I am exactly where I am meant to be
Have you ever felt like everything you have done has been leading up to this moment?
I never knew what I wanted to be when I grew up. When I was little I thought I should be a hairdresser, and as I got older I thought I belonged in an office. And now, although I still don’t know what I want to be when I grow up, I do know that I don’t belong in an office, and I certainly shouldn’t be responsible for cutting anyone's hair. For so long, I floundered through my “career”, trying out different roles that were all the same, but different.
And there were a few things at play here.
1 - My underlying health condition, PMDD. Living with undiagnosed PMDD meant that I was drained a lot of the time, and fending off physical, emotional and psychological symptoms for half of every month meant that when I was feeling better, I certainly wasn’t thinking about career development or progression - I just wanted to get paid, and enjoy the hours not sat behind my computer screen and engaging in office politics.
2 - I had never been told that I could do anything else! So working in corporate finance just kind of happened and honestly, I just settled.
Finding My Inspiration
In 2014 something changed. Unsurprisingly, I was feeling uninspired by work and was looking for a hobby that gave me a sense of purpose. I’d been inspired by my recent efforts to lose weight and get healthier, and so decided to take on a part-time job working as a wellness coach for a global weight-loss and wellness company.
I. LOVED IT. And after a year, I ditched my office job to go full-time as a coach. I had found my calling - supporting women to feel amazing. I thrived off facilitating group workshops, and nothing made me happier than seeing people walk taller each week.
During my time with the company, I received a Diamond Coach award, and was promoted to mentor, where I recruited, trained and supported new coaches. I also took on Social Media and PR roles, but for me, it was always about coaching and mentoring, and helping people to realize their potential.
In 2018 I was finally diagnosed with PMDD. From this point, I did A LOT of work on myself, to learn about my diagnosis and available treatment pathways, but also about my general wellbeing, including my mindset. My biggest learning was that self-compassion must come first, and I still often say, “when you live in a world that can be cruel, and you live with a mind which can be as equally unkind, self-compassion over everything else, is a must.”
And Then… Lockdown.
In 2020, lockdown hit! And for many, it was a time to learn new hobbies - for me that meant starting my podcast, My Hormones My Health - where I invited guest speakers to come on and talk about their experiences of living with hormone and health issues. I felt like I was making a difference, and doing something purposeful with something which was otherwise such a negative experience. I met new people, also living with PMDD, and eventually, was introduced to the International Association for Premenstrual Disorders, who asked me if I would do some freelance work, editing their podcast.
It was at this time that I was getting bored of talking about weight all of the time. I was running ten workshops a week, and was noticing that the topic of weight-loss didn’t always go hand in hand with my value of self-compassion. But was I thinking about leaving? Absolutely not. I LOVED working with the amazing clients of the business.
And then I was made redundant, and the rug was pulled from under me.
Putting My Big Girl Pants On
What the hell would I do? Where would I find another organisation, where I could do the exact same work, during a global pandemic?!
What could I do instead? I had had a taste of self-employment through my work with the IAPMD, who had just asked me to manage their social media platforms.
But… coaching. I knew my heart was in coaching, but could I be self-employed as a coach? Would people actually pay me? I no longer had a global weight-loss and wellness company to hide behind, and it was time to put my big girl pants on.
Have you ever heard the quote “What if I fall?” “Oh but darling, what If you fly?” from the poem by Erin Hanson? Well, that was me! From the redundancy, I already felt like I had been pushed, so it was a case of fall or fly - I chose to fly.
Throughout the next year or so, I built up Teare-Jones Coaching, and whilst navigating pregnancy and a nasty experience of hyperemesis gravidarum, I nurtured my loyal list of hormone & mindset clients, without really having a clue what I was doing from a business perspective.
Leaving My Comfort Zone Behind
And at the start of 2023, I knew I had to grow my business into more than just hoping for clients. I made a promise to myself to start saying yes to anything that I would usually say no to, and leave my comfort zone behind.. I went to networking events, went on as many courses as I could, and read inspiring books like Be a Free Range Human.
And, as I continued to build my client-base, I knew that my time working with IAPMD was coming to an end - I love working with an organisation which has such an important purpose, but my purpose was not social media. So, before I left, I decided to host a fundraiser for the org, during PMD Awareness Month.
I put on a one-off networking event for my fellow female entrepreneurs, so I could raise awareness of PMDD, and vital funds for the IAPMD. The event was a success - we raised hundreds of pounds, and I was so excited when people were asking me when the next one would be!
This is when GET **IT DONE CLUB was born, and I have hosted co-working and networking events every month since.
Standing In My Strength
GET **IT DONE CLUB has been the best thing in helping me to stand in my strength as a business owner, and I’ve met some of the most incredibly fierce women, who actually, as amazing as they are, aren’t that different from me.
Some of those who I have met through G*DC are brand new to the self-employed world. They talk nervously about “only” having an idea, but they also have a glint in their eye because they know - they know, with absolute certainty that what they want to put out the world is needed. And by surrounding themselves with other successful women in business, they start to realise, that the world doesn't just need their services, it needs them. And they just need to get started. Or keep going when they take a tumble, or when they’re feeling like that can’t.
And so… that’s how I have arrived here. Supporting women to realise their potential, while surrounding myself (and them) with other incredible women.
I belong right here. I’m exactly where I am meant to be.
So, as I launch my first-ever business coaching programme, I know that everything has been leading up to this moment - the coaching, the mentoring, the social media, and even, dare I say it, the corporate finance!
2024 is going to be another huge step out of my comfort zone. My business is going to be bigger in 2024, my impact is going to be bigger , and my income is going to be bigger too!
And I can’t wait.
Will you fly with me?
BRING. IT. ON!
THE GET **IT DONE BUSINESS COACHING PROGRAMME
The six months GET **IT DONE PROGRAMME is for entrepreneurs like yourself, to get their shit done and take their business to the next level:
Get clear on what lies ahead for you in 2024, and where you want your business to be in six months’ time
Optimize your mindset for a healthy and wealthy business
Gain clarity around what’s most important to you
Prioritize what matters most, and filter out what’s just clutter
Get to work - with me as your accountability partner
What’s included?
2 x 2 hour 1:1 strategy sessions (Jan, April)
4 x 30-minute 1:1 check-ins (Feb, March, May, June)
Entry to all GET **IT DONE CLUB morning events for those near Chester (alternative provisions for distance members can be considered)
Discounted GET **IT DONE CLUB day events (retreats etc)
PLUS access to my group membership, Together We Rise (for your personal well-being) with regular group coaching and monthly mini-masterclasses tailored to our members.
The total value of this offering is over £500, but with your commitment to get shit done, and your trust in me in mind, the total amount payable is £450, paid monthly at £75.
The GET **IT DONE PROGRAMME begins in January and is limited to ten spaces.
Are you ready to get to work?
