Shine On You Crazy Daisy - Volume 5: Shine On You Crazy Daisy, #5

By Trudy Simmons

Running your own business takes real courage. 

 

These are the stories of businesswomen who have worked their way through adversity; through trials and tribulations; through the ups and downs and have found themselves and their businesses along the way. 

 

We find courage in different places and in different circumstances. We may not know where that little piece of inspiration is going to come from... a lot of those golden nuggets are contained in this book. 

 

These are the real stories of what it takes. So many wonderful insights, tips and tricks to learn what works for YOU and your journey. We are in this together.

 

These are the stories of the tenacious, the rebellious and the resilient women that are working towards the future that they want to build for themselves and their families.

 

We stand together to share our stories and to be heard.  None of us is alone, find your tribe of supporters and lean in…

 

Shine On You Crazy Daisies 

 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Trudy Simmons
• Release date: Apr 29, 2022
• ISBN: 9781739914899

Book preview

INTRODUCTION

This book is about creating a platform for businesswomen to have an inspirational voice and to share their stories with others, to show that this entrepreneurial rollercoaster is the highs AND the lows and that we navigate them all differently, but hopefully with a tribe/team of people that support our vision to our success – whatever that looks like, and it is different for everyone.

Each story is unique, each story is REAL, each story offers a piece of insight, motivation and encouragement when we need it the most. You are not alone.

These are un-edited chapters of real stories from women that have been where you are and have stories to share about how to find your way, not feel isolated, find out what you CAN do, rather than feeling stuck in what you think you can’t do.

Here…. Are their stories!! Bong bong…

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Charity donation

As we gain, so can we give – that is my philosophy of running my own business. 10% of the profits from this book will be donated to the bereaved families of the NHS who have died while looking after us and our families during the CoronaVirus pandemic.

To find out more, or to donate, please visit this website

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www.healthcareworkersfoundation.org

1

COMMIT TO YOURSELF

Trudy Simmons

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Are you sitting comfortably? Then let’s begin…

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A lot of our stories start with how our commitment to something has changed. We were committed to a job, then we lost that commitment and changed. We have had children, and our priorities and commitments change. We find partners, and our commitments change.

Everything starts with a renewed commitment to that thing and a letting go of what we thought was a commitment before. That is our how stories change, progress, and grow…

And guess what… it’s the same in business.

Recently, I created a challenge in our Shine On You Crazy Daisy VIP Membership to commit to ourselves in whatever way suited each person for 1 month. Easy peasy lemon squeezy, right? But everyone has all the other things going on in our lives, so the LAST thing we do is find the time, energy, head space, and COMMITMENT to give to ourselves. So we switched up the thinking and committed to each other that we would do:

· 10 pages of reading a day

· A yoga session

· A 2 mile walk

· Exercise for 30 mins 3 times a week

· Meditate for 20 mins

· An afternoon nap of 20 mins

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We picked 2 of those things to do each day, and we chose which they were, on a daily basis. Most importantly, we committed to EACH OTHER that it would be done. We became women of science, a social experiment to see what would happen.

Now the brilliance of the VIP membership is that it is all about accountability for your business. Say what you want to be held accountable to, and then COMMIT to getting it done. So the concept of saying what we want and then taking action towards it, is not new to us. We do what we say we are going to do.

But here is what happened. The first week there was daily posting of what we had done, the excitement and proud feeling that we had done something for ourselves. The photos that were shared of the walks that we went on, the reading with a cuppa, the I can see your trainers in the exercise photos. Then a few days of crickets… then a renewed commitment, because we know that it WORKS and we enjoyed it. It made us more productive, more creative, more able, more accountable. Then tumbleweeds for a few days. You get the picture. And I know that you will see yourself in this feeling of, YAY new and exciting challenge… what was the challenge I was doing? I’ll start it again tomorrow. Poop I missed a day. I love the challenge, I’m back on it. Crikey, was that a month?? Are you with me?

What we saw at the end of the month was that we had managed to commit to the challenge of doing something for myself 65–80% of the time. SCIENCE PEOPLE!

When I reflected on this, I could quite clearly see that this is how I run my business and my life. I am BRILLIANT at committing to that thing for about 75% of my time, my energy, my head space. At that point, I didn’t know if I was angry with myself or proud of myself.

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Dealing with the mind-monkeys

Firstly, I was angry, and the mind-monkeys started – you’ve let yourself down, but more importantly you have let the team down that you were leading; why can’t you commit to 100% of what you are doing? Why did you scroll social media for an hour when you could have/ should have been meditating, reading a book, going for a walk? You are wasting the time that you DO have. You are putting pressure on yourself when you DON’T have time. You are failing if you are not prepared to do something 100%.

That last one was a biggie. You are failing if you are not prepared to do something 100%.

I felt sick. I felt sad. I felt stupid.

But never fear… perpetually positive Trudy is here. Never down for long and always willing to stand in the power pose and look to the skies for answers!

I can’t stay thinking like that. I can’t let my mind-monkeys have a party with their bad-mouthing-chatter. I need to gather my thoughts, gather my strength, and say SSSHHHHHH, listen to what is REALLY happening.

So, what is really happening… wait for it, this is deep… LIFE IS FREAKIN’ HAPPENING! Life and business is absolutely happening. There isn’t a day that goes past that I am not DOING for the good of my clients, my business, my communities – YES, there is a day (few days??) that goes by that I don’t do something good for me – NO – that isn’t ideal, YES, I know that I could (and want??) to do better at that. But my (and I’m guessing this is true for you, too) learned behaviour is to put others first. I am a wonderful-work-in-progress. I don’t need to get things right 100% of the time. But I do need to have awareness around where I need to improve.

Doing the challenge in the VIP membership showed me that when we, as businesswomen, commit to others, we do more for ourselves. We are able to achieve more as part of a team. We want to succeed more. We don’t want to let anyone down. AND EVEN if that commitment is for 75% of the time, we are STILL doing and achieving more than we would if we were trying to do it alone.

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You are not alone

Doing it alone… it sounds lonely just saying it. I know I’ve said it before, and it is probably on every page of my website, but we aren’t meant to do any of this alone.

I ask in every podcast episode for Shine On You Crazy Daisy podcast, what is one lesson that you have learned that every entrepreneur should know, and quite brilliantly, around 60% of the 140 authors have said find your tribe, find your support system, don’t try to do this alone.

And they say this because they are a few years into business and realise that life is hard, business is hard, but trying to work everything out by yourself is a fool’s-game and takes you twice (thrice??) as long. Find the people you want to commit to seeing, talking to, sharing with, being open with, saying do you see me? We have had so many new businesswomen come along to our networking events, and they turn up wondering what’s going to happen, why should they invest the time, what is the point… and they leave feeling inspired, motivated and YES… less alone.

I say again, it is easier to commit to YOUR team of people. Find your team of people who will help you and support you to grow – personally and in your business. Be accountable to committing to 75% of SHINING BRILLIANCE and 25% of bleugh – we all have those days, weeks, hours… minutes… it’s ok, we get it.

Each January, I run The Spectacular Challenge to £1 million, and we have businesswomen from around the world joining in to be a part of the team. Why? Not because of the money. But because of the change in mindset. For this 1 month, when other people are thinking that January is the doom-n-gloom month, we’re buzzing, motivated and thinking differently. We work as a team through the month, egg each other on, and get spectacularly excited at the end of each week to say what we have earned (confidentially) in that week, so that we can watch the ever-present-money-thermometer go up and up towards our million for the month.

Again… here come the stats… 60% of people in that challenge have the best January EVER – and they build on the income each year. I am very, very proud of that. Committing to thinking differently, committing to DOING differently and committing to creating a bigger and better outcome – Boom-shak-a-la!

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What’s your commitment?

So my question to you is: Where and how do you need to commit to yourself?

Set yourself a challenge of something and see what percentage of the time you do it for – approach it scientifically (wear a lab coat and glasses if you have any handy). Apply that percentage to everything you do – are you angry (something needs to change) or are you proud (make sure you’re applying that percentage to all areas of your life).

I hear from mums all the time that they struggle with the juggle of being 100% present for their children and their businesses. YOU CAN’T DO THAT. That is so much pressure on you. You are 1 person, and you are doing your best. If the science says that you are available and willing for 75% of the time, then HASHTAG WINNING!

I know a mum in the networking group that has her desk in a closet under the stairs (I hope it is a bigger space than I am imagining!!), but when she needs that 25% she shuts the door and hides – and that is fine! Sometimes I shut the door to the kitchen / lounge wherever I’m working and pretend to be working, but really, I’m watching Married at First Sight with my earphones in – tee hee! 25% of absolutely no commitment – you’re welcome.

Also, just to say, and I am sure you are the same, there are those times that 100% is needed in different areas, at different times, for different reasons. And when that is needed – GO FOR IT, give it some welly, give it your all, be and feel the MOST productive, accountable, and proud. Those are the times that you are seeing the growth in yourself and your business. It is the difference between working IN your business and ON your business. Find and create the time (I see the eye roll – ha ha) to commit to what you want for the future growth, and get out of your own way because change-is-a-comin’.

By the way, the mind-monkeys only have control of my brain for a very short time. I am (for the most part) proud of myself!

BIO:

Trudy Simmons is a Clarity and Productivity Business Coach for women entrepreneurs, with a truckload of empathy and a little bit of hard-arse!

She helps you find out WHAT you want to do, WHY you want to do it, and HOW to get it DONE!

She loves to show her audience how to become more successful by getting clarity, taking action, and following through. Trudy has 20 years’ experience in helping people move from being stuck and not knowing the next step, to getting their shizzle DONE by finding and harnessing their strengths and removing their weaknesses!

She knows what keeps you up at night – the thousand ideas that are germinating in your brain – and she knows how to sort them into no go, maybe later, and hells yes, and get done what’s really important to your success.

She is the creator and founder of the Shine On You Crazy Daisy membership – which gives you the opportunity to grow your tribe, expand your audience, take in monthly knowledge, and work ON your business in online co-working and focus and accountability fortnightly group coaching.

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www.thedaisychaingroup.com

2

TURNING PAIN TO POWER

La Toya Zavala

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Iremember the day I left my abuser. I had lived under his control and abuse for a few years. I had given up my soul, my self-worth, my dignity, my self-respect, my sovereignty over my money, time, relationships, schooling opportunities and even work schedule. My credit-worthiness was destroyed and I thought my future was too. I felt isolated, destroyed, and defeated. I had succumbed to a life that I had never imagined for myself, yet somehow found myself living. I wasn’t even sure who I was and had no awareness of who I was becoming. However, on that fateful Sunday morning, I had what I call a Phoenix moment. I knew that it was my time, for the final time, to die to that self and regenerate a new self. I had no idea how, or even why, but I knew it was time. I had to go, and I did. While he was off galavanting in the car that I bought, I grabbed some clothes, threw it in a trash bag, walked out the door, and