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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 Podcast Episode 14: Teen Antics and Life's Twists - From Swearing to Gratitude Journals
Remember the days of being 14? Ah, the mischievous adventures and life lessons that left us both chuckling and cringing. Strap in as we take you back to those times of parental evasion and house parties that most definitely didn't have enough supervision. We'll bare the dynamics of our family lives, the roles we played, and how the echoes of our parents' relationships resonate in our own.
The path from adolescence to adulthood isn't a straight line—it's more like a squiggly mess, and we're here to share how we've navigated the twisty turns of friendships and faced down bullies, even as grown-ups. With a dash of professionalism talk, we confess to the occasional swear in the office and the sometimes-blurred lines between authenticity and decorum. Dive into our unscripted tales, from an impromptu International Women's Day event to the latest scoop on our marketing foundation course where we help you truly understand your clients.
As we wrap up, we invite you to feel inspired and perhaps a bit mystified by the power of affirmations and the wisdom of loved ones who've passed on, shared by a story that's as skeptical as it is compelling.
Discover the strength in a 'big girl pants' attitude and the grounding role of gratitude journals amidst the whirlwind of life. Plus, we'll give you a sneak peek into how psychometric testing can revolutionise team dynamics.
Join us for this heartfelt blend of personal anecdotes, professional insights, and the shared experiences that mold us into who we are.
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
Episode 14. Oh, like the young teenage girl who's just on the cusp of being a fucking arsehole Title done I don't know how I feel about that.
Speaker 2:Why are we talking about teenage?
Speaker 1:girls, because that's what 14 reminded me of. What were you like? As a 14-year-old, I'm a bit an angel, you.
Speaker 2:I don't think I was an angel, but I don't think I was an atharass hole either.
Speaker 1:No, I never liked getting into trouble. Oh, you're still a bit like that though, aren't you? I really don't like being told off by anyone. Yeah, no, I feel very uncomfortable about that. Don't like getting things wrong. Who?
Speaker 1:would tell you off board Mum or Dad, no one, because you were such an angel? No, it wasn't Not at all. My Mum would like constantly say you fucking carry on, your Dad will be home in a minute. So the threat of Dad really telling us off. But Dad never actually told us off because the threat was enough by Mum. Does that make sense? So Mum would tell us off more. I say us because it would predominantly be my brother and I bickering.
Speaker 2:Yeah, why Dad was never there? Me and my sister brought ourselves up, so you weren't naughty, naughty. Oh, we were really naughty, but well, I say naughty. I remember getting a wallet around the face once because I'd come in my Dad's. My curfew was 10 o'clock and I was like 14, I think Must have been about 14. And I walked in at about half 12, because I was giving it the big billy big bunnocks.
Speaker 2:And he was. This is before mobile phones. Yes, he was absolutely livid. Yeah, I literally walked in that door. I came in the living room, all right, and he stood up in his pants and he whacked me across my face. I felt like I flew from one side of the living room to the other. He went you fucking do that to me again, yeah, and you're going to know about it. And then went to bed, yeah, and I was like wow, never done that again.
Speaker 1:I had a very similar experience at 14. I again thought billy big bunnocks, I'm fucking old now and less than I do what I want, you know what you're doing. Ollie and Greg, who were my friends we did have mobile phones, but they weren't very old at that point had text to say we're on this road, we're on your road, can we come in? And mum and dad Saturday night was always curry night takeaway, so they were having that downstairs and I just invited Ollie and Greg in and they came upstairs and said hello to my parents and then we were play fighting in the bedroom, in my bedroom, which sits above the living room. My dad went fucking apeshit, came upstairs what?
Speaker 1:the fuck are you doing? Got them both. Didn't chuck them down the stairs. Grab them by the scratcher and chuck them out of the house.
Speaker 2:God, do you know? My dad used to go away with his girlfriend. He had lots of different girlfriends, one after the other. To be fair to him, though, if we didn't like them, he would ditch them, would he? Yeah, yeah, there was one lady and he was really into her. Me and Carrie were like no, absolutely not. I love leopard print I mean, I think I've got three different types of leopard print on today but she was Pat Butcher. Yeah, top to bottom, just a slim Pat Butcher. She was too much Mm, and she was also a little bit condescending to us, and we were quite mature for our age, because he basically said to her, I think, when we moved out from my stepmom, I think I was like I think maybe I've been about 13, 14.
Speaker 2:So my sister was 10, nine or 10. And I remember him saying to us I'll put a roof over your head, the rest is up to you. And I was like what do you mean? He goes. Well, I've got to work. He had his own business, so he's worked six days a week. Yeah, he said well.
Speaker 2:I've got to work, so you need to sort yourself out. I'll cook dinner, I'll be home to make sure you have dinner, and that's it. The rest is up to him. Fucking hell. So then, as soon as he had lady friends, he'd be out, so he would never be home. Yes, so we used to just do basically whatever we wanted, but he was very particular. Like we used to have to iron all of his clothes. I remember him saying to me phone my mum and she'll teach you how to iron the stuff that I like Jesus. Yeah, we used to have to clean up and he was in mechanics, so like there was always like scummy baths, yeah, and we'd have to clean up everything. The house had to be immaculate. We were basically just like mini housewives Cleaners, cleaners, housewives, yeah, housekeepers, yeah.
Speaker 1:Yes, a lot.
Speaker 2:And. But there was one lady friend that he really liked and we really loved her as well, Elaine and she. They used to go away for weekends all the time, so we used to have these parties Like massive, massive for you. Ah, I mean, I would have been about 15, 16. Oh my God, but it was mad.
Speaker 1:It was there, if anyone loves you.
Speaker 2:It was mad, but the house was this rented house on this little quiet village, like it was a little bungalow, it was like a retirement area.
Speaker 1:And then there's me.
Speaker 2:Massive parties. Nobody ever grassed a sump, nobody ever said anything. I don't know. I can't hear you.
Speaker 1:I can't hear you.
Speaker 2:Who was it? Well, today, but I remember once it was this massive storm and somebody was out in the back garden smoking this the biggest joint I've ever seen and all the fences blew down. He just stood there and his pants, smoking his spliff, and we were like, ah.
Speaker 1:Oh, how do you have a half lip?
Speaker 2:It's so crazy, but this rented house, the carpet was so disgusting, do you know? Like there's ones from the 80s that were like multi-coloured, yeah, so it hid everything, yeah, yeah, yeah. The sofa like he'd got it from this charity shop when we moved out and it was like it was the comfiest sofa in the world, but the ugliest. It was like this brown, horrible print with wood and arms. So he loved it because he could put his drinks on.
Speaker 1:But actually now probably quite stylish. It sounds like 70s retro it was proper.
Speaker 2:Like I remember he picked it out he would have pretty much pulled it out of a skip Like no, I was like what the fuck? And we were like what is that? And he went it is so comfy, he's sitting on it. I remember all three of us sat there like, oh my God, this is so embarrassing. Oh God, everything was just so budget, so budget. But we threw it all together. But because nothing had any value and there was no, there was nothing in that property that was worth anything, he didn't give a shit and I would have to wait. So he just had these massive parts and he was like as long as no one touches my booze, eats my peanuts, eats my chocolate, do what you want, and no one's allowed to sleep in my bed either. Did you adhere to?
Speaker 1:those rules.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, we did. No one slept in his bed. His bedroom was like off-bounds. Did that make you? Because you were like the party holder, were you? I've always been the party holder, I think.
Speaker 2:But does it make you popular in school? No, I was always like in between kid. You know that I wasn't in the popular crowd. I wasn't in the cool. I wasn't in the cool crowd. I wasn't good enough for that, not in the nerdy crowd. I wasn't really in the nerdy crowd. I was kind of somewhere in between. I just kind of got on with most people, but I was really bullied. Yeah, really bullied. You love that? Yeah, really bullied. And I, yeah, one girl in particular, but just because of weight. Yeah, I was always a little bit chubby. You know, I was always like a size 14, from the day I can remember like as a teenager, from about 14. Yeah, I was always a size 14. And it kind of pushed to a 16, and then, after kids, pushed to an 18. And then now I'm like 14 to 16 again. Yeah, but yeah, I felt really picked on.
Speaker 1:Yeah, Do you think the bully, bully?
Speaker 2:one major bully. One major one, yeah, but she really made it her mission to make people not want to hang out with me and I think because she gave me such a hard time, it was more of a we like her, we like Amy, but we can't be doing with that aggro because if we hang out with her we've got to deal with that Charlotte girl Like I can't be bothered with it.
Speaker 2:Yeah, oh, she was fucking awful. Did I tell you that about Tracy, like standing up to her, though? So no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. So Tracy's tiny, she's like a little pocket rocket, yeah, and powerful, yes, mighty. Small but mighty. Very small but mighty. Yeah, do not mess with her, I can imagine. So we were up in the common room in our upper school, so we were in year 11. Is it year 11? The last year? So you're like 15. I'm the youngest in the year, so I hadn't turned 16 yet. Yeah, yeah, and Charlotte was really going for me, like she was following me from toilet to classroom. Like you, fat bitch, you're so ugly or this. And do you know what the funny thing is? She was the fucking same size as me.
Speaker 1:I know it's hilarious, isn't it when you look?
Speaker 2:back. She was not skinny. It was like I'm going to pick on you because I'm going to make myself feel better. Yeah, yeah, oh, she was a vile human. She probably still is, yes, you know, and she made my life hell.
Speaker 2:Well, however, I'd got to the end of it. I was like I can't do this anymore. And we'd got to the common room and it was up these stairs and Charlotte was really going for me and Tracy was like I'm fucking sick of this. And she came out and got Charlotte by the throat and pushed her over the top of this common room, like leave her alone, for fuck's sake, just leave her alone. Tracy's like on my foot. Charlotte's like five, seven, same size as me. And Tracy had her by the throat, like not hanging her, but pushing her over the top of the common room, like enough enough, leave her alone, just leave her alone. Did it stop? Yeah, well, we were then finished school, but it was funny because Tracy came over with her little daughter, who is like dinky, compared to my two, she's five now. That's all four, isn't it? And then my two and Mike was away, I think, doing the salon, and all of us just had an afternoon and then had dinner together. I love that Dinner's like my favorite.
Speaker 2:Thing. Like to do like a meal, especially dinner, especially with kids, but just having those conversations, and Willow was struggling at school, so me and Tracy told her this story about when Tracy stick up to the bully for me and what happened, and the girls like all three of them were like, wow, that's so cool and we've been friends like since we were eight and there's times like that that I will never, ever forget. That's so special, isn't?
Speaker 1:it, it's really special, isn't it?
Speaker 2:Yeah, and then I've done the same for her in different situations. So it's just that love where you just like I've got you, yeah, I've got your back.
Speaker 1:You've got a beautiful friendship.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, we really have. But it was lovely teaching the girls like that. And Willow said to me the other day I really loved hearing about that. I can't believe you ever got bullied. I was like why? And she goes? Because I think you're one of the strongest people I know. Yeah, and I said, but it's stuff like that that makes you strong. Yes, you know, it's stuff like that that makes you go fuck you. I ain't putting up without shit. Yeah and yeah. Charlotte, I'll never forget it. I saw her once outside when the nightclub's in Bedford. I think I remember you telling me about this yeah.
Speaker 2:Fucking idiot and I'd been on cruise ships. I was really I'd come back from ships really arrogant. It's a bit chopsy. Yeah, I was a bit chopsy. I was, like you know, thought I was really big bollocks. 14-year-old girl.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, I was.
Speaker 2:Yeah, saw her outside of a nightclub and she started trying to be friends with me and I just put my hands in front of her. I was like what are you doing? Yeah, why. And she went just seeing how you're doing. I said I have no interest in being your friend, I have no interest in anything to do with you.
Speaker 1:I love how you're articulating this. Now, how many sheets to the wind were you? At this point?
Speaker 2:I have no idea, it was probably like. Charlie getting a club before midnight, so you don't have to pay the additional fees. You know what I mean.
Speaker 1:We could play it back at the time You're going.
Speaker 2:I've got no interest in talking to you right now, because I was like ha ha ha, I think I was probably like 22, something like that.
Speaker 1:Yeah. Do you think she realises the impact that she's had on you?
Speaker 2:I don't know it calms a bitch though innit.
Speaker 1:Oh fucking hell, does it get you?
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, calm as a bitch. I don't know. I don't know if she knows. I think she was desperately unhappy and it doesn't make it OK.
Speaker 2:No, it doesn't make it OK, but there's got to be a reason that a 14-year-old kid really makes a beeline for another person and wants to make their life misery and wants to make them cry every day and then laugh when they're crying because they're weak. Like what makes a person do that? It's got to be some steep rooted unhappiness. I don't know. Family life something. There's got to be something that makes someone go. You know what I'm going to really fuck things up for you.
Speaker 1:I really I don't know. You know about what happened to me, like being bullied at school. I told you about it the other day, didn't I? I was very, very good friends with someone best friends actually. Would spend time with each other, been on holiday together with each other's families. We'd spend every weekend together through junior school and then the start of high school was in the popular crowd and then she just turned and started turning everyone else against me. So anything any of those conversations that you've had as friends, when you're slanging off of other people.
Speaker 2:She went and told everyone else oh, I've had that before, it's all over, no.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and there was this one girl who was sounds quite similar to Charlotte, who threatened to beat the shit out of me. What was her name? I can't feel like. I can't name her. No, no, ok, I feel bad. It's only her first name. First name was Leanne. I can't not say her full name, though in my head I've got one.
Speaker 1:Yeah, thank you, and she someone. My mum would pick me up from school every day because it was too far to walk, so and we had the luxury of mum not actually having to work, which was very different to the life that we lead now.
Speaker 1:Right, so someone had run out to my mum and my sister, mando, was in the car as well at the time, who is older than me. She was an adult at this point and quite defensive of me. Someone went out to mum's car saying Leanne's going to beat up Nicole, nicole's going out to the field now. So my mum and my sister just marched onto school property. You can imagine them with their handbags straight across the field. Where is she? Where is she? Might, and I'll forever be grateful to the circle of friends that I found, lauren and Margaret, because they held me, did they? Yeah, yeah, and then it stopped. It kind of subsided, but my anxiety of going to school did not, and that's where I started having panic attacks, shocking innit, yeah, but you know, I don't think that she will ever realise the impact of what she did. Is that fear? Isn't it as well? I don't know. I don't know Because the Leanne thing was one thing like that, was one small event, but the friend that was supposed to be a friend, and I remember my mum ringing her mum saying what's going on, why is this happening?
Speaker 1:Mobile phones had just been introduced, so I was getting quite a lot of abuse on my phone. My mum had to take it away like it was just. It made school not a safe place. Yeah, I think it should make it illegal.
Speaker 2:Bullying. Yeah, I don't know how they would manage it. No, I've got no clue. I just think it's so cruel. Yeah, kids can be cruel. But also, I think I watched something it would have been like a social media something and it basically said that the first bully a kid ever meets is its parent. Oh, wow, yeah, it really struck a chord. Yeah, because, without even realising, you're manipulating kids, do this and you get this. Yeah, I know, yeah, you know, you can have 10 minutes of screen time if you do that. So you're manipulating them to do what you want by telling them what they get in return. Yeah, so the first person they meet is a bully is their parent. Isn't that awful? Yeah, and I was like I can't get that out of my head. And every time I do something like can we not bribe them, please? Can we not like? Can we not be those parents, can we? But it's so difficult, like, it's so difficult when you need to get something done. Yeah, and they refuse to do it.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I think there is an age where that kind of like trade-off is relevant, or it is Like when I think about Eddie when they're little yeah, it's the only thing that they understand, but then there comes a point where they grow out of it.
Speaker 2:Yeah, our two will say to us now stop bribein' us. Yeah, because they've heard me say I don't want to do this.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:So I don't want to get to that point, yeah, but also that whole I'm big, you're small, that material-der thing. I had so much of that as a kid. I'm really conscious as a parent that I don't want the kids to ever feel like they're inferior or smaller, or, yeah, they don't have a voice. Oh God, it's so difficult innit. It's hard, yeah, Like there's such a small it all comes from our past innit?
Speaker 1:Oh, definitely, so start this episode as our 14-year-old self.
Speaker 2:Yeah, now look at us. Well, I'm in my 40s. You're still in your 30s, aren't you?
Speaker 1:Yes, yes, yes, yes.
Speaker 2:Right so.
Speaker 1:We, it's been over a week, couple of weeks, now innit, since we've recorded.
Speaker 2:And a lot has happened. My God, so much has happened. And actually, when you were talking about your sister, mm.
Speaker 1:Lovely Amanda.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I was thinking of our event, because she sent me a lovely message afterwards and said you and Nicole are really good for each other.
Speaker 1:Oh, that's nice. She didn't tell me that. No, she's not going to tell you, is she no?
Speaker 2:And I got a beautiful message as well from Liz. Sorry, I know, I just totally went out of my head because all I thought was Kate, for some reason. Liz too good, lovely message from her.
Speaker 1:So Liz is my coach for those that aren't, and she's not allowed to listen to this?
Speaker 2:No, she's not, but I think she will do it on the slide. She really wants to, does she? I really hope she does and I said to her Please, don't make it to episode 14,.
Speaker 1:Liz and she said to me did you.
Speaker 2:Were you the one that called Nicole, my business daughter, and I said yeah, I think so. I told her that the other day she was like. That's one of the loveliest things I've ever heard and I was like you are like her business mom, aren't you?
Speaker 2:Yeah, and she's like your business daughter. And she went yeah, but I've never thought of it like that before. No, no, I said it's a beautiful relationship, but that's why she doesn't want you to listen to the podcast, because it's very sweary. So you get the best of her and we get the ass end of her. Yeah, and she just laughed and she said maybe I will. I said I feel like you should listen to it on the slide if you really want to get to know her. Oh, no, don't.
Speaker 1:Oh God, I just I swear in front of my own mom very happily.
Speaker 2:But Liz, you don't want to.
Speaker 1:No, I don't. I just I feel like I can't, not, for the amount I swear it's funny, isn't it?
Speaker 2:Because I was singing about this the other day. I was doing management training and I swear loads. Did you drop a few f**k bombs in here? I always no, I never dropped a sea bomb, especially in business context, However I do. I do swear a lot and I kept on catching myself thinking does this make me unprofessional? Yes, Does this make me relatable or unrelatable? Yeah, Does this make people think of me different? And they didn't get anywhere. And then I thought, f**k it, I actually am.
Speaker 1:F**k it, I'm going to carry on. So I've had this conversation a lot because Steve, who is my business partner on the Candle side, has said multiple times you've got a mouth like the Thames, you need to rein it in certain environments. I think you should swear less and my immediate reaction is f**k you. I can swear as much as I want, but then it becomes a mind virus, right, and you start thinking, oh, I love that mind virus, I do because I really overanalyze stuff.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and we actually had this, so I had project management blueprint whilst in mind yesterday and it has been a busy few weeks it has. Yeah, richard, who is the co-founder, is a swearer like a big smite Is he yeah?
Speaker 1:He's like ex-construction, used to working on site very, very sweary. But has he and he revealed it yesterday because we ran pitch club revealed that he's making a conscious effort to not swear because it is so prevalent in all of his communication. He's now trying to pivot a little bit and move away from it, which is interesting, right.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:I think that's quite. It's unusual for a theme like that to run across all of this.
Speaker 2:So what's my stance on? It Swear or not to swear. There's our title.
Speaker 1:I love it. I'm not going to lie, I love it. But I also recognize that if I am uncomfortable and I'm in an environment when I think it's OK, I'll swear more. But I think that's because of the business environment that I was raised in yeah, where it was quite male, dominated, quite sweary, like Trader World effectively he went fucking, yeah, fuck, where were we Makes that?
Speaker 1:That is at the core foundation of how I operate, I guess, Because I don't think like you. Rewind Pre-18 was working in top shop. I can't imagine for a fucking second that I was swearing like a trooper on the fucking shop floor.
Speaker 2:Oh yeah, see we, I wouldn't swear if I was in salon a little bit. I would like, if I'm talking to clients, if it's certain clients, I would kind of drop a shit down again.
Speaker 1:Drop a shit every now and then.
Speaker 2:Yes, there's a few things that I would swear like a little bit when dealing with clients, but I wouldn't expect my therapist to be the same. I felt like it was more.
Speaker 1:Like yeah.
Speaker 2:I mean that, yeah, and actually there's not many people in my team that that's wary and you can see that one. When they do swear, they're a bit like you know, well, you've got one that is like she has got mouth like 10s, mouth at 10s, yeah. But when she does, it makes me cringe a little bit because I'm especially like when it's me and Helen, my business partner, and she's like you know, oh God, mate, you don't need to be like yeah, you need to be so swearing, but actually having, like a finance meeting, yeah, so you really do have standards.
Speaker 2:I do have standards, but when I'm doing training, I think it's a rapport building. Okay, like I'm doing training with my team, yeah, and they're not writing their franchises as well, yeah, and I feel like there is an element of rapport building. I want them to really know me. When I'm doing management training, I don't want it to be a facade. Yeah, I want them to go know me, so then it becomes a lot more open and a lot more Free.
Speaker 1:Yeah, well, you're encouraging vulnerability, aren't you at that point?
Speaker 2:and you're right. The rapport beforehand is well, Because the conversations are better if everyone feels comfortable having a voice. But then in a finance meeting or a management meeting I probably wouldn't as much.
Speaker 1:I think there's an. There's a difference, isn't there? Because swearing to be relatable, swearing to let the guard down, swearing to really reveal a little bit about your personality, but then swearing for To drive home a point or to emphasise is the word that I'm trying to think of. Yeah, that that for me, is not acceptable in a born meeting.
Speaker 2:No, way, you get stuck in it, yeah which I think is different.
Speaker 1:So swearing yeah we.
Speaker 2:you've spoken about the event, so let's let's talk about Friday because, let's be honest, we were doing it on a wing and a prayer. We had no fucking clue what we were doing. We're like shall we just put something?
Speaker 1:together, you implying that we don't. We go into things unplanned totally.
Speaker 2:What are we gonna do something? Yeah, shall we just give us an international women's day? I was like, yeah sure, within a nanosecond you'd found a venue and the venue owner had said yes, shut, big shout out to bridges espresso bar in Bedford.
Speaker 1:Becky, you are a saint, it was so cool, wasn't it? And she, she was amazing yeah we saw her later on that night.
Speaker 2:She. Let me interest it. Would you dare then? Or she's gone by then. Can you not remember I Left, I don't know. Yeah, that's what my great is in I think. Fifth one tick me right over the edge. Don't take much for you. Does it know when they were strong? Yeah, you know, you know. I don't want to look at my bank. I got the next day because it's tap, tap, tap away. Oh my god, look to my bank. The next day was like geez, louise. So we had a.
Speaker 1:We went into it not really knowing what to expect. Yeah, we put a call out on socials and said we're gonna do something for international women's day. Do you want to be part of it, men?
Speaker 2:as well.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah it was yeah, men and women, let us know. And for the people that Responded we went back to To say we're doing this. Yeah, we were quite like Reserved about it, I guess, like we didn't push it hard.
Speaker 2:Well, let's be honest, we didn't actually expect anyone to come over the line. No, yeah, yeah, we didn't expect any. I didn't. We did. I was like is anyone gonna? I think I was saying to you it's anyone actually gonna want to come to something like this? Like why are we doing this? Is it just me and you going to have a coffee? And if anyone wants to join us, they can.
Speaker 1:We wrote some comms on it like thank you, you've supported us. We would love to host an event for international women's day. If you listen to the podcast, you'll know we're bootstrapping. It's self-funded. Come and buy someone else a cuppa didn't really work, though Did it. No, so we pitched it as it's really informal. You're all wonderful. We've all got some common challenges. We're all either business owners, parents or Trying to make it all work and fit together.
Speaker 2:It's like networking without the network, and yeah, how do you feel about the event?
Speaker 1:I loved it. I had it absolutely bored.
Speaker 2:Yeah, um, there was some real magical moments because we said before didn't we like who do we think is gonna connect, but we didn't know each other's side of the camp well enough. Um, I loved our little hyacinth gift, yeah.
Speaker 1:And I think that it was just wonderful. It was wonderful to see all the people that have supported Wild Moose, all the people that support us as individuals.
Speaker 2:It was so nice. It was so lovely. It felt like an absolute privilege, yeah, they. It felt like an absolute privilege to be able to pull some of the most incredible people I've ever known together, yeah, and to see people connect, actually make a true, authentic connection, like my friend Katie yeah. And Liz yes, they have so much in common with Road Victim Trust. Yes, how amazing is that. And then Richard and Martin that was really cool. I feel like there might be a little bromance going on there.
Speaker 1:But also Nessa and Katie as well, have set up their businesses at exactly the same time. Yeah.
Speaker 2:I had a lovely chat with Nessa and Ian. Yeah, really really nice.
Speaker 1:The and the midwife.
Speaker 2:Just great fun. Like it was really good fun. It was lovely for Susie to come along and join us as well, and her and like Trace to catch it because I deal with. See that work proceeds loads. Yeah, she's my graphic designer. I call on her for everything and I don't know what I do without actually, as you know, like yeah, she's just such a dream.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah, she really is a dream and she just gets it. Yeah, and because she just gets it and makes everything really easy, because I'm like I give her the worst briefs, they are so shit.
Speaker 1:Can I have a bridge on this with some animated people please?
Speaker 2:She's like what I was like I want like a roadmap of franchise, and then the different places this was my brief exact like different, like points along the way, and I want it to be like I'm holding their hand on this roadmap. And then there's a points of the franchise journey and this is a franchise journey, what do you think? And she's like mm-hmm, yeah, I love a guy.
Speaker 1:Do you know? I was like, that's all I've got. Yes, but what she's created is one is beautiful.
Speaker 2:And then she and I was like now I need a bridge. I feel like it needs a bridge of, like now a me or two characters, but we can't have it gender specific. So, maybe like more people, you know, like over a bridge, and then can you make them look like movies, though. And then, like we're walking over the bridge holding her hand, she's just looking at me and I was like do you get it? She went, I'll give it a go and she's nailed it, but it's better than I ever expected. And then all I said to her is the only feedback Can I have the bridge wooden? So it's on branding? And she was like God, I can't believe I fucking miss that, but she's so invested in movies and Moose skin and all of the brand like.
Speaker 1:So she created all of the Moose skin branding. Beautiful yes.
Speaker 2:Yeah, she's just so talented. Yeah, I got to go to love. I love that, so there was a lot of businesses there really like all different levels, yeah, stages, all different points, but, like the conversations Martin and Richard had were really incredible conversations the conversations Kate and Liz had and that they're gonna work together a little bit more. Yeah, obviously I had a lovely chat with Craig Amanda.
Speaker 1:Like just really beautiful people yeah, gemma Lander as well come after the week that she had had like just Incredible. So a huge thank you to all of you for for coming. We are now figuring out what we do with that, because it feels powerful and big right.
Speaker 2:It felt really powerful and actually nothing was structured and we were like do we need to do a speech? We can send it. I was like now it's not. It's not the place for it. No everyone's just mingling and actually they've built their own connections, just let them get on with it. It was so authentic like that there was nothing for, so we are Facilitators we are facilitators and figuring out what on earth we do with that.
Speaker 1:Yeah, we've got an idea and let us know if you came along. Yeah, because it's a really safe space. Is what I feel? Like it was safe forever, like there was no edge to it. No, and actually there was.
Speaker 2:You know there was some vulnerable conversations, but it was also. If anybody came there, it wasn't the space to Networkers in. Have I got a problem? Can I talk about?
Speaker 2:yes which we did talk about as a structure. Yeah, it wouldn't. It wasn't the right environment for that. However, if anybody did tell us what their problem was, I would have been out to or you would have been out to pair them with the Right person so they could have had that chat. Yeah, I would really like to do that because I know how helped, how much it helped me in the past. Yeah, and I.
Speaker 2:There is something I've talked about before with you, which is creating a network, isn't it like? I Hate networking, as we've talked about before. Yeah, I hate that structure, I hate the formality, I hate the sales. Yeah, actually, what I want is networking when we help each other, yes, and when someone says I'm really struggling to find a good designer, I'm like Sue's yeah, she's your girl. Yeah, I need someone to do marketing, nicole, where you actually have all the superheroes that want to support each other. But if someone needs some franchise mentoring, they've sent them to me. Or and it's not necessarily about a transfer of money, unless it's actually you're being paid to do a job yeah, but if you just need someone to say, how do you know anything about getting business finance or do you know, like having all those questions so you're not in business alone, that whole Collaboration and support, very similar to what we had at that West. Yes, that rule of this isn't a money thing. You are here and you only hear if you're gonna help other people.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah, totally, because you will get that back tenfold. But then you need to make sure there's people in the group at all different levels. It's not just the same people helping, it's not the same people needing. Yeah, you all chip in help.
Speaker 1:Yeah, funking on it. Funking on it. Yeah, it's a fact, like it's what we talked about from, like even before we talked about this when we used to do our dog walks, didn't we?
Speaker 2:because it's. It's still something I really want to do and I feel really like I have this rule like, yeah, desire to. It's about connection. Create that authentic connection, and I think that's what I struggle with at network and I find it really forced a how are you really doing? Yeah, what are you really struggling with? Or what's going really well. Let's celebrate that.
Speaker 1:Can we talk about that bit? I think, um, all this is rare. Well, I have. I think I've had a rough Few weeks, have you? Yeah, tell us, one of my biggest clients has had to massively reduce their spend.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's been tough and look and they were a large part of the business, you know, and I was trying to de-risk them Whilst trying to deliver what needed to be delivered for them, mm-hmm. And, through note, it's no one's fault, it's just the environment that they are in. They are are reducing the level of investment with us, but it leaves world bird in a bit of a hole, mm-hmm, and I think it's. I think it's been dark. Yeah, I would say that I have been what it's?
Speaker 2:a majority, not majority, but it's a lot of your income.
Speaker 1:Oh yeah, yeah yeah, but I have been in a really, really dark place off the back of it because I cut, I felt, I felt like I couldn't see the wood through the trees, yeah, and I don't know.
Speaker 2:I still think it's just massive opportunity. I think it's just opening a gap for All this other good shit.
Speaker 1:One of the episodes we did is trusting in the universe and. But how, like the the being a small business owner and having to hold your nerve at this really, really horrible point of Saying to my husband I think I need to get a job, I think I need to all of this graft and all of this hard work up until this point, I think I need to get a job. Now's the time. Like. It's shameful, it's humiliating.
Speaker 2:You're just scared Petrified.
Speaker 1:Yeah, absolutely, I've been there, I know my fucking god, like I couldn't, like I say couldn't see the wood through the trees, and I'm still trying, like you know what it's like. I feel like this massive dark clouds hanging over me, like because it's all.
Speaker 2:It's under pressure, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. But that pressure also makes you hustle and I think sometimes when you're in business, it can, you can get a little bit complacent, yeah, because you're like, okay, well, I'm earning, I'm living within my means, I can do this and I just keep ticking over. I know that I do that because I'm on a salary.
Speaker 2:Yeah and then sometimes I need that boot to go no what we're gonna do now, you know you actually need to manage your business, you need to focus on it, you need to drive it and you need to see a bigger picture than just Surviving. But also, you've got two very young children. So you're surviving is quite nice. Yeah, so we're pivoting. Yes, tell us about it.
Speaker 1:I don't even know what to say. Oh God, okay. So Richard and Gemma, who run Project Management Blueprint, who I started working with at the start of this year I have had this conversation with them, so I'm at Safe to Talk about it here too they have been instrumental in impacting my confidence and belief in myself. Gemma messaged me the other night and said I've had an idea, can you? So? The idea was I think you and Richard should run a course together. What Huge Is it? A yes, well, yeah, it's a hell yes. But for me, the massive impact of that is she believes in what I am doing. I don't think I believe in it. I do. Of course I do, otherwise I wouldn't be doing this. But to have someone else say you've got something here, yeah, and really good at this.
Speaker 1:I feel comfortable and want you to represent our brand and stand next to my husband and my business partner delivering that. That was massive for me and I will be forever grateful for that belief that they both have.
Speaker 2:It's different. Isn't it difficult? Because when you're in business and you're the top of the food chain, you've got no one else to answer to. You've also got no one reflecting or no one giving you feedback. You know, like when you're in a normal position and you're having your performance reviews or whatever you know, whether you're doing a good job or a bad.
Speaker 2:When you're running your own business, you just don't have a clue whether you're doing a good job or not, and I think sometimes it just takes someone to go. You're really good at that. That's fantastic. Or see something in you, because we've talked about this avatar chain and this is a superpower of yours and I love it.
Speaker 1:I love delivering it.
Speaker 2:And you're so good at it and it's so important for every business owner to do it. There's massive companies that don't even do it, don't even know. There's marketing departments that haven't got a clue. You know like this is really important stuff and you are brilliant at it. Thank you, that is kind.
Speaker 1:So what training are you going to be delivering? So Richard and I are doing a course which is separate and that will sit under Richard's brand, but what this has sparked is my desire to start running courses under Guad we talked about it so many times, but I'm so excited about this. So we will be running a marketing foundation course next month.
Speaker 2:And what's that going to entail?
Speaker 1:So what will happen is we're going to do the avatar exercise, but what we're calling it is the marketing foundation course, because I truly believe, no matter what size your business is, if you do these exercises and if you graft at this level to build that right foundation, you can do anything off the back of it. It doesn't matter Anything Buy television campaigns, run your social media, run your email marketing, sort your website out, like the whole lot. You can run everything off the back of that because you know who you're targeting. But the steps before who you're targeting are.
Speaker 2:It's not like throwing shit at the wall and hoping something sticks, which most businesses do, and I kind of had a clear idea with Moose, who my audience was. But I've seen salons do it. I've seen so many salons. I'm like, are we going to do everything just so that we've got something for everyone? And when you niche down think of Gordon Ramsay when you niche down and you know who that person is, you speak to them, You're speaking to them and it makes marketing so much easier doesn't it.
Speaker 2:Whatever that marketing, whether it's free or paid, it makes it so much easier.
Speaker 1:Yeah, walk in the shoes of your client avatar and you won't step a foot out of line on your marketing output, internally and externally. It can be done for anything. This makes the exercise so, so versatile, and one of the values of Wildbird is helping small business owners, because we know how fucking hard it is the hustle, the strife, like the absolute dedication, to be the one person doing everything, and I think that this is going to be a price point that will help those small business owners to go oh my God, I get it. Yeah, thank you. That, like, is what I hope.
Speaker 2:And also I don't think there's so much stuff online and I get it. I get it. It should be online and I don't know whether it's just the beauty industry, but we're all creatives and they a lot of my team really struggle to sit and do online training, but I get them in a room and they come up with the most incredible ideas. I don't think you can beat the magic of being in person.
Speaker 1:Collaboration.
Speaker 2:No, no. And building those connections. And the thing is, you're going to attract people that are going to create their own little community within them.
Speaker 1:Yes, yeah, well because it's the power of learning together, isn't it? Yeah, and going through something and I'm really excited. I'm shitting myself Like don't get me wrong, I'm not going into this without any fear whatsoever Like the imposter is there going? What are you doing? What?
Speaker 2:are you doing? You are hopefully in there.
Speaker 1:I'll help you in any way, I know and thank you so much. Everyone who is close to me has been so supportive. Yeah, but we're going for it. We're going to do it 30th of April.
Speaker 2:But I'm so proud of you for doing that, thank you, and for booking it in and having faith in yourself, because it's going to be really really good, it's going to be really valuable, and I don't know if there's that many people doing it, but it's like having somebody teach you who has been there and done that. Yeah, there's so many people. There's so many. We talk about coaches. We all, everyone knows how we feel about all these coaches. Like, you've got to walk the shoes. You need to know what you're talking about. You can't. I think that's why Richard's so successful in what he's doing, because he's been there and he's done that and he knows what he's talking about. Yeah, and if you, you've got so many people teaching or doing.
Speaker 2:I remember my business studies teacher had never had a business and I'm like, how can you do business studies? How do you know this? Like, and I remember speaking to somebody who runs some I think it's a business department in Reading University or something and she asked if I would do some speaking there in the future, because she's like it's really important. I'm an educator but I haven't got the business experience. I can teach what I know, but I haven't been there and we need people to come in. That is there. You can talk about it, and I feel like that's what you're going to be doing. I feel that's what's going to make it so popular. I hope so, I think people will see the value in them.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I really, really hope so. But I think if you put all of my experience on paper, like working with global brands, working with brands that are new, I've done. I've done the whole scale, which makes me want to cringe saying it out of the box, but that breadth of knowledge is only going to benefit and help shape that course.
Speaker 2:But then, off the back of this, the conversations have evolved and we've gone well, what other skills do we have that we can really help? So we're talking about this community, but what could we do that really helps people that are in business? And I was like, well, business plans, my jam. I could do a whole day on writing a business plan, finance and budgeting and business plans. And I was like but then you also think of the superheroes around us, think of the designers, think of HR. Like I've got a really good friend that's got HR business and is incredible, so much so I brought her into my business, you know. And then what other experts do we have around us? Yeah, this is huge.
Speaker 2:Like you can get, bring in and say you know this comes under us, but we're going to get people here that are really going to help you believe in yourself. Whether it's mindset, whether it's focus, whether it's figures, whatever it is, it's like a pick and mix of what do you need in your business and choose a day yeah, choose a day for investing that, if you don't know it, don't sit there and just figure it out Like learn it feels huge.
Speaker 1:It does, doesn't it? But so exciting and I don't know who else is offering that, who else is, I've not. I've done some research, but not in depth research. So that's my weeks of like and I guess the reason why it was hard to talk about it at the time, because I think we probably spoke about it off air, but even sitting here saying I think I've got to get a job.
Speaker 1:It's so destroying it's really so destroying your business like this, but I want to share it because I think so many of us go through that, so many of us, and we don't talk about it. I'm May. I went to it like six months ago, did you?
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, because just before we started all this, I think yeah, because I was like I, I, you Imposter, you get in your own way and I'm like am I the person that's going to make this? I have this vision for this company and it's fucking massive and it scares the shit out of me and am I the person? Do I? You know, do I need to get like a CEO? Do I need to get someone else that's a bit braver or that can do this, or I couldn't let anybody down. But also, can I cope with this pressure? Can I cope with this stress? Can I cope with the responsibility? It would be so much easier just to go and get a job and actually, for the money I'd pay myself, I could be paid more somewhere else. We could have, we could actually buy a house.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, we'd be much better off, we could you know, have nicer holidays or we could do all of this. And then Martin's like stop being a fucking idiot, we don't need a nice house, we don't need nice holidays, just crack crack on, carry on with this, because you're on the edge of greatness, yeah.
Speaker 2:But and that's when I went to that franchise think tank and I was there, like, do I need investment? Do I just need to suck it all in? Do I stop focusing on franchise? Do I just? Is this a world that is untouched for a reason? Yeah, you know is it just too hard. Yeah, is it the? You know the butte? People just don't want beauty salon franchises because it's not done like. Oh, all those things.
Speaker 1:Yeah. So what do you when you feel like that you're in the pit of oh my God, I don't know if I can do this. Yeah, what's the what's the answer? What do you do?
Speaker 2:I don't know, I have this. I don't know where it comes from, but I just have this voice that says put your big girl pants on and get the fuck on with it.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:And I don't know if it's like my nan or someone. I feel like there's a voice in my head or there's somebody. I sit there and I mean my mom's not alive. And I do talk to her sometimes. And I normally talk to her when, when I'm like at the lowest point, I feel bad, because I feel like I should chat with her when things are going really well, but when it's really shit, that's when I go.
Speaker 2:yeah, I tend to like say thank you if great things have happened. But it's normally if great things have happened because I've been in a really bad place, so something good has happened. I'm like, oh, thanks, guys. You know cause I always think of guys. I always think of, like, my, my nan, my two grandad's and my mom and, you know, my cousin, and they're all there and I'm like, guys, come on in. I'm calling a meeting. That's why, oh my God, I can't believe I'm telling you this. I'm like I will get some time.
Speaker 1:This is very, this is really a massive Please, please, please, share it Really. Yes.
Speaker 2:It's just be anywhere. Do you know what I've done? It on the toilet have you?
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, I've like guys. We're having a meeting in the toilet. Which one are you in? Downstairs, upstairs, upstairs, right yeah.
Speaker 2:Cause dance. I don't ever use downstairs. It's freezing, but yeah that I will kind of just find a space on my own.
Speaker 1:I don't know if I've ever shared this with anyone. I love it.
Speaker 2:Yes, oh brilliant. How long have we?
Speaker 1:have we Stop worrying about the time, Get on with that I'll be like guys.
Speaker 2:I'm calling it in, calling a meeting. Can we have a chat, can we? I'm really struggling, don't know what to do, and I'll always do it with my eyes closed. I will speak out, yeah, and I'm like I just need some. I just need a hand, yeah, I don't know what you can do. If you can do anything, obviously, dad's there as well. I'm just talking about now and granddad. All right, dad, yeah, he's in the back going fucking up.
Speaker 2:He's probably that one that says put your big girl pants on, come the fuck on Bridget.
Speaker 1:Like he's probably that person. What did he say to you when you called him? When you? What's that big thing that he said to you? Oh my God, no, it's back in.
Speaker 2:I was traveling around the world. Oh God, yeah. And I phoned him from this salon. I was working in Australia because he used to use their phone to phone home all the time. But yeah, yeah, but it's the UK. And I phoned him and said like I am the only one working. I'm working six days a week and I'm living in Sydney and I am the only one working. Everyone's partying, having the time of their lives. We're halfway through.
Speaker 2:I'm gonna run out of money and I've run out of money, yeah, because we're living in this house that we probably can't afford. It's a very nice house and there's a lot of us there and I'm just not sure what to do. And he was like where have you got left? And I was like New Zealand, fiji, in the States, and unfortunately I've done it the wrong way around, like I'm leaving the most expensive till last. And I saw, and he, he was like you can't quit halfway through. And I said I know, but I'm working my ass off and I'm literally working. I didn't. Everyone goes on like gup years. They've all got a shit ton of money or they can phone mum and dad. I had no, I had nothing. You tried. You called your dad.
Speaker 2:He was like I mean, I got a pot to piss in, so you're on your own love. But, yeah, everybody that I was traveling with had money they'd saved up and I went out with five grand, yeah, and actually that got me to Australia. But that's why I had to work so much when I was in Sydney.
Speaker 1:Yeah, to get the generate more carry on yet, but I wasn't saving.
Speaker 2:I was just spending on living because Sydney's so expensive and we were there for about six months and he just went beg, steal and borrow. Do what the fuck you need to do to continue with your trip. I don't care what you do, but you ain't coming home, Put on your big girl pants and crack on.
Speaker 1:So you've got a cheeky little credit card, didn't you? What was it called Egg?
Speaker 2:Because this is how they behaved Egg loan yeah, here's 15 grand online and I was like beg steal borrow, so I'm not gonna steal.
Speaker 1:Only fans didn't exist, so that wasn't an option.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I thought about only fans a few times actually, me too, Like waxing myself on only fans. I reckon they'll be a right niche for that, but you know the tax bill, 10 grand tax bill.
Speaker 1:That wasn't a tax bill. I was heavily pregnant at the time and I sat down and I said do you think that there is?
Speaker 2:a desire for a pregnant woman. I've gone out with belly button, do you think?
Speaker 2:Yeah, I was yeah. What did he say? Yeah, probably this is fucking brilliant Best episode ever. So, yeah, cheeky egg loan. And I just applied. And I was like I'm gonna just see what happens. And I applied and it was all like paper documents. So went to my sister. She used to forge my signature all the time for school notes because I used to do all her school notes, so she, her handwriting is so similar to mine. So I was like Kaz, just so you know. I was like dad. I followed your advice. I've applied for some egg and egg loan and a credit card and they've given it to me and there's 50 grand coming my way.
Speaker 2:Well, wasn't far off, mate, yeah, so yeah, I had access to 15 grand and a five grand credit card, had the time of my life Like love, new Zealand, my favorite country ever. And then got home, I was I mean, I was traveling at 21,. I think I finished paying everything off when I was 30. But that was my condition to myself. Yeah, I want to have done this whole year trip, I want to have lived as much as I can and I'll sort my shit out when I'm 30. So back to the toilet. Oh, yeah, so.
Speaker 1:I was calling the troops. Your dad is there, yeah.
Speaker 2:So I'll call in the troops and I'll be like, guys, this is going on. I need something. I need to know. I just have no path. I don't know what I'm doing, I'm scared, or whatever is that's going?
Speaker 1:on Listening in the wind.
Speaker 2:I've got no thought to do and then whether you believe in this or whether you don't. But things then do tend to happen and I've had quite a lot of witchy experiences. Oh, yeah, yeah, I've got time to talk about them all now? I don't think, so I'll tell you one story. Okay, go. So when I worked on the cruise ships, I really really wanted this pair of Gucci flip flops. I fucking love them so much, but they're like $500. I mean, they'd be about 1500 now, I reckon. So I really wanted this pair. So we used to dock in a rubour, and if anybody wants to go to the Caribbean, that's go to a like an island. That is not the norm island, although for Americans it is. Yes, a rubour is incredible, really. Yeah, it's the ABC, the Dutch Antilles they're called the A Ruba Bonnet and Curacao Wow, it's where the drink Curacao comes from?
Speaker 2:I did not know this, but they, because they're the Dutch Antilles, they've got that kind of Amsterdam vibe. Oh, that's epic.
Speaker 1:In the Caribbean.
Speaker 2:That's not setting, oh my God, but it's also close to Mexico, so it's like you've got all the big iguanas walking around, stuff, the math, the beautiful. So you've got this kind of Dutch, mexican, american, caribbean mishmash. Oh my God, they're my favorite islands and we used to dock in a rubour and because they've got all the Mexican restaurants, like they're party islands, big time party islands and in a rubour there's a Gucci. I think they're like outlet stores, I'm not sure, but there's a Gucci there and we used to go every two weeks we'd go into Gucci and I'd see these flip flops or we'd go in.
Speaker 2:And that was when, like all the not Tiffany jewelry but very similar, like the Gucci silver jewelry was really fashionable the big Chanel, like the square Chanel glasses. It was all that era and I really wanted these Gucci sandals. So I saved up my tips and I saved up my tips for about two months. Maybe might have been a month. Either way, I saved them all up and I'd given them to my manager to put in the safe so that I didn't spend them, because it was all cash on the ship.
Speaker 1:Yeah, of course, too easy to like.
Speaker 2:It's so easy just to spend it in a crew bow and buy the whole crew like a drink Drinks on me, yeah, because it's so, cash like, because it's all tips, whatever. So I go to my manager and she gave me this envelope with my, with my £500, I think it was in it that I'd save for these flip flops and I was, I'd hit on my target so that I could choose to have a rubra off. Because you got to choose if you hit your target, you could choose what day off. So I went, had a rubra off the next day and, anyway, had this envelope put it in my cabin. I had.
Speaker 2:My cabin mate was a lady called Sharon. My mum's name was Sharon. Oh, didn't know that. She was the only Sharon I've ever met. Yeah, at that time, yeah, and she was older than me, she was very spiritual, anyway.
Speaker 2:So we got back to the cabin, got changed and I put the money on the side of the chair. I put it down by the side of the chair with all my stuff ready for the next day, and then we hit the crew bar. We went out at the same time. We were like out out, yeah, I don't know what time I would have rolled in. Yeah, anyway, wake up next morning and my money had gone, the envelope had gone.
Speaker 2:Sharon was at her boyfriend's that night Like it was just me in the cabin. Nobody was there, nobody was like could have got in and my money was missing. And I was beside myself, absolutely beside myself, and I remember phone Sharon. I was like she went to work the next day from her boyfriend's and she was like what you know, I found out my money's missing. Have you seen it? The envelope, have you seen it? And she was like no, I haven't been back. They've been like what's going on? And she goes are you sure you haven't put it anywhere? And all of us I was like no one's been here, sharon, and she went, can you do me a favor? I was like what she went? Do you talk to your mum? I was like no, you know, like I think I was 19.
Speaker 1:I was like no, no, I don't.
Speaker 2:And she went. Do me a favor. I asked her mum just find a spot on. It could be in the toilet, that's where it started. It could be in the toilet, it could be anywhere. Just speak out loud. I'll say to your mum like, if you've got it, can you, can I have it back please? She goes because sometimes they just want to see if you believe, if you believe in them or beliefs. Yeah, and I was like, oh God, whatever. Okay, she went. No, you might sound stupid, it might feel stupid, but just give it a go.
Speaker 1:I can't. I can need to tell you that I've got goosebumps all over my body, so I did.
Speaker 2:I sat on the toilet and was like, mum, we're having a chat, if you have got my money. I never, ever think of how stupid I felt. I was like, if you have, or if you know where it is, can you please help a girl out, because I really want those? Please help a girl out. And then I felt really stupid. Actually, I didn't know if it would. I didn't believe at the time.
Speaker 2:I didn't really believe it. I just done it because that was the only hope I had. But I went and done something. Can't remember what it was. Anyway, came back, sharon was at work. Like you don't come when you're working, you don't come out, so nobody had been in. We didn't have a cabin steward at that time. Like you could pay some of the stewards to clean crew cabins? Yeah, we didn't have a cabin steward, so nobody had been in. I came back and the envelope was at the back of the chair, just popping out back of the chair. I know there was no explanation for it at all. And I phoned her and she was like so did you find it? I was like, mate, did you? You're taking a piss, you're winding me up? You're doing this so that I believe in spirits like you. Like what the fuck are you doing?
Speaker 2:And she went. What are you talking about? She goes. I can show you my columns. I've been in work all day. Did you find it? I was like yes, is it the back of the chair? She went ah, did you ask him up? I went yes, she went, huh, fucking, told you. So it was like that.
Speaker 1:So since then we're having a chat on the toilet. There's always been a thing.
Speaker 2:Yeah, not always on the toilet, but yeah, like sometimes I'll just take a minute. If I'm really struggling with something, I'll just be like come on, troops, what do I do? Not necessarily show me a sign, but just give me something to all strength.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I need it.
Speaker 2:That's what I tend to ask for most, like, if you are really like you're at 10% in business, then I will be like I've got nothing left. Ha ha, ha, ha, ha ha. And I've got nothing. Like I don't know. I just need something. I need some strength and I need to be able to plow through and I need to find something Can.
Speaker 1:I say something. Yeah, thank you for sharing something that is so personal yeah.
Speaker 2:That is so personal, but yeah, it does work, though I feel like it does work. However, I read something once that you always have to be thankful or appreciative or grateful if you have found some strength randomly or if something has happened. That is like a new job, like you could say, for you. I do need some. Yeah, if you believe in that there's an element of gratitude. Yeah, if you did participate in this. I just want to say thank you, I love it.
Speaker 1:Do you yeah?
Speaker 2:What a way to end. I know it feels like it shows even more that I'm doing it on a wing and a prayer and speaking to deaf people. No, it's not like this.
Speaker 1:Like ha ha, ha ha. I think that just even sharing what you do when it's really rough is going to be helpful to so many others, because we all have. We all experience those peaks and troughs. Yeah, and no more so than when you're a business owner and when you're a fresh mum as well. I think it's incredible. What was I going to say? Oh, just to reciprocate. Mine is not as wonderful and spiritual as yours, but I will share my thanks to whoever, because I need to, because I've definitely had a change in mindset, because isn't it weird that it just comes out of nowhere yeah?
Speaker 1:yeah, and I don't feel like I got myself out of my funk, no way. I think something else helped. But I have started using some affirmations Amazing and I'm not an affirmations girl, really, I've never been big on it but I am saying them in the morning and in the evening. And thank you to my wonderful sister-in-law, jane Billum, who also did the same for a month and experienced huge growth Really.
Speaker 2:Yeah. Do you want to share them, or are they too personal?
Speaker 1:No, it was only one. I was it. Yeah, I showed it to you the other day. Tell us, can you remember what it is? No, no, I'm ready to experience significant growth in my business. That's awesome, and I say it to hope. Every morning when I'm naked, when I get, I mean, but the poor, poor baby, my little gun is hanging out flapping away and I'm going, I'm ready to experience significant growth in my business. And she's looking at me, going, yeah, yes, mummy, you're so flabby, yeah, which I feel is helping. It's giving me a little bit of strength every time.
Speaker 2:That is really cool. Do you do gratitude or anything like that? I started to do gratitude.
Speaker 1:I started doing a gratitude journal when I was really low previously. I don't know if I've spoken about that here before. I feel like having hope has had quite an impact on my confidence, because you dedicate everything to them right, and then you slowly start to they grow less of you, they grow less of you, and that only continues for the rest of time, but they never need you as much as they do is when they're fresh out, yeah, and they're ripping their way out of your body or however they came out.
Speaker 1:So after that I was really struggling and I started. I can be so negative to myself not ever anyone else, but the way that I talked to myself and I started a gratitude journal and it was lovely because, with the kids being so young, there's always magic in every single day. Yeah, you miss it sometimes, don't you? But there is always magic. And that's when I agreed this year I'm gonna be present when it's the kids.
Speaker 2:I do it with the kids. Sometimes it's good. Yes, you do, don't you yeah so we've got their big life journal. It's called We've done it, not last night, not before. Done like three pages. I just I love it, love doing it with them, make some just think of all the good stuff that they're good at. Or it's funny when you see them and they're like no, I can do all of that. They're ticking everything. I'm like can I do it?
Speaker 1:Hello, what about this one? Can you sing Sure? Yeah, yes, I can. Yeah, it's lovely. Are we gonna do high and low? I feel like we've covered high and low, do you? I feel like we could do a high or low. Oh, still, okay, wash yours Hmm.
Speaker 2:I'm gonna go high, but I've got to because I really loved our event. I'm very grateful that we are the kind of people that would just wing it, because that event we really pulled it out of nothing, yeah, and had an absolute blast. Yeah, I should have left after two Margaritas and not stayed for Trace and had another three I'm just gonna put that out there but we did have some beautiful conversations so it was worth every minute. Of course, yeah. But also I've got another high, which is my management training, because I fucking love it. I'm really good at it.
Speaker 1:Yes, you are, I'm really good at it.
Speaker 2:That is a 100% tick in the gratitude journal, yeah yeah, I'm really good at that, and it's funny because every time I do it I realize there is nothing like it in the beauty industry Absolutely nothing.
Speaker 1:And also has it a guess that there is nothing like it much out there.
Speaker 2:Probably not, because actually what I've done is combined training. I used to deliver management training for the cruise ships, so it's very profit margin related and sales related and occupancy and capacity and maximizing the revenue in columns. But then the other side of that is teaching my team or the network within Moos how to run their businesses professionally but also respectfully, authentically, ethically, successfully, successfully, yeah. So all about how to manage their team. What sort of manager are they? How to do their budgets, how to work out. I had these people that didn't know how to calculate that or understand cost of sales by the end of the day, being able to calculate that correctly, because most people just take 20% off and it's not but also understand financial terminologies and how you get to those different margins, but also how to calculate profit margins within a product or a service.
Speaker 1:Yeah, but you've also done psychometric testing, like psychometric analysis, as well.
Speaker 2:They're Belbin profiles. Yeah, I love doing that.
Speaker 1:I'm really good at that, so everyone understands what their strengths and weaknesses are.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, but also minds change so much which I always do it with the team but when I first done it, I was shaper, all shaper, because I was hungry for business and management and all of these things when I first done it. Now I'm in a position I need to delegate and I need to. I'm now the plant, I'm the ideas person and then I'm the resource investigator and the coordinator. I'm now instructing what needs to be done and when needs to be done. It's fascinating. Oh, it's such a cool.
Speaker 1:They're such incredible exercises to run as a team and see where the gaps in the team are yeah, where before?
Speaker 2:I never had complete finishes and it was a major issue. Well, now Yaz takes that on, but I've got others in the team, so now I'm like brilliant, you guys, you can do these drop-on-sit, you can finish the task because I'm really good at coming up with it, and then I don't finish it.
Speaker 1:Well, you do, it's just not natural. It takes me ages it takes me ages.
Speaker 2:What I need to do is outsource it. Yeah, so that was really, really cool. I'd done the whole avatar and branding and culture and all of that jazz, but then I'd done the same for recruitment. So who's our perfect mood? Where do we find them? What do they?
Speaker 1:like the avatar's so good because you can use it for anything.
Speaker 2:Yeah it was really cool. So yeah, and I condensed four days into three and it did feel like a bit rushed.
Speaker 2:at the end I felt like I could have done another day, but because it's just me talking for three days, I was like you must be sick of the sound of me. And one of the girls turned around to me and went well, I did go to sleep dreaming of you last night. I could hear your voice when I was going to sleep and I was like, oh my God, you poor thing, my delts, it tamed.
Speaker 1:But when you run you're next one. You might change it, yeah.
Speaker 2:I wanna bring some other people in, maybe Nika. Ah, I need to bring some other people in because it's so exhausting.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I imagine, yeah.
Speaker 2:But also because it's my own team. There's so many ideas and then I come away with them even bigger to do this and all these jobs. Everyone's like great ideas, but I've come away with loads and also my time management was really bad because I shoehorned in two weeks so much stuff that I shouldn't have done.
Speaker 1:Yeah, but we live and learn right. Yeah, and there's still elements of still trying to do everything. When you do the next one and you lean on help whatever that help looks like to help deliver that management training and you get to sit and observe, that's gonna be amazing.
Speaker 2:And I wasn't feeling like my top of my game. So then it's quite forced, because the energy wasn't natural, so I felt like I was pushing it a little bit.
Speaker 1:It's really hard to manage. Those like to present at the same time as reading the room and have that active listening on as well as right, what's next? What do I need to say? What do I need to communicate? Are they engaged? And I did wing it as well because I planned it literally.
Speaker 2:I was doing my slides the night before each day. Yeah, I remember, I'm not normally like that, no, but the entire reason for me I'd put too much. Yeah, I'd put too much in, so lots of lessons, but I loved it because I know that the I think I had eight or nine I feel like they will all go and run their business better and have a better understanding and a much, because I really need to embed these core values into the salons so that when we grow, we are growing with a really strong infrastructure.
Speaker 1:Well, they're all invested in the culture now, which is even yeah, they've become the ambassadors. Like it's just brilliant.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so it all needs to happen. Needs to happen regularly, but I loved, loved, loved it.
Speaker 1:What about you? International Women's Day massive, high, loved it, magic, hugely touched. Could have cried about it for days because of the support. The bit that I probably love the most, that makes my heart sing, is standing shoulder to shoulder with you. Really, yeah, yeah, aww, yeah, I don't think we spoke for much of the day.
Speaker 2:We didn't speak at all, really. You asked me if I was taken right into the toilet for a quickie.
Speaker 1:Yeah, classic, dirty mind.
Speaker 2:But I think that's it.
Speaker 1:Yeah, until the end when there was yeah, not very many of us left and we were just having a lovely, really relaxed chat. But running something like that, totally 50-50, with someone who you truly respect, aw, just makes my heart sing. So, thank you, you're welcome, thank you to everyone that came, thank you for, yeah, the whole lot I really really touched, possibly overwhelmed. Another high is making the decision to run these courses. Ah, um, feeling the fear of doing it anyway. Yeah, um, I feel like the rain cloud is lifting and that feels quite freeing. So I think it's been a pretty big couple of weeks.
Speaker 2:I think it's been awesome. You should be really proud of yourself.
Speaker 1:Thank you, but also at home you've had massive change. If you think the last time that we recorded was with you and Martin Hmm, martin's had massive change as well. Oh my God, yes.
Speaker 2:There's been a lot that's gone on, so much you know when you think what has happened. My brother's moved over from China as well. He's brought his whole family moved to St Albans and you're like wow.
Speaker 1:Martin's.
Speaker 2:Martin's started up red top repairs again. Yes, he resigned from his job after our conversation.
Speaker 1:I really may have prodded the nest a little bit too much.
Speaker 2:Yeah, but do you know what? I'm so proud of him? So proud of him because of the way that he, after that conversation about the way he runs his business and the hobby you know, I know that hurts him to his core. But, he also gets him. He has taken it really seriously and he has a spreadsheet about all the jobs he's got booked in and I don't know if he's working out it's not a revenue spreadsheet.
Speaker 1:It's got a revenue spreadsheet.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I don't know if he's working out profit, but he's working out how much he needs to put aside. He is trying to get on top of all of his receipts. He knows that he's on his own in this. I would support him obviously. But he has given himself a target of each day and then a target for the week, and he is booking jobs in only if it comes to that amount Proud of you, martin oh.
Speaker 2:God he's doing really well. I want to see him do this, and consistently, because also it's really exciting to see him work like this, because I've never seen it before. I love it. And then conversations he's had with Richard has really sparked a lot of interest and he now wants to do Richard's training.
Speaker 1:He now wants to look into property for commercial property and we had a chat, we had a chat, we had a chat didn't we?
Speaker 2:Yeah, because our biggest part I've got four franchise leads at the minute that all really want a franchise, but I can't find premises for them. And we have found a solution.
Speaker 1:We might have found a solution?
Speaker 2:Yeah, potentially, because there are commercial properties for sale, but this is huge. Yeah, this is a whole different ball game, and it's also something that I need to leave to Martin because I can't manage this as well. But he's got to learn a lot first. He's got a lot to figure out, but I can really see him doing it, and it'd be hilarious if it's like we've always thought that I'm the one that's got the business empire. And then Martin comes along Little idea, millions. Look at this. We've got a property portfolio. Who fucking knew?
Speaker 1:Oh, great cheers.
Speaker 2:Yeah, thanks, I'll get back to you but keep him then. So there's lots of opportunity. But I also really want to find a solution to this issue that we have of not being able to. I've got people wanting franchises and we just can't find premises. We'll see. We'll see how it goes, but he's got to do a lot of studying first, of learning.
Speaker 1:I like a little disclaimer it's going to be big, but first we must learn.
Speaker 2:We must learn, yes, so, oh God, it's just so mammoth, isn't it? Anyway, cheers for listening. Thanks, love you lots. See you soon.
Speaker 1:Peace.
