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  • Getting Leads from Linkedin with Judy Parsons

    Today I have the absolute pleasure of sharing a fantastic chat I had with Judy Parsons – The Linkedin Lady. 
    What Judy doesn’t know about Linkedin really isn’t worth knowing…in fact, this episode is so much more than a conversation and more like a workshop…so you’re going to want to get your pen’s at the ready.
    But first let me tell you more about Judy. 
    Judy is an independent LinkedIn trainer, speaker and LinkedIn marketing specialist, and works with business owners to unlock LinkedIn’s potential, so they Get Found, Get Famous and Get Clients on LinkedIn. Passionate about de-mystifying LinkedIn, Judy ensures her clients make the most of the time they spend on LinkedIn, closing the gap between ‘just being on LinkedIn’ and making LinkedIn work effectively as a tool for generating inbound enquiries. 
    Everything Judy teaches she uses to generate her own clients on LinkedIn. 
    She believes that if she can grow her business on LinkedIn then anyone can! 
    To find out more visit: 

  • How to get unstuck and get the clarity you need to get results

    This is a question I get asked all the time – ‘Barbara, I feel like I’m really stuck, how do I get the clarity I need to move forwards?’

    Feeling stuck is such an awful feeling. Your mind is whirling with all the things that you could do, and the things that might or could happen. You feel like you’re always taking one step forwards and one back. Going round in circles and you’re in a non-stop version of your very own Groundhog Day. You might even see other people with a lot less experience getting the results you really want, but you can’t make happen for yourself and you spend your days feeling confused and really, really frustrated.

    I’ve helped so many people in this position, and let me tell you that it is more than possible to start seeing the light of day again and get the momentum you’re craving. If you can relate here are 4 tips that will help.

    1. Stop trying to see the full picture

    When we’re looking for clarity, it’s really easy to fall into the rabbit hole of wanting to create a full map of where you’re going so you know what you need to do. This is mistake #1. The thing is life just doesn’t work like that. Let’s be honest, we never know what’s coming round the corner and have you ever known a plan that works 100% all the time?

    Rather than trying to map out everything and figure out the HOW, focus on the next step that you’re going to take. Just the next step, and let the step after that unfold as you go. For example – I remember when I first started my business I was wondering whether to go a networking event.

    All I kept thinking was ‘Should I? Shouldn’t I? Would it be beneficial? Would I like it? Would it be a good use of my time?’  In the end I put my coat on and went…and while I was there I met someone who put me in touch with someone else, who then turned into a £70k client!

    We can over think ourselves into a hole – but the thing is that we have no idea what’s coming up next after our one small step.

    By trying to think of all the HOW’s we’re not making space for the synchronicities and the serendipitous moments. We’re trying to tell the Universe how to do its job.

    So just focus on one step at a time and see what comes up.

    2. Stop consuming so much stuff and drowning out your own voice

    This is a biggie, especially nowadays when content flies at you before you’ve even brushed your teeth in the morning. When you’re looking for clarity the first port of call is often looking outside of yourself for inspiration. Looking to see what other people are doing. The problem is that whilst you’re consuming so much of other peoples content and ideas and opinions you lose sight of your own. It’s like putting yourself into a really crowded room where everyone is shouting at each other and trying to think straight. It just isn’t going to happen. You can also lose your own voice as you try and do what everyone else is doing because it works for them. But all that means is that sooner or later you’ll feel totally out of alignment because it was never your voice or your path to begin with.

    So, limit the amount of stuff you’re consuming to people that really resonate with you and make the space to listen to yourself. A great way to do this is to create your own stuff. Whether that’s write in your journal, write a blog post, record a podcast; write a social media post, record a video. You don’t even have to use it, but just by taking the time to create rather than consume your voice, ideas and opinions will start to shine through and you’ll be able to see more clearly what’s right for you.

    3. Give yourself permission to want what you want

    Have you ever noticed that when you set yourself a goal or you decide you want to do something, a split second later you’ve thought of a gazillion reasons why you can’t do it and you do one of two things. You either decide you can’t and you push your goal away, or you reduce your goal to something you feel as though you can do. Either way, you’ve not given yourself permission to want what you want.

    ‘Doubt kills more dreams than failure ever will’ – Suzy Kasem

    Scary right?!

    This is where you need to give yourself permission to want what you want. To know that if you want it, then it’s your job to bring it into the world and that you’re more than capable. Sure you might never have done it. Sure you might have to learn some new things, and sure it might be one Hell of a comfort zone stretch – but as Glennon Doyle quite rightly says…‘we can do hard things’ the first step is to give yourself permission to want it.

    4. Follow your joy. 

    Ok, a bit of a heart to heart here…what is it that brings you joy? What do you absolutely love to do? What is it that when you do it, time literally stands still and you get lost in the moment, completely in flow? Whatever this is for you, it’s telling you something. So do more of this. If possible weave it into your business, career or day. Create more time when you’re doing this and the ideas will also flow. Have you noticed that it isn’t when you’re busy that you get light bulb moments – it’s when you’re lost in the moment. In the shower. Driving your car, or taking the dog for a walk. Spend more time in the flow and see what bubbles to the surface for you.

    If you’ve not got your copy of the 7 ways you’re blocking your own success workbook, click here.

  • The mindset of a new entrepreneur – With Solveig Petchy

    Hey, welcome to a brand new episode of The Smash Your Own Ceiling Podcast.
    Today I’m super excited to welcome a brand new guest to the show – Solveig Petch (aka Petchy) where we talk all about the mindset of a brand new entrepreneur.
    – The transition from being employed to being a business owner
    – Creating your own rules of being your own rules
    – Getting used to being your own boss
    – The struggle and benefit of niching down (and how to do it and breaking the rules)
    – Petchy’s biggest learning since starting her own business
    – Showing up as yourself
    Click here to have a listen
     
    Let me introduce Petchy who is a brand strategist and identity designer for purpose-driven business owners who want to build their brands their way; without pretending to be something they’re not, without compromising on their truths, without unethical business tactics and without screwing people over in the process. She is on a mission to help other business owners unlock the power of their unique brand personality, so they can attract and connect with more of their perfect-fit clients. From her home office in rural Norway, she crafts strategic brand identities with a no bullshit approach and a sprinkle of tough love. She’s also the host of Brand it! with Petchy – a podcast dedicated to demystifying brand strategy and helping business owners discover and consistently express their brand’s inner core.
    You can connect with Petchy on Instagram here https://www.instagram.com/petchy.co
    (and if you haven’t yet downloaded your copy of the 7 ways you’re blocking your own success click here
  • Why you should have boundaries

    Hey,

    Welcome to another episode of the Smash Your Own Ceiling Podcast, and today I’m talking all about boundaries.

    Boundaries are a bit of a secret sauce to achieving freedom, as boundaries provide space, and allow you to work in a way that suits you.

    In this episode I talk about:

    Why I resisted boundaries

    How boundaries provide space and freedom

    How to create and implement them

    And the benefits of creating them for yourself.

    Have a listen and I’d love to know your thoughts so feel free to leave a comment and of course don’t forget to subscribe or share with someone you think would benefit.

     

    See you soon

    Barbara

  • Finding Myself after Burnout – with Jackie Hill

    Hey, welcome to another episode of The Smash Your Own Ceiling Podcast.

    Today I’m really excited to be sharing a conversation I had with the amazing Jackie Hill all about her journey through burnout.

    This is such a good conversation and well worth a listen, as burnout is something that so many of us (me included) have experienced.

    Jackie is a workplace wellbeing Coach and Trainer and delivers well-being workshops to small groups and businesses principally around managing stress and avoiding burnout.

    To connect with Jackie on Linkedin click here

    And the book that Jackie recommended was Brene Brown Dare to Lead

    Click here to have a listen and feel free to let me know your thoughts below.

     

  • How your out of date habits are stopping your success

    If you’ve ever wondered why you seem to be super busy all through the day and you still haven’t got the results that you really want,
    more often than not, the answer is in your habits.

    Our days are literally full to the brim with habits. From the second we get up to the second we go to sleep it is non stop habits.I mean, have you ever tried brushing your teeth with the ‘wrong’ hand? Or showered yourself in a different order?

    Give it a go…it’s an experience I can tell you.

    Now although habits are pretty handy, as its our brains way of putting us on autopilot so we don’t have to think about every little thing, the problem is that we also have what I call ‘out of date’ habits.

    These are habits that you’re still doing, but they no longer serve you…in fact they’re now costing you.

    Costing you time.
    Costing you money
    Costing you your well-being

    But yet we still do them.

    So in this episode of the Smash Your Own Ceiling Podcast I’m going to share a personal story of when I spotted an out of date habit and what I did about it. And I’ll also share how to spot these these habits that are no longer serving you….AND why you should bother doing this at all.

    Click here to check it out, and please feel free to share with anyone who would also benefit from having a listen.

    BUT before you go and have a listen I just want to let you know that I’m doing a LIVE Workshop on ‘How to finally stop holding yourself back AND get the momentum you want’ on the 24th March at 7pm UK / 2pm EST and I’d love you to come and join me.

    Click here to claim your place.

    Have a fab weekend and I’ll speak to you soon

    Barbara

  • 3 Powerful Questions to get you out of overwhelm

    Have you ever been in that place where your mind is going ten to the dozen, you feel like you’re whirring round in circles and you just can’t seem to see the right next step?

    If so, today I’m going to share my 3 Powerful Questions that have always got me back on track.

    Check out today’s podcast episode (and grab your notebook and pen too as you’re going to want to write these questions down)

    PLUS I’d love to invite you to my brand new Workshop Mindset, Magic and Momentum

    This is for you if you feel like you’ve got one foot firmly on the brake pedal, you’re holding yourself back and you’re not seeing the results that you really want. If this is a YES this is the workshop for you.

    It’s happening on the 17th March at 7pm UK / 2pm EST and its jam packed full of goodness that you won’t want to miss.

    Here’s the link to register

    See you there

    PS – If you’d like to claim your copy of 50 powerful journaling prompts click here

  • How to get yourself out of a funk and get motivated again

    We’ve all been there, haven’t we?!

    Where even though yesterday (or 2 minutes ago) you were on a mission, right now you’re doubting your very existence, wondering whether you can do it at all, and the temptation to go and lie on the sofa and watch the entire 18 seasons of Greys Anatomy (yet again) whilst munching your way through a HUGE bag of Doritos is very real.

    Now although we have been there, and this is isn’t about you not being good enough, but very much about you being HUMAN, and although I’m a huge fan of Greys Anatomy, success isn’t going to come flying in through the window while you have a mouthful of chocolate.

    So, what do you do to get yourself out of this funky feeling?

    1. Get Moving

    It can be really tempting to just close the curtains and veg out on the sofa, but the thing is that when you get moving you’re sending a whole new message to yourself saying…’let’s do this!”

    There are literally loads of ways you can do this, but my all time fave is to put on a high vibe tunes and have a dance party round your kitchen. Before you know it you’ll be transported to an amazing place in your mind, singing at the top of your voice and life will feel good again.

    2. Get Outside

    Getting outside, and connecting with nature really does wonders to get you re-grounded and re-connected with the abundance all around you, and just by changing your environment can really help to shift your mood and allow those amazing ideas to flow again.

    3. Meditate

    If you’ve not tried meditating before, give it a go. You don’t need to go all zen and sit on a mountain top for hours. Just the act of sitting still and breathing for 5 minutes can really help to calm down the noisiness of internal thoughts and allow us to just re-group start again.

    If you’re in this space know that you’re not alone, we’ve all been there and to help I’ve put together a pack as your go to resource called the WOBBLE PACK  –  Click here for more info

    AND if you’d like to download your Workbook 7 ways to stop blocking your own success (and what to do about it) Click here

  • 029 – Writing Your Book – With Kris Emery

    Have you ever wanted to write a book?

    OR

    Have you thought about writing a book to enhance your business?

    If so, you’re going to love this weeks podcast episode.

    This week I’m really excited to share my chat with the lovely Kris Emery.

    Kris is a non-fiction book editor (and she was actually my book editor a few years back) and brand new author of her very own book Destination Author, and in this conversation we talk all things book writing.

    We chat about how a book can really benefit your business

    The journey and pitfalls when you’re writing your book

    How to actually go about it

    And so much more.

    If you’ve ever thought about writing a book grab your headphones and have a listen. 

     

    PLUS we chat about Kris’s fantastic new book Destination Author – and you can get your copy here and get your free sample chapter here
    Kris Emery is a non-fiction book editor for writers, entrepreneurs and speakers who want to extend beyond their current business services and reach more people with their message by self-publishing.
    With over a decade of working with words for blue chip companies to bestsellers, Kris guides first-time authors to write a valuable book that they can feel excited to put out in the world.
    You can follow her on Instagram here

    I’d love to know your thoughts, let me know in the comments below.

  • 028 – How to have a difficult conversation with Nicole Posner

    Hey welcome to another episode of the Smash Your Own Ceiling Podcast.

    Today I’m super excited to share a chat with the lovely Nicole Posner all about Difficult Conversations.

    In this episode we dive deep and explore:

    What is a difficult conversation

    What makes them so difficult

    How to overcome the fear and resistance

    How to actually have a difficult conversation

    And why we should always bother.

    And we also discussed Nicole’s choice of book which is Daring Greatly by Brene Brown and Amy Cuddy’s Ted Talk.

    Nicole is a Communication and Conflict Expert, supporting and empowering  Leaders, Business Owners and high-performing teams to communicate more effectively and successfully navigate difficult conversations with confidence and ease.

    As an Executive Conflict Coach, Trainer and accredited Workplace Mediator, she has an interest in the psychology of conflict combined with extensive experience in communications following a background in PR.

    She is author of many published articles on communication and workplace conflict in the following publications: Thrive Global, SME Magazine, HR Magazine as well as being an Executive Contributor to BRAINZ Magazine.

    She was featured in COACH Magazine in 2020, has been quoted in Metro (online) several times amongst other work-life publications.  She’s a regular podcast guest and contributor to local radio shows discussing conflict and communication issues in the workplace.

    Last year she was included in the Brainz 500 Global list as one of 500 companies or influential leaders who are recognised for their entrepreneurial success, achievements and dedication to helping others. And in 2020 she was a shortlisted finalist in the UK National Mediation Awards.

    Links to social media and website:

    W: http://www.np-mediation.london

    Linkedin: http://linkedin.com/in/nicoleposnermediator

    Instagram: nicole_posner_london

    https://www.np-mediation.london/5-ways-to-keep-calm-and-confidently

    Click here to have a listen

     

     

    PS – To Download your Copy of the workbook 7 Ways You’re Blocking Your Own Success (and what to do about them) Click here