Get Out of Teaching Podcast Season 3, Episode 5 with Leisa McMahon

Leisa is a casual teacher living her best life on the beach on the south coast of NSW, Australia

Leisa trained as a teacher as it seemed the right thing to do at the time. Both her parents were teachers. She’s still teaching 30 years on, but has never really loved it, staying in Education due to a strong sense of duty, financial reasons and hoping things would change.

The only thing she truly loved was exercise and got far more fulfillment from that. She trained as a gym instructor and became a Personal Trainer, but it wasn’t enough to pay the bills when she was a single mum. So back to teaching she went. 

These days she prefers a life of ease which casual teaching allows without the responsibilities and pressures of permanent work.

She prefers a happy and peaceful life by the beach with her dog Ruby and loves exercise and working on self-improvement daily, but Leisa is still looking for the ‘dream job’.

Aired on April 21st 2021

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Transcript

Elizabeth Diacos  0:00  
Welcome to Season 3 of the Get Out of Teaching podcast. I'm your host, Elizabeth Diacos. In each episode of this season, I'll be coaching a teacher around one aspect of their move out of Education. You'll have the privilege of listening in on the powerful coaching conversations that move people closer to a life they love. So come along for the ride as we get out of teaching. 

Episode 5. 

Hi, everyone, and welcome to the show on today's show. I'm really excited to be speaking with Lisa McMahon. Thanks for coming on the show, Lisa.

Lisa McMahon  0:37  
Oh, thanks for having me, Elizabeth. Pleasure to be here.

Elizabeth Diacos  0:41  
So Lisa, tell us a little bit about your background in Education and what you're up to right at the moment.

Lisa McMahon  0:49  
Sure, well, I've been teaching on and off for 33 years this year. So a long time. So I've gone, I've gone between, I've gone from part-time, built up to full-time, to permanent, back to resigned, back to casual. And I'm still a casual teacher in the public system here in New South Wales now.

Elizabeth Diacos  1:21  
Okay, and so what, what is the context that you want to discuss today? What, how we how can we make this really awesome conversation for you?

Lisa McMahon  1:32  
Sure. So I have spoken to you before, and I'm back here again. And I guess the issues been, underlying issue is, where do I go? How do I get out of teaching? And I've tried a couple of times. And my first attempt was a long, long time ago, I retrained as a personal trainer and gym instructor back in, ooh, 1999. And I love that that's my passion. And I still live that life. Unfortunately, the, financially, I had to go back to teaching and stayed there for another 10 years until I thought or try something different again, along the, it's still in their health industry, which was massage. So I started doing my massage whilst I was teaching. Took me four years to get a diploma of massage. And started massaging around the same time I was leaving teaching in Tasmania in Australia quickly decided that wasn't for me, either. And I've come back to teaching.

Elizabeth Diacos  2:53  
What was that about? Why why wasn't that for you?

Lisa McMahon  2:58  
That's a really good question, actually, and I had to dig really deep why that wasn't feeling right. During the time I was messaging, I was doing a lot of self discovery work on on, obviously myself and, and with the message whilst I love it myself, it's one of my favorite self care, things to do. And I have a couple a month. I quickly decided it wasn't meant for me because it's a very solitary job. I was going from teaching, which is totally the opposite. As everybody knows, I guess you're tuned in here, which is noisy and overwhelming. And I was picking the one I was craving, which was the peace. However, it was really too much for me, too solitary and I wasn't talking, which I've quickly discovered is one of my strengths. So I was stopping me myself from doing what I do best, which is talking. So I went back to teaching as I said earlier, only casual.

Elizabeth Diacos  4:14  
How long ago was that, Lisa?

Lisa McMahon  4:17  
That was, I was doing a little bit in New South Wales about three years ago, so maybe two years ago, I've and I've just been doing a few here and there actually not since COVID. I haven't done anything since COVID with all the restrictions. So I've stuck to the teaching. 

Elizabeth Diacos  4:39  
Right.

Lisa McMahon  4:40  
It's been tricky as everybody knows.

Elizabeth Diacos  4:43  
So you've been able to get some work, which is great over that period. Because you know, down here in Victoria, a lot of casual teachers weren't able to get work and it made it really difficult for them. So, but now you're again at this kind of crossroad. Where you like, "It's time to try again." Is that right? 

Lisa McMahon  5:03  
Yeah, absolutely. You've, you've absolutely nailed that I feel really grateful I've had work. And I really have we missed out on. I mean, New South Wales, as you know, and I missed out on two weeks work. And then we were given... casuals, we're looked after here, and I was given a couple of days. And I did have a lot of casual work, as well. So I managed to get a lot of work, which I'm very, very grateful for, I don't want to ever sound ungrateful. And I feel for teachers in Victoria, who have missed out. And I know you've got a big audience from overseas as well. So I really feel for them. So I'm very grateful for what I've had. But I'm still longing for something different.

Elizabeth Diacos  5:56  
Yeah, so...

Lisa McMahon  6:16  
To what I'm doing.

Elizabeth Diacos  5:58  
When we spoken before, it sounded to me like that fitness side of things, really was what was making your heart sing that that was really where your passion I can see it. For those of you who are listening, you can't see Lisa's eyes lighting up when I talk about that. So tell us what what what would be well, first of all, what would make this conversation really helpful conversation for you?

Lisa McMahon  6:22  
You always ask some fabulous questions, and which makes me think really deep. And that's what I love. And that's what self discovery is all about. It's doing your own as well as talking to other people and having those, holding those conversations, where you have to think quite deeply about what it is you really love, what you desire, what your strengths are, I've had a really good thing. I know my strengths, and it's just directing those, you know, putting those in the right direction, if you know what I mean. It is working out what you...

Elizabeth Diacos  7:09  
How would we measure that? So for just for this conversation, how will we measure if we've been able to successfully identify, I don't know, you tell me what do we need to identify? Or what do we need to discover in this conversation?

Lisa McMahon  7:29  
I guess it's just helping me work out... I know my strengths, but it's talking about, I, It's talking about those, it's giving me some ideas. I guess it's just having that that conversation. I remember our last our last call. And we did have that talk around fitness and you gave me food, some food for thought. And I went away and and did that put that into action. And, and, and look, some of that worked. And I did, I think I was telling you Elizabeth I got a job in the, sorry, this year. Gosh, it seems so long ago. It was only a couple of months ago. And it was working in a Children's Health Life Education. I don't know if you've heard of it down in Victoria. It is a national program I think, with Healthy Harold.

Elizabeth Diacos  8:33  
Yeah. The giraffe?

Lisa McMahon  8:35  
With the giraffe. 

Elizabeth Diacos  8:36  
Yeah. 

Lisa McMahon  8:37  
And I, I did get a position for the south coast of - up here in New South Wales. And I had to turn that down for financial reasons, sadly. It was addressing my passion of health and children. Still educating others. But it came back to the finances for me.

Elizabeth Diacos  9:05  
So really that wasn't a viable. That wasn't a viable job?

Lisa McMahon  9:10  
No, it wasn't. Not, no. I was actually, I would have been losing money.

Elizabeth Diacos  9:16  
Okay. Wow. That's, um, disturbing for the people who do work there. Yeah, okay. 

Lisa McMahon  9:23  
Yeah. 

Elizabeth Diacos  9:25  
Okay, so..

Lisa McMahon  9:26  
Well, I think sorry, I'll just say, I don't think they require teaching. Teaching requirements, qualifications, that's what I'm looking for. So they don't require teaching qualifications. And, you know, I would have just been stepping coming down the pay scale.

Elizabeth Diacos  9:53  
Yeah, understand. So there was an opportunity there. It wasn't really a good fit. So you said no to it. That sounds reasonable. So getting back to my question, what would make this a great conversation for you? How will we measure success? Like, do you need three ideas or two insights? Like what would be make it helpful?

Lisa McMahon  10:18  
I guess, always I appreciate the ideas. You have that conversation. I've loved the ideas, a couple of ideas would be good. I think last time we talked about contacting Michelle Bridges. And, you know, I did that with, without success, and I'd still love a job with Michelle Bridges. But, um, some ideas would be fabulous.

Elizabeth Diacos  10:48  
Okay. Oh, well, maybe we when I share this episode, we better tag her in on the LinkedIn post. Say?

Lisa McMahon  10:55  
Yes. In my dream job. 

Elizabeth Diacos  10:59  
Okay, so tell me more about what your dream job would be. Let's explore that for a moment.

Lisa McMahon  11:07  
Oh, you know, um, yeah. What is that dream job? Look, I've always thought of being in the health and fitness world. And I've thought about going back there into gym management, something like that. I think I've done my time doing gym classes. I'm still looking for that right fit where I belong now. I used to know, you know, I was doing classes, taking classes, you know, doing your abs butts and thighs and all that I did that for years. Um, still looking for that, where I belong in the gym now, it's in a management role. Looking after a gym, something like that.

Elizabeth Diacos  11:50  
Right. Okay. And have you done anything about that? Like, have you made any overtures anywhere?

Lisa McMahon  11:57  
No, I haven't. Because of there's been some uncertainty around where, where I'm living at the moment. So am I going to be on the south coast? Am I moving to Sydney? I'm back in Newcastle, I need some certainty around where I need to be. So I'm just looking for a sign. 

Elizabeth Diacos  12:22  
Right. Okay. And if it's not, you know, if it's something you're willing to share what? That there's three locations that are fairly spread apart there. What's the, how will you make that decision about where to live? Because that is if you're going to be in gym management, where it's in person, like you have to be there. 

Lisa McMahon  12:40  
Mmm. 

Elizabeth Diacos  12:41  
It does really make a bit of a difference where you're actually located.

Lisa McMahon  12:45  
Yeah, certainly does. Um, look, I think I moved down to the South Coast, New South Wales, and it's a beautiful place. I belong on the coast and the coast girl. But with the whole COVID thing that happened last year, it was very isolating for me. I live alone. Yeah, it was a real eye now. And whilst you know, I'm living the dream life on the coast. It was a lonely (laughs) it was a lonely dream life. So I really got to make sure that where I'm putting my energy for a job is where I want to be with more people. I'm craving some more social time with people. So is it Sydney? Is it back in, I've lived in Newcastle. I love it here and is it to come back here?

Elizabeth Diacos  13:39  
Newcastle's nice, because you get the beach but you still got civilization, haven't you? But it's not crazy like Sydney? 

Lisa McMahon  13:46  
Oh, absolutely like, I'm like, I'm here now as you know, and I'm loving it. And look, your heart speaks to you as well. I'm a very, I'm very heart-centered. And I'm back here. I'm happy. I'm by the beach. There's lots of surfing going on at the moment the RipCurl Pro's on it's great vibe and Newcastle's just a wonderful place to be. So it may mean coming back here and looking for that dream job here.

Elizabeth Diacos  14:19  
So is it something that you create for yourself? Like, is any of this something that you could make happen rather than waiting for someone to offer you the perfect job?

Lisa McMahon  14:32  
I've been down the lines of starting a little business when I was doing my, I dabbled in it with my personal training many many years ago. Even with my massage, I was coming into the, when I started my massage was coming into the social media platform. And it was quite scary for me and I quickly realized that I wasn't even around technology with my, with my lack of skills this morning, I quickly realized it gave me a lot of overwhelm. All the business side, I'm better off if someone else is doing it. I'm happy to take that backseat. So just work there. I'm a real people person. Sorry?

Elizabeth Diacos  15:30  
Yeah, I was just saying the people side of things is where you really shine.

Lisa McMahon  15:35  
Absolutely. And I did a little part-time job last Christmas doing casual work, people here would know that we have a lot of time off over Christmas. We've got six weeks before you may even get work again. So I went back to waitressing. Thought, "Oh, well I'll move to a new area or I'll start much waitressing." And that that was a real eye opener in itself. And whilst I loved the social side of it, and I'd get talking to people and welcoming, where I live, we had a lot of Sydney visitors. And I did that quite well. That's my skill set. I was terrible at describing the food and what was coming out. And I was in a fairly ritzy restaurant. And I didn't even know the food to tell them and we had to describe the food. So I quickly realized and food and wine, I was terrible. And I thought that's not the job for me. I just need a job, I can talk to people. So you work out where your your skill set is and where you feel confident.

Elizabeth Diacos  16:53  
Yeah. 

Lisa McMahon  16:56  
Yeah. 

Elizabeth Diacos  16:56  
So if you were going to go down the fitness pathway, is there a kind of a niche of people that you'd like to work with?

Lisa McMahon  17:08  
Look, that's a good question. I always loved my gym work. It was very early days. 99 I think I started, it's different back then. Look, I think I'd go back into gyms. There's some big gyms up here. I remember in Newcastle, it might have to have a little look around while I'm here. Yeah, I don't know, I've got to put some more thought into it.

Elizabeth Diacos  17:37  
I just I'm just wondering, like, would would you have a focus on, say, a particular age group or, you know, people recovering from injuries? Or like, is there a particular area of that interests you? So I met a guy in a webinar the other day, who who is focusing on 60+, women who are in their 60's, who want to regain some fitness and make that you know, sort of be able to be quite fit for life. So basically, I'm the target market, right? I'm not quite 60 yet, but heading in that direction. And I was...

Lisa McMahon  18:13  
Yeah.

Elizabeth Diacos  18:14  
...laughing with him and saying, "Oh, you know, that could be me." 

Lisa McMahon  18:17  
Yeah, yeah.

Elizabeth Diacos  18:17  
You know, like, he's, he can see a real need for people in that age bracket. They're also usually reasonably financially stable, so they can invest in themselves. Like it's not a bad fit.

Lisa McMahon  18:31  
Yeah. 

Elizabeth Diacos  18:32  
I just wonder if there's, I think there's at the other end of the scale, there's a lot of concern around children and obesity and, you know, fitness for kids and getting them off their iPads, you know, or their computers. It do, what, is there an area like that some kind of age niche that would really interest you?

Lisa McMahon  18:55  
Sure. Of course, I've done a lot, a lot of it with kids over the years, mainly in schools, and we've done some after school activities. I've done some after school activity groups in the past. Look, I I'm steering away from working with children at the moment. I think that was the thing with the last job as well. Something else was eating away at me with the Healthy Harold job. Something wasn't quite right. And I keep thinking, I think I need to get away from kids, I think it with all respect. I think I need to get away and work with adults. 

Elizabeth Diacos  19:35  
Yeah.

Lisa McMahon  19:37  
I will. I love the thought of working with teenagers. And I have to mention too, I'm very passionate about mental health. So it's not only physical health, big part of it. You haven't got your mental health, right, you're not going to work on your physic. You can't do your physical health because if this is not working, the rest isn't going to work. So I think it would be more adults. I think when you're an adult, you can make those decisions, whereas kids, parents are still making those decisions for kids. 

Elizabeth Diacos  20:10  
Yeah. 

Lisa McMahon  20:11  
And it's a lot of parents making the wrong decision.

Elizabeth Diacos  20:15  
Yeah. And it is hard...

Lisa McMahon  20:16  
Can I say that?

Elizabeth Diacos  20:18  
You have to sell it twice, don't you, you have to sell it to the kid and the parent? So then it's like a double sales call, you know.

Lisa McMahon  20:24  
Yeah. 

Elizabeth Diacos  20:25  
I'm may have to talk about your program that you're offering. Okay. So what I'm hearing is there's this real emphasis and enjoyment of fitness. But right now you need to make a decision about where you're going to be in order to go and do that next step. So you've got all the experience, you've got the passion, you've got everything that you need to work for someone else, or set up for yourself, except that you don't know where you're going to be. So I guess the other option is do you do all of this online?

Lisa McMahon  21:02  
That, that's a possibility as well, yeah. Are you talking about health coaching online? 

Elizabeth Diacos  21:09  
Yeah, yeah.

Lisa McMahon  21:12  
Um, yes, that as soon as you said that, I had a little moment where I thought, once again, I'm isolated. I do not want to, I'm isolating myself. I live by myself. 

Elizabeth Diacos  21:24  
Yeah. 

Lisa McMahon  21:25  
I'm isolated now doing this, this call, whereas I like to be out talking to people. I'll go down to the RipCurl Pro today I'm surrounded by people. It's a great vibe. Sometimes it's been overwhelming. But I think because last year was so isolating and lonely in and I'm sure a lot of people can relate to me. It was quite lonely life. Now I just want to get out and go talk to people, I think that's going to be a big part of my job. Well, I think I can do it, quite well online.

Elizabeth Diacos  22:08  
I'm going to give you homework, because I get, I get the, the, what I'm hearing is there's this or not fear, fear exactly. But there's uncomfortableness around the technology side of things. I think we saw that a little bit this morning when we were trying to connect. 

Lisa McMahon  22:24  
Yeah.

Elizabeth Diacos  22:24  
And there's also the the, the hesitance around not being in the same room as somebody else or not being in the same space, physical space as someone else. So that's really important to you. So I'm going to give you some homework. And you'll have to get back to me later, because we're going to wrap this up in a moment. But I just I'm going to ask you while you're down at that RipCurl Pro, which is the big surfing championship. I want you to see, when you're connecting with people don't just connect and say hi, connect and say, "Hi, I'm a teacher trying to get out of teaching and I want to work in the fitness and health and wellness space. Do you have any ideas for me?" Just start asking some questions. 

Lisa McMahon  23:17  
Yeah. 

Elizabeth Diacos  23:18  
Because if you're, like that is what a place to be like, there'll be so many fitness junkies, there, won't there? They'll all be right into that.

Lisa McMahon  23:29  
Oh, there's a lot around. Yes, I should have been their masseur. Should've been traveling with them. There you go I'd meet lots of people that way. 

Elizabeth Diacos  23:38  
Yeah, yeah. So, I've been to, not not exactly the same but, I've been to a ukulele festival once and there were all these people buying new ukuleles but they weren't tuned and it takes quite a while to tune them. Because when you stretch the strings, they kind of go back to what they were in it, you have 10 times to tune it. So I'd say to people I like sat down on a chair near the guy selling them and I wasn't taking any money. I was just doing it because I had time. And I was at a thing you know, it was fun. 

Lisa McMahon  24:10  
Yeah.

Elizabeth Diacos  24:10  
I just sat there and I tuned I don't know about 20 ukuleles one afternoon, you know just said to them "Just go. Have a wander around and come back in about 10 minutes and all." And I was just doing one after the other and then go back to the start and tune them again. And then go back to the start and tune them again and then they come and collect it. And it was so much fun. I love that stuff, right because I was talking to people and I was playing the ukulele, and I was listening to the music...

Lisa McMahon  24:33  
Yeah right! 

Elizabeth Diacos  24:34  
...and it was really fun. Of course, there was no money involved. But I'm wondering if you know in a space like that, where everyone's in a good mood and there's lots of excitement, that maybe it's a good opportunity for you to connect with some people and just see what's out there and go and talk to the people who are running. I guess there are a stallholders there and maybe there's I don't know where they are there stall holders there? Are people selling memberships to their gym and all that kind of stuff?

Lisa McMahon  25:01  
I haven't taken a whole lot of notice we were on the beaches today. So I have to, I have to get back there today. And open my eyes a bit more.

Elizabeth Diacos  25:10  
Today, go back to the actual festival part of it and have a look around. 

Lisa McMahon  25:14  
Yeah. 

Elizabeth Diacos  25:14  
If there's any good connections there to make, because it sounds like this is really your happy place. And it might be a great opportunity for you to, to find someone, most people get their new job, not from their friends, but from their friends of friends, like the next layer of connections, they're called weak ties. And for people, it's a whole theory in psychology about it's, it's because there's less, you lose less face if someone recommends a friend of a friend. And then they turn out to be a dud...

Lisa McMahon  25:50  
Yeah.

Elizabeth Diacos  25:50  
...you know, they're no good. It doesn't matter so much. 

Lisa McMahon  25:52  
Yeah, right.

Elizabeth Diacos  25:52  
"Oh well, I didn't really know them that well, sorry", you know, a bit awkward, but it's not like recommending your best friend and they turn out to be a dud. Right? 

Lisa McMahon  25:59  
Yeah, yeah.

Elizabeth Diacos  26:01  
So there's less social contract kind of happening. 

Lisa McMahon  26:05  
Yeah. 

Elizabeth Diacos  26:05  
Makes it easier for people to recommend you. So maybe this is slightly different context. But I think the stakes aren't as high. But if you just go and say, "Hey, look, I'm really interested in moving back to Newcastle and I'm thinking about this. Any ideas?" just have those conversations.

Lisa McMahon  26:21  
Mmm.

Elizabeth Diacos  26:21  
You don't know what might come of it. And then be there to you know, share your contact details or get their contact details, so that you can follow up.

Lisa McMahon  26:30  
Yeah, absolutely.

Elizabeth Diacos  26:30  
And you might go, what was I thinking? I don't want to live in Newcastle or whatever, but at least you would have begun that process. And, you know, in our minds, we have this reticular activating system. It's like, you know, when you're a kid, and you I don't know, if you did this, my kids certainly did it, they say, "Punch buggy yellow," and they if they saw a yellow Volkswagen drive past, they would spank each other, it was a bit of a weird game anyway. And when you start to look for, you know, something, you see it all the time, so I have a little blue jazz car, and I see them everywhere now. Like, I'm like, wow, they're all over the place. But I never noticed them before I bought that car. But now, in all the shopping centers, there's one parked in the next street from me, and I never knew it was there until I bought my own. 

Lisa McMahon  27:19  
Yeah, right.

Elizabeth Diacos  27:20  
Like you start to notice. So I want you to go out today. 

Lisa McMahon  27:24  
Mmm.

Elizabeth Diacos  27:25  
With that radar turned on, what are the opportunities I can see here?

Lisa McMahon  27:30  
Yeah, absolutely. 

Elizabeth Diacos  27:32  
What do you get from that? 

Lisa McMahon  27:34  
Yeah, it's also uh, yeah, I'm, I'm hearing that loud and clear Elizabeth. And it's putting your energy where you want it to go, I'm kind of I'm very strong doing that I can get what I want. But at the moment, I'm holding off because I've got to be really clear about where I want to live. I've done I have done a little bit of traveling in the last couple of years. And my friends call me a gypsy. So I've got to make sure I'm, you know, I'm either coming back here, which a place I love or staying where I am and making, making myself happy down there. 

Elizabeth Diacos  28:17  
Yeah, alright. I'm gonna wrap it up there. Thanks so much, Lisa, for coming on the show.

Lisa McMahon  28:23  
Thank you for having me. It's been a real pleasure.

Elizabeth Diacos  28:29  
So after that conversation, Lisa and I, after we stopped recording, Lisa and I just chatted for a few more moments. And one of the things she said she was going to do was really give some thought to where she wanted to actually live. Because that was going to inform her other decisions about work, and about housing, obviously, and also just about relationships and other possibilities that might come from making that decision really clear in her own mind. So I think that was a pretty good outcome, all in all, and I just want to say thank you too, for being part of this experiment. 

If this is the kind of conversation you'd like to have, here are some ways we can make that happen. You can connect with me via my website, larksong.com.au or join the Get Out of Teaching Facebook group, or send me a message. You don't need to stay stuck in a job that makes you miserable. I offer a free 10-minute triage call to people who are ready to explore possibilities for the future. So let's have a chat. You've been listening to the get out of teaching podcast, please share it with your teacher buddies and for shownotes and other resources, visit larksong.com.au/podcast

Transcribed by https://otter.ai