Latest / GEL & Tell / Ep 21 - The Reality of Being an Ambitious Woman

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Ep 21 - The Reality of Being an Ambitious Woman · GEL & Tell

• Nora: Hello. G: Hello. Nora: Welcome back people. G: It's episode twenty one. Can you believe it? You can. We're Nora: I can. I can, yeah. G: we're so consistent. Nora: Sorry, middle name. G: Mine's actually a Lenny Rosa. What's yours? Nora: I don't have a middle name. G: Is that not a thing in Cyprus? Nora: I don't think so. yeah. I don't think so. No. No. G: Fair enough. Nora: Yeah. Well, it can be Eleonora Consistentella. Here we go. Just made up one. G: I like it. Nora: Yeah, but anyways, let's get into the episode. How are you? How's the week going? G: Yeah. the week is going good. it's Thursday, which is pretty mental to me. We've been so busy this week. It's been full on, but in a really nice and productive and positive way. Like every day's been full of work, full of clients, full of stuff really. Like both of our to do lists have been pretty long. but I'm feeling grateful for it and I'm like, this is what we want. So, you know, it's it's nothing to be like stressed about. It's just taking each day as it comes. So yeah, all in all, feeling positive. How about you? Nora: Love it. G: How are you? We're not long out from show numero uno. Nora: No, we're single digits now, nine days out, which is G: my god. Nora: really cool. But yeah, I've been super busy. Work has been amazing. because of, well, the offer that we put out last week, we signed up how many? Like six new people. G: Six yeah, six or seven new clients, I think. Nora: which we get to do this guys. We love it. We absolutely do. But it also has come with a lot of work, which, know, I messaged you the other day, like we get to do this. Like I'm grateful that we are busy. you know, yeah, we get to be busy G: It's actually mad. Nora: with our own business that we are building. And yeah, I wouldn't change it and I wouldn't have it any other way. Yeah, I think that's been my highlight this week. As much as the show is coming up, like I think Gell has been super, super good the last two-ish weeks. We've had a lot of positive things happen. Clients are getting a lot of results as well, which is great to see. G: Yeah. Nora: We've got a lot of people going into campaigns at the moment, running different promotions and offers, so results are coming through. So that's nice as well. G: Yeah. It's busy, but and I think amazing as well because often, you know, summer months are seen to be that's so hard in summer, you know, you can't get sign ups, like our business is really slow. And like Nora: Yeah. G: what we've proven in our business, but also in our clients' businesses, is that it's only slow if you let it be. and if you stop doing the work, Nora: Yeah. G: of course it's gonna be slow. But if you keep going and you stay consistent and you have the balls to run an offer in one of the quietest months of the year. Then you can get clients. But the reason like you're not is because you're probably not running an offer, you're probably not doing the work that you normally do. And you've set yourself up with the expectation that it's going to be a quiet month. So yeah, not to brag, but what month are we in now? July was our best month today, and August Nora: Chris. Yeah. G: is on track to be even better, which Nora: Yeah. G: is disgusting. And I hate myself for saying it, but actually it's a really good segue into what this episode is and what this episode is going to be about. So episode twenty one is the reality of being an ambitious woman or person if you are a male wa watching and listening. it can apply to you too. but obviously we speak from the perspective of a woman. Nora: Yeah, 100%. Can't wait to get into it. Cause I think both of us, yeah, have a lot of things that we're ambitious about. Not just in business, but in life as well. And there's good and bad things that come with it, isn't it as well? Like it's not all sunshine and rainbows and like, yeah, highlights that there's a lot of stuff that comes with being super ambitious and sacrifices, I would say. G: Yeah. And this isn't gonna be like some sort of like LinkedIn girl boss cringe episode, hopefully, fingers crossed, because that isn't who we are. but more just about the actual reality of like wanting more and not feeling bad for wanting more, or like you're ungrateful too much or too intense or whatever, because yeah, we think maybe ambitious women are a bit misunderstood. Nora: Yeah, yeah, 100%. G: So Nora, let's kick off with what does ambition mean to you? Nora: I think it's just wanting more for yourself. know, it's like having goals that might not be, easy to achieve, but you believe that you can go for them and work hard to get there. Yeah, and just wanting more. Not in the sense that you're not happy with where you're at right now, but the continuous sense of like wanting to progress and reach further. milestones in life or business or any area really. What about you? G: Yeah, I love that. I think it's growth. It's like pursuing more than you've you know, being better, like improvement, not settling. Like Nora: Mm-hmm. G: I think ambition is like being comfortable with working for more and putting in effort and like having goals that are bigger than what you think you possibly could achieve. Nora: Mm-hmm. G: I think ambitious people have big goals. Nora: Yeah. G: And people that aren't ambitious typically don't really want for much. And that's not a bad thing, right? I'm not saying like everyone should be and has to be ambitious, but I love being around ambitious people because they have drive and motivation and a strong why and a desire for more. And I find that really like motivating and enjoyable to Nora: Yeah. G: be around because it pushes me to be and do more. Nora: Mm-hmm. G: and I love that. Like I Yeah, maybe you could say like it's like is it competitive? I don't know, but like I like that energy, I like that like momentum. Nora: Yeah. G: it gives me like dopamine. Nora: Yeah, I think when you get into like that state of like really going for it, like there's a bit of like adrenaline that comes with it as well, isn't it? It's like, G: Yeah. Nora: this is cool. And excitement. G: Do you think you've always been like that? Do you think you've always been an ambitious woman, like since being a child, or did anything at some point in your life like click and it changed? Nora: Mm. G: Sorry, that's quite deep, isn't it? But okay, let's go there. Nora: I think I've always been ambitious. I wouldn't say it's always been a positive thing. Cause I have G: Mm. Nora: struggled in the past with things that I was ambitious about that I was putting extra pressure. The thing is ambition can be great if you handle it the right way. And I mean, for going there, use well and still struggle at times. I was quite an anxious person growing up. And putting extra pressure on myself not because of anyone else but because of me having G: Hm. Nora: expectations of myself and setting certain things for myself that I wanted to achieve and if I didn't achieve them I was almost like not good enough in my eyes Yeah, so I think ambition can be good and bad I feel like now my mindset is very different around wanting more And I see it in a much more positive light, but I used to have times growing up where because I was so ambitious, I would compare that to my success within that present moment and not be satisfied. So then I would almost punish myself for it in terms of like how I would feel. G: Yeah. Nora: If that makes sense. I don't know. What about you? Have you always been ambitious? G: Yeah. I was like a bossy child. Nora: Mm. G: always wanted to get the top marks in class. Nora: Yeah. G: Head girl at secondary school. Like just I just always I think I've always been innately like hard working, but like very high expectations for myself. And not ever at like the expense of anyone else. And I hope that never was the case that I was like a bitch, but I just think that like I've always known that like I could do things and I was like quite capable. So I would just be like, Go for it, do as much as you can. My mum was always very like supportive of like being the best version of you. And like she'd always say, you know, if you've done your best, that's all you can do, and that's enough. But then I think because I knew that my best could be quite a lot, Nora: Yeah. G: then like I would always put in like a high level of effort. Nora: Yeah. G: because like I knew that I had that within me. She was telling me this story the other day that it really made me laugh. so basically. My mum was teaching me to ride a bike at the age of like, I don't know, like four or five, like young child, took me down to the park. Like, this is like no stabilizers kind of vibes. They're like proper bike, like on the bike. And I'm like trying and I'm getting really frustrated because I just can't do it. I'm like falling off. And she goes, Georgia, show some determination. And I'm like trying, and then I'm getting upset, and we're walking home and we're like walking the bike up the hill home. She goes, says something, and I look at her and I go, Mummy. What's determination? And Nora: Love it. G: she was like, I just kept saying it to you over and over again when you were trying to ride this bike. Like, show some more determination, show some more and you had no fucking idea what I was on about. But you kept getting back on and showing determination, but you had no idea that you were doing it. But I thought it was such a funny, cute little story the other day. and like, yeah, I think that like just really wanting to be able to ride the bike, even though I was shit at it. And I still Nora: Yeah. G: am so bad at anything with wheels. Like I am not a competent driver cyclist. I'm never getting on a moped or anything like that. Like it's not my forte. But it just made me laugh that even as a very young child, like, I was really trying and I was showing some more determination even though Nora: Yeah. G: I didn't know what it meant. but I would say, yeah, I've always been a bit wired like this. Nora: Do you think you took some of that from your parents or? G: I don't know. Like, I was the youngest child. I think I don't think there was a lot of pressure on me, really. I don't think like my parents like were like pressuring me to like do anything. I think I just I think it was quite innate to be honest. Nora: Yeah. G: I can't think of anything or reason why like I had to be, you know, like no one ever was like, I'm gonna have to like head girl or anything like that. There was never Nora: Yeah. G: anything from that. Like I was the one that chose to like. put myself forward for it and do that kind of stuff. So yeah, I don't know really. I feel like I can't remember a time where I didn't want more or didn't want to be better. Nora: Yeah, yeah. G: I almost can't imagine being like that. And like I know that there are people that are not ambitious, but like it's really hard to imagine that mindset, if you know what I mean, of someone that's just Nora: Yeah. G: so chill, that doesn't want for anything, that can just be sort of relatively content with their situation and their job Nora: Yeah. G: and their life and that doesn't want to improve at stuff like, does that really exist? Nora: I don't know, I'm not the best person. G: Do you think people pretend that they're not ambitious because they're afraid of failing? Nora: don't think so. think there's people, and I respect that, that are quite settled with life as it is and can be present and Yeah, just. G: to be present. to be present and content. Nora: Yeah, yeah, being ambitious and being present. Sometimes I feel like you appreciate it more when it happens because it doesn't G: Mm-hmm. Nora: happen often. But yeah, I do feel like there's it's a personality thing. I think you you can't just be settled with what you've got in life and be happy. You know, I don't think happiness equals being ambitious. G: No, agreed. Because I feel really happy. Like I feel like Nora: Yeah. G: this is a really lovely chapter of life at the moment. Like I am Nora: Yeah. G: genuinely grateful, happy, enjoying it. Nora: Yeah. G: But do I still want us to achieve more? Of course. But do I enjoy that? Yes. Like Nora: Yeah. Yeah. G: I think if we were like, Yeah, this is chill, like we'll just kind of just keep doing what we're doing. It's going really good, then we'd get Nora: Yeah. G: bored. Nora: Yeah. Yeah, exactly. I agree. I agree. G: do you think that people are typically more comfortable with ambitious men than ambitious women? Nora: Yeah. Yeah, 100%. And I don't think it comes from a bad place though. I think, you know, like it is... Just like society, I think, and like, I think it's improved. I think you see more ambitious women nowadays. G: Mm. Nora: I think women are more empowered to be ambitious and not feel like they're too much or there's more, you see a lot of more female entrepreneurs nowadays. Is it balanced? I don't think so. It's still very much like a male. dominated space, especially in business, like seeing more men being ambitious and especially when it comes to like making more money or like climbing up the career ladder, you know, based on like previous years, like women were mostly the people that would, you know, take care of the family or like not have as many like ambitions in terms of where they went and get to their careers and like all that stuff because they would be responsible for that part of the life that they build with their partner I would say whereas now I feel like there's a shift happening where you see a lot more women having great careers and starting their own businesses and yeah entrepreneurship becoming a more, a bigger thing. across women but yeah is it in quote? No it's the short answer for me at least would you agree? G: I don't think people are comfortable with ambitious women in comparison Nora: Yeah. G: to men. I think there's so much stigma and judgment with it. I think that Nora: Mm. G: there's been some small improvements, but I still think as like a whole, it's nowhere near equal. And it's like if you are a woman that is ambitious in terms of like your career or your business or anything other than like the family path, like Nora: Yeah. G: there is judgment from people all around you, your family, like friends. society, employers, like there's so much discrimination that is just innate in what we do. But also biologically, because you have a clock and it is ticking. And if you want to start Nora: Yeah. G: a family, you have to take time out to have your baby and to look after your baby. Like that is just black and white. No one can change that unless you decide not to have children. So as a woman, you are forced at some point to take a career break if you want to have a family, which is logical and understandable. But it doesn't mean it's easy. So then if you're ambitious and you say, you know what, I actually decided I don't want have children and I want to just grow a business and have this, you know, tr travel and whatever, you know, like, then people will judge you. Whereas if you were a man and you said that, I don't think you'd get that much judgment. I think people were like, Good Nora: Yeah. G: for you, good for you. We're overpopulated anyway, honey, go for it. You know, Nora: I'm G: like I I genuinely think that, like, yeah, people are not comfortable with women still doing that. And then on the Just to add on to this, because it is something that I feel quite strongly about, if you are a woman that has a business, has a high powered job or whatever, and you decide to have children, but you go back to work quickly and you put them into childcare, then you're met with even more judgment because of that, because people are saying, well, you're not bringing up your own kids, or you're rich, so you've hired a nanny, so you're outsourcing your children. Why did you bother having them in the first place? Or well, what's the point in even sending them to nursery? Because you're hardly breaking even on your salary. What if I enjoy work? What if I want to take a break from my family life? Does that make me a bad mum? Does that make me a bad woman? Nora: Yeah. G: So much judgment on it. It's so hard. And then just one more, just because I'm on it, if you decide, you know what, I'm gonna quit my job and I'm gonna be a full time mum. What are you met with? Judgment because you are no longer ambitious at all. You putting just the family and you've completely given up your career and people will judge you because you are not making money and you are a housewife. Nora: Yeah. G: Some people love it, some people hate it, but there is no right or wrong, and there is no comfortability. And regardless of what choice you make as a woman and that point of life, you're gonna be met with judgment. And the men, they just Nora: Yeah. G: chill. They just they just do all this stuff and they can, you know. Sorry, men, but like it's a lot easier for you. Nora: She was on a roll right there. Yeah. G: I feel very strongly about it. And it's because we're approaching that in life as well. And it's such a fucking Nora: Yeah, we are. G: catch 22 of like, you cannot win and you can't have it all. Nora: Yeah, but you know what I say about other people's opinions, G? You know, like, it's just, G: I know, I know. Nora: it's not that important at the end of the day. Do they pay our bills? No. Does their opinion change anything about how I feel about myself and actions I take in my life? No. Is it sad that they... No. G: Are they gonna look after my kids? No. Nora: Is it sad that they actually spent more time talking about other people's lives than themselves? Yes. G: Yeah, Nora: It's just one G: yeah. Nora: of those things people will always have opinions. And since when has, you know, choosing to be able to stay at home, mom and raise your kids and just become a really good mom and like look after them. Is it not ambitious since when is that the case? I think being a mom is one of the hardest jobs anyone could ever have, you know, and like, why is it then wrong as well if you do choose to have kids to not also want to have your own business? Like there's no rules to this game. G: Yeah, we have one life, we should choose how we want to live it. And you're right, it shouldn't matter what the people think. Yeah, we make our own rules. And that's Nora: And we make the rules. Yeah. Yeah. G: what being an ambitious woman is all about, right? Being able to live your life on your terms, make your rules, and allow yourself to want and do more. Even if it makes Nora: Exactly that. G: other people uncomfortable, because I do think that being an ambitious woman constantly makes people uncomfortable. and I would love to know this from your perspective as a female bodybuilder. Who trains in different gyms around men, women? Do you think that like your ambitiousness, if that's even a word, in the fitness space and with your training makes people feel uncomfortable? Nora: You know I've gotten more comments from women than I have from men. G: Interesting. Are we surprised? Nora: No, I do think there's less women in the bodybuilding space than men. Naturally, G: Mm-hmm. Nora: I think a lot of federations are doing a lot of great things to promote women's bodybuilding and like the the positives that come with it. Yeah, there's more awareness about it now. However, I think because there's more men doing it, the men respect it Because realistically, I'm not trying less than them. I'm doing the same work, you know, I'm showing G: Yeah. Nora: up the same way. And I think there's a level of respect that comes with that. So I've got a more judgment from women about doing bodybuilding. Yeah. G: Verbally, like to your face, yeah. Nora: Yeah, than men. G: Okay. And those there's the judgment coming from people that aren't within the industry. Nora: Yeah, It's not about bodybuilding this. It's. We always say this, the more successful people will never have anything to say about you. The same thing was like happy people will be happy for you. Sad people will be sad. Yeah, yeah. And it's just G: Bitter. Yeah. Nora: how it is. you know. It is the sad reality of how people feel about themselves at the end of the day. G: Yeah. Nora: It is projection. Like, it's your life. You decide what to do with it. Like you decide what your goals are, what your ambitions are. And even if it's not someone else's ideal dream life, it does not matter because, and that's the reason why they have opinions because they don't get it. G: Yeah. Because successful and happy people do not shit on others. Nora: Exactly. Yeah. So. G: Interesting. What kind of if you don't mind sharing, what kind of comments have you had from women then that you think are them sort of projecting or making your ambition making them feel uncomfortable? Nora: I think it's just like, you know, it's nothing too mean, you know, but it's just random comments about not getting too muscular or like, you know, obviously there's concerns around like female health and like, you know, having a family and like all of that that comes with the sport being misunderstood It's not coming from a bad place. G: Hm. Nora: I think it's a lack of education around it. But yeah, the muscularity thing is what the thing that bothers me is like, why do you care how I look if I like myself, right? And G: Yeah. Nora: I feel good within my body. And I feel strong and powerful. why are you G: So s someone has actually said to you, You don't want to get too muscly though. Nora: yeah, yeah. G: God forbid a woman have muscle. Nora: Yeah, so I'm like, yeah, no, I'll grow more muscle. G: Did you see that? I think you reposted. I think I saw you repost the other day and I absolutely loved it. It was like Jacked men never have an issue with women with muscle. Only fat fucks. Nora: Never! When have you And it's so true. You would never meet fit, like muscular man and him having a problem with like... G: A woman with muscle. Yeah. Because especially Nora: I have a woman with muscle or... yeah. G: now, right? You can buy skinny in a fucking jab and shove it in your leg. You cannot buy muscle. Muscle is like Nora: No. G: the currency of hard work, grit, determination and ambition. So like anyone with muscle, respect puff. Nora: Yeah, because to me, it's not about aesthetics. To me, it's what that shows about that person. It's like when choosing your partner, to me, someone taking care of themselves, moving, it doesn't have to be the gym, having a hobby around movement, whether that's a sport or. the gym or something to me that shows great qualities in a person. G: Mm-hmm. Nora: I don't think I would be able to be with someone that didn't have movement as part of their life and overall health as part of their life. We would just not align as people, you know, and it's just, something that I stand by because I think that's something that's okay to to have as an expectation from your partner is like, if they can't take care of themselves, you know, G: They're not gonna be able to take care of you if you're poorly or Yeah, I'm with you. Nora: or the family, you know, it comes with so many qualities. And it's what you said, like building muscle as a woman, what's wrong with that? It shows that you show up for yourself and you put the work in and you don't stop when it gets uncomfortable. I think women should be proud of having muscle. Like we are. G: Yeah, I think it's amazing. Nora: Yeah. G: And like, you know, even I'm obviously nowhere like near as muscular as you and not bodybuilding, but I was training in the gym about a couple of weeks ago and was training with a man and they said to me, training with me was emasculating. And they didn't mean it as an insult, but it was a projection of how they were feeling. But it was essentially like because I was outlifting them that they felt emasculated. Nora: Yeah. G: And I felt bad. And I said, I'm so sorry. Sorry, I I don't know Nora: You shouldn't feel so worried for it. G: why, nor you know what I'm like. I'm like, I wanna make you more comfortable. I'm Nora: Yeah. G: just gonna I'm sorry, but I'm not gonna suddenly like squat less just because you're weaker than me, because I have more muscle or whatever. that's not my problem or my fault. That's your insecurity. But like I felt like bad about that. And it stuck with me and I felt guilty. And I was like, no, that's not right. Nora: And think the intention of that was a compliment. I've had, I've G: Back handed. Nora: had, I'm friends with a lot of people in the gym. Most of them, majority of them are men And I have had a lot of comments at times, all like you can lift that that's super cool, you know, and like being impressed by how a woman could lift heavy weights. And I don't think it comes from a bad place. It's more like, it's what I told you earlier, the people who go through that journey as well, whether they're a man or a woman, they would respect that they would respect you showing up for yourself and doing G: Yeah. Nora: hard things when others are not, you know, yeah. G: Yeah. Hundred percent. Like I wasn't like personally offended. I felt bad for how they felt. But then I Nora: Yeah. G: was like overthinking it and I was like, Well, I can't change my behavior. Like you just need to work a bit harder. but I think it is just like that interesting thing of like how people's feelings can obviously like manifest around like someone that is ambitious, especially when they are a woman. Do you ever like get guilt? around the ambition. do you ever feel guilty for wanting more in like, I don't know, life, business, fitness, whatever it is? Nora: yes, I do. I think I feel more guilty less about what I want to achieve, but how I get there. So I don't want to sacrifice, you know, my relationships or the little things in life, know, you know, traveling, you know, we're both still very young, you know. And what I don't want to happen is, and I always say this, I said this to someone the other day, it's like, be like 70 and look back at my life. And the only thing that I remember is like working all the time and working really hard and like never being present and enjoying the moment and like. You know, I'm very much a person that gives a lot to people and like being there for them. Like I get a lot of fulfillment and you know, from that. And I don't want to look back and have regrets because all I had in mind is like, I need to do more. I want to do better in X, Y and Z. I want to also remember the small little things and moments in life as well. And be proud G: Yeah. Nora: of how I showed up for others and be proud of not neglecting time with my family and like not neglecting time, like calling a friend and like. traveling and making memories in that way and also taking time to slow down and like not always be full on. And I feel like I've gotten better and I've been more aware and reflective of that. And I've taken this prep as an example, I feel like I've handled it very well, which a lot of people were G: Yeah, you have. Nora: surprised about, know, including you, I think you were a bit G: Apprehensive. Nora: apprehensive with me starting prep. And other people around me were, you know, like, yeah, it came from a good place, though. G: And a caveat on this, because we've been in the fitness industry for the last like six years and having worked with other bodybuilders going through prep and like being treated quite badly on occasion of people that are in the depths of prep being really nasty and miserable and low in energy. Like it wasn't coming from a place of like Nora: Yeah. G: I had no idea. It was coming from previous experiences and a fear that that was gonna happen to you, which I didn't want. So it wasn't that I was judgmental of you doing prep, it was because of previous people I've experienced on prep. I was worried that like Nora: Yeah. G: that could happen to you, which is what's something I shared with you. And it's not been the case and you've been wonderful and your energy's been amazing. so it's it's not happened, but that was where the apprehension came from, just to like share what Nora: No, no, I know. And you and including other people, like it all came from a good place. G: Hm. Nora: And I get why the apprehension, because again, it's what I said earlier, the sport itself, it's very misunderstood. Like, and I think you've G: Yeah. Nora: learned a lot across this prep as well, because you've been so close to me whilst going through this journey that I think you've changed your mind on a lot of things as well. Because there is a great way to go about it and you can enjoy the process, but you can also still have fun and travel and make memories with your loved ones and be present. And I've not sacrificed, you know, speaking to my family or showing up for them in the nice moments that they needed me to be there or show up with a smile for our clients or, you know, have I had times where I, you know, I felt a bit hungry or a bit tired? Yeah, but I found a way to work around that. And I don't think just because you're choosing, not in a bodybuilding sense now, but just because you're choosing to do something hard and difficult in life, others should not suffer around you, no matter what that is. G: True, that that's really powerful and important, I think. Cause you make that choice. Yeah. Nora: Yeah, and that was my mission. Yeah, you make that choice. It was my choice to prep. It was no one else's. I take full responsibility for me going through this process, but other people around me should not suffer because of that choice. G: Hm. Yeah, that's amazing. Nora: And that was the promise that I made to myself doing this prep is, well, two promises was one, keep my health in check. Cause I do want to have a family and I want to do this the right way. So then I can't have that. And the second thing was I don't want to sacrifice my relationships and I don't want to be miserable during that process. I want to love the process. And I feel like I've done both to the best of my ability so far. G: Yeah, and I agree. I think you've done fantastically. And it's a really like inspiring watch for me personally, but also anyone that's like even been listening or like, you know, s sort of working with us or whatever, or like anyone in your life to show that bodybuilding doesn't have to be unhealthy. The people that approach it unhealthily are the ones that aren't sticking to the plan consistently or have rushed a prep, or have like not been consistent enough. So then they're doing ridiculous things or taking loads of drugs. And I think that's been the biggest lesson and learning and observation from my side Nora: you G: is like you've been preparing for this for quite a long time. And when you went into prep, you were mentally and physically ready to do it, which meant that like your calories haven't been gr crazily low. Like it's been a diet, of course, but it's not been like you're eating like under a thousand calories or anything anywhere near that. And I think the people that go to those extremes are the ones that weren't prepared to do it in the first place and haven't Nora: Yeah. G: approached it with a positive, consistent mindset. So like It's been, you know, actually really quite amazing to to witness. Can't say I want to do it myself, but like, you know, Nora: you G: I like fully support it and I think you're incredible. and it's really, really amazing to see how you've done it. And I'm so excited for you to be able to like show the final product on stage and like see it all come to fruition. It's gonna be fucking sick. Nora: Yeah, I'm excited for it as well. And I'm proud of it as well. G: You should be. Nora: I think there's something about it. Like, it's cool to know that you've deliberately chosen to do something really hard G: Yeah. Nora: and do it with grace and not sacrifice the relationships around you. So yeah, and that reflects in how I approach life as well, I would say. G: Yeah. Love that. I felt like that about the marathon, you know? Like it's a really fucking hard thing to run twenty six miles without stopping. Nora: Yeah. G: But like knowing you've trained for it and put in the work and the time and the effort and the grit, like and then doing it, it's like I did something really hard that like one percent of the population d do. Nora: Yeah. G: and it's totally different, but like it is just like having a goal, something that's a bit crazy, and then just doing it and being like, I did that and that because Nora: Yeah. G: I can do that. Imagine what else I can achieve. Nora: Yeah, were you quite emotional after the marathon? Yeah. G: yeah, massively. Like it's so it's the most like overwhelming feeling of just like, I can't believe I just did that. But like I earned that. Like I worked so hard. Like everyone says it, but like and it's probably similar for prep, right? The day is not the hardest bit. The day is the celebration of all of the work that you've put in over the weeks and months beforehand. Because Nora: Hmm. G: you put all the work in, the hardest bit is the prep. The hardest bit in the marathon is the training, all the long runs you don't want to do on Sunday. all the nights out you miss because you can't go drinking and vaping on a Saturday night if you've got to do a four Nora: Hahaha! G: hour run on a Sunday. So like the hardest bit is the the preparation and then the day or the event or the show is just an amalgamation and a celebration of everything and all the work you've put in. And that's Nora: Yeah. Yeah. G: that's that's why you just have to show up and enjoy it because you've done all the work at that point. Nora: Yeah, very true. Yeah, I think I'm going to be very emotional on the show today. Yeah. G: You will, you will be, and that's okay, and you deserve to be because you know, that's part of the process. Nora: Mm. Yeah. G: It's really cool. It's exciting. Have you have you felt Nora: of it. G: 'cause we were talking about guilt. has there been any guilt involved in like doing the bodybuilding? Nora: No. G: Good. Nora: The thing is, no, because it's what you said. I've been living the lifestyle way before I started prep. Like G: Mm. Nora: I'm a very disciplined person. Like I thrive off routine. Like G: Yeah. Nora: I really operate well as a person. I like feeling in control over my actions on a day to day. G: Yeah. Nora: Could you say I'm boring? Possibly. Don't care. Really though. Like I really enjoy my structure. G: Structured. I'd say structured rather than boring. Nora: I am. I thrive off it. I'm very productive. I believe my routine and the way that I show up daily, regardless of whether I'm prepping or not, is the reason why I've achieved a lot of things that I have in life. this was just, yeah, what started as a diet that is maybe taken to extremes to get to show day. Not too much extreme, but like, it's just a bit of a longer diet, essentially, really. G: Yeah. Nora: So... Yeah, I've not felt any guilt about it G: Nice. Nora: You know what? I'm very, very proud of like the business as well. like the last year and you could say that that was an ambitious thing for us is like we've set a goal. A revenue target going into this year that you reflected on it yesterday and we are very much still on track with it. G: We are Nora: That's another example of ambition in our lives. G: Yeah. Yeah, we are on track for our quarter million target. That's mental Nora: Yeah, but it's quite. G: to even say. Yeah. And the cause I just did the forecast, looked at what we've got like projected, and then how many clients we need on a monthly basis to get there. And it's not even that crazy. But Nora: Mm. Yeah. G: like that we stick to the plan Nora: Yeah. G: and we don't get complacent and we don't stop working hard or showing up for the clients, even when we're like, this has been a great month. We don't just take the back seat. Nora: No. G: We keep at it. So I think that's really important as well. Nora: Do think that's healthy though? Because I do think that's something that we both have. It's like, I mean, the G: Okay. Nora: other day we messaged at like 1130 PM sending documents to each other. G: I know, but like there are days where we will work long hours. And like, yes, Nora: Yeah. G: you could say that is like obsessive or whatever, but this is our fucking business. And like I'm not being funny, but I'd rather be up working at that time for our business than someone else's. And I used to stay up that late working on fucking someone else's bullshit startup. So Nora: Yeah. G: like I'm not being funny that some people might say it's unhealthy, but I think if you own a business, you know that sometimes you do have to work late and That's okay. And if you're not willing to do that, you're probably not willing to really have a successful business either. Nora: Yeah. G: Because it's just the reality. We don't do that every day. I think my hours are way healthier than they used to be when I was grinding myself to the ground for someone else's business. And I did that because I really wanted to progress and I wanted to develop. And I was convinced that if I got to the top of the food chain in that startup, that like I would be successful. And Nora: Mm. G: like maybe had I not done that, we wouldn't be here today and like all of that. And like there's all that to be said for it. And it was really good for my growth and development, but I don't think that was healthy. Nora: Yeah. G: Do I think it's healthy to do it for yourself? Maybe a bit less, but I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I think it's perception. I have no issue with it personally. I think that if we were working really late, we wouldn't be like we must be up at like the crack of dawn to start again. Nora: No. G: I think we would still sleep, we'd still train, we'd still eat, we'd still check in on each other. Nora: Yeah. G: Like we do the healthy things around it to make sure that it's not totally mental. Nora: Yeah, I do think though, I don't know if you'd agree, but I do think you sometimes feel guilty about not working hard enough. G: I get that guilt. I struggle Nora: Yeah. G: a lot with that. If like, I struggle with time off, holidays. and that's a pressure that I've always had in any part of my life because I've want to achieve so much. And that is like the price of ambition, I think, is guilt in the sense of like, have I done enough? Like I would be the person for an exam that like I don't know if I've got like a photographic memory, but I've got a pretty good autistic brain. so I would basically like I'd know the entire textbook. Like most of my exams, I'd go in and I'd know what the answer was because I'd already revised two shit, Nora: done in our past papers. G: like I'd know the way to get six points on that answer and I'd know exactly the keywords to write on it. Did I understand the physics exam? Did I fuck? Did I get 100%? Yeah. But if I wasn't revising during like study leave, I would feel guilty. Like I wouldn't be doing certain stuff, like I would be like revising nine to five easily, if not more, every single day. Like, If I wasn't working, it wasn't enough. And like that's not healthy. My mum never like told me to stop. But like I did get good grades and like that was why I got it. But like I if I wasn't working, I wasn't okay. Like it made me anxious to not do it. So I think I've always had this. Do I call it a problem or do I call it a blessing? I do not know. But like I Nora: Yeah. G: enjoy working hard. If I'm not working hard, I don't feel good. And Nora: Yeah. Yeah. G: it it impacts my mental health. So like you know, like one of the things that we've always had in common is like if you're on holiday and you're out of office, right? I will still put a little and I spoke to a therapist about this, not even gonna lie. We'll share, because maybe it'll help someone listening. Or maybe it'll help you. and my therapist said to me, this was years ago, that it's okay if you want to put in a 15-minute block in your holiday diary to check your emails and messages. Because if you can check them and mentally know that you're on top of everything and that nothing is burning, then you will be able to rest, relax, and be present for the rest of the day. Society has taught us that we have to switch off 100%. And people make you feel guilty for wanting to check the inbox. But if not checking it is gonna make you feel like shit and anxious all day, then intentionally check for 15 minutes, box it off, and then move on and enjoy your holiday. So I do that without any sense of like guilt or issue and like I'm not saying I would do that on my wedding day, but when I'm off for a few weeks for my honeymoon, I will still do that. And it's not because I think there's gonna be anything and that like I will do that for my own brain and my own nervous system because I need to. And yeah, you could say that's really like fucked, but that's just how I'm wired. And like if that's a coping mechanism for anxiety, then so be it. Is that the price of ambition? Nora: think a lot of people would relate to that. I am exactly the same. mean, this is one thing that we've always like, helped G: Connected on Nora: each other with. It's like when one of us is on holiday, even, you know, in our previous job, we would be like, I've got you, if there's anything, I will message you. Cause we both know that if we are aware of it, then we feel more in control. G: Yeah, awareness is important. but also like who wants to come back to six hundred unread emails? Nora: No one, yeah. And me spending like five minutes getting back to Slack messages so then I know I can move on with my day, feeling like everything's taking care of, that will allow me to be more present. And G: Exactly. Nora: there's nothing wrong with that. Yeah, both of us have struggled taking time off, I would say. G: it's not easy to switch off. Nora: No. G: when you are like this. Nora: Yeah, yeah, G: and then so maybe to those people that are less ambitious, like they're more present, they're content, they can switch off, they just have a bit more of that chillness that Nora: Yeah. And is there sometimes where you feel like you wish you were like them a bit? G: No. no, because we're high energy. Like and like if we were like that, we might be like a bit dull. Nora: Yeah. G: Like we're sparky, girl. We're spunky. Nora: sorry. G: We're fun. but I do think it's part of like what makes us us and why people like working with us because we work at a fast rate, we're high energy, like we're there. and that's why it works. So Nora: Yeah, I think... Yeah. G: Would we change it? Would you change it? Nora: Not now. in the past it used to overwhelm me and cause me to be so anxious that I couldn't function. Right. G: Mm. Nora: And that was not a good feeling. I was like, why am I like this? G: And now you've just got high functioning anxiety. Nora: But no, like a lot of the things that you said earlier about school, like I used to really struggle with it. Like I would do so many past papers that there were none left to do. You know, like I would do them over and over again, just to give myself the reassurance that you've done enough. You know, like I would. G: Yeah. You're gonna smash that. Nora: Yeah. Me wanting to excel at all things in the past used to be a very negative thing for me because it would cause me so much anxiety that I never felt good enough. G: Yeah. Nora: Now, I think it's that it's all about reframing in life. And that's what I love about perspective. Like now, I embrace that aspect of myself and I'm happy that I expect more of myself, but I don't let it overwhelm me and cause G: Mm. Nora: the anxiety that I used to in the past. And I don't know if that came with like years of learning how to manage it, you know, and possibly also thinking, you know, like growing up, you're like, It wasn't that deep, was it? Like, you know, it was an A-level exam. G: You know, but like at the time it's the most important, like scariest, Nora: Yeah G: biggest deal thing, like I must get into university. Well, you're a fucking idiot, Georgia, because now you're in so much debt that you're never gonna pay off. Nora: Yeah. G: so why did you strive so hard to get results to go to the thing that hasn't even really helped you with anything? Nora: Yeah. G: like what a waste of money and energy and time and effort. But then did those traits then lead into other things that built skills that then, you know, like you never know the sort of path, do you the domino effect, but Nora: Yeah. G: It's so true. You always can look back and be like, Why did I sleep? Nora: Yeah. Yeah. But that's the power of perspective, you know, like, I think as you grow up and you realize what's really important in life and like you go through harder things and tougher situations, then you learn how to manage things better. And that comes the same. It's the same thing with ambition. You learn how to embrace it and make it a good thing rather than it consuming you. G: Mm. Nora: which sometimes comes to like you not performing as well when you let it consume you. G: Yeah, true. Nora: So yeah. G: Ooh, how do you find like so there's like the obviously pushing and like achieving stuff and working hard and then not letting it consume you, but then sometimes when things don't work out and you've worked that hard and you've got this ambition and like it doesn't go to plan, like Nora: Hmm. G: how can how do you handle that? Because that's hard, right? Like when you are someone that's put all of the variables in and like it doesn't go to plan, like how do you personally find like Failure, I guess. Or is it even failure? Like Nora: It isn't. Yeah, that's what I was gonna say. I think I tell our coaches at times this is like, you go in a sales call, you either win a client or you'll give a lot of value and learn from that call and see what you could have done better. G: Mm-hmm. Nora: giving it a go, practicing your sales, like it's never a bad thing. Just because you didn't close that deal does not mean you failed. Every single sales call is a learning opportunity. It's the same with like other things in life. like, to me, there's no such thing as failing. Like maybe on paper, like if you're good, if you go on a competition and you don't win, maybe on paper that is that failing, losing maybe, but like, do you actually lose something or do you learn from that? So then you can be better next time. And that's G: Yeah. Nora: the reframing you need to have to continue being ambitious and wanting to go after more things. G: Yeah, I love that. So either win or it's a good lesson. And if Nora: Yeah. G: I think if you were to let that like manifest into like a really negative, like either punishment, wallowing, like lack of action, that actually is more negatively impacting to you than just getting up and keeping going and staying positive. Because Nora: Yeah. G: what are you what that's when you lose, right? When you Nora: Yeah. G: let it get the better of you. not when you just keep going. Nora: Yeah. G: Because like especially in business, like nothing goes to plan, really. Like Nora: Yeah. G: your favourite client can leave and it's so sad and heartbreaking. But it's not because you've done anything wrong, it's just because they're at the end of their journey with you. You Nora: Mm. G: could not get the sale because they can't afford it and they genuinely can't afford it. And there's nothing you can control about someone's bank account. The post might flop that you spent six hours on because it just wasn't as good as you thought it was. Like there's so many things you just can't control. But if you s stopped because it you didn't get the result that you want, you're really not gonna get what you wanna get to. Nora: we spoke a bit about being present G: Mm. Nora: and like that becoming a bit of an issue at times when you are ambitious. Would you say you are? good at being present whilst working towards goals. Why are you laughing? G: I don't I don't know because I think I just struggle to be honest with being present in general. I think there's a lot of distractions and I think I've got a very busy brain. So like from a personal perspective, like it takes a lot for me to focus on something or someone. So like I need to like remove possible distractions. So like that's why I think I have quite a structured calendar as well. so like Even though like my routine is very different to yours, there's some quite clear similarities because I know that if I am training, I am training. And that's why I like training in like a group facility, because there's no phone, I'm being told what to do, I am following the group session. Like I cannot get distracted or be anything other than present in that session in that moment. So like that's good for me. If I'm in the like ledge center by myself and I've got my phone. I could end up replying to a Slack message, being less present in the session. If I'm out for drinks with a friend, I really try and put my phone in my bag. Because if I don't, then I could be like texting you about work when I'm meant to be catching up or speaking to someone or like replying to a client or like whatever. So like phone is a distraction for me, which gets in my way of being present. I Nora: Mm. G: have a no phone rule if we're watching TV or a movie together at home because I will go in a wormhole and then I won't know what's going on, and then I'll ask, what's happening? Who's that? Nah. So like I'm not allowed to be on my phone if we're watching TV or a movie together. I Nora: Yeah. G: think my phone is a big problem because of what's on there, and it like holds so much of the business and our clients and it and us. So like I have to remove the phone. So that's why I like those things. Am I present in general? I try. Dunno, what about you? Nora: think I've improved. I wouldn't say I'm great at it. I used to be a lot worse though. G: That's positive. Nora: And the phone was the destruction. G: they're horrible things, aren't they? Nora: Yeah, yeah, I do wish like at times I could just throw it away because it is addictive because our whole like work is on there, you know G: It's our lives. Like we're all just like so like burdened by this little fucking device. But like without Nora: Yeah. And like. G: it, you're detached from everything. Nora: Yeah, and the thing that like gets to me a lot is when I'm back in Cyprus and I choose to be on my phone rather than being present with the people that I love who I don't get to see often. When G: Yeah. Nora: I catch myself doing that, I'm not very happy with myself. Like I do get a bit disappointed because I know you'd want me to be present with my family, you know, like G: Yeah, a hundred percent. Nora: but it's like you, like you don't do deliberately, it's just because you always want to help people and like, you know, works on there. And if you see a message, it's very tempting to like, just respond to it there. And then once you grab the phone, then it's so hard G: You're in it. Nora: to like, yeah, you're on it. So I have tried to be actively more present. That's the, the, the main context in which I have felt like I needed to improve on, but I feel the last, I would say two years, I have actively worked on being better with it. Because there would be times where I would be on the table, eating with my family and something would come through and I would respond and that'd be on my phone for 10 minutes and they would be having like lovely conversations that I could have been part of and then realize 10 minutes in, I've not heard a single word that they've said. And that was quite not G: Yeah. Nora: a nice feeling because they wouldn't say anything. They understand my ambition. you know, My parents and my siblings know exactly who I am and they love me for it and they love the ambition and you know, everything that I want to achieve in life and they back it so much and I couldn't be more grateful. But equally, it's not fair on them G: Yeah, I think that's really important. Doesn't mean it's easy, right? Because it's easy to just fall into habits and it is a habit. And like you say, phones are addictive. But I think we can all put boundaries in place around our phones that like when you're doing certain things, you're not on your phone. and like I do need to start being better at my like reply times and like saying, you know, I don't have notifications on for Slack after like 7 PM, but yeah, I'll still check the app sometimes and reply. Because I'm like doing it for future me. But what about current me? What about present me? What about partner me? Nora: Yeah. G: What about friend me? Daughter me, sister me? You know, my friends Nora: Yeah. G: and family deserve me in my evenings and weekends. And unfortunately Nora: Yeah. G: clients, you don't. Nora: I got told off by a client last night for being on live. G: Yeah, you did. I saw that. I saw that. I know. And like but Nora: It's like, Nora, shouldn't be online at line 30 PM. Oopsies. G: Yeah, I know, but it's like I was on annual leave yesterday afternoon and I come back and I do an hour of work and film looms and stuff. And I'm like, after I did it, I was like, Why did you do that? And I was Nora: Yeah. G: like, Because I wanted to. And then I'm like, I'm my own boss. No one's gonna tell me off. Nora: You G: it's so hard to get the balance right because like Nora: Yeah, and we've not guys for those of you listening clearly we've not figured it yet either, right? Yeah G: No, we're so far from this. We don't fucking know. and like, you know, you might see like I don't know if you see it in us or like other people that you like watch or listen to or whatever, but like you might think like, they're like, you know, they're so ambitious, hard working, they put all together, like they're achieving so much and like so cool. And yeah, it is fucking cool, but it is hard work and long days and there's difficult conversations, there's lots of boring repetition and doing things you don't want to do frequently and Nora: that comes with achieving things that you want, you know, which is why you know, I do not want anyone becoming a client who doesn't want to put the work in because we put the work in and G: Yeah. Nora: we walk the walk and we don't want people that want to work like I don't know, two hour days and have six seven figure G: Yeah. Nora: businesses because G: It's just not realistic. Nora: No, you know, we won't be. G: Yeah. I think we've said no to three clients in the last week. Nora: Yeah. G: We've actually turned people away, because they're not the right fit. Nora: It needs to align with our values and who we want to work with. That's just who we are. We like working. G: Yeah, we do. And like, you know, that is that is. Nora: And we, you know what, I think the people around us also are very proud of us for that. Like one thing that we didn't mention in here, I think we both have partners who support the way that we are and embrace us for how we are, you know, it must not be easy to be, no, poor Josh and Gio, but we are lovely as well. G: Yeah. Yeah, we we give a lot to those around us, I'd say. And a lot. Nora: Yeah, we give a lot but we are also, you know, very, yeah, we are also a lot very ambitious. G: We don't yeah. Nora: But I love how they push us to be ourselves and like they embrace it and like, you know, they're empowering us to be this woman that are ambitious and want to have their own business and be entrepreneurial and be like, yeah, and I think yeah, G: Yeah. Yeah. Nora: yes. And you know, your circle around you is a important thing. G: So what would you say to someone or what would you say to a woman who is like maybe downplaying what she wants or feeling like her ambition is like gonna make people uncomfortable? So she's scared to like go for something. Like what would you say to that woman if she was here right now? Nora: Stop caring about them. It's not their life, it's yours. G: Hm. Nora: you know, you can't be too much for the right people. G: Yeah, what even is too much? Too much for losers. Like you want to be around winners because you want to be a winner, right? So like there's no such thing as too much. And if someone is Nora: Exactly. G: finding you too intense, too successful, too ambitious, too driven, too whatever, then it's because they're not any of those things and they're jealous and projecting. So get in better circles. Nora: Yeah, meet new people. They're not your people, I would say. G: Yeah. Never downplay don't downplay your goals because if you're downplaying your own goals because of other people, you're not going to reach them. Nora: and you should believe in yourself first before you expect others to believe in you. G: Yeah, true that. Yeah. Nora: because that's where like, you know, that's where you make things happen. If you are looking for external validation to go after what you want, you won't ever get there. That's my opinion. You need to back yourself. G: Yeah, true. Yeah. And you can still be happy and grateful for what you have, right? And want Nora: Yeah. G: more. Like just because you are content and like you're grateful with what you've got, it's okay to still have ambition and want more. Like it's not like a negative thing to be like saying, like, because you want more, you're ungrateful for the life or the money or the whatever you've got. Like, you are allowed to want more money. You are allowed to want more freedom. It's not greedy. Like Nora: Yeah. No. G: If you put the work in to get the result, why is that greedy? Because it's not impacting anyone else. So go for it, gal. Nora: Yeah. And I feel like we are at that stage as well. You said it, like I think you've said it earlier is this is your best chapter yet. I feel like I'm in that place as well. We're both very happy with where we're at. Good things are happening in our lives. We're working towards goals. Doesn't mean that we should just stop, you know, just because we're happy and life is good. Yeah. G: 'Cause other people think it's enough. Yeah. Nora: Like if you want more, go for more. You set the rules. It's your life. You go after what you want and the right people will back you. G: Hundred percent. I wish more women believed that as well, because I think they're clipped by other people's stories that have t they've told them, or like Nora: Hmm. G: things that they've told themselves because of whatever's happened in their life or what you know they've been through. They think that, I it just wouldn't be possible for me, or like I'm too old, or like I couldn't do that now I've got kids, or like I don't know how to do that. So it just you know, that's what other women do. Like fuck that. Truly. Like if you want something, don't downplay it, go after it and put in the work and you can get it. Nora: shit. G: You can do anything. Nora: Love it. Amazing. I feel like this has been such a good podcast. Yeah. G: I've loved this chat. I feel like we both got super passionate. It's a really important topic though. And I think it really embodies like who we are, what we stand for, like what we do as a brand and like who we help. Like, you know, we want any business owner to feel empowered and ambitious and to have bigger goals and to achieve them and grow. Not because they're a dickhead doing unethical shit, but because they're a good person that's allowed to want and do more. And it's just us. So yeah, I've loved this. you want Nora: Yeah, I think it's one of my favorite episodes yet. G: that's so cute. Do you want to do a quick business takeaway of the week? Nora: do you have one? G: Saying no can feel really good. Nora: Okay, yeah, I love that. G: Yours? Nora: Don't convince yourself that you'll have a bad month just because of the seasons. We've said it earlier in this podcast is everyone convinces themselves that summer is going to be a really difficult month for business. We, as well as a lot of our clients, have hit record breaking months this summer why? We showed up. and we did the work. What we see a lot of business owners do is they convince themselves and because of that, they stop taking action. And because they stop taking action, there's no consistency. Your audience does not see you. There's lack of awareness. There's no signups. So show up, regardless of the season. Your business will thank you for it. G: yeah, it will. And we will thank you for tuning in to this episode of our podcast. we appreciate everyone that listens, all the feedback messages that we get mean the world to us. so yeah, thank you. And if you've ever felt maybe too ambitious, too intense, too much, or like you need to downplay exactly what you want, this is r you're reminder that you absolutely fucking don't. Nora: Yeah. And we'll see you guys on the next episode. G: Chao. Nora: Bye bye.