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BONUS EPISODE: From Employee to Entrepreneur: Real Talk on Making the Leap · Work It Like A Mum

• 0:00
  SPEAKER_04: Hey, I'm Elizabeth Willis, and I'm obsessed with helping as many women as possible achieve their boldest dreams after kids and helping you to navigate this messy and magical season of life.
• 0:14
  SPEAKER_04: I'm a working one with over 17 years of private experience, and I'm the founder of the Investing in Women Jobboard and Community.
• 0:22
  SPEAKER_04: In this show, I'm honored to be trusting with remarkable women, redefining our working world across all areas of business.
• 0:30
  SPEAKER_04: They'll share the secrets on how they achieve extraordinary success of the children.
• 0:43
  SPEAKER_04: Shy away from the real talk.
• 0:49
  SPEAKER_04: We cover it all.
• 0:50
  SPEAKER_04: Think of this as coffee with your mate.
• 0:52
  SPEAKER_04: Mixed with an inspiring talk.
• 0:54
  SPEAKER_04: Sprinkled with a career advice you wish you'd really had at school.
• 0:58
  SPEAKER_04: So grab a cup of coffee or a glass of wine.
• 1:00
  SPEAKER_04: Make sure you're cozy and get ready to get inspired and chase your boldest dreams or just survive Mondays.
• 1:07
  SPEAKER_04: This is the Work It Like a Mum podcast.
• 1:15
  SPEAKER_04: This episode is brought to you by Investing in Women.
• 1:19
  SPEAKER_04: Investing in Women is a job board and recruitment agency helping you find your dream part-time or flexible job with the UK's most family-friendly and forward-thinking employers.
• 1:30
  SPEAKER_04: Their site can help you find a professional and rewarding job that works for you.
• 1:36
  SPEAKER_04: They're proud to partner with the UK's most family-friendly employers across a range of professional industries.
• 1:43
  SPEAKER_04: Ready to find your perfect job?
• 1:45
  SPEAKER_04: Search their website at investinginwomen.co.uk to find your next part-time or flexible job opportunity.
• 1:53
  SPEAKER_03: Now back to the show.
• 2:06
  SPEAKER_04: Get my words out, you can tell it's it's midway from employee to entrepreneur.
• 2:12
  SPEAKER_04: And we're going to be talking about the real talk on how to make the leap.
• 2:17
  SPEAKER_04: So if you are an employee at the moment and you are wanting to take the leap into entrepreneurship, but you don't know how to do that, then this live is for you.
• 2:27
  SPEAKER_04: Please pop questions in the comments.
• 2:29
  SPEAKER_04: We would love to hear from you and where you're at in your entrepreneurial journey.
• 2:34
  SPEAKER_04: Let us know.
• 2:34
  SPEAKER_04: Are you an employee at the moment?
• 2:36
  SPEAKER_04: Are you an entrepreneur?
• 2:38
  SPEAKER_04: Are you considering becoming an entrepreneur?
• 2:40
  SPEAKER_04: Wherever you are in your stage of entrepreneurship, please pop it in the comments because it's always um much more um much more fun when these are interactive.
• 2:48
  SPEAKER_04: But Rebecca, thanks for joining me.
• 2:51
  SPEAKER_00: Pleasure is love a chat with you.
• 2:53
  SPEAKER_04: I do talk us so tell me through if people don't know who you are, what you do, you're an entrepreneur.
• 3:02
  SPEAKER_00: I think I'm an entrepreneur.
• 3:06
  SPEAKER_00: Um yeah, so I have founded an outsourcing agency, get ahead, and that's something I founded um back in 2010, which makes me sound like an old granny.
• 3:15
  SPEAKER_00: So that's 15 years ago.
• 3:16
  SPEAKER_04: So I'm an established entrepreneur.
• 3:19
  SPEAKER_00: Established entrepreneur.
• 3:20
  SPEAKER_00: Um, and that this is one of my sort of lovely topics to talk about in terms of I think historically we were possibly all brought up saying you have a corporate job, you get your salary, that's how life is.
• 3:33
  SPEAKER_00: And I was lucky enough in terms of role models to have a mother that was self-employed forever.
• 3:39
  SPEAKER_00: She was a teacher, had my brother and I, and then was self-employed after that.
• 3:42
  SPEAKER_00: So for me, it's always been very normal.
• 3:44
  SPEAKER_00: And I had a classic corporate career, I was a retail buyer, loved elements of it.
• 3:50
  SPEAKER_00: But as we've often said, Liz before, I was never really a corporate girl.
• 3:54
  SPEAKER_00: I always felt that there was more I could offer.
• 3:57
  SPEAKER_00: So for me, it was having kids that then translated into that opportunity to run something for myself.
• 4:04
  SPEAKER_04: So, what did Getahead do, and how do you empower other entrepreneurs?
• 4:10
  SPEAKER_00: So we are an outsourcing agency, so we provide remote business and marketing support to busy entrepreneurs of all shapes and sizes, and they use us as an alternative to recruiting and employing somebody.
• 4:24
  SPEAKER_00: So that is how we sort of enable other entrepreneurs to scale and grow is by finding them the right resource as and when they need it.
• 4:33
  SPEAKER_00: And I think when I first started, it was quite unusual, but now obviously we're in that whole other world, aren't we, of freelancers, AI, all sorts of things.
• 4:41
  SPEAKER_00: But fundamentally, our flexibility is what our clients love, and we all know if we're trying to find things, whether it's personal sort of help at the house or in a work environment, often that's the most time-consuming bit is trying to find someone that A can do what you want and B can actually do it, you know.
• 4:57
  SPEAKER_00: And so for us, we're resourcing for people, helping them scale and grow, and it's been a wonderful way for me to have impact in my local business community, and also for me to provide primarily women with wonderful, flexible working that they perhaps would find hard to get themselves.
• 5:16
  SPEAKER_04: Love it.
• 5:16
  SPEAKER_04: So you are really at the heart of entrepreneurship, obviously, with your business, your franchise, entrepreneurs, and then you are serving the entrepreneurial community as well.
• 5:27
  SPEAKER_04: So you are just the beating heart of entrepreneurship.
• 5:32
  SPEAKER_00: I've certainly been there long enough to see all sorts of things, and we could talk about that for ages, couldn't we?
• 5:37
  SPEAKER_00: But I think there is quite a stigma around what it means to be an entrepreneur, and I think the what do you think the stigma is that I think sometimes people think, well, I couldn't possibly do that.
• 5:47
  SPEAKER_00: How could I do it?
• 5:48
  SPEAKER_00: And we all potentially think that being in a corporate environment gives us naturally that security when it really, really doesn't.
• 5:56
  SPEAKER_00: And I think a big thing for me is always in the very beginning, I channelled my own sort of route down the motion where I was aware of what other people were doing, but I always did things that that sort of sat well with me rather than think they're doing this, I ought to do that.
• 6:10
  SPEAKER_00: And I think you would be this, I would say, the same feelers as well, isn't it?
• 6:13
  SPEAKER_00: You've carved out your own way of doing things, and it is super competitive.
• 6:18
  SPEAKER_00: And I think you can it can be hard to even get started, and that's one of my big messages for our chat today is actually if you're thinking of doing it, just make a step towards it, don't overthink it.
• 6:30
  SPEAKER_00: Because I think we would that there is no such thing as being perfect in this, it's actually I've got an idea, I'm going to do some research, I'm gonna test the water, you know what what could go wrong.
• 6:40
  SPEAKER_04: Is there sort of special traits though that make a good entrepreneur?
• 6:45
  SPEAKER_00: I think there's that classic piece around it not being all about you.
• 6:49
  SPEAKER_00: So I do a huge amount of networking, as you know, and I run a networking group, and I've seen all sorts of people come to networking, and I just want to take them to one side and say that's not how you operate in that kind of environment.
• 7:00
  SPEAKER_00: So I think it's a people person asking questions, being inquisitive or nosy gets you really a long way because that's where you can get your research and ask questions and build connections, and that's another big piece for me on this.
• 7:13
  SPEAKER_00: It's about how, as an entrepreneur, you build up your own and carve your own community, whether that's in person, online.
• 7:20
  SPEAKER_00: You know, we all have access to likes of LinkedIn.
• 7:23
  SPEAKER_00: You don't have to see everything that everyone's putting out there, you can craft and curate your own network on there to get what you need out of it.
• 7:31
  SPEAKER_04: I like that.
• 7:32
  SPEAKER_04: And you know, you said there's a stigma.
• 7:33
  SPEAKER_04: So, what do you think the stigma is then?
• 7:35
  SPEAKER_04: What do you think why do people hesitate and think, oh, I'm not that I'm not that?
• 7:40
  SPEAKER_00: Because I think there's a real hang-up about selling, isn't there?
• 7:45
  SPEAKER_00: The only way I can be a successful entrepreneur is if I'm banging the drum and I'm going out there and I'm getting the big deals.
• 7:51
  SPEAKER_00: When actually there are ways of doing that.
• 7:54
  SPEAKER_04: But you do have to sell, don't you, as an entrepreneur?
• 7:56
  SPEAKER_00: You have you have to sell, but if you're comfortable in knowing what you're about, then it makes that selling less icky, I think.
• 8:04
  SPEAKER_04: Because I think sometimes why do you think people feel that sales is icky?
• 8:08
  SPEAKER_00: Because we've all had experience of that kind of awful sales pattern, even down to you know, when you connect with someone on LinkedIn, say they invite you to connect and then you accept it, and then within two minutes you get that sales pitch.
• 8:21
  SPEAKER_00: You know, it's all of that thing where it's very hard sometimes to realise that actually it doesn't have to be that way.
• 8:26
  SPEAKER_00: And for me, when I launched Get Ahead, my initial couple of clients came through friends that I told what I was doing, so I didn't have to go to what I then thought of the time that some of those networking meetings would be really scary, and actually, it wasn't until I did it and realized that there is so much choice out there that I found that that was a lovely route to market.
• 8:46
  SPEAKER_00: But it's amazing how if you've got a little business idea, you've got an idea just talking it through with other people, with like-minded, trusted people, it's amazing how you know people want to help you, don't they?
• 8:57
  SPEAKER_04: And I think it's also helpful to reframe something because I I think people actually like spending money in you know in certain situations, like I'm booking a holiday later on, and I'm gonna really enjoy spending money.
• 9:10
  SPEAKER_00: You know, I there's certain things where I'm like, I quite like being so I guess it's the way you are salty, but it's like I don't think you have to feel embarrassed by selling because if people want what you are offering, absolutely and they're delighted to put is it and it doesn't have to be an awkward conversation, you're right, they're in the right space, so it's how you gain a confidence of packaging up what you're wanting to sell and and not immediately feel that you've got to discount or anything like that.
• 9:39
  SPEAKER_00: I think there's definitely room, and I would say if you're if you've got a business idea, getting some some coaching or mentoring to perhaps help you really make sure what you're what you're offering is is what's needed would probably be really helpful.
• 9:52
  SPEAKER_00: And that was going to be one of the things.
• 9:53
  SPEAKER_00: You do mentoring, don't you?
• 9:55
  SPEAKER_00: I do, and I but I've always had a mentor or coach, and that would be my big thing for anyone.
• 10:00
  SPEAKER_00: And it's amazing what free resources are out there, aren't there?
• 10:03
  SPEAKER_00: A lot of the banks will do different sort of entrepreneurial mentoring schemes and things.
• 10:09
  SPEAKER_00: So it doesn't have to be that you have to spend a lot to get it, but it's amazing because I think a big a big thing around entrepreneurship is it could be lonely if you if you've been in a corporate environment where you've always had people to talk to, you've had that resource available, suddenly you're out there on your own, it can be lonely.
• 10:25
  SPEAKER_00: So it's how you find that support in different ways, I think is really important.
• 10:31
  SPEAKER_04: Absolutely.
• 10:31
  SPEAKER_04: I love what you say because you've said it before it's not climbing the ladder, it's building the ladder.
• 10:37
  SPEAKER_04: Do you want to elaborate on that?
• 10:38
  SPEAKER_00: Yes, yeah.
• 10:39
  SPEAKER_00: So it's about it's not right, I've got to keep going this way in order to succeed, it's actually how you build that connection and that that community around you of people that want to support you.
• 10:51
  SPEAKER_00: And I am, as I said before, I am quite curious and I'm quite nervous and I'm interested in people, and it's not until you start asking a few questions that you actually realise what other people are doing and how they might be able to support you, and that takes you on that sort of entrepreneurial journey in a really nice way.
• 11:06
  SPEAKER_04: Absolutely, and fail.
• 11:08
  SPEAKER_04: I mean, I guess this is the fear, isn't it?
• 11:10
  SPEAKER_04: People are worried about quitting their job, starting something, and then you're not succeeding, and then they fail and they feel they're gonna look silly.
• 11:19
  SPEAKER_04: And that's a fear of everybody, and even you know, me that's been doing this for four years, I still have that fear of failure, and I don't know if that ever goes away, Rebecca.
• 11:28
  SPEAKER_00: No, I don't I don't think I don't think it does, but it's actually you won't know until you try something, and that could be if you're in a position where you feel that you'd love to try something in a self-employed role, but what's often what I'll say to potential franchisees is you know, try do this alongside, try and wean down the numbers of hours or days you're doing in your corporate role rather than do a complete cut, but equally, if you've been made redundant or you think actually I just want a complete clean slate, then absolutely start building it up.
• 11:58
  SPEAKER_00: But it's sort of doing it in a way that fits best with you and your sort of family setup, I think, as well.
• 12:05
  SPEAKER_04: What about the financial risk that comes with entrepreneurship?
• 12:08
  SPEAKER_04: You know, there is a period, isn't there, where you're potentially building up, thinking trying to make some money.
• 12:14
  SPEAKER_01: Yes.
• 12:15
  SPEAKER_04: How to be and then obviously most businesses you have to plow some of your own money into it.
• 12:20
  SPEAKER_04: It doesn't have to be a lot, but there there has to be some you have to put some skin in the game, I think, whether that's yeah.
• 12:24
  SPEAKER_00: No, no, no, yes, we do.
• 12:25
  SPEAKER_00: And I think we've spoken about this before, right?
• 12:27
  SPEAKER_00: Well, what is it that you need?
• 12:29
  SPEAKER_00: And I think the way um tech is now, there are some really um low cost ways of promoting yourself.
• 12:37
  SPEAKER_00: So not, for example, not assuming you have to have a website right from the beginning.
• 12:41
  SPEAKER_00: I think there are there are ways of representing yourself and building momentum, and it's really checking in on yourself do I need to pay for this particular thing, or can I do a reciprocal with somebody else where you do something in return for them doing something, something for you?
• 12:56
  SPEAKER_00: So it's sort of building up like that rather than actually spending too much cash and then because financial things are always hard, and that's always been my sort of like well, I use zero and I put all my receipts together, and it's sort of building best practice from the beginning in a in a logical way.
• 13:12
  SPEAKER_00: And I've had an accountant from fairly early on because that enabled me to sort of know the best ways of doing things, and when you get to that back threshold, that's how you want to operate.
• 13:21
  SPEAKER_00: So there are ways of doing it, but I think it's balancing it against everything else, and networking, for example, marketing, there are three ways of doing that as well, nothing everything is paid for, is it?
• 13:32
  SPEAKER_00: So yeah, it's it's an interest, an interesting one.
• 13:36
  SPEAKER_04: But I think financials are always hard, and it's I find most hard, and it still still is the pricing and the pitching, how you pitch yes, I know, and you don't determine your price.
• 13:48
  SPEAKER_00: And I think you often will think, Oh, I've got to go in, I've got to be more competitive in so and so, and actually, no, it's more about actually the the value that you're offering, and perhaps getting some support from somebody to sort of teach you how to pull packages together, for example.
• 14:00
  SPEAKER_00: So, when we first started, I would often say, right, we're charging to the minute, you just have to pay for what you get, and then it was then we realised actually some packages make it you can hide things within a package, but also you can be seen to recognize clients' pain points, and by describing those packages, it makes it really easy for a client to buy from you, then because they can they can really get clarity as to what they're getting.
• 14:23
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah, um, so you've started your business.
• 14:26
  SPEAKER_04: Um hopefully you've got a couple of clients, uh, maybe got a bit of a proof of concept.
• 14:31
  SPEAKER_04: Obviously, early stage it's hard because you are you know in a lot of businesses, unless you've got funding, probably wearing every hat yourself.
• 14:39
  SPEAKER_04: How do you then scale this business?
• 14:42
  SPEAKER_00: Yes, so I think if I look at what I did, I did a lot of networking, found some clients, and then started recognising that there were other skill sets that clients were asking for that I didn't personally have.
• 14:54
  SPEAKER_00: So for me, I went down the freelancer route, so started working like associates basically.
• 15:00
  SPEAKER_00: Yes, yeah, yeah.
• 15:01
  SPEAKER_00: I think they've all got different terminology, haven't they?
• 15:03
  SPEAKER_00: So that's how we base our model.
• 15:04
  SPEAKER_00: So we've now got what 90 what we call virtual experts in our pool that we will provide work for as and when we get it.
• 15:10
  SPEAKER_00: So for me, that was the best way of doing it, and they would they were vetted, and it you know, you don't just work with anybody, but I think it's about absolutely recognising what's the what's where's your skill set, what's a client's asking for, and then how are you going to sort of match that?
• 15:26
  SPEAKER_00: And again, I would never rush into any of these things, it's sort of very carefully choosing things, always having contracts and things in place so that you're legally protected because that's a big thing rather than just sort of working with any random, but it's about really having that vision, and I've always done like a vision board at the end of the beginning of every year to sort of work out well where do I want the business to go, but always acknowledging that sometimes things will take me in a completely different way, and that's fine as well.
• 15:52
  SPEAKER_00: I think some of you can be quite rigid, can't you?
• 15:54
  SPEAKER_00: And if I look at you, Liz, with your utility warehouse initiative, suddenly having that and you being part of other communities is wonderful.
• 16:01
  SPEAKER_00: You probably a year ago never even thought about that.
• 16:03
  SPEAKER_00: So it's it's having an openness to allow things to come on and scale in slightly different ways, but also scaling isn't necessarily what everyone wants either.
• 16:13
  SPEAKER_00: So if I look at our sort of virtual assistant space, there are lots of VAs with limited hours, that's what they want to do.
• 16:20
  SPEAKER_00: They fill themselves up, they don't want to take on other people.
• 16:22
  SPEAKER_00: The reason they set up was for themselves so they knew exactly what they were doing, and they don't want to work with other people.
• 16:27
  SPEAKER_00: That's absolutely fine as well.
• 16:30
  SPEAKER_00: I think it's very easy, isn't it, as an entrepreneur to sort of think, well, I've got to grow and scale and keep getting bigger and bigger.
• 16:35
  SPEAKER_00: Absolutely not.
• 16:36
  SPEAKER_00: This is all a personal preference.
• 16:37
  SPEAKER_00: What do you want, and how are you going to achieve that?
• 16:41
  SPEAKER_04: I love that.
• 16:41
  SPEAKER_04: That is it.
• 16:42
  SPEAKER_04: I'm always like, You've got to define your version of success.
• 16:45
  SPEAKER_04: Um, well, the importance of systems, though.
• 16:48
  SPEAKER_04: I guess that is important, whatever size business you have.
• 16:51
  SPEAKER_04: Yes.
• 16:52
  SPEAKER_00: What about developing the systems within the systems for me have always been in like the sort of the financial system, it's been dividing up even my week to say, well, I need to my marketing means networking, I'm going to go to you know a set number of networking events, and then I'm going to meet people either side of that.
• 17:09
  SPEAKER_00: So that's my opportunity to have ones-to-ons and things with people.
• 17:13
  SPEAKER_00: But I've always been quite rigid, and I've also been very good at making sure I have time for myself, bit of exercise, and just sort of structuring my week that way.
• 17:21
  SPEAKER_00: And certainly when the girls were younger, there was no opportunity to have meetings after the school pickup, for example.
• 17:28
  SPEAKER_00: So I think actually you can be super efficient in the time that you've got, can't you?
• 17:32
  SPEAKER_00: And I'm I've never been very good at working in the evenings, I haven't wanted to.
• 17:36
  SPEAKER_00: So I think that's one big positive of entrepreneurship.
• 17:39
  SPEAKER_00: Is it totally up to you to structure your week, but to be as efficient as you can is certainly, I would say, the best policy in all of this.
• 17:47
  SPEAKER_00: Otherwise, you could be floating about and suddenly, you know.
• 17:50
  SPEAKER_04: Do you need to work long hours to be successful as an entrepreneur?
• 17:53
  SPEAKER_00: No, I don't think so.
• 17:54
  SPEAKER_00: I think it's about again, it's about you can be super efficient, can't you?
• 17:58
  SPEAKER_00: You think about what and I know it's different now, but you know, the classic commute used to take up hours of time.
• 18:03
  SPEAKER_00: If you're working for yourself from home or you're in a co-working space, it's sort of taking each each day and really maximising the opportunity within that.
• 18:12
  SPEAKER_00: And I often find sort of setting a diary and an intention for that month and making sure I've got a blend and what I need has been really, really helpful, and then that opportunity to look back and reflect.
• 18:22
  SPEAKER_00: And often I would have done in the past that you know, nine-to-day plan, what do I want to achieve in the next quarter, and then look back on that.
• 18:28
  SPEAKER_00: And that's where working with a coach or a mentor is I think is really valuable because you've got that accountability piece, because that's another big bit, isn't it?
• 18:37
  SPEAKER_00: If you come out of a corporate environment, you've suddenly on your own who you haven't got a boss anymore, you haven't got somebody that's going to, and if you're a personality that needs a bit of accountability, then I would always recommend finding an accountability buddy or someone that you can you have respect for that can perhaps work together and help sort of review things.
• 18:55
  SPEAKER_04: Do you know what's actually been a game changer for me?
• 18:57
  SPEAKER_04: Because I think it's my sales background as well, is I've got a whiteboard now in my office at home.
• 19:02
  SPEAKER_04: And I just put all my targets in there and then you'll glance it.
• 19:06
  SPEAKER_04: And then and then I'll glance at it so I can see I want to sell so much of this, and then I'll like, you know, if I'm on five, then I'll do six, you know, and I'll top it up so I can see it in real time.
• 19:16
  SPEAKER_04: And I think that's quite helpful because it's so visual.
• 19:19
  SPEAKER_00: Yes, so it's on the and that's why I love my my vision board, it's up on my board now.
• 19:22
  SPEAKER_00: It's like, yeah, I mean my mindset, my power, what's my purpose?
• 19:25
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, so having that.
• 19:27
  SPEAKER_04: I like a vision board, I've got a vision board as well.
• 19:29
  SPEAKER_04: So um, yeah.
• 19:32
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah, but I think it helps to have something written down that's quite visual.
• 19:37
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, because why I like Trello, for example, with all my different boards on there.
• 19:40
  SPEAKER_00: So if I've got prospect calls I'm having, then I'll pop them in there and then I can follow them.
• 19:45
  SPEAKER_00: Because you can't remember everything, can we?
• 19:47
  SPEAKER_00: It's what works nicely for you.
• 19:50
  SPEAKER_04: I love that you shared some practical advice um as well before our our call.
• 19:55
  SPEAKER_04: So you talked about testing.
• 19:56
  SPEAKER_04: Is that really important before you try something?
• 20:50
  SPEAKER_00: Um, I think there's definitely an element of sort of doing a little bit of research to see what else is out there, but not getting carried away and thinking, well, because at the end of the day, you're unique and whatever you know, it's you, is that you're doing this.
• 21:02
  SPEAKER_00: So it's totally people will buy into you as long as you're clear and make it really easy for them to know what you're doing.
• 21:08
  SPEAKER_00: I think that clarity of message is important.
• 21:11
  SPEAKER_00: So whether that's working with a copywriter to help you get what's in your head out onto paper, going on ChatGPT, having a little chat with my new best friend, and just sort of because you just want to make it really, really easy, but also understand.
• 21:25
  SPEAKER_00: I think the other big thing with entrepreneurship, things don't work out, absolutely fine to try something else.
• 21:30
  SPEAKER_00: You know, you're not having there's no shame, I don't think.
• 21:33
  SPEAKER_04: And you know what?
• 21:33
  SPEAKER_04: There's a podcast, isn't there?
• 21:34
  SPEAKER_04: A huge podcast, how to fail.
• 21:36
  SPEAKER_04: And it's people that obviously go on there and talk about their failures, and it makes sense.
• 21:40
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, everything happens for a reason, isn't it?
• 21:42
  SPEAKER_00: So it's how you it's almost how you how you react to that.
• 21:45
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah, isn't it?
• 21:47
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, and in in some of the marketing of this um session today, someone said it's about different leaps.
• 21:53
  SPEAKER_00: You go from one thing and then it'll might morph into something else.
• 21:57
  SPEAKER_00: You might get a contract, you might have a blend.
• 21:59
  SPEAKER_00: So for me, guessing it's always been my primary focus.
• 22:02
  SPEAKER_00: But I've recently trained as a humanist seller, for example, to do baby naming.
• 22:06
  SPEAKER_00: So I'm a franchise consultant.
• 22:08
  SPEAKER_00: I've got lots of different things make up different happens.
• 22:11
  SPEAKER_04: Well, I think it's becoming really popular now to have these portfolio careers.
• 22:16
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah, and I see to so many people that do different things because I think you're obviously getting different things from different things, and the things that you do, but you know, you're meeting different people, and and I think it just creates, you know, and that's obviously something we can do as well as maybe our kids get older and we start having more time, but things you know lights up and we gain something from each each experience.
• 22:40
  SPEAKER_00: Energy and energy and connection, don't we, from those sort of different different communities.
• 22:45
  SPEAKER_04: I love this line that you've you shared with me as well.
• 22:48
  SPEAKER_04: Invest in yourself as much as in your business.
• 22:51
  SPEAKER_04: Talk me through what you mean by that.
• 22:53
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, so I think that's been a as I said, a big thing for me.
• 22:56
  SPEAKER_00: I've always sort of thought, well, what do I want to achieve next?
• 23:00
  SPEAKER_00: Whether that's sort of from an excise bit, but I think investing in going to different conferences, gaining information.
• 23:06
  SPEAKER_00: I've always learned, always made new friends.
• 23:08
  SPEAKER_00: I love that as well.
• 23:09
  SPEAKER_00: If I go to a new event, it's like, oh, who am I going to meet today?
• 23:12
  SPEAKER_00: So it's having that openness, and you just you will always get little nuggets of information from people, and I think that certainly has always energized me.
• 23:20
  SPEAKER_00: So it's that sort of feeling of where where do you get energy from?
• 23:23
  SPEAKER_00: If you may not be that outgoing, but actually putting yourself out there very slightly to a to a conference related to your industry or something like that is amazing.
• 23:32
  SPEAKER_00: And that networking doesn't have to be I go to a networking meeting and have to stand up and talk to loads of people, it can come from different ways of connecting.
• 23:41
  SPEAKER_04: And I've not been to a network meeting like that for ages, you know, where everyone stands up and does their elevator pitch.
• 23:46
  SPEAKER_00: No, I don't think they're not they're certainly not as popular, and there is certainly hugely varied ways of of having that networking connection.
• 23:54
  SPEAKER_00: It's a bit like when you came to my LinkedIn, I've loved then seeing who you've met as a result of that.
• 24:00
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah, some really nice people.
• 24:02
  SPEAKER_04: Right, and then we'll go for dinner, aren't we, next week?
• 24:04
  SPEAKER_00: Exactly.
• 24:05
  SPEAKER_00: So it's all those, it doesn't have to be the formality that I think we think of, and some of you will have come across B and I, which is American networking, works really well for a lot of industries, but it doesn't have to be like that for everybody.
• 24:17
  SPEAKER_00: No, there are some different ways of doing it.
• 24:19
  SPEAKER_00: But there is that fundamental thread about you need to be interested in other people and ask questions.
• 24:24
  SPEAKER_00: There's nothing worse than just grabbing on someone and telling them all about your business because it's it's only really, really interesting to you.
• 24:31
  SPEAKER_04: Um, I just also want to say something before we um wrap up that I don't think it's ever been easier or cheaper to set up a business with AI and things like that.
• 24:41
  SPEAKER_04: There's so much you can do as like one person before you need to hire somebody as well.
• 24:46
  SPEAKER_00: Um, no, and it's interesting.
• 24:48
  SPEAKER_00: My husband yesterday was looking for a new computer and he went on and used AI to sort of help him select all the different elements that he might need and the different technical specifications for this.
• 24:59
  SPEAKER_00: And you know, then it's vast, isn't it?
• 25:01
  SPEAKER_00: The support we can get.
• 25:02
  SPEAKER_00: And you feel a number of my friends have said, Oh, I love um Chat Chi P I've called it a certain name, and it's my other people that call it a certain name.
• 25:09
  SPEAKER_00: I don't know.
• 25:10
  SPEAKER_00: And if I'm doing a presentation, I might go on and say, right, can I what things should I be covering?
• 25:15
  SPEAKER_00: And I might even go back and say, Well, that went really well, and I've learned this really fascinating.
• 25:20
  SPEAKER_00: But it's about I don't think you'll ever be totally on your own anymore in that way, and that's where co-working and all those opportunities come to the fore as well, don't they?
• 25:29
  SPEAKER_00: Where you go and be surrounded by people, which is really interesting.
• 25:34
  SPEAKER_04: So before we wrap it up, any final words to anybody watching those considering leaving safety, perceived safety of corporate.
• 25:44
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I would say absolutely give it a go.
• 25:48
  SPEAKER_00: And if you're anxious about making the complete break, it's doing it as, and I don't like that side hustle word, but it's sort of doing it and and slowly helping build momentum.
• 25:58
  SPEAKER_00: You know, it's very easy.
• 25:59
  SPEAKER_00: We we all have imposter syndrome, we all think, oh, I can't do it, but actually taking small steps and building that momentum is vital in this.
• 26:08
  SPEAKER_00: And if you want to listen to someone like my girl crush Mel Robbins, you know, she's all about taking action and letting you know, not not worrying about what other people say.
• 26:19
  SPEAKER_04: That's my next we'll kind of read.
• 26:21
  SPEAKER_04: I haven't read that, I've read her five-second rule.
• 26:23
  SPEAKER_00: Oh, yeah, you need to let them fear in it.
• 26:25
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah, I've heard really good things about that.
• 26:27
  SPEAKER_04: So, before we wrap, tell people about Getahead because I love Getahead because I think it's a really nice, like halfway house as well.
• 26:34
  SPEAKER_04: So no, thank you.
• 26:36
  SPEAKER_00: And I would say this weekend I'm going to the NEC, so in Birmingham, it's the franchise show there.
• 26:41
  SPEAKER_00: So that's going to something like that, or looking at the British Franchise Association website to get a sense of what type of businesses you could actually buy is often a good way of understanding what kind of things are out there.
• 26:53
  SPEAKER_00: So for me, we touched on scaling.
• 26:56
  SPEAKER_00: I I scaled the business because I wanted to gain bigger traction across the country.
• 27:00
  SPEAKER_00: So the way I've scaled is through a franchise model.
• 27:03
  SPEAKER_00: So big shout out to my fabulous franchisees.
• 27:07
  SPEAKER_00: Um, and they then have got my talk.
• 27:09
  SPEAKER_00: You know, I've made the mistakes, I've I've learned what it is you need to do to be able to promote and support your local business communities.
• 27:15
  SPEAKER_00: So the way I've done that is through the franchise piece.
• 27:18
  SPEAKER_00: So the franchisees have each other, they have the support of me and the access to this wide team to do that client delivery.
• 27:25
  SPEAKER_00: But I would say something like the a franchise show is quite interesting just because you suddenly don't you don't realise what's franchise often these days, and actually, why go through all the hard work when actually you could learn from something else?
• 27:37
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah, it's like a business, a a pre-made beautiful business in a box.
• 27:42
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah, no, no, no, Rebecca offering full support, and obviously you can then you know it's a lot less runway, I think, that you have to go through paying it for yourself, yeah.
• 27:51
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah, where you can like you know, scale and parts are paying yourself if you buy a franchise, a proven franchise.
• 27:56
  SPEAKER_04: Um, and I couldn't think of a better person to work with than you, Rebecca.
• 27:59
  SPEAKER_04: And I know that you also offer the business mentoring as well.
• 28:02
  SPEAKER_04: I guess that's for people whether they become get-ahead franchisers or not.
• 28:06
  SPEAKER_00: Oh, yeah, absolutely.
• 28:07
  SPEAKER_00: No, love a conversation.
• 28:09
  SPEAKER_00: So, yeah, always on LinkedIn, so by all means connect with me.
• 28:12
  SPEAKER_04: Okay, well, we'll put your links.
• 28:14
  SPEAKER_04: Um, I'm gonna release this as a podcast as well, so we'll put the links in the show.
• 28:17
  SPEAKER_04: Oh, absolutely.
• 28:19
  SPEAKER_04: Well, I hope we've inspired more people.
• 28:22
  SPEAKER_04: We definitely want to see more people take the leap into entrepreneurship.
• 28:25
  SPEAKER_04: Um, so do let us know how you get on if you're taking the leap, what business you're setting up, and please do keep us updated.
• 28:39
  SPEAKER_04: Thank you for listening to another episode of the Work It Like a Mum podcast.
• 28:44
  SPEAKER_04: If you enjoyed this episode, please rate, review, and subscribe.
• 28:48
  SPEAKER_04: And don't forget to share the link with a friend.
• 28:51
  SPEAKER_04: If you're on LinkedIn, please send me a connection request at Elizabeth Willett and let me know your thoughts on this week's episode.
• 28:58
  SPEAKER_04: You can also follow my recruitment site, Investing in Women, on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram.
• 29:03
  SPEAKER_04: Until next time, keep on chasing your biggest dream.