were some people that had some really big moments there, some really pivotal moments. We learned about it afterwards, what was coming up for them. There was a lot of emotions there. It was just beautiful. It was such a special day. So definitely for me having that come together and experiencing that and being a part of that because that very easily could have been a mess I was super grateful for that. It was amazing, wasn't it?
Speaker 2:Yeah, that was mine for the salon and then I did write a couple down for conscious too. So the tenure event was just amazing and I was really proud of our team and it's been a really. I've actually found this year really, really challenging. I think it's been really challenging for our industry the last couple of years and this year, with some of the things that we've experienced in the economy, it's been really bloody challenging and I feel like I've had to, personally, like, dig so deep to be resilient this year when.
Speaker 2:I have really felt like giving up after the last couple of years, so that's been really challenging. Mindset has been like definitely a challenge, but I feel really proud of the tenure event that was just so beautiful and the fact that the girls did that was amazing For conscious. I'm really proud that we have this amazing podcast and, like we looked in, a podcast sponsor, which is incredible.
Speaker 1:Yeah, for sure.
Speaker 2:And someone who really lines with us. Like we had a lot of podcast sponsors reach out and want to sponsor our potty and it felt really aligned to work with Revupy and obviously that's been really beautiful.
Speaker 2:It's felt really like a huge moment Selling out two courses, our first two containers sold out, which is pretty crazy, and the fact that we literally started this business the conscious on in February and we were at capacity with clients within three months and we have a waitlist that's like 12 months long. So it's pretty crazy and I'm just really proud of that. It's amazing. It is amazing. Go us Next prompt. What are you the most proud of this year?
Speaker 1:You kick her off. I answered first last time.
Speaker 2:So for me, I'm really proud at the salon of us. We've got like a brand new team in the salon. Like you know, some of our team have been with us for a couple of years but in terms of the majority of the team are new and we've really learned how to solidify ourselves as a team and work really well as a team. So I'm really but I'm proud of that and on a personal level in business, I'm really proud of not sweating the small stuff. So I literally made a pact this year to myself and you know, like me and my girlfriend Rach were talking about this at the start of the year and we were like shook hands and we were like we're not going to sweat the small stuff this year. We are going to have a life where we a year where we enjoy our lives and our business and we just don't worry about small shit, because it's always like in business, just to turn yourself inside out For sure.
Speaker 1:Absolutely. I wrote mine on both personal levels. My first one is starting the process for ADHD diagnosis. That was really big and scary and overwhelming and, yeah, that's probably pushed me the most that I've been pushed in a long time, just experiencing that. But I'm really proud of starting that. And then when I did start it not like freaking out and just once I got like in to the process I didn't run away from it and just give up and you know that's what I wanted to do. So I'm really proud of like pushing through that and going through it and moving into my dream home. I'm so proud of that.
Speaker 2:We'll have a moment for that.
Speaker 1:I mean, we've covered enough. About half the season's content is on my home move, so I'm really proud of it. I love it. I love where I live. I'm really proud of our home and, yeah, how hard both Mick and I have worked to get here and you know the sacrifices and you know the last four years of our relationship working towards this point has been massive. So I'm super proud of that. Where we live and what we get to call home. Now it's amazing. Wow, that's beautiful, mate. Next, prompt what was the area you had the most growth in personally? Oh, that's a good question.
Speaker 2:I mean you'd think that we wrote these. It's amazing, mine was anxiety and caring less about little shit, stress management and lowering my stress levels, but truly I don't know how to say it in a better way Not sweating the small stuff or caring less about little shit. I used to turn myself inside and out, personally and professionally, around little stuff that just didn't need my attention and I would worry about oh, what could happen or what did happen in the past, or you know how does this person feel, or were they a bit off today? I often I would make someone else's results or how someone else was showing up about me and what I may have done and I've completely lost that this year.
Speaker 2:So, like if a client is a bit off or a team member is a bit off, or someone that we're working with in business or whatever, over both brands, I would be like, oh, maybe it's me, maybe I didn't show up for that person, maybe I could have made them happier. And I really realized this year, like how other people show up has absolutely nothing to do with me, absolutely.
Speaker 1:And.
Speaker 2:I'm only responsible for myself and the way that I show up. Yeah, so yeah, that's really powerful in its own. Yes, yeah, I just literally have stopped sweating the small stuff and I was like this life is to be enjoyed, not endured, and I'm just not doing that shit anymore. Amen.
Speaker 1:How good's that. What about you? I wrote Releasing Ego. I really feel like I've really stepped out of my ego this year.
Speaker 1:I've had a really big ego for a really long time and it's still definitely present, but I feel like I don't sit in ego for long and I release it really fast now, which is great, and it's been one of the most pivotal things that I've learned in my life of being able to step out of that and just how I can just solve things so much faster and understand better quicker now as well, which I'm really grateful for. Yes, that's huge Self-awareness. I think I've become really conscious with releasing ego, really aware of how I'm showing up, when I'm fucking up for lack of a better word and just having that awareness of how my energy, behaviors, thoughts, what I'm saying impacts other people, and I think that's been a really like. I've got a lot of growth out of that. And then also my compassion. I think I'm able to flip into compassion way faster and understanding rather than just focusing on my own point of view. I really do feel like I've shared a shitload of ego.
Speaker 2:This year You've actually had so much. This is why I love doing this and us sharing this, because we love a reflection and we love some self-awareness, but when we're able to look each other in the eye and look each other in the sunglasses- and talk about what our get over it and talk about where our biggest growth has been. Potentially, we wouldn't have recognized our other their person's growth.
Speaker 2:So it's really nice to actually say, hey look, I'm really proud of how I grew in this year in this way, and when you're saying that, I'm like holy shit, you actually grew so much in that area and did I, yeah, yeah, and I saw so much growth in you and you've taught me so much from you growing in that area. So it's amazing, so good. Next prompt when are?
Speaker 2:you. What was your biggest team learning this year? So the biggest learning that you had within your teams. If you are someone who is not, if you're an employee, if you're someone who's employed within a company, you can still do this question what was your biggest team learning this year? So, with you, within your team.
Speaker 1:All life learning. If you're not in a team either, it can just be a life learning. I wrote that. So we had two big shifts this year. We had two of our OGs move on. Tay moved on last year, yeah, but she was still here until January this year. She officially moved and I was in denial about Tay moving for a very, very, very, very long time even when she did finally go, I was like, oh wow, okay, you're actually leaving.
Speaker 1:That's so weird and same. I was, thankfully, a lot better with Megan's like leaving, probably because she was. She's still in the state and I saw her all the time. It was beautiful.
Speaker 2:We still see Tay all the time.
Speaker 1:Yeah, she's literally coming to the salon tomorrow. Do her sister-in-law say she's like can?
Speaker 2:I come to a head and use a chair and do my sister-in-law say, well, yeah, okay, do that.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I don't see Tay as very good. I say Megan like every week or two it's beautiful and we still talk to Tay all the time. I know what you mean. Anyway, my point with that is I, with having you I mean Tay and Megan are still like family members to us. They're two of our best friends and you know we love them very, very much. But I think because they'd been with me for such a long time and I relied on them for so long, when they left I was kind of in our team. You know is absolutely incredible, but they weren't as, I guess, long term, as what the girls were, because we had six, seven years with the girls. Also with Tay and Megan, we'd gone through a lot of things together as well. We'd gone through a lot of like even old boyfriend. I got, you know, a couple of breakups, mainly mine, actually only mine Suspect with their partners. Longer than that. We had, you know, like the whole of COVID and lockdown and everything that was in that you know three-year space.
Speaker 2:I feel like that bonds you on a deep level.
Speaker 1:Really did. Yeah, we had some team movement and things that were pretty full on to deal with as well. There was a lot of things there that really we had a really hectic team situation.
Speaker 2:Megan keeps saying we need to do a podcast episode. I'm not quite there yet, but we need to do one at some point.
Speaker 1:I reckon when you're ready, we should definitely do it. I think it'd be a really good one.
Speaker 1:I think it'd actually heal a lot for you as well, and I'll title it the team versus name. So, yeah, I think the idea of losing them, because they're not only, they don't just work with us and their team members, they're like family and when I yeah, I was trying to work out how it would look without them in the salon, I was so scared and I just was like, oh, the salon's not going to be the same or it's not going to, it's going to be able to find a team that's aligned. You know all of those things. It's so scary when you go through it. It's you know it's scary venturing out into new and uncharted waters. What I learned was that the salon can survive and thrive with new team and that I also don't own team and they don't need to Everyone, and I truly mean this.
Speaker 1:everyone in the team is free to go whenever they want or whenever it no longer serves, including us, and I think that's something that I've really learned that it's not so much about the people that you have in the team, it's about creating the culture that creates the team and I. That really was like life-changing for me now, because I feel like I also don't have the same hold on the team.
Speaker 2:That must like release so much burden of, like feeling like you're held hostage or holding people hostage.
Speaker 1:Yeah exactly.
Speaker 2:Yeah, vice versa, like, a lot of people are like oh my God, my key team member left, blah, blah. I just want to say to you, if you are in that crossroads right now, the show goes on. It's really hard to say that because a lot of the time it's. You know, we love everyone who's left, or some of the people who have left, but the people who have left us and you know we were so sad to have them leave we still love them deeply. However, the show went on without them, yeah.
Speaker 1:And it would be the. It's the exact same. Like you know, if the salon will survive without Nikki and I in there as well, it's going to be great and do well, providing that the culture.
Speaker 2:You're wrapping up the business.
Speaker 1:No, I'm saying it in the sense of you know, like it's, that's the cold.
Speaker 2:My reality is it's the reality. It taught me that Everyone is replaceable if you build your brand strong enough.
Speaker 1:1000%, yeah, and I think that's the thing. So you I hear this all the time, especially now with working with you know different owners and team now and one of the big things that comes up is the fear of either losing team, not having enough team team, team team sort of being the forefront of the problems, and how people can get really almost possessive of their team, where it's like I'm not going to be able to tell the business because this person's going to leave or they've mentioned something or they've made some sort of a like you know comment about. We had a conversation about this recently with one of our salon owners, with one of her team, letting her know that I think she was considering moving further away.
Speaker 2:Further.
Speaker 1:And she was straight away like well, I always envisioned that she'd take over from me, so now I feel like I'm trapped.
Speaker 2:Well, and I said hey, and she was upset that she'd invested all this time in energy training.
Speaker 1:Totally.
Speaker 2:And we're like but how much reward has that given you?
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Do you know what's I?
Speaker 1:just I'm going to finish my full thought for you, jemina, and what we have like, taught, like spoken about and spoken through this is that your team are free to leave whenever they feel the need to, and if thatit is truly that thing of everyone is replaceable. You can always find more team. You can always find the exact same, if not better, continually showing up and exploring and trying to find those people. But I think sometimes there can be such an ownership on people that like, oh, but I had the vision, this was my vision for them, so they need to fill that vision, and if they don't, that it's like a bit of a fuck you to us. I don't see it like that anymore. People are free to do whatever they want and whatever's going to make them happy, and if people want to move further away or explore other careers or do other things, that's totally fine. Give me the heads up so that I can then let someone else come in that's going to be really wanting to take this opportunity.
Speaker 2:Totally, and I think it really goes back to like removing ego and just being genuinely compassionate towards someone else and this is one of the things that pops up so much with us with private clients. Like you have to remove your ego when you're talking and dealing with your team.
Speaker 2:If they want to go and do something else, like give them a blessing, let them go Understand that be compassionate, don't meet them with frustration. I remember I'm going to be honest here when Tayya resigned I mean that was like 18 months ago or something she gave us seven or eight months notice or something. And I remember sitting in the office and I can hand on hearts that I didn't respond well and I wasn't angry or you know whatever. I think I was just so taken aback and I had so much adrenaline and anxiety running through my body because I had definitely been attached to her and being like, oh, she is like a ride or die. And I remember her being so upset, trying to get it out of her body and talk it out. And I remember like taking a few big deep breaths and saying like I just need a minute and that would have been so hard for her to do.
Speaker 2:So, even then, I learned so much from that experience being like fuck me if I.
Speaker 1:You still handed her better than me on the last day when, like you literally like, pull me off her.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it was an interesting time, but we've had to become a little bit. How do I say it? I think it's really removed or something it's like releasing the control.
Speaker 1:I do think that we it was releasing, releasing control.
Speaker 2:Yeah, releasing control and also putting like some boundaries in around how much emotion we lay on the line with business. Absolutely, because it's really hard to separate the two. And it doesn't mean that we love this team any less. It doesn't mean that we love this team anymore, it's completely the same and we still have all of those things in place. But it's just you've got to put those things in place so that it's not just completely emotionally detrimental to you. So it's not a sustainable practice If you can't, if you're so upset and anxious about a team member leaving for months. It's just not a sustainable practice and really understanding that people come and go. They really do. Absolutely Beautiful mate.
Speaker 1:What was your biggest team learning this year?
Speaker 2:Mine was not sweating the small stuff and just making business decisions, not emotional decisions, so I guess they sort of go hand in hand Really not sweating the small stuff.
Speaker 1:You've done amazing work.
Speaker 2:Creating. I used to create all these stories in my head. If someone was a little bit off for the day, I wouldn't consider, oh, maybe they've got something going in their personal life. I'd be like this is about work. They don't want to be here. What have I said to upset them? I used to go down rabbit holes I was a rabbit, actually, but it was just. I've just stopped doing that this year and really put a stop to that. You really have, yeah, and also understanding what we invest in our team, we really do get back. So we change the way that we do training and training plans and everything this year, and that's been incredible. And also allowing our crew to step up and do their thing and let them shine. And I look at the growth that all of our team have had this year, because we have literally stepped to the side and said go for it. And the things that they've been able to produce, the different activations and marketing things that we've done, the events They've done so many things that have been incredible.
Speaker 1:Do you know what I really think you've done really well this year as well? Your motivation with the team has been to inspire them rather than to. I wouldn't say you were ever come down on them. You've always been cool, come and collected and very fair, but I feel that you've really stepped into inspiring the team to be better and to do better, which is really great.
Speaker 2:Thank you, mate.
Speaker 2:You know what, though? I feel that the easy way autopilot almost sends you into a place of ego of like, well, they're not doing enough, they should be doing better, and blah, blah, blah. Whatever your stories are around your team and I very much used to be that person Well, these numbers are not good enough or this is not where we need to be, and I've told this person this before blah, blah, blah. Whereas even now, if we have to have a bit of an uncomfortable conversation, all right, we need to make these changes, make this thing better, whatever, I don't even see it as remotely uncomfortable anymore. I see it as we've got the opportunity to empower this person, and if something's not landing, it's because of the way that we've taught it to them.
Speaker 2:So how can we teach them and empower them to really understand this and have this land for them, or how can we understand their perspective? And that's really changed everything for me, Like every single time that I go in to talk to the team, chat to the team, teach the team, whatever it is. Anytime I have any team interaction I truly go in, have gone into it this year with. My job is to inspire and empower them.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so good.
Speaker 2:Well done Amazing.
Speaker 1:Next question what is your biggest money learning this year?
Speaker 2:Mine is working, obviously like I worked with a manifestation mentor and abundance coach. I never thought I'd say this, but while I was working with Georgie, I've worked with her for pretty much like 11 months or 10 months and it has helped me heal my money mindset. I'm still human. It still pops up. I used to have one of the most lack of money mindsets of any person I'd ever met.
Speaker 2:It caused so much stress and anxiety in my life and I never really thought that doing anything like spiritual would actually change my mindset around money. But even the way that I respect money now and saying thank you to money is one of the biggest learnings that I've had. Like actually saying thank you every single time we have a sale, every single time we have an online booking, every single time we have an online store thing, every single time we have a course that sells out like literally saying thank you to every no.
Speaker 1:it's a lot of celebrating.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and it's appreciating money, being, I mean, if this year, if there was any year to appreciate money, it's this year. But really changing the way that I speak to money and truly believing like I never thought I'd say this word, truly believing that money is an unlimited resource, yeah, that's been like actually life changing for me.
Speaker 1:Unbelievable. Sorry about you mate, and I think that's the thing, especially with your learnings, like I hear you talk with team and talk with clients and people in our world about changing their mindset, and it's just so good because I think you have sat and, as you said, like quite a lack mindset or a scarcity mindset. So hearing you flip that and now helping other people you know change their mindsets on it, it's really great, like you've really become like it's one of your superpowers now to flip that mindset around.
Speaker 2:Thank you, which is great, I think, yeah, like when you've walked the walk, like you can actually relate.
Speaker 1:Absolutely. What about you? I probably had my biggest money lessons when we first started into personal development and business development. I had a very terrible Nikki might have had more of a scarcity money mindset. I had a inability to talk about it, run out of the room, stick your head in the sand and pretend it's not actually happening. I had all of those beliefs of you know.
Speaker 2:Like an avoidant mindset.
Speaker 1:It's disgustingly, like I remember, and it was like it was horrible because Nikki would like want to talk to me about you know, things that you need to talk about when you own a business, and you need to talk about money.
Speaker 2:But I also understand why you didn't want to sit with me, because I was like, help, this is all fall bar like my lack mindset. I would have been like I'm running away.
Speaker 1:I was like the dust of road runner pills straight up the door. Anytime, nikki, come near me with like a file, like a vanilla folder. I was like see you later. Did you say vanilla folder?
Speaker 2:Yeah, manila or vanilla Vanilla Manila Manila.
Speaker 1:If you weren't aware that I was literally so avoidant. The total of the episode. It's vanilla, not manila. It's really manila, manila. I always say, like, can I have a vanilla folder? Are you taking manila? I mean to be honest, I probably asked twice in my life.
Speaker 2:Exactly what if you ever needed a vanilla folder Just to put you know certificate in.
Speaker 1:Anyway, my money mindset.
Speaker 1:I really did dpealing with that with our first business mentor, obviously didn't learn what a manila folder was I'm dying, but yeah, so we I did really dpealing with that and managed to really start seeing it as an energy source.
Speaker 1:But I feel like this year I really trusted it, so really learned how to trust the energy source, that it will come back to me that I'm capable of making money and I live an abundant life and I really, truly believe that since show and have gratitude for the money that I have, the money that my businesses make, the money I have to pay our team, the money I have to be able to afford this home, to be able to do all the things provided for my stepdaughter, provide my family, all of the things that I have. Such gratitude for it. And I think when you have a really deep gratitude and you can live in that abundant frequency and I know some people will be like, oh, that's all, just you know, like woo, woo, rubbish I truly believe that now, because of the way and similarly to you with like what you look like, you're gonna laugh. I'm still on the middle of the world, isn't it?
Speaker 1:Um yeah, well, hopefully I'll get even more abundance from that correction that I've made.
Speaker 2:So, universe.
Speaker 1:hope you're listening. But I think with that, the way that I speak about money, whole money can like I've got it and look, I really am like quite full on with it, like I have all of it's a nightmare if you're doing the till without all the noted windows around me. You know what I'm talking about how I always put the.
Speaker 2:That's why I don't do a till. Yeah well, I actually don't know how to do the till.
Speaker 1:Nikki doesn't know how to do the till, which you know. That's probably a good thing, because I'm really big on how the um. What is it on the on the note? Like the like, the little, the little window.
Speaker 2:Is it called like a telegram or something Kind? Of? It's not, but it's always like whatever.
Speaker 1:Whatever you know, the thing like if you get out you know your fives or your hundreds, depending on what point of your life you're in. Um, the little window thing, the little C three thing down the bottom. So I've learned that for good, like positive money and respect for money, they all need to be flat. First of all people. They've got like really crumpled up money. It'll so grow such an egg Well it's how you respect your money.
Speaker 2:It's how you respect your money, so it's always uh.
Speaker 1:if it's in your wallet, you need to have the small bills on the in uh on the outside, big bills on the in no, yes, yeah, big bills on the inside, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1:Having them all with the windows all the same way, facing the same way, not crumpled, and then, if it's in your till, have all of your and let me know if you change your till around have all of your money laid out really flat in its little drawers and have them all with their window facing the bottom left corner, going from highest to lowest.
Speaker 2:So how much fun is this? I don't know.
Speaker 1:Yeah, if you weren't aware of that, my brain might be a spicy one. That's really given you a little insight into a bit of new idea of urgency fun, but it works. And when I started speaking differently about money, showing respect for money and having that play out in every aspect and showing real gratitude towards it yeah, so that changed the game for me. But I feel like this year has really played out as we spoke about. It's been a really tough year business-wise for you know, it's not just our industry, it's every industry. Small business has been, and any business has had a really hard time, except if you. I think I did read something yesterday about Coles being, you know, 1.1 billion dollar profit or something, oh yeah.
Speaker 2:Which I was like, oh, I actually filled up my car at the server yesterday and it was like a Safeway server and they were like would you like to donate some money to like this charity? And I was like I walked out being like fuck, that is really distasteful, like surely it would be the Woolworths, like billion dollar profit.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it was a little bit like, oh, doesn't feel quite right.
Speaker 1:It's a time. So, yeah, I think this year it's really been tested. But I'm really proud of the fact that I've kept with that mindset and that ability and pushing through all those things. And you know, we've gotten through and we're on the incline back up now, which is great. So good, mate.
Speaker 2:The next question what was your relationship learning this year?
Speaker 1:I again it's more. I feel my relationship really grew and strengthened this year. I'm talking with my partnership. You know we had a pretty exciting year moving into our home together, creating our family unit within our home and really leveling all of that up. So for me it is still going back to the stepping out of ego because, especially, you know, with your loved ones, you're probably going to jump into ego really quick and not step out of it. So I think learning how to do that and saying sorry faster and my last lessons was saying less and listening more that's been a real game changer because at the end of the day, we all just want to be heard, right?
Speaker 1:That's beautiful, mate. It's a really long pause. It's lovely, it's just landing for me. I was like I should say less, don't you remember Pa saying that to us? I mean not that he really said nothing, he couldn't get a fucking word in when he had his wife and sister around our grandmother and great aunt, yeah Chatty.
Speaker 1:Actually even I love talking about this when I mean, look, it's ironic that I'm sitting here being like they didn't shut up and I've got a podcast, but our Pa's funeral, our grandma and step sorry, not step our that was actually like Battle of the Peacocks with those two.
Speaker 1:At our grandfather's funeral. So this man was literally a man of very few words and I seriously understand why. As I've gotten older and older and the women in our family, I start hearing how loud they are. But at our grandfather's funeral we were literally burying our Pa, putting him into the ground, and we could not shut up our grandmother or our great aunt.
Speaker 2:Yeah, our grandmother was saying what about me? What about me? Where am I going to go?
Speaker 1:No, no she just kept saying what about me, as in right now, like hello. She kept she's a very, very unique woman, but she did. She really wanted the attention on the day. So our grandparents had actually been divorced for like 30 years or something before Pa's death, and she suddenly started referring to herself as his wife, which we were like what she was like? Yes, yes, yes, my husband. I think she was hoping for some casseroles or something.
Speaker 1:Yeah Well, she managed to like shove her way into the family car with. So our cousins flew over from New York and Pa was really like a father figure to them Not he was a beautiful person, but he was really like their father figure as well and it was a really, you know, full on time. And then he somehow managed to, like you know, shove her way into like effectively like the hearse with bass coffin and as our cousins were having this, they're like rode off the coffin.
Speaker 1:We're all like in cars trailing behind and up. She was up front and center and my cousins were one of my favorite stories that he was finally having his moment of privacy where he was like I could, you know, release and really like feel. This is literally like his father, like such an important person in his world. And he caught Nanny's eye when he looked up and she just mounted him.
Speaker 2:What about me?
Speaker 1:And he was like no. And then when we were putting Pa, so we're lowering his coffin into his final resting place at a time when we should all have been really honoring him. You know, I definitely know there's meant to be a moment of silence. My step up step. Why don't we go into that? Our great kept poking me in the shoulder and pointing out next to pointing out her the plot that she just purchased and that's why it was all like garden doff and you weren't allowed to go there.
Speaker 2:We were looking forward to the plot being open, but she just would not shut up.
Speaker 1:I'm sure she's not stopped. She did not stop. She kept like pointing it out to all, of all of us. And then Nanny, straight away, saw that as an opportunity. It says poor man is still not getting a moment's pace in his moment. And Nanny was still there. He was still cold. Nanny started asking where she was going to go. Anyway, so this is like a poor thing. But he always said when we go back to Pa, he always said you've got two ears for listening and one mouth for talking. You should be doing twice as much listening as you are talking. Didn't land with the women in his life. But now I really understand those words more than ever.
Speaker 1:So I really have found that really powerful to just hush and just listen. What about you? What have you learned this year?
Speaker 2:Mine is like Pete and I. This year Pete stopped working as an employee. He had a really rough time at work and just was sick of being in high vis trade areas and was like fuck wearing a high vis T shirt every day. Because what he found was that he was really unaligned to the people that he traditionally like that traditionally wear high vis. So he stopped working, started working for himself and it's been a really big transition for us in our relationship and you know the way that our household runs and everything, even though he's done this before, whatever, and having a little, a little toddler starting the second business, we really had to be like so supportive of each other.
Speaker 2:This year. I've had to support him in what he's doing, he's had to support me in what I'm doing and there's been a massive balance. It's actually been a really challenging year not like challenging in terms of our relationship, because we always get along easily and that's like it feels very effortless, but it's been really challenging to juggle at all. But I feel really proud of the way that both of us have showed up, like with our mental health. We've both prioritized our mental health hugely individually to be able to show up as the best versions of ourselves for each other. So human, his, you know spiritual practices, me and my therapies and stuff that I've been doing for my mental health. In a year that's been quite high pressure for us as a family. We've really been able to. I'm really proud and I've learned a lot this year about the way that we've showed up for each other and really we've just had each other's backs unconditionally, and one thing that we always go to is reminding each other that we're a team.
Speaker 2:So if we start getting pissy with each other. Often, one of us will say stop, hang on. We're a team. How can I be a better team member for you? What do you need to support me? Here's what I need for you to support me Beautiful the word. What was your word of the year in 2023? Tess and I are really big on having a word for the year. What was your word for the year and how have you honored that my word?
Speaker 1:was expansion, and I feel that I've honored that by starting a new business, the Conscious Salon, getting the podcast sponsored, moving into my dream home and creating my family unit, and you've expanded your team. Yep, I forgot about that, I got so much expansion for you this year. Yeah, really great.
Speaker 2:What about you? My word for 2023 was conscious. But this is actually before we were starting the Conscious Salon, which is funny, yeah.
Speaker 2:But I lived a very unconscious year last year and I was so anxious and highly strong that I was just like I want different for myself, and I remember committing at the start of the year that I really wanted to be a certified breath working instructor, and Conscious came to mind for me with that. So my word of the year was conscious and I have embodied that every day, one of the biggest ways that I have like reminded myself to embody this every day. It's actually been a gift that one of our girlfriends, kirstie Chick, gave us, which is she makes these like little rocks and paints them and then writes like her word of the year.
Speaker 2:And I've got them in my office. She gave them to Tess and I. She wrote conscious on one and because we talked about it I reckon Instagram or something talked about what our word for the year was and you wrote expansion on one. She wrote expansion on one and conscious on one and gave them to us and I put them in our office and every single day they've been sitting on my desk and every day I look at them and I'm constantly reminded this is what my intention was for the year and I have to honor that.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and I think that's so important as well with the words of the year, because it's one thing like often, what happens is that people will set their word and then off we get all about it. And I remember the first, like couple of years that we started doing this and it'd be like, you know, trust, and then I'd forget and be like I don't know what the word was, whereas this year it definitely has been a main focus. It's rolled off my tongue. I've really and I've had it visually where I can see it.
Speaker 2:And we keep talking about it all the time, every couple of weeks, like, okay, our word for the year, yeah, like, and it comes down to not just an overview of what you want out of the year, it comes down to your daily micro practices that you do. So you know, for you really pushing outside of your comfort zone in terms of when you're purchasing a house. Remembering, note, my word of the year was expansion.
Speaker 2:I want to embody this in the house that I'm looking for the opportunities that have come to us in business, that have been magnetized to us in business for expansion Like for me, my conscious practices, things like my cold showers every day, doing my breath work, becoming certified in those things, even down to like leaving my phone in the office and locking it away to live a more conscious life. So I really want to stress to people when we're doing our intention setting next week, really leading into obviously the bigger picture of what you're wanting, but knowing that it comes down to your micro practices day to day.
Speaker 1:Yeah, absolutely.
Speaker 1:Our last prompt is what how would you be remembered in this year? I honestly, I really struggle with this one. It's probably the only one that I was like oh yeah, it's not like a really quick, like jump straight out, but I was. I thought you know what I really want to be remembered for really giving it all that I have. I think I've really tried so hard in every aspect of my life this year and that's what I feel like I want to be remembered for for this year of just really trying 100% everything that I was doing. Well, I'm not having perfect, but I really did try as hard as I could and I think I feel really proud of that.
Speaker 2:It's amazing mate.
Speaker 1:What about you? What do you want to be remembered for? Mine, that's just something we're going to die.
Speaker 2:I know, I think this is really, this is actually one of our prompts, prompts, prompts.
Speaker 1:It's a prompt.
Speaker 2:One of our prompts in our meetings course for our morning pump up, our daily pump up that we do with our team. We have like a team huddle every morning and we have a different prompt every day, and one of the prompts that I added to the prompt list was how do you want to be remembered? I think it's a really beautiful. It's beautiful Way to ask are you actually embodying what you say that you want to be? So mine for this year was empowering. That's how I really wanted to be remembered Beautiful.
Speaker 1:That's a much nicer way than saying, oh, I hope, trying hard.
Speaker 2:But yeah, like empowering in both businesses for the team, for my boyfriend Pete, for my son Solly, for myself like I've actually really empowered myself. I've done a lot of things that really made me feel uncomfortable this year and I really empowered myself to do better and want better and strive for better. So I feel like I've really could be remembered as being empowering this year.
Speaker 1:It's amazing. Good for you, mate.
Speaker 2:That's the proper shape you like to size.
Speaker 1:Wasn't that beautiful that was stunning.
Speaker 2:Next week we have our beautiful intention setting ceremony. So you guys, we would love you to. If you've done this exercise and you loved it, please DM us and let us know. We would love to hear what your results were and the things that you're really proud of for the year. We'd love to hear that it's a beautiful time of the year where everyone is being with their families and being super present. So, we're going to see you next week for our intention setting ceremony.
Speaker 1:Just before we do sign off on that, please push. I know people will be like oh yeah, like I really call on you if you have done this process, please do share it. Push through that discomfort of being like oh no, I don't want to like, do that, Take up that space with us. We would love to hear what you've gotten out of it.
Speaker 2:I know people are afraid to get into our DMs. Don't be. Please get in we love getting in the DMs, we love voice messaging, we love texting, we love it.
Speaker 1:So I'm going to push you. If you ask someone that's like oh yeah, well, oh no, I won't, I'm going to really push you to push through that, reach out and let us know. It will really be such a great process. It's great on both sides, but you'll feel so good about not limiting yourself. We limit ourself too much. So please reach out and let us know how it's been Well.
Speaker 1:Guys, bring back those journals next week. We look forward to seeing you then. Yes, put your quill back in the ink. We'll see you next week, that's right? Stay conscious, everyone.
Speaker 2:Thanks so much for listening to this episode and hanging out with us today To hear more about our journey. Follow us on Instagram at the underscore conscious underscore salon if you're a shit speller, check the spelling of conscious or at a head hair underscore. Thank you so much for joining us today and we'll see you in the next episode.