133 | Six Years In: How June Hogan Turned a £200 Start into a Thriving Coaching Business
When June Hogan started her coaching business, she earned just £200 in her first six months. No clients, no niche, and no real idea how to make it work. Fast forward six years, and June has built a thriving outplacement practice supporting values-led organisations through redundancy, with a strong network, a team of associates, and a business that truly makes an impact.
Key Timestamps
[00:00:00] Welcome and June’s Introduction
[00:03:21] Early Struggles – £200 in Six Months
[00:07:40] The Power of Niching
[00:13:05] Key Lessons Learned
[00:20:44] Why June Joined the Mastermind
[00:28:15] Achievements and Growth
[00:34:09] What’s Next for June
June wanted accountability, community, and inspiration.
“Running a business can be lonely. The Mastermind gave me a safe space to share ideas, launch my podcast, and grow alongside generous, curious fellow coaches.”
This episode is for every coach who feels stuck, lost in comparison, or unsure how to find their footing, because June’s story proves that clarity, consistency, and community can transform everything.
✨ Start showing up today, even if it feels small. The seeds you plant now will grow into the business you dream of.
Useful Links
June Hogan at Wildwood Coaching
Learn about The Next Level Mastermind
The Business of Coaching programme
Download the Free Digital version of Coaches' Planner (edition 2025)
Grow Your Business Without the Tech Overwhelm - One Stop Coach Shop
Join the Let’s-Coach Circle for free
How to secure more coaching clients' free training
Download the 12 ways to get clients now
Rate and Review the Podcast
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If you’re kind enough to leave a review, please do let Jo know so she can say thank you. You can always reach her at: joanna@joannalottcoaching.com
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Transcript
Today's episode is a really special one
because I am joined by June Hogan, who
2
:has been part of my next level mastermind.
3
:June's story is one I know that
will resonate with so many of you.
4
:I could honestly listen to this episode
all day because she shares so many gems.
5
:She honestly shares about starting
her business with no network earning
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:just 200 pounds in her first six
months, and the lesson she has learned
7
:along the way to building a hugely
successful business now six years in.
8
:What I love most about our conversation
is how clear and grounded June has
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:become in her niche and how her
business truly reflects her values
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:and everything she stands for.
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:If you have ever wondered whether
specializing is worth it or if you have
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:moments of doubt of whether to keep going.
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:This episode will give you both
inspiration and reassurance.
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:Hi, June.
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:I'm so excited you've agreed to
reflect on your journey with me.
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:You've been in my next level Mastermind,
which has been an absolute joy, and
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:I'm excited today to reflect on your
business growth journey to date.
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:So please share a bit about you.
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:Oh, thanks Jo.
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:Yeah, it's really nice to
be here talking about this.
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:So, I'm June Hogan and I specialize
in outplacement support, working with
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:values led organizations who want to do
the right thing and support people who
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:are leaving as a result of redundancies.
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:But I didn't always do that.
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:I've been doing this
for the past, six years.
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:Before that I had a corporate career
in HR, so a generalist career in HR.
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:And during that time I was made redundant
a couple of times along the way.
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:And I also had to manage
redundancy programs.
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:I never thought that
I would be doing this.
30
:I never wanted to be a business owner.
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:It wasn't anything on my bucket list,
and I certainly didn't think I'd be
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:specializing in, in what I do now.
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:My kind of corporate background, my
personal experience of redundancy,
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:and then my, coaching qualification,
which I undertook back in:
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:All those things kind of combined and
helped me to decide that this is something
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:I wanted to specialize in back in 2019.
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:Yeah, totally.
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:And so you joined my program well
into your business growth, so
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:I would love to first start by.
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:Thinking back to when you first started
your business and how you felt then
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:and how that initial growth was.
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:'cause I think a lot of my
podcast listeners are in the early
43
:stages and it feels really hard.
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:And what I found really interesting when
we had a mastermind call, and I think I
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:said to everyone, how much did you earn
within your first six months of business?
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:And we all laughed out loud and you
had your specific figure to mind
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:of exactly how much you earned.
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:So please reflect back on where you
were when you started your business and
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:tell us more about those early stages.
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:Yeah, so I had returned, to the UK from
a three year career break overseas.
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:Our family and I, we went to North
America with my husband's job.
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:That was back in 2015 and I
couldn't work during that time.
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:We didn't have a working visa, so I
decided to train to become a coach,
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:and that was really when the whole idea
of, well, maybe when we go back to the
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:uk I could turn this into business,
but it wasn't something that I was
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:completely committed to, because when we
returned to the uk, I didn't have a job.
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:I was kind of organizing the children,
organizing everyone else's lives.
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:And when everyone kind of got
settled back in, I suddenly kind
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:of sat there and thought I have no
idea how to start a business, how
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:to run a business, what to even do.
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:And so I carried on applying for proper
jobs as I might call them, but my
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:heart wasn't really in that because
I wanted to work flexibly because I'd
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:always worked flexibly since my eldest
son was born, at the time he was 14.
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:So I wasn't really prepared to give
that up and thought, well, after all
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:those years of working part-time, why
would you go back to work full-time now?
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:So that was a real driver at the time.
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:My kids are older now and they couldn't
care what hours I work really, but at the
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:time they were younger and it made sense.
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:When I then kind of decided, never
stop thinking about getting a job.
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:You've got to think
about one or the other.
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:So I decided to put all my efforts into
thinking about starting a business.
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:I was hugely naive about what that meant.
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:I didn't know anyone who'd
done anything like this.
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:There weren't the programs like
yours and other people's that were
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:around at the moment to help people.
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:And I didn't have a budget
to invest in, in anything.
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:I hadn't worked for three
years, which was significant.
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:So it wasn't a great time to
think about starting a business.
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:And I remember my husband said,
right, well, we've got six months,
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:you know, we've got six months for
you to you know earn some money.
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:And to your point that I did, I
earned 200 pounds in the six month.
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:Probably wasn't quite what my
husband was thinking that we
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:would do, but I said I did it.
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:I, I earned that 200 pounds.
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:That was kinda like my first client.
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:So those first six months, they were,
they were just very confusing for me.
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:I, I didn't really have any focus.
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:I was a coach.
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:And as we know.
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:Everyone's a coach, and I just assumed
that people would find me, that people
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:would know that, people used to work with,
and that network was relatively small.
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:I wasn't on social media, so
my network wasn't even cold.
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:It was like frozen.
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:It was nothing.
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:So those early months were difficult and
I look back now and think, well, I know
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:so much now that I didn't know then.
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:That contributed to that feeling of
not really knowing where I was heading.
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:And so tell us about what you've learned.
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:What do you know now that
you wish you'd known then?
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:What I've learned, oh, crikey.
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:What have I learned?
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:So back in those early days, I
didn't realize that, you know, I
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:was gonna have to be the marketing
director, the finance director.
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:The CEO, responsible for
everything and I underestimated
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:what it meant to be visible.
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:And so I went onto LinkedIn and I
didn't have a social media profile
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:anywhere, so it was my first kind
of dip into social media, and I
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:realized that when I decided to niche.
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:When I decided to specialize in
outplacement support and no longer
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:just be a coach, that was the
turning point for my business.
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:And I remember changing my LinkedIn
profile with my headline and everything
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:to sort of reflect what I was doing.
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:And, we were on holiday and I got
this phone call from someone who
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:said, oh, I see on LinkedIn that
you provide out placement support.
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:I was like, completely just
dumbfounded going, oh yes.
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:That's what I do.
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:And that was my first client because
I'd been specific about what I
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:was doing and who I was helping.
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:So that for me changed everything.
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:I know you're a big fan of niching.
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:There's different views on niching.
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:I totally get it and I understand the
different perspectives, but for me, that
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:changed my business completely, because
I was known for solving a problem.
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:I knew whose problems I wanted to solve.
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:I knew the audience I wanted
to reach, and therefore it made
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:writing content and connecting with
people just a whole lot easier.
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:So everything just fell into
place and felt like, it wasn't
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:quite so scatter gun anymore.
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:It was more focused.
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:So that was one of the biggest learnings.
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:And if I'd have known that
when I first started out, that
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:would've made a huge difference.
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:But it took me about maybe like
nine months to figure that out,
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:which looking back, I'm thinking,
my goodness, that took a long time.
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:But when you're in it, and I had all the
other stuff going on in my life having,
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:returned from an overseas assignment
and that brings its own challenges.
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:So yeah, there was a lot going on, but, I
think I could have done it a bit quicker.
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:Honestly, I don't think nine
months is bad for nicheing.
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:I've worked with people maybe eight
years plus in their business who
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:are still searching for their niche.
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:So well done.
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:And so you've built a really successful
business over the past six years.
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:Share more about what you feel like
the key turning points were in building
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:the success and the relationships
you've got given that you started
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:from a zero LinkedIn network,
which I didn't realize until now.
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:Yeah, so I think there's,
consistency consistently showing up.
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:So I consistently showed up on LinkedIn
and I authentically showed up as well.
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:It was sharing kind of insights and maybe
my story and client stories, obviously
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:protecting confidentiality, et cetera.
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:But the consistency and also just
knowing that people might not be,
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:actively looking at what you're doing.
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:You know, don't, don't be worried
about likes and impressions and
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:all of that craziness, but it's
the consistency of showing up.
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:And I think for me, one of
the things, that I will never
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:do is let anyone else down.
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:I've got a list of things to do that
are there, and I'll regularly let myself
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:down, but I'll never let anyone else down.
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:Once I'd put this idea of running
a business out into the world.
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:I had to keep going and I
haven't stopped ever since.
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:So I think that consistency
is really important.
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:And also knowing that you are not
certainly my experience, your business
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:isn't necessarily gonna always
be on this trajectory of growth.
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:It's not just gonna keep on growing.
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:And if you have a good month,
one month, then wonderful.
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:But the nature of business, certainly
with the work that I do is it can go up
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:and down and to feel that's okay and to
accept that because when business goes
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:quiet and, and it still does, now that
I have quiet times and in the quiet
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:times, I'm now more readily able to say
to myself, right, stick to the plan.
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:You know what you're doing.
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:You know, these things work.
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:Just keep going and don't
kind of get spooked by it.
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:So I think that's one
of my biggest learnings.
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:And again, over the years, I've never got
spooked and I've never sort of thought,
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:oh, that's a shiny thing over there.
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:Maybe I'll go and do that
instead, I've just stayed in
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:my lane and just kept going.
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:So I think that's something
which, yeah, with going back to
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:the niching, I suppose I've got a
clear idea and a clear direction.
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:So that's important.
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:Oh, it really is.
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:People go, I'm multi-passionate.
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:It's like, that's okay, but if
your priority is to earn an income.
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:Then you might wanna focus on one thing
to start and then expand from there.
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:It's amazing that you've stuck with it.
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:'cause I think the problem is if
you're constantly reinventing,
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:you are basically starting your
business from scratch every month.
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:Yeah.
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:Oh, that would just be exhausting.
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:And that notion of, social media
does this in terms of don't
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:compare yourself to others.
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:It's nice to know what other people
are doing, don't get me wrong.
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:But it's not about that comparison
because as we all know, the piece
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:that you see on social media is just
the shiny things and not everything
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:that goes on behind the scenes.
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:I've never wanted to compete with some
of the bigger, outplacement providers.
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:I know what they do.
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:It would be foolish for me to
sit in a hole and pretend that
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:I don't look at, competitors.
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:I do.
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:I think that's important for business,
but I don't look at them with the
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:view to, oh, I must be more like them.
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:It's just about having that
awareness as opposed to comparison.
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:Yeah.
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:Love it.
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:And so when you joined the Next
Level Mastermind, tell us more about
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:what was going on for you at that
time and why you chose to join.
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:Running a business can be lonely.
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:And again, you see the post
particularly at the moment, it's
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:like, yeah, I'm on the beach.
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:And I'm having all this great fun.
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:And yes, there are benefits
to running a business.
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:One of the downsides is
that it can be lonely.
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:And I'd followed you for a while,
and we'd had interactions, hadn't we?
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:And when I saw the Mastermind, I was
really drawn to the idea finding that
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:tribe or finding another tribe we
all have different tribes, don't we?
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:And so for me, that opportunity to
interact with other business owners on a
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:similar journey, doing different things,
but on a similar journey and feeling
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:like you can share those things as a
business owner with people who get it.
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:Because when you are, working with
clients, clearly you are working and
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:you're not gonna share with them.
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:When you are working with associates
or other people that work for you.
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:You are the boss kind
of thing, aren't you?
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:So there's not an
opportunity to do that then.
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:And of course I have friends and fellow
coaches and we interact and that's
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:lovely and I appreciate their support.
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:But for me, the Business Mastermind was
an opportunity to really have that safe
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:space with other business owners and
also to have the ability to share ideas
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:and bounce ideas and get inspiration,
which I found hugely beneficial because
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:again, you can kind of sit at your desk.
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:Well, I do some days and I think.
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:What am I supposed to be doing today?
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:And you have to be hugely self-motivated,
and look to yourself for inspiration.
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:You're kind of the source of inspiration.
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:So that was really what I was looking for.
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:Yeah.
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:I love it.
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:Totally agree with all of it.
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:What was most useful for
you from the mastermind?
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:I launched my podcast during the
Mastermind and I know that I wouldn't
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:have done that as quickly if I hadn't
have had the accountability within
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:the program, because again, I'd
announced that to you guys, right?
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:I'm gonna launch on whatever date it was.
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:And I knew that I had you guys
kind of checking in going, how
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:are things going with the podcast?
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:So the accountability.
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:The generosity of fellow business owners
who've been through something similar.
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:But the fact that we are all coaches is
one of the things that I loved because.
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:As a coach we all have that curiosity,
we all have that ability to support
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:others and to just hold that space.
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:It wasn't about, if you shared
something, somebody would jump in
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:and go, oh, you should do it like
this 'cause I've done it that way.
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:It was just that gentle support and
offering perspectives, observations,
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:ideas, challenge, because when you're with
coaches I think that just comes naturally.
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:And so that I really appreciated that.
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:And the space that you created for us
all in being able to do that, whether
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:that's online or in person, and also
knowing that you were there for support
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:as well, whether it be on the Slack group
or whether connecting on a one-to-one.
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:Yeah, totally.
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:And, excited.
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:You are continuing on in the Mastermind.
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:I can't wait to get
back to it in September.
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:So tell us what's next for
you and your business growth?
263
:So I've got season two of the
podcast, coming out so that's
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:coming out in September.
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:So I've been interviewing some guests
to get different perspectives on
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:redundancy and, I'm looking forward
to sharing that with my audience.
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:In terms of business growth, looking
ahead, the last quarter of the year
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:can be challenging for businesses.
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:Traditionally, it's been quite a busy
time for outplacemeent, unfortunately,
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:because, we're heading to the year end.
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:So it's really making sure
that I'm positioned, for that.
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:And I've also got some new materials and
resources that I'm looking at, launching.
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:And I'm also looking at doing a
video based lead magnet, which if
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:you know me, video is my nemesis.
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:But I think that the idea that
I've got could really help people
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:who are planning redundancies.
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:I would love to think that people
were downloading that and then maybe
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:playing meet their line managers
to help set them up for success
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:in managing those consultations.
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:So a few things in the fire, but
fundamentally just making sure that we
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:are ready for, what could be, a busy time.
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:Yeah.
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:Love it.
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:So we talked a lot in the beginning
about how your business started and
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:what it looked like six months in.
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:Tell us what it looks
like now, six years in.
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:Oh wow.
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:Yeah, six years in.
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:I was thinking about it.
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:'cause my business birthday
is the 1st of September.
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:It normally involves some sort
of cake and obviously a post on
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:LinkedIn because everyone likes cake.
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:So I should be doing that.
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:And also the opportunity to reflect,
because when I was employed, I didn't
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:really count my anniversaries or
know how long I'd been somewhere.
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:But each year as a business owner
feels like such an achievement.
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:And so I do reflect on that
and I do think to myself, six
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:years, that is an achievement.
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:And then, you know,
just carry on as you do.
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:So I want to take some time to reflect.
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:But the business now, it
feels like a business.
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:I've got systems in place,
there's a structure to what I do.
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:I've got clients who will return,
when they're making restructures.
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:Some I won't hear from for years.
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:Some will come back,
with one or two people.
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:Some will have restructures
that are sizable.
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:So I feel like I've got that network
there of, people who've worked with me.
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:It's lovely to have people who've worked
with me, supporting me on social media
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:and making recommendations, that's
always so, valued and really appreciated.
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:So it feels like a business that
I know what I'm doing and I feel
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:like offering value to my audience
as well as something that I enjoy.
312
:So I was just working another one
of our lunch and Learns before
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:we came on the call, for example.
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:I do those every month, show up for
an hour, offer some value, offer
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:some support to the HR community.
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:So it feels like I've got
lots of things in place.
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:And the reason why.
318
:I'm continuing with the Mastermind
is because I'm sure there are other
319
:things that I could be doing and
things I could be doing differently
320
:or improving, and that's one of the
benefits of being in that kind of group.
321
:So yeah, looking forward
to what Year Seven Brings.
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:Oh yes.
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:Year seven.
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:Yeah, totally.
325
:And you hired your first team member?
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:Yes.
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:I've got my lovely niece.
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:Who's working for me, so she does some
VA work for me, which is fantastic.
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:And, yeah, sort of giving that
work to someone else, really makes
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:you realize how you can improve
things and streamline things.
331
:And my associate team are hugely
important to me, helped me to deliver
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:the work out into organizations.
333
:So I think between us, yeah,
we do make a good team.
334
:And I guess reflecting on that over the
six years I've found people who I know
335
:share my values and who I know, are
hugely passionate about this work as well.
336
:And that makes a big difference
for us to be able to go out into
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:organizations as a team, and support
people on, on a small or a large scale.
338
:Thank you.
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:June, you have built an amazing business.
340
:So what's one parting piece of advice
you would give to a coach who is
341
:earlier on in their business journey?
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:I would say to really spend some
time reflecting on the work you
343
:enjoy doing, the sorts of people that
you want to help and thinking about
344
:what really lights you up so that
that helps to guide your business.
345
:And that will make life easier if you
can really narrow things down and focus
346
:on the kind of work you want to do, the
kind of clients you want to attract,
347
:and the people that you want to support.
348
:And once you've got clear on that,
just don't give up and just continue
349
:to show up and be consistent.
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:Love it.
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:Thank you, June.
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:I promise I didn't pay June to say that.
353
:Choose a niche and be consistent the
two things it takes to build a business.
354
:And I think from working with the
Mastermind, it's the things that you
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:notice so clearly is that we stick to
the brief and you just keep doing it.
356
:Thank you and I cannot
wait to see what's next.
357
:I hope you loved hearing June's story.
358
:She is a huge inspiration.
359
:If you want to connect with her, you'll
find her as June Hogan on LinkedIn or
360
:her website is Wildwoodcoaching.co.uk.
361
:If you know of anyone requiring
outplacement services,
362
:then June is your person.
363
:I wanted to let you know that this
is the very last week to join my
364
:next Level Mastermind, which starts
on Thursday, the 11th of September.
365
:At the time of recording,
there are just two spaces left.
366
:If you are already established
in your business with consistent
367
:clients, and you are ready for more
income, more freedom, more authority
368
:than this is the container for you.
369
:We won't be opening the doors
again for another six months.
370
:So if this is on your heart and you want
to be surrounded by amazing business
371
:owners like June, then now is the time.
372
:You will find the details for the next
level Mastermind in the show notes.
373
:Or you can drop me an email at
joanna@joannalottcoaching.com
374
:with the words next level, and we can
chat about whether it's what you need
375
:right now to move to your next level.
376
:Thank you for listening to today's
episode, and like I say at the end
377
:of every episode, trust yourself.
378
:Believe in yourself, and be the wise
gardener who keeps on watering the seed.
379
:Microphone (Samson Q2U Microphone):
Thank you so much for listening to this
380
:episode of Women in the Coaching Arena.
381
:I have a mess of free resources on
my website joannalottcoaching.com.
382
:That's Joanna with an A
and Lott with two T's.
383
:joannalottcoaching.com.
384
:And I'll also put links in the show notes.
385
:Let me know if you found
this episode useful.
386
:Share it with a friend and
leave me a review, and I will
387
:personally thank you for that.
388
:Remember to trust yourself, believe
in yourself and be the wise Gardner
389
:who keeps on watering the seed.
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:Get into the arena dare, greatly and try.