He lost his sight, his leg, and nearly his life. He didn't lose his drive.

Ankur Patel is an entrepreneur whose personal journey has shaped how he sees life, resilience, and the value of real support.

He has faced sight loss, a below knee amputation, a kidney transplant, and a return to renal failure. Most people would have stopped. Ankur built a business instead.

That experience didn't just toughen him up, it changed how he works. He understands what preparation and peace of mind actually mean to someone facing uncertainty, and it shows in how he connects with clients and the advice he gives.

Ankur recently founded his own mortgage practice, Emerald Property Finance Experts Ltd. Despite everything stacked against him, the business is thriving.

Transcript

SPEAKER_02 0:06

Welcome to Inspire. And today I've got a special guest. Do you know what? All of my guests are special, so what can I really say? But today we got a really interesting story from a young man who I met at B and I, so we'll explain what B and I is at a certain point. But um welcome, Anchor.

SPEAKER_01 0:26

Thanks for having me.

SPEAKER_02 0:28

You know what? You don't need to speak into the mic, the mic can hear you, man. You're good.

SPEAKER_01 0:31

I've never done anything like this.

SPEAKER_02 0:33

You know what? All you gotta do is just we're just gonna have a conversation so it's smooth. And this this could this can go out as it is, so it's not really a big deal. Sure. Right? So, yeah, what's going on, man?

SPEAKER_01 0:42

I'm here. What can I say? Um, looking forward to what this podcast brings out of me, to be honest. I've never done anything like this before.

SPEAKER_02 0:51

So you know what? Most people who come into this room they walk in, the first thing they're is like, oh my god, this place looks amazing, which it does. Right. Um, and then the next thing is I've never done anything like this before. But all you're doing today is having a conversation. That's all we're doing. Yeah, we're just gonna have a chat. What makes it a little bit challenging is you look around, you've got microphones, you've got cameras, you know. But the reality is we're just gonna have a conversation.

SPEAKER_01 1:17

Yeah, it is quite daunting to see all these lights and you feel like you're on TV or something.

SPEAKER_02 1:21

Well, you're on you're on the the Des Mighty Podcast. The Des Mighty Podcast for me. The Des Mighty Podcast, which is at the CSCP Media Lab, which is a really funky space in Croydon. And um let's start off with what's going on for you right now.

SPEAKER_01 1:39

Oh, where do I start with that? Um at the beginning. So I mean, right now, um, I'm um on a lot of fronts doing a lot of different things. Um I started a business in December. I've been a mortgage broker for six years, um, and I just started my own firm, um, which is kind of in its early fledgling months, if you like. Um we're we're now coming into May. Business is going well. Um, but on another front, I've had some health challenges. Okay. Um, we've discussed that before, but to be we're gonna discuss it today. Yeah, so I mean, um I'm currently going through um renal failure for a second time. So I've had a transplant in 2018 and that kidney's now failing. Um and um sometimes it gets a bit difficult to think about everything when when I think about it in my head, but um I'm looking for a kidney donor, and um you know they say when it rains it pours. Okay, so just just alongside with the um renal failure, I'm just getting over shingles in my uh people are gonna be watching and thinking, what the what has this guy been through? Like what hasn't he been through? But just getting over shingles in my left leg, um, which is a baloney amputation. So that's been really challenging. It's been really probably the most challenging thing in the last couple of months because it's a lot of pain.

SPEAKER_02 3:16

Okay, so this um campaign that you're going down for your kidney, what what what's happening with that at this moment in time? Where are you with it? What are you trying to do?

SPEAKER_01 3:28

I'm trying to find the donor in the longs and shorts of it. Um when I had my previous transplant, it was from um what they call, I think, let's just say a deceased donor of the national transplant list. Um since then I've learned that having a living donor can give you more longevity, um, give you a healthier life than having a deceased donor transplant. So I'm appealing to those around me, a wider community as well, um, to see if anyone can come forward to become a donor, basically. And in that journey, I want to kind of educate people um what a transplant entails, um, whether it's for a kidney or anything else, because I think there needs to be more people coming forward to be donors, or and there's not enough information out there unless you know someone that's an immediate family member, or um, you see something that really pulls your heartstring to want to look into it.

SPEAKER_02 4:33

So does the does the donor have to come from your community? What's your what's your background?

SPEAKER_01 4:38

I'm from the Indian background.

SPEAKER_02 4:40

Does it have to come from the Indian background or does it really matter?

SPEAKER_01 4:44

It can it can be anyone. Um, it can be anyone. Um if someone comes forward, there has to be a blood type match. Um, weirdly enough, I don't know my blood type. I I was told it once and it never stuck. And I've asked them again, but they take their time to tell you in this country. But I found in other countries um you're told from birth what your blood type is or your family are told, and it's a regular thing, but here it's not a standard with the NHS. I would have thought um your blood type will be right up there on your medical records with date of birth and things like that because it's quite important, right? You could be in an accident somewhere and they need to know your blood type, but they've got to go through tons of medical records to kind of confirm that information. But no, they don't have to be um from my community. Um if they're not a direct match as well, there's a scheme by where that person that's come forward can go onto a waiting list as my potential donor, but their kidney would go to a match for someone else, if that makes sense.

SPEAKER_02 5:45

So so when you you mentioned earlier that um you had a uh the transport from a deceased donor, and and it's better to have a uh the uh the transplant from a living donor. What why? What what does that mean? I mean, for any for for those of you who don't know, I don't know anything about this, and and it's this is educating everybody, so what what does that actually mean? What's the difference? I mean I suppose yeah, what's the difference?

SPEAKER_01 6:13

I suppose it would be that the deceased donor is coming from a dead body and they have to fight to keep things going, but where it's a live donor, they're literally taking it out of one body and putting it into another with no kind of time lapse. I remember when I had my first um first transplant, I was called in at something like three in the morning, and the surgery didn't happen until about one in the afternoon. Um, however, all the tests they were doing, everything matched blood type. And don't quote me on this, I'm not a doctor, but my understanding was that they had to do so many tests to make sure that kidney matched in various other aspects. So, what are the chances of rejection? Even though the blood types match, there can still be rejection. Um, what's the longevity of that kidney? Were there any um foreign bacteria that are uh incubated during transport, if you like, stuff like that?

SPEAKER_02 7:15

Yeah, so I see what you mean. So when you're when it's live, you just you're next to the person it's happening, or pretty much, yeah. Okay, so so uh okay, so when it's from a someone who's past, it's not live, it's you've got to keep it functioning. You've got to keep it functioning, yeah. Okay, so there's a time limit, right?

SPEAKER_01 7:34

And what what's the time limit? I couldn't tell you that. I mean, I waited, I was called in at three o'clock and they said to me, I was half asleep, my mum came in and she was like, Oh, St. Helios are on the phone. I was like, what are they calling me for? He's like, I've just had dialysis, I was confused. Right. And I got to the hospital. Um, so between let's say 3 a.m. when they called me in to say they've got a kidney that matches, up until 1 pm in the afternoon, that kidney was still going. Um, and they were still doing tests. So I don't know what the time limit is, but I guess the longer the time passes, the less likely that kidney remains a viable. Right, right. And they also run virtual tests as well, so it's not just based on um, so the tests they actually do, sorry, the tests they actually do are virtual, and then when you go to the hospital, they take blood from you. The first thing they do is they take bloods, and um these bloods, they'll match them to the kidney, and then they'll run the same virtual tests on the live blood samples. Okay. Um, once they have those results, which I probably think they can take up to a couple of hours. Um, once they have those results, they determine whether it's a viable transplant or not.

SPEAKER_02 8:48

Okay, so on top of this, you had a situation with your legs some time ago. What happened there? I mean, I I remember when I first met you, and I I I didn't I saw you walking around, and I didn't realize that that there had been any issues or challenges, and then someone had said to me, you know, you know, anchors, well, I'm gonna let you explain the problem, but it was a challenge. But what happened? Well, on top of the kidney situation, what's the other situation?

SPEAKER_01 9:22

Um my kidney transplant initially was in 2018, right? And before that, around six months before, I had amputation below the knee on my left leg, um, and that was um due to medical negligence. And um I went to the hospital, let's say about a year prior, I was admitted into hospital. Um they felt it was sepsis or something to that effect because my left my calf had swollen quite a lot. And um I was in I was in uh Croydon University Hospital for about a month. Um and various antibiotics, they took various blood samples, but no cultures were growing. So I don't know if you're familiar, but if they take a blood test for an infection, they they allow the cultures to grow in the lab, but nothing grew, so they they weren't familiar with what was going on, they couldn't understand why my leg was swollen. They did probably I'd say 10 to 15 x-rays, a CT scan, and the only thing left for them to do was an MRI. And um, unfortunately, they ordered an MRI, but when I was taken down to have the MRI, it was cancelled, and I was discharged back home with not really much else. I was just told there's not much they can do, and I was working in retail at the time, so you can imagine how that is. You've got a swollen leg, you're on your feet, and no matter how much reasonable adjustments your employer's told to make, it's retail, they're gonna expect you to stand up and walk about at some point. So I was in and out of a boot, um, but I think by that point the damage was already done. Um, they didn't order an MRI, not even whilst I was discharged and still complaining. And my renal consultant got involved and he ordered MRI, but the results again they didn't give me the results in time. And um it's like you know, how long as you leave something broken, it the damage just grows, right? So a year later, I couldn't put any weight through my left leg. Um, I had temperatures of 40 degrees plus, um, and I only lived across the road from May Day at well Croydon, sorry, Croydon University Hospital was literally across the road. And um I went to AE, they admitted me straight away, and within a couple of days I was told um that I'd I'd had so many hairline fractures that healing was probably not a viable option because I'm diabetic as well. And um, I'd probably be bed bound for a long period of time, which probably wouldn't be good for my health, and to have some kind of normality, I'd have to have a baloney amputation. So that so that was a decision that you had to make? I had to make, yeah. They gave me three choices I could go on antibiotics and see if my foot leg heals. Um I could have the amputation, and the other option was surgery on on the leg itself, but there were so many hairline fractures, again, the outcome would have been a long-term kind of not mobile, bedbound.

SPEAKER_02 12:54

How did it feel having to make what you know what was your mindset like when you were given those three choices?

SPEAKER_01 13:06

Where do I start? Um someone sitting in front of you telling you that you've got three choices and none of them sound good. So um the strange thing is around a month before, because I was in pain during this whole year as well. A hell of a lot of pain. I was in and out of walker boots, my spine was hurting because um when you're wearing these walker boots or off-loading boots, you're uneven. So then you're slightly, you know, you're walking one side and the pressure's on one side. So I'd say things like God, I'd I'll you know, I'd dream to be without this pain kind of thing. And when they told me that this is, you know, the amputation is going to be the quickest way back to normality. I chose that option thinking that's all I want is a bit of normality, I don't want to feel the pain anymore. And I know that surgery from trying to fix the leg or being on antibiotics long term, it meant more pain. Um so it was you could say it was the the better evil, if you like. Is that is that the term, the expression?

SPEAKER_02 14:23

I I don't know, but I don't I do un I understand what you mean. But but I I think it's kind of like for me it's when you're faced with a this it's an incredible choice, isn't it? It's it's it's a it's a horrible choice. Yeah. But it's kind of like coming. Which one do you go down? And and and and just to kind of like, you know, I I suppose all of us have to face we're all in at times when we face where we have to make decisions that could could challenge us or cause problems in our lives or whatever. But the thing with you that is has brought you onto my podcast, and as you know, I I interview and talk with people who inspire me, is that you weren't I I didn't even know. I didn't know because you've just gone about your business in in the time, you know, you've you've done a lot of things since all of this has happened to you.

SPEAKER_01 15:19

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 15:20

And um, you know, let's let's talk about some of the things that you've done because you've we talked just mentioned shingles, we've mentioned the amputee amputee situation, we've mentioned the kidneys, but you're still you're still rolling around, man. Like you're you're just a real world fighter.

SPEAKER_01 15:39

I I literally will be tomorrow, I'll get a new wheelchair. Um no, I mean, sorry, um I mean there were two options, right? In terms of post-amputation, you either try to move your life forward as normal as possible, or you become one of those people that's a st statistic, take state benefits, your life becomes nothing, you sit and depend on everyone to bring you food, you know, you can't work, or you say you can't work, your mind, your mind just becomes numb, and and that comes from depression and emotion, right? And I didn't want that. I you know, there was during that time while I whilst I was in hospital, the funny thing was, or this yeah, it's funny as well. People came from out of the woodworks to make sure I didn't falter in terms of my mood or my mindset, and um I'd never felt support like that before. I mean, I've got a loving community around me, my family are brilliant. Um my friends' circles, I don't keep a lot of friends, but the ones I do keep around me, they they're always you know pushing me to do more or telling me what I've achieved and and stuff like that. I I don't know if this makes sense, but when people start telling you things, it becomes cringy because it's almost like, oh man, you're so inspirational. No offense, you just uh you told me that as well in a in some respects, but it becomes almost like it's motivational, but it's like I just want to be normal, right? Being reminded that you're inspirational, it's a nice thing, but when you hear it, you don't know how genuine it is after a while. It's almost no one knows your real story or the pain you've gone through, and you appreciate that people appreciate it, but then sometimes it's that's not all I'm about, you know. I like football, I like being normal, I like going to the pub, just but yeah, sometimes it gets a bit overwhelming. But that time I was admitted into a hospital, what pushed me through was the fact that the support that was there was it was unbelievable. Um I I people I hadn't spoken to in like 10-15 years that had seen it on Facebook and um reached out and said, What hospital are you in? And at one point um the nurses actually came and said to me, Look, not many of these people get visitors, but you're you're um you're constantly surrounded. Do you mind either going to the restaurant because some it's it's probably affecting some of their moods? And my my visitors, because it's it became to be like two two two at a time, they I'd say go and visit someone else, go and sit go and say hello to someone else, and they do that just so it lifted those people's spirits as well. So it was quite a nice feeling to see everyone elevated in their moods and stuff, but I think um yeah, I think um it it's a it's a hard choice that I had to make, and I didn't want to be in a position of difficulty or of you know, I don't want to be limited by anything. Um and the physio team at Croydon University at that time were brilliant. Um before my amputation, the day before they started me on physio in their gym the day after the surgery. Literally, they were like, come on, you've got to go to us. Don't I get a recovery period? Like in one in in my in my thigh, I had the what do they call that thing with the morphine. I had a morphine drip. I still had to go to the gym to do my physio. So there was no respite, but that motivation got me through rehab probably quicker than most most patients would normally. I think I was they ordered my prosthetic within six weeks, which is not normally the case, it's normally like a three-month kind of period. So yeah.

SPEAKER_02 19:54

So you you've started a business since since all of this has happened. Oh, yeah, yeah. Started your own business. I met you, like I said earlier at BI. I mean, how long have you been in business? Well, so you became a mortgage broker. So, number one, was how soon did you did that happen after all of this?

SPEAKER_01 20:13

I became I started off as a protection advisor actually, so I was mainly doing insurance advising and sales. Um but I'd always had a view to step into mortgages, so I went back to work after my amputation at Santander at an entry-level position, and then I had another accident, and my right leg was in a cast for two years because I had the same situation, same situation, but it was the hospital that took care of me St. Helias acted promptly, and that saved my right leg. So where I'd just started the job at Santander and this happened for nine months of a 12-month contract, I was off sick. So, in that time, I thought, let me try to upskill and um be valuable to the organisation for when I come back off this sick leave. It didn't quite work out that way, but during that time I paid for my CMAP out of my own pocket, which is the initial qualification you need to become a broker. To become a broker. And um a friend of mine was working in protection, and he was like, Look, forget all these jobs, just become self-employed, be your own boss, you don't have to answer to anyone with hospital appointments, and that was a challenge when you're working for someone nine to five, as much as you get your monthly salary and stuff. Um, you've got to answer to someone, and they don't see you as human, you're a number, you're an employee, and if you can't be there to you know do the job, they'll get they'll let go of you. It's understandable, you might not like it, but that's what it is. So, Santander. Actually, let me go. That's a funny situation. I would I'd send my sick notes every week as they asked me to, and um, I didn't even know I'd been terminated. I sent my sick, I remember sent I sent my sick note, the last one, and this the branch assistant manager she messaged me back, sorry, who's this? And I was like, But I've been sending you sick notes almost every two weeks, and this week you've asked me who I am. I thought that was strange. So I replied, it's anchor. I said, Oh sorry. And um a week after that, I got a termination letter. So it was like, okay, I'm I'm here now, I've not got a job. So I picked up the phone to my friend and I said, You've been talking about this insurance stuff. What do I need to do? Never been self-employed before that, so it was quite scary. I'd always been used to a monthly salary, um, you know, sick pay, company benefits, this kind of stuff. With this, there was none of that. You're self-employed, you earn good money, but there's no sick pay, you know, there's no pension scheme unless you invest in your own pension, nothing like that. So I started that and I was quite successful with it, but I didn't like doing insurance um on its own because I just felt like it was a sales job and I didn't want to be a salesperson. I wanted to help people because I can't get insurance due to my medical stuff, right? And I didn't want anyone else to be in that situation. And eventually in 2020, I was asked if I want to be a mortgage broker, um, and because I had my CMAP already, so that was the natural next step. So we did the mortgage licensing, became a broker, and um here I am today. When did you start your own business? I was approved in by the FCA in December.

SPEAKER_02 23:57

So you're now you're now a fully fledged broker in your own right?

SPEAKER_01 24:01

Um well, even better, I can say I'm a practice principal, so I'm the man at the top.

SPEAKER_02 24:06

You're the man at the top. Yeah. So so none of this, all of these challenges have not stopped you in your life at all, really, have they? No, not really.

SPEAKER_01 24:15

I mean, I I haven't, I guess I'm going a little bit further back, but one of my challenges take a sip, man, don't worry. Sorry. It's it's caught in the moment, isn't it? God, I keep this. I'm gonna break one of your mics.

SPEAKER_02 24:30

No, you won't break the mic. But um, in 2000 and Nikisha, do you mind just switching that heater off for me, please?

SPEAKER_01 24:39

In 2000.

SPEAKER_02 24:40

Oh, sorry, Mishka. Mishka. Sorry, sorry.

SPEAKER_01 24:44

I think she's gonna throw so throw something at you.

SPEAKER_02 24:46

Just the the the one in the middle. Um yeah, that's it.

unknown 24:50

I really throw my fucking.

SPEAKER_02 24:51

So going.

SPEAKER_01 24:52

Around 2000, hold on, let me think now.

SPEAKER_02 24:55

Because you're because you've been at BI. Um, how long have you been at B and I?

SPEAKER_01 24:59

This is my second year, so I started in when did I renew? February, March. All right, so I renewed, so I started, yeah, just over just over 15 months.

SPEAKER_02 25:10

Right. So, and and this uh from the beginning I said this is where we met. Um, and and that in and of itself is an interesting journey. I've just renewed. I know, yeah. I renewed um a couple of days ago.

SPEAKER_01 25:24

I got the email.

SPEAKER_02 25:26

What what's your what you know you so you you joined BI, you've set up your own mortgage brokerage. You've worked with me before as well, so it's like um you did one of my AI courses. Yeah, and um that was tra well let you say what it was.

SPEAKER_01 25:41

I mean, that was um transformational for me, the AI course. Um when someone says to you you're using Chat GPT like Google, until you sit down with someone that actually can explain how AI works, you are literally using Chat GPT as Google. Maybe not maybe you're at your own level, but I realised when I sat down with you in that course with I think was seven or eight others, and my mind was blown at some of the things you showed me. Um it was the LLM.

SPEAKER_02 26:15

LLM all I remember is you sit notebook LLM, yeah, where you sat down and you had two mortgage brokers sitting down having a conversation, but there were avatars, and and you were like, Oh my god. So that that was pretty amazing. Yeah, and then since then you've gone on, you built websites, you built your business, you've done everything through through Yeah, I've used AI.

SPEAKER_01 26:39

Um I've used so I I consulted some web designers when I um was in the process of set setting up the business because I wanted everything to be ready for when I go live, and I get from a creative point of view, everyone's got their creative license and the fee that they charge, but it had to work for me from a financial point of view, and I didn't see where I'd get when I was looking at some of the work, I thought the work was great, but it's all template-based. So in my head, I know what a template costs, it's the customisation where your fee comes in, and for me, that fee wasn't within my budget. I had spoken to designers, and um they were too costly for me outside of my budget, and I looked at a few of the resources that you'd introduced me to on the training course. When I'd done that training course with you, Desm it opened up my eyes to what what's what's out there, um, the different resources. Um but if I didn't have that opportunity to sit on a course with you, I don't think I'd be where I'm at now. I've managed to design my website, um, managed to make software that allows me to extract client information for income assessments and things like that. And it cuts a lot of my time down when it when it comes to mortgage applications servicing my clients. So um I recently also I don't know if I showed you actually, but I've designed um something like a lead capture form by where if I'm standing up at an event because I'm gonna do grand designs, um, I can take their information without having to write it down on the notepad and paper, which it's a lot easier because it gets stored in the database securely. I'm not walking about with data on a bit of paper that could get lost. And you know, these things I wouldn't have known how to look look look at or how to produce if it wasn't for the course.

SPEAKER_00 28:47

So could you just explain a bit of what BMI is? Because you've mentioned it a few times.

SPEAKER_02 28:52

So B and I, I'll let I'll let Anka was the ranking member explain what it is.

SPEAKER_01 28:59

Well um it's an acronym for Business Networking International, and it's a business networking group, and they work on a referral basis, so everyone passes each other business. Um, but it's just it is more than that, it's a community. Um I think Des will agree in different aspects, it can help you grow in certain respects of um your reach, clients, potential clients, potential collaborations. Um, I mean, some of the things you spoke to me about, um Henrietta, in terms of um you're you're an author, right?

SPEAKER_02 29:42

Or a an author and you can't see Henrietta on camera, but she's behind the scenes controlling everything.

SPEAKER_01 29:48

Um you're an author, um, you're working on an animated project. So there's probably someone or a few parties in BNI that could help you maybe get that to market or help you develop your animation. Um, I know you've got people you're working with, but they've there's so many resources available because it's not just one group, there's groups all over the world. So um, an example I can use, um I I needed I need a gardener, and our gardeners unfortunately left our chapter, but um Haley was able to refer someone to me from Bromley who came out to see me yesterday and given me a pretty pretty good price. And because I'm part of B and I I get a discount in that as well. But most importantly, what B and I's done for me, it's allowed me to step out and set my own business up because the support and the encouragement in that in that specific group of people that I'm part of. Um what's the expression? Um they made me realise my own worth. Where if you work under a firm or for anybody, in a s in in a sense, you're just punching numbers and giving up part of your money to somebody else for their for the efforts. You can do that on your own, right?

SPEAKER_02 31:10

So it's so again, this is not a B and I advert, but we did get asked the question. So this is not an AI advert or a B and I advert. We just kind of like you know, we've just gone down that road. But Anchor, it's it's really inspiring, you've got a really inspiring story, and obviously, you're looking for a kidney, that's really important. Um, and is there anything you want to say to anybody out there, you know, who this this way this podcast might be able to help?

SPEAKER_01 31:44

Um, yeah, I mean, if you want to learn more about becoming a donor or what it entails in terms of risks, um, or how you can even become a donor, then I would say reach out to me. Um Des, how would I get my contact details?

SPEAKER_02 32:02

Just say what your contact details are.

SPEAKER_01 32:04

Okay, so um my telephone number is 07402-940-862. Um my email is Anchor P40, which is 8NKURP40 at gmail.com. Um, just reach out to me. Um, I'd be happy to connect you to the transplant team at St. Helios Hospital. I'd be happy to have a chat with you as well, just to kind of discuss what the initial steps are. Um, it'd be really important to hear from people. Um and if you're watching the video, if this is going to be a video, it is, um, then you're on video. Like and share, and um, you know, someone in your in your community's community might feel compelled to reach out. So um any support is appreciated. Whether you share this video, watch this video, and like it and comment, the aim is to just get the awareness out there that I need a kidney. There's other people that need kidneys and different organs. I want to really try to spread that awareness um of how important it is, and I'll be honest with you, until until I needed something, it wasn't something I really paid much attention to, but um I just feel like it's it's something that needs to have a little bit of light shone on it.

SPEAKER_02 33:37

But what's really interesting is um you've come down here today because obviously we've got this studio which looks amazing, but we do all sorts of different things, and I you know I can't every time I look at this space, I'm always amazed. It's it's great, and it feels really comfortable being here. Um, but you came down today to to look at a plan of you said you're you know you're not comfortable on camera, but you've done really well. You just talked about everything to do with you, and then we've we've got a certain timeline with this, but you you don't you've not come across very shy on camera, and and one of the bits of advice that I'd give to you is when you're on your phone, it's genuine. So when you speak, people appreciate a genuine piece of content. You know, there's lots of people who can put a teleprompter in front of them, it looks professional and it looks great, but I think someone who just naturally does something appeals more. So you're here because we're gonna help you to get comfortable on camera, we're gonna help you to understand how to use a teleprompter without your eyes switching from left to right, but we're also gonna help you to to generate some content. So um, yeah, I'm looking, I'm looking forward to that. But but you know, I'm I'm it's it's inspiring. You said an inspiring journey. I I met um a few years ago um Britain's first triple amputee. And I remember I remember this guy got blown up in a landmine in Afghanistan or somewhere like that. And um he I was at a conference, you know, I was I was the the creator at the conference put everything together, and he said when he he lost his legs and he lost his arm, his motivation was to walk to his wedding, he was gonna get married. He lost his legs and lost his arm. He said, I'm gonna walk to my wedding. And he trained himself and trained himself and he walked to his wedding. And when you look at someone like that, and you know, he's six foot, six foot two, six foot three, he's lost what most people would that's their life is over. But then he's now inspiring other people, he's doing talks to help people. To me, that's that's that's incredible. Um, and what you where you are in terms of you know, you set up your business, you you're moving from strength to strength, you're still fighting some challenges, but you've not been stopped, and and that's what I love. I love when people just no matter what the circumstances, they just get up and they continue.

SPEAKER_01 36:17

I I didn't tell you that um I think I have told you, but I haven't told the podcast. Um I finished my youth work degree and I was blind for three months. Oh my god. So I had diabetic retinopathy and um that was at Goldsmith's Uni. And when I say blind for three months, my vision was as if it was, you know, back in the days when you get the black and white TVs and you had to turn the knob to get the frequency. You and I are pretty pretty old. So yeah.

SPEAKER_02 36:50

Hold on, hold on, talk about yourself, dude.

SPEAKER_01 36:53

Uh I say that as a joke, but we we know technology's come a long way. We've probably seen at least three or four more than that, changes in the way we probably look at tick TV or mobile phones and things like that. But the point is, my vision was like a tuned-out black and white TV, um, so I could see colours, or not black and white colour TV, but I could see colours, possibly not shapes, um, and uh, I wouldn't even know what was in front of me on my plate in terms of eating my food or anything. So I say blind from that point of view, and I had two eye surgeries. Um, so I was blind for three months, and um I remember my lecturer saying to me at the time, why don't you just not give up but take your air out or something? I was like, if I sit at home, probably gonna drive myself mad and become suicidal or something. So I've started this degree, I'm gonna finish this degree, and I was working as a youth worker during that time as well, running sessions over in um do you know it's in Croydon, Croydon Young People's Project. Um legacy. Um no, you uh it's a CVA building. I don't know, I don't know. Croydon Voluntary Action Building on Um Union Road or Union Street, and um I was there for about a year and a half on placement and then as a paid session worker, and that's when my eyes started to go. Sounds like you've you've you I didn't mention that, but yeah, there was that as well.

SPEAKER_02 38:30

That's you know, it's a it's that's a lot to deal with, and um but but what I what I love about you as a character is that you know you you're not being stopped by anything. Sometimes we all have setbacks, and we we hear about people getting into depression, we hear about people having challenges, we have hear about people committing suicide. I was here with um Anna talking about 73% of men commit suicide, you know, when they come out of a relationship. And and that's if you think about it, that's just incredible. That's shocking, but you've not come anywhere near those levels. What you've done is just got on, accepted, and moved on. And and and that's obviously that doesn't come some of these challenges, don't come without some type of um you looking inwards at yourself and thinking why me and all that. So I suppose that's that's never gonna happen, but despite all of that, you're still moving on, and and that's why you're on the inspired podcast.

SPEAKER_01 39:32

Well, I feel inspired to have been on the podcast, to be honest, because um although I've been in spaces where I can share my story, but it's that's more of a confidential space, as you say, we look in with inward to ourselves, and we might not feel the greatest and go through different mental health challenges. But I start when I started the kidney appeals, I almost found them as a form of therapy because I felt like I was able to without talking to anyone directly, I was looking into a phone just saying what was on my mind, and the response I got from the videos made me feel like oh, this is actually making you feel good, not just the responses, but the fact I'm actually speaking about something that was that I was holding quite close and almost hiding, and just I think going through these challenges and people might relate to this, they don't feel like they can talk to anyone because it sometimes feels like you might be harping on about something, and where you might just want someone to listen, everyone's got their own opinion of things, and it's not always about an opinion, it's just someone to listen to. So when you're speaking out into in terms of a podcast or in terms of just a video to do the kidney appeal, um it's made me feel a lot lighter in terms of exploring that with you. So, this is the first time I've actually spoken to anyone from a point of view that is gonna go out to the public. I've never done that before, so there that I've got a load of nerves within me that uh my my mind's going all over the place. That's what my speech is. But I feel like my speech is breaking a bit because I'm I'm I'm feeling emotion, I'm feeling lighter for discussing things, and yeah, I mean, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 41:31

If you've never been here before, and um, you know, like I said, sitting in front of a camera sometimes or a series of cameras with all the lights on you, that can be a little bit daunting, but you've done well. So, you know, and sometimes you're putting out your story, and what we feel sometimes is how are people gonna react? Are people gonna care? Are people gonna be dismissive of whatever it is that you're saying? At the end of the day, we can't care about any of that. The story's out, and now we move to the next chapter.

SPEAKER_01 42:04

Oh, for sure.

SPEAKER_02 42:04

So the next chapter is getting confident on camera. I don't see any issues there. Uh Henrietta.

SPEAKER_00 42:12

You were amazing.

SPEAKER_02 42:14

Oh, bless you. So we've not seen any issues. Everybody starts off scared. I remember the first time I I went on camera was um a friend of mine was like, Des, you need to do YouTube, you need to do Facebook, you need to do Instagram. Like, I'm not doing any of that, I don't like the camera. Um, and so she one day we were just out somewhere and she just got the camera and said, Talk. I'm like, what are you talking about? She just talk, Des. I'm gonna put something onto YouTube or wherever it went, I think it went on Facebook. Because we were at the time, I think I was involved with a franchise and I was just about to launch, and she was like, Right, you've got to talk about this. And I remember doing it and thinking, you know, because you're just looking at yourself and I don't like the way I look, or whatever it is that you I don't like my voice, or don't like me. And then um I did it and I'm I put it out and it was it was alright. You know, I did it again. Yeah, I did it again, and and the the thing is it's repetition is the key to success, so it's just you've just got to keep the momentum, keep doing it and doing it, and then it just becomes second nature.

SPEAKER_01 43:16

That's why I'm so happy you invited me and had me down here because when we discussed um we discussed some other stuff that you're gonna help me with, which you've mentioned, like the teleprompting and stuff like that. And then you said, why don't you come on the podcast? Because that was off the back of watching your podcast with Anna. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And I thought that was really good. And for any men out there, whether you're experiencing relationship trauma or separation trauma, um, I'm sure the Des will post that link somehow again. But you need to watch the podcast because it was it was inspired, inspiring. Right. And um, when I spoke to you about it, you were like, let's do it whenever. Yeah, and when I got home. I was thinking, oh God, he's serious. But rather than hide away and find things to make myself busy, I called you that day and I said, So what what about next week? And you were like, Yeah, let's do it next week. Come in. So this morning, even last night, I couldn't remember what time it was. And I said, I said, I wonder if he remembers, because my calendar's saying some weird time, seven o'clock in the morning. You told me 11 o'clock. I woke up in the morning, and all I could think about was I'm going on a podcast. I've never done this before. I'm looking forward to it. And um what you what you've actually fed back to me. I mean, whether you're stroking egos or whatever, I'll take that, I'll take that as a win. I'm here to improve myself.

SPEAKER_02 44:47

I don't I don't all right. First of all, let's just clap. Look, I don't stroke egos. Right?

SPEAKER_01 44:52

I didn't mean it like that.

SPEAKER_02 44:54

So my thing is look, if I if I look at someone and I think they've got a story that will benefit other people in a massive way. If it's if I'm talking to someone, I'm thinking, wow, you know what, this is what you're going through, what you've done, what you're achieving, it's inspiring me, so therefore I think it will inspire other people. That's how I look at things, right? Um so I just look at things and just think, you know what, this this is people will listen to this because you've gone through a journey. We all go through journeys in life, but some people sometimes more rain falls into their life than other people's lives. You know, um you look at it sometimes.

SPEAKER_01 45:36

I hate saying um it's one of those things, isn't it?

SPEAKER_02 45:42

It's but the thing I'll tell you what it is, uh you become more conscious. The more I do this, right? The more I become conscious of all the different things that I do that I don't want to do. But they're on camera, so I've just gone, um, um, um, right. I'm not scared of it because you know, I'm sure a lot of people will identify with the challenge, and it's also you becoming conscious of how you're speaking, yeah. And I've noticed that as the more I do this, the more conscious I become of. I don't want to say um, I don't want to say so, and and um I know that I'm doing it less and less and less, but that's again, it's just something that happens. We just have to be used to that. Mine, mine is always does it make sense? Similar, yeah, yeah. Mine's like mine's more like do you understand? You like do you you know, or or whatever it is that you've got, we all go down that road, and it's only when we become conscious of what we're doing, and we want because it's you what it's a want to improve, isn't it? So you start to look at what you do and think, Yeah, I really don't want to do that. And if I do do it, I'm not gonna beat myself up about it, but at least I'm conscious of it. Yeah, and and and that's the key, that's the key thing. So, in terms of you being on camera now, you've totally relaxed on camera now. It's like you see everybody starts off a little bit nervous. I mean, look at him. Just have a look at him. Look, look at him, look at this dude on camera. He's just smiling and happy.

SPEAKER_01 47:10

No, but it the the I guess your surroundings help, right? You've made it easy. You you know, there was that little 10-15 minute setup where I was able to relax. We had a couple of laughs and jokes.

SPEAKER_02 47:22

Yeah, a bit of tea.

SPEAKER_01 47:23

Yeah, there's some sweets over there which you can't try. Where's Michigan gone? Mishka's Mishka's coming back. Yeah, but she, you know, she bought me a special tea with uh mint from the garden. You know, I wasn't expecting so you know maybe she put something extra special in this.

SPEAKER_02 47:40

You just you just never know. But the thing is, on camera, right now, you've you've totally relaxed. Would you agree, Henrietta?

SPEAKER_00 47:50

Most definitely, you were pro.

SPEAKER_02 47:53

I'm a pro now. Maybe I don't need dentist services. No, no, no, you still need me, dude. Still need me. But the thing is, the truth, we'll do whatever we can to help you. Um, I don't I think sometimes you you don't know what you don't know, so it's like you're gonna come into a space and you think that you need help because you've just been overly conscious of yourself.

SPEAKER_01 48:15

Oh, I'm definitely conscious of myself.

SPEAKER_02 48:17

The first thing we've got to do is realize that nobody really gives a damn anyway. Yeah. Right. And it's the people that you want to get to the people who care that it's important. But what I've realized about life is most people they're getting on, they they're too busy to notice you being upset and then you know nervous or whatever. Most people understand why, it's just like just get on with what you're doing.

SPEAKER_01 48:37

I guess that's what the response is make you it validates that, right? And I shouldn't look for that validation, right? But it's a stepping stone to getting beyond the validation and accepting my circumstances, even though yes, I've accepted them because when when I got to the building, I was like, okay, so how am I gonna navigate these stairs?

SPEAKER_02 48:56

There's no banister, not these stairs, the outdoor ones, and then you've got the other stairs, and it's like I'm and we should we we we do have disabled access, but it's a bit funny.

SPEAKER_01 49:07

It's at the back of the building, it's at the back of the building.

SPEAKER_02 49:09

I didn't know that, so yeah, did I dunno if um if uh Jacimph mentioned that, but no, I'd already climbed.

SPEAKER_01 49:16

Oh, right, I'd already got to the top by the door, and I was just like, God, thank god I didn't fall because it's all concrete.

SPEAKER_02 49:21

No, 100%, man.

SPEAKER_01 49:23

So that's why I called you. I think you're probably on your way and didn't hear.

SPEAKER_02 49:27

I was on my way, but I had my little personal journey this morning which I had to resolve. Yes, and and um, you know, I'm I'm trying to in the back of my mind, I'm like ah we won't go into no, we won't. No, we won't.

SPEAKER_00 49:37

Personal journeys with a smile on all our faces.

SPEAKER_02 49:41

So, so do you want to just give a shout out to your your company, just so that everybody knows what who you are?

SPEAKER_01 49:48

Yeah, so um I'm Anka Patel, as you heard at the beginning of the call. I'm the prince practice principal for Emerald Property Finance Experts, and we deal with um mortgages and insurance, um, a whole of market broker, and I look forward to um helping anyone that needs mortgage advice or protecting their um family and finances. And you can contact me again on 07402-940-862. Um, the website's um www.emeraldpfe.com.

SPEAKER_02 50:26

Okay, we'll put that on the web, we'll put that on the podcast. Uh and thank you so much for coming in. And we're obviously we're looking forward to working. We've worked with you before.

SPEAKER_03 50:35

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 50:35

And um excited. You know, it's it's been pretty cool. We'll put a program together. Within a couple of weeks, you'll be at Don. You're already at Don Status, but we'll make you super Don Status. And um, yeah, this has been inspiring, and I'd like to thank everybody for listening. Once again, this is Des Mighty at CSEP Media Lab. And um, we're on a fundraising campaign at the moment. We need to set raise some money to save the building that we're in. So if anybody's interested in um helping out, there's a there's a um GoFundMe campaign that I'll let everybody know about when this video goes out.

SPEAKER_01 51:11

Send me a link, please.

SPEAKER_02 51:12

I'll send you a link. Um and yeah, thank you once again for listening in and you be listening to Inspired. Take care.