Mortgage Broker Broadcast
Developing your knowledge to help you build a successful Mortgage Broker business. Craig Skelton shares his thoughts and experiences on all aspects of mortgage advice covering everything from operating in the banking world, estate agency based advisers all the way up to working as a self employed broker. He will be joined by experts from within the industry and other business sectors which all play a key part in becoming a successful mortgage broker in the modern world.
Mortgage Broker Broadcast
The Freedom of Flexible Habits with Guest Expert Alice Dartnell
Unlock the transformative power of habits and accountability with our esteemed guest, Alice Dartnell, as she returns to the podcast with a treasure trove of wisdom from her newest venture into the world of accountability events and her upcoming session today and also in May. As I share my journey from the cutthroat corporate ladder to the nurturing embrace of entrepreneurial collaboration, you'll discover the abundant growth that springs from a community-focused business approach. Listen closely—this conversation will reshape your understanding of how shared ideas and honest dialogue can revolutionize not just your professional life but your personal development too.
Join us from the vibrant energy of Cambodia, where Alice has been soaking in new experiences that enrich her already diverse career portfolio. This episode isn't just about the 'what' of positive habits and routines; it's about the 'how'—integrating them into our lives to create a lifestyle by choice, not chance. We tackle the misconception that habits are rigid and unyielding, and instead, we showcase their adaptability and the freedom they offer, even when life throws us curveballs. Whether it's adjusting fitness goals after an unexpected accident or modifying daily practices to align with fluctuating energy levels, this conversation is a testament to the resilience that comes with adaptable habits.
We wrap up with an insightful look at our upcoming event, "Creating a Life by Design," where practical skills meet creative thought in a collaborative setting designed to spark your next big idea. Imagine an environment where shared growth isn't just a concept, but a tangible practice, and where the support of like-minded individuals propels you toward the life you've envisioned. A heartfelt thank you to Alice for her candidness and invaluable insights, and an invitation to you, our listeners, to engage with these ideas, attend our events, and embrace the power of personal accountability on your path to transformation.
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Hi, welcome to this week's Morgie's Broker broadcast. I guess this week is Alice D'Arnael, and Alice is back on the podcast. She's been a podcast guest already back in November 2022, talking about time management and energy management. She then came back on in March 23, talking about habits. I don't want to get Alice back on right now, because the first part of the year the podcast so far that she had been focused on habits, accountability, and I want us to get her on it. She's got an event out this coming up today.
Speaker 1:If you're listening to podcasts, on the 27th of March, when it's released, she's got an event you can register for which I've tagged in the notes about accountability. She's also got a session coming up in May as well that you can register for as well, but I just wanted to get her to, rather than me again going on a solo podcast about accountability and habits. I just want to get her take on it. This is what she does day and day. She's got a different aspect a little bit with it with regards to habits and routine and how restrictive they are, but it's good to get her take on it. Before we do that, though, as always, hesley Rowland with this week's Mortgage Broker Bulletin.
Speaker 2:Thank you, craig, and welcome to the eighth edition of the Mortgage Broker Bulletin. I'm absolutely getting drenched, I'm outside and it is raining quite heavily, but anyway, let's get on to the bullet then. I had a couple of things to talk about this week. Firstly was that inflation has come down. Hopefully we'll see some consistency going forward now with some confidence in the market, although last week again it was unpredictable Couple of lenders putting their rates up, criteria changes.
Speaker 2:This week's bullet, then, is a bit of a moan never really moan before about underwriting. Now the consistency of underwriting is just absolutely bonkers. Now you might turn around and say, lee, you wanna package your cases better. Yeah, I make mistakes, the same as everybody else. But when one week you package your case exactly the same as the next week and it comes back with eight different questions compared to the week before, you've gotta wonder whether it's the underwriter or you.
Speaker 2:So I suppose this is a little bit about the underwriters, but also, when we talk to the brokers, just take your time on packaging your cases so they don't come back, and you have question after question, which sometimes you're repeating yourself. Sometimes you've gotta make them aware you've already supplied that bit of information, because it is cost to do time and money. Now maybe I'm talking about myself a little bit more than the underwriters, but I think we all know what we're getting at Package the cases correctly. I hope you get a cracking underwriter and get these cases through. On cases end power this week 19 minutes from application to offer. You can go wrong, can you? I give them a try for vanilla type of cases Onwards, upwards and forwards. I'm gonna get out of the rain and I'll speak to you next week.
Speaker 1:Thanks for that, Lee. Thanks for another great episode on the mortgage broker bulletin this week. So now, as I said, Alice Darnall is this week's guest, so let's just get Alice onto the podcast. So welcome back onto the podcast, Alice. How are you?
Speaker 3:I'm good, I'm good. I'm really excited to be back with this podcast, actually. So thank you so much for inviting me back.
Speaker 1:No, thank you for coming out. We're looking back over there because the first time you was on was in November 2022, and then we did so we'd like to start. We talked a lot about sort of the time management and the energy management and things like that that we were at the time and then we thought, right, we need to get you back on. We had to start talking about habits at the end of the podcast. Then we thought, right, we need to get back. So he said just over, it was the 8th of March 2023, when you was on before. So that's when the podcast was released. So, yeah, and we talked a lot about habits and daily routines and things like that. So it's great to get you back on and let's just We'll have a chat from there. So, do you want to? Before we get into the podcast, do you want to just do a brief introduction about yourself?
Speaker 3:Yeah, so hi to your listeners. As I said, I'm really excited to be back on your podcast. So for those of you that haven't listened to a previous podcast or recognized the accident or anything like that, my name is Alice. I'm a life coach, but I always give that generic like I'm a life coach but it's. You know, anyone that's kind of seen me on Instagram or their business or does coaching themselves, they'll know that it's so much more to that. There's so many different angles, so I do one to one coaching. I also run my own group programs, create content. I also do consultancy work, training for all the organizations. I've now started doing a lot more writing. Actually, since I lost, I was on your podcast, so I'm actually a columnist can't even say that word columnist For a newspaper that I'm here.
Speaker 3:Yeah, you know what I mean. All right, columns, for I've just started that for a newspaper out here in Cambodia, where I'm living at the moment, and yeah, my book came out as well in January. So I guess now I can technically add all four to the list of things that I do as well.
Speaker 1:So yeah, wow, wow, and you alluded there, you're in Cambodia. You've been there a while. I don't think that was sort of planned for being there a while, from what I understand.
Speaker 3:No, no, there's one. There was a sentence that could summarize my life. It'd be like that I didn't go to plan, like this is not how I mapped things out, but I came here in May 2022. And I was actually on my way to Bali to do a bit more traveling and stuff like that. My parents live in a place called Kampot in Cambodia and I kind of just haven't left yet, so I'm kind of still traveling to be in France and back to England and things like that.
Speaker 3:But yeah, I did actually reflect on that because November 2022, I was living in Valencia for a little stint because I was enrolled into language school and then pop up and I remember distinctively doing it in my nan's hallway but it's a horrible bloody lime green corridor and I was in my nan's tiny, tiny, tiny little corridor doing it there in Kent and then I was like, oh no, this one I'm doing in Cambodia, so it's like it's traveling with me as well, exactly.
Speaker 1:Exactly, and that was because I can remember recording, I think in your own Valencia at the time, I think you know, moving like sort of yeah, it's travels with Alice while we're sort of doing the podcast. So yeah.
Speaker 1:Let's get back on in next year and then sort of like the first quarter of next year and see where you are then, who knows? Yeah, so thanks for agreeing. To come back on what I wanted to do is just a good time really, because I know you've got this podcast. We've recorded it a week before but the podcast actually goes out the morning of the 27th of March, which I know you've got your session coming out, which will obviously put for those people that are listening to this at seven o'clock when this podcast comes out, or bursting in the morning when the podcast comes out on the 27th excuse me, I'll put the link in the show notes to then you've got a session going on at 10 o'clock we'll have. What's all that about?
Speaker 3:Yeah, I'm just like this is something that I have never done before or never seen before, so I'm really excited about this. So, as a business owner, I get people telling me all the time like, oh, I'm so lonely being a business owner. And I know, honestly, I've never really experienced that and I think it is because I just make sure I'm really plugged in, like I have always joined masterminds or had an accountability buddy or just have people that I can spit all ideas about, and I think there's such power in sharing ideas and getting feedback and market research. So I wanted to put like a mastermind event on for people but also use it as an opportunity for like a bit of hot seat coaching and also just connect as well.
Speaker 3:I'm all for like collaboration, not competition. So it's just kind of everything rolled into one really. So a bit networking, a bit of coaching, a bit of masterminds. So it's gonna be a place where you can come share your idea or get feedback or hey, I've got this goal that I'm working on any ideas. It's just more brains about than one. So it's just a way to kind of bring people together for that. So, yeah, I'm really excited for that and yeah, just wanna do something a little bit different.
Speaker 1:No, absolutely. It's totally different because I've done over the past like I can't. The podcast so far this year it's from the last next week podcast that comes out is about reflecting. Course. It's the end of quarter one for the year, so it's about reflecting. Now. It's reflecting on the podcast which I shared on the podcast or which I will share on the podcast next week, and it's about Like the podcast podcast has been about habits. The first four weeks there was about habits, but then the last four in between guest episodes that I have has been about accountability and I talked about, like self accountability or then having accountability partnerships or Working with a mentor, and I sort of put those three different options out there in terms of the self accountability partnerships or working mentor, whether this is something Like I've never seen anything like this before. It is very unique in terms of Building all that is built like a bit accountability partnerships but then also a bit of a mentoring and a bit of coaching going on as well. It's quite unique.
Speaker 3:Yeah, thank you. Yeah, and I'm really excited. So we'll see how it goes. But, yeah, I'm such a big believer in like the power of sharing ideas and I think, because I've come back, I've come from a corporate background but typically it was like oh, you've got to keep you good ideas to yourself and I, some of the stills it takes credit for it. So I definitely came from a background of competition, not collaboration, and so having my business is doing like such a graphic for a show and I love the idea of collaboration and sharing ideas and getting feedback.
Speaker 3:And at the moment I'm organizing an event when I go back to England in May. So I just put it out there on Instagram and just was like what do you think? What are your ideas? I mean, I've just had so many good ideas from people that, to be honest, I would never have thought about including in my event. It's really helped, shaped. You know how I want this event to look like because, let's be honest, you know I've got good ideas, but I'm not like the number one Genius in ideas, like everybody's got a good idea. Do you know what I mean? So just having that feedback of Instagram is great. It's a bunch of wrong. So yeah, all for collaboration, absolutely I think that's a.
Speaker 1:That's having that right mindset. Alice, it is about collaboration. You just said that you're not the number one for idea, the idea person in the in the world kind of thing it's about and that's talk about it. They obviously from or you're doing. You're not. You are one of the unique guests that I have on the podcast that is not from mortgage services or financial services or that industry background.
Speaker 1:So I Talk a lot about abundance mindset and people Brokers collaborating with each other, and some people are doing that now in a positive light. We see the negative ones, but we we also see the positive ones, which you. You talk about there, about what a great idea of getting this sort of group together, collaborating and sharing experiences and ideas. But I've talked about that from a mortgage broker point of view because People are going through similar sort of things and similar challenges in these. You have to have that abundance mindset. You're not the competition, they're not somebody. You are. There's enough business to go around, kind of things. So but be some. You've got to have that right mindset as well to do that and luckily you have got that mindset. Have you always been that way in terms of that sort of collaboration?
Speaker 3:Yeah, good question. I think I probably have. I think that probably is my natural Tendency, but I think it probably got beaten out of me for the eight years that I was in corporate because, young and bright, I was like, oh, let's collaborate. And it's like, oh no, I was working in silos doing their own thing and stealing each other's ideas, like I know that's not how it works, but I think I definitely. Yeah, you know, you've got a natural tendency, haven't you? I think my natural tendency is let's share ideas, let's collaborate, let's do things as a team, as a group.
Speaker 3:I work really well on my own. It's not that, it is just I just think there's power in as fit-balling ideas with someone and just going, oh, can I completely run this by you? What do you reckon is this? And? And we can't see what we can't see. So Sometimes it's getting good ideas, but it's also getting somebody to go, well, how's that going to work if dot, dot, dot or you know, just not to be a pessimist, but just kind of like point that some things and maybe you haven't seen? And then you're like, oh, okay, right, okay, now I've got a solution in place for that. And yeah, yeah, I think I've naturally probably been that type of person. That's a say comfort, probably. Be it out may. And now it's back. Now I've got my own business and I'm a boss.
Speaker 1:Well, and that's a beauty, that's that's being self-employed and that having that freedom to be able to think, actually it's quite. You bet you are true to yourself in terms of you are who you want to be rather than but rather than somebody like they're beating out of you is a great analogy from that point of view. But suppressed is people. Stop, if you've got that boss, that doesn't like, that doesn't, there's likes, they're we're doing things and not adaptable to change. We've all been there. We've always worked with those people. That is this way and there's no choice. And you, you can't share ideas, you can't be proactive with your ideas, you can't. They can't be adaptable to change. We've all been there. But, like now, you've got that Freedom, you are self-employed and that's that's Locting you into. You've lost that corporate, the way that you are. It's great that you were embraced totally. Do you feel it? Do you feel that?
Speaker 1:like it's not a question I got down on my agenda, but do you feel as though you now you are that Entrepreneurial in you, what you have got, that Spirit that you are traveling different countries and you've got that total freedom, and do you think your mind is sort of total freedom in terms of who you are as an individual and where you want to go as a business person? Yeah, I think so.
Speaker 3:I think when you start your business, regardless of what it is you know as a more good program on a coach it's, I think you you always face your future expectation on what you have experienced and know. So whilst I had these ideas and these drives for having my own business, such as I wanted freedom, autonomy, creativity, to run my own hours, etc you don't really know what's going to be like and to experience it. So it took me quite a while, for example, despite specializing in time management, to get out of the 95 thinking and find my own rhythm and find my own agenda. And again, even though my natural tendency Probably needs to be a collaborator, not like competition type person, I had to go back to that because I'd got it taken away from me. So you know, if you're listeners, for example thinking, oh God, you know I can't collaborate. You know, as a mortgage broker, I've got to keep my trade secrets to myself or whatever, and there's not enough to go around.
Speaker 3:So you might need to shift your mindset, for example. But yeah, I think I definitely have that mindset of freedom now and opportunity and not feeling so restricted in what I do in my business and having that freedom of choosing what I like to do in the business and what I don't like to do, who I want to work with, who I don't, who I do want to collaborate with and stuff like that. Yeah, it's a good feeling. It's very powerful, very empowering.
Speaker 1:Definitely I think it is. I'm just interested to see, I know what my thoughts and feelings are with regards to. I lost the corporate shackle 70 years ago and it's great having that freedom of being self-employed, having your own business, but then there are a lot of challenges that, and accountability is one of them, but there are a lot of challenges that are faced with that. So it's how your I see brokers that are still in that same corporate mindset. Because they're mortgage brokers, they run the business the same way that they were managed and suppressed when they were being in the corporate world. They're still creating business plans that are just not for them. It's just what they think they should be doing, rather than it's not about them, it's not about their work-life balances, it's just they're filling things in what they think they should be doing because what they've been told that way and they're not losing those habits where these brokers that I work with that literally the shackles were off the celebration day of I'm now self-employed and really embrace that and really go with the full flexibility, really embrace the freedom, learn from there. They made mistakes. Learn from them as I have. I have fully embraced the freedom. I've made some amazing mistakes. I've had some amazing wins. But when you look back over, when I look back over the last seven years and thinking where I was then and I loved, like I journal quite a bit and I look back over there and I started to journal when I went self-employed, just to sort of, and I look back over those journals I've got a draw full of six month journals in my draw and I look back and thinking, wow, he's sort of what I've sort of where I was then and where I am now. It's a real motivation because it puts a big smile on my face, thinking, oh, my god, like, think about when my mind was then and where it is now and how much I've learned by experiencing it, embracing it, reading as well, like you talked then about being an author, but I just I never read before a little bit but I didn't, and so I've learned so much by reading.
Speaker 1:I, like you said, I feel as though I've collaborated with those individuals of books that I've read, because with books it's always I've always found that there's been life changing ones for me. But it's sort of like I'll read the book and it'll take me a little while to read it, but then there'll be little snippets that I'll take from each one. I've got to find a total tangent. But I know what I mean by this in terms of the freedom of having that the mindset, because you're not suppressable. So you have got you're reading books, thinking actually I can put these, what I'm learning from reading this book I can put into practice because I've got the freedom to do that.
Speaker 1:So I went on a little bit, got passionate a little bit about books and things like freedom there. But that I just think it's good that you've embraced that, because there's people that I see that don't embrace it and just want that, have that self-employment world but still continue in that corporate lifestyle. But then there's one that fully embraced the freedom and really go with changing that work-life balance, like you've talked about having the habits that you've talked about as well. One question I was going to ask you is obviously you've been traveling around a bit, you've been doing, but you're still managing to run your business. You're still managing to do things you wanted to do. I'm guessing that's down to like habits of help massively with something like that.
Speaker 3:Oh my god, absolutely like I would say that your habits are a cornerstone to success. I think it's Charles Doohig that says that in his book the Power of Habit. But your habits I think we get. Let's take a step back. I think when we talk about habits we think they're restrictive, because I think we associate habits almost with a bit of a negative connotation, that they're restrictive and we assume that people that it's very black or white, very ill, and I think so. If you're somebody who's got positive eating habits, then you're somebody who never ate cake, for example. Or if you're somebody who has the habit of going to the gym X-mounds times a week, then you never have a slob on the side for a day.
Speaker 3:But for me, habits are more about the lifestyle, like habits for me are the behaviors and the actions that you take on the regular, and regular could be daily, weekly, monthly, but these are the behaviors and actions you take regular, regularly, in order to create the lifestyle that you want. So habits don't have to be restrictive. It's not like I have to do the same thing every day at the same time, like I'm not actually a big believer in routine in that sense. So for me, for example, the way that I'm able to travel, maintain the positive habits in my life, like going to the gym, eating well, keeping up with the personal development stuff I want to do, like reading books and learning Japanese and listening to a podcast every day, and also growing my business. I think it just boils down to habits in the sense that they're not restrictive, but I know what actions are going to bring me a return on investments.
Speaker 3:Or I make sure I do them every day or every week and I do them regardless of where I am. So, for example, I make sure that I fit in exercise, you know, three to five times a week. I make sure I do 15,000 steps a day. Well, 10 to 15,000 steps a day. I make sure that I do my weekly planning. These are all like really positive habits and regardless of where I am in the world or what I'm doing, I will make sure that I plan that in so it doesn't feel like it just feels natural, like it doesn't matter if I'm at my nans, you know, in Gravesend Kent, or if I'm in my mum's in Cambodia, like I will still make sure that I fix some exercise in and do my weekly planning and blah, blah, blah, because it's just a way of life. So habits really are just a lifestyle choice. They're just a way of life.
Speaker 1:Not totally agree. I think it's difficult sometimes like your habits happen, it doesn't matter on the environment, whereas some people fix their habits based on their environment as well. So if you are in one, look. So if you're at home, habits happen. These are the things that happen, this is your routine, this is your structure. All these things happen daily, weekly, when you're not at home or you're in a different environment.
Speaker 1:Sometimes the habits can slip because you associate the habit with the environment as well, whereas and I love the answer to the question, I ask that because I ask that for a reason, because I work with some people that then have the habits and have the routine and the structure when they're in a in certain environment based on home or in the office or whatever the case.
Speaker 1:When that is, then they're in a different environment. The habits can slip, whereas you've not. So you're not seeing them as restrictive as the habits on it's a lifestyle thing, so it's not a case of well, this is my environment, this is my routine and my structure. Because I'm here in this environment. You've got thrown into different environments, but your habits still happen. So I love actually how you've adapted that and actually think they're not restrictive. I still want to do those things and these people that I know, that I work with they will. They still go on holiday and still do the same routine with their structure and think their habits still happen, doesn't matter where they are, because they are lifestyle habits. And it makes me feel like that's something that people can do struggle with the habits and the routine don't happen, go through any new environment.
Speaker 3:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3:So for me it all boils down to what I call creating a life by design, and that, for me, is how I want to live my life all the time, not how I want to live my life at work and how I want to live my life off work and how I want to live my life on holiday. It's just one life, it's like one pot, you know. So for me it's like this is how I want to live every day. And I remember once, actually, when I was working in corporate and I said about going using the hotel gym when I was on holiday, and she went ooh, you exercise whilst you're on holiday and I was like, yeah, because I like it, like it's part of my life, so why would I not? You know, it's that kind of thing like why am I only doing certain things, you know, when I'm on holiday or when I'm not? So I try to keep the same structures that I know work for me, regardless of where I'm traveling or what I'm doing. If it's a Saturday or workday, it doesn't really matter. So, for example, I know for me to function at my best in the morning, for the rest of the day, I have to start my morning really well, because I am not a morning person. I am that person like. So I have to do a little meditation, a little visualization. I have my lemon water in the morning. So I don't care if I'm at my nans on holiday, working, chilling, I still want to do that, even if it's just five minutes. So I'll be that person that, even if I'm on a weekend away, I will take my own lemons and knife so they can cut it up in the hotel and do it, and I'll take headphones so that I don't piss the other person on. I'm listening to my meditation because it's just the way of life and it's like oh, why would you want to do that if you were on holiday? Because it makes me a better person. And when I'm like, don't do it, I'm grouchy. That's not good for anyone.
Speaker 3:So for me, like, how do I do it? I'd say it goes down to structure, energy management and planning. And the reason why I say that is because I actually talk about this on my online time management course, because I am not a fan of planning a routine and a lot of people, especially in the time management world or people trying to improve their time management, will assume that they need a good routine, but kind of like what you're alluded to, I like, as soon as you get out of your routine it all goes tits up. So it's hard. You get in a really good routine and then it's half term and because the kids are off school, you can't do your usual way of doing it. Or you're in a really good routine, but then Christmas comes, or you're in a really good routine and there's something that happens at work and so you're pulled into the office early or you're working late and let's be honest, it's always such a lie to make a good excuse for not sticking to the routine and it's because we're led by the environment. So then, when we're out of the environment or out the normal loop of the routine, that's when it crumbles.
Speaker 3:So for me, because it's a lifestyle choice, it doesn't matter for me what time I get out, where I am in the world or whatever. There's still certain things that I'm gonna do and I would structure my day, my life, my week around those things that I want to include and those habits I want to include. And this is why planning is so important. And on a Sunday I religiously do my Sunday planning Hair rise and scan helicopter vision, look at the week ahead, see what's coming up and right, where am I Glut textures, where am I fitting all these bits in so that I can make sure I'm keeping up my positive habits? And the other thing for me is I talk a lot about energy management, like I've kind of touched on in a previous podcast with you, but for me, time management isn't just about managing time, it's about managing yourself and your energy. So I know that in order to kind of maintain my positive habits, sometimes there needs to be flexibility, because life isn't the same day in, day out, week in, week out, and I'm always always super honest with my audience on Instagram.
Speaker 3:And the last few months, for example, for me maybe the last five months, have been weird. Like I've got diagnosed with typhoid and I didn't know I had it for months. Wow, mum has been in and out of the country because, unfortunately, her sister was losing her battle with cancer and unfortunately she lost it a couple of weeks ago, and just know, we've got a bereavement in the family and you know, on paper they're perfect excuses to be like well, I've had a lot on. So that's the reason why I haven't done X, y and Z. So, for example, like with the typhoid there was, I was on and off tablets for ages because they couldn't get rid of it, because I had it such a long time, and the tablets that are wrong. We're getting stronger and stronger, longer and longer. And one set of tablets I was on. They were like, yeah, your ligaments could rip, so especially, don't go to the gym. I was like what? Like my gym is like my you know happy place, like strong for the strong mind.
Speaker 3:Now, it would have been so easy to make that excuse of like, well, I can't go kickboxing, can't go to the gym, so I won't do anything. And it's like, okay, well, the slots that I would normally do the gym, what can I do instead? Maybe it's just gentle yoga or Pilates. So my quiz here, listening to your energy. And there were some days because of the insomnia, because of the meds, because of the side effects, like potentially life or any disease, like there were some days that I was like exhausted. So it's like, okay, what can I do to modify? I usually do 20 minutes of Japanese study. My brain is dead. Today I might even do five. I normally do a 60 minutes swipe fest in the gym. Today I can only do 15 minutes of yoga. Do you get what I mean?
Speaker 1:Like it eats.
Speaker 3:Okay to modify the habit, but I think we get so caught up in the strictiveness of a habit of it it's got to be like this that we forget the flexibility and then we forget to mix it up with what our energy's got at the time. And I've just gone for a really energy draining five months but I've still technically maintained my habits because I've just flexed and adapted to my energy.
Speaker 1:Yeah, absolutely not a 100% get what and understand what you're talking about, because I is like experiencing something very similar in terms of not obviously like illness, like that. But I had some. I had an accident the people that I'm not really told about this on any, with very few people. I'm not told about the podcast, but I had an accident at the start of the year and it threw my whole like my habits were and my routine and the structure was literally thrown out in terms of what I did in the morning. I just couldn't like. And it's about then adapting. Like you said, what reminiscing with me then was that I would run at a certain time every single day. I'd do like running for me, like you go to the gym running for me. It's like that mindset release and so, as soon as you're not doing those things I wasn't running, I wasn't doing the other things that we're doing, I wasn't doing the cold water therapy and things like that I didn't feel like myself. I didn't. I had to adapt. There was a certain amount of time where I couldn't even do things like that. They're just physically impossible for me to do that. But then now it's sort of I still can't run every single day, but I can certainly walk. So it's the case of right. Well, I'm just walking instead of running. I will get back to the running. I know I will get there, but I and I'm back to the. I can't do the cold water dips at the minute, but I can do the cold water showers, so that's my sort of then, but I eventually will get back to the cold water dips. So it's because, but I didn't. I enjoyed my lifestyle life, because I didn't feel like me. When that button was paused and what happened with like, where I wasn't able to do what I enjoy doing day in, day out, I felt like my life was paused. I didn't feel like it was me. I didn't. I didn't feel good about myself. I was dealing with what I was dealing with anyway, but I didn't feel good in terms of I didn't feel like I was growing and moving forward and moving forward. It was literally a pause on there, thinking, but I had to then think do you know, is that? Well, it is paused for a number of weeks, but I will get back to that. And then now I notice a massive difference in myself and my mindset and the way that I am and my thoughts and my working day based on the fact that I can do. I'm not back where I was, but I will get there. But I am sort of doing the things that, like you said, you're doing, rather than doing that you were doing the yoga or doing that. It's just adapting to what your.
Speaker 1:It's not beating yourself up, like I couldn't beat myself up and say, craig, you need to do 10K today, like what are you like? Because I just physically couldn't do it. It literally like my mind, like it's okay, saying, well, you couldn't do it, craig, because if you got the right mindset you could have got over that. No way, no way I went. I've got five broken ribs, two in two places, hemothorax people that know I had two and a half three liters of blood drained off my lungs because my one of my puncture and artery in there and I had so literally I could not do, I could not function in terms of doing what I was doing.
Speaker 1:I was dealing with what I was dealing with at that particular time. I'm still not on the other side. I'm still like in terms of what's going on, but I couldn't do what I wanted to do, but and I felt bad about that, but I Didn't beat myself up or was thinking to the creek. You can only push yourself as far as you could push yourself. And I knew my body was telling me at certain points you need to stop right now, because I would do certain things and then the day after, like the pain was, like was pretty intense. So, like you say, you, you don't want to be too restrictive with your habits, because actually I could have beat myself up, I could have been really super kind. You need to get back, you need to be doing this. I just couldn't know where that could. So it's interesting to hear your Side of that, of how you dealt with that as well, which is a like, say, it's a lifestyle choice, not a habit, and this has to happen and this, and don't feel good if it doesn't.
Speaker 3:Yeah, so it's not a tick in a box. And also you make a such a good point there because one of the things I specialise in it's time management and she management and mindset. And the mindset might seem a little bit of Curveball like hang on a minute. She's talking about you know tips for like not procrastinating and you know how to be productive on mindset, but it's because the mindset bit is key. Like everything starts with mindset. If you're going into something with the wrong mindset, then that is just gonna scar for everything and I Definitely was a perfectionist I'm definitely recovering perfectionist and I Am my biggest critic and so many of us are, especially in business, with high achievers, with driven businesses, our baby, etc.
Speaker 3:So when we can't do things in the way that we want or should for example, you normally go running, but you can't at the moment. Or you normally go to the gym, you can't at the moment what we tend to do as humans is go well, because I can't do it in the perfect form that I normally do it, I won't do it at all and we've got such a one-on-one epic mindset. And then what happens? For we feel bad, don't we? Because we didn't go to the gym say we, oh, yesterday, all the day, for that I'm sure you move to wait.
Speaker 3:So then what do we do? We beat ourselves up for it. We shouldn't just knocks our mindset and our self-belief and self-worth and all that kind of stuff in every single area. But it's actually, if you turn it around ago, I can't go to the gym because it's winds it, but I can't do something over or go for a walk. Tick us technically still done the positive things and all the habits or goals I'm working on. Now I feel good about myself. So mindset is like such a big thing, like we've got to get rid of all that mindset as well. I'm definitely talking to myself. It was well, so I am from that camp.
Speaker 1:Absolutely. I know it's easy. We've sort of gone Taking quite a lot of time to talk about. So, like mindset and he's good to hear your experiences from what you've been through Recently, because and it's quite and it wasn't part of the gender for me to talk about this, but actually, as always, alice is with you. It's sort of we started talking about one thing and then it's just sort of it then just goes on and on and on. So so yeah, to one day and you alluded to a little bit and I wanted to make sure we sort of standpoint a little bit and pull it back in, because what one thing that you do, like I talked about. You alluded a little bit before about the event that you're doing in May back in the UK and and Do you want to just explain a bit about that and what that's all about, what's going on with that? Because it is relevant to what we've been Talk about the podcast today and about the podcast over the past few weeks.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I'm gonna go, absolutely so. For me, this event is is what I preach is about creating a life by design, and I think sometimes we know how we want life to look, but we don't give ourselves the Permission or we don't know how to do it. And I want this event to be really Practical. I want it to be really inclusive, really hands-on, I want it to be like really immersive, because so many times you go to a vent, you hear a motivational speaker, you feel all right up and yeah, and you leave the event and then you're like she's like a deflate balloon.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, I really think that.
Speaker 3:Yeah, or you know, in six months time, you haven't actually done any of the things that you'd like learn on the event. So I was like, right, how do we make this difference? So, yeah, that's why I want to make it practical and immersive and, and you know, a small, intimate event where we can like learn from one of our other life. I said it's collaboration, not competition, and whilst you might, when I talk about collaboration, I don't necessarily mean like, hey, craig, let's collaborate and we're gonna like do this project together. Collaboration could just be hey, what's your idea? Let me help you brainstorm it. This is my idea, please help me brainstorm it.
Speaker 3:That collaboration is as simple as that. So I want the event to kind of touch on that. I want it to be a safe space for people to share ideas and level up and create their life by design and collaborate with one another and and you know, share input, mastermind, you know all those kind of things. And I also really want to give people like the skills and the theory so that they can then go out and create that life by design, so through their time management and the energy management and the right habits and their mindset and stuff like that because these are the fundamentals to create in what you want. These are the fundamentals that you need to grasp to create your life by design.
Speaker 1:Absolutely, and I think it's I said before when you said I said about people. We've all experienced that place. Where we've been to some event, we've made loads of notes. We then come back into the day to day routine and then we don't change anything, we don't adapt, we don't put anything into practice. We've got great ideas but we don't take the time to do that. We've all been there and I think I I was like thinking about this quite a while ago.
Speaker 1:I think, when you go to those events, the reason why you've got, I've made loads. I've been to events where I've not made loads of notes necessarily about what's been going on at the event. I've made obviously learned certain things, but then also just taken it's been time away from the business. Making lots of the event might not been good for me in terms of I've got anything out of it. However, I'm away from my normal workplace of work, I'm normal foot away from my and I've just made loads of notes because I'm not sat in front of my desk. I've got the freedom in my mind to do like just let's just, let's just open up, let's think about what we want to achieve, let's reflect on what we're doing and where we're going so that we will have all been in those sort of things.
Speaker 1:But with this, like what you're talking about again, with the collaboration side of things, it's just we all have ideas and all have thoughts and it's just taught.
Speaker 1:But then the way that those things grow is talking them through with the right individuals.
Speaker 1:Because you might talk them through to the individual that maybe not the right person to talk through with them or share an idea with and they've not got the same mindset of you, but you talk that through with that individual and then they also all of a sudden bring you down. It's not going to work, have all the negativity that you sort of we've all been in that place and then thought you know what, this is a great idea, but they, so I'm going to give up the ghost and what I wanted to achieve now and I'll go back to doing what I'm doing like or give up on that. Whereas these sorts of, like the sessions you're talking about and the session you're hosting because you've got like-minded people in there and that's the goal, isn't it? Because you've got like-minded people who have got, then you're more likely to have impact, take action and develop what you're and sharing that goal and idea with the people that are wanting to share their ideas as well, so it's a very positive environment to be in.
Speaker 3:Yeah, yeah, and let's be honest, sometimes it can be the closest people to us, and I loved ones that are obviously trying to protect us, but they're the negative Nazis. So it's important, I think, to surround yourself with those people that are cheerleading you, but some who, as I said, I've got some great ideas of people on Instagram. One lady said I love personal development events because it just gives me an excuse to get away from the laptop, even if it's the same city, but just get away from the laptop and recharge and refresh my brain and energy and my batteries. And I was like, oh my God, that's so true, isn't it? Because we just do the same shit day in, day out, even if we love what we do and I love what I do. But it can be a bit same thing, and if you want to create new neural pathways and new ways of thinking, you've got to have new experiences and put yourself out there.
Speaker 1:Absolutely, and you're right. The loved ones aren't necessarily the right people sometimes, and that's nothing against the loved ones. Like I said, they're there to protect you. They may be not thinking that they are doing the right thing for you when actually it's not they should like, but that's nothing against those individuals. You've just chosen the wrong person to share your idea with, because it's like you need to be sharing it with like-minded individuals. That will then will still give you the feedback. They will still be giving that constructive criticism and bring you back to reality. However, it will be a positive environment to then help you think. Actually, you might need to tweak that, you might need to look at doing that, or this is what I would think of, and that's where this sort of environment thrives for people from that sort of on the spot, instant feedback that you're looking for.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I mean, even this is such a silly example. But the other day I walked back home and I found me a licks handbag. It's bloody hot all the time. So I arrived and I was sweating, but you know it's because it's like 35 degrees here, Anyway. So I got home and my mum was like, oh, did you walk back? I feel like yeah, because, as I said, you know, one of my habits is getting my steps in a movement. And she went oh, walking's not good for you, it's bad for your knees. Number one, where in the earth did you get that freaking information? And I was like what? And my mum said she's quite health conscious, like she's pushing 70, but she's been bloody doing it down with dog and a headspan in yoga. She's really flexible. She does not look horrid.
Speaker 3:Anyway you know just like. Where did you get that information? And number one, why are you poo pooing on the fact that I walked for half an hour? It was so weird and she didn't mean it.
Speaker 3:She went. Oh, I'm just concerned I saw something called YouTube the other day that walking's bad for your knees. I mean, I do kickboxing, like lift over in the gym, like I think I can walk for 10 minutes. But my point to this is like I love her, she loves me, but there's obviously something inherent built into like protecting the loved ones. So then we kind of protect them from everything like walking. So you know, I know that's a really sweet example, but it is. We've got to remember that our loved ones are like that. They're the ones that go oh, walking you can't get pooed back your knees. And so then, if you're like then trying to share like this exciting goal, like oh my god, I've got this great idea, and they're like you sure that instantly is going to make you go. I don't know, maybe I shouldn't, and then that's it. You're backing, backing your limited thinking box Back to your like static mindset.
Speaker 1:And that's the thing with it. Like you say, you trust the loved ones, but they're not always the best, maybe not always the best people to sort of get you there. And, like you said, that's not. I think if you listen to anything or say anything, so that's bad for you, that's good for you. You'll always be at a difference of opinions with everything in life.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I think you've just got to take people's thoughts on board, but take people's.
Speaker 1:If you are going to ask for people's opinions, you've got to be prepared to take that feedback on, because if people that will sort of say, oh yeah, welcome feedback, yeah, I want your thoughts, I want you, you take on it but then give them the idea and as soon as they're not supportive or, on the same channel, the person that's given the idea and looking to receive feedback, the shutters go down and they don't want the feedback because not what they want to hear, which sometimes you've got to accept that that's going to be the case from people that are particularly loved ones, but people as well that are in certain like whom you maybe.
Speaker 1:It's just they're going to be harsh with you, the people that know you very well and close to you, whereas the people that are in groups and they will give you that feedback, they will be constructive and be positive. So then you can sort of build on that and, like I said, if you are actually going out into groups and asking for feedback, you've got to take that on board, because some people aren't prepared. They'll ask for feedback but not prepared to take that criticism, constructive criticism on board. And I've seen that firsthand with people that have worked within the past.
Speaker 3:Yeah, well, I think it goes back to what we're saying we're at the beginning of this podcast about collaboration, not competition, and also like the mindset of like abundance and freedom. Because if you're not in that place where you feel like the other person's coming from a place of collaboration but you feel like they're coming at you rather than a hey, that's a great idea, but have you thought of X, y, z? You're going to put your back up and shutters down, aren't you? So I think game goes back to that mindset and reception, or like collaboration and stuff like that.
Speaker 1:Definitely, definitely, alice. We've gone on again for sort of like 40 minutes and just talked tonight. I'm not even look to the town, looked across there at the little thing that says 43 minutes and 32 seconds into the recording. So is there anything that you've not talked about you want to talk about and we, or anything we miss you want to talk about? Maybe we'll get you back on after the event and we can talk about how that's gone and things like that. How like is anything else we've missed off?
Speaker 3:Just to like leave your listeners with this, because we talked a lot about habits and life by design and creating your lifestyle. If anyone's listening to that and going, yeah, but how, it's all very well listened to a broadcast and resonating what the speaker is saying and going, oh, yeah, I love my design. Yeah, gonna be flexible with my habits and all that kind of stuff, but it's the next step, isn't it? I'm like how on earth do I do it? For me it always, always, when I work with myself, work with my clients, it always boils down to what your values are, because everyone is so different. You can't copy someone's life by design. You can't say, well, I think Jodie's got it sus, so I'm just gonna copy what she does, because her values might be really different to yours.
Speaker 3:So, creating a life by design and habits and the mindset and all that kind of juicy stuff that we've talked about today, to really get curious about what you value and where you pay your value and for me it's things like traveling, personal development, having adventure, helping others. So that's how I know I'm creating my lifestyle, that I want and I'm doing the right habits, because it ticks those boxes for me. But if you're not someone who values travel and adventure, for example. I think you're not gonna make time for the same stuff as I do. You're not gonna make time for the habits and the same stuff that I do. So there's no right or wrong. No one's better than the other. There's no one habit is better than the other kind of thing. It's gotta be down to you. And if you stop, I'd say, get curious, and knowing what your values are and where you wanna spend your time and stuff like that is to get you going.
Speaker 1:Absolutely, no, 100% agree with you and a great way to end the podcast. So, Alice, thank you very much for spending some time away from the 35 degree heat outside in Cambodia right now for you, and so thank you very much for being part of the podcast again for the third time coming on. And yeah, I'll make sure that you've got an event that's happening at 10 o'clock on the 27th, so I'll make sure that's UK time, so make sure that's in there so people can register for that event. If people are listening to that the podcast now, thinking I wanna sort of spend an hour Like is it 10 to 11? Is that the time?
Speaker 3:It's an hour and a half actually.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so an hour and a half, if not, if they're listening to after, then obviously I'll tag you into the post. You've got your event in May, which we'll tag we'll make sure that there's links in that as well and just reach out to you and think in terms of I like what Alice is saying, I wanna work with Alice or I wanna get more just instigated conversation with Alice. Then yeah, we'll make sure you're tagged in, as always, like we've heard before, with all your links to your socials and your website and everything else as well. But just thank you so much for your time and thank you for sharing. Thank you for being honest and trusting me again, with no agenda and just chatting with her for the last 45 minutes or so.
Speaker 3:Oh, thank you so, so much for having me and, yeah, as you said, anything that's resonated with listeners today. I am an open book. I love chatting to people, so I'm a people person. So come on, you're on social media and say hi and yeah, just more than have as many questions or anything like that. But yeah, thanks so much for having me, loved it as always.
Speaker 1:Good, I have the two, so I'm glad you enjoyed it because I have the two. Thanks, alice. Thank you, thanks for that, alice. Thanks for being a guest on the podcast and coming back on. It was great to have you back on the podcast and hear your experiences, hear your thoughts about habits and accountability. And, yeah, if you've not registered for the event and you listened to this before the 10 o'clock on the 27th, registered for that or you can obviously catch it with a tag in.
Speaker 1:She's got another rent coming up in May and various other things as well. So connect with her and link with her as well. I think the good thing is the point that she made right at the end of the podcast there, which is something that I've always talked about, is about running your own race. She used different words, but it's all about you, your accountability, this is your race, these are your goals, your aspirations, this is your life, and so I think it was just a real good thing to end on. So if you've got any comments, thoughts, feedback, as always, leave them in whatever platform you listen to or watch this podcast on and, as I always end it on, even more so now as Alice is the end of the podcast, her section on that. It's very important that you are running your own race.