The Uneducated PT Podcast - Ep 79: Unlocking Entrepreneurial Brilliance with Shannon Irvine.

Episode Date: May 7, 2025

The Uneducated PT Podcast – Episode 79: Unlocking Entrepreneurial Brilliance with Shannon Irvine In this enlightening episode of The Uneducated PT Podcast, we sit down with Shannon Irvine, a seasoned marketing and operations consultant dedicated to helping 6-7 figure businesses. Shannon shares her expertise in streamlining operations and crafting marketing strategies that drive substantial growth for established businesses. Delving into the psychological aspects of entrepreneurship, Shannon discusses how cultivating the right mindset is pivotal for business success. Drawing from her experience, she offers practical advice on navigating common pitfalls and scaling businesses effectively.Whether you're an aspiring entrepreneur or a seasoned business owner, this episode is packed with valuable insights to elevate your business acumen.Connect with Shannon:Instagram: @shannonirvineconsultancyWebsite: shannonirvineconsultancy.comTune in to gain actionable strategies and a fresh perspective on achieving business excellence.

Hello and welcome to the uneducated PT podcast with me, your host, Carlo Rourke. The goal of this podcast is to bring on interest and knowledgeable people from all walks of life, learn a little something from each conversation and for you, the listener, just learn something from each episode. So don't forget to subscribe to the channel, press the box below, show some support and I'll see you on the next episode. So I'm obviously my life, Shannon, but, so over the past maybe 18 months, I've obviously pivoted a little more towards like marketing and operations.

Obviously previously in my background being in digital marketing, So a lot of kind of what I do is I do have a lot of online businesses. Now, there is obviously other businesses that aren't actually in the fitness industry, but predominantly it is in the fitness industry more so because I've always just kind of fell into that kind of category. So yeah, I mean, I can help obviously less than a different business because I've worked in many industries myself previously before going into like self-employed life. So I help a lot of them with their marketing, their operations. So that can look like, you know, inside their business, like part of set up I can on board on journeys, whether that's like setting up the proper systems as well

for their clients and themselves to make it a little bit seamless. And it's also maybe looking at like caring people, training staff, like all these different bits that people always forget. And then obviously you've got the marketing and so it's how we get actually people into the business as well. So once you go into business,

all the backends all nice and shiny and new and it's a lot more seamless. And then they can go on their way and, you know, crack on really. Yeah. So like you said, you work predominantly with fitness businesses. But do you think that once you kind of understand the patterns of business, that that's an easy kind of crossover to other.

or industries. Yeah, 100%. So as long as you've got like a product or service to sell, like it is quite easy to do then. And most, obviously most businesses always have a product. They always have a service. They have something to sell. It will always depend on the market, really, and how they interact with their clients. So for an example, with fitness coaches, we are, well in that, think we, but they have the ability to outbounds in semesters and do all lot of their stuff, whereas like the likes of people who are like, accountings and mortgage devices aren't really in that space to do that because it's against kind of the regulations of like the networks that they're a part of.

They're not allowed to kind of go out and physically like mess with people about getting a mortgage and stuff because it's obviously it's a financing. So there's obviously different different ways and doing things. But the same rules apply with marketing. It's all about your content, your messaging, getting people to drive to you. Obviously building a good customer service so you do get your referrals as well. Yeah. Obviously you're very well established in the fitness industry.

and there'll be a lot of personal trainers and coaches who actually listen to this podcast as well. How is it that you're well established in the fitness industry and helping a lot of fitness coaches? You used to work in fitness for a brief time, didn't you? Yeah, so I actually qualified for my PT qualification in 2017.

And I was, honestly worked in Digital Marketing as well. So when I got out of uni, Darnasters, and then I went home to Belfast and I got a job in Digital Marketing. My first ever job, I was around like 16. times a year it was like ridiculous and I think even half of that went to like my stepdad for like rent and stuff and then as I kind of like obviously went through digital marketing I've always been a person who's always had more than one job always and it's I think it's more like a mentality

grew up in our families like all my family have all worked two jobs like all women have and I don't know if that was always stuck with me and it was actually a PT at the time when I had in 2017 in Liverpool he was like you'd actually be really good as a personal trainer which you want to maybe come and work for us so I was like it's never something I actually thought about so I actually did, I went and done it, qualified from PT, and then I was working with them for a while. And I went out my own as well at one point.

Like I done, I worked in pure gym on top of working a full-time job. So I was like six days a week working like ridiculous hours at one point. And then I finally kind of like, I packed it in mostly when I went online. And I started working with like I really had to coach. You know, we had a team of coaches, team of Saturdays, all that kind of stuff.

I was head coach. I was obviously helping over the marketing, everything else in the apartment. And that just. made me hate coaching. I think it was because of the people that I were working with more really a challenge, like mentally. And I was like, I'm mentally not still okay in myself. I was like, I don't know if I can do this job. So for me, I was always like, I'm better at helping people behind the scenes. And that's kind of like what I've always done is like, I'm the person behind

the scenes who's kind of giving you the direction. I've always been better at that side of it than I have that like the actual other side. And I just didn't enjoy coaching at one point. I'm just like, well, I'm not doing this. Like, I felt like it was the whole like, I know, obviously people will enjoy it, but I just didn't enjoy that part. Like I, I like solving problems, like, there are into good problems. Like, I like the strategies and things behind it, whereas, like, with weight loss and fat loss, there's only one strategy you can use. And that's just strapped calories. And I just felt like that merry, it just felt to me very monotonous. And I was like, I need to be doing more, essentially. And like you said there, that you, a lot of the time you

spend kind of behind the scenes, basically running other people's businesses and and helping other people's businesses to succeed. But then recently you decided to go out on your own and be the front and center basically. Yeah. So obviously whenever I started online, I started my own business. It was social shannon.

So it was obviously the virtual assistant business. And I was obviously the forefront. But that grew exponentially to the point where I was like, well, I didn't realize I was going to get that big. But that grew because of the referrals and also the people that I was involved at the time referring me to other people.

And I think at one point we might have like 60, 70 clients as virtual assistant clients and 14 members of staff. That was insane. And it was brilliant, you know, at the time. And like a lot back now and I think, you know, I would do so different. I would do it so differently now if I had it again because I've learned so much since then. And then obviously I went in and went in someone else's business to work behind the scenes essentially. Well, still coaching people, but, you know, I started helping like doing the marketing. And then it was doing lead. And then it was doing marketing. And then it was CEO. And I was like, it just kind of gradually build. And dubbed that over 12 months. But yeah, when I went out my own again, like that was a big decision. Like, it was really hard to make. But I think it was the best thing I've ever done, to be honest. And the last, like, 18 months have been incredible. Like, do people I work with or just,

you obviously get such an array of different people, like, from different businesses. Like, you'd probably no idea how many businesses I've worked in that are still well known. And, like, you know, I've helped build those businesses, which is nice, to remember. Do you think that's giving you almost a sort of advantage? Because a lot of people go into business, and they straight away work for themselves,

whether that's a fitness business or B2B or whatever it is. But like having that kind of insight of watching how other people run their businesses and almost tweaking their businesses and fixing them and seeing what people do wrong, people, what people do right before you kind of went out on your own? Do you think that's giving you a bit of an advantage? Probably, yeah. Like I think like when I first started doing,

because I was always worked in like agencies before I started doing my own thing. like in 2021. Not that I had an idea like how things work because obviously there's higher level stuff that you don't get to see when you're like an executive like you don't.

And obviously I was managing accounts and stuff like managing Google accounts, out of account and stuff like that. But I think whenever I just got my business off the ground obviously I was still like getting, I wouldn't say getting help but like you know,

I have people I would go speak to you about like what was doing and what was writing wrong. And I didn't always agree with the decisions but when I did it I was like I actually don't like this. I can do this again. and myself. So when I went and done it myself again, I knew exactly what I didn't want to do

because I had locked up what other people had done. I was like, that's the kind of business I don't want to run. This is the way I want to go. So I do think it's like, I think for anyone who wants to actually start their own business, I probably say go and do it and see what happens. Like, there's going to be opportunities that may come arise that you might actually want to work someone else's business. Like, I know people that prefer to do that than run their own business because they don't want to stress about. But like, I always think if you've got an idea, go and do it and just like see how it goes. like, you know, set up the way you feel like it's going to, you want to set it up as. And then kind of, obviously, if you want help, you can get help.

But like, if you've seen enough bad businesses, you know how hard to run a good business. Like, you know the opposite way to go. Like, you'll know yourself, even if you're like in a mentorship and you can see hard to run. You're like, I don't really like this. Like, if you even want to stop your own, you know kind of yourself, I want to set up this way because it doesn't work that way. Yeah, I think, like, if you, if you understand what you don't want, you're halfway there. yeah that's it isn't it like i i i knew myself as soon as i left the last place i was in and i was like i don't want to be that type of person like not even the type of business but the type of person as well

i felt really stuck with me so like i really try to stick to my values and which possible and i have to be fair like and it's it's worked in my favour because you know even people that are finishing up with me say on a six month like you know mastermind or whatever i don't pressure people to say because I'm like, if I can't teach anything else, I'd bother you leave because I don't want you to stay here and I don't want to take your money. It's just not like, I'm not about sitting here and going like, oh yeah, I'm making like 50K month.

Like I don't, that's not. I live very comfortable and I love my life. And I love not, you know, having a balance. And I don't want to be that person. It's like, you know, you have to be saying. You have to stay on. Like, you know, if you leave, your business is going to be in trouble.

And I'm like, no, I've taught you everything. If you're business in trouble, you know, to come back to me, but it shouldn't be because I've taught you everything enough to know that you're super. If you're enough to leave and do it yourself. Because I don't feel like people need that support 24-7 for all year round. There should be a period of time where people leave naturally because they should learn enough there to run their own business themselves. Like that's the whole point of having a business mentor.

Like it's not meant to be something in my eyes. It's not meant to be something you have all the time. Yeah, it's great for support. But if you don't need that support anymore, like you're not, you don't technically need to constantly stay there and that's your position. Yeah. And you kind of need that kind of space of. to implement what you've actually learned and give yourself that little bit of freedom as well.

Yeah, and like, some of the people I've worked with have am spending so much stuff and they probably didn't need more help, but there's like, I'm not saying a person's going to be like, you're going to fail if you don't stay. It's just not my, it's just really not in me to do that.

I would rather someone go off and leave, try things like themselves, figure out what is they want, and then come back to me if they wanted to. Like, I'm just, yeah, I'm just not that person. I think it's just like, I don't know, do you know, you have that like it's like a moral thing like I'm like I can't do it morally like

like I just can't like I'm like the fact that like you're paying me and you're probably not getting what you need I'm like because you maybe don't need as much support as what I can give you you. So if I can give you too much support and you're like yeah everything's good sticking over you know I don't want to sit and go we can try all this stuff and like you need to do this and you need to do that if that's what you don't want to do so I don't force my clients to do anything I don't want to do either like I say to I'm like this is my suggestion if you want to do it you don't have to. You can keep going at the way

where you're going at but if you try this, this is where we could go instead of like being like, no, you're going to be stupid if you don't try this or, you know, your business is going to fail

if you don't, you don't do this next move that I'm telling you to do. Yeah, and I think that's where that's where I think integrity comes in and that's why I think so many people speak highly about you as well

because like you can only, I think you can only carry on like that with people for so long before. Like once your reputation kind of is destroyed, like it's, you can't really build that back up and, And like what's that like saying?

It's like like it takes years to build a good reputation and it takes moments to destroy it. And I think I think a lot of with a lot of kind of kind of mentorship and stuff like that. Yeah. I'm like to be honest, like once I left up with this company, like my reputation was not great. And it wasn't because of me. It was because of like I was being put in that same boat with that other people. So whenever I left like it was kind of like people were more open to talk. talking to me then, you know, people are more susceptible to actually have complications than me.

And I was like, oh, this, this is nice. I'm like, oh, I kind of like, you know, I'm really shocked at like how different that you are and how you were perceived. And I was, I was like, well, yeah, like, when you're in something and like you're all, it's essentially weird, but it's in a cult. It is kind of frees like a cult a cult a little bit. It's a cult, it's cult like mindset, isn't it? You're all being in it. You're following the values of the business rather than the values of Shannon then. yeah but you're also then being told about all these things that you know feel like they're like the holy grail bible like this is like and i'm like uh is it though but you don't know any different because you're like well

this is all we've ever done is all i ever know in the last like say 12 18 months so it's like i can't really go against it and if you do go against it's kind of like it's not like i don't know not received in a way like it's not received so yeah it's a bit know, like I feel better myself being out of it. And I would probably recommend, I always say this as well, like, if anyone's in a position where they're currently feeling probably the way I did, it's like, better just to get yourself out of it and do your own finger, just go somewhere else and venture off. And I've actually spoken to people recently who have, like, said that I actually inspired them to do the exact same thing because they were in a similar position and what I was

feeling. And they were like, if you can do it, then, so can. And I was like, 100% like anyone can. And I would say that about any job, even like personal trainers and like fitness coaches, is like, if they're in a position at the moment where they're like, something needs to change, do it. Like, go and make that change. Like, don't sit on it. Don't sit and think, oh, well, I have to do this and I have to get to here before I can do this.

Like, I had no plan. I didn't have a plan. Like, I had no plan at all. I was like, I'm just going to leave. I'm just going to leave. I've got money in the bank to fit yourself. Like, for a little cup for a while. Things will happen and I'll just put the feeders out there

and see what the crack is. And things then pick up eventually. You know, obviously it was back up to a good amount. by probably the March and April and I was happy enough and I was like, okay, I can do this.

Like, it's, it's okay. I think that's a good, a good lesson for anyone who's listening because I've seen it loads of times, even just with friends, like any industry, not particularly fitness or business or like,

just having even jobs that you could tell they go in and they're absolutely dreading every day going in there. And like, they'll complain about it and they'll have this horrible feeling and their gut that they have to go in to do this thing that they hate but then the money is decent enough that it keeps them staying and like it's it's it's such a hard thing to because obviously you're like all right well if i leave this now then you know how am i going to get paid how am i going to figure this out but i always think like if you can get paid and

you can do a good job doing something that you absolutely despise like imagine what you could do with something that you're actually really passionate about yeah 100% so like i have always made that mistake where I've stayed in the job for too long. And like, I do think that maybe it's like a like our mindset mentality because obviously like we're all born like the 90s. Like you grew up and around like your parents up being like

no, you have to go get a job and you know not everyone likes their job and it's fine and stuff like that and you grew up in that mentality where it's like well yeah, jobs are just fucking stick it out. So I still got a load of jobs. I just absolutely hated. Like I remember at one time I was working at a market agency and Chelsea and elsewhere in my house now. And I just want to go out my boss

she's actually bullying me. Like, he was bullying me. Like, every day I was coming in, I just felt like I was being made, like, to be the bottom of every joke. And I was like, why is this guy picking on me so much? And it was so annoying. And, like, I ended up leaving from the six,

like, after the six months, like probation period. I was like, I just don't like this place. And I was so happy to leave. I was like, that was absolutely dire. But it's like, people saying those for so long. And I'm like, I would have snapped. Yeah. I would have been to punch him in the face

because it was just getting ridiculous. And I was like, make your, like, don't even come at me. Like, you have no idea what you're doing. like you're literally there as a manager for no reason you've no experience in doing what we're doing because it was like this makeshift agency they'd made within another company to start like basically marketing their business but also then to take on other clients and I was like this is a bit weird yeah I think you're I think there's definitely something like in like people

who were brought up in the 90s and stuff like that like there's this mentality that oh it will get better just kind of grind through it yeah I think the younger generation are like oh this doesn't suit me I'm God. Yeah, it's like, our generation is always so, like, it's fucking a work, like, just get going. Like, just stick it out, like, it's got to get up better. Like, you know, you just had to keep going and, you know, not everyone likes her job, like, all jobs is shit,

but it's giving you a salary. And that is, I also think that's an Irish thing as well, because, like, mentality's at home. Like, they're all like, everyone just like, you know, like, just getting on. It's normal to suffer, basically. Yeah. So it's, it's, it.

Yeah, I think, like, all my family, like, a lot of them have opened another job since for, like, 40 years. Like, my grandma was in the same job, forgot knows how long. My aunt is in the same job, like, until, like, her job was made redundant. Like, she, them was forced to go and get a new job, even though she paid at that previous one. I was like, why do we stay in these places? Like, just fucking leave.

Where am I going to leave to? Go find another job. Like, why is it so hard to go find another job? Yeah. Like, if we see her, and some people come into taste me, like, they're a person who's like, I hate my gym, go fucking find another gym then. Yeah. we just get stuck in our ways

but like I think you just keep keep making it like it's we we don't take any action we don't make a decision but like if you're miserable any decision is the right decision because it will like produce change which is exactly what you need yeah 100% like

I'm to know what I should be so afraid of change like all the time and they can be wrongly I still don't really like it that much but at the same time it's like you look back and you like change is like the best thing because like if you're stuck in a place where it's like you don't know which way to go and you're like,

this is really not for me. Just change it, change the environment, change where your job, change where you're at, it does make such a difference. Like, I've had plenty of jobs. Like,

sometimes I was to freak out because, like, people look at my ceiling, but like, why this girl had loads of, like, different jobs. I've had it in, like,

somewhere and it wasn't comfortable, I'd be like, I'm leaving, like, find something else, like, and sometimes, I think I even actually had a job before.

So I worked for a student accommodation agency back in 2016 for, for like a year and a half. And at the time, my mental health was so, so bad still because obviously I had to be mum and stuff and it took me so, because obviously it made me so long the end up getting put on sick

by the doctor to get, obviously for like medication and stuff. And when I got back, they stacked me before that. I was like, you're sacking me because I have mental health issues like, what the fuck's that about? Like I could have obviously got like, back then, you know, I still could have probably got them done for more than that and obviously had to get more

money off them. But yeah, I couldn't believe people actually did that. Yeah. Like, I was like, this is just mental. But you know what? I always love that kind of quote from Steve Jobs where it's like you can't connect the dots going forward but you connect them when you look back and it's like even if you left the job and you had an even worse job

and you had the even worse job after that. And then you make another change in another change. It does end up leading you to the thing that you're like, oh, now it makes sense of why I went through all them shitty little experiences. Yeah, it also makes more sense now as well whenever I look back at hard than managers were. And I was like,

I now look back and be like, wow, they were under a lot of pressure from like top bosses downwards. So it's like, I get why they were this way. So I always look back and I'm like, I don't regret anything like that I had done. And I look back and I'm like, I actually forgive all those people that I used to hate because it's like, actually they, now I'm, I know what kind of position they were in. But I'm like, okay, yeah, I get it now. Like that's why she was such a bit. Like, she was on a lot of pressure from her boss. She was then obviously chuckled down because like, you know, shit, chuckled her in hill.

Like we were getting in shit. She was getting in shit. It was kind of just that type of environment. I mean, she was very, very harsh as a boss. And I'm like, I kind of, that's how I don't want to be. It's if someone's struggling and they came to me, then I want to help them. I don't want to be like, well, just go sit over your desk and just know of it. Yeah, it makes sense.

I want to go through a few quotes from you that I think it's very, very helpful for business owners and for you to just kind of dive in a little bit deeper to them. So first one, there is a perception that we need to hit certain income to warrant our worth as a business. owner. Can you explain this one? So everyone knows this by now in a fitness industry. The online space has accidentally grown in the last like three years. What I don't like is this perception of if you're not doing X amount of money a month, you're basically worthless. And it's like, I'm sorry, but like that doesn't make sense. So like I have clients who have, you know, they're like every month, I'm like, oh, well, I haven't hit like 13K. I haven't had 15K and I

I'm going to hit 20. I'm like, how long a second? Like, why is your being up on it? Where is this mentality coming from? Like, why do you feel like you need to hit that number? And if you don't hit that number, why is that equal that you're a failure? So it's this constant perception they go around in their head that, you know, oh, if this week I don't make any sales, then I've, my whole business is going to fall apart. And I'm like, wait, you have 60 clients. You've 60 clients. You're making 10K a month. You're probably doing more than that. You've probably made consistently over 10K for the last six months. So if you don't have money in the bank to save, all right? as well, then you're not a good business owner anyway. If you can't survive one bad month, then don't do a business, don't have a business. But also, just because you don't make that money doesn't mean that you're not going to. It also doesn't mean that you're not good at your job. You know, there's a perception in the online space that if you don't make 10K, then you might as well not do, like, you know, you know, you're not as an ass run of business. You may as well just be, you're a failure, you know, but there's people out there if you're happy at 5K, why can people just be happy

of four or five K like if you are happy at that stay at that that that's okay keep doing what you're doing brilliant boss move keep doing that if you want more money brilliant okay

but remember as well money doesn't meet you or happiness I never said someone more day like even if I when I meet with money I don't feel any different than what I did when I wasn't like my life is badder quality yes

like I have so much more freedom now than what I did previously but like it doesn't mean as I'm a pat any happer just because when I see it have I seen an extra zero on my, on my, like at a bank, it doesn't make any difference to me and it's treating to anyone else, but there's perception if you look online,

especially with coaches, like, look at other people and they're like, well, I should be doing 50K. Parts he doing 50K and I'm not. Why does it matter? Why can't you just be happy where you're at and keep doing your business and doing your clients a service and helping more people because that's what it should be about, but it's not. Yeah, I spoke about this even in terms of like surface metrics to hidden metrics.

And I was using the example of, you know, a fat loss client, which I think most fitness advice can can correlate straight to business advice as well. Like a coach will give advice to a client and not be able to receive it themselves in their head. And like the surface metrics and the hidden metrics was like when I was talking about a fat loss client I was talking about, okay, like you want to hit a magical 10 KG of weight loss. All right. Yeah. And, you know, unless you hit that number. like unless you go from 70 kilos to 60 kilos, you're deeming yourself a failure.

But you know, you're fitter, you're stronger, you're in a better mood, you're more present with your partner. You have lost body fat. You've gained muscle. You just haven't lost 10 kilos,

but you're close to it. And your quality of life is much better. So like, why are you, why are you basing all your success and happiness on this magical number of losing 10 kilos? And then, like,

you can also then just relate that back to, uh, the online coach or the, or the business owner or whatever their profession is. It's like, okay, you know, you want to make this amount, but like what does that actually mean to you? And like, you could have someone who's making 5K more than you, but, you know, their expenses are more higher,

their overheads are higher, they're working twice as much as you, they're not seeing their friends, they're not seeing their partner, they're overwhelmed and stressed. So like, you have a better quality of life in all these other aspects, but you're just looking at,

okay, this person's making three or four or five K more than me. Yeah. And like people don't see as well like the interests of like an actual business where it takes you to 20, 30, 40K. Like there is people that, you know, unfortunate, like there is people that are actually gifted at doing marketing so well of their product

that they get so many people wanting to work with them. And that's brilliant because people are, there's like they're the, what is it called? They're the exception of the room type thing. So like there's people out there that do that, you know, they're like they have people that want to work with them all the time.

And that's brilliant. like more priority to you amplify that use it go your business but there are people that have to work extra hard and those people that have to work extra hard are the ones who are constantly being like oh well you know I haven't done this this month and I haven't done that and I always say to them like in like a check-in form for them I do obviously in the mastermind I'm like did you show up 100% last week of your business if they say no I'm like we can't complain and it's okay it's okay you can't complain but if you didn't show up like that's kind of of where we need to look at.

Like, where didn't you show up in your business? Was it on your stories? Was it on your marketing? Because people don't realize like that. If you're not showing up every day and it sounds, it's mad. Like we have to show up pretty much all the time, especially in fitness. And you have to be on it with your messaging. You have to be on it with content.

You have to be on it. And it's constant. Like, it's exhausting. It's exhausting. And if you're not cut out for it, that's kind of where it's like, well, don't do it then. There's other people out there that they've cut corners. Okay. So they go and they do ads.

They go and they have setters like in their accounting, mean, 700 DMs a day. There are the people that are scaling, okay? But if you don't want to do that, then you have to get good at doing the other stuff, which is doing it yourself and showing up every day. And that's kind of where I'm always like, there was just this really,

I just wanted to go away. I want it. It's just so, it's so demoralizing, it's so demotivating that there's this perception, like, well, if you don't make 10K and months, like you're basically worth, you know, flush you meant to put your business in. No, if your business is making 5K,

even if your business is making 2K, if you're doing a business that you love, fucking keep going. It will come back around. Like, yeah, it bothers me so much. I get so stressed out about it. Like, I'm like, cool.

I think that's a really good point about the kind of personal responsibility as well, because I've seen it myself, like I've had, you know, months where I've done a certain amount and I'm like, why am I only making this? Why is not anything working with me?

And I've had months where I've, business has been really, really good. And anytime I kind of do look at that and I'm quite honest with myself, if sometimes I'll lie to myself, but sometimes I'll tell the truth to myself. I was like, I'm doing this well this month because of everything that I did like three months ago, where I showed up constantly three months ago. And it's like when I've had the kind of low months or business hasn't been running this smoothly, it's like, well, you know, I wasn't really doing.

I wasn't really doing what I needed to do. And like, I think if you're going to be a business owner, like, you have to have that kind of personal responsibility and kind of ownership to like, like, without it being like, you know, you're, you know, shaming yourself or judging yourself and stuff like that. because maybe it's like, all right, you had a family member who was sick or, you know, you went on a big long travel holiday and or like just, it wasn't what it would want to be. But like, you still have to kind of take ownership of that if you're going to have a successful business or a lasting business. 100%. And like, I have people now as well who, you know, I've worked, I've worked with them for a couple months. We've got the point where they don't, they can go on holiday for a week and they don't have that panic anymore that their business is going to fall apart. And I'm like, because you focus on your clients and your service, you focus on doing all these other things that. going to help you get to that point where you can't go in a holiday okay you didn't make any sales probably didn't hit as many sales in april as you wanted to but that's okay you still have what eight other months this at the month at the year like we're going into may it's a new months you have to just keep going and you have to look at it that way it's like people then be like oh well

you know last year in april did this as i said last year in april did you take a week off no were you doing x-wise yeah that month where you're breaking your back are you doing all this no are you happy in your business yes okay so what's more important to you you have to, it's like, you know that I that's written the sult lot of not giving a fuck who's always talks about like, you have to like

be careful, what the fuck you give about? So it's like, what do you actually give a fuck about? Like, what is it really important to do? I know it's really important to me. It's important to me as my health. What's important to me is balance. What's important to me has been able to take my dogs out for an hour every day when I can

and have to manage my own schedule and not have to answer to people or, you know, chasing a less money and whatever. it's like I show up with myself every day authentically because that's just who I am and I have to show up a fake like you have to just choose

what you actually care about most and I think people care so much about money because they feel like well if I make more money then it means that I'm a better person doing this and I blah blah blah and I got all this out of this it means that I'm like you know top dog

and I'm like no doesn't necessarily like unless you sit on everyone else to get to that point then no I don't think it is speaking on personal ownership and also kind of boundaries as well, which you kind of touched on as well. I really like this one.

So I don't do chaos. I don't bend my schedule to accommodate broken systems because here's what I know after 10 years in this industry. Your standards protect your peace. So my best work happens inside businesses that are committed to doing things right,

not rushing to fix things last minute. Yeah. Explain that for me. So I've worked in business before where it's like, it's constant chaos. chaos chaos, chaos, every day.

Something's not working. Why isn't this working? Why you're not doing this? This should be higher. Our numbers should be here, blah, blah. And it's like, sometimes you're like, I can't,

like, sometimes you physically can't fix a problem if it's not, like, it's an external factor. So it's like, what I've tried to do now is like, I'm trying to really change how I perceive things as well in businesses.

So even when I work with people and I know things aren't working, I'm like, look, right, let's look at everything, okay? We're not going to rush this. Let's look at what's actually happening. yes we need more calls but yes we need to get like more seals in but that's actually like what's happening if I can fix this problem I've been able to do that and I've been able to go well okay here's what

I found here's why I start working okay external factor can't we can't help that okay but then it doesn't become like well this is your felt this why isn't this working it's your afout like you know there's a constant chaos I've worked in so many places before where it is a chaotic environment and it's not motivating it's like demoralizing when you're there like it's this constant like well you know I've worked in places before where basically like you don't get paid if like you don't get to do a good job or you know your payments lay

or like you know I'm going to like send like a fee to you if like you know your numbers aren't updated here or there and everywhere like you know it's frustrating when people don't update the traffic sheets especially people don't send your report but at the same time it's not the end of the world so it's like now what I've kind of tried to do is like

you know do wrong I work really fucking hard in certain businesses as well like I work really hard to make sure that I maintain a level of like I have my shit together but I do that because I've done that because I have an overview of everything and I know exactly how the things work because I've set it up. So I'm like, okay, so I know how the inside of a business works right now. So it's that chaos. It runs seamlessly because we put the right things in place to make it good. We also don't put so much pressure on different people to hit certain things

when we know there's other things at play. It's like my boundaries and I are like, I will set boundaries with certain people. You know, I don't have to look at my phone every hour. Like if someone messaging me. I don't have that need. I'd be like, I need to message them back or I'm going to get a train back or like, that's how I used to be. That's hard used to be all the time. It's like, you know, I would stay at sometimes 11 o'clock at night to tax on someone because I was like, well, you know,

I'm getting paid to do this and it's like, well, I'm not getting paid to 11 o'clock at night. I'm getting paid for a job that, you know, yes, I meant to be doing five days a week and I was working a weekend and was doing everything else. Now I choose a work on Sunday because it helps me get ahead from the Monday. It helps me feel a bit more prepped and ready. So I just had those boundaries in place. Like, if I say I'm going to do something

because I'm doing it and choosing to do it if that's something that's telling me what to do. Yeah, that makes perfect sense and I think a lot of coaches it's probably a lesson

that a lot of coaches learn the hard way is like being able to set your boundaries and then just not being reactive with things going wrong and being just proactive and like I think

the more confident that you are in your systems then the less you will be reactive and you'll be like things are fine. I don't need to don't need to. Everyone does it though.

Yeah. we all look we all do like I'm I'm the first person put my hands up and say that far I acted at some point when I worked in the previous business was probably not okay because I was so reactive but because I just couldn't control the emotions that I was feeling at the time I felt like at the time I was being really triggered constantly all the time and it was this constant just like I don't know

it was just I felt like I was straight in a losing battle half the time so it was like yes I was I felt a lot of time I was having like a mental burden every other week so I was like so I couldn't see what what I was like that was actually happening but when I take a step back and I look at it I'm like okay so yes some things were could have been managed a lot better and probably myself my emotions I don't do that anymore thanks for you because I've had proper minds that coaching I know exactly how to handle myself now but then I look at us also and I'm like there's there is things that

you just cannot control regardless of like a business and if you're doing everything right sometimes there's one of be times where there's things you just can't control you can't control how other people perceive you, book a call, make a seal, anything else, and that's okay. You have to be okay

with that though. There's people like dark you're not okay with that. Yeah, at all. And it's this constant thing of like, well,

like you were doing this and we would have got that call and I'm like, well, no, because the person didn't want to begin. Like, yeah,

I think you're, if you're constantly trying to like live on survival mode when you're a business, like your cortisol level is going to be through the roof every single day. Like you're going to,

you're going to die early if that's the kind of, that you want the middle of time. Yeah. I generally think that at that time, my stress levels were probably like through the roof. Like it took me, like, I remember basically someone's ending me, like, it took me so long for my nervousness and just to kind of just chill the fuck out. And like, even not, like I watch some times and, like,

even if I go to CrossFit and like I'll do everything else, my bat still says, like, you know, you've had a really non-stressful day. And I'm like, because things shouldn't be stressing me out anymore the way they used to because I've put things in place to help other people and any problem that comes up, I can deal with it in a way that's like, okay, well, like, you know, feel worried we got this. Like, it's fine.

We can deal with it. It's okay. Like, there's nothing, I always say there's nothing in this world that should make you, well, especially with more of the jobs. There's nothing in business and a job that should make you be like a fucking psychopath,

basically. Like, they're shooting be. And like, they're also shooting be, I put on my thing the other day on threads about like, mentors, like basically with being really, connoe, being conning. of Hitler

because I've hearing a lot of bad stories lately so I'm like I hear so many bad stories of people being like a certain way and I'm like

and there is a there are big mentors as well there's people out there and I'm like wow like karma's gonna fucking get you because like

how where do they get the where they get this like I don't know like the balls to just act and treat people a certain way and I'm like

who do you think you are you're not the Dali fucking Lama like you don't have to you can't just go around talking to people like that you know what I mean

you're not fucking Pope fucking Francis and not obviously there but like you're not these people so you think in you're in a position of power like is you're in a position of power in the fitness syndrome in the UK

love not the whole entire world you're not like Charmosy like you can't speak to people the way you do and I'd say you'll you'll probably hear more of the horror stories and notice more to horror stories than like the general public or regular business owners

because that is your field it's like the way I know I'm able to spot a bad personal trainer straight away whereas the general public wouldn't know and then they would fall into that hands of that person who's almost kind of ripping them with a program and then you're like yeah you see you see it more because obviously it's the it's the industry that you're in people talk to me but it do as well so like people will openly have conversations with me about that because obviously they trust they trust me

and they know obviously like i've been very similar stuff before and like i'm not i don't classify myself as a mentor i classed myself as a consultant because i don't like the i don't like the word mentor and i think it's because like it's it's just like It's been dangerous. Yeah, like, it seems dirty now. And I'm like, oh, I don't want to be like, call, like you mentor anymore. I know if someone said it before and I was like,

oh, Jesus, like, do call me that. I'm like, I'm going like, just call me a consultant or something. Well, you can change the perception of it. Do you know what? I'm trying my best. And I think, like, you know, regardless of that, like, how many people know who I am, you know, I still don't think people, like, see all the work that I've done.

That's why I kind of try and stress it, like, you know, I've been in this initiative group for a way. Yes, I'm not loud mouth. I'm not like, you know, someone who posts every day. I'm not someone who's out there, like fucking telling you what to do and stuff. I'm just trying to be myself and that's it. Like, that's all I care about. I just want people to like get on calls with me and I feel as if like I'm personally meant to like a 7K product or something. Like even like some of the stories I see on other mentors stuff where they expose other mentors. I'm like, holy shit. Like people are being 12k to be told to send more DMs and that's it.

Like what? Yeah. What? Like fucking out. to be charge of fucking fortune I've been doing that for five years. Another question or another very good quote that I wanted to get your thoughts on especially because I've after hiring four coaches

very, very good coaches if they're listening, I'm really, really happy with them. They all came through. They came through the program and they're doing great in what they're doing. But you said, slow down when hiring,

build a better hiring process. Better hires can elevate your business and a bad one can drown your business. So what does a good or bad process for hiring people look like for anyone out there who might be kind of on the verge of hiring their first bit of staff? People who do like one interview and think that's it. And they're like, oh my God, you're hired. I'm like, what? Like, no, do your digital ones first. Like, what I've kind of seen before is like people who rush the process. So like, we need a coach. We need someone. Like, we need someone ASAP.

And I'm like, okay, let's take a, let's see what we get to first. Go white, you know, put the job out out there, like look back and see kind of like applications. And like, do you have no idea how many applications I'd look through for coaches and some of their like CVs are diaries. I'm like, come on guys. Make your CV stand out a little bit more. Like, stop using text on a PC window and download that as your CV because that's on a CV.

That's just text. And it looks like fucking worst code, to be honest. I've seen loads of those before as well. But I think like having like an actual process for your hiring. So whether that's like a stage one interview, whether that's with like, you know, one or two people in your team. Then the next one could be another people on your team. Third one could be with the CEO. Then it could be like an assessment phase, whatever. So I've worked with a company as well where our previous interview process was like two stages. We only had one call and then we had a call with a CEO. And don't work. Can we wrong,

we've heard some really, really good people. But we've also had people as well where, you know, maybe they weren't really ever fit. We've had that happen go quite early on. And that's stuff that you see over time. You know, obviously we have a period where they go through an actual training process. So within that first four weeks, you will see if that person's cut out for that job because it's a very intense, like, coaching program. Like, you go for a very rigorous training program. You get a lot of feedback. And if you aren't susceptible to feedback, you can't be there because that is a part,

essentially part of the job. And I think for a lot of companies, especially coach companies in UK, like, I always recommend them. If you've got people in your business that you can actually, like, rely on to go and review that coaches work or, like, anything else. And, like, put in the time, do it early on because you'll be able to spot. that without having like six months in the line and like you know you've can't reach it in me like I haven't heard my coach in like six weeks what's going on or you know I haven't

seen my check in this week I haven't like you know heard back from anybody like there is things like that happen all the time and I see sometimes coaching business always hiring like constantly like you're obviously doing something wrong in your hiring process because you're hiring people and you're firing them quickly enough but you're not obviously doing something behind the scenes like you have to have a clear onboarding process have a very clear like we went into interviews the second time around being like I was asking those questions like are you open to feedback can you tell me at time when you've been see feedback and I'm like just like this is obviously I'm just like letting you know like we do a lot of feedback we will review your check-ins we will review

your lean feedbacks we will review all this stuff and you need to be open to changing that have an open mind that you're not the best coach like you're good and you're the best coach right now but there's things that we do in a certain way and we do it because we get results so it's like those things as well people have to be like really transparent about and I think the more transparent you are in that process, you know, people are always going to be like, yeah, yeah, yeah, I can definitely do it. And they get in there and they're like,

actually know this isn't for me. And that's okay, that's fine. But put those like four stages in first and you'll be able to kind of see who's going to make it. Yeah, I think that's definitely something that fitness professionals struggle with. I definitely, the first time I hired back in, um, 2019 when I was online and it was during COVID and I hired.

And, you know, I was getting frustrated about, um, coaches not doing things the way that I did them. But I never explained to them how to do the things that I did. Like there was no process. There were no systems. There were no kind of onboard. There was onboard for the clients.

But there wasn't for the coaches that I hired. Yeah. This company that work with already had all this all this done already. So like they have like a senior team. They have all the onboarder processes. Like it's slick. It's so good. The only issue we had was our harm process and needed to be longer and more in depth.

And that was it. we fix that and we've been able to hire some really, really good coaches, some really good fit ones. And obviously, at the end of day, like, even if we had four coaches at the same time, one of them is probably always going to be like, nah, we're not really sure about them and we'll have people leave. And that's okay. Like, got a big team, it's fine. And that's kind of like what I think people need to be adapting to. Like, I don't know what it is about the UK kind of fitness industry. Like, you'll see some people and they're like, they're doing really, really well. And you see other ones that say they're doing really well, but inside it's a chaotic

mess. Yeah. And it's like, you know, I'm like, all, all they're being taught is like, yeah, all you do do is send more DMs, like, code DM, do you ads. I'm like, but like, what about behind the businesses is why? Like I help a lot of my, like, client, like, client, even for a client, like, you need to have the same process for staff. Yeah.

All this stuff needs to be done. Like, even when people are training in setters and I'm like, when you're training that setter, that SOP that you want them to do, that needs to be a call step by step. and basically dumb it down for them like make it feel like you're talking to your child because it's going to be easy for them to understand

and I think people have this really weird perception even when me and Vicki had collective closers we just like we kept saying to them like you know even when we give you a closer you still need to train them like or if you got a Saturday you still need to train them on the way you do you talk and when you speak

we're going to give support in terms of shadow sessions but we can't train them to speak like you. You're the only person going to do that. I never expect to be able to come in and be like you know bang it loads of and I'm like, guys, you need to put the time in as well. Like, that person needs that support.

And, like, it's, it's just this really good exception that, like, people just don't get. Like, there's still an element of training regardless if anyone is good at their job. Yeah, I think that's a big issue that a lot of us make is just assume and straight off the bat that, you know, they're going to be able to do the job without literally just saying things as plain and simple as possible for them. Yeah. And another one that you said that I really liked was, and more to do with the marketing. side and the content side of things. So your content, your content speaks to everyone and therefore speaks to no one and you get no leads. So is this a common mistake you see businesses making,

especially at the start? Yeah. So like, do you know where people all have a very like generic content where it does you feel like it could just like it's very open. Like it's an open message like to everybody, but it's not like speaking to anyone person and it's like who do you want like everyone, there's always this massive debate is now by people who have like a niche or they don't have a niche, right? I still believe you do need to have a niche. Like I've always believed that. I feel like you still need to be able to like actually understand who that person is and who they are.

If you're speaking to people from the age of 18 to 65 in your content and it's very generic, it's very like, here's how much protein you'd be in. Like you're going to speak to no one. It's not going to laugh me anybody because everyone knows what is. Do you know what I mean? So it's like pick something that you're passionate about that you're good at and also pick somewhere that like you've kind of got that familiarity and that common ground. you know, I see a lot of the time as well

where it's like, you know, you've got these 20 year old influencers like they're all like in the gym, skinny and they're like talking moms. I'm like, what do you know about being a mom? Like unless you've coached like 500 mums, you probably haven't got that experience, you know what I mean?

So I think like with people, especially their content, like I find like you can't even see big accounts like massive accounts and they're posting like all these done videos and like it's just their crickets inside. I'm like, because your content's not really speaking to anybody, you know, you're doing a lot of like,

maybe videos of people, like, you know, doing workouts or whatever, but it's, you know, going to give them someone a demonstration of a workout. You're not giving them something that they can actually find useful, you know. It's not really speaking to them on that level. You know, there's no connection being made there.

Like, it's just you're just another way on their feed going through. Okay, here's how to do you a shoulder press? Okay. But like, what if, like, you know, I have an injury in my shoulder? Like, what am I going to do then? You know, how am I going to get the gym if I have so much to three-hour anxiety? How are I going to get the gym if, like,

I have actual severe obesity and I can't get off the sofa. You know, what else can I do at home instead? Instead of like doing that type of content, they're just doing, oh yeah, here's on your shoulder press, put your back here, lift on bills. And I'm like, I'm bored already. Like, I'm bored already of that. Like, I like content where it like speaks to me. You know, I actually feel that connection with someone.

Do you know what I think it is? And I know, and I'm only saying this because I definitely felt it when I first started, like, like only the other week I started a new program for like, men over 30 finished sport. We called it the Cockfest community and like a bit brought in like loads of lads straight away. Love that. Yeah,

but I would never have done that a couple of years ago because I think a couple of years ago maybe when I first started, my perception might have been like, if I make it too specific, then I'm missing out on so many other people. Do you know what I mean? And it's like the thing that,

the thing that you're afraid of is actually the thing that's going to be the most beneficial for your content or for your business. Yeah, but your business and content also changes and grows as you grow as a person. So even like, I've seen this before for a couple of people. Like, you are not that 21 year old girl anymore who's trying to grow up glutes. You know, you're that 21 year old girl who's adapted to her life, moving country,

living all this different lifestyle, trying to balance out, why doing a business and everything else. You just want to feel good in your clothes. You might want to be done for a photo shooter, whatever, whatever your job is, whatever that is. Your business and your niche might change and as your business grows. Like it always does. Like I, I'm exactly saying, you know, last year I was like working with like, different, like different people.

Sometimes it'll have like different business mentors and stuff like that. This year it's very, very different to what it was previously. I want to work with people who are more like a bit more sensible if you have their heads going on, they're more at high level, like hard for them because that's kind of who I am. And that's okay. That's okay if you need to change. And it's okay for you to grow and adapt. But I think people then like start punting it when they get stuck in like this cycle

where it's like, well, I have to just keep working with these people because, you know that's you at all I know and like you're like and then I start to feel like they're not aligned there anymore. Then their message starts being unaligned because like something isn't given like we all change like you know I'm not same person I was last year. I'm not same person I was year before like and I'm glad that I'm not. So it's like that's what you should be adapting to is like how you are like a person in the content and even one of my like one of my clients recently she just finished up with me like a couple months ago like she completely changed what she was doing. It's like I kept telling her something's listening here like there's no alignment

I don't feel the alignment in your content and I feel like you're speaking to people that you're, it's so generic that it's not hitting it because you as a person don't align with that anymore either once you started changing what she actually wanted to do and her messaging, business boomed. Yeah, I think that all kind of ties into knowing yourself and being confident in who you are

and backing who you are as well. And I think like you said, yeah, you can change your perspective can change, even your personality can change a little bit. And I think, yeah, I definitely noticed that in myself as well, even when I went off online, I was like, I'm just, it was more I was bored. I was bored of what I was doing. And the minute I started to get bored, I was like, all right, I need to change something up. And I think it was because I changed as a person as well. Yeah, 100%. I think like, so I remember, obviously, whenever you were doing coaching and you completely changed, obviously, from doing online back in the imperson and stuff as well. Like, you know,

that felt good for you at the time. because that's exactly what you wanted to do. That was like, that felt aligned with you. And like, I think people are like terrified of doing stuff like that. Like people are scurred and taking risk and it's like, that's what business is. You're taking a risk. Like you're always going to take a risk. Like do something like, you know, go and invest in something.

Go and do something else. Like go and change what you're doing. And like even one of like my clients previously, I worked with another business whenever she came back to work with me and whenever I left. She went into what she wanted to do like in her age. And it just like took off. And I was like, that's what you wanted to do. so you should have just done it in the first place

instead of having something else tell you that's not a good idea just because it doesn't seem like a good idea for them doesn't mean it's not going to be a good idea for you in your business especially if that's what you're aligned to and that's what you're embodying and it's what's back as well

like your content and your personal brand like if you are that person like you will attract those people as well who are all the same way of line and same values and stuff as well like I don't want to work anyone who doesn't have same values of me like you don't have the same integrity

if you're not honest with me like don't work and make because I can't do other like I just don't like it sounds like such simple advice but it's like listening to your gut is kind of everything in business. Yeah. And it's like everything in life though

as well. Like you wouldn't say on toxic relationship if you did like, you know what I mean? Like if he knew something that was wrong. I mean, people do. Like we all, we all have done that. But like, you know, after a way, when you start this kind of like come around, you're like, actually know this, if this makes sense. I guess you've just done this in the first place and you leave. Change, like make that change.

The same of business. If something doesn't feel right, change it, act on it. Do something different. Like, go and do something else. Like, go and change it. Like, you're okay. It's okay to change your mind. I think most luck I mean, but like fucking hell shit

like seven your businesses I've had like two businesses I guess I went in one business I shouldn't have but at the same time I've learned so much from that but I've actually taken on myself and now I left out

that was a good lesson for me to learn and I've got that I've moved on yeah it's can't move out anything it's all it's all experienced to help you for the next thing where do you think that you know the consultant word

the consulting world the mentorship world where do you think they're getting it wrong from what you see other kind of of mentorships and businesses doing that obviously doesn't align with your own values. And it's so hard.

It's hard to say. Like, I mean, I could probably say if I really wanted to, that I just think that people are at a point where they all think they're at war together. Like, but like, well, there are decades and there are decades and there are this, and the other. And they all think each other and it's like, well, guys, there's enough to go around. like people are I think sometimes like everyone's like

everyone's out for themselves they always are doing to me like humans weren't built to be that way they were happy we were built to like be supported like being communities and stuff and that's something I've learned like even just doing like CrossFit

like I never wanted to I hear it started being on my own I was like I miss being in the team crosshers really helped out for me and I work with other people as well on a team which is nice but I think like with the mentorship in the world and stuff like that it is

it can be such a lonely place because a lot of them are just like focusing on why are you going to make in seven figures we need to be doing this out of money a month and they're treating people really badly they're treating staff really badly and like crimes and stuff and sometimes i feel like they just don't have a clear what the fuck they're doing they're just literally doing it for the sake of doing it now because they have been and it's like it's like a it's like a dick measuring contest at the moment that's why i fear it is and it makes me sad that there are so many male mentors out there that are benefiting of other people's

like fortune basically like they're benefiting for people's what hard people are and like sometimes as well like I've worked in mentorship before where like I've seen people like sales things to get into something and I'm just been like that does not sit well with me at all like you know they're doing this to get in it and they're putting everything into it and like they may not even get out of it what they should have and that doesn't sit right with me so like I feel like be like morally some of them are morally corrupt they're not doing it for they're not doing it for the clients they're doing it for themselves until something can break that mold I've just

I feel like it's going to inflode. I feel like people now are... People are now getting upset. They're more aware of it now. People are aware that, you know, they don't need to be bullied into a call. They need to be bullied on a call to give money away. They can take that time to take that step back

and look at your other options, like go and research and, you know, look at trust pilot, you know, look at all the people's like, go and look at the people that they're saying, that do social proof that we're going to have conversation with those people because about any money, like, you know, 90 times of 10, they won't have a good thing to say about them.

Yeah. It's again, even relating like the kind of the business world to the fitness world, it's like it's unregulated. So at the time it kind of ends up being cowboy kind of country and anyone, anyone can do or say. I see a new mentor like every day. Yeah. Well, that was a question I'm going to ask you. It's like because I know with the in the fitness industry like a lot of personal trainers don't even last two years and then they're gone.

There's like a huge turnover rate. Would you say there's a huge turnover rate in terms of like PT? to become business mentors and do a mentorship and then I don't know because most of the main ones have been around for a way like Phil Grin's been around for years you know he's got a role though he

wasn't online coach he's done all that you know you've got obviously Phil learning he's still around he's still established but he's went a different direction do you know what I mean he's went a completely different direction he's done really well from that so there's two people down around as well yeah there's

but they're all kind of the main names aren't they like I'm sure there's so many that are just or I've, I ran a successful PT business for a year, so now I'm going to become a... Not even like that. Like, there's some people out there that are like, well, I've ran a successful branding business, so now I'm going to go and join up someone else

and now I'm going to like teach other people. And I'm like, like, I have never, once my life said I have ran a fitness business. Like, I was a coach for other people and I've done that. I've ran my own business. Yes, I'm not saying, I can help you on your fitness business. But what I'm saying is that things I love, learned and I've learned over the last four or five years I can help you I also I'm like I'm

heavily involved in so many other things that like I can see what marketing you're doing I can look at your operations your business and I'm going to apply all the things I know we can adapt things as well and work for you so I don't as I ever like talk about like I'm a fitness mentor and I just don't like it I don't like the thing I just don't like the vibe of it entirely I don't post about any of my social proof anymore like at all like I don't do that because I'm like I felt like I was getting caught up in that like whole cycle of like well my this person's on 7k month or whatever, blah, blah, blah.

Um, oh, quiet. You just woke off him as that. The dog's just barking. Um, so yeah, I just, it's a lot.

And I think like, what I'll probably, you'll probably see over the next couple of years. Like, I mean, people are always going to buy from, like,

with more clothes and stuff like that, like, you know, whatever. And, but there's got something about people who don't like that. Like, his program,

just going to be the people who do get, who do get, like, success or not. You're always going to have that given to you. And, yeah,

I don't know when it's ever going to be a time when we don't see it, but there is just like, I feel like a new mentor, like every other month. I look at, you know, oh, I've hit like 10K, now I'm going to go teach other people. And the reason they do that is because they know they can charge more for coaching. They know they can charge more for mentorship so they can make more money. And again, you're not doing it for anyone else.

You're doing it for yourself. Yeah. Until you can do it, you do it because you love it. Like I do this because I love doing this. I love walking. I love, like I always said, love problem solving. I love strategies. I love all that.

Yes, money's lovely and it's nice. But I like doing the work. like I don't want to sit in my ass all day and be like, just telling them what people to do be like, yeah, you go and do that. Like, I want to hire all these people and just like get you to work for me instead. Yeah, and I think you can tell that off people

who like, people who genuinely enjoy the day to day of like building up systems and making things work and trying out, you know, new things versus someone who's like, all right, I made money doing this and now I want to charge some month. I want to charge clients more. So I'm going to check the business basically. Yeah. To like, oh, I've had my first 20 pay months

and then it's like next month. Like, I'm at business in my tour and I'm like, Yeah, I think, I think, like, I've seen that a lot and I, like, you kind of see through it very quickly as well. And I'm like, it's very hard to see them people last and versus the people who like you kind of, you know that they enjoy what they do. It's the same even with like people who are like setting, setting and closing courses as well. So like, you know, there are people like, oh, yeah, I've been a sadder or, you know, I've done closing or I've ran me a business. So I'm not going to teach other people to do that. But then like six months ago, you were crying because your business was doing six can. You didn't know how to fix it. So they're probably going to teach people how to do seven. And and close them and you don't know if you don't really sense you know what you're doing.

Yeah. What personal blind spots have held you back the longest do you think that other business owners could learn from? Personal blind spots.

You spoke about, you spoke about self-doubt only a couple of days go on your, on your social spot. Yeah. So I think like personally for me

I have always found it hard to market myself. Always. And that's probably my biggest issue. And it sounds mad because I help people. But like I found it easy. Because I've always been in marketing and digital work and helped other people their business.

I never thought I'd have to do it myself. So when I'm into my own business, I, you know, I'd had other people helping me with content and stuff. Like I was always going to do like recording content and whatever. It's always been so easy. But when I've had to take it on board myself, I've always really struggled. Because I'm like, I found it really hard to particularly what I can say in my head without trying and like sometimes sometimes it's a ticket, like a ticket.

And like other times, like I get so caught up in the day of doing other things. I just forget to like post or I forget to like pot all my story etc. I'm like, oh, people won't want to see this. You know, like it's dead boring. Like I do the same things pretty much every day. Like I don't think people want to see me running the test goes to grab fucking lunch because I forgot it today

or walking to the post office or taking the dogs out or, you know, sitting for an hour and a half trying to upload ads. You know, I get stuck in my own head sometimes about that because I'm like, why would people want to see that? Like, surely I want to see something like different, you know? And like, I'm not a person who lives in Dubai. I live in the fucking world. don't worry wrong, we're having really nice weather.

But I'm not living in Dubai. I'm not like have this like lifestyle. I don't go travelling every month. You know, do two, three holidays and be a year and that's it. And I'm like, what can I show other people that like would be exciting? And it's like, would they want to see me just sitting for an orange and not upload ads? Like, what would be the process that? I don't know.

So I think that's my biggest point. But sometimes I can be like, I'm like, I'm like, am I a fraud? Like, you know, I'm trying to help other people about, like, I can't really help myself. I can help myself. I know exactly what to do. But I just then get in my own head about it quite a lot. And I've helped so many businesses, you know, and I sometimes doubt myself that, like,

can I keep doing this? And I'm like, I can definitely keep doing this. Like, like, I've helped so many people before, but you just forget what you've actually done. You do forget. You forget, like, you know, since I started in business, like, my business has still done six figures every year, regardless of what I've done. I'm like, that's fucking amazing.

Like, I should be really, like, what the fuck, Shannon? like that's incredible like keep doing it because it's amazing and then i was forgetting like oh but then i haven't done this and like maybe i don't have like a nicer car like you know it's just yeah you just get caught up in these things that you forget like at one point i just kept thinking to myself that like i needed to have like all this stuff in a car and like i had to get mad myself handbags and stuff like that like maybe wrong i have a handbag and i bat myself on like once a year and it's amazing it's like a little treat but like i used to be warped in this perception that if i didn't have all these things and I was still for all.

You know, you have to live a slice day. You have to live a certain way. Like, you know, I did have a little bit like, got a fucking garment, you know. It's like everyday life type thing. So yeah, I just, I think that's one of the things when you back is probably myself. Yeah. I don't think there's anyone who couldn't resonate with that. Like, that's listening to this.

Because, like, obviously we live in a social media comparison trap anyway. And like, I know myself, like, I speak to coaches, personal trainers who are unbelievable. at what they do, like absolute brain boxes who like struggle, would struggle to just put up a video online because, you know, they state, they think they don't like the sound of their voice or they sound a certain way. And like they're probably like they'd be 10 times better at their job than I am. Do you know what I mean? Yeah. Like able to mark myself. And I think that's sometimes it's, it's kind of like an unfair thing, isn't it that like, you know, some of the best people at their work might, are just really, uh, just doubt themselves in terms of marking themselves.

well and then some of the people who are unbelievable at marking themselves can be either terrible coaches or mentors or terrible at their job but amazing at marking themselves yeah 100% and like I do see a lot of different people and it's one of those things like I would never ever claim I'm the best of what I can do because I literally never stop learning like I've spent so much money that even in the past like two years on learning more and I'm always open to do more even with like ads and stuff I've been doing that since like 2014 I've just picked like three brand to go into an ads mentorship to learn more because I'm like there's just more I can learn. There's more I can do from here.

What's, I was going to ask you this question, but I already know the answer because he actually put this up and I was like, that is really, really good. But I was going to say, like, what was the most, what's the most underrated skill in your opinion that a business owner can have to succeed, like, beyond tactics and sales and strategies and stuff like that? And I remember you put up something like, uh, underrated skill or underrated strategy, be a good person. Yeah, like, just be a good fucking person. Like, like, like, I think it's maybe like the way I was brought up. I've brought up to have tough skin and like I'm a very sensitive person.

And I'm still like, people will always say to me like, I have a fucking mouth on me, which I do. Like, I have a mouth on me. Like I'll say what I think. I'll always well. I'm very like that way spoken. Like, you're going to be a con.

I'm going to call you a con like at the end of the day. But also I take things quite to heart and I'm quite a sensitive person. I will also do everything I can for people that I love. Like I will benefit of them all the time. I don't get it when other people are intentionally dickets. and I'm like, I can't get my head around you. Like, even if you're someone's friend and you know someone's going for a hard time,

why are you intentionally just being an asshole? Like, what is that about? And like, I think even with, especially with business, like, there is no need for anyone. I don't care if you aren't seven figures. I don't care if you're on seven figures. I don't care if you, like I said, you're fucking Alex and Mosei, don't be a dick. Stop being a dick

because it comes back to bite you in the arts. You want to go back as a proctor in the next life. That's really what it is. Like, you just like, car is a pun. I believe. in karma and I'm like, I'm going to come get you. Do you think that because it's like a, like business can be quite a competitive nature

or maybe not even a competitive nature environment, but people who tend to get into business are quite competitive by nature that, like that's where that comes from. Yeah, and I also think a lot of people do it for their own ego as well. So they do it for like an egotistical thing. And you do find a lot of people like have narcissistic traits of people. also like, you know, some of the great business owners probably are necessarily people, you know, they cut off people. They're very like, you know, one mind's like they don't really have a lot of friends.

Maybe like, you know, they do have a partner and a lot of their life is just work, work, work. So for them, they're being, again, go back to the work thing. They base their worth on their business and success. So then therefore, like, when things aren't going right, you know, they take that out another people, you know, staff, whatever. And like, I've said this before when I post, like, there's people that cannot manage that they can't lead either.

There's people that are visionary CEOs or people who, like, to have a vision, they're good, they're creative, you know, they've got all the strategies, but they're people, they just can't lead and they can't manage people either because they don't have that personal skill, they don't have that, like, human skill to manage and listen to people. And, like, if you can't do either of them, don't try and manage people because it's just, it's not going to work out. If, like, you, we said this before, but someone else, like, people, they can't manage

people else. They can't be a leader of the team. How someone else that manages people for you? You do the visionary. You be the person that's leading, like, the vision of the business and, like, you know, what you want to do and where it's going to take it. and stuff like that, let them announce money to business instead. Makes sense, doesn't it?

Well, that's kind of like about knowing what your weaknesses or knowing your personality trait. Yeah, but then if you're an autistic person, you'll never admit the fact that you have these weaknesses. Like, I, my, my biggest weakness is always going to be, for me, is like the lack of sometimes the confidence I have in myself. And sometimes I, I am a type of person who will over-deliver to, like, justified, like, yeah, over-commoded it sometimes.

I do that. And I've done that quite a lot and I try not to do it, but I know I still have that tendency. And that comes to my childhood trauma, more or less. But I overdeliver on everything I do because I want to make sure that, one, people get a good customer's experience with me. Two, like, I can justify the fact of, like, the money that they're paying me or whatever. And, like, three, it's more of a, like, a thing for myself.

Like, I want to make sure that I've done the best job I possibly can. And there's people out there that don't do that. Like, they don't feel like they have to overdrive around anything. Like, they pay it and they actually under deliver on the side of it. And I'm like, oh, no, no, can't do that. We have a lot of Canadian and Americans who listen to this podcast. So I think they would definitely want to know, speaking of child or trauma,

what was it like for you growing up in Belfast when you're a kid? Wow. And there's a lot of stuff that happened in Belfast. Like obviously, my mum is a alcoholic, so my mum passed away and I was 21. So that was obviously tough. Growing up in Belfast is different. Like it's very different.

Like, you know, my partner lives off. were here on the world, which is obviously he was saying Liverpool. He grew up in a very different brush back that I did. Like, we grew up around drink and drugs all the time. Like you're from 15 years old, like, you are drinking, you're doing all sorts. I still went on education. I still don't at my A levels.

I still went to university and so on that, but I was they have that party atmosphere. Growing up in Belfast, like, you know, obviously being Catholic as well, there's obviously that Protestant and Catholic divide, which is massive. And that's all I ever knew. I always ever knew that I was Catholic. I knew that other people were Protestants and, you know, they were there, we were here type thing. And, you know, I had, like,

even my school and stuff being bombed because I was Catholic. So I've had so many different things. And it's like, do you know what, regardless anything's happened, I would never have changed any of that. Like, felt like it was one of those things that it fucking toughens you up a little bit. You know, you see a little different side of, like, the world. And it's kind of like, you know, what? You had to just grow up fast and you had just kind of like get it together. You weren't being able to like be mommy coddled like you know you weren't we didn't grow up on a nice like

beach side like time where you know everyone can't have everyone knew each other but like you know kids are sat and wheelie bends on fire like you know people are being stopped like that was just the way you all grew up like figure it's both character maybe in a way

I was gone I was about saying that it's definitely I have lots of stories I have lots of stories to tell so character building for a business when you're older yeah definitely like you know I mean

I think I still take a lot of things I was always like a sensitive kid anyway. Like I've always been a sensitive soul but like, you know, we grew up, but we grew up and I love it. Like, I still, obviously, go back 90 and obviously, and I still look at it on and like, this place is like so funny because like, nothing ever changes. Like,

you know, and I always try and tell people what it's likely like from here and they're like, they can't picture it. And when they've come to visit and they're like, wow, it's a shithole. And I'm like, yeah, but it's my shit hole. I can only say that. You can say that. I love going up to Belfast. I think it's great. Like, like, I prefer being up in Belfast for a night out than I would

in Dublin now because I think Dublin's become more of a shihull and Belfast even seems a little bit more kind of just nicer, but like back then, like, probably the center of the world for like all things news. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So like

obviously like going up in the 90s and stuff as well, like we grew up in obviously odd on so it's like a troubled place. Like, you know, we're like the centre of like a lot of like all the troubles and stuff. So, you know, you grew up in that place like you obviously hear all the stories and you grew up being told about all these different things, you know, not like you're brainwashed but you're told

all these things you kind of live free like generational trauma as well and obviously with other things going on you know my mum blessed her like she had a lot of trauma she went through when you know she was born 67 so she would have went through the troubles anyway you know my granny and ganda would have wound up my grandma my granny and like that did not go down well

so you had all these different stuff that we all grew up with and it was just like that was just the norm for us again we never we I never made any difference so like I didn't know what we were what was going on in Belfast was any different than any out of place in the world. And like I never, yeah, when I, like, taught other people on how they grew up,

and I'm like, oh, that sounds like so normal. And I was like, but like, how I grew, I felt like normal to me. It's normal too, yeah, yeah, yeah. Bizarre to everyone else looking on the outside in, but just normal everyday day. Yeah. Like, you know, our local, like, nightclub, like,

our bar was like, you know, had no windows and I didn't realize for, that was actually for a reason. Because like, back in the days, you know, people couldn't shoot in if they were in there. And it's like, it's like, this metal cage. had to go into and then one night we were actually like in it. It's like a disco and like the

churred and stuff were all like ripped apart and stuff like that. Someone came in, turned the lights on and the ball of clavon basically read out of the people that had to be out of the district by the next day. And I'm like, this was just normal for us. Like we grew up and it was fine. Like it was all gay. And yeah, and it's like that didn't happen anywhere here. Like, you know, Liverpool's obviously quite rough but like where I am in the world like none of these people have had out of experience these things. And I think for me, I'm like, I can tell you've never had any trouble. in your life. Like, just like, you know, they go get along with life and I'm like, I've built character, it's fine. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, well, like, I think that's the people forget that.

Like, it's like, like, you've, you've rough areas all over Europe, but like, Belfast was war zone rough, you know what I mean. Yeah. I love how to call the troubles, not like a civil war. And, like, we actually had a civil war. Like, people were shot dead on occasions quite a lot. Like, I've had friends who've been shot. Like, I've had friends who were beating up and nearly stopped the day you know, we've, that's kind of what we grew up with. Like,

you know, it was like, that was normal. Like, that's the shit that we had to deal with. Like, I don't even, I didn't even know how to spray back. Can you say it now?

You're like, fuck and it sounds so packed. When you say it back, but at the time, it's completely. Yeah. You're like, the sounds so tap.

Like, yeah. Like, I wanted to ask you even about kind of, like, what are, from your experiences, even from your mom,

kind of, uh, grown up, about alcoholism and I know I've personally experienced it as well in my own family so I know how difficult it it can be but what

what are your thoughts on alcoholism and addiction and how is that kind of how is that kind of change your perspective on how you live so whenever whenever it happened like in all honesty I was so angry

like I was really angry like I was furious I was like hard fucking dursey do this to me after everything she's popped me through she's now dead and has left me of all this shit that I have to be with and I was angry for a long time and people kept telling me Shannon's a disease

can't help her and I'm like no it's not a disease like don't you fucking dursey that to me like you know it's something you can control and as I've got no doubt I've realized that it's actually there's so many other things that I just wasn't aware of I was so young like I didn't see it my mommy was depressed my entire life

like there was multiple times she had tried to kill herself there was like you know multiple incidents even before I was even born like there was things like and this is probably why I don't want to have kids so I have a very great reason like for why I don't have kids like I have suffered myself with depression for six years and that was some of the darkest times my life like it was awful I had a very abusive boyfriend I'm just going free that you know I was trying to deal with my mom's shit like it's so awful at those times I wanted to die like I wanted to kill myself and I would be using alcohol like I was out every weekend. I was abusing drugs,

like stuff like that. And my perception of it, Nye is like, I look back and I'm like, I feel sorry for her because she didn't have the help that you needed because it was like,

back then, like in my family depression, it was not a thing. Like, it's not, you don't get sad, you get up, you get on with it, and you just deal with it.

There was something, obviously my mom was just like, she was depressed and I don't know what, what it was, it triggered her. So the fact that she didn't get that help and she didn't feel like she couldn't go out

and avoid it, then need her out and alcoholic. So it's just like she obviously then everything that happened. My granddaughter died and her friends had died. She just took everything and just swallowed it and just tied on drinking. As now that I've got older, I'm so aware of myself drinking. Like I can enjoy a drink. I don't mind it.

But if I get to a point where I'm like in my house drinking and I'd like say I've done it for three days, say like one or two drinks, I start to panic that I'm an alcoholic. And it's like this perception and it's not even like, I have asked some people, I'm like, you're not. And I'm like, no, I know I'm not. But because I associate that with her, it's like, that's this thing where I'm like, does that make me an alcoholic?

So, like, I really have to, like, I drink probably like once a month. I'll probably do it. Maybe like once every eight weeks, I'll have a blowout or something like that. Once I've done that blow eye, I'm like, why have I just done that? Like, I don't feel any better. Like, I feel like shit. And you go through this cycle and stuff as well. But it's like, sometimes I'm just like, I work hard.

Like, I clean that loose and stuff like that. but I feel like sometimes, like, I have this, like, thing inside me where it's like, that's my only outlet sometimes. I don't know why. It's like, I think it's more, like, where you grow up as a kid and stuff as well. Like, you obviously see other people. Like, in my family, you drink when you're happy, you drink in your side. You drink with this, this isn't yes.

Like, everything is like, you know, football. Around it, yeah. So, like, when you're saying you're not drinking, people are like, why? Like, why? Like, why not? So, the only reason, like, usually people, like, presumed the only reason you're not drinking is because you're a recovering alcoholic basically. I think you're pregnant or something

like that. So for me I try like I'm I now kind of just go to myself you know what? It's okay for me to like a drink. It's okay for me to like having a drink. It's okay. As long as it's not a recurring thing, it's okay. And I have to be telling myself that and I'm not, it sounds really bad

but like I fight that urge like pretty much every week and it's like I think it's just ingrained in me because like genetically there has been so many there's so many alcoholics in my family. Like my grandda's alcoholic my mom is alcoholic. If my

aunt do listen to this I'd be like sorry but like she does drink a lot too as well but it's like yeah it's like it's just this thing like it's like pretty normal where it's like Tom my partner just doesn't it doesn't feed him. We don't even think about having drinking house like doesn't need to have a beer

when we have a barbecue where I'm like oh what a barbecue like I'd have a little beer and like I'd like it because it's fun and I just have like relaxing and stuff but people may actually listen to it and be like channel you have a problem. Like I don't think I have a problem because like I don't drink every weekend. I drink mont and a blue moon. Like yeah, I just, it's it's such a fucked up relationship nine that I have probably with alcohol. I think I have quite a similar one. Like I, I have like a rule in my head

that I never drink in the house and like yeah, when I when I do drink because the like my idea of drinking is associating it with being out. Yeah, social. Yeah. So I'm doing it for the social aspect, not for the the drink aspect of it. But then I, then I noticed myself like all right am I doing this too much and then I like think about my own family

and I know my family don't listen to these podcasts were all good but like I would say I have three or three recovering alcoholics and three in the midst of alcoholics in the family

and like cousins and uncles and closer siblings as well and then I always think about well is this something like that's like genetically in me should I feel like it's just like ingrain don't you? Yeah I'm like I'm a same

though I love having like that's so cool dream. So, like, if I'm going to do a wedding, or I've got, like, millions of weddings coming up, got a hand to, or, like, my friends are coming around with having a barbecue or I have a birthday party or something like that. But I wouldn't sit in the house on my own and be like, I'm going to down, like, six pounds.

And, like, that, to me is, like, borderline, no. Like, there's been times where, like, me and Tom are sitting, like, say, we've had, like, a barbecue. I'll have a beer with the barbecue. And that's me, I'm done. I can go to bed and then do everything else. I don't need to have seven more beers. Yeah.

What was it like for you? moving to Liverpool then after kind of, you know, everything that was going on in Belfast and stuff like that. And then you obviously decided to go to the UK after that. Oh my God. It was probably the places that ever made. Like, I knew I always wanted to go to uni and I knew I always wanted to go to Liverpool.

I'm not sure why Liverpool. I think because, like, we, I had known people's like sisters and stuff to go to Liverpool and it always seemed like it's amazing place. And when I was at uni, like everyone, when I was at school, my whole family, I was like, you know, go to uni, you're going to uni, you're getting pushed.

Like, go to uni, go to uni, you have to go to go to university. you have to go a good job. Like, I just brain into it. So I always knew I was going to go. And when I left when I was 18, it was tough. But I loved it. It was the best three years I've ever had. Like, obviously, like, not and I think my 30s have been the best.

But three years in uni was amazing. Do me wrong, it came up a lot of shit because I was 18. Remember I was still an alcoholic at this time. She was ringing me every single day. Every, I mean, for like, every single day, five times a day, tell me the same thing over and over again every day. And people all knew when she was ringing me because I would like, and it just felt like that for a while.

Obviously when she passed, it was just after I graduated, so that was quite tough. But there was just like, yeah, getting out of Bellfast and getting in whatever period. I was like, whoa, no one cars in my Catholic. Like, this is the music.

And like, no one asked me. And like, I did have a few people ask me when I was there. And I was like, why ask me this question? Like, stuff up and asking me, like, I'm not answering you either. So I did have that as well. But it was just like, whoa, so people are so many open-minded people here.

Like, I love it. That's me. I'm so open-minded. Like, you'd be, fucking gay, black, Asia, everything. And I like, because like, where we grew up, that was not a thing. Like, you were all white Catholics. Like, that was it.

You were just part of the community. And when I got out, I was like, all these other experience and all these different people, different cultures, like, different ways of thinking. It was just like, this is brilliant. This is exactly what I wanted, like, for me and myself to, like, come here and be open minded, live someone's different. Still sat like home because Liverpool and Belfast are very similar. But it was just amazing.

I loved it. And I was able to be, like, go around, like, see different places of the UK or like it was so different and I just yeah and I knew I never wanted to go back I went back twice for two different times for a year on both set on both times and when I got home I just felt that

when I was there for too long I kind of felt like I was going back into this really horrible place of being bitter and being naramined again I was sitting like it I was like nah I'm not saying here you feel like you're in like you feel like you're a closed wall quarters I don't know why I feel so much more free here but you feel like you're

like in an igley like you're stuck in this igway when you're a Belfast I don't know why but that's kind of how I felt when I lived there for a while I think so many people feel like that when they're kind of like I think the best thing that you can do when you're younger is go and travel abroad live somewhere else

because like if all you know is your hometown if all you know is your own local pub your own circle of friends that you've always hung around with your own family like it just pigeonholes you then to not experience anything else or to be like oh I might be someone different or I might

you know see things differently yeah and like I always trying to get my little cousins to do this as well so like none of my other cousins have ever left like Belfast and no one of my family's ever left Belfast ever me so like my mom was the same no my mom went to be a non-in America for a year before she had me

in New Jersey like it was amazing like my boy was that type of my boy joined the Harley Pishnas she was a Harley prisoner in Belfast like in the height of like the 80s. So like my mind was that person where it's kind of like she didn't steal that in me is like go and explore the world like

you need to go and do that. So it's always kind of what I've always loved to do. And like I always want my little cousins to do the same like they're all their 20s now and it's like none of them like one's absolutely going to be a teacher like the other one he's actually going to join the Irish army and I'm like thank God like that's essentially what I want you to do. Do something's like scary and go out there and explore

and do these things because like when you're young like your 20s is like amazing. Like, unless like you're obviously like me, I have a bit of terrible funny, but like I still got to explore some of it. Yeah. Go out and fucking do whatever you want. Don't get in a serious relationship.

Just go do whatever it is you want to do. Like yes if you found love in your life, we all, you know what I mean? It's still going to be there in your 30s. Like go and do it. Go and explore the world. Go see different places. Go try new jobs.

Go do different country. Go do all these things. Like don't lock yourself down with just one thing. Like, I think I think your Chinese should be. Your 20 should be about extorting. Your 30s is about finding out who you you actually are.

Like, I feel like I've found out more the eye on my 30s than I ever have my entire life. And it was like, I felt like I was like this switch. It just flipped one day and I was like, okay, this is me. This is who I am. And you know what? I think that's also an underrated or unvalued kind of skill or trait of probably a good business owner

as someone who just has life experience. Yeah, I've got a fucking ton of the life experience. like and I've worked with so many people even when I work with them in the last mentorship I work so many people and I work with so many people still and it's like I've got so it's so funny I think I was in the gym the other week and like I have so many stories and I'm like where do these stories come from he's like where have you lived and I'm like me I have been first I have lived in so many places in Liverpool like in different houses with different people shirt houses ex-boyfriends who and the army, like, I have all these different things.

And, like, people always laugh me because I just have a story for everything. And, like, I'm just like, you know what? I've lived a cultural life so far. So, sometimes I'm like, have I looked enough. But, yeah. But you know what? That's really important as well, because if you're going to be kind of coaching people and helping them with whatever it is, their business, fitness, what, anything,

like, to be able to pull on stories of life experiences that they can relate to is really, really important. Yeah, 100%. I agree. I love it before. It's quite fun. last question I have for you and then I'll let you go. So what does success mean to you right now? Like what are you building towards? What kind of life do you want out of what you're doing right now?

To be honest, this is the life I've always wanted, but I've got now. So it's a life of like still being able to work, still being able to, you know, do the things I want to do. So obviously I'm training quite a lot at the moment. I'm obviously I've got like upcoming holidays. I'm still, I live comfortably. I'm able to buy myself things when I need to. I'm able to support my family and do other things. Like I'm was able to gift my, like, uncle and his aunt say, a good amount of money for their wedding, stuff like that. Like, I'm able to do all those things. I'm able to spend time with my two dogs. Like, I'm able to spend time with my partner. That's what it means to me to be successful.

Like, I don't care how much money I have my bank. Sometimes I do whenever, like, if I say, I don't have to pay for something. But I, this is what I've always wanted. I sometimes have to really make myself that this is, this is what I wanted always, was to be financially free. And I've, and I, I just struggle so much with that when I was younger. like and I always, I never thought I would ever be in a position where I'm like, I live a nice life and I'm financially free. I don't have to, don't struggle like for money. I've got like a nice life and like I don't. And like I don't. And that sounds weird because some people do struggle and I don't want to run anyone to think that like, oh like, you know, she's done like, I've been free fucking shit like literally like my entire life. Like I finally feel like this is my time to live. And that's probably why like I said, I don't want kids because I'm like I'm so selfish right now with what I want with my life. I want to keep doing what.

I'm doing, like live my life and live for me and Tom and go traveling and do all these nice things because I'm never going to, I never got to have my charity and never got to have all that stuff in my 20s because I was in terrible relationships and moving different houses and going through depression and moving back home and moving back to England and I'm doing all these different things trying to figure who I was. Now that I have, I've got this. I'm like, this is my time. This is my time to live my life the way I want to. You know, it sounds like even what you spoke about about even businesses, which actually probably relates to your life. life now is like you don't do chaos or you don't want chaos and like in or helping people with

chaotic businesses and it sounds like now you have what you've worked towards is like a not a chaotic life and more of a like peaceful content yeah yeah like not not living on high caradassol levels every single day yeah not like being like so stressed at the point where I can't breathe I'm like I'm like yeah I can get things I get my work done like in good times like I'm fast it's speedy I'm good at responding people. Like I've got to manage my diary now. Like I get to go to go to the gym. Like three times a week.

I go to go to the gym. I can see my friends. I can go for coffees. I still work hard. If I want to work seven o'clock, I'll work to seven o'clock. I didn't want to, I don't want to.

Yeah. And I think it's important for people who weren't in that position now to understand that like that life, that was a life that was designed by you. It wasn't just laid out in front. Yeah. It was never given to me. Like, I've worked my ass off to get here.

And like, it's taking me a long time to get to a point where, you know, it's like the last four or five years I've worked for this and it's taking me away to get here like to me wrong I fell down eight times like I've got back up again like you know I failed I left jaws my plans I closed down my business like you know I've done all these different things and now I'm in a position where I'm like right okay yeah fuck this is this

feels really good like it's nice and sometimes I'm like should I be aiming for more I don't know and I'm like no do you know what I'm just gonna see how our things go the next big thing for us is obviously getting more next year so it's like that's my main focus at the moment and like I'm still working, but that's the only thing I'm like looking at right now is like that. Yeah.

Yeah, and I think that's really important as well for people to understand that like a lot of times we always, oh, do I need to be doing more? Do I want more and stuff like that? But not kind of checking in on your day to day. It's like how good is the quality of my day today

with the work that I'm currently doing? Like, and if you're feeling content, peaceful, you're not really stressed and you're living comfortably, like that sounds like real success to me. Yeah, and that's why I feel like success should be. Like you're in a position where you're like, can do all these different things, you know what I mean?

Just like, yeah, I'm like, why when I not stress himself out anymore? Like, I don't, I don't want to. I'm like, I love my life, like, really nice. Like, I can go outside for like a half an hour and I and like sitting in a sudden. Do you know, maybe if I'd someone like battered my head, like ask me whether there's no sales made today.

Shannon, thank you for today's conversation. I think... Thank you very much. No worries. I think it's going to be really extremely valuable for the people listening who are kind of in the midst of building businesses and, you know,

some of the kind of common mistake that they might fall into. If people wanted to go and reach out to you and ask any questions, inquire about any other work you do, or just kind of keep in touch with the work that you do. Where can they go to find you? Just on Instagram.

So my Instagram handle is Shannon Irvine, Consultancy. So it's all just like one word. But yeah, anyone asks any questions and listen to drop my message on Instagram. Happy to help. Yeah, and we'll leave it all on the show notes. That has been episode 78 of the Uneducated PT podcast. Don't forget to share the episode.

send it to your friends, keep supporting the show, and we'll see you on the next one. Shannon, thank you very much. Thanks for watching. If you like that episode and you want to see more content like this, make sure you're subscribed and I'll see you on the next one.