Latest / Sukany4: The Walk and Talk Podcast / S1E2 - Mel Newton - Ulverston Canal - Marketing, Property and Summits

Transcript

S1E2 - Mel Newton - Ulverston Canal - Marketing, Property and Summits · Sukany4: The Walk and Talk Podcast

0:08
SPEAKER_00: Welcome to the podcast, the show where we explore the journeys of inspiring individuals who have carved out their own unique parts in life.
0:18
SPEAKER_00: I'm your host, Sakanya, and today we're taking a walk with someone who embodies what it means to take charge of your career and follow your passions.
0:30
SPEAKER_00: Joining me is Mel Newton, the founder of MN Consulting, a true marketing maven with deep passion for property.
0:40
SPEAKER_00: Over the years, Mel has not only built a successful career, but she's also poised to make history by pioneering Cumbria's first ever marketing summit, which is in October 2024 on the 18th.
0:56
SPEAKER_00: As we walk along the scenic Albeston Canal, we'll dive into Mel's journey, how she got to where she is today, the challenges she's faced, the milestones she's achieved along the way, and we also touch on a few things in between that have shaped her unique perspective on life and business.
1:17
SPEAKER_00: So grab your walking shoes and join us for a stroll as we explore the fascinating story of Mel Newton.
1:25
SPEAKER_00: Trust me, you won't want to miss a moment of our chat.
1:30
SPEAKER_00: So let's get started.
1:33
SPEAKER_00: Hi Mel! Hi, I've never been on this walk before.
1:39
SPEAKER_01: It's really nice actually.
1:41
SPEAKER_01: I imagine it'll be quite busy.
1:42
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, well, based on the parking situation.
1:45
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
1:45
SPEAKER_00: And I've actually never come down this road before.
1:48
SPEAKER_00: Really?
1:48
SPEAKER_00: So it's coming really slowly to see um like I've never driven past um GSK before.
1:53
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, it's uh it's yeah, it is, it's not what it used to be.
1:56
SPEAKER_01: They've closed a lot of it down yet.
1:59
SPEAKER_01: Um but the bay horse is lovely, yeah.
2:01
SPEAKER_01: Food's great in there.
2:02
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I've never been never been there either.
2:06
SPEAKER_00: Oh my god, it's stunning.
2:08
SPEAKER_01: It is, isn't it?
2:09
SPEAKER_01: You can see right across the bay.
2:10
SPEAKER_01: It's so nice to do a walk that I've never done before.
2:13
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, somewhere different.
2:14
SPEAKER_01: Change of scenery.
2:15
SPEAKER_00: Change of scenery, leave the village.
2:18
SPEAKER_00: I know, I know.
2:19
SPEAKER_00: Oh, do you get actual canal boats coming across here?
2:22
SPEAKER_01: No, so the canal itself, so apparently it's the shortest canal in the UK, I think.
2:27
SPEAKER_01: Um, but it's a dead end.
2:28
SPEAKER_01: It ends at booths just at the A590, so unfortunately we don't get any uh boats or anything on it.
2:36
SPEAKER_00: It's a little hidden gem, isn't it?
2:38
SPEAKER_00: It is, it's really lovely, especially when the weather's like this.
2:41
SPEAKER_00: Wow.
2:41
SPEAKER_00: We'll have to get pictures on the way back.
2:44
SPEAKER_00: Amazing.
2:45
SPEAKER_00: So how's um how's the projects going?
2:49
SPEAKER_01: Good, I've just been catching up on some phone calls actually before um yeah before you arrive.
2:54
SPEAKER_01: Trying to I'm away from next Thursday until the 17th, so organising the plaster of the joiner.
3:01
SPEAKER_01: Oh my goodness, fire doors and is this for the boxy?
3:04
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
3:05
SPEAKER_01: Exciting.
3:06
SPEAKER_01: It is, it is, and we're actually just coming to the end of the first phase then.
3:09
SPEAKER_01: Right.
3:10
SPEAKER_01: Um how many phases are there?
3:12
SPEAKER_01: I think there'll probably three.
3:14
SPEAKER_01: Oh so the first this first phase has taken 18 months roughly.
3:17
SPEAKER_01: Wow.
3:18
SPEAKER_01: Um just to yeah, it just hadn't been touched for so long.
3:22
SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
3:23
SPEAKER_01: Um, it there was a lot to do, and I think the priority was just getting it watertight, you know, new roof.
3:29
SPEAKER_01: We've got the scaffolding up for the roof, so while we had that up, we had to get the external painting because it costs such a lot of money for the scaffolding.
3:36
SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
3:36
SPEAKER_01: Um, so yeah, we've we've been doing a lot really, and then the next phase is more like the infrastructure, so the plumbing, the heating, that kind of thing.
3:46
SPEAKER_01: And what what is the renovation for?
3:48
SPEAKER_01: What are we doing?
3:50
SPEAKER_01: So, I mean, it's a real iconic building, and all of a sudden, it's Art Deco.
3:54
SPEAKER_01: It opened in 1937 as a cinema.
3:57
SPEAKER_01: Um, yeah, so you didn't realise it was that old.
4:00
SPEAKER_01: It is, yeah, and there's so many original features from that Art Deco period within the cinema still, it looks amazing.
4:06
SPEAKER_01: Um, and I think the uh the previous owner had it up for sale.
4:10
SPEAKER_01: I think there was a concern that obviously, as with a lot of old buildings like that, that a developer would snap it up and look it down, which should be a real shape.
4:21
SPEAKER_01: So, yeah, so uh a bunch of awesome business owners came together, created the Roxy Collective, which is a community interest company, yeah, with the aim of bringing it back to its former glory, but also supporting the tenants that are still in there.
4:34
SPEAKER_01: So, you know, the the tenant who has the cinema, okay, Mark who has the Laurel and Hardy Museum, which is a hugely popular museum, yeah.
4:43
SPEAKER_01: Um, he has people coming from all over the world, I think.
4:46
SPEAKER_00: Oh well, yeah, that's amazing.
4:48
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, and um, so three phases, 18 months in already.
4:55
SPEAKER_00: How many years do we think?
4:58
SPEAKER_01: It's quite hard to predict actually because they're a community interest company, they rely on funding.
5:03
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, so the not-for-profit, each kind of funding cycle, whether that comes from the government, various initiatives um will kind of determine how the project goes and the timeline.
5:15
SPEAKER_01: So we've got the funding for the first phase, yeah.
5:18
SPEAKER_01: Um the second phase, I think the funding applications are going in.
5:22
SPEAKER_01: Oh, okay.
5:23
SPEAKER_01: So it might possibly be the end of 24 or 25 before the start.
5:28
SPEAKER_01: Phase two is phase two is ventilation, heating, plumbing.
5:33
SPEAKER_01: The important bits, yeah, yeah, and it's a shame because there's a lot, there's a huge amount of support in the awesome community.
5:39
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, but apart from the painting, you can't see you're not gonna see it kind of getting pretty until the last phase because I've got to get these foundations right first, you know.
5:49
SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
5:49
SPEAKER_00: So oh my goodness, this is stunning.
5:52
SPEAKER_00: It's useful, isn't it?
5:53
SPEAKER_00: I think I say this every time I do any walk.
5:58
SPEAKER_01: It's just nice to get out, you know, break up the day.
6:01
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, yeah.
6:02
SPEAKER_00: I don't do it enough.
6:03
SPEAKER_00: I spent far too many hours sat behind the top, yeah, behind the desk.
6:08
SPEAKER_00: So, what um how did you get involved in the project?
6:12
SPEAKER_01: So, um I do project management, yeah.
6:16
SPEAKER_01: Um, and we've done a number of property projects previously, yeah, that I've managed.
6:22
SPEAKER_01: Um, and I was actually in the process of tendering for my latest project when um the Roxy approached me to ask if I wanted to apply because I think they'd sent it out to tender the project management role.
6:36
SPEAKER_01: So, yeah, put a kind of application in.
6:39
SPEAKER_01: I had an interview with the board, um, and it was successful.
6:44
SPEAKER_00: So I don't know all that much about you because obviously we met through Pink Inc.
6:49
SPEAKER_00: Yep.
6:50
SPEAKER_00: Um, and that was through the property, no marketing, that was through marketing, isn't it?
6:55
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, so what are you doing on the marketing side?
6:58
SPEAKER_01: Um well I think you know I have two passions and that marketing and property, and I'm very fortunate actually to be able to combine the two, and it means that there's plenty of variety, yeah.
7:10
SPEAKER_01: So on the marketing side, it's all about local businesses, small, medium businesses.
7:17
SPEAKER_01: Um, and I'm really passionate about helping them and supporting them because I think business owners, small business owners particularly, are really great at what they do, yeah, very passionate about it.
7:30
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, but there's there's a skills gap sometimes or a knowledge gap in terms of being able to effectively market themselves, and often with quite a limited budget as well.
7:38
SPEAKER_01: So, I mean, I've been doing marketing for 26 years, I think.
7:43
SPEAKER_00: Stop it, yeah, young 26 hiding the wrinkles.
7:51
SPEAKER_00: That's outrageous, male.
7:52
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, so um, and I'm a child, a member of the Charleston Institute of Marketing.
7:56
SPEAKER_01: Okay, I am really passionate about it.
7:58
SPEAKER_01: So the consultancy side the can the consulting um business that I have involves marketing consultancy and project management consultancy, so it just fits quite well really um and it appeals to like the two extremes of my personality so well.
8:17
SPEAKER_01: I'm super creative, yeah, but I'm also super organised.
8:20
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, so the creative side lends itself to the marketing, yeah, and the organisation side lends itself well to the project management.
8:27
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, oh that's amazing.
8:28
SPEAKER_00: So, do you like source your work within the county or do you go outside the county?
8:34
SPEAKER_00: I try and do it within the county.
8:35
SPEAKER_01: I mean, there's enough local businesses, yeah.
8:39
SPEAKER_01: But I think there's actually there's a real gap in the market for good quality, accessible, and affordable marketing support for small businesses.
8:49
SPEAKER_01: Um, and that's kind of the ethos of what I wanted to build with the the marketing side, because as a business as a small business owner, yeah, you don't necessarily have enough funds to pay a marketing consultant£100-200 an hour.
9:07
SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
9:07
SPEAKER_01: So it was finding that balance between you know ensuring it's a viable business, but also being able to make those services accessible to people.
9:17
SPEAKER_01: Um one of the things I was I've been thinking about for quite a while is having a summit, so a place where we can have a day of marketing that's really accessible to people of regardless of the size of the business, right, how much money they've got.
9:37
SPEAKER_01: So um we've just been organised actually um a marketing summit for Cumbria on the 18th of October.
9:44
SPEAKER_01: First ever.
9:45
SPEAKER_01: First ever.
9:46
SPEAKER_01: Hopefully to become an annual event.
9:48
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, that's exciting.
9:49
SPEAKER_01: But it again, it's about getting business owners in a room, yeah, getting loads of value from it, you know, these master classes, QA's, yeah, but they get a chance to network with other business owners who actually might be having the same challenges as them or problems as them that that they can relate to and talk about.
10:06
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
10:07
SPEAKER_00: And do you um what was my question gonna be?
10:13
SPEAKER_00: I got distracted by the hood.
10:15
SPEAKER_00: I know it's stunning, isn't it?
10:17
SPEAKER_00: It really is like I had no idea.
10:19
SPEAKER_00: I knew that people were running along the canal, yeah, but in my mind I couldn't picture where it was, and obviously it's too easy to look on Google Maps and actually find it or ask someone.
10:31
SPEAKER_00: God forbid, should I speak to someone?
10:33
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
10:35
SPEAKER_00: Um now the summit sounds amazing.
10:38
SPEAKER_00: So are you bringing oh that was my question?
10:41
SPEAKER_00: Are you bringing people in from within the county to run those masterclasses?
10:46
SPEAKER_01: Yes, so that was another thing I was really keen on.
10:49
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, um, so I'm gonna be doing a couple of masterclasses.
10:52
SPEAKER_01: We've got um two other people running master classes, both of whom are marketing-related business owners, okay, specialising in organic social media, paid social media, website design, right?
11:06
SPEAKER_01: Um, and again, it I wanted it to be kind of a day provided by local marketers for local businesses because you've got you keep that connection to the local business environment as well, then you know.
11:23
SPEAKER_00: And is that because um being a business owner within the county of Cumbria is different?
11:30
SPEAKER_00: Does it have its own challenges?
11:33
SPEAKER_01: I think it does.
11:37
SPEAKER_01: I think obviously the fact that we're so rural, yeah, I think it is hard.
11:44
SPEAKER_01: Whilst Cumbria is actually a very forward-thinking, innovative um county when you look at the the kinds of things that are happening with manufacturing and and that kind of thing.
11:54
SPEAKER_01: I think for things like marketing and and getting access to good quality support is harder than in highly populated areas such as the cities.
12:05
SPEAKER_01: I mean, even Lancaster, yeah, you know, I think there's probably more available there, but it's still lacking.
12:12
SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
12:13
SPEAKER_01: Um, so yeah, and I think it's it's understanding what's available to people, and your your market as well is quite spread out.
12:23
SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
12:23
SPEAKER_00: So it's understanding how to reach those people in a cost-effective way, and also I guess building trust and understanding the nuances of the more rural areas and business owners.
12:36
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, yeah, I think so.
12:38
SPEAKER_01: And I think this it's also, you know, it's a different mindset, I think, from when you're living in a rural area compared to when you're you're living in a city.
12:47
SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
12:48
SPEAKER_01: Um, but there's certain there's absolutely specific challenges to to working and and owning a business in Cumbria.
12:55
SPEAKER_01: Um, even though it's an absolutely positive thing, it's an amazing place, there's some amazing opportunities.
13:02
SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
13:02
SPEAKER_00: Um, it's just there's always a challenge or two here and there.
13:06
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, and I think to be honest, I think if there's challenges with running a business wherever you are in the country, you know.
13:12
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, um, yeah, yeah, because I found um when I moved to Cumbria as a consultant, one of the as with any consultancy, you have to find a way to engage with people and find that way in, and um there's definitely a very strong sense of community, yeah.
13:32
SPEAKER_00: And once you gain trust and once you gain um people's respect and they get that you do have integrity and you you are going to follow up on what you say, you tend to get a lot more buy-in with what you're doing and a lot more support.
13:48
SPEAKER_01: I think so, and I think because there's that real kind of sense of community still, which you find in very few places, and I say that to a lot of people that I speak that I speak to and me when they say I say I'm from Manchester, but I I moved to Cumbria, I've been here 20 odd years now.
14:02
SPEAKER_01: Okay, and it is that that there is a real sense of community, you know, and you just it's so hard to find in so many other places.
14:10
SPEAKER_01: I mean, if you take the Roxy, for example, just going back to that, yeah.
14:14
SPEAKER_01: Yes, a lot of the funding comes from from government, but they did a crowdfunding, and the response from the awesome community for donations is absolutely phenomenal, you know.
14:26
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, and I think that shows the kind of mindset, and there's a real pride in where we live.
14:31
SPEAKER_00: There is, there is, it's beautiful investing back into where we live and making it so I guess the main thing is making it available and accessible to the next generations, so whatever we build is leaving a legacy and opening doors.
14:48
SPEAKER_00: Sorry, I think I scratched you, sorry.
14:50
SPEAKER_00: My nails are like claws at the moment.
14:55
SPEAKER_00: Um, yeah, so I think that's really important as well.
14:58
SPEAKER_00: And that's what the last time we met, which was probably a couple of years ago when I was banging on about the podcast, was about um, you know, what your legacy was going to be, and actually this Roxy project is a big part of your legacy.
15:13
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I'd like to think so, and I think Cumbria has always struggled with generations kind of growing up, going away to uni and then not coming back because the opportunities aren't necessarily here or they weren't here.
15:28
SPEAKER_01: But I think now, as I say, you've got companies like Bender, like Siemens, BAE, Sellafield, a number of LED lighting companies, and they're all very innovative, like I say, and there's more opportunities than ever before.
15:43
SPEAKER_01: So I think we are seeing more people staying within the county, and actually more people coming into the county.
15:50
SPEAKER_01: You know, BAE had a big um recruitment drive, but you can tell just from the number of new homes being built, yeah, that there's obviously demand there for them.
16:00
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, definitely.
16:01
SPEAKER_00: There's a lot of development going on here.
16:04
SPEAKER_00: It'd be nice if the um the rogue works stopped at some point.
16:09
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I know it was constant.
16:11
SPEAKER_00: It's crazy going.
16:16
SPEAKER_00: Big tractor man.
16:20
SPEAKER_00: Countryside problems.
16:21
SPEAKER_00: Yes.
16:22
SPEAKER_00: Attractor's horses and cyclists stuck in a foot jump on the tractor.
16:30
SPEAKER_00: This is stunning.
16:31
SPEAKER_00: Are those lotus flowers?
16:33
SPEAKER_00: Yes, I think they are they're amazing.
16:36
SPEAKER_00: Oh my goodness, there's a little hut.
16:39
SPEAKER_00: Oh, new, isn't it?
16:43
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, it is.
16:44
SPEAKER_00: I love that.
16:46
SPEAKER_00: Oh, so on the way back.
16:48
SPEAKER_00: It's 18 degrees today, Mel.
16:50
SPEAKER_00: Is it?
16:50
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
16:51
SPEAKER_00: And um I just um was south last weekend and it was like raining and grey.
16:59
SPEAKER_00: Oh no, don't say I'm in London Monday, Tuesday this week, so uh hope it's not too bad.
17:05
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, usually if it's sunny up here, you know it's grey down there.
17:10
SPEAKER_01: So you all know when you set off.
17:12
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I um I've just I just got back from uh booze actually.
17:16
SPEAKER_01: I'd just nipped uh with a couple of the grandkids to to go and get a few bits, including ice lollies, because it's so hot.
17:24
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I'm gonna try and make my own ice lollies this summer just to make them a bit more happy.
17:30
SPEAKER_00: So do do those um those lolly mold things.
17:35
SPEAKER_01: Oh yeah, yeah.
17:35
SPEAKER_01: We uh I bought my husband an ice cream maker for part of his Christmas present a couple of years ago because he loves ice cream.
17:42
SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
17:42
SPEAKER_01: I think the grandkids might have admitted use it more than he actually does.
17:48
SPEAKER_00: At least it's being used as one of these kitchen devices that excuse me, um, tends to sit at the back of the room.
17:55
SPEAKER_00: Goes in a cupboard, yeah, it doesn't come back out and then ends up on seek and sell at some point.
18:01
SPEAKER_00: Oh, so um in terms of what's next, then I guess you're busy enough with what you have.
18:08
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, yeah.
18:08
SPEAKER_01: I mean, I know although the the next phase uh in terms of the rocky and project management, I'll only ever take on one project at a time because I want to make sure I can give it you know all the attention it needs, and they are quite sizable projects, yeah.
18:22
SPEAKER_01: Um, and even though the the next phase of work isn't actually due to start till the end of this year, there's still a lot of work to kind of put together in terms of creating the tenders for the work, getting the programme of work scheduled to make sure we're ready for when that work starts.
18:38
SPEAKER_01: So that's kind of going to be ongoing.
18:41
SPEAKER_01: Um, and in terms of the marketing, yeah, obviously, this summit is taking up quite a lot of my attention at the moment, and and rightly so, because I want to make sure we produce a really great event for people that they get value from.
18:54
SPEAKER_01: And this is something you're doing independently, isn't it?
18:56
SPEAKER_01: It is, yeah.
18:57
SPEAKER_01: Um, I am actually working with one of the speakers who's supporting with some content creation, which is great.
19:04
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, um so yeah, so we've got that, but I think I do like my one-to-one work with clients in terms of the marketing.
19:14
SPEAKER_01: Okay, but I'm starting to develop some courses and trainings now as well online, right?
19:20
SPEAKER_01: Um, so in terms of the future and and what happens next, I think that's probably going to be the direction I go in because it enables me.
19:28
SPEAKER_01: I love sharing knowledge, I love teaching, I love giving master classes and then workshops and that kind of thing.
19:34
SPEAKER_01: So it fits quite well really with that.
19:36
SPEAKER_00: And it's quite a nice transition, isn't it?
19:38
SPEAKER_00: It kind of gives you a backup if you ever want to transition out of the doing, yeah.
19:43
SPEAKER_01: It it absolutely does, and brings you experiences, yeah, and it goes back to that kind of ethos of making it accessible and affordable.
19:50
SPEAKER_01: Yes, people can't afford a consultant, no, they can access pretty much what I do on a one-to-one basis online in their own time, work through it, so yeah, it goes quite well.
20:02
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, and so how did you, when you started your career, sort of build up to this point?
20:09
SPEAKER_00: Was it deliberate or was it did you stumble into it or um to be honest, I had no idea what I wanted to do when I leave school.
20:17
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, when I left school, um, and I think actually there's a lot of pressure to put on kids to know what they want to do.
20:24
SPEAKER_01: To do with for the rest of their lives, who you are, exactly, and it's entirely impractical.
20:28
SPEAKER_01: I mean, don't get me wrong, it makes no sense.
20:30
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, some some kids are like absolutely sure what they want to do, and they follow that.
20:35
SPEAKER_01: And if that's the case, that's great.
20:36
SPEAKER_00: They're the lucky ones, are they?
20:37
SPEAKER_01: They are, but I think there is a lot kind of a lot of kids, and and my son, my eldest son, was one of them who he just wasn't sure what he wanted to do, and I said to him, you know, just try different things, you'll find something.
20:51
SPEAKER_01: Um, and that's kind of how I fell into marketing, I guess.
20:55
SPEAKER_01: So I was living in Manchester, and uh a marketing admin or marketing uh coordinator job came up at Pendleton College in Salford, and I had to give a presentation, and was only 18, I think.
21:09
SPEAKER_01: Well 19 at the time.
21:11
SPEAKER_00: That's very daunting.
21:12
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, yeah.
21:13
SPEAKER_00: There's kind of two parts to that, isn't there?
21:15
SPEAKER_00: There's the naive part of being 1819 and overconfident.
21:20
SPEAKER_00: I can do this, and not really understanding how big it is, yeah.
21:23
SPEAKER_00: And then there's the other side of it where you could have completely like bombed it.
21:27
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I know I know, I don't want it right, and I I I'm really kind of analy organized, and I've always kind of done really well or tried hard and done you know, tried to do my best in everything I do.
21:39
SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
21:39
SPEAKER_01: And I'd created this um presentation for the interview, and I turned up on the day of the interview and had my little USB stick in hand, which was quite new back then.
21:49
SPEAKER_01: And I said, Was it an USB stick or and was it a CD row?
21:52
SPEAKER_01: I can't remember.
21:54
SPEAKER_01: And the girl who was all you go, the girl who was interviewing um after me or before uh after me I think it was turned up and she sat down and she had um what are they called?
22:07
SPEAKER_00: Oh no slides, actual slides yeah pinky that you see in the museum the plastic ones that they put on a big film thing.
22:14
SPEAKER_00: Oh my goodness what are they called?
22:16
SPEAKER_00: What are they called?
22:17
SPEAKER_01: The projector thingies yeah yeah individual plastic sheets printed on that you know that's one thing you see in a mail based because you know already ahead aren't you yeah I thought yes it's gonna be great and it was just it was brilliant and then I got the job yeah um well done and it was a great introduction into marketing because I was kind of a floater and I just helped and supported everybody.
22:40
SPEAKER_01: Yeah so I got involved in organising events I got involved in advertising obviously there was no social media then there was no marketing by email as such um because I remember I think we were using Pegasus mail at work then oh no it was like a step back into the past yeah I've not thought about that for years and years uh yeah so it was it was a really great introduction and yeah I'd I'd left school at 16 because I didn't I didn't know what I wanted to do and I got this job um I thought actually I think I'm gonna really enjoy this because again it appealed to my creative side yeah there were so many different things you could do no no two days were the same.
23:26
SPEAKER_01: Oh that's nice yeah so I applied for Manchester Met Uni for the marketing management degree and I did that while I was working.
23:37
SPEAKER_01: Did they sponsor you then yeah they didn't but they allowed me to work part time while I did the degree.
23:43
SPEAKER_01: Well that's a huge commitment on young mum yeah it was um you know I was I was a young mum I was a single mum at the time and it was really tough but again like I say I've always been very driven very determined it speaks a lot to your character to push forward keep pushing forward yeah I go you know it was some really tough times there was um but I think in my third year I I I was struggling with the with the workload of uni with being on my own and managing childcare and everything else so I moved up here in with my mum and dad.
24:21
SPEAKER_01: Oh okay um and I've never left so yeah so I finished uni.
24:26
SPEAKER_01: You didn't leave your parents' house did you eventually so yeah I uh I finished uni yeah um got uh got a job up here in marketing um and then I did put myself through my um CIM which was like a master's equivalent oh okay in strategic marketing and yeah the the rest is history I guess.
24:51
SPEAKER_01: Whoa so alright yeah you yeah that's us also that's like really um I like that it's not your conventional path and that everything's laid out and I woke up at 14 and I knew what I wanted to do yeah and you've kind of felt your way through it in my life it hasn't been conventional so I was I was oh god how I think I've started uni when I was because I worked for a few years first I started uni when I was 22 yeah um I was only 17 when I had Connor yeah um and it's just it's been a whirlwind it's been ups and downs but I don't think I could I'd never regret anything because everything that's happened to me everything that I've done everything I've succeeded at and everything I've failed at is the reason why I'm here to you have to do today I love that yeah just accepting your path isn't it yeah yeah yeah I love that you just I think I duly believe that you make the boast you make the most of kind of what's dealt to you and it's not just about what's dealt to you know if things go wrong and if if you fail for whatever reason yeah sounds a bit harsh but it's down to you it is it's down to the choices and your actions and I've not always been right I've not always made the right choices but it's it just makes you who you are I think I I agree and it is about taking that accountability and saying well that was not the best decision I've ever made but it's okay I've made it now.
26:25
SPEAKER_00: Yeah so where do we go now exactly and acknowledging it rather than you know skirting around it and then snowball blaming someone else for it as well that's like my worst thing I find that really difficult because you're you're just continuing the lie in your own life aren't you yeah and you're never actually going to be able to move on and and change or do anything because those failures are actually a learning opportunity.
26:54
SPEAKER_01: So you know I screwed up I did that wrong I failed sadly how do I how do I either make it right or how do I move forward and make things better you know I say this a lot in terms of um you know and this is based on things I've read that the universe will keep sending you the same mistake yeah and it keeps it until you you take that message and make a different choice.
27:19
SPEAKER_00: Yeah absolutely otherwise you caught in the cycle of just these bad bad decisions or couldn't agree more honestly but then you you know when you are in that cycle of looking for someone else to blame because it can't possibly be you then that's it you'll you know see ya yeah it's uh it's never gonna get better you know and you can't yeah you can't go on like that but it takes a lot to sort of have that confidence to to reflect and and to accept that actually I'm not perfect.
27:52
SPEAKER_01: Yeah and I think that's I think that's real key you know and I think it's more of an issue now than it's ever been because you know as a marketer you know social media is one of my tools but I also think there's so many negative elements to it people portraying these perfect lives that actually aren't that perfect and therefore other people comparing themselves against these people and thinking that they're not enough or they're not where they should be and everyone is on their own path everyone's on their own journey and they're all at different stages of that journey so so long as you focus on yourself yeah your journey and what comes next for you yeah it's so much better but I think as well what also helps is I'm from a a family of really strong women yeah so um my nan's my mum's maiden name is Fox and I grew up and we used to go to my nan's and my mum is one of four sisters they all had girls as well okay um and whenever we do I do something or say something my husband goes oh it's a fox thing isn't it anything that's like I disagree or I've I'm kind of being putting my foot down no I'm very passionate about this I'm strong I'm independent you know yeah so I think that helps because that's kind of ingrained at an early age then and you see people that you can genuinely aspire to and look up to and that are good role models.
29:16
SPEAKER_01: Yeah and to yeah and to live through their journeys as well and presumably watching them take accountability for bad decisions or things that haven't quite been a hundred percent absolutely you know and and in that family of kind of strong females there's divorces there's illness there's kids that are amazing there's kids that aren't amazing but we always support each other as a family and we always work yeah through it either independently or together so yeah I love that and just talking about social media you said before about organic and paid yeah what does that mean?
29:52
SPEAKER_01: So organic socials is when you're um creating content and putting it on your social channels yeah and building up that audience that kind of awareness that reliability that trust yeah within your general content creation and on your channels yeah whereas your paid is your Facebook ads your LinkedIn ads so you're paying to get your advert and your message in front of people oh it's and it's organic is a struggle it is it's getting harder and I think let me just interrupt you a second look at the swan I'm gonna have to try and grab a picture of it let me see if I can do this without screwing anything up.
30:33
SPEAKER_01: I think it's getting harder and it's because the algorithm algorithms are changing constantly and there's just so much content being put out there you know um it's overwhelming isn't it it is it is I mean if they I think the statistic I read a few years ago I'm not entirely sure if it's correct but I think it's something like we're bombarded with 5,000 marketing messages a day on average.
30:56
SPEAKER_00: 5,000 and I'm sure that was a that was something I read about 10 years ago now yeah whoa so trying to kind of get that content I think we're at the end now actually trying to get that content that kind of stands out from the masses is increasingly difficult you know yeah that's frightening and especially with the generations coming through now who know nothing but an online life yeah yeah it's crazy to think that even if you have parents in or family members who are of a generation who remember like without social media it's really difficult actually to to explain to them that because this is their reality this is their life this is how it's going forward yeah yeah so it's learning how to how do you balance that and understand say for example your Instagram feed you're in control of that actually and you don't need to look at all these nasty things and you don't you can make it a joyful place and and sure there is this you know they they talk about this um social media toxicity in terms of what you were saying before with comparisonitis and over overly positive stuff but then you get the other extreme where people are then trying to be show their authentic side and you get like videos of people crying and and overshare oversharing in my opinion.
32:33
SPEAKER_01: Yeah and I think there's just absolutely zero reality on social media I do you know apart companies you know yeah great that's where people are whether that's Facebook Instagram Twitter you know yeah TikTok it's where their audiences are so so businesses have to be and I think businesses do strive a lot of businesses to be as authentic as possible in a good way yeah but from a personal point of view of people's personal profiles I think there's there's just so little of a reality on anything that gets posted and it's and it then drives that algorithm though to say what you're then being presented with.
33:14
SPEAKER_00: So from a marketing perspective that's a freaking nightmare yeah it is it is and how do you get your product to in front of the people who would buy it if they don't understand themselves well enough to be looking at the things that would be similar yeah that would that would be kind of portraying a version of themselves that isn't necessarily authentic so it's not actually what they're interested in it's what they think people think they should be interested in.
33:44
SPEAKER_01: Yeah absolutely oh it's exhausting though it is it is honestly it it really is and it and it's gonna get bigger and more complex and you know so what does AI do to marketing?
33:58
SPEAKER_01: So I think it can absolutely be a good thing and I know there's absolutely tons of debate and not just in the marketing industry but in a lot of industries about that you know it's gonna take away people's jobs and this and the other but I think actually the world is becoming busier people want more they want it faster.
34:21
SPEAKER_01: Is it busier or is it just accelerated?
34:25
SPEAKER_01: Well I imagine that that's the case you know is I think with AI yeah there's a real opportunity to improve efficiency improve productivity so from a marketing point of view I think there's a number of AI tools um and from a content creation point of view it's not somebody doing it for you you know so for example if I went onto chat GPT and I wanted to create a blog yeah for a client for example yeah I would have to I would spend maybe half an hour yeah 45 minutes crafting a prompt you couldn't just say write a blog about walking down you know you need the skills to tell any what you're so you've got to tell them who the company is who the target audience is what the tone of voice is yeah what the brand values are and what the company stands for.
35:20
SPEAKER_01: So it's not a thing that just anyone can do you still need those I think it's obvious let's just say I think it's obvious in marketing and on social media from businesses who have just typed in a sentence okay used what's been spat out okay that's you know so you've got to get that prompt right you've got to ask it questions so it learns yeah and then when it spits that content out you've then got to spend more time reviewing it tweaking it changing it making sure it's correct so I think for a standard blog for example I might previous previously have spent three hours writing a blog whereas I can use the time to create the right prompt yeah and then afterwards I can use the time to tweak it so I've probably at least half that time if not more yeah um I would imagine 20% of that blog would have been in the prompt yeah um 60% would have been the creation by AI and 20% would have been the tweaking and editing afterwards.
36:24
SPEAKER_01: So actually the fact that I can produce content at just as good a quality because I've got the prompt right because I've reviewed it tweaked it and changed it and checked it afterwards it means I can produce it yeah for my client at the same quality much quicker.
36:40
SPEAKER_01: Yeah so I think there's absolutely ways it can help yeah but like I've just said I think there's definitely people who use it incorrectly and I think that can actually be more damaging to someone's brand reputation.
36:56
SPEAKER_01: Yeah because they're just churning out stuff that they clearly haven't spent any time or thought on yeah and they're just they're cutting corners to save some budget yeah in marketing but I mean in and not just it's not just content creation you know if you think about a company and taking their customer through that customer journey from awareness through to purchase and then delight afterwards AI can play really key roles at each of the touch points throughout that journey whether that's using automation right um so there's a lot of potential I think yeah you know and I think it's gonna progress more and a lot quicker because if you look at how far AI has come on just in the last 18 months well it's frightening just in our lifetime it's frightening isn't it because we've had we've gone from not even having a mobile phone yeah yeah oh that's I think I got my first mobile phone when I was twenty three.
37:57
SPEAKER_01: Were you I said 19 I just it was the was I 19 or 20 it was the Nokia thing with snake.
38:06
SPEAKER_01: Yep that's what mine oh I might have been a bit I might have been twenty actually but yeah big big Nokia thing it was I was so excited I know and now I'm not quite sure whether that was the right or not but everyone was doing it everyone was on it.
38:23
SPEAKER_00: Yeah it was funny I remember the only game I could play was that Snake we used to look at on the tube and people would be playing Snake and now look at it.
38:33
SPEAKER_00: Hello but actually that was the beginning of the end of eye contact.
38:37
SPEAKER_01: Yeah because when you used to read a book or a paper sure you were reading it but you would glance up and down once in a while you wouldn't just stare at the thing because you're not gaming or no I absolutely and I was having a conversation this morning I was at a business networking meeting this morning and we were talking about that very thing and that younger generations and their ability to kind of write well communicate well when most of them are used to texts and and kind of different yeah and and it's a totally different language and the thought of picking up a phone and speaking to someone is like they don't do it.
39:16
SPEAKER_00: Yeah I mean to be fair I schedule calls now like shall I phone you on Thursday at 3 pm?
39:22
SPEAKER_00: Yeah yeah absolutely spontaneously because I'll be staring at this thing oh my goodness the audacity but I'll do you nothing that is but I think certainly for the younger generation still at school yeah it's a whole new call game isn't it yeah and actually in a way it's kind of good because from that age from a very young age they're setting boundaries on how they're utilising their time but at the same time I feel like no one will ever experience the joy of a spontaneous phone call and sitting on the staircase because that's the only place with the telephone.
40:01
SPEAKER_00: Yeah it's as far as it will reach the the cord on the concert and just having your long conversations about nothing and memorising your friends' phone numbers and which which a lot of which form my passwords now because I still remember them.
40:18
SPEAKER_00: Brilliant that's their uncrackable password exactly just gonna put that out and also um you know the joy of dancing like no one's watching I say this all the time because I do genuinely feel so sad that so many people are so worried about how they are being portrayed.
40:40
SPEAKER_00: How their peers see them you know staying on social media.
40:44
SPEAKER_00: Yeah oh I can't do that it's gonna make them look cheapy but if you love doing that just give yourself the chance to experience that joy yeah because it is the best feeling it is oh my god I still uh I still do it around the kitchen on my own hour to myself after wait for Rich comes home yeah yeah it's just a joy giver it's a shame it'll be interesting to see how it goes I mean so one of my um cousins had to go for training on how to talk to millennials at work.
41:22
SPEAKER_00: Oh my god I was talking to someone else recently about um Gen Z and they were saying actually really hard with Gen Z so I think as we progress through our careers it's gonna get harder it's gonna get harder by just like well we have to set up our own versions of Twitter and things to communicate so it's 350 characters that's it I can't take anymore to say it it I think it's terrifying you know who would have thought you'd need to think about how you communicate to a different different person just because of the generation you come from you know yeah it's incredible isn't it and we're the people parenting these people yeah yeah absolutely absolutely I'm kidding I think that I think they're gonna be awesome I love how confident this generation is and how they they have no apology in setting boundaries I love that and they know what they want even if they don't know what they want if you know what I mean.
42:27
SPEAKER_00: Yeah I think you know I I feel like I've kind of bashed the younger generations to death for the last 70 minutes but actually you know I don't think you have I think we're bashing ourselves we're not we haven't got the skills yet we're falling behind.
42:44
SPEAKER_01: Yeah but yeah and I think you know like you say they're confident they're creative they've got probably a level of tech knowledge because of that kind of continuous interaction with the social normal forms so whereas uh older generations would have to probably think and and learn and and spend some time trying to understand it's really YouTubing how to you know it'll come very natural to a lot of the younger generation won't it?
43:14
SPEAKER_00: I agree yeah I'll be interested it's it's I think AI is such an interesting space because I agree with you I think it can add value across the board but it needs to be used um mindfully yeah it's not the magic tool it's not perfect you know it's if you think of it as a massive database it's only as good as what's in it.
43:38
SPEAKER_00: Of course of course and you've still got to check the output of that haven't you you know yeah and to do that you need to understand marketing yeah you need to have those skills so it's not a case that it's going to replace these jobs overnight certainly no not at all and I think even you know regardless of the industry AI is used in even if it's an you know not an
44:00
SPEAKER_01: Marketing, you've still got to have a skill and be skilled within that industry to be able to use it effectively.
44:07
SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
44:07
SPEAKER_01: And I think that's where it shows that actually it's not going to remove take people's jobs.
44:11
SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
44:12
SPEAKER_01: Because it needs people skilled in that profession to get the best from AI and the and the tools that are available.
44:18
SPEAKER_00: And just on that point, it'd be interesting to see actually just from watching companies and their output and understanding who's using AI without an expert supporting them versus who is using a marketing specialist for support to see who is successful and if they are able to keep going or if they will see a change in their stuff.
44:44
SPEAKER_01: Absolutely.
44:44
SPEAKER_01: And you know, one of the things that I look at and and I kind of have a bit of an eagle eye for things, I always review stuff and check things.
44:52
SPEAKER_01: And when I was an employee, people used to ask me to check things and read things because we only kind of spell, you know, check spelling or grammar and that kind of thing.
45:00
SPEAKER_01: But one way you can always tell when a piece of content has been generated by AI and hasn't been checked is because it Americanises the language, so it puts Z in place of S's.
45:13
SPEAKER_01: And I think that's a quite a clear indication then that actually you've just turned it out and not checked it or anything, you know.
45:21
SPEAKER_00: And that's interesting that we're in 2024 and UK-based companies, we still have software that is set to American English.
45:33
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, it is, it is crackers.
45:35
SPEAKER_01: They put it put a man on the moon, surely they can create you know, default UK English.
45:41
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, because you can kind of forgive it from 1994 or whatever it was.
45:46
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, absolutely.
45:48
SPEAKER_00: But for now, that's such a great place to have a nice, isn't it?
45:55
SPEAKER_00: I saw coming back.
45:56
SPEAKER_01: Brand new, I've not um mind you, I must say I don't think I've been here since last summer, so okay.
46:01
SPEAKER_01: It must be new this year.
46:03
SPEAKER_00: Oh, it's just magical.
46:05
SPEAKER_00: I love seeing buttercups across the fields.
46:07
SPEAKER_00: I know, they're so lovely.
46:10
SPEAKER_01: In the early spring, just go along the A590.
46:13
SPEAKER_01: There's a couple of fields that are with under the trees that are just coated in bluebells as well.
46:18
SPEAKER_01: Wow, yeah, bluebell season's special, isn't it?
46:21
SPEAKER_01: It is.
46:21
SPEAKER_01: It doesn't last very long though.
46:23
SPEAKER_00: No.
46:24
SPEAKER_00: No, it is lovely.
46:26
SPEAKER_00: I just love seeing this canal with these lotus leaves.
46:29
SPEAKER_00: So are you um are you good at giving yourself down time?
46:33
SPEAKER_00: No.
46:33
SPEAKER_01: No, no, I'm terrible at it.
46:35
SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
46:36
SPEAKER_01: It's a bit of a bit of a bone of contention between my husband and I.
46:41
SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
46:41
SPEAKER_01: Um I uh I start, I get I get I get up in the morning and I get up about an hour before everyone else.
46:49
SPEAKER_01: I've got a nice quiet hour to myself.
46:52
SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
46:52
SPEAKER_01: Um, but I'm generally at the laptop by about seven.
46:56
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
46:57
SPEAKER_01: Um and I I I have to force myself to kind of take a break and and walk away from it at lunchtime, and that quite often doesn't happen either.
47:06
SPEAKER_01: Right.
47:07
SPEAKER_01: And then I'm working yeah, and then my husband will come home from work and I'll still be at it, he'll be like, right, you're gonna turn the laptop, yeah, I'll do that soon.
47:14
SPEAKER_01: And it'll get to like seven, eight o'clock, and he'd be like, Right, that's it, I'm gonna unplug the power.
47:19
SPEAKER_01: It's like my batteries I've got the battery on the laptop, you know, that's not getting to work.
47:24
SPEAKER_01: But my you know, we were talking about boundaries before, yeah, and I am terrible at setting them.
47:30
SPEAKER_01: Absolutely terrible at setting them.
47:33
SPEAKER_01: So I I know that you know I I don't know where I'm gonna say something really kind of feminist now, but as females, we always put our own self-care at the bottom of the pile, yeah.
47:44
SPEAKER_01: You know, yeah, it's always the it's the husband the house, the husband, the kids, the grandkids, you know, work and and we always come last.
47:52
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, and I think yeah, I just I I take pride in what I do, and I and I I I like to work hard.
48:00
SPEAKER_01: I'm one of these people that's not happy unless I'm going 100 miles an hour, you know.
48:04
SPEAKER_01: And you enjoy what you're doing.
48:06
SPEAKER_01: I do, and so it yeah, and it so it does make it easier.
48:08
SPEAKER_01: So if I do a 13-hour day, actually, I could have written a blog, I could have created some social posts, I could have written a strategy for somebody, uh you know, so there's loads of things going on.
48:17
SPEAKER_01: I could have been up on the roof of the Roxy, you know.
48:20
SPEAKER_01: So it doesn't feel like I've done a 13-hour day, yeah, but I am very aware that I need to kind of make sure I have that time for me, and actually, very good time in this conversation because on the 9th of June I'm going to Wales in the camper van on my own for a week.
48:40
SPEAKER_01: Whoa! I'm very excited.
48:43
SPEAKER_01: Well, I'll take a laptop.
48:44
SPEAKER_01: Well, my eye my plan is I'm gonna work from 9 till 11 in the morning and then have the rest of the day.
48:50
SPEAKER_01: But there's going to be me, my walk-in boots, wine, and books.
48:53
SPEAKER_01: Oh, that's right.
48:54
SPEAKER_01: I'm very excited.
48:55
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, that sounds great.
48:56
SPEAKER_01: And I have not done anything like that for years and years and years.
48:59
SPEAKER_01: Just take yourself off.
49:01
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, just time for myself.
49:03
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, how does how does the not having downtime manifest in you?
49:08
SPEAKER_00: How do you know that you've reached that point where you've got taken it too far?
49:12
SPEAKER_01: Because I don't sleep very well, right?
49:15
SPEAKER_01: Because my brain is just constantly going because I'm not giving myself that downtime.
49:20
SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
49:20
SPEAKER_01: Um, and I I I feel myself starting to procrastinate over things.
49:25
SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
49:26
SPEAKER_01: So I might like take 15 minutes for lunch and then I'll jump on the socials, I'll fall into a scroll hole, you know, and like, oh, need to do that next.
49:36
SPEAKER_01: Or I'll just do the dishwasher, or need to do that, I'll just put a load of washing in, and I know then that my brain is like at capacity almost, you know.
49:44
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, but I think the I think the biggest one is is definitely struggling sleeping, yeah.
49:49
SPEAKER_01: And that has a real impact on you physically and mentally, you know.
49:53
SPEAKER_00: That's the worst one, I think.
49:55
SPEAKER_00: I find that the hardest to to contend with.
49:58
SPEAKER_00: I recently changed my pillow, which um doesn't help with doing too much, yeah, but it does help with comfort and being able to give yourself a higher chance of success.
50:12
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, yeah, absolutely.
50:14
SPEAKER_01: You've got to take every win when you do.
50:18
SPEAKER_00: But that no, so that's it, that's really interesting.
50:21
SPEAKER_00: That you and is that something you've come to know about yourself over time?
50:25
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, yeah, absolutely, absolutely.
50:27
SPEAKER_01: And when when I get to that stage, unfortunately, I don't always get the chance to take a take off for a week.
50:34
SPEAKER_01: Yes.
50:34
SPEAKER_01: Um, and uh you know, it's not beyond the realms of possibility, you know.
50:39
SPEAKER_01: I I I do have that flexibility because a lot of what I do can be done online, yeah.
50:44
SPEAKER_01: But obviously we've got things that happen with the house, with the kids, and everything else, and that kind of thing again about your self-care coming last.
50:51
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, it just you've you naturally fall into that rhythm of looking after everybody else.
50:56
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, but I think actually, if I do get to this stage, I quite often just say, right, I'm just gonna go out for a day on my own, yeah, whether that's up the lakes, or that's you know, into all of a sudden then a walk along the beach or something like that, just to give myself some head space and and not be tempted to get pulled into something else.
51:18
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, and and quite often that kind of day of downtime looks nothing apart from me sitting in my pajamas on the couch watching films.
51:29
SPEAKER_01: I do that, and I feel really guilty when I do it, which is ridiculous.
51:32
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, don't do that.
51:34
SPEAKER_01: I force myself to do it because I you know think I'm not picking up my laptop, I'm not gonna I'm just not going to do it.
51:44
SPEAKER_01: It just means that my brain is not switched on, it's not engaged.
51:48
SPEAKER_01: I don't have to think you will be you will be, you'll be working things through, yeah, but you're not giving it space to come out.
51:55
SPEAKER_00: That's right, that's right.
51:56
SPEAKER_00: So yeah, I find that I get better quality answers from my brain when I do that and give myself that downtime and just start thinking about the thing.
52:09
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I do.
52:10
SPEAKER_01: I think it because you're not it's not full of everything that you're currently thinking about, you've got that kind of headspace to get a bit creative, think of new ideas, and then you know, various other things.
52:22
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, exactly.
52:24
SPEAKER_00: No, I I always think um, in terms of self-care, um because I have been in the situation where I've nearly burnt out twice, and you get to this point, like exactly as you were describing, you kind of just you're just uh existing, yeah.
52:40
SPEAKER_00: Nothing is enjoyable, yeah.
52:42
SPEAKER_01: And that's not what life is about, is it?
52:45
SPEAKER_00: That's what you have to catch yourself and have a word with yourself, and I like the solitude time as well.
52:51
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I don't I don't like being surrounded by people when that happens because I'm having a word with myself right now.
52:57
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, yeah, I'm exactly the same, and I think it actually helps back to you.
53:01
SPEAKER_01: Before I met my husband, I was on my own for 10 years, okay, and I absolutely loved it.
53:06
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, you know, and it I hadn't, you know, I thought to myself, well, if I meet someone, I meet someone if I don't.
53:11
SPEAKER_01: I don't actually think I mind that doesn't have to be the goal.
53:14
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, and as it happened when I did meet him, I was like, Oh god, you're gonna encroach on my space now, aren't you?
53:20
SPEAKER_01: You know, but I I think time alone is actually really powerful.
53:24
SPEAKER_01: I agree.
53:25
SPEAKER_01: Um, yeah, and it's good it's good for you, like I say, whether that sat on the couch watching films all day and doing nothing, whether it's out walking, swimming, anything that's anything.
53:35
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, and just that relationship with yourself is so important, and there's so many people who um talk about this on podcasts and have written books about this to kind of um enforce the point, really, that your strongest relationship has to be with yourself.
53:55
SPEAKER_00: Of course, but I think that we're all guilty at some point in our lives of neglecting ourselves to please other people or to prioritize other people, yeah.
54:08
SPEAKER_00: And that's to our detriment because when you come out of the other side of those episodes, you have to remember who you who are you.
54:16
SPEAKER_00: You do.
54:17
SPEAKER_00: You might do I even like watching Netflix, or was I just doing that?
54:21
SPEAKER_00: Because I think I should know somebody else is doing it.
54:24
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, exactly.
54:25
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, do I like going to do I even like alcohol?
54:28
SPEAKER_01: Do you know it's it's crazy, all those things, and I think it's it's something that people feel and experience every day, you know.
54:35
SPEAKER_01: And it's true that I know that not looking after myself means that I get a bit grouchier, I don't sleep very well, and and I know that that stops me from being the best business owner I can be, the best wife can be, the best mother, the best grandmother, you know, and even knowing that I still struggle to kind of take that time for self-care.
54:58
SPEAKER_00: You can get carried away with the project of the moment or whatever it is.
55:03
SPEAKER_01: Absolutely, and I think again, they're talking about prioritizing people over you, yeah, and me saying before about not struggling to set bound about struggling to set boundaries.
55:14
SPEAKER_01: I I used to find it hard to say no to people, right?
55:18
SPEAKER_01: So I was constantly like being stretched and pulled in in multiple directions, and I still find it hard to a degree now, but the older I get, I am learning to it better, and actually I'm finding that I'm becoming a lot less tolerant of other people's shit.
55:35
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
55:36
SPEAKER_01: So what I would have previously kind of accepted and put up with, I actually won't now because that's not acceptable.
55:44
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, yeah, I agree with that.
55:46
SPEAKER_00: I'm the same.
55:47
SPEAKER_00: I kind of I think I think you have to go through that journey, and it kind of loops back to what we said right in the beginning.
55:54
SPEAKER_00: It does seem crazy.
55:55
SPEAKER_00: I mean, obviously, everyone needs a job and you need an income and you need a career and you should try different things out, but the way we have to do it really is tap onto the back end of schooling and yeah, and try and encourage people to find something that way.
56:14
SPEAKER_00: But if you don't know who you are, then how do you know what you want what you are and what your path is, and yeah, I think the schooling system, there's so many things that um that I would challenge, and I think one of them is better education and financial literacy.
56:36
SPEAKER_01: That is a huge kind of thing.
56:40
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, and I I talk to people about this a lot.
56:42
SPEAKER_01: I have a real issue with this, you know.
56:46
SPEAKER_01: Why can't we why can't our young generations leave school understanding interest rate, savings, debt, you know, the impact of debt, managing finance, and and the whole life skills.
57:00
SPEAKER_00: How are we sending young people out into the world without this?
57:03
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I left school knowing how the Romans got loads, yeah, yeah, but that's and that's it, and I think you know, the education system, yeah, you're getting the you're getting the kids up to kind of a level of knowledge of understanding, but actually I think it's so restrictive, it's turning out robots because there isn't any kind of flexibility into the every kid is different.
57:27
SPEAKER_01: Yes, if someone's more creative, yeah, they're not gonna enjoy academic subjects, you know, and and forcing those on them is not gonna bring out the best in them, I don't think.
57:38
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I kind of because I wasn't very academic when I was at school, and it's not to say I wasn't intelligent, it's more or capable, it's more that I wasn't engaged or interested, and so I feel and I loved going to university, and I got a very average degree, and it was fine, but I had a more than average life experience the first time, but and then this is it, isn't it?
58:07
SPEAKER_01: You know, I have to say I resonate with that completely because I was pretty terrible at school.
58:12
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I I I I didn't go and I shut off, and then something the other.
58:16
SPEAKER_01: And yeah, when I left my primary school, my teacher, Mr.
58:20
SPEAKER_01: Smith in primary school, I remember to this day, told my mum that I'd be a mentor one day, which I personally find hilarious.
58:28
SPEAKER_01: But my brain cells are decreasing now, not increasing.
58:35
SPEAKER_01: But I got to school and I hated it, I hated the rigidity of it, I hate and I rebelled against that.
58:42
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, you know, I didn't enjoy it, I didn't like it, yeah.
58:45
SPEAKER_01: I didn't go and I should have done, I got into trouble.
58:47
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, but then that's a sign that you were probably bored as well.
58:51
SPEAKER_00: It is, yeah.
58:51
SPEAKER_01: And so I got I left school, I worked for a couple of years, and then when I got into that first marketing job and decided to do marketing, I went to uni.
59:00
SPEAKER_01: I absolutely loved it, yeah, because it was a different environment and it was something I'd chosen that I was interested in that engaged my brain, yeah, you know, and I think that's where the difference is, and I think that rigidity in schools is not necessarily a good thing.
59:15
SPEAKER_00: No, and I think um also this um like as much as I loved university and I loved everything about it, I should have really gone straight to work because the second I started working, it just made sense, yeah, and I could see the point of it.
59:31
SPEAKER_00: I think that's what it was.
59:33
SPEAKER_00: I could see the point of it.
59:34
SPEAKER_00: Like, I could absorb a book in two days on that subject and know it.
59:40
SPEAKER_00: But if you ask me to do that, it's cool, little university.
59:43
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, no cool.
59:44
SPEAKER_00: I'll be falling asleep every 10 minutes at each page.
59:47
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I I I think that's it, and it it's finding that spark, I think.
59:51
SPEAKER_01: And you know, going back to this generation thing, and there needs to be enough flexibility in schools to help kids find out what they're good at, what they're strong at.
1:00:02
SPEAKER_01: Because if they feel like they're failing because it's something they have no interest in, therefore it doesn't engage them, then that's actually going to make them feel pretty crappy about themselves, you know.
1:00:11
SPEAKER_01: Whereas if they can and I know it's not easy, and I know there's huge class sizes now in some schools, but I think I still think there needs to be a way of helping kids find where their strengths are, where they blossom, where they can really enjoy things and make a life out of it.
1:00:28
SPEAKER_01: That comes from knowing yourself.
1:00:29
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, it does, and that's it, that's a justice position, isn't it?
1:00:32
SPEAKER_01: Because quite often you don't get to that stage of knowing yourself until you're older, you know.
1:00:37
SPEAKER_00: It is a really difficult thing, and you know, you do get sucked into life things, and then you might have kids or whatever it is.
1:00:45
SPEAKER_00: And in your situation, obviously, you had that sort of drive and vision for where you were going, but not everyone has that, and not everyone has that kind of support system, and yeah, and I think that's the key thing, isn't it?
1:00:58
SPEAKER_01: It's having that support system, having that family in place that regardless of the path that you choose, or you know, that that kind of appears in front of you, yeah, helping you continue down that path or supporting you if you fall off that path, you know, because a lot of people don't, which is a real shame.
1:01:17
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, it is, it is.
1:01:19
SPEAKER_00: So on that very down but very important conversation because actually what it what will happen with that and how do I think a lot of parents are getting better though.
1:01:31
SPEAKER_00: I think a lot of parents are taking it on themselves to enforce that in their children, yeah, that well-being bit.
1:01:36
SPEAKER_00: And I see it with my friends and my family.
1:01:38
SPEAKER_01: Absolutely, absolutely.
1:01:40
SPEAKER_01: I think and but I think with every and it's the same with every generation, there's gonna be parents and and and families at either end of that spectrum, aren't there?
1:01:50
SPEAKER_01: And I think that's gonna be the same for generations to come, you know.
1:01:53
SPEAKER_01: It's not that the country is gonna fall apart because we're gonna be full of um kids who can't read, write, and want to be on socials all day.
1:02:01
SPEAKER_01: I think it's there's a there's a huge competition about this idea.
1:02:05
SPEAKER_00: I think there's a risk that our generation will be on socials all the time.
1:02:09
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, falling into that spectrum, but yeah, I genuinely think regardless of the generation, there's always gonna be families, adults, children that are at both ends of that spectrum, you know.
1:02:21
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I agree, I agree.
1:02:24
SPEAKER_00: Oh well, Bill, this is beautiful.
1:02:26
SPEAKER_00: It's been lovely.
1:02:28
SPEAKER_01: Really lovely that I can't remember actually the last time I took a full hour out to be in the sun and walk for ages, so it's absolutely marvellously.
1:02:37
SPEAKER_00: We've done two and a half miles, excellent, and the clock is ticking to almost an hour, so I'm just gonna let it run two hours.
1:02:48
SPEAKER_00: Then I'll switch it off, then my stats will look better.
1:02:52
SPEAKER_00: Although the pace has gone down to zero.
1:02:54
SPEAKER_01: Well, there's a bit of a theme of uh of self-care today, then because I'm gonna leave here, yeah, I'm gonna nip home, and then I've got a five o'clock appointment in Barrow, so I have my nails and my eyebrows on the colour.
1:03:05
SPEAKER_01: Oh, amazing! So I'm gonna finish the day off with uh as little work as possible, I think.
1:03:11
SPEAKER_00: Oh, that's perfect.
1:03:12
SPEAKER_00: That sounds great.
1:03:14
SPEAKER_00: That wraps up our walk along the beautiful Elvison Canal with Mel Newton, the founder of MN Consulting.
1:03:22
SPEAKER_00: It's been an inspiring journey hearing about how Mel has taken control of her career, combined her love for marketing and property to create something truly special.
1:03:34
SPEAKER_00: But Mel's journey doesn't stop here.
1:03:36
SPEAKER_00: As we said before, she's about to make history with Cumbria's first ever marketing summit happening on Friday, the 18th of October, 2024.
1:03:49
SPEAKER_00: It's going to be a full day dedicated to doing more with less, featuring workshops, master classes, QA sessions, and invaluable marketing insights.
1:04:01
SPEAKER_00: If you're looking to enhance your skills, know what to do, and more importantly, how to do it, this is an event you won't want to miss.
1:04:12
SPEAKER_00: For more details, be sure to check out the links we've shared on our social media platforms.
1:04:18
SPEAKER_00: You can find everything you need to know about the summit and how to get involved.
1:04:23
SPEAKER_00: A huge thank you to Mel for sharing her story with us today, and to all of you for joining us on this walk.
1:04:31
SPEAKER_00: If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with your friends and don't forget to engage with us on social media.
1:04:39
SPEAKER_00: We love hearing your thoughts and look forward to your comments and feedback.
1:04:43
SPEAKER_00: Until next time, take care and keep exploring.