Welcome to The Head Case!

August 30, 2015

Welcome to The Head Case. This is a monthly showcase where my clients will share their journey. It is raw, real and authentic. To show you that you are not alone, and that you are not going mad! I choose this name because it’s what you might be feeling, but where the changes need to happen…your head.

This month I spoke with a couple that run a whole foods café. But it’s an extraordinary tale because the philosophies are deep like the wrinkles that their great grandparents bore. The earthy story behind Trish and Nigel of how they set up their own business and their values are straight from the heart. But their strong programming around how business had to be a 80 hour a week or more! And that as a mother, Trish felt she had to be everything to everyone, balancing the household. Trish was feeling unbalanced because of who she believed she ‘should’ be in all aspects of life…She then burnt out and ended up in hospital.

Let’s see their epic journey on their road to success!

They have been working with me for over 8 months now. Let’s see what they have to say:

Describe your life a year ago:

Trish – “I was so busy trying to get anything & everything done. I was feeling guilty, not being able to switch off; I had no quality time with kids. Completely and utterly in OVERWHELM! I got so sick, it was awful”

Nigel- “ It sucked! My partner in crime was down & out. It was hard, tiring & draining, the days felt long.”

What did you start to discover when you starting coaching?

Trish- “Not acknowledging what we had created. Not celebrating the small wins. Then being fearful of it all being too good to be true. I was always looking at what we hadn’t done. Always looking, worrying if I took my finger off the pulse, things would fall apart.

Two of my biggest acknowledgements have been that I am compulsive researcher. While this has its upsides, it was holding me back. I was caught up in the research, overwhelmed by not knowing where to start first. The second is that the perfectionist side of me was stopping me from getting stuff done. Wanting everything to be perfect before I could take action. And I would ask so many opinions too! ”

How was it affecting your business?

Trish and Nigel both agree that they:

“Felt like we were stalling and some what stale, struggling with how to move from being so busy. It was draining our energy. It was getting difficult to see where the next step was and we didn’t know where to start. So while we often took the right steps, we were always slow at taking actions.

We agreed before we started the business that if we weren’t loving our business we had to change the ways were doing stuff.”

Where are you now?

Trish- “More productive, happier & increasing turnover and expanding into new areas! We have employed a 20-hour a week staff member allowing us the opportunity to take time out to recharge and connect. Reducing time spent working on the business in family time. Feeling more creative, I can let the authentic me shine through. Not attaching ourselves to outcomes and actions. I am able to shift through blocks & change my mindset quicker. I now ask myself how can I achieve this. I love spending less time in fear and worry.”

Nigel- “ We are now a confident team, with improved communication. The figures show me we are doing well. Twice as much food out and it keeps selling out. I am confident with our marketing strategies. I think we are achieved in the last 6 months, has been a positive achievement.”

What are you enjoying most about working with a business coach?

Trish and Nigel-“The accountability & the acknowledgement we are on the right track. It’s so good to have a sounding board, to brainstorm & generate ideas. We are definitely on our way to create a business that has flexibility & showcases our passion for what we do. We have the confidence to trust our intuition and ideas”

Trish and Nigel are the real deal. They have tenacity that is rare, passion that is contagious. They work hard to see their dreams come true, instead of working hard in their business. If you are in the area go and check them out!