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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 29: Trust Your Third Eye: Finding Clarity in Business and Life
A weight on the third eye, an emotional release, and a profound business breakthrough – that's what happened when Amy found herself in Marrakesh at a retreat for beauty industry professionals. She shares the transformative power of the experience, from the sound bath that brought unexpected tears to the business strategy sessions that helped salon owners articulate their grandest ambitions.
Amy's revelation came not from complex business theories but from witnessing the incredible potential when business owners create authentic connections. Her excitement is palpable as she describes how the retreat helped her clarify her own business direction, cementing her belief in franchising as a vehicle for empowerment rather than simply expansion.
The conversation takes fascinating turns, from the challenges of navigating childhood trauma to the premonition that social media dependence will soon face a reckoning. Nick and Amy both believe businesses must prepare for a future where social platforms may not be reliable channels - making email marketing, educational content, and authentic connections more crucial than ever.
Whether you're running a beauty business, considering franchising, or simply navigating the emotional aspects of entrepreneurship, this episode offers valuable insights from someone who's both vulnerable about personal struggles and strategic about business growth. Join us for this intimate, thought-provoking conversation about finding clarity when you're willing to listen to your intuition.
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
Yeah, baby Three two one. Wild.
Speaker 2:Moose back again. It's not loud. I feel like it's not weighty enough.
Speaker 1:Welcome. Welcome back, wild Moose. I can't believe it's been over a year. I know.
Speaker 2:More than Hold on, Jack. This is the month that you went to fit last year.
Speaker 1:Shit. I'm going to another one, actually at the end of this week. Oh my God. The fourth, third one, I don't know. Fourth, maybe, maybe, yes, I'm excited.
Speaker 2:Amy Lewis, I feel like you've got a lot to talk about.
Speaker 1:I'm really tired. Okay, should we make it all about me? Yeah, we can do. I am really tired. I feel like it's all catching up with me actually, you know, when you just had really high energy for like a week and I'm like you did make me a banging breakfast, though this morning.
Speaker 1:It's delicious, thank you should I say what was in it? So a wrap. I even went to eminence, specially last night on my way home, to make sure I had avocado and rats for our breakfast this morning. Yes, that is love that is real love.
Speaker 1:Thank you. Bacon, uh, scrambly eggs. Avocado mashed up with tajin, which is like a Mexican seasoning, it's like a, it's like a paprika, it's slightly chilly, um, with lime, nice, it's beautiful. Yeah, my sister-in-law it's from mexico and she puts on everything. Yeah, and she was the one that told me about it. She actually said put it on mango and it's even better and it's so beautiful. It's spelt t-a-j-i-n.
Speaker 1:I think you can get it on amazon, but it is beautiful and I have it on everything, but it is really good on mango. So yeah, we've got avocado, scrambly egg and then a chipotle salsa, nice, some gouda cheese.
Speaker 2:Oh yeah. Yeah, that was a good touch because it's not too overpowering. No, it's not.
Speaker 1:And then you wrap it up in a wrap and then like a burrito and then air fry it for 10 minutes in the hair fryer. Hair fryer for 10 minutes and it is one of my absolute favorite breakfast and I bang on about it all the time, don't know. I made a breakfast burrito wraps my favorite and she's like when are you ever gonna cook for me? But so today, my friend, I cooked for you. Excuse me, bless you, thank you, yes, it was delicious.
Speaker 2:I love a good breakfast like that. I I really enjoyed it. Thank you very much. You're welcome. We had a three-way breakfast this morning. It was lovely. You filthy bitch, I didn't mean that A little family.
Speaker 1:Did you not mean that in the last way? No, I did not. So a family breakfast with me, you and Martin, yeah, yeah it was nice.
Speaker 2:Actually, I like those beans. Didn't tell you that they're really nice, those beans.
Speaker 1:Italian ones that blow my socks off. I bought them in a local deli and I was like this coffee's amazing. I'm going to spend £25 on a kilo of bloody beans this is amazing. And then every coffee I've had since, I'm like I can't cope with that.
Speaker 2:Blows my head off. It's so strong, ready for the heart rate to yes, we are on a coffee subscription. Are you, yeah on Rave?
Speaker 1:Oh, how's that Very good, is it nice?
Speaker 2:Yeah, really nice, interesting, stuff.
Speaker 1:Is it expensive though.
Speaker 2:I should be £20 a month.
Speaker 1:And how much do you get for that Big old bag? Like a kilo, yeah.
Speaker 2:And then a little bag for free. I don't think we'd go through it in a month?
Speaker 1:we do. We only have like one coffee each a day. I don't think. Yes, so do we?
Speaker 2:and occasionally like there's probably two extra, maybe in the week. Oh, this chat's a bit dull it is yeah sorry, edit that shit out, please. Anywho, what have you been up to? Not a lot. Nothing as exciting as your fucking week.
Speaker 1:Yeah, to be fair, I have been delivering Power of Influence with Andy Rivers. It's a bit blowy outside. It is a bit blowy Power of Influence, andy Rivers. Yes, tell me about it we.
Speaker 2:Oh, it's everybody be cool. This is a robbery. Everyone be cool. It's everybody be cool. This is a robbery. Everyone be cool. It's a robbery. We do storm in. This. One had us hiding in the stairwell that was hilarious.
Speaker 2:I saw that pic because we'd done half the morning there and then we were like saying goodbye to everyone, like see you later. Obviously our sponsor knew that we were coming back in to storm the room, but no one else did. We're like bye, lovely, just thank you. So Like hugs and kisses and thanks for everything. Now you're going to hear about your values, enjoy. And then we had to go down two stairs and just wait in the stairwell Because the toilets are in the stairwell so we had to. Oh right, so they got settled for their next session. Our sponsors started presenting and then we went back in and stormed the room you next session.
Speaker 1:Our sponsors started presenting and then we went back in and stormed the room and you are now in a live hostage situation and they have to negotiate the shizzle out of it.
Speaker 2:Yeah, they've got 20 minutes to prepare, or 30 minutes depending on how long the session is, and then 15 or 20 minutes to negotiate with the hostage taker, and they take it in turns to do it.
Speaker 1:I've shown. I must have told yeah, you have told us about it before, I think. But I just find it fascinating. I think it's so unique and I can't believe that.
Speaker 2:There's not. Every time that we do there's nothing out there. So the CEO afterwards said I've done 30 years of management, leadership training yeah. I have never. And she took part, she didn't know what was happening? Yeah I have never done anything like this. She wasn't our sponsor, the chief growth officer was, and she loved it.
Speaker 1:Yeah, we still need to have the debrief, but they're all collating feedback from everyone that did it, so we had teams or a team of 12, so six on each team it's so good and we've talked about it briefly before but the fact that you're teaching communication to people that don't know how to communicate generally in this new genre yeah, you know new generation.
Speaker 2:But I think it's too easy, isn't it? How much easier is it to send an email than pick up the phone?
Speaker 1:Yeah, and the more that you do that the more you're losing those skills to negotiate properly or to communicate, and it really is a skill yeah, it really is a skill that's lost.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so well done. I feel like you're doing your bit for the world. Actually enjoy it.
Speaker 1:Yeah really, I bet you are really sensational at it as well. Oh, that's kind. Yeah, I do, and I think you and andy are like a proper little dynamic duo. You've got loads of charisma between you and I think that I can see why it's. It's picking up pace really quickly and I actually I'm going to put my premonition out there. Oh, go on, then you reckon yeah, yeah, I keep doing premonitions lately and I think they're coming true, she's got a third eye and she might believe it, but yeah my premonition is that this is what you're going to be doing all the time and I think you're going to be training other people how to do it.
Speaker 1:Yes, and you're going to be create, building a team of people that go around the country and potentially the world doing this exact scenario. Yeah, and teach them, because you've got that. You've both got that nlp experience, but you you have a level of empathy and understanding of business and he's got his hostage crisis negotiation tactic training whatever they're doing, great job, great job thanks that was really good, um, and I think the combination is just magical, and actually I think this is what you're going to be doing.
Speaker 1:You're going to be making a lot of money, but you're also going to be bringing a lot of value to a lot of businesses that haven't got access to this anywhere else. So I think you should stay on this path I, I am.
Speaker 2:I tell you what, like I know, we spoke last night and I a little wobble. I did have a wobble and I'm having a lot of wobbles at the minute, but eddie's had the shits all weekend. I'm lovely. Yeah, you're welcome. Thanks for that. Full on accident in the bed.
Speaker 1:Bless him, he hasn't been well, so we've not seen anyone, so you've just been staying at home cleaning up shit all weekend well, it wasn't that yeah give me the shits and pukes any day, but you know yeah, I didn't mind and he was fine with it as well like he wasn't embarrassed, or that's good.
Speaker 2:He did have to wear a nappy to bed on saturday night, which was I know. But we asked him. We were like, do you want to wear one? And he was bed on Saturday night, which was Poor little son, I know. But we asked him. We were like, do you want to wear one? And he was like, yeah, just in case it does happen, because we'd had a few like I think he'd had some sharts in the day when he thought it was safe, do you know?
Speaker 1:what's so funny when kids actually think that sharts are funny Piper still does, she's shotted. I'm like, wow, well done, she's like the funniest thing. Willow still does at nine years old and I love that. I don't ever want to make them feel embarrassed or ashamed of anything like that because there's so much trauma associated with that, isn't there?
Speaker 2:yeah, and also eddie's been starting to get what he calls when his willy gets long and it hurts how can we go from a hostage crisis scenarios to the kids shitting themselves?
Speaker 2:it's relevant, so bless it, like I've never had to deal, like my brother is older, so I've never been around any of these conversations. My niece is obviously a girl, so this has never happened. But matt billum is one of three boys, right? So our, so our generations are different, right? We didn't talk about stuff like this. Yeah, so I've really been thinking, and it's happened a few times, like when Hope sat on his lap and she's doing like bouncy, bouncy, and then he's gone. Hope, get off my willy. I don't think we're supposed to laugh.
Speaker 1:I can't help it. My sister has conversations like this all the time because she's got three boys and she's like it's all penises. They just want to walk around swinging it around, look how big mine's got, and she's like that's what I get. And then they laugh at my body because I'm different to all of them what's that?
Speaker 2:yeah, um, so at the weekend I was like I can't, we can't just not say anything about it. So it happened again and he does like he starts like readjusting himself, which is a bit like the angry and water guy the other day, like I'll tell you about that, my god, fucking hell, what an experience.
Speaker 2:So we, so fucking random, we, at the weekend it happened and we I think we were in the kitchen. I said, are you all right? And he was like my willy's got long again and I was like, right, darling, this happens and it's okay. You do not need to be embarrassed about it, because matt has shared that when it happens he'll bring his knees up to his chest and get really quiet I said, it happens to all boys and it might happen just of its own accord.
Speaker 2:Or it might happen if you rub it too much, or it might happen if someone sat on your lap but it's okay, you don't need to feel shy about it and he went, but it makes me feel shy, which is really sad.
Speaker 1:But hopefully, if we talk about it a bit more, and I told matt and he was like matt's gonna have to show him any what a hard penis. Would he not do that? I don't think so as father and son, would you not?
Speaker 2:What like? I think he'd show him his penis if he wanted to. I don't know.
Speaker 1:See, my stepmum showed me how to put a tampon in and I remember it to this day. She actually showed me physically how to do it and how to put it in. I was stuck like right close up, One of the best thing she ever done for me.
Speaker 2:Yes, and she done that when I was, I would, I was really young, I would say 11, 10, 11 I wish that that had happened. Yeah, and I would happily do that, I think I'd just come on my period.
Speaker 1:I don't know, actually, it might have been way before, I actually don't know. I remember what house it was. I remember her putting her leg up in a toilet and actually putting it and show me yeah, right, hands down, the best thing ever, and I will do it with our kids as well, but surely that's like a man thing, would they?
Speaker 2:not show, I think because it's when you're older. It's associated with something sexual. I don't know whether you would okay, because Matt would then have to get excited yeah, yeah, which is weird Eddie, look at this yeah, morning time, like if you explain it I don't know. So my the start of that story was I've been with the kids on my own, with very limited adult company. Yes, okay, so it's just been me, eddie Hope, and I have been freaking out in my own head about the business we're gonna get back on track, okay.
Speaker 1:So you have been freaking out about whether to change your entire business again. What should I do?
Speaker 2:Who am I? What's World Bird all about? Am I an agency? What is the meaning of life?
Speaker 1:Oh my God, what a knob Two days, two fucking days, and what? You decided Learn the lessons. Nothing, nothing, absolutely nothing. We just carry on as we are. Yeah, I don't think it needs a big grand gesture, you know, like changing. I don't know if you need to. I think it would still be an agency.
Speaker 2:I think it would just be.
Speaker 1:I've just got to trust, trust, trust, trust. I think there is consultancy in there, definitely. You know like you are definitely going more down the consultancy route than the agency. It's 20 years, 20 fucking years. What of experience you've got?
Speaker 2:yeah, yeah, but you don't shout about that, because you only talk about your wild bird experience yeah, but 20 years of being exposed to other people's businesses, other people's brands, all shapes and fucking sizes yeah, but that's consultancy, nick.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and what you're doing is supporting brands and businesses because you get it, yeah, but I don't think I valued that up until this point, no, but I think you just maybe need to niche down a bit, even a bit more.
Speaker 1:Yeah, probably, but it will come. Yeah, it's still the foundation, like the marketing foundation I said to you, didn't I Like that checklist of how to really figure out your avatar, the amount of people that just still don't know and don't do it? And I get it because unless you have someone in your back pocket that is marketing, or unless you're paying a marketing agency, you don't know that shit.
Speaker 2:But even then, like I wonder how many businesses actually fork out on external support and outsourcing? No, none in the beginning.
Speaker 1:Yeah, but all that do and haven't done this work or do and the agencies, they're working with a shit. Yeah, because there's a lot of sharks out there there's a lot of people calling themselves marketing that do social media. Yeah, there's a lot of people that call themselves marketing that know how to do funnels. Yeah, there's a lot of people calling themselves marketing have no fucking experience in anything to do marketing or setting up their own business, or wonderful vas that then try to venture into marketing because it's easy.
Speaker 2:Like to everyone else it's easy. Amount of times you've got. I've gone into a business and they've paid for some sort of support and then scaled it back and gone. My sister's gonna do it or my niece's, nephew's cat is gonna do it, yeah and great, but let's see how far that goes, yeah yeah, and also, I've been stung with a marketing agency before, have you?
Speaker 1:yeah, yeah, I used to use one in Farnham and they reached out to me because they were registered on my booking system, so they used to get my really shitty emails. Newsletters I used to send randomly ad hoc when I was on maternity leave, yeah, and she reached out and she went I really love the concept of what you're doing, but I can make it better for you. And and I was like, okay, cool, and show me an example. So she rewrote one of mine and it looked slick, like it was sexy as hell, and then, along with MailChimp, it was costing me over 300 pounds per email campaign.
Speaker 1:And I was like that's a shit ton of money and I'm giving you all the content. Why am I not doing this myself?
Speaker 2:Yeah, and I'm giving you all the content. Yeah, why am I not doing this myself? Yeah, well, now that I've, you are like you love to learn what the process is.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and I was like I'm paying so much and then I'm exporting all of the data, because the data in MailChimp is not the same, like why am I? This isn't. This doesn't seem slick enough. And they were the same agency that helped me with my websites. They were brilliant, you know, at the time. And then I just felt like they got so expensive and then I was just getting hammered with bills and if I needed one tweak it was 260 quid. Everything was 260 quid, plus fat, because that's their minimum charge. And then the lady that used to do a lot of my design left, set up on her own, and then it didn't really work. I don't think she wanted me as a client, so she was charging me through the roof and she was the only person I trusted and she kind of ditched me, I think I know.
Speaker 2:Quite a lot of people, though, have had like, but I did hemorrhage a lot of money on that yeah rehabilitation cases. Yeah, because you trust someone with your money, right, you don't need a qualification to set up a marketing agency or to set up a consultancy or a business or anything like that. Yeah, but I am about to launch that the outsourcing no bs guide to outsource ah, yes, that's going to be so helpful to people, I hope so I really hope so. Fingers crossed, right.
Speaker 1:That's enough about me, you've got a lot of stuff in the pipe where I think you just need to get it done, because you've got a lot of stuff, haven't you like a lot of stuff to create? And I think you're going around like we're doing our procrastination. Of which one do I do? Which one's more important?
Speaker 2:I've just got to do one. Get on with it. You've just got to do it, yeah get those checklists done? Yeah get the framework done what your videos yes I am this week yeah, nice, yeah.
Speaker 1:So I still haven't got a name for, but I've got over 50 questions that people ask me on a regular basis, and so I'm just going to film it. I'm going to do the answers and film it and turn each one into a blog. Nice, yeah, or maybe I don't need a blog. Actually, I don't know if I will if it's on video.
Speaker 2:Well, you can do. You've got the transcript.
Speaker 1:I just want to put it on YouTube and socials because there's so much knowledge. There's so much knowledge and I want to go back to that. You know my superpower is I can launch a salon. I've done seven. I know what it takes to launch a salon, yeah, and actually there's a lot of people that I've kind of feel like I've missed, where they work at home or they're a solo therapist or they rent a room somewhere, but they want a salon, but they're not ready for that jump and they don't really know how to.
Speaker 1:And I'm sitting there thinking just have a Moors. If you do nails or waxing, just have a Moors. It's going to be so much easier. But you've also got a database of people like that is super success. All I need to do is teach you how to set up a business and manage it and run it. Yeah, which are the skills you don't have? But you're really good at your job and you've got your own client database. Boom, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1:So that's like I don't know why it's just come about, and I'm sure they're conversations that I've had in the past that I just haven't landed or not been the right time, but it was like a light bulb went off when I was away and I was like what the fuck am I doing? Why have I not tapped into this? Why have I not talked to these people? And there is an element that I've been avoiding the beauty industry, yeah, yeah. And now, because I don't trust a lot of people and I see a lot of people and there's I don't know if it's a threat and I'm sure if I could dig deep I'd figure out what it is I've always felt like I don't fit in the beauty industry, like I've always just stayed doing my own thing and I've I found that it can be really clicky, so I've avoided it. I'm not, I can't be doing with all that. I can't be doing with the backstabbing, I can't be doing with the.
Speaker 1:I mean I'm sure it probably goes back to my teenage years. You know, like I never really had that group. You know I had some really good friends, but I never. I was never part of a crew. Yeah, I wasn't later on, but I just never had those. My people, yeah, and I think in the beauty industry I felt very similar. Yeah, like they're all very well connected, they all help each other and they all like if you're in that crew and you're, you're paying for that particular consultant. Then you'll get the publicity in the press and you'll get on different podcasts. You get this and I'm like I don't really like that person. Yeah.
Speaker 2:I don't want to hang out with them.
Speaker 1:And I don't want to do that, just to get where I want to go. So fuck it, I'm just going to do my own thing and hope for the best. But actually I've created this really tight crew.
Speaker 1:Well, I say tight, me and Katie it's really tight in the beauty industry and she's been burnt as well. Yeah, and like I said before, there's nobody actually doing what I'm doing. There's nobody franchising, there's nobody else I can go to. So I think, well, if I can't go to anybody and there's nobody else that gets it, I've got to lead the way with it and that's fine. I'm comfortable with that.
Speaker 2:Now, what's been the change there? Because there's been such resistance up until now. So what's the change?
Speaker 1:uh well, I went away to Marrakesh. I was invited. I do feel so privileged and grateful and Katie Godfrey has got a kick-ass coaching business and she's got a salon and she specializes in lashes and we've done the NatWest Accelerator program together and it's taken us a long time to become really close just because we both have a bit guarded, I think. Well, more so her than me. I'm obviously a bit of an open book like yay be my best friend.
Speaker 1:However, it's taken us a long time. Our kids are the same age so we hang out as friends but as business people. She very much does her thing and I do mine, but we we kind of ask each other for advice. And then we've started having these breakfasts once a month where we're just hashing stuff out and really supporting each other because we both feel very similar, like with someone else in the industry we'd go to. And then she said to me she's putting on her. It's her second retreat in Marrakesh and she has a really big group of women that she's supporting. They're salon, salon owners, clinic owners, so it's aesthetics, hair, beauty, and she also has some training academies as well and she's like this group of women are amazing.
Speaker 1:Would you be interested in coming and holding a session about business growth? And she said this is your thing. You do it in your management training. I love it, but I also want to be a participant in it. But would you be prepared and I'd pay for your accommodation and travel and stuff and then just come and hang out with me? I mean, she said last year she what she done it and she just didn't have her team around her as she did, but like it didn't really work out. She was working double as hard. Yeah must be tough. And she said on something like that, the most important thing is just having your people that you trust around you that can just hold you, hold you like make sure it's all going okay. And I was like, mate, I'm in. Yeah, never done anything like that before. I'd be honored and I had an absolutely brilliant time. It is, hands down, the best business experience I've ever had.
Speaker 1:That is amazing yeah I know it's a big statement, but very, very true. Marrakesh was beautiful, amazing, and she's very, very good at holding space for people to grow, learn, be vulnerable. Yeah, for it is absolute superpower of hers and it's stuff that I enjoy as well. So by the end we ended up kind of hosting it together in the respect, so I would just stay out of it and then, if she wanted me, to help.
Speaker 1:I would yeah so I was, I participated in everything and I was just kind of in the back, and then she'd say Ames, what do you think, have you got anything to add? Or like she'd done the hot seats, which was powerful stuff. You know, everyone comes with one problem and then she gives her advice, everyone else chips in, and I chipped in as well, and we've done a full SWOT analysis, which there was only two people in the group that had done it before really yeah, and what level of business, like, how many years?
Speaker 1:they're real mix yeah they're real mix. They're experienced business owners. They're not. They're not new.
Speaker 2:There was one lady that went to room, isn't it like even experienced business owners and only two?
Speaker 1:Yeah, there was only two or three that had ever heard of a SWOT analysis, because they're not corporate.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:They don't. There's nowhere to go for management training or business training.
Speaker 2:I think we should really take these skills for granted.
Speaker 1:But these are people that have studied their trade, yeah, and then set up a business yeah. But where do they go to learn anything like? I'm the only person in the beauty industry that has management training? Yeah, I don't want to offer it outside of movies because it's my special it's my USP but I really want to, yeah, I really want to level up yeah, and I actually felt like that's what I was doing.
Speaker 1:I was just given a little smidgen of my management training, yeah, to really help these women level up. And there was one.
Speaker 2:Do you think they know? Do you think they have the awareness that they need to flex that muscle?
Speaker 1:well, yeah, that's why they're paying for we stayed in the villa that we hosted it at and then they stayed elsewhere, which is great, because then they could stay wherever they wanted that was suitable within their means or their budget so some of them stayed in a riad.
Speaker 1:There was like six of them that shared a riad and there was others in a hotel, but also then you get that break as well. We needed that and she said last year they all stayed together and it was great but it was too much and actually we all just decompressed in the evening and just chilled out and most of us caught like we were all just catching up with work. But it was me, her, mum, karen, her and then Elle, who is probably one of the best videographers I've ever known videographers I've ever known. Yeah, is she local? No, she's just moved to.
Speaker 1:Trowbridge she's from Nottingham originally, right, yeah, um, but she specializes in videography in the beauty industry. She does a lot, yeah, and her partner has a salon. Aesthetics or microblading, I think she does she's. Do you know what?
Speaker 1:it was just the most phenomenal, like foursome yeah, yeah we all just got it and I'm like a host anyway. So you know, I love the Moroccan tea, like the mint tea. So you know, I just said, well, while Kate is, you know, it's like when you're in that mode, you're about to present all day. You need to get everything sorted. I didn't. So I was like, well, just let me host. So when they were coming in, I was like, should I get some mint tea? And she was like, oh, thank you.
Speaker 2:You know, yeah, yeah, yeah what you just need someone to look after them.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so that she can focus on what she needs to, and her mum had a session in the morning and was a bit nervous, so she was focused on what she's doing. What does mum do? So she done the mindfulness and the clay, but her mum is a qualified counsellor and set up. She's a phenomenal woman. She set up a business in Luton called Stepping Stones right uh, specializing in supporting women in abusive relationships, drugs and alcohol, and she set up this charity. Yeah well, it was a community-led business and she based it out of a church in Luton and then it got so busy that they had to give her an extra room in the church and she then got loads of funding and she was waiting for different funding from the council and then she got a government grant but something happened that someone else came in and took over, because it wasn't a charity, it was a corporation, a community-led corporation.
Speaker 2:CIC or something. Yes, that's right, yeah.
Speaker 1:Or CLC, and she said so. She didn't, although it was her that set it all up. She didn't own it and someone had came in and took over, basically, and she'd got all the funding. It's heartbreaking.
Speaker 2:You could see it in her, but she said it was time for her to move on anyway.
Speaker 1:Yeah, but she used to do group counseling sessions and she said the reason she loved it is because after she done her counseling qualification, she, she saw the power in group coaching or group sessions. This was a long time ago as well, and she said that the thing is when you've got women that are in abusive relationships or like her passion is women and and she goes, but they all think they're alone and I just wanted them to see that other people are the same as them.
Speaker 1:Yeah, they, then they then build their relationships and they become stronger and stronger and stronger, and they do it together yeah so when one leaves an abusive relationship, the other one does and they hold each other's space and she's like but having that, they the power of these women coming together. They just become stronger and stronger, and it was an absolute privilege to be part of it. Yeah, and she held it all. So she done their mindfulness with the clay and she held a session of deep breathing and mindfulness and just being in your present.
Speaker 1:What are your intentions for the retreat? What do you want out of this? Wow, and kind of set the boundaries for all of us, like, this is a safe space. We're all here together. There's going to be lots of emotion, there'll be lots of laughs, lots of joy, but also some sadness and some breakthroughs and oh, it's just magical. So then, and then there's Elle doing all of like the filming, but she's like the silent assassin. Yeah, she's amazing Ninja, yeah, and she is like a ninja. She's all in black and she kind of is in the background. You don't even know you're being filmed or photographed and you feel so safe with her. It is a real skill. I said to her at the end I could watch you work all day. I feel like you bring my heart rate down.
Speaker 1:Yeah, when I watch you, because you do everything so meticulously and so slow yeah and thought through and she's calm and I was like, but also I don't even know you're there. I normally get quite uncomfortable that if someone's got a camera in my face and I'm talking, yeah, and, and I said, but I don't even know you're there, but also I just feel like you yeah, you bring pressure down. She was like that is one of the loveliest things anyone said. That's what I want. I'm glad I do that for you. She's awesome and it was just like the perfect four. Yeah, I was there just flitting around making sure everyone was okay and then joining in and also just invited me to do her Marbella one with her in June. Look at you. And then she's doing Dubai next year. I was like are you sure?
Speaker 2:Like I don't want to take the piss. Yes, because you are epic, no.
Speaker 1:Because you're paying for it, and she went having you there. That team makes the experience for everybody and me 10 times better, yeah, and better. And also I got some brilliant feedback after my session. There's a lady that is a distributor in Northern Ireland oh no, in Belfast. She was amazing, yeah, and she said I would love to stock your products and distribute for mine because I think the the salon owners in Ireland, north and South, would love your products. And I was like, okay, but I didn't go there with any intention of selling.
Speaker 2:I went there to support Kate and give me give my session, support the ladies and you know, this is what it means like to come from a place of love and joy. Yeah, yeah, there was not one intention of sales.
Speaker 1:I didn't even talk about my products. To be fair, it was Kate that brought it up, because she uses them, yeah. And then it was really funny because we went to Elfen, which we have to go to. Yes, I think it's one of my favorite hotels I've ever been to. Wow.
Speaker 2:I know it's a big statement yeah, we done a sound bath.
Speaker 1:I've never done one. Oh, my god, have you done one before? Nope, but the one that the woman, the most beautiful woman I think I've ever seen was holding the sound bath. And she said at the beginning this place is really magical, that this building, marrakesh, it's, it's the energy in Marrakesh is renowned for the spirituality and this building, specifically, it has the most beautiful energy and you're in a perfectly safe space and that you know there might be things that come up. There might not. There might be people here that believe in other religions and feel that this is against their religion. Please know that you're safe and if you don't want to do it, you can go. If you want to cry, you can cry. And she was explaining how people let out different emotions and it can be sneezing, it can be coughing. She goes. You'll find a lot of people cough in soundbars and some people it's just your chakra just clearing and and she said, men fart.
Speaker 1:I've had that cop not farting the coughing when we did the full moon, yeah, yeah, she said it's a, it's a clearing, it's an energy shift. So you'll find, if you start getting a tickly cough or if you start like sneezing, she goes, just just let it happen. Well, I started getting emotional then, when she was talking about it, and I don't even know why, I just felt like I was allowed to. I suppose maybe, yeah, um, and then, as soon as we got in the room, I sat down and I I, you know, when you just have those tears where you're not sobbing but you just can't stop them, yeah, and you're like you're wiping away. It's like why am I crying? Why am I? These my eyes are just leaking, yeah, and I don't feel anything at the minute. And then another woman opposite me she's so lovely, she saw me, so that made her go. And then we were all laying down. She, she ended up having a full-on breakdown. Somebody, somebody else, everybody did, and it was just so beautiful and so special. But do you mind me asking what came up for you? Oh god, it was really weird.
Speaker 1:So when I was laying down, I felt like I had a lead weight on my forehead, like holding my head down, like my third eye. Yeah, and I was talking to trace about this, so I'll probably cry, because I cried when I was telling her. But I had this lead weight and then I had this like rings going around my head. I felt this energy going around my head but then holding me down, but then I felt it in my teeth. Right, my teeth started hurting, yeah, and I felt this energy in my teeth and then my jaw, yeah, and then it kind of went around my neck and then it released and it was fine and then I felt calm but I kept on laying there because, like, k and her mum are so close, so close. It was lovely. But I kept on laying there going. I'm never gonna have a woman look at me like that. I've never. I've never had that. So I felt sorry for myself, but it was like I was allowed to feel sorry for myself. It was really weird. It was like I was allowed to be sad for me for not having that fucking good. Oh yeah, it was lovely, yeah, and I kind of was crying for me and then I kept on just having this.
Speaker 1:Just listen to your instinct, amy. Just listen to your gut instinct. Just believe in you. Just just listen to what you're, what you're thinking is right, the decisions you make. Stop overthinking it, it's right, just stick with it. And then by the end I was like holy shit, what, what's just happened? But I've cried the entire way through. I feel like I have allowed myself to be that small, like inner child, I suppose. And then I basically came out of that feeling so fucking powerful. It was like completely life-changing, and I know that's really corny, but it was like I've never experienced anything like that.
Speaker 1:And then at the end, so in the very beginning of the retreat, kate got us to write down one word that we love about ourselves and then the intentions for what we want out of the retreat and we put it in a jar. And then, after we all done the sound bath, we sat in a circle and we all just random to and everyone read somebody else's out. Mine was the very last one to be read out and I put kind as a thing that I love about myself. Yeah. And then my intention was clarity, be firm in my decisions. I know right, I can't remember the other one. Yeah, stand true to my decisions, or something like that, because I've got loads of decisions I'm making in the business.
Speaker 1:Yeah, every single person had had a cry when they were reading their notes. Every single is 20 of us in a room. Yes, had a cry when they read their notes and came away going. I just feel like I can achieve anything and, with the support in this room, I can do anything. And when I was talking to them, I said I feel like I've been let down by the industry, but I actually haven't. It's my, my choice. All of it's been my choice. However, you guys are the most incredible women I've ever met and I feel really lucky to have been around them.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I do, and actually I want to see every single one of them succeed. I want to see every single one of them smash the shit out of their goals, their dreams. They deserve everything. Yeah, they are so special. Yeah, and yeah, and I and it changed my whole perception of the beauty industry and I said to Kate like what you've done and how you've pulled this together, there's nobody else that could do this like you. There'll be people trying to copy you, but there was nobody that would do this. And if I can be part of it at any time, please let me. Yeah, if you want me, let me, I'll do it. I'm not talking money, I'm not about anything else, just let me yeah and what a fucking experience, oh it really was, it really was.
Speaker 1:And then she done some more hot seats that afternoon and I was a bit spent, I was a bit done, to be honest, so I was sat in the corner like on the shelf but the women were just so beautiful and they kept on saying like she's, like a couple of them said, I could listen to you all day.
Speaker 1:I was like wow, listen, you're so passionate and like you're talking about goals. You make us think that we can actually do anything we want. I was like you can? You can you do anything you want, and don't ever be ashamed, don't ever let anyone dim your sparkle and don't let anyone tell you that you can't, that you can. Whatever that goal is, you can no-transcript group.
Speaker 1:And and at the end of the session, kate had a little breakdown as well and I was next to her and l filmed me kissing her arm and like holding her, and she just went, yeah, and I said are you crying? It was her mum actually. Are you crying for you? Are you crying for everyone? She went, I don't know, it's just, it's just amazing and I said I think you're crying because you're so proud. You should be. Yeah, anyway, so they done this session at the end like this uh, what do they call it? Sorry, hot seats. Yeah, so they done. She done hot seats again. It was the last people. Everyone was really tired and we were like just finishing up. I put a few words in and then somebody else went. But I still want my salon and I heard her go. I still want my salon. I still really want a salon. You guys haven't put me off having a salon. Yeah, she goes, but I think I want a Moorish actually and I was like what?
Speaker 2:What, what, sorry, what. What are you talking about? I'm just having a chill moment.
Speaker 1:And she went, me and Georgia were talking about it last night and actually Georgia said why don't you just have her movies? It's going to be so much easier and you've got Amy doing it all with you, yeah, and this girl was like, oh yeah, and she's from Manchester, so we're going to have a chat, she distributor and a salon but actually, like it's all just so magical, it's all just so lovely.
Speaker 2:Thank you for sharing. That's okay. I didn't. I had no idea.
Speaker 1:I know you said that the sound bath was incredible yeah, I haven't really spoken to trace about it and the lady that was holding that, I can't no, I can't remember her name. She was a moroccan lady but lives in liverpool and they fly her over one week a month because elf friends owned by richard branson's sister, and it's a very holistic space, like plant based food, it's just beautiful. And she said that when she was doing her soundbar. She works on us, works on a certain hurts, oh yes. And she said but actually she was working on your root chakra. Yeah, and she said she goes from the conversations at the beginning I wanted to work on root chakras because I feel like there's a lot of pent-up energy or there's a lot in this room. I just felt like there was some sadness, some deep-rooted sadness, and I wanted to relieve that for you. And she said but I worked on your root chakra, which is your inner child, and you'll get lots of feelings about, like as you were as a child and previous trauma and I was like oh, thanks you've raked all that yeah
Speaker 1:but she told us afterwards and it was funny because I didn't tell her what I didn't tell anybody. Everybody shared. I didn't say, didn't share what had happened, what my thoughts were, but also I'm very conscious that those ladies have paid a lot of money to be there, so I wanted it to be about them, not me, of course. Yeah. So a lot of the times I did just sit back and just let them give them space, do them, do their thing. So, yeah, I didn't say anything, I didn't even tell Kate at the time. But you said the lady come up to you. At the end she said in front of everyone. She said I've been working on all of your root chakras. There's so much love and energy in this room, it's beautiful, and she goes. And she got emotional at the end and she said you know it's hard not to when you've got so many incredible people in one room yeah, it was really lovely.
Speaker 2:So the weight, my third eye did that go because you said about the yeah, it went around, but the weight was lifted.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and it just was me saying just believe in your third eye, like just trust your intuition. Yeah, so trace was saying she thinks that it's my mum basically saying trust yourself.
Speaker 2:And I didn't want to say that, but yeah what do you think it is? Do you think it's that? Yeah, maybe, yeah, maybe. When I said you're getting upset, when you were talking about it and you said, you allowed yourself and I said good, because I don't think you ever, ever indulge in that Ever.
Speaker 1:Oh, I don't, Because I don't want to indulge in it. It's sad, it's like the saddest thing ever, isn't it? I haven't got like I have got a mum. That's the thing, and I don't ever want like she is so special to me, like she is so special to me, my stepmom, and I don't. I call her mum because she deserves to be called mum. She's brought me up since I was six. Yeah, and I know how much I can see it in her. She would never say it, but I can see in her how much it hurts if I say my real mum or my old mum. But when I was a kid, if I ever said real mum or old mum, someone would tell me off, yeah, like I never had a definition. I had an old mum and a new mum, yeah, as a kid. But I remember my nan saying she wasn't old, she was 27. Like stop calling her old mum. I was like, well, what do I call?
Speaker 2:her. Yeah, someone tell me.
Speaker 1:And then it's like I don't want to call my step-mom step-mom, because she's actually my mum and I like there was just no terminology, I was just reprimanded. So I'm really uncomfortable with it still to this day of what to say and I don't like saying real mum, because it cuts my stepmom in two. You know, you can see it, she will never say it, but I can see it in her face and it always just makes me really sad. And then, like, if I speak to some of my family and say you know, my mum that died, that they, they get really upset and I'm like, oh, I just don't know what to and I don't ever want to call my step-mom by her first name, but sometimes I feel like I should to my other mom's family. You know, yeah, yeah, yeah, oh God, it's such a mess, but this is.
Speaker 2:You can call your mom your step-mom.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I can call them all mom, can't I? Whatever you want to Mom number one, my mum's two, like I don't know. It's crazy, isn't it? Like my age, I'm a grown-ass woman with two kids and I still can't even decide which mum.
Speaker 2:What I call each mum, you know, yeah but you know, everything that you've just said about why it's so difficult is about making everyone else happy.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, it was for sure, absolutely. I just don't want to hurt anybody, I don't want to make anyone feel sad or uncomfortable, but it feels like, whatever you say, someone's going to be upset somewhere along the line. Yeah, but yeah, I don't ever indulge in it because I also have so much gratitude for the women that did take, take care of me, and I do. I don't think it defines me. I don't want it to define me, but there's a certain look that people give you mums, especially when you say, yeah, but my mum passed away at six. This is my, you know, or this.
Speaker 1:I don't ever like introducing Alison, my step-mum, as my step-mum, because they look at her and she's only not, she's not that much older than me, you know, like she's 10 years, 14 years older than me or something, yeah, and so they look at me and they look at her and they're like, wow, like she looks good, she looks great, yeah, and then she will sometimes go oh, she's, she's my stepchild. I've had her since she was six, like you know, that justifies it. Yeah, but that look that people give you when you say I lost my mum at six, they kind of go, oh, and they feel really sad for me, so for me, I just go, yeah, yeah, it's cool, I've had so much love. It's fine, because I don't want people to feel uncomfortable, but I don't want to say, yeah, yeah, my mum died. It's really shit, it's really sad and she was 27.
Speaker 2:Why wouldn't you say those things?
Speaker 1:Well, sometimes and she was 27, why wouldn't you say those things?
Speaker 2:well, sometimes I do to the right people, but it's also nobody else's business. No, it's not, but this is about you and the words that you use and the the way that you talk about her and the way that you talk about, but I didn't know her, that's the thing.
Speaker 1:I don't know her very well, so I haven't really got them. I've only got. I only know what my family have told me yeah, but there is a lovely photo over there.
Speaker 1:Yeah, there is she's now my screensaver to keep reminding me that there's so much more, but also just to fucking embrace it, man. Embrace this life, because you just never know, do you never know when your time's up. And we've only got one? Well, I've got. We've got plenty more to come back for, but that's if we want. Just bring me back as a fucking tree.
Speaker 2:I'll be adding on 2,000 years of rejection if I come back again.
Speaker 1:Brilliant yeah, I'll come back as a tree. That would be better mother tree yes, yeah.
Speaker 2:So how would you describe the last week like that? It sounds quite spiritual to me it was.
Speaker 1:It was really spiritual, but it was also so impactful. I just love, love supporting other business owners. I absolutely love it. But what I did realize from that is that there was a whole pool of people that could really do with my help and support. And the way I can do it is with franchise. Yeah, because I yes, I'd love to do consultancy and I thought about it the other day and I was like I can help people in their business, but I keep coming back to franchise and I'm like, but I can still do that. Yeah, I can still do that. If I work with the beauty industry, I can still do that with turn it up, yeah, yeah. So where we've been looking at avatars for franchisee and making it very much like katie in winchester yes, there is the katies of the world, but there's also another one- that sits miles away, that is completely different and they are qualified therapists with a database already, but just don't have that knowledge.
Speaker 1:Yep, to do it themselves. Yeah, and they are paying people like katie godfrey to find the way, to find the way and to they're paying them as consultants because they want to learn, because there's nowhere else to go.
Speaker 2:Yeah, but I can offer that consultancy level and franchise at the same time so, and I think that's what I need to really hone in on definitely and this will flex both of your muscles on and both of your wants helping others and helping other business, helping people in the beauty industry succeed, and not seeing it as a competition yeah, as such, but actually, yeah, helping them level up, yeah, from a solo therapist magical, isn't it? Yeah, so.
Speaker 1:I came back from there going this is I think that's actually the path that I belong on, definitely where I can coach and mentor and help these women, because I mean, I ended up I was given way too much information, just general, like marketing. We, a lot of us use the same booking system how to use that and maximize that. Kate uses it as well. So we ended up this growth plan that we were using from the SWOT analysis. I had to rush through it in the end because we talked about so much other stuff, but I talked about BHAG. We were on that subject for half an hour because none of them had thought about it.
Speaker 1:Like Kate had put in goals and she'd done a whole session on different parts of your life and three things you want to improve or three things you want to work on, and just putting pen to paper and doing that exercise and thinking for yourself and what you want is great. But a lot of that was personal, like relationships, money, career, education, career education stuff like that. Yeah. But when I said, like what is your BHAG? None of them only Kate had heard of it before. Really, yeah, none of them had heard of it. And I did give you credit, did you? Yeah, I was like this is a Nicole Billen thing. Yeah, thanks, love it's okay. It's not my thing, is it not? No, I've only ever heard it from you.
Speaker 2:I heard so when we were on. I'll tell you where it came from. Yeah, when we were, when I was working at ITV, simon Dalgleish, who at the time came in as commercial director, I think had come from. He's got a rich history in radio, so I think he'd come from Global before that.
Speaker 2:Chilton, like he'd done loads rich history in radio. So he's I think he'd come from global before that. Chilton, like he'd done loads and loads of radio stuff, commercial side, and he's a really really big personality still at itv now and he's frightfully posh, really really posh, and we had he introduced b-hacks to the sales team. We we were all like fucking hell another.
Speaker 1:I call them acronyms. They're not.
Speaker 2:They're not, they're mnemonics. Oh, okay, I only learnt that. No, no, no, that is an acronym. A mnemonic is when it spells a word down the side. Oh, okay, cool, I didn't realise the difference. So he says about BHA a really, he described it as big, hairy, audacious goal. No, sorry, big hairy arsed goal, but it's actually big, hairy, audacious goal, right, but this is going to be what's fucking going to get us ahead of the rest of the fucking and we were like, yeah it was amazing and still is amazing.
Speaker 2:So that's where b-hag was introduced to me, but that one of the things that I will never, ever forget and it's, I feel, like it epitomizes marketing is that he said which is quite hard to do in a big business like itv everything that leaves this fucking office whether it is a presentation, a fucking email or going out to do a fucking pitch it's going to be fucking excellent and we're all like yes it is, but it was brilliant and he was right, because he every time you then sent something.
Speaker 2:I could hear him in my head going everything that leaves the office needs to be fucking excellent and I was like, yes, it fucking is said is it excellent.
Speaker 1:If it's not, we're not sending it.
Speaker 1:It's a good bar to hold yourself it really is but that's where the b-hag came they loved the BHAG and also what I saw in these awesome humans was some of them were so scared of thinking that big yeah. So I shared mine and they said it's not big enough. And I was like what do you mean? It's not big enough. I want 50 salons by 2030. Like, I don't have that much time. I also want to sell the company for five mil minimum. Yeah, but like the you know, the 50 salons has got to come first type thing. And they were like five million's, not enough. I was like I don't know. You're sure I really appreciate that, but thanks. But but yeah, it was really lovely and there was a couple that really struggled with it because they just didn't know. They just didn't know. And one of them got really upset and said I'm really interested to do a little bit deeper work to find out why I'm so uncomfortable with it. But she goes, I just don't know.
Speaker 1:And then, as we went on the next couple of days, I think we actually got her BHAG and she's just not running on purpose. She's not just not running her business on purpose. She was like I feel like she's such a special woman. I love the energy that you and Kate have and I love that you have this want to take over the world energy and she goes. I have had that all of my life and I really feel that I'm battling because I think that I should be thinking like that. But actually I'm in my late 50s and I don't know if I want to feel like that anymore. And I was like she's not leading with her heart. What is it you want to do? What do you love doing that anymore? And I was like she's not leading with her heart.
Speaker 1:What is it you want to do? What do you love doing? And she was telling me and I was like, okay, so what can you do with that? And then she was telling me we just basically rewrote her entire business model brilliant, but within conversation, not anything formatted, yeah, not anything. And she came away going I, I really I'm like I said stop trying, you don't need to force it, you don't.
Speaker 1:Just because we're talking about a b-hag, like and I want 50 salons, it doesn't mean you have to franchise yours. That's not your b-hag. Your b-hag is what? And it's all about sustainability and it's all about hair growth and looking after people that are struggling with hair loss and like beautiful, yeah. And she said but I don't, I've had she's had massive changes, huge changes in her life. And she just said I think actually I just want to enjoy my life a little bit and help give back. And I was like that's your b-hack. Then, yeah, your b-hack is to live on purpose. Yeah, to live by what's true to you. But those little moments, those little conversations and I had conversations like that with nearly every single one of them- this is.
Speaker 2:I fucking love shit like this and I like to. I love both sides of it.
Speaker 1:I love the thought of holding it but also taking part, which is the bit that I probably don't do enough of and actually, although she does it for the beauty industry, like there were so many little gems that you would never get on a business tree. She's just really good at event planning, like creating something like that, because and I kept saying there's a word culture in here like we talk about community and connection and collaboration. We talk about all these amazing things, I said, but for you it's culture. Like she loves traveling, she's been traveling since she was 17, when Lola was a baby. Like she travels on her own.
Speaker 1:She went to australia when lola was seven months old. Like she loves traveling. Yeah, went to bali for august on her own with the kids last year and I said culture is your superpower. But like she embedded this culture that we actually experienced marrakesh, not just as toys, but experience like the luxury not so luxury a bit of everything within within this really special business experience as well. So, yeah, she got us all riding a bloody camel. No one knew, no one had a clue. She took us out into this beautiful restaurant in the middle of the desert. Like you didn't even know it was there. It's stunning. So, yeah, it was really really lovely, but she's very good. I said you need to do this outside of the beauty industry and do this for female founders, yeah, business owners that are all at the same level, doing the same thing, but just out of the beauty industry, and she's like, oh, I don't know, maybe well if she ever wants to collab on it, I'll be there one day long.
Speaker 1:I think that there's not enough of it, frankly no there's a lot of retreats and there's a lot of noise about retreats isn't there, but it's. I don't want to do a yoga retreat, no, and I don't want to do something that's all like holistic either. I love that. It was a real mish. It was a real map. Mismatch not mismatch, it's a real mix. That's what I'm trying to say. Yeah, it's a real mix and very well blended.
Speaker 1:We've spoken about doing one before, haven't? We talked about doing one in the uk? Yeah, like a residential co-working type thing, but also a lot of like the way that she'd done it. The sound bath had to be at the end because we had to spend the two days with each other to really connect. Yeah, but there there was connections there that were so magical. They'll be friends for life and you know what it's like when you don't have that business person in your life, and a lot of them were probably in that position where they didn't have that person that they could find and hash out ideas like I've got you and I've got Trace and I've got Katie and there's other people, but like my three core, I think you guys yeah for business chat.
Speaker 2:I don't think you caught it, I'm just trying to think if there's other martin yeah, martin, I mean bless him.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I his ears are probably bleeding with my nonsense I've had another idea for bastards, yeah but to have that kind of business ride or die, it's really unusual. We're lucky, we are very lucky, yeah, but I saw those relationships happen and it was me and Kate were like I feel so proud, like look at everybody creating their business. But also they saw us. They kept on saying so you do you work with Katie and are you friends, and we were like we're a bit of everything, yeah, we've just got each other's back like we absolutely have faith that neither of us are going to do each other over.
Speaker 1:Yeah, which is amazing.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, making sure that you're doing it the right way. Hey, one thing I did do last week that I haven't shared is run that workshop. Oh yeah, what happened? Clear, connect, create first time.
Speaker 2:It's about so every time that I run marketing foundation, when I sit down with an owner founder to go through what, to come up with a strategy, or to look at the strategy and adjust it, or if they want to launch something new, it could be anything. Yeah, we use Marketing Foundation for that and it is half a day one-to-one with a business owner, or one-to-a-few if they've got a really small, tight team, but we spend at least an hour.
Speaker 2:Have I said this already? We spend at least an hour. Have I said this already? We spend at least an hour clearing the shit. Oh god, I probably need that, because you sit down, you go right, the work that we're going to do, it's like whiteboarding.
Speaker 1:No the shizzle out of it but this is more like this.
Speaker 2:The the session is about whiteboarding the shit out stuff, yeah, but the bit that comes before that that I've only just realized is, I will say the work that we're going to do today is going to create a fuck off massive to-do list. It will do, oh god, but we take it one step at a time. The whole point of this is so that we have a plan, yeah, and that requires both of us to put our heads together, because you bring the knowledge from the business and I'll bring my experience outside of this but also the methodology that I use for everyone.
Speaker 2:Yeah, but it will be bespoke to your business and I'll go. They'll go, yeah, yeah, yeah. So I always ask what's going on right now? What's top of your head that you're worrying about? A fucking hour, every single time, at least an hour like literally just getting through brain dump clearing the shit. Yeah and it could be anything all the worries. Yeah, because they're blockers. Yeah, stopping this like opening to look at the strategy I've never you've mentioned that you're doing a session.
Speaker 1:You never actually explain what it is. That's what well.
Speaker 2:So I've created this as like a precursor to marketing foundation, because there's no like imagine investing in that and then spending an hour like just get shit off your chest. Yeah, but it needs to happen because otherwise we won't.
Speaker 1:It won't be as valuable a session when I run it, so you're helping them create a strategic plan of growth and what they're going to focus on.
Speaker 2:Yeah, but the precursor is clear connect, create, which is so. Last week I ran it with the mavens on southwood social online and I probably had about seven of them in the room and I explained a bit about hardly anything about who the fuck I am and what gives me the right to do this, but I said that piece like I sit down.
Speaker 2:We spend this time. That time doesn't need to be there for that session, but I recognize as an owner that that shit happens all the fucking time, like shit that I'm worried about that's getting in the way, blockers that are getting in the way, whatever it could be. So I asked them to think about the things that are weighing heavy on their shoulders right now and to start releasing them, start writing them down, and I just gave them the time and space to be able to do that. I said just clear it, keep writing. If there's stuff that's coming up, keep writing. And I wanted to play music but, as you know, like on fucking Zoom, it's impossible because of the noise cancellation. But I will figure out how to do that on the recorded session.
Speaker 2:And then I did a guided visualization. I said, now that we've cleared all of that, let it go, release it. And then I got them all to close their eyes, take two, three deep breaths and then take themselves to the 31st of December 2025. And I did NLP on them. So I asked them to think about what they could see, what they could hear and what they could feel. Wherever they are, they're in a safe space and they've just had the most magnificent year of their life. What does that look like? Not even what does that look like, but how do you feel? You're looking back over your shoulder and you have had the most incredible year that you could have possibly imagined. You've exceeded all thoughts, all goals, every everything that you expected for this year. You've surpassed all of that and you are truly happy. And it's really weird because I'm obviously talking to a room full of people with their eyes fucking shut. You've got no clue whether you're delivering value, like it's really hard to feel that energy because it's virtual.
Speaker 2:And then we came back to I used Kaz's method of right. Okay, the boat, no, they've got the blockers. We did the visualization and then we do right, give me some wild, fucking crazy ideas to solve those blockers. Oh right, yeah, the world without boundaries, world without law, you could do anything. It doesn't matter, you don't get judged by anyone. Crazy wild card solutions, what you got. And then we discussed that in the round. And then that took longer than I anticipated, definitely. And then I asked them like what you? What your biggest struggles right now with your sales and marketing? Let's open the floor, tell me and we'll start clearing some. Is it quite similar. There was the usual like I fucking hate social media, and there was a lots of stuff about avatar. But I didn't feel like I was said, has anyone worked on their avatar? And I just feel like I'm boring people with it. They're kind of like yeah, yeah, yeah, fucking, tell us something we don't know are they actually saying that, though?
Speaker 1:is that your perception?
Speaker 2:well then I said look, I can give you a downloadable pdf of what I use when I work with clients that you could fill in to create your own avatars this is that, and they all ask for it.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so they're not sick of hearing about avatars. No, I have a bit of a premonition. It when it comes to social media. Do you want to hear it?
Speaker 2:yeah, I love that now this weight's been lifted for your third eye.
Speaker 1:I know, you know I've said before I believe that the our kids generation are going to boycott social media. Yeah, I genuinely believe this. Okay, so we've got elon musk and donald trump running twitter or yep x and tiktok great and that. And also we've got Mark Zuckerberg saying he's not going to monitor it anymore. He's basically if there's shit out there.
Speaker 2:He's got too big.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's not my responsibility to manage. The content is basically what he's saying, and if people are out there teaching kids how to commit suicide, that's not his problem. He can't monitor it. It's too big, great, excellent. So something's going to happen, yeah, and it's got to come back to us and we're just going to go fuck this, turn it off. Yeah, don't want it. Yeah, I think businesses now need to prepare for not having social media, and I think there's been a massive boom where people have relied on social media so heavily. What if it didn't happen? Yeah, what if it wasn't there? Yep, and we're going to have to go back to email, marketing, videos, yes, education, yeah, all of that sort of stuff that I think is going to be so much more valuable within the next two to five years.
Speaker 1:I totally agree and I don't think we can rely on socials for much, totally agree.
Speaker 2:So you know, I've been thinking about launching what the flock, yeah, and what to do with it, and I feel like I've turned myself around and around and around, because I don't want to create community that's just there to sell to?
Speaker 1:no, it's not, it's education. We've got to educate. We have to be the leaders and educate. Yeah, but what we know? Not ai. This is like knowledge experience. This is what works. Yes, like standing in your power. Yeah, but I also know, not ai. This is like knowledge experience. This is what works. Yes, like standing in your power.
Speaker 2:Yeah but I also don't want to run a fucking facebook group. I don't, and my the channel behind that is what happens if it all switches off. What happens with that ip? What happens with all of that value that you've created?
Speaker 1:well, that's it, because businesses are relying on sales from ads on social. What if?
Speaker 2:yeah, you know, and we know, and we can't be obnoxious about it.
Speaker 1:Look at what COVID you know. I remember my brother phoning me saying this is coming. Are you ready? Can your business survive if you have to close? I was like, oh, fuck off, what are you talking about?
Speaker 2:Yeah, you know like what, if yeah, and I just don't, and I think there's so much nonsense. Yeah.
Speaker 1:This is so saturated and everyone's trying to do something bigger and better, to get clickbait or to do yeah, my dick's bigger, no, my dick's bigger. Yeah, and the egos amongst it all, like the celebrity stardom status, like oh, it really hicks me out. Yeah, I don't think they're gonna do it, I agree. So yeah, that's my little premonition so what?
Speaker 1:the flock is gonna be an email rather than email and I think you should do video. I think YouTube like it should be educational, but I think it. You can stick it on socials, but it needs to be backed up with an email. No, yeah, people got back in. They love reading, don't they, or? Yeah, and we can have emails that sit in as part of that.
Speaker 2:I don't really want to call it a newsletter, but it is going to be in it. I am starting an email list.
Speaker 1:I just think back to blogs, like do you remember? Like those businesses that done so well with blogs?
Speaker 2:yeah, fucking phenomenal yeah, yeah, touch points will be very different in the next five to ten years. Fantastic stuff.
Speaker 1:Happy, exciting, isn't it?
Speaker 2:Nerve-wracking exciting. Nerve-wracking exciting yeah.
Speaker 1:But I think that authenticity is going to shine through when people aren't just doing everything with AI and it's authentic and it's coming from a human and their founders are the faces of the company. They're not hiding behind social ads. Yeah, I think that's what's going to happen.
Speaker 2:I totally agree with you.
Speaker 1:Well are we over and out? I hope we are over and out.
Speaker 2:I don't think we can go much further with that. Can we peace out a town?
Speaker 1:love you guys lots of love.
