Each time I think about writing down what I’m about to tell you I always think people will say “jeez what is she up to now”. But I delight in sharing with you that every word is from the heart and I feel it’s time to get my story out there into the world.
You see a few years ago to I went through an extremely stressful period of my life. I was at my lowest ebb and trying desperately to juggle my 3 young kids, a high flying corporate career and my mums devastating illness and do you know I just couldn’t cope with it all any longer. Trying to just keep on going became impossible.
I woke up one day after a sleepless night, my stomach churning with anxiety and suddenly it hit me, in that moment I realized that the ‘Dream career’ I had worked so tirelessly on achieving had actually turned into a nightmare. I felt like the world was falling apart around me and there was nothing I could do to try and stop it. My entire life was missing something crucial and that was Balance. The balance of being present with my family and the balance of having a career I was proud of yet wasn’t all consuming.
I came home from work that evening to tell my husband Ross that now felt like the right time to start a new business, I know right, you can imagine his face. As crazy as it sounds I just knew in my heart of hearts that life wasn’t on track, there had to be something more. I had no time with my family and sadly time was running out with mum faster than we thought. In order to be there, to take care of my mum and my young family, I had to take drastic action. Action that meant I could create more time, more freedom and a stress free environment for us all.
It was time for a change.
Please feel free to Skip this blog post where I write my heart out, to convince you of the simple fact that meeting a friend for coffee, after me firmly replying with many “No thank you’s, I’m too busy” and having my eyes opened to the many incredible online opportunities that are out there completely changed my life.
What I went on to achieve after a short while of saying yes to a location independent and digital business is nothing short of incredible. It still amazes me some days that I am able to run a business
the way I do. I have the most incredible team around me and as I have grown and learned new ways of marketing my business from a place of authenticity and professionalism I am now propelling even further and it feels incredible. Please understand that I am not only talking about financial abundance. I am talking about abundance in love, freedom and joy. This is the kind of abundance that I want every female to experience in their life- time. Being present every day yet with friends and family and at the same time building and designing something that is unique to you using your skills and talents. My mission is to share with you all that I know.
Download passion into profit Ebook now!
Are you still with me? Well I’m delighted that you are as here is my story. A story of how a young girl with big aspirations managed to manifest and create a life beyond her dreams.
So….where do I begin.
Let’s start from my childhood. I grew up on a council estate in a mining village, It was awesome, bustling and family orientated but it had its challenges. My parents were the hardworking type and always helped us understand that you don’t get anything in life without hard work, commitment and sometimes some blood sweat and tears.
My dad was a miner and my little sister came along during the miners strike. I don’t remember much of this time but I do know the years that followed were tough mainly because my family had to receive Sunday lunches cooked by the neighbors and toys sent from foreign countries. Being as proud and hard-working as they were I can only imagine how they must have felt having to drop their guard and accept offerings and hand me downs. It’s strange though as I never really noticed any of these things. I just remember the summer holidays being packed with happiness and laughter and having the best time stealing berries from the farmer’s field and being chased by his wife. I always felt so safe and free.
I guess what I didn’t realize was that these moments and memories would shape my character, my personality and my determination for years to come.
I loved school. I had many friends who hated it but I remember vividly my teachers, break times, the games we used to play at lunch and the wet break’s indoors when the Scottish weather was so bad. Yes we got into trouble, yes we were drinking too young and yes there is a lot I pray my own daughters don’t do when they are that age. However, I made the right decisions, I made the right choices and I was surrounded by positive influencers. Sadly not everyone I grew up with was in the same position.
High school was a riot. Moving to a huge school after spending my life in a village felt liberating and in my final year I met a very handsome guy in crutches. Little did I know (when he opened the doors for me and helped me pick up my school books) that he would become the love of my life. We started dating and we knew immediately that ‘this was it’ cheesy as this sounds there was something that sparked at that moment like something out of fairytale and the fire still hasn’t gone out !
In my first year of high school mum announced that I was starting my new job at the Fruit Veg and garden centre that weekend. I was furious. How dare she make decisions for me, how dare she take it upon herself and do what she thought was best for me. Believe it or not and in true “mum knows best style” That job went on to be the best job I ever had. I cycled 2 miles each way to work every weekend until I became friends with some of the older crew who then offered me a lift. I was earning a living and I felt on top of the world.
It wasn’t enough though. I wanted to earn enough to feel more free. So I applied for a job at the local double glazing company and soon became an outbound call handler. I loved being part of the team and we had some amazing nights out. I was now earning enough to fuel my car, go to the cinema, go out for dates with Ross and buy the clothes I wanted. I felt rich in so many aspects of life. I was soon discovered as being pretty talented and was promoted to Team Leader. My first role with responsibility for others, to coach and mentor them and I cannot tell you how much I loved it.
Download passion into profit Ebook now!
So all the way through my high school years, I studied hard, I worked at the garden centre at the weekends and 3 nights a week I worked at the Call Centre.
When I left school, I applied to Uni. I had a place accepted at Stirling University to study Psychology however after some very tearful moments my parents told me they couldn’t afford for me to go and I had to go out into the big bad world and get a job. I had absolutely no idea what I wanted to do with my life. I didn’t ever listen to the guidance teachers because I always thought I would follow my dream to go to Uni. I started applying for jobs whilst ALL of my friends and boyfriend went off to pursue their dreams at universities all over the country. It was so hard to watch them all starting, freshers weeks, drunken nights out and them all making new friends. All the things I had dreamed of doing myself.
I remember getting my first returned job application back from HSBC Bank. I had no idea who they were and I didn’t even own a suit, or a nice blouse to wear. I remember clearly what I wore that day because I borrowed it all from a friend and felt so uncomfortable. I was being interviewed for a job I didn’t really want, in clothes that weren’t even mine and with a company I knew nothing about.
They said yes, they loved me and wanted me to join their team! To say I was shocked was an understatement. So this was to be my ‘stop gap’. The opportunity I needed to raise enough money to put myself through university and finally achieve all the amazing adventures my friends were experiencing.
I still didn’t truly believe this was the end result for me so I decided to join the Police force and become a Police Special Constable. With the same powers of arrest as an officer, I was liberated and believed I could be part of a team of people who could change the world. I did this around my full time job with the hope of doing it full time. Sadly this didn’t work out after attending a call with an awful case of domestic abuse and having to deal with the children while being threatened at knife point. I realised quickly this was not to be the career of my dreams either but as always I pushed forward knowing that I had something to give, I wanted more even though I’m not sure what that was yet.
I actually stayed with HSBC for 17 years and I would forge a career like nothing I could have ever imagined. Having worked in a number of different roles, different countries and being selected to help set up a new office in India where i lived for 4 months, I have grown in experience and in mind. My absolute passion was to be be found within the coaching roles! Assisting others in their own personal growth and up leveling is where I felt most at home. It’s incredible to think that everything happens for a reason, well most things that is!
I settled into married life with ease it was the way I had always imagined it to be and we quickly decided it was time to move to something bigger. A home fit for a family. Everything was perfect. We felt centered, relaxed and happier than ever before. The time was right to start trying for a baby.
After 18 months of trying, we finally fell pregnant with our first born. Our precious little girl Ava who would become the apple of her Daddy’s eye. I had a beautiful 15 months off on Maternity leave and truly loved every second of becoming a mother. As I returned to work the news broke that the first set of reduncies had been announced at the same time as the announcements, we had just found out we were expecting our 2nd little baby. We were delighted, stressed and overcome with joy all at the same time.
What was to come is even now hard to look back upon and even as I write I remember exactly the feelings that were to wash over me. Sadly this little one’s life wasn’t meant to be. I miscarried at 12 weeks. We were heart-broken, devastated and I can’t find the words to quite describe the feelings of loss and heart shattering grief that we would go through whilst trying to understand and heal. Looking back I didn’t realise just how much this affected me. It had rocked my world more than I had ever let on to anyone.
I threw myself back into work and when a manager role became available for a new branch soon to open in my home town, It was all just too good to be true. The only downside would be taking my hours back to full time. This wasn’t a decision I took lightly but I decided I had to put myself forward. I had an amazing support network at home. My mum helped a lot with childcare as did my inlaws. I could not believe my luck when I was offered the position. I had finally made it. My hard work, commitment, dedication, my blood sweat and tears had finally paid off. What a job it was! Challenging on so many levels, it pushed me and developed me like no other role had done yet. I loved it. My team were amazing, we had fun, we worked hard and we achieved some awesome results.
Download passion into profit Ebook now!
Time passed and we fell pregnant again and were incredibly lucky to have our stunning little Rainbow baby – Max. At this point most people felt our lives was surely complete however neither Ross nor I felt we had finished making beautiful babies. After a short 6 months of Max being born we decided to try again and fell pregnant with our 3rd little bundle almost straight away. We were all shocked and delighted. Things were looking great.
One morning whilst in a meeting, I received a call that would change my life forever. A call I will never forget for the rest of my life. The panic in my sister’s voice and the rushed words coming out of her mouth all merged together and I couldn’t comprehend any of what I was hearing. My mum couldn’t breath and was being rushed to hospital in crippling pain. She had been complaining of pains and was being tested for all sorts, she had also lost a lot of weight. Later everyone tells me they knew what was to come but I can assure you the thoughts or words never crossed my mind.
After 2 days in hospital we were to receive the earth shattering news that my mum had terminal stage 4 cancer. We had no idea what this meant but we believed that we would beat it. We would be fine – we were a team! We would get over this. Mum was the strongest person I knew so there was no way this would affect her. They would operate, remove the tumour and she would be back on her feet in no time. Sadly this wasn’t the case. The tumour had grown and the cancer spread which meant an operation would serve no purpose.
After a long period of time in and out of hospitals, mum developed Appendicitis which left the surgeons with no option but to operate. This meant mum was to go through a life threatening operation the day before my 3rd child was to be born. I begged the surgeons to let me into Intensive care at 10pm the night before I went in to give birth to just see she was there. She had got through the operation and was recovering in ICU. I gave birth to our 3rd little ray of sunshine Poppy and mum and I joked about who would get out of the hospital first. Mum not to be beaten won by 3 hours. Hehehehe!
I took Poppy to visit her at home as she was recovering. She offered something very positive in the midst of a very difficult family situation.
Everyone goes through difficult times in their lives in some shape or form. This was to be the most difficult and challenging thing I would ever be faced with in my life.
After Poppy I was desperate to get back to feeling like me. I needed to feel fit and have energy and clarity to push through all that was being thrown at us. I saw a post on my Facebook page talking about a new cleansing system it looked like the exact thing I needed. I felt absolutely amazing afterwards, incredibly I lost 12lbs, my skin was glowing and more importantly I had bucket loads of energy. Everyone could see a shift and began asking what it was. The girl I was chatting with suggested throughout my cleanse that I should take a look at the business opportunity (in fact she suggested this 5 times) before I finally agreed to meeting for a cuppa. You see I like facts and figures given my entire career was in the corporate world and I’m also extremely sceptical until I actually see a plan that has substance. I have to tell you though that as soon as I took a look at the marketing plan I was ‘IN’.
I suddenly found a business (or the business found me) that I could work around nap times, mums treatments, feeds and hospital visits, school, kids clubs etc.… I found a way out and I found a way to do something I loved and still earn an income.
I realise that this sounds crazy that amidst a storm some good can come but it really was my saving grace at the time. My anchor. My hope and having a 3 month old, 16 months old and a 5 year old and sadly life taking a turn for the worst with my beloved mum. The time really was now.
I want to share with you the problem I recognised when it comes to freedom and happiness. When it comes to wanting it all and when it comes to the way that most of us work at the moment. You see there is another way of achieving all that you desire and a way of doing it all in your own time, at your own pace and with your own rules!
Life is a blessing, to create memories and moments to be remembered forever!
The most important thing of all that this business has given us is memories and time to create them. Memories with Ross and the Kids and memories with Mum. Sadly mum passed away in Jan 2016. This was to be the hardest thing I had ever faced in my life. I was broken. My life had fallen apart and had no idea how I was going to recover.
We were able to take mum on trips; I was able to be by her beside 24 hours a day when she was in the hospice. I didn’t have to be anywhere else; I didn’t have to ask a boss for permission to take time off to visit my dying mum. This was the moment that this business opportunity really hit me and its potential to change people’s lives. It had changed mine!
This business has truly given me and continues to give me the most important thing anyone could ever ask for – TIME.
“Money’s not everything. Money can buy you time though and TIME IS EVERYTHING”
Download passion into profit Ebook now!
Authenticity is key!
I never really understood this before I began my new career in marketing, but as the market gains popularity I completely understand how important it is to set yourself apart. For me that started with being completely honest with what I wanted in life and what I wanted to portray to the world. I have gained so much knowledge and have been inspired by so many incredible leaders but my success really came from finding my own voice. I took all of my teachings, began to dig deep into what I wanted to achieve and really began to design a business that was completely true to my heart and you can too.
Let the naysers Fuel you not fool you!
When you take a leap of faith there will always be people around you asking…..” what on earth are you doing?”, “ Are you mad?” and of course… “what if it doesn’t work”. I honestly had to stay strong as my families and friends opinions matter but I knew I had what it took to make it work. Why? Because I had a dream of what I wanted to achieve fuelled by those who were closest to me and the get up and go to make it my reality. No matter what you choose to do in life don’t let the social conditioned mindset sneak up on you. The mindset that you are only able to become truly successful by being in the corporate world or having a stable 9-5. The conditioning that you must work yourself into the ground in order to make a substantial income, of we don’t all deserve to have everything we want in life. My opinion is we absolutely do deserve it all! Nowadays I let all the negativity wash over me, i use it to fuel my journey to the top! There is room there for everyone who is willing to trust themselves enough to get there.
Clever strategies without spamming is the key!
Having a clear, concise strategy of what you are going to do and how you are going to do it is absolutely crucial when you begin any entrepreneurial journey. Even more crucial is a list of all the things that you don’t want to do to grow your business. No matter what the business is you have to sell right! And guess what… I hate selling…there I said it as plain as day! I really cannot cope with feeling pushed into buying anything so the thought of my clients/ customers feeling like that was a no no! I wrote down all the things i didn’t like about selling and buying and drew up a way to make my business work for me that felt amazing and made my customers feel completely in control of the entire process. This has been one of the determining factors in the success of my business for sure and I’m so happy to say that it’s something I coach on now. A flawless sales journey that happens with ease and is completely unsalesy! Sounds awesome doesn’t it!
By applying all of the above I just wanted to share with you some of what I have achieved within my business!
I qualified for some of the company incentives we have invested money back into the house and extended our family home to create an even better and comfortable environment for the kids.
We have managed to take the kids on trips to Disney that we would never have dreamed of having with a large family of 5.
I have been on holidays I could only have dreamed of – South Africa, Greece and Dubai.
I have made the most amazing people. The Dream team are passionate about coaching, developing people and I truly believe we have created something really special.
With my first cheque, we were able to replace our old 12-year-old Clio and put a great deposit down for a new Audi and the remainder of the cheque being paid to Strathcarron hospice where my mum spent her last 10 days.
Being recognised as the 4th top business owner in Scotland for 2 years running was the point when I realised we were onto something special. Our techniques, our practices were working and we were now helping others to change their lives too.
All because I was brave enough to take a chance! A chance for change and a chance on myself!
Fast forward to now!
18 months after mums death I am constantly reminded of her which I now take comfort from. I am reminded of the strong, determined woman she was and if I could live on to be even a small part of what she was i will be happy. Everything I do is for my family, my families future and to be the best version of myself that I can possibly be.
I have realised in life that vision, focus and clear goals are crucial. Having these has enabled me to finally put my life’s dreams into action for ME. Yes to be the best mum, wife and friend I can be to those around me, but to follow MY dreams. To lead, inspire, coach and mentor others to be the best they can be. To give them the tools that has enabled me to remain focussed during difficult times, the tools to maintain drive and clear on their goals. I am excited about my future, my family’s future but also the futures’ of those I get to work with.
One last thing! If you have even the tiniest spark inside! If you feel like there’s more that there’s something pulling you to be a better version of yourself….please promise me you’ll act upon it! Promise me that you won’t waste any more time dreaming about the way that life could be and put a plan of action in place to get those wheels turning! I can promise you in return that i’ll be standing at the side lines cheering you on through the adventure.
