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How One Woman’s Health Challenges Inspired Her Home-Based Business · Work It Like A Mum

• 0:00
  SPEAKER_01: Hey, I'm Elizabeth Willis, and I'm obsessed with helping as many women as possible achieve their boldest dreams after kids and helping you to navigate this messy and magical season of life.
• 0:14
  SPEAKER_01: I'm a working mum with over 17 years of equipment experience, and I'm the founder of the Investing in Women Job Board and Community.
• 0:22
  SPEAKER_01: In this show, I'm honored to be chatting with remarkable women, redefining our working world across all areas of business.
• 0:30
  SPEAKER_01: They'll share their secrets on how they've achieved extraordinary success after children, their boundaries of balance, the challenges they face, and how they've overcome them.
• 0:40
  SPEAKER_01: Find their own version of success.
• 0:43
  SPEAKER_01: Shy away from the real talk.
• 0:45
  SPEAKER_01: No way! Money, struggles, growth, loss, boundaries of balance.
• 0:49
  SPEAKER_01: We cover it all.
• 0:50
  SPEAKER_01: Think of this as coffee with your mate.
• 0:52
  SPEAKER_01: Mixed with an inspiring TED talk, sprinkled with the career advice you wish you'd really had at school.
• 0:58
  SPEAKER_01: So grab a cup of coffee or a glass of wine, make sure you're cozy, and get ready to get inspired and chase your boldest dreams.
• 1:05
  SPEAKER_01: Or just survive Mondays.
• 1:07
  SPEAKER_01: This is the Work It Like a Mum podcast.
• 1:15
  SPEAKER_01: This episode is brought to you by Investing in Women.
• 1:18
  SPEAKER_01: Investing in Women is a job board and recruitment agency helping you find your dream part-time or flexible job with the UK's most family-friendly and forward-thinking employers.
• 1:30
  SPEAKER_01: Their site can help you find a professional and rewarding job that works for you.
• 1:35
  SPEAKER_01: They're proud to partner with the UK's most family-friendly employers across a range of professional industries.
• 1:42
  SPEAKER_01: Ready to find your perfect job?
• 1:44
  SPEAKER_01: Search their website at investinginwomen.co.uk to find your next part-time or flexible job opportunity.
• 1:53
  SPEAKER_01: Now, back to the show.
• 1:58
  SPEAKER_01: Hello, welcome to today's work it like a mon podcast.
• 2:01
  SPEAKER_01: Today I am chatting with the lovely Marina Voice.
• 2:05
  SPEAKER_01: Um Marina is on my um utility warehouse team and she's going to be talking about how she has turned chronic illness into chronic income.
• 2:15
  SPEAKER_01: So she balances um I can ever pronounce it.
• 2:18
  SPEAKER_01: Right.
• 2:19
  SPEAKER_01: You ulcerative colitis, is that right?
• 2:22
  SPEAKER_01: Brilliant.
• 2:23
  SPEAKER_01: I got it.
• 2:23
  SPEAKER_01: I'm not very good at pronouncing things.
• 2:25
  SPEAKER_01: Um fibromyalgia um with her work as a utility warehouse partner.
• 2:32
  SPEAKER_01: Um thank you so much, Marina, for joining me today.
• 2:36
  SPEAKER_01: That's okay.
• 2:37
  SPEAKER_01: Thanks for coming.
• 2:38
  SPEAKER_01: So talk us, I guess, you because obviously you've not been a utility partner for very long, you've been a utility partner for a couple of months now.
• 2:45
  SPEAKER_01: What brought you to utility warehouse?
• 2:48
  SPEAKER_01: What were you doing before and and what happened?
• 2:51
  SPEAKER_03: So I used to work in the refinery.
• 2:54
  SPEAKER_03: So I was on my way to um becoming a scaffolder.
• 2:59
  SPEAKER_03: So I was in my training side of it.
• 3:01
  SPEAKER_03: Um back in April, I ended up going into hospital again with um a big flare-up with my ulcerated philitis.
• 3:09
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 3:10
  SPEAKER_03: Um, it caused a couple of blockages.
• 3:12
  SPEAKER_03: So um when I came out of hospital, I was kind of like on light duties, you know, because they knew my circumstances that they knew that I couldn't do heavy lifting.
• 3:21
  SPEAKER_03: So they were really supportive.
• 3:23
  SPEAKER_03: Um and there was just days that I just if I go do a day at work, I could be then off for another week because it just my body just can't cope with too much stress.
• 3:36
  SPEAKER_03: So it got to the stage that work turned around and said to me, basically, don't come in, you're too unsafe.
• 3:42
  SPEAKER_03: Like everyone's worried about you.
• 3:43
  SPEAKER_03: And I'm like, Oh, okay, but I'm trying.
• 3:47
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 3:48
  SPEAKER_03: So um, yeah, it just got to the point that they just kind of like had to say, stay off, get yourself sorted, we'll catch up with you.
• 3:56
  SPEAKER_03: So obviously you get put on statutory sick pay, it's not great, is it?
• 4:00
  SPEAKER_01: I know I don't know what it is, a hundred week.
• 4:03
  SPEAKER_01: I don't know what it is.
• 4:05
  SPEAKER_03: It's hundred and something, but they give a little bit of a top up each week.
• 4:08
  SPEAKER_03: So, but it's still it's still not great.
• 4:10
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah.
• 4:11
  SPEAKER_03: Um, so then I was like, oh my god, what am I gonna do?
• 4:13
  SPEAKER_03: So I was just kind of like looking around on the internet, and I'll see I found you.
• 4:19
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 4:19
  SPEAKER_03: I don't actually know how I came across the internet.
• 4:21
  SPEAKER_03: No, I don't know how you're on, so please.
• 4:23
  unknown: Yeah.
• 4:25
  SPEAKER_02: And I thought, oh, why not?
• 4:26
  SPEAKER_03: Just give it, just give it a go.
• 4:28
  SPEAKER_03: And I think that was like I think I went on sick, I think they phoned me up, I think it was like the 17th of September or 16th of September, they told me to go off.
• 4:38
  SPEAKER_03: Um, and I think it was like the next day I was just like searching, trying to find, you know, something to keep me off because I knew I was gonna be off for a long time.
• 4:47
  SPEAKER_03: Um, so yeah, that's when obviously I found you, and I love it.
• 4:51
  SPEAKER_03: It's great.
• 4:52
  SPEAKER_01: Oh, you're brilliant! I love it.
• 4:54
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, so do you've been poorly for a long time then?
• 4:56
  SPEAKER_03: So I got diagnosed rec oh when was it?
• 5:00
  SPEAKER_03: It was uh it was about February 2022.
• 5:03
  SPEAKER_01: Oh, okay.
• 5:04
  SPEAKER_03: That's when the alterative colitis started, and it was like one of those moments, and I was just like, I was getting symptoms, and my wife, Kirsty, she was like, I think you need to go to the doctors, and I'm like, No, I'll be alright.
• 5:17
  SPEAKER_04: Bearing in mind I couldn't leave the toilet.
• 5:19
  SPEAKER_04: Oh my gosh, yeah, yeah.
• 5:21
  SPEAKER_04: I was like, no, it's fine, we'll see how it goes.
• 5:24
  SPEAKER_03: At that point, I didn't know.
• 5:25
  SPEAKER_01: What are the symptoms, if you don't mind me asking?
• 5:27
  SPEAKER_03: Um, so you get a little a lot of bleeding from your mind.
• 5:33
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 5:35
  SPEAKER_03: Um, you get inflammation in your colon, um, and you get also um ulcers in your colon as well.
• 5:42
  SPEAKER_03: Well, you bet you were worried it was cancer at something.
• 5:45
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, so I think that's why I was kind of like putting it off.
• 5:49
  SPEAKER_03: Because I was kind of like, would rather not know.
• 5:53
  SPEAKER_03: I get that, yeah.
• 5:54
  SPEAKER_03: It's really bad, yeah.
• 5:55
  SPEAKER_03: It's really bad.
• 5:56
  SPEAKER_03: Like, I wouldn't advise anyone to just put it off.
• 5:58
  SPEAKER_03: Like, if you see if you see any changes or anything like that, literally just go.
• 6:01
  SPEAKER_03: So I think it took me about three or four weeks, and I was just rapidly like getting worse.
• 6:07
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 6:08
  SPEAKER_03: Um that's when I went to the doctors and they'd done a test, and I was like, right, okay, we're gonna send you off to um the gastro department and get them to look it because obviously they were concerned about bowel cancer.
• 6:20
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 6:21
  SPEAKER_03: Um and then we went through the whole stage.
• 6:23
  SPEAKER_03: To be fair, it was a really quick process.
• 6:25
  SPEAKER_03: It was like within two weeks, I had an approach.
• 6:27
  SPEAKER_01: They must have put you on that two-week pathway.
• 6:29
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 6:30
  SPEAKER_03: So and then obviously you have to do the bowel prep.
• 6:34
  SPEAKER_01: I've done that to be fair.
• 6:35
  SPEAKER_01: I love this one, it's getting very wrought out, and that was horrendous.
• 6:39
  SPEAKER_01: I've done that when I've had bleeding before and had that and gone to the hospital, and it's like you've had the worst courage you could have ever imagined in your life, isn't it?
• 6:47
  SPEAKER_01: What happens to you?
• 6:48
  SPEAKER_02: And you've got to drink like junk, sort of.
• 6:51
  SPEAKER_02: And I'm funny with texture.
• 6:53
  SPEAKER_01: So when Percy was making that up for me, and I'm there like looking at it like, Yeah, oh and it I think I feel as it was a little while ago I did my I feel like it happened quite quick.
• 7:03
  SPEAKER_01: You have it, and then and then it all just comes out very quick.
• 7:07
  SPEAKER_03: I didn't even finish my second jug.
• 7:09
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, and I was like, and I got to that point, I was like, I've got to be empty.
• 7:12
  SPEAKER_02: There's nowhere in a million years I can drink that other jug because it was just pouring out with water, it was just water coming out of me.
• 7:19
  SPEAKER_01: It was and then that test is not very well.
• 7:22
  SPEAKER_01: I feel like we're putting people up, but uh if you've got any changes and you obviously need this test.
• 7:27
  SPEAKER_02: You do need to go, yeah, you do need to go.
• 7:29
  SPEAKER_01: You do need to be uncomfortable for a couple of hours.
• 7:32
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 7:32
  SPEAKER_03: Um, and then obviously they went to do the colonoscopy, and obviously that was quite quick, it was a really quick process.
• 7:39
  SPEAKER_03: Um, and obviously you can see everything in front of you because even I was a little bit sedated, yeah.
• 7:44
  SPEAKER_03: I was just kind of a little bit like, what's going on?
• 7:47
  SPEAKER_03: Um, and a consultant just came up to me and said that basically I had about five centimetres of inflamm inflammation, a lot of bead bleeding, also um, a lot of ulcers.
• 7:57
  SPEAKER_03: And they just put me on like the baseline meds.
• 8:00
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 8:00
  SPEAKER_03: Um, and then that stopped working.
• 8:02
  SPEAKER_01: Oh right.
• 8:03
  SPEAKER_03: So then by the Christ yeah, then by that Christmas time, I was in the hospital a week before Christmas, so I was like, that's ideal.
• 8:10
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, miserable.
• 8:15
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
• 8:17
  SPEAKER_03: Um, yeah, and uh every you know, I've been through biologics, um, and it seems to be a case of I'll be put on them, they work for a certain period of time, a couple of months or so, and then my body just rejects it.
• 8:31
  SPEAKER_03: And then I end up big flat.
• 8:33
  SPEAKER_01: It's really like an autoimmune type thing, isn't it?
• 8:36
  SPEAKER_03: It is autoimmune autoimmune disease, yeah.
• 8:39
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, so the the biologic side of it, um, they they are really good.
• 8:44
  SPEAKER_03: Um, I mean, I had two different types of biologics on infusions, um, and they just didn't get me under control.
• 8:52
  SPEAKER_03: I think I had three good months on one of them, and then January last year.
• 8:58
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, January just gone up until April.
• 9:01
  SPEAKER_03: I had a big flare-up, and April's when I went into hospital.
• 9:05
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 9:06
  SPEAKER_01: And you haven't you didn't work then since April.
• 9:10
  SPEAKER_03: So I've kind of like been in and out of working, so it was just more of me going in when I could go in.
• 9:16
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, yeah.
• 9:17
  SPEAKER_03: So it was, you know, it was it was a bit more relaxed, but obviously every day is a different day.
• 9:23
  SPEAKER_03: So it it's very hard.
• 9:25
  SPEAKER_03: You know, if I've got a bad night, there's no way in a million years that I'm gonna be able to go into work the next day when I've been living in the bathroom.
• 9:32
  SPEAKER_03: It's just yeah.
• 9:34
  SPEAKER_03: It just it just wasn't doable.
• 9:37
  SPEAKER_03: Um and as well is I get inflammatory arthritis with the ulcerate of colitis.
• 9:45
  SPEAKER_03: So a lot of problems with my wrists and my ankles, they s like all my bones and that swell up.
• 9:51
  SPEAKER_03: Um, but we've only just found out that not long ago that I've got the fibromyalgia, which they think the ulcerate of colitis was masking quite a lot of the symptoms.
• 10:03
  SPEAKER_01: Oh right, okay.
• 10:05
  SPEAKER_03: So they think the stress of my last um flare-up that I had, they think that's probably made things a lot worse.
• 10:16
  SPEAKER_03: Oh you yeah, so the mobility side of it at the moment is not great.
• 10:22
  SPEAKER_01: No.
• 10:23
  SPEAKER_01: So this fits in the utility warehouse because you can do it from home or you can do it from bed really if you wanted.
• 10:30
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, half the time I just do it from the sofa because it's just easy.
• 10:33
  SPEAKER_03: And uh obviously I don't have to leave the house.
• 10:36
  SPEAKER_03: I can lay there with my blanket, with my legs up.
• 10:40
  SPEAKER_03: Like what more could you want from it?
• 10:41
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, it's quite chill.
• 10:42
  SPEAKER_01: So tell people what someone's listening to this, they're like, what does a utility warehouse partner do?
• 10:47
  SPEAKER_01: What do you do as a utility warehouse partner?
• 10:50
  SPEAKER_03: So we help people save money on their on their normal bills that everybody else uses.
• 10:56
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 10:57
  SPEAKER_03: Um, you know, you use your energy, you use your broadband every day, you use your mobile, and not see most people to have insurance as well.
• 11:04
  SPEAKER_03: So it's literally just saving people money.
• 11:06
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 11:07
  SPEAKER_03: Like the that everybody likes saving money.
• 11:10
  SPEAKER_01: Exactly.
• 11:10
  SPEAKER_01: And it's funny because it's the products, well, it's the services that people are already using.
• 11:14
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 11:16
  SPEAKER_01: It's not like you're trying to flog them a mascar or a face.
• 11:19
  SPEAKER_01: No, they don't even want it.
• 11:21
  SPEAKER_03: Any extra money.
• 11:22
  SPEAKER_03: If anything, it's just literally gonna save people money.
• 11:25
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 11:26
  SPEAKER_01: So you so as a partner, how so you're saving people money, but how do you get those appointments then?
• 11:31
  SPEAKER_01: How taught me through, you know, taught the listeners through, I guess, the process then.
• 11:36
  SPEAKER_03: Um so what I started off doing is going to my close friends and family.
• 11:40
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 11:41
  SPEAKER_03: Um started off with, I think, one of my best friends.
• 11:44
  SPEAKER_03: Um, she switched over straight away.
• 11:47
  SPEAKER_03: Then I started after that one.
• 11:49
  SPEAKER_03: I think it was the same day actually.
• 11:52
  SPEAKER_04: You had a really good day, didn't you?
• 11:54
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah.
• 11:54
  SPEAKER_03: So I think um I done her in the uh afternoon, then later on that evening I'd done one of my work friends.
• 12:01
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 12:02
  SPEAKER_03: So he ended up transferring over as well because he saved, I think both of them, he saved them about 90 pounds a month.
• 12:08
  SPEAKER_01: It's really good, isn't it?
• 12:09
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, like so on the spot.
• 12:12
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, it was no brainer.
• 12:14
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, yeah, happy days.
• 12:15
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 12:16
  SPEAKER_03: And then after that, it was just the rest of the friends and family.
• 12:19
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah.
• 12:20
  SPEAKER_04: Nice.
• 12:20
  SPEAKER_04: And you saved everybody money, I think.
• 12:22
  SPEAKER_04: Yep.
• 12:23
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah, all of them managed to save money.
• 12:25
  SPEAKER_04: So it was a yeah, it was an absolute bonus.
• 12:27
  SPEAKER_04: And also I get paid for it as well.
• 12:28
  SPEAKER_04: So it was a win.
• 12:30
  SPEAKER_01: So how so you do the appointments, don't you, from home?
• 12:32
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah.
• 12:33
  SPEAKER_04: Nice.
• 12:34
  SPEAKER_01: Yes.
• 12:34
  SPEAKER_03: I felt I think um my first ever one that I done, we were over actually at my friend's house anyway.
• 12:40
  SPEAKER_03: Oh, I literally just yeah, I literally just showed her the presentation and went through that with her, showed because obviously they can see it, what we're doing.
• 12:50
  SPEAKER_03: Like, it's not like being on the phone with like the other companies and you can just hear the tap-tac-tap and away.
• 12:56
  SPEAKER_03: Like, it's good that you can see what we do.
• 12:59
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, absolutely.
• 13:01
  SPEAKER_01: And you have just absolutely flown since.
• 13:05
  SPEAKER_01: I don't know what happened.
• 13:06
  SPEAKER_02: I was just like just randomly find you, and all of a sudden I'm like, oh my god, what's happening?
• 13:11
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, because you've had so many, you've had several, three promotions, I think, since joining in, like two months ago.
• 13:16
  SPEAKER_01: Less than two months ago.
• 13:17
  SPEAKER_01: What were we six weeks?
• 13:19
  SPEAKER_03: I think I started about the 17th or 18th September.
• 13:22
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, so we're recording this out with the 5th of November.
• 13:25
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 13:25
  SPEAKER_03: I think it was was in the oh god, what was it?
• 13:28
  SPEAKER_03: I think within the first eight days, I had two promotions.
• 13:32
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 13:33
  SPEAKER_01: Which was really good.
• 13:35
  SPEAKER_01: Very impressive.
• 13:35
  SPEAKER_01: So, what do those promotions mean then?
• 13:38
  SPEAKER_01: What do you get for those promotions?
• 13:39
  SPEAKER_03: So you get bonuses, yeah, and you get incentives so you can achieve free energy.
• 13:44
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 13:45
  SPEAKER_03: Um, and then you obviously we've got the Christmas incentives at the moment.
• 13:48
  SPEAKER_03: So I think I'm just literally a point away at the moment for getting my Christmas.
• 13:53
  SPEAKER_01: All three, yeah.
• 13:53
  SPEAKER_01: I know, yeah, yeah, yeah.
• 13:55
  SPEAKER_01: You've done really well.
• 13:56
  SPEAKER_01: Really well.
• 13:58
  SPEAKER_01: Um tell people how we get compensated.
• 14:02
  SPEAKER_01: You know, how do we get paid when we sign customers?
• 14:06
  SPEAKER_03: So we get paid up to£250 per customer.
• 14:11
  SPEAKER_03: So, and that's if they can take out obviously up to free services or more.
• 14:15
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 14:15
  SPEAKER_03: Um, and obviously we get paid monthly as well.
• 14:18
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, nice.
• 14:19
  SPEAKER_03: Um, and then you get not just that though, you get the points as well that build up towards the incentives, your days out, you know, family holidays, couple holidays.
• 14:28
  SPEAKER_03: There's there's just so much to it.
• 14:31
  SPEAKER_03: You know, it's great.
• 14:33
  SPEAKER_01: I think it's the most fun way I've made money in my whole career.
• 14:38
  SPEAKER_04: I love the points.
• 14:41
  SPEAKER_03: I think it's just like the buzz you get from helping people save money.
• 14:45
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 14:45
  SPEAKER_04: Like, because they're like, over the year, that's a that's a lot of money.
• 14:49
  SPEAKER_04: If you're saving someone 90 pounds a month, yeah, over the year, that's a lot.
• 14:53
  SPEAKER_03: And obviously, everything's so expensive these days.
• 14:55
  SPEAKER_01: Who doesn't want to save 90 grid?
• 14:57
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, and I think as well, like this time of year, it's like one of the best times.
• 15:03
  SPEAKER_03: Because obviously, you've got Christmas and people struggle, especially if you've got a family.
• 15:06
  SPEAKER_03: I mean, like my son's 13, he costs a fortune, his hobbies, like he does golf, he does fishing, he's finished his football, he's not interested in his football anymore.
• 15:17
  SPEAKER_03: And he constantly needs stuff for the fishing, and fishing's not expensive.
• 15:20
  SPEAKER_01: Well, they're all expensive.
• 15:21
  SPEAKER_01: I think whatever if you've got kids and they're into something, it's always it's expensive, isn't it?
• 15:26
  SPEAKER_01: And then they're growing up, they're needing more uniform, school shoot, it's just constant.
• 15:31
  SPEAKER_03: No, we're just in the process of now of getting him more um trainers for G, because we just got them in September.
• 15:37
  SPEAKER_03: Because obviously, you get it all in September, he's outgrowing them already.
• 15:40
  SPEAKER_03: Oh, so he's going for a massive gross spec, and I'm like, oh my god, slow down.
• 15:43
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
• 15:44
  SPEAKER_01: So how much then did you have you made so far, if you don't mind me asking?
• 15:48
  SPEAKER_03: Wow, so obviously, when I first started, it was literally just by the end of the cut-off time, wasn't it?
• 15:55
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
• 15:56
  SPEAKER_03: So I think it was about was it about eight or eight to ten days?
• 16:01
  SPEAKER_04: Eight to ten days you made what?
• 16:03
  SPEAKER_04: I made uh 800 pounds.
• 16:05
  SPEAKER_04: That's good, isn't it?
• 16:06
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah, yeah.
• 16:08
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, it's like really, really part time.
• 16:11
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah.
• 16:11
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah.
• 16:12
  SPEAKER_02: Um so obviously when I got that um the the other week, I was like, oh my god, because that was literally like tight at the end of the month.
• 16:19
  SPEAKER_02: I hit my promotions, you know, I got my bonuses.
• 16:23
  SPEAKER_01: Nice, yeah.
• 16:25
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 16:25
  SPEAKER_02: It was just it was just really quick.
• 16:28
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I know, yeah.
• 16:29
  SPEAKER_01: And then obviously you're gonna get paid um I really like as well when you get paid around the 20th.
• 16:34
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 16:37
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, especially if you've got somebody in your house that don't know if if Kirsty like works in a traditional job, but you know, most people get paid on the end of the month.
• 16:44
  SPEAKER_01: So then it's just so nice to have get paid on the 20th and it bridges as well if you're yeah, you've just got that little bit in between, haven't you?
• 16:51
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I love it.
• 16:53
  SPEAKER_01: And what about the team then?
• 16:54
  SPEAKER_01: What do you think, you know, how have you found the community and the team side?
• 16:58
  SPEAKER_03: The team's great.
• 16:59
  SPEAKER_03: I mean, because obviously, when I first started, obviously you get the support from the team, obviously, like yourself and the other girls.
• 17:06
  SPEAKER_03: Um, and it it's just great because obviously they just help you, and if you're stuck with anything, like there's always going to be someone that'll come straight to you, whether they message in a group chat or they'll just give you a ring and be like, let me ring you, I'll explain, you know.
• 17:20
  SPEAKER_03: Um, and obviously they they can help you find your customers as well, which is great.
• 17:24
  SPEAKER_03: Everyone's got their different ways of working it.
• 17:28
  SPEAKER_03: Um, so yeah, you just you just get so much information from everybody, and it helps because everyone works differently.
• 17:35
  SPEAKER_03: So everyone's got their own style on how they work, so you kind of like take on board what everyone does and kind of like bridge them into one, but then you kind of find like your own way of doing it, yeah.
• 17:47
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, but yeah, everyone's just great, that's just so helpful.
• 17:51
  SPEAKER_03: I love it.
• 17:51
  SPEAKER_01: And what about the training?
• 17:52
  SPEAKER_01: Because I think people get no I get so many speak to people like, oh, I don't know anything about bills.
• 17:57
  SPEAKER_01: How do you do it?
• 17:58
  SPEAKER_01: But what's the training been like?
• 18:01
  SPEAKER_03: The the training's really good.
• 18:03
  SPEAKER_03: Um, I mean it's great because obviously everyone can get on there, yeah.
• 18:06
  SPEAKER_03: Um, and it just goes step by step on how to do it, and it's just so easy because it's just done by a presentation.
• 18:13
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 18:13
  SPEAKER_03: Like you don't need any experience at all.
• 18:16
  SPEAKER_03: I mean, I'm not the smartest cookie in the book.
• 18:20
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah.
• 18:20
  SPEAKER_03: And so if I can do it, anyone can do it.
• 18:23
  SPEAKER_01: I I didn't, I'll be honest, I was one of those people, and I pull my hand about, I feel really bad about this now.
• 18:28
  SPEAKER_01: But my husband used to do our bills, and now I'm like, how did I let him not do that and not get involved?
• 18:33
  SPEAKER_01: But now I feel so much more like I feel bad.
• 18:36
  SPEAKER_01: If something ever happened to my husband, I'd be like, I can navigate, and now I feel confident.
• 18:41
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I know how to navigate these bills.
• 18:42
  SPEAKER_01: I think if I know how to navigate these bills, then I can navigate a lot of everything else, I think, in the house as well.
• 18:50
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, so um what I was gonna ask you, um, I've lost my train of thought now.
• 18:57
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and what makes utility warehouse like different?
• 19:00
  SPEAKER_01: Why should people, I guess, consider them as a supplier as well?
• 19:55
  SPEAKER_03: Is it you get everything in one, so all your services are bundled in one.
• 20:00
  SPEAKER_03: So you've got one simple monthly bill, you haven't got all the extra stress of all your bills dotted around, all the extra passwords.
• 20:09
  SPEAKER_03: Um, and obviously, we're the only multi-service provider in the UK.
• 20:13
  SPEAKER_03: So it's it's just a no-brainer, just because obviously there's a lot of people um that struggle with their bills, and half the time when you speak to customers, customers don't know where their bills are.
• 20:24
  SPEAKER_03: They don't know how to find them, they may not have created you know, the online app or account where obviously we once we've obviously managed to switch a customer, we make sure that everything is on their phones or their laptops so they can access it ready.
• 20:41
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 20:43
  SPEAKER_01: What would you say to people?
• 20:44
  SPEAKER_01: Because there is there is a little bit of negativity around network marketing.
• 20:47
  SPEAKER_01: People think, oh, I don't like I don't like this multi-level.
• 20:50
  SPEAKER_01: marketing type you know way of working and things like that.
• 20:54
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah.
• 20:55
  SPEAKER_01: And there is that impression of you know the business model.
• 20:59
  SPEAKER_01: How what would you say to that and how you know how you find it and how it works for you?
• 21:04
  SPEAKER_04: The thing is I think that there is a lot of negativity out in there.
• 21:09
  SPEAKER_03: But I think unless you actually just give it a go and do it, you don't have anything to lose.
• 21:15
  SPEAKER_03: I mean obviously I went to the buzz event last week by us um the one up in Ferrin um and the amount of different people that go there and they have all different walks of path.
• 21:27
  SPEAKER_03: So do you know what I mean you've got people that work I don't know save you've got teachers you've got teachers that do it as a side business.
• 21:35
  SPEAKER_03: Like you just do it from home it's flexible like why would you want to leave and work an extra job somewhere else yeah that's that's a lot more extra stress um and say for instance like myself as well like having to call up my boss and say like I can't come in I feel crap like I don't I don't have to do that.
• 21:59
  SPEAKER_03: I don't have to explain to anybody that I'm not coming in to work.
• 22:04
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah and that's the thing the thing is as well like we're not selling anything.
• 22:09
  SPEAKER_03: No like we are not selling anything we're just saving people money.
• 22:14
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah and if we can't we can't then you know it's like no thing is as well like we don't pressure anybody if we're not if we're not gonna save someone money why why would we m make them do something that's not going to benefit them.
• 22:29
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah you know because later on in life they'll come back to you and be like oh my god my bills are really high like can you can you do a quote for me?
• 22:37
  SPEAKER_01: And we'll be like yeah of course absolutely so um so what's next to you because obviously there's all these different where do you want to go within the business?
• 22:47
  SPEAKER_03: Right so obviously I'm at um sqd at the moment yeah which is senior qualified distributor isn't it people yeah I think my next step is heading towards um team leader.
• 23:00
  SPEAKER_03: You're gonna get that though that that is that is my aim that's my goal.
• 23:05
  SPEAKER_01: By Christmas it's we're recording this aren't we early November I think by Christmas you'll be there.
• 23:09
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah so yeah that is my goal to be team leader.
• 23:12
  SPEAKER_01: And that will be your like fourth promotion won't it yeah yeah it will be so you can see I'm just thinking people listen to this that there is if you can you know if you've got the motivation yourself like you will get supported in this business and then that um you know momentum happens doesn't it?
• 23:31
  SPEAKER_03: 100% and I think the key thing is as well is consistency.
• 23:34
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah like you are gonna have the odd day where obviously life takes life takes over it does take over um but I think like the consistency you've got to be consistent and you are going to get people that say no and obviously I love the nose.
• 23:49
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah you're very good yeah I love the nose um but yeah you definitely just got to be consistent.
• 23:57
  SPEAKER_01: I mean consistent so what's your approach now then because I get you know speak to people and I go oh I know so many people I've got a few family and friends then what do I do after that?
• 24:06
  SPEAKER_01: Because obviously you've spoken now you've you know you've helped most of your close family and friends so how are you finding further customers?
• 24:14
  SPEAKER_03: So I'm in um quite a few groups obviously because of my conditions on Facebook yeah on Facebook groups so I go I use Facebook and Instagram quite a lot they are my main go-to um and I've got quite a lot of people on Facebook and Instagram um so I kinda like go into my condition groups um I go on there you know quite a lot of people do their um posts and obviously they struggle to work you know because of the conditions so I just put them a little message you know speak to them see what they're doing at the moment see if I can help them and I've got hopefully of obviously at the moment I've got a few people that are interested um because they they physically can't get to work.
• 25:01
  SPEAKER_03: So and obviously I get that do you know what I mean?
• 25:06
  SPEAKER_03: So I kind of like sympathize with the fact like I understand like it's hard.
• 25:11
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah like it's so you know it's just relevant the fact that I can help them earn an extra income and quite a few of them as well have families.
• 25:19
  SPEAKER_01: So obviously the income side of it they haven't got an income it's difficult is that yeah yeah I love this because it does provide like a lifeline to people doesn't it that maybe can't do traditional employment for whatever reason.
• 25:35
  SPEAKER_03: And I think this is a struggle that I found as well because I thought like how am I going to go back to work again?
• 25:41
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah because obviously my mobility's gone down quite a lot like I've now got a wheelchair so we can actually go have family days out.
• 25:48
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah because I can't like I use my crutch to get about outside the house just going to little Tesco's like that is that's that's enough for me.
• 25:56
  SPEAKER_03: I come back and I have a nap because I'm done I'm exhausted by it.
• 26:02
  SPEAKER_03: But yeah so obviously you know I use the wheelchair so we can go out and have family days out now and obviously just having the extra income we'll be able to provide the extra days out as well.
• 26:11
  SPEAKER_01: Absolutely yeah absolutely I love that like we're doing something nice at the weekend this weekend coming and I was like I don't think we'd have done this nice thing last year.
• 26:21
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah because I'd have been looking at the bank account thinking this week can't afford it this week or whatever and yeah it's really nice to think I can do nice things.
• 26:32
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah so if people want to learn more about the opportunity can they connect with you on Facebook or follow you on Instagram?
• 26:40
  SPEAKER_01: What are you so is it Marina Voice on Facebook if they search for you yeah Marina Voice on both of them both of them lovely so we could definitely put your Instagram handle um in the show notes and we'll also put if people are interested in joining the team we'll also put um Marina sign up link as well but um I'm sure you'd be happy to chat to anybody as well that wants to learn a little bit more about the opportunity.
• 27:03
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah absolutely I mean I love it like it and I think the best thing as well about it like it keeps me it keeps me motivated.
• 27:11
  SPEAKER_03: Like I struggled and I was it was getting me really down because I couldn't do anything and I was stuck at home.
• 27:17
  SPEAKER_03: So it keeps my mind off of things.
• 27:18
  SPEAKER_03: Like even though I'm in pain it kind of like keeps me focused on something else so I'm not feeling sorry for myself.
• 27:24
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah yeah get that it does it yeah so it just it just keeps me focused.
• 27:29
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah lovely I know I 100% I literally think it's the best thing I've done this year.
• 27:34
  SPEAKER_01: So we'd love to see more people in the team changing their lives like it's changed Minor Marinas.
• 27:41
  SPEAKER_01: Lovely thank you so much Marina for joining today and thank you so much to everybody that has listened.
• 27:46
  SPEAKER_01: Thank you thank you for listening to another episode of the Work It Like a Mum podcast.
• 27:57
  SPEAKER_01: If you enjoyed this episode please rate review and subscribe and don't forget to share the link with a friend.
• 28:04
  SPEAKER_01: If you're on LinkedIn please send me a connection request at Elizabeth Willet and let me know your thoughts on this week's episode.
• 28:10
  SPEAKER_01: You can also follow my recruitment site investing in women on LinkedIn Facebook and Instagram until next time keep on chasing your big stream