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Wild Moos
Welcome to Wild Moos, the no-holds-barred podcast where the boardroom meets the playroom.
Hosted by Amy of Mooeys and Nicole from Wild Bird Marketing, this podcast dives into the messy, joyful, and often chaotic life of being a mother and a business owner.
Every episode is a candid exploration of the trials and triumphs that come with juggling spreadsheets and sippy cups.
From start-up stories that defy the "perfect mum" myth to scaling a business without sacrificing sanity, Amy and Nicole share it all.
Expect laughter, tears, and plenty of swear words as they peel back the curtain on what it really takes to thrive in the dual worlds of business and motherhood.
Wild Moos is a community, a confession booth, and your cheerleading squad all rolled into one.
Whether you're knee-deep in nappies, drafting business plans, or just dreaming about what could be, Wild Moos is the podcast for every mum who’s ever had to lock the bathroom door just to answer an email.
Tune in for your regular dose of inspiration, commiseration, and a reminder that you're not alone on this wild ride of entrepreneurship and motherhood.
Wild Moos
Wild Moos: TitBits #3
Ever stared down the barrel of your fears and wondered what it would take to just say "fuck it" and charge forward? That's the gauntlet we throw down in our latest episode, where we take you on a rollercoaster ride through the treacherous landscape of fear and uncertainty in the business world. From the knee-shaking moment I invested in a franchise to the sweaty-palmed epiphanies of imposter syndrome, we lay bare our personal crusades against the internal and external foes that threaten our professional growth. This isn't just shop talk; it's a clarion call to embrace the power of the "fuck it button" and leap into action.
Remember when you were eighteen and the world was full of terrifying yet irresistible opportunities? We sure do, and we're reminiscing about the audacious decisions that shaped our younger years, like working on cruise ships or moving to pulsating metropolises. These tales of yore aren't just for nostalgia's sake; they fuel our current-day ventures into the transformative world of performing arts and music, proving that a little stage fright never stopped anyone. Whether we're talking about belting out tunes during car rides or braving the spotlight at karaoke, it's all about harnessing that youthful bravado to overcome the jitters and joyously declare, "Yes, I fucking can!"
Hit play, hit that red button, and let's shatter those doubts together. Share your fear-facing moments with us, because when we stand united, we all can freaking soar.
Nicole Bilham of WildBird Marketing Agency
https://wildbirdmarketing.co.uk/
Amy Lewis of The Mooeys Group
www.mooeys.co.uk | www.mooeysfranchise.co.uk | www.mooskin.co
So tip it number three. Tip it number three. Let's get ready, ready, let's get ready to rumble. So we are talking about feeling the fear and doing it anyway. Yeah, there is a book called Feeling the Fear and Doing it Anyway, and I haven't read it, but apparently it's really great.
Speaker 2:I haven't read it. I didn't hear that it was great, so that's great.
Speaker 1:Yeah, great. After our last episode where we talked a lot about New Year, Overwhelm, Growth, Investment like where did that all come from? Brilliant? We thought that we would just do a little episode about what it's like and feeling that fear and how you get past it, Because it happens from day one, doesn't it?
Speaker 2:How often do you feel the fear and do it anyway?
Speaker 1:I would go as far as saying at least twice a month. It's a lot, I wouldn't say once a week, but I would say like it's, I do it's. I think when you work on your own, there is a constant level of can I do this? It kind of falls in on me, then postage doesn't it. Can I do this? Am I the right person to do this? I feel like I I don't know if I've said it before, that about that. I think I have that visual red fuck it button. I said about that before.
Speaker 2:Tell me more. I don't think so.
Speaker 1:I had it when, when I was about to launch franchise, I'd sold my flat in Southampton that I'd had for 10 years or whatever. My friend was living in it. I knew there wasn't loads of profit in it, but I've never owned anything else. So it was like we would try me and Martin were trying to buy a home and it was like a square peg round hole situation. I was like the business, we're putting that into the calculation of how much we earn. And he needed to earn such a much. And it was so forced that we were renting. The family were selling because they were living in Australia. Anyway, this flat in Southampton, we could only buy this house and it was all reliant on this flat. The flat didn't sell and it wasn't going. And then the owners of the house were like we have to sell this now. We've given you six months. We have to sell it.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Totally respected them and appreciated that they given us that time. We just couldn't make it happen. We had this other house that Martin was working on, so we moved in here and then my flat sold. How random is that? The flat sold I made about 17 grand from it. Yeah, and this was in the October before COVID September time. We just launched in a franchise and I needed to invest in franchise to really I needed money in the business to grow it to do. Yeah, I had to. And I remember speaking to my sister and I was like I paid off two grand's a day. I've got 15 grand. This should be me and Martin, our fund to start saving for a house. And I found out my sister and I was like I don't know what to do. I'm really torn because I've got this business and I've got 15 grand. I can't buy a house with it because we're both self-employed. So I need, you know I'm going to need a lot more.
Speaker 1:Yeah, Do I put it into franchise? And I feel like I've got this red button that I've called the fuck it button right in front of me. Do I push that fuck it button and put the 15 grand in? Let's just run with it and then, hopefully, that business makes me enough money. I don't need to worry about the deposit, because we'll buy a house you know like. And she was like wow, and Kaz is she normally plays quite safe actually. And she turned around to me and she went I think you've got nothing to lose. Like it's 15 grand. You weren't expecting to make it. You've never spent any money on that flat, Like it's never cost you anything. I feel like you should push that fuck it button and run with them.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:I pushed it and then we hit cave in. In March I put 15 grand in a business. I paid money for someone to come in and try and help me sell. She sold nothing. Six months cost me just under 15 grand for the six months. So I feel like I lost it all, but I actually didn't. I learned so much from them.
Speaker 2:Oh yeah.
Speaker 1:But I have that visual red fuck it button and it is massive right in front of me. So whenever I feel that fear, I always think should I push the button and just do it anyway? Should I just go for it?
Speaker 2:See, when you said the red fuck it button, I was viewing it the other way.
Speaker 1:No, no, like fuck it, let's just do it.
Speaker 2:Oh, I love that.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's like a massive beacon for me, like I don't know what it would be for visual for anybody else, but it is that I'm not even across roads. I'm there in front of that button. Do I carry on play it safe or do I push that button? You know, like it's like on X Factor or something, not X Factor, what's the other one where you put the golden buzzer? Yeah, when they press the golden buzzer and it's all like crazy. That's how I feel.
Speaker 2:What a great visual yeah.
Speaker 1:So yes, I do feel the fear constantly, but I kind of go fuck it, let's go. I'm with you.
Speaker 2:I'm going to talk about my imposter, because I love and hate her. Okay, because she's my fucking button.
Speaker 1:Do you want to just like flick her off, so you like visualize her on a wall or something? Yeah, I like that when she's there, just like flick her off.
Speaker 2:Yeah, Mm, I, she's the one that go. No, you can't. No, you can't, no, you can't, and I'll go. Yes, I fucking can.
Speaker 1:Mm.
Speaker 2:Yes, I can, so I'm really. I've got a real love-hate relationship with her because I believe that my imposter spurs me on to do more.
Speaker 1:Yeah, because you've proven him wrong.
Speaker 2:Yeah, wow, yeah, yeah. So when people say you get rid of it, like you need to fix it and I think I've said previously I need to work on it. I do, but there is a larger part of me that thinks she drives you. She drives me, yeah.
Speaker 1:So when's that? When have you felt the most fear in your business? What have you been most scared of?
Speaker 2:Probably when my redundancy money ran out and I had to stop playing.
Speaker 1:Right, how long did that take, oh?
Speaker 2:not long, not long at all, probably eight months into the first year of Wildbird. Well, and the buffer was great, but it made me fanny for eight months. Then it got very real very quickly. Yeah, like you need to make this it is yours.
Speaker 1:It is a safety net. But that's quite scary in business because a lot of the time you would have to hustle immediately, wouldn't you? Yeah?
Speaker 2:and I was hustling, but I wasn't giving it everything because I had that money there.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so you were okay, yeah, what else is so? What were you scared of?
Speaker 2:Not making enough money to pay the mortgage.
Speaker 1:And then what? What would have happened? Having to get another job or having to yeah, Not have the lifestyle that you wanted, no, the fear of failure.
Speaker 2:Really yeah, yeah. It's like the tax bill thing with how we laugh 10 grand tax bill and Matt's absolute trauma of living that with me. But the deepest part of that was I have failed because I can't run my business properly, because I fucked this up.
Speaker 1:Right. So where does that come from then? You know my fear of failure.
Speaker 2:Yeah, couldn't tell you, didn't I? I really don't know, but I think I feel. I feel the fear and do it anyway, probably on a weekly basis. Yeah, in some sort of way, because of the imposter, for example, next week, when I've got to present to a room full of strangers about marketing, I'm nervous, yeah, of course, but I'm going to, but you're going to overcome it, because actually on the other side is significant opportunity. Huge opportunity, but also massive growth, for me as well. All of these experiences are developmental milestones for me to say oh fuck it.
Speaker 2:See, you can't fucking do it.
Speaker 1:Of course you can, you silly dickhead, you silly sausage.
Speaker 2:I am a silly sausage, but again I feel that, yeah, and while Bird being what it is, she took the lead and built her wings on the way down, Like, like believing the universe the mother of all mothers, believing yourself that you will be okay.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it will always work out and it will always be okay, I think, if you have that faith.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:And what's the worst that could happen?
Speaker 2:Oh, big time.
Speaker 1:The worst that can happen is you go bankrupt. Yeah, nobody died, no, no, because to me, yeah, death is the worst thing that can happen. Right, that's to me In life. And if you put that against, like the result, or the outcome of what you're worried about, against death, it's not that big a deal, is it.
Speaker 2:No.
Speaker 1:And it's all fixable, yep, overcomable, overcomable, doable, achievable, achievable. And if not, just take your time until you get there, maybe, or push the bucket button and just do it, take a leap.
Speaker 2:Yeah, oh got it scary innit. How many leaps are you going to be taking this year, do you think?
Speaker 1:I think I'm going to be taking loads working with you, yeah. I think you are going to push me massively, and I think you're going to push me more than anyone's ever pushed me before.
Speaker 2:I can just feel it, but you're going to do the same. This side, we discussed whether we recorded a big episode or a little tidbit. Before we started recording the tidbit yeah, because we're, I think, both a little bit exhausted from the last.
Speaker 1:The last one was massive yeah.
Speaker 2:And I don't think that either of us, I definitely- didn't.
Speaker 1:We haven't even got investment on our list of topics.
Speaker 2:It's not on our list of board. Yeah.
Speaker 1:We haven't got that, and I think that's what I love about this. It literally is just us having a conversation about business and pushing each other out of our boundaries and our comfort zones, and then I'm kind of hoping that this, then our conversation, spurs other people on to have those conversations with someone they trust.
Speaker 2:Oh, with us. Yeah, oh, 100% it wasn't. I have to say, when we were talking about investment, it was not nice sitting on this side of the table because I could feel how incredibly uncomfortable we were, so, so uncomfortable. Which is going oh, this thing's gonna come in and they're gonna ruin my business and they're gonna tell me what to do and don't want them to tell me what to do.
Speaker 1:I know it was like a therapy session. I felt exhausted afterwards.
Speaker 1:I wish it's why we're only recording a little tip because we've got nothing left in the tank. There's nothing left, oh no, right, yeah, that was a biggie. However, I think all of that goes in line with feeling the fear, because I, at the end of that episode, all I could feel was fear, and Nicole was like are you excited? Are you excited? I was like, no, I'm fucking scared, shitless. I'm really excited, but I'm excited for that, Like having someone that you see every week going. So what are you doing? What's going on? Can you do more? Can you do better? Can you do bigger? Can let's go bigger? And I'm like I've never had that before.
Speaker 1:I've never had that regular interaction of that's what a business coach would do, isn't it? Yeah, and yes, I had it in NatWest with Debbie, but this constant kind of someone in your corner going what are we doing then?
Speaker 2:What are we doing about it?
Speaker 1:I'm like I don't know what are we doing, what's?
Speaker 2:next, just don't feel the fear. I think we need to talk about what it feels like on the other side. Yeah, because you feel the fear, do it anyway. What is the benefit of pushing the fuck it button?
Speaker 1:It's always more exciting than staying safe. It is, though, isn't it? It's always a bit more exciting, but also the growth for me is. I get really excited about that because I'm like fucking hell, I can do loads of stuff Look at this.
Speaker 2:I'm really good at this.
Speaker 1:Let's have a go and then you can push yourself that little bit further. That self confidence yes, you know that self confidence, affirmation for yourself, like you are doing it for you and for the people you love and whatever your purpose is, whatever your values are yeah, the sense of achievement, yeah, I still don't have it loads, but I have it. I feel like I have it enough. I'm not like braggy about it, I'm very humble with what I've achieved. But when people say to me, do you realize how successful you are? I'm like, no, that's not me. No, I feel successful, but I'm not successful in my mind because I'm not rich. I have money, that's my issue, but I have. For me, success is money.
Speaker 2:Yeah, lots of it.
Speaker 1:Yes, and I know that will come. And when I've got that, then I will feel that sense of success, which is stupid, and but it's my vision, my view of success. Everybody else's is different, yeah, so, yes, I feel like I've achieved a lot, but it only comes from that point of fear.
Speaker 2:Yeah, agreed. And there are things. There's people that I celebrate with because I know that they're so invested in me and in the business to be able to say, oh my God, this just happened. You are one of them, Liz is one of them, Matt is one of them, and my sister as well, and they're my people to say you never guess. And it doesn't matter how small or big it is.
Speaker 2:Yeah, you all know, if I'm telling you about it, it's important it's important and that, for me, is massive, like that's my oh my god, you never guess what so not yesterday.
Speaker 1:Before a close deal yes, and a really good deal.
Speaker 2:Lots of opportunities, huge opportunity and the first thing I did Matt was washing the car, because after we've had our board meeting, matt was washing the car and I went outside no jumper on, freezing my tits off, and I'm like guess what? He's on the drive and he was like what? I was like it's done. And he was like, yes, how do you feel? I was like, yeah, good, but now I've got a lot of work to do, so I don't. I like to feel the achievement and the success, but I don't let myself feel it for very long, because you've got shit to do, you've got to get on with it, but also I'm not there.
Speaker 2:I don't feel successful in the same way.
Speaker 1:What's success to you then, if we're talking about financial freedom?
Speaker 2:is it yeah?
Speaker 1:but mine's experience it's not actually about having loads of money about. It's actually the experiences that that gives me. I want to experience extreme luxury as well as everything. Yeah, I want to experience everything all over the world.
Speaker 2:Yeah nothing's out of no I nothing's out of reach.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, exactly that. However, yours is that financial freedom of not being tied, isn't it?
Speaker 2:yeah, and I think that probably, if you asked me, in three years time I'll probably say something completely different, but in a minute, because it's so tight with child care, yeah, it's all about right, let me just get to this level and then we can breathe. Just, it's just, it's just, yeah, it's it's just that, just this next bit, and then and then, and then, and as soon as the kids are in school, you will feel that anyway.
Speaker 1:Yeah, because of the nursery phase oh, big time.
Speaker 2:And we'll still be playing for wrap-around care. Or perhaps it will get to the point where we go, oh, we could afford to send them to private school. We wanted to. Yeah, choices, yeah, the financial freedom to be able to make the choices that you do yeah, yeah, to have those discussions. I don't. I'd love to build my own house.
Speaker 1:I'm mad I would love to build your own house travel is not actually that big on the list, considering you guys have travelled so much yeah, maybe, maybe it's that though maybe you've already done loads yeah, and we've done it together and separately.
Speaker 2:So Matt's done interailing in Europe we loved that and I've been to India. We've done in Malaysia. We've done things separately. It's not about that, I think, it's just yours is about like a great existence yeah, and it's more of that feeling piece. It's that value of my personal value that is about soul and joy, but it's not actually something tangible, yeah. So, oh, beautiful. Who knew? Who knew we were gonna get onto that? Yeah, cheeky little titty bit titty, titty, titty red titty.
Speaker 1:Oh, I don't like it, so please don't do it. Really, it makes every part of me wince, wince like, but also I'm gonna put it out there and this makes me sound a bit bitter and twisted but the big fuck you when you've achieved something and people have told you you're not going to be able to do it.
Speaker 1:Oh, yeah like I love that well, that's why I have my imposter on a daily basis like the big fuck you look at me go and then the next day I'll be like all those people that have said no, all those people that have said that you won't be able to do that, you can't do that, I feel like I'm just giving them the big fuck you, or proven them wrong. And maybe they were smart enough in the first place to know that that's what would spur me on, so that's why they've said it. Who knows, I'll never know, universe, seven you up, what you?
Speaker 1:maybe it's the universe seven me up some ourselves yeah to tell you now how that's not going to do it. You're not going to be okay with that, and then I go, watch me go hello yeah because that really spurs me on people, naysayers and non-believers, yeah.
Speaker 2:I don't know if I other than the imposter. I don't know what the fuck about it, but because, probably because it's so strong, yeah have you?
Speaker 1:what have you done in your life? What's the scariest thing you've ever done? That you've just done anyway, even though I live in the security of it was it? What's yours? I went and worked on cruise ships 18 and they flew me to New York on my own. Didn't have a clue, never been to New York before. Do you know what I?
Speaker 1:did actually be going to get a job in London when I was 18 yeah, isn't it crazy when you look at yourself like, how are you that brave at 18 to do such a big thing? There's people I speak to now that are at my age that wouldn't be able to do what I've done at 18, but I don't know if I?
Speaker 2:I think I was more brave then than I am, and why am?
Speaker 1:I, I don't fucking know.
Speaker 2:I don't know, but I do look at back at it and think, oh shit, yeah, what this gets. I did a lot of drama when I was a kid.
Speaker 1:No, you did you, I'd never do that, but now it all makes sense so people always say that when I tell them you stop it.
Speaker 2:That is brilliant a lot. I did get A level.
Speaker 1:I mean, it's it. I can see me. It's not, it's a flamboyancy.
Speaker 2:I'm not flamboyant, are you fucking are.
Speaker 1:I'm just bougie, bougie, flamboyant, is it not the same? Same same but different? We never change it.
Speaker 2:But in my head when I was growing up, performing arts was. Performing arts was very different. Drama was a bit like the amdramdicket with their expressive dance and their actually fucking dance. I quite liked it the amdramdicket but there is nothing that speaks fear more than having to go on stage and remember lines or perform nothing nothing.
Speaker 1:do you think that helped you, though? Do you think that set you up for because my kids go to stagecoach and I think it's the best thing for them but do you think that's helped you be able to stand and pitch and do all of those things?
Speaker 2:100% one-hundie. My mum put me into stage one. It was called in Luton because I was having panic attacks and she thought it would help with my confidence and did it it didn't stop the panic attacks, because the panic attacks were rooted in something else, but it definitely helped with my confidence and that's where my sorry panic table naughty step for me. That's where my love of drama came from and singer like fucking. I'm a dreadful singer, but I will fucking belt it out absolutely belt it out.
Speaker 1:Do you just enjoy the singing process? I love it. And when I'm driving and I'm singing, oh yeah, I love a little bit of car singing.
Speaker 2:I picture myself. I've never shared this with anyone here we go, you're ready, I'm tenderhooks. I picture myself on stage, like with a crowd of people.
Speaker 1:Oh my god, this is why you won't sing it out.
Speaker 2:Well, moves on tour isn't it, so you can live out your dreams.
Speaker 1:She's gonna start bowing out some tuneless tunes.
Speaker 2:what am I singing tonight? Like it's not actually my karaoke song Sweet Child of Mine. That's very different, oh so a wicked song.
Speaker 1:Do you know what? I've never actually done karaoke once in my life, because I'm so scared of singing, because my voice is so bad.
Speaker 2:I actually just said that out loud we are going out to do so. We've got a PA system in our garden. You're poor neighbours. Well, I haven't done it yet. My sister had a very big, significant birthday this year and I was desperate to try and get a mic and a mic stand and do Rocky Oki, because Mac is musical. Do you know this?
Speaker 1:No, oh, he's annoyingly pitch perfect the bastard.
Speaker 2:So you can hear something and just go oh, I think I'll play that on the guitar. Bam, bam, bam, bam BAM. So annoying but wonderful at the same time. Wow yeah, epic, epic, musician. We know quite a few musicians as well, so we could definitely do. Rocky Oki, you were coming.
Speaker 1:I'm not singing in front of anyone. I'm happy. Do you know what I need to do? Like? Martin took the kids to a karaoke booth, yeah, and they had the best time. Lucky voice, there's one in London, oh, you got it. It was Milton Keynes, I think it was and he just went in and he was like he loves doing stuff like that with the kids. He loves doing like indoor practice. They might be going, you fuck off. I really want to do it, but it's that fear of going. I've got a really bad voice. I don't want to sing.
Speaker 2:Are you kidding me If you'd never? Oh, we used to do, maybe me and you should do that.
Speaker 1:That's our first like outing Greatest time we don't even need booze.
Speaker 2:I don't care if you need booze, I don't need booze, it's going to be fat. So we used to do GMTV. We'd host a lot, so we'd take people out for lunch, clients out for lunch, and then you'd book Lucky Voice afterwards for karaoke booth rooms. But they've got wigs, they've got dress up, they've got this so much fun and it doesn't fucking matter if you can't sing, it doesn't fucking matter.
Speaker 1:Really.
Speaker 2:Yes, this is coming from the woman who stood oh God.
Speaker 1:See, Martin's got a really good voice. He's got like three or four notes that he's really good. The rest of them are not so much.
Speaker 2:I got up and sang at our wedding. A what, yeah, did you? Yeah, our friend MJ sings no diggity Like that's his party trick. Since he sings no diggity Really fucking well, it is epic. And we'd kind of we'd booked him unofficially to sing it, I think after our first dance. It was great Everyone always gets out Brilliant. But then I'd put on Vibe after that, which is the song that MJ and I used to sing together, and we know the rap and all that kind of stuff. Do you know that song on the map? No, I can't sing it.
Speaker 1:You just said just sing it, no the first got me.
Speaker 2:I got up and sang it, but awful, sang it awfully, but I was bride.
Speaker 1:But you were at wedding day, I was having the greatest time of my fucking life. This is such brilliant knowledge.
Speaker 2:Tippets is a bit long now.
Speaker 1:I mean it's a great way to finish, but I really feel like we should do a karaoke booth. That'll go on social, wouldn't it?
Speaker 2:Yeah, but you're.
Speaker 1:No, not our singing. No, like just to prove that we've done it. Yeah, it is filling the fear, like I am petrified of the thought of singing. I'm also not great on stage. I had some public speaking training. It was okay. I still just petrified of it. I'd do it. I've done a couple of public speaking gigs and I'd always do it and it would be great, but I'm scared of it.
Speaker 2:Right, we're going to feel the fear and do it anyway on this, are we? Yeah, because we've got pitching, oh God yeah, but this all fits into the set, it's you being on stage Fundamental. Being vulnerable, yeah, and either talking about your business or singing your heart out, which you think you're shit at.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I feel like this is therapy for Amy Lewis Two sessions now. Speak it up.
Speaker 2:What colour's?
Speaker 1:gone on my mate. Can you fix me?
Speaker 2:What I think we've got to do it.
Speaker 1:We have. Well, that's what this episode's all about. So why don't you write in and tell us what your fears are? Write in, write in.
Speaker 2:It's a letter Carrier pigeon. Thanks, oh God, so old sometimes.
Speaker 1:No, it's not. You're not DM us.
Speaker 2:Yeah, slide into the DMs and let us know.
Speaker 1:What are your fears? What have you got to do? Is there anything you've got to make a decision on, but you're scared? Is there anything you need to push that red, fuck it button or flick off that imposter? Whatever it is? Tell us, plop, plop, plop. Let us know Over and out. Bye, bye.
