Ep. 4 pt 2: Does Perfectionism Kill Inspiration?

We all want to do our best work, but what happens when your high standards turn into creative pressure?

In this episode of The Slow Circle, we’re having an honest conversation about perfectionism—how it creeps into creative work, business decisions, and leadership, and why it’s often the thing standing between us and true passion.

As serial entrepreneurs, we know how easy it is to hold yourself to impossible standards. We’ve been there. But we’ve also learned that excellence doesn’t have to mean exhaustion.

In this episode, we share how learning to let go helped us:
* Reignite passion in our business
* Delegate without losing our identity
* Shift from fear to creative freedom

We also unpack how fear of failure can paralyse progress, and how imperfect work is often the most powerful of all.

Whether you’re navigating self-doubt, creative fatigue, or simply want to do business with more ease—this conversation is for you.

This podcast is brought to you by our own business, Rebrandr, a digital brand marketing and creative studio specialising in supporting conscious business with branding, social media management, website design and photoshoots, to ongoing business coaching and more.

We’d love to hear what you think of this episode! Drop us a message on Instagram @rebrandr.creative.studio or via our contact page.

Available on: Apple | Spotify | Amazon

Please note this has been auto-transcribed.

00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:05,040
Hi, I'm Amy and this is Abi. Hi! We are serial entrepreneurs, joint co-founders, sisters and


00:00:05,040 --> 00:00:09,760
all, and friends. We've scaled and sold multiple businesses over the years, but we've also learned


00:00:09,760 --> 00:00:14,240
there's a lot more to business and profit. We've had a real awakening over the last six to 12 months


00:00:14,240 --> 00:00:18,080
and we're very excited to have you join us on our journey as we learn more about slow and


00:00:18,080 --> 00:00:20,640
considered business and how it has the power to change the world.


00:00:20,640 --> 00:00:27,600
Welcome to the Slow Circle, a podcast for mindful business owners or wannabe business owners,


00:00:27,600 --> 00:00:31,920
or just conscious people who work in business and feel there has to be a better way.


00:00:31,920 --> 00:00:37,840
Join us while we discuss all the ways in which we can operate from a place of truth and integrity,


00:00:37,840 --> 00:00:43,840
alongside having all the success we desire. This podcast is paid for by our own business,


00:00:43,840 --> 00:00:47,840
Rebrandr, a digital brand marketing and creative studio.


00:00:47,840 --> 00:00:55,120
Part one we were talking all about finding passionate work or within your business.


00:00:55,120 --> 00:01:04,160
Yeah. And then the second part was to be talking about perfectionism and does it kill inspiration


00:01:04,160 --> 00:01:09,840
and suppose that passion, which we just didn't have time to get on to, so that's what we're going


00:01:09,840 --> 00:01:17,600
to talk about in this episode. Yeah. Which yeah, I think it does lead on really nicely actually,


00:01:17,600 --> 00:01:24,560
or we've just been talking about finding that passion. So now it's more about trying to keep


00:01:24,560 --> 00:01:27,440
that passion, I suppose. Yeah. Not looping.


00:01:27,440 --> 00:01:36,400
So the first kind of question within that is what's the difference between striving for excellence


00:01:36,400 --> 00:01:47,200
and being obsessed with perfection? Yeah. I think that, yeah, I think sometimes people do misunderstand


00:01:49,840 --> 00:01:56,640
that kind of concept around perfection, like I think you should, it's not to say that you shouldn't


00:01:56,640 --> 00:02:07,360
have a good working standard. Yeah. You know, like you can still have, I mean, we would say like,


00:02:07,360 --> 00:02:14,480
it's still important to stick to your branding or your brand guidelines and all of those things.


00:02:14,480 --> 00:02:20,560
Like it's not saying throw all of that out the window. Actually, those things not meant to be there


00:02:20,560 --> 00:02:27,040
to restrict you. They meant to be there to just like kind of provide, I guess, parameters for you


00:02:27,040 --> 00:02:37,040
then to feel free to to create and do within within that kind of structure. Yeah. So I think,


00:02:38,400 --> 00:02:46,640
yeah, just to start like, I just wanted to say if we're like, oh, don't get caught up on perfectionism,


00:02:46,640 --> 00:02:51,840
that doesn't mean that you shouldn't check your email campaign that you're about to send out


00:02:51,840 --> 00:02:57,840
and make sure there's no spelling, spelling mistakes before you send it because like, I think that's just


00:02:57,840 --> 00:03:03,520
your, I mean, everyone has different levels, but like that should be your own level of like


00:03:03,520 --> 00:03:10,240
where your standards are, right? Yeah. I think it's one of those things that's really hard for business owners


00:03:10,240 --> 00:03:18,480
and who are the gatekeepers of the band as well. That's the added pressure, right? Is that everything


00:03:18,480 --> 00:03:24,480
that goes out, that you are approving has to, whether it's you doing it on your own, that's one thing,


00:03:24,480 --> 00:03:30,160
you can hold yourself to whatever standards you want, right? But you might be exhausted by the end of it,


00:03:31,120 --> 00:03:36,960
but then holding other people to those same standards is really tricky because what I have learned


00:03:36,960 --> 00:03:46,800
and I really mean I learned it like as, as we went through, was that, I mean, yeah, maybe someone would


00:03:46,800 --> 00:03:55,040
submit some copy for review and I could tweak it and change it and I wouldn't have said it that way,


00:03:56,000 --> 00:04:06,800
but that doesn't mean they did it wrong and I did it right. That's like, and just because I think a


00:04:06,800 --> 00:04:13,520
particular word might be better in that place doesn't mean it actually is, you know, the vast majority


00:04:13,520 --> 00:04:21,840
of people might align better with a different word and, yeah. And actually who then,


00:04:25,280 --> 00:04:32,560
who am I then holding to those standards and who am I to hold anyone to any standards?


00:04:32,560 --> 00:04:38,000
Like it's quite like an interesting exploration, I guess, that I've been on and


00:04:38,000 --> 00:04:44,160
now we're lucky enough to be able to be on the other side of that where we're submitting work


00:04:44,160 --> 00:04:52,400
two brands for approval and when it's slight tweaks made or changes made or suggestions,


00:04:52,400 --> 00:04:58,160
like I actually really enjoy that level of collaborative working and it's not about like right or wrong


00:04:58,160 --> 00:05:09,600
or, you know, but I do think that as a brand owner, there is a place in yourself to which you need


00:05:09,600 --> 00:05:18,320
to come to, to not have it be part of the reason you're burning out, which is that, you know, you don't


00:05:18,320 --> 00:05:25,120
have to have everything exactly the way you would have done it as long as it's good. It doesn't have to


00:05:25,120 --> 00:05:33,840
be. I mean, I always think of to do's, tasks, things that need doing however you want to think of it


00:05:33,840 --> 00:05:40,400
in three, in like that they fit into three categories. The first one is things that only you can do


00:05:40,400 --> 00:05:45,600
because you're the co-founder, it's your voice, you know the brand inside out, it came from inside


00:05:45,600 --> 00:05:50,800
your head right and there are things that can only be you but then there is another layer of things which


00:05:50,800 --> 00:05:58,880
you might be able to do quicker or better or in a more considered way but somebody else could do it


00:05:58,880 --> 00:06:06,800
and then there's a final layer of things that do not need to be you at all and I think that's a


00:06:06,800 --> 00:06:12,000
really good way to think about things because you can strive for excellence but you can also recognise


00:06:12,000 --> 00:06:20,960
that excellent is an overall outcome. Each individual task doesn't necessarily need to be analysed to


00:06:20,960 --> 00:06:29,200
the same degree as the overall outcome. Does that make sense? Yeah, it does and I think


00:06:29,200 --> 00:06:35,600
I'm like kind of applying it back to what we were talking about earlier in the first part which


00:06:35,600 --> 00:06:43,840
was about passion and it's interesting isn't it because well two things came up earlier we were like,


00:06:43,840 --> 00:06:50,880
you know, states be authentic and I think that's where it becomes hard if someone is


00:06:50,880 --> 00:06:58,640
say submitting work to you and it doesn't feel authentic to you in your brand. Yeah, so then you


00:06:58,640 --> 00:07:05,040
feel like I need to change it or it needs to further edits because it needs to feel authentic.


00:07:05,040 --> 00:07:10,880
Yes, because it's getting that balance right but then at the same time like at what cost do you


00:07:10,880 --> 00:07:17,440
go to for that because if it's a part of the business that's draining you and that's why you've


00:07:17,440 --> 00:07:22,080
given it away to somebody else because that you've just said it's not the one that you have to do


00:07:22,080 --> 00:07:29,760
but maybe you could do it better. Yeah. If it is draining you then maybe you have to go it's not


00:07:29,760 --> 00:07:36,320
quite right, but it'll better than me being drained by having to still do this type of work that


00:07:36,320 --> 00:07:44,080
doesn't excite me and inspire me and I'm feel really passionate about. Yeah, it's really challenging


00:07:44,080 --> 00:07:53,760
I think because I think so. As business owners you want things to be perfect. Yeah, yeah totally I


00:07:53,760 --> 00:08:00,800
think there's actually something I really don't enjoy about being a perfectionist and


00:08:00,800 --> 00:08:12,240
it feels like oh I can't I ever just be happy with the way that's that is well that's been done or


00:08:12,240 --> 00:08:20,080
like you know and it's one thing to hold yourself to those standards but it's another thing


00:08:20,800 --> 00:08:27,520
to hold other people to those standards because I also absolutely love leading a team of people


00:08:27,520 --> 00:08:33,680
and I would never ever want them to feel that I didn't think what they were doing was good enough.


00:08:33,680 --> 00:08:42,560
It's like as a parent you know like Seth yeah may not unload the dishwasher the way I wanted it


00:08:42,560 --> 00:08:47,920
to be unloaded and have all the things where they go or whatever but I'm so appreciative of him helping


00:08:47,920 --> 00:08:53,680
and doing that and putting that effort in that I'm not going to pick it apart you know there's


00:08:53,680 --> 00:08:58,880
like it's a really there's like a dark shadowy edge to being a perfectionist and so many people


00:08:58,880 --> 00:09:05,760
think of it as a wonderful thing right like having this capability to strive for perfection


00:09:05,760 --> 00:09:10,560
but actually I feel like it's a double-edged sword and you can build a prison for yourself.


00:09:12,080 --> 00:09:20,640
Yeah absolutely but it's it's so interesting actually thinking about working with other brands because


00:09:20,640 --> 00:09:28,560
you're almost I don't know it's just interesting like would you take it would you have taken it further


00:09:28,560 --> 00:09:32,880
if it was your own brand and not been put you know what I mean like would we be like oh it's not quite


00:09:32,880 --> 00:09:39,360
perfect and you that is your own standard isn't it but obviously we do it to a really good standard


00:09:39,360 --> 00:09:46,000
when we're doing it for other brands but I don't know that there's still some


00:09:46,000 --> 00:09:55,760
structure around kind of thinking well it is still not a transaction but there's something


00:09:55,760 --> 00:10:00,640
that they have paid for you know so you wouldn't kill yourself going after it but when it's for


00:10:00,640 --> 00:10:07,280
your own business like we can almost do that to ourselves and make it so difficult.


00:10:08,000 --> 00:10:14,320
Right because there's no end goal there's no yeah no I see what you're saying it's like when you're


00:10:14,320 --> 00:10:20,080
working on a project for someone there's an end date there's a submission process where you might


00:10:20,080 --> 00:10:26,640
submit it not feeling like it's perfect and expecting them to come back with a list of things to


00:10:26,640 --> 00:10:33,040
correct about it but actually they don't they really like what you did and they're super happy


00:10:33,040 --> 00:10:37,280
and then you're like oh wow like if that was my business I would have kept working on that and


00:10:37,280 --> 00:10:44,080
doing more and do it like making more changes and tweaking it further and yeah that's a really


00:10:44,080 --> 00:10:51,440
I hadn't thought of it like that but that's a really interesting um well I suppose it's helpful


00:10:51,440 --> 00:11:01,760
isn't it like it's it prevents you from spiraling into that yeah I think so I think um yeah I think


00:11:01,760 --> 00:11:06,560
if you are a business owner and you do feel like you're getting caught up on projects because you're


00:11:06,560 --> 00:11:11,600
just trying to make them perfect I do think there is a stage where you probably have to question


00:11:11,600 --> 00:11:16,880
are you really is it really that you're trying to get it perfect or is there something else going


00:11:16,880 --> 00:11:26,400
on there like is it almost fear or fail yeah I can help there and that's really what's holding you back


00:11:26,400 --> 00:11:36,400
yeah no I think I think that that is a really big some people have paralysis around it they like


00:11:37,040 --> 00:11:46,640
they are completely paralyzed by um not not being perv actually that's a reading a book at


00:11:46,640 --> 00:11:54,480
moment "Create Tricks" by Lucy H. Pierce and she was saying how many people and like right at the end


00:11:54,480 --> 00:12:01,120
of it it's one of those ones I've dipped in and out of but she was saying how so many creative people


00:12:01,120 --> 00:12:09,840
just never live their truest creative lives because of this fear of how will their work being


00:12:09,840 --> 00:12:16,240
be received and therefore not sharing it until it's perfect and the way she said it is share it


00:12:16,240 --> 00:12:22,640
and tell people this is work in progress and allow it to go out and spread and fly away so that


00:12:22,640 --> 00:12:28,480
again expansion contraction you're emptying your space and energy in containers to be able to


00:12:28,480 --> 00:12:33,840
create the next thing that chooses to come through you and I love that way of thinking about it like


00:12:33,840 --> 00:12:38,800
it's okay to share things with people and explain that this is not a finished work but


00:12:38,800 --> 00:12:45,280
what I was called to express was this and this is how far I've got it yeah and I feel like you almost


00:12:45,280 --> 00:12:54,240
can't get to that next level of like reflecting on it and getting better without doing it you know


00:12:54,240 --> 00:12:59,840
I mean like get caught up in your own head if before you've shared it with people and like well is it


00:12:59,840 --> 00:13:06,080
quite right or whatever but I feel like as soon as it's out there it almost like takes I don't know


00:13:06,080 --> 00:13:12,000
like a mask off or something where you can actually see it for what it really is yeah totally totally


00:13:12,000 --> 00:13:21,600
and I think there's two interesting things to say about that one is that um it's okay like a lot of


00:13:21,600 --> 00:13:29,280
people that we speak to are 10 or 20 years into their business and they might say like I'm a different


00:13:29,280 --> 00:13:35,440
person now and I don't know like if I'm still the same person setting out to achieve the same thing


00:13:35,440 --> 00:13:41,760
and what I would say is when that happens and your work doesn't feel the same as it used to and


00:13:41,760 --> 00:13:48,560
part of that is the fear right of like yeah am I going to upset people by sharing this because my


00:13:48,560 --> 00:13:56,240
audience are not used to me sharing this type of work then what I would say is David Bowie prints


00:13:56,240 --> 00:14:04,240
like so many other creatives rebranded themselves so many times and yeah I'm sure they lost followers


00:14:04,240 --> 00:14:08,000
like people that like the first three albums and then lost interest because it wasn't their cup


00:14:08,000 --> 00:14:14,480
of tea anymore but more people came in and actually like I find that an incredibly awe inspiring


00:14:14,480 --> 00:14:21,200
thing to do to say this isn't who I am anymore and that's that's true of all of us whether we're creatives


00:14:21,200 --> 00:14:27,840
or in the limelight or public figures or whatever like we are different people throughout our lives


00:14:27,840 --> 00:14:33,440
and before us are all the previous versions behind us sorry are all the previous versions of


00:14:33,440 --> 00:14:39,360
of ourselves and so to acknowledge that and say well that's not who I am anymore and you can't do


00:14:39,360 --> 00:14:46,560
that until you let that work go until you if you're putting on to that work you can't become the next


00:14:46,560 --> 00:14:53,040
version of yourself yeah yeah yeah so I feel like we always have that conversation it's like would


00:14:53,040 --> 00:15:00,480
you rather be like I don't know just like blissfully unaware that you could do any better or that you


00:15:00,480 --> 00:15:09,920
could have in your life and just be happy with what you have or whatever but you can't change that


00:15:09,920 --> 00:15:19,040
about yourself if you're the kind person is always like growing I don't want to say wanting more


00:15:19,040 --> 00:15:26,160
because it's not really about wanting more is that it is I think it's about consciously and like


00:15:26,160 --> 00:15:30,800
always just reviewing and even if that's making the decision to carry on doing it the way you've always


00:15:30,800 --> 00:15:37,600
done it that's valid yeah that's okay but it is just about being conscious in the way that you're doing


00:15:37,600 --> 00:15:44,160
things and you know thinking about well the next question is how does the fear of failure hinder you


00:15:44,160 --> 00:15:48,880
fear or failure hinder you and stop you from enjoying the process and you just mentioned like


00:15:48,880 --> 00:15:55,040
fear of failure is one of the reasons that people are keep working at something and then end up


00:15:55,040 --> 00:16:04,800
never sharing it but there were so many like for example like the light bulb how many


00:16:04,800 --> 00:16:15,120
light bulbs or failed light bulbs prototypes were there before the final light bulb was created


00:16:15,120 --> 00:16:23,440
like I think it's something ridiculous but Thomas Edison absolutely refused to


00:16:24,400 --> 00:16:31,200
see any of the previous ones as failures he saw them all as just a step to getting to the light bulb


00:16:31,200 --> 00:16:39,280
and that's the way we see things that's the way we need to see our previous endovers and efforts


00:16:39,280 --> 00:16:45,680
and businesses and ideas and everything up to this point is that they were all necessary


00:16:45,680 --> 00:16:52,720
to get us to where we are at right now and they were not things we failed at or things that wrong


00:16:52,720 --> 00:16:59,760
decisions we made or you know things that weren't perfect I mean many of the things that are in my


00:16:59,760 --> 00:17:08,400
behind you know it passed were not perfect but without them without all those things we wouldn't be


00:17:08,400 --> 00:17:14,320
doing this the way we're doing it yeah I love that I think it's a really nice way to think of


00:17:14,320 --> 00:17:20,080
something when you're like oh do I really want to share this work with the world or whatever to think


00:17:20,800 --> 00:17:31,040
well this isn't my final best yeah work that I've been working like it's it's just a step closer to


00:17:31,040 --> 00:17:38,800
what I want to create yeah yeah it me that I feel like something that I want to bring up now and it


00:17:38,800 --> 00:17:43,840
might be a good point because we're talking about the next question is then how to embrace imperfection


00:17:43,840 --> 00:17:50,640
be kind to yourself use your passion and failures to learn improve and inspire you and I


00:17:50,640 --> 00:18:00,800
really really think that of absolute utmost importance in that is to have a community around you that


00:18:00,800 --> 00:18:07,200
have your back you know I was thinking the same thing I thought it's it's actually a lot easier


00:18:07,200 --> 00:18:13,360
to kind of go ahead and do something I think when you've got someone else


00:18:14,960 --> 00:18:20,480
like alongside you or yeah because I was I feel like you can almost get in your own head of that


00:18:20,480 --> 00:18:25,120
off created this thing but nobody knows about it and if I didn't share it nobody would still know about


00:18:25,120 --> 00:18:35,440
it right it's like easy to just hide yeah yeah and I think it's too old you can share it as a work in


00:18:35,440 --> 00:18:44,480
progress and people will and you feel safe enough to share it when it doesn't feel perfect if you


00:18:44,480 --> 00:18:54,800
have an aligned tribe around you but exactly and there's no fear of judgment or you know we all know


00:18:54,800 --> 00:19:02,240
people or have known people in our lives that may have been friends but actually we didn't feel


00:19:02,240 --> 00:19:15,200
safe to be our authentic selves with and now I think the realization of the power of surrounding


00:19:15,200 --> 00:19:24,320
yourself with those people that you feel absolutely safe with and you can share some work that you


00:19:24,320 --> 00:19:32,080
hate perhaps and share it saying you hate it and you are not having this work and then them coming back


00:19:32,080 --> 00:19:37,360
to you and knowing that any comment they give is there's no judgment there's no criticism it's just


00:19:37,360 --> 00:19:45,040
conversation and discussion from someone who has your back and I feel like there's so much power


00:19:45,040 --> 00:19:52,160
in that but then also not only do you feel safe to share it you feel safe to listen to the feedback


00:19:52,160 --> 00:19:58,960
and sometimes that feedback is get out of your own head that's amazing like that one is really good


00:19:58,960 --> 00:20:03,840
and you've totally overthought it you don't need to you you you are doing what you're meant to be doing


00:20:03,840 --> 00:20:11,600
and I see you and I see the work and I see like all the like everything you were meant to achieve with


00:20:11,600 --> 00:20:19,200
it and it's there and it's great and so are you kind of thing you know and I just think if we all


00:20:19,200 --> 00:20:26,080
had that around us think how much better everything would be there's so much there's so many lonely


00:20:26,080 --> 00:20:31,920
people out there so many hurt people so many people out of alignment and if everybody just had


00:20:31,920 --> 00:20:38,880
that tribe of people and support around them I mean we could it would be a game changer


00:20:38,880 --> 00:20:46,240
yeah I think the funny thing about it is I was going to say to you how do you like if someone's


00:20:46,240 --> 00:20:51,760
listening to this like and they don't have that that minute how do they find it but actually the


00:20:51,760 --> 00:20:56,000
funny thing is to find it you kind of have to put yourself out there yeah get your work


00:20:56,000 --> 00:21:02,720
to and do it from a place of being authentic and all of that so that you can


00:21:02,720 --> 00:21:09,440
that tribe or that when you go and find those people that they can see that you're a line or


00:21:09,440 --> 00:21:15,440
whatever you know so it's almost like I completely agree I think it makes it so much easier but I


00:21:15,440 --> 00:21:21,200
feel like you almost have to start yeah somewhere yeah yeah and a lot of people feel uncomfortable with


00:21:21,200 --> 00:21:27,280
it because it's not familiar but actually that's all it is it's you know and I remember when my


00:21:27,280 --> 00:21:32,320
granddad first date a curry he could not get his head around it at all because it was unfamiliar


00:21:32,320 --> 00:21:38,240
flavors he had never tasted before and you know he was a well-traveled man but he was of his


00:21:38,240 --> 00:21:45,200
generation where spices like that weren't in common every day use in England and actually he loved


00:21:45,200 --> 00:21:52,720
curry like 20 years later he was requesting we order a curry and that's all it is it's when something


00:21:52,720 --> 00:21:58,000
is unfamiliar all you have to do is just start making it familiar do it more and then more and then


00:21:58,000 --> 00:22:04,800
a bit more and eventually it's no longer unfamiliar and feeling scary but what I would say is


00:22:05,760 --> 00:22:10,720
like social media takes a lot of the leg workout of it for us but it's not about the vanity metrics


00:22:10,720 --> 00:22:16,400
that's where a lot of people get caught up it's not about growing your following having huge numbers


00:22:16,400 --> 00:22:23,920
have it like having a huge reach it's actually about aligning with your exact tribe so the more


00:22:23,920 --> 00:22:29,840
authentic you are and actually probably the more opinionated you are you will draw then the people


00:22:29,840 --> 00:22:34,560
with you that align with that when you're this kind of wishy was she trying to please everyone


00:22:34,560 --> 00:22:44,080
person no one's interested in you you have to be you know firm in your authentic communication


00:22:44,080 --> 00:22:52,560
and I think that there are so many resources out there now like women circles or creative support


00:22:52,560 --> 00:22:58,080
groups or apps where like people have set up a membership of some sort like there's so much out


00:22:58,080 --> 00:23:04,160
there that it's it's easier now than ever to find the right thing but what I would also say is


00:23:04,160 --> 00:23:10,400
don't be afraid to reach out to people like I get messages of people saying like oh I'm so sorry


00:23:10,400 --> 00:23:15,040
to bother you but you know you did this and I'm thinking of doing something similar I wondered if


00:23:15,040 --> 00:23:20,800
you and I love getting messages like that because I would send messages like that before


00:23:20,800 --> 00:23:27,120
and be so nervous about sending them and appreciate it so much when that person replied and was


00:23:27,120 --> 00:23:32,640
actually supportive and encouraging and I just feel like if we all as we progress through our


00:23:32,640 --> 00:23:39,440
learnings of life can remember them and remember what it feels like to be in that place and to want


00:23:39,440 --> 00:23:45,760
to give back generously to that version of previous you that someone else is now in you know


00:23:45,760 --> 00:23:52,080
and then I feel like that can be a community building because that person feels like oh there is


00:23:52,080 --> 00:23:58,560
someone out there who gets what I'm doing and appreciates it and you know it takes such courage


00:23:58,560 --> 00:24:04,320
for someone to send that type of message to say it so yeah to get it so yeah definitely


00:24:04,320 --> 00:24:07,120
definitely


00:24:07,120 --> 00:24:10,000
making noise


00:24:10,000 --> 00:24:14,480
so how do you think


00:24:14,480 --> 00:24:23,440
we can like yeah be kinder to ourselves I suppose in that and use our passion


00:24:26,160 --> 00:24:35,920
I'm just thinking like yeah what are they actual steps that we can take or I think it probably


00:24:35,920 --> 00:24:43,440
there's an element of coming back to you know we said like finding that half an hour a day to rest


00:24:43,440 --> 00:24:47,120
or to do something that you're passionate about and it's definitely that yeah


00:24:48,160 --> 00:24:55,760
being kind to yourself like that and yeah I definitely think there's that


00:24:55,760 --> 00:24:59,680
something beautiful in this idea of embracing imperfection isn't there like


00:24:59,680 --> 00:25:08,000
if it feels kind of wild and free and yeah right think of it like like your best friend right or like


00:25:08,000 --> 00:25:17,120
someone you're really close to say like you and I in Rebrandr one of us did something and was


00:25:17,120 --> 00:25:23,280
unsure about it like how would you talk to me would you say to me yeah that freaking sucks that work


00:25:23,280 --> 00:25:29,200
is awful you've not communicated what we set out to communicate, square up and front and the bin


00:25:29,200 --> 00:25:36,080
no one should ever see that or would you talk to me in a what you would right it talked to me in a


00:25:36,080 --> 00:25:43,280
much kind of way but we allow ourselves to talk to ourselves in that really harsh voice and I feel


00:25:43,280 --> 00:25:52,000
like that's the first step and it's a habit some people are nearly 40 50s how I roll you are years into


00:25:52,000 --> 00:25:57,200
talking to ourselves like that so it's not something that's going to change overnight but just


00:25:57,200 --> 00:26:03,840
try to recognize it when you do it like don't call yourself names don't like swear at yourself


00:26:03,840 --> 00:26:07,920
the way don't speak to yourself the way you would not speak to someone you loved


00:26:07,920 --> 00:26:13,200
talk try and talk to yourself in a way that's encouraging and loving and supportive and kind


00:26:13,200 --> 00:26:22,480
because actually I for all the reasons we've already mentioned there is beauty and imperfection


00:26:22,480 --> 00:26:31,280
and we can be our own worst critics and I think the only way to break that cycle and to actually


00:26:33,200 --> 00:26:39,920
encourage ourselves to grow in confidence is to have our own backs be our own cheerleaders


00:26:39,920 --> 00:26:47,360
and we start by doing the way we talk to ourselves yeah and you're definitely not going to enjoy


00:26:47,360 --> 00:26:54,000
what you do if that's the way that you're yeah you're beating yourself up around right everything


00:26:54,000 --> 00:27:00,640
that you do yeah so it's also yeah there's a lot of like trying to find joy in in all of it in all the


00:27:00,640 --> 00:27:09,840
messy work and all the trials and errors and everything that goes along the way like I think trying to


00:27:09,840 --> 00:27:19,040
enjoy that whole process really really important yeah I think it's really important and I think you know


00:27:19,040 --> 00:27:27,440
like sometimes what I find really helpful is to literally imitate or replicate what someone else has


00:27:27,440 --> 00:27:35,840
done like for example the light bulb like look back on all my inverted commas like light bulbs and like


00:27:35,840 --> 00:27:41,440
compare them like for like okay I thought that was a failure I thought that was something I messed up


00:27:41,440 --> 00:27:48,720
or something I did wrong but actually is that just one of my failed light bulbs that now I'm on the


00:27:48,720 --> 00:27:57,040
path to my successful light bulb and there are so many people out there who failed big time like


00:27:57,040 --> 00:28:02,880
Simon Cowell declared bankruptcy before he then went on to start the record label that he's now famous


00:28:02,880 --> 00:28:12,640
for and Britain's got talent you know all of those so many stories like that and what choice do


00:28:12,640 --> 00:28:18,640
we have really but to pick ourselves up and dust ourselves up onto ourselves and try again


00:28:19,840 --> 00:28:28,320
and I think actually if you do do spend that time and reflect on kind of past versions of yourself


00:28:28,320 --> 00:28:34,480
for your work or whatever you might all of a sudden go actually this is really good like


00:28:34,480 --> 00:28:39,920
if you do go back and think what would I have thought of this piece of work or yeah


00:28:39,920 --> 00:28:45,600
the position that I'm in now or whatever it is that I'm creating what would I have thought of that


00:28:46,480 --> 00:28:52,560
five years ago like and knowing all I know now and all that I've created I think all of a sudden you


00:28:52,560 --> 00:29:01,200
might actually feel really proud of what you've achieved yeah in the mind you just yeah yeah no I agree


00:29:01,200 --> 00:29:12,000
totally and I and I feel like there's we're never at the end of the journey are we like I really


00:29:12,000 --> 00:29:18,560
thought that when you got to being an adult you kind of had it figured out but you don't like it's


00:29:18,560 --> 00:29:28,240
always just evolving and changing and shifting and if we can find a way to embrace that in its imperfections


00:29:28,240 --> 00:29:33,360
and I'm talking about life not just business and not just the work you're delivering but if we can


00:29:33,360 --> 00:29:42,640
find a way to recognize that right now in this moment in this literally 10 second window what


00:29:42,640 --> 00:29:49,920
what is going wrong nothing like I'm sat in a warm house talking to you I have a drink in my hand


00:29:49,920 --> 00:29:55,920
I food in the fridge I know my kids are taking care of I'm enjoying doing this there is nothing


00:29:55,920 --> 00:30:00,640
wrong in this 10 second window but we get in our heads and we think about all the what ifs and all


00:30:00,640 --> 00:30:06,720
the things that could go wrong and we stress ourselves out about them but actually if we could just


00:30:06,720 --> 00:30:12,080
believe in the power of now yeah and I feel like that takes the pressure off


00:30:12,080 --> 00:30:20,640
yeah totally and it's also bringing it back to like what we spoke about in the first part of like


00:30:20,640 --> 00:30:27,520
not thinking about what you're doing but why you're doing it like why am I doing this in the first


00:30:27,520 --> 00:30:35,520
place like like you might be designing a product and you're not happy with it's not perfect or you


00:30:35,520 --> 00:30:42,320
might be writing an email campaign to send out or like that's the what you're doing but actually


00:30:42,320 --> 00:30:47,280
getting back to think yeah but why like why am I doing this oh it's because I'm really passionate about


00:30:47,280 --> 00:30:52,640
whatever is that you're really passionate about and that and this is this is the way in that I'm


00:30:52,640 --> 00:30:59,040
going to spread that message you can get it out there and I love that yeah I think it's really when


00:30:59,040 --> 00:31:04,240
you think of it like that it doesn't become about the end result does it it becomes about the process


00:31:04,240 --> 00:31:13,280
and therefore right therefore does this work or this thing that I'm doing or whatever does it


00:31:13,280 --> 00:31:19,840
express that does it express whatever I'm passionate about did it have that


00:31:19,840 --> 00:31:24,080
underpinning every element of it if the answer is yes then it doesn't matter whether you think it's


00:31:24,080 --> 00:31:30,400
perfect or not because actually we were we to decide what's perfect you know yeah but if it


00:31:30,400 --> 00:31:37,600
impact in a positive way that you set out to impact then that's it that's what you set out to achieve


00:31:37,600 --> 00:31:42,080
and I think it's an important question as well because maybe you actually go no


00:31:43,360 --> 00:31:50,800
it doesn't it doesn't match up with why I started all of this and I'm what I'm passionate about and


00:31:50,800 --> 00:31:56,160
you might all of a sudden have a bit of a realization that you've got down this path of doing


00:31:56,160 --> 00:32:02,480
things for the sake of doing it like all I better dissolve or product or I better send an other


00:32:02,480 --> 00:32:07,920
email campaign or whatever but it's not for the reasons that you felt really passionate about in


00:32:07,920 --> 00:32:13,120
the first place and then perhaps that's something that's draining your energy and you can say


00:32:13,760 --> 00:32:18,640
I'm not going to do that anymore I'm going to focus on all of the things that get me closer to


00:32:18,640 --> 00:32:26,720
yeah feeling I want to feel and sharing the message that I want to share that I'm passionate about


00:32:26,720 --> 00:32:33,920
yeah yeah yeah it's it's beautiful when you see it like that it's hard to stick to it isn't it when


00:32:33,920 --> 00:32:41,120
you're in your day to day and but um that's the other thing is you know we have each other but some


00:32:41,120 --> 00:32:48,880
people are solo-proners and yeah find it harder to talk they I mean well easier I suppose to talk


00:32:48,880 --> 00:32:56,240
themselves into a funk and actually I think if if that's you and if you need holding


00:32:56,240 --> 00:33:06,800
search and seek out that tribe like as a priority because they're the people you can share with


00:33:06,800 --> 00:33:15,120
them, bounce ideas off with them be held and supported by and there is you know I even I mean we run


00:33:15,120 --> 00:33:23,600
the um small business circle but I still feel like I look forward to it every week it holds me


00:33:23,600 --> 00:33:29,200
you know it's not just about us running it it's about what we get from it too and it's the most


00:33:29,200 --> 00:33:33,840
incredible community of people and there are so many people doing things like that whether you need


00:33:33,840 --> 00:33:37,840
something physical in person or something or a remote or something centered around women or


00:33:37,840 --> 00:33:44,800
centered around men or like whatever there are so many things like that now that I would encourage


00:33:44,800 --> 00:33:54,240
you to look out for yeah I think it really does it gives you space like we always say that people


00:33:54,240 --> 00:33:59,360
go oh I don't have an extra I don't have an hour for this or whatever when you commit to something


00:33:59,360 --> 00:34:06,400
like that you all of a sudden do have that hour and then people like I always wave away from


00:34:06,400 --> 00:34:15,200
our like circle feeling so I don't know like so like I'm full of ideas and energy like energise I


00:34:15,200 --> 00:34:21,200
suppose again for after it and even if you go in before like I've got too much stuff on to do this


00:34:21,200 --> 00:34:26,560
you never come away feeling like you notice like people say you never walk away from a gym session


00:34:26,560 --> 00:34:33,680
regretting it like it's the same thing yeah and I definitely think if you are a person


00:34:33,680 --> 00:34:39,600
running a business on your own it's really important to have something like that because yeah it's


00:34:39,600 --> 00:34:46,080
easier like when there's the two of us to say okay let's have a weekly meeting and check in on where


00:34:46,080 --> 00:34:52,480
we're out of stuff and you do have a bit more like kind of back and forth and time to reflect on stuff


00:34:52,480 --> 00:34:57,920
yeah whereas I think when you are on your own you just keep going and going without really


00:34:57,920 --> 00:35:04,160
stopping and thinking hang on a minute how have we actually like ended up doing something


00:35:04,160 --> 00:35:11,840
completely just what we set out to do here yeah and yeah I completely agree I think if you are


00:35:11,840 --> 00:35:19,520
a small business owner then and you're on your own I definitely would encourage like


00:35:20,640 --> 00:35:27,760
getting a business coach or joining a club or a group or something where you can have that space to


00:35:27,760 --> 00:35:33,120
talk and connect and actually reflect all the things that you're doing in your business and make


00:35:33,120 --> 00:35:40,320
sure yeah that you're staying on the path of what you set out to do in the first place well I mean


00:35:40,320 --> 00:35:48,000
we've spoken about it so often haven't we how it used to be a taboo in the UK to have a therapist but


00:35:48,000 --> 00:35:53,760
yet in America people have been doing it for so long yeah and now it's kind of the same with having


00:35:53,760 --> 00:36:00,880
a business mentor or coach in the US it's like normal and here people still I don't know I just


00:36:00,880 --> 00:36:08,560
not doing it but I think maybe it's one of those things like when you do have a therapist like


00:36:08,560 --> 00:36:13,360
the cost is not an issue like you find a way to pay for that because of what it gives you like the


00:36:13,360 --> 00:36:23,600
return on investment is yeah undeniable and but I feel like this is this is the kind of stuff we've got


00:36:23,600 --> 00:36:30,640
another episode um work life balance um and we'll be talking about you going off on maternity and how


00:36:30,640 --> 00:36:40,080
we're facilitating that um as you transition from maiden to mother um and I feel like that leads


00:36:40,080 --> 00:36:46,960
on quite nicely to that so perhaps we leave the conversation there for now and then pick it up again


00:36:46,960 --> 00:36:53,360
yeah I think um it will be an interesting conversation because we're both kind of coming at it from


00:36:53,360 --> 00:36:58,160
definitely different very different perspectives of me not having any kids and you


00:36:58,160 --> 00:37:06,000
having three already and had you've had different job situations


00:37:06,000 --> 00:37:13,680
I mean yeah right obviously like I know what you kind of have done and stuff but um yeah I think


00:37:13,680 --> 00:37:19,360
it will be a really interesting conversation or an even it will be interesting for me to listen


00:37:19,360 --> 00:37:26,320
back to it I think after yes I think it will be how different my opinion actually is later on


00:37:26,320 --> 00:37:32,000
because I have an idea you know how things are going to go and how to get that work life balance


00:37:32,000 --> 00:37:39,840
but I know that it won't actually turn out like that hopefully yeah totally yeah I think I'm


00:37:39,840 --> 00:37:46,400
looking forward to that chat and actually it'll be a good one yeah oh it will so we leave it


00:37:46,400 --> 00:37:53,440
there for now and um we'll be speaking again soon this podcast is paid for by our own business


00:37:53,440 --> 00:37:59,920
Rebrandr a digital brand marketing and creative studio we specialize in supporting conscious


00:37:59,920 --> 00:38:05,600
businesses with a range of services from branding social media management website design


00:38:05,600 --> 00:38:11,840
and photo shoots to ongoing business coaching and more you can learn more about our services


00:38:11,840 --> 00:38:22,560
at www.rebrandr.co.uk or please send us a DM we'd love to hear from you.

To be the first to know when our next episode goes live, sign up to our email list at the bottom of the page!

Back to blog